The influence of social networking web sites on the evaluation of job candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohnert, Daniel; Ross, William H

2010-06-01

This study investigated how the content of social networking Web site (SNW) pages influenced others' evaluation of job candidates. Students (N = 148) evaluated the suitability of hypothetical candidates for an entry-level managerial job. A 2 x 4 design was employed: résumés were either marginally qualified or well qualified for the job. SNW printouts reflected (a) an emphasis on drinking alcohol, (b) a family orientation, or (c) a professional orientation; participants in a control group received no Web page information. In addition to a main effect for résumé quality, applicants with either a family-oriented or a professional-oriented SNW were seen as more suitable for the job and more conscientious than applicants with alcohol-oriented SNW pages. They were more likely to be interviewed. If hired, they were also likely to be offered significantly higher starting salaries. Results are discussed in terms of implications for both managers and applicants.

Identification of candidate regions for a novel Usher syndrome type II locus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Rebeh, Imen; Benzina, Zeineb; Dhouib, Houria; Hadjamor, Imen; Amyere, Mustapha; Ayadi, Leila; Turki, Khalil; Hammami, Bouthaina; Kmiha, Noureddine; Kammoun, Hassen; Hakim, Bochra; Charfedine, Ilhem; Vikkula, Miikka; Ghorbel, Abdelmonem; Ayadi, Hammadi; Masmoudi, Saber

2008-09-19

Chronic diseases affecting the inner ear and the retina cause severe impairments to our communication systems. In more than half of the cases, Usher syndrome (USH) is the origin of these double defects. Patients with USH type II (USH2) have retinitis pigmentosa (RP) that develops during puberty, moderate to severe hearing impairment with downsloping pure-tone audiogram, and normal vestibular function. Four loci and three genes are known for USH2. In this study, we proposed to localize the gene responsible for USH2 in a consanguineous family of Tunisian origin. Affected members underwent detailed ocular and audiologic characterization. One Tunisian family with USH2 and 45 healthy controls unrelated to the family were recruited. Two affected and six unaffected family members attended our study. DNA samples of eight family members were genotyped with polymorphic markers. Two-point and multipoint LOD scores were calculated using Genehunter software v2.1. Sequencing was used to investigate candidate genes. Haplotype analysis showed no significant linkage to any known USH gene or locus. A genome-wide screen, using microsatellite markers, was performed, allowing the identification of three homozygous regions in chromosomes 2, 4, and 15. We further confirmed and refined these three regions using microsatellite and single-nucleotide polymorphisms. With recessive mode of inheritance, the highest multipoint LOD score of 1.765 was identified for the candidate regions on chromosomes 4 and 15. The chromosome 15 locus is large (55 Mb), underscoring the limited number of meioses in the consanguineous pedigree. Moreover, the linked, homozygous chromosome 15q alleles, unlike those of the chromosome 2 and 4 loci, are infrequent in the local population. Thus, the data strongly suggest that the novel locus for USH2 is likely to reside on 15q. Our data provide a basis for the localization and the identification of a novel gene implicated in USH2, most likely localized on 15q.

NEW YOUNG STAR CANDIDATES IN THE TAURUS-AURIGA REGION AS SELECTED FROM THE WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebull, L. M.; Padgett, D. L.; Noriega-Crespo, A.

2011-01-01

The Taurus Molecular Cloud subtends a large solid angle on the sky, in excess of 250 deg 2 . The search for legitimate Taurus members to date has been limited by sky coverage as well as the challenge of distinguishing members from field interlopers. The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer has recently observed the entire sky, and we take advantage of the opportunity to search for young stellar object (YSO) candidate Taurus members from a ∼260 deg 2 region designed to encompass previously identified Taurus members. We use near- and mid-infrared colors to select objects with apparent infrared excesses and incorporate other catalogs of ancillary data to present a list of rediscovered Taurus YSOs with infrared excesses (taken to be due to circumstellar disks), a list of rejected YSO candidates (largely galaxies), and a list of 94 surviving candidate new YSO-like Taurus members. There is likely to be contamination lingering in this candidate list, and follow-up spectra are warranted.

ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE: AN INVESTIGATION FOR SIX EU CANDIDATE AND POTENTIAL CANDIDATE COUNTRIES

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Ileana Tache

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The South Eastern European region (SEE has seen major beneficial transformation in the recent years. Romania and Bulgaria in 2007 and Croatia in 2013 became members of the European Union and registered significant economic growth rates. This paper investigates some important factors that influence economic growth in 6 EU candidate and potential candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia and offers to policy makers in those countries key insights for stimulating the economy. The paper proposes a dynamic growth model which will be developed using the Quasi-maximum likelihood (QML estimation. This model is suited for this type of analysis because of the small T sample and also to cope with missingness. The results indicate that nine out of the fourteen variables were statistically significant. The number of non-resident tourists, the number of passenger cars, the number of children in pre-primary and primary-education are positive factors for economic growth. In contrast, government debt, inflation, all energy imports, railway transportation and primary production of coal and lignite are hindering development.

Infrared study of new star cluster candidates associated to dusty globules

Science.gov (United States)

Soto King, P.; Barbá, R.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Jaque, M.; Firpo, V.; Nilo, J. L.; Soto, M.; Minniti, D.

2014-10-01

We present results from a study of a sample of small star clusters associated to dusty globules and bright-rimmed clouds that have been observed under ESO/Chile public infrared survey Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV). In this short communication, we analyse the near-infrared properties of a set of four small clusters candidates associated to dark clouds. This sample of clusters associated to dusty globules are selected from the new VVV stellar cluster candidates developed by members of La Serena VVV Group (Barbá et al. 2014). Firstly, we are producing color-color and color-magnitude diagrams for both, cluster candidates and surrounding areas for comparison through PSF photometry. The cluster positions are determined from the morphology on the images and also from the comparison of the observed luminosity function for the cluster candidates and the surrounding star fields. Now, we are working in the procedures to establish the full sample of clusters to be analyzed and methods for subtraction of the star field contamination. These clusters associated to dusty globules are simple laboratories to study the star formation relatively free of the influence of large star-forming regions and populous clusters, and they will be compared with those clusters associated to bright-rimmed globules, which are influenced by the energetic action of nearby O and B massive stars.

Regional versus local influences on lead and cadmium loading to the Great Lakes region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yohn, S.; Long, D.; Fett, J.; Patino, L. [Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Dept. of Geological Science

2004-07-01

Environmental legislation has reduced the anthropogenic loadings of Pb and Cd to the Great Lakes region over the past 3 decades. However, the accumulation rates of these metals still remain above background values. Because environmental legislation was targeted at major sources (e.g., Pb in gasoline) whose influence on the environment was on a regional scale, local sources (e.g., watershed scale) for the metals may now play a more significant role. The relative importance of regional versus local scale influences on metal inputs to the environment is poorly understood. In this study, sediment chronologies of Pb and Cd were examined from 12 inland lakes that cover the broad geographic area of the State of Michigan. These chronologies were compared temporally and spatially and to watershed population densities and metal production records to gain an understanding of local and regional influences on metal inputs to the Great Lakes region. Results show that anthropogenic Pb loading during the 1930s and 1970s was dominated by regional sources. such as coal burning and use of leaded gasoline. Current loadings are now more related to local influences such as watershed population densities, rather than atmospheric deposition. Anthropogenic Cd loadings to the Great Lakes region have been dominated by both regional and local sources over time. Lead may also have shown the influence of local sources over time, if the influence of emissions from gasoline had not been present. This work shows that Pb and Cd loadings in the Great Lakes region are strongly related to watershed population densities; however, the specific sources and pathways for the metal cycling are unclear.

Organization and annotation of the Xcat critical region: elimination of seven positional candidate genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Kristen M; Geunes-Boyer, Scarlett; Wu, Sufen; Dutra, Amalia; Favor, Jack; Stambolian, Dwight

2004-05-01

Xcat mice display X-linked congenital cataracts and are a mouse model for the human X-linked cataract disease Nance Horan syndrome (NHS). The genetic defect in Xcat mice and NHS patients is not known. We isolated and sequenced a BAC contig representing a portion of the Xcat critical region. We combined our sequencing data with the most recent mouse sequence assemblies from both Celera and public databases. The sequence of the 2.2-Mb Xcat critical region was then analyzed for potential Xcat candidate genes. The coding regions of the seven known genes within this area (Rai2, Rbbp7, Ctps2, Calb3, Grpr, Reps2, and Syap1) were sequenced in Xcat mice and no mutations were detected. The expression of Rai2 was quantitatively identical in wild-type and Xcat mutant eyes. These results indicate that the Xcat mutation is within a novel, undiscovered gene.

Novel candidate genes and regions for childhood apraxia of speech identified by array comparative genomic hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Laffin, Jennifer J S; Raca, Gordana; Jackson, Craig A; Strand, Edythe A; Jakielski, Kathy J; Shriberg, Lawrence D

2012-11-01

The goal of this study was to identify new candidate genes and genomic copy-number variations associated with a rare, severe, and persistent speech disorder termed childhood apraxia of speech. Childhood apraxia of speech is the speech disorder segregating with a mutation in FOXP2 in a multigenerational London pedigree widely studied for its role in the development of speech-language in humans. A total of 24 participants who were suspected to have childhood apraxia of speech were assessed using a comprehensive protocol that samples speech in challenging contexts. All participants met clinical-research criteria for childhood apraxia of speech. Array comparative genomic hybridization analyses were completed using a customized 385K Nimblegen array (Roche Nimblegen, Madison, WI) with increased coverage of genes and regions previously associated with childhood apraxia of speech. A total of 16 copy-number variations with potential consequences for speech-language development were detected in 12 or half of the 24 participants. The copy-number variations occurred on 10 chromosomes, 3 of which had two to four candidate regions. Several participants were identified with copy-number variations in two to three regions. In addition, one participant had a heterozygous FOXP2 mutation and a copy-number variation on chromosome 2, and one participant had a 16p11.2 microdeletion and copy-number variations on chromosomes 13 and 14. Findings support the likelihood of heterogeneous genomic pathways associated with childhood apraxia of speech.

The Influence of Explicit Racial Cues on Candidate Evaluation

OpenAIRE

Green, Joshua Aaron

2013-01-01

Since Barack Obama's presidential campaign of 2008, media outlets have changed how race is covered and framed during political campaigns. In the so-called "post-racial" era of American politics when race is supposed to matter less, we are still very much attuned to stories that are framed by racial conflict. When the media wraps a "racial mode of interpretation" around a conflict between two candidates, there are potential electoral penalties involved for either a white or black candidate who...

Whole brain and brain regional coexpression network interactions associated with predisposition to alcohol consumption.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren A Vanderlinden

Full Text Available To identify brain transcriptional networks that may predispose an animal to consume alcohol, we used weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA. Candidate coexpression modules are those with an eigengene expression level that correlates significantly with the level of alcohol consumption across a panel of BXD recombinant inbred mouse strains, and that share a genomic region that regulates the module transcript expression levels (mQTL with a genomic region that regulates alcohol consumption (bQTL. To address a controversy regarding utility of gene expression profiles from whole brain, vs specific brain regions, as indicators of the relationship of gene expression to phenotype, we compared candidate coexpression modules from whole brain gene expression data (gathered with Affymetrix 430 v2 arrays in the Colorado laboratories and from gene expression data from 6 brain regions (nucleus accumbens (NA; prefrontal cortex (PFC; ventral tegmental area (VTA; striatum (ST; hippocampus (HP; cerebellum (CB available from GeneNetwork. The candidate modules were used to construct candidate eigengene networks across brain regions, resulting in three "meta-modules", composed of candidate modules from two or more brain regions (NA, PFC, ST, VTA and whole brain. To mitigate the potential influence of chromosomal location of transcripts and cis-eQTLs in linkage disequilibrium, we calculated a semi-partial correlation of the transcripts in the meta-modules with alcohol consumption conditional on the transcripts' cis-eQTLs. The function of transcripts that retained the correlation with the phenotype after correction for the strong genetic influence, implicates processes of protein metabolism in the ER and Golgi as influencing susceptibility to variation in alcohol consumption. Integration of these data with human GWAS provides further information on the function of polymorphisms associated with alcohol-related traits.

Systematic characterisation of disease associated balanced chromosome rearrangements by FISH: cytogenetically and genetically anchored YACs identify microdeletions and candidate regions for mental retardation genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wirth, J; Nothwang, H G; van der Maarel, S

1999-01-01

the Mendelian Cytogenetics Network (MCN), a collaborative effort of, at present, 270 cytogenetic laboratories throughout the world. In this pilot study, we have characterised 10 different MR associated chromosome regions delineating candidate regions for MR. Five of these regions are narrowed to breakpoint...

Lithomorphological aspects of northern Muria region for location candidate of the NPP radioactive wastes repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sucipta

1995-01-01

As a part of planning and construction of NPP in the northern Muria region, a location candidate of the NPP radioactive waste repository needs to be prepared. The objective of this studywas to investigate the suitability of the geomorphologic condition of the northern Muria region for the location. The geomorphologic elements were evaluated based on the geomorphologic criteria specified by the IAEA. This study was conducted through descriptive and scoring methods for the geomorphologic elements, especially the landform and the geomorphologic processes. Based on the results of the study, the study area could be classified into three classes of suitability for the location. These are three geomorphologic units of high suitability, three units of moderate suitability and four units of low suitability. By considering the total value of the geomorphologic condition suitability and the inhibiting factors of geomorphology, three high suitability units were selected, particularly in the region of Lemahabang and Genggrengan. (author). 6 refs, 7 figs

Oriented regions grouping based candidate proposal for infrared pedestrian detection

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiangtao; Zhang, Jingai; Li, Huaijiang

2018-04-01

Effectively and accurately locating the positions of pedestrian candidates in image is a key task for the infrared pedestrian detection system. In this work, a novel similarity measuring metric is designed. Based on the selective search scheme, the developed similarity measuring metric is utilized to yield the possible locations for pedestrian candidate. Besides this, corresponding diversification strategies are also provided according to the characteristics of the infrared thermal imaging system. Experimental results indicate that the presented scheme can achieve more efficient outputs than the traditional selective search methodology for the infrared pedestrian detection task.

Refined candidate region specified by haplotype sharing for Escherichia coli F4ab/F4ac susceptibility alleles in pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Mette Juul; Kracht, Steffen Skaarup; Esteso, G.

2009-01-01

Infection of the small intestine by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F4ab/ac is a major welfare problem and financial burden for the pig industry. Natural resistance to this infection is inherited as a Mendelian recessive trait, and a polymorphism in the MUC4 gene segregating for susceptibility....../resistance is presently used in a selection programme by the Danish pig breeding industry. To elucidate the genetic background involved in E. coli F4ab/ac susceptibility in pigs, a detailed haplotype map of the porcine candidate region was established. This region covers approximately 3.7 Mb. The material used...... for the study is a three generation family, where the founders are two Wild boars and eight Large White sows. All pigs have been phenotyped for susceptibility to F4ab/ac using an adhesion assay. Their haplotypes are known from segregation analysis using flanking markes. By a targeted approach, the candidate...

Kinematics of the inner thousand AU region around the young massive star AFGL 2591-VLA3: a massive disk candidate?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, K. -S.; van der Tak, F. F. S.; Hogerheijde, M. R.

Context. Recent detections of disks around young high-mass stars support the idea of massive star formation through accretion rather than coalescence, but the detailed kinematics in the equatorial region of the disk candidates is not well known, which limits our understanding of the accretion

How do Regional Headquarters Influence Corporate Decisions in Networked MNCs?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mahnke, Volker; Ambos, Björn; Nell, Phillip Christopher

2012-01-01

In networked MNCs where knowledge and power are distributed, corporate strategy processes benefit from input arising from many different levels of the organization. Recently, the regional (i.e., supra-national) level has been emphasized as an important additional source of knowledge and input......, and as a bridge between local subsidiaries and global corporate headquarters. This paper builds theory on the antecedents to regional headquarters' influence on corporate decisions (i.e., organizational, behavioral, and motivational). Based on a survey of regional headquarters in Europe and their relations...... with MNC headquarters, we provide empirical evidence that a regional headquarters' autonomy and signaling behavior have significant effects on its influence on corporate strategy. Furthermore, we find support for our hypothesis that the regional headquarters' charter moderates such bottom–up influence....

The Influence of Foreign Direct Investments on Regional Development in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ines Kersan-Škabić

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the influence of foreign direct investments (FDI on regional development in Croatia and to contribute to previous studies that deal with regional FDI re-allocations. Our analysis was conducted at the NUTS 3 level (21 Croatian counties and applied panel data analysis to determine the influence of FDI as well as other factors that proved to be significant in regional development in Croatia. The results point out that investment (i.e., both domestic and foreign direct investments, labor productivity, and export have a positive and significant influence on regional development, while absorptive capacity has a negative influence. It is therefore important to strengthen the absorptive capacity of Croatian regions to create a favorable investment environment and to provide good preconditions for the development of other factors of regional development. Findings are relevant for policy-makers who should take more proactive roles in attracting FDI as a way of strengthening regional development in Croatia. This may help policy-makers to act locally to achieve cohesion, but it can also be important for foreign investors that observe regional FDI determinants in the European Union.

Identification of chromosome 7 inversion breakpoints in an autistic family narrows candidate region for autism susceptibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Cukier, Holly N; Skaar, David A; Rayner-Evans, Melissa Y; Konidari, Ioanna; Whitehead, Patrice L; Jaworski, James M; Cuccaro, Michael L; Pericak-Vance, Margaret A; Gilbert, John R

2009-10-01

Chromosomal breaks and rearrangements have been observed in conjunction with autism and autistic spectrum disorders. A chromosomal inversion has been previously reported in autistic siblings, spanning the region from approximately 7q22.1 to 7q31. This family is distinguished by having multiple individuals with autism and associated disabilities. The region containing the inversion has been strongly implicated in autism by multiple linkage studies, and has been particularly associated with language defects in autism as well as in other disorders with language components. Mapping of the inversion breakpoints by FISH has localized the inversion to the region spanning approximately 99-108.75 Mb of chromosome 7. The proximal breakpoint has the potential to disrupt either the coding sequence or regulatory regions of a number of cytochrome P450 genes while the distal region falls in a relative gene desert. Copy number variant analysis of the breakpoint regions detected no duplication or deletion that could clearly be associated with disease status. Association analysis in our autism data set using single nucleotide polymorphisms located near the breakpoints showed no significant association with proximal breakpoint markers, but has identified markers near the distal breakpoint ( approximately 108-110 Mb) with significant associations to autism. The chromosomal abnormality in this family strengthens the case for an autism susceptibility gene in the chromosome 7q22-31 region and targets a candidate region for further investigation.

The Influence of Globalization, Integration and Regionalization Processes on the European States and Regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T V Bazarenko

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the impact of globalization, regionalization and integration in European countries and regions. It discusses the distinctive features and factors of influence of each of these processes on the European countries and sub national entities.

Star Formation Activity Beyond the Outer Arm. I. WISE -selected Candidate Star-forming Regions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Izumi, Natsuko; Yasui, Chikako; Saito, Masao [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Kobayashi, Naoto; Hamano, Satoshi, E-mail: natsuko.izumi@nao.ac.jp [Laboratory of Infrared High-resolution spectroscopy (LIH), Koyama Astronomical Observatory, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8555 (Japan)

2017-10-01

The outer Galaxy beyond the Outer Arm provides a good opportunity to study star formation in an environment significantly different from that in the solar neighborhood. However, star-forming regions in the outer Galaxy have never been comprehensively studied or cataloged because of the difficulties in detecting them at such large distances. We studied 33 known young star-forming regions associated with 13 molecular clouds at R {sub G} ≥ 13.5 kpc in the outer Galaxy with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) mid-infrared all-sky survey. From their color distribution, we developed a simple identification criterion of star-forming regions in the outer Galaxy with the WISE color. We applied the criterion to all the WISE sources in the molecular clouds in the outer Galaxy at R {sub G} ≥ 13.5 kpc detected with the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) {sup 12}CO survey of the outer Galaxy, of which the survey region is 102.°49 ≤  l  ≤ 141.°54, −3.°03 ≤  b  ≤ 5.°41, and successfully identified 711 new candidate star-forming regions in 240 molecular clouds. The large number of samples enables us to perform the statistical study of star formation properties in the outer Galaxy for the first time. This study is crucial to investigate the fundamental star formation properties, including star formation rate, star formation efficiency, and initial mass function, in a primordial environment such as the early phase of the Galaxy formation.

Candidate gene studies and the quest for the entrepreneurial gene

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.J.H.M. van der Loos (Matthijs); Ph.D. Koellinger (Philipp); P.J.F. Groenen (Patrick); C.A. Rietveld (Niels); F. Rivadeneira Ramirez (Fernando); F.J.A. van Rooij (Frank); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); A. Hofman (Albert); A.R. Thurik (Roy)

2011-01-01

textabstractCandidate gene studies of human behavior are gaining interest in economics and entrepreneurship research. Performing and interpreting these studies is not straightforward because the selection of candidates influences the interpretation of the results. As an example, Nicolaou et al.

Factors influencing economic performance of the South Moravian Region

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Iva Živělová

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with selected factors influencing economic performance of the South Moravian Region in the years 2003–2009. The economic performance of the region is evaluated by means of a contribution to the Gross Domestic Product of the Czech Republic. Considering the fact that the level of economic activity depends on the exploitation rate of production factors in the considered region, both development of soil exploitation rate and development of labour market indicators correlated with working force utilization are analysed, a number of employed adults and registered unemployment are taken into consideration. Attention is paid to the economic activity rate. The formation of the Gross Fixed Capital, which an assumption of favourable economic performance, and development of Gross Added Value are evaluated.All the regions nowadays fumble with the negative impacts of the economic crisis. According to the analysis of the economic performance of the South Moravian Region and the analysis of the factors influencing this performance, it could be stated, that the development of the South Moravian Region could be evaluated quite positively.

Rethinking stereotype reliance. Understanding the connection between female candidates and gender stereotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Nichole M

2013-01-01

Increasing numbers of female candidates are running for Congress in American national elections. Despite the rise in female candidates running for office, women are not significantly increasing their presence in the House and Senate. A much hypothesized influence over the electoral fates of female candidates is the role of gender stereotypes. However, political science scholars have struggled to pinpoint the effect of stereotypes on vote choice, if there is any effect. This essay compares the way social psychology and political science scholars theoretically, conceptually and empirically test for gender stereotype influence over evaluations of female candidates and politicians. Differences emerge in the theoretical assumptions made in the two disciplines, the types of measures used in research, and the empirical tests conducted to demonstrate the presence or absence of stereotypes in evaluations of women. The discussion explores how scholars studying female candidates and politicians can integrate insights from social psychology to clarify the role of stereotypes in candidate evaluation and choice.

Influence of ENSO on Regional Indian Summer Monsoon Precipitation—Local Atmospheric Influences or Remote Influence from Pacific

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Indrani Roy

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Using CMIP5 model outputs in different El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO phases, this work investigates the indicator that could be used as an Index to characterise regional Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM precipitation. Dividing the Indian subcontinent into five arbitrarily chosen regions, viz. Central North East (CNE (18°N–31°N, 86°E–75°E, Hilly (H (28°N–38°N, 85°E–70°E, North West (NW (21°N–31°N, 79°E–67°E, North East (NE (21°N–31°N, 86°E–97°E and Southern India (S (18°N–7°N, 73°E–85°E, local wind field and remote influences from the tropical Pacific are considered to improve understanding of regional monsoon rainfall. Results are also compared with observations/reanalysis data to pinpoint areas of shortcomings and agreements. Model results suggest that regional wind velocity, viz. meridional wind component (V at 850 mb level (V850 and zonal component at 200 mb (U200 and 850 mb (U850 can yield better estimation of local precipitation in regions CNE, H and NW, agreeing well with earlier proposed monsoon Indices. Such observations are independent of different subcategories of ENSO phases and models show good correspondence with observations. Analyses with V at 200 mb (V200 indicate circulation of the upper branch of Hadley cells in regions CNE and S, though suggest the best agreement among models in comparison with other fields, but there are some deviations from observations, indicating a missing mechanism in the models. Using models, this study identified the best parameter in different regions that could be used for the regional monsoon Index, irrespective of various ENSO subcategories; for CNE it is the U200, for H it is U200 and U850, and for NW it is U850. The current analysis, however, fails to indicate anything clearly about the NE region. When focusing on the remote influence from the eastern Pacific region, it is found that atmospheric contribution to regional ISM precipitation fails to indicate

Physical attractiveness, issue agreement, and assimilation effects in candidate appraisal.

Science.gov (United States)

Schubert, James N; Curran, Margaret Ann; Strungaru, Carmen

2011-01-01

This study examines the cognitive and affective factors of candidate appraisal by manipulating candidate attractiveness and levels of issue agreement with voters. Drawing upon research in evolutionary psychology and cognitive neuroscience, this analysis proposes that automatic processing of physical appearance predisposes affective disposition toward more attractive candidates, thereby influencing cognitive processing of issue information. An experimental design presented attractive and unattractive candidates who were either liberal or conservative in a mock primary election. The data show strong partial effects for appearance on vote intention, an interaction between appearance and issue agreement, and a tendency for voters to assimilate the dissimilar views of attractive candidates. We argue that physical appearance is important in primary elections when the differences in issue positions and ideology between candidates is small.

A cross-species genetic analysis identifies candidate genes for mouse anxiety and human bipolar disorder

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David G Ashbrook

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Bipolar disorder (BD is a significant neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of ~1%. To identify genetic variants underlying BD genome-wide association studies (GWAS have been carried out. While many variants of small effect associated with BD have been identified few have yet been confirmed, partly because of the low power of GWAS due to multiple comparisons being made. Complementary mapping studies using murine models have identified genetic variants for behavioral traits linked to BD, often with high power, but these identified regions often contain too many genes for clear identification of candidate genes. In the current study we have aligned human BD GWAS results and mouse linkage studies to help define and evaluate candidate genes linked to BD, seeking to use the power of the mouse mapping with the precision of GWAS. We use quantitative trait mapping for open field test and elevated zero maze data in the largest mammalian model system, the BXD recombinant inbred mouse population, to identify genomic regions associated with these BD-like phenotypes. We then investigate these regions in whole genome data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium’s bipolar disorder GWAS to identify candidate genes associated with BD. Finally we establish the biological relevance and pathways of these genes in a comprehensive systems genetics analysis.We identify four genes associated with both mouse anxiety and human BD. While TNR is a novel candidate for BD, we can confirm previously suggested associations with CMYA5, MCTP1 and RXRG. A cross-species, systems genetics analysis shows that MCTP1, RXRG and TNR coexpress with genes linked to psychiatric disorders and identify the striatum as a potential site of action. CMYA5, MCTP1, RXRG and TNR are associated with mouse anxiety and human BD. We hypothesize that MCTP1, RXRG and TNR influence intercellular signaling in the striatum.

Pressure Scalings and Influence Region Research

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

AFRL-RQ-WP-TP-2018-0015 PRESSURE SCALINGS AND INFLUENCE REGION RESEARCH James H. Miller High Speed Systems Division...inside pages STINFO COPY AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY AEROSPACE SYSTEMS DIRECTORATE WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OH... RESEARCH 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER In-house 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 62201F 6. AUTHOR(S) James H. Miller 5d. PROJECT NUMBER

Fostering the Development of Chemistry Teacher Candidates: A Bioecological Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Lewthwaite, Brian; Wiebe, Rick

2012-01-01

This ongoing research inquiry investigates through the analysis of teacher candidate experiences the factors influencing two groups of chemistry teacher candidates' development during their extended practica in their second and final year of an after-degree bachelor of education at a university in central Canada. The tenets of Bronfenbrenner's…

PSPHL as a candidate gene influencing racial disparities in endometrial cancer incidence and survival

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Jay eAllard

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Endometrial cancer is the most commonly diagnosed gynecologic malignancy in the United States and is characterized by a well recognized racial disparity in both incidence and survival. Specifically Caucasians are about two times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than are African Americans. However, African American women are more likely to die from this disease than are Caucasians. The basis for this disparity remains unknown. Previous studies have identified differences in the types and frequencies of gene mutations among endometrial cancers from Caucasians and African Americans suggesting. We performed a gene expression microarray study in an effort to further examine differences between African American and Caucasian women’s endometrial cancers. This expression screen identified a list of potential biomarkers differentially expressed between these two groups of cancers. Of these we identified a poorly characterized transcript with a region of homology to phospho serine phospatase (PSPH and designated phospho serine phospatase like (PSPHL as the most differentially over-expressed gene in cancers from African Americans. We clarified the nature of expressed transcripts. Northern blot analysis confirmed PSPHL messages under 1 KB. Sequence analysis of transcripts confirmed two alternate open reading frame (ORF isoforms due to alternative splicing events. Splice specific primer sets confirmed both isoforms were differentially expressed in tissues from Caucasians and African Americans. We further examined the expression in other tissues from women to include normal endometrium, normal and malignant ovary. In all cases PSPHL expression was more often present in tissues from African-Americans than Caucasians. Our data confirm the African-American based expression of the PSPHL transcript several tissue types. PSPHL represents a candidate gene that might influence the observed racial disparity in endometrial and other cancers.

An annotated history of container candidate material selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCright, R.D.

1988-07-01

This paper documents events in the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project that have influenced the selection of metals and alloys proposed for fabrication of waste package containers for permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste in a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The time period from 1981 to 1988 is covered in this annotated history. The history traces the candidate materials that have been considered at different stages of site characterization planning activities. At present, six candidate materials are considered and described in the 1988 Consultation Draft of the NNWSI Site Characterization Plan (SCP). The six materials are grouped into two alloy families, copper-base materials and iron to nickel-base materials with an austenitic structure. The three austenitic candidates resulted from a 1983 survey of a longer list of candidate materials; the other three candidates resulted from a special request from DOE in 1984 to evaluate copper and copper-base alloys. 24 refs., 2 tabs

Epistatic interactions on chromosome 14 influencing stillbirth in Fleckvieh cattle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gábor Mészáros

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP data of 7384 Fleckvieh bulls was analyzed to identify epistatic interactions influencing stillbirth. Deregressed breeding values were used as phenotypes. The epistatic effects were identified as significant interaction terms from pairwise linear regressions performed for each SNP after accounting for multiple testing. Majority of the detected epistatic effects were located in the 9-31Mb region of chromosome 14, corresponding to the most significant region from the genome wide association. Additional epistatic SNPs at 50.5Mb and 80.5 Mb at the same chromosome were detected. The region around 25 Mb contained genes connected to height and body size such as PLAG1, CHCHD7, LYN, RDHE2 (SDR16C5 and PENK. The other interesting region at 50.5Mb contained the TRPS1 gene influencing bone malformations. Both regions have been identified as candidates influencing stillbirth.

A genome-wide association study for body weight in Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses clarifies candidate regions on chromosomes 3, 9, 15, and 18

Science.gov (United States)

TOZAKI, Teruaki; KIKUCHI, Mio; KAKOI, Hironaga; HIROTA, Kei-ichi; NAGATA, Shun-ichi

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Body weight is an important trait to confirm growth and development in humans and animals. In Thoroughbred racehorses, it is measured in the postnatal, training, and racing periods to evaluate growth and training degrees. The body weight of mature Thoroughbred racehorses generally ranges from 400 to 600 kg, and this broad range is likely influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Therefore, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the Equine SNP70 BeadChip was performed to identify the genomic regions associated with body weight in Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses using 851 individuals. The average body weight of these horses was 473.9 kg (standard deviation: 28.0) at the age of 3, and GWAS identified statistically significant SNPs on chromosomes 3 (BIEC2_808466, P=2.32E-14), 9 (BIEC2_1105503, P=1.03E-7), 15 (BIEC2_322669, P=9.50E-6), and 18 (BIEC2_417274, P=1.44E-14), which were associated with body weight as a quantitative trait. The genomic regions on chromosomes 3, 9, 15, and 18 included ligand-dependent nuclear receptor compressor-like protein (LCORL), zinc finger and AT hook domain containing (ZFAT), tribbles pseudokinase 2 (TRIB2), and myostatin (MSTN), respectively, as candidate genes. LCORL and ZFAT are associated with withers height in horses, whereas MSTN affects muscle mass. Thus, the genomic regions identified in this study seem to affect the body weight of Thoroughbred racehorses. Although this information is useful for breeding and growth management of the horses, the production of genetically modified animals and gene doping (abuse/misuse of gene therapy) should be prohibited to maintain horse racing integrity. PMID:29270069

Influences to post-graduation career aspirations and attainment in STEM doctoral candidates and recipients

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Deborah S.

As the realities of the academic job market have forced some PhD recipients to accept less-preferable position types, there has been increasing concerns that these students are not prepared for their careers, especially in STEM fields. However, aside from the labor market, few studies have explored the influences on career aspiration and attainment among doctoral degree holders. This study utilized the socialization theory framework to identify aspects of the doctoral education process that are predictive of the likelihood of certain career aspirations among science and engineering doctoral candidates and career attainment among STEM doctoral recipients by utilizing nationally representative datasets: The National Research Council's Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs student questionnaire and the National Science Foundation's Survey of Earned Doctorates. This study identified field of study, research productivity rank of doctoral programs, primary type of finding doctoral students received, level of satisfaction with research experiences, and their sense of belonging within their doctoral program as factors that predict the likelihood of certain career aspirations compared with a career in education. Doctoral candidates' background characteristics that were significant predictors of career aspirations were gender, marital status, dependent status, race, age, and citizenship status. Further, this study identified participant's field of study, the Carnegie Rank of institutions attended, primary type of funding received, length of time to PhD, gender, marital status, dependent status, race, citizenship stats, and age as factors that predict the likelihood of the career outcomes investigated in this study, including doctoral recipients' employment field and primary work activity.

Candidate genes in panic disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Howe, A. S.; Buttenschön, Henriette N; Bani-Fatemi, A.

2016-01-01

The utilization of molecular genetics approaches in examination of panic disorder (PD) has implicated several variants as potential susceptibility factors for panicogenesis. However, the identification of robust PD susceptibility genes has been complicated by phenotypic diversity, underpowered...... association studies and ancestry-specific effects. In the present study, we performed a succinct review of case-control association studies published prior to April 2015. Meta-analyses were performed for candidate gene variants examined in at least three studies using the Cochrane Mantel-Haenszel fixed......-effect model. Secondary analyses were also performed to assess the influences of sex, agoraphobia co-morbidity and ancestry-specific effects on panicogenesis. Meta-analyses were performed on 23 variants in 20 PD candidate genes. Significant associations after correction for multiple testing were observed...

New open cluster candidates discovered in the XSTPS-GAC survey

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jin-Cheng; Zhang, Hua-Wei; Zhang, Hui-Hua; Liu, Xiao-Wei; Yuan, Hai-Bo; Huang, Yang; Wang, Song; Chen, Li; Zhao, Hai-Bin; Liu, Ji-Feng; Chen, Bing-Qiu; Xiang, Mao-Sheng; Tian, Zhi-Jia; Huo, Zhi-Ying; Wang, Chun

2018-03-01

The Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey of the Galactic Anti-center (XSTPS-GAC) is a photometric sky survey that covers nearly 6000 deg2 towards the Galactic Anti-center (GAC) in the g, r, i bands. Half of its survey field is located on the Galactic Anti-center disk, which makes XSTPS-GAC highly suitable to search for new open clusters in the GAC region. In this paper, we report new open cluster candidates discovered in this survey, as well as properties of these open cluster candidates, such as age, distance and reddening, derived by isochrone fitting in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). These open cluster candidates are stellar density peaks detected in the star density maps by applying the method from Koposov et al. Each candidate is inspected in terms of its true color image composed from three XSTPS-GAC band images. Then its CMD is checked, in order to identify whether the central region stars have a clear isochrone-like trend differing from background stars. The parameters derived from isochrone fitting for these candidates are mainly based on three band photometry of XSTPS-GAC. Moreover, when these new candidates are able to be seen clearly in 2MASS data, their parameters are also derived based on the 2MASS (J – H, J) CMD. There are a total of 320 known open clusters rediscovered and 24 new open cluster candidates discovered in this work. Furthermore, the parameters of these new candidates, as well as another 11 previously known open clusters, are properly determined for the first time.

Factors influencing career choice after initial training in surgery.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McHugh, Seamus

2012-02-01

INTRODUCTION: Irish general surgery faces a recruitment crisis with only 87 of 145 (60%) basic surgical training (BST) places filled in 2009. We assessed basic surgical trainees to identify objective, and potentially modifiable, factors that influence ultimate recruitment into a general surgical career. METHODS: Candidates commencing BST training during a 5-year period between 2004 and 2008 were included in a quantitative study. In addition a total of 2,536 candidates, representing all those who commenced surgical training in Ireland since 1960 were identified through the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) database and invited to complete an online survey. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 15, with p < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: During the 5-year quantitative study period there were 381 BST trainees. Gender was a significant predictor of career choice with women more likely to ultimately choose a nonsurgical career after initial surgical training (p = 0.049). Passing surgical membership examinations (MRCS) also was predictive of remaining in surgery (p = 0.005). Training region was not a significant predictor of ultimate career choice. There were 418 survey respondents. The influence of role models was most commonly cited as influencing candidates in choosing to commence surgical training. Candidates who rated "academic opportunity" (p = 0.023) and "intellectual challenge" (p = 0.047) as factors that influenced their decision to commence surgical training were more likely to ultimately continue their careers in a surgical speciality. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the career pathway of surgical trainees and confirms the importance of academic achievement in discriminating between candidates applying for surgical training schemes.

Strong influence of regional species pools on continent-wide structuring of local communities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lessard, Jean-Philippe; Borregaard, Michael Krabbe; Fordyce, James A.

2012-01-01

pool, to examine the interplay between broad-scale evolutionary and fine-scale ecological processes. Finally, a renewed interest in the influence of species source pools on communities has shown that the definition of the source pool influences interpretations of patterns of community structure. We use...... of communities along climatic gradients. We find that the average phylogenetic relatedness of species in ant communities decreases from tropical to temperate regions, but the strength of this relationship depends on the level of ecological realism in the definition of source pools. We conclude that the evolution...... of climatic niches influences the phylogenetic structure of regional source pools and that the influence of regional source pools on local community structure is strong....

EVALUATION OF SMALL BUSINESS INFLUENCE ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olena Zvarych

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the paper is to study the role and assess the small business development influence on the economic development of the region. Methods. Theoretical and methodological foundations of the research draw up the scientists’ works on the problems of economic development of the regions. During the scientific research, a complex of such methods was used: generalization and scientific abstraction – in order to specify the conceptualcategorical instrument and identify characteristics of the small business; monographic – in case of highlighting the scientists’ views on the investigated problems; comparative analysis – when identifying features of small business influence on the economic development of the region; mathematical modelling in economics – to develop the methodology for the evaluation of small business development influence on the economic development of the region. Results. Special aspects of small business functioning as a factor of the economic development of the region that accommodates economic growth, the improvement of the product quality and social indicators of development, formation of the middle class, decrease of the unemployment rate, increase of the population living standards are researched. The ambiguity of approaches to the small business definition is established, the characteristic feature of which, in most cases, is the number of employees. However, the small business is distinguished for industrial enterprises and service-oriented companies, based on the structure of management, and also taking into account the self-regulation of small enterprises or their relations to the large enterprises or industrial group of companies. It is established that criteria for the evaluation of the efficiency of small business enterprises can be: increase in the entrepreneurship development rates, minimization of material and social losses of the society, increasing the share of small business in GDP formation

Psychometric Personality Differences Between Candidates in Astronaut Selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Mittelstädt, Justin M; Pecena, Yvonne; Oubaid, Viktor; Maschke, Peter

This paper investigates personality traits as potential factors for success in an astronaut selection by comparing personality profiles of unsuccessful and successful astronaut candidates in different phases of the ESA selection procedure. It is further addressed whether personality traits could predict an overall assessment rating at the end of the selection. In 2008/2009, ESA performed an astronaut selection with 902 candidates who were either psychologically recommended for mission training (N = 46) or failed in basic aptitude (N = 710) or Assessment Center and interview testing (N = 146). Candidates completed the Temperament Structure Scales (TSS) and the NEO Personality Inventory Revised (NEO-PI-R). Those candidates who failed in basic aptitude testing showed higher levels of Neuroticism (M = 49.8) than the candidates who passed that phase (M = 45.4 and M = 41.6). Additionally, candidates who failed in basic testing had lower levels of Agreeableness (M = 132.9) than recommended candidates (M = 138.1). TSS scales for Achievement (r = 0.19) and Vitality (r = 0.18) showed a significant correlation with the overall assessment rating given by a panel board after a final interview. Results indicate that a personality profile similar to Helmreich's "Right Stuff" is beneficial in astronaut selection. Influences of test anxiety on performance are discussed. Mittelstädt JM, Pecena Y, Oubaid V, Maschke P. Psychometric personality differences between candidates in astronaut selection. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(11):933-939.

Relationship between candidate communication ability and oral certification examination scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Lunz, Mary E; Bashook, Philip G

2008-12-01

Structured case-based oral examinations are widely used in medical certifying examinations in the USA. These orals assess the candidate's decision-making skills using real or realistic patient cases. Frequently mentioned but not empirically evaluated is the potential bias introduced by the candidate's communication ability. This study aimed to assess the relationship between candidate communication ability and medical certification oral examination scores. Non-doctor communication observers rated a random sample of 90 candidates on communication ability during a medical oral certification examination. The multi-facet Rasch model was used to analyse the communication survey and the oral examination data. The multi-facet model accounts for observer and examiner severity bias. anova was used to measure differences in communication ability between passing and failing candidates and candidates grouped by level of communication ability. Pearson's correlations were used to compare candidate communication ability and oral certification examination performance. Candidate separation reliability values for the communication survey and the oral examination were 0.85 and 0.97, respectively, suggesting accurate candidate measurement. The correlation between communication scores and oral examination scores was 0.10. No significant difference was found between passing and failing candidates for measured communication ability. When candidates were grouped by high, moderate and low communication ability, there was no significant difference in their oral certification examination performance. Candidates' communication ability has little relationship to candidate performance on high-stakes, case-based oral examinations. Examiners for this certifying examination focused on assessing candidate decision-making ability and were not influenced by candidate communication ability.

Revisiting regional flood frequency analysis in Slovakia: the region-of-influence method vs. traditional regional approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Gaál, Ladislav; Kohnová, Silvia; Szolgay, Ján.

2010-05-01

During the last 10-15 years, the Slovak hydrologists and water resources managers have been devoting considerable efforts to develop statistical tools for modelling probabilities of flood occurrence in a regional context. Initially, these models followed concepts to regional flood frequency analysis that were based on fixed regions, later the Hosking and Wallis's (HW; 1997) theory was adopted and modified. Nevertheless, it turned out to be that delineating homogeneous regions using these approaches is not a straightforward task, mostly due to the complex orography of the country. In this poster we aim at revisiting flood frequency analyses so far accomplished for Slovakia by adopting one of the pooling approaches, i.e. the region-of-influence (ROI) approach (Burn, 1990). In the ROI approach, unique pooling groups of similar sites are defined for each site under study. The similarity of sites is defined through Euclidean distance in the space of site attributes that had also proved applicability in former cluster analyses: catchment area, afforested area, hydrogeological catchment index and the mean annual precipitation. The homogeneity of the proposed pooling groups is evaluated by the built-in homogeneity test by Lu and Stedinger (1992). Two alternatives of the ROI approach are examined: in the first one the target size of the pooling groups is adjusted to the target return period T of the estimated flood quantiles, while in the other one, the target size is fixed, regardless of the target T. The statistical models of the ROI approach are inter-compared by the conventional regionalization approach based on the HW methodology where the parameters of flood frequency distributions were derived by means of L-moment statistics and a regional formula for the estimation of the index flood was derived by multiple regression methods using physiographic and climatic catchment characteristics. The inter-comparison of different frequency models is evaluated by means of the

Strong influence of regional species pools on continent-wide structuring of local communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lessard, Jean-Philippe; Borregaard, Michael K; Fordyce, James A; Rahbek, Carsten; Weiser, Michael D; Dunn, Robert R; Sanders, Nathan J

2012-01-22

There is a long tradition in ecology of evaluating the relative contribution of the regional species pool and local interactions on the structure of local communities. Similarly, a growing number of studies assess the phylogenetic structure of communities, relative to that in the regional species pool, to examine the interplay between broad-scale evolutionary and fine-scale ecological processes. Finally, a renewed interest in the influence of species source pools on communities has shown that the definition of the source pool influences interpretations of patterns of community structure. We use a continent-wide dataset of local ant communities and implement ecologically explicit source pool definitions to examine the relative importance of regional species pools and local interactions for shaping community structure. Then we assess which factors underlie systematic variation in the structure of communities along climatic gradients. We find that the average phylogenetic relatedness of species in ant communities decreases from tropical to temperate regions, but the strength of this relationship depends on the level of ecological realism in the definition of source pools. We conclude that the evolution of climatic niches influences the phylogenetic structure of regional source pools and that the influence of regional source pools on local community structure is strong.

Influence of aerosol on regional precipitation in North China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

DUAN Jing; MAO JieTai

2009-01-01

The possible anthropogenic aerosol effect on regional precipitation is analyzed based on the historical data of precipitation and visibility of North China. At first, the precipitation amounts from 1960 to 1979 are considered as natural background values in our study for relatively less intensive industrial activi-ties and light air pollution during that period of time, then the region is divided into different subregions by applying the clustering method including the significance test of station rainfall correlations to the time series of 10-day mean rainfall amounts in this period. Based on the rule that the precipitation characteristics are similar in the same clustering region, the correlation of precipitation amounts among all stations in each region is thus established. Secondly, for the period from 1990 to 2005, during which, the economy had experienced a rapid development in this region, the variations of visibility at each station are analyzed. The stations with the absolute change in visibility less than 0.1 km/a are used as the reference stations, at which it is assumed that precipitation has not been seriously influ-enced by anthropogenic aerosols. Then the rainfall amounts of reference stations are used to estimate the natural precipitation values of the other stations in each clustering region. The difference between estimated precipitation and measured precipitation amount is thought to result from changes in an-thropogenic aerosols. These changes in precipitation amounts caused by anthropogenic aerosols at each station are calculated using the 10-day mean rainfall values from 1990 to 2005. The analysis re-suits obtained with this method are remarkable if it passes the significance test, and therefore, the suppression of regional precipitation over the region by anthropogenic aerosol is proved. It is found that this effect is most remarkable in summer. The influence of anthropogenic aerosols on convective precipitation possibly plays an important

Analysis of PSPHL as a Candidate Gene Influencing the Racial Disparity in Endometrial Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allard, Jay E. [Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC (United States); Chandramouli, Gadisetti V. R. [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI (United States); Stagliano, Katherine [Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at Memorial Health University Medical Center, Savannah, GA (United States); Hood, Brian L. [Women’s Health Integrated Research Center at Inova Health System, Annandale, VA (United States); Litzi, Tracy [Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC (United States); Women’s Health Integrated Research Center at Inova Health System, Annandale, VA (United States); Shoji, Yutaka [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI (United States); Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at Memorial Health University Medical Center, Savannah, GA (United States); Boyd, Jeff [Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at Memorial Health University Medical Center, Savannah, GA (United States); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Berchuck, Andrew [Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Conrads, Thomas P. [Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at Memorial Health University Medical Center, Savannah, GA (United States); Maxwell, G. Larry [Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC (United States); Women’s Health Integrated Research Center at Inova Health System, Annandale, VA (United States); Risinger, John I., E-mail: john.risinger@hc.msu.edu [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI (United States); Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at Memorial Health University Medical Center, Savannah, GA (United States)

2012-07-04

endometrial cancer and also identify its expression in other tissues from African-Americans including ovary and ovarian cancer. PSPHL represents a candidate gene that might influence the observed racial disparity in endometrial and other cancers.

Analysis of PSPHL as a Candidate Gene Influencing the Racial Disparity in Endometrial Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allard, Jay E.; Chandramouli, Gadisetti V. R.; Stagliano, Katherine; Hood, Brian L.; Litzi, Tracy; Shoji, Yutaka; Boyd, Jeff; Berchuck, Andrew; Conrads, Thomas P.; Maxwell, G. Larry; Risinger, John I.

2012-01-01

endometrial cancer and also identify its expression in other tissues from African-Americans including ovary and ovarian cancer. PSPHL represents a candidate gene that might influence the observed racial disparity in endometrial and other cancers.

Towards Treating Chemistry Teacher Candidates as Human

Science.gov (United States)

Lewthwaite, Brian Ellis

2008-01-01

This research inquiry investigates the factors influencing chemistry teacher candidates' development during their extended practica in the second and final year of an After-Degree Bachelor of Education at a university in central Canada. A variety of data sources are used to identify the risk and protective factors impeding and contributing to the…

Does Migration Influence Regional Growth in Romania?

OpenAIRE

Bunea Daniela

2011-01-01

In the European framework, regional convergence is crucial in ensuring European integration. “Sigma-convergence” deals with how the distribution of national output across economies evolves over time whereas “beta-convergence” deals with the mobility of this output within the same distribution. Migration is one important mechanism in generating convergence. In Romania, during the last few years, the main results point out at an income divergence trend with no migration influence. This irreleva...

Candidal colonization, strain diversity, and antifungal susceptibility among adult diabetic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Attas, Safia A; Amro, Soliman O

2010-01-01

Candidal colonization in diabetics is a matter of debate. The aim of this study is to investigate oral candidal colonization, strain diversity, antifungal susceptibility, and the influence of local and systemic host factors on candidal colonization in adult diabetics. We conducted a case-control study that compared 150 diabetics (49 type 1, 101 type 2) with 50 healthy controls. Two salivary samples were collected, using the oral rinse sampling method: one for salivary flow rate and pH determination, and the other for candidal colonization assessment. The candidal isolates were identified and tested in vitro for antifungal susceptibility using the commercial kit, Candifast. The relationship between specific host factors and candidal colonization was also investigated. Diabetics had a higher candidal carriage rate compared to controls, but not density. Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species, but diabetics had a variety of other candidal species present. None of the control samples were resistant to any tested antifungal, while the diabetic samples had differing resistances to azole antifungals. Although there was a significant positive correlation between glycemic control and candidal colonization in type 2 diabetics, there was a negative correlation between salivary pH and candidal carriage in the controls versus density in type 2 diabetics. Diabetic patients not only had a higher candidal carriage rate, but also a variety of candidal species that were resistant to azole antifungals. Oral candidal colonization was significantly associated with glycemic control, type of diabetes, and salivary pH.

The Influence of Genetics on Cystic Fibrosis Phenotypes

Science.gov (United States)

Knowles, Michael R.; Drumm, Mitchell

2012-01-01

Technological advances in genetics have made feasible and affordable large studies to identify genetic variants that cause or modify a trait. Genetic studies have been carried out to assess variants in candidate genes, as well as polymorphisms throughout the genome, for their associations with heritable clinical outcomes of cystic fibrosis (CF), such as lung disease, meconium ileus, and CF-related diabetes. The candidate gene approach has identified some predicted relationships, while genome-wide surveys have identified several genes that would not have been obvious disease-modifying candidates, such as a methionine sulfoxide transferase gene that influences intestinal obstruction, or a region on chromosome 11 proximate to genes encoding a transcription factor and an apoptosis controller that associates with lung function. These unforeseen associations thus provide novel insight into disease pathophysiology, as well as suggesting new therapeutic strategies for CF. PMID:23209180

Many-Objective Distinct Candidates Optimization using Differential Evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, Peter; Ursem, Rasmus Kjær

2010-01-01

for each objective. The Many-Objective Distinct Candidates Optimization using Differential Evolution (MODCODE) algorithm takes a novel approach by focusing search using a user-defined number of subpopulations each returning a distinct optimal solution within the preferred region of interest. In this paper......, we present the novel MODCODE algorithm incorporating the ROD measure to measure and control candidate distinctiveness. MODCODE is tested against GDE3 on three real world centrifugal pump design problems supplied by Grundfos. Our algorithm outperforms GDE3 on all problems with respect to all...

Physical mapping of a commonly deleted region, the site of a candidate tumor suppressor gene, at 12q22 in human male germ cell tumors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murty, V.V.V.S.; Bosl, G.J.; Chaganti, R.S.K. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States)] [and others

1996-08-01

A candidate tumor suppressor gene (TSG) site at 12q22 characterized by a high frequency of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and a homozygous deletion has previously (LOH) and a homozygous deletion has previously been reported in human male germ cell tumors (GCTs). In a detailed deletion mapping analysis of 67 normal-tumor DNAs utilizing 20 polymorphic markers mapped to 12q22-q24, we identified the limits of the minimal region of deletion at 12q22 between D12S377 (priximal) and D12S296 (distal). We have constructed a YAC contig map of a 3-cM region of this band between the proximal marker D12S101 and the distal marker D12S346, which contained the minimal region of deletion in GCTs. The map is composed of 53 overlapping YACs and 3 cosmids onto which 25 polymorphic and nonpolymorphic sequence-tagged sites (STSs) were placed in a unique order. The size of the minimal region of deletion was approximately 2 Mb from overlapping, nonchimeric YACs that spanned the region. We also developed a radiation hybrid (RH) map of the region between D12S101 and D12S346 containing 17 loci. The consensus order developed by RH mapping is in good agreement with the YAC STS-content map order. The RH map estimated the distance between D12S101 and D12S346 to be 246 cR{sub 8000} and the minimal region of deletion to be 141 cR{sub 8000}. In addition, four genes that were previously mapped to 12q22 have been excluded as candidate genes. The leads gained from the deletion mapping and physical maps should expedite the isolation and characterization of the TSG at 12q22. 35 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

The influence of ecological and economic security on region's investment appeal

OpenAIRE

Aleksandr Kuklin; Irina Belik

2009-01-01

In the article authors reveal regional aspect of the problem of influence the ecological factor on investment appeal. This allows considering from the point of ecological and economic security. The choice of the type of investment policy in different scenarios of social-economic development of the region.

Design in the planning arena : how regional designing influences strategic spatial planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kempenaar, Annet

2017-01-01

Regional designing is a form of spatial design that engages with the future physical form and arrangement of regions, including its aesthetic appearances and how it can come about. As such it is closely entangled with spatial planning. This thesis studies the influence of regional designing on

Genetic basis of qualitative and quantitative resistance to powdery mildew in wheat: from consensus regions to candidate genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Marone, Daniela; Russo, Maria A; Laidò, Giovanni; De Vita, Pasquale; Papa, Roberto; Blanco, Antonio; Gadaleta, Agata; Rubiales, Diego; Mastrangelo, Anna M

2013-08-19

Powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) is one of the most damaging diseases of wheat. The objective of this study was to identify the wheat genomic regions that are involved in the control of powdery mildew resistance through a quantitative trait loci (QTL) meta-analysis approach. This meta-analysis allows the use of collected QTL data from different published studies to obtain consensus QTL across different genetic backgrounds, thus providing a better definition of the regions responsible for the trait, and the possibility to obtain molecular markers that will be suitable for marker-assisted selection. Five QTL for resistance to powdery mildew were identified under field conditions in the durum-wheat segregating population Creso × Pedroso. An integrated map was developed for the projection of resistance genes/ alleles and the QTL from the present study and the literature, and to investigate their distribution in the wheat genome. Molecular markers that correspond to candidate genes for plant responses to pathogens were also projected onto the map, particularly considering NBS-LRR and receptor-like protein kinases. More than 80 independent QTL and 51 resistance genes from 62 different mapping populations were projected onto the consensus map using the Biomercator statistical software. Twenty-four MQTL that comprised 2-6 initial QTL that had widely varying confidence intervals were found on 15 chromosomes. The co-location of the resistance QTL and genes was investigated. Moreover, from analysis of the sequences of DArT markers, 28 DArT clones mapped on wheat chromosomes have been shown to be associated with the NBS-LRR genes and positioned in the same regions as the MQTL for powdery mildew resistance. The results from the present study provide a detailed analysis of the genetic basis of resistance to powdery mildew in wheat. The study of the Creso × Pedroso durum-wheat population has revealed some QTL that had not been previously identified. Furthermore

Exploring the Salient Experiences of Pre-Service Teacher Candidates Who Were Former Volunteer Tutors

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Tiffany L.; Woloshyn, Vera E.; Elliott, Anne

2009-01-01

Teacher candidates were tracked to monitor whether their former tutoring experience influenced their experiences as teacher candidates. Through interviews, email and group discussions, participants reflected on their teacher preparation experiences and their orientations to effective reading and writing instruction. At times, teacher candidates…

Medicaid Participation among Liver Transplant Candidates after the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion.

Science.gov (United States)

Tumin, Dmitry; Beal, Eliza W; Mumtaz, Khalid; Hayes, Don; Tobias, Joseph D; Pawlik, Timothy M; Washburn, W Kenneth; Black, Sylvester M

2017-08-01

The 2014 Medicaid expansion in participating states increased insurance coverage among people with chronic health conditions, but its implications for access to surgical care remain unclear. We investigated how Medicaid expansion influenced the insurance status of candidates for liver transplantation (LT) and transplant center payor mix. Data on LT candidates aged 18 to 64 years, in 2012 to 2013 (pre-expansion) and 2014 to 2015 (post-expansion), were obtained from the United Network for Organ Sharing registry. Change between the 2 periods in the percent of LT candidates using Medicaid was compared between expansion and nonexpansion states. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine how Medicaid expansion influenced individual LT candidates' likelihood of using Medicaid insurance. The study included 33,017 LT candidates, of whom 29,666 had complete data for multivariable analysis. Medicaid enrollment increased by 4% after Medicaid expansion in participating states. One-quarter of the transplant centers in these states experienced ≥10% increase in the proportion of LT candidates using Medicaid insurance. Multivariable analysis confirmed that Medicaid expansion was associated with increased odds of LT candidates using Medicaid insurance (odds ratio 1.49; 95% CI 1.34, 1.66; p Medicaid expansion states during the post-expansion period. Candidates for LT became more likely to use Medicaid after the 2014 Medicaid expansion policy came into effect. Enactment of this policy did not appear to increase access to LT or address socioeconomic and demographic disparities in access to the LT wait list. Copyright © 2017 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative Analyses of Physics Candidates Scores in West African and National Examinations Councils

Science.gov (United States)

Utibe, Uduak James; Agah, John Joseph

2015-01-01

The study is a comparative analysis of physics candidates' scores in West African and National Examinations Councils. It also investigates influence of gender. Results of 480 candidates were randomly selected form three randomly selected Senior Science Colleges using the WASSCE and NECOSSCE computer printout sent to the schools, transformed using…

Integrative taxonomy supports new candidate fish species in a poorly studied neotropical region: the Jequitinhonha River Basin.

