Next-Generation Sequencing of Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinomas.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniel, Andrew S; Stall, Jennifer N; Hovelson, Daniel H; Cani, Andi K; Liu, Chia-Jen; Tomlins, Scott A; Cho, Kathleen R

2015-11-01

High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most prevalent and lethal form of ovarian cancer. HGSCs frequently arise in the distal fallopian tubes rather than the ovary, developing from small precursor lesions called serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (TICs, or more specifically, STICs). While STICs have been reported to harbor TP53 mutations, detailed molecular characterizations of these lesions are lacking. We performed targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from 4 women, 2 with HGSC and 2 with uterine endometrioid carcinoma (UEC) who were diagnosed as having synchronous STICs. We detected concordant mutations in both HGSCs with synchronous STICs, including TP53 mutations as well as assumed germline BRCA1/2 alterations, confirming a clonal association between these lesions. Next-generation sequencing confirmed the presence of a STIC clonally unrelated to 1 case of UEC, and NGS of the other tubal lesion diagnosed as a STIC unexpectedly supported the lesion as a micrometastasis from the associated UEC. We demonstrate that targeted NGS can identify genetic alterations in minute lesions, such as TICs, and confirm TP53 mutations as early driving events for HGSC. Next-generation sequencing also demonstrated unexpected associations between presumed STICs and synchronous carcinomas, providing evidence that some TICs are actually metastases rather than HGSC precursors.

Unexpected allergic reactions to food, a prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Michelsen-Huisman, A.D.; Os-Medendorp, H. van; Versluis, A.; Kruizinga, A.G.; Castenmiller, J.J.M.; Noteborn, H.P.J.M.; Houben, G.F.; Knulst, A.C.

2013-01-01

Unexpected reactions occur in patients with food allergy, but frequency data are scare. This prospective study investigates the frequency, severity and causes of unexpected allergic reactions to food in adults with a doctor's diagnosed food allergy. Participants complete an online questionnaire

Small RNA sequence analysis of adenovirus VA RNA-derived miRNAs reveals an unexpected serotype-specific difference in structure and abundance.

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Wael Kamel

Full Text Available Human adenoviruses (HAds encode for one or two highly abundant virus-associated RNAs, designated VA RNAI and VA RNAII, which fold into stable hairpin structures resembling miRNA precursors. Here we show that the terminal stem of the VA RNAs originating from Ad4, Ad5, Ad11 and Ad37, all undergo Dicer dependent processing into virus-specific miRNAs (so-called mivaRNAs. We further show that the mivaRNA duplex is subjected to a highly asymmetric RISC loading with the 3'-strand from all VA RNAs being the favored strand, except for the Ad37 VA RNAII, where the 5'-mivaRNAII strand was preferentially assembled into RISC. Although the mivaRNA seed sequences are not fully conserved between the HAds a bioinformatics prediction approach suggests that a large fraction of the VA RNAII-, but not the VA RNAI-derived mivaRNAs still are able to target the same cellular genes. Using small RNA deep sequencing we demonstrate that the Dicer processing event in the terminal stem of the VA RNAs is not unique and generates 3'-mivaRNAs with a slight variation of the position of the 5' terminal nucleotide in the RISC loaded guide strand. Also, we show that all analyzed VA RNAs, except Ad37 VA RNAI and Ad5 VA RNAII, utilize an alternative upstream A start site in addition to the classical +1 G start site. Further, the 5'-mivaRNAs with an A start appears to be preferentially incorporated into RISC. Although the majority of mivaRNA research has been done using Ad5 as the model system our analysis demonstrates that the mivaRNAs expressed in Ad11- and Ad37-infected cells are the most abundant mivaRNAs associated with Ago2-containing RISC. Collectively, our results show an unexpected variability in Dicer processing of the VA RNAs and a serotype-specific loading of mivaRNAs into Ago2-based RISC.

A new unexpected feature of superdeformed nuclei: strange degeneracies and their origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudek, J.

1990-01-01

Unexpected similarities between the superdeformed bands found recently in many nuclei of the mass A ∼ 150 and A ∼ 190 regions and the physical sense of this discovery are discussed. These similarities manifest themselves through the existence of nearly identical sequences of transitions belonging to two neighboring nuclei, and by now numerous nuclear pairs manifesting this feature have been found. The underlying microscopic mechanism is traced back to two independent effects: a readjustment of nuclear deformation diminishing the role of alignment of the least bound nucleus, and, the pseudospin symmetry, responsible for an approximate decoupling of the orbital and the intrinsic (pseudo) spin-degrees of freedom. 9 figs

An unexpected pulmonary bystander

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wouthuyzen-Bakker, M.; Vorm, van der P. A.; Koning, K. J.; van der Werf, T. S.

A 30-year-old man from Eritrea was admitted with a pulmonary bacterial abscess. Unexpectedly, histopathology of the resected lobe also revealed an infection with Schistosoma mansoni with surrounding granulomatous tissue and fibrosis. Patients from endemic areas are often asymptomatic with blood

Unexpected pathological findings after laparoscopic cholecystectomy - analysis of 1131 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartosiak, Katarzyna; Liszka, Maciej; Drazba, Tomasz; Paśnik, Krzysztof; Janik, Michal R

2018-03-01

Gallbladder specimens are routinely sent for histopathological examination after cholecystectomy in order to rule out the presence of unexpected pathological findings. To establish the overall incidence of unexpected pathological findings in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallbladder disease and determine whether the macroscopic appearance of the gallbladder in ultrasound examination could be a valid method for identifying patients with gallbladder malignancy. A retrospective study was conducted between 2013 and 2015. All histological reports (n = 1131) after cholecystectomy were searched for unexpected pathological findings. In cases where unexpected pathological findings were identified the additional analysis of preoperative abdominal ultrasound examination (USG) was done to determine the usefulness of USG in diagnosis of gallbladder malignancy. Of the 1131 patients included in the study, 356 (31.47%) were male and 774 (68.43%) were female. Unexpected pathological findings were present in 21 cases. The overall incidence of unexpected pathological findings was 1.86%. Only in 5 patients were suspicious appearances of gallbladder observed in preoperative ultrasound examination. In 16 patients there was no suspicion of malignancy. The positive predictive value of USG was 0.238. The incidence of unexpected pathological findings after laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 1.86%. Ultrasonography has low positive predictive value for identifying patients with malignant findings in a gallbladder specimen.

42 CFR 493.861 - Standard; Unexpected antibody detection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Unexpected antibody detection. 493.861 Section 493.861 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN..., Or Any Combination of These Tests § 493.861 Standard; Unexpected antibody detection. (a) Failure to...

Training to handle unexpected events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamlin, K.W.

1987-01-01

The importance of conducting hands-on training to deal with complex situations is well recognized. Since most utilities now own or have ordered their own control room simulators, access to simulator training facilities has improved greatly. Most utilities now have a control room shift rotation that includes a dedicated training shift. The opportunities for practicing operational control over unexpected and off-normal events are just beginning to be recognized. Areas that are being enhanced include teamwork training, diagnostics training, expanded simulator training programs, improvements in simulator instructor training, emergency procedures training, and training on the use of probabilistic risk assessment studies. All these efforts are aimed at the goal of improving the plant staff's ability to cope with unexpected and off-normal events

Identification of parasitic communities within European ticks using next-generation sequencing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Bonnet

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Risk assessment of tick-borne and zoonotic disease emergence necessitates sound knowledge of the particular microorganisms circulating within the communities of these major vectors. Assessment of pathogens carried by wild ticks must be performed without a priori, to allow for the detection of new or unexpected agents.We evaluated the potential of Next-Generation Sequencing techniques (NGS to produce an inventory of parasites carried by questing ticks. Sequences corresponding to parasites from two distinct genera were recovered in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in Eastern France: Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. Four Babesia species were identified, three of which were zoonotic: B. divergens, Babesia sp. EU1 and B. microti; and one which infects cattle, B. major. This is the first time that these last two species have been identified in France. This approach also identified new sequences corresponding to as-yet unknown organisms similar to tropical Theileria species.Our findings demonstrate the capability of NGS to produce an inventory of live tick-borne parasites, which could potentially be transmitted by the ticks, and uncovers unexpected parasites in Western Europe.

Unexpected inheritance: multiple integrations of ancient bornavirus and ebolavirus/marburgvirus sequences in vertebrate genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Belyi, Vladimir A; Levine, Arnold J; Skalka, Anna Marie

2010-07-29

Vertebrate genomes contain numerous copies of retroviral sequences, acquired over the course of evolution. Until recently they were thought to be the only type of RNA viruses to be so represented, because integration of a DNA copy of their genome is required for their replication. In this study, an extensive sequence comparison was conducted in which 5,666 viral genes from all known non-retroviral families with single-stranded RNA genomes were matched against the germline genomes of 48 vertebrate species, to determine if such viruses could also contribute to the vertebrate genetic heritage. In 19 of the tested vertebrate species, we discovered as many as 80 high-confidence examples of genomic DNA sequences that appear to be derived, as long ago as 40 million years, from ancestral members of 4 currently circulating virus families with single strand RNA genomes. Surprisingly, almost all of the sequences are related to only two families in the Order Mononegavirales: the Bornaviruses and the Filoviruses, which cause lethal neurological disease and hemorrhagic fevers, respectively. Based on signature landmarks some, and perhaps all, of the endogenous virus-like DNA sequences appear to be LINE element-facilitated integrations derived from viral mRNAs. The integrations represent genes that encode viral nucleocapsid, RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase, matrix and, possibly, glycoproteins. Integrations are generally limited to one or very few copies of a related viral gene per species, suggesting that once the initial germline integration was obtained (or selected), later integrations failed or provided little advantage to the host. The conservation of relatively long open reading frames for several of the endogenous sequences, the virus-like protein regions represented, and a potential correlation between their presence and a species' resistance to the diseases caused by these pathogens, are consistent with the notion that their products provide some important biological

Unexpected inheritance: multiple integrations of ancient bornavirus and ebolavirus/marburgvirus sequences in vertebrate genomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir A Belyi

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Vertebrate genomes contain numerous copies of retroviral sequences, acquired over the course of evolution. Until recently they were thought to be the only type of RNA viruses to be so represented, because integration of a DNA copy of their genome is required for their replication. In this study, an extensive sequence comparison was conducted in which 5,666 viral genes from all known non-retroviral families with single-stranded RNA genomes were matched against the germline genomes of 48 vertebrate species, to determine if such viruses could also contribute to the vertebrate genetic heritage. In 19 of the tested vertebrate species, we discovered as many as 80 high-confidence examples of genomic DNA sequences that appear to be derived, as long ago as 40 million years, from ancestral members of 4 currently circulating virus families with single strand RNA genomes. Surprisingly, almost all of the sequences are related to only two families in the Order Mononegavirales: the Bornaviruses and the Filoviruses, which cause lethal neurological disease and hemorrhagic fevers, respectively. Based on signature landmarks some, and perhaps all, of the endogenous virus-like DNA sequences appear to be LINE element-facilitated integrations derived from viral mRNAs. The integrations represent genes that encode viral nucleocapsid, RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase, matrix and, possibly, glycoproteins. Integrations are generally limited to one or very few copies of a related viral gene per species, suggesting that once the initial germline integration was obtained (or selected, later integrations failed or provided little advantage to the host. The conservation of relatively long open reading frames for several of the endogenous sequences, the virus-like protein regions represented, and a potential correlation between their presence and a species' resistance to the diseases caused by these pathogens, are consistent with the notion that their products provide some important

Unexpected observations of muons from Cygnus X-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elbert, J.W.

1986-01-01

One surface experiment (Kiel) and two underground experiments (Soudan and Mt. Blanc) have detected unexpectedly large fluxes of cosmic ray muons from the approximate direction of Cygnus X-3, with signals showing the precise period of the system. The muon signals cannot be produced by any known type of elementary particle unless unexpected processes are involved

A single sequence context cannot satisfy all non-AUG initiator codons in yeast†

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Tzu-Ling

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed that ALA1 (encoding alanyl-tRNA synthetase and GRS1 (encoding glycyl-tRNA synthetase respectively use ACG and TTG as their alternative translation initiator codons. To explore if any other non-ATG triplets can act as initiator codons in yeast, ALA1 was used as a reporter for screening. Results We show herein that except for AAG and AGG, all triplets that differ from ATG by a single nucleotide were able to serve as initiator codons in ALA1. Among these initiator codons, TTG, CTG, ACG, and ATT had ~50% initiating activities relative to that of ATG, while GTG, ATA, and ATC had ~20% initiating activities relative to that of ATG. Unexpectedly, these non-AUG initiator codons exhibited different preferences toward various sequence contexts. In particular, GTG was one of the most efficient non-ATG initiator codons, while ATA was essentially inactive in the context of GRS1. Conclusion This finding indicates that a sequence context that is favorable for a given non-ATG initiator codon might not be as favorable for another.

Unexpected observations after mapping LongSAGE tags to the human genome

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Duret Laurent

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background SAGE has been used widely to study the expression of known transcripts, but much less to annotate new transcribed regions. LongSAGE produces tags that are sufficiently long to be reliably mapped to a whole-genome sequence. Here we used this property to study the position of human LongSAGE tags obtained from all public libraries. We focused mainly on tags that do not map to known transcripts. Results Using a published error rate in SAGE libraries, we first removed the tags likely to result from sequencing errors. We then observed that an unexpectedly large number of the remaining tags still did not match the genome sequence. Some of these correspond to parts of human mRNAs, such as polyA tails, junctions between two exons and polymorphic regions of transcripts. Another non-negligible proportion can be attributed to contamination by murine transcripts and to residual sequencing errors. After filtering out our data with these screens to ensure that our dataset is highly reliable, we studied the tags that map once to the genome. 31% of these tags correspond to unannotated transcripts. The others map to known transcribed regions, but many of them (nearly half are located either in antisense or in new variants of these known transcripts. Conclusion We performed a comprehensive study of all publicly available human LongSAGE tags, and carefully verified the reliability of these data. We found the potential origin of many tags that did not match the human genome sequence. The properties of the remaining tags imply that the level of sequencing error may have been under-estimated. The frequency of tags matching once the genome sequence but not in an annotated exon suggests that the human transcriptome is much more complex than shown by the current human genome annotations, with many new splicing variants and antisense transcripts. SAGE data is appropriate to map new transcripts to the genome, as demonstrated by the high rate of cross

Cognitive Readiness: Preparing for the Unexpected

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fletcher, J. D

2004-01-01

.... Anticipated operational requirements can be decomposed into specific tasks, conditions, and standards, but how should individuals, teams, and units prepare for the unexpected, which, by definition...

77 FR 21389 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-10

... April 3, 2012 Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the... 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (the ``Act''), as amended, (22 U.S.C... United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund, for the purpose of meeting unexpected and...

Unexpectedly large charge radii of neutron-rich calcium isotopes

CERN Document Server

Garcia Ruiz, R F; Blaum, K; Ekström, A; Frömmgen, N; Hagen, G; Hammen, M; Hebeler, K; Holt, J D; Jansen, G R; Kowalska, M; Kreim, K; Nazarewicz, W; Neugart, R; Neyens, G; Nörtershäuser, W; Papenbrock, T; Papuga, J; Schwenk, A; Simonis, J; Wendt, K A; Yordanov, D T

2016-01-01

Despite being a complex many-body system, the atomic nucleus exhibits simple structures for certain ‘magic’ numbers of protons and neutrons. The calcium chain in particular is both unique and puzzling: evidence of doubly magic features are known in 40,48Ca, and recently suggested in two radioactive isotopes, 52,54Ca. Although many properties of experimentally known calcium isotopes have been successfully described by nuclear theory, it is still a challenge to predict the evolution of their charge radii. Here we present the first measurements of the charge radii of 49,51,52Ca, obtained from laser spectroscopy experiments at ISOLDE, CERN. The experimental results are complemented by state-of-the-art theoretical calculations. The large and unexpected increase of the size of the neutron-rich calcium isotopes beyond N = 28 challenges the doubly magic nature of 52Ca and opens new intriguing questions on the evolution of nuclear sizes away from stability, which are of importance for our understanding of neutron-...

Unexpected DNA affinity and sequence selectivity through core rigidity in guanidinium-based minor groove binders.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagle, Padraic S; McKeever, Caitriona; Rodriguez, Fernando; Nguyen, Binh; Wilson, W David; Rozas, Isabel

2014-09-25

In this paper we report the design and biophysical evaluation of novel rigid-core symmetric and asymmetric dicationic DNA binders containing 9H-fluorene and 9,10-dihydroanthracene cores as well as the synthesis of one of these fluorene derivatives. First, the affinity toward particular DNA sequences of these compounds and flexible core derivatives was evaluated by means of surface plasmon resonance and thermal denaturation experiments finding that the position of the cations significantly influence the binding strength. Then their affinity and mode of binding were further studied by performing circular dichroism and UV studies and the results obtained were rationalized by means of DFT calculations. We found that the fluorene derivatives prepared have the ability to bind to the minor groove of certain DNA sequences and intercalate to others, whereas the dihydroanthracene compounds bind via intercalation to all the DNA sequences studied here.

Cannibalistic-morph Tiger Salamanders in unexpected ecological contexts

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, Kyle I.; Stockwell, Craig A.; Mushet, David M.

2016-01-01

Barred tiger salamanders [Ambystoma mavortium (Baird, 1850)] exhibit two trophic morphologies; a typical and a cannibalistic morph. Cannibalistic morphs, distinguished by enlarged vomerine teeth, wide heads, slender bodies, and cannibalistic tendencies, are often found where conspecifics occur at high density. During 2012 and 2013, 162 North Dakota wetlands and lakes were sampled for salamanders. Fifty-one contained A. mavortium populations; four of these contained cannibalistic morph individuals. Two populations with cannibalistic morphs occurred at sites with high abundances of conspecifics. However, the other two populations occurred at sites with unexpectedly low conspecific but high fathead minnow [Pimephales promelas (Rafinesque, 1820)] abundances. Further, no typical morphs were observed in either of these later two populations, contrasting with earlier research suggesting cannibalistic morphs only occur at low frequencies in salamander populations. Another anomaly of all four populations was the occurrence of cannibalistic morphs in permanent water sites, suggesting their presence was due to factors other than faster growth allowing them to occupy ephemeral habitats. Therefore, our findings suggest environmental factors inducing the cannibalistic morphism may be more complex than previously thought.

Applications of Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies to Diagnostic Virology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgio Palù

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Novel DNA sequencing techniques, referred to as “next-generation” sequencing (NGS, provide high speed and throughput that can produce an enormous volume of sequences with many possible applications in research and diagnostic settings. In this article, we provide an overview of the many applications of NGS in diagnostic virology. NGS techniques have been used for high-throughput whole viral genome sequencing, such as sequencing of new influenza viruses, for detection of viral genome variability and evolution within the host, such as investigation of human immunodeficiency virus and human hepatitis C virus quasispecies, and monitoring of low-abundance antiviral drug-resistance mutations. NGS techniques have been applied to metagenomics-based strategies for the detection of unexpected disease-associated viruses and for the discovery of novel human viruses, including cancer-related viruses. Finally, the human virome in healthy and disease conditions has been described by NGS-based metagenomics.

The double main sequence of Omega Centauri

Science.gov (United States)

Bedin, L. R.; Piotto, G.; Anderson, J.; King, I. R.; Cassisi, S.; Momany, Y.

Recent, high precision photometry of Omega Centauri, the biggest Galactic globular cluster, has been obtained with Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The color magnitude diagram reveals an unexpected bifurcation of colors in the main sequence (MS). The newly found double MS, the multiple turnoffs and subgiant branches, and other sequences discovered in the past along the red giant branch of this cluster add up to a fascinating but frustrating puzzle. Among the possible explanations for the blue main sequence an anomalous overabundance of helium is suggested. The hypothesis will be tested with a set of FLAMES@VLT data we have recently obtained (ESO DDT program), and with forthcoming ACS@HST images. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

[Development of the unexpected reality scale for childcare training].

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuda, Yuko; Shitara, Saeko; Hamada, Shoko

2016-10-01

This study aimed to develop a scale for unexpected reality for childcare training (Study 1) and examine the change and influence it exerts on the efficacy of preschool teachers (Study 2). In Study 1, the sample consisted of 571 university and junior college students enrolled in a childcare course. After exploratory factor analysis, four factors were extracted: “actual feelings for childcare as a field of study,” “difficulties faced during involvement with children,” “negative aspects of the childcare worker,” and “severity of work.” The study’s scale was shown to be internally consistent and valid. In Study 2, the sample consisted of 122 junior college students enrolled in a childcare course. The results showed that the high-scoring groups of each unexpected reality subscales experienced less unexpected reality in the subsequent training session. Moreover, the results of multiple regression showed that preschool teacher efficacy was predicted positively by “actual feelings for childcare as a field of study” and negatively by “difficulties faced during involvement with children.” Thus, we suggest that for effective pre- and post-guidance of childcare training, unexpected realities should be considered.

cis sequence effects on gene expression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacobs Kevin

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sequence and transcriptional variability within and between individuals are typically studied independently. The joint analysis of sequence and gene expression variation (genetical genomics provides insight into the role of linked sequence variation in the regulation of gene expression. We investigated the role of sequence variation in cis on gene expression (cis sequence effects in a group of genes commonly studied in cancer research in lymphoblastoid cell lines. We estimated the proportion of genes exhibiting cis sequence effects and the proportion of gene expression variation explained by cis sequence effects using three different analytical approaches, and compared our results to the literature. Results We generated gene expression profiling data at N = 697 candidate genes from N = 30 lymphoblastoid cell lines for this study and used available candidate gene resequencing data at N = 552 candidate genes to identify N = 30 candidate genes with sufficient variance in both datasets for the investigation of cis sequence effects. We used two additive models and the haplotype phylogeny scanning approach of Templeton (Tree Scanning to evaluate association between individual SNPs, all SNPs at a gene, and diplotypes, with log-transformed gene expression. SNPs and diplotypes at eight candidate genes exhibited statistically significant (p cis sequence effects in our study, respectively. Conclusion Based on analysis of our results and the extant literature, one in four genes exhibits significant cis sequence effects, and for these genes, about 30% of gene expression variation is accounted for by cis sequence variation. Despite diverse experimental approaches, the presence or absence of significant cis sequence effects is largely supported by previously published studies.

Structural imaging biomarkers of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wandschneider, Britta; Koepp, Matthias; Scott, Catherine; Micallef, Caroline; Balestrini, Simona; Sisodiya, Sanjay M; Thom, Maria; Harper, Ronald M; Sander, Josemir W; Vos, Sjoerd B; Duncan, John S; Lhatoo, Samden; Diehl, Beate

2015-10-01

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is a major cause of premature death in people with epilepsy. We aimed to assess whether structural changes potentially attributable to sudden death pathogenesis were present on magnetic resonance imaging in people who subsequently died of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. In a retrospective, voxel-based analysis of T1 volume scans, we compared grey matter volumes in 12 cases of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (two definite, 10 probable; eight males), acquired 2 years [median, interquartile range (IQR) 2.8] before death [median (IQR) age at scanning 33.5 (22) years], with 34 people at high risk [age 30.5 (12); 19 males], 19 at low risk [age 30 (7.5); 12 males] of sudden death, and 15 healthy controls [age 37 (16); seven males]. At-risk subjects were defined based on risk factors of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy identified in a recent combined risk factor analysis. We identified increased grey matter volume in the right anterior hippocampus/amygdala and parahippocampus in sudden death cases and people at high risk, when compared to those at low risk and controls. Compared to controls, posterior thalamic grey matter volume, an area mediating oxygen regulation, was reduced in cases of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and subjects at high risk. The extent of reduction correlated with disease duration in all subjects with epilepsy. Increased amygdalo-hippocampal grey matter volume with right-sided changes is consistent with histo-pathological findings reported in sudden infant death syndrome. We speculate that the right-sided predominance reflects asymmetric central influences on autonomic outflow, contributing to cardiac arrhythmia. Pulvinar damage may impair hypoxia regulation. The imaging findings in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and people at high risk may be useful as a biomarker for risk-stratification in future studies. The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of

Unexpected allelic heterogeneity and spectrum of mutations in Fowler syndrome revealed by next-generation exome sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lalonde, Emilie; Albrecht, Steffen; Ha, Kevin C H; Jacob, Karine; Bolduc, Nathalie; Polychronakos, Constantin; Dechelotte, Pierre; Majewski, Jacek; Jabado, Nada

2010-08-01

Protein coding genes constitute approximately 1% of the human genome but harbor 85% of the mutations with large effects on disease-related traits. Therefore, efficient strategies for selectively sequencing complete coding regions (i.e., "whole exome") have the potential to contribute our understanding of human diseases. We used a method for whole-exome sequencing coupling Agilent whole-exome capture to the Illumina DNA-sequencing platform, and investigated two unrelated fetuses from nonconsanguineous families with Fowler Syndrome (FS), a stereotyped phenotype lethal disease. We report novel germline mutations in feline leukemia virus subgroup C cellular-receptor-family member 2, FLVCR2, which has recently been shown to cause FS. Using this technology, we identified three types of genetic abnormalities: point-mutations, insertions-deletions, and intronic splice-site changes (first pathogenic report using this technology), in the fetuses who both were compound heterozygotes for the disease. Although revealing a high level of allelic heterogeneity and mutational spectrum in FS, this study further illustrates the successful application of whole-exome sequencing to uncover genetic defects in rare Mendelian disorders. Of importance, we show that we can identify genes underlying rare, monogenic and recessive diseases using a limited number of patients (n=2), in the absence of shared genetic heritage and in the presence of allelic heterogeneity.

Unexpected marked seizure improvement in paediatric epilepsy surgery candidates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoei-Hansen, Christina E; Mathiasen, René; Uldall, Peter

2017-01-01

PURPOSE: Epilepsy surgery is performed based on the assumption that medical refractory epilepsy will continue. Rarely seizure freedom occurs before surgery is performed, while the patient is being evaluated as an epilepsy surgery candidate. The aim of this study was to describe the number...... of children withdrawn from an epilepsy surgery programme due to unexpected seizure improvement. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 173 children under 18 years with medical refractory epilepsy referred for epilepsy surgery between 1996 and 2010. Medical records were reviewed in 2012 and 2015. RESULTS......: At the first evaluation point in 2012, 13 patients were withdrawn from the epilepsy surgery programme due to unexpected marked improvement. In 2015, 6 of them were still seizure free. They had unexpected seizure freedom due to change in AED treatment (n=3) or after a febrile episode (n=3). The mean number...

Unexpected Translations in Urban Policy Mobility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zapata, Patrik; Zapata Campos, Maria José

2015-01-01

such as prototypes in order to travel. It was made mobile via relational sites or situations providing safe and accessible connections with Chureca residents. Paradoxically, these places also allowed extraordinary connections between actors located in different scales and spaces, facilitating unexpected local...

Unexpected Translations in Urban Policy Mobility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zapata, Patrik; Zapata Campos, Maria José

such as prototypes in order to travel. It was made mobile via relational sites or situations providing safe and accessible connections with Chureca residents. Paradoxically, these places also allowed extraordinary connections between actors located in different scales and spaces, facilitating unexpected local...

Expected and unexpected features in soil chronosequences in SE-Norway: Podzolization in Albeluvisols and Lessivage in Podzols

Science.gov (United States)

Sauer, D.; Schülli-Maurer, I.; Sperstad, R.; Sørensen, R.; Stahr, K.

2009-04-01

boundary stayed around 40 cm for more than 10,000 years. Albeluvic tongues developed between 4,600 and 6,200 years. Initially, they formed along intersections of cracks. As preferential flow and leaching along the cracks continued, the tongues increased in length and width, progressively consuming the prisms between the cracks in the upper Bt horizon. The two oldest soils of each sequence (VF7.3 and VF9 in Vestfold, and ØF8 and ØF11 in Østfold) were typical Albeluvisols with clay coatings in the Bt horizons and well expressed albeluvic tonguing. Iron-manganese nodules in the E horizons and gray ped surfaces and mottled ped interior in the Bt horizons indicated temporary water stagnation in these soils. Six pedons in sandy beach deposits with ages ranging from 2,300 to 9,650 years were studied in Vestfold. The youngest soil showed no evidence of podzolization, while slight lightening of the A horizon of the second soil (3,800 years) indicated initial leaching of organic matter. In the 4,300 years old soil also iron and humus accumulation in the B horizon were perceptible, but only the 6,600 years and older soils exhibited spodic horizons and were thus classified as Podzols. Expected and unexpected features During Albeluvisol development, the upper part of the E horizon turned brown, as soon as it became too acid for further clay mobilization, while weathering and brunification continued. Further acidification led to initial podzolization, provided enough time and presence of vegetation producing hard-to-decompose litter. The oldest soil of each Albeluvisol sequence, i. e. the 9,000 year-old soil in Vestfold and the 11,050 year-old soil in Østfold, showed initial podzolization in the A horizon and upper part of the former E horizon. However, the 6,550 year-old soil in Østfold also exhibited already initial podzolization. All three soils showing podzolization were under coniferous forest, in contrast to the other soils of the sequence that were under mixed forest. The

Experimental and Computational Study of an Unexpected Iron-Catalyzed Carboetherification by Cooperative Metal and Ligand Substrate Interaction and Proton Shuttling

KAUST Repository

El-Sepelgy, Osama; Brzozowska, Aleksandra; Azofra, Luis Miguel; Jang, Yoon Kyung; Cavallo, Luigi; Rueping, Magnus

2017-01-01

An iron-catalyzed cycloisomerization of allenols to deoxygenated pyranose glycals has been developed. Combined experimental and computational studies show that the iron complex exhibits a dual catalytic role in that the non-innocent cyclopentadienone ligand acts as proton shuttle by initial hydrogen abstraction from the alcohol and by facilitating protonation and deprotonation events in the isomerization and demetalation steps. Molecular orbital analysis provides insight into the unexpected and selective formation of the 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran.

Experimental and Computational Study of an Unexpected Iron-Catalyzed Carboetherification by Cooperative Metal and Ligand Substrate Interaction and Proton Shuttling

KAUST Repository

El-Sepelgy, Osama

2017-09-26

An iron-catalyzed cycloisomerization of allenols to deoxygenated pyranose glycals has been developed. Combined experimental and computational studies show that the iron complex exhibits a dual catalytic role in that the non-innocent cyclopentadienone ligand acts as proton shuttle by initial hydrogen abstraction from the alcohol and by facilitating protonation and deprotonation events in the isomerization and demetalation steps. Molecular orbital analysis provides insight into the unexpected and selective formation of the 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran.

Unexpected Expectations The Curiosities of a Mathematical Crystal Ball

CERN Document Server

Wapner, Leonard M

2012-01-01

Unexpected Expectations: The Curiosities of a Mathematical Crystal Ball explores how paradoxical challenges involving mathematical expectation often necessitate a reexamination of basic premises. The author takes you through mathematical paradoxes associated with seemingly straightforward applications of mathematical expectation and shows how these unexpected contradictions may push you to reconsider the legitimacy of the applications. The book requires only an understanding of basic algebraic operations and includes supplemental mathematical background in chapter appendices. After a history o

Unexpected findings and promoting monocausal claims, a cautionary tale.

Science.gov (United States)

Copeland, Samantha Marie

2017-10-01

Stories of serendipitous discoveries in medicine incorrectly imply that the path from an unexpected observation to major discovery is straightforward or guaranteed. In this paper, I examine a case from the field of research about chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In Norway, an unexpected positive result during clinical care has led to the development of a research programme into the potential for the immunosuppressant drug rituximab to relieve the symptoms of CFS. The media and public have taken up researchers' speculations that their research results indicate a causal mechanism for CFS - consequently, patients now have great hope that 'the cause' of CFS has been found, and thus, a cure is sure to follow. I argue that a monocausal claim cannot be correctly asserted, either on the basis of the single case of an unexpected, although positive, result or on the basis of the empirical research that has followed up on that result. Further, assertion and promotion of this claim will have specific harmful effects: it threatens to inappropriately narrow the scope of research on CFS, might misdirect research altogether, and could directly and indirectly harm patients. Therefore, the CFS case presents a cautionary tale, illustrating the risks involved in drawing a theoretical hypothesis from an unexpected observation. Further, I draw attention to the tendency in contemporary clinical research with CFS to promote new research directions on the basis of reductive causal models of that syndrome. Particularly, in the case of CFS research, underdetermination and causal complexity undermine the potential value of a monocausal claim. In sum, when an unexpected finding occurs in clinical practice or medical research, the value of following up on that finding is to be found not in the projected value of a singular causal relationship inferred from the finding but rather in the process of research that follows. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An investigation into the causes of unexpected intra-operative transoesophageal echocardiography findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, H J; Mahmoud, A; Uddin, A; Mathew, T

2012-04-01

There is uncertainty regarding echocardiography before cardiac surgery, especially with regard to timing and disease progression as well as potential errors. We investigated the causes of unexpected intra-operative transoesophageal echocardiography findings by performing a 33-month audit. We found that there were 50/797 (6%) unexpected findings that led to an alteration in surgical strategy in 34 (4%) patients. Of the unexpected findings, 25 (50%) were unrelated to pre-operative pathology. After reviewing pre-operative studies and reports, unexpected findings were found to be due to: reporting errors in 20 patients (44%); limitations in transthoracic compared to transoesophageal echocardiography in 14 patients (30%); disease progression in 10 patients (22%); and inter-observer variability in two patients (4%). We identified six reports out of 797 (0.8%) that contained potentially serious errors. Surgical management changed in 18/20 (90%) patients in whom the unexpected change was due to reporting error, compared to 16/30 (53%) patients whose pre-operative echocardiogram was correctly reported (p = 0.006). Our study suggests that pre-operative echocardiography reporting errors are common and important. Anaesthesia © 2012 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

Unexpected Coexisting Myocardial Infarction Detected by Delayed Enhancement MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edouard Gerbaud

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We report a case of an unexpected coexisting anterior myocardial infarction detected by delayed enhancement MRI in a 41-year-old man following a presentation with a first episode of chest pain during inferior acute myocardial infarction. This second necrotic area was not initially suspected because there were no ECG changes in the anterior leads and the left descending coronary artery did not present any significant stenoses on emergency coronary angiography. Unrecognised myocardial infarction may carry important prognostic implications. CMR is currently the best imaging technique to detect unexpected infarcts.

The accrual anomaly - focus on changes in specific unexpected accruals results in new evidence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schøler, Finn

are specifically analyzed, namely the unexpected inventory accrual component and the unexpected accounts receivable accrual component, i.e. changes in accruals not motivated by corresponding changes in company activity-level. Additionally and for comparison, the accounting accruals are split into expected...... and unexpected accruals, estimated by the extended Jones model like in both some US-analyses and some international studies of the accrual anomaly phenomenon. It is found that the persistence of earnings is decreasing in the magnitude of the unexpected accrual components of earnings and that the persistence...... of current earnings performance is particularly decreasing in the magnitude of unexpected changes in inventory. The special accrual parts are related to the perceptions of earnings persistence implicit in the market prices, and it is found that the differences in earnings persistence are not rationally...

Unexpected MRI findings in clinically suspected Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lobert, Philip F.; Dillman, Jonathan R.; Strouse, Peter J.; Hernandez, Ramiro J. [University of Michigan Health System, Department of Radiology, Section of Pediatric Radiology, C.S. Mott Children' s Hospital/F3503, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2011-03-15

In the setting of clinically suspected Legg-Calve-Perthes (LCP) disease and negative/equivocal radiographs, contrast-enhanced MRI can be performed to confirm the diagnosis. To determine the frequency of unexpected causes of hip pain as identified by MRI in children with clinically suspected LCP disease and negative/equivocal radiographs. All pediatric contrast-enhanced MRI examinations of the pelvis and hips performed between January 2000 and February 2009 to evaluate for possible LCP disease in the setting of negative/equivocal radiographs were identified. MRI examinations performed to evaluate for secondary avascular necrosis were excluded. Imaging reports were retrospectively reviewed for unexpected clinically important causes of hip pain. Thirty-six pediatric patients underwent contrast-enhanced MRI examinations for clinically suspected LCP disease in the setting of negative/equivocal radiographs. Twenty-two (61%) imaging studies were normal, while four (11%) imaging studies demonstrated findings consistent with LCP disease. Ten (28%) imaging studies revealed unexpected clinically important causes of hip pain, including nonspecific unilateral joint effusion and synovitis (n = 7, juvenile chronic arthritis was eventually diagnosed in 3 patients), sacral fracture (n = 1), apophyseal injury (n = 1), and femoral head subluxation (n = 1). MRI frequently reveals unexpected clinically important causes of hip pain in children with suspected LCP disease and negative/equivocal radiographs. (orig.)

Nonparametric combinatorial sequence models.

Science.gov (United States)

Wauthier, Fabian L; Jordan, Michael I; Jojic, Nebojsa

2011-11-01

This work considers biological sequences that exhibit combinatorial structures in their composition: groups of positions of the aligned sequences are "linked" and covary as one unit across sequences. If multiple such groups exist, complex interactions can emerge between them. Sequences of this kind arise frequently in biology but methodologies for analyzing them are still being developed. This article presents a nonparametric prior on sequences which allows combinatorial structures to emerge and which induces a posterior distribution over factorized sequence representations. We carry out experiments on three biological sequence families which indicate that combinatorial structures are indeed present and that combinatorial sequence models can more succinctly describe them than simpler mixture models. We conclude with an application to MHC binding prediction which highlights the utility of the posterior distribution over sequence representations induced by the prior. By integrating out the posterior, our method compares favorably to leading binding predictors.

Complexity in an Unexpected Place: Quantities in Selected Acquisition Reports

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

by the Army Acquisition Executive contains the following language . As a recently delegated Acquisition Category IC program, the AH-64E Apache...Complexity in an Unexpected Place: Quantities in Selected Acquisition Reports Gregory A. Davis, Project Leader Margaret L. Giles David M. Tate I...F E N S E A N A L Y S E S IDA Paper P-8490 Complexity in an Unexpected Place: Quantities in Selected Acquisition Reports Gregory A. Davis

Fatigue life analysis of unexpected failure in a lamellar TiAl alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chan, K.S.

1999-07-01

Unexpected catastrophic failure occurred in specimens of a lamellar TiAl alloy tested by axial fatigue. The failure initiated at locations away from artificial defects introduced to the specimens as crack starters. Fractographic examination of the fracture surface revealed the presence of featureless, low-energy facets that suggested the catastrophic crack may have initiated in one or more large grains that cleaved on a cleavage plane or an interface. A crack growth analysis of fatigue life of the test specimens suggested that the catastrophic crack propagated at stress intensity levels below the large crack threshold. Furthermore, the catastrophic crack propagated at rates that were higher than the average rates exhibited by small cracks, as well as by the large crack under equivalent stress intensity ranges. Because of this, the conventional life prediction approach based on the large crack growth data grossly overpredicted the fatigue life.

Bacterial community compositions of coking wastewater treatment plants in steel industry revealed by Illumina high-throughput sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Qiao; Qu, Yuanyuan; Shen, Wenli; Zhang, Zhaojing; Wang, Jingwei; Liu, Ziyan; Li, Duanxing; Li, Huijie; Zhou, Jiti

2015-03-01

In this study, Illumina high-throughput sequencing was used to reveal the community structures of nine coking wastewater treatment plants (CWWTPs) in China for the first time. The sludge systems exhibited a similar community composition at each taxonomic level. Compared to previous studies, some of the core genera in municipal wastewater treatment plants such as Zoogloea, Prosthecobacter and Gp6 were detected as minor species. Thiobacillus (20.83%), Comamonas (6.58%), Thauera (4.02%), Azoarcus (7.78%) and Rhodoplanes (1.42%) were the dominant genera shared by at least six CWWTPs. The percentages of autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria were unexpectedly low, which were verified by both real-time PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses. Hierarchical clustering and canonical correspondence analysis indicated that operation mode, flow rate and temperature might be the key factors in community formation. This study provides new insights into our understanding of microbial community compositions and structures of CWWTPs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Falls-risk post-stroke: Examining contributions from paretic versus non paretic limbs to unexpected forward gait slips.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajrolkar, Tejal; Bhatt, Tanvi

2016-09-06

Community-dwelling stroke survivors show a high incidence of falls with unexpected external perturbations during dynamic activities like walking. Previous evidence has demonstrated the importance of compensatory stepping to restore dynamic stability in response to perturbations in hemiparetic stroke survivors. However, these studies were limited to either stance perturbations or perturbation induced under the unaffected limb. This study aimed to compare the differences, if any, between the non-paretic and paretic sides in dynamic stability and protective stepping strategies when exposed to unexpected external perturbation during walking. Twenty hemiparetic subjects experienced an unexpected forward slip during walking on the laboratory walkway either on the paretic (n=10) or the nonparetic limb (n=10). Both groups demonstrated a backward loss of balance with a compensatory stepping response, with the nonparetic-side slip group resorting mainly to an aborted step response (60%) and the paretic-side slip group mainly exhibiting a recovery step response (90%). Although both groups showed an equal incidence of falls, the nonparetic-side slip group demonstrated a higher stability at recovery step touchdown, resulting from lower perturbation magnitudes (slip displacement and velocity) compared to the paretic-side slip group. The results indicate that the paretic side had difficulty initiating and executing a successful stepping response (nonparetic-side slip) and also in reactive limb control while in stance (paretic-side slip). Based on these results it is suggested that intervention strategies for fall-prevention in chronic stroke survivors should focus on paretic limb training for both reactive stepping and weight bearing for improving balance control for recovery from unpredictable perturbations during dynamic activities such as walking. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Nationwide survey of rotavirus-associated encephalopathy and sudden unexpected death in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamura, Yoshiki; Ohashi, Masahiro; Ihira, Masaru; Hashimoto, Shuji; Taniguchi, Koki; Yoshikawa, Tetsushi

2014-08-01

Rotavirus can cause severe complications such as encephalopathy/encephalitis and sudden unexpected death. The incidence of rotavirus-associated encephalopathy/encephalitis or sudden unexpected death remains unknown. To clarify the clinical features of rotavirus-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy and sudden unexpected death, we conducted a nationwide survey in Japan. A two-part questionnaire was designed to determine the number of the cases and the clinical features of severe cases of rotavirus infection, including encephalitis/encephalopathy and sudden unexpected death, between 2009 and 2011. Of the 1365 questionnaires sent to hospitals, 963 (70.5%) were returned and eligible for analysis. We determined 58 cases of rotavirus-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy and 7 cases of sudden unexpected death. These patients were diagnosed with rotavirus infection by immunochromatography. Although 36/58 (62.1%) encephalitis/encephalopathy patients had no sequelae, 15/58 (25.9%) patients had neurological sequelae, and 7/58 (12.1%) patients had fatal outcomes. Pleocytosis was observed in 9/40 (22.5%) patients and cerebrospinal fluid protein levels were elevated in only 4/40 (10%) patients. Elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (>500 IU/L) or acidemia (pHdeath were 44.0 and 4.9 cases in Japan, respectively. Elevated LDH (>500 IU/L) or acidemia (pH<7.15) were related to a poor prognosis of the encephalitis/encephalopathy. Copyright © 2013 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unexpected complications of bonded mandibular lingual retainers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Katsaros, C.; Livas, C.; Renkema, A.M.

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The flexible spiral wire (FSW) retainer is the most frequently used type of fixed retainer bonded on all 6 anterior teeth. Our aim in this article was to demonstrate unexpected posttreatment changes in the labiolingual position of the mandibular anterior teeth associated with the use

Static multiplicities in heterogeneous azeotropic distillation sequences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Esbjerg, Klavs; Andersen, Torben Ravn; Jørgensen, Sten Bay

1998-01-01

In this paper the results of a bifurcation analysis on heterogeneous azeotropic distillation sequences are given. Two sequences suitable for ethanol dehydration are compared: The 'direct' and the 'indirect' sequence. It is shown, that the two sequences, despite their similarities, exhibit very...... different static behavior. The method of Petlyuk and Avet'yan (1971), Bekiaris et al. (1993), which assumes infinite reflux and infinite number of stages, is extended to and applied on heterogeneous azeotropic distillation sequences. The predictions are substantiated through simulations. The static sequence...

77 FR 42947 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-20

... unexpected and urgent refugee and migration needs, including by contributions to international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations and payment of administrative expenses of the Bureau of Population...

Hardware Accelerated Sequence Alignment with Traceback

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Lloyd

2009-01-01

in a timely manner. Known methods to accelerate alignment on reconfigurable hardware only address sequence comparison, limit the sequence length, or exhibit memory and I/O bottlenecks. A space-efficient, global sequence alignment algorithm and architecture is presented that accelerates the forward scan and traceback in hardware without memory and I/O limitations. With 256 processing elements in FPGA technology, a performance gain over 300 times that of a desktop computer is demonstrated on sequence lengths of 16000. For greater performance, the architecture is scalable to more processing elements.

Unexpected tolerance of alpha-cleavage of the prion protein to sequence variations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José B Oliveira-Martins

Full Text Available The cellular form of the prion protein, PrP(C, undergoes extensive proteolysis at the alpha site (109K [see text]H110. Expression of non-cleavable PrP(C mutants in transgenic mice correlates with neurotoxicity, suggesting that alpha-cleavage is important for PrP(C physiology. To gain insights into the mechanisms of alpha-cleavage, we generated a library of PrP(C mutants with mutations in the region neighbouring the alpha-cleavage site. The prevalence of C1, the carboxy adduct of alpha-cleavage, was determined for each mutant. In cell lines of disparate origin, C1 prevalence was unaffected by variations in charge and hydrophobicity of the region neighbouring the alpha-cleavage site, and by substitutions of the residues in the palindrome that flanks this site. Instead, alpha-cleavage was size-dependently impaired by deletions within the domain 106-119. Almost no cleavage was observed upon full deletion of this domain. These results suggest that alpha-cleavage is executed by an alpha-PrPase whose activity, despite surprisingly limited sequence specificity, is dependent on the size of the central region of PrP(C.

Frequency, severity and causes of unexpected allergic reactions to food: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Versluis, A; Knulst, A C; Kruizinga, A G; Michelsen, A; Houben, G F; Baumert, J L; van Os-Medendorp, H

2015-02-01

Food allergic patients have to deal with an avoidance diet. Confusing labelling terms or precautionary labels can result in misinterpretation and risk-taking behaviour. Even those patients that strictly adhere to their diet experience (sometimes severe) unexpected allergic reactions to food. The frequency, severity and causes of such reactions are unknown. The objective of this review was to describe the frequency, severity and causes of unexpected allergic reactions to food in food allergic patients aged > 12 years, in order to develop improved strategies to deal with their allergy. A systematic review was carried out by two researchers, in six electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, Medline, Psychinfo and Scopus). The search was performed with keywords relating to the frequency, severity and causes of unexpected allergic reactions to food. This resulted in 24 studies which met the inclusion criteria; 18 observational and six qualitative studies. This review shows that knowledge about the frequency of unexpected reactions is limited. Peanut, nuts, egg, fruit/vegetables and milk are the main causal foods. Severe reactions and even fatalities occur. Most reactions take place at home, but a significant number also take place when eating at friends' houses or in restaurants. Labelling issues, but also attitude and risky behaviour of patients can attribute to unexpected reactions. We conclude that prospective studies are needed to get more insight in the frequency, severity, quantity of unintended allergen ingested and causes of unexpected allergic reactions to food, to be able to optimize strategies to support patients in dealing with their food allergy. Although the exact frequency is not known, unexpected reactions to food occur in a significant number of patients and can be severe. For clinical practice, this means that patient education and dietary instructions are necessary. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Unexpected secoiridoid glucosides from Manulea corymbosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Gousiadou, Chrysoula; Kokubun, Tetsuo; Gotfredsen, Charlotte H; Jensen, Søren R

2014-03-28

From an extract of Manulea corymbosa were isolated four known secoiridoid glucosides (1-4), 10 new monoterpenoid esters of secologanol, namely, manuleosides A-I (5-11, 13, and 14) and dimethyl rhodanthoside A (12), and four new phenylpropanoid esters of carbocyclic iridoid glucosides, manucorymbosides I-IV (15-18). Also, the caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside verbascoside was isolated. The presence of secoiridoids apparently derived from loganic acid in the family Scrophulariaceae is unprecedented and greatly unexpected.

An unexpected detection of bifurcated blue straggler sequences in the young globular cluster NGC 2173

OpenAIRE

Li, Chengyuan; Deng, Licai; de Grijs, Richard; Jiang, Dengkai; Xin, Yu

2018-01-01

Bifurcated patterns of blue straggler stars in their color--magnitude diagrams have atracted significant attention. This type of special (but rare) pattern of two distinct blue straggler sequences is commonly interpreted as evidence of cluster core-collapse-driven stellar collisions as an efficient formation mechanism. Here, we report the detection of a bifurcated blue straggler distribution in a young Large MagellanicCloud cluster, NGC 2173. Because of the cluster's low central stellar numbe...

Identification of TP53 as an Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Susceptibility Gene Through Exome Sequencing

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Bradford C.; Jiang, Lichun; Muzny, Donna M.; Treviño, Lisa R.; Dreyer, ZoAnn E.; Strong, Louise C.; Wheeler, David A.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Plon, Sharon E.

2014-01-01

Although acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, genetic predisposition to ALL remains poorly understood. Whole-exome sequencing was performed in an extended kindred in which five individuals had been diagnosed with leukemia. Analysis revealed a nonsense variant of TP53 which has been previously reported in families with sarcomas and other typical Li Fraumeni syndrome-associated cancers but never in a familial leukemia kindred. This unexpected finding enabled identification of an appropriate sibling bone marrow donor and illustrates that exome sequencing will reveal atypical clinical presentations of even well-studied genes. PMID:23255406

Homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations in the FBN1 gene: unexpected findings in molecular diagnosis of Marfan syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnaud, Pauline; Hanna, Nadine; Aubart, Mélodie; Leheup, Bruno; Dupuis-Girod, Sophie; Naudion, Sophie; Lacombe, Didier; Milleron, Olivier; Odent, Sylvie; Faivre, Laurence; Bal, Laurence; Edouard, Thomas; Collod-Beroud, Gwenaëlle; Langeois, Maud; Spentchian, Myrtille; Gouya, Laurent; Jondeau, Guillaume; Boileau, Catherine

2017-02-01

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal-dominant connective tissue disorder usually associated with heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding fibrillin-1 (FBN1). Homozygous and compound heterozygous cases are rare events and have been associated with a clinical severe presentation. Report unexpected findings of homozygosity and compound heterozygosity in the course of molecular diagnosis of heterozygous MFS and compare the findings with published cases. In the context of molecular diagnosis of heterozygous MFS, systematic sequencing of the FBN1 gene was performed in 2500 probands referred nationwide. 1400 probands carried a heterozygous mutation in this gene. Unexpectedly, among them four homozygous cases (0.29%) and five compound heterozygous cases (0.36%) were identified (total: 0.64%). Interestingly, none of these cases carried two premature termination codon mutations in the FBN1 gene. Clinical features for these carriers and their families were gathered and compared. There was a large spectrum of severity of the disease in probands carrying two mutated FBN1 alleles, but none of them presented extremely severe manifestations of MFS in any system compared with carriers of only one mutated FBN1 allele. This observation is not in line with the severe clinical features reported in the literature for four homozygous and three compound heterozygous probands. Homozygotes and compound heterozygotes were unexpectedly identified in the course of molecular diagnosis of MFS. Contrary to previous reports, the presence of two mutated alleles was not associated with severe forms of MFS. Although homozygosity and compound heterozygosity are rarely found in molecular diagnosis, they should not be overlooked, especially among consanguineous families. However, no predictive evaluation of severity should be provided. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

An unexpected clade of South American ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Bembidion).

Science.gov (United States)

Maddison, David R

2014-01-01

Phylogenetic relationships of the Antiperyphanes Complex of the genus Bembidion are inferred using DNA sequences from seven genes (two nuclear ribosomal, four nuclear protein coding, and one mitochondrial protein coding). Redefined subgenera within the complex are each well-supported as monophyletic. Most striking was the discovery that a small set of morphologically and ecologically heterogeneous species formed a clade, here called subgenus Nothonepha. This unexpected result was corroborated by the discovery of deep pits in the lateral body wall (in the mesepisternum) of all Nothonepha, a trait unique within Bembidion. These pits are filled with a waxy substance in ethanol-preserved specimens. In one newly discovered species (Bembidion tetrapholeon sp. n., described here), these pits are so deep that their projections into the body cavity from the two sides touch each other internally. These structures in Bembidion (Nothonepha) are compared to very similar mesepisternal pits which have convergently evolved in two other groups of carabid beetles. The function of these thoracic pits is unknown. Most members of subgenus Nothonepha have in addition similar but smaller pits in the abdomen. A revised classification is proposed for the Antiperyphanes Complex.

An unexpected clade of South American ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Bembidion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Maddison

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Phylogenetic relationships of the Antiperyphanes Complex of the genus Bembidion are inferred using DNA sequences from seven genes (two nuclear ribosomal, four nuclear protein coding, and one mitochondrial protein coding. Redefined subgenera within the complex are each well-supported as monophyletic. Most striking was the discovery that a small set of morphologically and ecologically heterogeneous species formed a clade, here called subgenus Nothonepha. This unexpected result was corroborated by the discovery of deep pits in the lateral body wall (in the mesepisternum of all Nothonepha, a trait unique within Bembidion. These pits are filled with a waxy substance in ethanol-preserved specimens. In one newly discovered species (Bembidion tetrapholeon sp. n., described here, these pits are so deep that their projections into the body cavity from the two sides touch each other internally. These structures in Bembidion (Nothonepha are compared to very similar mesepisternal pits which have convergently evolved in two other groups of carabid beetles. The function of these thoracic pits is unknown. Most members of subgenus Nothonepha have in addition similar but smaller pits in the abdomen. A revised classification is proposed for the Antiperyphanes Complex.

Unexpected Secoiridoid Glucosides from Manulea corymbosa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gousiadou, Chrysoula; Kokubun, Tetsuo; Gotfredsen, Charlotte Held

2014-01-01

From an extract of Manulea corymbosa were isolated four known secoiridoid glucosides (1–4), 10 new monoterpenoid esters of secologanol, namely, manuleosides A–I (5–11, 13, and 14) and dimethyl rhodanthoside A (12), and four new phenylpropanoid esters of carbocyclic iridoid glucosides, manucorymbo......, manucorymbosides I–IV (15–18). Also, the caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside verbascoside was isolated. The presence of secoiridoids apparently derived from loganic acid in the family Scrophulariaceae is unprecedented and greatly unexpected....

Circadian variation in unexpected postoperative death

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenberg, J; Pedersen, M H; Ramsing, T

1992-01-01

Unexpected deaths still occur following major surgical procedures. The cause is often unknown but may be cardiac or thromboembolic in nature. Postoperative ischaemia, infarction and sudden cardiac death may be triggered by episodic or constant arterial hypoxaemia, which increases during the night...... deaths occurred at night-time. These results suggest a need for further studies of sleep- and respiration-related effects on postoperative nocturnal cardiac function. The efficacy of monitoring during this apparent high-risk period should be evaluated....

New product trial, use of edibles, and unexpected highs among marijuana and hashish users in Colorado.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Jane A; Davis, Kevin C; Duke, Jennifer C; Nonnemaker, James M; Bradfield, Brian R; Farrelly, Matthew C

2017-07-01

This study examines the relationships between trial of new marijuana or hashish products and unexpected highs, and use of edible products and unexpected highs. We conducted an online survey of 634 adult, past-year marijuana users in Colorado. We used logistic regression models to examine the relationship between new product trial or edible use and unexpected highs. In the first year that recreational marijuana was legal in Colorado, 71.4% of respondents tried a new marijuana or hashish product, and 53.6% used an edible product. Trial of new products was associated with greater odds of experiencing an unexpected high after controlling for age, gender, education, mental health status, current marijuana or hashish use, and mean amount of marijuana or hashish consumed in the past month (OR=2.13, pmarijuana or hashish products, or use edible marijuana or hashish products, are at greater risk for an unexpected high. It is possible that some negative outcomes associated with marijuana use and unexpected highs may be averted through a better understanding of how to use product packaging to communicate with consumers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Children and Trauma: Unexpected Resistance and Justice in Film and Drawings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheri M. Robinson

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This transnational study examines representations of and by children—whether literal wounds, psychological ones, or wounds transmitted through drawings—that manifest their capacity for unexpected resistance and justice. It considers the Mexican-American director Guillermo del Toro’s use of hauntings and wounds to explore violence during the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War in the film El espinazo del diablo [The Devil’s Backbone] (2001 and its intersections on strategic and theoretical levels with the traumatic in archival children’s drawings produced during the 1976–1983 Argentine military dictatorship. The drawings illustrate the violence perpetrated against the child artists’ families and were produced in exile for the human rights organization COSOFAM. Utilizing diverse theories from film and trauma studies, among others, this article analyzes key scenes in El espinazo exhibiting commonalities with representations of traumatic violence in the children’s drawings, revealing that, in fiction and in fact, a strategic “showing” of the traumatic wound is designed to remind others of the imperative to intervene in situations of extreme violence, to appeal to/for justice, and to effectively testify from the inside.

Lifting an unexpectedly heavy object : the effects on low-back loading and balance loss

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Burg, J C; van Dieën, J H; Toussaint, H M

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effects of lifting an unexpectedly heavy object on low-back loading and loss of balance. BACKGROUND: It is often suggested that lifting an unexpectedly heavy object may be a major risk factor for low-back pain. This may lead to an increase in muscle activation,

Working memory representations persist in the face of unexpected task alterations.

Science.gov (United States)

Swan, Garrett; Wyble, Brad; Chen, Hui

2017-07-01

It is well known that information can be held in memory while performing other tasks concurrently, such as remembering a color or number during a separate visual search task. However, it is not clear what happens to stored information in the face of unexpected tasks, such as the surprise questions that are often used in experiments related to inattentional and change blindness. Does the unpredicted shift in task context cause memory representations to be cleared in anticipation of new information? To answer this question, we ran two experiments where the task unexpectedly switched partway through the experiment with a surprise question. Half of the participants were asked to report the same attribute (Exp. 1 = Identity, Exp. 2 = Color) of a target stimulus in both presurprise and postsurprise trials, while for the other half, the reported attribute switched from identity to color (Exp. 1) or vice versa (Exp. 2). Importantly, all participants had to read an unexpected set of instructions and respond differently on the surprise trial. Accuracy on the surprise trial was higher for the same-attribute groups than the different-attribute groups. Furthermore, there was no difference in reaction time on the surprise trial between the two groups. These results suggest that information participants expected to report can survive an encounter with an unexpected task. The implication is that failures to report information on a surprise trial in many experiments reflect genuine differences in memory encoding, rather than forgetting or overwriting induced by the surprise question.

Investigating Initial Disclosures and Reactions to Unexpected, Positive HPV Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Rachel A; Hernandez, Rachael; Catona, Danielle

2014-07-01

Initial disclosures of health conditions are critical communication moments. Existing research focuses on disclosers; integrating confidants into studies of initial disclosures is needed. Guided by the disclosure decision-making model (DD-MM; Greene, 2009), this study examined what diagnosed persons and confidants may say when faced with unexpected test results and unexpected disclosures, respectively. Participants ( N = 151) recorded an audio-visual message for another person, after imagining that they or the other person had just received unexpected, positive HPV test results. The qualitative analysis revealed four themes: (1) impression management and social distance, (2) invisible symptoms and advice regarding future disclosures, (3) expressing and acknowledging emotional reactions, and (4) misunderstandings and lacking knowledge about HPV. These findings suggested that DD-MM may be a relevant framework for understanding not only when disclosers share, but what disclosers and confidants say in early conversations about new diagnoses. While disclosers' and confidants' messages showed marked similarities, important differences appeared. For example, confidants focused on assuaging disclosers' fear about the consequences, whereas disclosers expressed distress related to their uncertainty about the prognosis of an HPV infection and how to prepare for next steps. The discussion highlighted implications for the DD-MM, HPV disclosures, and future interventions.

Directed Evolution Reveals Unexpected Epistatic Interactions That Alter Metabolic Regulation and Enable Anaerobic Xylose Use by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trey K Sato

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The inability of native Saccharomyces cerevisiae to convert xylose from plant biomass into biofuels remains a major challenge for the production of renewable bioenergy. Despite extensive knowledge of the regulatory networks controlling carbon metabolism in yeast, little is known about how to reprogram S. cerevisiae to ferment xylose at rates comparable to glucose. Here we combined genome sequencing, proteomic profiling, and metabolomic analyses to identify and characterize the responsible mutations in a series of evolved strains capable of metabolizing xylose aerobically or anaerobically. We report that rapid xylose conversion by engineered and evolved S. cerevisiae strains depends upon epistatic interactions among genes encoding a xylose reductase (GRE3, a component of MAP Kinase (MAPK signaling (HOG1, a regulator of Protein Kinase A (PKA signaling (IRA2, and a scaffolding protein for mitochondrial iron-sulfur (Fe-S cluster biogenesis (ISU1. Interestingly, the mutation in IRA2 only impacted anaerobic xylose consumption and required the loss of ISU1 function, indicating a previously unknown connection between PKA signaling, Fe-S cluster biogenesis, and anaerobiosis. Proteomic and metabolomic comparisons revealed that the xylose-metabolizing mutant strains exhibit altered metabolic pathways relative to the parental strain when grown in xylose. Further analyses revealed that interacting mutations in HOG1 and ISU1 unexpectedly elevated mitochondrial respiratory proteins and enabled rapid aerobic respiration of xylose and other non-fermentable carbon substrates. Our findings suggest a surprising connection between Fe-S cluster biogenesis and signaling that facilitates aerobic respiration and anaerobic fermentation of xylose, underscoring how much remains unknown about the eukaryotic signaling systems that regulate carbon metabolism.

