Remodeling of the Host Cell Plasma Membrane by HIV-1 Nef and Vpu: A Strategy to Ensure Viral Fitness and Persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugden, Scott M; Bego, Mariana G; Pham, Tram N Q; Cohen, Éric A

2016-03-03

The plasma membrane protects the cell from its surroundings and regulates cellular communication, homing, and metabolism. Not surprisingly, the composition of this membrane is highly controlled through the vesicular trafficking of proteins to and from the cell surface. As intracellular pathogens, most viruses exploit the host plasma membrane to promote viral replication while avoiding immune detection. This is particularly true for the enveloped human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which assembles and obtains its lipid shell directly at the plasma membrane. HIV-1 encodes two proteins, negative factor (Nef) and viral protein U (Vpu), which function primarily by altering the quantity and localization of cell surface molecules to increase virus fitness despite host antiviral immune responses. These proteins are expressed at different stages in the HIV-1 life cycle and employ a variety of mechanisms to target both unique and redundant surface proteins, including the viral receptor CD4, host restriction factors, immunoreceptors, homing molecules, tetraspanins and membrane transporters. In this review, we discuss recent progress in the study of the Nef and Vpu targeting of host membrane proteins with an emphasis on how remodeling of the cell membrane allows HIV-1 to avoid host antiviral immune responses leading to the establishment of systemic and persistent infection.

Comparative Genetic Variability in HIV-1 Subtype C vpu Gene in Early Age Groups of Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Uma; Gupta, Poonam; Gupta, Sunil; Venkatesh, S; Husain, Mohammad

2018-01-01

Identifying the genetic variability in vertically transmitted viruses in early infancy is important to understand the disease progression. Being important in HIV-1 disease pathogenesis, vpu gene, isolated from young infants was investigated to understand the viral characteristics. Blood samples were obtained from 80 HIV-1 positive infants, categorized in two age groups; acute (6-18 months). A total of 77 PCR positive samples, amplified for vpu gene, were sequenced and analyzed. 73 isolates belonged to subtype C. Analysis of heterogeneity of amino acid sequences in infant groups showed that in the sequences of acute age group both insertions and deletions were present while in the early age group only deletions were present. In the acute age group, a deletion of 3 residues (RAE) in the first alfa helix in one sequence and insertions of 1-2 residues (DM, GH, G and H) in the second alfa helix in 4 sequences were observed. In the early age group, deletion of 2 residues (VN) in the cytoplasmic tail region in 2 sequences was observed. Length of the amino terminal was observed to be gradually increasing with the increasing age of the infants. Protein Variation Effect Analyzer software showed that deleterious mutations were more in the acute than the early age group. Entropy analysis revealed that heterogeneity of the residues was comparatively higher in the sequences of acute than the early age group. Mutations observed in the helixes may affect the conformation and lose the ability to degrade CD4 receptors. Heterogeneity was decreasing with the increasing ages of the infants, indicating positive selection for robust virion survival. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Lack of adaptation to human tetherin in HIV-1 Group O and P

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background HIV-1 viruses are categorized into four distinct groups: M, N, O and P. Despite the same genomic organization, only the group M viruses are responsible for the world-wide pandemic of AIDS, suggesting better adaptation to human hosts. Previously, it has been reported that the group M Vpu protein is capable of both down-modulating CD4 and counteracting BST-2/tetherin restriction, while the group O Vpu cannot antagonize tetherin. This led us to investigate if group O, and the related group P viruses, possess functional anti-tetherin activities in Vpu or another viral protein, and to further map the residues required for group M Vpu to counteract human tetherin. Results We found a lack of activity against human tetherin for both the Vpu and Nef proteins from group O and P viruses. Furthermore, we found no evidence of anti-human tetherin activity in a fully infectious group O proviral clone, ruling out the possibility of an alternative anti-tetherin factor in this virus. Interestingly, an activity against primate tetherins was retained in the Nef proteins from both a group O and a group P virus. By making chimeras between a functional group M and non-functional group O Vpu protein, we were able to map the first 18 amino acids of group M Vpu as playing an essential role in the ability of the protein to antagonize human tetherin. We further demonstrated the importance of residue alanine-18 for the group M Vpu activity. This residue lies on a diagonal face of conserved alanines in the TM domain of the protein, and is necessary for specific Vpu-tetherin interactions. Conclusions The absence of human specific anti-tetherin activities in HIV-1 group O and P suggests a failure of these viruses to adapt to human hosts, which may have limited their spread. PMID:21955466

Lack of adaptation to human tetherin in HIV-1 Group O and P

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Haworth Kevin G

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background HIV-1 viruses are categorized into four distinct groups: M, N, O and P. Despite the same genomic organization, only the group M viruses are responsible for the world-wide pandemic of AIDS, suggesting better adaptation to human hosts. Previously, it has been reported that the group M Vpu protein is capable of both down-modulating CD4 and counteracting BST-2/tetherin restriction, while the group O Vpu cannot antagonize tetherin. This led us to investigate if group O, and the related group P viruses, possess functional anti-tetherin activities in Vpu or another viral protein, and to further map the residues required for group M Vpu to counteract human tetherin. Results We found a lack of activity against human tetherin for both the Vpu and Nef proteins from group O and P viruses. Furthermore, we found no evidence of anti-human tetherin activity in a fully infectious group O proviral clone, ruling out the possibility of an alternative anti-tetherin factor in this virus. Interestingly, an activity against primate tetherins was retained in the Nef proteins from both a group O and a group P virus. By making chimeras between a functional group M and non-functional group O Vpu protein, we were able to map the first 18 amino acids of group M Vpu as playing an essential role in the ability of the protein to antagonize human tetherin. We further demonstrated the importance of residue alanine-18 for the group M Vpu activity. This residue lies on a diagonal face of conserved alanines in the TM domain of the protein, and is necessary for specific Vpu-tetherin interactions. Conclusions The absence of human specific anti-tetherin activities in HIV-1 group O and P suggests a failure of these viruses to adapt to human hosts, which may have limited their spread.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals two functionally distinct stages of motor cortex involvement during perception of emotional body language

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borgomaneri, Sara; Gazzola, Valeria; Avenanti, Alessio

Studies indicate that perceiving emotional body language recruits fronto-parietal regions involved in action execution. However, the nature of such motor activation is unclear. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) we provide correlational and causative evidence of two distinct stages of

Transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals two functionally distinct stages of motor cortex involvement during perception of emotional body language

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borgomaneri, S.; Gazzola, V.; Avenanti, A.

2015-01-01

Studies indicate that perceiving emotional body language recruits fronto-parietal regions involved in action execution. However, the nature of such motor activation is unclear. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) we provide correlational and causative evidence of two distinct stages of

Distinctive serum protein profiles involving abundant proteins in lung cancer patients based upon antibody microarray analysis

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Rom William N

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cancer serum protein profiling by mass spectrometry has uncovered mass profiles that are potentially diagnostic for several common types of cancer. However, direct mass spectrometric profiling has a limited dynamic range and difficulties in providing the identification of the distinctive proteins. We hypothesized that distinctive profiles may result from the differential expression of relatively abundant serum proteins associated with the host response. Methods Eighty-four antibodies, targeting a wide range of serum proteins, were spotted onto nitrocellulose-coated microscope slides. The abundances of the corresponding proteins were measured in 80 serum samples, from 24 newly diagnosed subjects with lung cancer, 24 healthy controls, and 32 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. Two-color rolling-circle amplification was used to measure protein abundance. Results Seven of the 84 antibodies gave a significant difference (p Conclusion Our results suggest that a distinctive serum protein profile involving abundant proteins may be observed in lung cancer patients relative to healthy subjects or patients with chronic disease and may have utility as part of strategies for detecting lung cancer.

Two distinct clinical courses of renal involvement in rheumatoid patients with AA amyloidosis.

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Uda, Hiroshi; Yokota, Akira; Kobayashi, Kumiko; Miyake, Tadao; Fushimi, Hiroaki; Maeda, Akira; Saiki, Osamu

2006-08-01

We conducted a prospective study to investigate whether a correlation exists between the clinical course of renal involvement and the pathological findings of renal amyloidosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients with RA of more than 5 years' duration and who did not show renal manifestations were selected and received a duodenal biopsy for the diagnosis of amyloidosis. After the diagnosis of AA amyloidosis, patients received a renal biopsy, and patterns of amyloid deposition were examined. We followed the renal functions (serum levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine) of patients diagnosed with AA amyloidosis for 5 years. We diagnosed 53 patients with AA amyloidosis and monitored the renal function of 38 of them for > 5 years. The histological patterns were examined; in the 38 patients there were appreciable variations in the patterns of amyloid deposition. In 27 patients, amyloid deposits were found exclusively in the glomerulus (type 1). In the other 11 patients, however, amyloid deposits were found selectively around blood vessels and were totally absent in the glomerulus (type 2). In type 1 patients with glomerular involvement, renal function deteriorated rapidly regardless of disease state; most patients received hemodialysis. In type 2 patients with purely vascular involvement, however, renal function did not deteriorate significantly. In patients with RA and AA amyloidosis, 2 distinct clinical courses in terms of renal involvement were identified. It is suggested that renal function does not deteriorate when amyloid deposition is totally lacking in the glomerulus.

Are children conservative, liberal, or metacognitive? Preliminary evidence for the involvement of the distinctiveness heuristic in decision making.

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Geurten, Marie; Willems, Sylvie; Meulemans, Thierry

2015-04-01

The experiment tested whether young children are able to reduce their false recognition rate after distinctive encoding by implementing a strategic metacognitive rule. The participants, 72 children aged 4, 6, and 9 years, studied two lists of unrelated items. One of these lists was visually displayed (picture condition), whereas the other was presented auditorily (word condition). After each study phase, participants completed recognition tests. Finally, they answered questions about their explicit knowledge of the distinctive encoding effect. The results revealed that even the youngest children in our sample showed a smaller proportion of intrusions in the picture condition than in the word condition. Furthermore, the results of the signal detection analyses were consistent with the hypothesis that the lower rate of false recognitions after picture encoding results from the implementation of a conservative response criterion based on metacognitive expectations (distinctiveness heuristic). Moreover, the absence of correlation between children's explicit knowledge of the distinctiveness rule and their effective use of this metacognitive heuristic seems to indicate that its involvement in memory decisions could be mediated by implicit mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of complex simulation suite 'VEB' and application area expansion - 15326

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obraztsov, E.; Kapista, D.; Kremnev, I.; Korokhov, T.; Kukhtevich, V.; Bezlepkin, V.

2015-01-01

Complex simulation suite 'Virtual Unit of NPP' (CSS 'VEB') is a set of connected software tools and computer codes that allow the simulation of various physical processes occurring in a power nuclear reactor (initially VVER - pressurized water reactor). A coupled computational model developed by means of CSS 'VEB' is based on a specific design and called an NPP Virtual Power Unit (VPU). And in November 2012 a pilot version of the Leningrad NPP-2 VPU (NPP-2006 design with water-cooled power reactor) successfully passed acceptance tests. The paper presents further development of CSS 'VEB' and application area expansion both on new tasks such as VPU calculations for the Probability Safety Analysis (PSA) and all modeling of other NPP types, like sodium-cooled reactor (that means a possibility to create a VPU not only for NPP with PWR). In the first part of this paper we will recall the basic idea and concept of CSS 'VEB' and VPU. Then we will describe the main components of CSS 'VEB' and their improvements. In the last part we will briefly describe the broadening of VPU uses

Distinctive serum protein profiles involving abundant proteins in lung cancer patients based upon antibody microarray analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Wei-Min; Haab, Brian B; Hanash, Samir M; Kuick, Rork; Orchekowski, Randal P; Misek, David E; Qiu, Ji; Greenberg, Alissa K; Rom, William N; Brenner, Dean E; Omenn, Gilbert S

2005-01-01

Cancer serum protein profiling by mass spectrometry has uncovered mass profiles that are potentially diagnostic for several common types of cancer. However, direct mass spectrometric profiling has a limited dynamic range and difficulties in providing the identification of the distinctive proteins. We hypothesized that distinctive profiles may result from the differential expression of relatively abundant serum proteins associated with the host response. Eighty-four antibodies, targeting a wide range of serum proteins, were spotted onto nitrocellulose-coated microscope slides. The abundances of the corresponding proteins were measured in 80 serum samples, from 24 newly diagnosed subjects with lung cancer, 24 healthy controls, and 32 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Two-color rolling-circle amplification was used to measure protein abundance. Seven of the 84 antibodies gave a significant difference (p < 0.01) for the lung cancer patients as compared to healthy controls, as well as compared to COPD patients. Proteins that exhibited higher abundances in the lung cancer samples relative to the control samples included C-reactive protein (CRP; a 13.3 fold increase), serum amyloid A (SAA; a 2.0 fold increase), mucin 1 and α-1-antitrypsin (1.4 fold increases). The increased expression levels of CRP and SAA were validated by Western blot analysis. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to construct Diagonal Linear Discriminant Analysis (DLDA) classifiers. At a cutoff where all 56 of the non-tumor samples were correctly classified, 15/24 lung tumor patient sera were correctly classified. Our results suggest that a distinctive serum protein profile involving abundant proteins may be observed in lung cancer patients relative to healthy subjects or patients with chronic disease and may have utility as part of strategies for detecting lung cancer

Transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals two functionally distinct stages of motor cortex involvement during perception of emotional body language.

Science.gov (United States)

Borgomaneri, Sara; Gazzola, Valeria; Avenanti, Alessio

2015-09-01

Studies indicate that perceiving emotional body language recruits fronto-parietal regions involved in action execution. However, the nature of such motor activation is unclear. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) we provide correlational and causative evidence of two distinct stages of motor cortex engagement during emotion perception. Participants observed pictures of body expressions and categorized them as happy, fearful or neutral while receiving TMS over the left or right motor cortex at 150 and 300 ms after picture onset. In the early phase (150 ms), we observed a reduction of excitability for happy and fearful emotional bodies that was specific to the right hemisphere and correlated with participants' disposition to feel personal distress. This 'orienting' inhibitory response to emotional bodies was also paralleled by a general drop in categorization accuracy when stimulating the right but not the left motor cortex. Conversely, at 300 ms, greater excitability for negative, positive and neutral movements was found in both hemispheres. This later motor facilitation marginally correlated with participants' tendency to assume the psychological perspectives of others and reflected simulation of the movement implied in the neutral and emotional body expressions. These findings highlight the motor system's involvement during perception of emotional bodies. They suggest that fast orienting reactions to emotional cues--reflecting neural processing necessary for visual perception--occur before motor features of the observed emotional expression are simulated in the motor system and that distinct empathic dispositions influence these two neural motor phenomena. Implications for theories of embodied simulation are discussed.

Modeling and designing of variable-period and variable-pole-number undulator

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I. Davidyuk

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The concept of permanent-magnet variable-period undulator (VPU was proposed several years ago and has found few implementations so far. The VPUs have some advantages as compared with conventional undulators, e.g., a wider range of radiation wavelength tuning and the option to increase the number of poles for shorter periods. Both these advantages will be realized in the VPU under development now at Budker INP. In this paper, we present the results of 2D and 3D magnetic field simulations and discuss some design features of this VPU.

Identification and genetic characterization of unique HIV-1 A1/C recombinant strain in South Africa.

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Musyoki, Andrew M; Rakgole, Johnny N; Selabe, Gloria; Mphahlele, Jeffrey

2015-03-01

HIV isolates from South Africa are predominantly subtype C. Sporadic isolation of non-C strains has been reported mainly in cosmopolitan cities. HIV isolate j51 was recovered from a rural South African heterosexual female aged 51 years. Near full length amplification of the genome was attempted using PCR with primers targeting overlapping segments of the HIV genome. Analysis of 5593 bp (gag to vpu) at a bootstrap value greater than 70% found that all but the vpu gene was HIV-1 subtype A1. The vpu gene was assigned HIV-1 subtype C. The recombination breaking point was estimated at position 6035+/- 15 bp with reference to the beginning of the HXB2 reference strain. Isolate j51 revealed a unique genome constellation to previously reported recombinant strains with parental A/C backbones from South Africa though a common recombination with subtype C within the vpu gene. Identification of recombinant strains supports continued surveillance of HIV genetic diversity.

On Hobbes’s distinction of accidents

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Lupoli Agostino

2012-06-01

Full Text Available An interpolation introduced by K. Schuhmann in his critical edition of "De corpore" (chap. VI, § 13 diametrically overturns the meaning of Hobbes’s doctrine of distinction of accidents in comparison with all previous editions. The article focuses on the complexity of this crucial juncture in "De corpore" argument on which depends the interpretation of Hobbes’s whole conception of science. It discusses the reasons pro and contra Schuhmann’s interpolation and concludes against it, because it is not compatible with the rationale underlying the complex architecture of "De corpore", which involves a symmetry between the ‘logical’ distinction of accidents and the ‘metaphysical’ distinction of phantasms.

Assembly of the Arp5 (Actin-related Protein) Subunit Involved in Distinct INO80 Chromatin Remodeling Activities*

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Yao, Wei; Beckwith, Sean L.; Zheng, Tina; Young, Thomas; Dinh, Van T.; Ranjan, Anand; Morrison, Ashby J.

2015-01-01

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, which repositions and restructures nucleosomes, is essential to all DNA-templated processes. The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex is an evolutionarily conserved complex involved in diverse cellular processes, including transcription, DNA repair, and replication. The functional diversity of the INO80 complex can, in part, be attributed to specialized activities of distinct subunits that compose the complex. Furthermore, structural analyses have identified biochemically discrete subunit modules that assemble along the Ino80 ATPase scaffold. Of particular interest is the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Arp5-Ies6 module located proximal to the Ino80 ATPase and the Rvb1-Rvb2 helicase module needed for INO80-mediated in vitro activity. In this study we demonstrate that the previously uncharacterized Ies2 subunit is required for Arp5-Ies6 association with the catalytic components of the INO80 complex. In addition, Arp5-Ies6 module assembly with the INO80 complex is dependent on distinct conserved domains within Arp5, Ies6, and Ino80, including the spacer region within the Ino80 ATPase domain. Arp5-Ies6 interacts with chromatin via assembly with the INO80 complex, as IES2 and INO80 deletion results in loss of Arp5-Ies6 chromatin association. Interestingly, ectopic addition of the wild-type Arp5-Ies6 module stimulates INO80-mediated ATP hydrolysis and nucleosome sliding in vitro. However, the addition of mutant Arp5 lacking unique insertion domains facilitates ATP hydrolysis in the absence of nucleosome sliding. Collectively, these results define the requirements of Arp5-Ies6 assembly, which are needed to couple ATP hydrolysis to productive nucleosome movement. PMID:26306040

Grammar-Lexicon Distinction in a Neurocognitive Context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ishkhanyan, Byurakn

hypotheses and testing them through using various methods. The grammar-lexicon distinction and working memory are thus central topics of this thesis. The results suggest a potential for a successful integration of the two theories. The findings further provide evidence for Boye & Harder’s (2012......) understanding of the grammar-lexicon distinction, and for the involvement of working memory in language production, as the REF-model would predict. As a starting point for integrating the two theories, the present thesis gives directions for future research on the neurocognitive underpinning of language and its...... relation to working memory....

Participation and social participation: are they distinct concepts?

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Piškur, Barbara; Daniëls, Ramon; Jongmans, Marian J; Ketelaar, Marjolijn; Smeets, Rob J E M; Norton, Meghan; Beurskens, Anna J H M

2014-03-01

The concept of participation has been extensively used in health and social care literature since the World Health Organization introduced its description in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in 2001. More recently, the concept of social participation is frequently used in research articles and policy reports. However, in the ICF, no specific definition exists for social participation, and an explanation of differences between the concepts is not available. The central question in this discussion article is whether participation, as defined by the ICF, and social participation are distinct concepts. This article illustrates the concepts of participation and social participation, presents a critical discussion of their definitions, followed by implications for rehabilitation and possible future directions. A clear definition for participation or social participation does not yet exist. Definitions for social participation differ from each other and are not sufficiently distinct from the ICF definition of participation. Although the ICF is regarded an important conceptual framework, it is criticised for not being comprehensive. The relevance of societal involvement of clients is evident for rehabilitation, but the current ICF definition of participation does not sufficiently capture societal involvement. Changing the ICF's definition of participation towards social roles would overcome a number of its shortcomings. Societal involvement would then be understood in the light of social roles. Consequently, there would be no need to make a distinction between social participation and participation.

Two Sets of Piwi Proteins Are Involved in Distinct sRNA Pathways Leading to Elimination of Germline-Specific DNA

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Dominique I. Furrer

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Piwi proteins and piRNAs protect eukaryotic germlines against the spread of transposons. During development in the ciliate Paramecium, two Piwi-dependent sRNA classes are involved in the elimination of transposons and transposon-derived DNA: scan RNAs (scnRNAs, associated with Ptiwi01 and Ptiwi09, and iesRNAs, whose binding partners we now identify as Ptiwi10 and Ptiwi11. scnRNAs derive from the maternal genome and initiate DNA elimination during development, whereas iesRNAs continue DNA targeting until the removal process is complete. Here, we show that scnRNAs and iesRNAs are processed by distinct Dicer-like proteins and bind Piwi proteins in a mutually exclusive manner, suggesting separate biogenesis pathways. We also demonstrate that the PTIWI10 gene is transcribed from the developing nucleus and that its transcription depends on prior DNA excision, suggesting a mechanism of gene expression control triggered by the removal of short DNA segments interrupting the gene.

NSAID gastropathy and enteropathy: distinct pathogenesis likely necessitates distinct prevention strategies.

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Wallace, John L

2012-01-01

The mechanisms underlying the ability of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to cause ulceration in the stomach and proximal duodenum are well understood, and this injury can largely be prevented through suppression of gastric acid secretion (mainly with proton pump inhibitors). In contrast, the pathogenesis of small intestinal injury induced by NSAIDs is less well understood, involving more complex mechanisms than those in the stomach and proximal duodenum. There is clear evidence for important contributions to NSAID enteropathy of enteric bacteria, bile and enterohepatic recirculation of the NSAID. There is no evidence that suppression of gastric acid secretion will reduce the incidence or severity of NSAID enteropathy. Indeed, clinical data suggest little, if any, benefit. Animal studies suggest a significant exacerbation of NSAID enteropathy when proton pump inhibitors are co-administered with the NSAID. This worsening of damage appears to be linked to changes in the number and types of bacteria in the small intestine during proton pump inhibitor therapy. The distinct mechanisms of NSAID-induced injury in the stomach/proximal duodenum versus the more distal small intestine likely dictate distinct strategies for prevention. © 2011 The Author. British Journal of Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

Amnesia, rehearsal, and temporal distinctiveness models of recall.

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Brown, Gordon D A; Della Sala, Sergio; Foster, Jonathan K; Vousden, Janet I

2007-04-01

Classical amnesia involves selective memory impairment for temporally distant items in free recall (impaired primacy) together with relative preservation of memory for recency items. This abnormal serial position curve is traditionally taken as evidence for a distinction between different memory processes, with amnesia being associated with selectively impaired long-term memory. However recent accounts of normal serial position curves have emphasized the importance of rehearsal processes in giving rise to primacy effects and have suggested that a single temporal distinctiveness mechanism can account for both primacy and recency effects when rehearsal is considered. Here we explore the pattern of strategic rehearsal in a patient with very severe amnesia. When the patient's rehearsal pattern is taken into account, a temporal distinctiveness model can account for the serial position curve in both amnesic and control free recall. The results are taken as consistent with temporal distinctiveness models of free recall, and they motivate an emphasis on rehearsal patterns in understanding amnesic deficits in free recall.

Distinctive skeletal dysplasia in Cockayne syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silengo, M.C.; Franceschini, P.; Bianco, R.; Biagioli, M.; Pastorin, L.; Vista, N.; Baldassar, A.; Benso, L.

1986-01-01

Cockayne syndrom is a well-known autosomal recessive form of dwarfism with senile-like appearance. Skeletal changes such as flattening of vertebral bodies, ivory epiphyses and thickening of cranial vault, have been observed in some patients with this condition. We describe here a 5.5-year-old girl with the typical clinical signs of Cockayne syndrome and a distinctive form of bone dysplasia with major involvment of the spine. (orig.)

Distinctive skeletal dysplasia in Cockayne syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silengo, M.C.; Franceschini, P.; Bianco, R.; Biagioli, M.; Pastorin, L.; Vista, N.; Baldassar, A.; Benso, L.

1986-03-01

Cockayne syndrome is a well-known autosomal recessive form of dwarfism with senile-like appearance. Skeletal changes such as flattening of vertebral bodies, ivory epiphyses and thickening of cranial vault, have been observed in some patients with this condition. We describe here a 5.5-year-old girl with the typical clinical signs of Cockayne syndrome and a distinctive form of bone dysplasia with major involvement of the spine.

Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disease involving the pituitary gland.

Science.gov (United States)

Meriden, Zina; Bullock, Grant C; Bagg, Adam; Bonatti, Hugo; Cousar, John B; Lopes, M Beatriz; Robbins, Mark K; Cathro, Helen P

2010-11-01

Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) are heterogeneous lesions with variable morphology, immunophenotype, and molecular characteristics. Multiple distinct primary lesions can occur in PTLD, rarely with both B-cell and T-cell characteristics. Lesions can involve both grafted organs and other sites; however, PTLD involving the pituitary gland has not been previously reported. We describe a patient who developed Epstein-Barr virus-negative PTLD 13 years posttransplantation involving the terminal ileum and pituitary, which was simultaneously involved by a pituitary adenoma. Immunohistochemistry of the pituitary lesion showed expression of CD79a, CD3, and CD7 with clonal rearrangements of both T-cell receptor gamma chain (TRG@) and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH@) genes. The terminal ileal lesion was immunophenotypically and molecularly distinct. This is the first report of pituitary PTLD and illustrates the potentially complex nature of PTLD. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Liquidity spillover in international stock markets through distinct time scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Righi, Marcelo Brutti; Vieira, Kelmara Mendes

2014-01-01

This paper identifies liquidity spillovers through different time scales based on a wavelet multiscaling method. We decompose daily data from U.S., British, Brazilian and Hong Kong stock markets indices in order to calculate the scale correlation between their illiquidities. The sample is divided in order to consider non-crisis, sub-prime crisis and Eurozone crisis. We find that there are changes in correlations of distinct scales and different periods. Association in finest scales is smaller than in coarse scales. There is a rise on associations in periods of crisis. In frequencies, there is predominance for significant distinctions involving the coarsest scale, while for crises periods there is predominance for distinctions on the finest scale.

Presidential address: distinction or extinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Pressman, Barry D

2008-10-01

Despite its continuing scientific successes in imaging, radiology as a specialty is faced with a very difficult and competitive environment. Nonradiologists are more and more interested in vertically integrating imaging into their practices, while teleradiology and picture archiving and communication systems are resulting in the greater isolation of radiologists. Commoditization is a realistic and devastating threat to the survival and professionalism of the specialty. To remain viable as a specialty, radiologists must elevate their practice by subspecializing, becoming more involved with clinical care, and actively interacting with patients and referring clinicians. Distinction will prevent extinction.

Distinct pathways of neural coupling for different basic emotions.

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Tettamanti, Marco; Rognoni, Elena; Cafiero, Riccardo; Costa, Tommaso; Galati, Dario; Perani, Daniela

2012-01-16

Emotions are complex events recruiting distributed cortical and subcortical cerebral structures, where the functional integration dynamics within the involved neural circuits in relation to the nature of the different emotions are still unknown. Using fMRI, we measured the neural responses elicited by films representing basic emotions (fear, disgust, sadness, happiness). The amygdala and the associative cortex were conjointly activated by all basic emotions. Furthermore, distinct arrays of cortical and subcortical brain regions were additionally activated by each emotion, with the exception of sadness. Such findings informed the definition of three effective connectivity models, testing for the functional integration of visual cortex and amygdala, as regions processing all emotions, with domain-specific regions, namely: i) for fear, the frontoparietal system involved in preparing adaptive motor responses; ii) for disgust, the somatosensory system, reflecting protective responses against contaminating stimuli; iii) for happiness: medial prefrontal and temporoparietal cortices involved in understanding joyful interactions. Consistently with these domain-specific models, the results of the effective connectivity analysis indicate that the amygdala is involved in distinct functional integration effects with cortical networks processing sensorimotor, somatosensory, or cognitive aspects of basic emotions. The resulting effective connectivity networks may serve to regulate motor and cognitive behavior based on the quality of the induced emotional experience. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Two distinct forms of functional lateralization in the human brain

Science.gov (United States)

Gotts, Stephen J.; Jo, Hang Joon; Wallace, Gregory L.; Saad, Ziad S.; Cox, Robert W.; Martin, Alex

2013-01-01

The hemispheric lateralization of certain faculties in the human brain has long been held to be beneficial for functioning. However, quantitative relationships between the degree of lateralization in particular brain regions and the level of functioning have yet to be established. Here we demonstrate that two distinct forms of functional lateralization are present in the left vs. the right cerebral hemisphere, with the left hemisphere showing a preference to interact more exclusively with itself, particularly for cortical regions involved in language and fine motor coordination. In contrast, right-hemisphere cortical regions involved in visuospatial and attentional processing interact in a more integrative fashion with both hemispheres. The degree of lateralization present in these distinct systems selectively predicted behavioral measures of verbal and visuospatial ability, providing direct evidence that lateralization is associated with enhanced cognitive ability. PMID:23959883

Mistakes To Avoid In Attacking The Moral/Conventional Distinction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Rosas

2012-11-01

Full Text Available In an experimental critique of the moral/conventional (M/C distinction, Kelly et al. (2007 present new experimental data about responses to transgressions involving harm, where the novelty is that transgressors are grown-ups, rather than children. Their data do not support the moral/conventional distinction. The contrast between grown-up and schoolyard transgressions does not seem, however, to explain their results: they also use two schoolyard transgressions with similar negative results for the M/C distinction.I here attempt to explain away their results by calling attention to two mistakes in their experimental design. One refers to the use of questionnaire-items of the type that Turiel and collaborators have called mixed-domain situations, which extend over both a moral and a conventional domain. Participants respond to these cases differently than to prototypical moral situations, because some allow the authority rule to override the moral rule. The second mistake emerges in the grown-up transgressions labeled as Whipping/temporal, Whipping/Authority, Spanking/Authority, Prisoner abuse/Authority. These are not the typical transgressions unambiguously “involving a victim who has been harmed, whose rights have been violated, or who has been subject to an injustice”. The victims are also transgressors and harm is inflicted on them as punishment. Plausibly, rules about corporal punishment depend on authority in a way that rules about harming the innocent do not.

Phylogenetically distinct bacteria involve extensive dechlorination of aroclor 1260 in sediment-free cultures.

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Shanquan Wang

Full Text Available Microbial reductive dechlorination of the persistent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs is attracting much attention in cleanup of the contaminated environment. Nevertheless, most PCB dechlorinating cultures require presence of sediment or sediment substitutes to maintain their dechlorination activities which hinders subsequent bacterial enrichment and isolation processes. The information on enriching sediment-free PCB dechlorinating cultures is still limited. In this study, 18 microcosms established with soils and sediments were screened for their dechlorination activities on a PCB mixture - Aroclor 1260. After one year of incubation, 10 out of 18 microcosms showed significant PCB dechlorination with distinct dechlorination patterns (e.g., Process H, N and T classified based on profiles of PCB congeners loss and new congeners formation. Through serial transfers in defined medium, six sediment-free PCB dechlorinating cultures (i.e., CW-4, CG-1, CG-3, CG-4, CG-5 and SG-1 were obtained without amending any sediment or sediment-substitutes. PCB dechlorination Process H was the most frequently observed dechlorination pattern, which was found in four sediment-free cultures (CW-4, CG-3, CG-4 and SG-1. Sediment-free culture CG-5 showed the most extensive PCB dechlorination among the six cultures, which was mediated by Process N, resulting in the accumulation of penta- (e.g., 236-24-CB and tetra-chlorobiphenyls (tetra-CBs (e.g., 24-24-CB, 24-25-CB, 24-26-CB and 25-26-CB via dechlorinating 30.44% hepta-CBs and 59.12% hexa-CBs after three months of incubation. For culture CG-1, dechlorinators mainly attacked double flanked meta-chlorines and partially ortho-chlorines, which might represent a novel dechlorination pattern. Phylogenetic analysis showed distinct affiliation of PCB dechlorinators in the microcosms, including Dehalogenimonas and Dehalococcoides species. This study broadens our knowledge in microbial reductive dechlorination of PCBs, and provides

Distinct DNA repair pathways involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Science.gov (United States)

Korycka-Machala, Malgorzata; Brzostek, Anna; Rozalska, Sylwia; Rumijowska-Galewicz, Anna; Dziedzic, Renata; Bowater, Richard; Dziadek, Jaroslaw

2006-05-01

Mycobacterium smegmatis was used to study the relationship between DNA repair processes involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). The effect of gene deletions in recA and/or in two genes involved in NHEJ (ku and ligD) was tested on the ability of bacteria to join breaks in plasmids transformed into them and in their response to chemicals that damage DNA. The results provide in vivo evidence that only NHEJ is required for the repair of noncompatible DNA ends. By contrast, the response of mycobacteria to mitomycin C preferentially involved a RecA-dependent pathway.

Tetherin restricts productive HIV-1 cell-to-cell transmission.

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Nicoletta Casartelli

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The IFN-inducible antiviral protein tetherin (or BST-2/CD317/HM1.24 impairs release of mature HIV-1 particles from infected cells. HIV-1 Vpu antagonizes the effect of tetherin. The fate of virions trapped at the cell surface remains poorly understood. Here, we asked whether tetherin impairs HIV cell-to-cell transmission, a major means of viral spread. Tetherin-positive or -negative cells, infected with wild-type or DeltaVpu HIV, were used as donor cells and cocultivated with target lymphocytes. We show that tetherin inhibits productive cell-to-cell transmission of DeltaVpu to targets and impairs that of WT HIV. Tetherin accumulates with Gag at the contact zone between infected and target cells, but does not prevent the formation of virological synapses. In the presence of tetherin, viruses are then mostly transferred to targets as abnormally large patches. These viral aggregates do not efficiently promote infection after transfer, because they accumulate at the surface of target cells and are impaired in their fusion capacities. Tetherin, by imprinting virions in donor cells, is the first example of a surface restriction factor limiting viral cell-to-cell spread.

Cortical areas involved in Arabic number reading.

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Roux, F-E; Lubrano, V; Lauwers-Cances, V; Giussani, C; Démonet, J-F

2008-01-15

Distinct functional pathways for processing words and numbers have been hypothesized from the observation of dissociated impairments of these categories in brain-damaged patients. We aimed to identify the cortical areas involved in Arabic number reading process in patients operated on for various brain lesions. Direct cortical electrostimulation was prospectively used in 60 brain mappings. We used object naming and two reading tasks: alphabetic script (sentences and number words) and Arabic number reading. Cortical areas involved in Arabic number reading were identified according to location, type of interference, and distinctness from areas associated with other language tasks. Arabic number reading was sustained by small cortical areas, often extremely well localized (area (Brodmann area 45), the anterior part of the dominant supramarginal gyrus (Brodmann area 40; p area (Brodmann area 37; p areas.

Interaction of the amyloid precursor protein-like protein 1 (APLP1) E2 domain with heparan sulfate involves two distinct binding modes

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Dahms, Sven O., E-mail: sdahms@fli-leibniz.de [Leibniz Institute for Age Research (FLI), Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena (Germany); Mayer, Magnus C. [Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Robert-Koch-Strasse 1, 17166 Teterow (Germany); Roeser, Dirk [Leibniz Institute for Age Research (FLI), Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena (Germany); Multhaup, Gerd [McGill University Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6 (Canada); Than, Manuel E., E-mail: sdahms@fli-leibniz.de [Leibniz Institute for Age Research (FLI), Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena (Germany)

2015-03-01

Two X-ray structures of APLP1 E2 with and without a heparin dodecasaccharide are presented, revealing two distinct binding modes of the protein to heparan sulfate. The data provide a mechanistic explanation of how APP-like proteins bind to heparan sulfates and how they specifically recognize nonreducing structures of heparan sulfates. Beyond the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, the members of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) family are essential for neuronal development and cell homeostasis in mammals. APP and its paralogues APP-like protein 1 (APLP1) and APP-like protein 2 (APLP2) contain the highly conserved heparan sulfate (HS) binding domain E2, which effects various (patho)physiological functions. Here, two crystal structures of the E2 domain of APLP1 are presented in the apo form and in complex with a heparin dodecasaccharide at 2.5 Å resolution. The apo structure of APLP1 E2 revealed an unfolded and hence flexible N-terminal helix αA. The (APLP1 E2){sub 2}–(heparin){sub 2} complex structure revealed two distinct binding modes, with APLP1 E2 explicitly recognizing the heparin terminus but also interacting with a continuous heparin chain. The latter only requires a certain register of the sugar moieties that fits to a positively charged surface patch and contributes to the general heparin-binding capability of APP-family proteins. Terminal binding of APLP1 E2 to heparin specifically involves a structure of the nonreducing end that is very similar to heparanase-processed HS chains. These data reveal a conserved mechanism for the binding of APP-family proteins to HS and imply a specific regulatory role of HS modifications in the biology of APP and APP-like proteins.

Distinct DNA repair pathways involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

OpenAIRE

Korycka-Machala, M; Brzostek, A; Rozalska, S; Rumijowska-Galewicz, A; Dziedzic, R; Bowater, R; Dziadek, J

2006-01-01

Mycobacterium smegmatis was used to study the relationship between DNA repair processes involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). The effect of gene deletions in recA and/or in two genes involved in NHEJ (ku and ligD) was tested on the ability of bacteria to join breaks in plasmids transformed into them and in their response to chemicals that damage DNA. The results provide in vivo evidence that only NHEJ is required for the repair of noncompatible DNA ends. By contrast, the respon...

Quantum Distinction: Quantum Distinctiones!

OpenAIRE

Zeps, Dainis

2009-01-01

10 pages; How many distinctions, in Latin, quantum distinctiones. We suggest approach of anthropic principle based on anthropic reference system which should be applied equally both in theoretical physics and in mathematics. We come to principle that within reference system of life subject of mathematics (that of thinking) should be equated with subject of physics (that of nature). For this reason we enter notions of series of distinctions, quantum distinction, and argue that quantum distinct...

Tp53 gene mediates distinct dopaminergic neuronal damage in different dopaminergic neurotoxicant models

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Tao Lu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Tp53, a stress response gene, is involved in diverse cell death pathways and its activation is implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. However, whether the neuronal Tp53 protein plays a direct role in regulating dopaminergic (DA neuronal cell death or neuronal terminal damage in different neurotoxicant models is unknown. In our recent studies, in contrast to the global inhibition of Tp53 function by pharmacological inhibitors and in traditional Tp53 knock-out mice, we examined the effects of DA-specific Tp53 gene deletion after 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and methamphetamine exposure. Our data suggests that the Tp53 gene might be involved in both neuronal apoptosis and neuronal terminal damage caused by different neurotoxicants. Additional results from other studies also suggest that as a master regulator of many pathways that regulate apoptosis and synaptic terminal damage, it is possible that Tp53 may function as a signaling hub to integrate different signaling pathways to mediate distinctive target pathways. Tp53 protein as a signaling hub might be able to evaluate the microenvironment of neurons, assess the forms and severities of injury incurred, and determine whether apoptotic cell death or neuronal terminal degeneration occurs. Identification of the precise mechanisms activated in distinct neuronal damage caused by different forms and severities of injuries might allow for development of specific Tp53 inhibitors or ways to modulate distinct downstream target pathways involved.

New approach to equipment quality evaluation method with distinct functions

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Milisavljević Vladimir M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents new approach for improving method for quality evaluation and selection of equipment (devices and machinery by applying distinct functions. Quality evaluation and selection of devices and machinery is a multi-criteria problem which involves the consideration of numerous parameters of various origins. Original selection method with distinct functions is based on technical parameters with arbitrary evaluation of each parameter importance (weighting. Improvement of this method, presented in this paper, addresses the issue of weighting of parameters by using Delphi Method. Finally, two case studies are provided, which included quality evaluation of standard boilers for heating and evaluation of load-haul-dump (LHD machines, to demonstrate applicability of this approach. Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP is used as a control method.

Resolving tumor heterogeneity: genes involved in chordoma cell development identified by low-template analysis of morphologically distinct cells.

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Amin El-Heliebi

Full Text Available The classical sacrococcygeal chordoma tumor presents with a typical morphology of lobulated myxoid tumor tissue with cords, strands and nests of tumor cells. The population of cells consists of small non-vacuolated cells, intermediate cells with a wide range of vacuolization and large heavily vacuolated (physaliferous cells. To date analysis was only performed on bulk tumor mass because of its rare incidence, lack of suited model systems and technical limitations thereby neglecting its heterogeneous composition. We intended to clarify whether the observed cell types are derived from genetically distinct clones or represent different phenotypes. Furthermore, we aimed at elucidating the differences between small non-vacuolated and large physaliferous cells on the genomic and transcriptomic level. Phenotype-specific analyses of small non-vacuolated and large physaliferous cells in two independent chordoma cell lines yielded four candidate genes involved in chordoma cell development. UCHL3, coding for an ubiquitin hydrolase, was found to be over-expressed in the large physaliferous cell phenotype of MUG-Chor1 (18.7-fold and U-CH1 (3.7-fold cells. The mannosyltransferase ALG11 (695-fold and the phosphatase subunit PPP2CB (18.6-fold were found to be up-regulated in large physaliferous MUG-Chor1 cells showing a similar trend in U-CH1 cells. TMEM144, an orphan 10-transmembrane family receptor, yielded contradictory data as cDNA microarray analysis showed up- but RT-qPCR data down-regulation in large physaliferous MUG-Chor1 cells. Isolation of few but morphologically identical cells allowed us to overcome the limitations of bulk analysis in chordoma research. We identified the different chordoma cell phenotypes to be part of a developmental process and discovered new genes linked to chordoma cell development representing potential targets for further research in chordoma tumor biology.

Imitation and matching of meaningless gestures: distinct involvement from motor and visual imagery.

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Lesourd, Mathieu; Navarro, Jordan; Baumard, Josselin; Jarry, Christophe; Le Gall, Didier; Osiurak, François

2017-05-01

The aim of the present study was to understand the underlying cognitive processes of imitation and matching of meaningless gestures. Neuropsychological evidence obtained in brain damaged patients, has shown that distinct cognitive processes supported imitation and matching of meaningless gestures. Left-brain damaged (LBD) patients failed to imitate while right-brain damaged (RBD) patients failed to match meaningless gestures. Moreover, other studies with brain damaged patients showed that LBD patients were impaired in motor imagery while RBD patients were impaired in visual imagery. Thus, we hypothesize that imitation of meaningless gestures might rely on motor imagery, whereas matching of meaningless gestures might be based on visual imagery. In a first experiment, using a correlational design, we demonstrated that posture imitation relies on motor imagery but not on visual imagery (Experiment 1a) and that posture matching relies on visual imagery but not on motor imagery (Experiment 1b). In a second experiment, by manipulating directly the body posture of the participants, we demonstrated that such manipulation evokes a difference only in imitation task but not in matching task. In conclusion, the present study provides direct evidence that the way we imitate or we have to compare postures depends on motor imagery or visual imagery, respectively. Our results are discussed in the light of recent findings about underlying mechanisms of meaningful and meaningless gestures.

Adaptation of flower and fruit colours to multiple, distinct mutualists.

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Renoult, Julien P; Valido, Alfredo; Jordano, Pedro; Schaefer, H Martin

2014-01-01

Communication in plant-animal mutualisms frequently involves multiple perceivers. A fundamental uncertainty is whether and how species adapt to communicate with groups of mutualists having distinct sensory abilities. We quantified the colour conspicuousness of flowers and fruits originating from one European and two South American plant communities, using visual models of pollinators (bee and fly) and seed dispersers (bird, primate and marten). We show that flowers are more conspicuous than fruits to pollinators, and the reverse to seed dispersers. In addition, flowers are more conspicuous to pollinators than to seed dispersers and the reverse for fruits. Thus, despite marked differences in the visual systems of mutualists, flower and fruit colours have evolved to attract multiple, distinct mutualists but not unintended perceivers. We show that this adaptation is facilitated by a limited correlation between flower and fruit colours, and by the fact that colour signals as coded at the photoreceptor level are more similar within than between functional groups (pollinators and seed dispersers). Overall, these results provide the first quantitative demonstration that flower and fruit colours are adaptations allowing plants to communicate simultaneously with distinct groups of mutualists. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

Reduced effects of pictorial distinctiveness on false memory following dynamic visual noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Andrew; Kember, Timothy; Dagnall, Neil

2017-07-01

High levels of false recognition for non-presented items typically occur following exposure to lists of associated words. These false recognition effects can be reduced by making the studied items more distinctive by the presentation of pictures during encoding. One explanation of this is that during recognition, participants expect or attempt to retrieve distinctive pictorial information in order to evaluate the study status of the test item. If this involves the retrieval and use of visual imagery, then interfering with imagery processing should reduce the effectiveness of pictorial information in false memory reduction. In the current experiment, visual-imagery processing was disrupted at retrieval by the use of dynamic visual noise (DVN). It was found that effects of DVN dissociated true from false memory. Memory for studied words was not influenced by the presence of an interfering noise field. However, false memory was increased and the effects of picture-induced distinctiveness was eliminated. DVN also increased false recollection and remember responses to unstudied items.

Gene regulatory and signaling networks exhibit distinct topological distributions of motifs

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Gustavo Rodrigues; Nakaya, Helder Imoto; Costa, Luciano da Fontoura

2018-04-01

The biological processes of cellular decision making and differentiation involve a plethora of signaling pathways and gene regulatory circuits. These networks in turn exhibit a multitude of motifs playing crucial parts in regulating network activity. Here we compare the topological placement of motifs in gene regulatory and signaling networks and observe that it suggests different evolutionary strategies in motif distribution for distinct cellular subnetworks.

Approaching the Distinction between Intuition and Insight.

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Zhang, Zhonglu; Lei, Yi; Li, Hong

2016-01-01

Intuition and insight share similar cognitive and neural basis. Though, there are still some essential differences between the two. Here in this short review, we discriminated between intuition, and insight in two aspects. First, intuition, and insight are toward different aspects of information processing. Whereas intuition involves judgment about "yes or no," insight is related to "what" is the solution. Second, tacit knowledge play different roles in between intuition and insight. On the one hand, tacit knowledge is conducive to intuitive judgment. On the other hand, tacit knowledge may first impede but later facilitate insight occurrence. Furthermore, we share theoretical, and methodological views on how to access the distinction between intuition and insight.

Drug involvement in fatal overdoses

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Christopher J. Ruhm

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Death certificate data from the Multiple Cause of Death (MCOD files were analyzed to better understand the drug categories most responsible for the increase in fatal overdoses occurring between 1999 and 2014. Statistical adjustment methods were used to account for the understatement in reported drug involvement occurring because death certificates frequently do not specify which drugs were involved in the deaths. The frequency of combination drug use introduced additional uncertainty and so a distinction was made between any versus exclusive drug involvement. Many results were sensitive to the starting and ending years chosen for examination. Opioid analgesics played a major role in the increased drug deaths for analysis windows starting in 1999 but other drugs, particularly heroin, became more significant for recent time periods. Combination drug use was important for all time periods and needs to be accounted for when designing policies to slow or reverse the increase in overdose deaths.

Natural Microbial Assemblages Reflect Distinct Organismal and Functional Partitioning

Science.gov (United States)

Wilmes, P.; Andersson, A.; Kalnejais, L. H.; Verberkmoes, N. C.; Lefsrud, M. G.; Wexler, M.; Singer, S. W.; Shah, M.; Bond, P. L.; Thelen, M. P.; Hettich, R. L.; Banfield, J. F.

2007-12-01

The ability to link microbial community structure to function has long been a primary focus of environmental microbiology. With the advent of community genomic and proteomic techniques, along with advances in microscopic imaging techniques, it is now possible to gain insights into the organismal and functional makeup of microbial communities. Biofilms growing within highly acidic solutions inside the Richmond Mine (Iron Mountain, Redding, California) exhibit distinct macro- and microscopic morphologies. They are composed of microorganisms belonging to the three domains of life, including archaea, bacteria and eukarya. The proportion of each organismal type depends on sampling location and developmental stage. For example, mature biofilms floating on top of acid mine drainage (AMD) pools exhibit layers consisting of a densely packed bottom layer of the chemoautolithotroph Leptospirillum group II, a less dense top layer composed mainly of archaea, and fungal filaments spanning across the entire biofilm. The expression of cytochrome 579 (the most highly abundant protein in the biofilm, believed to be central to iron oxidation and encoded by Leptospirillum group II) is localized at the interface of the biofilm with the AMD solution, highlighting that biofilm architecture is reflected at the functional gene expression level. Distinct functional partitioning is also apparent in a biological wastewater treatment system that selects for distinct polyphosphate accumulating organisms. Community genomic data from " Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis" dominated activated sludge has enabled high mass-accuracy shotgun proteomics for identification of key metabolic pathways. Comprehensive genome-wide alignment of orthologous proteins suggests distinct partitioning of protein variants involved in both core-metabolism and specific metabolic pathways among the dominant population and closely related species. In addition, strain- resolved proteogenomic analysis of the AMD biofilms

The use of global transcriptional analysis to reveal the biological and cellular events involved in distinct development phases of Trichophyton rubrum conidial germination

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Ding Guohui

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Conidia are considered to be the primary cause of infections by Trichophyton rubrum. Results We have developed a cDNA microarray containing 10250 ESTs to monitor the transcriptional strategy of conidial germination. A total of 1561 genes that had their expression levels specially altered in the process were obtained and hierarchically clustered with respect to their expression profiles. By functional analysis, we provided a global view of an important biological system related to conidial germination, including characterization of the pattern of gene expression at sequential developmental phases, and changes of gene expression profiles corresponding to morphological transitions. We matched the EST sequences to GO terms in the Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD. A number of homologues of Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes related to signalling pathways and some important cellular processes were found to be involved in T. rubrum germination. These genes and signalling pathways may play roles in distinct steps, such as activating conidial germination, maintenance of isotropic growth, establishment of cell polarity and morphological transitions. Conclusion Our results may provide insights into molecular mechanisms of conidial germination at the cell level, and may enhance our understanding of regulation of gene expression related to the morphological construction of T. rubrum.

Human brain basis of musical rhythm perception: common and distinct neural substrates for meter, tempo, and pattern.

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Thaut, Michael H; Trimarchi, Pietro Davide; Parsons, Lawrence M

2014-06-17

Rhythm as the time structure of music is composed of distinct temporal components such as pattern, meter, and tempo. Each feature requires different computational processes: meter involves representing repeating cycles of strong and weak beats; pattern involves representing intervals at each local time point which vary in length across segments and are linked hierarchically; and tempo requires representing frequency rates of underlying pulse structures. We explored whether distinct rhythmic elements engage different neural mechanisms by recording brain activity of adult musicians and non-musicians with positron emission tomography (PET) as they made covert same-different discriminations of (a) pairs of rhythmic, monotonic tone sequences representing changes in pattern, tempo, and meter, and (b) pairs of isochronous melodies. Common to pattern, meter, and tempo tasks were focal activities in right, or bilateral, areas of frontal, cingulate, parietal, prefrontal, temporal, and cerebellar cortices. Meter processing alone activated areas in right prefrontal and inferior frontal cortex associated with more cognitive and abstract representations. Pattern processing alone recruited right cortical areas involved in different kinds of auditory processing. Tempo processing alone engaged mechanisms subserving somatosensory and premotor information (e.g., posterior insula, postcentral gyrus). Melody produced activity different from the rhythm conditions (e.g., right anterior insula and various cerebellar areas). These exploratory findings suggest the outlines of some distinct neural components underlying the components of rhythmic structure.

SCFβ-TrCP ubiquitin ligase-mediated processing of NF-κB p105 requires phosphorylation of its C-terminus by IκB kinase

Science.gov (United States)

Orian, Amir; Gonen, Hedva; Bercovich, Beatrice; Fajerman, Ifat; Eytan, Esther; Israël, Alain; Mercurio, Frank; Iwai, Kazuhiro; Schwartz, Alan L.; Ciechanover, Aaron

2000-01-01

Processing of the p105 precursor to form the active subunit p50 of the NF-κB transcription factor is a unique case in which the ubiquitin system is involved in limited processing rather than in complete destruction of the target substrate. A glycine-rich region along with a downstream acidic domain have been demonstrated to be essential for processing. Here we demonstrate that following IκB kinase (IκK)-mediated phosphorylation, the C-terminal domain of p105 (residues 918–934) serves as a recognition motif for the SCFβ-TrCP ubiquitin ligase. Expression of IκKβ dramatically increases processing of wild-type p105, but not of p105-Δ918–934. Dominant-negative β-TrCP inhibits IκK-dependent processing. Furthermore, the ligase and wild-type p105 but not p105-Δ918–934 associate physically following phosphorylation. In vitro, SCFβ-TrCP specifically conjugates and promotes processing of phosphorylated p105. Importantly, the TrCP recognition motif in p105 is different from that described for IκBs, β-catenin and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpu. Since p105-Δ918–934 is also conjugated and processed, it appears that p105 can be recognized under different physiological conditions by two different ligases, targeting two distinct recognition motifs. PMID:10835356

Molecular polymorphism of a cell surface proteoglycan: distinct structures on simple and stratified epithelia.

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Sanderson, R D; Bernfield, M

1988-12-01

Epithelial cells are organized into either a single layer (simple epithelia) or multiple layers (stratified epithelia). Maintenance of these cellular organizations requires distinct adhesive mechanisms involving many cell surface molecules. One such molecule is a cell surface proteoglycan, named syndecan, that contains both heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate chains. This proteoglycan binds cells to fibrillar collagens and fibronectin and thus acts as a receptor for interstitial matrix. The proteoglycan is restricted to the basolateral surface of simple epithelial cells, but is located over the entire surface of stratified epithelial cells, even those surfaces not contacting matrix. We now show that the distinct localization in simple and stratified epithelia correlates with a distinct proteoglycan structure. The proteoglycan from simple epithelia (modal molecular size, 160 kDa) is larger than that from stratified epithelia (modal molecular size, 92 kDa), but their core proteins are identical in size and immunoreactivity. The proteoglycan from simple epithelia has more and larger heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate chains than the proteoglycan from stratified epithelia. Thus, the cell surface proteoglycan shows a tissue-specific structural polymorphism due to distinct posttranslational modifications. This polymorphism likely reflects distinct proteoglycan functions in simple and stratified epithelia, potentially meeting the different adhesive requirements of the cells in these different organizations.

The neural signatures of distinct psychopathic traits.

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Carré, Justin M; Hyde, Luke W; Neumann, Craig S; Viding, Essi; Hariri, Ahmad R

2013-01-01

Recent studies suggest that psychopathy may be associated with dysfunction in the neural circuitry supporting both threat- and reward-related processes. However, these studies have involved small samples and often focused on extreme groups. Thus, it is unclear to what extent current findings may generalize to psychopathic traits in the general population. Furthermore, no studies have systematically and simultaneously assessed associations between distinct psychopathy facets and both threat- and reward-related brain function in the same sample of participants. Here, we examined the relationship between threat-related amygdala reactivity and reward-related ventral striatum (VS) reactivity and variation in four facets of self-reported psychopathy in a sample of 200 young adults. Path models indicated that amygdala reactivity to fearful facial expressions is negatively associated with the interpersonal facet of psychopathy, whereas amygdala reactivity to angry facial expressions is positively associated with the lifestyle facet. Furthermore, these models revealed that differential VS reactivity to positive versus negative feedback is negatively associated with the lifestyle facet. There was suggestive evidence for gender-specific patterns of association between brain function and psychopathy facets. Our findings are the first to document differential associations between both threat- and reward-related neural processes and distinct facets of psychopathy and thus provide a more comprehensive picture of the pattern of neural vulnerabilities that may predispose to maladaptive outcomes associated with psychopathy.

Distinctive Citizenship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaur, Ravinder

2009-01-01

The refugee, in India's Partition history, appears as an enigmatic construct - part pitiful, part heroic, though mostly shorn of agency - representing the surface of the human tragedy of Partition. Yet this archetype masks the undercurrent of social distinctions that produced hierarchies of post...

Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia induce distinct host responses.

Science.gov (United States)

McConnell, Kevin W; McDunn, Jonathan E; Clark, Andrew T; Dunne, W Michael; Dixon, David J; Turnbull, Isaiah R; Dipasco, Peter J; Osberghaus, William F; Sherman, Benjamin; Martin, James R; Walter, Michael J; Cobb, J Perren; Buchman, Timothy G; Hotchkiss, Richard S; Coopersmith, Craig M

2010-01-01

Pathogens that cause pneumonia may be treated in a targeted fashion by antibiotics, but if this therapy fails, then treatment involves only nonspecific supportive measures, independent of the inciting infection. The purpose of this study was to determine whether host response is similar after disparate infections with similar mortalities. Prospective, randomized controlled study. Animal laboratory in a university medical center. Pneumonia was induced in FVB/N mice by either Streptococcus pneumoniae or two different concentrations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from septic animals was assayed by a microarray immunoassay measuring 18 inflammatory mediators at multiple time points. The host response was dependent on the causative organism as well as kinetics of mortality, but the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses were independent of inoculum concentration or degree of bacteremia. Pneumonia caused by different concentrations of the same bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, also yielded distinct inflammatory responses; however, inflammatory mediator expression did not directly track the severity of infection. For all infections, the host response was compartmentalized, with markedly different concentrations of inflammatory mediators in the systemic circulation and the lungs. Hierarchical clustering analysis resulted in the identification of five distinct clusters of the host response to bacterial infection. Principal components analysis correlated pulmonary macrophage inflammatory peptide-2 and interleukin-10 with progression of infection, whereas elevated plasma tumor necrosis factor sr2 and macrophage chemotactic peptide-1 were indicative of fulminant disease with >90% mortality within 48 hrs. Septic mice have distinct local and systemic responses to Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Targeting specific host inflammatory responses induced by distinct bacterial infections could represent a

Imaging findings of upper abdominal involvement by acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amemiya, Shiori; Akahane, Masaaki; Ohtomo, Kuni [University of Tokyo, Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Takita, Junko; Igarashi, Takashi [University of Tokyo, Department of Paediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan)

2008-04-15

Acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia (AMKL), a relatively rare type of acute myeloid leukaemia, is characterized by frequent involvement of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes in addition to myelofibrosis in children. Diagnosis is difficult both clinically and pathologically, and the hepatic or lymph node involvement is not uncommonly misinterpreted as solid tumour. We report the imaging findings of upper abdominal involvement by AMKL in an infant. The hepatic lesion, initially suspected to be hepatoblastoma, showed a distinctive appearance on MRI suggesting its infiltrative nature. With the association of splenic lesion and lymphadenopathy, the imaging findings were considered indicative of a haematological disorder. (orig.)

Disentangling patient and public involvement in healthcare decisions: why the difference matters.

Science.gov (United States)

Fredriksson, Mio; Tritter, Jonathan Q

2017-01-01

Patient and public involvement has become an integral aspect of many developed health systems and is judged to be an essential driver for reform. However, little attention has been paid to the distinctions between patients and the public, and the views of patients are often seen to encompass those of the general public. Using an ideal-type approach, we analyse crucial distinctions between patient involvement and public involvement using examples from Sweden and England. We highlight that patients have sectional interests as health service users in contrast to citizens who engage as a public policy agent reflecting societal interests. Patients draw on experiential knowledge and focus on output legitimacy and performance accountability, aim at typical representativeness, and a direct responsiveness to individual needs and preferences. In contrast, the public contributes with collective perspectives generated from diversity, centres on input legitimacy achieved through statistical representativeness, democratic accountability and indirect responsiveness to general citizen preferences. Thus, using patients as proxies for the public fails to achieve intended goals and benefits of involvement. We conclude that understanding and measuring the impact of patient and public involvement can only develop with the application of a clearer comprehension of the differences. © 2016 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

Rolie-Poly fluid flowing through constrictions: Two distinct instabilities

KAUST Repository

Reis, T.; Wilson, H.J.

2013-01-01

Elastic instabilities of entangled polymer melts are common in industrial processes but the physics responsible is not well understood. We present a numerical linear stability study of a molecular based constitutive model which grants us physical insight into the underlying mechanics involved. Two constriction flows are considered - one shear dominated, the other extension dominated - and two distinct instabilities are found. The influence of the molecular structure and the behaviour of the polymer dynamics are investigated and in both cases chain relaxation and orientation play a crucial role. This suggests a molecular-based physical interpretation of the underlying mechanisms responsible for flow instabilities. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Rolie-Poly fluid flowing through constrictions: Two distinct instabilities

KAUST Repository

Reis, T.

2013-05-01

Elastic instabilities of entangled polymer melts are common in industrial processes but the physics responsible is not well understood. We present a numerical linear stability study of a molecular based constitutive model which grants us physical insight into the underlying mechanics involved. Two constriction flows are considered - one shear dominated, the other extension dominated - and two distinct instabilities are found. The influence of the molecular structure and the behaviour of the polymer dynamics are investigated and in both cases chain relaxation and orientation play a crucial role. This suggests a molecular-based physical interpretation of the underlying mechanisms responsible for flow instabilities. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Counselor Identity: Conformity or Distinction?

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McLaughlin, Jerry E.; Boettcher, Kathryn

2009-01-01

The authors explore 3 debates in other disciplines similar to counseling's identity debate in order to learn about common themes and outcomes. Conformity, distinction, and cohesion emerged as common themes. They conclude that counselors should retain their distinctive, humanistic approach rather than conforming to the dominant, medical approach.

Distinct types of glial cells populate the Drosophila antenna

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Jhaveri Dhanisha

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of nervous systems involves reciprocal interactions between neurons and glia. In the Drosophila olfactory system, peripheral glial cells arise from sensory lineages specified by the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, Atonal. These glia wrap around the developing olfactory axons early during development and pattern the three distinct fascicles as they exit the antenna. In the moth Manduca sexta, an additional set of central glia migrate to the base of the antennal nerve where axons sort to their glomerular targets. In this work, we have investigated whether similar types of cells exist in the Drosophila antenna. Results We have used different P(Gal4 lines to drive Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP in distinct populations of cells within the Drosophila antenna. Mz317::GFP, a marker for cell body and perineural glia, labels the majority of peripheral glia. An additional ~30 glial cells detected by GH146::GFP do not derive from any of the sensory lineages and appear to migrate into the antenna from the brain. Their appearance in the third antennal segment is regulated by normal function of the Epidermal Growth Factor receptor and small GTPases. We denote these distinct populations of cells as Mz317-glia and GH146-glia respectively. In the adult, processes of GH146-glial cells ensheath the olfactory receptor neurons directly, while those of the Mz317-glia form a peripheral layer. Ablation of GH146-glia does not result in any significant effects on the patterning of the olfactory receptor axons. Conclusion We have demonstrated the presence of at least two distinct populations of glial cells within the Drosophila antenna. GH146-glial cells originate in the brain and migrate to the antenna along the newly formed olfactory axons. The number of cells populating the third segment of the antenna is regulated by signaling through the Epidermal Growth Factor receptor. These glia share several features of the sorting

Drosophila ovipositor extension in mating behavior and egg deposition involves distinct sets of brain interneurons.

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Ken-ichi Kimura

Full Text Available Oviposition is a female-specific behavior that directly affects fecundity, and therefore fitness. If a fertilized female encounters another male that she has evaluated to be of better quality than her previous mate, it would be beneficial for her to remate with this male rather than depositing her eggs. Females who decided not to remate exhibited rejection behavior toward a courting male and engaged in oviposition. Although recent studies of Drosophila melanogaster identified sensory neurons and putative second-order ascending interneurons that mediate uterine afferents affecting female reproductive behavior, little is known about the brain circuitry that selectively activates rejection versus oviposition behaviors. We identified the sexually dimorphic pC2l and female-specific pMN2 neurons, two distinct classes of doublesex (dsx-expressing neurons that can initiate ovipositor extension associated with rejection and oviposition behavior, respectively. pC2l interneurons, which induce ovipositor extrusion for rejection in females, have homologues that control courtship behavior in males. Activation of these two classes of neurons appears to be mutually exclusive and each governs hierarchical control of the motor program in the VNC either for rejection or oviposition, contributing centrally to the switching on or off of the alternative motor programs.