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Pugedo, Marina Lages; de Andrade Neto, Francisco Ricardo; Pessali, Tiago Casarim; Birindelli, José Luís Olivan; Carvalho, Daniel Cardoso

2016-06-01

Molecular identification through DNA barcoding has been proposed as a way to standardize a global biodiversity identification system using a partial sequence of the mitochondrial COI gene. We applied an integrative approach using DNA barcoding and traditional morphology-based bioassessment to identify fish from a neotropical region possessing low taxonomic knowledge: the Jequitinhonha River Basin (Southeastern Brazil). The Jequitinhonha River Basin (JRB) has a high rate of endemism and is considered an area of high priority for fish conservation, with estimates indicating the presence of around 110 native and non-indigenous species. DNA barcodes were obtained from 260 individuals belonging to 52 species distributed among 35 genera, 21 families and 6 orders, including threatened and rare species such as Rhamdia jequitinhonha and Steindachneridion amblyurum. The mean Kimura two-parameter genetic distances within species, genera and families were: 0.44, 12.16 and 20.58 %, respectively. Mean intraspecific genetic variation ranged from 0 to 11.43 %, and high values (>2 %) were recovered for five species. Species with a deep intraspecific distance, possibly flagging overlooked taxa, were detected within the genus Pimelodella. Fifteen species, only identified to the genus level, had unique BINs, with a nearest neighbor distance over 2 % and therefore, potential new candidate species supported by DNA barcoding. The integrative taxonomy approach using DNA barcoding and traditional taxonomy may be a remedy to taxonomy impediment, accelerating species identification by flagging potential new candidate species and to adequately conserve the megadiverse neotropical ichthyofauna.

REGIONAL DISPARITIES – HISTORICAL CULTURAL INFLUENCES AND

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MARIA OŢIL

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, the issue of regional disparities has become a highly debated topic, knowledge regarding regional disparities being a matter of political priority as their persistence hinders the appropriate integration process. On the other hand, emphasis was put on integration through the process of EU enlargement, thus highlighting other issues related to the nature and size of disparities. Regional disparities regarding development and the living standards of the population have long been the concern of all Member States. In the case of Romania, recently admitted into the European structures, registering large backlogs to economically developed countries, the intense mobilization of internal and external factors of economic growth in order to reduce and eliminate disparities compared to other countries, represents a clear necessity. The "European Union" (EU project is of an unprecedented complexity and scale because it involves a plurality of states, which are culturally and economically heterogeneous. Moreover, these economic and cultural differences exist even within the states. Hence, there is also the central idea of the Union, regarding unity in diversity. In Romania the local, regional communities have a strong identity, but still evolving. Taking into account Romania's objective of successfully integrating into European structures, and the principles of democratic decision-making requires that regional development should aim at reducing economic and social disparities based on a notable involvement of the local, regional communities. Based on these facts, the paper aims to present the current regional (and intra-regional disparities in Romania with regard to a number of synthetic indicators of capital, of labor and of outcomes. The persistence in time of these economic disparities can be explained by considering the cultural legacies – represented by norms, values, institutions, that impact on how people interact, communicate

Institutional pioneers in world politics: Regional institution building and the influence of the European Union.

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Lenz, Tobias; Burilkov, Alexandr

2017-09-01

What drives processes of institution building within regional international organizations? We challenge those established theories of regionalism, and of institutionalized cooperation more broadly, that treat different organizations as independent phenomena whose evolution is conditioned primarily by internal causal factors. Developing the basic premise of 'diffusion theory' - meaning that decision-making is interdependent across organizations - we argue that institutional pioneers, and specifically the European Union, shape regional institution-building processes in a number of discernible ways. We then hypothesize two pathways - active and passive - of European Union influence, and stipulate an endogenous capacity for institutional change as a key scope condition for their operation. Drawing on a new and original data set on the institutional design of 34 regional international organizations in the period from 1950 to 2010, the article finds that: (1) both the intensity of a regional international organization's structured interaction with the European Union (active influence) and the European Union's own level of delegation (passive influence) are associated with higher levels of delegation within other regional international organizations; (2) passive European Union influence exerts a larger overall substantive effect than active European Union influence does; and (3) these effects are strongest among those regional international organizations that are based on founding contracts containing open-ended commitments. These findings indicate that the creation and subsequent institutional evolution of the European Union has made a difference to the evolution of institutions in regional international organizations elsewhere, thereby suggesting that existing theories of regionalism are insufficiently able to account for processes of institution building in such contexts.

Influence of emissions on regional atmospheric mercury concentrations

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Bieser J.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Mercury is a global pollutant that is rapidly transported in the atmosphere. Unlike the majority of air pollutants the background concentrations of mercury play a major role for the atmospheric concentrations on a hemispheric scale. In this study the influence of regional anthropogenic emissions in comparison to the global emissions on mercury concentrations over Europe are investigated. For this purpose an advanced threedimensional model system is used that consists of three components. The emission model SMOKE-EU, the meteorological model COSMO-CLM, and the chemistry transport model (CTM CMAQ. A variety of sensitivity runs is performed in order to determine the influence of different driving factors (i.e. boundary conditions, anthropogenic and natural emissions, emission factors, meteorological fields on the atmoshperic concentrations of different mercury species. This study is part of the European FP7 project GMOS (Global Mercury Observation System. The aim is to identify the most important drivers for atmospheric mercury in order to optimize future regional modelling studies in the course of the GMOS project. Moreover, the model results are used to determine areas of interest for air-plane based in-situ measurements which are also part of GMOS.

Genome-wide data-mining of candidate human splice translational efficiency polymorphisms (STEPs and an online database.

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Christopher A Raistrick

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Variation in pre-mRNA splicing is common and in some cases caused by genetic variants in intronic splicing motifs. Recent studies into the insulin gene (INS discovered a polymorphism in a 5' non-coding intron that influences the likelihood of intron retention in the final mRNA, extending the 5' untranslated region and maintaining protein quality. Retention was also associated with increased insulin levels, suggesting that such variants--splice translational efficiency polymorphisms (STEPs--may relate to disease phenotypes through differential protein expression. We set out to explore the prevalence of STEPs in the human genome and validate this new category of protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL using publicly available data.Gene transcript and variant data were collected and mined for candidate STEPs in motif regions. Sequences from transcripts containing potential STEPs were analysed for evidence of splice site recognition and an effect in expressed sequence tags (ESTs. 16 publicly released genome-wide association data sets of common diseases were searched for association to candidate polymorphisms with HapMap frequency data. Our study found 3324 candidate STEPs lying in motif sequences of 5' non-coding introns and further mining revealed 170 with transcript evidence of intron retention. 21 potential STEPs had EST evidence of intron retention or exon extension, as well as population frequency data for comparison.Results suggest that the insulin STEP was not a unique example and that many STEPs may occur genome-wide with potentially causal effects in complex disease. An online database of STEPs is freely accessible at http://dbstep.genes.org.uk/.

Planet Candidate Validation in K2 Crowded Fields

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Rampalli, Rayna; Vanderburg, Andrew; Latham, David; Quinn, Samuel

2018-01-01

In just three years, the K2 mission has yielded some remarkable outcomes with the discovery of over 100 confirmed planets and 500 reported planet candidates to be validated. One challenge with this mission is the search for planets located in star-crowded regions. Campaign 13 is one such example, located towards the galactic plane in the constellation of Taurus. We subject the potential planetary candidates to a validation process involving spectroscopy to derive certain stellar parameters. Seeing-limited on/off imaging follow-up is also utilized in order to rule out false positives due to nearby eclipsing binaries. Using Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis, the best-fit parameters for each candidate are generated. These will be suitable for finding a candidate’s false positive probability through methods including feeding such parameters into the Validation of Exoplanet Signals using a Probabilistic Algorithm (VESPA). These techniques and results serve as important tools for conducting candidate validation and follow-up observations for space-based missions such as the upcoming TESS mission since TESS’s large camera pixels resemble K2’s star-crowded fields.

[Eng] Voting for Parties or for Candidates? The Trade-Off Between Party and Personal Representation in Spanish Regional and Local Elections

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Pablo Barberá

2010-01-01

Full Text Available When voters cast their ballot, are they choosing a candidate or a party? Electoral systems have a significant impact on how this question is answered in each country. As previous literature has shown, some electoral rules foster a more personal representation, while others strengthen the intermediary role of parties. In this paper I maintain that there exists a trade-off between these two types of representation. To empirically verify its existence and how it works, I have chosen local and regional elections in Spain as a case study. Given that they take place simultaneously under similar electoral systems, they can be considered a natural experiment for the study of this trade-off, which allows me to overcome the potential problems of endogeneity present in previous studies. By measuring the significance of ideological closeness and candidate evaluations in voters? decisions at each level, it is shown that the importance of personal representation increases in local elections at the expense of a less frequent use of ideological proximity as an informational shortcut, thus confirming the existence of the trade-off.

Genome-Wide Scan and Test of Candidate Genes in the Snail Biomphalaria glabrata Reveal New Locus Influencing Resistance to Schistosoma mansoni.

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Jacob A Tennessen

Full Text Available New strategies to combat the global scourge of schistosomiasis may be revealed by increased understanding of the mechanisms by which the obligate snail host can resist the schistosome parasite. However, few molecular markers linked to resistance have been identified and characterized in snails.Here we test six independent genetic loci for their influence on resistance to Schistosoma mansoni strain PR1 in the 13-16-R1 strain of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata. We first identify a genomic region, RADres, showing the highest differentiation between susceptible and resistant inbred lines among 1611 informative restriction-site associated DNA (RAD markers, and show that it significantly influences resistance in an independent set of 439 outbred snails. The additive effect of each RADres resistance allele is 2-fold, similar to that of the previously identified resistance gene sod1. The data fit a model in which both loci contribute independently and additively to resistance, such that the odds of infection in homozygotes for the resistance alleles at both loci (13% infected is 16-fold lower than the odds of infection in snails without any resistance alleles (70% infected. Genome-wide linkage disequilibrium is high, with both sod1 and RADres residing on haplotype blocks >2 Mb, and with other markers in each block also showing significant effects on resistance; thus the causal genes within these blocks remain to be demonstrated. Other candidate loci had no effect on resistance, including the Guadeloupe Resistance Complex and three genes (aif, infPhox, and prx1 with immunological roles and expression patterns tied to resistance, which must therefore be trans-regulated.The loci RADres and sod1 both have strong effects on resistance to S. mansoni. Future approaches to control schistosomiasis may benefit from further efforts to characterize and harness this natural genetic variation.

Large-scale evaluation of candidate genes identifies associations between VEGF polymorphisms and bladder cancer risk.

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Montserrat García-Closas

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Common genetic variation could alter the risk for developing bladder cancer. We conducted a large-scale evaluation of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in candidate genes for cancer to identify common variants that influence bladder cancer risk. An Illumina GoldenGate assay was used to genotype 1,433 SNPs within or near 386 genes in 1,086 cases and 1,033 controls in Spain. The most significant finding was in the 5' UTR of VEGF (rs25648, p for likelihood ratio test, 2 degrees of freedom = 1 x 10(-5. To further investigate the region, we analyzed 29 additional SNPs in VEGF, selected to saturate the promoter and 5' UTR and to tag common genetic variation in this gene. Three additional SNPs in the promoter region (rs833052, rs1109324, and rs1547651 were associated with increased risk for bladder cancer: odds ratio (95% confidence interval: 2.52 (1.06-5.97, 2.74 (1.26-5.98, and 3.02 (1.36-6.63, respectively; and a polymorphism in intron 2 (rs3024994 was associated with reduced risk: 0.65 (0.46-0.91. Two of the promoter SNPs and the intron 2 SNP showed linkage disequilibrium with rs25648. Haplotype analyses revealed three blocks of linkage disequilibrium with significant associations for two blocks including the promoter and 5' UTR (global p = 0.02 and 0.009, respectively. These findings are biologically plausible since VEGF is critical in angiogenesis, which is important for tumor growth, its elevated expression in bladder tumors correlates with tumor progression, and specific 5' UTR haplotypes have been shown to influence promoter activity. Associations between bladder cancer risk and other genes in this report were not robust based on false discovery rate calculations. In conclusion, this large-scale evaluation of candidate cancer genes has identified common genetic variants in the regulatory regions of VEGF that could be associated with bladder cancer risk.

Genome scans on experimentally evolved populations reveal candidate regions for adaptation to plant resistance in the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida.

Science.gov (United States)

Eoche-Bosy, D; Gautier, M; Esquibet, M; Legeai, F; Bretaudeau, A; Bouchez, O; Fournet, S; Grenier, E; Montarry, J

2017-09-01

Improving resistance durability involves to be able to predict the adaptation speed of pathogen populations. Identifying the genetic bases of pathogen adaptation to plant resistances is a useful step to better understand and anticipate this phenomenon. Globodera pallida is a major pest of potato crop for which a resistance QTL, GpaV vrn , has been identified in Solanum vernei. However, its durability is threatened as G. pallida populations are able to adapt to the resistance in few generations. The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic regions involved in the resistance breakdown by coupling experimental evolution and high-density genome scan. We performed a whole-genome resequencing of pools of individuals (Pool-Seq) belonging to G. pallida lineages derived from two independent populations having experimentally evolved on susceptible and resistant potato cultivars. About 1.6 million SNPs were used to perform the genome scan using a recent model testing for adaptive differentiation and association to population-specific covariables. We identified 275 outliers and 31 of them, which also showed a significant reduction in diversity in adapted lineages, were investigated for their genic environment. Some candidate genomic regions contained genes putatively encoding effectors and were enriched in SPRYSECs, known in cyst nematodes to be involved in pathogenicity and in (a)virulence. Validated candidate SNPs will provide a useful molecular tool to follow frequencies of virulence alleles in natural G. pallida populations and define efficient strategies of use of potato resistances maximizing their durability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association of candidate genes with drought tolerance traits in diverse perennial ryegrass accessions

Science.gov (United States)

Xiaoqing Yu; Guihua Bai; Shuwei Liu; Na Luo; Ying Wang; Douglas S. Richmond; Paula M. Pijut; Scott A. Jackson; Jianming Yu; Yiwei. Jiang

2013-01-01

Drought is a major environmental stress limiting growth of perennial grasses in temperate regions. Plant drought tolerance is a complex trait that is controlled by multiple genes. Candidate gene association mapping provides a powerful tool for dissection of complex traits. Candidate gene association mapping of drought tolerance traits was conducted in 192 diverse...

Selection in the dopamine receptor 2 gene: a candidate SNP study

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Tobias Göllner

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Dopamine is a major neurotransmitter in the human brain and is associated with various diseases. Schizophrenia, for example, is treated by blocking the dopamine receptors type 2. Shaner, Miller & Mintz (2004 stated that schizophrenia was the low fitness variant of a highly variable mental trait. We therefore explore whether the dopamine receptor 2 gene (DRD2 underwent any selection processes. We acquired genotype data of the 1,000 Genomes project (phase I, which contains 1,093 individuals from 14 populations. We included single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs with two minor allele frequencies (MAFs in the analysis: MAF over 0.05 and over 0.01. This is equivalent to 151 SNPs (MAF > 0.05 and 246 SNPs (MAF > 0.01 for DRD2. We used two different approaches (an outlier approach and a Bayesian approach to detect loci under selection. The combined results of both approaches yielded nine (MAF > 0.05 and two candidate SNPs (MAF > 0.01, under balancing selection. We also found weak signs for directional selection on DRD2, but in our opinion these were too weak to draw any final conclusions on directional selection in DRD2. All candidates for balancing selection are in the intronic region of the gene and only one (rs12574471 has been mentioned in the literature. Two of our candidate SNPs are located in specific regions of the gene: rs80215768 lies within a promoter flanking region and rs74751335 lies within a transcription factor binding site. We strongly encourage research on our candidate SNPs and their possible effects.

Identification of a herpes simplex labialis susceptibility region on human chromosome 21.

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbs, Maurine R; Jones, Brandt B; Otterud, Brith E; Leppert, Mark; Kriesel, John D

2008-02-01

Most of the United States population is infected with either herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2, or both. Reactivations of HSV-1 infection cause herpes simplex labialis (HSL; cold sores or fever blisters), which is the most common recurring viral infection in humans. To investigate the possibility of a human genetic component conferring resistance or susceptibility to cold sores (i.e., a HSL susceptibility gene), we conducted a genetic linkage analysis that included serotyping and phenotyping 421 individuals from 39 families enrolled in the Utah Genetic Reference Project. Linkage analysis identified a 2.5-Mb nonrecombinant region of interest on the long arm of human chromosome 21, with a multipoint logarithm of odds score of 3.9 noted near marker abmc65 (D21S409). Nonparametric linkage analysis of the data also provided strong evidence for linkage (P = .0005). This region of human chromosome 21 contains 6 candidate genes for herpes susceptibility. The development of frequent cold sores is associated with a region on the long arm of human chromosome 21. This region contains several candidate genes that could influence the frequency of outbreaks of HSL.

Warm Debris Disk Candidates from WISE

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Padgett, Deborah; Stapelfeldt, Karl; Liu, Wilson; Leisawitz, David

2011-01-01

The Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has just completed a sensitive all-sky survey in photometric bands at 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 microns. We report on a preliminary investigation of main sequence Hipparcos and Tycho catalog stars with 22 micron emission in excess of photospheric levels. This warm excess emission traces material in the circumstellar region likely to host terrestrial planets and is preferentially found in young systems with ages warm debris disk candidates are detected among FGK stars and 150 A stars within 120 pc. We are in the process of obtaining spectra to determine spectral types and activity level of these stars and are using HST, Herschel and Keck to characterize the dust, multiplicity, and substellar companions of these systems. In this contribution, we will discuss source selection methods and individual examples from among the WISE debris disk candidates.

The Usher syndrome in the Lebanese population and further refinement of the USH2A candidate region.

Science.gov (United States)

Saouda, M; Mansour, A; Bou Moglabey, Y; El Zir, E; Mustapha, M; Chaib, H; Nehmé, A; Mégarbané, A; Loiselet, J; Petit, C; Slim, R

1998-08-01

Usher syndrome (USH) is an autosomal-recessive disease characterized by neurosensory deafness and progressive retinitis pigmentosa. So far, three clinical types of Usher syndrome have been defined, and are caused by defects at more than eight loci. We report the linkage analysis of seven Lebanese families with Usher syndrome, two with type I (USH1) and five with type II (USH2). We demonstrate that one family is linked to the USH1C locus, a rare form of USH1 only reported in the French Acadian population. Linkage analysis of the five USH2 families with recently mapped loci allowed us to reduce the USH2A candidate region to a very small interval flanked by D1S2646/D1S2629 and D1S2827. Furthermore, haplotype comparison between the different families suggests a founder effect for the USH2A mutation among the different Lebanese ethnic groups, while a genetic heterogeneity is noted for Usher syndrome type I.

Do regions outside the tropical Pacific influence ENSO through atmospheric teleconnections?

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Dayan, H.; Izumo, T.; Vialard, J.; Lengaigne, M.; Masson, S

This paper aims at identifying oceanic regions outside the tropical Pacific, which may influence the El Ni�o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) through interannual modulation of equatorial Pacific winds An Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) 7...

New VVV Survey Globular Cluster Candidates in the Milky Way Bulge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minniti, Dante; Gómez, Matías [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Andrés Bello, Av. Fernandez Concha 700, Las Condes, Santiago (Chile); Geisler, Douglas; Fernández-Trincado, Jose G. [Departamento de Astronomía, Casilla 160-C, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Alonso-García, Javier; Beamín, Juan Carlos; Borissova, Jura; Catelan, Marcio; Ramos, Rodrigo Contreras; Kurtev, Radostin; Pullen, Joyce [Instituto Milenio de Astrofísica, Santiago (Chile); Palma, Tali; Clariá, Juan J. [Observatorio Astronómico, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laprida 854, Córdoba (Argentina); Cohen, Roger E. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 2700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore (United States); Dias, Bruno [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago (Chile); Hempel, Maren [Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Instituto de Astrofísica, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago (Chile); Ivanov, Valentin D. [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarszchild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany); Lucas, Phillip W. [Dept. of Astronomy, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire (United Kingdom); Moni-Bidin, Christian; Alegría, Sebastian Ramírez [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta (Chile); and others

2017-11-10

It is likely that a number of Galactic globular clusters remain to be discovered, especially toward the Galactic bulge. High stellar density combined with high and differential interstellar reddening are the two major problems for finding globular clusters located toward the bulge. We use the deep near-IR photometry of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) Survey to search for globular clusters projected toward the Galactic bulge, and hereby report the discovery of 22 new candidate globular clusters. These objects, detected as high density regions in our maps of bulge red giants, are confirmed as globular cluster candidates by their color–magnitude diagrams. We provide their coordinates as well as their near-IR color–magnitude diagrams, from which some basic parameters are derived, such as reddenings and heliocentric distances. The color–magnitude diagrams reveal well defined red giant branches in all cases, often including a prominent red clump. The new globular cluster candidates exhibit a variety of extinctions (0.06 < A {sub Ks} < 2.77) and distances (5.3 < D < 9.5 kpc). We also classify the globular cluster candidates into 10 metal-poor and 12 metal-rich clusters, based on the comparison of their color–magnitude diagrams with those of known globular clusters also observed by the VVV Survey. Finally, we argue that the census for Galactic globular clusters still remains incomplete, and that many more candidate globular clusters (particularly the low luminosity ones) await to be found and studied in detail in the central regions of the Milky Way.

Exclusion of candidate genes from the chromosome 1q juvenile glaucoma region and mapping of the peripheral cannabis receptor gene (CNR2) to chromosome 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sunden, S.L.F.; Nichols, B.E.; Alward, W.L.M. [Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)] [and others

1994-09-01

Juvenile onset primary open angle glaucoma has been mapped by linkage to 1q21-q31. Several candidate genes were evaluated in the same family used to identify the primary linkage. Atrionatriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR1) and laminin C1 (LAMC1) have been previously mapped to this region and could putatively play a role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. A third gene, the peripheral cannabis receptor (CNR2) was not initially mapped in humans but was a candidate because of the relief that cannabis affords some patients with primary open angle glaucoma. Microsatellites associated with NPR1 and LAMC1 revealed multiple recombinations in affected members of this pedigree. CNR2 was shown to be on chromosome 1 by PCR amplification of a 150 bp fragment of the 3{prime} untranslated region in monochromosomal somatic cell hybrids (NIGMS panel No. 2). These primers also revealed a two allele single strand conformation polymorphism which showed multiple recombinants with juvenile onset primary open angle glaucoma in large pedigrees, segregating this disorder. The marker was then mapped to 1p34-p36 by linkage, with the most likely location between liver alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) and alpha-L-1 fucosidase (FUCA1).

The influence of regional deprivation index on personal happiness using multilevel analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kil Hun; Chun, Jin-Ho; Sohn, Hae Sook

2015-01-01

The objective of the present study was to identify the factors that influence the happiness index of community residents, by considering personal and regional aspects, and to use as evidence of efforts for improvement of the happiness index. The study was conducted based on information from 16,270 participants who met the data requirement among those who participated in the 2011 South Gyeongsang Community Health Survey. Of the factors that can influence the happiness index, socioeconomic characteristics, health behavior, morbidity, and healthcare use, social contact, and participation in social activities were classified as personal factors; for regional factors, data from the 2010 census were used to extrapolate the regional deprivation indices at the submunicipal-level (eup, myeon, and dong) in South Gyeongsang Province. The happiness index for each characteristic was compared to that for others via t-test and ANOVA, and multilevel analysis was performed, using four models: a basic model for identification of only random effects, model 1 for identification of personal factors, model 2 for identification of regional factors, and model 3 for simultaneous consideration of both personal and regional factors. The mean happiness index was 63.2 points (64.6 points in males and 62.0 points in females), while the mean deprivation index was -1.58 points. In the multilevel analysis, the regional-level variance ratio of the basic model was 10.8%, confirming interregional differences. At the personal level, higher happiness indices were seen in groups consisting of males with high educational level, high income, high degree of physical activity, sufficient sleep, active social contact, and participation in social activities; whereas lower happiness indices were seen in people who frequently skipped breakfast, had unmet healthcare needs, and had accompanying diseases, as well as those with higher deprivation index. The study confirmed that the happiness index of community

The influence of regional deprivation index on personal happiness using multilevel analysis

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Kil Hun Kim

2015-04-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to identify the factors that influence the happiness index of community residents, by considering personal and regional aspects, and to use as evidence of efforts for improvement of the happiness index. METHODS: The study was conducted based on information from 16,270 participants who met the data requirement among those who participated in the 2011 South Gyeongsang Community Health Survey. Of the factors that can influence the happiness index, socioeconomic characteristics, health behavior, morbidity, and healthcare use, social contact, and participation in social activities were classified as personal factors; for regional factors, data from the 2010 census were used to extrapolate the regional deprivation indices at the submunicipal-level (eup, myeon, and dong in South Gyeongsang Province. The happiness index for each characteristic was compared to that for others via t-test and ANOVA, and multilevel analysis was performed, using four models: a basic model for identification of only random effects, model 1 for identification of personal factors, model 2 for identification of regional factors, and model 3 for simultaneous consideration of both personal and regional factors. RESULTS: The mean happiness index was 63.2 points (64.6 points in males and 62.0 points in females, while the mean deprivation index was -1.58 points. In the multilevel analysis, the regional-level variance ratio of the basic model was 10.8%, confirming interregional differences. At the personal level, higher happiness indices were seen in groups consisting of males with high educational level, high income, high degree of physical activity, sufficient sleep, active social contact, and participation in social activities; whereas lower happiness indices were seen in people who frequently skipped breakfast, had unmet healthcare needs, and had accompanying diseases, as well as those with higher deprivation index. CONCLUSIONS

EnviroAtlas - Candidate Areas for Ecological Restoration for the Conterminous United States

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This EnviroAtlas dataset shows the candidate areas for ecological restoration, identified as close but geographically disjunct vegetated regions. Ecological...

Time-Series Analysis of Remotely-Sensed SeaWiFS Chlorophyll in River-Influenced Coastal Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Acker, James G.; McMahon, Erin; Shen, Suhung; Hearty, Thomas; Casey, Nancy

2009-01-01

The availability of a nearly-continuous record of remotely-sensed chlorophyll a data (chl a) from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) mission, now longer than ten years, enables examination of time-series trends for multiple global locations. Innovative data analysis technology available on the World Wide Web facilitates such analyses. In coastal regions influenced by river outflows, chl a is not always indicative of actual trends in phytoplankton chlorophyll due to the interference of colored dissolved organic matter and suspended sediments; significant chl a timeseries trends for coastal regions influenced by river outflows may nonetheless be indicative of important alterations of the hydrologic and coastal environment. Chl a time-series analysis of nine marine regions influenced by river outflows demonstrates the simplicity and usefulness of this technique. The analyses indicate that coastal time-series are significantly influenced by unusual flood events. Major river systems in regions with relatively low human impact did not exhibit significant trends. Most river systems with demonstrated human impact exhibited significant negative trends, with the noteworthy exception of the Pearl River in China, which has a positive trend.

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifying Candidate Genes Influencing Important Agronomic Traits of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Using SLAF-seq.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Dongwei; Dai, Zhigang; Yang, Zemao; Sun, Jian; Zhao, Debao; Yang, Xue; Zhang, Liguo; Tang, Qing; Su, Jianguang

2017-01-01

Flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important cash crop, and its agronomic traits directly affect yield and quality. Molecular studies on flax remain inadequate because relatively few flax genes have been associated with agronomic traits or have been identified as having potential applications. To identify markers and candidate genes that can potentially be used for genetic improvement of crucial agronomic traits, we examined 224 specimens of core flax germplasm; specifically, phenotypic data for key traits, including plant height, technical length, number of branches, number of fruits, and 1000-grain weight were investigated under three environmental conditions before specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) was employed to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for these five agronomic traits. Subsequently, the results were used to screen single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci and candidate genes that exhibited a significant correlation with the important agronomic traits. Our analyses identified a total of 42 SNP loci that showed significant correlations with the five important agronomic flax traits. Next, candidate genes were screened in the 10 kb zone of each of the 42 SNP loci. These SNP loci were then analyzed by a more stringent screening via co-identification using both a general linear model (GLM) and a mixed linear model (MLM) as well as co-occurrences in at least two of the three environments, whereby 15 final candidate genes were obtained. Based on these results, we determined that UGT and PL are candidate genes for plant height, GRAS and XTH are candidate genes for the number of branches, Contig1437 and LU0019C12 are candidate genes for the number of fruits, and PHO1 is a candidate gene for the 1000-seed weight. We propose that the identified SNP loci and corresponding candidate genes might serve as a biological basis for improving crucial agronomic flax traits.

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifying Candidate Genes Influencing Important Agronomic Traits of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L. Using SLAF-seq

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongwei Xie

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Flax (Linum usitatissimum L. is an important cash crop, and its agronomic traits directly affect yield and quality. Molecular studies on flax remain inadequate because relatively few flax genes have been associated with agronomic traits or have been identified as having potential applications. To identify markers and candidate genes that can potentially be used for genetic improvement of crucial agronomic traits, we examined 224 specimens of core flax germplasm; specifically, phenotypic data for key traits, including plant height, technical length, number of branches, number of fruits, and 1000-grain weight were investigated under three environmental conditions before specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq was employed to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS for these five agronomic traits. Subsequently, the results were used to screen single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP loci and candidate genes that exhibited a significant correlation with the important agronomic traits. Our analyses identified a total of 42 SNP loci that showed significant correlations with the five important agronomic flax traits. Next, candidate genes were screened in the 10 kb zone of each of the 42 SNP loci. These SNP loci were then analyzed by a more stringent screening via co-identification using both a general linear model (GLM and a mixed linear model (MLM as well as co-occurrences in at least two of the three environments, whereby 15 final candidate genes were obtained. Based on these results, we determined that UGT and PL are candidate genes for plant height, GRAS and XTH are candidate genes for the number of branches, Contig1437 and LU0019C12 are candidate genes for the number of fruits, and PHO1 is a candidate gene for the 1000-seed weight. We propose that the identified SNP loci and corresponding candidate genes might serve as a biological basis for improving crucial agronomic flax traits.

Influence of stellar multiplicity on planet formation. I. Evidence of suppressed planet formation due to stellar companions within 20 au and validation of four planets from the Kepler multiple planet candidates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ji; Fischer, Debra A.; Xie, Ji-Wei; Barclay, Thomas

2014-01-01

The planet occurrence rate for multiple stars is important in two aspects. First, almost half of stellar systems in the solar neighborhood are multiple systems. Second, the comparison of the planet occurrence rate for multiple stars to that for single stars sheds light on the influence of stellar multiplicity on planet formation and evolution. We developed a method of distinguishing planet occurrence rates for single and multiple stars. From a sample of 138 bright (K P < 13.5) Kepler multi-planet candidate systems, we compared the stellar multiplicity rate of these planet host stars to that of field stars. Using dynamical stability analyses and archival Doppler measurements, we find that the stellar multiplicity rate of planet host stars is significantly lower than field stars for semimajor axes less than 20 AU, suggesting that planet formation and evolution are suppressed by the presence of a close-in companion star at these separations. The influence of stellar multiplicity at larger separations is uncertain because of search incompleteness due to a limited Doppler observation time baseline and a lack of high-resolution imaging observation. We calculated the planet confidence for the sample of multi-planet candidates and find that the planet confidences for KOI 82.01, KOI 115.01, KOI 282.01, and KOI 1781.02 are higher than 99.7% and thus validate the planetary nature of these four planet candidates. This sample of bright Kepler multi-planet candidates with refined stellar and orbital parameters, planet confidence estimation, and nearby stellar companion identification offers a well-characterized sample for future theoretical and observational study.

ENU Mutagenesis in Mice Identifies Candidate Genes For Hypogonadism

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Jeffrey; Hurley, Lisa A.; Harris, Rebecca M.; Finlayson, Courtney; Tong, Minghan; Fisher, Lisa A.; Moran, Jennifer L.; Beier, David R.; Mason, Christopher; Jameson, J. Larry

2012-01-01

Genome-wide mutagenesis was performed in mice to identify candidate genes for male infertility, for which the predominant causes remain idiopathic. Mice were mutagenized using N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), bred, and screened for phenotypes associated with the male urogenital system. Fifteen heritable lines were isolated and chromosomal loci were assigned using low density genome-wide SNP arrays. Ten of the fifteen lines were pursued further using higher resolution SNP analysis to narrow the candidate gene regions. Exon sequencing of candidate genes identified mutations in mice with cystic kidneys (Bicc1), cryptorchidism (Rxfp2), restricted germ cell deficiency (Plk4), and severe germ cell deficiency (Prdm9). In two other lines with severe hypogonadism candidate sequencing failed to identify mutations, suggesting defects in genes with previously undocumented roles in gonadal function. These genomic intervals were sequenced in their entirety and a candidate mutation was identified in SnrpE in one of the two lines. The line harboring the SnrpE variant retains substantial spermatogenesis despite small testis size, an unusual phenotype. In addition to the reproductive defects, heritable phenotypes were observed in mice with ataxia (Myo5a), tremors (Pmp22), growth retardation (unknown gene), and hydrocephalus (unknown gene). These results demonstrate that the ENU screen is an effective tool for identifying potential causes of male infertility. PMID:22258617

Resequencing three candidate genes discovers seven potentially deleterious variants susceptibility to major depressive disorder and suicide attempts in Chinese.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Shitao; Leung, Cherry She Ting; Lam, Macro Hb; Wing, Yun Kwok; Waye, Mary Miu Yee; Tsui, Stephen Kwok Wing

2017-03-01

To date almost 200 genes were found to be associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) or suicide attempts (SA), but very few genes were reported for their molecular mechanisms. This study aimed to find out whether there were common or rare variants in three candidate genes altering the risk for MDD and SA in Chinese. Three candidate genes (HOMER1, SLC6A4 and TEF) were chosen for resequencing analysis and association studies as they were reported to be involved in the etiology of MDD and SA. Following that, bioinformatics analyses were applied on those variants of interest. After resequencing analysis and alignment for the amplicons, a total of 34 common or rare variants were found in the randomly selected 36 Hong Kong Chinese patients with both MDD and SA. Among those, seven variants show potentially deleterious features. Rs60029191 and a rare variant located in regulatory region of the HOMER1 gene may affect the promoter activities through interacting with predicted transcription factors. Two missense mutations existed in the SLC6A4 coding regions were firstly reported in Hong Kong Chinese MDD and SA patients, and both of them could affect the transport efficiency of SLC6A4 to serotonin. Moreover, a common variant rs6354 located in the untranslated region of this gene may affect the expression level or exonic splicing of serotonin transporter. In addition, both of a most studied polymorphism rs738499 and a low-frequency variant in the promoter region of the TEF gene were found to be located in potential transcription factor binding sites, which may let the two variants be able to influence the promoter activities of the gene. This study elucidated the potentially molecular mechanisms of the three candidate genes altering the risk for MDD and SA. These findings implied that not only common variants but rare variants could make contributions to the genetic susceptibility to MDD and SA in Chinese. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of globalization on the state management by regional development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. H. Kovalchuk

2015-03-01

Full Text Available It is detected that substantial influence on the state management by regional development have done the processes of globalization, particularly the transference from programs to strategies of regions development was held. Wherein there are a lot of social and economic benefits connected with usage of regional development strategies in the globalized world compared with traditional programs of development, the main of which are the following: strategies give more authority to local communities and contribute to dialogue establishing; strategies help to make the work of regional authorities more clear and responsible, and also they contribute the development of citizens community on the local level; strategies contribute the stable growing and creating of employment in local enterprises, which are able to adapt to conditions of socially economic situation in the World that changes permanently because of its orientation to the socially economic activity of particular territory depended on competitive benefits and features of its territory; strategies thanks to attraction to their realization of local entities interested in region development, and also because of economic activity improvement on particular territory contribute the quality increase of working places. Keywords: governance, regional development strategy, the processes of globalization.

Meta-analysis and candidate gene mining of low-phosphorus tolerance in maize.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongwei; Uddin, Mohammed Shalim; Zou, Cheng; Xie, Chuanxiao; Xu, Yunbi; Li, Wen-Xue

2014-03-01

Plants with tolerance to low-phosphorus (P) can grow better under low-P conditions, and understanding of genetic mechanisms of low-P tolerance can not only facilitate identifying relevant genes but also help to develop low-P tolerant cultivars. QTL meta-analysis was conducted after a comprehensive review of the reports on QTL mapping for low-P tolerance-related traits in maize. Meta-analysis produced 23 consensus QTL (cQTL), 17 of which located in similar chromosome regions to those previously reported to influence root traits. Meanwhile, candidate gene mining yielded 215 genes, 22 of which located in the cQTL regions. These 22 genes are homologous to 14 functionally characterized genes that were found to participate in plant low-P tolerance, including genes encoding miR399s, Pi transporters and purple acid phosphatases. Four cQTL loci (cQTL2-1, cQTL5-3, cQTL6-2, and cQTL10-2) may play important roles for low-P tolerance because each contains more original QTL and has better consistency across previous reports. © 2014 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Boomers versus Millennials: Online Media Influence on Media Performance and Candidate Evaluations

OpenAIRE

Terri Towner; Caroline Lego Munoz

2016-01-01

Facebook posts, YouTube videos, tweets and wooing political bloggers have become standard practice in marketing political campaigns. Research has demonstrated the effect of new media on a host of politically-related behavior, including political participation, knowledge acquisition, group formation and self-efficacy. Yet, issues related to media trust, media performance and candidate evaluations have not been fully explored. In addition, much of the political marketing research looks exclusiv...

Citizen Candidates Under Uncertainty

OpenAIRE

Eguia, Jon X.

2005-01-01

In this paper we make two contributions to the growing literature on "citizen-candidate" models of representative democracy. First, we add uncertainty about the total vote count. We show that in a society with a large electorate, where the outcome of the election is uncertain and where winning candidates receive a large reward from holding office, there will be a two-candidate equilibrium and no equilibria with a single candidate. Second, we introduce a new concept of equilibrium, which we te...

On the local and regional influence on ground-level ozone concentrations in Hong Kong

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

So, K.L.; Wang, T.

2003-01-01

It is imperative to consider regional scale emissions and dynamic transport in managing ozone pollution in Hong Kong. - Hong Kong is a densely populated city situated in the fast developing Pearl River Delta of southern China. In this study, the recent data on ozone (O 3 ) and related air pollutants obtained at three sites in Hong Kong are analyzed to show the variations of O 3 in urban, sub-urban and rural areas and the possible regional influences. Highest monthly averaged O 3 was found at a northeastern rural site and lowest O 3 level was observed at an urban site. The levels of NO x , CO, SO 2 and PM 10 showed a different spatial pattern with the highest level in the urban site and lowest at the rural site. Analysis of chemical species ratios such as SO 2 /NO x and CO/NO x indicated that the sites were under the influences of local and regional emissions to varying extents reflecting the characteristics of emission sources surround the respective sites. Seasonal pattern of O 3 is examined. Low O 3 level was found in summer and elevated levels occurred in autumn and spring. The latter appears different from the previous result obtained in 1996 indicating a single maximum occurring in autumn. Principal component analysis was used to further elucidate the relationships of air pollutants at each site. As expected, the O 3 variation in the northeastern rural area was largely determined by regional chemical and transport processes, while the O 3 variability at the southwestern suburban and urban sites were more influenced by local emissions. Despite the large difference in O 3 levels across the sites, total potential ozone (O 3 +NO 2 ) showed little variability. Cases of high O 3 episodes were presented and elevated O 3 levels were formed under the influence of tropical cyclone bringing in conditions of intense sunlight, high temperature and light winds. Elevated O 3 levels were also found to correlate with enhanced ratio of SO 2 to NO x , suggesting influence of

Candidate Gense of Juvenile Hypertension in the Region of the Major Histo-Compatibility System

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mazura, I.; Nutsu-Mazura, F.; Bláha, P.; Bendlová, B.; Včelák, J.; Palyzová, D.; Zvárová, Jana

2002-01-01

Roč. 26, suppl. 1 (2002), s. 84 ISSN 0307-0565. [International Congress on Obesity /9./. 24.08.2002-29.08.2002, Sao Paulo] R&D Projects: GA MZd NB6635; GA MŠk LN00B107 Keywords : juvenile hypertension * candidate genes * statistics Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research

FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF KEPLER PLANET-CANDIDATE HOST STARS USING ASTEROSEISMOLOGY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huber, Daniel; Lissauer, Jack J.; Rowe, Jason F. [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Chaplin, William J. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jorgen; Kjeldsen, Hans; Handberg, Rasmus; Karoff, Christoffer; Lund, Mikkel N.; Lundkvist, Mia [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Gilliland, Ronald L. [Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Buchhave, Lars A. [Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Fischer, Debra A.; Basu, Sarbani [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto [Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Hekker, Saskia [Astronomical Institute ' ' Anton Pannekoek' ' , University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam (Netherlands); Howard, Andrew W. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Isaacson, Howard; Marcy, Geoffrey W. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Latham, David W., E-mail: daniel.huber@nasa.gov [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); and others

2013-04-20

We have used asteroseismology to determine fundamental properties for 66 Kepler planet-candidate host stars, with typical uncertainties of 3% and 7% in radius and mass, respectively. The results include new asteroseismic solutions for four host stars with confirmed planets (Kepler-4, Kepler-14, Kepler-23 and Kepler-25) and increase the total number of Kepler host stars with asteroseismic solutions to 77. A comparison with stellar properties in the planet-candidate catalog by Batalha et al. shows that radii for subgiants and giants obtained from spectroscopic follow-up are systematically too low by up to a factor of 1.5, while the properties for unevolved stars are in good agreement. We furthermore apply asteroseismology to confirm that a large majority of cool main-sequence hosts are indeed dwarfs and not misclassified giants. Using the revised stellar properties, we recalculate the radii for 107 planet candidates in our sample, and comment on candidates for which the radii change from a previously giant-planet/brown-dwarf/stellar regime to a sub-Jupiter size or vice versa. A comparison of stellar densities from asteroseismology with densities derived from transit models in Batalha et al. assuming circular orbits shows significant disagreement for more than half of the sample due to systematics in the modeled impact parameters or due to planet candidates that may be in eccentric orbits. Finally, we investigate tentative correlations between host-star masses and planet-candidate radii, orbital periods, and multiplicity, but caution that these results may be influenced by the small sample size and detection biases.

Differential influences of local subpopulations on regional diversity and differentiation for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

Science.gov (United States)

Row, Jeffery R.; Oyler-McCance, Sara J.; Fedy, Brad C.

2016-01-01

The distribution of spatial genetic variation across a region can shape evolutionary dynamics and impact population persistence. Local population dynamics and among-population dispersal rates are strong drivers of this spatial genetic variation, yet for many species we lack a clear understanding of how these population processes interact in space to shape within-species genetic variation. Here, we used extensive genetic and demographic data from 10 subpopulations of greater sage-grouse to parameterize a simulated approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) model and (i) test for regional differences in population density and dispersal rates for greater sage-grouse subpopulations in Wyoming, and (ii) quantify how these differences impact subpopulation regional influence on genetic variation. We found a close match between observed and simulated data under our parameterized model and strong variation in density and dispersal rates across Wyoming. Sensitivity analyses suggested that changes in dispersal (via landscape resistance) had a greater influence on regional differentiation, whereas changes in density had a greater influence on mean diversity across all subpopulations. Local subpopulations, however, varied in their regional influence on genetic variation. Decreases in the size and dispersal rates of central populations with low overall and net immigration (i.e. population sources) had the greatest negative impact on genetic variation. Overall, our results provide insight into the interactions among demography, dispersal and genetic variation and highlight the potential of ABC to disentangle the complexity of regional population dynamics and project the genetic impact of changing conditions.

Regional differences in lumbar spinal posture and the influence of low back pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burnett Angus F

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spinal posture is commonly a focus in the assessment and clinical management of low back pain (LBP patients. However, the link between spinal posture and LBP is not fully understood. Recent evidence suggests that considering regional, rather than total lumbar spine posture is important. The purpose of this study was to determine; if there are regional differences in habitual lumbar spine posture and movement, and if these findings are influenced by LBP. Methods One hundred and seventy female undergraduate nursing students, with and without LBP, participated in this cross-sectional study. Lower lumbar (LLx, Upper lumbar (ULx and total lumbar (TLx spine angles were measured using an electromagnetic tracking system in static postures and across a range of functional tasks. Results Regional differences in lumbar posture and movement were found. Mean LLx posture did not correlate with ULx posture in sitting (r = 0.036, p = 0.638, but showed a moderate inverse correlation with ULx posture in usual standing (r = -0.505, p Conclusion This study supports the concept of regional differences within the lumbar spine during common postures and movements. Global lumbar spine kinematics do not reflect regional lumbar spine kinematics, which has implications for interpretation of measures of spinal posture, motion and loading. BMI influenced regional lumbar posture and movement, possibly representing adaptation due to load.

Physical mapping of the major early-onset familial Alzheimer`s disease locus on chromosome 14 and analysis of candidate gene sequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanzi, R.E.; Romano, D.M.; Crowley, A.C. [Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA (United States)] [and others

1994-09-01

Genetic studies of kindreds displaying evidence for familial AD (FAD) have led to the localization of gene defects responsible for this disorder on chromosomes 14, 19, and 21. A minor early-onset FAD gene on chromosome 21 has been identified to enode the amyloid precursor protein (APP), and the late-onset FAD susceptibility locus on chromosome 19 has been shown to be in linkage disequilibrium with the E4 allele of the APOE gene. Meanwhile, the locus responsible for the major form of early-onset FAD on chromosome 14q24 has not yet been identified. By recombinational analysis, we have refined the minimal candidate region containing the gene defect to approximately 3 megabases in 14q24. We will describe our laboratory`s progress on attempts to finely localize this locus, as well as test known candidate genes from this region for either inclusion in the minimal candidate region or the presence of pathogenic mutations. Candidate genes that have been tested so far include cFOS, heat shock protein 70 member (HSF2A), transforming growth factor beta (TGFB3), the trifunctional protein C1-THF synthase (MTHFD), bradykinin receptor (BR), and the E2k component of a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. HSP2A, E2k, MTHFD, and BR do not map to the current defined minimal candidate region; however, sequence analysis must be performed to confirm exclusion of these genes as true candidates. Meanwhile, no pathogenic mutations have yet been found in cFOS or TGFB3. We have also isolated a large number of novel transcribed sequences from the minimal candidate region in the form of {open_quotes}trapped exons{close_quotes} from cosmids identified by hybridization to select YAC clones; we are currently in the process of searching for pathogenic mutations in these exons in affected individuals from FAD families.

Influence investigation of a void region on modeling light propagation in a heterogeneous medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Defu; Chen, Xueli; Ren, Shenghan; Qu, Xiaochao; Tian, Jie; Liang, Jimin

2013-01-20

A void region exists in some biological tissues, and previous studies have shown that inaccurate images would be obtained if it were not processed. A hybrid radiosity-diffusion method (HRDM) that couples the radiosity theory and the diffusion equation has been proposed to deal with the void problem and has been well demonstrated in two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3D) simple models. However, the extent of the impact of the void region on the accuracy of modeling light propagation has not been investigated. In this paper, we first implemented and verified the HRDM in 3D models, including both the regular geometries and a digital mouse model, and then investigated the influences of the void region on modeling light propagation in a heterogeneous medium. Our investigation results show that the influence of the region can be neglected when the size of the void is less than a certain range, and other cases must be taken into account.

Vote Choice, Ideology, and Social Dominance Orientation Influence Preferences for Lower Pitched Voices in Political Candidates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laustsen, Lasse; Petersen, Michael Bang; A. Klofstad, Casey

2015-01-01

Humans are equipped with a psychological system of followership that evolved to regulate choices of leaders based partly on would-be leaders’ physiological features. One such feature is voice pitch, which is determined by the physiology of the throat. Recent studies find that political candidates...... these findings by demonstrating that conservatives and Republicans tend to view the world as much more competitive and threatening than liberals and Democrats. We utilize two existing data sources to show that political candidates with lower-pitched voices are preferred more among conservative Republicans than...

Region-of-influence approach to a frequency analysis of heavy precipitation in Slovakia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gaál, L.; Kyselý, Jan; Szolgay, J.

2007-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 4 (2007), s. 2361-2401 ISSN 1812-2108 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB300420601 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : regional frequency analysis * region-of-influence approach * pooling groups * extreme precipitation events * L-moments * Slovakia Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/4/2361/2007/

Deep Sequencing of 71 Candidate Genes to Characterize Variation Associated with Alcohol Dependence.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Shaunna L; McClay, Joseph L; Adkins, Daniel E; Kumar, Gaurav; Aberg, Karolina A; Nerella, Srilaxmi; Xie, Linying; Collins, Ann L; Crowley, James J; Quackenbush, Corey R; Hilliard, Christopher E; Shabalin, Andrey A; Vrieze, Scott I; Peterson, Roseann E; Copeland, William E; Silberg, Judy L; McGue, Matt; Maes, Hermine; Iacono, William G; Sullivan, Patrick F; Costello, Elizabeth J; van den Oord, Edwin J

2017-04-01

Previous genomewide association studies (GWASs) have identified a number of putative risk loci for alcohol dependence (AD). However, only a few loci have replicated and these replicated variants only explain a small proportion of AD risk. Using an innovative approach, the goal of this study was to generate hypotheses about potentially causal variants for AD that can be explored further through functional studies. We employed targeted capture of 71 candidate loci and flanking regions followed by next-generation deep sequencing (mean coverage 78X) in 806 European Americans. Regions included in our targeted capture library were genes identified through published GWAS of alcohol, all human alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, reward system genes including dopaminergic and opioid receptors, prioritized candidate genes based on previous associations, and genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs. We performed single-locus tests to determine if any single variant was associated with AD symptom count. Sets of variants that overlapped with biologically meaningful annotations were tested for association in aggregate. No single, common variant was significantly associated with AD in our study. We did, however, find evidence for association with several variant sets. Two variant sets were significant at the q-value <0.10 level: a genic enhancer for ADHFE1 (p = 1.47 × 10 -5 ; q = 0.019), an alcohol dehydrogenase, and ADORA1 (p = 5.29 × 10 -5 ; q = 0.035), an adenosine receptor that belongs to a G-protein-coupled receptor gene family. To our knowledge, this is the first sequencing study of AD to examine variants in entire genes, including flanking and regulatory regions. We found that in addition to protein coding variant sets, regulatory variant sets may play a role in AD. From these findings, we have generated initial functional hypotheses about how these sets may influence AD. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on

Au-Ge based Candidate Alloys for High-Temperature Lead-Free Solder Alternatives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chidambaram, Vivek; Hald, John; Hattel, Jesper Henri

2009-01-01

Au-Ge based candidate alloys have been proposed as an alternative to high-lead content solders that are currently being used for high-temperature applications. The influence of the low melting point metals namely In, Sb and Sn to the Au-Ge eutectic with respect to the microstructure and microhard......Au-Ge based candidate alloys have been proposed as an alternative to high-lead content solders that are currently being used for high-temperature applications. The influence of the low melting point metals namely In, Sb and Sn to the Au-Ge eutectic with respect to the microstructure...... was primarily strengthened by the refined (Ge) dispersed phase. The distribution of phases played a relatively more crucial role in determining the ductility of the bulk solder alloy. In the present work it was found that among the low melting point metals, the addition of Sb to the Au-Ge eutectic would...

Genomewide high-density SNP linkage analysis of non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer families identifies various candidate regions and has greater power than microsatellite studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonzalez-Neira Anna

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The recent development of new high-throughput technologies for SNP genotyping has opened the possibility of taking a genome-wide linkage approach to the search for new candidate genes involved in heredity diseases. The two major breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are involved in 30% of hereditary breast cancer cases, but the discovery of additional breast cancer predisposition genes for the non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer families has so far been unsuccessful. Results In order to evaluate the power improvement provided by using SNP markers in a real situation, we have performed a whole genome screen of 19 non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer families using 4720 genomewide SNPs with Illumina technology (Illumina's Linkage III Panel, with an average distance of 615 Kb/SNP. We identified six regions on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 7, 11 and 14 as candidates to contain genes involved in breast cancer susceptibility, and additional fine mapping genotyping using microsatellite markers around linkage peaks confirmed five of them, excluding the region on chromosome 3. These results were consistent in analyses that excluded SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium. The results were compared with those obtained previously using a 10 cM microsatellite scan (STR-GWS and we found lower or not significant linkage signals with STR-GWS data compared to SNP data in all cases. Conclusion Our results show the power increase that SNPs can supply in linkage studies.

A novel live-attenuated vaccine candidate for mayaro Fever.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William J Weise

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Mayaro virus (MAYV is an emerging, mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes a dengue-like illness in many regions of South America, and which has the potential to urbanize. Because no specific treatment or vaccine is available for MAYV infection, we capitalized on an IRES-based approach to develop a live-attenuated MAYV vaccine candidate. Testing in infant, immunocompetent as well as interferon receptor-deficient mice demonstrated a high degree of attenuation, strong induction of neutralizing antibodies, and efficacy against lethal challenge. This vaccine strain was also unable to infect mosquito cells, a major safety feature for a live vaccine derived from a mosquito-borne virus. Further preclinical development of this vaccine candidate is warranted to protect against this important emerging disease.

Defining the Sequence Elements and Candidate Genes for the Coloboma Mutation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth A. Robb

Full Text Available The chicken coloboma mutation exhibits features similar to human congenital developmental malformations such as ocular coloboma, cleft-palate, dwarfism, and polydactyly. The coloboma-associated region and encoded genes were investigated using advanced genomic, genetic, and gene expression technologies. Initially, the mutation was linked to a 990 kb region encoding 11 genes; the application of the genetic and genomic tools led to a reduction of the linked region to 176 kb and the elimination of 7 genes. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses of capture array-next generation sequence data identified genetic elements including SNPs, insertions, deletions, gaps, chromosomal rearrangements, and miRNA binding sites within the introgressed causative region relative to the reference genome sequence. Coloboma-specific variants within exons, UTRs, and splice sites were studied for their contribution to the mutant phenotype. Our compiled results suggest three genes for future studies. The three candidate genes, SLC30A5 (a zinc transporter, CENPH (a centromere protein, and CDK7 (a cyclin-dependent kinase, are differentially expressed (compared to normal embryos at stages and in tissues affected by the coloboma mutation. Of these genes, two (SLC30A5 and CENPH are considered high-priority candidate based upon studies in other vertebrate model systems.

Defining the Human Macula Transcriptome and Candidate Retinal Disease Genes UsingEyeSAGE

Science.gov (United States)

Rickman, Catherine Bowes; Ebright, Jessica N.; Zavodni, Zachary J.; Yu, Ling; Wang, Tianyuan; Daiger, Stephen P.; Wistow, Graeme; Boon, Kathy; Hauser, Michael A.

2009-01-01

Purpose To develop large-scale, high-throughput annotation of the human macula transcriptome and to identify and prioritize candidate genes for inherited retinal dystrophies, based on ocular-expression profiles using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). Methods Two human retina and two retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid SAGE libraries made from matched macula or midperipheral retina and adjacent RPE/choroid of morphologically normal 28- to 66-year-old donors and a human central retina longSAGE library made from 41- to 66-year-old donors were generated. Their transcription profiles were entered into a relational database, EyeSAGE, including microarray expression profiles of retina and publicly available normal human tissue SAGE libraries. EyeSAGE was used to identify retina- and RPE-specific and -associated genes, and candidate genes for retina and RPE disease loci. Differential and/or cell-type specific expression was validated by quantitative and single-cell RT-PCR. Results Cone photoreceptor-associated gene expression was elevated in the macula transcription profiles. Analysis of the longSAGE retina tags enhanced tag-to-gene mapping and revealed alternatively spliced genes. Analysis of candidate gene expression tables for the identified Bardet-Biedl syndrome disease gene (BBS5) in the BBS5 disease region table yielded BBS5 as the top candidate. Compelling candidates for inherited retina diseases were identified. Conclusions The EyeSAGE database, combining three different gene-profiling platforms including the authors’ multidonor-derived retina/RPE SAGE libraries and existing single-donor retina/RPE libraries, is a powerful resource for definition of the retina and RPE transcriptomes. It can be used to identify retina-specific genes, including alternatively spliced transcripts and to prioritize candidate genes within mapped retinal disease regions. PMID:16723438

The Southern HII Region Discovery Survey: The Bright Catalog

Science.gov (United States)

Wenger, Trey V.; Dickey, John M.; Jordan, Christopher H.; Balser, Dana; Armentrout, William Paul; Anderson, Loren; Bania, Thomas; Dawson, Joanne; McClure-Griffiths, Naomi M.; Shea, Jeanine

2018-01-01

HII regions, the zones of ionized gas surrounding recently formed high-mass stars, are the archetypical tracers of Galactic structure. The census of Galactic HII regions in the Southern sky is vastly incomplete due to a lack of sensitive radio recombination line (RRL) surveys. The Southern HII Region Discovery Survey (SHRDS) is a 900-hour Australia Telescope Compact Array cm-wavelength RRL and continuum emission survey of hundreds of third and fourth quadrant Galactic HII region candidates. These candidates are identified in the Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) Catalog of Galactic HII Regions based on coincident 10 micron (WISE) and 20 cm (Southern Galactic Plane Survey) emission. The SHRDS is an extension of HII Region Discovery Surveys in the Northern sky with the Green Bank Telescope and Arecibo Telescope which discovered ~800 new HII regions. In the first 500 hours of the SHRDS, we targeted the 249 brightest HII region candidates and 33 previously known HII regions. We discuss the data reduction, analysis, and preliminary results from this first stage of the survey.

Longevity Candidate Genes and Their Association With Personality Traits in the Elderly

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luciano, M.; Lopez, L.M.; de Moor, M.H.M.; Harris, S.E.; Davies, G.; Nutile, T.; Krueger, R.F.; Esko, T.; Schlessinger, D.; Toshiko, T.; Derringer, J.; Realo, A.; Hansell, N.K.; Pergadia, M.L.; Pesonen, A.-K.; Sanna, S.; Terracciano, A.; Madden, P.A.F.; Penninx, B.W.J.H.; Spinhoven, Ph.D.; Hartman, C.A.; Oostra, B.A.; Janssens, A.C.J.W.; Eriksson, J.G.; Starr, J.M.; Cannas, A.; Ferrucci, L.; Metspalu, A.; Wright, M.J.; Heath, A.C.; van Duijn, C.M.; Bierut, L.J.; Raikkonen, K.; Martin, N.G.; Ciullo, M.; Rujescu, D.; Boomsma, D.I.; Deary, I.J.

2012-01-01

Human longevity and personality traits are both heritable and are consistently linked at the phenotypic level. We test the hypothesis that candidate genes influencing longevity in lower organisms are associated with variance in the five major dimensions of human personality (measured by the NEO-FFI

Longevity candidate genes and their association with personality traits in the elderly

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luciano, Michelle; Lopez, Lorna M.; de Moor, Marleen H. M.; Harris, Sarah E.; Davies, Gail; Nutile, Teresa; Krueger, Robert F.; Esko, Tonu; Schlessinger, David; Toshiko, Tanaka; Derringer, Jaime L.; Realo, Anu; Hansell, Narelle K.; Pergadia, Michele L.; Pesonen, Anu-Katriina; Sanna, Serena; Terracciano, Antonio; Madden, Pamela A. F.; Penninx, Brenda; Spinhoven, Philip; Hartman, Catherina A.; Oostra, Ben A.; Janssens, A. Cecile J. W.; Eriksson, Johan G.; Starr, John M.; Cannas, Alessandra; Ferrucci, Luigi; Metspalu, Andres; Wright, Margeret J.; Heath, Andrew C.; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Bierut, Laura J.; Raikkonen, Katri; Martin, Nicholas G.; Ciullo, Marina; Rujescu, Dan; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Deary, Ian J.