Directed Evolution Reveals Unexpected Epistatic Interactions That Alter Metabolic Regulation and Enable Anaerobic Xylose Use by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Trey K; Tremaine, Mary; Parreiras, Lucas S; Hebert, Alexander S; Myers, Kevin S; Higbee, Alan J; Sardi, Maria; McIlwain, Sean J; Ong, Irene M; Breuer, Rebecca J; Avanasi Narasimhan, Ragothaman; McGee, Mick A; Dickinson, Quinn; La Reau, Alex; Xie, Dan; Tian, Mingyuan; Reed, Jennifer L; Zhang, Yaoping; Coon, Joshua J; Hittinger, Chris Todd; Gasch, Audrey P; Landick, Robert

2016-10-01

The inability of native Saccharomyces cerevisiae to convert xylose from plant biomass into biofuels remains a major challenge for the production of renewable bioenergy. Despite extensive knowledge of the regulatory networks controlling carbon metabolism in yeast, little is known about how to reprogram S. cerevisiae to ferment xylose at rates comparable to glucose. Here we combined genome sequencing, proteomic profiling, and metabolomic analyses to identify and characterize the responsible mutations in a series of evolved strains capable of metabolizing xylose aerobically or anaerobically. We report that rapid xylose conversion by engineered and evolved S. cerevisiae strains depends upon epistatic interactions among genes encoding a xylose reductase (GRE3), a component of MAP Kinase (MAPK) signaling (HOG1), a regulator of Protein Kinase A (PKA) signaling (IRA2), and a scaffolding protein for mitochondrial iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster biogenesis (ISU1). Interestingly, the mutation in IRA2 only impacted anaerobic xylose consumption and required the loss of ISU1 function, indicating a previously unknown connection between PKA signaling, Fe-S cluster biogenesis, and anaerobiosis. Proteomic and metabolomic comparisons revealed that the xylose-metabolizing mutant strains exhibit altered metabolic pathways relative to the parental strain when grown in xylose. Further analyses revealed that interacting mutations in HOG1 and ISU1 unexpectedly elevated mitochondrial respiratory proteins and enabled rapid aerobic respiration of xylose and other non-fermentable carbon substrates. Our findings suggest a surprising connection between Fe-S cluster biogenesis and signaling that facilitates aerobic respiration and anaerobic fermentation of xylose, underscoring how much remains unknown about the eukaryotic signaling systems that regulate carbon metabolism.

Immersive Exhibitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Achiam, Marianne

2015-01-01

The immersive exhibition is a specialized exhibition genre in museums, which creates the illusion of time and place by representing key characteristics of a reference world and by integrating the visitor in this three-dimensionally reconstructed world (Mortensen 2010). A successful representation...... of the reference world depends on three criteria: whether the exhibition is staged as a coherent whole with all the displayed objects supporting the representation, whether the visitor is integrated as a component of the exhibition, and whether the content and message of the exhibition become dramatized...

Filovirus Glycoprotein Sequence, Structure and Virulence

OpenAIRE

Phillips, J. C.

2014-01-01

Leading Ebola subtypes exhibit a wide mortality range, here explained at the molecular level by using fractal hydropathic scaling of amino acid sequences based on protein self-organized criticality. Specific hydrophobic features in the hydrophilic mucin-like domain suffice to account for the wide mortality range. Significance statement: Ebola virus is spreading rapidly in Africa. The connection between protein amino acid sequence and mortality is identified here.

Mathematics Placement Test: Typical Results with Unexpected Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Ingalls, Victoria

2011-01-01

Based on the results of a prior case-study analysis of mathematics placement at one university, the mathematics department developed and piloted a mathematics placement test. This article describes the implementation process for a mathematics placement test and further analyzes the test results for the pilot group. As an unexpected result, the…

Crystallographic identification of an unexpected by-product in an Ullman's reaction toward biphenyls: 1-(4-hexyloxy-3-hydroxyphenyl)ethanone.

Science.gov (United States)

Manzano, Veronica E; Baggio, Ricardo; Cukiernik, Fabio D

2015-11-01

The synthesis of 3,3'-diacetoxy-4,4'-bis(hexyloxy)biphenyl following the nickel-modified Ullmann reaction yielded a by-product which was identified successfully by crystallographic analysis as 1-(4-hexyloxy-3-hydroxyphenyl)ethanone, C14H20O3. This unexpected nonbiphenyl by-product exhibited IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and COSY (correlation spectroscopy) spectra fully consistent with the proposed structure. The compound crystallized in the orthorombic Pbca space group, with two independent formula units in the asymmetric unit (one of which was slightly disordered), and showed a supramolecular architecture in which molecules linked by hydroxy-ethanone O-H···O interactions are organized in columns separated by the aliphatic tails.

Next Generation Sequencing of Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinomas

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniel, Andrew S.; Stall, Jennifer N.; Hovelson, Daniel H.; Cani, Andi K.; Liu, Chia-Jen; Tomlins, Scott A.; Cho, Kathleen R.

2016-01-01

Importance High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most prevalent and lethal form of ovarian cancer. HGSCs frequently arise in the distal fallopian tubes rather than the ovary, developing from small precursor lesions called serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (TICs or more specifically STICs). While STICs have been reported to harbor TP53 mutations, detailed molecular characterizations of these lesions are lacking. Observations We performed targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) on formalin-fixed, paraffin- embedded tissue from four women, two with HGSC and two with uterine endometrioid carcinoma (UEC) who were diagnosed with synchronous STICs. We detected concordant mutations in both HGSCs with synchronous STICs, including TP53 mutations as well as assumed germline BRCA1/2 alterations, confirming a clonal relationship between these lesions. NGS confirmed the presence of a STIC clonally unrelated to one case of UEC. NGS of the other tubal lesion diagnosed as a STIC unexpectedly supported the lesion as a micrometastasis from the associated UEC. Conclusions and Relevance We demonstrate that targeted NGS can identify genetic lesions in minute lesions such as TICs, and confirm TP53 mutations as early driving events for HGSC. NGS also demonstrated unexpected relationships between presumed STICs and synchronous carcinomas, suggesting potential diagnostic and translational research applications. PMID:26181193

An Evolutionary Machine Learning Framework for Big Data Sequence Mining

Science.gov (United States)

Kamath, Uday Krishna

2014-01-01

Sequence classification is an important problem in many real-world applications. Unlike other machine learning data, there are no "explicit" features or signals in sequence data that can help traditional machine learning algorithms learn and predict from the data. Sequence data exhibits inter-relationships in the elements that are…

The processing of unexpected positive response outcomes in the mediofrontal cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferdinand, Nicola K; Mecklinger, Axel; Kray, Jutta; Gehring, William J

2012-08-29

The human mediofrontal cortex, especially the anterior cingulate cortex, is commonly assumed to contribute to higher cognitive functions like performance monitoring. How exactly this is achieved is currently the subject of lively debate but there is evidence that an event's valence and its expectancy play important roles. One prominent theory, the reinforcement learning theory by Holroyd and colleagues (2002, 2008), assigns a special role to feedback valence, while the prediction of response-outcome (PRO) model by Alexander and Brown (2010, 2011) claims that the mediofrontal cortex is sensitive to unexpected events regardless of their valence. However, paradigms examining this issue have included confounds that fail to separate valence and expectancy. In the present study, we tested the two competing theories of performance monitoring by using an experimental task that separates valence and unexpectedness of performance feedback. The feedback-related negativity of the event-related potential, which is commonly assumed to be a reflection of mediofrontal cortex activity, was elicited not only by unexpected negative feedback, but also by unexpected positive feedback. This implies that the mediofrontal cortex is sensitive to the unexpectedness of events in general rather than their valence and by this supports the PRO model.

Unexpected pathological findings in skills training and assessing skills

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boendermaker, PM; Pols, J; Scherpbier, AJJA

This article draws attention to unexpected pathological findings encountered by students and teachers when examining one another and/or simulated patients in skips training and assessment sessions. Although no literature on the subject was found it appears to be not uncommon far students and

Exhibit Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Marianne Foss

Science museums define the objectives of their exhibitions in terms of visitor learning outcomes. Yet, exhibit designers lack theoretical and empirical research findings on which to base the creation of such educational environments. Here, this shortcoming is addressed through the development...... of tools and processes to guide the design of educational science exhibits. The guiding paradigm for this development is design-based research, which is characterised by an iterative cycle of design, enactment, and analysis. In the design phase, an educational intervention is planned and carried out based...... on the generation of theoretical ideas for exhibit design is offered in a fourth and parallel research undertaking, namely the application of the notion of cultural border-crossing to a hypothetical case of exhibit design....

Unexpected strong attraction in the presence of continuum bound state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delfino, A.; Frederico, T.

1992-06-01

The result of few-particle ground-state calculation employing a two-particle non-local potential supporting a continuum bound state in addition to a negative-energy bound state has occasionally revealed unexpected large attraction in producing a very strongly bound ground state. In the presence of the continuum bound state the difference of phase shift between zero and infinite energies has an extra jump of φ as in the presence of an additional bound state. The wave function of the continuum bound state is identical with that of a strongly bound negative-energy state, which leads us to postulate a pseudo bound state in the two-particle system in order to explain the unexpected attraction. The role of the Pauli forbidden states is expected to be similar to these pseudo states. (author)

An Unexpected Case of Lyme Disease in a Soldier Serving in Northern Iraq

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

MILITARY MEDICINE, 175,5:367,2010 An Unexpected Case of Lyme Disease in a Soldier Serving in Northern Iraq CPT Jeremy B. Fisher, SP USA *; CPT...Christopher E. Curtis, MC USAt 188143 ABSTRACT Lyme disease is a tick-transmitted disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Cases have been...Turkey.3-S We report an unexpected case of Lyme disease from Iraq. CASE REPORT A 28-year-old active duty Army male, on a deployment to northern Iraq

The Investigation of Unexpected Arsenic Compounds Observed in Routine Biological Monitoring Urinary Speciation Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Leese

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the identity of two unexpected arsenic species found separately in a number of urine samples sent to the Health and Safety Executive’s Health and Safety Laboratory for arsenic speciation (arsenobetaine, AB; arsenite, As3+; arsenate, As5+; monomethylarsonic acid, MMA5+; and dimethylarsinic acid, DMA5+. Micro liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (µLC-ICP-MS and electrospray time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-QqTOF-MS/MS were used to identify the two arsenic peaks by comparison to several characterized arsenicals: arsenocholine, AC; trimethyl arsine oxide, TMAO; dimethylarsenoacetate, DMAA; dimethylarsenoethanol, DMAE; thio-dimethylarsinate, thio-DMA; thio-dimethylarsenoacetate, thio-DMAA and thio-dimethylarsenoethanol, thio-DMAE. The results from both the ICP-MS and ESI-QqTOF-MS/MS investigations indicate that the unexpected arsenic species termed peak 1 was thio-DMA. While the unexpected arsenic species termed peak 2 has yet to be identified, this investigation shows that it was not AC, TMAO, DMAA, DMAE, thio-DMA, thio-DMAA or thio-DMAE. This study demonstrates the incidence of unexpected arsenic species in both routine and non-routine urine samples from both workers and hospital patients.

Process improvement methodologies uncover unexpected gaps in stroke care.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuner, Anthony D; Schemmel, Andrew J; Pooler, B Dustin; Yu, John-Paul J

2018-01-01

Background The diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke requires timed and coordinated effort across multiple clinical teams. Purpose To analyze the frequency and temporal distribution of emergent stroke evaluations (ESEs) to identify potential contributory workflow factors that may delay the initiation and subsequent evaluation of emergency department stroke patients. Material and Methods A total of 719 sentinel ESEs with concurrent neuroimaging were identified over a 22-month retrospective time period. Frequency data were tabulated and odds ratios calculated. Results Of all ESEs, 5% occur between 01:00 and 07:00. ESEs were most frequent during the late morning and early afternoon hours (10:00-14:00). Unexpectedly, there was a statistically significant decline in the frequency of ESEs that occur at the 14:00 time point. Conclusion Temporal analysis of ESEs in the emergency department allowed us to identify an unexpected decrease in ESEs and through process improvement methodologies (Lean and Six Sigma) and identify potential workflow elements contributing to this observation.

Water in stars: expected and unexpected

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuji, T.; Aoki, W.; Ohnaka, K.

1999-03-01

We have confirmed the presence of water in the early M giant α Cet (M1.5III) and supergiant KK Per (M2Iab) by the highest resolution grating mode of SWS, but this result is quite unexpected from present model atmospheres. In late M giant and supergiant stars, water observed originates partly in the photosphere as expected by the model atmospheres, but ISO SWS has revealed that the 2.7 mic\\ absorption bands appear to be somewhat stronger than predicted while 6.5 mic\\ bands weaker, indicating the contamination by an emission component. In the mid-infrared region extending to 45 mic, pure rotation lines of hho\\ appear as distinct emission on the high resolution SWS spectra of 30g Her (M7III) and S Per (M4-7Ia), along with the dust emission at 10, 13, 20 mic\\ and a new unidentified feature at 30 mic. Thus, together with the dust, water contributes to the thermal balance of the outer atmosphere already in the mid-infrared. The excitation temperature of hho\\ gas is estimated to be 500 - 1000 K. In view of this result for late M (super)giants, unexpected water observed in early M (super)giants should also be of non-photospheric in origin. Thus, ISO has finally established the presence of a new component of the outer atmosphere - a warm molecular envelope - in red giant and supergiant stars from early to late types. Such a rather warm molecular envelope will be a site of various activities such as chemical reactions, dust formation, mass-outflow etc.

Platinum-nanoparticle-supported core-shell polymer nanospheres with unexpected water stability and facile further modification

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Conghui; Xu, Yiting; Luo, Weiang; Zeng, Birong; Qiu, Wuhui; Liu, Jie; Huang, Huiling; Dai, Lizong

2012-05-01

Core-shell nanospheres (CSNSs) with hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic shells were fabricated via a simple mini-emulsion polymerization for the stabilization of platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs). The CSNSs showed extremely high loading capacity of Pt-NPs (the largest loading amount of the Pt-NPs was about 49.2 wt%). Importantly, the Pt-NPs/CSNSs nanocomposites had unexpected stability in aqueous solution. DLS results revealed that the CSNSs loaded with Pt-NPs exhibited almost no aggregation after standing for a long time . However, the Pt-NPs immobilized on the CSNSs were not straitlaced: they could transport and redistribute between CSNSs freely when the environmental temperature was higher than the melting point of the CSNS shell. Owing to their excellent stability in aqueous solution, the surface of the Pt-NPs/CSNSs nanocomposites could be further decorated easily. For example, polyaniline (PANI)-coated Pt-NPs/CSNSs, nickel (Ni)-coated Pt-NPs/CSNSs and PANI/Pt-NPs dual-layer hollow nanospheres were facilely fabricated from the Pt-NPs/CSNS nanocomposites.

Platinum-nanoparticle-supported core–shell polymer nanospheres with unexpected water stability and facile further modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Conghui; Xu Yiting; Luo Weiang; Zeng Birong; Qiu Wuhui; Liu Jie; Dai Lizong; Huang Huiling

2012-01-01

Core–shell nanospheres (CSNSs) with hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic shells were fabricated via a simple mini-emulsion polymerization for the stabilization of platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs). The CSNSs showed extremely high loading capacity of Pt-NPs (the largest loading amount of the Pt-NPs was about 49.2 wt%). Importantly, the Pt-NPs/CSNSs nanocomposites had unexpected stability in aqueous solution. DLS results revealed that the CSNSs loaded with Pt-NPs exhibited almost no aggregation after standing for a long time . However, the Pt-NPs immobilized on the CSNSs were not straitlaced: they could transport and redistribute between CSNSs freely when the environmental temperature was higher than the melting point of the CSNS shell. Owing to their excellent stability in aqueous solution, the surface of the Pt-NPs/CSNSs nanocomposites could be further decorated easily. For example, polyaniline (PANI)-coated Pt-NPs/CSNSs, nickel (Ni)-coated Pt-NPs/CSNSs and PANI/Pt-NPs dual-layer hollow nanospheres were facilely fabricated from the Pt-NPs/CSNS nanocomposites. (paper)

Rapid prenatal diagnosis using targeted exome sequencing: a cohort study to assess feasibility and potential impact on prenatal counseling and pregnancy management.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandler, Natalie; Best, Sunayna; Hayward, Jane; Faravelli, Francesca; Mansour, Sahar; Kivuva, Emma; Tapon, Dagmar; Male, Alison; DeVile, Catherine; Chitty, Lyn S

2018-03-29

PurposeUnexpected fetal abnormalities occur in 2-5% of pregnancies. While traditional cytogenetic and microarray approaches achieve diagnosis in around 40% of cases, lack of diagnosis in others impedes parental counseling, informed decision making, and pregnancy management. Postnatally exome sequencing yields high diagnostic rates, but relies on careful phenotyping to interpret genotype results. Here we used a multidisciplinary approach to explore the utility of rapid fetal exome sequencing for prenatal diagnosis using skeletal dysplasias as an exemplar.MethodsParents in pregnancies undergoing invasive testing because of sonographic fetal abnormalities, where multidisciplinary review considered skeletal dysplasia a likely etiology, were consented for exome trio sequencing (both parents and fetus). Variant interpretation focused on a virtual panel of 240 genes known to cause skeletal dysplasias.ResultsDefinitive molecular diagnosis was made in 13/16 (81%) cases. In some cases, fetal ultrasound findings alone were of sufficient severity for parents to opt for termination. In others, molecular diagnosis informed accurate prediction of outcome, improved parental counseling, and enabled parents to terminate or continue the pregnancy with certainty.ConclusionTrio sequencing with expert multidisciplinary review for case selection and data interpretation yields timely, high diagnostic rates in fetuses presenting with unexpected skeletal abnormalities. This improves parental counseling and pregnancy management.Genetics in Medicine advance online publication, 29 March 2018; doi:10.1038/gim.2018.30.

Dealing with unexpected events : efficient and safe solutions to emergent repair on NPP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liekens Massazza, I.

2015-07-01

Nuclear Facilities are constantly challenged with unexpected events occurring on Primary Circuit components. A solution must be deployed quickly to minimize impact on the scheduled outage duration while guaranteeing safety, quality and ALARA standards. AREVA NP has demonstrated worldwide recognized capabilities and expertise through efficient management of various unexpected forced events through the time. Turnkey packaged solutions which are proposed are based on proven technics which can be quickly adapted and qualified to the specific problem, resulting in customers’ full satisfaction. (Author)

Gastric Adenomyoma: The Unexpected Mimicker

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Adriana Duran Álvarez

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Gastric adenomyoma is a rare benign tumor composed of epithelial structures and smooth muscle stroma. Here, we report an unusual case of gastric adenomyoma mostly composed of smooth muscle that was incidentally found during a laparoscopic intervention. On radiology, it mimicked an acquired hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in an adult patient, and pathologically it resembled a pure smooth muscle hamartoma. Complete submission of the lesion for histology was necessary to find the epithelial component and make the right diagnosis. As a mimicker of benign and malignant entities, gastric adenomyoma is usually an unexpected finding after surgery. The aim of this report is to analyze this adenomyoma variant in the setting of an unexplained thickening of the gastric wall, with explanations concerning histogenesis and biological potential.

Technology Exhibition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1979-09-15

Linked to the 25th Anniversary celebrations, an exhibition of some of CERN's technological achievements was opened on 22 June. Set up in a new 600 m{sup 2} Exhibition Hall on the CERN site, the exhibition is divided into eight technology areas — magnets, vacuum, computers and data handling, survey and alignment, radiation protection, beam monitoring and handling, detectors, and workshop techniques.

Communication of Unexpected and Significant Findings on Chest Radiographs With an Automated PACS Alert System.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Hayes, Sara A

2014-08-01

An integral part of realizing the enormous potential of imaging in patient care is close communication between radiologists and referring physicians. One key element of this process is the communication of unexpected significant findings. The authors examined the performance of a PACS-based alert system in the appropriate communication of reports containing unexpected significant findings to referring physicians.

A novel Y-xylosidase, nucleotide sequence encoding it and use thereof.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Graaff, de L.H.; Peij, van N.N.M.E.; Broeck, van den H.C.; Visser, J.

1996-01-01

A nucleotide sequence is provided which encodes a peptide having beta-xylosidase activity and exhibits at least 30mino acid identity with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO. 1 or hybridises under stringent conditions with a nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO. 1, or a part thereof having

Autistic Traits Affect P300 Response to Unexpected Events, regardless of Mental State Inferences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitsuhiko Ishikawa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Limited use of contextual information has been suggested as a way of understanding cognition in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD. However, it has also been argued that individuals with ASD may have difficulties inferring others’ mental states. Here, we examined how individuals with different levels of autistic traits respond to contextual deviations by measuring event-related potentials that reflect context usage. The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ was used to quantify autistic-like traits in 28 university students, and 19 participants were defined as Low or High AQ groups. To additionally examine inferences about mental state, two belief conditions (with or without false belief were included. Participants read short stories in which the final sentence included either an expected or an unexpected word and rated the word’s degree of deviation from expectation. P300 waveform analysis revealed that unexpected words were associated with larger P300 waveforms for the Low AQ group, but smaller P300 responses in the High AQ group. Additionally, AQ social skill subscores were positively correlated with evaluation times in the Unexpected condition, whether a character’s belief was false or not. This suggests that autistic traits can affect responses to unexpected events, possibly because of decreased availability of context information.

The unique and cooperative roles of the Grainy head-like transcription factors in epidermal development reflect unexpected target gene specificity.

Science.gov (United States)

Boglev, Yeliz; Wilanowski, Tomasz; Caddy, Jacinta; Parekh, Vishwas; Auden, Alana; Darido, Charbel; Hislop, Nikki R; Cangkrama, Michael; Ting, Stephen B; Jane, Stephen M

2011-01-15

The Grainy head-like 3 (Grhl3) gene encodes a transcription factor that plays essential roles in epidermal morphogenesis during embryonic development, with deficient mice exhibiting failed skin barrier formation, defective wound repair, and loss of eyelid fusion. Despite sharing significant sequence homology, overlapping expression patterns, and an identical core consensus DNA binding site, the other members of the Grhl family (Grhl1 and -2) fail to compensate for the loss of Grhl3 in these processes. Here, we have employed diverse genetic models, coupled with biochemical studies, to define the inter-relationships of the Grhl factors in epidermal development. We show that Grhl1 and Grhl3 have evolved complete functional independence, as evidenced by a lack of genetic interactions in embryos carrying combinations of targeted alleles of these genes. In contrast, compound heterozygous Grhl2/Grhl3 embryos displayed failed wound repair, and loss of a single Grhl2 allele in Grhl3-null embryos results in fully penetrant eyes open at birth. Expression of Grhl2 from the Grhl3 locus in homozygous knock-in mice corrects the wound repair defect, but these embryos still display a complete failure of skin barrier formation. This functional dissociation is due to unexpected differences in target gene specificity, as both GRHL2 and GRHL3 bind to and regulate expression of the wound repair gene Rho GEF 19, but regulation of the barrier forming gene, Transglutaminase 1 (TGase1), is unique to GRHL3. Our findings define the mechanisms underpinning the unique and cooperative roles of the Grhl genes in epidermal development. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mapping membrane activity in undiscovered peptide sequence space using machine learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ernest Y; Fulan, Benjamin M; Wong, Gerard C L; Ferguson, Andrew L

2016-11-29

There are some ∼1,100 known antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which permeabilize microbial membranes but have diverse sequences. Here, we develop a support vector machine (SVM)-based classifier to investigate ⍺-helical AMPs and the interrelated nature of their functional commonality and sequence homology. SVM is used to search the undiscovered peptide sequence space and identify Pareto-optimal candidates that simultaneously maximize the distance σ from the SVM hyperplane (thus maximize its "antimicrobialness") and its ⍺-helicity, but minimize mutational distance to known AMPs. By calibrating SVM machine learning results with killing assays and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we find that the SVM metric σ correlates not with a peptide's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), but rather its ability to generate negative Gaussian membrane curvature. This surprising result provides a topological basis for membrane activity common to AMPs. Moreover, we highlight an important distinction between the maximal recognizability of a sequence to a trained AMP classifier (its ability to generate membrane curvature) and its maximal antimicrobial efficacy. As mutational distances are increased from known AMPs, we find AMP-like sequences that are increasingly difficult for nature to discover via simple mutation. Using the sequence map as a discovery tool, we find a unexpectedly diverse taxonomy of sequences that are just as membrane-active as known AMPs, but with a broad range of primary functions distinct from AMP functions, including endogenous neuropeptides, viral fusion proteins, topogenic peptides, and amyloids. The SVM classifier is useful as a general detector of membrane activity in peptide sequences.

Implication of the cause of differences in 3D structures of proteins with high sequence identity based on analyses of amino acid sequences and 3D structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuoka, Masanari; Sugita, Masatake; Kikuchi, Takeshi

2014-09-18

Proteins that share a high sequence homology while exhibiting drastically different 3D structures are investigated in this study. Recently, artificial proteins related to the sequences of the GA and IgG binding GB domains of human serum albumin have been designed. These artificial proteins, referred to as GA and GB, share 98% amino acid sequence identity but exhibit different 3D structures, namely, a 3α bundle versus a 4β + α structure. Discriminating between their 3D structures based on their amino acid sequences is a very difficult problem. In the present work, in addition to using bioinformatics techniques, an analysis based on inter-residue average distance statistics is used to address this problem. It was hard to distinguish which structure a given sequence would take only with the results of ordinary analyses like BLAST and conservation analyses. However, in addition to these analyses, with the analysis based on the inter-residue average distance statistics and our sequence tendency analysis, we could infer which part would play an important role in its structural formation. The results suggest possible determinants of the different 3D structures for sequences with high sequence identity. The possibility of discriminating between the 3D structures based on the given sequences is also discussed.

Many unexpected abdominal findings on staging computed tomography in patients with colorectal cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmsted, Kim; Nørring, Keld; Laustrup, Lene Collatz

2011-01-01

; an issue that was previously studied in relation to CT colonography, but not in relation to staging CT with intravenous contrast in CRC patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the number and significance of such unexpected findings on staging CTs in CRC patients.......Computed tomography (CT) was proven to be superior to preoperative abdominal ultrasound in the preoperative setting for detection of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). The higher sensitivity of CT has resulted in a number of unexpected abdominal findings of varying importance...

Unexpected nitrile formation in bio-based mesoporous materials (Starbons®).

Science.gov (United States)

Attard, Jennifer; Milescu, Roxana; Budarin, Vitaliy; Matharu, Avtar S; Clark, James H

2018-01-16

The bio-based mesoporous materials made from polysaccharides, Starbons® can be modified by two different routes to give high levels of N-content, unexpectedly including significant quantities of nitrile groups which can improve the materials performance in applications including metal capture.

Boosting antibody developability through rational sequence optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Seeliger, Daniel; Schulz, Patrick; Litzenburger, Tobias; Spitz, Julia; Hoerer, Stefan; Blech, Michaela; Enenkel, Barbara; Studts, Joey M; Garidel, Patrick; Karow, Anne R

2015-01-01

The application of monoclonal antibodies as commercial therapeutics poses substantial demands on stability and properties of an antibody. Therapeutic molecules that exhibit favorable properties increase the success rate in development. However, it is not yet fully understood how the protein sequences of an antibody translates into favorable in vitro molecule properties. In this work, computational design strategies based on heuristic sequence analysis were used to systematically modify an antibody that exhibited a tendency to precipitation in vitro. The resulting series of closely related antibodies showed improved stability as assessed by biophysical methods and long-term stability experiments. As a notable observation, expression levels also improved in comparison with the wild-type candidate. The methods employed to optimize the protein sequences, as well as the biophysical data used to determine the effect on stability under conditions commonly used in the formulation of therapeutic proteins, are described. Together, the experimental and computational data led to consistent conclusions regarding the effect of the introduced mutations. Our approach exemplifies how computational methods can be used to guide antibody optimization for increased stability.

Noncoding sequence classification based on wavelet transform analysis: part I

Science.gov (United States)

Paredes, O.; Strojnik, M.; Romo-Vázquez, R.; Vélez Pérez, H.; Ranta, R.; Garcia-Torales, G.; Scholl, M. K.; Morales, J. A.

2017-09-01

DNA sequences in human genome can be divided into the coding and noncoding ones. Coding sequences are those that are read during the transcription. The identification of coding sequences has been widely reported in literature due to its much-studied periodicity. Noncoding sequences represent the majority of the human genome. They play an important role in gene regulation and differentiation among the cells. However, noncoding sequences do not exhibit periodicities that correlate to their functions. The ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA elements) and Epigenomic Roadmap Project projects have cataloged the human noncoding sequences into specific functions. We study characteristics of noncoding sequences with wavelet analysis of genomic signals.

Unexpected sneezing after a peribulbar injection in a patient for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... anaesthetic in awake patients. We present a case report of an awake elderly male who experienced unexpected continuous sneezing immediately after the removal of the needle used for the peribulbar block, which was subsequently relieved with pheniramine maleate. Keywords: peribulbar block, pheniramine maleate, ...

Establishing a framework for comparative analysis of genome sequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bansal, A.K.

1995-06-01

This paper describes a framework and a high-level language toolkit for comparative analysis of genome sequence alignment The framework integrates the information derived from multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree (hypothetical tree of evolution) to derive new properties about sequences. Multiple sequence alignments are treated as an abstract data type. Abstract operations have been described to manipulate a multiple sequence alignment and to derive mutation related information from a phylogenetic tree by superimposing parsimonious analysis. The framework has been applied on protein alignments to derive constrained columns (in a multiple sequence alignment) that exhibit evolutionary pressure to preserve a common property in a column despite mutation. A Prolog toolkit based on the framework has been implemented and demonstrated on alignments containing 3000 sequences and 3904 columns.

Recognition of depositional sequences and stacking patterns, Late Devonian (Frasnian) carbonate platforms, Alberta basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, J.H.; Reeckmann, S.A.; Sarg, J.F.; Greenlee, S.M.

1987-05-01

Six depositional sequences bounded by regional unconformities or their correlative equivalents (sequence boundaries) have been recognized in Late Devonian (Frasnian) carbonate platforms in the Alberta basin. These sequences consist of a predictable vertical succession of smaller scale shoaling-upward cycles (parasequences). Parasequences are arranged in retrogradational, aggradational, and progradational stacking patterns that can be modeled as a sediment response to relative changes in sea level. Sequence boundaries are recognized by onlap onto underlying shelf or shelf margin strata. This onlap includes shelf margin wedges and deep marine onlap. In outcrop sections shelf margin wedges exhibit an abrupt juxtaposition of shallow water facies over deeper water deposits with no gradational facies changes at the boundaries. High on the platform, subaerial exposure fabrics may be present. The shelf margin wedges are interpreted to have formed during lowstands in sea level and typically exhibit an aggradational stacking pattern. On the platform, two types of sequences are recognized. A type 1 cycle occurs where the sequence boundary is overlain by a flooding surface and subsequent parasequences exhibit retrogradational stacking. In a type 2 cycle the sequence boundary is overlain by an aggradational package of shallow water parasequences, followed by a retrogradational package. These two types of sequences can be modeled using a sinusoidal eustatic sea level curve superimposed on thermo-tectonic subsidence.

Diagnostics of Primary Immunodeficiencies through Next Generation Sequencing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera Gallo

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Recently, a growing number of novel genetic defects underlying primary immunodeficiencies (PID have been identified, increasing the number of PID up to more than 250 well-defined forms. Next-generation sequencing (NGS technologies and proper filtering strategies greatly contributed to this rapid evolution, providing the possibility to rapidly and simultaneously analyze large numbers of genes or the whole exome. Objective: To evaluate the role of targeted next-generation sequencing and whole exome sequencing in the diagnosis of a case series, characterized by complex or atypical clinical features suggesting a PID, difficult to diagnose using the current diagnostic procedures.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed genetic variants identified through targeted next-generation sequencing or whole exome sequencing in 45 patients with complex PID of unknown etiology. Results: 40 variants were identified using targeted next-generation sequencing, while 5 were identified using whole exome sequencing. Newly identified genetic variants were classified into 4 groups: I variations associated with a well-defined PID; II variations associated with atypical features of a well-defined PID; III functionally relevant variations potentially involved in the immunological features; IV non-diagnostic genotype, in whom the link with phenotype is missing. We reached a conclusive genetic diagnosis in 7/45 patients (~16%. Among them, 4 patients presented with a typical well-defined PID. In the remaining 3 cases, mutations were associated with unexpected clinical features, expanding the phenotypic spectrum of typical PIDs. In addition, we identified 31 variants in 10 patients with complex phenotype, individually not causative per se of the disorder.Conclusion: NGS technologies represent a cost-effective and rapid first-line genetic approaches for the evaluation of complex PIDs. Whole exome sequencing, despite a moderate higher cost compared to targeted, is

Sequence specificity and biological consequences of drugs that bind covalently in the minor groove of DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurley, L.H.; Needham-VanDevanter, D.R.

1986-01-01

DNA ligands which bind within the minor groove of DNA exhibit varying degrees of sequence selectivity. Factors which contribute to nucleotide sequence recognition by minor groove ligands have been extensively investigated. Electrostatic interactions, ligand and DNA dehydration energies, hydrophobic interactions and steric factors all play significant roles in sequence selectivity in the minor groove. Interestingly, ligand recognition of nucleotide sequence in the minor groove does not involve significant hydrogen bonding. This is in sharp contrast to cellular enzyme and protein recognition of nucleotide sequence, which is achieved in the major groove via specific hydrogen bond formation between individual bases and the ligand. The ability to read nucleotide sequence via hydrogen bonding allows precise binding of proteins to specific DNA sequences. Minor groove ligands examined to date exhibit a much lower sequence specificity, generally binding to a subset of possible sequences, rather than a single sequence. 19 refs., 7 figs

A novel reducing graphene/polyaniline/cuprous oxide composite hydrogel with unexpected photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Congo red

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miao, Jie; Xie, Anjian; Li, Shikuo; Huang, Fangzhi; Cao, Juan; Shen, Yuhua

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Excellent photocatalytic activity of the RGO/PANI/Cu_2O composite hydrogel for CR degradation under UV–vis light irradiation. - Highlights: • The RGO/PANI/Cu_2O composite hydrogel was first synthesized via a facile method. • Photocatalytic performance was studied under UV–vis light. • The ternary composite hydrogel shows unexpected photocatalytic activity. • A possible photocatalysis mechanism was illustrated. - Abstract: In this work, a novel reducing graphene/polyaniline/cuprous oxide (RGO/PANI/Cu_2O) composite hydrogel with a 3D porous network has been successfully prepared via a one-pot method in the presence of cubic Cu_2O nanoparticles. The as-synthesized ternary composites hydrogel shows unexpected photocatalytic activity such that Congo red (CR) degradation efficiency can reaches 97.91% in 20 min under UV–vis light irradiation, which is much higher than that of either the single component (Cu_2O nanoparticles), or two component systems (RGO/Cu_2O composite hydrogel and PANI/Cu_2O nanocomposites). Furthermore, the ternary composite hydrogel exhibits high stability and do not show any significant loss after five recycles. Such outstanding photocatalytic activity of the RGO/PANI/Cu_2O composite hydrogel was ascribed to the high absorption ability of the product for CR and the synergic effect among RGO, PANI and Cu_2O in photocatalytic process. The product of this work would provide a new sight for the construction of UV–vis light responsive photocatalyst with high performance.

An Unexpected Detection of Bifurcated Blue Straggler Sequences in the Young Globular Cluster NGC 2173

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chengyuan; Deng, Licai; de Grijs, Richard; Jiang, Dengkai; Xin, Yu

2018-03-01

The bifurcated patterns in the color–magnitude diagrams of blue straggler stars (BSSs) have attracted significant attention. This type of special (but rare) pattern of two distinct blue straggler sequences is commonly interpreted as evidence that cluster core-collapse-driven stellar collisions are an efficient formation mechanism. Here, we report the detection of a bifurcated blue straggler distribution in a young Large Magellanic Cloud cluster, NGC 2173. Because of the cluster’s low central stellar number density and its young age, dynamical analysis shows that stellar collisions alone cannot explain the observed BSSs. Therefore, binary evolution is instead the most viable explanation of the origin of these BSSs. However, the reason why binary evolution would render the color–magnitude distribution of BSSs bifurcated remains unclear. C. Li, L. Deng, and R. de Grijs jointly designed this project.

[Algorithm for securing an unexpected difficult airway : User analysis on a simulator].

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, T; Truschinski, K; Kriege, M; Naß, M; Herrmann, S; Ott, V; Sellin, S

2018-01-01

Critical incidents in difficult airway management are still a main contributory factor for perioperative morbidity and mortality. Many national associations have developed algorithms for management of these time critical events. For implementation of these algorithms the provision of technical requirements and procedure-related training are essential. Severe airway incidents are rare events and clinical experience of the individual operators is limited; therefore, simulation is an adequate instrument for training and evaluating difficult airway algorithms. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate the application of the institutional difficult airway algorithm among anesthetists. After ethics committee approval, anesthetists were observed while treating a "cannot intubate" (CI) and a "cannot intubate, cannot ventilate" (CICV) situation in the institutional simulation center. As leader of a supportive team the participants had to deal with an unexpected difficult airway after induction of anesthesia in a patient simulator. The following data were recorded: sequence of the applied airway instruments, time to ventilation after establishing a secured airway using any instrument in the CI situation and time to ventilation via cricothyrotomy in the CICV situation. Conformity to the algorithm was defined by the sequence of the applied instruments. Analysis comprised conformity to the algorithm, non-parametric tests for time to ventilation and differences between junior and senior anesthetists. Out of 50 participants 45 were analyzed in the CI situation. In this situation 93% of the participants acted in conformity with the algorithm. In 62% the airway was secured by flexible intubation endoscopy, in 38% with another device. Data from 46 participants were analyzed in the CICV situation. In this situation 91% acted in conformity with the algorithm. The last device used prior to the decision for cricothyrotomy was flexible intubation endoscopy in 39%, a

Exhibition

CERN Document Server

Staff Association

2017-01-01

A Look of Hope Islam Mahmoud Sweity From 19 to 30 June 2017 CERN Meyrin, Main Building Islam Mahmoud Sweity Islam Mahmoud Sweity was born in 1997 at Beit Awwa, Palestine. She is currently following a course to get an Art diploma of Painting at the college of Fine Arts at An-Najah National University under the supervision of Esmat Al As'aad. Her portraits, landscapes and still life paintings are full of life and shining colours. Charged of emotional empathy they catch the attention of the viewer and are reminding us that life is beautiful and worth living in spite of all difficulties we have to go through. She participated in many exhibitions and has exposed her drawings in 2015 at CERN and in France in the framework of the exhibition "The Origin“, and in 2017 in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Palestina and Jordan. In this exhibition the oil paintings made in the past year will be presented. For more information : staff.association@cern.ch | T&eacu...

When an Object Appears Unexpectedly: Object Circumvention in Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilmut, Kate; Du, Wenchong; Barnett, Anna L

2017-01-01

Obstacles often appear unexpectedly in our pathway and these require us to make immediate adjustments. Despite how regularly we encounter such situations only few studies have considered how we adjust to unexpected obstacles in the pathway that require us to walk around them. The authors considered how adults adjust to the possibility of an obstacle appearing and then also how foot placement is adjusted to circumvent an obstacle. Fifteen healthy adults walked down an 11-m walkway, initially they were told this was a clear pathway and nothing in the environment would change (no gate), they then performed a series of trials in which a gate may (gate close) or may not (gate open) partially obstruct their pathway. The authors found that mediolateral trunk velocity and acceleration was significantly increased when there was the possibility of an obstacle but before the obstacle appeared. This demonstrates an adaptive walking strategy that seems to enable healthy young adults to successfully circumvent obstacles. The authors also categorized foot placement adjustments and found that adults favored making shorter and wider steps away from the obstacle. They suggest this combination of adjustments allows participants to maintain stability while successfully circumventing the obstacle.

Frequentie en oorzaak van onverwachte allergische reacties op voedsel [Frequency and cause of unexpected allergic reactions to food

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Michelsen-Huisman, A.D.; Os-Medendorp, H. van; Versluis, A.; Kruizinga, A.G.; Castenmiller, J.J.M.; Noteborn, H.P.J.M.; Houben, G.F.; Knulst, A.C.

2014-01-01

Unexpected reactions occur in patients with food allergy, but frequency data are scare. This prospective study investigates the frequency, severity and causes of unexpected allergic reactions to food in adults with a doctor's diagnosed food allergy. Participants complete an online questionnaire

Exhibiting Epistemic Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tybjerg, Karin

2017-01-01

of exhibiting epistemic objects that utilize their knowledge-generating potential and allow them to continue to stimulate curiosity and generate knowledge in the exhibition. The epistemic potential of the objects can then be made to work together with the function of the exhibition as a knowledge-generating set...

Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis CN026 Exhibiting Antagonistic Activity against Gram-Negative Foodborne Pathogens

OpenAIRE

Nannan, Catherine; Gillis, Annika; Caulier, Simon; Mahillon, Jacques

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT We report here the complete genome sequence of Bacillus velezensis strain CN026, a member of the B. subtilis group, which is known for its many industrial applications. The genome contains 3,995,812 bp and displays six gene clusters potentially involved in strain CN026’s activity against Gram-negative foodborne pathogens.

Genome-wide Polygenic Burden of Rare Deleterious Variants in Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Costin Leu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP represents the most severe degree of the spectrum of epilepsy severity and is the commonest cause of epilepsy-related premature mortality. The precise pathophysiology and the genetic architecture of SUDEP remain elusive. Aiming to elucidate the genetic basis of SUDEP, we analysed rare, protein-changing variants from whole-exome sequences of 18 people who died of SUDEP, 87 living people with epilepsy and 1479 non-epilepsy disease controls. Association analysis revealed a significantly increased genome-wide polygenic burden per individual in the SUDEP cohort when compared to epilepsy (P = 5.7 × 10−3 and non-epilepsy disease controls (P = 1.2 × 10−3. The polygenic burden was driven both by the number of variants per individual, and over-representation of variants likely to be deleterious in the SUDEP cohort. As determined by this study, more than a thousand genes contribute to the observed polygenic burden within the framework of this study. Subsequent gene-based association analysis revealed five possible candidate genes significantly associated with SUDEP or epilepsy, but no one single gene emerges as common to the SUDEP cases. Our findings provide further evidence for a genetic susceptibility to SUDEP, and suggest an extensive polygenic contribution to SUDEP causation. Thus, an overall increased burden of deleterious variants in a highly polygenic background might be important in rendering a given individual more susceptible to SUDEP. Our findings suggest that exome sequencing in people with epilepsy might eventually contribute to generating SUDEP risk estimates, promoting stratified medicine in epilepsy, with the eventual aim of reducing an individual patient's risk of SUDEP.

Genome-wide Polygenic Burden of Rare Deleterious Variants in Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Leu, Costin; Balestrini, Simona; Maher, Bridget; Hernández-Hernández, Laura; Gormley, Padhraig; Hämäläinen, Eija; Heggeli, Kristin; Schoeler, Natasha; Novy, Jan; Willis, Joseph; Plagnol, Vincent; Ellis, Rachael; Reavey, Eleanor; O'Regan, Mary; Pickrell, William O; Thomas, Rhys H; Chung, Seo-Kyung; Delanty, Norman; McMahon, Jacinta M; Malone, Stephen; Sadleir, Lynette G; Berkovic, Samuel F; Nashef, Lina; Zuberi, Sameer M; Rees, Mark I; Cavalleri, Gianpiero L; Sander, Josemir W; Hughes, Elaine; Helen Cross, J; Scheffer, Ingrid E; Palotie, Aarno; Sisodiya, Sanjay M

2015-09-01

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) represents the most severe degree of the spectrum of epilepsy severity and is the commonest cause of epilepsy-related premature mortality. The precise pathophysiology and the genetic architecture of SUDEP remain elusive. Aiming to elucidate the genetic basis of SUDEP, we analysed rare, protein-changing variants from whole-exome sequences of 18 people who died of SUDEP, 87 living people with epilepsy and 1479 non-epilepsy disease controls. Association analysis revealed a significantly increased genome-wide polygenic burden per individual in the SUDEP cohort when compared to epilepsy (P = 5.7 × 10(- 3)) and non-epilepsy disease controls (P = 1.2 × 10(- 3)). The polygenic burden was driven both by the number of variants per individual, and over-representation of variants likely to be deleterious in the SUDEP cohort. As determined by this study, more than a thousand genes contribute to the observed polygenic burden within the framework of this study. Subsequent gene-based association analysis revealed five possible candidate genes significantly associated with SUDEP or epilepsy, but no one single gene emerges as common to the SUDEP cases. Our findings provide further evidence for a genetic susceptibility to SUDEP, and suggest an extensive polygenic contribution to SUDEP causation. Thus, an overall increased burden of deleterious variants in a highly polygenic background might be important in rendering a given individual more susceptible to SUDEP. Our findings suggest that exome sequencing in people with epilepsy might eventually contribute to generating SUDEP risk estimates, promoting stratified medicine in epilepsy, with the eventual aim of reducing an individual patient's risk of SUDEP.

Responding In-the-Moment: Learning to Prepare for the Unexpected

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, John

2015-01-01

Becoming aware of something unexpected can be a form of awakening: sharpening attention, enriching noticing, opening up fresh possibilities of action, and educating awareness so as to enable a sensitive response to similar situations in the future. However it can also trigger tunnel vision (few if any actions available) or freezing (no actions…

Unexpected brain finding in pre-autopsy postmortem CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatzaraki, Vasiliki; Bolliger, Stephan A; Thali, Michael J; Eggert, Sebastian; Ruder, Thomas D

2017-09-01

A case is presented in which pre-autopsy postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) revealed an unexpected brain abscess with a related frontal sinusitis and an erosion of the posterior wall of the frontal sinus. PMCT findings enabled the forensic pathologists to adapt protective measures during autopsy and protect their health from infection. Pre-autopsy PMCT has been also useful in the early differential diagnosis procedure. The complementary use of postmortem imaging and autopsy can improve the quality of forensic death investigations.

The Arsenic Resistance-Associated Listeria Genomic Island LGI2 Exhibits Sequence and Integration Site Diversity and a Propensity for Three Listeria monocytogenes Clones with Enhanced Virulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangmi; Ward, Todd J; Jima, Dereje D; Parsons, Cameron; Kathariou, Sophia

2017-11-01

In the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes , arsenic resistance is encountered primarily in serotype 4b clones considered to have enhanced virulence and is associated with an arsenic resistance gene cluster within a 35-kb chromosomal region, Listeria genomic island 2 (LGI2). LGI2 was first identified in strain Scott A and includes genes putatively involved in arsenic and cadmium resistance, DNA integration, conjugation, and pathogenicity. However, the genomic localization and sequence content of LGI2 remain poorly characterized. Here we investigated 85 arsenic-resistant L. monocytogenes strains, mostly of serotype 4b. All but one of the 70 serotype 4b strains belonged to clonal complex 1 (CC1), CC2, and CC4, three major clones associated with enhanced virulence. PCR analysis suggested that 53 strains (62.4%) harbored an island highly similar to LGI2 of Scott A, frequently (42/53) in the same location as Scott A ( LMOf2365_2257 homolog). Random-primed PCR and whole-genome sequencing revealed seven novel insertion sites, mostly internal to chromosomal coding sequences, among strains harboring LGI2 outside the LMOf2365_2257 homolog. Interestingly, many CC1 strains harbored a noticeably diversified LGI2 (LGI2-1) in a unique location ( LMOf2365_0902 homolog) and with a novel additional gene. With few exceptions, the tested LGI2 genes were not detected in arsenic-resistant strains of serogroup 1/2, which instead often harbored a Tn 554 -associated arsenic resistance determinant not encountered in serotype 4b. These findings indicate that in L. monocytogenes , LGI2 has a propensity for certain serotype 4b clones, exhibits content diversity, and is highly promiscuous, suggesting an ability to mobilize various accessory genes into diverse chromosomal loci. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes is widely distributed in the environment and causes listeriosis, a foodborne disease with high mortality and morbidity. Arsenic and other heavy metals can powerfully shape the

Unexpected Regularity in Swimming Behavior of Clausocalanus furcatus Revealed by a Telecentric 3D Computer Vision System.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Bianco

Full Text Available Planktonic copepods display a large repertoire of motion behaviors in a three-dimensional environment. Two-dimensional video observations demonstrated that the small copepod Clausocalanus furcatus, one the most widely distributed calanoids at low to medium latitudes, presented a unique swimming behavior that was continuous and fast and followed notably convoluted trajectories. Furthermore, previous observations indicated that the motion of C. furcatus resembled a random process. We characterized the swimming behavior of this species in three-dimensional space using a video system equipped with telecentric lenses, which allow tracking of zooplankton without the distortion errors inherent in common lenses. Our observations revealed unexpected regularities in the behavior of C. furcatus that appear primarily in the horizontal plane and could not have been identified in previous observations based on lateral views. Our results indicate that the swimming behavior of C. furcatus is based on a limited repertoire of basic kinematic modules but exhibits greater plasticity than previously thought.

Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis CN026 Exhibiting Antagonistic Activity against Gram-Negative Foodborne Pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Nannan, Catherine; Gillis, Annika; Caulier, Simon; Mahillon, Jacques

2018-01-25

We report here the complete genome sequence of Bacillus velezensis strain CN026, a member of the B. subtilis group, which is known for its many industrial applications. The genome contains 3,995,812 bp and displays six gene clusters potentially involved in strain CN026's activity against Gram-negative foodborne pathogens. Copyright © 2018 Nannan et al.

Effects of unexpected lateral mass placement on trunk loading in lifting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Burg, J.C.E.; Kingma, I.; van Dieen, J.H.

2003-01-01

Study Design. A repeated measurements experiment of spinal loading in healthy subjects. Objectives. To test whether unexpected lateral mass placement increases low back loading and trunk movement when subjects are lifting a mass in upright posture. Summary of Background Data. Epidemiologic studies

Whole-exome sequencing of fibroblast and its iPS cell lines derived from a patient diagnosed with xeroderma pigmentosum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kohji Okamura

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Cells from a patient with a DNA repair-deficiency disorder are anticipated to bear a large number of somatic mutations. Because such mutations occur independently in each cell, there is a high degree of mosaicism in patients' tissues. While major mutations that have been expanded in many cognate cells are readily detected by sequencing, minor ones are overlaid with a large depth of non-mutated alleles and are not detected. However, cell cloning enables us to observe such cryptic mutations as well as major mutations. In the present study, we focused on a fibroblastic cell line that is derived from a patient diagnosed with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP, which is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a deficiency in nucleotide excision repair. By making a list of somatic mutations, we can expect to see a characteristic pattern of mutations caused by the hereditary disorder. We cloned a cell by generating an iPS cell line and performed a whole-exome sequencing analysis of the progenitor and its iPS cell lines. Unexpectedly, we failed to find causal mutations in the XP-related genes, but we identified many other mutations including homozygous deletion of GSTM1 and GSTT1. In addition, we found that the long arm of chromosome 9 formed uniparental disomy in the iPS cell line, which was also confirmed by a structural mutation analysis using a SNP array. Type and number of somatic mutations were different from those observed in XP patients. Taken together, we conclude that the patient might be affected by a different type of the disorder and that some of the mutations that we identified here may be responsible for exhibiting the phenotype. Sequencing and SNP-array data have been submitted to SRA and GEO under accession numbers SRP059858 and GSE55520, respectively.

Lower incidence of unexpected in-hospital death after interprofessional implementation of a bedside track-and-trigger system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bunkenborg, Gitte; Samuelson, Karin Samuelsonkarin; Poulsen, Ingrid

2014-01-01

In-hospital patients may suffer unexpected death because of suboptimal monitoring. Early recognition of deviating physiological parameters may enable staff to prevent unexpected in-hospital death. The aim of this study was to evaluate short- and long-term effects of systematic interprofessional u...... of early warning scoring, structured observation charts, and clinical algorithms for bedside action....

Effects of unexpected chords and of performer's expression on brain responses and electrodermal activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Koelsch, Stefan; Kilches, Simone; Steinbeis, Nikolaus; Schelinski, Stefanie

2008-07-09

There is lack of neuroscientific studies investigating music processing with naturalistic stimuli, and brain responses to real music are, thus, largely unknown. This study investigates event-related brain potentials (ERPs), skin conductance responses (SCRs) and heart rate (HR) elicited by unexpected chords of piano sonatas as they were originally arranged by composers, and as they were played by professional pianists. From the musical excerpts played by the pianists (with emotional expression), we also created versions without variations in tempo and loudness (without musical expression) to investigate effects of musical expression on ERPs and SCRs. Compared to expected chords, unexpected chords elicited an early right anterior negativity (ERAN, reflecting music-syntactic processing) and an N5 (reflecting processing of meaning information) in the ERPs, as well as clear changes in the SCRs (reflecting that unexpected chords also elicited emotional responses). The ERAN was not influenced by emotional expression, whereas N5 potentials elicited by chords in general (regardless of their chord function) differed between the expressive and the non-expressive condition. These results show that the neural mechanisms of music-syntactic processing operate independently of the emotional qualities of a stimulus, justifying the use of stimuli without emotional expression to investigate the cognitive processing of musical structure. Moreover, the data indicate that musical expression affects the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of musical meaning. Our data are the first to reveal influences of musical performance on ERPs and SCRs, and to show physiological responses to unexpected chords in naturalistic music.

Effects of unexpected chords and of performer's expression on brain responses and electrodermal activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Koelsch

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There is lack of neuroscientific studies investigating music processing with naturalistic stimuli, and brain responses to real music are, thus, largely unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This study investigates event-related brain potentials (ERPs, skin conductance responses (SCRs and heart rate (HR elicited by unexpected chords of piano sonatas as they were originally arranged by composers, and as they were played by professional pianists. From the musical excerpts played by the pianists (with emotional expression, we also created versions without variations in tempo and loudness (without musical expression to investigate effects of musical expression on ERPs and SCRs. Compared to expected chords, unexpected chords elicited an early right anterior negativity (ERAN, reflecting music-syntactic processing and an N5 (reflecting processing of meaning information in the ERPs, as well as clear changes in the SCRs (reflecting that unexpected chords also elicited emotional responses. The ERAN was not influenced by emotional expression, whereas N5 potentials elicited by chords in general (regardless of their chord function differed between the expressive and the non-expressive condition. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results show that the neural mechanisms of music-syntactic processing operate independently of the emotional qualities of a stimulus, justifying the use of stimuli without emotional expression to investigate the cognitive processing of musical structure. Moreover, the data indicate that musical expression affects the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of musical meaning. Our data are the first to reveal influences of musical performance on ERPs and SCRs, and to show physiological responses to unexpected chords in naturalistic music.

Unexpected photoreactivation of Vibrio harveyi bacteria living in ionization environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alifano, P.; Tala, A.; Tredici, S. M.; Nassisi, V.; Siciliano, M. V.

2011-01-01

Bacteria undergoing environmental effects is extremely interesting for structural, mechanistic, and evolutionary implications. Luminescent bacteria that have evolved in a specific ambient have developed particular responses and their behavior can give us new suggestions on the task and production of luciferina proteins. To analyze the UV interaction under controlled laboratory conditions, we used photoluminescent bacterial strains belonging to a new species evolutionarily close to Vibrio harveyi sampled from a coastal cave with a high radon content that generates ionizing radiation. The survival of the bacterial strains was analyzed, in the light and in the dark, following a variety of genotoxic treatments including UV radiation exposure. The strains were irradiated by a germicide lamp. The results demonstrated that most of the strains exhibited a low rate of survival after the UV exposure. After irradiation by visible light following the UV exposure, all strains showed a high capability of photoreactivation when grown. This capability was quite unexpected because these bacteria were sampled from a dark ambient without UV radiation. This leads us to hypothesize that the photoreactivation in these bacteria might have been evolved to repair DNA lesions also induced by different radiation sources other than UV (e.g., x-ray) and that the luminescent bacteria might use their own light emission to carry out the photoreactivation. The high capability of photoreactivation of these bacteria was also justified by the results of deconvolution. The deconvolution was applied to the emission spectra and it was able to show evidence of different light peaks. The presence of the visible peak could control the photolysis enzyme.

A novel reducing graphene/polyaniline/cuprous oxide composite hydrogel with unexpected photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Congo red

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miao, Jie; Xie, Anjian; Li, Shikuo; Huang, Fangzhi; Cao, Juan; Shen, Yuhua, E-mail: yhshen@ahu.edu.cn

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Excellent photocatalytic activity of the RGO/PANI/Cu{sub 2}O composite hydrogel for CR degradation under UV–vis light irradiation. - Highlights: • The RGO/PANI/Cu{sub 2}O composite hydrogel was first synthesized via a facile method. • Photocatalytic performance was studied under UV–vis light. • The ternary composite hydrogel shows unexpected photocatalytic activity. • A possible photocatalysis mechanism was illustrated. - Abstract: In this work, a novel reducing graphene/polyaniline/cuprous oxide (RGO/PANI/Cu{sub 2}O) composite hydrogel with a 3D porous network has been successfully prepared via a one-pot method in the presence of cubic Cu{sub 2}O nanoparticles. The as-synthesized ternary composites hydrogel shows unexpected photocatalytic activity such that Congo red (CR) degradation efficiency can reaches 97.91% in 20 min under UV–vis light irradiation, which is much higher than that of either the single component (Cu{sub 2}O nanoparticles), or two component systems (RGO/Cu{sub 2}O composite hydrogel and PANI/Cu{sub 2}O nanocomposites). Furthermore, the ternary composite hydrogel exhibits high stability and do not show any significant loss after five recycles. Such outstanding photocatalytic activity of the RGO/PANI/Cu{sub 2}O composite hydrogel was ascribed to the high absorption ability of the product for CR and the synergic effect among RGO, PANI and Cu{sub 2}O in photocatalytic process. The product of this work would provide a new sight for the construction of UV–vis light responsive photocatalyst with high performance.

Fournier gangrene and unexpected death.

Science.gov (United States)

Bury, Danielle; Byard, Roger W

2012-11-01

Fournier gangrene represents a rare but progressive perineal infection that may result in rapid death. A 70-year-old man with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and alcohol abuse is reported who was found unexpectedly dead. He had last been contacted the night before his death. At autopsy, the most striking finding was deep necrotic ulceration of the scrotum with exposure of underlying deep muscles and testicles, with blood cultures positive for Escherichia coli. Death was, therefore, attributed to necrotic ulceration/gangrene of the perineum (Fournier gangrene) that was due to E. coli sepsis with underlying contributing factors of diabetes mellitus and alcoholism. In addition there was morbid obesity (body mass index 46.9), cirrhosis of the liver, and marked focal coronary artery atherosclerosis with significant cardiomegaly. Fournier gangrene may be an extremely aggressive condition that can result in rapid death, as was demonstrated by the rapid progression in the reported case. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Socioemotional characteristics of elementary school children identified as exhibiting social leadership qualities.

Science.gov (United States)

Scharf, Miri; Mayseless, Ofra

2009-03-01

Elementary school teachers identified characteristics in 4 major socioemotional domains associated with children's social leadership: self-perception, social anxiety, attachment orientation with peers, and interpersonal goals and skills in close friendships. Participants were 260 4th- and 5th-grade students (126 boys, 134 girls) from 10 classes in a school in northern Israel. Social leadership skills were associated with positive self-perceptions in various domains, low social anxiety, secure orientation to peers, higher levels of relationship-maintenance goal, lower levels of revenge goal in close friendships, and-unexpectedly-lower levels of accommodation as a strategy to solve conflicts with a friend. Positive self-concept and attachment security were indirectly associated with leadership qualities through their significant association with prosocial orientation skills. The authors discuss these findings as reflecting an internalization of positive model of self and positive model of others in children who exhibit social leadership qualities. The authors also discuss implications of these qualities for school and class ecology, as well as the importance of culture.

Next of kin’s experiences of sudden and unexpected death from stroke - a study of narratives

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Death always evokes feelings in those close to the afflicted person. When death comes suddenly the time for preparation is minimal and the next of kin have to cope with the situation despite their own sorrow. The suddenness is found to be stressful for the next of kin and communication both with healthcare professionals and information about what has happened has been found helpful. The aim of this study was to illuminate the experiences of next of kin from the sudden and unexpected death of a relative from acute stroke. Methods Data was collected over a 12-month period in 2009–2010. Twelve next of kin of patients cared for in stroke units who died suddenly and unexpectedly from stroke were interviewed using a narrative method. The narratives were analyzed using narrative thematic analysis. Results Three themes emerged showing facets of next of kin’s experiences of a relative’s sudden and unexpected death from stroke: Divided feelings about the sudden and unexpected death; Perception of time and directed attention when keeping vigil; Contradictions and arbitrary memories when searching for understanding. Conclusions To have to live in the aftermath of severe stroke is absolute horror in people’s imagination and death is seen as the lesser of two evils. The sudden and unexpected death totally pervades the next of kin’s life, directs their attention to the dying person and even causes them to forget themselves and their own needs, and leads to difficulties in information intake. It is a challenge for the healthcare professionals to be able to identify the individual needs of the next of kin in this situation. PMID:23590246

Unexpected large room-temperature ferromagnetism in porous Cu{sub 2}O thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Xue [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Sun, Huiyuan, E-mail: huiyuansun@126.com [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Liu, Lihu; Jia, Xiaoxuan; Liu, Huiyuan [College of Physics Science & Information Engineering, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Films of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050024 (China)

2015-05-15

Porous Cu{sub 2}O films have been fabricated on porous anodic alumina substrates using DC-reactive magnetron sputtering with pure Cu targets, and unexpectedly large room temperature ferromagnetism has been observed in the films. The maximum saturation magnetic moment along the out-of-plane direction was as high as 94 emu/cm{sup 3}. Photoluminescence spectra show that the ferromagnetism originates with oxygen vacancies. The ferromagnetism could be adjusted by changing the concentration of oxygen vacancies through annealing in an oxygen atmosphere. These observations suggest that the origin of the ferromagnetism is due to coupling between oxygen vacancies with local magnetic moments in the porous Cu{sub 2}O films, which can occur either directly through exchange interactions between oxygen vacancies, or through the mediation of conduction electrons. Such a ferromagnet without the presence of any ferromagnetic dopant may find applications in spintronic devices. - Highlights: • Porous Cu{sub 2}O films were deposited on porous anodic alumina (PAA) substrates. • Significant room-temperature ferromagnetism has been observed in porous Cu{sub 2}O films. • Ferromagnetism of Cu{sub 2}O films exhibited different magnetic signals with the field. • The saturation magnetization is 94 emu/cm{sup 3} with an out-of-plane.