Water-equivalent solid sources prepared by means of two distinct methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koskinas, Marina F.; Yamazaki, Ione M.; Potiens Junior, Ademar

2014-01-01

The Nuclear Metrology Laboratory at IPEN is involved in developing radioactive water-equivalent solid sources prepared from an aqueous solution of acrylamide using two distinct methods for polymerization. One of them is the polymerization by high dose of 60 Co irradiation; in the other method the solid matrix-polyacrylamide is obtained from an aqueous solution composed by acrylamide, catalyzers and an aliquot of a radionuclide. The sources have been prepared in cylindrical geometry. In this paper, the study of the distribution of radioactive material in the solid sources prepared by both methods is presented. (author)

Early and long-standing rheumatoid arthritis: distinct molecular signatures identified by gene-expression profiling in synovia

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Lequerré, Thierry; Bansard, Carine; Vittecoq, Olivier; Derambure, Céline; Hiron, Martine; Daveau, Maryvonne; Tron, François; Ayral, Xavier; Biga, Norman; Auquit-Auckbur, Isabelle; Chiocchia, Gilles; Le Loët, Xavier; Salier, Jean-Philippe

2009-01-01

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a heterogeneous disease and its underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. Because previous microarray studies have only focused on long-standing (LS) RA compared to osteoarthritis, we aimed to compare the molecular profiles of early and LS RA versus control synovia. Methods Synovial biopsies were obtained by arthroscopy from 15 patients (4 early untreated RA, 4 treated LS RA and 7 controls, who had traumatic or mechanical lesions). Extracted mRNAs were used for large-scale gene-expression profiling. The different gene-expression combinations identified by comparison of profiles of early, LS RA and healthy synovia were linked to the biological processes involved in each situation. Results Three combinations of 719, 116 and 52 transcripts discriminated, respectively, early from LS RA, and early or LS RA from healthy synovia. We identified several gene clusters and distinct molecular signatures specifically expressed during early or LS RA, thereby suggesting the involvement of different pathophysiological mechanisms during the course of RA. Conclusions Early and LS RA have distinct molecular signatures with different biological processes participating at different times during the course of the disease. These results suggest that better knowledge of the main biological processes involved at a given RA stage might help to choose the most appropriate treatment. PMID:19563633

RABA Members Act in Distinct Steps of Subcellular Trafficking of the FLAGELLIN SENSING2 Receptor[W

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Choi, Seung-won; Tamaki, Takayuki; Ebine, Kazuo; Uemura, Tomohiro; Ueda, Takashi; Nakano, Akihiko

2013-01-01

Cell surface proteins play critical roles in the perception of environmental stimuli at the plasma membrane (PM) and ensuing signal transduction. Intracellular localization of such proteins must be strictly regulated, which requires elaborate integration of exocytic and endocytic trafficking pathways. Subcellular localization of Arabidopsis thaliana FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2), a receptor that recognizes bacterial flagellin, also depends on membrane trafficking. However, our understanding about the mechanisms involved is still limited. In this study, we visualized ligand-induced endocytosis of FLS2 using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged FLS2 expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Upon treatment with the flg22 peptide, internalized FLS2-GFP from the PM was transported to a compartment with properties intermediate between the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and the multivesicular endosome. This compartment gradually discarded the TGN characteristics as it continued along the trafficking pathway. We further found that FLS2 endocytosis involves distinct RABA/RAB11 subgroups at different steps. Moreover, we demonstrated that transport of de novo–synthesized FLS2 to the PM also involves a distinct RABA/RAB11 subgroup. Our results demonstrate the complex regulatory system for properly localizing FLS2 and functional differentiation in RABA members in endo- and exocytosis. PMID:23532067

Informatic parcellation of the network involved in the computation of subjective value

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Rangel, Antonio

2014-01-01

Understanding how the brain computes value is a basic question in neuroscience. Although individual studies have driven this progress, meta-analyses provide an opportunity to test hypotheses that require large collections of data. We carry out a meta-analysis of a large set of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of value computation to address several key questions. First, what is the full set of brain areas that reliably correlate with stimulus values when they need to be computed? Second, is this set of areas organized into dissociable functional networks? Third, is a distinct network of regions involved in the computation of stimulus values at decision and outcome? Finally, are different brain areas involved in the computation of stimulus values for different reward modalities? Our results demonstrate the centrality of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), ventral striatum and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in the computation of value across tasks, reward modalities and stages of the decision-making process. We also find evidence of distinct subnetworks of co-activation within VMPFC, one involving central VMPFC and dorsal PCC and another involving more anterior VMPFC, left angular gyrus and ventral PCC. Finally, we identify a posterior-to-anterior gradient of value representations corresponding to concrete-to-abstract rewards. PMID:23887811

Longitudinal study to assess the safety and efficacy of a live-attenuated SHIV vaccine in long term immunized rhesus macaques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yankee, Thomas M.; Sheffer, Darlene; Liu Zhengian; Dhillon, Sukhbir; Jia Fenglan; Chebloune, Yahia; Stephens, Edward B.; Narayan, Opendra

2009-01-01

Live-attenuated viruses derived from SIV and SHIV have provided the most consistent protection against challenge with pathogenic viruses, but concerns regarding their long-term safety and efficacy have hampered their clinical usefulness. We report a longitudinal study in which we evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of ΔvpuSHIV PPC , a live virus vaccine derived from SHIV PPC . Macaques were administered two inoculations of ΔvpuSHIV PPC , three years apart, and followed for eight years. None of the five vaccinated macaques developed an AIDS-like disease from the vaccine. At eight years, macaques were challenged with pathogenic SIV and SHIV. None of the four macaques with detectable cellular-mediated immunity prior to challenge had detectable viral RNA in the plasma. This study demonstrates that multiple inoculations of a live vaccine virus can be used safely and can significantly extend the efficacy of the vaccine, as compared to a single inoculation, which is efficacious for approximately three years

The pursuit of optimal distinctiveness and consumer preferences.

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He, Lingnan; Cong, Feng; Liu, Yanping; Zhou, Xinyue

2010-10-01

This article investigates the effect of optimal distinctiveness on consumer product consumption. The authors argue that consumers acquire and display material possessions to restore their optimal levels of distinctiveness. Results showed that placing consumers in a state of low distinctiveness increased desire to acquire distinctive products, whereas perceptions of high distinctiveness reduced desire to acquire such products. Consumers' desire for distinctiveness-related products held true for various consumer choices, including willingness to pay more for limited-edition products and preference for unpopular gifts. This finding has implications for understanding consumer choice in expressing identity. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2010 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Two Distinct Scene-Processing Networks Connecting Vision and Memory.

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Baldassano, Christopher; Esteva, Andre; Fei-Fei, Li; Beck, Diane M

2016-01-01

A number of regions in the human brain are known to be involved in processing natural scenes, but the field has lacked a unifying framework for understanding how these different regions are organized and interact. We provide evidence from functional connectivity and meta-analyses for a new organizational principle, in which scene processing relies upon two distinct networks that split the classically defined parahippocampal place area (PPA). The first network of strongly connected regions consists of the occipital place area/transverse occipital sulcus and posterior PPA, which contain retinotopic maps and are not strongly coupled to the hippocampus at rest. The second network consists of the caudal inferior parietal lobule, retrosplenial complex, and anterior PPA, which connect to the hippocampus (especially anterior hippocampus), and are implicated in both visual and nonvisual tasks, including episodic memory and navigation. We propose that these two distinct networks capture the primary functional division among scene-processing regions, between those that process visual features from the current view of a scene and those that connect information from a current scene view with a much broader temporal and spatial context. This new framework for understanding the neural substrates of scene-processing bridges results from many lines of research, and makes specific functional predictions.

Surgical treatment of cavernous malformations involving medulla oblongata.

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Zhang, Si; Lin, Sen; Hui, Xuhui; Li, Hao; You, Chao

2017-03-01

Surgical treatment of cavernous malformations (CMs) involving medulla oblongata is more difficult than the CMs in other sites because of the surrounding vital structures. However, the distinctive features and treatment strategies have not been well illustrated. Therefore, we enrolled a total of 19 patients underwent surgical treatment of CMs involving medulla oblongata in our hospital from August 2008 to August 2014. The clinical features, surgical management and clinical outcome of these patients were retrospectively analyzed, while our institutional surgical indications, approaches and microsurgical techniques were discussed. In our study, gross total resection was achieved in 17 patients and subtotal resection in 2. Two patients underwent emergency surgeries due to severe and progressive neurological deficits. The postoperative new-onset or worsened neurological deficits occurred in 6 patients. After a mean follow-up of 45.8±22.2months, the neurological status was improved in 10 patients and remained stable in 7. The mean modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was 2.58±1.26 preoperatively, 3.11±0.99 postoperatively and 1.84±1.42 at the recent follow-up, respectively. During the follow-up period, no rehemorrhage and recurrence occurred, and the residual lesions remained stable. We recommended surgical resection of symptomatic CMs involving medulla oblongata via optimal approaches, feasible entry zones and meticulous microsurgical techniques in attempting to achieve safe resection and favorable outcome. The clinical features, surgical indications, timing and microsurgical techniques of this special entity should be distinctive from the brainstem cavernous malformations in other sites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distinctiveness of Saudi Arabian EFL Learners

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Manssour Habbash

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In view of the increasing concern among English language teachers dealing with students from Saudi Arabia, as it manifests in TESOL community discussions, about the uniqueness of Saudi Arabian EFL learners, this paper attempts to document the outcome of a study of their distinctiveness from the perspective of expatriate teachers working for PYPs (Preparatory Year Programs in Saudi Arabia. This study examines the distinctiveness with regard to the learning attitudes of Saudi students that are often cultivated by the culture and academic environment in their homeland. Employing an emic approach for collecting the required data an analysis was carried out in light of the other studies on ‘education’ in Saudi Arabia that have particular reference to the factors that can positively influence student motivation, student success and the academic environment. The findings were used in constructing the rationale behind such distinctiveness. Assuming that the outcome of the discussion on the findings of this exploration can be helpful for teachers in adapting their teaching methodology and improving their teacher efficacy in dealing with students both from the kingdom and in the kingdom, some recommendations are made. Keywords: China Distinctiveness, Saudi Arabian University context, Expatriate teachers’ perspective, Distinctiveness Theory

Social conformity despite individual preferences for distinctiveness.

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Smaldino, Paul E; Epstein, Joshua M

2015-03-01

We demonstrate that individual behaviours directed at the attainment of distinctiveness can in fact produce complete social conformity. We thus offer an unexpected generative mechanism for this central social phenomenon. Specifically, we establish that agents who have fixed needs to be distinct and adapt their positions to achieve distinctiveness goals, can nevertheless self-organize to a limiting state of absolute conformity. This seemingly paradoxical result is deduced formally from a small number of natural assumptions and is then explored at length computationally. Interesting departures from this conformity equilibrium are also possible, including divergence in positions. The effect of extremist minorities on these dynamics is discussed. A simple extension is then introduced, which allows the model to generate and maintain social diversity, including multimodal distinctiveness distributions. The paper contributes formal definitions, analytical deductions and counterintuitive findings to the literature on individual distinctiveness and social conformity.

Visual distinctiveness can enhance recency effects.

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Bornstein, B H; Neely, C B; LeCompte, D C

1995-05-01

Experimental efforts to meliorate the modality effect have included attempts to make the visual stimulus more distinctive. McDowd and Madigan (1991) failed to find an enhanced recency effect in serial recall when the last item was made more distinct in terms of its color. In an attempt to extend this finding, three experiments were conducted in which visual distinctiveness was manipulated in a different manner, by combining the dimensions of physical size and coloration (i.e., whether the stimuli were solid or outlined in relief). Contrary to previous findings, recency was enhanced when the size and coloration of the last item differed from the other items in the list, regardless of whether the "distinctive" item was larger or smaller than the remaining items. The findings are considered in light of other research that has failed to obtain a similar enhanced recency effect, and their implications for current theories of the modality effect are discussed.

Subsurface Planar Vitrification Treatment of Problematic TRU Wastes: Status of a Technology Demonstration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morse, M.K.; Nowack, B.R.; Thompson, L.E.

2006-01-01

This paper provides a status of the In Situ Transuranic Waste Delineation and Removal Project in which the GeoMelt R Subsurface Planar Vitrification TM (SPV TM ) process is being evaluated for the in situ treatment of burial sites containing remote handled mixed transuranic (TRU) waste. The GeoMelt R SPV TM process was invented and patented by Geosafe Corporation. AMEC holds the exclusive worldwide license to use this technology. The current project is part of a three-phase demonstration program to evaluate the effectiveness of the GeoMelt R SPV TM process to treat waste contained in vertical pipe units (VPUs) and caissons that were used for the disposal of remote handled transuranic wastes located at Hanford's 618-10 and 618-11 burial grounds. This project is being performed for the US Department of Energy (DOE) for use at the Hanford site and other DOE installations. The Phase I evaluation determined that removal and treatment of the 618-10/11 VPUs are beyond what can be safely accomplished using conventional excavation methods. Accordingly, a careful stepwise non-intrusive delineation approach and treatment using the GeoMelt R SPV TM technology, followed by removal, characterization, and disposal of the resulting inert vitrified mass was identified as the preferred alternative. Phase II of the project, which started in July 2004, included a full-scale non-radioactive demonstration of AMEC's GeoMelt R SPV TM process on a mock VPU configured to match the actual VPUs. The non-radioactive demonstration (completed in May 2005) was performed to confirm the approach and design before proceeding to a radioactive ('hot') demonstration on an actual VPU. This demonstration took approximately 130 hours, processed the entire mock VPU, and resulted in a vitrified monolith weighing an estimated 90 tonnes. [1] Plans for a radioactive demonstration on an actual VPU are being developed for CY 2006. In addition to demonstrating GeoMelt R SPV TM , delineation techniques are being

Distinct phenotype of PHF6 deletions in females.

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Di Donato, N; Isidor, B; Lopez Cazaux, S; Le Caignec, C; Klink, B; Kraus, C; Schrock, E; Hackmann, K

2014-02-01

We report on two female patients carrying small overlapping Xq26.2 deletions of 100 kb and 270 kb involving the PHF6 gene. Mutations in PHF6 have been reported in individuals with Borjeson-Forssman-Lehmann syndrome, a condition present almost exclusively in males. Two very recent papers revealed de novo PHF6 defects in seven female patients with intellectual disability and a phenotype resembling Coffin-Siris syndrome (sparse hair, bitemporal narrowing, arched eyebrows, synophrys, high nasal root, bulbous nasal tip, marked clinodactyly with the hypoplastic terminal phalanges of the fifth fingers and cutaneous syndactyly of the toes, Blaschkoid linear skin hyperpigmentation, dental anomalies and occasional major malformations). The clinical presentation of these patients overlaps completely with our first patient, who carries a germline deletion involving PHF6. The second patient has a mosaic deletion and presented with a very mild phenotype of PHF6 loss in females. Our report confirms that PHF6 loss in females results in a recognizable phenotype overlapping with Coffin-Siris syndrome and distinct from Borjeson-Forssman-Lehmann syndrome. We expand the clinical spectrum and provide the first summary of the recommended medical evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Rhinovirus infection induces distinct transcriptome profiles in polarized human macrophages.

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Rajput, Charu; Walsh, Megan P; Eder, Breanna N; Metitiri, Ediri E; Popova, Antonia P; Hershenson, Marc B

2018-05-01

Infections with rhinovirus (RV) cause asthma exacerbations. Recent studies suggest that macrophages play a role in asthmatic airway inflammation and the innate immune response to RV infection. Macrophages exhibit phenotypes based on surface markers and gene expression. We hypothesized that macrophage polarization state alters gene expression in response to RV infection. Cells were derived from human peripheral blood derived monocytes. M1 and M2 polarization was carried out by using IFN-γ and IL-4, respectively, and RNA was extracted for Affymetrix Human Gene ST2.1 exon arrays. Selected genes were validated by quantitative (q)PCR. Treatment of nonactivated (M0) macrophages with IFN-γ and IL-4 induced the expression of 252 and 153 distinct genes, respectively, including previously-identified M1 and M2 markers. RV infection of M0 macrophages induced upregulation of 232 genes; pathway analysis showed significant overrepresentation of genes involved in IFN-α/β signaling and cytokine signaling in the immune system. RV infection induced differential expression of 195 distinct genes in M1-like macrophages but only seven distinct genes in M2-like-polarized cells. In a secondary analysis, comparison between M0-, RV-infected, and M1-like-polarized, RV-infected macrophages revealed differential expression of 227 genes including those associated with asthma and its exacerbation. qPCR demonstrated increased expression of CCL8, CXCL10, TNFSF10, TNFSF18, IL6, NOD2, and GSDMD and reduced expression of VNN1, AGO1, and AGO2. Together, these data show that, in contrast to M2-like-polarized macrophages, gene expression of M1-like macrophages is highly regulated by RV.

Metal transport across biomembranes: emerging models for a distinct chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Argüello, José M; Raimunda, Daniel; González-Guerrero, Manuel

2012-04-20

Transition metals are essential components of important biomolecules, and their homeostasis is central to many life processes. Transmembrane transporters are key elements controlling the distribution of metals in various compartments. However, due to their chemical properties, transition elements require transporters with different structural-functional characteristics from those of alkali and alkali earth ions. Emerging structural information and functional studies have revealed distinctive features of metal transport. Among these are the relevance of multifaceted events involving metal transfer among participating proteins, the importance of coordination geometry at transmembrane transport sites, and the presence of the largely irreversible steps associated with vectorial transport. Here, we discuss how these characteristics shape novel transition metal ion transport models.

Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL): Assessment of the involved white matter tracts by MRI

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Kassem, Hassan [Department of Radiology, Benha University (Egypt); Wafaie, Ahmed, E-mail: a_wafaie@yahoo.com [Department of Radiology, Cairo University (Egypt); Abdelfattah, Sherif [Department of Radiology, Cairo University (Egypt); Farid, Tarek [Pediatric Department, Egyptian National Research Center (Egypt)

2014-01-15

Background and purpose: Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL) is a recently identified autosomal recessive disorder with early onset of symptoms and slowly progressive pyramidal, cerebellar and dorsal column dysfunction. LBSL is characterized by distinct white matter abnormalities and selective involvement of brainstem and spinal cord tracts. The purpose of this study is to assess the imaging features of the involved white matter tracts in cases of LBSL by MRI. Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the imaging features of the selectively involved white matter tracts in sixteen genetically proven cases of leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and elevated brain lactate (LBSL). All patients presented with slowly progressive cerebellar sensory ataxia with spasticity and dorsal column dysfunction. MRI of the brain and spine using 1.5 T machine and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ({sup 1}H MRS) on the abnormal white matter were done to all patients. The MRI and MRS data sets were analyzed according to lesion location, extent, distribution and signal pattern as well as metabolite values and ratios in MRS. Laboratory examinations ruled out classic leukodystrophies. Results: In all cases, MRI showed high signal intensity in T2-weighted and FLAIR images within the cerebral subcortical, periventricular and deep white matter, posterior limbs of internal capsules, centrum semiovale, medulla oblongata, intraparenchymal trajectory of trigeminal nerves and deep cerebellar white matter. In the spine, the signal intensity of the dorsal column and lateral cortico-spinal tracts were altered in all patients. The subcortical U fibers, globi pallidi, thalami, midbrain and transverse pontine fibers were spared in all cases. In 11 cases (68.8%), the signal changes were inhomogeneous and confluent whereas in 5 patients (31.2%), the signal abnormalities were spotty. MRI also showed variable

Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL): Assessment of the involved white matter tracts by MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kassem, Hassan; Wafaie, Ahmed; Abdelfattah, Sherif; Farid, Tarek

2014-01-01

Background and purpose: Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL) is a recently identified autosomal recessive disorder with early onset of symptoms and slowly progressive pyramidal, cerebellar and dorsal column dysfunction. LBSL is characterized by distinct white matter abnormalities and selective involvement of brainstem and spinal cord tracts. The purpose of this study is to assess the imaging features of the involved white matter tracts in cases of LBSL by MRI. Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the imaging features of the selectively involved white matter tracts in sixteen genetically proven cases of leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and elevated brain lactate (LBSL). All patients presented with slowly progressive cerebellar sensory ataxia with spasticity and dorsal column dysfunction. MRI of the brain and spine using 1.5 T machine and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H MRS) on the abnormal white matter were done to all patients. The MRI and MRS data sets were analyzed according to lesion location, extent, distribution and signal pattern as well as metabolite values and ratios in MRS. Laboratory examinations ruled out classic leukodystrophies. Results: In all cases, MRI showed high signal intensity in T2-weighted and FLAIR images within the cerebral subcortical, periventricular and deep white matter, posterior limbs of internal capsules, centrum semiovale, medulla oblongata, intraparenchymal trajectory of trigeminal nerves and deep cerebellar white matter. In the spine, the signal intensity of the dorsal column and lateral cortico-spinal tracts were altered in all patients. The subcortical U fibers, globi pallidi, thalami, midbrain and transverse pontine fibers were spared in all cases. In 11 cases (68.8%), the signal changes were inhomogeneous and confluent whereas in 5 patients (31.2%), the signal abnormalities were spotty. MRI also showed variable signal

Distinct molecular subtypes of uterine leiomyosarcoma respond differently to chemotherapy treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Yang; Wang, Shuzhen; Li, Songlin; Zhang, Lulu; Wang, Dayong; Wang, Haojie; Zhu, Shibai; Zhu, Wan; Li, Yongqiang; Chen, Wenwu; Ji, Shaoping; Guo, Xiangqian

2017-09-11

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is an aggressive form of soft tissue tumors. The molecular heterogeneity and pathogenesis of ULMS are not well understood. Expression profiling data were used to determine the possibility and optimal number of ULMS molecular subtypes. Next, clinicopathological characters and molecular pathways were analyzed in each subtype to prospect the clinical applications and progression mechanisms of ULMS. Two distinct molecular subtypes of ULMS were defined based on different gene expression signatures. Subtype I ULMS recapitulated low-grade ULMS, the gene expression pattern of which resembled normal smooth muscle cells, characterized by overexpression of smooth muscle function genes such as LMOD1, SLMAP, MYLK, MYH11. In contrast, subtype II ULMS recapitulated high-grade ULMS with higher tumor weight and invasion rate, and was characterized by overexpression of genes involved in the pathway of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and tumorigenesis, such as CDK6, MAPK13 and HOXA1. We identified two distinct molecular subtypes of ULMS responding differently to chemotherapy treatment. Our findings provide a better understanding of ULMS intrinsic molecular subtypes, and will potentially facilitate the development of subtype-specific diagnosis biomarkers and therapy strategies for these tumors.

Insight into Two ABC Transporter Families Involved in Lantibiotic Resistance

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Rebecca Clemens

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Antimicrobial peptides, which contain (methyl-lanthionine-rings are called lantibiotics. They are produced by several Gram-positive bacteria and are mainly active against these bacteria. Although these are highly potent antimicrobials, some human pathogenic bacteria express specific ABC transporters that confer resistance and counteract their antimicrobial activity. Two distinct ABC transporter families are known to be involved in this process. These are the Cpr- and Bce-type ABC transporter families, named after their involvement in cationic peptide resistance in Clostridium difficile, and bacitracin efflux in Bacillus subtilis, respectively. Both resistance systems differentiate to each other in terms of the proteins involved. Here, we summarize the current knowledge and describe the divergence as well as the common features present in both the systems to confer lantibiotic resistance.

What makes health promotion research distinct?

Science.gov (United States)

Woodall, James; Warwick-Booth, Louise; South, Jane; Cross, Ruth

2018-02-01

There have been concerns about the decline of health promotion as a practice and discipline and, alongside this, calls for a clearer articulation of health promotion research and what, if anything, makes it distinct. This discussion paper, based on a review of the literature, the authors' own experiences in the field, and a workshop delivered by two of the authors at the 8th Nordic Health Promotion Conference, seeks to state the reasons why health promotion research is distinctive. While by no means exhaustive, the paper suggests four distinctive features. The paper hopes to be a catalyst to enable health promotion researchers to be explicit in their practice and to begin the process of developing an agreed set of research principles.

N-cadherin in adult rat cardiomyocytes in culture. II. Spatio-temporal appearance of proteins involved in cell-cell contact and communication. Formation of two distinct N-cadherin/catenin complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertig, C M; Butz, S; Koch, S; Eppenberger-Eberhardt, M; Kemler, R; Eppenberger, H M

1996-01-01

The spatio-temporal appearance and distribution of proteins forming the intercalated disc were investigated in adult rat cardiomyocytes (ARC). The 'redifferentiation model' of ARC involves extensive remodelling of the plasma membrane and of the myofibrillar apparatus. It represents a valuable system to elucidate the formation of cell-cell contact between cardiomyocytes and to assess the mechanisms by which different proteins involved in the cell-cell adhesion process are sorted in a precise manner to the sites of function. Appearance of N-cadherin, the catenins and connexin43 within newly formed adherens and gap junctions was studied. Here first evidence is provided for a formation of two distinct and separable N-cadherin/catenin complexes in cardiomyocytes. Both complexes are composed of N-cadherin and alpha-catenin which bind to either beta-catenin or plakoglobin in a mutually exclusive manner. The two N-cadherin/catenin complexes are assumed to be functionally involved in the formation of cell-cell contacts in ARC; however, the differential appearance and localization of the two types of complexes may also point to a specific role during ARC differentiation. The newly synthesized beta-catenin containing complex is more abundant during the first stages in culture after ARC isolation, while the newly synthesized plakoglobin containing complex progressively accumulates during the morphological changes of ARC. ARC formed a tissue-like pattern in culture whereby the new cell-cell contacts could be dissolved through Ca2+ depletion. Presence of cAMP and replenishment of Ca2+ content in the culture medium not only allowed reformation of cell-cell contacts but also affected the relative protein ratio between the two N-cadherin/catenin complexes, increasing the relative amount of newly synthesized beta-catenin over plakoglobin at a particular stage of ARC differentiation. The clustered N-cadherin/catenin complexes at the plasma membrane appear to be a prerequisite for the

Evaluación de técnicas no destructivas en elementos de concreto para puentes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Alfredo Cruz

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Se evaluaron las técnicas no destructivas de Velocidad de Pulso Ultrasónico (VPU, termografía infrarroja y martillo de rebote para su aplicación en elementos de puentes de concreto y para determinar su posible aplicación in situ. El estudio se desarrolló en dos etapas: diseño y elaboración de los elementos representativos de un puente de concreto y aplicación de los ensayos no destructivos sobre estos. La técnica de VPU mostró gran capacidad para evaluar la homogeneidad y calidad de la matriz de concreto, con baja sensibilidad para identificar los daños en los refuerzos. La termografía infrarroja permitió la identificación de delaminaciones ubicadas a profundidades de hasta el 50% del espesor de la losa evaluada. Con los resultados del martillo de rebote se estimó la resistencia a la compresión del concreto de las losas, cuyas lecturas obtenidas fueron afectadas por la presencia de agregado grueso.

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF DISTINCT SECURED AUTHENTICATION PROTOCOLS USED IN THE RESOURCE CONSTRAINED PLATFORM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Prasanna

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Most of the e-commerce and m-commerce applications in the current e-business world, has adopted asymmetric key cryptography technique in their authentication protocol to provide an efficient authentication of the involved parties. This paper exhibits the performance analysis of distinct authentication protocol which implements the public key cryptography like RSA, ECC and HECC. The comparison is made based on key generation, sign generation and sign verification processes. The results prove that the performance achieved through HECC based authentication protocol is better than the ECC- and RSA based authentication protocols.

Allelic recombination between distinct genomic locations generates copy number diversity in human β-defensins

Science.gov (United States)

Bakar, Suhaili Abu; Hollox, Edward J.; Armour, John A. L.

2009-01-01

β-Defensins are small secreted antimicrobial and signaling peptides involved in the innate immune response of vertebrates. In humans, a cluster of at least 7 of these genes shows extensive copy number variation, with a diploid copy number commonly ranging between 2 and 7. Using a genetic mapping approach, we show that this cluster is at not 1 but 2 distinct genomic loci ≈5 Mb apart on chromosome band 8p23.1, contradicting the most recent genome assembly. We also demonstrate that the predominant mechanism of change in β-defensin copy number is simple allelic recombination occurring in the interval between the 2 distinct genomic loci for these genes. In 416 meiotic transmissions, we observe 3 events creating a haplotype copy number not found in the parent, equivalent to a germ-line rate of copy number change of ≈0.7% per gamete. This places it among the fastest-changing copy number variants currently known. PMID:19131514

Tagging like Humans: Diverse and Distinct Image Annotation

KAUST Repository

Wu, Baoyuan

2018-03-31

In this work we propose a new automatic image annotation model, dubbed {\\\\bf diverse and distinct image annotation} (D2IA). The generative model D2IA is inspired by the ensemble of human annotations, which create semantically relevant, yet distinct and diverse tags. In D2IA, we generate a relevant and distinct tag subset, in which the tags are relevant to the image contents and semantically distinct to each other, using sequential sampling from a determinantal point process (DPP) model. Multiple such tag subsets that cover diverse semantic aspects or diverse semantic levels of the image contents are generated by randomly perturbing the DPP sampling process. We leverage a generative adversarial network (GAN) model to train D2IA. Extensive experiments including quantitative and qualitative comparisons, as well as human subject studies, on two benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed model can produce more diverse and distinct tags than the state-of-the-arts.

Creating fair lineups for suspects with distinctive features

OpenAIRE

Zarkadi, Theodora; Wade, Kimberley A.; Stewart, Neil

2009-01-01

In their descriptions, eyewitnesses often refer to a culprit's distinctive facial features. However, in a police lineup, selecting the only member with the described distinctive feature is unfair to the suspect and provides the police with little further information. For fair and informative lineups, the distinctive feature should be either replicated across foils or concealed on the target. In the present experiments, replication produced more correct identifications in target-present lineup...

HIV-1 Nef control of cell signalling molecules: multiple strategies to ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

The Nef protein of HIV-1 plays a fundamental role in the virus life cycle. ... to modulate the expression of key cellular receptors important for cell ... of the Src family kinases, leading to an effect on host cell function is likely to ..... Bad, Nef serves to balance the apoptosis inducing effects ..... ties of vpu, env, and nef; J. Virol.

Camptothecin and khat (Catha edulis Forsk. induced distinct cell death phenotypes involving modulation of c-FLIPL, Mcl-1, procaspase-8 and mitochondrial function in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fossan Kjell O

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An organic extract of the recreational herb khat (Catha edulis Forsk. triggers cell death in various leukemia cell lines in vitro. The chemotherapeutics camptothecin, a plant alkaloid topoisomerase I inhibitor, was tested side-by-side with khat in a panel of acute myeloid leukemia cell lines to elucidate mechanisms of toxicity. Results Khat had a profound effect on MOLM-13 cells inducing mitochondrial damage, chromatin margination and morphological features of autophagy. The effects of khat on mitochondrial ultrastructure in MOLM-13 correlated with strongly impaired routine respiration, an effect neither found in the khat-resistant MV-4-11 cells nor in camptothecin treated cells. Enforced expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein provided protection against camptothecin-induced cell death and partly against khat toxicity. Khat-induced cell death in MOLM-13 cells included reduced levels of anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 protein, while both khat and camptothecin induced c-FLIPL cleavage and procaspase-8 activation. Conclusion Khat activated a distinct cell death pathway in sensitive leukemic cells as compared to camptothecin, involving mitochondrial damage and morphological features of autophagy. This suggests that khat should be further explored in the search for novel experimental therapeutics.

Skill versus luck: A motivational analysis of gambling involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Chantal, Y; Vallerand, R J

1996-12-01

The purpose of the present investigation was to test the skill/luck distinction among gambling games by comparing the motivations underlying participation in a skill (horse racing) and a luck (lottery) betting activity. Predictions were made using Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991). It was predicted that self-determined motivations (intrinsic motivation and identified regulation) would be more prominent for the skill game because it is conducive to optimal challenges, fun, and self-involvement. Conversely, the non self-determined forms of motivation (especially external regulation) should be more important for the game of luck because the luck dimension precludes true involvement of the self and orients the individual towards material gains. Results from a hierarchical discriminant function analysis, with 120 gamblers predominantly involved in one of the two betting activities, supported these hypotheses. These results highlight the relevance of a motivational analysis for a better understanding of the inherent properties of gambling games.

Defining poverty as distinctively human

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.P.P. Lötter

2007-05-01

Full Text Available While it is relatively easy for most people to identify human beings suffering from poverty, it is rather more difficult to come to a proper understanding of poverty. In this article the author wants to deepen our understanding of poverty by interpreting the conventional definitions of poverty in a new light. The article starts with a defence of a claim that poverty is a concept uniquely applicable to humans. It then present a critical discussion of the distinction between absolute and relative poverty and it is then argued that a revision of this distinction can provide general standards applicable to humans everywhere.

Complex mosaic CDKL5 deletion with two distinct mutant alleles in a 4-year-old girl.

Science.gov (United States)

Boutry-Kryza, Nadia; Ville, Dorothée; Labalme, Audrey; Calender, Alain; Dupont, Jean-Michel; Touraine, Renaud; Edery, Patrick; des Portes, Vincent; Sanlaville, Damien; Lesca, Gaetan

2014-08-01

Mutations of the CDKL5 gene cause early epileptic encephalopathy. Patients manifest refractory epilepsy, beginning before the age of 3 months, which is associated with severe psychomotor delay and features that overlap with Rett syndrome. We report here a patient with mosaicism for CDKL5 exonic deletion, with the presence of two mutant alleles. The affected 4-year-old girl presented with infantile spasms, beginning at the age of 9 months, but subsequent progression of the disease was consistent with the classical CDKL5-related phenotype. A deletion of exons 17 and 18 was suspected on the basis of Multiplex Ligation Probe Amplification analysis, but unexpected results for cDNA analysis, which showed the presence of an abnormal transcript with the deletion of exon 18 only, led us to suspect that two distinct events might have occurred. We used custom array-CGH to determine the size and breakpoints of these deletions. Exon 18 was deleted from one of the abnormal alleles, and exon 17 was deleted from the other. A Fork Stalling and Template Switching (FoSTeS) mechanism was proposed to explain the two events, given the presence of regions of microhomology at the breakpoints. We propose here an original involvement of the FoSTeS mechanism to explain the co-occurrence of these two events in the CDKL5 gene in a single patient. This patient highlights the difficulties involved in the detection of such abnormalities, particularly when they occur in a mosaic state and involve two distinct mutational events in a single gene. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The great escape: viral strategies to counter BST-2/tetherin.

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Janet L Douglas

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The interferon-induced BST-2 protein has the unique ability to restrict the egress of HIV-1, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, Ebola virus, and other enveloped viruses. The observation that virions remain attached to the surface of BST-2-expressing cells led to the renaming of BST-2 as "tetherin". However, viral proteins such as HIV-1 Vpu, simian immunodeficiency virus Nef, and KSHV K5 counteract BST-2, thereby allowing mature virions to readily escape from infected cells. Since the anti-viral function of BST-2 was discovered, there has been an explosion of research into several aspects of this intriguing interplay between host and virus. This review focuses on recent work addressing the molecular mechanisms involved in BST-2 restriction of viral egress and the species-specific countermeasures employed by various viruses.

Distinctly visible right upper lobe bronchus on the lateral chest: A clue to adolescent cystic fibrosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reinig, J.W.; Sanchez, F.W.; Thomason, D.M.; Gobien, R.P.

1985-05-01

Radiographic differentiation between cystic fibrosis and asthma presenting in teenagers and young adults can be difficult. Many patients with a late presentation of cystic fibrosis display minimal changes on a chest radiograph. However, a large majority (90%) of cystic fibrosis patients with an essentially normal PA chest radiograph will have a distinctly outlined orifice of right upper lobe bronchus on a lateral chest film as opposed to a small number of asthmatics (25%) or normal patients (18%). This observation correlates well with the pathologic finding that the initial pulmonary involvement in cystic fibrosis is typically in the right upper lobe in adolescents. Teenager or young adult patients presenting with a history of repeated respiratory infections, asthma-like symptoms and a distinctly visible right upper lobe bronchus on a lateral chest film should be sweat-tested to exclude cystic fibrosis.

Obesity is marked by distinct functional connectivity in brain networks involved in food reward and salience.

Science.gov (United States)

Wijngaarden, M A; Veer, I M; Rombouts, S A R B; van Buchem, M A; Willems van Dijk, K; Pijl, H; van der Grond, J

2015-01-01

We hypothesized that brain circuits involved in reward and salience respond differently to fasting in obese versus lean individuals. We compared functional connectivity networks related to food reward and saliency after an overnight fast (baseline) and after a prolonged fast of 48 h in lean versus obese subjects. We included 13 obese (2 males, 11 females, BMI 35.4 ± 1.2 kg/m(2), age 31 ± 3 years) and 11 lean subjects (2 males, 9 females, BMI 23.2 ± 0.5 kg/m(2), age 28 ± 3 years). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were made after an overnight fast (baseline) and after a prolonged 48 h fast. Functional connectivity of the amygdala, hypothalamus and posterior cingulate cortex (default-mode) networks was assessed using seed-based correlations. At baseline, we found a stronger connectivity between hypothalamus and left insula in the obese subjects. This effect diminished upon the prolonged fast. After prolonged fasting, connectivity of the hypothalamus with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) increased in lean subjects and decreased in obese subjects. Amygdala connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex was stronger in lean subjects at baseline, which did not change upon the prolonged fast. No differences in posterior cingulate cortex connectivity were observed. In conclusion, obesity is marked by alterations in functional connectivity networks involved in food reward and salience. Prolonged fasting differentially affected hypothalamic connections with the dACC and the insula between obese and lean subjects. Our data support the idea that food reward and nutrient deprivation are differently perceived and/or processed in obesity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distinctive Dynamic Capabilities for New Business Creation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenø, Axel; Enkel, Ellen; Mezger, Florian

2013-01-01

This study examines the distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation in established companies. We argue that these are very different from those for managing incremental innovation within a company's core business. We also propose that such capabilities are needed in both slow...... and fast-paced industries, and that similarities exist across industries. Hence, the study contributes to dynamic capabilities literature by: 1) identifying the distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation; 2) shifting focus away from dynamic capabilities in environments characterised by high...... clock-speed and uncertainty towards considering dynamic capabilities for the purpose of developing new businesses, which also implies a high degree of uncertainty. Based on interviews with 33 companies, we identify distinctive dynamic capabilities for new business creation, find that dynamic...

Many-Objective Distinct Candidates Optimization using Differential Evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, Peter; Ursem, Rasmus Kjær

2010-01-01

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

Two genetic loci produce distinct carbohydrate-rich structural components of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Lisa; Kolter, Roberto

2004-07-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms biofilms, which are cellular aggregates encased in an extracellular matrix. Molecular genetics studies of three common autoaggregative phenotypes, namely wrinkled colonies, pellicles, and solid-surface-associated biofilms, led to the identification of two loci, pel and psl, that are involved in the production of carbohydrate-rich components of the biofilm matrix. The pel gene cluster is involved in the production of a glucose-rich matrix material in P. aeruginosa strain PA14 (L. Friedman and R. Kolter, Mol. Microbiol. 51:675-690, 2004). Here we investigate the role of the pel gene cluster in P. aeruginosa strain ZK2870 and identify a second genetic locus, termed psl, involved in the production of a mannose-rich matrix material. The 11 predicted protein products of the psl genes are homologous to proteins involved in carbohydrate processing. P. aeruginosa is thus able to produce two distinct carbohydrate-rich matrix materials. Either carbohydrate-rich matrix component appears to be sufficient for mature biofilm formation, and at least one of them is required for mature biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa strains PA14 and ZK2870. Copyright 2004 American Society for Microbiology

Distinct Neural Substrates for Maintaining Locations and Spatial Relations in Working Memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kara J Blacker

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Previous work has demonstrated a distinction between maintenance of two types of spatial information in working memory (WM: spatial locations and spatial relations. While a body of work has investigated the neural mechanisms of sensory-based information like spatial locations, little is known about how spatial relations are maintained in WM. In two experiments, we used fMRI to investigate the involvement of early visual cortex in the maintenance of spatial relations in WM. In both experiments, we found less quadrant-specific BOLD activity in visual cortex when a single spatial relation, compared to a single spatial location, was held in WM. Also across both experiments, we found a consistent set of brain regions that were differentially activated during maintenance of locations versus relations. Maintaining a location, compared to a relation, was associated with greater activity in typical spatial WM regions like posterior parietal cortex and prefrontal regions. Whereas maintaining a relation, compared to a location, was associated with greater activity in the parahippocampal gyrus and precuneus/retrosplenial cortex. Further, in Experiment 2 we manipulated WM load and included trials where participants had to maintain three spatial locations or relations. Under this high load condition, the regions sensitive to locations versus relations were somewhat different than under low load. We also identified regions that were sensitive to load specifically for location or relation maintenance, as well as overlapping regions sensitive to load more generally. These results suggest that the neural substrates underlying WM maintenance of spatial locations and relations are distinct from one another and that the neural representations of these distinct types of spatial information change with load.

Specialization of the Rostral Prefrontal Cortex for Distinct Analogy Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Sam J.; Benoit, Roland G.; Burgess, Paul W.

2010-01-01

Analogical reasoning is central to learning and abstract thinking. It involves using a more familiar situation (source) to make inferences about a less familiar situation (target). According to the predominant cognitive models, analogical reasoning includes 1) generation of structured mental representations and 2) mapping based on structural similarities between them. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to specify the role of rostral prefrontal cortex (PFC) in these distinct processes. An experimental paradigm was designed that enabled differentiation between these processes, by temporal separation of the presentation of the source and the target. Within rostral PFC, a lateral subregion was activated by analogy task both during study of the source (before the source could be compared with a target) and when the target appeared. This may suggest that this subregion supports fundamental analogy processes such as generating structured representations of stimuli but is not specific to one particular processing stage. By contrast, a dorsomedial subregion of rostral PFC showed an interaction between task (analogy vs. control) and period (more activated when the target appeared). We propose that this region is involved in comparison or mapping processes. These results add to the growing evidence for functional differentiation between rostral PFC subregions. PMID:20156841

Different AMPA receptor subtypes mediate the distinct kinetic components of a biphasic EPSC in hippocampal interneurons

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Todd eStincic

2015-05-01

Full Text Available CA1 hippocampal interneurons at the border between stratum radiatum and stratum lacunosum-moleculare have AMPA receptor (AMPAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs that consist of two distinct phases: a typical fast component (FC, and a highly unusual slow component (SC that persists for hundreds of milliseconds. To determine whether these kinetically distinct components of the EPSC are mediated by distinct AMPAR subpopulations, we examined the relative contributions of GluA2-containing and –lacking AMPARs to the SC. GluA2-containing AMPARs mediated the majority of the FC whereas GluA2-lacking AMPARs preferentially generated the SC. When glutamate uptake through the glial glutamate transporter EAAT1 was inhibited, spill over-mediated AMPAR activation recruited an even slower third kinetic component that persisted for several seconds; however, this spillover-mediated current was mediated predominantly by GluA2-containing AMPARs and therefore was clearly distinct from the SC when uptake is intact. Thus, different AMPAR subpopulations that vary in GluA2 content mediate the distinct components of the AMPAR EPSC. The SC is developmentally downregulated in mice, declining after the second postnatal week. This downregulation affects both GluA2-containing and GluA2-lacking AMPARs mediating the SC, and is not accompanied by developmental changes in the GluA2 content of AMPARs underlying the FC. Thus, the downregulation of the SC appears to be independent of synaptic GluA2 expression, suggesting the involvement of another AMPAR subunit or an auxiliary protein. Our results therefore identify GluA2-dependent and GluA2-independent determinants of the SC: GluA2-lacking AMPARs preferentially contribute to the SC, while the developmental downregulation of the SC is independent of GluA2 content.

Creating fair lineups for suspects with distinctive features.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarkadi, Theodora; Wade, Kimberley A; Stewart, Neil

2009-12-01

In their descriptions, eyewitnesses often refer to a culprit's distinctive facial features. However, in a police lineup, selecting the only member with the described distinctive feature is unfair to the suspect and provides the police with little further information. For fair and informative lineups, the distinctive feature should be either replicated across foils or concealed on the target. In the present experiments, replication produced more correct identifications in target-present lineups--without increasing the incorrect identification of foils in target-absent lineups--than did concealment. This pattern, and only this pattern, is predicted by the hybrid-similarity model of recognition.

The distinctly visible right upper lobe bronchus on the lateral chest: A clue to adolescent cystic fibrosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reinig, J.W.; Sanchez, F.W.; Thomason, D.M.; Gobien, R.P.

1985-01-01

Radiographic differentiation between cystic fibrosis and asthma presenting in teenagers and young adults can be difficult. Many patients with a late presentation of cystic fibrosis display minimal changes on a chest radiograph. However, a large majority (90%) of cystic fibrosis patients with an essentially normal PA chest radiograph will have a distinctly outlined orifice of right upper lobe bronchus on a lateral chest film as opposed to a small number of asthmatics (25%) or normal patients (18%). This observation correlates well with the pathologic finding that the initial pulmonary involvement in cystic fibrosis is typically in the right upper lobe in adolescents. Teenager or young adult patients presenting with a history of repeated respiratory infections, asthma-like symptoms and a distinctly visible right upper lobe bronchus on a lateral chest film should be sweat-tested to exclude cystic fibrosis. (orig.)

Moderating Effects of Consumer Involvement and the Need for Cognition on Goal Framing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Miletto Tonetto

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Goal framing effect refers to the finding that different ways of presenting the same communication content to a consumer tends to generate distinct levels of persuasion for the emitted message. This research is aimed at investigating the interaction between goal framing effect, consumer involvement and the Need for Cognition (NfC on consumer decision making. Two experiments have been carried out to test the hypothesis that the level of persuasion for a promotional text elevates as consumer involvement increases, independent of the message frame or the NfC. Results showed that consumer's involvement seemed to draw the text's persuasion level up, as it increases, or down, as it decreases, independent of the text frame and the NfC.

Molecular partners of hNOT/ALG3, the human counterpart of the Drosophila NOT and yeast ALG3 gene, suggest its involvement in distinct cellular processes relevant to congenital disorders of glycosylation, cancer, neurodegeneration and a variety of further pathologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacker, Benedikt; Schultheiß, Christoph; Döring, Michael; Kurzik-Dumke, Ursula

2018-06-01

This study provides first insights into the involvement of hNOT/ALG3, the human counterpart of the Drosophila Neighbour of TID and yeast ALG3 gene, in various putative molecular networks. HNOT/ALG3 encodes two translated transcripts encoding precursor proteins differing in their N-terminus and showing 33% identity with the yeast asparagine-linked glycosylation 3 (ALG3) protein. Experimental evidence for the functional homology of the proteins of fly and man in the N-glycosylation has still to be provided. In this study, using the yeast two-hybrid technique we identify 17 molecular partners of hNOT-1/ALG3-1. We disclose the building of hNOT/ALG3 homodimers and provide experimental evidence for its in vivo interaction with the functionally linked proteins OSBP, OSBPL9 and LRP1, the SYPL1 protein and the transcription factor CREB3. Regarding the latter, we show that the 55 kDa N-glycosylated hNOT-1/ALG3-1 molecule binds the N-glycosylated CREB3 precursor but does not interact with CREB3's proteolytic products specific to the endoplasmic reticulum and to the nucleus. The interaction between the two partners is a prerequisite for the proteolytic activation of CREB3. In case of the further binding partners, our data suggest that hNOT-1/ALG3-1 interacts with both OSBPs and with their direct targets LRP1 and VAMP/VAP-A. Moreover, our results show that various partners of hNOT-1/ALG3-1 interact with its diverse post translationally processed products destined to distinct cellular compartments. Generally, our data suggest the involvement of hNOT-1/ALG3-1 in various molecular contexts determining essential processes associated with distinct cellular machineries and related to various pathologies, such as cancer, viral infections, neuronal and immunological disorders and CDG.

Genetic architecture of HIV-1 genes circulating in north India & their functional implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Neogi, Ujjwal; Sood, Vikas; Ronsard, Larence; Singh, Jyotsna; Lata, Sneh; Ramachandran, V G; Das, S; Wanchu, Ajay; Banerjea, Akhil C

2011-12-01

This review presents data on genetic and functional analysis of some of the HIV-1 genes derived from HIV-1 infected individuals from north India (Delhi, Punjab and Chandigarh). We found evidence of novel B/C recombinants in HIV-1 LTR region showing relatedness to China/Myanmar with 3 copies of Nfκb sites; B/C/D mosaic genomes for HIV-1 Vpr and novel B/C Tat. We reported appearance of a complex recombinant form CRF_02AG of HIV-1 envelope sequences which is predominantly found in Central/Western Africa. Also one Indian HIV-1 envelope subtype C sequence suggested exclusive CXCR4 co-receptor usage. This extensive recombination, which is observed in about 10 per cent HIV-1 infected individuals in the Vpr genes, resulted in remarkably altered functions when compared with prototype subtype B Vpr. The Vpu C was found to be more potent in causing apoptosis when compared with Vpu B when analyzed for subG1 DNA content. The functional implications of these changes as well as in other genes of HIV-1 are discussed in detail with possible implications for subtype-specific pathogenesis highlighted.

A novel mechanism of hippocampal LTD involving muscarinic receptor-triggered interactions between AMPARs, GRIP and liprin-α

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dickinson Bryony A

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Long-term depression (LTD in the hippocampus can be induced by activation of different types of G-protein coupled receptors, in particular metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs and muscarinic acethycholine receptors (mAChRs. Since mGluRs and mAChRs activate the same G-proteins and isoforms of phospholipase C (PLC, it would be expected that these two forms of LTD utilise the same molecular mechanisms. However, we find a distinct mechanism of LTD involving GRIP and liprin-α. Results Whilst both forms of LTD require activation of tyrosine phosphatases and involve internalisation of AMPARs, they use different molecular interactions. Specifically, mAChR-LTD, but not mGluR-LTD, is blocked by peptides that inhibit the binding of GRIP to the AMPA receptor subunit GluA2 and the binding of GRIP to liprin-α. Thus, different receptors that utilise the same G-proteins can regulate AMPAR trafficking and synaptic efficacy via distinct molecular mechanisms. Conclusion Our results suggest that mAChR-LTD selectively involves interactions between GRIP and liprin-α. These data indicate a novel mechanism of synaptic plasticity in which activation of M1 receptors results in AMPAR endocytosis, via a mechanism involving interactions between GluA2, GRIP and liprin-α.

Dietary Behaviours, Impulsivity and Food Involvement: Identification of Three Consumer Segments.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmugam, Rani; Worsley, Anthony

2015-09-18

This study aims to (1) identify consumer segments based on consumers' impulsivity and level of food involvement, and (2) examine the dietary behaviours of each consumer segment. An Internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 530 respondents. The mean age of the participants was 49.2 ± 16.6 years, and 27% were tertiary educated. Two-stage cluster analysis revealed three distinct segments; "impulsive, involved" (33.4%), "rational, health conscious" (39.2%), and "uninvolved" (27.4%). The "impulsive, involved" segment was characterised by higher levels of impulsivity and food involvement (importance of food) compared to the other two segments. This segment also reported significantly more frequent consumption of fast foods, takeaways, convenience meals, salted snacks and use of ready-made sauces and mixes in cooking compared to the "rational, health conscious" consumers. They also reported higher frequency of preparing meals at home, cooking from scratch, using ready-made sauces and mixes in cooking and higher vegetable consumption compared to the "uninvolved" consumers. The findings show the need for customised approaches to the communication and promotion of healthy eating habits.

Distinctiveness of Encoding and Memory for Learning Tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Glover, John A.; And Others

1982-01-01

A distinctiveness of encoding hypothesis, as applied to the facilitative effects that higher order objectives have on readers' prose recall, was evaluated in three experiments. Results suggest that distinctiveness of encoding may offer a theoretical basis for the effects of adjunct aids as well as a guide to their construction. (Author/GK)

Involvement of the Left Supramarginal Gyrus in Manipulation Judgment Tasks: Contributions to Theories of Tool Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesourd, Mathieu; Osiurak, François; Navarro, Jordan; Reynaud, Emanuelle

2017-09-01

Two theories of tool use, namely the gesture engram and the technical reasoning theories, make distinct predictions about the involvement of the left inferior parietal lobe (IPL) in manipulation judgement tasks. The objective here is to test these alternative predictions based on previous studies on manipulation judgment tasks using transcranial magnetic stimulations (TMS) targeting the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG). We review recent TMS studies on manipulation judgement tasks and confront these data with predictions made by both tool use theories. The left SMG is a highly intertwined region, organized following several functionally distinct areas and TMS may have disrupted a cortical network involved in the ability to use tools rather than only one functional area supporting manipulation knowledge. Moreover, manipulation judgement tasks may be impaired following virtual lesions outside the IPL. These data are more in line with the technical reasoning hypothesis, which assumes that the left IPL does not store manipulation knowledge per se. (JINS, 2017, 23, 685-691).

Intergroup Leadership Across Distinct Subgroups and Identities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rast, David E; Hogg, Michael A; van Knippenberg, Daan

2018-03-01

Resolving intergroup conflict is a significant and often arduous leadership challenge, yet existing theory and research rarely, if ever, discuss or examine this situation. Leaders confront a significant challenge when they provide leadership across deep divisions between distinct subgroups defined by self-contained identities-The challenge is to avoid provoking subgroup identity distinctiveness threat. Drawing on intergroup leadership theory, three studies were conducted to test the core hypothesis that, where identity threat exists, leaders promoting an intergroup relational identity will be better evaluated and are more effective than leaders promoting a collective identity; in the absence of threat, leaders promoting a collective identity will prevail. Studies 1 and 2 ( N = 170; N = 120) supported this general proposition. Study 3 ( N = 136) extended these findings, showing that leaders promoting an intergroup relational identity, but not a collective identity, improved intergroup attitudes when participants experienced an identity distinctiveness threat.

The effects of distinctiveness on memory and metamemory for face-name associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Watier, Nicholas; Collin, Charles

2012-01-01

We examined the influence of face and name distinctiveness on memory and metamemory for face-name associations. Four types of monitoring judgements were solicited during encoding and retrieval of face-name pairs that contained distinct or typical faces (Experiment 1) or names (Experiment 2). The beneficial effects of distinctiveness on associative memory were symmetrical between faces and names, such that relative to their typical counterparts, distinct faces enhanced memory for names, and distinct names enhanced memory for faces. These effects were also apparent in metamemory. Estimates of prospective and retrospective memory performance were greater for face-name associations that contained a distinct face or name compared with a typical face or name, regardless of whether the distinct item was a cue or target. Moreover, the predictive validity of prospective monitoring improved with name distinctiveness, whereas the predictive validity of retrospective monitoring improved with facial distinctiveness. Our results indicate that distinctiveness affects not only the strength of the association between a face and a name, but also the ability to monitor that association.

Identification of a conserved protein involved in anaerobic unsaturated fatty acid synthesis in Neiserria gonorrhoeae: implications for facultative and obligate anaerobes that lack FabA

Science.gov (United States)

Isabella, Vincent M.; Clark, Virginia L.

2011-01-01

SUMMARY Transcriptome analysis of the facultative anaerobe, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, revealed that many genes of unknown function were induced under anaerobic conditions. Mutation of one such gene, NGO1024, encoding a protein belonging to the 2-nitropropane dioxygenase-like superfamiliy of proteins, was found to result in an inability of gonococci to grow anaerobically. Anaerobic growth of an NG1024 mutant was restored upon supplementation with unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), but not with the saturated fatty acid palmitate. Gonococcal fatty acid profiles confirmed that NGO1024 was involved in UFA synthesis anaerobically, but not aerobically, demonstrating that gonococci contain two distinct pathways for the production of UFAs, with a yet unidentified aerobic mechanism, and an anaerobic mechanism involving NGO1024. Expression of genes involved in classical anaerobic UFA synthesis, fabA, fabM, and fabB, was toxic in gonococci and unable to complement a NGO1024 mutation, suggesting that the chemistry involved in gonococcal anaerobic UFA synthesis is distinct from that of the classical pathway. NGO1024 homologs, which we suggest naming UfaA, form a distinct lineage within the 2-nitropropane dioxygenase-like superfamily, and are found in many facultative and obligate anaerobes that produce UFAs but lack fabA, suggesting that UfaA is part of a widespread pathway involved in UFA synthesis. PMID:21895795

Adult primary angiitis of the central nervous system: isolated small-vessel vasculitis represents distinct disease pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

de Boysson, Hubert; Boulouis, Grégoire; Aouba, Achille; Bienvenu, Boris; Guillevin, Loïc; Zuber, Mathieu; Touzé, Emmanuel; Naggara, Olivier; Pagnoux, Christian

2017-03-01

We aimed to identify whether presentations and outcomes in adult patients with isolated small-vessel primary angiitis of the CNS (PACNS) would differ from other patients with large/medium-vessel involvement. In the French PACNS cohort, we compared the characteristics, treatments and outcomes of patients with isolated small-vessel disease (normal CT, MR and/or conventional angiograms, brain biopsy positive for vasculitis) with other patients who had large/medium-vessel involvement (vessel abnormalities on CT, MR or conventional angiograms). A good functional outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale ⩽2 at last follow-up, regardless of the occurrence of relapse. Among the 102 patients in the cohort, 26 (25%) had isolated small-vessel PACNS, whereas the 76 others demonstrated large/medium-vessel involvement. Patients with isolated small-vessel PACNS had more seizures (P adult patients with isolated small-vessel PACNS presented some distinct disease features and relapsed more often than other PACNS patients who had large/medium-vessel involvement. Functional outcomes and mortality did not differ. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

A Novel Algorithm for the Generation of Distinct Kinematic Chain

Science.gov (United States)

Medapati, Sreenivasa Reddy; Kuchibhotla, Mallikarjuna Rao; Annambhotla, Balaji Srinivasa Rao

2016-07-01

Generation of distinct kinematic chains is an important topic in the design of mechanisms for various industrial applications i.e., robotic manipulator, tractor, crane etc. Many researchers have intently focused on this area and explained various processes of generating distinct kinematic chains which are laborious and complex. It is desirable to enumerate the kinematic chains systematically to know the inherent characteristics of a chain related to its structure so that all the distinct chains can be analyzed in depth, prior to the selection of a chain for a purpose. This paper proposes a novel and simple method with set of rules defined to eliminate isomorphic kinematic chains generating distinct kinematic chains. Also, this method simplifies the process of generating distinct kinematic chains even at higher levels i.e., 10-link, 11-link with single and multiple degree of freedom.

Radiologic comparison of erosive polyarthritis with prominent interphalangeal involvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gold, R.H.; Bassett, L.W.; Theros, E.G.

1982-01-01

Psoriatic arthritis, Reiter's disease, and multicentric reticulohistiocytosis may manifest prominent interphalangeal joint and cutaneous involvement. All three disorders may also affect the sacroiliac joints and spine. Despite these similarities, there are basic radiologic differences enabling distinction between the three disorders. Erosive osteoarthritis must also be considered in the differential diagnosis of interphalangeal erosive arthritis. Psoriatic erosions are characteristically ill defined, often bilaterally asymmetrical, usually unaccompanied by significant osteoporosis, and frequently associated with florid proliferation of subperiosteal new bone. An unilateral polyarticular pattern, which often occurs in a single ray, is the most prevalent of several patterns of involvement. Reiter's disease exhibits many clinical and radiologic similarities to psoriatic arthritis, but in the former there tends to be selective involvement of the joints of the lower limbs and particularly the feet, with relative sparing of the hands and wrists, while in the latter the joints of the upper and lower limbs tend to be involved to an equal extent. Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MR). Lesions predominate in skin and synovium and result in sharply circumscribed, rapidly progressive, strikingly bilaterally symmetrical erosions spreading from joint margins to articular surfaces. Most or all of the diarthrodial joints may be affected, but interphalangeal joint predominance and early and severe atlanto-axial involvement are characteristic. Erosive osteoarthritis is characterized by interphalangeal subchondral erosions, accompanying periosteal new bone that is more subtle than that of psoriatic arthritis, and interphalangeal bony ankylosis that occurs with the same frequency as that of psoriatic arthritis. (orig.)

Fermionic bound states in distinct kinklike backgrounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazeia, D. [Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Departamento de Fisica, Joao Pessoa, Paraiba (Brazil); Mohammadi, A. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Departamento de Fisica, Caixa Postal 10071, Campina Grande, Paraiba (Brazil)

2017-04-15

This work deals with fermions in the background of distinct localized structures in the two-dimensional spacetime. Although the structures have a similar topological character, which is responsible for the appearance of fractionally charged excitations, we want to investigate how the geometric deformations that appear in the localized structures contribute to the change in the physical properties of the fermionic bound states. We investigate the two-kink and compact kinklike backgrounds, and we consider two distinct boson-fermion interactions, one motivated by supersymmetry and the other described by the standard Yukawa coupling. (orig.)

Anterior cruciate ligament- and hamstring tendon- derived cells: in vitro differential properties of cells involved in ACL reconstruction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ghebes, C.A.; Kelder, C.; Schot, T.; Renard, A.J.S.; Pakvis, D.F.M.; Fernandes, H.; Saris, Daniël B.F.

2015-01-01

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction involves the replacement of the torn ligament with a new graft, often a hamstring tendon (HT). Described as similar, the ACL and HT have intrinsic differences related to their distinct anatomical locations. From a cellular perspective, identifying

Distinct eye movement patterns enhance dynamic visual acuity

Science.gov (United States)

Palidis, Dimitrios J.; Wyder-Hodge, Pearson A.; Fooken, Jolande; Spering, Miriam

2017-01-01

Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) is the ability to resolve fine spatial detail in dynamic objects during head fixation, or in static objects during head or body rotation. This ability is important for many activities such as ball sports, and a close relation has been shown between DVA and sports expertise. DVA tasks involve eye movements, yet, it is unclear which aspects of eye movements contribute to successful performance. Here we examined the relation between DVA and the kinematics of smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements in a cohort of 23 varsity baseball players. In a computerized dynamic-object DVA test, observers reported the location of the gap in a small Landolt-C ring moving at various speeds while eye movements were recorded. Smooth pursuit kinematics—eye latency, acceleration, velocity gain, position error—and the direction and amplitude of saccadic eye movements were linked to perceptual performance. Results reveal that distinct eye movement patterns—minimizing eye position error, tracking smoothly, and inhibiting reverse saccades—were related to dynamic visual acuity. The close link between eye movement quality and DVA performance has important implications for the development of perceptual training programs to improve DVA. PMID:28187157

Soft and hard pomerons: Is there a distinction?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjorken, J.D.

1991-07-01

One of the big unsolved problems of QCD remains the problem of the Pomeron: what is the relation of high energy elastic and diffractive phenomena to the underlying theory? This is not a subject in which I have actively worked. But my interest in it has in this year increased greatly. The reason has to do with ideas for experimentation at SSC/LHC which either directly address the problem or which require the understanding of strong-interaction diffractive phenomena as backgrounds for discovery-physics processes involving electroweak boson exchanges. I will in this talk omit these motivations, which can be found elsewhere, and instead concentrate on some personal veiwpoints regarding the Pomeron which may or may not be conventional. The main question has to do with the distinction between the original, old-fashioned ''soft'' Pomeron of the 1960s, built out of multiperipheral hadron-exchanges, and the more modern perturbative-QCD ''hard'' Pomeron, built out of multiperipheral gluon exchanges. The perspective I offer comes mainly from two sources: one is heavy-flavor physics, and the other is the Manohar-Georgi view of constituent quark physics. 27 refs., 5 figs

Distinct eye movement patterns enhance dynamic visual acuity.

Science.gov (United States)

Palidis, Dimitrios J; Wyder-Hodge, Pearson A; Fooken, Jolande; Spering, Miriam

2017-01-01

Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) is the ability to resolve fine spatial detail in dynamic objects during head fixation, or in static objects during head or body rotation. This ability is important for many activities such as ball sports, and a close relation has been shown between DVA and sports expertise. DVA tasks involve eye movements, yet, it is unclear which aspects of eye movements contribute to successful performance. Here we examined the relation between DVA and the kinematics of smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements in a cohort of 23 varsity baseball players. In a computerized dynamic-object DVA test, observers reported the location of the gap in a small Landolt-C ring moving at various speeds while eye movements were recorded. Smooth pursuit kinematics-eye latency, acceleration, velocity gain, position error-and the direction and amplitude of saccadic eye movements were linked to perceptual performance. Results reveal that distinct eye movement patterns-minimizing eye position error, tracking smoothly, and inhibiting reverse saccades-were related to dynamic visual acuity. The close link between eye movement quality and DVA performance has important implications for the development of perceptual training programs to improve DVA.

Amygdala and ventral striatum make distinct contributions to reinforcement learning

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Vincent D.; Monte, Olga Dal; Lucas, Daniel R.; Murray, Elisabeth A.; Averbeck, Bruno B.

2016-01-01

Summary Reinforcement learning (RL) theories posit that dopaminergic signals are integrated within the striatum to associate choices with outcomes. Often overlooked is that the amygdala also receives dopaminergic input and is involved in Pavlovian processes that influence choice behavior. To determine the relative contributions of the ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala to appetitive RL we tested rhesus macaques with VS or amygdala lesions on deterministic and stochastic versions of a two-arm bandit reversal learning task. When learning was characterized with a RL model relative to controls, amygdala lesions caused general decreases in learning from positive feedback and choice consistency. By comparison, VS lesions only affected learning in the stochastic task. Moreover, the VS lesions hastened the monkeys’ choice reaction times, which emphasized a speed-accuracy tradeoff that accounted for errors in deterministic learning. These results update standard accounts of RL by emphasizing distinct contributions of the amygdala and VS to RL. PMID:27720488

SV40 large T-p53 complex: evidence for the presence of two immunologically distinct forms of p53

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milner, J.; Gamble, J.

