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Sample records for phaseolicola 1448a reveals

Extracytoplasmic function sigma factors in Pseudomonas syringae

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Kiil, Kristoffer; Oguiza, J.A.; Ussery, D.W.

2005-01-01

Genome analyses of the plant pathogens Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, pv. syringae B728a and pv. phaseolicola 1448A reveal fewer extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors than in related Pseudomonads with different lifestyles. We highlight the presence of a P. syringae-specific ECF...
Miniature transposable sequences are frequently mobilized in the bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola.

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Leire Bardaji

Full Text Available Mobile genetic elements are widespread in Pseudomonas syringae, and often associate with virulence genes. Genome reannotation of the model bean pathogen P. syringae pv. phaseolicola 1448A identified seventeen types of insertion sequences and two miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs with a biased distribution, representing 2.8% of the chromosome, 25.8% of the 132-kb virulence plasmid and 2.7% of the 52-kb plasmid. Employing an entrapment vector containing sacB, we estimated that transposition frequency oscillated between 2.6×10(-5 and 1.1×10(-6, depending on the clone, although it was stable for each clone after consecutive transfers in culture media. Transposition frequency was similar for bacteria grown in rich or minimal media, and from cells recovered from compatible and incompatible plant hosts, indicating that growth conditions do not influence transposition in strain 1448A. Most of the entrapped insertions contained a full-length IS801 element, with the remaining insertions corresponding to sequences smaller than any transposable element identified in strain 1448A, and collectively identified as miniature sequences. From these, fragments of 229, 360 and 679-nt of the right end of IS801 ended in a consensus tetranucleotide and likely resulted from one-ended transposition of IS801. An average 0.7% of the insertions analyzed consisted of IS801 carrying a fragment of variable size from gene PSPPH_0008/PSPPH_0017, showing that IS801 can mobilize DNA in vivo. Retrospective analysis of complete plasmids and genomes of P. syringae suggests, however, that most fragments of IS801 are likely the result of reorganizations rather than one-ended transpositions, and that this element might preferentially contribute to genome flexibility by generating homologous regions of recombination. A further miniature sequence previously found to affect host range specificity and virulence, designated MITEPsy1 (100-nt, represented an average 2
Miniature transposable sequences are frequently mobilized in the bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola.

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Bardaji, Leire; Añorga, Maite; Jackson, Robert W; Martínez-Bilbao, Alejandro; Yanguas-Casás, Natalia; Murillo, Jesús

2011-01-01

Mobile genetic elements are widespread in Pseudomonas syringae, and often associate with virulence genes. Genome reannotation of the model bean pathogen P. syringae pv. phaseolicola 1448A identified seventeen types of insertion sequences and two miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) with a biased distribution, representing 2.8% of the chromosome, 25.8% of the 132-kb virulence plasmid and 2.7% of the 52-kb plasmid. Employing an entrapment vector containing sacB, we estimated that transposition frequency oscillated between 2.6×10(-5) and 1.1×10(-6), depending on the clone, although it was stable for each clone after consecutive transfers in culture media. Transposition frequency was similar for bacteria grown in rich or minimal media, and from cells recovered from compatible and incompatible plant hosts, indicating that growth conditions do not influence transposition in strain 1448A. Most of the entrapped insertions contained a full-length IS801 element, with the remaining insertions corresponding to sequences smaller than any transposable element identified in strain 1448A, and collectively identified as miniature sequences. From these, fragments of 229, 360 and 679-nt of the right end of IS801 ended in a consensus tetranucleotide and likely resulted from one-ended transposition of IS801. An average 0.7% of the insertions analyzed consisted of IS801 carrying a fragment of variable size from gene PSPPH_0008/PSPPH_0017, showing that IS801 can mobilize DNA in vivo. Retrospective analysis of complete plasmids and genomes of P. syringae suggests, however, that most fragments of IS801 are likely the result of reorganizations rather than one-ended transpositions, and that this element might preferentially contribute to genome flexibility by generating homologous regions of recombination. A further miniature sequence previously found to affect host range specificity and virulence, designated MITEPsy1 (100-nt), represented an average 2.4% of the total
Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola isolated from weeds in bean crop fields.

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Fernández-Sanz, A M; Rodicio, M R; González, A J

2016-04-01

Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, the causative agent of halo blight in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), was isolated from weeds associated with bean crops in Spain. The bacterium was recovered from Fumaria sp, Mercurialis annua, Solanum nigrum and Sonchus oleraceus. Ps. s. pv. phaseolicola had previously been isolated from leguminous plants and S. nigrum, but to our knowledge, this is the first time it was recovered from the other three species. The isolates were phenotypically and genetically characterized, and they were compared with isolates recovered from common beans. Five different genotypic profiles were detected by PmeI-PFGE, two of them being of new description. Weed isolates were as pathogenic on bean plants as bean isolates, but they were not pathogenic on S. nigrum. Regarding the survival of the pathogen in weeds, Ps. s. pv. phaseolicola was isolated from So. oleraceus 11 weeks after the end of the bean crop. These results strongly support the idea of weeds as a potential source of inoculum for halo blight in bean. It has traditionally been considered that the main source of inoculum of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola causing halo blight disease in Phaseolus vulgaris are the bean seeds, and that the host range of the bacterium is almost restricted to leguminous plants. In this study, the bacterium was recovered from four nonleguminous weed species collected in bean fields, and its permanence in weeds for at least 11 weeks after the harvesting of the beans was demonstrated. We have also proved that the strains isolated from weeds were pathogenic on bean plants. Accordingly, the host range of Ps. s. pv. phaseolicola could be broader than previously thought and weeds appear to be acting as a reservoir of the pathogen until the next crop. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.
The stealth episome: suppression of gene expression on the excised genomic island PPHGI-1 from Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola.

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Scott A C Godfrey

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola is the causative agent of halo blight in the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris. P. syringae pv. phaseolicola race 4 strain 1302A contains the avirulence gene avrPphB (syn. hopAR1, which resides on PPHGI-1, a 106 kb genomic island. Loss of PPHGI-1 from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola 1302A following exposure to the hypersensitive resistance response (HR leads to the evolution of strains with altered virulence. Here we have used fluorescent protein reporter systems to gain insight into the mobility of PPHGI-1. Confocal imaging of dual-labelled P. syringae pv. phaseolicola 1302A strain, F532 (dsRFP in chromosome and eGFP in PPHGI-1, revealed loss of PPHGI-1::eGFP encoded fluorescence during plant infection and when grown in vitro on extracted leaf apoplastic fluids. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS of fluorescent and non-fluorescent PPHGI-1::eGFP F532 populations showed that cells lost fluorescence not only when the GI was deleted, but also when it had excised and was present as a circular episome. In addition to reduced expression of eGFP, quantitative PCR on sub-populations separated by FACS showed that transcription of other genes on PPHGI-1 (avrPphB and xerC was also greatly reduced in F532 cells harbouring the excised PPHGI-1::eGFP episome. Our results show how virulence determinants located on mobile pathogenicity islands may be hidden from detection by host surveillance systems through the suppression of gene expression in the episomal state.
Elaboration of Methods for Detection of Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola on Bean Seeds

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Jelica Balaž

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola detection on artificially inoculated bean seeds was investigated. The method of the International Seed Federation – ISF (2006 was used. It includes bacteria extraction from seeds, isolation on semiselective media and checking the pathogenicity of investigated isolates. For verification of results, quick new methods of investigation were used (ELISA test and PCR. The results show that semiselective media MT (Milk Tween Agar and MSP (Modified Sucrose Peptone Agar can be appropriate for isolation of this bacterium. Pathogenicity of theinvestigated isolates was confirmed on cotyledon leaves of bean. ELISA test and PCR confirmed that all investigated isolates and reisolates belong to the bacterium P. s. pv. phaseolicola.
21 CFR 520.1448 - Monensin oral dosage forms.

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2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Monensin oral dosage forms. 520.1448 Section 520.1448 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... distance the spots travel from the starting line divided by the distance the solvent front travels from the...
The Identification of Genes Important in Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola Plant Colonisation Using In Vitro Screening of Transposon Libraries.

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Bharani Manoharan

Full Text Available The bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Pph colonises the surface of common bean plants before moving into the interior of plant tissue, via wounds and stomata. In the intercellular spaces the pathogen proliferates in the apoplastic fluid and forms microcolonies (biofilms around plant cells. If the pathogen can suppress the plant's natural resistance response, it will cause halo blight disease. The process of resistance suppression is fairly well understood, but the mechanisms used by the pathogen in colonisation are less clear. We hypothesised that we could apply in vitro genetic screens to look for changes in motility, colony formation, and adhesion, which are proxies for infection, microcolony formation and cell adhesion. We made transposon (Tn mutant libraries of Pph strains 1448A and 1302A and found 106/1920 mutants exhibited alterations in colony morphology, motility and biofilm formation. Identification of the insertion point of the Tn identified within the genome highlighted, as expected, a number of altered motility mutants bearing mutations in genes encoding various parts of the flagellum. Genes involved in nutrient biosynthesis, membrane associated proteins, and a number of conserved hypothetical protein (CHP genes were also identified. A mutation of one CHP gene caused a positive increase in in planta bacterial growth. This rapid and inexpensive screening method allows the discovery of genes important for in vitro traits that can be correlated to roles in the plant interaction.
A New Compton-thick AGN in our Cosmic Backyard: Unveiling the Buried Nucleus in NGC 1448 with NuSTAR

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Annuar, A.; Alexander, D. M.; Gandhi, P.; Lansbury, G. B.; Asmus, D.; Ballantyne, D. R.; Bauer, F. E.; Boggs, S. E.; Boorman, P. G.; Brandt, W. N.; Brightman, M.; Christensen, F. E.; Craig, W. W.; Farrah, D.; Goulding, A. D.; Hailey, C. J.; Harrison, F. A.; Koss, M. J.; LaMassa, S. M.; Murray, S. S.; Ricci, C.; Rosario, D. J.; Stanley, F.; Stern, D.; Zhang, W.

2017-02-01

NGC 1448 is one of the nearest luminous galaxies (L 8-1000μm > 109 L ⊙) to ours (z = 0.00390), and yet the active galactic nucleus (AGN) it hosts was only recently discovered, in 2009. In this paper, we present an analysis of the nuclear source across three wavebands: mid-infrared (MIR) continuum, optical, and X-rays. We observed the source with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), and combined these data with archival Chandra data to perform broadband X-ray spectral fitting (≈0.5-40 keV) of the AGN for the first time. Our X-ray spectral analysis reveals that the AGN is buried under a Compton-thick (CT) column of obscuring gas along our line of sight, with a column density of N H(los) ≳ 2.5 × 1024 cm-2. The best-fitting torus models measured an intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosity of L {}2-10,{int} = (3.5-7.6) × 1040 erg s-1, making NGC 1448 one of the lowest luminosity CTAGNs known. In addition to the NuSTAR observation, we also performed optical spectroscopy for the nucleus in this edge-on galaxy using the European Southern Observatory New Technology Telescope. We re-classify the optical nuclear spectrum as a Seyfert on the basis of the Baldwin-Philips-Terlevich diagnostic diagrams, thus identifying the AGN at optical wavelengths for the first time. We also present high spatial resolution MIR observations of NGC 1448 with Gemini/T-ReCS, in which a compact nucleus is clearly detected. The absorption-corrected 2-10 keV luminosity measured from our X-ray spectral analysis agrees with that predicted from the optical [O III]λ5007 Å emission line and the MIR 12 μm continuum, further supporting the CT nature of the AGN.
NGC1448 and IC 3639: Two Concealed Black Holes Lurking in our Cosmic Backyard Unveiled by NuSTAR

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Stern, Daniel; Boorman, Peter; Annuar, Ady; Gandhi, Poshak; Alexander, D. M.; Lansbury, George B.; Asmus, Daniel; Ballantyne, David R.; Bauer, Franz E.; Boggs, Steven E.; Brandt, W. Niel; Brightman, Murray; Christensen, Finn; Craig, William W.; Farrah, Duncan; Goulding, Andy D.; Hailey, Charles James; Harrison, Fiona; Hoenig, Sebastian; Koss, Michael; LaMassa, Stephanie M.; Masini, Alberto; Murray, Stephen S.; Ricci, Claudio; Risaliti, Guido; Rosario, David J.; Stanley, Flora; Zhang, William

2017-01-01

We present NuSTAR observations of two nearby Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), NGC 1448 and IC 3639, located at distances of 12 Mpc and 54 Mpc, respectively. NuSTAR high-energy X-ray (> 10 keV) observations, combined with archival lower energy X-ray observations from Chandra and Suzaku, reveal both sources to contain heavily obscured, accreting super-massive black holes. NGC 1448 is one of the nearest luminous galaxies to the Milky Way, yet the AGN at its centre was only discovered in 2009. Using state-of-the-art models, we constrain the obscuring column density (NH) of gas concealing both AGN, finding them to be extreme, with NH values well into the Compton-thick (CT) regime with N(H) > 3e24 /cm2. NGC 1448 has an intrinsic X-ray luminosity of L(24 keV) ˜ 5e40 erg/s, making it one of the lowest luminosity CT AGN known. IC 3639, on the other hand, has one of the strongest iron fluorescence emission lines known. We also discuss multi-wavelength diagnostics at optical and mid-infrared energies as indirect indicators to penetrate through the obscuring veils and probe the intrinsic properties of the AGN. Through detailed studies such as we present here, NuSTAR is showing that there are still plenty of interesting discoveries awaiting to be made, even in the nearby Universe.
A new form of land concentration in Colombia Una nueva forma de concentración de la tierra en Colombia:la ley 1448 de 2011

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Juan Pablo Henao Guzmán

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This article aims to show how the Law 1448 of 2011, which explains reparation and restitution of victims, and the National Development Plan (NDP 2011-2014 generate land concentration in Colombia. This is due to how the NDP objectives disintegrate the Law 1448 objectives; this phenomenon could be explained using an agency model and the subsequent moral risk issue formed between the State and the victims. Regarding these results, a game-theory model was built, and this effectively concludes that the Law 1448 and the NDP generate land concentration in ColombiaEn este artículo se pretende mostrar, mediante un análisis económico, cómo la Ley 1448 de 2011 (o Ley de Víctimas y Restitución de Tierras, junto al Plan Nacional de Desarrollo (PND 2011-2014, generan concentración de la tierra en Colombia. Esto se debe a que los objetivos del PND terminan disgregando los que busca la Ley 1448, lo cual se explica con el uso de un modelo de agencia y el subsecuente problema de riesgo moral para el Estado y las víctimas del conflicto. A partir de los resultados anteriores se construye un modelo de teoría de juegos, del que se concluye que, efectivamente, la Ley 1448 y el PND generan concentración de la tierra en Colombia.
A New Compton-Thick AGN in Our Cosmic Backyard: Unveiling the Buried Nucleus in NGC 1448 with NuSTAR

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Annuar, A.; Alexander, D. M.; Ghandi, P.; Lansbury, G. B.; Asmus, D.; Ballantyne, D. R.; Bauer, F. E.; Boggs, S. E.; Boorman, P. G.; Brandt, W. N.;

2017-01-01

NGC 1448 is one of the nearest luminous galaxies [L(sub 8) - 1000 micrometers is greater than 10(exp. 9) Solar Luminosity] to ours (z = 0.00390), and yet the active galactic nucleus (AGN) it hosts was only recently discovered, in 2009. In this paper, we present an analysis of the nuclear source across three wavebands: mid-infrared (MIR) continuum, optical, and X-rays. We observed the source with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), and combined these data with archival Chandra data to perform broadband X-ray spectral fitting ( approx. equals 0.5 - 40 keV) of the AGN for the first time. Our X-ray spectral analysis reveals that the AGN is buried under a Compton-thick (CT) column of obscuring gas along our line of sight, with a column density of N(sub H)(los) approx. greater than 2.5 x 10(exp. 24) cm(exp. -2). The best-fitting torus models measured an intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosity of L(sub 2)-10,int = (3.5 - 7.6) x 10(exp. 40) erg s(exp. -1), making NGC 1448 one of the lowest luminosity CTAGNs known. In addition to the NuSTAR observation, we also performed optical spectroscopy for the nucleus in this edge-on galaxy using the European Southern Observatory New Technology Telescope. We reclassify the optical nuclear spectrum as a Seyfert on the basis of the Baldwin- Philips-Terlevich diagnostic diagrams, thus identifying the AGN at optical wavelengths for the first time. We also present high spatial resolution MIR observations of NGC 1448 with Gemini/T-ReCS, in which a compact nucleus is clearly detected. The absorption-corrected 2-10 keV luminosity measured from our X-ray spectral analysis agrees with that predicted from the optical [O III] Lamda 5007 A emission line and the MIR 12 micrometer continuum, further supporting the CT nature ofthe AGN.

Integration Host Factor (IHF binds to the promoter region of the phtD operon involved in phaseolotoxin synthesis in P. syringae pv. phaseolicola NPS3121

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Álvarez-Morales Ariel

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, the causal agent of halo blight disease in beans, produces a toxin known as phaseolotoxin, in whose synthesis participate a group of genes organized within the genome in a region known as the "Pht cluster". This region, which is thought to have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer, includes 5 transcriptional units, two monocistronic (argK, phtL and three polycistronic (phtA, phtD, phtM, whose expression is temperature dependent. So far, the regulatory mechanisms involved in phaseolotoxin synthesis have not been elucidated and the only well-established fact is the requirement of low temperatures for its synthesis. In this work, we searched for regulatory proteins that could be involved in phaseolotoxin synthesis, focusing on the regulation of the phtD operon. Results In this study we identified the global regulator IHF (Integration Host Factor, which binds to the promoter region of the phtD operon, exerting a negative effect on the expression of this operon. This is the first regulatory protein identified as part of the phaseolotoxin synthesis system. Our findings suggest that the Pht cluster was similarly regulated in the ancestral cluster by IHF or similar protein, and integrated into the global regulatory mechanism of P. syringae pv. phaseolicola, after the horizontal gene transfer event by using the host IHF protein. Conclusion This study identifies the IHF protein as one element involved in the regulation of phaseolotoxin synthesis in P. syringae pv. phaseolicola NPS3121 and provides new insights into the regulatory mechanisms involved in phaseolotoxin production.
The 1448 earthquake in Catalonia. Some effects and local reactions

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R. Salicrù i Lluch

1995-06-01

Full Text Available The May 1448 earthquake. the last destructive one that took place in Catalonia in the Middle Ages, was known chiefly from several chronistic and narrative medieval sources. To these sources I add new previously unknown data proceeding Eroin documentary archival sources in Barcelona, and other data that up to now have been wrongly considered as a consequence of the weak quake recorded in September 1450. They allow us to locate the epicentre in the Vall&s Oriental, around Llinars, to deny the existence of two almost simultaneous earthquakes, and to extend the range of the earthquake damage. to pinpoint them better and to suppose that the effects of the 1448 earthquake were more important than we had previously thought. All this information leads to several reflections on compulsory critical analysis of historical seismic documentary sources in order for them to be useful to historical seismicity. Finally. by the opposition of the three lands of documentary sources that refer to the damage caused by the earthquake in the township of Mataro. I show how natural catastrophes could be manipulated, and the skill of a society in exploiting them to deal with an adverse situation.
20 CFR 416.1448 - Deciding a case without an oral hearing before an administrative law judge.

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2010-04-01

... § 416.1448 Deciding a case without an oral hearing before an administrative law judge. (a) Decision... the decision is based. (b) Parties do not wish to appear. (1) The administrative law judge may decide... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Deciding a case without an oral hearing...
Detection of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Phaseoli and Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. Phaseolicola on bean seed using a Milk-tween medium

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Popović Tatjana

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Bean production is threaten by phytopathogenic bacteria causing agents of blights, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap and Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola (Psp. Since there is no satisfactory chemical control for the disease, the recommended measures are preventive and include use of healthy seed, crop rotation, deep plowing and use of resistant cultivars. In this work we involved a detection method for isolation of Xap and Psp from bean seed to semi-selective medium Milk Agar Tween (MT. On this medium, Xap formed yellow, mucoid and convex colonies with two hydrolysis zones (less milk and more enlightened, and Psp formed whitish-cream, flat and round colonies. The identification of Xap and Psp was confirmed using the ELISA and PCR. Due to its selectivity, easy preparation and possibility of simultaneous detection of bacteria Xap and Psp, MT medium can be recommended for routine test of seed health for local seed or seed from import.
A New Compton-thick AGN in Our Cosmic Backyard: Unveiling the Buried Nucleus in NGC 1448 with NuSTAR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Annuar, A.; Alexander, D. M.; Gandhi, P.

2017-01-01

NGC 1448 is one of the nearest luminous galaxies (L 8-1000μm >109 L o) to ours (z = 0.00390), and yet the active galactic nucleus (AGN) it hosts was only recently discovered, in 2009. In this paper, we present an analysis of the nuclear source across three wavebands: mid-infrared (MIR) continuum,...
VARIABILITY OF THE SiO THERMAL LINE EMISSION TOWARD THE YOUNG L1448-mm OUTFLOW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez-Serra, I.; MartIn-Pintado, J.; RodrIguez-Franco, A.; Winters, J.-M.; Caselli, P.

2011-01-01

The detection of narrow SiO thermal emission toward young outflows has been proposed to be a signature of the magnetic precursor of C-shocks. Recent modeling of the SiO emission across C-shocks predicts variations in the SiO line intensity and line shape at the precursor and intermediate-velocity regimes in only a few years. We present high angular resolution (3.''8 x 3.''3) images of the thermal SiO J = 2→1 emission toward the L1448-mm outflow in two epochs (2004 November-2005 February, 2009 March-April). Several SiO condensations have appeared at intermediate velocities (20-50 km s -1 ) toward the redshifted lobe of the outflow since 2005. Toward one of the condensations (clump D), systematic differences of the dirty beams between 2005 and 2009 could be responsible for the SiO variability. At higher velocities (50-80 km s -1 ), SiO could also have experienced changes in its intensity. We propose that the SiO variability toward L1448-mm is due to a real SiO enhancement by young C-shocks at the internal working surface between the jet and the ambient gas. For the precursor regime (5.2-9.2 km s -1 ), several narrow and faint SiO components are detected. The narrow SiO components tend to be compact, transient and show elongated (bow-shock) morphologies perpendicular to the jet. We speculate that these features are associated with the precursor of C-shocks appearing at the interface of the new SiO components seen at intermediate velocities.
Dissection of Resistance Genes to Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in UI3 Common Bean Cultivar.

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González, Ana M; Godoy, Luís; Santalla, Marta

2017-11-23

Few quantitative trait loci have been mapped for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in common bean. Two F₂ populations were developed from the host differential UI3 cultivar. The objective of this study was to further characterize the resistance to races 1, 5, 7 and 9 of Psp included in UI3. Using a QTL mapping approach, 16 and 11 main-effect QTLs for pod and primary leaf resistance were located on LG10, explaining up to 90% and 26% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. The homologous genomic region corresponding to primary leaf resistance QTLs detected tested positive for the presence of resistance-associated gene cluster encoding nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NL), Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage (NRAMP) and Pentatricopeptide Repeat family (PPR) proteins. It is worth noting that the main effect QTLs for resistance in pod were located inside a 3.5 Mb genomic region that included the Phvul.010G021200 gene, which encodes a protein that has the highest sequence similarity to the RIN4 gene of Arabidopsis, and can be considered an important candidate gene for the organ-specific QTLs identified here. These results support that resistance to Psp from UI3 might result from the immune response activated by combinations of R proteins, and suggest the guard model as an important mechanism in pod resistance to halo blight. The candidate genes identified here warrant functional studies that will help in characterizing the actual defense gene(s) in UI3 genotype.
Polymorphisms in the glucocerebrosidase gene and pseudogene urge caution in clinical analysis of Gaucher disease allele c.1448T>C (L444P

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Lahey Cora

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gaucher disease is a potentially severe lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the human glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA. We have developed a multiplexed genetic assay for eight diseases prevalent in the Ashkenazi population: Tay-Sachs, Gaucher type I, Niemann-Pick types A and B, mucolipidosis type IV, familial dysautonomia, Canavan, Bloom syndrome, and Fanconi anemia type C. This assay includes an allelic determination for GBA allele c.1448T>C (L444P. The goal of this study was to clinically evaluate this assay. Methods Biotinylated, multiplex PCR products were directly hybridized to capture probes immobilized on fluorescently addressed microspheres. After incubation with streptavidin-conjugated fluorophore, the reactions were analyzed by Luminex IS100. Clinical evaluations were conducted using de-identified patient DNA samples. Results We evaluated a multiplexed suspension array assay that includes wild-type and mutant genetic determinations for Gaucher disease allele c.1448T>C. Two percent of samples reported to be wild-type by conventional methods were observed to be c.1448T>C heterozygous using our assay. Sequence analysis suggested that this phenomenon was due to co-amplification of the functional gene and a paralogous pseudogene (ΨGBA due to a polymorphism in the primer-binding site of the latter. Primers for the amplification of this allele were then repositioned to span an upstream deletion in the pseudogene, yielding a much longer amplicon. Although it is widely reported that long amplicons negatively impact amplification or detection efficiency in recently adopted multiplex techniques, this assay design functioned properly and resolved the occurrence of false heterozygosity. Conclusion Although previously available sequence information suggested GBA gene/pseudogene discrimination capabilities with a short amplified product, we identified common single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the pseudogene that

Dissection of Resistance Genes to Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in UI3 Common Bean Cultivar

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Ana M. González

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Few quantitative trait loci have been mapped for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in common bean. Two F2 populations were developed from the host differential UI3 cultivar. The objective of this study was to further characterize the resistance to races 1, 5, 7 and 9 of Psp included in UI3. Using a QTL mapping approach, 16 and 11 main-effect QTLs for pod and primary leaf resistance were located on LG10, explaining up to 90% and 26% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. The homologous genomic region corresponding to primary leaf resistance QTLs detected tested positive for the presence of resistance-associated gene cluster encoding nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NL, Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage (NRAMP and Pentatricopeptide Repeat family (PPR proteins. It is worth noting that the main effect QTLs for resistance in pod were located inside a 3.5 Mb genomic region that included the Phvul.010G021200 gene, which encodes a protein that has the highest sequence similarity to the RIN4 gene of Arabidopsis, and can be considered an important candidate gene for the organ-specific QTLs identified here. These results support that resistance to Psp from UI3 might result from the immune response activated by combinations of R proteins, and suggest the guard model as an important mechanism in pod resistance to halo blight. The candidate genes identified here warrant functional studies that will help in characterizing the actual defense gene(s in UI3 genotype.
Characterisation of the mgo operon in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae UMAF0158 that is required for mangotoxin production

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2012-01-01

Background Mangotoxin is an antimetabolite toxin that is produced by strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae; mangotoxin-producing strains are primarily isolated from mango tissues with symptoms of bacterial apical necrosis. The toxin is an oligopeptide that inhibits ornithine N-acetyl transferase (OAT), a key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of the essential amino acids ornithine and arginine. The involvement of a putative nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene (mgoA) in mangotoxin production and virulence has been reported. Results In the present study, we performed a RT-PCR analysis, insertional inactivation mutagenesis, a promoter expression analysis and terminator localisation to study the gene cluster containing the mgoA gene. Additionally, we evaluated the importance of mgoC, mgoA and mgoD in mangotoxin production. A sequence analysis revealed an operon-like organisation. A promoter sequence was located upstream of the mgoB gene and was found to drive lacZ transcription. Two terminators were located downstream of the mgoD gene. RT-PCR experiments indicated that the four genes (mgoBCAD) constitute a transcriptional unit. This operon is similar in genetic organisation to those in the three other P. syringae pathovars for which complete genomes are available (P. syringae pv. syringae B728a, P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and P. syringae pv. phaseolicola 1448A). Interestingly, none of these three reference strains is capable of producing mangotoxin. Additionally, extract complementation resulted in a recovery of mangotoxin production when the defective mutant was complemented with wild-type extracts. Conclusions The results of this study confirm that mgoB, mgoC, mgoA and mgoD function as a transcriptional unit and operon. While this operon is composed of four genes, only the last three are directly involved in mangotoxin production. PMID:22251433
Nobleza y expansión militar de la Corona de Aragón: La nobleza valenciana en las guerras del rey (1420-1448

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Sáiz, Jorge

2003-12-01

Full Text Available This article studies the role of the nobility in the XV century military expansion of the Crown of Aragon, through the particular case of the valencian nobility and the Alphonse V the Magnanimous's war cycle betwen the years 1420 and 1448. If s first analyzed the development of the royal campaigns. Then, the Valencian lineages are identified, also precising their particular degree of involvement in the royal wars. The study is based upon the registers of the Royal Treasury and Cancillery, supplemented by notarial and judicial records, and the chronicles. The militarization of the nobility was unequal. The majority of the noblemen were involved occasionally in the royal wars, more as an social obligation than a professional committment. The professionalization only attained a minority of lineages, attached to the royal household: they constituted the military king´s affinity, most of them coming from the low urban nobility —most of them also being youngers sons, bastards or belonging to secondary branches.

El articulo estudia la vinculación de la nobleza a la expansión militar de la Corona de Aragón en el Cuatrocientos a partir de la participación de los linajes valencianos en las guerras del rey entre 1420 y 1448, en el ciclo de campañas de Alfonso el Magnánimo (en el que destaca la conquista de Nápoles y los conflictos posteriores en Italia que son objeto de una síntesis inicial. Se identifican los linajes de la nobleza valenciana en ese periodo y se documentan sus grados de participación en la guerra. Todo ello a partir de registros financieros del rey (sobre todo la Tesorería General, de la Cancillería (convocatorias militares y a Cortes, fondos notariales y judiciales y las fuentes cronísticas. La militarización nobiliaria era muy desigual. La mayor parte de la nobleza participó de forma intermitente en las campañas, más como una obligada etapa de su socialización que como una profesión. La práctica profesional
Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils of Tagetes minuta (Asteraceae) against Selected Plant Pathogenic Bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Wagacha, John M.; Dossaji, Saifuddin F.

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils (EOs) of Tagetes minuta against three phytopathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli, and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis. The essential oils were extracted using steam distillation method in a modified Clevenger-type apparatus while antibacterial activity of the EOs was evaluated by disc diffusion method. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used for analysis of the chemical profile of the EOs. Twenty compounds corresponding to 96% of the total essential oils were identified with 70% and 30% of the identified components being monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, respectively. The essential oils of T. minuta revealed promising antibacterial activities against the test pathogens with Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola being the most susceptible with mean inhibition zone diameters of 41.83 and 44.83 mm after 24 and 48 hours, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations of the EOs on the test bacteria were in the ranges of 24–48 mg/mL and 95–190 mg/mL, respectively. These findings provide a scientific basis for the use of T. minuta essential oils as a botanical pesticide for management of phytopathogenic bacteria. PMID:27721831
Pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae Causing Bacterial Brown Spot and Halo Blight in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Are Distinguishable by Ribotyping

Science.gov (United States)

González, Ana J.; Landeras, Elena; Mendoza, M. Carmen

2000-01-01

Ribotyping was evaluated as a method to differentiate between Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola and pv. syringae strains causing bacterial brown spot and halo blight diseases in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Ribotyping, with restriction enzymes BglI and SalI and using the Escherichia coli rrnB operon as the probe, differentiated 11 and 14 ribotypes, respectively, and a combination of data from both procedures yielded 19 combined ribotypes. Cluster analysis of the combined ribotypes differentiated the pathovars phaseolicola and syringae, as well as different clonal lineages within these pathovars. The potential of ribotyping to screen for correlations between lineages and factors such as geographical region and/or bean varieties is also reported. PMID:10653764
Chataika Halo.pmd

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof. Adipala Ekwamu

INHERITANCE OF HALO BLIGHT RESISTANCE IN COMMON BEAN ... pv phaseolicola (Psp) is a serious seed-borne disease of common bean ... a toxin produced by the Psp bacterium when ... stakes or in association with maize for support.
Splenomegaly, Cardiomegaly, and Osteoporosis in a Child with Gaucher Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. J. Sheth

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A 15-month-old girl, born to the consanguineous parents, was referred with the sign of massive splenomegaly associated with thrombocytopenia and anemia. Plasma Chitotriosidase estimation was carried out as a screening test and was found to be normal with reduced activity of β-glucosidase in leucocytes suggestive of Gaucher disease. At the age of 4 years, severe osteoporosis and cardiomegaly with pulmonary congestion were observed in the child. Molecular analysis for GBA gene has revealed homozygous status for L444P (c.1448C in the proband, whereas parents and two elder sisters were found to be heterozygote. Prenatal study during the fourth pregnancy was carried out from cultured chorionic villi for β-glucosidase, which was in the carrier range. Further confirmation of the carrier status was carried out from amniotic fluid DNA and was found to be heterozygous for L444P (c.1448C in the GBA gene. This case demonstrates that children with the sign of splenomegaly with anemia and thrombocytopenia need to be screened for Gaucher disease, and molecular study can further help to confirm the heterozygous status, where prenatal study by enzyme investigation demonstrate heterozygous condition.
reaction of selected common bean genotypes to physiological races

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof. Adipala Ekwamu

Department of Biological Sciences, Egerton University, P. O. Box 536, Egerton, Kenya. 1Department of Plant ... order to identify potential sources of resistance to angular leaf spot. Selected bean ...... phaseolicola (Burk, 1926) Young, Dye and.
Effects of different fertilizer inputs on the growth and yield of soybean ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... at 30 kg Pha-1 and urea at 20 kg N ha-1. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replicates. Result revealed that TGX 1448-2E plants supplied with sole phosphorus or in combination with either agrolyzer or urea produced better response compared with zero fertilizer application.
Comparative genomic analysis of two-component regulatory proteins in Pseudomonas syringae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lavin, J.L.; Kiil, Kristoffer; Resano, O.

2007-01-01

Background: Pseudomonas syringae is a widespread bacterial plant pathogen, and strains of P. syringae may be assigned to different pathovars based on host specificity among different plant species. The genomes of P. syringae pv. syringae (Psy) B728a, pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000 and pv. phaseolicola...
21 CFR 520.1448a - Monensin blocks.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) Limitations. Block to be fed free choice to pasture cattle (slaughter, stocker, feeder, and dairy and beef.... Blocks to be fed free choice to pasture cattle (slaughter, stocker, feeder, and dairy and beef.... Blocks to be fed free choice to pasture cattle (slaughter, stocker, and feeder). Provide at least 1 block...
1448-IJBCS-Article-Orjiekwe Chike

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hp

The pollution of Ogbese River in Ovia North-East L.G.A. of Edo State, Nigeria was studied. Parameters like pH ... Keywords: Water pollution, environment, water analysis. INTRODUCTION ..... metal pollution in streams in Zhozhon city in China.
Gene : CBRC-GGOR-01-1448 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ain Friedlin] 1e-79 49% MCLALGSAGTADDVKLHPVACADTARSTPGTSAPSTPGTSAPSTPGTSAPSTSGISAPSTSGTSAPSTLGTSAPSKPGTSAPSKPGISAPSTSGISAPSTSGTSA...PSTSGTSAPSTPGTSAPSKPGTSAPSKPGISAPYTPGTSAPSTLGTSAPSTPGTSAPSTPGTSAPSKPGTSAPSKPGTSA...PSTPGTSAPSTLGTSAPSTPGTTAPSTAGTSAPSTSGTSAPSTSGTSAPSKPTTSAPYTPGTSAPSIPGTSAPSTTGTSAPSTPGTSAPSTPGTSAPSKPGTSAPSTPGTSA...PSTLGTSAPSTPGTSAPSTPGTSAPSKPGTSAPSMSGTSAPSTPGTSVPSKAGTSAPVDPGVLWGLERPLTDTEGRWLPPYVLL
Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A in non-cardiac conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, K.K.; Teisner, A.S.; Teisner, B.

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: PAPP-A is a promising new marker in coronary heart disease. It is important to investigate its specificity in order to establish its clinical utility as a marker of coronary heart disease. DESIGN AND METHODS: PAPP-A was measured within 24 h following hospital admission in 1448 consecut...
Cryptic invasions: a review

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Morais, Pedro Miguel; Reichard, Martin

613-614, February (2018), s. 1438-1448 ISSN 0048-9697 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-05872S Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Conspecific invader * Biological invasions * Bibliometric * Invasiveness Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7) Impact factor: 4.900, year: 2016
Spitzer spectral line mapping of the HH211 outflow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dionatos, Odyssefs; Nisini, Brunella; Cabrit, Sylvie

2010-01-01

of emission line diagnostics and an existing grid of molecular shock models. The physical properties of the warm gas are compared against other molecular jet tracers and to the results of a similar study towards the L1448-C outflow. Results: We have detected and mapped the v=0-0 S(0) - S(7) H2 lines and fine...... compared to solar abundances by a factor ~10-50. Conclusions: Spitzer spectral mapping observations reveal for the first time a cool H$_2$ component towards the CO jet of HH211 consistent with the CO material being fully molecular and warm at ~ 300 K. The maps also reveal for the first time the existence...... uncertainties on jet speed and shock conditions are too large for a definite conclusion....
A comparative study of long-term Hg and Pb sediment archives.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Norton, S. A.; Jacobson, G. L.; Kopáček, Jiří; Navrátil, Tomáš

2016-01-01

Roč. 13, č. 3 (2016), s. 517-527 ISSN 1448-2517 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 ; RVO:67985831 Keywords : bog sediment * lake sediment * lead * mercury * pollution archives Subject RIV: DJ - Water Pollution ; Quality; DD - Geochemistry (GLU-S) Impact factor: 3.516, year: 2016
A Study of the Correlation between STEM Career Knowledge, Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Career Interests, and Career Activities on the Likelihood of Pursuing a STEM Career among Middle School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Blotnicky, Karen A.; Franz-Odendaal, Tamara; French, Frederick; Joy, Phillip

2018-01-01

Background: A sample of 1448 students in grades 7 and 9 was drawn from public schools in Atlantic Canada to explore students' knowledge of science and mathematics requirements for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Also explored were their mathematics self-efficacy (MSE), their future career interests, their…
76 FR 53683 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Oversight of Clinical Investigations: A Risk-Based Approach to...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-29

... 200N, Rockville, MD 20852-1448; or the Office of Communication, Education and Radiation Programs... describes a modern, risk-based approach to monitoring that focuses on critical study parameters and relies... appropriate, and other forms of information technology. Title: Draft Guidance for Industry: Oversight of...
Long-term trends in foF2: A comparison of various methods

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Laštovička, Jan; Mikhailov, A. V.; Ulich, T.; Bremer, J.; Elias, A. G.; Ortiz de Adler, N.; Jara, V.; Abarca del Rio, R.; Foppiano, A. J.; Ovalle, E.; Danilov, A. D.

2006-01-01

Roč. 68, č. 17 (2006), s. 1854-1870 ISSN 1364-6826 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : Ionosphere * foF2 * Long-term trends * Anthropogenic effects Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 1.448, year: 2006

JCSC_129_09_1441_1448_SI.docx

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

shridhar

Dighe College of Science, Bhandup (E), Mumbai - 400042, INDIA. cHomi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (TIFR), Mankhurd, Mumbai-400088, INDIA. dDepartment of Chemistry, K.E.T's V.G. Vaze College of Arts, Science and Commerce, ...
Enhancing Learning Performance through Classroom Response Systems: The Effect of Knowledge in a Global Economic Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Louis T. W.; Wang, Jacqueline Wenjie

2018-01-01

The international business education literature suggests that a global mindset can be acquired and benefit students to embrace new ideas and improve their critical thinking. Using a sample of 1,448 undergraduate students in Corporate Finance, International Finance, and Business Law subjects during 2013-2015, our results indicate that students with…
A comparative study on seismic response of two unstable rock slopes within same tectonic setting but different activity level

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kleinbrod, U.; Burjánek, Jan; Hugentobler, M.; Amann, F.; Fäh, D.

2017-01-01

Roč. 211, č. 3 (2017), s. 1428-1448 ISSN 0956-540X Institutional support: RVO:67985530 Keywords : seismic noise * site effects * wave propagation Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure OBOR OECD: Volcanology Impact factor: 2.414, year: 2016
Changes in phosphorylation of histone H2A.X and p53 in response of peripheral blood lymphocytes to gamma irradiation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vilasová, Z.; Řezáčová, M.; Vávrová, J.; Tichý, Adam; Vokurková, D.; Zoelzer, F.; Řeháková, Z.; Osterreicher, J.; Lukášová, Emilie

2008-01-01

Roč. 55, č. 2 (2008), s. 381-390 ISSN 0001-527X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : apoptosis * DNA damage * phytohemagglutinin Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 1.448, year: 2008
A Search for Water Maser Emission from Brown Dwarfs and Low-luminosity Young Stellar Objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gómez, José F.; Manjarrez, Guillermo [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada (Spain); Palau, Aina [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM, P.O. Box 3-72, 58090, Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico); Uscanga, Lucero [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Guanajuato, A.P. 144, 36000 Guanajuato, Gto., México (Mexico); Barrado, David, E-mail: jfg@iaa.es [Centro de Astrobiología, INTA-CSIC, PO BOX 28692, ESAC Campus, E-208691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain)

2017-05-01

We present a survey for water maser emission toward a sample of 44 low-luminosity young objects, comprising (proto-)brown dwarfs, first hydrostatic cores (FHCs), and other young stellar objects (YSOs) with bolometric luminosities lower than 0.4 L {sub ⊙}. Water maser emission is a good tracer of energetic processes, such as mass-loss and/or accretion, and is a useful tool to study these processes with very high angular resolution. This type of emission has been confirmed in objects with L {sub bol} ≳ 1 L {sub ⊙}. Objects with lower luminosities also undergo mass-loss and accretion, and thus, are prospective sites of maser emission. Our sensitive single-dish observations provided a single detection when pointing toward the FHC L1448 IRS 2E. However, follow-up interferometric observations showed water maser emission associated with the nearby YSO L1448 IRS 2 (a Class 0 protostar of L {sub bol} ≃ 3.6–5.3 L {sub ⊙}) and did not find any emission toward L1448 IRS 2E. The upper limits for water maser emission determined by our observations are one order of magnitude lower than expected from the correlation between water maser luminosities and bolometric luminosities found for YSOs. This suggests that this correlation does not hold at the lower end of the (sub)stellar mass spectrum. Possible reasons are that the slope of this correlation is steeper at L {sub bol} ≤ 1 L {sub ⊙} or that there is an absolute luminosity threshold below which water maser emission cannot be produced. Alternatively, if the correlation still stands at low luminosity, the detection rates of masers would be significantly lower than the values obtained in higher-luminosity Class 0 protostars.
A Novel ,,Clip-and-link,,Activity of Repeat in Toxin (RTX) Proteins from Gram-negative Pathogens

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Osička, Radim; Procházková, Kateřina; Šulc, Miroslav; Linhartová, Irena; Havlíček, Vladimír; Šebo, Peter

2004-01-01

Roč. 279, č. 24 (2004), s. 24944-24956 ISSN 0021-9258 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA310/02/1448 Grant - others:GA Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Research Scholarship Award(XX) 55000334 Keywords : frpc * rtx * d510a Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 6.355, year: 2004
78 FR 48173 - Guidance for Industry on Oversight of Clinical Investigations-A Risk-Based Approach to Monitoring...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-07

... 200N, Rockville, MD 20852-1448; or the Office of Communication and Education, Division of Small... Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 66, Rm. 4613, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002. Send one self... to http://www.regulations.gov . Submit written comments to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA...
Variation in extragenic repetitive DNA sequences in Pseudomonas syringae and potential use of modified REP primers in the identification of closely related isolates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elif Çepni

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, Pseudomonas syringe pathovars isolated from olive, tomato and bean were identified by species-specific PCR and their genetic diversity was assessed by repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP-PCR. Reverse universal primers for REP-PCR were designed by using the bases of A, T, G or C at the positions of 1, 4 and 11 to identify additional polymorphism in the banding patterns. Binding of the primers to different annealing sites in the genome revealed additional fingerprint patterns in eight isolates of P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi and two isolates of P. syringae pv. tomato. The use of four different bases in the primer sequences did not affect the PCR reproducibility and was very efficient in revealing intra-pathovar diversity, particularly in P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi. At the pathovar level, the primer BOX1AR yielded shared fragments, in addition to five bands that discriminated among the pathovars P. syringae pv. phaseolicola, P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi and P. syringae pv. tomato. REP-PCR with a modified primer containing C produced identical bands among the isolates in a pathovar but separated three pathovars more distinctly than four other primers. Although REP-and BOX-PCRs have been successfully used in the molecular identification of Pseudomonas isolates from Turkish flora, a PCR based on inter-enterobacterial repetitive intergenic concensus (ERIC sequences failed to produce clear banding patterns in this study.
miR482 and Its Isoforms in Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdil Hakan EREN

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In plants, miR482 family members are generally 22-nucleotide long, distinguishing from other microRNA (miRNA families by their extraordinary and diverse sequence structures. Studies showed that miRNA482 is related to NBLRR (Nucleotide binding-site leucine-rich repeat genes conferring resistance to disease in plants. There are different coded NB-LRR genes which are considered as the part immune response assisting the recognition of pathogens in plant genomes. NB-LRR proteins are mostly related to effector – triggering immune system against pathogens. The main immune receptors in plants are PRR (Pattern recoginition receptor and R (Resistance proteins. R proteins code for immune system proteins by NB-LRR activity. miR482, miR1448, slmiR2118 and ath-miR472 are disease resistance related miRNAs. In several studies, miR482 was found to be a homolog of miR1448 and phylogenetic analyses showed that miR1448 is formed by tandem duplication of miR482. While suppression of miR482 results in plant susceptibility to pathogens, miR482 was considered to play role in nodulation and mycorrhizal processes of soya roots. Increasing evidences exhibit that miR482 is critical in disease resistance against pathogen attacks.
Search Results | Page 22 | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Results 211 - 220 of 902 ... Towards an international institutional law of information ... This text presents a critique of the version of the Colombian conflict constructed by Law 1448 ... degrading environment focus mainly on increasing crop yields, ...
78 FR 13071 - Guidance for Industry: Implementation of an Acceptable Full-Length and Abbreviated Donor History...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-26

... 20852- 1448. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist the office in processing your requests... of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville...
Linna auw ninck illo : Olevistest ja tema tornist / Ants Hein

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Hein, Ants, 1952-

2014-01-01

14. sajandi tornist. 1448. aastal valminud meister Grunde tornikiivrist. Oleviste torni kõrgusest keskajal. 1651. aastal valminud Hans Geissleri tornikiivrist. Taastamistöödest pärast 1820. aasta tulekahju. Viimastest remontidest
77 FR 67366 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; Quality Assurance Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-09

.... Glover, Sr., Procurement Analyst, Contract Policy Division, GSA (202) 501-1448 or email [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A. Purpose Supplies and services acquired under Government contracts..., acceptance, warranty, and other measures associated with quality requirements. Standard clauses related to...
Genome-wide DNA binding pattern of two-component system response regulator RhpR in Pseudomonas syringae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tianhong Zhou

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Although Pseudomonas syringae uses the two-component system RhpRS to modulate the expression of type III secretion system (T3SS genes and pathogenicity, the molecular mechanisms and the regulon of RhpRS have yet to be fully demonstrated. We have performed a genome-wide analysis of RhpR binding to DNA prepared from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola in order to identify candidate direct targets of RhpR-mediated transcriptional regulation, as described in our recent article [1]. The data are available from NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO with the accession number GSE58533. Here we describe the detailed methods and data analyses of our RhpR ChIP-seq dataset.
The distribution and habitat preferences of the zebrafish in Bangladesh

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Spence, R.; Fatema, M. K.; Reichard, Martin; Huq, K. A.; Wahab, M. A.; Ahmed, Z. F.; Smith, C.

2006-01-01

Roč. 69, č. 5 (2006), s. 1435-1448 ISSN 0022-1112 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : behaviour * Danio rerio * ecology Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 1.393, year: 2006
78 FR 25445 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Submission for OMB Review; Quality Assurance Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-01

..., Sr., Procurement Analyst, Contract Policy Division, GSA (202) 501-1448 or email [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A. Purpose Supplies and services acquired under Government contracts must conform to..., warranty, and other measures associated with quality requirements. Standard clauses related to inspection...
Band structure features of nonlinear optical yttrium aluminium borate crystal

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Reshak, Ali H; Auluck, S.; Majchrowski, A.; Kityk, I. V.

2008-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 10 (2008), s. 1445-1448 ISSN 1293-2558 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : Electronic structure * DFF * FPLAPW * LDA Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 1.742, year: 2008
Early Support of Intracranial Perfusion

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-01

outcomes after traumatic brain injury: A multicenter analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 84(10), 1441- 1448. Cremer , O. L...Kolesnik Research Assistant 67.5 Sean Jordan Research Assistant 44.5 Sara Wade Research Assistant 90 David Prakash Research Assistant 63.6 Scott Berry
No impact of surgery on cognitive function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dokkedal, Unni; Wod, Mette; Thinggaard, Mikael

2018-01-01

as major, minor, knee and hip replacement, and other, and a reference group of 1448 (62%) twins without surgery, using linear regression models adjusted for socioeconomic factors. Genetic and shared environmental confounding was addressed in intrapair analyses of 48 monozygotic and 74 dizygotic same...
An algorithm for applying flagged Sysmex XE-2100 absolute neutrophil counts in clinical practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friis-Hansen, Lennart; Saelsen, Lone; Abildstrøm, Steen Z

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: Even though most differential leukocyte counts are performed by automated hematology platforms, turn-around time is often prolonged as flagging of test results trigger additional confirmatory manual procedures. However, frequently only the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is needed. We...... therefore examined if an algorithm could be developed to identify samples in which the automated ANC is valid despite flagged test results. METHODS: During a 3-wk period, a training set consisting of 1448 consecutive flagged test-results from the Sysmex XE-2100 system and associated manual differential...... counts was collected. The training set was used to determine which alarms were associated with valid ANCs. The algorithm was then tested on a new set of 1371 test results collected during a later 3-wk period. RESULTS: Analysis of the training set data revealed that the ANC from test results flagged...

Alpha-tocopheryl succinate selectively induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells: potential therapy of malignancies of the nervous system?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Swettenham, E.; Witting, P. K.; Salvatore, B.A.; Neužil, Jiří

2005-01-01

Roč. 94, č. 5 (2005), s. 1448-1456 ISSN 0022-3042 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : apoptosis * neuroblastoma * vitamin E analogues Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.604, year: 2005
File list: Oth.Oth.50.AllAg.Tumour_tissues [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Oth.Oth.50.AllAg.Tumour_tissues hg19 TFs and others Others Tumour tissues SRX371441...1448 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/hg19/assembled/Oth.Oth.50.AllAg.Tumour_tissues.bed ...
File list: Oth.Oth.20.AllAg.Tumour_tissues [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Oth.Oth.20.AllAg.Tumour_tissues hg19 TFs and others Others Tumour tissues SRX371441...1448 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/hg19/assembled/Oth.Oth.20.AllAg.Tumour_tissues.bed ...
77 FR 66464 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Submission for OMB Review; Value Engineering Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-05

...; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on... provided. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Curtis E. Glover, Sr., Procurement Analyst, Contract Policy Division, GSA, (202) 501-1448 or email at [email protected] . A. Purpose Per Federal Acquisition...
75 FR 76011 - Annual Guidance Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-07

... Outsourcer Pharmacy Operations Compliance Policy Guide Pharmaceutical Component Quality Control... Site Change Supplements: Content and Inspectional Considerations Quality Systems for Laboratory... Products MD 20852-1448, 301-827-1800. Clinical Study Design for Early Phase Studies of Cellular and Gene...
A 560 yr summer temperature reconstruction for the Western Mediterranean basin based on stable carbon isotopes from Pinus nigra ssp. laricio (Corsica/France

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Kuhlemann

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The Mediterranean is considered as an area which will be affected strongly by current climate change. However, temperature records for the past centuries which can contribute to a better understanding of future climate changes are still sparse for this region. Carbon isotope chronologies from tree-rings often mirror temperature history but their application as climate proxies is difficult due to the influence of the anthropogenic change in atmospheric CO2 on the carbon isotope fractionation during photosynthetic CO2 uptake. We tested the influence of different correction models accounting for plant response to increased atmospheric CO2 on four annually resolved long-term carbon isotope records (between 400 and 800 yr derived from Corsican pine trees (Pinus nigra ssp. laricio growing at ecologically varying mountain sites on the island of Corsica. The different correction factors have only a minor influence on the main climate signals and resulting temperature reconstructions. Carbon isotope series show strong correlations with summer temperature and precipitation. A summer temperature reconstruction (1448–2007 AD reveals that the Little Ice Age was characterised by low, but not extremely low temperatures on Corsica. Temperatures have been to modern temperatures at around 1500 AD. The reconstruction reveals warm summers during 1480–1520 and 1950–2007 AD and cool summers during 1580–1620 and 1820–1890 AD.
Monoclinic superstructure of Pr{sub 3}Rh{sub 4}Ge{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vosswinkel, Daniel; Hoffmann, Rolf-Dieter; Greiwe, Magnus; Eul, Matthias; Poettgen, Rainer [Muenster Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische und Analytische Chemie

2016-07-01

Pr{sub 3}Rh{sub 4}Ge{sub 4} was synthesized by melting of the elements in an arc-melting furnace followed by annealing in a sealed tantalum ampoule in a muffle furnace. Structure refinement was based on temperature dependent single-crystal X-ray diffractometer data. At ambient temperature Pr{sub 3}Rh{sub 4}Ge{sub 4} adopts the U{sub 3}Ni{sub 4}Si{sub 4} type structure with strongly enhanced anisotropic displacement parameters for Rh1. Below 230 K additional reflections start to appear and at 110 K the structure could be described with the (3+1)D superspace group I2/m(α0γ)00; α=1/2, γ=1/2; (Z=2). This commensurately modulated structure could be refined with 1448 F{sup 2} values, 39 variables and residuals of wR=0.0417 for the main reflections and wR=0.1520 for the satellites of 1{sup st} order, [a=408.36(2), b=421.12(3) and c=2504.4(2) pm]. The commensurate description could be transformed to a 3D supercell with space group A2/m and Z=4: a=816.72(2), b=421.12(3), c=2537.5(1) pm, β=99.26(1) , 1448 F{sup 2} values, 69 variables and wR=0.0499. The relation of the U{sub 3}Ni{sub 4}Si{sub 4} type structure, the (3+1)D modulated and the 3D supercell is discussed on the basis of a group-subgroup scheme. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility data reveal Curie-Weiss paramagnetism with an experimental moment of 3.72(2) μ{sub B}/Pr atom and a Weiss constant of -12.6(5) K. No magnetic ordering is evident down to 3 K.
Facial cellulitis revealing choreo-acanthocytosis: A case report ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We report a 62 year-old-man with facial cellulitis revealing choreo-acanthocytosis (ChAc). He showed chorea that started 20 years ago. The orofacial dyskinisia with tongue and cheek biting resulted in facial cellulitis. The peripheral blood smear revealed acanthocytosis of 25%. The overall of chorea, orofacial dyskinetic ...
Levels and trends of toxaphene and chlordane-related pesticides in peregrine falcon eggs from South Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vorkamp, Katrin; Møller, Søren; Falk, Knud

2014-01-01

Peregrine falcon eggs were collected in South Greenland between 1986 and 2003 and analysed for 6 congeners of toxaphene and 5 chlordane-related pesticides (cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor and oxychlordane). Oxychlordane had the highest median concentration of 1448 n...
75 FR 20839 - Dimethyldithiocarbamate Salts; Amendments to Terminate Uses

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-21

... Potassium Paints, Coatings and Dimethyldithiocarbamate Cutting Fluids 1448-381 DIMET Potassium Paints, Coatings and Dimethyldithiocarbamate Cutting Fluids Table 3 of this unit includes the names and addresses... industry; pesticide users; and members of the public interested in the sale, distribution, or use of...
Specialization of pollination systems of two co-flowering phenotypically generalized Hypericum species (Hypericaceae) in Cameroon

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bartoš, Michael; Tropek, Robert; Spitzer, Lukáš; Padyšáková, Eliška; Janšta, P.; Straka, J.; Tkoč, M.; Janeček, Štěpán

2015-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 3 (2015), s. 241-252 ISSN 1872-8855 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36098G Institutional support: RVO:67985939 ; RVO:60077344 Keywords : specialization * pollinators * flower visitors Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 1.448, year: 2015
Transition metal control in the reaction of alkyne-substituted phenyl iodides with terminal alkynes: Sonogashira coupling vs cyclic carbopalladation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Teplý, Filip; Stará, Irena G.; Starý, Ivo; Kollárovič, Adrian; Šaman, David; Fiedler, Pavel

2002-01-01

Roč. 58, č. 44 (2002), s. 9007-9018 ISSN 0040-4020 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/99/1448 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4055905 Keywords : alkynes Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.420, year: 2002
Food sources of selected terrestrial cave arthropods

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Smrž, J.; Kováč, L.; Mikeš, J.; Šustr, Vladimír; Lukešová, Alena; Tajovský, Karel; Nováková, Alena; Režňáková, P.

2015-01-01

Roč. 16, č. 1 (2015), s. 37-46 ISSN 1768-1448 Grant - others:Vega(SK) 1/0139/09 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60660521 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Acari * caves * Collembola * Diplopoda * feeding habits * Isopoda Subject RIV: EG - Zoology
An In Vitro Attempt for Controlling Severe Phytopathogens and Human Pathogens Using Essential Oils from Mediterranean Plants of Genus Schinus.

Science.gov (United States)

Elshafie, Hazem Salaheldin; Ghanney, Nadia; Mang, Stefania Mirela; Ferchichi, Ali; Camele, Ippolito

2016-03-01

Growing concerns about food safety and environmental protection enhanced the need for new and safe plant disease control strategies. The chemical composition of the three essential oils (EOs) extracted from leaves and fruits of Schinus terebinthifolius and leaves of Schinus molle, growing in Tunisia, was studied by GC and GC-MS. In all, 12 compounds were identified. The oils were mainly composed of terpene compounds. α-Pinene, α-phellandrene, and D-limonene were the major constituents. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial effectiveness of three EOs derived from plants of genus Schinus and extracted from leaves and fruits of S. terebinthifolius and leaves of S. molle. Both antifungal and antibacterial activities of the EOs were examined. The antifungal activity of the studied EOs was investigated against Colletotrichum acutatum and Botrytis cinerea in comparison with the systemic fungicide azoxystrobin used at 0.8 μL mL(-1). The antibacterial activity was evaluated against three strains of Gram-positive (G+ve) bacteria (Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mojavensis and Clavibacter michiganensis) and four strains of Gram-negative (G-ve) bacteria (Escherichia coli, Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas savastanoi, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola) compared with the synthetic antibiotic tetracycline at a concentration of 1600 μg mL(-1). The minimum inhibitory concentration of the studied EOs has been evaluated against the above microorganisms using the 96-well microplate method. Tested microorganisms exhibited different levels of sensitivity to each tested EO. All investigated EOs reduced the fungal mycelial growth when used at low concentrations from 250 to 1000 ppm and from 2000 to 8000 ppm against C. acutatum and B. cinerea, respectively. Higher concentrations of the same EOs exhibited a fungicidal effect against both mitosporic fungi. The EO extracted from leaves of S. terebinthifolius significantly inhibited the growth
Perfluoroalkylated Derivatives of Diols and Triols. Selectivity in the Reaction of Primary and Secondary Hydroxy Groups with Perfluoroalkylepoxides. Hemocompatibility and Effect on Perfluorocarbon Emulsion

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Církva, Vladimír; Polák, R.; Paleta, O.; Kodíček, K.; Forman, S.

2002-01-01

Roč. 67, č. 10 (2002), s. 1436-1448 ISSN 0010-0765 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/98/1174; GA MŠk LB98233 Keywords : perfluoroalkyl epoxides * fluoroalkylations * fluorophilic triols Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 0.848, year: 2002
77 FR 59000 - Guidance for Industry: Pre-Storage Leukocyte Reduction of Whole Blood and Blood Components...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-25

..., Rockville, MD 20852- 1448. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist the office in processing your... Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061... leukocyte reduction process. The guidance also provides information to assist licensed blood establishments...
78 FR 70306 - Distribution of In Vitro Diagnostic Products Labeled for Research Use Only or Investigational Use...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-25

... Development (HFM-40), Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration, 1401...: Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability AGENCY: Food and Drug... Research (HFM-17), Food and Drug Administration, 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 200N, Rockville, MD 20852-1448...
Kinetic Investigation of the Electrochemical Oxidation of Bis(benzene)chromium(0) in Diethyl ketone / N,N-Dimethylformamide

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tsierkezos, Nikos

2008-01-01

Roč. 37, č. 10 (2008), s. 1437-1448 ISSN 0095-9782 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : bis(benzene)chromium(0) * cyclic voltammetry * diethyl ketone * half-wawe potential * N,N-dimethylformamide Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.241, year: 2008
DNA Repair Gene (XRCC1 Polymorphism (Arg399Gln Associated with Schizophrenia in South Indian Population: A Genotypic and Molecular Dynamics Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S P Sujitha

Full Text Available This paper depicts the first report from an Indian population on the association between the variant Arg399Gln of XRCC1 locus in the DNA repair system and schizophrenia, the debilitating disease that affects 1% of the world population. Genotypic analysis of a total of 523 subjects (260 patients and 263 controls revealed an overwhelming presence of Gln399Gln in the case subjects against the controls (P < 0.0068, indicating significant level of association of this nsSNP with schizophrenia; the Gln399 allele frequency was also perceptibly more in cases than in controls (p < 0.003; OR = 1.448. The results of the genotypic studies were further validated using pathogenicity and stability prediction analysis employing computational tools [I-Mutant Suite, iStable, PolyPhen2, SNAP, and PROVEAN], with a view toassess the magnitude of deleteriousness of the mutation. The pathogenicity analysis reveals that the nsSNP could be deleterious inasmuch as it could affect the functionality of the gene, and interfere with protein function. Molecular dynamics simulation of 60ns was performed using GROMACS to analyse structural change due to a mutation (Arg399Gln that was never examined before. RMSD, RMSF, hydrogen bonds, radius of gyration and SASA analysis showedthe existence of asignificant difference between the native and the mutant protein. The present study gives astrong indication that the XRCC1 locus deserves serious attention, as it could be a potential candidatecontributing to the etio-pathogenesis of the disease.
75 FR 42134 - United States v. Keyspan Corporation; Public Comments and Response on Proposed Final Judgment

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-20

... rewards of discounting (selling a greater volume of capacity) while simultaneously mitigating the price... its remedy. See generally United States v. Microsoft Corp., 56 F.3d 1448, 1458-62 (D.C. Cir. 1995... (S.D.N.Y. 1997) (quoting Microsoft, 56 F.3d at 1460) (emphasis in original), aff'd sub nom, United...