Unexpected flood loss correlations across Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Booth, Naomi; Boyd, Jessica

2017-04-01

Floods don't observe country borders, as highlighted by major events across Europe that resulted in heavy economic and insured losses in 1999, 2002, 2009 and 2013. Flood loss correlations between some countries occur along multi-country river systems or between neighbouring nations affected by the same weather systems. However, correlations are not so obvious and whilst flooding in multiple locations across Europe may appear independent, for a re/insurer providing cover across the continent, these unexpected correlations can lead to high loss accumulations. A consistent, continental-scale method that allows quantification and comparison of losses, and identifies correlations in loss between European countries is therefore essential. A probabilistic model for European river flooding was developed that allows estimation of potential losses to pan-European property portfolios. By combining flood hazard and exposure information in a catastrophe modelling platform, we can consider correlations between river basins across Europe rather than being restricted to country boundaries. A key feature of the model is its statistical event set based on extreme value theory. Using historical river flow data, the event set captures spatial and temporal patterns of flooding across Europe and simulates thousands of events representing a full range of possible scenarios. Some known correlations were identified, such as between neighbouring Belgium and Luxembourg where 28% of events that affect either country produce a loss in both. However, our model identified some unexpected correlations including between Austria and Poland, and Poland and France, which are geographically distant. These correlations in flood loss may be missed by traditional methods and are key for re/insurers with risks in multiple countries. The model also identified that 46% of European river flood events affect more than one country. For more extreme events with a return period higher than 200 years, all events

Sudden unexpected death in children with a previously diagnosed cardiovascular disorder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polderman, Florens N.; Cohen, Joeri; Blom, Nico A.; Delhaas, Tammo; Helbing, Wim A.; Lam, Jan; Sobotka-Plojhar, Marta A.; Temmerman, Arno M.; Sreeram, Narayanswani

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: It is known that children with previously diagnosed heart defects die suddenly. The causes of death are often unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify all infants and children within the Netherlands with previously diagnosed heart disease who had a sudden unexpected death

Sudden unexpected death in children with a previously diagnosed cardiovascular disorder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polderman, F.N.; Cohen, Joeri; Blom, N.A.; Delhaas, T.; Helbing, W.A.; Lam, J.; Sobotka-Plojhar, M.A.; Temmerman, Arno M.; Sreeram, N.

2004-01-01

Background: It is known that children with previously diagnosed heart defects die suddenly. The causes of death are often unknown. Objective: The aim of the study was to identify all infants and children within the Netherlands with previously diagnosed heart disease who had a sudden unexpected death

Pupil dilation during recognition memory: Isolating unexpected recognition from judgment uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Mill, Ravi D; O'Connor, Akira R; Dobbins, Ian G

2016-09-01

Optimally discriminating familiar from novel stimuli demands a decision-making process informed by prior expectations. Here we demonstrate that pupillary dilation (PD) responses during recognition memory decisions are modulated by expectations, and more specifically, that pupil dilation increases for unexpected compared to expected recognition. Furthermore, multi-level modeling demonstrated that the time course of the dilation during each individual trial contains separable early and late dilation components, with the early amplitude capturing unexpected recognition, and the later trailing slope reflecting general judgment uncertainty or effort. This is the first demonstration that the early dilation response during recognition is dependent upon observer expectations and that separate recognition expectation and judgment uncertainty components are present in the dilation time course of every trial. The findings provide novel insights into adaptive memory-linked orienting mechanisms as well as the general cognitive underpinnings of the pupillary index of autonomic nervous system activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Council Chamber exhibition

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

To complete the revamp of CERN’s Council Chamber, a new exhibition is being installed just in time for the June Council meetings.   Panels will showcase highlights of CERN’s history, using some of the content prepared for the exhibitions marking 50 years of the PS, which were displayed in the main building last November. The previous photo exhibition in the Council Chamber stopped at the 1970s. To avoid the new panels becoming quickly out of date, photos are grouped together around specific infrastructures, rather than following a classic time-line. “We have put the focus on the accelerators – the world-class facilities that CERN has been offering researchers over the years, from the well-known large colliders to the lesser-known smaller facilities,” says Emma Sanders, who worked on the content. The new exhibition will be featured in a future issue of the Bulletin with photos and an interview with Fabienne Marcastel, designer of the exhibit...

Audit of radiology communication systems for critical, urgent, and unexpected significant findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, K A; Drinkwater, K J; Dugar, N; Howlett, D C

2016-03-01

To determine the compliance of UK radiology departments and trusts/healthcare organisations with National Patient Safety Agency and Royal College of Radiologist's published guidance on the communication of critical, urgent, and unexpected significant radiological findings. A questionnaire was sent to all UK radiology department audit leads asking for details of their current departmental policy regarding the issuing of alerts; use of automated electronic alert systems; methods of notification of clinicians of critical, urgent, and unexpected significant radiological findings; monitoring of results receipt; and examples of the more common types of serious pathologies for which alerts were issued. One hundred and fifty-four of 229 departments (67%) responded. Eighty-eight percent indicated that they had a policy in place for the communication of critical, urgent, and unexpected significant radiological findings. Only 34% had an automated electronic alert system in place and only 17% had a facility for service-wide electronic tracking of radiology reports. In only 11 departments with an electronic acknowledgement system was someone regularly monitoring the read rate. There is wide variation in practice across the UK with regard to the communication and monitoring of reports with many departments/trusts not fully compliant with published UK guidance. Despite the widespread use of electronic systems, only a minority of departments/trusts have and use electronic tracking to ensure reports have been read and acted upon. Copyright © 2015 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thallium-201 accumulation in cerebral candidiasis: Unexpected finding on SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonami, N.; Matsuda, H.; Ooba, H.; Yokoyama, K.; Hisada, K.; Ikeda, K.; Yamashita, J.

1990-01-01

The authors present an unexpected finding of Tl-201 uptake in the intracerebral lesions due to candidiasis. SPECT demonstrated the extent of the lesions and a high target-to-background ratio. The regions where abnormal Tl-201 accumulation was seen were nearly consistent with CT scans of those enhanced by a contrast agent. After treatment, most of the abnormal Tl-201 accumulation disappeared

Thallium-201 accumulation in cerebral candidiasis: Unexpected finding on SPECT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonami, N.; Matsuda, H.; Ooba, H.; Yokoyama, K.; Hisada, K.; Ikeda, K.; Yamashita, J. (Kanazawa Univ. (Japan))

1990-06-01

The authors present an unexpected finding of Tl-201 uptake in the intracerebral lesions due to candidiasis. SPECT demonstrated the extent of the lesions and a high target-to-background ratio. The regions where abnormal Tl-201 accumulation was seen were nearly consistent with CT scans of those enhanced by a contrast agent. After treatment, most of the abnormal Tl-201 accumulation disappeared.

Targeted high-throughput sequencing identifies mutations in atlastin-1 as a cause of hereditary sensory neuropathy type I.

Science.gov (United States)

Guelly, Christian; Zhu, Peng-Peng; Leonardis, Lea; Papić, Lea; Zidar, Janez; Schabhüttl, Maria; Strohmaier, Heimo; Weis, Joachim; Strom, Tim M; Baets, Jonathan; Willems, Jan; De Jonghe, Peter; Reilly, Mary M; Fröhlich, Eleonore; Hatz, Martina; Trajanoski, Slave; Pieber, Thomas R; Janecke, Andreas R; Blackstone, Craig; Auer-Grumbach, Michaela

2011-01-07

Hereditary sensory neuropathy type I (HSN I) is an axonal form of autosomal-dominant hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy distinguished by prominent sensory loss that leads to painless injuries. Unrecognized, these can result in delayed wound healing and osteomyelitis, necessitating distal amputations. To elucidate the genetic basis of an HSN I subtype in a family in which mutations in the few known HSN I genes had been excluded, we employed massive parallel exon sequencing of the 14.3 Mb disease interval on chromosome 14q. We detected a missense mutation (c.1065C>A, p.Asn355Lys) in atlastin-1 (ATL1), a gene that is known to be mutated in early-onset hereditary spastic paraplegia SPG3A and that encodes the large dynamin-related GTPase atlastin-1. The mutant protein exhibited reduced GTPase activity and prominently disrupted ER network morphology when expressed in COS7 cells, strongly supporting pathogenicity. An expanded screen in 115 additional HSN I patients identified two further dominant ATL1 mutations (c.196G>C [p.Glu66Gln] and c.976 delG [p.Val326TrpfsX8]). This study highlights an unexpected major role for atlastin-1 in the function of sensory neurons and identifies HSN I and SPG3A as allelic disorders.

MULTILOCUS SEQUENCE TYPING OF BRUCELLA ISOLATES FROM THAILAND.

Science.gov (United States)

Chawjiraphan, Wireeya; Sonthayanon, Piengchan; Chanket, Phanita; Benjathummarak, Surachet; Kerdsin, Anusak; Kalambhaheti, Thareerat

2016-11-01

Although brucellosis outbreaks in Thailand are rare, they cause abortions and infertility in animals, resulting in significant economic loss. Because Brucella spp display > 90% DNA homology, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was employed to categorize local Brucella isolates into sequence types (STs) and to determine their genetic relatedness. Brucella samples were isolated from vaginal secretion of cows and goats, and from blood cultures of infected individuals. Brucella species were determined by multiplex PCR of eight loci, in addition to MLST based on partial DNA sequences of nine house-keeping genes. MLST analysis of 36 isolates revealed 78 distinct novel allele types and 34 novel STs, while two isolates possessed the known ST8. Sequence alignments identified polymorphic sites in each allele, ranging from 2-6%, while overall genetic diversity was 3.6%. MLST analysis of the 36 Brucella isolates classified them into three species, namely, B. melitensis, B. abortus and B. suis, in agreement with multiplex PCR results. Genetic relatedness among ST members of B. melitensis and B. abortus determined by eBURST program revealed ST2 as founder of B. abortus isolates and ST8 the founder of B. melitensis isolates. ST 36, 41 and 50 of Thai Brucella isolates were identified as single locus variants of clonal cluster (CC) 8, while the majority of STs were diverse. The genetic diversity and relatedness identified using MLST revealed hitherto unexpected diversity among Thai Brucella isolates. Genetic classification of isolates could reveal the route of brucellosis transmission among humans and farm animals and also reveal their relationship with other isolates in the region and other parts of the world.

Automatic discovery of cross-family sequence features associated with protein function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krings Andrea

2006-01-01

knowledge discovery in annotated sequence data. The technique is able to identify functionally important sequence features and does not require expert knowledge. By viewing protein function from a sequence perspective, the approach is also suitable for discovering unexpected links between biological processes, such as the recently discovered role of ubiquitination in transcription.

Coval: improving alignment quality and variant calling accuracy for next-generation sequencing data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shunichi Kosugi

Full Text Available Accurate identification of DNA polymorphisms using next-generation sequencing technology is challenging because of a high rate of sequencing error and incorrect mapping of reads to reference genomes. Currently available short read aligners and DNA variant callers suffer from these problems. We developed the Coval software to improve the quality of short read alignments. Coval is designed to minimize the incidence of spurious alignment of short reads, by filtering mismatched reads that remained in alignments after local realignment and error correction of mismatched reads. The error correction is executed based on the base quality and allele frequency at the non-reference positions for an individual or pooled sample. We demonstrated the utility of Coval by applying it to simulated genomes and experimentally obtained short-read data of rice, nematode, and mouse. Moreover, we found an unexpectedly large number of incorrectly mapped reads in 'targeted' alignments, where the whole genome sequencing reads had been aligned to a local genomic segment, and showed that Coval effectively eliminated such spurious alignments. We conclude that Coval significantly improves the quality of short-read sequence alignments, thereby increasing the calling accuracy of currently available tools for SNP and indel identification. Coval is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/coval105/.

EXHIBITION: Accelerated Particles

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

An exhibition of plastic arts and two evenings of performances by sound and visual artists as part of CERN's 50th anniversary celebrations. Fifty candles for CERN, an international laboratory renowned for fundamental research, is a cause for celebration. Since March this year, Geneva and neighbouring parts of France have been the venues for a wealth of small and large-scale events, which will continue until November. Given CERN's location in the commune of Meyrin, the ForuMeyrin is hosting exhibitions of plastic arts and performances entitled: Accelerated Particles. Several works will be exhibited and performed in two 'salons'. Salon des matières: An exhibition of plastic arts From Tues 12 October to Wed 3 November 2004 Tuesdays to Fridays: 16:00 to 19:00 Saturdays: 14:00 to 18:00 Exhibition open late on performance nights, entrance free Salon des particules: Musical and visual performances Tues 12 and Mon 25 October from 20:00 to 23:00 Preview evening for both events: Tues 12 October from 18:...

Openness to the unexpected: Our Pathways to Careers in a Federal Research Laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Kurt R.; Bunnell, David B.; Hondorp, Darryl W.; Taylor, William W.; Lynch, Abigail J.; Léonard, Nancy J.

2014-01-01

Many fisheries professionals may not be in the job they originally envisioned for themselves when they began their undergraduate studies. Rather, their current positions could be the result of unexpected, opportunistic, or perhaps even “lucky” open doors that led them down an unexpected path. In many cases, a mentor helped facilitate the unforeseen trajectory. We offer three unique stories about joining a federal fisheries research laboratory, from the perspective of a scientist, a joint manager-scientist, and a manager. We also use our various experiences to form recommendations that should help the next generation of fisheries professionals succeed in any stop along their journey, including being open to opportunities, setting high expectations, and finding a strong and supportive team environment to work in.

Unexpected persistence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the faecal microbiota of hospitalised patients treated with imipenem.

Science.gov (United States)

Grall, N; Lazarevic, V; Gaïa, N; Couffignal, C; Laouénan, C; Ilic-Habensus, E; Wieder, I; Plesiat, P; Angebault, C; Bougnoux, M E; Armand-Lefevre, L; Andremont, A; Duval, X; Schrenzel, J

2017-07-01

Imipenem is active against extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) but favours the intestinal emergence of resistance. The effects of imipenem on intestinal microbiota have been studied using culture-based techniques. In this study, the effects were investigated in patients using culture and metagenomic techniques. Seventeen hospitalised adults receiving imipenem were included in a multicentre study (NCT01703299, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). Most patients had a history of antibiotic use and/or hospitalisation. Stools were collected before, during and after imipenem treatment. Bacterial and fungal colonisation was assessed by culture, and microbiota changes were assessed using metagenomics. Unexpectedly, high colonisation rates by imipenem-susceptible ESBL-E before treatment (70.6%) remained stable over time, suggesting that imipenem intestinal concentrations were very low. Carriage rates of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (0-25.0%) were also stable over time, whereas those of yeasts (64.7% before treatment) peaked at 76.5% during treatment and decreased thereafter. However, these trends were not statistically significant. Yeasts included highly diverse colonising Candida spp. Metagenomics showed no global effect of imipenem on the bacterial taxonomic profiles at the sequencing depth used but demonstrated specific changes in the microbiota not detected with culture, attributed to factors other than imipenem, including sampling site or treatment with other antibiotics. In conclusion, culture and metagenomics were highly complementary in characterising the faecal microbiota of patients. The changes observed during imipenem treatment were unexpectedly limited, possibly because the microbiota was already disturbed by previous antibiotic exposure or hospitalisation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Analysis of HIV-1 intersubtype recombination breakpoints suggests region with high pairing probability may be a more fundamental factor than sequence similarity affecting HIV-1 recombination.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Lei; Li, Lin; Gui, Tao; Liu, Siyang; Li, Hanping; Han, Jingwan; Guo, Wei; Liu, Yongjian; Li, Jingyun

2016-09-21

With increasing data on HIV-1, a more relevant molecular model describing mechanism details of HIV-1 genetic recombination usually requires upgrades. Currently an incomplete structural understanding of the copy choice mechanism along with several other issues in the field that lack elucidation led us to perform an analysis of the correlation between breakpoint distributions and (1) the probability of base pairing, and (2) intersubtype genetic similarity to further explore structural mechanisms. Near full length sequences of URFs from Asia, Europe, and Africa (one sequence/patient), and representative sequences of worldwide CRFs were retrieved from the Los Alamos HIV database. Their recombination patterns were analyzed by jpHMM in detail. Then the relationships between breakpoint distributions and (1) the probability of base pairing, and (2) intersubtype genetic similarities were investigated. Pearson correlation test showed that all URF groups and the CRF group exhibit the same breakpoint distribution pattern. Additionally, the Wilcoxon two-sample test indicated a significant and inexplicable limitation of recombination in regions with high pairing probability. These regions have been found to be strongly conserved across distinct biological states (i.e., strong intersubtype similarity), and genetic similarity has been determined to be a very important factor promoting recombination. Thus, the results revealed an unexpected disagreement between intersubtype similarity and breakpoint distribution, which were further confirmed by genetic similarity analysis. Our analysis reveals a critical conflict between results from natural HIV-1 isolates and those from HIV-1-based assay vectors in which genetic similarity has been shown to be a very critical factor promoting recombination. These results indicate the region with high-pairing probabilities may be a more fundamental factor affecting HIV-1 recombination than sequence similarity in natural HIV-1 infections. Our

Unpredictable Root Canal Morphology: Expect the Unexpected

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sohez J Makani

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: A maxillary first molar with more than four canals is an interesting example of anatomic variations, especially when two of these canals are detected, with separate apical foramen in the distal root. The inability to locate the unexpected canals of various anatomical configuration and subsequently treat them , may lead to therapeutic failures. Endodontic retreatment is usually the modality of choice in such cases. This report describes a case of a maxillary first molar with five canals (two mesial canals in mesial root, two distal canals in two distal roots and a palatal canal in palatal root. Additionally it shows a rare anatomic configuration and emphasizes the importance of identifying additional canals.

A propensity score analysis of the impact of surgical intervention on unexpected 30-day readmission following admission for subdural hematoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Franko, Lynze R; Sheehan, Kyle M; Roark, Christopher D; Joseph, Jacob R; Burke, James F; Rajajee, Venkatakrishna; Williamson, Craig A

2017-12-22

OBJECTIVE Subdural hematoma (SDH) is a common disease that is increasingly being managed nonoperatively. The all-cause readmission rate for SDH has not previously been described. This study seeks to describe the incidence of unexpected 30-day readmission in a cohort of patients admitted to an academic neurosurgical center. Additionally, the relationship between operative management, clinical outcome, and unexpected readmission is explored. METHODS This is an observational study of 200 consecutive adult patients with SDH admitted to the neurosurgical ICU of an academic medical center. Demographic information, clinical characteristics, and treatment strategies were compared between readmitted and nonreadmitted patients. Multivariable logistic regression, weighted by the inverse probability of receiving surgery using propensity scores, was used to evaluate the association between operative management and unexpected readmission. RESULTS Of 200 total patients, 18 (9%) died during hospitalization and were not included in the analysis. Overall, 48 patients (26%) were unexpectedly readmitted within 30 days. Sixteen patients (33.3%) underwent SDH evacuation during their readmission. Factors significantly associated with unexpected readmission were nonoperative management (72.9% vs 54.5%, p = 0.03) and female sex (50.0% vs 32.1%, p = 0.03). In logistic regression analysis weighted by the inverse probability of treatment and including likely confounders, surgical management was not associated with likelihood of a good outcome at hospital discharge, but was associated with significantly reduced odds of unexpected readmission (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.08-0.49). CONCLUSIONS Over 25% of SDH patients admitted to an academic neurosurgical ICU were unexpectedly readmitted within 30 days. Nonoperative management does not affect outcome at hospital discharge but is significantly associated with readmission, even when accounting for the probability of treatment by propensity score weighted

Essential and Unexpected Role of YY1 to Promote Mesodermal Cardiac Differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

Gregoire, Serge; Karra, Ravi; Passer, Derek; Deutsch, Marcus-Andre; Krane, Markus; Feistritzer, Rebecca; Sturzu, Anthony; Domian, Ibrahim; Saga, Yumiko; Wu, Sean M.

2013-01-01

Rational Cardiogenesis is regulated by a complex interplay between transcription factors. However, little is known about how these interactions regulate the transition from mesodermal precursors to cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). Objective To identify novel regulators of mesodermal cardiac lineage commitment. Methods and Results We performed a bioinformatic-based transcription factor binding site analysis on upstream promoter regions of genes that are enriched in embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived CPCs. From 32 candidate transcription factors screened, we found that YY1, a repressor of sarcomeric gene expression, is present in CPCs in vivo. Interestingly, we uncovered the ability of YY1 to transcriptionally activate Nkx2.5, a key marker of early cardiogenic commitment. YY1 regulates Nkx2.5 expression via a 2.1 kb cardiac-specific enhancer as demonstrated by in vitro luciferase-based assays and in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and genome-wide sequencing analysis. Furthermore, the ability of YY1 to activate Nkx2.5 expression depends on its cooperative interaction with Gata4 at a nearby chromatin. Cardiac mesoderm-specific loss-of-function of YY1 resulted in early embryonic lethality. This was corroborated in vitro by ESC-based assays where we show that the overexpression of YY1 enhanced the cardiogenic differentiation of ESCs into CPCs. Conclusion These results demonstrate an essential and unexpected role for YY1 to promote cardiogenesis as a transcriptional activator of Nkx2.5 and other CPC-enriched genes. PMID:23307821

Britain exhibition at CERN

CERN Multimedia

Bertin; CERN PhotoLab

1969-01-01

The United Kingdom inaugurated the Industrial Exhibitions in 1968, and it wasn't till 1971 that other countries staged exhibitions at CERN. This photo was taken in 1969, at the second British exhibition, where 16 companies were present.

Unexpected Anal Squamous Cells Carcinoma after Open Hemorrhoidectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Navarra Luca

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We report a case of unexpected anal squamous cells carcinoma found in hemorrhoidectomy specimen. The patient had a 3-year history of prolapsing hemorrhoids. A prolapsing hemorrhoid was present at eleven o’clock in lithotomy. Milligan-Morgan was performed and gross examination of the specimen was unremarkable. Histopathologic evaluation showed noninvasive squamous cells carcinoma. The present case report evidences the opportunity of routine histopathologic analysis of hemorrhoidal specimens particularly in case of long-standing prolapse. Questions arise in the option of those techniques where no specimens are collected or tissue is excised far from deceased area.

Unexpected death holograms: Animitas urban appeal in Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lautaro Ojeda Ledesma

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at performing an integral analysis of the relation between popular religiousness and urban space in Chilean animitas [little shrines] practices. In order to do this, we propose a multipurpose analysis scheme, holding the concept of "unexpected death hologram". This scheme puts forward three supplementary classifications: animita as a holographic subject, as a holographic object and as a holographic place. Finally, these three classifications supplemented by interviews and topologic analyses show almost all the sociospatial factors present in this practice, accounting for the urban importance that this type of popular practice has

Alopecia associated with unexpected leakage from electron cone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen, B.C.; Pennington, E.C.; Hussey, D.H.; Jani, S.K.

1989-06-01

Excessive irradiation due to unexpected leakage was found on a patient receiving electron beam therapy. The cause of this leakage was analyzed and the amount of leakage was measured for different electron beam energies. The highest leakage occurred with a 6 x 6 cm cone using a 12 MeV electron beam. The leakage dose measured along the side of the cone could be as great as 40%. Until the cones are modified or redesigned, it is advised that all patient setups be carefully reviewed to assure that no significant patient areas are in the side scatter region.

Precision grip responses to unexpected rotational perturbations scale with axis of rotation.

Science.gov (United States)

De Gregorio, Michael; Santos, Veronica J

2013-04-05

It has been established that rapid, pulse-like increases in precision grip forces ("catch-up responses") are elicited by unexpected translational perturbations and that response latency and strength scale according to the direction of linear slip relative to the hand as well as gravity. To determine if catch-up responses are elicited by unexpected rotational perturbations and are strength-, axis-, and/or direction-dependent, we imposed step torque loads about each of two axes which were defined relative to the subject's hand: the distal-proximal axis away from and towards the subject's palm, and the grip axis which connects the two fingertips. Precision grip responses were dominated initially by passive mechanics and then by active, unimodal catch-up responses. First dorsal interosseous activity, marking the start of the catch-up response, began 71-89 ms after the onset of perturbation. The onset latency, shape, and duration (217-231 ms) of the catch-up response were not affected by the axis, direction, or magnitude of the rotational perturbation, while strength was scaled by axis of rotation and slip conditions. Rotations about the grip axis that tilted the object away from the palm and induced rotational slip elicited stronger catch-up responses than rotations about the distal-proximal axis that twisted the object between the digits. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate grip responses to unexpected torque loads and to show characteristic, yet axis-dependent, catch-up responses for conditions other than pure linear slip. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selective enrichment and sequencing of whole mitochondrial genomes in the presence of nuclear encoded mitochondrial pseudogenes (numts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonci N Wolff

Full Text Available Numts are an integral component of many eukaryote genomes offering a snapshot of the evolutionary process that led from the incorporation of an α-proteobacterium into a larger eukaryotic cell some 1.8 billion years ago. Although numt sequence can be harnessed as molecular marker, these sequences often remain unidentified and are mistaken for genuine mtDNA leading to erroneous interpretation of mtDNA data sets. It is therefore indispensable that during the process of amplifying and sequencing mitochondrial genes, preventive measures are taken to ensure the exclusion of numts to guarantee the recovery of genuine mtDNA. This applies to mtDNA analyses in general but especially to studies where mtDNAs are sequenced de novo as the launch pad for subsequent mtDNA-based research. By using a combination of dilution series and nested rolling circle amplification (RCA, we present a novel strategy to selectively amplify mtDNA and exclude the amplification of numt sequence. We have successfully applied this strategy to de novo sequence the mtDNA of the Black Field Cricket Teleogryllus commodus, a species known to contain numts. Aligning our assembled sequence to the reference genome of Teleogryllus emma (GenBank EU557269.1 led to the identification of a numt sequence in the reference sequence. This unexpected result further highlights the need of a reliable and accessible strategy to eliminate this source of error.

Digital collections and exhibits

CERN Document Server

Denzer, Juan

2015-01-01

Today's libraries are taking advantage of cutting-edge technologies such as flat panel displays using touch, sound, and hands-free motions to design amazing exhibits using everything from simple computer hardware to advanced technologies such as the Microsoft Kinect. Libraries of all types are striving to add new interactive experiences for their patrons through exciting digital exhibits, both online and off. Digital Collections and Exhibits takes away the mystery of designing stunning digital exhibits to spotlight library trea

A novel RNA sequencing data analysis method for cell line authentication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Fasterius

Full Text Available We have developed a novel analysis method that can interrogate the authenticity of biological samples used for generation of transcriptome profiles in public data repositories. The method uses RNA sequencing information to reveal mutations in expressed transcripts and subsequently confirms the identity of analysed cells by comparison with publicly available cell-specific mutational profiles. Cell lines constitute key model systems widely used within cancer research, but their identity needs to be confirmed in order to minimise the influence of cell contaminations and genetic drift on the analysis. Using both public and novel data, we demonstrate the use of RNA-sequencing data analysis for cell line authentication by examining the validity of COLO205, DLD1, HCT15, HCT116, HKE3, HT29 and RKO colorectal cancer cell lines. We successfully authenticate the studied cell lines and validate previous reports indicating that DLD1 and HCT15 are synonymous. We also show that the analysed HKE3 cells harbour an unexpected KRAS-G13D mutation and confirm that this cell line is a genuine KRAS dosage mutant, rather than a true isogenic derivative of HCT116 expressing only the wild type KRAS. This authentication method could be used to revisit the numerous cell line based RNA sequencing experiments available in public data repositories, analyse new experiments where whole genome sequencing is not available, as well as facilitate comparisons of data from different experiments, platforms and laboratories.

Mammalian prions: tolerance to sequence changes-how far?

Science.gov (United States)

Salamat, Muhammad Khalid; Munoz-Montesino, Carola; Moudjou, Mohammed; Rezaei, Human; Laude, Hubert; Béringue, Vincent; Dron, Michel

2013-01-01

Upon prion infection, abnormal prion protein (PrP (Sc) ) self-perpetuate by conformational conversion of α-helix-rich PrP (C) into β sheet enriched form, leading to formation and deposition of PrP (Sc) aggregates in affected brains. However the process remains poorly understood at the molecular level and the regions of PrP critical for conversion are still debated. Minimal amino acid substitutions can impair prion replication at many places in PrP. Conversely, we recently showed that bona fide prions could be generated after introduction of eight and up to 16 additional amino acids in the H2-H3 inter-helix loop of PrP. Prion replication also accommodated the insertions of an octapeptide at different places in the last turns of H2. This reverse genetic approach reveals an unexpected tolerance of prions to substantial sequence changes in the protease-resistant part which is associated with infectivity. It also demonstrates that conversion does not require the presence of a specific sequence in the middle of the H2-H3 area. We discuss the implications of our findings according to different structural models proposed for PrP (Sc) and questioned the postulated existence of an N- or C-terminal prion domain in the protease-resistant region.

Teach Students to Dig for Understanding Using an Unexpected Technological Shovel

Science.gov (United States)

Lake, Susan E. L.

2004-01-01

Online genealogy tools is an unexpected resource as these tools not only serve valuable for genealogy research, but also can be used by students to learn about their country's past and learn to use primary materials to draw conclusions. Some of these Online sources like the 1880 census available at www.ancestry.com, www.thepastwhispers.com, which…

All Intimate Grammars Leak: Reflections on "Indian Languages in Unexpected Places"

Science.gov (United States)

Kroskrity, Paul V.

2011-01-01

In this discussion of a set of studies that fits the trope of "Indian Languages in Unexpected Places," I explore the obvious necessity of developing a relevant notion of linguistic "leakage" following a famous image from the writings of the linguistic anthropologist Edward Sapir. Though in its original use, the concept applied more to the order of…

Intermediary metabolism in protists: a sequence-based view of facultative anaerobic metabolism in evolutionarily diverse eukaryotes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginger, Michael L; Fritz-Laylin, Lillian K; Fulton, Chandler; Cande, W Zacheus; Dawson, Scott C

2010-12-01

Protists account for the bulk of eukaryotic diversity. Through studies of gene and especially genome sequences the molecular basis for this diversity can be determined. Evident from genome sequencing are examples of versatile metabolism that go far beyond the canonical pathways described for eukaryotes in textbooks. In the last 2-3 years, genome sequencing and transcript profiling has unveiled several examples of heterotrophic and phototrophic protists that are unexpectedly well-equipped for ATP production using a facultative anaerobic metabolism, including some protists that can (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) or are predicted (Naegleria gruberi, Acanthamoeba castellanii, Amoebidium parasiticum) to produce H(2) in their metabolism. It is possible that some enzymes of anaerobic metabolism were acquired and distributed among eukaryotes by lateral transfer, but it is also likely that the common ancestor of eukaryotes already had far more metabolic versatility than was widely thought a few years ago. The discussion of core energy metabolism in unicellular eukaryotes is the subject of this review. Since genomic sequencing has so far only touched the surface of protist diversity, it is anticipated that sequences of additional protists may reveal an even wider range of metabolic capabilities, while simultaneously enriching our understanding of the early evolution of eukaryotes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

An unexpected oxidation: NaK5Cl2(S2O62 revisited

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William T. A. Harrison

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The title compound, NaK5Cl2(S2O62 [systematic name: sodium pentapotassium dichloride bis(dithionate], arose as an unexpected product from an organic synthesis that used dithionite (S2O42− ions as a reducing agent to destroy excess permanganate ions. Compared to the previous study [Stanley (1953. Acta Cryst. 6, 187–196], the present tetragonal structure exhibits a root 2a × root 2a × c super-cell due to subtle changes in the orientations of the dithionate anions. The structure can be visualized as a three-dimensional framework of [001] columns of alternating trans-NaO4Cl2 and KO4Cl2 octahedra cross-linked by the dithionate ions with the interstices occupied by KO6Cl2 polyhedra to generate a densely packed three-dimensional framework. The asymmetric unit comprises two sodium ions (site symmetries 4 and -4, four potassium ions (site symmetries = -4, 4, 1 and 1, three chloride ions (site symmetries = 4, 4 and 2 and two half-dithionate ions (all atoms on general positions. Both dithionate ions are completed by crystallographic inversion symmetry. The crystal chosen for data collection was found to be rotationally twinned by 180° about the [100] axis in reciprocal space with a 0.6298 (13:0.3702 (13 domain ratio.

Whole exome or genome sequencing: nurses need to prepare families for the possibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Prows, Cynthia A; Tran, Grace; Blosser, Beverly

2014-12-01

A discussion of whole exome sequencing and the type of possible results patients and families should be aware of before samples are obtained. To find the genetic cause of a rare disorder, whole exome sequencing analyses all known and suspected human genes from a single sample. Over 20,000 detected DNA variants in each individual exome must be considered as possibly causing disease or disregarded as not relevant to the person's disease. In the process, unexpected gene variants associated with known diseases unrelated to the primary purpose of the test may be incidentally discovered. Because family members' DNA samples are often needed, gene variants associated with known genetic diseases or predispositions for diseases can also be discovered in their samples. Discussion paper. PubMed 2009-2013, list of references in retrieved articles, Google Scholar. Nurses need a general understanding of the scope of potential genomic information that may be revealed with whole exome sequencing to provide support and guidance to individuals and families during their decision-making process, while waiting for results and after disclosure. Nurse scientists who want to use whole exome sequencing in their study design and methods must decide early in study development if they will return primary whole exome sequencing research results and if they will give research participants choices about learning incidental research results. It is critical that nurses translate their knowledge about whole exome sequencing into their patient education and patient advocacy roles and relevant programmes of research. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Properties of Sequence Conservation in Upstream Regulatory and Protein Coding Sequences among Paralogs in Arabidopsis thaliana

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Dale N.; Wiehe, Thomas

Whole genome duplication (WGD) has catalyzed the formation of new species, genes with novel functions, altered expression patterns, complexified signaling pathways and has provided organisms a level of genetic robustness. We studied the long-term evolution and interrelationships of 5’ upstream regulatory sequences (URSs), protein coding sequences (CDSs) and expression correlations (EC) of duplicated gene pairs in Arabidopsis. Three distinct methods revealed significant evolutionary conservation between paralogous URSs and were highly correlated with microarray-based expression correlation of the respective gene pairs. Positional information on exact matches between sequences unveiled the contribution of micro-chromosomal rearrangements on expression divergence. A three-way rank analysis of URS similarity, CDS divergence and EC uncovered specific gene functional biases. Transcription factor activity was associated with gene pairs exhibiting conserved URSs and divergent CDSs, whereas a broad array of metabolic enzymes was found to be associated with gene pairs showing diverged URSs but conserved CDSs.

75 FR 67015 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee And Migration Needs Resulting From Flooding InPakistan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-01

... September 3, 2010 Unexpected Urgent Refugee And Migration Needs Resulting From Flooding InPakistan... humanitarian needs resulting from recent devastating flooding in Pakistan. You are authorized and directed to...

VNTR analysis reveals unexpected genetic diversity within Mycoplasma agalactiae, the main causative agent of contagious agalactia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayling Roger D

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mycoplasma agalactiae is the main cause of contagious agalactia, a serious disease of sheep and goats, which has major clinical and economic impacts. Previous studies of M. agalactiae have shown it to be unusually homogeneous and there are currently no available epidemiological techniques which enable a high degree of strain differentiation. Results We have developed variable number tandem repeat (VNTR analysis using the sequenced genome of the M. agalactiae type strain PG2. The PG2 genome was found to be replete with tandem repeat sequences and 4 were chosen for further analysis. VNTR 5 was located within the hypothetical protein MAG6170 a predicted lipoprotein. VNTR 14 was intergenic between the hypothetical protein MAG3350 and the hypothetical protein MAG3340. VNTR 17 was intergenic between the hypothetical protein MAG4060 and the hypothetical protein MAG4070 and VNTR 19 spanned the 5' end of the pseudogene for a lipoprotein MAG4310 and the 3' end of the hypothetical lipoprotein MAG4320. We have investigated the genetic diversity of 88 M. agalactiae isolates of wide geographic origin using VNTR analysis and compared it with pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD analysis. Simpson's index of diversity was calculated to be 0.324 for PFGE and 0.574 for VNTR analysis. VNTR analysis revealed unexpected diversity within M. agalactiae with 9 different VNTR types discovered. Some correlation was found between geographical origin and the VNTR type of the isolates. Conclusion VNTR analysis represents a useful, rapid first-line test for use in molecular epidemiological analysis of M. agalactiae for outbreak tracing and control.

Simultaneous repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm and resection of unexpected, associated abdominal malignancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Illuminati, Giulio; Calio', Francesco G; D'Urso, Antonio; Lorusso, Riccardo; Ceccanei, Gianluca; Vietri, Francesco

2004-12-15

The management of unexpected intra-abdominal malignancy, discovered at laparotomy for elective treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), is controversial. It is still unclear whether both conditions should be treated simultaneously or a staged approach is to be preferred. To contribute in improving treatment guidelines, we retrospectively reviewed the records of patients undergoing laparotomy for elective AAA repair. From January 1994 to March 2003, 253 patients underwent elective, trans-peritoneal repair of an AAA. In four patients (1.6%), an associated, unexpected neoplasm was detected at abdominal exploration, consisting of one renal, one gastric, one ileal carcinoid, and one ascending colon tumor. All of them were treated at the same operation, after aortic repair and careful isolation of the prosthetic graft. The whole series' operative mortality was 3.6%. None of the patients simultaneously treated for AAA and tumor resection died in the postoperative period. No graft-related infections were observed. Simultaneous treatment of AAA and tumor did not prolong significantly the mean length of stay in the hospital, compared to standard treatment of AAA alone. Except for malignancies of organs requiring major surgical resections, simultaneous AAA repair and resection of an associated, unexpected abdominal neoplasm can be safely performed, in most of the patients, sparing the need for a second procedure. Endovascular grafting of the AAA can be a valuable tool in simplifying simultaneous treatment, or in staging the procedures with a very short delay.

Incidentally found and unexpected tumors discovered by MRI examination for temporomandibular joint arthrosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanagi, Yoshinobu; Asaumi, Jun-ichi; Maki, Yuu; Murakami, Jun; Hisatomi, Miki; Matsuzaki, Hidenobu; Konouchi, Hironobu; Honda, Yosutoshi; Kishi, Kanji

2003-01-01

We examined the frequency of incidentally found or unexpected tumors discovered at the time of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region for patients with suspicion of TMJ arthrosis. Five MR images (T1-weighted transverse scout image and proton density and T2-weighted oblique sagittal images at the open and closed mouth) were acquired. In 2776 MRI examinations of TMJ arthrosis, two tumors were discovered. They consisted of an adenoid cystic carcinoma in the deep portion of the parotid gland, and a malignant tumor extending from the infratemporal fossa to the parapharyngeal space. The rate of incidentally founded or unexpected tumors in TMJ examinations was low (0.072%), but the two tumors found were malignant tumors, and therefore, scout image should be carefully examined, not only used for positing the slice

Incidentally found and unexpected tumors discovered by MRI examination for temporomandibular joint arthrosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yanagi, Yoshinobu; Asaumi, Jun-ichi E-mail: asaumi@md.okayama-u.ac.jp; Maki, Yuu; Murakami, Jun; Hisatomi, Miki; Matsuzaki, Hidenobu; Konouchi, Hironobu; Honda, Yosutoshi; Kishi, Kanji

2003-07-01

We examined the frequency of incidentally found or unexpected tumors discovered at the time of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region for patients with suspicion of TMJ arthrosis. Five MR images (T1-weighted transverse scout image and proton density and T2-weighted oblique sagittal images at the open and closed mouth) were acquired. In 2776 MRI examinations of TMJ arthrosis, two tumors were discovered. They consisted of an adenoid cystic carcinoma in the deep portion of the parotid gland, and a malignant tumor extending from the infratemporal fossa to the parapharyngeal space. The rate of incidentally founded or unexpected tumors in TMJ examinations was low (0.072%), but the two tumors found were malignant tumors, and therefore, scout image should be carefully examined, not only used for positing the slice.

76 FR 14271 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to Libya

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-16

... March 7, 2011 Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to Libya Memorandum for the... States, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (the ``Act''), as... million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund, for the purpose of meeting...

Molecular characterizations of somatic hybrids developed between Pleurotus florida and Lentinus squarrosulus through inter-simple sequence repeat markers and sequencing of ribosomal RNA-ITS gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallick, Pijush; Chattaraj, Shruti; Sikdar, Samir Ranjan

2017-10-01

The 12 pfls somatic hybrids and 2 parents of Pleurotus florida and Lentinus s quarrosulus were characterized by ISSR and sequencing of rRNA-ITS genes. Five ISSR primers were used and amplified a total of 54 reproducible fragments with 98.14% polymorphism among all the pfls hybrid populations and parental strains. UPGMA-based cluster exhibited a dendrogram with three major groups between the parents and pfls hybrids. Parent P . florida and L . squarrosulus showed different degrees of genetic distance with all the hybrid lines and they showed closeness to hybrid pfls 1m and pfls 1h , respectively. ITS1(F) and ITS4(R) amplified the rRNA-ITS gene with 611-867 bp sequence length. The nucleotide polymorphisms were found in the ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S rRNA region with different number of bases. Based on rRNA-ITS sequence, UPGMA cluster exhibited three distinct groups between L. squarrosulus and pfls 1p , pfls 1m and pfls 1s , and pfls 1e and P. florida .

Discrimination? - Exhibition of posters

OpenAIRE

Jakimovska, Jana

2017-01-01

Participation in the exhibition with the students form the Art Academy. The exhibition consisted of 15 posters tackling the subjects of hate speech and discrimination. The exhibition happened thanks to the invitation of the Faculty of Law at UGD, and it was a part of a larger event of launching books on the aforementioned subjects.

Audit of radiology communication systems for critical, urgent, and unexpected significant findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncan, K.A.; Drinkwater, K.J.; Dugar, N.; Howlett, D.C.

2016-01-01

Aim: To determine the compliance of UK radiology departments and trusts/healthcare organisations with National Patient Safety Agency and Royal College of Radiologist's published guidance on the communication of critical, urgent, and unexpected significant radiological findings. Materials and methods: A questionnaire was sent to all UK radiology department audit leads asking for details of their current departmental policy regarding the issuing of alerts; use of automated electronic alert systems; methods of notification of clinicians of critical, urgent, and unexpected significant radiological findings; monitoring of results receipt; and examples of the more common types of serious pathologies for which alerts were issued. Results: One hundred and fifty-four of 229 departments (67%) responded. Eighty-eight percent indicated that they had a policy in place for the communication of critical, urgent, and unexpected significant radiological findings. Only 34% had an automated electronic alert system in place and only 17% had a facility for service-wide electronic tracking of radiology reports. In only 11 departments with an electronic acknowledgement system was someone regularly monitoring the read rate. Conclusion: There is wide variation in practice across the UK with regard to the communication and monitoring of reports with many departments/trusts not fully compliant with published UK guidance. Despite the widespread use of electronic systems, only a minority of departments/trusts have and use electronic tracking to ensure reports have been read and acted upon. - Highlights: • UK wide audit of communication of significant radiology results. • 88% of departments have a communication policy in place. • 34% of departments have an automated electronic alert system. • 17% of Trusts have facility for service wide electronic tracking of radiology reports.

Metal resistance sequences and transgenic plants

Science.gov (United States)

Meagher, Richard Brian; Summers, Anne O.; Rugh, Clayton L.

1999-10-12

The present invention provides nucleic acid sequences encoding a metal ion resistance protein, which are expressible in plant cells. The metal resistance protein provides for the enzymatic reduction of metal ions including but not limited to divalent Cu, divalent mercury, trivalent gold, divalent cadmium, lead ions and monovalent silver ions. Transgenic plants which express these coding sequences exhibit increased resistance to metal ions in the environment as compared with plants which have not been so genetically modified. Transgenic plants with improved resistance to organometals including alkylmercury compounds, among others, are provided by the further inclusion of plant-expressible organometal lyase coding sequences, as specifically exemplified by the plant-expressible merB coding sequence. Furthermore, these transgenic plants which have been genetically modified to express the metal resistance coding sequences of the present invention can participate in the bioremediation of metal contamination via the enzymatic reduction of metal ions. Transgenic plants resistant to organometals can further mediate remediation of organic metal compounds, for example, alkylmetal compounds including but not limited to methyl mercury, methyl lead compounds, methyl cadmium and methyl arsenic compounds, in the environment by causing the freeing of mercuric or other metal ions and the reduction of the ionic mercury or other metal ions to the less toxic elemental mercury or other metals.

Targeted Genome Sequencing Reveals Varicella-Zoster Virus Open Reading Frame 12 Deletion.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohrs, Randall J; Lee, Katherine S; Beach, Addilynn; Sanford, Bridget; Baird, Nicholas L; Como, Christina; Graybill, Chiharu; Jones, Dallas; Tekeste, Eden; Ballard, Mitchell; Chen, Xiaomi; Yalacki, David; Frietze, Seth; Jones, Kenneth; Lenac Rovis, Tihana; Jonjić, Stipan; Haas, Jürgen; Gilden, Don

2017-10-15

The neurotropic herpesvirus varicella-zoster virus (VZV) establishes a lifelong latent infection in humans following primary infection. The low abundance of VZV nucleic acids in human neurons has hindered an understanding of the mechanisms that regulate viral gene transcription during latency. To overcome this critical barrier, we optimized a targeted capture protocol to enrich VZV DNA and cDNA prior to whole-genome/transcriptome sequence analysis. Since the VZV genome is remarkably stable, it was surprising to detect that VZV32, a VZV laboratory strain with no discernible growth defect in tissue culture, contained a 2,158-bp deletion in open reading frame (ORF) 12. Consequently, ORF 12 and 13 protein expression was abolished and Akt phosphorylation was inhibited. The discovery of the ORF 12 deletion, revealed through targeted genome sequencing analysis, points to the need to authenticate the VZV genome when the virus is propagated in tissue culture. IMPORTANCE Viruses isolated from clinical samples often undergo genetic modifications when cultured in the laboratory. Historically, VZV is among the most genetically stable herpesviruses, a notion supported by more than 60 complete genome sequences from multiple isolates and following multiple in vitro passages. However, application of enrichment protocols to targeted genome sequencing revealed the unexpected deletion of a significant portion of VZV ORF 12 following propagation in cultured human fibroblast cells. While the enrichment protocol did not introduce bias in either the virus genome or transcriptome, the findings indicate the need for authentication of VZV by sequencing when the virus is propagated in tissue culture. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

EXHIBITION: Accelerated Particles

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

http://www.cern.ch/cern50/ An exhibition of plastic arts and two evenings of performances by sound and visual artists as part of CERN's fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The fiftieth anniversary of a world famous organization like CERN, an international laboratory specializing in fundamental research, is a cause for celebration. Since March this year, Geneva and neighbouring parts of France have been the venues for a wealth of small and large-scale events, which will continue until November. Given CERN's location in the commune of Meyrin, the ForuMeyrin is hosting two "salons" consisting of an exhibition of plastic arts and evenings of music and visual arts performances with the collective title of "Accelerated Particles". Several works will be exhibited and performed. Salon des matières: An exhibition of plastic arts Until Wednesday 3 November 2004. Tuesdays to Fridays: 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. Saturdays: 2.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. Doors open late on the evening of the performances. Salon des ...

Exhibiting the Human/Exhibiting the Cyborg: “Who Am I?”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophia C. Vackimes

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The role of the museum in shaping our relationship to science and technology, particularly cyborgization, is illuminated by a close examination of the Who Am I permanent exhibition in the Wellcome Wing of the Science Museum of London. This innovative exhibition raises real questions both about the human-technology-science relationship but also about museography. In the context of the history and current practices of museums engaging contemporary technological developments the evidence suggest that even as the Who am I? exhibit did break somewhat from previous approaches, especially the didactic presentation of the socially useful, it has not changed the feld as a whole.

Investigating Teachers' Appraisal of Unexpected Moments and Underlying Values: An Exploratory Case in the Context of Changing Mathematics Classroom Discourse

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanna, Jillian M.; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth; Seah, Wee Tiong

2015-01-01

This article provides an exploratory case study that examines what one teacher indicated as unexpected as she worked to become more purposeful about her classroom discourse practices. We found that she highlighted three areas as being unexpected: (1) aspects of lesson enactment; (2) characteristics of student learning and (3) her own…

Application of an imaging system to a museum exhibition for developing interactive exhibitions

Science.gov (United States)

Miyata, Kimiyoshi; Inoue, Yuka; Takiguchi, Takahiro; Tsumura, Norimichi; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Miyake, Yoichi

2009-10-01

In the National Museum of Japanese History, 215,759 artifacts are stored and used for research and exhibitions. In museums, due to the limitation of space in the galleries, a guidance system is required to satisfy visitors' needs and to enhance their understanding of the artifacts. We introduce one exhibition using imaging technology to improve visitors' understanding of a kimono (traditional Japanese clothing) exhibition. In the imaging technology introduced, one data projector, one display with touch panel interface, and magnifiers were used as exhibition tools together with a real kimono. The validity of this exhibition method was confirmed by results from a visitors' interview survey. Second, to further develop the interactive guidance system, an augmented reality system that consisted of cooperation between the projector and a digital video camera was also examined. A white paper board in the observer's hand was used as a projection screen and also as an interface to control the images projected on the board. The basic performance of the proposed system was confirmed; however continuous development was necessary for applying the system to actual exhibitions.

High-resolution whole-genome sequencing reveals that specific chromatin domains from most human chromosomes associate with nucleoli.

Science.gov (United States)

van Koningsbruggen, Silvana; Gierlinski, Marek; Schofield, Pietá; Martin, David; Barton, Geoffey J; Ariyurek, Yavuz; den Dunnen, Johan T; Lamond, Angus I

2010-11-01

The nuclear space is mostly occupied by chromosome territories and nuclear bodies. Although this organization of chromosomes affects gene function, relatively little is known about the role of nuclear bodies in the organization of chromosomal regions. The nucleolus is the best-studied subnuclear structure and forms around the rRNA repeat gene clusters on the acrocentric chromosomes. In addition to rDNA, other chromatin sequences also surround the nucleolar surface and may even loop into the nucleolus. These additional nucleolar-associated domains (NADs) have not been well characterized. We present here a whole-genome, high-resolution analysis of chromatin endogenously associated with nucleoli. We have used a combination of three complementary approaches, namely fluorescence comparative genome hybridization, high-throughput deep DNA sequencing and photoactivation combined with time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. The data show that specific sequences from most human chromosomes, in addition to the rDNA repeat units, associate with nucleoli in a reproducible and heritable manner. NADs have in common a high density of AT-rich sequence elements, low gene density and a statistically significant enrichment in transcriptionally repressed genes. Unexpectedly, both the direct DNA sequencing and fluorescence photoactivation data show that certain chromatin loci can specifically associate with either the nucleolus, or the nuclear envelope.

Exome sequencing unravels unexpected differential diagnoses in individuals with the tentative diagnosis of Coffin-Siris and Nicolaides-Baraitser syndromes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bramswig, Nuria C; Lüdecke, Hermann-Josef; Alanay, Yasemin; Albrecht, Beate; Barthelmie, Alexander; Boduroglu, Koray; Braunholz, Diana; Caliebe, Almuth; Chrzanowska, Krystyna H; Czeschik, Johanna Christina; Endele, Sabine; Graf, Elisabeth; Guillén-Navarro, Encarna; Kiper, Pelin Özlem Simsek; López-González, Vanesa; Parenti, Ilaria; Pozojevic, Jelena; Utine, Gulen Eda; Wieland, Thomas; Kaiser, Frank J; Wollnik, Bernd; Strom, Tim M; Wieczorek, Dagmar

2015-06-01

Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS) and Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome (NCBRS) are rare intellectual disability/congenital malformation syndromes that represent distinct entities but show considerable clinical overlap. They are caused by mutations in genes encoding members of the BRG1- and BRM-associated factor (BAF) complex. However, there are a number of patients with the clinical diagnosis of CSS or NCBRS in whom the causative mutation has not been identified. In this study, we performed trio-based whole-exome sequencing (WES) in ten previously described but unsolved individuals with the tentative diagnosis of CSS or NCBRS and found causative mutations in nine out of ten individuals. Interestingly, our WES analysis disclosed overlapping differential diagnoses including Wiedemann-Steiner, Kabuki, and Adams-Oliver syndromes. In addition, most likely causative de novo mutations were identified in GRIN2A and SHANK3. Moreover, trio-based WES detected SMARCA2 and SMARCA4 deletions, which had not been annotated in a previous Haloplex target enrichment and next-generation sequencing of known CSS/NCBRS genes emphasizing the advantages of WES as a diagnostic tool. In summary, we discuss the phenotypic and diagnostic challenges in clinical genetics, establish important differential diagnoses, and emphasize the cardinal features and the broad clinical spectrum of BAF complex disorders and other disorders caused by mutations in epigenetic landscapers.

Molecule formation and the Farey tree in the one-dimensional Falicov-Kimball model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruber, C.; Ueltschi, D.; Jedrzejewski, J.

1994-01-01

The ground-state configurations of the one-dimensional Falicov-Kimball model are studied exactly with numerical calculations revealing unexpected effects for small interaction strength. In neutral systems we observe molecular formation, phase separation, and changes in the conducting properties; while in nonneutral systems the phase diagram exhibits Farey tree order (Aubry sequence) and a devil's staircase structure. Conjectures are presented for the boundary of the segregated domain and the general structure of the ground states

Hunting for unexpected post-translational modifications by spectral library searching with tier-wise scoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Chun Wai Manson; Lam, Henry

2014-05-02

Discovering novel post-translational modifications (PTMs) to proteins and detecting specific modification sites on proteins is one of the last frontiers of proteomics. At present, hunting for post-translational modifications remains challenging in widely practiced shotgun proteomics workflows due to the typically low abundance of modified peptides and the greatly inflated search space as more potential mass shifts are considered by the search engines. Moreover, most popular search methods require that the user specifies the modification(s) for which to search; therefore, unexpected and novel PTMs will not be detected. Here a new algorithm is proposed to apply spectral library searching to the problem of open modification searches, namely, hunting for PTMs without prior knowledge of what PTMs are in the sample. The proposed tier-wise scoring method intelligently looks for unexpected PTMs by allowing mass-shifted peak matches but only when the number of matches found is deemed statistically significant. This allows the search engine to search for unexpected modifications while maintaining its ability to identify unmodified peptides effectively at the same time. The utility of the method is demonstrated using three different data sets, in which the numbers of spectrum identifications to both unmodified and modified peptides were substantially increased relative to a regular spectral library search as well as to another open modification spectral search method, pMatch.

Patterns of unexpected in-hospital deaths: a root cause analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Curry J Paul

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Respiratory alarm monitoring and rapid response team alerts on hospital general floors are based on detection of simple numeric threshold breaches. Although some uncontrolled observation trials in select patient populations have been encouraging, randomized controlled trials suggest that this simplistic approach may not reduce the unexpected death rate in this complex environment. The purpose of this review is to examine the history and scientific basis for threshold alarms and to compare thresholds with the actual pathophysiologic patterns of evolving death which must be timely detected. Methods The Pubmed database was searched for articles relating to methods for triggering rapid response teams and respiratory alarms and these were contrasted with the fundamental timed pathophysiologic patterns of death which evolve due to sepsis, congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism, hypoventilation, narcotic overdose, and sleep apnea. Results In contrast to the simplicity of the numeric threshold breach method of generating alerts, the actual patterns of evolving death are complex and do not share common features until near death. On hospital general floors, unexpected clinical instability leading to death often progresses along three distinct patterns which can be designated as Types I, II and III. Type I is a pattern comprised of hyperventilation compensated respiratory failure typical of congestive heart failure and sepsis. Here, early hyperventilation and respiratory alkalosis can conceal the onset of instability. Type II is the pattern of classic CO2 narcosis. Type III occurs only during sleep and is a pattern of ventilation and SPO2 cycling caused by instability of ventilation and/or upper airway control followed by precipitous and fatal oxygen desaturation if arousal failure is induced by narcotics and/or sedation. Conclusion The traditional threshold breach method of detecting instability on hospital wards was not

Exhibition; Image display agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Normazlin Ismail

2008-01-01

This article touches on the role of Malaysian Nuclear Agency as nuclear research institutions to promote, develop and encourage the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in its agricultural, medical, manufacturing, industrial, health and environment for the development of the country running successfully. Maturity of Malaysian Nuclear Agency in dealing with nuclear technology that are very competitive and globalization cannot be denied. On this basis Malaysian Nuclear Agency was given the responsibility to strengthen the nuclear technology in Malaysia. One way is through an exhibition featuring the research, discoveries and new technology products of the nuclear technology. Through this exhibition is to promote the nuclear technology and introduce the image of the agency in the public eye. This article also states a number of exhibits entered by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency and achievements during the last exhibition. Authors hope that the exhibition can be intensified further in the future.

Critical Neural Substrates for Correcting Unexpected Trajectory Errors and Learning from Them

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Mutha, Pratik K.; Sainburg, Robert L.; Haaland, Kathleen Y.

2011-01-01

Our proficiency at any skill is critically dependent on the ability to monitor our performance, correct errors and adapt subsequent movements so that errors are avoided in the future. In this study, we aimed to dissociate the neural substrates critical for correcting unexpected trajectory errors and learning to adapt future movements based on…

Structure and Sequence Search on Aptamer-Protein Docking

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Jiajie; Bonin, Keith; Guthold, Martin; Salsbury, Freddie

2015-03-01

Interactions between proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) play a significant role in the living systems, especially through gene regulation. However, short nucleic acids sequences (aptamers) with specific binding affinity to specific proteins exhibit clinical potential as therapeutics. Our capillary and gel electrophoresis selection experiments show that specific sequences of aptamers can be selected that bind specific proteins. Computationally, given the experimentally-determined structure and sequence of a thrombin-binding aptamer, we can successfully dock the aptamer onto thrombin in agreement with experimental structures of the complex. In order to further study the conformational flexibility of this thrombin-binding aptamer and to potentially develop a predictive computational model of aptamer-binding, we use GPU-enabled molecular dynamics simulations to both examine the conformational flexibility of the aptamer in the absence of binding to thrombin, and to determine our ability to fold an aptamer. This study should help further de-novo predictions of aptamer sequences by enabling the study of structural and sequence-dependent effects on aptamer-protein docking specificity.

When Field Experiments Yield Unexpected Results: Lessons Learned from Measuring Selection in White Sands Lizards

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Hardwick, Kayla M.; Harmon, Luke J.; Hardwick, Scott D.; Rosenblum, Erica Bree

2015-01-01

Determining the adaptive significance of phenotypic traits is key for understanding evolution and diversification in natural populations. However, evolutionary biologists have an incomplete understanding of how specific traits affect fitness in most populations. The White Sands system provides an opportunity to study the adaptive significance of traits in an experimental context. Blanched color evolved recently in three species of lizards inhabiting the gypsum dunes of White Sands and is likely an adaptation to avoid predation. To determine whether there is a relationship between color and susceptibility to predation in White Sands lizards, we conducted enclosure experiments, quantifying survivorship of Holbrookia maculate exhibiting substrate-matched and substrate-mismatched phenotypes. Lizards in our study experienced strong predation. Color did not have a significant effect on survival, but we found several unexpected relationships including variation in predation over small spatial and temporal scales. In addition, we detected a marginally significant interaction between sex and color, suggesting selection for substrate matching may be stronger for males than females. We use our results as a case study to examine six major challenges frequently encountered in field-based studies of natural selection, and suggest that insight into the complexities of selection often results when experiments turn out differently than expected. PMID:25714838

CRISPR/Cas9 and active genetics-based trans-species replacement of the endogenous Drosophila kni-L2 CRM reveals unexpected complexity.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiang-Ru Shannon; Gantz, Valentino Matteo; Siomava, Natalia; Bier, Ethan

2017-12-23

The knirps ( kni ) locus encodes transcription factors required for induction of the L2 wing vein in Drosophila . Here, we employ diverse CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools to generate a series of targeted lesions within the endogenous cis-regulatory module (CRM) required for kni expression in the L2 vein primordium. Phenotypic analysis of these ' in locus ' mutations based on both expression of Kni protein and adult wing phenotypes, reveals novel unexpected features of L2-CRM function including evidence for a chromosome pairing-dependent process that promotes transcription. We also demonstrate that self-propagating active genetic elements (CopyCat elements) can efficiently delete and replace the L2-CRM with orthologous sequences from other divergent fly species. Wing vein phenotypes resulting from these trans-species enhancer replacements parallel features of the respective donor fly species. This highly sensitive phenotypic readout of enhancer function in a native genomic context reveals novel features of CRM function undetected by traditional reporter gene analysis. © 2017, Xu et al.

An unexpectedly large and loosely packed mitochondrial genome in the charophycean green alga Chlorokybus atmophyticus

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Lemieux Claude

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Streptophyta comprises all land plants and six groups of charophycean green algae. The scaly biflagellate Mesostigma viride (Mesostigmatales and the sarcinoid Chlorokybus atmophyticus (Chlorokybales represent the earliest diverging lineages of this phylum. In trees based on chloroplast genome data, these two charophycean green algae are nested in the same clade. To validate this relationship and gain insight into the ancestral state of the mitochondrial genome in the Charophyceae, we sequenced the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA of Chlorokybus and compared this genome sequence with those of three other charophycean green algae and the bryophytes Marchantia polymorpha and Physcomitrella patens. Results The Chlorokybus genome differs radically from its 42,424-bp Mesostigma counterpart in size, gene order, intron content and density of repeated elements. At 201,763-bp, it is the largest mtDNA yet reported for a green alga. The 70 conserved genes represent 41.4% of the genome sequence and include nad10 and trnL(gag, two genes reported for the first time in a streptophyte mtDNA. At the gene order level, the Chlorokybus genome shares with its Chara, Chaetosphaeridium and bryophyte homologues eight to ten gene clusters including about 20 genes. Notably, some of these clusters exhibit gene linkages not previously found outside the Streptophyta, suggesting that they originated early during streptophyte evolution. In addition to six group I and 14 group II introns, short repeated sequences accounting for 7.5% of the genome were identified. Mitochondrial trees were unable to resolve the correct position of Mesostigma, due to analytical problems arising from accelerated sequence evolution in this lineage. Conclusion The Chlorokybus and Mesostigma mtDNAs exemplify the marked fluidity of the mitochondrial genome in charophycean green algae. The notion that the mitochondrial genome was constrained to remain compact during charophycean

Long-Lived Termite Queens Exhibit High Cu/Zn-Superoxide Dismutase Activity

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Eisuke Tasaki

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In most organisms, superoxide dismutases (SODs are among the most effective antioxidant enzymes that regulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS generated by oxidative energy metabolism. ROS are considered main proximate causes of aging. However, it remains unclear if SOD activities are associated with organismal longevity. The queens of eusocial insects, such as termites, ants, and honeybees, exhibit extraordinary longevity in comparison with the nonreproductive castes, such as workers. Therefore, the queens are promising candidates to study the underlying mechanisms of aging. Here, we found that queens have higher Cu/Zn-SOD activity than nonreproductive individuals of the termite Reticulitermes speratus. We identified three Cu/Zn-SOD sequences and one Mn-SOD sequence by RNA sequencing in R. speratus. Although the queens showed higher Cu/Zn-SOD activity than the nonreproductive individuals, there were no differences in their expression levels of the Cu/Zn-SOD genes RsSOD1 and RsSOD3A. Copper (Cu2+ and Cu+ is an essential cofactor for Cu/Zn-SOD enzyme activity, and the queens had higher concentrations of copper than the workers. These results suggest that the high Cu/Zn-SOD activity of termite queens is related to their high levels of the cofactor rather than gene expression. This study highlights that Cu/Zn-SOD activity contributes to extraordinary longevity in termites.