1985-01-01

The transforming protein of SV40 is the large T antigen. Large T binds a cellular protein, p53, which is potentially oncogenic by virtue of its functional involvement in the control of cell proliferation. This raises the possibility that p53 may mediate, in part, the transforming function of SV40 large T. Two immunologically distinct forms of p53 have been identified in normal cells: the forms are cell-cycle dependent, one being restricted to nondividing cells (p53-Go) and the second to dividing cells (p53-G divided by). The authors have now dissociated and probed the multimeric complex of SV40 large T-p53 for the presence of immunologically distinct forms of p53. Here they present evidence for the presence of p53-Go and p53-G divided by complexed with SV40 large T

Distinct protease pathways control cell shape and apoptosis in v-src-transformed quail neuroretina cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neel, Benjamin D.; Aouacheria, Abdel; Nouvion, Anne-Laure; Ronot, Xavier; Gillet, Germain

2005-01-01

Intracellular proteases play key roles in cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. In nerve cells, little is known about their relative contribution to the pathways which control cell physiology, including cell death. Neoplastic transformation of avian neuroretina cells by p60 v-src tyrosine kinase results in dramatic morphological changes and deregulation of apoptosis. To identify the proteases involved in the cellular response to p60 v-src , we evaluated the effect of specific inhibitors of caspases, calpains and the proteasome on cell shape changes and apoptosis induced by p60 v-src inactivation in quail neuroretina cells transformed by tsNY68, a thermosensitive strain of Rous sarcoma virus. We found that the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is recruited early after p60 v-src inactivation and is critical for morphological changes, whereas caspases are essential for cell death. This study provides evidence that distinct intracellular proteases are involved in the control of the morphology and fate of v-src-transformed cells

Interleukin-1β modulates smooth muscle cell phenotype to a distinct inflammatory state relative to PDGF-DD via NF-κB-dependent mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Matthew R; Murgai, Meera; Moehle, Christopher W; Owens, Gary K

2012-04-02

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypic modulation in atherosclerosis and in response to PDGF in vitro involves repression of differentiation marker genes and increases in SMC proliferation, migration, and matrix synthesis. However, SMCs within atherosclerotic plaques can also express a number of proinflammatory genes, and in cultured SMCs the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β represses SMC marker gene expression and induces inflammatory gene expression. Studies herein tested the hypothesis that IL-1β modulates SMC phenotype to a distinct inflammatory state relative to PDGF-DD. Genome-wide gene expression analysis of IL-1β- or PDGF-DD-treated SMCs revealed that although both stimuli repressed SMC differentiation marker gene expression, IL-1β distinctly induced expression of proinflammatory genes, while PDGF-DD primarily induced genes involved in cell proliferation. Promoters of inflammatory genes distinctly induced by IL-1β exhibited over-representation of NF-κB binding sites, and NF-κB inhibition in SMCs reduced IL-1β-induced upregulation of proinflammatory genes as well as repression of SMC differentiation marker genes. Interestingly, PDGF-DD-induced SMC marker gene repression was not NF-κB dependent. Finally, immunofluorescent staining of mouse atherosclerotic lesions revealed the presence of cells positive for the marker of an IL-1β-stimulated inflammatory SMC, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 20 (CCL20), but not the PDGF-DD-induced gene, regulator of G protein signaling 17 (RGS17). Results demonstrate that IL-1β- but not PDGF-DD-induced phenotypic modulation of SMC is characterized by NF-κB-dependent activation of proinflammatory genes, suggesting the existence of a distinct inflammatory SMC phenotype. In addition, studies provide evidence for the possible utility of CCL20 and RGS17 as markers of inflammatory and proliferative state SMCs within atherosclerotic plaques in vivo.

Health and morality: two conceptually distinct categories?

Science.gov (United States)

Tengland, Per-Anders

2012-03-01

When seeing immoral actions, criminal or not, we sometimes deem the people who perform them unhealthy. This is especially so if the actions are of a serious nature, e.g. involving murder, assault, or rape. We turn our moral evaluation into an evaluation about health and illness. This tendency is partly supported by some diagnoses found in the DMS-IV, such as Antisocial personality disorder, and the ICD-10, such as Dissocial personality disorder. The aim of the paper is to answer the question: How analytically sound is the inclusion of morality into a theory of health? The holistic theory of Lennart Nordenfelt is used as a starting point, and it is used as an example of a theory where morality and health are conceptually distinct categories. Several versions of a pluralistic holistic theory are then discussed in order to see if, and if so, how, morality can be conceptually related to health. It is concluded that moral abilities (and dispositions) can be seen as being part of the individual's health. It is harder to incorporate moral virtues and moral actions into such a theory. However, if immoral actions "cluster" in an individual, and are of a severe kind, causing serious harm to other people, it is more likely that the person, for those reasons only, be deemed unhealthy.

Medical student empathy: interpersonal distinctions and correlates.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Kevin D; Foster, Penni Smith

2016-12-01

Attention to interpersonal behaviors, communication, and relational factors is taking on increasing importance in medical education. Medical student empathy is one aspect of the physician-patient relationship that is often involved in beneficial interactions leading to improved clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. As an interpersonal quality, empathy is a social behavior well-suited to be examined from an interpersonal perspective. The present study used the interpersonal theory of clinical, personality, and social psychology to examine the construct of empathy and theorize about likely interpersonal correlates. One hundred and sixty-three students from an academic health center in the southeastern United States participated in this study. The medical student version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy was used to assess empathy and its factors: Perspective taking, compassionate care, and walking in the patient's shoes. Interpersonal assessments included the International Personality Item Pool-Interpersonal Circumplex, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Distinct interpersonal styles and correlates emerged among empathy and its factors. While all factors of empathy were related to interpersonal warmth, perspective taking and compassionate care were also associated with submissiveness. Of note, only walking in the patient's shoes was correlated with both social support and less loneliness. These findings are discussed in light of interpersonal theory with particular attention paid to the implications for medical education and professional development.

Anatomical coupling between distinct metacognitive systems for memory and visual perception.

Science.gov (United States)

McCurdy, Li Yan; Maniscalco, Brian; Metcalfe, Janet; Liu, Ka Yuet; de Lange, Floris P; Lau, Hakwan

2013-01-30

A recent study found that, across individuals, gray matter volume in the frontal polar region was correlated with visual metacognition capacity (i.e., how well one's confidence ratings distinguish between correct and incorrect judgments). A question arises as to whether the putative metacognitive mechanisms in this region are also used in other metacognitive tasks involving, for example, memory. A novel psychophysical measure allowed us to assess metacognitive efficiency separately in a visual and a memory task, while taking variations in basic task performance capacity into account. We found that, across individuals, metacognitive efficiencies positively correlated between the two tasks. However, voxel-based morphometry analysis revealed distinct brain structures for the two kinds of metacognition. Replicating a previous finding, variation in visual metacognitive efficiency was correlated with volume of frontal polar regions. However, variation in memory metacognitive efficiency was correlated with volume of the precuneus. There was also a weak correlation between visual metacognitive efficiency and precuneus volume, which may account for the behavioral correlation between visual and memory metacognition (i.e., the precuneus may contain common mechanisms for both types of metacognition). However, we also found that gray matter volumes of the frontal polar and precuneus regions themselves correlated across individuals, and a formal model comparison analysis suggested that this structural covariation was sufficient to account for the behavioral correlation of metacognition in the two tasks. These results highlight the importance of the precuneus in higher-order memory processing and suggest that there may be functionally distinct metacognitive systems in the human brain.

Distinct frontal regions for processing sentence syntax and story grammar.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirigu, A; Cohen, L; Zalla, T; Pradat-Diehl, P; Van Eeckhout, P; Grafman, J; Agid, Y

1998-12-01

Time is a fundamental dimension of cognition. It is expressed in the sequential ordering of individual elements in a wide variety of activities such as language, motor control or in the broader domain of long range goal-directed actions. Several studies have shown the importance of the frontal lobes in sequencing information. The question addressed in this study is whether this brain region hosts a single supramodal sequence processor, or whether separate mechanisms are required for different kinds of temporally organised knowledge structures such as syntax and action knowledge. Here we show that so-called agrammatic patients, with lesions in Broca's area, ordered word groups correctly to form a logical sequence of actions but they were severely impaired when similar word groups had to be ordered as a syntactically well-formed sentence. The opposite performance was observed in patients with dorsolateral prefrontal lesions, that is, while their syntactic processing was intact at the sentence level, they demonstrated a pronounced deficit in producing temporally coherent sequences of actions. Anatomical reconstruction of lesions from brain scans revealed that the sentence and action grammar deficits involved distinct, non-overlapping sites within the frontal lobes. Finally, in a third group of patients whose lesions encompassed both Broca's area and the prefrontal cortex, the two types of deficits were found. We conclude that sequence processing is specific to knowledge domains and involves different networks within the frontal lobes.

Analysis of Determinants in Filovirus Glycoproteins Required for Tetherin Antagonism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kerstin Gnirß

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The host cell protein tetherin can restrict the release of enveloped viruses from infected cells. The HIV-1 protein Vpu counteracts tetherin by removing it from the site of viral budding, the plasma membrane, and this process depends on specific interactions between the transmembrane domains of Vpu and tetherin. In contrast, the glycoproteins (GPs of two filoviruses, Ebola and Marburg virus, antagonize tetherin without reducing surface expression, and the domains in GP required for tetherin counteraction are unknown. Here, we show that filovirus GPs depend on the presence of their authentic transmembrane domains for virus-cell fusion and tetherin antagonism. However, conserved residues within the transmembrane domain were dispensable for membrane fusion and tetherin counteraction. Moreover, the insertion of the transmembrane domain into a heterologous viral GP, Lassa virus GPC, was not sufficient to confer tetherin antagonism to the recipient. Finally, mutation of conserved residues within the fusion peptide of Ebola virus GP inhibited virus-cell fusion but did not ablate tetherin counteraction, indicating that the fusion peptide and the ability of GP to drive host cell entry are not required for tetherin counteraction. These results suggest that the transmembrane domains of filoviral GPs contribute to tetherin antagonism but are not the sole determinants.

Impact of a Vertically Polarized Undulator on LCLS Hard X-ray Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fritz, David [SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

2014-11-14

The LCLS-II project will install two variable gap, horizontally polarized undulators into the LCLS undulator hall. One undulator is designed to produce soft x-rays spanning an energy range of 200-1250 eV (SXU) while the other is designed for the hard spectral range of 1-25 keV (HXU). The hard x-ray LCLS instruments (X-ray Pump- Probe [XPP], X-ray correlation Spectroscopy [XCS], Coherent X-ray Imaging [CXI], Matter in Extreme Conditions [MEC]) will be repurposed to operate on the HXU line while two new soft x-ray beamlines will be created for the SXU line. An alternate HXU undulator design is being considered that could provide advantages over the present design choice. In particular, the project team is collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory to develop a vertically polarized undulator (VPU). A 1-m prototype VPU device was successfully constructed this year and a full size prototype is in process. A decision to alter the project baseline, which is the construction of a horizontally polarized device, must be made in the coming weeks to not impact the present project schedule. Please note that a change to the soft x-ray undulator is not under discussion at the moment.

Two distinct forms of Chlamydia psittaci associated with disease and infertility in Phascolarctos cinereus (koala).

Science.gov (United States)

Girjes, A A; Hugall, A F; Timms, P; Lavin, M F

1988-01-01

While several diseases associated with Chlamydia psittaci infection have been reported in Phascolarctos cinereus (koala), it is still unclear whether one or more chlamydial strains are responsible. In this study, we provide evidence, obtained by restriction enzyme and gene probe analysis, that two quite distinct strains of C. psittaci infect koalas; one strain was isolated from the conjunctivae, and the other was isolated from the urogenital tract and the rectum. A gene probe, pFEN207, containing the coding sequence for an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the chlamydial genus-specific lipopolysaccharide antigen, and a separate probe, pCPML-4N, prepared from a DNA fragment of a koala-infecting strain of C. psittaci, were used to determine the patterns of hybridization in the koala-infecting strains; these patterns were found to be quite distinct from those observed with C. psittaci isolates from other animals. We also demonstrated by hybridization analysis with an avian strain plasmid that all three koala urogenital isolates contain a plasmid and that there is no evidence for the presence of a homologous plasmid in any of the ocular isolates. Images PMID:3397180

Distinct cell-specific expression of homospermidine synthase involved in pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis in three species of the boraginales.

Science.gov (United States)

Niemüller, Daniel; Reimann, Andreas; Ober, Dietrich

2012-07-01

Homospermidine synthase (HSS) is the first specific enzyme in pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) biosynthesis, a pathway involved in the plant's chemical defense. HSS has been shown to be recruited repeatedly by duplication of a gene involved in primary metabolism. Within the lineage of the Boraginales, only one gene duplication event gave rise to HSS. Here, we demonstrate that the tissue-specific expression of HSS in three boraginaceous species, Heliotropium indicum, Symphytum officinale, and Cynoglossum officinale, is unique with respect to plant organ, tissue, and cell type. Within H. indicum, HSS is expressed exclusively in nonspecialized cells of the lower epidermis of young leaves and shoots. In S. officinale, HSS expression has been detected in the cells of the root endodermis and in leaves directly underneath developing inflorescences. In young roots of C. officinale, HSS is detected only in cells of the endodermis, but in a later developmental stage, additionally in the pericycle. The individual expression patterns are compared with those within the Senecioneae lineage (Asteraceae), where HSS expression is reproducibly found in specific cells of the endodermis and the adjacent cortex parenchyma of the roots. The individual expression patterns within the Boraginales species are discussed as being a requirement for the successful recruitment of HSS after gene duplication. The diversity of HSS expression within this lineage adds a further facet to the already diverse patterns of expression that have been observed for HSS in other PA-producing plant lineages, making this PA-specific enzyme one of the most diverse expressed proteins described in the literature.

Distinctions, Affiliations, and Professional Knowledge in Financial Reform Commissions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seabrooke, Leonard; Tsingou, Eleni

the different stresses in reports with and without clear mandates, and the role of important members of the policy community in promoting particular reform ideas. The article finds that differences in ideas emerging from the financial reform expert groups reflect nested power relationships in the commissioning...... the reports. Fractal distinctions, such as between ‘behavior’ or ‘system’ as a reform focus, allow us to locate the object of regulation within expert groups, experts’ professional context, and the politics behind the commissioning of work. Analyzing fractal distinctions provides a useful way to understand...... of work, constituent audiences, and reform priorities among governing institutions, rather than distinct ‘European’ and ‘American’ ideas....

Distinct Biological Potential of Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis Revealed by Comparative Genome Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Wenning; Tan, Mui Fern; Old, Lesley A; Paterson, Ian C; Jakubovics, Nicholas S; Choo, Siew Woh

2017-06-07

Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are pioneer colonizers of dental plaque and important agents of bacterial infective endocarditis (IE). To gain a greater understanding of these two closely related species, we performed comparative analyses on 14 new S. gordonii and 5 S. sanguinis strains using various bioinformatics approaches. We revealed S. gordonii and S. sanguinis harbor open pan-genomes and share generally high sequence homology and number of core genes including virulence genes. However, we observed subtle differences in genomic islands and prophages between the species. Comparative pathogenomics analysis identified S. sanguinis strains have genes encoding IgA proteases, mitogenic factor deoxyribonucleases, nickel/cobalt uptake and cobalamin biosynthesis. On the contrary, genomic islands of S. gordonii strains contain additional copies of comCDE quorum-sensing system components involved in genetic competence. Two distinct polysaccharide locus architectures were identified, one of which was exclusively present in S. gordonii strains. The first evidence of genes encoding the CylA and CylB system by the α-haemolytic S. gordonii is presented. This study provides new insights into the genetic distinctions between S. gordonii and S. sanguinis, which yields understanding of tooth surfaces colonization and contributions to dental plaque formation, as well as their potential roles in the pathogenesis of IE.

Revitalizing the “civic” and “ethnic” distinction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Christian Albrekt

2017-01-01

This article describes how contemporary publics think about the nation along Kohn’s classic distinction between “civic” and “ethnic” nationalism. The article makes three contributes to the existing literature. Firstly, it introduces a new statistical tool, multi-classification-analysis, to establ......This article describes how contemporary publics think about the nation along Kohn’s classic distinction between “civic” and “ethnic” nationalism. The article makes three contributes to the existing literature. Firstly, it introduces a new statistical tool, multi...

Distinctive radiological features of small hand joints in rheumatoid arthritis and seronegative spondyloarthritis demonstrated by contrast-enhanced (Gd-DTPA) magnetic resnance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jevtic, V.; Watt, I.; Rozman, B.; Kos-Golja, M.; Demsar, F.; Jarh, O.

1995-01-01

A series of patients with clinically early inflammatory joint disease due to rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and Reiter's syndrome were examined by plain film radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The spin echo T1-weighted precontrast, T2-weighted, and, especially, T1-weighted postcontrast images demonstrated distinct differences in the distribution of inflamatory changes, both within and adjacent to involved small hand joints. Two major subtypes of inflammatory arthritis were shown, thus providing a specific differential diagnosis between rheumatoid arthritis and some patients with seronegative spondyloarthritis. In particular, all the patients with Reiter's syndrome who were studied, and half of those with psoriatic arthritis, had a distinctive pattern of extra-articular desease involvement. The need for a new classification of clinical subsets in psoriatic arthritis has been recently suggested. The present findings suggest that magnetic resonance imaging could be useful in such a reclassification of seronegative spondyloarthritis, as well as offering considerable potential for a reappraisal of pathogenesis and therapy. In this series, it was also noted that juxta-articular osteoporosis on plain film did not correlate with bone marrow oedema on MRI. Hence the aetiology of this common radiographic finding also merits further consideration. (orig.)

Dissipative Particle Dynamics at Isothermal, Isobaric Conditions Using Shardlow-Like Splitting Algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

probability density                                         Tk W p VPu m Tk W p VPH p,V i i ij CG ij i

29 CFR 549.3 - Distinction between plan and trust.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Distinction between plan and trust. 549.3 Section 549.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR REGULATIONS REQUIREMENTS OF A âBONA FIDE PROFIT-SHARING PLAN OR TRUSTâ § 549.3 Distinction between plan and trust. As used in this part: (a) Profit-sharing plan...

Late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus in Latin Americans: a distinct subgroup?

Science.gov (United States)

Catoggio, L J; Soriano, E R; Imamura, P M; Wojdyla, D; Jacobelli, S; Massardo, L; Chacón Díaz, R; Guibert-Toledano, M; Alvarellos, A; Saurit, V; Manni, J A; Pascual-Ramos, V; Silva de Sauza, A W; Bonfa, E; Tavares Brenol, J C; Ramirez, L A; Barile-Fabris, L A; De La Torre, I Garcia; Alarcón, G S; Pons-Estel, B A

2015-07-01

To examine the characteristics of patients who developed late onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the GLADEL (Grupo Latino Americano de Estudio del Lupus) cohort of patients with SLE. Patients with SLE of less than two years of disease duration, seen at 34 centers of nine Latin American countries, were included. Late-onset was defined as >50 years of age at time of first SLE-related symptom. Clinical and laboratory manifestations, activity index (SLEDAI), and damage index (SLICC/ACR- DI) were ascertained at time of entry and during the course (cumulative incidence). Features were compared between the two patient groups (lupus, adjusting for other variables. Of the 1480 patients included, 102 patients (6.9 %) had late-onset SLE, 87% of which were female. Patients with late-onset SLE had a shorter follow-up (3.6 vs. 4.4 years, p  0.05). In multivariable analysis, late onset was independently associated with higher odds of ocular (OR = 3.66, 95% CI = 2.15-6.23), pulmonary (OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.01-4.11), and cardiovascular (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.04-2.98) involvement and lower odds of cutaneous involvement (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.21-0.80), number of cumulative SLE criteria (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64-0.97), use of cyclophosphamide (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.24-0.95), and anti-RNP antibodies (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.20-0.91). A Cox regression model revealed a higher risk of dying in older onset than the younger-onset SLE (OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.2-5.6). Late-onset SLE in Latin Americans had a distinct disease expression compared to the younger-onset group. The disease seems to be mild with lower cumulative SLE criteria, reduced renal/mucocutaneous involvements, and less use of cyclophosphamide. Nevertheless, these patients have a higher risk of death and of ocular, pulmonary, and cardiovascular involvements. © The Author(s) 2014.

Genetic Determinism and the Innate-Acquired Distinction in Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

This article illustrates in which sense genetic determinism is still part of the contemporary interactionist consensus in medicine. Three dimensions of this consensus are discussed: kinds of causes, a continuum of traits ranging from monogenetic diseases to car accidents, and different kinds of determination due to different norms of reaction. On this basis, this article explicates in which sense the interactionist consensus presupposes the innate–acquired distinction. After a descriptive Part 1, Part 2 reviews why the innate–acquired distinction is under attack in contemporary philosophy of biology. Three arguments are then presented to provide a limited and pragmatic defense of the distinction: an epistemic, a conceptual, and a historical argument. If interpreted in a certain manner, and if the pragmatic goals of prevention and treatment (ideally specifying what medicine and health care is all about) are taken into account, then the innate–acquired distinction can be a useful epistemic tool. It can help, first, to understand that genetic determination does not mean fatalism, and, second, to maintain a system of checks and balances in the continuing nature–nurture debates. PMID:20234831

Distinct neutrophil subpopulations phenotype by flow cytometry in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vikentiou, Myrofora; Psarra, Katerina; Kapsimali, Violetta; Liapis, Konstantinos; Michael, Michalis; Tsionos, Konstantinos; Lianidou, Evi; Papasteriades, Chryssa

2009-03-01

The cardinal feature of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is dysplasia involving one or more myeloid cell lineages. In the present study, we used 4-color flow cytometric analysis to investigate dysgranulopoiesis in bone marrow specimens from 65 patients with MDS. The antigen expression patterns of total neutrophil granulocytes (TNG) and of the two distinct neutrophil granulocytic subpopulations (NGSs), NGS-1 (dimmer CD45 expression) and NGS-2 (stronger CD45 expression) identified on the side scatter (SS) vs. CD45-intensity plot, were studied. The neutrophil granulocytes from patients with MDS showed characteristic antigen expression aberrancies which were more pronounced in NGS-2 subpopulation. Studying separately the NGS-2 subpopulation with the CD16/MPO/LF combination, the low CD16(+)/MPO(+) and low CD16(+)/LF(+) percentages seemed to discriminate between lower-risk and higher-risk patients with MDS in most occasions. Furthermore, a detailed assessment of the NGS-1 and NGS-2 immunophenotypic patterns revealed early dysplastic changes, not otherwise observed by standard TNG analysis, especially in cases of lower-risk MDS.

A comprehensive review of nephroblastoma with ureteric involvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singh S

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Ureteric involvement is described rarely in nephroblastoma, the most common pediatric renal tumor. This clinicopathological, descriptive retrospective study was conducted to elucidate the prevalence and histomorphological features of ureteric involvement by nephroblastoma. Of 454 nephroblastomas diagnosed in the 25-year study period, 32 displayed ureteric involvement; 21 and 11 demonstrated prolapse and invasion, respectively. The patient cohort had a mean age of 47.3 months and mainly advanced stage disease. Pre-operative radiological and intra-operative assessments identified ureteric involvement in 4 and 13 patients, respectively, but distinction between ureteric prolapse and invasion was not possible. Histopathological assessment of the primary renal tumor demonstrated exclusive triphasichistomorphology in all 32 nephroblastomas. Favorable histology, diffuse anaplasia and nephroblastomatosis were present in 28, 4 and 7 tumors, respectively. Re-appraisal of 17 post-treated tumors were classified by SIOP criteria as mixed(6, stromal(4, anaplastic(4 and regressive(3 types. The ureteric component displayed triphasic(11, biphasic(5 and monophasic(1histomorphology. The staging profile of patients with ureteric prolapse was stages I(3, II(5, III(6, IV(6 and V(1. The staging profile of patients with ureteric invasion was stages I(0, II(2, III(3, IV(4 and V(2. Distant metastases were present in 10/32 patients. Follow-up of 32 patients confirmed 21 that were tumor-free, 7 with recurrent disease and 4 fatalities; of those that remained tumor-free, 11 had advanced disease. Even in advanced tumor stages, complete excision of the urinary tract tumor and optimal treatment of disseminated malignancy are pivotal to overall patient management and outcome.

Contesting the science/ethics distinction in the review of clinical research

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Angus J; Yentis, Steve M

2007-01-01

Recent policy in relation to clinical research proposals in the UK has distinguished between two types of review: scientific and ethical. This distinction has been formally enshrined in the recent changes to research ethics committee (REC) structure and operating procedures, introduced as the UK response to the EU Directive on clinical trials. Recent reviews and recommendations have confirmed the place of the distinction and the separate review processes. However, serious reservations can be mounted about the science/ethics distinction and the policy of separate review that has been built upon it. We argue here that, first, the science/ethics distinction is incoherent, and, second, that RECs should not only be permitted to consider a study's science, but that they have anobligation do so. PMID:17329389

Validity of Sensory Systems as Distinct Constructs

OpenAIRE

Su, Chia-Ting; Parham, L. Diane

2014-01-01

Confirmatory factor analysis testing whether sensory questionnaire items represented distinct sensory system constructs found, using data from two age groups, that such constructs can be measured validly using questionnaire data.

Identity-specific motivation: How distinct identities direct self-regulation across distinct situations.

Science.gov (United States)

Browman, Alexander S; Destin, Mesmin; Molden, Daniel C

2017-12-01

Research on self-regulation has traditionally emphasized that people's thoughts and actions are guided by either (a) domain-general motivations that emerge from a cumulative history of life experiences, or (b) situation-specific motivations that emerge in immediate response to the incentives present in a particular context. However, more recent studies have illustrated the importance of understanding the interplay between such domain-general and situation-specific motivations across the types of contexts people regularly encounter. The present research, therefore, expands existing perspectives on self-regulation by investigating how people's identities -the internalized roles, relationships, and social group memberships that define who they are-systemically guide when and how different domain-general motivations are activated within specific types of situations. Using the motivational framework described by regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997), Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that people indeed have distinct, identity-specific motivations that uniquely influence their current self-regulation when such identities are active. Studies 3-5 then begin to explore how identity-specific motivations are situated within people's larger self-concept. Studies 3a and 3b demonstrate that the less compatible people's specific identities, the more distinct are the motivations connected to those identities. Studies 4-5 then provide some initial, suggestive evidence that identity-specific motivations are not a separate, superordinate feature of people's identities that then alter how they pursue any subordinate, identity-relevant traits, but instead that such motivations emerge from the cumulative motivational significance of the subordinate traits to which the identities themselves become attached. Implications for understanding the role of the self-concept in self-regulation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Agent-specific learning signals for self-other distinction during mentalising.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sam Ereira

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Humans have a remarkable ability to simulate the minds of others. How the brain distinguishes between mental states attributed to self and mental states attributed to someone else is unknown. Here, we investigated how fundamental neural learning signals are selectively attributed to different agents. Specifically, we asked whether learning signals are encoded in agent-specific neural patterns or whether a self-other distinction depends on encoding agent identity separately from this learning signal. To examine this, we tasked subjects to learn continuously 2 models of the same environment, such that one was selectively attributed to self and the other was selectively attributed to another agent. Combining computational modelling with magnetoencephalography (MEG enabled us to track neural representations of prediction errors (PEs and beliefs attributed to self, and of simulated PEs and beliefs attributed to another agent. We found that the representational pattern of a PE reliably predicts the identity of the agent to whom the signal is attributed, consistent with a neural self-other distinction implemented via agent-specific learning signals. Strikingly, subjects exhibiting a weaker neural self-other distinction also had a reduced behavioural capacity for self-other distinction and displayed more marked subclinical psychopathological traits. The neural self-other distinction was also modulated by social context, evidenced in a significantly reduced decoding of agent identity in a nonsocial control task. Thus, we show that self-other distinction is realised through an encoding of agent identity intrinsic to fundamental learning signals. The observation that the fidelity of this encoding predicts psychopathological traits is of interest as a potential neurocomputational psychiatric biomarker.

Embarrassment: its distinct form and appeasement functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Keltner, D; Buswell, B N

1997-11-01

The authors address 2 questions about embarrassment. First, Is embarrassment a distinct emotion? The evidence indicates that the antecedents, experience, and display of embarrassment, and to a limited extent its autonomic physiology, are distinct from shame, guilt, and amusement and share the dynamic, temporal characteristics of emotion. Second, What are the theoretical accounts of embarrassment? Three accounts focus on the causes of embarrassment, positioning that it follows the loss of self-esteem, concern for others' evaluations, or absence of scripts to guide interactions. A fourth account focuses on the effects of the remedial actions of embarrassment, which correct preceding transgressions. A fifth account focuses on the functional parallels between embarrassment and nonhuman appeasement. The discussion focuses on unanswered questions about embarrassment.

Culture and the distinctiveness motive: constructing identity in individualistic and collectivistic contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Maja; Vignoles, Vivian L; Owe, Ellinor; Brown, Rupert; Smith, Peter B; Easterbrook, Matt; Herman, Ginette; de Sauvage, Isabelle; Bourguignon, David; Torres, Ana; Camino, Leoncio; Lemos, Flávia Cristina Silveira; Ferreira, M Cristina; Koller, Silvia H; González, Roberto; Carrasco, Diego; Cadena, Maria Paz; Lay, Siugmin; Wang, Qian; Bond, Michael Harris; Trujillo, Elvia Vargas; Balanta, Paola; Valk, Aune; Mekonnen, Kassahun Habtamu; Nizharadze, George; Fülöp, Marta; Regalia, Camillo; Manzi, Claudia; Brambilla, Maria; Harb, Charles; Aldhafri, Said; Martin, Mariana; Macapagal, Ma Elizabeth J; Chybicka, Aneta; Gavreliuc, Alin; Buitendach, Johanna; Gallo, Inge Schweiger; Ozgen, Emre; Güner, Ulkü E; Yamakoğlu, Nil

2012-04-01

The motive to attain a distinctive identity is sometimes thought to be stronger in, or even specific to, those socialized into individualistic cultures. Using data from 4,751 participants in 21 cultural groups (18 nations and 3 regions), we tested this prediction against our alternative view that culture would moderate the ways in which people achieve feelings of distinctiveness, rather than influence the strength of their motivation to do so. We measured the distinctiveness motive using an indirect technique to avoid cultural response biases. Analyses showed that the distinctiveness motive was not weaker-and, if anything, was stronger-in more collectivistic nations. However, individualism-collectivism was found to moderate the ways in which feelings of distinctiveness were constructed: Distinctiveness was associated more closely with difference and separateness in more individualistic cultures and was associated more closely with social position in more collectivistic cultures. Multilevel analysis confirmed that it is the prevailing beliefs and values in an individual's context, rather than the individual's own beliefs and values, that account for these differences. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Distinct UV-B and UV-A/blue light signal transduction pathways induce chalcone synthase gene expression in Arabidopsis cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christie, J.M.; Jenkins, G.I.

1996-01-01

UV and blue light control the expression of flavonoid biosynthesis genes in a range of higher plants. To investigate the signal transduction processes involved in the induction of chalcone synthase (CHS) gene expression by UV-B and UV-A/blue light, we examined the, effects of specific agonists and inhibitors of known signaling components in mammalian systems in a photomixotrophic Arabidopsis cell suspension culture. CHS expression is induced specifically by these wavelengths in the cell culture, in a manner similar to that in mature Arabidopsis leaf tissue. Both the UV-B and UV-A/blue phototransduction processes involve calcium, although the elevation of cytosolic calcium is insufficient on its own to stimulate CHS expression. The UV-A/blue light induction of CHS expression does not appear to involve calmodulin, whereas the UV-B response does; this difference indicates that the signal transduction pathways are, at least in part, distinct. We provide evidence that both pathways involve reversible protein phosphorylation and require protein synthesis. The UV-B and UV-A/blue light signaling pathways are therefore different from the phytochrome signal transduction pathway regulating CHS expression in other species

Knowledge Affords Distinctive Processing in Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, R. Reed; Rawson, Katherine A.

2011-01-01

The effect of knowledge on memory generally is processing. However, both conceptual and empirical reasons exist to suspect that the organizational account is incomplete. Recently a revised version of that account has been proposed under the rubric of distinctiveness theory (Rawson & Van Overschelde, 2008). The goal of the experiments reported…

Distinct types of primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma identified by gene expression profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoefnagel, Juliette J; Dijkman, Remco; Basso, Katia; Jansen, Patty M; Hallermann, Christian; Willemze, Rein; Tensen, Cornelis P; Vermeer, Maarten H

2005-05-01

In the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) classification 2 types of primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma (PCLBCL) are distinguished: primary cutaneous follicle center cell lymphomas (PCFCCL) and PCLBCL of the leg (PCLBCL-leg). Distinction between both groups is considered important because of differences in prognosis (5-year survival > 95% and 52%, respectively) and the first choice of treatment (radiotherapy or systemic chemotherapy, respectively), but is not generally accepted. To establish a molecular basis for this subdivision in the EORTC classification, we investigated the gene expression profiles of 21 PCLBCLs by oligonucleotide microarray analysis. Hierarchical clustering based on a B-cell signature (7450 genes) classified PCLBCL into 2 distinct subgroups consisting of, respectively, 8 PCFCCLs and 13 PCLBCLsleg. PCLBCLs-leg showed increased expression of genes associated with cell proliferation; the proto-oncogenes Pim-1, Pim-2, and c-Myc; and the transcription factors Mum1/IRF4 and Oct-2. In the group of PCFCCL high expression of SPINK2 was observed. Further analysis suggested that PCFCCLs and PCLBCLs-leg have expression profiles similar to that of germinal center B-cell-like and activated B-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, respectively. The results of this study suggest that different pathogenetic mechanisms are involved in the development of PCFCCLs and PCLBCLs-leg and provide molecular support for the subdivision used in the EORTC classification.

Learning Similar Actions by Reinforcement or Sensory-Prediction Errors Rely on Distinct Physiological Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Uehara, Shintaro; Mawase, Firas; Celnik, Pablo

2017-09-14

Humans can acquire knowledge of new motor behavior via different forms of learning. The two forms most commonly studied have been the development of internal models based on sensory-prediction errors (error-based learning) and success-based feedback (reinforcement learning). Human behavioral studies suggest these are distinct learning processes, though the neurophysiological mechanisms that are involved have not been characterized. Here, we evaluated physiological markers from the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex (M1) using noninvasive brain stimulations while healthy participants trained finger-reaching tasks. We manipulated the extent to which subjects rely on error-based or reinforcement by providing either vector or binary feedback about task performance. Our results demonstrated a double dissociation where learning the task mainly via error-based mechanisms leads to cerebellar plasticity modifications but not long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity changes in M1; while learning a similar action via reinforcement mechanisms elicited M1 LTP-like plasticity but not cerebellar plasticity changes. Our findings indicate that learning complex motor behavior is mediated by the interplay of different forms of learning, weighing distinct neural mechanisms in M1 and the cerebellum. Our study provides insights for designing effective interventions to enhance human motor learning. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Immanuelio Kanto etikos aktualumas

OpenAIRE

Zeliankienė, Vilija

2005-01-01

The article presents a monograph by professor Jūratė Baranova - XX amžiaus moralės filosofija: pokalbis su Kantu (VPU leidykla, 2004). This work is a comprehensive study of contemporary theories of ethics that shows convincingly the influence and the relevance of Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy to the twentieth-century moral philosophy discourse. The monograph presents the main twentieth-century schools of ethics – meta-ethics, descriptivism, neo-Kantism, and phenomenological and postmodern ...

Gerai moderuotas pokalbis apie Kantą : rec. kn.: Baranova J. XX a. amžiaus moralės filosofija: pokalbis su Kantu

OpenAIRE

Norkus, Zenonas

2005-01-01

The review discusses Jūratė Baranova’s monograph “XX Amžiaus Moralės Filosofija: Pokalbis su Kantu" (Vilnius: VPU leidykla, 2004). The book succeeds in highlighting the explicit and implicit, positive and negative dependence of ethics theories of the 20th century on Immanuel Kant as the common denominator of the said theories, relating very different and, at first glance, completely unrelated theories: British analytical mathematics, modern Anglo-Saxon Neo-Aristotelian and neo-Hegelian ethic ...

Involvement of COUP-TFs in Cancer Progression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boudot, Antoine; Le Dily, François; Pakdel, Farzad, E-mail: farzad.pakdel@univ-rennes1.fr [Molecular and Cellular Interactions, UMR CNRS 6026, IFR 140 GFSA, University of Rennes 1, Rennes (France)

2011-02-18

The orphan receptors COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily that play distinct and critical roles in vertebrate organogenesis, as demonstrated by loss-of-function COUP-TFI and/or COUP-TFII mutant mice. Although COUP-TFs are expressed in a wide range of tissues in adults, little is known about their functions at later stages of development or in organism homeostasis. COUP-TFs are expressed in cancer cell lines of various origins and increasing studies suggest they play roles in cell fate determination and, potentially, in cancer progression. Nevertheless, the exact roles of COUP-TFs in these processes remain unclear and even controversial. In this review, we report both in vitro and in vivo data describing known and suspected actions of COUP-TFs that suggest that these factors are involved in modification of the phenotype of cancer cells, notably of epithelial origin.

Distinctions, Affiliations, and Professional Knowledge in Financial Reform Expert Groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seabrooke, Leonard; Tsingou, Eleni

2014-01-01

to understand the different stresses in reports with and without clear mandates, and the role of important members of the policy community in promoting particular reform ideas. The contribution finds that differences in ideas emerging from the financial reform expert groups reflect nested power relationships...... the reports. Fractal distinctions, such as between ‘behaviour’ or ‘system’ as a reform focus, allow us to locate the object of regulation within expert groups, the experts' professional context and the politics behind the commissioning of work. Analysing fractal distinctions provides a useful way...... in the commissioning of work, constituent audiences and reform priorities among governing institutions, rather than distinct ‘European’ and ‘American’ ideas....

Gotta Go, Mom’s Calling: Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus Mothers Use Individually Distinctive Acoustic Signals To Call Their Calves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stan A. Kuczaj II

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Dolphin calves often wander away from their mothers, which can compromise their safety and survival. Mothers can retrieve their calves by actively pursuing them or by signaling their wandering calves to return. However, little is known about the retrieval techniques employed by mothers in specific calf recall contexts. We experimentally investigated maternal calf retrieval methods by assessing behavioral and acoustic strategies employed by three Atlantic bottlenose dolphin mothers to elicit their calf’s return in a controlled, non-threatening setting. Three mothers were asked to retrieve their calves on cue in this setting, and could do so however they chose. Mothers were much more likely to use energetically less costly acoustic signals than physical retrievals. Each mother produced individually distinctive calls that incorporated the mother’s signature whistle but often also involved additional whistles and clicks. The dolphin mothers’ use of individually distinctive calls to request a calf’s return is consistent with the notion that other dolphins can distinguish such calls and provides additional support for the notion that dolphin communication is flexible rather than fixed.

Distinctiveness of Saudi Arabian EFL Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Habbash, Manssour; Idapalapati, Srinivasa Rao

2016-01-01

In view of the increasing concern among English language teachers dealing with students from Saudi Arabia, as it manifests in TESOL community discussions, about the uniqueness of Saudi Arabian EFL learners, this paper attempts to document the outcome of a study of their distinctiveness from the perspective of expatriate teachers working for PYPs…

Distinctive radiological features of small hand joints in rheumatoid arthritis and seronegative spondyloarthritis demonstrated by contrast-enhanced (Gd-DTPA) magnetic resnance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jevtic, V. [Inst. of Radiology, Univ. Medical Centre, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Watt, I. [Dept. of Clinical Radiology, Bristol Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom); Rozman, B. [Dept. of Rheumatology, Univ. Medical Centre, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Kos-Golja, M. [Dept. of Rheumatology, Univ. Medical Centre, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Demsar, F. [Inst. Jozef Stefan, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Jarh, O. [Inst. Jozef Stefan, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

1995-07-01

A series of patients with clinically early inflammatory joint disease due to rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and Reiter`s syndrome were examined by plain film radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The spin echo T1-weighted precontrast, T2-weighted, and, especially, T1-weighted postcontrast images demonstrated distinct differences in the distribution of inflamatory changes, both within and adjacent to involved small hand joints. Two major subtypes of inflammatory arthritis were shown, thus providing a specific differential diagnosis between rheumatoid arthritis and some patients with seronegative spondyloarthritis. In particular, all the patients with Reiter`s syndrome who were studied, and half of those with psoriatic arthritis, had a distinctive pattern of extra-articular desease involvement. The need for a new classification of clinical subsets in psoriatic arthritis has been recently suggested. The present findings suggest that magnetic resonance imaging could be useful in such a reclassification of seronegative spondyloarthritis, as well as offering considerable potential for a reappraisal of pathogenesis and therapy. In this series, it was also noted that juxta-articular osteoporosis on plain film did not correlate with bone marrow oedema on MRI. Hence the aetiology of this common radiographic finding also merits further consideration. (orig.)

A Cross-Species Analysis in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Reveals Molecular Subtypes with Distinctive Clinical, Metastatic, Developmental, and Metabolic Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Sadanandam, Anguraj; Wullschleger, Stephan; Lyssiotis, Costas A.; Grötzinger, Carsten; Barbi, Stefano; Bersani, Samantha; Körner, Jan; Wafy, Ismael; Mafficini, Andrea; Lawlor, Rita T.; Simbolo, Michele; Asara, John M.; Bläker, Hendrik; Cantley, Lewis C.; Wiedenmann, Bertram; Scarpa, Aldo; Hanahan, Douglas

2016-01-01

Seeking to assess the representative and instructive value of an engineered mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNET) for its cognate human cancer, we profiled and compared mRNA and miRNA transcriptomes of tumors from both. Mouse PanNET tumors could be classified into two distinctive subtypes, well-differentiated islet/insulinoma tumors (IT) and poorly differentiated tumors associated with liver metastases, dubbed metastasis-like primary (MLP). Human PanNETs were independently classified into these same two subtypes, along with a third, specific gene mutation–enriched subtype. The MLP subtypes in human and mouse were similar to liver metastases in terms of miRNA and mRNA transcriptome profiles and signature genes. The human/mouse MLP subtypes also similarly expressed genes known to regulate early pancreas development, whereas the IT subtypes expressed genes characteristic of mature islet cells, suggesting different tumorigenesis pathways. In addition, these subtypes exhibit distinct metabolic profiles marked by differential pyruvate metabolism, substantiating the significance of their separate identities. SIGNIFICANCE This study involves a comprehensive cross-species integrated analysis of multi-omics profiles and histology to stratify PanNETs into subtypes with distinctive characteristics. We provide support for the RIP1-TAG2 mouse model as representative of its cognate human cancer with prospects to better understand PanNET heterogeneity and consider future applications of personalized cancer therapy. PMID:26446169

Neural correlates of the food/non-food visual distinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsourides, Kleovoulos; Shariat, Shahriar; Nejati, Hossein; Gandhi, Tapan K; Cardinaux, Annie; Simons, Christopher T; Cheung, Ngai-Man; Pavlovic, Vladimir; Sinha, Pawan

2016-03-01

An evolutionarily ancient skill we possess is the ability to distinguish between food and non-food. Our goal here is to identify the neural correlates of visually driven 'edible-inedible' perceptual distinction. We also investigate correlates of the finer-grained likability assessment. Our stimuli depicted food or non-food items with sub-classes of appealing or unappealing exemplars. Using data-classification techniques drawn from machine-learning, as well as evoked-response analyses, we sought to determine whether these four classes of stimuli could be distinguished based on the patterns of brain activity they elicited. Subjects viewed 200 images while in a MEG scanner. Our analyses yielded two successes and a surprising failure. The food/non-food distinction had a robust neural counterpart and emerged as early as 85 ms post-stimulus onset. The likable/non-likable distinction too was evident in the neural signals when food and non-food stimuli were grouped together, or when only the non-food stimuli were included in the analyses. However, we were unable to identify any neural correlates of this distinction when limiting the analyses only to food stimuli. Taken together, these positive and negative results further our understanding of the substrates of a set of ecologically important judgments and have clinical implications for conditions like eating-disorders and anhedonia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MAGDM linear-programming models with distinct uncertain preference structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zeshui S; Chen, Jian

2008-10-01

Group decision making with preference information on alternatives is an interesting and important research topic which has been receiving more and more attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to investigate multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems with distinct uncertain preference structures. We develop some linear-programming models for dealing with the MAGDM problems, where the information about attribute weights is incomplete, and the decision makers have their preferences on alternatives. The provided preference information can be represented in the following three distinct uncertain preference structures: 1) interval utility values; 2) interval fuzzy preference relations; and 3) interval multiplicative preference relations. We first establish some linear-programming models based on decision matrix and each of the distinct uncertain preference structures and, then, develop some linear-programming models to integrate all three structures of subjective uncertain preference information provided by the decision makers and the objective information depicted in the decision matrix. Furthermore, we propose a simple and straightforward approach in ranking and selecting the given alternatives. It is worth pointing out that the developed models can also be used to deal with the situations where the three distinct uncertain preference structures are reduced to the traditional ones, i.e., utility values, fuzzy preference relations, and multiplicative preference relations. Finally, we use a practical example to illustrate in detail the calculation process of the developed approach.

Who and What Does Involvement Involve?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jeppe Oute; Petersen, Anders; Huniche, Lotte

2015-01-01

This article gives an account of aspects of a multi-sited field study of involvement of relatives in Danish psychiatry. By following metaphors of involvement across three sites of the psychiatric systema family site, a clinical site and a policy sitethe first author (J.O.) investigated how...... theoretical perspective laid out by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, the aim of this study is to show how the dominant discourse about involvement at the political and clinical sites is constituted by understandings of mentally ill individuals and by political objectives of involvement. The analysis...... the responsibility toward the mental health of the ill individual as well as toward the psychological milieu of the family....

Distinct contribution of the parietal and temporal cortex to hand configuration and contextual judgements about tools.

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Andres, Michael; Pelgrims, Barbara; Olivier, Etienne

2013-09-01

Neuropsychological studies showed that manipulatory and semantic knowledge can be independently impaired in patients with upper-limb apraxia, leading to different tool use disorders. The present study aimed to dissociate the brain regions involved in judging the hand configuration or the context associated to tool use. We focussed on the left supramarginalis gyrus (SMG) and left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), whose activation, as evidenced by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, suggests that they may play a critical role in tool use. The distinctive location of SMG in the dorsal visual stream led us to postulate that this parietal region could play a role in processing incoming information about tools to shape hand posture. In contrast, we hypothesized that MTG, because of its interconnections with several cortical areas involved in semantic memory, could contribute to retrieving semantic information necessary to create a contextual representation of tool use. To test these hypotheses, we used neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to interfere transiently with the function of either left SMG or left MTG in healthy participants performing judgement tasks about either hand configuration or context of tool use. We found that SMG virtual lesions impaired hand configuration but not contextual judgements, whereas MTG lesions selectively interfered with judgements about the context of tool use while leaving hand configuration judgements unaffected. This double dissociation demonstrates that the ability to infer a context of use or a hand posture from tool perception relies on distinct processes, performed in the temporal and parietal regions. The present findings suggest that tool use disorders caused by SMG lesions will be characterized by difficulties in selecting the appropriate hand posture for tool use, whereas MTG lesions will yield difficulties in using tools in the appropriate context. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The death of distinctions: From 9/11 to Abu Ghraib.

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Moon, John Ellis van Courtland

2004-09-01

War, the great simplifier, is the inevitable enemy of distinctions, especially when conflicts evoke survival fears, sounding echoes from humanity's environment of evolutionary adaptation. Throughout the twentieth century, attackers and targets grew more distant, weaponry grew more destructive, and distinctions -- between combatants and civilians, between legitimate and protected targets, between defensive and offensive strategies, between the innocent and the guilty -- faded. In the twenty-first century's first major conflict, "the war against terror," distinctions have faded still further, making nearly indistinguishable the frontier between preemption and prevention and between interrogation and torture. Proclaimed a "new type of war" in which old rules and customary safeguards would often be inapplicable, this conflict quickly came to be characterized by political embarrassment and operational scandal.

The physician-administrator as patient: distinctive aspects of medical care.

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Cappell, Mitchell S

2011-01-01

This article examines distinctive aspects of medical care experienced by a 55-year-old hospitalized for quintuple coronary artery bypass surgery who was also a senior physician-administrator (chief of gastroenterology) at the same hospital. The article describes eight distinctive aspects of administrator-physicians as patients, including special patient treatment; exalted patient expectations by hospital personnel; patient suppression of emotions; patient denial; self-doctoring; job stress contributing to disease; self-sacrifice to achieve better health; and rational medical decisions when not under stress. Health-care workers should recognize how these distinctive aspects of medical care and behavior affect administrator-physicians as patients, in order to mitigate their negative effects, potentiate their positive effects, and optimize the care of these patients.

Place preference and vocal learning rely on distinct reinforcers in songbirds.

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Murdoch, Don; Chen, Ruidong; Goldberg, Jesse H

2018-04-30

In reinforcement learning (RL) agents are typically tasked with maximizing a single objective function such as reward. But it remains poorly understood how agents might pursue distinct objectives at once. In machines, multiobjective RL can be achieved by dividing a single agent into multiple sub-agents, each of which is shaped by agent-specific reinforcement, but it remains unknown if animals adopt this strategy. Here we use songbirds to test if navigation and singing, two behaviors with distinct objectives, can be differentially reinforced. We demonstrate that strobe flashes aversively condition place preference but not song syllables. Brief noise bursts aversively condition song syllables but positively reinforce place preference. Thus distinct behavior-generating systems, or agencies, within a single animal can be shaped by correspondingly distinct reinforcement signals. Our findings suggest that spatially segregated vocal circuits can solve a credit assignment problem associated with multiobjective learning.

False memories in children and adults: age, distinctiveness, and subjective experience.

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Ghetti, Simona; Qin, Jianjian; Goodman, Gail S

2002-09-01

This study investigated developmental trends associated with the Deese/Roediger-McDermott false-memory effect, the role of distinctive information in false-memory formation, and participants' subjective experience of true and false memories. Children (5- and 7-year-olds) and adults studied lists of semantically associated words. Half of the participants studied words alone, and half studied words accompanied by pictures. There were significant age differences in recall (5-year-olds evinced more false memories than did adults) but not in recognition of critical lures. Distinctive information reduced false memory for all age groups. Younger children provided with distinctive information, and older children and adults regardless of whether they viewed distinctive information, expressed higher levels of confidence in true than in false memories. Source attributions did not significantly differ between true and false memories. Implications for theories of false memory and memory development are discussed.

Evaluation of myocardial involvement in Duchenne's progressive muscular dystrophy with thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawai, Naoki; Sotobata, Iwao; Okada, Mitsuhiro

1985-01-01

Myocardial involvement in progressive muscular dystrophy of the Duchenne type was evaluated in 19 patients using thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging. A qualitative analysis was performed from five projection images by three experienced physicians. Distinct perfusion defects were shown in 13 patients, especially in the LV posterolateral or posterior wall (11 patients). There was no significant relationship between the presence of perfusion defects and the skeletal muscle involvements or thoracic deformities assessed by transmission computed tomography. Extensive perfusion defects were shown in 2 patients who died of congestive heart failure 1 to 2 years after the scintigraphic study. Progression of the myocardial scintigraphic abnormalities were considered to be minimal in 7 of 9 patients who underwent two serial scintigraphic studies over 2 to 3 years. It was concluded that thallium myocardial perfusion imaging is a useful clinical technique to assess myocardial involvement in Duchenne's progressive muscular dystrophy. (author)

The picture superiority effect in conceptual implicit memory: a conceptual distinctiveness hypothesis.

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Hamilton, Maryellen; Geraci, Lisa

2006-01-01

According to leading theories, the picture superiority effect is driven by conceptual processing, yet this effect has been difficult to obtain using conceptual implicit memory tests. We hypothesized that the picture superiority effect results from conceptual processing of a picture's distinctive features rather than a picture's semantic features. To test this hypothesis, we used 2 conceptual implicit general knowledge tests; one cued conceptually distinctive features (e.g., "What animal has large eyes?") and the other cued semantic features (e.g., "What animal is the figurehead of Tootsie Roll?"). Results showed a picture superiority effect only on the conceptual test using distinctive cues, supporting our hypothesis that this effect is mediated by conceptual processing of a picture's distinctive features.

Distinction between epigenic and hypogenic maze caves

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Palmer, Arthur N.

2011-11-01

Certain caves formed by dissolution of bedrock have maze patterns composed of closed loops in which many intersecting fractures or pores have enlarged simultaneously. Their origin can be epigenic (by shallow circulation of meteoric groundwater) or hypogenic (by rising groundwater or production of deep-seated solutional aggressiveness). Epigenic mazes form by diffuse infiltration through a permeable insoluble caprock or by floodwater supplied by sinking streams. Most hypogenic caves involve deep sources of aggressiveness. Transverse hypogenic cave origin is a recently proposed concept in which groundwater of mainly meteoric origin rises across strata in the distal portions of large flow systems, to form mazes in soluble rock sandwiched between permeable but insoluble strata. The distinction between maze types is debated and is usually based on examination of diagnostic cave features and relation of caves to their regional setting. In this paper, the principles of mass transfer are applied to clarify the limits of each model, to show how cave origin is related to groundwater discharge, dissolution rate, and time. The results show that diffuse infiltration and floodwater can each form maze caves at geologically feasible rates (typically within 500 ka). Transverse hypogenic mazes in limestone, to enlarge significantly within 1 Ma, require an unusually high permeability of the non-carbonate beds (generally ≥ 10-4 cm/s), large discharge, and calcite saturation no greater than 90%, which is rare in deep diffuse flow in sedimentary rocks. Deep sources of aggressiveness are usually required. The origin of caves by transverse hypogenic flow is much more favorable in evaporite rocks than in carbonate rocks.

An Adult Developmental Approach to Perceived Facial Attractiveness and Distinctiveness

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Natalie C. Ebner

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Attractiveness and distinctiveness constitute facial features with high biological and social relevance. Bringing a developmental perspective to research on social-cognitive face perception, we used a large set of faces taken from the FACES Lifespan Database to examine effects of face and perceiver characteristics on subjective evaluations of attractiveness and distinctiveness in young (20–31 years, middle-aged (44–55 years, and older (70–81 years men and women. We report novel findings supporting variations by face and perceiver age, in interaction with gender and emotion: although older and middle-aged compared to young perceivers generally rated faces of all ages as more attractive, young perceivers gave relatively higher attractiveness ratings to young compared to middle-aged and older faces. Controlling for variations in attractiveness, older compared to young faces were viewed as more distinctive by young and middle-aged perceivers. Age affected attractiveness more negatively for female than male faces. Furthermore, happy faces were rated as most attractive, while disgusted faces were rated as least attractive, particularly so by middle-aged and older perceivers and for young and female faces. Perceivers largely agreed on distinctiveness ratings for neutral and happy emotions, but older and middle-aged compared to young perceivers rated faces displaying negative emotions as more distinctive. These findings underscore the importance of a lifespan perspective on perception of facial characteristics and suggest possible effects of age on goal-directed perception, social motivation, and in-group bias. This publication makes available picture-specific normative data for experimental stimulus selection.

Distinct regions of prefrontal cortex are associated with the controlled retrieval and selection of social information.

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Satpute, Ajay B; Badre, David; Ochsner, Kevin N

2014-05-01

Research in social neuroscience has uncovered a social knowledge network that is particularly attuned to making social judgments. However, the processes that are being performed by both regions within this network and those outside of this network that are nevertheless engaged in the service of making a social judgment remain unclear. To help address this, we drew upon research in semantic memory, which suggests that making a semantic judgment engages 2 distinct control processes: A controlled retrieval process, which aids in bringing goal-relevant information to mind from long-term stores, and a selection process, which aids in selecting the information that is goal-relevant from the information retrieved. In a neuroimaging study, we investigated whether controlled retrieval and selection for social information engage distinct portions of both the social knowledge network and regions outside this network. Controlled retrieval for social information engaged an anterior ventrolateral portion of the prefrontal cortex, whereas selection engaged both the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction within the social knowledge network. These results suggest that the social knowledge network may be more involved with the selection of social information than the controlled retrieval of it and incorporates lateral prefrontal regions in accessing memory for making social judgments.

Distinct and shared cognitive functions mediate event- and time-based prospective memory impairment in normal ageing

Science.gov (United States)

Gonneaud, Julie; Kalpouzos, Grégoria; Bon, Laetitia; Viader, Fausto; Eustache, Francis; Desgranges, Béatrice

2011-01-01

Prospective memory (PM) is the ability to remember to perform an action at a specific point in the future. Regarded as multidimensional, PM involves several cognitive functions that are known to be impaired in normal aging. In the present study, we set out to investigate the cognitive correlates of PM impairment in normal aging. Manipulating cognitive load, we assessed event- and time-based PM, as well as several cognitive functions, including executive functions, working memory and retrospective episodic memory, in healthy subjects covering the entire adulthood. We found that normal aging was characterized by PM decline in all conditions and that event-based PM was more sensitive to the effects of aging than time-based PM. Whatever the conditions, PM was linked to inhibition and processing speed. However, while event-based PM was mainly mediated by binding and retrospective memory processes, time-based PM was mainly related to inhibition. The only distinction between high- and low-load PM cognitive correlates lays in an additional, but marginal, correlation between updating and the high-load PM condition. The association of distinct cognitive functions, as well as shared mechanisms with event- and time-based PM confirms that each type of PM relies on a different set of processes. PMID:21678154

False Memories in Children and Adults: Age, Distinctiveness, and Subjective Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghetti, Simona; Qin, Jianjian; Goodman, Gail S.

2002-01-01

Investigated developmental trends associated with the Deese/Roediger-McDermott false-memory effect, the role of distinctive information, and subjective experience of true/false memories. Found that 5-year-olds recalled more false memories than adults but no age differences in recognition of critical lures. Distinctive information reduced false…

Suicide and Murder-Suicide Involving Aircraft.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenedi, Christopher; Friedman, Susan Hatters; Watson, Dougal; Preitner, Claude

2016-04-01

This is a systematic review of suicide and homicide-suicide events involving aircraft. In aeromedical literature and in the media, these very different events are both described as pilot suicide, but in psychiatry they are considered separate events with distinct risk factors. Medical databases, internet search engines, and aviation safety databases were searched in a systematic way to obtain relevant cases. Relevant articles were searched for additional references. There were 65 cases of pilot suicide and 6 cases of passengers who jumped from aircraft found. There were also 18 cases of homicide-suicide found involving 732 deaths. Pilots perpetrated 13 homicide-suicide events. Compared to non-aviation samples, a large percentage of pilot suicides in this study were homicide-suicides (17%). Homicide-suicide events occur extremely rarely. However, their impact in terms of the proportion of deaths is significant when compared to deaths from accidents. There is evidence of clustering where pilot suicides occur after by media reports of suicide or homicide-suicide. Five of six homicide-suicide events by pilots of commercial airliners occurred after they were left alone in the cockpit. This, along with a sixth incident in which active intervention by a Japan Air crew saved 147 lives, suggests that having two flight members in the cockpit is potentially protective. No single factor was associated with the risk for suicide or homicide-suicide. Factors associated with both events included legal and financial crises, occupational conflict, mental illness, and relationship stressors. Drugs and/or alcohol played a role in almost half of suicides, but not in homicide-suicides.

Epstein-Barr virus-positive gastric cancer: a distinct molecular subtype of the disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Jácome, Alexandre Andrade Dos Anjos; Lima, Enaldo Melo de; Kazzi, Ana Izabela; Chaves, Gabriela Freitas; Mendonça, Diego Cavalheiro de; Maciel, Marina Mara; Santos, José Sebastião Dos

2016-04-01

Approximately 90% of the world population is infected by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Usually, it infects B lymphocytes, predisposing them to malignant transformation. Infection of epithelial cells occurs rarely, and it is estimated that about to 10% of gastric cancer patients harbor EBV in their malignant cells. Given that gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with a global annual incidence of over 950,000 cases, EBV-positive gastric cancer is the largest group of EBV-associated malignancies. Based on gene expression profile studies, gastric cancer was recently categorized into four subtypes; EBV-positive, microsatellite unstable, genomically stable and chromosomal instability. Together with previous studies, this report provided a more detailed molecular characterization of gastric cancer, demonstrating that EBV-positive gastric cancer is a distinct molecular subtype of the disease, with unique genetic and epigenetic abnormalities, reflected in a specific phenotype. The recognition of characteristic molecular alterations in gastric cancer allows the identification of molecular pathways involved in cell proliferation and survival, with the potential to identify therapeutic targets. These findings highlight the enormous heterogeneity of gastric cancer, and the complex interplay between genetic and epigenetic alterations in the disease, and provide a roadmap to implementation of genome-guided personalized therapy in gastric cancer. The present review discusses the initial studies describing EBV-positive gastric cancer as a distinct clinical entity, presents recently described genetic and epigenetic alterations, and considers potential therapeutic insights derived from the recognition of this new molecular subtype of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Binding of the cSH3 domain of Grb2 adaptor to two distinct RXXK motifs within Gab1 docker employs differential mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Caleb B; Seldeen, Kenneth L; Deegan, Brian J; Bhat, Vikas; Farooq, Amjad

2011-01-01

A ubiquitous component of cellular signaling machinery, Gab1 docker plays a pivotal role in routing extracellular information in the form of growth factors and cytokines to downstream targets such as transcription factors within the nucleus. Here, using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) in combination with macromolecular modeling (MM), we show that although Gab1 contains four distinct RXXK motifs, designated G1, G2, G3, and G4, only G1 and G2 motifs bind to the cSH3 domain of Grb2 adaptor and do so with distinct mechanisms. Thus, while the G1 motif strictly requires the PPRPPKP consensus sequence for high-affinity binding to the cSH3 domain, the G2 motif displays preference for the PXVXRXLKPXR consensus. Such sequential differences in the binding of G1 and G2 motifs arise from their ability to adopt distinct polyproline type II (PPII)- and 3(10) -helical conformations upon binding to the cSH3 domain, respectively. Collectively, our study provides detailed biophysical insights into a key protein-protein interaction involved in a diverse array of signaling cascades central to health and disease. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Forensic psychology and correctional psychology: Distinct but related subfields of psychological science and practice.

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Neal, Tess M S

2018-02-12

This article delineates 2 separate but related subfields of psychological science and practice applicable across all major areas of the field (e.g., clinical, counseling, developmental, social, cognitive, community). Forensic and correctional psychology are related by their historical roots, involvement in the justice system, and the shared population of people they study and serve. The practical and ethical contexts of these subfields is distinct from other areas of psychology-and from one another-with important implications for ecologically valid research and ethically sound practice. Forensic psychology is a subfield of psychology in which basic and applied psychological science or scientifically oriented professional practice is applied to the law to help resolve legal, contractual, or administrative matters. Correctional psychology is a subfield of psychology in which basic and applied psychological science or scientifically oriented professional practice is applied to the justice system to inform the classification, treatment, and management of offenders to reduce risk and improve public safety. There has been and continues to be great interest in both subfields-especially the potential for forensic and correctional psychological science to help resolve practical issues and questions in legal and justice settings. This article traces the shared and separate developmental histories of these subfields, outlines their important distinctions and implications, and provides a common understanding and shared language for psychologists interested in applying their knowledge in forensic or correctional contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Daptomycin resistance in enterococci is associated with distinct alterations of cell membrane phospholipid content.

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Nagendra N Mishra

Full Text Available The lipopeptide antibiotic, daptomycin (DAP interacts with the bacterial cell membrane (CM. Development of DAP resistance during therapy in a clinical strain of Enterococcus faecalis was associated with mutations in genes encoding enzymes involved in cell envelope homeostasis and phospholipid metabolism. Here we characterized changes in CM phospholipid profiles associated with development of DAP resistance in clinical enterococcal strains.Using two clinical strain-pairs of DAP-susceptible and DAP-resistant E. faecalis (S613 vs. R712 and E. faecium (S447 vs. R446 recovered before and after DAP therapy, we compared four distinct CM profiles: phospholipid content, fatty acid composition, membrane fluidity and capacity to be permeabilized and/or depolarized by DAP. Additionally, we characterized the cell envelope of the E. faecium strain-pair by transmission electron microscopy and determined the relative cell surface charge of both strain-pairs.Both E. faecalis and E. faecium mainly contained four major CM PLs: phosphatidylglycerol (PG, cardiolipin, lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol (L-PG and glycerolphospho-diglycodiacylglycerol (GP-DGDAG. In addition, E. faecalis CMs (but not E. faecium also contained: i phosphatidic acid; and ii two other unknown species of amino-containing PLs. Development of DAP resistance in both enterococcal species was associated with a significant decrease in CM fluidity and PG content, with a concomitant increase in GP-DGDAG. The strain-pairs did not differ in their outer CM translocation (flipping of amino-containing PLs. Fatty acid content did not change in the E. faecalis strain-pair, whereas a significant decrease in unsaturated fatty acids was observed in the DAP-resistant E. faecium isolate R446 (vs S447. Resistance to DAP in E. faecium was associated with distinct structural alterations of the cell envelope and cell wall thickening, as well as a decreased ability of DAP to depolarize and permeabilize the CM.Distinct

Concordant bone marrow involvement of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma represents a distinct clinical and biological entity in the era of immunotherapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yao, Zhilei; Deng, Lijuan; Xu-Monette, Z Y

2018-01-01

In diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the clinical and biological significance of concordant and discordant bone marrow (BM) involvement have not been well investigated. We evaluated 712 de novo DLBCL patients with front-line rituximab-containing treatment, including 263 patients with positiv...

An Objective Approach to Identify Spectral Distinctiveness for Hearing Impairment

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Yeou-Jiunn Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To facilitate the process of developing speech perception, speech-language pathologists have to teach a subject with hearing loss the differences between two syllables by manually enhancing acoustic cues of speech. However, this process is time consuming and difficult. Thus, this study proposes an objective approach to automatically identify the regions of spectral distinctiveness between two syllables, which is used for speech-perception training. To accurately represent the characteristics of speech, mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients are selected as analytical parameters. The mismatch between two syllables in time domain is handled by dynamic time warping. Further, a filter bank is adopted to estimate the components in different frequency bands, which are also represented as mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients. The spectral distinctiveness in different frequency bands is then easily estimated by using Euclidean metrics. Finally, a morphological gradient operator is applied to automatically identify the regions of spectral distinctiveness. To evaluate the proposed approach, the identified regions are manipulated and then the manipulated syllables are measured by a close-set based speech-perception test. The experimental results demonstrated that the identified regions of spectral distinctiveness are very useful in speech perception, which indeed can help speech-language pathologists in speech-perception training.

