Evaluating elements of trust: Race and class in risk communication in post-Katrina New Orleans.

PubMed

Battistoli, B F

2016-05-01

This study seeks to determine the relative influence of race and class on trust in sources of messages of environmental risk in post-Katrina New Orleans. It poses two hypotheses to test that influence: H1-African-Americans ("Blacks") trust risk message sources less than European American ("Whites") do and H2-The higher the socioeconomic class, the lower the trust in risk message sources. A 37-question telephone survey (landlines and cellphones) was conducted in Orleans Parish in 2012 (n = 414). The overall margin of error was ±4.8% at a 95% confidence interval. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the first hypothesis was rejected, while the second was supported. Additional data analysis revealed that frequency of use of sources of risk information appears to be a positive factor in building trust. © The Author(s) 2015.

The yeast vps class E mutants: the beginning of the molecular genetic analysis of multivesicular body biogenesis.

PubMed

Coonrod, Emily M; Stevens, Tom H

2010-12-01

In 1992, Raymond et al. published a compilation of the 41 yeast vacuolar protein sorting (vps) mutant groups and described a large class of mutants (class E vps mutants) that accumulated an exaggerated prevacuolar endosome-like compartment. Further analysis revealed that this "class E compartment" contained soluble vacuolar hydrolases, vacuolar membrane proteins, and Golgi membrane proteins unable to recycle back to the Golgi complex, yet these class E vps mutants had what seemed to be normal vacuoles. The 13 class E VPS genes were later shown to encode the proteins that make up the complexes required for formation of intralumenal vesicles in late endosomal compartments called multivesicular bodies, and for the sorting of ubiquitinated cargo proteins into these internal vesicles for eventual delivery to the vacuole or lysosome.

Prolonged grief and post-traumatic growth after loss: Latent class analysis.

PubMed

Zhou, Ningning; Yu, Wei; Tang, Suqin; Wang, Jianping; Killikelly, Clare

2018-06-06

Bereavement may trigger different psychological outcomes, such as prolonged grief disorder or post-traumatic growth. The relationship between these two outcomes and potential precipitators remain unknown. The current study aimed to identify classes of Chinese bereaved individuals based on prolonged grief symptoms and post-traumatic growth and to examine predictors for these classes. We used data from 273 Chinese individuals who lost a relative due to disease (92.3%), accident (4.4%) and other reasons (1.8%). Latent class analysis revealed three classes: a resilient class, a growth class, and a combined grief/growth class. A higher level of functional impairment was found for the combined grief/growth class than for the other two classes. Membership in the combined grief/growth class was significantly predicted by the younger age of the deceased and the death of a parent, child or spouse. Subjective closeness with the deceased and gender were marginally significant predictors. When the four variables were included in the multinomial regression analysis, death of a parent, child or spouse significantly predicted the membership to the combined grief/growth class. These findings provide valuable information for the development of tailored interventions that may build on the bereaved individuals' personal strengths. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Critique of Koh's (2014) "Doing Class Analysis in Singapore's Elite Education"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabel, Scott

2017-01-01

Aaron Koh contributed to a collection of multi-site global ethnographic articles published here (2014, Vol. 12, No. 2) that present class reproduction as operationalised in elite education. While the collection adds to the current international critique of meritocracy, a close look at Koh's contribution reveals that critical ethnography can lose…

ONTOGENETIC CHANGES IN BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION DURING LARVAL GROWTH OF LEPIDOPHTHALMUS LOUISIANENSIS

EPA Science Inventory

Early stages of ghost shrimp were mass-reared in the laboratory (28?C; 20 o/ooS) from hatching to the decapodid (D) stage. Iatroscan lipid class analysis revealed that major lipid classes in recently deposited eggs were phospholipids (80.8?1.3%) and triglycerides (16.0?1.1%), bo...

Gene features selection for three-class disease classification via multiple orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis and S-plot using microarray data.

PubMed

Yang, Mingxing; Li, Xiumin; Li, Zhibin; Ou, Zhimin; Liu, Ming; Liu, Suhuan; Li, Xuejun; Yang, Shuyu

2013-01-01

DNA microarray analysis is characterized by obtaining a large number of gene variables from a small number of observations. Cluster analysis is widely used to analyze DNA microarray data to make classification and diagnosis of disease. Because there are so many irrelevant and insignificant genes in a dataset, a feature selection approach must be employed in data analysis. The performance of cluster analysis of this high-throughput data depends on whether the feature selection approach chooses the most relevant genes associated with disease classes. Here we proposed a new method using multiple Orthogonal Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (mOPLS-DA) models and S-plots to select the most relevant genes to conduct three-class disease classification and prediction. We tested our method using Golub's leukemia microarray data. For three classes with subtypes, we proposed hierarchical orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models and S-plots to select features for two main classes and their subtypes. For three classes in parallel, we employed three OPLS-DA models and S-plots to choose marker genes for each class. The power of feature selection to classify and predict three-class disease was evaluated using cluster analysis. Further, the general performance of our method was tested using four public datasets and compared with those of four other feature selection methods. The results revealed that our method effectively selected the most relevant features for disease classification and prediction, and its performance was better than that of the other methods.

Towards an Analysis of Review Article in Applied Linguistics: Its Classes, Purposes and Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azar, Ali Sorayyaei; Hashim, Azirah

2014-01-01

The classes, purposes and characteristics associated with the review article in the field of applied linguistics were analyzed. The data were collected from a randomly selected corpus of thirty two review articles from a discipline-related key journal in applied linguistics. The findings revealed that different sub-genres can be identified within…

How Students Learn from Multiple Contexts and Definitions: Proper Time as a Coordination Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levrini, Olivia; diSessa, Andrea A.

2008-01-01

This article provides an empirical analysis of a single classroom episode in which students reveal difficulties with the concept of proper time in special relativity but slowly make progress in improving their understanding. The theoretical framework used is "coordination class theory," which is an evolving model of concepts and conceptual change.…

The Visions of World-Class Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slyusarenko, Olena

2015-01-01

The visions of the top 26 world-class universities of the first 30 in the Shanghai ranking list have been evaluated and compared with the missions of the world's top 20 universities. Applying the content analysis, a group of 48 keywords, which describe the essence of these visions, has been revealed. The average amount of keywords in one vision is…

The use of music to enhance reading skills of second grade students and students with reading disabilities.

PubMed

Register, Dena; Darrow, Alice-Ann; Standley, Jayne; Swedberg, Olivia

2007-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of using music as a remedial strategy to enhance the reading skills of second-grade students and students who have been identified as having a specific learning disability (SLD) in reading. First, an intensive short-term music curriculum was designed to target reading comprehension and vocabulary skills at the second grade level. The curriculum was then implemented in classrooms at two public schools in the Southeast. Reading skills were evaluated pre and post curriculum intervention via the vocabulary and reading comprehension subtests of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test for second grade. Analysis of pre/posttest data revealed that students with a specific disability in reading improved significantly from pre to post on all three subtests: word decoding (p = .04), word knowledge (p = .01), reading comprehension (p = .01), and test total (p = .01). Paired t-tests revealed that for 2nd grade students, both treatment and control classes improved significantly from pre to post on the subtests word decoding, word knowledge, and test total. While both classes made gains from pre to post on the subtest, reading comprehension, neither improved significantly. Analysis of Covariance revealed that the treatment class made greater gains pre to post than the control class on all 3 subtests (Including reading comprehension), and significantly greater gains on the subtest, word knowledge (p = .01).

Social space and cultural class divisions: the forms of capital and contemporary lifestyle differentiation.

PubMed

Flemmen, Magne; Jarness, Vegard; Rosenlund, Lennart

2018-03-01

In this article, we address whether and how contemporary social classes are marked by distinct lifestyles. We assess the model of the social space, a novel approach to class analysis pioneered by Bourdieu's Distinction. Although pivotal in Bourdieu's work, this model is too often overlooked in later research, making its contemporary relevance difficult to assess. We redress this by using the social space as a framework through which to study the cultural manifestation of class divisions in lifestyle differences in contemporary Norwegian society. Through a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) of unusually rich survey data, we reveal a structure strikingly similar to the model in Distinction, with a primary dimension of the volume of capital, and a secondary dimension of the composition of capital. While avoiding the substantialist fallacy of predefined notions of 'highbrow' and 'lowbrow' tastes, we explore how 168 lifestyle items map onto this social space. This reveals distinct classed lifestyles according to both dimensions of the social space. The lifestyles of the upper classes are distinctly demanding in terms of resources. Among those rich in economic capital, this manifests itself in a lifestyle which involves a quest for excitement, and which is bodily oriented and expensive. For their counterparts rich in cultural capital, a more ascetic and intellectually oriented lifestyle manifests itself, demanding of resources in the sense of requiring symbolic mastery, combining a taste for canonized, legitimate culture with more cosmopolitan and 'popular' items. In contrast to many studies' descriptions of the lower classes as 'disengaged' and 'inactive', we find evidence of distinct tastes on their part. Our analysis thus affirms the validity of Bourdieu's model of social class and the contention that classes tend to take the form of status groups. We challenge dominant positions in cultural stratification research, while questioning the aptness of the metaphor of the 'omnivore', as well as recent analyses of 'emerging cultural capital'. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Instructor and peer bullying in college students: Distinct typologies based on Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Marraccini, Marisa E; Brick, Leslie Ann D; Weyandt, Lisa L

2018-03-22

Although bullying is traditionally considered within the context of primary and secondary school, recent evidence suggests that bullying continues into college and workplace settings. Participants/Method: Latent class analysis (LCA) was employed to classify college bullying involvement typologies among 325 college students attending a northeastern university. Four classes concerning bullying involvement were revealed: Non-involved (36%); Instructor victim (30%); Peer bully-victim (22%); and Peer bully-victim/ Instructor victim (12%). Findings from this study, which classified college bullying experiences by incorporating both peer and instructor (teacher and professor) bullying, add substantially to the literature by providing insight into patterns of relatively unexplored bullying behaviors.

The fungal glutathione S-transferase system. Evidence of new classes in the wood-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

PubMed

Morel, Mélanie; Ngadin, Andrew A; Droux, Michel; Jacquot, Jean-Pierre; Gelhaye, Eric

2009-12-01

The recent release of several basidiomycete genome sequences allows an improvement of the classification of fungal glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). GSTs are well-known detoxification enzymes which can catalyze the conjugation of glutathione to non-polar compounds that contain an electrophilic carbon, nitrogen, or sulfur atom. Following this mechanism, they are able to metabolize drugs, pesticides, and many other xenobiotics and peroxides. A genomic and phylogenetic analysis of GST classes in various sequenced fungi--zygomycetes, ascomycetes, and basidiomycetes--revealed some particularities in GST distribution, in comparison with previous analyses with ascomycetes only. By focusing essentially on the wood-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium, this analysis highlighted a new fungal GST class named GTE, which is related to bacterial etherases, and two new subclasses of the omega class GSTs. Moreover, our phylogenetic analysis suggests a relationship between the saprophytic behavior of some fungi and the number and distribution of some GST isoforms within specific classes.

Wildlife management by habitat units: A preliminary plan of action

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frentress, C. D.; Frye, R. G.

1975-01-01

Procedures for yielding vegetation type maps were developed using LANDSAT data and a computer assisted classification analysis (LARSYS) to assist in managing populations of wildlife species by defined area units. Ground cover in Travis County, Texas was classified on two occasions using a modified version of the unsupervised approach to classification. The first classification produced a total of 17 classes. Examination revealed that further grouping was justified. A second analysis produced 10 classes which were displayed on printouts which were later color-coded. The final classification was 82 percent accurate. While the classification map appeared to satisfactorily depict the existing vegetation, two classes were determined to contain significant error. The major sources of error could have been eliminated by stratifying cluster sites more closely among previously mapped soil associations that are identified with particular plant associations and by precisely defining class nomenclature using established criteria early in the analysis.

Quantitative study of flavonoids in leaves of citrus plants.

PubMed

Kawaii, S; Tomono, Y; Katase, E; Ogawa, K; Yano, M; Koizumi, M; Ito, C; Furukawa, H

2000-09-01

Leaf flavonoids were quantitatively determined in 68 representative or economically important Citrus species, cultivars, and near-Citrus relatives. Contents of 23 flavonoids including 6 polymethoxylated flavones were analyzed by means of reversed phase HPLC analysis. Principal component analysis revealed that the 7 associations according to Tanaka's classification were observed, but some do overlap each other. Group VII species could be divided into two different subgroups, namely, the first-10-species class and the last-19-species class according to Tanaka's classification numbers.

Latent Profile Analysis of Schizotypy and Paranormal Belief: Associations with Probabilistic Reasoning Performance

PubMed Central

Denovan, Andrew; Dagnall, Neil; Drinkwater, Kenneth; Parker, Andrew

2018-01-01

This study assessed the extent to which within-individual variation in schizotypy and paranormal belief influenced performance on probabilistic reasoning tasks. A convenience sample of 725 non-clinical adults completed measures assessing schizotypy (Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences; O-Life brief), belief in the paranormal (Revised Paranormal Belief Scale; RPBS) and probabilistic reasoning (perception of randomness, conjunction fallacy, paranormal perception of randomness, and paranormal conjunction fallacy). Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four distinct groups: class 1, low schizotypy and low paranormal belief (43.9% of sample); class 2, moderate schizotypy and moderate paranormal belief (18.2%); class 3, moderate schizotypy (high cognitive disorganization) and low paranormal belief (29%); and class 4, moderate schizotypy and high paranormal belief (8.9%). Identification of homogeneous classes provided a nuanced understanding of the relative contribution of schizotypy and paranormal belief to differences in probabilistic reasoning performance. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that groups with lower levels of paranormal belief (classes 1 and 3) performed significantly better on perception of randomness, but not conjunction problems. Schizotypy had only a negligible effect on performance. Further analysis indicated that framing perception of randomness and conjunction problems in a paranormal context facilitated performance for all groups but class 4. PMID:29434562

Latent Profile Analysis of Schizotypy and Paranormal Belief: Associations with Probabilistic Reasoning Performance.

PubMed

Denovan, Andrew; Dagnall, Neil; Drinkwater, Kenneth; Parker, Andrew

2018-01-01

This study assessed the extent to which within-individual variation in schizotypy and paranormal belief influenced performance on probabilistic reasoning tasks. A convenience sample of 725 non-clinical adults completed measures assessing schizotypy (Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences; O-Life brief), belief in the paranormal (Revised Paranormal Belief Scale; RPBS) and probabilistic reasoning (perception of randomness, conjunction fallacy, paranormal perception of randomness, and paranormal conjunction fallacy). Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four distinct groups: class 1, low schizotypy and low paranormal belief (43.9% of sample); class 2, moderate schizotypy and moderate paranormal belief (18.2%); class 3, moderate schizotypy (high cognitive disorganization) and low paranormal belief (29%); and class 4, moderate schizotypy and high paranormal belief (8.9%). Identification of homogeneous classes provided a nuanced understanding of the relative contribution of schizotypy and paranormal belief to differences in probabilistic reasoning performance. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that groups with lower levels of paranormal belief (classes 1 and 3) performed significantly better on perception of randomness, but not conjunction problems. Schizotypy had only a negligible effect on performance. Further analysis indicated that framing perception of randomness and conjunction problems in a paranormal context facilitated performance for all groups but class 4.

Latent transition analysis of pre-service teachers' efficacy in mathematics and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Elizabeth Kennedy

This study modeled changes in pre-service teacher efficacy in mathematics and science over the course of the final year of teacher preparation using latent transition analysis (LTA), a longitudinal form of analysis that builds on two modeling traditions (latent class analysis (LCA) and auto-regressive modeling). Data were collected using the STEBI-B, MTEBI-r, and the ABNTMS instruments. The findings suggest that LTA is a viable technique for use in teacher efficacy research. Teacher efficacy is modeled as a construct with two dimensions: personal teaching efficacy (PTE) and outcome expectancy (OE). Findings suggest that the mathematics and science teaching efficacy (PTE) of pre-service teachers is a multi-class phenomena. The analyses revealed a four-class model of PTE at the beginning and end of the final year of teacher training. Results indicate that when pre-service teachers transition between classes, they tend to move from a lower efficacy class into a higher efficacy class. In addition, the findings suggest that time-varying variables (attitudes and beliefs) and time-invariant variables (previous coursework, previous experiences, and teacher perceptions) are statistically significant predictors of efficacy class membership. Further, analyses suggest that the measures used to assess outcome expectancy are not suitable for LCA and LTA procedures.

RACE-SPECIFIC TRANSITION PATTERNS AMONG ALCOHOL USE CLASSES IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS

PubMed Central

Dauber, Sarah E.; Paulson, James F.; Leiferman, Jenn A.

2010-01-01

We used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine transitions among alcohol use classes in 2225 White and African American adolescent girls, and race differences in predictors of transition into and out of problematic drinking classes. Latent class analysis confirmed four classes for White girls and three for AA girls, defined in a previous study. Latent transition analysis revealed more stable abstainers and decreasing alcohol use among AA girls, and more increasing alcohol use among White girls, though stable abstainers were the largest group among both races. Increasing use was predicted by delinquency, academic misbehavior, substance use, and peer support for White girls, and by older age and delinquency for AA girls. Decreasing use was predicted by older age and depressive symptoms for White girls, and by family relationship quality and substance use for AA girls. Study limitations and implications of findings are discussed. PMID:20708254

Are Teachers' Implicit Theories of Creativity Related to the Recognition of Their Students' Creativity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gralewski, Jacek; Karwowski, Maciej

2018-01-01

We examine the structure of implicit theories of creativity among Polish high schools teachers and the role those theories play for the accuracy of teachers' assessment of their students' creativity. Latent class analysis revealed the existence of four classes of teachers, whose perception of a creative student differed: two of these classes…

Four Writers' Views of the English Working Class: The Significance of the Novel in Creating Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinkstaff, Elizabeth

An analysis of four writers' portrayals of nineteenth and early twentieth century working class life reveals a progression of political thought about the treatment of people's struggles to effectively change society. In Dickens'"Hard Times" (1854), the protagonist is a martyr-saint who finds solace in subduing his anger and continuing to…

Vip3C, a Novel Class of Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis

PubMed Central

Palma, Leopoldo; Hernández-Rodríguez, Carmen Sara; Maeztu, Mireya; Hernández-Martínez, Patricia; Ruiz de Escudero, Iñigo; Escriche, Baltasar; Muñoz, Delia; Van Rie, Jeroen; Ferré, Juan

2012-01-01

Three vip3 genes were identified in two Bacillus thuringiensis Spanish collections. Sequence analysis revealed a novel Vip3 protein class (Vip3C). Preliminary bioassays of larvae from 10 different lepidopteran species indicated that Vip3Ca3 caused more than 70% mortality in four species after 10 days at 4 μg/cm2. PMID:22865065

Content Analysis of the Papers in 2015 High-Impact A-Class SSCI Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ay, Sule; Sahin, Seyma; Okmen, Burcu; Incirci, Ayhan

2016-01-01

It was aimed in this study to reveal the general tendency of studies in the field of education by examining the papers in the high-impact A-class SSCI journals, to which qualified papers are accepted from all around the world, in terms of their dependent-independent variables, sample or study groups, research designs, data collection instruments,…

Effects of an Inverted Instructional Delivery Model on Achievement of Ninth-Grade Physical Science Honors Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, Donna

This mixed-methods action research study was designed to assess the achievement of ninth-grade Physical Science Honors students by analysis of pre and posttest data. In addition, perceptual data from students, parents, and the researcher were collected to form a complete picture of the flipped lecture format versus the traditional lecture format. The researcher utilized a 4MAT learning cycle in two Physical Science Honors classes. One of these classes was traditionally delivered with lecture-type activities taking place inside the classroom and homework-type activities taking place at home; the other inverted, or flipped, delivered with lecture-type activities taking place outside the classroom and homework-type activities taking place inside the classroom. Existing unit pre and posttests for both classes were analyzed for differences in academic achievement. At the completion of the units, the flipped class students and parents were surveyed, and student focus groups were convened to ascertain their perceptions of the flipped classroom delivery model. Statistical analysis of posttest data revealed that there is no significant difference between the traditional lecture delivery format and the flipped delivery format. Analysis of perceptual data revealed six themes that must be considered when deciding to flip the classroom: how to hold students accountable for viewing the at-home videos, accessibility of students to the required technology, technical considerations relating to the video production, comprehension of the material both during and after viewing the videos, pedagogy of the overall flipped method, and preference for the flipped method overall. Findings revealed that students, parents, and the researcher all had a preference for the flipped class format, provided the above issues are addressed. The flipped class format encourages students to become more responsible for their learning, and, in addition, students reported that the hands-on inquiry activities done in class aided them in learning the subject matter. It is recommended, however, that before instructors decide to flip the classroom, they ensure that all students have access to needed technology, that there is a plan in place for ensuring that the students actually view the assigned videos, that they have a way to create the videos and ensure adequate quality, and that some discussion is held in class after each assigned video to ensure comprehension of the material.

Profiles of Community Violence Exposure Among African American Youth: An Examination of Desensitization to Violence Using Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Gaylord-Harden, Noni K; Dickson, Daniel; Pierre, Cynthia

2016-07-01

The current study employed latent class analysis (LCA) to identify distinct profiles of community violence exposure and their associations to desensitization outcomes in 241 African American early adolescents (M age = 12.86, SD = 1.28) in the sixth through eighth grade from under-resourced urban communities. Participants self-reported on their exposure to community violence, as well as on depressive and anxiety symptoms. The LCA revealed three distinct classes: a class exposed to low levels of violence (low exposure class), a class exposed to moderately high levels of victimization (victimization class), and a class exposed to high levels of all types of violence (high exposure class). Consistent with predictions, the high exposure class showed the lowest levels of depressive symptoms, suggesting a desensitization outcome. Gender and age were also examined in relation to the classes, and age was significantly associated with an increased risk of being a member of the high exposure class relative to the low exposure class. Using person-based analyses to examine desensitization outcomes provides useful information for prevention and intervention efforts, as it helps to identify a specific subgroup of youth that may be more likely to show desensitization outcomes in the context of community violence. © The Author(s) 2015.