Coupling reactions of .I.ortho./I.-substituted halobenzenes with alkynes. The synthesis of phenylacetylenes and symmetrical or unsymmetrical 1,2-diphenylacetylenes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Stará, Irena G.; Starý, Ivo; Kollárovič, Adrian; Teplý, Filip; Šaman, David; Fiedler, Pavel

1999-01-01

Roč. 64, č. 4 (1999), s. 649-672 ISSN 0010-0765 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/96/0288; GA ČR GA203/99/1448 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4055905 Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 0.717, year: 1999
78 FR 69690 - Draft Guidance for Industry: Considerations for the Design of Early-Phase Clinical Trials of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-20

... (referred to collectively as CGT products) with recommendations to assist in designing early-phase clinical... Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. Submit written requests for single copies of the draft... 20852-1448. Send one self-addressed adhesive label to assist the office in processing your request. The...
Acoustic energy transfer to the upper atmosphere from surface chemical and underground nuclear explosions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Drobzheva, Yana Viktorovna; Krasnov, Valerij Michailovič

2006-01-01

Roč. 68, 3-5 (2006), s. 578-585 ISSN 1364-6826 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/04/2110 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : Acoustic wave * Energy * Atmosphere * Ionosphere Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 1.448, year: 2006
Forcing of the ionosphere by waves from below

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Laštovička, Jan

2006-01-01

Roč. 68, 3-5 (2006), s. 479-497 ISSN 1364-6826 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/04/2110 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : Ionosphere * Planetary waves * Tides * Gravity waves * Infrasound Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 1.448, year: 2006
21 CFR 312.145 - Guidance documents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... of Drug Information, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New... Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 1401 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-1448. [65 FR... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Guidance documents. 312.145 Section 312.145 Food...
Cyclotrimerization of 6-ethynylpurines. Synthesis of 1,2,4- and 1,3,5-tris(purin-6-yl)benzenes as novel Hoogsteen-triplet analogues

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hocek, Michal; Stará, Irena G.; Starý, Ivo; Dvořáková, H.

2001-01-01

Roč. 42, č. 3 (2001), s. 519-521 ISSN 0040-4039 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/00/0036; GA ČR GA203/99/1448 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4055905 Keywords : purines * cyclotrimerizations Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.280, year: 2001
Unilateral proptosis revealing a fronto-ethmoidal mucocele.

Science.gov (United States)

Lajmi, Houda; Hmaied, Wassim; Ben Jalel, Wady; Ben Romdhane, Khaoula; Chelly, Zied; El Fekih, Lamia

2017-06-01

Backgroud: The fronto-ethmoidal mucocele is a benign condition leading commonly to limited eye movement or ocular pain but it could also induce visual acuity impairment by compressing the optic nerve Aim: To discuss, through a case report, different ophthalmologic manifestations of the fronto-ethmoidalmucocele. Reported case: A 46-years-old man with no general history consulted for a bilateral ocular redness and itching. He reported, however, a mild protrusion of his left globe evolving for oneyear. The clinical examination revealed a unilateral proptosis in the left eye with a discrete limitation of theadduction. A brain and orbital computer tomography (CT)and a magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)revealed a grade I exophthalmos caused by an oval formation of fluid density in the left anterior and posterior ethmoidal cells in addition to the frontal sinus,driving theeyeball and internal oculomotor muscles back and out.The patient was referred to otorhinolaryngology department for a precocious surgical management. The ophtalmologic manifestations of the disease depend on the location, the size of the formation and involvement of adjacent structures. The loss of vision and the apex syndrome due to the compressionof the ocular globe are the most serious complications.
How many species of arthropods visit flowers?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Wardhaugh, Carl W.

2015-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 6 (2015), s. 547-565 ISSN 1872-8855 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36098G Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : cantharophily * coevolution * florivory Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 1.448, year: 2015 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11829-015-9398-4
Modification of polycarbonate and polypropylene surfaces by argon ion cluster beams

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Biederman, H.; Slavinská, D.; Boldyreva, H.; Lehmberg, H.; Takaoka, G.; Matsuo, J.; Kinpara, H.; Zemek, Josef

2001-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 6 (2001), s. 2050-2056 ISSN 0734-2101 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME 177 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914; CEZ:MSM113200002 Keywords : polycarbonate * polypropylene * surfometer * atomic force microscop * X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.448, year: 2001
Neisseria meningitidis RTX proteins ate notr tguired for virulence in infant rats

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Forman, Stanislav; Linhartová, Irena; Osička, Radim; Nassif, X.; Šebo, Peter; Pelicic, V.

2003-01-01

Roč. 71, č. 4 (2003), s. 2253-2257 ISSN 0019-9567 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IPP1050128; GA ČR GA310/02/1448; GA MŠk ME 581 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5020903 Keywords : rtx * cytotoxin Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 3.875, year: 2003
Adaptation of bacteriophages to new hosts through overcoming the interspecific barrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Е. N. Andriychuk

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Four wild type phage isolates were tested on P. syringae isolated from potato tuber samples collected in the Kiev and Cherkasy regions of Ukraine. The isolated phages formed clear plaques and had a virion size of 2 to 12 nm. Electron microscopy showed that the phages were of similar size and structure and consisted of isometric particles with long tails characteristic of the Podoviridae family. The effectiveness of phage culturing on bacteria different from the original host was also studied on two phytopathogenic strains of Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. рhaseolicola 4013 and P. syringae pv. tabaci 223. However, no stable isolates could be extracted from P. savastanoi pv. phaseolicola as the plages became inactive after a few passages on the bacterial culture. In order to overcome this, the phages were first cultured on P. syringae pv. tabaci before being transferred to P. savastanoi pv. рhaseolicola. The titers obtained were compared with phage titers from the original host bacteria. Thus, it was determined that the changes occuring in phages after their transfer to the Pseudomonas strain 4013 were irreversible. The changes were evaluated by comparing the effectiveness of phage culturing after a cycle of passages on strains 4013 and 223 where the phages were adapted to strain 4013 after being cultured on strain 223. Additionally, the effectiveness of phage culturing on strain 223 was also determined. The change in the effectiveness of phage culturing for the entire phage range suggests the presence of a defensive system in bacteria when the phages were transferred from strain 223 to strain 4013. The irreversibility of the changes occuring in phages was also tested and it was determined that phages 223/4 and 7591/2 adapt to original hosts and swiftly restore their original titers. Phage 7591/1, however, showed titers that were lower than the ones obtained from the original host culture. The testing of the irreversibility of changes in phages
Nikkaji Dictionary: ブロモジクロロメタン [MeCab user dictionary for science technology term[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available MeCab user dictionary for science technology term ブロモジクロロメタン名詞一般 * * * * ブロモジクロロメタン ... Nikkaji J1.448F 200906085003871845 C CA06 UNKNOWN_1 ブロモジクロロメタン
Characterization of InAs/AlSb tunelling double barrier heterostructure by reverse electron emission spectroscopy with InAs as base electrode

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vaniš, Jan; Chow, D. H.; Šroubek, Filip; McGill, T. C. M.; Walachová, Jarmila

2005-01-01

Roč. 2, č. 4 (2005), s. 1444-1448 ISSN 1610-1634. [EXMATEC 2004 - International Workshop on Expert Evaluation & Control of Compounds Semiconductor Materials & Technologies /7./. Montpellier, 01.06.2004-04.06.2004] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) KSK1010104 Keywords : scanning tunnelling microscopy * ballistic transport * semiconductor heterojunctions Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism
The Neisseria meningitidis Outer Membrane Lipoprotein FrpD Binds the RTX Protein FrpC

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Procházková, Kateřina; Osička, Radim; Linhartová, Irena; Halada, Petr; Šulc, Miroslav; Šebo, Peter

2005-01-01

Roč. 280, č. 5 (2005), s. 3251-3258 ISSN 0021-9258 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA310/02/1448 Grant - others:Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Research Scholarship Award 55000334 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : neisseria meningitidis * FrpD * FrpC Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 5.854, year: 2005
[Research reveals a market for a veterinary behaviour clinic].

Science.gov (United States)

Jonckheer-Sheehy, Valerie; Endenburg, Nienke

2009-11-01

An enquiry into the requirement of a university veterinary behaviour clinic in The Netherlands revealed that there is a clear call for such a service. The specific demands and wishes of first line practicing veterinarians and companion animal owners were investigated. The research revealed that veterinarians are regular confronted with behaviour problems in companion animals and that they are willing to refer these cases to the University. They also expressed their need for access to continuing professional development opportunities in the field of veterinary behavioural medicine (which is something that most veterinary behaviour clinics associated with veterinary faculties provide). The demand from companion animal owners was also examined. It can be concluded that a large number of them had animals with behaviour problems and that they were willing to seek veterinary advice on these matters. In response to the above mentioned demands the University of Utrecht will open a veterinary behaviour clinic, providing high quality service for animals, their owners and the referring veterinarians. This service will be based on sound scientific practice and delivered by both veterinarians specialised in this field and recognised animal behaviour therapists.
Untitled

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

****88 . . . . .2%-4s & six-as '... aka-sang-wo. a. s. X is cyl-...4. w- was relaxa. Ratio Alcohol- Alcohol- Alcohol-. Substratic Substrate: DMSO DMF Alcohol Aceto-. Base nitrile sportswww.x. 2,4-Dinitro-l-chloro benzene : 3 23.86 1748 1448 903. 2,4-Dinitro-1-bromo benzene : 3 32. 3 25. 47 24.69 4.72. 2,4-Dinitro-li-iodo benzene ...
Evaluation of Aerogel Clad Optical Fibers Final Report CRADA No. TSB-1448-97

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maitland, Duncan [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Droege, M. W. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2018-01-22

Fiber-optic based sensors will be needed for in situ monitoring of degradation products in various components of nuclear weapons. These sensors typically consist of a transducer located at the measurement site whose optical properties are modulated by interaction with the targeted degradation product. The interrogating light source and the detector for determining sensor response are located remotely. These two subsystems are connected by fiber optic cables. LLNL has developed a new technology, aerogel clad optical fibers, that have the advantage of accepting incident rays over a much wider angular range than normal glass clad fibers. These fibers are also capable of transmitting light more efficiently. These advantages can lead to a factor of 2-4 improvement in sensitivity and detection limit.
Mimesis: dalla riflessione teoretica alla prassi educativa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilberto Scaramuzzo

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The article reflects on Aristotle’s Poetics, 4.1448 b4-19. It examines how the definition of man as a mimetic animal (b5-9 is underestimated in educational praxis, and then, according to Aristotle, points to mimesis as the core of the understanding/learning processes. Arguing a revaluation of mimesis as necessary to educational praxis, the article presents a project delivered through this principle in a multi-ethnic school context.
Ocular manifestations of Gaucher disease: case report and literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mejía-Turizo, Juan Carlos

2017-07-01

Full Text Available We report the case of a patient with Gaucher disease (GD type 3b, with a homozygous GBA gene mutation (c.1448T > C p.L483P (L444P. Ocular findings characteristic of this mutation are described, including vitreous condensation and macular edema. To our knowledge this is the first case reported in Colombia with these characteristics. A review of the ocular manifestations of this disease is also presented.
ANALISIS MISKONSEPSI SISWA TERHADAP MATERI KELARUTAN DAN HASIL KALI KELARUTAN (Ksp DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN TWO-TIER DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Viyandari

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui adanya miskonsepsi yang dialami siswa pada materi kelarutan dan hasil kali kelarutan (Ksp, mengetahui persentase terjadinya miskonsepsi siswa, dan mengetahui faktor-faktor yang menyebabkannya. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan metode deskriptif. Berdasarkan analisis data hasil penelitian, didapat persentase kesulitan siswa untuk masing-masing konsep pada materi kelarutan dan hasil kali kelarutan sebagai berikut: konsep kelarutan 21, 79%, konsep has ii kali kelarutan 17, 70%, konsep pengaruh ion senama terhadap kelarutan 39,81 %, konsep pengaruh pH terhadap kelarutan 23,85%, serta konsep reaksi pengendapan 14,48%.This study aims to investigate the students' misconceptions on the material solubility and solubility product (Ksp, determine the percentage of the student misconceptions, and determine the factors that cause it. This research was conducted with descriptive methods. Based on the analysis of the survey data, the percentage obtained difficulty for each student in the material concept of solubility and solubility product as follows: 21.79% solubility concept, the concept of solubility product of 17.70%, its namesake concept ion effect on solubility 39.81 %, the concept of the effect of pH on the solubility of 23.85%, and 14.48% precipitation reaction concept.

The effects of nanomaterials on blood coagulation in hemostasis and thrombosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Simak, Jan; De Paoli, Silvia

2017-09-01

The blood coagulation balance in the organism is achieved by the interaction of the blood platelets (PLTs) with the plasma coagulation system (PCS) and the vascular endothelial cells. In healthy organism, these systems prevent thrombosis and, in events of vascular damage, enable blood clotting to stop bleeding. The dysregulation of hemostasis may cause serious thrombotic and/or hemorrhagic pathologies. Numerous engineered nanomaterials are being investigated for biomedical purposes and are unavoidably exposed to the blood. Also, nanomaterials may access vascular system after occupational, environmental, or other types of exposure. Thus, it is essential to evaluate the effects of engineered nanomaterials on hemostasis. This review focuses on investigations of nanomaterial interactions with the blood components involved in blood coagulation: the PCS and PLTs. Particular emphases include the pathophysiology of effects of nanomaterials on the PCS, including the kallikrein-kinin system, and on PLTs. Methods for investigating these interactions are briefly described, and a review of the most important studies on the interactions of nanomaterials with plasma coagulation and platelets is provided. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1448. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1448 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
REVEAL: Software Documentation and Platform Migration

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Michael A.; Veibell, Victoir T.; Freudinger, Lawrence C.

2008-01-01

The Research Environment for Vehicle Embedded Analysis on Linux (REVEAL) is reconfigurable data acquisition software designed for network-distributed test and measurement applications. In development since 2001, it has been successfully demonstrated in support of a number of actual missions within NASA s Suborbital Science Program. Improvements to software configuration control were needed to properly support both an ongoing transition to operational status and continued evolution of REVEAL capabilities. For this reason the project described in this report targets REVEAL software source documentation and deployment of the software on a small set of hardware platforms different from what is currently used in the baseline system implementation. This report specifically describes the actions taken over a ten week period by two undergraduate student interns and serves as a final report for that internship. The topics discussed include: the documentation of REVEAL source code; the migration of REVEAL to other platforms; and an end-to-end field test that successfully validates the efforts.
Los dueños del dinero. Prestamistas abulenses a mediados del siglo XV = The Masters of Money. Money-Lenders in Mid-Fifteenth-Century Ávila

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Octavio Colombo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available El objetivo del presente trabajo es reconstruir el perfil socioeconómico de los prestamistas abulenses que aparecen en el libro del notario Gómez González entre los años 1448 a 1451. Allí consta la existencia de unas setecientas operaciones de préstamo, de las cuales más de la mitad tienen como acreedores a un pequeño número de sujetos. A su vez, los mismos aparecen involucrados en numerosas actividades económicas adicionales. Se realiza en primer lugar una presentación del conjunto de las deudas consignadas, su distribución temporal, sus montos y de las características globales de prestamistas y prestatarios. Luego, se analizan las actividades de los acreedores más prominentes, utilizando para ello documentación complementaria del concejo de Ávila. En base a ello, por último, se intenta una reconstrucción del perfil social de este segmento de la sociedad concejil bajomedieval. The objective of this paper is to reconstruct the socio-economic profile of money-lenders in Ávila which appear in the books of the public notary, Gómez González, between 1448 and 1451. From this source, it is possible to identify close to seven hundred credit records, of which more than half belong to a small group of lenders. Furthermore, these creditors also appear taking part in many additional economic activities. First, we present a comprehensive examination of these loans, their chronological distribution, the monetary quantities and the general features of the lenders and the borrowers. Secondly, we analyze the activities of the most prominent lenders using supplementary documents from Ávila. Finally and based on this collected data, we intend to reconstruct the social profile of this group within late-medieval urban society.
The γ Dor stars as revealed by Kepler: A key to reveal deep-layer rotation in A and F stars

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Salmon S. J. A. J.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The γ Dor pulsating stars present high-order gravity modes, which make them important targets in the intermediate-and low-mass main-sequence region of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Whilst we have only access to rotation in the envelope of the Sun, the g modes of γ Dor stars can in principle deliver us constraints on the inner layers. With the puzzling discovery of unexpectedly low rotation rates in the core of red giants, the γ Dor stars appear now as unique targets to explore internal angular momentum transport in the progenitors of red giants. Yet, the γ Dor pulsations remain hard to detect from the ground for their periods are close to 1 day. While the CoRoT space mission first revealed intriguing frequency spectra, the almost uninterrupted 4-year photometry from the Kepler mission eventually shed a new light on them. It revealed regularities in the spectra, expected to bear signature of physical processes, including rotation, in the shear layers close to the convective core. We present here the first results of our effort to derive exploitable seismic diagnosis for mid- to fast rotators among γ Dor stars. We confirm their potential to explore the rotation history of this early phase of stellar evolution.
Significados en torno a la indemnización y la restitución en víctimas del conflicto armado en el municipio de San Carlos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Villa Gómez, Juan David

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Resumen. Se resultados de las indagaciones sobre la valoración que las mismas víctimas del conflicto armado, del municipio de San Carlos Antioquia (Colombia, hacen de la implementación de la Ley 1448 (Ley de Victimas; dicho proceso de investigación, evidenció entre otros hallazgos, la contradicción entre el discurso oficial y el relato de las víctimas en relación a los procesos de reparación, discursos contradictorios respecto a la transición, el estado de vulneración e insatisfacción de necesidades básicas de las personas victimizadas así como una alta confusión en la implementación de la Ley. Estos resultados, entre otros, permiten afirmar que, la reparación hoy, dista mucho de ser un proceso que aporte a la reconstrucción del tejido social, a la paz y la reconciliación. Abstract. The results of the inquiries on the valuation that the very victims make of the armed conflict, in the Municipality of San Carlos, Antioquia, Colombia of the implementation of the 1448 Law (Law of victims; such a process of research, made evident among other findings, the contradiction between the official discourse and the story of the victims in relation to the processes of repair, contradictory speeches regarding the transition, the state of infringement and dissatisfaction of victimized people’s basic needs, as well as a high confusion in the implementation of the Law. These findings, among others, allow to affirm that, repair today, is very far from being a process that contributes to the reconstruction of the social fabric, to peace, and reconciliation.
Ceres Revealed in a Grain of Salt

Science.gov (United States)

Zolensky, M. E.; Bodnar, R. J.; Fries, M.; Chan, Q. H.-S.; Kebukawa, Y.; Mikouchi, T.; Hagiya, K.; Komatsu, M.; Ohsumi, K.; Steele, A.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Zag and Monahans (1998) are H chondrite regolith breccias containing 4.5 giga-year-old halite crystals which contain abundant inclusions of aqueous fluids, solids and organics. These all originated on a cryo-volcanically-active C class asteroid, probably 1 Ceres; the halite was transported to the regolith of the H chondrite parent asteroid, potentially 6 Hebe. Detailed analysis of these solids will thus potentially reveal the mineralogy of Ceres. Mineralogy of solids in the Monahans Halite Solid grains are present in the halites, which were entrained within the mother brines during eruption, including material from the interior and surface of the erupting body. The solids include abundant, widely variable organics that could not have been significantly heated (which would have resulted in the loss of fluids from the halite). Our analyses by Raman microprobe, SEM/EDX, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, UPLC-FD/QToF-MS, C-XANES and TEM reveal that these trapped grains include macromolecular carbon (MMC) similar in structure to CV3 chondrite matrix carbon, aliphatic carbon compounds, olivine (Fo99-59), high- and low-Ca pyroxene, feldspars, phyllosilicates, magnetite, sulfides, metal, lepidocrocite, carbonates, diamond, apatite and zeolites. Conclusions: The halite in Monahans and Zag derive from a water and carbon-rich object that was cryo-volcanically active in the early solar system, probably Ceres. The Dawn spacecraft found that Ceres includes C chondrite materials. Our samples include both protolith and aqueously-altered samples of the body, permitting understanding of alteration conditions. Whatever the halite parent body, it was rich in a wide variety of organics and warm, liquid water at the solar system's dawn.
[Explantation method of isolating a persistent tick-borne encephalitis virus from the organs of infected monkeys].

Science.gov (United States)

Levina, L S; Pogodina, V V

1981-01-01

The method of explantation was used to examine 63 organs from M. rhesus monkeys 92-783 days after intracerebral and subcutaneous inoculation with the Vasilchenko, Aina/1448 and 41/65 strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus. The optimal time for examination of the explants by tests of the hemagglutinating, cytopathogenic activity of the virus and its pathogenicity for mice was found to be the 15th day of cultivation. A comparative study of the properties of 3 isolates obtained from explants of the spleen, liver and subcortical cerebral ganglia 202 and 307 days after inoculation of monkeys was carried out. The isolates differed from the parental TBE virus strains by their capacity to form small plaques in PEKV cell cultures (pig embryo kidney cells in versen medium).
[Mastitis revealing Churg-Strauss syndrome].

Science.gov (United States)

Dannepond, C; Le Fourn, E; de Muret, A; Ouldamer, L; Carmier, D; Machet, L

2014-01-01

Churg-Strauss syndrome often involves the skin, and this may sometimes reveal the disease. A 25-year-old woman was referred to a gynaecologist for inflammation of the right breast with breast discharge. Cytological analysis of the liquid showed numerous inflammatory cells, particularly polymorphonuclear eosinophils and neutrophils. Ultrasound examination of the breast was consistent with galactophoritis. CRP was normal, and hypereosinophilia was seen. The patient was subsequently referred to a dermatology unit. Skin examination revealed inflammation of the entire breast, which was painful, warm and erythematous; the border was oedematous with blisters. Necrotic lesions were also present on the thumbs and knees. Skin biopsy of the breast showed a dermal infiltrate with abundant infiltrate of polymorphonuclear eosinophils, including patchy necrosis and intraepidermal vesicles. Histological examination of a biopsy sample from a thumb revealed eosinophilic granuloma and leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The patient was also presenting asthma, pulmonary infiltrates and mononeuropathy at L3, consistent with Churg-Strauss syndrome. Breast involvement in Churg-Strauss syndrome is very rare (only one other case has been reported). This is the first case in which the breast condition revealed the disease. Cutaneous involvement of the breast is, however, also compatible with Wells' cellulitis. The lesions quickly disappeared with 1mg/kg/d oral prednisolone. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Significados en torno a la reparación, la ayuda humanitaria, la indemnización y la restitución en víctimas del conflicto armado en el municipio de San Carlos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan David Villa Gómez

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Se presentan los primeros resultados de las indagaciones sobre la valoración que las mismas víctimas del conflicto armado, del municipio de San Carlos Antioquia (Colombia, hacen de la implementación de la Ley 1448 (Ley de Victimas; dicho proceso de investigación, en esta primera entrega, evidenció entre otros hallazgos, la contradicción entre el discurso oficial y el relato de las víctimas en relación a los procesos de reparación, discursos contradictorios respecto a la transición, el estado de vulneración e insatisfacción de necesidades básicas de las personas victimizadas así como una alta confusión en la implementación de la Ley. Estos resultados, entre otros, permiten afirmar que, la reparación hoy, dista mucho de ser un proceso que aporte a la reconstrucción del tejido social, a la paz y la reconciliación. The first results of the inquiries on the valuation made by the very victims of the armed conflict, in the municipality of San Carlos Antioquia (Colombia are shown in this paper, which are part of the implementation of the 1448 Law (Law of Victims; such a research process of, in this first installment, evidenced among other findings, the contradiction between the official discourse and the story of the victims in relation to the reparation processes, contradictory speeches regarding the transition, the state of infringement and dissatisfaction of victimized people’s basic needs, as well as a high confusion as for the implementation of the Law. These findings, among others, allow to affirm that reparation today, is far from being a process that contributes to the reconstruction of the social fabric, to peace, and reconciliation.
Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA reveals a complete lineage sorti ng ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Glossogobius callidus exhibits broad salinity tolerance and is distributed in both estuarine and freshwater environments in southern Africa. Previous studies revealed substantial morphological and molecular variation among populations, suggesting they constitute a species complex. The present study utilised phylogenetic ...
Nanostructured wear resistant coating for reversible cultivator shovels: An experimental investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dave, V., E-mail: vdaditya1000@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering,College of Technology and Engineerin, MPUAT Udaipur, 313001,India (India); Rao, G. P., E-mail: ragrao38@gmail.com; Tiwari, G. S., E-mail: tiwarigsin@yahoo.com [Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, MPUAT Udaipur, 313001,India (India); Sanger, A., E-mail: amitsangeriitr@gmail.com; Kumar, A., E-mail: 01ashraj@gmail.com; Chandra, R., E-mail: ramesfic@gmail.com [Institute Instrumentation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India)

2016-04-13

Cultivator, one of the agriculture farm tool, extensively suffers from the wear problem. In this paper, we report nanostructured chromium nitrite (CrN) coating for the cultivator shovels to mitigate wear problem. The (CrN) coating was developed using DC magnetron sputtering technique at 200 °C. The structural, morphological, hydrophobic and wear properties were investigated using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, contact angle goniometer and custom designed soil bin assembly. The XRD reveals that the deposited coating was polycrystalline in nature with cubic structure. Also, The deposited coating was found to be anti wear resistant as well as hydrophobic in nature. The gravimetric wear for the coating developed at 200 °C coated was found out to be 8.15 gm and for non coated it was 14.48 gm tested for 100 hrs. The roughness of the coating plays an important role in determining the hydrophobicity of the coated film. Roughness and contact angle measured for 200 °C coated shovel was found out to be 11.17 nm and 105 ° respectively.
Nanostructured wear resistant coating for reversible cultivator shovels: An experimental investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dave, V.; Rao, G. P.; Tiwari, G. S.; Sanger, A.; Kumar, A.; Chandra, R.

2016-01-01

Cultivator, one of the agriculture farm tool, extensively suffers from the wear problem. In this paper, we report nanostructured chromium nitrite (CrN) coating for the cultivator shovels to mitigate wear problem. The (CrN) coating was developed using DC magnetron sputtering technique at 200 °C. The structural, morphological, hydrophobic and wear properties were investigated using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, contact angle goniometer and custom designed soil bin assembly. The XRD reveals that the deposited coating was polycrystalline in nature with cubic structure. Also, The deposited coating was found to be anti wear resistant as well as hydrophobic in nature. The gravimetric wear for the coating developed at 200 °C coated was found out to be 8.15 gm and for non coated it was 14.48 gm tested for 100 hrs. The roughness of the coating plays an important role in determining the hydrophobicity of the coated film. Roughness and contact angle measured for 200 °C coated shovel was found out to be 11.17 nm and 105 ° respectively.
Nanostructured wear resistant coating for reversible cultivator shovels: An experimental investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Dave, V.; Rao, G. P.; Tiwari, G. S.; Sanger, A.; Kumar, A.; Chandra, R.

2016-04-01

Cultivator, one of the agriculture farm tool, extensively suffers from the wear problem. In this paper, we report nanostructured chromium nitrite (CrN) coating for the cultivator shovels to mitigate wear problem. The (CrN) coating was developed using DC magnetron sputtering technique at 200 °C. The structural, morphological, hydrophobic and wear properties were investigated using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, contact angle goniometer and custom designed soil bin assembly. The XRD reveals that the deposited coating was polycrystalline in nature with cubic structure. Also, The deposited coating was found to be anti wear resistant as well as hydrophobic in nature. The gravimetric wear for the coating developed at 200 °C coated was found out to be 8.15 gm and for non coated it was 14.48 gm tested for 100 hrs. The roughness of the coating plays an important role in determining the hydrophobicity of the coated film. Roughness and contact angle measured for 200 °C coated shovel was found out to be 11.17 nm and 105 ° respectively.
[Polymyalgia rheumatica revealing a lung cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Cocquempot, K; Defuentes, G; Duron-Martineau, S; Berets, O; Vaylet, F; Margery, J

2013-01-01

Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory condition belonging to the connective tissue diseases, which occurs quite frequently in the elderly. Previously, cases have been reported in association with malignant tumours, in a synchronous fashion or prior to the appearance of the cancer. In these cases, the polymyalgia rheumatica is considered to be a paraneoplastic syndrome. We report the cases of a 63-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man with severe proximal girdle pain associated to a high-level of systemic inflammatory markers and a diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica was made. In the face of a lack of ineffectiveness of analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatments, an intensive investigation was undertaken which in both cases revealed an adenocarcinoma of the lung. The rheumatic manifestations responded well to chemotherapy targeting the lung tumour. We present here a review of the literature to give prominence to the diagnostic pitfalls that can occur around paraneoplastic polymyalgia rheumatica. The presence of therapeutic resistance at the onset of treatment and other atypical features may suggest the presence of an occult malignancy. Copyright © 2012 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
As Cortes Portuguesas durante o governo de D. Afonso V (Século XV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Cristina Nascimento

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to analyze the “Cortes” that occurred in Portugal during the reign of D. Afonso V (1448-1481. The sources for this article are Armindo de Sousa’s studies, the “Ordenações Afonsinas” and texts published sparsely in the bibliography and in the Monumenta Henricina, all of them related to the “Cortes” that took place during D.Afonso’s government.
Malar Bone Metastasis Revealing a Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ihsen Slim

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common form of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. It is generally confined to the neck with or without spread to regional lymph nodes. Metastatic thyroid carcinomas are uncommon and mainly include lung and bone. Metastases involving oral and maxillofacial region are extremely rare. We described a case of malar metastasis revealing a follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma, presenting with pain and swelling of the left cheek in a 67-years-old female patient with an unspecified histological left lobo-isthmectomy medical history. To our knowledge, this is the first recorded instance of a malar metastasis from a follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
The 'revealed preferences' theory: Assumptions and conjectures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, C.H.

1983-01-01

Being kind of intuitive psychology the 'Revealed-Preferences'- theory based approaches towards determining the acceptable risks are a useful method for the generation of hypotheses. In view of the fact that reliability engineering develops faster than methods for the determination of reliability aims the Revealed-Preferences approach is a necessary preliminary help. Some of the assumptions on which the 'Revealed-Preferences' theory is based will be identified and analysed and afterwards compared with experimentally obtained results. (orig./DG) [de
Intracranial Hemorrhage Revealing Pseudohypoparathyroidism as a Cause of Fahr Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhijit Swami

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Pseudohypoparathyroidism is an infrequently encountered disease. It is one of the causes of Fahr syndrome which also is a rare clinical entity caused by multiple diseases. A 4-year-old man hospitalized for sudden onset left hemiparesis and hypertension was diagnosed to have right thalamic and midbrain hemorrhage on plain CT scan of the head which also revealed co-existent extensive intracranial calcifications involving the basal ganglia and cerebellum bilaterally. General physical examination revealed features of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy, goitre, hypertension, left hemiparesis, and signs of cerebellar dysfunction. Laboratory findings suggested hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia along with high TSH, low FT4, low FT3, and high anti-TPO antibody. Though bilateral intracranial calcifications are usually encountered as an incidental radiological finding in the CT scan of brain, in this case, the patient admitted for thalamic and midbrain hemorrhage was on investigation for associated intracranial calcification, and goitre was also found to have coexisting pseudohypoparathyroidism and autoimmune hypothyroidism.
JGEN-D-15-00497R1_MOESM3_ESM.xls

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

priyanka

1, Table 8: Fold change of genes (>=1.25 or <=0.8) for either 2hr/0hr or 6hr/2hr for 7 samples and across three time-points. 2, 5697 common genes, 41b/a, 41c/b, 44b/a ...... 1448, RYBP, 1.78, 0.959, 0.175, 11.643, 2.965, 0.788, 1.301, 1.146, 1.691, 1.004, 1.304, 1.232, 1.853, 0.819. 1449, RXRB, 0.373, 1.503, 1.96, 0.28, 0.69 ...
A systems level approach reveals new gene regulatory modules in the developing ear

OpenAIRE

Chen, Jingchen; Tambalo, Monica; Barembaum, Meyer; Ranganathan, Ramya; Simões-Costa, Marcos; Bronner, Marianne E.; Streit, Andrea

2017-01-01

The inner ear is a complex vertebrate sense organ, yet it arises from a simple epithelium, the otic placode. Specification towards otic fate requires diverse signals and transcriptional inputs that act sequentially and/or in parallel. Using the chick embryo, we uncover novel genes in the gene regulatory network underlying otic commitment and reveal dynamic changes in gene expression. Functional analysis of selected transcription factors reveals the genetic hierarchy underlying the transition ...

Mineralogical controls on microbial biomass accumulation on two tropical soils

Science.gov (United States)

Block, K. A.; Pena, S. A.; Katz, A.; Gottlieb, P.; Volta, A.

2017-12-01

The characteristics of soil organic matter (SOM) generated by microbes and associated with minerals are not well defined. This information is critical to reducing uncertainty in climate models related to C cycling and ecosystem feedbacks. The resistance to degradation of mineral-associated SOM is influenced by aggregate structure, mineral chemistry and microbial community. In this work we examine the influence of mineral composition, including amorphous coatings on the biomass yield and aggregate structure through thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Two soil organisms, Pseudomonas phaseolicola, and Streptomyces griseosporus, were each incubated over a 72-hour period in minimal media with the cultured under the same conditions. In all samples, approximately half of the sample mass loss occurred between 175 ºC - 375 ºC, which we attribute to biomolecules accumulated on the mineral surfaces. We observed a slightly larger mass loss in the Inceptisol than in the Oxisol, most of which corresponded to compounds that underwent pyrolysis at 300 ºC. HRTEM micrographs and TEM-EDS image maps showing the spatial relationship of microbial necromass to soil minerals will be reported.
Augmented Input Reveals Word Deafness in a Man with Frontotemporal Dementia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Gibbons

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We describe a 57 year old, right handed, English speaking man initially diagnosed with progressive aphasia. Language assessment revealed inconsistent performance in key areas. Expressive language was reduced to a few short, perseverative phrases. Speech was severely apraxic. Primary modes of communication included gesture, pointing, gaze, physical touch and leading. Responses were 100% accurate when he was provided with written words, with random or inaccurate responses for strictly auditory/verbal input. When instructions to subsequent neuropsychological tests were written instead of spoken, performance improved markedly. A comprehensive audiology assessment revealed no hearing impairment. Neuroimaging was unremarkable. Neurobehavioral evaluation utilizing written input led to diagnoses of word deafness and frontotemporal dementia, resulting in very different management. We highlight the need for alternative modes of language input for assessment and treatment of patients with language comprehension symptoms.
Wavelet characterisation of ionospheric acoustic and gravity waves occuring during the solar eclipse of August 11, 1999

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šauli, Petra; Abry, P.; Boška, Josef; Duchayne, L.

2006-01-01

Roč. 68, 3-5 (2006), s. 586-598 ISSN 1364-6826 R&D Projects: GA ČR GP205/02/P077; GA ČR(CZ) GA205/01/1071; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA3042102 Grant - others:CNRS(FR) 18098 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : Solar eclipse * Acoustic-gravity waves * Vertical ionospheric sounding * Wavelet decomposition * Wave packet characterisation Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 1.448, year: 2006
REVEAL: Software Documentation and Platform Migration

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Michael A.; Veibell, Victoir T.

2011-01-01

The Research Environment for Vehicle Embedded Analysis on Linux (REVEAL) is reconfigurable data acquisition software designed for network-distributed test and measurement applications. In development since 2001, it has been successfully demonstrated in support of a number of actual missions within NASA's Suborbital Science Program. Improvements to software configuration control were needed to properly support both an ongoing transition to operational status and continued evolution of REVEAL capabilities. For this reason the project described in this report targets REVEAL software source documentation and deployment of the software on a small set of hardware platforms different from what is currently used in the baseline system implementation. This presentation specifically describes the actions taken over a ten week period by two undergraduate student interns and serves as an overview of the content of the final report for that internship.
Degrees of Cooperation in Household Consumption Models : A Revealed Preference Analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cherchye, L.J.H.; Demuynck, T.; de Rock, B.

2009-01-01

We develop a revealed preference approach to analyze non-unitary con- sumption models with intrahousehold allocations deviating from the cooper- ative (or Pareto e¢ cient) solution. At a theoretical level, we establish re- vealed preference conditions of household consumption models with varying
Evaluation of the Supraglottic and Subglottic Activities Including Acoustic Assessment of the Opera-Chant Singers.

Science.gov (United States)

Petekkaya, Emine; Yücel, Ahmet Hilmi; Sürmelioğlu, Özgür

2017-12-28

Opera and chant singers learn to effectively use aerodynamic components by breathing exercises during their education. Aerodynamic components, including subglottic air pressure and airflow, deteriorate in voice disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in aerodynamic parameters and supraglottic structures of men and women with different vocal registers who are in an opera and chant education program. Vocal acoustic characteristics, aerodynamic components, and supraglottic structures were evaluated in 40 opera and chant art branch students. The majority of female students were sopranos, and the male students were baritone or tenor vocalists. The acoustic analyses revealed that the mean fundamental frequency was 152.33 Hz in the males and 218.77 Hz in the females. The estimated mean subglottal pressures were similar in females (14.99 cmH 2 O) and in males (14.48 cmH 2 O). Estimated mean airflow rates were also similar in both groups. The supraglottic structure compression analyses revealed partial anterior-posterior compressions in 2 tenors and 2 sopranos, and false vocal fold compression in 2 sopranos. Opera music is sung in high-pitched sounds. Attempts to sing high-pitched notes and frequently using register transitions overstrain the vocal structures. This intense muscular effort eventually traumatizes the vocal structures and causes supraglottic activity. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Revealing conceptual understanding of international business

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sue Ashley; Dr. Harmen Schaap; Prof.Dr. Elly de Bruijn

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify an adequate approach for revealing conceptual understanding in higher professional education. Revealing students’ conceptual understanding is an important step towards developing effective curricula, assessment and aligned teaching strategies to enhance conceptual
Yield and Yield Attributes Responses of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill to Elevated CO2 and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation in the Humid Transitory Rainforest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurudeen ADEYEMI

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Variations in yield components and grain yield of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF inoculated soybean varieties (Glycine max L. Merrill grown in CO2 enriched environment in the humid rainforest were tested. A screen house trial was established with soybean varieties (‘TGx 1448-2E’, ‘TGx 1440-1E’ and ‘TGx 1740-2F’, AMF inoculation (with and without and CO2 enrichment (350±50 ppm and 550±50 ppm in open top chamber, arranged in completely randomised design, replicated three times. A field trial was also conducted; the treatments were arranged in a split-split plot configuration fitted into randomised complete block design. In the main plot the variant was CO2 enrichment, the sub-plot consisted of AMF inoculation (with and without, while the sub-sub plot consisted of soybean varieties, replicated three times. Both trials had significantly higher grain yield at elevated CO2 than ambient. This could be attributed to improved yield attributes, more spore count and root colonisation. In both trials, inoculated soybean had significantly higher dry pod weight than un-inoculated, which could suggest the increased grain yield observed on the field. AMF inoculated soybean varieties outperformed un-inoculated in both CO2 enriched and ambient concentrations. AMF inoculated soybean variety ‘TGx 1740-2F’ is most preferable in CO2 enriched environment, while variety ‘TGx 1448-2E’ had the most stable grain yield in all growth environments.
Mathematics revealed

CERN Document Server

Berman, Elizabeth

1979-01-01

Mathematics Revealed focuses on the principles, processes, operations, and exercises in mathematics.The book first offers information on whole numbers, fractions, and decimals and percents. Discussions focus on measuring length, percent, decimals, numbers as products, addition and subtraction of fractions, mixed numbers and ratios, division of fractions, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The text then examines positive and negative numbers and powers and computation. Topics include division and averages, multiplication, ratios, and measurements, scientific notation and estim
Comparative Membrane Proteomics Reveals a Nonannotated E. coli Heat Shock Protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Peijia; D'Lima, Nadia G; Slavoff, Sarah A

2018-01-09

Recent advances in proteomics and genomics have enabled discovery of thousands of previously nonannotated small open reading frames (smORFs) in genomes across evolutionary space. Furthermore, quantitative mass spectrometry has recently been applied to analysis of regulated smORF expression. However, bottom-up proteomics has remained relatively insensitive to membrane proteins, suggesting they may have been underdetected in previous studies. In this report, we add biochemical membrane protein enrichment to our previously developed label-free quantitative proteomics protocol, revealing a never-before-identified heat shock protein in Escherichia coli K12. This putative smORF-encoded heat shock protein, GndA, is likely to be ∼36-55 amino acids in length and contains a predicted transmembrane helix. We validate heat shock-regulated expression of the gndA smORF and demonstrate that a GndA-GFP fusion protein cofractionates with the cell membrane. Quantitative membrane proteomics therefore has the ability to reveal nonannotated small proteins that may play roles in bacterial stress responses.
Cruise Missile Engine Program Contract Data Requirements List Sequence Number 95. Qualification Test Report. Volume XXXIX. Vibration and Mission Simulation Testing on Engine 828. XF-107-WR-400 Cruise Missile Engine,

Science.gov (United States)

1981-06-01

Illinois Page 7 REV. E ACC"T iJ’ , T.-T AUDIT 4 tii~~fs~actor ~ L~~ 4~4’~NDate S "n M. I. M EC RORDRE -MARK 1 95 oh -- Pum Capacity iA 11994 12054 0...2 S.Z 14-. -l_ S. Z.11500 0 60(60-1851 500 515 5.3. At. el 170’f 8061-056 OnY) 1438 1-448 1; 45a ~~:1 462____ 5.4 Acca ? -6S5F 5.4.116400 40 .4595
Revealing Conceptual Understanding of International Business

Science.gov (United States)

Ashley, Sue; Schaap, Harmen; de Bruijn, Elly

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify an adequate approach for revealing conceptual understanding in higher professional education. Revealing students' conceptual understanding is an important step towards developing effective curricula, assessment and aligned teaching strategies to enhance conceptual understanding in higher education. Essays and concept…
Qualification of a new defect revealing etch for CdTe using cathodoluminescence microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watson, C.C.R.; Durose, K. (Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Durham (United Kingdom)); Banister, A.J. (Dept. of Chemistry, Univ. of Durham (United Kingdom)); O' Keefe, E.; Bains, S.K. (Philips Infrared Defence Components, Southampton (United Kingdom))

1993-01-30

The action of a new defect revealing etch comprising a saturated FeCl[sub 3] solution has been investigated. The etch was found suitable for use on (111)A, (anti 1anti 1anti 1)B and other surface orientations of CdTe, and (111)A and (anti 1anti 1anti 1)B surfaces of Cd[sub 0.96]Zn[sub 0.04] Te. Direct correlations with cathodoluminescence and infra-red microscopy have shown the etch to successfully reveal twin boundaries, precipitates and dislocations. A background etch rate of approximately 2 [mu]m min[sup -1] has been measured. (orig.).
The role of electric field during spray deposition on fluorine doped tin oxide film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Anuj, E-mail: anujkumarom@gmail.com; Swami, Sanjay Kumar; Dutta, Viresh

2014-03-05

Highlights: • Fluorine doped tin oxide deposition by spray technique. • The growth reaction of tin oxide, controlled by the electric field on the substrate surface. • Deposit on large scale substrate 10 cm × 10 cm by single nozzle. • Obtained good quality of thin film. -- Abstract: The fluorine doped tin oxide film has been deposited on 10 cm × 10 cm glass substrate by using spray technique with a voltage applied between the nozzle and an annular electrode placed 2 mm below the nozzle. The effect of the electric field thus created during the spray deposition on structural, optical and electrical properties of SnO{sub 2}:F (FTO) film was studied. X-ray diffraction pattern revealed the presence of cassiterite structure with (2 0 0) orientation for all the FTO film. SEM study revealed the formation of smooth and uniform surface FTO film under the electric field over the entire substrate area. The electrical measurements show that the film prepared under the electric field (for an applied voltage of 2000 V) had a resistivity ∼1.2 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm, carrier concentration ∼4.21 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} and mobility ∼14.48 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}. The sprayed FTO film have the average transmission in the visible region of more than about 80%.
Multispectral imaging reveals biblical-period inscription unnoticed for half a century.

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Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin

Full Text Available Most surviving biblical period Hebrew inscriptions are ostraca-ink-on-clay texts. They are poorly preserved and once unearthed, fade rapidly. Therefore, proper and timely documentation of ostraca is essential. Here we show a striking example of a hitherto invisible text on the back side of an ostracon revealed via multispectral imaging. This ostracon, found at the desert fortress of Arad and dated to ca. 600 BCE (the eve of Judah's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, has been on display for half a century. Its front side has been thoroughly studied, while its back side was considered blank. Our research revealed three lines of text on the supposedly blank side and four "new" lines on the front side. Our results demonstrate the need for multispectral image acquisition for both sides of all ancient ink ostraca. Moreover, in certain cases we recommend employing multispectral techniques for screening newly unearthed ceramic potsherds prior to disposal.
[Neonatal adrenal hemorrhage revealed by jaundice: a case report].

Science.gov (United States)

Oulmaati, A; Hays, S; Mory-Thomas, N; Bretones, P; Bensaid, M; Jordan, I; Bonfils, M; Godbert, I; Picaud, J-C

2012-04-01

The clinical presentation of adrenal hemorrhage varies, depending on the extent of hemorrhage as well as the amount of adrenal cortex involved by the hemorrhage. We report here a case of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage revealed by late onset of neonatal jaundice. This adrenal hemorrhage most probably resulted from shoulder dystocia. The aim of this work was to focus on the fact that jaundice can be caused by adrenal hemorrhage and to emphasize the crucial importance of abdominal ultrasound in cases of persistent jaundice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Protein-carbohydrate complex reveals circulating metastatic cells in a microfluidic assay

KAUST Repository

Simone, Giuseppina

2013-02-11

Advances in carbohydrate sequencing technologies reveal the tremendous complexity of the glycome and the role that glycomics might have to bring insight into the biological functions. Carbohydrate-protein interactions, in particular, are known to be crucial to most mammalian physiological processes as mediators of cell adhesion and metastasis, signal transducers, and organizers of protein interactions. An assay is developed here to mimic the multivalency of biological complexes that selectively and sensitively detect carbohydrate-protein interactions. The binding of β-galactosides and galectin-3 - a protein that is correlated to the progress of tumor and metastasis - is examined. The efficiency of the assay is related to the expression of the receptor while anchoring to the interaction\\'s strength. Comparative binding experiments reveal molecular binding preferences. This study establishes that the assay is robust to isolate metastatic cells from colon affected patients and paves the way to personalized medicine. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Protein-carbohydrate complex reveals circulating metastatic cells in a microfluidic assay

KAUST Repository

Simone, Giuseppina; Malara, Natalia Maria; Trunzo, Valentina; Perozziello, Gerardo; Neužil, Pavel; Francardi, Marco; Roveda, Laura; Renne, Maria; Prati, Ubaldo; Mollace, Vincenzo; Manz, Andreas; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2013-01-01

Advances in carbohydrate sequencing technologies reveal the tremendous complexity of the glycome and the role that glycomics might have to bring insight into the biological functions. Carbohydrate-protein interactions, in particular, are known to be crucial to most mammalian physiological processes as mediators of cell adhesion and metastasis, signal transducers, and organizers of protein interactions. An assay is developed here to mimic the multivalency of biological complexes that selectively and sensitively detect carbohydrate-protein interactions. The binding of β-galactosides and galectin-3 - a protein that is correlated to the progress of tumor and metastasis - is examined. The efficiency of the assay is related to the expression of the receptor while anchoring to the interaction's strength. Comparative binding experiments reveal molecular binding preferences. This study establishes that the assay is robust to isolate metastatic cells from colon affected patients and paves the way to personalized medicine. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Prostate cancer revealed by skin metastasis: A case report in black ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: Prostate cancer is the most common male malignancy in Togo. Most patients present with advanced and metastatic disease. Skin metastasis from prostate cancer is very rare and it occurs late and often with a poor prognosis. We report a case in a 52-year-old Togolese man where the skin lesions reveal the ...
A Simple Exercise Reveals the Way Students Think about Scientific Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Ruebush, Laura; Sulikowski, Michelle; North, Simon

2009-01-01

Scientific modeling is an integral part of contemporary science, yet many students have little understanding of how models are developed, validated, and used to predict and explain phenomena. A simple modeling exercise led to significant gains in understanding key attributes of scientific modeling while revealing some stubborn misconceptions.…

A High-Resolution Crystal Structure of a Psychrohalophilic α-Carbonic Anhydrase from Photobacterium profundum Reveals a Unique Dimer Interface.

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Vijayakumar Somalinga

Full Text Available Bacterial α-carbonic anhydrases (α-CA are zinc containing metalloenzymes that catalyze the rapid interconversion of CO2 to bicarbonate and a proton. We report the first crystal structure of a pyschrohalophilic α-CA from a deep-sea bacterium, Photobacterium profundum. Size exclusion chromatography of the purified P. profundum α-CA (PprCA reveals that the protein is a heterogeneous mix of monomers and dimers. Furthermore, an "in-gel" carbonic anhydrase activity assay, also known as protonography, revealed two distinct bands corresponding to monomeric and dimeric forms of PprCA that are catalytically active. The crystal structure of PprCA was determined in its native form and reveals a highly conserved "knot-topology" that is characteristic of α-CA's. Similar to other bacterial α-CA's, PprCA also crystallized as a dimer. Furthermore, dimer interface analysis revealed the presence of a chloride ion (Cl- in the interface which is unique to PprCA and has not been observed in any other α-CA's characterized so far. Molecular dynamics simulation and chloride ion occupancy analysis shows 100% occupancy for the Cl- ion in the dimer interface. Zinc coordinating triple histidine residues, substrate binding hydrophobic patch residues, and the hydrophilic proton wire residues are highly conserved in PprCA and are identical to other well-studied α-CA's.
Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma Revealed by Renal Traumatism: A Case Report in Lomé

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Tchilabalo Matchonna Kpatcha

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This study is a report on a case of papillary carcinoma of the kidney revealed by an abdominal contusion. The results of radiological investigations were discordant with the low intensity of the shock. The treatment consisted of radical nephrectomy because of the suspicion of a pre-existing malignancy. Histological analysis revealed a papillary carcinoma pT3N0M0. We focus on the need for performing diagnostic tests in order to avoid missing a pre-existing anomaly to the kidney trauma.
[Prostatic granulomas revealing a peripheral T-cell lymphoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Foguem, C; Curlier, E; Rouamba, M-M; Regent, A; Philippe, P

2009-02-01

The presence of granulomas on tissue biopsie has been reported in a wide range of disorders. The clinical presentation and the diagnostic work-up of granulomatosis can be difficult as it is illustrated in the following report. A 59-year-old patient was referred in 2002 for a granulomatous prostatitis. Physical examination was normal. Except for the increase of prostate-specific antigen (which motivated a biopsy), the laboratory results were normal. Thoracic CT-scan disclosed mediastinal lymph nodes. A minor salivary gland biopsy was consistent with the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. In 2004, the patient presented an epidermal necrolysis, and in 2005 the deterioration of general status raised suspicion of a lymphoproliferative disorder. Liver and bone marrow biopsies revealed a granulomatous process. Despite steroid therapy, the patient died. Autopsy discloses a anaplasic T cell lymphoma. This report illustrates the relationship between sarcoidosis and lymphoma as a mode of presentation, a complication, or an accidental but misleading association? The association between anaplastic lymphoma and sarcoidosis is exceptional.
Conjunctival lymphangioma in a 4-year-old girl revealed tuberous sclerosis complex

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Freiberg, Florentina Joyce

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: To present a case of conjunctival lymphangioma in a girl with tuberous sclerosis complex.Methods/results: A 4-year-old girl presented with a relapsing cystic lesion of the bulbar conjunctiva in the right eye with string-of-pearl-like dilation of lymphatic vessels and right-sided facial swelling with mild pain. Best-corrected vision was not impaired. Examination of the skin revealed three hypomelanotic macules and a lumbal Shagreen patch. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI findings displayed minimal enhancement of buccal fat on the right side. Cranial and orbital MRI showed signal enhancement in the right cortical and subcortical areas. Genetic analysis revealed a heterozygous deletion encompassing exon 1 and 2 of the gene (tuberous sclerosis complex 1 gene, confirming the diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis complex.Conclusion: In conjunctival lymphangioma, tuberous sclerosis complex should be considered as the primary disease.
Puerto Rico Revealed Preference Survey Data 2004

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Revealed preference models provide insights into recreational angler behavior and the economic value of recreational fishing trips. Revealed preference data is...
A comparison of dobutamine and levosimendan on hepatic blood flow in patients with a low cardiac output state after cardiac surgery: a randomised controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, J; Baluja, A; Selas, S; Otero, P; Rial, M; Veiras, S; Caruezo, V; Taboada, M; Rodriguez, I; Castroagudin, J; Tome, S; Rodriguez, A; Rodriguez, J

2013-11-01

Liver dysfunction due to a low cardiac output state after cardiac surgery is associated with a poor prognosis, but whether one inotrope is superior to another in improving hepatic perfusion remains uncertain. This study compared the systemic and hepatic haemodynamic effects of levosimendan to dobutamine in patients with a low cardiac output state (cardiac index flow (ml/min): 614.0±124.7, 585.9±144.8; pulsatility index: 2.02±0,28, 2.98±0.27 versus the levosimendan group: cardiac index: 3.02± 0.27, 2.98± 0.30; portal vein flow: 723.0± 143.5, 702.9±117.8; pulsatility index: 1.71±0.26, 1.73±0.27). The improvement in portal vein blood flow at 48 hours was significantly better after levosimendan than dobutamine (41% vs. 11% increment from baseline, Pflow through both the hepatic artery and portal venous system, whereas dobutamine can only improve the portal venous blood flow without vasodilating the hepatic artery.
A Filtering Method to Reveal Crystalline Patterns from Atom Probe Microscopy Desorption Maps

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-26

reveal crystalline patterns from atom probe microscopy desorption maps Lan Yao Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann...reveal the crystallographic information present in Atom Probe Microscopy (APM) data is presented. Themethod filters atoms based on the time difference...between their evaporation and the evaporation of the previous atom . Since this time difference correlates with the location and the local structure of
TypeScript revealed

CERN Document Server

Maharry, Dan

2013-01-01

TypeScript Revealed is a quick 100-page guide to Anders Hejlsberg's new take on JavaScript. With this brief, fast-paced introduction to TypeScript, .NET, Web and Windows 8 application developers who are already familiar with JavaScript will easily get up to speed with TypeScript and decide whether or not to start incorporating it into their own development. TypeScript is 'JavaScript for Application-scale development'; a superset of JavaScript that brings to it an additional object-oriented-like syntax familiar to .NET programmers that compiles down into simple, clean JavaScript that any browse
A Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Pleura Revealed by Hiccups

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A. Chafik

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura are rare and benign primary localized tumors; they possess a malignant potential and thus should be excised. We report a case of a 43-year-old woman, who had suffered for 5 years from right basithoracic pain associated with progressive dyspnea and persistent hiccups during the last 6 months. We have not found any similar case in the literature. Further testing after excision by thoracotomy revealed a solitary fibrous pleural tumor. A brief discussion of the clinical presentation and incidence of these tumors is included.
A functional genomics screen in planarians reveals regulators of whole-brain regeneration

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts-Galbraith, Rachel H; Brubacher, John L; Newmark, Phillip A

2016-01-01

Planarians regenerate all body parts after injury, including the central nervous system (CNS). We capitalized on this distinctive trait and completed a gene expression-guided functional screen to identify factors that regulate diverse aspects of neural regeneration in Schmidtea mediterranea. Our screen revealed molecules that influence neural cell fates, support the formation of a major connective hub, and promote reestablishment of chemosensory behavior. We also identified genes that encode signaling molecules with roles in head regeneration, including some that are produced in a previously uncharacterized parenchymal population of cells. Finally, we explored genes downregulated during planarian regeneration and characterized, for the first time, glial cells in the planarian CNS that respond to injury by repressing several transcripts. Collectively, our studies revealed diverse molecules and cell types that underlie an animal’s ability to regenerate its brain. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17002.001 PMID:27612384
Optimization of rootkit revealing system resources – A game theoretic approach

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K. Muthumanickam

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Malicious rootkit is a collection of programs designed with the intent of infecting and monitoring the victim computer without the user’s permission. After the victim has been compromised, the remote attacker can easily cause further damage. In order to infect, compromise and monitor, rootkits adopt Native Application Programming Interface (API hooking technique. To reveal the hidden rootkits, current rootkit detection techniques check different data structures which hold reference to Native APIs. To verify these data structures, a large amount of system resources are required. This is because of the number of APIs in these data structures being quite large. Game theoretic approach is a useful mathematical tool to simulate network attacks. In this paper, a mathematical model is framed to optimize resource consumption using game-theory. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to be proposed for optimizing resource consumption while revealing rootkit presence using game theory. Non-cooperative game model is taken to discuss the problem. Analysis and simulation results show that our game theoretic model can effectively reduce the resource consumption by selectively monitoring the number of APIs in windows platform.
Using team cognitive work analysis to reveal healthcare team interactions in a birthing unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashoori, Maryam; Burns, Catherine M; d'Entremont, Barbara; Momtahan, Kathryn

2014-01-01

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) as an analytical approach for examining complex sociotechnical systems has shown success in modelling the work of single operators. The CWA approach incorporates social and team interactions, but a more explicit analysis of team aspects can reveal more information for systems design. In this paper, Team CWA is explored to understand teamwork within a birthing unit at a hospital. Team CWA models are derived from theories and models of teamwork and leverage the existing CWA approaches to analyse team interactions. Team CWA is explained and contrasted with prior approaches to CWA. Team CWA does not replace CWA, but supplements traditional CWA to more easily reveal team information. As a result, Team CWA may be a useful approach to enhance CWA in complex environments where effective teamwork is required. This paper looks at ways of analysing cognitive work in healthcare teams. Team Cognitive Work Analysis, when used to supplement traditional Cognitive Work Analysis, revealed more team information than traditional Cognitive Work Analysis. Team Cognitive Work Analysis should be considered when studying teams.
Using team cognitive work analysis to reveal healthcare team interactions in a birthing unit

Science.gov (United States)

Ashoori, Maryam; Burns, Catherine M.; d'Entremont, Barbara; Momtahan, Kathryn

2014-01-01

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) as an analytical approach for examining complex sociotechnical systems has shown success in modelling the work of single operators. The CWA approach incorporates social and team interactions, but a more explicit analysis of team aspects can reveal more information for systems design. In this paper, Team CWA is explored to understand teamwork within a birthing unit at a hospital. Team CWA models are derived from theories and models of teamworkand leverage the existing CWA approaches to analyse team interactions. Team CWA is explained and contrasted with prior approaches to CWA. Team CWA does not replace CWA, but supplements traditional CWA to more easily reveal team information. As a result, Team CWA may be a useful approach to enhance CWA in complex environments where effective teamwork is required. Practitioner Summary: This paper looks at ways of analysing cognitive work in healthcare teams. Team Cognitive Work Analysis, when used to supplement traditional Cognitive Work Analysis, revealed more team information than traditional Cognitive Work Analysis. Team Cognitive Work Analysis should be considered when studying teams PMID:24837514
Adipsic diabetes insipidus revealing a bifocal intracranial germinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreutz, Julie; Potorac, Iulia; Lutteri, Laurence; Gennigens, Christine; Martin, Didier; Daly, Adrian F; Bonneville, Jean-Francois; Tshibanda, Luaba; Beckers, Albert

2017-07-01

Adipsic diabetes insipidus is a rare complication of intracranial tumors in which impaired antidiuretic hormone secretion is associated with the loss of thirst sensation. Here, we present the case of a patient with bifocal intracranial germinoma, diagnosed due to symptoms mainly caused by adipsic diabetes insipidus. This is, to our knowledge, the first case of adipsic diabetes insipidus revealing an intracranial germinoma reported in the literature. We describe the diagnostic procedures and the three-year follow-up of this patient. Management of intracranial germ-cell tumors is made complex by the wide range of histological features. Although germinomas have a generally better prognosis than most nongerminomatous tumors, they can have severe or even life-threatening presentations. Adipsic diabetes insipidus is one such severe presentation and its rarity can make it difficult to recognize and manage. Awareness of this potential entity is therefore important for clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica Revealing a Lymphoma: A Two-Case Report

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Frank Verhoeven

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR is one of the most common inflammatory rheumatism types in elderly population. The link between cancer and PMR is a matter of debate. Methods. We report two cases of PMR leading to the diagnosis of lymphoma and the growing interest of PET-TDM in this indication. Results. A 84-year-old man known for idiopathic neutropenia presented an inflammatory arthromyalgia of the limb girdle since one month. Blood exams highlighted the presence of a monoclonal B cell clone. Bone marrow concluded to a B cell lymphoma of the marginal zone. He was successfully treated with 0.3 mg/kg/d of prednisone, and response was sustained after 6 months. A 73-year-old man known for prostatic neoplasia in remission for 5 years presented arthromyalgia of the limb girdle since one month. PET-CT revealed bursitis of the hips and the shoulders, no prostatic cancer recurrence, and a metabolically active iliac lymphadenopathy whose pathologic exam concluded to a low grade follicular lymphoma. He was successfully treated with 0.3 mg/kg/d of prednisone. Conclusion. These observations may imply that lymphoma is sometimes already present when PMR is diagnosed and PET-CT is a useful tool in the initial assessment of PMR to avoid missing neoplasia.
Neural correlates reveal sub-lexical orthography and phonology during reading aloud: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalinka eTimmer

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The sub-lexical conversion of graphemes-to-phonemes (GPC during reading has been investigated extensively with behavioral measures, as well as event-related potentials (ERPs. Most research utilizes silent reading (e.g., lexical decision task for which phonological activation is not a necessity. However, recent research employed reading aloud to capture sub-lexical GPC. The masked priming paradigm avoids strategic processing and is therefore well suitable for capturing sub-lexical processing instead of lexical effects. By employing ERPs, the on-line time course of sub-lexical GPC can be observed before the overt response. ERPs have revealed that besides phonological activation, as revealed by behavioral studies, there is also early orthographic activation. This review describes studies in one’s native language, in one’s second language, and in a cross-language situation. We discuss the implications the ERP results have on different (computational models. First, the ERP results show that computational models should assume an early locus of the grapheme-to-phoneme-conversion (GPC. Second, cross-language studies reveal that the phonological representations from both languages of a bilingual become activated automatically and the phonology belonging to the context is selected rapidly. Therefore, it is important to extend the scope of computational models of reading (aloud to multiple lexicons.
A Comparative Study of Intratesticular Ductules in the Spermatogenically Active Testes of Shortfin Mako and Thresher Sharks.