Distinctive expression pattern of OCT4 variants in different types of breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Soheili, Saamaaneh; Asadi, Malek Hossein; Farsinejad, Alireza

2017-01-01

OCT4 is a key regulator of self-renewal and pluripotency in embryonic stem cells which can potentially encode three spliced variants designated OCT4A, OCT4B and OCT4B1. Based on cancer stem cell concept, it is suggested that the stemness factors misexpressed in cancer cells and potentially is involved in tumorigenesis. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the potential expression of OCT4 variants in breast cancer tissues. A total of 94 tumoral and peritumoral breast specimens were evaluated with respect to the expression of OCT4 variants using quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. We detected the expression of OCT4 variants in breast tumor tissues with no or very low levels of expression in peritumoral samples of the same patients. While OCT4B was highly expressed in lobular type of breast cancer, OCT4A and OCTB1 variants are highly expressed in low grade (I and II) ductal tumors. Furthermore, the results of this study revealed a considerable association between the expression level of OCT4 variants and the expression of ER, PR, Her2 and P53 factors. All data demonstrated a distinctive expression pattern of OCT4 spliced variants in different types of breast cancer and provide further evidence for the involvement of embryonic genes in carcinogenesis.

[Cognition-Emotion Interactions and Psychopathic Personality: Distinct Pathways to Antisocial and Violent Behavior].

Science.gov (United States)

Verona, Edelyn

Researchers have long acknowledged heterogeneity among persons who exhibit antisocial and violent behaviours. The study of psychopathic personality or psychopathy can help elucidate this heterogeneity through examination of the different facets that constitute this disorder. In particular, the distinct correlates of the interpersonal-affective traits (Factor 1) and the impulsive-antisocial traits (Factor 2) of psychopathy suggest at least two possible pathways to antisocial behaviours. Building on basic studies in cognitive and affective neuroscience, we provide a focused, non-comprehensive review of work identifying the biopsychological mechanisms involved in these two pathways, with special attention to studies using event-related potential (ERP) methods. In specific, a series of studies are discussed which examined affective and cognitive processes that may distinguish offenders high on psychopathic traits from other offenders, with emphasis on alterations in emotion-cognition interactions related to each factor of psychopathy. The set of findings reviewed highlight a central conclusion: Factor 1 represents a pathway involving reduced emotional responding, exacerbated by attentional abnormalities, that make for a more deliberate and emotionally insensitive offender profile. In contrast, Factor 2 characterizes a pathway marked by emotional and behavioural dysregulation and cognitive control dysfunctions, particularly in emotional contexts. Implications for identifying etiological processes and the further understanding of antisocial and violent behaviours are discussed.

Distinct temporal changes in host cell lncRNA expression during the course of an adenovirus infection

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Zhao, Hongxing, E-mail: Hongxing.Zhao@igp.uu.se [The Beijer Laboratory, Dept. of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, S-751 85 Uppsala (Sweden); Chen, Maoshan [Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086 (Australia); Lind, Sara Bergström [Department of Chemistry-BMC, Analytical Chemistry, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 599, SE-751 24 Uppsala (Sweden); Pettersson, Ulf [The Beijer Laboratory, Dept. of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, S-751 85 Uppsala (Sweden)

2016-05-15

The deregulation of cellular long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression during a human adenovirus infection was studied by deep sequencing. Expression of lncRNAs increased substantially following the progression of the infection. Among 645 significantly expressed lncRNAs, the expression of 398 was changed more than 2-fold. More than 80% of them were up-regulated and 80% of them were detected during the late phase. Based on the genomic locations of the deregulated lncRNAs in relation to known mRNAs and miRNAs, they were predicted to be involved in growth, structure, apoptosis and wound healing in the early phase, cell proliferation in the intermediate phase and protein synthesis, modification and transport in the late phase. The most significant functions of cellular RNA-binding proteins, previously shown to interact with the deregulated lncRNAs identified here, are involved in RNA splicing, nuclear export and translation events. We hypothesize that adenoviruses exploit the lncRNA network to optimize their reproduction. - Highlights: • The expression of 398 lncRNAs showed a distinct temporal pattern during Ad2 infection. • 80% of the deregulated lncRNAs were up-regulated during the late phase of infection. • The deregulated lncRNAs potentiallyinteract with 33 cellular RNA binding proteins. • These RBPs are involved in RNA splicing, nuclear export and translation. • Adenovirus exploits the cellular lncRNA network to optimize its replication.

Common and distinct components in data fusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smilde, Age Klaas; Mage, Ingrid; Næs, Tormod

2016-01-01

and understanding their relative merits. This paper provides a unifying framework for this subfield of data fusion by using rigorous arguments from linear algebra. The most frequently used methods for distinguishing common and distinct components are explained in this framework and some practical examples are given...

Distinctiveness enhances long-term event memory in non-human primates, irrespective of reinforcement.

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Lewis, Amy; Call, Josep; Berntsen, Dorthe

2017-08-01

Non-human primates are capable of recalling events that occurred as long as 3 years ago, and are able to distinguish between similar events; akin to human memory. In humans, distinctiveness enhances memory for events, however, it is unknown whether the same occurs in non-human primates. As such, we tested three great ape species on their ability to remember an event that varied in distinctiveness. Across three experiments, apes witnessed a baiting event in which one of three identical containers was baited with food. After a delay of 2 weeks, we tested their memory for the location of the baited container. Apes failed to recall the baited container when the event was undistinctive (Experiment 1), but were successful when it was distinctive (Experiment 2), although performance was equally good in a less-distinctive condition. A third experiment (Experiment 3) confirmed that distinctiveness, independent of reinforcement, was a consistent predictor of performance. These findings suggest that distinctiveness may enhance memory for events in non-human primates in the same way as in humans, and provides further evidence of basic similarities between the ways apes and humans remember past events. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Distinct types of eigenvector localization in networks

Science.gov (United States)

Pastor-Satorras, Romualdo; Castellano, Claudio

2016-01-01

The spectral properties of the adjacency matrix provide a trove of information about the structure and function of complex networks. In particular, the largest eigenvalue and its associated principal eigenvector are crucial in the understanding of nodes’ centrality and the unfolding of dynamical processes. Here we show that two distinct types of localization of the principal eigenvector may occur in heterogeneous networks. For synthetic networks with degree distribution P(q) ~ q-γ, localization occurs on the largest hub if γ > 5/2 for γ < 5/2 a new type of localization arises on a mesoscopic subgraph associated with the shell with the largest index in the K-core decomposition. Similar evidence for the existence of distinct localization modes is found in the analysis of real-world networks. Our results open a new perspective on dynamical processes on networks and on a recently proposed alternative measure of node centrality based on the non-backtracking matrix.

Predictors of Involvement and Warmth of Custodial Fathers in Israel: Comparison with Married and Noncustodial Divorced Fathers.

Science.gov (United States)

Finzi-Dottan, Ricky; Cohen, Orna

2016-03-01

This study compared the levels and predictors of paternal warmth and involvement of 218 custodial fathers to 222 married fathers and 105 noncustodial (NC) divorced fathers in Israel. The examined predictors were fathers' perceptions of their own fathers; their own caregiving behaviors and parental self-efficacy; and child characteristics and coparental coordination. Results indicated that being a custodial father was associated with more involvement than being a married or NC divorced father. Regression analyses revealed that experience of care with own father predicted fathers' involvement, whereas own father control was related to lower paternal warmth. Lower avoidant caregiving and high paternal self-efficacy predicted both paternal involvement and warmth, whereas perceiving the child as more difficult predicted lower paternal warmth. Higher levels of coparental coordination were associated with more paternal involvement, whereas low coparental coordination was associated with less involvement, primarily among NC divorced fathers. These interactions highlight the distinct paternal behavior of custodial fathers. Unlike married and NC divorced fathers, they showed more warmth, regardless of their avoidant caregiving. Results are discussed in light of the different roles played by fathers in the three groups. © 2015 Family Process Institute.

Degree of handedness and priming: Further evidence for a distinction between production and identification priming mechanisms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donna J. LaVoie

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The distinction between implicit and explicit forms of memory retrieval is long-standing, and important to the extent it reveals how different neural architecture supports different aspects of memory function. Similarly, distinctions have been made between kinds of repetition priming, a form of implicit memory retrieval. This study focuses on the production-identification priming distinction, which delineates priming tasks involving verification of stimulus features as compared to priming tasks that require use of a cue to guide response retrieval. Studies investigating this dissociation in dementia or similar patient populations indicate that these forms of priming may differ in their neural bases. The current study looks at degree of handedness as a way of investigating inferred neural architecture supporting these two forms of priming. A growing body of research indicates that degree of handedness (consistent, or CH, versus inconsistent, or ICH is associated with greater interhemispheric interaction and functional access to right hemisphere processing in ICH, with superior performance seen in ICH on memory tasks reliant on this processing. Arguments about the theoretical mechanisms underlying identification and production forms of perceptual priming tasks suggest that performance on these tasks will differ as a function of degree of handedness. We tested this question in a group of CH and ICH young adults, who were asked to study lists of words prior to performing a production priming task (word stem completion, a perceptual word identification task, and a word stem cued recall task. While both handedness groups exhibited reliable priming across tasks, word stem completion priming was greater in ICH than CH participants, with identification priming not differing between groups. This dissociation supports the argument that production and identification forms of priming have different underlying neural bases.

Moral fiction or moral fact? The distinction between doing and allowing in medical ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Huddle, Thomas S

2013-06-01

Opponents of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) maintain that physician withdrawal-of-life-sustaining-treatment cannot be morally equated to voluntary active euthanasia. PAS opponents generally distinguish these two kinds of act by positing a possible moral distinction between killing and allowing-to-die, ceteris paribus. While that distinction continues to be widely accepted in the public discourse, it has been more controversial among philosophers. Some ethicist PAS advocates are so certain that the distinction is invalid that they describe PAS opponents who hold to the distinction as in the grip of 'moral fictions'. The author contends that such a diagnosis is too hasty. The possibility of a moral distinction between active euthanasia and allowing-to-die has not been closed off by the argumentative strategies employed by these PAS advocates, including the contrasting cases strategy and the assimilation of doing and allowing to a common sense notion of causation. The philosophical debate over the doing/allowing distinction remains inconclusive, but physicians and others who rely upon that distinction in thinking about the ethics of end-of-life care need not give up on it in response to these arguments. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Directed networks' different link formation mechanisms causing degree distribution distinction

Science.gov (United States)

Behfar, Stefan Kambiz; Turkina, Ekaterina; Cohendet, Patrick; Burger-Helmchen, Thierry

2016-11-01

Within undirected networks, scientists have shown much interest in presenting power-law features. For instance, Barabási and Albert (1999) claimed that a common property of many large networks is that vertex connectivity follows scale-free power-law distribution, and in another study Barabási et al. (2002) showed power law evolution in the social network of scientific collaboration. At the same time, Jiang et al. (2011) discussed deviation from power-law distribution; others indicated that size effect (Bagrow et al., 2008), information filtering mechanism (Mossa et al., 2002), and birth and death process (Shi et al., 2005) could account for this deviation. Within directed networks, many authors have considered that outlinks follow a similar mechanism of creation as inlinks' (Faloutsos et al., 1999; Krapivsky et al., 2001; Tanimoto, 2009) with link creation rate being the linear function of node degree, resulting in a power-law shape for both indegree and outdegree distribution. Some other authors have made an assumption that directed networks, such as scientific collaboration or citation, behave as undirected, resulting in a power-law degree distribution accordingly (Barabási et al., 2002). At the same time, we claim (1) Outlinks feature different degree distributions than inlinks; where different link formation mechanisms cause the distribution distinctions, (2) in/outdegree distribution distinction holds for different levels of system decomposition; therefore this distribution distinction is a property of directed networks. First, we emphasize in/outlink formation mechanisms as causal factors for distinction between indegree and outdegree distributions (where this distinction has already been noticed in Barker et al. (2010) and Baxter et al. (2006)) within a sample network of OSS projects as well as Java software corpus as a network. Second, we analyze whether this distribution distinction holds for different levels of system decomposition: open

Empirical Study of Distinct Features and Challenges of Joint Development of Information Systems: The Case of ABC Bank

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

MAO Jiye; SONG Wenmo

2008-01-01

The internal development and outsourced development of information systems have been studied intensively, but little research has been conducted on the joint development mode. This paper describes the benefits and problems encountered in the joint development of accounting management information systems based on a real case. The case illustrates some distinct advantages, such as full control over the development schedule, the flexibility with resource allocation, and insurance for sustained active participation by the end-users. However, this development mode also involves potential problems, e.g., potential conflicts arising from diverse backgrounds and cultures of the various stakeholders and challenges to manage personnel from outside partners.

Large vessel involvement by IgG4-related disease

Science.gov (United States)

Perugino, Cory A.; Wallace, Zachary S.; Meyersohn, Nandini; Oliveira, George; Stone, James R.; Stone, John H.

2016-01-01

rituximab, a majority responded positively. Conclusions: IgG4-RD is a distinctive, unique, and treatable cause of large-vessel vasculitis. It can also involve blood vessels secondary to perivascular tumefactive lesions. The most common manifestation of IgG4-related vasculitis is aortitis with aneurysm formation. The most common secondary vascular manifestation is periaortitis with relative sparing of the aortic wall. Both primary vasculitis and secondary vascular involvement respond well to B cell depletion therapy. PMID:27428181

An Adult Developmental Approach to Perceived Facial Attractiveness and Distinctiveness

OpenAIRE

Natalie C. Ebner; Natalie C. Ebner; Natalie C. Ebner; Joerg Luedicke; Manuel C. Voelkle; Manuel C. Voelkle; Michaela Riediger; Michaela Riediger; Tian Lin; Ulman Lindenberger; Ulman Lindenberger

2018-01-01

Attractiveness and distinctiveness constitute facial features with high biological and social relevance. Bringing a developmental perspective to research on social-cognitive face perception, we used a large set of faces taken from the FACES Lifespan Database to examine effects of face and perceiver characteristics on subjective evaluations of attractiveness and distinctiveness in young (20–31 years), middle-aged (44–55 years), and older (70–81 years) men and women. We report novel findings su...

Tagging like Humans: Diverse and Distinct Image Annotation

KAUST Repository

Wu, Baoyuan; Chen, Weidong; Sun, Peng; Liu, Wei; Ghanem, Bernard; Lyu, Siwei

2018-01-01

including quantitative and qualitative comparisons, as well as human subject studies, on two benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed model can produce more diverse and distinct tags than the state-of-the-arts.

Evidence and characterization of a glide-vowel distinction in American English

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zachary Scott Jaggers

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study tests whether native speakers of American English exhibit a glide-vowel distinction ([j]-[i] in a speech elicitation experiment. When reading sentences out loud, participants’ pronunciations of 4 near-minimal pairs of pre-existing lexical items (e.g., 'Eston'[iə] vs. 'pneumon'[jə] exhibit significant differences when acoustically measured, confirming the presence of a [j]-[i] distinction. This distinction is also found to be productively extended to the production of 20 near-minimal pairs of nonce words (e.g., 'Súmia '→ [sumiə] vs. 'Fímya '→ [fimjə], diversified and balanced along different phonologically relevant factors of the surrounding environment. Multiple acoustic measurements are compared to test what aspects most consistently convey the distinction: F2 (frontness, F1 (height, intensity, vocalic sequence duration, transition earliness, and transition speed. This serves the purpose of documenting the distinction’s acoustic phonetic realization. It also serves in the comparison of phonological representations. Multiple types of previously proposed phonological representations are considered along with the competing predictions they generate regarding the acoustic measurements performed. Results suggest that the primary and most consistent characteristic of the distinction is earliness of transition into the following vowel, with results also suggesting that the [j] glide has a greater degree of constriction. The [j] glide is found to have a significantly 'less 'anterior articulation, challenging the application of a representation based on place or articulator differences that would predict [j] to be 'more 'anterior.

Uranium isotopes distinguish two geochemically distinct stages during the later Cambrian SPICE event

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Tais Wittchen; Boyle, Richard A.; Canfield, Donald E.

2014-01-01

. Here we report high-precision uranium isotopic data in marine carbonates deposited during the Late Cambrian 'SPICE' event, at ca. 499 Ma, documenting a well-defined -0.18‰ negative δ238U excursion that occurs at the onset of the SPICE event's positive δ13C and δ34S excursions, but peaks (and tails off......) before them. Dynamic modelling shows that the different response of the U reservoir cannot be attributed solely to differences in residence times or reservoir sizes - suggesting that two chemically distinct ocean states occurred within the SPICE event. The first ocean stage involved a global expansion...... depletion in the oceans (Gill et al., 2011). We discuss scenarios for how an interval of elevated pyrite and organic carbon burial could have been sustained without widespread euxinia in the water column (both non-sulfidic anoxia and/or a more oxygenated ocean state are possibilities). Either way, the SPICE...

Virus Infection Triggers MAVS Polymers of Distinct Molecular Weight

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Natalia Zamorano Cuervo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS adaptor protein is a central signaling hub required for cells to mount an antiviral response following virus sensing by retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I-like receptors. MAVS localizes in the membrane of mitochondria and peroxisomes and in mitochondrial-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Structural and functional studies have revealed that MAVS activity relies on the formation of functional high molecular weight prion-like aggregates. The formation of protein aggregates typically relies on a dynamic transition between oligomerization and aggregation states. The existence of intermediate state(s of MAVS polymers, other than aggregates, has not yet been documented. Here, we used a combination of non-reducing SDS-PAGE and semi-denaturing detergent agarose gel electrophoresis (SDD-AGE to resolve whole cell extract preparations to distinguish MAVS polymerization states. While SDD-AGE analysis of whole cell extracts revealed the formation of previously described high molecular weight prion-like aggregates upon constitutively active RIG-I ectopic expression and virus infection, non-reducing SDS-PAGE allowed us to demonstrate the induction of lower molecular weight oligomers. Cleavage of MAVS using the NS3/4A protease revealed that anchoring to intracellular membranes is required for the appropriate polymerization into active high molecular weight aggregates. Altogether, our data suggest that RIG-I-dependent MAVS activation involves the coexistence of MAVS polymers with distinct molecular weights.

The usefulness of the grammaticality-acceptability distinction in functional approaches to language

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Mads

2013-01-01

between competence and performance, rather than on a distinction between syntax and meaning. The basic rationale for having such a distinction is that much of linguistics is concerned with describing relatively stable grammatical knowledge, rather than the psycholinguistic dynamics of language use...

Distinct regions in the C-Terminus required for GLP-1R cell surface expression, activity and internalisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Aiysha; Kanamarlapudi, Venkateswarlu

2015-09-15

The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor (GLP-1R), an important drug target in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that mediates insulin secretion by GLP-1. The N-terminus controls GLP-1R biosynthetic trafficking to the cell surface but the C-terminus involvement in that trafficking is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify distinct regions within the C-terminal domain required for human GLP-1R (hGLP-1R) cell surface expression, activity and internalisation using a number of C-terminal deletions and site-directed mutations. The results of this study revealed that the residues 411-418 within the C-terminal domain of the hGLP-1R are critical in targeting the newly synthesised receptor to the plasma membrane. The residues 419-430 are important for cAMP producing activity of the receptor, most likely by coupling to Gαs. However, the residues 431-450 within the C-terminus are essential for agonist-induced hGLP-1R internalisation. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate the hGLP-1R has distinct regions within the C-terminal domain required for its cell surface expression, activity and agonist-induced internalisation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distinct patterns of gene and protein expression elicited by organophosphorus pesticides in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Dennis William E

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The wide use of organophosphorus (OP pesticides makes them an important public health concern. Persistent effects of exposure and the mechanism of neuronal degeneration are continuing issues in OP toxicology. To elucidate early steps in the mechanisms of OP toxicity, we studied alterations in global gene and protein expression in Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to OPs using microarrays and mass spectrometry. We tested two structurally distinct OPs (dichlorvos and fenamiphos and employed a mechanistically different third neurotoxicant, mefloquine, as an out-group for analysis. Treatment levels used concentrations of chemical sufficient to prevent the development of 10%, 50% or 90% of mid-vulval L4 larvae into early gravid adults (EGA at 24 h after exposure in a defined, bacteria-free medium. Results After 8 h of exposure, the expression of 87 genes responded specifically to OP treatment. The abundance of 34 proteins also changed in OP-exposed worms. Many of the genes and proteins affected by the OPs are expressed in neuronal and muscle tissues and are involved in lipid metabolism, cell adhesion, apoptosis/cell death, and detoxification. Twenty-two genes were differentially affected by the two OPs; a large proportion of these genes encode cytochrome P450s, UDP-glucuronosyl/UDP-glucosyltransferases, or P-glycoproteins. The abundance of transcripts and the proteins they encode were well correlated. Conclusion Exposure to OPs elicits a pattern of changes in gene expression in exposed worms distinct from that of the unrelated neurotoxicant, mefloquine. The functional roles and the tissue location of the genes and proteins whose expression is modulated in response to exposure is consistent with the known effects of OPs, including damage to muscle due to persistent hypercontraction, neuronal cell death, and phase I and phase II detoxification. Further, the two different OPs evoked distinguishable changes in gene expression; about half

Tyrosine kinase chromosomal translocations mediate distinct and overlapping gene regulation events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hani; Gillis, Lisa C; Jarvis, Jordan D; Yang, Stuart; Huang, Kai; Der, Sandy; Barber, Dwayne L

2011-01-01

Leukemia is a heterogeneous disease commonly associated with recurrent chromosomal translocations that involve tyrosine kinases including BCR-ABL, TEL-PDGFRB and TEL-JAK2. Most studies on the activated tyrosine kinases have focused on proximal signaling events, but little is known about gene transcription regulated by these fusions. Oligonucleotide microarray was performed to compare mRNA changes attributable to BCR-ABL, TEL-PDGFRB and TEL-JAK2 after 1 week of activation of each fusion in Ba/F3 cell lines. Imatinib was used to control the activation of BCR-ABL and TEL-PDGFRB, and TEL-JAK2-mediated gene expression was examined 1 week after Ba/F3-TEL-JAK2 cells were switched to factor-independent conditions. Microarray analysis revealed between 800 to 2000 genes induced or suppressed by two-fold or greater by each tyrosine kinase, with a subset of these genes commonly induced or suppressed among the three fusions. Validation by Quantitative PCR confirmed that eight genes (Dok2, Mrvi1, Isg20, Id1, gp49b, Cxcl10, Scinderin, and collagen Vα1(Col5a1)) displayed an overlapping regulation among the three tested fusion proteins. Stat1 and Gbp1 were induced uniquely by TEL-PDGFRB. Our results suggest that BCR-ABL, TEL-PDGFRB and TEL-JAK2 regulate distinct and overlapping gene transcription profiles. Many of the genes identified are known to be involved in processes associated with leukemogenesis, including cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. This study offers the basis for further work that could lead to an understanding of the specificity of diseases caused by these three chromosomal translocations

Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 metabolises the human milk oligosaccharides lacto-N-tetraose and lacto-N-neo-tetraose through overlapping, yet distinct pathways

Science.gov (United States)

James, Kieran; Motherway, Mary O’Connell; Bottacini, Francesca; van Sinderen, Douwe

2016-01-01

In this study, we demonstrate that the prototype B. breve strain UCC2003 possesses specific metabolic pathways for the utilisation of lacto-N-tetraose (LNT) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), which represent the central moieties of Type I and Type II human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), respectively. Using a combination of experimental approaches, the enzymatic machinery involved in the metabolism of LNT and LNnT was identified and characterised. Homologs of the key genetic loci involved in the utilisation of these HMO substrates were identified in B. breve, B. bifidum, B. longum subsp. infantis and B. longum subsp. longum using bioinformatic analyses, and were shown to be variably present among other members of the Bifidobacterium genus, with a distinct pattern of conservation among human-associated bifidobacterial species. PMID:27929046

Distinct electrophysiological indices of maintenance in auditory and visual short-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefebvre, Christine; Vachon, François; Grimault, Stephan; Thibault, Jennifer; Guimond, Synthia; Peretz, Isabelle; Zatorre, Robert J; Jolicœur, Pierre

2013-11-01

We compared the electrophysiological correlates for the maintenance of non-musical tones sequences in auditory short-term memory (ASTM) to those for the short-term maintenance of sequences of coloured disks held in visual short-term memory (VSTM). The visual stimuli yielded a sustained posterior contralateral negativity (SPCN), suggesting that the maintenance of sequences of coloured stimuli engaged structures similar to those involved in the maintenance of simultaneous visual displays. On the other hand, maintenance of acoustic sequences produced a sustained negativity at fronto-central sites. This component is named the Sustained Anterior Negativity (SAN). The amplitude of the SAN increased with increasing load in ASTM and predicted individual differences in the performance. There was no SAN in a control condition with the same auditory stimuli but no memory task, nor one associated with visual memory. These results suggest that the SAN is an index of brain activity related to the maintenance of representations in ASTM that is distinct from the maintenance of representations in VSTM. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extracellular signals that define distinct and coexisting cell fates in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

López, Daniel; Kolter, Roberto

2010-03-01

The soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus subtilis differentiates into distinct subpopulations of specialized cells that coexist within highly structured communities. The coordination and interplay between these cell types requires extensive extracellular communication driven mostly by sensing self-generated secreted signals. These extracellular signals activate a set of sensor kinases, which respond by phosphorylating three major regulatory proteins, Spo0A, DegU and ComA. Each phosphorylated regulator triggers a specific differentiation program while at the same time repressing other differentiation programs. This allows a cell to differentiate in response to a specific cue, even in the presence of other, possibly conflicting, signals. The sensor kinases involved respond to an eclectic group of extracellular signals, such as quorum-sensing molecules, natural products, temperature, pH or scarcity of nutrients. This article reviews the cascades of cell differentiation pathways that are triggered by sensing extracellular signals. We also present a tentative developmental model in which the diverse cell types sequentially differentiate to achieve the proper development of the bacterial community.

Cardiac protein expression patterns are associated with distinct inborn exercise capacity in non-selectively bred rats

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L.P. Ribeiro

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, we successfully demonstrated for the first time the existence of cardiac proteomic differences between non-selectively bred rats with distinct intrinsic exercise capacities. A proteomic approach based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry was used to study the left ventricle (LV tissue proteome of rats with distinct intrinsic exercise capacity. Low running performance (LRP and high running performance (HRP rats were categorized by a treadmill exercise test, according to distance run to exhaustion. The running capacity of HRPs was 3.5-fold greater than LRPs. Protein profiling revealed 29 differences between HRP and LRP rats (15 proteins were identified. We detected alterations in components involved in metabolism, antioxidant and stress response, microfibrillar and cytoskeletal proteins. Contractile proteins were upregulated in the LVs of HRP rats (α-myosin heavy chain-6, myosin light chain-1 and creatine kinase, whereas the LVs of LRP rats exhibited upregulation in proteins associated with stress response (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, α-crystallin B chain and HSPβ-2. In addition, the cytoskeletal proteins desmin and α-actin were upregulated in LRPs. Taken together, our results suggest that the increased contractile protein levels in HRP rats partly accounted for their improved exercise capacity, and that proteins considered risk factors to the development of cardiovascular disease were expressed in higher amounts in LRP animals.

The means/side-effect distinction in moral cognition: A meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Feltz, Adam; May, Joshua

2017-09-01

Experimental research suggests that people draw a moral distinction between bad outcomes brought about as a means versus a side effect (or byproduct). Such findings have informed multiple psychological and philosophical debates about moral cognition, including its computational structure, its sensitivity to the famous Doctrine of Double Effect, its reliability, and its status as a universal and innate mental module akin to universal grammar. But some studies have failed to replicate the means/byproduct effect especially in the absence of other factors, such as personal contact. So we aimed to determine how robust the means/byproduct effect is by conducting a meta-analysis of both published and unpublished studies (k=101; 24,058 participants). We found that while there is an overall small difference between moral judgments of means and byproducts (standardized mean difference=0.87, 95% CI 0.67-1.06; standardized mean change=0.57, 95% CI 0.44-0.69; log odds ratio=1.59, 95% CI 1.15-2.02), the mean effect size is primarily moderated by whether the outcome is brought about by personal contact, which typically involves the use of personal force. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetically Distinct Subsets within ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Paul A.; Rayner, Tim F.; Trivedi, Sapna; Holle, Julia U.; Watts, Richard A.; Jayne, David R.W.; Baslund, Bo; Brenchley, Paul; Bruchfeld, Annette; Chaudhry, Afzal N.; Tervaert, Jan Willem Cohen; Deloukas, Panos; Feighery, Conleth; Gross, Wolfgang L.; Guillevin, Loic; Gunnarsson, Iva; P, Lorraine Harper M.R.C; Hrušková, Zdenka; Little, Mark A.; Martorana, Davide; Neumann, Thomas; Ohlsson, Sophie; Padmanabhan, Sandosh; Pusey, Charles D.; Salama, Alan D.; Sanders, Jan-Stephan F.; Savage, Caroline O.; Segelmark, Mårten; Stegeman, Coen A.; Tesař, Vladimir; Vaglio, Augusto; Wieczorek, Stefan; Wilde, Benjamin; Zwerina, Jochen; Rees, Andrew J.; Clayton, David G.; Smith, Kenneth G.C.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis is a severe condition encompassing two major syndromes: granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly known as Wegener’s granulomatosis) and microscopic polyangiitis. Its cause is unknown, and there is debate about whether it is a single disease entity and what role ANCA plays in its pathogenesis. We investigated its genetic basis. METHODS A genomewide association study was performed in a discovery cohort of 1233 U.K. patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and 5884 controls and was replicated in 1454 Northern European case patients and 1666 controls. Quality control, population stratification, and statistical analyses were performed according to standard criteria. RESULTS We found both major-histocompatibility-complex (MHC) and non-MHC associations with ANCA-associated vasculitis and also that granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis were genetically distinct. The strongest genetic associations were with the antigenic specificity of ANCA, not with the clinical syndrome. Anti–proteinase 3 ANCA was associated with HLA-DP and the genes encoding α1-antitrypsin (SERPINA1) and proteinase 3 (PRTN3) (P = 6.2×10−89, P = 5.6×10−12, and P = 2.6×10−7, respectively). Anti–myeloperoxidase ANCA was associated with HLA-DQ (P = 2.1×10−8). CONCLUSIONS This study confirms that the pathogenesis of ANCA-associated vasculitis has a genetic component, shows genetic distinctions between granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis that are associated with ANCA specificity, and suggests that the response against the autoantigen proteinase 3 is a central pathogenic feature of proteinase 3 ANCA–associated vasculitis. These data provide preliminary support for the concept that proteinase 3 ANCA–associated vasculitis and myeloperoxidase ANCA–associated vasculitis are distinct autoimmune syndromes. (Funded by the British Heart Foundation and others.) PMID

Processing vertical size disparities in distinct depth planes.

Science.gov (United States)

Duke, Philip A; Howard, Ian P

2012-08-17

A textured surface appears slanted about a vertical axis when the image in one eye is horizontally enlarged relative to the image in the other eye. The surface appears slanted in the opposite direction when the same image is vertically enlarged. Two superimposed textured surfaces with different horizontal size disparities appear as two surfaces that differ in slant. Superimposed textured surfaces with equal and opposite vertical size disparities appear as a single frontal surface. The vertical disparities are averaged. We investigated whether vertical size disparities are averaged across two superimposed textured surfaces in different depth planes or whether they induce distinct slants in the two depth planes. In Experiment 1, two superimposed textured surfaces with different vertical size disparities were presented in two depth planes defined by horizontal disparity. The surfaces induced distinct slants when the horizontal disparity was more than ±5 arcmin. Thus, vertical size disparities are not averaged over surfaces with different horizontal disparities. In Experiment 2 we confirmed that vertical size disparities are processed in surfaces away from the horopter, so the results of Experiment 1 cannot be explained by the processing of vertical size disparities in a fixated surface only. Together, these results show that vertical size disparities are processed separately in distinct depth planes. The results also suggest that vertical size disparities are not used to register slant globally by their effect on the registration of binocular direction of gaze.

Cognitive foundations of organizational learning: re-introducing the distinction between declarative and non-declarative knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Kump, Barbara; Moskaliuk, Johannes; Cress, Ulrike; Kimmerle, Joachim

2015-01-01

Contemporary research into socio-cognitive foundations of organizational learning tends to disregard the distinction between declarative and non-declarative knowledge. By reviewing the literature from organizational learning research and cognitive psychology we explain that this distinction is crucial. We describe the foundations of organizational learning by referring to models that consider the interplay between individual and collective knowledge-related processes in organizations. We highlight the existence of a research gap resulting from the finding that these approaches have widely neglected the existence of different types of knowledge. We then elaborate on characteristics of declarative and non-declarative knowledge in general, consider organizations as structures of distributed cognition, and discuss the relationship between organizational knowledge and practice. Subsequently, we examine the role of declarative and non-declarative knowledge in the context of organizational learning. Here, we analyze (1) the cognitive and social mechanisms underlying the development of declarative and non-declarative knowledge within structures of distributed cognition; and (2) the relationship between alterations in declarative and non-declarative types of knowledge on the one hand and changes in organizational practice on the other. Concluding, we discuss implications of our analysis for organizational learning research. We explain how our integrative perspective may offer starting points for a refined understanding of the sub-processes involved in organizational learning and unlearning and may support a better understanding of practical problems related to organizational learning and change.

Cognitive foundations of organizational learning: re-introducing the distinction between declarative and non-declarative knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Kump, Barbara; Moskaliuk, Johannes; Cress, Ulrike; Kimmerle, Joachim

2015-01-01

Contemporary research into socio-cognitive foundations of organizational learning tends to disregard the distinction between declarative and non-declarative knowledge. By reviewing the literature from organizational learning research and cognitive psychology we explain that this distinction is crucial. We describe the foundations of organizational learning by referring to models that consider the interplay between individual and collective knowledge-related processes in organizations. We highlight the existence of a research gap resulting from the finding that these approaches have widely neglected the existence of different types of knowledge. We then elaborate on characteristics of declarative and non-declarative knowledge in general, consider organizations as structures of distributed cognition, and discuss the relationship between organizational knowledge and practice. Subsequently, we examine the role of declarative and non-declarative knowledge in the context of organizational learning. Here, we analyze (1) the cognitive and social mechanisms underlying the development of declarative and non-declarative knowledge within structures of distributed cognition; and (2) the relationship between alterations in declarative and non-declarative types of knowledge on the one hand and changes in organizational practice on the other. Concluding, we discuss implications of our analysis for organizational learning research. We explain how our integrative perspective may offer starting points for a refined understanding of the sub-processes involved in organizational learning and unlearning and may support a better understanding of practical problems related to organizational learning and change. PMID:26483739

Pseudomonas aeruginosa diversity in distinct paediatric patient groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tramper-Stranders, G.A.; Ent, C.K. van der; Wolfs, T.F.

2008-01-01

the other groups. A group of clonal isolates was observed among patients from the CF-chronic and CF-1 groups. These or different clonal isolates were not encountered among the three other patient groups. No characteristic resistance pattern could be identified among isolates from the distinct patient groups......Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen that often infects patients who are either immunocompromised or have local defects in host defences. It is known that cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are sometimes infected with certain clonal isolates. It is not clear whether these clonal isolates also infect non......-CF patients and whether clonality of isolates occurs in other patient groups. The aim of this study was to investigate P. aeruginosa diversity and the occurrence of clones within five distinct paediatric patient groups susceptible to P. aeruginosa infection. P. aeruginosa isolates were cultured from 157...

European freshwater VHSV genotype Ia isolates divide into two distinct subpopulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kahns, Søren; Skall, Helle Frank; Kaas, Rolf Sommer

2012-01-01

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS), caused by the novirhabdovirus VHSV, often leads to significant economic losses to European rainbow trout production. The virus isolates are divided into 4 distinct genotypes with additional subgroups including sublineage Ia, isolates of which are the main...... detected in Denmark since January 2009. Full-length G-genes of all Danish VHSV isolates that were submitted for diagnostic analyses in the period 2004−2009 were sequenced and analysed. All 58 Danish isolates from rainbow trout grouped with sublineage Ia isolates. Furthermore, VHSV isolates from infected...... Danish freshwater catchments appear to have evolved into a distinct clade within sublineage Ia, herein designated clade Ia-1, whereas trout isolates originating from other continental European countries cluster in another distinct clade, designated clade Ia-2. In addition, phylogenetic analyses indicate...

Confluence for classical logic through the distinction between values and computations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Espírito Santo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available We apply an idea originated in the theory of programming languages - monadic meta-language with a distinction between values and computations - in the design of a calculus of cut-elimination for classical logic. The cut-elimination calculus we obtain comprehends the call-by-name and call-by-value fragments of Curien-Herbelin's lambda-bar-mu-mu-tilde-calculus without losing confluence, and is based on a distinction of "modes" in the proof expressions and "mode" annotations in types. Modes resemble colors and polarities, but are quite different: we give meaning to them in terms of a monadic meta-language where the distinction between values and computations is fully explored. This meta-language is a refinement of the classical monadic language previously introduced by the authors, and is also developed in the paper.

Transcriptome signature identifies distinct cervical pathways induced in lipopolysaccharide-mediated preterm birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Willcockson, Alexandra R; Nandu, Tulip; Liu, Cheuk-Lun; Nallasamy, Shanmugasundaram; Kraus, W Lee; Mahendroo, Mala

2018-03-01

With half a million babies born preterm each year in the USA and about 15 million worldwide, preterm birth (PTB) remains a global health issue. Preterm birth is a primary cause of infant morbidity and mortality and can impact lives long past infancy. The fact that there are numerous, and many currently unidentified, etiologies of PTB has hindered development of tools for risk evaluation and preventative therapies. Infection is estimated to be involved in nearly 40% of PTBs of known etiology; therefore, understanding how infection-mediated inflammation alters the cervical milieu and leads to preterm tissue biomechanical changes are questions of interest. Using RNA-seq, we identified enrichment of components involved in inflammasome activation and unique proteases in the mouse cervix during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated PTB and not physiologically at term before labor. Despite transcriptional induction of inflammasome components, there was no evidence of functional activation based on assessment of mature IL1B and IL18 proteins. The increased transcription of proteases that target both elastic fibers and collagen and concentration of myeloid-derived cells capable of protease synthesis in the cervical stroma support the structural disruption of elastic fibers as a functional output of protease activity. The recent demonstration that elastic fibers contribute to the biomechanical function of the pregnant cervix suggests their protease-induced disruption in the infection model of LPS-mediated PTB and may contribute to premature loss of mechanical competency and preterm delivery. Collectively, the transcriptomics and ultrastructural data provide new insights into the distinct mechanisms of premature cervical remodeling in response to infection.

Adaptive radiation versus 'radiation' and 'explosive diversification': why conceptual distinctions are fundamental to understanding evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Givnish, Thomas J

2015-07-01

Adaptive radiation is the rise of a diversity of ecological roles and role-specific adaptations within a lineage. Recently, some researchers have begun to use 'adaptive radiation' or 'radiation' as synonymous with 'explosive species diversification'. This essay aims to clarify distinctions between these concepts, and the related ideas of geographic speciation, sexual selection, key innovations, key landscapes and ecological keys. Several examples are given to demonstrate that adaptive radiation and explosive diversification are not the same phenomenon, and that focusing on explosive diversification and the analysis of phylogenetic topology ignores much of the rich biology associated with adaptive radiation, and risks generating confusion about the nature of the evolutionary forces driving species diversification. Some 'radiations' involve bursts of geographic speciation or sexual selection, rather than adaptive diversification; some adaptive radiations have little or no effect on speciation, or even a negative effect. Many classic examples of 'adaptive radiation' appear to involve effects driven partly by geographic speciation, species' dispersal abilities, and the nature of extrinsic dispersal barriers; partly by sexual selection; and partly by adaptive radiation in the classical sense, including the origin of traits and invasion of adaptive zones that result in decreased diversification rates but add to overall diversity. © 2015 The Author. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Unsentimental Ethics: Towards a Content-Specific Account of the Moral-Conventional Distinction

Science.gov (United States)

Royzman, Edward B.; Leeman, Robert F.; Baron, Jonathan

2009-01-01

In this paper, we offer an overview and a critique of the existing theories of the moral-conventional distinction, with emphasis on Nichols's [Nichols, S. (2002). Norms with feeling: Towards a psychological account of moral judgment. "Cognition, 84", 221-236] neo-sentimentalist approach. After discussing some distinctive features of Nichols's…

DNA repair in human cells: Methods for the determination of calmodulin involvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charp, P.A.

1987-01-01

Exposure of DNA to either physical or chemical agents can result in the formation of a number of different lesions which must be repaired enzymatically in order for DNA to carry on normal replication and transcription. In most cases, the enzymes involved in this repair of damaged DNA include endonucleases, exonucleases, glycosylases, polymerases, and ligases. Each group of enzymes is involved in precise steps in DNA repair. Exposure to physical agents such as ultraviolet light (UV) at a wavelength of 254 nm is repaired by two distinct and different mechanisms. One mode of enzymatic repair of pyrimidine dimers is accomplished in situ by photoreactivation of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers by photoreactivating light. The second mode of enzymatic repair is the excision repair of pyrimidine dimers involving several different enzymes including endonuclease, exonuclease, and DNA ligase. A summary of the sequence of enzymatic steps involved is shown. It has been observed that specific drugs which bind to and alter the action of calmodulin in cells block DNA synthesis. This suggests that calmodulin may play a role both in normal DNA replication and repair. Others using an indirect method measuring the degree of DNA nucleoid sedimentation, showed that the specific anti-calmodulin agent W-13 slowed the rate of DNA repair. Others showed that DNA synthesis in T51B rat liver cells could be blocked with the addition of either chlorpromazine or trifluoperazine

Comparative genomic analysis of the Lipase3 gene family in five plant species reveals distinct evolutionary origins.

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Wang, Dan; Zhang, Lin; Hu, JunFeng; Gao, Dianshuai; Liu, Xin; Sha, Yan

2018-04-01

Lipases are physiologically important and ubiquitous enzymes that share a conserved domain and are classified into eight different families based on their amino acid sequences and fundamental biological properties. The Lipase3 family of lipases was reported to possess a canonical fold typical of α/β hydrolases and a typical catalytic triad, suggesting a distinct evolutionary origin for this family. Genes in the Lipase3 family do not have the same functions, but maintain the conserved Lipase3 domain. There have been extensive studies of Lipase3 structures and functions, but little is known about their evolutionary histories. In this study, all lipases within five plant species were identified, and their phylogenetic relationships and genetic properties were analyzed and used to group them into distinct evolutionary families. Each identified lipase family contained at least one dicot and monocot Lipase3 protein, indicating that the gene family was established before the split of dicots and monocots. Similar intron/exon numbers and predicted protein sequence lengths were found within individual groups. Twenty-four tandem Lipase3 gene duplications were identified, implying that the distinctive function of Lipase3 genes appears to be a consequence of translocation and neofunctionalization after gene duplication. The functional genes EDS1, PAD4, and SAG101 that are reportedly involved in pathogen response were all located in the same group. The nucleotide diversity (Dxy) and the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitutions rates (Ka/Ks) of the three genes were significantly greater than the average across the genomes. We further observed evidence for selection maintaining diversity on three genes in the Toll-Interleukin-1 receptor type of nucleotide binding/leucine-rich repeat immune receptor (TIR-NBS LRR) immunity-response signaling pathway, indicating that they could be vulnerable to pathogen effectors.

Effects of two distinct group motor skill interventions in psychological and motor skills of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Caçola, Priscila; Romero, Michael; Ibana, Melvin; Chuang, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have an increased risk for mental health difficulties. The present pilot study aimed to determine whether distinct group intervention programs improved several psychological variables (anxiety; adequacy and predilection for physical activity; participation, preferences, and enjoyment for activities) and motor skills from the perspective of a child with DCD as well as parental perceptions of motor skills, rate of function, and strengths and difficulties. Eleven children participated in Program A and thirteen in Program B. Both involved 10 sessions of 1 h each. Program A focused on task-oriented activities in a large group involving motor skill training and collaboration and cooperation among children, while Program B was composed of three groups with a direct goal-oriented approach for training of skills chosen by the children. Results indicated that children improved motor skills after both programs, but showed distinct results in regards to other variables - after Program A, children showed higher anxiety and lower levels of enjoyment, even though parents detected an improvement in rate of function and a decrease in peer problems. With Program B, children decreased anxiety levels, and parents noted a higher control of movement of their children. Regardless of the group approach, children were able to improve motor skills. However, it is possible that the differences between groups may have influenced parents' perception of their children's motor and psychological skills, as well as children's perception of anxiety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microcephaly, ectodermal dysplasia, multiple skeletal anomalies and distinctive facial appearance: delineation of cerebro-dermato-osseous-dysplasia.

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Castori, Marco; Pascolini, Giulia; Parisi, Valentina; Sana, Maria Elena; Novelli, Antonio; Nürnberg, Peter; Iascone, Maria; Grammatico, Paola

2015-04-01

In 1980, a novel multiple malformation syndrome has been described in a 17-year-old woman with micro- and turricephaly, intellectual disability, distinctive facial appearance, congenital atrichia, and multiple skeletal anomalies mainly affecting the limbs. Four further sporadic patients and a couple of affected sibs are also reported with a broad clinical variability. Here, we describe a 4-year-old girl strikingly resembling the original report. Phenotype comparison identified a recurrent pattern of multisystem features involving the central nervous system, and skin and bones in five sporadic patients (including ours), while the two sibs and a further sporadic case show significant phenotypic divergence. Marked clinical variability within the same entity versus syndrome splitting is discussed and the term "cerebro-dermato-osseous dysplasia" is introduced to define this condition. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Promoter or enhancer, what's the difference? Deconstruction of established distinctions and presentation of a unifying model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Robin

2015-01-01

Gene transcription is strictly controlled by the interplay of regulatory events at gene promoters and gene-distal regulatory elements called enhancers. Despite extensive studies of enhancers, we still have a very limited understanding of their mechanisms of action and their restricted spatio......-temporal activities. A better understanding would ultimately lead to fundamental insights into the control of gene transcription and the action of regulatory genetic variants involved in disease. Here, I review and discuss pros and cons of state-of-the-art genomics methods to localize and infer the activity...... of enhancers. Among the different approaches, profiling of enhancer RNAs yields the highest specificity and may be superior in detecting in vivo activity. I discuss their apparent similarities to promoters, which challenge the established view of enhancers and promoters as distinct entities, and present...

Number of perceptually distinct surface colors in natural scenes.

Science.gov (United States)

Marín-Franch, Iván; Foster, David H

2010-09-30

The ability to perceptually identify distinct surfaces in natural scenes by virtue of their color depends not only on the relative frequency of surface colors but also on the probabilistic nature of observer judgments. Previous methods of estimating the number of discriminable surface colors, whether based on theoretical color gamuts or recorded from real scenes, have taken a deterministic approach. Thus, a three-dimensional representation of the gamut of colors is divided into elementary cells or points which are spaced at one discrimination-threshold unit intervals and which are then counted. In this study, information-theoretic methods were used to take into account both differing surface-color frequencies and observer response uncertainty. Spectral radiances were calculated from 50 hyperspectral images of natural scenes and were represented in a perceptually almost uniform color space. The average number of perceptually distinct surface colors was estimated as 7.3 × 10(3), much smaller than that based on counting methods. This number is also much smaller than the number of distinct points in a scene that are, in principle, available for reliable identification under illuminant changes, suggesting that color constancy, or the lack of it, does not generally determine the limit on the use of color for surface identification.

Distinct Evening Fatigue Profiles in Oncology Outpatients Receiving Chemotherapy

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Wright, Fay; Cooper, Bruce A.; Conley, Yvette P.; Hammer, Marilyn J.; Chen, Lee-May; Paul, Steven M.; Levine, Jon D.; Miaskowski, Christine; Kober, Kord M.

2018-01-01

Background Fatigue is the most common and debilitating symptom experienced by oncology patients during chemotherapy (CTX). Fatigue severity demonstrates a large amount of inter-individual and diurnal variability. Purpose Study purposes were to evaluate for subgroups of patients with distinct evening fatigue profiles and evaluate how these subgroups differed on demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics. Methods Outpatients with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer (n=1332) completed questionnaires six times over two cycles of CTX. Lee Fatigue Scale (LFS) evaluated evening fatigue severity. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct evening fatigue profiles. Results Four distinct evening fatigue classes (i.e., Low (14.0%), Moderate (17.2%), High (36.0%), Very High (32.8%)) were identified. Compared to the Low class, patients in the Very High evening fatigue class were: younger, female, had childcare responsibilities, had more years of education, had a lower functional status, had a higher comorbidity burden, and were diagnosed with breast cancer. Patients in the Very High class reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, sleep disturbance, and evening fatigue at enrollment. Conclusions Findings provide new insights into modifiable risk factors for higher levels of evening fatigue. Clinicians can use this information to identify higher risk patients and plan appropriate interventions. PMID:29725554

Organism versus mechanism: Losing our grip on the distinction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henk Reitsema

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The distinction between organism and mechanism is often subtle or unclear and yet can prove to be fundamental to our understanding of the world. It has been tempting for many thinkers to seek to ‘understand’ all of reality through the lens of either the one or the other of these concepts rather than by giving both a place. This article sets out to argue that there is a substantial loss of understanding when either of these metaphors is absolutised to explain all causal processes and patterns in reality. Clarifying the distinction between the two may provide one more tool to grasp what is reductionist in many of the perspectives that have come to dominate public life and science today. This contention is tested on the quest for the design of self-replicating systems (i.e. synthetic organisms in the nanotech industry. It is common that the concepts of organic functioning and mechanism are used imprecisely and in an overlapping way. This is also true of much scientific debate, especially in the fields of biology, micro-biology and nano-science. This imprecise use signals a reductionist tendency both in the way that the organic is perceived and in terms of the distinctive nature of mechanisms.

Dissociative effects of orthographic distinctiveness in pure and mixed lists: an item-order account.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniel, Mark A; Cahill, Michael; Bugg, Julie M; Meadow, Nathaniel G

2011-10-01

We apply the item-order theory of list composition effects in free recall to the orthographic distinctiveness effect. The item-order account assumes that orthographically distinct items advantage item-specific encoding in both mixed and pure lists, but at the expense of exploiting relational information present in the list. Experiment 1 replicated the typical free recall advantage of orthographically distinct items in mixed lists and the elimination of that advantage in pure lists. Supporting the item-order account, recognition performances indicated that orthographically distinct items received greater item-specific encoding than did orthographically common items in mixed and pure lists (Experiments 1 and 2). Furthermore, order memory (input-output correspondence and sequential contiguity effects) was evident in recall of pure unstructured common lists, but not in recall of unstructured distinct lists (Experiment 1). These combined patterns, although not anticipated by prevailing views, are consistent with an item-order account.

76 FR 14883 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

...-XZ58 Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of..., published a proposed rule to list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of the... published a proposed rule to list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of the...

The theory–practice distinction and the complexity of practical knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonnie Miller-McLemore

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Over the past few decades, theologians have recognised the value of practice but have been optimistic about the ease with which practice is incorporated into theology. People use all sorts of adjectives to characterise the complex relationship – ‘integrally related’, a ‘deeper reciprocity’, ‘bound up in thickly intertwined ways’ – but connecting the two is not as easy as these words suggest. This article returns to the age-old question about the relationship between theory and practice. But it studies this question from the angle of practice. Although many scholars have analysed the distinction between theory and practice as it functions conceptually, few have examined challenges in relating the two as they emerge in practice. The article argues that there is an inevitable distinction between theory and practice that receives considerably less attention and needs more understanding and even respect. It also argues that the discipline of practical theology adds a distinctive angle on this discussion because it considers how the concepts function practically.

Distinct Laterality in Forelimb-Movement Representations of Rat Primary and Secondary Motor Cortical Neurons with Intratelencephalic and Pyramidal Tract Projections.

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Soma, Shogo; Saiki, Akiko; Yoshida, Junichi; Ríos, Alain; Kawabata, Masanori; Sakai, Yutaka; Isomura, Yoshikazu

2017-11-08

Two distinct motor areas, the primary and secondary motor cortices (M1 and M2), play crucial roles in voluntary movement in rodents. The aim of this study was to characterize the laterality in motor cortical representations of right and left forelimb movements. To achieve this goal, we developed a novel behavioral task, the Right-Left Pedal task, in which a head-restrained male rat manipulates a right or left pedal with the corresponding forelimb. This task enabled us to monitor independent movements of both forelimbs with high spatiotemporal resolution. We observed phasic movement-related neuronal activity (Go-type) and tonic hold-related activity (Hold-type) in isolated unilateral movements. In both M1 and M2, Go-type neurons exhibited bias toward contralateral preference, whereas Hold-type neurons exhibited no bias. The contralateral bias was weaker in M2 than M1. Moreover, we differentiated between intratelencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons using optogenetically evoked spike collision in rats expressing channelrhodopsin-2. Even in identified PT and IT neurons, Hold-type neurons exhibited no lateral bias. Go-type PT neurons exhibited bias toward contralateral preference, whereas IT neurons exhibited no bias. Our findings suggest a different laterality of movement representations of M1 and M2, in each of which IT neurons are involved in cooperation of bilateral movements, whereas PT neurons control contralateral movements. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In rodents, the primary and secondary motor cortices (M1 and M2) are involved in voluntary movements via distinct projection neurons: intratelencephalic (IT) neurons and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons. However, it remains unclear whether the two motor cortices (M1 vs M2) and the two classes of projection neurons (IT vs PT) have different laterality of movement representations. We optogenetically identified these neurons and analyzed their functional activity using a novel behavioral task to monitor movements

Sportas Vilniaus pedagoginiame universitete 1996-1997 mokslo metais

OpenAIRE

1998-01-01

Jau ketverius darbo metus atskaičiavo VPU sporto centras. Centro treneriai rengė Universiteto studentus įvairių sporto šakų varžyboms. Studentai galėjo treniruotis krepšinio, tinklinio, rankinio, futbolo, lengvosios atletikos, orientavimosi sporto, aerobikos, stalo teniso sportinio meistriškumo grupėse. Šiais mokslo metais studentus treniravo G. Vitkauskas ir K. Babrauskas, R. Šalkuvienė ir J. Adomaitis, A. Taraskevičius ir E. Urbanavičius, L. Mikutienė ir K. Latoža, F. Karoblienė ir V. Sabal...

Magnetic mirror fusion systems: Characteristics and distinctive features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1987-01-01

A tutorial account is given of the main characteristics and distinctive features of conceptual magnetic fusion systems employing the magnetic mirror principle. These features are related to the potential advantages that mirror-based fusion systems may exhibit for the generation of economic fusion power

Distinct Viral and Mutational Spectrum of Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma.

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Francesco Abate

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL is primarily found in children in equatorial regions and represents the first historical example of a virus-associated human malignancy. Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV infection and MYC translocations are hallmarks of the disease, it is unclear whether other factors may contribute to its development. We performed RNA-Seq on 20 eBL cases from Uganda and showed that the mutational and viral landscape of eBL is more complex than previously reported. First, we found the presence of other herpesviridae family members in 8 cases (40%, in particular human herpesvirus 5 and human herpesvirus 8 and confirmed their presence by immunohistochemistry in the adjacent non-neoplastic tissue. Second, we identified a distinct latency program in EBV involving lytic genes in association with TCF3 activity. Third, by comparing the eBL mutational landscape with published data on sporadic Burkitt lymphoma (sBL, we detected lower frequencies of mutations in MYC, ID3, TCF3 and TP53, and a higher frequency of mutation in ARID1A in eBL samples. Recurrent mutations in two genes not previously associated with eBL were identified in 20% of tumors: RHOA and cyclin F (CCNF. We also observed that polyviral samples showed lower numbers of somatic mutations in common altered genes in comparison to sBL specimens, suggesting dual mechanisms of transformation, mutation versus virus driven in sBL and eBL respectively.

Distinctive fingerprints of erosional regimes in terrestrial channel networks

Science.gov (United States)

Grau Galofre, A.; Jellinek, M.

2017-12-01

Satellite imagery and digital elevation maps capture the large scale morphology of channel networks attributed to long term erosional processes, such as fluvial, glacial, groundwater sapping and subglacial erosion. Characteristic morphologies associated with each of these styles of erosion have been studied in detail, but there exists a knowledge gap related to their parameterization and quantification. This knowledge gap prevents a rigorous analysis of the dominant processes that shaped a particular landscape, and a comparison across styles of erosion. To address this gap, we use previous morphological descriptions of glaciers, rivers, sapping valleys and tunnel valleys to identify and measure quantitative metrics diagnostic of these distinctive styles of erosion. From digital elevation models, we identify four geometric metrics: The minimum channel width, channel aspect ratio (longest length to channel width at the outlet), presence of undulating longitudinal profiles, and tributary junction angle. We also parameterize channel network complexity in terms of its stream order and fractal dimension. We then perform a statistical classification of the channel networks using a Principal Component Analysis on measurements of these six metrics on a dataset of 70 channelized systems. We show that rivers, glaciers, groundwater seepage and subglacial meltwater erode the landscape in rigorously distinguishable ways. Our methodology can more generally be applied to identify the contributions of different processes involved in carving a channel network. In particular, we are able to identify transitions from fluvial to glaciated landscapes or vice-versa.

Distinct Viral and Mutational Spectrum of Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Abate, Francesco; Ambrosio, Maria Raffaella; Mundo, Lucia; Laginestra, Maria Antonella; Fuligni, Fabio; Rossi, Maura; Zairis, Sakellarios; Gazaneo, Sara; De Falco, Giulia; Lazzi, Stefano; Bellan, Cristiana; Rocca, Bruno Jim; Amato, Teresa; Marasco, Elena; Etebari, Maryam; Ogwang, Martin; Calbi, Valeria; Ndede, Isaac; Patel, Kirtika; Chumba, David; Piccaluga, Pier Paolo; Pileri, Stefano; Leoncini, Lorenzo; Rabadan, Raul

2015-10-01

Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) is primarily found in children in equatorial regions and represents the first historical example of a virus-associated human malignancy. Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and MYC translocations are hallmarks of the disease, it is unclear whether other factors may contribute to its development. We performed RNA-Seq on 20 eBL cases from Uganda and showed that the mutational and viral landscape of eBL is more complex than previously reported. First, we found the presence of other herpesviridae family members in 8 cases (40%), in particular human herpesvirus 5 and human herpesvirus 8 and confirmed their presence by immunohistochemistry in the adjacent non-neoplastic tissue. Second, we identified a distinct latency program in EBV involving lytic genes in association with TCF3 activity. Third, by comparing the eBL mutational landscape with published data on sporadic Burkitt lymphoma (sBL), we detected lower frequencies of mutations in MYC, ID3, TCF3 and TP53, and a higher frequency of mutation in ARID1A in eBL samples. Recurrent mutations in two genes not previously associated with eBL were identified in 20% of tumors: RHOA and cyclin F (CCNF). We also observed that polyviral samples showed lower numbers of somatic mutations in common altered genes in comparison to sBL specimens, suggesting dual mechanisms of transformation, mutation versus virus driven in sBL and eBL respectively.

Mapping Phylogenetic Trees to Reveal Distinct Patterns of Evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kendall, Michelle; Colijn, Caroline

2016-10-01

Evolutionary relationships are frequently described by phylogenetic trees, but a central barrier in many fields is the difficulty of interpreting data containing conflicting phylogenetic signals. We present a metric-based method for comparing trees which extracts distinct alternative evolutionary relationships embedded in data. We demonstrate detection and resolution of phylogenetic uncertainty in a recent study of anole lizards, leading to alternate hypotheses about their evolutionary relationships. We use our approach to compare trees derived from different genes of Ebolavirus and find that the VP30 gene has a distinct phylogenetic signature composed of three alternatives that differ in the deep branching structure. phylogenetics, evolution, tree metrics, genetics, sequencing. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Substantial Union or Substantial Distinction of Mind and Body in Descartes' Metaphysics

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Fahime Jamei

2009-01-01

Full Text Available According to Descartes’ metaphysics there are two different kinds of substances in the world of creatures: “thinking substance” and “extended substance” or soul and matter. In Descartes’ philosophy the soul is equal to the mind and considered as a “thinking substance”. This immaterial substance is the essence of the human being. Body, being considered as a “matter“, is an “extended substance” and entirely distinct from the soul. The soul, therefore, exists and may be known prior to body and, not being corporeal, can exist after human death. Hence, Descartes can prove the immortality of human soul in the framework of the principle of substantial distinction. On the other hand, as a physiologist and psychologist, Descartes indeed believes in mind-body union, so that some causal interactions between mind and body show their substantial union. In this essay, the authors show that Descartes faces a serious problem in combining substantial union of mind and body with their substantial distinction; despite of his efforts in introducing the idea of pineal gland, the problem remains unsolved. Therefore it seems that as he cannot dispense with his only reason for proving the immortality of human soul, he has to hold the mind-body distinction theory in his metaphysics. Indeed, Descartes prefers to support the distinction theory rather than union theory in confronting a thesis and an antithesis stating one of two theories

Substantial :union: or Substantial Distinction of Mind and Body in Descartes\\' Metaphysics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

f Jamei

2009-06-01

Full Text Available According to Descartes’ metaphysics there are two different kinds of substances in the world of creatures: “thinking substance” and “extended substance” or soul and matter. In Descartes’ philosophy the soul is equal to the mind and considered as a “thinking substance”. This immaterial substance is the essence of the human being. Body, being considered as a “matter“, is an “extended substance” and entirely distinct from the soul. The soul, therefore, exists and may be known prior to body and, not being corporeal, can exist after human death. Hence, Descartes can prove the immortality of human soul in the framework of the principle of substantial distinction. On the other hand, as a physiologist and psychologist, Descartes indeed believes in mind-body :union:, so that some causal interactions between mind and body show their substantial :union:. In this essay, the authors show that Descartes faces a serious problem in combining substantial :union: of mind and body with their substantial distinction despite of his efforts in introducing the idea of pineal gland, the problem remains unsolved. Therefore it seems that as he cannot dispense with his only reason for proving the immortality of human soul, he has to hold the mind-body distinction theory in his metaphysics. Indeed, Descartes prefers to support the distinction theory rather than :union: theory in confronting a thesis and an antithesis stating one of two theories.

The Benefits and Challenges of Involving Adolescents in Medical Education: A Qualitative Study.

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Moreau, Katherine A; Eady, Kaylee

2018-05-30

To explore the potential benefits and challenges of involving adolescents in the education of medical students and residents from the perspectives of adolescents who are hospitalized with chronic health conditions. We conducted qualitative interviews with adolescents at a Canadian pediatric hospital. Eligible participants were those between 13-18 years of age, with chronic health conditions lasting more than three months who were feeling well enough to participate in an interview. We used conventional content analysis to analyze the data. Sixteen adolescents participated in the study. In terms of benefits, the participants described how involving adolescents in the education of medical students and residents would improve patient-physician interactions, increase patients' confidence and self-worth, encourage patients to self-reflect and gain knowledge about their health conditions and themselves, as well as enable patients to socialize with other patients. When asked about the challenges, the participants discussed how it might be difficult to include diverse patient perspectives, manage adolescents' negativity, and ensure that learners are non-judgmental towards adolescents and take them seriously. While many of the reported benefits and challenges correspond with those featured in the literature on adult patient involvement in medical education, our findings underscore the distinctive benefits and challenges that medical educators may experience in designing and implementing educational initiatives that involve adolescents. Through the future design and implementation of educational initiatives, it is important to further explore the benefits and challenges of such adolescent involvement, as we know that adolescents can be valuable contributors to medical education. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Gene expression profiling of two distinct neuronal populations in the rodent spinal cord.