Quantitative Assessment of Spatio-Temporal Desertification Rates in Azerbaijan during Using Timeseries Landsat-8 Satellite Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayramov, Emil; Mammadov, Ramiz

2016-07-01

The main goals of this research are the object-based landcover classification of LANDSAT-8 multi-spectral satellite images in 2014 and 2015, quantification of Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI) rates within the land-cover classes, change detection analysis between the NDVIs derived from multi-temporal LANDSAT-8 satellite images and the quantification of those changes within the land-cover classes and detection of changes between land-cover classes. The object-based classification accuracy of the land-cover classes was validated through the standard confusion matrix which revealed 80 % of land-cover classification accuracy for both years. The analysis revealed that the area of agricultural lands increased from 30911 sq. km. in 2014 to 31999 sq. km. in 2015. The area of barelands increased from 3933 sq. km. in 2014 to 4187 sq. km. in 2015. The area of forests increased from 8211 sq. km. in 2014 to 9175 sq. km. in 2015. The area of grasslands decreased from 27176 sq. km. in 2014 to 23294 sq. km. in 2015. The area of urban areas increased from 12479 sq. km. in 2014 to 12956 sq. km. in 2015. The decrease in the area of grasslands was mainly explained by the landuse shifts of grasslands to agricultural and urban lands. The quantification of low and medium NDVI rates revealed the increase within the agricultural, urban and forest land-cover classes in 2015. However, the high NDVI rates within agricultural, urban and forest land-cover classes in 2015 revealed to be lower relative to 2014. The change detection analysis between landscover types of 2014 and 2015 allowed to determine that 7740 sq. km. of grasslands shifted to agricultural landcover type whereas 5442sq. km. of agricultural lands shifted to rangelands. This means that the spatio-temporal patters of agricultural activities occurred in Azerbaijan because some of the areas reduced agricultural activities whereas some of them changed their landuse type to agricultural. Based on the achieved results, it is possible to conclude that the area of agricultural lands in Azerbaijan increased from 2014 to 2015. The crop productivity also increased in the croplands, however some of the areas showed lower productivity in 2015 relative to 2014.

Characterization of the Endothelial Cell Cytoskeleton following HLA Class I Ligation

PubMed Central

Ziegler, Mary E.; Souda, Puneet; Jin, Yi-Ping; Whitelegge, Julian P.; Reed, Elaine F.

2012-01-01

Background Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) are a target of antibody-mediated allograft rejection. In vitro, when the HLA class I molecules on the surface of ECs are ligated by anti-HLA class I antibodies, cell proliferation and survival pathways are activated and this is thought to contribute to the development of antibody-mediated rejection. Crosslinking of HLA class I molecules by anti-HLA antibodies also triggers reorganization of the cytoskeleton, which induces the formation of F-actin stress fibers. HLA class I induced stress fiber formation is not well understood. Methodology and Principal Findings The present study examines the protein composition of the cytoskeleton fraction of ECs treated with HLA class I antibodies and compares it to other agonists known to induce alterations of the cytoskeleton in endothelial cells. Analysis by tandem mass spectrometry revealed unique cytoskeleton proteomes for each treatment group. Using annotation tools a candidate list was created that revealed 12 proteins, which were unique to the HLA class I stimulated group. Eleven of the candidate proteins were phosphoproteins and exploration of their predicted kinases provided clues as to how these proteins may contribute to the understanding of HLA class I induced antibody-mediated rejection. Three of the candidates, eukaryotic initiation factor 4A1 (eIF4A1), Tropomyosin alpha 4-chain (TPM4) and DDX3X, were further characterized by Western blot and found to be associated with the cytoskeleton. Confocal microscopy analysis showed that class I ligation stimulated increased eIF4A1 co-localization with F-actin and paxillin. Conclusions/Significance Colocalization of eIF4A1 with F-actin and paxillin following HLA class I ligation suggests that this candidate protein could be a target for understanding the mechanism(s) of class I mediated antibody-mediated rejection. This proteomic approach for analyzing the cytoskeleton of ECs can be applied to other agonists and various cells types as a method for uncovering novel regulators of cytoskeleton changes. PMID:22247778

Latent Class Symptom Profiles of Selective Mutism: Identification and Linkage to Temperamental and Social Constructs.

PubMed

Diliberto, Rachele; Kearney, Christopher A

2017-11-21

Selective mutism (SM) is a stable, debilitating psychiatric disorder in which a child fails to speak in most public situations. Considerable debate exists as to the typology of this population, with empirically-based studies pointing to possible dimensions of anxiety, oppositionality, and communication problems, among other aspects. Little work has juxtaposed identified symptom profiles with key temperamental and social constructs often implicated in SM. The present study examined a large, diverse, non-clinical, international sample of children aged 6-10 years with SM to empirically identify symptom profiles and to link these profiles to key aspects of temperament (i.e., emotionality, shyness, sociability, activity) and social functioning (i.e., social problems, social competence). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed anxiety/distress, oppositionality, and inattention domains. In addition, latent class analysis revealed nuanced profiles labeled as (1) moderately anxious, oppositional, and inattentive, (2) highly anxious, and moderately oppositional and inattentive, and (3) mildly to moderately anxious, and mildly oppositional and inattentive. Class 2 was the most impaired group and was associated with greater emotionality, shyness, and social problems. Class 3 was the least impaired group and was associated with better sociability and social competence and activity. Class 1 was largely between the other classes, demonstrating less shyness and social problems than Class 2. The results help confirm previous findings of anxiety and oppositional profiles among children with SM but that nuanced classes may indicate subtle variations in impairment. The results have implications not only for subtyping this population but also for refining assessment and case conceptualization strategies and pursuing personalized and perhaps less lengthy treatment.

A latent class regression analysis of men's conformity to masculine norms and psychological distress.

PubMed

Wong, Y Joel; Owen, Jesse; Shea, Munyi

2012-01-01

How are specific dimensions of masculinity related to psychological distress in specific groups of men? To address this question, the authors used latent class regression to assess the optimal number of latent classes that explained differential relationships between conformity to masculine norms and psychological distress in a racially diverse sample of 223 men. The authors identified a 2-class solution. Both latent classes demonstrated very different associations between conformity to masculine norms and psychological distress. In Class 1 (labeled risk avoiders; n = 133), conformity to the masculine norm of risk-taking was negatively related to psychological distress. In Class 2 (labeled detached risk-takers; n = 90), conformity to the masculine norms of playboy, self-reliance, and risk-taking was positively related to psychological distress, whereas conformity to the masculine norm of violence was negatively related to psychological distress. A post hoc analysis revealed that younger men and Asian American men (compared with Latino and White American men) had significantly greater odds of being in Class 2 versus Class 1. The implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are examined. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

An Analysis of Mobility in Global Rankings: Making Institutional Strategic Plans and Positioning for Building World-Class Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hou, Angela Yung Chi; Morse, Robert; Chiang, Chung-Lin

2012-01-01

Since the start of the twenty-first century, university rankings have become internationalized. Global rankings have a variety of uses, levels of popularity and rationales and they are here to stay. An examination of the results of the current global ranking reveals that well-reputed world-class universities are amongst the top ranked ones. A…

Classifying Patients with Chronic Pelvic Pain into Levels of Biopsychosocial Dysfunction Using Latent Class Modeling of Patient Reported Outcome Measures

PubMed Central

Fenton, Bradford W.; Grey, Scott F.; Tossone, Krystel; McCarroll, Michele; Von Gruenigen, Vivian E.

2015-01-01

Chronic pelvic pain affects multiple aspects of a patient's physical, social, and emotional functioning. Latent class analysis (LCA) of Patient Reported Outcome Measures Information System (PROMIS) domains has the potential to improve clinical insight into these patients' pain. Based on the 11 PROMIS domains applied to n=613 patients referred for evaluation in a chronic pelvic pain specialty center, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify unidimensional superdomains. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed to identify the number of homogeneous classes present and to further define the pain classification system. The EFA combined the 11 PROMIS domains into four unidimensional superdomains of biopsychosocial dysfunction: Pain, Negative Affect, Fatigue, and Social Function. Based on multiple fit criteria, a latent class model revealed four distinct classes of CPP: No dysfunction (3.2%); Low Dysfunction (17.8%); Moderate Dysfunction (53.2%); and High Dysfunction (25.8%). This study is the first description of a novel approach to the complex disease process such as chronic pelvic pain and was validated by demographic, medical, and psychosocial variables. In addition to an essentially normal class, three classes of increasing biopsychosocial dysfunction were identified. The LCA approach has the potential for application to other complex multifactorial disease processes. PMID:26355825

Computational and Statistical Analyses of Amino Acid Usage and Physico-Chemical Properties of the Twelve Late Embryogenesis Abundant Protein Classes

PubMed Central

Jaspard, Emmanuel; Macherel, David; Hunault, Gilles

2012-01-01

Late Embryogenesis Abundant Proteins (LEAPs) are ubiquitous proteins expected to play major roles in desiccation tolerance. Little is known about their structure - function relationships because of the scarcity of 3-D structures for LEAPs. The previous building of LEAPdb, a database dedicated to LEAPs from plants and other organisms, led to the classification of 710 LEAPs into 12 non-overlapping classes with distinct properties. Using this resource, numerous physico-chemical properties of LEAPs and amino acid usage by LEAPs have been computed and statistically analyzed, revealing distinctive features for each class. This unprecedented analysis allowed a rigorous characterization of the 12 LEAP classes, which differed also in multiple structural and physico-chemical features. Although most LEAPs can be predicted as intrinsically disordered proteins, the analysis indicates that LEAP class 7 (PF03168) and probably LEAP class 11 (PF04927) are natively folded proteins. This study thus provides a detailed description of the structural properties of this protein family opening the path toward further LEAP structure - function analysis. Finally, since each LEAP class can be clearly characterized by a unique set of physico-chemical properties, this will allow development of software to predict proteins as LEAPs. PMID:22615859

Chromosome-Encoded Broad-Spectrum Ambler Class A β-Lactamase RUB-1 from Serratia rubidaea

PubMed Central

Didi, Jennifer; Ergani, Ayla; Lima, Sandra

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Whole-genome sequencing of Serratia rubidaea CIP 103234T revealed a chromosomally located Ambler class A β-lactamase gene. The gene was cloned, and the β-lactamase, RUB-1, was characterized. RUB-1 displayed 74% and 73% amino acid sequence identity with the GIL-1 and TEM-1 penicillinases, respectively, and its substrate profile was similar to that of the latter β-lactamases. Analysis by 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends revealed promoter sequences highly divergent from the Escherichia coli σ70 consensus sequence. This work further illustrates the heterogeneity of β-lactamases among Serratia spp. PMID:27956418

Chromosome-Encoded Broad-Spectrum Ambler Class A β-Lactamase RUB-1 from Serratia rubidaea.

PubMed

Bonnin, Rémy A; Didi, Jennifer; Ergani, Ayla; Lima, Sandra; Naas, Thierry

2017-02-01

Whole-genome sequencing of Serratia rubidaea CIP 103234 T revealed a chromosomally located Ambler class A β-lactamase gene. The gene was cloned, and the β-lactamase, RUB-1, was characterized. RUB-1 displayed 74% and 73% amino acid sequence identity with the GIL-1 and TEM-1 penicillinases, respectively, and its substrate profile was similar to that of the latter β-lactamases. Analysis by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends revealed promoter sequences highly divergent from the Escherichia coli σ 70 consensus sequence. This work further illustrates the heterogeneity of β-lactamases among Serratia spp. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Human leukocyte antigen alleles, genotypes and haplotypes frequencies in renal transplant donors and recipients from West Central India.

PubMed

Patel, Jaina S; Patel, Manisha M; Koringa, Prakash G; Shah, Tejas M; Patel, Amrutlal K; Tripathi, Ajai K; Mathew, Anila; Rajapurkar, Mohan M; Joshi, Chaitanya G

2013-04-01

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is comprised of a highly polymorphic set of genes which determines the histocompatibility of organ transplantation. The present study was undertaken to identify HLA class I and class II allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies in renal transplant recipients and donors from West Central India. HLA typing was carried out using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Sequence Specific Primer in 552 live related and unrelated renal transplant recipients and donors. The most frequent HLA class I and class II alleles and their frequencies in recipients were HLA-AFNx0101 (0.1685) and AFNx0102 (0.1649), HLA-BFNx0135 (0.1322), and HLA-DR beta 1 (DRB 1)FNx0115 (0.2192), whereas in donors, these were HLA-AFNx0102 (0.1848) and AFNx0101 (0.1667), HLA-BFNx0135 (0.1359), and HLA-DRB1FNx0115 (0.2409). The two-locus haplotype statistical analysis revealed HLA-AFNx0102-B61 as the most common haplotype with the frequency of 0.0487 and 0.0510 in recipients and donors, respectively. Further, among the three locus haplotypes HLA-AFNx0133-BFNx0144-DRB1FNx0107 and HLA-AFNx0102-BFNx0161-DRB1FNx0115 were the most common haplotypes with frequencies 0.0362 and 0.0326, respectively in recipients and 0.0236 and 0.0323, respectively in donors. Genotype frequency revealed a high prevalence of genotype HLA-AFNx0102/AFNx0124 in recipients (0.058) compared to donors (0.0109) whereas low prevalence of HLA-AFNx0101/AFNx0102 in recipients (0.0435) than in donors (0.0797). The phylogenetic and principal component analysis of HLA allele and haplotype frequency distribution revealed genetic similarities of various ethnic groups. Further, case control analysis provides preliminary evidence of association of HLA-A genotype (P < 0.05) with renal failure. This study will be helpful in suitable donor search besides providing valuable information for population genetics and HLA disease association analysis.

Who Is at Risk for Diagnostic Discrepancies? Comparison of Pre- and Postmortal Diagnoses in 1800 Patients of 3 Medical Decades in East and West Berlin

PubMed Central

Wittschieber, Daniel; Klauschen, Frederick; Kimmritz, Anna-Christin; von Winterfeld, Moritz; Kamphues, Carsten; Scholman, Hans-Joachim; Erbersdobler, Andreas; Pfeiffer, Heidi; Denkert, Carsten; Dietel, Manfred; Weichert, Wilko

2012-01-01

Background Autopsy rates in Western countries consistently decline to an average of <5%, although clinical autopsies represent a reasonable tool for quality control in hospitals, medically and economically. Comparing pre- and postmortal diagnoses, diagnostic discrepancies as uncovered by clinical autopsies supply crucial information on how to improve clinical treatment. The study aimed at analyzing current diagnostic discrepancy rates, investigating their influencing factors and identifying risk profiles of patients that could be affected by a diagnostic discrepancy. Methods and Findings Of all adult autopsy cases of the Charité Institute of Pathology from the years 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008, the pre- and postmortal diagnoses and all demographic data were analyzed retrospectively. Based on power analysis, 1,800 cases were randomly selected to perform discrepancy classification (class I-VI) according to modified Goldman criteria. The rate of discrepancies in major diagnoses (class I) was 10.7% (95% CI: 7.7%–14.7%) in 2008 representing a reduction by 15.1%. Subgroup analysis revealed several influencing factors to significantly correlate with the discrepancy rate. Cardiovascular diseases had the highest frequency among class-I-discrepancies. Comparing the 1988-data of East- and West-Berlin, no significant differences were found in diagnostic discrepancies despite an autopsy rate differing by nearly 50%. A risk profile analysis visualized by intuitive heatmaps revealed a significantly high discrepancy rate in patients treated in low or intermediate care units at community hospitals. In this collective, patients with genitourinary/renal or infectious diseases were at particularly high risk. Conclusions This is the current largest and most comprehensive study on diagnostic discrepancies worldwide. Our well-powered analysis revealed a significant rate of class-I-discrepancies indicating that autopsies are still of value. The identified risk profiles may aid both pathologists and clinicians to identify patients at increased risk for a discrepant diagnosis and possibly suboptimal treatment intra vitam. PMID:22629399

Clustering of Genetically Defined Allele Classes in the Caenorhabditis elegans DAF-2 Insulin/IGF-1 Receptor

PubMed Central

Patel, Dhaval S.; Garza-Garcia, Acely; Nanji, Manoj; McElwee, Joshua J.; Ackerman, Daniel; Driscoll, Paul C.; Gems, David

2008-01-01

The DAF-2 insulin/IGF-1 receptor regulates development, metabolism, and aging in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. However, complex differences among daf-2 alleles complicate analysis of this gene. We have employed epistasis analysis, transcript profile analysis, mutant sequence analysis, and homology modeling of mutant receptors to understand this complexity. We define an allelic series of nonconditional daf-2 mutants, including nonsense and deletion alleles, and a putative null allele, m65. The most severe daf-2 alleles show incomplete suppression by daf-18(0) and daf-16(0) and have a range of effects on early development. Among weaker daf-2 alleles there exist distinct mutant classes that differ in epistatic interactions with mutations in other genes. Mutant sequence analysis (including 11 newly sequenced alleles) reveals that class 1 mutant lesions lie only in certain extracellular regions of the receptor, while class 2 (pleiotropic) and nonconditional missense mutants have lesions only in the ligand-binding pocket of the receptor ectodomain or the tyrosine kinase domain. Effects of equivalent mutations on the human insulin receptor suggest an altered balance of intracellular signaling in class 2 alleles. These studies consolidate and extend our understanding of the complex genetics of daf-2 and its underlying molecular biology. PMID:18245374

A Simple Test of Class-Level Genetic Association Can Reveal Novel Cardiometabolic Trait Loci.

PubMed

Qian, Jing; Nunez, Sara; Reed, Eric; Reilly, Muredach P; Foulkes, Andrea S

2016-01-01

Characterizing the genetic determinants of complex diseases can be further augmented by incorporating knowledge of underlying structure or classifications of the genome, such as newly developed mappings of protein-coding genes, epigenetic marks, enhancer elements and non-coding RNAs. We apply a simple class-level testing framework, termed Genetic Class Association Testing (GenCAT), to identify protein-coding gene association with 14 cardiometabolic (CMD) related traits across 6 publicly available genome wide association (GWA) meta-analysis data resources. GenCAT uses SNP-level meta-analysis test statistics across all SNPs within a class of elements, as well as the size of the class and its unique correlation structure, to determine if the class is statistically meaningful. The novelty of findings is evaluated through investigation of regional signals. A subset of findings are validated using recently updated, larger meta-analysis resources. A simulation study is presented to characterize overall performance with respect to power, control of family-wise error and computational efficiency. All analysis is performed using the GenCAT package, R version 3.2.1. We demonstrate that class-level testing complements the common first stage minP approach that involves individual SNP-level testing followed by post-hoc ascribing of statistically significant SNPs to genes and loci. GenCAT suggests 54 protein-coding genes at 41 distinct loci for the 13 CMD traits investigated in the discovery analysis, that are beyond the discoveries of minP alone. An additional application to biological pathways demonstrates flexibility in defining genetic classes. We conclude that it would be prudent to include class-level testing as standard practice in GWA analysis. GenCAT, for example, can be used as a simple, complementary and efficient strategy for class-level testing that leverages existing data resources, requires only summary level data in the form of test statistics, and adds significant value with respect to its potential for identifying multiple novel and clinically relevant trait associations.

Evolutionary history of the ABCB2 genomic region in teleosts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Palti, Y.; Rodriguez, M.F.; Gahr, S.A.; Hansen, J.D.

2007-01-01

Gene duplication, silencing and translocation have all been implicated in shaping the unique genomic architecture of the teleost MH regions. Previously, we demonstrated that trout possess five unlinked regions encoding MH genes. One of these regions harbors ABCB2 which in all other vertebrate classes is found in the MHC class II region. In this study, we sequenced a BAC contig for the trout ABCB2 region. Analysis of this region revealed the presence of genes homologous to those located in the human class II (ABCB2, BRD2, ??DAA), extended class II (RGL2, PHF1, SYGP1) and class III (PBX2, Notch-L) regions. The organization and syntenic relationships of this region were then compared to similar regions in humans, Tetraodon and zebrafish to learn more about the evolutionary history of this region. Our analysis indicates that this region was generated during the teleost-specific duplication event while also providing insight about potential MH paralogous regions in teleosts. ?? 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microaggressions, Discrimination, and Phenotype among African Americans: A Latent Class Analysis of the Impact of Skin Tone and BMI.

PubMed

Keith, Verna M; Nguyen, Ann W; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Mouzon, Dawne M; Chatters, Linda M

2017-05-01

Data from the 2001-2003National Survey of American Life are used to investigate the effects of phenotype on everyday experiences with discrimination among African Americans (N=3343). Latent class analysis is used to identify four classes of discriminatory treatment: 1) low levels of discrimination, 2) disrespect and condescension, 3) character-based discrimination, and 4) high levels of discrimination. We then employ latent class multinomial logistic regression to evaluate the association between skin tone and body weight and these four classes of discrimination. Designating the low level discrimination class as the reference group, findings revealed that respondents with darker skin were more likely to be classified into the disrespect/condescension and the high level microaggression types. BMI was unrelated to the discrimination type, although there was a significant interaction effect between gender and BMI. BMI was strongly and positively associated with membership in the disrespect and condescension type among men but not among women. These findings indicate that skin tone and body weight are two phenotypic characteristics that influence the type and frequency of discrimination experienced by African Americans.

Characterisation of major histocompatibility complex class I transcripts in an Australian dragon lizard.

PubMed

Hacking, Jessica; Bertozzi, Terry; Moussalli, Adnan; Bradford, Tessa; Gardner, Michael

2018-07-01

Characterisation of squamate major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes has lagged behind other taxonomic groups. MHC genes encode cell-surface glycoproteins that present self- and pathogen-derived peptides to T cells and play a critical role in pathogen recognition. Here we characterise MHC class I transcripts for an agamid lizard (Ctenophorus decresii) and investigate the evolution of MHC class I in Iguanian lizards. An iterative assembly strategy was used to identify six full-length C. decresii MHC class I transcripts, which were validated as likely to encode classical class I MHC molecules. Evidence for exon shuffling recombination was uncovered for C. decresii transcripts and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Iguanian MHC class I sequences revealed a pattern expected under a birth-and-death mode of evolution. This work provides a stepping stone towards further research on the agamid MHC class I region. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Skeletal effects in Angle Class II/1 patients treated with the functional regulator type II : Cephalometric and tensor analysis.