Sudden unexpected death under acute influence of cannabis.

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Hartung, Benno; Kauferstein, Silke; Ritz-Timme, Stefanie; Daldrup, Thomas

2014-04-01

The acute toxicity of cannabinoids is said to be low and there is little public awareness of the potentially hazardous cardiovascular effects of cannabis, e.g. marked increase in heart rate or supine blood pressure. We describe the cases of two young, putative healthy men who died unexpectedly under the acute influence of cannabinoids. To our knowledge, these are the first cases of suspected fatal cannabis intoxications where full postmortem investigations, including autopsy, toxicological, histological, immunohistochemical and genetical examinations, were carried out. The results of these examinations are presented. After exclusion of other causes of death we assume that the young men experienced fatal cardiovascular complications evoked by smoking cannabis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

ASAP: Amplification, sequencing & annotation of plastomes

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Folta Kevin M

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Availability of DNA sequence information is vital for pursuing structural, functional and comparative genomics studies in plastids. Traditionally, the first step in mining the valuable information within a chloroplast genome requires sequencing a chloroplast plasmid library or BAC clones. These activities involve complicated preparatory procedures like chloroplast DNA isolation or identification of the appropriate BAC clones to be sequenced. Rolling circle amplification (RCA is being used currently to amplify the chloroplast genome from purified chloroplast DNA and the resulting products are sheared and cloned prior to sequencing. Herein we present a universal high-throughput, rapid PCR-based technique to amplify, sequence and assemble plastid genome sequence from diverse species in a short time and at reasonable cost from total plant DNA, using the large inverted repeat region from strawberry and peach as proof of concept. The method exploits the highly conserved coding regions or intergenic regions of plastid genes. Using an informatics approach, chloroplast DNA sequence information from 5 available eudicot plastomes was aligned to identify the most conserved regions. Cognate primer pairs were then designed to generate ~1 – 1.2 kb overlapping amplicons from the inverted repeat region in 14 diverse genera. Results 100% coverage of the inverted repeat region was obtained from Arabidopsis, tobacco, orange, strawberry, peach, lettuce, tomato and Amaranthus. Over 80% coverage was obtained from distant species, including Ginkgo, loblolly pine and Equisetum. Sequence from the inverted repeat region of strawberry and peach plastome was obtained, annotated and analyzed. Additionally, a polymorphic region identified from gel electrophoresis was sequenced from tomato and Amaranthus. Sequence analysis revealed large deletions in these species relative to tobacco plastome thus exhibiting the utility of this method for structural and

Genome sequences of Listeria monocytogenes strains with resistance to arsenic

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Listeria monocytogenes frequently exhibits resistance to arsenic. We report here the draft genome sequences of eight genetically diverse arsenic-resistant L. monocytogenes strains from human listeriosis and food-associated environments. Availability of these genomes would help to elucidate the role ...

Unexpected findings after surgery for suspected appendicitis rarely change treatment in pediatric patients; Results from a cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorter, Ramon R; van Amstel, Paul; van der Lee, Johanna H; van der Voorn, Patick; Bakx, Roel; Heij, Hugo A

2017-08-01

To determine if non-operative treatment is safe in children with acute appendicitis, we evaluated the incidence of unexpected findings after an appendectomy in children, and the influence they have on subsequent treatment. A historical cohort study (January 2004-December 2014) was performed including children, aged 0-17 years, who underwent an appendectomy for the suspicion of acute appendicitis. Patients were divided based upon histopathological examination. Unexpected findings were reviewed, as well as the subsequent treatment plan. In total 484 patients were included in this study. In the overall group, unexpected findings were noted in 10 (2.1%) patients of which two patients intra-operatively with a non-inflamed appendix (Ileitis terminalis N=1 and ovarian torsion N=1) and in 8 patients on histopathological examination. The latter group consisted of 4 patients with concomitant simple appendicitis (parasitic infection N=3 and Walthard cell rest N=1), two with concomitant complex appendicitis (carcinoid N=1 and parasitic infection N=1) and two patients with a non-inflamed appendix (endometriosis N=1 and parasitic infection N=1). Treatment was changed in 4 patients (appendicitis, as the occurrence of unexpected findings was low, with extremely few necessary changes of the treatment plan because of serious findings. Prognosis study. Level 2 (retrospective cohort study). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unexpected nonlinear effects and critical coupling in NbN superconducting microwave resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, B.; Buks, E.

2004-01-01

Full Text:In this work, we have designed and fabricated several NbN superconducting stripline microwave resonators sputtered on sapphire substrates. The low temperature response exhibits strong and unexpected nonlinear effects, including sharp jumps as the frequency or poser are varied, frequency hysteresis loops changing direction as the input power is varied, and others. Contrary to some other superconducting resonators, a simple model of a one-dimensional Duffing resonator cannot account for the experimental results. Whereas the physical origin of the unusual nonlinear response of our samples remains an open question, our intensive experimental study of these effects under varying conditions provides some important insight. We consider a hypothesis according to which Josephson junctions forming weak links between the grains of the NbN are responsible for the observed behavior. We show that most of the experimental results are qualitatively consistent with such hypothesis. While revealing the underlying physics remains an outstanding challenge for future research, the utilization of the unusual nonlinear response for some novel applications is already demonstrated in the present work. In particular an operate the resonator as an inter modulation amplifier and find that the gain can be as high as 15 dB. To the best of our knowledge, inter modulation gain greater than unity has not been reported before in the scientific literature. In another application we demonstrate for the first time that the coupling between the resonator and its feed line can be made amplitude dependent. This novel mechanism allows us to tune the resonator into critical coupling conditions

Unexpected Arrest-Related Deaths in America: 12 Months of Open Source Surveillance

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Ho, Jeffrey D

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Sudden, unexpected arrest-related death (ARD has been associated with drug abuse, extreme delirium or certain police practices. There is insufficient surveillance and causation data available. We report 12 months of surveillance data using a novel data collection methodology.Methods: We used an open-source, prospective method to collect 12 consecutive months of data, including demographics, behavior, illicit substance use, control methods used, and time of collapse after law enforcement contact. Descriptive analysis and chi-square testing were applied.Results: There were 162 ARD events reported that met inclusion criteria. The majority were male with mean age 36 years, and involved bizarre, agitated behavior and reports of drug abuse just prior to death. Law enforcement control techniques included none (14%; empty-hand techniques (69%; intermediate weapons such as TASER device, impact weapon or chemical irritant spray (52%; and deadly force (12%. Time from contact to subject collapse included instantaneous (13%, within the first hour (53% and 1-48 hours (35%. Significant collapse time associations occurred with the use of certain intermediate weapons.Conclusion: This surveillance report can be a foundation for discussing ARD. These data support the premise that ARDs primarily occur in persons with a certain demographic and behavior profile that includes middle-aged males exhibiting agitated, bizarre behavior generally following illicit drug abuse. Collapse time associations were demonstrated with the use of TASER devices and impact weapons. We recommend further study in this area to validate our data collection method and findings. [WestJEM. 2009;10:68-73.

The January 2014 Northern Cuba Earthquake Sequence - Unusual Location and Unexpected Source Mechanism Variability

Science.gov (United States)

Braunmiller, J.; Thompson, G.; McNutt, S. R.

2017-12-01

On 9 January 2014, a magnitude Mw=5.1 earthquake occurred along the Bahamas-Cuba suture at the northern coast of Cuba revealing a surprising seismic hazard source for both Cuba and southern Florida where it was widely felt. Due to its location, the event and its aftershocks (M>3.5) were recorded only at far distances (300+ km) resulting in high-detection thresholds, low location accuracy, and limited source parameter resolution. We use three-component regional seismic data to study the sequence. High-pass filtered seismograms at the closest site in southern Florida are similar in character suggesting a relatively tight event cluster and revealing additional, smaller aftershocks not included in the ANSS or ISC catalogs. Aligning on the P arrival and low-pass filtering (T>10 s) uncovers a surprise polarity flip of the large amplitude surface waves on vertical seismograms for some aftershocks relative to the main shock. We performed regional moment tensor inversions of the main shock and its largest aftershocks using complete three-component seismograms from stations distributed throughout the region to confirm the mechanism changes. Consistent with the GCMT solution, we find an E-W trending normal faulting mechanism for the main event and for one immediate aftershock. Two aftershocks indicate E-W trending reverse faulting with essentially flipped P- and T-axes relative to the normal faulting events (and the same B-axes). Within uncertainties, depths of the two event families are indistinguishable and indicate shallow faulting (<10 km). One intriguing possible interpretation is that both families ruptured the same fault with reverse mechanisms compensating for overshooting. However, activity could also be spatially separated either vertically (with reverse mechanisms possibly below extension) or laterally. The shallow source depth and the 200-km long uplifted chain of islands indicate that larger, shallow and thus potentially tsunamigenic earthquakes could occur just

Unexpected diversity in the mobilome of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain isolated from a dental unit waterline revealed by SMRT Sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, Antony T; Charette, Steve J; Barbeau, Jean

2018-05-01

The Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is found in several habitats, both natural and human-made, and is particularly known for its recurrent presence as a pathogen in the lungs of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease. Given its clinical importance, several major studies have investigated the genomic adaptation of P. aeruginosa in lungs and its transition as acute infections become chronic. However, our knowledge about the diversity and adaptation of the P. aeruginosa genome to non-clinical environments is still fragmentary, in part due to the lack of accurate reference genomes of strains from the numerous environments colonized by the bacterium. Here, we used PacBio long-read technology to sequence the genome of PPF-1, a strain of P. aeruginosa isolated from a dental unit waterline. Generating this closed genome was an opportunity to investigate genomic features that are difficult to accurately study in a draft genome (contigs state). It was possible to shed light on putative genomic islands, some shared with other reference genomes, new prophages, and the complete content of insertion sequences. In addition, four different group II introns were also found, including two characterized here and not listed in the specialized group II intron database.

Preserved scleral patch graft for unexpected extreme scleral thinning found at the scleral buckling procedure: A case report

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Spela Stunf

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Pre-existing scleral pathology is an important risk factor for globe rupture during scleral buckling procedures. We report here, the surgical management of an unexpected scleral pathology found at the scleral buckling procedure in a retinal detachment patient. A 77-year-old white female with retinal detachment underwent a scleral buckling procedure. The surgery was converted into a scleral graft procedure, as extreme scleral thinning was found intraoperatively. An alcohol-preserved donor sclera graft was used. The second surgery for definitive retinal alignment was performed two weeks later. The presented case of an unexpected scleral pathology in a retinal detachment patient was managed with a combination of scleral grafting and pars plana vitrectomy, without any major complications. The anatomical outcome was excellent and the scleral rupture was prevented; the visual outcome was satisfactory. A conversion of the scleral buckling procedure into a scleral graft procedure has proved to be safe and effective for unexpected scleral pathology.

Tourism Stocks in Times of Crises: An Econometric Investigation of Unexpected Non-macroeconomic Factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Zopiatis (Anastasios); C.S. Savva (Christos); N. Lambertides (Neophytos); M.J. McAleer (Michael)

2017-01-01

textabstractFollowing the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, the European media emphatically pronounced that billions of Euros were wiped from tourism related stocks. The theoretical relationship of the industry with such unexpected non-macro incidents received moderate academic coverage.

New PN Even Balanced Sequences for Spread-Spectrum Systems

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Inácio JAL

2005-01-01

Full Text Available A new class of pseudonoise even balanced (PN-EB binary spreading sequences is derived from existing classical odd-length families of maximum-length sequences, such as those proposed by Gold, by appending or inserting one extra-zero element (chip to the original sequences. The incentive to generate large families of PN-EB spreading sequences is motivated by analyzing the spreading effect of these sequences from a natural sampling point of view. From this analysis a new definition for PG is established, from which it becomes clear that very high processing gains (PGs can be achieved in band-limited direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS applications by using spreading sequences with zero mean, given that certain conditions regarding spectral aliasing are met. To obtain large families of even balanced (i.e., equal number of ones and zeros sequences, two design criteria are proposed, namely the ranging criterion (RC and the generating ranging criterion (GRC. PN-EB sequences in the polynomial range are derived using these criteria, and it is shown that they exhibit secondary autocorrelation and cross-correlation peaks comparable to the sequences they are derived from. The methods proposed not only facilitate the generation of large numbers of new PN-EB spreading sequences required for CDMA applications, but simultaneously offer high processing gains and good despreading characteristics in multiuser SS scenarios with band-limited noise and interference spectra. Simulation results are presented to confirm the respective claims made.

Incidence of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy in community-based cohort in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Yan; Ding, Ding; Zhang, Qing; Yang, Bin; Wang, Taiping; Li, Beixu; Wang, Jie; Luo, Jianfeng; Kwan, Patrick; Wang, Wenzhi; Hong, Zhen; Sander, Josemir W

2017-11-01

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is associated with the high premature mortality observed among people with epilepsy. It is, however, considered a rare event in China, probably because of lack of awareness and limitation of studies in the country. We aimed to provide some initial estimation of the burden of SUDEP in China. We established a large Chinese community-based cohort of people with epilepsy between January 2010 and December 2011. For any participant who died during follow-up, detailed information on cause of death was obtained using a specifically designed Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire. All cases were reviewed by a multidisciplinary expert panel and reinvestigated if necessary. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy incidence rates were estimated and case details provided. The cohort consisted of 1562 people and during a median 5years follow-up, 72 deaths were reported. The all-causes death incidence was 11.23 (95% CI 8.86-14.07) per 1000 person-years. Fifteen died suddenly and unexpectedly in a reasonable state of health in the week preceding death. We recorded detailed information of these 15 deaths. Thirteen were considered to be probable SUDEP and two possible SUDEP. The incidence of probable SUDEP was 2.03 (95% CI 1.13-3.38) per 1000 person-years, and the incidence of all suspected (probable and possible) SUDEP was 2.34 (95% CI 1.36-3.77) per 1000 person-years. The incidence of SUDEP was relatively high among Chinese people with epilepsy when compared with that in previous community-based studies from high-income countries. The burden of SUDEP in China requires further assessments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Third-Generation Sequencing and Analysis of Four Complete Pig Liver Esterase Gene Sequences in Clones Identified by Screening BAC Library.

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Zhou, Qiongqiong; Sun, Wenjuan; Liu, Xiyan; Wang, Xiliang; Xiao, Yuncai; Bi, Dingren; Yin, Jingdong; Shi, Deshi

2016-01-01

Pig liver carboxylesterase (PLE) gene sequences in GenBank are incomplete, which has led to difficulties in studying the genetic structure and regulation mechanisms of gene expression of PLE family genes. The aim of this study was to obtain and analysis of complete gene sequences of PLE family by screening from a Rongchang pig BAC library and third-generation PacBio gene sequencing. After a number of existing incomplete PLE isoform gene sequences were analysed, primers were designed based on conserved regions in PLE exons, and the whole pig genome used as a template for Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Specific primers were then selected based on the PCR amplification results. A three-step PCR screening method was used to identify PLE-positive clones by screening a Rongchang pig BAC library and PacBio third-generation sequencing was performed. BLAST comparisons and other bioinformatics methods were applied for sequence analysis. Five PLE-positive BAC clones, designated BAC-10, BAC-70, BAC-75, BAC-119 and BAC-206, were identified. Sequence analysis yielded the complete sequences of four PLE genes, PLE1, PLE-B9, PLE-C4, and PLE-G2. Complete PLE gene sequences were defined as those containing regulatory sequences, exons, and introns. It was found that, not only did the PLE exon sequences of the four genes show a high degree of homology, but also that the intron sequences were highly similar. Additionally, the regulatory region of the genes contained two 720bps reverse complement sequences that may have an important function in the regulation of PLE gene expression. This is the first report to confirm the complete sequences of four PLE genes. In addition, the study demonstrates that each PLE isoform is encoded by a single gene and that the various genes exhibit a high degree of sequence homology, suggesting that the PLE family evolved from a single ancestral gene. Obtaining the complete sequences of these PLE genes provides the necessary foundation for

Protein chaperones Q8ZP25_SALTY from Salmonella typhimurium and HYAE_ECOLI from Escherichia coli exhibit thioredoxin-like structures despite lack of canonical thioredoxin active site sequence motive

Science.gov (United States)

Parish, David; Benach, Jordi; Liu, Goahua; Singarapu, Kiran Kumar; Xiao, Rong; Acton, Thomas; Su, Min; Bansal, Sonal; Prestegard, James H.; Hunt, John; Montelione, Gaetano T.

2010-01-01

The structure of the 142-residue protein Q8ZP25_SALTY encoded in the genome of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 was determined independently by NMR and X-ray crystallography, and the structure of the 140-residue protein HYAE_ECOLI encoded in the genome of Eschericia coli was determined by NMR. The two proteins belong to Pfam [1] PF07449, which currently comprises 50 members, and belongs itself to the ‘thioredoxin-like clan’. However, protein HYAE_ECOLI and the other proteins of Pfam PF07449 do not contain the canonical Cys-X-X-Cys active site sequence motif of thioredoxin. Protein HYAE_ECOLI was previously classified as a [NiFe] hydrogenase-1 specific chaperone interacting with the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) signal peptide. The structures presented here exhibit the expected thioredoxin-like fold and support the view that members of Pfam family PF07449 specifically interact with Tat signal peptides. PMID:19039680

Protein chaperones Q8ZP25_SALTY from Salmonella typhimurium and HYAE_ECOLI from Escherichia coli exhibit thioredoxin-like structures despite lack of canonical thioredoxin active site sequence motif.

Science.gov (United States)

Parish, David; Benach, Jordi; Liu, Goahua; Singarapu, Kiran Kumar; Xiao, Rong; Acton, Thomas; Su, Min; Bansal, Sonal; Prestegard, James H; Hunt, John; Montelione, Gaetano T; Szyperski, Thomas

2008-12-01

The structure of the 142-residue protein Q8ZP25_SALTY encoded in the genome of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 was determined independently by NMR and X-ray crystallography, and the structure of the 140-residue protein HYAE_ECOLI encoded in the genome of Escherichia coli was determined by NMR. The two proteins belong to Pfam (Finn et al. 34:D247-D251, 2006) PF07449, which currently comprises 50 members, and belongs itself to the 'thioredoxin-like clan'. However, protein HYAE_ECOLI and the other proteins of Pfam PF07449 do not contain the canonical Cys-X-X-Cys active site sequence motif of thioredoxin. Protein HYAE_ECOLI was previously classified as a [NiFe] hydrogenase-1 specific chaperone interacting with the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) signal peptide. The structures presented here exhibit the expected thioredoxin-like fold and support the view that members of Pfam family PF07449 specifically interact with Tat signal peptides.

Protein Chaperones Q8ZP25_SALTY from Salmonella Typhimurium and HYAE_ECOLI from Escherichia coli Exhibit Thioredoxin-like Structures Despite Lack of Canonical Thioredoxin Active Site Sequence Motif

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parish, D.; Benach, J; Liu, G; Singarapu, K; Xiao, R; Acton, T; Hunt, J; Montelione, G; Szyperski, T; et. al.

2008-01-01

The structure of the 142-residue protein Q8ZP25 SALTY encoded in the genome of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 was determined independently by NMR and X-ray crystallography, and the structure of the 140-residue protein HYAE ECOLI encoded in the genome of Escherichia coli was determined by NMR. The two proteins belong to Pfam (Finn et al. 34:D247-D251, 2006) PF07449, which currently comprises 50 members, and belongs itself to the 'thioredoxin-like clan'. However, protein HYAE ECOLI and the other proteins of Pfam PF07449 do not contain the canonical Cys-X-X-Cys active site sequence motif of thioredoxin. Protein HYAE ECOLI was previously classified as a (NiFe) hydrogenase-1 specific chaperone interacting with the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) signal peptide. The structures presented here exhibit the expected thioredoxin-like fold and support the view that members of Pfam family PF07449 specifically interact with Tat signal peptides.

Completed sequence and corrected annotation of the genome of maize Iranian mosaic virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghorbani, Abozar; Izadpanah, Keramatollah; Dietzgen, Ralf G

2018-03-01

Maize Iranian mosaic virus (MIMV) is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus that is classified in the genus Nucleorhabdovirus, family Rhabdoviridae. The MIMV genome contains six open reading frames (ORFs) that encode in 3΄ to 5΄ order the nucleocapsid protein (N), phosphoprotein (P), putative movement protein (P3), matrix protein (M), glycoprotein (G) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L). In this study, we determined the first complete genome sequence of MIMV using Illumina RNA-Seq and 3'/5' RACE. MIMV genome ('Fars' isolate) is 12,426 nucleotides in length. Unexpectedly, the predicted N gene ORF of this isolate and of four other Iranian isolates is 143 nucleotides shorter than that of the MIMV coding-complete reference isolate 'Shiraz 1' (Genbank NC_011542), possibly due to a minor error in the previous sequence. Genetic variability among the N, P, P3 and G ORFs of Iranian MIMV isolates was limited, but highest in the G gene ORF. Phylogenetic analysis of complete nucleorhabdovirus genomes demonstrated a close evolutionary relationship between MIMV, maize mosaic virus and taro vein chlorosis virus.

Frequency, severity and causes of unexpected allergic reactions to food: A systematic literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Versluis, A.; Knulst, A.C.; Kruizinga, A.G.; Michelsen, A.; Houben, G.F.; Baumert, J.L.; Os-Medendorp, H. van

2015-01-01

Summary: Food allergic patients have to deal with an avoidance diet. Confusing labelling terms or precautionary labels can result in misinterpretation and risk-taking behaviour. Even those patients that strictly adhere to their diet experience (sometimes severe) unexpected allergic reactions to

Frequency, severity and causes of unexpected allergic reactions to food : A systematic literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Versluis, A.; Knulst, A. C.; Kruizinga, A. G.; Michelsen, A.; Houben, G. F.; Baumert, J. L.; van Os-Medendorp, H.

2015-01-01

Summary: Food allergic patients have to deal with an avoidance diet. Confusing labelling terms or precautionary labels can result in misinterpretation and risk-taking behaviour. Even those patients that strictly adhere to their diet experience (sometimes severe) unexpected allergic reactions to

Unexpected neuronal protection of SU5416 against 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion-induced toxicity via inhibiting neuronal nitric oxide synthase.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Cui

Full Text Available SU5416 was originally designed as a potent and selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2 for cancer therapy. In this study, we have found for the first time that SU5416 unexpectedly prevented 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP(+-induced neuronal apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons, and decreased 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons and impairment of swimming behavior in zebrafish in a concentration-dependent manner. However, VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitor II, another specific VEGFR-2 inhibitor, failed to reverse neurotoxicity at the concentration exhibiting anti-angiogenic activity, strongly suggesting that the neuroprotective effect of SU5416 is independent from its anti-angiogenic action. SU5416 potently reversed MPP(+-increased intracellular nitric oxide level with an efficacy similar to 7-nitroindazole, a specific neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS inhibitor. Western blotting analysis showed that SU5416 reduced the elevation of nNOS protein expression induced by MPP(+. Furthermore, SU5416 directly inhibited the enzyme activity of rat cerebellum nNOS with an IC(50 value of 22.7 µM. In addition, knock-down of nNOS expression using short hairpin RNA (shRNA abolished the neuroprotective effects of SU5416 against MPP(+-induced neuronal loss. Our results strongly demonstrate that SU5416 might exert its unexpected neuroprotective effects by concurrently reducing nNOS protein expression and directly inhibiting nNOS enzyme activity. In view of the capability of SU5416 to cross the blood-brain barrier and the safety for human use, our findings further indicate that SU5416 might be a novel drug candidate for neurodegenerative disorders, particularly those associated with NO-mediated neurotoxicity.

The World of Virtual Exhibitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irena Eiselt

2013-09-01

Full Text Available EXTENDED ABSTRACTSpecial collections of the National and University Library (NUK hide a lot of items of precious value. The Slovenian cultural heritage is stored on paper or on other media as a part of the library’s Manuscripts, Incunabula and Rare Books Collection, Old Prints Collection, Maps and Pictorial Collection, Music Collection, Ephemera Collection, Serials Collection, and Slovenian Diaspora Publications Collection. Only a small part of the treasures is temporary revealed to the public on special exhibitions. The idea of virtual exhibitions of library treasures was born in 2005. The library aimed to exhibit precious items of special collections of high historical or artistic value. In 2008 the first two virtual exhibitions were created in-house offering access to the rich collections of old postcards of Ljubljana at the beginning of 20th century kept in the Maps and Pictorial Collection of NUK. They were soon followed by other virtual exhibitions. At the beginning they were organised in the same way as physical exhibitions, afterwards different programs were used for creation of special effects (for ex. 3D wall. About two years ago it was decided that the creation of virtual exhibitions will be simplified. Files of digitised and borndigital library materials in jpg format are imported to MS PowerPoint 2010. Each jpg file is now formatted by adding a frame, a description … to the slides which are saved as jpg files. The last step is the import of jpg files into Cooliris application used for NUK web exhibitions. In the paper the virtual exhibition design and creation, the technical point of view and criteria for the selection of exhibition content are explained following the example of the virtual exhibitions the Old Postcards of Ljubljana, Photo Ateliers in Slovenia, a collection of photographs Four Seasons by Fran Krašovec and photos of Post-Earthquake Ljubljana in 1895.

Unexpected heterogeneity derived from Cas9 ribonucleoprotein-introduced clonal cells at the HPRT1 locus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakuma, Tetsushi; Mochida, Keiji; Nakade, Shota; Ezure, Toru; Minagawa, Sachi; Yamamoto, Takashi

2018-04-01

Single-cell cloning is an essential technique for establishing genome-edited cell clones mediated by programmable nucleases such as CRISPR-Cas9. However, residual genome-editing activity after single-cell cloning may cause heterogeneity in the clonal cells. Previous studies showed efficient mutagenesis and rapid degradation of CRISPR-Cas9 components in cultured cells by introducing Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). In this study, we investigated how the timing for single-cell cloning of Cas9 RNP-transfected cells affected the heterogeneity of the resultant clones. We carried out transfection of Cas9 RNPs targeting several loci in the HPRT1 gene in HCT116 cells, followed by single-cell cloning at 24, 48, 72 hr and 1 week post-transfection. After approximately 3 weeks of incubation, the clonal cells were collected and genotyped by high-resolution microchip electrophoresis and Sanger sequencing. Unexpectedly, long-term incubation before single-cell cloning resulted in highly heterogeneous clones. We used a lipofection method for transfection, and the media containing transfectable RNPs were not removed before single-cell cloning. Therefore, the active Cas9 RNPs were considered to be continuously incorporated into cells during the precloning incubation. Our findings provide a warning that lipofection of Cas9 RNPs may cause continuous introduction of gene mutations depending on the experimental procedures. © 2018 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Sudden and unexpected childhood deaths investigated at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory, South Africa, 2007 - 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Deventer, B S; Rossouw, S H; Du Toit-Prinsloo, L

2016-09-06

 Sudden and unexpected death is well known to occur in infants, and although sudden deaths are less frequent after the first birthday, they still account for a significant proportion of childhood deaths. In 2009, 1.9% of the total deaths in the USA were childhood deaths. In South Africa (SA) this proportion was much higher at 11.85%. According to the law, sudden and unexpected deaths are generally investigated as unnatural deaths. Establishing an exact underlying anatomical cause of death will depend on available resources and can be difficult in a substantial proportion of cases.  A retrospective descriptive case audit was conducted at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory (PMLL), SA, from 1 January 2007 through to 31 December 2011. All children aged 1 - 18 years who died suddenly and unexpectedly were included.  Ninety-eight cases were identified, which constituted nearly 1% of total admissions to the PMLL. The majority of the deaths were of children aged 1 - 5 years, and the male/female ratio was 1.04:1. In the largest proportion of cases (n=28, 28.6%), the medicolegal investigation, including autopsy and ancillary investigations, did not establish an underlying anatomical cause of death. In the cases where a cause of death was established, pneumonia was the most common diagnosis (n=22, 22.4%).  The fact that the cause of the largest proportion of deaths could not be ascertained emphasises the need for consideration of additional investigative techniques, such as molecular/genetic screening, which have provided an underlying cause of death in a significant number of cases in other countries. There is a lack of published research on the causes and incidence of sudden unexpected deaths in children in SA, and further research in this area is needed.

Exhibition at the AAA library

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2013-01-01

Sonnesgade 11 The exhibition at the AAA library presents selected work produced by students prior to the exhibition of installations in project and praxis constructing an archive at Sonnesgade 11. The exhibition at Sonnesgade 11 was the culmination of collaboration with SLETH architects and studio...

Sudden unexpected death in infancy in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkel, Bo Gregers; Holst, Anders Gaarsdal; Theilade, Juliane

2011-01-01

Abstract Background. Incidence of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) differs among studies and non-autopsied cases are difficult to assess. Objectives. To investigate causes of sudden death in infancy in a nationwide setting. Validate the use...... of the ICD-10 code for SIDS (R95) in the Danish Cause of Death registry. Design. A retrospective analysis of all infant deaths (death certificates and autopsy reports were read. Results. We identified 192 SUDI cases (10% of total deaths, 0.42 per 1000 births......) with autopsy performed in 87% of cases. In total, 49% of autopsied SUDI cases were defined as SIDS (5% of all deaths, 0.22 per 1000 births); Cardiac cause of death was denoted in 24% of cases. The Danish Cause of Death Registry misclassified 30% of SIDS cases. Conclusions. A large proportion of infant deaths...

Upcycling CERN Exhibitions

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2015-01-01

Summer is coming - and with it, a new Microcosm exhibition showcasing CERN (see here). But while the new exhibit is preparing to enchant visitors, many have been asking about the site's former content. Will it simply be out with the old and in with the new? Not as such!   The plasma ball from Microcosm is now on display at the LHCb site. As Microcosm's new content is moving in, its old content is moving up. From LHCb to IdeaSquare, former Microcosm displays and objects are being installed across the CERN site. "Microcosm featured many elements that were well suited to life outside of the exhibition," says Emma Sanders, Microcosm project leader in the EDU group. "We didn't want this popular content to go to waste, and so set out to find them new homes across CERN." The LHCb experiment has received a number of Microcosm favourites, including the Rutherford experiment, the cosmic ray display and the Thomson experiment. "We&...

The creative use of unexpected responses in the hypnotherapy of patients with conversion disorders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moene, F.C.; Hoogduin, C.A.L.

1999-01-01

In a previously completed empirical study examining the use of hypnosis in a comprehensive treatment program with 85 patients who suffered motor conversion symptoms, 16 patients were reported by their therapists to have had unusual and unexpected responses during hypnosis. This article summarizes

Globe exhibit wins international acclaim

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2011-01-01

The Globe’s “Universe of Particles” exhibition has recently received four prestigious awards for its avant-garde design. This external praise is great encouragement for the CERN exhibitions currently on the drawing board.   The Universe of Particles exhibition has won 4 awards for its avant-garde design. Back in 2008, the design company Atelier Brückner was presented with a challenge: to design the layout of a new permanent exhibition for CERN, one that would epitomize both the Organization and its research. The brief was concise but complex: the exhibit had to be symbolic of the Organization, use modern technology, engage and immerse visitors, and, preferably, use touch-screen technology. With the help of IArt, an interactive technology firm, and based on the content provided by CERN’s Education Group, Atelier Brückner developed the “Universe of Particles” exhibit as it is today. Its principal concept centred on the s...

Mining metadata from unidentified ITS sequences in GenBank: A case study in Inocybe (Basidiomycota

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacobsson Stig

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The lack of reference sequences from well-identified mycorrhizal fungi often poses a challenge to the inference of taxonomic affiliation of sequences from environmental samples, and many environmental sequences are thus left unidentified. Such unidentified sequences belonging to the widely distributed ectomycorrhizal fungal genus Inocybe (Basidiomycota were retrieved from GenBank and divided into species that were identified in a phylogenetic context using a reference dataset from an ongoing study of the genus. The sequence metadata of the unidentified Inocybe sequences stored in GenBank, as well as data from the corresponding original papers, were compiled and used to explore the ecology and distribution of the genus. In addition, the relative occurrence of Inocybe was contrasted to that of other mycorrhizal genera. Results Most species of Inocybe were found to have less than 3% intraspecific variability in the ITS2 region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. This cut-off value was used jointly with phylogenetic analysis to delimit and identify unidentified Inocybe sequences to species level. A total of 177 unidentified Inocybe ITS sequences corresponding to 98 species were recovered, 32% of which were successfully identified to species level in this study. These sequences account for an unexpectedly large proportion of the publicly available unidentified fungal ITS sequences when compared with other mycorrhizal genera. Eight Inocybe species were reported from multiple hosts and some even from hosts forming arbutoid or orchid mycorrhizae. Furthermore, Inocybe sequences have been reported from four continents and in climate zones ranging from cold temperate to equatorial climate. Out of the 19 species found in more than one study, six were found in both Europe and North America and one was found in both Europe and Japan, indicating that at least many north temperate species have a wide distribution. Conclusion Although DNA

Mining metadata from unidentified ITS sequences in GenBank: a case study in Inocybe (Basidiomycota).

Science.gov (United States)

Ryberg, Martin; Nilsson, R Henrik; Kristiansson, Erik; Töpel, Mats; Jacobsson, Stig; Larsson, Ellen

2008-02-18

The lack of reference sequences from well-identified mycorrhizal fungi often poses a challenge to the inference of taxonomic affiliation of sequences from environmental samples, and many environmental sequences are thus left unidentified. Such unidentified sequences belonging to the widely distributed ectomycorrhizal fungal genus Inocybe (Basidiomycota) were retrieved from GenBank and divided into species that were identified in a phylogenetic context using a reference dataset from an ongoing study of the genus. The sequence metadata of the unidentified Inocybe sequences stored in GenBank, as well as data from the corresponding original papers, were compiled and used to explore the ecology and distribution of the genus. In addition, the relative occurrence of Inocybe was contrasted to that of other mycorrhizal genera. Most species of Inocybe were found to have less than 3% intraspecific variability in the ITS2 region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. This cut-off value was used jointly with phylogenetic analysis to delimit and identify unidentified Inocybe sequences to species level. A total of 177 unidentified Inocybe ITS sequences corresponding to 98 species were recovered, 32% of which were successfully identified to species level in this study. These sequences account for an unexpectedly large proportion of the publicly available unidentified fungal ITS sequences when compared with other mycorrhizal genera. Eight Inocybe species were reported from multiple hosts and some even from hosts forming arbutoid or orchid mycorrhizae. Furthermore, Inocybe sequences have been reported from four continents and in climate zones ranging from cold temperate to equatorial climate. Out of the 19 species found in more than one study, six were found in both Europe and North America and one was found in both Europe and Japan, indicating that at least many north temperate species have a wide distribution. Although DNA-based species identification and circumscription are associated

Unexpected Symmetry in the Nodal Structure of the He Atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bressanini, Dario; Reynolds, Peter J.

2005-01-01

The nodes of even simple wave functions are largely unexplored. Motivated by their importance to quantum simulations of fermionic systems, we have found unexpected symmetries in the nodes of several atoms and molecules. Here, we report on helium. We find that in both ground and excited states the nodes have simple forms. In particular, they have higher symmetry than the wave functions they come from. It is of great interest to understand the source of these new symmetries. For the quantum simulations that motivated the study, these symmetries may help circumvent the fermion sign problem

DNA cross-linking by dehydromonocrotaline lacks apparent base sequence preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Rieben, W Kurt; Coulombe, Roger A

2004-12-01

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are ubiquitous plant toxins, many of which, upon oxidation by hepatic mixed-function oxidases, become reactive bifunctional pyrrolic electrophiles that form DNA-DNA and DNA-protein cross-links. The anti-mitotic, toxic, and carcinogenic action of PAs is thought to be caused, at least in part, by these cross-links. We wished to determine whether the activated PA pyrrole dehydromonocrotaline (DHMO) exhibits base sequence preferences when cross-linked to a set of model duplex poly A-T 14-mer oligonucleotides with varying internal and/or end 5'-d(CG), 5'-d(GC), 5'-d(TA), 5'-d(CGCG), or 5'-d(GCGC) sequences. DHMO-DNA cross-links were assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) of 32P endlabeled oligonucleotides and by HPLC analysis of cross-linked DNAs enzymatically digested to their constituent deoxynucleosides. The degree of DNA cross-links depended upon the concentration of the pyrrole, but not on the base sequence of the oligonucleotide target. Likewise, HPLC chromatograms of cross-linked and digested DNAs showed no discernible sequence preference for any nucleotide. Added glutathione, tyrosine, cysteine, and aspartic acid, but not phenylalanine, threonine, serine, lysine, or methionine competed with DNA as alternate nucleophiles for cross-linking by DHMO. From these data it appears that DHMO exhibits no strong base preference when forming cross-links with DNA, and that some cellular nucleophiles can inhibit DNA cross-link formation.

Manganese-Catalyzed C−H Functionalizations: Hydroarylations and Alkenylations Involving an Unexpected Heteroaryl Shift

KAUST Repository

Wang, Chengming

2017-06-24

A manganese-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective hydroarylation of allenes is reported. The C−H functionalization method provides access to various alkenylated indoles in excellent yields. Moreover, a hydroarylation/cyclization cascade involving an unexpected C−N bond cleavage and aryl shift has been developed, which provides a new synthetic approach to substituted pyrroloindolones.

Manganese-Catalyzed C−H Functionalizations: Hydroarylations and Alkenylations Involving an Unexpected Heteroaryl Shift

KAUST Repository

Wang, Chengming; Wang, Ai; Rueping, Magnus

2017-01-01

A manganese-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective hydroarylation of allenes is reported. The C−H functionalization method provides access to various alkenylated indoles in excellent yields. Moreover, a hydroarylation/cyclization cascade involving an unexpected C−N bond cleavage and aryl shift has been developed, which provides a new synthetic approach to substituted pyrroloindolones.

Cloning and sequencing of the casein kinase 2 alpha subunit from Zea mays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dobrowolska, G; Boldyreff, B; Issinger, O G

1991-01-01

The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA coding for the alpha subunit of casein kinase 2 of Zea mays has been determined. The cDNA clone contains an open reading frame of 996 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide comprising 332 amino acids. The primary amino acid sequence exhibits 75% identity to the alpha...... subunit and 71% identity to the alpha' subunit of human casein kinase 2....

HFE gene polymorphism defined by sequence-based typing of the Brazilian population and a standardized nomenclature for HFE allele sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, W N; Massaro, J D; Martinelli, A L C; Halliwell, J A; Marsh, S G E; Mendes-Junior, C T; Donadi, E A

2017-10-01

The HFE molecule controls iron uptake from gut, and defects in the molecule have been associated with iron overload, particularly in hereditary hemochromatosis. The HFE gene including both coding and boundary intronic regions were sequenced in 304 Brazilian individuals, encompassing healthy individuals and patients exhibiting hereditary or acquired iron overload. Six sites of variation were detected: (1) H63D C>G in exon 2, (2) IVS2 (+4) T>C in intron 2, (3) a C>G transversion in intron 3, (4) C282Y G>A in exon 4, (5) IVS4 (-44) T>C in intron 4, and (6) a new guanine deletion (G>del) in intron 5, which were used for haplotype inference. Nine HFE alleles were detected and six of these were officially named on the basis of the HLA Nomenclature, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) Nomenclature Committee for Factors of the HLA System, and published via the IPD-IMGT/HLA website. Four alleles, HFE*001, *002, *003, and *004 exhibited variation within their exon sequences. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Continuous Online Sequence Learning with an Unsupervised Neural Network Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yuwei; Ahmad, Subutar; Hawkins, Jeff

2016-09-14

The ability to recognize and predict temporal sequences of sensory inputs is vital for survival in natural environments. Based on many known properties of cortical neurons, hierarchical temporal memory (HTM) sequence memory recently has been proposed as a theoretical framework for sequence learning in the cortex. In this letter, we analyze properties of HTM sequence memory and apply it to sequence learning and prediction problems with streaming data. We show the model is able to continuously learn a large number of variableorder temporal sequences using an unsupervised Hebbian-like learning rule. The sparse temporal codes formed by the model can robustly handle branching temporal sequences by maintaining multiple predictions until there is sufficient disambiguating evidence. We compare the HTM sequence memory with other sequence learning algorithms, including statistical methods: autoregressive integrated moving average; feedforward neural networks-time delay neural network and online sequential extreme learning machine; and recurrent neural networks-long short-term memory and echo-state networks on sequence prediction problems with both artificial and real-world data. The HTM model achieves comparable accuracy to other state-of-the-art algorithms. The model also exhibits properties that are critical for sequence learning, including continuous online learning, the ability to handle multiple predictions and branching sequences with high-order statistics, robustness to sensor noise and fault tolerance, and good performance without task-specific hyperparameter tuning. Therefore, the HTM sequence memory not only advances our understanding of how the brain may solve the sequence learning problem but is also applicable to real-world sequence learning problems from continuous data streams.

COI (cytochrome oxidase-I) sequence based studies of Carangid fishes from Kakinada coast, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Persis, M; Chandra Sekhar Reddy, A; Rao, L M; Khedkar, G D; Ravinder, K; Nasruddin, K

2009-09-01

Mitochondrial DNA, cytochrome oxidase-1 gene sequences were analyzed for species identification and phylogenetic relationship among the very high food value and commercially important Indian carangid fish species. Sequence analysis of COI gene very clearly indicated that all the 28 fish species fell into five distinct groups, which are genetically distant from each other and exhibited identical phylogenetic reservation. All the COI gene sequences from 28 fishes provide sufficient phylogenetic information and evolutionary relationship to distinguish the carangid species unambiguously. This study proves the utility of mtDNA COI gene sequence based approach in identifying fish species at a faster pace.

The unexpected product of Diels-Alder reaction between "indanocyclon" and maleimide

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrowolski, Michał A.; Roszkowski, Piotr; Struga, Marta; Szulczyk, Daniel

2017-02-01

A heterocyclic compound commonly known as "indanocyclon" undergoes an unexpected Diels-Alder addition with maleimide. The resulting product has been isolated and characterized in order to get an information about its structure and possible mechanism of the reaction. Extensive comparison of single crystal properties of 3-(2,8-dioxo-1,3-diphenyl-2,8-dihydrocyclopenta[a]inden-8a(1H)-yl)pyrrolidine-2,5-dione and favorable product of the reaction has been also performed.

Unexpectedly slow decrease of Chernobyl-derived radiocesium in air and deposition in Bavaria/Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunzl, K.; Hoetzl, H.; Rosner, G.; Winkler, R.

1995-01-01

In this paper we analyze the corresponding data observed after the termination of the fresh fallout of Chernobyl-derived 137 Cs, and discuss possible reasons for the unexpectedly slow decrease of radiocesium in the air and in the total deposition to the ground. (SR)

Unexpectedly slow decrease of Chernobyl-derived radiocesium in air and deposition in Bavaria/Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bunzl, K. [GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit, Neuherberg (Germany); Hoetzl, H. [GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit, Neuherberg (Germany); Rosner, G. [Inst. fuer Strahlenschutz, Oberschleissheim (Germany); Winkler, R. [Inst. fuer Strahlenschutz, Oberschleissheim (Germany)

1995-09-01

In this paper we analyze the corresponding data observed after the termination of the fresh fallout of Chernobyl-derived {sup 137}Cs, and discuss possible reasons for the unexpectedly slow decrease of radiocesium in the air and in the total deposition to the ground. (SR)

Willingness and ability to pay for unexpected dental expenses by Finnish adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Widström Eeva

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 2002, adults have been able to choose oral health care services in the public sector or in the private sector in Finland. Though various subsidies for care exist in both sectors, the Public Dental Service (PDS is a cheaper option for the patient but, on the other hand, there are no waiting lists for private care. The aim of this study was to assess middle-aged adults' use of dental services, willingness to pay (WTP and ability to pay (ATP for unexpected, urgent dental treatment. Methods Postal questionnaires on use of dental services were sent to a random sample of 1500 47-59 year old adults living in three large municipalities in the Helsinki region. The initial response rate was 65.8%. Two hypothetical scenarios were presented: "What would be the highest price you would be prepared to pay to have a lost filling replaced immediately, or, at the latest, the day after losing the filling?" and " How much could you pay for unexpected dental expenses at two weeks notice, if you suddenly needed more comprehensive treatment?" Logistic regression analysis was used to analyse factors related to WTP and ATP. Results Most respondents (89.6% had visited a dentist recently and a majority (76.1% had used private services. For immediate replacement of a lost filling, almost all respondents (93.2% were willing to pay the lower price charged in the PDS and 46.2% were willing to pay the private fee. High income and no subjective need for dental treatment were positively associated with the probability of paying a higher price. Most respondents (93.0% were able to pay a low fee, EUR 50 and almost half (41.6% at least EUR 300 for unexpected treatment at short notice. High income and male sex were associated with high ATP. Conclusion There was a strong and statistically significant relationship between income and WTP and ATP for urgent dental care, indicating that access to publicly provided services improved equity for persons with low

Unexpected radionuclide uptake due to calcification in muscles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khier, A.

1999-01-01

Full text: A male patient aged 27 years was injected with 1000 MBq of 99 Tc m -MDP. The patient was an active man indulging in contact sport. He presented with lower back and pelvic pain. Spot pictures were made of the pelvis, lumbar spine and femurs. Unexpected active radionuclide uptake in the muscles was seen. In the delayed static images, there was focal accumulation of tracer uptake in the muscles overlying the mid-shaft of the left femur consistent with myositis ossificans. Myositis ossificans is a benign ossifying process that is generally solitary and well circumscribed. It is most commonly found in the muscles but it may occur in other connective tissues, especially tendons and subcutaneous fat. This was presumably associated with chronic muscular injuries contracted during sports activity

Low-pass sequencing for microbial comparative genomics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kennedy Sean

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We studied four extremely halophilic archaea by low-pass shotgun sequencing: (1 the metabolically versatile Haloarcula marismortui; (2 the non-pigmented Natrialba asiatica; (3 the psychrophile Halorubrum lacusprofundi and (4 the Dead Sea isolate Halobaculum gomorrense. Approximately one thousand single pass genomic sequences per genome were obtained. The data were analyzed by comparative genomic analyses using the completed Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 genome as a reference. Low-pass shotgun sequencing is a simple, inexpensive, and rapid approach that can readily be performed on any cultured microbe. Results As expected, the four archaeal halophiles analyzed exhibit both bacterial and eukaryotic characteristics as well as uniquely archaeal traits. All five halophiles exhibit greater than sixty percent GC content and low isoelectric points (pI for their predicted proteins. Multiple insertion sequence (IS elements, often involved in genome rearrangements, were identified in H. lacusprofundi and H. marismortui. The core biological functions that govern cellular and genetic mechanisms of H. sp. NRC-1 appear to be conserved in these four other halophiles. Multiple TATA box binding protein (TBP and transcription factor IIB (TFB homologs were identified from most of the four shotgunned halophiles. The reconstructed molecular tree of all five halophiles shows a large divergence between these species, but with the closest relationship being between H. sp. NRC-1 and H. lacusprofundi. Conclusion Despite the diverse habitats of these species, all five halophiles share (1 high GC content and (2 low protein isoelectric points, which are characteristics associated with environmental exposure to UV radiation and hypersalinity, respectively. Identification of multiple IS elements in the genome of H. lacusprofundi and H. marismortui suggest that genome structure and dynamic genome reorganization might be similar to that previously observed in the

Unexpected findings at imaging: Predicting frequency in various types of studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lumbreras, Blanca; Gonzalez-Alvarez, Isabel; Lorente, Ma Fernanda; Calbo, Jorge; Aranaz, Jesus; Hernandez-Aguado, Ildefonso

2010-01-01

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the prevalence and associated variables of unsuspected findings from imaging tests in clinical practice. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients referred for an imaging test in 2006. Two independent radiologists classified the imaging tests according to the presence or absence of an unexpected finding in relation with the causes that prompted the test (kappa = 0.95). A thorough chart review of these patients was carried out as a quality control. Results: Out of 3259 patients in the study, 488 revealed unsuspected findings (15.0%). The prevalence of abnormal findings varied according to age: from 20.4% (150/734) in the over 74-group to 9.0% (76/847) in the under 43-group. The largest prevalence was in the category of infectious diseases (14/49, 28.6%) and in CT (260/901, 28.9%) and ultrasound (138/668, 20.7%). Studies showing moderate clinical information on the referral form were less likely to show unexpected findings than those with null or minor information (OR 0.51; 95% CI 0.36-0.73). Conclusion: Clinicians should expect the frequency of diseases detectable by imaging to increase in the future. Further research with follow-up of these findings is needed to estimate the effect of imaging technologies on final health outcomes.

Unexpected findings at imaging: Predicting frequency in various types of studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lumbreras, Blanca [Public Health Department, Miguel Hernandez University (Spain); CIBER en Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (Spain)], E-mail: blumbreras@umh.es; Gonzalez-Alvarez, Isabel [Radiodiagnostic Department, San Juan Hospital, 03550 Alicante (Spain)], E-mail: gonzalez_isa@gva.es; Lorente, Ma Fernanda [Radiodiagnostic Department, San Juan Hospital, 03550 Alicante (Spain)], E-mail: MARFERLORENTE@telefonica.net; Calbo, Jorge [Radiodiagnostic Department, San Juan Hospital, 03550 Alicante (Spain)], E-mail: jocalma@hotmail.com; Aranaz, Jesus [Preventive Medicine Department, San Juan Hospital, 03550 Alicante (Spain)], E-mail: aranaz_jes@gva.es; Hernandez-Aguado, Ildefonso [Public Health Department, Miguel Hernandez University (Spain); CIBER en Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (Spain)], E-mail: ihernandez@umh.es

2010-04-15

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the prevalence and associated variables of unsuspected findings from imaging tests in clinical practice. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients referred for an imaging test in 2006. Two independent radiologists classified the imaging tests according to the presence or absence of an unexpected finding in relation with the causes that prompted the test (kappa = 0.95). A thorough chart review of these patients was carried out as a quality control. Results: Out of 3259 patients in the study, 488 revealed unsuspected findings (15.0%). The prevalence of abnormal findings varied according to age: from 20.4% (150/734) in the over 74-group to 9.0% (76/847) in the under 43-group. The largest prevalence was in the category of infectious diseases (14/49, 28.6%) and in CT (260/901, 28.9%) and ultrasound (138/668, 20.7%). Studies showing moderate clinical information on the referral form were less likely to show unexpected findings than those with null or minor information (OR 0.51; 95% CI 0.36-0.73). Conclusion: Clinicians should expect the frequency of diseases detectable by imaging to increase in the future. Further research with follow-up of these findings is needed to estimate the effect of imaging technologies on final health outcomes.

Ombud's Corner: unexpected turn in the conversation?

CERN Multimedia

Sudeshna Datta-Cockerill

2014-01-01

Regular informal conversations with colleagues play a very important part in weaving the fabric of team spirit. They allow us to build the working relationships that are vital to the success of our projects and to create an environment of good will that is instrumental in averting potential conflict or crises. However, sometimes they can come with unexpected surprises…   Eric and his colleagues always meet on Monday mornings to have coffee together, before starting the working week. This is a very privileged moment for the team when there are no formal barriers or professional concerns: Mary may talk about a film that she saw at the weekend, Eric often goes hiking in the Jura with his friend Stefan, Hans has always got a story about his son’s prowess on the school football team and occasionally there is a bit of special news such as Louisa’s recent marriage, Pierre’s baby’s christening or Claude’s daughter’s graduation&...

Evaluation of DNA bending models in their capacity to predict electrophoretic migration anomalies of satellite DNA sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Matyášek, Roman; Fulneček, Jaroslav; Kovařík, Aleš

2013-09-01

DNA containing a sequence that generates a local curvature exhibits a pronounced retardation in electrophoretic mobility. Various theoretical models have been proposed to explain relationship between DNA structural features and migration anomaly. Here, we studied the capacity of 15 static wedge-bending models to predict electrophoretic behavior of 69 satellite monomers derived from four divergent families. All monomers exhibited retarded mobility in PAGE corresponding to retardation factors ranging 1.02-1.54. The curvature varied both within and across the groups and correlated with the number, position, and lengths of A-tracts. Two dinucleotide models provided strong correlation between gel mobility and curvature prediction; two trinucleotide models were satisfactory while remaining dinucleotide models provided intermediate results with reliable prediction for subsets of sequences only. In some cases, similarly shaped molecules exhibited relatively large differences in mobility and vice versa. Generally less accurate predictions were obtained in groups containing less homogeneous sequences possessing distinct structural features. In conclusion, relatively universal theoretical models were identified suitable for the analysis of natural sequences known to harbor relatively moderate curvature. These models could be potentially applied to genome wide studies. However, in silico predictions should be viewed in context of experimental measurement of intrinsic DNA curvature. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Rural families' interpretations of experiencing unexpected transition in the wake of a natural disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Gisele Cristina Manfrini; Boehs, Astrid Eggert; Denham, Sharon A; Nitschke, Rosane Gonçalves; Martini, Jussara Gue

2017-02-13

Natural disasters affect populations in various parts of the world. The impacts of disasters can cause many problems to the health of people and disruption to family life, potentially leading to an unexpected transition. The objective of this paper is to present the unexpected transitional experiences of rural families following a natural disaster. A multiple case study of six families was conducted with children and adolescents in a rural area affected by a 2008 disaster in southern Brazil. For data collection, we used participant observation, narrative interviews, genograms, ecomaps and an instrument called calendar routine. The analysis of the data resulted in different family interpretations about the changes resulting from the storm and compared life before and after the disaster. The loss of homes and loved ones, migration, unemployment, and losses from the farm were the main changes associated with new development tasks. The experiences of family transition after the disaster revealed that losses influenced social lives, daily routines and the preservation of cultural values.

Greenhouse Earth: A Traveling Exhibition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, W.H.; Caesar, S.

1992-09-01

The Franklin Institute Science Museum provided an exhibit entitled the Greenhouse Earth: A Traveling Exhibition. This 3500 square-foot exhibit on global climate change was developed in collaboration with the Association of Science-Technology Centers. The exhibit opened at The Franklin Institute on February 14, 1992, welcoming 291,000 visitors over its three-month stay. During its three-year tour, Greenhouse Earth will travel to ten US cities, reaching two million visitors. Greenhouse Earth aims to deepen public understanding of the scientific issues of global warming and the conservation measures that can be taken to slow its effects. The exhibit features hands-on exhibitry, interactive computer programs and videos, a theater production, a ''demonstration cart,'' guided tours, and lectures. supplemental educational programs at the Institute included a teachers preview, a symposium on climate change, and a ''satellite field trip.'' The development of Greenhouse Earth included front-end and formative evaluation procedures. Evaluation includes interviews with visitors, prototypes, and summative surveys for participating museums. During its stay in Philadelphia, Greenhouse Earth was covered by the local and national press, with reviews in print and broadcast media. Greenhouse Earth is the first large-scale museum exhibit to address global climate change

An unexpected cause of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in a kidney transplant patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlageter, Manuel; Jahn, Kathleen D; Tzankov, Alexandar; Wiese, Mark; Bubendorf, Lukas; Tamm, Michael; Savic, Spasenija

2014-01-01

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a life-threatening condition requiring urgent treatment. There are many different treatment-relevant causes of DAH, making the diagnostic approach to these patients complex and necessitating a multidisciplinary team. We report the case of a kidney transplant recipient in whom all diagnostic efforts did not reveal the cause of DAH, and only autopsy was able to establish an unexpected diagnosis. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

BG7: A New Approach for Bacterial Genome Annotation Designed for Next Generation Sequencing Data

Science.gov (United States)

Pareja-Tobes, Pablo; Manrique, Marina; Pareja-Tobes, Eduardo; Pareja, Eduardo; Tobes, Raquel

2012-01-01

BG7 is a new system for de novo bacterial, archaeal and viral genome annotation based on a new approach specifically designed for annotating genomes sequenced with next generation sequencing technologies. The system is versatile and able to annotate genes even in the step of preliminary assembly of the genome. It is especially efficient detecting unexpected genes horizontally acquired from bacterial or archaeal distant genomes, phages, plasmids, and mobile elements. From the initial phases of the gene annotation process, BG7 exploits the massive availability of annotated protein sequences in databases. BG7 predicts ORFs and infers their function based on protein similarity with a wide set of reference proteins, integrating ORF prediction and functional annotation phases in just one step. BG7 is especially tolerant to sequencing errors in start and stop codons, to frameshifts, and to assembly or scaffolding errors. The system is also tolerant to the high level of gene fragmentation which is frequently found in not fully assembled genomes. BG7 current version – which is developed in Java, takes advantage of Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing features, but it can also be run locally in any operating system. BG7 is a fast, automated and scalable system that can cope with the challenge of analyzing the huge amount of genomes that are being sequenced with NGS technologies. Its capabilities and efficiency were demonstrated in the 2011 EHEC Germany outbreak in which BG7 was used to get the first annotations right the next day after the first entero-hemorrhagic E. coli genome sequences were made publicly available. The suitability of BG7 for genome annotation has been proved for Illumina, 454, Ion Torrent, and PacBio sequencing technologies. Besides, thanks to its plasticity, our system could be very easily adapted to work with new technologies in the future. PMID:23185310

BG7: a new approach for bacterial genome annotation designed for next generation sequencing data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Pareja-Tobes

Full Text Available BG7 is a new system for de novo bacterial, archaeal and viral genome annotation based on a new approach specifically designed for annotating genomes sequenced with next generation sequencing technologies. The system is versatile and able to annotate genes even in the step of preliminary assembly of the genome. It is especially efficient detecting unexpected genes horizontally acquired from bacterial or archaeal distant genomes, phages, plasmids, and mobile elements. From the initial phases of the gene annotation process, BG7 exploits the massive availability of annotated protein sequences in databases. BG7 predicts ORFs and infers their function based on protein similarity with a wide set of reference proteins, integrating ORF prediction and functional annotation phases in just one step. BG7 is especially tolerant to sequencing errors in start and stop codons, to frameshifts, and to assembly or scaffolding errors. The system is also tolerant to the high level of gene fragmentation which is frequently found in not fully assembled genomes. BG7 current version - which is developed in Java, takes advantage of Amazon Web Services (AWS cloud computing features, but it can also be run locally in any operating system. BG7 is a fast, automated and scalable system that can cope with the challenge of analyzing the huge amount of genomes that are being sequenced with NGS technologies. Its capabilities and efficiency were demonstrated in the 2011 EHEC Germany outbreak in which BG7 was used to get the first annotations right the next day after the first entero-hemorrhagic E. coli genome sequences were made publicly available. The suitability of BG7 for genome annotation has been proved for Illumina, 454, Ion Torrent, and PacBio sequencing technologies. Besides, thanks to its plasticity, our system could be very easily adapted to work with new technologies in the future.

Serine Protease Variants Encoded by Echis ocellatus Venom Gland cDNA: Cloning and Sequencing Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Hasson

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Envenoming by Echis saw-scaled viper is the leading cause of death and morbidity in Africa due to snake bite. Despite its medical importance, there have been few investigations into the toxin composition of the venom of this viper. Here, we report the cloning of cDNA sequences encoding four groups or isoforms of the haemostasis-disruptive Serine protease proteins (SPs from the venom glands of Echis ocellatus. All these SP sequences encoded the cysteine residues scaffold that form the 6-disulphide bonds responsible for the characteristic tertiary structure of venom serine proteases. All the Echis ocellatus EoSP groups showed varying degrees of sequence similarity to published viper venom SPs. However, these groups also showed marked intercluster sequence conservation across them which were significantly different from that of previously published viper SPs. Because viper venom SPs exhibit a high degree of sequence similarity and yet exert profoundly different effects on the mammalian haemostatic system, no attempt was made to assign functionality to the new Echis ocellatus EoSPs on the basis of sequence alone. The extraordinary level of interspecific and intergeneric sequence conservation exhibited by the Echis ocellatus EoSPs and analogous serine proteases from other viper species leads us to speculate that antibodies to representative molecules should neutralise (that we will exploit, by epidermal DNA immunization the biological function of this important group of venom toxins in vipers that are distributed throughout Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.

75 FR 67013 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Resulting from Violence in Kyrgyzstan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-01

... August 26, 2010 Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Resulting from Violence in Kyrgyzstan... laws of the United States, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of... amount not to exceed $9.5 million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund...

Differences in investigations of sudden unexpected deaths in young people in a nationwide setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkel, Bo Gregers; Holst, Anders Gaarsdal; Theilade, Juliane

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: Inherited disease may be causative in many young sudden unexpected death cases. Autopsy is essential in the counselling of the bereaved, as the family of the victim may be at risk too. In a nationwide setting operating under the same set of laws, we hypothesized that regional differen...

Complete Genome Sequences of Four Isolates of Plutella xylostella Granulovirus

OpenAIRE

Spence, Robert J.; Noune, Christopher; Hauxwell, Caroline

2016-01-01

Granuloviruses are widespread pathogens of Plutella xylostella L. (diamondback moth) and potential biopesticides for control of this global insect pest. We report the complete genomes of four Plutella xylostella granulovirus isolates from China, Malaysia, and Taiwan exhibiting pairs of noncoding, homologous repeat regions with significant sequence variation but equivalent length.

Exhibition

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2016-01-01

Encounters Hanne Blitz From February 1st to 12th 2016 CERN Meyrin, Main Building What is our reaction to a first encounter with a tourist attraction? Contemporary Dutch painter Hanne Blitz captures visitors' responses to art and architecture, sweeping vistas and symbolic memorials. Encounters, a series of oil paintings curated specially for this CERN exhibition, depicts tourists visiting cultural highlights around the world. A thought-provoking journey not to be missed, and a tip of the hat to CERN's large Hadron Collider.

Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of tobacco virus 2, a polerovirus from Nicotiana tabacum.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Benguo; Wang, Fang; Zhang, Xuesong; Zhang, Lina; Lin, Huafeng

2017-07-01

The complete genome sequence of a new virus, provisionally named tobacco virus 2 (TV2), was determined and identified from leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) exhibiting leaf mosaic, yellowing, and deformity, in Anhui Province, China. The genome sequence of TV2 comprises 5,979 nucleotides, with 87% nucleotide sequence identity to potato leafroll virus (PLRV). Its genome organization is similar to that of PLRV, containing six open reading frames (ORFs) that potentially encode proteins with putative functions in cell-to-cell movement and suppression of RNA silencing. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequence placed TV2 alongside members of the genus Polerovirus in the family Luteoviridae. To the best our knowledge, this study is the first report of a complete genome sequence of a new polerovirus identified in tobacco.

75 FR 34617 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to Somalia and Food Pipeline Breaks for...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-18

... unexpected and urgent refugee and migration needs, including by contributions to international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations and payment of administrative expenses of the Bureau of Population...