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Jesper Ryge

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In the field of neuroscience microarray gene expression profiles on anatomically defined brain structures are being used increasingly to study both normal brain functions as well as pathological states. Fluorescent tracing techniques in brain tissue that identifies distinct neuronal populations can in combination with global gene expression profiling potentially increase the resolution and specificity of such studies to shed new light on neuronal functions at the cellular level. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We examine the microarray gene expression profiles of two distinct neuronal populations in the spinal cord of the neonatal rat, the principal motor neurons and specific interneurons involved in motor control. The gene expression profiles of the respective cell populations were obtained from amplified mRNA originating from 50-250 fluorescently identified and laser microdissected cells. In the data analysis we combine a new microarray normalization procedure with a conglomerate measure of significant differential gene expression. Using our methodology we find 32 genes to be more expressed in the interneurons compared to the motor neurons that all except one have not previously been associated with this neuronal population. As a validation of our method we find 17 genes to be more expressed in the motor neurons than in the interneurons and of these only one had not previously been described in this population. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We provide an optimized experimental protocol that allows isolation of gene transcripts from fluorescent retrogradely labeled cell populations in fresh tissue, which can be used to generate amplified aRNA for microarray hybridization from as few as 50 laser microdissected cells. Using this optimized experimental protocol in combination with our microarray analysis methodology we find 49 differentially expressed genes between the motor neurons and the interneurons that reflect the functional

Distinct Mechanism Evolved for Mycobacterial RNA Polymerase and Topoisomerase I Protein-Protein Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Banda, Srikanth; Cao, Nan; Tse-Dinh, Yuk-Ching

2017-09-15

We report here a distinct mechanism of interaction between topoisomerase I and RNA polymerase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis that has evolved independently from the previously characterized interaction between bacterial topoisomerase I and RNA polymerase. Bacterial DNA topoisomerase I is responsible for preventing the hyper-negative supercoiling of genomic DNA. The association of topoisomerase I with RNA polymerase during transcription elongation could efficiently relieve transcription-driven negative supercoiling. Our results demonstrate a direct physical interaction between the C-terminal domains of topoisomerase I (TopoI-CTDs) and the β' subunit of RNA polymerase of M. smegmatis in the absence of DNA. The TopoI-CTDs in mycobacteria are evolutionarily unrelated in amino acid sequence and three-dimensional structure to the TopoI-CTD found in the majority of bacterial species outside Actinobacteria, including Escherichia coli. The functional interaction between topoisomerase I and RNA polymerase has evolved independently in mycobacteria and E. coli, with distinctively different structural elements of TopoI-CTD utilized for this protein-protein interaction. Zinc ribbon motifs in E. coli TopoI-CTD are involved in the interaction with RNA polymerase. For M. smegmatis TopoI-CTD, a 27-amino-acid tail that is rich in basic residues at the C-terminal end is responsible for the interaction with RNA polymerase. Overexpression of recombinant TopoI-CTD in M. smegmatis competed with the endogenous topoisomerase I for protein-protein interactions with RNA polymerase. The TopoI-CTD overexpression resulted in decreased survival following treatment with antibiotics and hydrogen peroxide, supporting the importance of the protein-protein interaction between topoisomerase I and RNA polymerase during stress response of mycobacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dietary Behaviours, Impulsivity and Food Involvement: Identification of Three Consumer Segments

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Rani Sarmugam

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study aims to (1 identify consumer segments based on consumers’ impulsivity and level of food involvement, and (2 examine the dietary behaviours of each consumer segment. An Internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 530 respondents. The mean age of the participants was 49.2 ± 16.6 years, and 27% were tertiary educated. Two-stage cluster analysis revealed three distinct segments; “impulsive, involved” (33.4%, “rational, health conscious” (39.2%, and “uninvolved” (27.4%. The “impulsive, involved” segment was characterised by higher levels of impulsivity and food involvement (importance of food compared to the other two segments. This segment also reported significantly more frequent consumption of fast foods, takeaways, convenience meals, salted snacks and use of ready-made sauces and mixes in cooking compared to the “rational, health conscious” consumers. They also reported higher frequency of preparing meals at home, cooking from scratch, using ready-made sauces and mixes in cooking and higher vegetable consumption compared to the “uninvolved” consumers. The findings show the need for customised approaches to the communication and promotion of healthy eating habits.

Distinct subcellular trafficking resulting from monomeric vs multimeric targeting to endothelial ICAM-1: implications for drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaffarian, Rasa; Muro, Silvia

2014-12-01

Ligand-targeted, receptor-mediated endocytosis is commonly exploited for intracellular drug delivery. However, cells-surface receptors may follow distinct endocytic fates when bound by monomeric vs multimeric ligands. Our purpose was to study this paradigm using ICAM-1, an endothelial receptor involved in inflammation, to better understand its regulation and potential for drug delivery. Our procedure involved fluorescence microscopy of human endothelial cells to determine the endocytic behavior of unbound ICAM-1 vs ICAM-1 bound by model ligands: monomeric (anti-ICAM) vs multimeric (anti-ICAM biotin-streptavidin conjugates or anti-ICAM coated onto 100 nm nanocarriers). Our findings suggest that both monomeric and multimeric ligands undergo a similar endocytic pathway sensitive to amiloride (∼50% inhibition), but not inhibitors of clathrin-pits or caveoli. After 30 min, ∼60-70% of both ligands colocalized with Rab11a-compartments. By 3-5 h, ∼65-80% of multimeric anti-ICAM colocalized with perinuclear lysosomes with ∼60-80% degradation, while 70% of monomeric anti-ICAM remained associated with Rab11a at the cell periphery and recycled to and from the cell-surface with minimal (drug delivery.

Why involve families in acute mental healthcare? A collaborative conceptual review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dirik, Aysegul; Sandhu, Sima; Giacco, Domenico; Barrett, Katherine; Bennison, Gerry; Collinson, Sue; Priebe, Stefan

2017-09-27

Family involvement is strongly recommended in clinical guidelines but suffers from poor implementation. To explore this topic at a conceptual level, a multidisciplinary review team including academics, clinicians and individuals with lived experience undertook a review to explore the theoretical background of family involvement models in acute mental health treatment and how this relates to their delivery. A conceptual review was undertaken, including a systematic search and narrative synthesis. Included family models were mapped onto the most commonly referenced underlying theories: the diathesis-stress model, systems theories and postmodern theories of mental health. Common components of the models were summarised and compared. Lastly, a thematic analysis was undertaken to explore the role of patients and families in the delivery of the approaches. General adult acute mental health treatment. Six distinct family involvement models were identified: Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Models, ERIC (Equipe Rapide d'Intervention de Crise), Family Psychoeducation Models, Family Systems Approach, Open Dialogue and the Somerset Model. Findings indicated that despite wide variation in the theoretical models underlying family involvement models, there were many commonalities in their components, such as a focus on communication, language use and joint decision-making. Thematic analysis of the role of patients and families identified several issues for implementation. This included potential harms that could emerge during delivery of the models, such as imposing linear 'patient-carer' relationships and the risk of perceived coercion. We conclude that future staff training may benefit from discussing the chosen family involvement model within the context of other theories of mental health. This may help to clarify the underlying purpose of family involvement and address the diverse needs and world views of patients, families and professionals in acute settings. �

Morphological distinctiveness of Javan Tupaia hypochrysa (Scandentia, Tupaiidae)

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Sargis, Eric J.; Woodman, Neal; Morningstar, Natalie C.; Reese, Aspen T.; Olson, Link E.

2013-01-01

The common treeshrew, Tupaia glis, represents a species complex with a complicated taxonomic history. It is distributed mostly south of the Isthmus of Kra on the Malay Peninsula and surrounding islands. In our recent revision of a portion of this species complex, we did not fully assess the population from Java (T. “glis” hypochrysa) because of our limited sample. Herein, we revisit this taxon using multivariate analyses in comparisons with T. glis, T. chrysogaster of the Mentawai Islands, and T. ferruginea from Sumatra. Analyses of both the manus and skull of Javan T. “glis” hypochrysa show it to be most similar to T. chrysogaster and distinct from both T. glis and T. ferruginea. Yet, the Javan population and T. chrysogaster have different mammae counts, supporting recognition of T. hypochrysa as a distinct species. The change in taxonomic status of T. hypochrysa has conservation implications for both T. glis and this Javan endemic.

Cardiac involvement in Beagle-based canine X-linked muscular dystrophy in Japan (CXMDJ: electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and morphologic studies

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Machida Noboru

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiac mortality in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD has recently become important, because risk of respiratory failure has been reduced due to widespread use of the respirator. The cardiac involvement is characterized by distinctive electrocardiographic abnormalities or dilated cardiomyopathy, but the pathogenesis has remained obscure. In research on DMD, Golden retriever-based muscular dystrophy (GRMD has attracted much attention as an animal model because it resembles DMD, but GRMD is very difficult to maintain because of their severe phenotypes. We therefore established a line of dogs with Beagle-based canine X-linked muscular dystrophy in Japan (CXMDJ and examined the cardiac involvement. Methods The cardiac phenotypes of eight CXMDJ and four normal male dogs 2 to 21 months of age were evaluated using electrocardiography, echocardiography, and histopathological examinations. Results Increases in the heart rate and decreases in PQ interval compared to a normal littermate were detected in two littermate CXMDJ dogs at 15 months of age or older. Distinct deep Q-waves and increase in Q/R ratios in leads II, III, and aVF were detected by 6–7 months of age in all CXMDJ dogs. In the echocardiogram, one of eight of CXMDJ dogs showed a hyperechoic lesion in the left ventricular posterior wall at 5 months of age, but the rest had not by 6–7 months of age. The left ventricular function in the echocardiogram indicated no abnormality in all CXMDJ dogs by 6–7 months of age. Histopathology revealed myocardial fibrosis, especially in the left ventricular posterobasal wall, in three of eight CXMDJ dogs by 21 months of age. Conclusion Cardiac involvement in CXMDJ dogs is milder and has slower progression than that described in GRMD dogs. The distinct deep Q-waves have been ascribed to myocardial fibrosis in the posterobasal region of the left ventricle, but our data showed that they precede the lesion on echocardiogram and

Increasing User Involvement in Health Care and Health Research Simultaneously

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaltoft, Mette Kjer; Nielsen, Jesper Bo; Salkeld, Glenn

2014-01-01

of the effects of different actions and interventions on their health, including those implying contact with health care services. We see their research as primarily carried out in order to make better decisions for themselves, but they can offer to contribute the results to the wider population. We see...... at the point of decision need, when motivation is highest. Some basic distinctions, such as those between science and non-science, research and practice, community and individual, and lay and professional become somewhat blurred and may need to be rethought in light of this approach....... to increased user involvement, though somewhat more aligned with the former. METHODS: Our online decision support tools, delivered directly to the person in the community and openly accessible, are to be seen as research resources. They will take the form of interactive decision aids for a variety of specific...

Involvement of proteasomal subunits zeta and iota in RNA degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Petit, F; Jarrousse, A S; Dahlmann, B; Sobek, A; Hendil, K B; Buri, J; Briand, Y; Schmid, H P

1997-01-01

We have identified two distinct subunits of 20 S proteasomes that are associated with RNase activity. Proteasome subunits zeta and iota, eluted from two-dimensional Western blots, hydrolysed tobacco mosaic virus RNA, whereas none of the other subunits degraded this substrate under the same conditions. Additionally, proteasomes were dissociated by 6 M urea, and subunit zeta, containing the highest RNase activity, was isolated by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Purified subunit zeta migrated as a single spot on two-dimensional PAGE with a molecular mass of approx. 28 kDa. Addition of anti-(subunit zeta) antibodies led to the co-precipitation of this proteasome subunit and nuclease activity. This is the first evidence that proteasomal alpha-type subunits are associated with an enzymic activity, and our results provide further evidence that proteasomes may be involved in cellular RNA metabolism. PMID:9337855

Distinct neuromuscular phenotypes in myotonic dystrophy types 1 and 2 : a whole body highfield MRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kornblum, Cornelia; Lutterbey, Götz; Bogdanow, Manuela; Kesper, Kristina; Schild, Hans; Schröder, Rolf; Wattjes, Mike Peter

2006-06-01

Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 (DM1) and 2 (DM2) present with distinct though overlapping clinical phenotypes. Comparative imaging data on skeletal muscle involvement are not at present available. We used the novel technique of whole body 3.0 Tesla (T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to further characterize musculoskeletal features in DM2 and compared the results with DM1.MRI findings of 15 DM1 and 14 DM2 patients were evaluated with respect to patterns of skeletal muscle affection and clinical data using the Muscular Impairment Rating Scale (MIRS) and Medical Research Council scale (MRC). All DM1 patients had pathological MRI compared with only 5 DM2 patients. In contrast to DM2, DM1 patients showed a characteristic distribution of muscle involvement with frequent and early degeneration of the medial heads of gastrocnemius muscles, and a perifemoral semilunar pattern of quadriceps muscle affection sparing the rectus femoris. The most frequently affected muscles in DM1 were the medial heads of gastrocnemius, soleus, and vastus medialis muscles. In DM2, however, the erector spinae and gluteus maximus muscles were most vulnerable to degeneration. MRI data were in line with the clinical grading in 12 DM1 and 3 DM2 patients. In 3 DM1 and 5 DM2 patients, MRI detected subclinical muscle involvement. 9 DM2 patients with mild to moderate proximal muscle weakness and/or myalgias had normal MRI. Pathological MRI changes in DM2 emerged with increasing age and were restricted to women. Whole body 3.0T MRI is a sensitive imaging technique that demonstrated a characteristic skeletal muscle affection in DM1. In contrast, MRI was no reliable indicator for skeletal muscle involvement in mildly affected DM2 patients since myalgia and mild paresis were usually not reflected by MRI signal alterations.

Comprehensive profiling of DNA methylation in colorectal cancer reveals subgroups with distinct clinicopathological and molecular features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ang, Pei Woon; Soong, Richie; Loh, Marie; Liem, Natalia; Lim, Pei Li; Grieu, Fabienne; Vaithilingam, Aparna; Platell, Cameron; Yong, Wei Peng; Iacopetta, Barry

2010-01-01

Most previous studies of the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in colorectal cancer (CRC) have been conducted on a relatively small numbers of CpG sites. In the present study we performed comprehensive DNA methylation profiling of CRC with the aim of characterizing CIMP subgroups. DNA methylation at 1,505 CpG sites in 807 cancer-related genes was evaluated using the Illumina GoldenGate ® methylation array in 28 normal colonic mucosa and 91 consecutive CRC samples. Methylation data was analyzed using unsupervised hierarchical clustering. CIMP subgroups were compared for various clinicopathological and molecular features including patient age, tumor site, microsatellite instability (MSI), methylation at a consensus panel of CpG islands and mutations in BRAF and KRAS. A total of 202 CpG sites were differentially methylated between tumor and normal tissue. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of methylation data from these sites revealed the existence of three CRC subgroups referred to as CIMP-low (CIMP-L, 21% of cases), CIMP-mid (CIMP-M, 14%) and CIMP-high (CIMP-H, 65%). In comparison to CIMP-L tumors, CIMP-H tumors were more often located in the proximal colon and showed more frequent mutation of KRAS and BRAF (P < 0.001). Comprehensive DNA methylation profiling identified three CRC subgroups with distinctive clinicopathological and molecular features. This study suggests that both KRAS and BRAF mutations are involved with the CIMP-H pathway of CRC rather than with distinct CIMP subgroups

Comprehensive profiling of DNA methylation in colorectal cancer reveals subgroups with distinct clinicopathological and molecular features

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Vaithilingam Aparna

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most previous studies of the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP in colorectal cancer (CRC have been conducted on a relatively small numbers of CpG sites. In the present study we performed comprehensive DNA methylation profiling of CRC with the aim of characterizing CIMP subgroups. Methods DNA methylation at 1,505 CpG sites in 807 cancer-related genes was evaluated using the Illumina GoldenGate® methylation array in 28 normal colonic mucosa and 91 consecutive CRC samples. Methylation data was analyzed using unsupervised hierarchical clustering. CIMP subgroups were compared for various clinicopathological and molecular features including patient age, tumor site, microsatellite instability (MSI, methylation at a consensus panel of CpG islands and mutations in BRAF and KRAS. Results A total of 202 CpG sites were differentially methylated between tumor and normal tissue. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of methylation data from these sites revealed the existence of three CRC subgroups referred to as CIMP-low (CIMP-L, 21% of cases, CIMP-mid (CIMP-M, 14% and CIMP-high (CIMP-H, 65%. In comparison to CIMP-L tumors, CIMP-H tumors were more often located in the proximal colon and showed more frequent mutation of KRAS and BRAF (P Conclusions Comprehensive DNA methylation profiling identified three CRC subgroups with distinctive clinicopathological and molecular features. This study suggests that both KRAS and BRAF mutations are involved with the CIMP-H pathway of CRC rather than with distinct CIMP subgroups.

Unified thalamic model generates multiple distinct oscillations with state-dependent entrainment by stimulation.

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Guoshi Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The thalamus plays a critical role in the genesis of thalamocortical oscillations, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. To understand whether the isolated thalamus can generate multiple distinct oscillations, we developed a biophysical thalamic model to test the hypothesis that generation of and transition between distinct thalamic oscillations can be explained as a function of neuromodulation by acetylcholine (ACh and norepinephrine (NE and afferent synaptic excitation. Indeed, the model exhibited four distinct thalamic rhythms (delta, sleep spindle, alpha and gamma oscillations that span the physiological states corresponding to different arousal levels from deep sleep to focused attention. Our simulation results indicate that generation of these distinct thalamic oscillations is a result of both intrinsic oscillatory cellular properties and specific network connectivity patterns. We then systematically varied the ACh/NE and input levels to generate a complete map of the different oscillatory states and their transitions. Lastly, we applied periodic stimulation to the thalamic network and found that entrainment of thalamic oscillations is highly state-dependent. Our results support the hypothesis that ACh/NE modulation and afferent excitation define thalamic oscillatory states and their response to brain stimulation. Our model proposes a broader and more central role of the thalamus in the genesis of multiple distinct thalamo-cortical rhythms than previously assumed.

Malignant neurocristic hamartoma: a tumor distinct from conventional melanoma and malignant blue nevus.

Science.gov (United States)

Linskey, Katy R; Dias-Santagata, Dora; Nazarian, Rosalynn M; Le, Long P; Lam, Quynh; Bellucci, Kirsten S W; Robinson-Bostom, Leslie; Mihm, Martin C; Hoang, Mai P

2011-10-01

Neurocristic hamartomas are rare pigmented lesions comprised of melanocytes, Schwann cells, and pigmented dendritic spindle cells that involve the skin and soft tissue. Malignant transformation can rarely arise within neurocristic hamartomas. Up to date, there has been only 1 series of 7 cases of malignant neurocristic hamartomas (MNHs), with 3 cases that developed metastases. We present the histology and clinical course of 3 additional cases of MNH, 2 of which were metastatic. CD117 was strongly positive in all cases with available archival materials--the tumors and background neurocristic hamartoma of 3 cases, and 1 lymph node metastasis; however, KIT sequencing for exons 11, 13, 17, and 18 was negative. Mutational analyses of recurrent mutations of 17 cancer genes, including BRAF and KIT, were also negative. Although our series is small, KIT overexpression in MNH does not seem to correlate with gene mutation. The lack of BRAF, NRAS, GNAQ, and KIT mutations seems to support the notion that MNH may be distinct from conventional melanoma and from other dermal melanomas, such as malignant blue nevi and melanoma arising in congenital nevi.

Rice cytochrome P450 MAX1 homologs catalyze distinct steps in strigolactone biosynthesis

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Yanxia; van Dijk, Aalt D J; Scaffidi, Adrian; Flematti, Gavin R.; Hofmann, Manuel; Charnikhova, Tatsiana; Verstappen, Francel; Hepworth, Jo; van der Krol, Sander; Leyser, Ottoline; Smith, Steven M.; Zwanenburg, Binne; Al-Babili, Salim; Ruyter-Spira, Carolien; Bouwmeester, Harro J.

2014-01-01

Strigolactones (SLs) are a class of phytohormones and rhizosphere signaling compounds with high structural diversity. Three enzymes, carotenoid isomerase DWARF27 and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases CCD7 and CCD8, were previously shown to convert all-trans-β-carotene to carlactone (CL), the SL precursor. However, how CL is metabolized to SLs has remained elusive. Here, by reconstituting the SL biosynthetic pathway in Nicotiana benthamiana, we show that a rice homolog of Arabidopsis More Axillary Growth 1 (MAX1), encodes a cytochrome P450 CYP711 subfamily member that acts as a CL oxidase to stereoselectively convert CL into ent-2'-epi-5-deoxystrigol (B-C lactone ring formation), the presumed precursor of rice SLs. A protein encoded by a second rice MAX1 homolog then catalyzes the conversion of ent-2'-epi-5-deoxystrigol to orobanchol. We therefore report that two members of CYP711 enzymes can catalyze two distinct steps in SL biosynthesis, identifying the first enzymes involved in B-C ring closure and a subsequent structural diversification step of SLs.

Rice cytochrome P450 MAX1 homologs catalyze distinct steps in strigolactone biosynthesis

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Yanxia

2014-10-26

Strigolactones (SLs) are a class of phytohormones and rhizosphere signaling compounds with high structural diversity. Three enzymes, carotenoid isomerase DWARF27 and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases CCD7 and CCD8, were previously shown to convert all-trans-β-carotene to carlactone (CL), the SL precursor. However, how CL is metabolized to SLs has remained elusive. Here, by reconstituting the SL biosynthetic pathway in Nicotiana benthamiana, we show that a rice homolog of Arabidopsis More Axillary Growth 1 (MAX1), encodes a cytochrome P450 CYP711 subfamily member that acts as a CL oxidase to stereoselectively convert CL into ent-2\\'-epi-5-deoxystrigol (B-C lactone ring formation), the presumed precursor of rice SLs. A protein encoded by a second rice MAX1 homolog then catalyzes the conversion of ent-2\\'-epi-5-deoxystrigol to orobanchol. We therefore report that two members of CYP711 enzymes can catalyze two distinct steps in SL biosynthesis, identifying the first enzymes involved in B-C ring closure and a subsequent structural diversification step of SLs.

Shared and distinct contributions of rostrolateral prefrontal cortex to analogical reasoning and episodic memory retrieval.

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Westphal, Andrew J; Reggente, Nicco; Ito, Kaori L; Rissman, Jesse

2016-03-01

Rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC) is widely appreciated to support higher cognitive functions, including analogical reasoning and episodic memory retrieval. However, these tasks have typically been studied in isolation, and thus it is unclear whether they involve common or distinct RLPFC mechanisms. Here, we introduce a novel functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task paradigm to compare brain activity during reasoning and memory tasks while holding bottom-up perceptual stimulation and response demands constant. Univariate analyses on fMRI data from twenty participants identified a large swath of left lateral prefrontal cortex, including RLPFC, that showed common engagement on reasoning trials with valid analogies and memory trials with accurately retrieved source details. Despite broadly overlapping recruitment, multi-voxel activity patterns within left RLPFC reliably differentiated these two trial types, highlighting the presence of at least partially distinct information processing modes. Functional connectivity analyses demonstrated that while left RLPFC showed consistent coupling with the fronto-parietal control network across tasks, its coupling with other cortical areas varied in a task-dependent manner. During the memory task, this region strengthened its connectivity with the default mode and memory retrieval networks, whereas during the reasoning task it coupled more strongly with a nearby left prefrontal region (BA 45) associated with semantic processing, as well as with a superior parietal region associated with visuospatial processing. Taken together, these data suggest a domain-general role for left RLPFC in monitoring and/or integrating task-relevant knowledge representations and showcase how its function cannot solely be attributed to episodic memory or analogical reasoning computations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Motivations to play specifically predict excessive involvement in massively multiplayer online role-playing games: evidence from an online survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanetta Dauriat, Francesca; Zermatten, Ariane; Billieux, Joël; Thorens, Gabriel; Bondolfi, Guido; Zullino, Daniele; Khazaal, Yasser

2011-01-01

Several studies have linked massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) with possible problematic usage or internet addiction. The main goal of the present study was to assess links between motivations to play in MMORPGs and addictive involvement in such types of games. A total of 696 gamers responded to an online survey. Five distinct motivations to play were identified in gamers: achievement, socializing, immersion, relaxing and escaping. Multiple regression analysis revealed that addictive MMORPG use patterns are predicted by achievement, escapism and socializing motives. Gender was also a significant predictor of problematic involvement in MMORPGs. Moreover, addictive MMORPG use positively correlated with the weekly time devoted to playing MMORPGs. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Contingency learning in human fear conditioning involves the ventral striatum.

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Klucken, Tim; Tabbert, Katharina; Schweckendiek, Jan; Merz, Christian Josef; Kagerer, Sabine; Vaitl, Dieter; Stark, Rudolf

2009-11-01

The ability to detect and learn contingencies between fearful stimuli and their predictive cues is an important capacity to cope with the environment. Contingency awareness refers to the ability to verbalize the relationships between conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. Although there is a heated debate about the influence of contingency awareness on conditioned fear responses, neural correlates behind the formation process of contingency awareness have gained only little attention in human fear conditioning. Recent animal studies indicate that the ventral striatum (VS) could be involved in this process, but in human studies the VS is mostly associated with positive emotions. To examine this question, we reanalyzed four recently published classical fear conditioning studies (n = 117) with respect to the VS at three distinct levels of contingency awareness: subjects, who did not learn the contingencies (unaware), subjects, who learned the contingencies during the experiment (learned aware) and subjects, who were informed about the contingencies in advance (instructed aware). The results showed significantly increased activations in the left and right VS in learned aware compared to unaware subjects. Interestingly, this activation pattern was only found in learned but not in instructed aware subjects. We assume that the VS is not involved when contingency awareness does not develop during conditioning or when contingency awareness is unambiguously induced already prior to conditioning. VS involvement seems to be important for the transition from a contingency unaware to a contingency aware state. Implications for fear conditioning models as well as for the contingency awareness debate are discussed.

SIFT-CCH: Increasing the SIFT distinctness by color co-occurrence histograms

OpenAIRE

ANCUTI, Cosmin; BEKAERT, Philippe

2007-01-01

Describing regions in a distinctive way, in order to find correct correspondences in images of two separated views, represents a complex and essential task of computer vision. Until now, SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) has been proven to be the most reliable descriptor among the others. One of the main drawbacks of SIFT is its vulnerability to color images, being designed mainly for the gray images. To overcome this problem and also to increase the overall distinctness of the SIFT ...

Thermodynamic assessments and inter-relationships between systems involving Al, Am, Ga, Pu, and U

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perron, A., E-mail: perron1@llnl.gov [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Turchi, P.E.A.; Landa, A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Oudot, B.; Ravat, B.; Delaunay, F. [CEA-Centre de Valduc, 21120, Is sur Tille (France)

2016-12-15

A newly developed self-consistent CALPHAD thermodynamic database involving Al, Am, Ga, Pu, and U is presented. A first optimization of the slightly characterized Am-Al and completely unknown Am-Ga phase diagrams is proposed. To this end, phase diagram features as crystal structures, stoichiometric compounds, solubility limits, and melting temperatures have been studied along the U-Al → Pu-Al → Am-Al, and U-Ga → Pu-Ga → Am-Ga series, and the thermodynamic assessments involving Al and Ga alloying are compared. In addition, two distinct optimizations of the Pu-Al phase diagram are proposed to account for the low temperature and Pu-rich region controversy. The previously assessed thermodynamics of the other binary systems (Am-Pu, Am-U, Pu-U, and Al-Ga) is also included in the database and is briefly described in the present work. Finally, predictions on phase stability of ternary and quaternary systems of interest are reported to check the consistency of the database.

The rhetorician's craft, distinctions in science, and political morality

OpenAIRE

Sadler, John Z

2006-01-01

Abstract In his response to Szasz' Secular Humanism and Scientific Psychiatry, the author considers the use of rhetorical devices in Szasz' work, Szasz' avoidance of acknowledging psychiatry's scientific distinctions, and Szaszian libertarianism versus liberalism.

Distinct collective states due to trade-off between attractive and repulsive couplings

Science.gov (United States)

Sathiyadevi, K.; Chandrasekar, V. K.; Senthilkumar, D. V.; Lakshmanan, M.

2018-03-01

We investigate the effect of repulsive coupling together with an attractive coupling in a network of nonlocally coupled oscillators. To understand the complex interaction between these two couplings we introduce a control parameter in the repulsive coupling which plays a crucial role in inducing distinct complex collective patterns. In particular, we show the emergence of various cluster chimera death states through a dynamically distinct transition route, namely the oscillatory cluster state and coherent oscillation death state as a function of the repulsive coupling in the presence of the attractive coupling. In the oscillatory cluster state, the oscillators in the network are grouped into two distinct dynamical states of homogeneous and inhomogeneous oscillatory states. Further, the network of coupled oscillators follow the same transition route in the entire coupling range. Depending upon distinct coupling ranges, the system displays different number of clusters in the death state and oscillatory state. We also observe that the number of coherent domains in the oscillatory cluster state exponentially decreases with increase in coupling range and obeys a power-law decay. Additionally, we show analytical stability for observed solitary state, synchronized state, and incoherent oscillation death state.

Differential autoshaping to common and distinctive elements of positive and negative discriminative stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Wasserman, E A; Anderson, P A

1974-11-01

The learning by hungry pigeons of a discrimination between two successively presented compound visual stimuli was investigated using a two-key autoshaping procedure. Common and distinctive stimulus elements were simultaneously presented on separate keys and either followed by food delivery, S+, or not, S-. The subjects acquired both between-trial and within-trial discriminations. On S+ trials, pigeons pecked the distinctive stimulus more than the common stimulus; before responding ceased on S- trials, they pecked the common stimulus more than the distinctive one. Mastery of the within-display discrimination during S+ trials preceded mastery of the between-trials discrimination. These findings extend the Jenkins-Sainsbury analysis of discriminations based upon a single distinguishing feature to discriminations in which common and distinctive elements are associated with both the positive and negative discriminative stimuli. The similarity of these findings to other effects found in autoshaping-approach to signals that forecast reinforcement and withdrawal from signals that forecast nonreinforcement-is also discussed.

Distinct Hippocampal Pathways Mediate Dissociable Roles of Context in Memory Retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Chun; Krabbe, Sabine; Gründemann, Jan; Botta, Paolo; Fadok, Jonathan P; Osakada, Fumitaka; Saur, Dieter; Grewe, Benjamin F; Schnitzer, Mark J; Callaway, Edward M; Lüthi, Andreas

2016-11-03

Memories about sensory experiences are tightly linked to the context in which they were formed. Memory contextualization is fundamental for the selection of appropriate behavioral reactions needed for survival, yet the underlying neuronal circuits are poorly understood. By combining trans-synaptic viral tracing and optogenetic manipulation, we found that the ventral hippocampus (vHC) and the amygdala, two key brain structures encoding context and emotional experiences, interact via multiple parallel pathways. A projection from the vHC to the basal amygdala mediates fear behavior elicited by a conditioned context, whereas a parallel projection from a distinct subset of vHC neurons onto midbrain-projecting neurons in the central amygdala is necessary for context-dependent retrieval of cued fear memories. Our findings demonstrate that two fundamentally distinct roles of context in fear memory retrieval are processed by distinct vHC output pathways, thereby allowing for the formation of robust contextual fear memories while preserving context-dependent behavioral flexibility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crafty Entanglements: Knitting and Hard Distinctions in Aesthetics and Political Theory

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Kate M. Daley

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Many theoretical writings on aesthetics and politics rely on hard distinctions between what is and is not art, and what is and is not political. In this article, I draw on the work of theorists, knitters, and fiber artists to argue that hand knitting provides a lens through which to unsettle some of these distinctions. I illustrate some of the ways in which aesthetic theory relies on hard distinctions between art and not-art and politics and not-politics, with particular focus on the work of Kant, Hegel, Heidegger, and Rancière. I explain how knitting is often seen as falling clearly outside the definitions of art and politics, and explore the surprising ways in which knitting shows the instability of these categories and expectations. I show that common social traditions and practices that often go unanalyzed can provide insight into the limitations and complexities of prevalent theoretical assumptions.

Academic anxiety, academic procrastination, and parental involvement in students and their parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Milgram, N; Toubiana, Y

1999-09-01

The study investigated the relationship between academic anxiety and procrastination in children and parents, and parents' direct involvement in their children's schoolwork. Children reported their current anxiety and procrastination and parents reported their anxiety and procrastination when they were children (a measure of indirect influence on their children's schoolwork habits), and on their current involvement in their children's schoolwork (a measure of direct influence). Self-report measures were administered to 354 Israeli adolescents (ages 13, 14, and 16) and their parents. Students were less anxious about homework than the other academic assignments. Older adolescents were less anxious about their schoolwork overall and procrastinated more than younger on homework. Parents of late adolescents were less involved in their children's schoolwork than parents of younger adolescents. Parents participated equally in school-related interactions that demanded high investment of time and effort, but mothers engaged more than fathers in low investment activities. These direct and indirect parental influences on their children's procrastination were of low magnitude overall, but appeared relatively stronger for mothers. The more students were anxious about preparing for examinations and writing papers, the more they procrastinated on these assignments, confirming the appraisal-anxiety avoidance (AAA) model. The inverse relationship of anxiety and procrastination with regard to homework led to our making a post hoc distinction between task-centred and consequence-centred anxiety.

A dual resistance gene system prevents infection by three distinct pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Narusaka, Mari; Kubo, Yasuyuki; Shiraishi, Tomonori; Iwabuchi, Masaki; Narusaka, Yoshihiro

2009-10-01

Colletotrichum higginsianum causes typical anthracnose lesions on the leaves, petioles, and stems of cruciferous plants. Inoculation of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia leaves with C. higginsianum results in fungal growth and disease symptoms reminiscent of those induced in other cruciferous plants. We performed map-based cloning and natural variation analysis of 19 A. thaliana ecotypes to identify a dominant resistance locus against C. higginsianum. We found that the A. thaliana RCH2 (for recognition of C. higginsianum) locus encodes two NB-LRR proteins, both of which are required for resistance to C. higginsianum in the A. thaliana ecotype Ws-0. Both proteins are well-characterized R proteins involved in resistance against bacterial pathogens; RRS1 (resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum 1) confers resistance to strain Rs1000 of R. solanacearum and RPS4 to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000 expressing avrRps4 (Pst-avrRps4). Furthermore, we found that both RRS1-Ws and RPS4-Ws genes are required for resistance to Pst-avrRps4 and to Rs1002 R. solanacearum. We therefore demonstrate that a pair of neighboring genes, RRS1-Ws and RPS4-Ws, function cooperatively as a dual R-gene system against at least three distinct pathogens.

What History Tells Us about the Distinct Nature of Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Hasok

2017-11-01

Attention to the history of chemistry can help us recognise the characteristics of chemistry that have helped to maintain it as a separate scientific discipline with a unique identity. Three such features are highlighted in this paper. First, chemistry has maintained a distinct type of theoretical thinking, independent from that of physics even in the era of quantum chemistry. Second, chemical research has always been shaped by its ineliminable practical relevance and usefulness. Third, the lived experience of chemistry, spanning the laboratory, the classroom and everyday life, is distinctive in its multidimensional sensuousness. Furthermore, I argue that the combination of these three features makes chemistry an exemplary science.

The rhetorician's craft, distinctions in science, and political morality

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, John Z

2006-01-01

In his response to Szasz' Secular Humanism and Scientific Psychiatry, the author considers the use of rhetorical devices in Szasz' work, Szasz' avoidance of acknowledging psychiatry's scientific distinctions, and Szaszian libertarianism versus liberalism. PMID:16759356

Fetterman-House: A Process Use Distinction and a Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetterman, David

2003-01-01

Discusses the concept of process use as an important distinction between the evaluation theories of E. House and D. Fetterman, thus helping to explain the discordant results of C. Christie for these two theories. (SLD)

Differential involvement of left prefrontal cortex in inductive and deductive reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Goel, Vinod; Dolan, Raymond J

2004-10-01

While inductive and deductive reasoning are considered distinct logical and psychological processes, little is known about their respective neural basis. To address this issue we scanned 16 subjects with fMRI, using an event-related design, while they engaged in inductive and deductive reasoning tasks. Both types of reasoning were characterized by activation of left lateral prefrontal and bilateral dorsal frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices. Neural responses unique to each type of reasoning determined from the Reasoning Type (deduction and induction) by Task (reasoning and baseline) interaction indicated greater involvement of left inferior frontal gyrus (BA 44) in deduction than induction, while left dorsolateral (BA 8/9) prefrontal gyrus showed greater activity during induction than deduction. This pattern suggests a dissociation within prefrontal cortex for deductive and inductive reasoning.

MicroRNA transfection and AGO-bound CLIP-seq data sets reveal distinct determinants of miRNA action

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wen, Jiayu; Parker, Brian J; Jacobsen, Anders

2011-01-01

the predictive effect of target flanking features. We observe distinct target determinants between expression-based and CLIP-based data. Target flanking features such as flanking region conservation are an important AGO-binding determinant-we hypothesize that CLIP experiments have a preference for strongly bound......Microarray expression analyses following miRNA transfection/inhibition and, more recently, Argonaute cross-linked immunoprecipitation (CLIP)-seq assays have been used to detect miRNA target sites. CLIP and expression approaches measure differing stages of miRNA functioning-initial binding of the mi...... miRNP-target interactions involving adjacent RNA-binding proteins that increase the strength of cross-linking. In contrast, seed-related features are major determinants in expression-based studies, but less so for CLIP-seq studies, and increased miRNA concentrations typical of transfection studies...

TGF beta-1 dependent fast stimulation of ATM and p53 phosphorylation following exposure to ionizing radiation does not involve TGF beta-receptor I signalling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiegman, Erwin M.; Blaese, Marcet A.; Loeffler, Heidi; Coppes, Rob P.; Rodemann, H. Peter

Background and purpose: It has been proposed that radiation induced stimulation of ATM and downstream components involves activation of TGF beta-1 and that this may be due to TGF beta-1-receptor I-Smad signalling. Therefore, the aim of this study was to clarify the distinct role of TGF

The rhetorician's craft, distinctions in science, and political morality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sadler John Z

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract In his response to Szasz' Secular Humanism and Scientific Psychiatry, the author considers the use of rhetorical devices in Szasz' work, Szasz' avoidance of acknowledging psychiatry's scientific distinctions, and Szaszian libertarianism versus liberalism.

Identification of distinct phenotypes of locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Teo, Minyuen

2013-03-01

A significant number of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma present as locally advanced disease. Optimal treatment remains controversial. We sought to analyze the clinical course of locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LAPC) in order to identify potential distinct clinical phenotypes.

Touch communicates distinct emotions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertenstein, Matthew J; Keltner, Dacher; App, Betsy; Bulleit, Brittany A; Jaskolka, Ariane R

2006-08-01

The study of emotional signaling has focused almost exclusively on the face and voice. In 2 studies, the authors investigated whether people can identify emotions from the experience of being touched by a stranger on the arm (without seeing the touch). In the 3rd study, they investigated whether observers can identify emotions from watching someone being touched on the arm. Two kinds of evidence suggest that humans can communicate numerous emotions with touch. First, participants in the United States (Study 1) and Spain (Study 2) could decode anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude, and sympathy via touch at much-better-than-chance levels. Second, fine-grained coding documented specific touch behaviors associated with different emotions. In Study 3, the authors provide evidence that participants can accurately decode distinct emotions by merely watching others communicate via touch. The findings are discussed in terms of their contributions to affective science and the evolution of altruism and cooperation. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved

The Distinction Between Curative and Assistive Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Stramondo, Joseph A

2018-05-01

Disability activists have sometimes claimed their disability has actually increased their well-being. Some even say they would reject a cure to keep these gains. Yet, these same activists often simultaneously propose improvements to the quality and accessibility of assistive technology. However, for any argument favoring assistive over curative technology (or vice versa) to work, there must be a coherent distinction between the two. This line is already vague and will become even less clear with the emergence of novel technologies. This paper asks and tries to answer the question: what is it about the paradigmatic examples of curative and assistive technologies that make them paradigmatic and how can these defining features help us clarify the hard cases? This analysis will begin with an argument that, while the common views of this distinction adequately explain the paradigmatic cases, they fail to accurately pick out the relevant features of those technologies that make them paradigmatic and to provide adequate guidance for parsing the hard cases. Instead, it will be claimed that these categories of curative or assistive technologies are defined by the role the technologies play in establishing a person's relational narrative identity as a member of one of two social groups: disabled people or non-disabled people.

Corticosteroid receptors adopt distinct cyclical transcriptional signatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Billan, Florian; Amazit, Larbi; Bleakley, Kevin; Xue, Qiong-Yao; Pussard, Eric; Lhadj, Christophe; Kolkhof, Peter; Viengchareun, Say; Fagart, Jérôme; Lombès, Marc

2018-05-07

Mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) are two closely related hormone-activated transcription factors that regulate major pathophysiologic functions. High homology between these receptors accounts for the crossbinding of their corresponding ligands, MR being activated by both aldosterone and cortisol and GR essentially activated by cortisol. Their coexpression and ability to bind similar DNA motifs highlight the need to investigate their respective contributions to overall corticosteroid signaling. Here, we decipher the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that underlie selective effects of MRs and GRs on shared genomic targets in a human renal cellular model. Kinetic, serial, and sequential chromatin immunoprecipitation approaches were performed on the period circadian protein 1 ( PER1) target gene, providing evidence that both receptors dynamically and cyclically interact at the same target promoter in a specific and distinct transcriptional signature. During this process, both receptors regulate PER1 gene by binding as homo- or heterodimers to the same promoter region. Our results suggest a novel level of MR-GR target gene regulation, which should be considered for a better and integrated understanding of corticosteroid-related pathophysiology.-Le Billan, F., Amazit, L., Bleakley, K., Xue, Q.-Y., Pussard, E., Lhadj, C., Kolkhof, P., Viengchareun, S., Fagart, J., Lombès, M. Corticosteroid receptors adopt distinct cyclical transcriptional signatures.

STRUCTURAL IDENTIFICATION OF DISTINCT INVERSIONS OF PLANAR KINEMATIC CHAINS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Shubhashis Sanyal

2011-12-01

Full Text Available 0 0 1 171 979 International Islamic University 8 2 1148 14.0 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Inversions are various structural possibilities of a kinematic chain. The number of inversions depends on the number of links of a kinematic chain. At the stage of structural synthesis, identification of distinct structural inversions of a particular type of kinematic chain is necessary. Various researchers have proposed methods for identification of distinct inversions. Present method based on Link joint connectivity is proposed to identify the distinct inversions of a planar kinematic chain. Method is tested successfully on single degree and multiple degree of freedom planar kinematic chains. ABSTRAK: Penyonsangan merupakan kebarangkalian pelbagai struktur suatu rangkaian kinematik. Jumlah songsangan bergantung kepada jumlah hubungan suatu rangkaian kinematik. Pada peringkat sintesis struktur, pengenalan songsangan struktur yang berbeza untuk suatu jenis rangkaian kinematik adalah perlu. Ramai penyelidik telah mencadangkan pelbagai kaedah pengenalan songsangan yang berbeza. Kaedah terkini berdasarkan hubungan kesambungan bersama telah dicadangkan untuk mengenalpasti songsangan yang berbeza dalam suatu satah rangkaian kinematik.

A STUDY OF INTERMEDIATES INVOLVED IN THE FOLDING PATHWAY FOR RECOMBINANT HUMAN MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (M-CSF) - EVIDENCE FOR 2 DISTINCT FOLDING PATHWAYS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WILKINS, JA; CONE, J; RANDHAWA, ZI; WOOD, D; WARREN, MK; WITKOWSKA, HE

The folding pathway for a 150-amino acid recombinant form of the dimeric cytokine human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) has been studied. All 14 cysteine residues in the biologically active homodimer are involved in disulfide linkages. The structural characteristics of folding

Distinctive safety aspects of the CANDU-PHW reactor design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kugler, G.

1980-01-01

Two lectures are presented in this report. They were prepared in response to a request from IAEA to provide information on the 'Special characteristics of the safety analysis of heavy water reactors' to delegates from member states attending the Interregional Training Course on Safety Analysis Review, held at Karlsruhe, November 19 to December 20, 1979. The CANDU-PHW reactor is used as a model for discussion. The first lecture describes the distinctive features of the CANDU reactor and how they impact on reactor safety. In the second lecture the Canadian safety philosophy, the safety design objective, and other selected topics on reactor safety analysis are discussed. The material in this report was selected with a view to assisting those not familiar with the CANDU heavy water reactor design in evaluating the distinctive safety aspects of these reactors. (auth)

Both differences in encoding processes and monitoring at retrieval reduce false alarms when distinctive information is studied.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanczakowski, Maciej; Mazzoni, Giuliana

2011-04-01

A reduction in false alarms to critical lures is observed in the DRM paradigm (Roediger & McDermott, 1995) when distinctive information is presented at encoding. Two mechanisms have been proposed to account for this reduction. According to the monitoring theory (e.g., the distinctiveness heuristic), lack of diagnostic recollection serves as a basis for discarding non-presented lures. According to the encoding theory, presenting distinctive information at study leads to impoverished relational processing, which results in a reduction in memorial information elicited by critical lures. In the present study a condition was created in which the use of the distinctiveness heuristic was precluded by associating, within the same study, lures with distinctive information in a context different from the study session. Under that condition reduction in false alarms to distinctive critical lures was still observed. This result supports the predictions of the encoding theory. However, when in the same study the use of the distinctiveness heuristic was not precluded, reductions in false alarms to unrelated lures were also observed when distinctive information was presented at study, indicating that both mechanisms are likely to contribute to the rejection of false memories.

Erosive osteoarthritis: a more severe form of radiographic hand osteoarthritis rather than a distinct entity?

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Michelle; Nicholls, Elaine; Kwok, Wing-Yee; Peat, George; Kloppenburg, Margreet; van der Windt, Danielle; Myers, Helen; Dziedzic, Krysia

2015-01-01

Objectives To determine whether erosive osteoarthritis shares the same pattern of joint involvement and risk profile as increasing grades of non-erosive hand osteoarthritis. Methods Participants were from two population-based cohorts, aged ≥50 years, reporting hand symptoms in the previous month. Interphalangeal joints were assessed for erosive osteoarthritis (Verbruggen–Veys erosive or remodelled phase) and radiographic osteoarthritis (sliding cut-offs of K&L≥2, K&L≥3 and K&L=4). At the joint level, similarities in the frequency and pattern of erosive and non-erosive osteoarthritis were assessed by Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and generalised estimating equations. At the person level, individuals with erosive osteoarthritis were compared to those with non-erosive osteoarthritis using logistic regression, adjusted for age and gender (aOR), for the following exposures: family history, previous injury, overuse and metabolic factors (BMI, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, diabetes). Results In 1076 symptomatic participants the ranked frequency of involvement for erosive joints was comparable to joints with K&L≥3 and K&L=4 (r>0.95). Patterns of joint involvement in erosive osteoarthritis were strongest for symmetry (aOR=6.5; 95% CI 3.0 to 14.1), followed by row (2.0; 0.8 to 5.0) and ray (0.3; 0.0 to 2.5), which was similar to joints with K&L≥3 and K&L=4. Individuals with erosive osteoarthritis (n=80) had an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (2.7; 1.0 to 7.1), notably dyslipidaemia (4.7; 2.1 to 10.6) compared with non-erosive osteoarthritis classed K&L≥3 (n=193). Conclusions The similar frequency of radiographic joint involvement and patterning in erosive osteoarthritis and more severe non-erosive osteoarthritis is consistent with prevalent erosive osteoarthritis being a severe form of hand osteoarthritis rather than a distinct entity. Metabolic exposures, dyslipidaemia in particular, may be implicated in erosive osteoarthritis. PMID:24095935

Stakeholder involvement in other sectors. High Voltage Electricity Transmission. Case study: CO_2 capture and storage. Common misconceptions on stakeholder involvement - Reviewing deployment of RES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolsink, Maarten; Komendantova, Nadejda; Kalaydjian, Francois

2017-01-01

Session 7 featured several speakers with expertise outside of the nuclear field. High-voltage electricity transmission and carbon capture and storage projects were presented by experts who study and advise on stakeholder involvement in such activities. The session chair provided an overview of stakeholder involvement fundamentals as applied to renewable energy projects. Though the presentations were on non-nuclear projects, the principles presented and discussed were clearly applicable in nuclear contexts as well. Mr Wolsink of University of Amsterdam re-framed the topic of the power supply system as a 'socio-technical system'. He identified three types or levels of societal acceptance for energy innovation: socio-political acceptance, market acceptance and community acceptance. This distinction highlights the different nature of questions, issues, set of actors and challenges that arise at different points or forums around energy infrastructure projects and why general favorability towards a technology does not translate into support of its local implementation. Societal acceptance probably cannot be acquired without meaningful involvement. Arnstein's 'ladder of citizen participation' was referenced by two session speakers. Mr Wolsink explained that inexperienced organisations may target 'consultation', thinking that this is real participation. However, consultation is a relatively low level of involvement which consists of gathering information or views, without promoting two-way dialogue (engagement) or committing to actual influence and indeed some degree of citizen power. He advised that simple consultation should be avoided unless the organisation finds that such stakeholder or public input is essential to the decision and intends to give it due account. The Barendrecht case on carbon capture and storage, as presented by Mr Kalaydjian of IFP Energies Nouvelles, illustrates the danger in overly restricting or compartmentalising stakeholder involvement. Ms

Army nurses in wartime: distinction and pride.

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, L P

1996-08-01

Nurses have served with distinction in wartime since Florence Nightingale went to the Crimea. Women often accompanied their husbands to battle during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, caring for the sick and wounded. Although not officially given officer status until 1920, Army nurses served in the Spanish-American War and World War I. As officers, thousands of nurses served in subsequent wars, distinguishing themselves by their heroism, devotion to duty, and sheer tenacity of spirit.

Neonatal lethal dwarfism with distinct skeletal malformations - a separate entity?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosendahl, K.; Maurseth, K.; Olsen, Oe.E. [Dept. of Paediatric Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway); Halvorsen, O.J. [Dept. of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway); Gjelland, K. [Dept. of Gynaecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway); Engebretsen, L. [Dept. of Genetics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway)

2001-09-01

We describe a case of neonatal lethal dwarfism characterised by short trunk, short, stick-like tubular bones, deficient ossification of the axial skeleton and broad, sclerotic horizontal ribs. Two similar cases have previously been reported as examples of the Neu-Laxova syndrome. However, the radiological findings of the Neu-Laxova syndrome, as reported in 16 out of 40 documented cases, show a heterogeneous pattern of minor features, which differ distinctively from those found in the previous two cases and by us. A literature research did not reveal similar cases, and we therefore suggest that our case, together with the two previous cases, may represent a new distinctive form of neonatal lethal dwarfism. (orig.)

Neonatal lethal dwarfism with distinct skeletal malformations - a separate entity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosendahl, K.; Maurseth, K.; Olsen, Oe.E.; Halvorsen, O.J.; Gjelland, K.; Engebretsen, L.

2001-01-01

We describe a case of neonatal lethal dwarfism characterised by short trunk, short, stick-like tubular bones, deficient ossification of the axial skeleton and broad, sclerotic horizontal ribs. Two similar cases have previously been reported as examples of the Neu-Laxova syndrome. However, the radiological findings of the Neu-Laxova syndrome, as reported in 16 out of 40 documented cases, show a heterogeneous pattern of minor features, which differ distinctively from those found in the previous two cases and by us. A literature research did not reveal similar cases, and we therefore suggest that our case, together with the two previous cases, may represent a new distinctive form of neonatal lethal dwarfism. (orig.)

Spouses' involvement in their partners' diabetes management: associations with spouse stress and perceived marital quality.

Science.gov (United States)

August, Kristin J; Rook, Karen S; Franks, Melissa M; Parris Stephens, Mary Ann

2013-10-01

Spouses frequently attempt to influence (control) or support their chronically ill partners' adherence behaviors. Studies have documented effects of spousal control and support on chronically ill individuals, but little is known about how these two forms of involvement in a partner's disease management may be associated with spouses' stress or the quality of their interactions with their ill partners. The current study sought to address this gap by examining spouses' day-to-day involvement in their marital partner's management of type 2 diabetes (n = 129). Multilevel analyses of daily diary data revealed that on days when spouses exerted control, they reported more stress and more tense marital interactions, although these associations were more pronounced when patients exhibited poor adherence, had been ill for a longer period of time, and had more comorbid health conditions. On days when spouses provided support, in contrast, they reported less stress and more enjoyable marital interactions. The findings from the current study suggest that spouses' day-to-day stress and quality of interactions with their partners are associated with spouses' involvement in their partners' disease management, with health-related social control and support exhibiting distinctive associations.

Synergies and Distinctions between Computational Disciplines in Biomedical Research: Perspective from the Clinical and Translational Science Award Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstam, Elmer V.; Hersh, William R.; Johnson, Stephen B.; Chute, Christopher G.; Nguyen, Hien; Sim, Ida; Nahm, Meredith; Weiner, Mark; Miller, Perry; DiLaura, Robert P.; Overcash, Marc; Lehmann, Harold P.; Eichmann, David; Athey, Brian D.; Scheuermann, Richard H.; Anderson, Nick; Starren, Justin B.; Harris, Paul A.; Smith, Jack W.; Barbour, Ed; Silverstein, Jonathan C.; Krusch, David A.; Nagarajan, Rakesh; Becich, Michael J.

2010-01-01

Clinical and translational research increasingly requires computation. Projects may involve multiple computationally-oriented groups including information technology (IT) professionals, computer scientists and biomedical informaticians. However, many biomedical researchers are not aware of the distinctions among these complementary groups, leading to confusion, delays and sub-optimal results. Although written from the perspective of clinical and translational science award (CTSA) programs within academic medical centers, the paper addresses issues that extend beyond clinical and translational research. The authors describe the complementary but distinct roles of operational IT, research IT, computer science and biomedical informatics using a clinical data warehouse as a running example. In general, IT professionals focus on technology. The authors distinguish between two types of IT groups within academic medical centers: central or administrative IT (supporting the administrative computing needs of large organizations) and research IT (supporting the computing needs of researchers). Computer scientists focus on general issues of computation such as designing faster computers or more efficient algorithms, rather than specific applications. In contrast, informaticians are concerned with data, information and knowledge. Biomedical informaticians draw on a variety of tools, including but not limited to computers, to solve information problems in health care and biomedicine. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding administrative structures that can help to maximize the benefit of computation to biomedical research within academic health centers. PMID:19550198

Blurring Boundaries : Carnap, Quine, and the Internal-External Distinction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhaegh, Sander

Quine is routinely perceived as saving metaphysics from Carnapian positivism. Where Carnap rejects metaphysical existence claims as meaningless, Quine is taken to restore their intelligibility by dismantling the former's internal-external distinction. The problem with this picture, however, is that

BMP signalling differentially regulates distinct haematopoietic stem cell types

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Crisan (Mihaela); P. Solaimani Kartalaei (Parham); C.S. Vink (Chris); T. Yamada-Inagawa (Tomoko); K. Bollerot (Karine); W.F.J. van IJcken (Wilfred); R. Van Der Linden (Reinier); S.C. de Sousa Lopes (Susana Chuva); R. Monteiro (Rui); C.L. Mummery (Christine); E.A. Dzierzak (Elaine)

2015-01-01

textabstractAdult haematopoiesis is the outcome of distinct haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) subtypes with self-renewable repopulating ability, but with different haematopoietic cell lineage outputs. The molecular basis for this heterogeneity is largely unknown. BMP signalling regulates HSCs as they

Comparative genome and transcriptome analysis reveals distinctive surface characteristics and unique physiological potentials of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

KAUST Repository

Cao, Huiluo

2017-06-12

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was isolated from a hospital blood specimen in 1971 and has been widely used as a model strain to survey antibiotics susceptibilities, biofilm development, and metabolic activities of Pseudomonas spp.. Although four draft genomes of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 have been sequenced, the complete genome of this strain is still lacking, hindering a comprehensive understanding of its physiology and functional genome.Here we sequenced and assembled the complete genome of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 using the Pacific Biosciences SMRT (PacBio) technology and Illumina sequencing platform. We found that accessory genes of ATCC 27853 including prophages and genomic islands (GIs) mainly contribute to the difference between P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and other P. aeruginosa strains. Seven prophages were identified within the genome of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Of the predicted 25 GIs, three contain genes that encode monoxoygenases, dioxygenases and hydrolases that could be involved in the metabolism of aromatic compounds. Surveying virulence-related genes revealed that a series of genes that encode the B-band O-antigen of LPS are lacking in ATCC 27853. Distinctive SNPs in genes of cellular adhesion proteins such as type IV pili and flagella biosynthesis were also observed in this strain. Colony morphology analysis confirmed an enhanced biofilm formation capability of ATCC 27853 on solid agar surface compared to Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. We then performed transcriptome analysis of ATCC 27853 and PAO1 using RNA-seq and compared the expression of orthologous genes to understand the functional genome and the genomic details underlying the distinctive colony morphogenesis. These analyses revealed an increased expression of genes involved in cellular adhesion and biofilm maturation such as type IV pili, exopolysaccharide and electron transport chain components in ATCC 27853 compared with PAO1. In addition, distinctive expression profiles of the

Mirror neuron system involvement in empathy: a critical look at the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Baird, Amee D; Scheffer, Ingrid E; Wilson, Sarah J

2011-01-01

It has been proposed that the human mirror neuron system (MNS) plays an integral role in mediating empathy. In this review, we critically examine evidence from three bodies of research that have been cited as supporting this notion: (1) behavioral studies that have examined the relationship between imitation and empathy, (2) findings from functional neuroimaging studies that report a positive correlation between MNS activation and self-report on an empathy questionnaire, and (3) observations of impaired imitation and empathy in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, we briefly review lesion studies of the neural correlates of imitation and empathy. Current evidence suggests that the MNS is broadly involved in empathy, but at this stage there has been limited consideration of its various forms, including motor, emotional, and cognitive empathy. There are also various forms of imitation, encompassing emotional and non-emotional, automatic, and voluntary actions. We propose that the relationship between imitation and empathy may vary depending on the specific type of each of these abilities. Furthermore, these abilities may be mediated by partially distinct neural networks, which involve the MNS to a variable degree.

Effect of Value Congruence, Brand Distinctiveness, Brand Social, Brand Warmth, and Memorable Brand Experience on Customer-Brand Identification and Brand Loyalty (Case Study: Brand of ACER Laptop)

Science.gov (United States)

Susanty, Aries; Tresnaningrum, Aprilia

2018-02-01

This study has several purposes. First, this study aims to investigate the effect of consumer-brand value congruence, brand distinctiveness, brand social benefit, brand warmth, and memorable brand experience on customer-brand identification (CBI). We call all of those factors as the antecedent factor of CBI. Second, this study aims to investigate the effect of CBI on customer loyalty. Third, investigate the role of product involvement as a moderating variable of the relationship between brand distinctiveness, brand social benefit, brand warmth, memorable brand experience and CBI. This research used primary data collected through closed questionnaires using a Likert scale of 1 - 5. The total sample size was 273 respondents located in Semarang City who has or has been using Acer Laptop for minimal one year. This research was conducted using Partial Least Square (PLS) method through SmartPLS 3.0 software. The result of data processing indicated that all of the antecedent factors of CBI have the positive and significant effect on CBI of the user of Acer Laptop. In this case, among the five antecedent factors of CBI, value congruence has the greatest effect on CBI of the user of Acer Laptop. The result of data processing also indicated that CBI has the positive and significant effect on brand loyalty of user of Acer Laptop. This study fails to prove the role of product involvement as a moderating variable of the relationship between brand distinctiveness, brand social benefit, brand warmth, memorable brand experience and CBI of the user of Acer Laptop. Moreover, based on the result of hypothesis testing, this study gives some recommendation to Acer Laptop to develop or create some features which are match with the value of user of Laptop Acer in Semarang City.

Effect of Value Congruence, Brand Distinctiveness, Brand Social, Brand Warmth, and Memorable Brand Experience on Customer-Brand Identification and Brand Loyalty (Case Study: Brand of ACER Laptop

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanty Aries

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This study has several purposes. First, this study aims to investigate the effect of consumer–brand value congruence, brand distinctiveness, brand social benefit, brand warmth, and memorable brand experience on customer-brand identification (CBI. We call all of those factors as the antecedent factor of CBI. Second, this study aims to investigate the effect of CBI on customer loyalty. Third, investigate the role of product involvement as a moderating variable of the relationship between brand distinctiveness, brand social benefit, brand warmth, memorable brand experience and CBI. This research used primary data collected through closed questionnaires using a Likert scale of 1 - 5. The total sample size was 273 respondents located in Semarang City who has or has been using Acer Laptop for minimal one year. This research was conducted using Partial Least Square (PLS method through SmartPLS 3.0 software. The result of data processing indicated that all of the antecedent factors of CBI have the positive and significant effect on CBI of the user of Acer Laptop. In this case, among the five antecedent factors of CBI, value congruence has the greatest effect on CBI of the user of Acer Laptop. The result of data processing also indicated that CBI has the positive and significant effect on brand loyalty of user of Acer Laptop. This study fails to prove the role of product involvement as a moderating variable of the relationship between brand distinctiveness, brand social benefit, brand warmth, memorable brand experience and CBI of the user of Acer Laptop. Moreover, based on the result of hypothesis testing, this study gives some recommendation to Acer Laptop to develop or create some features which are match with the value of user of Laptop Acer in Semarang City.

Everyday distinction and omnivorous orientation: An analysis of food choice, attitudinal dispositions and social background.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahma, Nina; Niva, Mari; Helakorpi, Satu; Jallinoja, Piia

2016-01-01

In recent years studies on cultural consumption have experienced a Bourdieusian renaissance. This is indicated by a growing body of research analysing distinctions in different areas of culture, and numerous studies on the homology thesis applying the concepts of distinction, field and capital. Concurrently, however, it has been argued that instead of distinctive tastes, distinction and class status are increasingly manifested by cultural omnivorousness. For a good part studies focussing on distinction in food have analysed eating out and stylization through restaurant preferences, rather than everyday food choices. In this article we investigate everyday food choices from the perspective of distinction and omnivorousness. Our analysis draws on cross-sectional quantitative data collected in 2012 among 15-64-year-old Finns (N = 2601). The article maps out the relationship between food choice frequencies, dispositions and social background with Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). The results show that the consumption of fruit and vegetables, ready-meals and convenience foods were among the most divisive food choices. The first structuring dimension juxtaposed processed, fatty and sugared foods with unprocessed foods and fresh ingredients. This dimension was associated with healthiness and weight control as dispositions. On the second structuring dimension there were differences in the valuation of taste, pleasure and sociability, and a contrast between moderate and restrictive choices. Particularly the first dimension was associated with educational, occupational, and gender differences. Distinction within everyday food choices was manifested in the use of healthy and unprocessed foods and 'moderate hedonism' in contrast to more restrictive tastes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MORTERO DE CEMENTO PÓRTLAND Y ARENA, MODIFICADO POR LA ADICIÓN DE PARTÍCULAS DE BAMBÚ / PORTLAND CEMENT MORTAR MODIFIED BY BAMBOO PARTICLES

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ANTONIO BERALDO

2009-04-01

Full Text Available RESUMENComo una consecuencia del desarrollo industrial, se generan cantidades significativas de residuos de las más variadas naturalezas. Además, se marcha para un rápido agotamiento de los recursos naturales, pues la mayoría de ellos no es obtenida de fuente renovable. Por su vez, el bambú presentase como una excelente alternativa para disminuir la explotación de las florestas nativas; todavia, diversos sectores tecnológicos brasileños aún no despertaron para las potencialidades de esa materia prima. Además también se destaca la posibilidad de utilización de particulas de bambú en el remplazo parcial o total de los agregados de origen mineral (arena y ripio. El objetivo de ese trabajo fue la evaluación de las características físicas y mecanicas de compuestos a base de mortero de cemento Portland y arena, modificado por la adición de partículas de bambú. El compuesto fue sometido a los ensayos de absorción del agua, de la velocidad del pulso ultrasónico (VPU y de las resistencias a la comprensión simple y diametral. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron el efecto del tratamiento aplicado a las particulas de bambú, del tipo de cemento empleado y del tipo de cemento empleado  del contenido de las particulas de bambú en las propiedades del compuesto. Palabras-llave: bambú, compuesto, VPU, END 

The emotional memory effect: differential processing or item distinctiveness?

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Stephen R; Saari, Bonnie

2007-12-01

A color-naming task was followed by incidental free recall to investigate how emotional words affect attention and memory. We compared taboo, nonthreatening negative-affect, and neutral words across three experiments. As compared with neutral words, taboo words led to longer color-naming times and better memory in both within- and between-subjects designs. Color naming of negative-emotion nontaboo words was slower than color naming of neutral words only during block presentation and at relatively short interstimulus intervals (ISIs). The nontaboo emotion words were remembered better than neutral words following blocked and random presentation and at both long and short ISIs, but only in mixed-list designs. Our results support multifactor theories of the effects of emotion on attention and memory. As compared with neutral words, threatening stimuli received increased attention, poststimulus elaboration, and benefit from item distinctiveness, whereas nonthreatening emotional stimuli benefited only from increased item distinctiveness.

Gene expression profiling in the striatum of inbred mouse strains with distinct opioid-related phenotypes

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Piechota Marcin

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mouse strains with a contrasting response to morphine provide a unique model for studying the genetically determined diversity of sensitivity to opioid reward, tolerance and dependence. Four inbred strains selected for this study exhibit the most distinct opioid-related phenotypes. C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice show remarkable differences in morphine-induced antinociception, self-administration and locomotor activity. 129P3/J mice display low morphine tolerance and dependence in contrast to high sensitivity to precipitated withdrawal observed in SWR/J and C57BL/6J strains. In this study, we attempted to investigate the relationships between genetic background and basal gene expression profile in the striatum, a brain region involved in the mechanism of opioid action. Results Gene expression was studied by Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430v2.0 arrays with probes for over 39.000 transcripts. Analysis of variance with the control for false discovery rate (q Khdrbs1 and ATPase Na+/K+ alpha2 subunit (Atp1a2 with morphine self-administration and analgesic effects, respectively. Finally, the examination of transcript structure demonstrated a possible inter-strain variability of expressed mRNA forms as for example the catechol-O-methyltransferase (Comt gene. Conclusion The presented study led to the recognition of differences in the gene expression that may account for distinct phenotypes. Moreover, results indicate strong contribution of genetic background to differences in gene transcription in the mouse striatum. The genes identified in this work constitute promising candidates for further animal studies and for translational genetic studies in the field of addictive and analgesic properties of opioids.

Puma and Trail/Dr5 Pathways Control Radiation-Induced Apoptosis in Distinct Populations of Testicular Progenitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coureuil, M.; Tavernier, M.; Barroca, V.; Fouchet, P.; Allemand, I.; Ugolin, N.; Chevillard, S.