PubMed

Schulz, Simone; Koos, Bernd; Duske, Kathrin; Stahl, Franka

2016-11-01

The purpose of this work was to employ both cephalometric and tensor analysis in characterizing the skeletal changes experienced by patients with Angle Class II/1 malocclusion during functional orthodontic treatment with the functional regulator type II. A total of 23 patients with Class II/1 malocclusion based on lateral cephalograms obtained before and after treatment with the functional regulator type II were analyzed. Another 23 patients with Angle Class II/1 malocclusion who had not undergone treatment were included as controls. Our cephalometric data attest to significant therapeutic effects of the functional regulator type II on the skeletal mandibular system, including significant advancement of the mandible, increases in effective mandibular length with enhancement of the chin profile, and reduction of growth-related bite deepening. No treatment-related effects were observed at the cranial-base and midface levels. In addition, tensor analysis revealed significant stimulation of mandibular growth in sagittal directions, without indications of growth effects on the maxilla. Its growth-pattern findings differed from those of cephalometric analysis by indicating that the appliance did promote horizontal development, which supports the functional orthodontic treatment effect in Angle Class II/1 cases. Tensor analysis yielded additional insights into sagittal and vertical growth changes not identifiable by strictly cephalometric means. The functional regulator type II was an effective treatment modality for Angle Class II/1 malocclusion and influenced the skeletal development of these patients in favorable ways.

Fuel spill identification using solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction. 1. Aviation turbine fuels.

PubMed

Lavine, B K; Brzozowski, D M; Ritter, J; Moores, A J; Mayfield, H T

2001-12-01

The water-soluble fraction of aviation jet fuels is examined using solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction. Gas chromatographic profiles of solid-phase extracts and solid-phase microextracts of the water-soluble fraction of kerosene- and nonkerosene-based jet fuels reveal that each jet fuel possesses a unique profile. Pattern recognition analysis reveals fingerprint patterns within the data characteristic of fuel type. By using a novel genetic algorithm (GA) that emulates human pattern recognition through machine learning, it is possible to identify features characteristic of the chromatographic profile of each fuel class. The pattern recognition GA identifies a set of features that optimize the separation of the fuel classes in a plot of the two largest principal components of the data. Because principal components maximize variance, the bulk of the information encoded by the selected features is primarily about the differences between the fuel classes.

Hierarchical Discriminant Analysis.

PubMed

Lu, Di; Ding, Chuntao; Xu, Jinliang; Wang, Shangguang

2018-01-18

The Internet of Things (IoT) generates lots of high-dimensional sensor intelligent data. The processing of high-dimensional data (e.g., data visualization and data classification) is very difficult, so it requires excellent subspace learning algorithms to learn a latent subspace to preserve the intrinsic structure of the high-dimensional data, and abandon the least useful information in the subsequent processing. In this context, many subspace learning algorithms have been presented. However, in the process of transforming the high-dimensional data into the low-dimensional space, the huge difference between the sum of inter-class distance and the sum of intra-class distance for distinct data may cause a bias problem. That means that the impact of intra-class distance is overwhelmed. To address this problem, we propose a novel algorithm called Hierarchical Discriminant Analysis (HDA). It minimizes the sum of intra-class distance first, and then maximizes the sum of inter-class distance. This proposed method balances the bias from the inter-class and that from the intra-class to achieve better performance. Extensive experiments are conducted on several benchmark face datasets. The results reveal that HDA obtains better performance than other dimensionality reduction algorithms.

Community analysis of pigment patterns from 37 microalgae strains reveals new carotenoids and porphyrins characteristic of distinct strains and taxonomic groups

PubMed Central

Bérard, Jean-Baptiste; Kaas, Raymond; Pasquet, Virginie; Picot, Laurent; Cadoret, Jean-Paul

2017-01-01

Phytoplankton, with an estimated 30 000 to 1 000 000 species clustered in 12 phyla, presents a high taxonomic and ecophysiological diversity, reflected by the complex distribution of pigments among the different algal classes. High performance liquid chromatography is the gold standard method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytoplankton pigments in seawater and culture samples, but only a few pigments can be used as robust chemotaxonomic markers. A major challenge is thus to identify new ones, characteristic of a strain, species, class or taxon that cannot be currently identified on the basis of its pigment signature. Using an optimized extraction process coupled to a HPLC de-replication strategy, we examined the pigment composition of 37 microalgae strains, representative of the broad taxonomic diversity of marine and freshwater species (excluding cyanobacteria). For each species, the major pigments already described were unambiguously identified. We also observed the presence of several minor unidentified pigments in each chromatogram. The global analysis of pigment compositions revealed a total of 124 pigments, including 98 pigments or derivatives unidentified using the standards. Absorption spectra indicated that 35 corresponded to chlorophyll/porphyrin derivatives, 57 to carotenoids and six to derivatives having both spectral signatures. Sixty-one of these unidentified or new carotenoids and porphyrin derivatives were characteristic of particular strains or species, indicating their possible use as highly specific chemotaxonomic markers capable of identifying one strain out of the 37 selected. We developed a graphical analysis using Gephi software to give a clear representation of pigment communities among the various phytoplankton strains, and to reveal strain-characteristic and shared pigments. This made it possible to reconstruct the taxonomic evolution of microalgae classes, on the basis of the conservation, loss, and/or appearance of pigments. PMID:28231253

Doubly stochastic Poisson process models for precipitation at fine time-scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, Nadarajah I.; Onof, Christian; Xie, Dichao

2012-09-01

This paper considers a class of stochastic point process models, based on doubly stochastic Poisson processes, in the modelling of rainfall. We examine the application of this class of models, a neglected alternative to the widely-known Poisson cluster models, in the analysis of fine time-scale rainfall intensity. These models are mainly used to analyse tipping-bucket raingauge data from a single site but an extension to multiple sites is illustrated which reveals the potential of this class of models to study the temporal and spatial variability of precipitation at fine time-scales.

An Airline-Based Multilevel Analysis of Airfare Elasticity for Passenger Demand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castelli, Lorenzo; Ukovich, Walter; Pesenti, Raffaele

2003-01-01

Price elasticity of passenger demand for a specific airline is estimated. The main drivers affecting passenger demand for air transportation are identified. First, an Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis is performed. Then, a multilevel analysis-based methodology to investigate the pattern of variation of price elasticity of demand among the various routes of the airline under study is proposed. The experienced daily passenger demands on each fare-class are grouped for each considered route. 9 routes were studied for the months of February and May in years from 1999 to 2002, and two fare-classes were defined (business and economy). The analysis has revealed that the airfare elasticity of passenger demand significantly varies among the different routes of the airline.

Comprehensive analysis of MHC class II genes in teleost fish genomes reveals dispensability of the peptide-loading DM system in a large part of vertebrates

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules play an essential role in presenting peptide antigens to CD4+ T lymphocytes in the acquired immune system. The non-classical class II DM molecule, HLA-DM in the case of humans, possesses critical function in assisting the classical MHC class II molecules for proper peptide loading and is highly conserved in tetrapod species. Although the absence of DM-like genes in teleost fish has been speculated based on the results of homology searches, it has not been definitively clear whether the DM system is truly specific for tetrapods or not. To obtain a clear answer, we comprehensively searched class II genes in representative teleost fish genomes and analyzed those genes regarding the critical functional features required for the DM system. Results We discovered a novel ancient class II group (DE) in teleost fish and classified teleost fish class II genes into three major groups (DA, DB and DE). Based on several criteria, we investigated the classical/non-classical nature of various class II genes and showed that only one of three groups (DA) exhibits classical-type characteristics. Analyses of predicted class II molecules revealed that the critical tryptophan residue required for a classical class II molecule in the DM system could be found only in some non-classical but not in classical-type class II molecules of teleost fish. Conclusions Teleost fish, a major group of vertebrates, do not possess the DM system for the classical class II peptide-loading and this sophisticated system has specially evolved in the tetrapod lineage. PMID:24279922

Mind the gap: financial London and the regional class pay gap.

PubMed

Friedman, Sam; Laurison, Daniel

2017-09-01

The hidden barriers, or 'gender pay gap', preventing women from earning equivalent incomes to men is well documented. Yet recent research has uncovered that, in Britain, there is also a comparable class-origin pay gap in higher professional and managerial occupations. So far this analysis has only been conducted at the national level and it is not known whether there are regional differences within the UK. This paper uses pooled data from the 2014 and 2015 Labour Force Survey (N = 7,534) to stage a more spatially sensitive analysis that examines regional variation in the class pay gap. We find that this 'class ceiling' is not evenly spatially distributed. Instead it is particularly marked in Central London, where those in high-status occupations who are from working-class backgrounds earn, on average, £10,660 less per year than those whose parents were in higher professional and managerial employment. Finally, we inspect the Capital further to reveal that the class pay gap is largest within Central London's banking and finance sector. Challenging policy conceptions of London as the 'engine room' of social mobility, these findings suggest that class disadvantage within high-status occupations is particularly acute in the Capital. The findings also underline the value of investigating regional differences in social mobility, and demonstrate how such analysis can unravel important and previously unrecognized spatial dimensions of class inequality. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Substance Use Patterns Among Adolescents in Europe: A Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Göbel, Kristin; Scheithauer, Herbert; Bräker, Astrid-Britta; Jonkman, Harrie; Soellner, Renate

2016-07-28

Several researchers have investigated substance use patterns using a latent class analysis; however, hardly no studies exist on substance use patterns across countries. Adolescent substance use patterns, demographic factors, and international differences in the prevalence of substance use patterns were explored. Data from 25 European countries were used to identify patterns of adolescent (12-16 years, 50.6% female) substance use (N = 33,566). Latent class analysis revealed four substance use classes: nonusers (68%), low-alcohol users (recent use of beer, wine, and alcopops; 16.1%), alcohol users (recent use of alcohol and lifetime use of marijuana; 11.2%), and polysubstance users (recent use of alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs; 4.7%). Results support a general pattern of adolescent substance use across all countries; however, the prevalence rates of use patterns vary for each country. The present research provides insight into substance use patterns across Europe by using a large international adolescent sample, multidimensional indicators and a variety of substances. Substance use patterns are helpful when targeting policy and prevention strategies.

An analysis of variation in the long-range genomic organization of the human major histocompatibility complex class II region by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

PubMed

Dunham, I; Sargent, C A; Dawkins, R L; Campbell, R D

1989-11-01

The class II region of the human major histocompatibility complex in seven common HLA haplotypes has been analyzed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, restriction enzymes that cut genomic DNA infrequently, and Southern blotting. This analysis has revealed that there are differences in the amount of DNA present in the DQ and DR subregions dependent on the haplotype. The class II region of the DR3 haplotype spans approximately 750 kb and has the same amount of DNA as the class II region of the DR5 and DR6 haplotypes. However, the DR2 haplotype has approximately 30 kb more DNA within the DR subregion. The DR4 haplotype has an additional approximately 110 kb of DNA within the DQ or DR subregions compared to the DR3, DR5, and DR6 haplotypes. These haplotype-specific differences could have some bearing both on the analysis of disease susceptibility and on the ability of chromosomes possessing different HLA haplotypes to recombine within the DQ/DR subregions.

Dynamic transcriptomic analysis in hircine longissimus dorsi muscle from fetal to neonatal development stages.

PubMed

Zhan, Siyuan; Zhao, Wei; Song, Tianzeng; Dong, Yao; Guo, Jiazhong; Cao, Jiaxue; Zhong, Tao; Wang, Linjie; Li, Li; Zhang, Hongping

2018-01-01

Muscle growth and development from fetal to neonatal stages consist of a series of delicately regulated and orchestrated changes in expression of genes. In this study, we performed whole transcriptome profiling based on RNA-Seq of caprine longissimus dorsi muscle tissue obtained from prenatal stages (days 45, 60, and 105 of gestation) and neonatal stage (the 3-day-old newborn) to identify genes that are differentially expressed and investigate their temporal expression profiles. A total of 3276 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (Q value < 0.01). Time-series expression profile clustering analysis indicated that DEGs were significantly clustered into eight clusters which can be divided into two classes (Q value < 0.05), class I profiles with downregulated patterns and class II profiles with upregulated patterns. Based on cluster analysis, GO enrichment analysis found that 75, 25, and 8 terms to be significantly enriched in biological process (BP), cellular component (CC), and molecular function (MF) categories in class I profiles, while 35, 21, and 8 terms to be significantly enriched in BP, CC, and MF in class II profiles. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that DEGs from class I profiles were significantly enriched in 22 pathways and the most enriched pathway was Rap1 signaling pathway. DEGs from class II profiles were significantly enriched in 17 pathways and the mainly enriched pathway was AMPK signaling pathway. Finally, six selected DEGs from our sequencing results were confirmed by qPCR. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms during goat skeletal muscle development from fetal to neonatal stages and valuable information for future studies of muscle development in goats.

The intersectionality of discrimination attributes and bullying among youth: an applied latent class analysis.

PubMed

Garnett, Bernice Raveche; Masyn, Katherine E; Austin, S Bryn; Miller, Matthew; Williams, David R; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula

2014-08-01

Discrimination is commonly experienced among adolescents. However, little is known about the intersection of multiple attributes of discrimination and bullying. We used a latent class analysis (LCA) to illustrate the intersections of discrimination attributes and bullying, and to assess the associations of LCA membership to depressive symptoms, deliberate self harm and suicidal ideation among a sample of ethnically diverse adolescents. The data come from the 2006 Boston Youth Survey where students were asked whether they had experienced discrimination based on four attributes: race/ethnicity, immigration status, perceived sexual orientation and weight. They were also asked whether they had been bullied or assaulted for these attributes. A total of 965 (78%) students contributed to the LCA analytic sample (45% Non-Hispanic Black, 29% Hispanic, 58% Female). The LCA revealed that a 4-class solution had adequate relative and absolute fit. The 4-classes were characterized as: low discrimination (51%); racial discrimination (33%); sexual orientation discrimination (7%); racial and weight discrimination with high bullying (intersectional class) (7%). In multivariate models, compared to the low discrimination class, individuals in the sexual orientation discrimination class and the intersectional class had higher odds of engaging in deliberate self-harm. Students in the intersectional class also had higher odds of suicidal ideation. All three discrimination latent classes had significantly higher depressive symptoms compared to the low discrimination class. Multiple attributes of discrimination and bullying co-occur among adolescents. Research should consider the co-occurrence of bullying and discrimination.

Re-Evaluating Student Evaluation of Teaching: The Teaching Evaluation Form.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfer, Terry A.; Johnson, Miriam McNown

2003-01-01

Reports on the aggregate analysis of scores generated by a standardized instrument, the Teaching Evaluation Form (TEF; Hudson, 1982), at the College of Social Work, University of South Carolina. Data included more than 11,000 completions of the instrument in 508 class sections offered during a 4-year period. Analysis revealed a severely negatively…

Originality Detection Software in a Graduate Policy Course: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Plagiarism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dreuth Zeman, Laura; Steen, Julie A.; Metz Zeman, Natalie

2011-01-01

The authors used a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the use of Turnitin originality detection software in a graduate social work course. Qualitative analysis of student responses revealed positive and negative spent completing assignments, and the tone of the class. Quantitative analysis of students' originality scores indicated a short-term…

Potential vorticity regimes over East Asia during winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wenyu; Chen, Ruyan; Wang, Bin; Wright, Jonathon S.; Yang, Zifan; Ma, Wenqian

2017-02-01

Nine potential vorticity (PV) regimes over East Asia are identified by applying a Self-Organizing Map and Hierarchical Ascendant Classification regime analysis to the daily PV reanalysis fields on the 300 K isentropic surface for December-March 1948-2014. According to the surface temperature anomalies over East Asia, these nine regimes are further classified into three classes, i.e., cold class (three regimes), warm class (four regimes), and neutral class (two regimes). The PV-based East Asian winter monsoon index (EAWMI) is used to study the relationship between PV distributions and the temperature anomalies. The magnitude of cold (warm) anomalies over the land areas of East Asia increases (decreases) quasi-linearly with the EAWMI. Regression analysis reveals that cold temperature anomalies preferentially occur when the EAWMI exceeds a threshold at ˜0.2 PVU (where 1 PVU ≡ 10-6 m2 K kg-1 s-1). PV inversion uncovers the mechanisms behind the relationships between the PV regimes and surface temperature anomalies and reveals that cold (warm) PV regimes are associated with significant warming (cooling) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. On average, cold regimes have longer durations than warm regimes. Interclass transition probabilities are much higher for paths from warm/neutral regimes to cold regimes than for paths from cold regimes to warm/neutral regimes. Besides, intraclass transitions are rare within the warm or neutral regimes. The PV regime analysis provides insight into the causes of severe cold spells over East Asia, with blocking circulation patterns identified as the primary factor in initiating and maintaining these cold spells.

Evaluation of SLAR and thematic mapper MSS data for forest cover mapping using computer-aided analysis techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffer, R. M. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

Several possibilities were considered for defining the data set in which the same test areas could be used for each of the four different spatial resolutions being evaluated. The LARSYS CLUSTER was used to sort the vectors into spectral classes to reduce the within-spectral class variability in an effort to develop training statistics. A data quality test was written to determine the basic signal to noise characteristics within the data set being used. Because preliminary analysis of the LANDSAT MSS data revealed the presence of high cirrus clouds, other data sets are being sought.

[Quantitative analysis of the structure of neuronal dendritic spines in the striatum using the Leitz-ASM system].

PubMed

Leontovich, T A; Zvegintseva, E G

1985-10-01

Two principal classes of striatum long axonal neurons (sparsely ramified reticular cells and densely ramified dendritic cells) were analyzed quantitatively in four animal species: hedgehog, rabbit, dog and monkey. The cross section area, total dendritic length and the area of dendritic field were measured using "LEITZ-ASM" system. Classes of neurons studied were significantly different in dogs and monkeys, while no differences were noted between hedgehog and rabbit. Reticular neurons of different species varied much more than dendritic ones. Quantitative analysis has revealed the progressive increase in the complexity of dendritic tree in mammals from rabbit to monkey.

Integrative analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana transcriptomics reveals intuitive splicing mechanism for circular RNA.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoyong; Wang, Lin; Ding, Jiechao; Wang, Yanru; Wang, Jiansheng; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Che, Yulei; Liu, Ziwei; Zhang, Xinran; Ye, Jiazhen; Wang, Jie; Sablok, Gaurav; Deng, Zhiping; Zhao, Hongwei

2016-10-01

A new regulatory class of small endogenous RNAs called circular RNAs (circRNAs) has been described as miRNA sponges in animals. Using 16 Arabidopsis thaliana RNA-Seq data sets, we identified 803 circRNAs in RNase R-/non-RNase R-treated samples. The results revealed the following features: Canonical and noncanonical splicing can generate circRNAs; chloroplasts are a hotspot for circRNA generation; furthermore, limited complementary sequences exist not only in introns, but also in the sequences flanking splice sites. The latter finding suggests that multiple combinations between complementary sequences may facilitate the formation of the circular structure. Our results contribute to a better understanding of this novel class of plant circRNAs. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Unsteady aerodynamic interaction effects on turbomachinery blade life and performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamczyk, John J.

1992-01-01

This paper is an attempt to address the impact of a class of unsteady flows on the life and performance of turbomachinery blading. These class of flows to be investigated are those whose characteristic frequency is an integral multiple of rotor shaft speed. Analysis of data recorded downstream of a compressor and turbine rotor will reveal that this class of flows can be highly three-dimensional and may lead to the generation of secondary flows within downstream blading. By explicitly accounting for these unsteady flows in the design of turbomachinery blading for multistage applications, it may be possible to bring about gains in performance and blade life.

On origin and evolution of carbonic anhydrase isozymes: A phylogenetic analysis from whole-enzyme to active site.

PubMed

Banerjee, Srijoni; Deshpande, Parag A

2016-04-01

Genetic evolution of carbonic anhydrase enzyme provides an interesting instance of functional similarity in spite of structural diversity of the members of a given family of enzymes. Phylogenetic analysis of α-, β- and γ-carbonic anhydrase was carried out to determine the evolutionary relationships among various members of the family with the enzyme marking its presence in a wide range of cellular and chromosomal locations. The presence of more than one class of enzymes in a particular organism was revealed by phylogenetic time tree. The evolutionary relationships among the members of animal, plant and microbial kingdom were developed. The study revises a long-established notion of kingdom-specificity of the different classes of carbonic anhydrases and provides a new version of the presence of multiple classes of carbonic anhydrases in a single organism and the presence of a given class of carbonic anhydrase across different kingdoms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LC-ESI-MS/MS identification of polar lipids of two thermophilic Anoxybacillus bacteria containing a unique lipid pattern.

PubMed

Rezanka, Tomáš; Kambourova, Margarita; Derekova, Anna; Kolouchová, Irena; Sigler, Karel

2012-07-01

Phospholipids and glycolipids from two recently described species belonging to the thermophilic genus Anoxybacillus were analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS). Analysis of total lipids from the facultatively anaerobic A. bogrovensis on a HILIC (Hydrophilic Interaction LIquid Chromatography) column succeeded in separating diacyl- and plasmalogen phospholipids. The LC/ESI-MS/MS analysis of the strict aerobe A. rupiensis revealed the presence of different unique polar lipids, predominantly alanyl-, lysyl-, and glucosyl-phosphatidylglycerols and cardiolipins. Each of the classes of polar lipids was then analyzed by means of the ESI-MS/MS and more than 140 molecular species of six lipid classes from A. bogrovensis and nearly 200 molecular species of nine classes of polar lipids from A. rupiensis were identified. Five classes of unidentified polar lipids were detected in both strains. Plasmalogens were thus determined for the first time in a facultatively anaerobic bacterium, i.e. A. bogrovensis.

Psychological features of North Korean female refugees on the MMPI-2: latent profile analysis.