Sudden Unexpected Death During Sleep in Familial Dysautonomia: A Case-Control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Palma, Jose-Alberto; Norcliffe-Kaufmann, Lucy; Perez, Miguel A; Spalink, Christy L; Kaufmann, Horacio

2017-08-01

Sudden unexpected death during sleep (SUDS) is the most common cause of death in patients with familial dysautonomia (FD), an autosomal recessive disease characterized by sensory and autonomic dysfunction. It remains unknown what causes SUDS in these patients and who is at highest risk. We tested the hypothesis that SUDS in FD is linked to sleep-disordered breathing. We retrospectively identified patients with FD who died suddenly and unexpectedly during sleep and had undergone polysomnography within the 18-month period before death. For each case, we sampled one age-matched surviving subject with FD that had also undergone polysomnography within the 18-month period before study. Data on polysomnography, EKG, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, arterial blood gases, blood count, and metabolic panel were analyzed. Thirty-two deceased cases and 31 surviving controls were included. Autopsy was available in six cases. Compared with controls, participants with SUDS were more likely to be receiving treatment with fludrocortisone (odds ratio [OR]; 95% confidence interval) (OR 29.7; 4.1-213.4), have untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OR 17.4; 1.5-193), and plasma potassium levels Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nuclear fission - the unexpected discovery seventy years ago

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weis, Michael

2008-01-01

Seventy years ago, on December 17, 1938, Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner, and Fritz Strassmann discovered nuclear fission. It was a serendipitous discovery resulting from the consistent pursuit, for many years, of occasionally unexpected radiochemical experimental findings. Hardly any other scientific discovery has had such direct bearing on our life, changing our view of the world. It over-threw the tenet of physics, believed to be incontestable, that the atom was indivisible. The use of nuclear power it has made possible has given rise to immense benefits, but it has also allowed mankind's most dreadful weapon so far to be developed. All this is ample reason seventy years later to recall the discovery, the discoverers and their times. It will also be shown what later generations have made of this discovery, and what economic and ecological prospects it continues to hold. (orig.)

Subclinical hyperthyroidism and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Scorza, Fulvio A; Arida, Ricardo M; Cysneiros, Roberta M; Terra, Vera C; de Albuquerque, Marly; Machado, Hélio R; Cavalheiro, Esper A

2010-04-01

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most important direct epilepsy-related cause of death. Information concerning risk factors for SUDEP is conflicting, but high seizure frequency is a potential risk factor. Additionally, potential pathomechanisms for SUDEP are unknown, but it is very probable that cardiac arrhythmias during and between seizures or transmission of epileptic activity to the heart via the autonomic nervous system potentially play a role. In parallel, several studies have shown a link between hormones and epilepsy. However, exact knowledge regarding the association of thyroid hormones and epilepsy is lacking. As subclinical hyperthyroidism has been linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, we propose in this paper that SUDEP, at least in some cases, could be related with subclinical thyroid dysfunction. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial Activity of Truncated and Polyvalent Peptides Derived from the FKCRRQWQWRMKKGLA Sequence against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataly de Jesús Huertas

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Peptides derived from LfcinB were designed and synthesized, and their antibacterial activity was tested against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Specifically, a peptide library was constructed by systemically removing the flanking residues (N or C-terminal of Lfcin 17–31 (17FKCRRWQWRMKKLGA31, maintaining in all peptides the 20RRWQWR25 sequence that corresponds to the minimal antimicrobial motif. For this research, also included were (i a peptide containing an Ala instead of Cys ([Ala19]-LfcinB 17–31 and (ii polyvalent peptides containing the RRWQWR sequence and a non-natural amino acid (aminocaproic acid. We established that the lineal peptides LfcinB 17–25 and LfcinB 17–26 exhibited the greatest activity against E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 25923, respectively. On the other hand, polyvalent peptides, a dimer and a tetramer, exhibited the greatest antibacterial activity, indicating that multiple copies of the sequence increase the activity. Our results suggest that the dimeric and tetrameric sequence forms potentiate the antibacterial activity of lineal sequences that have exhibited moderate antibacterial activity.

Structures of Rotavirus Reassortants Demonstrate Correlation of Altered Conformation of the VP4 Spike and Expression of Unexpected VP4-Associated Phenotypes

Science.gov (United States)

Pesavento, Joseph B.; Billingsley, Angela M.; Roberts, Ed J.; Ramig, Robert F.; Prasad, B. V. Venkataram

2003-01-01

Numerous prior studies have indicated that viable rotavirus reassortants containing structural proteins of heterologous parental origin may express unexpected phenotypes, such as changes in infectivity and immunogenicity. To provide a structural basis for alterations in phenotypic expression, a three-dimensional structural analysis of these reassortants was conducted. The structures of the reassortants show that while VP4 generally maintains the parental structure when moved to a heterologous protein background, in certain reassortants, there are subtle alterations in the conformation of VP4. The alterations in VP4 conformation correlated with expression of unexpected VP4-associated phenotypes. Interactions between heterologous VP4 and VP7 in reassortants expressing unexpected phenotypes appeared to induce the conformational alterations seen in VP4. PMID:12584352

DNA template strand sequencing of single-cells maps genomic rearrangements at high resolution

OpenAIRE

Falconer, Ester; Hills, Mark; Naumann, Ulrike; Poon, Steven S. S.; Chavez, Elizabeth A.; Sanders, Ashley D.; Zhao, Yongjun; Hirst, Martin; Lansdorp, Peter M.

2012-01-01

DNA rearrangements such as sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) are sensitive indicators of genomic stress and instability, but they are typically masked by single-cell sequencing techniques. We developed Strand-seq to independently sequence parental DNA template strands from single cells, making it possible to map SCEs at orders-of-magnitude greater resolution than was previously possible. On average, murine embryonic stem (mES) cells exhibit eight SCEs, which are detected at a resolution of up...

Tumor transcriptome sequencing reveals allelic expression imbalances associated with copy number alterations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian B Tuch

Full Text Available Due to growing throughput and shrinking cost, massively parallel sequencing is rapidly becoming an attractive alternative to microarrays for the genome-wide study of gene expression and copy number alterations in primary tumors. The sequencing of transcripts (RNA-Seq should offer several advantages over microarray-based methods, including the ability to detect somatic mutations and accurately measure allele-specific expression. To investigate these advantages we have applied a novel, strand-specific RNA-Seq method to tumors and matched normal tissue from three patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas. Additionally, to better understand the genomic determinants of the gene expression changes observed, we have sequenced the tumor and normal genomes of one of these patients. We demonstrate here that our RNA-Seq method accurately measures allelic imbalance and that measurement on the genome-wide scale yields novel insights into cancer etiology. As expected, the set of genes differentially expressed in the tumors is enriched for cell adhesion and differentiation functions, but, unexpectedly, the set of allelically imbalanced genes is also enriched for these same cancer-related functions. By comparing the transcriptomic perturbations observed in one patient to his underlying normal and tumor genomes, we find that allelic imbalance in the tumor is associated with copy number mutations and that copy number mutations are, in turn, strongly associated with changes in transcript abundance. These results support a model in which allele-specific deletions and duplications drive allele-specific changes in gene expression in the developing tumor.

Sunburn as a Cause of Unexpected Neutrophilia in a Healthy Pregnant Woman

OpenAIRE

Harper, Robert

2018-01-01

Background. Neutrophilia has a broad differential diagnosis and represents a systemic response to an infection or other inflammatory pathologies. Case. A 31-year-old woman, Gravida 3, Para 2 at 28 weeks of gestation, presented to the day assessment unit following routine blood tests that showed an unexpected marked neutrophilia. The underlying cause of the neutrophilia was sunburn. The sunburn recovered and her neutrophil count spontaneously normalised. Conclusion. Clinicians can add sunburn ...

Dynamic Asset Allocation Strategies Based on Volatility, Unexpected Volatility and Financial Turbulence

OpenAIRE

Grimsrud, David Borkner

2015-01-01

Masteroppgave økonomi og administrasjon- Universitetet i Agder, 2015 This master thesis looks at unexpected volatility- and financial turbulence’s predictive ability, and exploit these measures of financial risk, together with volatility, to create three dynamic asset allocation strategies, and test if they can outperform a passive and naively diversified buy-and-hold strategy. The idea with the dynamic strategies is to increase the portfolio return by keeping the portfolio risk at a low a...

Epilepsy and risk of death and sudden unexpected death in the young

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Anders Gaarsdal; Winkel, Bo Gregers; Risgaard, Bjarke

2013-01-01

Patients with epilepsy are at increased risk of premature death from all causes and likely also from sudden unexplained death (SUD). Many patients with epilepsy have significant comorbidity, and it is unclear how much of the increased risk can be explained by epilepsy itself. We aimed to chart...... the incidence of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) and estimate the risk of death from all causes and SUD conferred by epilepsy independently....

Prevalence of incidental or unexpected findings on low-dose CT performed during routine SPECT/CT nuclear medicine studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yap, Kelvin Kwok-Ho; Sutherland, Tom; Shafik-Eid, Raymond; Taubman, Kim; Schlicht, Stephen; Ramaseshan, Ganeshan

2015-01-01

In nuclear medicine, single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) is often combined with ‘simultaneous’ low-dose CT (LDCT) to provide complementary anatomical and functional correlation. As a consequence, numerous incidental and unexpected findings may be detected on LDCT. Recognition of these findings and appropriate determination of their relevance can add to the utility of SPECT/CT. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and categorise the relevance of incidental and unexpected findings on LDCT scans performed as part of routine SPECT/CT studies. All available LDCT scans performed as part of SPECT/CT studies at St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne in the year 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Two qualified radiologists independently reviewed the studies and any previous available imaging and categorised any detected incidental findings. A total of 2447 LDCT studies were reviewed. The relevance of the findings was classified according to a modified version of a scale used in the Colonography Reporting and Data System: E1 = normal or normal variant (28.0%); E2 = clinically unimportant (63.5%); E3 = likely unimportant or incompletely characterised (6.2%); E4 = potentially important (2.5%). Imaging specialists need to be cognisant of incidental and unexpected findings present on LDCT studies performed as part of SPECT/CT. Appropriate categorisation of findings and communication of potentially important findings to referring clinicians should form part of routine practice. The overall prevalence of potentially significant incidental and unexpected findings in our series was 8.7% (E3, 6.2%; E4, 2.5%) and was comparable to rates in other published imaging series.

Maximum-Entropy Models of Sequenced Immune Repertoires Predict Antigen-Antibody Affinity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asti, Lorenzo; Uguzzoni, Guido; Marcatili, Paolo

2016-01-01

The immune system has developed a number of distinct complex mechanisms to shape and control the antibody repertoire. One of these mechanisms, the affinity maturation process, works in an evolutionary-like fashion: after binding to a foreign molecule, the antibody-producing B-cells exhibit a high...... of an HIV-1 infected patient. The Pearson correlation coefficient between our scoring function and the IC50 neutralization titer measured on 30 different antibodies of known sequence is as high as 0.77 (p-value 10-6), outperforming other sequence- and structure-based models....

Investigating Design Research Landscapes through Exhibition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jönsson, Li; Hansen, Flemming Tvede; Mäkelä, Maarit

2013-01-01

What characterizes a design research exhibition compared to a traditional design and art exhibition? How do you show the very materialities of the design experiments as a means for communicating knowledge of research and of practice? How do you present, review and utilize such an exhibition......? With those questions in mind, the intention and challenge for the Nordes 2013 Design Research Exhibition was to expand on current notions of staging research enquires in design research conference contexts. Artefacts, installations, performances, and other materialities that relate to the theme...... of the conference - Experiments in Design Research – were displayed as tools to express and communicate different design research enquires. Through this paper we will describe the Nordes exhibition as a specific case that renders questions visible in relation to how to utilize a design research exhibition...

Adaptation to sudden unexpected loading of the low back - the effects of repeated trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skotte, J.H.; Fallentin, N.; Pedersen, Mogens Theisen

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate short-term changes in reactions to sudden unexpected loading of the low back. The study utilized a set-up where a horizontal force of 58 N pointing forward suddenly was applied to the upper part of the subject's trunk. EMG activity from the erector...

Unexpected storm-time nightside plasmaspheric density enhancement at low L shell

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, X.; Bortnik, J.; Denton, R. E.; Yue, C.

2017-12-01

We have developed a three-dimensional dynamic electron density (DEN3D) model in the inner magnetosphere using a neural network approach. The DEN3D model can provide spatiotemporal distribution of the electron density at any location and time that spacecraft observations are not available. Given DEN3D's good performance in predicting the structure and dynamic evolution of the plasma density, the salient features of the DEN3D model can be used to gain further insight into the physics. For instance, the DEN3D models can be used to find unusual phenomena that are difficult to detect in observations or simulations. We report, for the first time, an unexpected plasmaspheric density increase at low L shell regions on the nightside during the main phase of a moderate storm during 12-16 October 2004, as opposed to the expected density decrease due to storm-time plasmaspheric erosion. The unexpected density increase is first discovered in the modeled electron density distribution using the DEN3D model, and then validated using in-situ density measurements obtained from the IMAGE satellite. The density increase was likely caused by increased earthward transverse field plasma transport due to enhanced nightside ExB drift, which coincided with enhanced solar wind electric field and substorm activity. This is consistent with the results of physics-based simulation SAMI3 model which show earthward enhanced plasma transport and electron density increase at low L shells during storm main phase.

Identification and functional characterization of a novel bipartite nuclear localization sequence in ARID1A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bateman, Nicholas W. [Women' s Health Integrated Research Center at Inova Health System, Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence, Annandale 22003, VA (United States); The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda 20889, MD (United States); Shoji, Yutaka [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids 49503, MI (United States); Conrads, Kelly A.; Stroop, Kevin D. [Women' s Health Integrated Research Center at Inova Health System, Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence, Annandale 22003, VA (United States); Hamilton, Chad A. [Women' s Health Integrated Research Center at Inova Health System, Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence, Annandale 22003, VA (United States); The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda 20889, MD (United States); Gynecologic Oncology Service, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, MD, Bethesda, 20889 (United States); Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda 20814, MD (United States); Darcy, Kathleen M. [Women' s Health Integrated Research Center at Inova Health System, Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence, Annandale 22003, VA (United States); The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda 20889, MD (United States); Maxwell, George L. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA 22042 (United States); Risinger, John I. [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids 49503, MI (United States); and others

2016-01-01

AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A (ARID1A) is a recently identified nuclear tumor suppressor frequently altered in solid tumor malignancies. We have identified a bipartite-like nuclear localization sequence (NLS) that contributes to nuclear import of ARID1A not previously described. We functionally confirm activity using GFP constructs fused with wild-type or mutant NLS sequences. We further show that cyto-nuclear localized, bipartite NLS mutant ARID1A exhibits greater stability than nuclear-localized, wild-type ARID1A. Identification of this undescribed functional NLS within ARID1A contributes vital insights to rationalize the impact of ARID1A missense mutations observed in patient tumors. - Highlights: • We have identified a bipartite nuclear localization sequence (NLS) in ARID1A. • Confirmation of the NLS was performed using GFP constructs. • NLS mutant ARID1A exhibits greater stability than wild-type ARID1A.

The unexpected in primary care: a multicenter study on the emergence of unvoiced patient agenda.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peltenburg, M.; Fischer, J.E.; Bahrs, O.; Dulmen, S. van; Brink-Muinen, A. van den

2004-01-01

PURPOSE: Within the time constraints of a typical physician-patient encounter, the full patient agenda will rarely be voiced. Unexpectedly revealed issues that were neither on the patient's list of items for discussion nor anticipated by the physician constitute an emerging agenda. We aimed to

A case-crossover analyses of fine particulate matter and out-of-hospital sudden unexpected death

Science.gov (United States)

Out-of-hospital sudden unexpected deaths (OHSUD) are natural deaths that occur without obvious underlying causes and account for nearly 1 in 6 deaths in the United States. Ambient air pollution is known to be causally related to overall mortality, therefore, we hypothesized that ...

3 CFR - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Continuing Conflict in Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Continuing Conflict in Pakistan Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents... to the Continuing Conflict in Pakistan Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the authority vested...

Unexpected Relationships and Inbreeding in HapMap Phase III Populations

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Eric L.; Baugher, Joseph D.; Shirley, Matthew D.; Frelin, Laurence P.; Pevsner, Jonathan

2012-01-01

Correct annotation of the genetic relationships between samples is essential for population genomic studies, which could be biased by errors or omissions. To this end, we used identity-by-state (IBS) and identity-by-descent (IBD) methods to assess genetic relatedness of individuals within HapMap phase III data. We analyzed data from 1,397 individuals across 11 ethnic populations. Our results support previous studies (Pemberton et al., 2010; Kyriazopoulou-Panagiotopoulou et al., 2011) assessing unknown relatedness present within this population. Additionally, we present evidence for 1,657 novel pairwise relationships across 9 populations. Surprisingly, significant Cotterman's coefficients of relatedness K1 (IBD1) values were detected between pairs of known parents. Furthermore, significant K2 (IBD2) values were detected in 32 previously annotated parent-child relationships. Consistent with a hypothesis of inbreeding, regions of homozygosity (ROH) were identified in the offspring of related parents, of which a subset overlapped those reported in previous studies (Gibson et al. 2010; Johnson et al. 2011). In total, we inferred 28 inbred individuals with ROH that overlapped areas of relatedness between the parents and/or IBD2 sharing at a different genomic locus between a child and a parent. Finally, 8 previously annotated parent-child relationships had unexpected K0 (IBD0) values (resulting from a chromosomal abnormality or genotype error), and 10 previously annotated second-degree relationships along with 38 other novel pairwise relationships had unexpected IBD2 (indicating two separate paths of recent ancestry). These newly described types of relatedness may impact the outcome of previous studies and should inform the design of future studies relying on the HapMap Phase III resource. PMID:23185369

A mini-exhibition with maximum content

CERN Multimedia

Laëtitia Pedroso

2011-01-01

The University of Budapest has been hosting a CERN mini-exhibition since 8 May. While smaller than the main travelling exhibition it has a number of major advantages: its compact design alleviates transport difficulties and makes it easier to find suitable venues in the Member States. Its content can be updated almost instantaneously and it will become even more interactive and high-tech as time goes by.   The exhibition on display in Budapest. The purpose of CERN's new mini-exhibition is to be more interactive and easier to install. Due to its size, the main travelling exhibition cannot be moved around quickly, which is why it stays in the same country for 4 to 6 months. But this means a long waiting list for the other Member States. To solve this problem, the Education Group has designed a new exhibition, which is smaller and thus easier to install. Smaller maybe, but no less rich in content, as the new exhibition conveys exactly the same messages as its larger counterpart. However, in the slimm...

Unexpected findings of a female team in Xochimilco, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Salgado, C

1999-01-01

This is a reflection about the methodological circumstances that led the author to certain unexpected information during the course of a qualitative approach to the perception of health problems of a group of poor families in the south of Mexico City. Special attention is paid to the influence of the research team composition (four women with different professional backgrounds, ages, marital statuses, and styles of personal interaction) and the psychoanalytic technique that influenced the study. The inclusion of people of different ages, professions, and personality traits proved extremely valuable both as a means of widening the possibilities for empathetic relations between the research group and the population studied and for increasing the shades of meaning that the team was able to capture.

Unusual distribution of Zfy and Zfx sequences on the sex chromosomes of the wood lemming, a species exhibiting XY sex reversal.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Y F; Yang-Feng, T L; Elder, B; Fredga, K; Wiberg, U H

1992-01-01

Sex reversal occurs naturally in the wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor) due to the presence in populations of this species of a variant (mutated) X chromosome, designated X*. Thus, X*Y animals develop into females, whereas XY animals develop into normal males. Chromosome mapping by in situ hybridization of DNA sequences homologous to the human ZFY gene localized the wood lemming Zfx sequences to region p12----p11 on both the wild-type X and the mutated X* chromosomes, at or proximal to a presumed breakpoint (Xp12) involved in the generation of the X* chromosome from the normal X, and Zfy sequences along the entire short arm of the Y chromosome. Differences between Zfx and Zfx* were readily detected by Southern blot analysis. However, both the Zfx and Zfx* genes expressed similarly sized transcripts in all adult somatic tissues investigated. Although the precise molecular difference between the Zfx and Zfx* genes is still unknown, their chromosomal location suggests that either Zfx or some other closely linked gene(s) on the X chromosome may be a major X-linked sex-determining gene, Tdx, which in the X* chromosome fails to interact properly with the Y-linked testis-determining gene, Tdy, thus causing X*Y embryos to develop into females. At least 15 copies of wood lemming Zfy sequences are distributed along the short arm of the Y chromosome. Northern hybridization analyses of adult tissues and somatic cell lines indicated that these Zfy repeats were transcriptionally inactive. Normally, 3-kb Zfy (ZFY) transcripts are readily detected in mouse and human testes, especially in the germ cells. It has therefore been postulated that expression of the Zfy (ZFY) gene may be important for spermatogenesis. Whether the lack of sufficient Zfy transcripts in the testis of the adult wood lemming has any impact on spermatogenesis in this species is still to be elucidated by further studies.

Intermittency as a universal characteristic of the complete chromosome DNA sequences of eukaryotes: From protozoa to human genomes

Science.gov (United States)

Rybalko, S.; Larionov, S.; Poptsova, M.; Loskutov, A.

2011-10-01

Large-scale dynamical properties of complete chromosome DNA sequences of eukaryotes are considered. Using the proposed deterministic models with intermittency and symbolic dynamics we describe a wide spectrum of large-scale patterns inherent in these sequences, such as segmental duplications, tandem repeats, and other complex sequence structures. It is shown that the recently discovered gene number balance on the strands is not of a random nature, and certain subsystems of a complete chromosome DNA sequence exhibit the properties of deterministic chaos.

Two missense mutations, E123Q and K151E, identified in the ERG11 allele of an azole-resistant isolate of Candida kefyr recovered from a stem cell transplant patient for acute myeloid leukemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Célia Couzigou

2014-07-01

Full Text Available We report on the first cloning and nucleotide sequencing of an ERG11 allele from a clinical isolate of Candida kefyr cross-resistant to azole antifungals. It was recovered from a stem cell transplant patient, in an oncohematology unit exhibiting unexpected high prevalence of C. kefyr. Two amino acid substitutions were identified: K151E, whose role in fluconazole resistance was already demonstrated in Candida albicans, and E123Q, a new substitution never described so far in azole-resistant Candida yeast.

Rural families' interpretations of experiencing unexpected transition in the wake of a natural disaster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gisele Cristina Manfrini Fernandes

Full Text Available Abstract: Natural disasters affect populations in various parts of the world. The impacts of disasters can cause many problems to the health of people and disruption to family life, potentially leading to an unexpected transition. The objective of this paper is to present the unexpected transitional experiences of rural families following a natural disaster. A multiple case study of six families was conducted with children and adolescents in a rural area affected by a 2008 disaster in southern Brazil. For data collection, we used participant observation, narrative interviews, genograms, ecomaps and an instrument called calendar routine. The analysis of the data resulted in different family interpretations about the changes resulting from the storm and compared life before and after the disaster. The loss of homes and loved ones, migration, unemployment, and losses from the farm were the main changes associated with new development tasks. The experiences of family transition after the disaster revealed that losses influenced social lives, daily routines and the preservation of cultural values.

Citizen science reveals unexpected continental-scale evolutionary change in a model organism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Silvertown

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Organisms provide some of the most sensitive indicators of climate change and evolutionary responses are becoming apparent in species with short generation times. Large datasets on genetic polymorphism that can provide an historical benchmark against which to test for recent evolutionary responses are very rare, but an exception is found in the brown-lipped banded snail (Cepaea nemoralis. This species is sensitive to its thermal environment and exhibits several polymorphisms of shell colour and banding pattern affecting shell albedo in the majority of populations within its native range in Europe. We tested for evolutionary changes in shell albedo that might have been driven by the warming of the climate in Europe over the last half century by compiling an historical dataset for 6,515 native populations of C. nemoralis and comparing this with new data on nearly 3,000 populations. The new data were sampled mainly in 2009 through the Evolution MegaLab, a citizen science project that engaged thousands of volunteers in 15 countries throughout Europe in the biggest such exercise ever undertaken. A known geographic cline in the frequency of the colour phenotype with the highest albedo (yellow was shown to have persisted and a difference in colour frequency between woodland and more open habitats was confirmed, but there was no general increase in the frequency of yellow shells. This may have been because snails adapted to a warming climate through behavioural thermoregulation. By contrast, we detected an unexpected decrease in the frequency of Unbanded shells and an increase in the Mid-banded morph. Neither of these evolutionary changes appears to be a direct response to climate change, indicating that the influence of other selective agents, possibly related to changing predation pressure and habitat change with effects on micro-climate.

The Occurrence of the Recent Deadly Mexico Earthquakes was not that Unexpected

Science.gov (United States)

Flores-Marquez, L.; Sarlis, N. V.; Skordas, E. S.; Varotsos, P.; Ramírez-Rojas, A.

2017-12-01

Most big Mexican earthquakes occur right along the interface between the colliding Cocos and North American plates, but the two recent deadly Mexico earthquakes, i.e., the magnitude 8.2 earthquake that struck the Mexico's Chiapas state on 7 September 2017 and the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck central Mexico, almost 12 days later, killing more than 400 people and reducing buildings to rubble in several States happened at two different spots in the flat-slab in the middle of the Cocos tectonic plate which is considered a geologically surprising area [1]. Here, upon considering a new type of analysis termed natural time, we show that their occurrence should not in principle puzzle scientists. Earthquakes may be considered as critical phenomena, see Ref. [2] and references therein and natural time analysis [3] uncovers an order parameter for seismicity. It has been shown [2] that the fluctuations of this order parameter exhibit a universal behavior with a probability density function (pdf), which is non-Gaussian having a left exponential tail [3]. Natural time analysis of seismicity in various tectonic regions of the Mexican Pacific Coast has been made in Ref.[4]. The study of the order parameter pdf for the Chiapas area as well as for the Guerrero area shows that the occurrence of large earthquakes in these two areas was not unexpected. References A. Witze, Deadly Mexico quakes not linked, Nature 549, 442 (2017). Varotsos PA, Sarlis NV, Skordas ES, Natural Time Analysis: The new view of time. Precursory Seismic Electric Signals, Earthquakes and other Complex Time-Series (Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2011) P. Varotsos et al., Similarity of fluctuations in correlated systems: the case of seismicity. Phys. Rev. E 72, 041103 (2005) A. Ramírez-Rojas and E.L. Flores-Márquez, Order parameter analysis of seismicity of the Mexican Pacific coast. Physica A, 392 2507 (2013)

Challenging Ideals of Reciprocity in Undergraduate Teaching: The Unexpected Benefits of Unpredictable Cross-Cultural Fieldwork

Science.gov (United States)

Hammersley, Laura A.; Bilous, Rebecca H.; James, Sarah W.; Trau, Adam M.; Suchet-Pearson, Sandie

2014-01-01

Geographers are increasingly grappling with the theoretical and practical implications of integrating an ethics of reciprocity into undergraduate learning and teaching. This paper draws on the unexpected experiences of a third-year human geography research methods fieldtrip to examine the process of balancing undergraduate student learning and…

A method to prioritize quantitative traits and individuals for sequencing in family-based studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaanan P Shah

Full Text Available Owing to recent advances in DNA sequencing, it is now technically feasible to evaluate the contribution of rare variation to complex traits and diseases. However, it is still cost prohibitive to sequence the whole genome (or exome of all individuals in each study. For quantitative traits, one strategy to reduce cost is to sequence individuals in the tails of the trait distribution. However, the next challenge becomes how to prioritize traits and individuals for sequencing since individuals are often characterized for dozens of medically relevant traits. In this article, we describe a new method, the Rare Variant Kinship Test (RVKT, which leverages relationship information in family-based studies to identify quantitative traits that are likely influenced by rare variants. Conditional on nuclear families and extended pedigrees, we evaluate the power of the RVKT via simulation. Not unexpectedly, the power of our method depends strongly on effect size, and to a lesser extent, on the frequency of the rare variant and the number and type of relationships in the sample. As an illustration, we also apply our method to data from two genetic studies in the Old Order Amish, a founder population with extensive genealogical records. Remarkably, we implicate the presence of a rare variant that lowers fasting triglyceride levels in the Heredity and Phenotype Intervention (HAPI Heart study (p = 0.044, consistent with the presence of a previously identified null mutation in the APOC3 gene that lowers fasting triglyceride levels in HAPI Heart study participants.

Working memory for sequences of temporal durations reveals a volatile single-item store

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Sanjay G Manohar

2016-10-01

Full Text Available When a sequence is held in working memory, different items are retained with differing fidelity. Here we ask whether a sequence of brief time intervals that must be remembered show recency effects, similar to those observed in verbal and visuospatial working memory. It has been suggested that prioritising some items over others can be accounted for by a focus of attention, maintaining some items in a privileged state. We therefore also investigated whether such benefits are vulnerable to disruption by attention or expectation. Participants listened to sequences of one to five tones, of varying durations (200ms to 2s. Subsequently, the length of one of the tones in the sequence had to be reproduced by holding a key. The discrepancy between the reproduced and actual durations quantified the fidelity of memory for auditory durations. Recall precision decreased with the number of items that had to be remembered, and was better for the first and last items of sequences, in line with set-size and serial position effects seen in other modalities. To test whether attentional filtering demands might impair performance, an irrelevant variation in pitch was introduced in some blocks of trials. In those blocks, memory precision was worse for sequences that consisted of only one item, i.e. the smallest memory set size. Thus, when irrelevant information was present, the benefit of having only one item in memory is attenuated. Finally we examined whether expectation could interfere with memory. On half the trials, the number of items in the upcoming sequence was cued. When the number of items was known in advance, performance was paradoxically worse when the sequence consisted of only one item. Thus the benefit of having only one item to remember is stronger when it is unexpectedly the only item. Our results suggest that similar mechanisms are used to hold auditory time durations in working memory, as for visual or verbal stimuli. Further, solitary items were

Complete Genome Sequences of Four Isolates of Plutella xylostella Granulovirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Spence, Robert J; Noune, Christopher; Hauxwell, Caroline

2016-06-30

Granuloviruses are widespread pathogens of Plutella xylostella L. (diamondback moth) and potential biopesticides for control of this global insect pest. We report the complete genomes of four Plutella xylostella granulovirus isolates from China, Malaysia, and Taiwan exhibiting pairs of noncoding, homologous repeat regions with significant sequence variation but equivalent length. Copyright © 2016 Spence et al.

Expressed Sequence Tag-Simple Sequence Repeat (EST-SSR Marker Resources for Diversity Analysis of Mango (Mangifera indica L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie L. Dillon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, a collection of 24,840 expressed sequence tags (ESTs generated from five mango (Mangifera indica L. cDNA libraries was mined for EST-based simple sequence repeat (SSR markers. Over 1,000 ESTs with SSR motifs were detected from more than 24,000 EST sequences with di- and tri-nucleotide repeat motifs the most abundant. Of these, 25 EST-SSRs in genes involved in plant development, stress response, and fruit color and flavor development pathways were selected, developed into PCR markers and characterized in a population of 32 mango selections including M. indica varieties, and related Mangifera species. Twenty-four of the 25 EST-SSR markers exhibited polymorphisms, identifying a total of 86 alleles with an average of 5.38 alleles per locus, and distinguished between all Mangifera selections. Private alleles were identified for Mangifera species. These newly developed EST-SSR markers enhance the current 11 SSR mango genetic identity panel utilized by the Australian Mango Breeding Program. The current panel has been used to identify progeny and parents for selection and the application of this extended panel will further improve and help to design mango hybridization strategies for increased breeding efficiency.

Characterization of Catalase from Psychrotolerant Psychrobacter piscatorii T-3 Exhibiting High Catalase Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Kimoto, Hideyuki; Yoshimune, Kazuaki; Matsuyma, Hidetoshi; Yumoto, Isao

2012-01-01

A psychrotolerant bacterium, strain T-3 (identified as Psychrobacter piscatorii), that exhibited an extraordinarily high catalase activity was isolated from the drain pool of a plant that uses H2O2 as a bleaching agent. Its cell extract exhibited a catalase activity (19,700 U·mg protein−1) that was higher than that of Micrococcus luteus used for industrial catalase production. Catalase was approximately 10% of the total proteins in the cell extract of the strain. The catalase (PktA) was purified homogeneously by only two purification steps, anion exchange and hydrophobic chromatographies. The purified catalase exhibited higher catalytic efficiency and higher sensitivity of activity at high temperatures than M. luteus catalase. The deduced amino acid sequence showed the highest homology with catalase of Psycrobacter cryohalolentis, a psychrotolelant bacterium obtained from Siberian permafrost. These findings suggest that the characteristics of the PktA molecule reflected the taxonomic relationship of the isolate as well as the environmental conditions (low temperatures and high concentrations of H2O2) under which the bacterium survives. Strain T-3 efficiently produces a catalase (PktA) at a higher rate than Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans, which produces a very strong activity of catalase (EktA) at a moderate rate, in order to adapt to high concentration of H2O2. PMID:22408420

Science Fiction Exhibits as STEM Gateways

Science.gov (United States)

Robie, Samantha

Women continue to hold less than a quarter of all STEM jobs in the United States, prompting many museums to develop programs and exhibits with the express goal of interesting young girls in scientific fields. At the same time, a number of recent museum exhibits have harnessed the popularity of pop culture and science fiction in order to interest general audiences in STEM subject matter, as well as using the exhibits as springboards to expand or shift mission goals and focus. Because science fiction appears to be successful at raising interest in STEM fields, it may be an effective way to garner the interest of young girls in STEM in particular. This research seeks to describe the ways in which museums are currently using science fiction exhibits to interest young girls in STEM fields and careers. Research focused on four institutions across the country hosting three separate exhibits, and included staff interviews and content analysis of exhibit descriptions, promotional materials, a summative evaluation and supplementary exhibit productions. In some ways, science fiction exhibits do serve young girls, primarily through the inclusion of female role models, staff awareness, and prototype testing to ensure interactives are attractive to girls as well as to boys. However, STEM appears to be underutilized, which may be partly due to a concern within the field that the outcome of targeting a specific gender could be construed as "stereotyping".

The Accident Sequence Precursor program: Methods improvements and current results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minarick, J.W.; Manning, F.M.; Harris, J.D.

1987-01-01

Changes in the US NRC Accident Sequence Precursor program methods since the initial program evaluations of 1969-81 operational events are described, along with insights from the review of 1984-85 events. For 1984-85, the number of significant precursors was consistent with the number observed in 1980-81, dominant sequences associated with significant events were reasonably consistent with PRA estimates for BWRs, but lacked the contribution due to small-break LOCAs previously observed and predicted in PWRs, and the frequency of initiating events and non-recoverable system failures exhibited some reduction compared to 1980-81. Operational events which provide information concerning additional PRA modeling needs are also described

Phylogenetic similarity of the canine parvovirus wild-type isolates on the basis of VP1/VP2 gene fragment sequence analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rypul, K; Chmielewski, R; Smielewska-Loś, E; Klimentowski, S

2002-04-01

Biological material was taken from dogs with diarrhoea. Faecal samples were taken from within live animals and intestinal tract fragments (i.e. small intestine, and stomach) were taken from dead animals. In total, 18 specimens were investigated from dogs housed alone or in large groups. To test for the presence of the virus, latex (On Site Biotech, Uppsala, Sweden) and direct immunofluorescence tests were performed. At the same time, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers complementary to a conservative region of VP1/VP2 was carried out. The products of amplification were analysed on 2% agarose gel. The purified products were cloned with the Template Generation System (Finnzymes, Espoo, Finland) using a transposition reaction and positive clones were searched using the 'colony screening by PCR' method. The sequencing gave 12 sequences of VP1/VP2 gene fragments that were of high similarity. Among the 12 analysed sequences, six exhibited 88% similarity, four exhibited 100% similarity and two exhibited 71% similarity.

Evaluation of the Factors Concerning the Unexpected Pregnancy of Women who Applied to the Mother and Child Care and Family Planning Center of Van Province

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Sebahat Gucuk

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the experiences of unexpected pregnancy and the related factors of the women who have applied to our center. Material and Method: The study was planned as a descriptive study which enrolled women in the age range of 15-49 on the basis of volunteerism who have applied to the Mother and Child Care and Family Planning Center of Van Province. The participants were administered a survey in which certain situations were questioned, such as age, educational background, age at first labor, income status, number of living children, miscarriage status, unexpected pregnancy status, the presence of trying to undergo an abortion with alternative methods, and the state of receiving consultancy service on pre- and post-pregnancy family planning. Results: The more increased the educational level of 399 women enrolled in the study, the more significant reduction in unexpected pregnancies was detected (P=0.001. When the educational background and the use of alternative methods to have an abortion were compared, the illiterate women were found to use alternative methods (37.6% at a significantly high ratio (p=0.0001. The average of children number of women with at least one unexpected pregnancy was significantly high (p=0.0001. While the ratio of receiving consultancy on post-pregnancy family planning from health care personnel of the women with unexpected pregnancy was 79.5%, a ratio of 97.9% was detected for the women with planned pregnancy which was significantly different (p=0.0001. Conclusion: The health care personnel may reduce the unexpected pregnancies by training women on family planning in a simple, understandable way and by trying to increase health literacy by taking the dominant social rules in our region into consideration. We consider that the primary healthcare will be more effective and result oriented through newly applied Family Practice in our region. Key Words: Unexpected pregnancy

Sunburn as a Cause of Unexpected Neutrophilia in a Healthy Pregnant Woman

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Robert Harper

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Neutrophilia has a broad differential diagnosis and represents a systemic response to an infection or other inflammatory pathologies. Case. A 31-year-old woman, Gravida 3, Para 2 at 28 weeks of gestation, presented to the day assessment unit following routine blood tests that showed an unexpected marked neutrophilia. The underlying cause of the neutrophilia was sunburn. The sunburn recovered and her neutrophil count spontaneously normalised. Conclusion. Clinicians can add sunburn to the broad differential diagnosis of neutrophilia.

Metal-insulator transition in one-dimensional lattices with chaotic energy sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, R.A.; Rodriguez, M.; Gonzalez, J.A.; Medina, E.

2005-01-01

We study electronic transport through a one-dimensional array of sites by using a tight binding Hamiltonian, whose site-energies are drawn from a chaotic sequence. The correlation degree between these energies is controlled by a parameter regulating the dynamic Lyapunov exponent measuring the degree of chaos. We observe the effect of chaotic sequences on the localization length, conductance, conductance distribution and wave function, finding evidence of a metal-insulator transition (MIT) at a critical degree of chaos. The one-dimensional metallic phase is characterized by a Gaussian conductance distribution and exhibits a peculiar non-selfaveraging

Metal-insulator transition in one-dimensional lattices with chaotic energy sequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinto, R.A. [Laboratorio de Fisica Estadistica, Centro de Fisica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela)]. E-mail: ripinto@ivic.ve; Rodriguez, M. [Laboratorio de Fisica Estadistica, Centro de Fisica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela); Gonzalez, J.A. [Laboratorio de Fisica Computacional, Centro de Fisica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela); Medina, E. [Laboratorio de Fisica Estadistica, Centro de Fisica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela)

2005-06-20

We study electronic transport through a one-dimensional array of sites by using a tight binding Hamiltonian, whose site-energies are drawn from a chaotic sequence. The correlation degree between these energies is controlled by a parameter regulating the dynamic Lyapunov exponent measuring the degree of chaos. We observe the effect of chaotic sequences on the localization length, conductance, conductance distribution and wave function, finding evidence of a metal-insulator transition (MIT) at a critical degree of chaos. The one-dimensional metallic phase is characterized by a Gaussian conductance distribution and exhibits a peculiar non-selfaveraging.

Risk, unexpected uncertainty, and estimation uncertainty: Bayesian learning in unstable settings.

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Elise Payzan-LeNestour

Full Text Available Recently, evidence has emerged that humans approach learning using Bayesian updating rather than (model-free reinforcement algorithms in a six-arm restless bandit problem. Here, we investigate what this implies for human appreciation of uncertainty. In our task, a Bayesian learner distinguishes three equally salient levels of uncertainty. First, the Bayesian perceives irreducible uncertainty or risk: even knowing the payoff probabilities of a given arm, the outcome remains uncertain. Second, there is (parameter estimation uncertainty or ambiguity: payoff probabilities are unknown and need to be estimated. Third, the outcome probabilities of the arms change: the sudden jumps are referred to as unexpected uncertainty. We document how the three levels of uncertainty evolved during the course of our experiment and how it affected the learning rate. We then zoom in on estimation uncertainty, which has been suggested to be a driving force in exploration, in spite of evidence of widespread aversion to ambiguity. Our data corroborate the latter. We discuss neural evidence that foreshadowed the ability of humans to distinguish between the three levels of uncertainty. Finally, we investigate the boundaries of human capacity to implement Bayesian learning. We repeat the experiment with different instructions, reflecting varying levels of structural uncertainty. Under this fourth notion of uncertainty, choices were no better explained by Bayesian updating than by (model-free reinforcement learning. Exit questionnaires revealed that participants remained unaware of the presence of unexpected uncertainty and failed to acquire the right model with which to implement Bayesian updating.

Unexpected perturbations training improves balance control and voluntary stepping times in older adults - a double blind randomized control trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurz, Ilan; Gimmon, Yoav; Shapiro, Amir; Debi, Ronen; Snir, Yoram; Melzer, Itshak

2016-03-04

Falls are common among elderly, most of them occur while slipping or tripping during walking. We aimed to explore whether a training program that incorporates unexpected loss of balance during walking able to improve risk factors for falls. In a double-blind randomized controlled trial 53 community dwelling older adults (age 80.1±5.6 years), were recruited and randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 27) or a control group (n = 26). The intervention group received 24 training sessions over 3 months that included unexpected perturbation of balance exercises during treadmill walking. The control group performed treadmill walking with no perturbations. The primary outcome measures were the voluntary step execution times, traditional postural sway parameters and Stabilogram-Diffusion Analysis. The secondary outcome measures were the fall efficacy Scale (FES), self-reported late life function (LLFDI), and Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA). Compared to control, participation in intervention program that includes unexpected loss of balance during walking led to faster Voluntary Step Execution Times under single (p = 0.002; effect size [ES] =0.75) and dual task (p = 0.003; [ES] = 0.89) conditions; intervention group subjects showed improvement in Short-term Effective diffusion coefficients in the mediolateral direction of the Stabilogram-Diffusion Analysis under eyes closed conditions (p = 0.012, [ES] = 0.92). Compared to control there were no significant changes in FES, LLFDI, and POMA. An intervention program that includes unexpected loss of balance during walking can improve voluntary stepping times and balance control, both previously reported as risk factors for falls. This however, did not transferred to a change self-reported function and FES. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01439451 .

Photowalk Exhibition opens at Microcosm

CERN Document Server

Katarina Anthony

2011-01-01

The winning photographs from the 2010 Global Particle Physics Photowalk competition will go on display at Microcosm from 11 February to 2 April. The exhibition is part of a global photography event taking place over three continents, with Photowalk exhibitions opening simultaneously at Fermilab in the US, KEK in Japan and here at CERN.   DESY wire chamber - First place people's choice; second place global jury competition. Photographer: Hans-Peter Hildebrandt  If you were one of the 1,300 photography lovers who voted in last year’s Photowalk competition, this exhibition is your chance to see the winning entries in print. The exhibition will take place in the downstairs gallery of Microcosm, overlooking the garden. 15 photographs will be on display, with each of the laboratories that participated in Photowalk represented by their 3 winning entries. Among them will be the “people’s choice” sunburst photo of a particle detector at DESY (Photo 1), and...

Creating National Narrative: The Red Guard Art Exhibitions and the National Exhibitions in the Chinese Cultural Revolution 1966 - 1976

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Winnie Tsang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The artistic development in China experienced drastic changes during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976. Traditional Chinese art was denounced, whereas propaganda art became predominant in shaping the public’s loyalty towards the Communist Party and the country. Two major groups of art exhibitions emerged during the Revolution—the unofficial Red Guard art exhibitions organized by student activists in collaboration with local communes and art schools between 1966 and 1968, and the state-run national exhibitions from 1972 to 1975. These exhibitions were significant to this period because they were held frequently in the capital city Beijing and occasionally elsewhere, and through art they presented unique revolutionary beliefs to the Chinese people in a public setting. While the Red Guard art exhibitions and the national exhibitions certainly created different national narratives, I argue that the national exhibitions were in fact an attempt to revise the national narrative created by the Red Guard art exhibitions in order to re-establish a more utopian, consistent, and official national narrative. This paper unravels the intricate relationship between the two groups of exhibitions by comparing their exhibition venues, ideological focuses, work selection and quality editing. 

Using TESS to predict transcription factor binding sites in DNA sequence.

Science.gov (United States)

Schug, Jonathan

2008-03-01

This unit describes how to use the Transcription Element Search System (TESS). This Web site predicts transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) in DNA sequence using two different kinds of models of sites, strings and positional weight matrices. The binding of transcription factors to DNA is a major part of the control of gene expression. Transcription factors exhibit sequence-specific binding; they form stronger bonds to some DNA sequences than to others. Identification of a good binding site in the promoter for a gene suggests the possibility that the corresponding factor may play a role in the regulation of that gene. However, the sequences transcription factors recognize are typically short and allow for some amount of mismatch. Because of this, binding sites for a factor can typically be found at random every few hundred to a thousand base pairs. TESS has features to help sort through and evaluate the significance of predicted sites.

Unexpected Maternal Convulsion: An Idiopathic Case of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome after Delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jila Agah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES is associated with various clinical manifestations such as headache, blurred vision, confusion and tonic-clonic convulsion. Some of the predisposing factors for PRES include hypertensive encephalopathy, preeclampsia and eclampsia, lupus erythematosus, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and long-term use of immunosuppressive drugs. This condition rarely occurs after normotensive and uneventful pregnancies. Several theories have been proposed on the etiology of PRES. For instance, endothelial injury and brain edema have been reported as possible causes of PRES. Although PRES is a temporary condition, proper and timely management of the disorder in the acute phase is critical for the prevention of permanent neurological complications. During pregnancy, PRES is normally accompanied with hypertension. In this paper, we present a rare case of PRES in a normotensive pregnancy in a 25-year-old parturient woman (Gravida 2, Ab 1. The patient unexpectedly manifested symptoms of tonic-clonic convulsion one hour after an uneventful vaginal delivery, which were successfully managed. According to our observations, PRES has various clinical manifestations with unexpected occurrence in some cases. Therefore, it is recommended that maternity centers be well-equipped with resuscitation tools, emergency drugs and expert staff so as to manage unforeseen PRES efficiently and prevent permanent maternal neurological complications and mortality.

Designing immersion exhibits as border-crossing environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Marianne Foss

2010-01-01

be applied to achieve an understanding of the immersion exhibit form. The argument proceeds by demonstrating how the characteristics of immersion exhibits, and visitors to them, classify them as microcultures, and examining the implications of this for exhibit design using a hypothetical immersion exhibit...

Campylobacter Species Isolated from Pigs in Grenada Exhibited Novel Clones: Genotypes and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Sequence Types.

Science.gov (United States)

Amadi, Victor A; Matthew-Belmar, Vanessa; Subbarao, Charmarthy; Kashoma, Isaac; Rajashekara, Gireesh; Sharma, Ravindra; Hariharan, Harry; Stone, Diana

2017-07-01

Infections caused by Campylobacter species pose a severe threat to public health worldwide. However, in Grenada, the occurrence and characteristics of Campylobacter in food animals, including pigs, remain mostly unknown. In this study, we identified the sequence types (STs) of Campylobacter from young healthy pigs in Grenada and compared the results with previous studies in Grenada and other countries. Antimicrobial resistance patterns and diversity of the Campylobacter clones were evaluated. Ninety-nine Campylobacter isolates (97 Campylobacter coli and 2 Campylobacter jejuni) were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing. Eighteen previously reported STs and 13 novel STs were identified. Of the 18 previously reported STs, eight STs (ST-854, -887, -1068, -1096, -1445, -1446, 1556, and -1579) have been associated with human gastroenteritis in different geographical regions. Among these 18 previously reported STs, ST-1428, -1096, -1450, and -1058 predominated and accounted for 18.2%, 14.1%, 11.1%, and 8.1% of all isolates, respectively. Of the 13 novel STs, ST-7675 predominated and accounted for 20% (4 of 20 isolates), followed by ST-7678, -7682, and -7691, each accounting for 10% (2 of 20 isolates). Antimicrobial resistance testing using Epsilometer test revealed a low resistance rate (1-3%) of all C. coli/jejuni STs to all antimicrobials except for tetracycline (1-10.1%). Some of the C. coli STs (13 STs, 24/99 isolates, 24.2%) were resistant to multiple antimicrobials. This is the first report on antimicrobial resistance and multidrug resistance patterns associated with Campylobacter STs recovered from swine in Grenada. This study showed that pigs in Grenada are not major reservoirs for STs of C. coli and C. jejuni that are associated with human gastroenteritis worldwide.

76 FR 53295 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-25

...-12 of August 8, 2011--Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa... Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the authority vested... Department of State, related to the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa. You are authorized and...

Linezolid-Dependent Function and Structure Adaptation of Ribosomes in a Staphylococcus epidermidis Strain Exhibiting Linezolid Dependence

Science.gov (United States)

Kokkori, Sofia; Apostolidi, Maria; Tsakris, Athanassios; Pournaras, Spyros

2014-01-01

Linezolid-dependent growth was recently reported in Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical strains carrying mutations associated with linezolid resistance. To investigate this unexpected behavior at the molecular level, we isolated active ribosomes from one of the linezolid-dependent strains and we compared them with ribosomes isolated from a wild-type strain. Both strains were grown in the absence and presence of linezolid. Detailed biochemical and structural analyses revealed essential differences in the function and structure of isolated ribosomes which were assembled in the presence of linezolid. The catalytic activity of peptidyltransferase was found to be significantly higher in the ribosomes derived from the linezolid-dependent strain. Interestingly, the same ribosomes exhibited an abnormal ribosomal subunit dissociation profile on a sucrose gradient in the absence of linezolid, but the profile was restored after treatment of the ribosomes with an excess of the antibiotic. Our study suggests that linezolid most likely modified the ribosomal assembly procedure, leading to a new functional ribosomal population active only in the presence of linezolid. Therefore, the higher growth rate of the partially linezolid-dependent strains could be attributed to the functional and structural adaptations of ribosomes to linezolid. PMID:24890589

Unexpectedly high catch-and-release rates in European marine recreational fisheries: implications for science and management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferter, Keno; Weltersbach, Marc Simon; Strehlow, Harry Vincent

2013-01-01

Unexpectedly high catch-and-release rates in European marine recreational fisheries: implications for science and management. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: .While catch-and-release (C&R) is a well-known practice in several European freshwater recreational fisheries, studies on the magnitu...

Exhibition

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2017-01-01

Sintropie Flavio Pellegrini From 13 to 24 March 2017 CERN Meyrin, Main Building Energia imprigionata - Flavio Pellegrini. The exhibition is composed by eleven wood artworks with the expression of movement as theme. The artworks are the result of harmonics math applied to sculpture. The powerful black colour is dominated by the light source, generating reflexes and modulations. The result is a continuous variation of perspective visions. The works generate, at a first approach, an emotion of mystery and incomprehension, only a deeper contemplation lets one discover entangling and mutative details, evidencing the elegance of the lines and letting the meaning emerge. For more information : staff.association@cern.ch | Tél: 022 766 37 38

The Culture of Exhibitions and Conservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitrios Doumas

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The article reflects on temporary exhibitions from a theoretical as well as practical perspective. Regarded as a particularly effective mass-communication medium, exhibitions have a dual nature: they are scholarly undertakings, bringing off a curator’s vision and, simultaneously, they are projects with economic implications that need to be well managed and administered. The role of conservation in the making of temporary exhibitions, either in-house or touring, is here discussed in relation to how work is planned and prioritized as well as how time is managed and staff is allocated. Reference to weaknesses that lessen the crucial input of conservation in the decision-making process is also made. Much of the debate, which focuses on art exhibitions, concerns practicalities encountered in a private museum that extend from the very early stages of selecting objects for display to the mounting of an exhibition.

Unexpected and just missed: the separate influence of the appraisals of expectancy and proximity on negative emotions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bossuyt, Evelien; Moors, Agnes; De Houwer, Jan

2014-04-01

Previous research has suggested that a goal-incongruent outcome leads to more intense negative emotions when it is unexpected and close to a goal-congruent outcome. Until now, however, no studies have disentangled the influence of the appraisals of expectancy and proximity on emotions. We experimentally manipulated each of these variables in 3 slot machine experiments and measured emotions via differences in motivation (i.e., the tendency to repair the goal incongruence) and feelings (i.e., disappointment, frustration, and anger). The experiments consisted of a series of trials that each started with the sequential presentation of 3 symbols. In case of a win trial, all symbols were equal (e.g., AAA) and the participant gained 10 cents; in case of a loss trial, one or more of the symbols differed and the participant gained 0 cents. Three different loss trials were compared: unexpected proximal ones (e.g., AAB), expected proximal ones (e.g., ABA), and expected distal ones (e.g., ABC). The tendency to repair was measured online via behavior as well as retrospectively via self-reports; feelings were measured retrospectively (Experiments 1 and 2) or online (Experiment 3). Unexpected losses seemed to increase the tendency to repair as well as feelings of disappointment (in all experiments) and feelings of frustration and anger (in Experiments 1 and 3). Proximal losses increased only the tendency to repair (in all experiments). This suggests that the appraisals of expectancy and proximity have a distinct influence on emotions.

Online Exhibits & Concept Maps

Science.gov (United States)

Douma, M.

2009-12-01

Presenting the complexity of geosciences to the public via the Internet poses a number of challenges. For example, utilizing various - and sometimes redundant - Web 2.0 tools can quickly devour limited time. Do you tweet? Do you write press releases? Do you create an exhibit or concept map? The presentation will provide participants with a context for utilizing Web 2.0 tools by briefly highlighting methods of online scientific communication across several dimensions. It will address issues of: * breadth and depth (e.g. from narrow topics to well-rounded views), * presentation methods (e.g. from text to multimedia, from momentary to enduring), * sources and audiences (e.g. for experts or for the public, content developed by producers to that developed by users), * content display (e.g. from linear to non-linear, from instructive to entertaining), * barriers to entry (e.g. from an incumbent advantage to neophyte accessible, from amateur to professional), * cost and reach (e.g. from cheap to expensive), and * impact (e.g. the amount learned, from anonymity to brand awareness). Against this backdrop, the presentation will provide an overview of two methods of online information dissemination, exhibits and concept maps, using the WebExhibits online museum (www.webexhibits.org) and SpicyNodes information visualization tool (www.spicynodes.org) as examples, with tips on how geoscientists can use either to communicate their science. Richly interactive online exhibits can serve to engage a large audience, appeal to visitors with multiple learning styles, prompt exploration and discovery, and present a topic’s breadth and depth. WebExhibits, which was among the first online museums, delivers interactive information, virtual experiments, and hands-on activities to the public. While large, multidisciplinary exhibits on topics like “Color Vision and Art” or “Calendars Through the Ages” require teams of scholars, user interface experts, professional writers and editors

Age-related changes in posture response under a continuous and unexpected perturbation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Yi-Ching; Hsieh, Lin-Fen; Yang, Saiwei

2014-01-22

Aging is a critical factor to influence the functional performance during daily life. Without an appropriate posture control response when experiencing an unexpected external perturbation, fall may occur. A novel six-degree-of freedom platform with motion control protocol was designed to provide a real-life simulation of unexpected disturbance in order to discriminate the age-related changes of the balance control and the recovery ability. Twenty older adults and 20 healthy young adults participated in the study. The subjects stood barefoot on the novel movable platform, data of the center of mass (COM) excursion, joint rotation angle and electromyography (EMG) were recorded and compared. The results showed that the older adults had similar patterns of joint movement and COM excursion as the young adults during the balance reactive-recovery. However, larger proximal joint rotation in elderly group induced larger COM sway envelop and therefore loss of the compensatory strategy of posture recovery. The old adults also presented a lower muscle power. In order to keep an adequate joint stability preventing from falling, the EMG activity was increased, but the asymmetric pattern might be the key reason of unstable postural response. This novel design of moveable platform and test protocol comprised the computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) demonstrate its value to assess the possible sensory, motor, and central adaptive impairments to balance control and could be the training tool for posture inability person. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cobalt-catalyzed hydrogenation of esters to alcohols: unexpected reactivity trend indicates ester enolate intermediacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Srimani, Dipankar; Mukherjee, Arup; Goldberg, Alexander F G; Leitus, Gregory; Diskin-Posner, Yael; Shimon, Linda J W; Ben David, Yehoshoa; Milstein, David

2015-10-12

The atom-efficient and environmentally benign catalytic hydrogenation of carboxylic acid esters to alcohols has been accomplished in recent years mainly with precious-metal-based catalysts, with few exceptions. Presented here is the first cobalt-catalyzed hydrogenation of esters to the corresponding alcohols. Unexpectedly, the evidence indicates the unprecedented involvement of ester enolate intermediates. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Affordances and distributed cognition in museum exhibitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Achiam, Marianne; May, Michael; Marandino, Martha

2014-01-01

consistent framework. Here, we invoke the notions of affordance and distributed cognition to explain in a coherent way how visitors interact with exhibits and exhibit spaces and make meaning from those interactions, and we exemplify our points using observations of twelve visitors to exhibits at a natural...... history museum. We show how differences in exhibit characteristics give rise to differences in the interpretive strategies used by visitors in their meaning-making process, and conclude by discussing how the notions of affordance and distributed cognition can be used in an exhibit design perspective....

Holland at CERN – Industrial exhibition

CERN Multimedia

GS Department

2010-01-01

Sponsored by EVD, an agency of the Dutch Ministry of the Economy From 8 to 11 November 2010 Industrial Exhibition Administration Building Bldg. 61 9-00 - 17-30 Twenty seven companies will present their latest technology at the industrial exhibition "Holland at CERN". Dutch industry will exhibit products and technologies which are related to the field of particle physics. Individual interviews will take place directly at the stands in the Main Building. The firms will contact relevant users/technicians but any user wishing to make contact with a particular firm is welcome to use the contact details which are available from each departmental secretariat or at the following URL: http://gs-dep.web.cern.ch/gs-dep/groups/sem/ls/Industrial_Exhibitions.htm#Industrial_exhibitions You will find the list of exhibitors below. LIST OF EXHIBITORS: Schelde Exotech Vernooy BV Triumph Group INCAA Computers DeMaCo Holland bv TNO Science & Industry Janssen Precision Engi...

Unexpected consequences of control: competitive vs. predator release in a four-species assemblage of invasive mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruscoe, Wendy A; Ramsey, David S L; Pech, Roger P; Sweetapple, Peter J; Yockney, Ivor; Barron, Mandy C; Perry, Mike; Nugent, Graham; Carran, Roger; Warne, Rodney; Brausch, Chris; Duncan, Richard P

2011-10-01

Invasive species are frequently the target of eradication or control programmes to mitigate their impacts. However, manipulating single species in isolation can lead to unexpected consequences for other species, with outcomes such as mesopredator release demonstrated both theoretically and empirically in vertebrate assemblages with at least two trophic levels. Less is known about the consequences of species removal in more complex assemblages where a greater number of interacting invaders increases the potential for selective species removal to result in unexpected changes in community structure. Using a replicated Before-After Control-Impact field experiment with a four-species assemblage of invasive mammals we show that species interactions in the community are dominated by competition rather than predation. There was no measurable response of two mesopredators (rats and mice) following control of the top predator (stoats), but there was competitive release of rats following removal of a herbivore (possums), and competitive release of mice following removal of rats. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

Superconductive microstrip exhibiting negative differential resistivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huebener, R.P.; Gallus, D.E.

1975-01-01

A device capable of exhibiting negative differential electrical resistivity over a range of values of current and voltage is formed by vapor-depositing a thin layer of a material capable of exhibiting superconductivity on an insulating substrate, establishing electrical connections at opposite ends of the deposited strip, and cooling the alloy into its superconducting range. The device will exhibit negative differential resistivity when biased in the current-induced resistive state

Metaheuristic approaches to order sequencing on a unidirectional picking line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AP de Villiers

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper the sequencing of orders on a unidirectional picking line is considered. The aim of the order sequencing is to minimise the number of cycles travelled by a picker within the picking line to complete all orders. A tabu search, simulated annealing, genetic algorithm, generalised extremal optimisation and a random local search are presented as possible solution approaches. Computational results based on real life data instances are presented for these metaheuristics and compared to the performance of a lower bound and the solutions used in practise. The random local search exhibits the best overall solution quality, however, the generalised extremal optimisation approach delivers comparable results in considerably shorter computational times.

Probabilistic topic modeling for the analysis and classification of genomic sequences

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Background Studies on genomic sequences for classification and taxonomic identification have a leading role in the biomedical field and in the analysis of biodiversity. These studies are focusing on the so-called barcode genes, representing a well defined region of the whole genome. Recently, alignment-free techniques are gaining more importance because they are able to overcome the drawbacks of sequence alignment techniques. In this paper a new alignment-free method for DNA sequences clustering and classification is proposed. The method is based on k-mers representation and text mining techniques. Methods The presented method is based on Probabilistic Topic Modeling, a statistical technique originally proposed for text documents. Probabilistic topic models are able to find in a document corpus the topics (recurrent themes) characterizing classes of documents. This technique, applied on DNA sequences representing the documents, exploits the frequency of fixed-length k-mers and builds a generative model for a training group of sequences. This generative model, obtained through the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm, is then used to classify a large set of genomic sequences. Results and conclusions We performed classification of over 7000 16S DNA barcode sequences taken from Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) repository, training probabilistic topic models. The proposed method is compared to the RDP tool and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification algorithm in a extensive set of trials using both complete sequences and short sequence snippets (from 400 bp to 25 bp). Our method reaches very similar results to RDP classifier and SVM for complete sequences. The most interesting results are obtained when short sequence snippets are considered. In these conditions the proposed method outperforms RDP and SVM with ultra short sequences and it exhibits a smooth decrease of performance, at every taxonomic level, when the sequence length is decreased. PMID:25916734

Post-genomic analyses of fungal lignocellulosic biomass degradation reveal the unexpected potential of the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Couturier Marie

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Filamentous fungi are potent biomass degraders due to their ability to thrive in ligno(hemicellulose-rich environments. During the last decade, fungal genome sequencing initiatives have yielded abundant information on the genes that are putatively involved in lignocellulose degradation. At present, additional experimental studies are essential to provide insights into the fungal secreted enzymatic pools involved in lignocellulose degradation. Results In this study, we performed a wide analysis of 20 filamentous fungi for which genomic data are available to investigate their biomass-hydrolysis potential. A comparison of fungal genomes and secretomes using enzyme activity profiling revealed discrepancies in carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes sets dedicated to plant cell wall. Investigation of the contribution made by each secretome to the saccharification of wheat straw demonstrated that most of them individually supplemented the industrial Trichoderma reesei CL847 enzymatic cocktail. Unexpectedly, the most striking effect was obtained with the phytopathogen Ustilago maydis that improved the release of total sugars by 57% and of glucose by 22%. Proteomic analyses of the best-performing secretomes indicated a specific enzymatic mechanism of U. maydis that is likely to involve oxido-reductases and hemicellulases. Conclusion This study provides insight into the lignocellulose-degradation mechanisms by filamentous fungi and allows for the identification of a number of enzymes that are potentially useful to further improve the industrial lignocellulose bioconversion process.