2010-01-01

Spermatogonia- stem cells and progenitors of adult spermatogenesis- are killed through a p53-regulated apoptotic process after γ-irradiation but the death effectors are still poorly characterized. Our data demonstrate that both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways are involved, and especially that spermatogonia can be split into two main populations, according to apoptotic effectors. Following irradiation both Dr5 and Puma genes are up-regulated in the α 6 -integrin-positive Side Population (SP) fraction, which is highly enriched in spermatogonia. Flow cytometric analysis confirms an increased number of Dr5-expressing SP cells, and Puma-β isoform accumulates in α 6 -integrin positive cellular extracts, enriched in spermatogonia. Trail -/- or Puma -/- spermatogonia display a reduced sensitivity to radiation-induced apoptosis. The TUNEL kinetics strongly suggest that the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, via Trail/Dr5 and Puma respectively, could be engaged in distinct subpopulations of spermatogonia. Indeed flow cytometric studies show that Dr5 receptor is constitutively present on more than half of the undifferentiated progenitors (Kit - α 6 + SP) and half of the differentiated ones (Kit + α 6 + SP). In addition after irradiation, Puma is not detected in the Dr5-positive cellular fraction isolated by immuno-magnetic purification, while Puma is present in the Dr5-negative cell extracts. In conclusion, adult testicular progenitors are divided into distinct sub-populations by apoptotic effectors, independently of progenitor types (immature Kit-negative versus mature Kit-positive), underscoring differential radiosensitivities characterizing the stem cell/progenitors compartment. (authors)

Puerto Rico and Florida manatees represent genetically distinct groups

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Hunter, Margaret E.; Mignucci-Giannoni, Antonio A.; Tucker, Kimberly Pause; King, Timothy L.; Bonde, Robert K.; Gray, Brian A.; McGuire, Peter M.

2012-01-01

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) populations in Florida (T. m. latirostris) and Puerto Rico (T. m. manatus) are considered distinct subspecies and are listed together as endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. Sustained management and conservation efforts for the Florida subspecies have led to the suggested reclassification of the species to a threatened or delisted status. However, the two populations are geographically distant, morphologically distinct, and habitat degradation and boat strikes continue to threaten the Puerto Rico population. Here, 15 microsatellite markers and mitochondrial control region sequences were used to determine the relatedness of the two populations and investigate the genetic diversity and phylogeographic organization of the Puerto Rico population. Highly divergent allele frequencies were identified between Florida and Puerto Rico using microsatellite (F ST = 0.16; R ST = 0.12 (P ST = 0.66; Φ ST = 0.50 (P E = 0.45; NA = 3.9), were similar, but lower than those previously identified in Florida (HE = 0.48, NA = 4.8). Within Puerto Rico, the mitochondrial genetic diversity values (π = 0.001; h = 0.49) were slightly lower than those previously reported (π = 0.002; h = 0.54) and strong phylogeographic structure was identified (F ST global = 0.82; Φ ST global = 0.78 (P population size (N = 250), and distinct threats and habitat emphasize the need for separate protections in Puerto Rico. Conservation efforts including threat mitigation, migration corridors, and protection of subpopulations could lead to improved genetic variation in the endangered Puerto Rico manatee population.

Area-specific development of distinct projection neuron subclasses is regulated by postnatal epigenetic modifications

Science.gov (United States)

Harb, Kawssar; Magrinelli, Elia; Nicolas, Céline S; Lukianets, Nikita; Frangeul, Laura; Pietri, Mariel; Sun, Tao; Sandoz, Guillaume; Grammont, Franck; Jabaudon, Denis; Studer, Michèle; Alfano, Christian

2016-01-01

During cortical development, the identity of major classes of long-distance projection neurons is established by the expression of molecular determinants, which become gradually restricted and mutually exclusive. However, the mechanisms by which projection neurons acquire their final properties during postnatal stages are still poorly understood. In this study, we show that the number of neurons co-expressing Ctip2 and Satb2, respectively involved in the early specification of subcerebral and callosal projection neurons, progressively increases after birth in the somatosensory cortex. Ctip2/Satb2 postnatal co-localization defines two distinct neuronal subclasses projecting either to the contralateral cortex or to the brainstem suggesting that Ctip2/Satb2 co-expression may refine their properties rather than determine their identity. Gain- and loss-of-function approaches reveal that the transcriptional adaptor Lmo4 drives this maturation program through modulation of epigenetic mechanisms in a time- and area-specific manner, thereby indicating that a previously unknown genetic program postnatally promotes the acquisition of final subtype-specific features. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09531.001 PMID:26814051

Francis Bacon and the Art-Nature Distinction.

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Weeks, Sophie

2007-07-01

Commentators generally expound Bacon's position on the art-nature relationship in terms of how much it retained or departed from traditional conceptions. This paper argues that an appreciation of the Baconian meaning of the terms "art" and "nature" requires a close examination of his wider cosmogonical speculations. Bacon's cosmogonical account moves from a state of unbridled chaos to the relatively stable system for which the term "nature" is normally used. The fundamental principle lying at the heart of Baconian cosmogony is an enriched and appetitive matter: eternal, unchanging, and the plenipotentiary source of all things. Successive limitations of matter's absolute power produced a lazy and habitual nature, which Bacon labelled "nature free." To shift nature from this otiose condition, the Baconian operator recapitulates the original binding of matter. Bacon designated the systematic procedures of binding nature the science of magic. Magic is Bacon's human counterpart to the original cosmogonical process that gave rise to the current system of nature. In Bacon's cosmogony, all possible worlds unfold out of matter: the function of art is to shake out nature's hidden folds. Hence, the distinction between naturalia and artificialia maps on to the distinction between actual and potential. Nature free is without purpose, but art - nature bound - knowingly brings into being an alternative nature designed for human utility.

Differential autoshaping to common and distinctive elements of positive and negative discriminative stimuli1

Science.gov (United States)

Wasserman, Edward A.; Anderson, Patricia A.

1974-01-01

The learning by hungry pigeons of a discrimination between two successively presented compound visual stimuli was investigated using a two-key autoshaping procedure. Common and distinctive stimulus elements were simultaneously presented on separate keys and either followed by food delivery, S+, or not, S−. The subjects acquired both between-trial and within-trial discriminations. On S+ trials, pigeons pecked the distinctive stimulus more than the common stimulus; before responding ceased on S− trials, they pecked the common stimulus more than the distinctive one. Mastery of the within-display discrimination during S+ trials preceded mastery of the between-trials discrimination. These findings extend the Jenkins-Sainsbury analysis of discriminations based upon a single distinguishing feature to discriminations in which common and distinctive elements are associated with both the positive and negative discriminative stimuli. The similarity of these findings to other effects found in autoshaping—approach to signals that forecast reinforcement and withdrawal from signals that forecast nonreinforcement—is also discussed. PMID:16811812

Organizing Patient Involvement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brehm Johansen, Mette

hospitals. During the last 25 years, patient involvement and quality improvement have become connected in Danish healthcare policy. However, the ideal of involving patients in quality improvement is described in very general terms and with only few specific expectations of how it is to be carried out...... in practice, as I show in the thesis. In the patient involvement literature, the difficulties of getting patient involvement in quality improvement to have in an impact on the planning and development of healthcare services is, for example, ascribed to conceptual vagueness of patient involvement, differences...... in perspectives, values and understandings between patients and healthcare professionals, or the lack of managerial attention and prioritization....

Comparative analysis of distinctive transcriptome profiles with biochemical evidence in bisphenol S- and benzo[a]pyrene-exposed liver tissues of the olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus.

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Jee-Hyun Jung

Full Text Available Flounder is a promising model species for environmental monitoring of coastal regions. To assess the usefulness of liver transcriptome profiling, juvenile olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus were exposed to two pollutants, bisphenol S (BPS and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP, which have different chemical characteristics and have distinct modes of metabolic action in teleost. Six hours after intraperitoneal injection with BPS (50 mg/kg bw or BaP (20 mg/kg bw, liver transcriptomes were analyzed using the Illumina Hiseq 3000 platform. Interestingly, the transcriptome was highly sensitive and was distinctively expressed in response to each chemical. The primary effect of BPS was significantly increased transcription of egg process and vitellogenesis related genes, including vitellogenins (vtg1, vtg2, zona pellucida sperm-binding proteins (zp3, zp4, and estrogen receptors (erα, erβ, with increases in plasma 17β-estradiol (E2 and vitellogenin (VTG concentrations. Following BaP treatment, detoxification- and biotransformation-related genes such as cyp1a1 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (ugt1a1 were significantly increased, with an increase in EROD activity. In both transcriptomes, mRNA expression of genes involved in antioxidant defense systems was increased, while genes involved in innate immunity were decreased upon BPS or BaP exposure with a decrease in complement activity. This study provides useful insight into the chemical-specific hepatic transcriptional response of P. olivaceus and suggests a basis for further studies examining biomarker application of liver transcriptomes for environmental pollution.

Latent Classes of Polydrug Users as a Predictor of Crash Involvement and Alcohol Consumption.

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Scherer, Michael; Romano, Eduardo; Voas, Robert; Taylor, Eileen

2018-05-01

Polydrug users have been shown to be at higher risk for alcohol consumption and crash involvement. However, research has shown that polydrug groups differ in some important ways. It is currently unknown how polydrug-using groups differ in terms of crash involvement and alcohol consumption. The current study used latent class analysis to examine subgroups of polydrug users (n = 384) among a sample of drivers in Virginia Beach, Virginia (N = 10,512). A series of logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between polydrug use categories and crash involvement and alcohol consumption. Four distinct subclasses of users were identified among polydrug-using drivers: Class 1 is the "marijuana-amphetamines class" and accounts for 21.6% of polydrug users. Class 2 is the "benzo-antidepressant class" and accounts for 39.0% of polydrug users. Class 3 is the "opioid-benzo class" and accounts for 32.7% of polydrug users. Finally, Class 4 is the "marijuana-cocaine class" and accounts for 6.7% of the study sample. Drivers in the opioid-benzo class were significantly more likely than those in any other class as well as non-drug users and single-drug users to be involved in a crash and were more likely than those in most other conditions to consume alcohol. No significant difference was found between marijuana-amphetamine users or benzo-antidepressant users and non-drug users on crash risk. Some polydrug users are indeed at greater risk for crash involvement and alcohol consumption; however, not all polydrug users are significantly worse than single-drug users and/or non-drug users, and the practice of lumping polydrug users together when predicting crash risk runs the risk of inaccurately attributing crash involvement to certain drivers.

Distinct Cell-Specific Expression of Homospermidine Synthase Involved in Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Three Species of the Boraginales1[C][W][OA

Science.gov (United States)

Niemüller, Daniel; Reimann, Andreas; Ober, Dietrich

2012-01-01

Homospermidine synthase (HSS) is the first specific enzyme in pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) biosynthesis, a pathway involved in the plant’s chemical defense. HSS has been shown to be recruited repeatedly by duplication of a gene involved in primary metabolism. Within the lineage of the Boraginales, only one gene duplication event gave rise to HSS. Here, we demonstrate that the tissue-specific expression of HSS in three boraginaceous species, Heliotropium indicum, Symphytum officinale, and Cynoglossum officinale, is unique with respect to plant organ, tissue, and cell type. Within H. indicum, HSS is expressed exclusively in nonspecialized cells of the lower epidermis of young leaves and shoots. In S. officinale, HSS expression has been detected in the cells of the root endodermis and in leaves directly underneath developing inflorescences. In young roots of C. officinale, HSS is detected only in cells of the endodermis, but in a later developmental stage, additionally in the pericycle. The individual expression patterns are compared with those within the Senecioneae lineage (Asteraceae), where HSS expression is reproducibly found in specific cells of the endodermis and the adjacent cortex parenchyma of the roots. The individual expression patterns within the Boraginales species are discussed as being a requirement for the successful recruitment of HSS after gene duplication. The diversity of HSS expression within this lineage adds a further facet to the already diverse patterns of expression that have been observed for HSS in other PA-producing plant lineages, making this PA-specific enzyme one of the most diverse expressed proteins described in the literature. PMID:22566491

A Software Architecture for Control of Value Production in Federated Systems

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Jay S. Bayne

2003-08-01

Full Text Available Federated enterprises are defined as interactive commercial entities that produce products and consume resources through a network of open, free-market transactions. Value production in such entities is defined as the real-time computation of enterprise value propositions. These computations are increasingly taking place in a grid-connected space – a space that must provide for secure, real-time, reliable end-to-end transactions governed by formal trading protocols. We present the concept of a value production unit (VPU as a key element of federated trading systems, and a software architecture for automation and control of federations of such VPUs.

Top-down and bottom-up attention-to-memory: mapping functional connectivity in two distinct networks that underlie cued and uncued recognition memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Burianová, Hana; Ciaramelli, Elisa; Grady, Cheryl L; Moscovitch, Morris

2012-11-15

The objective of this study was to examine the functional connectivity of brain regions active during cued and uncued recognition memory to test the idea that distinct networks would underlie these memory processes, as predicted by the attention-to-memory (AtoM) hypothesis. The AtoM hypothesis suggests that dorsal parietal cortex (DPC) allocates effortful top-down attention to memory retrieval during cued retrieval, whereas ventral parietal cortex (VPC) mediates spontaneous bottom-up capture of attention by memory during uncued retrieval. To identify networks associated with these two processes, we conducted a functional connectivity analysis of a left DPC and a left VPC region, both identified by a previous analysis of task-related regional activations. We hypothesized that the two parietal regions would be functionally connected with distinct neural networks, reflecting their engagement in the differential mnemonic processes. We found two spatially dissociated networks that overlapped only in the precuneus. During cued trials, DPC was functionally connected with dorsal attention areas, including the superior parietal lobules, right precuneus, and premotor cortex, as well as relevant memory areas, such as the left hippocampus and the middle frontal gyri. During uncued trials, VPC was functionally connected with ventral attention areas, including the supramarginal gyrus, cuneus, and right fusiform gyrus, as well as the parahippocampal gyrus. In addition, activity in the DPC network was associated with faster response times for cued retrieval. This is the first study to show a dissociation of the functional connectivity of posterior parietal regions during episodic memory retrieval, characterized by a top-down AtoM network involving DPC and a bottom-up AtoM network involving VPC. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlation of cell surface proteins of distinct Beauveria bassiana cell types and adaption to varied environment and interaction with the host insect.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhi; Jiang, Hongyan; Zhao, Xin; Lu, Zhuoyue; Luo, Zhibing; Li, Xuebing; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Yongjun

2017-02-01

The insect fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana produces a number of distinct cell types that include aerial conidia, blastospores and haemolymph-derived cells, termed hyphal bodies, to adapt varied environment niches and within the host insect. These cells display distinct biochemical properties and surface structures, and a highly ordered outermost brush-like structure uniquely present on hyphal bodies, but not on any in vitro cells. Here, we found that the outermost structure on the hyphal bodies mainly consisted of proteins associated to structural wall components in that most of it could be removed by dithiothreitol (DTT) or proteinase K. DTT-treatment also caused delayed germination, decreased tolerance to ultraviolet irradiation and virulence of conidia or blastospores, with decreased adherence and alternated carbohydrate epitopes, suggesting involvement in fungal development, stress responses and virulence. To characterize these cell surface molecules, proteins were released from the living cells using DTT, and identified and quantitated using label-free quantitative mass spectrometry. Thereafter, a series of bioinformatics programs were used to predict cell surface-associated proteins (CSAPs), and 96, 166 and 54 CSAPs were predicted from the identified protein pools of conidia, blastospores and hyphal bodies, respectively, which were involved in utilization of carbohydrate, nitrogen, and lipid, detoxification, pathogen-host interaction, and likely other cellular processes. Thirteen, sixty-nine and six CSAPs were exclusive in conidia, blastospores and hyphal bodies, respectively, which were verified by eGFP-tagged proteins at their N-terminus. Our data provide a crucial cue to understand mechanism of B. bassiana to adapt to varied environment and interaction with insect host. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potentially three distinct roles for hypoxic cell sensitizers in the clinic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, J.D.; Raleigh, J.A.; Pedersen, J.E.; Ngan, J.; Shum, F.Y.

1979-01-01

Nitroaromatic drugs have been applied to radiation therapy on the basis of their effectiveness to enhance radiation damages selectively in hypoxic mammalian cells at nontoxic concentration. Such sensitizers could improve the rate of local tumor control by conventional radiotherapy in such cases that the resistance due to hypoxia in a limiting factor. The selective cytotoxicity of the drug to hypoxic cells is the second distinct action. A third potential role for nitroaromatic drugs could involve their use for the diagnosis of the number and location of hypoxic cells within tumors. The gain in therapeutic ratio by a factor from 5 to 10 is necessary before the full clinical impact of hypoxic cell radiosensitizers can be evaluated. The drugs selected for the use as clinical radiosensitizers were originally developed as the antibacterial agents with selective activity against anaerobes. The hypoxic cells in tumors are usually resistant to chemotherapy as well as resistant to radiation, and this specific drug action of sensitizers combined with that of an agent effective against oxygenated and cycling cells could possibly produce improved tumor cures. Electron-affinitive chemicals become selectively bound to the macromolecules of hypoxic mammalian cells by radiation-induced chemical reaction. This technique was used to identify by autoradiographic procedures the location of the radioactive nitrofurazone bound to hypoxic cells within multicellular spheroids. (Yamashita, S.)

Ataques de nervios: culturally bound and distinct from panic attacks?

Science.gov (United States)

Keough, Meghan E; Timpano, Kiara R; Schmidt, Norman B

2009-01-01

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000) has emphasized the importance of understanding psychopathology within a cultural framework by including culture-bound syndromes within its appendices. These syndromes are proposed to be bound to certain cultures and distinct from other psychological disorders. Included among the syndromes are ataques de nervios (ADN), which are reported to be bound to the Hispanic culture and closely resemble panic attacks. However, the cultural distinctiveness and phenomenology of ADN has not been adequately investigated. The current study employed an ethnically diverse study sample (N=342) of undergraduates. Participants completed a number of measures that assessed acculturation, syndrome and anxiety risk factors. In contrast to the DSM-IV's conceptualization of ADN, the rate of ADN did not significantly vary across the three main groups (African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic participants) nor did it vary based on acculturation. More consistent with the DSM-IV, the symptom comparisons indicated some differentiation between ADN and panic attacks. The present report provides data indicating that ADNs, as described by the DSM-IV, are not unique to the Hispanic culture and are experienced by non-Hispanic individuals at similar rates to Hispanic-endorsement. The findings are consistent with the DSM-IV assertion that ADNs and PAs are distinct syndromes. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Effectiveness, Improvement and Educational Change: A Distinctively Canadian Approach?

Science.gov (United States)

Hargreaves, Andy; Fink, Dean

1998-01-01

A distinctive Canadian school of thought on educational change is inclined to synthesize diverse bodies of work and integrate nonrational and emotional dimensions with rational and technically effective ones in a socially critical way. Highlights the Canadian perspective through discussions about complex systems, contexts of change, critical…

48 CFR 307.7001 - Distinction between acquisition and assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Distinction between acquisition and assistance. 307.7001 Section 307.7001 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN... barter, of property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Government; or (2) Government...

What Makes Counsellors Working in Primary Care Distinct from Counsellors Working in Other Settings?

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson-Allez, Glyn

2000-01-01

Counseling in primary care can be considered a fast-evolving profession that is distinct from counseling in the private sector. Differences in counselor roles, specifically confidentiality ethics and working hours, are discussed. Referrals and attrition are also discussed. The distinctiveness of primary care counseling versus working in more…

SH3 Domains Differentially Stimulate Distinct Dynamin I Assembly Modes and G Domain Activity.

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Sai Krishnan

Full Text Available Dynamin I is a highly regulated GTPase enzyme enriched in nerve terminals which mediates vesicle fission during synaptic vesicle endocytosis. One regulatory mechanism involves its interactions with proteins containing Src homology 3 (SH3 domains. At least 30 SH3 domain-containing proteins bind dynamin at its proline-rich domain (PRD. Those that stimulate dynamin activity act by promoting its oligomerisation. We undertook a systematic parallel screening of 13 glutathione-S-transferase (GST-tagged endocytosis-related SH3 domains on dynamin binding, GTPase activity and oligomerisation. No correlation was found between dynamin binding and their potency to stimulate GTPase activity. There was limited correlation between the extent of their ability to stimulate dynamin activity and the level of oligomerisation, indicating an as yet uncharacterised allosteric coupling of the PRD and G domain. We examined the two variants, dynamin Iab and Ibb, which differ in the alternately splice middle domain α2 helix. They responded differently to the panel of SH3s, with the extent of stimulation between the splice variants varying greatly between the SH3s. This study reveals that SH3 binding can act as a heterotropic allosteric regulator of the G domain via the middle domain α2 helix, suggesting an involvement of this helix in communicating the PRD-mediated allostery. This indicates that SH3 binding both stabilises multiple conformations of the tetrameric building block of dynamin, and promotes assembly of dynamin-SH3 complexes with distinct rates of GTP hydrolysis.

Distinct roles for RDE-1 and RDE-4 during RNA interference in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Parrish, S; Fire, A

2001-10-01

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular defense mechanism that uses double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a sequence-specific trigger to guide the degradation of homologous single-stranded RNAs. RNAi is a multistep process involving several proteins and at least one type of RNA intermediate, a population of small 21-25 nt RNAs (called siRNAs) that are initially derived from cleavage of the dsRNA trigger. Genetic screens in Caenorhabditis elegans have identified numerous mutations that cause partial or complete loss of RNAi. In this work, we analyzed cleavage of injected dsRNA to produce the initial siRNA population in animals mutant for rde-1 and rde-4, two genes that are essential for RNAi but that are not required for organismal viability or fertility. Our results suggest distinct roles for RDE-1 and RDE-4 in the interference process. Although null mutants lacking rde-1 show no phenotypic response to dsRNA, the amount of siRNAs generated from an injected dsRNA trigger was comparable to that of wild-type. By contrast, mutations in rde-4 substantially reduced the population of siRNAs derived from an injected dsRNA trigger. Injection of chemically synthesized 24- or 25-nt siRNAs could circumvent RNAi resistance in rde-4 mutants, whereas no bypass was observed in rde-1 mutants. These results support a model in which RDE-4 is involved before or during production of siRNAs, whereas RDE-1 acts after the siRNAs have been formed.

Distinction of Fly Artifacts from Human Blood using Immunodetection.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivers, David B; Acca, Gillian; Fink, Marc; Brogan, Rebecca; Chen, Dorothy; Schoeffield, Andrew

2018-02-21

Insect stains produced by necrophagous flies are indistinguishable morphologically from human bloodstains. At present, no diagnostic tests exist to overcome this deficiency. As the first step toward developing a chemical test to recognize fly artifacts, polyclonal antisera were generated in rats against three distinct antigenic sequences of fly cathepsin D-like proteinase, an enzyme that is structurally distinct in cyclorrhaphous Diptera from other animals. The resulting rat antisera bound to artifacts produced by Protophormia terraenovae and synthetic peptides used to generate the polyclonal antisera, but not with any type of mammalian blood tested in immunoassays. Among the three antisera, anti-md3 serum displayed the highest reactivity for fly stains, demonstrated cross-reactivity for all synthetic peptides representing antigenic sequences of the mature fly enzyme, and bound artifacts originating from the fly digestive tract. Further work is needed to determine whether the antisera are suitable for non-laboratory conditions. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Autism spectrum disorders and drug addiction: Common pathways, common molecules, distinct disorders?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick E. Rothwell

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs and drug addiction do not share substantial comorbidity or obvious similarities in etiology or symptomatology. It is thus surprising that a number of recent studies implicate overlapping neural circuits and molecular signaling pathways in both disorders. The purpose of this review is to highlight this emerging intersection and consider implications for understanding the pathophysiology of these seemingly distinct disorders. One area of overlap involves neural circuits and neuromodulatory systems in the striatum and basal ganglia, which play an established role in addiction and reward but are increasingly implicated in clinical and preclinical studies of ASDs. A second area of overlap relates to molecules like Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP and methyl CpG-binding protein-2 (MECP2, which are best known for their contribution to the pathogenesis of syndromic ASDs, but have recently been shown to regulate behavioral and neurobiological responses to addictive drug exposure. These shared pathways and molecules point to common dimensions of behavioral dysfunction, including the repetition of behavioral patterns and aberrant reward processing. The synthesis of knowledge gained through parallel investigations of ASDs and addiction may inspire the design of new therapeutic interventions to correct common elements of striatal dysfunction.

Autism Spectrum Disorders and Drug Addiction: Common Pathways, Common Molecules, Distinct Disorders?

Science.gov (United States)

Rothwell, Patrick E

2016-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and drug addiction do not share substantial comorbidity or obvious similarities in etiology or symptomatology. It is thus surprising that a number of recent studies implicate overlapping neural circuits and molecular signaling pathways in both disorders. The purpose of this review is to highlight this emerging intersection and consider implications for understanding the pathophysiology of these seemingly distinct disorders. One area of overlap involves neural circuits and neuromodulatory systems in the striatum and basal ganglia, which play an established role in addiction and reward but are increasingly implicated in clinical and preclinical studies of ASDs. A second area of overlap relates to molecules like Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) and methyl CpG-binding protein-2 (MECP2), which are best known for their contribution to the pathogenesis of syndromic ASDs, but have recently been shown to regulate behavioral and neurobiological responses to addictive drug exposure. These shared pathways and molecules point to common dimensions of behavioral dysfunction, including the repetition of behavioral patterns and aberrant reward processing. The synthesis of knowledge gained through parallel investigations of ASDs and addiction may inspire the design of new therapeutic interventions to correct common elements of striatal dysfunction.

Common and distinct brain networks underlying panic and social anxiety disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong-Ku; Yoon, Ho-Kyoung

2018-01-03

Although panic disorder (PD) and phobic disorders are independent anxiety disorders with distinct sets of diagnostic criteria, there is a high level of overlap between them in terms of pathogenesis and neural underpinnings. Functional connectivity research using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) shows great potential in identifying the similarities and differences between PD and phobias. Understanding common and distinct networks between PD and phobic disorders is critical for identifying both specific and general neural characteristics of these disorders. We review recent rsfMRI studies and explore the clinical relevance of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in PD and phobias. Although findings differ between studies, there are some meaningful, consistent findings. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and PD share common default mode network alterations. Alterations within the sensorimotor network are observed primarily in PD. Increased connectivity in the salience network is consistently reported in SAD. This review supports hypotheses that PD and phobic disorders share common rsFC abnormalities and that the different clinical phenotypes between the disorders come from distinct brain functional network alterations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 75.1720-1 - Distinctively colored hard hats, or hard caps; identification for newly employed, inexperienced...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Distinctively colored hard hats, or hard caps... STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Miscellaneous § 75.1720-1 Distinctively colored hard hats, or hard caps; identification for newly employed, inexperienced miners. Hard hats or hard caps distinctively different in color...

Genomic profiling of rice sperm cell transcripts reveals conserved and distinct elements in the flowering plant male germ lineage.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Scott D; Gou, Xiaoping; Wong, Chui E; Wang, Xinkun; Yuan, Tong; Wei, Xiaoping; Bhalla, Prem L; Singh, Mohan B

2012-08-01

Genomic assay of sperm cell RNA provides insight into functional control, modes of regulation, and contributions of male gametes to double fertilization. Sperm cells of rice (Oryza sativa) were isolated from field-grown, disease-free plants and RNA was processed for use with the full-genome Affymetrix microarray. Comparison with Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) reference arrays confirmed expressionally distinct gene profiles. A total of 10,732 distinct gene sequences were detected in sperm cells, of which 1668 were not expressed in pollen or seedlings. Pathways enriched in male germ cells included ubiquitin-mediated pathways, pathways involved in chromatin modeling including histones, histone modification and nonhistone epigenetic modification, and pathways related to RNAi and gene silencing. Genome-wide expression patterns in angiosperm sperm cells indicate common and divergent themes in the male germline that appear to be largely self-regulating through highly up-regulated chromatin modification pathways. A core of highly conserved genes appear common to all sperm cells, but evidence is still emerging that another class of genes have diverged in expression between monocots and dicots since their divergence. Sperm cell transcripts present at fusion may be transmitted through plasmogamy during double fertilization to effect immediate post-fertilization expression of early embryo and (or) endosperm development. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

14- to 16-Month-Olds Attend to Distinct Labels in an Inductive Reasoning Task.

Science.gov (United States)

Switzer, Jessica L; Graham, Susan A

2017-01-01

We examined how naming objects with unique labels influenced infants' reasoning about the non-obvious properties of novel objects. Seventy 14- to 16-month-olds participated in an imitation-based inductive inference task during which they were presented with target objects possessing a non-obvious sound property, followed by test objects that varied in shape similarity in comparison to the target. Infants were assigned to one of two groups: a No Label group in which objects were introduced with a general attentional phrase (i.e., "Look at this one") and a Distinct Label group in which target and test objects were labeled with two distinct count nouns (i.e., fep vs. wug ). Infants in the Distinct Label group performed significantly fewer target actions on the high-similarity objects than infants in the No Label group but did not differ in performance of actions on the low-similarity object. Within the Distinct Label group, performance on the inductive inference task was related to age, but not to working memory, inhibitory control, or vocabulary. Within the No Label condition, performance on the inductive inference task was related to a measure of inhibitory control. Our findings suggest that between 14- and 16-months, infants begin to use labels to carve out distinct categories, even when objects are highly perceptually similar.

14- to 16-Month-Olds Attend to Distinct Labels in an Inductive Reasoning Task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan A. Graham

2017-04-01

Full Text Available We examined how naming objects with unique labels influenced infants’ reasoning about the non-obvious properties of novel objects. Seventy 14- to 16-month-olds participated in an imitation-based inductive inference task during which they were presented with target objects possessing a non-obvious sound property, followed by test objects that varied in shape similarity in comparison to the target. Infants were assigned to one of two groups: a No Label group in which objects were introduced with a general attentional phrase (i.e., “Look at this one” and a Distinct Label group in which target and test objects were labeled with two distinct count nouns (i.e., fep vs. wug. Infants in the Distinct Label group performed significantly fewer target actions on the high-similarity objects than infants in the No Label group but did not differ in performance of actions on the low-similarity object. Within the Distinct Label group, performance on the inductive inference task was related to age, but not to working memory, inhibitory control, or vocabulary. Within the No Label condition, performance on the inductive inference task was related to a measure of inhibitory control. Our findings suggest that between 14- and 16-months, infants begin to use labels to carve out distinct categories, even when objects are highly perceptually similar.

30 CFR 77.1710-1 - Distinctively colored hard hats or hard caps; identification for newly employed, inexperienced...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Distinctively colored hard hats or hard caps... Distinctively colored hard hats or hard caps; identification for newly employed, inexperienced miners. Hard hats or hard caps distinctively different in color from those worn by experienced miners shall be worn at...

Influence of Involvement in Sports on Students' Involvement in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was carried out to establish whether students' involvement in sports activities affected their involvement in academic activities. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analysed using percentages and means. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to test the hypotheses that guided ...

Women with preterm birth have a distinct cervicovaginal metabolome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghartey, Jeny; Bastek, Jamie A; Brown, Amy G; Anglim, Laura; Elovitz, Michal A

2015-06-01

Metabolomics has the potential to reveal novel pathways involved in the pathogenesis of preterm birth (PTB). The objective of this study was to investigate whether the cervicovaginal (CV) metabolome was different in asymptomatic women destined to have a PTB compared with term birth. A nested case-control study was performed using CV fluid collected from a larger prospective cohort. The CV fluid was collected between 20-24 weeks (V1) and 24-28 weeks (V2). The metabolome was compared between women with a spontaneous PTB (n = 10) to women who delivered at term (n = 10). Samples were extracted and prepared for analysis using a standard extraction solvent method. Global biochemical profiles were determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. An ANOVA was used to detect differences in biochemical compounds between the groups. A false discovery rate was estimated to account for multiple comparisons. A total of 313 biochemicals were identified in CV fluid. Eighty-two biochemicals were different in the CV fluid at V1 in those destined to have a PTB compared with term birth, whereas 48 were different at V2. Amino acid, carbohydrate, and peptide metabolites were distinct between women with and without PTB. These data suggest that the CV space is metabolically active during pregnancy. Changes in the CV metabolome may be observed weeks, if not months, prior to any clinical symptoms. Understanding the CV metabolome may hold promise for unraveling the pathogenesis of PTB and may provide novel biomarkers to identify women most at risk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Personal involvement is related to increased search motivation and associated with activity in left BA44-a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Michael; Rumpel, Franziska; Sadrieh, Abdolkarim; Reimann, Martin; Denke, Claudia

2015-01-01

Numerous studies explore consumer perception of brands in a more or less passive way. This may still be representative for many situations or decisions we make each day. Nevertheless, sometimes we often actively search for and use information to make informed and reasoned choices, thus implying a rational and thinking consumer. Researchers suggested describing this distinction as low relative to high involvement consumer behavior. Although the involvement concept has been widely used to explain consumer behavior, behavioral and neural correlates of this concept are poorly understood. The current study aims to describe a behavioral measure that is associated with high involvement, the length of search behavior. A second aim of this study was to explore brain activations associated with involvement by employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We presented participants information cues for different products and told them that they had to answer questions with respect to these products at the end of the experiment. Participants were free to stop the information search if they think they gathered enough information or to continue with collecting information. Behavioral results confirmed our hypothesis of a relationship between searching behavior and personal involvement by demonstrating that the length of search correlated significantly with the degree of personal involvement of the participants. fMRI data revealed that personal involvement was associated with activation in BA44. Since this brain region is known to be involved in semantic memory, the results of this pilot study suggest that high involvement consumer behavior may be linked to cognitive load and attention towards a product.

Personal involvement is related to increased search motivation and associated with activity in left BA44 - a pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael eSchaefer

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Numerous studies explore consumer perception of brands in a more or less passive way. This may still be representative for many situations or decisions we make each day. Nevertheless, sometimes we often actively search for and use information to make informed and reasoned choices, thus implying a rational and thinking consumer. Researchers suggested describing this distinction as low relative to high involvement consumer behavior. Although the involvement concept has been widely used to explain consumer behavior, behavioral and neural correlates of this concept are poorly understood. The current study aims to describe a behavioral measure that is associated with high involvement, the length of search behavior. A second aim of this study was to explore brain activations associated with involvement by employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. We presented participants information cues for different products and told them that they had to answer questions with respect to these products at the end of the experiment. Participants were free to stop the information search if they think they gathered enough information or to continue with collecting information. Behavioral results confirmed our hypothesis of a relationship between searching behavior and personal involvement by demonstrating that the length of search correlated significantly with the degree of personal involvement of the participants. FMRI data revealed that personal involvement was associated with activation in BA44. Since this brain region is known to be involved in semantic memory, the results of this pilot study suggest that high involvement consumer behavior may be linked to cognitive load and attention towards a product.

Dpb11/TopBP1 plays distinct roles in DNA replication, checkpoint response and homologous recombination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Germann, Susanne Manuela; Østergaard, Vibe Hallundbæk; Haas, Caroline

2011-01-01

DPB11/TopBP1 is an essential evolutionarily conserved gene involved in initiation of DNA replication and checkpoint signaling. Here, we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dpb11 forms nuclear foci that localize to sites of DNA damage in G1, S and G2 phase, a recruitment that is conserved for its...... and Tel1, and of the checkpoint mediator Rad9. In a site-directed mutagenesis screen, we identify a separation-of-function mutant, dpb11-PF, that is sensitive to DSB-inducing agents yet remains proficient for DNA replication and the S-phase checkpoint at the permissive temperature. The dpb11-PF mutant...... homologue TopBP1 in Gallus gallus. Damage-induced Dpb11 foci are distinct from Sld3 replication initiation foci. Further, Dpb11 foci are dependent on the checkpoint proteins Mec3 (9-1-1 complex) and Rad24, and require the C-terminal domain of Dpb11. Dpb11 foci are independent of the checkpoint kinases Mec1...

Distinct patterns of epigenetic marks and transcription factor binding ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Distinct patterns of epigenetic marks and transcription factor binding sites across promoters of sense-intronic long noncoding RNAs. Sourav Ghosh, Satish Sati, Shantanu Sengupta and Vinod Scaria. J. Genet. 94, 17–25. Gencode V9 lncRNA gene : 11004. Known lncRNA : 1175. Novel lncRNA : 5898. Putative lncRNA :.

Partial restoration of mutant enzyme homeostasis in three distinct lysosomal storage disease cell lines by altering calcium homeostasis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting-Wei Mu

2008-02-01

Full Text Available A lysosomal storage disease (LSD results from deficient lysosomal enzyme activity, thus the substrate of the mutant enzyme accumulates in the lysosome, leading to pathology. In many but not all LSDs, the clinically most important mutations compromise the cellular folding of the enzyme, subjecting it to endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation instead of proper folding and lysosomal trafficking. A small molecule that restores partial mutant enzyme folding, trafficking, and activity would be highly desirable, particularly if one molecule could ameliorate multiple distinct LSDs by virtue of its mechanism of action. Inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels, using either diltiazem or verapamil-both US Food and Drug Administration-approved hypertension drugs-partially restores N370S and L444P glucocerebrosidase homeostasis in Gaucher patient-derived fibroblasts; the latter mutation is associated with refractory neuropathic disease. Diltiazem structure-activity studies suggest that it is its Ca2+ channel blocker activity that enhances the capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum to fold misfolding-prone proteins, likely by modest up-regulation of a subset of molecular chaperones, including BiP and Hsp40. Importantly, diltiazem and verapamil also partially restore mutant enzyme homeostasis in two other distinct LSDs involving enzymes essential for glycoprotein and heparan sulfate degradation, namely alpha-mannosidosis and type IIIA mucopolysaccharidosis, respectively. Manipulation of calcium homeostasis may represent a general strategy to restore protein homeostasis in multiple LSDs. However, further efforts are required to demonstrate clinical utility and safety.

Mycobacterial secretion systems ESX-1 and ESX-5 play distinct roles in host cell death and inflammasome activation

KAUST Repository

Abdallah, Abdallah

2011-09-28

During infection of humans and animals, pathogenic mycobacteria manipulate the host cell causing severe diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy. To understand the basis of mycobacterial pathogenicity, it is crucial to identify the molecular virulence mechanisms. In this study, we address the contribution of ESX-1 and ESX-5 - two homologous type VII secretion systems of mycobacteria that secrete distinct sets of immune modulators - during the macrophage infection cycle. Using wild-type, ESX-1- and ESX-5-deficient mycobacterial strains, we demonstrate that these secretion systems differentially affect subcellular localization and macrophage cell responses. We show that in contrast to ESX-1, the effector proteins secreted by ESX-5 are not required for the translocation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium marinum to the cytosol of host cells. However, the M. marinum ESX-5 mutant does not induce inflammasome activation and IL-1b activation. The ESX-5 system also induces a caspase-independent cell death after translocation has taken place. Importantly, by means of inhibitory agents and small interfering RNA experiments, we reveal that cathepsin B is involved in both the induction of cell death and inflammasome activation upon infection with wild-type mycobacteria. These results reveal distinct roles for two different type VII secretion systems during infection and shed light on how virulent mycobacteria manipulate the host cell in various ways to replicate and spread. Copyright © 2011 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Distinctive Genomic Profiles of Normal and Transformed Thyrocytes Irradiated with Low vs. High Doses of X-irradiation both in vivo and in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abou-El-Ardat, K. [Radiobiology, SCK-CEN, Mol (Belgium); Molecular Biotechnology, Universiteit Gent, Ghent (Belgium); Monsieurs, P. [Microbiology, SCK-CEN, Mol (Belgium); Janssen, A.; Beck, M; Michaux, A.; Benotmane, R.; Derradji, H.; Baatout, S. [Radiobiology, SCK-CEN, Mol (Belgium); Anastasov, N.; Atkinson, M. [Radiology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, Munich (Germany); Beckaert, S.; Van Criekinge, W. [Molecular Biotechnology, Universiteit Gent, Ghent (Belgium)

2012-07-01

The increase in cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster led to an elevation of interest in the effect of radiation on the thyroid. Our work hopes to uncover some of the effects of low doses of external X-radiation in in vitro and in vivo models using several techniques and robust analysis. Here we describe the use of such models combined with micro-arrays and sound statistical analysis. we find that low doses of radiation act differently on murine thyroids carrying and lacking the RET/PTC translocation and even bear a distinctive profile to higher irradiation doses in both in vitro and in vivo models. We also find that micro-RNAs are involved in the response of these cells to radiation, even at low doses and that two in particular, let-7g and miR-106a, were significantly involved in the cells' p53-mediated anti-proliferative response

Ethical distinctions between different kinds of plant breeding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Myskja, B.K.; Schouten, H.J.; Gjerris, Mickey

2015-01-01

The article discusses whether there are ethically significant distinctions between different forms of plant breeding. We distinguish different forms of plant breeding according to the kind of technology and degree of human intervention compared to plant reproduction occurring in nature. According...... differences between plant breeding methods. The framework can contribute to an improved dialogue between the scientific community and the wider public by making the scepticism towards GM-technology more intelligible....

Visual Distinctiveness and the Development of Children's False Memories

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, Mark L.

2008-01-01

Distinctiveness effects in children's (5-, 7-, and 11-year-olds) false memory illusions were examined using visual materials. In Experiment 1, developmental trends (increasing false memories with age) were obtained using Deese-Roediger-McDermott lists presented as words and color photographs but not line drawings. In Experiment 2, when items were…

SPATIALLY RESOLVED SPECTROSCOPY OF EUROPA: THE DISTINCT SPECTRUM OF LARGE-SCALE CHAOS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, P. D.; Brown, M. E.; Hand, K. P.

2015-01-01

We present a comprehensive analysis of spatially resolved moderate spectral resolution near-infrared spectra obtained with the adaptive optics system at the Keck Observatory. We identify three compositionally distinct end member regions: the trailing hemisphere bullseye, the leading hemisphere upper latitudes, and a third component associated with leading hemisphere chaos units. We interpret the composition of the three end member regions to be dominated by irradiation products, water ice, and evaporite deposits or salt brines, respectively. The third component is associated with geological features and distinct from the geography of irradiation, suggesting an endogenous identity. Identifying the endogenous composition is of particular interest for revealing the subsurface composition. However, its spectrum is not consistent with linear mixtures of the salt minerals previously considered relevant to Europa. The spectrum of this component is distinguished by distorted hydration features rather than distinct spectral features, indicating hydrated minerals but making unique identification difficult. In particular, it lacks features common to hydrated sulfate minerals, challenging the traditional view of an endogenous salty component dominated by Mg-sulfates. Chloride evaporite deposits are one possible alternative

SPATIALLY RESOLVED SPECTROSCOPY OF EUROPA: THE DISTINCT SPECTRUM OF LARGE-SCALE CHAOS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, P. D.; Brown, M. E. [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Hand, K. P., E-mail: pfischer@caltech.edu [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2015-11-15

We present a comprehensive analysis of spatially resolved moderate spectral resolution near-infrared spectra obtained with the adaptive optics system at the Keck Observatory. We identify three compositionally distinct end member regions: the trailing hemisphere bullseye, the leading hemisphere upper latitudes, and a third component associated with leading hemisphere chaos units. We interpret the composition of the three end member regions to be dominated by irradiation products, water ice, and evaporite deposits or salt brines, respectively. The third component is associated with geological features and distinct from the geography of irradiation, suggesting an endogenous identity. Identifying the endogenous composition is of particular interest for revealing the subsurface composition. However, its spectrum is not consistent with linear mixtures of the salt minerals previously considered relevant to Europa. The spectrum of this component is distinguished by distorted hydration features rather than distinct spectral features, indicating hydrated minerals but making unique identification difficult. In particular, it lacks features common to hydrated sulfate minerals, challenging the traditional view of an endogenous salty component dominated by Mg-sulfates. Chloride evaporite deposits are one possible alternative.

Interpersonal Subtypes Within Social Anxiety: The Identification of Distinct Social Features.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Danielle; Anderson, Timothy

2017-10-05

Although social anxiety disorder is defined by anxiety-related symptoms, little research has focused on the interpersonal features of social anxiety. Prior studies (Cain, Pincus, & Grosse Holtforth, 2010; Kachin, Newman, & Pincus, 2001) identified distinct subgroups of socially anxious individuals' interpersonal circumplex problems that were blends of agency and communion, and yet inconsistencies remain. We predicted 2 distinct interpersonal subtypes would exist for individuals with high social anxiety, and that these social anxiety subtypes would differ on empathetic concern, paranoia, received peer victimization, perspective taking, and emotional suppression. From a sample of 175 undergraduate participants, 51 participants with high social anxiety were selected as above a clinical cutoff on the social phobia scale. Cluster analyses identified 2 interpersonal subtypes of socially anxious individuals: low hostility-high submissiveness (Cluster 1) and high hostility-high submissiveness (Cluster 2). Cluster 1 reported higher levels of empathetic concern, lower paranoia, less peer victimization, and lower emotional suppression compared to Cluster 2. There were no differences between subtypes on perspective taking or cognitive reappraisal. Findings are consistent with an interpersonal conceptualization of social anxiety, and provide evidence of distinct social features between these subtypes. Findings have implications for the etiology, classification, and treatment of social anxiety.

Engineering high Zn in tomato shoots through expression of AtHMA4 involves tissue-specific modification of endogenous genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kendziorek, Maria; Klimecka, Maria; Barabasz, Anna; Borg, Sören; Rudzka, Justyna; Szczęsny, Paweł; Antosiewicz, Danuta Maria

2016-08-12

To increase the Zn level in shoots, AtHMA4 was ectopically expressed in tomato under the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter. However, the Zn concentration in the shoots of transgenic plants failed to increase at all tested Zn levels in the medium. Modification of Zn root/shoot distribution in tomato expressing 35S::AtHMA4 depended on the concentration of Zn in the medium, thus indicating involvement of unknown endogenous metal-homeostasis mechanisms. To determine these mechanisms, those metal-homeostasis genes that were expressed differently in transgenic and wild-type plants were identified by microarray and RT-qPCR analysis using laser-assisted microdissected RNA isolated from two root sectors: (epidermis + cortex and stele), and leaf sectors (upper epidermis + palisade parenchyma and lower epidermis + spongy parenchyma). Zn-supply-dependent modification of Zn root/shoot distribution in AtHMA4-tomato (increase at 5 μM Zn, no change at 0.5 μM Zn) involved tissue-specific, distinct from that in the wild type, expression of tomato endogenous genes. First, it is suggested that an ethylene-dependent pathway underlies the detected changes in Zn root/shoot partitioning, as it was induced in transgenic plants in a distinct way depending on Zn exposure. Upon exposure to 5 or 0.5 μM Zn, in the epidermis + cortex of the transgenics' roots the expression of the Strategy I Fe-uptake system (ethylene-dependent LeIRT1 and LeFER) was respectively lower or higher than in the wild type and was accompanied by respectively lower or higher expression of the identified ethylene genes (LeNR, LeACO4, LeACO5) and of LeChln. Second, the contribution of LeNRAMP2 expression in the stele is shown to be distinct for wild-type and transgenic plants at both Zn exposures. Ethylene was also suggested as an important factor in a pathway induced in the leaves of transgenic plants by high Zn in the apoplast, which results in the initiation of loading of the excess Zn into the

Are there distinctive indigenous methods of inquiry? | Le Grange ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article explores whether there are methods that might be referred to as being distinctly indigenous. In doing so the nature of method is examined and it is concluded that method is not universal and neutral, but rather situated and performative. The upshot of this is that research methods can be transformed and that ...

Distinct properties of hexameric but functionally conserved Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcription-repair coupling factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Prabha, Swayam; Rao, Desirazu N; Nagaraja, Valakunja

2011-04-29

Transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) is involved in correcting UV-induced damage and other road-blocks encountered in the transcribed strand. Mutation frequency decline (Mfd) is a transcription repair coupling factor, involved in repair of template strand during transcription. Mfd from M. tuberculosis (MtbMfd) is 1234 amino-acids long harboring characteristic modules for different activities. Mtbmfd complemented Escherichia coli mfd (Ecomfd) deficient strain, enhanced survival of UV irradiated cells and increased the road-block repression in vivo. The protein exhibited ATPase activity, which was stimulated ∼1.5-fold in the presence of DNA. While the C-terminal domain (CTD) comprising amino acids 630 to 1234 showed ∼2-fold elevated ATPase activity than MtbMfd, the N-terminal domain (NTD) containing the first 433 amino acid residues was able to bind ATP but deficient in hydrolysis. Overexpression of NTD of MtbMfd led to growth defect and hypersensitivity to UV light. Deletion of 184 amino acids from the C-terminal end of MtbMfd (MfdΔC) increased the ATPase activity by ∼10-fold and correspondingly exhibited efficient translocation along DNA as compared to the MtbMfd and CTD. Surprisingly, MtbMfd was found to be distributed in monomer and hexamer forms both in vivo and in vitro and the monomer showed increased susceptibility to proteases compared to the hexamer. MfdΔC, on the other hand, was predominantly monomeric in solution implicating the extreme C-terminal region in oligomerization of the protein. Thus, although the MtbMfd resembles EcoMfd in many of its reaction characteristics, some of its hitherto unknown distinct properties hint at its species specific role in mycobacteria during transcription-coupled repair.

Distinct properties of hexameric but functionally conserved Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcription-repair coupling factor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swayam Prabha

Full Text Available Transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER is involved in correcting UV-induced damage and other road-blocks encountered in the transcribed strand. Mutation frequency decline (Mfd is a transcription repair coupling factor, involved in repair of template strand during transcription. Mfd from M. tuberculosis (MtbMfd is 1234 amino-acids long harboring characteristic modules for different activities. Mtbmfd complemented Escherichia coli mfd (Ecomfd deficient strain, enhanced survival of UV irradiated cells and increased the road-block repression in vivo. The protein exhibited ATPase activity, which was stimulated ∼1.5-fold in the presence of DNA. While the C-terminal domain (CTD comprising amino acids 630 to 1234 showed ∼2-fold elevated ATPase activity than MtbMfd, the N-terminal domain (NTD containing the first 433 amino acid residues was able to bind ATP but deficient in hydrolysis. Overexpression of NTD of MtbMfd led to growth defect and hypersensitivity to UV light. Deletion of 184 amino acids from the C-terminal end of MtbMfd (MfdΔC increased the ATPase activity by ∼10-fold and correspondingly exhibited efficient translocation along DNA as compared to the MtbMfd and CTD. Surprisingly, MtbMfd was found to be distributed in monomer and hexamer forms both in vivo and in vitro and the monomer showed increased susceptibility to proteases compared to the hexamer. MfdΔC, on the other hand, was predominantly monomeric in solution implicating the extreme C-terminal region in oligomerization of the protein. Thus, although the MtbMfd resembles EcoMfd in many of its reaction characteristics, some of its hitherto unknown distinct properties hint at its species specific role in mycobacteria during transcription-coupled repair.

Orexins control intestinal glucose transport by distinct neuronal, endocrine, and direct epithelial pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Ducroc, Robert; Voisin, Thierry; El Firar, Aadil; Laburthe, Marc

2007-10-01

Orexins are neuropeptides involved in energy homeostasis. We investigated the effect of orexin A (OxA) and orexin B (OxB) on intestinal glucose transport in the rat. Injection of orexins led to a decrease in the blood glucose level in oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs). Effects of orexins on glucose entry were analyzed in Ussing chambers using the Na(+)-dependent increase in short-circuit current (Isc) to quantify jejunal glucose transport. The rapid and marked increase in Isc induced by luminal glucose was inhibited by 10 nmol/l OxA or OxB (53 and 59%, respectively). Response curves to OxA and OxB were not significantly different with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations at 0.9 and 0.4 nmol/l, respectively. On the one hand, OxA-induced inhibition of Isc was reduced by the neuronal blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX) and by a cholecystokinin (CCK) 2R antagonist, indicating involvement of neuronal and endocrine CCK-releasing cells. The OX(1)R antagonist SB334867 had no effect on OxA-induced inhibition, which is likely to occur via a neuronal and/or endocrine OX(2)R. On the other hand, SB334867 induced a significant right shift of the concentration-effect curve for OxB. This OxB-preferring OX(1)R pathway was not sensitive to TTX or to CCKR antagonists, suggesting that OxB may act directly on enterocytic OX(1)R. These distinct effects of OxA and OxB are consistent with the expression of OX(1)R and OX(2)R mRNA in the epithelial and nonepithelial tissues, respectively. Our data delineate a new function for orexins as inhibitors of intestinal glucose absorption and provide a new basis for orexin-induced short-term control of energy homeostasis.

Education and Training: Is There Any Longer a Useful Distinction?

Science.gov (United States)

Hager, Paul; Laurent, John

1990-01-01

Although education and training were distinct concepts when Taylorism dominated the workplace, it is no longer appropriate to separate them. Today's highly competitive environment requires the education of a flexible, multiskilled workforce, not training for narrowly defined employment tasks. (SK)

Investigations into the involvement of NMDA mechanisms in recognition memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Warburton, E Clea; Barker, Gareth R I; Brown, Malcom W

2013-11-01

This review will focus on evidence showing that NMDA receptor neurotransmission is critical for synaptic plasticity processes within brain regions known to be necessary for the formation of object recognition memories. The aim will be to provide evidence concerning NMDA mechanisms related to recognition memory processes and show that recognition memory for objects, places or associations between objects and places depends on NMDA neurotransmission within the perirhinal cortex, temporal association cortex medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Administration of the NMDA antagonist AP5, selectively into each of these brain regions has revealed that the extent of the involvement NMDA receptors appears dependent on the type of information required to solve the recognition memory task; thus NMDA receptors in the perirhinal cortex are crucial for the encoding of long-term recognition memory for objects, and object-in-place associations, but not for short-term recognition memory or for retrieval. In contrast the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex are required for both long-term and short-term recognition memory for places or associations between objects and places, or for recognition memory tasks that have a temporal component. Such studies have therefore confirmed that the multiple brain regions make distinct contributions to recognition memory but in addition that more than one synaptic plasticity process must be involved. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Glutamate Receptor-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity'. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Nitrate and ammonium lead to distinct global dynamic phosphorylation patterns when resupplied to nitrogen-starved Arabidopsis seedlings.

Science.gov (United States)

Engelsberger, Wolfgang R; Schulze, Waltraud X

2012-03-01

Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. Inorganic nitrogen and its assimilation products control various metabolic, physiological and developmental processes. Although the transcriptional responses induced by nitrogen have been extensively studied in the past, our work here focused on the discovery of candidate proteins for regulatory events that are complementary to transcriptional changes. Most signaling pathways involve modulation of protein abundance and/or activity by protein phosphorylation. Therefore, we analyzed the dynamic changes in protein phosphorylation in membrane and soluble proteins from plants exposed to rapid changes in nutrient availability over a time course of 30 min. Plants were starved of nitrogen and subsequently resupplied with nitrogen in the form of nitrate or ammonium. Proteins with maximum change in their phosphorylation level at up to 5 min after nitrogen resupply (fast responses) included GPI-anchored proteins, receptor kinases and transcription factors, while proteins with maximum change in their phosphorylation level after 10 min of nitrogen resupply (late responses) included proteins involved in protein synthesis and degradation, as well as proteins with functions in central metabolism and hormone metabolism. Resupply of nitrogen in the form of nitrate or ammonium resulted in distinct phosphorylation patterns, mainly of proteins with signaling functions, transcription factors and transporters. © 2011 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The Involved Ostrich

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davies, Andrea; Dobscha, Susan; Geiger, Susi

2008-01-01

that the transition into parenthood can be difficult for men due to their lack of a physical connection to the pregnancy, a perception that the baby industry is not designed for them, the continuance of male stereotypes in the media, and also the time available to men to become involved in consumption activities......-natal data. Data revealed that men, according to their partner’s perceptions, used consumption as a virtual umbilical cord, although levels of consumption involvement varied from co-involvement for most purchases, to limited involvement, and/or involvement for ‘large’ items, particularly travel systems...... and technical items. This research also revealed that men partook in highly masculinized forms of “nesting,” and in general shunned pregnancy book reading; although some did engage in “research” activities such as searching the internet for product safety information. We conclude from this study...

MicroRNAs define distinct human neuroblastoma cell phenotypes and regulate their differentiation and tumorigenicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samaraweera, Leleesha; Grandinetti, Kathryn B; Huang, Ruojun; Spengler, Barbara A; Ross, Robert A

2014-01-01

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. NB tumors and derived cell lines are phenotypically heterogeneous. Cell lines are classified by phenotype, each having distinct differentiation and tumorigenic properties. The neuroblastic phenotype is tumorigenic, has neuronal features and includes stem cells (I-cells) and neuronal cells (N-cells). The non-neuronal phenotype (S-cell) comprises cells that are non-tumorigenic with features of glial/smooth muscle precursor cells. This study identified miRNAs associated with each distinct cell phenotypes and investigated their role in regulating associated differentiation and tumorigenic properties. A miRNA microarray was performed on the three cell phenotypes and expression verified by qRT-PCR. miRNAs specific for certain cell phenotypes were modulated using miRNA inhibitors or stable transfection. Neuronal differentiation was induced by RA; non-neuronal differentiation by BrdU. Changes in tumorigenicity were assayed by soft agar colony forming ability. N-myc binding to miR-375 promoter was assayed by chromatin-immunoprecipitation. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of miRNA microarray data segregated neuroblastic and non-neuronal cell lines and showed that specific miRNAs define each phenotype. qRT-PCR validation confirmed that increased levels of miR-21, miR-221 and miR-335 are associated with the non-neuronal phenotype, whereas increased levels of miR-124 and miR-375 are exclusive to neuroblastic cells. Downregulation of miR-335 in non-neuronal cells modulates expression levels of HAND1 and JAG1, known modulators of neuronal differentiation. Overexpression of miR-124 in stem cells induces terminal neuronal differentiation with reduced malignancy. Expression of miR-375 is exclusive for N-myc-expressing neuroblastic cells and is regulated by N-myc. Moreover, miR-375 downregulates expression of the neuronal-specific RNA binding protein HuD. Thus, miRNAs define distinct NB cell phenotypes

Parakeratosis pustulosa - a distinct but less familiar disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pandhi Deepika

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Parakeratosis pustulosa (PP is a distinct but less commonly known skin disease, which is frequently seen, in young girls. We describe the clinical and histological features of PP in a 7 month old female baby. Further, it is stressed that unless carefully looked for, this entity may be easily misdiagnosed as chronic paronychia, acrodermatitis of Hallopeau, pustular psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, tinea pedis or dry fissured eczematoid dermatitis and mistreated subsequently.

Effects of substance P and Sar-Met-SP, a NK1 agonist, in distinct amygdaloid nuclei on anxiety-like behavior in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassi, Gabriel Shimizu; de Carvalho, Milene Cristina; Brandão, Marcus Lira

2014-05-21

The amygdala, together with the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), medial hypothalamus, and deep layers of the superior and inferior colliculi, constitutes the encephalic aversion system, which has been considered the main neural substrate for the organization of fear and anxiety. The basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) acts as a filter for aversive stimuli to higher structures while the central (CeA) and the medial (MeA) nuclei constitute the output for the autonomic and somatic components of the emotional reaction through major projections to the limbic and brainstem regions. Although some findings point to the distinct participation of the substance P (SP) and the NK1 receptors system in the different nuclei of the amygdala on the expression of emotional behaviors, it is not clear if this system modulates anxiety-like responses in the distinct nuclei of the amygdala as well as the dPAG. Thus, it was investigated if the injection of SP into the BLA, CeA, or MeA affects the expression of anxiety-like responses of rats submitted to the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test and, if the effects are mediated by NK1 receptors. The results showed that SP and Sar-Met-SP (NK1 receptor selective agonist) injected into the CeA and MeA, but not into the BLA, caused anxiogenic-like effects in the EPM. Altogether, the data indicates that the SP may mimic the effects of anxiogenic stimuli via NK1 receptor activation only in the CeA and MeA (amygdala's nuclei output) and may activate the neural mechanisms involved in the defensive reaction genesis. The SP/NK1 receptors system activation may be phasically involved in very specific aspects of anxiety behaviors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Replicating distinctive facial features in lineups: identification performance in young versus older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Badham, Stephen P; Wade, Kimberley A; Watts, Hannah J E; Woods, Natalie G; Maylor, Elizabeth A

2013-04-01

Criminal suspects with distinctive facial features, such as tattoos or bruising, may stand out in a police lineup. To prevent suspects from being unfairly identified on the basis of their distinctive feature, the police often manipulate lineup images to ensure that all of the members appear similar. Recent research shows that replicating a distinctive feature across lineup members enhances eyewitness identification performance, relative to removing that feature on the target. In line with this finding, the present study demonstrated that with young adults (n = 60; mean age = 20), replication resulted in more target identifications than did removal in target-present lineups and that replication did not impair performance, relative to removal, in target-absent lineups. Older adults (n = 90; mean age = 74) performed significantly worse than young adults, identifying fewer targets and more foils; moreover, older adults showed a minimal benefit from replication over removal. This pattern is consistent with the associative deficit hypothesis of aging, such that older adults form weaker links between faces and their distinctive features. Although replication did not produce much benefit over removal for older adults, it was not detrimental to their performance. Therefore, the results suggest that replication may not be as beneficial to older adults as it is to young adults and demonstrate a new practical implication of age-related associative deficits in memory.

Personal involvement is related to increased search motivation and associated with activity in left BA44—a pilot study

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Michael; Rumpel, Franziska; Sadrieh, Abdolkarim; Reimann, Martin; Denke, Claudia

2015-01-01

Numerous studies explore consumer perception of brands in a more or less passive way. This may still be representative for many situations or decisions we make each day. Nevertheless, sometimes we often actively search for and use information to make informed and reasoned choices, thus implying a rational and thinking consumer. Researchers suggested describing this distinction as low relative to high involvement consumer behavior. Although the involvement concept has been widely used to explain consumer behavior, behavioral and neural correlates of this concept are poorly understood. The current study aims to describe a behavioral measure that is associated with high involvement, the length of search behavior. A second aim of this study was to explore brain activations associated with involvement by employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We presented participants information cues for different products and told them that they had to answer questions with respect to these products at the end of the experiment. Participants were free to stop the information search if they think they gathered enough information or to continue with collecting information. Behavioral results confirmed our hypothesis of a relationship between searching behavior and personal involvement by demonstrating that the length of search correlated significantly with the degree of personal involvement of the participants. fMRI data revealed that personal involvement was associated with activation in BA44. Since this brain region is known to be involved in semantic memory, the results of this pilot study suggest that high involvement consumer behavior may be linked to cognitive load and attention towards a product. PMID:25859200

76 FR 9734 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Distinct Population Segments of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-22

... Population Segments of the Bearded Seal AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic... December 10, 2010, we, NMFS, published a proposed rule to list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population..., 2010 (75 FR 77476), we published a proposed rule to list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population...

A distinct bacterial dysbiosis associated skin inflammation in ovine footrot

Science.gov (United States)

Maboni, Grazieli; Blanchard, Adam; Frosth, Sara; Stewart, Ceri; Emes, Richard; Tötemeyer, Sabine

2017-03-01

Ovine footrot is a highly prevalent bacterial disease caused by Dichelobacter nodosus and characterised by the separation of the hoof horn from the underlying skin. The role of innate immune molecules and other bacterial communities in the development of footrot lesions remains unclear. This study shows a significant association between the high expression of IL1β and high D. nodosus load in footrot samples. Investigation of the microbial population identified distinct bacterial populations in the different disease stages and also depending on the level of inflammation. Treponema (34%), Mycoplasma (29%) and Porphyromonas (15%) were the most abundant genera associated with high levels of inflammation in footrot. In contrast, Acinetobacter (25%), Corynebacteria (17%) and Flavobacterium (17%) were the most abundant genera associated with high levels of inflammation in healthy feet. This demonstrates for the first time there is a distinct microbial community associated with footrot and high cytokine expression.

The True Self: A Psychological Concept Distinct From the Self.

Science.gov (United States)

Strohminger, Nina; Knobe, Joshua; Newman, George

2017-07-01

A long tradition of psychological research has explored the distinction between characteristics that are part of the self and those that lie outside of it. Recently, a surge of research has begun examining a further distinction. Even among characteristics that are internal to the self, people pick out a subset as belonging to the true self. These factors are judged as making people who they really are, deep down. In this paper, we introduce the concept of the true self and identify features that distinguish people's understanding of the true self from their understanding of the self more generally. In particular, we consider recent findings that the true self is perceived as positive and moral and that this tendency is actor-observer invariant and cross-culturally stable. We then explore possible explanations for these findings and discuss their implications for a variety of issues in psychology.

Recognition of distinctive patterns of gallium-67 distribution in sarcoidosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulavik, S.B.; Spencer, R.P.; Weed, D.A.; Shapiro, H.R.; Shiue, S.T.; Castriotta, R.J.

1990-01-01

Assessment of gallium-67 ( 67 Ga) uptake in the salivary and lacrimal glands and intrathoracic lymph nodes was made in 605 consecutive patients including 65 with sarcoidosis. A distinctive intrathoracic lymph node 67 Ga uptake pattern, resembling the Greek letter lambda, was observed only in sarcoidosis (72%). Symmetrical lacrimal gland and parotid gland 67 Ga uptake (panda appearance) was noted in 79% of sarcoidosis patients. A simultaneous lambda and panda pattern (62%) or a panda appearance with radiographic bilateral, symmetrical, hilar lymphadenopathy (6%) was present only in sarcoidosis patients. The presence of either of these patterns was particularly prevalent in roentgen Stages I (80%) or II (74%). We conclude that simultaneous (a) lambda and panda images, or (b) a panda image with bilateral symmetrical hilar lymphadenopathy on chest X-ray represent distinctive patterns which are highly specific for sarcoidosis, and may obviate the need for invasive diagnostic procedures

The influence of context on distinct facial expressions of disgust.