Human longevity and personality traits are both heritable and are consistently linked at the phenotypic level. We test the hypothesis that candidate genes influencing longevity in lower organisms are associated with variance in the five major dimensions of human personality (measured by the NEO-FFI

Region-of-influence approach to a frequency analysis of heavy precipitation in Slovakia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gaál, L.; Kyselý, Jan; Szolgay, J.

2008-01-01

Roč. 12, č. 3 (2008), s. 825-839 ISSN 1027-5606 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB300420601 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : regional frequency analysis * region-of-influence approach * pooling groups * extreme precipitation events * L-moments * Slovakia Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 2.167, year: 2008 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/12/825/2008/

Identification of the driving factors' influences on regional energy-related carbon emissions in China based on geographical detector method.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xinlin; Zhao, Yuan

2018-04-01

To investigate the influences of different factors on spatial heterogeneity of regional carbon emissions, we firstly studied the spatial-temporal dynamics of regional energy-related carbon emissions using global Moran's I and Getis-Ord Gi and applied geographical detector model to explain the spatial heterogeneity of regional carbon emissions. Some conclusions were drawn. Regional carbon emissions showed significant global and local spatial autocorrelation. The carbon emissions were greater in eastern and northern regions than in western and southern regions. Fixed assets investment and economic output had been the main contributing factors over the study period, and economic output had been decreasing its influence. Industrial structure's influence showed a decrease trend and became smaller in 2015. The results of the interaction detections in 2015 can be divided into two types: enhance and nonlinear, and enhance and bivariate. The interactive influences between technological level and fixed assets investment, economic output and technological level, population size and technological level, and economic output and economic development were greater than others. Some policy recommendations were proposed.

Force Spectroscopy of the Plasmodium falciparum Vaccine Candidate Circumsporozoite Protein Suggests a Mechanically Pliable Repeat Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Patra, Aditya Prasad; Sharma, Shobhona; Ainavarapu, Sri Rama Koti

2017-02-10

The most effective vaccine candidate of malaria is based on the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP), a major surface protein implicated in the structural strength, motility, and immune evasion properties of the infective sporozoites. It is suspected that reversible conformational changes of CSP are required for infection of the mammalian host, but the detailed structure and dynamic properties of CSP remain incompletely understood, limiting our understanding of its function in the infection. Here, we report the structural and mechanical properties of the CSP studied using single-molecule force spectroscopy on several constructs, one including the central region of CSP, which is rich in NANP amino acid repeats (CSP rep ), and a second consisting of a near full-length sequence without the signal and anchor hydrophobic domains (CSP ΔHP ). Our results show that the CSP rep is heterogeneous, with 40% of molecules requiring virtually no mechanical force to unfold (<10 piconewtons (pN)), suggesting that these molecules are mechanically compliant and perhaps act as entropic springs, whereas the remaining 60% are partially structured with low mechanical resistance (∼70 pN). CSP ΔHP having multiple force peaks suggests specifically folded domains, with two major populations possibly indicating the open and collapsed forms. Our findings suggest that the overall low mechanical resistance of the repeat region, exposed on the outer surface of the sporozoites, combined with the flexible full-length conformations of CSP, may provide the sporozoites not only with immune evasion properties, but also with lubricating capacity required during its navigation through the mosquito and vertebrate host tissues. We anticipate that these findings would further assist in the design and development of future malarial vaccines. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The Southern H ii Region Discovery Survey (SHRDS): Pilot Survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, C.; Dickey, John M. [School of Physical Sciences, Private Bag 37, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001 (Australia); Jordan, C. [International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6845 (Australia); Anderson, L. D.; Armentrout, W. P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506 (United States); Balser, Dana S.; Wenger, Trey V. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Bania, T. M. [Institute for Astrophysical Research, Department of Astronomy, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Dawson, J. R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy and MQ Research Centre in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrophotonics, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109 (Australia); Mc Clure-Griffiths, N. M. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611 (Australia)

2017-07-01

The Southern H ii Region Discovery Survey is a survey of the third and fourth quadrants of the Galactic plane that will detect radio recombination line (RRL) and continuum emission at cm-wavelengths from several hundred H ii region candidates using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The targets for this survey come from the WISE Catalog of Galactic H ii Regions and were identified based on mid-infrared and radio continuum emission. In this pilot project, two different configurations of the Compact Array Broad Band receiver and spectrometer system were used for short test observations. The pilot surveys detected RRL emission from 36 of 53 H ii region candidates, as well as seven known H ii regions that were included for calibration. These 36 recombination line detections confirm that the candidates are true H ii regions and allow us to estimate their distances.

The Southern H ii Region Discovery Survey (SHRDS): Pilot Survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, C.; Dickey, John M.; Jordan, C.; Anderson, L. D.; Armentrout, W. P.; Balser, Dana S.; Wenger, Trey V.; Bania, T. M.; Dawson, J. R.; Mc Clure-Griffiths, N. M.

2017-01-01

The Southern H ii Region Discovery Survey is a survey of the third and fourth quadrants of the Galactic plane that will detect radio recombination line (RRL) and continuum emission at cm-wavelengths from several hundred H ii region candidates using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The targets for this survey come from the WISE Catalog of Galactic H ii Regions and were identified based on mid-infrared and radio continuum emission. In this pilot project, two different configurations of the Compact Array Broad Band receiver and spectrometer system were used for short test observations. The pilot surveys detected RRL emission from 36 of 53 H ii region candidates, as well as seven known H ii regions that were included for calibration. These 36 recombination line detections confirm that the candidates are true H ii regions and allow us to estimate their distances.

Comorbidity negatively influences the outcomes of diagnostic tests for musculoskeletal pain in the orofacial region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koutris, M.; Visscher, C.M.; Lobbezoo, F.; Naeije, M.

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether diagnostic tests for musculoskeletal pain in the orofacial region [temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain] are influenced by the presence of comorbid conditions, and to determine whether this influence decreases when the presence of "familiar pain" is

Spatial econometric analysis of factors influencing regional energy efficiency in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Malin; Chen, Yu; An, Qingxian

2018-05-01

Increased environmental pollution and energy consumption caused by the country's rapid development has raised considerable public concern, and has become the focus of the government and public. This study employs the super-efficiency slack-based model-data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) to measure the total factor energy efficiency of 30 provinces in China. The estimation model for the spatial interaction intensity of regional total factor energy efficiency is based on Wilson's maximum entropy model. The model is used to analyze the factors that affect the potential value of total factor energy efficiency using spatial dynamic panel data for 30 provinces during 2000-2014. The study found that there are differences and spatial correlations of energy efficiency among provinces and regions in China. The energy efficiency in the eastern, central, and western regions fluctuated significantly, and was mainly because of significant energy efficiency impacts on influences of industrial structure, energy intensity, and technological progress. This research is of great significance to China's energy efficiency and regional coordinated development.

An Evaluation of Occupational Ethical Values of Geography Teacher Candidates in Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Ünlü, Mehmet

2018-01-01

Geographers can be influenced by the occupational ethical values in their cultures. In this research, the opinions of the geography teaching candidates were determined according to occupational ethical values at Marmara University, Faculty of Education, Department of Geography Teaching. Occupational ethical values identified are used to collect…

[Obesity studies in candidate genes].

Science.gov (United States)

Ochoa, María del Carmen; Martí, Amelia; Martínez, J Alfredo

2004-04-17

There are more than 430 chromosomic regions with gene variants involved in body weight regulation and obesity development. Polymorphisms in genes related to energy expenditure--uncoupling proteins (UCPs), related to adipogenesis and insulin resistance--hormone-sensitive lipase (HLS), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma), beta adrenergic receptors (ADRB2,3), and alfa tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), and related to food intake--ghrelin (GHRL)--appear to be associated with obesity phenotypes. Obesity risk depends on two factors: a) genetic variants in candidate genes, and b) biographical exposure to environmental risk factors. It is necessary to perform new studies, with appropriate control groups and designs, in order to reach relevant conclusions with regard to gene/environmental (diet, lifestyle) interactions.

Epidermal growth factor gene is a newly identified candidate gene for gout

OpenAIRE

Lin Han; Chunwei Cao; Zhaotong Jia; Shiguo Liu; Zhen Liu; Ruosai Xin; Can Wang; Xinde Li; Wei Ren; Xuefeng Wang; Changgui Li

2016-01-01

Chromosome 4q25 has been identified as a genomic region associated with gout. However, the associations of gout with the genes in this region have not yet been confirmed. Here, we performed two-stage analysis to determine whether variations in candidate genes in the 4q25 region are associated with gout in a male Chinese Han population. We first evaluated 96 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eight inflammatory/immune pathway- or glucose/lipid metabolism-related genes in the 4q25 re...

The influence of education level on choosing coastal regions as tourist destinations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đeri Lukrecija

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The main aim of the paper is to investigate the influence of formal education level on decision-making process when choosing a tourist destination based on multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA. The survey was conducted on the sample of 252 respondents from Bačka region (Vojvodina/Serbia. Also, this study strives to examine the influence of education level on decision-making process including all five phases of decision-making process: need awareness, information search, alternatives estimation, purchase and purchase evaluation, applied to the process of choosing coastal regions as tourist destinations. The study shows that education level is related to four out of five phases of decision-making process (only in case of need awareness there is no statistically significant difference. This is especially important for creation of a marketing platform with promotional activities adjusted to different market segments differentiated by education level. Moreover, the study discusses differences in behaviour of different educational groups while choosing travel destinations.

Strong influence of regional species pools on continent-wide structuring of local communities

OpenAIRE

Lessard, Jean-Philippe; Borregaard, Michael K.; Fordyce, James A.; Rahbek, Carsten; Weiser, Michael D.; Dunn, Robert R.; Sanders, Nathan J.

2011-01-01

There is a long tradition in ecology of evaluating the relative contribution of the regional species pool and local interactions on the structure of local communities. Similarly, a growing number of studies assess the phylogenetic structure of communities, relative to that in the regional species pool, to examine the interplay between broad-scale evolutionary and fine-scale ecological processes. Finally, a renewed interest in the influence of species source pools on communities has shown that...

THE INFLUENCE OF GAMBLING ON CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES IN THE REGION OF GORISKA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nevenka Podgornik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The discussion of social consequences of gambling includes also the influence of gambling on the occurrence of criminal activities. The start-point of the present article is based on criminological theories which explain causal-consecutive connection between crime and gambling. We performed an examination of relevant studies about the existence of correlation between gambling and crime and a comparison of statistical data about criminality in the region of Goriska with the regions where there is no gambling or it is present in a minor extent.

The influence of various dielectric parameters on the reststrahlen region of SiC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelbrecht, J.A.A.; Rooyen, I.J. van

2011-01-01

The reststrahlen region of SiC is analysed with the goal of establishing the origin of different shapes of this band, by varying the dielectric parameters involved when simulating the reststrahlen region as obtained by infrared reflectance. -- Research highlights: → An anomalous peak observed in the reststrahlen band of SiC was investigated. → The reflection spectrum of SiC in the reststrahlen region was simulated by theoretical calculations. → The influence on the reststrahlen band of the dielectric parameters used in the simulations is discussed. → Dielectric parameters used in the simulations did not yield the anomalous peak that is observed experimentally.

The influence of various dielectric parameters on the reststrahlen region of SiC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engelbrecht, J.A.A., E-mail: Japie.Engelbrecht@nmmu.ac.z [Physics Department, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Rooyen, I.J. van [Physics Department, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); National Laser Centre, CSIR, PO Box 395, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa)

2011-02-01

The reststrahlen region of SiC is analysed with the goal of establishing the origin of different shapes of this band, by varying the dielectric parameters involved when simulating the reststrahlen region as obtained by infrared reflectance. -- Research highlights: {yields} An anomalous peak observed in the reststrahlen band of SiC was investigated. {yields} The reflection spectrum of SiC in the reststrahlen region was simulated by theoretical calculations. {yields} The influence on the reststrahlen band of the dielectric parameters used in the simulations is discussed. {yields} Dielectric parameters used in the simulations did not yield the anomalous peak that is observed experimentally.

Modeling of budgetary funding influence on socio-demographic processes of a region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra Vladimirovna Vasil'eva

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a method of modeling socio-demographic processes in a region based on the minimax approach. In this method, the simulated socio-demographic processes reflect the performance of a population fertility age model, reproductive systems and the structure of mortality, as management impact tools of fiscal spending on socially significant budget items (health, physical culture and sport, social policy, education, environmental protection are considered. Testing methodology on the examples of the Russian Federation subjects included in the Ural Federal District is presented. Peculiarities of influence of funding of each socially important item on the social and demographic processes in the regions of the Ural Federal District are shown. Priorities of distribution of funds based on the level of budgetary provision in the region to ensure optimization of socio-demographic development of the region are shaped.

The Influence of Regional Social Inequality and Labour Market Characteristics on Health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christiane Gross

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The influence of contextual factors on individual health status has been demonstrated by a number of studies even when controlling for the individual socio-economic situation (and other relevant factors. The article examines whether and to what extent variables of the place of residence have an effect on individual health status. We do not only refer to income levels and inequality, but also to effects of the educational level and inequality and the regional unemployment rate. As data basis for the individual level, we use the 2006 wave of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP and add regional information on the aggregate level based on the regional units (Raumordnungsregionen of the Microcensus of 2005. These data will be analysed using multilevel models. The results reveal that regional educational inequality intensifies the individual educational effect, whereby members of less-educated groups in educationally disparate regions exhibit particularly low health chances. In addition, a high regional unemployment rate intensifies the negative effect of individual unemployment on men’s health.

Application of pooled genotyping to scan candidate regions for association with HDL cholesterol levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hinds David A

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Association studies are used to identify genetic determinants of complex human traits of medical interest. With the large number of validated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs currently available, two limiting factors in association studies are genotyping capability and costs. Pooled DNA genotyping has been proposed as an efficient means of screening SNPs for allele frequency differences in case-control studies and for prioritising them for subsequent individual genotyping analysis. Here, we apply quantitative pooled genotyping followed by individual genotyping and replication to identify associations with human serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol levels. The DNA from individuals with low and high HDL cholesterol levels was pooled separately, each pool was amplified by polymerase chain reaction in triplicate and each amplified product was separately hybridised to a high-density oligonucleotide array. Allele frequency differences between case and control groups with low and high HDL cholesterol levels were estimated for 7,283 SNPs distributed across 71 candidate gene regions spanning a total of 17.1 megabases. A novel method was developed to take advantage of independently derived haplotype map information to improve the pooled estimates of allele frequency differences. A subset of SNPs with the largest estimated allele frequency differences between low and high HDL cholesterol groups was chosen for individual genotyping in the study population, as well as in a separate replication population. Four SNPs in a single haplotype block within the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP gene interval were significantly associated with HDL cholesterol levels in both populations. Our study is among the first to demonstrate the application of pooled genotyping followed by confirmation with individual genotyping to identify genetic determinants of a complex trait.

THE INFLUENCE OF ACCOUNTING SYSTEM AND FISCAL POLICY ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana Bogdan

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Regional development is a concept that aims at stimulating and diversifying economic activities, stimulating private sector investment and it contributes to reducing unemployment and improving living standards. To achieve these goals accounting and tax policies are necessary to allow private operators to realize taxable income, to create jobs for people and to pay taxes and contributions due to the State budget. The State must reinvest a part of the resources collected to the community in order to improve infrastructure, education and health, thus contributing to regional development. Changes in tax law and accounting adopted in Romania during 2009-2014 are regarded as tax breaks for companies created to ensure economic growth, dynamic and sustainable through efficient use of regional and local potential. In this paper we analyze the influence of the accounting and fiscal system on the regional development given that these measures do not always achieve their objectives established companies having benefit from the application of various tax measures. The paper will present the main changes of the tax and accounting systems and their impact on the regional development in Romania and the consequences resulting in implementing these measures.

Improved selection criteria for H II regions, based on IRAS sources

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Qing-Zeng; Xu, Ye; Walsh, A. J.; Macquart, J. P.; MacLeod, G. C.; Zhang, Bo; Hancock, P. J.; Chen, Xi; Tang, Zheng-Hong

2018-05-01

We present new criteria for selecting H II regions from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) Point Source Catalogue (PSC), based on an H II region catalogue derived manually from the all-sky Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The criteria are used to augment the number of H II region candidates in the Milky Way. The criteria are defined by the linear decision boundary of two samples: IRAS point sources associated with known H II regions, which serve as the H II region sample, and IRAS point sources at high Galactic latitudes, which serve as the non-H II region sample. A machine learning classifier, specifically a support vector machine, is used to determine the decision boundary. We investigate all combinations of four IRAS bands and suggest that the optimal criterion is log(F_{60}/F_{12})≥ ( -0.19 × log(F_{100}/F_{25})+ 1.52), with detections at 60 and 100 {μ}m. This selects 3041 H II region candidates from the IRAS PSC. We find that IRAS H II region candidates show evidence of evolution on the two-colour diagram. Merging the WISE H II catalogue with IRAS H II region candidates, we estimate a lower limit of approximately 10 200 for the number of H II regions in the Milky Way.

SNP discovery in candidate adaptive genes using exon capture in a free-ranging alpine ungulate

Science.gov (United States)

Roffler, Gretchen H.; Amish, Stephen J.; Smith, Seth; Cosart, Ted F.; Kardos, Marty; Schwartz, Michael K.; Luikart, Gordon

2016-01-01

Identification of genes underlying genomic signatures of natural selection is key to understanding adaptation to local conditions. We used targeted resequencing to identify SNP markers in 5321 candidate adaptive genes associated with known immunological, metabolic and growth functions in ovids and other ungulates. We selectively targeted 8161 exons in protein-coding and nearby 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions of chosen candidate genes. Targeted sequences were taken from bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) exon capture data and directly from the domestic sheep genome (Ovis aries v. 3; oviAri3). The bighorn sheep sequences used in the Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) exon capture aligned to 2350 genes on the oviAri3 genome with an average of 2 exons each. We developed a microfluidic qPCR-based SNP chip to genotype 476 Dall's sheep from locations across their range and test for patterns of selection. Using multiple corroborating approaches (lositan and bayescan), we detected 28 SNP loci potentially under selection. We additionally identified candidate loci significantly associated with latitude, longitude, precipitation and temperature, suggesting local environmental adaptation. The three methods demonstrated consistent support for natural selection on nine genes with immune and disease-regulating functions (e.g. Ovar-DRA, APC, BATF2, MAGEB18), cell regulation signalling pathways (e.g. KRIT1, PI3K, ORRC3), and respiratory health (CYSLTR1). Characterizing adaptive allele distributions from novel genetic techniques will facilitate investigation of the influence of environmental variation on local adaptation of a northern alpine ungulate throughout its range. This research demonstrated the utility of exon capture for gene-targeted SNP discovery and subsequent SNP chip genotyping using low-quality samples in a nonmodel species.

Factors that influence pa of adult inhabitants in the Olomouc region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svatopluk Horák

2011-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity has significant benefits for health. For instance, it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, help control weight, and promote psychological well-being. There are many factors that can influence physical activity; socioeconomic status, family, size of place of residence, environmental conditions etc AIM: The aim of the study was to analyze physical activity and inactivity of adult population in the Olomouc region in terms of size of residence, type of housing, body weight status, smoking and participation in organized physical activity. METHODS: 1011 randomly selected residents of the Olomouc region (448 males and 563 females aged 41.14 ± 8.63 years participated in this study. To obtain selected indicators of physical activity, we used the ANEWS questionnaire which was distributed by university students in Spring and Fall periods from 2005 to 2009. For healthy adults aged 18 to 65 years, the goal recommended by the WHO is to achieve a minimum of 30 minutes of moderateintensity physical activity 5 days a week or at least 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity 3 days a week. RESULTS: The most physically active were males aged 36-45 years. From the selected correlates, those with the highest influence on total weekly PA were the size of residence and type of house. On the other hand, factors that did not affect total weekly PA were smoking, participation in organized PA and body mass index. The most commonly performed type of PA is cycling; followed in males with soccer and tennis and in women with aerobic dance and fitness walking. CONCLUSION: In the Olomouc region there is a need to preserve and develop the conditions to perform PA. Due to the landscape in the Olomouc region and due to the popularity of cycling, we recommend focus on this type of PA.

The region of influence of significant defects and the mechanical vibrations of linear elastic solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suarez Antola, R.

2004-12-01

The presence of cracks, voids or fields of pores, and their growth under applied forces or environmental actions, can produce a meaningful lowering in the proper frequencies of normal modes of mechanical vibration in machines and structures. A quite general expression for the square of modes proper frequency as a functional of displacement field, density field and elastic moduli fields is used as a starting point. The effect of defects on frequency are modeled as equivalent changes in density and elastic moduli fields, introducing the concept of region of influence of each defect. This region of influence is derived from the relation between the stress field of flawed components in machines or structures, and the elastic energy released from a suitable reference state, due to the presence of significant defects in the above mentioned mechanical components. An approximate analytical expression is obtained, which relates the relative variation in the square of mode s proper frequency with position, size, shape and orientation of defects in mode displacement field. Some simple mathematical models of machine and structural elements with cracks or fields of pores are considered as examples. The connections between the relative lowering in the square of mode s proper frequency and the stress intensity factor of a defect are discussed : the concept of region of influence of a defect is used as a bridge between (low frequency and low amplitude) vibration dynamics and linear elastic fracture mechanics. Some limitations of the present approach are discussed as well as the possibility of applying the region of influence of defects to the damping of normal modes of vibration

Next-generation sequencing to identify candidate genes and develop diagnostic markers for a novel Phytophthora resistance gene, RpsHC18, in soybean.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Chao; Sun, Suli; Li, Yinping; Duan, Canxing; Zhu, Zhendong

2018-03-01

A novel Phytophthora sojae resistance gene RpsHC18 was identified and finely mapped on soybean chromosome 3. Two NBS-LRR candidate genes were identified and two diagnostic markers of RpsHC18 were developed. Phytophthora root rot caused by Phytophthora sojae is a destructive disease of soybean. The most effective disease-control strategy is to deploy resistant cultivars carrying Phytophthora-resistant Rps genes. The soybean cultivar Huachun 18 has a broad and distinct resistance spectrum to 12 P. sojae isolates. Quantitative trait loci sequencing (QTL-seq), based on the whole-genome resequencing (WGRS) of two extreme resistant and susceptible phenotype bulks from an F 2:3 population, was performed, and one 767-kb genomic region with ΔSNP-index ≥ 0.9 on chromosome 3 was identified as the RpsHC18 candidate region in Huachun 18. The candidate region was reduced to a 146-kb region by fine mapping. Nonsynonymous SNP and haplotype analyses were carried out in the 146-kb region among ten soybean genotypes using WGRS. Four specific nonsynonymous SNPs were identified in two nucleotide-binding sites-leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) genes, RpsHC18-NBL1 and RpsHC18-NBL2, which were considered to be the candidate genes. Finally, one specific SNP marker in each candidate gene was successfully developed using a tetra-primer ARMS-PCR assay, and the two markers were verified to be specific for RpsHC18 and to effectively distinguish other known Rps genes. In this study, we applied an integrated genomic-based strategy combining WGRS with traditional genetic mapping to identify RpsHC18 candidate genes and develop diagnostic markers. These results suggest that next-generation sequencing is a precise, rapid and cost-effective way to identify candidate genes and develop diagnostic markers, and it can accelerate Rps gene cloning and marker-assisted selection for breeding of P. sojae-resistant soybean cultivars.

The Southern HII Region Discovery Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Wenger, Trey; Miller Dickey, John; Jordan, Christopher; Bania, Thomas M.; Balser, Dana S.; Dawson, Joanne; Anderson, Loren D.; Armentrout, William P.; McClure-Griffiths, Naomi

2016-01-01

HII regions are zones of ionized gas surrounding recently formed high-mass (OB-type) stars. They are among the brightest objects in the sky at radio wavelengths. HII regions provide a useful tool in constraining the Galactic morphological structure, chemical structure, and star formation rate. We describe the Southern HII Region Discovery Survey (SHRDS), an Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) survey that discovered ~80 new HII regions (so far) in the Galactic longitude range 230 degrees to 360 degrees. This project is an extension of the Green Bank Telescope HII Region Discovery Survey (GBT HRDS), Arecibo HRDS, and GBT Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) HRDS, which together discovered ~800 new HII regions in the Galactic longitude range -20 degrees to 270 degrees. Similar to those surveys, candidate HII regions were chosen from 20 micron emission (from WISE) coincident with 10 micron (WISE) and 20 cm (SGPS) emission. By using the ATCA to detect radio continuum and radio recombination line emission from a subset of these candidates, we have added to the population of known Galactic HII regions.

Quantitative expression profile of distinct functional regions in the adult mouse brain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takeya Kasukawa

Full Text Available The adult mammalian brain is composed of distinct regions with specialized roles including regulation of circadian clocks, feeding, sleep/awake, and seasonal rhythms. To find quantitative differences of expression among such various brain regions, we conducted the BrainStars (B* project, in which we profiled the genome-wide expression of ∼50 small brain regions, including sensory centers, and centers for motion, time, memory, fear, and feeding. To avoid confounds from temporal differences in gene expression, we sampled each region every 4 hours for 24 hours, and pooled the samples for DNA-microarray assays. Therefore, we focused on spatial differences in gene expression. We used informatics to identify candidate genes with expression changes showing high or low expression in specific regions. We also identified candidate genes with stable expression across brain regions that can be used as new internal control genes, and ligand-receptor interactions of neurohormones and neurotransmitters. Through these analyses, we found 8,159 multi-state genes, 2,212 regional marker gene candidates for 44 small brain regions, 915 internal control gene candidates, and 23,864 inferred ligand-receptor interactions. We also found that these sets include well-known genes as well as novel candidate genes that might be related to specific functions in brain regions. We used our findings to develop an integrated database (http://brainstars.org/ for exploring genome-wide expression in the adult mouse brain, and have made this database openly accessible. These new resources will help accelerate the functional analysis of the mammalian brain and the elucidation of its regulatory network systems.

BEEF CATTLE MUSCULARITY CANDIDATE GENES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irida Novianti

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Muscularity is a potential indicator for the selection of more productive cattle. Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL for traits related to muscularity is useful to identify the genomic regions where the genes affecting muscularity reside. QTL analysis from a Limousin-Jersey double backcross herd was conducted using QTL Express software with cohort and breed as the fixed effects. Nine QTL suggested to have an association with muscularity were identified on cattle chromosomes BTA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 14 and 17. The myostatin gene is located at the centromeric end of chromosome 2 and not surprisingly, the Limousin myostatin F94L variant accounted for the QTL on BTA2. However, when the myostatin F94L genotype was included as an additional fixed effect, the QTL on BTA17 was also no longer significant. This result suggests that there may be gene(s that have epistatic effects with myostatin located on cattle chromosome 17. Based on the position of the QTL in base pairs, all the genes that reside in the region were determined using the Ensembl data base (www.ensembl.org. There were two potential candidate genes residing within these QTL regions were selected. They were Smad nuclear interacting protein 1 (SNIP1 and similar to follistatin-like 5 (FSTL5. (JIIPB 2010 Vol 20 No 1: 1-10

Identification of Candidate Genes Responsible for Stem Pith Production Using Expression Analysis in Solid-Stemmed Wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Oiestad, A J; Martin, J M; Cook, J; Varella, A C; Giroux, M J

2017-07-01

The wheat stem sawfly (WSS) is an economically important pest of wheat in the Northern Great Plains. The primary means of WSS control is resistance associated with the single quantitative trait locus (QTL) , which controls most stem solidness variation. The goal of this study was to identify stem solidness candidate genes via RNA-seq. This study made use of 28 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) makers derived from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) linked to contained within a 5.13 cM region. Allele specific expression of EST markers was examined in stem tissue for solid and hollow-stemmed pairs of two spring wheat near isogenic lines (NILs) differing for the QTL. Of the 28 ESTs, 13 were located within annotated genes and 10 had detectable stem expression. Annotated genes corresponding to four of the ESTs were differentially expressed between solid and hollow-stemmed NILs and represent possible stem solidness gene candidates. Further examination of the 5.13 cM region containing the 28 EST markers identified 260 annotated genes. Twenty of the 260 linked genes were up-regulated in hollow NIL stems, while only seven genes were up-regulated in solid NIL stems. An -methyltransferase within the region of interest was identified as a candidate based on differential expression between solid and hollow-stemmed NILs and putative function. Further study of these candidate genes may lead to the identification of the gene(s) controlling stem solidness and an increased ability to select for wheat stem solidness and manage WSS. Copyright © 2017 Crop Science Society of America.

Analysis of a positional candidate gene for inflammatory bowel disease: NRAMP2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stokkers, P. C.; Huibregtse, K.; Leegwater, A. C.; Reitsma, P. H.; Tytgat, G. N.; van Deventer, S. J.

2000-01-01

Genome scans have identified a region spanning 40 cM on the long arm of chromosome 12 as a susceptibility locus for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This locus contains several candidate genes for IBD, one of which is the gene for the natural resistance associated macrophage protein 2 (NRAMP2).

A Complete Census of the ~7000 Milky Way HII Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Armentrout, William Paul; Anderson, Loren Dean; Wenger, Trey; Bania, Thomas; Balser, Dana; Dame, Thomas; Dickey, John M.; Dawson, Joanne; Jordan, Christopher H.; McClure-Griffiths, Naomi M.; Andersen, Morten

2018-01-01

HII regions are the archetypical tracers of high-mass star formation. Because of their high luminosities, they can be seen across the entire Galactic disk from mid-infrared to radio wavelengths. A uniformly sensitive survey of Galactic HII regions would allow us to constrain the properties of Galactic structure and star formation. We have cataloged over 8000 HII regions and candidates in the WISE Catalog of Galactic HII Regions (astro.phys.wvu.edu/wise), but only 2000 of these are confirmed HII regions to date.To bring us closer to a complete census of high-mass star formation regions in the Milky Way, we have several ongoing observational campaigns. These efforts include (1) Green Bank Telescope radio recombination line (RRL) observations as part of the HII Region Discovery Survey (HRDS); (2) Australia Telescope Compact Array observations of southern HII region candidates in the Southern HII Region Discovery Survey (SHRDS); (3) Green Bank and Gemini North Telescope observations of star formation regions thought to reside at the edge of the star forming disk in the Outer Scutum-Centaurus Arm (OSC); and (4) Very Large Array continuum observations of the faintest HII region candidates in the second and third Galactic quadrants.Together, these observations will detect the RRL emission from all Galactic HII regions with peak cm-wavelength flux densities > 60mJy, establish the outer edge of Galactic high-mass star formation, and determine the number of HII regions in the Galaxy. The HRDS and SHRDS surveys have more than doubled the known population of Galactic HII regions. We use the OSC observations to determine the properties of high-mass star formation in the extreme outer Galaxy and our VLA observations to determine how many of our faint candidates are indeed HII regions. We combine the completeness limits we obtain through these HII region surveys with an HII region population synthesis model to estimate the total number of Galactic HII regions. From this, we

CHANDRA IDENTIFICATION OF 26 NEW BLACK HOLE CANDIDATES IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF M31

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnard, R.; Garcia, M. R.; Murray, S. S. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CFA), Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2013-06-20

We have previously identified 10 M31 black hole candidates (BHCs) in M31 from their X-ray properties alone. They exhibit ''hard state'' emission spectra that are seen at luminosities {approx}<10% Eddington in X-ray binaries (XBs) containing a neutron star (NS) or black hole, at luminosities that significantly exceed the NS threshold. Nine of these are associated with globular clusters (GCs); hence, these are most likely low mass X-ray binaries; eight are included in this survey. We have recently discovered that analysis of the long term 0.5-4.5 keV variability of XBs via structure functions allows us to separate XBs from active galactic nuclei, even though the emission spectra are often similar; this has enabled us to search for BHCs outside of GCs. We have identified 26 new BHCs (12 strong, 14 plausible) within 20' of the M31 nucleus (M31*), using 152 Chandra observations spaced over {approx}13 yr; some of our classifications were enhanced with XMM-Newton observations. Of these, seven appear within 100'' of M31*; this supports the theory suggesting that this region experiences enhanced XB production via dynamical processes similar to those seen in GCs. We have found a parameter space where our BHCs are separated from Galactic NS binaries: we show that modeling a simulated hard state spectrum with a disk blackbody + blackbody model yields parameters that lie outside the space occupied by NS binaries that are modeled this way. The probability that our BHCs all lie within the NS parameter space is {approx}3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -29}.

The Effect of Religion on Candidate Preference in the 2008 and 2012 Republican Presidential Primaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradberry, Leigh A

2016-01-01

Thanks to the work of politics and religion scholars, we now know a lot about the relationship between religion and voting in American presidential general elections. However, we know less about the influence of religion on individual vote choice in presidential primaries. This article fills that gap by exploring the relationship between religion and candidate preference in the 2008 and 2012 Republican primaries. Using pre-Super Tuesday surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center, I find that the Republican candidate who most explicitly appealed to religious voters (Mike Huckabee in 2008 and Rick Santorum in 2012) was the preferred candidate of Republican respondents who attended religious services at the highest levels, and that as attendance increased, so did the likelihood of preferring that candidate. I also find that identification as a born again Christian mattered to candidate preference. Specifically, born again Christians were more likely than non-born again Christians to prefer Huckabee to Mitt Romney, John McCain and Ron Paul in 2008, and Santorum to Romney in 2012. Although ideology was not the primary subject of this article, I find that ideology was also a statistically significant predictor of Republican candidate preference in both 2008 and 2012. This robust finding reinforces scholars' prior work on the importance of ideology in explaining presidential primary vote choice. The overall findings of the paper provide evidence that religion variables can add to our understanding of why voters prefer one candidate over another in presidential primaries.

Speeding disease gene discovery by sequence based candidate prioritization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Porteous David J

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Regions of interest identified through genetic linkage studies regularly exceed 30 centimorgans in size and can contain hundreds of genes. Traditionally this number is reduced by matching functional annotation to knowledge of the disease or phenotype in question. However, here we show that disease genes share patterns of sequence-based features that can provide a good basis for automatic prioritization of candidates by machine learning. Results We examined a variety of sequence-based features and found that for many of them there are significant differences between the sets of genes known to be involved in human hereditary disease and those not known to be involved in disease. We have created an automatic classifier called PROSPECTR based on those features using the alternating decision tree algorithm which ranks genes in the order of likelihood of involvement in disease. On average, PROSPECTR enriches lists for disease genes two-fold 77% of the time, five-fold 37% of the time and twenty-fold 11% of the time. Conclusion PROSPECTR is a simple and effective way to identify genes involved in Mendelian and oligogenic disorders. It performs markedly better than the single existing sequence-based classifier on novel data. PROSPECTR could save investigators looking at large regions of interest time and effort by prioritizing positional candidate genes for mutation detection and case-control association studies.

Evaluating Observation Influence on Regional Water Budgets in Reanalyses

Science.gov (United States)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Chern, Jiun-Dar; Mocko, David; Robertson, Franklin R.; daSilva, Arlindo M.

2014-01-01

The assimilation of observations in reanalyses incurs the potential for the physical terms of budgets to be balanced by a term relating the fit of the observations relative to a forecast first guess analysis. This may indicate a limitation in the physical processes of the background model, or perhaps inconsistencies in the observing system and its assimilation. In the MERRA reanalysis, an area of long term moisture flux divergence over land has been identified over the Central United States. Here, we evaluate the water vapor budget in this region, taking advantage of two unique features of the MERRA diagnostic output; 1) a closed water budget that includes the analysis increment and 2) a gridded diagnostic output data set of the assimilated observations and their innovations (e.g. forecast departures). In the Central United States, an anomaly occurs where the analysis adds water to the region, while precipitation decreases and moisture flux divergence increases. This is related more to a change in the observing system than to a deficiency in the model physical processes. MERRAs Gridded Innovations and Observations (GIO) data narrow the observations that influence this feature to the ATOVS and Aqua satellites during the 06Z and 18Z analysis cycles. Observing system experiments further narrow the instruments that affect the anomalous feature to AMSUA (mainly window channels) and AIRS. This effort also shows the complexities of the observing system, and the reactions of the regional water budgets in reanalyses to the assimilated observations.

Vegetation-induced turbulence influencing evapotranspiration-soil moisture coupling: Implications for semiarid regions

Science.gov (United States)

Haghighi, E.; Kirchner, J. W.; Entekhabi, D.

2016-12-01

The relationship between soil moisture and evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes is an important component of land-atmosphere interactions controlling hydrology-climate feedback processes. Important as this relationship is, it remains empirical and physical mechanisms governing its dynamics are insufficiently studied. This is particularly of importance for semiarid regions (currently comprising about half of the Earth's land surface) where the shallow surface soil layer is the primary source of ET and direct evaporation from bare soil is likely a large component of the total flux. Hence, ET-soil moisture coupling in these regions is hypothesized to be strongly influenced by soil evaporation and associated mechanisms. Motivated by recent progress in mechanistic modeling of localized heat and mass exchange rates from bare soil surfaces covered by cylindrical bluff-body elements, we developed a physically based ET model explicitly incorporating coupled impacts of soil moisture and vegetation-induced turbulence in the near-surface region. Model predictions of ET and its partitioning were in good agreement with measured data and suggest that the strength and nature of ET-soil moisture interactions in sparsely vegetated areas are strongly influenced by aerodynamic (rather than radiative) forcing namely wind speed and near-surface turbulence generation as a function of vegetation type and cover fraction. The results demonstrated that the relationship between ET and soil moisture varies from a nonlinear function (the dual regime behavior) to a single moisture-limited regime (linear relationship) by increasing wind velocity and enhancing turbulence generation in the near-surface region (small-scale woody vegetation species of low cover fraction). Potential benefits of this study for improving accuracy and predictive capabilities of remote sensing techniques when applied to semiarid environments will also be discussed.

A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH FOR MOLECULAR OUTFLOWS TOWARD CANDIDATE LOW-LUMINOSITY PROTOSTARS AND VERY LOW LUMINOSITY OBJECTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwarz, Kamber R.; Shirley, Yancy L. [Steward Observatory, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Dunham, Michael M. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, P.O. Box 208101, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States)

2012-10-01

We present a systematic single-dish search for molecular outflows toward a sample of nine candidate low-luminosity protostars and 30 candidate very low luminosity objects (VeLLOs; L{sub int} {<=} 0.1 L{sub Sun }). The sources are identified using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope cataloged by Dunham et al. toward nearby (D < 400 pc) star-forming regions. Each object was observed in {sup 12}CO and {sup 13}CO J = 2 {yields} 1 simultaneously using the sideband separating ALMA Band-6 prototype receiver on the Heinrich Hertz Telescope at 30'' resolution. Using five-point grid maps, we identify five new potential outflow candidates and make on-the-fly maps of the regions surrounding sources in the dense cores B59, L1148, L1228, and L1165. Of these new outflow candidates, only the map of B59 shows a candidate blue outflow lobe associated with a source in our survey. We also present larger and more sensitive maps of the previously detected L673-7 and the L1251-A-IRS4 outflows and analyze their properties in comparison to other outflows from VeLLOs. The accretion luminosities derived from the outflow properties of the VeLLOs with detected CO outflows are higher than the observed internal luminosity of the protostars, indicating that these sources likely had higher accretion rates in the past. The known L1251-A-IRS3 outflow is detected but not re-mapped. We do not detect clear, unconfused signatures of red and blue molecular wings toward the other 31 sources in the survey indicating that large-scale, distinct outflows are rare toward this sample of candidate protostars. Several potential outflows are confused with the kinematic structure in the surrounding core and cloud. Interferometric imaging is needed to disentangle large-scale molecular cloud kinematics from these potentially weak protostellar outflows.

Drug efficiency: a new concept to guide lead optimization programs towards the selection of better clinical candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Braggio, Simone; Montanari, Dino; Rossi, Tino; Ratti, Emiliangelo

2010-07-01

As a result of their wide acceptance and conceptual simplicity, drug-like concepts are having a major influence on the drug discovery process, particularly in the selection of the 'optimal' absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity and physicochemical parameters space. While they have an undisputable value when assessing the potential of lead series or in evaluating inherent risk of a portfolio of drug candidates, they result much less useful in weighing up compounds for the selection of the best potential clinical candidate. We introduce the concept of drug efficiency as a new tool both to guide the drug discovery program teams during the lead optimization phase and to better assess the developability potential of a drug candidate.

The Ecological Controls on the Prevalence of Candidate Division TM7 in Polar Regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tristrom eWinsley

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The candidate division TM7 is ubiquitous and yet uncultured phylum of the Bacteria that encompasses a commonly environmental associated clade, TM7-1, and a ‘host-associated’ clade, TM7-3. However, as members of the TM7 phylum have not been cultured, little is known about what differs between these two clades. We hypothesized that these clades would have different environmental niches. To test this, we used a large-scale global soil dataset, encompassing 223 soil samples, their environmental parameters and associated bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence data. We correlated chemical, physical and biological parameters of each soil with the relative abundance of the two major classes of the phylum to deduce factors that influence the groups’ seemingly ubiquitous nature. The two classes of the phylum (TM7-1 and TM7-3 were indeed distinct from each other in their habitat requirements. A key determinant of each class’ prevalence appears to be the pH of the soil. The class TM7-1 displays a facultative anaerobic nature with correlations to more acidic soils with total iron, silicon, titanium and copper indicating a potential for siderophore production. However, the TM7-3 class shows a more classical oligotrophic, heterotroph nature with a preference for more alkaline soils, and a probable pathogenic role with correlations to extractable iron, sodium and phosphate. In addition, the TM7-3 was abundant in diesel contaminated soils highlighting a resilient nature along with a possible carbon source. In addition to this both classes had unique co-occurrence relationships with other bacterial phyla. In particular, both groups had opposing correlations to the Gemmatimonadetes phylum, with the TM7-3 class seemingly being outcompeted by this phylum to result in a negative correlation. These ecological controls allow the characteristics of a TM7 phylum preferred niche to be defined and give insight into possible avenues for cultivation of this previously

11 CFR 100.154 - Candidate debates.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Candidate debates. 100.154 Section 100.154 Federal Elections FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION GENERAL SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS (2 U.S.C. 431) Exceptions to Expenditures § 100.154 Candidate debates. Funds used to defray costs incurred in staging candidate debates in...

11 CFR 100.92 - Candidate debates.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Candidate debates. 100.92 Section 100.92 Federal Elections FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION GENERAL SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS (2 U.S.C. 431) Exceptions to Contributions § 100.92 Candidate debates. Funds provided to defray costs incurred in staging candidate debates...

Norepinephrine transporter: a candidate gene for initial ethanol sensitivity in inbred long-sleep and short-sleep mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Haughey, Heather M; Kaiser, Alan L; Johnson, Thomas E; Bennett, Beth; Sikela, James M; Zahniser, Nancy R

2005-10-01

Altered noradrenergic neurotransmission is associated with depression and may contribute to drug abuse and alcoholism. Differential initial sensitivity to ethanol is an important predictor of risk for future alcoholism, making the inbred long-sleep (ILS) and inbred short-sleep (ISS) mice a useful model for identifying genes that may contribute to alcoholism. In this study, molecular biological, neurochemical, and behavioral approaches were used to test the hypothesis that the norepinephrine transporter (NET) contributes to the differences in ethanol-induced loss of righting reflex (LORR) in ILS and ISS mice. We used these mice to investigate the NET as a candidate gene contributing to this phenotype. The ILS and ISS mice carry different DNA haplotypes for NET, showing eight silent differences between allelic coding regions. Only the ILS haplotype is found in other mouse strains thus far sequenced. Brain regional analyses revealed that ILS mice have 30 to 50% lower [3H]NE uptake, NET binding, and NET mRNA levels than ISS mice. Maximal [3H]NE uptake and NET number were reduced, with no change in affinity, in the ILS mice. These neurobiological changes were associated with significant influences on the behavioral phenotype of these mice, as demonstrated by (1) a differential response in the duration of ethanol-induced LORR in ILS and ISS mice pretreated with a NET inhibitor and (2) increased ethanol-induced LORR in LXS recombinant inbred (RI) strains, homozygous for ILS in the NET chromosomal region (44-47 cM), compared with ISS homozygous strains. This is the first report to suggest that the NET gene is one of many possible genetic factors influencing ethanol sensitivity in ILS, ISS, and LXS RI mouse strains.

Molecular Gas toward the Gemini OB1 Molecular Cloud Complex. II. CO Outflow Candidates with Possible WISE Associations

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yingjie; Li, Fa-Cheng; Xu, Ye; Wang, Chen; Du, Xin-Yu; Yang, Wenjin; Yang, Ji

2018-03-01

We present a large-scale survey of CO outflows in the Gem OB1 molecular cloud complex and its surroundings, using the Purple Mountain Observatory Delingha 13.7 m telescope. A total of 198 outflow candidates were identified over a large area (∼58.5 square degrees), of which 193 are newly detected. Approximately 68% (134/198) are associated with the Gem OB1 molecular cloud complex, including clouds GGMC 1, GGMC 2, BFS 52, GGMC 3, and GGMC 4. Other regions studied are: the Local arm (Local Lynds, West Front), Swallow, Horn, and Remote cloud. Outflow candidates in GGMC 1, BFS 52, and Swallow are mainly located at ring-like or filamentary structures. To avoid excessive uncertainty in distant regions (≳3.8 kpc), we only estimated the physical parameters for clouds in the Gem OB1 molecular cloud complex and in the Local arm. In those clouds, the total kinetic energy and the energy injection rate of the identified outflow candidates are ≲1% and ≲3% of the turbulent energy and the turbulent dissipation rate of each cloud, indicating that the identified outflow candidates cannot provide enough energy to balance turbulence of their host cloud at the scale of the entire cloud (several to dozens of parsecs). The gravitational binding energy of each cloud is ≳135 times the total kinetic energy of the identified outflow candidates within the corresponding cloud, indicating that the identified outflow candidates cannot cause major disruptions to the integrity of their host cloud at the scale of the entire cloud.

Single particle analysis of eastern Mediterranean aerosol particles: Influence of the source region on the chemical composition

Science.gov (United States)

Clemen, Hans-Christian; Schneider, Johannes; Köllner, Franziska; Klimach, Thomas; Pikridas, Michael; Stavroulas, Iasonas; Sciare, Jean; Borrmann, Stephan

2017-04-01

The Mediterranean region is one of the most climatically sensitive areas and is influenced by air masses of different origin. Aerosol particles are one important factor contributing to the Earth's radiative forcing, but knowledge about their composition and sources is still limited. Here, we report on results from the INUIT-BACCHUS-ACTRIS campaign, which was conducted at the Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO, Agia Marina Xyliatou) in Cyprus in April 2016. Our results show that the chemical composition of the aerosol particles in the eastern Mediterranean is strongly dependent on their source region. The composition of particles in a size range between 150 nm and 3 μm was measured using the Aircraft-based Laser ABlation Aerosol MAss spectrometer (ALABAMA), which is a single particle laser ablation instrument using a bipolar time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The mass spectral information on cations and anions allow for the analysis of different molecular fragments. The information about the source regions results from backward trajectories using HYSPLIT Trajectory Model (Trajectory Ensemble) on hourly basis. To assess the influence of certain source regions on the air masses arriving at CAO, we consider the number of trajectories that crossed the respective source region within defined time steps. For a more detailed picture also the height and the velocity of the air masses during their overpass above the source regions will be considered. During the campaign at CAO in April 2016 three main air mass source regions were observed: 1) Northern Central Europe, likely with an enhanced anthropogenic influence (e.g. sulfate and black carbon from combustion processes, fly ash particles from power plants, characterized by Sr and Ba), 2) Southwest Europe, with a higher influence of the Mediterranean Sea including sea salt particles (characterized by, e.g., NaxCly, NaClxNOy), 3) Northern Africa/Sahara, with air masses that are expected to have a higher load of mineral dust

On the physical nature of globular cluster candidates in the Milky Way bulge

Science.gov (United States)

Piatti, Andrés E.

2018-06-01

We present results from 2MASS JKs photometry on the physical reality of recently reported globular cluster (GC) candidates in the Milky Way (MW) bulge. We relied our analysis on photometric membership probabilities that allowed us to distinguish real stellar aggregates from the composite field star population. When building colour-magnitude diagrams and stellar density maps for stars at different membership probability levels, the genuine GC candidate populations are clearly highlighted. We then used the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) as distance estimator, resulting in heliocentric distances that place many of the objects in regions near the MW bulge, where no GC had been previously recognized. Some few GC candidates resulted to be MW halo/disc objects. Metallicities estimated from the standard RGB method are in agreement with the values expected according to the position of the GC candidates in the Galaxy. Finally, we derived, for the first time, their structural parameters. We found that the studied objects have core, half-light, and tidal radii in the ranges spanned by the population of known MW GCs. Their internal dynamical evolutionary stages will be described properly when their masses are estimated.

Development of Au-Ge based candidate alloys as an alternative to high-lead content solders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chidambaram, Vivek; Hald, John; Hattel, Jesper Henri

2010-01-01

Au-Ge based candidate alloys have been proposed as an alternative to high-lead content solders that are currently being used for high-temperature applications. The changes in microstructure and microhardness associated with the addition of low melting point metals namely In, Sb and Sn to the Au......-Ge-In and Au-Ge-Sn combinations was determined to be the classic solid solution strengthening. The Au-Ge-Sb combination was primarily strengthened by the refined (Ge) dispersed phase. The aging temperature had a significant influence on the microhardness in the case of the Au-Ge-Sn candidate alloy...

Mapping the regional influence of genetics on brain structure variability--a tensor-based morphometry study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brun, Caroline C; Leporé, Natasha; Pennec, Xavier; Lee, Agatha D; Barysheva, Marina; Madsen, Sarah K; Avedissian, Christina; Chou, Yi-Yu; de Zubicaray, Greig I; McMahon, Katie L; Wright, Margaret J; Toga, Arthur W; Thompson, Paul M

2009-10-15

Genetic and environmental factors influence brain structure and function profoundly. The search for heritable anatomical features and their influencing genes would be accelerated with detailed 3D maps showing the degree to which brain morphometry is genetically determined. As part of an MRI study that will scan 1150 twins, we applied Tensor-Based Morphometry to compute morphometric differences in 23 pairs of identical twins and 23 pairs of same-sex fraternal twins (mean age: 23.8+/-1.8 SD years). All 92 twins' 3D brain MRI scans were nonlinearly registered to a common space using a Riemannian fluid-based warping approach to compute volumetric differences across subjects. A multi-template method was used to improve volume quantification. Vector fields driving each subject's anatomy onto the common template were analyzed to create maps of local volumetric excesses and deficits relative to the standard template. Using a new structural equation modeling method, we computed the voxelwise proportion of variance in volumes attributable to additive (A) or dominant (D) genetic factors versus shared environmental (C) or unique environmental factors (E). The method was also applied to various anatomical regions of interest (ROIs). As hypothesized, the overall volumes of the brain, basal ganglia, thalamus, and each lobe were under strong genetic control; local white matter volumes were mostly controlled by common environment. After adjusting for individual differences in overall brain scale, genetic influences were still relatively high in the corpus callosum and in early-maturing brain regions such as the occipital lobes, while environmental influences were greater in frontal brain regions that have a more protracted maturational time-course.

Farm exposure and time trends in early childhood may influence DNA methylation in genes related to asthma and allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Michel, S; Busato, F; Genuneit, J; Pekkanen, J; Dalphin, J-C; Riedler, J; Mazaleyrat, N; Weber, J; Karvonen, A M; Hirvonen, M-R; Braun-Fahrländer, C; Lauener, R; von Mutius, E; Kabesch, M; Tost, J

2013-03-01

Genetic susceptibility and environmental influences are important contributors to the development of asthma and atopic diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms may facilitate gene by environment interactions in these diseases. We studied the rural birth cohort PASTURE (Protection against allergy: study in rural environments) to investigate (a) whether epigenetic patterns in asthma candidate genes are influenced by farm exposure in general, (b) change over the first years of life, and (c) whether these changes may contribute to the development of asthma. DNA was extracted from cord blood and whole blood collected at the age of 4.5 years in 46 samples per time point. DNA methylation in 23 regions in ten candidate genes (ORMDL1, ORMDL2, ORMDL3, CHI3L1, RAD50, IL13, IL4, STAT6, FOXP3, and RUNX3) was assessed by pyrosequencing, and differences between strata were analyzed by nonparametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests. In cord blood, regions in ORMDL1 and STAT6 were hypomethylated in DNA from farmers' as compared to nonfarmers' children, while regions in RAD50 and IL13 were hypermethylated (lowest P-value (STAT6) = 0.001). Changes in methylation over time occurred in 15 gene regions (lowest P-value (IL13) = 1.57*10(-8)). Interestingly, these differences clustered in the genes highly associated with asthma (ORMDL family) and IgE regulation (RAD50, IL13, and IL4), but not in the T-regulatory genes (FOXP3, RUNX3). In this first pilot study, DNA methylation patterns change significantly in early childhood in specific asthma- and allergy-related genes in peripheral blood cells, and early exposure to farm environment seems to influence methylation patterns in distinct genes. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Near-Earth Asteroid 2005 CR37: Radar Images and Photometry of a Candidate Contact Binary

Science.gov (United States)

Benner, Lance A. M.; Nolan, Michael C.; Ostro, Steven J.; Giorgini, Jon D.; Pray, Donald P.; Harris, Alan W.; Magri, Christopher; Margot, Jean-Luc

2006-01-01

Arecibo (2380 MHz, 13 cm) radar observations of 2005 CR37 provide detailed images of a candidate contact binary: a 1.8-km-long, extremely bifurcated object. Although the asteroid's two lobes are round, there are regions of modest topographic relief, such as an elevated, 200-m-wide facet, that suggest that the lobes are geologically more complex than either coherent fragments or homogeneous rubble piles. Since January 1999, about 9% of NEAs larger than approx.200 m imaged by radar can be described as candidate contact binaries.

Influence of Motivation Theory and Supplemental Workshops on First-Time Passing Rates of HBCU Teacher Candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Moffett, Noran L.; Frizzell, Melanie M.; Brownlee-Williams, Yolanda; Thompson, Jill M.

2014-01-01

The action research methodology for this study reports descriptive statistical findings from the performance of 19 Early Childhood Education African American teacher candidates matriculating through a state-approved program at an HBCU. Researcher-moderators provided a treatment plan of focused summer workshops, conceptualized based upon the…

Does Changing Examiner Stations During UK Postgraduate Surgery Objective Structured Clinical Examinations Influence Examination Reliability and Candidates' Scores?

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Peter A; Croke, David T; Reed, Malcolm; Smith, Lee; Munro, Euan; Foulkes, John; Arnett, Richard

2016-01-01

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) are widely used for summative assessment in surgery. Despite standardizing these as much as possible, variation, including examiner scoring, can occur which may affect reliability. In study of a high-stakes UK postgraduate surgical OSCE, we investigated whether examiners changing stations once during a long examining day affected marking, reliability, and overall candidates' scores compared with examiners who examined the same scenario all day. An observational study of 18,262 examiner-candidate interactions from the UK Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons examination was carried at 3 Surgical Colleges across the United Kingdom. Scores between examiners were compared using analysis of variance. Examination reliability was assessed with Cronbach's alpha, and the comparative distribution of total candidates' scores for each day was evaluated using t-tests of unit-weighted z scores. A significant difference was found in absolute scores differences awarded in the morning and afternoon sessions between examiners who changed stations at lunchtime and those who did not (p design and examiner experience in surgical OSCEs and beyond. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of fine-scale habitat features on regional variation in population performance of alpine White-tailed Ptarmigan

Science.gov (United States)

Fedy, B.; Martin, K.

2011-01-01

It is often assumed (explicitly or implicitly) that animals select habitat features to maximize fitness. However, there is often a mismatch between preferred habitats and indices of individual and population measures of performance. We examined the influence of fine-scale habitat selection on the overall population performance of the White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), an alpine specialist, in two subdivided populations whose habitat patches are configured differently. The central region of Vancouver Island, Canada, has more continuous and larger habitat patches than the southern region. In 2003 and 2004, using paired logistic regression between used (n = 176) and available (n = 324) sites, we identified food availability, distance to standing water, and predator cover as preferred habitat components . We then quantified variation in population performance in the two regions in terms of sex ratio, age structure (n = 182 adults and yearlings), and reproductive success (n = 98 females) on the basis of 8 years of data (1995-1999, 2002-2004). Region strongly influenced females' breeding success, which, unsuccessful hens included, was consistently higher in the central region (n = 77 females) of the island than in the south (n = 21 females, P = 0.01). The central region also had a much higher proportion of successful hens (87%) than did the south (55%, P < 0.001). In light of our findings, we suggest that population performance is influenced by a combination of fine-scale habitat features and coarse-scale habitat configuration. ?? The Cooper Ornithological Society 2011.

Factors Influencing the Rating of Regional Economic Performance or Reasons why Prague has Become the 6th Best Economically Performing Region of the EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miloslav Chlad

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Regional Gross Domestic Product per capita is a key indicator for the distribution of financial resources within the Structural Funds in the EU. With regard to this fact, an increasing attention is also paid to this indicator in the Czech Republic (especially after its accession to the EU. Regional GDP per capita is often incorrectlypresented as the indicator of economic well-being of the population residing in the region. Some factors with significant impact on the value of regional GDP per capita and/or the ranking of regions in this international comparison are neglected. These factors include, for example, commuting to work, NUTS classification and/ or units of measure (PPS versus euro etc. The analysis shows the influence of these factors.

Women candidates: the relationships between gender, media and discourse

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Claudia Maria Finamore

Full Text Available On this paper we discuss, within the cross over of two representations - woman and politic function - the media’s power to influence voters’ choices and their roles as interpreters of media messages. Under a position that understands the relativity of the media’s power, we set the idea of gender discourse as a mediator of its influence. Whereas literature shows how a candidate suffers an important effect of media exposition, transformed in a marketing product, we suggest that women in politics suffer from the stereotype that states "women’s place is at home". We conclude that women politic participation is strongly linked to the way in which they are represented in the common sense and a change in the hegemonic discourses about women that cross individuals and social groups becomes necessary as to have this situation modified.

Identification of candidate genes for dyslexia susceptibility on chromosome 18.