Science.gov (United States)

McClusky, Leon Mendel; Sulikowski, James

2016-10-01

This comparative study of the radial testes of sexually mature thresher sharks (Alopias vulpinus) and shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) describes the histology of the three-tiered network of sperm-carrying ductules in the testis and the lymphomyeloid tissue associated with it, namely the epigonal organ. In both species, a testis → epigonal gradient was evident regarding the thickness of the ductule epithelial lining and subepithelial investment of connective tissue. Ductules straddling the testis-epigonal border often displayed luminal leukocytes and various signs of regression, including the progressive thickening of the ductule epithelial lining, dissolution of the cytoplasm, and loss of normal histoarchitecture. In Isurus, large amorphous areas formed due to the fusion of neighboring regressing ductules. The epigonal organ of Alopias additionally revealed circular degenerative sperm-containing, Hassall-like bodies with either a degenerate or cellular appearance, the latter the result of cell proliferative activity (as shown by proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry) in an expanding outer border comprising cells with intensely PCNA immunoreactive slender and oblong nuclei. The latter cells exhibited a periphery-to-center transformation of their nuclei, at which stage they were PCNA-negative and most likely in a terminally differentiated state as they phagocytized the cell debris in the degenerate core. Intermediate stages of these circular bodies were a rarity. The relationship between these degenerate bodies, and the common occurrence of blind pockets in the epithelial linings and non-apoptosis-related degenerate patches in the apical cytoplasmic regions of the irregular shaped ductules in Alopias is unclear, and needs further elucidation. Anat Rec, 299:1435-1448, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Three Essential Oils Extracted from Mediterranean Aromatic Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Elshafie, Hazem S; Sakr, Shimaa; Mang, Stefania M; Belviso, Sandra; De Feo, Vincenzo; Camele, Ippolito

2016-11-01

There is a growing interest in essential oils (EOs) as possible alternatives for traditional chemical pesticides. This study was carried out to characterize the chemical composition of the three EOs extracted from Verbena officinalis, Majorana hortensis, and Salvia officinalis using gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and to evaluate in vitro their efficacy against some phyto or human pathogens. The antifungal activity was investigated against Colletotrichum acutatum and Botrytis cinerea in comparison with Azoxystrobin as a large spectrum fungicide. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mojavensis, and Clavibacter michiganensis (G+ve) and Escherichia coli, Xanthomonas campestris, Pseudomonas savastanoi, and P. syringae pv. phaseolicola (G-ve) compared to a synthetic antibiotic tetracycline. Minimum inhibitory concentration was evaluated against the above tested fungi using 96-well microplate method. Results showed that the chemical structure of the three studied EOs was mainly composed of monoterpene compounds and all oils belong to the chemotype carvacrol/thymol. Results of GC analysis identified 64 compounds, which were identified based on their mass to charge ratio. Furthermore, the different concentrations of studied EOs inhibited the growth of tested microorganism in a dose-dependent manner.
A revealed-preference study of behavioural impacts of real-time traffic information

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knockaert, J.S.A.; Tseng, Y.; Verhoef, E.T.

2013-01-01

In the present study, we investigate the impact of real-time traffic information on traveller behaviour by using repeated day-to-day revealed-preference (RP) observations from a reward experiment. We estimate a trip scheduling model of morning peak behaviour that allows us to determine the impact of
Revealing Students' Cognitive Structure about Physical and Chemical Change: Use of a Word Association Test

Science.gov (United States)

Yildirir, Hasene Esra; Demirkol, Hatice

2018-01-01

The current study aimed at examining the utility of a word association test in revealing students' cognitive structure in a specific chemistry topic through a word association test. The participants were 153 6th graders in a western Turkish city. The results revealed that the word association test serves a useful purpose in exploring the students'…

Mediastinal Mature Teratoma Revealed by Empyema

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Raoufi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Teratomas are germ cell tumors, manifested with a great variety of clinical features; the most common extragonadal site is the anterior mediastinum. In this case, we report the patient with a large mature mediastinal teratoma with several components of ectodermal and endothermal epithelium. A 24-year-old female patient presented with history of persistent chest pain and progressively aggravating dyspnea for the previous 3 months. A chest X-ray showed a large opacity of the entire left hemithorax. Transcutaneous needle aspiration revealed a purulent fluid. The tube thoracostomy was introduced and the effusion was evacuated. Some weeks later, patient was seen in emergency for persistent cough and lateral chest pain. CT scan revealed a mass of the left hemithorax. The mass showed heterogeneous density, without compressing mediastinum great vessels and left hilar structures. Lipase value was elevated in needle aspiration. The patient underwent a total resection of the mediastinum mass via a left posterolateral thoracotomy. Microscopy revealed a mature teratoma with cystic structures. The patient subsequently made a full recovery. This case provide benign mediastinal teratoma with total atelectasis of left lung and elevated lipase value in needle transcutaneous aspiration; this event is explained by pancreatic component in the cystic tumor. Total removal of the tumor is adequate treatment for this type of teratoma and the prognosis is excellent.
Whole-genome sequencing reveals a potential causal mutation for dwarfism in the Miniature Shetland pony.

Science.gov (United States)

Metzger, Julia; Gast, Alana Christina; Schrimpf, Rahel; Rau, Janina; Eikelberg, Deborah; Beineke, Andreas; Hellige, Maren; Distl, Ottmar

2017-04-01

The Miniature Shetland pony represents a horse breed with an extremely small body size. Clinical examination of a dwarf Miniature Shetland pony revealed a lowered size at the withers, malformed skull and brachygnathia superior. Computed tomography (CT) showed a shortened maxilla and a cleft of the hard and soft palate which protruded into the nasal passage leading to breathing difficulties. Pathological examination confirmed these findings but did not reveal histopathological signs of premature ossification in limbs or cranial sutures. Whole-genome sequencing of this dwarf Miniature Shetland pony and comparative sequence analysis using 26 reference equids from NCBI Sequence Read Archive revealed three probably damaging missense variants which could be exclusively found in the affected foal. Validation of these three missense mutations in 159 control horses from different horse breeds and five donkeys revealed only the aggrecan (ACAN)-associated g.94370258G>C variant as homozygous wild-type in all control samples. The dwarf Miniature Shetland pony had the homozygous mutant genotype C/C of the ACAN:g.94370258G>C variant and the normal parents were heterozygous G/C. An unaffected full sib and 3/5 unaffected half-sibs were heterozygous G/C for the ACAN:g.94370258G>C variant. In summary, we could demonstrate a dwarf phenotype in a miniature pony breed perfectly associated with a missense mutation within the ACAN gene.
A Survey of Electronic Serials Managers Reveals Diversity in Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Costello

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Branscome, B. A. (2013. Management of electronic serials in academic libraries: The results of an online survey. Serials Review, 39(4, 216-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.serrev.2013.10.004 Abstract Objective – To examine industry standards for the management of electronic serials and measure the adoption of electronic serials over print. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – Email lists aimed at academic librarians working in serials management. Subjects – 195 self-selected subscribers to serials email lists. Methods – The author created a 20 question survey that consisted primarily of closed-ended questions pertaining to the collection demographics, staff, budget, and tools of serials management groups in academic libraries. The survey was conducted via Survey Monkey and examined using the analytical features of the tool. Participants remained anonymous and the survey questions did not ask them to reveal identifiable information about their libraries. Main Results – Collection demographics questions revealed that 78% of surveyed librarians estimated that print-only collections represented 40% or fewer of their serials holdings. The author observed diversity in the factors that influence print to digital transitions in academic libraries. However 71.5% of participants indicated that publisher technology support like IP authentication was required before adopting digital subscriptions. A lack of standardization also marked serials workflows, department responsibilities, and department titles. The author did not find a correlation between serials budget and the enrollment size of the institution. Participants reported that they used tools from popular serials management vendors like Serials Solutions, Innovative Interfaces, EBSCO, and Ex Libris, but most indicated that they used more than one tool for serials management. Participants specified 52 unique serials management products used in their libraries. Conclusion �
Engagement in activities revealing the body and psychosocial adjustment in adults with a trans-tibial prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Donovan-Hall, M K; Yardley, L; Watts, R J

2002-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the appearance of a prosthesis on social behaviour, social discomfort and psychological well-being in eleven amputees taking delivery of a prosthesis with a silicone cover. Two new scales were developed: the 'Engagement in everyday activities involving revealing the body' (EEARB); and the 'Discomfort-Engagement in everyday activities involving revealing the body' (Discomfort-EEARB) scales. The psychometric properties of these scales were determined using a sample of 101 able-bodied adults. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were also used to measure psychological well-being in the amputee sample. The EEARB and Discomfort-EEARB proved to have good reliability and validity. Comparison of amputees' scores prior to receiving the silicone cosmesis with those of the able-bodied adults revealed significant behavioural limitations and social discomfort, associated with low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. There was a significant increase in amputees' scores three months afier taking delivery of their prosthesis, indicating that amputees reported engaging in more activities which involved revealing their body, and that they would feel more comfortable in situations which involved revealing the body. As the amputee sample available was small and self-selected, it is not possible to generalise these findings to the amputee population as a whole. However, since there is little previous research investigating the effects of the appearance of the prosthesis, these findings demonstrate the need for further research in this area.
Gastric microbial community profiling reveals a dysbiotic cancer-associated microbiota

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira-Marques, Joana; Pinto-Ribeiro, Ines; Costa, Jose L; Carneiro, Fatima; Machado, Jose C

2018-01-01

Objective Gastric carcinoma development is triggered by Helicobacter pylori. Chronic H. pylori infection leads to reduced acid secretion, which may allow the growth of a different gastric bacterial community. This change in the microbiome may increase aggression to the gastric mucosa and contribute to malignancy. Our aim was to evaluate the composition of the gastric microbiota in chronic gastritis and in gastric carcinoma. Design The gastric microbiota was retrospectively investigated in 54 patients with gastric carcinoma and 81 patients with chronic gastritis by 16S rRNA gene profiling, using next-generation sequencing. Differences in microbial composition of the two patient groups were assessed using linear discriminant analysis effect size. Associations between the most relevant taxa and clinical diagnosis were validated by real-time quantitative PCR. Predictive functional profiling of microbial communities was obtained with PICRUSt. Results The gastric carcinoma microbiota was characterised by reduced microbial diversity, by decreased abundance of Helicobacter and by the enrichment of other bacterial genera, mostly represented by intestinal commensals. The combination of these taxa into a microbial dysbiosis index revealed that dysbiosis has excellent capacity to discriminate between gastritis and gastric carcinoma. Analysis of the functional features of the microbiota was compatible with the presence of a nitrosating microbial community in carcinoma. The major observations were confirmed in validation cohorts from different geographic origins. Conclusions Detailed analysis of the gastric microbiota revealed for the first time that patients with gastric carcinoma exhibit a dysbiotic microbial community with genotoxic potential, which is distinct from that of patients with chronic gastritis. PMID:29102920
Revealing a steroid receptor ligand as a unique PPAR[gamma] agonist

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Shengchen; Han, Ying; Shi, Yuzhe; Rong, Hui; Zheng, Songyang; Jin, Shikan; Lin, Shu-Yong; Lin, Sheng-Cai; Li, Yong (Pitt); (Xiamen)

2012-06-28

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR{gamma}) regulates metabolic homeostasis and is a molecular target for anti-diabetic drugs. We report here the identification of a steroid receptor ligand, RU-486, as an unexpected PPAR{gamma} agonist, thereby uncovering a novel signaling route for this steroid drug. Similar to rosiglitazone, RU-486 modulates the expression of key PPAR{gamma} target genes and promotes adipocyte differentiation, but with a lower adipogenic activity. Structural and functional studies of receptor-ligand interactions reveal the molecular basis for a unique binding mode for RU-486 in the PPAR{gamma} ligand-binding pocket with distinctive properties and epitopes, providing the molecular mechanisms for the discrimination of RU-486 from thiazolidinediones (TZDs) drugs. Our findings together indicate that steroid compounds may represent an alternative approach for designing non-TZD PPAR{gamma} ligands in the treatment of insulin resistance.
Current outcome of HLA identical sibling versus unrelated donor transplants in severe aplastic anemia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bacigalupo, Andrea; Socié, Gerard; Hamladji, Rose Marie

2015-01-01

We have analyzed 1448 patients with acquired aplastic anemia grafted between 2005 and 2009, and compared outcome of identical sibling (n=940) versus unrelated donor (n=508) transplants. When compared to the latter, sibling transplants were less likely to be performed beyond 180 days from diagnosis.......04). In conclusion, in multivariate analysis, the outcome of unrelated donor transplants for acquired aplastic anemia, is currently not statistically inferior when compared to sibling transplants, although patients are at greater risk of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease. The use of peripheral blood grafts...
Experimental manipulation reveals a trade-off between weapons and testes.

Science.gov (United States)

Somjee, U; Miller, C W; Tatarnic, N J; Simmons, L W

2018-01-01

Theory predicts a trade-off between sexually selected weapons used to secure mates and post-copulatory traits used to maximize fertilization success. However, individuals that have a greater capacity to acquire resources from the environment may invest more in both pre- and post-copulatory traits, and trade-offs may not be readily apparent. Here, we manipulate the phenotype of developing individuals to examine allocation trade-offs between weapons and testes in Mictis profana (Hemiptera: Coreidae), a species where the hind legs are sexually selected weapons used in contests over access to females. We experimentally prevented males from developing weapons by inducing them to autotomize their hind legs before the final moult to adulthood. We compared trait expression in this group to males where autotomy was induced in the mid-legs, which are presumably not under sexual selection to the same extent. We found males without weapons invested proportionally more in testes mass than those with their mid-legs removed. Males that developed to adulthood without weapons did not differ from the mid-leg removal group in other traits potentially under precopulatory sexual selection, other post-copulatory traits or naturally selected traits. In addition, a sample of adult males from the same population in the wild revealed a positive correlation between investment in testes and weapons. Our study presents a critical contribution to a growing body of literature suggesting the allocation of resources to pre- and post-copulatory sexual traits is influenced by a resource allocation trade-off and that this trade-off may only be revealed with experimental manipulation. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.
Optimization of rootkit revealing system resources – A game theoretic approach

OpenAIRE

Muthumanickam, K.; Ilavarasan, E.

2015-01-01

Malicious rootkit is a collection of programs designed with the intent of infecting and monitoring the victim computer without the user’s permission. After the victim has been compromised, the remote attacker can easily cause further damage. In order to infect, compromise and monitor, rootkits adopt Native Application Programming Interface (API) hooking technique. To reveal the hidden rootkits, current rootkit detection techniques check different data structures which hold reference to Native...
Study of a twisted ATLAS SCT Barrel deformation as revealed by a photogrammetric survey

CERN Document Server

Dobson, E; Heinemann, F; Karagoz-Unel, M

2007-01-01

A photogrammetry survey on the SCT barrels was performed as an engineering check on the structure of the ATLAS Semiconductor Tracker (SCT) shortly after construction. Analysis of the data obtained revealed small scale elliptical deformation as well as a twist of the structure. The results of the survey are presented as well as interpolation of the measured targets to the module positions and a comparison with track based alignment measurements.
Decision Making and Revealed Preference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de la Rosa, Leonidas Enrique

If our decision-making processes are to some extent shaped by evolutionary pressures and our environment is different from that to which we adapted, some of our choices will not be in our best interest. But revealed preference is the only tool that we have so far to conduct a normative analysis...
Dissecting a role for melanopsin in behavioural light aversion reveals a response independent of conventional photoreception.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma'ayan Semo

Full Text Available Melanopsin photoreception plays a vital role in irradiance detection for non-image forming responses to light. However, little is known about the involvement of melanopsin in emotional processing of luminance. When confronted with a gradient in light, organisms exhibit spatial movements relative to this stimulus. In rodents, behavioural light aversion (BLA is a well-documented but poorly understood phenomenon during which animals attribute salience to light and remove themselves from it. Here, using genetically modified mice and an open field behavioural paradigm, we investigate the role of melanopsin in BLA. While wildtype (WT, melanopsin knockout (Opn4(-/- and rd/rd cl (melanopsin only (MO mice all exhibit BLA, our novel methodology reveals that isolated melanopsin photoreception produces a slow, potentiating response to light. In order to control for the involvement of pupillary constriction in BLA we eliminated this variable with topical atropine application. This manipulation enhanced BLA in WT and MO mice, but most remarkably, revealed light aversion in triple knockout (TKO mice, lacking three elements deemed essential for conventional photoreception (Opn4(-/- Gnat1(-/- Cnga3(-/-. Using a number of complementary strategies, we determined this response to be generated at the level of the retina. Our findings have significant implications for the understanding of how melanopsin signalling may modulate aversive responses to light in mice and humans. In addition, we also reveal a clear potential for light perception in TKO mice.
A Network Based Methodology to Reveal Patterns in Knowledge Transfer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlando López-Cruz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper motivates, presents and demonstrates in use a methodology based in complex network analysis to support research aimed at identification of sources in the process of knowledge transfer at the interorganizational level. The importance of this methodology is that it states a unified model to reveal knowledge sharing patterns and to compare results from multiple researches on data from different periods of time and different sectors of the economy. This methodology does not address the underlying statistical processes. To do this, national statistics departments (NSD provide documents and tools at their websites. But this proposal provides a guide to model information inferences gathered from data processing revealing links between sources and recipients of knowledge being transferred and that the recipient detects as main source to new knowledge creation. Some national statistics departments set as objective for these surveys the characterization of innovation dynamics in firms and to analyze the use of public support instruments. From this characterization scholars conduct different researches. Measures of dimensions of the network composed by manufacturing firms and other organizations conform the base to inquiry the structure that emerges from taking ideas from other organizations to incept innovations. These two sets of data are actors of a two- mode-network. The link between two actors (network nodes, one acting as the source of the idea. The second one acting as the destination comes from organizations or events organized by organizations that “provide” ideas to other group of firms. The resulting demonstrated design satisfies the objective of being a methodological model to identify sources in knowledge transfer of knowledge effectively used in innovation.
A Method to Reveal Fine-Grained and Diverse Conceptual Progressions during Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Lombard, François; Merminod, Marie; Widmer, Vincent; Schneider, Daniel K.

2018-01-01

Empirical data on learners' conceptual progression is required to design curricula and guide students. In this paper, we present the Reference Map Change Coding (RMCC) method for revealing students' progression at a fine-grained level. The method has been developed and tested through the analysis of successive versions of the productions of eight…
A novel assay reveals hygrotactic behavior in Drosophila.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feiteng Ji

Full Text Available Humidity is one of the most important factors that determines the geographical distribution and survival of terrestrial animals. The ability to detect variation in humidity is conserved across many species. Here, we established a novel behavioral assay that revealed the thirsty Drosophila exhibits strong hygrotactic behavior, and it can locate water by detecting humidity gradient. In addition, exposure to high levels of moisture was sufficient to elicit proboscis extension reflex behavior in thirsty flies. Furthermore, we found that the third antennal segment was necessary for hygrotactic behavior in thirsty flies, while arista was required for the avoidance of moist air in hydrated flies. These results indicated that two types of hygroreceptor cells exist in Drosophila: one located in the third antennal segment that mediates hygrotactic behavior in thirst status, and the other located in arista which is responsible for the aversive behavior toward moist air in hydration status. Using a neural silencing screen, we demonstrated that synaptic output from the mushroom body α/β surface and posterior neurons was required for both hygrotactic behavior and moisture-aversive behavior.
Cyp1a reporter zebrafish reveals target tissues for dioxin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kun-Hee [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Park, Hye-Jeong [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin Hee [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Suhyun [Graduate School of Medicine, Korea University, Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Williams, Darren R. [New Drug Targets Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Myeong-Kyu [Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Young Do [Department of Biochemistry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Teraoka, Hiroki [School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu (Japan); Park, Hae-Chul [Graduate School of Medicine, Korea University, Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Choy, Hyon E., E-mail: hyonchoy@chonnam.ac.kr [Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Boo Ahn, E-mail: bashin@chonnam.ac.kr [Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Seok-Yong, E-mail: zebrafish@chonnam.ac.kr [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2013-06-15

Highlights: •2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most toxic anthropogenic substance ever identified. •Transgenic cyp1a reporter zebrafish reveals target tissues for TCDD. •The retinal bipolar cells, otic vesicle, lateral line, pancreas, cloaca and pectoral fin bud are novel targets in zebrafish for TCDD. •Our findings will further understanding of human health risks by TCDD. -- Abstract: 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the unintentional byproduct of various industrial processes, is classified as human carcinogen and could disrupt reproductive, developmental and endocrine systems. Induction of cyp1a1 is used as an indicator of TCDD exposure. We sought to determine tissues that are vulnerable to TCDD toxicity using a transgenic zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. We inserted a nuclear enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (EGFP) into the start codon of a zebrafish cyp1a gene in a fosmid clone using DNA recombineering. The resulting recombineered fosmid was then used to generate cyp1a reporter zebrafish, embryos of which were exposed to TCDD. Expression pattern of EGFP in the reporter zebrafish mirrored that of endogenous cyp1a mRNA. In addition, exposure of the embryos to TCDD at as low as 10 pM for 72 h, which does not elicit morphological abnormalities of embryos, markedly increased GFP expression. Furthermore, the reporter embryos responded to other AhR ligands as well. Exposure of the embryos to TCDD revealed previously reported (the cardiovascular system, liver, pancreas, kidney, swim bladder and skin) and unreported target tissues (retinal bipolar cells, otic vesicle, lateral line, cloaca and pectoral fin bud) for TCDD. Transgenic cyp1a reporter zebrafish we have developed can further understanding of ecotoxicological relevance and human health risks by TCDD. In addition, they could be used to identify agonists of AhR and antidotes to TCDD toxicity.
Omics strategies for revealing Yersinia pestis virulence

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ruifu; Du, Zongmin; Han, Yanping; Zhou, Lei; Song, Yajun; Zhou, Dongsheng; Cui, Yujun

2012-01-01

Omics has remarkably changed the way we investigate and understand life. Omics differs from traditional hypothesis-driven research because it is a discovery-driven approach. Mass datasets produced from omics-based studies require experts from different fields to reveal the salient features behind these data. In this review, we summarize omics-driven studies to reveal the virulence features of Yersinia pestis through genomics, trascriptomics, proteomics, interactomics, etc. These studies serve as foundations for further hypothesis-driven research and help us gain insight into Y. pestis pathogenesis. PMID:23248778
Pressure-induced phase transition and octahedral tilt system change of Ba2BiSbO6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lufaso, Michael W.; Macquart, Rene B.; Lee, Yongjae; Vogt, Thomas; Loye, Hans-Conrad zur

2006-01-01

High-resolution X-ray synchrotron powder diffraction studies under high-pressure conditions are reported for the ordered double perovskite Ba 2 BiSbO 6 . Near 4GPa, the oxide undergoes a pressure-induced phase transition. The symmetry of the material changes during the phase transition from space group R3-bar to space group I2/m, which is consistent with a change in the octahedral tilting distortion from an a - a - a - type to a 0 b - b - type using the Glazer notation. A fit of the volume-pressure data using the Birch-Murnagaham equation of state yielded a bulk modulus of 144(8)GPa for the rhombohedral phase
Revealing the programming process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennedsen, Jens; Caspersen, Michael Edelgaard

2005-01-01

One of the most important goals of an introductory programming course is that the students learn a systematic approach to the development of computer programs. Revealing the programming process is an important part of this; however, textbooks do not address the issue -- probably because...... the textbook medium is static and therefore ill-suited to expose the process of programming. We have found that process recordings in the form of captured narrated programming sessions are a simple, cheap, and efficient way of providing the revelation.We identify seven different elements of the programming...
Midface swelling reveals nasofrontal dermal sinus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houneida, Zaghouani Ben Alaya; Manel, Limeme; Latifa, Harzallah; Habib, Amara; Dejla, Bakir; Chekib, Kraiem

2012-01-01

Nasofrontal dermal sinuses are very rare and generally occur in children. This congenital malformation can be revealed by midface swelling, which can be complicated by local infection or neuromeningitis. Such complications make the dermal sinus a life-threatening disease. Two cases of nasofrontal dermal sinuses are reported in this work. The first case is an 11-month-old girl who presented with left orbitonasal soft tissue swelling accompanied by inflammation. Physical examination found fever, left orbitonasal thickening, and a puncture hole letting out pus. Computed tomography revealed microabscesses located at the left orbitonasal soft tissues, a frontal bone defect, and an intracranial cyst. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the transosseous tract between the glabella and the brain and affirmed the epidermoid nature of the intracranial cyst. The second case is a 7-year-old girl who presented with a nasofrontal non-progressive mass that intermittently secreted a yellow liquid through an external orifice located at the glabella. MRI revealed a cystic mass located in the deep layer of the glabellar skin related to an epidermoid cyst with a nasofrontal dermal sinus tract. In both cases, surgical excision was performed, and pathological confirmation was made for the diagnoses of dermal sinuses. The postoperative course was favorable. Through these cases, the authors stress the role of imaging methods in confirming the diagnosis and looking for associated cysts (dermoid and epidermoid) to improve recognition of this rare disease. Knowledge of the typical clinical presentations, imaging manifestations, and most common sites of occurrence of this malformation are needed to formulate a differential diagnosis.

Multiple skeletal muscle metastases revealing a cardiac intimal sarcoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crombe, Amandine [Institut Bergonie, Department of Radiology, Bordeaux (France); Lintingre, Pierre-Francois; Dallaudiere, Benjamin [Clinique du Sport de Bordeaux-Merignac, Department of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Merignac (France); Le Loarer, Francois [Institut Bergonie, Department of Pathology, Bordeaux (France); Lachatre, Denis [Dupuytren University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Limoges (France)

2018-01-15

We report the case of a 59-year-old female with progressive bilateral painful swelling of the thighs. MRI revealed multiple intramuscular necrotic masses with similar morphologic patterns. Whole-body CT and 18-FDG PET-CT scans demonstrated additional hypermetabolic muscular masses and a lobulated lesion within the left atrial cavity. As biopsy of a muscular mass was compatible with a poorly differentiated sarcoma with MDM2 oncogene amplification, two diagnoses were discussed: a dedifferentiated liposarcoma with muscle and heart metastases or a primary cardiac sarcoma, mainly a cardiac intimal sarcoma, with muscular metastases, which was finally confirmed by array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) in a sarcoma reference center. This case emphasizes the potential for intimal sarcoma to disseminate in skeletal muscle prior to any other organ and the need for a genomic approach in addition to classical radiopathologic analyses to distinguish primary from secondary locations facing simultaneous tumors of the heart and skeletal muscles with MDM2 amplification. (orig.)
Android Emotions Revealed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vlachos, Evgenios; Schärfe, Henrik

2012-01-01

This work presents a method for designing facial interfaces for sociable android robots with respect to the fundamental rules of human affect expression. Extending the work of Paul Ekman towards a robotic direction, we follow the judgment-based approach for evaluating facial expressions to test...... findings are based on the results derived from a number of judgments, and suggest that before programming the facial expressions of a Geminoid, the Original should pass through the proposed procedure. According to our recommendations, the facial expressions of an android should be tested by judges, even...... in which case an android robot like the Geminoid|DK –a duplicate of an Original person- reveals emotions convincingly; when following an empirical perspective, or when following a theoretical one. The methodology includes the processes of acquiring the empirical data, and gathering feedback on them. Our...
What a Decade of Experiments Reveals about Factors that Influence the Sense of Presence

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Youngblut, Christine

2006-01-01

...? Will behavior learned in a virtual-world transfer to a corresponding real scenario? This document reviews what experimental results reveal about technical factors and task characteristics that may influence the sense of presence...
UTV Expansion Pack: Special-Purpose Rank-Revealing Algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fierro, Ricardo D.; Hansen, Per Christian

2005-01-01

This collection of Matlab 7.0 software supplements and complements the package UTV Tools from 1999, and includes implementations of special-purpose rank-revealing algorithms developed since the publication of the original package. We provide algorithms for computing and modifying symmetric rank-r...... values of a sparse or structured matrix. These new algorithms have applications in signal processing, optimization and LSI information retrieval.......This collection of Matlab 7.0 software supplements and complements the package UTV Tools from 1999, and includes implementations of special-purpose rank-revealing algorithms developed since the publication of the original package. We provide algorithms for computing and modifying symmetric rank......-revealing VSV decompositions, we expand the algorithms for the ULLV decomposition of a matrix pair to handle interference-type problems with a rank-deficient covariance matrix, and we provide a robust and reliable Lanczos algorithm which - despite its simplicity - is able to capture all the dominant singular...
A little similarity goes a long way: the effects of peripheral but self-revealing similarities on improving and sustaining interracial relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Tessa V; Magee, Joe C; Gordon, Sarah H; Gullett, Lindy

2014-07-01

Integrating theory on close relationships and intergroup relations, we construct a manipulation of similarity that we demonstrate can improve interracial interactions across different settings. We find that manipulating perceptions of similarity on self-revealing attributes that are peripheral to the interaction improves interactions in cross-race dyads and racially diverse task groups. In a getting-acquainted context, we demonstrate that the belief that one's different-race partner is similar to oneself on self-revealing, peripheral attributes leads to less anticipatory anxiety than the belief that one's partner is similar on peripheral, nonself-revealing attributes. In another dyadic context, we explore the range of benefits that perceptions of peripheral, self-revealing similarity can bring to different-race interaction partners and find (a) less anxiety during interaction, (b) greater interest in sustained contact with one's partner, and (c) stronger accuracy in perceptions of one's partners' relationship intentions. By contrast, participants in same-race interactions were largely unaffected by these manipulations of perceived similarity. Our final experiment shows that among small task groups composed of racially diverse individuals, those whose members perceive peripheral, self-revealing similarity perform superior to those who perceive dissimilarity. Implications for using this approach to improve interracial interactions across different goal-driven contexts are discussed.
Demand effects of consumers’ stated and revealed preferences

OpenAIRE

Engström, Per; Forsell, Eskil

2013-01-01

Knowledge of how consumers react to different quality signals is fundamental for understanding how markets work. We study the online market- place for Android apps where we compare the causal effects on demand from two quality related signals; other consumers' stated and revealed preferences toward an app. Our main result is that consumers are much more responsive to other consumers' revealed preferences, compared to others' stated preferences. A 10 percentile increase in displayed average ra...
El desequilibrio procesal y probatorio del “opositor víctima o sujeto vulnerable” en el proceso de restitución de tierras

OpenAIRE

Del Llano Toro, Federica

2015-01-01

El presente trabajo se enmarca en la Ley de Víctimas, Ley 1448 del año 2011, y aborda específicamente los casos en que se presenta oposición de una víctima o bien de un sujeto vulnerable, de especial protección, frente a la reclamación de restitución de un predio por una víctima. No aborda la generalidad de los casos de oposición. Habiendo delimitado el objeto de estudio que atañe, es necesario señalar que el presente trabajo, se centra en indagar la posición procesal y las capacidades probat...
Fabrication of FFTF fuel pin wire wrap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Epperson, E.M.

1980-06-01

Lateral spacing between FFTF fuel pins is required to provide a passageway for the sodium coolant to flow over each pin to remove heat generated by the fission process. This spacing is provided by wrapping each fuel pin with type 316 stainless steel wire. This wire has a 1.435mm (0.0565 in.) to 1.448mm (0.0570 in.) diameter, contains 17 +- 2% cold work and was fabricated and tested to exacting RDT Standards. About 500 kg (1100 lbs) or 39 Km (24 miles) of fuel pin wrap wire is used in each core loading. Fabrication procedures and quality assurance tests are described
Deficits in general emotion regulation skills-Evidence of a transdiagnostic factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukas, Christian Aljoscha; Ebert, David Daniel; Fuentes, Hugo Trevisi; Caspar, Franz; Berking, Matthias

2017-12-15

Deficits in emotion regulation (ER) skills are discussed as a transdiagnostic factor contributing to the development and maintenance of various mental disorders. However, systematic comparisons of a broad range of ER skills across diagnostic groups that are based on comparable definitions and measures of ER are still rare. Therefore, we conducted two studies assessing a broad range of ER skills with the Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire in individuals meeting criteria for mental disorders (N 1 = 1448; N 2 = 137) and in a general population sample (N = 214). Consistent across the two studies, participants in the clinical samples reported lower general and lower specific ER skills than participants in the general population sample. Also consistent across the two studies, diagnostic subgroups of the clinical samples differed significantly with regard to general and specific ER skills. The studies provide evidence that deficits in ER are associated with various forms of psychopathology. However, mental disorders seem to differ with regard to how strongly they are linked to ER skills. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Revealed preference with limited consideration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demuynck, T.; Seel, C.

2014-01-01

We derive revealed preference tests for models where individuals use consideration sets to simplify their consumption problem. Our basic test provides necessary and sufficient conditions for consistency of observed choices with the existence of consideration set restrictions. The same conditions can
Girl with idiopathic childhood hypercalcemia reveals new disease-causing CYP24A1 mutation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jens Otto Broby; Sauer, Sabrina; Beck, Bodo

2018-01-01

of a 21 months old girl initially hospitalized due to excessive consumption of water and behavioral difficulties. Blood tests showed hypercalcemia, borderline high vitamin-D levels, and renal ultrasound revealed medullary nephrocalcinosis. An abnormality within the vitamin-D metabolism was suspected......CONTEXT: Idiopathic Infantile Hypercalcemia (IHH) was associated with vitamin-D supplementation in the 1950's. 50 years later mutations in the CYP241A gene, involved in the degradation of vitamin-D, have been identified as being a part of the etiology. CASE DESCRIPTION: We hereby report a case...... and genetic testing was performed. This revealed the patient to be compound heterozygous for a common (p.E143del) and a novel (likely) disease-causing mutation (p.H83D) in the CYP24A1 gene. The hypercalcemia normalized after calcium depleted diet and discontinuation of vitamin-D supplementation. CONCLUSIONS...
Revealed Preference Theory, Rationality, and Neoclassical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Revealed Preference Theory (Samuelson 1938) is an attempt to establish economic theory as a genuine empirical science by ridding it of nonempirical psychological concepts. Samuelson's goal was to rid economic theory of the last vestiges of utility analysis. Samuelson structured his theory on a set of preference axioms ...
Revealing barriers and facilitators to use a new genetic test: comparison of three user involvement methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhebergen, Martijn D F; Visser, Maaike J; Verberk, Maarten M; Lenderink, Annet F; van Dijk, Frank J H; Kezic, Sanja; Hulshof, Carel T J

2012-10-01

We compared three common user involvement methods in revealing barriers and facilitators from intended users that might influence their use of a new genetic test. The study was part of the development of a new genetic test on the susceptibility to hand eczema for nurses. Eighty student nurses participated in five focus groups (n = 33), 15 interviews (n = 15) or questionnaires (n = 32). For each method, data were collected until saturation. We compared the mean number of items and relevant remarks that could influence the use of the genetic test obtained per method, divided by the number of participants in that method. Thematic content analysis was performed using MAXQDA software. The focus groups revealed 30 unique items compared to 29 in the interviews and 21 in the questionnaires. The interviews produced more items and relevant remarks per participant (1.9 and 8.4 pp) than focus groups (0.9 and 4.8 pp) or questionnaires (0.7 and 2.3 pp). All three involvement methods revealed relevant barriers and facilitators to use a new genetic test. Focus groups and interviews revealed substantially more items than questionnaires. Furthermore, this study suggests a preference for the use of interviews because the number of items per participant was higher than for focus groups and questionnaires. This conclusion may be valid for other genetic tests as well.
A passionate way of being: A qualitative study revealing the passion spiral

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanna M. Halonen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Being engaged in an activity one is passionate about has been tied to feeling life is worth living for. Existing research in passion has explored this phenomenon purely using quantitative research methodology, and by tying an individual’s passion to a specific activity. In this study, passion was explored in semi-structured interviews with 12 participants. The qualitative grounded theory analysis revealed a passionate way of being, with passion being located in the individual rather than in a specific activity. A new phenomenon to positive psychology, a passionate way of being is about having a purpose, creating positive impact, and pursuing variety. These key elements, amongst others, created a reinforcing, self-sustaining spiral, which offered a route to hedonic and eudaimonic happiness, generally serving to enhance life (though it could also detract from life if it became overpowering.
Dissection of a locus on mouse chromosome 5 reveals arthritis promoting and inhibitory genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindvall, Therese; Karlsson, Jenny; Holmdahl, Rikard

2009-01-01

with Eae39 congenic- and sub-interval congenic mice, carrying RIIIS/J genes on the B10.RIII genetic background, revealed three loci within Eae39 that control disease and anti-collagen antibody titers. Two of the loci promoted disease and the third locus was protecting from collagen induced arthritis...... development. By further breeding of mice with small congenic fragments, we identified a 3.2 Megabasepair (Mbp) interval that regulates disease. CONCLUSIONS: Disease promoting- and protecting genes within the Eae39 locus on mouse chromosome 5, control susceptibility to collagen induced arthritis. A disease......-protecting locus in the telomeric part of Eae39 results in lower anti-collagen antibody responses. The study shows the importance of breeding sub-congenic mouse strains to reveal genetic effects on complex diseases....
"...der er flere af den slags". Bøndernes møde med krigen i 1400-tallet, set med Holstenerpræstens øjne

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Carsten Selch

2012-01-01

and even defeat their heavily armed foes among the knights and men-at-arms who were attacking their homesteads. The sympathies of the chronicler towards these peasant depended entirely on their suspected locality towards the counts of Holstein, with the loyal peasants fighting a just war supported by God......This article analyses how the peasants were treated during the wars fought in Southern Jutland during the early decades of the fifteenth centuries between the Danish King Eric of Pomerania and the Counts of Holstein as described by the Chronicon Holtzatiae (written c. 1448). During these wars......, and the disloyal peasants being nothing more that ungodly beasts fighting an unjust war....
As crianças e jovens desvinculados dos grupos armados ilegais na Colômbia: ¿Vítimas da violência política ou sujeitos do delito?

OpenAIRE

Bácares Jara, Camilo

2015-01-01

El presente texto tiene como objetivo interrogar la definición que hacen las leyes 782 de 2002 y 1448 de 2011 de los niños, niñas y adolescentes víctimas de la violencia política, con el firme propósito de explicar y argumentar de dónde viene tal posición y por qué es urgente comprenderla y aplicarla. Para ello, recoge y recorre los elementos sociales, políticos y jurídicos que impulsaron el reconocimiento de las infancias excombatientes como víctimas de la guerra y genera una discusión a fav...
Multidimensional intermittency in hadronic collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, J.; Hwa, R.C.

1992-06-01

The study of intermittency in high-energy hadronic collisions by the Monte Carlo code ECCO is extended to 3-dimensional phase space. Strong intermittency is found in agreement with the data. Fluctuation in the impact parameter is responsible for the intermittency in lnp T , and the transverse-momentum conservation leads to negative intermittency slopes in the azimuthal angle φ. The Ochs-Wosiek plots are linear in all dimensions having universal slopes. An exponent ν = 1.448 emerges to characterize multiparticle production in pp collisions. The properties of G moments are also examined, and the fractal dimensions determined
Vertical Variation of Lead, Copper and Manganese in Core Sediments Collected From Tanjung Lumpur Mangrove Forest, Pahang, Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamaruzzaman, B.Y.; NurulNadia, M.Y.; Azhar, M.S.N.; Shahbudin, S.; Joseph, B.

2011-01-01

Two core sediment samples collected from Tanjung Lumpur mangrove forest were analysed for lead, copper and manganese using the sensitive Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The average concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Mn in core samples were 36.28 ± 7.04 μg/ g dry weights, 50.17 ± 5.84 μg/ g dry weights, and 110.41 ± 14.48 μg/ g dry weights, respectively. From the calculated enrichment factors (EF), only Mn was considered to be predominantly terrigeneous in origin, while Pb and Cu have slightly higher EF values which were related to anthropogenic input. (author)
YSOVAR: Six Pre-main-sequence Eclipsing Binaries in the Orion Nebula Cluster

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-25

ISOY J053446.01−044922.1i V1448 Ori 17.43c 15.61c 13.88 13.26 12.95 12.73 12.66 12.91 . . . K5c 0.5424125 ISOY J053605.95−050041.2i 2MASS J05360595...identified 12 EB candidates. Four of them, 2MASS 05352184−0546085 (Stassun et al. 2006), V1174 Ori (Stassun et al. 2004), Par1802 (Cargile et al. 2008...Zero points for the photometry were established by reference to data for non-variable stars in our FOV from the Two Micron All Sky Survey ( 2MASS

Hydrogen cyanide formation in selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides over Cu/ZSM-5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radtke, F; Koeppel, R; Baiker, A [Department of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, (Switzerland)

1994-01-06

Hydrogen cyanide is formed over Cu/ZSM-5 during the selective catalytic reduction of NO[sub x] by either propylene or ethylene in the temperature range 450-600 K. Under the reaction conditions used (reactant feed: 973 ppm NO, 907 ppm propene or 1448 ppm ethylene, 2% oxygen, W/F=0.1 g s cm[sup -3]), the concentration of hydrogen cyanide reaches 20, respectively, 30 ppm, depending on whether ethylene or propene are used as hydrocarbons. In addition, significant N[sub 2]O formation is observed at temperatures lower than 700 K, independent of the hydrocarbon used
Phylogeographic analysis reveals significant spatial genetic structure of Incarvillea sinensis as a product of mountain building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Shaotian

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Incarvillea sinensis is widely distributed from Southwest China to Northeast China and in the Russian Far East. The distribution of this species was thought to be influenced by the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Quaternary glaciation. To reveal the imprints of geological events on the spatial genetic structure of Incarvillea sinensis, we examined two cpDNA segments ( trnH- psbA and trnS- trnfM in 705 individuals from 47 localities. Results A total of 16 haplotypes was identified, and significant genetic differentiation was revealed (GST =0.843, NST = 0.975, P Conclusions The results revealed that the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau likely resulted in the significant divergence between the lineage in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the other one outside this area. The diverse niches in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau created a wide spectrum of habitats to accumulate and accommodate new mutations. The features of genetic diversity of populations outside the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau seemed to reveal the imprints of extinction during the Glacial and the interglacial and postglacial recolonization. Our study is a typical case of the significance of the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Quaternary Glacial in spatial genetic structure of eastern Asian plants, and sheds new light on the evolution of biodiversity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at the intraspecies level.
Adaptation to High Ethanol Reveals Complex Evolutionary Pathways.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin Voordeckers

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Tolerance to high levels of ethanol is an ecologically and industrially relevant phenotype of microbes, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this complex trait remain largely unknown. Here, we use long-term experimental evolution of isogenic yeast populations of different initial ploidy to study adaptation to increasing levels of ethanol. Whole-genome sequencing of more than 30 evolved populations and over 100 adapted clones isolated throughout this two-year evolution experiment revealed how a complex interplay of de novo single nucleotide mutations, copy number variation, ploidy changes, mutator phenotypes, and clonal interference led to a significant increase in ethanol tolerance. Although the specific mutations differ between different evolved lineages, application of a novel computational pipeline, PheNetic, revealed that many mutations target functional modules involved in stress response, cell cycle regulation, DNA repair and respiration. Measuring the fitness effects of selected mutations introduced in non-evolved ethanol-sensitive cells revealed several adaptive mutations that had previously not been implicated in ethanol tolerance, including mutations in PRT1, VPS70 and MEX67. Interestingly, variation in VPS70 was recently identified as a QTL for ethanol tolerance in an industrial bio-ethanol strain. Taken together, our results show how, in contrast to adaptation to some other stresses, adaptation to a continuous complex and severe stress involves interplay of different evolutionary mechanisms. In addition, our study reveals functional modules involved in ethanol resistance and identifies several mutations that could help to improve the ethanol tolerance of industrial yeasts.
Skull metastasis revealing a renal tumor: A case report and review of the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Badri

Full Text Available Background: Renal cell carcinomas represent 85% of malignant renal tumors. Typically, the tumor remains asymptomatic a long time before the appearance of urologic clinical signs. In some cases, metastasis can precede the manifestations of the primary tumor. Different sites are potential metastatic localizations for renal tumors, including skull metastases who represent a very rare location. Case description: We report the case of a 65-year-old man presented after the appearance of a skull mass. This tumefaction developed and had progressively grown up during 9 months. Neurological examination was normal. Brain imaging showed a soft tissue lesion in the left parietal bone with marked osteolysis. Peroperative was found a huge oval-shape hemorrhagic and firm mass associated with scalp invasion and bone destruction that was totally resected. Histopathology revealed renal cell carcinoma (RCC. Pelvic and abdominal CT scan was performed, revealing a large mass on the left kidney with irregular contours and poor definition. The patient was then transferred to urology where he underwent nephrectomy. The patient went then through adjuvant chemotherapy. Clinical and radiological follow up of 12 months did not bring to light tumor recurrence. Conclusions: Although metastases to the head and neck occur infrequently, they should be considered when evaluating any unusual subcutaneous mass in the head and neck. RCC should not be discounted when sites as unlikely as the calvaria are evaluated. Treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma is complex, and the optimal regimen for achieving a lasting response without severe toxicity has not yet been defined. Keywords: Renal tumor, Skull metastasis, Neurosurgery
Functional genomic screening reveals asparagine dependence as a metabolic vulnerability in sarcoma

OpenAIRE

Hettmer, Simone; Schinzel, Anna C; Tchessalova, Daria; Schneider, Michaela; Parker, Christina L; Bronson, Roderick T; Richards, Nigel GJ; Hahn, William C; Wagers, Amy J

2015-01-01

eLife digest Sarcoma is a type of cancer that forms in the connective tissues of the body, such as bone, cartilage, muscle and fat. Usually, treatment involves surgical removal of the tumor and/or radiation to kill the tumor cells. However, if sarcomas spread to other parts of the body, the treatment options are limited. Genetic studies have revealed several genetic changes that contribute to the formation of sarcomas. Many sarcomas have a mutation in a gene that encodes a protein called Ras....
Revealing Rembrandt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J Parker

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The power and significance of artwork in shaping human cognition is self-evident. The starting point for our empirical investigations is the view that the task of neuroscience is to integrate itself with other forms of knowledge, rather than to seek to supplant them. In our recent work, we examined a particular aspect of the appreciation of artwork using present-day functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Our results emphasised the continuity between viewing artwork and other human cognitive activities. We also showed that appreciation of a particular aspect of artwork, namely authenticity, depends upon the co-ordinated activity between the brain regions involved in multiple decision making and those responsible for processing visual information. The findings about brain function probably have no specific consequences for understanding how people respond to the art of Rembrandt in comparison with their response to other artworks. However, the use of images of Rembrandt’s portraits, his most intimate and personal works, clearly had a significant impact upon our viewers, even though they have been spatially confined to the interior of an MRI scanner at the time of viewing. Neuroscientific studies of humans viewing artwork have the capacity to reveal the diversity of human cognitive responses that may be induced by external advice or context as people view artwork in a variety of frameworks and settings.
Transcriptomic variation in a coral reveals pathways of clonal organisation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

K Bay, Line; Nielsen, Henrik Bjørn; Jarmer, Hanne Østergaard

2009-01-01

A microarray study was undertaken to examine the potential for clonal gene expression variation in a branching reef building coral, Acropora millepora. The role of small-scale gradients in light and water flow was examined by comparing gene expression levels between branch elevation (tip and base......) and position (centre and edge) of replicate coral colonies (n=3). Analyses of variance revealed that almost 60% of variation in gene expression was present between colonies and 34 genes were considered differentially expressed between colonies (minimum P=6.5 x 10(-4)). These genes are associated with energy...... of corymbose-like branching coral colonies such as A. millepora. Four genes were differentially expressed between the tip and base of branches (P=3.239 x 10(-4)) and were associated with lysosome lipase activity and fluorescence, suggesting that branch tips may encounter higher pathogen loads or levels...
A survey of antibodies to pestivirus in sheep in the Republic of Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O'Neill Ronan G

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Sera from 1,448 adult ewes in 91 flocks, representing all 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland, were examined for pestivirus antibodies using a commercially available ELISA which detected IgG1 antibody to border disease virus. Eighty-one sheep (5.6% in 42 flocks (46.0% were antibody-positive. Within infected flocks, the mean seroprevalence level was 11.4% with a range of 6.3% to 30.0%. The highest antibody prevalence was detected in sheep from central lowland counties of Ireland. Comparative neutralisation testing of 42 ELISA-positive sera detected geometric mean antibody titres of 136 to the NADL strain of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV, 92 to the Moredun strain of border disease virus and 21 to the 137/4 strain of border disease virus. These results suggest that BVDV may be the major ruminant pestivirus infecting sheep in Ireland. Although there are high numbers of infected flocks, many sheep within such flocks remain antibody-negative and are at risk of giving birth to lambs with congenital border disease.
Virtually naked: virtual environment reveals sex-dependent nature of skin disclosure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna M Lomanowska

Full Text Available The human tendency to reveal or cover naked skin reflects a competition between the individual propensity for social interactions related to sexual appeal and interpersonal touch versus climatic, environmental, physical, and cultural constraints. However, due to the ubiquitous nature of these constraints, isolating on a large scale the spontaneous human tendency to reveal naked skin has remained impossible. Using the online 3-dimensional virtual world of Second Life, we examined spontaneous human skin-covering behavior unhindered by real-world climatic, environmental, and physical variables. Analysis of hundreds of avatars revealed that virtual females disclose substantially more naked skin than virtual males. This phenomenon was not related to avatar hypersexualization as evaluated by measurement of sexually dimorphic body proportions. Furthermore, analysis of skin-covering behavior of a population of culturally homogeneous avatars indicated that the propensity of female avatars to reveal naked skin persisted despite explicit cultural norms promoting less revealing attire. These findings have implications for further understanding how sex-specific aspects of skin disclosure influence human social interactions in both virtual and real settings.
Deciphering CAPTCHAs: what a Turing test reveals about human cognition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Hannagan

Full Text Available Turning Turing's logic on its head, we used widespread letter-based Turing Tests found on the internet (CAPTCHAs to shed light on human cognition. We examined the basis of the human ability to solve CAPTCHAs, where machines fail. We asked whether this is due to our use of slow-acting inferential processes that would not be available to machines, or whether fast-acting automatic orthographic processing in humans has superior robustness to shape variations. A masked priming lexical decision experiment revealed efficient processing of CAPTCHA words in conditions that rule out the use of slow inferential processing. This shows that the human superiority in solving CAPTCHAs builds on a high degree of invariance to location and continuous transforms, which is achieved during the very early stages of visual word recognition in skilled readers.
A P,O,P′-tridentate mixed-donor scorpionate ligand: 6-[4,6-bis(diphenylphosphino-10H-phenoxazin-10-yl]hexan-1-ol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holger B. Friedrich

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The title compound, C42H39NO2P2, is a P,O,P′-tridentate scorpionate-type ligand and has one molecule in the asymmetric unit. The angles involving the P atoms range from 100.21 (7 to 104.89 (7°. The N-hexanol group was found to be disordered and was refined over two positions with final occupancies of 0.683 (3 and 0.317 (3 which affected the C—O and C—N bond lengths. The bond lengths for C—O range from 1.402 (2 to 1.415 (2 Å and for C—N from 1.410 (2 to 1.448 (3 Å for the major disorder component; the corresponding ranges for the minor disorder component are 1.429 (3–1.408 (3 and 1.474 (3–1.474 (4 Å.
Structure of Human GIVD Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Reveals Insights into Substrate Recognition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Hui; Klein, Michael G.; Snell, Gyorgy; Lane, Weston; Zou, Hua; Levin, Irena; Li, Ke; Sang, Bi-Ching (Takeda Cali)

2016-07-01

Cytosolic phospholipases A2 (cPLA2s) consist of a family of calcium-sensitive enzymes that function to generate lipid second messengers through hydrolysis of membrane-associated glycerophospholipids. The GIVD cPLA2 (cPLA2δ) is a potential drug target for developing a selective therapeutic agent for the treatment of psoriasis. Here, we present two X-ray structures of human cPLA2δ, capturing an apo state, and in complex with a substrate-like inhibitor. Comparison of the apo and inhibitor-bound structures reveals conformational changes in a flexible cap that allows the substrate to access the relatively buried active site, providing new insight into the mechanism for substrate recognition. The cPLA2δ structure reveals an unexpected second C2 domain that was previously unrecognized from sequence alignments, placing cPLA2δ into the class of membrane-associated proteins that contain a tandem pair of C2 domains. Furthermore, our structures elucidate novel inter-domain interactions and define three potential calcium-binding sites that are likely important for regulation and activation of enzymatic activity. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms governing cPLA2's function in signal transduction.
Transparency masters for mathematics revealed

CERN Document Server

Berman, Elizabeth

1980-01-01

Transparency Masters for Mathematics Revealed focuses on master diagrams that can be used for transparencies for an overhead projector or duplicator masters for worksheets. The book offers information on a compilation of master diagrams prepared by John R. Stafford, Jr., audiovisual supervisor at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Some of the transparencies are designed to be shown horizontally. The initial three masters are number lines and grids that can be used in a mathematics course, while the others are adaptations of text figures which are slightly altered in some instances. The
Predictive ethoinformatics reveals the complex migratory behaviour of a pelagic seabird, the Manx Shearwater

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Robin; Dean, Ben; Kirk, Holly; Leonard, Kerry; Phillips, Richard A.; Perrins, Chris M.; Guilford, Tim

2013-01-01

Understanding the behaviour of animals in the wild is fundamental to conservation efforts. Advances in bio-logging technologies have offered insights into the behaviour of animals during foraging, migration and social interaction. However, broader application of these systems has been limited by device mass, cost and longevity. Here, we use information from multiple logger types to predict individual behaviour in a highly pelagic, migratory seabird, the Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus). Using behavioural states resolved from GPS tracking of foraging during the breeding season, we demonstrate that individual behaviours can be accurately predicted during multi-year migrations from low cost, lightweight, salt-water immersion devices. This reveals a complex pattern of migratory stopovers: some involving high proportions of foraging, and others of rest behaviour. We use this technique to examine three consecutive years of global migrations, revealing the prominence of foraging behaviour during migration and the importance of highly productive waters during migratory stopover. PMID:23635496
Spontaneous Movements of a Computer Mouse Reveal Egoism and In-group Favoritism

Science.gov (United States)

Maliszewski, Norbert; Wojciechowski, Łukasz; Suszek, Hubert

2017-01-01

The purpose of the project was to assess whether the first spontaneous movements of a computer mouse, when making an assessment on a scale presented on the screen, may express a respondent’s implicit attitudes. In Study 1, the altruistic behaviors of 66 students were assessed. The students were led to believe that the task they were performing was also being performed by another person and they were asked to distribute earnings between themselves and the partner. The participants performed the tasks under conditions with and without distractors. With the distractors, in the first few seconds spontaneous mouse movements on the scale expressed a selfish distribution of money, while later the movements gravitated toward more altruism. In Study 2, 77 Polish students evaluated a painting by a Polish/Jewish painter on a scale. They evaluated it under conditions of full or distracted cognitive abilities. Spontaneous movements of the mouse on the scale were analyzed. In addition, implicit attitudes toward both Poles and Jews were measured with the Implicit Association Test (IAT). A significant association between implicit attitudes (IAT) and spontaneous evaluation of images using a computer mouse was observed in the group with the distractor. The participants with strong implicit in-group favoritism of Poles revealed stronger preference for the Polish painter’s work in the first few seconds of mouse movement. Taken together, these results suggest that spontaneous mouse movements may reveal egoism (in-group favoritism), i.e., processes that were not observed in the participants’ final decisions (clicking on the scale). PMID:28163689
Spontaneous Movements of a Computer Mouse Reveal Egoism and In-group Favoritism.

Science.gov (United States)

Maliszewski, Norbert; Wojciechowski, Łukasz; Suszek, Hubert

2017-01-01

The purpose of the project was to assess whether the first spontaneous movements of a computer mouse, when making an assessment on a scale presented on the screen, may express a respondent's implicit attitudes. In Study 1, the altruistic behaviors of 66 students were assessed. The students were led to believe that the task they were performing was also being performed by another person and they were asked to distribute earnings between themselves and the partner. The participants performed the tasks under conditions with and without distractors. With the distractors, in the first few seconds spontaneous mouse movements on the scale expressed a selfish distribution of money, while later the movements gravitated toward more altruism. In Study 2, 77 Polish students evaluated a painting by a Polish/Jewish painter on a scale. They evaluated it under conditions of full or distracted cognitive abilities. Spontaneous movements of the mouse on the scale were analyzed. In addition, implicit attitudes toward both Poles and Jews were measured with the Implicit Association Test (IAT). A significant association between implicit attitudes (IAT) and spontaneous evaluation of images using a computer mouse was observed in the group with the distractor. The participants with strong implicit in-group favoritism of Poles revealed stronger preference for the Polish painter's work in the first few seconds of mouse movement. Taken together, these results suggest that spontaneous mouse movements may reveal egoism (in-group favoritism), i.e., processes that were not observed in the participants' final decisions (clicking on the scale).
Plant innate immunity induced by flagellin suppresses the hypersensitive response in non-host plants elicited by Pseudomonas syringae pv. averrhoi.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Fong Wei

Full Text Available A new pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. averrhoi (Pav, which causes bacterial spot disease on carambola was identified in Taiwan in 1997. Many strains of this pathovar have been isolated from different locations and several varieties of hosts. Some of these strains, such as HL1, are nonmotile and elicit a strong hypersensitive response (HR in nonhost tobacco leaves, while other strains, such as PA5, are motile and elicit a weak HR. Based on the image from a transmission electron microscope, the results showed that HL1 is flagellum-deficient and PA5 has normal flagella. Here we cloned and analyzed the fliC gene and glycosylation island from Pav HL1 and PA5. The amino acid sequences of FliC from HL1 and PA5 are identical to P. s. pvs. tabaci (Pta, glycinea and phaseolicola and share very high similarity with other pathovars of P. syringae. In contrast to the flagellin mutant PtaΔfliC, PA5ΔfliC grows as well as wild type in the host plant, but it elicits stronger HR than wild type does in non-host plants. Furthermore, the purified Pav flagellin, but not the divergent flagellin from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, is able to impair the HR induced by PA5ΔfliC. PA5Δfgt1 possessing nonglycosylated flagella behaved as its wild type in both bacterial growth in host and HR elicitation. Flagellin was infiltrated into tobacco leaves either simultaneously with flagellum-deficient HL1 or prior to the inoculation of wild type HL1, and both treatments impaired the HR induced by HL1. Moreover, the HR elicited by PA5 and PA5ΔfliC was enhanced by the addition of cycloheximide, suggesting that the flagellin is one of the PAMPs (pathogen-associated molecular patterns contributed to induce the PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI. Taken together, the results shown in this study reveal that flagellin in Pav is capable of suppressing HR via PTI induction during an incompatible interaction.
Plant Innate Immunity Induced by Flagellin Suppresses the Hypersensitive Response in Non-Host Plants Elicited by Pseudomonas syringae pv. averrhoi

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Chia-Fong; Hsu, Shih-Tien; Deng, Wen-Ling; Wen, Yu-Der; Huang, Hsiou-Chen

2012-01-01

A new pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. averrhoi (Pav), which causes bacterial spot disease on carambola was identified in Taiwan in 1997. Many strains of this pathovar have been isolated from different locations and several varieties of hosts. Some of these strains, such as HL1, are nonmotile and elicit a strong hypersensitive response (HR) in nonhost tobacco leaves, while other strains, such as PA5, are motile and elicit a weak HR. Based on the image from a transmission electron microscope, the results showed that HL1 is flagellum-deficient and PA5 has normal flagella. Here we cloned and analyzed the fliC gene and glycosylation island from Pav HL1 and PA5. The amino acid sequences of FliC from HL1 and PA5 are identical to P. s. pvs. tabaci (Pta), glycinea and phaseolicola and share very high similarity with other pathovars of P. syringae. In contrast to the flagellin mutant PtaΔfliC, PA5ΔfliC grows as well as wild type in the host plant, but it elicits stronger HR than wild type does in non-host plants. Furthermore, the purified Pav flagellin, but not the divergent flagellin from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, is able to impair the HR induced by PA5ΔfliC. PA5Δfgt1 possessing nonglycosylated flagella behaved as its wild type in both bacterial growth in host and HR elicitation. Flagellin was infiltrated into tobacco leaves either simultaneously with flagellum-deficient HL1 or prior to the inoculation of wild type HL1, and both treatments impaired the HR induced by HL1. Moreover, the HR elicited by PA5 and PA5ΔfliC was enhanced by the addition of cycloheximide, suggesting that the flagellin is one of the PAMPs (pathogen-associated molecular patterns) contributed to induce the PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). Taken together, the results shown in this study reveal that flagellin in Pav is capable of suppressing HR via PTI induction during an incompatible interaction. PMID:22911741
Revealed preference tests for collective household behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cherchye, L.J.H.; de Rock, B.; Vermeulen, F.M.P.; Verriest, E.; Molina, J.A.