PubMed

Kim, Seong-Hyeon; Kim, Hee Kyung; Lee, Narae

2013-12-01

This study examined the heterogeneity in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2nd Edition (MMPI-2; Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) profiles of North Korean female refugee population (N = 2,163) using latent profile analysis (LPA). The North Korean female refugee sample arrived at Hanawon, South Korea's resettlement center for North Korean refugees in 2008 and 2009 and took the MMPI-2 as part of an initial psychological screen. The analysis, which included the T scores of the 6 validity scales and the 10 standard clinical scales, identified 4 classes with distinctive psychological features: Class 1 (nonclinical), Class 2 (demoralized), Class 3 (somatized), and Class 4 (detached). The 4 covariates entered into the model (age, education, affiliation with a religion, and the number of forced repatriations) impacted the likelihood of belonging to certain classes. As hypothesized, older age, fewer years of education, and more incidents of forced repatriation predicted higher proneness to psychopathology. However, contrary to our expectation, having a religious faith did not emerge as a salient protective factor. The current LPA results revealed distinct heterogeneous subgroups that previous research on the MMPI and MMPI-2 profiles of refugee populations overlooked with the assumption of a homogeneous sample. Clinical implications for the treatment of North Korean female refugees and the limitations of the study are discussed. (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Urban ninth-grade girls interactions with and outcomes from a design-oriented physics project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higginbotham, Thomas Eric Miksad

Past literature has documented a shrinking but persistent gap in physics and engineering for females, both in school and in the workforce. A commonly recommended strategy to invite girls into science at the school level is to have students work on design-projects in groups, which has been shown to increase all students' learning outcomes and attitudes towards science. Students (n=28) in a ninth-grade inner-city physics class participated in such a project, in which they built remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV's) over the course of one month. Students (n=23) in a comparison classroom learned the same content using the Active Physics curriculum during the same time frame. Mixed methods were used to study the ROV classroom. Students in both classes were given pre- and post-physics content tests. Qualitative data collected during the project included field notes, video, and teacher interviews. Macro-level data analysis was done, which informed further micro-analysis. Macro-analysis revealed significantly higher learning outcomes for the ROV class than for the non-ROV class. Within the ROV class, girls, and in particular, girls in female-majority groups had increased learning outcomes and high levels of interest and engagement with the project, while girls in mixed-sex and male-majority groups did not. Qualitative macro-analysis revealed that in all of the female-majority groups, females took leadership roles within the groups, while in all of the non female-majority groups, males took leadership roles. The only groups in which girls completely disengaged from the project were mixed-sex or male majority groups. Case studies and cross case analysis suggested that girls foregrounded group process over product, and used the level of group unity as a metric of the groups' success. Groups led by girls were more cooperative and exhibited distributed leadership and participation. These findings were interpreted through lenses of expectation states theory and social interdependence theory. This study suggests that the commonly recommended non-sexist strategy of using hands-on group work can be positive, but should be undertaken with conscious attention to group dynamics.

The Four U's: Latent Classes of Hookup Motivations Among College Students.

PubMed

Uecker, Jeremy E; Pearce, Lisa D; Andercheck, Brita

2015-06-01

College students' "hookups" have been the subject of a great deal of research in recent years. Motivations for hooking up have been linked to differences in well-being after the hookup, but studies detailing college students' motivations for engaging in hookups focus on single motivations. Using data from the 2010 Duke Hookup Survey, we consider how motivations for hooking up cluster to produce different classes, or profiles, of students who hook up, and how these classes are related to hookup regret. Four distinct classes of motivations emerged from our latent class analysis: Utilitarians (50%), Uninhibiteds (27%), Uninspireds (19%), and Unreflectives (4%). We find a number of differences in hookup motivation classes across social characteristics, including gender, year in school, race-ethnicity, self-esteem, and attitudes about sexual behavior outside committed relationships. Additionally, Uninspireds regret hookups more frequently than members of the other classes, and Uninhibiteds report regret less frequently than Utilitarians and Uninspireds. These findings reveal the complexity of motivations for hooking up and the link between motivations and regret.

Older Adults' Uptake and Adherence to Exercise Classes: Instructors' Perspectives.

PubMed

Hawley-Hague, Helen; Horne, Maria; Skelton, Dawn A; Todd, Chris

2016-01-01

Exercise classes provide a range of benefits for older adults, but adherence levels are poor. We know little of instructors' experiences of delivering exercise classes to older adults. Semistructured interviews, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), were conducted with instructors (n = 19) delivering multicomponent exercise classes to establish their perspectives on older adults' uptake and adherence to exercise classes. Analysis revealed 'barriers' to uptake related to identity, choice/control, cost, and venue, and 'solutions' included providing choice/control, relating exercise to identity, a personal touch, and social support. Barriers to adherence included unrealistic expectations and social influences, and solutions identified were encouraging commitment, creating social cohesion, and an emphasis on achieving outcomes. Older adults' attitudes were an underlying theme, which related to all barriers and solutions. The instructor plays an important, but not isolated, role in older adults' uptake and adherence to classes. Instructors' perspectives help us to further understand how we can design successful exercise classes.

Value Conflicts and Moral Education Among College Freshmen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Litwin, James L.; And Others

1978-01-01

A values analysis course, developed to improve critical thinking, is described. Included in the report is an evaluation of the students' reaction to the class which revealed a general work-play conflict inherent in the course and in college life itself. (JMD)

Associations Between Latent Classes of Interpersonal Polyvictimization and Polyperpetration and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Young Pregnant Couples: A Dyadic Analysis.

PubMed

Willie, Tiara; Kershaw, Trace S

2018-05-24

Interpersonal violence victimization and perpetration have been associated with sexual risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults, but research is lacking on: (1) how patterns of interpersonal polyvictimization and polyperpetration are associated with sexual risk among young pregnant couples, and (2) how individual and partner experiences of violence differentially impact sexual risk. The current analyses used baseline data from a longitudinal study that followed 296 pregnant young couples from pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. Couples were recruited at obstetrics and gynecology clinics, and an ultrasound clinic in the U.S. Latent class analysis identified subgroups based on polyvictimization and polyperpetration. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, path analyses assessed actor-partner effects of class membership on sexual risk. Three latent classes were used for women: Class 1: Polyvictim-Polyperpetrator; Class 2: Nonvictim-Nonperpetrator; and Class 3: Community and Prior IPV Victim. Four latent classes were used for men: Class 1: Community and Prior IPV Victim; Class 2: Polyvictim-Nonpartner Perpetrator; Class 3: Prior IPV and Peer Victim; and Class 4: Nonvictim-Nonperpetrator. Path analyses revealed that females in Class 2 and their male partners had higher condom use than females in Class 3. Males in Class 2 had more sexual partners than males in Class 1. Among nonmonogamous couples, males in Class 2 were less likely to be involved with a female partner reporting unprotected sex than males in Class 1. Among nonmonogamous couples, females in Class 2 had more acts of unprotected sex than females in Class 1. Males in Class 4 were less likely to have concurrent sexual partners compared to males in Class 1. Risk reduction interventions should address both victimization and perpetration. Additional research is needed to understand how mechanisms driving differential sexual risk by patterns of interpersonal polyvictimization and polyperpetration.

Teaching innovation in organic chemistry: An inquiry into what happens when the lecturer stops lecturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Richard Charles

1998-12-01

In this dissertation the author presents findings from a study of an organic chemistry class in which the instructor changed his mode of content delivery. Instead of using a traditional lecture, the professor engaged students in discussions about chemical behavior, required students to complete cooperative learning activities in and out of class, and altered his examination format. The purpose of the research was to investigate the implementation of the changes made in content delivery, describe subsequent classroom interactions, and discuss participant responses to the innovations. Because of the research focus the author used a qualitative methodology to investigate this unique organic chemistry course. The study showed that the instructor's belief system and skills played an important role in overcoming barriers to implementation. Analysis of class transcripts revealed that the class was highly interactive with students freely offering responses to the instructor's questions and sometimes submitting insightful comments. The discussion format of the class also revealed some student misunderstanding that other teaching structures may not have identified. In general the instructor was able to pursue some concepts in more depth than allowed by a typical lecture mode of content delivery. Analysis of class transcripts also showed characteristics of organic chemistry teaching by Prof. Loudon that might be described as exemplary. He focused student attention on molecular structure and the chemical behavioral patterns that emerge from organic compounds that are structurally similar. Student response to Prof. Loudon's teaching style was quite favorable. A common remark from students was that his personal knowledge of them contributed to their class preparation and desire to learn. In general, students appreciated the opportunity to discuss exam questions in their groups before individual exam administration. On the final course evaluation, however, a couple students expressed disdain towards the exam format stating that sometimes fellow group members led them astray. Several also said that the discussion contributed to anxiety instead of making the examination period more relaxed as Prof. Loudon had hoped.

Problem-based learning versus a traditional educational methodology: a comparison of preclinical and clinical periodontics performance.

PubMed

Rich, Sandra K; Keim, Robert G; Shuler, Charles F

2005-06-01

To evaluate efficacy of a problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy in preclinical and clinical teaching, test scores of 234 undergraduate dental students from the conventionally taught classes of 2003 and 2004 were compared with scores of 274 dental students from the PBL classes of 2005 and 2006. Although the groups' means were close together, t-test analysis of scores revealed that PBL students performed significantly better than traditional (TRAD) students on midterm (p=.0001) and final (p=.015) examinations taken on student partner/mock patients. ANOVA comparing the classes with each other showed significant differences for the midterm and final, but not for the clinical examination. Further multiple comparison tests (Tukey HSD) for the midterm and final revealed that differences specifically reflected superior performance of PBL classes against one of the TRAD classes (2004). There was no difference in performance between PBL (n=134) and TRAD (n=233) students on examinations taken with actual clinical patients who were undergoing nonsurgical periodontal treatment. Over a two-year period, PBL students rated their program instructors at a mean of 4.41 on a Likert-type scale of 1 (not helpful) to 5 (outstanding). The program provides a PBL model for teaching preclinical and clinical skills supported by a four-year evaluation of manual skills outcomes.

Latent class analysis reveals clinically relevant atopy phenotypes in 2 birth cohorts.

PubMed

Hose, Alexander J; Depner, Martin; Illi, Sabina; Lau, Susanne; Keil, Thomas; Wahn, Ulrich; Fuchs, Oliver; Pfefferle, Petra Ina; Schmaußer-Hechfellner, Elisabeth; Genuneit, Jon; Lauener, Roger; Karvonen, Anne M; Roduit, Caroline; Dalphin, Jean-Charles; Riedler, Josef; Pekkanen, Juha; von Mutius, Erika; Ege, Markus J

2017-06-01

Phenotypes of childhood-onset asthma are characterized by distinct trajectories and functional features. For atopy, definition of phenotypes during childhood is less clear. We sought to define phenotypes of atopic sensitization over the first 6 years of life using a latent class analysis (LCA) integrating 3 dimensions of atopy: allergen specificity, time course, and levels of specific IgE (sIgE). Phenotypes were defined by means of LCA in 680 children of the Multizentrische Allergiestudie (MAS) and 766 children of the Protection against allergy: Study in Rural Environments (PASTURE) birth cohorts and compared with classical nondisjunctive definitions of seasonal, perennial, and food sensitization with respect to atopic diseases and lung function. Cytokine levels were measured in the PASTURE cohort. The LCA classified predominantly by type and multiplicity of sensitization (food vs inhalant), allergen combinations, and sIgE levels. Latent classes were related to atopic disease manifestations with higher sensitivity and specificity than the classical definitions. LCA detected consistently in both cohorts a distinct group of children with severe atopy characterized by high seasonal sIgE levels and a strong propensity for asthma; hay fever; eczema; and impaired lung function, also in children without an established asthma diagnosis. Severe atopy was associated with an increased IL-5/IFN-γ ratio. A path analysis among sensitized children revealed that among all features of severe atopy, only excessive sIgE production early in life affected asthma risk. LCA revealed a set of benign, symptomatic, and severe atopy phenotypes. The severe phenotype emerged as a latent condition with signs of a dysbalanced immune response. It determined high asthma risk through excessive sIgE production and directly affected impaired lung function. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of glutathione S-transferase gene family in tomato: Gaining an insight to their physiological and stress-specific roles

PubMed Central

Islam, Shiful; Rahman, Iffat Ara; Islam, Tahmina

2017-01-01

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) refers to one of the major detoxifying enzymes that plays an important role in different abiotic and biotic stress modulation pathways of plant. The present study aimed to a comprehensive genome-wide functional characterization of GST genes and proteins in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The whole genome sequence analysis revealed the presence of 90 GST genes in tomato, the largest GST gene family reported till date. Eight segmental duplicated gene pairs might contribute significantly to the expansion of SlGST gene family. Based on phylogenetic analysis of tomato, rice, and Arabidopsis GST proteins, GST family members could be further divided into ten classes. Members of each orthologous class showed high conservancy among themselves. Tau and lambda are the major classes of tomato; while tau and phi are the major classes for rice and Arabidopsis. Chromosomal localization revealed highly uneven distribution of SlGST genes in 13 different chromosomes, where chromosome 9 possessed the highest number of genes. Based on publicly available microarray data, expression analysis of 30 available SlGST genes exhibited a differential pattern in all the analyzed tissues and developmental stages. Moreover, most of the members showed highly induced expression in response to multiple biotic and abiotic stress inducers that could be harmonized with the increase in total GST enzyme activity under several stress conditions. Activity of tomato GST could be enhanced further by using some positive modulators (safeners) that have been predicted through molecular docking of SlGSTU5 and ligands. Moreover, tomato GST proteins are predicted to interact with a lot of other glutathione synthesizing and utilizing enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione synthetase and γ-glutamyltransferase. This comprehensive genome-wide analysis and expression profiling would provide a rational platform and possibility to explore the versatile role of GST genes in crop engineering. PMID:29095889

Cervical cancer in Indian women reveals contrasting association among common sub-family of HLA class I alleles.

PubMed

Gokhale, Priyanka; Mania-Pramanik, Jayanti; Sonawani, Archana; Idicula-Thomas, Susan; Kerkar, Shilpa; Tongaonkar, Hemant; Chaudhari, Hemangi; Warke, Himangi; Salvi, Vinita

2014-12-01

We studied the relationship between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles and cervical cancer among Indian women. Seventy-five cervical cancer cases were compared with 175 noncancer controls. Cervical biopsy tissue specimen from cancer cases and cervical swab specimen from controls were collected for HPV detection and typing. Blood was taken for HLA typing by PCR-SSOP method. The impact of HLA class I alleles on cervical cancer risk was evaluated using StatCalc program (Epi Info version 6.0.4. CDC Atlanta, GA, USA), and confirmed with Bonferroni correction. Results revealed HLA-B*37, HLA-B*58 were associated significantly with increased risk while HLA-B*40 with decreased risk for cervical cancer. At high-resolution analysis after Bonferroni correction, HLA-B*37:01 allele was associated with increased risk, whereas HLA-B*40:06 was with decreased risk for cervical cancer. HLA-B*37:01 and HLA-B*40:06 belong to the same superfamily of HLA-B44. In silico analysis revealed different binding affinities of HLA-B*37:01 and HLA-B*40:06 for the epitopes predicted for E6 and L1 proteins of HPV16. The higher binding affinity of epitopes to B*40:06, as revealed by docking studies, supports the hypothesis that this allele is able to present the antigenic peptides more efficiently than B*37:01 and thereby can protect the carriers from the risk of cervical cancer. Thus, there is a clear indication that HLA plays an important role in the development of cervical cancer in HPV-infected women. Identification of these factors in high-risk HPV-infected women may help in reducing the cervical cancer burden in India.

The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Bitter Taste in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Weiss, Linnea A.; Dahanukar, Anupama; Kwon, Jae Young; Banerjee, Diya; Carlson, John R.

2011-01-01

Summary The extent of diversity among bitter-sensing neurons is a fundamental issue in the field of taste. Data are limited and conflicting as to whether bitter neurons are broadly tuned and uniform, resulting in indiscriminate avoidance of bitter stimuli, or diverse, allowing a more discerning evaluation of food sources. We provide a systematic analysis of how bitter taste is encoded by the major taste organ of the Drosophila head, the labellum. Each of 16 bitter compounds is tested physiologically against all 31 bitter neurons, revealing responses that are diverse in magnitude and dynamics. Four functional classes of bitter neurons are defined. Four corresponding classes are defined through expression analysis of all 68 Gr taste receptors. A receptor-to-neuron-to-tastant map is constructed. Misexpression of one receptor confers bitter responses as predicted by the map. These results reveal a degree of complexity that greatly expands the capacity of the system to encode bitter taste. PMID:21262465

Cnidarian Cell Type Diversity and Regulation Revealed by Whole-Organism Single-Cell RNA-Seq.

PubMed

Sebé-Pedrós, Arnau; Saudemont, Baptiste; Chomsky, Elad; Plessier, Flora; Mailhé, Marie-Pierre; Renno, Justine; Loe-Mie, Yann; Lifshitz, Aviezer; Mukamel, Zohar; Schmutz, Sandrine; Novault, Sophie; Steinmetz, Patrick R H; Spitz, François; Tanay, Amos; Marlow, Heather

2018-05-31

The emergence and diversification of cell types is a leading factor in animal evolution. So far, systematic characterization of the gene regulatory programs associated with cell type specificity was limited to few cell types and few species. Here, we perform whole-organism single-cell transcriptomics to map adult and larval cell types in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, a non-bilaterian animal with complex tissue-level body-plan organization. We uncover eight broad cell classes in Nematostella, including neurons, cnidocytes, and digestive cells. Each class comprises different subtypes defined by the expression of multiple specific markers. In particular, we characterize a surprisingly diverse repertoire of neurons, which comparative analysis suggests are the result of lineage-specific diversification. By integrating transcription factor expression, chromatin profiling, and sequence motif analysis, we identify the regulatory codes that underlie Nematostella cell-specific expression. Our study reveals cnidarian cell type complexity and provides insights into the evolution of animal cell-specific genomic regulation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genomic analysis of bifunctional Class C-Class D β-lactamases in environmental bacteria.

PubMed

Silveira, Melise Chaves; Catanho, Marcos; Miranda, Antônio Basílio de

2018-01-01

β-lactamases, which are found in several bacterial species and environments, are the main cause of resistance to β-lactams in Gram-negative bacteria. In 2009, a protein (LRA-13) with two β-lactamase domains (one class C domain and one class D domain) was experimentally characterised, and an extended action spectrum against β-lactams consistent with two functional domains was found. Here, we present the results of searches in the non-redundant NCBI protein database that revealed the existence of a group of homologous bifunctional β-lactamases in the genomes of environmental bacteria. These findings suggest that bifunctional β-lactamases are widespread in nature; these findings also raise concern that bifunctional β-lactamases may be transferred to bacteria of clinical importance through lateral gene transfer mechanisms.

Colloquium: Statistical mechanics of money, wealth, and income

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovenko, Victor M.; Rosser, J. Barkley, Jr.

2009-10-01

This Colloquium reviews statistical models for money, wealth, and income distributions developed in the econophysics literature since the late 1990s. By analogy with the Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution of energy in physics, it is shown that the probability distribution of money is exponential for certain classes of models with interacting economic agents. Alternative scenarios are also reviewed. Data analysis of the empirical distributions of wealth and income reveals a two-class distribution. The majority of the population belongs to the lower class, characterized by the exponential (“thermal”) distribution, whereas a small fraction of the population in the upper class is characterized by the power-law (“superthermal”) distribution. The lower part is very stable, stationary in time, whereas the upper part is highly dynamical and out of equilibrium.

Predictors of Patterns of Alcohol-Related Blackouts Over Time in Youth From the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism: The Roles of Genetics and Cannabis

PubMed Central

Schuckit, Marc A.; Smith, Tom L.; Shafir, Alexandra; Clausen, Peyton; Danko, George; Gonçalves, Priscila Dib; Anthenelli, Robert M.; Chan, Grace; Kuperman, Samuel; Hesselbrock, Michie; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kramer, John; Bucholz, Kathleen K.

2017-01-01

Objective: Alcohol-related blackouts (ARBs) are anterograde amnesias related to heavy alcohol intake seen in about 50% of drinkers. Although a major determinant of ARBs relates to blood alcohol concentrations, additional contributions come from genetic vulnerabilities and possible impacts of cannabis use disorders (CUDs). We evaluated relationships of genetics and cannabis use to latent class trajectories of ARBs in 829 subjects from the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). Method: The number of ARBs experienced every 2 years from subjects with average ages of 18 to 25 were entered into a latent class growth analysis in Mplus, and resulting class membership was evaluated in light of baseline characteristics, including CUDs. Correlations of number of ARBs across assessments were also compared for sibling pairs versus unrelated subjects. Results: Latent class growth analysis identified ARB-based Classes 1 (consistent low = 42.5%), 2 (moderate low = 28.3%), 3 (moderate high = 22.9%), and 4 (consistent high = 6.3%). A multinomial logistic regression analysis within latent class growth analysis revealed that baseline CUDs related most closely to Classes 3 and 4. The number of ARBs across time correlated .23 for sibling pairs and -.10 for unrelated subjects. Conclusions: Baseline CUDs related to the most severe latent ARB course over time, even when considered along with other trajectory predictors, including baseline alcohol use disorders and maximum number of drinks. Data indicated significant roles for genetic factors for alcohol use disorder patterns over time. Future research is needed to improve understanding of how cannabis adds to the ARB risk and to find genes that contribute to risks for ARBs among drinkers. PMID:27936363

[BIOINFORMATIC SEARCH AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE CELLULOSE SYNTHASE GENES OF FLAX (LINUM USITATISSIMUM)].