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Thomas S Scerri

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Six independent studies have identified linkage to chromosome 18 for developmental dyslexia or general reading ability. Until now, no candidate genes have been identified to explain this linkage. Here, we set out to identify the gene(s conferring susceptibility by a two stage strategy of linkage and association analysis.Linkage analysis: 264 UK families and 155 US families each containing at least one child diagnosed with dyslexia were genotyped with a dense set of microsatellite markers on chromosome 18. Association analysis: Using a discovery sample of 187 UK families, nearly 3000 SNPs were genotyped across the chromosome 18 dyslexia susceptibility candidate region. Following association analysis, the top ranking SNPs were then genotyped in the remaining samples. The linkage analysis revealed a broad signal that spans approximately 40 Mb from 18p11.2 to 18q12.2. Following the association analysis and subsequent replication attempts, we observed consistent association with the same SNPs in three genes; melanocortin 5 receptor (MC5R, dymeclin (DYM and neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 4-like (NEDD4L.Along with already published biological evidence, MC5R, DYM and NEDD4L make attractive candidates for dyslexia susceptibility genes. However, further replication and functional studies are still required.

A candidate syntenic genetic locus is associated with voluntary exercise levels in mice and humans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kostrzewa, E.; Brandys, M. K.; van Lith, H. A.; Kas, M. J H

2015-01-01

Individual levels of physical activity, and especially of voluntary physical exercise, highly contribute to the susceptibility for developing metabolic, cardiovascular diseases, and potentially to psychiatric disorders. Here, we applied a cross-species approach to explore a candidate genetic region

Preparing Preschool Teacher Candidates for Inclusion: Impact of Two Special Education Courses on Their Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Rakap, Salih; Cig, Oguzcan; Parlak-Rakap, Asiye

2017-01-01

Successful implementation of inclusive practices depends mainly on teachers' attitudes towards children with special needs and their inclusion, and teachers' willingness to work with children with special needs in their classrooms. Experiences teacher candidates have during pre-service stage might influence their perceptions towards children with…

Influences of Regional Development on Land Use of Nagara Basin and Flood Risk Control

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Banba Michiko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Land developments, and construction of factories or logistic centers should be implemented with the wellconsidered land use plans by taking account of disaster risks to improve the resilience of region to mitigate damages. In this paper, the relationship between regional development and land use from the perspective of flood risk control. Nagara basin in Gifu prefecture (Gifu, Mino, and Seki City, where transportation network has been developed to raise the potential for more development, is selected as a case study site. First, changes of industrial structures of the region and its influences on land use were analyzed. Then, possible flood control measures were summarized, and issues from the land use perspective are analysed

HIGH ANGULAR RESOLUTION OBSERVATIONS OF FOUR CANDIDATE BLAST HIGH-MASS STARLESS CORES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olmi, Luca; Poventud, Carlos M.; Araya, Esteban D.; Chapin, Edward L.; Gibb, Andrew; Hofner, Peter; Martin, Peter G.

2010-01-01

We discuss high angular resolution observations of ammonia toward four candidate high-mass starless cores (HMSCs). The cores were identified by the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) during its 2005 survey of the Vulpecula region where 60 compact sources were detected simultaneously at 250, 350, and 500 μm. Four of these cores, with no IRAS-PSC or MSX counterparts, were mapped with the NRAO Very Large Array and observed with the Effelsberg 100 m telescope in the NH 3 (1,1) and (2,2) spectral lines. Our observations indicate that the four cores are cold (T k -1 . The four BLAST cores appear to be colder and more quiescent than other previously observed HMSC candidates, suggesting an earlier stage of evolution.

Influence of the Budgetary Decentralization on the Economic Growth of Regions of Ukraine: Statistical Estimation

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Voznyak Halyna V.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to define, determine and analyze the interrelationships between the budgetary decentralization and the economic growth of regions of Ukraine under conditions of reforming the power and financial resources. A statistical estimation of the influence of the budgetary decentralization on the economic growth of regions of Ukraine for 2015-2016 is carried out. The application of the panel data modeling allowed to build econometric models that made it possible to determine the ambiguous nature of the budgetary decentralization and identify key factors of its influence. It is shown that in terms of the income and expenditures the budgetary decentralization is positively associated with the economic growth of regions of Ukraine during the chosen time range of the study. The dynamic growth of the own revenues of local budgets is not a catalyst for the economic development of the regions. A strong negative effect of transfers on the dependent variable is confirmed. Among the variables included in the model and additionally characterizing the budgetary decentralization, the single tax and subsidies for the socio-economic development of individual territories attract attention. As a result of the study, the author justifies the need to minimize the transfer dependence of the regions at a simultaneous increasing of their own revenue base with local taxes and fees serving as a reliable basis for a long-term planning and development.

Genome-Wide Association Study with Sequence Variants Identifies Candidate Genes for Mastitis Resistance in Dairy Cattle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sahana, Goutam; Guldbrandtsen, Bernt; Bendixen, Christian

Six genomic regions affecting clinical mastitis were identified through a GWAS study with imputed BovineHD chip genotype data in the Nordic Holstein cattle population. The association analyses were carried out using a SNP-by-SNP analysis by fitting the regression of allele dosage and a polygenic...... Effect Predictor (VEP) vers. 2.6 using ENSEMBL vers. 67 databases. Candidate polymorphisms affecting clinical mastitis were selected based on their association with the traits and functional annotations. A strong positional candidate gene for mastitis resistance on chromosome-6 is the NPFFR2 which...... Factor Receptor Alpha (LIFR) emerged as a strong candidate gene for mastitis resistance. The LIFR gene is involved in acute phase response and is expressed in saliva and mammary gland....

The influence of carbon exchange of a large lake on regional tracer-transport inversions: results from Lake Superior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasys, Victoria N; Desai, Ankur R; McKinley, Galen A; Bennington, Val; Michalak, Anna M; Andrews, Arlyn E

2011-01-01

Large lakes may constitute a significant component of regional surface-atmosphere fluxes, but few efforts have been made to quantify these fluxes. Tracer-transport inverse models that infer the CO 2 flux from the atmospheric concentration typically assume that the influence from large lakes is negligible. CO 2 observations from a tall tower in Wisconsin segregated by wind direction suggested a CO 2 signature from Lake Superior. To further investigate this difference, source-receptor influence functions derived using a mesoscale transport model were applied and results revealed that air masses sampled by the tower have a transit time over the lake, primarily in winter when the total lake influence on the tower can exceed 20% of the total influence of the regional domain. When the influence functions were convolved with air-lake fluxes estimated from a physical-biogeochemical lake model, the overall total contribution of lake fluxes to the tall tower CO 2 were mostly negligible, but potentially detectable in certain periods of fall and winter when lake carbon exchange can be strong and land carbon efflux weak. These findings suggest that large oligotrophic lakes would not significantly influence inverse models that incorporate tall tower CO 2 .

Comorbidity negatively influences the outcomes of diagnostic tests for musculoskeletal pain in the orofacial region.

Science.gov (United States)

Koutris, Michail; Visscher, Corine M; Lobbezoo, Frank; Naeije, Machiel

2013-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether diagnostic tests for musculoskeletal pain in the orofacial region [temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain] are influenced by the presence of comorbid conditions, and to determine whether this influence decreases when the presence of "familiar pain" is used as outcome measure. In total, 117 patients (35 men, 82 women; 75 TMD-pain patients, 42 pain-free patients; mean age ± SD = 42.94 ± 14.17 years) were examined with palpation tests and dynamic/static tests. After each test, they were asked whether any pain was provoked and whether this pain response was familiar or not. For four clinical outcome measures (pain on palpation, familiar pain on palpation, pain on dynamic/static tests, and familiar pain on dynamic/static tests), multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with the presence of TMD pain as the primary predictor and regional (neck/shoulder) pain, widespread pain, depression, and somatization as comorbid factors. Pain on palpation was not associated with the primary predictor but with regional pain [P = 0.02, odds ratio (OR) = 4.59] and somatization (P = 0.011, OR = 8.47), whereas familiar pain on palpation was associated with the primary predictor (P = 0.003, OR = 5.23), but also with widespread pain (P = 0.001, OR = 2.02). Pain on dynamic/static tests was associated with the primary predictor (P pain on dynamic/static tests was only associated with the primary predictor (P diagnostic tests are negatively influenced by the presence of comorbidity. This influence decreases when the presence of familiar pain is used as outcome measure. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular genetic gene-environment studies using candidate genes in schizophrenia: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Modinos, Gemma; Iyegbe, Conrad; Prata, Diana; Rivera, Margarita; Kempton, Matthew J; Valmaggia, Lucia R; Sham, Pak C; van Os, Jim; McGuire, Philip

2013-11-01

The relatively high heritability of schizophrenia suggests that genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of the disorder. On the other hand, a number of environmental factors significantly influence its incidence. As few direct genetic effects have been demonstrated, and there is considerable inter-individual heterogeneity in the response to the known environmental factors, interactions between genetic and environmental factors may be important in determining whether an individual develops the disorder. To date, a considerable number of studies of gene-environment interactions (G×E) in schizophrenia have employed a hypothesis-based molecular genetic approach using candidate genes, which have led to a range of different findings. This systematic review aims to summarize the results from molecular genetic candidate studies and to review challenges and opportunities of this approach in psychosis research. Finally, we discuss the potential of future prospects, such as new studies that combine hypothesis-based molecular genetic candidate approaches with agnostic genome-wide association studies in determining schizophrenia risk. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Nature and History of Science Courses on Value Perceptions of Elementary Science Teacher Candidates in Conceptual Dimension in Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Aktamis, Hilal; Higde, Emrah

2018-01-01

This study aimed to determine the changes in understanding about the nature of science (NOS) and conceptual values of 28 elementary science teacher candidates who engaged in the instruction of the nature and history of science (NHOS). A values scale was used to determine the values of science teacher candidates in six areas of the conceptual…

Evaluation of 6 candidate genes on chromosome 11q23 for coeliac disease susceptibility: a case control study

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Close Eimear

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent whole genome analysis and follow-up studies have identified many new risk variants for coeliac disease (CD, gluten intolerance. The majority of newly associated regions encode candidate genes with a clear functional role in T-cell regulation. Furthermore, the newly discovered risk loci, together with the well established HLA locus, account for less than 50% of the heritability of CD, suggesting that numerous additional loci remain undiscovered. Linkage studies have identified some well-replicated risk regions, most notably chromosome 5q31 and 11q23. Methods We have evaluated six candidate genes in one of these regions (11q23, namely CD3E, CD3D, CD3G, IL10RA, THY1 and IL18, as risk factors for CD using a 2-phase candidate gene approach directed at chromosome 11q. 377 CD cases and 349 ethnically matched controls were used in the initial screening, followed by an extended sample of 171 additional coeliac cases and 536 additional controls. Results Promotor SNPs (-607, -137 in the IL18 gene, which has shown association with several autoimmune diseases, initially suggested association with CD (P IL18-137/-607 also supported this effect, primarily due to one relatively rare haplotype IL18-607C/-137C (P Conclusion Haplotypes of the IL18 promotor region may contribute to CD risk, consistent with this cytokine's role in maintaining inflammation in active CD.

Sequence-Based Introgression Mapping Identifies Candidate White Mold Tolerance Genes in Common Bean

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Sujan Mamidi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available White mold, caused by the necrotrophic fungus (Lib. de Bary, is a major disease of common bean ( L.. WM7.1 and WM8.3 are two quantitative trait loci (QTL with major effects on tolerance to the pathogen. Advanced backcross populations segregating individually for either of the two QTL, and a recombinant inbred (RI population segregating for both QTL were used to fine map and confirm the genetic location of the QTL. The QTL intervals were physically mapped using the reference common bean genome sequence, and the physical intervals for each QTL were further confirmed by sequence-based introgression mapping. Using whole-genome sequence data from susceptible and tolerant DNA pools, introgressed regions were identified as those with significantly higher numbers of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs relative to the whole genome. By combining the QTL and SNP data, WM7.1 was located to a 660-kb region that contained 41 gene models on the proximal end of chromosome Pv07, while the WM8.3 introgression was narrowed to a 1.36-Mb region containing 70 gene models. The most polymorphic candidate gene in the WM7.1 region encodes a BEACH-domain protein associated with apoptosis. Within the WM8.3 interval, a receptor-like protein with the potential to recognize pathogen effectors was the most polymorphic gene. The use of gene and sequence-based mapping identified two candidate genes whose putative functions are consistent with the current model of pathogenicity.

Safety and immunogenicity of GMZ2 - a MSP3-GLURP fusion protein malaria vaccine candidate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Esen, Meral; Kremsner, Peter G; Schleucher, Regina

2009-01-01

Malaria is a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. In highly endemic regions infants, children and pregnant women are mostly affected. An effective malaria vaccine would complement existing malaria control strategies because it can be integrated in existing immunization programs easily....... Here we present the results of the first phase Ia clinical trial of GMZ2 adjuvanted in aluminium hydroxide. GMZ2 is a malaria vaccine candidate, designed upon the rationale to induce immune responses against asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum similar to those encountered in semi...... is a safe and immunogenic malaria vaccine candidate suitable for further clinical development....

The role of the core in degeneracy of chiral candidate band doubling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timar, J.; Sohler, D.; Vaman, C.; SUNY, Stony Brook, NY; Starosta, K.; Fossan, D.B.; Koike, T.; Tohoku Univ., Sendai; Lee, I.Y.; Macchiavelli, A.O.

2005-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Nearly degenerate ΔI=1 rotational bands have been observed recently in several odd-odd nuclei in the A ∼ 130 and A ∼ 100 mass regions. The properties of these doublet bands have been found to agree with the scenario of spontaneous formation of chirality and disagree with other possible scenarios. However, the most recent results obtained from life-time experiments for some chiral candidate nuclei in the A ∼ 130 mass region seem to contradict the chiral interpretation of the doublet bands in these nuclei based on the observed differences in the absolute electromagnetic transition rates; the transition rates expected for chiral doublets are predicted to be very similar. Therefore it is interesting to search for new types of experimental data that may provide further possibilities to distinguish between alternative interpretations, and may uncover new properties of the mechanism that is responsible for the band doubling in these nuclei. Such a new type of experimental data was found by studying the chiral candidate bands in neighboring Rh nuclei. High-spin states of 103 Rh were studied using the 96 Zr( 11 B,4n) reaction at 40 MeV beam energy and chiral partner candidate bands have been found in it. As a result of this observation a special quartet of neighboring chiral candidate nuclei can be investigated for the first time. With this quartet identified a comparison between the behavior of the nearly degenerate doublet bands belonging to the same core but to different valence quasiparticle configurations, as well as belonging to different cores but to the same valence quasiparticle configuration, becomes possible. The comparison shows that the energy separation of these doublet band structures depends mainly on the core properties and only at less extent on the valence quasiparticle coupling. This observation sets up new criteria for the explanations of the band doublings, restricting the possible scenarios and providing

Factors that influence attitudes and sexual behavior among constituency youth workers in Oshana Region, Namibia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawoyin, Olusheyi O; Kanthula, Ruth M

2010-03-01

This survey was carried out to assess attitudes and behaviour among youth within four constituencies in Oshana region, Namibia and to understand to how certain social and cultural factors inform attitudes and influence sexual behaviour among the population of young people surveyed. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from a random sample of eighty young men and women between the ages of 15-30 years from four constituencies in Oshana region. Survey outcomes revealed attitudes and certain factors that are linked to sexual risk behaviour such as multiple sexual partnerships. Outcomes also reveal an influence of established socio-cultural norms on gender dynamics within relationships and a culture of reserve around discussions of sex and sexuality among young people. Stakeholder interventions should be directed towards incorporating approaches that address these factors as part of efforts to curb the incidence of HIV among young people in Namibia.

Spatial and seasonal patterns in urban influence on regional concentrations of speciated aerosols across the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Hand, J. L.; Schichtel, B. A.; Malm, W. C.; Pitchford, M.; Frank, N. H.

2014-11-01

Monthly, seasonal, and annual mean estimates of urban influence on regional concentrations of major aerosol species were computed using speciated aerosol data from the rural IMPROVE network (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency's urban Chemical Speciation Network for the 2008 through 2011 period. Aggregated for sites across the continental United States, the annual mean and one standard error in urban excess (defined as the ratio of urban to nearby rural concentrations) was highest for elemental carbon (3.3 ± 0.2), followed by ammonium nitrate (2.5 ± 0.2), particulate organic matter (1.78 ± 0.08), and ammonium sulfate (1.23 ± 0.03). The seasonal variability in urban excess was significant for carbonaceous aerosols and ammonium nitrate in the West, in contrast to the low seasonal variability in the urban influence of ammonium sulfate. Generally for all species, higher excess values in the West were associated with localized urban sources while in the East excess was more regional in extent. In addition, higher excess values in the western United States in winter were likely influenced not only by differences in sources but also by combined meteorological and topographic effects. This work has implications for understanding the spatial heterogeneity of major aerosol species near the interface of urban and rural regions and therefore for designing appropriate air quality management strategies. In addition, the spatial patterns in speciated mass concentrations provide constraints for regional and global models.

Regional contextual influences on short sleep duration: a 50 universities population-based multilevel study in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tingzhong; Peng, Sihui; Barnett, Ross; Zhang, Chichen

2018-01-01

Ecological models have emphasized that short sleep duration (SSD) is influenced by both individual and environmental variables. However, few studies have considered the latter. The present study explores the influence of urban and regional contextual factors, net of individual characteristics, on the prevalence of SSD among university students in China. Participants were 11,954 students, who were identified through a multistage survey sampling process conducted in 50 universities. Individual data were obtained through a self-administered questionnaire, and contextual variables were retrieved from a national database. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine urban and regional variations in high and moderate levels of SSD. Overall the prevalence of high SSD (individual- and city-level covariates. Students attending high-level universities also recorded the highest levels of SSD. Of the individual characteristcs, only mother's occupation and student mental health status were related to SSD. The results of this study add important insights about the role of contextual factors affecting SSD among young adults and indicate the need to take into account both past, as well as present, environmental influences to control SSD.

Dark matter candidates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, M.S.

1989-01-01

One of the simplest, yet most profound, questions we can ask about the Universe is, how much stuff is in it, and further what is that stuff composed of? Needless to say, the answer to this question has very important implications for the evolution of the Universe, determining both the ultimate fate and the course of structure formation. Remarkably, at this late date in the history of the Universe we still do not have a definitive answer to this simplest of questions---although we have some very intriguing clues. It is known with certainty that most of the material in the Universe is dark, and we have the strong suspicion that the dominant component of material in the Cosmos is not baryons, but rather is exotic relic elementary particles left over from the earliest, very hot epoch of the Universe. If true, the Dark Matter question is a most fundamental one facing both particle physics and cosmology. The leading particle dark matter candidates are: the axion, the neutralino, and a light neutrino species. All three candidates are accessible to experimental tests, and experiments are now in progress. In addition, there are several dark horse, long shot, candidates, including the superheavy magnetic monopole and soliton stars. 13 refs

Association study of candidate genes for susceptibility to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder on chromosome 22Q13

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Severinsen, Jacob; Binderup, Helle; Mors, Ole

Chromosome 22q is suspected to harbor risk genes for schizophrenia as well as bipolar affective disorder. This is evidenced through genetic mapping studies, investigations of cytogenetic abnormalities, and direct examination of candidate genes. In a recent study of distantly related patients from...... the Faroe Islands we have obtained evidence suggesting two regions on chromosome 22q13 to potentially harbor susceptibility genes for both schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. We have selected a number of candidate genes from these two regions for further analysis, including the neuro-gene WKL1...... and unrelated controls, and in a Scottish case-control sample comprising 200 schizophrenics, 200 bipolar patients and 200 controls. None of the investigated SNPs have so far showed strong evidence of association to either bipolar disorder or schizophrenia....

Toward a regional power plant siting method: AEC-Maryland regional siting factors study, FY 1974 progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaffee, S.L.; Miller, C.A.

1974-11-01

The ''AEC-Maryland Regional Siting Factors Study'' examines the process of siting in a regional context. It is developing an analysis method to delineate candidate areas for siting of several power plant technology packages, including both fossil-fueled and nuclear options. Tools that are being used include simulation modeling, economic and demographic forecasting, spatial analysis, and computer graphics and numerical manipulation. The approach will describe the trade-offs incurred if a power plant is located in one candidate area rather than in another. In FY 1974, a suitability analysis method was developed which uses engineering and environmental parameters to define a level of environmental cost incurred if a segment of land is used to site a specific technology package. (U.S.)

Academic Dishonesty Tendencies and Values of Teacher Candidates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayşegül KADI

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the values and academic dishonesty tendencies of teacher candidates. The population of this study included teacher candidates who received pedagogic formation education during 2013-2014 academic semester at the Faculty of Education at Ege University. The study was conducted with 244 teacher candidates, who were chosen through convenient sampling method. Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale and Portrait Values Questionnaire were used to collect data. It was a correlational study due to the investigation of the relationship between values and academic dishonesty tendencies of teacher candidates. It was also a survey study since the academic dishonesty tendencies and values of teacher candidates were examined in relation to demographic variables. The results suggested that there wass a significant difference between the values and academic dishonesty tendencies of teacher candidates for gender variable. The values and academic dishonesty tendencies of teacher candidates did not differ for different fields of study. There was not a significant relationship between the academic dishonesty tendencies and values of teacher candidates.

Influence of land use and climate on wetland breeding birds in the Prairie Pothole region of Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Forcey, G.M.; Linz, G.M.; Thogmartin, W.E.; Bleier, W.J.

2007-01-01

Bird populations are influenced by a variety of factors at both small and large scales that range from the presence of suitable nesting habitat, predators, and food supplies to climate conditions and land-use patterns. We evaluated the influences of regional climate and land-use variables on wetland breeding birds in the Canada section of Bird Conservation Region 11 (CA-BCR11), the Prairie Potholes. We used bird abundance data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey, land-use data from the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, and weather data from the National Climatic Data and Information Archive to model effects of regional environmental variables on bird abundance. Models were constructed a priori using information from published habitat associations in the literature, and fitting was performed with WinBUGS using Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. Both land-use and climate variables contributed to predicting bird abundance in CA-BCR11, although climate predictors contributed the most to improving model fit. Examination of regional effects of climate and land use on wetland birds in CA-BCR11 revealed relationships with environmental covariates that are often overlooked by small-scale habitat studies. Results from these studies can be used to improve conservation and management planning for regional populations of avifauna. ?? 2007 NRC.

Geographical patterns in cyanobacteria distribution: climate influence at regional scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitois, Frédéric; Thoraval, Isabelle; Baurès, Estelle; Thomas, Olivier

2014-01-28

Cyanobacteria are a component of public health hazards in freshwater environments because of their potential as toxin producers. Eutrophication has long been considered the main cause of cyanobacteria outbreak and proliferation, whereas many studies emphasized the effect of abiotic parameters (mainly temperature and light) on cell growth rate or toxin production. In view of the growing concerns of global change consequences on public health parameters, this study attempts to enlighten climate influence on cyanobacteria at regional scale in Brittany (NW France). The results show that homogeneous cyanobacteria groups are associated with climatic domains related to temperature, global radiation and pluviometry, whereas microcystins (MCs) occurrences are only correlated to local cyanobacteria species composition. As the regional climatic gradient amplitude is similar to the projected climate evolution on a 30-year timespan, a comparison between the present NW and SE situations was used to extrapolate the evolution of geographical cyanobacteria distribution in Brittany. Cyanobacteria composition should shift toward species associated with more frequent Microcystins occurrences along a NW/SE axis whereas lakes situated along a SW/NE axis should transition to species (mainly Nostocales) associated with lower MCs detection frequencies.

Fiscality - A Relevant Factor Influencing Regional Development in Romania and the European Union

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlad Cristina

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to examine taxation in the EU in correlation with regional development measures implemented. We started with the EU vision on regional development. If during the 2007-2013 period, were pursued three major objectives (convergence, regional competitiveness and territorial cooperation, in the current 2014-2020 funding period, money is allocated differently between countries that are deemed to be more developed, in transition and less developed. These categories are set according to GDP per capita. Next we exposed the fiscal changes made in the EU in 2010-2011 period and then we corelate them with the strategy for regional development for five member states: Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic , Hungary and Poland. We used data reported by Eurostat regarding the evolution of unemployment rate and for the foreign direct investments in 2007-2012 period. We also brought up and changes required by the new Romanian Fiscal Code. According to it, measures such as reduction of income tax for new micro enterprises or extending the VAT reverse charge mechanism in many sectors of activity, are meant to encourage foreign capital inflows and also to increase the level of regional development. As a general conclusion, we found that there is a direct link between fiscal policy and regional development; fiscal measures implemented influence the level of unemployment, economic growth, and competitiveness in the private sector.

Capturing the Transformation and Dynamic Nature of an Elementary Teacher Candidate's Identity Development as a Teacher of Science

Science.gov (United States)

Naidoo, Kara

2017-12-01

This study examines the transformation and dynamic nature of one teacher candidate's (Susan) identity as a learner and teacher of science throughout an innovative science methods course. The goal of this paper is to use theoretically derived themes grounded in cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and situated learning theory to determine the ways in which Susan's identity as a learner and teacher of science was influenced by her experiences in the course, and to describe how she made meaning of her transformative process. The following are the three theoretical themes: (1) learning contributes to identity development, (2) identity development is a dialogical process that occurs between individuals, not within individuals, and (3) social practice leads to transformations and transformations lead to the creation of new social practices. Within each theme, specific experiences in the science methods course are identified that influenced Susan's identity development as a teacher of science. Knowing how context and experiences influence identity development can inform design decisions concerning teacher education programs, courses, and experiences for candidates.

Young Stellar Objects in the Massive Star-forming Regions W51 and W43

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saral, G.; Audard, M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva, Ch. d’Ecogia 16, 1290 Versoix (Switzerland); Hora, J. L.; Martínez-Galarza, J. R.; Smith, H. A. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Koenig, X. P. [Yale University, Department of Astronomy, 208101, New Haven, CT 06520-8101 (United States); Motte, F. [Institut de Plantologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, Univ. Grenoble Alpes—CNRS-INSU, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Nguyen-Luong, Q. [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Chile Observatory, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Saygac, A. T. [Istanbul University, Faculty of Science, Astronomy and Space Sciences Department, Istanbul-Turkey (Turkey)

2017-04-20

We present the results of our investigation of the star-forming complexes W51 and W43, two of the brightest in the first Galactic quadrant. In order to determine the young stellar object (YSO) populations in W51 and W43 we used color–magnitude relations based on Spitzer mid-infrared and 2MASS/UKIDSS near-infrared data. We identified 302 Class I YSOs and 1178 Class II/transition disk candidates in W51, and 917 Class I YSOs and 5187 Class II/transition disk candidates in W43. We also identified tens of groups of YSOs in both regions using the Minimal Spanning Tree (MST) method. We found similar cluster densities in both regions, even though Spitzer was not able to probe the densest part of W43. By using the Class II/I ratios, we traced the relative ages within the regions and, based on the morphology of the clusters, we argue that several sites of star formation are independent of one another in terms of their ages and physical conditions. We used spectral energy distribution-fitting to identify the massive YSO (MYSO) candidates since they play a vital role in the star formation process, and then examined them to see if they are related to any massive star formation tracers such as UCH ii regions, masers, or dense fragments. We identified 17 MYSO candidates in W51, and 14 in W43, respectively, and found that groups of YSOs hosting MYSO candidates are positionally associated with H ii regions in W51, though we do not see any MYSO candidates associated with previously identified massive dense fragments in W43.

Regional hydrogeological conceptual model of candidate Beishan area for high level radioactive waste disposal repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hailong; Guo Yonghai

2014-01-01

The numerical modeling of groundwater flow is an important aspect of hydrogeological assessment in siting of a high level radioactive waste disposal repository. Hydrogeological conceptual model is the basic and premise of numerical modeling of groundwater flow. Based on the hydrogeological analysis of candidate Beishan area, surface water system was created by using DEM data and the modeling area is determined. Three-dimensional hydrogeological structure model was created through GMS software. On the basis of analysis and description of boundary condition, flow field, groundwater budget and hydrogeological parameters, hydrogeological conceptual model was set up for the Beishan area. (authors)

JELLYFISH GALAXY CANDIDATES AT LOW REDSHIFT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poggianti, B. M.; Fasano, G.; Omizzolo, A.; Gullieuszik, M.; Bettoni, D.; Paccagnella, A. [INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Padova (Italy); Moretti, A.; D’Onofrio, M. [Physics and Astronomy Department, University of Padova (Italy); Jaffé, Y. L. [Department of Astronomy, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción (Chile); Vulcani, B. [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8582 (Japan); Fritz, J. [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, CRyA, UNAM, Michoacán (Mexico); Couch, W. [Australian Astronomical Observatory, North Ryde, NSW 1670 (Australia)

2016-03-15

Galaxies that are being stripped of their gas can sometimes be recognized from their optical appearance. Extreme examples of stripped galaxies are the so-called “jellyfish galaxies” that exhibit tentacles of debris material with a characteristic jellyfish morphology. We have conducted the first systematic search for galaxies that are being stripped of their gas at low-z (z = 0.04−0.07) in different environments, selecting galaxies with varying degrees of morphological evidence for stripping. We have visually inspected B- and V-band images and identified 344 candidates in 71 galaxy clusters of the OMEGAWINGS+WINGS sample and 75 candidates in groups and lower mass structures in the PM2GC sample. We present the atlas of stripping candidates and a first analysis of their environment and their basic properties, such as morphologies, star formation rates and galaxy stellar masses. Candidates are found in all clusters and at all clustercentric radii, and their number does not correlate with the cluster velocity dispersion σ or X-ray luminosity L{sub X}. Interestingly, convincing cases of candidates are also found in groups and lower mass halos (10{sup 11}−10{sup 14}M{sub ⊙}), although the physical mechanism at work needs to be securely identified. All the candidates are disky, have stellar masses ranging from log M/M{sub ⊙} < 9 to > 11.5 and the majority of them form stars at a rate that is on average a factor of 2 higher (2.5σ) compared to non-stripped galaxies of similar mass. The few post-starburst and passive candidates have weak stripping evidence. We conclude that disturbed morphologies suggestive of stripping phenomena are ubiquitous in clusters and could be present even in groups and low mass halos. Further studies will reveal the physics of the gas stripping and clarify the mechanisms at work.

Scalar tetraquark candidates on the lattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berlin, Joshua

2017-01-01

The topic of this thesis is the investigation of scalar tetraquark candidates from lattice QCD. It is motivated by a previous study originating in the twisted mass collaboration. The initial tetraquark candidate of choice is the a 0 (980), an isovector in the nonet of light scalars (J P =0 + ). This channel is still poorly understood. It displays an inverted mass hierarchy to what is expected from the conventional quark model and the a 0 (980) and f 0 (980) feature a surprising mass degeneracy. For this reasons the a 0 (980) is a long assumed tetraquark candidate in the literature. We follow a methodological approach by studying the sensitivity of the scalar spectrum with fully dynamical quarks to a large basis of two-quark and four-quark creation operators. Ultimately, the candidate has to be identified in the direct vicinity of two two-particles states, which is understandably inevitable for a tetraquark candidate. To succeed in this difficult task two-meson creation operators are essential to employ in this channel. By localized four-quark operators we intend to probe the Hamiltonian on eigenstates with a closely bound four-quark structure.

Scalar tetraquark candidates on the lattice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berlin, Joshua

2017-07-01

The topic of this thesis is the investigation of scalar tetraquark candidates from lattice QCD. It is motivated by a previous study originating in the twisted mass collaboration. The initial tetraquark candidate of choice is the a{sub 0}(980), an isovector in the nonet of light scalars (J{sup P}=0{sup +}). This channel is still poorly understood. It displays an inverted mass hierarchy to what is expected from the conventional quark model and the a{sub 0}(980) and f{sub 0}(980) feature a surprising mass degeneracy. For this reasons the a{sub 0}(980) is a long assumed tetraquark candidate in the literature. We follow a methodological approach by studying the sensitivity of the scalar spectrum with fully dynamical quarks to a large basis of two-quark and four-quark creation operators. Ultimately, the candidate has to be identified in the direct vicinity of two two-particles states, which is understandably inevitable for a tetraquark candidate. To succeed in this difficult task two-meson creation operators are essential to employ in this channel. By localized four-quark operators we intend to probe the Hamiltonian on eigenstates with a closely bound four-quark structure.

The Influence of Globalization on Caspian Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. . Chernitsyna

2016-01-01

Full Text Available During last several years the Caspian region has to face the integration into global international process. Long and hard process of globalization is connected not only with the dissolution of the USSR and the emergence of new regional players, but also the desire of extra-regional countries to participate, monitor and control all aspects of life in this region, including energy potential, transport, cultural, ecological and strategic issues. The situation is complicated by the uncertainty of the legal status and the conflict of interest of some extra-regional participants. Until recently, Caspian regional countries were not ready to solve old familiar aches without the biggest international players, such as the USA, China, EU etc. However the safety of the region requires decisions for the benefit of the region in the whole and each country separately.

Candidate cave entrances on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Cushing, Glen E.

2012-01-01

This paper presents newly discovered candidate cave entrances into Martian near-surface lava tubes, volcano-tectonic fracture systems, and pit craters and describes their characteristics and exploration possibilities. These candidates are all collapse features that occur either intermittently along laterally continuous trench-like depressions or in the floors of sheer-walled atypical pit craters. As viewed from orbit, locations of most candidates are visibly consistent with known terrestrial features such as tube-fed lava flows, volcano-tectonic fractures, and pit craters, each of which forms by mechanisms that can produce caves. Although we cannot determine subsurface extents of the Martian features discussed here, some may continue unimpeded for many kilometers if terrestrial examples are indeed analogous. The features presented here were identified in images acquired by the Mars Odyssey's Thermal Emission Imaging System visible-wavelength camera, and by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Context Camera. Select candidates have since been targeted by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. Martian caves are promising potential sites for future human habitation and astrobiology investigations; understanding their characteristics is critical for long-term mission planning and for developing the necessary exploration technologies.

Do candidate reactions relate to job performance or affect criterion-related validity? A multistudy investigation of relations among reactions, selection test scores, and job performance.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Julie M; Van Iddekinge, Chad H; Lievens, Filip; Kung, Mei-Chuan; Sinar, Evan F; Campion, Michael A

2013-09-01

Considerable evidence suggests that how candidates react to selection procedures can affect their test performance and their attitudes toward the hiring organization (e.g., recommending the firm to others). However, very few studies of candidate reactions have examined one of the outcomes organizations care most about: job performance. We attempt to address this gap by developing and testing a conceptual framework that delineates whether and how candidate reactions might influence job performance. We accomplish this objective using data from 4 studies (total N = 6,480), 6 selection procedures (personality tests, job knowledge tests, cognitive ability tests, work samples, situational judgment tests, and a selection inventory), 5 key candidate reactions (anxiety, motivation, belief in tests, self-efficacy, and procedural justice), 2 contexts (industry and education), 3 continents (North America, South America, and Europe), 2 study designs (predictive and concurrent), and 4 occupational areas (medical, sales, customer service, and technological). Consistent with previous research, candidate reactions were related to test scores, and test scores were related to job performance. Further, there was some evidence that reactions affected performance indirectly through their influence on test scores. Finally, in no cases did candidate reactions affect the prediction of job performance by increasing or decreasing the criterion-related validity of test scores. Implications of these findings and avenues for future research are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Exploring intentions of physician-scientist trainees: factors influencing MD and MD/PhD interest in research careers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, Jennifer M; Daye, Dania; Schmidt, Mary Lou; Conlon, Claudia Morrissey; Kim, Hajwa; Gaonkar, Bilwaj; Payne, Aimee S; Riddle, Megan; Madera, Sharline; Adami, Alexander J; Winter, Kate Quinn

2017-07-11

Prior studies have described the career paths of physician-scientist candidates after graduation, but the factors that influence career choices at the candidate stage remain unclear. Additionally, previous work has focused on MD/PhDs, despite many physician-scientists being MDs. This study sought to identify career sector intentions, important factors in career selection, and experienced and predicted obstacles to career success that influence the career choices of MD candidates, MD candidates with research-intense career intentions (MD-RI), and MD/PhD candidates. A 70-question survey was administered to students at 5 academic medical centers with Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTPs) and Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) from the NIH. Data were analyzed using bivariate or multivariate analyses. More MD/PhD and MD-RI candidates anticipated or had experienced obstacles related to balancing academic and family responsibilities and to balancing clinical, research, and education responsibilities, whereas more MD candidates indicated experienced and predicted obstacles related to loan repayment. MD/PhD candidates expressed higher interest in basic and translational research compared to MD-RI candidates, who indicated more interest in clinical research. Overall, MD-RI candidates displayed a profile distinct from both MD/PhD and MD candidates. MD/PhD and MD-RI candidates experience obstacles that influence their intentions to pursue academic medical careers from the earliest training stage, obstacles which differ from those of their MD peers. The differences between the aspirations of and challenges facing MD, MD-RI and MD/PhD candidates present opportunities for training programs to target curricula and support services to ensure the career development of successful physician-scientists.

Event display of a H -> 4mu candidate event

CERN Multimedia

ATLAS, Collaboration

2012-01-01

Event display of a H -> 4mu candidate event with m(4l) = 124.1 (125.1) GeV without (with) Z mass constraint. The masses of the lepton pairs are 86.3 GeV and 31.6 GeV. The event was recorded by ATLAS on 10-Jun-2012, 13:24:31 CEST in run number 204769 as event number 71902630. Muon tracks are colored red. The inset on the right-hand side shows a zoom into the tracking detector. The inset on top shows a zoom into the vertex region, indicating that the 4 muons originate from the same primary vertex.

A New Way to Confirm Planet Candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-05-01

What was the big deal behind the Kepler news conference yesterday? Its not just that the number of confirmed planets found by Kepler has more than doubled (though thats certainly exciting news!). Whats especially interesting is the way in which these new planets were confirmed.Number of planet discoveries by year since 1995, including previous non-Kepler discoveries (blue), previous Kepler discoveries (light blue) and the newly validated Kepler planets (orange). [NASA Ames/W. Stenzel; Princeton University/T. Morton]No Need for Follow-UpBefore Kepler, the way we confirmed planet candidates was with follow-up observations. The candidate could be validated either by directly imaging (which is rare) or obtaining a large number radial-velocity measurements of the wobble of the planets host star due to the planets orbit. But once Kepler started producing planet candidates, these approaches to validation became less feasible. A lot of Kepler candidates are small and orbit faint stars, making follow-up observations difficult or impossible.This problem is what inspired the development of whats known as probabilistic validation, an analysis technique that involves assessing the likelihood that the candidates signal is caused by various false-positive scenarios. Using this technique allows astronomers to estimate the likelihood of a candidate signal being a true planet detection; if that likelihood is high enough, the planet candidate can be confirmed without the need for follow-up observations.A breakdown of the catalog of Kepler Objects of Interest. Just over half had previously been identified as false positives or confirmed as candidates. 1284 are newly validated, and another 455 have FPP of1090%. [Morton et al. 2016]Probabilistic validation has been used in the past to confirm individual planet candidates in Kepler data, but now Timothy Morton (Princeton University) and collaborators have taken this to a new level: they developed the first code thats designed to do fully

What influences applicants to accept a job offer?

OpenAIRE

Szabo Hangya, Adrienn; Arevshatian, Lilith

2014-01-01

We develop Roberson et al.’s (2005) model by investigating how recruitment processes influence candidate perceptions leading to job acceptance. Using a qualitative case study design (n=5) and thematic analysis, the data reveals that values, reasons for applying, considerations in applying, views on company and previous experience impact on candidate perceptions. We discussed theoretical implications and propose recommendations for practice.

Mainstream Teacher Candidates' Perspectives on ESL Writing: The Effects of Writer Identity and Rater Background

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hyun-Sook; Veitch, Hillary

2017-01-01

This study explored the extent to which the ethnic identity of a writer and the background (gender and area of teaching) of a rater can influence mainstream teacher candidates' evaluation of English as a second language (ESL) writing, using a matched-guise method. A one-page essay was elicited from an ESL learner enrolled in an intensive English…

Ranking candidate disease genes from gene expression and protein interaction: a Katz-centrality based approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Zhao

Full Text Available Many diseases have complex genetic causes, where a set of alleles can affect the propensity of getting the disease. The identification of such disease genes is important to understand the mechanistic and evolutionary aspects of pathogenesis, improve diagnosis and treatment of the disease, and aid in drug discovery. Current genetic studies typically identify chromosomal regions associated specific diseases. But picking out an unknown disease gene from hundreds of candidates located on the same genomic interval is still challenging. In this study, we propose an approach to prioritize candidate genes by integrating data of gene expression level, protein-protein interaction strength and known disease genes. Our method is based only on two, simple, biologically motivated assumptions--that a gene is a good disease-gene candidate if it is differentially expressed in cases and controls, or that it is close to other disease-gene candidates in its protein interaction network. We tested our method on 40 diseases in 58 gene expression datasets of the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus database. On these datasets our method is able to predict unknown disease genes as well as identifying pleiotropic genes involved in the physiological cellular processes of many diseases. Our study not only provides an effective algorithm for prioritizing candidate disease genes but is also a way to discover phenotypic interdependency, cooccurrence and shared pathophysiology between different disorders.

The Influence of Pintrich's Self-Regulated Learning Model on Elementary Teacher Candidates in a Life Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Çetin, Baris

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research was to determine whether the use of activities based on Pintrich's self-regulated learning model effect the self-regulated learning perceptions of elementary teacher candidates within a Life Science course. The research was organized in accordance with the quasi-experimental designs model. This study was conducted…

76 FR 36130 - Call for Candidates

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-21

... financial information in decision-making. The Board meets in Washington, DC, for two days every other month... FEDERAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS ADVISORY BOARD Call for Candidates AGENCY: Federal Accounting... candidates. Any applicant who provided the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB or the Board...

CANDIDATE GENE ANALYSIS IN ISRAELI SOLDIERS WITH STRESS FRACTURES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ran Yanovich

2012-03-01

Full Text Available To investigate the association of polymorphisms within candidate genes which we hypothesized may contribute to stress fracture predisposition, a case-control, cross- sectional study design was employed. Genotyping 268 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms- SNPs within 17 genes in 385 Israeli young male and female recruits (182 with and 203 without stress fractures. Twenty-five polymorphisms within 9 genes (NR3C1, ANKH, VDR, ROR2, CALCR, IL6, COL1A2, CBG, and LRP4 showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05 in the distribution between stress fracture cases and non stress fracture controls. Seventeen genetic variants were associated with an increased stress fracture risk, and eight variants with a decreased stress fracture risk. None of the SNP associations remained significant after correcting for multiple comparisons (false discovery rate- FDR. Our findings suggest that genes may be involved in stress fracture pathogenesis. Specifically, the CALCR and the VDR genes are intriguing candidates. The putative involvement of these genes in stress fracture predisposition requires analysis of more cases and controls and sequencing the relevant genomic regions, in order to define the specific gene mutations

Identification of a set of genes showing regionally enriched expression in the mouse brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marra Marco A

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Pleiades Promoter Project aims to improve gene therapy by designing human mini-promoters ( Results We have utilized LongSAGE to identify regionally enriched transcripts in the adult mouse brain. As supplemental strategies, we also performed a meta-analysis of published literature and inspected the Allen Brain Atlas in situ hybridization data. From a set of approximately 30,000 mouse genes, 237 were identified as showing specific or enriched expression in 30 target regions of the mouse brain. GO term over-representation among these genes revealed co-involvement in various aspects of central nervous system development and physiology. Conclusion Using a multi-faceted expression validation approach, we have identified mouse genes whose human orthologs are good candidates for design of mini-promoters. These mouse genes represent molecular markers in several discrete brain regions/cell-types, which could potentially provide a mechanistic explanation of unique functions performed by each region. This set of markers may also serve as a resource for further studies of gene regulatory elements influencing brain expression.

Presidential, But Not Prime Minister, Candidates With Lower Pitched Voices Stand a Better Chance of Winning the Election in Conservative Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Banai, Benjamin; Laustsen, Lasse; Banai, Irena Pavela; Bovan, Kosta

2018-01-01

Previous studies have shown that voters rely on sexually dimorphic traits that signal masculinity and dominance when they choose political leaders. For example, voters exert strong preferences for candidates with lower pitched voices because these candidates are perceived as stronger and more competent. Moreover, experimental studies demonstrate that conservative voters, more than liberals, prefer political candidates with traits that signal dominance, probably because conservatives are more likely to perceive the world as a threatening place and to be more attentive to dangerous and threatening contexts. In light of these findings, this study investigates whether country-level ideology influences the relationship between candidate voice pitch and electoral outcomes of real elections. Specifically, we collected voice pitch data for presidential and prime minister candidates, aggregate national ideology for the countries in which the candidates were nominated, and measures of electoral outcomes for 69 elections held across the world. In line with previous studies, we found that candidates with lower pitched voices received more votes and had greater likelihood of winning the elections. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed an interaction between candidate voice pitch, national ideology, and election type (presidential or parliamentary). That is, having a lower pitched voice was a particularly valuable asset for presidential candidates in conservative and right-leaning countries (in comparison to presidential candidates in liberal and left-leaning countries and parliamentary elections). We discuss the practical implications of these findings, and how they relate to existing research on candidates' voices, voting preferences, and democratic elections in general.

The Multiplying Influence of Savings of Population and the Financial Resources of Enterprises on the Socio-Economic Development of Regions of Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Odintsova Tetiana M.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article is aimed at studying the influence of the population’s savings and the financial resources of enterprises on the socio-economic development of the regions of Ukraine. Conditions for stabilizing and improving the socio-economic level of development of regions were considered, based on the multiplying influence of savings through transformation of them into capital investments through the network chain of «gross regional product – population income – spending – taxes – savings – capital investment – gross regional product». The thesis that the multiplying effect of savings of population manifests and fosters the economic growth on the assumption that the savings provide the formation of capital investments, aimed at the growth of the gross regional product, has been substantiated.

Electoral Competition when Candidates are Better Informed than Voters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Thomas

candidates are both completely office-motivated but differ in state-dependent quality. Voters have some information about the state but candidates are better informed. If voters' information is unknown to the candidates when they take positions and sufficiently accurate then candidates will, in refined...

Conceptual model for regional radionuclide transport from a salt dome repository: a technical memorandum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kier, R.S.; Showalter, P.A.; Dettinger, M.D.

1980-01-01

Disposal of high-level radioactive wastes is a major environmental problem influencing further development of nuclear energy in this country. Salt domes in the Gulf Coast Basin are being investigated as repository sites. A major concern is geologic and hydrologic stability of candidate domes and potential transport of radionuclides by groundwater to the biosphere prior to their degradation to harmless levels of activity. This report conceptualizes a regional geohydrologic model for transport of radionuclides from a salt dome repository. The model considers transport pathways and the physical and chemical changes that would occur through time prior to the radionuclides reaching the biosphere. Necessary, but unknown inputs to the regional model involve entry and movement of fluids through the repository dome and across the dome-country rock interface and the effect on the dome and surrounding strata of heat generated by the radioactive wastes

Spatially Resolved Imaging and Spectroscopy of Candidate Dual Active Galactic Nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

McGurk, R. C.; Max, C. E.; Medling, A. M.; Shields, G. A.; Comerford, J. M.

2015-09-01

When galaxies merge, both central supermassive black holes are immersed in a dense and chaotic environment. If there is sufficient gas in the nuclear regions, one expects to see close pairs of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), or dual AGNs, in a fraction of galaxy mergers. However, finding them remains a challenge. The presence of double-peaked [O iii] emission lines has been proposed as a technique to select dual AGNs efficiently. We studied a sample of double-peaked narrow [O iii] emitting AGNs from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7. By obtaining new and archival high spatial resolution images taken with the Keck II Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system and the near-infrared camera NIRC2, we show that 30% of 140 double-peaked [O iii] emission line SDSS AGNs have two spatial components within a 3″ radius. However, spatially resolved spectroscopy or X-ray observations are needed to confirm these galaxy pairs as systems containing two AGNs. We followed up three spatially double candidate dual AGNs with integral field spectroscopy from Keck OSIRIS and 10 candidates with long-slit spectroscopy from the Shane Kast Double Spectrograph at Lick Observatory. We find that the double-peaked emission lines in our sample of 12 candidates are caused by: one dual AGN (SDSS J114642.47+511029.6), one confirmed outflow and four likely outflows, two pairs of star-forming galaxies, one candidate indeterminate due to sky line interference, and three AGNs with spatially coincident double [O iii] peaks, likely due to unresolved complex narrow line kinematics, outflows, binary AGN, or small-scale jets.

SPATIALLY RESOLVED IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY OF CANDIDATE DUAL ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGurk, R. C.; Max, C. E. [Astronomy Department and UCO-Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Medling, A. M. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Cotter Road, Weston Creek, ACT 2611 (Australia); Shields, G. A. [Laguna Falls Institute for Astrophysics, Austin, TX 78746 (United States); Comerford, J. M., E-mail: rosalie.mcgurk@gmail.com, E-mail: max@ucolick.org, E-mail: anne.medling@anu.edu.au, E-mail: shields@lfastro.org, E-mail: julie.comerford@colorado.edu [Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)

2015-09-20

When galaxies merge, both central supermassive black holes are immersed in a dense and chaotic environment. If there is sufficient gas in the nuclear regions, one expects to see close pairs of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), or dual AGNs, in a fraction of galaxy mergers. However, finding them remains a challenge. The presence of double-peaked [O iii] emission lines has been proposed as a technique to select dual AGNs efficiently. We studied a sample of double-peaked narrow [O iii] emitting AGNs from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7. By obtaining new and archival high spatial resolution images taken with the Keck II Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system and the near-infrared camera NIRC2, we show that 30% of 140 double-peaked [O iii] emission line SDSS AGNs have two spatial components within a 3″ radius. However, spatially resolved spectroscopy or X-ray observations are needed to confirm these galaxy pairs as systems containing two AGNs. We followed up three spatially double candidate dual AGNs with integral field spectroscopy from Keck OSIRIS and 10 candidates with long-slit spectroscopy from the Shane Kast Double Spectrograph at Lick Observatory. We find that the double-peaked emission lines in our sample of 12 candidates are caused by: one dual AGN (SDSS J114642.47+511029.6), one confirmed outflow and four likely outflows, two pairs of star-forming galaxies, one candidate indeterminate due to sky line interference, and three AGNs with spatially coincident double [O iii] peaks, likely due to unresolved complex narrow line kinematics, outflows, binary AGN, or small-scale jets.

SPATIALLY RESOLVED IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY OF CANDIDATE DUAL ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGurk, R. C.; Max, C. E.; Medling, A. M.; Shields, G. A.; Comerford, J. M.

2015-01-01

When galaxies merge, both central supermassive black holes are immersed in a dense and chaotic environment. If there is sufficient gas in the nuclear regions, one expects to see close pairs of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), or dual AGNs, in a fraction of galaxy mergers. However, finding them remains a challenge. The presence of double-peaked [O iii] emission lines has been proposed as a technique to select dual AGNs efficiently. We studied a sample of double-peaked narrow [O iii] emitting AGNs from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7. By obtaining new and archival high spatial resolution images taken with the Keck II Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system and the near-infrared camera NIRC2, we show that 30% of 140 double-peaked [O iii] emission line SDSS AGNs have two spatial components within a 3″ radius. However, spatially resolved spectroscopy or X-ray observations are needed to confirm these galaxy pairs as systems containing two AGNs. We followed up three spatially double candidate dual AGNs with integral field spectroscopy from Keck OSIRIS and 10 candidates with long-slit spectroscopy from the Shane Kast Double Spectrograph at Lick Observatory. We find that the double-peaked emission lines in our sample of 12 candidates are caused by: one dual AGN (SDSS J114642.47+511029.6), one confirmed outflow and four likely outflows, two pairs of star-forming galaxies, one candidate indeterminate due to sky line interference, and three AGNs with spatially coincident double [O iii] peaks, likely due to unresolved complex narrow line kinematics, outflows, binary AGN, or small-scale jets

Regional siting survey for thermal power plants in the state of Ohio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elkins, M.L.; DiNunno, J.J.

1975-01-01

The selection and evaluation of sites for power plants have become increasingly difficult in recent years as pressures from various societal segments have resulted in government restraints on selection and burning of fossil fuels, on methods of heat dissipation, on acquisition of transmission line rights-of-way, and on environmental impact in general. The key elements in successful application of power plant siting technology are the development of the proper balance among the basic siting considerations and the understanding that level of detail in a study varies in an inverse relationship with the siting area under examination. As the first step in the process of selection and eventual licensing of new thermal power plant sites for a utility in the State of Ohio, the entire state was screened to determine promising candidate regions large enough to offer several possible candidate sites for thermal power plants. Because of the size of the area under consideration and the advantages of developing sites with an ultimate capacity for more than one power plant, sites with an installed capacity of 1100 to 4400 MW(e) were considered for this study. As a result of the preliminary screening conducted in four distinct steps, three candidate regions showed the best overall promise for either nuclear or fossil-fueled power plant development. Tentative identification was made of candidate sites within these candidate regions, and follow-on studies conducted in an increasing level of detail are presently in progress to determine the candidate site(s) most promising for power plant siting. (U.S.)

11 CFR 110.13 - Candidate debates.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... debates include at least two candidates; and (2) The staging organization(s) does not structure the... PROHIBITIONS § 110.13 Candidate debates. (a) Staging organizations. (1) Nonprofit organizations described in 26..., subparts D and E. (b) Debate structure. The structure of debates staged in accordance with this section and...

Candidate marketing takes the guessing game out of choosing employers.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Judith; Havel, Stacey

2010-01-01

Candidate marketing builds a foundation for relationships between employers and potential employees. Additionally, candidate marketing differentiates organizations in the marketplace. Organizations using candidate marketing to communicate the employer brand can expect a higher quality of candidates, and new employees are better prepared for the work environment and culture. Today, organizations can use a variety of integrated tools and techniques to communicate and build relationships with candidates. Candidate marketing demonstrates an organization's willingness towards transparency, and ability to invite open conversations between candidates and members of the organizations.

Dissecting the organ specificity of insecticide resistance candidate genes in Anopheles gambiae: known and novel candidate genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingham, Victoria A; Jones, Christopher M; Pignatelli, Patricia; Balabanidou, Vasileia; Vontas, John; Wagstaff, Simon C; Moore, Jonathan D; Ranson, Hilary

2014-11-25

The elevated expression of enzymes with insecticide metabolism activity can lead to high levels of insecticide resistance in the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. In this study, adult female mosquitoes from an insecticide susceptible and resistant strain were dissected into four different body parts. RNA from each of these samples was used in microarray analysis to determine the enrichment patterns of the key detoxification gene families within the mosquito and to identify additional candidate insecticide resistance genes that may have been overlooked in previous experiments on whole organisms. A general enrichment in the transcription of genes from the four major detoxification gene families (carboxylesterases, glutathione transferases, UDP glucornyltransferases and cytochrome P450s) was observed in the midgut and malpighian tubules. Yet the subset of P450 genes that have previously been implicated in insecticide resistance in An gambiae, show a surprisingly varied profile of tissue enrichment, confirmed by qPCR and, for three candidates, by immunostaining. A stringent selection process was used to define a list of 105 genes that are significantly (p ≤0.001) over expressed in body parts from the resistant versus susceptible strain. Over half of these, including all the cytochrome P450s on this list, were identified in previous whole organism comparisons between the strains, but several new candidates were detected, notably from comparisons of the transcriptomes from dissected abdomen integuments. The use of RNA extracted from the whole organism to identify candidate insecticide resistance genes has a risk of missing candidates if key genes responsible for the phenotype have restricted expression within the body and/or are over expression only in certain tissues. However, as transcription of genes implicated in metabolic resistance to insecticides is not enriched in any one single organ, comparison of the transcriptome of individual dissected body parts cannot

Evaluating historical candidate genes for schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farrell, M S; Werge, T; Sklar, P

2015-01-01

Prior to the genome-wide association era, candidate gene studies were a major approach in schizophrenia genetics. In this invited review, we consider the current status of 25 historical candidate genes for schizophrenia (for example, COMT, DISC1, DTNBP1 and NRG1). The initial study for 24 of thes...