2011-01-01

This chapter contains a state of the art of revealed preference tests for consistency of observed household behavior with Pareto efficiency. These tests are entirely nonparametric, since they do not require any assumptions regarding the parametric form of individual preferences or the intrahousehold
Reveal quantum correlation in complementary bases

OpenAIRE

Shengjun Wu; Zhihao Ma; Zhihua Chen; Sixia Yu

2014-01-01

An essential feature of genuine quantum correlation is the simultaneous existence of correlation in complementary bases. We reveal this feature of quantum correlation by defining measures based on invariance under a basis change. For a bipartite quantum state, the classical correlation is the maximal correlation present in a certain optimum basis, while the quantum correlation is characterized as a series of residual correlations in the mutually unbiased bases. Compared with other approaches ...

Effective coupling constants for spin-flip and non spin-flip E1 transitions in A--90 nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Shintaro; Shibata, Tokushi; Kishimoto, Tadafumi; Sasao, Mamiko; Ejiri, Hiroyasu

1983-01-01

Radiative proton capture reactions through two isobaric analogue resonances (IAR) in 89 Y were studied, one was the 12.07 MeV 2dsub(5/2) state lying just above the neutron threshold energy Bsub(n) and another was the 14.48 MeV 2dsub(3/2) state lying well above Bsub(n). E1 transitions from these IAR's were studied for favoured cases with no spin-flip and no change of radial nodes, and for unfavoured cases spin-flip and/or change of radial nodes. At the 2dsub(3/2) IAR lying well above Bsub(n), the favoured transitions show the resonance feature, but the unfavoured ones not. At the 2dsub(5/2) IAR near Bsub(n), however, both the favoured and unfavoured transitions show the resonance feature. Anormalous resonant feature of the unfavoured transitions is interpreted mainly due to the compound process. Favoured transitions are all found to be reduced by factors -- 0.3 over the shell model values. (author)
DNA barcoding reveals a cryptic nemertean invasion in Atlantic and Mediterranean waters

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Álvarez, Fernando Ángel; Machordom, Annie

2013-09-01

For several groups, like nemerteans, morphology-based identification is a hard discipline, but DNA barcoding may help non-experts in the identification process. In this study, DNA barcoding is used to reveal the cryptic invasion of Pacific Cephalothrix cf. simula into Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Although DNA barcoding is a promising method for the identification of Nemertea, only 6 % of the known number of nemertean species is currently associated with a correct DNA barcode. Therefore, additional morphological and molecular studies are necessary to advance the utility of DNA barcoding in the characterisation of possible nemertean alien invasions.
Self-disclosure on Facebook: How much do we really reveal?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie Day

Full Text Available This paper investigates the use of the social networking site Facebook to self-disclose and analyses the responses of a small group of Facebook users surveyed about their own willingness to self-disclose. An online survey was used to ask Facebook users about their level of Facebook use, what types of personal information they are willing to reveal and the frequency of these personal revelations. The survey also asked the participants to take a look at their publicly viewable profile and the types of information revealed there. Results indicated that overall, most people tended to be cautious about the types of information they revealed, posted mainly positive statements about themselves and were aware of personal privacy issues.
[Postnatal diagnosis of gastric volvulus revealing congenital diaphragmatic hernia].

Science.gov (United States)

Aprahamian, A; Nouyrigat, V; Grévent, D; Hervieux, E; Chéron, G

2017-05-01

Postnatally diagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDH) are rare and have a better prognosis than those diagnosed prenatally. Postnatal symptoms can be respiratory, digestive, or mixed. Gastric volvulus can reveal CDH. Symptoms are pain, abdominal distension, and/or vomiting. Upper gastrointestinal barium X-ray radiography provides the diagnosis. Prognosis is related to early surgical management in complicated forms with intestinal occlusion or sub-occlusion. We report on an infant who presented with vomiting, which revealed gastric volvulus associated with a CDH. Progression was favorable after surgical treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Locally Grown, Natural Ingredients? The Isotope Ratio Can Reveal a Lot!

Science.gov (United States)

Rossier, Joël S; Maury, Valérie; Pfammatter, Elmar

2016-01-01

This communication gives an overview of selected isotope analyses applied to food authenticity assessment. Different isotope ratio detection technologies such as isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) are briefly described. It will be explained how δ(18)O of water contained in fruits and vegetables can be used to assess their country of production. It will be explained why asparagus grown in Valais, in the centre of the Alps carries much less heavy water than asparagus grown closer to the sea coast. On the other hand, the use of δ(13)C can reveal whether a product is natural or adulterated. Applications including honey or sparkling wine adulteration detection will be briefly presented.
Integrative clustering reveals a novel split in the luminal A subtype of breast cancer with impact on outcome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aure, Miriam Ragle; Vitelli, Valeria; Jernström, Sandra

2017-01-01

subtypes revealed six major groups. Five corresponded well with the mRNA subtypes, while a sixth group resulted from a split of the luminal A subtype; these tumors belonged to distinct microRNA clusters. Gain-of-function studies using MCF-7 cells showed that microRNAs differentially expressed between...
A genomewide screen for suppressors of Alu-mediated rearrangements reveals a role for PIF1.

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Karen M Chisholm

Full Text Available Alu-mediated rearrangement of tumor suppressor genes occurs frequently during carcinogenesis. In breast cancer, this mechanism contributes to loss of the wild-type BRCA1 allele in inherited disease and to loss of heterozygosity in sporadic cancer. To identify genes required for suppression of Alu-mediated recombination we performed a genomewide screen of a collection of 4672 yeast gene deletion mutants using a direct repeat recombination assay. The primary screen and subsequent analysis identified 12 candidate genes including TSA, ELG1, and RRM3, which are known to play a significant role in maintaining genomic stability. Genetic analysis of the corresponding human homologs was performed in sporadic breast tumors and in inherited BRCA1-associated carcinomas. Sequencing of these genes in high risk breast cancer families revealed a potential role for the helicase PIF1 in cancer predisposition. PIF1 variant L319P was identified in three breast cancer families; importantly, this variant, which is predicted to be functionally damaging, was not identified in a large series of controls nor has it been reported in either dbSNP or the 1000 Genomes Project. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Pfh1 is required to maintain both mitochondrial and nuclear genomic integrity. Functional studies in yeast of human PIF1 L319P revealed that this variant cannot complement the essential functions of Pfh1 in either the nucleus or mitochondria. Our results provide a global view of nonessential genes involved in suppressing Alu-mediated recombination and implicate variation in PIF1 in breast cancer predisposition.
Metagenomic binning of a marine sponge microbiome reveals unity in defense but metabolic specialization.

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Slaby, Beate M; Hackl, Thomas; Horn, Hannes; Bayer, Kristina; Hentschel, Ute

2017-11-01

Marine sponges are ancient metazoans that are populated by distinct and highly diverse microbial communities. In order to obtain deeper insights into the functional gene repertoire of the Mediterranean sponge Aplysina aerophoba, we combined Illumina short-read and PacBio long-read sequencing followed by un-targeted metagenomic binning. We identified a total of 37 high-quality bins representing 11 bacterial phyla and two candidate phyla. Statistical comparison of symbiont genomes with selected reference genomes revealed a significant enrichment of genes related to bacterial defense (restriction-modification systems, toxin-antitoxin systems) as well as genes involved in host colonization and extracellular matrix utilization in sponge symbionts. A within-symbionts genome comparison revealed a nutritional specialization of at least two symbiont guilds, where one appears to metabolize carnitine and the other sulfated polysaccharides, both of which are abundant molecules in the sponge extracellular matrix. A third guild of symbionts may be viewed as nutritional generalists that perform largely the same metabolic pathways but lack such extraordinary numbers of the relevant genes. This study characterizes the genomic repertoire of sponge symbionts at an unprecedented resolution and it provides greater insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial-sponge symbiosis.
Burned-out seminoma revealed by solitary rib bone metastasis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishisho, Toshihiko; Miyagi, Ryo; Sairyo, Koichi [Tokushima University Graduate School, Department of Orthopedics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima-city, Tokushima (Japan); Sakaki, Mika [Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Department of Pathology, Hidaka-city, Saitama (Japan); Takao, Shoichiro [Tokushima University Graduate School, Department of Radiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima-city, Tokushima (Japan)

2017-10-15

Burned-out tumor is a rare phenomenon in which a testicular tumor regresses in the primary lesion and progresses in a metastatic lesion. We report the case of a 30-year-old male with burned-out seminoma revealed by open biopsy of solitary 10th rib bone metastasis. He underwent inguinal orchiectomy, which revealed hyalinization, indicating a spontaneously regressed testicular tumor. Chemotherapy for seminoma was administered in three cycles of bleomycin + etoposide + cisplatin therapy. The chemotherapy was effective, and wide resection of the rib was subsequently performed. No postoperative chemotherapy was performed, and there has been no evidence of recurrence for 3 years postoperatively. (orig.)
Choice experiments versus revealed choice models : a before-after study of consumer spatial shopping behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Timmermans, H.J.P.; Borgers, A.W.J.; Waerden, van der P.J.H.J.

1992-01-01

The purpose of this article is to compare a set of multinomial logit models derived from revealed choice data and a decompositional choice model derived from experimental data in terms of predictive success in the context of consumer spatial shopping behavior. Data on consumer shopping choice
Camelid genomes reveal evolution and adaptation to desert environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Huiguang; Guang, Xuanmin; Al-Fageeh, Mohamed B; Cao, Junwei; Pan, Shengkai; Zhou, Huanmin; Zhang, Li; Abutarboush, Mohammed H; Xing, Yanping; Xie, Zhiyuan; Alshanqeeti, Ali S; Zhang, Yanru; Yao, Qiulin; Al-Shomrani, Badr M; Zhang, Dong; Li, Jiang; Manee, Manee M; Yang, Zili; Yang, Linfeng; Liu, Yiyi; Zhang, Jilin; Altammami, Musaad A; Wang, Shenyuan; Yu, Lili; Zhang, Wenbin; Liu, Sanyang; Ba, La; Liu, Chunxia; Yang, Xukui; Meng, Fanhua; Wang, Shaowei; Li, Lu; Li, Erli; Li, Xueqiong; Wu, Kaifeng; Zhang, Shu; Wang, Junyi; Yin, Ye; Yang, Huanming; Al-Swailem, Abdulaziz M; Wang, Jun

2014-10-21

Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and alpaca (Vicugna pacos) are economically important livestock. Although the Bactrian camel and dromedary are large, typically arid-desert-adapted mammals, alpacas are adapted to plateaus. Here we present high-quality genome sequences of these three species. Our analysis reveals the demographic history of these species since the Tortonian Stage of the Miocene and uncovers a striking correlation between large fluctuations in population size and geological time boundaries. Comparative genomic analysis reveals complex features related to desert adaptations, including fat and water metabolism, stress responses to heat, aridity, intense ultraviolet radiation and choking dust. Transcriptomic analysis of Bactrian camels further reveals unique osmoregulation, osmoprotection and compensatory mechanisms for water reservation underpinned by high blood glucose levels. We hypothesize that these physiological mechanisms represent kidney evolutionary adaptations to the desert environment. This study advances our understanding of camelid evolution and the adaptation of camels to arid-desert environments.
[Severe pulmonary embolism revealed by status epilepticus].

Science.gov (United States)

Allou, N; Coolen-Allou, N; Delmas, B; Cordier, C; Allyn, J

2016-12-01

High-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with high mortality rate (>50%). In some cases, diagnosis of PE remains a challenge with atypical presentations like in this case report with a PE revealed by status epilepticus. We report the case of a 40-year-old man without prior disease, hospitalized in ICU for status epilepticus. All paraclinical examinations at admission did not show any significant abnormalities (laboratory tests, cardiologic and neurological investigations). On day 1, he presented a sudden circulatory collapse and echocardiography showed right intra-auricular thrombus. He was treated by thrombolysis and arteriovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. After stabilization, computed tomography showed severe bilateral PE. He developed multi-organ failure and died 4days after admission. Pulmonary embolism revealed by status epilepticus has rarely been reported and is associated with poor prognosis. Physicians should be aware and think of the possibility of PE in patients with status epilepticus without any history or risk factors of seizure and normal neurological investigations. Copyright Â© 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Chest computed tomography of a patient revealing severe hypoxia due to amniotic fluid embolism: a case report

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Inui Daisuke

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Amniotic fluid embolism is one of the most severe complications in the peripartum period. Because its onset is abrupt and fulminant, it is unlikely that there will be time to examine the condition using thoracic computed tomography (CT. We report a case of life-threatening amniotic fluid embolism, where chest CT in the acute phase was obtained. Case presentation A 22-year-old Asian Japanese primiparous woman was suspected of having an amniotic fluid embolism. After a Cesarean section for cephalopelvic disproportion, her respiratory condition deteriorated. Her chest CT images were examined. CT findings revealed diffuse homogeneous ground-glass shadow in her bilateral peripheral lung fields. She was therefore transferred to our hospital. On admission to our hospital's intensive care unit, she was found to have severe hypoxemia, with SpO2 of 50% with a reservoir mask of 15 L/min oxygen. She was intubated with the support of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation. She was successfully extubated on the sixth day, and discharged from the hospital on the twentieth day. Conclusion This is the first case report describing amniotic fluid embolism in which CT revealed an acute respiratory distress syndrome-like shadow.
Tax Policy Trends: Republicans Reveal Proposed Tax Overhaul

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Philip Bazel

2017-10-01

Full Text Available REPUBLICANS REVEAL PROPOSED TAX OVERHAUL The White House and Congressional Republicans have revealed their much-anticipated proposal for reform of the U.S. personal and corporate tax systems. The proposal titled, “UNIFIED FRAMEWORK FOR FIXING OUR BROKEN TAX CODE” outlines a number of central policy changes, which will significantly alter the U.S. corporate tax system. The proposal includes a top federal marginal rate reduction for the sole proprietorships, partnerships and S corporation—small business equivalents— from 39.6% to 25% (state income tax rates would no longer be deductible. Large corporations would also see a meaningful federal rate reduction given the proposed drop in the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 20%. Additionally, the proposal includes a generous temporary measure intended to stimulate investment, full capital expensing for machinery with a partial limitation of interest deductions.
What proverb understanding reveals about how people think.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbs, R W; Beitel, D

1995-07-01

The ability to understand proverbial sayings, such as a rolling stone gathers no moss, has been of great interest to researchers in many areas of psychology. Most psychologists assume that understanding the figurative meanings of proverbs requires various kinds of higher order cognitive abilities. The authors review the findings on proverb interpretation to examine the question of what proverb use and understanding reveals about the ways normal and dysfunctional individuals think. The widely held idea that failure to provide a figurative interpretation of a proverb necessarily reflects a deficit in specialized abstract thinking is rejected. Moreover, the ability to correctly explain what a proverb means does not necessarily imply that an individual can think abstractly. Various empirical evidence, nonetheless, suggests that the ability to understand many proverbs reveals the presence of metaphorical schemes that are ubiquitous in everyday thought.
Substrate channel in nitrogenase revealed by a molecular dynamics approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Dayle; Danyal, Karamatullah; Raugei, Simone; Seefeldt, Lance C

2014-04-15

Mo-dependent nitrogenase catalyzes the biological reduction of N2 to two NH3 molecules at FeMo-cofactor buried deep inside the MoFe protein. Access of substrates, such as N2, to the active site is likely restricted by the surrounding protein, requiring substrate channels that lead from the surface to the active site. Earlier studies on crystallographic structures of the MoFe protein have suggested three putative substrate channels. Here, we have utilized submicrosecond atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to allow the nitrogenase MoFe protein to explore its conformational space in an aqueous solution at physiological ionic strength, revealing a putative substrate channel. The viability of this observed channel was tested by examining the free energy of passage of N2 from the surface through the channel to FeMo-cofactor, resulting in the discovery of a very low energy barrier. These studies point to a viable substrate channel in nitrogenase that appears during thermal motions of the protein in an aqueous environment and that approaches a face of FeMo-cofactor earlier implicated in substrate binding.
Ancient Biomolecules from Deep Ice Cores Reveal a Forested Southern Greenland

Science.gov (United States)

Willerslev, Eske; Cappellini, Enrico; Boomsma, Wouter; Nielsen, Rasmus; Hebsgaard, Martin B.; Brand, Tina B.; Hofreiter, Michael; Bunce, Michael; Poinar, Hendrik N.; Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe; Johnsen, Sigfus; Steffensen, Jørgen Peder; Bennike, Ole; Schwenninger, Jean-Luc; Nathan, Roger; Armitage, Simon; de Hoog, Cees-Jan; Alfimov, Vasily; Christl, Marcus; Beer, Juerg; Muscheler, Raimund; Barker, Joel; Sharp, Martin; Penkman, Kirsty E.H.; Haile, James; Taberlet, Pierre; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Casoli, Antonella; Campani, Elisa; Collins, Matthew J.

2009-01-01

One of the major difficulties in paleontology is the acquisition of fossil data from the 10% of Earth’s terrestrial surface that is covered by thick glaciers and ice sheets. Here we reveal that DNA and amino acids from buried organisms can be recovered from the basal sections of deep ice cores and allow reconstructions of past flora and fauna. We show that high altitude southern Greenland, currently lying below more than two kilometers of ice, was once inhabited by a diverse array of conifer trees and insects that may date back more than 450 thousand years. The results provide the first direct evidence in support of a forested southern Greenland and suggest that many deep ice cores may contain genetic records of paleoenvironments in their basal sections. PMID:17615355
Three-dimensional structure of a schistosome serpin revealing an unusual configuration of the helical subdomain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granzin, Joachim [Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-6: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Huang, Ying; Topbas, Celalettin [Department of Cell Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195 (United States); Huang, Wenying [Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195 (United States); Wu, Zhiping [Department of Cell Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195 (United States); Misra, Saurav [Department of Molecular Cardiology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195 (United States); Hazen, Stanley L. [Department of Cell Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195 (United States); Blanton, Ronald E. [Department of Infectious Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44190 (United States); Lee, Xavier [Department of Cell Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195 (United States); Weiergräber, Oliver H., E-mail: o.h.weiergraeber@fz-juelich.de [Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-6: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich (Germany)

2012-06-01

The crystal structure of ShSPI, a serpin from the blood fluke S. haematobium, reveals some peculiar features of the helical subdomain which have not been observed previously in the serpin superfamily. Parasitic organisms are constantly challenged by the defence mechanisms of their respective hosts, which often depend on serine protease activities. Consequently, protease inhibitors such as those belonging to the serpin superfamily have emerged as protective elements that support the survival of the parasites. This report describes the crystal structure of ShSPI, a serpin from the trematode Schistosoma haematobium. The protein is exposed on the surface of invading cercaria as well as of adult worms, suggesting its involvement in the parasite–host interaction. While generally conforming to the well established serpin fold, the structure reveals several distinctive features, mostly concerning the helical subdomain of the protein. It is proposed that these peculiarities are related to the unique biological properties of a small serpin subfamily which is conserved among pathogenic schistosomes.
A norm knockout method on indirect reciprocity to reveal indispensable norms

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Hitoshi; Okada, Isamu; Uchida, Satoshi; Sasaki, Tatsuya

2017-03-01

Although various norms for reciprocity-based cooperation have been suggested that are evolutionarily stable against invasion from free riders, the process of alternation of norms and the role of diversified norms remain unclear in the evolution of cooperation. We clarify the co-evolutionary dynamics of norms and cooperation in indirect reciprocity and also identify the indispensable norms for the evolution of cooperation. Inspired by the gene knockout method, a genetic engineering technique, we developed the norm knockout method and clarified the norms necessary for the establishment of cooperation. The results of numerical investigations revealed that the majority of norms gradually transitioned to tolerant norms after defectors are eliminated by strict norms. Furthermore, no cooperation emerges when specific norms that are intolerant to defectors are knocked out.
Obscure pulmonary masses: bronchial impaction revealed by CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pugatch, R.D.; Gale, M.E.

1983-01-01

Dilated bronchi impacted with mucus or tumor are recognized on standard chest radiographs because they are surrounded by aerated pulmonary parenchyma. When imaged in different projections, these lesions produce a variety of appearances that are generally familiar. This report characterizes less familiar computed tomographic (CT) findings in eight patients with pathologic bronchial distension of congenital, neoplastic, or infectious etiologies and correlates them with chest films. In seven patients, CT readily revealed dilated bronchi and/or regional lung hypodensity. In four of these cases, CT led to the initial suspicion of dilated bronchi. CT should be used early in the evaluation of atypical pulmonary mass lesions or to confirm suspected bronchial impaction because of the high probability it will reveal diagnostic features

Extensive Left Iliac Veins and Inferior Vena Cava Thrombosis Revealing a Giant Uterine Myoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Cărbunaru, Ana; Herlea; Ionescu, M; Dumitraşcu, T

2016-01-01

A deep vein thrombosis was rarely associated with uterine myomas. Hereby, it is presented the case of a 40-year-old woman in which the clinical manifestation of the deep vein thrombosis revealed the further diagnosis of a large uterine myoma. The diagnosis, management and clinical outcome of the patient are emphasized and discussed. The management of a patient with a uterine myoma and deep vein thrombosis is challenging and implies a multidisciplinary team.
Inland post-glacial dispersal in East Asia revealed by mitochondrial haplogroup M9a'b

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Wang Wen-Zhi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Archaeological studies have revealed a series of cultural changes around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Asia; whether these changes left any signatures in the gene pool of East Asians remains poorly indicated. To achieve deeper insights into the demographic history of modern humans in East Asia around the Last Glacial Maximum, we extensively analyzed mitochondrial DNA haplogroup M9a'b, a specific haplogroup that was suggested to have some potential for tracing the migration around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Eurasia. Results A total of 837 M9a'b mitochondrial DNAs (583 from the literature, while the remaining 254 were newly collected in this study pinpointed from over 28,000 subjects residing across East Eurasia were studied here. Fifty-nine representative samples were further selected for total mitochondrial DNA sequencing so we could better understand the phylogeny within M9a'b. Based on the updated phylogeny, an extensive phylogeographic analysis was carried out to reveal the differentiation of haplogroup M9a'b and to reconstruct the dispersal histories. Conclusions Our results indicated that southern China and/or Southeast Asia likely served as the source of some post-Last Glacial Maximum dispersal(s. The detailed dissection of haplogroup M9a'b revealed the existence of an inland dispersal in mainland East Asia during the post-glacial period. It was this dispersal that expanded not only to western China but also to northeast India and the south Himalaya region. A similar phylogeographic distribution pattern was also observed for haplogroup F1c, thus substantiating our proposition. This inland post-glacial dispersal was in agreement with the spread of the Mesolithic culture originating in South China and northern Vietnam.
A genome-wide association study of a global rice panel reveals resistance in Oryza sativa to root-knot nematodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimkpa, Stanley O N; Lahari, Zobaida; Shrestha, Roshi; Douglas, Alex; Gheysen, Godelieve; Price, Adam H

2016-02-01

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola is one of the most serious nematode pests worldwide and represents a major constraint on rice production. While variation in the susceptibility of Asian rice (Oryza sativa) exists, so far no strong and reliable resistance has been reported. Quantitative trait loci for partial resistance have been reported but no underlying genes have been tagged or cloned. Here, 332 accessions of the Rice Diversity Panel 1 were assessed for gall formation, revealing large variation across all subpopulations of rice and higher susceptibility in temperate japonica accessions. Accessions Khao Pahk Maw and LD 24 appeared to be resistant, which was confirmed in large pot experiments where no galls were observed. Detailed observations on these two accessions revealed no nematodes inside the roots 2 days after inoculation and very few females after 17 days (5 in Khao Pahk Maw and 100 in the susceptible controls). These two cultivars appear ideal donors for breeding root-knot nematode resistance. A genome-wide association study revealed 11 quantitative trait loci, two of which are close to epistatic loci detected in the Bala x Azucena population. The discussion highlights a small number of candidate genes worth exploring further, in particular many genes with lectin domains and genes on chromosome 11 with homology to the Hordeum Mla locus. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.
Biochemical and Genetic Evidence that Enterococcus faecium L50 Produces Enterocins L50A and L50B, the sec-Dependent Enterocin P, and a Novel Bacteriocin Secreted without an N-Terminal Extension Termed Enterocin Q

Science.gov (United States)

Cintas, Luis M.; Casaus, Pilar; Herranz, Carmen; Håvarstein, Leiv Sigve; Holo, Helge; Hernández, Pablo E.; Nes, Ingolf F.

2000-01-01

Enterococcus faecium L50 grown at 16 to 32°C produces enterocin L50 (EntL50), consisting of EntL50A and EntL50B, two unmodified non-pediocin-like peptides synthesized without an N-terminal leader sequence or signal peptide. However, the bacteriocin activity found in the cell-free culture supernatants following growth at higher temperatures (37 to 47°C) is not due to EntL50. A purification procedure including cation-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and reverse-phase liquid chromatography has shown that the antimicrobial activity is due to two different bacteriocins. Amino acid sequences obtained by Edman degradation and DNA sequencing analyses revealed that one is identical to the sec-dependent pediocin-like enterocin P produced by E. faecium P13 (L. M. Cintas, P. Casaus, L. S. Håvarstein, P. E. Hernández, and I. F. Nes, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63:4321–4330, 1997) and the other is a novel unmodified non-pediocin-like bacteriocin termed enterocin Q (EntQ), with a molecular mass of 3,980. DNA sequencing analysis of a 963-bp region of E. faecium L50 containing the enterocin P structural gene (entP) and the putative immunity protein gene (entiP) reveals a genetic organization identical to that previously found in E. faecium P13. DNA sequencing analysis of a 1,448-bp region identified two consecutive but diverging open reading frames (ORFs) of which one, termed entQ, encodes a 34-amino-acid protein whose deduced amino acid sequence was identical to that obtained for EntQ by amino acid sequencing, showing that EntQ, similarly to EntL50A and EntL50B, is synthesized without an N-terminal leader sequence or signal peptide. The second ORF, termed orf2, was located immediately upstream of and in opposite orientation to entQ and encodes a putative immunity protein composed of 221 amino acids. Bacteriocin production by E. faecium L50 showed that EntP and EntQ are produced in the temperature range from 16 to 47°C and maximally detected at 47 and 37 to 47�
Mcph1-deficient mice reveal a role for MCPH1 in otitis media.

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Jing Chen

Full Text Available Otitis media is a common reason for hearing loss, especially in children. Otitis media is a multifactorial disease and environmental factors, anatomic dysmorphology and genetic predisposition can all contribute to its pathogenesis. However, the reasons for the variable susceptibility to otitis media are elusive. MCPH1 mutations cause primary microcephaly in humans. So far, no hearing impairment has been reported either in the MCPH1 patients or mouse models with Mcph1 deficiency. In this study, Mcph1-deficient (Mcph1(tm1a (/tm1a mice were produced using embryonic stem cells with a targeted mutation by the Sanger Institute's Mouse Genetics Project. Auditory brainstem response measurements revealed that Mcph1(tm1a (/tm1a mice had mild to moderate hearing impairment with around 70% penetrance. We found otitis media with effusion in the hearing-impaired Mcph1(tm1a (/tm1a mice by anatomic and histological examinations. Expression of Mcph1 in the epithelial cells of middle ear cavities supported its involvement in the development of otitis media. Other defects of Mcph1(tm1a (/tm1a mice included small skull sizes, increased micronuclei in red blood cells, increased B cells and ocular abnormalities. These findings not only recapitulated the defects found in other Mcph1-deficient mice or MCPH1 patients, but also revealed an unexpected phenotype, otitis media with hearing impairment, which suggests Mcph1 is a new gene underlying genetic predisposition to otitis media.
The structure of BVU2987 from Bacteroides vulgatus reveals a superfamily of bacterial periplasmic proteins with possible inhibitory function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Debanu; Finn, Robert D.; Carlton, Dennis; Miller, Mitchell D.; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Chen, Connie; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Chiu, Michelle; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Ellrott, Kyle; Ernst, Dustin; Farr, Carol L.; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grant, Joanna C.; Grzechnik, Anna; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Kozbial, Piotr; Krishna, S. Sri; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; McMullan, Daniel; Morse, Andrew T.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Nopakun, Amanda; Okach, Linda; Puckett, Christina; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; Sefcovic, Natasha; Tien, Henry J.; Trame, Christine B.; Bedem, Henry van den; Weekes, Dana; Wooten, Tiffany; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Elsliger, Marc-André; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A.

2010-01-01

The crystal structure of the BVU2987 gene product from B. vulgatus (UniProt A6L4L1) reveals that members of the new Pfam family PF11396 (domain of unknown function; DUF2874) are similar to β-lactamase inhibitor protein and YpmB. Proteins that contain the DUF2874 domain constitute a new Pfam family PF11396. Members of this family have predominantly been identified in microbes found in the human gut and oral cavity. The crystal structure of one member of this family, BVU2987 from Bacteroides vulgatus, has been determined, revealing a β-lactamase inhibitor protein-like structure with a tandem repeat of domains. Sequence analysis and structural comparisons reveal that BVU2987 and other DUF2874 proteins are related to β-lactamase inhibitor protein, PepSY and SmpA-OmlA proteins and hence are likely to function as inhibitory proteins
Stepwise multiphoton activation fluorescence reveals a new method of melanin detection

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Zhenhua; Kerimo, Josef; Mega, Yair; DiMarzio, Charles A.

2013-06-01

The stepwise multiphoton activated fluorescence (SMPAF) of melanin, activated by a continuous-wave mode near infrared (NIR) laser, reveals a broad spectrum extending from the visible spectra to the NIR and has potential application for a low-cost, reliable method of detecting melanin. SMPAF images of melanin in mouse hair and skin are compared with conventional multiphoton fluorescence microscopy and confocal reflectance microscopy (CRM). By combining CRM with SMPAF, we can locate melanin reliably. However, we have the added benefit of eliminating background interference from other components inside mouse hair and skin. The melanin SMPAF signal from the mouse hair is a mixture of a two-photon process and a third-order process. The melanin SMPAF emission spectrum is activated by a 1505.9-nm laser light, and the resulting spectrum has a peak at 960 nm. The discovery of the emission peak may lead to a more energy-efficient method of background-free melanin detection with less photo-bleaching.
Extensive Left Iliac Veins and Inferior Vena Cava Thrombosis Revealing a Giant Uterine Myoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cărbunaru Ana

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A deep vein thrombosis was rarely associated with uterine myomas. Hereby, it is presented the case of a 40-year-old woman in which the clinical manifestation of the deep vein thrombosis revealed the further diagnosis of a large uterine myoma. The diagnosis, management and clinical outcome of the patient are emphasized and discussed. The management of a patient with a uterine myoma and deep vein thrombosis is challenging and implies a multidisciplinary team.
Two cases of hyperparathyroidism revealed by /sup 201/Tl-chloride

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otsuka, Kokichi; Asano, Haruko; Moriyama, Shigeharu (Okayama Red Cross Hospital (Japan))

1983-08-01

/sup 201/Tl scintigraphy at 15 min and 120 min after intravenous injection of /sup 201/TlCl revealed a parathyroidal adenoma (1.7g) in a 49-year-old female patient with hyperthyroidism complicated by renal calculi and that (1.8g) in a 58-year-old female patient without symptoms. /sup 75/Se could be substituted by /sup 201/Tl which was useful for localizing parathyroidal adenoma in hyperparathyroidism. /sup 201/Tl scintigraphy revealed the adenoma which was not palpable. The smallest adenoma detected by it was 0.9g.
Quantitative proteomics of the tonoplast reveals a role for glycolytic enzymes in salt tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Barkla, Bronwyn J; Vera-Estrella, Rosario; Hernández-Coronado, Marcela; Pantoja, Omar

2009-12-01

To examine the role of the tonoplast in plant salt tolerance and identify proteins involved in the regulation of transporters for vacuolar Na(+) sequestration, we exploited a targeted quantitative proteomics approach. Two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis analysis of free flow zonal electrophoresis separated tonoplast fractions from control, and salt-treated Mesembryanthemum crystallinum plants revealed the membrane association of glycolytic enzymes aldolase and enolase, along with subunits of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase V-ATPase. Protein blot analysis confirmed coordinated salt regulation of these proteins, and chaotrope treatment indicated a strong tonoplast association. Reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation studies revealed that the glycolytic enzymes interacted with the V-ATPase subunit B VHA-B, and aldolase was shown to stimulate V-ATPase activity in vitro by increasing the affinity for ATP. To investigate a physiological role for this association, the Arabidopsis thaliana cytoplasmic enolase mutant, los2, was characterized. These plants were salt sensitive, and there was a specific reduction in enolase abundance in the tonoplast from salt-treated plants. Moreover, tonoplast isolated from mutant plants showed an impaired ability for aldolase stimulation of V-ATPase hydrolytic activity. The association of glycolytic proteins with the tonoplast may not only channel ATP to the V-ATPase, but also directly upregulate H(+)-pump activity.
Catamenial pneumothorax revealing diaphragmatic endometriosis: a case report and revue of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Aissa, Sana; Benzarti, Wafa; Alimi, Faouzi; Gargouri, Imen; Salem, Halima Ben; Aissa, Amène; Fathallah, Khadija; Abdelkade, Atef Ben; Alouini, Rafika; Garrouche, Abdelhamid; Hayoun, Abdelaziz; Abdelghani, Ahmed; Benzarti, Mohamed

2017-01-01

Catamenial pneumothorax (CP) is a rare entity of spontaneous, recurring pneumothorax in women. We aim to discuss the etiology, clinical course, and surgical treatment of a 42-year-old woman with CP. This patient had a right-sided spontaneous pneumothoraces occurred one week after menses. She had under-gone video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) because of a persistent air leak under chest tube. VATS revealed multiple diaphragmatic fenestrations with an upper right nodule. Defects were removed and a large part of the diaphragm was resected. Pleural abrasion was then performed over the diaphragm. Diaphragmatic endometriosis was confirmed by microscopic examination. Medical treatment with GnRH agonists was prescribed, and after recovery, the patient has been symptoms free for 20 months.
Integrated genomics of Mucorales reveals novel therapeutic targets

Science.gov (United States)

Mucormycosis is a life-threatening infection caused by Mucorales fungi. We sequenced 30 fungal genomes and performed transcriptomics with three representative Rhizopus and Mucor strains with human airway epithelial cells during fungal invasion to reveal key host and fungal determinants contributing ...
Characteristics of the tomato chromoplast revealed by proteomic analysis

OpenAIRE

Barsan, Cristina; Sanchez-Bel, Paloma; Rombaldi, César Valmor; Egea, Isabel; Rossignol, Michel; Kuntz, Marcel; Zouine, Mohamed; Latché, Alain; Bouzayen, Mondher; Pech, Jean-Claude

2010-01-01

Chromoplasts are non-photosynthetic specialized plastids that are important in ripening tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum) since, among other functions, they are the site of accumulation of coloured compounds. Analysis of the proteome of red fruit chromoplasts revealed the presence of 988 proteins corresponding to 802 Arabidopsis unigenes, among which 209 had not been listed so far in plastidial databanks. These data revealed several features of the chromoplast. Proteins of lipid metabolism ...
Comparative metatranscriptomics reveals decline of a neustonic planktonic population

KAUST Repository

Mojib, Nazia; Thimma, Manjula; Kumaran, M.; Sougrat, Rachid; Irigoien, Xabier

2016-01-01

The neuston layer in tropical seas provides a good model to study the effects of increased levels of different stressors (e.g., temperature, ultraviolet radiation and Trichodesmium blooms). Here, we use a comparative in situ metatranscriptomics approach to reveal the functional genomic composition of metabolically active neustonic mesozooplankton community in response to the summer conditions in the Red Sea. The neustonic population exhibited changes in composition and abundance with a significant decline in copepods and appendicularia in July, when Trichodesmium cells were more abundant along with high temperatures and UV-B radiation. Nearly 23,000 genes were differentially expressed at the community level when the metatranscriptomes of the neustonic zooplankton were compared in April, July, and October. On a wider Phylum level, the genes related to oxidative phosphorylation, carbon, nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids were significantly overrepresented in both arthropods and chordates in April and October. On organism level for copepods, expression of genes responsive to oxidative stress, defense against bacteria, immune response, and virus reproduction were increased along with the observed increased appearance of copepod carcasses in the samples collected during July. The differences in expression correspond either to secondary effects of the Trichodesmium bloom or more likely to the increased UV-B radiation in July. Given the dearth of information on the zooplankton gene expression in response to environmental stimuli, our study provides the first transcriptome landscape of the mesozooplankton community during a period of increased mortality of the copepod and appendicularia population.
Comparative metatranscriptomics reveals decline of a neustonic planktonic population

KAUST Repository

Mojib, Nazia

2016-10-20

The neuston layer in tropical seas provides a good model to study the effects of increased levels of different stressors (e.g., temperature, ultraviolet radiation and Trichodesmium blooms). Here, we use a comparative in situ metatranscriptomics approach to reveal the functional genomic composition of metabolically active neustonic mesozooplankton community in response to the summer conditions in the Red Sea. The neustonic population exhibited changes in composition and abundance with a significant decline in copepods and appendicularia in July, when Trichodesmium cells were more abundant along with high temperatures and UV-B radiation. Nearly 23,000 genes were differentially expressed at the community level when the metatranscriptomes of the neustonic zooplankton were compared in April, July, and October. On a wider Phylum level, the genes related to oxidative phosphorylation, carbon, nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids were significantly overrepresented in both arthropods and chordates in April and October. On organism level for copepods, expression of genes responsive to oxidative stress, defense against bacteria, immune response, and virus reproduction were increased along with the observed increased appearance of copepod carcasses in the samples collected during July. The differences in expression correspond either to secondary effects of the Trichodesmium bloom or more likely to the increased UV-B radiation in July. Given the dearth of information on the zooplankton gene expression in response to environmental stimuli, our study provides the first transcriptome landscape of the mesozooplankton community during a period of increased mortality of the copepod and appendicularia population.
Chemistry of plutonium revealed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connick, R.E.

1992-01-01

In 1941 one goal of the Manhattan Project was to unravel the chemistry of the synthetic element plutonium as rapidly as possible. In this paper the work carried out at Berkeley from the spring of 1942 to the summer of 1945 is described briefly. The aqueous chemistry of plutonium is quite remarkable. Important insights were obtained from tracer experiments, but the full complexity was not revealed until macroscopic amounts (milligrams) became available. Because processes for separation from fission products were based on aqueous solutions, such solution chemistry was emphasized, particularly precipitation and oxidation-reduction behavior. The latter turned out to be unusually intricate when it was discovered that two more oxidation states existed in aqueous solution than had previously been suspected. Further, an equilibrium was rapidly established among the four aqueous oxidation states, while at the same time any three were not in equilibrium. These and other observations made while doing a crash study of a previously unknown element are reported
CLASS 0 PROTOSTARS IN THE PERSEUS MOLECULAR CLOUD: A CORRELATION BETWEEN THE YOUNGEST PROTOSTARS AND THE DENSE GAS DISTRIBUTION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sadavoy, S. I.; Di Francesco, J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 355, STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P6 (Canada); André, Ph.; Maury, A.; Men' shchikov, A.; Motte, F.; Hennemann, M.; Könyves, V.; Louvet, F.; Roy, A. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Université Paris Diderot, IRFU/Service dAstrophysique, Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Pezzuto, S.; Benedettini, M.; Elia, D. [Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Rome (Italy); Bernard, J.-P. [CNRS, IRAP, 9 Av. Colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France); Nguyên-Lu' o' ng, Q. [Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H8 (Canada); Schneider, N.; Bontemps, S. [Université de Bordeaux, LAB, UMR 5804, F-33270 Floirac (France); Arzoumanian, D. [IAS, CNRS (UMR 8617), Université Paris-Sud 11, Bâtiment 121, F-91400 Orsay (France); Hill, T. [Joint ALMA Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura 763-0355, Santiago (Chile); Peretto, N., E-mail: sadavoy@mpia.de [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA (United Kingdom); and others

2014-06-01

We use PACS and SPIRE continuum data at 160 μm, 250 μm, 350 μm, and 500 μm from the Herschel Gould Belt Survey to sample seven clumps in Perseus: B1, B1-E, B5, IC 348, L1448, L1455, and NGC 1333. Additionally, we identify and characterize the embedded Class 0 protostars using detections of compact Herschel sources at 70 μm as well as archival Spitzer catalogs and SCUBA 850 μm photometric data. We identify 28 candidate Class 0 protostars, four of which are newly discovered sources not identified with Spitzer. We find that the star formation efficiency of clumps, as traced by Class 0 protostars, correlates strongly with the flatness of their respective column density distributions at high values. This correlation suggests that the fraction of high column density material in a clump reflects only its youngest protostellar population rather than its entire source population. We propose that feedback from either the formation or evolution of protostars changes the local density structure of clumps.
A Scalable Permutation Approach Reveals Replication and Preservation Patterns of Network Modules in Large Datasets.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Scott C; Watts, Stephen; Fearnley, Liam G; Holt, Kathryn E; Abraham, Gad; Inouye, Michael

2016-07-01

Network modules-topologically distinct groups of edges and nodes-that are preserved across datasets can reveal common features of organisms, tissues, cell types, and molecules. Many statistics to identify such modules have been developed, but testing their significance requires heuristics. Here, we demonstrate that current methods for assessing module preservation are systematically biased and produce skewed p values. We introduce NetRep, a rapid and computationally efficient method that uses a permutation approach to score module preservation without assuming data are normally distributed. NetRep produces unbiased p values and can distinguish between true and false positives during multiple hypothesis testing. We use NetRep to quantify preservation of gene coexpression modules across murine brain, liver, adipose, and muscle tissues. Complex patterns of multi-tissue preservation were revealed, including a liver-derived housekeeping module that displayed adipose- and muscle-specific association with body weight. Finally, we demonstrate the broader applicability of NetRep by quantifying preservation of bacterial networks in gut microbiota between men and women. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Rhabdovirus matrix protein structures reveal a novel mode of self-association.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen C Graham

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The matrix (M proteins of rhabdoviruses are multifunctional proteins essential for virus maturation and budding that also regulate the expression of viral and host proteins. We have solved the structures of M from the vesicular stomatitis virus serotype New Jersey (genus: Vesiculovirus and from Lagos bat virus (genus: Lyssavirus, revealing that both share a common fold despite sharing no identifiable sequence homology. Strikingly, in both structures a stretch of residues from the otherwise-disordered N terminus of a crystallographically adjacent molecule is observed binding to a hydrophobic cavity on the surface of the protein, thereby forming non-covalent linear polymers of M in the crystals. While the overall topology of the interaction is conserved between the two structures, the molecular details of the interactions are completely different. The observed interactions provide a compelling model for the flexible self-assembly of the matrix protein during virion morphogenesis and may also modulate interactions with host proteins.
Communication Games Reveal Preparation Contextuality

Science.gov (United States)

Hameedi, Alley; Tavakoli, Armin; Marques, Breno; Bourennane, Mohamed

2017-12-01

A communication game consists of distributed parties attempting to jointly complete a task with restricted communication. Such games are useful tools for studying limitations of physical theories. A theory exhibits preparation contextuality whenever its predictions cannot be explained by a preparation noncontextual model. Here, we show that communication games performed in operational theories reveal the preparation contextuality of that theory. For statistics obtained in a particular family of communication games, we show a direct correspondence with correlations in spacelike separated events obeying the no-signaling principle. Using this, we prove that all mixed quantum states of any finite dimension are preparation contextual. We report on an experimental realization of a communication game involving three-level quantum systems from which we observe a strong violation of the constraints of preparation noncontextuality.

Using team cognitive work analysis to reveal healthcare team interactions in a birthing unit

OpenAIRE

Ashoori, Maryam; Burns, Catherine M.; d'Entremont, Barbara; Momtahan, Kathryn

2014-01-01

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) as an analytical approach for examining complex sociotechnical systems has shown success in modelling the work of single operators. The CWA approach incorporates social and team interactions, but a more explicit analysis of team aspects can reveal more information for systems design. In this paper, Team CWA is explored to understand teamwork within a birthing unit at a hospital. Team CWA models are derived from theories and models of teamworkand leverage the exis...
Self-harming behavior of a parent with borderline personality disorder assessed using revealed preference and attributional approaches: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tustin, R Don

2002-08-01

This article discusses a case study involving a parent with Borderline Personality Disorder who exhibited self-harming behaviors. Assessment and intervention were based both on a review of the client's attributions about causes of her own behavior as being either internalizing or externalizing, and on a review of motivation of the behaviors using functional analysis. Antecedent situations for self-harming behaviors were identified to provide a basis for reviewing the client's attributions of reasons for disordered behavior. A new technique of functional analysis was applied using the principle of revealed preference arising from behavioral economics. Revealed preference identified outcomes that were valued by the client, enabling new responses to be identified to attain these reinforcers. Attribution re-training was provided. Significant reductions in self-harming behaviors were achieved during brief therapy and were maintained during follow-up.
Lipa, B. et al. Tsunami Arrival Detection with High Frequency (HF Radar. Remote Sens. 2012, 4, 1448-1461

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donald Barrick

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We neglected to state that the radar data from Tokushima and Anan is owned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Shikoku Regional Development Bureau, Komatsushima port and airport office, Japan. Lipa et al. [1] describe results on tsunami detection using data measured by two radars located at Tokushima and Anan on the Kii channel. This data is owned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Shikoku Regional Development Bureau, Komatsushima port and airport office, Japan. Locations of the radars are shown in Figure 4(a,c [1]. Results of the data analysis are given in Section 3.1.2, plotted in Figure 6 and listed in Table 1 [1].
Structural, spectral and biological studies of binuclear tetradentate metal complexes of N 3O Schiff base ligand synthesized from 4,6-diacetylresorcinol and diethylenetriamine

Science.gov (United States)

Emara, Adel A. A.

2010-09-01

The binuclear Schiff base, H 2L, ligand was synthesized by reaction of 4,6-diacetylresorcinol with diethylenetriamine in the molar ratio 1:2. The coordination behavior of the H 2L towards Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II), Fe(III), Cr(III), VO(IV) and UO 2(VI) ions has been investigated. The elemental analyses, magnetic moments, thermal studies and IR, electronic, 1H NMR, ESR and mass spectra were used to characterize the isolated ligand and its metal complexes. The ligand acts as dibasic with two N 3O-tetradentate sites and can coordinate with two metal ions to form binuclear complexes. The bonding sites are the nitrogen atoms of the azomethine and amine groups and the oxygen atoms of the phenolic groups. The metal complexes exhibit either square planar, tetrahedral, square pyramid or octahedral structures. The Schiff base ligand and its metal complexes were tested against four pathogenic bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes) as Gram-positive bacteria, and ( Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas phaseolicola) as Gram-negative bacteria and two pathogenic fungi ( Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus fumigatus) to assess their antimicrobial properties. Most of the complexes exhibit mild antibacterial and antifungal activities against these organisms.
Crystal structure of a small heat-shock protein from Xylella fastidiosa reveals a distinct high-order structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Emanuella Maria Barreto; Scorsato, Valéria; Dos Santos, Marcelo Leite; Júnior, Atilio Tomazini; Tada, Susely Ferraz Siqueira; Dos Santos, Clelton Aparecido; de Toledo, Marcelo Augusto Szymanski; de Souza, Anete Pereira; Polikarpov, Igor; Aparicio, Ricardo

2017-04-01

Citrus variegated chlorosis is a disease that attacks economically important citrus plantations and is caused by the plant-pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa. In this work, the structure of a small heat-shock protein from X. fastidiosa (XfsHSP17.9) is reported. The high-order structures of small heat-shock proteins from other organisms are arranged in the forms of double-disc, hollow-sphere or spherical assemblies. Unexpectedly, the structure reported here reveals a high-order architecture forming a nearly square cavity.
Asymmetric biotic interactions and abiotic niche differences revealed by a dynamic joint species distribution model.

Science.gov (United States)

Lany, Nina K; Zarnetske, Phoebe L; Schliep, Erin M; Schaeffer, Robert N; Orians, Colin M; Orwig, David A; Preisser, Evan L

2018-05-01

A species' distribution and abundance are determined by abiotic conditions and biotic interactions with other species in the community. Most species distribution models correlate the occurrence of a single species with environmental variables only, and leave out biotic interactions. To test the importance of biotic interactions on occurrence and abundance, we compared a multivariate spatiotemporal model of the joint abundance of two invasive insects that share a host plant, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae) and elongate hemlock scale (EHS; Fiorina externa), to independent models that do not account for dependence among co-occurring species. The joint model revealed that HWA responded more strongly to abiotic conditions than EHS. Additionally, HWA appeared to predispose stands to subsequent increase of EHS, but HWA abundance was not strongly dependent on EHS abundance. This study demonstrates how incorporating spatial and temporal dependence into a species distribution model can reveal the dependence of a species' abundance on other species in the community. Accounting for dependence among co-occurring species with a joint distribution model can also improve estimation of the abiotic niche for species affected by interspecific interactions. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.
Investigation of inflicted injury in a young girl reveals mild haemophilia A and Turner's syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, V K; Suppiah, R; Coppin, B; Nicholls, C M; Simsek, A; McGregor, L K

2012-02-01

A 2-year-old girl presented to casualty with a right knee effusion after apparently minor trauma. Inflicted injury was suspected and full forensic coagulation studies were performed which revealed a mild deficiency of factor VIII. Screening of the exons and intron/exon boundaries of F8 gene indicated that the child appeared to be homozygous for the missense mutation c.5123G>A (p.Arg1708His) in exon 14 of the F8 gene. This mutation has been reported to be associated with mild haemophilia A. The possibility of hemizygosity had been masked by the test kit employed but referral to the genetics service and subsequent array CGH resulted in a diagnosis of Turner syndrome. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Structures of Astromaterials Revealed by EBSD

Science.gov (United States)

Zolensky, M.

2018-01-01

Groups at the Johnson Space Center and the University of Tokyo have been using electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) to reveal the crystal structures of extraterrestrial minerals for many years. Even though we also routinely use transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), and conventional electron diffraction, we find that EBSD is the most powerful technique for crystal structure elucidation in many instances. In this talk I describe a few of the cases where we have found EBSD to provide crucial, unique information. See attachment.
Metabolomics of dates (Phoenix dactylifera) reveals a highly dynamic ripening process accounting for major variation in fruit composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Diboun, Ilhame; Mathew, Sweety; Al-Rayyashi, Maryam; Elrayess, Mohamed; Torres, Maria; Halama, Anna; Méret, Michaël; Mohney, Robert P; Karoly, Edward D; Malek, Joel; Suhre, Karsten

2015-12-16

Dates are tropical fruits with appreciable nutritional value. Previous attempts at global metabolic characterization of the date metabolome were constrained by small sample size and limited geographical sampling. In this study, two independent large cohorts of mature dates exhibiting substantial diversity in origin, varieties and fruit processing conditions were measured by metabolomics techniques in order to identify major determinants of the fruit metabolome. Multivariate analysis revealed a first principal component (PC1) significantly associated with the dates' countries of production. The availability of a smaller dataset featuring immature dates from different development stages served to build a model of the ripening process in dates, which helped reveal a strong ripening signature in PC1. Analysis revealed enrichment in the dry type of dates amongst fruits with early ripening profiles at one end of PC1 as oppose to an overrepresentation of the soft type of dates with late ripening profiles at the other end of PC1. Dry dates are typical to the North African region whilst soft dates are more popular in the Gulf region, which partly explains the observed association between PC1 and geography. Analysis of the loading values, expressing metabolite correlation levels with PC1, revealed enrichment patterns of a comprehensive range of metabolite classes along PC1. Three distinct metabolic phases corresponding to known stages of date ripening were observed: An early phase enriched in regulatory hormones, amines and polyamines, energy production, tannins, sucrose and anti-oxidant activity, a second phase with on-going phenylpropanoid secondary metabolism, gene expression and phospholipid metabolism and a late phase with marked sugar dehydration activity and degradation reactions leading to increased volatile synthesis. These data indicate the importance of date ripening as a main driver of variation in the date metabolome responsible for their diverse nutritional and
Revealed Preference Methods for Studying Bicycle Route Choice—A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ray Pritchard

2018-03-01

Full Text Available One fundamental aspect of promoting utilitarian bicycle use involves making modifications to the built environment to improve the safety, efficiency and enjoyability of cycling. Revealed preference data on bicycle route choice can assist greatly in understanding the actual behaviour of a highly heterogeneous group of users, which in turn assists the prioritisation of infrastructure or other built environment initiatives. This systematic review seeks to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of the empirical approaches for evaluating whole journey route choices of bicyclists. Two electronic databases were systematically searched for a selection of keywords pertaining to bicycle and route choice. In total seven families of methods are identified: GPS devices, smartphone applications, crowdsourcing, participant-recalled routes, accompanied journeys, egocentric cameras and virtual reality. The study illustrates a trade-off in the quality of data obtainable and the average number of participants. Future additional methods could include dockless bikeshare, multiple camera solutions using computer vision and immersive bicycle simulator environments.
Comparison of S. cerevisiae F-BAR domain structures reveals a conserved inositol phosphate binding site

Science.gov (United States)

Moravcevic, Katarina; Alvarado, Diego; Schmitz, Karl R.; Kenniston, Jon A.; Mendrola, Jeannine M.; Ferguson, Kathryn M.; Lemmon, Mark A.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY F-BAR domains control membrane interactions in endocytosis, cytokinesis, and cell signaling. Although generally thought to bind curved membranes containing negatively charged phospholipids, numerous functional studies argue that differences in lipid-binding selectivities of F-BAR domains are functionally important. Here, we compare membrane-binding properties of the S. cerevisiae F-BAR domains in vitro and in vivo. Whereas some F-BAR domains (such as Bzz1p and Hof1p F-BARs) bind equally well to all phospholipids, the F-BAR domain from the RhoGAP Rgd1p preferentially binds phosphoinositides. We determined X-ray crystal structures of F-BAR domains from Hof1p and Rgd1p, the latter bound to an inositol phosphate. The structures explain phospholipid-binding selectivity differences, and reveal an F-BAR phosphoinositide binding site that is fully conserved in a mammalian RhoGAP called Gmip, and is partly retained in certain other F-BAR domains. Our findings reveal previously unappreciated determinants of F-BAR domain lipid-binding specificity, and provide a basis for its prediction from sequence. PMID:25620000
Stable isotope series from elephant ivory reveal lifetime histories of a true dietary generalist.

Science.gov (United States)

Codron, Jacqueline; Codron, Daryl; Sponheimer, Matt; Kirkman, Kevin; Duffy, Kevin J; Raubenheimer, Erich J; Mélice, Jean-Luc; Grant, Rina; Clauss, Marcus; Lee-Thorp, Julia A

2012-06-22

Longitudinal studies have revealed how variation in resource use within consumer populations can impact their dynamics and functional significance in communities. Here, we investigate multi-decadal diet variations within individuals of a keystone megaherbivore species, the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), using serial stable isotope analysis of tusks from the Kruger National Park, South Africa. These records, representing the longest continuous diet histories documented for any extant species, reveal extensive seasonal and annual variations in isotopic--and hence dietary--niches of individuals, but little variation between them. Lack of niche distinction across individuals contrasts several recent studies, which found relatively high levels of individual niche specialization in various taxa. Our result is consistent with theory that individual mammal herbivores are nutritionally constrained to maintain broad diet niches. Individual diet specialization would also be a costly strategy for large-bodied taxa foraging over wide areas in spatio-temporally heterogeneous environments. High levels of within-individual diet variability occurred within and across seasons, and persisted despite an overall increase in inferred C(4) grass consumption through the twentieth century. We suggest that switching between C(3) browsing and C(4) grazing over extended time scales facilitates elephant survival through environmental change, and could even allow recovery of overused resources.
Mystery Montage: A Holistic, Visual, and Kinesthetic Process for Expanding Horizons and Revealing the Core of a Teaching Philosophy

Science.gov (United States)

Ennis, Kim; Priebe, Carly; Sharipova, Mayya; West, Kim

2012-01-01

Revealing the core of a teaching philosophy is the key to a concise and meaningful philosophy statement, but it can be an elusive goal. This paper offers a visual, kinesthetic, and holistic process for expanding the horizons of self-reflection, self-analysis, and self-knowledge. Mystery montage, a variation of visual mapping, storyboarding, and…
Transient light-induced intracellular oxidation revealed by redox biosensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolossov, Vladimir L., E-mail: viadimer@illinois.edu [Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Beaudoin, Jessica N. [Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Hanafin, William P. [Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); DiLiberto, Stephen J. [Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Kenis, Paul J.A. [Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Rex Gaskins, H. [Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001 S. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 905 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

2013-10-04

Highlights: •Time-resolved live cell imaging revealed light-induced oxidation. •Only the roGFP probe fused with glutaredoxin reveals photooxidation. •The transient oxidation is rapidly reduced by the cytosolic antioxidant system. •Intracellular photooxidation is media-dependent. •Oxidation is triggered exclusively by exposure to short wavelength excitation. -- Abstract: We have implemented a ratiometric, genetically encoded redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein fused to human glutaredoxin (Grx1-roGFP2) to monitor real time intracellular glutathione redox potentials of mammalian cells. This probe enabled detection of media-dependent oxidation of the cytosol triggered by short wavelength excitation. The transient nature of light-induced oxidation was revealed by time-lapse live cell imaging when time intervals of less than 30 s were implemented. In contrast, transient ROS generation was not observed with the parental roGFP2 probe without Grx1, which exhibits slower thiol-disulfide exchange. These data demonstrate that the enhanced sensitivity of the Grx1-roGFP2 fusion protein enables the detection of short-lived ROS in living cells. The superior sensitivity of Grx1-roGFP2, however, also enhances responsiveness to environmental cues introducing a greater likelihood of false positive results during image acquisition.
Transient light-induced intracellular oxidation revealed by redox biosensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolossov, Vladimir L.; Beaudoin, Jessica N.; Hanafin, William P.; DiLiberto, Stephen J.; Kenis, Paul J.A.; Rex Gaskins, H.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Time-resolved live cell imaging revealed light-induced oxidation. •Only the roGFP probe fused with glutaredoxin reveals photooxidation. •The transient oxidation is rapidly reduced by the cytosolic antioxidant system. •Intracellular photooxidation is media-dependent. •Oxidation is triggered exclusively by exposure to short wavelength excitation. -- Abstract: We have implemented a ratiometric, genetically encoded redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein fused to human glutaredoxin (Grx1-roGFP2) to monitor real time intracellular glutathione redox potentials of mammalian cells. This probe enabled detection of media-dependent oxidation of the cytosol triggered by short wavelength excitation. The transient nature of light-induced oxidation was revealed by time-lapse live cell imaging when time intervals of less than 30 s were implemented. In contrast, transient ROS generation was not observed with the parental roGFP2 probe without Grx1, which exhibits slower thiol-disulfide exchange. These data demonstrate that the enhanced sensitivity of the Grx1-roGFP2 fusion protein enables the detection of short-lived ROS in living cells. The superior sensitivity of Grx1-roGFP2, however, also enhances responsiveness to environmental cues introducing a greater likelihood of false positive results during image acquisition
Species Richness and Diversity Reveal that Human-Modified ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Family diversity and richness showed no significant differences across the sites. The spider species consisted of primarily three functional groups: ground wanderers, web builders and plant wanderers, and showed no within-group differences in abundance between sites. Similarity index between the study sites revealed a ...
Deletion of a regulatory gene within the cpk gene cluster reveals novel antibacterial activity in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gottelt, Marco; Kol, Stefan; Gomez-Escribano, Juan Pablo; Bibb, Mervyn; Takano, Eriko

Genome sequencing of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) revealed an uncharacterized type I polyketide synthase gene cluster (cpk) Here we describe the discovery of a novel antibacterial activity (abCPK) and a yellow-pigmented secondary metabolite (yCPK) after deleting a presumed pathway-specific
Analysis, adaptive control and synchronization of a novel 4-D hyperchaotic hyperjerk system and its SPICE implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaidyanathan Sundarapandian

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A hyperjerk system is a dynamical system, which is modelled by an nth order ordinary differential equation with n ⩾ 4 describing the time evolution of a single scalar variable. Equivalently, using a chain of integrators, a hyperjerk system can be modelled as a system of n first order ordinary differential equations with n ⩾ 4. In this research work, a 4-D novel hyperchaotic hyperjerk system has been proposed, and its qualitative properties have been detailed. The Lyapunov exponents of the novel hyperjerk system are obtained as L1 = 0.1448, L2 = 0.0328, L3 = 0 and L4 = −1.1294. The Kaplan-Yorke dimension of the novel hyperjerk system is obtained as DKY= 3.1573. Next, an adaptive backstepping controller is designed to stabilize the novel hyperjerk chaotic system with three unknown parameters. Moreover, an adaptive backstepping controller is designed to achieve global hyperchaos synchronization of the identical novel hyperjerk systems with three unknown parameters. Finally, an electronic circuit realization of the novel jerk chaotic system using SPICE is presented in detail to confirm the feasibility of the theoretical hyperjerk model.
Genome-wide analyses reveal a role for peptide hormones in planarian germline development.

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James J Collins

Full Text Available Bioactive peptides (i.e., neuropeptides or peptide hormones represent the largest class of cell-cell signaling molecules in metazoans and are potent regulators of neural and physiological function. In vertebrates, peptide hormones play an integral role in endocrine signaling between the brain and the gonads that controls reproductive development, yet few of these molecules have been shown to influence reproductive development in invertebrates. Here, we define a role for peptide hormones in controlling reproductive physiology of the model flatworm, the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Based on our observation that defective neuropeptide processing results in defects in reproductive system development, we employed peptidomic and functional genomic approaches to characterize the planarian peptide hormone complement, identifying 51 prohormone genes and validating 142 peptides biochemically. Comprehensive in situ hybridization analyses of prohormone gene expression revealed the unanticipated complexity of the flatworm nervous system and identified a prohormone specifically expressed in the nervous system of sexually reproducing planarians. We show that this member of the neuropeptide Y superfamily is required for the maintenance of mature reproductive organs and differentiated germ cells in the testes. Additionally, comparative analyses of our biochemically validated prohormones with the genomes of the parasitic flatworms Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum identified new schistosome prohormones and validated half of all predicted peptide-encoding genes in these parasites. These studies describe the peptide hormone complement of a flatworm on a genome-wide scale and reveal a previously uncharacterized role for peptide hormones in flatworm reproduction. Furthermore, they suggest new opportunities for using planarians as free-living models for understanding the reproductive biology of flatworm parasites.
Revealing gene action for production characteristics by inbreeding ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Revealing gene action for production characteristics by inbreeding, based on a long-term selection ... The gene action involved in the expression of production characters was investigated, using the effect of the theoretical inbreeding ..... and predicted selection responses for growth, fat and lean traits in mice. J. Anim. Sci.