PubMed

Pydiura, N A; Bayer, G Ya; Galinousky, D V; Yemets, A I; Pirko, Ya V; Podvitski, T A; Anisimova, N V; Khotyleva, L V; Kilchevsky, A V; Blume, Ya B

2015-01-01

A bioinformatic search of sequences encoding cellulose synthase genes in the flax genome, and their comparison to dicots orthologs was carried out. The analysis revealed 32 cellulose synthase gene candidates, 16 of which are highly likely to encode cellulose synthases, and the remaining 16--cellulose synthase-like proteins (Csl). Phylogenetic analysis of gene products of cellulose synthase genes allowed distinguishing 6 groups of cellulose synthase genes of different classes: CesA1/10, CesA3, CesA4, CesA5/6/2/9, CesA7 and CesA8. Paralogous sequences within classes CesA1/10 and CesA5/6/2/9 which are associated with the primary cell wall formation are characterized by a greater similarity within these classes than orthologous sequences. Whereas the genes controlling the biosynthesis of secondary cell wall cellulose form distinct clades: CesA4, CesA7, and CesA8. The analysis of 16 identified flax cellulose synthase gene candidates shows the presence of at least 12 different cellulose synthase gene variants in flax genome which are represented in all six clades of cellulose synthase genes. Thus, at this point genes of all ten known cellulose synthase classes are identify in flax genome, but their correct classification requires additional research.

The causes of spatial patterning of mounds of a fungus-cultivating termite: results from nearest-neighbour analysis and ecological studies.

PubMed

Korb, Judith; Linsenmair, Karl Eduard

2001-05-01

Little is known about processes regulating population dynamics in termites. We investigated the distribution of mound-colonies of the fungus-cultivating termite Macrotermes bellicosus (Smeathman) in two habitats in the Comoé National Park (Côte d'Ivoire) with nearest-neighbour analysis differentiating between different age classes. These results were compared with ecological data on processes influencing population dynamics. High mound densities were recorded in shrub savannah while only a few mounds were found in gallery forest. Mounds were distributed randomly in both habitats when all mounds were considered together, and when inhabited and uninhabited mounds were treated separately. However, distinctive non-random patterns were revealed in the savannah when we distinguished between different age classes. Small, young colonies were aggregated when they coexisted with larger, older colonies, which were more regularly distributed. This indicates that the distribution of older colonies is influenced by intraspecific competition whereas that of younger colonies is influenced by opposing factors that lead to aggregation. This is in accordance with ecological data. Food is a limiting resource for large colonies, while patchily distributed appropriate microclimatic conditions seem to be more important for young colonies. Colonies that had formerly coexisted (i.e. living colonies and recently dead colonies) showed aggregated, random and regular distribution patterns, suggesting several causes of mortality. Colonies that had never had contact with each other were randomly distributed and no specific regulation mechanism was implicated. These results show that different age classes seem to be regulated by different processes and that separation between age classes is necessary to reveal indicative spatial patterns in nearest-neighbour analysis.

Disruption and pseudoautosomal localization of the major histocompatibility complex in monotremes

PubMed Central

Dohm, Juliane C; Tsend-Ayush, Enkhjargal; Reinhardt, Richard; Grützner, Frank; Himmelbauer, Heinz

2007-01-01

Background The monotremes, represented by the duck-billed platypus and the echidnas, are the most divergent species within mammals, featuring a flamboyant mix of reptilian, mammalian and specialized characteristics. To understand the evolution of the mammalian major histocompatibility complex (MHC), the analysis of the monotreme genome is vital. Results We characterized several MHC containing bacterial artificial chromosome clones from platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and mapped them onto chromosomes. We discovered that the MHC of monotremes is not contiguous and locates within pseudoautosomal regions of two pairs of their sex chromosomes. The analysis revealed an MHC core region with class I and class II genes on platypus and echidna X3/Y3. Echidna X4/Y4 and platypus Y4/X5 showed synteny to the human distal class III region and beyond. We discovered an intron-containing class I pseudogene on platypus Y4/X5 at a genomic location equivalent to the human HLA-B,C region, suggesting ancestral synteny of the monotreme MHC. Analysis of male meioses from platypus and echidna showed that MHC chromosomes occupy different positions in the meiotic chains of either species. Conclusion Molecular and cytogenetic analyses reveal new insights into the evolution of the mammalian MHC and the multiple sex chromosome system of monotremes. In addition, our data establish the first homology link between chicken microchromosomes and the smallest chromosomes in the monotreme karyotype. Our results further suggest that segments of the monotreme MHC that now reside on separate chromosomes must once have been syntenic and that the complex sex chromosome system of monotremes is dynamic and still evolving. PMID:17727704

Time-Frequency Cross Mutual Information Analysis of the Brain Functional Networks Underlying Multiclass Motor Imagery.

PubMed

Gong, Anmin; Liu, Jianping; Chen, Si; Fu, Yunfa

2018-01-01

To study the physiologic mechanism of the brain during different motor imagery (MI) tasks, the authors employed a method of brain-network modeling based on time-frequency cross mutual information obtained from 4-class (left hand, right hand, feet, and tongue) MI tasks recorded as brain-computer interface (BCI) electroencephalography data. The authors explored the brain network revealed by these MI tasks using statistical analysis and the analysis of topologic characteristics, and observed significant differences in the reaction level, reaction time, and activated target during 4-class MI tasks. There was a great difference in the reaction level between the execution and resting states during different tasks: the reaction level of the left-hand MI task was the greatest, followed by that of the right-hand, feet, and tongue MI tasks. The reaction time required to perform the tasks also differed: during the left-hand and right-hand MI tasks, the brain networks of subjects reacted promptly and strongly, but there was a delay during the feet and tongue MI task. Statistical analysis and the analysis of network topology revealed the target regions of the brain network during different MI processes. In conclusion, our findings suggest a new way to explain the neural mechanism behind MI.

The Influence of Static and Dynamic Intrapersonal Factors on Longitudinal Patterns of Peer Victimization through Mid-adolescence: a Latent Transition Analysis.

PubMed

Haltigan, John D; Vaillancourt, Tracy

2018-01-01

Using 6 cycles (grade 5 through grade 10) of data obtained from a large prospective sample of Canadian school children (N = 700; 52.6% girls), we replicated previous findings concerning the empirical definition of peer victimization (i.e., being bullied) and examined static and dynamic intrapersonal factors associated with its emergence and experiential continuity through mid-adolescence. Latent class analyses consistently revealed a low victimization and an elevated victimization class across time, supporting previous work suggesting peer victimization was defined by degree rather than by type (e.g., physical). Using latent transition analyses (LTA), we found that child sex, parent-perceived pubertal development, and internalizing symptoms influenced the probability of transitioning from the low to the elevated victimization class across time. Higher-order extensions within the LTA modeling framework revealed a lasting effect of grade 5 victimization status on grade 10 victimization status and a large effect of chronic victimization on later parent-reported youth internalizing symptoms (net of prior parent-reported internalizing symptoms) in later adolescence (grade 11). Implications of the current findings for the experience of peer victimization, as well as the application of latent transition analysis as a useful approach for peer victimization research, are discussed.

Dietary and exercise change following acute cardiac syndrome onset: A latent class growth modelling analysis.

PubMed

Bennett, Paul; Gruszczynska, Ewa; Marke, Victoria

2016-10-01

The present study aim determine sub-group trajectories of change on measures of diet and exercise following acute coronary syndrome. 150 participants were assessed in hospital, 1 month and 6 months subsequently on measures including physical activity, diet, illness beliefs, coping and mood. Change trajectories were measured using latent class growth modelling. Multinomial logistic regression was used to predict class membership. These analyses revealed changes in exercise were confined to a sub-group of participants already reporting relatively high exercise levels; those eating less healthily evidenced modest dietary improvements. Coping, gender, depression and perceived control predicted group membership to a modest degree. © The Author(s) 2015.

Revealing cell cycle control by combining model-based detection of periodic expression with novel cis-regulatory descriptors

PubMed Central

Andersson, Claes R; Hvidsten, Torgeir R; Isaksson, Anders; Gustafsson, Mats G; Komorowski, Jan

2007-01-01

Background We address the issue of explaining the presence or absence of phase-specific transcription in budding yeast cultures under different conditions. To this end we use a model-based detector of gene expression periodicity to divide genes into classes depending on their behavior in experiments using different synchronization methods. While computational inference of gene regulatory circuits typically relies on expression similarity (clustering) in order to find classes of potentially co-regulated genes, this method instead takes advantage of known time profile signatures related to the studied process. Results We explain the regulatory mechanisms of the inferred periodic classes with cis-regulatory descriptors that combine upstream sequence motifs with experimentally determined binding of transcription factors. By systematic statistical analysis we show that periodic classes are best explained by combinations of descriptors rather than single descriptors, and that different combinations correspond to periodic expression in different classes. We also find evidence for additive regulation in that the combinations of cis-regulatory descriptors associated with genes periodically expressed in fewer conditions are frequently subsets of combinations associated with genes periodically expression in more conditions. Finally, we demonstrate that our approach retrieves combinations that are more specific towards known cell-cycle related regulators than the frequently used clustering approach. Conclusion The results illustrate how a model-based approach to expression analysis may be particularly well suited to detect biologically relevant mechanisms. Our new approach makes it possible to provide more refined hypotheses about regulatory mechanisms of the cell cycle and it can easily be adjusted to reveal regulation of other, non-periodic, cellular processes. PMID:17939860

Robust Classification of Small-Molecule Mechanism of Action Using a Minimalist High-Content Microscopy Screen and Multidimensional Phenotypic Trajectory Analysis

PubMed Central

Twarog, Nathaniel R.; Low, Jonathan A.; Currier, Duane G.; Miller, Greg; Chen, Taosheng; Shelat, Anang A.

2016-01-01

Phenotypic screening through high-content automated microscopy is a powerful tool for evaluating the mechanism of action of candidate therapeutics. Despite more than a decade of development, however, high content assays have yielded mixed results, identifying robust phenotypes in only a small subset of compound classes. This has led to a combinatorial explosion of assay techniques, analyzing cellular phenotypes across dozens of assays with hundreds of measurements. Here, using a minimalist three-stain assay and only 23 basic cellular measurements, we developed an analytical approach that leverages informative dimensions extracted by linear discriminant analysis to evaluate similarity between the phenotypic trajectories of different compounds in response to a range of doses. This method enabled us to visualize biologically-interpretable phenotypic tracks populated by compounds of similar mechanism of action, cluster compounds according to phenotypic similarity, and classify novel compounds by comparing them to phenotypically active exemplars. Hierarchical clustering applied to 154 compounds from over a dozen different mechanistic classes demonstrated tight agreement with published compound mechanism classification. Using 11 phenotypically active mechanism classes, classification was performed on all 154 compounds: 78% were correctly identified as belonging to one of the 11 exemplar classes or to a different unspecified class, with accuracy increasing to 89% when less phenotypically active compounds were excluded. Importantly, several apparent clustering and classification failures, including rigosertib and 5-fluoro-2’-deoxycytidine, instead revealed more complex mechanisms or off-target effects verified by more recent publications. These results show that a simple, easily replicated, minimalist high-content assay can reveal subtle variations in the cellular phenotype induced by compounds and can correctly predict mechanism of action, as long as the appropriate analytical tools are used. PMID:26886014

Robust Classification of Small-Molecule Mechanism of Action Using a Minimalist High-Content Microscopy Screen and Multidimensional Phenotypic Trajectory Analysis.

PubMed

Twarog, Nathaniel R; Low, Jonathan A; Currier, Duane G; Miller, Greg; Chen, Taosheng; Shelat, Anang A

2016-01-01

Phenotypic screening through high-content automated microscopy is a powerful tool for evaluating the mechanism of action of candidate therapeutics. Despite more than a decade of development, however, high content assays have yielded mixed results, identifying robust phenotypes in only a small subset of compound classes. This has led to a combinatorial explosion of assay techniques, analyzing cellular phenotypes across dozens of assays with hundreds of measurements. Here, using a minimalist three-stain assay and only 23 basic cellular measurements, we developed an analytical approach that leverages informative dimensions extracted by linear discriminant analysis to evaluate similarity between the phenotypic trajectories of different compounds in response to a range of doses. This method enabled us to visualize biologically-interpretable phenotypic tracks populated by compounds of similar mechanism of action, cluster compounds according to phenotypic similarity, and classify novel compounds by comparing them to phenotypically active exemplars. Hierarchical clustering applied to 154 compounds from over a dozen different mechanistic classes demonstrated tight agreement with published compound mechanism classification. Using 11 phenotypically active mechanism classes, classification was performed on all 154 compounds: 78% were correctly identified as belonging to one of the 11 exemplar classes or to a different unspecified class, with accuracy increasing to 89% when less phenotypically active compounds were excluded. Importantly, several apparent clustering and classification failures, including rigosertib and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxycytidine, instead revealed more complex mechanisms or off-target effects verified by more recent publications. These results show that a simple, easily replicated, minimalist high-content assay can reveal subtle variations in the cellular phenotype induced by compounds and can correctly predict mechanism of action, as long as the appropriate analytical tools are used.

Does highly symptomatic class membership in the acute phase predict highly symptomatic classification in victims 6 months after traumatic exposure?

PubMed

Hansen, Maj; Hyland, Philip; Armour, Cherie

2016-05-01

Recently studies have indicated the existence of both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) subtypes but no studies have investigated their mutual association. Although ASD may not be a precursor of PTSD per se, there are potential benefits associated with early identification of victims at risk of developing PTSD subtypes. The present study investigates ASD and PTSD subtypes using latent class analysis (LCA) following bank robbery (N=371). Moreover, we assessed if highly symptomatic ASD and selected risk factors increased the probability of highly symptomatic PTSD. The results of LCA revealed a three class solution for ASD and a two class solution for PTSD. Negative cognitions about self (OR=1.08), neuroticism (OR=1.09) and membership of the 'High symptomatic ASD' class (OR=20.41) significantly increased the probability of 'symptomatic PTSD' class membership. Future studies are needed to investigate the existence of ASD and PTSD subtypes and their mutual relationship. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Topical Trajectory on Survival: An Analysis of Link-Making in a Sequence of Lessons on Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rocksén, Miranda; Olander, Clas

2017-01-01

This study explores the concept of link-making in relation to communicative strategies applied in the teaching and studying of biological evolution. The analysis focused on video recordings of 11 lessons on biological evolution conducted in a Swedish 9th grade class of students aged 15 years. It reveals how the teacher and students connected…

LONGITUDINAL TRAJECTORIES OF GESTATIONAL THYROID FUNCTION: A NEW APPROACH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND CHANGES IN THYROID FUNCTION.

PubMed

Pop, Victor; Broeren, Maarten; Wijnen, Hennie; Endendijk, Joyce; van Baar, Anneloes; Wiersinga, Wilmar; Williams, Graham R

2018-05-28

Most studies of thyroid function changes during pregnancy use a cross-sectional design comparing means between groups rather than similarities within groups. Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) is a novel approach to investigate longitudinal changes that provide dynamic understanding of the relationship between thyroid status and advancing pregnancy. Prospective observational study with repeated assessments. General community. 1100 healthy pregnant women who were included at their first antenatal visit at 12 weeks gestation. Statistically defined distinct groups based on determined specific changing trajectories by LCGA of both fT4 and TSH at each trimester. LCGA revealed three trajectory classes. Class 1 (n = 1019, 92.4%), a 'Low increasing TSH' reference group, had a gradual increase in TSH throughout gestation (from 1.1 to 1.3 IU/l). Class 2 (n = 30, 2.8%), 'High increasing TSH'', displayed the largest increase in TSH (from 1.9 to 3.3 IU/l); Class 3 (n = 51, 4.6%), 'Decreasing TSH', had the largest fall in TSH (from 3.2 to 2.4 IU/l). (Sub)clinical hypothyroidism at 12 weeks occurred in up to 60% of class 3 women and was accompanied by elevated TPO-Ab titres (50%) and a parental history of thyroid dysfunction (23%). 70% of class 2 women were nulliparous compared to 46% and 49% in classes 1 and 3. LCGA revealed distinct trajectories of longitudinal changes of fT4 and TSH levels during pregnancy in 7.4% of women. These trajectories were correlated with parity and TPO-Ab status and followed patterns that might reflect differences in pregnancy-specific immune tolerance between nulliparous and multiparous women.

Organization and variation analysis of 5S rDNA in different ploidy-level hybrids of red crucian carp × topmouth culter.

PubMed

He, Weiguo; Qin, Qinbo; Liu, Shaojun; Li, Tangluo; Wang, Jing; Xiao, Jun; Xie, Lihua; Zhang, Chun; Liu, Yun

2012-01-01

Through distant crossing, diploid, triploid and tetraploid hybrids of red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var., RCC♀, Cyprininae, 2n = 100) × topmouth culter (Erythroculter ilishaeformis Bleeker, TC♂, Cultrinae, 2n = 48) were successfully produced. Diploid hybrids possessed 74 chromosomes with one set from RCC and one set from TC; triploid hybrids harbored 124 chromosomes with two sets from RCC and one set from TC; tetraploid hybrids had 148 chromosomes with two sets from RCC and two sets from TC. The 5S rDNA of the three different ploidy-level hybrids and their parents were sequenced and analyzed. There were three monomeric 5S rDNA classes (designated class I: 203 bp; class II: 340 bp; and class III: 477 bp) in RCC and two monomeric 5S rDNA classes (designated class IV: 188 bp, and class V: 286 bp) in TC. In the hybrid offspring, diploid hybrids inherited three 5S rDNA classes from their female parent (RCC) and only class IV from their male parent (TC). Triploid hybrids inherited class II and class III from their female parent (RCC) and class IV from their male parent (TC). Tetraploid hybrids gained class II and class III from their female parent (RCC), and generated a new 5S rDNA sequence (designated class I-N). The specific paternal 5S rDNA sequence of class V was not found in the hybrid offspring. Sequence analysis of 5S rDNA revealed the influence of hybridization and polyploidization on the organization and variation of 5S rDNA in fish. This is the first report on the coexistence in vertebrates of viable diploid, triploid and tetraploid hybrids produced by crossing parents with different chromosome numbers, and these new hybrids are novel specimens for studying the genomic variation in the first generation of interspecific hybrids, which has significance for evolution and fish genetics.

The Meaning of Older Adults' Peer Teaching: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Ilseon

2009-01-01

This study investigated older adults' peer teaching experiences at a Lifelong Learning Institute through interviews with eight teachers and observations of their classes. Thematic analysis revealed themes of peer-to-peer teaching, volunteer teaching, and explorative teaching. Discussion of the themes examines the meaning of older adults' peer…

Genome-wide analysis reveals class and gene specific codon usage adaptation in avian paramyxoviruses 1

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In order to characterize the evolutionary adaptations of avian paramyxovirus 1 (APMV-1) genomes, we have compared codon usage and codon adaptation indexes among groups of Newcastle disease viruses that differ in biological, ecological, and genetic characteristics. We have used available GenBank com...

Successful AP Music Theory Instruction: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buonviri, Nathan O.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to examine the instructional approach of a highly successful Advanced Placement Music Theory teacher. I visited the participant's class twice a week for 14 weeks, taking field notes, conducting interviews, and collecting instructional artifacts. Analysis of qualitative data revealed three main themes: classroom…

(De)Motivation in Preparatory EFL Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vefali, Gülsen Musayeva; Ayan, Hatice Ç.

2015-01-01

This survey study aimed to explore EFL learners' (de)motivation in the preparatory classes at a tertiary institution in Northern Cyprus. It administered questionnaires to 105 preparatory learners and 30 language teachers. The statistical analysis revealed the Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.88 for the Learners' version, and 0.89 for…

Plant-symbiotic fungi as chemical engineers: multi-genome analysis of the Clavicipitaceae reveals dynamics of alkaloid loci

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The fungal family Clavicipitaceae includes plant symbionts and parasites that produce several potent psychoactive and bioprotective alkaloids. The family includes grass-symbiotic epichloae (Epichloë and Neotyphodium species), which have highly diverse chemotypes with four distinct classes of anti-in...

Contributions to Variations in Academic Trajectories amongst Recent Immigrant Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez-Orozco, Carola; Bang, Hee Jin; Onaga, Marie

2010-01-01

Immigration presents both challenges and opportunities that affect students' academic achievement. Over the course of five years, varying academic trajectories were identified for recent immigrant students from Central America, China, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico. Latent class growth curve analysis revealed that although some students…

Community College Students' Perceptions of Effective Communication in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Donna Alice Hill

2012-01-01

This quantitative research project analyzed the application of instructional communication tools and techniques used by community college students to determine how they perceive communication in their online classes. Online students from a community college participated in this study by completing an electronic survey. Data analysis revealed that…

Analysis of gene expression in a developmental context emphasizes distinct biological leitmotifs in human cancers

PubMed Central

Naxerova, Kamila; Bult, Carol J; Peaston, Anne; Fancher, Karen; Knowles, Barbara B; Kasif, Simon; Kohane, Isaac S

2008-01-01

Background In recent years, the molecular underpinnings of the long-observed resemblance between neoplastic and immature tissue have begun to emerge. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling has revealed similar gene expression signatures in several tumor types and early developmental stages of their tissue of origin. However, it remains unclear whether such a relationship is a universal feature of malignancy, whether heterogeneities exist in the developmental component of different tumor types and to which degree the resemblance between cancer and development is a tissue-specific phenomenon. Results We defined a developmental landscape by summarizing the main features of ten developmental time courses and projected gene expression from a variety of human tumor types onto this landscape. This comparison demonstrates a clear imprint of developmental gene expression in a wide range of tumors and with respect to different, even non-cognate developmental backgrounds. Our analysis reveals three classes of cancers with developmentally distinct transcriptional patterns. We characterize the biological processes dominating these classes and validate the class distinction with respect to a new time series of murine embryonic lung development. Finally, we identify a set of genes that are upregulated in most cancers and we show that this signature is active in early development. Conclusion This systematic and quantitative overview of the relationship between the neoplastic and developmental transcriptome spanning dozens of tissues provides a reliable outline of global trends in cancer gene expression, reveals potentially clinically relevant differences in the gene expression of different cancer types and represents a reference framework for interpretation of smaller-scale functional studies. PMID:18611264

Confirmatory factors analysis of science teacher leadership in the Thailand world-class standard schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thawinkarn, Dawruwan

2018-01-01

This research aims to analyze factors of science teacher leadership in the Thailand World-Class Standard Schools. The research instrument was a five scale rating questionnaire with reliability 0.986. The sample group included 500 science teachers from World-Class Standard Schools who had been selected by using the stratified random sampling technique. Factor analysis of science teacher leadership in the Thailand World-Class Standard Schools was conducted by using M plus for Windows. The results are as follows: The results of confirmatory factor analysis on science teacher leadership in the Thailand World-Class Standard Schools revealed that the model significantly correlated with the empirical data. The consistency index value was x2 = 105.655, df = 88, P-Value = 0.086, TLI = 0.997, CFI = 0.999, RMSEA = 0.022, and SRMR = 0.019. The value of factor loading of science teacher leadership was positive, with statistical significance at the level of 0.01. The value of six factors was between 0.880-0.996. The highest factor loading was the professional learning community, followed by child-centered instruction, participation in development, the role model in teaching, transformational leaders, and self-development with factor loading at 0.996, 0.928, 0.911, 0.907, 0.901, and 0.871, respectively. The reliability of each factor was 99.1%, 86.0%, 83.0%, 82.2%, 81.0%, and 75.8%, respectively.