Efficacy of chimeric Pestivirus vaccine candidates against classical swine fever: protection and DIVA characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Eblé, P L; Geurts, Y; Quak, S; Moonen-Leusen, H W; Blome, S; Hofmann, M A; Koenen, F; Beer, M; Loeffen, W L A

2013-03-23

Currently no live DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) vaccines against classical swine fever (CSF) are available. The aim of this study was to investigate whether chimeric pestivirus vaccine candidates (CP7_E2alf, Flc11 and Flc9) are able to protect pigs against clinical signs, and to reduce virus shedding and virus transmission, after a challenge with CSF virus (CSFV), 7 or 14 days after a single intramuscular vaccination. In these vaccine candidates, either the E2 or the E(rns) encoding genome region of a bovine viral diarrhoea virus strain were combined with a cDNA copy of CSFV or vice versa. Furthermore, currently available serological DIVA tests were evaluated. The vaccine candidates were compared to the C-strain. All vaccine candidates protected against clinical signs. No transmission to contact pigs was detected in the groups vaccinated with C-strain, CP7_E2alf and Flc11. Limited transmission occurred in the groups vaccinated with Flc9. All vaccine candidates would be suitable to stop on-going transmission of CSFV. For Flc11, no reliable differentiation was possible with the current E(rns)-based DIVA test. For CP7_E2alf, the distribution of the inhibition percentages was such that up to 5% false positive results may be obtained in a large vaccinated population. For Flc9 vaccinated pigs, the E2 ELISA performed very well, with an expected 0.04% false positive results in a large vaccinated population. Both CP7_E2alf and Flc9 are promising candidates to be used as live attenuated marker vaccines against CSF, with protection the best feature of CP7_E2alf, and the DIVA principle the best feature of Flc9. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

THE INFLUENCE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS ON THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONS IN UKRAINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inna Arakelova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In terms of the issues aggravation concerning internally displaced persons and the disproportions in the social and economic development of regions as a result of the antiterrorist operation in Ukraine, an analysis of social and economic transformations in regional development under the migration processes influence and the search for their overcoming mechanisms becomes relevant. The purpose of the article is to analyse the impact of internally displaced persons flows on the social and economic development of regions in order to improve the regional development mechanisms in Ukraine. The research methodology includes a set of scientific research methods that provide a systematic approach to investigating the impact of internally displaced persons on the social and economic development of Ukrainian regions, theoretical approaches to state regulation of internal migration flows in conditions of decentralization of power and reform of public administration in the country. In the course of investigations, the following methods are used: statistical analysis and synthesis while determining the indicators of the IDPs burden on the regional social and economic systems of Ukraine; analysis while studying the main problems of internally displaced persons and their directions; logical synthesis and synthesis while drawing conclusions. The information base for the study consists of the legislative acts of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, statistical and reporting information of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, development of the UN Agency for Refugees, the UN ReliefWeb Specialized Service for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, PROMAN, NGO “Labor and Health Social Initiatives”, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, research results of domestic and foreign scientists. Results. The article deals with the issues of effective reforming of regional development

Problematic eating behaviors among bariatric surgical candidates: a psychometric investigation and factor analytic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Gelinas, Bethany L; Delparte, Chelsea A; Wright, Kristi D; Hart, Regan

2015-01-01

Psychological factors (e.g., anxiety, depression) are routinely assessed in bariatric pre-surgical programs, as high levels of psychopathology are consistently related to poor program outcomes (e.g., failure to lose significant weight pre-surgery, weight regain post-surgery). Behavioral factors related to poor program outcomes and ways in which behavioral and psychological factors interact, have received little attention in bariatric research and practice. Potentially problematic behavioral factors are queried by Section H of the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory (WALI-H), in which respondents indicate the relevance of certain eating behaviors to obesity. A factor analytic investigation of the WALI-H serves to improve the way in which this assessment tool is interpreted and used among bariatric surgical candidates, and subsequent moderation analyses serve to demonstrate potential compounding influences of psychopathology on eating behavior factors. Bariatric surgical candidates (n =362) completed several measures of psychopathology and the WALI-H. Item responses from the WALI-H were subjected to principal axis factoring with oblique rotation. Results revealed a three-factor model including: (1) eating in response to negative affect, (2) overeating/desirability of food, and (3) eating in response to positive affect/social cues. All three behavioral factors of the WALI-H were significantly associated with measures of depression and anxiety. Moderation analyses revealed that depression did not moderate the relationship between anxiety and any eating behavior factor. Although single forms of psychopathology are related to eating behaviors, the combination of psychopathology does not appear to influence these problematic behaviors. Recommendations for pre-surgical assessment and treatment of bariatric surgical candidates are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Converging evidence that sequence variations in the novel candidate gene MAP2K7 (MKK7) are functionally associated with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Winchester, Catherine L; Ohzeki, Hiromitsu; Vouyiouklis, Demetrius A; Thompson, Rhiannon; Penninger, Josef M; Yamagami, Keiji; Norrie, John D; Hunter, Robert; Pratt, Judith A; Morris, Brian J

2012-11-15

Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disease with a strong genetic contribution, potentially linked to altered glutamatergic function in brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here, we report converging evidence to support a functional candidate gene for schizophrenia. In post-mortem PFC from patients with schizophrenia, we detected decreased expression of MKK7/MAP2K7-a kinase activated by glutamatergic activity. While mice lacking one copy of the Map2k7 gene were overtly normal in a variety of behavioural tests, these mice showed a schizophrenia-like cognitive phenotype of impaired working memory. Additional support for MAP2K7 as a candidate gene came from a genetic association study. A substantial effect size (odds ratios: ~1.9) was observed for a common variant in a cohort of case and control samples collected in the Glasgow area and also in a replication cohort of samples of Northern European descent (most significant P-value: 3 × 10(-4)). While some caution is warranted until these association data are further replicated, these results are the first to implicate the candidate gene MAP2K7 in genetic risk for schizophrenia. Complete sequencing of all MAP2K7 exons did not reveal any non-synonymous mutations. However, the MAP2K7 haplotype appeared to have functional effects, in that it influenced the level of expression of MAP2K7 mRNA in human PFC. Taken together, the results imply that reduced function of the MAP2K7-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signalling cascade may underlie some of the neurochemical changes and core symptoms in schizophrenia.

11 CFR 9003.2 - Candidate certifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... funds under 11 CFR 9003.2(c)(3) shall not count against such candidate's $50,000 expenditure limitation... expenditures. (8) Expenditures made using a credit card for which the candidate is jointly or solely liable will count against the limits of this section to the extent that the full amount due, including any...

An objective framework to test the quality of candidate indicators of good environmental status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana M Queiros

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Large efforts are on-going within the EU to prepare the Marine Strategy Framework Directive’s (MSFD assessment of the environmental status of the European seas. This assessment will only be as good as the indicators chosen to monitor the eleven descriptors of good environmental status (GEnS. An objective and transparent framework to determine whether chosen indicators actually support the aims of this policy is, however, not yet in place. Such frameworks are needed to ensure that the limited resources available to this assessment optimize the likelihood of achieving GEnS within collaborating states. Here, we developed a hypothesis-based protocol to evaluate whether candidate indicators meet quality criteria explicit to the MSFD, which the assessment community aspires to. Eight quality criteria are distilled from existing initiatives, and a testing and scoring protocol for each of them is presented. We exemplify its application in three worked examples, covering indicators for three GEnS descriptors (1, 5 and 6, various habitat components (seaweeds, seagrasses, benthic macrofauna and plankton, and assessment regions (Danish, Lithuanian and UK waters. We argue that this framework provides a necessary, transparent and standardized structure to support the comparison of candidate indicators, and the decision-making process leading to indicator selection. Its application could help identify potential limitations in currently available candidate metrics and, in such cases, help focus the development of more adequate indicators. Use of such standardized approaches will facilitate the sharing of knowledge gained across the MSFD parties despite context-specificity across assessment regions, and support the evidence-based management of European seas.

HOT HIGH-MASS ACCRETION DISK CANDIDATES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beuther, H.; Walsh, A. J.; Longmore, S. N.

2009-01-01

To better understand the physical properties of accretion disks in high-mass star formation, we present a study of a dozen high-mass accretion disk candidates observed at high spatial resolution with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) in the high-excitation (4,4) and (5,5) lines of NH 3 . All of our originally selected sources were detected in both NH 3 transitions, directly associated with CH 3 OH Class II maser emission and implying that high-excitation NH 3 lines are good tracers of the dense gas components in hot-core-type targets. Only the one source that did not satisfy the initial selection criteria remained undetected. From the 11 mapped sources, six show clear signatures of rotation and/or infall motions. These signatures vary from velocity gradients perpendicular to the outflows, to infall signatures in absorption against ultracompact H II regions, to more spherical infall signatures in emission. Although our spatial resolution is ∼1000 AU, we do not find clear Keplerian signatures in any of the sources. Furthermore, we also do not find flattened structures. In contrast to this, in several of the sources with rotational signatures, the spatial structure is approximately spherical with sizes exceeding 10 4 AU, showing considerable clumpy sub-structure at even smaller scales. This implies that on average typical Keplerian accretion disks-if they exist as expected-should be confined to regions usually smaller than 1000 AU. It is likely that these disks are fed by the larger-scale rotating envelope structure we observe here. Furthermore, we do detect 1.25 cm continuum emission in most fields of view. While in some cases weak cm continuum emission is associated with our targets, more typically larger-scale H II regions are seen offset more than 10'' from our sources. While these H II regions are unlikely to be directly related to the target regions, this spatial association nevertheless additionally stresses that high-mass star formation rarely

Region-Based Building Rooftop Extraction and Change Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, J.; Metzlaff, L.; d'Angelo, P.; Reinartz, P.

2017-09-01

Automatic extraction of building changes is important for many applications like disaster monitoring and city planning. Although a lot of research work is available based on 2D as well as 3D data, an improvement in accuracy and efficiency is still needed. The introducing of digital surface models (DSMs) to building change detection has strongly improved the resulting accuracy. In this paper, a post-classification approach is proposed for building change detection using satellite stereo imagery. Firstly, DSMs are generated from satellite stereo imagery and further refined by using a segmentation result obtained from the Sobel gradients of the panchromatic image. Besides the refined DSMs, the panchromatic image and the pansharpened multispectral image are used as input features for mean-shift segmentation. The DSM is used to calculate the nDSM, out of which the initial building candidate regions are extracted. The candidate mask is further refined by morphological filtering and by excluding shadow regions. Following this, all segments that overlap with a building candidate region are determined. A building oriented segments merging procedure is introduced to generate a final building rooftop mask. As the last step, object based change detection is performed by directly comparing the building rooftops extracted from the pre- and after-event imagery and by fusing the change indicators with the roof-top region map. A quantitative and qualitative assessment of the proposed approach is provided by using WorldView-2 satellite data from Istanbul, Turkey.

REGION-BASED BUILDING ROOFTOP EXTRACTION AND CHANGE DETECTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Tian

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Automatic extraction of building changes is important for many applications like disaster monitoring and city planning. Although a lot of research work is available based on 2D as well as 3D data, an improvement in accuracy and efficiency is still needed. The introducing of digital surface models (DSMs to building change detection has strongly improved the resulting accuracy. In this paper, a post-classification approach is proposed for building change detection using satellite stereo imagery. Firstly, DSMs are generated from satellite stereo imagery and further refined by using a segmentation result obtained from the Sobel gradients of the panchromatic image. Besides the refined DSMs, the panchromatic image and the pansharpened multispectral image are used as input features for mean-shift segmentation. The DSM is used to calculate the nDSM, out of which the initial building candidate regions are extracted. The candidate mask is further refined by morphological filtering and by excluding shadow regions. Following this, all segments that overlap with a building candidate region are determined. A building oriented segments merging procedure is introduced to generate a final building rooftop mask. As the last step, object based change detection is performed by directly comparing the building rooftops extracted from the pre- and after-event imagery and by fusing the change indicators with the roof-top region map. A quantitative and qualitative assessment of the proposed approach is provided by using WorldView-2 satellite data from Istanbul, Turkey.

The Nature, Origin, and Importance of Carbonate-Bearing Samples at the Final Three Candidate Mars 2020 Landing Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Horgan, B.; Anderson, R. B.; Ruff, S. W.

2018-04-01

All three candidate Mars 2020 landing sites contain similar regional olivine/carbonate units, and a carbonate unit of possible lacustrine origin is also present at Jezero. Carbonates are critical for Mars Sample Return as records of climate and biosignatures.

Investigating the psychological resilience, self-confidence and problem-solving skills of midwife candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ertekin Pinar, Sukran; Yildirim, Gulay; Sayin, Neslihan

2018-05-01

The high level of psychological resilience, self-confidence and problem solving skills of midwife candidates play an important role in increasing the quality of health care and in fulfilling their responsibilities towards patients. This study was conducted to investigate the psychological resilience, self-confidence and problem-solving skills of midwife candidates. It is a convenience descriptive quantitative study. Students who study at Health Sciences Faculty in Turkey's Central Anatolia Region. Midwife candidates (N = 270). In collection of data, the Personal Information Form, Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults (PRSA), Self-Confidence Scale (SCS), and Problem Solving Inventory (PSI) were used. There was a negatively moderate-level significant relationship between the Problem Solving Inventory scores and the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults scores (r = -0.619; p = 0.000), and between Self-Confidence Scale scores (r = -0.524; p = 0.000). There was a positively moderate-level significant relationship between the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults scores and the Self-Confidence Scale scores (r = 0.583; p = 0.000). There was a statistically significant difference (p Problem Solving Inventory and the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults scores according to getting support in a difficult situation. As psychological resilience and self-confidence levels increase, problem-solving skills increase; additionally, as self-confidence increases, psychological resilience increases too. Psychological resilience, self-confidence, and problem-solving skills of midwife candidates in their first-year of studies are higher than those who are in their fourth year. Self-confidence and psychological resilience of midwife candidates aged between 17 and 21, self-confidence and problem solving skills of residents of city centers, psychological resilience of those who perceive their monthly income as sufficient are high

The influence of gravity on regional lung blood flow in humans: SPECT in the upright and head-down posture.

Science.gov (United States)

Ax, M; Sanchez-Crespo, A; Lindahl, S G E; Mure, M; Petersson, J

2017-06-01

Previous studies in humans have shown that gravity has little influence on the distribution of lung blood flow while changing posture from supine to prone. This study aimed to evaluate the maximal influence of posture by comparison of regional lung blood flow in the upright and head-down posture in 8 healthy volunteers, using a tilt table. Regional lung blood flow was marked by intravenous injection of macroaggregates of human albumin labeled with 99m Tc or 113m In, in the upright and head-down posture, respectively, during tidal breathing. Both radiotracers remain fixed in the lung after administration. The distribution of radioactivity was mapped using quantitative single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) corrected for attenuation and scatter. All images were obtained supine during tidal breathing. A shift from upright to the head-down posture caused a clear redistribution of blood flow from basal to apical regions. We conclude that posture plays a role for the distribution of lung blood flow in upright humans, and that the influence of posture, and thereby gravity, is much greater in the upright and head-down posture than in horizontal postures. However, the results of the study demonstrate that lung structure is the main determinant of regional blood flow and gravity is a secondary contributor to the distribution of lung blood flow in the upright and head-down positions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using a dual-isotope quantitative SPECT method, we demonstrated that although a shift in posture redistributes blood flow in the direction of gravity, the results are also consistent with lung structure being a greater determinant of regional blood flow than gravity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use modern imaging methods to quantify the shift in regional lung blood flow in humans at a change between the upright and head-down postures. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

An Extremely Red and Two Other Nearby L Dwarf Candidates Previously Overlooked in 2MASS, WISE, and Other Surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, Ralf-Dieter; Bell, Cameron P. M.

2018-02-01

We present three new nearby L dwarf candidates, found in a continued combined color/proper motion search using WISE, 2MASS, and other survey data, where we included extended WISE sources and looked closer to the Galactic plane region. Their spectral types and distances were estimated from photometric comparisons to well-known L dwarfs with trigonometric parallaxes. The first object, 2MASS J07555430-3259589, is an extremely red L7.5p dwarf candidate at a photometric distance of about 16 pc. Its position, proper motion and distance are consistent with membership in the Carina-Near young moving group. The second one, 2MASS J07414279-0506464, is resolved in Gaia DR1 as a close binary (separation 0.3 arcsec), and we classify it as a equal-mass binary candidate consisting of two L5 dwarfs at 19 pc. Our nearest new neighbor, 2MASS J19251275+0700362, is an L7 dwarf candidate at 10 pc.

Candidate genes expressed in human islets and their role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Storling, Joachim; Brorsson, Caroline Anna

2013-01-01

In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the insulin-producing β cells are destroyed by an immune-mediated process leading to complete insulin deficiency. There is a strong genetic component in T1D. Genes located in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region are the most important genetic determinants of disease......, but more than 40 additional loci are known to significantly affect T1D risk. Since most of the currently known genetic candidates have annotated immune cell functions, it is generally considered that most of the genetic susceptibility in T1D is caused by variation in genes affecting immune cell function....... Recent studies, however, indicate that most T1D candidate genes are expressed in human islets suggesting that the functions of the genes are not restricted to immune cells, but also play roles in the islets and possibly the β cells. Several candidates change expression levels within the islets following...

Survey of Swedish buffer material candidates and methods for characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erlstroem, M.; Pusch, R.

1987-12-01

The study has given a good overview of potential clay buffer candidates in the part of Sweden that offers the best possibilities to find large accessible quantities of smectitic materials. The most promising Scanian materials are those in the Kaageroed and Vallaakra (Margreteberg) areas since they represent the most smectitic ones, which may serve as raw material for the production of canister embedment. The moraine clays in the Lund-Landskrona region seem to be useful for backfilling purposes. A refined version of Reynolds technique is suggested as an SKB standard for prospecting and characterization of buffer materials. (orig./DG)

Influence of growing and exploatation of bovins on regional agroecosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornel Podar

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Scientists all over the are concerned regarding the influence of growing ruminants on regional agro-ecosystems due to green house gases resulted (CO 2, CH4, N2O5. Cattle have contributed to environmental pollution in old industrial farming systems, when the cattle number in Romania, reached 8 million, manure evacuation was not solved and manure was accumulating around the farm polluting the soil, water and air. Low density of ruminants existing in the agricultural sector of the country is not significant in terms of pollution. Currently cattle have positive effects on the environment by the use of legumes, grasses and manure production contributing to the increase of agricultural production: crop production (sugar beet, potato and cereals, animal production (milk, meat, leather production and industrial production also (biogas, befouls, alcohol, oil production.

Regional Famine Patterns of The Last Millennium as Influenced by Aggregated Climate Teleconnections

Science.gov (United States)

Santoro, Michael Melton

Famine is the result of a complex set of environmental and social factors. Climate conditions are established as environmental factors contributing to famine occurrence, often through teleconnective patterns. This dissertation is designed to investigate the combined influence on world famine patterns of teleconnections, specifically the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Southern Oscillation (SO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), or regional climate variations such as the South Asian Summer Monsoon (SASM). The investigation is three regional case studies of famine patterns specifically, Egypt, the British Isles, and India. The first study (published in Holocene) employs the results of a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) yielding a SO-NAO eigenvector to predict major Egyptian famines between AD 1049-1921. The SO-NAO eigenvector (1) successfully discriminates between the 5-10 years preceding a famine and the other years, (2) predicts eight of ten major famines, and (3) correctly identifies fifty out of eighty events (63%) of food availability decline leading up to major famines. The second study investigates the impact of the NAO, PDO, SO, and AMO on 63 British Isle famines between AD 1049 and 1914 attributed to climate causes in historical texts. Stepwise Regression Analysis demonstrates that the 5-year lagged NAO is the primary teleconnective influence on famine patterns; it successfully discriminates 73.8% of weather-related famines in the British Isles from 1049 to 1914. The final study identifies the aggregated influence of the NAO, SO, PDO, and SASM on 70 Indian famines from AD 1049 to 1955. PCA results in a NAO-SOI vector and SASM vector that predicts famine conditions with a positive NAO and negative SO, distinct from the secondary SASM influence. The NAO-famine relationship is consistently the strongest; 181 of 220 (82%) of all famines occurred during positive NAO years. Ultimately, the causes of famine are complex

Dark Matter candidates in a baryogenesis inspired scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Provenza, A; Quiros, M; Ullio, P

2006-01-01

It has recently been shown that the electroweak baryogenesis mechanism is feasible in Standard Model extensions containing extra fermions with large Yukawa couplings. We show that the lightest of these fermionic fields can naturally be a good candidate for cold dark matter. We find regions in the parameter space where the thermal relic abundance of this particle is compatible with the dark matter density of the Universe as determined by the WMAP experiment. We study direct and indirect dark matter detection for this model and compare with current experimental limits and prospects for upcoming experiments. We find, contrary to the standard lore, that indirect detection searches are more promising than direct ones, and they already exclude part of the parameter space

Three-day clotrimazole treatment in candidal vulvovaginitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Masterton, G; Napier, I R; Henderson, J N; Roberts, J E

1977-01-01

The accepted modern practice is to treat each sexually transmitted disease with the shortest possible course of treatment consistent with success. In candidal vulvovaginitis, six days is the minimum period that has so far been found to be successful, but we report here a further reduction to three days. Patients were given two clotrimazole pessaries nightly for three consecutive nights; the overall success rate was 89-4% one month after treatment. This compares favourably with the 93% cure rate reported with the six-day course of clotrimazole. With both the long and short courses, patients having their first attack of genital candidosis responded better than those with a history of previous infection. Short courses of clotrimazole treatment are particularly valuable in dealing with uncooperative women who stop treatment at the earliest possible moment. Clinical and laboratory diagnostic pitfalls and their possible influence upon the therapeutic outcome are also discussed. PMID:870143

Linkage mapping of candidate genes for induce resistance and growth promotion by trichoderma koningiopsis (th003) in tomato solanum lycopersicum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simbaqueba, Jaime; Cotes, Alba Marina; Barrero, Luz Stella

2011-01-01

Induced systemic resistance (ISR) is a mechanism by which plants enhance defenses against any stress condition. ISR and growth promotion are enhanced when tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is inoculated with several strains of Trichoderma ssp. this study aims to genetically map tomato candidate genes involved in ISR and growth promotion induced by the Colombian native isolate Trichoderma koningiopsis th003. Forty-nine candidate genes previously identified on tomato plants treated with th003 and T. hamatum T382 strains were evaluated for polymorphisms and 16 of them were integrated on the highly saturated genetic linkage map named TOMATO EXPEN 2000. The location of six unigenes was similar to the location of resistance gene analogs (RGAS), defense related ests and resistance QTLs previously reported, suggesting new possible candidates for these quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions. The candidate gene-markers may be used for future ISR or growth promotion assisted selection in tomato.

Analysis of positional candidate genes in the AAA1 susceptibility locus for abdominal aortic aneurysms on chromosome 19

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferrell Robert E

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA is a complex disorder with multiple genetic risk factors. Using affected relative pair linkage analysis, we previously identified an AAA susceptibility locus on chromosome 19q13. This locus has been designated as the AAA1 susceptibility locus in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM database. Methods Nine candidate genes were selected from the AAA1 locus based on their function, as well as mRNA expression levels in the aorta. A sample of 394 cases and 419 controls was genotyped for 41 SNPs located in or around the selected nine candidate genes using the Illumina GoldenGate platform. Single marker and haplotype analyses were performed. Three genes (CEBPG, PEPD and CD22 were selected for DNA sequencing based on the association study results, and exonic regions were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining of aortic tissue sections from AAA and control individuals was carried out for the CD22 and PEPD proteins with specific antibodies. Results Several SNPs were nominally associated with AAA (p CEBPG, peptidase D (PEPD, and CD22. Haplotype analysis found a nominally associated 5-SNP haplotype in the CEBPG/PEPD locus, as well as a nominally associated 2-SNP haplotype in the CD22 locus. DNA sequencing of the coding regions revealed no variation in CEBPG. Seven sequence variants were identified in PEPD, including three not present in the NCBI SNP (dbSNP database. Sequencing of all 14 exons of CD22 identified 20 sequence variants, five of which were in the coding region and six were in the 3'-untranslated region. Five variants were not present in dbSNP. Immunohistochemical staining for CD22 revealed protein expression in lymphocytes present in the aneurysmal aortic wall only and no detectable expression in control aorta. PEPD protein was expressed in fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the media-adventitia border in both aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal tissue samples. Conclusions Association testing

Cell biological characterization of the malaria vaccine candidate trophozoite exported protein 1.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Kulangara

Full Text Available In a genome-wide screen for alpha-helical coiled coil motifs aiming at structurally defined vaccine candidates we identified PFF0165c. This protein is exported in the trophozoite stage and was named accordingly Trophozoite exported protein 1 (Tex1. In an extensive preclinical evaluation of its coiled coil peptides Tex1 was identified as promising novel malaria vaccine candidate providing the rational for a comprehensive cell biological characterization of Tex1. Antibodies generated against an intrinsically unstructured N-terminal region of Tex1 and against a coiled coil domain were used to investigate cytological localization, solubility and expression profile. Co-localization experiments revealed that Tex1 is exported across the parasitophorous vacuole membrane and located to Maurer's clefts. Change in location is accompanied by a change in solubility: from a soluble state within the parasite to a membrane-associated state after export to Maurer's clefts. No classical export motifs such as PEXEL, signal sequence/anchor or transmembrane domain was identified for Tex1.

URBAN LANDSCAPE QUALITY AND FACTORS THAT HAVE INFLUENCE ON LANDSCAPE QUALITY IN LATGALE REGION

OpenAIRE

Matisovs, Ivars

2005-01-01

The paper deals with urban landscape individualities in the cities and towns of Latgale region. Also show facilities and methods of integrated assessment of urban landscape quality. Article provides information about specifics of urban landscape and factors, that have influence on landscape quality. The paper presents the results of Daugavpils and Rēzekne urban landscape quality complex assessment, that have been realised in 2003- 2005. This results don’t establish significant disparities bet...

PEACE: pulsar evaluation algorithm for candidate extraction - a software package for post-analysis processing of pulsar survey candidates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lee, K.J.; Stovall, K.; Jenet, F.A.; Martinez, J.; Dartez, L.P.; Mata, A.; Lunsford, G.; Cohen, S.; Biwer, C.M.; Rohr, M.; Flanigan, J.; Walker, A.; Banaszak, S.; Allen, B.; Barr, E.D.; Bhat, N.D.R.; Bogdanov, S.; Brazier, A.; Camilo, F.; Champion, D.J.; Chatterjee, S.; Cordes, J.; Crawford, F.; Deneva, J.; Desvignes, G.; Ferdman, R.D.; Freire, P.; Hessels, J.W.T.; Karuppusamy, R.; Kaspi, V.M.; Knispel, B.; Kramer, M.; Lazarus, P.; Lynch, R.; Lyne, A.; McLaughlin, M.; Ransom, S.; Scholz, P.; Siemens, X.; Spitler, L.; Stairs, I.; Tan, M.; van Leeuwen, J.; Zhu, W.W.

2013-01-01

Modern radio pulsar surveys produce a large volume of prospective candidates, the majority of which are polluted by human-created radio frequency interference or other forms of noise. Typically, large numbers of candidates need to be visually inspected in order to determine if they are real pulsars.

Geo(spatial) Health Investigation of Rotavirus in an Endemic Region: Hydroclimatic Influences and Epidemiology of Rotavirus in Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, M. A.; Akanda, A. S.; Jutla, A.; Colwell, R. R.

2016-12-01

Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea among children under 5. Over 80% of the approximate half a million child deaths every year occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa alone. Although less explored than cholera as a climate driven and influenced global health problem, recent studies have showed that the disease shown strong seasonality and spatio-temporal variability depending on regional hydroclimatic and local environmental conditions. Understanding the epidemiology of this disease, especially the spatio-temporal incidence patterns with respect to environmental factors is vitally important to allow for identification of "hotspots", preventative preparations, and vaccination strategies to improve wellbeing of the vulnerable populations. With climate change, spatio-temporal signatures and footprints of the disease are changing along with increasing burden. However, a robust understanding of the relationships between rotavirus epidemiology and hydroclimatic drivers is yet to be developed. In this study, we evaluate the seasonality and epidemiologic characteristics of rotavirous infection and its spatio-temporal incidence patterns with respect to regional hydroclimatic variables and their extremes in an endemic region in South Asia. Hospital-based surveillance data from different geographic locations allowed us to explore the detailed spatial and temporal characteristics of rotavirus propagation under the influence of climate variables in both coastal and inland areas. The rotavirus transmission patterns show two peaks in a year in the capital city of Dhaka, where winter season (highest in January) shows a high peak and the July-August monsoon season shows a smaller peak. Correlation with climate variables revealed that minimum temperature has strong influence on the winter season outbreak, while rainfall extremes show a strong positive association with the secondary monsoon peak. Spatial analysis also revealed that humidity and soil

Study on the Influence of Informal institution on Rural Legal Construction in Northwest Ethnic Minority Region

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Junlin; DU

2015-01-01

The Informal institution in Northwest Ethnic Minority Region has dual effects on rural legal construction. In the process of rural legal construction,it can make up for the defects of formal institution to reduce the cost of legal construction,and increase benefit. It also has negative influence on social function,and can’t be conducive to the social stability,development and harmony. Civil law is to be more valued,thus avoiding and hampering the implementation of national laws and even covering the operation of national laws,so it is impossible to achieve rule of law. The coordinated development of Informal institution and socio-economic development in Northwest Ethnic Minority Region will contribute to stable and harmonious social development in Northwest Region.

Evaluation of 6 candidate genes on chromosome 11q23 for coeliac disease susceptibility: a case control study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Brophy, Karen

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Recent whole genome analysis and follow-up studies have identified many new risk variants for coeliac disease (CD, gluten intolerance). The majority of newly associated regions encode candidate genes with a clear functional role in T-cell regulation. Furthermore, the newly discovered risk loci, together with the well established HLA locus, account for less than 50% of the heritability of CD, suggesting that numerous additional loci remain undiscovered. Linkage studies have identified some well-replicated risk regions, most notably chromosome 5q31 and 11q23. METHODS: We have evaluated six candidate genes in one of these regions (11q23), namely CD3E, CD3D, CD3G, IL10RA, THY1 and IL18, as risk factors for CD using a 2-phase candidate gene approach directed at chromosome 11q. 377 CD cases and 349 ethnically matched controls were used in the initial screening, followed by an extended sample of 171 additional coeliac cases and 536 additional controls. RESULTS: Promotor SNPs (-607, -137) in the IL18 gene, which has shown association with several autoimmune diseases, initially suggested association with CD (P < 0.05). Follow-up analyses of an extended sample supported the same, moderate effect (P < 0.05) for one of these. Haplotype analysis of IL18-137\\/-607 also supported this effect, primarily due to one relatively rare haplotype IL18-607C\\/-137C (P < 0.0001), which was independently associated in two case-control comparisons. This same haplotype has been noted in rheumatoid arthritis. CONCLUSION: Haplotypes of the IL18 promotor region may contribute to CD risk, consistent with this cytokine\\'s role in maintaining inflammation in active CD.

Evaluation of 6 candidate genes on chromosome 11q23 for coeliac disease susceptibility: a case control study

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Brophy, Karen

2010-05-17

Abstract Background Recent whole genome analysis and follow-up studies have identified many new risk variants for coeliac disease (CD, gluten intolerance). The majority of newly associated regions encode candidate genes with a clear functional role in T-cell regulation. Furthermore, the newly discovered risk loci, together with the well established HLA locus, account for less than 50% of the heritability of CD, suggesting that numerous additional loci remain undiscovered. Linkage studies have identified some well-replicated risk regions, most notably chromosome 5q31 and 11q23. Methods We have evaluated six candidate genes in one of these regions (11q23), namely CD3E, CD3D, CD3G, IL10RA, THY1 and IL18, as risk factors for CD using a 2-phase candidate gene approach directed at chromosome 11q. 377 CD cases and 349 ethnically matched controls were used in the initial screening, followed by an extended sample of 171 additional coeliac cases and 536 additional controls. Results Promotor SNPs (-607, -137) in the IL18 gene, which has shown association with several autoimmune diseases, initially suggested association with CD (P < 0.05). Follow-up analyses of an extended sample supported the same, moderate effect (P < 0.05) for one of these. Haplotype analysis of IL18-137\\/-607 also supported this effect, primarily due to one relatively rare haplotype IL18-607C\\/-137C (P < 0.0001), which was independently associated in two case-control comparisons. This same haplotype has been noted in rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusion Haplotypes of the IL18 promotor region may contribute to CD risk, consistent with this cytokine\\'s role in maintaining inflammation in active CD.

Elections, Information, and State-Dependent Candidate Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Thomas

voters are uncertain about the state. Candidates are fully informed and completely office-motivated. With a reasonable restriction on voters' beliefs, an equilibrium where candidates' positions reveal the true state does not exist. Non-revealing equilibria always exist. Some main findings...

Learning Strategies of Physics Teacher Candidates: Relationships with Physics Achievement and Class Level

Science.gov (United States)

Selçuk, Gamze S.; Çalişkan, Serap; Erol, Mustafa

2007-04-01

Learning strategy concept was introduced in the education field from the development of cognitive psychology. Learning strategies are behaviors and thoughts that a learner engages in during learning which are intended to influence the learner's encoding process. Literature on learning strategies in physics field is very scarce. Participants of the research consist of teacher candidates (n=137) from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade attending Department of Physics Education, Education Faculty of Buca, Dokuz Eylül University in Turkey. Data of this research was collected by ``Scale of Learning Strategies Usage in Physics'' (Cronbach's Alpha=0.93). Mean, Standard Deviation, Analysis of Variance were used to analyze the research data. This paper reports on teacher candidates' learning strategies used in physics education The paper investigates the relationships between learning strategies and physics achievement, class level. Some important outcomes of the research are presented, discussed and certain suggestions are made.

Study of a few cluster candidates in the Magellanic Bridge

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhury, Samyaday; Subramaniam Subramaniam, Annapurni; Sohn, Young-Jong

2018-06-01

The Magellanic Clouds (LMC & SMC) are gas rich, metal poor, dwarf satellite galaxies to our Milky Way that are interacting with each other. The Magellanic Bridge (MB), joining the larger and smaller Cloud is considered to be a signature of this interaction process. Studies have revealed that the MB, apart from gas also hosts stellar populations and star clusters. The number of clusters, with well-estimated parameters within the MB is still underway. In this work, we study a sample of 9 previously cataloged star clusters in the MB region. We use Washington C, Harris R and Cousins I bands data from literature, taken using the 4-m Blanco telescope to estimate the cluster properties (size, age, reddening). We also identify and separate out genuine cluster candidates from possible clusters/asterism. The increase in number of genuine cluster candidates with well-estimated parameters is important in the context of understanding cluster formation and evolution in such low-metallicity, and tidally disrupted environment. The clusters studied here can also help estimate distances to different parts of the MB, as recent studies indicate that portions of MB near the SMC is a closer to us, than the LMC.

French presidential election: nuclear energy in candidates' program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Ngoc, B.

2017-01-01

Generally right candidates consider nuclear energy as a chance for France because it is an industrial asset for the country, it releases no greenhouse gases and has given France its large energy independence. They are ready to reconsider the limitation imposed on the share of nuclear energy in the future energy mix and they want to reinforce research for next generations of reactors. The far-right candidate wishes to use nuclear energy massively to produce hydrogen in order to reduce by half the consumption of fossil energies in 20 years. Generally left candidates back the law on the energy transition that was passed during last legislature and that limits the nuclear power share to 50% while developing green energies. The far-left candidates wish a progressive and complete abandon of nuclear energy. All candidates wish a greater share of renewable energies in the future energy mix. (A.C.)

Waiting narratives of lung transplant candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Yelle, Maria T; Stevens, Patricia E; Lanuza, Dorothy M

2013-01-01

Before 2005, time accrued on the lung transplant waiting list counted towards who was next in line for a donor lung. Then in 2005 the lung allocation scoring system was implemented, which meant the higher the illness severity scores, the higher the priority on the transplant list. Little is known of the lung transplant candidates who were listed before 2005 and were caught in the transition when the lung allocation scoring system was implemented. A narrative analysis was conducted to explore the illness narratives of seven lung transplant candidates between 2006 and 2007. Arthur Kleinman's concept of illness narratives was used as a conceptual framework for this study to give voice to the illness narratives of lung transplant candidates. Results of this study illustrate that lung transplant candidates expressed a need to tell their personal story of waiting and to be heard. Recommendation from this study calls for healthcare providers to create the time to enable illness narratives of the suffering of waiting to be told. Narrative skills of listening to stories of emotional suffering would enhance how healthcare providers could attend to patients' stories and hear what is most meaningful in their lives.

Waiting Narratives of Lung Transplant Candidates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria T. Yelle

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Before 2005, time accrued on the lung transplant waiting list counted towards who was next in line for a donor lung. Then in 2005 the lung allocation scoring system was implemented, which meant the higher the illness severity scores, the higher the priority on the transplant list. Little is known of the lung transplant candidates who were listed before 2005 and were caught in the transition when the lung allocation scoring system was implemented. A narrative analysis was conducted to explore the illness narratives of seven lung transplant candidates between 2006 and 2007. Arthur Kleinman’s concept of illness narratives was used as a conceptual framework for this study to give voice to the illness narratives of lung transplant candidates. Results of this study illustrate that lung transplant candidates expressed a need to tell their personal story of waiting and to be heard. Recommendation from this study calls for healthcare providers to create the time to enable illness narratives of the suffering of waiting to be told. Narrative skills of listening to stories of emotional suffering would enhance how healthcare providers could attend to patients’ stories and hear what is most meaningful in their lives.

Candidate gene association mapping of Sclerotinia stalk rot resistance in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) uncovers the importance of COI1 homologs.

Science.gov (United States)

Talukder, Zahirul I; Hulke, Brent S; Qi, Lili; Scheffler, Brian E; Pegadaraju, Venkatramana; McPhee, Kevin; Gulya, Thomas J

2014-01-01

Functional markers for Sclerotinia basal stalk rot resistance in sunflower were obtained using gene-level information from the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. Sclerotinia stalk rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the most destructive diseases of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) worldwide. Markers for genes controlling resistance to S. sclerotiorum will enable efficient marker-assisted selection (MAS). We sequenced eight candidate genes homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana defense genes known to be associated with Sclerotinia disease resistance in a sunflower association mapping population evaluated for Sclerotinia stalk rot resistance. The total candidate gene sequence regions covered a concatenated length of 3,791 bp per individual. A total of 187 polymorphic sites were detected for all candidate gene sequences, 149 of which were single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 38 were insertions/deletions. Eight SNPs in the coding regions led to changes in amino acid codons. Linkage disequilibrium decay throughout the candidate gene regions declined on average to an r (2) = 0.2 for genetic intervals of 120 bp, but extended up to 350 bp with r (2) = 0.1. A general linear model with modification to account for population structure was found the best fitting model for this population and was used for association mapping. Both HaCOI1-1 and HaCOI1-2 were found to be strongly associated with Sclerotinia stalk rot resistance and explained 7.4 % of phenotypic variation in this population. These SNP markers associated with Sclerotinia stalk rot resistance can potentially be applied to the selection of favorable genotypes, which will significantly improve the efficiency of MAS during the development of stalk rot resistant cultivars.

Indico CONFERENCE: Candidate participant's registration/application

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; Ferreira, Pedro

2017-01-01

In this tutorial you are going to learn how to apply as a candidate participant (if the event requires approval from the event manager) or to register (if participation to the event doesn't require approval from an event manager) to the conference using the registration form for the event. You are also going to learn how to approve a candidate participant's application as an event manager.

Identification of Novel Potential Vaccine Candidates against Tuberculosis Based on Reverse Vaccinology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gloria P. Monterrubio-López

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Tuberculosis (TB is a chronic infectious disease, considered as the second leading cause of death worldwide, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The limited efficacy of the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG vaccine against pulmonary TB and the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB warrants the need for more efficacious vaccines. Reverse vaccinology uses the entire proteome of a pathogen to select the best vaccine antigens by in silico approaches. M. tuberculosis H37Rv proteome was analyzed with NERVE (New Enhanced Reverse Vaccinology Environment prediction software to identify potential vaccine targets; these 331 proteins were further analyzed with VaxiJen for the determination of their antigenicity value. Only candidates with values ≥0.5 of antigenicity and 50% of adhesin probability and without homology with human proteins or transmembrane regions were selected, resulting in 73 antigens. These proteins were grouped by families in seven groups and analyzed by amino acid sequence alignments, selecting 16 representative proteins. For each candidate, a search of the literature and protein analysis with different bioinformatics tools, as well as a simulation of the immune response, was conducted. Finally, we selected six novel vaccine candidates, EsxL, PE26, PPE65, PE_PGRS49, PBP1, and Erp, from M. tuberculosis that can be used to improve or design new TB vaccines.

Preliminary assessment of nuclear waste transportation cost and risk for operation of the first repository at candidate sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, R.W.; McSweeney, T.I.; Varadarajan, R.V.; Wilmot, E.L.; Cashwell, J.W.; Joy, D.S.

1983-01-01

To support the selection of the first commercial nuclear waste repository site in 1987, environmental analyses of five candidate site locations are currently being performed. The five locations are in the Gulf Interior Region, the Permian Basin, the Paradox Basin, Yucca Mountain and the Hanford reservation. Costs and operational risks associated with the transportation of nuclear wastes to a single repository located in these regions have been calculated for a life-cycle of 26 years

Lexical factors and cerebral regions influencing verbal fluency performance in MCI.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, D G; Wadley, V G; Kapur, P; DeRamus, T P; Singletary, B; Nicholas, A P; Blanton, P D; Lokken, K; Deshpande, H; Marson, D; Deutsch, G

2014-02-01

nouns score in the left inferior frontal gyrus, but for letter A, letter S, and a composite FAS score in the right inferior frontal gyrus. These regressions also revealed a lateralized association of the left subcortical nuclei with all letter fluency scores and fruits and vegetables fluency, and an association of the right lower temporal ROI with letter A, FAS, and verb fluency. Gray matter volume in several bihemispheric ROIs (left dorsal frontal, right lower temporal, right occipital, and bilateral mesial temporal) mediated the relationship between cognitive impairment and fluency for fruits and vegetables. Gray matter volume in the right lower temporal ROI mediated the relationship between cognitive impairment and five fluency raw scores (animals, fruits and vegetables, tools, verbs, and the composite nouns score). Semantic memory exerts the strongest influence on word adjacency in letter fluency as well as semantic verbal fluency tasks. Orthography is a stronger influence than pronunciation. All types of fluency task raw scores (letter, noun, and verb) correlate with cerebral regions known to support verbal or nonverbal semantic memory. The findings emphasize the contribution of right hemisphere regions to fluency task performance, particularly for verb and letter fluency. The relationship between diagnosis and semantic fluency performance is mediated by semantic similarity of words and by gray matter volume in the right lower temporal region. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Looking into flowering time in almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill) D. A. Webb): the candidate gene approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, C; Garcia-Mas, J; Sánchez, A M; Arús, P; Oliveira, M M

2005-03-01

Blooming time is one of the most important agronomic traits in almond. Biochemical and molecular events underlying flowering regulation must be understood before methods to stimulate late flowering can be developed. Attempts to elucidate the genetic control of this process have led to the identification of a major gene (Lb) and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked to observed phenotypic differences, but although this gene and these QTLs have been placed on the Prunus reference genetic map, their sequences and specific functions remain unknown. The aim of our investigation was to associate these loci with known genes using a candidate gene approach. Two almond cDNAs and eight Prunus expressed sequence tags were selected as candidate genes (CGs) since their sequences were highly identical to those of flowering regulatory genes characterized in other species. The CGs were amplified from both parental lines of the mapping population using specific primers. Sequence comparison revealed DNA polymorphisms between the parental lines, mainly of the single nucleotide type. Polymorphisms were used to develop co-dominant cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence markers or length polymorphisms based on insertion/deletion events for mapping the candidate genes on the Prunus reference map. Ten candidate genes were assigned to six linkage groups in the Prunus genome. The positions of two of these were compatible with the regions where two QTLs for blooming time were detected. One additional candidate was localized close to the position of the Evergrowing gene, which determines a non-deciduous behaviour in peach.

The influence of bilingualism on the preference for the mouth region of dynamic faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayneto, Alba; Sebastian-Galles, Nuria

2017-01-01

Bilingual infants show an extended period of looking at the mouth of talking faces, which provides them with additional articulatory cues that can be used to boost the challenging situation of learning two languages (Pons, Bosch & Lewkowicz, 2015). However, the eye region also provides fundamental cues for emotion perception and recognition, as well as communication. Here, we explored whether the adaptations resulting from learning two languages are specific to linguistic content or if they also influence the focus of attention when looking at dynamic faces. We recorded the eye gaze of bilingual and monolingual infants (8- and 12-month-olds) while watching videos of infants and adults portraying different emotional states (neutral, crying, and laughing). When looking at infant faces, bilinguals looked longer at the mouth region as compared to monolinguals regardless of age. However, when presented with adult faces, 8-month-old bilingual infants looked longer at the mouth region and less at the eye region compared to 8-month-old monolingual infants, but no effect of language exposure was found at 12 months of age. These findings suggest that the bias to the mouth region in bilingual infants at 8 months of age can be generalized to other audiovisual dynamic faces that do not contain linguistic information. We discuss the potential implications of such bias in early social and communicative development. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developing Potential Candidates of Preclinical Preeclampsia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Founds

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The potential for developing molecules of interest in preclinical preeclampsia from candidate genes that were discovered on gene expression microarray analysis has been challenged by limited access to additional first trimester trophoblast and decidual tissues. The question of whether these candidates encode secreted proteins that may be detected in maternal circulation early in pregnancy has been investigated using various proteomic methods. Pilot studies utilizing mass spectrometry based proteomic assays, along with enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs, and Western immunoblotting in first trimester samples are reported. The novel targeted mass spectrometry methods led to robust multiple reaction monitoring assays. Despite detection of several candidates in early gestation, challenges persist. Future antibody-based studies may lead to a novel multiplex protein panel for screening or detection to prevent or mitigate preeclampsia.

USING STELLAR DENSITIES TO EVALUATE TRANSITING EXOPLANETARY CANDIDATES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tingley, B.; Deeg, H. J.; Bonomo, A. S.

2011-01-01

One of the persistent complications in searches for transiting exoplanets is the low percentage of the detected candidates that ultimately prove to be planets, which significantly increases the load on the telescopes used for the follow-up observations to confirm or reject candidates. Several attempts have been made at creating techniques that can pare down candidate lists without the need of additional observations. Some of these techniques involve a detailed analysis of light curve characteristics; others estimate the stellar density or some proxy thereof. In this paper, we extend upon this second approach, exploring the use of independently calculated stellar densities to identify the most promising transiting exoplanet candidates. We use a set of CoRoT candidates and the set of known transiting exoplanets to examine the potential of this approach. In particular, we note the possibilities inherent in the high-precision photometry from space missions, which can detect stellar asteroseismic pulsations from which accurate stellar densities can be extracted without additional observations.

Clusterin levels are increased in Alzheimer's disease and influence the regional distribution of Aβ.

Science.gov (United States)

Miners, J Scott; Clarke, Polly; Love, Seth

2017-05-01

Clusterin, also known as apoJ, is a lipoprotein abundantly expressed within the CNS. It regulates Aβ fibril formation and toxicity and facilitates amyloid-β (Aβ) transport across the blood-brain barrier. Genome-wide association studies have shown variations in the clusterin gene (CLU) to influence the risk of developing sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). To explore whether clusterin modulates the regional deposition of Aβ, we measured levels of soluble (NP40-extracted) and insoluble (guanidine-HCl-extracted) clusterin, Aβ40 and Aβ42 by sandwich ELISA in brain regions with a predilection for amyloid pathology-mid-frontal cortex (MF), cingulate cortex (CC), parahippocampal cortex (PH), and regions with little or no pathology-thalamus (TH) and white matter (WM). Clusterin level was highest in regions with plaque pathology (MF, CC, PH and PC), approximately mirroring the regional distribution of Aβ. It was significantly higher in AD than controls, and correlated positively with Aβ42 and insoluble Aβ40. Soluble clusterin level rose significantly with severity of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and in MF and PC regions was highest in APOE ɛ4 homozygotes. In the TH and WM (areas with little amyloid pathology) clusterin was unaltered in AD and did not correlate with Aβ level. There was a significant positive correlation between the concentration of clusterin and the regional levels of insoluble Aβ42; however, the molar ratio of clusterin : Aβ42 declined with insoluble Aβ42 level in a region-dependent manner, being lowest in regions with predilection for Aβ plaque pathology. Under physiological conditions, clusterin reduces aggregation and promotes clearance of Aβ. Our findings indicate that in AD, clusterin increases, particularly in regions with most abundant Aβ, but because the increase does not match the rising level of Aβ42, the molar ratio of clusterin : Aβ42 in those regions falls, probably contributing to Aβ deposition within the tissue. © 2016

Do differentials in the support and advice available at UK schools and colleges influence candidate performance in the medical school admissions interview? A survey of direct school leaver applicants to a UK medical school.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambe, Paul; Waters, Catherine; Bristow, David

2013-09-01

To our knowledge, nothing is known about whether differentials in support and advice during preparation for the interview influence candidate performance and thereby contribute to bias in selection for medical school. To assess if differences in advice and support with preparation for the medical school admissions interview given type of school last attended influence interview score achieved by direct school leaver applicants to study on an undergraduate UK medical degree course. Confidential self-completed on-line questionnaire survey. Interview performance was positively related to whether a teacher, tutor or career advisors at the School or College last attended had advised a respondent to prepare for the interview, had advised about the various styles of medical interview used and the types of questions asked, and what resources were available to help in preparation. Respondents from Private/Independent schools were more likely than those from State schools to have received such advice and support. Differentials in access to advice on and support with preparation for the medical school interview may advantage some candidates over others. This inequity would likely be ameliorated by the provision of an authoritative and comprehensive guide to applying to medical school outlining admission requirements and the preparation strategy applicants should use in order to best meet those requirements. The guide could be disseminated to the Principals of all UK schools and colleges and freely available electronic versions signposted in medical school prospectuses and the course descriptor on the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

A Comparative Analysis of the Influence of China and the United States in the Southeast Asia Region under the Obama Administration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Xue

2015-12-01

Full Text Available With China’s rapid rise and the implementation of the Obama Administration’s ”Return to the Asia Pacific” strategy, both China and the United States have significantly changed their relations with Southeast Asia in recent years. Also, the influence of China and the United States in this region has changed too. Both China and the United States have strengthened relations with the Southeast Asia region in terms of political, economic, military, cultural and other aspects, and their influence has also risen in varying degrees. In comparison, China has a greater impact on the economy of Southeast Asia, while the US has more influence on its military and security. China vigorously implements the neighborhood diplomacy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. The United States actively promotes the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy. The Southeast Asian countries continue to choose the balance of power strategy, relying on China regarding the economy, relying on the United States regarding the security. This has resulted in the continuous game between China and the United States in the Southeast Asian region.

A Multiple Interaction Analysis Reveals ADRB3 as a Potential Candidate for Gallbladder Cancer Predisposition via a Complex Interaction with Other Candidate Gene Variations

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Rajani Rai

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Gallbladder cancer is the most common and a highly aggressive biliary tract malignancy with a dismal outcome. The pathogenesis of the disease is multifactorial, comprising the combined effect of multiple genetic variations of mild consequence along with numerous dietary and environmental risk factors. Previously, we demonstrated the association of several candidate gene variations with GBC risk. In this study, we aimed to identify the combination of gene variants and their possible interactions contributing towards genetic susceptibility of GBC. Here, we performed Multifactor-Dimensionality Reduction (MDR and Classification and Regression Tree Analysis (CRT to investigate the gene–gene interactions and the combined effect of 14 SNPs in nine genes (DR4 (rs20576, rs6557634; FAS (rs2234767; FASL (rs763110; DCC (rs2229080, rs4078288, rs7504990, rs714; PSCA (rs2294008, rs2978974; ADRA2A (rs1801253; ADRB1 (rs1800544; ADRB3 (rs4994; CYP17 (rs2486758 involved in various signaling pathways. Genotyping was accomplished by PCR-RFLP or Taqman allelic discrimination assays. SPSS software version 16.0 and MDR software version 2.0 were used for all the statistical analysis. Single locus investigation demonstrated significant association of DR4 (rs20576, rs6557634, DCC (rs714, rs2229080, rs4078288 and ADRB3 (rs4994 polymorphisms with GBC risk. MDR analysis revealed ADRB3 (rs4994 to be crucial candidate in GBC susceptibility that may act either alone (p < 0.0001, CVC = 10/10 or in combination with DCC (rs714 and rs2229080, p < 0.0001, CVC = 9/10. Our CRT results are in agreement with the above findings. Further, in-silico results of studied SNPs advocated their role in splicing, transcriptional and/or protein coding regulation. Overall, our result suggested complex interactions amongst the studied SNPs and ADRB3 rs4994 as candidate influencing GBC susceptibility.

The influence of spectral nudging on typhoon formation in regional climate models

Science.gov (United States)

Feser, Frauke; Barcikowska, Monika

2012-03-01

Regional climate models can successfully simulate tropical cyclones and typhoons. This has been shown and was evaluated for hindcast studies of the past few decades. But often global and regional weather phenomena are not simulated at the observed location, or occur too often or seldom even though the regional model is driven by global reanalysis data which constitute a near-realistic state of the global atmosphere. Therefore, several techniques have been developed in order to make the regional model follow the global state more closely. One is spectral nudging, which is applied for horizontal wind components with increasing strength for higher model levels in this study. The aim of this study is to show the influence that this method has on the formation of tropical cyclones (TC) in regional climate models. Two ensemble simulations (each with five simulations) were computed for Southeast Asia and the Northwestern Pacific for the typhoon season 2004, one with spectral nudging and one without. First of all, spectral nudging reduced the overall TC number by about a factor of 2. But the number of tracks which are similar to observed best track data (BTD) was greatly increased. Also, spatial track density patterns were found to be more similar when using spectral nudging. The tracks merge after a short time for the spectral nudging simulations and then follow the BTD closely; for the no nudge cases the similarity is greatly reduced. A comparison of seasonal precipitation, geopotential height, and temperature fields at several height levels with observations and reanalysis data showed overall a smaller ensemble spread, higher pattern correlations and reduced root mean square errors and biases for the spectral nudged simulations. Vertical temperature profiles for selected TCs indicate that spectral nudging is not inhibiting TC development at higher levels. Both the Madden-Julian Oscillation and monsoonal precipitation are reproduced realistically by the regional model

The influence of spectral nudging on typhoon formation in regional climate models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feser, Frauke; Barcikowska, Monika

2012-01-01

Regional climate models can successfully simulate tropical cyclones and typhoons. This has been shown and was evaluated for hindcast studies of the past few decades. But often global and regional weather phenomena are not simulated at the observed location, or occur too often or seldom even though the regional model is driven by global reanalysis data which constitute a near-realistic state of the global atmosphere. Therefore, several techniques have been developed in order to make the regional model follow the global state more closely. One is spectral nudging, which is applied for horizontal wind components with increasing strength for higher model levels in this study. The aim of this study is to show the influence that this method has on the formation of tropical cyclones (TC) in regional climate models. Two ensemble simulations (each with five simulations) were computed for Southeast Asia and the Northwestern Pacific for the typhoon season 2004, one with spectral nudging and one without. First of all, spectral nudging reduced the overall TC number by about a factor of 2. But the number of tracks which are similar to observed best track data (BTD) was greatly increased. Also, spatial track density patterns were found to be more similar when using spectral nudging. The tracks merge after a short time for the spectral nudging simulations and then follow the BTD closely; for the no nudge cases the similarity is greatly reduced. A comparison of seasonal precipitation, geopotential height, and temperature fields at several height levels with observations and reanalysis data showed overall a smaller ensemble spread, higher pattern correlations and reduced root mean square errors and biases for the spectral nudged simulations. Vertical temperature profiles for selected TCs indicate that spectral nudging is not inhibiting TC development at higher levels. Both the Madden–Julian Oscillation and monsoonal precipitation are reproduced realistically by the regional model

INFLUENCE OF AUTOMOTIVE CLUSTERS IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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Constantin BORDEI

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an overview of the evolution in the automotive sector in the process of regional development. The fundamental changes made by the component supplier sector improved the regional development and manufacturing process. Automotive industry is one of the modern sectors in many countries that benefits of a high technology impact and creates jobs that reduces unemployment across Europe. The auto industry changed cities, regions and countries into poles of development and it becomes more and more efficient. The high foreign direct investments from the automotive sector play an important role in regional development process. Continuous changes are being made in the economy, society, and company; in conclusion the automotive clusters will always be a subject of analysis.

A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

2017-01-01

A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions. PMID:28469587

A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

2017-01-01

A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions.

Examination of the Attitudes of Preschool Teacher Candidates and Teacher Candidates in Other Branches towards Scientific Research in Terms of Some Variables

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Ekici, Fatma Yasar

2017-01-01

The main objective of this study is to examine the attitudes of preschool teacher candidates and teacher candidates in other branches towards scientific research in terms of some variables. Survey method was used. The study group consists of 547 teacher candidates studying in education faculty of a private university in the spring term of…

Continuing professional education and the selection of candidates: the case for a tripartite model.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, L B

2000-02-01

This paper argues the case for a tripartite model involving the manager educator and practitioner in the selection of candidates to programmes of continuing professional education (CPE). Nurse educators are said to play a key link in the education practice chain (Pendleton & Myles 1991), yet with the introduction of a market philosophy for education, the educator appears to have little, if any, influence over the selection of CPE candidates. Empirical studies on the value of an effective system for identifying the educational needs of the individual and the locality are unequivocal in specifying the benefits of a collaborative selection process (Larcombe & Maggs 1991). However, there are few studies that offer a model of collaboration and fewer still on how to operationalize such a model. This paper presents the policy and legislative context of CPE leading to the development of a market philosophy. The tension between educational reforms such as life-long learning and diminishing and finite resources are highlighted. These strategic issues provide the backdrop and rationale for considering the process for identifying CPE needs, and the characteristics of an effective system as suggested in the literature. Finally, this paper outlines recommendations for a partnership between the manager practitioner and educationalist in the selection of CPE candidates.

Influence of synoptic condition and holiday effects on VOCs and ozone production in the Yangtze River Delta region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhengning; Huang, Xin; Nie, Wei; Chi, Xuguang; Xu, Zheng; Zheng, Longfei; Sun, Peng; Ding, Aijun

2017-11-01

Both anthropogenic emission and synoptic conditions play important roles in ozone (O3) formation and accumulation. In order to understand the influence of synoptic condition and holiday effects on ozone production in the Yangtze River Delta region, China, concentrations of speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and O3 as well as other relevant trace gases were simultaneously measured at the Station for Observing Regional Processes of the Earth System (SORPES) in Nanjing around the National Day holidays of China in 2014, which featured substantial change of emissions and dominated by typical anti-cyclones. Different groups of VOC species and their chemical reactivities were comprehensively analyzed. We observed clear diurnal variations of short alkenes during the measurement period, considerable amount of short alkenes were observed during night (more than 10 ppb) while almost no alkenes were measured during daytime, which might be attributed to different chemical processes. The obvious enhancement of the VOC tracers during the National Day holidays (Oct. 1st-Oct. 7th) indicated that the holiday effect strongly influenced the distribution of VOC profile and chemical reactivity in the atmosphere. At the same time, two meso-scale anticyclone processes were also observed during the measurement period. The synoptic condition contributed to the accumulation of VOCs and other precursors, which consequently impacted the ozone production in this region. The integrated influence of synoptic and holiday effects was also analyzed with an Observation Based Model (OBM) based on simplified MCM (Master Chemical Mechanism) chemical mechanism. The calculated relative increment reactivity (RIR) of different VOC groups revealed that during the holidays, this region was in VOC-limited regime and the variation of RIR shows a close linkage to the development and elimination of anti-cyclones, indicating an in-negligible contribution of synoptic effect toward ozone production in this

Reduced antibody responses against Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidate antigens in the presence of Trichuris trichiura

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Esen, Meral; Mordmüller, Benjamin; de Salazar, Pablo Martinez

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: Helminth infections are highly prevalent in the tropics and may have an effect on immune responses to vaccines due to their immunomodulatory effect. The prevalence of helminth infections in young children, the target group for malaria and most other vaccines, is high. Therefore we...... assessed the influence of helminth infection on vaccine-induced immune responses in a phase I clinical trial of the malaria vaccine candidate GMZ2. METHODS: Twenty Gabonese preschool-age children were vaccinated with GMZ2, a blood stage malaria vaccine candidate. Humoral immune response against the vaccine...... antigens and parasitological status were assessed. Vaccine-specific antibody concentrations and memory B-cell numbers were compared in worm infected and non-infected participants. RESULTS: Antibody response to GMZ2 was 3.4-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.6, 7.4) higher in Trichuris trichiura negative...

HLA region excluded by linkage analyses of early onset periodontitis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, C.; Wang, S.; Lopez, N.

1994-09-01

Previous studies suggested that HLA genes may influence susceptibility to early-onset periodontitis (EOP). Segregation analyses indicate that EOP may be due to a single major gene. We conducted linkage analyses to assess possible HLA effects on EOP. Fifty families with two or more close relatives affected by EOP were ascertained in Virginia and Chile. A microsatellite polymorphism within the HLA region (at the tumor necrosis factor beta locus) was typed using PCR. Linkage analyses used a donimant model most strongly supported by previous studies. Assuming locus homogeneity, our results exclude a susceptibility gene within 10 cM on either side of our marker locus. This encompasses all of the HLA region. Analyses assuming alternative models gave qualitatively similar results. Allowing for locus heterogeneity, our data still provide no support for HLA-region involvement. However, our data do not statistically exclude (LOD <-2.0) hypotheses of disease-locus heterogeneity, including models where up to half of our families could contain an EOP disease gene located in the HLA region. This is due to the limited power of even our relatively large collection of families and the inherent difficulties of mapping genes for disorders that have complex and heterogeneous etiologies. Additional statistical analyses, recruitment of families, and typing of flanking DNA markers are planned to more conclusively address these issues with respect to the HLA region and other candidate locations in the human genome. Additional results for markers covering most of the human genome will also be presented.