Effect of vacuum impregnation temperature on the mechanical properties and osmotic dehydration parameters of apples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabrina Silva Paes

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The effect of sucrose solution temperature on the mechanical properties, water loss (WL, solids gain (SG and weight reduction (WR of apples (Fuji var. treated by vacuum impregnation was studied. Temperatures were varied from 10 to 50 ºC, using a sucrose solution of 50 ºBrix. The mechanical properties were studied throughout a stress relaxation test. The results showed that the SG varied between 10.57 and 14.29 % and the WL varied between 10.55 and 14.48 %. The treated fruit soluble solids increased with the temperature probably due to the lower viscosity of the solution. The maximum stress was highest at 10 ºC, decreasing at higher temperatures, probably due the softening of the structure.A impregnação a vácuo (VI de alimentos é realizada pela aplicação de vácuo em um tanque contendo o produto imerso em uma solução, seguida da recuperação da pressão atmosférica. Neste trabalho, estudou-se o efeito da temperatura da solução de sacarose nas propriedades mecânicas das amostras e na perda de água (WL, ganho de sólidos (SG e redução de peso (WR. A faixa de temperaturas estudada foi de 10 a 50 ºC, usando uma solução de sacarose com 50 ºBrix. As propriedades mecânicas das amostras foram estudadas através de ensaios mecânicos de deformação-relaxação. O SG variou entre 10.57 e 14.29 %, enquanto WL variou entre 10.55 e 14.48 %. O teor de sólidos das frutas tratadas aumentou com a temperatura, provavelmente devido à diminuição da viscosidade da solução. A tensão máxima foi maior a 10 ºC, diminuindo com a temperatura, devido ao amolecimento da estrutura.
Dislocation Interactions in Olivine Revealed by HR-EBSD

Science.gov (United States)

Wallis, David; Hansen, Lars N.; Britton, T. Ben; Wilkinson, Angus J.

2017-10-01

Interactions between dislocations potentially provide a control on strain rates produced by dislocation motion during creep of rocks at high temperatures. However, it has been difficult to establish the dominant types of interactions and their influence on the rheological properties of creeping rocks due to a lack of suitable observational techniques. We apply high-angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction to map geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) density, elastic strain, and residual stress in experimentally deformed single crystals of olivine. Short-range interactions are revealed by cross correlation of GND density maps. Spatial correlations between dislocation types indicate that noncollinear interactions may impede motion of proximal dislocations at temperatures of 1000°C and 1200°C. Long-range interactions are revealed by autocorrelation of GND density maps. These analyses reveal periodic variations in GND density and sign, with characteristic length scales on the order of 1-10 μm. These structures are spatially associated with variations in elastic strain and residual stress on the order of 10-3 and 100 MPa, respectively. Therefore, short-range interactions generate local accumulations of dislocations, leading to heterogeneous internal stress fields that influence dislocation motion over longer length scales. The impacts of these short- and/or long-range interactions on dislocation velocities may therefore influence the strain rate of the bulk material and are an important consideration for future models of dislocation-mediated deformation mechanisms in olivine. Establishing the types and impacts of dislocation interactions that occur across a range of laboratory and natural deformation conditions will help to establish the reliability of extrapolating laboratory-derived flow laws to real Earth conditions.
Floodplain forest succession reveals fluvial processes: A hydrogeomorphic model for temperate riparian woodlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Egger, Gregory; Politti, Emilio; Lautsch, Erwin; Benjankar, Rohan; Gill, Karen M; Rood, Stewart B

2015-09-15

River valley floodplains are physically-dynamic environments where fluvial processes determine habitat gradients for riparian vegetation. These zones support trees and shrubs whose life stages are adapted to specific habitat types and consequently forest composition and successional stage reflect the underlying hydrogeomorphic processes and history. In this study we investigated woodland vegetation composition, successional stage and habitat properties, and compared these with physically-based indicators of hydraulic processes. We thus sought to develop a hydrogeomorphic model to evaluate riparian woodland condition based on the spatial mosaic of successional phases of the floodplain forest. The study investigated free-flowing and dam-impacted reaches of the Kootenai and Flathead Rivers, in Idaho and Montana, USA and British Columbia, Canada. The analyses revealed strong correspondence between vegetation assessments and metrics of fluvial processes indicating morphodynamics (erosion and shear stress), inundation and depth to groundwater. The results indicated that common successional stages generally occupied similar hydraulic environments along the different river segments. Comparison of the spatial patterns between the free-flowing and regulated reaches revealed greater deviation from the natural condition for the braided channel segment than for the meandering segment. This demonstrates the utility of the hydrogeomorphic approach and suggests that riparian woodlands along braided channels could have lower resilience than those along meandering channels and might be more vulnerable to influences such as from river damming or climate change. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Redetermination of AgNb2PS10 revealing a silver deficiency

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Hoseop Yun

2009-08-01

Full Text Available In comparison with a previous crystallographic study [Goh et al. (2002. J. Solid State Chem. 168, 119–125] of the title compound, silver diniobium tris(disulfide tetrathiophosphate(V, that reports a full occupation of the silver position and isotropic displacement parameters for the atoms, the current redetermination reveals a silver deficiency with a site-occupation factor of 0.88 (1 and reports all atoms with anisotropic displacement parameters. The structure of Ag0.88Nb2PS10 is composed of ∞1[Nb2PS10] chains, which are built up from pairs of distorted bicapped trigonal-prismatic [NbS8] polyhedra forming [Nb2S12] dimers and of tetrahedral [PS4] groups. These chains are connected via the statistically disordered Ag+ ions, forming double layers. Adjacent layers are stacked solely through van der Waals forces into a three-dimensional structure. Short and long Nb—Nb distances [2.880 (1 and 3.770 (2 Å, respectively] alternate along the chain and S22− and S2− anionic species are observed.
A proton wire and water channel revealed in the crystal structure of isatin hydrolase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerregaard-Andersen, Kaare; Sommer, Theis; Jensen, Jan Kristian

2014-01-01

to a novel family of metalloenzymes that include the bacterial kynurenine formamidase. The product state, mimicked by bound thioisatinate, reveals a water molecule that bridges the thioisatinate to a proton wire in an adjacent water channel and thus allows the proton released by the reaction to escape only...... when the product is formed. The functional proton wire present in IH-b represents a unique catalytic feature common to all hydrolases is here trapped and visualized for the first time. The local molecular environment required to coordinate thioisatinate allows stronger and more confident identification...
High-Frequency Observations of Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Reveal Under-Ice Convection in a Large Lake

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bernard; Young, Joelle; Brown, Laura; Wells, Mathew

2017-12-01

Detailed observations of thermal structure over an entire winter in a large lake reveal the presence of large (10-20 m) overturns under the ice, driven by diurnal solar heating. Convection can occur in the early winter, but the most vigorous convection occurred near the end of winter. Both periods are when our lake ice model suggest thinner ice that would have been transparent. This under-ice convection led to a deepening of the mixed layer over time, consistent with previous short-term studies. During periods of vigorous convection under the ice at the end of winter, the dissolved oxygen had become supersaturated from the surface to 23 m below the surface, suggesting abundant algal growth. Analysis of our high-frequency observations over the entire winter of 2015 using the Thorpe-scale method quantified the scale of mixing. Furthermore, it revealed that changes in oxygen concentrations are closely related to the intensity of mixing.
Adaptations to a Subterranean Environment and Longevity Revealed by the Analysis of Mole Rat Genomes

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Xiaodong Fang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Subterranean mammals spend their lives in dark, unventilated environments that are rich in carbon dioxide and ammonia and low in oxygen. Many of these animals are also long-lived and exhibit reduced aging-associated diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. We sequenced the genome of the Damaraland mole rat (DMR, Fukomys damarensis and improved the genome assembly of the naked mole rat (NMR, Heterocephalus glaber. Comparative genome analyses, along with the transcriptomes of related subterranean rodents, revealed candidate molecular adaptations for subterranean life and longevity, including a divergent insulin peptide, expression of oxygen-carrying globins in the brain, prevention of high CO2-induced pain perception, and enhanced ammonia detoxification. Juxtaposition of the genomes of DMR and other more conventional animals with the genome of NMR revealed several truly exceptional NMR features: unusual thermogenesis, an aberrant melatonin system, pain insensitivity, and unique processing of 28S rRNA. Together, these genomes and transcriptomes extend our understanding of subterranean adaptations, stress resistance, and longevity.
Performance evaluation of a rotatory dual-head PET system with 90o increments for small animal imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, F.; Zhu, S.; Li, L.; Wang, J.; Cao, X.; Cao, X.; Chen, X.; Liang, J.

2017-09-01

A rotatory dual-head positron emission tomography (PET) system with 90o increments has been built up by our lab. In this study, a geometric calibration phantom was designed and then used to calibrate the geometric offset of the system. With the geometric calibration, the artifacts in the reconstructed images were greatly eliminated. Then, we measured the imaging performance including resolution, sensitivity and image quality. The results showed that the full width at half maximum (FWHMs) of the point source were about 1.1 mm in three directions. The peak absolute sensitivity in the center of the field of view varied from 5.66% to 3.17% when the time window was fixed to 10 ns and the energy window was changed from 200-800 keV to 350-650 keV. The recovery coefficients ranged from 0.13 with a standard deviation of 17.5% to 0.98 with a standard deviation of 15.76%. For the air-filled and water-filled chamber, the spill-over ratio was 14.48% and 15.38%, respectively. The in vivo mouse experiment was carried out and further demonstrated the potential of our system in small animal studies.
Performance evaluation of a rotatory dual-head PET system with 90o increments for small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, F.; Zhu, S.; Li, L.; Wang, J.; Cao, X.; Cao, X.; Chen, X.; Liang, J.

2017-01-01

A rotatory dual-head positron emission tomography (PET) system with 90 o increments has been built up by our lab. In this study, a geometric calibration phantom was designed and then used to calibrate the geometric offset of the system. With the geometric calibration, the artifacts in the reconstructed images were greatly eliminated. Then, we measured the imaging performance including resolution, sensitivity and image quality. The results showed that the full width at half maximum (FWHMs) of the point source were about 1.1 mm in three directions. The peak absolute sensitivity in the center of the field of view varied from 5.66% to 3.17% when the time window was fixed to 10 ns and the energy window was changed from 200-800 keV to 350–650 keV. The recovery coefficients ranged from 0.13 with a standard deviation of 17.5% to 0.98 with a standard deviation of 15.76%. For the air-filled and water-filled chamber, the spill-over ratio was 14.48% and 15.38%, respectively. The in vivo mouse experiment was carried out and further demonstrated the potential of our system in small animal studies.
Three-cohort targeted gene screening reveals a non-synonymous TRKA polymorphism associated with schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Schijndel, Jessica E; van Loo, Karen M J; van Zweeden, Martine

2009-01-01

selected non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in three independent Caucasian schizophrenia case-control cohorts (USA, Denmark and Norway). A meta-analysis revealed ten non-synonymous SNPs that were nominally associated with schizophrenia, nine of which have not been previously linked...... attractive candidate for further study concerns SNP rs6336 (q=0.12) that causes the substitution of an evolutionarily highly conserved amino acid residue in the kinase domain of the neurodevelopmentally important receptor TRKA. Thus, TRKA signaling may represent a novel susceptibility pathway...
Gender roles in social network sites from generation Y

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F. Javier Rondan-Cataluña

2017-12-01

Full Text Available One of the fundamental and most commonly used communication tools by the generation Y or Millennials are online social networks. The first objective of this study is to model the effects that exercise social participation, community integration and trust in community satisfaction, as an antecedent of routinization. Besides, we propose as a second objective checking if gender roles proposed to underlie the different behaviors that develop social network users. An empirical study was carried out on a sample of 1,448 undergraduate students that are SNS users from Generation Y. First, we applied a structural equation modeling approach to test the proposed model. Second, we followed a methodology using a scale of masculinity and femininity to categorize the sample obtaining three groups: feminine, masculine, and androgynous.
NMR-Based Metabonomic Investigation of Heat Stress in Myotubes Reveals a Time-Dependent Change in the Metabolites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Straadt, Ida K; Young, Jette F; Bross, Peter

2010-01-01

NMR-based metabonomics was applied to elucidate the time-dependent stress responses in mouse myotubes after heat exposure of either 42 or 45 degrees C for 1 h. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the gradual time-dependent changes in metabolites contributing to the clustering...... and separation of the control samples from the different time points after heat stress primarily are in the metabolites glucose, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, creatine, glutamine, and acetate. In addition, PC scores revealed a maximum change in metabolite composition 4 h after the stress exposure; thereafter......, samples returned toward control samples, however, without reaching the control samples even 10 h after stress. The results also indicate that the myotubes efficiently regulate the pH level by release of lactate to the culture medium at a heat stress level of 42 degrees C, which is a temperature level...
ID-check: Online concealed information test reveals true identity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verschuere, B.; Kleinberg, B.

2016-01-01

The Internet has already changed people's lives considerably and is likely to drastically change forensic research. We developed a web-based test to reveal concealed autobiographical information. Initial studies identified a number of conditions that affect diagnostic efficiency. By combining these
Ant-infecting Ophiocordyceps genomes reveal a high diversity of potential behavioral manipulation genes and a possible major role for enterotoxins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Bekker, Charissa; Ohm, Robin A.; Evans, Harry C.; Brachmann, Andreas; Hughes, David P

2017-01-01

Much can be gained from revealing the mechanisms fungal entomopathogens employ. Especially intriguing are fungal parasites that manipulate insect behavior because, presumably, they secrete a wealth of bioactive compounds. To gain more insight into their strategies, we compared the genomes of five
Transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) reveals the nanostructure of a smectite gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Zbik, Marek S; Martens, Wayde N; Frost, Ray L; Song, Yen-Fang; Chen, Yi-Ming; Chen, Jian-Hua

2008-08-19

The unusual behavior of smectites, the ability to change volume when wetted (swelling) or dried (shrinking), makes soil rich in smectites very unstable and dangerous for the building industry because of the movement of building foundations and poor slope stability. These macroscopic properties are dominated by the structural arrangement of the smectites' finest fraction. Here, we show in three dimensions how the swelling phenomenon in smectite, caused by a combination of hydratation and electrostatic forces, may expand the dry smectite volume not 10-fold, as previously thought, but to more than 1000-fold. A new technique, transmission X-ray microscopy, makes it possible to investigate the internal structure and 3-D tomographic reconstruction of clay aggregates. This reveals, for the first time, the smectite gel arrangement in the voluminous cellular tactoid structure within a natural aqueous environment.
Phylogeographic analyses of the pampas cat (Leopardus colocola; Carnivora, Felidae) reveal a complex demographic history

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva Santos, Anelisie; Trigo, Tatiane Campos; de Oliveira, Tadeu Gomes; Silveira, Leandro

2018-01-01

Abstract The pampas cat is a small felid that occurs in open habitats throughout much of South America. Previous studies have revealed intriguing patterns of morphological differentiation and genetic structure among its populations, as well as molecular evidence for hybridization with the closely related L. tigrinus. Here we report phylogeographic analyses encompassing most of its distribution (focusing particularly on Brazilian specimens, which had been poorly sampled in previous studies), using a novel dataset comprising 2,143 bp of the mitogenome, along with previously reported mtDNA sequences. Our data revealed strong population strutucture and supported a west-to-east colonization process in this species’ history. We detected two population expansion events, one older (ca. 200 thousand years ago [kya]) in western South America and another more recent (ca. 60-50 kya) in eastern areas, coinciding with the expansion of savanna environments in Brazil. Analyses including L. tigrinus individuals bearing introgressed mtDNA from L. colocola showed a complete lack of shared haplotypes between species, indicating that their hybridization was ancient. Finally, we observed a close relationship between Brazilian/Uruguayan L. colocola haplotypes and those sampled in L. tigrinus, indicating that their hybridization was likely related to the demographic expansion of L. colocola into eastern South America. PMID:29668017
An acute adrenal insufficiency revealing pituitary metastases of lung ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A 69-year-old men presented with vomiting, low blood pressure and hypoglycemia. Hormonal exploration confirmed a hypopituitarism. Appropriate therapy was initiated urgently. The hypothalamic-pituitary MRI showed a pituitary hypertrophy, a nodular thickening of the pituitary stalk. The chest X Rays revealed pulmonary ...
Initiation process of a thrust fault revealed by analog experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Yasuhiro; Dotare, Tatsuya; Adam, Juergen; Hori, Takane; Sakaguchi, Hide

2016-04-01

We conducted 2D (cross-sectional) analog experiments with dry sand using a high resolution digital image correlation (DIC) technique to reveal initiation process of a thrust fault in detail, and identified a number of "weak shear bands" and minor uplift prior to the thrust initiation. The observations suggest that the process can be divided into three stages. Stage 1: characterized by a series of abrupt and short-lived weak shear bands at the location where the thrust will be generated later. Before initiation of the fault, the area to be the hanging wall starts to uplift. Stage 2: defined by the generation of the new thrust and its active displacement. The location of the new thrust seems to be constrained by its associated back-thrust, produced at the foot of the surface slope (by the previous thrust). The activity of the previous thrust turns to zero once the new thrust is generated, but the timing of these two events is not the same. Stage 3: characterized by a constant displacement along the (new) thrust. Similar minor shear bands can be seen in the toe area of the Nankai accretionary prism, SW Japan and we can correlate the along-strike variations in seismic profiles to the model results that show the characteristic features in each thrust development stage.
The paradox of HBV evolution as revealed from a 16th century mummy.

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Zoe Patterson Ross

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis B virus (HBV is a ubiquitous viral pathogen associated with large-scale morbidity and mortality in humans. However, there is considerable uncertainty over the time-scale of its origin and evolution. Initial shotgun data from a mid-16th century Italian child mummy, that was previously paleopathologically identified as having been infected with Variola virus (VARV, the agent of smallpox, showed no DNA reads for VARV yet did for hepatitis B virus (HBV. Previously, electron microscopy provided evidence for the presence of VARV in this sample, although similar analyses conducted here did not reveal any VARV particles. We attempted to enrich and sequence for both VARV and HBV DNA. Although we did not recover any reads identified as VARV, we were successful in reconstructing an HBV genome at 163.8X coverage. Strikingly, both the HBV sequence and that of the associated host mitochondrial DNA displayed a nearly identical cytosine deamination pattern near the termini of DNA fragments, characteristic of an ancient origin. In contrast, phylogenetic analyses revealed a close relationship between the putative ancient virus and contemporary HBV strains (of genotype D, at first suggesting contamination. In addressing this paradox we demonstrate that HBV evolution is characterized by a marked lack of temporal structure. This confounds attempts to use molecular clock-based methods to date the origin of this virus over the time-frame sampled so far, and means that phylogenetic measures alone cannot yet be used to determine HBV sequence authenticity. If genuine, this phylogenetic pattern indicates that the genotypes of HBV diversified long before the 16th century, and enables comparison of potential pathogenic similarities between modern and ancient HBV. These results have important implications for our understanding of the emergence and evolution of this common viral pathogen.
Revealing the functions of the transketolase enzyme isoforms in Rhodopseudomonas palustris using a systems biology approach.

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Chia-Wei Hu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Rhodopseudomonas palustris (R. palustris is a purple non-sulfur anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium that belongs to the class of proteobacteria. It is capable of absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide and converting it to biomass via the process of photosynthesis and the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB cycle. Transketolase is a key enzyme involved in the CBB cycle. Here, we reveal the functions of transketolase isoforms I and II in R. palustris using a systems biology approach. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By measuring growth ability, we found that transketolase could enhance the autotrophic growth and biomass production of R. palustris. Microarray and real-time quantitative PCR revealed that transketolase isoforms I and II were involved in different carbon metabolic pathways. In addition, immunogold staining demonstrated that the two transketolase isoforms had different spatial localizations: transketolase I was primarily associated with the intracytoplasmic membrane (ICM but transketolase II was mostly distributed in the cytoplasm. Comparative proteomic analysis and network construction of transketolase over-expression and negative control (NC strains revealed that protein folding, transcriptional regulation, amino acid transport and CBB cycle-associated carbon metabolism were enriched in the transketolase I over-expressed strain. In contrast, ATP synthesis, carbohydrate transport, glycolysis-associated carbon metabolism and CBB cycle-associated carbon metabolism were enriched in the transketolase II over-expressed strain. Furthermore, ATP synthesis assays showed a significant increase in ATP synthesis in the transketolase II over-expressed strain. A PEPCK activity assay showed that PEPCK activity was higher in transketolase over-expressed strains than in the negative control strain. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together, our results indicate that the two isoforms of transketolase in R. palustris could affect photoautotrophic growth

Revealed Comparative Advantage of Services in Cariforum Countries

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Marie Freckleton

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A pesar de la importancia de las exportaciones de servicios a los países del CARIFORUM no hay muchos estudios sobre de la competitividad de las exportaciones. Este artículo examina la ventaja comparativa revelada de las exportaciones de servicios de los países del CARIFORUM. El análisis muestra que la mayoría de los países del CARIFORUM han puesto de manifiesto las ventajas comparativas en el turismo, pero también hay casos de ventaja comparativa revelada en otros servicios como transporte, seguros y servicios empresariales, servicios personales, culturales y recreativos. Los resultados sugieren que existe un potencial de CARIFORUM para diversificar las exportaciones de servicios con el fin de pro-mover el crecimiento económico y reducir la vulnerabilidad. Sin embargo, en la medida en que los países del CARIFORUM pueden tomar ventaja de las oportunidades existentes de acceso al Mercado de los servicios depende de su capacidad de mejorar la capacidad de oferta de servicios y promover la competitividad de los servicios. English: Despite the importance of services ex-ports to CARIFORUM countries there is limited research on the competitiveness of such exports. This article examines the revealed comparative advantage of services exports in CARIFORUM countries. The analysis shows that most CARIFORUM countries have revealed comparative advantage in tourism but there are also cases of revealed comparative advantage in other services including transport, insurance, business services and personal, cultural and recreational services. The results suggest that there is potential for CARIFORUM to diversify exports of services in order to promote economic growth and reduce vulnerability. However, the extent to which CARIFORUM countries can take advantage of existing market access opportunities for services depends on their ability to improve the capacity to supply services and to promote the competitiveness of services.
The chemistry of plutonium revealed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connick, R.E.

1990-01-01

In 1941 one goal of the Manhattan Project was to unravel the chemistry of the synthetic element plutonium as rapidly as possible. Important insights were obtained from tracer experiments, but the full complexity of plutonium chemistry was not revealed until macroscopic amounts (milligrams) became available. Because processes for separation from fission products were aqueous solution based, such solution chemistry was emphasized, particularly precipitation and oxidation-reduction behavior. The latter turned out to be unusually intricate when it was discovered that two more oxidation states existed in aqueous solution than had previously been suspected. Further, it was found that an equilibrium was rapidly established among the four aqueous oxidation states while at the same time any three were not in equilibrium. These and other observations made while doing a crash study of a previously unknown element will be reported
Cryogenic EBSD reveals structure of directionally solidified ice–polymer composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donius, Amalie E., E-mail: amalie.donius@gmail.com [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Obbard, Rachel W., E-mail: Rachel.W.Obbard@dartmouth.edu [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Burger, Joan N., E-mail: ridge.of.the.ancients@gmail.com [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Hunger, Philipp M., E-mail: philipp.m.hunger@gmail.com [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Baker, Ian, E-mail: Ian.Baker@dartmouth.edu [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Doherty, Roger D., E-mail: dohertrd@drexel.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Wegst, Ulrike G.K., E-mail: ulrike.wegst@dartmouth.edu [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States)

2014-07-01

Despite considerable research efforts on directionally solidified or freeze-cast materials in recent years, little fundamental knowledge has been gained that links model with experiment. In this contribution, the cryogenic characterization of directionally solidified polymer solutions illustrates, how powerful cryo-scanning electron microscopy combined with electron backscatter diffraction is for the structural characterization of ice–polymer composite materials. Under controlled sublimation, the freeze-cast polymer scaffold structure is revealed and imaged with secondary electrons. Electron backscatter diffraction fabric analysis shows that the ice crystals, which template the polymer scaffold and create the lamellar structure, have a-axes oriented parallel to the direction of solidification and the c-axes perpendicular to it. These results indicate the great potential of both cryo-scanning electron microscopy and cryo-electron backscatter diffraction in gaining fundamental knowledge of structure–property–processing correlations. - Highlights: • Cryo-SEM of freeze-cast polymer solution reveals an ice-templated structure. • Cryo-EBSD reveals the ice crystal a-axis to parallel the solidification direction. • The honeycomb-like polymer phase favors columnar ridges only on one side. • Combining cryo-SEM with EBSD links solidification theory with experiment.
Cryogenic EBSD reveals structure of directionally solidified ice–polymer composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donius, Amalie E.; Obbard, Rachel W.; Burger, Joan N.; Hunger, Philipp M.; Baker, Ian; Doherty, Roger D.; Wegst, Ulrike G.K.

2014-01-01

Despite considerable research efforts on directionally solidified or freeze-cast materials in recent years, little fundamental knowledge has been gained that links model with experiment. In this contribution, the cryogenic characterization of directionally solidified polymer solutions illustrates, how powerful cryo-scanning electron microscopy combined with electron backscatter diffraction is for the structural characterization of ice–polymer composite materials. Under controlled sublimation, the freeze-cast polymer scaffold structure is revealed and imaged with secondary electrons. Electron backscatter diffraction fabric analysis shows that the ice crystals, which template the polymer scaffold and create the lamellar structure, have a-axes oriented parallel to the direction of solidification and the c-axes perpendicular to it. These results indicate the great potential of both cryo-scanning electron microscopy and cryo-electron backscatter diffraction in gaining fundamental knowledge of structure–property–processing correlations. - Highlights: • Cryo-SEM of freeze-cast polymer solution reveals an ice-templated structure. • Cryo-EBSD reveals the ice crystal a-axis to parallel the solidification direction. • The honeycomb-like polymer phase favors columnar ridges only on one side. • Combining cryo-SEM with EBSD links solidification theory with experiment
Metabolic profiling of hypoxic cells revealed a catabolic signature required for cell survival.

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Christian Frezza

Full Text Available Hypoxia is one of the features of poorly vascularised areas of solid tumours but cancer cells can survive in these areas despite the low oxygen tension. The adaptation to hypoxia requires both biochemical and genetic responses that culminate in a metabolic rearrangement to counter-balance the decrease in energy supply from mitochondrial respiration. The understanding of metabolic adaptations under hypoxia could reveal novel pathways that, if targeted, would lead to specific death of hypoxic regions. In this study, we developed biochemical and metabolomic analyses to assess the effects of hypoxia on cellular metabolism of HCT116 cancer cell line. We utilized an oxygen fluorescent probe in anaerobic cuvettes to study oxygen consumption rates under hypoxic conditions without the need to re-oxygenate the cells and demonstrated that hypoxic cells can maintain active, though diminished, oxidative phosphorylation even at 1% oxygen. These results were further supported by in situ microscopy analysis of mitochondrial NADH oxidation under hypoxia. We then used metabolomic methodologies, utilizing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS, to determine the metabolic profile of hypoxic cells. This approach revealed the importance of synchronized and regulated catabolism as a mechanism of adaptation to bioenergetic stress. We then confirmed the presence of autophagy under hypoxic conditions and demonstrated that the inhibition of this catabolic process dramatically reduced the ATP levels in hypoxic cells and stimulated hypoxia-induced cell death. These results suggest that under hypoxia, autophagy is required to support ATP production, in addition to glycolysis, and that the inhibition of autophagy might be used to selectively target hypoxic regions of tumours, the most notoriously resistant areas of solid tumours.
Defense reactions of bean genotypes to bacterial pathogens in controlled conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Uysal, B.; Bastas, K. K.

2018-03-01

This study was focused on the role of antioxidant enzymes and total protein in imparting resistance against common bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap) and halo blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Psp) in bean. Activities of Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), Catalase (CAT) and total protein were studied in resistant and susceptible bean genotypes. Five-day-old seedlings were inoculated with a bacterial suspension (108 CFU ml-1) and harvested at different time intervals (0, 12, 24 and 36 up to 72 h) under controlled growing conditions and assayed for antioxidant enzymes and total protein. Temporal increase of CAT, APX enzymes activities showed maximum activity at 12 h after both pathogens inoculation (hpi) in resistant cultivar, whereas in susceptible it increased at 72 h after both pathogens inoculation for CAT and 12, 24 h for APX enzymes. Maximum total protein activities were observed at 12 h and 24 h respectively after Xap, Psp inoculation (hpi) in resistant and maximum activities were observed at 24 h and 72 h respectively after Xap, Psp inoculation (hpi) in susceptible. Increase of antioxidant enzyme and total protein activities might be an important component in the defense strategy of resistance and susceptible bean genotypes against the bacterial infection. These findings suggest that disease protection is proportional to the amount of enhanced CAT, APX enzyme and total protein activity.
Linear and Non-Linear Dose-Response Functions Reveal a Hormetic Relationship Between Stress and Learning

OpenAIRE

Zoladz, Phillip R.; Diamond, David M.

2008-01-01

Over a century of behavioral research has shown that stress can enhance or impair learning and memory. In the present review, we have explored the complex effects of stress on cognition and propose that they are characterized by linear and non-linear dose-response functions, which together reveal a hormetic relationship between stress and learning. We suggest that stress initially enhances hippocampal function, resulting from amygdala-induced excitation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, as ...
Prevalence of asthenopia in children: a systematic review with meta-analysis

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Manuel A.P. Vilela

2015-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of asthenopia in 0-18 year-old children through a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence studies.SOURCES: Inclusion criteria were population-based studies from 1960 to May of 2014 reporting the prevalence of asthenopia in children. The search was performed independently by two reviewers in the PubMed, EMBASE, and LILACS databases, with no language restriction. This systematic review was performed in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines and the PRISMA Statement. Downs and Black score was used for quality assessment.SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: Out of 1692 potentially relevant citations retrieved from electronic databases and searches of reference lists, 26 were identified as potentially eligible. Five of these studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 2465 subjects. Pooled prevalence of asthenopia was 19.7% (12.4-26.4%. The majority of children with asthenopia did not present visual acuity or refraction abnormalities. The largest study evaluated 1448 children aged 6 years and estimated a prevalence of 12.6%. Associated risk factors were not clearly established.CONCLUSION: Although asthenopia is a frequent and relevant clinical problem in childhood, with potential consequences for learning, the scarcity of studies about the prevalence and clinical impact of asthenopia hinders the effective planning of public health measures.
Cerebral germinoma revealed through a polydipsic polyuric syndrome in a 10-year-old girl: case report

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Van Lierde

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Cerebral germinoma is rare. Although the imaging of the germinoma is very evocative, it’s very polymorphic clinical expression is at the origin of misguided diagnosis, as illustrated in our case. We report the case of a 10-year-old girl with diabetes insipidus evolving for 12 months associated with a decrease in visual acuity. Brain MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging revealed a tumor process in the suprasellar region. The stereotaxic biopsy of the tumor confirmed the diagnosis of the hypothalamic germinoma, which allowed the patient to be treated by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The incidence of cerebral germinoma, its clinical (principally diabetes insipidus and radiological features as well as therapeutic strategies are discussed hereby.
Crystal structure of human importin-α1 (Rch1, revealing a potential autoinhibition mode involving homodimerization.

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Hideyuki Miyatake

Full Text Available In this study, we determined the crystal structure of N-terminal importin-β-binding domain (IBB-truncated human importin-α1 (ΔIBB-h-importin-α1 at 2.63 Å resolution. The crystal structure of ΔIBB-h-importin-α1 reveals a novel closed homodimer. The homodimer exists in an autoinhibited state in which both the major and minor nuclear localization signal (NLS binding sites are completely buried in the homodimerization interface, an arrangement that restricts NLS binding. Analytical ultracentrifugation studies revealed that ΔIBB-h-importin-α1 is in equilibrium between monomers and dimers and that NLS peptides shifted the equilibrium toward the monomer side. This finding suggests that the NLS binding sites are also involved in the dimer interface in solution. These results show that when the IBB domain dissociates from the internal NLS binding sites, e.g., by binding to importin-β, homodimerization possibly occurs as an autoinhibition state.
Structure defects in malachite revealed by positron annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geffroy, B.; Diallo, I.; Paulin, R.

1984-01-01

Positron lifetime is measured between 77 and 400 K in two malachite samples with different mineralogical structures. The complex spectrum found in zoned malachite reveals a microporosity which remains stable in this range of temperature. Besides, above 200 K, equilibrium defects appear. Their formation energy is estimated to be Esub(f) = 0.27 +- 0.02 eV [fr
Structure defects in malachite revealed by positron annihilation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geffroy, B; Diallo, I; Paulin, R [Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucleaires, CEN/Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

1984-01-01

Positron lifetime is measured between 77 and 400 K in two malachite samples with different mineralogical structures. The complex spectrum found in zoned malachite reveals a microporosity which remains stable in this range of temperature. Besides, above 200 K, equilibrium defects appear. Their formation energy is estimated to be Esub(f) = 0.27 +- 0.02 eV.
B-Cell-Specific Diversion of Glucose Carbon Utilization Reveals a Unique Vulnerability in B Cell Malignancies.

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Xiao, Gang; Chan, Lai N; Klemm, Lars; Braas, Daniel; Chen, Zhengshan; Geng, Huimin; Zhang, Qiuyi Chen; Aghajanirefah, Ali; Cosgun, Kadriye Nehir; Sadras, Teresa; Lee, Jaewoong; Mirzapoiazova, Tamara; Salgia, Ravi; Ernst, Thomas; Hochhaus, Andreas; Jumaa, Hassan; Jiang, Xiaoyan; Weinstock, David M; Graeber, Thomas G; Müschen, Markus

2018-04-05

B cell activation during normal immune responses and oncogenic transformation impose increased metabolic demands on B cells and their ability to retain redox homeostasis. While the serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) was identified as a tumor suppressor in multiple types of cancer, our genetic studies revealed an essential role of PP2A in B cell tumors. Thereby, PP2A redirects glucose carbon utilization from glycolysis to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to salvage oxidative stress. This unique vulnerability reflects constitutively low PPP activity in B cells and transcriptional repression of G6PD and other key PPP enzymes by the B cell transcription factors PAX5 and IKZF1. Reflecting B-cell-specific transcriptional PPP-repression, glucose carbon utilization in B cells is heavily skewed in favor of glycolysis resulting in lack of PPP-dependent antioxidant protection. These findings reveal a gatekeeper function of the PPP in a broad range of B cell malignancies that can be efficiently targeted by small molecule inhibition of PP2A and G6PD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
NeuCode Proteomics Reveals Bap1 Regulation of Metabolism

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Joshua M. Baughman

2016-07-01

Full Text Available We introduce neutron-encoded (NeuCode amino acid labeling of mice as a strategy for multiplexed proteomic analysis in vivo. Using NeuCode, we characterize an inducible knockout mouse model of Bap1, a tumor suppressor and deubiquitinase whose in vivo roles outside of cancer are not well established. NeuCode proteomics revealed altered metabolic pathways following Bap1 deletion, including profound elevation of cholesterol biosynthetic machinery coincident with reduced expression of gluconeogenic and lipid homeostasis proteins in liver. Bap1 loss increased pancreatitis biomarkers and reduced expression of mitochondrial proteins. These alterations accompany a metabolic remodeling with hypoglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, hepatic lipid loss, and acinar cell degeneration. Liver-specific Bap1 null mice present with fully penetrant perinatal lethality, severe hypoglycemia, and hepatic lipid deficiency. This work reveals Bap1 as a metabolic regulator in liver and pancreas, and it establishes NeuCode as a reliable proteomic method for deciphering in vivo biology.
A multi-scale model of hepcidin promoter regulation reveals factors controlling systemic iron homeostasis.

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Guillem Casanovas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Systemic iron homeostasis involves a negative feedback circuit in which the expression level of the peptide hormone hepcidin depends on and controls the iron blood levels. Hepcidin expression is regulated by the BMP6/SMAD and IL6/STAT signaling cascades. Deregulation of either pathway causes iron-related diseases such as hemochromatosis or anemia of inflammation. We quantitatively analyzed how BMP6 and IL6 control hepcidin expression. Transcription factor (TF phosphorylation and reporter gene expression were measured under co-stimulation conditions, and the promoter was perturbed by mutagenesis. Using mathematical modeling, we systematically analyzed potential mechanisms of cooperative and competitive promoter regulation by the transcription factors, and experimentally validated the model predictions. Our results reveal that hepcidin cross-regulation primarily occurs by combinatorial transcription factor binding to the promoter, whereas signaling crosstalk is insignificant. We find that the presence of two BMP-responsive elements enhances the steepness of the promoter response towards the iron-sensing BMP signaling axis, which promotes iron homeostasis in vivo. IL6 co-stimulation reduces the promoter sensitivity towards the BMP signal, because the SMAD and STAT transcription factors compete for recruiting RNA polymerase to the transcription start site. This may explain why inflammatory signals disturb iron homeostasis in anemia of inflammation. Taken together, our results reveal why the iron homeostasis circuit is sensitive to perturbations implicated in disease.
Phylogeny of diving beetles reveals a coevolutionary arms race between the sexes.

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Johannes Bergsten

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Darwin illustrated his sexual selection theory with male and female morphology of diving beetles, but maintained a cooperative view of their interaction. Present theory suggests that instead sexual conflict should be a widespread evolutionary force driving both intersexual coevolutionary arms races and speciation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We combined Bayesian phylogenetics, complete taxon sampling and a multi-gene approach to test the arms race scenario on a robust diving beetle phylogeny. As predicted, suction cups in males and modified dorsal surfaces in females showed a pronounced coevolutionary pattern. The female dorsal modifications impair the attachment ability of male suction cups, but each antagonistic novelty in females corresponds to counter-differentiation of suction cups in males. CONCLUSIONS: A recently diverged sibling species pair in Japan is possibly one consequence of this arms race and we suggest that future studies on hypoxia might reveal the key to the extraordinary selection for female counter-adaptations in diving beetles.
Hubble Images Reveal Jupiter's Auroras

Science.gov (United States)

1996-01-01

These images, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, reveal changes in Jupiter's auroral emissions and how small auroral spots just outside the emission rings are linked to the planet's volcanic moon, Io. The images represent the most sensitive and sharply-detailed views ever taken of Jovian auroras.The top panel pinpoints the effects of emissions from Io, which is about the size of Earth's moon. The black-and-white image on the left, taken in visible light, shows how Io and Jupiter are linked by an invisible electrical current of charged particles called a 'flux tube.' The particles - ejected from Io (the bright spot on Jupiter's right) by volcanic eruptions - flow along Jupiter's magnetic field lines, which thread through Io, to the planet's north and south magnetic poles. This image also shows the belts of clouds surrounding Jupiter as well as the Great Red Spot.The black-and-white image on the right, taken in ultraviolet light about 15 minutes later, shows Jupiter's auroral emissions at the north and south poles. Just outside these emissions are the auroral spots. Called 'footprints,' the spots are created when the particles in Io's 'flux tube' reach Jupiter's upper atmosphere and interact with hydrogen gas, making it fluoresce. In this image, Io is not observable because it is faint in the ultraviolet.The two ultraviolet images at the bottom of the picture show how the auroral emissions change in brightness and structure as Jupiter rotates. These false-color images also reveal how the magnetic field is offset from Jupiter's spin axis by 10 to 15 degrees. In the right image, the north auroral emission is rising over the left limb; the south auroral oval is beginning to set. The image on the left, obtained on a different date, shows a full view of the north aurora, with a strong emission inside the main auroral oval.The images were taken by the telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 between May 1994 and September 1995.This image and other images and data
Interspecific introgression in cetaceans: DNA markers reveal post-F1 status of a pilot whale.

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Laura Miralles

Full Text Available Visual species identification of cetacean strandings is difficult, especially when dead specimens are degraded and/or species are morphologically similar. The two recognised pilot whale species (Globicephala melas and Globicephala macrorhynchus are sympatric in the North Atlantic Ocean. These species are very similar in external appearance and their morphometric characteristics partially overlap; thus visual identification is not always reliable. Genetic species identification ensures correct identification of specimens. Here we have employed one mitochondrial (D-Loop region and eight nuclear loci (microsatellites as genetic markers to identify six stranded pilot whales found in Galicia (Northwest Spain, one of them of ambiguous phenotype. DNA analyses yielded positive amplification of all loci and enabled species identification. Nuclear microsatellite DNA genotypes revealed mixed ancestry for one individual, identified as a post-F1 interspecific hybrid employing two different Bayesian methods. From the mitochondrial sequence the maternal species was Globicephala melas. This is the first hybrid documented between Globicephala melas and G. macrorhynchus, and the first post-F1 hybrid genetically identified between cetaceans, revealing interspecific genetic introgression in marine mammals. We propose to add nuclear loci to genetic databases for cetacean species identification in order to detect hybrid individuals.
Hypomorphic conditional deletion of E11/Podoplanin reveals a role in osteocyte dendrite elongation.

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Staines, Katherine A; Javaheri, Behzad; Hohenstein, Peter; Fleming, Robert; Ikpegbu, Ekele; Unger, Erin; Hopkinson, Mark; Buttle, David J; Pitsillides, Andrew A; Farquharson, Colin

2017-11-01

The transmembrane glycoprotein E11/Podoplanin (Pdpn) has been implicated in the initial stages of osteocyte differentiation. However, its precise function and regulatory mechanisms are still unknown. Due to the known embryonic lethality induced by global Pdpn deletion, we have herein explored the effect of bone-specific Pdpn knockdown on osteocyte form and function in the post-natal mouse. Extensive skeletal phenotyping of male and female 6-week-old Oc-cre;Pdpn flox/flox (cKO) mice and their Pdpn flox/flox controls (fl/fl) has revealed that Pdpn deletion significantly compromises tibial cortical bone microarchitecture in both sexes, albeit to different extents (p < 0.05). Consistent with this, we observed an increase in stiffness in female cKO mice in comparison to fl/fl mice (p < 0.01). Moreover, analysis of the osteocyte phenotype by phalloidin staining revealed a significant decrease in the dendrite volume (p < 0.001) and length (p < 0.001) in cKO mice in which deletion of Pdpn also modifies the bone anabolic loading response (p < 0.05) in comparison to age-matched fl/fl mice. Together, these data confirm a regulatory role for Pdpn in osteocyte dendrite formation and as such, in the control of osteocyte function. As the osteocyte dendritic network is known to play vital roles in regulating bone modeling/remodeling, this highlights an essential role for Pdpn in bone homeostasis. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Physiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Exercise-Stress Echocardiography Reveals Systolic Anterior Motion of the Mitral Valve as a Cause of Syncopes in a Cardiac Amyloidosis Patient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clemmensen, Tor Skibsted; Mølgaard, Henning; Andersen, Niels Frost

2016-01-01

increased left ventricular outflow track (LVOT) velocity. However, bicycle exercise-stress test with simultaneous echocardiography revealed a stepwise decrease in blood pressure, a substantial increase in the LVOT velocity, and severe systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. The patients' symptoms were...

Flow cytometric sexing of spider sperm reveals an equal sperm production ratio in a female-biased species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vanthournout, Bram; Deswarte, K; Hammad, H

2014-01-01

research. Pinpointing the underlying mechanism of sex ratio bias is challenging owing to the multitude of potential sex ratio-biasing factors. In the dwarf spider, Oedothorax gibbosus, infection with the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia results in a female bias. However, pedigree analysis reveals...
SSU rRNA reveals a sequential increase in shell complexity among the euglyphid testate amoebae (Rhizaria: Euglyphida)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lara, Enrique; Heger, Thierry J; Mitchell, Edward A D

2007-01-01

The existing data on the molecular phylogeny of filose testate amoebae from order Euglyphida has revealed contradictions between traditional morphological classification and SSU rRNA phylogeny and, moreover, the position of several important genera remained unknown. We therefore carried out a stu...
Shoaling behaviour of Lates japonicus revealed through a digital camera logger

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Sara Gonzalvo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Protecting endangered species is one of the main targets of conservation biology, but the study of these species is often a sensitive issue. The need to risk, and often take, the life of some specimens during the experiments is not easily justified. Technological advances provide scientists with tools that can reduce damage to studied species, while increasing the quality of the data obtained. Here, we analyse the social behaviour of an endangered Japanese fish, Akame (Lates japonicus, using an attached underwater camera. Social behaviour, especially concerning aggregations, is a key factor in conservation plans and fisheries management to avoid by-catch and to establish coherent protected areas. In this experiment, a fish-borne underwater still-camera logger was attached to a captured Akame, recording the individual in its natural environment in July, 2009. The images obtained from the camera revealed several groups of large adults moving together, showing for the first time in this species an aggregative behaviour. This discovery opens the door for initiation of protective measures to preserve these groups, which in turn, can help to ensure continuity of this fish in the Shimanto River by protecting the specific areas where these shoals gather.
Targeted Disruption of ALK Reveals a Potential Role in Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism.

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Barbara Witek

Full Text Available Mice lacking ALK activity have previously been reported to exhibit subtle behavioral phenotypes. In this study of ALK of loss of function mice we present data supporting a role for ALK in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in male mice. We observed lower level of serum testosterone at P40 in ALK knock-out males, accompanied by mild disorganization of seminiferous tubules exhibiting decreased numbers of GATA4 expressing cells. These observations highlight a role for ALK in testis function and are further supported by experiments in which chemical inhibition of ALK activity with the ALK TKI crizotinib was employed. Oral administration of crizotinib resulted in a decrease of serum testosterone levels in adult wild type male mice, which reverted to normal levels after cessation of treatment. Analysis of GnRH expression in neurons of the hypothalamus revealed a significant decrease in the number of GnRH positive neurons in ALK knock-out mice at P40 when compared with control littermates. Thus, ALK appears to be involved in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism by regulating the timing of pubertal onset and testis function at the upper levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis.
Targeted Disruption of ALK Reveals a Potential Role in Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism

Science.gov (United States)

Nord, Christoffer; Ahlgren, Ulf; Eriksson, Maria; Vernersson-Lindahl, Emma; Helland, Åslaug; Alexeyev, Oleg A.; Hallberg, Bengt; Palmer, Ruth H.

2015-01-01

Mice lacking ALK activity have previously been reported to exhibit subtle behavioral phenotypes. In this study of ALK of loss of function mice we present data supporting a role for ALK in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in male mice. We observed lower level of serum testosterone at P40 in ALK knock-out males, accompanied by mild disorganization of seminiferous tubules exhibiting decreased numbers of GATA4 expressing cells. These observations highlight a role for ALK in testis function and are further supported by experiments in which chemical inhibition of ALK activity with the ALK TKI crizotinib was employed. Oral administration of crizotinib resulted in a decrease of serum testosterone levels in adult wild type male mice, which reverted to normal levels after cessation of treatment. Analysis of GnRH expression in neurons of the hypothalamus revealed a significant decrease in the number of GnRH positive neurons in ALK knock-out mice at P40 when compared with control littermates. Thus, ALK appears to be involved in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism by regulating the timing of pubertal onset and testis function at the upper levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis. PMID:25955180
Enhanced limonene production in cyanobacteria reveals photosynthesis limitations.

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Wang, Xin; Liu, Wei; Xin, Changpeng; Zheng, Yi; Cheng, Yanbing; Sun, Su; Li, Runze; Zhu, Xin-Guang; Dai, Susie Y; Rentzepis, Peter M; Yuan, Joshua S

2016-12-13

Terpenes are the major secondary metabolites produced by plants, and have diverse industrial applications as pharmaceuticals, fragrance, solvents, and biofuels. Cyanobacteria are equipped with efficient carbon fixation mechanism, and are ideal cell factories to produce various fuel and chemical products. Past efforts to produce terpenes in photosynthetic organisms have gained only limited success. Here we engineered the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to efficiently produce limonene through modeling guided study. Computational modeling of limonene flux in response to photosynthetic output has revealed the downstream terpene synthase as a key metabolic flux-controlling node in the MEP (2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate) pathway-derived terpene biosynthesis. By enhancing the downstream limonene carbon sink, we achieved over 100-fold increase in limonene productivity, in contrast to the marginal increase achieved through stepwise metabolic engineering. The establishment of a strong limonene flux revealed potential synergy between photosynthate output and terpene biosynthesis, leading to enhanced carbon flux into the MEP pathway. Moreover, we show that enhanced limonene flux would lead to NADPH accumulation, and slow down photosynthesis electron flow. Fine-tuning ATP/NADPH toward terpene biosynthesis could be a key parameter to adapt photosynthesis to support biofuel/bioproduct production in cyanobacteria.
Transcriptome classification reveals molecular subtypes in psoriasis

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Ainali Chrysanthi

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease characterised by chronically elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, leading to aberrant keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. Although certain clinical phenotypes, such as plaque psoriasis, are well defined, it is currently unclear whether there are molecular subtypes that might impact on prognosis or treatment outcomes. Results We present a pipeline for patient stratification through a comprehensive analysis of gene expression in paired lesional and non-lesional psoriatic tissue samples, compared with controls, to establish differences in RNA expression patterns across all tissue types. Ensembles of decision tree predictors were employed to cluster psoriatic samples on the basis of gene expression patterns and reveal gene expression signatures that best discriminate molecular disease subtypes. This multi-stage procedure was applied to several published psoriasis studies and a comparison of gene expression patterns across datasets was performed. Conclusion Overall, classification of psoriasis gene expression patterns revealed distinct molecular sub-groups within the clinical phenotype of plaque psoriasis. Enrichment for TGFb and ErbB signaling pathways, noted in one of the two psoriasis subgroups, suggested that this group may be more amenable to therapies targeting these pathways. Our study highlights the potential biological relevance of using ensemble decision tree predictors to determine molecular disease subtypes, in what may initially appear to be a homogenous clinical group. The R code used in this paper is available upon request.
Pseudo Prune Belly Syndrome: Diagnosis Revealed by Imaging - A Case Report and Brief Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, Hemal; Sethi, Sanjay; Garg, Jatin; Ahluwalia, Amrit Pal

2017-01-01

Prune Belly Syndrome (PBS) is a rare entity, usually found in male neonates. It comprises complex urinary tract anomalies, bilateral undescended testis and absence of anterior abdominal wall muscles. Patients with unilateral abdominal wall deficiency, unilateral undescended testis and female neonates with abdominal wall laxity are classified as Pseudo Prune Belly syndrome (PPBS). Reports on PPBS do not highlight the radiological and imaging characteristics of this syndrome and the current literature on the role of newer imaging modalities, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), remains relatively sparse. We describe a new case of PPBS and emphasize the role of imaging, especially ultrasound and MRI in the process of diagnosis and briefly review the subject. A male infant of four months of age was referred for evaluation of left-sided cryptorchidism. Clinical examination revealed laxity of the left abdominal wall. Ultrasound examination of the abdomen, pelvis and scrotum was performed together with routine laboratory tests. Ultrasound examination was followed by intravenous urography, voiding cysto-urethrography and MRI of the abdomen. On ultrasound, the left testis was located in the inguinal canal, the right kidney was slightly enlarged and the left kidney could not be localized. Ultrasound appearances suggested chronic obstruction in the urinary bladder. Intravenous urography, voiding cysto-urethrography and MRI confirmed the ultrasound diagnosis and also revealed a left dysplastic kidney with a dilated, tortuous ureter. Clinical and imaging features were consistent with pseudo prune belly syndrome (PPBS). We report a new occurrence of PPBS, a rare entity. The imaging approach for a comprehensive evaluation of the renal system in PPBS, especially with MRI, is emphasized.
Gas Velocities Reveal Newly Born Planets in a Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-06-01

Occasionally, science comes together beautifully for a discovery and sometimes this happens for more than one team at once! Today we explore how two independent collaborations of scientists simultaneously found the very first kinematic evidence for young planets forming in a protoplanetary disk. Though they explored the same disk, the two teams in fact discovered different planets.Evidence for PlanetsALMAs view of the dust in the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star HD 163296. Todays studies explore not the dust, but the gas of this disk. [ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); A. Isella; B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF)]Over the past three decades, weve detected around 4,000 fully formed exoplanets. Much more elusive, however, are the young planets still in the early stages of formation; only a handful of these have been discovered. More observations of early-stage exoplanets are needed in order to understand how these worlds are born in dusty protoplanetary-disk environments, how they grow their atmospheres, and how they evolve.Recent observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have produced stunning images of protoplanetary disks. The unprecedented resolution of these images reveals substructure in the form of gaps and rings, hinting at the presence of planets that orbit within the disk and clear out their paths as they move. But there are also non-planet mechanisms that could produce such substructure, like grain growth around ice lines, or hydrodynamic instabilities in the disk.How can we definitively determine whether there are nascent planets embedded in these disks? Direct direction of a point source in a dust gap would be a strong confirmation, but now we have the next best thing: kinematic evidence for planets, from the motion of a disks gas.Observations of carbon monoxide line emission at +1km/s from the systemic velocity (left) vs. the outcome of a computer simulation (right) in the Pinte et al. study. A visible kink occurs in the flow
Ribosome•RelA structures reveal the mechanism of stringent response activation

Science.gov (United States)

Loveland, Anna B; Bah, Eugene; Madireddy, Rohini; Zhang, Ying; Brilot, Axel F; Grigorieff, Nikolaus; Korostelev, Andrei A

2016-01-01

Stringent response is a conserved bacterial stress response underlying virulence and antibiotic resistance. RelA/SpoT-homolog proteins synthesize transcriptional modulators (p)ppGpp, allowing bacteria to adapt to stress. RelA is activated during amino-acid starvation, when cognate deacyl-tRNA binds to the ribosomal A (aminoacyl-tRNA) site. We report four cryo-EM structures of E. coli RelA bound to the 70S ribosome, in the absence and presence of deacyl-tRNA accommodating in the 30S A site. The boomerang-shaped RelA with a wingspan of more than 100 Å wraps around the A/R (30S A-site/RelA-bound) tRNA. The CCA end of the A/R tRNA pins the central TGS domain against the 30S subunit, presenting the (p)ppGpp-synthetase domain near the 30S spur. The ribosome and A/R tRNA are captured in three conformations, revealing hitherto elusive states of tRNA engagement with the ribosomal decoding center. Decoding-center rearrangements are coupled with the step-wise 30S-subunit 'closure', providing insights into the dynamics of high-fidelity tRNA decoding. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17029.001 PMID:27434674
Quantitative isotope incorporation reveals substrate partitioning in a coastal microbial community.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayali, Xavier; Weber, Peter K

2018-05-01

To quantitatively link microbial identity with biogeochemical function, we carried out 14 simultaneous stable isotope probing experiments with organic and inorganic C and N substrates to measure the isotope incorporation by over one hundred co-occurring eukaryotic and prokaryotic populations in a coastal community. We found that nitrate was the most commonly incorporated substrate, and that light-driven carbon fixation was carried out by some bacterial taxa from the Flavobacteriales and OM60 (NOR5) clade, in addition to photoautotrophic phytoplankton. We found that organisms that incorporated starch, maltose, glucose, lactose and bicarbonate were phylogenetically clustered, suggesting that specific bacterial lineages specialized in the incorporation of these substrates. The data further revealed that coastal microorganisms spanned a range of resource utilization strategies from generalists to specialists and demonstrated a high level of substrate partitioning, with two thirds of taxa exhibiting unique substrate incorporation patterns and the remaining third shared by no more than three OTUs each. Specialists exhibited more extreme incorporation levels (high or low), whereas generalists displayed more intermediate activity levels. These results shed valuable insights into the bottom-up ecological strategies enabling the persistence of high microbial diversity in aquatic ecosystems.
Automatic sleep classification using a data-driven topic model reveals latent sleep states

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Henriette; Christensen, Julie Anja Engelhard; Frandsen, Rune

2014-01-01

Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Model application was tested on control subjects and patients with periodic leg movements (PLM) representing a non-neurodegenerative group, and patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) representing a neurodegenerative group......Background: The golden standard for sleep classification uses manual scoring of polysomnography despite points of criticism such as oversimplification, low inter-rater reliability and the standard being designed on young and healthy subjects. New method: To meet the criticism and reveal the latent...... sleep states, this study developed a general and automatic sleep classifier using a data-driven approach. Spectral EEG and EOG measures and eye correlation in 1 s windows were calculated and each sleep epoch was expressed as a mixture of probabilities of latent sleep states by using the topic model...
Two crystal structures of dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase from Cryptosporidium hominis reveal protein–ligand interactions including a structural basis for observed antifolate resistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Amy C., E-mail: aca@dartmouth.edu [Dartmouth College, Department of Chemistry, Burke Laboratories, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States)

2005-03-01

An analysis of the protein–ligand interactions in two crystal structures of DHFR-TS from C. hominis reveals a possible structural basis for observed antifolate resistance in C. hominis DHFR. A comparison with the structure of human DHFR reveals residue substitutions that may be exploited for the design of species-selective inhibitors. Cryptosporidium hominis is a protozoan parasite that causes acute gastrointestinal illness. There are no effective therapies for cryptosporidiosis, highlighting the need for new drug-lead discovery. An analysis of the protein–ligand interactions in two crystal structures of dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) from C. hominis, determined at 2.8 and 2.87 Å resolution, reveals that the interactions of residues Ile29, Thr58 and Cys113 in the active site of C. hominis DHFR provide a possible structural basis for the observed antifolate resistance. A comparison with the structure of human DHFR reveals active-site differences that may be exploited for the design of species-selective inhibitors.
International Baccalaureate as a Litmus Test Revealing Conflicting Values and Power Relations in the Israeli Education System

Science.gov (United States)

Yemini, Miri; Dvir, Yuval

2016-01-01

This study comprises a comprehensive attempt to reveal the power relations and conflicting interests within the local-global nexus of the Israeli public education system. The perceptions of different stakeholders were explored, in regard to the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program as an example of a globally oriented…
Educational games for brain health: revealing their unexplored potential through a neurocognitive approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick eFissler

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Educational games link the motivational nature of games with learning of knowledge and skills. Here, we go beyond effects on these learning outcomes. We review two lines of evidence which indicate the currently unexplored potential of educational games to promote brain health: First, gaming with specific neurocognitive demands (e.g., executive control, and second, educational learning experiences (e.g., studying foreign languages improve brain health markers. These markers include cognitive ability, brain function, and brain structure. As educational games allow the combination of specific neurocognitive demands with educational learning experiences, they seem to be optimally suited for promoting brain health. We propose a neurocognitive approach to reveal this unexplored potential of educational games in future research.
REVEAL - A tool for rule driven analysis of safety critical software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miedl, H.; Kersken, M.

1998-01-01

As the determination of ultrahigh reliability figures for safety critical software is hardly possible, national and international guidelines and standards give mainly requirements for the qualitative evaluation of software. An analysis whether all these requirements are fulfilled is time and effort consuming and prone to errors, if performed manually by analysts, and should instead be dedicated to tools as far as possible. There are many ''general-purpose'' software analysis tools, both static and dynamic, which help analyzing the source code. However, they are not designed to assess the adherence to specific requirements of guidelines and standards in the nuclear field. Against the background of the development of I and C systems in the nuclear field which are based on digital techniques and implemented in high level language, it is essential that the assessor or licenser has a tool with which he can automatically and uniformly qualify as many aspects as possible of the high level language software. For this purpose the software analysis tool REVEAL has been developed at ISTec and the Halden Reactor Project. (author)
Genome editing reveals a role for OCT4 in human embryogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogarty, Norah M E; McCarthy, Afshan; Snijders, Kirsten E; Powell, Benjamin E; Kubikova, Nada; Blakeley, Paul; Lea, Rebecca; Elder, Kay; Wamaitha, Sissy E; Kim, Daesik; Maciulyte, Valdone; Kleinjung, Jens; Kim, Jin-Soo; Wells, Dagan; Vallier, Ludovic; Bertero, Alessandro; Turner, James M A; Niakan, Kathy K

2017-10-05

Despite their fundamental biological and clinical importance, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the first cell fate decisions in the human embryo are not well understood. Here we use CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing to investigate the function of the pluripotency transcription factor OCT4 during human embryogenesis. We identified an efficient OCT4-targeting guide RNA using an inducible human embryonic stem cell-based system and microinjection of mouse zygotes. Using these refined methods, we efficiently and specifically targeted the gene encoding OCT4 (POU5F1) in diploid human zygotes and found that blastocyst development was compromised. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that, in POU5F1-null cells, gene expression was downregulated not only for extra-embryonic trophectoderm genes, such as CDX2, but also for regulators of the pluripotent epiblast, including NANOG. By contrast, Pou5f1-null mouse embryos maintained the expression of orthologous genes, and blastocyst development was established, but maintenance was compromised. We conclude that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing is a powerful method for investigating gene function in the context of human development.
A patient with a painless neck tumour revealed as a carotid paraganglioma: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Peric, Barbara; Marinsek, Ziva Pohar; Skrbinc, Breda; Music, Maja; Zagar, Ivana; Hocevar, Marko

2014-08-20

Carotid paragangliomas are usually slowly enlarging and painless lateral neck masses. These mostly benign lesions are recognized due to their typical location, vessel displacement and specific blood supply, features that are usually seen on different imaging modalities. Surgery for carotid paraganglioma can be associated with immediate cerebrovascular complications or delayed neurological impairment.We are reporting the case of a 36-year-old man who presented with a painless mass on the right side of his neck 11 months after being treated for testicular cancer. After a fine-needle aspiration biopsy, he was diagnosed with a testicular cancer lymph node metastasis. Neck US and fluorine [F-18]-fluorodeoxy-D-glucose (FDG) PET-CT showed no signs of hypervascularity or vessel displacement. The patient underwent a level II to V functional neck dissection. During the procedure, suspicion of a carotid paraganglioma was raised and the tumour was carefully dissected from the walls of the carotid arteries with minimal blood loss and no cranial nerve dysfunction.The histology report revealed carotid paraganglioma with no metastasis in the rest of the lymph nodes. The patient's history of testicular germ cell tumour led to a functional neck dissection during which a previously unrecognized carotid paraganglioma was removed.Surgery for carotid PG can be associated with complications that have major impact on quality of life. A thorough assessment of the patient and neck mass must therefore be performed preoperatively in order to perform the surgical procedure under optimal conditions.
Paraneoplastic syndromes revealing ovarian teratoma in young and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Paraneoplastic syndromes revealing ovarian teratoma in young and menopausal women: report of two cases. Majdouline Boujoual, Ihsan Hakimi, Farid Kassidi, Youssef Akhoudad, Nawal Sahel, Adil Rkiouak, Mohamed Allaoui, Hafsa Chahdi, Mohamed Oukabli, Jaouad Kouach, Driss Rahali Moussaoui, Mohamed ...
Intratumor Heterogeneity and Branched Evolution Revealed by Multiregion Sequencing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gerlinger, Marco; Rowan, Andrew J.; Horswell, Stuart

2012-01-01

.RESULTS: Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed branched evolutionary tumor growth, with 63 to 69% of all somatic mutations not detectable across every tumor region. Intratumor heterogeneity was observed for a mutation within an autoinhibitory domain of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase, correlating with S6...

