The purpose of this study was to investigate whether genetically determined properties of muscle metabolism contribute to the exceptional physical endurance of world-class distance runners. ATP, phosphocreatine,...Full Text Available
BackgroundWith a growing number of genetic tests becoming available to the health and consumer markets, genetic health care providers in Canada are faced with the challenge of developing...Full Text Available
Summary 1. Plants express multiple defensive traits, but little is known about the genetic stability and phenotypic plasticity of these traits in nature. To investigate sources of variation and their potential ecological consequences for herbivores, we combined field observations of cyanogenic lima bean with laboratory experiments. 2. Field studies in South Mexico revealed a distinct variability of cyanogenic traits within and among wild lima bean populations. To differentiate among genetic variation and the impact of ambient conditions on plant phenotypes, we used seed grown plants as well as clones propagated from high (HC) and low cyanogenic (LC) wild type plants. 3. In growth chamber experiments, we cultivated plants under three intensities each of drought and salt stress, nutrient sup...
Partial epilepsies have a substantial heritability. However, the actual genetic causes are largely unknown. In contrast to many other common diseases for which genetic association-studies have successfully...Full Text Available
The Molecular Genetics and Carcinogenesis Section conducts studies using human epithelial cells to assess: activation of proto-oncogenes by chemical and physical carcinogens; inactivation and dysregulation of tumor suppressor genes by chemical and physical
Mice are an ideal mammalian model for studying the genetics of aging: considerable resources are available, the generation time is short, and the environment can be easily controlled, an important...Full Text Available
The authors describe an effect of suppression of invasion of the guinea pig eye conjunctiva and the HEp-2 epithelial cells by virulent Sh. flexneri bacilli, with a simultaneous administration of the same dose of avirulent shigella mutants, genetically connected with them. The data of morphological study and experiments with 3H-glucose labeled shigellae carried out on the cell species model indicated that the bacterial competition for the specific sites for absorption on the epithelial cells underlay the observed phenomenon. PMID:331774
Spontaneous and ultraviolet-induced changeabilities of wine yeasts from the killer state to sensitive one have been studied. Observed often spontaneous changes of killer and neutral phenotypes under laboratory store conditions as well as high mutation frequency of genetic elements responsible for the killer indication on ultraviolet irradiation testify that often encounterability in nature and in the production of sensitive yeasts is attributed to high frequency of mutation changes of the killer and neutral phenotypes to the sensitive state.
This study assessed the impact of the results of genetic testing for hereditary cancer from a multifactorial health psychology perspective, considering that emotional expression plays a key role in psychological adjustment. Measures of dispositional and transactional coping strategies, anxiety and alexithymia were filled out by 77 participants in a longitudinal study design. Statistical analyses were performed using general linear models and partial least squares path modelling, low-constraint methods that are particularly useful in the behavioural sciences. While anxiety levels prior to the result announcement were predictive of the distress experienced by noncarriers, considerable variability was observed for mutation carriers. Some subjects who had lower anxiety levels before the test d...
Current genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are moving towards the use of large cohorts of primary cell lines to study a disease of interest and to assign biological relevance to the genetic signals...Full Text Available
Genetically identical rhesus monkeys would have tremendous utility as models for the study of human disease and would be particularly valuable for vaccine trials and tissue transplantation studies where...Full Text Available
Over the last decade, the use of the zebrafish as a genetic model has moved beyond the proof-of-concept for the analysis of vertebrate embryonic development to demonstrated utility as a mainstream...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe long-term goal of the GKDZI (Genetics of Kidney Disease in Zuni Indians) Study is to identify genes, environmental factors, and genetic-environmental...Full Text Available
Our understanding of the genetic basis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been rapidly advanced using large-scale, case–control, candidate gene studies as well as genome-wide...Full Text Available
Mood and anxiety disorders and rodent phenotypic measures modeling these disorders have a strong genetic component. Various assays are used to study the neurobiological basis of fear- and anxiety-related...Full Text Available
Over the past two decades, combined advances in genetics, developmental biology and biochemistry have transformed the study of human birth defects. This review describes the importance of genome architecture,...Full Text Available
This is the first report of research for an ongoing study to evaluate the genetic effects of using hatchery-reared fish to supplement natural populations of chinook salmon and steelhead in the Snake River Basin.
The zebrafish is emerging as a prominent model system for studying the genetics of human development and disease. Genetic alterations that underlie each mutant model can exist in the form of...Full Text Available
This study examined the genetic basis of hypertension and renal disease in Dahl SS/Mcwi (Dahl Salt-Sensitive) rats using a complete chromosome substitution panel of consomic rats in which each of the...Full Text Available
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative disease. The vast majority cases of AD are sporadic, without clear cause, and a combination of environmental and genetic factors has been implicated. The hypothesis that homocysteine (Hcy) is a risk factor for AD was initially prompted by the observation that patients with histologically confirmed AD had higher plasma levels of Hcy, termed hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), than age-matched controls. Most evidence accumulated so far implicates HHcy as a risk factor for AD onset, but there are also conflicting results. In this review we summarize reports on the relationship between HHcy and AD from epidemiological investigations, including observationalstudies and randomized controlled clinical trials. We also examine recent i...
The stages of processes leading to radiation damage are studied, as well as, the direct and indirect mechanics of its production. The radiation effects on nucleic acid and protein macro moleculas are treated. The physical and chemical factors that modify radiosensibility are analysed, in particular the oxygen effects, the sensibilization by analogues of nitrogen bases, post-effects, chemical protection and inherent cell factors. Consideration is given to restoration processes by excision of injured fragments, the bloching of the excision restoration processes, the restoration of lesions caused by ionizing radiations and to the restoration by genetic recombination. Referring to somatic effects of radiation, the early ones and the acute syndrome of radiation are discussed. The difference of radiosensibility observed in mammalian cells and main observable alterations in tissues and organs are commented. ...
Summary The objective of this study was to quantify the genetic diversity among breeds under evaluation for tropical adaptability traits that affect the performance of beef cattle at the USDA/ARS SubTropical Agricultural Research Station (STARS) near Brooksville, FL, USA. Twenty-six microsatellite loci were used to estimate parameters of genetic diversity among the breeds American Brahman, Angus, Senepol and Romosinuano; the latter was comprised of two distinct bloodlines (Costa Rican and Venezuelan). Genotypes of 47 animals from each of these STARS herds were analysed for genetic diversity and genetic distance. Using two methods, the greatest genetic distance was detected between the Costa Rican line of Romosinuano and the Senepol. Gene diversity ranged between 0.64 (Costa Rican line of R...
Based on a literature study an actual summary of the risk-utility problems in X-ray diagnosis is outlined due to the Recommendations of the International Commission for Radiation Protection (ICRP publication 26/1977). Papers demonstrating quantitative assessment of the somatic and genetical risk in X-ray examination are preferably cited and evaluated. It is concluded that the somatic and genetical risk is low in diagnostic ratiology. However, it must not be neglected and has always to be compared to the utility of an examination as well as to other risks of the examination. (author).
The objective of the present investigation was to develop a Bayesian framework for updating and integrating covariate information into key parameters of metabolizable energy (ME) systems for dairy cows. The study addressed specifically the effects of genetic improvements and feed quality on key parameters in current ME systems. These are net and metabolizable energy for maintenance (NEM and MEM, respectively), efficiency of utilization of ME for milk production (kL) and growth (kG), and efficiency of utilization of body stores for milk production (kT). Data were collated from 38 studies, yielding 701 individual cow observations on milk energy, ME intake, and tissue gain and loss. A function based on a linear relationship between milk energy and ME intake and correcting for tissue energy lo...
Analysis of data on seedling traits from 20 diverse genotypes revealed significant differences fro most of the seedling traits. Significant estimates of broad-sense heritability were observed for VI, ERI, FRTW, DRTW and R/S ratio. Genetic advance was maximum for VI,ERI and E%. The correlation of VI with ERI and R/S ratio was negative and significant, whereas it was positive and significant with E%, FSHW and DSHW. Characterization of the sorghum genotypes according to Anderson's Metro glyph Statistics revealed five different groups for seedling trails. (authors)
To evaluate the contribution of genetic influences on the individual variation in plateau serum salicylate levels, salicylate metabolism was studied in seven pairs of identical and six pairs of fraternal...Full Text Available
BackgroundMolecular geneticstudies of Bombyx mori have led to profound advances in our understanding of the regulation of development. Bombyx mori brain,...Full Text Available
The study of genetic variability within natural populations of pathogens may provide insight into their evolution and pathogenesis. We used a Mycobacterium tuberculosis high-density...Full Text Available
Allen's Rule documents a century-old biological observation that strong positive correlations exist among latitude, ambient temperature, and limb length in mammals. Although genetic selection for thermoregulatory...Full Text Available
The gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, represents an important economic resource for Mediterranean aquaculture. In spite of its wide geographic distribution and economic importance, only recently studies have been carried out on the genetic composition of natural populations, which have revealed a picture of a heterogeneous degree of genetic differentiation among S. aurata populations. In this study an allozyme analysis of samples from six different collecting sites along the Italian and Croatian coasts was carried out, covering an area in the Central Mediterranean sea that has yet to be investigated through gene-enzyme systems. Data on 26 gene loci, 10 of which are polymorphic, indicate a slight but significant genetic structure (FST = 0.0167) of the species. A hierarchical analysis of pop...
Based on studies on the genetic and molecular basis of Shigella flexneri invasive properties, we have constructed and evaluated a double mutant of S. flexneri serotype 5 for utilization as a live attenuated oral vaccine against shigellosis. The first mutation, icsA, blocks intracellular spread of bacteria as well as cell-to-cell infection. It affects the capacity of the invasive pathogen to form large abscesses in epithelia. The second mutation, iuc, eliminates production of the siderophore aerobactin thus impairing growth of the bacterium within tissues. This double mutant, SC5700 appeared safe when administered intragastrically to macaque monkeys as three doses (5 x 10(10) c.f.u. each) at weekly intervals. Protection against a challenge by the wild type isolate (M90T) was observed 4 weeks after the last vaccine inoculation. Duration of carriage was considerably reduced as compared to the control group in which all animals ...
B vitamins and polymorphisms in genes coding for enzymes involved in one-carbon metabolism may affect DNA synthesis and methylation and thereby be implicated in carcinogenesis. Previous data on vitamins B2 and B6 and genetic polymorphisms other than those involving MTHFR as risk factors for gastric cancer (GC) are sparse and inconsistent. In this case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, cases (n = 235) and controls (n = 601) were matched for study center, age, sex, and time of blood sampling. B2 and B6 species were measured in plasma, and the sum of riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide was used as the main exposure variable for vitamin B2 status, whereas the sum of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, pyridoxal, and 4-pyridoxic acid was used to define vitamin B6 status. In addition, we determined eight polymorphisms related to one-carbon metabolism. Relative risks for GC ...
Executive summary 1. Few studies have to date explained consumer attitudes and purchase decisions with regard to genetically engineered food products. However, the increased marketing of genetically engineered food products and the considerable concern that consumers seem to express with regard to the technology call for the development of a theoretical basis for research into these issues. 2. The aim of the paper is to present three models which we have developed to explain consumer attitudes, buying behaviour and attitude change with regard to genetically engineered food products. All three models build on established consumer behaviour theory and on existing and comparable research in the field. 3. Consumer attitudes toward genetic engineering in food products are explained in an attitude model that builds on Fishbein's multiattribute attitude model. The model deviates from ...
Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the molecule processes of sarcomere assembly, partially due to the lack of systematic geneticstudies of sarcomeric genes in an in vivo...Full Text Available
The cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV)/rabbit model has been used to study oncogenicity and immunogenicity of different antigens from the papillomavirus genome and has therefore served...Full Text Available
The virtual lack of well-characterized metastatic pancreatic cancer tissues for study has limited systematic studies of the metastatic process of this deadly disease. To address this important...Full Text Available
Available in vitro and animal studies have shown cancer protective effects of tea polyphenols. Recent study suggests a greater protective effect of green tea intake on breast cancer...Full Text Available
Vegetation is a key compartment of ecosystems. It contains a large part of the biodiversity at the species level. For the evaluation of critical loads, we have to separate different receptors: lower plants (algae, fungi, lichens and mosses) and vascular plants. Trees must be distinguished due to their economic value. We analyze the different changes that pollution produces on vegetation: the state of health of individuals, changes in the biology and genetics at the population level, changes in the biodiversity or the specific composition at the community level. Calculation of critical loads is based on observational or experimental studies, in more or less controlled environments. However, they cannot yet be obtained through models of vegetation changes. Some results have been acquired at the European level, mainly for critical loads for nitrogen, but these results have come mostly from Northern Europe. Moreover, only ...
Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in the human thyroid receptor beta gene on chromosome 3. Individuals with RTH have an increased incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to search for developmental brain malformations associated with RTH. Forty-three subjects (20 affected males [AM], 23 affected females [AF]) with resistance to thyroid hormone and 32 unaffected first degree relatives (18 unaffected males [UM], 14 unaffected females [UF]) underwent MRI brain scans with a volumetric acquisition that provided 90 contiguous 2 mm thick sagittal images. Films of six contiguous images beginning at a standard sagittal position lateral to the insula were analyzed by an investigator who was blind with respect to subject characteristics. The presence of extra or missing gyri in the parietal bank of the Sylvian fissure (multimodal association cortex) and multiple Heschl`s ...
The objective of the present work is to study the chemical variation in Calophyllum inophyllum growing along the Western Ghats of India. Contents of dipyranocoumarins (inophyllums) in C.?inophyllum were determined to assess whether they could be used as a taxonomic marker for C.?inophyllum. This study also aims to establish inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers that can be used to studygenetic variation within the species and explore correlation between ISSR and chemical markers. The contents of dipyranocoumarins were estimated in seeds collected from 20 locations. Leaves from plants at the same 20 locations were assayed for ISSR variation. A dendrogram based on Nei?s genetic distance as well as principal component analysis based on dipyranocoumarins and ISSR variation clustered pla...
Crosses between field isolates of Magnaporthe grisea (anamorph, Pyricularia oryzae Cav. and Pyricularia grisea) have led to the development of fertile laboratory strains that infect goosegrass and/or weeping lovegrass. These strains may now be utilized in a rigorous genetic analysis of host species specificity and general pathogenicity. Attempts to improve the fertility of rice pathogens for the goal of undertaking a genetic analysis of host cultivar specificity have so far been unsuccessful. Crosses between M. grisea strains that infect rice, goosegrass or weeping lovegrass demonstrate that host species specificity differences between field isolates of this fungus in some cases have a complete genetic basis, and in other cases have a simple genetic basis. Crosses between a field isolate of the pathogen that infects weeping lovegrass and a field isolate that infects goosegrass have resulted in the ...
Abstract Polymorphisms in the genomic DNA of eight varieties maintained by conventional bud propagation (via rhizomes) and by in vitro shoot tip cultures were detected by RAPD analysis of sugarcane varieties. The study estimated the genetic diversity induced after in vitro multiplication of these varieties. Higher (28.9%) and lower (12%) numbers of polymorphic bands were detected in plants propagated via rhizomes; the genetic similarity estimate varying from 0.63 to 0.80. Plants of SP90-3723 and SP91-1049, or RB85-5113 and SP90-3723, varieties involving greater genetic distances may be indicated as progenitors in breeding programmes. In vitro multiplication of RB86-7515, RB85-5113, RB83-5054 and SP86-42 varieties increases genetic variability, while in vitro multiplication of SP91-1049, SP...
The hypothesis of genetic defects in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) regulation among patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and nephropathy was assessed by studies in tissue cultures of fibroblasts obtained from 7 patients with normal urinary albumin excretion, 11 patients with diabetic nephropathy, and 6 nondiabetic control subjects. The incorporation of (2H) glucosamine and (35S) sulfate into hyaluronic acid (HA), chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate (CS + DS), and heparan sulfate (HS) was measured in cells, matrix, and medium and related to micrograms of tissue protein. Large interindividual variations were seen in all three groups, and the incorporation of (3H) glucosamine into HA, CS + DS, and HS and (35S) sulfate into CS + DS and HS were not significantly different between the three groups. However, the fractional incorporation of (3H)glucosamine into HS was significantly reduced in diabetic patients with nephropathy ...
Abstract SLC9A9 (solute carrier family 9, member 9, also known as Na+/H+ exchanger member (NHE9)) is a membrane protein that regulates the luminal pH of the recycling endosome, an essential organelle for synaptic transmission and plasticity. SLC9A9 has been implicated in human attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and in rat studies of hyperactivity. We examined the SLC9A9 gene sequence and expression profile in prefrontal cortex, dorsal striatum and hippocampus in two genetic rat models of ADHD. We report two mutations in a rat model of inattentive ADHD, the WKY/NCrl rat, which affect the interaction of SLC9A9 with calcineurin homologous protein (CHP). We observed an age-dependent abnormal expression of SLC9A9 in brains of this inattentive model and in the Spontaneous Hypertensi...
The structural organization of the genes encoding Bungarus multicinctus protease inhibitor-like proteins (PILPs), PILP-1, PILP-2 and PILP-3, are reported in this study. Unlike PILP-2 and PILP-3, recombinant PILP-1 exhibited inhibitory activity on trypsin. PILP genes and B chain genes shared identical organization with three exons interrupted by two introns in similar positions. On the contrary, intron 1 of these genes had a similar size, a notable variation with the size of intron 2 was observed. It was found that two regions at the second intron of B1 chain and B2 chain genes were absent in that of PILP genes. Noticeably, intronic insertion in the second intron of B chain genes appeared in the promoter region of PILP-1 gene, but not in that of PILP-2 and PILP-3 genes. Comparative analyses of PILP genes and B chain genes showed that the protein-coding regions of the exons are more diverse than introns, except for in the signal peptide domain. ...
Previous research utilizing the AcB/BcA recombinant congenic strains (RCS) of mice mapped provisional quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the psychostimulant effects of nicotine to multiple regions on chromosomes 7, 11, 12, 14, 16, and 17. The current study was designed to confirm these QTLs in an A/J (A)??C57Bl/6J (B6) F2 cross and a panel of B6.A chromosome substitution strains (CSS). The panel of B6.A CSS consists of 21 strains, each carrying a different A/J chromosome on a B6 background. The A??B6 F2, CSS, A, and B6 mice were tested for sensitivity to the effects of nicotine on locomotor activity using a computerized open-field apparatus. In A??B6 F2 mice two QTLs were identified which confirm those previously observed in the AcB/BcA RCS. Significant differences in the expression of ...
Genome-wide association studies have linked lung cancer risk with a region of chromosome 15q25.1 containing CHRNA3, CHRNA5 and CHRNB4 encoding a3, a5 and b4 subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR), respectively. One of the strongest associations was observed for a non-silent single-nucleotide polymorphism at codon 398 in CHRNA5. Here, we have used pharmacological (antagonists) or genetic (RNA interference) interventions to modulate the activity of CHRNA5 in non-transformed bronchial cells and in lung cancer cell lines. In both cell types, silencing CHRNA5 or inhibiting receptors containing nAChR a5 with a-conotoxin MII exerted a nicotine-like effect, with increased motility and invasiveness in vitro and increasing calcium influx. The effects on motility were enhanced by addit...
Geneticstudies of nicotine addiction in mice have utilized the oral self-administration model. However, it is unclear if strain differences in nicotine consumption are influenced by variation in bitter...Full Text Available
Chronically elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) affects lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Individuals genetically predisposed to higher IL-6 secretion may be at risk of dyslipidemia, especially during the...Full Text Available
The world's oceans contain a complex mixture of micro-organisms that are for the most part, uncharacterized both genetically and biochemically. We report here a metagenomic study of the marine planktonic...Full Text Available
Genetic algorithms (GA) were used to develop specific copper metal-ligand force field parameters for the MM3 force field, from a combination of crystallographic structures and ab initio...Full Text Available
Human longevity is in part genetically determined, and the insulin/IGF-1 signal transduction (IIS) pathway has consistently been implicated. In humans, type 2 diabetes is a frequent disease that results...Full Text Available
PurposeRetinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by progressive loss of vision. The aim of this study was to identify the causative mutations...Full Text Available
Many lessons in autoimmunity — particularly relating to the role of immune privilege and the interplay between genetics and neuroimmunology — can be learned from the study of alopecia...Full Text Available
BackgroundPeak bone mass, attained by early adulthood, is influenced by genetic and life-style factors. Early infant feeding and duration of breastfeeding in particular, associate...Full Text Available
Sensory analysis studies are critical in the development of quality enhanced crops, and may be an important component in the public acceptance of genetically modified foods. It has recently been established...Full Text Available
Over 200 mutations in the retina specific member of the ATP-binding cassette transporter super-family (ABCA4) have been associated with a diverse group of human retinal diseases....Full Text Available
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ecologically important root symbionts of most terrestrial plants. Ecological studies of AMF have concentrated on differences between species; largely assuming...Full Text Available
Phenylalanine hydroxylase was purified from crude extracts of human livers which show enzyme activity by usine two different methods: (a) affinity chromatography and (b) immunoprecipitation with an...Full Text Available
Despite the recent success of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in identifying loci consistently associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), a large proportion of the genetic components of...Full Text Available
Microbial degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons has been studied with the aim of developing applications for the removal of toxic compounds. Efforts have been directed toward the genetic manipulation...Full Text Available
Many epidemiological evidences have proven the association between smoking and periodontal disease. The causality can be further established by linking findings of traditional epidemiological studies...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVEPrevious studies showed that genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) prevents the early structural changes...Full Text Available
Despite their ecological and economical importance, fishes of the family Ariidae are still genetically and cytogenetically poorly studied. Among the 133 known species of ariids, only eight have been...Full Text Available
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a leading cause of diarrhea in travelers to countries where the disease is endemic and causes a major disease burden in the indigenous population,...Full Text Available
The two haploid genome sequences that a person inherits from the two parents represent the most fundamentally useful type of genetic information for the study of heritable diseases and the development...Full Text Available
The honeybee has been the most important insect species for study of social behavior. The recently released draft genomic sequence for the bee will accelerate honeybee behavioral genetics. Although...Full Text Available
BackgroundLifestyle, genetics and environmental factors are established determinants of bone density. We aimed to describe the bone characteristics of competitive top-ranked Nigerian...Full Text Available
Reciprocal mass crosses and back-crosses were performed between two homogeneous strains of the housefly (Musca domestica L.), representing the extremes in susceptibility and resistance...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe goal of the study was to investigate the genetic and molecular basis of a novel syndrome of marked hyperglucagonemia and pancreatic α cell hyperplasia...Full Text Available
Large-scale cancer genome projects will soon be able to sequence many cancer genomes to comprehensively identify genetic changes in human cancer. Genome-wide association studies have also identified...Full Text Available
Malformations in farmed fish are a prime research topic as it has a major impact on fish welfare and on the economical value of the product. In this study, the genetic component of spine deformities was estimated in European sea bass, a major species of Mediterranean aquaculture, with the use of a posteriori reconstruction of pedigree with microsatellites. Our population exhibited a very high malformation rate (81%), probably due to intense swimming of fish during pre-growing. The heritability of global spine deformities was evaluated to be 0.21?0.04 on the underlying scale (0.33?0.06 for lordosis, 0.13?0.04 for scoliosis). Deformities scored by an internal or external examination turned out to be genetically the same trait (genetic correlations>0.9), although phenotypic correlations were ...
Genetic mapping is approached using the techniques of high resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This technology and the results of its application are designed to rapidly generate whole genome as tool box of expressed sequence to speed the identification of human disease genes. The results of this study are intended to dovetail with and to link the results of existing technologies for creating backbone YAC and genetic maps. In the first eight months, this approach generated 60--80% of the expressed sequence map, the remainder expected to be derived through more long-term, labor-intensive, regional chromosomal gene searches or sequencing. The laboratory has made significant progress in the set-up phase, in mapping fetal and adult brain and other cDNAs, in testing a model system for directly linking genetic and physical maps using FISH with small fragments, in setting up a database, and ...
Abstract Previous research has established the comorbidity of adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with different personality disorders including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The association between adult ADHD and BPD has primarily been investigated at the phenotypic level and not yet at the genetic level. The present study investigates the genetic and environmental contributions to the association between borderline personality traits (BPT) and ADHD symptoms in a sample of 7,233 twins and siblings (aged 18-90 years) registered with the Netherlands Twin Register and the East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS) . Participants completed the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS-S:SV) and the Personality Assessment Inventory-Borderline Features Scale (PAI-BO...
Abstract Alcohol drinking is highly prevalent in many cultures and contributes to the global burden of disease. In fact, it was shown that alcohol constitutes 3.2% of all worldwide deaths in the year 2006 and is linked to more than 60 diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, liver cirrhosis, neuropsychiatric disorders, injuries and foetal alcohol syndrome. Alcoholism, which has been proven to have a high genetic load, is one potentially fatal consequence of chronic heavy alcohol consumption, and may be regarded as one of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric diseases afflicting our society today. The aim of the integrated genome research network -Genetics of Alcohol Addiction--which is a German inter-/trans-disciplinary life science consortium consisting of molecular biologists,...
Abstract The white sea bream, Diplodus sargus (Teleostei, Sparidae), is a species with a high commercial importance in Mediterranean aquaculture. There is currently little information available about the genetic characteristics of cultured populations. In this survey, we have developed eight polymorphic microsatellites for the white sea bream using an enriched genome library protocol. All of them were polymorphic in the 67 individuals tested, 32 of which were wild specimens, and 35 were individuals from a captive F1 broodstock. These markers can potentially be useful tools for use in population geneticstudies.