Technology pedagogy: Six teacher candidates' developing pedagogical models for the use of computers in science instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Myhre, Oddmund Reidar

1997-12-01

This study investigated how teacher candidates' developing pedagogical beliefs and knowledge of technology influenced their perception of such tools in the teaching of subject matter as they complete the initial course work of their professional program. The purpose of the study was to conceptualize more clearly the relationship between prospective teachers' thinking about computer technology and the content of their professional education. A case study methodology was used to investigate changes in six pre-service secondary science teachers' thinking about technology as a pedagogical tool. Two of the teachers had extensive experience with technology upon entering the teacher preparation course-work, whereas the other four were novice computer users. Data included three semi structured interviews and non-participant observations during the technology course-work. Additional data were collected in the form of interviews with university faculty and cooperating teachers. Analysis of these data indicated that prospective candidates entered teacher education viewing technology as a tool that supports a teacher centered classroom. As the candidates explored more student centered approaches to teaching, they found less room for technology in their images of their future practice. The data also indicated that the technology course-work was isolated from the rest of the teacher education program and many of the misconceptions about technology that the candidates brought to their professional preparation were left unchallenged.

Regional Influences on Chinese Medicine Education: Comparing Australia and Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Vincent C. H.; Zhang, Anthony L.; Adams, Jon

2016-01-01

High quality education programs are essential for preparing the next generation of Chinese medicine (CM) practitioners. Currently, training in CM occurs within differing health and education policy contexts. There has been little analysis of the factors influencing the form and status of CM education in different regions. Such a task is important for understanding how CM is evolving internationally and predicting future workforce characteristics. This paper compares the status of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong across a range of dimensions: historical and current positions in the national higher education system, regulatory context and relationship to the health system, and public and professional legitimacy. The analysis highlights the different ways in which CM education is developing in these settings, with Hong Kong providing somewhat greater access to clinical training opportunities for CM students. However, common trends and challenges shape CM education in both regions, including marginalisation from mainstream health professions, a small but established presence in universities, and an emphasis on biomedical research. Three factors stand out as significant for the evolution of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong and may have international implications: continuing biomedical dominance, increased competition between universities, and strengthened links with mainland China. PMID:27379170

Regional Influences on Chinese Medicine Education: Comparing Australia and Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caragh Brosnan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available High quality education programs are essential for preparing the next generation of Chinese medicine (CM practitioners. Currently, training in CM occurs within differing health and education policy contexts. There has been little analysis of the factors influencing the form and status of CM education in different regions. Such a task is important for understanding how CM is evolving internationally and predicting future workforce characteristics. This paper compares the status of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong across a range of dimensions: historical and current positions in the national higher education system, regulatory context and relationship to the health system, and public and professional legitimacy. The analysis highlights the different ways in which CM education is developing in these settings, with Hong Kong providing somewhat greater access to clinical training opportunities for CM students. However, common trends and challenges shape CM education in both regions, including marginalisation from mainstream health professions, a small but established presence in universities, and an emphasis on biomedical research. Three factors stand out as significant for the evolution of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong and may have international implications: continuing biomedical dominance, increased competition between universities, and strengthened links with mainland China.

Changing Perceptions of Teacher Candidates in High-Needs Schools

Science.gov (United States)

DeJarnette, Nancy K.

2016-01-01

Candidates enter teacher education programs with established beliefs about diversity and urban education. These belief systems impact decisions that teacher candidates make both now and in the future. Providing opportunities for candidates to spend quality time in an urban Professional Development School (PDS) setting with the support and guidance…

A cohort of balanced reciprocal translocations associated with dyslexia: identification of two putative candidate genes at DYX1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buonincontri, Roberta; Bache, Iben; Silahtaroglu, Asli

2011-01-01

Dyslexia is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders where likely many genes are involved in the pathogenesis. So far six candidate dyslexia genes have been proposed, and two of these were identified by rare chromosomal translocations in affected individuals. By systematic re......-examination of all translocation carriers in Denmark, we have identified 16 different translocations associated with dyslexia. In four families, where the translocation co-segregated with the phenotype, one of the breakpoints concurred (at the cytogenetic level) with either a known dyslexia linkage region--at 15q21...... (DYX1), 2p13 (DYX3) and 1p36 (DYX8)--or an unpublished linkage region at 19q13. As a first exploitation of this unique cohort, we identify three novel candidate dyslexia genes, ZNF280D and TCF12 at 15q21, and PDE7B at 6q23.3, by molecular mapping of the familial translocation with the 15q21 breakpoint....

Natural selection in a population of Drosophila melanogaster explained by changes in gene expression caused by sequence variation in core promoter regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Mitsuhiko P; Makino, Takashi; Kawata, Masakado

2016-02-09

Understanding the evolutionary forces that influence variation in gene regulatory regions in natural populations is an important challenge for evolutionary biology because natural selection for such variations could promote adaptive phenotypic evolution. Recently, whole-genome sequence analyses have identified regulatory regions subject to natural selection. However, these studies could not identify the relationship between sequence variation in the detected regions and change in gene expression levels. We analyzed sequence variations in core promoter regions, which are critical regions for gene regulation in higher eukaryotes, in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster, and identified core promoter sequence variations associated with differences in gene expression levels subjected to natural selection. Among the core promoter regions whose sequence variation could change transcription factor binding sites and explain differences in expression levels, three core promoter regions were detected as candidates associated with purifying selection or selective sweep and seven as candidates associated with balancing selection, excluding the possibility of linkage between these regions and core promoter regions. CHKov1, which confers resistance to the sigma virus and related insecticides, was identified as core promoter regions that has been subject to selective sweep, although it could not be denied that selection for variation in core promoter regions was due to linked single nucleotide polymorphisms in the regulatory region outside core promoter regions. Nucleotide changes in core promoter regions of CHKov1 caused the loss of two basal transcription factor binding sites and acquisition of one transcription factor binding site, resulting in decreased gene expression levels. Of nine core promoter regions regions associated with balancing selection, brat, and CG9044 are associated with neuromuscular junction development, and Nmda1 are associated with learning

Regional media coverage influences the public's negative attitudes to policy implementation success in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Fredriksson, Mio; Tiainen, Anne; Hanning, Marianne

2015-12-01

One central aspect of health literacy is knowledge of patients' rights. Being an important source of information about health and health care, the media may influence health literacy and act as a policy implementer. To investigate whether regional news media coverage in Sweden is linked to (i) the public's awareness and knowledge of a patient's rights policy, the waiting-time guarantee and (ii) the public's attitudes to how the guarantee's time limits are met, that is, implementation success. Three types of data are used. First, a national telephone survey of the public's awareness, knowledge and attitudes; second, media coverage information from digital media monitoring; and third, official waiting-time statistics. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses are performed with the 21 Swedish county councils/regions as a base. In the county councils/regions, non-awareness ranged from 1 to 15% and knowledge from 47 to 67%. There are relatively large differences between population groups. The amount of regional media coverage shows no significant correlation to the level of awareness and knowledge. There is, however, a significant correlation to both positive and negative attitudes; the latter remains after controlling for actual waiting times. At the national level, the media function as a policy implementer, being the primary source of information. At the regional level, the media are part of the political communication, reporting more extensively in county councils/regions where the population holds negative views towards the achievement in implementing the guarantee. We conclude that Swedish authorities should develop its communication strategies to bridge health literacy inequalities. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PEACE: pulsar evaluation algorithm for candidate extraction - a software package for post-analysis processing of pulsar survey candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, K. J.; Stovall, K.; Jenet, F. A.; Martinez, J.; Dartez, L. P.; Mata, A.; Lunsford, G.; Cohen, S.; Biwer, C. M.; Rohr, M.; Flanigan, J.; Walker, A.; Banaszak, S.; Allen, B.; Barr, E. D.; Bhat, N. D. R.; Bogdanov, S.; Brazier, A.; Camilo, F.; Champion, D. J.; Chatterjee, S.; Cordes, J.; Crawford, F.; Deneva, J.; Desvignes, G.; Ferdman, R. D.; Freire, P.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Karuppusamy, R.; Kaspi, V. M.; Knispel, B.; Kramer, M.; Lazarus, P.; Lynch, R.; Lyne, A.; McLaughlin, M.; Ransom, S.; Scholz, P.; Siemens, X.; Spitler, L.; Stairs, I.; Tan, M.; van Leeuwen, J.; Zhu, W. W.

2013-07-01

Modern radio pulsar surveys produce a large volume of prospective candidates, the majority of which are polluted by human-created radio frequency interference or other forms of noise. Typically, large numbers of candidates need to be visually inspected in order to determine if they are real pulsars. This process can be labour intensive. In this paper, we introduce an algorithm called Pulsar Evaluation Algorithm for Candidate Extraction (PEACE) which improves the efficiency of identifying pulsar signals. The algorithm ranks the candidates based on a score function. Unlike popular machine-learning-based algorithms, no prior training data sets are required. This algorithm has been applied to data from several large-scale radio pulsar surveys. Using the human-based ranking results generated by students in the Arecibo Remote Command Center programme, the statistical performance of PEACE was evaluated. It was found that PEACE ranked 68 per cent of the student-identified pulsars within the top 0.17 per cent of sorted candidates, 95 per cent within the top 0.34 per cent and 100 per cent within the top 3.7 per cent. This clearly demonstrates that PEACE significantly increases the pulsar identification rate by a factor of about 50 to 1000. To date, PEACE has been directly responsible for the discovery of 47 new pulsars, 5 of which are millisecond pulsars that may be useful for pulsar timing based gravitational-wave detection projects.

Evaluation of candidate geomagnetic field models for IGRF-11

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Finlay, Chris; Maus, S.; Beggan, C. D.

2010-01-01

variations between candidates originate. A retrospective analysis of IGRF-10 main field candidates for epoch 2005.0 and predictive secular variation candidates for 2005.0–2010.0 using the new IGRF-11 models as a reference is also reported. The high quality and consistency of main field models derived using...

ANALYSIS OF RESOURCE AND NON-RESOURCE FACTORS’ INFLUENCE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH OF TOMSK REGION USING COGNITIVE APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belan A. K.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This article introduces the key problems of social-economic development of Tomsk region and factors that influence economic growth in highly resource-dependent region. Authors prove the advisability of using cognitive approach for investigation and forecasting of social-economic system development in conditions of uncertainty. Also results of simulation are given medium-term forecast. They are interpreted by means of fuzzy cognitive map. Obtained results, on the one hand, confirm the theoretical considerations about the need of convergence between various factors in the regional development strategy. On the other hand, it’s revealed the need to build a normative model, showing what the regional economy should be. This will allow to conceive more clearly the direction of movement from the modern position to desired one and to determine required contours of the economic policy.

Cell-based land use screening procedure for regional siting analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalbert, J.S.; Dobson, J.E.

1976-01-01

An energy facility site-screening methodology which permits the land resource planner to identify candidate siting areas was developed. Through the use of spatial analysis procedures and computer graphics, a selection of candidate areas is obtained. Specific sites then may be selected from among candidate areas for environmental impact analysis. The computerized methodology utilizes a cell-based geographic information system for specifying the suitability of candidate areas for an energy facility. The criteria to be considered may be specified by the user and weighted in terms of importance. Three primary computer programs have been developed. These programs produce thematic maps, proximity calculations, and suitability calculations. Programs are written so as to be transferrable to regional planning or regulatory agencies to assist in rational and comprehensive power plant site identification and analysis

160 Adopting the Euro: A Long Path towards National Consensus within the Euro Area Candidate Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adina Criste

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The global financial crisis outbreak after 2007 has profoundly changed the course of the history of relations in the world economy, creating a complicated framework of political relations between countries and economic regions. In this context, it is important to depict the economic convergence stage of Euro Area candidate countries and to what extent this crisis has or has not changed the euro adoption objective for these countries. The present paper aimed to shed a light on this issue by analyzing both the state of the convergence process and the public attitude regarding euro adoption in four Euro Area candidate countries which have the same monetary policy strategy (inflation targeting. The research results show the way in which the global financial crisis “deviates” the convergence trajectory of the nominal indicators, but also the political and public sentiment against the euro adoption in the selected countries. The results represent a valuable groundwork for analyzing the way in which National Central Banks candidate to the Eurosystem are implied into the processing for euro adoption during turbulence times

Identification of microdeletions in candidate genes for cleft lip and/or palate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shi, Min; Mostowska, Adrianna; Jugessur, Astanand

2009-01-01

for deletion detection. Apparent Mendelian inconsistencies between parents and children suggested deletion events in 15 individuals in 11 genomic regions. We confirmed deletions involving CYP1B1, FGF10, SP8, SUMO1, TBX1, TFAP2A, and UGT7A1, including both de novo and familial cases. Deletions of SUMO1, TBX1......, and TFAP2A are likely to be etiologic. CONCLUSIONS: These deletions suggest the potential roles of genes or regulatory elements contained within deleted regions in the etiology of clefting. Our analysis took advantage of genotypes from a candidate-gene-based SNP survey and proved to be an efficient...... analytical approach to interrogate genes potentially involved in clefting. This can serve as a model to find genes playing a role in complex traits in general....

Ensemble candidate classification for the LOTAAS pulsar survey

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, C. M.; Lyon, R. J.; Stappers, B. W.; Cooper, S.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Kondratiev, V. I.; Michilli, D.; Sanidas, S.

2018-03-01

One of the biggest challenges arising from modern large-scale pulsar surveys is the number of candidates generated. Here, we implemented several improvements to the machine learning (ML) classifier previously used by the LOFAR Tied-Array All-Sky Survey (LOTAAS) to look for new pulsars via filtering the candidates obtained during periodicity searches. To assist the ML algorithm, we have introduced new features which capture the frequency and time evolution of the signal and improved the signal-to-noise calculation accounting for broad profiles. We enhanced the ML classifier by including a third class characterizing RFI instances, allowing candidates arising from RFI to be isolated, reducing the false positive return rate. We also introduced a new training data set used by the ML algorithm that includes a large sample of pulsars misclassified by the previous classifier. Lastly, we developed an ensemble classifier comprised of five different Decision Trees. Taken together these updates improve the pulsar recall rate by 2.5 per cent, while also improving the ability to identify pulsars with wide pulse profiles, often misclassified by the previous classifier. The new ensemble classifier is also able to reduce the percentage of false positive candidates identified from each LOTAAS pointing from 2.5 per cent (˜500 candidates) to 1.1 per cent (˜220 candidates).

Temporizin and Temporizin-1 Peptides as Novel Candidates for Eliminating Trypanosoma cruzi.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André L A Souza

Full Text Available Tropical diseases caused by parasitic infections continue to cause socioeconomic distress worldwide. Among these, Chagas disease has become a great concern because of globalization. Caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, there is an increasing need to discover new, more effective methods to manage infections that minimize disease onset. Antimicrobial peptides represent a possible solution to this challenge. As effector molecules of the innate immune response against pathogens, they are the first line of defense found in all multi-cellular organisms. In amphibians, temporins are a large family of antimicrobial peptides found in skin secretions. Their functional roles and modes of action present unique properties that indicate possible candidates for therapeutic applications. Here, we investigated the trypanocide activity of temporizin and temporizin-1. Temporizin is an artificial, hybrid peptide containing the N-terminal region of temporin A, the pore-forming region of gramicidin and a C-terminus consisting of alternating leucine and lysine. Temporizin-1 is a modification of temporizin with a reduction in the region responsible for insertion into membranes. Their activities were evaluated in a cell permeabilization assay by flow cytometry, an LDH release assay, electron microscopy, an MTT assay and patch clamp experiments. Both temporizin and temporizin-1 demonstrated toxicity against T. cruzi with temporizin displaying slightly more potency. At concentrations up to 100 μg/ ml, both peptides exhibited low toxicity in J774 cells, a macrophage lineage cell line, and no toxicity was observed in mouse primary peritoneal macrophages. In contrast, the peptides showed some toxicity in rat adenoma GH3 cells and Jurkat human lymphoma cells with temporizin-1 displaying lower toxicity. In summary, a shortened form of the hybrid temporizin peptide, temporizin-1, was efficient at killing T. cruzi and it has low toxicity in wild-type mammalian cells. These data suggest

The adhesive system and root canal region do not influence the degree of conversion of dual resin cement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscilla Cristoforides Pereira

2010-10-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of two adhesive systems and the post space region on the degree of conversion of dual resin cement and its bond strength to root dentin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One three-step etch-and-rinse (All-bond 2, Bisco and another one-step self-etch (Xeno III, Dentsply adhesive systems were applied on 20 (n=10 crownless bovine incisors, at 12-mm-deep post space preparation, and a fiber post (FRC Postec, Ivoclar was cemented using a dual cure resin cement (Duo-Link, Bisco. Three transverse sections (3 mm were obtained, being one from each study region (cervical, middle and apical. The degree of conversion of the dual cure resin cement was determined by a micro-Raman spectrometer. The data (% were submitted to repeated-measures analysis of variance and Tukey's test (p<0.05. RESULTS: For both groups, the degree of conversion means (% (All bond 2cervical = 69.3; All bond 2middle = 55.1; All bond 2apical= 56; Xeno III cervical = 68.7; Xeno IIImiddle = 68.8; Xeno III apical = 54.3 were not significantly different along the post space regions (p<0.05. CONCLUSION: Neither the adhesive nor the post space region influenced the degree of conversion of the cement layer.

Monoclonal Antibodies Directed toward the Hepatitis C Virus Glycoprotein E2 Detect Antigenic Differences Modulated by the N-Terminal Hypervariable Region 1 (HVR1), HVR2, and Intergenotypic Variable Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Alhammad, Yousef; Gu, Jun; Boo, Irene; Harrison, David; McCaffrey, Kathleen; Vietheer, Patricia T; Edwards, Stirling; Quinn, Charles; Coulibaly, Fásseli; Poumbourios, Pantelis; Drummer, Heidi E

2015-12-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 form a heterodimer and mediate receptor interactions and viral fusion. Both E1 and E2 are targets of the neutralizing antibody (NAb) response and are candidates for the production of vaccines that generate humoral immunity. Previous studies demonstrated that N-terminal hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) can modulate the neutralization potential of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), but no information is available on the influence of HVR2 or the intergenotypic variable region (igVR) on antigenicity. In this study, we examined how the variable regions influence the antigenicity of the receptor binding domain of E2 spanning HCV polyprotein residues 384 to 661 (E2661) using a panel of MAbs raised against E2661 and E2661 lacking HVR1, HVR2, and the igVR (Δ123) and well-characterized MAbs isolated from infected humans. We show for a subset of both neutralizing and nonneutralizing MAbs that all three variable regions decrease the ability of MAbs to bind E2661 and reduce the ability of MAbs to inhibit E2-CD81 interactions. In addition, we describe a new MAb directed toward the region spanning residues 411 to 428 of E2 (MAb24) that demonstrates broad neutralization against all 7 genotypes of HCV. The ability of MAb24 to inhibit E2-CD81 interactions is strongly influenced by the three variable regions. Our data suggest that HVR1, HVR2, and the igVR modulate exposure of epitopes on the core domain of E2 and their ability to prevent E2-CD81 interactions. These studies suggest that the function of HVR2 and the igVR is to modulate antibody recognition of glycoprotein E2 and may contribute to immune evasion. This study reveals conformational and antigenic differences between the Δ123 and intact E2661 glycoproteins and provides new structural and functional data about the three variable regions and their role in occluding neutralizing and nonneutralizing epitopes on the E2 core domain. The variable regions may therefore function to

Opinions of the Geography Teacher Candidates toward Mind Maps

Science.gov (United States)

Seyihoglu, Aysegul

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to reveal the opinions of the teacher candidates about mind mapping technique used in Geography education of undergraduate program. In this study, the qualitative research techniques were used. The study group consists of 55 teacher candidates. The teacher candidates have been asked for their opinions about the process…

Do People 'Like' Candidates on Facebook?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rasmus Kleis

The online popularity of a few exceptional candidates has led many to suggest that social media have given politicians powerful ways of communicating directly with voters. In this paper, we examine whether this is happening on a significant scale and show, based on analysis of 224 candidates....... We therefore suggest that the political implications of social media are generally better understood in terms of facilitating indirect communication and institutional change than in terms of direct communication....

Ubiquitous influence of wildfire emissions and secondary organic aerosol on summertime atmospheric aerosol in the forested Great Lakes region

Science.gov (United States)

Gunsch, Matthew J.; May, Nathaniel W.; Wen, Miao; Bottenus, Courtney L. H.; Gardner, Daniel J.; VanReken, Timothy M.; Bertman, Steven B.; Hopke, Philip K.; Ault, Andrew P.; Pratt, Kerri A.

2018-03-01

Long-range aerosol transport affects locations hundreds of kilometers from the point of emission, leading to distant particle sources influencing rural environments that have few major local sources. Source apportionment was conducted using real-time aerosol chemistry measurements made in July 2014 at the forested University of Michigan Biological Station near Pellston, Michigan, a site representative of the remote forested Great Lakes region. Size-resolved chemical composition of individual 0.5-2.0 µm particles was measured using an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS), and non-refractory aerosol mass less than 1 µm (PM1) was measured with a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-AMS). The field site was influenced by air masses transporting Canadian wildfire emissions and urban pollution from Milwaukee and Chicago. During wildfire-influenced periods, 0.5-2.0 µm particles were primarily aged biomass burning particles (88 % by number). These particles were heavily coated with secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed during transport, with organics (average O/C ratio of 0.8) contributing 89 % of the PM1 mass. During urban-influenced periods, organic carbon, elemental carbon-organic carbon, and aged biomass burning particles were identified, with inorganic secondary species (ammonium, sulfate, and nitrate) contributing 41 % of the PM1 mass, indicative of atmospheric processing. With current models underpredicting organic carbon in this region and biomass burning being the largest combustion contributor to SOA by mass, these results highlight the importance for regional chemical transport models to accurately predict the impact of long-range transported particles on air quality in the upper Midwest, United States, particularly considering increasing intensity and frequency of Canadian wildfires.

Mutation analysis of suppressor of cytokine signalling 3, a candidate gene in Type 1 diabetes and insulin sensitivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gylvin, T; Nolsøe, R; Hansen, T

2004-01-01

Beta cell loss in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus may result from apoptosis and necrosis induced by inflammatory mediators. The suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS)-3 is a natural inhibitor of cytokine signalling and also influences insulin signalling. SOCS3 could therefore be a candidate...... gene in the development of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus....

A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH FOR MOLECULAR OUTFLOWS TOWARD CANDIDATE LOW-LUMINOSITY PROTOSTARS AND VERY LOW LUMINOSITY OBJECTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarz, Kamber R.; Shirley, Yancy L.; Dunham, Michael M.

2012-01-01

We present a systematic single-dish search for molecular outflows toward a sample of nine candidate low-luminosity protostars and 30 candidate very low luminosity objects (VeLLOs; L int ≤ 0.1 L ☉ ). The sources are identified using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope cataloged by Dunham et al. toward nearby (D 12 CO and 13 CO J = 2 → 1 simultaneously using the sideband separating ALMA Band-6 prototype receiver on the Heinrich Hertz Telescope at 30'' resolution. Using five-point grid maps, we identify five new potential outflow candidates and make on-the-fly maps of the regions surrounding sources in the dense cores B59, L1148, L1228, and L1165. Of these new outflow candidates, only the map of B59 shows a candidate blue outflow lobe associated with a source in our survey. We also present larger and more sensitive maps of the previously detected L673-7 and the L1251-A-IRS4 outflows and analyze their properties in comparison to other outflows from VeLLOs. The accretion luminosities derived from the outflow properties of the VeLLOs with detected CO outflows are higher than the observed internal luminosity of the protostars, indicating that these sources likely had higher accretion rates in the past. The known L1251-A-IRS3 outflow is detected but not re-mapped. We do not detect clear, unconfused signatures of red and blue molecular wings toward the other 31 sources in the survey indicating that large-scale, distinct outflows are rare toward this sample of candidate protostars. Several potential outflows are confused with the kinematic structure in the surrounding core and cloud. Interferometric imaging is needed to disentangle large-scale molecular cloud kinematics from these potentially weak protostellar outflows.

mRNA expression pattern of selected candidate genes differs in bovine oviductal epithelial cells in vitro compared with the in vivo state and during cell culture passages.

Science.gov (United States)

Danesh Mesgaran, Sadjad; Sharbati, Jutta; Einspanier, Ralf; Gabler, Christoph

2016-08-15

The mammalian oviduct provides the optimal environment for gamete maturation including sperm capacitation, fertilization, and development of the early embryo. Various cell culture models for primary bovine oviductal epithelial cells (BOEC) were established to reveal such physiological events. The aim of this study was to evaluate 17 candidate mRNA expression patterns in oviductal epithelial cells (1) in transition from in vivo cells to in vitro cells; (2) during three consecutive cell culture passages; (3) affected by the impact of LOW or HIGH glucose content media; and (4) influenced by different phases of the estrous cycle in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the release of a metabolite and proteins from BOEC at two distinct cell culture passage numbers was estimated to monitor the functionality. BOEC from 8 animals were isolated and cultured for three consecutive passages. Total RNA was extracted from in vivo and in vitro samples and subjected to reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction to reveal mRNA expression of selected candidate genes. The release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), oviduct-specific glycoprotein 1 (OVGP1) and interleukin 8 (IL8) by BOEC was measured by EIA or ELISA after 24 h. Almost all candidate genes (prostaglandin synthases, enzymes of cellular metabolism and mucins) mRNA expression pattern differed compared in vivo with in vitro state. In addition, transcription of most candidate genes was influenced by the number of cell culture passages. Different glucose medium content did not affect mRNA expression of most candidate genes. The phase of the estrous cycle altered some candidate mRNA expression in BOEC in vitro at later passages. The release of PGE2 and OVGP1 between passages did not differ. However, BOEC in passage 3 released significantly higher amount of IL8 compared with cells in passage 0. This study supports the hypothesis that candidate mRNA expression in BOEC was influenced by transition from the in vivo situation

Lifelong Learning and Employability in the Danube Region Countries: Influences and Correlations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constanţa-Nicoleta Bodea

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A continuous challenge for education and lifelong learning is to assist individuals in acquiring skills and knowledge for successful work life, especially after the financial crisis which influenced negatively the employment growth in all European Union countries. The paper focuses on finding correlations between employability and lifelong learning in the Danube Region countries of the European Union and more explicitly in the ex-communist ones of this region. As research instruments, two online questionnaires were built based on a thorough literature review and a set of structured interviews and filled in by 390 IT students and 55 IT professors. The surveys’ results revealed a clear positive correlation between the level of education and the opinion about the importance of obtaining a job as a result of the educational endeavors. A special attention in the survey was given to social networks, which were acknowledged as modern facilitators of lifelong learning activities. The conclusions of the current study are particularly important in the Romanian context, as the employment rate of recent graduates is in a decreasing trend, but also for all the Danube Region ex-communist countries, which have to boost their employment rates as well, to assure their economical growth. Identification of factors stimulating employment of young people according with their education contributes at the sustainable economic growth of these countries, at the growth of graduates insertion in the labor market and at the diminution of labor migration.

Inclusion of TCAF model in XSPEC to study accretion flow dynamics around black hole candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Debnath, Dipak; Chakrabarti, Sandip Kumar; Mondal, Santanu

Spectral and Temporal properties of black hole candidates can be well understood with the Chakrabarti-Titarchuk solution of two component advective flow (TCAF). This model requires two accretion rates, namely, the Keplerian disk accretion rate and the sub-Keplerian halo accretion rate, the latter being composed of a low angular momentum flow which may or may not develop a shock. In this solution, the relevant parameter is the relative importance of the halo (which creates the Compton cloud region) rate with respect to the Keplerian disk rate (soft photon source). Though this model has been used earlier to manually fit data of several black hole candidates quite satisfactorily, for the first time we are able to create a user friendly version by implementing additive Table model FITS file into GSFC/NASA's spectral analysis software package XSPEC. This enables any user to extract physical parameters of accretion flows, such as two accretion rates, shock location, shock strength etc. for any black hole candidate. Most importantly, unlike any other theoretical model, we show that TCAF is capable of predicting timing properties from spectral fits, since in TCAF, a shock is responsible for deciding spectral slopes as well as QPO frequencies.

A possible candidate for cold dark matter

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This additional scalar can be a viable candidate of cold dark matter (CDM) since the stability of is achieved by the application of Z 2 symmetry on . Considering as a possible candidate of CDM, Boltzmann's equation is solved to find the freeze-out temperature and relic density of for Higgs mass 120 GeV in the scalar ...

Corrosion Assessment of Candidate Materials for the SHINE Subcritical Assembly Vessel and Components FY15 Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pawel, Steven J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-01-01

In the previous report of this series, a literature review was performed to assess the potential for substantial corrosion issues associated with the proposed SHINE process conditions to produce ⁹⁹Mo. Following the initial review, substantial laboratory corrosion testing was performed emphasizing immersion and vapor-phase exposure of candidate alloys in a wide variety of solution chemistries and temperatures representative of potential exposure conditions. Stress corrosion cracking was not identified in any of the exposures up to 10 days at 80°C and 10 additional days at 93°C. Mechanical properties and specimen fracture face features resulting from slow-strain rate tests further supported a lack of sensitivity of these alloys to stress corrosion cracking. Fluid velocity was found not to be an important variable (0 to ~3 m/s) in the corrosion of candidate alloys at room temperature and 50°C. Uranium in solution was not found to adversely influence potential erosion-corrosion. Potentially intense radiolysis conditions slightly accelerated the general corrosion of candidate alloys, but no materials were observed to exhibit an annualized rate above 10 μm/y.

Identification and development of a promising novel mumps vaccine candidate strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yan; Ma, Shaohui; Liu, Longding; Zhao, Hongling; Wang, Lichun; Jiang, Li; Xie, Zhongping; Dong, Chenghong; Li, Qihan

2010-12-01

Mumps epidemics are usually caused by airborne transmission of mumps virus (MuV) and have high morbidity in non-immunized children. Epidemiological studies in many regions of China show that the genotype F viral strain is the most prevalent. However, the genotype A strain is currently used to prepare vaccines. Regional epidemiological MuV data suggest a significant application for the development of live attenuated mumps vaccines targeting specific genotypes. This article reports the isolation and culture of a genotype F MuV candidate strain that could be used to prepare a live attenuated mumps vaccine. This strain is shown to have good immunological efficacy and stability in neurovirulence evaluations. This work should facilitate the implementation of mumps vaccination in mainland China by targeting the most prevalent MuV genotype, genotype F. Copyright © 2010 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Application of a COSMO Mesoscale Model to Assess the Influence of Forest Cover Changes on Regional Weather Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Olchev, A.; Rozinkina, I.; Kuzmina, E.; Nikitin, M.; Rivin, G. S.

2017-12-01

Modern changes in land use and forest cover have a significant influence on local, regional, and global weather and climate conditions. In this study, the mesoscale model COSMO is used to estimate the possible influence of forest cover change in the central part of the East European Plain on regional weather conditions. The "model region" of the study is surrounded by geographical coordinates 55° and 59°N and 28° and 37°E and situated in the central part of a large modeling domain (50° - 70° N and 15° 55° E), covering almost the entire East European Plain in Northern Eurasia. The forests cover about 50% of the area of the "model region". The modeling study includes 3 main numerical experiments. The first assumes total deforestation of the "model region" and replacement of forests by grasslands. The second is represented by afforestation of the "model region." In the third, weather conditions are simulated with present land use and vegetation structures of the "model region." Output of numerical experiments is at 13.2 km grid resolution, and the ERA-Interim global atmospheric reanalysis (with 6-h resolution in time and 0.75°×0.75° in space) is used to quantify initial and boundary conditions. Numerical experiments for the warm period of 2010 taken as an example show that deforestation and afforestation processes in the selected region can lead to significant changes in weather conditions. Deforestation processes in summer conditions can result in increased air temperature and wind speed, reduction of precipitation, lower clouds, and relative humidity. The afforestation process can result in opposite effects (decreased air temperature, increased precipitation, higher air humidity and fog frequency, and strengthened storm winds). Maximum meteorological changes under forest cover changes are projected for the summer months (July and August). It was also shown that changes of some meteorological characteristics (e.g., air temperature) is observed in the

Online Political Campaigning during the 2014 Regional Elections in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paweł Baranowski

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article is dedicated to the analysis and evaluation of political communication on a regional level. Without any doubt, the Internet revolution affected electoral campaigning on every level. Online campaigning before local elections is often marginalized by political scientists and other scholars researching political marketing. However, the question emerges: are the candidates aware of the possibilities that new media has brought to political communication? Content analysis of all the major online communication tools has allowed the author to analyze the patterns of using websites, official Facebook profiles and Twitter accounts of candidates during the 2014 Lower Silesian Regional assembly elections. The Lower Silesian Voivodeship is among the fastest developing regions in Poland with high Internet penetration rate. Is the Internet campaign treated as a second-class way to communicate with potential voters, or is it perceived as an opportunity to reach electorate online?

The Influencing Factors, Regional Difference and Temporal Variation of Industrial Technology Innovation: Evidence with the FOA-GRNN Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongli Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Technology innovation is a motivating force for sustainable development. The recognition and measurement of influencing factors are a basic prerequisite of technology innovation research. In response to the gaps and shortages of existing theories and methods, this paper builds the impact indicators of technology innovation, the proposed FOA-GRNN model, and analyzes the influencing factors, regional differences and temporal variations of technology innovation based on industrial above-scale enterprises of 31 provinces in China from 2008 to 2015. The empirical results show that innovation investment is a determinant of technology innovation in China, and is more and more significant; meanwhile a wide gap of innovation resource between Eastern China and Western China exists. In general, the enterprise scale has a negative effect: with enlargement of enterprise in China, the innovation efficiency of enterprise will decline, while the effect has regional disparity, with positive influence in Central and Western China, and negative influence in Eastern China. Government support has negative effects on technology innovation: indirect equity investment contributes more to technology innovation than direct fund support. Innovation environment has positive and weak effects on technology innovation, but it is the biggest obstacle in Western China, and the innovation environment in China has improved continuously. This paper provides new evidence that can shine some light on determining the factors affecting technology innovation, and also presents a novel approach, which comprises characteristics of nonlinear function approximation, high accuracy and a small sample.

Dvigateli regional'nogo stroitel'stva. Vlijanie regional'nyh politicheskih organizacij na sotrudnichestvo universitetov v regione Baltijskogo morja [Motors for regional development: impact on regional political organizations on the university cooperation in the Baltic Sea region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewert Stefan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Educational co-operation is one of the main aspects of the regional political agenda in the Baltic Sea Region. The article analyzes the political impact of the organizations, as perceived by the universities in the region and political decision-makers on national and regional levels. Based on the success of the OECD in becoming an influential actor in educational policies, this article discusses different strategies for the regional political organizations to enhance their influence.

A CANDIDATE FOR THE MOST LUMINOUS OB ASSOCIATION IN THE GALAXY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, Mubdi; Matzner, Christopher; Moon, Dae-Sik

2011-01-01

The Milky Way harbors giant H II regions, which may be powered by star complexes more luminous than any known Galactic OB association. Being across the disk of the Galaxy, however, these brightest associations are severely extinguished and confused. We present a search for one such association toward the most luminous H II region in the recent catalog by Murray and Rahman, which, at ∼9.7 kpc, has a recombination rate of ∼7 x 10 51 s -1 . Prior searches have identified only small-scale clustering around the rim of this shell-like region, but the primary association has not previously been identified. We apply a near-infrared color selection and find an overdensity of point sources toward its southern central part. The colors and magnitudes of these excess sources are consistent with O- and early B-type stars at extinctions 0.96 K < 1.2, and they are sufficiently numerous (406 ± 102 after subtraction of field sources) to ionize the surrounding H II region, making this a candidate for the most luminous OB association in the Galaxy. We reject an alternate theory, in which the apparent excess is caused by localized extinction, as inconsistent with source demographics.

Ascribing beliefs to ingroup and outgroup political candidates: neural correlates of perspective-taking, issue importance and days until the election.

Science.gov (United States)

Falk, Emily B; Spunt, Robert P; Lieberman, Matthew D

2012-03-05

We used the five weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election as a backdrop to examine the ways that the brain processes attitudes and beliefs under different circumstances. We examined individual differences in personal issue importance and trait perspective-taking, as well as the temporal context in which attitude representation took place (i.e. number of days until the election). Finally, we examined the extent to which similar or dissimilar processes were recruited when considering the attitudes of political ingroup and outgroup candidates. Brain regions involved in social cognition and theory of mind, and to a lesser extent the limbic system, were modulated by these factors. Higher issue importance led to greater recruitment of neural regions involved in social cognition, across target perspectives. Higher trait perspective-taking was also associated with greater recruitment of several regions involved in social cognition, but differed depending on target perspective; greater activity was observed in prefrontal regions associated with social cognition when considering the perspective of one's own candidate compared with the opponent, and this effect was amplified closer to the election. Taken together, these results highlight ways in which ability and motivational relevance modulate socio-affective processing of the attitudes of others.

Property Analysis of the Real-Time Uncalibrated Phase Delay Product Generated by Regional Reference Stations and Its Influence on Precise Point Positioning Ambiguity Resolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Zhang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The real-time estimation of the wide-lane and narrow-lane Uncalibrated Phase Delay (UPD of satellites is realized by real-time data received from regional reference station networks; The properties of the real-time UPD product and its influence on real-time precise point positioning ambiguity resolution (RTPPP-AR are experimentally analyzed according to real-time data obtained from the regional Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS network located in Tianjin, Shanghai, Hong Kong, etc. The results show that the real-time wide-lane and narrow-lane UPD products differ significantly from each other in time-domain characteristics; the wide-lane UPDs have daily stability, with a change rate of less than 0.1 cycle/day, while the narrow-lane UPDs have short-term stability, with significant change in one day. The UPD products generated by different regional networks have obvious spatial characteristics, thus significantly influencing RTPPP-AR: the adoption of real-time UPD products employing the sparse stations in the regional network for estimation is favorable for improving the regional RTPPP-AR up to 99%; the real-time UPD products of different regional networks slightly influence PPP-AR positioning accuracy. After ambiguities are successfully fixed, the real-time dynamic RTPPP-AR positioning accuracy is better than 3 cm in the plane and 8 cm in the upward direction.

Holmes versus Traditional Teacher Candidates: Labor Market Receptivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, I. Phillip; And Others

1997-01-01

"Typical" paper credentials were used to create 12 hypothetical teacher candidates. Credential contents were varied to reflect all combinations of college preparatory institutions (Holmes vs. traditional), education degree types, and chronological ages. Randomly selected high school principals then evaluated candidates. Holmes-prepared…

Query by image example: The CANDID approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, P.M.; Cannon, M. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Computer Research and Applications Group; Hush, D.R. [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering

1995-02-01

CANDID (Comparison Algorithm for Navigating Digital Image Databases) was developed to enable content-based retrieval of digital imagery from large databases using a query-by-example methodology. A user provides an example image to the system, and images in the database that are similar to that example are retrieved. The development of CANDID was inspired by the N-gram approach to document fingerprinting, where a ``global signature`` is computed for every document in a database and these signatures are compared to one another to determine the similarity between any two documents. CANDID computes a global signature for every image in a database, where the signature is derived from various image features such as localized texture, shape, or color information. A distance between probability density functions of feature vectors is then used to compare signatures. In this paper, the authors present CANDID and highlight two results from their current research: subtracting a ``background`` signature from every signature in a database in an attempt to improve system performance when using inner-product similarity measures, and visualizing the contribution of individual pixels in the matching process. These ideas are applicable to any histogram-based comparison technique.

22 CFR 11.20 - Foreign Service specialist career candidate appointments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

..., background investigation, and final review process required of career candidates, but normally they will not... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Foreign Service specialist career candidate... SERVICE OFFICERS § 11.20 Foreign Service specialist career candidate appointments. (a) General...

Physical education candidate teachers' beliefs about vocational self-esteem

OpenAIRE

OZSAKER, Murat; CANPOLAT, A. Meliha

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine epistemological belief and vocational self-esteem physical education candidate teachers of Physical Education and Sports Department in 3 different universities, and also to examine effect of epistemological beliefs on vocational self-esteem. A total of 346 candidate teacher respondents (137 female and 209 male) participated in the study. Epistemological Beliefs and Vocational Self-Esteem Scale were used to determine candidate teachers’ epistemologica...

Selection of radio pulsar candidates using artificial neural networks

OpenAIRE

Eatough, R. P.; Molkenthin, N.; Kramer, M.; Noutsos, A.; Keith, M. J.; Stappers, B. W.; Lyne, A. G.

2010-01-01

Radio pulsar surveys are producing many more pulsar candidates than can be inspected by human experts in a practical length of time. Here we present a technique to automatically identify credible pulsar candidates from pulsar surveys using an artificial neural network. The technique has been applied to candidates from a recent re-analysis of the Parkes multi-beam pulsar survey resulting in the discovery of a previously unidentified pulsar.

Evidence of novel fine-scale structural variation at autism spectrum disorder candidate loci

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hedges Dale J

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD represent a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by a core set of social-communicative and behavioral impairments. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, acting primarily via the GABA receptors (GABR. Multiple lines of evidence, including altered GABA and GABA receptor expression in autistic patients, indicate that the GABAergic system may be involved in the etiology of autism. Methods As copy number variations (CNVs, particularly rare and de novo CNVs, have now been implicated in ASD risk, we examined the GABA receptors and genes in related pathways for structural variation that may be associated with autism. We further extended our candidate gene set to include 19 genes and regions that had either been directly implicated in the autism literature or were directly related (via function or ancestry to these primary candidates. For the high resolution CNV screen we employed custom-designed 244 k comparative genomic hybridization (CGH arrays. Collectively, our probes spanned a total of 11 Mb of GABA-related and additional candidate regions with a density of approximately one probe every 200 nucleotides, allowing a theoretical resolution for detection of CNVs of approximately 1 kb or greater on average. One hundred and sixty-eight autism cases and 149 control individuals were screened for structural variants. Prioritized CNV events were confirmed using quantitative PCR, and confirmed loci were evaluated on an additional set of 170 cases and 170 control individuals that were not included in the original discovery set. Loci that remained interesting were subsequently screened via quantitative PCR on an additional set of 755 cases and 1,809 unaffected family members. Results Results include rare deletions in autistic individuals at JAKMIP1, NRXN1, Neuroligin4Y, OXTR, and ABAT. Common insertion/deletion polymorphisms were detected at several

Analyses of germline variants associated with ovarian cancer survival identify functional candidates at the 1q22 and 19p12 outcome loci

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glubb, Dylan M; Johnatty, Sharon E; Quinn, Michael C J

2017-01-01

We previously identified associations with ovarian cancer outcome at five genetic loci. To identify putatively causal genetic variants and target genes, we prioritized two ovarian outcome loci (1q22 and 19p12) for further study. Bioinformatic and functional genetic analyses indicated that MEF2D...... and ZNF100 are targets of candidate outcome variants at 1q22 and 19p12, respectively. At 19p12, the chromatin interaction of a putative regulatory element with the ZNF100 promoter region correlated with candidate outcome variants. At 1q22, putative regulatory elements enhanced MEF2D promoter activity...... and haplotypes containing candidate outcome variants modulated these effects. In a public dataset, MEF2D and ZNF100 expression were both associated with ovarian cancer progression-free or overall survival time. In an extended set of 6,162 epithelial ovarian cancer patients, we found that functional candidates...

Photometric Follow-up of Eclipsing Binary Candidates from KELT and Kepler

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia Soto, Aylin; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Bieryla, Allyson; KELT survey

2018-01-01

Eclipsing binaries (EBs) are incredibly valuable, as they provide the opportunity to precisely measure fundamental stellar parameters without the need for stellar models. Therefore, we can use EBs to directly test stellar evolution models. Constraining the stellar properties of stars is important since they directly influence our understanding of any planets orbiting them. Using the Harvard University's Clay 0.4m telescope and Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory’s 1.2m telescope on Mount Hopkins, Arizona, we conducted follow-up multi-band photometric observations of EB candidates from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) survey and the Kepler mission. We will present our follow-up observations and AstroImageJ analysis on these 5 EB systems.

Political Candidate Campaign Advertising: A Selected Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellweg, Susan A.

This paper provides a selected review of political candidate campaign advertising studies from the political science, mass communication, advertising, and political communication literature. The paper examines the literature in terms of research pertaining to (1) candidate advertising content (commercials for male versus female candidates and for…

Cognitive Styles in Admission Procedures for Assessing Candidates of Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Casakin, Hernan; Gigi, Ariela

2016-01-01

Cognitive style has a strong predictive power in academic and professional success. This study investigated the cognitive profile of candidates studying architecture. Specifically, it explored the relation between visual and verbal cognitive styles, and the performance of candidates in admission procedures. The cognitive styles of candidates who…

Event display of a H -> 2e2mu candidate event

CERN Multimedia

ATLAS, Collaboration

2012-01-01

Event display of a H -> 2e2mu candidate event with m(4l) = 122.6 (123.9) GeV without (with) Z mass constraint. The masses of the lepton pairs are 87.9 GeV and 19.6 GeV. The event was recorded by ATLAS on 18-Jun-2012, 11:07:47 CEST in run number 205113 as event number 12611816. Muon tracks are colored red, electron tracks and clusters in the LAr calorimeter are colored green. The larger inset shows a zoom into the tracking detector. The smaller inset shows a zoom into the vertex region, indicating that the 4 leptons originate from the same primary vertex.

The effects of innovative changes influence on social and economic processes of the region development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. O. Tolstykh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Development of strategy of social and economic development of the Voronezh region till 2035 requires the careful analysis of a condition of all activities of the region, their interaction and interference. The special role in this process belongs to the higher school as the engine of knowledge, information and innovations. In case of all conservatism of an education system its task not only to give estimates and forecasts of the future, but also to serve as a leader of changes in all industries. The models realizing these tasks are a possibility of receipt of the effective instrument of increase in innovation of potential of economy of the region, forming of the environment which is adequately reflecting scientific and technical and economic challenges of modern realities and also developments of processes and technologies of transition of economy of the region to the principles of digital economy. Direct task of the higher school are increase in the amount of knowledge which is saved up by society, handling and transformation of information to knowledge, generation of new information and new knowledge, forming of the competitive specialist. In article approaches to an impact assessment of changes in the higher school on processes of social and economic development of the region, to classification of straight lines and side effects (spillover-effects in the conditions of development of programs of a strategic development of the region are considered, the model of development of the higher school taking into account spillover-effect based on the principles of digital economy is offered. For the purpose of an impact assessment of changes in the higher school on processes of social and economic development in the region the task is set to analyse influence of various factors at each other, and also on basic factors of economic growth of the region.

Automated corresponding point candidate selection for image registration using wavelet transformation neurla network with rotation invariant inputs and context information about neighboring candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Okumura, Hiroshi; Suezaki, Masashi; Sueyasu, Hideki; Arai, Kohei

2003-03-01

An automated method that can select corresponding point candidates is developed. This method has the following three features: 1) employment of the RIN-net for corresponding point candidate selection; 2) employment of multi resolution analysis with Haar wavelet transformation for improvement of selection accuracy and noise tolerance; 3) employment of context information about corresponding point candidates for screening of selected candidates. Here, the 'RIN-net' means the back-propagation trained feed-forward 3-layer artificial neural network that feeds rotation invariants as input data. In our system, pseudo Zernike moments are employed as the rotation invariants. The RIN-net has N x N pixels field of view (FOV). Some experiments are conducted to evaluate corresponding point candidate selection capability of the proposed method by using various kinds of remotely sensed images. The experimental results show the proposed method achieves fewer training patterns, less training time, and higher selection accuracy than conventional method.

Counts of low-Redshift SDSS quasar candidates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeljko Ivezic

2004-01-01

We analyze the counts of low-redshift quasar candidates selected using nine-epoch SDSS imaging data. The co-added catalogs are more than 1 mag deeper than single-epoch SDSS data, and allow the selection of low-redshift quasar candidates using UV-excess and also variability techniques. The counts of selected candidates are robustly determined down to g = 21.5. This is about 2 magnitudes deeper than the position of a change in the slope of the counts reported by Boyle (and others) (1990, 2000) for a sample selected by UV-excess, and questioned by Hawkins and Veron (1995), who utilized a variability-selected sample. Using SDSS data, we confirm a change in the slope of the counts for both UV-excess and variability selected samples, providing strong support for the Boyle (and others) results

A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH FOR STELLAR BOWSHOCK NEBULAE IN THE MILKY WAY: A CATALOG OF 709 MID-INFRARED SELECTED CANDIDATES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kobulnicky, Henry A.; Chick, William T.; Schurhammer, Danielle P.; Andrews, Julian E.; Munari, Stephan A.; Olivier, Grace M.; Sorber, Rebecca L.; Wernke, Heather N.; Dale, Daniel A. [Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82070 (United States); Povich, Matthew S.; Dixon, Don M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State Polytechnic University, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768 (United States)

2016-12-01

We identify 709 arc-shaped mid-infrared nebula in 24 μ m Spitzer Space Telescope or 22 μ m Wide Field Infrared Explorer surveys of the Galactic Plane as probable dusty interstellar bowshocks powered by early-type stars. About 20% are visible at 8 μ m or at shorter mid-infrared wavelengths. The vast majority (660) have no previous identification in the literature. These extended infrared sources are strongly concentrated near the Galactic mid-plane, with an angular scale height of ∼0.°6. All host a symmetrically placed star implicated as the source of a stellar wind sweeping up interstellar material. These are candidate “runaway” stars potentially having high velocities in the reference frame of the local medium. Among the 286 objects with measured proper motions, we find an unambiguous excess with velocity vectors aligned with the infrared morphology—kinematic evidence that many of these are “runaway” stars with large peculiar motions responsible for the bowshock signature. We discuss a population of “in situ” bowshocks (∼103 objects) that face giant H ii regions where the relative motions between the star and ISM may be caused by bulk outflows from an overpressured bubble. We also identify ∼58 objects that face 8 μ m bright-rimmed clouds and apparently constitute a sub-class of in situ bowshocks where the stellar wind interacts with a photoevaporative flow (PEF) from an eroding molecular cloud interface (i.e., “PEF bowshocks”). Orientations of the arcuate nebulae exhibit a correlation over small angular scales, indicating that external influences such as H ii regions are responsible for producing some bowshock nebulae. However, the vast majority of the nebulae in this sample appear to be isolated (499 objects) from obvious external influences.

Views on Values Education: From Teacher Candidates to Experienced Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Iscan, Canay Demirhan

2015-01-01

This study aimed to identify the views of experienced class teachers and class teacher candidates on values education. It conducted standard open-ended interviews with experienced class teachers and teacher candidates. The study group comprised 9 experienced class teachers from different socio-economic levels and 9 teacher candidates with…

Heartland Alliance for Regional Transmission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, Nancy [Climate and Energy Project, Inc., Hutchinson, KS (United States)

2017-03-15

The Heartland Alliance for Regional Transmission (HART) will foster a candid, productive conversation among stakeholders that identifies challenges to and benefits from a massive build out of wind generation and transmission across the Southwest Power Pool. Based on the outcomes of those deliberations, HART will develop and deliver an ambitious, coordinated, peer-to-peer outreach effort that spans the SPP to improve market acceptance for wind.

DENSE CLUMPS AND CANDIDATES FOR MOLECULAR OUTFLOWS IN W40

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimoikura, Tomomi; Dobashi, Kazuhito [Department of Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Tokyo Gakugei University, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8501 (Japan); Nakamura, Fumitaka; Hara, Chihomi; Kawabe, Ryohei [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Tanaka, Tomohiro [Department of Physical Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531 (Japan); Shimajiri, Yoshito [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Université Paris Diderot, IRFU/Service d’Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Sugitani, Kouji, E-mail: ikura@u-gakugei.ac.jp [Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Nagoya City University, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8501 (Japan)

2015-06-20

We report the results of the {sup 12}CO (J = 3−2) and HCO{sup +} (J = 4−3) observations of the W40 H ii region with the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) 10 m telescope (HPBW ≃ 22″) to search for molecular outflows and dense clumps. We found that the velocity field in the region is highly complex, consisting of at least four distinct velocity components at V{sub LSR} ≃ 3, 5, 7, and 10 km s{sup −1}. The ∼7 km s{sup −1} component represents the systemic velocity of cold gas surrounding the entire region, and causes heavy absorption in the {sup 12}CO spectra over the velocity range 6 ≲ V{sub LSR} ≲ 9 km s{sup −1}. The ∼5 and ∼10 km s{sup −1} components exhibit high {sup 12}CO temperature (≳40 K) and are found mostly around the H ii region, suggesting that these components are likely to be tracing dense gas interacting with the expanding shell around the H ii region. Based on the {sup 12}CO data, we identified 13 regions of high velocity gas, which we interpret as candidate outflow lobes. Using the HCO{sup +} data, we also identified six clumps and estimated their physical parameters. On the basis of the ASTE data and near-infrared images from 2MASS, we present an updated three-dimensional model of this region. In order to investigate molecular outflows in W40, the SiO (J = 1−0, v = 0) emission line and some other emission lines at 40 GHz were also observed with the 45 m telescope at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory, but they were not detected at the present sensitivity.

Event display of a H -> 4e candidate event

CERN Multimedia

ATLAS, Collaboration

2012-01-01

Event display of a H -> 4e candidate event with m(4l) = 124.5 (124.6) GeV without (with) Z mass constraint. The masses of the lepton pairs are 70.6 GeV and 44.7 GeV. The event was recorded by ATLAS on 18-May-2012, 20:28:11 CEST in run number 203602 as event number 82614360. The tracks and clusters of the two electron pairs are colored red and blue, respectively. The three displays on the right-hand side show the r-phi view of the event (top), a zoom into the vertex region, indicating that the 4 electrons originate from the same primary vertex (middle), and a Lego plot indicating the amount of transverse energy Et measured in the calorimeters (bottom).

Fine-mapping resolves Eae23 into two QTLs and implicates ZEB1 as a candidate gene regulating experimental neuroinflammation in rat.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pernilla Stridh

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To elucidate mechanisms involved in multiple sclerosis (MS, we studied genetic regulation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE in rats, assuming a conservation of pathogenic pathways. In this study, we focused on Eae23, originally identified to regulate EAE in a (LEW.1AV1xPVG.1AV1F2 cross. Our aim was to determine whether one or more genes within the 67 Mb region regulate EAE and to define candidate risk genes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used high resolution quantitative trait loci (QTL analysis in the 10th generation (G10 of an advanced intercross line (AIL to resolve Eae23 into two QTLs that independently regulate EAE, namely Eae23a and Eae23b. We established a congenic strain to validate the effect of this region on disease. PVG alleles in Eae23 resulted in significant protection from EAE and attenuated CNS inflammation/demyelination. Disease amelioration was accompanied with increased levels of Foxp3(+ cells in the CNS of the congenic strain compared to DA. We then focused on candidate gene investigation in Eae23b, a 9 Mb region linked to all clinical phenotypes. Affymetrix exon arrays were used to study expression of the genes in Eae23b in the parental strains, where none showed differential expression. However, we found lower expression of exon 4 of ZEB1, which is specific for splice-variant Zfhep1. ZEB1 is an interleukin 2 (IL2 repressor involved in T cell development. The splice-specific variance prompted us to next analyze the expression of ZEB1 and its two splice variants, Zfhep1 and Zfhep2, in both lymph node and spleen. We demonstrated that ZEB1 splice-variants are differentially expressed; severity of EAE and higher IL2 levels were associated with down-regulation of Zfhep1 and up-regulation of Zfhep2. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We speculate that the balance between splice-variants of ZEB1 could influence the regulation of EAE. Further functional studies of ZEB1 and the splice-variants may unravel

Hypervelocity star candidates in Gaia DR1/TGAS

Science.gov (United States)

Marchetti, T.; Rossi, E. M.; Kordopatis, G.; Brown, A. G. A.; Rimoldi, A.; Starkenburg, E.; Youakim, K.; Ashley, R.

2018-04-01

Hypervelocity stars (HVSs) are characterized by a total velocity in excess of the Galactic escape speed, and with trajectories consistent with coming from the Galactic Centre. We apply a novel data mining routine, an artificial neural network, to discover HVSs in the TGAS subset of the first data release of the Gaia satellite, using only the astrometry of the stars. We find 80 stars with a predicted probability >90% of being HVSs, and we retrieved radial velocities for 47 of those. We discover 14 objects with a total velocity in the Galactic rest frame >400 km s-1, and 5 of these have a probability >50% of being unbound from the Milky Way. Tracing back orbits in different Galactic potentials, we discover 1 HVS candidate, 5 bound HVS candidates, and 5 runaway star candidates with remarkably high velocities, between 400 and 780 km s-1. We wait for future Gaia releases to confirm the goodness of our sample and to increase the number of HVS candidates.

Influence of region and site-specific factors on the degree of general validity of ecological and primary-energy-related assessments of biogas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dressler, Daniela

2015-01-01

As described in this publication, since the early 1990s numerous studies based on the life cycle assessment methodology have been dedicated to assessments of different kinds of bioenergy in comparison with fossil energy resources in terms of their energy balance and environmental impact. On reviewing the results of these studies one finds a strikingly wide range of variation. One major factor of influence on the results of life cycle assessments, besides methodological factors such as the choice of allocation method, is the representativeness of the data used. Thus, widely varying results are also obtained when balance calculations and assessments are performed on energy crops with due consideration to regional and site-specific factors. To address this problem the present study endeavoured to identify region and site-specific factors and assess them in terms of their influence on the life cycle assessment of the cultivation and conversion to biogas of different kinds of energy crops. For this purpose the following questions were explored: What influence do region, site and equipment-specific factors have on the results of ecological and primary-energy-related assessments; and how large are the differences in results between region and site-specific assessments on the one hand and assessments based on general assumptions on the other? It transpires that the results of region and site-specific assessments differ from one another in terms of both the assessment of energy cropping and the assessment of the entire process chain of biogas production and conversion to electricity.