Science.gov (United States)

Reschke, Peter J; Walle, Eric A; Knothe, Jennifer M; Lopez, Lukas D

2018-06-11

Face perception is susceptible to contextual influence and perceived physical similarities between emotion cues. However, studies often use structurally homogeneous facial expressions, making it difficult to explore how within-emotion variability in facial configuration affects emotion perception. This study examined the influence of context on the emotional perception of categorically identical, yet physically distinct, facial expressions of disgust. Participants categorized two perceptually distinct disgust facial expressions, "closed" (i.e., scrunched nose, closed mouth) and "open" (i.e., scrunched nose, open mouth, protruding tongue), that were embedded in contexts comprising emotion postures and scenes. Results demonstrated that the effect of nonfacial elements was significantly stronger for "open" disgust facial expressions than "closed" disgust facial expressions. These findings provide support that physical similarity within discrete categories of facial expressions is mutable and plays an important role in affective face perception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Anticancer Properties of Distinct Antimalarial Drug Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Hooft van Huijsduijnen, Rob; Guy, R. Kiplin; Chibale, Kelly; Haynes, Richard K.; Peitz, Ingmar; Kelter, Gerhard; Phillips, Margaret A.; Vennerstrom, Jonathan L.; Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Wells, Timothy N. C.

2013-01-01

We have tested five distinct classes of established and experimental antimalarial drugs for their anticancer potential, using a panel of 91 human cancer lines. Three classes of drugs: artemisinins, synthetic peroxides and DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) inhibitors effected potent inhibition of proliferation with IC50s in the nM- low µM range, whereas a DHODH (dihydroorotate dehydrogenase) and a putative kinase inhibitor displayed no activity. Furthermore, significant synergies were identified with erlotinib, imatinib, cisplatin, dasatinib and vincristine. Cluster analysis of the antimalarials based on their differential inhibition of the various cancer lines clearly segregated the synthetic peroxides OZ277 and OZ439 from the artemisinin cluster that included artesunate, dihydroartemisinin and artemisone, and from the DHFR inhibitors pyrimethamine and P218 (a parasite DHFR inhibitor), emphasizing their shared mode of action. In order to further understand the basis of the selectivity of these compounds against different cancers, microarray-based gene expression data for 85 of the used cell lines were generated. For each compound, distinct sets of genes were identified whose expression significantly correlated with compound sensitivity. Several of the antimalarials tested in this study have well-established and excellent safety profiles with a plasma exposure, when conservatively used in malaria, that is well above the IC50s that we identified in this study. Given their unique mode of action and potential for unique synergies with established anticancer drugs, our results provide a strong basis to further explore the potential application of these compounds in cancer in pre-clinical or and clinical settings. PMID:24391728

Anticancer properties of distinct antimalarial drug classes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rob Hooft van Huijsduijnen

Full Text Available We have tested five distinct classes of established and experimental antimalarial drugs for their anticancer potential, using a panel of 91 human cancer lines. Three classes of drugs: artemisinins, synthetic peroxides and DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors effected potent inhibition of proliferation with IC50s in the nM- low µM range, whereas a DHODH (dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and a putative kinase inhibitor displayed no activity. Furthermore, significant synergies were identified with erlotinib, imatinib, cisplatin, dasatinib and vincristine. Cluster analysis of the antimalarials based on their differential inhibition of the various cancer lines clearly segregated the synthetic peroxides OZ277 and OZ439 from the artemisinin cluster that included artesunate, dihydroartemisinin and artemisone, and from the DHFR inhibitors pyrimethamine and P218 (a parasite DHFR inhibitor, emphasizing their shared mode of action. In order to further understand the basis of the selectivity of these compounds against different cancers, microarray-based gene expression data for 85 of the used cell lines were generated. For each compound, distinct sets of genes were identified whose expression significantly correlated with compound sensitivity. Several of the antimalarials tested in this study have well-established and excellent safety profiles with a plasma exposure, when conservatively used in malaria, that is well above the IC50s that we identified in this study. Given their unique mode of action and potential for unique synergies with established anticancer drugs, our results provide a strong basis to further explore the potential application of these compounds in cancer in pre-clinical or and clinical settings.

Common and distinct neural mechanisms of attentional switching and response conflict.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chobok; Johnson, Nathan F; Gold, Brian T

2012-08-21

The human capacities for overcoming prepotent actions and flexibly switching between tasks represent cornerstones of cognitive control. Functional neuroimaging has implicated a diverse set of brain regions contributing to each of these cognitive control processes. However, the extent to which attentional switching and response conflict draw on shared or distinct neural mechanisms remains unclear. The current study examined the neural correlates of response conflict and attentional switching using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a fully randomized 2×2 design. We manipulated an arrow-word version of the Stroop task to measure conflict and switching in the context of a single task decision, in response to a common set of stimuli. Under these common conditions, both behavioral and imaging data showed significant main effects of conflict and switching but no interaction. However, conjunction analyses identified frontal regions involved in both switching and response conflict, including the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and left inferior frontal junction. In addition, connectivity analyses demonstrated task-dependent functional connectivity patterns between dACC and inferior temporal cortex for attentional switching and between dACC and posterior parietal cortex for response conflict. These results suggest that the brain makes use of shared frontal regions, but can dynamically modulate the connectivity patterns of some of those regions, to deal with attentional switching and response conflict. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 expression by a distinct population of mouse vestibular supporting cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavazzani, Elisa; Tritto, Simona; Spaiardi, Paolo; Botta, Laura; Manca, Marco; Prigioni, Ivo; Masetto, Sergio; Russo, Giancarlo

2014-01-01

The function of the enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) is to convert glutamate in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Glutamate decarboxylase exists as two major isoforms, termed GAD65 and GAD67, that are usually expressed in GABA-containing neurons in the central nervous system. GAD65 has been proposed to be associated with GABA exocytosis whereas GAD67 with GABA metabolism. In the present immunofluorescence study, we have investigated the presence of the two GAD isoforms in the semicircular canal cristae of wild type and GAD67-GFP knock-in mice. While no evidence for GAD65 expression was found, GAD67 was detected in a distinct population of peripherally-located supporting cells, but not in hair cells or in centrally-located supporting cells. GABA, on the other hand, was found in all supporting cells. The present result indicate that only a discrete population of supporting cells use GAD67 to synthesize GABA. This is the first report of a marker that allows to distinguish two populations of supporting cells in the vestibular epithelium. On the other hand, the lack of GABA and GAD enzymes in hair cells excludes its involvement in afferent transmission.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 expression by a distinct population of mouse vestibular supporting cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giancarlo eRusso

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The function of the enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD is to convert glutamate in -aminobutyric acid (GABA.GAD exists as two major isoforms, termed GAD65 and GAD67,.that are usually expressed in GABA-containing neurons in the central nervous system. GAD65 has been proposed to be associated with GABA exocytosis whereas GAD67 with GABA metabolism. In the present immunofluorescence study, we have investigated the presence of the two GAD isoforms in the semicircular canal cristae of wild type and GAD67-GFP knock-in mice. While no evidence for GAD65 expression was found, GAD67 was detected in a distinct population of peripherally-located supporting cells, but not in hair cells or in centrally-located supporting cells. GABA, on the other hand, was found in all supporting cells. The present result indicate that only a discrete population of supporting cells use GAD67 to synthesize GABA. This is the first report of a marker that allows to distinguish two populations of supporting cells in the vestibular epithelium. On the other hand, the lack of GABA and GAD enzymes in hair cells excludes its involvement in afferent transmission.

Group Frames With Few Distinct Inner Products and Low Coherence

KAUST Repository

Thill, Matthew

2015-10-01

Frame theory has been a popular subject in the design of structured signals and codes in recent years, with applications ranging from the design of measurement matrices in compressive sensing, to spherical codes for data compression and data transmission, to spacetime codes for MIMO communications, and to measurement operators in quantum sensing. High-performance codes usually arise from designing frames whose elements have mutually low coherence. Building off the original “group frame” design of Slepian which has since been elaborated in the works of Vale and Waldron, we present several new frame constructions based on cyclic and generalized dihedral groups. Slepian\\'s original construction was based on the premise that group structure allows one to reduce the number of distinct inner pairwise inner products in a frame with n elements from [(n(n-1))/2] to n-1. All of our constructions further utilize the group structure to produce tight frames with even fewer distinct inner product values between the frame elements. When n is prime, for example, we use cyclic groups to construct m-dimensional frame vectors with at most [(n-1)/m] distinct inner products. We use this behavior to bound the coherence of our frames via arguments based on the frame potential, and derive even tighter bounds from combinatorial and algebraic arguments using the group structure alone. In certain cases, we recover well-known Welch bound achieving frames. In cases where the Welch bound has not been achieved, and is not known to be achievable, we obtain frames with close to Welch bound performance.

Evaluation of the cranial base in amnion rupture sequence involving the anterior neural tube: implications regarding recurrence risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kenneth Lyons; Robinson, Luther K; Benirschke, Kurt

2006-09-01

Amniotic bands can cause disruption of the cranial end of the developing fetus, leading in some cases to a neural tube closure defect. Although recurrence for unaffected parents of an affected child with a defect in which the neural tube closed normally but was subsequently disrupted by amniotic bands is negligible; for a primary defect in closure of the neural tube to which amnion has subsequently adhered, recurrence risk is 1.7%. In that primary defects of neural tube closure are characterized by typical abnormalities of the base of the skull, evaluation of the cranial base in such fetuses provides an approach for making a distinction between these 2 mechanisms. This distinction has implications regarding recurrence risk. The skull base of 2 fetuses with amnion rupture sequence involving the cranial end of the neural tube were compared to that of 1 fetus with anencephaly as well as that of a structurally normal fetus. The skulls were cleaned, fixed in 10% formalin, recleaned, and then exposed to 10% KOH solution. After washing and recleaning, the skulls were exposed to hydrogen peroxide for bleaching and photography. Despite involvement of the anterior neural tube in both fetuses with amnion rupture sequence, in Case 3 the cranial base was normal while in Case 4 the cranial base was similar to that seen in anencephaly. This technique provides a method for determining the developmental pathogenesis of anterior neural tube defects in cases of amnion rupture sequence. As such, it provides information that can be used to counsel parents of affected children with respect to recurrence risk.

Spatial and Single-Cell Transcriptional Profiling Identifies Functionally Distinct Human Dermal Fibroblast Subpopulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Philippeos, Christina; Telerman, Stephanie B; Oulès, Bénédicte; Pisco, Angela O; Shaw, Tanya J; Elgueta, Raul; Lombardi, Giovanna; Driskell, Ryan R; Soldin, Mark; Lynch, Magnus D; Watt, Fiona M

2018-04-01

Previous studies have shown that mouse dermis is composed of functionally distinct fibroblast lineages. To explore the extent of fibroblast heterogeneity in human skin, we used a combination of comparative spatial transcriptional profiling of human and mouse dermis and single-cell transcriptional profiling of human dermal fibroblasts. We show that there are at least four distinct fibroblast populations in adult human skin, not all of which are spatially segregated. We define markers permitting their isolation and show that although marker expression is lost in culture, different fibroblast subpopulations retain distinct functionality in terms of Wnt signaling, responsiveness to IFN-γ, and ability to support human epidermal reconstitution when introduced into decellularized dermis. These findings suggest that ex vivo expansion or in vivo ablation of specific fibroblast subpopulations may have therapeutic applications in wound healing and diseases characterized by excessive fibrosis. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distinct metal-exchange pathways of doped Ag25 nanoclusters

KAUST Repository

Bootharaju, Megalamane Siddaramappa

2016-09-09

Atomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) containing more than one type of metal atom (i.e., doped or alloyed), due to synergistic effects, open new avenues for engineering the catalytic and optical properties of NCs in a manner that homometal NCs cannot. Unfortunately, it is still a major challenge to controllably introduce multimetallic dopants in NCs, understanding the dopants\\' positions, mechanism, and synergistic effects. To overcome these challenges, we designed a metal-exchange approach involving NCs as molecular templates and metal ions as the source of the incoming dopant. In particular, two structurally similar monodoped silver-rich NCs, [MAg24(SR)(18)](2-) (M = Pd/Pt and SR: thiolate), were synthesized as templates to study their mechanistic transformation in response to the introduction of gold atoms. The controllable incorporation of Au atoms into the MAg24 framework facilitated the elucidation of distinct doping pathways through high-resolution mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Interestingly, gold replaced the central Pd atom of [PdAg24(SR)(18)](2-) clusters to produce predominantly bimetallic [AuAg24(SR)(18)](-) clusters along with a minor product of an [Au2Ag23(SR)(18)](-) cluster. In contrast, the central Pt atom remained intact in [PtAg24(SR)(18)](2-) clusters, and gold replaced the noncentral Ag atoms to form trimetallic [AuxPtAg24-x(SR)(18)](2-) NCs, where x = 1-2, with a portion of the starting [PtAg24(SR)(18)](2-) NCs remaining. This study reveals some of the unusual metal-exchange pathways of doped NCs and the important role played by the initial metal dopant in directing the position of a second dopant in the final product.

Articulatory Distinctiveness of Vowels and Consonants: A Data-Driven Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Green, Jordan R.; Samal, Ashok; Yunusova, Yana

2013-01-01

Purpose: To quantify the articulatory distinctiveness of 8 major English vowels and 11 English consonants based on tongue and lip movement time series data using a data-driven approach. Method: Tongue and lip movements of 8 vowels and 11 consonants from 10 healthy talkers were

Characterizing the nature of visual conscious access: the distinction between features and locations.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Liqiang

2010-08-24

The difference between the roles of features and locations has been a central topic in the theoretical debates on visual attention. A recent theory proposed that momentary visual awareness is limited to one Boolean map, that is the linkage of one feature per dimension with a set of locations (L. Huang & H. Pashler, 2007). This theory predicts that: (a) access to the features of a set of objects is inefficient whereas access to their locations is efficient; (b) shuffling the locations of objects disrupts access to their features whereas shuffling the features of objects has little impact on access to their locations. Both of these predictions were confirmed in Experiments 1 and 2. Experiments 3 and 4 showed that this feature/location distinction remains when the task involves the detection of changes to old objects rather than the coding of new objects. Experiments 5 and 6 showed that, in a pre-specified set, one missing location can be readily detected, but detecting one missing color is difficult. Taken together, multiple locations seem to be accessed and represented together as a holistic pattern, but features have to be handled as separate labels, one at a time, and do not constitute a pattern in featural space.

Age of Jupiter inferred from the distinct genetics and formation times of meteorites.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruijer, Thomas S; Burkhardt, Christoph; Budde, Gerrit; Kleine, Thorsten

2017-06-27

The age of Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, is still unknown. Gas-giant planet formation likely involved the growth of large solid cores, followed by the accumulation of gas onto these cores. Thus, the gas-giant cores must have formed before dissipation of the solar nebula, which likely occurred within less than 10 My after Solar System formation. Although such rapid accretion of the gas-giant cores has successfully been modeled, until now it has not been possible to date their formation. Here, using molybdenum and tungsten isotope measurements on iron meteorites, we demonstrate that meteorites derive from two genetically distinct nebular reservoirs that coexisted and remained spatially separated between ∼1 My and ∼3-4 My after Solar System formation. The most plausible mechanism for this efficient separation is the formation of Jupiter, opening a gap in the disk and preventing the exchange of material between the two reservoirs. As such, our results indicate that Jupiter's core grew to ∼20 Earth masses within Jupiter is the oldest planet of the Solar System, and its solid core formed well before the solar nebula gas dissipated, consistent with the core accretion model for giant planet formation.

Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 among the HIV infected people of Manipur, Northeastern India: Emergence of unique recombinant forms.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Adhikarimayum Lakhikumar; Singh, Thiyam Ramsing; Devi, Khuraijam Ranjana; Singh, Lisam Shanjukumar

2017-06-01

According to the Joint National Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the northeastern region of India has the highest HIV prevalence in the country. This study was conducted to determine the current HIV-1 molecular epidemiology of Manipur, a state in northeast India. Blood samples from HIV-1 seropositive subjects were collected between June 2011 and February 2014. The partial regions of HIV-1 genes; pol and tat-vpu-env were independently amplified, sequenced, analyzed, and genotyped. Based on all sequences generated from 110 samples using pol and/or tat-vpu-env gene, the overall HIV-1 genotypes distribution of Manipur was as follows: 65.45% (72/110) subtype C, 32.73% (36/110) unique recombinant forms (URFs), and 1.82% (2/110) subtype B. The distribution of HIV-1 genotypes among the risk groups was: heterosexual: 58.33% (35/60) subtype C, 38.33% (23/60) URFs, and 3.34% (2/60) subtype B; intravenous drug users (IDUs): 85.36% (35/41) subtype C, 9.76% (4/41) URFs, and 4.88% (2/41) subtype B; mother to child (MTC): 50% (3/6) URFs and 50% (3/6) subtype C and blood transfusion: 100% (3/3) subtype C. The findings for the first time revealed the emergence of URFs of HIV-1 in Manipur which is predominant among the sexual and MTC risk groups as compared to IDUs. Taking together, this study illustrated that Manipur is the "recombinant hotspot of HIV" of India. The results will provide the clinical importance for continuous monitoring of HIV-infections in order to design appropriate prevention measures to limit the spread of new HIV infections. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Distinct pathways mediate the sorting of tail-anchored proteins to the plastid outer envelope.

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Preetinder K Dhanoa

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tail-anchored (TA proteins are a distinct class of membrane proteins that are sorted post-translationally to various organelles and function in a number of important cellular processes, including redox reactions, vesicular trafficking and protein translocation. While the molecular targeting signals and pathways responsible for sorting TA proteins to their correct intracellular destinations in yeasts and mammals have begun to be characterized, relatively little is known about TA protein biogenesis in plant cells, especially for those sorted to the plastid outer envelope. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we investigated the biogenesis of three plastid TA proteins, including the 33-kDa and 34-kDa GTPases of the translocon at the outer envelope of chloroplasts (Toc33 and Toc34 and a novel 9-kDa protein of unknown function that we define here as an outer envelope TA protein (OEP9. Using a combination of in vivo and in vitro assays we show that OEP9 utilizes a different sorting pathway than that used by Toc33 and Toc34. For instance, while all three TA proteins interact with the cytosolic OEP chaperone/receptor, AKR2A, the plastid targeting information within OEP9 is distinct from that within Toc33 and Toc34. Toc33 and Toc34 also appear to differ from OEP9 in that their insertion is dependent on themselves and the unique lipid composition of the plastid outer envelope. By contrast, the insertion of OEP9 into the plastid outer envelope occurs in a proteinaceous-dependent, but Toc33/34-independent manner and membrane lipids appear to serve primarily to facilitate normal thermodynamic integration of this TA protein. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Collectively, the results provide evidence in support of at least two sorting pathways for plastid TA outer envelope proteins and shed light on not only the complex diversity of pathways involved in the targeting and insertion of proteins into plastids, but also the molecular mechanisms that underlie

Conceptual distinctiveness supports detailed visual long-term memory for real-world objects.

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Konkle, Talia; Brady, Timothy F; Alvarez, George A; Oliva, Aude

2010-08-01

Humans have a massive capacity to store detailed information in visual long-term memory. The present studies explored the fidelity of these visual long-term memory representations and examined how conceptual and perceptual features of object categories support this capacity. Observers viewed 2,800 object images with a different number of exemplars presented from each category. At test, observers indicated which of 2 exemplars they had previously studied. Memory performance was high and remained quite high (82% accuracy) with 16 exemplars from a category in memory, demonstrating a large memory capacity for object exemplars. However, memory performance decreased as more exemplars were held in memory, implying systematic categorical interference. Object categories with conceptually distinctive exemplars showed less interference in memory as the number of exemplars increased. Interference in memory was not predicted by the perceptual distinctiveness of exemplars from an object category, though these perceptual measures predicted visual search rates for an object target among exemplars. These data provide evidence that observers' capacity to remember visual information in long-term memory depends more on conceptual structure than perceptual distinctiveness. 2010 APA, all rights reserved

Genetic approach identifies distinct asthma pathways in overweight vs normal weight children.

Science.gov (United States)

Butsch Kovacic, M; Martin, L J; Biagini Myers, J M; He, H; Lindsey, M; Mersha, T B; Khurana Hershey, G K

2015-08-01

The pathogenesis of asthma in the context of excess body weight may be distinct from asthma that develops in normal weight children. The study's objective was to explore the biology of asthma in the context of obesity and normal weight status using genetic methodologies. Associations between asthma and SNPs in 49 genes were assessed, as well as, interactions between SNPs and overweight status in child participants of the Greater Cincinnati Pediatric Clinic Repository. Asthma was significantly associated with weight (OR = 1.38; P = 0.037). The number of genes and the magnitude of their associations with asthma were notably greater when considering overweight children alone vs normal weight and overweight children together. When considering weight, distinct sets of asthma-associated genes were observed, many times with opposing effects. We demonstrated that the underlying heterogeneity of asthma is likely due in part to distinct pathogenetic pathways that depend on preceding/comorbid overweight and/or allergy. It is therefore important to consider both obesity and asthma when conducting studies of asthma. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rapid plant invasion in distinct climates involves different sources of phenotypic variation.

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Arnaud Monty

Full Text Available When exotic species spread over novel environments, their phenotype will depend on a combination of different processes, including phenotypic plasticity (PP, local adaptation (LA, environmental maternal effects (EME and genetic drift (GD. Few attempts have been made to simultaneously address the importance of those processes in plant invasion. The present study uses the well-documented invasion history of Senecio inaequidens (Asteraceae in southern France, where it was introduced at a single wool-processing site. It gradually invaded the Mediterranean coast and the Pyrenean Mountains, which have noticeably different climates. We used seeds from Pyrenean and Mediterranean populations, as well as populations from the first introduction area, to explore the phenotypic variation related to climatic variation. A reciprocal sowing experiment was performed with gardens under Mediterranean and Pyrenean climates. We analyzed climatic phenotypic variation in germination, growth, reproduction, leaf physiology and survival. Genetic structure in the studied invasion area was characterized using AFLP. We found consistent genetic differentiation in growth traits but no home-site advantage, so weak support for LA to climate. In contrast, genetic differentiation showed a relationship with colonization history. PP in response to climate was observed for most traits, and it played an important role in leaf trait variation. EME mediated by seed mass influenced all but leaf traits in a Pyrenean climate. Heavier, earlier-germinating seeds produced larger individuals that produced more flower heads throughout the growing season. However, in the Mediterranean garden, seed mass only influenced the germination rate. The results show that phenotypic variation in response to climate depends on various ecological and evolutionary processes associated with geographical zone and life history traits. Seeing the relative importance of EME and GD, we argue that a "local adaptation vs. phenotypic plasticity" approach is therefore not sufficient to fully understand what shapes phenotypic variation and genetic architecture of invasive populations.

The mechanism of the emergence of distinct overstretched DNA states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, You-Liang; Sun, Zhao-Yan, E-mail: zysun@ciac.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Lu, Zhong-Yuan [State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023 (China)

2016-01-14

Although multiple overstretched DNA states were identified in experiments, the mechanism of the emergence of distinct states is still unclear. Molecular dynamics simulation is an ideal tool to clarify the mechanism, but the force loading rates in stretching achieved by conventional all-atom DNA models are much faster, which essentially affect overstretching states. We employed a modified coarse-grained DNA model with an unprecedented low loading rate in simulations to study the overstretching transitions of end-opened double-stranded DNA. We observed two-strand peeling off for DNA with low stability and the S-DNA with high stability under tension. By introducing a melting-forbidden model which prevents base-pair breaking, we still observed the overstretching transition induced by the formation of S-DNA due to the change of dihedral angle. Hence, we confirmed that the competition between the two strain-softening manners, i.e., base-pair breaking and dihedral angle variation, results in the emergence of distinct overstretched DNA states.

Photobiomodulation of distinct lineages of human dermal fibroblasts: a rational approach towards the selection of effective light parameters for skin rejuvenation and wound healing

Science.gov (United States)

Mignon, Charles; Uzunbajakava, Natallia E.; Raafs, Bianca; Moolenaar, Mitchel; Botchkareva, Natalia V.; Tobin, Desmond J.

2016-03-01

Distinct lineages of human dermal fibroblasts play complementary roles in skin rejuvenation and wound healing, which makes them a target of phototherapy. However, knowledge about differential responses of specific cell lineages to different light parameters and moreover the actual molecular targets remain to be unravelled. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of a range of parameters of light on the metabolic activity, collagen production, and cell migration of distinct lineages of human dermal fibroblasts. A rational approach was used to identify parameters with high therapeutic potential. Fibroblasts exhibited both inhibitory and cytotoxic change when exposed to a high dose of blue and cyan light in tissue culture medium containing photo-reactive species, but were stimulated by high dose red and near infrared light. Cytotoxic effects were eliminated by refreshing the medium after light exposure by removing potential ROS formed by extracellular photo-reactive species. Importantly, distinct lineages of fibroblasts demonstrated opposite responses to low dose blue light treatment when refreshing the medium after exposure. Low dose blue light treatment also significantly increased collagen production by papillary fibroblasts; high dose significantly retarded closure of the scratch wound without signs of cytotoxicity, and this is likely to have involved effects on both cell migration and proliferation. We recommend careful selection of fibroblast subpopulations and their culture conditions, a systematic approach in choosing and translating treatment parameters, and pursuit of fundamental research on identification of photoreceptors and triggered molecular pathways, while seeking effective parameters to address different stages of skin rejuvenation and wound healing.

Different regions of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus are involved in chromosomal translocations in distinct pathogenic forms of Burkitt lymphoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neri, A.; Barriga, F.; Knowles, D.M.; Magrath, I.T.; Dalla-Favera, R.

1988-04-01

The authors show that endemic (eBL), sporadic (sBL), and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated (AIDS-BL) forms of Burkitt lymphoma (BL) carrying t(8; 14) chromosomal translocations display different breakpoints within the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus (IGH) on chromosome 14. In sBL (7 out of 11) and AIDS-BL (5 out of 6), the breakpoints occurred within or near the IGH ..mu.. switch (S/sub mu/) region on chromosome 14 and within the c-myc locus (MYC) on chromosome 8. In most eBL (13 out of 16) the breakpoints were mapped within or 5' to the IGH joining J/sub H/ region on chromosome 14 and outside the MYC locus on chromosome 8. Cloning and sequencing of the (8; 14) chromosomal junctions from two eBL cell lines and one eBL biopsy sample show that the recombination do not involve IGH-specific recombination signals on chromosome 14 or homologous sequences on chromosome 8, suggesting that these events are not likely to be mediated by the same mechanisms or enzymes as in IGH rearrangements. In general, these data have implications for the timing of occurrence of chromosomal translocations during B-cell differentiation in different BL types.

Motivation to hide emotion and children's understanding of the distinction between real and apparent emotions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gosselin, Pierre; Warren, Madeleine; Diotte, Michèle

2002-12-01

The authors investigated the extent to which children's understanding of the distinction between real and apparent emotions varied according to the motivation to hide emotions. Children, aged 6-7 and 10-11 years, were read stories designed to elicit either prosocial or self-protective motivated display rules and were asked to predict the facial expressions the protagonists would make to hide felt emotions. Children were found to understand the distinction between real and apparent emotions very well, independently of the type of motivation. Contrary to predictions, boys understood this distinction better than did girls when the motivation to hide positive emotions was prosocial. Children perceived neutralization as the most appropriate strategy to hide felt emotions, followed by masking.

Branchial Cilia and Sperm Flagella Recruit Distinct Axonemal Components

Science.gov (United States)

Konno, Alu; Shiba, Kogiku; Cai, Chunhua; Inaba, Kazuo

2015-01-01

Eukaryotic cilia and flagella have highly conserved 9 + 2 structures. They are functionally diverged to play cell-type-specific roles even in a multicellular organism. Although their structural components are therefore believed to be common, few studies have investigated the molecular diversity of the protein components of the cilia and flagella in a single organism. Here we carried out a proteomic analysis and compared protein components between branchial cilia and sperm flagella in a marine invertebrate chordate, Ciona intestinalis. Distinct feature of protein recruitment in branchial cilia and sperm flagella has been clarified; (1) Isoforms of α- and β-tubulins as well as those of actins are distinctly used in branchial cilia or sperm flagella. (2) Structural components, such as dynein docking complex, tektins and an outer dense fiber protein, are used differently by the cilia and flagella. (3) Sperm flagella are specialized for the cAMP- and Ca2+-dependent regulation of outer arm dynein and for energy metabolism by glycolytic enzymes. Our present study clearly demonstrates that flagellar or ciliary proteins are properly recruited according to their function and stability, despite their apparent structural resemblance and conservation. PMID:25962172

Unique Prokaryotic Consortia in Geochemically Distinct Sediments from Red Sea Atlantis II and Discovery Deep Brine Pools

Science.gov (United States)

Siam, Rania; Mustafa, Ghada A.; Sharaf, Hazem; Moustafa, Ahmed; Ramadan, Adham R.; Antunes, Andre; Bajic, Vladimir B.; Stingl, Uli; Marsis, Nardine G. R.; Coolen, Marco J. L.; Sogin, Mitchell; Ferreira, Ari J. S.; Dorry, Hamza El

2012-01-01

The seafloor is a unique environment, which allows insights into how geochemical processes affect the diversity of biological life. Among its diverse ecosystems are deep-sea brine pools - water bodies characterized by a unique combination of extreme conditions. The ‘polyextremophiles’ that constitute the microbial assemblage of these deep hot brines have not been comprehensively studied. We report a comparative taxonomic analysis of the prokaryotic communities of the sediments directly below the Red Sea brine pools, namely, Atlantis II, Discovery, Chain Deep, and an adjacent brine-influenced site. Analyses of sediment samples and high-throughput pyrosequencing of PCR-amplified environmental 16S ribosomal RNA genes (16S rDNA) revealed that one sulfur (S)-rich Atlantis II and one nitrogen (N)-rich Discovery Deep section contained distinct microbial populations that differed from those found in the other sediment samples examined. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Deferribacteres, and Euryarchaeota were the most abundant bacterial and archaeal phyla in both the S- and N-rich sections. Relative abundance-based hierarchical clustering of the 16S rDNA pyrotags assigned to major taxonomic groups allowed us to categorize the archaeal and bacterial communities into three major and distinct groups; group I was unique to the S-rich Atlantis II section (ATII-1), group II was characteristic for the N-rich Discovery sample (DD-1), and group III reflected the composition of the remaining sediments. Many of the groups detected in the S-rich Atlantis II section are likely to play a dominant role in the cycling of methane and sulfur due to their phylogenetic affiliations with bacteria and archaea involved in anaerobic methane oxidation and sulfate reduction. PMID:22916172

Exome sequencing identifies mutations in ABCD1 and DACH2 in two brothers with a distinct phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanliang; Liu, Yanhui; Li, Ya; Duan, Yong; Zhang, Keyun; Wang, Junwang; Dai, Yong

2014-09-19

We report on two brothers with a distinct syndromic phenotype and explore the potential pathogenic cause. Cytogenetic tests and exome sequencing were performed on the two brothers and their parents. Variants detected by exome sequencing were validated by Sanger sequencing. The main phenotype of the two brothers included congenital language disorder, growth retardation, intellectual disability, difficulty in standing and walking, and urinary and fecal incontinence. To the best of our knowledge, no similar phenotype has been reported previously. No abnormalities were detected by G-banding chromosome analysis or array comparative genomic hybridization. However, exome sequencing revealed novel mutations in the ATP-binding cassette, sub-family D member 1 (ABCD1) and Dachshund homolog 2 (DACH2) genes in both brothers. The ABCD1 mutation was a missense mutation c.1126G > C in exon 3 leading to a p.E376Q substitution. The DACH2 mutation was also a missense mutation c.1069A > T in exon 6, leading to a p.S357C substitution. The mother was an asymptomatic heterozygous carrier. Plasma levels of very-long-chain fatty acids were increased in both brothers, suggesting a diagnosis of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD); however, their phenotype was not compatible with any reported forms of ALD. DACH2 plays an important role in the regulation of brain and limb development, suggesting that this mutation may be involved in the phenotype of the two brothers. The distinct phenotype demonstrated by these two brothers might represent a new form of ALD or a new syndrome. The combination of mutations in ABCD1 and DACH2 provides a plausible mechanism for this phenotype.

Unique prokaryotic consortia in geochemically distinct sediments from Red Sea Atlantis II and discovery deep brine pools.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rania Siam

Full Text Available The seafloor is a unique environment, which allows insights into how geochemical processes affect the diversity of biological life. Among its diverse ecosystems are deep-sea brine pools - water bodies characterized by a unique combination of extreme conditions. The 'polyextremophiles' that constitute the microbial assemblage of these deep hot brines have not been comprehensively studied. We report a comparative taxonomic analysis of the prokaryotic communities of the sediments directly below the Red Sea brine pools, namely, Atlantis II, Discovery, Chain Deep, and an adjacent brine-influenced site. Analyses of sediment samples and high-throughput pyrosequencing of PCR-amplified environmental 16S ribosomal RNA genes (16S rDNA revealed that one sulfur (S-rich Atlantis II and one nitrogen (N-rich Discovery Deep section contained distinct microbial populations that differed from those found in the other sediment samples examined. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Deferribacteres, and Euryarchaeota were the most abundant bacterial and archaeal phyla in both the S- and N-rich sections. Relative abundance-based hierarchical clustering of the 16S rDNA pyrotags assigned to major taxonomic groups allowed us to categorize the archaeal and bacterial communities into three major and distinct groups; group I was unique to the S-rich Atlantis II section (ATII-1, group II was characteristic for the N-rich Discovery sample (DD-1, and group III reflected the composition of the remaining sediments. Many of the groups detected in the S-rich Atlantis II section are likely to play a dominant role in the cycling of methane and sulfur due to their phylogenetic affiliations with bacteria and archaea involved in anaerobic methane oxidation and sulfate reduction.

Unique prokaryotic consortia in geochemically distinct sediments from Red Sea Atlantis II and discovery deep brine pools.

KAUST Repository

Siam, Rania

2012-08-20

The seafloor is a unique environment, which allows insights into how geochemical processes affect the diversity of biological life. Among its diverse ecosystems are deep-sea brine pools - water bodies characterized by a unique combination of extreme conditions. The \\'polyextremophiles\\' that constitute the microbial assemblage of these deep hot brines have not been comprehensively studied. We report a comparative taxonomic analysis of the prokaryotic communities of the sediments directly below the Red Sea brine pools, namely, Atlantis II, Discovery, Chain Deep, and an adjacent brine-influenced site. Analyses of sediment samples and high-throughput pyrosequencing of PCR-amplified environmental 16S ribosomal RNA genes (16S rDNA) revealed that one sulfur (S)-rich Atlantis II and one nitrogen (N)-rich Discovery Deep section contained distinct microbial populations that differed from those found in the other sediment samples examined. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Deferribacteres, and Euryarchaeota were the most abundant bacterial and archaeal phyla in both the S- and N-rich sections. Relative abundance-based hierarchical clustering of the 16S rDNA pyrotags assigned to major taxonomic groups allowed us to categorize the archaeal and bacterial communities into three major and distinct groups; group I was unique to the S-rich Atlantis II section (ATII-1), group II was characteristic for the N-rich Discovery sample (DD-1), and group III reflected the composition of the remaining sediments. Many of the groups detected in the S-rich Atlantis II section are likely to play a dominant role in the cycling of methane and sulfur due to their phylogenetic affiliations with bacteria and archaea involved in anaerobic methane oxidation and sulfate reduction.

Using the Ubiquitin-modified Proteome to Monitor Distinct and Spatially Restricted Protein Homeostasis Dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Gendron, Joshua M; Webb, Kristofor; Yang, Bing; Rising, Lisa; Zuzow, Nathan; Bennett, Eric J

2016-08-01

Protein homeostasis dysfunction has been implicated in the development and progression of aging related human pathologies. There is a need for the establishment of quantitative methods to evaluate global protein homoeostasis function. As the ubiquitin (ub) proteasome system plays a key role in regulating protein homeostasis, we applied quantitative proteomic methods to evaluate the sensitivity of site-specific ubiquitylation events as markers for protein homeostasis dysfunction. Here, we demonstrate that the ub-modified proteome can exceed the sensitivity of engineered fluorescent reporters as a marker for proteasome dysfunction and can provide unique signatures for distinct proteome challenges which is not possible with engineered reporters. We demonstrate that combining ub-proteomics with subcellular fractionation can effectively separate degradative and regulatory ubiquitylation events on distinct protein populations. Using a recently developed potent inhibitor of the critical protein homeostasis factor p97/VCP, we demonstrate that distinct insults to protein homeostasis function can elicit robust and largely unique alterations to the ub-modified proteome. Taken together, we demonstrate that proteomic approaches to monitor the ub-modified proteome can be used to evaluate global protein homeostasis and can be used to monitor distinct functional outcomes for spatially separated protein populations. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

77 FR 71396 - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; Nevada and California Greater Sage Grouse Bi-State Distinct...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-30

... Greater Sage Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Forest Plan Amendment Environmental Impact... Sage Grouse Bi- State Distinct Population Segment. DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis..., but precluded'' Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing petition decision for the Greater Sage grouse Bi...

Ultra Structural Characterisation of Tetherin - a Protein Capable of Preventing Viral Release from the Plasma Membrane

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Ravindra K. Gupta

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Tetherin is an antiviral restriction factor made by mammalian cells to protect them from viral infection. It prevents newly formed virus particles from leaving infected cells. Its antiviral mechanism appears to be remarkably uncomplicated. In 2 studies published in PLoS Pathogens electron microscopy is used to support the hypothesis that the tethers that link HIV-1 virions to tetherin expressing cells contain tetherin and are likely to contain tetherin alone. They also show that the HIV-1 encoded tetherin antagonist that is known to cause tetherin degradation, Vpu, serves to reduce the amount of tetherin in the particles thereby allowing their release.

Lipid raft involvement in yeast cell growth and death

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mollinedo, Faustino, E-mail: fmollin@usal.es [Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca (Spain)

2012-10-10

The notion that cellular membranes contain distinct microdomains, acting as scaffolds for signal transduction processes, has gained considerable momentum. In particular, a class of such domains that is rich in sphingolipids and cholesterol, termed as lipid rafts, is thought to compartmentalize the plasma membrane, and to have important roles in survival and cell death signaling in mammalian cells. Likewise, yeast lipid rafts are membrane domains enriched in sphingolipids and ergosterol, the yeast counterpart of mammalian cholesterol. Sterol-rich membrane domains have been identified in several fungal species, including the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as well as the pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Yeast rafts have been mainly involved in membrane trafficking, but increasing evidence implicates rafts in a wide range of additional cellular processes. Yeast lipid rafts house biologically important proteins involved in the proper function of yeast, such as proteins that control Na{sup +}, K{sup +}, and pH homeostasis, which influence many cellular processes, including cell growth and death. Membrane raft constituents affect drug susceptibility, and drugs interacting with sterols alter raft composition and membrane integrity, leading to yeast cell death. Because of the genetic tractability of yeast, analysis of yeast rafts could be an excellent model to approach unanswered questions of mammalian raft biology, and to understand the role of lipid rafts in the regulation of cell death and survival in human cells. A better insight in raft biology might lead to envisage new raft-mediated approaches to the treatment of human diseases where regulation of cell death and survival is critical, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Lipid raft involvement in yeast cell growth and death

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mollinedo, Faustino

2012-01-01

The notion that cellular membranes contain distinct microdomains, acting as scaffolds for signal transduction processes, has gained considerable momentum. In particular, a class of such domains that is rich in sphingolipids and cholesterol, termed as lipid rafts, is thought to compartmentalize the plasma membrane, and to have important roles in survival and cell death signaling in mammalian cells. Likewise, yeast lipid rafts are membrane domains enriched in sphingolipids and ergosterol, the yeast counterpart of mammalian cholesterol. Sterol-rich membrane domains have been identified in several fungal species, including the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as well as the pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Yeast rafts have been mainly involved in membrane trafficking, but increasing evidence implicates rafts in a wide range of additional cellular processes. Yeast lipid rafts house biologically important proteins involved in the proper function of yeast, such as proteins that control Na + , K + , and pH homeostasis, which influence many cellular processes, including cell growth and death. Membrane raft constituents affect drug susceptibility, and drugs interacting with sterols alter raft composition and membrane integrity, leading to yeast cell death. Because of the genetic tractability of yeast, analysis of yeast rafts could be an excellent model to approach unanswered questions of mammalian raft biology, and to understand the role of lipid rafts in the regulation of cell death and survival in human cells. A better insight in raft biology might lead to envisage new raft-mediated approaches to the treatment of human diseases where regulation of cell death and survival is critical, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Chemically different non-thermal plasmas target distinct cell death pathways

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, O.; Zablotskyy, V.; Chrupina, O.; Lunova, M.; Jirsa, M.; Dejneka, A.; Kubinová, Šárka

2017-01-01

Roč. 7, apr (2017), s. 600 ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1309 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : chemically different * non-thermal plasmas * target distinct cell death pathways Subject RIV: FP - Other Medical Disciplines OBOR OECD: Biophysics Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

45 CFR 91.18 - Age distinctions contained in HHS regulations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

....18 Section 91.18 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION... distinctions contained in a rule or regulation issued by HHS shall be presumed to be necessary to the achievement of a statutory objective of the program or activity to which the rule or regulation applies...

Neurophysiological Distinction between Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Mathalon, Daniel H.; Hoffman, Ralph E.; Watson, Todd D.; Miller, Ryan M.; Roach, Brian J.; Ford, Judith M.

2009-01-01

Schizoaffective disorder (SA) is distinguished from schizophrenia (SZ) based on the presence of prominent mood symptoms over the illness course. Despite this clinical distinction, SA and SZ patients are often combined in research studies, in part because data supporting a distinct pathophysiological boundary between the disorders are lacking. Indeed, few studies have addressed whether neurobiological abnormalities associated with SZ, such as the widely replicated reduction and delay of the P300 event-related potential (ERP), are also present in SA. Scalp EEG was acquired from patients with DSM-IV SA (n = 15) or SZ (n = 22), as well as healthy controls (HC; n = 22) to assess the P300 elicited by infrequent target (15%) and task-irrelevant distractor (15%) stimuli in separate auditory and visual ”oddball” tasks. P300 amplitude was reduced and delayed in SZ, relative to HC, consistent with prior studies. These SZ abnormalities did not interact with stimulus type (target vs. task-irrelevant distractor) or modality (auditory vs. visual). Across sensory modality and stimulus type, SA patients exhibited normal P300 amplitudes (significantly larger than SZ patients and indistinguishable from HC). However, P300 latency and reaction time were both equivalently delayed in SZ and SA patients, relative to HC. P300 differences between SA and SZ patients could not be accounted for by variation in symptom severity, socio-economic status, education, or illness duration. Although both groups show similar deficits in processing speed, SA patients do not exhibit the P300 amplitude deficits evident in SZ, consistent with an underlying pathophysiological boundary between these disorders. PMID:20140266

50 CFR 226.217 - Critical habitat for the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). 226.217 Section 226.217 Wildlife and... Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). Critical habitat is designated to include all... the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (GOM DPS), except for those...

Unexplained Dyspnea in a Young Adult with Epstein–Barr Virus Infectious Mononucleosis: Pulmonary Involvement or Co-Infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia?

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha, Burke A.; Herrarte Fornos, Scarlet

2017-01-01

Clinically, in young immunocompetent adults, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) usually manifests as infectious mononucleosis (IM). Typical clinical findings of EBV IM include fever, profound fatigue, pharyngitis, bilateral posterior cervical adenopathy, and splenomegaly. Respiratory involvement with EBV IM may occur, but is distinctly rare. We present a case of a 20 year old female who with classic EBV IM, but was inexplicably dyspneic and hypoxemic. Further diagnostic testing confirmed co-infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. As a non-zoonotic atypical community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), M. pneumoniae may rarely be accompanied by severe hypoxemia and even acute respiratory distress syndrome. She represented a diagnostic dilemma regarding the cause of her hypoxemia, i.e., due to EBV IM with pulmonary involvement or severe M. pneumoniae CAP. The patient slowly recovered with respiratory quinolone therapy. PMID:28869530

Unexplained Dyspnea in a Young Adult with Epstein-Barr Virus Infectious Mononucleosis: Pulmonary Involvement or Co-Infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia?

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha, Burke A; Herrarte Fornos, Scarlet

2017-09-04

Clinically, in young immunocompetent adults, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) usually manifests as infectious mononucleosis (IM). Typical clinical findings of EBV IM include fever, profound fatigue, pharyngitis, bilateral posterior cervical adenopathy, and splenomegaly. Respiratory involvement with EBV IM may occur, but is distinctly rare. We present a case of a 20 year old female who with classic EBV IM, but was inexplicably dyspneic and hypoxemic. Further diagnostic testing confirmed co-infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae . As a non-zoonotic atypical community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), M. pneumoniae may rarely be accompanied by severe hypoxemia and even acute respiratory distress syndrome. She represented a diagnostic dilemma regarding the cause of her hypoxemia, i.e., due to EBV IM with pulmonary involvement or severe M. pneumoniae CAP. The patient slowly recovered with respiratory quinolone therapy.

37 CFR 2.41 - Proof of distinctiveness under section 2(f).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... mark may be accepted as prima facie evidence of distinctiveness. Also, if the mark is said to have... with § 2.20, in the application may, in appropriate cases, be accepted as prima facie evidence of...

A Distinctive Aspect of Translation: The Cultural

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof

Abstract. Simply put, translation can be said to be the re-expression of the meaning contained in a language A into another language B. Translation involves language and can equally involve culture. Culture is the way people from the same linguistic background live their lives. This includes their customs and traditions, ...

The landscape of human genes involved in the immune response to parasitic worms

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Fumagalli Matteo

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background More than 2 billion individuals worldwide suffer from helminth infections. The highest parasite burdens occur in children and helminth infection during pregnancy is a risk factor for preterm delivery and reduced birth weight. Therefore, helminth infections can be regarded as a strong selective pressure. Results Here we propose that candidate susceptibility genes for parasitic worm infections can be identified by searching for SNPs that display a strong correlation with the diversity of helminth species/genera transmitted in different geographic areas. By a genome-wide search we identified 3478 variants that correlate with helminth diversity. These SNPs map to 810 distinct human genes including loci involved in regulatory T cell function and in macrophage activation, as well as leukocyte integrins and co-inhibitory molecules. Analysis of functional relationships among these genes identified complex interaction networks centred around Th2 cytokines. Finally, several genes carrying candidate targets for helminth-driven selective pressure also harbour susceptibility alleles for asthma/allergy or are involved in airway hyper-responsiveness, therefore expanding the known parallelism between these conditions and parasitic infections. Conclusions Our data provide a landscape of human genes that modulate susceptibility to helminths and indicate parasitic worms as one of the major selective forces in humans.

Emotional reactivity: Beware its involvement in traffic accidents.

Science.gov (United States)

M'bailara, Katia; Atzeni, Thierry; Contrand, Benjamin; Derguy, Cyrielle; Bouvard, Manuel-Pierre; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Galéra, Cédric

2018-04-01

Reducing risk attributable to traffic accidents is a public health challenge. Research into risk factors in the area is now moving towards identification of the psychological factors involved, particularly emotional states. The aim of this study was to evaluate the link between emotional reactivity and responsibility in road traffic accidents. We hypothesized that the more one's emotional reactivity is disturbed, the greater the likelihood of being responsible for a traffic accident. This case-control study was based on a sample of 955 drivers injured in a motor vehicle crash. Responsibility levels were determined with a standardized method adapted from the quantitative Robertson and Drummer crash responsibility instrument. Emotional reactivity was assessed with the MATHYS. Hierarchical cluster analysis discriminated four distinctive driver's emotional reactivity profiles: basic emotional reactivity (54%), mild emotional hyper-reactivity (29%), emotional hyper-reactivity (11%) and emotional hypo-reactivity (6%). Drivers who demonstrated emotional hypo-reactivity had a 2.3-fold greater risk of being responsible for a traffic accident than those with basic emotional reactivity. Drivers' responsibility in traffic accidents depends on their emotional status. The latter can change the ability of drivers, modifying their behavior and thus increasing their propensity to exhibit risk behavior and to cause traffic accidents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A distinction of two discourses concerning wellbeing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wistoft, Karen; Qvortrup, Lars

2017-01-01

and behavioral mental health interventions, while the latter defines wellbeing in positive terms with a focus on wellbeing as the result of learning and with pedagogical interventions that only indirectly can support the individual’s learning activity. The former sees wellbeing as the result of a “wellbeing cure......The article concerns the current discourses concerning well-being with the point that it is important to make a distinction between a healthcare oriented discourse and a learning oriented discourse. The former defines wellbeing in negative terms and looks at causally oriented aspects of wellbeing......”, while the latter sees wellbeing as the result of wellbeing learning processes....

Peptidomic and transcriptomic profiling of four distinct spider venoms.

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Vera Oldrati

Full Text Available Venom based research is exploited to find novel candidates for the development of innovative pharmacological tools, drug candidates and new ingredients for cosmetic and agrochemical industries. Moreover, venomics, as a well-established approach in systems biology, helps to elucidate the genetic mechanisms of the production of such a great molecular biodiversity. Today the advances made in the proteomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics fields, favor venomics, allowing the in depth study of complex matrices and the elucidation even of minor compounds present in minute biological samples. The present study illustrates a rapid and efficient method developed for the elucidation of venom composition based on NextGen mRNA sequencing of venom glands and LC-MS/MS venom proteome profiling. The analysis of the comprehensive data obtained was focused on cysteine rich peptide toxins from four spider species originating from phylogenetically distant families for comparison purposes. The studied species were Heteropoda davidbowie (Sparassidae, Poecilotheria formosa (Theraphosidae, Viridasius fasciatus (Viridasiidae and Latrodectus mactans (Theridiidae. This led to a high resolution profiling of 284 characterized cysteine rich peptides, 111 of which belong to the Inhibitor Cysteine Knot (ICK structural motif. The analysis of H. davidbowie venom revealed a high richness in term of venom diversity: 95 peptide sequences were identified; out of these, 32 peptides presented the ICK structural motif and could be classified in six distinct families. The profiling of P. formosa venom highlighted the presence of 126 peptide sequences, with 52 ICK toxins belonging to three structural distinct families. V. fasciatus venom was shown to contain 49 peptide sequences, out of which 22 presented the ICK structural motif and were attributed to five families. The venom of L. mactans, until now studied for its large neurotoxins (Latrotoxins, revealed the presence of 14

Mechanisms and neuronal networks involved in reactive and proactive cognitive control of interference in working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Irlbacher, Kerstin; Kraft, Antje; Kehrer, Stefanie; Brandt, Stephan A

2014-10-01

Cognitive control can be reactive or proactive in nature. Reactive control mechanisms, which support the resolution of interference, start after its onset. Conversely, proactive control involves the anticipation and prevention of interference prior to its occurrence. The interrelation of both types of cognitive control is currently under debate: Are they mediated by different neuronal networks? Or are there neuronal structures that have the potential to act in a proactive as well as in a reactive manner? This review illustrates the way in which integrating knowledge gathered from behavioral studies, functional imaging, and human electroencephalography proves useful in answering these questions. We focus on studies that investigate interference resolution at the level of working memory representations. In summary, different mechanisms are instrumental in supporting reactive and proactive control. Distinct neuronal networks are involved, though some brain regions, especially pre-SMA, possess functions that are relevant to both control modes. Therefore, activation of these brain areas could be observed in reactive, as well as proactive control, but at different times during information processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential Recruitment of Distinct Amygdalar Nuclei across Appetitive Associative Learning

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Cole, Sindy; Powell, Daniel J.; Petrovich, Gorica D.

2013-01-01

The amygdala is important for reward-associated learning, but how distinct cell groups within this heterogeneous structure are recruited during appetitive learning is unclear. Here we used Fos induction to map the functional amygdalar circuitry recruited during early and late training sessions of Pavlovian appetitive conditioning. We found that a…

A Distinct Population of Microglia Supports Adult Neurogenesis in the Subventricular Zone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ribeiro Xavier, Anna L.; Kress, Benjamin T.; Goldman, Steven A.

2015-01-01

found that microglia residing in the SVZ and adjacent rostral migratory stream (RMS) comprise a morphologically and antigenically distinct phenotype of immune effectors. Whereas exhibiting characteristics of alternatively activated microglia, the SVZ/RMS microglia were clearly distinguished by their low...... STATEMENT: Microglial cells are a specialized population of macrophages in the CNS, playing key roles as immune mediators. As integral components in the CNS, the microglia stand out for using the same mechanisms, phagocytosis and cytochemokine release, to promote homeostasis, synaptic pruning, and neural...... toward olfactory bulb layers. In addition to other unique populations residing in the SVZ niche, microglia display distinct morphofunctional properties that boost neuronal progenitor survival and migration in the mammalian brain....

Abstract and Effector-Selective Decision Signals Exhibit Qualitatively Distinct Dynamics before Delayed Perceptual Reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Twomey, Deirdre M; Kelly, Simon P; O'Connell, Redmond G

2016-07-13

Electrophysiological research has isolated neural signatures of decision formation in a variety of brain regions. Studies in rodents and monkeys have focused primarily on effector-selective signals that translate the emerging decision into a specific motor plan, but, more recently, research on the human brain has identified an abstract signature of evidence accumulation that does not appear to play any direct role in action preparation. The functional dissociations between these distinct signal types have only begun to be characterized, and their dynamics during decisions with deferred actions with or without foreknowledge of stimulus-effector mapping, a commonly studied task scenario in single-unit and functional imaging investigations, have not been established. Here we traced the dynamics of distinct abstract and effector-selective decision signals in the form of the broad-band centro-parietal positivity (CPP) and limb-selective β-band (8-16 and 18-30 Hz) EEG activity, respectively, during delayed-reported motion direction decisions with and without foreknowledge of direction-response mapping. With foreknowledge, the CPP and β-band signals exhibited a similar gradual build-up following evidence onset, but whereas choice-predictive β-band activity persisted up until the delayed response, the CPP dropped toward baseline after peaking. Without foreknowledge, the CPP exhibited identical dynamics, whereas choice-selective β-band activity was eliminated. These findings highlight qualitative functional distinctions between effector-selective and abstract decision signals and are of relevance to the assumptions founding functional neuroimaging investigations of decision-making. Neural signatures of evidence accumulation have been isolated in numerous brain regions. Although animal neurophysiology has largely concentrated on effector-selective decision signals that translate the emerging decision into a specific motor plan, recent research on the human brain has

Distinct neurogenomic states in basal ganglia subregions relate differently to singing behavior in songbirds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Austin T Hilliard

Full Text Available Both avian and mammalian basal ganglia are involved in voluntary motor control. In birds, such movements include hopping, perching and flying. Two organizational features that distinguish the songbird basal ganglia are that striatal and pallidal neurons are intermingled, and that neurons dedicated to vocal-motor function are clustered together in a dense cell group known as area X that sits within the surrounding striato-pallidum. This specification allowed us to perform molecular profiling of two striato-pallidal subregions, comparing transcriptional patterns in tissue dedicated to vocal-motor function (area X to those in tissue that contains similar cell types but supports non-vocal behaviors: the striato-pallidum ventral to area X (VSP, our focus here. Since any behavior is likely underpinned by the coordinated actions of many molecules, we constructed gene co-expression networks from microarray data to study large-scale transcriptional patterns in both subregions. Our goal was to investigate any relationship between VSP network structure and singing and identify gene co-expression groups, or modules, found in the VSP but not area X. We observed mild, but surprising, relationships between VSP modules and song spectral features, and found a group of four VSP modules that were highly specific to the region. These modules were unrelated to singing, but were composed of genes involved in many of the same biological processes as those we previously observed in area X-specific singing-related modules. The VSP-specific modules were also enriched for processes disrupted in Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases. Our results suggest that the activation/inhibition of a single pathway is not sufficient to functionally specify area X versus the VSP and support the notion that molecular processes are not in and of themselves specialized for behavior. Instead, unique interactions between molecular pathways create functional specificity in particular brain

Involvement of a novel enzyme, MdpA, in methyl tert-butyl ether degradation in Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Radomir; Battaglia, Vince; Scow, Kate; Kane, Staci; Hristova, Krassimira R

2008-11-01

Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1 is a well-characterized environmental strain capable of complete metabolism of the fuel oxygenate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Using a molecular genetic system which we established to study MTBE metabolism by PM1, we demonstrated that the enzyme MdpA is involved in MTBE removal, based on insertional inactivation and complementation studies. MdpA is constitutively expressed at low levels but is strongly induced by MTBE. MdpA is also involved in the regulation of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) removal under certain conditions but is not directly responsible for TBA degradation. Phylogenetic comparison of MdpA to related enzymes indicates close homology to the short-chain hydrolyzing alkane hydroxylases (AH1), a group that appears to be a distinct subfamily of the AHs. The unique, substrate-size-determining residue Thr(59) distinguishes MdpA from the AH1 subfamily as well as from AlkB enzymes linked to MTBE degradation in Mycobacterium austroafricanum.

Distinct retrosplenial cortex cell populations and their spike dynamics during ketamine-induced unconscious state.

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Grace E Fox

Full Text Available Ketamine is known to induce psychotic-like symptoms, including delirium and visual hallucinations. It also causes neuronal damage and cell death in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC, an area that is thought to be a part of high visual cortical pathways and at least partially responsible for ketamine's psychotomimetic activities. However, the basic physiological properties of RSC cells as well as their response to ketamine in vivo remained largely unexplored. Here, we combine a computational method, the Inter-Spike Interval Classification Analysis (ISICA, and in vivo recordings to uncover and profile excitatory cell subtypes within layers 2&3 and 5&6 of the RSC in mice within both conscious, sleep, and ketamine-induced unconscious states. We demonstrate two distinct excitatory principal cell sub-populations, namely, high-bursting excitatory principal cells and low-bursting excitatory principal cells, within layers 2&3, and show that this classification is robust over the conscious states, namely quiet awake, and natural unconscious sleep periods. Similarly, we provide evidence of high-bursting and low-bursting excitatory principal cell sub-populations within layers 5&6 that remained distinct during quiet awake and sleep states. We further examined how these subtypes are dynamically altered by ketamine. During ketamine-induced unconscious state, these distinct excitatory principal cell subtypes in both layer 2&3 and layer 5&6 exhibited distinct dynamics. We also uncovered different dynamics of local field potential under various brain states in layer 2&3 and layer 5&6. Interestingly, ketamine administration induced high gamma oscillations in layer 2&3 of the RSC, but not layer 5&6. Our results show that excitatory principal cells within RSC layers 2&3 and 5&6 contain multiple physiologically distinct sub-populations, and they are differentially affected by ketamine.

Quantitative proteomics and dynamic imaging of the nucleolus reveal distinct responses to UV and ionizing radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Henna M; Bai, Baoyan; Boisvert, François-Michel; Latonen, Leena; Rantanen, Ville; Simpson, Jeremy C; Pepperkok, Rainer; Lamond, Angus I; Laiho, Marikki

2011-10-01

The nucleolus is a nuclear organelle that coordinates rRNA transcription and ribosome subunit biogenesis. Recent proteomic analyses have shown that the nucleolus contains proteins involved in cell cycle control, DNA processing and DNA damage response and repair, in addition to the many proteins connected with ribosome subunit production. Here we study the dynamics of nucleolar protein responses in cells exposed to stress and DNA damage caused by ionizing and ultraviolet (UV) radiation in diploid human fibroblasts. We show using a combination of imaging and quantitative proteomics methods that nucleolar substructure and the nucleolar proteome undergo selective reorganization in response to UV damage. The proteomic responses to UV include alterations of functional protein complexes such as the SSU processome and exosome, and paraspeckle proteins, involving both decreases and increases in steady state protein ratios, respectively. Several nonhomologous end-joining proteins (NHEJ), such as Ku70/80, display similar fast responses to UV. In contrast, nucleolar proteomic responses to IR are both temporally and spatially distinct from those caused by UV, and more limited in terms of magnitude. With the exception of the NHEJ and paraspeckle proteins, where IR induces rapid and transient changes within 15 min of the damage, IR does not alter the ratios of most other functional nucleolar protein complexes. The rapid transient decrease of NHEJ proteins in the nucleolus indicates that it may reflect a response to DNA damage. Our results underline that the nucleolus is a specific stress response organelle that responds to different damage and stress agents in a unique, damage-specific manner.

Distinctively human motivation and another view on human evolution

OpenAIRE

Prudkov, Pavel N.

2006-01-01

Human evolution is a multidisciplinary problem, one of its aspects is the origin and development of distinctively human psychological features. Cognitive properties (language, symbolic thinking) are considered as such features and numerous authors hypothesize its evolution. We suggest that the most important human characteristic is connected with motivation rather than cognition; this is the ability to construct and maintain long-term goal-directed processes having no biological basis. Once...

Three distinct modes of intron dynamics in the evolution of eukaryotes.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmel, Liran; Wolf, Yuri I; Rogozin, Igor B; Koonin, Eugene V

2007-07-01

Several contrasting scenarios have been proposed for the origin and evolution of spliceosomal introns, a hallmark of eukaryotic genes. A comprehensive probabilistic model to obtain a definitive reconstruction of intron evolution was developed and applied to 391 sets of conserved genes from 19 eukaryotic species. It is inferred that a relatively high intron density was reached early, i.e., the last common ancestor of eukaryotes contained >2.15 introns/kilobase, and the last common ancestor of multicellular life forms harbored approximately 3.4 introns/kilobase, a greater intron density than in most of the extant fungi and in some animals. The rates of intron gain and intron loss appear to have been dropping during the last approximately 1.3 billion years, with the decline in the gain rate being much steeper. Eukaryotic lineages exhibit three distinct modes of evolution of the intron-exon structure. The primary, balanced mode, apparently, operates in all lineages. In this mode, intron gain and loss are strongly and positively correlated, in contrast to previous reports on inverse correlation between these processes. The second mode involves an elevated rate of intron loss and is prevalent in several lineages, such as fungi and insects. The third mode, characterized by elevated rate of intron gain, is seen only in deep branches of the tree, indicating that bursts of intron invasion occurred at key points in eukaryotic evolution, such as the origin of animals. Intron dynamics could depend on multiple mechanisms, and in the balanced mode, gain and loss of introns might share common mechanistic features.

Comparative transcriptional analysis of three human ligaments with distinct biomechanical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Lorda-Diez, Carlos I; Canga-Villegas, Ana; Cerezal, Luis; Plaza, Santiago; Hurlé, Juan M; García-Porrero, Juan A; Montero, Juan A

2013-01-01

One major aim of regenerative medicine targeting the musculoskeletal system is to provide complementary and/or alternative therapeutic approaches to current surgical therapies, often involving the removal and prosthetic substitution of damaged tissues such as ligaments. For these approaches to be successful, detailed information regarding the cellular and molecular composition of different musculoskeletal tissues is required. Ligaments have often been considered homogeneous tissues with common biomechanical properties. However, advances in tissue engineering research have highlighted the functional relevance of the organisational and compositional differences between ligament types, especially in those with higher risks of injury. The aim of this study was to provide information concerning the relative expression levels of a subset of key genes (including extracellular matrix components, transcription factors and growth factors) that confer functional identity to ligaments. We compared the transcriptomes of three representative human ligaments subjected to different biomechanical demands: the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL); the ligamentum teres of the hip (LT); and the iliofemoral ligament (IL). We revealed significant differences in the expression of type I collagen, elastin, fibromodulin, biglycan, transforming growth factor β1, transforming growth interacting factor 1, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha and transforming growth factor β-induced gene between the IL and the other two ligaments. Thus, considerable molecular heterogeneity can exist between anatomically distinct ligaments with differing biomechanical demands. However, the LT and ACL were found to show remarkable molecular homology, suggesting common functional properties. This finding provides experimental support for the proposed role of the LT as a hip joint stabiliser in humans. PMID:24128114

CEP78 is mutated in a distinct type of Usher syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Qing; Xu, Mingchu; Chen, Xue; Sheng, Xunlun; Yuan, Zhisheng; Liu, Yani; Li, Huajin; Sun, Zixi; Li, Huiping; Yang, Lizhu; Wang, Keqing; Zhang, Fangxia; Li, Yumei; Zhao, Chen; Sui, Ruifang; Chen, Rui

2017-03-01

Usher syndrome is a genetically heterogeneous disorder featured by combined visual impairment and hearing loss. Despite a dozen of genes involved in Usher syndrome having been identified, the genetic basis remains unknown in 20-30% of patients. In this study, we aimed to identify the novel disease-causing gene of a distinct subtype of Usher syndrome. Ophthalmic examinations and hearing tests were performed on patients with Usher syndrome in two consanguineous families. Target capture sequencing was initially performed to screen causative mutations in known retinal disease-causing loci. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) were applied for identifying novel disease-causing genes. RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing were performed to evaluate the splicing-altering effect of identified CEP78 variants. Patients from the two independent families show a mild Usher syndrome phenotype featured by juvenile or adult-onset cone-rod dystrophy and sensorineural hearing loss. WES and WGS identified two homozygous rare variants that affect mRNA splicing of a ciliary gene CEP78 . RT-PCR confirmed that the two variants indeed lead to abnormal splicing, resulting in premature stop of protein translation due to frameshift. Our results provide evidence that CEP78 is a novel disease-causing gene for Usher syndrome, demonstrating an additional link between ciliopathy and Usher protein network in photoreceptor cells and inner ear hair cells. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Distinct slow and fast cortical theta dynamics in episodic memory retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Pastötter, Bernhard; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

2014-07-01

Brain oscillations in the theta frequency band (3-8 Hz) have been shown to be critically involved in human episodic memory retrieval. In prior work, both positive and negative relationships between cortical theta power and retrieval success have been reported. This study examined the hypothesis that slow and fast cortical theta oscillations at the edges of the traditional theta frequency band are differentially related to retrieval success. Scalp EEG was recorded in healthy human participants as they performed a cued-recall episodic memory task. Slow (~3 Hz) and fast (~7 Hz) theta oscillations at retrieval were examined as a function of whether an item was recalled or not and as a function of the items' output position at test. Recall success typically declines with output position, due to increases in interference level. The results showed that slow theta power was positively related but fast theta power was negatively related to retrieval success. Concurrent positive and negative episodic memory effects for slow and fast theta oscillations were dissociable in time and space, showing different time courses and different spatial locations on the scalp. Moreover, fast theta power increased from early to late output positions, whereas slow theta power was unaffected by items' output position. Together with prior work, the results suggest that slow and fast theta oscillations have distinct functional roles in episodic memory retrieval, with slow theta oscillations being related to processes of recollection and conscious awareness, and fast theta oscillations being linked to processes of interference and interference resolution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short- and long-term memory in Drosophila require cAMP signaling in distinct neuron types.