Symptoms of prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress following loss: A latent class analysis.

PubMed

Maccallum, Fiona; Bryant, Richard A

2018-04-01

Individuals vary in how they respond to bereavement. Those who experience poor bereavement outcomes often report symptoms from more than one diagnostic category. This study sought to identify groups of individuals who share similar patterns of prolonged grief disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms to determine whether these profiles are differentially related to negative appraisals thought to contribute to prolonged grief disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology. Participants were 185 bereaved adults. Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of individuals who showed similar patterns of co-occurrence of prolonged grief disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Multinomial regression was used to examine the extent to which appraisal domains and sociodemographic and loss factors predicted class membership. Latent class analysis revealed three classes of participants: a low symptom group, a high prolonged grief disorder symptom group, and a high prolonged grief disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom group. Membership of the prolonged grief disorder group and prolonged grief disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder group was predicted by higher mean negative self-related appraisals. Demographic and loss-related factors did not predict group membership. These findings have implications for understanding co-occurrence of prolonged grief disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms following bereavement. Findings are consistent with theoretical models highlighting the importance of negative self-related beliefs in prolonged grief disorder.

Inhibitor-binding mode of homobelactosin C to proteasomes: New insights into class I MHC ligand generation

PubMed Central

Groll, Michael; Larionov, Oleg V.; Huber, Robert; de Meijere, Armin

2006-01-01

Most class I MHC ligands are generated from the vast majority of cellular proteins by proteolysis within the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway and are presented on the cell surface by MHC class I molecules. Here, we present the crystallographic analysis of yeast 20S proteasome in complex with the inhibitor homobelactosin C. The structure reveals a unique inhibitor-binding mode and provides information about the composition of proteasomal primed substrate-binding sites. IFN-γ inducible substitution of proteasomal constitutive subunits by immunosubunits modulates characteristics of generated peptides, thus producing fragments with higher preference for binding to MHC class I molecules. The structural data for the proteasome:homobelactosin C complex provide an explanation for involvement of immunosubunits in antigen generation and open perspectives for rational design of ligands, inhibiting exclusively constitutive proteasomes or immunoproteasomes. PMID:16537370

Rural N(SO) and German middle-class mothers' interaction with their 3- and 6-month-old infants: A longitudinal cross-cultural analysis.

PubMed

Lamm, Bettina; Gudi, Helene; Fassbender, Ina; Freitag, Claudia; Graf, Frauke; Goertz, Claudia; Spangler, Sibylle; Teubert, Manuel; Knopf, Monika; Lohaus, Arnold; Schwarzer, Gudrun; Keller, Heidi

2015-08-01

This study aims to analyze culture-specific development of maternal interactional behavior longitudinally. Rural Cameroonian Nso mothers (n = 72) and German middle-class mothers (n = 106) were observed in free-play interactions with their 3- and 6-month-old infants. Results reveal the expected shift from a social to a nonsocial focus only in the German middle-class mothers' play interactions but not the rural Nso mothers' play. Nso mothers continue their proximal interactional style with a focus on body contact and body stimulation, whereas German middle-class mothers prefer a distal style of interaction with increasing object-centeredness. These cultural differences are in line with broader cultural models and become more accentuated as the infants grow older. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The Team Climate Inventory as a Measure of Primary Care Teams' Processes: Validation of the French Version

PubMed Central

Beaulieu, Marie-Dominique; Dragieva, Nataliya; Del Grande, Claudio; Dawson, Jeremy; Haggerty, Jeannie L.; Barnsley, Jan; Hogg, William E.; Tousignant, Pierre; West, Michael A.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Evaluate the psychometric properties of the French version of the short 19-item Team Climate Inventory (TCI) and explore the contributions of individual and organizational characteristics to perceived team effectiveness. Method: The TCI was completed by 471 of the 618 (76.2%) healthcare professionals and administrative staff working in a random sample of 37 primary care practices in the province of Quebec. Results: Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the original four-factor model. Cronbach's alphas were excellent (from 0.88 to 0.93). Latent class analysis revealed three-class response structure. Respondents in practices with professional governance had a higher probability of belonging to the “High TCI” class than did practices with community governance (36.7% vs. 19.1%). Administrative staff tended to fall into the “Suboptimal TCI” class more frequently than did physicians (36.5% vs. 19.0%). Conclusion: Results confirm the validity of our French version of the short TCI. The association between professional governance and better team climate merits further exploration. PMID:24726073

Examining the Heterogeneity and Cost Effectiveness of a Complex Intervention by Segmentation of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

PubMed

Sørensen, Sabrina Storgaard; Jensen, Morten Berg; Pedersen, Kjeld Møller; Ehlers, Lars

2018-02-01

To examine the heterogeneity in cost-effectiveness analyses of patient-tailored complex interventions. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on data from a randomized controlled trial evaluating a patient-tailored case management strategy for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). LCA was conducted on detailed process variables representing service variation in the intervention group. Features of the identified latent classes were compared for consistency with baseline demographic, clinical, and economic characteristics for each class. Classes for the control group, corresponding to the identified latent classes for the intervention group, were identified using multinomial logistic regression. Cost-utility analyses were then conducted at the class level, and uncertainty surrounding the point estimates was assessed by probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The LCA identified three distinct classes: the psychologically care class, the extensive COPD care class, and the limited COPD care class. Patient baseline characteristics were in line with the features identified in the LCA. Evaluation of cost-effectiveness revealed highly disparate results, and case management for only the extensive COPD care class appeared cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £26,986 per quality-adjusted life-year gained using the threshold value set by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence. Findings indicate that researchers evaluating patient-tailored complex interventions need to address both supply-side variation and demand-side heterogeneity to link findings with outcome. The article specifically proposes the use of LCA because it is believed to have the potential to enable more appropriate targeting of complex care strategies. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Four U's: Latent Classes of Hookup Motivations Among College Students

PubMed Central

Uecker, Jeremy E.; Pearce, Lisa D.; Andercheck, Brita

2016-01-01

College students’ “hookups” have been the subject of a great deal of research in recent years. Motivations for hooking up have been linked to differences in well-being after the hookup, but studies detailing college students’ motivations for engaging in hookups focus on single motivations. Using data from the 2010 Duke Hookup Survey, we consider how motivations for hooking up cluster to produce different classes, or profiles, of students who hook up, and how these classes are related to hookup regret. Four distinct classes of motivations emerged from our latent class analysis: Utilitarians (50%), Uninhibiteds (27%), Uninspireds (19%), and Unreflectives (4%). We find a number of differences in hookup motivation classes across social characteristics, including gender, year in school, race-ethnicity, self-esteem, and attitudes about sexual behavior outside committed relationships. Additionally, Uninspireds regret hookups more frequently than members of the other classes, and Uninhibiteds report regret less frequently than Utilitarians and Uninspireds. These findings reveal the complexity of motivations for hooking up and the link between motivations and regret. PMID:27066516

Latent classes of sexual behaviors: Prevalence, predictors, and consequences

PubMed Central

Wesche, Rose; Lefkowitz, Eva S.; Vasilenko, Sara A.

2016-01-01

Scholars of adolescent and emerging adult sexuality have recently begun to study how diverse patterns of sexual behaviors contribute to development and well-being. A person-oriented approach to studying sexual behaviors provides a nuanced understanding of sexual repertoires. The goals of this paper were to document patterns of sexual behaviors ranging from kissing to penetrative sex, and to examine how latent classes of behaviors, gender, and partner type (romantic vs. nonromantic) predict intra- and interpersonal consequences of sexual behaviors. Latent class analysis of a stratified random sample of U.S. college students revealed four classes of sexual behaviors: Kissing Only, Kissing and Touching, All Behaviors, and Oral and Penetrative Only. Compared to individuals in the All Behaviors class, individuals in the Kissing Only class were less likely to experience a positive or a negative intrapersonal consequence of sexual behaviors. Men were less likely to report a negative intrapersonal consequence than women were. Partner type predicted negative interpersonal consequences for the All Behaviors class. Implications are discussed in terms of normative sexual development, prevention, and sexual and relationship education. PMID:28163800

Structure of the mouse sex peptide pheromone ESP1 reveals a molecular basis for specific binding to the class C G-protein-coupled vomeronasal receptor.

PubMed

Yoshinaga, Sosuke; Sato, Toru; Hirakane, Makoto; Esaki, Kaori; Hamaguchi, Takashi; Haga-Yamanaka, Sachiko; Tsunoda, Mai; Kimoto, Hiroko; Shimada, Ichio; Touhara, Kazushige; Terasawa, Hiroaki

2013-05-31

Exocrine gland-secreting peptide 1 (ESP1) is a sex pheromone that is released in male mouse tear fluids and enhances female sexual receptive behavior. ESP1 is selectively recognized by a specific class C G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), V2Rp5, among the hundreds of receptors expressed in vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs). The specific sensing mechanism of the mammalian peptide pheromone by the class C GPCR remains to be elucidated. Here we identified the minimal functional region needed to retain VSN-stimulating activity in ESP1 and determined its three-dimensional structure, which adopts a helical fold stabilized by an intramolecular disulfide bridge with extensive charged patches. We then identified the amino acids involved in the activation of VSNs by a structure-based mutational analysis, revealing that the highly charged surface is crucial for the ESP1 activity. We also demonstrated that ESP1 specifically bound to an extracellular region of V2Rp5 by an in vitro pulldown assay. Based on homology modeling of V2Rp5 using the structure of the metabotropic glutamate receptor, we constructed a docking model of the ESP1-V2Rp5 complex in which the binding interface exhibited good electrostatic complementarity. These experimental results, supported by the molecular docking simulations, reveal that charge-charge interactions determine the specificity of ESP1 binding to V2Rp5 in the large extracellular region characteristic of class C GPCRs. The present study provides insights into the structural basis for the narrowly tuned sensing of mammalian peptide pheromones by class C GPCRs.

Comparative analysis of the repertoire of G protein-coupled receptors of three species of the fungal genus Trichoderma

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Eukaryotic organisms employ cell surface receptors such as the seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) as sensors to connect to the environment. GPCRs react to a variety of extracellular cues and are considered to play central roles in the signal transduction in fungi. Several species of the filamentous ascomycete Trichoderma are potent mycoparasites, i.e. can attack and parasitize other fungi, which turns them into successful bio-fungicides for the protection of plants against fungal phytopathogens. The identification and characterization of GPCRs will provide insights into how Trichoderma communicates with its environment and senses the presence of host fungi. Results We mined the recently published genomes of the two mycoparasitic biocontrol agents Trichoderma atroviride and Trichoderma virens and compared the identified GPCR-like proteins to those of the saprophyte Trichoderma reesei. Phylogenetic analyses resulted in 14 classes and revealed differences not only among the three Trichoderma species but also between Trichoderma and other fungi. The class comprising proteins of the PAQR family was significantly expanded both in Trichoderma compared to other fungi as well as in the two mycoparasites compared to T. reesei. Expression analysis of the PAQR-encoding genes of the three Trichoderma species revealed that all except one were actually transcribed. Furthermore, the class of receptors with a DUF300 domain was expanded in T. atroviride, and T. virens showed an expansion of PTH11-like receptors compared to T. atroviride and T. reesei. Conclusions Comparative genome analyses of three Trichoderma species revealed a great diversity of putative GPCRs with genus- and species- specific differences. The expansion of certain classes in the mycoparasites T. atroviride and T. virens is likely to reflect the capability of these fungi to establish various ecological niches and interactions with other organisms such as fungi and plants. These GPCRs consequently represent interesting candidates for future research on the mechanisms underlying mycoparasitism and biocontrol. PMID:23679152

Comparative analysis of the repertoire of G protein-coupled receptors of three species of the fungal genus Trichoderma.

PubMed

Gruber, Sabine; Omann, Markus; Zeilinger, Susanne

2013-05-16

Eukaryotic organisms employ cell surface receptors such as the seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) as sensors to connect to the environment. GPCRs react to a variety of extracellular cues and are considered to play central roles in the signal transduction in fungi. Several species of the filamentous ascomycete Trichoderma are potent mycoparasites, i.e. can attack and parasitize other fungi, which turns them into successful bio-fungicides for the protection of plants against fungal phytopathogens. The identification and characterization of GPCRs will provide insights into how Trichoderma communicates with its environment and senses the presence of host fungi. We mined the recently published genomes of the two mycoparasitic biocontrol agents Trichoderma atroviride and Trichoderma virens and compared the identified GPCR-like proteins to those of the saprophyte Trichoderma reesei. Phylogenetic analyses resulted in 14 classes and revealed differences not only among the three Trichoderma species but also between Trichoderma and other fungi. The class comprising proteins of the PAQR family was significantly expanded both in Trichoderma compared to other fungi as well as in the two mycoparasites compared to T. reesei. Expression analysis of the PAQR-encoding genes of the three Trichoderma species revealed that all except one were actually transcribed. Furthermore, the class of receptors with a DUF300 domain was expanded in T. atroviride, and T. virens showed an expansion of PTH11-like receptors compared to T. atroviride and T. reesei. Comparative genome analyses of three Trichoderma species revealed a great diversity of putative GPCRs with genus- and species- specific differences. The expansion of certain classes in the mycoparasites T. atroviride and T. virens is likely to reflect the capability of these fungi to establish various ecological niches and interactions with other organisms such as fungi and plants. These GPCRs consequently represent interesting candidates for future research on the mechanisms underlying mycoparasitism and biocontrol.

Systemic treatment after whole-brain radiotherapy may improve survival in RPA class II/III breast cancer patients with brain metastasis.

PubMed

Zhang, Qian; Chen, Jian; Yu, Xiaoli; Ma, Jinli; Cai, Gang; Yang, Zhaozhi; Cao, Lu; Chen, Xingxing; Guo, Xiaomao; Chen, Jiayi

2013-09-01

Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is the most widely used treatment for brain metastasis (BM), especially for patients with multiple intracranial lesions. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of systemic treatments following WBRT in breast cancer patients with BM who had different clinical characteristics, based on the classification of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) and the breast cancer-specific Graded Prognostic Assessment (Breast-GPA). One hundred and one breast cancer patients with BM treated between 2006 and 2010 were analyzed. The median interval between breast cancer diagnosis and identification of BM in the triple-negative patients was shorter than in the luminal A subtype (26 vs. 36 months, respectively; P = 0.021). Univariate analysis indicated that age at BM diagnosis, Karnofsky performance status/recursive partitioning analysis (KPS/RPA) classes, number of BMs, primary tumor control, extracranial metastases and systemic treatment following WBRT were significant prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that KPS/RPA classes and systemic treatments following WBRT remained the significant prognostic factors for OS. For RPA class I, the median survival with and without systemic treatments following WBRT was 25 and 22 months, respectively (P = 0.819), while for RPA class II/III systemic treatments significantly improved OS from 7 and 2 months to 11 and 5 months, respectively (P < 0.05). Our results suggested that triple-negative patients had a shorter interval between initial diagnosis and the development of BM than luminal A patients. Systemic treatments following WBRT improved the survival of RPA class II/III patients.

Molecular Characterization, Gene Evolution, and Expression Analysis of the Fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate Aldolase (FBA) Gene Family in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

PubMed Central

Lv, Geng-Yin; Guo, Xiao-Guang; Xie, Li-Ping; Xie, Chang-Gen; Zhang, Xiao-Hong; Yang, Yuan; Xiao, Lei; Tang, Yu-Ying; Pan, Xing-Lai; Guo, Ai-Guang; Xu, Hong

2017-01-01

Fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) is a key plant enzyme that is involved in glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and the Calvin cycle. It plays significant roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses, as well as in regulating growth and development processes. In the present paper, 21 genes encoding TaFBA isoenzymes were identified, characterized, and categorized into three groups: class I chloroplast/plastid FBA (CpFBA), class I cytosol FBA (cFBA), and class II chloroplast/plastid FBA. By using a prediction online database and genomic PCR analysis of Chinese Spring nulli-tetrasomic lines, we have confirmed the chromosomal location of these genes in 12 chromosomes of four homologous groups. Sequence and genomic structure analysis revealed the high identity of the allelic TaFBA genes and the origin of different TaFBA genes. Numerous putative environment stimulus-responsive cis-elements have been identified in 1,500-bp regions of TaFBA gene promoters, of which the most abundant are the light-regulated elements (LREs). Phylogenetic reconstruction using the deduced protein sequence of 245 FBA genes indicated an independent evolutionary pathway for the class I and class II groups. Although, earlier studies have indicated that class II FBA only occurs in prokaryote and fungi, our results have demonstrated that a few class II CpFBAs exist in wheat and other closely related species. Class I TaFBA was predicted to be tetramers and class II to be dimers. Gene expression analysis based on microarray and transcriptome databases suggested the distinct role of TaFBAs in different tissues and developmental stages. The TaFBA 4–9 genes were highly expressed in leaves and might play important roles in wheat development. The differential expression patterns of the TaFBA genes in light/dark and a few abiotic stress conditions were also analyzed. The results suggested that LRE cis-elements of TaFBA gene promoters were not directly related to light responses. Most TaFBA genes had higher expression levels in the roots than in the shoots when under various stresses. Class I cytosol TaFBA genes, particularly TaFBA10/12/18 and TaFBA13/16, and three class II TaFBA genes are involved in responses to various abiotic stresses. Class I CpFBA genes in wheat are apparently sensitive to different stress conditions. PMID:28659962

Principal component analysis and analysis of variance on the effects of Entellan New on the Raman spectra of fibers.

PubMed

Yu, Marcia M L; Sandercock, P Mark L

2012-01-01

During the forensic examination of textile fibers, fibers are usually mounted on glass slides for visual inspection and identification under the microscope. One method that has the capability to accurately identify single textile fibers without subsequent demounting is Raman microspectroscopy. The effect of the mountant Entellan New on the Raman spectra of fibers was investigated to determine if it is suitable for fiber analysis. Raman spectra of synthetic fibers mounted in three different ways were collected and subjected to multivariate analysis. Principal component analysis score plots revealed that while spectra from different fiber classes formed distinct groups, fibers of the same class formed a single group regardless of the mounting method. The spectra of bare fibers and those mounted in Entellan New were found to be statistically indistinguishable by analysis of variance calculations. These results demonstrate that fibers mounted in Entellan New may be identified directly by Raman microspectroscopy without further sample preparation. © 2011 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Assistive technology outcomes in post-secondary students with disabilities: the influence of diagnosis, gender, and class-level.

PubMed

Malcolm, Matt P; Roll, Marla C

2017-11-01

This study investigated how outcomes of assistive technology (AT) services for college students with disabilities are influenced by diagnosis, gender and class-level (e.g., Freshman). Students' pre- and post-intervention ratings of their performance and satisfaction of common academic tasks (using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, COPM) were analyzed, as well as students' responses on a survey about AT service provision, use, and preferences. Data from 455 students revealed "learning disability" to be the most prevalent diagnosis (38%), similar numbers of females and males served, and Freshmen (23.1%) as the largest class-level seeking AT services. For COPM data, each two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (grouping variable = diagnosis) revealed that pre-post change scores significantly improved for the entire sample, and that students with a mood disorder experienced the greatest changes compared to other diagnoses. COPM scores significantly and similarly improved for females and males, and across class levels. AT Survey ratings about timeliness of services and independent AT use were significantly lower for students with mobility deficits/pain and neurological damage, respectively. Gender and class-level variables did not significantly impact AT Survey ratings. The study results reveal that features of a college student's diagnosis may influence AT service outcomes, and student-perceptions of AT services ability to use AT. Implications for Rehabilitation College students who are Freshman and/or who have a learning disability are the most prevalent students referred for campus-based assistive technology services. While student ratings of academic task performance significantly increase across diagnostic groupings, these improvements were greatest for those with a mood disorder compared to other diagnostic groups. Service-providers should consider that features of certain diagnoses or disabilities may influence the student?s perception of AT service provision and their ability to use AT. A student's gender and class-level (e.g., Freshman) do not appear to influence the outcomes of AT services for college students with disabilities.

Classification of multiple sclerosis patients by latent class analysis of magnetic resonance imaging characteristics.

PubMed

Zwemmer, J N P; Berkhof, J; Castelijns, J A; Barkhof, F; Polman, C H; Uitdehaag, B M J

2006-10-01

Disease heterogeneity is a major issue in multiple sclerosis (MS). Classification of MS patients is usually based on clinical characteristics. More recently, a pathological classification has been presented. While clinical subtypes differ by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signature on a group level, a classification of individual MS patients based purely on MRI characteristics has not been presented so far. To investigate whether a restricted classification of MS patients can be made based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative MRI characteristics and to test whether the resulting subgroups are associated with clinical and laboratory characteristics. MRI examinations of the brain and spinal cord of 50 patients were scored for 21 quantitative and qualitative characteristics. Using latent class analysis, subgroups were identified, for whom disease characteristics and laboratory measures were compared. Latent class analysis revealed two subgroups that mainly differed in the extent of lesion confluency and MRI correlates of neuronal loss in the brain. Demographics and disease characteristics were comparable except for cognitive deficits. No correlations with laboratory measures were found. Latent class analysis offers a feasible approach for classifying subgroups of MS patients based on the presence of MRI characteristics. The reproducibility, longitudinal evolution and further clinical or prognostic relevance of the observed classification will have to be explored in a larger and independent sample of patients.