Influence of university network structures on forming the network environment of regional economy (on the example of national research universities of Tatarstan Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darya-Anna Alekseevna Kaibiyainen

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objective to elaborate theoretical and applied aspects of the processes of forming the new network institutional environment of the Russian regional economy under the influence of the developing integral educational network structures basing on the study of the experience of national research universities of Tatarstan Republic Methods general scientific logical methods of analysis and synthesis induction and deduction scientific abstraction as well as the method of systemicfunctional analysis. Results the practical examples are revealed and analyzed of introducing the new network integral principles into the functioning of national research universities which have a real economic effect and influencing such indicators of regional economy as the growth of employment reduction of unemployment etc. Scientific novelty problems of network structures development in the Russian education have not been thoroughly studied yet. The article analyzes the experience reveals and describes the methods and techniques of forming the network educational structures in the functioning of national research universities in Tatarstan Republic Practical value the author shows the ability of network university structures not only to play a significant role forming the new institutional environment of the regional economy but also to influence the macro and microeconomic indicators of development of the region and the country. nbsp

Molecular candidates of MTV in air

Science.gov (United States)

Dam, Nico; Mirzaei, Mehrnoosh; van de Water, Willem

2011-11-01

In molecular tagging velocimetry (MTV), the molecules of a gas are used as flow tracers. These tracers can be produced at will by illumination with a laser which promotes molecules to a long- lived excited state, fuses N2 and N2 to NO, or makes molecules phosphoresce. A while later these tagged molecules can be visualized by laser-induced fluorescence, or by just watching them while they phosphoresce. Candidates for MTV in turbulence research must be arranged in structures narrower than the Kolmogorov scale, which remain narrow as time progresses, and must live longer than the Kolmogorov time. These requirements invalidate many candidates, candidates once deemed successful. They do so in various surprising manners that involve a combination of fluid flow and molecular dynamics. Rather than velocimetry in turbulence, MTV techniques offer a unique view on basic dispersion processes at the smallest scales of turbulence. In this way we have measured the spreading of clouds whose size is a few times the Kolmogorov length and the Batchelor dispersion of objects whose size is inside the inertial range.

Structure and interactions of a malarial vaccine candidate, AMA1, form the parasite plasmodium falciparum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miles, L.A.; Keizer, D.W.; Hodder, A.N.; Nair, M.; Hinds, M.G.; Norton, R.S.; Li, F.; Foley, M.; Coley, A.; Anders, R.F.

2001-01-01

Full text: Apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1), a merozoite surface protein found in all species of Plasmodium and other apicomplexan parasites, is a strong candidate for inclusion in a malarial vaccine. Recombinant AMA1 protected against P. fragile in monkeys and P. chabaudi adami in mice. P. falciparum AMA1 which has a 62-kDa ectodomain consisting of three disulphide-stabilised domains, is a target of antibodies that inhibit merozoite invasion in vitro. Here we describe the solution structure of domain III (14 kDa), determined by NMR on 15 N- and 13 C/ 15 N-labelled samples. It has a well-defined disulphide-stabilised core interrupted by a disordered loop, and both the N- and C-terminal regions of the molecule are unstructured. The structured region includes all three disulphide bonds. Naturally-occurring mutations across 11 different P falciparum strains that are located far apart in the sequence cluster around the disulphide core in the 3D structure of domain III, suggesting that this region contains the major epitopes recognised by neutralising antibodies. Consistent with this, the disulphide-bond stabilised conformation of the ectodomain was essential for protection, as the antigen was not an effective vaccine after reduction and alkylation. Peptides have been found by phage display that bind to AMA1 and block merozoite invasion of erythrocytes. We have investigated their solution structures and interaction with full-length AMA1 ectodomain in an effort to understand the structure-function relationships of this important vaccine candidate

Physics Structure Analysis of Parallel Waves Concept of Physics Teacher Candidate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarwi, S; Linuwih, S; Supardi, K I

2017-01-01

The aim of this research was to find a parallel structure concept of wave physics and the factors that influence on the formation of parallel conceptions of physics teacher candidates. The method used qualitative research which types of cross-sectional design. These subjects were five of the third semester of basic physics and six of the fifth semester of wave course students. Data collection techniques used think aloud and written tests. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive technique-percentage. The data analysis technique for belief and be aware of answers uses an explanatory analysis. Results of the research include: 1) the structure of the concept can be displayed through the illustration of a map containing the theoretical core, supplements the theory and phenomena that occur daily; 2) the trend of parallel conception of wave physics have been identified on the stationary waves, resonance of the sound and the propagation of transverse electromagnetic waves; 3) the influence on the parallel conception that reading textbooks less comprehensive and knowledge is partial understanding as forming the structure of the theory. (paper)

Genetics of human longevity with emphasis on the relevance of HSP70 as candidate genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singh, Ripudaman; Kølvrå, Steen; Rattan, Suresh I S

2007-01-01

Human longevity is determined to a certain extent by genetic factors. Several candidate genes have been studied for their association with human longevity, but the data collected so far are inconclusive. One of the reasons is the choice of the candidate genes in addition to the choice...... of an appropriate study design and methodology. Since aging is characterized by a progressive accumulation of molecular damage and an attenuation of the cellular defense mechanisms, the focus of studies on human longevity association with genes has now shifted to the pathways of cellular maintenance and repair...... mechanisms. One such pathway includes the battery of stress response genes, especially the heat shock protein HSP70 genes. Three such genes, HSPA1A, HSPA1B and HSPA1L, are present within the MHC-III region on the short arm of chromosome 6. We and others have found alleles, genotypes and haplotypes which have...

Influence of Indian summer monsoon variability on the surface waves in the coastal regions of eastern Arabian Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

SanilKumar, V.; Jesbin, G.

–885, 2016 www.ann-geophys.net/34/871/2016/ doi:10.5194/angeo-34-871-2016 © Author(s) 2016. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Influence of Indian summer monsoon variability on the surface waves in the coastal regions of eastern Arabian Sea V. Sanil Kumar and Jesbin... of the period. The annual average value is ∼ 1.5 m (Anoop et al., 2015). During the non-monsoon period, the land and sea breeze has a signif- icant influence on the wave climate of eastern AS (Glejin Ann. Geophys., 34, 871–885, 2016 www.ann-geophys.net/34...

Evaluating an australian emergency nurse practitioner candidate training program.

Science.gov (United States)

Plath, Sharyn J; Wright, Mary; Hocking, Julia

2017-11-01

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) receive core clinical training at master's level, with their employer providing the opportunity to upskill in clinical and procedural competencies. It is increasingly recognised that this generic education requires supplementary training for operating effectively within a specific clinical environment. In this paper we describe a pilot program designed to train Australian NP Candidates to work effectively within the Emergency Department Fast Track model of care. The training program consisted of a 12-month period: four hours in-house training per week over two semesters, running concurrently with the NP candidate's University semesters, and 3 months' clinical practice to consolidate. The training team defined milestones for Semesters one and two, and developed a case review form to assess application of the candidate's knowledge in new clinical situations, as well as check for gaps in understanding. A clinical skills guide was developed for the candidate to work toward, and a comprehensive assessment was carried out at two time points in the training program. Feedback was obtained from the mentors and the candidate at the end point of the training program, and has been used to refine the program for 2017. This in-house training program provided specialised, evidence-based training for the emergency department environment, resulting in development of the nurse practitioner candidate as a high functioning team member. Copyright © 2017 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. All rights reserved.

The influence of weather variation on regional growth of Douglas-fir stands in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Science.gov (United States)

Charles E. Peterson; Linda S. Heath

1991-01-01

In this paper we examine the influence of precipitation and temperature deviations on regional volume growth rates in even aged, onnen.,ed second growth Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) stands. Between 1969 and 1986, average volume growth rates in natural stands of coast Douglas fix in western Washington and Oregon were negatively...

Cis-eQTL analysis and functional validation of candidate susceptibility genes for high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrenson, Kate; Li, Qiyuan; Kar, Siddhartha; Seo, Ji-Heui; Tyrer, Jonathan; Spindler, Tassja J; Lee, Janet; Chen, Yibu; Karst, Alison; Drapkin, Ronny; Aben, Katja K H; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Antonenkova, Natalia; Baker, Helen; Bandera, Elisa V; Bean, Yukie; Beckmann, Matthias W; Berchuck, Andrew; Bisogna, Maria; Bjorge, Line; Bogdanova, Natalia; Brinton, Louise A; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Bruinsma, Fiona; Butzow, Ralf; Campbell, Ian G; Carty, Karen; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Chen, Anne; Chen, Zhihua; Cook, Linda S; Cramer, Daniel W; Cunningham, Julie M; Cybulski, Cezary; Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Agnieszka; Dennis, Joe; Dicks, Ed; Doherty, Jennifer A; Dörk, Thilo; du Bois, Andreas; Dürst, Matthias; Eccles, Diana; Easton, Douglas T; Edwards, Robert P; Eilber, Ursula; Ekici, Arif B; Fasching, Peter A; Fridley, Brooke L; Gao, Yu-Tang; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Giles, Graham G; Glasspool, Rosalind; Goode, Ellen L; Goodman, Marc T; Grownwald, Jacek; Harrington, Patricia; Harter, Philipp; Hasmad, Hanis Nazihah; Hein, Alexander; Heitz, Florian; Hildebrandt, Michelle A T; Hillemanns, Peter; Hogdall, Estrid; Hogdall, Claus; Hosono, Satoyo; Iversen, Edwin S; Jakubowska, Anna; James, Paul; Jensen, Allan; Ji, Bu-Tian; Karlan, Beth Y; Kruger Kjaer, Susanne; Kelemen, Linda E; Kellar, Melissa; Kelley, Joseph L; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Krakstad, Camilla; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Lambrechts, Diether; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Le, Nhu D; Lee, Alice W; Lele, Shashi; Leminen, Arto; Lester, Jenny; Levine, Douglas A; Liang, Dong; Lissowska, Jolanta; Lu, Karen; Lubinski, Jan; Lundvall, Lene; Massuger, Leon F A G; Matsuo, Keitaro; McGuire, Valerie; McLaughlin, John R; Nevanlinna, Heli; McNeish, Ian; Menon, Usha; Modugno, Francesmary; Moysich, Kirsten B; Narod, Steven A; Nedergaard, Lotte; Ness, Roberta B; Azmi, Mat Adenan Noor; Odunsi, Kunle; Olson, Sara H; Orlow, Irene; Orsulic, Sandra; Weber, Rachel Palmieri; Pearce, Celeste L; Pejovic, Tanja; Pelttari, Liisa M; Permuth-Wey, Jennifer; Phelan, Catherine M; Pike, Malcolm C; Poole, Elizabeth M; Ramus, Susan J; Risch, Harvey A; Rosen, Barry; Rossing, Mary Anne; Rothstein, Joseph H; Rudolph, Anja; Runnebaum, Ingo B; Rzepecka, Iwona K; Salvesen, Helga B; Schildkraut, Joellen M; Schwaab, Ira; Sellers, Thomas A; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Shvetsov, Yurii B; Siddiqui, Nadeem; Sieh, Weiva; Song, Honglin; Southey, Melissa C; Sucheston, Lara; Tangen, Ingvild L; Teo, Soo-Hwang; Terry, Kathryn L; Thompson, Pamela J; Timorek, Agnieszka; Tsai, Ya-Yu; Tworoger, Shelley S; van Altena, Anne M; Van Nieuwenhuysen, Els; Vergote, Ignace; Vierkant, Robert A; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Walsh, Christine; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Whittemore, Alice S; Wicklund, Kristine G; Wilkens, Lynne R; Woo, Yin-Ling; Wu, Xifeng; Wu, Anna H; Yang, Hannah; Zheng, Wei; Ziogas, Argyrios; Monteiro, Alvaro; Pharoah, Paul D; Gayther, Simon A; Freedman, Matthew L

2015-09-22

Genome-wide association studies have reported 11 regions conferring risk of high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analyses can identify candidate susceptibility genes at risk loci. Here we evaluate cis-eQTL associations at 47 regions associated with HGSOC risk (P≤10(-5)). For three cis-eQTL associations (P<1.4 × 10(-3), FDR<0.05) at 1p36 (CDC42), 1p34 (CDCA8) and 2q31 (HOXD9), we evaluate the functional role of each candidate by perturbing expression of each gene in HGSOC precursor cells. Overexpression of HOXD9 increases anchorage-independent growth, shortens population-doubling time and reduces contact inhibition. Chromosome conformation capture identifies an interaction between rs2857532 and the HOXD9 promoter, suggesting this SNP is a leading causal variant. Transcriptomic profiling after HOXD9 overexpression reveals enrichment of HGSOC risk variants within HOXD9 target genes (P=6 × 10(-10) for risk variants (P<10(-4)) within 10 kb of a HOXD9 target gene in ovarian cells), suggesting a broader role for this network in genetic susceptibility to HGSOC.

The influence of parents on cohabitation in Italy - Insights from two regional contexts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christin Schröder

2008-09-01

Full Text Available In view of the demographic changes that affect all European countries, the diffusion of new living arrangements such as non-marital cohabitation is particularly interesting. In this article we concentrate on Italy, a country that is characterized by a low pace in the diffusion of cohabitation. Earlier studies found statistical evidence of the impact of parents' characteristics on young adults' decisions for cohabitation. However, there is only limited empirical knowledge about the actual mechanism through which parents influence the choices of their children. We employ qualitative research methods and focus on two regional contexts in order to analyze if and how parents intervene in the choices of young adults.

Teacher Candidate Mental Health and Mental Health Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Dods, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Providing teacher candidates with a strong foundation in mental health literacy during their teacher education program is crucial in ensuring novice teachers are prepared to support the mental health needs of their students. In addition to responding to students, teacher candidates are typically at an age when mental health disorders are common…

Metaphors of Social Studies Teacher Candidates on Democracy

Science.gov (United States)

Tural, Aysegül

2018-01-01

Democracy is a form of government in which principle of equality is based, human rights and freedoms are protected. In this research, it is aimed to reveal democracy perceptions of social science teacher candidates through metaphors. Towards this aim, 105 social science teacher candidates are consulted about their democracy opinions. Study is a…

MAT@USC Candidates and Latino English Language Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Lomeli, Cynthia Leticia

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to further understand the perceptions of MAT@USC teacher candidates and how their perceptions and previous experiences affect the educational experiences of Latino English language learners. Three questions were developed to guide this study: (1) What are the perceptions of MAT@USC candidates in selected courses…

Lake Area Changes and Their Influence on Factors in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions along the Silk Road

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Tan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In the context of global warming, the changes in major lakes and their responses to the influence factors in arid and semi-arid regions along the Silk Road are especially important for the sustainable development of local water resources. In this study, the areas of 24 lakes were extracted using MODIS NDVI data, and their spatial-temporal characteristics were analyzed. In addition, the relationship between lake areas and the influence factors, including air temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, land use and land cover change (LULCC and population density in the watersheds, were investigated. The results indicated that the areas of most lakes shrank, and the total area decreased by 22,189.7 km2 from 2001 to 2016, except for those of the lakes located on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The air temperature was the most important factor for all the lakes and increased at a rate of 0.113 °C/a during the past 16 years. LULCC and the increasing population density markedly influenced the lakes located in the middle to western parts of this study area. Therefore, our results connecting lake area changes in the study region highlight the great challenge of water resources and the urgency of implementation of the green policy in the One Belt and One Road Initiative through international collaboration.

The Southern HII Region Discovery Survey: Preliminary Results

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, Jeanine; Wenger, Trey; Balser, Dana S.; Anderson, Loren D.; Armentrout, William P.; Bania, Thomas M.; Dawson, Joanne; Miller Dickey, John; Jordan, Christopher; McClure-Griffiths, Naomi M.

2017-01-01

HII regions are some of the brightest sources at radio frequencies in the Milky Way and are the sites of massive O and B-type star formation. They have relatively short (Bank Telescope. Candidate HII regions were selected from mid-infrared emission coincident with radio continuum emission, and confirmed as HII regions by the detection of radio recombination lines. Here we discuss the Southern HII Region Discovery Survey (SHRDS), a continuation of the HRDS using the Australia Telescope Compact Array over the Galactic longitude range 230 to 360 degrees. We have reduced and analyzed a small sub-set of the SHRDS sources and discuss preliminary results, including kinematic distances and metallicities.

An in-depth characterization of the major psoriasis susceptibility locus identifies candidate susceptibility alleles within an HLA-C enhancer element.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex Clop

Full Text Available Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin disorder that is inherited as a complex genetic trait. Although genome-wide association scans (GWAS have identified 36 disease susceptibility regions, more than 50% of the genetic variance can be attributed to a single Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC locus, known as PSORS1. Genetic studies indicate that HLA-C is the strongest PSORS1 candidate gene, since markers tagging HLA-Cw*0602 consistently generate the most significant association signals in GWAS. However, it is unclear whether HLA-Cw*0602 is itself the causal PSORS1 allele, especially as the role of SNPs that may affect its expression has not been investigated. Here, we have undertaken an in-depth molecular characterization of the PSORS1 interval, with a view to identifying regulatory variants that may contribute to disease susceptibility. By analysing high-density SNP data, we refined PSORS1 to a 179 kb region encompassing HLA-C and the neighbouring HCG27 pseudogene. We compared multiple MHC sequences spanning this refined locus and identified 144 candidate susceptibility variants, which are unique to chromosomes bearing HLA-Cw*0602. In parallel, we investigated the epigenetic profile of the critical PSORS1 interval and uncovered three enhancer elements likely to be active in T lymphocytes. Finally we showed that nine candidate susceptibility SNPs map within a HLA-C enhancer and that three of these variants co-localise with binding sites for immune-related transcription factors. These data indicate that SNPs affecting HLA-Cw*0602 expression are likely to contribute to psoriasis susceptibility and highlight the importance of integrating multiple experimental approaches in the investigation of complex genomic regions such as the MHC.

Epidermal growth factor gene is a newly identified candidate gene for gout.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Lin; Cao, Chunwei; Jia, Zhaotong; Liu, Shiguo; Liu, Zhen; Xin, Ruosai; Wang, Can; Li, Xinde; Ren, Wei; Wang, Xuefeng; Li, Changgui

2016-08-10

Chromosome 4q25 has been identified as a genomic region associated with gout. However, the associations of gout with the genes in this region have not yet been confirmed. Here, we performed two-stage analysis to determine whether variations in candidate genes in the 4q25 region are associated with gout in a male Chinese Han population. We first evaluated 96 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eight inflammatory/immune pathway- or glucose/lipid metabolism-related genes in the 4q25 region in 480 male gout patients and 480 controls. The SNP rs12504538, located in the elongation of very-long-chain-fatty-acid-like family member 6 gene (Elovl6), was found to be associated with gout susceptibility (Padjusted = 0.00595). In the second stage of analysis, we performed fine mapping analysis of 93 tag SNPs in Elovl6 and in the epidermal growth factor gene (EGF) and its flanking regions in 1017 male patients gout and 1897 healthy male controls. We observed a significant association between the T allele of EGF rs2298999 and gout (odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval = 0.67-0.88, Padjusted = 6.42 × 10(-3)). These results provide the first evidence for an association between the EGF rs2298999 C/T polymorphism and gout. Our findings should be validated in additional populations.

Environmental and spatial factors influencing the distribution of cladocerans in lakes across the central Canadian Arctic treeline region

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John P. SMOL

2010-02-01

Full Text Available We examine the role of local environmental and spatial factors in explaining variation in the composition of cladoceran assemblages from surface sediments within a set of 50 lakes spanning a broad southwest to northeast transect across the central Canadian Arctic treeline region from Yellowknife (Northwest Territories to the northern boundary of the Thelon Game Sanctuary (Nunavut Territory. Within each lake, the cladoceran fauna was identified based on the subfossil exoskeletal remains preserved in recently deposited lake sediments. Physical and chemical limnological data were measured in August of 1996 and 1998. Spatial data were generated based on latitude and longitude using Principal Coordinates of Neighbors Matrices analysis (PCNM. The relationships between cladocerans and the measured environmental and spatial variables were examined using both unconstrained (Principal Components Analysis, PCA and constrained (Redundancy Analysis, RDA ordination techniques. Variance partitioning, based on partial RDAs, was used to identify the relative importance of significant environmental and spatial explanatory variables. Three environmental variables were identified as significantly influencing cladoceran community structure: surface water temperature, dissolved organic carbon (DOC, and total phosphorus (TP. Five PCNM-generated spatial variables were also significant in explaining cladoceran distributions. Variance partitioning attributed 14% of the variance in the distribution of Cladocera to spatial factors, an additional 10% to spatially-structured environmental variables, and 8% to environmental factors that were not spatially-structured. Within the central Canadian Arctic treeline region, spatial and other environmental processes had an important influence on the distribution of cladoceran communities. The strong influence of spatial factors was related to the large ecoclimatic gradient across treeline. The distribution patterns of cladocerans

Elementary School Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Good Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji-Eun; Kim, Kyoung-Tae

2005-01-01

This study describes a classroom action research activity regarding a group of elementary school teacher candidates' perceptions of good mathematics problems. A questionnaire containing 20 problems was given, and the candidates were asked to rate the quality of each problem on a 5-point scale. The results revealed that the majority of the teacher…

Muscle strength and regional lean body mass influence on mineral bone health in young male adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Guimarães, Bianca Rosa; Pimenta, Luciana Duarte; Massini, Danilo Alexandre; Dos Santos, Daniel; Siqueira, Leandro Oliveira da Cruz; Simionato, Astor Reis; Dos Santos, Luiz Gustavo Almeida; Neiva, Cassiano Merussi; Pessôa Filho, Dalton Muller

2018-01-01

The relationship between muscle strength and bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) is supposed from the assumption of the mechanical stress influence on bone tissue metabolism. However, the direct relationship is not well established in younger men, since the enhancement of force able to produce effective changes in bone health, still needs to be further studied. This study aimed to analyze the influence of muscle strength on BMC and BMD in undergraduate students. Thirty six men (24.9 ± 8.6 y/o) were evaluated for regional and whole-body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). One repetition maximum tests (1RM) were assessed on flat bench-press (BP), lat-pull down (LPD), leg-curl (LC), knee extension (KE), and leg-press 45° (LP45) exercises. Linear regression modelled the relationships of BMD and BMC to the regional body composition and 1RM values. Measurements of dispersion and error (R2adj and standard error of estimate (SEE)) were tested, setting ρ at ≤0.05. The BMD mean value for whole-body was 1.12±0.09 g/cm2 and BMC attained 2477.9 ± 379.2 g. The regional lean mass (LM) in upper-limbs (UL) (= 6.80±1.21 kg) was related to BMC and BMD for UL (R2adj = 0.74, pBMC and BMD for LL (R2adj = 0.68, pBMC (R2adj = 0.47, pBMC (R2adj = 0.36, pBMC and BMD in young men, strengthening the relationship between force and LM, and suggesting both to parametrizes bone mineral health.

Demographically-Based Evaluation of Genomic Regions under Selection in Domestic Dogs.

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Adam H Freedman

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Controlling for background demographic effects is important for accurately identifying loci that have recently undergone positive selection. To date, the effects of demography have not yet been explicitly considered when identifying loci under selection during dog domestication. To investigate positive selection on the dog lineage early in the domestication, we examined patterns of polymorphism in six canid genomes that were previously used to infer a demographic model of dog domestication. Using an inferred demographic model, we computed false discovery rates (FDR and identified 349 outlier regions consistent with positive selection at a low FDR. The signals in the top 100 regions were frequently centered on candidate genes related to brain function and behavior, including LHFPL3, CADM2, GRIK3, SH3GL2, MBP, PDE7B, NTAN1, and GLRA1. These regions contained significant enrichments in behavioral ontology categories. The 3rd top hit, CCRN4L, plays a major role in lipid metabolism, that is supported by additional metabolism related candidates revealed in our scan, including SCP2D1 and PDXC1. Comparing our method to an empirical outlier approach that does not directly account for demography, we found only modest overlaps between the two methods, with 60% of empirical outliers having no overlap with our demography-based outlier detection approach. Demography-aware approaches have lower-rates of false discovery. Our top candidates for selection, in addition to expanding the set of neurobehavioral candidate genes, include genes related to lipid metabolism, suggesting a dietary target of selection that was important during the period when proto-dogs hunted and fed alongside hunter-gatherers.

Discovery of Novel Leptospirosis Vaccine Candidates Using Reverse and Structural Vaccinology

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Alan John Alexander McBride

2017-04-01

identified included, e.g., TolC efflux pump proteins, a BamA-like OM component of the βb transmembrane protein assembly machinery, and the LptD-like LPS assembly protein. The structural mapping of the immunodominant epitopes identified the location of conserved, surface-exposed, immunogenic regions for each vaccine candidate. The proteins identified in this study are currently being evaluated for experimental evidence for their involvement in virulence, disease pathogenesis, and physiology, in addition to vaccine development.

Preliminary analysis of the cost and risk of transporting nuclear waste to potential candidate commercial repository sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilmot, E.L.; Madsen, M.M.; Cashwell, J.W.; Joy, D.S.

1983-06-01

This report documents preliminary cost and risk analyses that were performed in support of the Nuclear Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) program. The analyses compare the costs and hazards of transporting wastes to each of five regions that contain potential candidate nuclear waste repository sites being considered by the NWTS program. These regions are: the Gulf Interior Region, the Permian Basin, the Paradox Basin, Yucca Mountain, and Hanford. Two fuel-cycle scenarios were analyzed: once-through and reprocessing. Transportation was assumed to be either entirely by truck or entirely by rail for each of the scenarios. The results from the risk analyses include those attributable to nonradiological causes and those attributable to the radioactive character of the wastes being transported. 17 references

Frequency and levels of candidate endodontic pathogens in acute apical abscesses as compared to asymptomatic apical periodontitis

OpenAIRE

Rôças, Isabela N.; Siqueira, José F.

2018-01-01

Introduction Acute apical abscess is caused by bacteria that leave the infected dental root canal to invade the periodontal tissues. Most species occurring in abscesses are also found in asymptomatic infections; therefore, the possibility exists that not only the presence of certain species but also their specific counts influence the appearance of symptoms. This molecular study compared the frequency and levels of several candidate endodontic pathogens in teeth with acute apical abscesses an...

CANDIDATES OF H{alpha} EMITTING REGIONS IN THE MAGELLANIC STREAM IV CLOUD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yagi, Masafumi; Komiyama, Yutaka [Optical and Infrared Astronomy Division, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Yoshida, Michitoshi, E-mail: YAGI.Masafumi@nao.ac.jp [Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan)

2012-04-10

From H{alpha} narrowband observations, we identified three H{alpha} emitting regions in the direction of Magellanic Stream IV (MS IV). They consist of three parallel filaments of 2 arcmin width and 6-30 arcmin length at 12 arcmin intervals. Their mean surface brightness (SB) is {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -18} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2} arcsec{sup -2}. Because of their low SB, the regions were not detected in previous H{alpha} surveys. In the H I map, the position of the filaments overlap MS, suggesting that they are parts of the MS, but there also exists a local H I structure. If the filaments are associated with the MS, the sizes are 30 pc Multiplication-Sign 100-500 pc. The filaments lie at the leading edge of a downstream cloud, which supports shock heating and its propagation (shock cascade) model for the ionizing source. If they are local objects, on the other hand, Fossil Stroemgren Trails of more than two stars is a possible interpretation, and the sizes would be 0.1 pc Multiplication-Sign 0.3-1.5 pc at 180 pc distance. The positional information of the H{alpha} filaments presented in this Letter enables future spectroscopic observations to clarify their nature.

Genetic mapping reveals a candidate gene (ClFS1) for fruit shape in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Junling; Zhao, Shengjie; Lu, Xuqiang; He, Nan; Zhang, Lei; Ali, Aslam; Kuang, Hanhui; Liu, Wenge

2018-04-01

A 159 bp deletion in ClFS1 gene encoding IQD protein is responsible for fruit shape in watermelon. Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] is known for its rich diversity in fruit size and shape. Fruit shape has been one of the major objectives of watermelon breeding. However, the candidate genes and the underlying genetic mechanism for such an important trait in watermelon are unknown. In this study, we identified a locus on chromosome 3 of watermelon genome controlling fruit shape. Segregation analysis in F 2 and BC 1 populations derived from a cross between two inbred lines "Duan125" (elongate fruit) and "Zhengzhouzigua" (spherical fruit) suggests that fruit shape of watermelon is controlled by a single locus and elongate fruit (OO) is incompletely dominant to spherical fruit (oo) with the heterozygote (Oo) being oval fruit. GWAS profiles among 315 accessions identified a major locus designated on watermelon chromosome 3, which was confirmed by BSA-seq mapping in the F 2 population. The candidate gene was mapped to a region 46 kb on chromosome 3. There were only four genes present in the corresponding region in the reference genome. Four candidate genes were sequenced in this region, revealing that the CDS of Cla011257 had a 159 bp deletion which resulted in the omission of 53 amino acids in elongate watermelon. An indel marker was derived from the 159 bp deletion to test the F 2 population and 105 watermelon accessions. The results showed that Cla011257 cosegregated with watermelon fruit shape. In addition, the Cla011257 expression was the highest at ovary formation stage. The predicted protein of the Cla011257 gene fitted in IQD protein family which was reported to have association with cell arrays and Ca 2+ -CaM signaling modules. Clear understanding of the genes facilitating the fruit shape along with marker association selection will be an effective way to develop new cultivars.

Reintroducing resurrected species: selecting DeExtinction candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Seddon, Philip J; Moehrenschlager, Axel; Ewen, John

2014-03-01

Technological advances have raised the controversial prospect of resurrecting extinct species. Species DeExtinction should involve more than the production of biological orphans to be scrutinized in the laboratory or zoo. If DeExtinction is to realize its stated goals of deep ecological enrichment, then resurrected animals must be translocated (i.e., released within suitable habitat). Therefore, DeExtinction is a conservation translocation issue and the selection of potential DeExtinction candidates must consider the feasibility and risks associated with reintroduction. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Guidelines on Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations provide a framework for DeExtinction candidate selection. We translate these Guidelines into ten questions to be addressed early on in the selection process to eliminate unsuitable reintroduction candidates. We apply these questions to the thylacine, Yangtze River Dolphin, and Xerces blue butterfly. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes of extreme precipitation and nonlinear influence of climate variables over monsoon region in China

KAUST Repository

Gao, Tao

2017-07-19

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) are well understood to be major drivers for the variability of precipitation extremes over monsoon regions in China (MRC). However, research on monsoon extremes in China and their associations with climate variables is limited. In this study, we examine the space-time variations of extreme precipitation across the MRC, and assess the time-varying influences of the climate drivers using Bayesian dynamic linear regression and their combined nonlinear effects through fitting generalized additive models. Results suggest that the central-east and south China is dominated by less frequent but more intense precipitation. Extreme rainfalls show significant positive trends, coupled with a significant decline of dry spells, indicating an increasing chance of occurrence of flood-induced disasters in the MRC during 1960–2014. Majority of the regional indices display some abrupt shifts during the 1990s. The influences of climate variables on monsoon extremes exhibit distinct interannual or interdecadal variations. IOD, ENSO and AMO have strong impacts on monsoon and extreme precipitation, especially during the 1990s, which is generally consistent with the abrupt shifts in precipitation regimes around this period. Moreover, ENSO mainly affects moderate rainfalls and dry spells, while IOD has a more significant impact on precipitation extremes. These findings could be helpful for improving the forecasting of monsoon extremes in China and the evaluations of climate models.

The influence of African air pollution on regional and global tropospheric ozone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Aghedo

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate the influence of African biomass burning, biogenic, lightning and anthropogenic emissions on the tropospheric ozone over Africa and globally using a coupled global chemistry climate model. Our model studies indicate that surface ozone concentration may rise by up to 50 ppbv in the burning region during the biomass burning seasons. Biogenic emissions yield between 5–30 ppbv increase in the near surface ozone concentration over tropical Africa. The impact of lightning on surface ozone is negligible, while anthropogenic emissions yield a maximum of 7 ppbv increase in the annual-mean surface ozone concentration over Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt. Our results show that biogenic emissions are the most important African emission source affecting total tropospheric ozone. The influence of each of the African emissions on the global tropospheric ozone burden (TOB of 384 Tg yields about 9.5 Tg, 19.6 Tg, 9.0 Tg and 4.7 Tg for biomass burning, biogenic, lightning and anthropogenic emissions emitted in Africa respectively. The impact of each of these emission categories on African TOB of 33 Tg is 2.5 Tg, 4.1 Tg, 1.75 Tg and 0.89 Tg respectively, which together represents about 28% of the total TOB calculated over Africa. Our model calculations also suggest that more than 70% of the tropospheric ozone produced by each of the African emissions is found outside the continent, thus exerting a noticeable influence on a large part of the tropical troposphere. Apart from the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, Latin America experiences the largest impact of African emissions, followed by Oceania, the Middle East, Southeast and south-central Asia, northern North America (i.e. the United States and Canada, Europe and north-central Asia, for all the emission categories.

Fine mapping and candidate gene search of quantitative trait loci for growth and obesity using mouse intersubspecific subcongenic intercrosses and exome sequencing.

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Akira Ishikawa

Full Text Available Although growth and body composition traits are quantitative traits of medical and agricultural importance, the genetic and molecular basis of those traits remains elusive. Our previous genome-wide quantitative trait locus (QTL analyses in an intersubspecific backcross population between C57BL/6JJcl (B6 and wild Mus musculus castaneus mice revealed a major growth QTL (named Pbwg1 on a proximal region of mouse chromosome 2. Using the B6.Cg-Pbwg1 intersubspecific congenic strain created, we revealed 12 closely linked QTLs for body weight and body composition traits on an approximately 44.1-Mb wild-derived congenic region. In this study, we narrowed down genomic regions harboring three (Pbwg1.12, Pbwg1.3 and Pbwg1.5 of the 12 linked QTLs and searched for possible candidate genes for the QTLs. By phenotypic analyses of F2 intercross populations between B6 and each of four B6.Cg-Pbwg1 subcongenic strains with overlapping and non-overlapping introgressed regions, we physically defined Pbwg1.12 affecting body weight to a 3.8-Mb interval (61.5-65.3 Mb on chromosome 2. We fine-mapped Pbwg1.3 for body length to an 8.0-Mb interval (57.3-65.3 and Pbwg1.5 for abdominal white fat weight to a 2.1-Mb interval (59.4-61.5. The wild-derived allele at Pbwg1.12 and Pbwg1.3 uniquely increased body weight and length despite the fact that the wild mouse has a smaller body size than that of B6, whereas it decreased fat weight at Pbwg1.5. Exome sequencing and candidate gene prioritization suggested that Gcg and Grb14 are putative candidate genes for Pbwg1.12 and that Ly75 and Itgb6 are putative candidate genes for Pbwg1.5. These genes had nonsynonymous SNPs, but the SNPs were predicted to be not harmful to protein functions. These results provide information helpful to identify wild-derived quantitative trait genes causing enhanced growth and resistance to obesity.

Economic crisis and its influences on the interaction between land use and transport in Madrid Region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Y.

2016-07-01

The road transport system is closely linked to the land-use system. The road system connects territories at all spatial scale, on the other hand, passengers and freight travel behavior are strongly influenced both by land-use and the road transport system. Hence, research in the field of the interactions between land-use and the road transport system is still less, particular the influence of the economic crisis. This paper aims to find out if the statistical analysis of land use and mobility can help to answer the question of what happens during economic crisis on both land use and transport system, and unveiling key spatial relationships between them. The methodology for the analysis was developed accordingly with the data and resources available. First, an exploratory data analysis (EDA) is performed in order to identify the land use and mobility pattern during the last decade. This analysis focuses on six aspects, which are distribution of population and dwellings, employment and jobs, GDP, motorization and modal split. The second aspect consists on crossing the spatial patterns of the different aspects in order to find some explanatory relationships that indicate the presence of the key characteristics. The analysis is based on the case of Madrid Region. The land-use and transport data presented in this analysis are from 2004 to 2014, which are collected from the national statistical institute, the regional government database and two urban mobility surveys of Madrid. Through the exploration analysis, we find that there is close relationship between the land-use system and travel behavior in Madrid Region. With an increasing of new dwellings constructed in the outer periphery of Madrid Region, it leads longer trips distance and more travel cost particularly by car mode. Moreover, during the economic crisis, we also find the motorization level of Madrid keeps the same, as a result of the decreasing GDP and relatively decreasing. (Author)

Caffeine Consumption Among Naval Aviation Candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Sather, Thomas E; Williams, Ronald D; Delorey, Donald R; Woolsey, Conrad L

2017-04-01

Education frequently dictates students need to study for prolonged periods of time to adequately prepare for examinations. This is especially true with aviation preflight indoctrination (API) candidates who have to assimilate large volumes of information in a limited amount of time during API training. The purpose of this study was to assess caffeine consumption patterns (frequency, type, and volume) among naval aviation candidates attending API to determine the most frequently consumed caffeinated beverage and to examine if the consumption of a nonenergy drink caffeinated beverage was related to energy drink consumption. Data were collected by means of an anonymous 44-item survey administered and completed by 302 students enrolled in API at Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL. Results indicated the most frequently consumed caffeinated beverage consumed by API students was coffee (86.4%), with daily coffee consumption being approximately 28% and the most frequent pattern of consumption being 2 cups per day (85%). The least frequently consumed caffeinated beverages reported were energy drinks (52%) and energy shots (29.1%). The present study also found that the consumption patterns (weekly and daily) of caffeinated beverages (coffee and cola) were positively correlated to energy drink consumption patterns. Naval aviation candidates' consumption of caffeinated beverages is comparable to other college and high school cohorts. This study found that coffee and colas were the beverages of choice, with energy drinks and energy shots being the least frequently reported caffeinated beverages used. Additionally, a relationship between the consumption of caffeinated beverages and energy drinks was identified.Sather TE, Williams RD, Delorey DR, Woolsey CL. Caffeine consumption among naval aviation candidates. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(4):399-405.

Event display of a H -> 4e candidate event

CERN Multimedia

ATLAS, Collaboration

2012-01-01

Event display (side view) of a H -> 4e candidate event with m(4l) = 124.5 (124.6) GeV without (with) Z mass constraint. The masses of the lepton pairs are 70.6 GeV and 44.7 GeV. The event was recorded by ATLAS on 18-May-2012, 20:28:11 CEST in run number 203602 as event number 82614360. The tracks of the two electron pairs are colored red and blue, respectively. Electron clusters in the LAr calorimeter are colored darkgreen. The three displays on the right-hand side show the r-phi view of the event (top), a zoom into the vertex region, indicating that the 4 electrons originate from the same primary vertex (middle), and a Lego plot indicating the amount of transverse energy Et measured in the calorimeters (bottom).

Event display of a H -> 2e2mu candidate event

CERN Multimedia

ATLAS, Collaboration

2012-01-01

Event display of a H -> 2e2mu candidate event with m(4l) = 122.6 (123.9) GeV without (with) Z mass constraint. The masses of the lepton pairs are 87.9 GeV and 19.6 GeV. The event was recorded by ATLAS on 18-Jun-2012, 11:07:47 CEST in run number 205113 as event number 12611816. Muon tracks are colored red, electron tracks and clusters in the LAr calorimeter are colored green. The Lego plot inset indicates the amount of transverse energy Et measured in the calorimeters. The second inset shows a zoom into the vertex region, indicating that the 4 leptons originate from the same primary vertex.

Changes in the lichen flora influenced by the Bełchatów Industrial Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krystyna Czyżewska

2014-08-01

Full Text Available At the beginning of our study, i.e.. before opening the Bełchatów brown coal mine and the power station 155 species of lichens were registered in the period 1970-1985. A preliminary estimation of the influence of the Bełchatów Industrial Region (BIR on the lichen flora has been performed. More than 1% of the lichen flora has entirely disappcared, about 43% of the species have shown partial devastation of their localities and numerous localities of more than 35% of taxa have been threatened.

Web tools for the prioritization of candidate disease genes.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oti, M.O.; Ballouz, S.; Wouters, M.A.

2011-01-01

Despite increasing sequencing capacity, genetic disease investigation still frequently results in the identification of loci containing multiple candidate disease genes that need to be tested for involvement in the disease. This process can be expedited by prioritizing the candidates prior to

[Publications in the Croatian medical journals by doctoral candidates at University of Zagreb School of Medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Sember, Marijan; Petrak, Jelka

2014-01-01

By searching Medline/PubMed bibliographic database we collected data on publications of two groups of PhD candidates who earned their PhD degrees at University of Zagreb Medical School in 2000 and 2010. We identifed their publications in the Croatian medical journals and separately in the Croatian language. First group of PhD candidates (y 2000) published in the Croatian journals 34% of all published papers, with a share of 29% in the Croatian language. Another group (y 2010) published in the Croatian journals 44% of all published papers in which the number of papers published in the Croatian journals in English language grow significantly (5% vs. 31%). The number of papers published in the Croatian language decreased to 13%. Our results agreed with the global decreasing trend of the number of medical papers in non-English languages. The importance of mother-tongue in the medical education and health care may have influence on preserving scientific communication in non-English medical journals.

Disease candidate gene identification and prioritization using protein interaction networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aronow Bruce J

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although most of the current disease candidate gene identification and prioritization methods depend on functional annotations, the coverage of the gene functional annotations is a limiting factor. In the current study, we describe a candidate gene prioritization method that is entirely based on protein-protein interaction network (PPIN analyses. Results For the first time, extended versions of the PageRank and HITS algorithms, and the K-Step Markov method are applied to prioritize disease candidate genes in a training-test schema. Using a list of known disease-related genes from our earlier study as a training set ("seeds", and the rest of the known genes as a test list, we perform large-scale cross validation to rank the candidate genes and also evaluate and compare the performance of our approach. Under appropriate settings – for example, a back probability of 0.3 for PageRank with Priors and HITS with Priors, and step size 6 for K-Step Markov method – the three methods achieved a comparable AUC value, suggesting a similar performance. Conclusion Even though network-based methods are generally not as effective as integrated functional annotation-based methods for disease candidate gene prioritization, in a one-to-one comparison, PPIN-based candidate gene prioritization performs better than all other gene features or annotations. Additionally, we demonstrate that methods used for studying both social and Web networks can be successfully used for disease candidate gene prioritization.

Porcine Is a Positional Candidate Gene Associated with Growth and Fat Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bong Hwan Choi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Crosses between Korean and Landrace pigs have revealed a large quantitative trait loci (QTL region for fat deposition in a region (89 cM of porcine chromosome 4 (SSC4. To more finely map this QTL region and identify candidate genes for this trait, comparative mapping of pig and human chromosomes was performed in the present study. A region in the human genome that corresponds to the porcine QTL region was identified in HSA1q21. Furthermore, the LMNA gene, which is tightly associated with fat augmentation in humans, was localized to this region. Radiation hybrid (RH mapping using a Sus scrofa RH panel localized LMNA to a region of 90.3 cM in the porcine genome, distinct from microsatellite marker S0214 (87.3 cM. Two-point analysis showed that LMNA was linked to S0214, SW1996, and S0073 on SSC4 with logarithm (base 10 of odds scores of 20.98, 17.78, and 16.73, respectively. To clone the porcine LMNA gene and to delineate the genomic structure and sequences, including the 3′untranslated region (UTR, rapid amplification of cDNA ends was performed. The coding sequence of porcine LMNA consisted of 1,719 bp, flanked by a 5’UTR and a 3’UTR. Two synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs were identified in exons 3 and 7. Association tests showed that the SNP located in exon 3 (A193A was significantly associated with weight at 30 wks (p<0.01 and crude fat content (p<0.05. This association suggests that SNPs located in LMNA could be used for marker-assisted selection in pigs.

ARCHITECTURE AND DYNAMICS OF KEPLER'S CANDIDATE MULTIPLE TRANSITING PLANET SYSTEMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Jenkins, Jon M.; Borucki, William J.; Bryson, Stephen T.; Howell, Steve B. [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Ragozzine, Darin; Holman, Matthew J.; Carter, Joshua A. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Fabrycky, Daniel C.; Fortney, Jonathan J. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Steffen, Jason H. [Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Ford, Eric B. [211 Bryant Space Science Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Shporer, Avi [Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, Santa Barbara, CA 93117 (United States); Rowe, Jason F.; Quintana, Elisa V.; Caldwell, Douglas A. [SETI Institute/NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Batalha, Natalie M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192 (United States); Ciardi, David [Exoplanet Science Institute/Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Dunham, Edward W. [Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Gautier, Thomas N. III, E-mail: Jack.Lissauer@nasa.gov [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); and others

2011-11-01

About one-third of the {approx}1200 transiting planet candidates detected in the first four months of Kepler data are members of multiple candidate systems. There are 115 target stars with two candidate transiting planets, 45 with three, 8 with four, and 1 each with five and six. We characterize the dynamical properties of these candidate multi-planet systems. The distribution of observed period ratios shows that the vast majority of candidate pairs are neither in nor near low-order mean-motion resonances. Nonetheless, there are small but statistically significant excesses of candidate pairs both in resonance and spaced slightly too far apart to be in resonance, particularly near the 2:1 resonance. We find that virtually all candidate systems are stable, as tested by numerical integrations that assume a nominal mass-radius relationship. Several considerations strongly suggest that the vast majority of these multi-candidate systems are true planetary systems. Using the observed multiplicity frequencies, we find that a single population of planetary systems that matches the higher multiplicities underpredicts the number of singly transiting systems. We provide constraints on the true multiplicity and mutual inclination distribution of the multi-candidate systems, revealing a population of systems with multiple super-Earth-size and Neptune-size planets with low to moderate mutual inclinations.

Campaigning on the Internet: 2008 Presidential General Election Candidate Webpage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William L. Benoit

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The Internet is becoming an increasingly important component of political campaigns. This study employed content analysis to apply Functional Theory and Issue Ownership Theory to Obama’s and McCain’s presidential candidate webpages in the 2008 campaign. Acclaims (92% were more common than attacks (98%; defenses did not occur in this sample. Policy (82% was addressed more than character (18%. When discussing policy, these candidates addressed future plans most frequently, followed by general goals and then past deeds; on character, candidates discussed ideals, then personal qualities, and then leadership ability. This study shows that as candidates use the Internet to reach voters, their webpages conform to theoretical expectations.

Leveraging ethnic group incidence variation to investigate genetic susceptibility to glioma: A novel candidate SNP approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Ian Jacobs

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Using a novel candidate SNP approach, we aimed to identify a possible genetic basis for the higher glioma incidence in Whites relative to East Asians and African-Americans. Methods: We hypothesized that genetic regions containing SNPs with extreme differences in allele frequencies across ethnicities are most likely to harbor susceptibility variants. We used International HapMap Project data to identify 3,961 candidate SNPs with the largest allele frequency differences in Whites compared to East Asians and Africans and tested these SNPs for association with glioma risk in a set of White cases and controls. Top SNPs identified in the discovery dataset were tested for association with glioma in five independent replication datasets. Results: No SNP achieved statistical significance in either the discovery or replication datasets after accounting for multiple testing. However, the most strongly associated SNP, rs879471, was found to be in linkage disequilibrium with a previously identified risk SNP, rs6010620, in RTEL1. We estimate rs6010620 to account for a glioma incidence rate ratio of 1.34 for Whites relative to East Asians. Conclusions: We explored genetic susceptibility to glioma using a novel candidate SNP method which may be applicable to other diseases with appropriate epidemiologic patterns.

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) regulatory region variation in non-human primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Roodgar, Morteza; Ross, Cody T; Kenyon, Nicholas J; Marcelino, Gretchen; Smith, David Glenn

2015-04-01

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is an enzyme that plays a key role in intracellular immune response against respiratory infections. Since various species of nonhuman primates exhibit different levels of susceptibility to infectious respiratory diseases, and since variation in regulatory regions of genes is thought to play a key role in expression levels of genes, two candidate regulatory regions of iNOS were mapped, sequenced, and compared across five species of nonhuman primates: African green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus), pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina), cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), Indian rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), and Chinese rhesus macaques (M. mulatta). In addition, we conducted an in silico analysis of the transcription factor binding sites associated with genetic variation in these two candidate regulatory regions across species. We found that only one of the two candidate regions showed strong evidence of involvement in iNOS regulation. Specifically, we found evidence of 13 conserved binding site candidates linked to iNOS regulation: AP-1, C/EBPB, CREB, GATA-1, GATA-3, NF-AT, NF-AT5, NF-κB, KLF4, Oct-1, PEA3, SMAD3, and TCF11. Additionally, we found evidence of interspecies variation in binding sites for several regulatory elements linked to iNOS (GATA-3, GATA-4, KLF6, SRF, STAT-1, STAT-3, OLF-1 and HIF-1) across species, especially in African green monkeys relative to other species. Given the key role of iNOS in respiratory immune response, the findings of this study might help guide the direction of future studies aimed to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility of African green monkeys to several viral and bacterial respiratory infections. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of inter-annually varying albedo on regional climate and drought

KAUST Repository

Meng, Xianhong

2013-05-05

Albedo plays an important role in land-atmosphere interactions and local climate. This study presents the impact on simulating regional climate, and the evolution of a drought, when using the default climatological albedo as is usually done in regional climate modelling, or using the actual observed albedo which is rarely done. Here, time-varying satellite derived albedo data is used to update the lower boundary condition of the Weather Research and Forecasting regional climate model in order to investigate the influence of observed albedo on regional climate simulations and also potential changes to land-atmosphere feedback over south-east Australia. During the study period from 2000 to 2008, observations show that albedo increased with an increasingly negative precipitation anomaly, though it lagged precipitation by several months. Compared to in-situ observations, using satellite observed albedo instead of the default climatological albedo provided an improvement in the simulated seasonal mean air temperature. In terms of precipitation, both simulations reproduced the drought that occurred from 2002 through 2006. Using the observed albedo produced a drier simulation overall. During the onset of the 2002 drought, albedo changes enhanced the precipitation reduction by 20 % on average, over locations where it was active. The area experiencing drought increased 6.3 % due to the albedo changes. Two mechanisms for albedo changes to impact land-atmosphere drought feedback are investigated. One accounts for the increased albedo, leading to reduced turbulent heat flux and an associated decrease of moist static energy density in the planetary boundary layer; the other considers that enhanced local radiative heating, due to the drought, favours a deeper planetary boundary layer, subsequently decreasing the moist static energy density through entrainment of the free atmosphere. Analysis shows that drought related large-scale changes in the regional climate favour a

AN ANALYSIS OF CANDIDATE TEACHERS’ VIEWS ON THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY USE IN EDUCATION OVER CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

OpenAIRE

İLGAR, Lütfü

2018-01-01

Technology hasbeen developing rapidly in our age and it has influenced every aspect of our livesas well as education and teaching. In our country, the use of technology foreducation is considered to be the means of catching up with developed countriesby improving quality and a great deal of investment is made on this field.The purpose ofthis research is to determine the perspectives of candidate teachers towardshow educational technology affects classroom management, what its advantagesand di...

Wind-Driven Erosion and Exposure Potential at Mars 2020 Rover Candidate-Landing Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Chojnacki, Matthew; Banks, Maria; Urso, Anna

2018-01-01

Aeolian processes have likely been the predominant geomorphic agent for most of Mars’ history and have the potential to produce relatively young exposure ages for geologic units. Thus, identifying local evidence for aeolian erosion is highly relevant to the selection of landing sites for future missions, such as the Mars 2020 Rover mission that aims to explore astrobiologically relevant ancient environments. Here we investigate wind-driven activity at eight Mars 2020 candidate-landing sites to constrain erosion potential at these locations. To demonstrate our methods, we found that contemporary dune-derived abrasion rates were in agreement with rover-derived exhumation rates at Gale crater and could be employed elsewhere. The Holden crater candidate site was interpreted to have low contemporary erosion rates, based on the presence of a thick sand coverage of static ripples. Active ripples at the Eberswalde and southwest Melas sites may account for local erosion and the dearth of small craters. Moderate-flux regional dunes near Mawrth Vallis were deemed unrepresentative of the candidate site, which is interpreted to currently be experiencing low levels of erosion. The Nili Fossae site displayed the most unambiguous evidence for local sand transport and erosion, likely yielding relatively young exposure ages. The downselected Jezero crater and northeast Syrtis sites had high-flux neighboring dunes and exhibited substantial evidence for sediment pathways across their ellipses. Both sites had relatively high estimated abrasion rates, which would yield young exposure ages. The downselected Columbia Hills site lacked evidence for sand movement, and contemporary local erosion rates are estimated to be relatively low. PMID:29568719

Wind-Driven Erosion and Exposure Potential at Mars 2020 Rover Candidate-Landing Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Chojnacki, Matthew; Banks, Maria; Urso, Anna

2018-02-01

Aeolian processes have likely been the predominant geomorphic agent for most of Mars' history and have the potential to produce relatively young exposure ages for geologic units. Thus, identifying local evidence for aeolian erosion is highly relevant to the selection of landing sites for future missions, such as the Mars 2020 Rover mission that aims to explore astrobiologically relevant ancient environments. Here we investigate wind-driven activity at eight Mars 2020 candidate-landing sites to constrain erosion potential at these locations. To demonstrate our methods, we found that contemporary dune-derived abrasion rates were in agreement with rover-derived exhumation rates at Gale crater and could be employed elsewhere. The Holden crater candidate site was interpreted to have low contemporary erosion rates, based on the presence of a thick sand coverage of static ripples. Active ripples at the Eberswalde and southwest Melas sites may account for local erosion and the dearth of small craters. Moderate-flux regional dunes near Mawrth Vallis were deemed unrepresentative of the candidate site, which is interpreted to currently be experiencing low levels of erosion. The Nili Fossae site displayed the most unambiguous evidence for local sand transport and erosion, likely yielding relatively young exposure ages. The downselected Jezero crater and northeast Syrtis sites had high-flux neighboring dunes and exhibited substantial evidence for sediment pathways across their ellipses. Both sites had relatively high estimated abrasion rates, which would yield young exposure ages. The downselected Columbia Hills site lacked evidence for sand movement, and contemporary local erosion rates are estimated to be relatively low.

THE TAURUS SPITZER SURVEY: NEW CANDIDATE TAURUS MEMBERS SELECTED USING SENSITIVE MID-INFRARED PHOTOMETRY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebull, L. M.; Padgett, D. L.; McCabe, C.-E.; Noriega-Crespo, A.; Carey, S. J.; Brooke, T.; Hillenbrand, L. A.; Stapelfeldt, K. R.; Angione, J. R.; Huard, T.; Terebey, S.; Audard, M.; Baldovin-Saavedra, C.; Monin, J.-L.; Menard, F.; Bouvier, J.; Fukagawa, M.; Guedel, M.; Knapp, G. R.; Allen, L. E.

2010-01-01

We report on the properties of pre-main-sequence objects in the Taurus molecular clouds as observed in seven mid- and far-infrared bands with the Spitzer Space Telescope. There are 215 previously identified members of the Taurus star-forming region in our ∼44 deg 2 map; these members exhibit a range of Spitzer colors that we take to define young stars still surrounded by circumstellar dust (noting that ∼20% of the bona fide Taurus members exhibit no detectable dust excesses). We looked for new objects in the survey field with similar Spitzer properties, aided by extensive optical, X-ray, and ultraviolet imaging, and found 148 new candidate members of Taurus. We have obtained follow-up spectroscopy for about half the candidate sample, thus far confirming 34 new members, three probable new members, and 10 possible new members, an increase of 15%-20% in Taurus members. Of the objects for which we have spectroscopy, seven are now confirmed extragalactic objects, and one is a background Be star. The remaining 93 candidate objects await additional analysis and/or data to be confirmed or rejected as Taurus members. Most of the new members are Class II M stars and are located along the same cloud filaments as the previously identified Taurus members. Among non-members with Spitzer colors similar to young, dusty stars are evolved Be stars, planetary nebulae, carbon stars, galaxies, and active galactic nuclei.

Optimization of Candidate Selection Using Naive Bayes: Case Study in Company X

Science.gov (United States)

Kadar, JA; Agustono, D.; Napitupulu, D.

2018-01-01

This research was conducted as a decision-making system, and an alternative solution to complete the candidate assessment for a particular position. The human resources (HR) section on company X is responsible and initiative in selecting candidates in accordance with the assessment of their superiors. Selection by using the method of filling out the manager’s assessment questionnaire on the candidate’s subordinate. Three (3) managers have been determined to assess the 11 candidates for subordinates. By using questionnaire of quality classification of human resources and formula naive bayes it will get result which finally grouped using criteria scale as final grouping. The HR department has also determined that what is received is that which meets criteria 5. The result is three (3) candidates who can be proposed as candidates for certain positions in company X, and have met all required calculations. Furthermore the candidate will be given to management as an alternative input data in the selection of candidates.

Trauma of the Frontal Region Is Influenced by the Volume of Frontal Sinuses. A Finite Element Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Srbislav S. Pajic

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Anatomy of frontal sinuses varies individually, from differences in volume and shape to a rare case when the sinuses are absent. However, there are scarce data related to influence of these variations on impact generated fracture pattern. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the influence of frontal sinus volume on the stress distribution and fracture pattern in the frontal region. The study included four representative Finite Element models of the skull. Reference model was built on the basis of computed tomography scans of a human head with normally developed frontal sinuses. By modifying the reference model, three additional models were generated: a model without sinuses, with hypoplasic, and with hyperplasic sinuses. A 7.7 kN force was applied perpendicularly to the forehead of each model, in order to simulate a frontal impact. The results demonstrated that the distribution of impact stress in frontal region depends on the frontal sinus volume. The anterior sinus wall showed the highest fragility in case with hyperplasic sinuses, whereas posterior wall/inner plate showed more fragility in cases with hypoplasic and undeveloped sinuses. Well-developed frontal sinuses might, through absorption of the impact energy by anterior wall, protect the posterior wall and intracranial contents.

t Leave Before You Understand': Supporting Masters Candidates in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

example, due to increased enrolments and the 'pile up' effect, South African academics are increasingly burdened with ... postgraduate level. This research study is part of a larger study on candidates' experiences of postgraduate business studies, with the aim of enhancing supervision practices for the benefit of candidates.

Teacher Candidate Technology Integration: For Student Learning or Instruction?

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Cynthia; Zhang, Shaoan; Strudler, Neal

2015-01-01

Transfer of instructional technology knowledge for student-centered learning by teacher candidates is investigated in this study. Using the transfer of learning theoretical framework, a mixed methods research design was employed to investigate whether secondary teacher candidates were able to transfer the instructional technology knowledge for…

The Job Market for Justice: Screening and selecting candidates for the International Court of Justice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Creamer, Cosette; Godzimirska, Zuzanna

2017-01-01

Over the past few decades, states have granted greater independence and authority to international courts, yet still retain their ability to control who sits on the bench. This article examines how governments use their power of judicial nomination and appointment in the context of the Internatio......Over the past few decades, states have granted greater independence and authority to international courts, yet still retain their ability to control who sits on the bench. This article examines how governments use their power of judicial nomination and appointment in the context...... of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and assesses the relative influence of three factors on states’ vote choices for ICJ candidates: the candidates’ probability of (in)sensitivity to political considerations; their qualifications; and the role of inter-state politics. Drawing on a new dataset of candidates...... signaling a probability of insensitivity to political considerations reduce a candidate’s expected vote share. A candidate’s qualifications, on the other hand, do not appear to make a considerable difference in winning more votes. Finally, the amount of support during the nomination stage is highly...