A novel immunotoxin reveals a new role for CD321 in endothelial cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takeshi Fukuhara

Full Text Available There are currently several antibody therapies that directly target tumors, and antibody-drug conjugates represent a novel moiety as next generation therapeutics. Here, we used a unique screening probe, DT3C, to identify functional antibodies that recognized surface molecules and functional epitopes, and which provided toxin delivery capability. Accordingly, we generated the 90G4 antibody, which induced DT3C-dependent cytotoxicity in endothelial cells. Molecular analysis revealed that 90G4 recognized CD321, a protein localized at tight junctions. Although CD321 plays a pivotal role in inflammation and lymphocyte trans-endothelial migration, little is known about its mechanism of action in endothelial cells. Targeting of CD321 by the 90G4 immunotoxin induced cell death. Moreover, 90G4 immunotoxin caused cytotoxicity primarily in migratory endothelial cells, but not in those forming sheets, suggesting a critical role for CD321 in tumor angiogenesis. We also found that hypoxia triggered redistribution of CD321 to a punctate localization on the basal side of cells, resulting in functional impairment of tight junctions and increased motility. Thus, our findings raise the intriguing possibility that endothelial CD321 presented cellular localization in tight junction as well as multifunctional dynamics in several conditions, leading to illuminate the importance of widely-expressed CD321 as a potential target for antitumor therapy.
New microsatellites revealed strong gene flow among populations of a new outbreak pest, Athetis lepigone (Möschler).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, W-C; Sun, J-T; Dai, J; Huang, J-R; Chen, L; Hong, X-Y

2017-11-27

Athetis lepigone (Möschler) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a new outbreak pest in China. Consequently, it is unclear whether the emergence and spread of the outbreak of this pest are triggered by rapid in situ population size increases in each outbreak area, or by immigrants from a potential source area in China. In order to explore the outbreak process of this pest through a population genetics approach, we developed ten novel polymorphic expressed sequence tags (EST)-derived microsatellites. These new microsatellites had moderately high levels of polymorphism in the tested population. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 19, with an average of 8.6, and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.269 to 0.783. A preliminary population genetic analysis using these new microsatellites revealed a lack of population genetic structure in natural populations of A. lepigone. The estimates of recent migration rate revealed strong gene flow among populations. In conclusion, our study developed the first set of EST-microsatellite markers and shed a new light on the population genetic structure of this pest in China.
Sequencing of the Chlamydophila psittaci ompA Gene Reveals a New Genotype, E/B, and the Need for a Rapid Discriminatory Genotyping Method

Science.gov (United States)

Geens, Tom; Desplanques, Ann; Van Loock, Marnix; Bönner, Brigitte M.; Kaleta, Erhard F.; Magnino, Simone; Andersen, Arthur A.; Everett, Karin D. E.; Vanrompay, Daisy

2005-01-01

Twenty-one avian Chlamydophila psittaci isolates from different European countries were characterized using ompA restriction fragment length polymorphism, ompA sequencing, and major outer membrane protein serotyping. Results reveal the presence of a new genotype, E/B, in several European countries and stress the need for a discriminatory rapid genotyping method. PMID:15872282
Infrared transmission study of lanthanide fullerides SmxC60 prepared by metal vapor synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, W.; Simmons, W.B. Jr.; Sweany, R.L.

1997-01-01

Lanthanide fulleride Sm x C 60 films were prepared by metal vapor synthesis and the valence state of the C 60 cage in the films was investigated by infrared transmission spectroscopy. Three films with different doping contents of Sm showed red-shift frequencies of F 1u (4) at 1347, 1362 and 1392 (1411) cm -1 , respectively, indicating that the major phase with corresponding valence state n∼-5, -3 and -1 might exist in the films. The other major additional feature of activated pentagonal pinch mode A g (2) was observed at 1445 or 1448 cm -1 in the films, which suggested that the Sm atoms might bond to the five-membered ring of the C 60 cage and ferrocene-like Sm x C 60 complexes might be formed. (orig.)
Human milk 90K (Mac-2 BP): possible protective effects against acute respiratory infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Fornarini, B; Iacobelli, S; Tinari, N; Natoli, C; De Martino, M; Sabatino, G

1999-01-01

Eighty-six children fed human milk were followed prospectively from birth to 12 months of age to assess the effect of milk 90K, a secreted glycoprotein with immune-stimulatory properties, on development of acute respiratory infections (ARI). The level of human milk 90K was inversely related to episodes of ARI (r = - 0.34; P = 0.001). The average 90K level in human milk fed to children who did not develop ARI was significantly higher than in milk fed to children in whom infection occurred on multiple occasions (156.6 +/- 144.8 microg/ml versus 70.9 +/- 92.3 microg/ml; P = 0.001). These data suggest that the protective effects of human milk against ARI may be due in part to immune maturation effects by secreted 90K.
A Global Synthesis Reveals Gaps in Coastal Habitat Restoration Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Stacy Zhang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Coastal ecosystems have drastically declined in coverage and condition across the globe. To combat these losses, marine conservation has recently employed habitat restoration as a strategy to enhance depleted coastal ecosystems. For restoration to be a successful enterprise, however, it is necessary to identify and address potential knowledge gaps and review whether the field has tracked scientific advances regarding best practices. This enables managers, researchers, and practitioners alike to more readily establish restoration priorities and goals. We synthesized the peer-reviewed, published literature on habitat restoration research in salt marshes, oyster reefs, and seagrasses to address three questions related to restoration efforts: (i How frequent is cross-sector authorship in coastal restoration research? (ii What is the geographic distribution of coastal restoration research? and (iii Are abiotic and biotic factors equally emphasized in the literature, and how does this vary with time? Our vote-count survey indicated that one-third of the journal-published studies listed authors from at least two sectors, and 6% listed authors from all three sectors. Across all habitat types, there was a dearth of studies from Africa, Asia, and South America. Finally, despite many experimental studies demonstrating that species interactions can greatly affect the recovery and persistence of coastal foundation species, only one-fourth of the studies we examined discussed their effects on restoration. Combined, our results reveal gaps and discrepancies in restoration research that should be addressed in order to further propel coastal restoration science.
PhyloChip microarray analysis reveals altered gastrointestinal microbial communities in a rat model of colonic hypersensitivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, T.A.; Holmes, S.; Alekseyenko, A.V.; Shenoy, M.; DeSantis, T.; Wu, C.H.; Andersen, G.L.; Winston, J.; Sonnenburg, J.; Pasricha, P.J.; Spormann, A.

2010-12-01

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic, episodic gastrointestinal disorder that is prevalent in a significant fraction of western human populations; and changes in the microbiota of the large bowel have been implicated in the pathology of the disease. Using a novel comprehensive, high-density DNA microarray (PhyloChip) we performed a phylogenetic analysis of the microbial community of the large bowel in a rat model in which intracolonic acetic acid in neonates was used to induce long lasting colonic hypersensitivity and decreased stool water content and frequency, representing the equivalent of human constipation-predominant IBS. Our results revealed a significantly increased compositional difference in the microbial communities in rats with neonatal irritation as compared with controls. Even more striking was the dramatic change in the ratio of Firmicutes relative to Bacteroidetes, where neonatally irritated rats were enriched more with Bacteroidetes and also contained a different composition of species within this phylum. Our study also revealed differences at the level of bacterial families and species. The PhyloChip is a useful and convenient method to study enteric microflora. Further, this rat model system may be a useful experimental platform to study the causes and consequences of changes in microbial community composition associated with IBS.
A functional microRNA library screen reveals miR-410 as a novel anti-apoptotic regulator of cholangiocarcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palumbo, Tiziana; Poultsides, George A.; Kouraklis, Grigorios; Liakakos, Theodore; Drakaki, Alexandra; Peros, George; Hatziapostolou, Maria; Iliopoulos, Dimitrios

2016-01-01

Cholangiocarcinoma is characterized by late diagnosis and a poor survival rate. MicroRNAs have been involved in the pathogenesis of different cancer types, including cholangiocarcinoma. Our aim was to identify novel microRNAs regulating cholangiocarcinoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo. A functional microRNA library screen was performed in human cholangiocarcinoma cells to identify microRNAs that regulate cholangiocarcinoma cell growth. Real-time PCR analysis evaluated miR-9 and XIAP mRNA levels in cholangiocarcinoma cells and tumors. The screen identified 21 microRNAs that regulated >50 % cholangiocarcinoma cell growth. MiR-410 was identified as the top suppressor of growth, while its overexpression significantly inhibited the invasion and colony formation ability of cholangiocarcinoma cells. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that microRNA-410 exerts its effects through the direct regulation of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). Furthermore, overexpression of miR-410 significantly reduced cholangiocarcinoma tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model through induction of apoptosis. In addition, we identified an inverse relationship between miR-410 and XIAP mRNA levels in human cholangiocarcinomas. Taken together, our study revealed a novel microRNA signaling pathway involved in cholangiocarcinoma and suggests that manipulation of the miR-410/XIAP pathway could have a therapeutic potential for cholangiocarcinoma. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2384-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users
The structure of KPN03535 (gi|152972051), a novel putative lipoprotein from Klebsiella pneumoniae, reveals an OB-fold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Debanu; Kozbial, Piotr; Han, Gye Won; Carlton, Dennis; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Chen, Connie; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Chiu, Michelle; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Ellrott, Kyle; Elsliger, Marc-André; Ernst, Dustin; Farr, Carol L.; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grzechnik, Anna; Grant, Joanna C.; Jin, Kevin K.; Johnson, Hope A.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Krishna, S. Sri; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; McMullan, Daniel; Miller, Mitchell D.; Morse, Andrew T.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Nopakun, Amanda; Okach, Linda; Oommachen, Silvya; Paulsen, Jessica; Puckett, Christina; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; Sefcovic, Natasha; Tien, Henry J.; Trame, Christine B.; Bedem, Henry van den; Weekes, Dana; Wooten, Tiffany; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A.

2009-01-01

KPN03535 is a protein unique to K. pneumoniae. The crystal structure reveals that KPN03535 represents a novel variant of the OB-fold and is likely to be a DNA-binding lipoprotein. KPN03535 (gi|152972051) is a putative lipoprotein of unknown function that is secreted by Klebsiella pneumoniae MGH 78578. The crystal structure reveals that despite a lack of any detectable sequence similarity to known structures, it is a novel variant of the OB-fold and structurally similar to the bacterial Cpx-pathway protein NlpE, single-stranded DNA-binding (SSB) proteins and toxins. K. pneumoniae MGH 78578 forms part of the normal human skin, mouth and gut flora and is an opportunistic pathogen that is linked to about 8% of all hospital-acquired infections in the USA. This structure provides the foundation for further investigations into this divergent member of the OB-fold family
A fifth major genetic group among honeybees revealed in Syria.

Science.gov (United States)

Alburaki, Mohamed; Bertrand, Bénédicte; Legout, Hélène; Moulin, Sibyle; Alburaki, Ali; Sheppard, Walter Steven; Garnery, Lionel

2013-12-06

Apiculture has been practiced in North Africa and the Middle-East from antiquity. Several thousand years of selective breeding have left a mosaic of Apis mellifera subspecies in the Middle-East, many uniquely adapted and survived to local environmental conditions. In this study we explore the genetic diversity of A. mellifera from Syria (n = 1258), Lebanon (n = 169) and Iraq (n = 35) based on 14 short tandem repeat (STR) loci in the context of reference populations from throughout the Old World (n = 732). Our data suggest that the Syrian honeybee Apis mellifera syriaca occurs in both Syrian and Lebanese territories, with no significant genetic variability between respective populations from Syria and Lebanon. All studied populations clustered within a new fifth independent nuclear cluster, congruent with an mtDNA Z haplotype identified in a previous study. Syrian honeybee populations are not associated with Oriental lineage O, except for sporadic introgression into some populations close to the Turkish and Iraqi borders. Southern Syrian and Lebanese populations demonstrated high levels of genetic diversity compared to the northern populations. This study revealed the effects of foreign queen importations on Syrian bee populations, especially for the region of Tartus, where extensive introgression of A. m. anatolica and/or A. m. caucasica alleles were identified. The policy of creating genetic conservation centers for the Syrian subspecies should take into consideration the influence of the oriental lineage O from the northern Syrian border and the large population of genetically divergent indigenous honeybees located in southern Syria.
Plan competitions reveal entrepreneurial talent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madison, Alison L.

2011-05-15

Monthly economic diversity column for Tri-City Herald business section. Excerpt below: There’s something to be said for gaining valuable real-world experience in a structured, nurturing environment. Take for instance learning to scuba dive in the comfort of my resort pool rather than immediately hanging out with sharks while I figure out little things like oxygen tanks and avoiding underwater panic attacks. Likewise, graduate students are getting some excellent, supportive real-world training through university business plan competitions. These competitions are places where smart minds, new technologies, months of preparation and coaching, and some healthy pre-presentation jitters collide to reveal not only solid new business ideas, but also some promising entrepreneurial talent. In fact, professionals from around our region descend upon college campuses every spring to judge these events, which help to bridge the gap between academics and the real technology and business-driven economy.
Expression and purification of recombinant polyomavirus VP2 protein and its interactions with polyomavirus proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, X.; Chang, D.; Rottinghaus, S.; Consigli, R. A.; Spooner, B. S. (Principal Investigator)

1994-01-01

Recombinant polyomavirus VP2 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli (RK1448), using the recombinant expression system pFPYV2. Recombinant VP2 was purified to near homogeneity by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, electroelution, and Extracti-Gel chromatography. Polyclonal serum to this protein which reacted specifically with recombinant VP2 as well as polyomavirus virion VP2 and VP3 on Western blots (immunoblots) was produced. Purified VP2 was used to establish an in vitro protein-protein interaction assay with polyomavirus structural proteins and purified recombinant VP1. Recombinant VP2 interacted with recombinant VP1, virion VP1, and the four virion histones. Recombinant VP1 coimmunoprecipitated with recombinant VP2 or truncated VP2 (delta C12VP2), which lacked the carboxy-terminal 12 amino acids. These experiments confirmed the interaction between VP1 and VP2 and revealed that the carboxyterminal 12 amino acids of VP2 and VP3 were not necessary for formation of this interaction. In vivo VP1-VP2 interaction study accomplished by cotransfection of COS-7 cells with VP2 and truncated VP1 (delta N11VP1) lacking the nuclear localization signal demonstrated that VP2 was capable of translocating delta N11VP1 into the nucleus. These studies suggest that complexes of VP1 and VP2 may be formed in the cytoplasm and cotransported to the nucleus for virion assembly to occur.
Membrane Protein Properties Revealed through Data-Rich Electrostatics Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcoline, Frank V; Bethel, Neville; Guerriero, Christopher J; Brodsky, Jeffrey L; Grabe, Michael

2015-08-04

The electrostatic properties of membrane proteins often reveal many of their key biophysical characteristics, such as ion channel selectivity and the stability of charged membrane-spanning segments. The Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation is the gold standard for calculating protein electrostatics, and the software APBSmem enables the solution of the PB equation in the presence of a membrane. Here, we describe significant advances to APBSmem, including full automation of system setup, per-residue energy decomposition, incorporation of PDB2PQR, calculation of membrane-induced pKa shifts, calculation of non-polar energies, and command-line scripting for large-scale calculations. We highlight these new features with calculations carried out on a number of membrane proteins, including the recently solved structure of the ion channel TRPV1 and a large survey of 1,614 membrane proteins of known structure. This survey provides a comprehensive list of residues with large electrostatic penalties for being embedded in the membrane, potentially revealing interesting functional information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A novel fragile X syndrome mutation reveals a conserved role for the carboxy-terminus in FMRP localization and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Okray, Zeynep; de Esch, Celine E F; Van Esch, Hilde; Devriendt, Koen; Claeys, Annelies; Yan, Jiekun; Verbeeck, Jelle; Froyen, Guy; Willemsen, Rob; de Vrij, Femke M S; Hassan, Bassem A

2015-04-01

Loss of function of the FMR1 gene leads to fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common form of intellectual disability. The loss of FMR1 function is usually caused by epigenetic silencing of the FMR1 promoter leading to expansion and subsequent methylation of a CGG repeat in the 5' untranslated region. Very few coding sequence variations have been experimentally characterized and shown to be causal to the disease. Here, we describe a novel FMR1 mutation and reveal an unexpected nuclear export function for the C-terminus of FMRP. We screened a cohort of patients with typical FXS symptoms who tested negative for CGG repeat expansion in the FMR1 locus. In one patient, we identified a guanine insertion in FMR1 exon 15. This mutation alters the open reading frame creating a short novel C-terminal sequence, followed by a stop codon. We find that this novel peptide encodes a functional nuclear localization signal (NLS) targeting the patient FMRP to the nucleolus in human cells. We also reveal an evolutionarily conserved nuclear export function associated with the endogenous C-terminus of FMRP. In vivo analyses in Drosophila demonstrate that a patient-mimetic mutation alters the localization and function of Dfmrp in neurons, leading to neomorphic neuronal phenotypes. © 2015 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.
Progressive paralyzing sciatica revealing a pelvic pseudoaneurysm a year after hip surgery in a 12yo boy.

Science.gov (United States)

Boulouis, Grégoire; Shotar, Eimad; Dangouloff-Ros, Volodia; Janklevicz, Pierre-Henri; Boddaert, Nathalie; Naggara, Olivier; Brunelle, Francis

2016-01-01

Identifying extra spinal causes of a lumbar radiculopathy or polyneuropathy can be a tricky diagnosis challenge, especially in children. Among them, traumatic or iatrogenic pseudoaneurysms of iliac arteries have been seldom reported, in adults' series. The authors report an unusual case of progressive paralyzing left sciatica and lumbar plexopathy in a 12 years old boy, 12 months after a pelvic osteotomy for bilateral hip luxation secondary to osteochondritis dissecans. Spine MRI and pelvic CT angiography revealed a giant internal iliac artery pseudoaneurysm, enclosed in a chronic hematoma. The patient was successfully treated with endovascular coil embolization, and subsequent surgical hematoma evacuation. However, three months after treatment, neurological recovery was incomplete. This case highlights the importance of a rapid and extensive diagnosis work up of all causes of lower limb radiculopathies in children, including pelvic arteries lesions especially after pelvic surgery to avoid therapeutic delays that may jeopardize the chances of neurological recovery. Copyright © 2015 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Windows PowerShell desired state configuration revealed

CERN Document Server

Chaganti, Ravikanth

2014-01-01

Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a powerful new configuration management platform that makes it easier than ever to perform cross-platform configuration management of your infrastructure, whether on-premise or in the cloud. DSC provides the management platform and Application Programming Interface (API) that can be used with any programming language. Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Revealed will take you through this new technology from start to finish and demonstrates the DSC interfaces through Windows PowerShell. DSC allows you to manage target devices by simply declarin
Mycobacterium malmesburyense sp. nov., a non-tuberculous species of the genus Mycobacterium revealed by multiple gene sequence characterization

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Gcebe, N

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology: DOI 10.1099/ijsem.0.001678 Mycobacterium malmesburyense sp. nov., a non-tuberculous species of the genus Mycobacterium revealed by multiple gene sequence characterization Gcebe N Rutten V Gey...
Association genetics and transcriptome analysis reveal a gibberellin-responsive pathway involved in regulating photosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Jianbo; Tian, Jiaxing; Du, Qingzhang; Chen, Jinhui; Li, Ying; Yang, Xiaohui; Li, Bailian; Zhang, Deqiang

2016-05-01

Gibberellins (GAs) regulate a wide range of important processes in plant growth and development, including photosynthesis. However, the mechanism by which GAs regulate photosynthesis remains to be understood. Here, we used multi-gene association to investigate the effect of genes in the GA-responsive pathway, as constructed by RNA sequencing, on photosynthesis, growth, and wood property traits, in a population of 435 Populus tomentosa By analyzing changes in the transcriptome following GA treatment, we identified many key photosynthetic genes, in agreement with the observed increase in measurements of photosynthesis. Regulatory motif enrichment analysis revealed that 37 differentially expressed genes related to photosynthesis shared two essential GA-related cis-regulatory elements, the GA response element and the pyrimidine box. Thus, we constructed a GA-responsive pathway consisting of 47 genes involved in regulating photosynthesis, including GID1, RGA, GID2, MYBGa, and 37 photosynthetic differentially expressed genes. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based association analysis showed that 142 SNPs, representing 40 candidate genes in this pathway, were significantly associated with photosynthesis, growth, and wood property traits. Epistasis analysis uncovered interactions between 310 SNP-SNP pairs from 37 genes in this pathway, revealing possible genetic interactions. Moreover, a structural gene-gene matrix based on a time-course of transcript abundances provided a better understanding of the multi-gene pathway affecting photosynthesis. The results imply a functional role for these genes in mediating photosynthesis, growth, and wood properties, demonstrating the potential of combining transcriptome-based regulatory pathway construction and genetic association approaches to detect the complex genetic networks underlying quantitative traits. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights
Application of REVEAL-W to risk-based configuration control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dezfuli, H.; Meyer, J.; Modarres, M.

1994-01-01

Over the past two years, the concept of risk-based configuration control has been introduced to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the nuclear industry. Converting much of the current, deterministically based regulation of nuclear power plants to risk-based regulation can result in lower levels of risk while relieving unnecessary burdens on power plant operators and regulatory staff. To achieve the potential benefits of risk-based configuration control, the risk models developed for nuclear power plants should be (1) flexible enough to effectively support necessary risk calculations, and (2) transparent enough to encourage their use by all parties. To address these needs, SCIENTECH, Inc., has developed the PC-based REVEAL W (formerly known as SMART). This graphic-oriented and user-friendly application software allows the user to develop transparent complex logic models based on the concept of the master plant logic diagram. The logic model is success-oriented and compact. The analytical capability built into REVEAL W is generic, so the software can support different types of risk-based evaluations, such as probabilistic safety assessment, accident sequence precursor analysis, design evaluation and configuration management. In this paper, we focus on the application of REVEAL W to support risk-based configuration control of nuclear power plants. (author)
Landmark Study Reveals Antarctic Glacier's Long History of Retreat

OpenAIRE

Kuska, Dale M.

2016-01-01

Faculty Showcase Archive Article Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. A major study, released in late November in the journal “Nature,” reveals the history of retreat of the massive Pine Island Glacier (PIG) in western Antarctica, widely considered one of the largest contributors to global sea-level rise.

Stem cankers on sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in Australia reveal a complex of pathogenic Diaporthe (Phomopsis) species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thompson, S.M.; Tan, Y.P.; Young, A.J.; Neate, S.M.; Aitken, E.A.B.; Shivas, R.G.

2012-01-01

The identification of Diaporthe (anamorph Phomopsis) species associated with stem canker of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in Australia was studied using morphology, DNA sequence analysis and pathology. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three clades that did not correspond with known taxa, and these are
Do Energy Efficiency Standards Improve Quality? Evidence from a Revealed Preference Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Houde, Sebastien [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Spurlock, C. Anna [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-06-01

Minimum energy efficiency standards have occupied a central role in U.S. energy policy for more than three decades, but little is known about their welfare effects. In this paper, we employ a revealed preference approach to quantify the impact of past revisions in energy efficiency standards on product quality. The micro-foundation of our approach is a discrete choice model that allows us to compute a price-adjusted index of vertical quality. Focusing on the appliance market, we show that several standard revisions during the period 2001-2011 have led to an increase in quality. We also show that these standards have had a modest effect on prices, and in some cases they even led to decreases in prices. For revision events where overall quality increases and prices decrease, the consumer welfare effect of tightening the standards is unambiguously positive. Finally, we show that after controlling for the effect of improvement in energy efficiency, standards have induced an expansion of quality in the non-energy dimension. We discuss how imperfect competition can rationalize these results.
A Systems-Level Analysis Reveals Circadian Regulation of Splicing in Colorectal Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Athman, Rukeia; Fuhr, Luise; Relógio, Angela

2018-06-20

Accumulating evidence points to a significant role of the circadian clock in the regulation of splicing in various organisms, including mammals. Both dysregulated circadian rhythms and aberrant pre-mRNA splicing are frequently implicated in human disease, in particular in cancer. To investigate the role of the circadian clock in the regulation of splicing in a cancer progression context at the systems-level, we conducted a genome-wide analysis and compared the rhythmic transcriptional profiles of colon carcinoma cell lines SW480 and SW620, derived from primary and metastatic sites of the same patient, respectively. We identified spliceosome components and splicing factors with cell-specific circadian expression patterns including SRSF1, HNRNPLL, ESRP1, and RBM 8A, as well as altered alternative splicing events and circadian alternative splicing patterns of output genes (e.g., VEGFA, NCAM1, FGFR2, CD44) in our cellular model. Our data reveals a remarkable interplay between the circadian clock and pre-mRNA splicing with putative consequences in tumor progression and metastasis. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Multilocus sequence data reveal dozens of putative cryptic species in a radiation of endemic Californian mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Nemesiidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Leavitt, Dean H; Starrett, James; Westphal, Michael F; Hedin, Marshal

2015-10-01

We use mitochondrial and multi-locus nuclear DNA sequence data to infer both species boundaries and species relationships within California nemesiid spiders. Higher-level phylogenetic data show that the California radiation is monophyletic and distantly related to European members of the genus Brachythele. As such, we consider all California nemesiid taxa to belong to the genus Calisoga Chamberlin, 1937. Rather than find support for one or two taxa as previously hypothesized, genetic data reveal Calisoga to be a species-rich radiation of spiders, including perhaps dozens of species. This conclusion is supported by multiple mitochondrial barcoding analyses, and also independent analyses of nuclear data that reveal general genealogical congruence. We discovered three instances of sympatry, and genetic data indicate reproductive isolation when in sympatry. An examination of female reproductive morphology does not reveal species-specific characters, and observed male morphological differences for a subset of putative species are subtle. Our coalescent species tree analysis of putative species lays the groundwork for future research on the taxonomy and biogeographic history of this remarkable endemic radiation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Reveal genes functionally associated with ACADS by a network study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yulong; Su, Zhiguang

2015-09-15

Establishing a systematic network is aimed at finding essential human gene-gene/gene-disease pathway by means of network inter-connecting patterns and functional annotation analysis. In the present study, we have analyzed functional gene interactions of short-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase gene (ACADS). ACADS plays a vital role in free fatty acid β-oxidation and regulates energy homeostasis. Modules of highly inter-connected genes in disease-specific ACADS network are derived by integrating gene function and protein interaction data. Among the 8 genes in ACADS web retrieved from both STRING and GeneMANIA, ACADS is effectively conjoined with 4 genes including HAHDA, HADHB, ECHS1 and ACAT1. The functional analysis is done via ontological briefing and candidate disease identification. We observed that the highly efficient-interlinked genes connected with ACADS are HAHDA, HADHB, ECHS1 and ACAT1. Interestingly, the ontological aspect of genes in the ACADS network reveals that ACADS, HAHDA and HADHB play equally vital roles in fatty acid metabolism. The gene ACAT1 together with ACADS indulges in ketone metabolism. Our computational gene web analysis also predicts potential candidate disease recognition, thus indicating the involvement of ACADS, HAHDA, HADHB, ECHS1 and ACAT1 not only with lipid metabolism but also with infant death syndrome, skeletal myopathy, acute hepatic encephalopathy, Reye-like syndrome, episodic ketosis, and metabolic acidosis. The current study presents a comprehensible layout of ACADS network, its functional strategies and candidate disease approach associated with ACADS network. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Quantitative Proteomics of the Tonoplast Reveals a Role for Glycolytic Enzymes in Salt Tolerance[C][W

Science.gov (United States)

Barkla, Bronwyn J.; Vera-Estrella, Rosario; Hernández-Coronado, Marcela; Pantoja, Omar

2009-01-01

To examine the role of the tonoplast in plant salt tolerance and identify proteins involved in the regulation of transporters for vacuolar Na+ sequestration, we exploited a targeted quantitative proteomics approach. Two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis analysis of free flow zonal electrophoresis separated tonoplast fractions from control, and salt-treated Mesembryanthemum crystallinum plants revealed the membrane association of glycolytic enzymes aldolase and enolase, along with subunits of the vacuolar H+-ATPase V-ATPase. Protein blot analysis confirmed coordinated salt regulation of these proteins, and chaotrope treatment indicated a strong tonoplast association. Reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation studies revealed that the glycolytic enzymes interacted with the V-ATPase subunit B VHA-B, and aldolase was shown to stimulate V-ATPase activity in vitro by increasing the affinity for ATP. To investigate a physiological role for this association, the Arabidopsis thaliana cytoplasmic enolase mutant, los2, was characterized. These plants were salt sensitive, and there was a specific reduction in enolase abundance in the tonoplast from salt-treated plants. Moreover, tonoplast isolated from mutant plants showed an impaired ability for aldolase stimulation of V-ATPase hydrolytic activity. The association of glycolytic proteins with the tonoplast may not only channel ATP to the V-ATPase, but also directly upregulate H+-pump activity. PMID:20028841
[Mutism and acute behavioral disorders revealing MELAS syndrome].

Science.gov (United States)

Coomans, H; Barroso, B; Bertandeau, E; Bonnan, M; Dakar, A; Demasles, S; Garraud, S; Krim, E; Martin-Négrier, M-L

2011-11-01

MELAS syndrome (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes) is a rare genetic mitochondrial disease which can cause cerebral (cerebrovascular accident, migraine, mental deterioration..), sensorial (bilateral symmetrical deafness) and peripheral (muscular involvement, neuropathy) disorders potentially associated with diabetes, renal or cardiac disorders, or growth retardation. Eighty percent of the patients have the 3243 A>G mutation in the leucine RNA transfer gene. Clinical manifestations leading to discovery of the mutation can be extremely varied, affecting patients of different age groups. We report the case of a 49-year-old man who presented acute fits of confusion followed by mutism and praxic disorders. History taking revealed recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes, axonal neuropathy, and bilateral symmetrical deafness requiring hearing aids. The initial MRI showed FLAIR sequences with bi-parietal abnormalities, no signs of recent stroke on the DW/B10000 sequences, and basal ganglia calcifications. Blood tests and morphological findings ruled out a vascular origin. Search for lactic acidosis remained constantly negative in blood samples despite positive cerebrospinal fluid samples (N×3). The 3243 A>G mitochondrial DNA mutation was identified. The neuropsychological evaluation revealed a serious dysexecutive syndrome with a major impact on the patient's self sufficiency. Neurocognitive disorders are not common in MELAS syndrome. Brain MRI results and the presence of extra-neurological signs can be helpful for diagnosis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
MicroRNA sequence motifs reveal asymmetry between the stem arms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gorodkin, Jan; Havgaard, Jakob Hull; Ensterö, M.

2006-01-01

The processing of micro RNAs (miRNAs) from their stemloop precursor have revealed asymmetry in the processing of the mature and its star sequence. Furthermore, the miRNA processing system between organism differ. To assess this at the sequence level we have investigated mature miRNAs in their gen......The processing of micro RNAs (miRNAs) from their stemloop precursor have revealed asymmetry in the processing of the mature and its star sequence. Furthermore, the miRNA processing system between organism differ. To assess this at the sequence level we have investigated mature mi...
Application of Ultrafiltration in a Paper Mill: Process Water Reuse and Membrane Fouling Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Chen

2015-02-01

Full Text Available High water consumption is a major environmental problem that the pulp and paper industry is facing. Ultrafiltration (UF can be used to remove the dissolved and colloidal substances (DCS concentrated during the recycling of white water (the process water to facilitate the reuse of white water and reduce fresh water consumption. However, membrane fouling limits the application of UF in this industry. In this study, super-clear filtrate obtained from a fine paper mill was purified with a polyethersulfone (PES ultrafiltration membrane to evaluate the reuse performance of the ultrafiltrate. The membrane foulants were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrophotometry, attenuated total reﬂection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results indicate that the retention rate of stock and the strength properties of paper increased when the ultrafiltrate was reused in the papermaking process compared to when super-clear filtrate was used. The reversible membrane foulants during ultrafiltration accounted for 85.52% of the total foulants and primarily originated from retention aids, drainage aids, and wet strength resins, while the irreversible adsorptive foulants accounted for 14.48% and mostly came from sizing agents, coating chemicals, and others. Moreover, the presence of dissolved multivalent metal ions, especially Ca2+, accelerated membrane fouling.
Potent neutralization of hepatitis A virus reveals a receptor mimic mechanism and the receptor recognition site.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiangxi; Zhu, Ling; Dang, Minghao; Hu, Zhongyu; Gao, Qiang; Yuan, Shuai; Sun, Yao; Zhang, Bo; Ren, Jingshan; Kotecha, Abhay; Walter, Thomas S; Wang, Junzhi; Fry, Elizabeth E; Stuart, David I; Rao, Zihe

2017-01-24

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infects ∼1.4 million people annually and, although there is a vaccine, there are no licensed therapeutic drugs. HAV is unusually stable (making disinfection problematic) and little is known of how it enters cells and releases its RNA. Here we report a potent HAV-specific monoclonal antibody, R10, which neutralizes HAV infection by blocking attachment to the host cell. High-resolution cryo-EM structures of HAV full and empty particles and of the complex of HAV with R10 Fab reveal the atomic details of antibody binding and point to a receptor recognition site at the pentamer interface. These results, together with our observation that the R10 Fab destabilizes the capsid, suggest the use of a receptor mimic mechanism to neutralize virus infection, providing new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
Calreticulin reveals a critical Ca2+ checkpoint in cardiac myofibrillogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian; Pucéat, Michel; Perez-Terzic, Carmen; Mery, Annabelle; Nakamura, Kimitoshi; Michalak, Marek; Krause, Karl-Heinz; Jaconi, Marisa E.

2002-01-01

Calreticulin (crt) is an ubiquitously expressed and multifunctional Ca2+-binding protein that regulates diverse vital cell functions, including Ca2+ storage in the ER and protein folding. Calreticulin deficiency in mice is lethal in utero due to defects in heart development and function. Herein, we used crt − / − embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiated in vitro into cardiac cells to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying heart failure of knockout embryos. After 8 d of differentiation, beating areas were prominent in ES-derived wild-type (wt) embryoid bodies (EBs), but not in ES-derived crt − / − EBs, despite normal expression levels of cardiac transcription factors. Crt − / − EBs exhibited a severe decrease in expression and a lack of phosphorylation of ventricular myosin light chain 2 (MLC2v), resulting in an impaired organization of myofibrils. Crt − / − phenotype could be recreated in wt cells by chelating extracellular or cytoplasmic Ca2+ with EGTA or BAPTA, or by inhibiting Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinases (CaMKs). An imposed ionomycin-triggered cystolic-free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) elevation restored the expression, phosphorylation, and insertion of MLC2v into sarcomeric structures and in turn the myofibrillogenesis. The transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor C2 failed to accumulate into nuclei of crt − / − cardiac cells in the absence of ionomycin-triggered [Ca2+]c increase. We conclude that the absence of calreticulin interferes with myofibril formation. Most importantly, calreticulin deficiency revealed the importance of a Ca2+-dependent checkpoint critical for early events during cardiac myofibrillogenesis. PMID:12105184
Serum and urine metabolomics study reveals a distinct diagnostic model for cancer cachexia

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Quan‐Jun; Zhao, Jiang‐Rong; Hao, Juan; Li, Bin; Huo, Yan; Han, Yong‐Long; Wan, Li‐Li; Li, Jie; Huang, Jinlu; Lu, Jin

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Cachexia is a multifactorial metabolic syndrome with high morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced cancer. The diagnosis of cancer cachexia depends on objective measures of clinical symptoms and a history of weight loss, which lag behind disease progression and have limited utility for the early diagnosis of cancer cachexia. In this study, we performed a nuclear magnetic resonance‐based metabolomics analysis to reveal the metabolic profile of cancer cachexia and establish a diagnostic model. Methods Eighty‐four cancer cachexia patients, 33 pre‐cachectic patients, 105 weight‐stable cancer patients, and 74 healthy controls were included in the training and validation sets. Comparative analysis was used to elucidate the distinct metabolites of cancer cachexia, while metabolic pathway analysis was employed to elucidate reprogramming pathways. Random forest, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to select and validate the biomarker metabolites and establish a diagnostic model. Results Forty‐six cancer cachexia patients, 22 pre‐cachectic patients, 68 weight‐stable cancer patients, and 48 healthy controls were included in the training set, and 38 cancer cachexia patients, 11 pre‐cachectic patients, 37 weight‐stable cancer patients, and 26 healthy controls were included in the validation set. All four groups were age‐matched and sex‐matched in the training set. Metabolomics analysis showed a clear separation of the four groups. Overall, 45 metabolites and 18 metabolic pathways were associated with cancer cachexia. Using random forest analysis, 15 of these metabolites were identified as highly discriminating between disease states. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to create a distinct diagnostic model with an area under the curve of 0.991 based on three metabolites. The diagnostic equation was Logit(P) = −400.53 – 481.88�
MRI findings of a remote and isolated vaginal metastasis revealing an adenocarcinoma of the mid-sigmoid colon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D’Arco, Felice; Pizzuti, Laura Micol; Romano, Federica; Natella, Valentina; Laccetti, Ettore; Storto, Giovanni; Maurea, Simone; Mainenti, Pier Paolo

2014-01-01

A remote vaginal metastasis from a colo-rectal carcinoma is extremely rare. Only few cases have been described in the literature. The radiological appearances of a vaginal metastasis from colon-rectal cancer have not been extensively investigated. We report the MRI findings with clinical and pathological correlations of a remote and isolated vaginal metastasis revealing a mid-sigmoid adenocarcinoma in a 67 years old woman
Master stability functions reveal diffusion-driven pattern formation in networks

Science.gov (United States)

Brechtel, Andreas; Gramlich, Philipp; Ritterskamp, Daniel; Drossel, Barbara; Gross, Thilo

2018-03-01

We study diffusion-driven pattern formation in networks of networks, a class of multilayer systems, where different layers have the same topology, but different internal dynamics. Agents are assumed to disperse within a layer by undergoing random walks, while they can be created or destroyed by reactions between or within a layer. We show that the stability of homogeneous steady states can be analyzed with a master stability function approach that reveals a deep analogy between pattern formation in networks and pattern formation in continuous space. For illustration, we consider a generalized model of ecological meta-food webs. This fairly complex model describes the dispersal of many different species across a region consisting of a network of individual habitats while subject to realistic, nonlinear predator-prey interactions. In this example, the method reveals the intricate dependence of the dynamics on the spatial structure. The ability of the proposed approach to deal with this fairly complex system highlights it as a promising tool for ecology and other applications.
Restablished Accretion in Post-outburst Classical Novae Revealed by X-rays

Science.gov (United States)

Hernanz, Margarita; Ferri, Carlo; Sala, Glòria

2009-05-01

Classical novae are explosions on accreting white dwarfs (hereinafter WDs) in cataclysmic variables (hereinafter CVs) a hydrogen thermonuclear runaway on top of the WD is responsible for the outburst. X-rays provide a unique way to study the turn-off of H-burning, because super soft X-rays reveal the hot WD photosphere, but also to understand how accretion is established again in the binary system. Observations with XMM-Newton of some post-outburst novae have revealed such a process, but a coverage up to larger energies -as Simbol-X will provide- is fundamental to well understand the characteristics of the binary system and of the nova ejecta. We present a brief summary of our results up to now and prospects for the Simbol-X mission.
A genome-wide map of hyper-edited RNA reveals numerous new sites

Science.gov (United States)

Porath, Hagit T.; Carmi, Shai; Levanon, Erez Y.

2014-01-01

Adenosine-to-inosine editing is one of the most frequent post-transcriptional modifications, manifested as A-to-G mismatches when comparing RNA sequences with their source DNA. Recently, a number of RNA-seq data sets have been screened for the presence of A-to-G editing, and hundreds of thousands of editing sites identified. Here we show that existing screens missed the majority of sites by ignoring reads with excessive (‘hyper’) editing that do not easily align to the genome. We show that careful alignment and examination of the unmapped reads in RNA-seq studies reveal numerous new sites, usually many more than originally discovered, and in precisely those regions that are most heavily edited. Specifically, we discover 327,096 new editing sites in the heavily studied Illumina Human BodyMap data and more than double the number of detected sites in several published screens. We also identify thousands of new sites in mouse, rat, opossum and fly. Our results establish that hyper-editing events account for the majority of editing sites. PMID:25158696
High rates of hybridisation reveal fragile reproductive barriers between endangered Australian sea snakes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanders, Kate L; Redsted Rasmussen, Arne; Guinea, Michael L.

2014-01-01

designations, but revealed high frequencies of hybrids on all four reefs and individuals of pure A. fuscus ancestry only at Scott and (historically) Ashmore. Most unexpectedly, 95% of snakes sampled at Hibernia were hybrids that resembled A. laevis in phenotype, revealing a collapse of reproductive barriers...... (‘reverse speciation’) at this reef. These results have dire implications for the conservation status of A. fuscus, and highlight the fragility of reproductive barriers in a recent marine radiation....
Activity based costing of diagnostic procedures at a nuclear medicine center of a tertiary care hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Hada, Mahesh Singh; Chakravarty, Abhijit; Mukherjee, Partha

2014-10-01

Escalating health care expenses pose a new challenge to the health care environment of becoming more cost-effective. There is an urgent need for more accurate data on the costs of health care procedures. Demographic changes, changing morbidity profile, and the rising impact of noncommunicable diseases are emphasizing the role of nuclear medicine (NM) in the future health care environment. However, the impact of emerging disease load and stagnant resource availability needs to be balanced by a strategic drive towards optimal utilization of available healthcare resources. The aim was to ascertain the cost of diagnostic procedures conducted at the NM Department of a tertiary health care facility by employing activity based costing (ABC) method. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of 1 year. ABC methodology was utilized for ascertaining unit cost of different diagnostic procedures and such costs were compared with prevalent market rates for estimating cost effectiveness of the department being studied. The cost per unit procedure for various procedures varied from Rs. 869 (USD 14.48) for a thyroid scan to Rs. 11230 (USD 187.16) for a meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine (MIBG) scan, the most cost-effective investigations being the stress thallium, technetium-99 m myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and MIBG scan. The costs obtained from this study were observed to be competitive when compared to prevalent market rates. ABC methodology provides precise costing inputs and should be used for all future costing studies in NM Departments.
Activity based costing of diagnostic procedures at a nuclear medicine center of a tertiary care hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hada, Mahesh Singh; Chakravarty, Abhijit; Mukherjee, Partha

2014-01-01

Escalating health care expenses pose a new challenge to the health care environment of becoming more cost-effective. There is an urgent need for more accurate data on the costs of health care procedures. Demographic changes, changing morbidity profile, and the rising impact of noncommunicable diseases are emphasizing the role of nuclear medicine (NM) in the future health care environment. However, the impact of emerging disease load and stagnant resource availability needs to be balanced by a strategic drive towards optimal utilization of available healthcare resources. The aim was to ascertain the cost of diagnostic procedures conducted at the NM Department of a tertiary health care facility by employing activity based costing (ABC) method. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of 1 year. ABC methodology was utilized for ascertaining unit cost of different diagnostic procedures and such costs were compared with prevalent market rates for estimating cost effectiveness of the department being studied. The cost per unit procedure for various procedures varied from Rs. 869 (USD 14.48) for a thyroid scan to Rs. 11230 (USD 187.16) for a meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine (MIBG) scan, the most cost-effective investigations being the stress thallium, technetium-99 m myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and MIBG scan. The costs obtained from this study were observed to be competitive when compared to prevalent market rates. ABC methodology provides precise costing inputs and should be used for all future costing studies in NM Departments
Management of postoperative urinary retention: a randomized trial of in-out versus overnight catheterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Hung; Lam, Becky

2004-08-01

There has been no consensus on the best catheterization strategy for the management of postoperative urinary retention. A prospective randomized trial was undertaken to establish the best practice guidelines for the management of postoperative urinary retention. The authors also evaluated the contemporary incidence of urinary retention following different categories of general surgery and examined risk factors associated with its occurrence. All patients who underwent elective inpatient surgery between January 2002 and June 2003 were recruited into the study. Patients who developed postoperative urinary retention were randomized to either having in-out catheterization or placement of an indwelling catheter for 24 h after surgery. A total of 1448 patients was recruited. The overall incidence of urinary retention was 4.1% (n = 60). Significant risk factors associated with postoperative urinary retention included old age, anorectal procedures and use of spinal anaesthesia. Comparison of re-catheterization and urinary tract infection rates between patients who were treated with in-out versus overnight catheterization found no significant differences. Postoperative urinary retention should be managed by in-out catheterization. Indwelling catheterization for 24 h appeared to bestow no additional benefits. The incidence of urinary retention increases with age, anorectal procedures and the use of spinal anaesthesia.

'Big bang' of B-cell development revealed.

Science.gov (United States)

Murre, Cornelis

2018-01-15

Earlier studies have identified transcription factors that specify B-cell fate, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be revealed. Two new studies by Miyai and colleagues (pp. 112-126) and Li and colleagues (pp. 96-111) in this issue of Genes & Development provide new and unprecedented insights into the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that establish B-cell identity. © 2018 Murre; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
Whole Exome Sequencing Reveals Genetic Predisposition in a Large Family with Retinitis Pigmentosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Wu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Next-generation sequencing has become more widely used to reveal genetic defect in monogenic disorders. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP, the leading cause of hereditary blindness worldwide, has been attributed to more than 67 disease-causing genes. Due to the extreme genetic heterogeneity, using general molecular screening alone is inadequate for identifying genetic predispositions in susceptible individuals. In order to identify underlying mutation rapidly, we utilized next-generation sequencing in a four-generation Chinese family with RP. Two affected patients and an unaffected sibling were subjected to whole exome sequencing. Through bioinformatics analysis and direct sequencing confirmation, we identified p.R135W transition in the rhodopsin gene. The mutation was subsequently confirmed to cosegregate with the disease in the family. In this study, our results suggest that whole exome sequencing is a robust method in diagnosing familial hereditary disease.
Structure of the nucleotide-binding domain of a dipeptide ABC transporter reveals a novel iron-sulfur cluster-binding domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaolu; Zhuo, Wei; Yu, Jie; Ge, Jingpeng; Gu, Jinke; Feng, Yue; Yang, Maojun; Wang, Linfang; Wang, Na

2013-02-01

Dipeptide permease (Dpp), which belongs to an ABC transport system, imports peptides consisting of two or three L-amino acids from the matrix to the cytoplasm in microbes. Previous studies have indicated that haem competes with dipeptides to bind DppA in vitro and in vivo and that the Dpp system can also translocate haem. Here, the crystal structure of DppD, the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of the ABC-type dipeptide/oligopeptide/nickel-transport system from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis, bound with ATP, Mg(2+) and a [4Fe-4S] iron-sulfur cluster is reported. The N-terminal domain of DppD shares a similar structural fold with the NBDs of other ABC transporters. Interestingly, the C-terminal domain of DppD contains a [4Fe-4S] cluster. The UV-visible absorbance spectrum of DppD was consistent with the presence of a [4Fe-4S] cluster. A search with DALI revealed that the [4Fe-4S] cluster-binding domain is a novel structural fold. Structural analysis and comparisons with other ABC transporters revealed that this iron-sulfur cluster may act as a mediator in substrate (dipeptide or haem) binding by electron transfer and may regulate the transport process in Dpp ABC transport systems. The crystal structure provides a basis for understanding the properties of ABC transporters and will be helpful in investigating the functions of NBDs in the regulation of ABC transporter activity.
The importance to reveal buried interfaces in the semiconductor heterostructure devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Yoshikazu; Tabuchi, Masao

2007-01-01

Even though several in-situ monitoring techniques exist and are quite useful to understand the growth processes in MBE or MOVPE, we also need a technique to reveal the buried interfaces along which carriers are transported and recombine to emit light. The interface is modified during the capping (overgrowth) and also during the device fabrication processes after growth. We need to correlate the interface structures in the devices and the device performances. The only technique we have at present is the X-ray CTR scattering measurements. We discuss the limits of the in-situ monitoring and the necessity to reveal the buried interfaces non-destructively, either in-situ or ex-situ
Intragenic suppressor of Osiaa23 revealed a conserved tryptophan residue crucial for protein-protein interactions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Ni

Full Text Available The Auxin/Indole-3-Acetic Acid (Aux/IAA and Auxin Response Factor (ARF are two important families that play key roles in auxin signal transduction. Both of the families contain a similar carboxyl-terminal domain (Domain III/IV that facilitates interactions between these two families. In spite of the importance of protein-protein interactions among these transcription factors, the mechanisms involved in these interactions are largely unknown. In this study, we isolated six intragenic suppressors of an auxin insensitive mutant, Osiaa23. Among these suppressors, Osiaa23-R5 successfully rescued all the defects of the mutant. Sequence analysis revealed that an amino acid substitution occurred in the Tryptophan (W residue in Domain IV of Osiaa23. Yeast two-hybrid experiments showed that the mutation in Domain IV prevents the protein-protein interactions between Osiaa23 and OsARFs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the W residue is conserved in both OsIAAs and OsARFs. Next, we performed site-specific amino acid substitutions within Domain IV of OsARFs, and the conserved W in Domain IV was exchanged by Serine (S. The mutated OsARF(WSs can be released from the inhibition of Osiaa23 and maintain the transcriptional activities. Expression of OsARF(WSs in Osiaa23 mutant rescued different defects of the mutant. Our results suggest a previously unknown importance of Domain IV in both families and provide an indirect way to investigate functions of OsARFs.
Core-level photoemission revealing the Mott transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyeong-Do; Noh, Han-Jin; Kim, K.H.; Oh, S.-J.

2005-01-01

Ru 3d core-level X-ray photoemission spectra of various ruthenates are examined. They show in general two-peak structures, which can be assigned as the screened and unscreened peaks. The screened peak is absent in a Mott insulator, but develops into a main peak as the correlation strength becomes weak. This spectral behavior is well explained by the dynamical mean-field theory calculation for the single-band Hubbard model with the on-site core-hole potential using the exact diagonalization method. The new mechanism of the core-level photoemission satellite can be utilized to reveal the Mott transition phenomenon in various strongly correlated electron systems
NUTRITIONAL ESTIMATES OF SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN BASED ON ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS: STUDY FROM A RURAL AREA OF VARANASI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M K Gupta

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Background: With the adoption of western lifestyle the problem of overweight and obesity is gradually increasing in children, while problem of malnutrition is persisting continuously in the country. With this background a school based cross sectional study was conducted to assess the nutritional status of school going children in a rural area: Chiraigaon block of Varanasi. Study period: July 2010 to September 2010 Methods: A school-based study with cross-sectional design was adopted. A total of 1448 school children were examined from 3 middle-schools that were selected by simple random sampling method. Height and weight of the children were measured, and BMI and other parameters were assessed. Results: On applying the BMI-for-age criteria, twelve percent of the children (12.4% boys and 11.1% girls were found underweight while 5.4% were overweight or obese (5.71% of the boys and 4.63% of the girls. But when the previous WHO’s BMI classification was used, 86.5% children had BMI <18.5 (88.4% of total boys and 81.9% of all girls. Conclusion: Nutritional status of school going children based on WHO criteria of BMI for age has been satisfactory. However, this approach needs scientific validation by undertaking a multi-centric study.
A Simple Geotracer Compositional Correlation Analysis Reveals Oil Charge and Migration Pathways

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yunlai; Arouri, Khaled

2016-03-01

A novel approach, based on geotracer compositional correlation analysis is reported, which reveals the oil charge sequence and migration pathways for five oil fields in Saudi Arabia. The geotracers utilised are carbazoles, a family of neutral pyrrolic nitrogen compounds known to occur naturally in crude oils. The approach is based on the concept that closely related fields, with respect to filling sequence, will show a higher carbazole compositional correlation, than those fields that are less related. That is, carbazole compositional correlation coefficients can quantify the charge and filling relationships among different fields. Consequently, oil migration pathways can be defined based on the established filling relationships. The compositional correlation coefficients of isomers of C1 and C2 carbazoles, and benzo[a]carbazole for all different combination pairs of the five fields were found to vary extremely widely (0.28 to 0.94). A wide range of compositional correlation coefficients allows adequate differentiation of separate filling relationships. Based on the established filling relationships, three distinct migration pathways were inferred, with each apparently being charged from a different part of a common source kitchen. The recognition of these charge and migration pathways will greatly aid the search for new accumulations.
Switching neuronal state: optimal stimuli revealed using a stochastically-seeded gradient algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Joshua; Paydarfar, David

2014-12-01

Inducing a switch in neuronal state using energy optimal stimuli is relevant to a variety of problems in neuroscience. Analytical techniques from optimal control theory can identify such stimuli; however, solutions to the optimization problem using indirect variational approaches can be elusive in models that describe neuronal behavior. Here we develop and apply a direct gradient-based optimization algorithm to find stimulus waveforms that elicit a change in neuronal state while minimizing energy usage. We analyze standard models of neuronal behavior, the Hodgkin-Huxley and FitzHugh-Nagumo models, to show that the gradient-based algorithm: (1) enables automated exploration of a wide solution space, using stochastically generated initial waveforms that converge to multiple locally optimal solutions; and (2) finds optimal stimulus waveforms that achieve a physiological outcome condition, without a priori knowledge of the optimal terminal condition of all state variables. Analysis of biological systems using stochastically-seeded gradient methods can reveal salient dynamical mechanisms underlying the optimal control of system behavior. The gradient algorithm may also have practical applications in future work, for example, finding energy optimal waveforms for therapeutic neural stimulation that minimizes power usage and diminishes off-target effects and damage to neighboring tissue.
A Simple Geotracer Compositional Correlation Analysis Reveals Oil Charge and Migration Pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yunlai; Arouri, Khaled

2016-03-11

A novel approach, based on geotracer compositional correlation analysis is reported, which reveals the oil charge sequence and migration pathways for five oil fields in Saudi Arabia. The geotracers utilised are carbazoles, a family of neutral pyrrolic nitrogen compounds known to occur naturally in crude oils. The approach is based on the concept that closely related fields, with respect to filling sequence, will show a higher carbazole compositional correlation, than those fields that are less related. That is, carbazole compositional correlation coefficients can quantify the charge and filling relationships among different fields. Consequently, oil migration pathways can be defined based on the established filling relationships. The compositional correlation coefficients of isomers of C1 and C2 carbazoles, and benzo[a]carbazole for all different combination pairs of the five fields were found to vary extremely widely (0.28 to 0.94). A wide range of compositional correlation coefficients allows adequate differentiation of separate filling relationships. Based on the established filling relationships, three distinct migration pathways were inferred, with each apparently being charged from a different part of a common source kitchen. The recognition of these charge and migration pathways will greatly aid the search for new accumulations.
A ChIP-chip approach reveals a novel role for transcription factor IRF1 in the DNA damage response.

Science.gov (United States)

Frontini, Mattia; Vijayakumar, Meeraa; Garvin, Alexander; Clarke, Nicole

2009-03-01

IRF1 is a transcription factor that regulates key processes in the immune system and in tumour suppression. To gain further insight into IRF1's role in these processes, we searched for new target genes by performing chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to a CpG island microarray (ChIP-chip). Using this approach we identified 202 new IRF1-binding sites with high confidence. Functional categorization of the target genes revealed a surprising cadre of new roles that can be linked to IRF1. One of the major functional categories was the DNA damage response pathway. In order to further validate our findings, we show that IRF1 can regulate the mRNA expression of a number of the DNA damage response genes in our list. In particular, we demonstrate that the mRNA and protein levels of the DNA repair protein BRIP1 [Fanconi anemia gene J (FANC J)] are upregulated after IRF1 over-expression. We also demonstrate that knockdown of IRF1 by siRNA results in loss of BRIP1 expression, abrogation of BRIP1 foci after DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL) damage and hypersensitivity to the DNA crosslinking agent, melphalan; a characteristic phenotype of FANC J cells. Taken together, our data provides a more complete understanding of the regulatory networks controlled by IRF1 and reveals a novel role for IRF1 in regulating the ICL DNA damage response.
A ChIP–chip approach reveals a novel role for transcription factor IRF1 in the DNA damage response

Science.gov (United States)

Frontini, Mattia; Vijayakumar, Meeraa; Garvin, Alexander; Clarke, Nicole

2009-01-01

IRF1 is a transcription factor that regulates key processes in the immune system and in tumour suppression. To gain further insight into IRF1's role in these processes, we searched for new target genes by performing chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to a CpG island microarray (ChIP–chip). Using this approach we identified 202 new IRF1-binding sites with high confidence. Functional categorization of the target genes revealed a surprising cadre of new roles that can be linked to IRF1. One of the major functional categories was the DNA damage response pathway. In order to further validate our findings, we show that IRF1 can regulate the mRNA expression of a number of the DNA damage response genes in our list. In particular, we demonstrate that the mRNA and protein levels of the DNA repair protein BRIP1 [Fanconi anemia gene J (FANC J)] are upregulated after IRF1 over-expression. We also demonstrate that knockdown of IRF1 by siRNA results in loss of BRIP1 expression, abrogation of BRIP1 foci after DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL) damage and hypersensitivity to the DNA crosslinking agent, melphalan; a characteristic phenotype of FANC J cells. Taken together, our data provides a more complete understanding of the regulatory networks controlled by IRF1 and reveals a novel role for IRF1 in regulating the ICL DNA damage response. PMID:19129219
The VLT Measures the Shape of a Type Ia Supernova

Science.gov (United States)

2003-08-01

-mode FORS1 instrument to observe SN 2001el , a Type Ia supernova that was discovered in September 2001 in the galaxy NGC 1448, cf. PR Photo 24a/03 at a distance of 60 million light-years. Observations obtained about a week before this supernova reached maximum brightness around October 2 revealed polarisation at levels of 0.2-0.3% ( PR Photo 24b/03 ). Near maximum light and up to two weeks thereafter, the polarisation was still measurable. Six weeks after maximum, the polarisation had dropped below detectability. This is the first time ever that a normal Type Ia supernova has been found to exhibit such clear-cut evidence of asymmetry . Looking deeper into the supernova Immediately following the supernova explosion, most of the expelled matter moves at velocities around 10,000 km/sec. During this expansion, the outermost layers become progressively more transparent. With time one can thus look deeper and deeper into the supernova. The polarisation measured in SN 2001el therefore provides evidence that the outermost parts of the supernova (which are first seen) are significantly asymmetric . Later, when the VLT observations "penetrate" deeper towards the heart of the supernova, the explosion geometry is increasingly more symmetric. If modeled in terms of a flattened spheroidal shape, the measured polarisation in SN 2001el implies a minor-to-major axis ratio of around 0.9 before maximum brightness is reached and a spherically symmetric geometry from about one week after this maximum and onward. Cosmological implications One of the key parameters on which Type Ia distance estimates are based is the optical brightness at maximum. The measured asphericity at this moment would introduce an absolute brightness uncertainty (dispersion) of about 10% if no correction were made for the viewing angle (which is not known). While Type Ia supernovae are by far the best standard candles for measuring cosmological distances, and hence for investigating the so-called dark energy, a small
What If a State Required Civic Learning for All Students?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John D Reiff

2016-06-01

Full Text Available his article tells the story of the first state in the U.S. to set the expectation that every undergraduate in public higher education would be involved in civic learning. In 2012, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education made “Preparing Citizens” one of seven key outcomes of its Vision Project for public higher education. In 2014, the Board passed a Policy on Civic Learning defining civic learning as “acquisition of the knowledge, the intellectual skills and the applied competencies that citizens need for informed and effective participation in civic and democratic life; it also means acquiring an understanding of the social values that underlie democratic structures and practices” (http://www.mass.edu/bhe/lib/documents/AAC14-48CivicLearningwithPolicy-RevisedFinalforBHE.pdf. First steps toward achieving this goal include• designing a process to identify and designate on every campus under the Board’s oversight those courses with a substantial focus on civic learning—either with or without civic engagement built into them—and • developing a set of rubrics that can be used to assess student learning outcomes in these courses. The article presents the complex issues emerging through the first year’s work on these two steps, and sketches action steps to follow.
Hidden acoustic information revealed by intentional nonlinearity

Science.gov (United States)

Dowling, David R.