A statistical method is presented for detecting quantitative trait loci (QTLs), based on the linear model. Unlike methods able to detect a few well separated QTLs and to estimate their effects and positions, this method considers the genome as a whole and enables the detection of chromosomal segments involved in the differences between two homozygous lines, and their backcross, doubled haploid, or F[sub 2] progenies, for a quantitative trait. Genetic markers must be codominant, but missing markers are accepted, provided they are missing independently from the experiment. Asymptotic properties, which are of practical use, are developed. This method does not rely on strong genetic hypotheses, and thus does not permit any precise genetic analysis of the trait under study, but it does assess which regions of the genome are involved, whatever the complexity of the genetic determinism ...
Acca sellowiana has commercial potential because of the quality and the unique flavor of its fruit. Conservation of natural populations and management of breeding programmes would benefit from the availability of molecular markers that could be used to characterize levels and distribution of genetic variability. Thus, 13 microsatellite markers were developed from an enriched genomic library of A. sellowiana. They were characterized using 40 samples. The expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.513 to 0.913 and from 0.200 to 0.889, respectively. These are the first microsatellite loci characterized from A. sellowiana that will contribute to improve researches on the genetic conservation, characterization and breeding. PMID:21586063
Previous family and twin studies have indicated that Graves' disease has a heritable component. Family studies have also shown that some autoimmune disease cluster in families and geneticstudies have been able to show shared susceptibility genes. In the present nation-wide study we describe familial risk for Graves' disease among parents and offspring, singleton siblings, twins and spouses with regard to age of onset, gender and number and type of affected family members. Additionally familial association of Graves' disease with any of 33 other autoimmune and related conditions was analyzed. The Swedish Multigeneration Register on 0-75-year-old subjects was linked to the Hospital Discharge Register from years 1987-2007. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for individuals ...
Genomic instability can be produced by ionising radiation, so-called radiation-induced genomic instability, and chemical mutagens. Radiation-induced genomic instability occurs in both germinal and somatic cells and also in the offspring of irradiated individuals, and it is characterised by genetic changes including chromosomal rearrangements. The majority of studies of trans-generational, radiation-induced genomic instability have been described in the male germ line, whereas the authors who have chosen the female as a model are scarce. The aim of this work is to find out the radiation-induced effects in the foetal offspring of X-ray-treated female rats and, at the same time, the possible impact of this radiation-induced genomic instability on the action of a chemical mutagen. In order to achieve both goals, the quantity and quality of chromosomal damage were analysed. In order to detect trans-generational genomic instability, a total of 4806 ...
Attention deficit disorder (ADHD) is a complex biobehavioral phenotype which affects up to 8% of the general population and often impairs social, academic, and job performance. Its origins are heterogeneous, but a significant genetic component is suggested by family and twin studies. The murine strain, coloboma, displays a spontaneously hyperactive phenotype that is responsive to dextroamphetamine and has been proposed as a genetic model for ADHD. Coloboma is a semi-dominant mutation that is caused by a hemizygous deletion of the SNAP-25 and other genes on mouse chromosome 2q. To test the possibility that the human homolog of the mouse coloboma gene(s) could be responsible for ADHD, we have carried out linkage studies with polymorphic markers in the region syntenic to coloboma (20p11-p12). Five families in which the pattern of inheritance of ADHD appears to be autosomal dominant were ...
The heptageniid mayflies Epeorus latifolium and Epeorus l-nigrus are often the dominant species in the upper and midstream areas of Japanese rivers; as such, they play a significant role in river ecosystems. However, although these two species have been identified using the morphological characteristics of the male in its adult stage, it is impossible to differentiate them in their nymphal stage. We conducted a study to elucidate their distribution pattern, i.e., the current distribution of these two species in the Shinano-gawa River basin, based on quantitative field sampling and genetic analysis of nymphs and also some male adults; for these, it was possible to differentiate between the two species reliably. The data collected from the 30 study sites of the 1-year-long study revealed tha...
Genetics, Genomics, and Molecular Biology USGS scientists develop and integrate new genetic and molecular techniques into systematic analyses to describe individuals and populations of fish .....
Developing markets in the Pacific Basin depend heavily on the production and export of consumer goods. The generation of hazardous waste as a by-product of industrial production can be linked to adverse health outcomes, such as childhood leukemia, in ways that are presently unknown. In California, exposures resulting from hazardous waste disposal are of concern in the etiology of childhood cancer. Approximately 63% of the 57 hazardous waste sites that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) included in the national priority list under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) statute were in the six-county San Francisco Bay area. This area includes California`s Silicon Valley, where a disproportionate majority of these sites are located. Although only one study links hazardous waste disposal to childhood leukemia evidence is accumulating that in utero and maternal pesticide exposures as well as chemical exposures ...
Men who have sex with men (MSM) have become one of the populations with severely HIV prevalence in China. However, very few geneticstudies have been done on HIV-1 spreading in this population. In this study, the genetic characterization of HIV-1 strains prevalent in the MSM in Shijiazhuang, China, was analyzed basing on the HIV-1 full-length gag, pol, and partial env gene. 21 drug-naive HIV-1 sero-positive patients were enrolled into the study. Full length gag, pol, partial env genes and some near full length genomes were amplified with nest RT-PCR followed by sequencing. Multiple subtypes, including CRF01_AE (52.9%), subtype B (35.3%) and CRF07_BC (11.8%), were found in the population. Phylogenetic analysis showed close relationship between our strains with those from Beijing MSM but not...
This paper proposes the use of particle swarm optimization method (PSO) for finite element (FE) model updating. The PSO method is compared to the existing methods that use simulated annealing (SA) or genetic algorithms (GA) for FE model for model updating. The proposed method is tested on an unsymmetrical H-shaped structure. It is observed that the proposed method gives updated natural frequencies the most accurate and followed by those given by an updated model that was obtained using the GA and a full FE model. It is also observed that the proposed method gives updated mode shapes that are best correlated to the measured ones, followed by those given by an updated model that was obtained using the SA and a full FE model. Furthermore, it is observed that the PSO achieves this accuracy at a computational speed that is faster than that by the GA and a full FE model which is faster than the SA and a full ...
Recent GWAS studies focused on uncovering novel genetic loci related to AD have revealed associations with variants near CLU, CR1, PICALM and BIN1....Full Text Available
The 50th anniversary of Mary Lyon?s 1961 Nature paper, proposing random inactivation in early embryonic life of one of the two X chromosomes in the cells of mammalian females, provides an opportunity to remember and celebrate the work of those involved. While the hypothesis was initially put forward by Lyon based on findings in the mouse, it was founded on earlier studies, notably the work of Susumu Ohno; it was also suggested independently by Beutler and colleagues using experimental evidence from a human X-linked disorder, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, and has proved to be of as great importance for human and medical genetics as it has for general mammalian genetics. Alongside the hypothesis itself, previous cytological studies of mouse and human chromosomes, and the obse...
Exposures from most natural and artificial sources, with the exception of those from medical radiology, are received at average dose rates of only a few microsieverts a day. Such risks as may be caused by these exposures are most unlikely to be determined with precision directly by epidemiological studies of populations exposed at these low rates. They may, however, be reliably inferred from the observed risks of exposure to rather larger doses delivered at higher dose rates in the light of the increasing knowledge of the phenomena involved in the initial cellular damage, the extent to which such damage is incorrectly repaired, and the processes which intervene between the genetic or other harm to cells and the likelihood of its final expression in inherited abnormality, in cancer development, or in defective foetal or embryonic growth. Current studies are of great importance, therefore, in examining ...
The most important factor in assessing radiologic risk is ensuring scientific means for evaluation of the radioactive release impact upon humans and organisms. To evaluate quantitatively this impact not only knowledge of radioactivity distribution in these dynamical systems is necessary but also understanding the transfer mechanisms between ecosystem components is needed. Thus a complete radioecologic study appear to be very complex and needs defining the source term, dynamic description of radionuclides behavior in the ecosystem, estimation of radiation doses in the major components of the ecosystem and finally the effects of radiation doses upon different parts of the systems. A diagram of the steps implied in evaluation of the effects due to radioactive effluent release in the environment is presented and discussed. The following steps are described: - identification of radioactive sources, as well as their input rate. Presence of noxious materials such as heavy ...
The accelerating development of biochemical and DNA-based diagnostic tests for human genetic conditions in the last decade has engendered a revolution in genetic diagnosis. Both genetic testing and...Full Text Available
Background Previous reports in adults have suggested that the effects experienced after cannabis use can be described in terms of positive and negative subtypes that are heritable and are associated with abuse and dependence. This study extends existing research by inclusion of adolescents and young adults in an offspring of twins design which makes it possible to take into account genetic and environmental risks for substance use disorder. Methods Data were collected from 725 twin members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, 839 of their 12-32 year old biological offspring and 427 mothers. Offspring who had ever used cannabis (n=464) were asked the degree to which they typically experienced 13 subjective effects shortly after using cannabis. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to derive sub...
To establish the phylogeographic relationships in rabies viruses in Brazil, we studied a dataset retrieved from GenBank consisting of 71 genetic sequences from the coding region of the N gene of rabies viruses isolated in dogs over a period of 22?years. The Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method available in the BEAST package was used with the GTR+G+?4 evolutionary model in conjunction with the relaxed uncorrelated lognormal molecular clock model and an exponential growth tree prior. A discrete phylogeographic diffusion model was also analyzed using a standard continuous-time Markov chain viewed with Google Earth to provide a spatial projection of the diffusion of genetic lineages based on their phylogeographic relationships. The topology of the time and substitution phylogenetic trees a...
In the post Genome era, the aim of behavior genetics has shifted from estimating the relative contributions of genes and environmental factors to (co-)variation in human complex traits, to localization of genes and identification of functional genetic variants. This special issue reflects this transition and presents fifteen papers that report on genome-wide linkage scans for complex traits in humans and on methodological tools and innovations. Six papers focus on cognition and report overlapping linkage peaks on chromosomes 6p and 14p. Papers on addictive behavior, i.e. smoking and alcohol dependence and its endophenotypes, find moderate LOD scores on chromosomes 6p, 5q, 4p and 7q, respectively. Three papers concentrate on emotionality, depression and loneliness and examine chromosomes 2q...
The gene encoding the human type I pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide receptor (ADCYAP1R1) was mapped to chromosome 7 by PCR analysis of genomic DNA from a human/rodent somatic cell hybrid mapping panel. This assignment was confirmed and the gene localized to chromosome band 7p14 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. A yeast artificial chromosome containing ADCYAP1R1 was identified in the CEPH {open_quotes}B{close_quotes} Mega-YAC library. This YAC includes two highly polymorphic dinucleotide repeat sequences that will facilitate geneticstudies of the contribution of ADCYAP1R1 in disease states of the central nervous and neuroendocrine systems. 13 refs., 1 fig.
Strong gravitational lensing of an extended object is described by a mapping from source to image coordinates that is nonlinear and cannot generally be inverted analytically. Determining the structure of the source intensity distribution also requires a description of the blurring effect due to a point spread function. This initial study uses an iterative gravitational lens modeling scheme based on the semilinear method to determine the linear parameters (source intensity profile) of a strongly lensed system. Our 'matrix-free' approach avoids construction of the lens and blurring operators while retaining the least squares formulation of the problem. The parameters of an analytical lens model are found through nonlinear optimization by an advanced genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimizer (PSO). These global optimization routines are designed to explore the parameter space thoroughly, mapping model degeneracies in detail. We develop a ...
Abstract Copy number variants (CNVs) are known to be associated with complex neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia and autism) but have not been explored in the isolated features of aggressive behaviors such as intermittent explosive disorder (IED). IED is characterized by recurrent episodes of aggression in which individuals act impulsively and grossly out of proportion from the involved stressors. Previous studies have identified genetic variants in the serotonergic pathway that play a role in susceptibility to this behavior, but additional contributors have not been identified. Therefore, to further delineate possible genetic influences, we investigated CNVs in individuals diagnosed with IED and/or personality disorder (PD). We carried out array comparative genomic hybridizati...
Genetic mapping is approached using the techniques of high resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This technology and the results of its application are designed to rapidly generate whole genome as tool box of expressed sequence to speed the identification of human disease genes. The results of this study are intended to dovetail with and to link the results of existing technologies for creating backbone YAC and genetic maps. In the first eight months, this approach generated 60--80% of the expressed sequence map, the remainder expected to be derived through more long-term, labor-intensive, regional chromosomal gene searches or sequencing. The laboratory has made significant progress in the set-up phase, in mapping fetal and adult brain and other cDNAs, in testing a model system for directly linking genetic and physical maps using FISH with small fragments, in setting up a database, and ...
local peanut cultivars Giza 4 and Giza 5 were exposed to different doses ( 50,100,150,200,250 and 300 Gy)to Co "6"0 gamma ray source . all irradiated materials were cultivated to give the M_1 and M_2 generation , then high yielding mutants were selected from the M_2 generation and cultivated separately to give the M_3 generation. some yield component traits were measured for the three generations (M_1,M_2 and M_3) and M_3 families.variations observed in these traits were attributed to genetic factors. the M_3 selected mutants were artificially infected by aspergillus flavus L spores (aflatoxins-B1 and B2 groups-producer strain). aflatoxin concentrations were estimated and the analysis showed that aflatoxin concentrations in seeds of the M_3 selected mutants from cultivar Giza 4 were higher than those in seeds of the M3 mutants selected from cultivar Giza 5. however, the concentration of aflatoxin increased when the yield ( weight of seeds per ...
An increase in forest production will be necessary in the future when wood becomes a major renewable source of energy and chemicals along with its traditional role of fibre source. This increase could eventually by achieved be proper selection and breeding of trees. Clonal forestry by vegetative propagation of cuttings is becoming a viable alternative to a seedling-based forestry with many advantages, and cutting could be used to quickly propagate large numbers of clones of control-pollinated seedlings. Most forest trees are propagated sexually and seed orchards were started in the US and Canada in the last 40-50 years for breeding purposes. Forests could ultimately be established with improved seedlings instead of from seed with unknown genetic potential, or by natural regeneration. Micropropagation is the term used to refer to the propagation of plants raised by tissue culture methods rather than from seeds or cuttings. Many clonal plantlets could be regenerated ...
The genetic type, source and charging history of natural gas in the Yulin gas field in the Ordos Basin have been studied by combining the carbon isotopic composition of natural gas and geochemical characteristics of light hydrocarbons with carbon isotope fractionation model results and fluid inclusion analysis. The carbon isotopic composition of methane and ethane in the Yulin gas field is relatively enriched in {sup 13}C with {delta}{sup 13}C{sub 1} values ranging from - 35.3 permille to - 29.8 permille (average value = - 32.4 permille) and {delta}{sup 13}C{sub 2} ranging from - 26.3 permille to - 23.5 permille (average value = - 24.8 permille). The C{sub 7} light hydrocarbons are predominated by methylcyclohexane, accounting for 65.8% to 80.9% (average value = 71.6%), which is characteristic of coal-derived gas. Furthermore, the gas geochemistry indicates that, although marine limestone source rocks are present in the region, the contribution ...
Biological marker maturity parameters were used to estimate the minimum HC generation temperatures of crude oils from Eastern Hungary. More than 50 oils and oil shows were analysed. Molecular- and homologous-ratios of biological marker compounds (triterpanes, steranes, mono- and triaromatic steroid hydrocarbons) were used as maturation parameters. The oils have at least five maturity stages, i.e. they have been generated under different thermal conditions. The highest reservoir temperature in each group was chosen as the best estimate of the groups' temperature just below the generation temperature, i.e. reservoirs of the group might be expected to be at shallower depths (lower temperatures) than those of the generation zone due to vertical migration into pools. For each maturation level, a threshold temperature range for genesis was inferred from reservoir temperatures; they are from 130-135{sup o}C for the least mature oils to 210-215{sup o}C for the most mature oils. In the ...
In the present study an estimate is made of the malignancy significant dose from external beam radiotherapy in New Zealand utilizing data obtained in a survey conducted in 1975. This survey had been designed to assess genetically significant dose. A weighted effective dose equivalent is derived from the malignancy significant dose for direct comparison with mean per capita effective dose equivalents arising from other sources of radiation. 14 refs., 1 fig., 8 tabs.
Grain yield is a major goal for the improvement of durum wheat, particularly in drought-prone areas. In this study, the genetic basis of grain yield (GY), heading date (HD), and plant height (PH) was...Full Text Available
Epidemiological studies will not solve the shape of the dose effect curve for stochastic effects in the low dose range. Unicellular processes are necessary for the primary processes so that no threshold dose exists. This is evident for somatic and genetic mutations. Not clearly solved is this question for the complex carcinogenesis. These processes develop with manifold interacting molecular and cellular steps. (orig.).
A total of 172 persons from nine South Amerindian, three African and one Eskimo populations were studied in relation to the Paired box gene 9 (PAX9) exon 3 (138 base...Full Text Available
PlGF, one of the ligands for VEGFR-1, has been implicated in tumor angiogenesis. However, more recent studies indicate that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of PlGF signaling does not result in...Full Text Available
The objectives of the research in the field of epidemiology , performed at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are (1) to study cancer mortality and morbidity in nuclear workers in Belgium; (2) to document the feasibility of retrospective cohort studies in Belgium; (3) to participate in the IARC study. For radiobiology, the main objectives are: (1) to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian embryo during the early phase of its development, (2) to assess the genetic risks of maternal exposure to ionizing radiation, (3) to elucidate the mechanisms by which damage to the brain and mental retardation are caused in man after prenatal irradiation. The main achievements in these domains for 1997 are presented.
A study is made of plant sensitivity to mutagens during the processing of seeds. An examination is made of problems concerned with modification mutability, the nature of plant restoration following irradiation. Particular attention is given to mutation changes. A presentation is made of several features of mutant changes initially selected by separate indicators. An examination is made of the possible study of mutant indicator genetics. General data on the forms and varieties produced by the mutagenesis method are given. The book is designed for breeding specialists and geneticists engaged in the study of mutagenesis. 439 references, 27 figures, 66 table.
It is becoming clear that simple sequence repeats (SSRs) play a significant role in fungal genome organization, and they are a large source of genetic markers for population genetics and meiotic maps. We identified SSRs in the Laccaria bicolor genome by in silico survey and analyzed their distribution in the different genomic regions. We also compared the abundance and distribution of SSRs in L. bicolor with those of the following fungal genomes: Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Coprinopsis cinerea, Ustilago maydis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus nidulans, Magnaporthe grisea, Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using the MISA computer program, we detected 277,062 SSRs in the L. bicolor genome representing 8% of the assembled genomic sequence. Among the analyzed basidiomycetes, L. bicolor exhibited the highest SSR density although no correlation between relative abundance and the genome sizes was observed. In ...
A previous study described the basic theoretical expectations of the magnetic dipole radiation and unipolar induction of pulsars and presented observational results. This paper further discusses the difference between the two braking mechanisms and analyses the results of a statistical study through observed data of apparent beamwidth's distributions and a geometrical method. The theory of magnetic dipole radiation of pulsars agrees with the observations. Unipolar induction as a braking mechanism is not consistent with the observations.
Purpose: Patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) show greatly increased radiation sensitivity and cancer predisposition. Family studies imply that the otherwise clinically silent heterozygotes of this autosomal recessive disease run a 3.5 to 3.8 higher risk of developing cancer. In vitro studies suggest moderately increased cellular radiation sensitivity of A-T carriers. They may also show elevated clinical radiosensitivity. We retrospectively examined patients who presented with severe adverse reactions during or after standard radiation treatment for mutations in the gene responsible for A-T, ATM, considering a potential means of future identification of radiosensitive individuals prospectively to adjust dosage schedules. Material and Methods: We selected 20 cancer patients (breast, 11; rectum, 2; ENT, 2; bladder, 1; prostate, 1; anus, 1; astrocytoma, 1; Hodgkins lymphoma, 1) with Grade 3 to 4 (RTOG) acute and/or late tissue radiation side ...
Estimations on the somatic and genetic effects of small doses of ionizing radiations in Man have been proposed by the Advisory Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation, set up by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. They have been published in an important report, issued in 1972, from which we briefly analyze here the Chapter dealing with the somatic effects. Small doses of raditions are expected to promote only carcinogenic effects. After a rapid survey of the human experience on which the estimations are based, as regards the latent period of cancers, the plateau region (period of high risk) and the absolute and relative risk expressed per rem, per 10"6 persons, per year, for leukaemia (having the highest risk) and for the ''other cancers''. These estimations were obtained by linear extrapolation to the 1 rem level from observations made after irradiation at relatively high dose levels and much higher dose-rates. This ...
Repetitive hydatidiform mole was observed in four pregnancies. The pregnancies presented with heavy bleeding and vomiting, but the post-evacuation courses were uncomplicated, with rapid regression of serum hCG levels. Cytogenetic investigations, analyses of restriction fragment length polymorphisms, and flow cytometry in three pregnancies were consistent with diploid, biparental conception as the origin of fetal tissue and molar and nonmolar villi. In one pregnancy, the analyses of cytogenetic markers suggested the coexistence of two different cell lines of dizygotic, biparental origin, whereas DNA analysis was consistent with a single conception. With incomplete genetic information, a hydatidiform mole with coexistent normal fetus is generally considered to result from dizygous twinning comprising an androgenetic complete mole and a normal conception. In the present gestations, the results based on several techniques applied on numerous ...
Data from 52 litters farrowed in two seasons of a cross-fostering experiment were analyzed to estimate variances and covariances for additive direct and maternal genetic effects on immune response to pseudorabies virus and B. bronchiseptica vaccine. Twenty purebred boars and 44 sows of the Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire breeds were used. Immune response was measured after vaccine challenge. A modified-live pseudorabies (PR) vaccine was administered to piglets at 28 d of age; response was measured by log2 serum neutralization titers at 56 d. An inactivated B. bronchiseptica bacterin was administered at 28, 42 and 112 d. Antibody levels were measured relative to positive and negative controls at 28, 56 and 119 d by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results from this study for heritability were .18 +/- .09 for PR titer and .15 +/- .07 and .52 +/- .15 for 56- and 119-d ELISA values, respectively. The variability due to nurse ...
Lack of understanding about workflow can impair health IT system adoption. Observational techniques can provide valuable information about clinical workflow. A pilot study using direct observation was...Full Text Available
This study investigated the association between differences in litter size in Boer does, with genetic polymorphisms in the inhibin alpha gene. Our preliminary (n=209) results found 12 SNPs, including the non-synonymous polymorphisms 911T/C and 946A/C, resulting in corresponding 299V/A and 311T/P amino acid polymorphisms. Of the SNPs, 651A/G was preliminarily suggested as a useful marker for litter size of the second parity in the population studied, showing an overdominance effect. Polymorphisms, sequence, and genotype distributions were also characterized.
The tet repressor regulated expression of the Tn-10-encoded tetracycline resistance determinant in a tetracycline-dependent manner. In the absence of tetracycline, the tet repressor binds as a dimer to the 19-base-pair palindromic tet operator sequence. Amino acid homologies and geneticstudies with trans-dominant mutants suggest that sequence-specific recognition of the tet operator involves the extensively studied helix-turn-helix motif. We have used the uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) footprinting systems to identify thymine contacts in the tet operator that are essential for the formation of tet repressor-operator complexes.
The biomedical and ecological interest for the microwave impact on the Earth biosphere is continuously increased since the industrial, military and communication activities strongly contribute to the electromagnetic stress of living bodies. In the next the authors present some of the main results obtained regarding the microwave exposure of various types of biological material: bacteria, fungi, young plant seedlings, dry seeds, animal tissues. The electromagnetic exposure was carried out in open space in well controlled environmental conditions by using 10.75 GHz/1 m W cm{sup -2} microwaves. Biochemical assays and cytogenetic tests have been carried out to reveal the changes induced post irradiation. The response of some pathogen bacteria, have been emphasized by means of turbidimetric measurements - the stimulatory effect being noticed at the level of the microbial population density (the stimulation of the human body microbial flora seems to be one of the side effects of microwave ...
This study examined preliminary psychometric properties of the Teaching Practices Observation Scale (TPOS), a newly developed observational taxonomy for assessing teacher behaviors during free play with young children. Behaviors of 42 child caregivers and junior kindergarten teachers were coded using a combination of time-sampling, event-sampling, and behavior ratings. Findings support the validity of observational coding scheme. (Author/KB)
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share genetic risk, brain vulnerability, and clinical symptoms. The ZNF804A risk variant, rs1344706, confers susceptibility for both disorders. This study aimed to identify neural mechanisms common to both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder through this variant's potential effects on cortical thickness, white matter tract integrity, and cognitive function. Imaging, genetics, and cognitive measures were ascertained in 62 healthy adults aged between 18 and 59 years. High-resolution multimodal MRI/DTI imaging was used to measure cortical thickness and major frontotemporal and interhemispheric white matter tracts. The general linear model was used to examine the influence of the ZNF804A rs1344706 risk variant on cortical thickness, white matter tract integrity, and cognitive measures. Individuals homozygous for the risk variant ('A' allele) demonstrated reduced cortical gray matter thickness ...
The Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) is a severe autosomal recessive condition, features of which are partial oculocutaneous albinism, increased susceptibility to infections, deficient natural killer cell activity, and the presence of large intracytoplasmic granulations in various cell types. Similar genetic disorders have been described in other species, including the beige mouse. On the basis of the hypothesis that the murine chromosome 13 region containing the beige locus was homologous to human chromosome 1, we have mapped the CHS locus to a 5-cM interval in chromosome segment 1q42.1-q42.2. The highest LOD score was obtained with the marker D1S235 (Z{sub max} = 5.38; {theta} = 0). Haplotype analysis enabled us to establish D1S2680 and D1S163, respectively, as the telomeric and the centromeric flanking markers. Multipoint linkage analysis confirms the localization of the CHS locus in this interval. Three YAC clones were found to cover the entire region in a contig ...
Recent organic geochemical studies differ radically in their interpretation of the origin of the Gulf coast oils. However all studies since (and including) Thompson, et al. 1989, emphasize the considerable geographic variation in genetic oil types and are in generalized agreement as to the genetic oil types present and their spatial and stratigraphic relationships. In particular it is accepted that the Gulf rim (both north and south) is encircled by a ring of Mesozoic carbonate-sourced oils and that there is also at least one major deep water trend of carbonate-sourced oils in the northern Gulf. It is also generally agreed that many of the Gulf rim oils are of Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian age, though some, like the Sunniland oils of Florida, are of lower Cretaceous origin. Major disagreement still occurs over the sources of the Louisiana offshore oils and onshore Wilcox reservoired oils. One ...
Mouse genetic resources include inbred strains, recombinant inbred lines, chromosome substitution strains, heterogeneous stocks, and the Collaborative Cross (CC). These resources were generated through...Full Text Available
Recently, there has been significant progress in the development of genetically-engineered mouse (GEM) models. By introducing genetic alterations and/or signaling alterations of human pancreatic cancer...Full Text Available
Gene expression data has been used in lieu of phenotype in both classical and quantitative genetic settings. These two disciplines have separate approaches to measuring and interpreting epistasis, which...Full Text Available
BackgroundA goal of human genetics is to discover genetic factors that influence individuals' susceptibility to common diseases. Most common diseases are thought to result from the...Full Text Available
BackgroundGenetic predisposition to scrapie in sheep is associated with several variations in the peptide sequence of the prion protein gene (PRNP). DNA-based tests...Full Text Available
The Liver Carcinogenesis Section uses the modern technologies of molecular biology, cell biology, protein chemistry and genetics to investigate the biochemical and genetic pathways involved in human liver cancer.
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Long term storage of viable pollen is important for bank germplasm constitution to preserve resources that can be used in breeding programs, biotechnologies and genetic engineering. Pollen from 12 olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars was stored for 1?year in liquid nitrogen at ?196?C. The morphology of pollen grains and germination rates on fresh and long term stored pollen were observed. Results on in vitro pollen germinability, both before and after cryopreservation, showed highly significant responses among the 12 cultivars. The relationship between germinability and pollen grain size did not reveal any significant relationships in both treatments. Our findings will contribute to the improvement of olive pollen preservation and lead to find a more efficient method for its long term storag...
These three separate pamphlets provide background information, brief discussions of research findings, and guidelines and recommendations concerning selected aspects of diet. The first pamphlet discusses food additives and hyperactivity, focusing on both the Feingold theory and controlled experiments which do not support Feingold's clinical observations and case reports. (The Feingold theory claims that artificial food flavors and colors and antioxidant preservatives cause hyperactivity in genetically predisposed individuals.) The second pamphlet discusses fast food and the American diet as they are related to sound nutritional principles. The third pamphlet, focusing on alcohol use during pregnancy, lists principles and associated features of the fetal alcohol syndrome and presents research findings and recommendations concerning alcohol use during pregnancy. (RH)
Abstract One of the most significant problems in industrial bioprocessing of recombinant proteins using engineered mammalian cells is the phenomenon of cell line instability, where a production cell line suffers a loss of specific productivity (qP). This phenomenon occurs with unpredictable kinetics and has been widely observed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines and with all commonly used gene expression systems. The underlying causes (both genetic and physiological) and the precise molecular mechanisms underpinning cell line instability have yet to be fully elucidated, although recombinant gene silencing and loss of recombinant gene copies have been shown to cause qP loss. In this work we have investigated the molecular mechanisms underpinning qP instability over long-term sub-cult...
In this observationalstudy, we compared erythrocyte membrane fatty acids in infants consuming formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) with those consuming...Full Text Available
Recent technological developments have facilitated intensified searches for genetic markers under selection in nonmodel species. Here, we present an approach for the identification of candidate gene variation in nonmodel organisms. We report on the characterization of 82 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and on the development of a specific genotyping assay for 30 SNPs in 18 candidate genes for growth and reproduction in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). These markers can be used for scanning natural populations for signatures of selection in both contemporary and archived historical samples, for example in retrospective studies assessing the effects of environmental changes, such as increasing temperatures, and selection imposed by high fishing pressure. Furthermore, these gene markers may be of interest to aquaculture, serving as a starting point for linking phenotypic traits important for productivity with genotypes and potentially be of use ...
These summary descriptive data of ethnically similar cohorts of indigenous and migrant Japanese males have shown similarities or slight differences in characteristics wholly or largely genetically determined, such as blood groups, stature, and skeletal size. Differences have been noted in characteristics largely environmental or behavioral, such as diet and cigarette smoking habit, as well as in characteristics determined by a varying mixture of genetic and environmental influences, such as weight, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and serum lipid and uric acid levels. Detailed analyses of the distributions of laboratory variables, of dietary data obtained by different methods, and of correlations among laboratory, dietary, physical, and demographic variables are currently in progress. Also part of the study plan are determinations of disease prevalence from evaluation of examination, laboratory, and electrocardiographic ...
Genetic analysis of resistance of plant introduction (PI) 438489B to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) have shown that this PI is highly resistant to many SCN HG types. However, validation of the previously detected quantitative trait loci (QTL) has not been done. In this study, 250 F2:3 progeny of a Magellan (susceptible)??PI 438489B (resistant) cross were used for primary genetic mapping to detect putative QTL for resistance to five SCN HG types. QTL confirmation study was subsequently conducted using F6:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the same cross. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were employed for molecular genotyping. Interval mapping (IM), permutation tests, cofactor selection, and composite interval mapping (CIM) were performe...
Resistance and tolerance are two types of host defense mechanisms that increase fitness in response to fungi. Several genetic polymorphisms in pattern recognition receptors, most remarkably Toll-like receptors (TLRs), have been described to influence resistance and tolerance to aspergillosis in distinct clinical settings. TLRs on dendritic cells pivotally contribute in determining the balance between immunopathology and protective immunity to the fungus. Epithelial cells also contribute to this balance via selected TLRs converging on indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Studies in experimental hematopoietic transplantation confirmed the dichotomy of pathways leading to resistance and tolerance to the fungus providing new insights on the relative contribution of the hematopoietic/nonhematopoi...
Summary Despite the great interest of red porgy as a new species for Mediterranean aquaculture, its commercial production is constrained by the high incidence of skeletal deformities occurring in this species under culture conditions. Several studies have been conducted to better understand the origin of these anomalies in this species, using different system intensiveness, rotifers enrichment products or rotifers docosahexaenoic acid content. The first study showed that culture intensification increased the number of fish with an extra vertebrae, what was probably related to the different nutritional quality of live preys employed in each treatment, since water temperature, salinity and genetic background were identical for the different batches of fish studied. Total incidence of skeleta...
Pacini (1973) has considered basic theoretical expectations regarding the magnetic dipole radiation and unipolar induction of pulsars, taking into account observational results. The present investigation is concerned with the difference between the two braking mechanisms. Attention is also given to a statistical study involving a comparison of the two braking mechanisms with observations. The study makes use of the observational data for the distribution of apparent beamwidth, and a geometrical method. The obtained results agree with the theory of magnetic dipole radiation.
BackgroundSeveral studies have suggested an association between periodontal disease and prematurity but this finding has not been consistently observed.MethodsCase...Full Text Available
Mutations in the mouse formin (Fmn) gene, formerly known as the limb deformity (ld) gene, give rise to recessively inherited limb deformities and renal malformations or aplasia. The Fmn gene encodes many differentially processed transcripts that are expressed in both adult and embryonic tissues. To study the genomic organization of the Fmn locus, we have used Fmn probes to isolate and characterize genomic clones spanning 500 kb. Our analysis of these clones shows that the Fmn gene is composed of at least 24 exons and spans 400 kb. We have identified two novel exons that are expressed in the developing embryonic limb bud as well as adult tissues such as brain and kidney. We have also used a microsatellite polymorphism from within the Fmn gene to map it genetically to a 2.2-cM interval between D2Mit58 and D2Mit103. 36 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
The studies reported here used genetic differences in susceptibility of C57BL/6N and C3H/HeN mice and exacerbation of the disease by nitrogen dioxide (NO/sub 2/) as tools in assessing the role of early host responses in the pathogenesis of MRM. The two strains did not differ in susceptibility to infection, but C3H/HeN mice were more susceptible to and had increased severity of lung lesions 14 days after intranasal inoculation as determined by 50% biological endpoints and morphometric analysis of tissues. Exposure to NO/sub 2/ for 4 hours prior to exposure to infectious aerosols exacerbated murine respiratory mycoplasmosis (MRM) by 7 days after exposure in both mouse strains. NO/sub 2/ appeared to affect host lung defense mechanisms responsible for limiting mycoplasmal growth in the lungs. The NO/sub 2/ exposure concentration required for this effect varied with the genetic background of the host, the dose of mycoplasmas ...
A fuzzy-decision-making procedure is applied to find the optimal feed policy of a fed-batch fermentation process for fuel ethanol production using a genetically engineered Saccharomyces yeast 1400 (pLNH33). The policy consisted of feed flow rate, feed concentration, and fermentation time. The recombinant yeast 1400 (pLNH33) can utilize glucose and xylose simultaneously to produce ethanol. However, the parent yeast utilizes glucose only. A partially selective model is used to describe the kinetic behavior of the process. In this study, this partially selective fermentation process is formulated as a general multiple-objective optimal control problem. By using an assigned membership function for each of the objectives, the general multiple-objective optimization problem can be converted into a maximizing decision problem. In order to obtain a global solution, a hybrid method of differential evolution is introduced to solve the maximizing decision ...
This paper presents a practical case study on the dynamic stability of the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) power system and its effect on increasing power transfer limit of the interconnection between Eastern Operating Area (SEC-EOA). The problem of optimal tuning of the power system stabilizer parameters was converted into optimization problem wth eigenvalue-based objective functions, which was then solved by genetic algorithms. In this regard, two eigenvalue-based objective functions were considered and the problem is solved using real-coded genetic algorithm (RCGA). The effectiveness of the suggested technique to enhance the power system dynamic stability and to extend the power transfer capability limit of the SEC-EOA and the SEC-EOA power system was verified through a comprehensive eigenvalue analysis and time-domain nonlinear simulation. The results also indicated that the proposed tuning schemes of the existing ...
The paper describes the application of Fuzzy Power System Stabilizer(FPSS) for improving dynamic stability of power system. The Real-coding Genetic Algorithm(RGA) was applied to optimize gains of the inputs and outputs of the FPSS. The effectiveness of the proposed FPSS was demonstrated by simulation studies for single-machine infinite system. To show the superiority of the proposed FPSS, its performances were compared with those of Conventional Power System Stabilizer (CPSS). The proposed FPSS showed better control performances than the CPSS in three-phase ground fault under a normal load which was system condition in tuning FPSS. To show the robustness of the proposed FPSS, it was applied to damp the low frequency oscillations caused by disturbances such as three-phase ground fault under heavy and light load conditions. The proposed FPSS showed better performance than CPSS in terms of the settling time and damping effect for power system ...
Hybrid models for solving unit commitment problem have been proposed in this paper. To incorporate the changes due to the addition of new constraints automatically, an expert system (ES) has been proposed. The ES combines both schedules of units to be committed based on any classical or traditional algorithms and the knowledge of experienced power system operators. A solution database, i.e. information contained in the previous schedule is used to facilitate the current solution process. The proposed ES receives the input, i.e. the unit commitment solutions from a fuzzy-neural network. The unit commitment solutions from the artificial neural network cannot offer good performance if the load patterns are dissimilar to those of the trained data. Hence, the load demands, i.e. the input to the fuzzy-neural network is considered as fuzzy variables. To take into account the uncertainty in load demands, a fuzzy decision making approach has also been developed to solve the unit commitment ...
Continental facies of Scythian-early Anisian age (Buntsandstein) of East of the Paris Basin form the underground gas storage reservoir exploited by Gaz de France in the area of Nancy (east of France). An accurate sedimentological study and the application of Genetic Stratigraphy principles lead to the understanding of the deposition of fluvial, which form the reservoirs, and to the reconstruction of their geometries. The subsurface data are calibrated on outcrops. Three types of fluvial systems (braided, sinuous to straight and anastomosed) are defined. A special focus on anastomosed channels permits to differentiate a proximal and a distal facies. Study of laterally continuous outcrops induces recurrent cycles of thickness, velocity and time variations (few tens to hundred ka). These correspond to the highest frequence stratigraphic units, i.e. parasequences or genetic units. Maximum of channel and ...
BackgroundCotton, with a large genome, is an important crop throughout the world. A high-density genetic linkage map is the prerequisite for cotton genetics and breeding. A genetic...Full Text Available
November 1989, marked the beginning of a new three-year cycle of DOE grant support, in connection with which the program underwent a major reorganization. This document presents the progress on the three objectives of the present program which are: to isolate by the technique of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE), proteins of special interest because of the relative mutability of the corresponding gene, establish the identity of the protein, and, for selected proteins, move to a characterization of the corresponding gene; to develop a more efficient approach, based on 2-D PAGE, for the detection of variants in DNA, with special reference to the identification of mutations in the parents of the individual whose DNA is being examined; and, to continue an effective interface with the geneticstudies on the children of atomic bomb survivors in Japan, with reference to both the planning and implementation of new ...
The main objectives of research in the field of health effects at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are: (1) to study cancer mortality and morbidity in nuclear workers in Belgium; (2) to document the feasibility of retrospective cohort studies in Belgium; (3) to participate in the IARC study; (4) to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian embryo during the early phases of its development; (5) to assess the genetic risks of material exposure to ionizing radiation; (6) to elucidate the cellular mechanisms leading to brain damage after prenatal irradiation; (7) to advise authorities and to provide the general population with adequate information concerning the health risk arising from radiation exposure. Progress and major achievements in these topical areas for 1997 are reported.
Meningococcal disease is an infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Genetic factors contribute to host susceptibility and progression to disease, but the genes responsible for disease development are largely unknown. We report here a genome-wide association study for host susceptibility to meningococcal disease using 475 individuals with meningococcal disease (cases) and 4,703 population controls from the UK. We performed, in Western European and South European cohorts (consisting of 968 cases and 1,376 controls), two replication studies for the most significant SNPs. A cluster of complement factor SNPs replicated independently in both cohorts, including SNPs within complement factor H (CFH) (rs1065489 (p.936D
Techniques of chemical analysis, amino acid sequencing and autoradiography are being used to study the frequency of incorporation of normally noncoded amino acids into hemoglobins and seminal fluid proteins. We are studying, by the sequencing of radiolabeled proteins followed by the recovery of ["3H] isoleucine phenylthiohydantoin by high-performance liquid chromatography, the frequency at which normally noncoded isoleucine is incorporated into hemoglobin because of base-substitution mutations versus translational errors. Irradiation increases the isoleucine content of human hemoglobin and the frequency of substitution of isoleucine for specific amino acids in rabbit hemoglobin. Studies to date indicate that these techniques have been developed sufficiently for initial analysis of the potential of drugs and environmental pollutants to induce base-substitution mutations in mammalian somatic cells.
In this study we extend the analysis of magnetopause crossings observed with Magnetospheric Plasma Analyzer measurements to examine a much larger statistical data set. This study examines 39 maiznetosheath/LLBL intervals from 79 spacecraft-months of observations: these observations were taken from a survey of data from the start of each spacecraft mission and extending through March 1993. In contrast to the previous findings, we find no evidence for a significant dawn/dusk asymmetry in geosynchronous magnetopause crossings.
We present results for a complete set of polarization observables for jet production in lepton proton collision, where the final state lepton is not observed. The calculations are carried out in collinear factorization at the level of Born diagrams. For all the observables we also provide numerical estimates for typical kinematics of a potential future Electron Ion Collider. On the basis of this numerical study, the prospects for the transverse single target spin asymmetry are particularly promising. This observable is given by a certain quark-gluon correlation function, which has a direct relation to the transverse momentum dependent Sivers parton distribution.
Objectives: The purpose of this work was to study the genetic determinants responsible for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) resistance of Salmonella isolated from Dutch poultry, poultry meat and hospitalized humans. Methods: Thirty-four ESBL-resistant Salmonella isolates from The Netherlands were tested towards 21 antimicrobial agents. PCR and sequencing were used to determine the underlying genetic determinants responsible for the ESBL phenotypes. The transferability of the ESBL phenotypes was tested by conjugation to a susceptible Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin and plasmid purification, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were employed to further characterize a subset of the isolates. Results: A great genetic diversity was seen among the isolates. The bla(TEM-52) gene was most predominant and was found among Salmonella enterica ...
The main objective of this dissertation is to build a numerical 3D geological model of a turbidite reservoir using well and seismic data. For the, the first step was to elaborate a depositional model using a high-resolution genetic stratigraphy approach. Simultaneously, the stratigraphic inversion over the seismic data resulted in an optimal acoustic impedance model. Both models, were used to build, by geostatistical methods, a 3-D geological model, which represents the spatial distribution of the reservoir facies. The studied case is the late Cretaceous Namorado turbidite system in the Campos basin, which is the reservoir of the Namorado oil field, located 80 km from the Brazilian coast, under a bathymetry between 110 and 250 m. The reservoir is a turbidite succession with 90 to 180 m thickness. It is composed by sand-supported conglomerates, matrix-supported conglomerate, massive sandstones, shales, marls and limestones. Four lithotypes ...
Background Identifying susceptibility genes for endophenotypes by studying analogous behaviors across species is an important strategy for understanding the pathophysiology underlying psychiatric disorders. This approach provides novel biological pathways plus validated animal models critical for selective drug development. One such endophenotype is avoidance behavior. Methods In the present study, novel automated registration methods for longitudinal behavioral assessment in home cages are used to screen a panel of recently generated mouse chromosome substitution strains that are very powerful in quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection of complex traits. In this way, we identified chromosomes regulating avoidance behavior (increased sheltering preference) independent of motor activity lev...
Objective: A growing body of data from genetic, immunological and clinical studies indicates an involvement of the immune system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and suggests that the modulation of the cytokine system by antipsychotics may be one cause for the improvement of psychotic symptoms. However, the influence of the typical antipsychotics chlorpromazine and haloperidol, and the effect of typical and atypical antipsychotics on the TSST-1-stimulated blood cell secretion of cytokines, and specifically the interleukin (IL)-17 production have not been studied so far, although IL-17 is a leading pro-inflammatory cytokine. Method: We measured levels of IL-1@b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17 and tumor necrosis factor-@a (TNF-@a) in stimulated blood of 10 healthy female subjects in a whole ...
Males and females display differences in physiology, behaviour and susceptibility to many diseases. Genome-wide transcription profiling studies have uncovered large-scale sex differences in autosomal gene expression in somatic tissues that are thought to underlie such 'sexual dimorphisms'. Because males and females differ genetically mainly in their sex chromosome complement, most sex differences can be traced back to the X and Y chromosomes. Although sex hormones are usually considered the main architects of sexual dimorphisms, recent studies have demonstrated that sex chromosomes can also induce sex differences in somatic gene expression in the absence of hormonal differences. The recent discovery of epigenetic sex differences that are not hormone-induced brings us closer to understandin...
Background The purpose of this study was (a) to evaluate the association between cigarette smoking and the prevalence of distal colorectal polyps and adenocarcinoma and (b) to analyse genetic alterations representing different molecular pathways of the colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods A total of 623 asymptomatic male (mean age: 53 years; 50?65) car factory workers were included. Information on smoking habits and other lifestyle factors were collected followed by a 60 cm colonoscopy. APC and KRAS mutations and microsatellite status were determined in colorectal lesions (colorectal carcinoma (CRC), hyperplastic (HP) and adenomatous polyps (AP)). Data were analysed using unconditional multiple logistic regression models. Results Smokers had a higher prevalence of AP (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.2?3.6;...
African bovine trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma sp., is a major constraint on cattle productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Some African Bos taurus breeds are highly tolerant of infection, but the potentially more productive Bos indicus zebu breeds are much more susceptible. Zebu cattle are well adapted for plowing and haulage, and increasing their tolerance of trypanosomiasis could have a major impact on crop cultivation as well as dairy and beef production. We used three strategies to obtain short lists of candidate genes within QTL that were previously shown to regulate response to infection. We analyzed the transcriptomes of trypanotolerant N'Dama and susceptible Boran cattle after infection with Trypanosoma congolense. We sequenced EST libraries from these two breeds to identify polymorphisms that might underlie previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTL), and we assessed QTL regions and candidate loci for evidence of selective sweeps. The scan of the EST sequences ...
In contrast to the increasing availability of information pertaining to the care of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) from large-scale observational and interventional studies, epidemiological...Full Text Available
Observations concerned with the formation of isothermal #omega# in the beta-titanium alloy RMI (38-6-44) are presented as part of a more general study of the aging characteristics of the alloy.
We study the dynamics of the scalar tensor cosmological model in the presence of tachyon field. In an alternative approach, in two exponential and power law form of the scalar field functions in the model, field equations are solved by simultaneously best fitting the model parameters with the most recent observational data. This approach gives us an observationally verified interpretation of the dynamics of the universe. We then discuss the best fitted of equation of state parameter, the statefinder parameters and the reconstructed scalar field in the model.
Mono- and disubstituted novel derivatives of the heptaene nystatin analog 28,29-didehydronystatin A1 (S44HP, 1) were obtained by chemical modification of the exocyclic C-16 carboxyl and/or an amino group of mycosamine moiety. The strategy of preparation of mono- and double-modified polyene macrolides was based on the use of intermediate hydrophobic N-Fmoc (9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl) derivatives that facilitated the procedures of isolation and purification of new compounds. The antifungal activity of the new derivatives was first tested in vitro against yeasts and filamentous fungi, allowing the selection of the most active compounds that were subsequently tested for acute toxicity in mice. 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethylamide of 1 (2) and 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethylamide of N-fructopyranosyl-28...
Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida are parasitic root cyst nematodes of potato (PCN), which significantly reduce yield and quality. The genetics and available molecular markers should make resistance to nematodes an excellent candidate for marker assisted selection. The study presents results of testing the suitability of known molecular markers for detection of resistance in a set of cultivars. We revealed some inconsistencies in genealogical data of the cultivars and showed inconsistent usefulness in detecting resistant cultivars. The marker TG689 was identified in almost all cultivars resistant to G. rostochiensis and together with other markers was used for verifying the resistance in a group of breeding lines. The marker TG689 was the most effective. However, the efficiency...
The penetrance of Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in families with primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is very complex. Matrilineal and nuclear genetic background, as well as environmental factors, have been reported to be involved in different affected pedigrees. Here we describe two large Chinese families that show a striking difference in the penetrance of LHON, in which 53.3% and 15.0% of members were affected (Pin vivo mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as described in a previous study. Evolutionary analysis failed to indicate any putatively pathogenic mutation that cosegregated with G11778A in these two pedigrees. Our results suggest that the variable penetrance of LHON in the two Chinese families is independent of both their mtDNA haplotype background and a seconda...
The flexibility of bus rapid transit (BRT) in scheduling is one of the greatest differences with traditional buses. In order to improve BRT operation quality, the paper studied the headway optimization and scheduling combination of BRT vehicles. A model has been established to minimize passengers travel costs and vehicles operation cost, and constraints included passenger volume, time, and frequency. The scheduling combination was composed by normal, zone, and express scheduling. The model was solved by genetic algorithm of variable-length coding. The result of the numerical case shows that: the optimization results can save 69.92% cost. The sensitivity analysis shows that, under higher traffic volume or lower speed, the travel cost can be reduced through reasonable scheduling combination....
Abstract Copper(II) bis(thiosemicarbazone) are very useful for blood flow and hypoxic imaging. The aim of this study was to identify structure-activity relationships (SARs) within a series of analogues with different substitution patterns in the ligands, in order to design improved hypoxia imaging agents and elucidate hypoxia selectivity mechanisms. Genetic algorithms (GAs) were used to develop specific copper metal-ligand force field parameters for the MM3 force-field calculations. These new parameters produced results in good agreement with experiment and previously reported copper metal-ligand parameters. A successful quantitative SAR (QSAR) for predicting the several classes of Cu(II)-chelating ligands was built using a training set of 21 Cu(II) complexes. The QSAR exhibited a correlat...
Abstract Aim- According to the revised Bethesda Guidelines, colorectal cancer (CRC) occurring under age 50-years should be screened to exclude Lynch syndrome. However, in current practice in East Anglia, tumour screening is initiated only after genetics referral, reserved for those with a strong pedigree. This study aimed to determine how many patients with young-onset CRC undergo tumour screening in hospitals in East Anglia. Method- A retrospective case notes review over 5-years in four hospitals was undertaken to determine what proportion of those with young-onset CRC underwent referral for tumour screening and to assess local practices in terms of patient counselling and management. Results- One hundred and twenty-two patients were included. There was an average yearly caseload of 6-9 p...