Statistical Features of the 2010 Beni-Ilmane, Algeria, Aftershock Sequence

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdache, M.; Peláez, J. A.; Gospodinov, D.; Henares, J.

2018-03-01

The aftershock sequence of the 2010 Beni-Ilmane ( M W 5.5) earthquake is studied in depth to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of seismicity parameters of the relationships modeling the sequence. The b value of the frequency-magnitude distribution is examined rigorously. A threshold magnitude of completeness equal to 2.1, using the maximum curvature procedure or the changing point algorithm, and a b value equal to 0.96 ± 0.03 have been obtained for the entire sequence. Two clusters have been identified and characterized by their faulting type, exhibiting b values equal to 0.99 ± 0.05 and 1.04 ± 0.05. Additionally, the temporal decay of the aftershock sequence was examined using a stochastic point process. The analysis was done through the restricted epidemic-type aftershock sequence (RETAS) stochastic model, which allows the possibility to recognize the prevailing clustering pattern of the relaxation process in the examined area. The analysis selected the epidemic-type aftershock sequence (ETAS) model to offer the most appropriate description of the temporal distribution, which presumes that all events in the sequence can cause secondary aftershocks. Finally, the fractal dimensions are estimated using the integral correlation. The obtained D 2 values are 2.15 ± 0.01, 2.23 ± 0.01 and 2.17 ± 0.02 for the entire sequence, and for the first and second cluster, respectively. An analysis of the temporal evolution of the fractal dimensions D -2, D 0, D 2 and the spectral slope has been also performed to derive and characterize the different clusters included in the sequence.

Transfusion rate and prevalence of unexpected red blood cell alloantibodies in women undergoing hysterectomy for benign disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thoestesen, Lisbeth M; Rasmussen, Kjeld L; Lauszus, Finn F

2011-01-01

To determine transfusion rates, risk factors for transfusion and the prevalence of unexpected red blood cell alloantibodies in women undergoing hysterectomy for benign disease. In addition, we aimed to evaluate the necessity of the pretransfusion testing for red blood cell alloantibodies....

Sequence-Dependent Diastereospecific and Diastereodivergent Crosslinking of DNA by Decarbamoylmitomycin C.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar, William; Paz, Manuel M; Vargas, Anayatzinc; Clement, Cristina C; Cheng, Shu-Yuan; Champeil, Elise

2018-04-20

Mitomycin C (MC), a potent antitumor drug, and decarbamoylmitomycin C (DMC), a derivative lacking the carbamoyl group, form highly cytotoxic DNA interstrand crosslinks. The major interstrand crosslink formed by DMC is the C1'' epimer of the major crosslink formed by MC. The molecular basis for the stereochemical configuration exhibited by DMC was investigated using biomimetic synthesis. The formation of DNA-DNA crosslinks by DMC is diastereospecific and diastereodivergent: Only the 1''S-diastereomer of the initially formed monoadduct can form crosslinks at GpC sequences, and only the 1''R-diastereomer of the monoadduct can form crosslinks at CpG sequences. We also show that CpG and GpC sequences react with divergent diastereoselectivity in the first alkylation step: 1"S stereochemistry is favored at GpC sequences and 1''R stereochemistry is favored at CpG sequences. Therefore, the first alkylation step results, at each sequence, in the selective formation of the diastereomer able to generate an interstrand DNA-DNA crosslink after the "second arm" alkylation. Examination of the known DNA adduct pattern obtained after treatment of cancer cell cultures with DMC indicates that the GpC sequence is the major target for the formation of DNA-DNA crosslinks in vivo by this drug. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A genome sequence resource for the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a nocturnal lemur from Madagascar.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, George H; Reeves, Darryl; Melsted, Páll; Ratan, Aakrosh; Miller, Webb; Michelini, Katelyn; Louis, Edward E; Pritchard, Jonathan K; Mason, Christopher E; Gilad, Yoav

2012-01-01

We present a high-coverage draft genome assembly of the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a highly unusual nocturnal primate from Madagascar. Our assembly totals ~3.0 billion bp (3.0 Gb), roughly the size of the human genome, comprised of ~2.6 million scaffolds (N50 scaffold size = 13,597 bp) based on short paired-end sequencing reads. We compared the aye-aye genome sequence data with four other published primate genomes (human, chimpanzee, orangutan, and rhesus macaque) as well as with the mouse and dog genomes as nonprimate outgroups. Unexpectedly, we observed strong evidence for a relatively slow substitution rate in the aye-aye lineage compared with these and other primates. In fact, the aye-aye branch length is estimated to be ~10% shorter than that of the human lineage, which is known for its low substitution rate. This finding may be explained, in part, by the protracted aye-aye life-history pattern, including late weaning and age of first reproduction relative to other lemurs. Additionally, the availability of this draft lemur genome sequence allowed us to polarize nucleotide and protein sequence changes to the ancestral primate lineage-a critical period in primate evolution, for which the relevant fossil record is sparse. Finally, we identified 293,800 high-confidence single nucleotide polymorphisms in the donor individual for our aye-aye genome sequence, a captive-born individual from two wild-born parents. The resulting heterozygosity estimate of 0.051% is the lowest of any primate studied to date, which is understandable considering the aye-aye's extensive home-range size and relatively low population densities. Yet this level of genetic diversity also suggests that conservation efforts benefiting this unusual species should be prioritized, especially in the face of the accelerating degradation and fragmentation of Madagascar's forests.

The own and social effects of an unexpected income shock: Evidence from the Dutch Postcode Lottery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuhn, P.J.; Kooreman, P.; Soetevent, A.R.; Kapteyn, A.

2008-01-01

In the Dutch Postcode Lottery a postal code (19 households on average) is randomly selected weekly, and prizes - consisting of cash and a new BMW - are awarded to lottery participants living in that postal code. On average, this generates a temporary, unexpected income shock equal to about eight

Genome Sequence of Antibiotic-Producing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Strain KCTC 13012.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Haeyoung; Park, Seung-Hwan; Choi, Soo-Keun

2015-10-01

We report the 4.0-Mb draft genome sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (syn. Bacillus velezensis) KCTC 13012, which exhibits a broad spectrum of antagonistic activity against bacteria and fungi and promotes plant growth as well. The genome contains an array of biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites that are comparable to those in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42(T). Copyright © 2015 Jeong et al.

Understanding unexpected courses of multiple sclerosis among patients using complementary and alternative medicine: A travel from recipient to explorer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anita Salamonsen

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM is frequently used by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS. Some MS patients experience unexpected improvements of symptoms, which they relate to their use of CAM. The aim of this study was to obtain knowledge and develop understandings of such self-defined unexpected improvement of MS symptoms. Two cases were constructed based on documents and 12 qualitative interviews. Our aim was not to make generalisations from the cases, but to transfer knowledge as working hypotheses. We identified four health-related change processes: the process of losing bodily competence; the process of developing responsibility; the process of taking control; and the process of choosing CAM. The patients explained unexpected improvements in their MS symptoms as results of their own efforts including their choice and use of CAM. In our theoretical interpretations, we found the patients’ redefinition of history, the concept of treatment and the importance of conventional health care to be essential, and leading to a change of patients’ position towards conventional health care from recipients to explorers. The explorers can be perceived as boundary walkers reflecting limitations within the conventional health care system and as initiators regarding what MS patients find useful in CAM.

The Star-forming Main Sequence of Dwarf Low Surface Brightness Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

McGaugh, Stacy S.; Schombert, James M.; Lelli, Federico

2017-12-01

We explore the star-forming properties of late-type, low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. The star-forming main sequence ({SFR}-{M}* ) of LSB dwarfs has a steep slope, indistinguishable from unity (1.04 ± 0.06). They form a distinct sequence from more massive spirals, which exhibit a shallower slope. The break occurs around {M}* ≈ {10}10 {M}⊙ , and can also be seen in the gas mass—stellar mass plane. The global Kennicutt-Schmidt law ({SFR}-{M}g) has a slope of 1.47 ± 0.11 without the break seen in the main sequence. There is an ample supply of gas in LSB galaxies, which have gas depletion times well in excess of a Hubble time, and often tens of Hubble times. Only ˜ 3 % of this cold gas needs be in the form of molecular gas to sustain the observed star formation. In analogy with the faint, long-lived stars of the lower stellar main sequence, it may be appropriate to consider the main sequence of star-forming galaxies to be defined by thriving dwarfs (with {M}* {10}10 {M}⊙ ) are weary giants that constitute more of a turn-off population.

Interlimb communication following unexpected changes in treadmill velocity during human walking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stevenson, Andrew James Thomas; Geertsen, Svend Sparre; Sinkjær, Thomas

2015-01-01

Interlimb reflexes play an important role in human walking, particularly when dynamic stability is threatened by external perturbations or changes in the walking surface. Interlimb reflexes have recently been demonstrated in the contralateral biceps femoris (cBF) following knee joint rotations...... applied to the ipsilateral leg (iKnee) during the late stance phase of human gait (Stevenson et al. 2013). This interlimb reflex likely acts to slow the forward progression of the body in order to maintain dynamic stability following the perturbations. We examined this hypothesis by unexpectedly...... to slow the forward progression of the body and maintaining dynamic stability during walking, thus signifying a functional role for interlimb reflexes....

Why don't you like me? Midfrontal theta power in response to unexpected peer rejection feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Molen, M J W; Dekkers, L M S; Westenberg, P M; van der Veen, F M; van der Molen, M W

2017-02-01

Social connectedness theory posits that the brain processes social rejection as a threat to survival. Recent electrophysiological evidence suggests that midfrontal theta (4-8Hz) oscillations in the EEG provide a window on the processing of social rejection. Here we examined midfrontal theta dynamics (power and inter-trial phase synchrony) during the processing of social evaluative feedback. We employed the Social Judgment paradigm in which 56 undergraduate women (mean age=19.67 years) were asked to communicate their expectancies about being liked vs. disliked by unknown peers. Expectancies were followed by feedback indicating social acceptance vs. rejection. Results revealed a significant increase in EEG theta power to unexpected social rejection feedback. This EEG theta response could be source-localized to brain regions typically reported during activation of the saliency network (i.e., dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula, inferior frontal gyrus, frontal pole, and the supplementary motor area). Theta phase dynamics mimicked the behavior of the time-domain averaged feedback-related negativity (FRN) by showing stronger phase synchrony for feedback that was unexpected vs. expected. Theta phase, however, differed from the FRN by also displaying stronger phase synchrony in response to rejection vs. acceptance feedback. Together, this study highlights distinct roles for midfrontal theta power and phase synchrony in response to social evaluative feedback. Our findings contribute to the literature by showing that midfrontal theta oscillatory power is sensitive to social rejection but only when peer rejection is unexpected, and this theta response is governed by a widely distributed neural network implicated in saliency detection and conflict monitoring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Podocarpus lambertii: genome structure, evolutionary aspects, gene content and SSR detection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leila do Nascimento Vieira

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Podocarpus lambertii (Podocarpaceae is a native conifer from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Biome, which is considered one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. The advancement of next-generation sequencing technologies has enabled the rapid acquisition of whole chloroplast (cp genome sequences at low cost. Several studies have proven the potential of cp genomes as tools to understand enigmatic and basal phylogenetic relationships at different taxonomic levels, as well as further probe the structural and functional evolution of plants. In this work, we present the complete cp genome sequence of P. lambertii. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The P. lambertii cp genome is 133,734 bp in length, and similar to other sequenced cupressophytes, it lacks one of the large inverted repeat regions (IR. It contains 118 unique genes and one duplicated tRNA (trnN-GUU, which occurs as an inverted repeat sequence. The rps16 gene was not found, which was previously reported for the plastid genome of another Podocarpaceae (Nageia nagi and Araucariaceae (Agathis dammara. Structurally, P. lambertii shows 4 inversions of a large DNA fragment ∼20,000 bp compared to the Podocarpus totara cp genome. These unexpected characteristics may be attributed to geographical distance and different adaptive needs. The P. lambertii cp genome presents a total of 28 tandem repeats and 156 SSRs, with homo- and dipolymers being the most common and tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexapolymers occurring with less frequency. CONCLUSION: The complete cp genome sequence of P. lambertii revealed significant structural changes, even in species from the same genus. These results reinforce the apparently loss of rps16 gene in Podocarpaceae cp genome. In addition, several SSRs in the P. lambertii cp genome are likely intraspecific polymorphism sites, which may allow highly sensitive phylogeographic and population structure studies, as well as phylogenetic studies of species of

Remarkable sequence similarity between the dinoflagellate-infecting marine girus and the terrestrial pathogen African swine fever virus

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Claverie Jean-Michel

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Heterocapsa circularisquama DNA virus (HcDNAV; previously designated as HcV is a giant virus (girus with a ~356-kbp double-stranded DNA (dsDNA genome. HcDNAV lytically infects the bivalve-killing marine dinoflagellate H. circularisquama, and currently represents the sole DNA virus isolated from dinoflagellates, one of the most abundant protists in marine ecosystems. Its morphological features, genome type, and host range previously suggested that HcDNAV might be a member of the family Phycodnaviridae of Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses (NCLDVs, though no supporting sequence data was available. NCLDVs currently include two families found in aquatic environments (Phycodnaviridae, Mimiviridae, one mostly infecting terrestrial animals (Poxviridae, another isolated from fish, amphibians and insects (Iridoviridae, and the last one (Asfarviridae exclusively represented by the animal pathogen African swine fever virus (ASFV, the agent of a fatal hemorrhagic disease in domestic swine. In this study, we determined the complete sequence of the type B DNA polymerase (PolB gene of HcDNAV. The viral PolB was transcribed at least from 6 h post inoculation (hpi, suggesting its crucial function for viral replication. Most unexpectedly, the HcDNAV PolB sequence was found to be closely related to the PolB sequence of ASFV. In addition, the amino acid sequence of HcDNAV PolB showed a rare amino acid substitution within a motif containing highly conserved motif: YSDTDS was found in HcDNAV PolB instead of YGDTDS in most dsDNA viruses. Together with the previous observation of ASFV-like sequences in the Sorcerer II Global Ocean Sampling metagenomic datasets, our results further reinforce the ideas that the terrestrial ASFV has its evolutionary origin in marine environments.

Whole genome sequences of the raspberry and strawberry pathogens Phytophthora rubi and P. fragariae

Science.gov (United States)

Phytophthora rubi and P. fragariae are two closely related oomycete plant pathogens that exhibit strong morphological and physiological similarities, but are specialized to infect different hosts of economic importance, namely raspberry and strawberry. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of t...

Discovery of three x-ray luminous pre-main-sequence stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feigelson, E.D.; Kriss, G.A.

1981-01-01

Three X-ray sources found serendipitously in Einstein images of the Taurus-Auriga cloud complex were observed at the McGraw-Hill Observatory and are found to be associated with approx.12 mag stars with weak Hα emission. The stars lie on the edges of dark clouds and are spectroscopically similar to the least active emission-line pre-main-sequence stars. Although they lie well above the ZAMS in the H-R diagram, they do not exhibit ultraviolet excess, strong optical variability, or evidence for mass outflow/inflow characteristics of the more active T Tauri stars. Their only unusual property is high X-ray luminosity (approx.10 30 ergs s1). It is suggested that the X-ray emission from pre-main-sequence stars is not closely linked to the conditions giving rise to their unusual spectroscopic properties. The emission may instead represent an enhanced form of the coronal activity producing X-rays observed in late-type main-sequence stars

Cardiorespiratory Kinetics Determined by Pseudo-Random Binary Sequences - Comparisons between Walking and Cycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Koschate, J; Drescher, U; Thieschäfer, L; Heine, O; Baum, K; Hoffmann, U

2016-12-01

This study aims to compare cardiorespiratory kinetics as a response to a standardised work rate protocol with pseudo-random binary sequences between cycling and walking in young healthy subjects. Muscular and pulmonary oxygen uptake (V̇O 2 ) kinetics as well as heart rate kinetics were expected to be similar for walking and cycling. Cardiac data and V̇O 2 of 23 healthy young subjects were measured in response to pseudo-random binary sequences. Kinetics were assessed applying time series analysis. Higher maxima of cross-correlation functions between work rate and the respective parameter indicate faster kinetics responses. Muscular V̇O 2 kinetics were estimated from heart rate and pulmonary V̇O 2 using a circulatory model. Muscular (walking vs. cycling [mean±SD in arbitrary units]: 0.40±0.08 vs. 0.41±0.08) and pulmonary V̇O 2 kinetics (0.35±0.06 vs. 0.35±0.06) were not different, although the time courses of the cross-correlation functions of pulmonary V̇O 2 showed unexpected biphasic responses. Heart rate kinetics (0.50±0.14 vs. 0.40±0.14; P=0.017) was faster for walking. Regarding the biphasic cross-correlation functions of pulmonary V̇O 2 during walking, the assessment of muscular V̇O 2 kinetics via pseudo-random binary sequences requires a circulatory model to account for cardio-dynamic distortions. Faster heart rate kinetics for walking should be considered by comparing results from cycle and treadmill ergometry. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A sequence-dependent rigid-base model of DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, O.; Petkevičiutė, D.; Maddocks, J. H.

2013-02-01

A novel hierarchy of coarse-grain, sequence-dependent, rigid-base models of B-form DNA in solution is introduced. The hierarchy depends on both the assumed range of energetic couplings, and the extent of sequence dependence of the model parameters. A significant feature of the models is that they exhibit the phenomenon of frustration: each base cannot simultaneously minimize the energy of all of its interactions. As a consequence, an arbitrary DNA oligomer has an intrinsic or pre-existing stress, with the level of this frustration dependent on the particular sequence of the oligomer. Attention is focussed on the particular model in the hierarchy that has nearest-neighbor interactions and dimer sequence dependence of the model parameters. For a Gaussian version of this model, a complete coarse-grain parameter set is estimated. The parameterized model allows, for an oligomer of arbitrary length and sequence, a simple and explicit construction of an approximation to the configuration-space equilibrium probability density function for the oligomer in solution. The training set leading to the coarse-grain parameter set is itself extracted from a recent and extensive database of a large number of independent, atomic-resolution molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of short DNA oligomers immersed in explicit solvent. The Kullback-Leibler divergence between probability density functions is used to make several quantitative assessments of our nearest-neighbor, dimer-dependent model, which is compared against others in the hierarchy to assess various assumptions pertaining both to the locality of the energetic couplings and to the level of sequence dependence of its parameters. It is also compared directly against all-atom MD simulation to assess its predictive capabilities. The results show that the nearest-neighbor, dimer-dependent model can successfully resolve sequence effects both within and between oligomers. For example, due to the presence of frustration, the model can

A sequence-dependent rigid-base model of DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, O; Petkevičiūtė, D; Maddocks, J H

2013-02-07

A novel hierarchy of coarse-grain, sequence-dependent, rigid-base models of B-form DNA in solution is introduced. The hierarchy depends on both the assumed range of energetic couplings, and the extent of sequence dependence of the model parameters. A significant feature of the models is that they exhibit the phenomenon of frustration: each base cannot simultaneously minimize the energy of all of its interactions. As a consequence, an arbitrary DNA oligomer has an intrinsic or pre-existing stress, with the level of this frustration dependent on the particular sequence of the oligomer. Attention is focussed on the particular model in the hierarchy that has nearest-neighbor interactions and dimer sequence dependence of the model parameters. For a Gaussian version of this model, a complete coarse-grain parameter set is estimated. The parameterized model allows, for an oligomer of arbitrary length and sequence, a simple and explicit construction of an approximation to the configuration-space equilibrium probability density function for the oligomer in solution. The training set leading to the coarse-grain parameter set is itself extracted from a recent and extensive database of a large number of independent, atomic-resolution molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of short DNA oligomers immersed in explicit solvent. The Kullback-Leibler divergence between probability density functions is used to make several quantitative assessments of our nearest-neighbor, dimer-dependent model, which is compared against others in the hierarchy to assess various assumptions pertaining both to the locality of the energetic couplings and to the level of sequence dependence of its parameters. It is also compared directly against all-atom MD simulation to assess its predictive capabilities. The results show that the nearest-neighbor, dimer-dependent model can successfully resolve sequence effects both within and between oligomers. For example, due to the presence of frustration, the model can

Students-exhibits interaction at a science center

Science.gov (United States)

Botelho, Agostinho; Morais, Ana M.

2006-12-01

In this study we investigate students' learning during their interaction with two exhibits at a science center. Specifically, we analyze both students' procedures when interacting with exhibits and their understanding of the scientific concepts presented therein. Bernstein's theory of pedagogic discourse (1990, 2000) provided the sociological foundation to assess the exhibit-student interaction and allowed analysis of the influence of the characteristics of students, exhibits, and interactions on students' learning. Eight students (ages 12ndash;13 years of age) with distinct sociological characteristics participated in the study. Several findings emerged from the results. First, the characteristics of the students, exhibits, and interactions appeared to influence student learning. Second, to most students, what they did interactively (procedures) seems not to have had any direct consequence on what they learned (concept understanding). Third, the data analysis suggest an important role for designers and teachers in overcoming the limitations of exhibit-student interaction.

Symbolic complexity for nucleotide sequences: a sign of the genome structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salgado-García, R; Ugalde, E

2016-01-01

We introduce a method for estimating the complexity function (which counts the number of observable words of a given length) of a finite symbolic sequence, which we use to estimate the complexity function of coding DNA sequences for several species of the Hominidae family. In all cases, the obtained symbolic complexities show the same characteristic behavior: exponential growth for small word lengths, followed by linear growth for larger word lengths. The symbolic complexities of the species we consider exhibit a systematic trend in correspondence with the phylogenetic tree. Using our method, we estimate the complexity function of sequences obtained by some known evolution models, and in some cases we observe the characteristic exponential-linear growth of the Hominidae coding DNA complexity. Analysis of the symbolic complexity of sequences obtained from a specific evolution model points to the following conclusion: linear growth arises from the random duplication of large segments during the evolution of the genome, while the decrease in the overall complexity from one species to another is due to a difference in the speed of accumulation of point mutations. (paper)

Engineering of a DNA Polymerase for Direct m6 A Sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Aschenbrenner, Joos; Werner, Stephan; Marchand, Virginie; Adam, Martina; Motorin, Yuri; Helm, Mark; Marx, Andreas

2018-01-08

Methods for the detection of RNA modifications are of fundamental importance for advancing epitranscriptomics. N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is the most abundant RNA modification in mammalian mRNA and is involved in the regulation of gene expression. Current detection techniques are laborious and rely on antibody-based enrichment of m 6 A-containing RNA prior to sequencing, since m 6 A modifications are generally "erased" during reverse transcription (RT). To overcome the drawbacks associated with indirect detection, we aimed to generate novel DNA polymerase variants for direct m 6 A sequencing. Therefore, we developed a screen to evolve an RT-active KlenTaq DNA polymerase variant that sets a mark for N 6 -methylation. We identified a mutant that exhibits increased misincorporation opposite m 6 A compared to unmodified A. Application of the generated DNA polymerase in next-generation sequencing allowed the identification of m 6 A sites directly from the sequencing data of untreated RNA samples. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

The effect of music background on the emotional appraisal of film sequences

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Pavlović Ivanka

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In this study the effects of musical background on the emotional appraisal of film sequences was investigated. Four pairs of polar emotions defined in Plutchik’s model were used as basic emotional qualities: joy-sadness, anticipation-surprise, fear-anger, and trust disgust. In the preliminary study eight film sequences and eight music themes were selected as the best representatives of all eight Plutchik’s emotions. In the main experiment the participant judged the emotional qualities of film-music combinations on eight seven-point scales. Half of the combinations were congruent (e.g. joyful film - joyful music, and half were incongruent (e.g. joyful film - sad music. Results have shown that visual information (film had greater effects on the emotion appraisal than auditory information (music. The modulation effects of music background depend on emotional qualities. In some incongruent combinations (joysadness the modulations in the expected directions were obtained (e.g. joyful music reduces the sadness of a sad film, in some cases (anger-fear no modulation effects were obtained, and in some cases (trust-disgust, anticipation-surprise the modulation effects were in an unexpected direction (e.g. trustful music increased the appraisal of disgust of a disgusting film. These results suggest that the appraisals of conjoint effects of emotions depend on the medium (film masks the music and emotional quality (three types of modulation effects.

Spontaneous abortion and unexpected death: a critical discussion of Marquis on abortion.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Mary Clayton

2013-02-01

In his classic paper, 'Why abortion is immoral', Don Marquis argues that what makes killing an adult seriously immoral is that it deprives the victim of the valuable future he/she would have otherwise had. Moreover, Marquis contends, because abortion deprives a fetus of the very same thing, aborting a fetus is just as seriously wrong as killing an adult. Marquis' argument has received a great deal of critical attention in the two decades since its publication. Nonetheless, there is a potential challenge to it that seems to have gone unnoticed. A significant percentage of fetuses are lost to spontaneous abortion. Once we bring this fact to our attention, it becomes less clear whether Marquis can use his account of the wrongness of killing to show that abortion is the moral equivalent of murder. In this paper, I explore the relevance of the rate of spontaneous abortion to Marquis' classic anti-abortion argument. I introduce a case I call Unexpected Death in which someone is about to commit murder, but, just as the would-be murderer is about to strike, his would-be victim dies unexpectedly. I then ask: what does Marquis' account of killing imply about the moral status of what the would-be murderer was about to do? I consider four responses Marquis could give to this question, and I examine what implications these responses have for Marquis' strategy of using his account of the wrongness of killing an adult to show that abortion is in the same moral category.

Exhibition - Mathematics, A Beautiful Elsewhere

CERN Multimedia

2011-01-01

From 21 October 2011 to 18 March 2012, the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain will present the exhibition Mathematics: A Beautiful Elsewhere, an exhibition developed in association with the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHÉS) and under the patronage of UNESCO. For this unprecedented event, the foundation invited mathematicians to work with artists with whom it has previously worked to create an exhibition that allows visitors to see, hear, do, interpret and think about mathematics. By bringing mathematics into its premises, the Fondation Cartier is itself undergoing the “sudden change of scenery” described by mathematician Alexandre Grothendieck. More information is available here. Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain 261, boulevard Raspail 75014 Paris http://fondation.cartier.com Private Visit For professors, researchers and all the staff of Mathematics departments...

Episodic sequence memory is supported by a theta-gamma phase code.

Science.gov (United States)

Heusser, Andrew C; Poeppel, David; Ezzyat, Youssef; Davachi, Lila

2016-10-01

The meaning we derive from our experiences is not a simple static extraction of the elements but is largely based on the order in which those elements occur. Models propose that sequence encoding is supported by interactions between high- and low-frequency oscillations, such that elements within an experience are represented by neural cell assemblies firing at higher frequencies (gamma) and sequential order is encoded by the specific timing of firing with respect to a lower frequency oscillation (theta). During episodic sequence memory formation in humans, we provide evidence that items in different sequence positions exhibit greater gamma power along distinct phases of a theta oscillation. Furthermore, this segregation is related to successful temporal order memory. Our results provide compelling evidence that memory for order, a core component of an episodic memory, capitalizes on the ubiquitous physiological mechanism of theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling.

ERP correlates of unexpected word forms in a picture–word study of infants and adults

Science.gov (United States)

Duta, M.D.; Styles, S.J.; Plunkett, K.

2012-01-01

We tested 14-month-olds and adults in an event-related potentials (ERPs) study in which pictures of familiar objects generated expectations about upcoming word forms. Expected word forms labelled the picture (word condition), while unexpected word forms mismatched by either a small deviation in word medial vowel height (mispronunciation condition) or a large deviation from the onset of the first speech segment (pseudoword condition). Both infants and adults showed sensitivity to both types of unexpected word form. Adults showed a chain of discrete effects: positivity over the N1 wave, negativity over the P2 wave (PMN effect) and negativity over the N2 wave (N400 effect). Infants showed a similar pattern, including a robust effect similar to the adult P2 effect. These observations were underpinned by a novel visualisation method which shows the dynamics of the ERP within bands of the scalp over time. The results demonstrate shared processing mechanisms across development, as even subtle deviations from expected word forms were indexed in both age groups by a reduction in the amplitude of characteristic waves in the early auditory evoked potential. PMID:22483072

Human Exhibitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreassen, Rikke

light on the staging of exhibitions, the daily life of the exhibitees, the wider connections between shows across Europe and the thinking of the time on matters of race, science, gender and sexuality. A window onto contemporary racial understandings, the book presents interviews with the descendants...... of displayed people, connecting the attitudes and science of the past with both our (continued) modern fascination with ‘the exotic’, and contemporary language and popular culture. As such, it will be of interest to scholars of sociology, anthropology and history working in the areas of gender and sexuality...

Targeted gene panel sequencing in children with very early onset inflammatory bowel disease--evaluation and prospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kammermeier, Jochen; Drury, Suzanne; James, Chela T; Dziubak, Robert; Ocaka, Louise; Elawad, Mamoun; Beales, Philip; Lench, Nicholas; Uhlig, Holm H; Bacchelli, Chiara; Shah, Neil

2014-11-01

Multiple monogenetic conditions with partially overlapping phenotypes can present with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-like intestinal inflammation. With novel genotype-specific therapies emerging, establishing a molecular diagnosis is becoming increasingly important. We have introduced targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology as a prospective screening tool in children with very early onset IBD (VEOIBD). We evaluated the coverage of 40 VEOIBD genes in two separate cohorts undergoing targeted gene panel sequencing (TGPS) (n=25) and whole exome sequencing (WES) (n=20). TGPS revealed causative mutations in four genes (IL10RA, EPCAM, TTC37 and SKIV2L) discovered unexpected phenotypes and directly influenced clinical decision making by supporting as well as avoiding haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. TGPS resulted in significantly higher median coverage when compared with WES, fewer coverage deficiencies and improved variant detection across established VEOIBD genes. Excluding or confirming known VEOIBD genotypes should be considered early in the disease course in all cases of therapy-refractory VEOIBD, as it can have a direct impact on patient management. To combine both described NGS technologies would compensate for the limitations of WES for disease-specific application while offering the opportunity for novel gene discovery in the research setting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Simple sequence proteins in prokaryotic proteomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramachandran Srinivasan

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The structural and functional features associated with Simple Sequence Proteins (SSPs are non-globularity, disease states, signaling and post-translational modification. SSPs are also an important source of genetic and possibly phenotypic variation. Analysis of 249 prokaryotic proteomes offers a new opportunity to examine the genomic properties of SSPs. Results SSPs are a minority but they grow with proteome size. This relationship is exhibited across species varying in genomic GC, mutational bias, life style, and pathogenicity. Their proportion in each proteome is strongly influenced by genomic base compositional bias. In most species simple duplications is favoured, but in a few cases such as Mycobacteria, large families of duplications occur. Amino acid preference in SSPs exhibits a trend towards low cost of biosynthesis. In SSPs and in non-SSPs, Alanine, Glycine, Leucine, and Valine are abundant in species widely varying in genomic GC whereas Isoleucine and Lysine are rich only in organisms with low genomic GC. Arginine is abundant in SSPs of two species and in the non-SSPs of Xanthomonas oryzae. Asparagine is abundant only in SSPs of low GC species. Aspartic acid is abundant only in the non-SSPs of Halobacterium sp NRC1. The abundance of Serine in SSPs of 62 species extends over a broader range compared to that of non-SSPs. Threonine(T is abundant only in SSPs of a couple of species. SSPs exhibit preferential association with Cell surface, Cell membrane and Transport functions and a negative association with Metabolism. Mesophiles and Thermophiles display similar ranges in the content of SSPs. Conclusion Although SSPs are a minority, the genomic forces of base compositional bias and duplications influence their growth and pattern in each species. The preferences and abundance of amino acids are governed by low biosynthetic cost, evolutionary age and base composition of codons. Abundance of charged amino acids Arginine

Anniversary Exhibition. Nechvolodov.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

- -

2006-03-01

Full Text Available On the 10th of August, 2005 in Tartu (the second biggest educational and cultural city in Estonia Stanislav Nechvolodov's exhibition was opened to show the 5-year cycle of his work, traditional for the author and his admirers. At the opening ceremony Nechvolodov said that the exhibition was the last one and appointed on his 70th anniversary.The architectural and building society in Irkutsk remembers Stanislav Nechvolodov as an architect working on dwelling and civil buildings in 1960-70s. Below are some extracts from the Estonian press.«Postimees» newspaper, December 1993. The interview «Expressionistic naturalist, conservative Nechvolodov» by journalist Eric Linnumyagi. He asks about all the details and describes the troubles experienced by Nechvolodov during the perestroika period in Estonia, for example: the Tartu University refused to install the sculpture of Socrat, the art school refused to engage him as an instructor, the sculpture of Socrat moved to Vrotzlav, Poland, and Nechvolodov moved to Poland to read lectures there.«Tartu» newspaper, November 2000. Mats Oun, artist, says in the article «Nechvolodov: a man of Renaissance»: «Nechvolodov works in Estonia, his works are placed in many local and foreign museums. Regardless some insignificant faults, he deserves a high estimation, and his manysided open exhibition can be an example for other artists. He is a man of Renaissance».

Creating Virtual Exhibitions for Educational and Cultural Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela DUMITRESCU

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents different tools and mechanisms to implement a virtual exhibition in different cultural areas, such as museums and libraries. Quality characteristics of virtual exhibitions are identified and described. The possibility to create native mobile applications for virtual exhibitions presentation is analyzed. The functional flow of creating a virtual exhibition is presented and discussed. The Seals - History Treasure exhibition is presented and significant historical documents are revealed.

Universal sequence map (USM of arbitrary discrete sequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Almeida Jonas S

2002-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background For over a decade the idea of representing biological sequences in a continuous coordinate space has maintained its appeal but not been fully realized. The basic idea is that any sequence of symbols may define trajectories in the continuous space conserving all its statistical properties. Ideally, such a representation would allow scale independent sequence analysis – without the context of fixed memory length. A simple example would consist on being able to infer the homology between two sequences solely by comparing the coordinates of any two homologous units. Results We have successfully identified such an iterative function for bijective mappingψ of discrete sequences into objects of continuous state space that enable scale-independent sequence analysis. The technique, named Universal Sequence Mapping (USM, is applicable to sequences with an arbitrary length and arbitrary number of unique units and generates a representation where map distance estimates sequence similarity. The novel USM procedure is based on earlier work by these and other authors on the properties of Chaos Game Representation (CGR. The latter enables the representation of 4 unit type sequences (like DNA as an order free Markov Chain transition table. The properties of USM are illustrated with test data and can be verified for other data by using the accompanying web-based tool:http://bioinformatics.musc.edu/~jonas/usm/. Conclusions USM is shown to enable a statistical mechanics approach to sequence analysis. The scale independent representation frees sequence analysis from the need to assume a memory length in the investigation of syntactic rules.

The exploration of the exhibition informatization

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiankang

2017-06-01

The construction and management of exhibition informatization is the main task and choke point during the process of Chinese exhibition industry’s transformation and promotion. There are three key points expected to realize a breakthrough during the construction of Chinese exhibition informatization, and the three aspects respectively are adopting service outsourcing to construct and maintain the database, adopting advanced chest card technology to collect various kinds of information, developing statistics analysis to maintain good cutomer relations. The success of Chinese exhibition informatization mainly calls for mature suppliers who can provide construction and maintenance of database, the proven technology, a sense of data security, advanced chest card technology, the ability of data mining and analysis and the ability to improve the exhibition service basing on the commercial information got from the data analysis. Several data security measures are expected to apply during the process of system developing, including the measures of the terminal data security, the internet data security, the media data security, the storage data security and the application data security. The informatization of this process is based on the chest card designing. At present, there are several types of chest card technology: bar code chest card; two-dimension code card; magnetic stripe chest card; smart-chip chest card. The information got from the exhibition data will help the organizers to make relevant service strategies, quantify the accumulated indexes of the customers, and improve the level of the customer’s satisfaction and loyalty, what’s more, the information can also provide more additional services like the commercial trips, VIP ceremonial reception.

HLA DNA sequence variation among human populations: molecular signatures of demographic and selective events.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stéphane Buhler

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Molecular differences between HLA alleles vary up to 57 nucleotides within the peptide binding coding region of human Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC genes, but it is still unclear whether this variation results from a stochastic process or from selective constraints related to functional differences among HLA molecules. Although HLA alleles are generally treated as equidistant molecular units in population genetic studies, DNA sequence diversity among populations is also crucial to interpret the observed HLA polymorphism. In this study, we used a large dataset of 2,062 DNA sequences defined for the different HLA alleles to analyze nucleotide diversity of seven HLA genes in 23,500 individuals of about 200 populations spread worldwide. We first analyzed the HLA molecular structure and diversity of these populations in relation to geographic variation and we further investigated possible departures from selective neutrality through Tajima's tests and mismatch distributions. All results were compared to those obtained by classical approaches applied to HLA allele frequencies.Our study shows that the global patterns of HLA nucleotide diversity among populations are significantly correlated to geography, although in some specific cases the molecular information reveals unexpected genetic relationships. At all loci except HLA-DPB1, populations have accumulated a high proportion of very divergent alleles, suggesting an advantage of heterozygotes expressing molecularly distant HLA molecules (asymmetric overdominant selection model. However, both different intensities of selection and unequal levels of gene conversion may explain the heterogeneous mismatch distributions observed among the loci. Also, distinctive patterns of sequence divergence observed at the HLA-DPB1 locus suggest current neutrality but old selective pressures on this gene. We conclude that HLA DNA sequences advantageously complement HLA allele frequencies as a source of data used

Is sequence awareness mandatory for perceptual sequence learning: An assessment using a pure perceptual sequence learning design.

Science.gov (United States)

Deroost, Natacha; Coomans, Daphné

2018-02-01

We examined the role of sequence awareness in a pure perceptual sequence learning design. Participants had to react to the target's colour that changed according to a perceptual sequence. By varying the mapping of the target's colour onto the response keys, motor responses changed randomly. The effect of sequence awareness on perceptual sequence learning was determined by manipulating the learning instructions (explicit versus implicit) and assessing the amount of sequence awareness after the experiment. In the explicit instruction condition (n = 15), participants were instructed to intentionally search for the colour sequence, whereas in the implicit instruction condition (n = 15), they were left uninformed about the sequenced nature of the task. Sequence awareness after the sequence learning task was tested by means of a questionnaire and the process-dissociation-procedure. The results showed that the instruction manipulation had no effect on the amount of perceptual sequence learning. Based on their report to have actively applied their sequence knowledge during the experiment, participants were subsequently regrouped in a sequence strategy group (n = 14, of which 4 participants from the implicit instruction condition and 10 participants from the explicit instruction condition) and a no-sequence strategy group (n = 16, of which 11 participants from the implicit instruction condition and 5 participants from the explicit instruction condition). Only participants of the sequence strategy group showed reliable perceptual sequence learning and sequence awareness. These results indicate that perceptual sequence learning depends upon the continuous employment of strategic cognitive control processes on sequence knowledge. Sequence awareness is suggested to be a necessary but not sufficient condition for perceptual learning to take place. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Digital Natives: Creating Emergent Exhibitions through Digital Technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Rachel Charlotte; Iversen, Ole Sejer; Dindler, Christian

2011-01-01

. In this way, digital technology can contribute to the creation of emergent exhibitions in which the exhibition is created in dialogue between audiences and the museum. We present experiences from a current research project, the Digital Natives exhibition, in which digital technology was designed......Digital Technology can support the creation of dialogical spaces in the museum, both playful and reflective, that allow audiences to engage in the ongoing construction and reproduction of cultural heritage creating novel connections between self and others and between past, present and future...... as an integral part of the exhibition to encourage dialogue between audiences and the exhibition materials and thereby investigate how the exhibition emerge as a result of this dialogic co-construction inside the exhibition space. In short, the opportunities offered by digital technologies prompts us to consider...

Bah humbug: Unexpected Christmas cards and the reciprocity norm.

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, Brian P

2016-01-01

The reciprocity norm refers to the expectation that people will help those who helped them. A well-known study revealed that the norm is strong with Christmas cards, with 20% of people reciprocating a Christmas card received from a stranger. I attempted to conceptually replicate and extend this effect. In Study 1, 755 participants received a Christmas card supposedly from a more- versus less-similar stranger. The reciprocation rate was unexpectedly low (2%), which did not allow for a test of a similarity effect. Two potential reasons for this low rate were examined in Study 2 in which 494 participants reported their likelihood of reciprocating a Christmas card from a stranger as well as their felt suspicions/threat about the card and their frequency of e-mail use. Reciprocation likelihood was negatively correlated with perceived threat/suspicion and e-mail use. It appears that reciprocating a gift from a stranger in offline settings may be less likely than expected.

Generalizing and learning protein-DNA binding sequence representations by an evolutionary algorithm

KAUST Repository

Wong, Ka Chun

2011-02-05

Protein-DNA bindings are essential activities. Understanding them forms the basis for further deciphering of biological and genetic systems. In particular, the protein-DNA bindings between transcription factors (TFs) and transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) play a central role in gene transcription. Comprehensive TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs have been found in a recent study. However, they are in one-to-one mappings which cannot fully reflect the many-to-many mappings within the bindings. An evolutionary algorithm is proposed to learn generalized representations (many-to-many mappings) from the TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs (one-to-one mappings). The generalized pairs are shown to be more meaningful than the original TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs. Some representative examples have been analyzed in this study. In particular, it shows that the TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs are not presumably in one-to-one mappings. They can also exhibit many-to-many mappings. The proposed method can help us extract such many-to-many information from the one-to-one TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs found in the previous study, providing further knowledge in understanding the bindings between TFs and TFBSs. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Generalizing and learning protein-DNA binding sequence representations by an evolutionary algorithm

KAUST Repository

Wong, Ka Chun; Peng, Chengbin; Wong, Manhon; Leung, Kwongsak

2011-01-01

Protein-DNA bindings are essential activities. Understanding them forms the basis for further deciphering of biological and genetic systems. In particular, the protein-DNA bindings between transcription factors (TFs) and transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) play a central role in gene transcription. Comprehensive TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs have been found in a recent study. However, they are in one-to-one mappings which cannot fully reflect the many-to-many mappings within the bindings. An evolutionary algorithm is proposed to learn generalized representations (many-to-many mappings) from the TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs (one-to-one mappings). The generalized pairs are shown to be more meaningful than the original TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs. Some representative examples have been analyzed in this study. In particular, it shows that the TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs are not presumably in one-to-one mappings. They can also exhibit many-to-many mappings. The proposed method can help us extract such many-to-many information from the one-to-one TF-TFBS binding sequence pairs found in the previous study, providing further knowledge in understanding the bindings between TFs and TFBSs. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Artefacts and the performance of an exhibition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svabo, Connie

2008-01-01

The article explores the role of mediating artefacts in children's encounters with a museum of natural history. Using actor network theory it explores how a specific artefact shapes the way users relate to exhibited objects and how the artefact guides users' movements in the exhibition....... The mediated performance of an exhibition is explored through an empirical case....

A content-oriented model for science exhibit engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Achiam, Marianne

2013-01-01

Recently, science museums have begun to review their educational purposes and redesign their pedagogies. At the most basic level, this entails accounting for the performance of individual exhibits, and indeed, in some cases, research indicates shortcomings in exhibit design: While often successful......: as a means to operationalize the link between exhibit features and visitor activities; and as a template to transform scientists’ practices in the research context into visitors’ activities in the exhibit context. The resulting model of science exhibit engineering is presented and exemplified, and its...... implications for science exhibit design are discussed at three levels: the design product, the design process, and the design methodology....

Evaluation of exome variants using the Ion Proton Platform to sequence error-prone regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Heewon; Park, Yoomi; Min, Byung Joo; Seo, Myung Eui; Kim, Ju Han

2017-01-01

The Ion Proton sequencer from Thermo Fisher accurately determines sequence variants from target regions with a rapid turnaround time at a low cost. However, misleading variant-calling errors can occur. We performed a systematic evaluation and manual curation of read-level alignments for the 675 ultrarare variants reported by the Ion Proton sequencer from 27 whole-exome sequencing data but that are not present in either the 1000 Genomes Project and the Exome Aggregation Consortium. We classified positive variant calls into 393 highly likely false positives, 126 likely false positives, and 156 likely true positives, which comprised 58.2%, 18.7%, and 23.1% of the variants, respectively. We identified four distinct error patterns of variant calling that may be bioinformatically corrected when using different strategies: simplicity region, SNV cluster, peripheral sequence read, and base inversion. Local de novo assembly successfully corrected 201 (38.7%) of the 519 highly likely or likely false positives. We also demonstrate that the two sequencing kits from Thermo Fisher (the Ion PI Sequencing 200 kit V3 and the Ion PI Hi-Q kit) exhibit different error profiles across different error types. A refined calling algorithm with better polymerase may improve the performance of the Ion Proton sequencing platform.

Evaluation of exome variants using the Ion Proton Platform to sequence error-prone regions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heewon Seo

Full Text Available The Ion Proton sequencer from Thermo Fisher accurately determines sequence variants from target regions with a rapid turnaround time at a low cost. However, misleading variant-calling errors can occur. We performed a systematic evaluation and manual curation of read-level alignments for the 675 ultrarare variants reported by the Ion Proton sequencer from 27 whole-exome sequencing data but that are not present in either the 1000 Genomes Project and the Exome Aggregation Consortium. We classified positive variant calls into 393 highly likely false positives, 126 likely false positives, and 156 likely true positives, which comprised 58.2%, 18.7%, and 23.1% of the variants, respectively. We identified four distinct error patterns of variant calling that may be bioinformatically corrected when using different strategies: simplicity region, SNV cluster, peripheral sequence read, and base inversion. Local de novo assembly successfully corrected 201 (38.7% of the 519 highly likely or likely false positives. We also demonstrate that the two sequencing kits from Thermo Fisher (the Ion PI Sequencing 200 kit V3 and the Ion PI Hi-Q kit exhibit different error profiles across different error types. A refined calling algorithm with better polymerase may improve the performance of the Ion Proton sequencing platform.

France at CERN – Industrial exhibition

CERN Multimedia

FP Department

2012-01-01

Industrial Exhibition Administration Building Bldg 61 – 1st Floor Tuesday 27 March: 9 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. Wednesday 28 March: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.   About thirty French companies are presenting their latest technological advances during the industrial exhibition "France at CERN", featuring products and technologies specifically related to CERN activities. Individual B2B meetings can be organized with the sales and technical representatives of participating firms and will take place at either the companies’ exhibition stands or in conference rooms in the Main Building. Individuals wishing to make contact with one or more companies must use the contact details available from each secretariat of department or by using this link. B2B meetings will be coordinated by UBIFRANCE. You will also find the list of exhibiting and participating companies online here. This event is sponsored by the French subsidiary of RS Components, the most important distri...

Parallel algorithms for large-scale biological sequence alignment on Xeon-Phi based clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Haidong; Chan, Yuandong; Xu, Kai; Schmidt, Bertil; Peng, Shaoliang; Liu, Weiguo

2016-07-19

Computing alignments between two or more sequences are common operations frequently performed in computational molecular biology. The continuing growth of biological sequence databases establishes the need for their efficient parallel implementation on modern accelerators. This paper presents new approaches to high performance biological sequence database scanning with the Smith-Waterman algorithm and the first stage of progressive multiple sequence alignment based on the ClustalW heuristic on a Xeon Phi-based compute cluster. Our approach uses a three-level parallelization scheme to take full advantage of the compute power available on this type of architecture; i.e. cluster-level data parallelism, thread-level coarse-grained parallelism, and vector-level fine-grained parallelism. Furthermore, we re-organize the sequence datasets and use Xeon Phi shuffle operations to improve I/O efficiency. Evaluations show that our method achieves a peak overall performance up to 220 GCUPS for scanning real protein sequence databanks on a single node consisting of two Intel E5-2620 CPUs and two Intel Xeon Phi 7110P cards. It also exhibits good scalability in terms of sequence length and size, and number of compute nodes for both database scanning and multiple sequence alignment. Furthermore, the achieved performance is highly competitive in comparison to optimized Xeon Phi and GPU implementations. Our implementation is available at https://github.com/turbo0628/LSDBS-mpi .

Mouse mammary tumor virus-like gene sequences are present in lung patient specimens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodríguez-Padilla Cristina

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies have reported on the presence of Murine Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV-like gene sequences in human cancer tissue specimens. Here, we search for MMTV-like gene sequences in lung diseases including carcinomas specimens from a Mexican population. This study was based on our previous study reporting that the INER51 lung cancer cell line, from a pleural effusion of a Mexican patient, contains MMTV-like env gene sequences. Results The MMTV-like env gene sequences have been detected in three out of 18 specimens studied, by PCR using a specific set of MMTV-like primers. The three identified MMTV-like gene sequences, which were assigned as INER6, HZ101, and HZ14, were 99%, 98%, and 97% homologous, respectively, as compared to GenBank sequence accession number AY161347. The INER6 and HZ-101 samples were isolated from lung cancer specimens, and the HZ-14 was isolated from an acute inflammatory lung infiltrate sample. Two of the env sequences exhibited disruption of the reading frame due to mutations. Conclusion In summary, we identified the presence of MMTV-like gene sequences in 2 out of 11 (18% of the lung carcinomas and 1 out of 7 (14% of acute inflamatory lung infiltrate specimens studied of a Mexican Population.

Temporary and Travelling Exhibitions. Museums and Monuments, X.

Science.gov (United States)

Daifuku, Hiroshi; And Others

The permanent exhibition, the most typical form of museum exhibition, has failed to attract repeated visitation, since visitors quickly become familiar with the objects shown. The temporary exhibition evolved as a result for the need of repeated visitation. The temporary exhibition, set up for a period of one to six months, introduces fresh…

CERN Industrials Exhibitions - Over 30 Years of Tradition

CERN Multimedia

2001-01-01

Industrial exhibitions have been part of the CERN landscape for 33 years. At least once each year several companies from the same country come to CERN to present their products and services. Now, a new scheme of one-day visits is giving potential exhibitors at CERN a lighter option. The United Kingdom inaugurated the Industrial Exhibitions in 1968, and it wasn't till 1971 that other countries staged exhibitions at CERN. This photo was taken in 1969, at the second British exhibition, where 16 companies were present. Four years after joining CERN, Poland inaugurated its first exhibition at CERN in 1995 in the presence of the former Director-General Chris Llewellyn-Smith. Almost all the Member States have held industrial exhibitions at the Organization. May '68 wasn't only revolutionary in Paris. For the very first time, an industrial exhibition took place at CERN. Great Britain was first to come with eight companies and remains until this day the most devoted country to the programme with 17 exhibitions and ...

Memory and Mourning: An Exhibit History

Science.gov (United States)

Eberle, Scott G.

2005-01-01

Mounted by the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York, in 1993, and traveling nationally thereafter, the exhibit Memory and Mourning provided historical and contemporary perspectives to help museum guests explore their own reactions to loss and grief. In the process the exhibit's development team encountered a range of philosophical, historical,…

Towards understanding the first genome sequence of a crenarchaeon by genome annotation using clusters of orthologous groups of proteins (COGs).

Science.gov (United States)

Natale, D A; Shankavaram, U T; Galperin, M Y; Wolf, Y I; Aravind, L; Koonin, E V

2000-01-01

Standard archival sequence databases have not been designed as tools for genome annotation and are far from being optimal for this purpose. We used the database of Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs) to reannotate the genomes of two archaea, Aeropyrum pernix, the first member of the Crenarchaea to be sequenced, and Pyrococcus abyssi. A. pernix and P. abyssi proteins were assigned to COGs using the COGNITOR program; the results were verified on a case-by-case basis and augmented by additional database searches using the PSI-BLAST and TBLASTN programs. Functions were predicted for over 300 proteins from A. pernix, which could not be assigned a function using conventional methods with a conservative sequence similarity threshold, an approximately 50% increase compared to the original annotation. A. pernix shares most of the conserved core of proteins that were previously identified in the Euryarchaeota. Cluster analysis or distance matrix tree construction based on the co-occurrence of genomes in COGs showed that A. pernix forms a distinct group within the archaea, although grouping with the two species of Pyrococci, indicative of similar repertoires of conserved genes, was observed. No indication of a specific relationship between Crenarchaeota and eukaryotes was obtained in these analyses. Several proteins that are conserved in Euryarchaeota and most bacteria are unexpectedly missing in A. pernix, including the entire set of de novo purine biosynthesis enzymes, the GTPase FtsZ (a key component of the bacterial and euryarchaeal cell-division machinery), and the tRNA-specific pseudouridine synthase, previously considered universal. A. pernix is represented in 48 COGs that do not contain any euryarchaeal members. Many of these proteins are TCA cycle and electron transport chain enzymes, reflecting the aerobic lifestyle of A. pernix. Special-purpose databases organized on the basis of phylogenetic analysis and carefully curated with respect to known and

Fifty years of coiled-coils and alpha-helical bundles: a close relationship between sequence and structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Parry, David A D; Fraser, R D Bruce; Squire, John M

2008-09-01

alpha-Helical coiled coils are remarkable for the diversity of related conformations that they adopt in both fibrous and globular proteins, and for the range of functions that they exhibit. The coiled coils are based on a heptad (7-residue), hendecad (11-residue) or a related quasi-repeat of apolar residues in the sequences of the alpha-helical regions involved. Most of these, however, display one or more sequence discontinuities known as stutters or stammers. The resulting coiled coils vary in length, in the number of chains participating, in the relative polarity of the contributing alpha-helical regions (parallel or antiparallel), and in the pitch length and handedness of the supercoil (left- or right-handed). Functionally, the concept that a coiled coil can act only as a static rod is no longer valid, and the range of roles that these structures have now been shown to exhibit has expanded rapidly in recent years. An important development has been the recognition that the delightful simplicity that exists between sequence and structure, and between structure and function, allows coiled coils with specialized features to be designed de novo.

StralSV: assessment of sequence variability within similar 3D structures and application to polio RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zemla, A; Lang, D; Kostova, T; Andino, R; Zhou, C

2010-11-29

Most of the currently used methods for protein function prediction rely on sequence-based comparisons between a query protein and those for which a functional annotation is provided. A serious limitation of sequence similarity-based approaches for identifying residue conservation among proteins is the low confidence in assigning residue-residue correspondences among proteins when the level of sequence identity between the compared proteins is poor. Multiple sequence alignment methods are more satisfactory - still, they cannot provide reliable results at low levels of sequence identity. Our goal in the current work was to develop an algorithm that could overcome these difficulties and facilitate the identification of structurally (and possibly functionally) relevant residue-residue correspondences between compared protein structures. Here we present StralSV, a new algorithm for detecting closely related structure fragments and quantifying residue frequency from tight local structure alignments. We apply StralSV in a study of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of poliovirus and demonstrate that the algorithm can be used to determine regions of the protein that are relatively unique or that shared structural similarity with structures that are distantly related. By quantifying residue frequencies among many residue-residue pairs extracted from local alignments, one can infer potential structural or functional importance of specific residues that are determined to be highly conserved or that deviate from a consensus. We further demonstrate that considerable detailed structural and phylogenetic information can be derived from StralSV analyses. StralSV is a new structure-based algorithm for identifying and aligning structure fragments that have similarity to a reference protein. StralSV analysis can be used to quantify residue-residue correspondences and identify residues that may be of particular structural or functional importance, as well as unusual or unexpected

The unexpected stability of multiwall nanotubes under high pressure and shear deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pashkin, E. Y.; Pankov, A. M.; Kulnitskiy, B. A.; Mordkovich, V. Z.; Perezhogin, I. A.; Karaeva, A. R.; Popov, M. Y.; Sorokin, P. B.; Blank, V. D.

2016-01-01

The behavior of multiwall carbon nanotubes under a high pressure (up to 55 GPa) combined with shear deformation was studied by experimental and theoretical methods. The unexpectedly high stability of the nanotubes' structure under high stresses was observed. After the pressure was released, we observed that the nanotubes had restored their shapes. Atomistic simulations show that the hydrostatic and shear stresses affect the nanotubes' structure in a different way. It was found that the shear stress load in the multiwall nanotubes' outer walls can induce their connection and formation of an amorphized sp"3-hybridized region but internal core keeps the tubular structure.

The unexpected stability of multiwall nanotubes under high pressure and shear deformation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pashkin, E. Y.; Pankov, A. M.; Kulnitskiy, B. A.; Mordkovich, V. Z. [Technological Institute for Superhard and Novel Carbon Materials, 7a Centralnaya Street, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutsky Lane, Dolgoprudny 141700 (Russian Federation); Perezhogin, I. A. [Technological Institute for Superhard and Novel Carbon Materials, 7a Centralnaya Street, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Karaeva, A. R. [Technological Institute for Superhard and Novel Carbon Materials, 7a Centralnaya Street, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Popov, M. Y.; Sorokin, P. B.; Blank, V. D. [Technological Institute for Superhard and Novel Carbon Materials, 7a Centralnaya Street, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutsky Lane, Dolgoprudny 141700 (Russian Federation); National University of Science and Technology MISiS, 4 Leninskiy Prospekt, Moscow 119049 (Russian Federation)

2016-08-22

The behavior of multiwall carbon nanotubes under a high pressure (up to 55 GPa) combined with shear deformation was studied by experimental and theoretical methods. The unexpectedly high stability of the nanotubes' structure under high stresses was observed. After the pressure was released, we observed that the nanotubes had restored their shapes. Atomistic simulations show that the hydrostatic and shear stresses affect the nanotubes' structure in a different way. It was found that the shear stress load in the multiwall nanotubes' outer walls can induce their connection and formation of an amorphized sp{sup 3}-hybridized region but internal core keeps the tubular structure.

Electrocardiographic features of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chyou, Janice Y; Friedman, Daniel; Cerrone, Marina; Slater, William; Guo, Yu; Taupin, Daniel; O'Rourke, Sean; Priori, Silvia G; Devinsky, Orrin

2016-07-01

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most common cause of epilepsy-related mortality. We hypothesized that electrocardiography (ECG) features may distinguish SUDEP cases from living subjects with epilepsy. Using a matched case-control design, we compared ECG studies of 12 consecutive cases of SUDEP over 10 years and 22 epilepsy controls matched for age, sex, epilepsy type (focal, generalized, or unknown/mixed type), concomitant antiepileptic, and psychotropic drug classes. Conduction intervals and prevalence of abnormal ventricular conduction diagnosis (QRS ≥110 msec), abnormal ventricular conduction pattern (QRS <110 msec, morphology of incomplete right or left bundle branch block or intraventricular conduction delay), early repolarization, and features of inherited cardiac channelopathies were assessed. Abnormal ventricular conduction diagnosis and pattern distinguished SUDEP cases from matched controls. Abnormal ventricular conduction diagnosis was present in two cases and no controls. Abnormal ventricular conduction pattern was more common in cases than controls (58% vs. 18%, p = 0.04). Early repolarization was similarly prevalent in cases and controls, but the overall prevalence exceeded that of published community-based cohorts. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

CERN exhibition a big hit in Bulgaria

CERN Multimedia

2005-01-01

The first CERN exhibition in Bulgaria attracted many visitors. In the first ever CERN exhibition to be held in Bulgaria, over 1,400 visitors, many of them students and young physicists, visited the 10-day event in Sofia. The CERN mini-exhibition took place at the National Earth and Mankind Museum between 8 and 17 November. Permanently staffed by young physicists from Sofia University, there were exhibits on display about research activities at CERN, as well as four additional posters describing Bulgaria's participation. The inauguration took place on the morning of 8 November in the presence of the Vice-Minister for Science and Education, Mrs. Vanya Dobreva, and some 200 guests. A series of short speeches were followed by a visit to the exhibition. CERN's representative at the event, Ray Lewis, was then asked by Professor Matey Mateev, President of the Union of Physicists in Bulgaria, to say a few words on behalf of the Organization. Numerous journalists were also present at the inauguration. A painting enti...

CERN’s travelling exhibition goes to Austria

CERN Multimedia

Mélissa Lanaro

2011-01-01

Since April 2009 CERN’s travelling exhibition has been touring through some of the Organization's Member States. After Italy and Denmark it has been on show since February at Austria’s Hartberg Ökopark, a very popular science museum situated some one hundred kilometres from Vienna. To coincide with the CERN exhibition, Austria’s scientific community has organised a series of events for the general public which have had marked success. The exhibition's next destination will be Portugal and preparations are already underway to ensure that it is another resounding success   The travelling exhibition was designed in collaboration with the University of Geneva, as part of the celebrations for its 450th anniversary, and has already notched up a good number of kilometres as it travels from country to country. “In 2010 the exhibition already had around 55,000 visitors,” explains Rolf Landua, who heads the Education Group. Since its inauguration ...

“Accelerating Science” exhibition zooms to Turkey

CERN Multimedia

Joannah Caborn Wengler

2012-01-01

'Accelerating Science', CERN’s travelling science outreach exhibition, has just arrived at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey for a four-month stay there. This is the first time it has moved outside the circle of the Member States. The Turkish venue will inaugurate some new exhibits that have recently been developed by CERN’s software developers.   “It’s been a very busy day,” says Bilge Demirkoz, an associate professor of physics at METU and a member of AMS-02, who had been overseeing the unloading of the lorries when we spoke to her. “As the University doesn’t have a specific exhibition space, the CERN exhibits are going to be housed in the covered tennis courts just behind the cultural and congress centre. It’s a beautiful venue, and there are plenty of parking spaces.” The University has sent invitations to the exhibition to high schools and to about 100 ...