2017-11-01

Acoustic waves are omnipresent in modern life and are well described by the linearized equations of fluid dynamics. Once generated, acoustic waves carry and collect information about their source and the environment through which they propagate, respectively, and this information may be retrieved by analyzing recordings of these waves. Because of this, acoustics is the primary means for observation, surveillance, reconnaissance, and remote sensing in otherwise opaque environments, such as the Earth's oceans and crust, and the interior of the human body. For such information-retrieval tasks, acoustic fields are nearly always interrogated within their recorded frequency range or bandwidth. However, this frequency-range restriction is not general; acoustic fields may also carry (hidden) information at frequencies outside their bandwidth. Although such a claim may seem counter intuitive, hidden acoustic-field information can be revealed by re-introducing a marquee trait of fluid dynamics: nonlinearity. In particular, an intentional quadratic nonlinearity - a form of intra-signal heterodyning - can be used to obtain acoustic field information at frequencies outside a recorded acoustic field's bandwidth. This quadratic nonlinearity enables a variety of acoustic remote sensing applications that were long thought to be impossible. In particular, it allows the detrimental effects of sparse recordings and random scattering to be suppressed when the original acoustic field has sufficient bandwidth. In this presentation, the topic is developed heuristically, with a just brief exposition of the relevant mathematics. Hidden acoustic field information is then revealed from simulated and measured acoustic fields in simple and complicated acoustic environments involving frequencies from a few Hertz to more than 100 kHz, and propagation distances from tens of centimeters to hundreds of kilometers. Sponsored by ONR, NAVSEA, and NSF.
Individual-based analyses reveal limited functional overlap in a coral reef fish community.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandl, Simon J; Bellwood, David R

2014-05-01

Detailed knowledge of a species' functional niche is crucial for the study of ecological communities and processes. The extent of niche overlap, functional redundancy and functional complementarity is of particular importance if we are to understand ecosystem processes and their vulnerability to disturbances. Coral reefs are among the most threatened marine systems, and anthropogenic activity is changing the functional composition of reefs. The loss of herbivorous fishes is particularly concerning as the removal of algae is crucial for the growth and survival of corals. Yet, the foraging patterns of the various herbivorous fish species are poorly understood. Using a multidimensional framework, we present novel individual-based analyses of species' realized functional niches, which we apply to a herbivorous coral reef fish community. In calculating niche volumes for 21 species, based on their microhabitat utilization patterns during foraging, and computing functional overlaps, we provide a measurement of functional redundancy or complementarity. Complementarity is the inverse of redundancy and is defined as less than 50% overlap in niche volumes. The analyses reveal extensive complementarity with an average functional overlap of just 15.2%. Furthermore, the analyses divide herbivorous reef fishes into two broad groups. The first group (predominantly surgeonfishes and parrotfishes) comprises species feeding on exposed surfaces and predominantly open reef matrix or sandy substrata, resulting in small niche volumes and extensive complementarity. In contrast, the second group consists of species (predominantly rabbitfishes) that feed over a wider range of microhabitats, penetrating the reef matrix to exploit concealed surfaces of various substratum types. These species show high variation among individuals, leading to large niche volumes, more overlap and less complementarity. These results may have crucial consequences for our understanding of herbivorous processes on
[Invasive aspergillosis of sphenoidal sinus in a patient in Djibouti, revealed by palsy of cranial nerves: a case report].

Science.gov (United States)

Crambert, A; Gauthier, J; Vignal, R; Conessa, C; Lombard, B

2013-05-01

The authors report a case of invasive aspergillosis of a sphenoid sinus mucocele revealed in a patient with diabetes in Djibouti by homolateral palsy of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th nerves. This rare condition occurs preferentially in immunodeficient subjects. Because of its clinical polymorphism, its diagnosis is difficult and is often not made until complications develop. Endonasal surgery with anatomopathological and mycological examination is both a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. It must be performed early, to avoid functional or even life-threatening complications.
Comparative mapping reveals similar linkage of functional genes to ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

genes between O. sativa and B. napus may have consistent function and control similar traits, which may be ..... acea chromosomes reveals islands of conserved organization. ... 1998 Conserved structure and function of the Arabidopsis flow-.
Comparative transcriptomics reveal host-specific nucleotide variation in entomophthoralean fungi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Fine Licht, Henrik Hjarvard; Jensen, Annette Bruun; Eilenberg, Jørgen

2017-01-01

of toxins that interfere with the host immune response. Phylogenetic comparison with the nonobligate generalist insect-pathogenic fungus Conidiobolus coronatus revealed a gene-family expansion of trehalase enzymes in E. muscae. The main sugar in insect haemolymph is trehalose, and efficient sugar...
Structure of the cold-shock domain protein from Neisseria meningitidis reveals a strand-exchanged dimer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, Jingshan [The Oxford Protein Production Facility, Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom); Division of Structural Biology, Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom); Nettleship, Joanne E.; Sainsbury, Sarah [The Oxford Protein Production Facility, Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom); Saunders, Nigel J. [Bacterial Pathogenesis and Functional Genomics Group, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE (United Kingdom); Owens, Raymond J., E-mail: ray@strubi.ox.ac.uk [The Oxford Protein Production Facility, Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN (United Kingdom)

2008-04-01

The X-ray crystal structure of the cold-shock domain protein from N. meningitidis reveals a strand-exchanged dimer. The structure of the cold-shock domain protein from Neisseria meningitidis has been solved to 2.6 Å resolution and shown to comprise a dimer formed by the exchange of two β-strands between protein monomers. The overall fold of the monomer closely resembles those of other bacterial cold-shock proteins. The neisserial protein behaved as a monomer in solution and was shown to bind to a hexathymidine oligonucleotide with a stoichiometry of 1:1 and a K{sub d} of 1.25 µM.

Genes but not genomes reveal bacterial domestication of Lactococcus lactis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delphine Passerini

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The population structure and diversity of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, a major industrial bacterium involved in milk fermentation, was determined at both gene and genome level. Seventy-six lactococcal isolates of various origins were studied by different genotyping methods and thirty-six strains displaying unique macrorestriction fingerprints were analyzed by a new multilocus sequence typing (MLST scheme. This gene-based analysis was compared to genomic characteristics determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The MLST analysis revealed that L. lactis subsp. lactis is essentially clonal with infrequent intra- and intergenic recombination; also, despite its taxonomical classification as a subspecies, it displays a genetic diversity as substantial as that within several other bacterial species. Genome-based analysis revealed a genome size variability of 20%, a value typical of bacteria inhabiting different ecological niches, and that suggests a large pan-genome for this subspecies. However, the genomic characteristics (macrorestriction pattern, genome or chromosome size, plasmid content did not correlate to the MLST-based phylogeny, with strains from the same sequence type (ST differing by up to 230 kb in genome size. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The gene-based phylogeny was not fully consistent with the traditional classification into dairy and non-dairy strains but supported a new classification based on ecological separation between "environmental" strains, the main contributors to the genetic diversity within the subspecies, and "domesticated" strains, subject to recent genetic bottlenecks. Comparison between gene- and genome-based analyses revealed little relationship between core and dispensable genome phylogenies, indicating that clonal diversification and phenotypic variability of the "domesticated" strains essentially arose through substantial genomic flux within the dispensable
Whole-exome sequencing in a single proband reveals a mutation in the CHST8 gene in autosomal recessive peeling skin syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabral, Rita M; Kurban, Mazen; Wajid, Muhammad; Shimomura, Yutaka; Petukhova, Lynn; Christiano, Angela M

2012-04-01

Generalized peeling skin syndrome (PSS) is an autosomal recessive genodermatosis characterized by lifelong, continuous shedding of the upper epidermis. Using whole-genome homozygozity mapping and whole-exome sequencing, we identified a novel homozygous missense mutation (c.229C>T, R77W) within the CHST8 gene, in a large consanguineous family with non-inflammatory PSS type A. CHST8 encodes a Golgi transmembrane N-acetylgalactosamine-4-O-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4-ST1), which we show by immunofluorescence staining to be expressed throughout normal epidermis. A colorimetric assay for total sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) quantification, comparing human keratinocytes (CCD1106 KERTr) expressing wild type and mutant recombinant GalNAc4-ST1, revealed decreased levels of total sulfated GAGs in cells expressing mutant GalNAc4-ST1, suggesting loss of function. Western blotting revealed lower expression levels of mutant recombinant GalNAc4-ST1 compared to wild type, suggesting that accelerated degradation may result in loss of function, leading to PSS type A. This is the first report describing a mutation as the cause of PSS type A. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A korarchaeal genome reveals insights into the evolution of the Archaea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Iain J; Elkins, James G.; Podar, Mircea; Graham, David E.; Makarova, Kira S.; Wolf, Yuri; Randau, Lennart; Hedlund, Brian P.; Brochier-Armanet, Celine; Kunin, Victor; Anderson, Iain; Lapidus, Alla; Goltsman, Eugene; Barry, Kerrie; Koonin, Eugene V.; Hugenholtz, Phil; Kyrpides, Nikos; Wanner, Gerhard; Richardson, Paul; Keller, Martin; Stetter, Karl O.

2008-06-05

The candidate division Korarchaeota comprises a group of uncultivated microorganisms that, by their small subunit rRNA phylogeny, may have diverged early from the major archaeal phyla Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Here, we report the initial characterization of a member of the Korarchaeota with the proposed name,"Candidatus Korarchaeum cryptofilum," which exhibits an ultrathin filamentous morphology. To investigate possible ancestral relationships between deep-branching Korarchaeota and other phyla, we used whole-genome shotgun sequencing to construct a complete composite korarchaeal genome from enriched cells. The genome was assembled into a single contig 1.59 Mb in length with a G + C content of 49percent. Of the 1,617 predicted protein-coding genes, 1,382 (85percent) could be assigned to a revised set of archaeal Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs). The predicted gene functions suggest that the organism relies on a simple mode of peptide fermentation for carbon and energy and lacks the ability to synthesize de novo purines, CoA, and several other cofactors. Phylogenetic analyses based on conserved single genes and concatenated protein sequences positioned the korarchaeote as a deep archaeal lineage with an apparent affinity to the Crenarchaeota. However, the predicted gene content revealed that several conserved cellular systems, such as cell division, DNA replication, and tRNA maturation, resemble the counterparts in the Euryarchaeota. In light of the known composition of archaeal genomes, the Korarchaeota might have retained a set of cellular features that represents the ancestral archaeal form.
A Korarchael Genome Reveals Insights into the Evolution of the Archaea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lapidus, Alla; Elkins, James G.; Podar, Mircea; Graham, David E.; Makarova, Kira S.; Wolf, Yuri; Randau, Lennart; Hedlund, Brian P.; Brochier-Armanet, Celine; Kunin, Victor; Anderson, Iain; Lapidus, Alla; Goltsman, Eugene; Barry, Kerrie; Koonin, Eugene V.; Hugenholtz, Phil; Kyrpides, Nikos; Wanner, Gerhard; Richardson, Paul; Keller, Martin; Stetter, Karl O.

2008-01-07

The candidate division Korarchaeota comprises a group of uncultivated microorganisms that, by their small subunit rRNA phylogeny, may have diverged early from the major archaeal phyla Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Here, we report the initial characterization of a member of the Korarchaeota with the proposed name, ?Candidatus Korarchaeum cryptofilum,? which exhibits an ultrathin filamentous morphology. To investigate possible ancestral relationships between deep-branching Korarchaeota and other phyla, we used whole-genome shotgun sequencing to construct a complete composite korarchaeal genome from enriched cells. The genome was assembled into a single contig 1.59 Mb in length with a G + C content of 49percent. Of the 1,617 predicted protein-coding genes, 1,382 (85percent) could be assigned to a revised set of archaeal Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs). The predicted gene functions suggest that the organism relies on a simple mode of peptide fermentation for carbon and energy and lacks the ability to synthesize de novo purines, CoA, and several other cofactors. Phylogenetic analyses based on conserved single genes and concatenated protein sequences positioned the korarchaeote as a deep archaeal lineage with an apparent affinity to the Crenarchaeota. However, the predicted gene content revealed that several conserved cellular systems, such as cell division, DNA replication, and tRNA maturation, resemble the counterparts in the Euryarchaeota. In light of the known composition of archaeal genomes, the Korarchaeota might have retained a set of cellular features that represents the ancestral archaeal form.
Crystal structure of the adenosine A _2A receptor bound to an antagonist reveals a potential allosteric pocket

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Bingfa; Bachhawat, Priti; Chu, Matthew Ling-Hon; Wood, Martyn; Ceska, Tom; Sands, Zara A.; Mercier, Joel; Lebon, Florence; Kobilka, Tong Sun; Kobilka, Brian K. (Stanford-MED); (ConfometRx); (UCB Pharma)

2017-02-06

The adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) has long been implicated in cardiovascular disorders. As more selective A2AR ligands are being identified, its roles in other disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, are starting to emerge, and A2AR antagonists are important drug candidates for nondopaminergic anti-Parkinson treatment. Here we report the crystal structure of A2A receptor bound to compound 1 (Cmpd-1), a novel A2AR/N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B (NR2B) dual antagonist and potential anti-Parkinson candidate compound, at 3.5 Å resolution. The A2A receptor with a cytochrome b562-RIL (BRIL) fusion (A2AR–BRIL) in the intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) was crystallized in detergent micelles using vapor-phase diffusion. Whereas A2AR–BRIL bound to the antagonist ZM241385 has previously been crystallized in lipidic cubic phase (LCP), structural differences in the Cmpd-1–bound A2AR–BRIL prevented formation of the lattice observed with the ZM241385–bound receptor. The crystals grew with a type II crystal lattice in contrast to the typical type I packing seen from membrane protein structures crystallized in LCP. Cmpd-1 binds in a position that overlaps with the native ligand adenosine, but its methoxyphenyl group extends to an exosite not previously observed in other A2AR structures. Structural analysis revealed that Cmpd-1 binding results in the unique conformations of two tyrosine residues, Tyr91.35 and Tyr2717.36, which are critical for the formation of the exosite. The structure reveals insights into antagonist binding that are not observed in other A2AR structures, highlighting flexibility in the binding pocket that may facilitate the development of A2AR-selective compounds for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering reveals adsorption of mitoxantrone on plasma membrane of living cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breuzard, G.; Angiboust, J.-F.; Jeannesson, P.; Manfait, M.; Millot, J.-M.

2004-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy was applied to analyze mitoxantrone (MTX) adsorption on the plasma membrane microenvironment of sensitive (HCT-116 S) or BCRP/MXR-type resistant (HCT-116 R) cells. The addition of silver colloid to MTX-treated cells revealed an enhanced Raman scattering of MTX. Addition of extracellular DNA induced a total extinction of MTX Raman intensity for both cell lines, which revealed an adsorption of MTX on plasma membrane. A threefold higher MTX Raman intensity was observed for HCT-116 R, suggesting a tight MTX adsorption in the plasma membrane microenvironment. Fluorescence confocal microscopy confirmed a relative MTX emission around plasma membrane for HCT-116 R. After 30 min at 4 deg. C, a threefold decrease of the MTX Raman scattering was observed for HCT-116 R, contrary to HCT-116 S. Permeation with benzyl alcohol revealed a threefold decrease of membrane MTX adsorption on HCT-116 R, exclusively. This additional MTX adsorption should correspond to the drug bound to an unstable site on the HCT-116 R membrane. This study showed that SERS spectroscopy could be a direct method to reveal drug adsorption to the membrane environment of living cells
Unitary Root Music and Unitary Music with Real-Valued Rank Revealing Triangular Factorization

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

AFRL-RY-WP-TP-2010-1213 UNITARY ROOT MUSIC AND UNITARY MUSIC WITH REAL-VALUED RANK REVEALING TRIANGULAR FACTORIZATION (Postprint) Nizar...DATES COVERED (From - To) June 2010 Journal Article Postprint 08 September 2006 – 31 August 2009 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE UNITARY ROOT MUSIC AND...UNITARY MUSIC WITH REAL-VALUED RANK REVEALING TRIANGULAR FACTORIZATION (Postprint) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER FA8650-05-D-1912-0007 5c
Synchrotron scanning reveals amphibious ecomorphology in a new clade of bird-like dinosaurs

Science.gov (United States)

Cau, Andrea; Beyrand, Vincent; Voeten, Dennis F. A. E.; Fernandez, Vincent; Tafforeau, Paul; Stein, Koen; Barsbold, Rinchen; Tsogtbaatar, Khishigjav; Currie, Philip J.; Godefroit, Pascal

2017-12-01

Maniraptora includes birds and their closest relatives among theropod dinosaurs. During the Cretaceous period, several maniraptoran lineages diverged from the ancestral coelurosaurian bauplan and evolved novel ecomorphologies, including active flight, gigantism, cursoriality and herbivory. Propagation X-ray phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography of a well-preserved maniraptoran from Mongolia, still partially embedded in the rock matrix, revealed a mosaic of features, most of them absent among non-avian maniraptorans but shared by reptilian and avian groups with aquatic or semiaquatic ecologies. This new theropod, Halszkaraptor escuilliei gen. et sp. nov., is related to other enigmatic Late Cretaceous maniraptorans from Mongolia in a novel clade at the root of Dromaeosauridae. This lineage adds an amphibious ecomorphology to those evolved by maniraptorans: it acquired a predatory mode that relied mainly on neck hyperelongation for food procurement, it coupled the obligatory bipedalism of theropods with forelimb proportions that may support a swimming function, and it developed postural adaptations convergent with short-tailed birds.
Pseudo Prune Belly Syndrome: Diagnosis Revealed by Imaging – A Case Report and Brief Review

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, Hemal; Sethi, Sanjay; Garg, Jatin; Ahluwalia, Amrit Pal

2017-01-01

Summary Background Prune Belly Syndrome (PBS) is a rare entity, usually found in male neonates. It comprises complex urinary tract anomalies, bilateral undescended testis and absence of anterior abdominal wall muscles. Patients with unilateral abdominal wall deficiency, unilateral undescended testis and female neonates with abdominal wall laxity are classified as Pseudo Prune Belly syndrome (PPBS). Reports on PPBS do not highlight the radiological and imaging characteristics of this syndrome and the current literature on the role of newer imaging modalities, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), remains relatively sparse. We describe a new case of PPBS and emphasize the role of imaging, especially ultrasound and MRI in the process of diagnosis and briefly review the subject. Case Report A male infant of four months of age was referred for evaluation of left-sided cryptorchidism. Clinical examination revealed laxity of the left abdominal wall. Ultrasound examination of the abdomen, pelvis and scrotum was performed together with routine laboratory tests. Ultrasound examination was followed by intravenous urography, voiding cysto-urethrography and MRI of the abdomen. On ultrasound, the left testis was located in the inguinal canal, the right kidney was slightly enlarged and the left kidney could not be localized. Ultrasound appearances suggested chronic obstruction in the urinary bladder. Intravenous urography, voiding cysto-urethrography and MRI confirmed the ultrasound diagnosis and also revealed a left dysplastic kidney with a dilated, tortuous ureter. Clinical and imaging features were consistent with pseudo prune belly syndrome (PPBS). Conclusions We report a new occurrence of PPBS, a rare entity. The imaging approach for a comprehensive evaluation of the renal system in PPBS, especially with MRI, is emphasized. PMID:28580040
Infection Reveals a Modification of SIRT2 Critical for Chromatin Association

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge M. Pereira

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: Sirtuin 2 is a nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-dependent deacetylase that regulates cell processes such as carcinogenesis, cell cycle, DNA damage, and infection. Subcellular localization of SIRT2 is crucial for its function but is poorly understood. Infection with the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which relocalizes SIRT2 from the cytoplasm to the chromatin, provides an ideal stimulus for the molecular study of this process. In this report, we provide a map of SIRT2 post-translational modification sites and focus on serine 25 phosphorylation. We show that infection specifically induces dephosphorylation of S25, an event essential for SIRT2 chromatin association. Furthermore, we identify a nuclear complex formed by the phosphatases PPM1A and PPM1B, with SIRT2 essential for controlling H3K18 deacetylation and SIRT2-mediated gene repression during infection and necessary for a productive Listeria infection. This study reveals a molecular mechanism regulating SIRT2 function and localization, paving the way for understanding other SIRT2-regulated cellular processes. : Sirtuins are enzymes critical for various processes, including genomic stability, metabolism, and aging. Through study of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterial pathogen that exploits SIRT2 for productive infection, Pereira et al. uncover a SIRT2 modification necessary for chromatin association and function. Keywords: chromatin, sirtuin, Listeria monocytogenes, phosphorylation, PPM1, histone acetylation, H3K18, infection, subcellular localization
Reconstitution of a fungal meroterpenoid biosynthesis reveals the involvement of a novel family of terpene cyclases

Science.gov (United States)

Itoh, Takayuki; Tokunaga, Kinya; Matsuda, Yudai; Fujii, Isao; Abe, Ikuro; Ebizuka, Yutaka; Kushiro, Tetsuo

2010-10-01

Meroterpenoids are hybrid natural products of both terpenoid and polyketide origin. We identified a biosynthetic gene cluster that is responsible for the production of the meroterpenoid pyripyropene in the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus through reconstituted biosynthesis of up to five steps in a heterologous fungal expression system. The cluster revealed a previously unknown terpene cyclase with an unusual sequence and protein primary structure. The wide occurrence of this sequence in other meroterpenoid and indole-diterpene biosynthetic gene clusters indicates the involvement of these enzymes in the biosynthesis of various terpenoid-bearing metabolites produced by fungi and bacteria. In addition, a novel polyketide synthase that incorporated nicotinyl-CoA as the starter unit and a prenyltransferase, similar to that in ubiquinone biosynthesis, was found to be involved in the pyripyropene biosynthesis. The successful production of a pyripyropene analogue illustrates the catalytic versatility of these enzymes for the production of novel analogues with useful biological activities.
The microbiome of Brazilian mangrove sediments as revealed by metagenomics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Andreote, Fernando Dini; Jiménez Avella, Diego; Chaves, Diego; Dias, Armando Cavalcante Franco; Luvizotto, Danice Mazzer; Dini-Andreote, Francisco; Fasanella, Cristiane Cipola; Lopez, Maryeimy Varon; Baena, Sandra; Taketani, Rodrigo Gouvêa; de Melo, Itamar Soares

2012-01-01

Here we embark in a deep metagenomic survey that revealed the taxonomic and potential metabolic pathways aspects of mangrove sediment microbiology. The extraction of DNA from sediment samples and the direct application of pyrosequencing resulted in approximately 215 Mb of data from four distinct
Parascapular mass revealing primary tuberculosis of the posterior arch

Science.gov (United States)

Arbault, Anais; Ornetti, Paul; Chevallier, Olivier; Avril, Julien; Pottecher, Pierre

2016-01-01

We report the case of a parascapular abscess revealing primary tuberculosis of the posterior arch in a 31-year-old man. Sectional imaging is essential in order to detect the different lesions of this atypical spinal tuberculosis as osteolysis of the posterior arch extendible to vertebral body, osteocondensation, epidural extension which is common in this location, and high specificity of a zygapophysial, costo-vertebral or transverse arthritis. PMID:27709081
The complete genome sequence of Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 reveals a cellulolytic and metabolic specialist.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garret Suen

Full Text Available Fibrobacter succinogenes is an important member of the rumen microbial community that converts plant biomass into nutrients usable by its host. This bacterium, which is also one of only two cultivated species in its phylum, is an efficient and prolific degrader of cellulose. Specifically, it has a particularly high activity against crystalline cellulose that requires close physical contact with this substrate. However, unlike other known cellulolytic microbes, it does not degrade cellulose using a cellulosome or by producing high extracellular titers of cellulase enzymes. To better understand the biology of F. succinogenes, we sequenced the genome of the type strain S85 to completion. A total of 3,085 open reading frames were predicted from its 3.84 Mbp genome. Analysis of sequences predicted to encode for carbohydrate-degrading enzymes revealed an unusually high number of genes that were classified into 49 different families of glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs, carbohydrate esterases, and polysaccharide lyases. Of the 31 identified cellulases, none contain CBMs in families 1, 2, and 3, typically associated with crystalline cellulose degradation. Polysaccharide hydrolysis and utilization assays showed that F. succinogenes was able to hydrolyze a number of polysaccharides, but could only utilize the hydrolytic products of cellulose. This suggests that F. succinogenes uses its array of hemicellulose-degrading enzymes to remove hemicelluloses to gain access to cellulose. This is reflected in its genome, as F. succinogenes lacks many of the genes necessary to transport and metabolize the hydrolytic products of non-cellulose polysaccharides. The F. succinogenes genome reveals a bacterium that specializes in cellulose as its sole energy source, and provides insight into a novel strategy for cellulose degradation.
Quantitative proteomic study of Aspergillus Fumigatus secretome revealed deamidation of secretory enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Adav, Sunil S; Ravindran, Anita; Sze, Siu Kwan

2015-04-24

Aspergillus sp. plays an essential role in lignocellulosic biomass recycling and is also exploited as cell factories for the production of industrial enzymes. This study profiled the secretome of Aspergillus fumigatus when grown with cellulose, xylan and starch by high throughput quantitative proteomics using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ). Post translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins play a critical role in protein functions. However, our understanding of the PTMs in secretory proteins is limited. Here, we present the identification of PTMs such as deamidation of secreted proteins of A. fumigatus. This study quantified diverse groups of extracellular secreted enzymes and their functional classification revealed cellulases and glycoside hydrolases (32.9%), amylases (0.9%), hemicellulases (16.2%), lignin degrading enzymes (8.1%), peptidases and proteases (11.7%), chitinases, lipases and phosphatases (7.6%), and proteins with unknown function (22.5%). The comparison of quantitative iTRAQ results revealed that cellulose and xylan stimulates expression of specific cellulases and hemicellulases, and their abundance level as a function of substrate. In-depth data analysis revealed deamidation as a major PTM of key cellulose hydrolyzing enzymes like endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases and glucosidases. Hemicellulose degrading endo-1,4-beta-xylanase, monosidases, xylosidases, lignin degrading laccase, isoamyl alcohol oxidase and oxidoreductases were also found to be deamidated. The filamentous fungi play an essential role in lignocellulosic biomass recycling and fungal strains belonging to Aspergillus were also exploited as cell factories for the production of organic acids, pharmaceuticals, and industrially important enzymes. In this study, extracellular proteins secreted by thermophilic A. fumigatus when grown with cellulose, xylan and starch were profiled using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) by
A proteomic style approach to characterize a grass mix product reveals potential immunotherapeutic benefit.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullimore, Alan; Swan, Nicola; Alawode, Wemimo; Skinner, Murray

2011-09-01

Grass allergy immunotherapies often consist of a mix of different grass extracts, each containing several proteins of different physiochemical properties; however, the subtle contributions of each protein are difficult to elucidate. This study aimed to identify and characterize the group 1 and 5 allergens in a 13 grass extract and to standardize the extraction method. The grass pollens were extracted in isolation and pooled and also in combination and analyzed using a variety of techniques including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, liquid chromatog-raphy-mass spectrometry, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylam-ide gel electrophoresis. Gold-staining and IgE immunoblotting revealed a high degree of homology of protein bands between the 13 species and the presence of a densely stained doublet at 25-35 kD along with protein bands at approximately 12.5, 17, and 50 kD. The doublet from each grass species demonstrated a high level of group 1 and 5 interspecies homology. However, there were a number of bands unique to specific grasses consistent with evolutionary change and indicative that a grass mix immunotherapeutic could be considered broad spectrum. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electro-phoresis and IgE immunoblotting showed all 13 grasses share a high degree of homology, particularly in terms of group 1 and 5 allergens. IgE and IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay potencies were shown to be independent of extraction method.
Biophysical investigation of type A PutAs reveals a conserved core oligomeric structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korasick, David A. [Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Singh, Harkewal [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Pemberton, Travis A. [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Luo, Min [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Dhatwalia, Richa [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Tanner, John J. [Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA

2017-08-01

Many enzymes form homooligomers, yet the functional significance of self-association is seldom obvious. Herein, we examine the connection between oligomerization and catalytic function for proline utilization A (PutA) enzymes. PutAs are bifunctional enzymes that catalyze both reactions of proline catabolism. Type A PutAs are the smallest members of the family, possessing a minimal domain architecture consisting of N-terminal proline dehydrogenase and C-terminal l-glutamate-γ-semialdehyde dehydrogenase modules. Type A PutAs form domain-swapped dimers, and in one case (Bradyrhizobium japonicum PutA), two of the dimers assemble into a ring-shaped tetramer. Whereas the dimer has a clear role in substrate channeling, the functional significance of the tetramer is unknown. To address this question, we performed structural studies of four-type A PutAs from two clades of the PutA tree. The crystal structure of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus PutA covalently inactivated by N-propargylglycine revealed a fold and substrate-channeling tunnel similar to other PutAs. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and analytical ultracentrifugation indicated that Bdellovibrio PutA is dimeric in solution, in contrast to the prediction from crystal packing of a stable tetrameric assembly. SAXS studies of two other type A PutAs from separate clades also suggested that the dimer predominates in solution. To assess whether the tetramer of B. japonicum PutA is necessary for catalytic function, a hot spot disruption mutant that cleanly produces dimeric protein was generated. The dimeric variant exhibited kinetic parameters similar to the wild-type enzyme. These results implicate the domain-swapped dimer as the core structural and functional unit of type A PutAs.
The elastic network model reveals a consistent picture on intrinsic functional dynamics of type II restriction endonucleases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uyar, A; Kurkcuoglu, O; Doruker, P; Nilsson, L

2011-01-01

The vibrational dynamics of various type II restriction endonucleases, in complex with cognate/non-cognate DNA and in the apo form, are investigated with the elastic network model in order to reveal common functional mechanisms in this enzyme family. Scissor-like and tong-like motions observed in the slowest modes of all enzymes and their complexes point to common DNA recognition and cleavage mechanisms. Normal mode analysis further points out that the scissor-like motion has an important role in differentiating between cognate and non-cognate sequences at the recognition site, thus implying its catalytic relevance. Flexible regions observed around the DNA-binding site of the enzyme usually concentrate on the highly conserved β-strands, especially after DNA binding. These β-strands may have a structurally stabilizing role in functional dynamics for target site recognition and cleavage. In addition, hot spot residues based on high-frequency modes reveal possible communication pathways between the two distant cleavage sites in the enzyme family. Some of these hot spots also exist on the shortest path between the catalytic sites and are highly conserved
Cross-species transcriptomic approach reveals genes in hamster implantation sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Wei; Herington, Jennifer; Galindo, Cristi L; Ding, Tianbing; Brown, Naoko; Reese, Jeff; Paria, Bibhash C

2014-12-01

The mouse model has greatly contributed to understanding molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of progesterone (P4) plus estrogen (E)-dependent blastocyst implantation process. However, little is known about contributory molecular mechanisms of the P4-only-dependent blastocyst implantation process that occurs in species such as hamsters, guineapigs, rabbits, pigs, rhesus monkeys, and perhaps humans. We used the hamster as a model of P4-only-dependent blastocyst implantation and carried out cross-species microarray (CSM) analyses to reveal differentially expressed genes at the blastocyst implantation site (BIS), in order to advance the understanding of molecular mechanisms of implantation. Upregulation of 112 genes and downregulation of 77 genes at the BIS were identified using a mouse microarray platform, while use of the human microarray revealed 62 up- and 38 down-regulated genes at the BIS. Excitingly, a sizable number of genes (30 up- and 11 down-regulated genes) were identified as a shared pool by both CSMs. Real-time RT-PCR and in situ hybridization validated the expression patterns of several up- and down-regulated genes identified by both CSMs at the hamster and mouse BIS to demonstrate the merit of CSM findings across species, in addition to revealing genes specific to hamsters. Functional annotation analysis found that genes involved in the spliceosome, proteasome, and ubiquination pathways are enriched at the hamster BIS, while genes associated with tight junction, SAPK/JNK signaling, and PPARα/RXRα signalings are repressed at the BIS. Overall, this study provides a pool of genes and evidence of their participation in up- and down-regulated cellular functions/pathways at the hamster BIS. © 2014 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.
On combining revealed and stated preferences to forecast customer behaviour: three case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ph.H.B.F. Franses (Philip Hans); P.C. Verhoef (Peter)

2002-01-01

textabstractMany companies collect stated preference data (SP) like intentions and satisfaction as well as revealed preference data (RP) like actual purchasing behavior. It seems relevant to examine the predictive usefulness of this information for future revealed preferences, that is, customer

Gene disruption reveals a dispensable role for plasmepsin VII in the Plasmodium berghei life cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Mastan, Babu S; Kumari, Anchala; Gupta, Dinesh; Mishra, Satish; Kumar, Kota Arun

2014-06-01

Plasmepsins (PM), aspartic proteases of Plasmodium, comprises a family of ten proteins that perform critical functions in Plasmodium life cycle. Except VII and VIII, functions of the remaining plasmepsin members have been well characterized. Here, we have generated a mutant parasite lacking PM VII in Plasmodium berghei using reverse genetics approach. Systematic comparison of growth kinetics and infection in both mosquito and vertebrate host revealed that PM VII depleted mutants exhibited no defects in development and progressed normally throughout the parasite life cycle. These studies suggest a dispensable role for PM VII in Plasmodium berghei life cycle. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing Reveals a Continuous Spectrum of Differentiation in Hematopoietic Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iain C. Macaulay

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The transcriptional programs that govern hematopoiesis have been investigated primarily by population-level analysis of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which cannot reveal the continuous nature of the differentiation process. Here we applied single-cell RNA-sequencing to a population of hematopoietic cells in zebrafish as they undergo thrombocyte lineage commitment. By reconstructing their developmental chronology computationally, we were able to place each cell along a continuum from stem cell to mature cell, refining the traditional lineage tree. The progression of cells along this continuum is characterized by a highly coordinated transcriptional program, displaying simultaneous suppression of genes involved in cell proliferation and ribosomal biogenesis as the expression of lineage specific genes increases. Within this program, there is substantial heterogeneity in the expression of the key lineage regulators. Overall, the total number of genes expressed, as well as the total mRNA content of the cell, decreases as the cells undergo lineage commitment.
DNA markers reveal genetic structure and localized diversity of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

uqhdesma

2016-10-12

Oct 12, 2016 ... STRUCTURE analysis revealed 4 clusters of genetically ..... 10000 cycles and 50000 Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) iterations and 10 replicate runs performed for each K value to ..... WL, Lee M, Porter K (2000). Genetic ...
First genealogy for a wild marine fish population reveals multigenerational philopatry

KAUST Repository

Salles, Océ ane C.; Pujol, Benoit; Maynard, Jeffrey A.; Almany, Glenn R.; Berumen, Michael L.; Jones, Geoffrey P.; Saenz-Agudelo, Pablo; Srinivasan, Maya; Thorrold, Simon R.; Planes, Serge

2016-01-01

Natal philopatry, the return of individuals to their natal area for reproduction, has advantages and disadvantages for animal populations. Natal philopatry may generate local genetic adaptation, but it may also increase the probability of inbreeding that can compromise persistence. Although natal philopatry is well documented in anadromous fishes, marine fish may also return to their birth site to spawn. How philopatry shapes wild fish populations is, however, unclear because it requires constructing multigenerational pedigrees that are currently lacking for marine fishes. Here we present the first multigenerational pedigree for a marine fish population by repeatedly genotyping all individuals in a population of the orange clownfish (Amphiprion percula) at Kimbe Island (Papua New Guinea) during a 10-y period. Based on 2927 individuals, our pedigree analysis revealed that longitudinal philopatry was recurrent over five generations. Progeny tended to settle close to their parents, with related individuals often sharing the same colony. However, successful inbreeding was rare, and genetic diversity remained high, suggesting occasional inbreeding does not impair local population persistence. Local reproductive success was dependent on the habitat larvae settled into, rather than the habitat they came from. Our study suggests that longitudinal philopatry can influence both population replenishment and local adaptation of marine fishes. Resolving multigenerational pedigrees during a relatively short period, as we present here, provides a framework for assessing the ability of marine populations to persist and adapt to accelerating climate change.
First genealogy for a wild marine fish population reveals multigenerational philopatry

KAUST Repository

Salles, Océane C.

2016-11-01

Natal philopatry, the return of individuals to their natal area for reproduction, has advantages and disadvantages for animal populations. Natal philopatry may generate local genetic adaptation, but it may also increase the probability of inbreeding that can compromise persistence. Although natal philopatry is well documented in anadromous fishes, marine fish may also return to their birth site to spawn. How philopatry shapes wild fish populations is, however, unclear because it requires constructing multigenerational pedigrees that are currently lacking for marine fishes. Here we present the first multigenerational pedigree for a marine fish population by repeatedly genotyping all individuals in a population of the orange clownfish (Amphiprion percula) at Kimbe Island (Papua New Guinea) during a 10-y period. Based on 2927 individuals, our pedigree analysis revealed that longitudinal philopatry was recurrent over five generations. Progeny tended to settle close to their parents, with related individuals often sharing the same colony. However, successful inbreeding was rare, and genetic diversity remained high, suggesting occasional inbreeding does not impair local population persistence. Local reproductive success was dependent on the habitat larvae settled into, rather than the habitat they came from. Our study suggests that longitudinal philopatry can influence both population replenishment and local adaptation of marine fishes. Resolving multigenerational pedigrees during a relatively short period, as we present here, provides a framework for assessing the ability of marine populations to persist and adapt to accelerating climate change.
Observable phenomena that reveal medical students' clinical reasoning ability during expert assessment of their history taking: a qualitative study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haring, C.M.; Cools, B.M.; Gurp, P.J.M. van; Meer, J.W.M. van der; Postma, C.T.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: During their clerkships, medical students are meant to expand their clinical reasoning skills during their patient encounters. Observation of these encounters could reveal important information on the students' clinical reasoning abilities, especially during history taking. METHODS: A
Low-temperature infiltration identified using infrared thermography in patients with subcutaneous edema revealed ultrasonographically: A case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Oya, Maiko; Takahashi, Toshiaki; Tanabe, Hidenori; Oe, Makoto; Murayama, Ryoko; Yabunaka, Koichi; Matsui, Yuko; Sanada, Hiromi

Infiltration is a frequent complication of infusion therapy. We previously demonstrated the usefulness of infrared thermography as an objective method of detecting infiltration in healthy people. However, whether thermography can detect infiltration in clinical settings remains unknown. Therefore, we report two cases where thermography was useful in detecting infiltration at puncture sites. In both cases, tissue changes were verified ultrasonographically. The patients were a 56-year-old male with cholangitis and a 76-year-old female with hepatoma. In both cases, infiltration symptoms such as swelling and erythema occurred one day after the insertion of a peripheral intravenous catheter. Thermographic images from both patients revealed low-temperature areas spreading from the puncture sites; however, these changes were not observed in other patients. The temperature difference between the low-temperature areas and their surrounding skin surface exceeded 1.0°C. Concurrently, ultrasound images revealed that tissues surrounding the vein had a cobblestone appearance, indicating edema. In both patients, subcutaneous tissue changes suggested infiltration and both had low-temperature areas spreading from the puncture sites. Thus, subcutaneous edema may indicate infusion leakage, resulting in a decrease in the temperature of the associated skin surface. These cases suggest that infrared thermography is an effective method of objectively and noninvasively detecting infiltration.
Mass Spectrometry Imaging Reveals Elevated Glomerular ATP/AMP in Diabetes/obesity and Identifies Sphingomyelin as a Possible Mediator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Miyamoto

2016-05-01

Full Text Available AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK is suppressed in diabetes and may be due to a high ATP/AMP ratio, however the quantitation of nucleotides in vivo has been extremely difficult. Via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI to localize renal nucleotides we found that the diabetic kidney had a significant increase in glomerular ATP/AMP ratio. Untargeted MALDI-MSI analysis revealed that a specific sphingomyelin species (SM(d18:1/16:0 accumulated in the glomeruli of diabetic and high-fat diet-fed mice compared with wild-type controls. In vitro studies in mesangial cells revealed that exogenous addition of SM(d18:1/16:0 significantly elevated ATP via increased glucose consumption and lactate production with a consequent reduction of AMPK and PGC1α. Furthermore, inhibition of sphingomyelin synthases reversed these effects. Our findings suggest that AMPK is reduced in the diabetic kidney due to an increase in the ATP/AMP ratio and that SM(d18:1/16:0 could be responsible for the enhanced ATP production via activation of the glycolytic pathway.
[Suicide -- an essay trying to reveal the theme].

Science.gov (United States)

Sampaio, M A; Boemer, M R

2000-12-01

This essay proposes to reveal facets of the suicide through the discourse of different authors treating this theme as well as through contacts that I was able to have in my nursing training, through my academic trajectory. This trajectory includes an incursion by phenomenological ideas, mainly by the ideas of Heidegger and his existential analysis of the man as being-there. In this way, the understanding of a person who decides to finalize his/her existence, can be, by the existential analysis perspective, a way to reconstruct and redimension his/her existential perspectives.
Sympatric Asian felid phylogeography reveals a major Indochinese-Sundaic divergence.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Shu-Jin; Zhang, Yue; Johnson, Warren E; Miao, Lin; Martelli, Paolo; Antunes, Agostinho; Smith, James L D; O'Brien, Stephen J

2014-04-01

The dynamic geological and climatological history of Southeast Asia has spawned a complex array of ecosystems and 12 of the 37 known cat species, making it the most felid-rich region in the world. To examine the evolutionary histories of these poorly studied fauna, we compared phylogeography of six species (leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis, fishing cat P. viverrinus, Asiatic golden cat Pardofelis temminckii, marbled cat P. marmorata, tiger Panthera tigris and leopard P. pardus) by sequencing over 5 kb of DNA each from 445 specimens at multiple loci of mtDNA, Y and X chromosomes. All species except the leopard displayed significant phylogenetic partitions between Indochina and Sundaland, with the central Thai-Malay Peninsula serving as the biogeographic boundary. Concordant mtDNA and nuclear DNA genealogies revealed deep Indochinese-Sundaic divergences around 2 MYA in both P. bengalensis and P. marmorata comparable to previously described interspecific distances within Felidae. The divergence coincided with serial sea level rises during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, and was probably reinforced by repeated isolation events associated with environmental changes throughout the Pleistocene. Indochinese-Sundaic differentiations within P. tigris and P. temminckii were more recent at 72-108 and 250-1570 kya, respectively. Overall, these results illuminate unexpected, deep vicariance events in Southeast Asian felids and provide compelling evidence of species-level distinction between the Indochinese and Sundaic populations in the leopard cat and marbled cat. Broader sampling and further molecular and morphometric analyses of these species will be instrumental in defining conservation units and effectively preserving Southeast Asian biodiversity. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Radio-tagging technology reveals extreme nest-drifting behavior in a eusocial insect.

Science.gov (United States)

Sumner, Seirian; Lucas, Eric; Barker, Jessie; Isaac, Nick

2007-01-23

Kin-selection theory underlies our basic understanding of social evolution [1, 2]. Nest drifting in eusocial insects (where workers move between nests) presents a challenge to this paradigm, since a worker should remain as a helper on her natal colony, rather than visit other colonies to which she is less closely related. Here we reveal nest drifting as a strategy by which workers may maximize their indirect fitness by helping on several related nests, preferring those where the marginal return from their help is greatest. By using a novel monitoring technique, radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging, we provide the first accurate estimate of drifting in a eusocial insect: 56% of females drifted in a natural population of the eusocial paper wasp Polistes canadensis, exceeding previous records of drifting in natural populations by more than 30-fold. We demonstrate that drifting cannot be explained through social parasitism, queen succession, mistakes in nest identity, or methodological bias. Instead, workers appear to gain indirect fitness benefits by helping on several related colonies in a viscous population structure. The potential importance of this strategy as a component of the kin-selected benefits for a social insect worker has previously been overlooked because of methodological difficulties in quantifying and studying drifting.
Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance in the prediction of myocardial infarction and mortality at long-term follow-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, M. L.; Pareek, M.; Leosdottir, M.

2015-01-01

Objective: To assess the additional prognostic value of fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), and homeostasis model assessment derived insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) for predicting incident myocardial infarction (MI) and all-cause mortality, independently of traditional...... measured at baseline. Subsequently, HOMA-IR was derived using the computerized HOMA calculator and ranked into quartiles due to the non-normal distribution and presumably non-linear biological effect of insulin resistance. Prognostic values of FBG, FPI, HOMA-IR, and traditional risk factors were tested.......1-48.3] years, whereas median [IQR] HOMA-IR was 0.9 [0.4-1.4]. Over a median follow-up time of 20 years, 1448 events occurred (11.3 per 1000 person-years). The simple prediction model, i.e. the model with traditional CV risk factors only, included age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, total...
Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyl residues in sediments and blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Port Elizabeth Harbour, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Kampire, E; Rubidge, G; Adams, J B

2015-02-15

Sediment and Mytilus galloprovincialis samples collected from the Port Elizabeth Harbour were analysed for six indicator PCB congeners to assess their contamination status. The concentrations of total PCBs in sediments and M. galloprovincialis ranged from 0.56 to 2.35 ng/g dry weight and 14.48 to 21.37 ng/g wet weight, respectively. Congeners 138 and 153 were dominant and accounted for an average of 29% and 24% of total PCBs in M. galloprovincialis; 32% and 30% in sediments, respectively. Sediments are home to a wide variety of aquatic life. None of the sediments analysed exceeded the PCB limits recommended the Canadian interim sediment quality guideline and the South African recommended sediment guidelines (21.6 ng/g). Both humans and aquatic life are sensitive to the toxic effects of PCBs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Cyclosporin A treatment of Leishmania donovani reveals stage-specific functions of cyclophilins in parasite proliferation and viability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wai-Lok Yau

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cyclosporin A (CsA has important anti-microbial activity against parasites of the genus Leishmania, suggesting CsA-binding cyclophilins (CyPs as potential drug targets. However, no information is available on the genetic diversity of this important protein family, and the mechanisms underlying the cytotoxic effects of CsA on intracellular amastigotes are only poorly understood. Here, we performed a first genome-wide analysis of Leishmania CyPs and investigated the effects of CsA on host-free L. donovani amastigotes in order to elucidate the relevance of these parasite proteins for drug development. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Multiple sequence alignment and cluster analysis identified 17 Leishmania CyPs with significant sequence differences to human CyPs, but with highly conserved functional residues implicated in PPIase function and CsA binding. CsA treatment of promastigotes resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth with an IC50 between 15 and 20 microM as demonstrated by proliferation assay and cell cycle analysis. Scanning electron microscopy revealed striking morphological changes in CsA treated promastigotes reminiscent to developing amastigotes, suggesting a role for parasite CyPs in Leishmania differentiation. In contrast to promastigotes, CsA was highly toxic to amastigotes with an IC50 between 5 and 10 microM, revealing for the first time a direct lethal effect of CsA on the pathogenic mammalian stage linked to parasite thermotolerance, independent from host CyPs. Structural modeling, enrichment of CsA-binding proteins from parasite extracts by FPLC, and PPIase activity assays revealed direct interaction of the inhibitor with LmaCyP40, a bifunctional cyclophilin with potential co-chaperone function. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The evolutionary expansion of the Leishmania CyP protein family and the toxicity of CsA on host-free amastigotes suggest important roles of PPIases in parasite biology and implicate
Economic choices reveal probability distortion in macaque monkeys.

Science.gov (United States)

Stauffer, William R; Lak, Armin; Bossaerts, Peter; Schultz, Wolfram

2015-02-18

Economic choices are largely determined by two principal elements, reward value (utility) and probability. Although nonlinear utility functions have been acknowledged for centuries, nonlinear probability weighting (probability distortion) was only recently recognized as a ubiquitous aspect of real-world choice behavior. Even when outcome probabilities are known and acknowledged, human decision makers often overweight low probability outcomes and underweight high probability outcomes. Whereas recent studies measured utility functions and their corresponding neural correlates in monkeys, it is not known whether monkeys distort probability in a manner similar to humans. Therefore, we investigated economic choices in macaque monkeys for evidence of probability distortion. We trained two monkeys to predict reward from probabilistic gambles with constant outcome values (0.5 ml or nothing). The probability of winning was conveyed using explicit visual cues (sector stimuli). Choices between the gambles revealed that the monkeys used the explicit probability information to make meaningful decisions. Using these cues, we measured probability distortion from choices between the gambles and safe rewards. Parametric modeling of the choices revealed classic probability weighting functions with inverted-S shape. Therefore, the animals overweighted low probability rewards and underweighted high probability rewards. Empirical investigation of the behavior verified that the choices were best explained by a combination of nonlinear value and nonlinear probability distortion. Together, these results suggest that probability distortion may reflect evolutionarily preserved neuronal processing. Copyright © 2015 Stauffer et al.
Suicide Gene-Engineered Stromal Cells Reveal a Dynamic Regulation of Cancer Metastasis

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Keyue; Luk, Samantha; Elman, Jessica; Murray, Ryan; Mukundan, Shilpaa; Parekkadan, Biju

2016-02-01

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major cancer-promoting component in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The dynamic role of human CAFs in cancer progression has been ill-defined because human CAFs lack a unique marker needed for a cell-specific, promoter-driven knockout model. Here, we developed an engineered human CAF cell line with an inducible suicide gene to enable selective in vivo elimination of human CAFs at different stages of xenograft tumor development, effectively circumventing the challenge of targeting a cell-specific marker. Suicide-engineered CAFs were highly sensitive to apoptosis induction in vitro and in vivo by the addition of a simple small molecule inducer. Selection of timepoints for targeted CAF apoptosis in vivo during the progression of a human breast cancer xenograft model was guided by a bi-phasic host cytokine response that peaked at early timepoints after tumor implantation. Remarkably, we observed that the selective apoptosis of CAFs at these early timepoints did not affect primary tumor growth, but instead increased the presence of tumor-associated macrophages and the metastatic spread of breast cancer cells to the lung and bone. The study revealed a dynamic relationship between CAFs and cancer metastasis that has counter-intuitive ramifications for CAF-targeted therapy.
Architecture of cognitive flexibility revealed by lesion mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Barbey, Aron K.; Colom, Roberto; Grafman, Jordan

2013-01-01

Neuroscience has made remarkable progress in understanding the architecture of human intelligence, identifying a distributed network of brain structures that support goal-directed, intelligent behavior. However, the neural foundations of cognitive flexibility and adaptive aspects of intellectual function remain to be well characterized. Here, we report a human lesion study (n = 149) that investigates the neural bases of key competencies of cognitive flexibility (i.e., mental flexibility and the fluent generation of new ideas) and systematically examine their contributions to a broad spectrum of cognitive and social processes, including psychometric intelligence (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale), emotional intelligence (Mayer, Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test), and personality (Neuroticism–Extraversion–Openness Personality Inventory). Latent variable modeling was applied to obtain error-free indices of each factor, followed by voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to elucidate their neural substrates. Regression analyses revealed that latent scores for psychometric intelligence reliably predict latent scores for cognitive flexibility (adjusted R2 = 0.94). Lesion mapping results further indicated that these convergent processes depend on a shared network of frontal, temporal, and parietal regions, including white matter association tracts, which bind these areas into an integrated system. A targeted analysis of the unique variance explained by cognitive flexibility further revealed selective damage within the right superior temporal gyrus, a region known to support insight and the recognition of novel semantic relations. The observed findings motivate an integrative framework for understanding the neural foundations of adaptive behavior, suggesting that core elements of cognitive flexibility emerge from a distributed network of brain regions that support specific competencies for human intelligence. PMID:23721727
Haplotype structure around Bru1 reveals a narrow genetic basis for brown rust resistance in modern sugarcane cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Costet, L; Le Cunff, L; Royaert, S; Raboin, L-M; Hervouet, C; Toubi, L; Telismart, H; Garsmeur, O; Rousselle, Y; Pauquet, J; Nibouche, S; Glaszmann, J-C; Hoarau, J-Y; D'Hont, A

2012-09-01

Modern sugarcane cultivars (Saccharum spp., 2n = 100-130) are high polyploid, aneuploid and of interspecific origin. A major gene (Bru1) conferring resistance to brown rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia melanocephala, has been identified in cultivar R570. We analyzed 380 modern cultivars and breeding materials covering the worldwide diversity with 22 molecular markers genetically linked to Bru1 in R570 within a 8.2 cM segment. Our results revealed a strong LD in the Bru1 region and strong associations between most of the markers and rust resistance. Two PCR markers, that flank the Bru1-bearing segment, were found completely associated with one another and only in resistant clones representing efficient molecular diagnostic for Bru1. On this basis, Bru1 was inferred in 86 % of the 194 resistant sugarcane accessions, revealing that it constitutes the main source of brown rust resistance in modern cultivars. Bru1 PCR diagnostic markers should be particularly useful to identify cultivars with potentially alternative sources of resistance to diversify the basis of brown rust resistance in breeding programs.
Revealing effective classifiers through network comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Gallos, Lazaros K.; Fefferman, Nina H.

2014-11-01

The ability to compare complex systems can provide new insight into the fundamental nature of the processes captured, in ways that are otherwise inaccessible to observation. Here, we introduce the n-tangle method to directly compare two networks for structural similarity, based on the distribution of edge density in network subgraphs. We demonstrate that this method can efficiently introduce comparative analysis into network science and opens the road for many new applications. For example, we show how the construction of a “phylogenetic tree” across animal taxa according to their social structure can reveal commonalities in the behavioral ecology of the populations, or how students create similar networks according to the University size. Our method can be expanded to study many additional properties, such as network classification, changes during time evolution, convergence of growth models, and detection of structural changes during damage.
Megacity precipitationsheds reveal tele-connected water security challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Wang-Erlandsson, Lan; Gordon, Line J.

2018-01-01

Urbanization is a global process that has taken billions of people from the rural countryside to concentrated urban centers, adding pressure to existing water resources. Many cities are specifically reliant on renewable freshwater regularly refilled by precipitation, rather than fossil groundwater or desalination. A precipitationshed can be considered the “watershed of the sky” and identifies the origin of precipitation falling in a given region. In this paper, we use this concept to determine the sources of precipitation that supply renewable water in the watersheds of the largest cities of the world. We quantify the sources of precipitation for 29 megacities and analyze their differences between dry and wet years. Our results reveal that 19 of 29 megacities depend for more than a third of their water supply on evaporation from land. We also show that for many of the megacities, the terrestrial dependence is higher in dry years. This high dependence on terrestrial evaporation for their precipitation exposes these cities to potential land-use change that could reduce the evaporation that generates precipitation. Combining indicators of water stress, moisture recycling exposure, economic capacity, vegetation-regulated evaporation, land-use change, and dry-season moisture recycling sensitivity reveals four highly vulnerable megacities (Karachi, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Chongqing). A further six megacities were found to have medium vulnerability with regard to their water supply. We conclude that understanding how upwind landscapes affect downwind municipal water resources could be a key component for understanding the complexity of urban water security. PMID:29534109

Phenotypic factor analysis of psychopathology reveals a new body-related transdiagnostic factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Pezzoli, Patrizia; Antfolk, Jan; Santtila, Pekka

2017-01-01

Comorbidity challenges the notion of mental disorders as discrete categories. An increasing body of literature shows that symptoms cut across traditional diagnostic boundaries and interact in shaping the latent structure of psychopathology. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, we reveal the latent sources of covariation among nine measures of psychopathological functioning in a population-based sample of 13024 Finnish twins and their siblings. By implementing unidimensional, multidimensional, second-order, and bifactor models, we illustrate the relationships between observed variables, specific, and general latent factors. We also provide the first investigation to date of measurement invariance of the bifactor model of psychopathology across gender and age groups. Our main result is the identification of a distinct "Body" factor, alongside the previously identified Internalizing and Externalizing factors. We also report relevant cross-disorder associations, especially between body-related psychopathology and trait anger, as well as substantial sex and age differences in observed and latent means. The findings expand the meta-structure of psychopathology, with implications for empirical and clinical practice, and demonstrate shared mechanisms underlying attitudes towards nutrition, self-image, sexuality and anger, with gender- and age-specific features.
A Unique Late Triassic Dinosauromorph Assemblage Reveals Dinosaur Ancestral Anatomy and Diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabreira, Sergio Furtado; Kellner, Alexander Wilhelm Armin; Dias-da-Silva, Sérgio; Roberto da Silva, Lúcio; Bronzati, Mario; Marsola, Júlio Cesar de Almeida; Müller, Rodrigo Temp; Bittencourt, Jonathas de Souza; Batista, Brunna Jul'Armando; Raugust, Tiago; Carrilho, Rodrigo; Brodt, André; Langer, Max Cardoso

2016-11-21

Dinosauromorpha includes dinosaurs and other much less diverse dinosaur precursors of Triassic age, such as lagerpetids [1]. Joint occurrences of these taxa with dinosaurs are rare but more common during the latest part of that period (Norian-Rhaetian, 228-201 million years ago [mya]) [2, 3]. In contrast, the new lagerpetid and saurischian dinosaur described here were unearthed from one of the oldest rock units with dinosaur fossils worldwide, the Carnian (237-228 mya) Santa Maria Formation of south Brazil [4], a record only matched in age by much more fragmentary remains from Argentina [5]. This is the first time nearly complete dinosaur and non-dinosaur dinosauromorph remains are found together in the same excavation, clearly showing that these animals were contemporaries since the first stages of dinosaur evolution. The new lagerpetid preserves the first skull, scapular and forelimb elements, plus associated vertebrae, known for the group, revealing how dinosaurs acquired several of their typical anatomical traits. Furthermore, a novel phylogenetic analysis shows the new dinosaur as the most basal Sauropodomorpha. Its plesiomorphic teeth, strictly adapted to faunivory, provide crucial data to infer the feeding behavior of the first dinosaurs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Phylogeny of haemosporidian blood parasites revealed by a multi-gene approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Borner, Janus; Pick, Christian; Thiede, Jenny; Kolawole, Olatunji Matthew; Kingsley, Manchang Tanyi; Schulze, Jana; Cottontail, Veronika M; Wellinghausen, Nele; Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas; Bruchhaus, Iris; Burmester, Thorsten

2016-01-01

The apicomplexan order Haemosporida is a clade of unicellular blood parasites that infect a variety of reptilian, avian and mammalian hosts. Among them are the agents of human malaria, parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which pose a major threat to human health. Illuminating the evolutionary history of Haemosporida may help us in understanding their enormous biological diversity, as well as tracing the multiple host switches and associated acquisitions of novel life-history traits. However, the deep-level phylogenetic relationships among major haemosporidian clades have remained enigmatic because the datasets employed in phylogenetic analyses were severely limited in either gene coverage or taxon sampling. Using a PCR-based approach that employs a novel set of primers, we sequenced fragments of 21 nuclear genes from seven haemosporidian parasites of the genera Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Parahaemoproteus, Polychromophilus and Plasmodium. After addition of genomic data from 25 apicomplexan species, the unreduced alignment comprised 20,580 bp from 32 species. Phylogenetic analyses were performed based on nucleotide, codon and amino acid data employing Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony. All analyses resulted in highly congruent topologies. We found consistent support for a basal position of Leucocytozoon within Haemosporida. In contrast to all previous studies, we recovered a sister group relationship between the genera Polychromophilus and Plasmodium. Within Plasmodium, the sauropsid and mammal-infecting lineages were recovered as sister clades. Support for these relationships was high in nearly all trees, revealing a novel phylogeny of Haemosporida, which is robust to the choice of the outgroup and the method of tree inference. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Phylogeny and patterns of diversity of goat mtDNA haplogroup A revealed by resequencing complete mitogenomes.

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Maria Grazia Doro

Full Text Available We sequenced to near completion the entire mtDNA of 28 Sardinian goats, selected to represent the widest possible diversity of the most widespread mitochondrial evolutionary lineage, haplogroup (Hg A. These specimens were reporters of the diversity in the island but also elsewhere, as inferred from their affiliation to each of 11 clades defined by D-loop variation. Two reference sequences completed the dataset. Overall, 206 variations were found in the full set of 30 sequences, of which 23 were protein-coding non-synonymous single nucleotide substitutions. Many polymorphic sites within Hg A were informative for the reconstruction of its internal phylogeny. Bayesian and network clustering revealed a general similarity over the entire molecule of sequences previously assigned to the same D-loop clade, indicating evolutionarily meaningful lineages. Two major sister groupings emerged within Hg A, which parallel distinct geographical distributions of D-loop clades in extant stocks. The pattern of variation in protein-coding genes revealed an overwhelming role of purifying selection, with the quota of surviving variants approaching neutrality. However, a simple model of relaxation of selection for the bulk of variants here reported should be rejected. Non-synonymous diversity of Hg's A, B and C denoted that a proportion of variants not greater than that allowed in the wild was given the opportunity to spread into domesticated stocks. Our results also confirmed that a remarkable proportion of pre-existing Hg A diversity became incorporated into domestic stocks. Our results confirm clade A11 as a well differentiated and ancient lineage peculiar of Sardinia.
Lessons in power: Lyndon Johnson revealed. A conversation with historian Robert A. Caro.

Science.gov (United States)

Caro, Robert A

2006-04-01

No one can lead who does not first acquire power, and no leader can be great who does not know how to use that power. The trouble is that the combination of the two skills is rare. Amassing power requires ambition, a focused pragmatism, and a certain ruthlessness that is often at odds with the daring, idealistic vision needed to achieve great things with that power. The tension is as real in business as it is in politics. This magazine is replete with examples of successful senior managers who could not make the switch from ambitious executive to corporate leader because they did not know what to do with the power they had so expertly accumulated. Robert Caro is a student of power. For the past 27 years, the two-time Pulitzer prize-winning biographer of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson has focused on the question of how Johnson amassed and wielded power. Caro's deep understanding of the inner workings of power offers senior executives a nuanced picture of leadership at the highest level. In this wide-ranging conversation, Caro shares his insights about the nature of power, the complexity of ambition, and the role that the greater good can play in the making of a leader. Power doesn't always corrupt, he insists. But what it invariably does is reveal a leader's true nature. "Today, when CEOs have acquired more and more power to change our lives," Caro says,"they have become like presidents in their own right, and they, too, need to align themselves with something greater than themselves if they hope to become truly great leaders."
Leveraging Algal Omics to Reveal Potential Targets for Augmenting TAG Accumulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guarnieri, Michael T [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Pienkos, Philip T [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Arora, Neha [Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee; Pruthi, Vikas [Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee; Poluri, Krishna Mohan [Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

2018-04-18

Ongoing global efforts to commercialize microalgal biofuels have expedited the use of multi-omics techniques to gain insights into lipid biosynthetic pathways. Functional genomics analyses have recently been employed to complement existing sequence-level omics studies, shedding light on the dynamics of lipid synthesis and its interplay with other cellular metabolic pathways, thus revealing possible targets for metabolic engineering. Here, we review the current status of algal omics studies to reveal potential targets to augment TAG accumulation in various microalgae. This review specifically aims to examine and catalog systems level data related to stress-induced TAG accumulation in oleaginous microalgae and inform future metabolic engineering strategies to develop strains with enhanced bioproductivity, which could pave a path for sustainable green energy.
Endometrial natural killer (NK) cells reveal a tissue-specific receptor repertoire.