This document consist of brief reports prepared by postdoctoral students supported by the project, each describing his accomplishments under the grant. Topics include (1) Malignant Transformation of MSU-1. 1 Cells by Gamma Radiation, (2) Correlation between Levels of ras Expression and Presence of Transformed Phenotypes Including Tumorigenicity, Using a Modulatable Promoter, (3) Relation between Specific rad Oncogene Expression, (4) Correlation of Genetic Changes in Fibroblastic Tumors with Malignancies, (5)Transformation of MSU-1.1 Cells by sis Oncogene, (6) Malignant Transformation of MSU-1.0 Cells, (7) Correlation of Urokinase Plasminogen Activation (mu-PA) with Malignant Phenotype, (8)Two Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis Studies of the Proteins of the Major Cell Strains of the MSU-1 Family of Cells, and (9) Correlation between Proteinase Activity Levels and Malignancy.
The known biological functions of RNA have expanded in recent years and now include gene regulation, maintenance of sub-cellular structure, and catalysis, in addition to propagation of genetic information. As for proteins, RNA function is tightly correlated with structure. Unlike proteins, structural information for larger, biologically functional RNAs is relatively limited. NMR signal degeneracy, relaxation problems, and a paucity of long-range {sup 1}H-{sup 1}H dipolar contacts have limited the utility of traditional NMR approaches. Selective isotope labeling, including nucleotide-specific and segmental labeling strategies, may provide the best opportunities for obtaining structural information by NMR. Here we review methods that have been developed for preparing and purifying isotopically labeled RNAs, as well as NMR strategies that have been employed for signal assignment and structure determination.
The modeling and optimizing processes of a Ground Coupled Heat Pump (GCHP) with closed Horizontal Ground Heat eXchanger (HGHX) are presented in this paper. After thermal modeling of GCHP including HGHX, the optimum design parameters of the system were estimated by minimizing a defined objective function (total of investment and operation costs) subject to a list of constraints. This procedure was performed applying Genetic Algorithm technique. For given heating/cooling loads and various climatic conditions, the optimum values of saturated temperature/pressure of condenser and evaporator as well as inlet and outlet temperatures of the water source in cooling and heating modes were predicted. Then, for our case study, the design parameters as well as the configuration of HGHX were obtained. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis of change in the total annual cost of the system and optimum design parameters with the climatic conditions, ...
Cognitive decline has been described in elderly patients with schizophrenia, but the underlying pathology remains unknown. Some studies report increases in plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, but there is no evidence for an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in elderly schizophrenics. Models of a decreased cerebral reserve suggest that increases in AD-related neuropathology below the threshold for a neuropathological diagnosis could be related to dementia severity in elderly schizophrenia patients. We tested this hypothesis in 110 autopsy specimens of schizophrenia patients, without a neuropathological diagnosis of AD or other neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, we assessed the effects of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) status, a known genetic risk factor for AD. Measures of densit...
Abstract The brain is highly sensitive to environmental hypoxia. Little is known, however, about the neuropsychological effects of high altitude residence in the developing brain. We recently described only minor changes in processing speed in native Bolivian children and adolescents living at approximately 3700-m. However, evidence for loss of cerebral autoregulation above this altitude (4000-m) suggests a potential threshold of hypoxia severity over which neuropsychological functioning may be compromised. We conducted physiological and neuropsychological assessments in 62 Bolivian children and adolescents living at La Paz (-3700-m) and El Alto (-4100-m) in order to address this issue. Groups were equivalent in terms of age, gender, social class, schooling, parental education and genetic ...
Native plant individuals often persist within communities dominated by exotics but the influence of this exposure on native populations is poorly understood. Selection for traits contributing to competitive ability may lead to native plant populations that are more tolerant of the presence of exotic invaders. In this way, long-term coexistence with an exotic may confer competitive advantages to remnant (experienced) native populations and be potentially beneficial to restoration. In past studies we have documented genetic differentiation within native grass populations exposed to the exotic invader Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens). Here, we examine populations of a cool-season grass, needle-and-thread (Hesperostipa comata [Trin. & Rupr.]) and a warm season, alkali sacaton (Sporobolus a...
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common severe gastrointestinal emergency that affects premature newborns. This disease often has a rapid onset with few, if any, antecedent signs that can be used to reliably predict its occurrence. Its rapid onset and progression to death, as well as its severe morbidity when the infant survives, begs for early diagnostic tools that may be used in determining those infants who would be at greatest risk for development of the disease and for whom early preventative measures could be targeted. Although studies have suggested efficacy of several techniques such as breath hydrogen, inflammatory mediators in blood, urine or stool, and genetic markers, these all have drawbacks limiting their use. The application of newly developed "omic" approaches may provide biomarkers for early diagnosis and targeted prevention of this disease. PMID:19190533
The authors report an effort to determine the basis for the altered migration of seven inherited albumin variants detected by one-dimensional electrophoresis in population surveys involving tribal Amerindians and Japanese children. An amino acid substitution has thus far been determined for four of the variants. The randomness in the albumin polypeptide of these and the other sixteen independently ascertained amino acid substitutions of albumin and proalbumin thus far established was analyzed; the clustering of eight of these at two positions in the six-amino acid propeptide sequence seems noteworthy. By comparison with other proteins studied by electrophoresis, albumin exhibits average variability. It is a paradox that individuals who, for genetic reasons, lack albumin exhibit no obvious ill effects; yet, electrophoretic variants of albumin are no more numerous than are variants of proteins, the absence of which results in severe disease.
Forward and reverse genetic experiments have both played important roles in revealing critical aspects of mammalian signal transduction pathways in cell culture experiments. Only recently have we begun...Full Text Available
Although genetic engineering techniques for baker's yeast might improve the yeast's fermentation characteristics, the lack of scientific data on the survival of such strains in natural environments...Full Text Available
Dairy cattle of three genetic lines maintained year round in total confinement (either in loose housing or tie stall barn) were monitored for estrous cycle activity and reproductive performance. Only...Full Text Available
The achievements made in the field of radiation protection over the past 20 years are outlined. Risk analysis as applied to medicine is considered and genetic significant doses, genetic risks, somatic effective doses and somatic risks are discussed. (C.F.).
A computer program, RISK-XLR, which calculates genetic risk for carrier status of a Mendelian X-linked recessive condition has been written for the Macintosh series of microcomputers. The program,...Full Text Available
Plants have too long been ignored as useful screening and monitoring systems of environmental mutagens. However, there are about a dozen reliable, some even unique, plant genetic systems that can increase...Full Text Available
AbstractGenetic-variant analysis of rabies viruses provides the most sensitive epidemiologic tool for following the spread and persistence of these viruses in their wildlife hosts. Since...Full Text Available
Auxin modulates diverse plant developmental pathways through direct transcriptional regulation and cooperative signaling with other plant hormones. Genetic and biochemical approaches have clarified...Full Text Available
The continued evolution of bacterial pathogens has major implications for both human and animal disease, but the exchange of genetic material between host-restricted pathogens is rarely considered....Full Text Available
BackgroundStress fractures are a significant problem among athletes and soldiers and may result in devastating complications or even permanent handicap. Genetic factors may increase...Full Text Available
We report on genetic identification of ‘whale meat’ purchased in sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, CA (USA) in October 2009 and in Seoul, South Korea in June and September 2009. Phylogenetic...Full Text Available
The genetic architecture of complex traits underlying physiology and disease in most organisms remains elusive. We still know little about the number of genes that underlie these traits, the magnitude...Full Text Available
The genetic basis of odorant-specific variations in human olfactory thresholds, and in particular of enhanced odorant sensitivity (hyperosmia), remains largely unknown. Olfactory receptor (OR) segregating...Full Text Available
Random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting was performed to assess the genetic diversity among rarely cultivated traditional indica rice (Oryza sativa ...Full Text Available
Rumen-cannulated cows (n = 4) were fed successively silage made from either conventional or genetically modified (GM) maize. Results revealed no effects of GM maize on the dynamics...Full Text Available
Nuclear transfer (NT) is a procedure by which genetically identical individuals can be created. The technology of pig somatic NT, including in vitro maturation of oocytes, isolation and treatment of...Full Text Available
HIV infections show great variation in the rate of progression to disease, and the role of viral genetic factors in this variation had remained poorly characterized until recently. Now a series of four...Full Text Available
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are leading causes of morbidity across all populations, with heritability estimates of ∼80% indicating a substantial genetic component. Population genetics...Full Text Available
Locomotion is a complex behavior affected by many different brain- and spinal cord systems, as well as by variations in the peripheral nervous system. Recently, we found increased gene expression for EphA4, a gene intricately involved in motor neuron development, between high-active parental strain C57BL/6J and the low-active chromosome substitution strain 1 (CSS1). CSS1 mice carry chromosome 1 from A/J mice in a C57BL/6J genetic background, allowing localization of quantitative trait loci (QTL) on chromosome 1. To find out whether differences in motor neuron anatomy, possibly related to the changes in EphA4 expression, are involved in the motor activity differences observed in these strains, motor performance in various behavioral paradigms and anatomical differences in the ventral roots ...
We describe an efficient procedure for proving stabilization of biological systems modeled as qualitative networks or genetic regulatory networks. For scalability, our procedure uses modular proof techniques, where state-space exploration is applied only locally to small pieces of the system rather than the entire system as a whole. Our procedure exploits the observation that, in practice, the form of modular proofs can be restricted to a very limited set. For completeness, our technique falls back on a non-compositional counterexample search. Using our new procedure, we have solved a number of challenging published examples, including: a 3-D model of the mammalian epidermis; a model of metabolic networks operating in type-2 diabetes; a model of fate determination of vulval precursor cells in the C. elegans worm; and a model of pair-rule regulation during segmentation in the Drosophila embryo. Our results show many orders of magnitude speedup ...
During this project we experimentally evaluated the below-ground biomass and carbon allocation and partitioning of four different fast- and slow-growing families of loblolly pine located in Scotland County, NC, in an effort to increase the long-term performance of the crop. The trees were subjected to optimal nutrition and control since planting in 1993. Destructive harvests in 1998 and 2000 were used for whole?plant biomass estimates and to identify possible family differences in carbon acquisition (photosynthesis) and water use efficiency. At regular intervals throughout each year we sampled tissues for carbohydrate analyses to assess differences in whole-tree carbon storage. Mini rhizotron observation tubes were installed to monitor root system production and turnover. Stable isotope analysis was used to examine possible functional differences in water and nutrient acquisition of root systems between the various families. A genetic ...
Huntington?s disease (HD) is caused by an expansion of a polyglutamine repeat of more than 35?units in the huntingtin protein. The expanded repeat length is inversely correlated with the age at onset (AAO); however, additional genetic factors apart from the expanded CAG repeat length can modify the course and the AAO in HD. Aberrations in macroautophagy have been observed in Huntington, Alzheimer, Parkinson, motor neuron and prion diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that polymorphisms in autophagy-related (Atg) genes might contribute to the variation in the AAO. We initially tested eight single nucleotide polymorphisms in five Atg genes (Atg3, Atg5, Atg7, Atg16L1 and Beclin-1) for their frequency of ?1%. Subsequently, we investigated the polymorphisms Atg7 V471A and Atg16L1 T281A for a di...
We study luminosities of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters by fitting the observed luminosity distribution with single and double power laws. We use simulations to model the observed distribution as the brighter part of some parent distribution for Terzan 5 and try to find a model which simultaneously agrees with the observed diffuse radio flux, total predicted number of pulsars and observed luminosity distribution. We find that wide ranges of parameters for log-normal and power-law distributions give such good models. No clear difference between the luminosity distributions of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters and normal disk pulsars was seen.
Studies on the determinants of pain-related support are needed to enhance couples-based treatments for pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which pain catastrophizing...Full Text Available
Little change was observed in primates fed 75 mg/kg adenine over the four-week period. Minimal tissue pathology was encountered upon completion of the study. In contrast to earlier studies in which oral feeding of adenine to dogs caused severe symptoms, a...
BackgroundStudies from various countries have observed worse population health in geographical areas with more income inequality. The psychosocial interpretation of this association...Full Text Available
IntroductionTransfusion is a common treatment in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Studies in adults suggest that prolonged storage of red blood cell units is associated with...Full Text Available
In neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and prion disease it has been shown that host genetic background can have a significant effect on susceptibility. Indeed, human genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated several candidate genes. Understanding such genetic susceptibility is relevant to risks of developing variant CJD (vCJD) in populations exposed to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and understanding mechanisms of neurodegeneration. In mice, aspects of prion disease susceptibility can be modelled by examining the incubation period following experimental inoculation. Quantitative trait linkage studies have already identified multiple candidate genes; however, it is also possible to take an individual candidate gene approach. Rarb and Stmn2 were selected as candidates based on the known association with vCJD. Because of the increasing overlap described between prion and ...
Nucleotide sequence analysis of a genomic clone from an Ashkenazic Jewish patient with type 1 Gaucher disease revealed a single-base mutation (adenosine to guanosine transition) in exon 9 of the glucocerebrosidase gene. This change results in the amino acid substitution of serine for asparagine. Transient expression studies following oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of the normal cDNA confirmed that the mutation results in loss of glucocerebrosidase activity. Allele-specific hybridization with oligonucleotide probes demonstrated that this mutation was found exclusively in type 1 phenotype. None of the 6 type 2 patients, 11 type 3 patients, or 12 normal controls had this allele. In contrast, 15 of 24 type 1 patients had one allele with this mutation, and 3 others were homozygous for the mutation. Furthermore, some of the Ashkenazic Jewish type 1 patients had only one allele with this mutation, suggesting that even in this population there is allelic ...
This report is intended to satisfy two concurrent needs: (1) provide a contract deliverable from Oncorh Consulting to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), with emphasis on identification of salient results of value to ongoing Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project (YKFP) planning and (2) summarize results of research that have broader scientific relevance. This is the fourth in a series of reports that address reproductive ecological research and monitoring of spring chinook populations in the Yakima River basin. This annual report summarizes data collected between April 1, 2004 and March 31, 2005 and includes analyses of historical baseline data, as well. Supplementation success in the Yakima Klickitat Fishery Project's (YKFP) spring chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) program is defined as increasing natural production and harvest opportunities, while keeping adverse ecological interactions and genetic impacts within acceptable bounds ...
Exponentially growing biological and bioinformatics data sets present a challenge and an opportunity for researchers to contribute to the understanding of the genetic basis of phenotypes. Due to breakthroughs in microarray technology, it is possible to simultaneously monitor the expressions of thousands of genes, and it is imperative that researchers have access to the clinical data to understand the genetics and proteomics of the diseased tissue. This technology could be a landmark in personalized medicine, which will provide storage for clinical and genetic data in electronic health records (EHRs). In this paper, we explore the computational and ethical challenges that emanate from the intersection of bioinformatics and healthcare informatics research. We describe the current situation of the EHR and its capabilities to store clinical and genetic data and then discuss the Genetic ...
Beginning in the 1940's and continuing through the 50's and early 60's, nuclear devices were tested by aerial detonation in the United States and other countries around the world. Cesium-137 (/sup 137/Cs) is one of the most important radionuclide by-products due to its abundance and slow decay (30-year half-life). The uptake of /sup 137/Cs in animal tissue is the result of its similarity to potassium. The somatic and genetic effects of /sup 137/Cs, along with its effect on reproductive cells, can pose great hazards to wildlife species. A reported buildup of /sup 137/Cs in white-tailed deer in the lower coastal plain of Georgia during the 1960's was followed by a gradual decline during the 1970's. Although numerous studies have involved terrestrial mammals of Georgia, few have involved aquatic mammals such as the river otter. With continued atmospheric testing by some foreign countries and the ...
The Ludwig-Soret effect, the migration of a species due to a temperature gradient, has been extensively studied without a complete picture of its cause emerging. Here we investigate the dynamics of DNA and spherical particles sub jected to a thermal gradient using a combination of Brownian dynamics and the lattice Boltzmann method. We observe that the DNA molecules will migrate to colder regions of the channel, an observation also made in the experiments of Duhr, et al[1]. In fact, the thermal diffusion coefficient found agrees quantitatively with the experimental value. We also observe that the thermal diffusion coefficient decreases as the radius of the studied spherical particles increases. Furthermore, we observe that the thermal fluctuations-fluid momentum flux coupling induces a gradient in the stress which leads to thermal migration in both systems.
We report an analysis of four strains of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) using biocavity laser spectroscopy. The four strains are grouped in two pairs (wild type and altered), in which one strain differs genetically at a single locus, affecting mitochondrial function. In one pair, the wild-type rho+ and a rho0 strain differ by complete removal of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). In the second pair, the wild-type rho+ and a rho- strain differ by knock-out of the nuclear gene encoding Cox4, an essential subunit of cytochrome c oxidase. The biocavity laser is used to measure the biophysical optic parameter Deltalambda, a laser wavelength shift relating to the optical density of cell or mitochondria that uniquely reflects its size and biomolecular composition. As such, Deltalambda is a powerful parameter that rapidly interrogates the biomolecular state of single cells and mitochondria. Wild-type cells and mitochondria produce Gaussian-like distributions ...
Antiquitin (ATQ) deficiency is the main cause of pyridoxine dependent epilepsy characterized by early onset epileptic encephalopathy responsive to large dosages of pyridoxine. Despite seizure control most patients have intellectual disability. Folinic acid responsive seizures (FARS) are genetically identical to ATQ deficiency. ATQ functions as an aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH7A1) in the lysine degradation pathway. Its deficiency results in accumulation of ?-aminoadipic semialdehyde (AASA), piperideine-6-carboxylate (P6C) and pipecolic acid, which serve as diagnostic markers in urine, plasma, and CSF. To interrupt seizures a dose of 100mg of pyridoxine-HCl is given intravenously, or orally/enterally with 30mg/kg/day. First administration may result in respiratory arrest in responders, and thus treatment should be performed with support of respiratory management. To make sure that late and masked response is not missed, treatment with oral/enteral pyridoxine should be ...
Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignant tumor and the fourth-leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The crucial role of fatty acids for a number of important biological processes suggests a more in depth analysis of inter-individual differences in fatty acid metabolizing genes as contributing factor to colon carcinogenesis. We examined the association between genetic variability in 43 fatty acid metabolism-related genes and colorectal risk in 1225 CRC cases and 2032 controls participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. 392 single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected using pairwise tagging with an r(2) cutoff of 0.8 and a minor allele frequency of >5%. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Haplotype analysis was performed using a generalized linear model framework. On the genotype level, HPGD, PLA2G6, and ...
High performance sorbents for flue gas desulfurization can be synthesized by hydration of coal fly ash, calcium sulfate, and calcium oxide. In general, higher desulfurization activity correlates with higher sorbent surface area. Consequently, a major aim in sorbent synthesis is to maximize the sorbent surface area by optimizing the hydration conditions. This work presents an integrated modeling and optimization approach to sorbent synthesis based on statistical experimental design and two artificial intelligence techniques: neural network and genetic algorithm. In the first step of the approach, the main and interactive effects of three hydration variables on sorbent surface area were evaluated using a full factorial design. The hydration variables of interest to this study were hydration time, amount of coal fly ash, and amount of calcium sulfate and the levels investigated were 4-32 h, 5-15 g, and 0-12 g, respectively. In the second step, a ...
In order to gain an overall picture of the genetic effects of an increased level of background radiation it is necessary to study the results of protracted exposures to embryonic and immature germ-cell stages as well as to stages found in the mature organism. For this purpose, litters produced by female mice, kept in a 10 or 20 rad/day /sup 60/Co ..gamma..-irradiation field, were kept in the same fields from conception until about 60 days later, having absorbed doses of 526 and 1078 rad respectively. Tests on exposed female offspring showed them to be sterile. Eight weeks after removal from the gamma field, mean testis masses of males in the 20 rad/day series were only half normal but those receiving 10 rad/day were little affected. Frequencies of translocations in spermatocytes at diakinesis/metaphase I were only slightly increased in the exposed series, differences not being significant. Estimated rates of translocation induction were around ...
A Task Group of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has finished a report Biological Effects after Prenatal Irradiation (Embryo and Fetus) which has been approved by the Main Commission and Will be Published. Some new important scientific data shall be discussed in this contribution. During the preimplantation period lethality of the mammalian embryo is the dominating radiation effect. However, in mouse strains with genetic predispositions it has been shown that also malformations can be caused. This effect is genetically determined and its mechanisms is different from the induction of malformations during major organogenesis. Radiation exposures during this prenatal period leads ato an increase of genomic instability of cells in the normal appearing fetuses. These radiation effects can be transmitted to the next generation. A renewed analysis of individuals with severe mental retardation after exposures during the ...
Studies were conducted to describe current habitat conditions in the White River basin above White River Falls and to evaluate the potential to produce anadromous fish. An inventory of spawning and rearing habitats, irrigation diversions, and enhancement opportunities for anadromous fish in the White River drainage was conducted. Survival of juvenile fish at White River Falls was estimated by releasing juvenile chinook and steelhead above the falls during high and low flow periods and recapturing them below the falls in 1983 and 1984. Four alternatives to provide upstream passage for adult salmon and steelhead were developd to a predesign level. The cost of adult passage and the estimated run size of anadromous fish were used to determine the benefit/cost of the preferred alternative. Possible effects of the introduction of anadromous fish on resident fish and on nearby Oak Springs Hatchery were evaluated. This included an inventory of resident species, a ...
Anorthosites are rocks consisting almost completely of calcic plagioclase, usually from andesine to labradorite. They are not widespread, and until recently were of no economic interest. However, with the advance of the new global tectonics, which has excited considerable interest in the structure and composition of upper-mantle rocks, interest in the anorthosites has grown. This has particularly been the case since the discovery of anorthosites on the moon, where they appear to be more widespread than on the earth. Data have recently been obtained on the strontium isotope compositions of anorthosite intrusions in the Dzhugdzhur-Stanovoy zone and in the rocks surrounding them, which have revealed some unexpected features. The paper describes the geological features of anorthosites, initial concepts on strontium isotope geochemistry, strontium isotope compositions of this region, and discusses some genetic consequences from the isotope data. Although the data of ...
The role of intermediate products of dioxygen reduction in cytotoxic effects ascribed to oxygen molecules was studied in vivo using various yeast mutants with changed response to oxygen stress. It has been documented that superoxide radical exerts its deleterious effects on yeast cells directly and the role of other oxygen species derived from it is hardly detectable. Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, however, cannot be considered as a typical eukaryotic organism due to its inability of synthesizing polyunsaturated fatty acids (pufa). These fatty acids are known as main target molecules during oxidative stress and their peroxidation leads to cytotoxic effects. As fatty acid content could be easily manipulated in yeast, this organism was used to evaluate the contribution of pufa peroxidation process to the cytotoxic effects of oxygen. Results obtained show, that yeast cells containing linolenic acid as the main constituent of phospholipids are hypersensitive to oxygen ...
Measuring gene expression using microarrays is relevant to many areas of biology and medicine, such as follow up of developmental stages and diseases onset, and treatment study. Since there can be tens of thousands of distinct probes on an array, each micro array experiment can accomplish the equivalent number of genetic tests in parallel. Arrays have therefore dramatically accelerated many types of investigations. For example, microarrays can be used to identify stress response genes by comparing gene expression in challenged versus normal cells. In the Molecular and Cellular Biology lab (MCB), the micro array experiments are performed within the Genomic Platform, fully equipped to analyse either the behaviour of bacteria during long space flight, the effect of low dose ionising radiation on the developing organism in mice, or the human individual radiation sensitivity. For the low dose effect, two main stages of development are of interest; ...
This report describes the fiscal 1998 result on development of genome informatics technology. As comparative analysis technique of genes, the combination of electrophoresis and PCR was used. For improvement of the throughput and reproducibility of the technique, module- shuffling primers were used, and the multi(96)-arrayed capillary fragment analyzer was devised. The system detecting SNPs rapidly was also developed successfully. As analysis technology of DNA sequence by use of triple- stranded DNA formation, study was made on construction of long cDNA libraries, selective subtraction of specific sequences from libraries, and the basic technology of homologous cloning. Study was also made on each reaction step of IGCR technique for fast analysis, and specifications of a fluorescence transfer monitor. As modeling technique of genetic sequence information, the simulation model was developed for gene expression regulatory ...
The photobiology of mouse melanocyte lines with different pigment genotypes was studied by measuring colony-forming ability after irradiation. The cell lines were wild-type black (melan-a) and the mutants brown (melan-b) and albino (melan-c). Four lamps emitting various UV wavelengths were used. These were germicidal (UVC, 200-280 nm), 82.3% output at 254 nm, TL01 (UVB, 280-320 nm), 64.2% at 310-311 nm, FS20, broadband with peak output at 312 nm and Alisun-S (UVA, 320-400 nm), broadband with peak output at 350-354 nm. Appropriate filtration reduced the contaminating UVC to nonlethal levels for the longer waverange lamps. It is clear from these studies that, in pigment cells, monochromatic results cannot predict polychromatic responses and that cell death from solar irradiations is a complex phenomenon that depends on more than DNA damage. (author).