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A (HMG-CoA) reductases

PubMed Central

Friesen, Jon A; Rodwell, Victor W

2004-01-01

The enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, a four-electron oxidoreduction that is the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of cholesterol and other isoprenoids. The enzyme is found in eukaryotes and prokaryotes; and phylogenetic analysis has revealed two classes of HMG-CoA reductase, the Class I enzymes of eukaryotes and some archaea and the Class II enzymes of eubacteria and certain other archaea. Three-dimensional structures of the catalytic domain of HMG-CoA reductases from humans and from the bacterium Pseudomonas mevalonii, in conjunction with site-directed mutagenesis studies, have revealed details of the mechanism of catalysis. The reaction catalyzed by human HMG-CoA reductase is a target for anti-hypercholesterolemic drugs (statins), which are intended to lower cholesterol levels in serum. Eukaryotic forms of the enzyme are anchored to the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas the prokaryotic enzymes are soluble. Probably because of its critical role in cellular cholesterol homeostasis, mammalian HMG-CoA reductase is extensively regulated at the transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. PMID:15535874

Structural basis of cargo recognitions for class V myosins

PubMed Central

Wei, Zhiyi; Liu, Xiaotian; Yu, Cong; Zhang, Mingjie

2013-01-01

Class V myosins (MyoV), the most studied unconventional myosins, recognize numerous cargos mainly via the motor’s globular tail domain (GTD). Little is known regarding how MyoV-GTD recognizes such a diverse array of cargos specifically. Here, we solved the crystal structures of MyoVa-GTD in its apo-form and in complex with two distinct cargos, melanophilin and Rab interacting lysosomal protein-like 2. The apo-MyoVa-GTD structure indicates that most mutations found in patients with Griscelli syndrome, microvillus inclusion disease, or cancers or in “dilute” rodents likely impair the folding of GTD. The MyoVa-GTD/cargo complex structure reveals two distinct cargo-binding surfaces, one primarily via charge–charge interaction and the other mainly via hydrophobic interactions. Structural and biochemical analysis reveal the specific cargo-binding specificities of various isoforms of mammalian MyoV as well as very different cargo recognition mechanisms of MyoV between yeast and higher eukaryotes. The MyoVa-GTD structures resolved here provide a framework for future functional studies of vertebrate class V myosins. PMID:23798443

Empirically Defined Patterns of Executive Function Deficits in Schizophrenia and Their Relation to Everyday Functioning: A Person-Centered Approach

PubMed Central

Iampietro, Mary; Giovannetti, Tania; Drabick, Deborah A. G.; Kessler, Rachel K.

2013-01-01

Executive function (EF) deficits in schizophrenia (SZ) are well documented, although much less is known about patterns of EF deficits and their association to differential impairments in everyday functioning. The present study empirically defined SZ groups based on measures of various EF abilities and then compared these EF groups on everyday action errors. Participants (n=45) completed various subtests from the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) and the Naturalistic Action Test (NAT), a performance-based measure of everyday action that yields scores reflecting total errors and a range of different error types (e.g., omission, perseveration). Results of a latent class analysis revealed three distinct EF groups, characterized by (a) multiple EF deficits, (b) relatively spared EF, and (c) perseverative responding. Follow-up analyses revealed that the classes differed significantly on NAT total errors, total commission errors, and total perseveration errors; the two classes with EF impairment performed comparably on the NAT but performed worse than the class with relatively spared EF. In sum, people with SZ demonstrate variable patterns of EF deficits, and distinct aspects of these EF deficit patterns (i.e., poor mental control abilities) may be associated with everyday functioning capabilities. PMID:23035705

Effects of curricular activity on students' situational motivation and physical activity levels.

PubMed

Gao, Zan; Hannon, James C; Newton, Maria; Huang, Chaoqun

2011-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the effects of three curricular activities on students'situational motivation (intrinsic motivation [IM], identified regulation [IR], external regulation, and amotivation [AM]) and physical activity (PA) levels, and (b) the predictive strength of situational motivation to PA levels. Four hundred twelve students in grades 7-9 participated in three activities (cardiovascular fitness, ultimate football, and Dance Dance Revolution [DDR]) in physical education. ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers were used to measure students' PA levels for three classes for each activity. Students also completed a Situational Motivation Scale (Guay, Vallerand, & Blanchard, 2000) at the end of each class. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that students spent significantly higher percentages of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) in fitness and football classes than they did in DDR class. Students reported higher lM and IR toward fitness than DDR They also scored higher in IR toward fitness than football. In contrast, students displayed significantly lower AM toward fitness than football and DDR Hierarchical Linear Modeling revealed that IM was the only positive predictor for time in MVPA (p = .02), whereas AM was the negative predictor (p < .01). The findings are discussed in regard to the implications for educational practice.

Diversity and evolutionary patterns of immune genes in free-ranging Namibian leopards (Panthera pardus pardus).

PubMed

Castro-Prieto, Aines; Wachter, Bettina; Melzheimer, Joerg; Thalwitzer, Susanne; Sommer, Simone

2011-01-01

The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are a key component of the mammalian immune system and have become important molecular markers for fitness-related genetic variation in wildlife populations. Currently, no information about the MHC sequence variation and constitution in African leopards exists. In this study, we isolated and characterized genetic variation at the adaptively most important region of MHC class I and MHC class II-DRB genes in 25 free-ranging African leopards from Namibia and investigated the mechanisms that generate and maintain MHC polymorphism in the species. Using single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis and direct sequencing, we detected 6 MHC class I and 6 MHC class II-DRB sequences, which likely correspond to at least 3 MHC class I and 3 MHC class II-DRB loci. Amino acid sequence variation in both MHC classes was higher or similar in comparison to other reported felids. We found signatures of positive selection shaping the diversity of MHC class I and MHC class II-DRB loci during the evolutionary history of the species. A comparison of MHC class I and MHC class II-DRB sequences of the leopard to those of other felids revealed a trans-species mode of evolution. In addition, the evolutionary relationships of MHC class II-DRB sequences between African and Asian leopard subspecies are discussed.

A Latent Class Analysis of Early Adolescent Peer and Dating Violence: Associations With Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety.

PubMed

Garthe, Rachel C; Sullivan, Terri N; Behrhorst, Kathryn L

2018-02-01

Violence within peer and dating contexts is prevalent among early adolescents. Youth may be victims and/or aggressors and be involved in violence across multiple contexts, resulting in negative outcomes. This study identified patterns of perpetration and victimization for peer and dating violence, using a latent class analysis (LCA), and examined how different patterns of engaging in or experiencing violence among early adolescents were associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Participants included a sample of 508 racially and ethnically diverse youth (51% male) who had dated in the past 3 months. Youth were in the seventh grade within 37 schools and were primarily from economically disadvantaged communities across four sites in the United States. LCA identified three classes: (a) a low involvement in violence class, (b) a peer aggression and peer victimization class, and (c) a peer and dating violence class. Youth involved with multiple forms of violence displayed significantly higher levels of depressive and anxious symptoms than those with low involvement in violence. Study findings revealed the importance of understanding how peer and dating violence co-occur, and how different patterns of aggression and victimization were related to internalizing symptoms. Prevention efforts should address the intersection of victimization and perpetration in peer and dating contexts in potentially reducing internalizing symptoms among early adolescents.

Length and sequence heterogeneity in 5S rDNA of Populus deltoides.

PubMed

Negi, Madan S; Rajagopal, Jyothi; Chauhan, Neeti; Cronn, Richard; Lakshmikumaran, Malathi

2002-12-01

The 5S rRNA genes and their associated non-transcribed spacer (NTS) regions are present as repeat units arranged in tandem arrays in plant genomes. Length heterogeneity in 5S rDNA repeats was previously identified in Populus deltoides and was also observed in the present study. Primers were designed to amplify the 5S rDNA NTS variants from the P. deltoides genome. The PCR-amplified products from the two accessions of P. deltoides (G3 and G48) suggested the presence of length heterogeneity of 5S rDNA units within and among accessions, and the size of the spacers ranged from 385 to 434 bp. Sequence analysis of the non-transcribed spacer (NTS) revealed two distinct classes of 5S rDNA within both accessions: class 1, which contained GAA trinucleotide microsatellite repeats, and class 2, which lacked the repeats. The class 1 spacer shows length variation owing to the microsatellite, with two clones exhibiting 10 GAA repeat units and one clone exhibiting 16 such repeat units. However, distance analysis shows that class 1 spacer sequences are highly similar inter se, yielding nucleotide diversity (pi) estimates that are less than 0.15% of those obtained for class 2 spacers (pi = 0.0183 vs. 0.1433, respectively). The presence of microsatellite in the NTS region leading to variation in spacer length is reported and discussed for the first time in P. deltoides.

Mother-Daughter Communication about Sex and Sexual Intercourse among Middle- to Upper-Class African American Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usher-Seriki, Kimberly K.; Bynum, Mia Smith; Callands, Tamora A.

2008-01-01

This study investigated linkages between various dimensions of mother-daughter communication about sex and sexual intercourse in a sample of 274 middle- to upper-income African American adolescent girls, drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Logistic regression analysis revealed that girls who reported closer…

Science Education in Two-Year Colleges: Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooney, William T., Jr.

Physics instruction is examined as revealed in a study of science education at two-year colleges which involved a review of the literature, an analysis of the catalogs and class schedules of 175 representative institutions, and a survey of 45 physics instructors. Each of the two parts of the report reviews pertinent literature, reports study…

Ten Adaptive Strategies for Family and Work Balance: Advice from Successful Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haddock, Shelley A.; Zimmerman, Toni Schindler; Ziemba, Scott J.; Current, Lisa R.

2001-01-01

Investigated adaptive strategies of middle class, dual earner couples (N=47) with children that are successfully managing family and work. Guided by grounded-theory methodology, analysis of interview data revealed these successful couples structured their lives around 10 major strategies. Each strategy is defined and illustrated through the…

Obstacles to Developing Digital Literacy on the Internet in Middle School Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colwell, Jamie; Hunt-Barron, Sarah; Reinking, David

2013-01-01

Obstacles, and instructional responses to them, that emerged in two middle school science classes during a formative experiment investigating Internet Reciprocal Teaching (IRT), an instructional intervention aimed at increasing digital literacy on the Internet, are reported in this manuscript. Analysis of qualitative data revealed that IRT enabled…

Paternal Work Stress and Latent Profiles of Father-Infant Parenting Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, W. Benjamin; Crouter, Ann C.; Lanza, Stephanie T.; Cox, Martha J.; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne

2011-01-01

The current study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine the implications of fathers' experiences of work stress for paternal behaviors with infants across multiple dimensions of parenting in a sample of fathers living in nonmetropolitan communities (N = 492). LPA revealed five classes of fathers based on levels of social-affective…

Familism, Family Environment, and Suicide Attempts among Latina Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pena, Juan B.; Kuhlberg, Jill A.; Zayas, Luis H.; Baumann, Ana A.; Gulbas, Lauren; Hausmann-Stabile, Carolina; Nolle, Allyson P.

2011-01-01

In this study, we examined the relationship between familism and family environment type as well as the relationship between family environment type and suicide attempts among Latina youth. Latina teen attempters (n = 109) and nonattempters (n = 107) were recruited from the New York City area. Latent class analysis revealed three family…

The Extramusical Effects of Music Lessons on Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

deVries, Peter

2004-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the extramusical effects of a music education program in one preschool classroom over a period of six weeks. The class had not previously been exposed to regular music lessons. Readily available teaching resources containing sound recordings were used. Analysis revealed six themes that addressed the…

Effects of Direct Teaching Using Creative Memorization Strategies To Improve Math Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bielsker, Staci; Napoli, Lori; Sandino, Melissa; Waishwell, Lesa

This report describes a program for enhancing direct teaching using creative memorization strategies in order to improve retention and quick retrieval of math facts. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in two separate districts in middle class communities. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students were…

What Do We Teach in Organizational Behavior? An Analysis of MBA Syllabi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Kenneth G.; Charlier, Steven D.; Rynes, Sara L.; Hosmanek, Andrew

2013-01-01

This study examines the syllabi of 241 required organizational behavior (OB) related classes in full-time U.S. MBA programs. Syllabi were coded for information about course title, topics, readings, cases, teaching methods, and learning assessment methods. Results revealed that the most frequent topics listed across courses are leadership and…

ENERGY RELEASE AND INITIATION OF A SUNQUAKE IN A C-CLASS FLARE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharykin, I. N.; Kosovichev, A. G.; Zimovets, I. V.

We present an analysis of the C7.0 solar flare from 2013 February 17, revealing a strong helioseismic response (sunquake) caused by a compact impact observed with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) in the low atmosphere. This is the weakest known C-class flare generating a sunquake event. To investigate the possible mechanisms of this event and understand the role of accelerated charged particles and photospheric electric currents, we use data from three space observatories: RHESSI, SDO, and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite. We find that the photospheric flare impact does not spatially correspond to themore » strongest hard X-ray emission source, but both of these events are parts of the same energy release. Our analysis reveals a close association of the flare energy release with a rapid increase in the electric currents and suggests that the sunquake initiation is unlikely to be caused by the impact of high-energy electrons, but may be associated with rapid current dissipation or a localized impulsive Lorentz force in the lower layers of the solar atmosphere.« less

The relation between bullying and subclinical psychotic experiences and the influence of the bully climate of school classes.

PubMed

Horrevorts, Esther M B; Monshouwer, Karin; Wigman, Johanna T W; Vollebergh, Wilma A M

2014-09-01

This study aims to examine the association between the bully climate of school classes and the prevalence of subclinical psychotic experiences among students who are involved in bullying (either as bully or as victim). Data were derived from the Dutch health behavior in school-aged children survey of 2005, a nationally representative cross-sectional study with a total of 5,509 adolescents between the age of 12 and 16. The data were analyzed using a multilevel regression analysis. The study revealed that both bullying and being bullied in school classes was associated with an increased level of subclinical psychotic experiences. The bully climate of a school class moderates this effect, i.e., the higher risk for bully-victims on subclinical psychotic experiences was less strong in classes with a higher percentage of classmates involved in bullying. Thus, bully climate has to be taken into account when studying the psychological experiences associated with being bullied.

Regulation of expression and biochemical characterization of a beta-class carbonic anhydrase from the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7.

PubMed

Kaur, Simarjot; Mishra, Mukti Nath; Tripathi, Anil K

2009-10-01

Carbonic anhydrase (CA; [EC 4.2.1.1]) is a ubiquitous enzyme catalysing the reversible hydration of CO(2) to bicarbonate, a reaction that supports various biochemical and physiological functions. Genome analysis of Azospirillum brasilense, a nonphotosynthetic, nitrogen-fixing, rhizobacterium, revealed an ORF with homology to beta-class carbonic anhydrases (CAs). Biochemical characteristics of the beta-class CA of A. brasilense, analysed after cloning the gene (designated as bca), overexpressing in Escherichia coli and purifying the protein by affinity purification, revealed that the native recombinant enzyme is a homotetramer, inhibited by the known CA inhibitors. CA activity in A. brasilense cell extracts, reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that bca was constitutively expressed under aerobic conditions. Lower beta-galactosidase activity in A. brasilense cells harbouring bca promoter: lacZ fusion during the stationary phase or during growth on 3% CO(2) enriched air or at acidic pH indicated that the transcription of bca was downregulated by the stationary phase, elevated CO(2) levels and acidic pH conditions. These observations were also supported by RT-PCR analysis. Thus, beta-CA in A. brasilense seems to be required for scavenging CO(2) from the ambient air and the requirement of CO(2) hydration seems to be higher for the cultures growing exponentially at neutral to alkaline pH.

Lay Americans' views of why scientists disagree with each other.

PubMed

Johnson, Branden B; Dieckmann, Nathan F

2017-10-01

A survey experiment assessed response to five explanations of scientific disputes: problem complexity, self-interest, values, competence, and process choices (e.g. theories and methods). A US lay sample ( n = 453) did not distinguish interests from values, nor competence from process, as explanations of disputes. Process/competence was rated most likely and interests/values least; all, on average, were deemed likely to explain scientific disputes. Latent class analysis revealed distinct subgroups varying in their explanation preferences, with a more complex latent class structure for participants who had heard of scientific disputes in the past. Scientific positivism and judgments of science's credibility were the strongest predictors of latent class membership, controlling for scientific reasoning, political ideology, confidence in choice, scenario, education, gender, age, and ethnicity. The lack of distinction observed overall between different explanations, as well as within classes, raises challenges for further research on explanations of scientific disputes people find credible and why.

Child abuse and neglect profiles and their psychosocial consequences in a large sample of incarcerated males.

PubMed

Debowska, Agata; Boduszek, Daniel

2017-03-01

Research examining child abuse and neglect (CAN) profiles among adult offender populations is lacking. Therefore, the primary aim of the present study was to address this limitation by using latent class analysis (LCA) to identify meaningful classes of individuals who have experienced physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, as well as neglect. Another aim was to estimate the association between CAN class membership and external criteria (psychopathy factors, self-esteem, attitudes towards male sexual violence in dating relationships, child sexual abuse myth acceptance, violent offending, and age). Data were collected among a large systematically selected sample of adult male inmates (N=1261). Based on LCA, three unique classes of CAN were distinguished, including a 'low abuse' group (43.4% of the sample), a 'high physical and emotional abuse' group (51.3%), and a 'poly-victimized' group (5.3%). The analysis revealed that the CAN classes were differentially associated with affective responsiveness, cognitive responsiveness, personal self-esteem, prison self-esteem, attitudes towards male sexual violence in dating relationships, and violent offending. Findings highlight the unique nature of CAN constellations among criminal justice involved participants. The significance of the present results is discussed in relation to past and future research. Potential contributions to treatment strategies are also presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Patterns of Sexual Risk Behavior and Rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Female Young Adults

PubMed Central

Cook, Emily C.; Niccolai, Linda M.; Connell, Christian M.

2013-01-01

Objectives. We examined patterns of sexual behavior and risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in young adulthood for Black, Hispanic, and White females. Methods. We used a nationally representative sample of 7015 female young adults from wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Sexual risk items assessed behaviors occurring in the previous 6 years and past year to determine classes of sexual risk and links to STIs in young adulthood. Results. Latent class analysis revealed 3 sexual risk classes for Black and Hispanic youths and 4 sexual risk classes for White youths. The moderate and high risk classes had the highest probabilities of risky sexual partners, inconsistent condom use, and early age of sexual initiation, which significantly increased odds for STIs compared with recent abstainers. Conclusions. We found different classes of sexual behavior by race/ethnicity, with Black and Hispanic young women most at risk for STIs in young adulthood. Preventive efforts should target younger adolescents and focus on sexual partner behavior. PMID:23488501

Quantitative assessment of specific defects in roasted ground coffee via infrared-photoacoustic spectroscopy.

PubMed

Dias, Rafael Carlos Eloy; Valderrama, Patrícia; Março, Paulo Henrique; Dos Santos Scholz, Maria Brigida; Edelmann, Michael; Yeretzian, Chahan

2018-07-30

Chemical analyses and sensory evaluation are the most applied methods for quality control of roasted and ground coffee (RG). However, faster alternatives would be highly valuable. Here, we applied infrared-photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) on RG powder. Mixtures of specific defective beans were blended with healthy (defect-free) Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora bases in specific ratios, forming different classes of blends. Principal Component Analysis allowed predicting the amount/fraction and nature of the defects in blends while partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis revealed similarities between blends (=samples). A successful predictive model was obtained using six classes of blends. The model could classify 100% of the samples into four classes. The specificities were higher than 0.9. Application of FTIR-PAS on RG coffee to characterize and classify blends has shown to be an accurate, easy, quick and "green" alternative to current methods. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Waveguide-based electro-absorption modulator performance: comparative analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, Rubab; Khurgin, Jacob B.; Sorger, Volker J.

2018-06-01

Electro-optic modulation is a key function for data communication. Given the vast amount of data handled, understanding the intricate physics and trade-offs of modulators on-chip allows revealing performance regimes not explored yet. Here we show a holistic performance analysis for waveguide-based electro-absorption modulators. Our approach centers around material properties revealing obtainable optical absorption leading to effective modal cross-section, and material broadening effects. Taken together both describe the modulator physical behavior entirely. We consider a plurality of material modulation classes to include two-level absorbers such as quantum dots, free carrier accumulation or depletion such as ITO or Silicon, two-dimensional electron gas in semiconductors such as quantum wells, Pauli blocking in Graphene, and excitons in two-dimensional atomic layered materials such as found in transition metal dichalcogendies. Our results show that reducing the modal area generally improves modulator performance defined by the amount of induced electrical charge, and hence the energy-per-bit function, required switching the signal. We find that broadening increases the amount of switching charge needed. While some material classes allow for reduced broadening such as quantum dots and 2-dimensional materials due to their reduced Coulomb screening leading to increased oscillator strengths, the sharpness of broadening is overshadowed by thermal effects independent of the material class. Further we find that plasmonics allows the switching charge and energy-per-bit function to be reduced by about one order of magnitude compared to bulk photonics. This analysis is aimed as a guide for the community to predict anticipated modulator performance based on both existing and emerging materials.

Exploring the feasibility of smart phone microphone for measurement of acoustic voice parameters and voice pathology screening.