Kismeth: Analyzer of plant methylation states through bisulfite sequencing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martienssen Robert A

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is great interest in probing the temporal and spatial patterns of cytosine methylation states in genomes of a variety of organisms. It is hoped that this will shed light on the biological roles of DNA methylation in the epigenetic control of gene expression. Bisulfite sequencing refers to the treatment of isolated DNA with sodium bisulfite to convert unmethylated cytosine to uracil, with PCR converting the uracil to thymidine followed by sequencing of the resultant DNA to detect DNA methylation. For the study of DNA methylation, plants provide an excellent model system, since they can tolerate major changes in their DNA methylation patterns and have long been studied for the effects of DNA methylation on transposons and epimutations. However, in contrast to the situation in animals, there aren't many tools that analyze bisulfite data in plants, which can exhibit methylation of cytosines in a variety of sequence contexts (CG, CHG, and CHH. Results Kismeth http://katahdin.mssm.edu/kismeth is a web-based tool for bisulfite sequencing analysis. Kismeth was designed to be used with plants, since it considers potential cytosine methylation in any sequence context (CG, CHG, and CHH. It provides a tool for the design of bisulfite primers as well as several tools for the analysis of the bisulfite sequencing results. Kismeth is not limited to data from plants, as it can be used with data from any species. Conclusion Kismeth simplifies bisulfite sequencing analysis. It is the only publicly available tool for the design of bisulfite primers for plants, and one of the few tools for the analysis of methylation patterns in plants. It facilitates analysis at both global and local scales, demonstrated in the examples cited in the text, allowing dissection of the genetic pathways involved in DNA methylation. Kismeth can also be used to study methylation states in different tissues and disease cells compared to a reference sequence.

Phylogeny of the Serrasalmidae (Characiformes based on mitochondrial DNA sequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillermo Ortí

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Previous studies based on DNA sequences of mitochondrial (mt rRNA genes showed three main groups within the subfamily Serrasalminae: (1 a "pacu" clade of herbivores (Colossoma, Mylossoma, Piaractus; (2 the "Myleus" clade (Myleus, Mylesinus, Tometes, Ossubtus; and (3 the "piranha" clade (Serrasalmus, Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, Pristobrycon, Catoprion, Metynnis. The genus Acnodon was placed as the sister taxon of clade (2+3. However, poor resolution within each clade was obtained due to low levels of variation among rRNA gene sequences. Complete sequences of the hypervariable mtDNA control region for a total of 45 taxa, and additional sequences of 12S and 16S rRNA from a total of 74 taxa representing all genera in the family are now presented to address intragroup relationships. Control region sequences of several serrasalmid species exhibit tandem repeats of short motifs (12 to 33 bp in the 3' end of this region, accounting for substantial length variation. Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony analyses of these sequences identify the same groupings as before and provide further evidence to support the following observations: (a Serrasalmus gouldingi and species of Pristobrycon (non-striolatus form a monophyletic group that is the sister group to other species of Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus; (b Catoprion, Pygopristis, and Pristobrycon striolatus form a well supported clade, sister to the group described above; (c some taxa assigned to the genus Myloplus (M. asterias, M tiete, M ternetzi, and M rubripinnis form a well supported group whereas other Myloplus species remain with uncertain affinities (d Mylesinus, Tometes and Myleus setiger form a monophyletic group.

Maximum-Entropy Models of Sequenced Immune Repertoires Predict Antigen-Antibody Affinity.

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Lorenzo Asti

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The immune system has developed a number of distinct complex mechanisms to shape and control the antibody repertoire. One of these mechanisms, the affinity maturation process, works in an evolutionary-like fashion: after binding to a foreign molecule, the antibody-producing B-cells exhibit a high-frequency mutation rate in the genome region that codes for the antibody active site. Eventually, cells that produce antibodies with higher affinity for their cognate antigen are selected and clonally expanded. Here, we propose a new statistical approach based on maximum entropy modeling in which a scoring function related to the binding affinity of antibodies against a specific antigen is inferred from a sample of sequences of the immune repertoire of an individual. We use our inference strategy to infer a statistical model on a data set obtained by sequencing a fairly large portion of the immune repertoire of an HIV-1 infected patient. The Pearson correlation coefficient between our scoring function and the IC50 neutralization titer measured on 30 different antibodies of known sequence is as high as 0.77 (p-value 10-6, outperforming other sequence- and structure-based models.

Cloning and sequence analysis of serine proteinase of Gloydius ussuriensis venom gland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Dejun; Liu Shanshan; Yang Chunwei; Zhao Yizhuo; Chang Shufang; Yan Weiqun

2005-01-01

Objective: To construct a cDNA library by using mRNA from Gloydius ussuriensis (G. Ussuriensis) venom gland, to clone and analyze serine proteinase gene from the cDNA library. Methods: Total RNA was isolated from venom gland of G. ussuriensis, mRNA was purified by using mRNA isolation Kit. The whole length cDNA was synthesized by means of smart cDNA synthesis strategy, and amplified by long distance PCR procedure, lately cDAN was cloned into vector pBluescrip-sk. The recombinant cDNA was transformed into E. coli DH5α. The cDNA of serine proteinase gene in the venom gland of G. ussuriensis was detected and amplified using the in situ hybridization. The cDNA fragment was inserted into pGEMT vector, cloned and its nucleotide sequence was determined. Results: The capacity of cDNA library of venom gland was above 2.3 x 10 6 . Its open reading frame was composed of 702 nucleotides and coded a protein pre-zymogen of 234 amino acids. It contained 12 cysteine residues. The sequence analysis indicated that the deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA fragment shared high identity with the thrombin-like enzyme genes of other snakes in the GenBank. the query sequence exhibited strong amino acid sequence homology of 85% to the serine proteas of T. gramineus, thrombin-like serine proteinase I of D. acutus and serine protease catroxase II of C. atrox respectively. Based on the amino acid sequences of other thrombin-like enzymes, the catalytic residues and disulfide bridges of this thrombin-like enzyme were deduced as follows: catalytic residues, His 41 , Asp 86 , Ser 180 ; and six disulfide bridges Cys 7 -Cys 139 , Cys 26 -Cys 42 , Cys 74 -Cys 232 , Cys 118 -Cys 186 , Cys 150 -Cys 165 , Cys 176 -Cys 201 . Conclusion: The capacity of cDNA library of venom gland is above 2.3 x 10 6 , overtop the level of 10 5 capicity. The constructed cDNA library of G. ussuriensis venom gland would be helpful platform to detect new target genes and further gene manipulate. The cloned serine

Metatranscriptomic analysis of a high-sulfide aquatic spring reveals insights into sulfur cycling and unexpected aerobic metabolism

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Anne M. Spain

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Zodletone spring is a sulfide-rich spring in southwestern Oklahoma characterized by shallow, microoxic, light-exposed spring water overlaying anoxic sediments. Previously, culture-independent 16S rRNA gene based diversity surveys have revealed that Zodletone spring source sediments harbor a highly diverse microbial community, with multiple lineages putatively involved in various sulfur-cycling processes. Here, we conducted a metatranscriptomic survey of microbial populations in Zodletone spring source sediments to characterize the relative prevalence and importance of putative phototrophic, chemolithotrophic, and heterotrophic microorganisms in the sulfur cycle, the identity of lineages actively involved in various sulfur cycling processes, and the interaction between sulfur cycling and other geochemical processes at the spring source. Sediment samples at the spring’s source were taken at three different times within a 24-h period for geochemical analyses and RNA sequencing. In depth mining of datasets for sulfur cycling transcripts revealed major sulfur cycling pathways and taxa involved, including an unexpected potential role of Actinobacteria in sulfide oxidation and thiosulfate transformation. Surprisingly, transcripts coding for the cyanobacterial Photosystem II D1 protein, methane monooxygenase, and terminal cytochrome oxidases were encountered, indicating that genes for oxygen production and aerobic modes of metabolism are actively being transcribed, despite below-detectable levels (<1 µM of oxygen in source sediment. Results highlight transcripts involved in sulfur, methane, and oxygen cycles, propose that oxygenic photosynthesis could support aerobic methane and sulfide oxidation in anoxic sediments exposed to sunlight, and provide a viewpoint of microbial metabolic lifestyles under conditions similar to those seen during late Archaean and Proterozoic eons.

"Big Science" exhibition at Balexert

CERN Multimedia

2008-01-01

CERN is going out to meet those members of the general public who were unable to attend the recent Open Day. The Laboratory will be taking its "Big Science" exhibition from the Globe of Science and Innovation to the Balexert shopping centre from 19 to 31 May 2008. The exhibition, which shows the LHC and its experiments through the eyes of a photographer, features around thirty spectacular photographs measuring 4.5 metres high and 2.5 metres wide. Welcomed and guided around the exhibition by CERN volunteers, shoppers at Balexert will also have the opportunity to discover LHC components on display and watch films. "Fun with Physics" workshops will be held at certain times of the day. Main hall of the Balexert shopping centre, ground floor, from 9.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the two Saturdays. Call for volunteers All members of the CERN personnel are invited to enrol as volunteers to help welcom...

Sequence comparison of prefrontal cortical brain transcriptome from a tame and an aggressive silver fox (Vulpes vulpes

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Sun Qi

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Two strains of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes, with markedly different behavioral phenotypes, have been developed by long-term selection for behavior. Foxes from the tame strain exhibit friendly behavior towards humans, paralleling the sociability of canine puppies, whereas foxes from the aggressive strain are defensive and exhibit aggression to humans. To understand the genetic differences underlying these behavioral phenotypes fox-specific genomic resources are needed. Results cDNA from mRNA from pre-frontal cortex of a tame and an aggressive fox was sequenced using the Roche 454 FLX Titanium platform (> 2.5 million reads & 0.9 Gbase of tame fox sequence; >3.3 million reads & 1.2 Gbase of aggressive fox sequence. Over 80% of the fox reads were assembled into contigs. Mapping fox reads against the fox transcriptome assembly and the dog genome identified over 30,000 high confidence fox-specific SNPs. Fox transcripts for approximately 14,000 genes were identified using SwissProt and the dog RefSeq databases. An at least 2-fold expression difference between the two samples (p Conclusions Transcriptome sequencing significantly expanded genomic resources available for the fox, a species without a sequenced genome. In a very cost efficient manner this yielded a large number of fox-specific SNP markers for genetic studies and provided significant insights into the gene expression profile of the fox pre-frontal cortex; expression differences between the two fox samples; and a catalogue of potentially important gene-specific sequence variants. This result demonstrates the utility of this approach for developing genomic resources in species with limited genomic information.

Sequence comparison of prefrontal cortical brain transcriptome from a tame and an aggressive silver fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Two strains of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes), with markedly different behavioral phenotypes, have been developed by long-term selection for behavior. Foxes from the tame strain exhibit friendly behavior towards humans, paralleling the sociability of canine puppies, whereas foxes from the aggressive strain are defensive and exhibit aggression to humans. To understand the genetic differences underlying these behavioral phenotypes fox-specific genomic resources are needed. Results cDNA from mRNA from pre-frontal cortex of a tame and an aggressive fox was sequenced using the Roche 454 FLX Titanium platform (> 2.5 million reads & 0.9 Gbase of tame fox sequence; >3.3 million reads & 1.2 Gbase of aggressive fox sequence). Over 80% of the fox reads were assembled into contigs. Mapping fox reads against the fox transcriptome assembly and the dog genome identified over 30,000 high confidence fox-specific SNPs. Fox transcripts for approximately 14,000 genes were identified using SwissProt and the dog RefSeq databases. An at least 2-fold expression difference between the two samples (p fox transcriptome. Conclusions Transcriptome sequencing significantly expanded genomic resources available for the fox, a species without a sequenced genome. In a very cost efficient manner this yielded a large number of fox-specific SNP markers for genetic studies and provided significant insights into the gene expression profile of the fox pre-frontal cortex; expression differences between the two fox samples; and a catalogue of potentially important gene-specific sequence variants. This result demonstrates the utility of this approach for developing genomic resources in species with limited genomic information. PMID:21967120

Data on genome sequencing, analysis and annotation of a pathogenic Bacillus cereus 062011msu

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Rashmi Rathy

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Bacillus species 062011 msu is a harmful pathogenic strain responsible for causing abscessation in sheep and goat population studied by Mariappan et al. (2012 [1]. The organism specifically targets the female sheep and goat population and results in the reduction of milk and meat production. In the present study, we have performed the whole genome sequencing of the pathogenic isolate using the Ion Torrent sequencing platform and generated 458,944 raw reads with an average length of 198.2 bp. The genome sequence was assembled, annotated and analysed for the genetic islands, metabolic pathways, orthologous groups, virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes associated with the pathogen. Simultaneously the 16S rRNA sequencing study and genome sequence comparison data confirmed that the strain belongs to the species Bacillus cereus and exhibits 99% sequence homo;logy with the genomes of B. cereus ATCC 10987 and B. cereus FRI-35. Hence, we have renamed the organism as Bacillus cereus 062011msu. The Whole Genome Shotgun (WGS project has been deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession NTMF00000000 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA404036(SAMN07629099. Keywords: Bacillus cereus, Genome sequencing, Abscessation, Virulence factors

Efficient use of unlabeled data for protein sequence classification: a comparative study.

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Kuksa, Pavel; Huang, Pai-Hsi; Pavlovic, Vladimir

2009-04-29

Recent studies in computational primary protein sequence analysis have leveraged the power of unlabeled data. For example, predictive models based on string kernels trained on sequences known to belong to particular folds or superfamilies, the so-called labeled data set, can attain significantly improved accuracy if this data is supplemented with protein sequences that lack any class tags-the unlabeled data. In this study, we present a principled and biologically motivated computational framework that more effectively exploits the unlabeled data by only using the sequence regions that are more likely to be biologically relevant for better prediction accuracy. As overly-represented sequences in large uncurated databases may bias the estimation of computational models that rely on unlabeled data, we also propose a method to remove this bias and improve performance of the resulting classifiers. Combined with state-of-the-art string kernels, our proposed computational framework achieves very accurate semi-supervised protein remote fold and homology detection on three large unlabeled databases. It outperforms current state-of-the-art methods and exhibits significant reduction in running time. The unlabeled sequences used under the semi-supervised setting resemble the unpolished gemstones; when used as-is, they may carry unnecessary features and hence compromise the classification accuracy but once cut and polished, they improve the accuracy of the classifiers considerably.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Attentional Disengagement from Visually Unique and Unexpected Items at Fixation

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Brockmole, James R.; Boot, Walter R.

2009-01-01

Distinctive aspects of a scene can capture attention even when they are irrelevant to one's goals. The authors address whether visually unique, unexpected, but task-irrelevant features also tend to hold attention. Observers searched through displays in which the color of each item was irrelevant. At the start of search, all objects changed color.…

Effects of Muscle Fatigue, Creep, and Musculoskeletal Pain on Neuromuscular Responses to Unexpected Perturbation of the Trunk: A Systematic Review.

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Abboud, Jacques; Lardon, Arnaud; Boivin, Frédéric; Dugas, Claude; Descarreaux, Martin

2016-01-01

Introduction: Trunk neuromuscular responses have been shown to adapt under the influence of muscle fatigue, as well as spinal tissue creep or even with the presence of low back pain (LBP). Despite a large number of studies exploring how these external perturbations affect the spinal stability, characteristics of such adaptations remains unclear. Aim: The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the quality of evidence of studies investigating trunk neuromuscular responses to unexpected trunk perturbation. More specifically, the targeted neuromuscular responses were trunk muscle activity reflex and trunk kinematics under the influence of muscle fatigue, spinal creep, and musculoskeletal pain. Methods: A research of the literature was conducted in Pubmed, Embase, and Sport-Discus databases using terms related to trunk neuromuscular reflex responses, measured by electromyography (baseline activity, reflex latency, and reflex amplitude) and/or trunk kinematic, in context of unexpected external perturbation. Moreover, independent variables must be either trunk muscle fatigue or spinal tissue creep or LBP. All included articles were scored for their electromyography methodology based on the "Surface Electromyography for the Non-Invasive Assessment of Muscles (SENIAM)" and the "International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology (ISEK)" recommendations whereas overall quality of articles was scored using a specific quality checklist modified from the Quality Index. Meta-analysis was performed on reflex latency variable. Results: A final set of 29 articles underwent quality assessments. The mean quality score was 79%. No effect of muscle fatigue on erector spinae reflex latency following an unexpected perturbation, nor any other distinctive effects was found for back muscle fatigue and reflex parameters. As for spinal tissue creep effects, no alteration was found for any of the trunk reflex variables. Finally, the meta-analysis revealed an increased erector

Comparative genomic sequence analysis of strawberry and other rosids reveals significant microsynteny

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Abbott Albert

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fragaria belongs to the Rosaceae, an economically important family that includes a number of important fruit producing genera such as Malus and Prunus. Using genomic sequences from 50 Fragaria fosmids, we have examined the microsynteny between Fragaria and other plant models. Results In more than half of the strawberry fosmids, we found syntenic regions that are conserved in Populus, Vitis, Medicago and/or Arabidopsis with Populus containing the greatest number of syntenic regions with Fragaria. The longest syntenic region was between LG VIII of the poplar genome and the strawberry fosmid 72E18, where seven out of twelve predicted genes were collinear. We also observed an unexpectedly high level of conserved synteny between Fragaria (rosid I and Vitis (basal rosid. One of the strawberry fosmids, 34E24, contained a cluster of R gene analogs (RGAs with NBS and LRR domains. We detected clusters of RGAs with high sequence similarity to those in 34E24 in all the genomes compared. In the phylogenetic tree we have generated, all the NBS-LRR genes grouped together with Arabidopsis CNL-A type NBS-LRR genes. The Fragaria RGA grouped together with those of Vitis and Populus in the phylogenetic tree. Conclusions Our analysis shows considerable microsynteny between Fragaria and other plant genomes such as Populus, Medicago, Vitis, and Arabidopsis to a lesser degree. We also detected a cluster of NBS-LRR type genes that are conserved in all the genomes compared.

The simple beauty of the unexpected a natural philosopher's quest for trout and the meaning of everything

CERN Document Server

Gleiser, Marcelo

2016-01-01

Marcelo Gleiser has had a passion for science and fishing since he was a boy growing up on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Now a world-famous theoretical physicist with hundreds of scientific articles and several books of popular science to his credit, he felt it was time to connect with nature in less theoretical ways. After seeing a fly-fishing class on the Dartmouth College green, he decided to learn to fly-fish, a hobby, he says, that teaches humility. In The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected, Gleiser travels the world to scientific conferences, fishing wherever he goes. At each stop, he ponders how in the myriad ways physics informs the act of fishing; how, in its turn, fishing serves as a lens into nature s inner workings; and how science engages with questions of meaning and spirituality, inspiring a sense of mystery and awe of the not yet known. Personal and engaging, The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected is a scientist s tribute to nature, an affirmation of humanity s deep connection with and debt to Eart...

Optical phase dynamics in mutually coupled diode laser systems exhibiting power synchronization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pal, Vishwa; Ghosh, R; Prasad, Awadhesh

2011-01-01

We probe the physical mechanism behind the known phenomenon of power synchronization of two diode lasers that are mutually coupled via their delayed optical fields. In a diode laser, the amplitude and the phase of the optical field are coupled by the so-called linewidth enhancement factor, α. In this work, we explore the role of optical phases of the electric fields in amplitude (and hence power) synchronization through α in such mutually delay-coupled diode laser systems. Our numerical results show that the synchronization of optical phases drives the powers of lasers to synchronized death regimes. We also find that as α varies for different diode lasers, the system goes through a sequence of in-phase amplitude-death states. Within the windows between successive amplitude-death regions, the cross-correlation between the field amplitudes exhibits a universal power-law behaviour with respect to α.

Quantum-Sequencing: Fast electronic single DNA molecule sequencing

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Casamada Ribot, Josep; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

2014-03-01

A major goal of third-generation sequencing technologies is to develop a fast, reliable, enzyme-free, high-throughput and cost-effective, single-molecule sequencing method. Here, we present the first demonstration of unique ``electronic fingerprint'' of all nucleotides (A, G, T, C), with single-molecule DNA sequencing, using Quantum-tunneling Sequencing (Q-Seq) at room temperature. We show that the electronic state of the nucleobases shift depending on the pH, with most distinct states identified at acidic pH. We also demonstrate identification of single nucleotide modifications (methylation here). Using these unique electronic fingerprints (or tunneling data), we report a partial sequence of beta lactamase (bla) gene, which encodes resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, with over 95% success rate. These results highlight the potential of Q-Seq as a robust technique for next-generation sequencing.

Cofactor-binding sites in proteins of deviating sequence: comparative analysis and clustering in torsion angle, cavity, and fold space.

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Stegemann, Björn; Klebe, Gerhard

2012-02-01

Small molecules are recognized in protein-binding pockets through surface-exposed physicochemical properties. To optimize binding, they have to adopt a conformation corresponding to a local energy minimum within the formed protein-ligand complex. However, their conformational flexibility makes them competent to bind not only to homologous proteins of the same family but also to proteins of remote similarity with respect to the shape of the binding pockets and folding pattern. Considering drug action, such observations can give rise to unexpected and undesired cross reactivity. In this study, datasets of six different cofactors (ADP, ATP, NAD(P)(H), FAD, and acetyl CoA, sharing an adenosine diphosphate moiety as common substructure), observed in multiple crystal structures of protein-cofactor complexes exhibiting sequence identity below 25%, have been analyzed for the conformational properties of the bound ligands, the distribution of physicochemical properties in the accommodating protein-binding pockets, and the local folding patterns next to the cofactor-binding site. State-of-the-art clustering techniques have been applied to group the different protein-cofactor complexes in the different spaces. Interestingly, clustering in cavity (Cavbase) and fold space (DALI) reveals virtually the same data structuring. Remarkable relationships can be found among the different spaces. They provide information on how conformations are conserved across the host proteins and which distinct local cavity and fold motifs recognize the different portions of the cofactors. In those cases, where different cofactors are found to be accommodated in a similar fashion to the same fold motifs, only a commonly shared substructure of the cofactors is used for the recognition process. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multimodal sequence learning.

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Kemény, Ferenc; Meier, Beat

2016-02-01

While sequence learning research models complex phenomena, previous studies have mostly focused on unimodal sequences. The goal of the current experiment is to put implicit sequence learning into a multimodal context: to test whether it can operate across different modalities. We used the Task Sequence Learning paradigm to test whether sequence learning varies across modalities, and whether participants are able to learn multimodal sequences. Our results show that implicit sequence learning is very similar regardless of the source modality. However, the presence of correlated task and response sequences was required for learning to take place. The experiment provides new evidence for implicit sequence learning of abstract conceptual representations. In general, the results suggest that correlated sequences are necessary for implicit sequence learning to occur. Moreover, they show that elements from different modalities can be automatically integrated into one unitary multimodal sequence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A sequence-based survey of the complex structural organization of tumor genomes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, Colin; Raphael, Benjamin J.; Volik, Stanislav; Yu, Peng; Wu, Chunxiao; Huang, Guiqing; Linardopoulou, Elena V.; Trask, Barbara J.; Waldman, Frederic; Costello, Joseph; Pienta, Kenneth J.; Mills, Gordon B.; Bajsarowicz, Krystyna; Kobayashi, Yasuko; Sridharan, Shivaranjani; Paris, Pamela; Tao, Quanzhou; Aerni, Sarah J.; Brown, Raymond P.; Bashir, Ali; Gray, Joe W.; Cheng, Jan-Fang; de Jong, Pieter; Nefedov, Mikhail; Ried, Thomas; Padilla-Nash, Hesed M.; Collins, Colin C.

2008-04-03

The genomes of many epithelial tumors exhibit extensive chromosomal rearrangements. All classes of genome rearrangements can be identified using End Sequencing Profiling (ESP), which relies on paired-end sequencing of cloned tumor genomes. In this study, brain, breast, ovary and prostate tumors along with three breast cancer cell lines were surveyed with ESP yielding the largest available collection of sequence-ready tumor genome breakpoints and providing evidence that some rearrangements may be recurrent. Sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) confirmed translocations and complex tumor genome structures that include coamplification and packaging of disparate genomic loci with associated molecular heterogeneity. Comparison of the tumor genomes suggests recurrent rearrangements. Some are likely to be novel structural polymorphisms, whereas others may be bona fide somatic rearrangements. A recurrent fusion transcript in breast tumors and a constitutional fusion transcript resulting from a segmental duplication were identified. Analysis of end sequences for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) revealed candidate somatic mutations and an elevated rate of novel SNPs in an ovarian tumor. These results suggest that the genomes of many epithelial tumors may be far more dynamic and complex than previously appreciated and that genomic fusions including fusion transcripts and proteins may be common, possibly yielding tumor-specific biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Development of C-lignin with G/S-lignin and lipids in orchid seed coats – an unexpected diversity exposed by ATR-FT-IR spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barsberg, Søren Talbro; Lee, Y.-I.; Rasmussen, Hanne Nina

2018-01-01

Cite this article: Barsberg ST, Lee Y-I, Rasmussen HN. Development of C-lignin with G/S-lignin and lipids in orchid seed coats – an unexpected diversity exposed by ATR-FT-IR spectroscopy. Seed Science Research https:// doi.org/10.1017/S0960258517000344......Cite this article: Barsberg ST, Lee Y-I, Rasmussen HN. Development of C-lignin with G/S-lignin and lipids in orchid seed coats – an unexpected diversity exposed by ATR-FT-IR spectroscopy. Seed Science Research https:// doi.org/10.1017/S0960258517000344...

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy: A Retrospective Autopsy Study of 112 Epileptic Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Esen Melez, İpek; Arslan, Murat Nihat; Melez, Deniz Oğuzhan; Şanli, Ahmet Necati; Koç, Sermet

2017-09-01

Sudden unexpected deaths comprise the most important and worthy investigation case profiles in both neurology and forensic medicine. Epilepsy, which is one of the neuropathological causes of sudden unexpected deaths, is an important disorder having mysterious aspects. The aim of this study is to make common the points of view between neurology and forensic medicine experts and to discuss the features of the findings together with the related clinical hypotheses, leading to the differential diagnosis of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) by presenting autopsy findings and available medical data of patients who had a prior diagnosis of epilepsy. In Istanbul, the cases of 20334 autopsied patients who were referred to The Ministry of Justice Council of Forensic Medicine between 2007 and 2011 were identified from the complete forensic autopsy data of the city and were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who had a prior diagnosis of epilepsy were included. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed through the parameters of demographical data, physical properties, incident features, macroscopic-microscopic autopsy findings, and cause of death initially for all cases and then separately for SUDEP cases. Among the 20334 patients, 112 were determined to have a prior diagnosis of epilepsy. A possible macroscopic and/or microscopic epileptic focus was present in 23 (20.5%) of these 112 cases. The cause of death was determined to be SUDEP in 40 (35.7%) cases, while it could not be determined in 28 (25%) cases. Among patients whose death cause was considered as SUDEP, the male-to-female ratio was 1.1:1, while the mean age was 31.5±13.9 years in males and 29.6±12.9 years in females. The presence of hypertrophy and myocardial scar tissue findings in the microscopic examination were significantly more frequent among patients determined to have died from cardiovascular diseases compared to patients in the SUDEP group (p=0.001 for each finding

Accurate and High-Coverage Immune Repertoire Sequencing Reveals Characteristics of Antibody Repertoire Diversification in Young Children with Malaria

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Ning

Accurately measuring the immune repertoire sequence composition, diversity, and abundance is important in studying repertoire response in infections, vaccinations, and cancer immunology. Using molecular identifiers (MIDs) to tag mRNA molecules is an effective method in improving the accuracy of immune repertoire sequencing (IR-seq). However, it is still difficult to use IR-seq on small amount of clinical samples to achieve a high coverage of the repertoire diversities. This is especially challenging in studying infections and vaccinations where B cell subpopulations with fewer cells, such as memory B cells or plasmablasts, are often of great interest to study somatic mutation patterns and diversity changes. Here, we describe an approach of IR-seq based on the use of MIDs in combination with a clustering method that can reveal more than 80% of the antibody diversity in a sample and can be applied to as few as 1,000 B cells. We applied this to study the antibody repertoires of young children before and during an acute malaria infection. We discovered unexpectedly high levels of somatic hypermutation (SHM) in infants and revealed characteristics of antibody repertoire development in young children that would have a profound impact on immunization in children.

Language and music: differential hemispheric dominance in detecting unexpected errors in the lyrics and melody of memorized songs.

Science.gov (United States)

Yasui, Takuya; Kaga, Kimitaka; Sakai, Kuniyoshi L

2009-02-01

Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we report here the hemispheric dominance of the auditory cortex that is selectively modulated by unexpected errors in the lyrics and melody of songs (lyrics and melody deviants), thereby elucidating under which conditions the lateralization of auditory processing changes. In experiment 1 using familiar songs, we found that the dipole strength of responses to the lyrics deviants was left-dominant at 140 ms (M140), whereas that of responses to the melody deviants was right-dominant at 130 ms (M130). In experiment 2 using familiar songs with a constant syllable or pitch, the dipole strength of frequency mismatch negativity elicited by oddballs was left-dominant. There were significant main effects of experiment (1 and 2) for the peak latencies and for the coordinates of the dipoles, indicating that the M140 and M130 were not the frequency mismatch negativity. In experiment 3 using newly memorized songs, the right-dominant M130 was observed only when the presented note was unexpected one, independent of perceiving unnatural pitch transitions (i.e., perceptual saliency) and of selective attention to the melody of songs. The consistent right-dominance of the M130 between experiments 1 and 3 suggests that the M130 in experiment 1 is due to unexpected notes deviating from well-memorized songs. On the other hand, the left-dominant M140 was elicited by lyrics deviants, suggesting the influence of top-down linguistic information and the memory of the familiar songs. We thus conclude that the left- lateralized M140 and right-lateralized M130 reflect the expectation based on top-down information of language and music, respectively.

Draft Genome Sequence of Paenibacillus sp. Strain DMB20, Isolated from Alang Ship-Breaking Yard, Which Harbors Genes for Xenobiotic Degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Binal; Jain, Kunal; Patel, Namrata; Pandit, Ramesh; Patel, Anand; Joshi, Chaitanya G; Madamwar, Datta

2015-06-11

Paenibacillus sp. strain DMB20, in cometabolism with other Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, exhibits azoreduction of textile dyes. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this bacterium, consisting of 6,647,181 bp with 7,668 coding sequences (CDSs). The data presented highlight multiple sets of functional genes associated with xenobiotic compound degradation. Copyright © 2015 Shah et al.

Dithizone staining of intracellular zinc: an unexpected and versatile counterscreen for auxotrophic marker genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel S Yuan

Full Text Available Auxotrophic marker genes such as URA3, LEU2, and HIS3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have long been used to select cells that have been successfully transformed with recombinant DNA. A longstanding challenge in working with these genes is that counterselection procedures are often lacking. This paper describes the unexpected discovery of a simple plate assay that imparts a bright red stain to cells experiencing nutritional stress from the lack of a marker gene. The procedure specifically stains a zinc-rich vesicular compartment analogous to the zinc-rich secretory vesicles found in insulin-secreting pancreatic islet cells and glutamate-secreting neurons. Staining was greatly diminished in zap1 mutants, which lack a homeostatic activator of zinc uptake, and in cot1 zrc1 double mutants, which lack the two yeast homologs of mammalian vesicle-specific zinc export proteins. Only one of 93 strains with temperature-sensitive alleles of essential genes exhibited an increase in dithizone staining at its non-permissive temperature, indicating that staining is not simply a sign of growth-arrested or dying cells. Remarkably, the procedure works with most commonly used marker genes, highlights subtle defects, uses no reporter constructs or expensive reagents, requires only a few hours of incubation, yields visually striking results without any instrumentation, and is not toxic to the cells. Many potential applications exist for dithizone staining, both as a versatile counterscreen for auxotrophic marker genes and as a powerful new tool for the genetic analysis of a biomedically important vesicular organelle.

Crash sequence based risk matrix for motorcycle crashes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Kun-Feng; Sasidharan, Lekshmi; Thor, Craig P; Chen, Sheng-Yin

2018-04-05

Considerable research has been conducted related to motorcycle and other powered-two-wheeler (PTW) crashes; however, it always has been controversial among practitioners concerning with types of crashes should be first targeted and how to prioritize resources for the implementation of mitigating actions. Therefore, there is a need to identify types of motorcycle crashes that constitute the greatest safety risk to riders - most frequent and most severe crashes. This pilot study seeks exhibit the efficacy of a new approach for prioritizing PTW crash causation sequences as they relate to injury severity to better inform the application of mitigating countermeasures. To accomplish this, the present study constructed a crash sequence-based risk matrix to identify most frequent and most severe motorcycle crashes in an attempt to better connect causes and countermeasures of PTW crashes. Although the frequency of each crash sequence can be computed from crash data, a crash severity model is needed to compare the levels of crash severity among different crash sequences, while controlling for other factors that also have effects on crash severity such drivers' age, use of helmet, etc. The construction of risk matrix based on crash sequences involve two tasks: formulation of crash sequence and the estimation of a mixed-effects (ME) model to adjust the levels of severities for each crash sequence to account for other crash contributing factors that would have an effect on the maximum level of crash severity in a crash. Three data elements from the National Automotive Sampling System - General Estimating System (NASS-GES) data were utilized to form a crash sequence: critical event, crash types, and sequence of events. A mixed-effects model was constructed to model the severity levels for each crash sequence while accounting for the effects of those crash contributing factors on crash severity. A total of 8039 crashes involving 8208 motorcycles occurred during 2011 and 2013 were

Benefits and unexpected artifacts of biplanar digital slot-scanning imaging in children

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blumer, Steven L. [Nemours/A.I duPont Hospital for Children, Department of Medical Imaging, Wilmington, DE (United States); Dinan, David [Nemours Children' s Hospital, Orlando, FL (United States); Grissom, Leslie E. [Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Department of Radiology, Wilmington, DE (United States)

2014-07-15

Biplanar digital slot-scanning allows for relatively low-dose orthopedic imaging, an advantage in imaging children given the growing concerns regarding radiosensitivity. We have used this system for approximately 1 year for orthopedic imaging of the spine and lower extremities. We have noted advantages of using the digital slot-scanning system when compared with computed radiographic and standard digital radiographic imaging systems, but we also found unexpected but common imaging artifacts that are the direct result of the imaging method and that have not been reported. This pictorial essay serves to familiarize radiologists with the advantages of the digital slot-scanning system as well as imaging artifacts common with this new technology. (orig.)

Selectable antibiotic resistance marker gene-free transgenic rice harbouring the garlic leaf lectin gene exhibits resistance to sap-sucking planthoppers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Subhadipa; Chakraborti, Dipankar; Mondal, Hossain A; Das, Sampa

2010-03-01

Rice, the major food crop of world is severely affected by homopteran sucking pests. We introduced coding sequence of Allium sativum leaf agglutinin, ASAL, in rice cultivar IR64 to develop sustainable resistance against sap-sucking planthoppers as well as eliminated the selectable antibiotic-resistant marker gene hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) exploiting cre/lox site-specific recombination system. An expression vector was constructed containing the coding sequence of ASAL, a potent controlling agent against green leafhoppers (GLH, Nephotettix virescens) and brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens). The selectable marker (hpt) gene cassette was cloned within two lox sites of the same vector. Alongside, another vector was developed with chimeric cre recombinase gene cassette. Reciprocal crosses were performed between three single-copy T(0) plants with ASAL- lox-hpt-lox T-DNA and three single-copy T(0) plants with cre-bar T-DNA. Marker gene excisions were detected in T(1) hybrids through hygromycin sensitivity assay. Molecular analysis of T(1) plants exhibited 27.4% recombination efficiency. T(2) progenies of L03C04(1) hybrid parent showed 25% cre negative ASAL-expressing plants. Northern blot, western blot and ELISA showed significant level of ASAL expression in five marker-free T(2) progeny plants. In planta bioassay of GLH and BPH performed on these T(2) progenies exhibited radical reduction in survivability and fecundity compared with the untransformed control plants.

Mobile Technologies in Museum Exhibitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Medić

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In order to be up–to–date and give visitors a memorable and unique experience, museums are including usage of digital technologies in their exhibitions. Even though museums in Serbia are very important part of tourism offer, they still have traditional settings that are poorly interpreted. The majority of them have a scientific and historical review which is unattractive for various target groups of visitors and for museums it’s important to continually try out new ways in interpretation of their settings. Because technology continues to rapidly change the way we communicate, cultural institutions should adapt to new ways of communication with their visitors. This paper examines mobile technologies that can be used in museums to give visitors a different experience and transfer the knowledge innovatively. In that way it will be presented the modern concept of presentation of museum exhibitions, focusing on usage of mobile devices through mobile applications and QR codes. The paper provides the broad understanding of usage mobile technologies in museum exhibitions with its advantages and limitations. The research results can help the museums management to improve interpretation and communication with visitors and enrich the visitor experience.

Embedded Prompting May Function as Embedded Punishment: Detection of Unexpected Behavioral Processes within a Typical Preschool Teaching Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Heal, Nicole A.; Hanley, Gregory P.

2011-01-01

This study describes an unexpected behavioral process that influenced behavior during the teaching of concepts to a 4-year-old girl. The efficacy of and preference for three strategies that varied in teacher directedness were assessed in a multielement design and concurrent-chains arrangement, respectively. The strategy that involved the most…

High Quality Virtual Reality for Architectural Exhibitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreutzberg, Anette

2016-01-01

This paper will summarise the findings from creating and implementing a visually high quality Virtual Reality (VR) experiment as part of an international architecture exhibition. It was the aim to represent the architectural spatial qualities as well as the atmosphere created from combining natural...... and artificial lighting in a prominent not yet built project. The outcome is twofold: Findings concerning the integration of VR in an exhibition space and findings concerning the experience of the virtual space itself. In the exhibition, an important aspect was the unmanned exhibition space, requiring the VR...... experience to be self-explanatory. Observations of different visitor reactions to the unmanned VR experience compared with visitor reactions at guided tours with personal instructions are evaluated. Data on perception of realism, spatial quality and light in the VR model were collected with qualitative...

A Salamander Tale: Effective Exhibits and Attitude Change

Science.gov (United States)

Rollins, Jeffrey; Watson, Sunnie Lee

2017-01-01

Little information exists regarding intention behind the design and development of Extension outreach and educational exhibits. An evaluation of response to the exhibit "A Salamander Tale" indicates that the methods used to develop the exhibit resulted in an effective way to present information to an adult audience. Survey questions were…

Novel expressed sequence tag- simple sequence repeats (EST ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Using different bioinformatic criteria, the SUCEST database was used to mine for simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Among 42,189 clusters, 1,425 expressed sequence tag- simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) were identified in silico. Trinucleotide repeats were the most abundant SSRs detected. Of 212 primer pairs ...

Molecular Profiling of Microbial Communities from Contaminated Sources: Use of Subtractive Cloning Methods and rDNA Spacer Sequences; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robb, Frank T.

2001-01-01

The major objective of this research was to provide appropriate sequences and assemble a DNA array of oligonucleotides to be used for rapid profiling of microbial populations from polluted areas and other areas of interest. The sequences to be assigned to the DNA array were chosen from cloned genomic DNA taken from groundwater sites having well characterized pollutant histories at Hanford Nuclear Plant and Lawrence Livermore Site 300. Glass-slide arrays were made and tested; and a new multiplexed, bead-based method was developed that uses nucleic acid hybridization on the surface of microscopic polystyrene spheres to identify specific sequences in heterogeneous mixtures of DNA sequences. The test data revealed considerable strain variation between sample sites showing a striking distribution of sequences. It also suggests that diversity varies greatly with bioremediation, and that there are many bacterial intergenic spacer region sequences that can indicate its effects. The bead method exhibited superior sequence discrimination and has features for easier and more accurate measurement

Knowledge Generation in Technology-Enhanced Health Exhibitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnussen, Rikke; Kharlamov, Nikita; Zachariasssen, Maria

2016-01-01

This paper presents results from eye-tracking studies of audience interaction and knowledge generation in the technology-enhanced health promotion exhibition PULSE at a science centre in Copenhagen, Denmark. The main purpose of the study was to understand what types of knowledge audiences build...... in health promotion exhibitions designed to include direct physical interaction. The current study is part of the larger PULSE project, which aims to develop innovative health promotion activities that include a science museum exhibition as a key setting. The primary target group is families with children...

Unexpected Far-Ultraviolet Photometric Characteristics On Mimas

Science.gov (United States)

Royer, E. M.; Hendrix, A. R.

2013-12-01

While infrared and visible are the most common wavelength domains used to investigate planetary surfaces, ultraviolet (UV) data are significant and useful. Here, we present the first far-UV phase curves of Mimas, thus displaying another piece of the Saturnian System puzzle. Our preliminary results shows that, one more time, Mimas surface properties are far from what we was expected. Namely, we observe a leading hemisphere brighter than the trailing hemisphere at some far-UV wavelengths. We used the far-UV channel of the Cassini/UVIS instrument, ranging from 118 to 190 nm. Disk-integrated phase curves for the leading hemisphere and the trailing hemisphere, at 180nm, have been produced. Data points span from 0.5 to 163.5 degrees in phase angle. Mimas displays a leading hemisphere brighter than its trailing hemisphere, when theory and previous Voyager observations at longer wavelengths attest of a brighter trailing hemisphere due to the impact of the E-ring grains on this face of the satellite. Surprisingly, UVIS data show a very bright opposition effect on Mimas leading hemisphere, greater than what is observed on Tethys or Dione leading hemisphere at the same wavelength of 180 nm. Preliminary results of photometric properties modeling seem to indicate an important contribution of the coherent-backscattering process in the opposition surge. Exogenic processes such as bombardment by energetic electrons and/or E-ring grains are discussed to explain this unexpected surface property of Mimas.

Determination of 5 '-leader sequences from radically disparate strains of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus reveals the presence of highly conserved sequence motifs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oleksiewicz, M.B.; Bøtner, Anette; Nielsen, Jens

1999-01-01

We determined the untranslated 5'-leader sequence for three different isolates of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV): pathogenic European- and American-types, as well as an American-type vaccine strain. 5'-leader from European- and American-type PRRSV differed in length...... (220 and 190 nt, respectively), and exhibited only approximately 50% nucleotide homology. Nevertheless, highly conserved areas were identified in the leader of all 3 PRRSV isolates, which constitute candidate motifs for binding of protein(s) involved in viral replication. These comparative data provide...

Inefficient postural responses to unexpected slips during walking in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, P F; Woollacott, M H

1998-11-01

Slips account for a high percentage of falls and subsequent injuries in community-dwelling older adults but not in young adults. This phenomenon suggests that although active and healthy older adults preserve a mobility level comparable to that of young adults, these older adults may have difficulty generating efficient reactive postural responses when they slip. This study tested the hypothesis that active and healthy older adults use a less effective reactive balance strategy than young adults when experiencing an unexpected forward slip occurring at heel strike during walking. This less effective balance strategy would be manifested by slower and smaller postural responses, altered temporal and spatial organization of the postural responses, and greater upper trunk instability after the slip. Thirty-three young adults (age range=19-34 yrs, mean=25+/-4 yrs) and 32 community-dwelling older adults (age range=70-87 yrs, mean=74+/-14 yrs) participated. Subjects walked across a movable forceplate which simulated a forward slip at heel strike. Surface electromyography was recorded from bilateral leg, thigh, hip, and trunk muscles. Kinematic data were collected from the right (perturbed) side of the body. Although the predominant postural muscles and the activation sequence of these muscles were similar between the two age groups, the postural responses of older adults were of longer onset latencies, smaller magnitudes, and longer burst durations compared to young adults. Older adults also showed a longer coactivation duration for the ankle, knee, and trunk agonist/antagonist pairs on the perturbed side and for the knee agonist/antagonist pair on the nonperturbed side. Behaviorally, older adults became less stable after the slips. This was manifested by a higher incidence of being tripped (21 trials in older vs 5 trials in young adults) and a greater trunk hyperextension with respect to young adults. Large arm elevation was frequently used by older adults to assist in

A base composition analysis of natural patterns for the preprocessing of metagenome sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonham-Carter, Oliver; Ali, Hesham; Bastola, Dhundy

2013-01-01

On the pretext that sequence reads and contigs often exhibit the same kinds of base usage that is also observed in the sequences from which they are derived, we offer a base composition analysis tool. Our tool uses these natural patterns to determine relatedness across sequence data. We introduce spectrum sets (sets of motifs) which are permutations of bacterial restriction sites and the base composition analysis framework to measure their proportional content in sequence data. We suggest that this framework will increase the efficiency during the pre-processing stages of metagenome sequencing and assembly projects. Our method is able to differentiate organisms and their reads or contigs. The framework shows how to successfully determine the relatedness between these reads or contigs by comparison of base composition. In particular, we show that two types of organismal-sequence data are fundamentally different by analyzing their spectrum set motif proportions (coverage). By the application of one of the four possible spectrum sets, encompassing all known restriction sites, we provide the evidence to claim that each set has a different ability to differentiate sequence data. Furthermore, we show that the spectrum set selection having relevance to one organism, but not to the others of the data set, will greatly improve performance of sequence differentiation even if the fragment size of the read, contig or sequence is not lengthy. We show the proof of concept of our method by its application to ten trials of two or three freshly selected sequence fragments (reads and contigs) for each experiment across the six organisms of our set. Here we describe a novel and computationally effective pre-processing step for metagenome sequencing and assembly tasks. Furthermore, our base composition method has applications in phylogeny where it can be used to infer evolutionary distances between organisms based on the notion that related organisms often have much conserved code.

Genome Sequence Databases (Overview): Sequencing and Assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lapidus, Alla L.

2009-01-01

From the date its role in heredity was discovered, DNA has been generating interest among scientists from different fields of knowledge: physicists have studied the three dimensional structure of the DNA molecule, biologists tried to decode the secrets of life hidden within these long molecules, and technologists invent and improve methods of DNA analysis. The analysis of the nucleotide sequence of DNA occupies a special place among the methods developed. Thanks to the variety of sequencing technologies available, the process of decoding the sequence of genomic DNA (or whole genome sequencing) has become robust and inexpensive. Meanwhile the assembly of whole genome sequences remains a challenging task. In addition to the need to assemble millions of DNA fragments of different length (from 35 bp (Solexa) to 800 bp (Sanger)), great interest in analysis of microbial communities (metagenomes) of different complexities raises new problems and pushes some new requirements for sequence assembly tools to the forefront. The genome assembly process can be divided into two steps: draft assembly and assembly improvement (finishing). Despite the fact that automatically performed assembly (or draft assembly) is capable of covering up to 98% of the genome, in most cases, it still contains incorrectly assembled reads. The error rate of the consensus sequence produced at this stage is about 1/2000 bp. A finished genome represents the genome assembly of much higher accuracy (with no gaps or incorrectly assembled areas) and quality ({approx}1 error/10,000 bp), validated through a number of computer and laboratory experiments.

Complete genome sequence and integrated protein localization and interaction map for alfalfa dwarf virus, which combines properties of both cytoplasmic and nuclear plant rhabdoviruses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bejerman, Nicolás, E-mail: n.bejerman@uq.edu.au [Instituto de Patología Vegetal (IPAVE), Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (CIAP), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria INTA, Camino a 60 Cuadras k 5,5, Córdoba X5020ICA (Argentina); Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 (Australia); Giolitti, Fabián; Breuil, Soledad de; Trucco, Verónica; Nome, Claudia; Lenardon, Sergio [Instituto de Patología Vegetal (IPAVE), Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (CIAP), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria INTA, Camino a 60 Cuadras k 5,5, Córdoba X5020ICA (Argentina); Dietzgen, Ralf G. [Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 (Australia)

2015-09-15

Summary: We have determined the full-length 14,491-nucleotide genome sequence of a new plant rhabdovirus, alfalfa dwarf virus (ADV). Seven open reading frames (ORFs) were identified in the antigenomic orientation of the negative-sense, single-stranded viral RNA, in the order 3′-N-P-P3-M-G-P6-L-5′. The ORFs are separated by conserved intergenic regions and the genome coding region is flanked by complementary 3′ leader and 5′ trailer sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleoprotein amino acid sequence indicated that this alfalfa-infecting rhabdovirus is related to viruses in the genus Cytorhabdovirus. When transiently expressed as GFP fusions in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, most ADV proteins accumulated in the cell periphery, but unexpectedly P protein was localized exclusively in the nucleus. ADV P protein was shown to have a homotypic, and heterotypic nuclear interactions with N, P3 and M proteins by bimolecular fluorescence complementation. ADV appears unique in that it combines properties of both cytoplasmic and nuclear plant rhabdoviruses. - Highlights: • The complete genome of alfalfa dwarf virus is obtained. • An integrated localization and interaction map for ADV is determined. • ADV has a genome sequence similarity and evolutionary links with cytorhabdoviruses. • ADV protein localization and interaction data show an association with the nucleus. • ADV combines properties of both cytoplasmic and nuclear plant rhabdoviruses.

Complete genome sequence and integrated protein localization and interaction map for alfalfa dwarf virus, which combines properties of both cytoplasmic and nuclear plant rhabdoviruses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bejerman, Nicolás; Giolitti, Fabián; Breuil, Soledad de; Trucco, Verónica; Nome, Claudia; Lenardon, Sergio; Dietzgen, Ralf G.

2015-01-01

Summary: We have determined the full-length 14,491-nucleotide genome sequence of a new plant rhabdovirus, alfalfa dwarf virus (ADV). Seven open reading frames (ORFs) were identified in the antigenomic orientation of the negative-sense, single-stranded viral RNA, in the order 3′-N-P-P3-M-G-P6-L-5′. The ORFs are separated by conserved intergenic regions and the genome coding region is flanked by complementary 3′ leader and 5′ trailer sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleoprotein amino acid sequence indicated that this alfalfa-infecting rhabdovirus is related to viruses in the genus Cytorhabdovirus. When transiently expressed as GFP fusions in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, most ADV proteins accumulated in the cell periphery, but unexpectedly P protein was localized exclusively in the nucleus. ADV P protein was shown to have a homotypic, and heterotypic nuclear interactions with N, P3 and M proteins by bimolecular fluorescence complementation. ADV appears unique in that it combines properties of both cytoplasmic and nuclear plant rhabdoviruses. - Highlights: • The complete genome of alfalfa dwarf virus is obtained. • An integrated localization and interaction map for ADV is determined. • ADV has a genome sequence similarity and evolutionary links with cytorhabdoviruses. • ADV protein localization and interaction data show an association with the nucleus. • ADV combines properties of both cytoplasmic and nuclear plant rhabdoviruses

Parallel Mitogenome Sequencing Alleviates Random Rooting Effect in Phylogeography.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirase, Shotaro; Takeshima, Hirohiko; Nishida, Mutsumi; Iwasaki, Wataru

2016-04-28

Reliably rooted phylogenetic trees play irreplaceable roles in clarifying diversification in the patterns of species and populations. However, such trees are often unavailable in phylogeographic studies, particularly when the focus is on rapidly expanded populations that exhibit star-like trees. A fundamental bottleneck is known as the random rooting effect, where a distant outgroup tends to root an unrooted tree "randomly." We investigated whether parallel mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequencing alleviates this effect in phylogeography using a case study on the Sea of Japan lineage of the intertidal goby Chaenogobius annularis Eighty-three C. annularis individuals were collected and their mitogenomes were determined by high-throughput and low-cost parallel sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of these mitogenome sequences was conducted to root the Sea of Japan lineage, which has a star-like phylogeny and had not been reliably rooted. The topologies of the bootstrap trees were investigated to determine whether the use of mitogenomes alleviated the random rooting effect. The mitogenome data successfully rooted the Sea of Japan lineage by alleviating the effect, which hindered phylogenetic analysis that used specific gene sequences. The reliable rooting of the lineage led to the discovery of a novel, northern lineage that expanded during an interglacial period with high bootstrap support. Furthermore, the finding of this lineage suggested the existence of additional glacial refugia and provided a new recent calibration point that revised the divergence time estimation between the Sea of Japan and Pacific Ocean lineages. This study illustrates the effectiveness of parallel mitogenome sequencing for solving the random rooting problem in phylogeographic studies. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

76 FR 35719 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to Libya and C[ocirc]te d'Ivoire

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-20

... June 8, 2011 Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to Libya and C[ocirc]te d'Ivoire... laws of the United States, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of... amount not to exceed $15 million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund...

Evidence against barium in the mushroom Trogia venenata as a cause of sudden unexpected deaths in Yunnan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Li, Yanchun; Wu, Gang; Feng, Bang; Yoell, Shanze; Yu, Zefen; Zhang, Keqin; Xu, Jianping

2012-12-01

This study examined barium concentrations in the mushroom Trogia venenata, the leading culprit for sudden unexpected deaths in Yunnan, southwest China. We found that barium concentrations in T. venenata from Yunnan were low and comparable to other foods, inconsistent with barium concentrations in this mushroom as a significant contributor to these deaths.

A "present" for the future: the unexpected value of rediscovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ting; Kim, Tami; Brooks, Alison Wood; Gino, Francesca; Norton, Michael I

2014-10-01

Although documenting everyday activities may seem trivial, four studies reveal that creating records of the present generates unexpected benefits by allowing future rediscoveries. In Study 1, we used a time-capsule paradigm to show that individuals underestimate the extent to which rediscovering experiences from the past will be curiosity provoking and interesting in the future. In Studies 2 and 3, we found that people are particularly likely to underestimate the pleasure of rediscovering ordinary, mundane experiences, as opposed to extraordinary experiences. Finally, Study 4 demonstrates that underestimating the pleasure of rediscovery leads to time-inconsistent choices: Individuals forgo opportunities to document the present but then prefer rediscovering those moments in the future to engaging in an alternative fun activity. Underestimating the value of rediscovery is linked to people's erroneous faith in their memory of everyday events. By documenting the present, people provide themselves with the opportunity to rediscover mundane moments that may otherwise have been forgotten. © The Author(s) 2014.

Wikiwijs: An unexpected journey and the lessons learned towards OER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Schuwer

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has funded a five years program to encourage the use, creation and sharing of Open Educational Resources (OER by teachers from various types of education. This program is known as Wikiwijs. Ultimo 2013, the program has come to an end. As some of the assumptions at the start of Wikiwijs proved to work out in unexpected ways the lessons learned could fuel the next steps in developing Wikiwijs. Besides, other national initiatives on opening up education may also benefit from the lessons learned reported here. The main conclusion from five years Wikiwijs was that to accomplish mainstreaming OER, the Wikiwijs program should go along with other interventions that are more oriented toward prescriptive policies and regulations. In particular: the Dutch government should be more directive in persuading executive boards and teachers on schools to adopt OER as an important part of educational reform and the acquisition of 21st century skills.

Short sequence motifs, overrepresented in mammalian conservednon-coding sequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minovitsky, Simon; Stegmaier, Philip; Kel, Alexander; Kondrashov,Alexey S.; Dubchak, Inna

2007-02-21

Background: A substantial fraction of non-coding DNAsequences of multicellular eukaryotes is under selective constraint. Inparticular, ~;5 percent of the human genome consists of conservednon-coding sequences (CNSs). CNSs differ from other genomic sequences intheir nucleotide composition and must play important functional roles,which mostly remain obscure.Results: We investigated relative abundancesof short sequence motifs in all human CNSs present in the human/mousewhole-genome alignments vs. three background sets of sequences: (i)weakly conserved or unconserved non-coding sequences (non-CNSs); (ii)near-promoter sequences (located between nucleotides -500 and -1500,relative to a start of transcription); and (iii) random sequences withthe same nucleotide composition as that of CNSs. When compared tonon-CNSs and near-promoter sequences, CNSs possess an excess of AT-richmotifs, often containing runs of identical nucleotides. In contrast, whencompared to random sequences, CNSs contain an excess of GC-rich motifswhich, however, lack CpG dinucleotides. Thus, abundance of short sequencemotifs in human CNSs, taken as a whole, is mostly determined by theiroverall compositional properties and not by overrepresentation of anyspecific short motifs. These properties are: (i) high AT-content of CNSs,(ii) a tendency, probably due to context-dependent mutation, of A's andT's to clump, (iii) presence of short GC-rich regions, and (iv) avoidanceof CpG contexts, due to their hypermutability. Only a small number ofshort motifs, overrepresented in all human CNSs are similar to bindingsites of transcription factors from the FOX family.Conclusion: Human CNSsas a whole appear to be too broad a class of sequences to possess strongfootprints of any short sequence-specific functions. Such footprintsshould be studied at the level of functional subclasses of CNSs, such asthose which flank genes with a particular pattern of expression. Overallproperties of CNSs are affected by

Chimeric 16S rRNA sequence formation and detection in Sanger and 454-pyrosequenced PCR amplicons

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, Brian J.; Gevers, Dirk; Earl, Ashlee M.; Feldgarden, Mike; Ward, Doyle V.; Giannoukos, Georgia; Ciulla, Dawn; Tabbaa, Diana; Highlander, Sarah K.; Sodergren, Erica; Methé, Barbara; DeSantis, Todd Z.; Petrosino, Joseph F.; Knight, Rob; Birren, Bruce W.

2011-01-01

Bacterial diversity among environmental samples is commonly assessed with PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene (16S) sequences. Perceived diversity, however, can be influenced by sample preparation, primer selection, and formation of chimeric 16S amplification products. Chimeras are hybrid products between multiple parent sequences that can be falsely interpreted as novel organisms, thus inflating apparent diversity. We developed a new chimera detection tool called Chimera Slayer (CS). CS detects chimeras with greater sensitivity than previous methods, performs well on short sequences such as those produced by the 454 Life Sciences (Roche) Genome Sequencer, and can scale to large data sets. By benchmarking CS performance against sequences derived from a controlled DNA mixture of known organisms and a simulated chimera set, we provide insights into the factors that affect chimera formation such as sequence abundance, the extent of similarity between 16S genes, and PCR conditions. Chimeras were found to reproducibly form among independent amplifications and contributed to false perceptions of sample diversity and the false identification of novel taxa, with less-abundant species exhibiting chimera rates exceeding 70%. Shotgun metagenomic sequences of our mock community appear to be devoid of 16S chimeras, supporting a role for shotgun metagenomics in validating novel organisms discovered in targeted sequence surveys. PMID:21212162

77 FR 31909 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-30

... exhibition ``50th Anniversary Remembrance of the Tragedy at Orly,'' imported from abroad by the High Museum of Art for temporary exhibition within the United States, is of cultural significance. The object is... exhibition or display of the exhibit object at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia from on or about...

Depositional architecture and sequence stratigraphy of the Upper Jurassic Hanifa Formation, central Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

El-Sorogy, Abdelbaset; Al-Kahtany, Khaled; Almadani, Sattam; Tawfik, Mohamed

2018-03-01

To document the depositional architecture and sequence stratigraphy of the Upper Jurassic Hanifa Formation in central Saudi Arabia, three composite sections were examined, measured and thin section analysed at Al-Abakkayn, Sadous and Maashabah mountains. Fourteen microfacies types were identified, from wackestones to boundstones and which permits the recognition of five lithofacies associations in a carbonate platform. Lithofacies associations range from low energy, sponges, foraminifers and bioclastic burrowed offshoal deposits to moderate lithoclstic, peloidal and bioclastic foreshoal deposits in the lower part of the Hanifa while the upper part is dominated by corals, ooidal and peloidal high energy shoal deposits to moderate to low energy peloidal, stromatoporoids and other bioclastics back shoal deposits. The studied Hanifa Formation exhibits an obvious cyclicity, distinguishing from vertical variations in lithofacies types. These microfacies types are arranged in two third order sequences, the first sequence is equivalent to the lower part of the Hanifa Formation (Hawtah member) while the second one is equivalent to the upper part (Ulayyah member). Within these two sequences, there are three to six fourth-order high frequency sequences respectively in the studied sections.

Education or business? - exhibition of human corpses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grzegorz Wróbel

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Exhibition "BODY WORLDS" which are presented exhibits of human remains are presented all over the world and are a major problem for the modern man, as presented on the preparations of the human not only serve scientific research, are not transferred to the medical schools to educate future doctors, but they were made available to the general public in the form of commercial and ambiguous. The aim of this study was to assess the ethical commercialization of human corpses "BODY WORLDS" exhibitions. Individual approach to the problems presented the dignity and value of human remains after death, of course, strongly related to the professed worldview. In the exhibits can be seen in both the scientific interest anatomical structures, as well as desecrated human remains or beautiful by its functional perfection of the body, understood also in terms of art. The question of ethics determines the right to decide for themselves, on the other hand, allows you to protect bodily integrity even after death. "BODY WORLDS" exhibition goes for the moral and ethical boundaries. In terms of people Gunther von Hagens for plastination of human remains which became a very profitable business, and its current activities defined as "plastination business" should be firmly said about the lack of moral principles.

Spin-offs from Research Exhibition Science Bringing Nations Together

CERN Multimedia

1997-01-01

It is well known that the results of fundamental research can have unexpected and suc-cessful applications in different fields of human activity. A good example is that of nuclear track membranes. These membranes are produced by exposing polymer films to ion beams at isochronous cyclotrons in JINR. They are used in all fields that require reliable and ecologically safe filters; e.g. in medicine and in the food and elec-tronics industries. It is not surprising that Finnish businessmen readily accepted the proposal of the specialists from JINR's Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions to establish a joint venture for production of household water filters, and that these simple but effective devices are now used in many countries.

Blind sequence-length estimation of low-SNR cyclostationary sequences

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Vlok, JD

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Several existing direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) detection and estimation algorithms assume prior knowledge of the symbol period or sequence length, although very few sequence-length estimation techniques are available in the literature...

Medan Convention & Exhibition Center (Arsitektur Ekspresionisme)

OpenAIRE

Iskandar, Nurul Auni

2015-01-01

Medan is one of the third largest city in Indonesia, which is currently being developed, and a city with lots of activities. In the city of Medan has a high investment opportunities for a convention, because of its strategic position in Southeast Asia and also supported by the facility and the potential for tourism in North Sumatra, Medan city has the potential for industrial MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, Exhibition). The construction of Medan Convention & Exhibition Cente...

A Heuristic for Improving Transmedia Exhibition Experience

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Selvadurai, Vashanth; Rosenstand, Claus Andreas Foss

2017-01-01

in the scientific field of designing transmedia experience in an exhibition context that links the pre- and post-activities to the actual visit (during-activities). The result of this study is a preliminary heuristic for establishing a relation between the platform and content complexity in transmedia exhibitions....

Unexpected Reading Dissociation in a Brazilian “nisei” with Crossed Aphasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Caramelli

1994-01-01

Full Text Available There is an increased interest in reading impairments in the Japanese language, due to its particular writing system which includes two different scripts, Kanji (logograms and Kana (phonograms. Reading dissociations between Kanji and Kana have been described, showing that each system is processed differently by the cerebral hemispheres. We describe the case of a 68 year old Brazilian “nisei” (i.e. born from Japanese parents who had knowledge of both Japanese and Portuguese. He presented an ischemic stroke affecting the right hemisphere and subsequently developed a Broca's aphasia and an unexpected reading dissociation, with an impairment in Kana reading comprehension and a good performance in Kanji and in Portuguese. These findings suggest that the patient's right and left hemispheres have assumed opposite roles not only for oral but also for written language decodification.