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common behavioral disorders in children. Symptoms of ADHD include hyperactivity, low frustration tolerance, impulsivity, and inattention. While the biological pathways leading to ADHD are not clearly delineated, a number of genetic and environmental risk factors for the disorder are recognized. In the early 1970s, research conducted by Dr. Benjamin Feingold found that when hyperactive children were given a diet free of artificial food additives and dyes, symptoms of hyperactivity were reduced. While some clinical studies supported these findings, more rigorous empirical studies conducted over the next 20 years were less positive. As a result, research on the role of food additives in contributing to ADHD waned. In recent years, however, interest in this area has revived. In response to more recent research and public petitions, in December 2009 the British ...
Sufficient genetic diversity exists in Indian tree species to give large genetic gains. Improvement potential, using wild gene resources for selection and breeding is vast as there are over 244 genera and 400 forest tree species in India. Of these over 30 species and 22 genera are of outstanding forestry value. Selective genetic-variation can be lifted from wild populations, multiplied vegetatively or by seed, and planted with controlled germplasm sources. Among the Indian species no less than 74 reproduce by cutting, 11 by layers, 9 by grafting and buding and 104 by root suckers. More than 161 species coppice vigorously. Afforestation techniques of over 170 species have been worked out. Tree genetic approach of survey of natural variability, quick evaluation, selection, conservation multiplication and planting superior variability directly in the field can give immediate genetic ...
We develop and demonstrate the methodology of testing multi-dimensional supernova models against observations by studying the properties of one example of the detonation from failed deflagration (DFD) explosion model of thermonuclear supernovae. Using time-dependent multi-dimensional radiative transfer calculations, we generate the synthetic broadband optical light curves, near-infrared light curves, color evolution curves, full spectral time-series, and spectropolarization of the model, as seen from various viewing angles. All model observables are critically evaluated against examples of well-observed, standard Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We explore the consequences of the intrinsic model asphericity by studying the dependence of the model emission on viewing angle, and by quantifying the resulting dispersion in (and internal correlations between) various model ...
Stargardt`s disease (MIM 248200), originally described in 1909, is an autosomal recessive condition of childhood, characterized by a sudden and bilateral loss of central vision. Typically, it has an early onset (7 to 12 years), a rapidly progressive course and a poor final outcome. The central area of the retina (macula) displays pigmentary changes in a ring form with depigmentation and atrophy of the retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE). Perimacular yellowish spots, termed fundus flavimaculatus, are observed in a high percentage of patients. We have recently reported the genetic mapping of Stargardt`s disease to chromosome 1p13. On the other hand, considering that fundus flavimaculatus (MIM 230100) is another form of fleck fundus disease, with a Stargardt-like retinal aspect but with a late-onset and a more progressive course, we decided to test the hypothesis of allelism between typical Stargardt`s disease and late-onset autosomal recessive ...
A single-crystal x-ray study under pressure reveals a phase transition from an in-plane 2x2 commensurate potassium superstructure to a new ..sqrt..3x..sqrt..3 commensurate superstructure. This is the first such transition to be observed; it is related to the recently discovered staging transition of KC/sub 8/ under pressure. In addition this staging transition was observed to occur more slowly and at much lower pressures than in the reported neutron-scattering experiment on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite samples. 13 references, 2 figures.
This paper describes Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy used to study the connection between dopant precipitation and phase transformation in high dose In"+ and Sb"+ implanted Si. In the case of In, the observations confirm a heterogeneous nucleation model. Images of the precursor precipitates give the first measurement of the diffusion coefficient in amorphous Si, with an enhancement of 10"7 over tracer crystalline values. With Sb"+ implants enhanced homogeneous nucleation is observed. The connection between these results and the transient enhanced diffusion observed in crystallized Si is discussed.
In this paper we studied the behavior of commercially pure niobium immersed in molten aluminum. The experiments were carried out 800 and 900 deg C during 2 to 128 hours. Chemical and metallographic analyses, as well as microhardness measurements of the niobium specimens were accomplished. An increase of niobium content in the aluminum bath with time was observed. Metallographic observations revealed the formation of Nb Al{sub 3} external intermetallic compound. During dissolution, fragments of this compound settled at the bottom of the crucible. This behaviour was also observed at 900 deg C, nevertheless with higher intensity. (author) 10 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.
Three red giants (HD 49566 (G5III), HD 169370 (K0III) and HD 169751 (K2III)) have been observed in the CoRoT seismo field and additional ground-based spectra have been acquired. We present preliminary results of a detailed study of these stars using the observational constraints from the spectra and CoRoT data, and models from the YREC stellar evolution code.
As part of the 1999 NARSTO Northeast Oxidant and Particulate Study (NE-OPS) field campaign, the DOE G-1 aircraft sampled trace gases and aerosols in and around the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Twenty research flights were conducted between July 25 and August 11. The overall goals of these flights were to obtain a mechanistic understanding of O(sub 3) production; to characterize the spatial and temporal behavior of photo-oxidants and aerosols; and to study the evolution of aerosol size distributions, including the process of new particle formation. Within the NE-OPS program, other groups provided additional trace gas, aerosol, and meteorological observations using aircraft, balloon, remote sensing, and surface based instruments (Phillbrick et al., 2000). In this article we provide an overview of the G-1 observations related to O(sub 3) production, focusing on the vertical distribution of pollutants. ...
Surface-sensitive UV photoelectron yield spectroscopy was employed to study electron acceptor levels at surfaces of chalcopyrite structure Cu-In-Se thin films. Surface Fermi level pinning was observed for Cu-rich films. Shallow acceptor levels ascribable to defects Cu_I_n and V_C_u were observed for near-stoichiometric and In-rich films respectively. (orig.).
A method for estimating the form of magnetic nanoparticles in composite film structures based on the observation of ferromagnetic resonance phenomenon is offered. Within the model of the effective medium, an explanation is given for experimentally observed concentration and temperature dependences of resonant fields for composite nanosystem (Co45Fe45Z10) f +(Al2O3)100?f .
The paper is concerned with the results of a morphological study following chemoradiotherapy in 25 patients with Ewing's sarcoma and 14 patients with reticulum cell carcoma. The signs of therapeutic pathomophosis were observed in the first 3 days, and substitution of the connective tissue for a necrotized tumor started by the 3rd-4th week after the initiation of therapy. In some cases tumor growth and recurrences at the site of a treated tumor were observed.
Orbital elements are derived from new spectroscopic and photometric observations. The masses and radii are inconsistent with evolutionary tracks for single stars, but neither star fills its Roche lobe. Analysis of the circumstellar Balmer emission lines indicates that the primary is surrounded by an extensive, highly flattened disk of nonuniform density. The velocity gradient in the disk is steeper than that expected from Keplerian motion.
The authors summarize EUVE's contribution to the study of the boundary layer emission of high accretion-rate nonmagnetic cataclysmic variables, especially the dwarf novae SS Cyg, U Gem, VW Hyi, and OY Car in outburst. They discuss the optical and EUV light curves of dwarf nova outbursts, the quasi-coherent oscillations of the EUV flux of SS Cyg, the EUV spectra of dwarf novae, and the future of EUV observations of cataclysmic variables.
This book presents in simple terms the basis of molecular genetics and how it is used to obtain an understanding of the human genome. The author's central focus is the transistion of genetics from statistics to experimental manipulations, and he offers analogies that help readers visualize the genome, thereby avoiding conventional scientific presentations. He illustrates how genetics is used in scientific laboratories, in courtrooms, and in hospitals. Little is presented about the complex social and ethical issues raised by the Human Genome project.
BackgroundDuplications of stretches of the genome are an important source of individual genetic variation, but their unrecognized presence in laboratory organisms would be a confounding...Full Text Available
The application of multi-objective genetic algorithms for green building design in two phases were presented in order to better help designers in the decision-making process. The purpose is to minimize two conflicting criteria: the life-cycle cost and the life-cycle environmental impact. Environmental impact criteria examined include energy and non-energy natural resources, global warming, and acidification. Variables focus on building envelope-related parameters. The application of multi-objective genetic algorithms is divided into two phases. The first phase intends to help designers in understanding the trade-off relationship between the two conflicting criteria. The second phase intends to refine the performance region that is of the designer's interest. The results after the two-phase application of the multi objective genetic algorithm were then presented. 13 refs., 4 tabs., 3 figs.
German translation of the publication 'The evaluation of risks from radiation' published in 1965 by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. In a survey, genetic and somatic risks from radiation are presented and explained. (HP).
We determined the underlying aetiology of blindness for the registered blind population of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In both 1981 and 1984 single-gene disorders accounted for 30% of...Full Text Available
Myriad genetic and epigenetic alterations are required to drive normal cells toward malignant transformation. These somatic events commandeer many signaling pathways that cooperate to endow aspiring...Full Text Available
Spatial epidemiology is the description and analysis of geographic variations in disease with respect to demographic, environmental, behavioral, socioeconomic, genetic, and infectious risk factors....Full Text Available
Knowledge about retinal photoreceptor signal transduction and the visual cycle required for normal eyesight has expanded exponentially over the past decade. Substantial progress in human genetics...Full Text Available
The success of monoclonal antibodies in clinical practice is dependent on good design. Finding a suitable target is the most important part as other properties of the antibody can be altered by genetic...Full Text Available
the environment, with the 2006 release of a GM pink bollworm moth (a pest of cotton), ...Use of Genetically Engineered Fruit Fly and Pink Bollworm in APHIS Plant Pest Control Programs 6 Gould,
Comparative Molecular Genetic Monitoring of Myxoviruses Circulating in Populations of Seals Phoca Caspia and Phoca Sibirica in Northern Caspian Region and Lake Baikal
In this work, we report for the first time on the analysis of genetic diversity within a set of 36 Tunisian Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. ecotypes using RAPD markers.Random decamer primers were screened to assess their ability to detect polymorphisms in this plant crop. Thirty-nine RAPD markers were revealed and used to survey the genetic diversity at the DNA level and to establish relationships.Consequently, considerable genetic diversity was detected and the UPGMA analysis permitted the discrimination of all the genotypes and enabled their sorting into thirteen groups. The accession `R Sbiba inerme' was significantly divergent from all tested genotypes. In addition, as shown by the clustering the tested genotypes did not significantly diverge, though originating from different localiti...
Microreserves may be useful in protecting native arthropod diversity in urbanized landscapes. However, species that do not disperse through the urban matrix may eventually be lost from these fragments. Population extinctions may be precipitated by an increase in genetic differentiation among fragments and loss of genetic diversity within fragments, and these effects should become stronger with time. We analyzed population genetic structure in the dispersal limited Jerusalem cricket Stenopelmatus n. sp. ?santa monica?? in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills north of Los Angeles, California (CA), to determine the impacts of fragmentation over the past 70 years. MtDNA divergence was greater among urban fragments than within contiguous habitat and was positively correlated with fragment ...
PurposeClinical trials have commenced to evaluate the feasibility of targeting malignant gliomas with genetically engineered cytolytic T-cells (CTLs) delivered directly...Full Text Available
In animal models, single-gene mutations in genes involved in insulin/IGF and target of rapamycin signalling pathways extend lifespan to a considerable extent. The genetic, genomic and epigenetic influences...Full Text Available
RationaleCollaterals are arteriole-to-arteriole anastomoses that connect adjacent arterial trees. They lessen ischemic tissue injury by serving as endogenous bypass...Full Text Available
The expression of motor activity levels in response to novel situations is under complex genetic and environmental control. Several genetic loci have been implicated in the regulation of this behavioral phenotype, but their relationship to epigenetic and epistatic interactions is relatively unknown. Here, we report on a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on mouse chromosome 1 for novelty-induced motor activity in the open field, using chromosome substitution strains derived from a high active host strain (C57BL/6J) and a low active donor strain (A/J). The QTL for open field (horizontal distance moved) peaked at the location of Kcnj9, however, QTL detection was initially masked by an interplay of both grandparent genetic origin and genetic co-factors influencing behavior on chromosome 1. Our fi...
BackgroundMutations that disrupt the conversion of prelamin A to mature lamin A cause the rare genetic disorder Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome and a group of laminopathies....Full Text Available
Behavioral responses to wind are thought to play a critical role in controlling the dispersal and population genetics of wild Drosophila species1,Full Text Available
diet and genetic obesity metabolic defects and inflammation. To determine the role of adipocyte death in promoting adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in animal...
Does the cultural background influence the success with which genetically unrelated individuals cooperate in social dilemma situations? In this paper, we provide an answer by analysing the data of Full Text Available
Aging can be defined as a progressive decline in physiological efficiency regulated by an extremely complex multifactorial process. The genetic makeup of an individual appears to dictate this rate...Full Text Available
What genes are related to AEC syndrome? AEC syndrome is caused by mutations in the TP63 gene. This gene provides instructions for making a protein known as p63, which plays an...
Phase II Randomized Study of the Effect of Zoledronate Versus Observation on Bone Mineral Density of the Lumbar Spine in Patients Undergoing Risk-Reducing Excision of Both Ovaries (GOG-0215). See the protocol summary.
A method for the study of conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) photophysics in solution at the single-molecule level is described. Extended observation times of single polymer molecules are enabled by the...Full Text Available
Background and objectives: The severity of anemia at which to initiate erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) treatment in nondialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is unclear. Risk of mortality,...Full Text Available
Objectives To evaluate the extent to which intensive care units participating in the initial Keystone ICU project sustained reductions in rates of catheter related bloodstream infections.Design...Full Text Available
It has been observed that puncture of a lumbar disc may induce formation of a nodule on the surface of the disc and osteophytes. It is not known if this is based on the presence of a foreign tissue...Full Text Available
Studies were assigned values based on whether they were anecdotal or ... or family income), work experience, birth order, military or civilian ...... observed with submarine personnel and polar expeditioners (Sandal et al., 1996). ...
During a study of the health status of children in rural Nigerian communities a gross lack of fit was observed between the sample and the growth attainment standards derived from local longitudinal...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pregabalin in painful cervical or lumbosacral radiculopathy treated in Primary Care settings under routine clinical practice. An observational,...Full Text Available
A study of the joint evolution of the normal- and neutron-star components of massive binaries opens with a classification scheme and the analytic expressions to be applied in Paper II for computer simulation of the observable properties of such systems.
BackgroundObservational clinical studies have shown that patients with diabetes have less favorable results after percutaneous coronary intervention compared with the non-diabetic...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of the present article was to evaluate whether angiogenic parameters as assessed by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound (TVCD) may predict those prognostic factors...Full Text Available
The bulk alignment of actin filament sliding movement, powered by randomly oriented myosin molecules, has been observed and studied using an in vitro motility assay. The well established,...Full Text Available
A growing number of studies suggest that the development of compulsive drug seeking and taking depends on dorsostriatal mechanisms. We previously observed that ex vivo acute...Full Text Available
During a study on the mTor pathway in the rat kidney we observed a striking increase of the phosphorylation of the S6 kinase in mitosis. In cryostat sections of perfusion-fixed tissue mitotic cells...Full Text Available
1 Immediate and residual effects of diazepam and its metabolites on visuomotor co-ordination have been studied in man. Performance was observed from 10.0-16.0 h after overnight ingestion...Full Text Available
The mechanism by which mechanical force regulates the kinetics of a chemical reaction is unknown. Here, we use single-molecule force–clamp spectroscopy and protein engineering to study the effect...Full Text Available
BackgroundVariable platelet response to clopidogrel has been widely observed. Studies have shown that the mean aggregation response to clopidogrel can be changed...Full Text Available
These studies demonstrate that soybean (Merr) roots and nodules possess an active system for fixing CO2. The maximum rates of CO2 fixation observed for roots and nodules of intact...Full Text Available
Observational work on quasars, galaxies, and stars is summarized. Theoretical studies covering stars and stellar evolution, galaxies, clusters and cosmology, high energy astrophysics the solar system and the Sun are described. (ESA)
Observations made during biochemical and toxicological studies of the housefly, in which the WHO standard reference (SR) strain was used as a standard, indicated that this strain differs from other...Full Text Available
Traditional approaches to the study of hormones and cognition have been primarily observational or correlational in nature. Because this work does not permit causal relationships to be identified,...Full Text Available
Abstract Bartonella are arthropod-borne, fastidious, Gram-negative, and aerobic bacilli distributed by fleas, lice, sand flies, and, possibly, ticks. The zoonotic Bartonella species, Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae, which are the causes of cat scratch disease and endocarditis in humans, have been reported from cats, cat fleas, and humans in Australia. However, to date, there has been no report of B. henselae or B. clarridgeiae in Australian wild animals and their ectoparasites. B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae were detected in fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), an introduced pest animal species in Australia, and only B. clarridgeiae was detected in blood from one red fox. Phylogenetic analysis of the ribosomal intergenic spacer region revealed that the B. henselae detected in the current study were related to B. henselae strain Houston-1, a major pathogenic strain in humans in Australia, and confirmed the ...
The genetic type, source and charging history of natural gas in the Yulin gas field in the Ordos Basin have been studied by combining the carbon isotopic composition of natural gas and geochemical characteristics of light hydrocarbons with carbon isotope fractionation model results and fluid inclusion analysis. The carbon isotopic composition of methane and ethane in the Yulin gas field is relatively enriched in ^1^3C with d^1^3C1 values ranging from -35.3%% to -29.8%% (average value=-32.4%%) and d^1^3C2 ranging from -26.3%% to -23.5%% (average value=-24.8%%). The C7 light hydrocarbons are predominated by methylcyclohexane, accounting for 65.8% to 80.9% (average value=71.6%), which is characteristic of coal-derived gas. Furthermore, the gas geochemistry indicates that, although marine lime...
In the years 2004 and 2005, Korea became a prospective nation noteworthy in the world through the epochal development of genetic engineering in our country. Obstinate or incurable diseases were expected to be healed in a few years by a Korean geneticist. So many worldwide patients of obstinate or incurable diseases took notice of the research outcomes and organized an aid association to collect supporting funds. World renowned journals such as 'Nature' and 'Science' published Dr. Hwang's theses. A long and distant way remedy to obstinate diseases seemed to be closer at hand so early. However, a stem cell fraud case emerged throughout the world in late 2005, the pride of the Korean people was destroyed. With this as a momentum, voices of self reflection by scientific circles were raised. The purpose of this study is not in finding the truth of the stem cell research but to propose an effective management and control measures for the future in ...
Taeniasis has been known as one of the prevalent parasitic infections in Korea. Until recently, Taenia saginata had long been considered a dominant, and widely distributed species but epidemiological profiles of human Taenia species in Korea still remain unclear. In order to better understand distribution patterns of human Taenia tapeworms in Korea, partial nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cox1 and ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer 2) were determined, along with morphological examinations, on 68 Taenia specimens obtained from university museum collections deposited since 1935. Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-preserved specimens. Phylogenetic relationships among the genotypes (cox1 haplotype) detected in this study were inferred using the neighbor-joining method as a tree building method. Morphological and genetic analyses identified 3 specimens as T. solium, 51 specimens as T. asiatica, and 14 specimens as T. saginata. Our results ...
The present investigation was conducted at Ismaillia Research Station-Agricultural Research Center, Ismaillia Governorate, during the two successive seasons of 2000 and 2001. Two varieties of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L) namely Giza 4 and Giza 5 were treated with gamma ray doses; 10,15, 20, 25 Kr in order to induce genetic variability and to study the importance of the relative contribution of peanut yield components by employing some statistical procedures, i.e. simple correlation, multiple linear regression and stepwise regression analysis. The results showed that, there was significant positive correlation between seed yield/plant and no. of pods/plant, 100 seed weight, shelling percentage and pod yield/plant, and there was significant positive correlation between pod yield/plant and no of seed/plant,100 pod weight and 100 seed weight. The multiple linear regression analysis clearly showed that the relative contribution (R"2%) of the yield ...
Cholera vaccine candidate Peru-15 was derived from a Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor Inaba strain by deleting the cholera toxin genetic element, introducing the gene encoding cholera toxin B subunit into recA, and screening for nonmotility. In a controlled study, Peru-15 (2 x 10(8) cfu) was administered to 11 volunteers. No vaccinee developed diarrhea, and 10 of 11 had > 4-fold rises in vibriocidal antibody titers. One month later, 5 vaccinees and 5 control volunteers were challenged with wild type V. cholerae O1. Four of 5 controls developed diarrhea (mean, 1.9 L). Two Peru-15 vaccinees developed diarrhea, 1 with < 0.3 L and 1 with approximately 1.0 L; this latter volunteer had not developed a significant vibriocidal immune response to vaccination. Peru-15 shows promise as a single-dose, oral cholera vaccine that is safe, immunogenic, and protective. PMID:7561195
Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for growth traits, water use efficiency and tolerance/resistance against metals and herbivores have been identified. A hybrid F2 population originating from a cross between a Salix dasyclados-clone (SW901290) and a S. viminalis-clone ('Jorunn') was used for the different studies in this project. The growth response was analyzed in a greenhouse experiment with two water treatments, normal and drought. In addition, three field experiments with contrasting soils and climates were established. QTL specific for each treatment or field environment but also QTL stable over the treatments or field environments were detected. Each QTL explained from 8 to 29 % of the phenotypic variation depending on trait, treatment or field environment. Clusters of QTL for different traits were mapped indicating a common genetic base or tightly-linked QTL. Stable QTL identified for dryweight can be useful tools for early ...
Aims: The present study explored the integrative effect of genes encoding methadone pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic pathways on methadone maintenance doses in Han Chinese Patients. Materials & methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from 321 opioid-dependent patients and 202 healthy controls, and realtime-PCR and PCR-RFLP were conducted to determine the genotypes. Results: Pair-wise comparisons revealed that carriers of the variants ABCB1 3435C>T or CYP2B6 516G>T alleles were more likely to require a higher methadone dose than noncarriers (both p G or 939C>T allele had a two-fold chance of requiring a lower methadone dose than noncarriers (p = 0.001). Proportional odds regression with adjustment of cofactors demonstrated that ...
High-resolution sequence stratigraphy concepts are applied to Erema, a Miocene onshore field of the Niger delta. The field's production is decreasing and an up-to-date geological model is essential to monitor the production. We aim to show an approach, using subsurface data and sequence stratigraphic concepts, which results in a time-line (Maximum Flooding Surfaces) correlation scheme. This scheme is based upon a facies model and is destined to guide the study of the characterization of reservoir heterogeneities. Using the cored well as a reference point, the facies model consists of shoreface dunes (planar tabular cross-stratified sandstones) changing landward into fluvial distributary deposits (through cross-stratified sandstones) via a tide-influenced coastal plain facies. The stacking pattern of genetic units shows a seaward stepping phase at the reservoir scale (sixty metres thick) with an abrupt deepening at the top of the ...
This report concerns investigations in the title conducted by 8 groups of National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) during the period of 1998-2000. The groups are for investigation of: Effects of p53 tumor suppressor gene in radiation-induced leukemia, Role of atm-gene in dose rate effect of ionizing radiation, Function of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK{sub cs}), Functional complementation of radiation-sensitive mutant M10 cell line by human XRCC4 cDNA expression, Role of radiation-induced apoptosis in digital defects in embryonic mice, Functional analysis of S-phase specific novel nuclear protein NP95 by gene targeting, Role of chemokine in T cell development and lymphomagenesis, and establishment of production techniques of gene-modified mice using embryonic stem cells for genetic analysis of radiation-sensitive genes. The groups describe summaries of their studies and published original articles are also ...
Reference is made to Cheng and Leblond (Amer. J. Anat.; 141:537 (1974)) who used tritiated thymidine to kill cells synthesising DNA in the crypts of the small intestine. Amongst their findings was that very low doses caused measurable cell killing and that the killing was not random throughout the crypt but occurred selectively at the crypt base where stem cells are presumably located. It is here reported that the presence of hypersensitive cells at the base of the crypts can be demonstrated after whole-body X- or gamma-irradiation, and the time sequence for the production and loss of the killed cells is described together with their dose-response relationship. The studies were conducted on mice. The data were expressed as surviving rather than killed cells, and it was established that the crypt are amongst the most sensitive of mammalian cells. The mechanism by which these sensitive cells are killed is not known, but DNA damage can be detected. The vital stem ...
Microbial degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons has been studied with the aim of developing applications for the removal of toxic compounds. Efforts have been directed toward the genetic manipulation of mesophilic bacteria to improve their ability to degrade pollutants, even though many pollution problems occur in sea waters and in effluents of industrial processes which are characterized by low temperatures. From these considerations the idea of engineering a psychrophilic microorganism for the oxidation of aromatic compounds was developed.In a previous paper it was demonstrated that the recombinant Antarctic Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC125 (PhTAC/tou) expressing a toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) is able to convert several aromatic compounds into corresponding catechols. In our work we improved the metabolic capability of PhTAC/tou cells by combining action of recombinant ToMO enzyme with that of the endogenous P. haloplanktis ...
Molecular genetic markers can be used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for thermal resistance and this has allowed characterization of a major QTL for knockdown resistance to high temperature in Drosophila melanogaster. The QTL showed trade-off associations with cold resistance under laboratory conditions. However, assays of thermal tolerance conducted in the laboratory may not necessarily reflect performance at varying temperatures in the field. Here we tested if lines with different genotypes in this QTL show different thermal performance under high and low temperatures in the field using a release recapture assay. We found that lines carrying the QTL genotype for high thermal tolerance were significantly better at locating resources in the field releases under hot temperatures while the QTL line carrying the contrasting genotype were superior at cold temperatures. Further, we studied copulatory success between the different QTL ...