Science.gov (United States)

Blum, Allison L; Li, Wanhe; Cressy, Mike; Dubnau, Josh

2009-08-25

A common feature of memory and its underlying synaptic plasticity is that each can be dissected into short-lived forms involving modification or trafficking of existing proteins and long-term forms that require new gene expression. An underlying assumption of this cellular view of memory consolidation is that these different mechanisms occur within a single neuron. At the neuroanatomical level, however, different temporal stages of memory can engage distinct neural circuits, a notion that has not been conceptually integrated with the cellular view. Here, we investigated this issue in the context of aversive Pavlovian olfactory memory in Drosophila. Previous studies have demonstrated a central role for cAMP signaling in the mushroom body (MB). The Ca(2+)-responsive adenylyl cyclase RUTABAGA is believed to be a coincidence detector in gamma neurons, one of the three principle classes of MB Kenyon cells. We were able to separately restore short-term or long-term memory to a rutabaga mutant with expression of rutabaga in different subsets of MB neurons. Our findings suggest a model in which the learning experience initiates two parallel associations: a short-lived trace in MB gamma neurons, and a long-lived trace in alpha/beta neurons.

Conflict detection and resolution rely on a combination of common and distinct cognitive control networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qi; Yang, Guochun; Li, Zhenghan; Qi, Yanyan; Cole, Michael W; Liu, Xun

2017-12-01

Cognitive control can be activated by stimulus-stimulus (S-S) and stimulus-response (S-R) conflicts. However, whether cognitive control is domain-general or domain-specific remains unclear. To deepen the understanding of the functional organization of cognitive control networks, we conducted activation likelihood estimation (ALE) from 111 neuroimaging studies to examine brain activation in conflict-related tasks. We observed that fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular networks were commonly engaged by S-S and S-R conflicts, showing a domain-general pattern. In addition, S-S conflicts specifically activated distinct brain regions to a greater degree. These regions were implicated in the processing of the semantic-relevant attribute, including the inferior frontal cortex (IFC), superior parietal cortex (SPC), superior occipital cortex (SOC), and right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). By contrast, S-R conflicts specifically activated the left thalamus, middle frontal cortex (MFC), and right SPC, which were associated with detecting response conflict and orienting spatial attention. These findings suggest that conflict detection and resolution involve a combination of domain-general and domain-specific cognitive control mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distinctive tropical forest variants have unique soil microbial communities, but not always low microbial diversity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Binu M Tripathi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available There has been little study of whether different variants of tropical rainforest have distinct soil microbial communities and levels of diversity. We compared bacterial and fungal community composition and diversity between primary mixed dipterocarp, secondary mixed dipterocarp, white sand heath, inland heath, and peat swamp forests in Brunei Darussalam, northwest Borneo by analyzing Illumina Miseq sequence data of 16S rRNA gene and ITS1 region. We hypothesized that white sand heath, inland heath and peat swamp forests would show lower microbial diversity and relatively distinct microbial communities (compared to MDF primary and secondary forests due to their distinctive environments. We found that soil properties together with bacterial and fungal communities varied significantly between forest types. Alpha and beta-diversity of bacteria was highest in secondary dipterocarp and white sand heath forests. Also, bacterial alpha diversity was strongly structured by pH, adding another instance of this widespread pattern in nature. The alpha diversity of fungi was equally high in all forest types except peat swamp forest, although fungal beta-diversity was highest in primary and secondary mixed dipterocarp forests. The relative abundance of ectomycorrhizal (EcM fungi varied significantly between forest types, with highest relative abundance observed in MDF primary forest. Overall, our results suggest that the soil bacterial and fungal communities in these forest types are to a certain extent predictable and structured by soil properties, but that diversity is not determined by how distinctive the conditions are. This contrasts with the diversity patterns seen in rainforest trees, where distinctive soil conditions have consistently lower tree diversity.

Clinically distinct presentations of copper deficiency myeloneuropathy and cytopenias in a patient using excessive zinc-containing denture adhesive.

Science.gov (United States)

Cathcart, Sahara J; Sofronescu, Alina G

2017-08-01

While copper deficiency has long been known to cause cytopenias, copper deficiency myeloneuropathy is a more recently described entity. Here, we present the case of two clinically distinct presentations of acquired copper deficiency syndromes secondary to excessive use of zinc-containing denture adhesive over five years: myeloneuropathy and severe macrocytic anemia and neutropenia. Extensive laboratory testing and histologic evaluation of the liver and bone marrow, were necessary to rule out other disease processes and establish the diagnosis of copper deficiency. The initial presentation consisted of a myelopathy involving the posterior columns. Serum and urine copper were significantly decreased, and serum zinc was elevated. On second presentation (five years later), multiple hematological abnormalities were detected. Serum copper was again decreased, while serum zinc was elevated. Zinc overload is a preventable cause of copper deficiency syndromes. This rare entity presented herein highlights the importance of patient, as well as provider, education. Copyright © 2017 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Legal distinction between employee and independent contractor as applied to collective bargaining activities in timber harvesting

Science.gov (United States)

James E. Granskog; William C. Siegal

1977-01-01

Collective bargaining attempts by timber harvesting labor groups is often complicated by lack of a clear legal distinction between "employees" and "independent contractors." the primary criterion to make the distinction - the "right-to-control" test of common law - has now been amplified by a number of secondary tests, including: 1) the...

BARE retrotransposons are translated and replicated via distinct RNA pools.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Chang

Full Text Available The replication of Long Terminal Repeat (LTR retrotransposons, which can constitute over 80% of higher plant genomes, resembles that of retroviruses. A major question for retrotransposons and retroviruses is how the two conflicting roles of their transcripts, in translation and reverse transcription, are balanced. Here, we show that the BARE retrotransposon, despite its organization into just one open reading frame, produces three distinct classes of transcripts. One is capped, polyadenylated, and translated, but cannot be copied into cDNA. The second is not capped or polyadenylated, but is destined for packaging and ultimate reverse transcription. The third class is capped, polyadenylated, and spliced to favor production of a subgenomic RNA encoding only Gag, the protein forming virus-like particles. Moreover, the BARE2 subfamily, which cannot synthesize Gag and is parasitic on BARE1, does not produce the spliced sub-genomic RNA for translation but does make the replication competent transcripts, which are packaged into BARE1 particles. To our knowledge, this is first demonstration of distinct RNA pools for translation and transcription for any retrotransposon.

The uses and abuses of the coherence – correspondence distinction

Science.gov (United States)

Polonioli, Andrea

2015-01-01

Kenneth Hammond introduced a distinction between coherence and correspondence criteria of rationality as a tool in the study of judgment and decision-making. This distinction has been widely used in the field. Yet, as this paper seeks to show, the relevant notions of coherence and correspondence have been progressively considered to be too narrow and have undergone non-trivial conceptual changes since their original introduction. I try to show, first, that the proliferation of conceptualizations of coherence and correspondence has created confusion in the literature and that appealing to such notions has not helped to elucidate discussions over the nature of rational judgment and decision-making. Nevertheless, I also argue for a reframing of the debate. In fact, what seems to underlie several contemporary appeals to the notions of coherence and correspondence is best explained in terms of a contrast between what I call rule-based and goal-based rationality. Whilst these categories do need further refinement, they do seem to be useful for organizing and understanding research on rational judgment and decision-making. PMID:25983700

JOINT INVOLVEMENT IN SYPHILIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. I. Zlobina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Joint involvement in syphilis has been considered as casuistry in recent years. At the same time, the high incidence of primary syphilis and the notified cases of late neurosyphilis may suggest that joint involvement in this disease is by no means always verified. Traditionally there are two forms of syphilitic arthritis: primary synovial (involving the articular membranes and sac and primary bone (involving the articular bones and cartilages ones. The paper describes the authors' clinical case of the primary bone form of articular syphilis in a 34-year-old man. 

Motivational Influences on Cognition: Task Involvement, Ego Involvement, and Depth of Information Processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Sandra; Golan, Shari

1991-01-01

Task involvement and ego involvement were studied in relation to depth of information processing for 126 fifth and sixth graders in 2 experiments. Ego involvement resulted in poorer word recall at deep rather than shallow information processing levels. Implications for the study of motivation are discussed. (SLD)

Characterization of Two Distinct Amorphous Forms of Valsartan by Solid-State NMR.

Science.gov (United States)

Skotnicki, Marcin; Apperley, David C; Aguilar, Juan A; Milanowski, Bartłomiej; Pyda, Marek; Hodgkinson, Paul

2016-01-04

Valsartan (VAL) is an antihypertensive drug marketed in an amorphous form. Amorphous materials can have different physicochemical properties depending on preparation method, thermal history, etc., but the nature of such materials is difficult to study by diffraction techniques. This study characterizes two different amorphous forms of valsartan (AR and AM) using solid-state NMR (SSNMR) as a primary investigation tool, supported by solution-state NMR, FT-IR, TMDSC, and dissolution tests. The two forms are found to be clearly distinct, with a significantly higher level of structural arrangement in the AR form, as observed in (13)C, (15)N, and (1)H SSNMR. (13)C and (15)N NMR indicates that the fully amorphous material (AM) contains an approximately equal ratio of cis-trans conformers about the amide bond, whereas the AR form exists mainly as one conformer, with minor conformational "defects". (1)H ultrafast MAS NMR shows significant differences in the hydrogen bonding involving the tetrazole and acid hydrogens between the two materials, while (15)N NMR shows that both forms exist as a 1,2,3,4-tetrazole tautomer. NMR relaxation times show subtle differences in local and bulk molecular mobility, which can be connected with the glass transition, the stability of the glassy material, and its response to aging. Counterintuitively the fully amorphous material is found to have a significantly lower dissolution rate than the apparently more ordered AR material.

Amphetamine and cocaine suppress social play behavior in rats through distinct mechanisms.

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Achterberg, E J Marijke; Trezza, Viviana; Siviy, Stephen M; Schrama, Laurens; Schoffelmeer, Anton N M; Vanderschuren, Louk J M J

2014-04-01

Social play behavior is a characteristic form of social behavior displayed by juvenile and adolescent mammals. This social play behavior is highly rewarding and of major importance for social and cognitive development. Social play is known to be modulated by neurotransmitter systems involved in reward and motivation. Interestingly, psychostimulant drugs, such as amphetamine and cocaine, profoundly suppress social play, but the neural mechanisms underlying these effects remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the pharmacological underpinnings of amphetamine- and cocaine-induced suppression of social play behavior in rats. The play-suppressant effects of amphetamine were antagonized by the alpha-2 adrenoreceptor antagonist RX821002 but not by the dopamine receptor antagonist alpha-flupenthixol. Remarkably, the effects of cocaine on social play were not antagonized by alpha-2 noradrenergic, dopaminergic, or serotonergic receptor antagonists, administered either alone or in combination. The effects of a subeffective dose of cocaine were enhanced by a combination of subeffective doses of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine, the dopamine reuptake inhibitor GBR12909, and the noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine. Amphetamine, like methylphenidate, exerts its play-suppressant effect through alpha-2 noradrenergic receptors. On the other hand, cocaine reduces social play by simultaneous increases in dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin neurotransmission. In conclusion, psychostimulant drugs with different pharmacological profiles suppress social play behavior through distinct mechanisms. These data contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms of social behavior during an important developmental period, and of the deleterious effects of psychostimulant exposure thereon.

Distinct kinetics of serine and threonine dephosphorylation are essential for mitosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hein, Jamin B; Hertz, Emil P T; Garvanska, Dimitriya H

2017-01-01

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in complex with B55 regulatory subunits reverses cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) phosphorylations at mitotic exit. Interestingly, threonine and serine residues phosphorylated by Cdk1 display distinct phosphorylation dynamics, but the biological significance remains ...

Executive deficits, not processing speed relates to abnormalities in distinct prefrontal tracts in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettit, Lewis D; Bastin, Mark E; Smith, Colin; Bak, Thomas H; Gillingwater, Thomas H; Abrahams, Sharon

2013-11-01

Cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is characterized by deficits on tests of executive function; however, the contribution of abnormal processing speed is unknown. Methods are confounded by tasks that depend on motor speed in patients with physical disability. Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have revealed multi-system cerebral involvement, with evidence of reduced white matter volume and integrity in predominant frontotemporal regions. The current study has two aims. First, to investigate whether cognitive impairments in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are due to executive dysfunction or slowed processing speed using methodology that accommodates motor disability. This is achieved using a dual-task paradigm and tasks that manipulate stimulus presentation times and do not rely on response motor speed. Second, to identify relationships between specific cognitive impairments and the integrity of distinct white matter tracts. Thirty patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 30 age- and education-matched control subjects were administered an experimental dual-task procedure that combined a visual inspection time task and digit recall. In addition, measures of executive function (including letter fluency) and processing speed (visual inspection time and rapid serial letter identification) were administered. Integrity of white matter tracts was determined using region of interest analyses of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging data. Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis did not show impairments on tests of processing speed, but executive deficits were revealed once visual inspection time was combined with digit recall (dual-task) and in letter fluency. In addition to the corticospinal tracts, significant differences in fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were found between groups in a number of prefrontal and temporal white matter tracts including the anterior cingulate, anterior thalamic radiation

Mesenchymal stem cells generate distinct functional hybrids in vitro via cell fusion or entosis.

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Sottile, Francesco; Aulicino, Francesco; Theka, Ilda; Cosma, Maria Pia

2016-11-09

Homotypic and heterotypic cell-to-cell fusion are key processes during development and tissue regeneration. Nevertheless, aberrant cell fusion can contribute to tumour initiation and metastasis. Additionally, a form of cell-in-cell structure called entosis has been observed in several human tumours. Here we investigate cell-to-cell interaction between mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). MSCs represent an important source of adult stem cells since they have great potential for regenerative medicine, even though they are also involved in cancer progression. We report that MSCs can either fuse forming heterokaryons, or be invaded by ESCs through entosis. While entosis-derived hybrids never share their genomes and induce degradation of the target cell, fusion-derived hybrids can convert into synkaryons. Importantly we show that hetero-to-synkaryon transition occurs through cell division and not by nuclear membrane fusion. Additionally, we also observe that the ROCK-actin/myosin pathway is required for both fusion and entosis in ESCs but only for entosis in MSCs. Overall, we show that MSCs can undergo fusion or entosis in culture by generating distinct functional cellular entities. These two processes are profoundly different and their outcomes should be considered given the beneficial or possible detrimental effects of MSC-based therapeutic applications.

Phylogeographic Evidence for 2 Genetically Distinct Zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi Parasites, Malaysia.

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Yusof, Ruhani; Ahmed, Md Atique; Jelip, Jenarun; Ngian, Hie Ung; Mustakim, Sahlawati; Hussin, Hani Mat; Fong, Mun Yik; Mahmud, Rohela; Sitam, Frankie Anak Thomas; Japning, J Rovie-Ryan; Snounou, Georges; Escalante, Ananias A; Lau, Yee Ling

2016-08-01

Infections of humans with the zoonotic simian malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi occur throughout Southeast Asia, although most cases have occurred in Malaysia, where P. knowlesi is now the dominant malaria species. This apparently skewed distribution prompted an investigation of the phylogeography of this parasite in 2 geographically separated regions of Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. We investigated samples collected from humans and macaques in these regions. Haplotype network analyses of sequences from 2 P. knowlesi genes, type A small subunit ribosomal 18S RNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, showed 2 genetically distinct divergent clusters, 1 from each of the 2 regions of Malaysia. We propose that these parasites represent 2 distinct P. knowlesi types that independently became zoonotic. These types would have evolved after the sea-level rise at the end of the last ice age, which separated Malaysian Borneo from Peninsular Malaysia.

Chemically different non-thermal plasmas target distinct cell death pathways

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, Oleg; Zablotskyy, Vitaliy A.; Churpita, Olexandr; Lunova, M.; Jirsa, M.; Dejneka, Alexandr; Kubinová, Šárka

2017-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 1 (2017), s. 1-17, č. článku 600. ISSN 2045-2322 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) Fellowship J. E. Purkyně Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : chemically different * non-thermal plasmas * target distinct cell death pathways Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics OBOR OECD: Biophysics Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

Distinctiveness and Bidirectional Effects in Input Enhancement for Vocabulary Learning

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Barcroft, Joe

2003-01-01

This study examined input enhancement and second language (L2) vocabulary learning while exploring the role of "distinctiveness," the degree to which an item in the input diverges from the form in which other items in the input are presented, with regard to the nature and direction of the effects of enhancement. In this study,…

Early- versus Late-Onset Dysthymia: A Meaningful Clinical Distinction?

OpenAIRE

Sansone, Randy A.; Sansone, Lori A.

2009-01-01

In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, dysthymic disorder is categorized as either early-onset or late-onset, based upon the emergence of symptoms before or after the age of 21, respectively. Does this diagnostic distinction have any meaningful clinical implications? In this edition of The Interface, we present empirical studies that have, within a single study, compared individuals with early-versus late-onset dysthymia. In this review, we found that, compared ...

Distinct patterns of autophagy evoked by two benzoxazine derivatives in vascular endothelial cells.

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Wang, Li; Dong, ZhiWu; Huang, Bin; Zhao, BaoXiang; Wang, Hua; Zhao, Jing; Kung, HsiangFu; Zhang, ShangLi; Miao, JunYing

2010-11-01

Macroautophagy (referred to as autophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved, bulk-destruction process in eukaryotes. During this process, the cytoplasm containing long-lived proteins and organelles is engulfed into double-membrane autophagosomes, and ultimately undergoes enzymatic degradation within lysosomes. Autophagy serves as a prosurvival machinery, or it may contribute to cell death. Accumulating evidence indicates that autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis and intervention of various human diseases. Pharmacological autophagy modulators are arousing interest from biologists and clinical physicians in light of their potential for disease therapy and increasing our understanding of the mechanism of autophagy. In this study, we identified two autophagy enhancers, 6-amino-2,3-dihydro-3-hydroxymethyl-1,4-benzoxazine (ABO) and 6,8-dichloro-2,3-dihydro-3-hydroxymethyl-1,4-benzoxazine (DBO), in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC s) by autophagy assays, and demonstrate that ABO and DBO could stimulate autophagy in an mtor-independent and mtor-dependent manner, respectively; ABO-stimulated autophagy was attributed to the elevation of the Ca2+ channel annexin A7 (ANXA7), whereas DBO's effect was due to the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Importantly, we found that ANXA7 was essential for autophagy induction via modulating the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in HUVEC s. In summary, our work introduced two distinct autophagy enhancers and highlighted the critical role of ANXA7 in endothelial autophagy.

Consumer involvement profiles: An application of consumer involvement in mobile industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Homa Rahbarian

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates consumer involvement profile among people who intend to purchase mobile devises. The study considers the effects of various factors influencing on purchase intention including consumers’ personal characteristics such as age, gender, income as well as some external factors including advertisement. The study uses a questionnaire in Likert scale, originally developed by O’Cass (2000 [O’Cass, A. (2000. An assessment of consumers' product, purchase decision, advertising and consumption involvement in fashion clothing. Journal of Economic Psychology, 21, 545-576.]. The questionnaire has been distributed among 385 people, randomly who purchased mobile devices from a mall in city of Tehran, Iran. Using Pearson correlation test, the study has concluded that oral advertisement as well as consumer purchase involvement have positive and strong relationship with consumer’s purchase intention. In terms of age, people aged 20-30 maintained the highest purchase intention. In addition, in terms of gender, men had more purchase involvement than women did.

Differential involvement of cortical muscarinic and NMDA receptors in short- and long-term taste aversion memory.

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Ferreira, G; Gutiérrez, R; De La Cruz, V; Bermúdez-Rattoni, F

2002-09-01

In conditioned taste aversion, an animal avoids a taste previously associated with toxic effects, and this aversive memory formation requires an intact insular cortex. In this paper, we investigated the possible differential involvement of cholinergic and glutamatergic receptors in the insular cortex in short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) of taste aversion in rats. Taste aversion was induced by intraperitoneal administration of lithium chloride (a malaise-inducing drug) 15 min after experience with an unfamiliar taste. In order to test STM and LTM of taste aversion, taste stimulus was again presented 4 h and 72 h after lithium injection, respectively. During the acquisition, microinjection of the muscarinic antagonist, scopolamine, in the insular cortex before, but not after, the presentation of the new taste, abolished STM as well as LTM. Blockade of the NMDA receptor, in the insular cortex, by AP5 before, but not after, the presentation of the taste stimulus, impaired LTM but left STM intact. Moreover, when injected 1 h after malaise induction (i.e., during taste-illness association), AP5 disrupted both STM and LTM. These results suggest that activation of muscarinic receptors in the insular cortex is involved in the acquisition of taste memory, whereas NMDA receptors participate in taste memory consolidation. These data demonstrate that different neurochemical mechanisms subserve different memory phases. NMDA receptors are also probably involved in processing the visceral input, thus allowing subsequent taste-illness association. This indicates that in the same cortical area the same neurotransmitter system can be involved in distinct processes: taste memory consolidation vs. taste-illness association.

Parent Involvement Handbook.

Science.gov (United States)

Caplan, Arna

This handbook on parent involvement, designed to be used with preschool programs, was developed by the Jefferson County Public Schools in Lakewood, Colorado. Included are: (1) a general statement about parent involvement in an early childhood program, (2) a description of the Jefferson County Early Childhood Program, (3) a description of the…

The loss of short-term visual representations over time: decay or temporal distinctiveness?

Science.gov (United States)

Mercer, Tom

2014-12-01

There has been much recent interest in the loss of visual short-term memories over the passage of time. According to decay theory, visual representations are gradually forgotten as time passes, reflecting a slow and steady distortion of the memory trace. However, this is controversial and decay effects can be explained in other ways. The present experiment aimed to reexamine the maintenance and loss of visual information over the short term. Decay and temporal distinctiveness models were tested using a delayed discrimination task, in which participants compared complex and novel objects over unfilled retention intervals of variable length. Experiment 1 found no significant change in the accuracy of visual memory from 2 to 6 s, but the gap separating trials reliably influenced task performance. Experiment 2 found evidence for information loss at a 10-s retention interval, but temporally separating trials restored the fidelity of visual memory, possibly because temporally isolated representations are distinct from older memory traces. In conclusion, visual representations lose accuracy at some point after 6 s, but only within temporally crowded contexts. These findings highlight the importance of temporal distinctiveness within visual short-term memory. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Distinct trajectories of positive and negative affect after colorectal cancer diagnosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ciere, Yvette; Janse, Moniek; Almansa, Josué; Visser, Annemieke; Sanderman, Robbert; Sprangers, Mirjam A.G.; Ranchor, Adelita V.; Fleer, Joke

2017-01-01

Objective: Insight into trajectories of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) across the cancer continuum may improve understanding of the nature of adjustment problems. The primary aim of this study was to identify subgroups of patients with distinct trajectories of PA and NA following

Distinct Trajectories of Positive and Negative Affect After Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ciere, Yvette; Janse, Moniek; Almansa, Josué; Visser, Annemieke; Sanderman, Robbert; Sprangers, Mirjam A G; Ranchor, Adelita V; Fleer, Joke

OBJECTIVE: Insight into trajectories of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) across the cancer continuum may improve understanding of the nature of adjustment problems. The primary aim of this study was to identify subgroups of patients with distinct trajectories of PA and NA following

A natural M RNA reassortant arising from two distinct tospovirus species

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The complete nucleotide sequence of a tospovirus isolate from south Florida tomatoes was determined. Phylogenetic reconstructions of each genomic RNA segment showed that this isolate was produced by reassortment of segments from two distinct tospovirus species. The S and L segments are most closel...

Medical anthropology as an antidote for ethnocentrism in Jesus research? Putting the illness–disease distinction into perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pieter F. Craffert

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Medicine often has side-effects or unintended consequences that are more harmful than the original disease. Medical anthropology in general and the illness–disease distinction in particular has been introduced into historical Jesus research with the intent to protect it from medicocentrism and thus to offer ways of comprehending sickness and healing in the world of Jesus and his first followers without distorting these phenomena by imposing the biomedical framework onto the texts. In particular the illness–disease distinction is used for making sense of healing accounts whilst claiming to cross the cultural gap. Based on an analysis of the illness–disease distinction in medical anthropology and its use in historical Jesus research this article suggests that instead of protecting from ethnocentrism this distinction actually increases the risk of ethnocentrism and consequently distorts in many instances the healing accounts of the New Testament.

Phenotype specific analyses reveal distinct regulatory mechanism for chronically activated p53.

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Kristina Kirschner

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The downstream functions of the DNA binding tumor suppressor p53 vary depending on the cellular context, and persistent p53 activation has recently been implicated in tumor suppression and senescence. However, genome-wide information about p53-target gene regulation has been derived mostly from acute genotoxic conditions. Using ChIP-seq and expression data, we have found distinct p53 binding profiles between acutely activated (through DNA damage and chronically activated (in senescent or pro-apoptotic conditions p53. Compared to the classical 'acute' p53 binding profile, 'chronic' p53 peaks were closely associated with CpG-islands. Furthermore, the chronic CpG-island binding of p53 conferred distinct expression patterns between senescent and pro-apoptotic conditions. Using the p53 targets seen in the chronic conditions together with external high-throughput datasets, we have built p53 networks that revealed extensive self-regulatory 'p53 hubs' where p53 and many p53 targets can physically interact with each other. Integrating these results with public clinical datasets identified the cancer-associated lipogenic enzyme, SCD, which we found to be directly repressed by p53 through the CpG-island promoter, providing a mechanistic link between p53 and the 'lipogenic phenotype', a hallmark of cancer. Our data reveal distinct phenotype associations of chronic p53 targets that underlie specific gene regulatory mechanisms.

Distinct Roles of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Juan; Li, Feng; Luo, Meihui; Wei, Jun

2017-01-01

Wnt signaling pathways are tightly controlled under a physiological condition, under which they play key roles in many biological functions, including cell fate specification and tissue regeneration. Increasing lines of evidence recently demonstrated that a dysregulated activation of Wnt signaling, particularly the Wnt/β-catenin signaling, was involved in the pathogenesis of chronic pulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In this respect, Wnt signaling interacts with other cellular signaling pathways to regulate the initiation and pathogenic procedures of airway inflammation and remodeling, pulmonary myofibroblast proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and development of emphysema. Intriguingly, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is activated in IPF; an inhibition of this signaling leads to an alleviation of pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in experimental models. Conversely, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is inactivated in COPD tissues, and its reactivation results in an amelioration of airspace enlargement with a restored alveolar epithelial structure and function in emphysema models. These studies thus imply distinct mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the pathogenesis of these two chronic pulmonary diseases, indicating potential targets for COPD and IPF treatments. This review article aims to summarize the involvement and pathogenic roles of Wnt signaling pathways in the COPD and IPF, with a focus on the implication of Wnt/β-catenin signaling as underlying mechanisms and therapeutic targets in these two incurable diseases. PMID:28588349

Involvement of a Novel Enzyme, MdpA, in Methyl tert-Butyl Ether Degradation in Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1 ▿

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Radomir; Battaglia, Vince; Scow, Kate; Kane, Staci; Hristova, Krassimira R.

2008-01-01

Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1 is a well-characterized environmental strain capable of complete metabolism of the fuel oxygenate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Using a molecular genetic system which we established to study MTBE metabolism by PM1, we demonstrated that the enzyme MdpA is involved in MTBE removal, based on insertional inactivation and complementation studies. MdpA is constitutively expressed at low levels but is strongly induced by MTBE. MdpA is also involved in the regulation of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) removal under certain conditions but is not directly responsible for TBA degradation. Phylogenetic comparison of MdpA to related enzymes indicates close homology to the short-chain hydrolyzing alkane hydroxylases (AH1), a group that appears to be a distinct subfamily of the AHs. The unique, substrate-size-determining residue Thr59 distinguishes MdpA from the AH1 subfamily as well as from AlkB enzymes linked to MTBE degradation in Mycobacterium austroafricanum. PMID:18791002

A causal involvement of the left supramarginal gyrus during the retention of musical pitches.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaal, Nora K; Williamson, Victoria J; Kelly, Maria; Muggleton, Neil G; Pollok, Bettina; Krause, Vanessa; Banissy, Michael J

2015-03-01

Brain stimulation studies have previously demonstrated a causal link between general pitch memory processes and activity within the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG). Building on this evidence, the present study tested the impact of left SMG stimulation on two distinct pitch memory phases, retention and encoding. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was employed during the retention stage (Experiment 1) and the encoding phase (Experiment 2) of a pitch recognition task. Stimulation was applied on a trial-by-trial basis over the left SMG (target site) or the vertex (control site). A block without TMS was also completed. In Experiment 1, rTMS over the left SMG during pitch retention led to significantly increased reaction times compared to control conditions. In Experiment 2 no rTMS modulation effects were found during encoding. Experiment 3 was conducted as a control for non-specific stimulation effects; no effects were found when rTMS was applied over the left SMG at the two different time points during a perceptual task. Taken together, these findings highlight a phase-specific involvement of the left SMG in the retention phase of pitch memory, thereby indicating that the left SMG is involved in the maintenance of pitch information. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular cloning and pharmacology of functionally distinct isoforms of the human histamine H(3) receptor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wellendorph, Petrine; Goodman, M W; Burstein, E S

2002-01-01

The pharmacology of histamine H(3) receptors suggests the presence of distinct receptor isoforms or subtypes. We herein describe multiple, functionally distinct, alternatively spliced isoforms of the human H(3) receptor. Combinatorial splicing at three different sites creates at least six distinct...... receptor isoforms, of which isoforms 1, 2, and 4, encode functional proteins. Detailed pharmacology on isoforms 1 (unspliced receptor), and 2 (which has an 80 amino acid deletion within the third intracellular loop of the protein) revealed that both isoforms displayed robust responses to a series of known...... revealed a rank order of potency at both isoforms of clobenpropit>iodophenpropit>thioperamide, and these drugs are fivefold less potent at isoform 2 than isoform 1. To further explore the pharmacology of H(3) receptor function, we screened 150 clinically relevant neuropsychiatric drugs for H(3) receptor...

Cortico-hippocampal systems involved in memory and cognition: the PMAT framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchey, Maureen; Libby, Laura A; Ranganath, Charan

2015-01-01

In this chapter, we review evidence that the cortical pathways to the hippocampus appear to extend from two large-scale cortical systems: a posterior medial (PM) system that includes the parahippocampal cortex and retrosplenial cortex, and an anterior temporal (AT) system that includes the perirhinal cortex. This "PMAT" framework accounts for differences in the anatomical and functional connectivity of the medial temporal lobes, which may underpin differences in cognitive function between the systems. The PM and AT systems make distinct contributions to memory and to other cognitive domains, and convergent findings suggest that they are involved in processing information about contexts and items, respectively. In order to support the full complement of memory-guided behavior, the two systems must interact, and the hippocampal and ventromedial prefrontal cortex may serve as sites of integration between the two systems. We conclude that when considering the "connected hippocampus," inquiry should extend beyond the medial temporal lobes to include the large-scale cortical systems of which they are a part. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dealing with Distinctiveness. Development of Chinese in the "Australian Curriculum: Languages"

Science.gov (United States)

Scrimgeour, Andrew; Foster, Marnie; Mao, Weifeng

2013-01-01

This article explores some of the distinctive challenges in Chinese language education in schools and discusses how the development of the "Australian Curriculum: Chinese" has responded to these challenges. It details how the curriculum framework outlined in the "Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages" (ACARA, 2011)…

How Does Knowledge Promote Memory? The Distinctiveness Theory of Skilled Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Rawson, Katherine A.; Van Overschelde, James P.

2008-01-01

The robust effects of knowledge on memory for domain-relevant information reported in previous research have largely been attributed to improved organizational processing. The present research proposes the distinctiveness theory of skilled memory, which states that knowledge improves memory not only through improved organizational processing but…

The effects of cue distinctiveness on odor-based context-dependent memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Herz, R S

1997-05-01

The distinctiveness of an ambient odor was examined in relation to its success as a cue in context-dependent memory. Distinctiveness was examined in terms of both cue novelty and contextual appropriateness. Two experiments were conducted in which three different ambient odors that varied in familiarity and contextual appropriateness were manipulated at an incidental word learning encoding session and at a free recall retrieval session 48 h later. Experiment 1 revealed that when a novel ambient odor (osmanthus) was the available context cue, word recall was better than in any other condition. Further, among familiar odor cues, recall was better with a contextually inappropriate odor (peppermint) than with a contextually appropriate odor (clean fresh pine). Experiment 2 confirmed that superior word recall with osmanthus and peppermint depended on the odor cue's being available at both encoding and retrieval, and that the relation of an odor to the situational context is a key factor for predicting its effectiveness as a retrieval cue.

Pengabaian Distinction Principle dalam Situasi Blokade oleh Israel di Jalur Gaza

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Erwin Erwin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Abstrak      Konflik bersenjata (perang telah ada dan terjadi ribuan tahun yang lalu walaupun berbeda situasi dan derajat konfliknya dengan konflik bersenjata (perang pada masa modern seperti sekarang. Salah satu konflik yang terjadi dalam sejarah modern peradaban manusia adalah konflik Israel-Palestina. Dalam catatan sejarah peradaban manusia, konflik Israel-Palestina merupakan salah satu konflik terpanjang di dunia, karena sampai saat inipun masih terjadi. Terdapat banyak upaya perdamaian dan perjanjian terus dilakukan berbagai pihak untuk merintis dan mencapai kesepakatan perdamaian, akan tetapi konflik tetap terus terjadi. Adapun peristiwa yang terjadi sebagai bagian dari konflik Israel-Palestina adalah terjadinya blokade atas Gaza pada bulan Juli tahun 2007 oleh Israel. Blokade Israel di Gaza telah mengabaikan prinsip pembedaan (distinction combatan dan civilian (penduduk sipil. Dengan alasan apapun tindakan blokade Israel telah melanggar hukum internasional pada umumnya dan Hukum Humaniter Internasional (HHI pada khususnya.Kata Kunci : Blokade, Gaza, Distinction Principle

Growth rate regulated genes and their wide involvement in the Lactococcus lactis stress responses

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Redon Emma

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of transcriptomic tools has allowed exhaustive description of stress responses. These responses always superimpose a general response associated to growth rate decrease and a specific one corresponding to the stress. The exclusive growth rate response can be achieved through chemostat cultivation, enabling all parameters to remain constant except the growth rate. Results We analysed metabolic and transcriptomic responses of Lactococcus lactis in continuous cultures at different growth rates ranging from 0.09 to 0.47 h-1. Growth rate was conditioned by isoleucine supply. Although carbon metabolism was constant and homolactic, a widespread transcriptomic response involving 30% of the genome was observed. The expression of genes encoding physiological functions associated with biogenesis increased with growth rate (transcription, translation, fatty acid and phospholipids metabolism. Many phages, prophages and transposon related genes were down regulated as growth rate increased. The growth rate response was compared to carbon and amino-acid starvation transcriptomic responses, revealing constant and significant involvement of growth rate regulations in these two stressful conditions (overlap 27%. Two regulators potentially involved in the growth rate regulations, llrE and yabB, have been identified. Moreover it was established that genes positively regulated by growth rate are preferentially located in the vicinity of replication origin while those negatively regulated are mainly encountered at the opposite, thus indicating the relationship between genes expression and their location on chromosome. Although stringent response mechanism is considered as the one governing growth deceleration in bacteria, the rigorous comparison of the two transcriptomic responses clearly indicated the mechanisms are distinct. Conclusion This work of integrative biology was performed at the global level using transcriptomic analysis

75 FR 77602 - Endangered and Threatened Species; 90-Day Finding on Petitions To Delist the Eastern Distinct...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-13

... the Eastern Distinct Population Segment of the Steller Sea Lion AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries... delist the eastern Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) under...-implementing regulations issued by NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) also establish procedures...

Examining distinct working memory processes in children and adolescents using fMRI: Results and validation of a modified Brown-Peterson paradigm.

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Siffredi, Vanessa; Barrouillet, Pierre; Spencer-Smith, Megan; Vaessen, Maarten; Anderson, Vicki; Vuilleumier, Patrik

2017-01-01

Verbal working memory (WM) comprises different processes (encoding, maintenance, retrieval) that are often compromised in brain diseases, but their neural correlates have not yet been examined in childhood and adolescence. To probe WM processes and associated neural correlates in developmental samples, and obtain comparable effects across different ages and populations, we designed an adapted Brown-Peterson task (verbal encoding and retrieval combined with verbal and visual concurrent tasks during maintenance) to implement during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In a sample of typically developing children and adolescents (n = 16), aged 8 to 16 years, our paradigm successfully identified distinct patterns of activation for encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. While encoding activated perceptual systems in posterior and ventral visual regions, retrieval activated fronto-parietal regions associated with executive control and attention. We found a different impact of verbal versus visual concurrent processing during WM maintenance: at retrieval, the former condition evoked greater activations in visual cortex, as opposed to selective involvement of language-related areas in left temporal cortex in the latter condition. These results are in accord with WM models, suggesting greater competition for processing resources when retrieval follows within-domain compared with cross-domain interference. This pattern was found regardless of age. Our study provides a novel paradigm to investigate distinct WM brain systems with reliable results across a wide age range in developmental populations, and suitable for participants with different WM capacities.

Examining distinct working memory processes in children and adolescents using fMRI: Results and validation of a modified Brown-Peterson paradigm.

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Vanessa Siffredi

Full Text Available Verbal working memory (WM comprises different processes (encoding, maintenance, retrieval that are often compromised in brain diseases, but their neural correlates have not yet been examined in childhood and adolescence. To probe WM processes and associated neural correlates in developmental samples, and obtain comparable effects across different ages and populations, we designed an adapted Brown-Peterson task (verbal encoding and retrieval combined with verbal and visual concurrent tasks during maintenance to implement during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. In a sample of typically developing children and adolescents (n = 16, aged 8 to 16 years, our paradigm successfully identified distinct patterns of activation for encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. While encoding activated perceptual systems in posterior and ventral visual regions, retrieval activated fronto-parietal regions associated with executive control and attention. We found a different impact of verbal versus visual concurrent processing during WM maintenance: at retrieval, the former condition evoked greater activations in visual cortex, as opposed to selective involvement of language-related areas in left temporal cortex in the latter condition. These results are in accord with WM models, suggesting greater competition for processing resources when retrieval follows within-domain compared with cross-domain interference. This pattern was found regardless of age. Our study provides a novel paradigm to investigate distinct WM brain systems with reliable results across a wide age range in developmental populations, and suitable for participants with different WM capacities.

The interaction between awareness of one's own speech disorder with linguistics variables: distinctive features and severity of phonological disorder.

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Dias, Roberta Freitas; Melo, Roberta Michelon; Mezzomo, Carolina Lisbôa; Mota, Helena Bolli

2013-01-01

To analyze the possible relationship among the awareness of one's own speech disorder and some aspects of the phonological system, as the number and the type of changed distinctive features, as well as the interaction among the severity of the disorder and the non-specification of distinctive features. The analyzed group has 23 children with diagnosis of speech disorder, aged 5:0 to 7:7. The speech data were analyzed through the Distinctive Features Analysis and classified by the Percentage of Correct Consonants. One also applied the Awareness of one's own speech disorder test. The children were separated in two groups: with awareness of their own speech disorder established (more than 50% of correct identification) and without awareness of their own speech disorder established (less than 50% of correct identification). Finally, the variables of this research were submitted to analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. The type of changed distinctive features weren't different between the groups, as well as the total of changed features and the severity disorder. However, a correlation between the severity disorder and the non-specification of distinctive features was verified, because the more severe disorders have more changes in these linguistic variables. The awareness of one's own speech disorder doesn't seem to be directly influenced by the type and by the number of changed distinctive features, neither by the speech disorder severity. Moreover, one verifies that the greater phonological disorder severity, the greater the number of changed distinctive features.

Involvement of DNA polymerase δ in DNA repair synthesis in human fibroblasts at late times after ultraviolet irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dresler, S.L.; Gowans, B.J.; Robinson-Hill, R.M.; Hunting, D.J.

1988-01-01

DNA repair synthesis following UV irradiation of confluent human fibroblasts has a biphasic time course with an early phase of rapid nucleotide incorporation and a late phase of much slower nucleotide incorporation. The biphasic nature of this curve suggests that two distinct DNA repair systems may be operative. Previous studies have specifically implicated DNA polymerase δ as the enzyme involved in DNA repair synthesis occurring immediately after UV damage. In this paper, the authors describe studies of DNA polymerase involvement in DNA repair synthesis in confluent human fibroblasts at late times after UV irradiation. Late UV-induced DNA repair synthesis in both intact and permeable cells was found to be inhibited by aphidicolin, indicating the involvement of one of the aphidicolin-sensitive DNA polymerases, α or δ. In permeable cells, the process was further analyzed by using the nucleotide analogue (butylphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate, which inhibits DNA polymerase α several hundred times more strongly than it inhibits DNA polymerase δ. The (butylphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate inhibition curve for late UV-induced repair synthesis was very similar to that for polymerase δ. It appears that repair synthesis at late time after UV irradiation, like repair synthesis at early times, is mediated by DNA polymerase δ

Salmonella Persistence in Tomatoes Requires a Distinct Set of Metabolic Functions Identified by Transposon Insertion Sequencing

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Desai, Prerak; Porwollik, Steffen; Canals, Rocio; Perez, Daniel R.; Chu, Weiping; McClelland, Michael; Teplitski, Max

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Human enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. and verotoxigenic Escherichia coli, are increasingly recognized as causes of gastroenteritis outbreaks associated with the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Persistence in plants represents an important part of the life cycle of these pathogens. The identification of the full complement of Salmonella genes involved in the colonization of the model plant (tomato) was carried out using transposon insertion sequencing analysis. With this approach, 230,000 transposon insertions were screened in tomato pericarps to identify loci with reduction in fitness, followed by validation of the screen results using competition assays of the isogenic mutants against the wild type. A comparison with studies in animals revealed a distinct plant-associated set of genes, which only partially overlaps with the genes required to elicit disease in animals. De novo biosynthesis of amino acids was critical to persistence within tomatoes, while amino acid scavenging was prevalent in animal infections. Fitness reduction of the Salmonella amino acid synthesis mutants was generally more severe in the tomato rin mutant, which hyperaccumulates certain amino acids, suggesting that these nutrients remain unavailable to Salmonella spp. within plants. Salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was required for persistence in both animals and plants, exemplifying some shared pathogenesis-related mechanisms in animal and plant hosts. Similarly to phytopathogens, Salmonella spp. required biosynthesis of amino acids, LPS, and nucleotides to colonize tomatoes. Overall, however, it appears that while Salmonella shares some strategies with phytopathogens and taps into its animal virulence-related functions, colonization of tomatoes represents a distinct strategy, highlighting this pathogen's flexible metabolism. IMPORTANCE Outbreaks of gastroenteritis caused by human pathogens have been increasingly associated with foods of plant origin, with tomatoes

Temporomandibular joint formation requires two distinct hedgehog-dependent steps.

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Purcell, Patricia; Joo, Brian W; Hu, Jimmy K; Tran, Pamela V; Calicchio, Monica L; O'Connell, Daniel J; Maas, Richard L; Tabin, Clifford J

2009-10-27

We conducted a genetic analysis of the developing temporo-mandibular or temporomandi-bular joint (TMJ), a highly specialized synovial joint that permits movement and function of the mammalian jaw. First, we used laser capture microdissection to perform a genome-wide expression analysis of each of its developing components. The expression patterns of genes identified in this screen were examined in the TMJ and compared with those of other synovial joints, including the shoulder and the hip joints. Striking differences were noted, indicating that the TMJ forms via a distinct molecular program. Several components of the hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway are among the genes identified in the screen, including Gli2, which is expressed specifically in the condyle and in the disk of the developing TMJ. We found that mice deficient in Gli2 display aberrant TMJ development such that the condyle loses its growth-plate-like cellular organization and no disk is formed. In addition, we used a conditional strategy to remove Smo, a positive effector of the Hh signaling pathway, from chondrocyte progenitors. This cell autonomous loss of Hh signaling allows for disk formation, but the resulting structure fails to separate from the condyle. Thus, these experiments establish that Hh signaling acts at two distinct steps in disk morphogenesis, condyle initiation, and disk-condyle separation and provide a molecular framework for future studies of the TMJ.

Distinct functional programming of human fetal and adult monocytes.

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Krow-Lucal, Elisabeth R; Kim, Charles C; Burt, Trevor D; McCune, Joseph M

2014-03-20

Preterm birth affects 1 out of 9 infants in the United States and is the leading cause of long-term neurologic handicap and infant mortality, accounting for 35% of all infant deaths in 2008. Although cytokines including interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-6, and IL-1 are produced in response to in utero infection and are strongly associated with preterm labor, little is known about how human fetal immune cells respond to these cytokines. We demonstrate that fetal and adult CD14(+)CD16(-) classical monocytes are distinct in terms of basal transcriptional profiles and in phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) in response to cytokines. Fetal monocytes phosphorylate canonical and noncanonical STATs and respond more strongly to IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-4 than adult monocytes. We demonstrate a higher ratio of SOCS3 to IL-6 receptor in adult monocytes than in fetal monocytes, potentially explaining differences in STAT phosphorylation. Additionally, IFN-γ signaling results in upregulation of antigen presentation and costimulatory machinery in adult, but not fetal, monocytes. These findings represent the first evidence that primary human fetal and adult monocytes are functionally distinct, potentially explaining how these cells respond differentially to cytokines implicated in development, in utero infections, and the pathogenesis of preterm labor.

Distinct trajectories of positive and negative affect after colorectal cancer diagnosis.

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Ciere, Yvette; Janse, Moniek; Almansa, Josué; Visser, Annemieke; Sanderman, Robbert; Sprangers, Mirjam A G; Ranchor, Adelita V; Fleer, Joke

2017-06-01

Insight into trajectories of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) across the cancer continuum may improve understanding of the nature of adjustment problems. The primary aim of this study was to identify subgroups of patients with distinct trajectories of PA and NA following diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Secondary to this aim, the co-occurrence between trajectories and their association with goal-related processes was explored. CRC patients (n = 186) completed questionnaires within 1 month, 7 months, and 18 months after diagnosis. Multilevel models were used to study the trajectory of PA and NA, as measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Four classes with distinct PA trajectories were identified: low (18.8%), increasing (6.7%), moderate (68.2%), and high (6.3%); 2 trajectories of NA emerged: low (36.3%) and moderate (63.7%). There was no significant association between PA and NA trajectory class probabilities. The average trajectory of PA covaried with levels of goal disturbance and goal reengagement over time, while the average NA trajectory covaried with goal disturbance and goal disengagement. Compared with the general population, our sample of cancer patients suffered from a lack of positive emotions, but not a high presence of negative emotions. About one fifth of patients reported low PA up to 18 months after diagnosis and may benefit from supportive care. Furthermore, the trajectory of PA was independent of that of NA and related with a distinct goal adjustment process (i.e., goal disengagement vs. goal reengagement). This finding indicates the need to tailor psychological care to the nature of the adjustment problem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Black Hawk down? Establishing helicopter parenting as a distinct construct from other forms of parental control during emerging adulthood.

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Padilla-Walker, Laura M; Nelson, Larry J

2012-10-01

The purpose of the current study was to establish a measure of helicopter parenting that was distinct from other forms of parental control, and to examine parental and behavioral correlates of helicopter parenting. Participants included 438 undergraduate students from four universities in the United States (M(age) = 19.65, SD = 2.00, range = 18-29; 320 women, 118 men), and at least one of their parents. Analyses revealed that helicopter parenting loaded on a separate factor from both behavioral and psychological control, and that helicopter parenting was positively associated with behavioral and psychological control, but not at levels suggesting complete overlap. Results also revealed that helicopter parenting was positively associated with parental involvement and with other positive aspects of the parent-child relationship; but negatively associated with parental autonomy granting and school engagement. Discussion focuses on the implications of helicopter parenting for healthy development during emerging adulthood. Copyright © 2012 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selfish genetic elements favor the evolution of a distinction between soma and germline.

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Johnson, Louise J

2008-08-01

Many multicellular organisms have evolved a dedicated germline. This can benefit the whole organism, but its advantages to genetic parasites have not been explored. Here I model the evolutionary success of a selfish element, such as a transposable element or endosymbiont, which is capable of creating or strengthening a germline-soma distinction in a primitively multicellular host, and find that it will always benefit the element to do so. Genes causing germline sequestration can therefore spread in a population even if germline sequestration is maladaptive for the host organism. Costly selfish elements are expected to survive only in sexual populations, so sexual species may experience an additional push toward germline-soma distinction, and hence toward cell differentiation and multicellularity.

Preserved Self-Other Distinction during Empathy in Autism Is Linked to Network Integrity of Right Supramarginal Gyrus

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Hoffmann, Ferdinand; Koehne, Svenja; Steinbeis, Nikolaus; Dziobek, Isabel; Singer, Tania

2016-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) shows deficits in self-other distinction during theory of mind (ToM). Here we investigated whether ASD patients also show difficulties in self-other distinction during empathy and if potential deficits are linked to dysfunctional resting-state connectivity patterns. In a first study, ASD patients and controls…

Learning-performance distinction and memory processes for motor skills: a focused review and perspective.

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Kantak, Shailesh S; Winstein, Carolee J

2012-03-01

Behavioral research in cognitive psychology provides evidence for an important distinction between immediate performance that accompanies practice and long-term performance that reflects the relative permanence in the capability for the practiced skill (i.e. learning). This learning-performance distinction is strikingly evident when challenging practice conditions may impair practice performance, but enhance long-term retention of motor skills. A review of motor learning studies with a specific focus on comparing differences in performance between that at the end of practice and at delayed retention suggests that the delayed retention or transfer performance is a better indicator of motor learning than the performance at (or end of) practice. This provides objective evidence for the learning-performance distinction. This behavioral evidence coupled with an understanding of the motor memory processes of encoding, consolidation and retrieval may provide insight into the putative mechanism that implements the learning-performance distinction. Here, we propose a simplistic empirically-based framework--motor behavior-memory framework--that integrates the temporal evolution of motor memory processes with the time course of practice and delayed retention frequently used in behavioral motor learning paradigms. In the context of the proposed framework, recent research has used noninvasive brain stimulation to decipher the role of each motor memory process, and specific cortical brain regions engaged in motor performance and learning. Such findings provide beginning insights into the relationship between the time course of practice-induced performance changes and motor memory processes. This in turn has promising implications for future research and practical applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimentally-derived fibroblast gene signatures identify molecular pathways associated with distinct subsets of systemic sclerosis patients in three independent cohorts.

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Michael E Johnson

Full Text Available Genome-wide expression profiling in systemic sclerosis (SSc has identified four 'intrinsic' subsets of disease (fibroproliferative, inflammatory, limited, and normal-like, each of which shows deregulation of distinct signaling pathways; however, the full set of pathways contributing to this differential gene expression has not been fully elucidated. Here we examine experimentally derived gene expression signatures in dermal fibroblasts for thirteen different signaling pathways implicated in SSc pathogenesis. These data show distinct and overlapping sets of genes induced by each pathway, allowing for a better understanding of the molecular relationship between profibrotic and immune signaling networks. Pathway-specific gene signatures were analyzed across a compendium of microarray datasets consisting of skin biopsies from three independent cohorts representing 80 SSc patients, 4 morphea, and 26 controls. IFNα signaling showed a strong association with early disease, while TGFβ signaling spanned the fibroproliferative and inflammatory subsets, was associated with worse MRSS, and was higher in lesional than non-lesional skin. The fibroproliferative subset was most strongly associated with PDGF signaling, while the inflammatory subset demonstrated strong activation of innate immune pathways including TLR signaling upstream of NF-κB. The limited and normal-like subsets did not show associations with fibrotic and inflammatory mediators such as TGFβ and TNFα. The normal-like subset showed high expression of genes associated with lipid signaling, which was absent in the inflammatory and limited subsets. Together, these data suggest a model by which IFNα is involved in early disease pathology, and disease severity is associated with active TGFβ signaling.

Distinct regulatory functions of calpain 1 and 2 during neural stem cell self-renewal and differentiation.

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Daniela M Santos

Full Text Available Calpains are calcium regulated cysteine proteases that have been described in a wide range of cellular processes, including apoptosis, migration and cell cycle regulation. In addition, calpains have been implicated in differentiation, but their impact on neural differentiation requires further investigation. Here, we addressed the role of calpain 1 and calpain 2 in neural stem cell (NSC self-renewal and differentiation. We found that calpain inhibition using either the chemical inhibitor calpeptin or the endogenous calpain inhibitor calpastatin favored differentiation of NSCs. This effect was associated with significant changes in cell cycle-related proteins and may be regulated by calcium. Interestingly, calpain 1 and calpain 2 were found to play distinct roles in NSC fate decision. Calpain 1 expression levels were higher in self-renewing NSC and decreased with differentiation, while calpain 2 increased throughout differentiation. In addition, calpain 1 silencing resulted in increased levels of both neuronal and glial markers, β-III Tubulin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP. Calpain 2 silencing elicited decreased levels of GFAP. These results support a role for calpain 1 in repressing differentiation, thus maintaining a proliferative NSC pool, and suggest that calpain 2 is involved in glial differentiation.

Core Competence, Distinctive Competence, and Competitive Advantage: What Is the Difference?

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Mooney, Ann

2007-01-01

Core competence, distinctive competence, and competitive advantage are 3 of the most important business concepts that managers, researchers, and educators rely on for decision making, pedagogy, and research. However, little attention has been paid to defining these concepts. As a result, they have become buzzwords that are used so frequently that…

Distinct mutations in yeast TAF(II)25 differentially affect the composition of TFIID and SAGA complexes as well as global gene expression patterns.

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Kirschner, Doris B; vom Baur, Elmar; Thibault, Christelle; Sanders, Steven L; Gangloff, Yann-Gaël; Davidson, Irwin; Weil, P Anthony; Tora, Làszlò

2002-05-01

The RNA polymerase II transcription factor TFIID, composed of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (TAF(II)s), nucleates preinitiation complex formation at protein-coding gene promoters. SAGA, a second TAF(II)-containing multiprotein complex, is involved in transcription regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One of the essential protein components common to SAGA and TFIID is yTAF(II)25. We define a minimal evolutionarily conserved 91-amino-acid region of TAF(II)25 containing a histone fold domain that is necessary and sufficient for growth in vivo. Different temperature-sensitive mutations of yTAF(II)25 or chimeras with the human homologue TAF(II)30 arrested cell growth at either the G(1) or G(2)/M cell cycle phase and displayed distinct phenotypic changes and gene expression patterns. Immunoprecipitation studies revealed that TAF(II)25 mutation-dependent gene expression and phenotypic changes correlated at least partially with the integrity of SAGA and TFIID. Genome-wide expression analysis revealed that the five TAF(II)25 temperature-sensitive mutant alleles individually affect the expression of between 18 and 33% of genes, whereas taken together they affect 64% of all class II genes. Thus, different yTAF(II)25 mutations induce distinct phenotypes and affect the regulation of different subsets of genes, demonstrating that no individual TAF(II) mutant allele reflects the full range of its normal functions.

Distinct mutational signatures characterize concurrent loss of polymerase proofreading and mismatch repair.

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Haradhvala, N J; Kim, J; Maruvka, Y E; Polak, P; Rosebrock, D; Livitz, D; Hess, J M; Leshchiner, I; Kamburov, A; Mouw, K W; Lawrence, M S; Getz, G

2018-05-01

Fidelity of DNA replication is maintained using polymerase proofreading and the mismatch repair pathway. Tumors with loss of function of either mechanism have elevated mutation rates with characteristic mutational signatures. Here we report that tumors with concurrent loss of both polymerase proofreading and mismatch repair function have mutational patterns that are not a simple sum of the signatures of the individual alterations, but correspond to distinct, previously unexplained signatures: COSMIC database signatures 14 and 20. We then demonstrate that in all five cases in which the chronological order of events could be determined, polymerase epsilon proofreading alterations precede the defect in mismatch repair. Overall, we illustrate that multiple distinct mutational signatures can result from different combinations of a smaller number of mutational processes (of either damage or repair), which can influence the interpretation and discovery of mutational signatures.

Distinct neural patterns enable grasp types decoding in monkey dorsal premotor cortex

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Hao, Yaoyao; Zhang, Qiaosheng; Controzzi, Marco; Cipriani, Christian; Li, Yue; Li, Juncheng; Zhang, Shaomin; Wang, Yiwen; Chen, Weidong; Chiara Carrozza, Maria; Zheng, Xiaoxiang

2014-12-01

Objective. Recent studies have shown that dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), a cortical area in the dorsomedial grasp pathway, is involved in grasp movements. However, the neural ensemble firing property of PMd during grasp movements and the extent to which it can be used for grasp decoding are still unclear. Approach. To address these issues, we used multielectrode arrays to record both spike and local field potential (LFP) signals in PMd in macaque monkeys performing reaching and grasping of one of four differently shaped objects. Main results. Single and population neuronal activity showed distinct patterns during execution of different grip types. Cluster analysis of neural ensemble signals indicated that the grasp related patterns emerged soon (200-300 ms) after the go cue signal, and faded away during the hold period. The timing and duration of the patterns varied depending on the behaviors of individual monkey. Application of support vector machine model to stable activity patterns revealed classification accuracies of 94% and 89% for each of the two monkeys, indicating a robust, decodable grasp pattern encoded in the PMd. Grasp decoding using LFPs, especially the high-frequency bands, also produced high decoding accuracies. Significance. This study is the first to specify the neuronal population encoding of grasp during the time course of grasp. We demonstrate high grasp decoding performance in PMd. These findings, combined with previous evidence for reach related modulation studies, suggest that PMd may play an important role in generation and maintenance of grasp action and may be a suitable locus for brain-machine interface applications.

Concurrent topological design of composite structures and materials containing multiple phases of distinct Poisson's ratios

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Long, Kai; Yuan, Philip F.; Xu, Shanqing; Xie, Yi Min

2018-04-01

Most studies on composites assume that the constituent phases have different values of stiffness. Little attention has been paid to the effect of constituent phases having distinct Poisson's ratios. This research focuses on a concurrent optimization method for simultaneously designing composite structures and materials with distinct Poisson's ratios. The proposed method aims to minimize the mean compliance of the macrostructure with a given mass of base materials. In contrast to the traditional interpolation of the stiffness matrix through numerical results, an interpolation scheme of the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio using different parameters is adopted. The numerical results demonstrate that the Poisson effect plays a key role in reducing the mean compliance of the final design. An important contribution of the present study is that the proposed concurrent optimization method can automatically distribute base materials with distinct Poisson's ratios between the macrostructural and microstructural levels under a single constraint of the total mass.

Seismic isolation systems designed with distinct multiple frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Ting-shu; Seidensticker, R.W.

1991-01-01

Two systems for seismic base isolation are presented. The main feature of these system is that, instead of only one isolation frequency as in conventional isolation systems, they are designed to have two distinct isolation frequencies. When the responses during an earthquake exceed the design value(s), the system will automatically and passively shift to the secondly isolation frequency. Responses of these two systems to different ground motions including a harmonic motion with frequency same as the primary isolation frequency, show that no excessive amplification will occur. Adoption of these new systems certainly will greatly enhance the safety and reliability of an isolated superstructure against future strong earthquakes. 3 refs

Eye Involvement in TSC

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... eye involvement. Nonretinal and Retinal Eye Findings Facial angiofibromas may involve the eyelids of individuals with TSC, ... the hamartomas have many blood vessels (as are angiofibromas of the skin). Less than half of the ...

Distinct termination morphologies for vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinten, P; Marshall, P; Lefebvre, J; Finnie, P

2010-01-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests, including single-walled nanotubes, are imaged optically as they grow in situ from cobalt/alumina catalyst using water-assisted acetylene chemical vapor deposition. Three distinct termination morphologies are identified and investigated optically and via scanning electron microscopy. Quantitative growth dynamics are extracted and show gradual deceleration and sudden termination of growth. The termination morphology is discussed in terms of the balance of forces within the forest. We speculate that sudden termination is a collective effect arising from an imbalance in these forces.

Myenteric plexus is differentially affected by infection with distinct Trypanosoma cruzi strains in Beagle dogs

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Nívia Carolina Nogueira-Paiva

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Chagasic megaoesophagus and megacolon are characterised by motor abnormalities related to enteric nervous system lesions and their development seems to be related to geographic distribution of distinct Trypanosoma cruzi subpopulations. Beagle dogs were infected with Y or Berenice-78 (Be-78 T. cruzi strains and necropsied during the acute or chronic phase of experimental disease for post mortem histopathological evaluation of the oesophagus and colon. Both strains infected the oesophagus and colon and caused an inflammatory response during the acute phase. In the chronic phase, inflammatory process was observed exclusively in the Be-78 infected animals, possibly due to a parasitism persistent only in this group. Myenteric denervation occurred during the acute phase of infection for both strains, but persisted chronically only in Be-78 infected animals. Glial cell involvement occurred earlier in animals infected with the Y strain, while animals infected with the Be-78 strain showed reduced glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactive area of enteric glial cells in the chronic phase. These results suggest that although both strains cause lesions in the digestive tract, the Y strain is associated with early control of the lesion, while the Be-78 strain results in progressive gut lesions in this model.

Drought and flooding have distinct effects on herbivore-induced responses and resistance in Solanum dulcamara.

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Nguyen, Duy; D'Agostino, Nunzio; Tytgat, Tom O G; Sun, Pulu; Lortzing, Tobias; Visser, Eric J W; Cristescu, Simona M; Steppuhn, Anke; Mariani, Celestina; van Dam, Nicole M; Rieu, Ivo

2016-07-01

In the field, biotic and abiotic stresses frequently co-occur. As a consequence, common molecular signalling pathways governing adaptive responses to individual stresses can interact, resulting in compromised phenotypes. How plant signalling pathways interact under combined stresses is poorly understood. To assess this, we studied the consequence of drought and soil flooding on resistance of Solanum dulcamara to Spodoptera exigua and their effects on hormonal and transcriptomic profiles. The results showed that S. exigua larvae performed less well on drought-stressed plants than on well-watered and flooded plants. Both drought and insect feeding increased abscisic acid and jasmonic acid (JA) levels, whereas flooding did not induce JA accumulation. RNA sequencing analyses corroborated this pattern: drought and herbivory induced many biological processes that were repressed by flooding. When applied in combination, drought and herbivory had an additive effect on specific processes involved in secondary metabolism and defence responses, including protease inhibitor activity. In conclusion, drought and flooding have distinct effects on herbivore-induced responses and resistance. Especially, the interaction between abscisic acid and JA signalling may be important to optimize plant responses to combined drought and insect herbivory, making drought-stressed plants more resistant to insects than well-watered and flooded plants. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Distinct activities of Bartonella henselae type IV secretion effector proteins modulate capillary-like sprout formation.

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Scheidegger, F; Ellner, Y; Guye, P; Rhomberg, T A; Weber, H; Augustin, H G; Dehio, C

2009-07-01

The zoonotic pathogen Bartonella henselae (Bh) can lead to vasoproliferative tumour lesions in the skin and inner organs known as bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis. The knowledge on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in this pathogen-triggered angiogenic process is confined by the lack of a suitable animal model and a physiologically relevant cell culture model of angiogenesis. Here we employed a three-dimensional in vitro angiogenesis assay of collagen gel-embedded endothelial cell (EC) spheroids to study the angiogenic properties of Bh. Spheroids generated from Bh-infected ECs displayed a high capacity to form sprouts, which represent capillary-like projections into the collagen gel. The VirB/VirD4 type IV secretion system and a subset of its translocated Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) were found to profoundly modulate this Bh-induced sprouting activity. BepA, known to protect ECs from apoptosis, strongly promoted sprout formation. In contrast, BepG, triggering cytoskeletal rearrangements, potently inhibited sprouting. Hence, the here established in vitro model of Bartonella- induced angiogenesis revealed distinct and opposing activities of type IV secretion system effector proteins, which together with a VirB/VirD4-independent effect may control the angiogenic activity of Bh during chronic infection of the vasculature.