Rapid identification of lettuce seed germination mutants by bulked segregant analysis and whole genome sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Heqiang; Henry, Isabelle M; Coppoolse, Eric R; Verhoef-Post, Miriam; Schut, Johan W; de Rooij, Han; Vogelaar, Aat; Joosen, Ronny V L; Woudenberg, Leo; Comai, Luca; Bradford, Kent J

2016-11-01

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seeds exhibit thermoinhibition, or failure to complete germination when imbibed at warm temperatures. Chemical mutagenesis was employed to develop lettuce lines that exhibit germination thermotolerance. Two independent thermotolerant lettuce seed mutant lines, TG01 and TG10, were generated through ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis. Genetic and physiological analyses indicated that these two mutations were allelic and recessive. To identify the causal gene(s), we applied bulked segregant analysis by whole genome sequencing. For each mutant, bulked DNA samples of segregating thermotolerant (mutant) seeds were sequenced and analyzed for homozygous single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Two independent candidate mutations were identified at different physical positions in the zeaxanthin epoxidase gene (ABSCISIC ACID DEFICIENT 1/ZEAXANTHIN EPOXIDASE, or ABA1/ZEP) in TG01 and TG10. The mutation in TG01 caused an amino acid replacement, whereas the mutation in TG10 resulted in alternative mRNA splicing. Endogenous abscisic acid contents were reduced in both mutants, and expression of the ABA1 gene from wild-type lettuce under its own promoter fully complemented the TG01 mutant. Conventional genetic mapping confirmed that the causal mutations were located near the ZEP/ABA1 gene, but the bulked segregant whole genome sequencing approach more efficiently identified the specific gene responsible for the phenotype. © 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

CERN exhibition wins yet another design prize

CERN Multimedia

Joannah Caborn Wengler

2012-01-01

The “Universe of Particles” exhibition in CERN’s Globe wins the silver design prize from the German direct business communications association FAMAB.   Not only do tens of thousands of people visit the “Universe of Particles” exhibition each year, but juries for design prizes are crossing its threshold more and more frequently too. In 2011 alone it claimed 8 awards, including winning outright the 2011 Annual Multimedia award, the iF Communication Design for Corporate Architecture award and the Modern Decoration Media award (the Bulletin already reported on some of these in July 2011). The FAMAB award is the latest to join the prestigious list. The jury of FAMAB’s “ADAM 2011” award was particularly impressed by the hands-on nature of the exhibition, which encourages visitors to get interested in science. They also appreciated the way that the space in the Globe is not just a container for the exhibits, but itself ...

Dutch hi-tech companies exhibit at CERN

CERN Multimedia

Roberto Cantoni

2010-01-01

Twenty-seven Dutch companies will present the state of the art of their technological developments at the industrial exhibition Holland @ CERN from 8 to 11 November. The exhibition is designed to help strengthen the ties between fundamental science and Dutch industry.   The exhibition, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and organised by the Netherlands National Institute for Subatomic Physics (Nikhef), in cooperation with the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), the FOM Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, and Dutch Scientific, an association of manufacturers of scientific equipment, will be held in the Main Building from 8 to11 November. “The last Holland @ CERN exhibition took place fifteen years ago”, says Robert Klöpping from Nikhef, Dutch Industrial Liaison Officer for CERN and Purchasing Advisor for Grenoble ESRF. “This kind of event is very important for Dutch industry as it allows us to show what Dutch companies c...

Dog Y chromosomal DNA sequence: identification, sequencing and SNP discovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirkness Ewen

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Population genetic studies of dogs have so far mainly been based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA, describing only the history of female dogs. To get a picture of the male history, as well as a second independent marker, there is a need for studies of biallelic Y-chromosome polymorphisms. However, there are no biallelic polymorphisms reported, and only 3200 bp of non-repetitive dog Y-chromosome sequence deposited in GenBank, necessitating the identification of dog Y chromosome sequence and the search for polymorphisms therein. The genome has been only partially sequenced for one male dog, disallowing mapping of the sequence into specific chromosomes. However, by comparing the male genome sequence to the complete female dog genome sequence, candidate Y-chromosome sequence may be identified by exclusion. Results The male dog genome sequence was analysed by Blast search against the human genome to identify sequences with a best match to the human Y chromosome and to the female dog genome to identify those absent in the female genome. Candidate sequences were then tested for male specificity by PCR of five male and five female dogs. 32 sequences from the male genome, with a total length of 24 kbp, were identified as male specific, based on a match to the human Y chromosome, absence in the female dog genome and male specific PCR results. 14437 bp were then sequenced for 10 male dogs originating from Europe, Southwest Asia, Siberia, East Asia, Africa and America. Nine haplotypes were found, which were defined by 14 substitutions. The genetic distance between the haplotypes indicates that they originate from at least five wolf haplotypes. There was no obvious trend in the geographic distribution of the haplotypes. Conclusion We have identified 24159 bp of dog Y-chromosome sequence to be used for population genetic studies. We sequenced 14437 bp in a worldwide collection of dogs, identifying 14 SNPs for future SNP analyses, and

Maintenance of equilibrium point control during an unexpectedly loaded rapid limb movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, R W; Richardson, C

1984-06-08

Two experiments investigated whether the equilibrium point hypothesis or the mass-spring model of motor control subserves positioning accuracy during spring loaded, rapid, bi-articulated movement. For intact preparations, the equilibrium point hypothesis predicts response accuracy to be determined by a mixture of afferent and efferent information, whereas the mass-spring model predicts positioning to be under a direct control system. Subjects completed a series of load-resisted training trials to a spatial target. The magnitude of a sustained spring load was unexpectedly increased on selected trials. Results indicated positioning accuracy and applied force varied with increases in load, which suggests that the original efferent commands are modified by afferent information during the movement as predicted by the equilibrium point hypothesis.

Development and Characterization of Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers Based on RNA-Sequencing of Medicago sativa and In silico Mapping onto the M. truncatula Genome

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zan; Yu, Guohui; Shi, Binbin; Wang, Xuemin; Qiang, Haiping; Gao, Hongwen

2014-01-01

Sufficient codominant genetic markers are needed for various genetic investigations in alfalfa since the species is an outcrossing autotetraploid. With the newly developed next generation sequencing technology, a large amount of transcribed sequences of alfalfa have been generated and are available for identifying SSR markers by data mining. A total of 54,278 alfalfa non-redundant unigenes were assembled through the Illumina HiSeqTM 2000 sequencing technology. Based on 3,903 unigene sequences, 4,493 SSRs were identified. Tri-nucleotide repeats (56.71%) were the most abundant motif class while AG/CT (21.7%), AGG/CCT (19.8%), AAC/GTT (10.3%), ATC/ATG (8.8%), and ACC/GGT (6.3%) were the subsequent top five nucleotide repeat motifs. Eight hundred and thirty- seven EST-SSR primer pairs were successfully designed. Of these, 527 (63%) primer pairs yielded clear and scored PCR products and 372 (70.6%) exhibited polymorphisms. High transferability was observed for ssp falcata at 99.2% (523) and 71.7% (378) in M. truncatula. In addition, 313 of 527 SSR marker sequences were in silico mapped onto the eight M. truncatula chromosomes. Thirty-six polymorphic SSR primer pairs were used in the genetic relatedness analysis of 30 Chinese alfalfa cultivated accessions generating a total of 199 scored alleles. The mean observed heterozygosity and polymorphic information content were 0.767 and 0.635, respectively. The codominant markers not only enriched the current resources of molecular markers in alfalfa, but also would facilitate targeted investigations in marker-trait association, QTL mapping, and genetic diversity analysis in alfalfa. PMID:24642969

Sequence assembly

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheibye-Alsing, Karsten; Hoffmann, S.; Frankel, Annett Maria

2009-01-01

Despite the rapidly increasing number of sequenced and re-sequenced genomes, many issues regarding the computational assembly of large-scale sequencing data have remain unresolved. Computational assembly is crucial in large genome projects as well for the evolving high-throughput technologies and...... in genomic DNA, highly expressed genes and alternative transcripts in EST sequences. We summarize existing comparisons of different assemblers and provide a detailed descriptions and directions for download of assembly programs at: http://genome.ku.dk/resources/assembly/methods.html....

Targeted next-generation sequencing provides novel clues for associated epilepsy and cardiac conduction disorder/SUDEP.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Coll

Full Text Available Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is an unpredicted condition in patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy, and autopsy does not conclusively identify cause of death. Although the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie this entity remain unknown, the fact that epilepsy can affect cardiac function is not surprising. The genetic factors involving ion channels co-expressed in the heart and brain and other candidate genes have been previously described. In the present study, 20 epilepsy patients with personal or family history of heart rhythm disturbance/cardiac arrhythmias/sudden death were sequenced using a custom re-sequencing panel. Twenty-six relatives were genetically analysed to ascertain the family segregation in ten individuals. Four subjects revealed variants with positive genotype-phenotype segregation: four missense variants in the CDKL5, CNTNAP2, GRIN2A and ADGRV1 genes and one copy number variant in KCNQ1. The potential pathogenic role of variants in new candidate genes will need further studies in larger cohorts, and the evaluation of the potential pathogenic role in the cardio-cerebral mechanisms requires in vivo/in vitro studies. In addition to family segregation, evaluation of the potential pathogenic roles of these variants in cardio-cerebral mechanisms by in vivo/in vitro studies should also be performed. The potential pathogenic role of variants in new candidate genes will need further studies in larger cohorts.

Tidying up international nucleotide sequence databases: ecological, geographical and sequence quality annotation of its sequences of mycorrhizal fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Tedersoo, Leho; Abarenkov, Kessy; Nilsson, R Henrik; Schüssler, Arthur; Grelet, Gwen-Aëlle; Kohout, Petr; Oja, Jane; Bonito, Gregory M; Veldre, Vilmar; Jairus, Teele; Ryberg, Martin; Larsson, Karl-Henrik; Kõljalg, Urmas

2011-01-01

Sequence analysis of the ribosomal RNA operon, particularly the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, provides a powerful tool for identification of mycorrhizal fungi. The sequence data deposited in the International Nucleotide Sequence Databases (INSD) are, however, unfiltered for quality and are often poorly annotated with metadata. To detect chimeric and low-quality sequences and assign the ectomycorrhizal fungi to phylogenetic lineages, fungal ITS sequences were downloaded from INSD, aligned within family-level groups, and examined through phylogenetic analyses and BLAST searches. By combining the fungal sequence database UNITE and the annotation and search tool PlutoF, we also added metadata from the literature to these accessions. Altogether 35,632 sequences belonged to mycorrhizal fungi or originated from ericoid and orchid mycorrhizal roots. Of these sequences, 677 were considered chimeric and 2,174 of low read quality. Information detailing country of collection, geographical coordinates, interacting taxon and isolation source were supplemented to cover 78.0%, 33.0%, 41.7% and 96.4% of the sequences, respectively. These annotated sequences are publicly available via UNITE (http://unite.ut.ee/) for downstream biogeographic, ecological and taxonomic analyses. In European Nucleotide Archive (ENA; http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/), the annotated sequences have a special link-out to UNITE. We intend to expand the data annotation to additional genes and all taxonomic groups and functional guilds of fungi.

19 CFR 212.11 - Net worth exhibit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Net worth exhibit. 212.11 Section 212.11 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION INVESTIGATIONS OF UNFAIR PRACTICES IN IMPORT TRADE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT Information Required From Applicants § 212.11 Net worth exhibit...

77 FR 31420 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-25

... also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at The Museum of Modern Art, New...: Game Plan'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural...

Turning energy around: an interactive exhibition experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Kellberg

2018-05-01

Full Text Available A transition from the fossil-fuel driven to a sustainable energy system is an enormous global challenge: climate change and finite resources require countries all over the world to change their way of producing, transporting and using energy. The Energiewende (energy transition will require major changes in the current energy supply system in Germany – but also worldwide. These changes will not only affect the technical sector but will also include ecological questions, social issues and political matters. Whether any transition is going to favour large scale solutions or decentralised technologies depends on local situations and global interconnections, and above all on a democratic process. Hence energy transition succeeds or fails with the acceptance and participation of society. To deal with this overwhelmingly complex topic and its multi-layered dependencies, the Deutsches Museum has designed an exhibition providing visitors with background knowledge about the necessities and challenges of energy transition, unpicking the links between the different technical, economic and social challenges. The exhibition accomplishes the task with an engaging and facilitating approach while taking into account the highly emotive aspects of energy transition as a societal issue. This paper presents the concept of the travelling exhibition energie.wenden, relating it to the Deutsches Museum´s tradition of exhibitions as well as to the challenge of how to deal with socio-scientific topics in scientific exhibitions.

Shotgun protein sequencing.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faulon, Jean-Loup Michel; Heffelfinger, Grant S.

2009-06-01

A novel experimental and computational technique based on multiple enzymatic digestion of a protein or protein mixture that reconstructs protein sequences from sequences of overlapping peptides is described in this SAND report. This approach, analogous to shotgun sequencing of DNA, is to be used to sequence alternative spliced proteins, to identify post-translational modifications, and to sequence genetically engineered proteins.

Unexpected Molecular Sieving Properties of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Chen; Lively, Ryan P.; Zhang, Ke; Johnson, Justin R.; Karvan, Oguz; Koros, William J.

2012-01-01

We studied molecular sieving properties of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) by estimating the thermodynamically corrected diffusivities of probe molecules at 35 °C. From helium (2.6 Å) to iso-C 4H 10 (5.0 Å), the corrected diffusivity drops 14 orders of magnitude. Our results further suggest that the effective aperture size of ZIF-8 for molecular sieving is in the range of 4.0 to 4.2 Å, which is significantly larger than the XRD-derived value (3.4 Å) and between the well-known aperture size of zeolite 4A (3.8 Å) and 5A (4.3 Å). Interestingly, because of aperture flexibility, the studied C 4 hydrocarbon molecules that are larger than this effective aperture size still adsorb in the micropores of ZIF-8 with kinetic selectivities for iso-C 4H 8/iso-C 4H 10 of 180 and n-C 4H 10/iso-C 4H 10 of 2.5 × 10 6. These unexpected molecular sieving properties open up new opportunities for ZIF materials for separations that cannot be economically achieved by traditional microporous adsorbents such as synthetic zeolites. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Unexpected Molecular Sieving Properties of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Chen

2012-08-16

We studied molecular sieving properties of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) by estimating the thermodynamically corrected diffusivities of probe molecules at 35 °C. From helium (2.6 Å) to iso-C 4H 10 (5.0 Å), the corrected diffusivity drops 14 orders of magnitude. Our results further suggest that the effective aperture size of ZIF-8 for molecular sieving is in the range of 4.0 to 4.2 Å, which is significantly larger than the XRD-derived value (3.4 Å) and between the well-known aperture size of zeolite 4A (3.8 Å) and 5A (4.3 Å). Interestingly, because of aperture flexibility, the studied C 4 hydrocarbon molecules that are larger than this effective aperture size still adsorb in the micropores of ZIF-8 with kinetic selectivities for iso-C 4H 8/iso-C 4H 10 of 180 and n-C 4H 10/iso-C 4H 10 of 2.5 × 10 6. These unexpected molecular sieving properties open up new opportunities for ZIF materials for separations that cannot be economically achieved by traditional microporous adsorbents such as synthetic zeolites. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Unexpected high-energy γ emission from decaying exotic nuclei

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Gottardo

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The N=52 Ga83 β decay was studied at ALTO. The radioactive 83Ga beam was produced through the ISOL photofission technique and collected on a movable tape for the measurement of γ-ray emission following β decay. While β-delayed neutron emission has been measured to be 56–85% of the decay path, in this experiment an unexpected high-energy 5–9 MeV γ-ray yield of 16(4% was observed, coming from states several MeVs above the neutron separation threshold. This result is compared with cutting-edge QRPA calculations, which show that when neutrons deeply bound in the core of the nucleus decay into protons via a Gamow–Teller transition, they give rise to a dipolar oscillation of nuclear matter in the nucleus. This leads to large electromagnetic transition probabilities which can compete with neutron emission, thus affecting the β-decay path. This process is enhanced by an excess of neutrons on the nuclear surface and may thus be a common feature for very neutron-rich isotopes, challenging the present understanding of decay properties of exotic nuclei.

Let's play game exhibitions : A curator's perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vos, Jesse; Glas, M.A.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/330981447; van Vught, J.F.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/413532682

2017-01-01

The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision is home to The Experience, a museum exhibiting the history of media in the Netherlands. For ten months in 2016 and 2017, The Experience hosted a temporary exhibition entitled Let’s YouTube . During the Let’s YouTube game month, we programmed a ten-day

Temporal Sequence of Autolysis in the Cerebellar Cortex of the Mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Finnie, J W; Blumbergs, P C; Manavis, J

2016-05-01

This study examined the temporal sequence of post-mortem changes in the cerebellar cortical granular and Purkinje cell layers of mice kept at a constant ambient temperature for up to 4 weeks. Nuclei of granule cell microneurons became pyknotic early after death, increasing progressively until, by 7 days, widespread nuclear lysis resulted in marked cellular depletion of the granular layer. Purkinje cells were relatively unaltered until about 96 h post mortem, at which time there was shrinkage and multivacuolation of the amphophilic cytoplasm, nuclear hyperchromasia and, sometimes, a perinuclear clear space. By 7 days, Purkinje cells had hypereosinophilic cytoplasm and frequent nuclear pyknosis. By 2 weeks after death, Purkinje cells showed homogenization, the cytoplasm being uniformly eosinophilic, progressing to a 'ghost-like' appearance in which the cytoplasm had pale eosinophilic staining with indistinct cell boundaries, and nuclei often absent. The results of this study could assist in differentiating post-mortem autolysis from ante-mortem lesions in the cerebellar cortex and determining the post-mortem interval. Moreover, this information could be useful when interpreting brain lesions in valuable mice found dead unexpectedly during the course of biomedical experiments. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Foundations of Sequence-to-Sequence Modeling for Time Series

OpenAIRE

Kuznetsov, Vitaly; Mariet, Zelda

2018-01-01

The availability of large amounts of time series data, paired with the performance of deep-learning algorithms on a broad class of problems, has recently led to significant interest in the use of sequence-to-sequence models for time series forecasting. We provide the first theoretical analysis of this time series forecasting framework. We include a comparison of sequence-to-sequence modeling to classical time series models, and as such our theory can serve as a quantitative guide for practiti...

Amphipathic DNA polymers exhibit antiviral activity against systemic Murine Cytomegalovirus infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juteau Jean-Marc

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Phosphorothioated oligonucleotides (PS-ONs have a sequence-independent, broad spectrum antiviral activity as amphipathic polymers (APs and exhibit potent in vitro antiviral activity against a broad spectrum of herpesviruses: HSV-1, HSV-2, HCMV, VZV, EBV, and HHV-6A/B, and in vivo activity in a murine microbiocide model of genital HSV-2 infection. The activity of these agents against animal cytomegalovirus (CMV infections in vitro and in vivo was therefore investigated. Results In vitro, a 40 mer degenerate AP (REP 9 inhibited both murine CMV (MCMV and guinea pig CMV (GPCMV with an IC50 of 0.045 μM and 0.16 μM, respectively, and a 40 mer poly C AP (REP 9C inhibited MCMV with an IC50 of 0.05 μM. Addition of REP 9 to plaque assays during the first two hours of infection inhibited 78% of plaque formation whereas addition of REP 9 after 10 hours of infection did not significantly reduce the number of plaques, indicating that REP 9 antiviral activity against MCMV occurs at early times after infection. In a murine model of CMV infection, systemic treatment for 5 days significantly reduced virus replication in the spleens and livers of infected mice compared to saline-treated control mice. REP 9 and REP 9C were administered intraperitoneally for 5 consecutive days at 10 mg/kg, starting 2 days prior to MCMV infection. Splenomegaly was observed in infected mice treated with REP 9 but not in control mice or in REP 9 treated, uninfected mice, consistent with mild CpG-like activity. When REP 9C (which lacks CpG motifs was compared to REP 9, it exhibited comparable antiviral activity as REP 9 but was not associated with splenomegaly. This suggests that the direct antiviral activity of APs is the predominant therapeutic mechanism in vivo. Moreover, REP 9C, which is acid stable, was effective when administered orally in combination with known permeation enhancers. Conclusion These studies indicate that APs exhibit potent, well tolerated

Detection of M-Sequences from Spike Sequence in Neuronal Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshi Nishitani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In circuit theory, it is well known that a linear feedback shift register (LFSR circuit generates pseudorandom bit sequences (PRBS, including an M-sequence with the maximum period of length. In this study, we tried to detect M-sequences known as a pseudorandom sequence generated by the LFSR circuit from time series patterns of stimulated action potentials. Stimulated action potentials were recorded from dissociated cultures of hippocampal neurons grown on a multielectrode array. We could find several M-sequences from a 3-stage LFSR circuit (M3. These results show the possibility of assembling LFSR circuits or its equivalent ones in a neuronal network. However, since the M3 pattern was composed of only four spike intervals, the possibility of an accidental detection was not zero. Then, we detected M-sequences from random spike sequences which were not generated from an LFSR circuit and compare the result with the number of M-sequences from the originally observed raster data. As a result, a significant difference was confirmed: a greater number of “0–1” reversed the 3-stage M-sequences occurred than would have accidentally be detected. This result suggests that some LFSR equivalent circuits are assembled in neuronal networks.

Genome Sequencing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sato, Shusei; Andersen, Stig Uggerhøj

2014-01-01

The current Lotus japonicus reference genome sequence is based on a hybrid assembly of Sanger TAC/BAC, Sanger shotgun and Illumina shotgun sequencing data generated from the Miyakojima-MG20 accession. It covers nearly all expressed L. japonicus genes and has been annotated mainly based on transcr......The current Lotus japonicus reference genome sequence is based on a hybrid assembly of Sanger TAC/BAC, Sanger shotgun and Illumina shotgun sequencing data generated from the Miyakojima-MG20 accession. It covers nearly all expressed L. japonicus genes and has been annotated mainly based...

Presentation and exhibition activities for promoting theexportof transport services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darya Vladimirovna Nesterova

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Development of presentation and exhibition activities is considered as an important factor in providing new competitive advantages at the strategic markets for exporting of transportation services. A specific role for exhibition activities as a factor to overcome market failures arose from imperfect information and incomplete markets is displayed. Exhibitions are considered as a true reflection of most market parameters, as a means to get correct information concerning market capacity and its borders, as an instrument to access to new markets. At the firm level presentation and branding activities should be considered as a modern technology (especially it concerns Russian companies which provide to hold up already existed markets and to conquer new ones. Presentation and branding activities are an effective technology to promote company trade-mark, competitive advantages for market demand increasing. Comparative analysis of the main exhibitions on transport and logistics issues is fulfilled on the data basecollected by authors. Data observes geographical distribution of transport exhibition and exhibition facilities development at several regions for the last years. The analyses allow to revealing a geographical structure of the exhibitions and its distribution by type of transport. The most promising and economically favorable exhibition areas for the promotion of Russian transport services are shown.

The Eugenides Foundation Interactive Exhibition of Science and Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Kontogiannis, Ioannis

2010-01-01

The Interactive Exhibition of Science and Technology is installed in an area of 1200 m2 at the Eugenides Foundation. 65 interactive exhibits, designed by the "Cites des Science et de l' Industrie" are organised in themes, stimulate the visitors' mind and provoke scientific thinking. Parallel activities take place inside the exhibition, such as live science demonstrations, performed by young scientists. Extra material such as news bulletins (short news, science comics and portraits), educational paths and treasure-hunting based games, all available online as well, are prepared on a monthly basis and provided along with the visit to the exhibition. Through these exhibits and activities, scientific facts are made simple and easy to comprehend using modern presentation tools. We present details on how this exhibition acts complementary to the science education provided by schools, making it a highly sophisticated educational tool.

Sequencing, Characterization, and Comparative Analyses of the Plastome of Caragana rosea var. rosea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mei Jiang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available To exploit the drought-resistant Caragana species, we performed a comparative study of the plastomes from four species: Caragana rosea, C. microphylla, C. kozlowii, and C. Korshinskii. The complete plastome sequence of the C. rosea was obtained using the next generation DNA sequencing technology. The genome is a circular structure of 133,122 bases and it lacks inverted repeat. It contains 111 unique genes, including 76 protein-coding, 30 tRNA, and four rRNA genes. Repeat analyses obtained 239, 244, 258, and 246 simple sequence repeats in C. rosea, C. microphylla, C. kozlowii, and C. korshinskii, respectively. Analyses of sequence divergence found two intergenic regions: trnI-CAU-ycf2 and trnN-GUU-ycf1, exhibiting a high degree of variations. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the four Caragana species belong to a monophyletic clade. Analyses of Ka/Ks ratios revealed that five genes: rpl16, rpl20, rps11, rps7, and ycf1 and several sites having undergone strong positive selection in the Caragana branch. The results lay the foundation for the development of molecular markers and the understanding of the evolutionary process for drought-resistant characteristics.

On the unexpected oscillation of the total cross section for excitation in He2+ + H collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, D.R.; Reinhold, C.O.; Krstic, P.S.

1996-01-01

Recent calculations and measurements have revealed unexpected oscillations of the total cross section for excitation in low- to intermediate-energy He 2+ + H collisions. A physical explanation of this behavior is given here stemming from analysis of classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations, molecular orbital close coupling calculations, and solution of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation on a numerical lattice. These results indicate that the observed behavior should be characteristic of a wide range of reactions in ion-atom collisions

Screening of random peptide library of hemagglutinin from pandemic 2009 A(H1N1 influenza virus reveals unexpected antigenically important regions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanghui Xu

Full Text Available The antigenic structure of the membrane protein hemagglutinin (HA from the 2009 A(H1N1 influenza virus was dissected with a high-throughput screening method using complex antisera. The approach involves generating yeast cell libraries displaying a pool of random peptides of controllable lengths on the cell surface, followed by one round of fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS against antisera from mouse, goat and human, respectively. The amino acid residue frequency appearing in the antigenic peptides at both the primary sequence and structural level was determined and used to identify "hot spots" or antigenically important regions. Unexpectedly, different antigenic structures were seen for different antisera. Moreover, five antigenic regions were identified, of which all but one are located in the conserved HA stem region that is responsible for membrane fusion. Our findings are corroborated by several recent studies on cross-neutralizing H1 subtype antibodies that recognize the HA stem region. The antigenic peptides identified may provide clues for creating peptide vaccines with better accessibility to memory B cells and better induction of cross-neutralizing antibodies than the whole HA protein. The scheme used in this study enables a direct mapping of the antigenic regions of viral proteins recognized by antisera, and may be useful for dissecting the antigenic structures of other viral proteins.

Detecting potential adverse reactions of sulpiride in schizophrenic patients by prescription sequence symmetry analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Full Text Available PURPOSE: Previous studies have demonstrated sulpiride to be significantly more effective than haloperidol, risperidone and olanzapine in schizophrenic treatment; however, only limited information is available on the potential risks associated with sulpiride treatment. This study attempts to provide information on the potential risks of sulpiride treatment of schizophrenia, especially with regard to unexpected adverse effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with schizophrenia aged 18 and older, newly prescribed with a single antipsychotic medication from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan in the period from 2003 to 2010 were included. A within-subject comparison method, prescription sequence symmetry analysis (PSSA was employed to efficiently identify potential causal relationships while controlling for potential selection bias. RESULTS: A total of 5,750 patients, with a mean age of 39, approximately half of whom were male, constituted the study cohort. The PSSA found that sulpiride was associated with EPS (adjusted SR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.46-2.06 and hyperprolactinemia (12.04; 1.59-91.2. In comparison, EPS caused by haloperidol has a magnitude of 1.99 when analyzed with PSSA, and hyperprolactinemia caused by amisulpride has a magnitude of 8.05, respectively. Another finding was the unexpected increase in the use of stomatological corticosteroids, emollient laxatives, dermatological preparations of corticosteroids, quinolone antibacterials, and topical products for joint and muscular pain, after initiation of sulpiride treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We found sulpiride to be associated with an increased risk of EPS and hyperprolactinemia, and the potential risk could be as high as that induced by haloperidol and amisulpride, respectively. Additionally, our study provides grounds for future investigations into the associations between sulpiride and the increased use of additional drugs for managing adverse effects, including

Unexpected decline in tuberculosis cases coincident with economic recession -- United States, 2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Winston Carla A

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 1953, through the cooperation of state and local health departments, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC has collected information on incident cases of tuberculosis (TB disease in the United States. In 2009, TB case rates declined -11.4%, compared to an average annual -3.8% decline since 2000. The unexpectedly large decline raised concerns that TB cases may have gone unreported. To address the unexpected decline, we examined trends from multiple sources on TB treatment initiation, medication sales, and laboratory and genotyping data on culture-positive TB. Methods We analyzed 142,174 incident TB cases reported to the U. S. National Tuberculosis Surveillance System (NTSS during January 1, 2000-December 31, 2009; TB control program data from 59 public health reporting areas; self-reported data from 50 CDC-funded public health laboratories; monthly electronic prescription claims for new TB therapy prescriptions; and complete genotyping results available for NTSS cases. Accounting for prior trends using regression and time-series analyses, we calculated the deviation between observed and expected TB cases in 2009 according to patient and clinical characteristics, and assessed at what point in time the deviation occurred. Results The overall deviation in TB cases in 2009 was -7.9%, with -994 fewer cases reported than expected (P Conclusions Our assessments show that the decline in reported TB was not an artifact of changes in surveillance methods; rather, similar declines were found through multiple data sources. While the steady decline of TB cases before 2009 suggests ongoing improvement in TB control, we were not able to identify any substantial change in TB control activities or TB transmission that would account for the abrupt decline in 2009. It is possible that other multiple causes coincident with economic recession in the United States, including decreased immigration and delayed access to

Equid herpesvirus 8: Complete genome sequence and association with abortion in mares

Science.gov (United States)

Garvey, Marie; Suárez, Nicolás M.; Kerr, Karen; Hector, Ralph; Moloney-Quinn, Laura; Arkins, Sean; Davison, Andrew J.

2018-01-01

Equid herpesvirus 8 (EHV-8), formerly known as asinine herpesvirus 3, is an alphaherpesvirus that is closely related to equid herpesviruses 1 and 9 (EHV-1 and EHV-9). The pathogenesis of EHV-8 is relatively little studied and to date has only been associated with respiratory disease in donkeys in Australia and horses in China. A single EHV-8 genome sequence has been generated for strain Wh in China, but is apparently incomplete and contains frameshifts in two genes. In this study, the complete genome sequences of four EHV-8 strains isolated in Ireland between 2003 and 2015 were determined by Illumina sequencing. Two of these strains were isolated from cases of abortion in horses, and were misdiagnosed initially as EHV-1, and two were isolated from donkeys, one with neurological disease. The four genome sequences are very similar to each other, exhibiting greater than 98.4% nucleotide identity, and their phylogenetic clustering together demonstrated that genomic diversity is not dependent on the host. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 24 of the 76 predicted protein sequences are completely conserved among the Irish EHV-8 strains. Evolutionary comparisons indicate that EHV-8 is phylogenetically closer to EHV-9 than it is to EHV-1. In summary, the first complete genome sequences of EHV-8 isolates from two host species over a twelve year period are reported. The current study suggests that EHV-8 can cause abortion in horses. The potential threat of EHV-8 to the horse industry and the possibility that donkeys may act as reservoirs of infection warrant further investigation. PMID:29414990

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of strawberry (Fragaria  × ananassa Duch.) and comparison with related species of Rosaceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Hui; Li, Jinfeng; Zhang, Hong; Cai, Binhua; Gao, Zhihong; Qiao, Yushan; Mi, Lin

2017-01-01

Compared with other members of the family Rosaceae, the chloroplast genomes of Fragaria species exhibit low variation, and this situation has limited phylogenetic analyses; thus, complete chloroplast genome sequencing of Fragaria species is needed. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of F . ×  ananassa 'Benihoppe' using the Illumina HiSeq 2500-PE150 platform and then performed a combination of de novo assembly and reference-guided mapping of contigs to generate complete chloroplast genome sequences. The chloroplast genome exhibits a typical quadripartite structure with a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25,936 bp) separated by large (LSC, 85,531 bp) and small (SSC, 18,146 bp) single-copy (SC) regions. The length of the F . ×  ananassa 'Benihoppe' chloroplast genome is 155,549 bp, representing the smallest Fragaria chloroplast genome observed to date. The genome encodes 112 unique genes, comprising 78 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. Comparative analysis of the overall nucleotide sequence identity among ten complete chloroplast genomes confirmed that for both coding and non-coding regions in Rosaceae, SC regions exhibit higher sequence variation than IRs. The Ka/Ks ratio of most genes was less than 1, suggesting that most genes are under purifying selection. Moreover, the mVISTA results also showed a high degree of conservation in genome structure, gene order and gene content in Fragaria , particularly among three octoploid strawberries which were F . ×  ananassa 'Benihoppe', F . chiloensis (GP33) and F . virginiana (O477). However, when the sequences of the coding and non-coding regions of F . ×  ananassa 'Benihoppe' were compared in detail with those of F . chiloensis (GP33) and F . virginiana (O477), a number of SNPs and InDels were revealed by MEGA 7. Six non-coding regions ( trnK - matK , trnS - trnG , atpF - atpH , trnC - petN , trnT - psbD and trnP - psaJ ) with a percentage of variable sites greater than

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of strawberry (Fragaria  × ananassa Duch. and comparison with related species of Rosaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Cheng

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Compared with other members of the family Rosaceae, the chloroplast genomes of Fragaria species exhibit low variation, and this situation has limited phylogenetic analyses; thus, complete chloroplast genome sequencing of Fragaria species is needed. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of F. × ananassa ‘Benihoppe’ using the Illumina HiSeq 2500-PE150 platform and then performed a combination of de novo assembly and reference-guided mapping of contigs to generate complete chloroplast genome sequences. The chloroplast genome exhibits a typical quadripartite structure with a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25,936 bp separated by large (LSC, 85,531 bp and small (SSC, 18,146 bp single-copy (SC regions. The length of the F. × ananassa ‘Benihoppe’ chloroplast genome is 155,549 bp, representing the smallest Fragaria chloroplast genome observed to date. The genome encodes 112 unique genes, comprising 78 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. Comparative analysis of the overall nucleotide sequence identity among ten complete chloroplast genomes confirmed that for both coding and non-coding regions in Rosaceae, SC regions exhibit higher sequence variation than IRs. The Ka/Ks ratio of most genes was less than 1, suggesting that most genes are under purifying selection. Moreover, the mVISTA results also showed a high degree of conservation in genome structure, gene order and gene content in Fragaria, particularly among three octoploid strawberries which were F. × ananassa ‘Benihoppe’, F. chiloensis (GP33 and F. virginiana (O477. However, when the sequences of the coding and non-coding regions of F. × ananassa ‘Benihoppe’ were compared in detail with those of F. chiloensis (GP33 and F. virginiana (O477, a number of SNPs and InDels were revealed by MEGA 7. Six non-coding regions (trnK-matK, trnS-trnG, atpF-atpH, trnC-petN, trnT-psbD and trnP-psaJ with a percentage of variable sites greater than 1

[Complete genome sequencing and sequence analysis of BCG Tice].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiming; Pan, Yuanlong; Wu, Jun; Zhu, Baoli

2012-10-04

The objective of this study is to obtain the complete genome sequence of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Tice (BCG Tice), in order to provide more information about the molecular biology of BCG Tice and design more reasonable vaccines to prevent tuberculosis. We assembled the data from high-throughput sequencing with SOAPdenovo software, with many contigs and scaffolds obtained. There are many sequence gaps and physical gaps remained as a result of regional low coverage and low quality. We designed primers at the end of contigs and performed PCR amplification in order to link these contigs and scaffolds. With various enzymes to perform PCR amplification, adjustment of PCR reaction conditions, and combined with clone construction to sequence, all the gaps were finished. We obtained the complete genome sequence of BCG Tice and submitted it to GenBank of National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The genome of BCG Tice is 4334064 base pairs in length, with GC content 65.65%. The problems and strategies during the finishing step of BCG Tice sequencing are illuminated here, with the hope of affording some experience to those who are involved in the finishing step of genome sequencing. The microarray data were verified by our results.

Fatty acid oxidation disorders as primary cause of sudden and unexpected death in infants and young children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banner, Jytte; Kølvraa, S; Gregersen, N

1997-01-01

Disorders of fatty acid metabolism are known to be responsible for cases of sudden and unexpected death in infancy. At least 14 disorders are known at present. 120 cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) had been examined for a prevalent mutation (G985) causing medium chain acyl Co......A dehydrogenase deficiency, which is inherited in an autosomal recessive mode. No over-representation of either homozygous or heterozygous cases was found....

Purifying selection acts on coding and non-coding sequences of paralogous genes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Robert D; Palmgren, Michael

2016-06-13

Whole-genome duplications in the ancestors of many diverse species provided the genetic material for evolutionary novelty. Several models explain the retention of paralogous genes. However, how these models are reflected in the evolution of coding and non-coding sequences of paralogous genes is unknown. Here, we analyzed the coding and non-coding sequences of paralogous genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and compared these sequences with those of orthologous genes in Arabidopsis lyrata. Paralogs with lower expression than their duplicate had more nonsynonymous substitutions, were more likely to fractionate, and exhibited less similar expression patterns with their orthologs in the other species. Also, lower-expressed genes had greater tissue specificity. Orthologous conserved non-coding sequences in the promoters, introns, and 3' untranslated regions were less abundant at lower-expressed genes compared to their higher-expressed paralogs. A gene ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis showed that paralogs with similar expression levels were enriched in GO terms related to ribosomes, whereas paralogs with different expression levels were enriched in terms associated with stress responses. Loss of conserved non-coding sequences in one gene of a paralogous gene pair correlates with reduced expression levels that are more tissue specific. Together with increased mutation rates in the coding sequences, this suggests that similar forces of purifying selection act on coding and non-coding sequences. We propose that coding and non-coding sequences evolve concurrently following gene duplication.

Sequence variability is correlated with weak immunogenicity in Streptococcus pyogenes M protein

Science.gov (United States)

Lannergård, Jonas; Kristensen, Bodil M; Gustafsson, Mattias C U; Persson, Jenny J; Norrby-Teglund, Anna; Stålhammar-Carlemalm, Margaretha; Lindahl, Gunnar

2015-01-01

The M protein of Streptococcus pyogenes, a major bacterial virulence factor, has an amino-terminal hypervariable region (HVR) that is a target for type-specific protective antibodies. Intriguingly, the HVR elicits a weak antibody response, indicating that it escapes host immunity by two mechanisms, sequence variability and weak immunogenicity. However, the properties influencing the immunogenicity of regions in an M protein remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the antibody response to different regions of the classical M1 and M5 proteins, in which not only the HVR but also the adjacent fibrinogen-binding B repeat region exhibits extensive sequence divergence. Analysis of antisera from S. pyogenes-infected patients, infected mice, and immunized mice showed that both the HVR and the B repeat region elicited weak antibody responses, while the conserved carboxy-terminal part was immunodominant. Thus, we identified a correlation between sequence variability and weak immunogenicity for M protein regions. A potential explanation for the weak immunogenicity was provided by the demonstration that protease digestion selectively eliminated the HVR-B part from whole M protein-expressing bacteria. These data support a coherent model, in which the entire variable HVR-B part evades antibody attack, not only by sequence variability but also by weak immunogenicity resulting from protease attack. PMID:26175306

Unexpected patterns of admixture in German populations of Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae underscore the importance of human intervention.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorothee E Zielke

Full Text Available The mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus, originally restricted to temperate East Asia, is now widespread in North America and more recently has become established in Europe. To ascertain the putative number of separate introductions to Europe and examine patterns of expansion we analyzed the genetic makeup of Ae. j. japonicus populations from five cemeteries in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, two western German federal states, as well as of specimens from populations in Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria/Slovenia. To do so, we genotyped individual specimens at seven pre-existing polymorphic microsatellite loci and sequenced part of the nad4 mitochondrial locus. We found evidence of two different genotypic signatures associated with different nad4 mitochondrial haplotypes, indicating at least two genetically differentiated populations of Ae. j. japonicus in Europe (i.e. two distinct genotypes. Belgian, Swiss, and Austrian/Slovenian populations all share the same genotypic signature although they have become differentiated since isolation. Contrary to expectations, the German Ae. j. japonicus are not closely related to those in Belgium which are geographically nearest but are also highly inbred. German populations have a unique genotype but also evidence of mixing between the two genotypes. Also unexpectedly, the populations closest to the center of the German infestation had the highest levels of admixture indicating that separate introductions did not expand and merge but instead their expansion was driven by punctuated human-mediated transport. Critically, the resulting admixed populations have higher genetic diversity and appear invasive as indicated by their increased abundance and recent spread across western Germany.

Peculiar time dependence of unexpected lines in delayed beam-foil X-ray spectra of V, Fe and Ni

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, Nissar; Karn, Ranjeet K.; Marketos, Pan; Nandi, T.

2005-01-01

Delayed beam-foil X-ray spectra of highly charged ions of V, Fe and Ni show a few lines at energies higher than the H-like Lyman α-line of the respective projectile ions. These can only be attributed to heavier ions. Further the time dependence of such unexpected lines display a peculiar behavior. This work presents the experimental observations systematically

Visual Perceptual Echo Reflects Learning of Regularities in Rapid Luminance Sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Acer Y-C; Schwartzman, David J; VanRullen, Rufin; Kanai, Ryota; Seth, Anil K

2017-08-30

A novel neural signature of active visual processing has recently been described in the form of the "perceptual echo", in which the cross-correlation between a sequence of randomly fluctuating luminance values and occipital electrophysiological signals exhibits a long-lasting periodic (∼100 ms cycle) reverberation of the input stimulus (VanRullen and Macdonald, 2012). As yet, however, the mechanisms underlying the perceptual echo and its function remain unknown. Reasoning that natural visual signals often contain temporally predictable, though nonperiodic features, we hypothesized that the perceptual echo may reflect a periodic process associated with regularity learning. To test this hypothesis, we presented subjects with successive repetitions of a rapid nonperiodic luminance sequence, and examined the effects on the perceptual echo, finding that echo amplitude linearly increased with the number of presentations of a given luminance sequence. These data suggest that the perceptual echo reflects a neural signature of regularity learning.Furthermore, when a set of repeated sequences was followed by a sequence with inverted luminance polarities, the echo amplitude decreased to the same level evoked by a novel stimulus sequence. Crucially, when the original stimulus sequence was re-presented, the echo amplitude returned to a level consistent with the number of presentations of this sequence, indicating that the visual system retained sequence-specific information, for many seconds, even in the presence of intervening visual input. Altogether, our results reveal a previously undiscovered regularity learning mechanism within the human visual system, reflected by the perceptual echo. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How the brain encodes and learns fast-changing but nonperiodic visual input remains unknown, even though such visual input characterizes natural scenes. We investigated whether the phenomenon of "perceptual echo" might index such learning. The perceptual echo is a

Candidate gene identification of ovulation-inducing genes by RNA sequencing with an in vivo assay in zebrafish.

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Wanlada Klangnurak

Full Text Available We previously reported the microarray-based selection of three ovulation-related genes in zebrafish. We used a different selection method in this study, RNA sequencing analysis. An additional eight up-regulated candidates were found as specifically up-regulated genes in ovulation-induced samples. Changes in gene expression were confirmed by qPCR analysis. Furthermore, up-regulation prior to ovulation during natural spawning was verified in samples from natural pairing. Gene knock-out zebrafish strains of one of the candidates, the starmaker gene (stm, were established by CRISPR genome editing techniques. Unexpectedly, homozygous mutants were fertile and could spawn eggs. However, a high percentage of unfertilized eggs and abnormal embryos were produced from these homozygous females. The results suggest that the stm gene is necessary for fertilization. In this study, we selected additional ovulation-inducing candidate genes, and a novel function of the stm gene was investigated.

Complete genome sequence of an isolate of Potato virus X (PVX) infecting Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) in Colombia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez, Pablo A; Alzate, Juan F; Montoya, Mauricio Marín

2015-06-01

Transcriptome analysis of a Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) plant with leaf symptoms of a mild yellow mosaic typical of a viral disease revealed an infection with Potato virus X (PVX). The genome sequence of the PVX-Physalis isolate comprises 6435 nt and exhibits higher sequence similarity to members of the Eurasian group of PVX (~95 %) than to the American group (~77 %). Genome organization is similar to other PVX isolates with five open reading frames coding for proteins RdRp, TGBp1, TGBp2, TGBp3, and CP. 5' and 3' untranslated regions revealed all regulatory motifs typically found in PVX isolates. The PVX-Physalis genome is the only complete sequence available for a Potexvirus in Colombia and is a new addition to the restricted number of available sequences of PVX isolates infecting plant species different to potato.

Travelling CERN Exhibition ''When Energy Becomes Matter''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

Full text: The European Laboratory for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the H. Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics together with the Institute of Physics of the Jagiellonian University and the University of Mining and Metallurgy, and under the auspices of the Polish National Atomic Energy Agency organized in the Museum of Nature in Cracow from October 16 till December 16, 2000 the exhibition ''When Energy Becomes Matter''. The Office of the ''Festival Cracow 2000'' was the main sponsor of that event. The exhibition was a part of the F estival Cracow 2000'' called ''Festival of Youngsters Cracow 2000''. Invitations, posters and information leaflets were sent to more than 3000 schools in southern Poland. The exhibition was divided into four specially designed quadrants. In the first the visitor was informed what kind of scales are in use to describe the Universe and the atom. The second introduced elementary particles via the cosmic ray demonstrations. Particle acceleration was demonstrated with the help of a TV set. The third segment was devoted to the Large Hadron Collider and its experiments: CMS, ATLAS, ALICE and LHCb. The last segment was an attempt to explain what are quarks, leptons and intermediate bosons. In addition it was also explained what is antimatter and why symmetry is broken in Nature. In one of the rooms we arranged the cinema where five movies was continuously presented. Thanks to the Cracow TV it was possible to prepare Polish translations of the films: B ack to creation , P owers of ten , L HC - time machine , S tars underground , and G eneva event . Another attraction of the exhibition was the Internet room equipped with the help of Polish Telecommunication. The exhibition was open seven days per week from 10 to 17 h. During the working days every 20 minutes a new group of about 25-30 people was visiting the exhibition. Each group was guided by students and PhD students from our Institute, Jagiellonian University and University of Mining

APE1 incision activity at abasic sites in tandem repeat sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mengxia; Völker, Jens; Breslauer, Kenneth J; Wilson, David M

2014-05-29

Repetitive DNA sequences, such as those present in microsatellites and minisatellites, telomeres, and trinucleotide repeats (linked to fragile X syndrome, Huntington disease, etc.), account for nearly 30% of the human genome. These domains exhibit enhanced susceptibility to oxidative attack to yield base modifications, strand breaks, and abasic sites; have a propensity to adopt non-canonical DNA forms modulated by the positions of the lesions; and, when not properly processed, can contribute to genome instability that underlies aging and disease development. Knowledge on the repair efficiencies of DNA damage within such repetitive sequences is therefore crucial for understanding the impact of such domains on genomic integrity. In the present study, using strategically designed oligonucleotide substrates, we determined the ability of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) to cleave at apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites in a collection of tandem DNA repeat landscapes involving telomeric and CAG/CTG repeat sequences. Our studies reveal the differential influence of domain sequence, conformation, and AP site location/relative positioning on the efficiency of APE1 binding and strand incision. Intriguingly, our data demonstrate that APE1 endonuclease efficiency correlates with the thermodynamic stability of the DNA substrate. We discuss how these results have both predictive and mechanistic consequences for understanding the success and failure of repair protein activity associated with such oxidatively sensitive, conformationally plastic/dynamic repetitive DNA domains. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Heteroassociative storage of hippocampal pattern sequences in the CA3 subregion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raphael Y. de Camargo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background Recent research suggests that the CA3 subregion of the hippocampus has properties of both autoassociative network, due to its ability to complete partial cues, tolerate noise, and store associations between memories, and heteroassociative one, due to its ability to store and retrieve sequences of patterns. Although there are several computational models of the CA3 as an autoassociative network, more detailed evaluations of its heteroassociative properties are missing. Methods We developed a model of the CA3 subregion containing 10,000 integrate-and-fire neurons with both recurrent excitatory and inhibitory connections, and which exhibits coupled oscillations in the gamma and theta ranges. We stored thousands of pattern sequences using a heteroassociative learning rule with competitive synaptic scaling. Results We showed that a purely heteroassociative network model can (i retrieve pattern sequences from partial cues with external noise and incomplete connectivity, (ii achieve homeostasis regarding the number of connections per neuron when many patterns are stored when using synaptic scaling, (iii continuously update the set of retrievable patterns, guaranteeing that the last stored patterns can be retrieved and older ones can be forgotten. Discussion Heteroassociative networks with synaptic scaling rules seem sufficient to achieve many desirable features regarding connectivity homeostasis, pattern sequence retrieval, noise tolerance and updating of the set of retrievable patterns.

Exhibition: Dialogue between Science and religion

CERN Multimedia

2001-01-01

Can the theory of the Big Bang reached by physicists and the concept of creation beloved of religion ever be reconciled? The two approaches have at least one point in common: they do not provide a final answer to the mysteries of the birth of the Universe. And this means that dialogue is alays possible between the two. It is to show the potential of such an exchange that Geneva's Société Evangélique organization is opening an exhibition under the title 'Big Bang and Creation', at the Planète Charmilles shopping centre, to run from 19 to 30 March. View of the 'Big Bang and Creation' exhibition. The exhibition is divided into three sections, showing the views of the scientist and those of the believer without setting them up in opposition to one another. In the first section, under a representation of the vault of heaven, the visitor will discover the different ideas explaining the birth of the Universe: Genesis and the Big Bang, and the different dominant theories ...

Mobile exhibition in Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1960-04-15

Since January this year, a mobile atomic energy exhibition has been touring the principal cities of Mexico. In organizing this exhibition, the National Nuclear Energy Commission of Mexico was assisted by the International Atomic Energy Agency which has placed its second mobile radioisotope laboratory at the disposal of the Mexican authorities. In many States of the Republic, the visit of the mobile laboratory has given a powerful impetus to atomic training and research. Universities have made use of the laboratory for the training of young scientists in the basic isotope techniques. As a sequel to the work initiated with its aid, some universities are planning to start regular training courses in this field. The laboratory, which is a gift to the Agency from the United States, has been put to its first assignment in Mexico. It will shortly be sent to Argentina for a period of six months for use in training courses. IAEA's first mobile radioisotope unit, also donated by the United States, has been used for training purposes in Austria, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece and Yugoslavia, and has now been sent to the Far East

Mobile exhibition in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1960-01-01

Since January this year, a mobile atomic energy exhibition has been touring the principal cities of Mexico. In organizing this exhibition, the National Nuclear Energy Commission of Mexico was assisted by the International Atomic Energy Agency which has placed its second mobile radioisotope laboratory at the disposal of the Mexican authorities. In many States of the Republic, the visit of the mobile laboratory has given a powerful impetus to atomic training and research. Universities have made use of the laboratory for the training of young scientists in the basic isotope techniques. As a sequel to the work initiated with its aid, some universities are planning to start regular training courses in this field. The laboratory, which is a gift to the Agency from the United States, has been put to its first assignment in Mexico. It will shortly be sent to Argentina for a period of six months for use in training courses. IAEA's first mobile radioisotope unit, also donated by the United States, has been used for training purposes in Austria, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece and Yugoslavia, and has now been sent to the Far East

Transcriptome sequencing in an ecologically important tree species: assembly, annotation, and marker discovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benkman Craig W

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Massively parallel sequencing of cDNA is now an efficient route for generating enormous sequence collections that represent expressed genes. This approach provides a valuable starting point for characterizing functional genetic variation in non-model organisms, especially where whole genome sequencing efforts are currently cost and time prohibitive. The large and complex genomes of pines (Pinus spp. have hindered the development of genomic resources, despite the ecological and economical importance of the group. While most genomic studies have focused on a single species (P. taeda, genomic level resources for other pines are insufficiently developed to facilitate ecological genomic research. Lodgepole pine (P. contorta is an ecologically important foundation species of montane forest ecosystems and exhibits substantial adaptive variation across its range in western North America. Here we describe a sequencing study of expressed genes from P. contorta, including their assembly and annotation, and their potential for molecular marker development to support population and association genetic studies. Results We obtained 586,732 sequencing reads from a 454 GS XLR70 Titanium pyrosequencer (mean length: 306 base pairs. A combination of reference-based and de novo assemblies yielded 63,657 contigs, with 239,793 reads remaining as singletons. Based on sequence similarity with known proteins, these sequences represent approximately 17,000 unique genes, many of which are well covered by contig sequences. This sequence collection also included a surprisingly large number of retrotransposon sequences, suggesting that they are highly transcriptionally active in the tissues we sampled. We located and characterized thousands of simple sequence repeats and single nucleotide polymorphisms as potential molecular markers in our assembled and annotated sequences. High quality PCR primers were designed for a substantial number of the SSR loci

Unexpected levels and movement of radon in a large warehouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gammage, R.B.; Espinosa, G.

2004-01-01

Alpha-track detectors, used in screening for radon, identified a large warehouse with levels of radon as high as 20 p Ci/l. This circumstance was unexpected because large bay doors were left open for much of the day to admit 1 8-wheeler trucks, and exhaust fans in the roof produced good ventilation. More detailed temporal and spatial investigations of radon and air-flow patterns were made with electret chambers, Lucas-cell flow chambers, tracer gas, smoke pencils and pressure sensing micrometers. An oval-dome shaped zone of radon (>4 p Ci/L) persisted in the central region of each of four separate bays composing the warehouse. Detailed studies of air movement in the bay with the highest levels of radon showed clockwise rotation of air near the outer walls with a central dead zone. Sub slab, radon-laden air ingresses the building through expansion joints between the floor slabs to produce the measured radon. The likely source of radon is air within porous, karst bedrock that underlies much of north-central Tennessee where the warehouse is situated

Identification of human chromosome 22 transcribed sequences with ORF expressed sequence tags

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Sandro J.; Camargo, Anamaria A.; Briones, Marcelo R. S.; Costa, Fernando F.; Nagai, Maria Aparecida; Verjovski-Almeida, Sergio; Zago, Marco A.; Andrade, Luis Eduardo C.; Carrer, Helaine; El-Dorry, Hamza F. A.; Espreafico, Enilza M.; Habr-Gama, Angelita; Giannella-Neto, Daniel; Goldman, Gustavo H.; Gruber, Arthur; Hackel, Christine; Kimura, Edna T.; Maciel, Rui M. B.; Marie, Suely K. N.; Martins, Elizabeth A. L.; Nóbrega, Marina P.; Paçó-Larson, Maria Luisa; Pardini, Maria Inês M. C.; Pereira, Gonçalo G.; Pesquero, João Bosco; Rodrigues, Vanderlei; Rogatto, Silvia R.; da Silva, Ismael D. C. G.; Sogayar, Mari C.; de Fátima Sonati, Maria; Tajara, Eloiza H.; Valentini, Sandro R.; Acencio, Marcio; Alberto, Fernando L.; Amaral, Maria Elisabete J.; Aneas, Ivy; Bengtson, Mário Henrique; Carraro, Dirce M.; Carvalho, Alex F.; Carvalho, Lúcia Helena; Cerutti, Janete M.; Corrêa, Maria Lucia C.; Costa, Maria Cristina R.; Curcio, Cyntia; Gushiken, Tsieko; Ho, Paulo L.; Kimura, Elza; Leite, Luciana C. C.; Maia, Gustavo; Majumder, Paromita; Marins, Mozart; Matsukuma, Adriana; Melo, Analy S. A.; Mestriner, Carlos Alberto; Miracca, Elisabete C.; Miranda, Daniela C.; Nascimento, Ana Lucia T. O.; Nóbrega, Francisco G.; Ojopi, Élida P. B.; Pandolfi, José Rodrigo C.; Pessoa, Luciana Gilbert; Rahal, Paula; Rainho, Claudia A.; da Ro's, Nancy; de Sá, Renata G.; Sales, Magaly M.; da Silva, Neusa P.; Silva, Tereza C.; da Silva, Wilson; Simão, Daniel F.; Sousa, Josane F.; Stecconi, Daniella; Tsukumo, Fernando; Valente, Valéria; Zalcberg, Heloisa; Brentani, Ricardo R.; Reis, Luis F. L.; Dias-Neto, Emmanuel; Simpson, Andrew J. G.

2000-01-01

Transcribed sequences in the human genome can be identified with confidence only by alignment with sequences derived from cDNAs synthesized from naturally occurring mRNAs. We constructed a set of 250,000 cDNAs that represent partial expressed gene sequences and that are biased toward the central coding regions of the resulting transcripts. They are termed ORF expressed sequence tags (ORESTES). The 250,000 ORESTES were assembled into 81,429 contigs. Of these, 1,181 (1.45%) were found to match sequences in chromosome 22 with at least one ORESTES contig for 162 (65.6%) of the 247 known genes, for 67 (44.6%) of the 150 related genes, and for 45 of the 148 (30.4%) EST-predicted genes on this chromosome. Using a set of stringent criteria to validate our sequences, we identified a further 219 previously unannotated transcribed sequences on chromosome 22. Of these, 171 were in fact also defined by EST or full length cDNA sequences available in GenBank but not utilized in the initial annotation of the first human chromosome sequence. Thus despite representing less than 15% of all expressed human sequences in the public databases at the time of the present analysis, ORESTES sequences defined 48 transcribed sequences on chromosome 22 not defined by other sequences. All of the transcribed sequences defined by ORESTES coincided with DNA regions predicted as encoding exons by genscan. (http://genes.mit.edu/GENSCAN.html). PMID:11070084

Pathogenesis of sudden unexpected death in a clinical trial of patients with myocardial infarction and left ventricular dysfunction, heart failure, or both

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pouleur, Anne-Catherine; Barkoudah, Ebrahim; Uno, Hajime

2010-01-01

The frequency of sudden unexpected death is highest in the early post-myocardial infarction (MI) period; nevertheless, 2 recent trials showed no improvement in mortality with early placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator after MI....

CERN exhibition attracts over 100,000 visitors in Belgrade

CERN Multimedia

Antonella Del Rosso

2012-01-01

“This must be an 'all-time record',” says Ray Lewis, CERN travelling exhibition manager. “In all my time with the various permanent and travelling exhibitions that have taken place locally and within our Member States I have never experienced such figures.”   Zarko Obradovic (left), Serbian Minister of Education, Science and Technology, and Rolf Heuer (right), CERN Director-General, at the CERN travelling exhibition in Belgrade. Indeed, in approximately 20 days of exhibition time about 120,000 people, mainly school visiters and the general public, visited the 100 m2 CERN mini-exhibition. It was set up in the centre of Belgrade in October, in association with the meeting of the Restricted European Committee for Future Accelerators (RECFA). After attending the RECFA meeting, CERN's Director-General Rofl Heuer opened the CERN exhibition on the evening of 19 October. Lectures about CERN were held every afternoon, and two public de...

Designing museum exhibits that facilitate visitor reflection and discussion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skydsgaard, Morten Arnika; Andersen, Hanne Møller; King, Heather

2016-01-01

This paper explores how four design principles (curiosity, challenge, narratives and participation) facilitate reflection and discussion among young visitors in the issues-based exhibition Dear, Difficult Body. The investigation is based on a mixed-method approach combining questionnaire and inte......This paper explores how four design principles (curiosity, challenge, narratives and participation) facilitate reflection and discussion among young visitors in the issues-based exhibition Dear, Difficult Body. The investigation is based on a mixed-method approach combining questionnaire...... and interview data. The implementation of design principles resulted in a variety of exhibits which variously prompted reflection and discussion on the part of visitors. Exhibits with narratives, for example, here defined as both personal and expert narratives, were found to be effective in facilitating...... personal reflection but also prompted discussion. Participation, defined as including both physical interaction with exhibits, and dialogic interaction between visitors, facilitated the sharing of ideas and feelings between visitors. Exhibits with elements of curiosity and challenge were found to attract...

Abiotic Stress-Related Expressed Sequence Tags from the Diploid Strawberry Fragaria vesca f. semperflorens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maximo. Rivarola

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Strawberry ( spp. is a eudicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Rosaceae family, which includes other agronomically important plants such as raspberry ( L. and several tree-fruit species. Despite the vital role played by cultivated strawberry in agriculture, few stress-related gene expression characterizations of this crop are available. To increase the diversity of available transcriptome sequence, we produced 41,430 L. expressed sequence tags (ESTs from plants growing under water-, temperature-, and osmotic-stress conditions as well as a combination of heat and osmotic stresses that is often found in irrigated fields. Clustering and assembling of the ESTs resulted in a total of 11,836 contigs and singletons that were annotated using Gene Ontology (GO terms. Furthermore, over 1200 sequences with no match to available Rosaceae ESTs were found, including six that were assigned the “response to stress” GO category. Analysis of EST frequency provided an estimate of steady state transcript levels, with 91 sequences exhibiting at least a 20-fold difference between treatments. This EST collection represents a useful resource to advance our understanding of the abiotic stress-response mechanisms in strawberry. The sequence information may be translated to valuable tree crops in the Rosaceae family, where whole-plant treatments are not as simple or practical.

Missense Mutations Allow a Sequence-Blind Mutant of SpoIIIE to Successfully Translocate Chromosomes during Sporulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bose, Baundauna; Reed, Sydney E; Besprozvannaya, Marina; Burton, Briana M

2016-01-01

SpoIIIE directionally pumps DNA across membranes during Bacillus subtilis sporulation and vegetative growth. The sequence-reading domain (γ domain) is required for directional DNA transport, and its deletion severely impairs sporulation. We selected suppressors of the spoIIIEΔγ sporulation defect. Unexpectedly, many suppressors were intragenic missense mutants, and some restore sporulation to near-wild-type levels. The mutant proteins are likely not more abundant, faster at translocating DNA, or sequence-sensitive, and rescue does not involve the SpoIIIE homolog SftA. Some mutants behave differently when co-expressed with spoIIIEΔγ, consistent with the idea that some, but not all, variants may form mixed oligomers. In full-length spoIIIE, these mutations do not affect sporulation, and yet the corresponding residues are rarely found in other SpoIIIE/FtsK family members. The suppressors do not rescue chromosome translocation defects during vegetative growth, indicating that the role of the γ domain cannot be fully replaced by these mutations. We present two models consistent with our findings: that the suppressors commit to transport in one arbitrarily-determined direction or delay spore development. It is surprising that missense mutations somehow rescue loss of an entire domain with a complex function, and this raises new questions about the mechanism by which SpoIIIE pumps DNA and the roles SpoIIIE plays in vivo.