Following the publication (Stenhouse and Baxter, Nature; 267:828 (1977)) of the levels of bomb "1"4C and the residence times of carbon in the human body, excess radiation burdens from this radioisotope are evaluated under the assumption that no radiation dose, however small, can be regarded as entirely harmless biologically. The estimated annual absorbed dose attributable to "1"4C both natural and man-made for 1953-1973 and similar predicted figures for 1975-2025 are shown graphically. The cumulated doses to gonads (over 30 yr) and to bone marrow and bone-lining cells (over 60 yr) and also estimates of the biological damage to reproductive cells from "1"4C #beta#-irradiation (30 yr accumulated dose) are presented. It is concluded from both genetic and somatic considerations, that the potential human radiation burden due to artificially produced "1"4C calculated using the assumptions stated is certainly significant and, therefore, cannot be dismissed. However, ...
Background The objective of this study was to confirm provisional quantitative trait loci (QTL) for cocaine-induced locomotor activation, on chromosomes 1, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, and 18, previously identified in the AXB/BXA recombinant inbred (RI) and AcB/BcA recombinant congenic (RC) strains of mice derived from A/J (A) and C57BL/6J (B6) progenitors. This was accomplished through a genetic analysis of cocaine-induced activity in an AxB6 F2 cross and a phenotypic survey across a panel of B6.A chromosome substitution strains (CSS) mice. Mice were tested for cocaine-induced activity, following administration of saline and cocaine (20?mg/kg), utilizing an open-field procedure. Results Among AxB6 F2 mice, differences in cocaine-induced activity were associated with loci on chromosome 1 (D1Mi...
Persons with a thermolabile form of the enzyme 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) have reduced enzyme activity and increased plasma homocysteine which can be lowered by supplemental folic acid. Thermolability of the enzyme has recently been shown to be caused by a common mutation (677C{sup {r_arrow}}T) in the MTHFR gene. We studied 41 fibroblast cultures from NTD-affected fetuses and compared their genotypes with those of 109 blood specimens from individuals in the general population. 677C{sup {r_arrow}}T homozygosity was associated with a 7.2 fold increased risk for NTDs (95% confidence interval: 1.8-30.3; p value: 0.001). These preliminary data suggest that the 677C{sup {r_arrow}}T polymorphism of the MTHFR gene is a risk factor for spina bifida and anencephaly that may provide a partial biologic explanation for why folic acid prevents these types of NTD. 13 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.
The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of the Arabic translation of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) among a sample of male Muslim prisoners (N = 107) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a two-factor model to be the best fit of the data. Good internal reliability (a =.91) and predictive validity were also observed. While the limitations of the study are observed, these promising results suggest that the Arabic version of the AUDIT is a reliable and sound measure of alcohol use disorders among prisoners in the UAE.
The transformation of Pd/Si to Pd{sub 2}Si/Si is investigated using depth-resolved positron annihilation, x-ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy studies. The observed defect-sensitive positron S-parameter value of 1.022-1.054 indicates the existence of divacancies across the silicide/silicon interface and Si substrate region. Our experimental observation of vacancy defects is consistent with the model proposed for excess vacancy generation across the interface consequent to Si diffusion. (letter to the editor)
A scant body of literature addresses competencies needed for successful job development. This study aimed to identify competencies needed for this role. In this analysis, we observed employment specialists identified as successful in helping consumers obtain employment perform job development duties. We supplemented observations with interviews. Employment specialists possessed competencies in six domains: time management, advocacy, building partnerships with consumers, working as part of a team, face-to-face communication, and networking. The conceptual framework derived from this study can inform supported employment supervisors and researchers about the competencies that can strengthen supported employment teams.
Warm-intermediate inflationary universe models in the context of braneworld cosmologies, are studied. This study is done in the weak and strong dissipative regimes. We find that, the scalar potentials and dissipation coefficients in terms of the scalar field, evolves as type-power-law and powers of logarithms, respectively. General conditions required for these models to be realizable are derived and discussed. We also study the scalar and tensor perturbations for each regime. We use recent astronomical observations to constraint the parameters appearing in the braneworld models.
Contradictory reports in the literature on the reliability of lymphography stimulated the authors to test the diagnostic accuracy, employing methods which are approximately analogous to practice, using carcinoma of the cervix as the model on which the study was carried out. Using 21 observers it was found that there was no correlation between their experience and on-target accuracy of the diagnosis. Good observers obtained an accuracy of 85% with good proportions between sensitivity in the recognition of detail, specificity and readiness to arrive at a decision on the basis of discriminatory ability. With the help of the concept of the ROC curves, the position taken up by the observers in respect of diagnostic decisions, and a complex manner of assessing the various characteristic factors determining diagnostic accuracy, are demonstrated. This form of test, which permits manipulation of different ...
The aim of the present investigation was to study the effect of weather and available protection on the behaviour of outdoor-wintered beef cattle (Bos taurus). A herd of 78-85 cattle head was studied during four winter months in the Southwest of Sweden. Protection was offered by coniferous forest situated on and around the 12ha pasture, which we divided into protection categories. During 240h we observed 10 cows and 10 heifers as focal animals (each 3h/month) during day time and adjusted observation times to the altitude of the sun. Close to the animals and at an unprotected spot of the pasture we measured temperature, wind speed and solar radiation and combined these variables to a single measure called Wind Chill Temperature (WCT). During observations the animals were in the forest in 12...
Therapeutic effect of p-aminobenzoic acid-N-xyloside Na (K-247) were studied. Eleven patients with a variety of solid tumors were treated with K-247 alone. K-247 was given orally 800 mg daily for 4 weeks. As for side effect of the drug, only mild gastritis was observed in a few patients. Partial response (over 25% reduction of tumor size) with a median duration of two months was observed in 3 patients. These cases were metastatic tumor of lung from the carcinoma of thyroid, metastatic tumors of lung from the carcinoma of kidney, and mediastinal tumor. In eight patients the response was classified as no change and in one patient there was progressive disease. Thus K-247 has some therapeutic activity in patients with solid tumor. Combination therapy of irradiation and administration of K-247 were also studied. In the twelve patients receiving the combination therapy, partial response was ...
A graphic approach, terms a Genetic Activity Profile (GAP), was developed to display a matrix of data on the genetic and related effects of selected chemical agents. The profiles provide a visual overview of the quantitative (doses) and qualitative (test results) data for each chemical. Either the lowest effective dose or highest ineffective dose is recorded for each agent and bioassay. Up to 200 different test systems are represented across the GAP. Bioassay systems are organized according to the phylogeny of the test organisms and the end points of genetic activity. The methodology for producing and evaluating genetic activity profile was developed in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Data on individual chemicals were compiles by IARC and by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Data are available on 343 compounds selected from volumes 1-53 of the IARC ...
In this paper, a new design methodology for determining the size, location, type and number of capacitors to be placed on a radial distribution system is presented. The objective is to minimize the peak power losses and the energy losses in the distribution system considering the capacitor cost. A sensitivity analysis based method is used to select the candidate locations for the capacitors. A new optimization method using a Genetic Algorithm is proposed to determine the optimal selection of capacitors. Test results have been presented along with the discussion of the algorithm.
A 13.1-kb DNA fragment carrying Pseudomonas denitrificans cob genes has been sequenced. The nucleotide sequence and genetic analysis revealed that this fragment contained five different cob genes named...Full Text Available
We have used triparental matings to demonstrate transfer (mobilization) of the nonconjugative genetically engineered plasmid pHSV106, which contains the thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus...Full Text Available
These three volumes cover liposome technology in pharmacology and medicine. Contributors emphasize methodology used in their own laboratories, and include a brief introduction, coverage of relevant literature, applications and critical evaluations for the methods they describe. Volume II presents procedures for the entrapment of a number of drugs, including genetic material, into selected types of liposomes.
Newly hatched chicks were dosed orally with a Salmonella typhimurium wild-type strain, an S. enteritidis wild-type strain, and a genetically defined S. enteritidis aroA vaccine candidate, strain CVL30....Full Text Available
It is the purpose of this review to draw together the recent research adding to our understanding of the molecular nature of Clostridia. The thrust here is to emphasize those research advances in biochemistry and genetics that bear upon future development of fermentation processes employing the Clostridia. 222 refs., 10 figs., 5 tabs.
The possible genetic (dominant lethal mutations (DLM) and cytogenetic changes in the regenerating liver) and somatic (hematopoietic stem cell changes, growth and nonspecific life time shortening) effects in mice maintained on tritiated water (HTO) over two generations was investigated. Results to date are summarized. (ACR)
Constructive and combinatorial relationships between order-isomorphisms and order-equivalence classes within the generalized genetic code are presented, not only for the biologically relevant groups of order 4, but also for finite groups of arbitrary order. The main result is the derivation of the number (and types) or order-equivalence classes for a group of order n. Finally, an extension of this work to all biologically admissible alternative codes is discussed.
The risks from radiation exposure during radiological diagnosis has usually been estimated in relation to genetic changes. Relevant information has been expressed as the genetically significant dose. In this paper we attempt to produce an analogous measure for evaluating the somatic risk in the form of a somatically significant dose index for radiological and CT examinations. It is shown that, for both types of examination, the two risk factors may be entirely different.
The risks from radiation exposure during radiological diagnosis has usually been estimated in relation to genetic changes. Relevant information has been expressed as the genetically significant dose. In this paper we attempt to produce an analogous measure for evaluating the somatic risk in the form of a somatically significant dose index for radiological and CT examinations. It is shown that, for both types of examination, the two risk factors may be entirely different. (orig.).
Late somatic and genetic radiation effects are imperfectly understood, particularly in the human species. However the available information is sufficient to draw reasonably precise risk estimates in man for many types of damage by means of scientifically justifiable procedures and with the necessary caution. This overall absolute risk of major somatic and genetic damage may be set at around 10"-"4/rad of chronic whole-body doses.
Transcriptional silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae occurs at several genetic loci, including the ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Silencing at telomeres (telomere position effect [TPE])...Full Text Available
Twenty-two landrace-derived inbred lines from the Spanish Barley Core Collection (SBCC) were found to display high levels of resistance to a panel of 27 isolates of the fungus Blumeria graminis that exhibit a wide variety of virulences. Among these lines, SBCC145 showed high overall resistance and a distinctive spectrum of resistance compared with the other lines. Against this background, the main goal of the present work was to investigate the genetic basis underlying such resistance using a doubled haploid population derived from a cross between SBCC145 and the elite spring cultivar Beatrix. The population was genotyped with the 1,536-SNP Illumina GoldenGate Oligonucleotide Pool Assay (Barley OPA-1 or BOPA1 for short), whereas phenotypic analysis was performed using two B. graminis isolates. A major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for resistance to both isolates was identified on the long arm of chromosome 6H (6HL) and accounted for ca. 60% of the phenotypic ...
Late plagiogranite bodies in the Semail ophiolite have been previously suggested to represent late stage fractionates within an episodic spreading center magma chamber or the roots of seamount chains. Field and lab observations suggest that these late silicic magma chambers represent zones of repeated injection by dikes of intermediate to mafic composition. Multiple generations of intrusion, partial resorption and reintrusion are preserved in the plagiogranite as 1) relict phantom xenoliths, 2) angular xenoliths with quartz-rich margins, 3) deformed fine-grained dikes with distinct chilled margins, and 4) planes of rectangular blocks with cuspate margins or ellipsoids of similar fine grained mafic materials. The blocks and ellipsoids are actually dismembered mafic dikes that chilled by intruding a cooler silicic liquid and were either thermally fractured or pinched out. All of the dikes are hydrothermally altered to assemblages including amph., qtz., epi., preh., ...
The occurrence of hybrid incompatibilities forms an important stage during the evolution of reproductive isolation. In early stages of speciation, males and females often respond differently to hybridization. Haldane's rule states that the heterogametic sex suffers more from hybridization than the homogametic sex. Although haplodiploid reproduction (haploid males, diploid females) does not involve sex chromosomes, sex-specific incompatibilities are predicted to be prevalent in haplodiploid species. Here, we evaluate the effect of sex/ploidy level on hybrid incompatibilities and locate genomic regions that cause increased mortality rates in hybrid males of the haplodiploid wasps Nasonia vitripennis and Nasonia longicornis. Our data show that diploid F(1) hybrid females suffer less from hybridization than haploid F(2) hybrid males. The latter not only suffer from an increased mortality rate, but also from behavioural and spermatogenic sterility. Genetic mapping in ...
In the design of LWRs, the forecast of critical heat flux (CHF) is important. The existing CHF correlation equations include the arbitrary constants based on experimental data, therefore, their range of application is limited. For advancing the research and development of high conversion LWRs or passive safety reactors, the development of more general CHF forecasting technique has been demanded. In order to elucidate the mechanism of CHF occurrence and construct the general forecasting model based on physical phenomena, the detailed observation of flow phenomena near a heat generation surface is indispensable. The experiment of observing boiling two-phase flow and CHF phenomena by applying neutron radiography technique was carried out. The utilization of neutron radiography in the field of heat-transferring flow is explained. The experimental setup and the experimental method, the experimental conditions, and the results of the ...
Validity of fern spore germination bioassays for the effects of environmental pollution was established by many researchers. Some workers studied the phytotoxicity of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) on the spores of Diplazium esculentum and observed that LAS levels above 0.001% are toxic to fern spores. Water pollution due to synthetic detergents has been increasing continuously during the last few years due to their extensive use in domestic life, agriculture and industry. These detergents are among the most common pollutants responsible for water pollution. In view of this fact, the phytotoxicity of LAS on germination of an aquatic fern Ceratopteris thalictroides spores was studied. However, in these studies, only germination pattern was taken as index and no observations were made on the developmental stages.
Bioremediation technology is being evaluated for use on the Kwajalein Atoll, which is located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The study was undertaken by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on behalf of the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA). During February of 1991, a team from ORNL and The University of Tennessee (UT) visited the USAKA. In addition to making on-site observations regarding microbial abundance and distribution of petroleum contaminants, they brought back to Oak Ridge various soil and water samples for detailed analyses. This report documents the biological studies of these samples and presents observations made during the period from February to April of 1991 by investigators at ORNL, UT, and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
Although experimental results so far agree with predictions of the standard model, it is widely felt to be incomplete. Many prospective theories beyond the standard model predict extra neutral gauge bosons, denoted by Z', which might be light enough to be accessible at the LHC. Observables sensitive to the properties of these extra gauge bosons might be used to discriminate between the different theories beyond the standard model. In the present work several of these observables (total decay width, leptonic cross-section and forward-backward asymmetries) are studied at generation level and with a full simulation in the ATLAS detector. The Z' {yields} e{sup +}e{sup -} decay channel was chosen and 2 values for the mass of Z': 1.5 TeV and 4 TeV. Background is studied as well and it is confirmed that a Z' boson could easily be discovered at the chosen masses. It is shown ...
Neutron radiography is a non-destructive test method to examine a material by using the dependency of neutron attenuation on the nuclear characteristics of the atoms composing the object material. There are two categories of neutron radiography; static neutron radiography and dynamic neutron radiography. The static neutron radiography is a technique to observe a standing object by using a camera or a film cassette. The dynamic neutron radiography(DNR) is a technique to observe a moving object usually by using a camera. Depending on the camera frame rate, the dynamic neutron radiography is categorized into the real time neutron radiography(RTNR) and the high speed neutron radiography(HSNR). The frame rate for RTNR is 30 frames/s and that for HSNR is usually more that 500 frames/sec. Thus, RTNR is good for observing time-averaged phenomena and HSNR is good for observing instantaneous phenomena. DNR is a ...
Neutron radiography is a non-destructive test method to examine a material by using the dependency of neutron attenuation on the nuclear characteristics of the atoms composing the object material. There are two categories of neutron radiography; static neutron radiography and dynamic neutron radiography. The static neutron radiography is a technique to observe a standing object by using a camera or a film cassette. The dynamic neutron radiography(DNR) is a technique to observe a moving object usually by using a camera. Depending on the camera frame rate, the dynamic neutron radiography is categorized into the real time neutron radiography(RTNR) and the high speed neutron radiography(HSNR). The frame rate for RTNR is 30 frames/s and that for HSNR is usually more that 500 frames/sec. Thus, RTNR is good for observing time-averaged phenomena and HSNR is good for observing instantaneous phenomena. DNR is a ...
A study is made of the mechanical properties of vanadium irradiated with fast neutrons up to dose 8.6.10"-"4 dpa, as a function of the temperature of post-radiation annealing. The radiation-annealing hardening (RAH) effect is observed at 300"oC, in agreement with previous studies. It is established for the first time that RAH is accompanied by fall in ductility. A phenomenological model is described which explains the dependence of RAH on radiation dose and temperature, as well as on the content of chemically active alloying impurities. (author).
Mechanical properties of vanadium, irradiated with fast neutrons up to 8.6x10"-"4 dpa depending on postirradiation annealing temperature, are studied. It is shown that radiation-annealing hardening (RAH) is observed at 300 deg C, which agrees with earlier performed studies. It is first stated that RAH is accompanied by plasticity decrease. Phenomenological model permitting to explain RAH dependence on irradiation temperature and dose and also on content of chemically active alloying impurities is suggested.
Much of the material presented in this book derived originally from the series ''Physical Processes in Gaseous Nebulae'' initiated at the Harvard College Observatory in the 1930's. The subject of gaseous nebulae, which offers opportunities for studies of stellar evolution, should be of interest to atomic physicists, spectroscopists, plasma experts, and to observers and theoreticians alike for the study of attenuated ionized gases.
AOT reverse micelles are used to cosolubilize hydrophilic and hydrophobic reactants of lipase catalysed esterification. Depending on the nature of the alcohol, a drastic change of the initial rate of the esterification is observed. A structural study of the micellar system with and without reactant is undertaken to explain the change in the activity with the various alcohols. PMID:7832997
Dose-dependent behavior of the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) decay from NaCl has been studied experimentally using only one aliquot irradiated with a range of 2-200 Gy {beta}-radiation doses. It was observed that the maximum IRSL intensity has not changed by an increase in dose though the total intensity increased as expected. Considering the possible implications of our findings for dosimeter, the results were compared with the other studies and discussed.
The biological activity of coir fibre, coir ash and their components were investigated in vitro by measuring the haemolytic activity and macrophage cytotoxicity. In vivo studies carried out by injecting guinea pigs intratracheally with coir fibres resulted in resolving granulomas. The observed haemolytic activity and macrophage cytotoxicity was more marked with coir ash compared with coir fibres. Chemical analysis of coir ash revealed the presence of toxic chemical constituents in appreciable amounts. PMID:6283694
This study had two objectives: (1) To enhance the fundamental understanding of observed differences in the short contact time, donor solvent liquefaction of bituminous and subbituminous coals. (2) To determine if physical refining of subbituminous coals could be used to give a better feedstock for the first stage of two-stage liquefaction processes. Liquefaction studies using microautoclaves were carried out. Results are discussed. 11 refs., 25 figs., 29 tabs.
We have studied in detail the transient enhanced diffusion observed during furnace or rapid-thermal-annealing of ion-implanted Si. We show that the effect originates in the trapping of Si atoms by dopant atoms during implantation, which are retained during solid-phase-epitaxial (SPE) growth but released by subsequent annealing to cause a transient dopant precipitation or profile broadening. The interstitials condense to form a band of dislocation loops located at the peak of the dopant profile, which may be distinct from the band formed at the original amorphous/crystalline interface. The band can develop into a network and effectively getter the dopant. We discuss the conditions under which the various effects may or may not be observed, and discuss conflicting observations on As"+ implanted Si.
The authors have studied in detail the transient enhanced diffusion observed during furnace or rapid-thermal-annealing of ion-implanted Si. The authors show that the effect originates in the trapping of Si atoms by dopant atoms during implantation, which are retained during solid-phase epitaxial (SPE) growth but released by subsequent annealing to cause a transient dopant precipitation or profile broadening. The interstitials condense to form a band of dislocation loops located at the peak of the dopant profile, which may be distinct from the band formed at the original amorphous/crystalline interface. The band can develop into a network and effectively getter the dopant. They discuss the conditions under which the various effects may or may not be observed, and discuss preliminary observations on As/sup +/ implanted Si. 12 references, 12 figures.
We have studied in detail the transient enhanced diffusion observed during furnace or rapid-thermal-annealing of ion-implanted Si. We show that the effect originates in the trapping of Si atoms by dopant atoms during implantation, which are retained during solid-phase-epitaxial (SPE) growth but released by subsequent annealing to cause a transient dopant precipitation or profile broadening. The interstitials condense to form a band of dislocation loops located at the peak of the dopant profile, which may be distinct from the band formed at the original amorphous/crystalline interface. The band can develop into a network and effectively getter the dopant. We discuss the conditions under which the various effects may or may not be observed, and discuss conflicting observations on As/sup +/ implanted Si.
The authors have studied in detail the transient enhanced diffusion observed during furnace or rapid-thermal-annealing of ion-implanted Si. The authors show that the effect originates in the trapping of Si atoms by dopant atoms during implantation, which are retained during solid-phase epitaxial (SPE) growth but released by subsequent annealing to cause a transient dopant precipitation or profile broadening. The interstitials condense to form a band of dislocation loops located at the peak of the dopant profile, which may be distinct from the band formed at the original amorphous/crystalline interface. The band can develop into a network and effectively getter the dopant. They discuss the conditions under which the various effects may or may not be observed, and discuss preliminary observations on As"+ implanted Si. 12 references, 12 figures.
We study the temporal evolution of coronal loops using data from the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) on board of GOES-12. This instrument allows us to follow in detail the full lifetime of coronal loops. The observed light curves suggest three somewhat distinct evolutionary phases: rise, main, and decay. The durations and characteristic timescales of these phases are much longer than a cooling time and indicate that the loop-averaged heating rate increases slowly, reaches a maintenance level, and then decreases slowly. This suggests that a single heating mechanism operates for the entire lifetime of the loop. For monolithic loops, the loop-averaged heating rate is the intrinsic energy release rate of the heating mechanism. For loops that are bundles of impulsively heated strands, it is an indication of the frequency of occurrence of individual heating events, or nanoflares. We show that the timescale of the loop-averaged heating rate is proportional ...
Strong coupled organic-inorganic microcavities device has been realized and studied. One of the two cavities contains an organic thin film of tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin, whereas the other microcavity is a dielectric structure coupled to the organic one by means of a LiF/ZnS Bragg mirror. Reflectivity spectra show the presence of two well defined cavity dips. We observe an energy splitting of the two cavity-modes. Despite only one cavity contains the active layer, the photoluminescence spectra display two peaks at the same energy of the reflectivity dips. These observations indicate the strong coupling of the two cavities. The comparison of the diagonalized effective Hamiltonian with the observed resonances further confirms the strong coupling.
The piano repertoire preparation of three undergraduate students at three different academic levels - the first, fifth and eighth semesters - was followed during an academic semester. A phenomenological approach was used to collect data in three stages: an introductory interview, observations of the repertoire under preparation and a final observation of the student's recall about his/her study process. In these steps, four complementary research techniques were employed: a semi-structured interview, observation of video recordings of repertoire performances, an unstructured interview about the repertoire under preparation and a recall-stimulated interview in which the student reflected on audio and video recordings of his/her performance. Data were analysed from an Aristotelian perspectiv...
High-level expression of mitotic arrest defective protein 2 (MAD2), a central component of the spindle assembly checkpoint, has been observed in a variety of human malignancies. Aim of the present study was to observe the expression of MAD2 in human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and explore its clinicopathologic significance and evaluate MAD2 expression as a prognostic marker. MAD2 transcript was found to be overexpressed in the great majority of lung cancers by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. A total of 358 NSCLCs were analyzed immunohistochemically on tissue microarrays. High-level MAD2 expression was observed in 26.3% (94 of 358 cases), and correlated with male sex (P=0.0002), tumor progression (pT status) (P=0.0009), visceral or parietal pleural invasion (P=0.0151), non-adenocarcinoma, ...
Upon irradiation of aqueous ethylene glycol/water solutions of native chloroperoxidase (CPO) with {sup 60}Co-gamma rays at 77K one observes the one-electron reduction of the enzyme active site by radiolytically generated thermolyzed electrons. In the present study the first absorption spectrum of a low-spin ferrous form of CPO is reported which has peaks at 438, 532 and 563 nm, similar to those observed previously for cytochrome P-450. All previously described ferrous forms of CPO are high spin. In order to observe the final results of the CPO reaction with electrons, the spectral changes of native enzyme after room temperature-gamma-irradiation have also been investigated. Evidence of changes is also presented probably connected with disruption of the tertiary structure of enzyme, correlated with decrease of enzyme activity.
Upon irradiation of aqueous ethylene glycol/water solutions of native chloroperoxidase (CPO) with "6"0Co-gamma rays at 77K one observes the one-electron reduction of the enzyme active site by radiolytically generated thermolyzed electrons. In the present study the first absorption spectrum of a low-spin ferrous form of CPO is reported which has peaks at 438, 532 and 563 nm, similar to those observed previously for cytochrome P-450. All previously described ferrous forms of CPO are high spin. In order to observe the final results of the CPO reaction with electrons, the spectral changes of native enzyme after room temperature-gamma-irradiation have also been investigated. Evidence of changes is also presented probably connected with disruption of the tertiary structure of enzyme, correlated with decrease of enzyme activity.