Science.gov (United States)

Feyaerts, D; Kuret, T; van Cranenbroek, B; van der Zeeuw-Hingrez, S; van der Heijden, O W H; van der Meer, A; Joosten, I; van der Molen, R G

2018-02-13

Is the natural killer (NK) cell receptor repertoire of endometrial NK (eNK) cells tissue-specific? The NK cell receptor (NKR) expression profile in pre-pregnancy endometrium appears to have a unique tissue-specific phenotype, different from that found in NK cells in peripheral blood, suggesting that these cells are finely tuned towards the reception of an allogeneic fetus. NK cells are important for successful pregnancy. After implantation, NK cells encounter extravillous trophoblast cells and regulate trophoblast invasion. NK cell activity is amongst others regulated by C-type lectin heterodimer (CD94/NKG2) and killer cell immunoglobulin-like (KIR) receptors. KIR expression on decidual NK cells is affected by the presence of maternal HLA-C and biased towards KIR2D expression. However, little is known about NKR expression on eNK cells prior to pregnancy. In this study, matched peripheral and menstrual blood (a source of endometrial cells) was obtained from 25 healthy females with regular menstrual cycles. Menstrual blood was collected during the first 36 h of menstruation using a menstrual cup, a non-invasive technique to obtain endometrial cells. KIR and NKG2 receptor expression on eNK cells was characterized by 10-color flow cytometry, and compared to matched pbNK cells of the same female. KIR and HLA-C genotypes were determined by PCR-SSOP techniques. Anti-CMV IgG antibodies in plasma were measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay. KIR expression patterns of eNK cells collected from the same female do not differ over consecutive menstrual cycles. The percentage of NK cells expressing KIR2DL2/L3/S2, KIR2DL3, KIR2DL1, LILRB1 and/or NKG2A was significantly higher in eNK cells compared to pbNK cells, while no significant difference was observed for NKG2C, KIR2DL1/S1, and KIR3DL1. The NKR repertoire of eNK cells was clearly different from pbNK cells, with eNK cells co-expressing more than three NKR simultaneously. In addition, outlier analysis revealed 8 and 15 NKR
Genetic and biochemical evidences reveal novel insights into the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Biosciences; Volume 41; Issue 4. Genetic and biochemical evidences reveal novel insights into the mechanism underlying Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sae2-mediated abrogation of DNA replication stress. INDRAJEET GHODKE K MUNIYAPPA. ARTICLE Volume 41 Issue 4 December 2016 pp ...
Phylogenetic analysis of a spontaneous cocoa bean fermentation metagenome reveals new insights into its bacterial and fungal community diversity.

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Koen Illeghems

Full Text Available This is the first report on the phylogenetic analysis of the community diversity of a single spontaneous cocoa bean box fermentation sample through a metagenomic approach involving 454 pyrosequencing. Several sequence-based and composition-based taxonomic profiling tools were used and evaluated to avoid software-dependent results and their outcome was validated by comparison with previously obtained culture-dependent and culture-independent data. Overall, this approach revealed a wider bacterial (mainly γ-Proteobacteria and fungal diversity than previously found. Further, the use of a combination of different classification methods, in a software-independent way, helped to understand the actual composition of the microbial ecosystem under study. In addition, bacteriophage-related sequences were found. The bacterial diversity depended partially on the methods used, as composition-based methods predicted a wider diversity than sequence-based methods, and as classification methods based solely on phylogenetic marker genes predicted a more restricted diversity compared with methods that took all reads into account. The metagenomic sequencing analysis identified Hanseniaspora uvarum, Hanseniaspora opuntiae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Acetobacter pasteurianus as the prevailing species. Also, the presence of occasional members of the cocoa bean fermentation process was revealed (such as Erwinia tasmaniensis, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Oenococcus oeni. Furthermore, the sequence reads associated with viral communities were of a restricted diversity, dominated by Myoviridae and Siphoviridae, and reflecting Lactobacillus as the dominant host. To conclude, an accurate overview of all members of a cocoa bean fermentation process sample was revealed, indicating the superiority of metagenomic sequencing over previously used techniques.
High-resolution 2-D Bragg diffraction reveal heterogeneous domain transformation behavior in a bulk relaxor ferroelectric

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pramanick, Abhijit, E-mail: apramani@cityu.edu.hk [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Stoica, Alexandru D.; An, Ke [Chemical and Engineering Materials Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)

2016-08-29

In-situ measurement of fine-structure of neutron Bragg diffraction peaks from a relaxor single-crystal using a time-of-flight instrument reveals highly heterogeneous mesoscale domain transformation behavior under applied electric fields. It is observed that only ∼25% of domains undergo reorientation or phase transition contributing to large average strains, while at least 40% remain invariant and exhibit microstrains. Such insights could be central for designing new relaxor materials with better performance and longevity. The current experimental technique can also be applied to resolve complex mesoscale phenomena in other functional materials.
The mechanics of anaphase B in a basidiomycete as revealed by laser microbeam microsurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayles, C.J.; Aist, J.R.; Berns, M.W.

1993-01-01

Bayles, C. J., Aist, J. R., and Berns, M. W. 1993. The mechanics of anaphase B in a basidiomycete as revealed by laser microbeam microsurgery. Experimental Mycology 17, 191-199. Cytoplasmic forces were found to be actively pulling on the spindle pole bodies during anaphase B in the dikaryotic, basidiomycete fungus, Helicobasidium mompa. When the spindle of one nucleus was severed with a laser microbeam at mid anaphase B, its two spindle pole bodies separated at a much faster rate than did those of the intact spindle in the other nucleus of the same cell. Since astral microtubule populations apparently reach their maximum during anaphase B in this fungus, we suggest that these microtubules may be involved in the cytoplasmic pulling forces. The spindle appears to act primarily as a governor, regulating the rate at which the spindle pole bodies are separated
Whole Genome Analyses of a Well-Differentiated Liposarcoma Reveals Novel SYT1 and DDR2 Rearrangements

Science.gov (United States)

Egan, Jan B.; Barrett, Michael T.; Champion, Mia D.; Middha, Sumit; Lenkiewicz, Elizabeth; Evers, Lisa; Francis, Princy; Schmidt, Jessica; Shi, Chang-Xin; Van Wier, Scott; Badar, Sandra; Ahmann, Gregory; Kortuem, K. Martin; Boczek, Nicole J.; Fonseca, Rafael; Craig, David W.; Carpten, John D.; Borad, Mitesh J.; Stewart, A. Keith

2014-01-01

Liposarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma, but little is known about the genomic basis of this disease. Given the low cell content of this tumor type, we utilized flow cytometry to isolate the diploid normal and aneuploid tumor populations from a well-differentiated liposarcoma prior to array comparative genomic hybridization and whole genome sequencing. This work revealed massive highly focal amplifications throughout the aneuploid tumor genome including MDM2, a gene that has previously been found to be amplified in well-differentiated liposarcoma. Structural analysis revealed massive rearrangement of chromosome 12 and 11 gene fusions, some of which may be part of double minute chromosomes commonly present in well-differentiated liposarcoma. We identified a hotspot of genomic instability localized to a region of chromosome 12 that includes a highly conserved, putative L1 retrotransposon element, LOC100507498 which resides within a gene cluster (NAV3, SYT1, PAWR) where 6 of the 11 fusion events occurred. Interestingly, a potential gene fusion was also identified in amplified DDR2, which is a potential therapeutic target of kinase inhibitors such as dastinib, that are not routinely used in the treatment of patients with liposarcoma. Furthermore, 7 somatic, damaging single nucleotide variants have also been identified, including D125N in the PTPRQ protein. In conclusion, this work is the first to report the entire genome of a well-differentiated liposarcoma with novel chromosomal rearrangements associated with amplification of therapeutically targetable genes such as MDM2 and DDR2. PMID:24505276
Whole genome analyses of a well-differentiated liposarcoma reveals novel SYT1 and DDR2 rearrangements.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan B Egan

Full Text Available Liposarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma, but little is known about the genomic basis of this disease. Given the low cell content of this tumor type, we utilized flow cytometry to isolate the diploid normal and aneuploid tumor populations from a well-differentiated liposarcoma prior to array comparative genomic hybridization and whole genome sequencing. This work revealed massive highly focal amplifications throughout the aneuploid tumor genome including MDM2, a gene that has previously been found to be amplified in well-differentiated liposarcoma. Structural analysis revealed massive rearrangement of chromosome 12 and 11 gene fusions, some of which may be part of double minute chromosomes commonly present in well-differentiated liposarcoma. We identified a hotspot of genomic instability localized to a region of chromosome 12 that includes a highly conserved, putative L1 retrotransposon element, LOC100507498 which resides within a gene cluster (NAV3, SYT1, PAWR where 6 of the 11 fusion events occurred. Interestingly, a potential gene fusion was also identified in amplified DDR2, which is a potential therapeutic target of kinase inhibitors such as dastinib, that are not routinely used in the treatment of patients with liposarcoma. Furthermore, 7 somatic, damaging single nucleotide variants have also been identified, including D125N in the PTPRQ protein. In conclusion, this work is the first to report the entire genome of a well-differentiated liposarcoma with novel chromosomal rearrangements associated with amplification of therapeutically targetable genes such as MDM2 and DDR2.
Crystal Structure of PKG I:cGMP Complex Reveals a cGMP-Mediated Dimeric Interface that Facilitates cGMP-Induced Activation

KAUST Repository

Kim, Jeong Joo

2016-04-09

Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG) is a key regulator of smooth muscle and vascular tone and represents an important drug target for treating hypertensive diseases and erectile dysfunction. Despite its importance, its activation mechanism is not fully understood. To understand the activation mechanism, we determined a 2.5 Å crystal structure of the PKG I regulatory (R) domain bound with cGMP, which represents the activated state. Although we used a monomeric domain for crystallization, the structure reveals that two R domains form a symmetric dimer where the cGMP bound at high-affinity pockets provide critical dimeric contacts. Small-angle X-ray scattering and mutagenesis support this dimer model, suggesting that the dimer interface modulates kinase activation. Finally, structural comparison with the homologous cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase reveals that PKG is drastically different from protein kinase A in its active conformation, suggesting a novel activation mechanism for PKG. Kim et al. obtain the first crystal structure of the PKG I R domain bound with cGMP representing its activated state. It reveals a symmetric R dimer where cGMP molecules provide dimeric contacts. This R-R interaction prevents the high-affinity inhibitory interaction between R-C domain and sustains activation. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.
Crystal Structure of PKG I:cGMP Complex Reveals a cGMP-Mediated Dimeric Interface that Facilitates cGMP-Induced Activation

KAUST Repository

Kim, Jeong Joo; Lorenz, Robin; Arold, Stefan T.; Reger, Albert S.; Sankaran, Banumathi; Casteel, Darren E.; Herberg, Friedrich W.; Kim, Choel

2016-01-01

Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG) is a key regulator of smooth muscle and vascular tone and represents an important drug target for treating hypertensive diseases and erectile dysfunction. Despite its importance, its activation mechanism is not fully understood. To understand the activation mechanism, we determined a 2.5 Å crystal structure of the PKG I regulatory (R) domain bound with cGMP, which represents the activated state. Although we used a monomeric domain for crystallization, the structure reveals that two R domains form a symmetric dimer where the cGMP bound at high-affinity pockets provide critical dimeric contacts. Small-angle X-ray scattering and mutagenesis support this dimer model, suggesting that the dimer interface modulates kinase activation. Finally, structural comparison with the homologous cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase reveals that PKG is drastically different from protein kinase A in its active conformation, suggesting a novel activation mechanism for PKG. Kim et al. obtain the first crystal structure of the PKG I R domain bound with cGMP representing its activated state. It reveals a symmetric R dimer where cGMP molecules provide dimeric contacts. This R-R interaction prevents the high-affinity inhibitory interaction between R-C domain and sustains activation. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.
King Lear Reveals the Tragic Pattern of Shakespeare

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Salim Eflih Al-Ibia

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Rather than focusing on the obvious traditions of evaluating Shakespearean tragic heroes, this paper presents a groundbreaking approach to unfold the pattern William Shakespeare follows as he designed his unique characters. This pattern applies to most, if not all, Shakespearean tragic heroes. I argue that Shakespeare himself reveals a great portion of this pattern on the tongue of Lear as the latter disowns Goneril and Regan promising to have “such revenges on [them] both” in King Lear. Lear’s threats bestow four unique aspects that apply not only to his character but they also apply to Shakespearean tragic heroes. Lear’s speech tells us that he is determined to have an awful type of revenge on his daughters. However, the very same speech tells us that he seems uncertain about the method through which he should carry out this revenge. Lear does not express any type of remorse as he pursues his vengeful plans nor should he aim at amnesty. He also admits his own madness as he closes his revealing speech. This research develops these facts about Lear to unfold the unique pattern Shakespeare follows as he portrayed his major tragic figures. This pattern is examined, described and analyzed in King Lear, Othello, and Hamlet. We will find out that the pattern suggested in this study helps us better understand Shakespeare’s tragedies and enables us to provide better explanations for some controversial scenes in the tragedies discussed.
Multiple surveys employing a new sample-processing protocol reveal the genetic diversity of placozoans in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazawa, Hideyuki; Nakano, Hiroaki

2018-03-01

Placozoans, flat free-living marine invertebrates, possess an extremely simple bauplan lacking neurons and muscle cells and represent one of the earliest-branching metazoan phyla. They are widely distributed from temperate to tropical oceans. Based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences, 19 haplotypes forming seven distinct clades have been reported in placozoans to date. In Japan, placozoans have been found at nine locations, but 16S genotyping has been performed at only two of these locations. Here, we propose a new processing protocol, "ethanol-treated substrate sampling," for collecting placozoans from natural environments. We also report the collection of placozoans from three new locations, the islands of Shikine-jima, Chichi-jima, and Haha-jima, and we present the distribution of the 16S haplotypes of placozoans in Japan. Multiple surveys conducted at multiple locations yielded five haplotypes that were not reported previously, revealing high genetic diversity in Japan, especially at Shimoda and Shikine-jima Island. The observed geographic distribution patterns were different among haplotypes; some were widely distributed, while others were sampled only from a single location. However, samplings conducted on different dates at the same sites yielded different haplotypes, suggesting that placozoans of a given haplotype do not inhabit the same site constantly throughout the year. Continued sampling efforts conducted during all seasons at multiple locations worldwide and the development of molecular markers within the haplotypes are needed to reveal the geographic distribution pattern and dispersal history of placozoans in greater detail.
[Localized purpura revealing vascular prosthetic graft infection].

Science.gov (United States)

Boureau, A S; Lescalie, F; Cassagnau, E; Clairand, R; Connault, J

2013-07-01

Prosthetic graft infection after vascular reconstruction is a rare but serious complication. We report a case of infection occurring late after implantation of an iliofemoral prosthetic vascular graft. The Staphylococcus aureus infection was revealed by vascular purpura localized on the right leg 7 years after implantation of a vascular prosthesis. This case illustrates an uncommonly late clinical manifestation presenting as an acute infection 7 years after the primary operation. In this situation, the presentation differs from early infection, which generally occurs within the first four postoperative months. Diagnosis and treatment remain a difficult challenge because prosthetic graft infection is a potentially life-threatening complication. Morbidity and mortality rates are high. Here we detail specific aspects of the clinical and radiological presentation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
A chimeric prokaryotic pentameric ligand–gated channel reveals distinct pathways of activation

Science.gov (United States)

Schmandt, Nicolaus; Velisetty, Phanindra; Chalamalasetti, Sreevatsa V.; Stein, Richard A.; Bonner, Ross; Talley, Lauren; Parker, Mark D.; Mchaourab, Hassane S.; Yee, Vivien C.; Lodowski, David T.

2015-01-01

Recent high resolution structures of several pentameric ligand–gated ion channels have provided unprecedented details of their molecular architecture. However, the conformational dynamics and structural rearrangements that underlie gating and allosteric modulation remain poorly understood. We used a combination of electrophysiology, double electron–electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy, and x-ray crystallography to investigate activation mechanisms in a novel functional chimera with the extracellular domain (ECD) of amine-gated Erwinia chrysanthemi ligand–gated ion channel, which is activated by primary amines, and the transmembrane domain of Gloeobacter violaceus ligand–gated ion channel, which is activated by protons. We found that the chimera was independently gated by primary amines and by protons. The crystal structure of the chimera in its resting state, at pH 7.0 and in the absence of primary amines, revealed a closed-pore conformation and an ECD that is twisted with respect to the transmembrane region. Amine- and pH-induced conformational changes measured by DEER spectroscopy showed that the chimera exhibits a dual mode of gating that preserves the distinct conformational changes of the parent channels. Collectively, our findings shed light on both conserved and divergent features of gating mechanisms in this class of channels, and will facilitate the design of better allosteric modulators. PMID:26415570
A dual origin for water in carbonaceous asteroids revealed by CM chondrites

Science.gov (United States)

Piani, Laurette; Yurimoto, Hisayoshi; Remusat, Laurent

2018-04-01

Carbonaceous asteroids represent the principal source of water in the inner Solar System and might correspond to the main contributors for the delivery of water to Earth. Hydrogen isotopes in water-bearing primitive meteorites, for example carbonaceous chondrites, constitute a unique tool for deciphering the sources of water reservoirs at the time of asteroid formation. However, fine-scale isotopic measurements are required to unravel the effects of parent-body processes on the pre-accretion isotopic distributions. Here, we report in situ micrometre-scale analyses of hydrogen isotopes in six CM-type carbonaceous chondrites, revealing a dominant deuterium-poor water component (δD = -350 ± 40‰) mixed with deuterium-rich organic matter. We suggest that this deuterium-poor water corresponds to a ubiquitous water reservoir in the inner protoplanetary disk. A deuterium-rich water signature has been preserved in the least altered part of the Paris chondrite (δDParis ≥ -69 ± 163‰) in hydrated phases possibly present in the CM rock before alteration. The presence of the deuterium-enriched water signature in Paris might indicate that transfers of ice from the outer to the inner Solar System were significant within the first million years of the history of the Solar System.

Internal representations reveal cultural diversity in expectations of facial expressions of emotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Jack, Rachael E; Caldara, Roberto; Schyns, Philippe G

2012-02-01

Facial expressions have long been considered the "universal language of emotion." Yet consistent cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions contradict such notions (e.g., R. E. Jack, C. Blais, C. Scheepers, P. G. Schyns, & R. Caldara, 2009). Rather, culture--as an intricate system of social concepts and beliefs--could generate different expectations (i.e., internal representations) of facial expression signals. To investigate, they used a powerful psychophysical technique (reverse correlation) to estimate the observer-specific internal representations of the 6 basic facial expressions of emotion (i.e., happy, surprise, fear, disgust, anger, and sad) in two culturally distinct groups (i.e., Western Caucasian [WC] and East Asian [EA]). Using complementary statistical image analyses, cultural specificity was directly revealed in these representations. Specifically, whereas WC internal representations predominantly featured the eyebrows and mouth, EA internal representations showed a preference for expressive information in the eye region. Closer inspection of the EA observer preference revealed a surprising feature: changes of gaze direction, shown primarily among the EA group. For the first time, it is revealed directly that culture can finely shape the internal representations of common facial expressions of emotion, challenging notions of a biologically hardwired "universal language of emotion."
Global phosphoproteomic analysis of human skeletal muscle reveals a network of exercise-regulated kinases and AMPK substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoffman, Nolan J; Parker, Benjamin L; Chaudhuri, Rima

2015-01-01

-intensity exercise bout, revealing 1,004 unique exercise-regulated phosphosites on 562 proteins. These included substrates of known exercise-regulated kinases (AMPK, PKA, CaMK, MAPK, mTOR), yet the majority of kinases and substrate phosphosites have not previously been implicated in exercise signaling. Given...
A parts list for fungal cellulosomes revealed by comparative genomics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haitjema, Charles H.; Gilmore, Sean P.; Henske, John K.; Solomon, Kevin V.; de Groot, Randall; Kuo, Alan; Mondo, Stephen J.; Salamov, Asaf A.; LaButti, Kurt; Zhao, Zhiying; Chiniquy, Jennifer; Barry, Kerrie; Brewer, Heather M.; Purvine, Samuel O.; Wright, Aaron T.; Hainaut, Matthieu; Boxma, Brigitte; van Alen, Theo; Hackstein, Johannes H. P.; Henrissat, Bernard; Baker, Scott E.; Grigoriev, Igor V.; O' Malley, Michelle A.

2017-05-26

Cellulosomes are large, multi-protein complexes that tether plant biomass degrading enzymes together for improved hydrolysis1. These complexes were first described in anaerobic bacteria where species specific dockerin domains mediate assembly of enzymes onto complementary cohesin motifs interspersed within non-catalytic protein scaffolds1. The versatile protein assembly mechanism conferred by the bacterial cohesin-dockerin interaction is now a standard design principle for synthetic protein-scale pathways2,3. For decades, analogous structures have been reported in the early branching anaerobic fungi, which are known to assemble by sequence divergent non-catalytic dockerin domains (NCDD)4. However, the enzyme components, modular assembly mechanism, and functional role of fungal cellulosomes remain unknown5,6. Here, we describe the comprehensive set of proteins critical to fungal cellulosome assembly, including novel, conserved scaffolding proteins unique to the Neocallimastigomycota. High quality genomes of the anaerobic fungi Anaeromyces robustus, Neocallimastix californiae and Piromyces finnis were assembled with long-read, single molecule technology to overcome their repeat-richness and extremely low GC content. Genomic analysis coupled with proteomic validation revealed an average 320 NCDD-containing proteins per fungal strain that were overwhelmingly carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes), with 95 large fungal scaffoldins identified across 4 genera that contain a conserved amino acid sequence repeat that binds to NCDDs. Fungal dockerin and scaffoldin domains have no similarity to their bacterial counterparts, yet several catalytic domains originated via horizontal gene transfer with gut bacteria. Though many catalytic domains are shared with bacteria, the biocatalytic activity of anaerobic fungi is expanded by the inclusion of GH3, GH6, and GH45 enzymes in the enzyme complexes. Collectively, these findings suggest that the fungal cellulosome is an evolutionarily
Whole-exome sequencing of a patient with severe and complex hemostatic abnormalities reveals a possible contributing frameshift mutation in C3AR1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leinøe, Eva; Nielsen, Ove Juul; Jønson, Lars

2016-01-01

-threatening coagulation disorder causing recurrent venous thromboembolic events, severe thrombocytopenia, and subdural hematomas. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a frameshift mutation (C3AR1 c.355-356dup, p.Asp119Alafs*19) resulting in a premature stop codon in C3AR1 (Complement Component 3a Receptor 1). Based...
Identification of Bombyx mori bidensovirus VD1-ORF4 reveals a novel protein associated with viral structural component.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guohui; Hu, Zhaoyang; Guo, Xuli; Li, Guangtian; Tang, Qi; Wang, Peng; Chen, Keping; Yao, Qin

2013-06-01

Bombyx mori bidensovirus (BmBDV) VD1-ORF4 (open reading frame 4, ORF4) consists of 3,318 nucleotides, which codes for a predicted 1,105-amino acid protein containing a conserved DNA polymerase motif. However, its functions in viral propagation remain unknown. In the current study, the transcription of VD1-ORF4 was examined from 6 to 96 h postinfection (p.i.) by RT-PCR, 5'-RACE revealed the transcription initiation site of BmBDV ORF4 to be -16 nucleotides upstream from the start codon, and 3'-RACE revealed the transcription termination site of VD1-ORF4 to be +7 nucleotides downstream from termination codon. Three different proteins were examined in the extracts of BmBDV-infected silkworms midguts by Western blot using raised antibodies against VD1-ORF4 deduced amino acid, and a specific protein band about 53 kDa was further detected in purified virions using the same antibodies. Taken together, BmBDV VD1-ORF4 codes for three or more proteins during the viral life cycle, one of which is a 53 kDa protein and confirmed to be a component of BmBDV virion.
[Scrotal fistulas revealing mucinous adenocarcinoma of the scrotum: about a case].

Science.gov (United States)

El Alaoui, Abdelilah; El Boté, Hicham; Ziouani, Oussama; Dembele, Oussman; El Sayegh, Hachem; Iken, Ali; Benslimane, Lounis; Nouini, Yassine

2017-01-01

Scrotales fistulas are rare and often represent secondary lesions of tuberculosis. Mucinous adenocarcinomas are tumors containing at least 50% of extracellular mucus. They occur most commonly in the rectosigmoid; scrotal location is rare. We report the case of a 54-year old patient, with no particular past medical history, with secondary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the scrotum revealed by scrotal fistulas. The patient had suffered from recurrent scrotal fistulas for two years, with no other associated signs. Clinical examination showed multiple scrotal fistulas with discharge of thick pus. Rectal examination was normal. Urological examinations (IVU, UCRM, cystoscopy, …) were normal, the assessment of infectious diseases as well as the detection of BK virus in urine and sputum were negative. Biopsy of sample of scrotal tissue was in favor of moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical examination was in favor of primary colorectal cancer. Patient's evolution was marked by the occurrence of complex anal fistulas, which appeared on MRI as active, supplying several pelvic peritoneal collections resulting in fleshy buds. There is no consensus on the therapeutic approach due to the rarity of this cancer. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for this disease. Preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy are recommended for this type of cancer, but their role is not well established. The patient underwent primary neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy, before abdominoperineal excision.
A Butterfly in the Making: Revealing the Near-Infrared Structure of Hubble 12

Science.gov (United States)

Hora, Joseph L.; Latter, William B.

1996-01-01

We present deep narrowband near-IR images and moderate resolution spectra of the young planetary nebula Hubble 12. These data are the first to show clearly the complex structure for this important planetary nebula. Images were obtained at lambda = 2.12, 2.16, and 2.26 micron. The lambda = 2.12 Am image reveals the bipolar nature of the nebula, as well as complex structure near the central star in the equatorial region. The images show an elliptical region of emission, which may indicate a ring or a cylindrical source structure. This structure is possibly related to the mechanism that is producing the bipolar flow. The spectra show the nature of several distinct components. The central object is dominated by recombination lines of H I and He I. The core is not a significant source of molecular hydrogen emission. The east position in the equatorial region is rich in lines of ultraviolet-excited fluorescent H2. A spectrum of part of the central region shows strong [Fe II] emission, which might indicate the presence of shocks.
Innervation of taste buds revealed with Brainbow-labeling in mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaidi, Faisal N; Cicchini, Vanessa; Kaufman, Daniel; Ko, Elizabeth; Ko, Abraham; Van Tassel, Heather; Whitehead, Mark C

2016-12-01

Nerve fibers that surround and innervate the taste bud were visualized with inherent fluorescence using Brainbow transgenic mice that were generated by mating the founder line L with nestin-cre mice. Multicolor fluorescence revealed perigemmal fibers as branched within the non-taste epithelium and ending in clusters of multiple rounded swellings surrounding the taste pore. Brainbow-labeling also revealed the morphology and branching pattern of single intragemmal fibers. These taste bud fibers frequently innervated both the peripheral bud, where immature gemmal cells are located, and the central bud, where mature, differentiated cells are located. The fibers typically bore preterminal and terminal swellings, growth cones with filopodia, swellings, and rounded retraction bulbs. These results establish an anatomical substrate for taste nerve fibers to contact and remodel among receptor cells at all stages of their differentiation, an interpretation that was supported by staining with GAP-43, a marker for growing fibers and growth cones. © 2016 Anatomical Society.
The structure of the TFIIH p34 subunit reveals a von Willebrand factor A like fold.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominik R Schmitt

Full Text Available RNA polymerase II dependent transcription and nucleotide excision repair are mediated by a multifaceted interplay of subunits within the general transcription factor II H (TFIIH. A better understanding of the molecular structure of TFIIH is the key to unravel the mechanism of action of this versatile protein complex within these vital cellular processes. The importance of this complex becomes further evident in the context of severe diseases like xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne's syndrome and trichothiodystrophy, that arise from single point mutations in TFIIH subunits. Here we describe the structure of the p34 subunit of the TFIIH complex from the eukaryotic thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum. The structure revealed that p34 contains a von Willebrand Factor A (vWA like domain, a fold which is generally known to be involved in protein-protein interactions. Within TFIIH p34 strongly interacts with p44, a positive regulator of the helicase XPD. Putative protein-protein interfaces are analyzed and possible binding sites for the p34-p44 interaction suggested.
Brands and Inhibition: A Go/No-Go Task Reveals the Power of Brand Influence.

Science.gov (United States)

Peatfield, Nicholas; Caulfield, Joanne; Parkinson, John; Intriligator, James

2015-01-01

Whether selecting a candy in a shop or picking a digital camera online, there are usually many options from which consumers may choose. With such abundance, consumers must use a variety of cognitive, emotional, and heuristic means to filter out and inhibit some of their responses. Here we use brand logos within a Go/No-Go task to probe inhibitory control during the presentation of familiar and unfamiliar logos. The results showed no differences in response times or in commission errors (CE) between familiar and unfamiliar logos. However, participants demonstrated a generally more cautious attitude of responding to the familiar brands: they were significantly slower and less accurate at responding to these brands in the Go trials. These findings suggest that inhibitory control can be exercised quite effectively for familiar brands, but that when such inhibition fails, the potent appetitive nature of brands is revealed.
Focus Groups to Reveal Parents' Needs for Prenatal Education

OpenAIRE

Dumas, Louise

2002-01-01

Focus group interviews are a useful qualitative research technique to obtain data from small groups about their opinions, attitudes, and/or feelings on a given subject. This particular technique has been used in Western Quebec in order to reveal the opinions, needs, and feelings of health professionals and future parents concerning prenatal education. As part of the region's priorities for 2002, all future parents in this part of the province were to be offered prenatal, government-paid, comm...
Phylogenetic Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus CC398 Reveals a Sub-Lineage Epidemiologically Associated with Infections in Horses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abdelbary, Mohamed M. H.; Wittenberg, Anne; Cuny, Christiane

2014-01-01

-allelic polymorphisms, and phylogenetic analyses revealed that an epidemic sub-clone within CC398 (dubbed 'clade (C)') has spread within and between equine hospitals, where it causes nosocomial infections in horses and colonises the personnel. While clade (C) was strongly associated with S. aureus from horses...
Predator-prey interaction reveals local effects of high-altitude insect migration

Science.gov (United States)

High-altitude nocturnal insect migrations represent significant pulses of resources, yet are difficult to study and poorly understood. Predator-prey interactions, specifically migratory moth consumption by high-flying bats, potentially reveal flows of migratory insects across a landscape. In North...
Crystal Structure of Homo Sapiens PTD012 Reveals a Zinc-Containing Hydrolase Fold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manjasetty,B.; Bussow, K.; Fieber-ErdMan, M.; Roske, Y.; Gobam, J.; Scheich, C.; Gotz, F.; Niesen, F.; Heinemann, U.

2006-01-01

The human protein PTD012 is the longer product of an alternatively spliced gene and was described to be localized in the nucleus. The X-ray structure analysis at 1.7 Angstroms resolution of PTD012 through SAD phasing reveals a monomeric protein and a novel fold. The shorter splice form was also studied and appears to be unfolded and non-functional. The structure of PTD012 displays an {alpha}{beta}{beta}{alpha} four-layer topology. A metal ion residing between the central {beta}-sheets is partially coordinated by three histidine residues. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis identifies the PTD012-bound ion as Zn{sup 2+}. Tetrahedral coordination of the ion is completed by the carboxylate oxygen atom of an acetate molecule taken up from the crystallization buffer. The binding of Zn{sup 2+} to PTD012 is reminiscent of zinc-containing enzymes such as carboxypeptidase, carbonic anhydrase, and {beta}-lactamase. Biochemical assays failed to demonstrate any of these enzyme activities in PTD012. However, PTD012 exhibits ester hydrolase activity on the substrate p-nitrophenyl acetate.
Extensive expansion of A1 family aspartic proteinases in fungi revealed by evolutionary analyses of 107 complete eukaryotic proteomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Revuelta, M.V.; Kan, van J.A.L.; Kay, J.; Have, ten A.

2014-01-01

The A1 family of eukaryotic aspartic proteinases (APs) forms one of the 16 AP families. Although one of the best characterized families, the recent increase in genome sequence data has revealed many fungal AP homologs with novel sequence characteristics. This study was performed to explore the
Museum samples reveal rapid evolution by wild honey bees exposed to a novel parasite.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikheyev, Alexander S; Tin, Mandy M Y; Arora, Jatin; Seeley, Thomas D

2015-08-06

Understanding genetic changes caused by novel pathogens and parasites can reveal mechanisms of adaptation and genetic robustness. Using whole-genome sequencing of museum and modern specimens, we describe the genomic changes in a wild population of honey bees in North America following the introduction of the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor. Even though colony density in the study population is the same today as in the past, a major loss of haplotypic diversity occurred, indicative of a drastic mitochondrial bottleneck, caused by massive colony mortality. In contrast, nuclear genetic diversity did not change, though hundreds of genes show signs of selection. The genetic diversity within each bee colony, particularly as a consequence of polyandry by queens, may enable preservation of genetic diversity even during population bottlenecks. These findings suggest that genetically diverse honey bee populations can recover from introduced diseases by evolving rapid tolerance, while maintaining much of the standing genetic variation.
Revealing the sub-nanometere three-dimensional microscture of a metallic meteorite

Science.gov (United States)

Einsle, J. F.; Harrison, R.; Blukis, R.; Eggeman, A.; Saghi, Z.; Martineau, B.; Bagot, P.; Collins, S. M.; Midgley, P. A.

2017-12-01

Coming from from the core of differentiated planetesimals, iron-nickel meteorites provide some of the only direct material artefacts from planetary cores. Iron - nickel meteorites contain a record of their thermal and magnetic history, written in the intergrowth of iron-rich and nickel-rich phases that formed during slow cooling over millions of years. Of intense interest for understanding the thermal and magnetic history is the `'cloudy zone''. This nanoscale intergrowth that has recently been used to provide a record of magnetic activity on the parent body of stony-iron meteorites. The cloudy zone consists of islands of tetrataenite surrounded by a matrix phase, Here we use a multi-scale and multidimensional comparative study using high-resolution electron diffraction, scanning transmission electron tomography with chemical mapping, atom probe tomography and micromagnetic simulations to reveal the three-dimensional architecture of the cloudy zone with sub-nanometre spatial resolution. Machine learning data deconvolution strategies enable the three microanalytical techniques to converge on a consistent microstructural description for the cloudy zone. Isolated islands of tetrataenite are found, embedded in a continuous matrix of an FCC-supercell of Fe27Ni5 structure, never before identified in nature. The tetrataenite islands are arranged in clusters of three crystallographic variants, which control how magnetic information is encoded into the nanostructure during slow cooling. The new compositional, crystallographic and micromagnetic data have profound implications for how the cloudy zone acquires magnetic remanence, and requires a revision of the low-temperature metastable phase diagram of the Fe-Ni system. This can lead to a refinement of core dynamics in small planetoids.
A Human Open Field Test Reveals Thigmotaxis Related to Agoraphobic Fear.

Science.gov (United States)

Walz, Nora; Mühlberger, Andreas; Pauli, Paul

2016-09-01

Thigmotaxis refers to a specific behavior of animals (i.e., to stay close to walls when exploring an open space). Such behavior can be assessed with the open field test (OFT), which is a well-established indicator of animal fear. The detection of similar open field behavior in humans may verify the translational validity of this paradigm. Enhanced thigmotaxis related to anxiety may suggest the relevance of such behavior for anxiety disorders, especially agoraphobia. A global positioning system was used to analyze the behavior of 16 patients with agoraphobia and 18 healthy individuals with a risk for agoraphobia (i.e., high anxiety sensitivity) during a human OFT and compare it with appropriate control groups (n = 16 and n = 19). We also tracked 17 patients with agoraphobia and 17 control participants during a city walk that involved walking through an open market square. Our human OFT triggered thigmotaxis in participants; patients with agoraphobia and participants with high anxiety sensitivity exhibited enhanced thigmotaxis. This behavior was evident in increased movement lengths along the wall of the natural open field and fewer entries into the center of the field despite normal movement speed and length. Furthermore, participants avoided passing through the market square during the city walk, indicating again that thigmotaxis is related to agoraphobia. This study is the first to our knowledge to verify the translational validity of the OFT and to reveal that thigmotaxis, an evolutionarily adaptive behavior shown by most species, is related to agoraphobia, a pathologic fear of open spaces, and anxiety sensitivity, a risk factor for agoraphobia. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The structure of Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase reveals a novel redox switch that regulates its activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chitnumsub, Penchit; Ittarat, Wanwipa; Jaruwat, Aritsara; Noytanom, Krittikar [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Amornwatcharapong, Watcharee [Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand); Pornthanakasem, Wichai [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Chaiyen, Pimchai [Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand); Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Leartsakulpanich, Ubolsree [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand)

2014-06-01

The crystal structure of P. falciparum SHMT revealed snapshots of an intriguing disulfide/sulfhydryl switch controlling the functional activity. Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase (PfSHMT), an enzyme in the dTMP synthesis cycle, is an antimalarial target because inhibition of its expression or function has been shown to be lethal to the parasite. As the wild-type enzyme could not be crystallized, protein engineering of residues on the surface was carried out. The surface-engineered mutant PfSHMT-F292E was successfully crystallized and its structure was determined at 3 Å resolution. The PfSHMT-F292E structure is a good representation of PfSHMT as this variant revealed biochemical properties similar to those of the wild type. Although the overall structure of PfSHMT is similar to those of other SHMTs, unique features including the presence of two loops and a distinctive cysteine pair formed by Cys125 and Cys364 in the tetrahydrofolate (THF) substrate binding pocket were identified. These structural characteristics have never been reported in other SHMTs. Biochemical characterization and mutation analysis of these two residues confirm that they act as a disulfide/sulfhydryl switch to regulate the THF-dependent catalytic function of the enzyme. This redox switch is not present in the human enzyme, in which the cysteine pair is absent. The data reported here can be further exploited as a new strategy to specifically disrupt the activity of the parasite enzyme without interfering with the function of the human enzyme.
The structure of Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase reveals a novel redox switch that regulates its activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chitnumsub, Penchit; Ittarat, Wanwipa; Jaruwat, Aritsara; Noytanom, Krittikar; Amornwatcharapong, Watcharee; Pornthanakasem, Wichai; Chaiyen, Pimchai; Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Leartsakulpanich, Ubolsree

2014-01-01

The crystal structure of P. falciparum SHMT revealed snapshots of an intriguing disulfide/sulfhydryl switch controlling the functional activity. Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase (PfSHMT), an enzyme in the dTMP synthesis cycle, is an antimalarial target because inhibition of its expression or function has been shown to be lethal to the parasite. As the wild-type enzyme could not be crystallized, protein engineering of residues on the surface was carried out. The surface-engineered mutant PfSHMT-F292E was successfully crystallized and its structure was determined at 3 Å resolution. The PfSHMT-F292E structure is a good representation of PfSHMT as this variant revealed biochemical properties similar to those of the wild type. Although the overall structure of PfSHMT is similar to those of other SHMTs, unique features including the presence of two loops and a distinctive cysteine pair formed by Cys125 and Cys364 in the tetrahydrofolate (THF) substrate binding pocket were identified. These structural characteristics have never been reported in other SHMTs. Biochemical characterization and mutation analysis of these two residues confirm that they act as a disulfide/sulfhydryl switch to regulate the THF-dependent catalytic function of the enzyme. This redox switch is not present in the human enzyme, in which the cysteine pair is absent. The data reported here can be further exploited as a new strategy to specifically disrupt the activity of the parasite enzyme without interfering with the function of the human enzyme

Interactions between Skeletal Muscle Myoblasts and their Extracellular Matrix Revealed by a Serum Free Culture System.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaturvedi, Vishal; Dye, Danielle E; Kinnear, Beverley F; van Kuppevelt, Toin H; Grounds, Miranda D; Coombe, Deirdre R

2015-01-01

Decellularisation of skeletal muscle provides a system to study the interactions of myoblasts with muscle extracellular matrix (ECM). This study describes the efficient decellularisation of quadriceps muscle with the retention of matrix components and the use of this matrix for myoblast proliferation and differentiation under serum free culture conditions. Three decellularisation approaches were examined; the most effective was phospholipase A2 treatment, which removed cellular material while maximizing the retention of ECM components. Decellularised muscle matrices were then solubilized and used as substrates for C2C12 mouse myoblast serum free cultures. The muscle matrix supported myoblast proliferation and differentiation equally as well as collagen and fibronectin. Immunofluorescence analyses revealed that myoblasts seeded on muscle matrix and fibronectin differentiated to form long, well-aligned myotubes, while myoblasts seeded on collagen were less organized. qPCR analyses showed a time dependent increase in genes involved in skeletal muscle differentiation and suggested that muscle-derived matrix may stimulate an increased rate of differentiation compared to collagen and fibronectin. Decellularized whole muscle three-dimensional scaffolds also supported cell adhesion and spreading, with myoblasts aligning along specific tracts of matrix proteins within the scaffolds. Thus, under serum free conditions, intact acellular muscle matrices provided cues to direct myoblast adhesion and migration. In addition, myoblasts were shown to rapidly secrete and organise their own matrix glycoproteins to create a localized ECM microenvironment. This serum free culture system has revealed that the correct muscle ECM facilitates more rapid cell organisation and differentiation than single matrix glycoprotein substrates.
A short-time scale colloidal system reveals early bacterial adhesion dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christophe Beloin

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The development of bacteria on abiotic surfaces has important public health and sanitary consequences. However, despite several decades of study of bacterial adhesion to inert surfaces, the biophysical mechanisms governing this process remain poorly understood, due, in particular, to the lack of methodologies covering the appropriate time scale. Using micrometric colloidal surface particles and flow cytometry analysis, we developed a rapid multiparametric approach to studying early events in adhesion of the bacterium Escherichia coli. This approach simultaneously describes the kinetics and amplitude of early steps in adhesion, changes in physicochemical surface properties within the first few seconds of adhesion, and the self-association state of attached and free-floating cells. Examination of the role of three well-characterized E. coli surface adhesion factors upon attachment to colloidal surfaces--curli fimbriae, F-conjugative pilus, and Ag43 adhesin--showed clear-cut differences in the very initial phases of surface colonization for cell-bearing surface structures, all known to promote biofilm development. Our multiparametric analysis revealed a correlation in the adhesion phase with cell-to-cell aggregation properties and demonstrated that this phenomenon amplified surface colonization once initial cell-surface attachment was achieved. Monitoring of real-time physico-chemical particle surface properties showed that surface-active molecules of bacterial origin quickly modified surface properties, providing new insight into the intricate relations connecting abiotic surface physicochemical properties and bacterial adhesion. Hence, the biophysical analytical method described here provides a new and relevant approach to quantitatively and kinetically investigating bacterial adhesion and biofilm development.
Hyperspectral imaging technology for revealing the original handwritings covered by the same inks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanyuan Lian

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This manuscript presents a preliminary investigation on the applicability of hyperspectral imaging technology for nondestructive and rapid analysis to reveal covered original handwritings. The hyperspectral imager Nuance-Macro was used to collect the reflected light signature of inks from the overlapping parts. The software Nuance1p46 was used to analyze the reflected light signature of inks which shows the covered original handwritings. Different types of black/blue ballpoint pen inks and black/blue gel pen inks were chosen for sample preparation. From the hyperspectral images examined, the covered original handwritings of application were revealed in 90.5%, 69.1%, 49.5%, and 78.6% of the cases. Further, the correlation between the revealing effect and spectral characteristics of the reflected light of inks at the overlapping parts was interpreted through theoretical analysis and experimental verification. The results indicated that when the spectral characteristics of the reflected light of inks at the overlapping parts were the same or very similar to that of the ink that was used to cover the original handwriting, the original handwriting could not be shown. On the contrary, when the spectral characteristics of the reflected light of inks at the overlapping parts were different to that of the ink that was used to cover the original handwriting, the original handwriting was revealed.
Pushing typists back on the learning curve: revealing chunking in skilled typewriting.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Motonori; Logan, Gordon D

2014-04-01

Theories of skilled performance propose that highly trained skills involve hierarchically structured control processes. The present study examined and demonstrated hierarchical control at several levels of processing in skilled typewriting. In the first two experiments, we scrambled the order of letters in words to prevent skilled typists from chunking letters, and compared typing words and scrambled words. Experiment 1 manipulated stimulus quality to reveal chunking in perception, and Experiment 2 manipulated concurrent memory load to reveal chunking in short-term memory (STM). Both experiments manipulated the number of letters in words and nonwords to reveal chunking in motor planning. In the next two experiments, we degraded typing skill by altering the usual haptic feedback by using a laser-projection keyboard, so that typists had to monitor keystrokes. Neither the number of motor chunks (Experiment 3) nor the number of STM items (Experiment 4) was influenced by the manipulation. The results indicate that the utilization of hierarchical control depends on whether the input allows chunking but not on whether the output is generated automatically. We consider the role of automaticity in hierarchical control of skilled performance.
Atypical case of Wolfram syndrome revealed through targeted exome sequencing in a patient with suspected mitochondrial disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lieber, Daniel S; Vafai, Scott B; Horton, Laura C; Slate, Nancy G; Liu, Shangtao; Borowsky, Mark L; Calvo, Sarah E; Schmahmann, Jeremy D; Mootha, Vamsi K

2012-01-06

Mitochondrial diseases comprise a diverse set of clinical disorders that affect multiple organ systems with varying severity and age of onset. Due to their clinical and genetic heterogeneity, these diseases are difficult to diagnose. We have developed a targeted exome sequencing approach to improve our ability to properly diagnose mitochondrial diseases and apply it here to an individual patient. Our method targets mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the exons of 1,600 nuclear genes involved in mitochondrial biology or Mendelian disorders with multi-system phenotypes, thereby allowing for simultaneous evaluation of multiple disease loci. Targeted exome sequencing was performed on a patient initially suspected to have a mitochondrial disorder. The patient presented with diabetes mellitus, diffuse brain atrophy, autonomic neuropathy, optic nerve atrophy, and a severe amnestic syndrome. Further work-up revealed multiple heteroplasmic mtDNA deletions as well as profound thiamine deficiency without a clear nutritional cause. Targeted exome sequencing revealed a homozygous c.1672C > T (p.R558C) missense mutation in exon 8 of WFS1 that has previously been reported in a patient with Wolfram syndrome. This case demonstrates how clinical application of next-generation sequencing technology can enhance the diagnosis of patients suspected to have rare genetic disorders. Furthermore, the finding of unexplained thiamine deficiency in a patient with Wolfram syndrome suggests a potential link between WFS1 biology and thiamine metabolism that has implications for the clinical management of Wolfram syndrome patients.
Atypical case of Wolfram syndrome revealed through targeted exome sequencing in a patient with suspected mitochondrial disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lieber Daniel S

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mitochondrial diseases comprise a diverse set of clinical disorders that affect multiple organ systems with varying severity and age of onset. Due to their clinical and genetic heterogeneity, these diseases are difficult to diagnose. We have developed a targeted exome sequencing approach to improve our ability to properly diagnose mitochondrial diseases and apply it here to an individual patient. Our method targets mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and the exons of 1,600 nuclear genes involved in mitochondrial biology or Mendelian disorders with multi-system phenotypes, thereby allowing for simultaneous evaluation of multiple disease loci. Case Presentation Targeted exome sequencing was performed on a patient initially suspected to have a mitochondrial disorder. The patient presented with diabetes mellitus, diffuse brain atrophy, autonomic neuropathy, optic nerve atrophy, and a severe amnestic syndrome. Further work-up revealed multiple heteroplasmic mtDNA deletions as well as profound thiamine deficiency without a clear nutritional cause. Targeted exome sequencing revealed a homozygous c.1672C > T (p.R558C missense mutation in exon 8 of WFS1 that has previously been reported in a patient with Wolfram syndrome. Conclusion This case demonstrates how clinical application of next-generation sequencing technology can enhance the diagnosis of patients suspected to have rare genetic disorders. Furthermore, the finding of unexplained thiamine deficiency in a patient with Wolfram syndrome suggests a potential link between WFS1 biology and thiamine metabolism that has implications for the clinical management of Wolfram syndrome patients.
Social patterns revealed through random matrix theory

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Sarkar, Camellia; Jalan, Sarika

2014-11-01

Despite the tremendous advancements in the field of network theory, very few studies have taken weights in the interactions into consideration that emerge naturally in all real-world systems. Using random matrix analysis of a weighted social network, we demonstrate the profound impact of weights in interactions on emerging structural properties. The analysis reveals that randomness existing in particular time frame affects the decisions of individuals rendering them more freedom of choice in situations of financial security. While the structural organization of networks remains the same throughout all datasets, random matrix theory provides insight into the interaction pattern of individuals of the society in situations of crisis. It has also been contemplated that individual accountability in terms of weighted interactions remains as a key to success unless segregation of tasks comes into play.
Revisiting diversity: cultural variation reveals the constructed nature of emotion perception.

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Gendron, Maria

2017-10-01

The extent of cultural variation in emotion perception has long been assumed to be bounded by underlying universality. A growing body of research reveals, however, that evidence of universality in emotion perception is method-bound. Without the assumption of underlying universality, new lines of inquiry become relevant. Accumulating evidence suggests that cultures vary in what cues are relevant to perceptions of emotion. Further, cultural groups vary in their spontaneous inferences; mental state inference does not appear to be the only, or even most routine, mode of perception across cultures. Finally, setting universality assumptions aside requires innovation in the theory and measurement of culture. Recent studies reveal the promise of refinements in psychological approaches to culture. Together, the available evidence is consistent with a view of emotion perceptions as actively constructed by perceivers to fit the social and physical constraints of their cultural worlds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Genetics, morphology and ecology reveal a cryptic pika lineage in the Sikkim Himalaya.

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Dahal, Nishma; Lissovsky, Andrey A; Lin, Zhenzhen; Solari, Katherine; Hadly, Elizabeth A; Zhan, Xiangjiang; Ramakrishnan, Uma

2017-01-01

Asian pika species are morphologically ∼similar and have overlapping ranges. This leads to uncertainty and species misidentification in the field. Phylogenetic analyses of such misidentified samples leads to taxonomic ambiguity. The ecology of many pika species remains understudied, particularly in the Himalaya, where sympatric species could be separated by elevation and/or substrate. We sampled, measured, and acquired genetic data from pikas in the Sikkim Himalaya. Our analyses revealed a cryptic lineage, Ochotona sikimaria, previously reported as a subspecies of O. thibetana. The results support the elevation of this lineage to the species level, as it is genetically divergent from O. thibetana, as well as sister species, O. cansus (endemic to central China) and O. curzoniae (endemic to the Tibetan plateau). The Sikkim lineage diverged from its sister species' about 1.7-0.8myrago, coincident with uplift events in the Himalaya. Our results add to the recent spate of cryptic diversity identified from the eastern Himalaya and highlight the need for further study within the Ochotonidae. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Acting without seeing: eye movements reveal visual processing without awareness.

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Spering, Miriam; Carrasco, Marisa

2015-04-01

Visual perception and eye movements are considered to be tightly linked. Diverse fields, ranging from developmental psychology to computer science, utilize eye tracking to measure visual perception. However, this prevailing view has been challenged by recent behavioral studies. Here, we review converging evidence revealing dissociations between the contents of perceptual awareness and different types of eye movement. Such dissociations reveal situations in which eye movements are sensitive to particular visual features that fail to modulate perceptual reports. We also discuss neurophysiological, neuroimaging, and clinical studies supporting the role of subcortical pathways for visual processing without awareness. Our review links awareness to perceptual-eye movement dissociations and furthers our understanding of the brain pathways underlying vision and movement with and without awareness. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Gene expression profiling in equine polysaccharide storage myopathy revealed inflammation, glycogenesis inhibition, hypoxia and mitochondrial dysfunctions

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Benech Philippe

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several cases of myopathies have been observed in the horse Norman Cob breed. Muscle histology examinations revealed that some families suffer from a polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM. It is assumed that a gene expression signature related to PSSM should be observed at the transcriptional level because the glycogen storage disease could also be linked to other dysfunctions in gene regulation. Thus, the functional genomic approach could be conducted in order to provide new knowledge about the metabolic disorders related to PSSM. We propose exploring the PSSM muscle fiber metabolic disorders by measuring gene expression in relationship with the histological phenotype. Results Genotypying analysis of GYS1 mutation revealed 2 homozygous (AA and 5 heterozygous (GA PSSM horses. In the PSSM muscles, histological data revealed PAS positive amylase resistant abnormal polysaccharides, inflammation, necrosis, and lipomatosis and active regeneration of fibers. Ultrastructural evaluation revealed a decrease of mitochondrial number and structural disorders. Extensive accumulation of an abnormal polysaccharide displaced and partially replaced mitochondria and myofibrils. The severity of the disease was higher in the two homozygous PSSM horses. Gene expression analysis revealed 129 genes significantly modulated (p Conclusion The main disorders observed in PSSM muscles could be related to mitochondrial dysfunctions, glycogenesis inhibition and the chronic hypoxia of the PSSM muscles.
Structure and mechanism of calmodulin binding to a signaling sphingolipid reveal new aspects of lipid-protein interactions

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Kovacs, Erika; Harmat, Veronika; Tóth, Judit; Vértessy, Beáta G.; Módos, Károly; Kardos, József; Liliom, Károly

2010-01-01

Lipid-protein interactions are rarely characterized at a structural molecular level due to technical difficulties; however, the biological significance of understanding the mechanism of these interactions is outstanding. In this report, we provide mechanistic insight into the inhibitory complex formation of the lipid mediator sphingosylphosphorylcholine with calmodulin, the most central and ubiquitous regulator protein in calcium signaling. We applied crystallographic, thermodynamic, kinetic, and spectroscopic approaches using purified bovine calmodulin and bovine cerebral microsomal fraction to arrive at our conclusions. Here we present 1) a 1.6-Å resolution crystal structure of their complex, in which the sphingolipid occupies the conventional hydrophobic binding site on calmodulin; 2) a peculiar stoichiometry-dependent binding process: at low or high protein-to-lipid ratio calmodulin binds lipid micelles or a few lipid molecules in a compact globular conformation, respectively, and 3) evidence that the sphingolipid displaces calmodulin from its targets on cerebral microsomes. We have ascertained the specificity of the interaction using structurally related lipids as controls. Our observations reveal the structural basis of selective calmodulin inhibition by the sphingolipid. On the basis of the crystallographic and biophysical characterization of the calmodulin–sphingosylphosphorylcholine interaction, we propose a novel lipid-protein binding model, which might be applicable to other interactions as well.—Kovacs, E., Harmat, V., Tóth, J., Vértessy, B. G., Módos, K., Kardos, J., Liliom, K. Structure and mechanism of calmodulin binding to a signaling sphingolipid reveal new aspects of lipid-protein interactions. PMID:20522785
Revealing Future Research Capacity from an Analysis of a National Database of Discipline-Coded Australian PhD Thesis Records

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Pittayachawan, Siddhi; Macauley, Peter; Evans, Terry

2016-01-01

This article reports how statistical analyses of PhD thesis records can reveal future research capacities for disciplines beyond their primary fields. The previous research showed that most theses contributed to and/or used methodologies from more than one discipline. In Australia, there was a concern for declining mathematical teaching and…
Analysis of morphine responses in mice reveals a QTL on Chromosome 7 [version 1; referees: 2 approved

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Wim E. Crusio

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this study we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL on mouse Chromosome 7 associated with locomotor activity and rearing post morphine treatment. This QTL was revealed after correcting for the effects of another QTL peak on Chromosome 10 using composite interval mapping. The positional candidate genes are Syt9 and Ppfibp2. Several other genes within the interval are linked to neural processes, locomotor activity, and the defensive response to harmful stimuli.
Analysis of morphine responses in mice reveals a QTL on Chromosome 7 [version 2; referees: 2 approved

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Wim E. Crusio

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In this study we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL on mouse Chromosome 7 associated with locomotor activity and rearing post morphine treatment. This QTL was revealed after correcting for the effects of another QTL peak on Chromosome 10 using composite interval mapping. The positional candidate genes are Syt9 and Ppfibp2. Several other genes within the interval are linked to neural processes, locomotor activity, and the defensive response to harmful stimuli.
Role of Helicobacter pylori in stomach cancer after partial gastrectomy for benign ulcer disease Papel del Helicobacter pylori en el cáncer gástrico tras gastrectomía parcial por úlcera benigna

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A. Seoane

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients having undergone gastrectomy for non-neoplastic disease who later developed gastric stump cancer. Material and methods: retrospective study of all patients with partial gastrectomy for non-malignant peptic disease who were submitted to an endoscopic exploration between 1995 and 2001. A comparison was made of major clinical and histological characteristics, and the presence of Helicobacter pylori among patients with and without gastric cancer in the stomach remnant. Results: a total of 73 patients were studied in this period. Fifteen patients (20.5% had remnant-stump gastric cancer. All but one were adenocarcinomas (71% intestinal and 29% diffuse, respectively. The average time between diagnosis of gastric cancer and previous gastrectomy was 32 (14-48 years. There was a higher detection rate of Helicobacter pylori in patients with cancer in the gastric remnant (100 vs. 81.5%, respectively, p Objetivo: determinar la prevalencia de la infección por Helicobacter pylori en pacientes gastrectomizados por enfermedad no neoplásica, y que han desarrollado posteriormente cáncer gástrico. Material y métodos: estudio retrospectivo con reclutamiento de todos los pacientes con gastrectomía parcial por enfermedad péptica benigna que han sido sometidos a una exploración endoscópica entre 1995-2001. Se ha realizado una comparación de las principales características clínicas e histológicas y de la presencia de Helicobacter pylori en los pacientes con y sin cáncer del remanente gástrico. Resultados: se han estudiado un total de 73 pacientes en este periodo. Se han encontrado 15 pacientes (20,5% con cáncer en el remanente gástrico, 14 adenocarcinomas (71% tipo intestinal y 29% tipo difuso y un linfoma. El tiempo transcurrido entre el diagnóstico de cáncer gástrico y la gastrectomía previa ha sido de 32 (14-48 años. Se ha detectado un alto porcentaje de infecci
Museum samples reveal rapid evolution by wild honey bees exposed to a novel parasite

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Mikheyev, Alexander S.; Tin, Mandy M. Y.; Arora, Jatin; Seeley, Thomas D.

2015-01-01

Understanding genetic changes caused by novel pathogens and parasites can reveal mechanisms of adaptation and genetic robustness. Using whole-genome sequencing of museum and modern specimens, we describe the genomic changes in a wild population of honey bees in North America following the introduction of the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor. Even though colony density in the study population is the same today as in the past, a major loss of haplotypic diversity occurred, indicative of a drastic mitochondrial bottleneck, caused by massive colony mortality. In contrast, nuclear genetic diversity did not change, though hundreds of genes show signs of selection. The genetic diversity within each bee colony, particularly as a consequence of polyandry by queens, may enable preservation of genetic diversity even during population bottlenecks. These findings suggest that genetically diverse honey bee populations can recover from introduced diseases by evolving rapid tolerance, while maintaining much of the standing genetic variation. PMID:26246313
Development of a versatile tool for the simultaneous differential detection of Pseudomonas savastanoi pathovars by End Point and Real-Time PCR.

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Tegli, Stefania; Cerboneschi, Matteo; Libelli, Ilaria Marsili; Santilli, Elena

2010-05-28

Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi is the causal agent of olive knot disease. The strains isolated from oleander and ash belong to the pathovars nerii and fraxini, respectively. When artificially inoculated, pv. savastanoi causes disease also on ash, and pv. nerii attacks also olive and ash. Surprisingly nothing is known yet about their distribution in nature on these hosts and if spontaneous cross-infections occur. On the other hand sanitary certification programs for olive plants, also including P. savastanoi, were launched in many countries. The aim of this work was to develop several PCR-based tools for the rapid, simultaneous, differential and quantitative detection of these P. savastanoi pathovars, in multiplex and in planta. Specific PCR primers and probes for the pathovars savastanoi, nerii and fraxini of P. savastanoi were designed to be used in End Point and Real-Time PCR, both with SYBR Green or TaqMan chemistries. The specificity of all these assays was 100%, as assessed by testing forty-four P. savastanoi strains, belonging to the three pathovars and having different geographical origins. For comparison strains from the pathovars phaseolicola and glycinea of P. savastanoi and bacterial epiphytes from P. savastanoi host plants were also assayed, and all of them tested always negative. The analytical detection limits were about 5 - 0.5 pg of pure genomic DNA and about 102 genome equivalents per reaction. Similar analytical thresholds were achieved in Multiplex Real-Time PCR experiments, even on artificially inoculated olive plants. Here for the first time a complex of PCR-based assays were developed for the simultaneous discrimination and detection of P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi, pv. nerii and pv. fraxini. These tests were shown to be highly reliable, pathovar-specific, sensitive, rapid and able to quantify these pathogens, both in multiplex reactions and in vivo. Compared with the other methods already available for P. savastanoi, the identification
Combined bio-logging and stable isotopes reveal individual specialisations in a benthic coastal seabird, the Kerguelen shag.

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Elodie C M Camprasse

Full Text Available Individual specialisations, which involve the repetition of specific behaviours or dietary choices over time, have been suggested to benefit animals by avoiding competition with conspecifics and increasing individual foraging efficiency. Among seabirds, resident and benthic species are thought to be good models to study inter-individual variation as they repetitively exploit the same environment. We investigated foraging behaviour, isotopic niche and diet in the Kerguelen shag Phalacrocorax verrucosus during both the incubation and chick-rearing periods for the same individuals to determine the effect of sex, breeding stage, body mass and morphometrics on mean foraging metrics and their consistency. There were large differences between individuals in foraging behaviour and consistency, with strong individual specialisations in dive depths and heading from the colony. Stable isotopes revealed specialisations in feeding strategies, across multiple temporal scales. Specifically, individuals showed medium term specialisations in feeding strategies during the breeding season, as well as long-term consistency. A clustering analysis revealed 4 different foraging strategies displaying significantly different δ15N values and body masses. There were no sex or stage biases to clusters and individuals in different clusters did not differ in their morphology. Importantly, the results suggest that the different strategies emphasized were related to individual prey preferences rather than intrinsic characteristics.
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition reveals a potential mechanism to promote neuroprotection and treat neuropathic pain

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Komirishetty, Prashanth; Areti, Aparna; Gogoi, Ranadeep; Sistla, Ramakrishna; Kumar, Ashutosh

2016-01-01

Neuropathic pain is triggered by the lesions to peripheral nerves which alter their structure and function. Neuroprotective approaches that limit the pathological changes and improve the behavioral outcome have been well explained in different experimental models of neuropathy but translation of such strategies to clinics has been disappointing. Experimental evidences revealed the role of free radicals, especially peroxynitrite after the nerve injury. They provoke oxidative DNA damage and con...

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