Evaluation of project based learning sufficiency of teacher candidates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasfi Tugun

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of that research, it is the project based learning process suffuciency of teacher candidates who developedmultimedia by working in online and blended groups. Importance of research Being able to guide to studies that is going tobe done about assessment of multimedia projection for project based educational application to teachers and teachercandidates and It has been thought as an advisor source about being arranged new educational environment for the futureto teacher and teacher candidates for project based educational application and multimedia projection. Research is anexperimental study and has been shaped according to pre-test and last-test research model with the two groups. This groupsare online group and blended group. Discussion of research In the result of the study, in the process of project basedlearning, it is determined that the success level in multimedia development of teacher candidates who work in blendedlearning model is higher than the success level of teacher candidates who work in online learning model.

Assessing CPR training: The willingness of teaching credential candidates to provide CPR in a school setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkelman, Jack L; Fischbach, Ronald; Spinello, Elio F

2009-12-01

The study explores the anticipated willingness of teacher credential candidates at one California public university in the U.S. to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) skills in a school setting. Objectives included (1) identifying reasons that credential candidates would elect or decline to perform CPR, (2) assisting schools to remediate cardiac/respiratory emergency preparedness, and (3) assessing CPR training courses to determine how they may influence teachers' willingness to perform CPR. Participants included 582 teacher credential candidates, who were 95.2% of those surveyed after completion of a health science course and CPR certification. Participants described their attitudes regarding the importance of CPR, the CPR training course, and their willingness to perform CPR in a school environment. Based upon chi-square analysis, an association was found between the willingness to perform CPR and the presence of any one concern regarding training, with 68.6% of those expressing concerns willing to perform CPR compared to 81.9% of those expressing no concerns (pteachers (76.9% vs. 43.5%, pteachers' willingness to perform CPR. Recommendations based on these findings include pedagogical changes to CPR curricula, focusing on the importance of CPR as a teacher skill and additional time for hands-on practice. Future research should include U.S. and international participants from a broader geographic area and assessment of both learning and affective outcomes.

Fracture analyses and test of regions with nozzle and hole and curvature influence in nuclear vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Baisong; Xu Dinggen; Ye Weijuan; Hu Yinbiao; Liang Xingyun; Gu Shaode; Zhou Peiying

1993-08-01

For the calculations of stress intensity factor K 1 of surface crack in the regions with nozzle and hole and the curvature influence on nuclear vessel, a improved 3-D collapsed isoparametric singular element with quarter-points was presented. The square root singularity in the vertical planes of crack was derived. The methods of transitional element and calculating K 1 from displacements were extensively used in 3- D case. The SIF K 1 of the corner crack in inner wall of the nozzle of RPV (reactor pressure vessel) for a typical 300 MW nuclear plant was calculated, and it was verified by 3-D photo-elastic test and diffusion of light test. The engineering fracture analysis and evaluation of the outside surface crack in the circular are transitional region of the head flange of RPV are also completed

Epidermal growth factor gene is a newly identified candidate gene for gout

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Lin; Cao, Chunwei; Jia, Zhaotong; Liu, Shiguo; Liu, Zhen; Xin, Ruosai; Wang, Can; Li, Xinde; Ren, Wei; Wang, Xuefeng; Li, Changgui

2016-01-01

Chromosome 4q25 has been identified as a genomic region associated with gout. However, the associations of gout with the genes in this region have not yet been confirmed. Here, we performed two-stage analysis to determine whether variations in candidate genes in the 4q25 region are associated with gout in a male Chinese Han population. We first evaluated 96 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eight inflammatory/immune pathway- or glucose/lipid metabolism-related genes in the 4q25 region in 480 male gout patients and 480 controls. The SNP rs12504538, located in the elongation of very-long-chain-fatty-acid-like family member 6 gene (Elovl6), was found to be associated with gout susceptibility (Padjusted = 0.00595). In the second stage of analysis, we performed fine mapping analysis of 93 tag SNPs in Elovl6 and in the epidermal growth factor gene (EGF) and its flanking regions in 1017 male patients gout and 1897 healthy male controls. We observed a significant association between the T allele of EGF rs2298999 and gout (odds ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval = 0.67–0.88, Padjusted = 6.42 × 10−3). These results provide the first evidence for an association between the EGF rs2298999 C/T polymorphism and gout. Our findings should be validated in additional populations. PMID:27506295

Heterogeneous Stock Rat: A Unique Animal Model for Mapping Genes Influencing Bone Fragility

OpenAIRE

Alam, Imranul; Koller, Daniel L.; Sun, Qiwei; Roeder, Ryan K.; Cañete, Toni; Blázquez, Gloria; López-Aumatell, Regina; Martínez-Membrives, Esther; Vicens-Costa, Elia; Mont, Carme; Díaz, Sira; Tobeña, Adolf; Fernández-Teruel, Alberto; Whitley, Adam; Strid, Pernilla

2011-01-01

Previously, we demonstrated that skeletal mass, structure and biomechanical properties vary considerably among 11 different inbred rat strains. Subsequently, we performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis in 4 inbred rat strains (F344, LEW, COP and DA) for different bone phenotypes and identified several candidate genes influencing various bone traits. The standard approach to narrowing QTL intervals down to a few candidate genes typically employs the generation of congenic lines, which ...

Campaigning on behalf of the party? Party constraints on candidate campaign personalisation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøggild, Troels; Pedersen, Helene Helboe

2017-01-01

This article analyses what makes political candidates run a party-focused or personalised election campaign. Prior work shows that candidates face incentives from voters and the media to personalise their campaign rhetoric and promises at the expense of party policy. This has raised concerns about...... that party control over the candidate nomination process and campaign financing constrains most political candidates in following electoral incentives for campaign personalisation. Using candidate survey data from the 2009 EP election campaign in 27 countries, we show how candidates from parties in which...... party officials exerted greater control over the nomination process and campaign finances were less likely to engage in personalised campaigning at the expense of the party programme. The findings imply that most parties, as central gatekeepers and resource suppliers, hold important control mechanisms...

LOD score exclusion analyses for candidate QTLs using random population samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Hong-Wen

2003-11-01

While extensive analyses have been conducted to test for, no formal analyses have been conducted to test against, the importance of candidate genes as putative QTLs using random population samples. Previously, we developed an LOD score exclusion mapping approach for candidate genes for complex diseases. Here, we extend this LOD score approach for exclusion analyses of candidate genes for quantitative traits. Under this approach, specific genetic effects (as reflected by heritability) and inheritance models at candidate QTLs can be analyzed and if an LOD score is < or = -2.0, the locus can be excluded from having a heritability larger than that specified. Simulations show that this approach has high power to exclude a candidate gene from having moderate genetic effects if it is not a QTL and is robust to population admixture. Our exclusion analysis complements association analysis for candidate genes as putative QTLs in random population samples. The approach is applied to test the importance of Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene as a potential QTL underlying the variation of bone mass, an important determinant of osteoporosis.

Undergraduate Teacher Candidate Perceptions Integrating Technology in Classroom Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Charlise Askew

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze undergraduate teacher candidates' perceptions on integrating technology in the classroom. The study was embedded in the "Technology Pedagogical Content Knowledge" theoretical model. A sample of 143 undergraduate teacher candidates participated in the study. They were asked to address items on a…

14 CFR 91.321 - Carriage of candidates in elections.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... carrier or commercial operator; (2) You carry the candidate, agent, or person traveling on behalf of a... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Carriage of candidates in elections. 91.321 Section 91.321 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION...

Social Studies Teacher Candidates' Views on Historical Thinking Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Ozmen, Cengiz

2015-01-01

Current study aimed to present Social Studies teacher candidates' views on historical thinking skills. Study was conducted using qualitative design and working group was composed of a total of 121 teacher candidates (62 females and 59 males) attending Social Studies Teaching Department of Karadeniz Technical University and Adiyaman University…

Factors Influencing the Improved Academic Success in Literacy at the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) Schools in the Delta Region According to Adult Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Kimberly J.; Holt, Carleton R.

2014-01-01

This qualitative case study explored factors that have influenced literacy success of Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) students in the low-income, poverty stricken Delta Region of Arkansas. The study examined progress made since implementation of the KIPP Program and the influence the program had made upon student achievement in literacy at the…

Reaction time inhibition, working memory and 'delay aversion' performance : genetic influences and their interpretation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuntsi, Jonna; Rogers, Hannah; Swinard, Greer; Börger, Norbert; van der Meere, Jaap; Rijsdijk, Fruhling; Asherson, Philip

2006-01-01

Background. For candidate endophenotypes to be useful for psychiatric genetic research, they first of all need to show significant genetic influences. To address the relative lack of previous data, we set to investigate the extent of genetic and environmental influences on performance in a set of

Political Marketing Activity In Simultaneous Regional Elections 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AMA Suyanto

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Regional head election system was change in 2015. It has impact on political marketing strategy to all stake holders, such as political party and candidatures.The purposes of this research is to analyzeashifting ofpolitical marketing issueson regional election 2015. The research approach uses the mix method with the type of sequential explanatory. The subjects of this research are the candidates, election successful teams or supporting team, and young voters. Location of research based on cluster system district and sub district in Bandung, Cianjur, Magelang, Sleman, and Medan. The data are collected through techniques of questionnaires to young voters; interview to candidates, election successful teams and young voters, as well as the documentation of media and data on Regional General Elections Commission (KPUD. There are also triangular data techniqueinterviews with the General Elections Commission (KPU, the community and supporting team, and documentation and questionnaire form. The result shows that the system of political marketing has already started shifting from product, promotion, price, place, and people known as the 5Ps from mostly dominated by Political Partyinto the role of PEOPLE as candidature in influensing the voters. The Result also tells that shifting from using convetional media into almost using digital media was powerfull.

The study of mutations of low penetrates candidate genes, participating in appearance of breast cancer in patients from different regions of Belarus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myasnikov, S.O.; Bogdanova, N.V.; Bokut', S.B.; Feshchenko, S.P.

2003-01-01

Breast cancer is the most widespread malignancy in the world. It is supposed, that all factors influencing on breast cancer onset can be divided into 4 groups: environmental factors, state of woman's health, heredity and concomitant disease. The inherited disposition towards breast cancer is complex, and many genetic variants and polymorphisms have been postulated to play a role in this condition. Despite genes with a high penetrance, known some genes with a low penetrance, such as ATM, CHEK2 and XRCC4. Ionizing radiation is for long being recognized as a potent carcinogen. The link between exposition to high doses of radiation and a subsequent development of breast cancer has been shown in numerous epidemiological studies. Because mutations in the known genes explain less than half of all multiple-case families, other genes involved in these repair pathways are now under current investigation in many different labs worldwide to define their role in breast cancer predisposition. The purpose of this paper is to study mutations of low penetrate candidate genes, participating in appearance of breast cancer in Byelorussian patients. This study is for the first time reveals the mutations of breast cancer genes in the Byelorussian population. Were used such methods as extraction of DNA, PCR, ARMAS-PCR and restriction analysis for this study. As a result of the work frequent mutations of CHEK2 and XRCC4 were found in family cases. It is shown that following methods are useful for cancer risk prediction for patients and their blood relatives. (authors)

COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF CANDIDAL DYSBACTERIOSIS THERAPY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.V. Nikolaeva

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The study of effectiveness of different methods of microbiological disorders correction in children after 3 years old with candidal dysbacteriosis are presented in this article. The study compared probiotical sour milk-made stuff («Actimel» and sour milk-made stuff, not fortified with probiotical cultures («Rastishka» and traditional kefir. It was shown that an inclusion of probiotical sour milkmade stuff in diet of children with candidal dysbacteriosis results in normalization of lacto- and bifidobacteria level and decreasing of Candida level.Key words: children, candidal dysbacteriosis, probiotics.(Voprosy sovremennoi pediatrii — Current Pediatrics. 2009;8(6:31-35

Lithologic influences on groundwater recharge through incised glacial till from profile to regional scales: Evidence from glaciated Eastern Nebraska

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, John B.; Steele, Gregory V.; Nasta, Paolo; Szilagyi, Jozsef

2014-01-01

Variability in sediment hydraulic properties associated with landscape depositional and erosional features can influence groundwater recharge processes by affecting soil-water storage and transmission. This study considers recharge to aquifers underlying river-incised glaciated terrain where the distribution of clay-rich till is largely intact in upland locations but has been removed by alluvial erosion in stream valleys. In a stream-dissected glacial region in eastern Nebraska (Great Plains region of the United States), recharge estimates were developed for nested profile, aquifer, and regional scales using unsaturated zone profile measurements (matric potentials, Cl- and 3H), groundwater tracers (CFC-12 and SF6), and a remote sensing-assisted water balance model. Results show a consistent influence of till lithology on recharge rates across nested spatial scales despite substantial uncertainty in all recharge estimation methods, suggesting that minimal diffuse recharge occurs through upland glacial till lithology whereas diffuse recharge occurs in river valleys where till is locally absent. Diffuse recharge is estimated to account for a maximum of 61% of total recharge based on comparison of diffuse recharge estimated from the unsaturated zone (0-43 mm yr-1) and total recharge estimated from groundwater tracers (median 58 mm yr-1) and water balance modeling (median 56 mm yr-1). The results underscore the importance of lithologic controls on the distributions of both recharge rates and mechanisms.

Real-time topic-aware influence maximization using preprocessing.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei; Lin, Tian; Yang, Cheng

2016-01-01

Influence maximization is the task of finding a set of seed nodes in a social network such that the influence spread of these seed nodes based on certain influence diffusion model is maximized. Topic-aware influence diffusion models have been recently proposed to address the issue that influence between a pair of users are often topic-dependent and information, ideas, innovations etc. being propagated in networks are typically mixtures of topics. In this paper, we focus on the topic-aware influence maximization task. In particular, we study preprocessing methods to avoid redoing influence maximization for each mixture from scratch. We explore two preprocessing algorithms with theoretical justifications. Our empirical results on data obtained in a couple of existing studies demonstrate that one of our algorithms stands out as a strong candidate providing microsecond online response time and competitive influence spread, with reasonable preprocessing effort.

New PAH gene promoter KLF1 and 3'-region C/EBPalpha motifs influence transcription in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Klaassen, Kristel; Stankovic, Biljana; Kotur, Nikola; Djordjevic, Maja; Zukic, Branka; Nikcevic, Gordana; Ugrin, Milena; Spasovski, Vesna; Srzentic, Sanja; Pavlovic, Sonja; Stojiljkovic, Maja

2017-02-01

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disease caused by mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene. Although the PAH genotype remains the main determinant of PKU phenotype severity, genotype-phenotype inconsistencies have been reported. In this study, we focused on unanalysed sequences in non-coding PAH gene regions to assess their possible influence on the PKU phenotype. We transiently transfected HepG2 cells with various chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter constructs which included PAH gene non-coding regions. Selected non-coding regions were indicated by in silico prediction to contain transcription factor binding sites. Furthermore, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and supershift assays were performed to identify which transcriptional factors were engaged in the interaction. We found novel KLF1 motif in the PAH promoter, which decreases CAT activity by 50 % in comparison to basal transcription in vitro. The cytosine at the c.-170 promoter position creates an additional binding site for the protein complex involving KLF1 transcription factor. Moreover, we assessed for the first time the role of a multivariant variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) region located in the 3'-region of the PAH gene. We found that the VNTR3, VNTR7 and VNTR8 constructs had approximately 60 % of CAT activity. The regulation is mediated by the C/EBPalpha transcription factor, present in protein complex binding to VNTR3. Our study highlighted two novel promoter KLF1 and 3'-region C/EBPalpha motifs in the PAH gene which decrease transcription in vitro and, thus, could be considered as PAH expression modifiers. New transcription motifs in non-coding regions will contribute to better understanding of the PKU phenotype complexity and may become important for the optimisation of PKU treatment.

Extended tracts of homozygosity identify novel candidate genes associated with late onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Nalls, M. A.; Guerreiro, R. J.; Simon-Sanchez, J.; Bras, J. T.; Traynor, B. J.; Gibbs, J. R.; Launer, L.; Hardy, J.; Singleton, A. B.

2010-01-01

Large tracts of extended homozygosity are more prevalent in outbred populations than previously thought. With the advent of high-density genotyping platforms, regions of extended homozygosity can be accurately located allowing for the identification of rare recessive risk variants contributing to disease. We compared measures of extended homozygosity (greater than 1 megabase in length) in a population of 837 late onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) cases and 550 controls. In our analyses, we identify one homozygous region on chromosome 8 that is significantly associated with LOAD after adjusting for multiple testing. This region contains seven genes from which the most biologically plausible candidates are STAR, EIF4EBP1 and ADRB3. We also compared the total numbers of homozygous runs and the total length of these runs between cases and controls, showing a suggestive difference in these measures (p-values 0.052-0.062). This research suggests a recessive component to the etiology of LOAD. PMID:19271249

The attitudes of classroom teacher candidates towards physical education lesson

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gönül Tekkurşun Demir

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: It is aimed to determine the attitudes of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade classroom teacher candidates towards the physical education lesson according to various variables. Material and Methods: For the current study, the screening method, one of the quantitative research models, was used. The research consists of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade, totally164 university students, 106 (%64,6 females, 58 (%35,4 males, attending Uşak University, Classroom Teaching Program in 2016-2017 academic year. The first-grade students were not included in this research, because the physical education and play teaching lessons are given to classroom student candidates in the second-grade at Uşak University, Classroom Teaching Program. “Personal information form" and “Physical Education Lesson Attitude Scale for Classroom Teacher Candidates" were used as data collection tools. Before analysis, the data were evaluated using the values of Skewness and Skewness (normal distribution of the data and Levene (equality of variance tests. In the analysis of the data; frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation; t-test, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation test were used. Results: When examined the total score of the teacher candidates obtained from Physical Education Lesson Attitude Scale for Classroom Teacher Candidates and age variable by the Pearson Moment Correlation analysis, it was found that there was a statistically significant negative relationship between the received scores at low level. It was determined that the attitudes of the classroom teacher candidates towards the physical education lessons did not show any significant difference according to the gender variable, but there was a significant difference when examined their class levels. While no significant difference was found in the attitudes of the classroom teacher candidates, who played and did not play sports in their past life, towards physical education lessons, no significant difference was found

Influence of helium atoms on the shear behavior of the fiber/matrix interphase of SiC/SiC composite

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Enze; Du, Shiyu; Li, Mian; Liu, Chen; He, Shihong; He, Jian; He, Heming

2016-10-01

Silicon carbide has many attractive properties and the SiC/SiC composite has been considered as a promising candidate for nuclear structural materials. Up to now, a computational investigation on the properties of SiC/SiC composite varying in the presence of nuclear fission products is still missing. In this work, the influence of He atoms on the shear behavior of the SiC/SiC interphase is investigated via Molecular Dynamics simulation following our recent paper. Calculations are carried out on three dimensional models of graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase and amorphous PyC/SiC interphase with He atoms in different regions (the SiC region, the interface region and the PyC region). In the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase, He atoms in the SiC region have little influence on the shear strength of the material, while both the shear strength and friction strength may be enhanced when they are in the PyC region. Low concentration of He atoms in the interface region of the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase increases the shear strength, while there is a reduction of shear strength when the He concentration is high due to the switch of sliding plane. In the amorphous PyC/SiC interphase, He atoms can cause the reduction of the shear strength regardless of the regions that He atoms are located. The presence of He atoms may significantly alter the structure of SiC/SiC in the interface region. The influence of He atoms in the interface region is the most significant, leading to evident shear strength reduction of the amorphous PyC/SiC interphase with increasing He concentration. The behaviors of the interphases at different temperatures are studied as well. The dependence of the shear strengths of the two types of interphases on temperatures is studied as well. For the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase, it is found strongly related to the regions He atoms are located. Combining these results with our previous study on pure SiC/SiC system, we expect this work may provide new insight

Influence of helium atoms on the shear behavior of the fiber/matrix interphase of SiC/SiC composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Enze [State Nuclear Power Research Institute, Beijing, 100029 (China); Du, Shiyu, E-mail: dushiyu@nimte.ac.cn [Engineering Laboratory of Specialty Fibers and Nuclear Energy Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201 (China); Li, Mian [Engineering Laboratory of Specialty Fibers and Nuclear Energy Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201 (China); Liu, Chen [Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy (China); He, Shihong [State Nuclear Power Research Institute, Beijing, 100029 (China); Engineering Laboratory of Specialty Fibers and Nuclear Energy Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201 (China); He, Jian [Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning, 116023 (China); He, Heming, E-mail: heheming@snptc.com.cn [State Nuclear Power Research Institute, Beijing, 100029 (China)

2016-10-15

Silicon carbide has many attractive properties and the SiC/SiC composite has been considered as a promising candidate for nuclear structural materials. Up to now, a computational investigation on the properties of SiC/SiC composite varying in the presence of nuclear fission products is still missing. In this work, the influence of He atoms on the shear behavior of the SiC/SiC interphase is investigated via Molecular Dynamics simulation following our recent paper. Calculations are carried out on three dimensional models of graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase and amorphous PyC/SiC interphase with He atoms in different regions (the SiC region, the interface region and the PyC region). In the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase, He atoms in the SiC region have little influence on the shear strength of the material, while both the shear strength and friction strength may be enhanced when they are in the PyC region. Low concentration of He atoms in the interface region of the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase increases the shear strength, while there is a reduction of shear strength when the He concentration is high due to the switch of sliding plane. In the amorphous PyC/SiC interphase, He atoms can cause the reduction of the shear strength regardless of the regions that He atoms are located. The presence of He atoms may significantly alter the structure of SiC/SiC in the interface region. The influence of He atoms in the interface region is the most significant, leading to evident shear strength reduction of the amorphous PyC/SiC interphase with increasing He concentration. The behaviors of the interphases at different temperatures are studied as well. The dependence of the shear strengths of the two types of interphases on temperatures is studied as well. For the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase, it is found strongly related to the regions He atoms are located. Combining these results with our previous study on pure SiC/SiC system, we expect this work may provide new insight

Influence of helium atoms on the shear behavior of the fiber/matrix interphase of SiC/SiC composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Enze; Du, Shiyu; Li, Mian; Liu, Chen; He, Shihong; He, Jian; He, Heming

2016-01-01

Silicon carbide has many attractive properties and the SiC/SiC composite has been considered as a promising candidate for nuclear structural materials. Up to now, a computational investigation on the properties of SiC/SiC composite varying in the presence of nuclear fission products is still missing. In this work, the influence of He atoms on the shear behavior of the SiC/SiC interphase is investigated via Molecular Dynamics simulation following our recent paper. Calculations are carried out on three dimensional models of graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase and amorphous PyC/SiC interphase with He atoms in different regions (the SiC region, the interface region and the PyC region). In the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase, He atoms in the SiC region have little influence on the shear strength of the material, while both the shear strength and friction strength may be enhanced when they are in the PyC region. Low concentration of He atoms in the interface region of the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase increases the shear strength, while there is a reduction of shear strength when the He concentration is high due to the switch of sliding plane. In the amorphous PyC/SiC interphase, He atoms can cause the reduction of the shear strength regardless of the regions that He atoms are located. The presence of He atoms may significantly alter the structure of SiC/SiC in the interface region. The influence of He atoms in the interface region is the most significant, leading to evident shear strength reduction of the amorphous PyC/SiC interphase with increasing He concentration. The behaviors of the interphases at different temperatures are studied as well. The dependence of the shear strengths of the two types of interphases on temperatures is studied as well. For the graphite-like PyC/SiC interphase, it is found strongly related to the regions He atoms are located. Combining these results with our previous study on pure SiC/SiC system, we expect this work may provide new insight

The Mons Rümker volcanic complex of the Moon: A candidate landing site for the Chang'E-5 mission

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jiannan; Xiao, Long; Qiao, Le; Glotch, Timothy D.; Huang, Qian

2017-07-01

Mons Rümker is a large volcanic complex in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon and is a candidate landing site for China's Chang'E-5 sample return mission. We conducted a comprehensive study of the topography, geomorphology, composition, and stratigraphy of the Mons Rümker region with multisource remote sensing data in order to better understand the geology of the region and provide further support for the Chang'E-5 mission. The results show that the Rümker plateau stands 200-1300 m above the surrounding mare surface and 75% of the plateau has a slope of less than 3° at a baseline length of 30 m. Domes are the most prominent volcanic landforms in Mons Rümker and a total of 22 domes were identified and divided into two types that may represent different stages of volcanic activity. Spectral analyses indicated that Mons Rümker is covered by low-Ti basalt and the dominant mafic mineral is high-calcium pyroxene, though signs of mixing of highland materials and basalt have been found. Mons Rümker has three main basalt units, and their absolute model ages are 3.71 Ga, 3.58 Ga, and 3.51 Ga, respectively. Steep-sided domes could be the youngest volcanic features on the plateau with indications that they were active until the Eratosthenian. A new geologic map of the study region was produced and used to interpret and discuss the geologic evolution of the region. Finally, we propose two candidate landing sites for the Chang'E-5 mission.

Investigation of the molecular relationship between breast cancer and obesity by candidate gene prioritization methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saba Garshasbi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Cancer and obesity are two major public health concerns. More than 12 million cases of cancer are reported annually. Many reports confirmed obesity as a risk factor for cancer. The molecular relationship between obesity and breast cancer has not been clear yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate priorities of effective genes in the molecular relationship between obesity and breast cancer. Methods: In this study, computer simulation method was used for prioritizing the genes that involved in the molecular links between obesity and breast cancer in laboratory of systems biology and bioinformatics (LBB, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran, from March to July 2014. In this study, ENDEAVOUR software was used for prioritizing the genes and integrating multiple data sources was used for data analysis. Training genes were selected from effective genes in obesity and/or breast cancer. Two groups of candidate genes were selected. The first group was included the existential genes in 5 common region chromosomes (between obesity and breast cancer and the second group was included the results of genes microarray data analysis of research Creighton, et al (In 2012 on patients with breast cancer. The microarray data were analyzed with GER2 software (R online software on GEO website. Finally, both training and candidate genes were entered in ENDEAVOUR software package. Results: The candidate genes were prioritized to four style and five genes in ten of the first priorities were repeated twice. In other word, the outcome of prioritizing of 72 genes (Product of microarray data analysis and genes of 5 common chromosome regions (Between obesity and breast cancer showed, 5 genes (TNFRSF10B, F2, IGFALS, NTRK3 and HSP90B1 were the priorities in the molecular connection between obesity and breast cancer. Conclusion: There are some common genes between breast cancer and obesity. So, molecular relationship is confirmed. In this study the possible effect

Analysis of a high-resolution regional climate simulation for Alpine temperature. Validation and influence of the NAO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Proemmel, K. [GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH (Germany). Inst. fuer Kuestenforschung

2008-11-06

To determine whether the increase in resolution of climate models improves the representation of climate is a crucial topic in regional climate modelling. An improvement over coarser-scale models is expected especially in areas with complex orography or along coastlines. However, some studies have shown no clear added value for regional climate models. In this study a high-resolution regional climate model simulation performed with REMO over the period 1958-1998 is analysed for 2m temperature over the orographically complex European Alps and their surroundings called the Greater Alpine Region (GAR). The model setup is in hindcast mode meaning that the simulation is driven with perfect boundary conditions by the ERA40 reanalysis through prescribing the values at the lateral boundaries and spectral nudging of the large-scale wind field inside the model domain. The added value is analysed between the regional climate simulation with a resolution of 1/6 and the driving reanalysis with a resolution of 1.125 . Before analysing the added value both the REMO simulation and the ERA40 reanalysis are validated against different station datasets of monthly and daily mean 2m temperature. The largest dataset is the dense, homogenised and quality controlled HISTALP dataset covering the whole GAR, which gave the opportunity for the validation undertaken in this study. The temporal variability of temperature, as quantified by correlation, is well represented by both REMO and ERA40. However, both show considerable biases. The REMO bias reaches 3 K in summer in regions known to experience a problem with summer drying in a number of regional models. In winter the bias is strongly influenced by the choice of the temperature lapse rate, which is applied to compare grid box and station data at different altitudes, and has the strongest influence on inner Alpine subregions where the altitude differences are largest. By applying a constant lapse rate the REMO bias in winter in the high

ALMOST ALL OF KEPLER'S MULTIPLE-PLANET CANDIDATES ARE PLANETS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Rowe, Jason F.; Bryson, Stephen T.; Howell, Steve B.; Jenkins, Jon M.; Kinemuchi, Karen; Koch, David G.; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Adams, Elisabeth; Fressin, Francois; Geary, John; Holman, Matthew J.; Ragozzine, Darin; Buchhave, Lars A.; Ciardi, David R.; Cochran, William D.; Fabrycky, Daniel C.; Ford, Eric B.; Morehead, Robert C.; Gilliland, Ronald L.

2012-01-01

We present a statistical analysis that demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of Kepler candidate multiple transiting systems (multis) indeed represent true, physically associated transiting planets. Binary stars provide the primary source of false positives among Kepler planet candidates, implying that false positives should be nearly randomly distributed among Kepler targets. In contrast, true transiting planets would appear clustered around a smaller number of Kepler targets if detectable planets tend to come in systems and/or if the orbital planes of planets encircling the same star are correlated. There are more than one hundred times as many Kepler planet candidates in multi-candidate systems as would be predicted from a random distribution of candidates, implying that the vast majority are true planets. Most of these multis are multiple-planet systems orbiting the Kepler target star, but there are likely cases where (1) the planetary system orbits a fainter star, and the planets are thus significantly larger than has been estimated, or (2) the planets orbit different stars within a binary/multiple star system. We use the low overall false-positive rate among Kepler multis, together with analysis of Kepler spacecraft and ground-based data, to validate the closely packed Kepler-33 planetary system, which orbits a star that has evolved somewhat off of the main sequence. Kepler-33 hosts five transiting planets, with periods ranging from 5.67 to 41 days.

Co-registered perfusion SPECT/CT: Utility for prediction of improved postoperative outcome in lung volume reduction surgery candidates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaka, Daisuke; Ohno, Yoshiharu; Koyama, Hisanobu; Nogami, Munenobu; Onishi, Yumiko; Matsumoto, Keiko; Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Sumiaki; Sugimura, Kazuro

2010-01-01

Purpose: To directly compare the capabilities of perfusion scan, SPECT, co-registered SPECT/CT, and quantitatively and qualitatively assessed MDCT (i.e. quantitative CT and qualitative CT) for predicting postoperative clinical outcome for lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) candidates. Materials and methods: Twenty-five consecutive candidates (19 men and six women, age range: 42-72 years) for LVRS underwent preoperative CT and perfusion scan with SPECT. Clinical outcome of LVRS for all subjects was also assessed by determining the difference between pre- and postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) and 6-min walking distance (6MWD). All SPECT examinations were performed on a SPECT scanner, and co-registered to thin-section CT by using commercially available software. On planar imaging, SPECT and SPECT/CT, upper versus lower zone or lobe ratios (U/Ls) were calculated from regional uptakes between upper and lower lung fields in the operated lung. On quantitatively assessed CT, U/L for all subjects was assessed from regional functional lung volumes. On qualitatively assessed CT, planar imaging, SPECT and co-registered SPECT/CT, U/Ls were assessed with a 4-point visual scoring system. To compare capabilities of predicting clinical outcome, each U/L was statistically correlated with the corresponding clinical outcome. Results: Significantly fair or moderate correlations were observed between quantitatively and qualitatively assessed U/Ls obtained with all four methods and clinical outcomes (-0.60 ≤ r ≤ -0.42, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Co-registered perfusion SPECT/CT has better correlation with clinical outcome in LVRS candidates than do planar imaging, SPECT or qualitatively assessed CT, and is at least as valid as quantitatively assessed CT.

Co-registered perfusion SPECT/CT: Utility for prediction of improved postoperative outcome in lung volume reduction surgery candidates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takenaka, Daisuke [Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017 (Japan); Ohno, Yoshiharu, E-mail: yosirad@kobe-u.ac.j [Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017 (Japan); Koyama, Hisanobu [Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017 (Japan); Nogami, Munenobu [Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017 (Japan); Division of Image-Based Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, 2-2, Minatojima Minamimachi Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047 (Japan); Onishi, Yumiko [Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017 (Japan); Matsumoto, Keiko [Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017 (Japan); Department of Radiology, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimogato, Chuo, Yamanashi, 409-3898 (Japan); Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Sumiaki; Sugimura, Kazuro [Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017 (Japan)

2010-06-15

Purpose: To directly compare the capabilities of perfusion scan, SPECT, co-registered SPECT/CT, and quantitatively and qualitatively assessed MDCT (i.e. quantitative CT and qualitative CT) for predicting postoperative clinical outcome for lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) candidates. Materials and methods: Twenty-five consecutive candidates (19 men and six women, age range: 42-72 years) for LVRS underwent preoperative CT and perfusion scan with SPECT. Clinical outcome of LVRS for all subjects was also assessed by determining the difference between pre- and postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV{sub 1}) and 6-min walking distance (6MWD). All SPECT examinations were performed on a SPECT scanner, and co-registered to thin-section CT by using commercially available software. On planar imaging, SPECT and SPECT/CT, upper versus lower zone or lobe ratios (U/Ls) were calculated from regional uptakes between upper and lower lung fields in the operated lung. On quantitatively assessed CT, U/L for all subjects was assessed from regional functional lung volumes. On qualitatively assessed CT, planar imaging, SPECT and co-registered SPECT/CT, U/Ls were assessed with a 4-point visual scoring system. To compare capabilities of predicting clinical outcome, each U/L was statistically correlated with the corresponding clinical outcome. Results: Significantly fair or moderate correlations were observed between quantitatively and qualitatively assessed U/Ls obtained with all four methods and clinical outcomes (-0.60 {<=} r {<=} -0.42, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Co-registered perfusion SPECT/CT has better correlation with clinical outcome in LVRS candidates than do planar imaging, SPECT or qualitatively assessed CT, and is at least as valid as quantitatively assessed CT.

Pilot study on the use of data mining to identify cochlear implant candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Grisel, Jedidiah J; Schafer, Erin; Lam, Anne; Griffin, Terry

2018-05-01

The goal of this pilot study was to determine the clinical utility of data-mining software that screens for cochlear implant (CI) candidacy. The Auditory Implant Initiative developed a software module that screens for CI candidates via integration with a software system (Noah 4) that serves as a depository for hearing test data. To identify candidates, patient audiograms from one practice were exported into the screening module. Candidates were tracked to determine if any eventually underwent implantation. After loading 4836 audiograms from the Noah 4 system, the screening module identified 558 potential CI candidates. After reviewing the data for the potential candidates, 117 were targeted and invited to an educational event. Following the event, a total of six candidates were evaluated, and two were implanted. This objective approach to identifying candidates has the potential to address the gross underutilization of CIs by removing any bias or lack of knowledge regarding the management of severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss with CIs. The screening module was an effective tool for identifying potential CI candidates at one ENT practice. On a larger scale, the screening module has the potential to impact thousands of CI candidates worldwide.

Candidate gene approach for parasite resistance in sheep--variation in immune pathway genes and association with fecal egg count.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathiravan Periasamy

Full Text Available Sheep chromosome 3 (Oar3 has the largest number of QTLs reported to be significantly associated with resistance to gastro-intestinal nematodes. This study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs within candidate genes located in sheep chromosome 3 as well as genes involved in major immune pathways. A total of 41 SNPs were identified across 38 candidate genes in a panel of unrelated sheep and genotyped in 713 animals belonging to 22 breeds across Asia, Europe and South America. The variations and evolution of immune pathway genes were assessed in sheep populations across these macro-environmental regions that significantly differ in the diversity and load of pathogens. The mean minor allele frequency (MAF did not vary between Asian and European sheep reflecting the absence of ascertainment bias. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two major clusters with most of South Asian, South East Asian and South West Asian breeds clustering together while European and South American sheep breeds clustered together distinctly. Analysis of molecular variance revealed strong phylogeographic structure at loci located in immune pathway genes, unlike microsatellite and genome wide SNP markers. To understand the influence of natural selection processes, SNP loci located in chromosome 3 were utilized to reconstruct haplotypes, the diversity of which showed significant deviations from selective neutrality. Reduced Median network of reconstructed haplotypes showed balancing selection in force at these loci. Preliminary association of SNP genotypes with phenotypes recorded 42 days post challenge revealed significant differences (P<0.05 in fecal egg count, body weight change and packed cell volume at two, four and six SNP loci respectively. In conclusion, the present study reports strong phylogeographic structure and balancing selection operating at SNP loci located within immune pathway genes. Further, SNP loci identified in the study were found to have

University Offer Rates for Candidates from Different Ethnic Categories

Science.gov (United States)

Noden, Philip; Shiner, Michael; Modood, Tariq

2014-01-01

Previous research suggested that candidates from some black and minority ethnic groups were less likely to receive an offer of a place from an "old" university. These findings were disputed in a re-analysis carried out for HEFCE which found that only Pakistani candidates were significantly less likely to receive offers (from both…

Assessing Student Teaching Experiences: Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Preparedness

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joohi; Tice, Kathleen; Collins, Denise; Brown, Amber; Smith, Cleta; Fox, Jill

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of student teaching experiences by measuring teacher candidates' perceptions of their preparedness. The participants were 130 teacher candidates who had completed their student teaching as part of a program preparing them to teach children in pre-K through grade 4. Teacher candidates…

Energy Beverage Consumption Among Naval Aviation Candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Sather, Thomas E; Delorey, Donald R

2016-06-01

Since the debut of energy beverages, the consumption of energy beverages has been immensely popular with young adults. Research regarding energy beverage consumption has included college students, European Union residents, and U.S. Army military personnel. However, energy beverage consumption among naval aviation candidates in the United States has yet to be examined. The purpose of this study was to assess energy beverage consumption patterns (frequency and volume) among naval aviation candidates, including attitudes and perceptions regarding the benefits and safety of energy beverage consumption. A 44-item survey was used to assess energy beverage consumption patterns of 302 students enrolled in the Aviation Preflight Indoctrination Course at Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL. Results indicated that 79% of participants (N = 239) reported consuming energy beverages within the last year. However, of those who reported consuming energy beverages within the last year, only 36% (N = 85) reported consuming energy beverages within the last 30 d. Additionally, 51% (N = 153) of participants reported no regular energy beverages consumption. The majority of participants consumed energy beverages for mental alertness (67%), mental endurance (37%), and physical endurance (12%). The most reported side effects among participants included increased mental alertness (67%), increased heart rate (53%), and restlessness (41%). Naval aviation candidates appear to use energy drinks as frequently as a college student population, but less frequently than expected for an active duty military population. The findings of this study indicate that naval aviation candidates rarely use energy beverages (less than once per month), but when consumed, they use it for fatigue management.

A Research on the Burnout and the Teaching Profession Attitudes of Teacher Candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Kadi, Aysegül; Beytekin, Osman Ferda; Arslan, Hasan

2015-01-01

Purpose of this study is to examine burnout and teaching profession attitudes of teacher candidates. Research was conducted with 287 teacher candidates. By the findings; burnout and teaching profession attitudes of teacher candidates don't differ according to their gender. Burnout of teacher candidates differs according to their graduation status…

Detection of white matter lesion regions in MRI using SLIC0 and convolutional neural network.

Science.gov (United States)

Diniz, Pedro Henrique Bandeira; Valente, Thales Levi Azevedo; Diniz, João Otávio Bandeira; Silva, Aristófanes Corrêa; Gattass, Marcelo; Ventura, Nina; Muniz, Bernardo Carvalho; Gasparetto, Emerson Leandro

2018-04-19

White matter lesions are non-static brain lesions that have a prevalence rate up to 98% in the elderly population. Because they may be associated with several brain diseases, it is important that they are detected as soon as possible. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides three-dimensional data with the possibility to detect and emphasize contrast differences in soft tissues, providing rich information about the human soft tissue anatomy. However, the amount of data provided for these images is far too much for manual analysis/interpretation, representing a difficult and time-consuming task for specialists. This work presents a computational methodology capable of detecting regions of white matter lesions of the brain in MRI of FLAIR modality. The techniques highlighted in this methodology are SLIC0 clustering for candidate segmentation and convolutional neural networks for candidate classification. The methodology proposed here consists of four steps: (1) images acquisition, (2) images preprocessing, (3) candidates segmentation and (4) candidates classification. The methodology was applied on 91 magnetic resonance images provided by DASA, and achieved an accuracy of 98.73%, specificity of 98.77% and sensitivity of 78.79% with 0.005 of false positives, without any false positives reduction technique, in detection of white matter lesion regions. It is demonstrated the feasibility of the analysis of brain MRI using SLIC0 and convolutional neural network techniques to achieve success in detection of white matter lesions regions. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The centrifugal and centripetal force influence on spatial competition of agricultural land in Bandung Metropolitan Region

Science.gov (United States)

Sadewo, E.

2017-06-01

Agricultural activity has suffered a massive land functional shift caused by market mechanism in Bandung metropolitan region (BMR). We argue that the existence of agricultural land in urban spatial structure is the result of interaction between centrifugal and centripetal force on spatial competition. This research aims to explore how several recognized centrifugal and centripetal force influence to the existence of agricultural land in BMR land development. The analysis using multivariate regression indicates that there exists spatial competition between population density and degree of urbanization with agricultural land areas. Its extended spatial regression model suggested that neighboring situation plays an important role to preserve agricultural land areas existences in BMR. Meanwhile, the influence of distance between the location of the city center and employment opportunities is found to be insignificant in the spatial competition. It is opposed to the theory of von Thünen and monocentric model in general. One of the possible explanation of such condition is that the assumption of centrality does not met. In addition, the agricultural land density decay in the southern parts of the area was related to its geographical conditions as protected areas or unfavorable for farming activity. It is suggested that BMR was in the early phase of polycentric development. Hence, better policies that lead redirected development to the southern part of the region is needed as well as population control and regulation of land use.

Natural Genetic Variation and Candidate Genes for Morphological Traits in Drosophila melanogaster

Science.gov (United States)

Carreira, Valeria Paula; Mensch, Julián; Hasson, Esteban; Fanara, Juan José

2016-01-01

Body size is a complex character associated to several fitness related traits that vary within and between species as a consequence of environmental and genetic factors. Latitudinal and altitudinal clines for different morphological traits have been described in several species of Drosophila and previous work identified genomic regions associated with such variation in D. melanogaster. However, the genetic factors that orchestrate morphological variation have been barely studied. Here, our main objective was to investigate genetic variation for different morphological traits associated to the second chromosome in natural populations of D. melanogaster along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients in Argentina. Our results revealed weak clinal signals and a strong population effect on morphological variation. Moreover, most pairwise comparisons between populations were significant. Our study also showed important within-population genetic variation, which must be associated to the second chromosome, as the lines are otherwise genetically identical. Next, we examined the contribution of different candidate genes to natural variation for these traits. We performed quantitative complementation tests using a battery of lines bearing mutated alleles at candidate genes located in the second chromosome and six second chromosome substitution lines derived from natural populations which exhibited divergent phenotypes. Results of complementation tests revealed that natural variation at all candidate genes studied, invected, Fasciclin 3, toucan, Reticulon-like1, jing and CG14478, affects the studied characters, suggesting that they are Quantitative Trait Genes for morphological traits. Finally, the phenotypic patterns observed suggest that different alleles of each gene might contribute to natural variation for morphological traits. However, non-additive effects cannot be ruled out, as wild-derived strains differ at myriads of second chromosome loci that may interact

QTL-seq for rapid identification of candidate genes for flowering time in broccoli × cabbage.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Jinshuai; Liu, Yumei; Zhang, Lili; Li, Zhansheng; Fang, Zhiyuan; Yang, Limei; Zhuang, Mu; Zhang, Yangyong; Lv, Honghao

2018-04-01

A major QTL controlling early flowering in broccoli × cabbage was identified by marker analysis and next-generation sequencing, corresponding to GRF6 gene conditioning flowering time in Arabidopsis. Flowering is an important agronomic trait for hybrid production in broccoli and cabbage, but the genetic mechanism underlying this process is unknown. In this study, segregation analysis with BC 1 P1, BC 1 P2, F 2 , and F 2:3 populations derived from a cross between two inbred lines "195" (late-flowering) and "93219" (early flowering) suggested that flowering time is a quantitative trait. Next, employing a next-generation sequencing-based whole-genome QTL-seq strategy, we identified a major genomic region harboring a robust flowering time QTL using an F 2 mapping population, designated Ef2.1 on cabbage chromosome 2 for early flowering. Ef2.1 was further validated by indel (insertion or deletion) marker-based classical QTL mapping, explaining 51.5% (LOD = 37.67) and 54.0% (LOD = 40.5) of the phenotypic variation in F 2 and F 2:3 populations, respectively. Combined QTL-seq and classical QTL analysis narrowed down Ef1.1 to a 228-kb genomic region containing 29 genes. A cabbage gene, Bol024659, was identified in this region, which is a homolog of GRF6, a major gene regulating flowering in Arabidopsis, and was designated BolGRF6. qRT-PCR study of the expression level of BolGRF6 revealed significantly higher expression in the early flowering genotypes. Taken together, our results provide support for BolGRF6 as a possible candidate gene for early flowering in the broccoli line 93219. The identified candidate genomic regions and genes may be useful for molecular breeding to improve broccoli and cabbage flowering times.

A cross-sectional MRI study of brain regional atrophy and clinical characteristics of temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

2012-02-01

PURPOSE: Applying a cross-sectional design, we set out to further characterize the significance of extrahippocampal brain atrophy in a large sample of \\'sporadic\\' mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE+HS). By evaluating the influence of epilepsy chronicity on structural atrophy, this work represents an important step towards the characterization of MRI-based volumetric measurements as genetic endophenotypes for this condition. METHODS: Using an automated brain segmentation technique, MRI-based volume measurements of several brain regions were compared between 75 patients with \\'sporadic\\' MTLE+HS and 50 healthy controls. Applying linear regression models, we examined the relationship between structural atrophy and important clinical features of MTLE+HS, including disease duration, lifetime number of partial and generalized seizures, and history of initial precipitating insults (IPIs). RESULTS: Significant volume loss was detected in ipsilateral hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and cerebral white matter (WM). In addition, contralateral hippocampal and bilateral cerebellar grey matter (GM) volume loss was observed in left MTLE+HS patients. Hippocampal, amygdalar, and cerebral WM volume loss correlated with duration of epilepsy. This correlation was stronger in patients with prior IPIs history. Further, cerebral WM, cerebellar GM, and contralateral hippocampal volume loss correlated with lifetime number of generalized seizures. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm that multiple brain regions beyond the hippocampus are involved in the pathogenesis of MTLE+HS. IPIs are an important factor influencing the rate of regional atrophy but our results also support a role for processes related to epilepsy chronicity. The consequence of epilepsy chronicity on candidate brain regions has important implications on their application as genetic endophenotypes.

Relationship of candidate communication and organization skills to oral certification examination scores.

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Houston, James E; Smith, Everett V

2008-12-01

This study investigated the relationship between candidate's proficiency in communication/organization and ability measures derived from judges' oral examination ratings on a medical specialty certification examination. Judges who rated candidates on the oral examination also provided a separate rating for candidates' communication/organization skills. ANOVA was used to examine differences among levels of communication/organizational skills with respect to candidates' ability measures on the oral examination. There was a statistically significant increase in oral examination measures for candidates with higher levels of communication/organization skills. This supports the hypothesis that candidates who were more proficient in organizing and presenting their responses were more likely to have better performance on the oral examination. Given communication and oral examination ratings were provided by the same judges, future research should investigate whether these preliminary findings generalize to situations in which communication ratings are obtained from independent ratings during and outside the oral examination.

The influence of airflow inlet region modifications on the local efficiency of natural draft cooling tower operation

OpenAIRE

Hočevar, Marko; Širok, Brane; Dvoršek, Matjaž; Holeček, Nikola; Donevski, Božin

2015-01-01

We present the influence of the cooling tower airflow inlet region modifications at the Šoštanj 4 thermal power plant on cooling tower local efficiency. Local efficiency change was estimated based on temperature fields of drift eliminators before and after the reconstruction of the cooling tower. Temperature fields were measured with thermal vision method. The local reduction of cooling tower efficiency was analyzed based on phenomenological relations of heat transfer obtained from the select...

The Influence of Sub-Unit Composition and Expression System on the Functional Antibody Response in the Development of a VAR2CSA Based Plasmodium falciparum Placental Malaria Vaccine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Morten A; dos Santos Marques Resende, Mafalda; de Jongh, Willem A

2015-01-01

-functional antibodies, and furthermore influence the folding, stability and yield of expression. Candidate antigens from the pre-clinical development expressed in High-Five insect cells using the baculovirus expression vector system were transitioned into the Drosophila Schneider-2 cell (S2) expression-system compliant...... with clinical development. The functional capacity of antibodies against antigens expressed in High-Five cells or in S2 cells was equivalent. This enabled an extensive down-selection of S2 insect cell-expressed antigens primarily encompassing the minimal CSA-binding region of VAR2CSA. In general, we found...

Targeted scan of fifteen regions for nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate in Filipino families.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, R E; Cooper, M E; Daack-Hirsch, S; Shi, M; Nepomucena, B; Graf, K A; O'Brien, E K; O'Brien, S E; Marazita, M L; Murray, J C

2004-02-15

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is a congenital anomaly with variable birth prevalence based on geographic origins, with the highest rates commonly found in Asian populations. About 70% of cases are nonsyndromic (NS), in which the affected individual has no other abnormalities. NS CL/P is a complex disorder with genetic and environmental effects and no specific genetic loci yet confirmed. Fifteen candidate regions were examined for linkage to NS CL/P. Regions were chosen based on previous suggestive linkage and/or association in human families, or suggestive animal model data. Polymorphic markers in these regions were genotyped for analysis on 36 Filipino families comprised of 126 affected and 218 unaffected individuals. An additional 70 families with 149 affecteds were used for replication of suggestive results. Parametric (LOD score) and nonparametric (SIMIBD) linkage analyses were performed as well as transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) analysis. Five markers yielded suggestive results from the 36 families. The parametric LOD scores for the MSX1-CA and D4S1629 were >1.0 and the SIMIBD P values for D6S1029 and RFC1 are suggestive (value of 0.01 for TGFA was significant. Since the Msx1 mouse knockout has cleft palate and MSX1 mutations have been found in rare cases of syndromic CL/P, this locus is especially plausible for linkage. Previous studies have also found linkage of NS CL/P to 4q31 and 6p23. These regions contain several candidate genes, including AP2 at 6p23 and FGF2, BMPR1B, and MADH1 at 4q31. TGFA has both linkage and linkage disequilibrium data supporting it as a candidate gene for NS CL/P. While no region was definitively confirmed for linkage to NS CL/P, the data do support further investigation using larger sample sizes and candidate gene studies at 2p13.2, 4p16.2, 4q31, 6p23, and 16q22-24. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Differing patterns of selection and geospatial genetic diversity within two leading Plasmodium vivax candidate vaccine antigens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian M Parobek

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Although Plasmodium vivax is a leading cause of malaria around the world, only a handful of vivax antigens are being studied for vaccine development. Here, we investigated genetic signatures of selection and geospatial genetic diversity of two leading vivax vaccine antigens--Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (pvmsp-1 and Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein (pvcsp. Using scalable next-generation sequencing, we deep-sequenced amplicons of the 42 kDa region of pvmsp-1 (n = 44 and the complete gene of pvcsp (n = 47 from Cambodian isolates. These sequences were then compared with global parasite populations obtained from GenBank. Using a combination of statistical and phylogenetic methods to assess for selection and population structure, we found strong evidence of balancing selection in the 42 kDa region of pvmsp-1, which varied significantly over the length of the gene, consistent with immune-mediated selection. In pvcsp, the highly variable central repeat region also showed patterns consistent with immune selection, which were lacking outside the repeat. The patterns of selection seen in both genes differed from their P. falciparum orthologs. In addition, we found that, similar to merozoite antigens from P. falciparum malaria, genetic diversity of pvmsp-1 sequences showed no geographic clustering, while the non-merozoite antigen, pvcsp, showed strong geographic clustering. These findings suggest that while immune selection may act on both vivax vaccine candidate antigens, the geographic distribution of genetic variability differs greatly between these two genes. The selective forces driving this diversification could lead to antigen escape and vaccine failure. Better understanding the geographic distribution of genetic variability in vaccine candidate antigens will be key to designing and implementing efficacious vaccines.

Pulmonary rehabilitation in lung transplant candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Melinda; Mathur, Sunita; Chowdhury, Noori A; Helm, Denise; Singer, Lianne G

2013-06-01

While awaiting lung transplantation, candidates may participate in pulmonary rehabilitation to improve their fitness for surgery. However, pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes have not been systematically evaluated in lung transplant candidates. This investigation was a retrospective cohort study of 345 pre-transplant pulmonary rehabilitation participants who received a lung transplant between January 2004 and June 2009 and had available pre-transplant exercise data. Data extracted included: 6-minute walk tests at standard intervals; exercise training details; health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) measures; and early post-transplant outcomes. Paired t-tests were used to examine changes in the 6MW distance (6MWD), exercise training volume and HRQL during the pre-transplant period. We evaluated the association between pre-transplant 6MWD and transplant hospitalization outcomes. The final 6MWD prior to transplantation was only 15 m less than the listing 6MWD (n = 200; p = 0.002). Exercise training volumes increased slightly from the start of the pulmonary rehabilitation program until transplant: treadmill, increase 0.69 ml/kg/min (n = 238; p volumes are well preserved among lung transplant candidates participating in pulmonary rehabilitation, even in the setting of severe, progressive lung disease. Participants with greater exercise capacity prior to transplantation have more favorable early post-transplant outcomes. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proof of region-specific multipotent progenitors in human breast epithelia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fridriksdottir, Agla J; Villadsen, René; Morsing, Mikkel

2017-01-01

in luminal progenitors to interrogate the differentiation repertoire of candidate stem cells in TDLUs. We show that stem-like activity in serial passage culture and in vivo breast morphogenesis relies on the preservation of a myoepithelial phenotype. By enrichment for region-specific progenitors, we identify...

Candidate container materials for Yucca Mountain waste package designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCright, R.D.; Halsey, W.G.; Gdowski, G.E.; Clarke, W.L.

1991-09-01

Materials considered as candidates for fabricating nuclear waste containers are reviewed in the context of the Conceptual Design phase of a potential repository located at Yucca Mountain. A selection criteria has been written for evaluation of candidate materials for the next phase -- Advanced Conceptual Design. The selection criteria is based on the conceptual design of a thin-walled container fabricated from a single metal or alloy; the criteria consider the performance requirements on the container and the service environment in which the containers will be emplaced. A long list of candidate materials is evaluated against the criteria, and a short list of materials is proposed for advanced characterization in the next design phase

Pharmacology of biosimilar candidate drugs in rheumatology: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, F; Cordeiro, I; Teixeira, F; Gonçalves, J; Fonseca, J E

2014-01-01

To review current evidence concerning pharmacology of biosimilar candidates to be used in rheumatology. A PubMed search up to August 2013 was performed using relevant search terms to include all studies assessing pharmacological properties of biosimilar candidates to be used in rheumatology. Data on study characteristics, type of intervention, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and bioequivalence ratios was extracted. Of 280 articles screened, 5 fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Two trials, PLANETAS and PLANETRA, compared CT-P13 and infliximab in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis, respectively. PK bioequivalence was demonstrated in the phase 1 PLANETAS trial by highly comparable area under the curve (AUC) and maximum drug concentrations (Cmax), whose geometric mean ratios fell between the accepted bioequivalence range of 80-125%. Equivalence in efficacy and safety was demonstrated in the phase 3 PLANETRA trial. Two phase 1 trials comparing etanercept biosimilar candidates TuNEX and HD203 in healthy volunteers showed a high degree of similarity in AUC and Cmax, with respective geometric mean ratios between PK bioequivalence range. The last included trial referred to GP2013, a rituximab biosimilar candidate, which demonstrated PK and PD bioequivalence to reference product in three different dosing regimens in cynomolgus monkeys. Infliximab, etanercept and rituximab biosimilar candidates have demonstrated PK bioequivalence in the trials included in this review. CT-P13 has recently been approved for use in the European market and the remaining biosimilar candidates are currently being tested in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Integrative analysis to select cancer candidate biomarkers to targeted validation

Science.gov (United States)

Heberle, Henry; Domingues, Romênia R.; Granato, Daniela C.; Yokoo, Sami; Canevarolo, Rafael R.; Winck, Flavia V.; Ribeiro, Ana Carolina P.; Brandão, Thaís Bianca; Filgueiras, Paulo R.; Cruz, Karen S. P.; Barbuto, José Alexandre; Poppi, Ronei J.; Minghim, Rosane; Telles, Guilherme P.; Fonseca, Felipe Paiva; Fox, Jay W.; Santos-Silva, Alan R.; Coletta, Ricardo D.; Sherman, Nicholas E.; Paes Leme, Adriana F.

2015-01-01

Targeted proteomics has flourished as the method of choice for prospecting for and validating potential candidate biomarkers in many diseases. However, challenges still remain due to the lack of standardized routines that can prioritize a limited number of proteins to be further validated in human samples. To help researchers identify candidate biomarkers that best characterize their samples under study, a well-designed integrative analysis pipeline, comprising MS-based discovery, feature selection methods, clustering techniques, bioinformatic analyses and targeted approaches was performed using discovery-based proteomic data from the secretomes of three classes of human cell lines (carcinoma, melanoma and non-cancerous). Three feature selection algorithms, namely, Beta-binomial, Nearest Shrunken Centroids (NSC), and Support Vector Machine-Recursive Features Elimination (SVM-RFE), indicated a panel of 137 candidate biomarkers for carcinoma and 271 for melanoma, which were differentially abundant between the tumor classes. We further tested the strength of the pipeline in selecting candidate biomarkers by immunoblotting, human tissue microarrays, label-free targeted MS and functional experiments. In conclusion, the proposed integrative analysis was able to pre-qualify and prioritize candidate biomarkers from discovery-based proteomics to targeted MS. PMID:26540631

Emotional and Affective Temperaments in Smoking Candidates for Bariatric Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Mombach, Karin Daniele; de Souza Brito, Cesar Luis; Padoin, Alexandre Vontobel; Casagrande, Daniela Schaan; Mottin, Claudio Cora

2016-01-01

The prevalence of smoking habits in severe obesity is higher than in the general population. There is some evidence that smokers have different temperaments compared to non-smokers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the associations between smoking status (smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers) and temperament characteristics in bariatric surgery candidates. We analyzed data on temperament of 420 bariatric surgery candidates, as assessed by the AFECTS scale, in an exploratory cross-sectional survey of bariatric surgery candidates who have been grouped into smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers. We detected significant statistical differences in temperament related to the smoking status in this population after controlling the current use of psychiatric medication. Smokers had higher anxiety and lower control than non-smokers. Ex-smokers with BMI >50 kg/m(2) presented higher coping and control characteristics than smokers. Smoking in bariatric surgery candidates was associated with lower control and higher anxious temperament, when controlled by current use of psychiatric medication. Smokers with BMI >50 kg/m(2) presented lower coping and control than ex-smokers. Assessment of temperament in bariatric surgery candidates may help in decisions about smoking cessation treatment and prevention of smoking relapse after surgery.