We present a systematic study of the magnetization, Hall effect and specific heat on single crystals of Mn{sub 4}Si{sub 7}. Curie-Weiss law is observed above 43 K. At low-temperature moments order in an anisotropic helical state and are aligned above 1 T. We observe an anomalous Hall effect in both {rho}{sub H} vs. B and in R{sub H} vs. T curves and a field dependence of the low T specific heat due to spin fluctuations. The magnetic moments (p{sub eff} and p{sub sat}) are the lowest reported for similar itinerant magnetic systems, this suggests that Mn{sub 4}Si{sub 7} is a good candidate to observe critical quantum fluctuations expected for a marginal Fermi liquid.
Fischer-344 rats were exposed to quartz dusts and to quartz-bearing oil shale dusts in long-term inhalation studies. Aerosol concentrations of 12 mg/m/sup 3/ and 152-176 mg/m/sup 3/ for quartz and shale dusts, respectively, were used in exposure regimens lasting up to two years. Pulmonary fibrosis was observed in most animals surviving beyond 400 days. Adenocarcinomas and epidermoid carcinomas of the lung were observed in animals from all exposure groups, including those exposed to quartz alone. The pulmonary tumors were a late effect, with the earliest lung tumor being observed after 651 days. 13 references, 10 figures, 4 tables.
This paper studies the effect upon the thermoluminescence (TL) signal of four feldspar samples of exposing them to infrared stimulation, as occurs during infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) measurement. Together with pulse annealing measurements these results are used to show which part of the TL signal is removed by exposure to IR and which part is directly related to the IRSL signal that is observed. When the samples are preheated prior to measurement in order to remove any low-temperature (< 200"oC) TL signals, a linear relationship is observed between the amount of TL that is lost and the IRSL light sum that is produced. The IRSL light sum is consistently four times larger than the amount of TL that is lost. Three possible explanations are proposed for this, but no conclusive evidence could be obtained to support any of them. A close similarity is observed in the pulse annealing results and ...
The authors have studied (Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1{minus}x}){sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P doped with tellurium using deep level transient spectroscopy and associated electrical measurements. Several defect states are observed in the upper half of the band gap, that are believed to be intrinsic to the alloy system as well as related to the tellurium donors. Defects observed at measurement temperatures above 390 K exhibit a hysteretic behavior. The observed spectra depend on the biasing conditions applied to the Schottky diode during cooling. The hysteretic behavior suggests the existence of different defect configurations, which can be accessed under conditions of high temperatures and electrical stress, but remain stable below 300 K.
The authors have studied (Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1{minus}x}){sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P doped with tellurium using deep level transient spectroscopy and associated electrical measurements. Several defect states are observed in the upper half of the band gap, that are believed to be intrinsic to the alloy system as well as related to the tellurium donors. Defects observed at measurement temperatures above 390 K exhibit a hysteretic behavior. The observed spectra depend on the biasing conditions applied to the Schottky diode during cooling. The hysteretic behavior suggests the existence of different defect configurations, which can be accessed under conditions of high temperatures and electrical stress, but remain stable below 300 K.
New photometric observations of the variable star FG Sge, a rapidly evolving planetary nebula nucleus, were performed in 2003?2008. On 230 nights, we obtained 86 UBV and 155 BV RI (or R c , I c ) magnitude estimates. The maximum amplitude of the V-band light variations was >8 m . Six deep minima and four high maxima were observed. Analysis of the light curve has shown that the pulsation period of the star remained constant since 1991 and was P = 115 days. We have studied the wavelength dependence of the extinction at various phases of the light curve. The blueing of the B-V color at deep minima is interpreted as the result of light scattering in the circumstellar dust shell of the star formed by preceding dust ejections since 1992. Our spectroscopic observations performed on nine nights in...
Gravitational lensing distorts the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization fields and encodes valuable information on distances and growth rates at intermediate redshifts into the lensed power spectra. The non-Gaussian bandpower covariance induced by the lenses is negligible to l=2000 for all but the B polarization field where it increases the net variance by up to a factor of 10 and favors an observing strategy with 3 times more area than if it were Gaussian. To quantify the cosmological information, we introduce two lensing observables, characterizing nearly all of the information, which simplify the study of non-Gaussian impact, parameter degeneracies, dark energy models, and complementarity with other cosmological probes. Information on the intermediate redshift parameters rapidly becomes limited by constraints on the cold dark matter density and initial amplitude of fluctuations as ...
The Formula Not Shown system of Formula Not Shown was first observed in auroral emissions by Meinel in 1950. Although the Formula Not Shown band system has been reinvestigated since this first spectral study, no laboratory spectrum of the (2,1) vibronic band has been obtained. We have recently built a continuous-wave cavity ringdown spectrometer, and as a first test of this spectrometer we observed the (2,1) band of Formula Not Shown in a positive column discharge cell. Many lines of the first positive band system of Formula Not Shown were also identified during the process of assigning this spectrum. The relative intensities of the Formula Not Shown and Formula Not Shown bands were found to change with discharge cell pressure, and so each spectral region was observed at two pressures to a...
The extent measurement error on CT colonography influences polyp categorisation according to established management guidelines is studied using twenty-eight observers of varying experience to classify polyps seen at CT colonography as either 'medium' (maximal diameter 6-9 mm) or 'large' (maximal diameter 10 mm or larger). Comparison was then made with the reference diameter obtained in each patient via colonoscopy. The Bland-Altman method was used to assess agreement between observer measurements and colonoscopy, and differences in measurement and categorisation was assessed using Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-squared test statistics respectively. Observer measurements on average underestimated the diameter of polyps when compared to the reference value, by approximately 2-3 mm, irrespective of observer experience. Ninety-five percent limits of agreement ...
The NA50 Collaboration has recently observed a strong suppression of {ital J}/{psi} production in Pb-Pb collisions at 158GeV/nucleon. We show that this recent observation finds a quantitative explanation in a model which relates the suppression mechanism to the local energy density, whose value is higher in Pb-Pb collisions than in any other system studied previously. The sensitivity of the phenomenon to small changes in the energy density could be suggestive of quark-gluon plasma formation. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of radiation damage in fused silica. In this study, we discuss the role of successive cascade overlap on the saturation and self-healing of oxygen vacancy defects in the amorphous fused silica network. Furthermore, we present findings on the topological changes in fused silica due to repeated energetic recoil atoms. These topological network modifications consistent with experimental Raman spectroscopic observation on neutron and ion irradiated fused silica are indicators of permanent densification that has also been observed experimentally.
A survey is presented of the consequences of the irradiation of the population with ionizing radiation. There is an increased incidence of leukemia in irradiated population groups. Among the inhabitants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki maximum death of leukemia was observed in the years 1951 to 1952. The results are summed up of the observation of carcinoma of the breast, lungs and bronchi, bones, and carcinoma of the thyroid. The effect of radiation on experimental animals is described. It was found that the scatter of the dependence of the incidence of various types of cancer on the dose equivalent apparently reflects differences in the biological mechanism of this incidence and that a proportional relationship cannot be expected between the primary damage of cells during irradiation and the actual manifestation of the disease. (E.S.).
The processes psi'-->p pbar pi^0 and psi'-->p pbar eta are studied using a sample of 14 million psi' decays collected with the Beijing Spectrometer at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider. The branching fraction of psi'-->p pbar pi^0 is measured with improved precision as (13.2\\pm 1.0\\pm 1.5)\\times 10^{-5}, and psi'-->p pbar eta is observed for the first time with a branching fraction of (5.8\\pm 1.1\\pm 0.7)\\times 10^{-5}, where the first errors are statistical and the second ones are systematic.
Doubly-excited 2s{sup -1}2p{sup -1}3pnp autoionizing resonance series of Ne atom as well as autoionizing resonances in the 2s region of Na and Mg atoms have been studied with monochromatized synchrotron radiation. Use of charge-separated photoion-yield method allowed us to detect these weak resonances in a clarified way in the yield curves of doubly-charged ions. The observed resonance states have been interpreted with the help of MCDF calculations, and the decay processes of these resonance states are discussed briefly.
Doubly-excited 2s-12p-13pnp autoionizing resonance series of Ne atom as well as autoionizing resonances in the 2s region of Na and Mg atoms have been studied with monochromatized synchrotron radiation. Use of charge-separated photoion-yield method allowed us to detect these weak resonances in a clarified way in the yield curves of doubly-charged ions. The observed resonance states have been interpreted with the help of MCDF calculations, and the decay processes of these resonance states are discussed briefly.
Magnetic fluctuations present in the paramagnetic Mn{sub 0.81}Ni{sub 0.19} system have been investigated by measuring inelastic magnetic neutron scattering from a single crystal at temperatures of 450, 585 and 700 K. Antiferromagnetic correlations are observed to be present at all the temperatures studied. The spectral width of the magnetic scattering has been observed to increase with temperature, while the spatial range of the magnetic correlations is seen to decrease as the temperature is raised. The wave-vector-dependent susceptibility is found to follow a Curie-Weiss law near the (1 0 0) position, in agreement with theoretical predictions.
The aim of this study was to investigate the photodegradation of the antiemetic drug metoclopramide. Metoclopramide aqueous solutions were photoirradiated at 254nm under argon atmosphere. Irradiated metoclopramide solutions were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry in order to characterize photolysis products. Rapid decrease in metoclopramide purity, following first-order kinetic, was observed following irradiation. The structures of 18 photolysis products were tentatively identified based on their mass spectra and fragmentation. The main degradation mechanism was scission of the chlorine which could be followed by polymerization of the resulting products since dimeric and trimeric products were observed.
The in-situ observation of dendritic growth in lithium/polymer electrolyte-LiTFSI/lithium battery cells shows that dendrites grow up with about the same rate as anion migration. Memory effects have been evidenced in cycling experiments and limit the dendrites length. An overall movement of the electrolyte due to variations of electrolyte concentration in the vicinity of the electrodes has been observed too. (J.S.) 13 refs.
The electron-capture processes of highly stripped ions of Fq+ (q=6,7,8) and Neq+ (q=7,8,9) in collisions with He atom were investigated using the energy-gain spectroscopy technique. A single dominant peak is observed in most of the energy-gain spectra except for the Ne7+ and Ne9+ spectra, in which two peaks are observed corresponding to the one-electron capture process into levels with different principal quantum number n.
In this paper, the analysis of carbonate depositional systems, using high resolution sequence stratigraphy, studies the ratio between change in accommodation space and skeletal carbonate production. This approach establishes the concurrent change in nature of facies belts (expansion, retraction and type) and fossil communities, within the detailed time frame in accommodation. Carbonate production is generally considered to be a fairly simple function of environmental conditions such as climate and water depth. However, data from several case studies also show a covariance between change in stratigraphic architecture of carbonate systems (the seaward or landward stepping stacking patterns of stratigraphic units) and charge in facies. Case studies include Carboniferous algal mound development in the Paradox Basin (USA), Devonian stromatoporoid reef development in Alberta (Canada), and Cenomanian rudistid shoal development in ...
Investigations and studies are conducted seeking for a CO2 fixation method improved by utilizing the photosynthesizing function of higher vegetation. Details of higher vegetation genes are being disclosed thanks to the rapid progress of studies making use of molecular biological techniques, and the application of the genetic mechanism to scientific and technological fields is becoming increasingly feasible. In particular, the role of the CO2 fixation enzyme RuBisCO has been elucidated almost completely. It has been learned that, in terms of photosynthesizing capability, the C{sub 4} plants (corn etc.) are 2-3 times higher than the C{sub 3} plants (rice, wheat, etc.), and 5-10 times higher than the CAM plants (cactuses etc.). Studies are also under way about the rice genome so that a photosynthesizing capability so high as that of the C{sub 4} plants may be endowed the rice plant. The metabolism and ...
In virtually all forms of life on earth, proteins in each cell are made according to a genetic blueprint, in the form of DNA. The translation of copies of this genetic blueprint (in the form of messenger RNA) into polypeptides is performed on the ribosome, a highly complex molecular machine composed of RNAs and proteins. To this end, special adaptor molecules called transfer RNAs are lined up by the ribosome in the sequence dictated by the genetic code, such that the amino acids carried by these molecules can be linked into a polypeptide. Several cofactors are involved in these processes, some of which require energy freed up by GTP hydrolysis. Although the ribosome was discovered more than 50 years ago, its structure has only been solved recently by X-ray crystallography. Another technique, cryo-electron microscopy, is starting to contribute toward our understanding of the ribosome's function, by portraying its ...
On November fourth and fifth 2010 a group of more than 100 international investigators gathered in Atlanta for the second Osteoarthritis (OA) Biomarkers Global Initiative workshop titled ''Genetics and Genomics: New Targets in OA''. The first workshop took place in April 2009 and focused on in vitro (soluble) biomarkers whilst the third and final workshop will take place in 2012 and will focus on imaging biomarkers. The OA Research Society International (OARSI) has organized the workshops. In addition to OARSI, the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the Arthritis Foundation, Amgen, Genzyme, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and Pfizer sponsored the second meeting. It was clear from this meeting that experiments in the genetics, epigenetic...
Abstract Aim- To explore whether the subspecific genetic entities of Acacia saligna occupy different bioclimatic niches in their native and introduced ranges and whether these niches are predictable using species distribution models (SDMs). Location- Australia, South Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. Methods- Species distribution models were developed in MAXENT using six climatic variables to calculate the climatic suitability of the ranges of A.saligna. We assessed (1) the subspecific niche differences identified by SDMs using measures of niche overlap and model performance; (2) the ability of SDMs to predict the most likely subspecific genetic entities present in South Africa based on comparisons to genetic data; and (3) the ability of SDMs to predict the most likely subspecific geneti...
Monocelis lineata is a complex of cryptic species (three in the Mediterranean and one in the Atlantic) widespread in midlittoral habitats. Throughout the range, populations with or without an ocular pigmented shield are found. We investigated the genetic structure of the North-East Atlantic populations with the aim of shedding light on their phylogeography and reconstructing possible patterns of recolonization after the Wrmian glaciation. Fourteen samples were investigated using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 13 by inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). COI did not exhibit a clear pattern of decreased genetic diversity along a latitudinal gradient. Populations from Ferrol (Spain), Doolin (Ireland), and Helsingr (Denmark) showed a higher genetic variability, whereas a reduction in...
The Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (2004) of the Convention on Biological Diversity established a mandate for the negotiation of an international regime on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing arising from their utilization. Negotiations have been proceeding and have entered the final phase. Seven working group meetings have been held to date and there is expectation that an instrument will emerge by the final deadline - the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010. A key component singled out for inclusion in the international regime relates to the recognition and protection of the rights of indigenous and local communities (ILCs) over their traditional knowledge (TK) associated with genetic resources. The Ninth Meeting o...
Occurrence of genetic variants during micropropagation is occasionally encountered when the cultures are maintained in vitro for long period. Therefore, the micropropagated multiple shoots of Vanilla planifolia Andrews developed from axillary bud explants established 10 years ago were used to determine somaclonal variation using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and intersimple sequence repeats markers (ISSR). One thousand micro-plants were established in soil of which 95 plantlets (consisting of four phenotypes) along with the mother plant were subjected to genetic analyses using RAPD and ISSR markers. Out of the 45 RAPD and 20 ISSR primers screened, 30 RAPD and 7 ISSR primers showed 317 clear, distinct and reproducible band classes resulting in a total of 30 115 bands. However, no ...
Obesity is associated with increased susceptibility to dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension, a combination of traits that comprise the traditional definition of the metabolic syndrome. Recent evidence suggests that obesity is also associated with the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Despite the high prevalence of obesity and its related conditions, their etiologies and pathophysiology remains unknown. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of obesity and NAFLD. Previous genetic analysis of high-fat, diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6J (B6) and A/J male mice using a panel of B6-ChrA/J/NaJ chromosome substitution strains (CSSs) demonstrated that 17 CSSs conferred resistance to high-fat, diet-induced obesity. One of these CSS st...
Plant secondary chemistry is determined by both genetic and environmental factors, and while large intraspecific variation in secondary chemistry has been reported frequently, the levels of genetic variation of many secondary metabolites in forest trees in the context of potential resistance against pests have been rarely investigated. We examined the effect of tree genotype and environment/site on the variation in defensive secondary chemistry of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta var. latifolia, against the fungus, Grosmannia clavigera (formerly known as Ophiostoma clavigerum), associated with the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae. Terpenoids were analyzed in phloem samples from 887, 20-yr-old trees originating from 45 half-sibling families planted at two sites. Samples were coll...
Three in vivo assays were used to measure the immunocompetence of chickens in two generations of a selection experiment. The obtained data were used to estimate the variance components for sire and dam for antibody production to Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccines, for T-cell-mediated immunity evaluated by a phytohemagglutinin wing web assay, and for clearance of foreign particles from the circulatory system. Heritabilities of and genetic correlations among these immunological traits were calculated from the sire variance components. Heritability estimates of the immunological traits based on the sire component of variance ranged from .06 to .53, and genetic correlations among immunological traits were generally negative. PMID:1956847
The present study treats only the collective risk of ex-utero leukaemia associated with the routine releases of the nuclear industrial installations of the North Cotentin (0.0009 cases over the considered period) the uncertainty on the contribution to the collective risk of the incidents and the accidents of the nuclear installations (notably the drilling of the pipe of release in sea arisen in 1979-1980 and the fire of the waste silo on January 6. 1981, for the reprocessing plant of La Hague has not been considered. Only 45% of the risk are taken into account by the study. Every calculated value remains very inferior to the number of leukemia cases observed (4 cases observed for two expected cases) and to the risk of radioinduced leukemia any merged exposure sources, that is to say 0.84 cases. It appears thus not very probable that the nuclear installations of the North - Cotentin can explain the ...
This paper describes the development and a detailed analysis carried out on the luminescence characteristics of Pr"3"+ doped ZrF_4-BaF_2-LaF_3-YF_3-AlF_3-NaF glasses. In the present work our objectives are to elucidate the possible mechanisms that are responsible for NIR to red upconversion process and yellow to blue upconversion emission in terms of energy level schemes from the praseodymium containing fibre optical glass composition. We have studied their different physical and optical properties. Besides our investigation on the upconversion emission of these glasses, normal fluorescence studies have also been undertaken in explaining the mechanisms in demonstrating bright red and blue emissions upon excitations at visible and UV wavelengths. Besides these measurements works, a bright blue colour emission was observed under an UV source (202 nm) and upconverted prominent red emissions were observed ...
The current--density profile of a focused ion beam (FIB) has a central peak accompanied by broader ``wings`` that, while unimportant in lithographic applications, can lead to unwanted effects during an implantation operation. The origin of the wings, and hence the best way to minimize them, is not clear and needs further study. We have measured the line profiles of several of the ions available in our FIB machine as a function of a number of variables, under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. No effects are observed from changes in emission current or deliberate defocusing of the objective lens. There are some changes with beam aperture and/or current, but the biggest differences seem to be associated with a change of source type and hence, possibly, with a change in the source/extractor configuration or in the alloy and the emission process. The wing amplitudes are appreciably lower than many previously observed, and their ...
The current--density profile of a focused ion beam (FIB) has a central peak accompanied by broader ''wings'' that, while unimportant in lithographic applications, can lead to unwanted effects during an implantation operation. The origin of the wings, and hence the best way to minimize them, is not clear and needs further study. We have measured the line profiles of several of the ions available in our FIB machine as a function of a number of variables, under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. No effects are observed from changes in emission current or deliberate defocusing of the objective lens. There are some changes with beam aperture and/or current, but the biggest differences seem to be associated with a change of source type and hence, possibly, with a change in the source/extractor configuration or in the alloy and the emission process. The wing amplitudes are appreciably lower than many previously observed, and their ...
A first-principles task-based approach to the design of medical ultrasonic imaging systems for breast lesion discrimination is described. This study explores a new approximation to the ideal Bayesian observer strategy that allows for object heterogeneity. The new method, called iterative Wiener filtering, is implemented using echo data simulations and a phantom study. We studied five lesion features closely associated with visual discrimination for clinical diagnosis. A series of human observer measurements for the same image data allowed us to quantitatively compare alternative beamforming strategies through measurements of visual discrimination efficiency. Employing the Smith-Wagner model observer, we were able to breakdown efficiency estimates and identify the processing stage at which performance losses occur. The methods were implemented using a commercial ...
High-spin states (I < or approx. 50(#Planck constant#/2#pi#)) of the odd-odd nucleus "1"7"0Ta have been investigated with the "1"2"4Sn("5"1V,5n) reaction. The resolving power of Gammasphere has allowed for the observation of eleven rotational bands (eight of which are new) and over 430 transitions (#approx#350 of which are new) in this nucleus. Many interband transitions have been observed such that the relative spins and excitation energies of the 11 bands have been established. This is an unusual circumstance in an odd-odd study. Configurations have been assigned to most of these bands based upon features such as alignment properties, band crossings, B(M1)/B(E2) ratios, and the additivity of Routhians. A systematic study of the frequency at which normal signature ordering occurs in the #pi#h_9_/_2#nu#i_1_3_/_2 band has been performed and it is found that its trend is opposite to that ...
AGILE pointed observations performed from July 9, 2007 to October 30, 2009 are a recent, high quality gamma-ray data archive for monitoring studies of medium to high brightness gamma-ray sources in the 30 MeV -50 GeV energy range. We present a variability study of the 1AGL sources over the complete AGILE pointed Observation Blocks (OBs) dataset. The first AGILE Gamma-Ray Imaging Detector (GRID) catalog (Pittori et al. 2009) included a significance-limited (4 sigma) sample of 47 sources (1AGL), detected with a conservative analysis over a first-year non-uniform sky coverage dataset. In this analysis we used data of an improved full Field of View (FOV) event filter, on a much larger (about 27.5 months) observation dataset, analyzing each OB separatedly. This data processing resulted in an improved source list as compared to the 1AGL one. We present here some results on the variability ...
The herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) reporter system is being used to directly and indirectly monitor therapeutic gene expression, immune cell trafficking and protein-protein interactions in various living animals. However, the issues of HSV1-TK enzyme stability in living cells and whether this reporter system is optimal for dynamic studies of gene expression events in genetic imaging have not be addressed. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the application of this reporter system in dynamic studies of transcriptional gene regulation. To achieve this purpose, we established two tetracycline-inducible murine sarcoma cell lines, tetracycline-turn-off HSV1-tk-expressing cell line (NG4TL4/tet-off-HSV1-tk) and tetracycline-turn-off Luc-expressing cell line (NG4TL4/tet-off-Luc), to create an artificially regulated gene expression model in vitro. The dynamic transcriptional ...
Kong-Ming Wu (Corresponding author) The application of recombinant DNA technology has resulted in many insect-resistant varieties by genetic engineering (GE). Crops expressing Cry toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been planted worldwide, and are an effective tool for pest control. However, one ecological concern regarding the potential effects of insect-resistant GE plants on non-target organisms (NTOs) has been continually debated. In the present study, we briefly summarize the data regarding the development and commercial use of transgenic Bt varieties, elaborate on the procedure and methods for assessing the non-target effects of insect-resistant GE plants, and synthetically analyze the related research results, mostly those published between 2005 and 2010. A mass of laboratory and field studies have shown that the currently available Bt crops have no direct detrimental effects on NTOs due to their ...
The Buntsandstein facies outcrops along a 12 km long, 150 m thick cuesta near Ayllon (Central Spain). The outcrop study is based on vertical sedimentological sections and continuous photo paneling, and demonstrates the presence of two depositional systems: an alluvial fan system in the lower half of the outcrop, and a straight and braided river system in the upper part of the outcrop. This overall evolution is probably related to base-level fall to base-level rise cycle, in which the reservoir architecture is linked to genetic units stacking pattern: during the base-level fall, the alluvial fan is prograding over sand flat and sandy alluvial plain deposits. Coarse and pebbly proximal sandsheets are interbedded with finer reddish distal deposits. Reservoirs units are laterally continuous, but silty alluvial plain deposits constitute vertical permeability barriers, during base-level stillstand, erosive channels and sandsheets are vertically ...
The sequencing and detailed comparative functional analysis of genomes of a number of select botanical models open new doors into comparative genomics among the angiosperms, with potential benefits for improvement of many orphan crops that feed large populations. In this study, a set of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was developed by mining the expressed sequence tag (EST) database of sorghum. Among the SSR-containing sequences, only those sharing considerable homology with rice genomic sequences across the lengths of the 12 rice chromosomes were selected. Thus, 600 SSR-containing sorghum EST sequences (50 homologous sequences on each of the 12 rice chromosomes) were selected, with the intention of providing coverage for corresponding homologous regions of the sorghum genome. Primer pairs were designed and polymorphism detection ability was assessed using parental pairs of two existing sorghum mapping populations. About 28% of these new markers detected ...
Previous karyotypic studies have indicated a possible series of non-random chromosomal events involved in the progression of melanoma. We sought to define a model of melanocyte tumorigenesis by studying allelic deletions of polymorphic simple tandem repeat markers mapping to chromosome 1, 6q, 7, 9p, 10, 11, 17, and 21 in thirty matched pairs of melanoma and constitutional DNAs. The most frequent and earliest deletions were found on 9p (57%) and 10q (32%) and with the exception of one case, no sample has loss of markers on another chromosome without concomitant loss of markers on 9p and/or 10q. Losses on 6q were also a frequent (32%) event that sometimes occurred in primary melanomas, whereas losses of loci on distal 1p (26%) or 11q (26%) occurred only in metastic melanomas. A background rate (0-17%) of allele loss was seen on chromosomes 7, 17, and 21. Homozygous deletions in a panel of 31 melanoma cell lines were only detected for markers on ...
Modern high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) instruments, which are capable of a point-to-point resolution of better than 0.2 nm, have allowed atomic-scale observations of a variety of internal interfaces. The application of the HREM technique to fcc model systems for the purpose of addressing a number of interface issues will be examined in this paper. Atomic structure observations for heterophase interfaces of metal/metal and metal/metal-oxide systems as well as HREM studies of grain boundaries in NiO and Au will be discussed with emphasis on generic structural features and the role of the interface plane. Comparisons between observed interface structures and atomistic computer modeling results have shown agreements for some interfaces, as well as certain differences in others. A number of structural features are common to both metal and oxide grain boundaries, as well as certain heterophase ...
Lead is known to enter substitutionally in divalent state when doped in alkali halides. When irradiated at room temperature these lead centers (Pb"+"+) act as traps for electrons knocked off from the halogen ions and become Pb"+ and Pb"0 (for large doses of irradiation). These changes could be followed in the optical absorption studies. These lead-doped crystals after X-ray irradiation yield a thermoluminescence output smaller than that observed in 'pure' crystals. However, two new glow peaks are observed in additions to those due to F-centers. In KCl : Pb and Kbr : Pb crystals part of the F-center glow preceds the new glow peaks. The new peaks are attributed to the Pb"+ and Pb"0 centers. The glow peak temperatures and trap depths for these peaks an obtained by total-curve fitting method are reported. (author).
The elastic behaviour of YBaCuO specimens has been studied by very low-frequency isothermal internal-friction measurements. A relaxation peak is observed which is attributed to oxygen atom jumps, between A(1/2 0 0) and B(0 1/2 0) sites, in the CuO planes of the orthorhombic phase. A limit relaxation time {tau}{sub 0}, 2.6 {center dot} 10{sup -15}s, and an activation energy, 1.3eV, have been obtained from the shift of the maximum damping frequency observed when the measurement temperature is changed. The proposed values for the limit relaxation time and the activation energy are in good agreement with those previously proposed in the literature.
The decay of "1"0"1Mo to levels in "1"0"1Tc has been studied using the three-parameter (#gamma#-#gamma#-t) coincidence system of HpGe-HpGe detectors. From the coincidence data, the new decay scheme was constructed. The previously reported 104.70, 105.95 and 774.15 keV #gamma# rays were observed, and have been assigned to the decay scheme for the first time. A newly observed 1508.01 keV #gamma# ray has also been assigned to the scheme for the first time. The intensities of #beta#"- and the values of log ft to most levels were calculated
Spin-polarized angle-resolved sulfur L_2_,_3VV Auger-electron spectra have been recorded for the c(2x2)S/Fe(001) system. The data show the modulation of the sulfur Auger spin polarization as a function of emission angle, which represents an observation of spin-polarized Auger-electron diffraction (SPAED), a potentially powerful tool for the study of local magnetic structure at surfaces, interfaces, and thin films. Theoretical modeling of the SPAED data indicates a large decrease in the magnetization of the top iron layer, suggesting a magnetic poisoning induced by the sulfur overlayer. These findings are independently supported by the observation of a large decrease of secondary electron spin polarization upon sulfur adsorption.
Using about $226\\times 10^6$ $\\jpsi$ events and $106\\times 10^6$ $\\psi^{\\prime}$ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII $e^+e^-$ collider, the Dalitz plot of $\\etap \\to \\eta \\pi^+ \\pi^-$ decay is studied, the direct measurement of $a^{0}_{0}(980)-f_{0}(980)$ mixing is performed, $X(2120)$ and $X(2370)$ are observed in the $\\pi^+\\pi^-\\eta^\\prime$ invariant mass spectrum, $\\psi^{\\prime}\\to\\gamma\\pi^0$ and $\\psi^{\\prime}\\to\\gamma\\eta$ are observed for the first time, and the decays $\\chi_{cJ}\\to\\gamma V$ ($V=\\phi$, $\\rho^0$, $\\omega$) are studied.
Pd-induced surface structures on Si(1 1 3) have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In the initial process of the Pd adsorption below 0.10 ML, Pd silicide (Pd{sub 2}Si) clusters are observed to form randomly on the surface. By increasing the Pd coverage to 0.10 ML, the clusters cover the entire surface, and an amorphous layer is formed. After annealing the Si(1 1 3)-Pd surface at 600 deg. C, various types of islands and chain protrusions appears. The agglomeration, coalescence and crystallization of these islands are observed by using high temperature (HT-) STM. It is also found by XPS that the islands correspond to Pd{sub 2}Si structure. On the basis of these results, evolution of Pd-induced structures at high temperatures is in detail discussed.
Background Experimental and clinical studies have identified a crucial role of microcirculation impairment in severe infections. We hypothesized that mottling, a sign of microcirculation alterations, was correlated to survival during septic shock. Methods We conducted a prospective observationalstudy in a tertiary teaching hospital. All consecutive patients with septic shock were included during a 7-month period. After initial resuscitation, we recorded hemodynamic parameters and analyzed their predictive value on mortality. The mottling score (from 0 to 5), based on mottling area extension from the knees to the periphery, was very reproducible, with an excellent agreement between independent observers [kappa?=?0.87, 95% CI (0.72?0.97)]. Results Sixty patients were included. The SOFA scor...
The interfaces between metal electrodes and electroactive organic materials are important for the performance of organic electronic devices. One way of optimizing the anode/organic interface is the insertion of a (sub-)monolayer of molecular acceptors. Here we present an UPS study of new electron acceptor molecules deposited on Au(111), Cu(111) and Ag(111). This study intends to improve the understanding of how the interactions of specific electron withdrawing groups with metal surfaces are correlated with observed modifications of interfacial electron density distribution, work function change ({delta}{phi}), and the energy level alignment. We find that {delta}{phi}, which is the difference between the work function ({phi}) of the clean metal surface and {phi} after formation of a molecular monolayer, is a monotonic function of initial {phi} of the metal. Two different slopes were observed for ...
The phenomenon of radiation blistering by helium ion bombardment has been the subject of extensive studies in recent years because of its technological importance in thermonuclear fusion devices and reactors. However, the mechanism of radiation blistering is still not well understood. There are two different models of blister formation: the gas-pressure model and the lateral stress model. The former model is, however, supported by many experimental observations, the prominent one is that of Evans and Eyre who observed blisters appearing on the front and rear surfaces of a thin wedge-shaped molybdenum foil irradiated by helium ions. Their experiment also indicates that the thickness of the irradiated specimen could be important in affecting the characteristics of blisters. With this in view, we have studied the development of blisters in thin foils of tantalum by 30 MeV ..cap alpha..-particle ...
The phenomenon of radiation blistering by helium ion bombardment has been the subject of extensive studies in recent years because of its technological importance in thermonuclear fusion devices and reactors. However, the mechanism of radiation blistering is still not well understood. There are two different models of blister formation: the gas-pressure model and the lateral stress model. The former model is, however, supported by many experimental observations, the prominent one is that of Evans and Eyre who observed blisters appearing on the front and rear surfaces of a thin wedge-shaped molybdenum foil irradiated by helium ions. Their experiment also indicates that the thickness of the irradiated specimen could be important in affecting the characteristics of blisters. With this in view, we have studied the development of blisters in thin foils of tantalum by 30 MeV #alpha#-particle bombardment. ...
Academic, government, and industrial field researchers have generated a significant database of field studies of the volatility of soil applied fumigants. However, limited work exists in validating physical models against field volatility data sets and fully exploring the volatility parametric response surface. Field studies quantifying atmospheric flux for soil fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin are validated against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA Salinity Laboratory) soil physics model CHAIN_2D that was modified specifically for agronomic uses of soil fumigants. Comparison between model predictions and field observations for six unique field trials in five different states indicate that CHAIN_2D effectively captures the magnitude and duration of fumigant em...
A study on the distribution of "1"3"7Cs in coastal waters up to a distance of 15 km was undertaken for a decade (1995-2004) and observed that the activity has reduced by 15-20 fold. Statistical and trend analysis was carried out to resolve the contribution of different facilities at a distance of 5 km (north and south) from the discharge point by log normal probability analysis and found that at 5 km south, the median value of "1"3"7Cs due to TAPS and FRP discharges were 3.7 mBq/l and 1.50 mBq/l respectively. The observed levels of "1"3"7Cs are of no consequences from the point of view of dose to members of the public. (author)
Nitromethane (CH(3)NO(2)) and its chlorinated analogue, chloropicrin (CCl(3)NO(2)), were photolyzed at 193, 248, and 266 nm, and the products were observed by time-dependent Fourier transform infrared emission spectroscopy. At 193 and 248 nm, the primary photodissociation pathway for nitromethane was cleavage of the C-N bond to produce CH(3) + NO(2)(A (2)B(2)). At 266 nm, weak emission was observed following photodissociation of nitromethane, but an infrared spectrum could not be obtained. The photodissociation of chloropicrin at 193 nm produced the analogous product channel CCl(3) + NO(2)(A (2)B(2)) in addition to several other product channels. At 248 and 266 nm, only CCl(3) + NO(2)(A (2)B(2)) was observed. The production of phosgene (CCl(2)O) from chloropicrin photodissociation was not observed in this study. PMID:16571044
We present the initial results of an observationalstudy into the variation of the dominant length-scale of quiet solar emission: supergranulation. This length-scale reflects the radiative energy in the plasma of the upper solar chromosphere and transition region at the magnetic network boundaries forming as a result of the relentless interaction of magnetic fields and convective motions of the Sun's interior. We demonstrate that a net difference of ~0.5Mm in the supergranular emission length-scale occurs when comparing observations cycle 22/23 and cycle 23/24 minima. This variation in scale is reproduced in the datasets of multiple space- and ground-based instruments and using different diagnostic measures. By means of extension, we consider the variation of the supergranular length-scale over multiple solar minima by analyzing a subset of the Mt Wilson Solar Observatory (MWO) Ca II K image record. The ...
The complex ghost introduced previously by the present author is studied from a standpoint whether its effects are observable by experiments or not. According to the theory of complex ghost the scattering cross section of two real particles shows some particular properties. It has a kind of resonance peak at a certain energy which does not conform to the Breit-Wigner formula. It has also a peak for a certain energy transfer, if there exist tachyons. The tachyon is a kind of ghost and is allowed to exist in the theory. Using these properties the complex ghosts are expected to be detected by experiments. The recently observed resonance psi(3.1) is supposed to be the complex ghost of photon, since they have the same quantum numbers. If it is assumed, some properties of the resonance known by experiments are explained naturally to a certain extent. Along the same line it is not unnatural to expect that the photon is also ...
We investigate the spectral and temporal behavior of the high mass X-ray binary Vela X-1 during a phase of high activity, with special focus on the observed giant flares and off states. INTEGRAL observed Vela X-1 in a long almost uninterrupted observation for two weeks in 2003 Nov/Dec. The data were analyzed with OSA 7.0 and FTOOLS 6.2. We derive the pulse period, light curves, spectra, hardness ratios, and hardness intensity diagrams, and study the eclipse. In addition to an already high activity level, Vela X-1 exhibited several intense flares, the brightest ones reaching a maximum intensity of more than 5 Crab in the 20-40 keV band and several off states where the source was no longer detected by INTEGRAL. We determine the pulse period to be 283.5320+/-0.0002 s, which is stable throughout the entire observation. Analyzing the eclipses provided an improvement in the ephemeris. ...
Symplastic transport occurs between neighbouring plant cells through functionally and structurally dynamic channels called plasmodesmata (PD). Relatively little is known about the composition of PD or the mechanisms that facilitate molecular transport into neighbouring cells. While transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides 2-dimensional information about the structural components of PD, 3-dimensional information is difficult to extract from ultrathin sections. This study has exploited high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) to reveal the 3-dimensional morphology of PD in the cell walls of algae, ferns and higher plants. Varied patterns of PD were observed in the walls, ranging from uniformly distributed individual PD to discrete clusters. Occasionally the thick walls of the giant alga Chara were fractured, revealing the surface morphology of PD within. External structures such as spokes, spirals and mesh were ...
Context: The colliding-wind binary Eta Car exhibits soft X-ray thermal emission that varies strongly around periastron, and non-thermal emission seen in hard X-rays and gamma-rays. Aims: To definitively identify Eta Car as the source of the hard X-ray emission, to examine how changes in the 2-10 keV band influence changes in the hard X-ray band, and to understand more clearly the mechanisms producing the non-thermal emission using new INTEGRAL observations obtained close to periastron. Methods: A Chandra observation encompassing the ISGRI error circle was analysed, and all other soft X-ray sources (including the outer shell of Eta Car itself) were discarded as likely counter-parts. New hard X-ray images of Eta Car were studied close to periastron, and compared to previous observations far from periastron. Results: The INTEGRAL component, when represented by a power law (with a photon index of 1.8), ...
We have begun the ExploreNEOs project in which we observe some 700 Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) at 3.6 and 4.5 ?m with the Spitzer Space Telescope in its Warm Spitzer mode. From these measurements and catalog optical photometry we derive albedos and diameters of the observed targets. The overall goal of our ExploreNEOs program is to study the history of near-Earth space by deriving the physical properties of a large number of NEOs. In this paper, we describe both the scientific and technical construction of our ExploreNEOs program. We present our observational, photometric, and thermal modeling techniques. We present results from the first 101 targets observed in this program. We find that the distribution of albedos in this first sample is quite broad, probably indicating a wide range of compositions within the NEO population. Many objects smaller than 1 km have high albedos ...
An analysis of the mortality of workers employed at the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA) between 1946 and 1994 is presented. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) are computed with reference to the French national population for the period 1968-1994. 51 286 workers are included in the study. 3 784 deaths occurred between 1968 and 1994. A healthy worker effect is observed for men (SMR=0.53 Cl{sub 90%}=[0.52; 0.55]) and for women (SMR=0.70 Cl{sub 90%}=[0.64; 0.76]). An excess is observed for male pleural cancers (SMR=1.54, Cl{sub 90%}=[1.03; 2.21]). An excess of breast cancer is observed among women, statistically significant for the 1980-1994 period (SMR=1.30, Cl{sub 90%}=[1.04; 1.61]). An excess is observed for malignant melanoma for both sexes (SMR=1.38, Cl{sub 90%}=[0.95; 1.96]), stronger for the 1990-1994 period (SMR=2.11, Cl{sub 90%}=[1.25; 3.34]). It diminishes ...
The mechanical behaviour of wrought magnesium alloy AZ31 has been characterised by tensile testing at room temperature. Tests were carried out at various strain rates between 0.00003 s{sup -1} and 0.01 s{sup -1} on material which had been extruded to a bar of approximately 6 mm thick, and 80 mm wide. Specimens were machined from three orientations relative to the extrusion direction: parallel, perpendicular, and 45 from the extrusion direction. Significant variations of the properties were observed depending on the extrusion orientation and strain rate. At all strain rates the yield stress declined as the test orientation was rotated away from the extrusion direction. Parallel to the extrusion direction, the yield stress was found to increases markedly with increasing strain rate, whereas at 45 and 90 a lesser influence of strain rate was observed. The work hardening exponent was also influenced by the test orientation. Metallographic ...
BackgroundA common approach to understanding the genetic basis of complex traits is through identification of associated quantitative trait loci (QTL). Fine mapping QTLs requires...Full Text Available
A common property of aging in all animals is that chronologically and genetically identical individuals age at different rates. To unveil mechanisms that influence aging variability, we identified markers...Full Text Available
BackgroundWhile the gene flow in some organisms is strongly affected by physical barriers and geographical distance, other highly mobile species are able to overcome such constraints....Full Text Available
Disorders of mitochondrial fat metabolism lead to sudden death in infants and children. Although survival is possible, the underlying molecular mechanisms which enable this outcome have not yet been...Full Text Available
SummarySoluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a key enzyme in the metabolic conversion and degradation of P450 eicosanoids called epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). Genetic variations...Full Text Available
BackgroundRecent evidence suggests that some sex differences in brain and behavior might result from direct genetic effects, and not solely the result of the organizational effects...Full Text Available
How an individual’s sex and genetic background modify cardiac adaptation to increased workload is a topic of great interest. We systematically evaluated morphological and physiological...Full Text Available
Although genetically identical for autosomal Chrs (Chr), male and female preimplantation embryos could display sex-specific transcriptional regulation. To illustrate sex-specific differences at the...Full Text Available
Journal of Human Genetics. 82: 873-882. 3134. Schulz, I., Schneider, P. M., Olek, K, Rothschild, M. A., and Tsokos, M. (2006) Examination of Postmortem Animal Interference to Human...
Though central to our understanding of how roots perform their vital function of scavenging water and solutes from the soil, no direct genetic evidence currently exists to support the foundational model...Full Text Available
A positive, genetic selection against the activity of the nitrogen regulatory (NTR) system was used to isolate insertion mutations affecting nitrogen regulation in Klebsiella aerogenes. Two classes...Full Text Available
...and biological processes acting on recruitment and post-recruitment EU-Agrinet - Project sheet: Biological performance testing methodology to evaluate the durability of plywood as a quality indicator ... Project sheet: Biological performance testing methodology to evaluate the durability of plywood as a quali EU-Agrinet - Project sheet: Genetic evaluation of European ...
Reverse genetics technology so far established for measles virus (MeV) is based on the Edmonston strain, which was isolated several decades ago, has been passaged in nonlymphoid cell lines, and is no...Full Text Available
The phylogeny and taxonomy of mammalian species were originally based upon shared or derived morphological characteristics. However, genetic analyses have more recently played an increasingly important...Full Text Available
Apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV is a polymorphic, intestinally derived apolipoprotein that is genetically linked to and similar in structure to apoA-I, the major apolipoprotein in high density lipoproteins...Full Text Available
Petal senescence, one type of programmed cell death (PCD) in plants, is a genetically controlled sequence of events comprising its final developmental stage. We characterized the pollination-induced...Full Text Available
Insulin resistance plays a central role in type 2 diabetes and obesity, which develop as a consequence of genetic and environmental factors. Dietary changes including high fat diet (HFD) feeding promotes...Full Text Available
BackgroundComplex etiology and pathogenesis of pathophysiological components of the cardio-metabolic syndrome have been demonstrated in humans and animal models.Methodology/Principal...Full Text Available
BackgroundOil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is one of the most important oil bearing crops in the world. However, genetic improvement of oil palm through conventional...Full Text Available
In our quest for novel genes required for the development of the embryonic peripheral nervous system (PNS), we have performed three genetic screens using MAb 22C10 as a marker of terminally differentiated...Full Text Available
The overall objective of this project was to use molecular genetics to develop strains of bacteria with enhanced ability to remove sulfur from coal, and to obtain data that will allow the performance and economics of a coal biodesulfurization process to be predicted. (VC)
BackgroundIdentification of global livestock diversity hotspots and their importance in diversity maintenance is essential for making global conservation efforts. We screened 52...Full Text Available
We have exploited ``progeny testing'' to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying the genetic variation of milk production in a selected dairy cattle population. A total of 1,518 sires, with progeny...Full Text Available
Obesity and metabolic syndrome result from excess calorie intake and genetic predisposition and are mechanistically linked to type II diabetes and accelerated body aging; abnormal nutrient and insulin...Full Text Available
BackgroundGenetic interactions within hybrids influence their overall fitness. Understanding the details of these interactions can improve our understanding of speciation. One experimental...Full Text Available
Large population sizes, rapid growth and 3.8 billion years of evolution firmly establish microorganisms as a major source of the planet's biological and genetic diversity. However, up to 99% of the...Full Text Available
Exploring the possibility of enhancing the properties of baculoviruses as biological control agents of insect pests, we tested the effect of expressing an insect gene (jhe) encoding juvenile hormone...Full Text Available
Chromosomal common fragile sites (CFSs) are genetically unstable regions of the genome that are induced by conditions that impair DNA replication. In this report, we show that treatment with the DNA...Full Text Available
Using a genetic screen we have identified two chromosomal genes, cusRS (ylcA ybcZ), from Escherichia coli K-12 that encode a two-component, signal...Full Text Available
BackgroundAnimals carrying genetic mutations have provided powerful insights into the role of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in motility. One classic model is...Full Text Available
Ovine and caprine lentiviruses share the capacity to induce slowly progressive and inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (leukoencephalitis or visna), lungs (progressive pneumonia or maedi),...Full Text Available
Genetic effects on mechanical properties have been demonstrated in rodents, but not confirmed in primates. Our aim was to quantify the proportion of variation in vertebral trabecular bone mechanical...Full Text Available
Though the genetic background of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke is often polygenetic or multifactorial, it can in some cases result from a monogenic disease, particularly in young adults. Besides...Full Text Available
BackgroundCucumber, Cucumis sativus L. is an important vegetable crop worldwide. Until very recently, cucumber genetic and genomic resources, especially molecular...Full Text Available
Stargardt-like macular degeneration (STGD3) is an early onset, autosomal dominant macular degeneration. STGD3 is characterized by a progressive pathology, the loss of central vision, atrophy...Full Text Available
Exercise is essential for health, yet the amount, duration, and intensity that individuals engage in are strikingly variable, even under prescription. Our focus was to identify the locations and effects...Full Text Available
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) results from mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene, which encodes the protein neurofibromin. NF1 patients display diverse clinical manifestations,...Full Text Available
In the context of social dilemmas, previous research has shown that human cooperation is mainly based on the social norm of conditional cooperation. While in most cases individuals behave according...Full Text Available
It is widely accepted that specific human papillomavirus (HPV) types are the central etiologic agent of cervical carcinogenesis. However, a number of infected women do not develop invasive lesions,...Full Text Available
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic transmission is critical for normal cortical function and is likely abnormal in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. We tested the in...Full Text Available
SummaryBlastomycosis is a serious and potentially fatal infection by the thermally dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. PCR assays targeting the BAD-1 virulence...Full Text Available
The neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene (NOS1) is located at 12q24, a susceptibility region for schizophrenia, and produces nitric oxide (NO). NO has been reported to play important...Full Text Available
Cigarette smoke (CS) induces recruitment of inflammatory cells in the lungs leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are involved in lung inflammation and injury. Nicotinamide...Full Text Available
Most human diseases are related in some way to the loss or gain in gene functions. Regulation of gene expression is a complex process. In addition to genetic mechanisms, epigenetic causes are...Full Text Available
BackgroundSevere sepsis and septic shock are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In experimental sepsis there is prominent apoptosis of various cell types, and genetic...Full Text Available
BackgroundNon-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the foremost cause of cancer-related death in Western countries, which is due partly to the propensity of NSCLC cells to metastasize....Full Text Available
The incidence of melanoma is increasing more than any other cancer, and knowledge of its genetic alterations is limited. To systematically analyze such alterations, we performed whole-exome...Full Text Available
The programming of cellular networks to achieve new biological functions depends on the development of genetic tools that link the presence of a molecular signal to gene-regulatory activity. Recently,...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere is an ever increasing rate of data made available on genetic variation, transcriptomes and proteomes. Similarly, a growing variety of bioinformatic programs are becoming...Full Text Available
While pleiotropic adaptive mutations are thought to be central for evolution, little is known on the downstream molecular effects allowing adaptation to complex ecologically relevant environments. Here...Full Text Available
Molecular genetic analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease, has been hampered by the absence of any means of efficient generation, identification, and complementation...Full Text Available
Competent Haemophilus cells recognize and preferentially take up Haemophilus DNA during genetic transformation. This preferential uptake is correlated with the presence on incoming DNA of an 11-base-pair...Full Text Available
Alveolar enlargement, which is characteristic of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital matrix disorders, and cigarette smoke-induced emphysema, is thought to result from enhanced inflammation and ensuing...Full Text Available
A high-throughput assay for enzyme activity has been developed that is reaction independent. In this assay, a small-molecule yeast three-hybrid system is used to link enzyme catalysis to transcription...Full Text Available
Introduction:Smoking behaviors, including heaviness of smoking and smoking cessation, are known to be under a degree of genetic influence. The enzyme catechol O-methyltransferase...Full Text Available
Familial defective apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 is a genetic disease that leads to hypercholesterolemia and to an increased serum concentration of low density lipoproteins that bind defectively to the...Full Text Available
The Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat strain is a putative genetic model of comorbid depression and anxiety. Previous research showing increased κ-opioid receptor (KOR)...Full Text Available
BackgroundType A1 Clostridium botulinum strains are a group of Gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic bacteria that produce a genetically, biochemically, and biophysically...Full Text Available
Signatures of natural selection occur throughout the human genome and can be detected at the sequence level. We have re-sequenced ABCE1, a host candidate gene essential for...Full Text Available
A remarkable discovery of recent years is that, despite the complexity of ageing, simple genetic interventions can increase lifespan and improve health during ageing in laboratory animals. The pathways...Full Text Available
During complementary chromatic adaptation (CCA), cyanobacterial light harvesting structures called phycobilisomes are restructured in response to ambient light quality shifts. Transcription of genes...Full Text Available
Picocyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus are important contributors to marine primary production and are ubiquitous in the world's oceans. This genus is genetically diverse, and...Full Text Available
Fate maps are generated by marking and tracking cells in vivo to determine how progenitors contribute to specific structures and cell types in developing and adult tissue. An advance in this...Full Text Available
...treated for leukemia. B' s physician, who is employed by the HMO, is considering a treatment plan that includes six-mercaptopurine, a drug for treating leukemia in most children. However, the drug could be fatal if taken by a small percentage of...