PubMed

Uloza, Virgilijus; Padervinskis, Evaldas; Vegiene, Aurelija; Pribuisiene, Ruta; Saferis, Viktoras; Vaiciukynas, Evaldas; Gelzinis, Adas; Verikas, Antanas

2015-11-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate the reliability of acoustic voice parameters obtained using smart phone (SP) microphones and investigate the utility of use of SP voice recordings for voice screening. Voice samples of sustained vowel/a/obtained from 118 subjects (34 normal and 84 pathological voices) were recorded simultaneously through two microphones: oral AKG Perception 220 microphone and SP Samsung Galaxy Note3 microphone. Acoustic voice signal data were measured for fundamental frequency, jitter and shimmer, normalized noise energy (NNE), signal to noise ratio and harmonic to noise ratio using Dr. Speech software. Discriminant analysis-based Correct Classification Rate (CCR) and Random Forest Classifier (RFC) based Equal Error Rate (EER) were used to evaluate the feasibility of acoustic voice parameters classifying normal and pathological voice classes. Lithuanian version of Glottal Function Index (LT_GFI) questionnaire was utilized for self-assessment of the severity of voice disorder. The correlations of acoustic voice parameters obtained with two types of microphones were statistically significant and strong (r = 0.73-1.0) for the entire measurements. When classifying into normal/pathological voice classes, the Oral-NNE revealed the CCR of 73.7% and the pair of SP-NNE and SP-shimmer parameters revealed CCR of 79.5%. However, fusion of the results obtained from SP voice recordings and GFI data provided the CCR of 84.60% and RFC revealed the EER of 7.9%, respectively. In conclusion, measurements of acoustic voice parameters using SP microphone were shown to be reliable in clinical settings demonstrating high CCR and low EER when distinguishing normal and pathological voice classes, and validated the suitability of the SP microphone signal for the task of automatic voice analysis and screening.

Variations in adolescents' motivational characteristics across gender and physical activity patterns: A latent class analysis approach.

PubMed

Lawler, Margaret; Heary, Caroline; Nixon, Elizabeth

2017-08-17

Neglecting to take account of the underlying context or type of physical activity (PA) that underpins overall involvement has resulted in a limited understanding of adolescents' PA participation. The purpose of the present research was to identify male and female adolescents' leisure time PA patterns and examine whether psychological processes derived from self-determination theory differ as a function of the pattern of PA undertaken. Nine hundred ninety-five students (61.2% females, 38.8% males; M age = 13.72 years, SD = 1.25) from eight secondary schools in Dublin, Ireland completed a physical activity recall 7 day diary and measures of intrinsic motivation, competence, relatedness, autonomy and autonomy support. Based on the diary five binary indicators of physical activity were derived reflecting recommended levels of MVPA on a minimum of 3 days, at least three sessions of non-organized physical activity (e.g. jog), team sport, individual sport, and organized non-sport physical activity (e.g. dance). Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of adolescents that engaged in similar patterns of physical activity. Profiles of physical activity participation were subsequently compared on motivational characteristics using Kruskal-Wallis tests. Latent class analysis revealed six distinct classes for girls (Organized Run/Swim & Dance/Gym; Organized Dance; Leisure Active Team Sport; Active Individual Sport; Walk/Run/Outdoor games; Non-Participation) and five for boys (Leisure Active Gym; Leisure Active Individual Sport; Active Team Sport; Active Mixed Type; Non-Participation). Significant differences were found between the classes. Girls characterized by participation in team or individual sport, and boys represented by team sport participation demonstrated significantly higher self-determined motivational characteristics relative to other profiles of physical activity. This research offers a nuanced insight into the underlying type of activities that constitute overall patterns of PA among adolescent boys and girls and further reveals that psychological processes vary dependent on the profile of physical activity undertaken. The findings may be useful for informing interventions aimed at promoting physical activity among young people.

[Analysis of factors related to pulmonary hypertensive crisis in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension].

PubMed

Zhang, Chen; Li, Qiangqiang; Zhu, Yan; Gu, Hong

2014-06-10

To explore the risk and protective factors for pulmonary hypertensive crisis (PHC) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). A retrospective study was performed for 65 patients with a diagnosis of IPAH between January 2010 and December 2013. According to clinical manifestations, they were divided into two groups of susceptibility and non-susceptibility to PHC. Clinical and hemodynamic parameters were analyzed in univariate and multivariate manners. Among them, there were 32 males and 33 females with a mean age of (14.4 ± 12.3) (10/12-47.3) years. Twenty-three patients had typical manifestations of PHC and 18 of them were induced by exercises.Univariate analysis revealed that the proportion of patients with World Health Organization (WHO) functional class III-IV in PHC-susceptible group was significantly higher than PHC-nonsusceptible group (60.9% vs 23.8%, P = 0.003) while the percentage of patent foramen ovale in PHC-susceptible group was significantly lower than PHC-nonsusceptible group (8.7% vs 45.2%, P = 0.003).In patients with WHO functional classI-II, hemodynamic variables including the decline of pulmonary arterial pressure and positive rate in vasoreactivity testing in PHC-susceptible group were significantly higher than PHC-nonsusceptible group.In patients with WHO functional class III-IV, baseline pulmonary arterial pressure and mean right atrial pressure in PHC-susceptible group were significantly higher than those in PHC-nonsusceptible group. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that, for those with WHO functional class III-IV (OR = 23.45, 95%CI: 2.85-193.09) and the decline of systolic pulmonary arterial pressure in vasoreactivity testing (OR = 1.12, 95%CI: 1.04-1.22) were independent risk factors for PHC in IPAH patients while patent foramen ovale (OR = 0.01, 95%CI: 0.00-0.52) was a protective factor. PHC in IPAH patients is correlated with WHO functional class, pulmonary vascular reactivity, baseline pulmonary arterial pressure and patent foramen ovale. And exercise is the most common stimulus to PHC.

The Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire identifies 3 classes of people seeking rehabilitation for mechanical neck pain.

PubMed

Walton, David M; Lefebvre, Andy; Reynolds, Darcy

2015-06-01

Illness representations pertain to the ways in which an individual constructs and understands the experience of a health condition. The Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (BIPQ) comprises 9 items intended to capture the key components of the Illness Representations Model. The purpose of this paper was to explore the utility of the BIPQ for evaluating and classifying uncomplicated mechanical neck pain in the rehabilitation setting. A convenience sample of 198 subjects presenting to physiotherapy for neck pain problems were used in this study. In the first step, 183 subjects completed the BIPQ and a series of related cognitive measures. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to explore the number of identifiable classes amongst the sample based on BIPQ response patterns. A regression equation was created to facilitate classification. In the second step, an independent sample of 15 subjects were classified using the equation established in step 1, and they were followed over a 3 month period. The LCA revealed 3 classes of subjects with optimal fit statistics: mildly affected, moderately affected, and severely affected. Inter-group comparisons of the secondary cognitive measures supported these labels. Classification accuracy of a regression equation was high (94.5%). Applying the equation to the independent longitudinal sample revealed that it functioned equally well and that the classes may have prognostic value. The BIPQ may be a useful clinical tool for classification of neck pain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A nonpolymorphic major histocompatibility complex class Ib molecule binds a large array of diverse self-peptides

PubMed Central

1994-01-01

Unlike the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ia molecules, which present a wide variety of peptides to T cells, it is generally assumed that the nonpolymorphic MHC class Ib molecules may have evolved to function as highly specialized receptors for the presentation of structurally unique peptides. However, a thorough biochemical analysis of one class Ib molecule, the soluble isoform of Qa-2 antigen (H-2SQ7b), has revealed that it binds a diverse array of structurally similar peptides derived from intracellular proteins in much the same manner as the classical antigen-presenting molecules. Specifically, we find that SQ7b molecules are heterodimers of heavy and light chains complexed with nonameric peptides in a 1:1:1 ratio. These peptides contain a conserved hydrophobic residue at the COOH terminus and a combination of one or more conserved residue(s) at P7 (histidine), P2 (glutamine/leucine), and/or P3 (leucine/asparagine) as anchors for binding SQ7b. 2 of 18 sequenced peptides matched cytosolic proteins (cofilin and L19 ribosomal protein), suggesting an intracellular source of the SQ7b ligands. Minimal estimates of the peptide repertoire revealed that at least 200 different naturally processed self-peptides can bind SQ7b molecules. Since Qa-2 molecules associate with a diverse array of peptides, we suggest that they function as effective presenting molecules of endogenously synthesized proteins like the class Ia molecules. PMID:8294869

Comparative structural modeling of six old yellow enzymes (OYEs) from the necrotrophic fungus Ascochyta rabiei: insight into novel OYE classes with differences in cofactor binding, organization of active site residues and stereopreferences.

PubMed

Nizam, Shadab; Gazara, Rajesh Kumar; Verma, Sandhya; Singh, Kunal; Verma, Praveen Kumar

2014-01-01

Old Yellow Enzyme (OYE1) was the first flavin-dependent enzyme identified and characterized in detail by the entire range of physical techniques. Irrespective of this scrutiny, true physiological role of the enzyme remains a mystery. In a recent study, we systematically identified OYE proteins from various fungi and classified them into three classes viz. Class I, II and III. However, there is no information about the structural organization of Class III OYEs, eukaryotic Class II OYEs and Class I OYEs of filamentous fungi. Ascochyta rabiei, a filamentous phytopathogen which causes Ascochyta blight (AB) in chickpea possesses six OYEs (ArOYE1-6) belonging to the three OYE classes. Here we carried out comparative homology modeling of six ArOYEs representing all the three classes to get an in depth idea of structural and functional aspects of fungal OYEs. The predicted 3D structures of A. rabiei OYEs were refined and evaluated using various validation tools for their structural integrity. Analysis of FMN binding environment of Class III OYE revealed novel residues involved in interaction. The ligand para-hydroxybenzaldehyde (PHB) was docked into the active site of the enzymes and interacting residues were analyzed. We observed a unique active site organization of Class III OYE in comparison to Class I and II OYEs. Subsequently, analysis of stereopreference through structural features of ArOYEs was carried out, suggesting differences in R/S selectivity of these proteins. Therefore, our comparative modeling study provides insights into the FMN binding, active site organization and stereopreference of different classes of ArOYEs and indicates towards functional differences of these enzymes. This study provides the basis for future investigations towards the biochemical and functional characterization of these enigmatic enzymes.

Class imbalance in unsupervised change detection - A diagnostic analysis from urban remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leichtle, Tobias; Geiß, Christian; Lakes, Tobia; Taubenböck, Hannes

2017-08-01

Automatic monitoring of changes on the Earth's surface is an intrinsic capability and simultaneously a persistent methodological challenge in remote sensing, especially regarding imagery with very-high spatial resolution (VHR) and complex urban environments. In order to enable a high level of automatization, the change detection problem is solved in an unsupervised way to alleviate efforts associated with collection of properly encoded prior knowledge. In this context, this paper systematically investigates the nature and effects of class distribution and class imbalance in an unsupervised binary change detection application based on VHR imagery over urban areas. For this purpose, a diagnostic framework for sensitivity analysis of a large range of possible degrees of class imbalance is presented, which is of particular importance with respect to unsupervised approaches where the content of images and thus the occurrence and the distribution of classes are generally unknown a priori. Furthermore, this framework can serve as a general technique to evaluate model transferability in any two-class classification problem. The applied change detection approach is based on object-based difference features calculated from VHR imagery and subsequent unsupervised two-class clustering using k-means, genetic k-means and self-organizing map (SOM) clustering. The results from two test sites with different structural characteristics of the built environment demonstrated that classification performance is generally worse in imbalanced class distribution settings while best results were reached in balanced or close to balanced situations. Regarding suitable accuracy measures for evaluating model performance in imbalanced settings, this study revealed that the Kappa statistics show significant response to class distribution while the true skill statistic was widely insensitive to imbalanced classes. In general, the genetic k-means clustering algorithm achieved the most robust results with respect to class imbalance while the SOM clustering exhibited a distinct optimization towards a balanced distribution of classes.

EEG microstates during resting represent personality differences.

PubMed

Schlegel, Felix; Lehmann, Dietrich; Faber, Pascal L; Milz, Patricia; Gianotti, Lorena R R

2012-01-01

We investigated the spontaneous brain electric activity of 13 skeptics and 16 believers in paranormal phenomena; they were university students assessed with a self-report scale about paranormal beliefs. 33-channel EEG recordings during no-task resting were processed as sequences of momentary potential distribution maps. Based on the maps at peak times of Global Field Power, the sequences were parsed into segments of quasi-stable potential distribution, the 'microstates'. The microstates were clustered into four classes of map topographies (A-D). Analysis of the microstate parameters time coverage, occurrence frequency and duration as well as the temporal sequence (syntax) of the microstate classes revealed significant differences: Believers had a higher coverage and occurrence of class B, tended to decreased coverage and occurrence of class C, and showed a predominant sequence of microstate concatenations from A to C to B to A that was reversed in skeptics (A to B to C to A). Microstates of different topographies, putative "atoms of thought", are hypothesized to represent different types of information processing.The study demonstrates that personality differences can be detected in resting EEG microstate parameters and microstate syntax. Microstate analysis yielded no conclusive evidence for the hypothesized relation between paranormal belief and schizophrenia.

[Latent Class Analysis of Gambling Activities among Korean Adolescents].

PubMed

Kang, Kyonghwa; Kim, Hyeongsu; Park, Ae Ran; Kim, Hee Young; Lee, Kunsei

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to identify the types of gambling among adolescents and provide basic prevention information regarding adolescents' gambling problems. Secondary data from representative national survey on 2015 Youth Gambling Problems of Korea Center on Gambling Problems were used. Using latent class analysis (LCA), 13 gambling types such as offline and online games of 14,011 adolescents were classified, and gambling experiences and characteristics were analyzed. The subgroups of adolescent gambling were identified as four latent classes: a rare group (84.5% of the sample), a risk group (1.0%), an offline group (11.9%), and an expanded group (2.6%). The types and characteristics of gambling among the latent classes differed. In the risk group, adolescents participated in online illegal sports betting and internet casino, and gambling time, gambling expenses, and the number of gambling types were higher than other groups. Gambling frequently occur among adolescent, and the subtypes of gambling did not reveal homogeneous characteristics. In order to prevent adolescent gambling problems, it is a necessary to develop tailored prevention intervention in the nursing field, which is appropriate to the characteristics of adolescent gambling group and can help with early identification. © 2018 Korean Society of Nursing Science.

[Medical and ecological assessment of climate effects on urolithiasis morbidity in population of Primorsky territory].

PubMed

Koval'chuk, V K

2004-01-01

The article presents medicoecological estimation of quantitative relations between monsoon climate and urolithiasis primary morbidity in the Primorsky Territory. Quantitative estimation of the climate was performed by V. I. Rusanov (1973) who calculated daily meteorological data for 1 p.m. throughout 1991-1999. Primary urolithiasis morbidity for this period of time was provided by regional health department. The data were processed by methods of medical mapping and paired correlation analysis. In the Territory, mapping revealed the same location of the zones with high frequency of discomfortable weather of class V and VI causing chilblain in positive air temperatures and zones with elevated primary urolithiasis morbidity in children and adults. Correlation analysis confirmed mapping results and determined significant negative correlations between frequency of relatively comfortable moment weather classes II-IV and morbidity of children and adults, positive correlation between frequency of discomfortable class VI and adult morbidity. Thus, high frequency of days per year with discomfortable classes of moment weather in low positive air temperatures may be one of the factors of urolithiasis risk in population of the Primorsky Territory. Climatic factors should be taken into consideration in planning primary prophylaxis of this disease in the Primorsky Territory.

Isolation and characterization of major histocompatibility complex class II B genes in cranes.

PubMed

Kohyama, Tetsuo I; Akiyama, Takuya; Nishida, Chizuko; Takami, Kazutoshi; Onuma, Manabu; Momose, Kunikazu; Masuda, Ryuichi

2015-11-01

In this study, we isolated and characterized the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II B genes in cranes. Genomic sequences spanning exons 1 to 4 were amplified and determined in 13 crane species and three other species closely related to cranes. In all, 55 unique sequences were identified, and at least two polymorphic MHC class II B loci were found in most species. An analysis of sequence polymorphisms showed the signature of positive selection and recombination. A phylogenetic reconstruction based on exon 2 sequences indicated that trans-species polymorphism has persisted for at least 10 million years, whereas phylogenetic analyses of the sequences flanking exon 2 revealed a pattern of concerted evolution. These results suggest that both balancing selection and recombination play important roles in the crane MHC evolution.

Skeletal class III malocclusion treated using a non-surgical approach supplemented with mini-implants: a case report.

PubMed

Farret, Marcel Marchiori; Benitez Farret, Milton M

2013-09-01

We describe a 28-year-old man who sought orthodontic treatment complaining about the esthetics of his smile and difficulties associated with masticatory function. The patient had a straight facial profile, skeletal and dental class III relationship, anterior open bite and posterior crossbite. He refused orthognathic surgery and was therefore treated with camouflage orthodontics supplemented with the placement of one mini-implant in each side of the mandible to facilitate movement of the lower dentition distally, tooth-by-tooth. At the end of treatment, a class I molar relationship was obtained, with an ideal overjet and overbite and excellent intercuspation. Furthermore, the open bite and crossbite were corrected. Analysis 2 years after treatment revealed good stability of treatment outcome.

The Role of HLA Class I Gene Variation in Autoimmune Diabetes

PubMed Central

Sia, Charles; Weinem, Michael

2005-01-01

The use of DNA-based genetic typing has enabled the identification of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) susceptible and protective major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II alleles and haplotypes. The application of this approach has also progressed to locate MHC class I alleles that contribute to the clinicopathology of T1DM. Recent studies have shown a widespread involvement of genes from the MHC class I gene region in the clinicopathology of T1DM. These genes are shown to be involved in contributing to progression from the preclinical stage of the disease, which is characterized by the occurrence of islet-specific antibodies, to clinical disease and also to the occurrence of autoimmunity. They can either contribute directly to disease development or indirectly in concert with other susceptible MHC class II alleles or haplotypes via linkage disequilibrium. Class I alleles may also be negatively associated with T1DM. These findings are useful for the development of future strategies in designing tolerogenic approaches for the prevention or even reversal of T1DM. In this article, the latest evidence for the different kinds of participation of HLA class I genes in the etiology of T1DM is reviewed. A meta-analysis which included existing association studies was also carried out in order to re-assess the relevance of class I genes in diabetes development. The analysis of an enlarged heterogeneous sample confirmed the involvement of previously detected serotypes in the etiology of T1DM, such as A24, B8 and B18, and revealed hitherto unknown associations with B60 and B62. The analysis points out that much of the conflicting results of previous association studies originate from inadequate sample sizes and accentuate the value of future investigations of larger samples for identifying linkage in multigenic diseases. PMID:17491685

Effects of Social Class and School Conditions on Educational Enrollment and Achievement of Boys and Girls in Rural Viet Nam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Phuong L.

2006-01-01

This study examines the effects of parental SES, school quality, and community factors on children's enrollment and achievement in rural areas in Viet Nam, using logistic regression and ordered logistic regression. Multivariate analysis reveals significant differences in educational enrollment and outcomes by level of household expenditures and…

Recognising and Revealing Knowers: An Enhanced Bernsteinian Analysis of Masonic Recruitment and Apprenticeship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poulet, Celia

2010-01-01

The increasing opening of French freemasonry to lower social classes raises the question of how individuals from different social backgrounds can be assimilated into the practice of context-independent ways of speaking and writing. I address these issues by, first, describing a selection by existing members based on the dispositions already…

Pedagogical Beliefs, Activity Choice and Structure, and Adult-Child Interaction in Nursery Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blay, Josepha A.; Ireson, Judith

2009-01-01

A qualitative analysis of four cooking activities undertaken in two nursery classes reveals relationships between the adults' pedagogical beliefs, the choice and structuring of activities, and the nature of adult-child participation. Four adults each planned and carried out separately, one cooking activity of their choice with a small group of…

Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs about Readiness for Teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Mi-Hwa; Dimitrov, Dimiter M.; Patterson, Lynn G.; Park, Do-Yong

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine beliefs of early childhood teachers about their readiness for teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with a focus on testing for heterogeneity of such beliefs and differential effects of teacher-related factors. The results from latent class analysis of survey data revealed two latent…

How Active Are Teens during Their Out-of-School Time? The View from Chicago. Chapin Hall Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goerge, Robert M.; Cusick, Gretchen Ruth; Guiltinan, Shannon

2009-01-01

This issue brief explores levels of physical activity among high school students in Chicago Public Schools, including participation in sports, informal exercise, and other activities. Latent class analysis was used to classify students' levels of physical activity, revealing low levels of activity among most high school students. Multilevel…

The Relationship between Principal Leadership and Teacher Collaboration in Turkish Primary Schools: A Multilevel Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gumus, Sedat; Bulut, Okan; Bellibas, Mehmet Sukru

2013-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to reveal the relationship between the specific leadership behaviors of principals and teacher collaboration in Turkish primary schools, controlling for several school characteristics, such as school size and average class size, and the demographic characteristics of teachers, such as level of education and…

College Women's Rankings of the Most Undesirable Marriage and Family Forms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Billingham, Robert E., Sr.; Perera, Pittyage Bilesha; Ehlers, Nicole A.

2005-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate college women's were unwillingness to participate in 24 alternative marital and family forms. Data were collected through the use of anonymous questionnaires distributed in classes. The analysis revealed "One man married to two or more wives" (95.1%), "Man has "right" to sex outside of marriage"…

Patterns of perceived barriers to medical care in older adults: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Thorpe, Joshua M; Thorpe, Carolyn T; Kennelty, Korey A; Pandhi, Nancy

2011-08-03

This study examined multiple dimensions of healthcare access in order to develop a typology of perceived barriers to healthcare access in community-dwelling elderly. Secondary aims were to define distinct classes of older adults with similar perceived healthcare access barriers and to examine predictors of class membership to identify risk factors for poor healthcare access. A sample of 5,465 community-dwelling elderly was drawn from the 2004 wave of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Perceived barriers to healthcare access were measured using items from the Group Health Association of America Consumer Satisfaction Survey. We used latent class analysis to assess the constellation of items measuring perceived barriers in access and multinomial logistic regression to estimate how risk factors affected the probability of membership in the latent barrier classes. Latent class analysis identified four classes of older adults. Class 1 (75% of sample) consisted of individuals with an overall low level of risk for perceived access problems (No Barriers). Class 2 (5%) perceived problems with the availability/accessibility of healthcare providers such as specialists or mental health providers (Availability/Accessibility Barriers). Class 3 (18%) perceived problems with how well their providers' operations arise organized to accommodate their needs and preferences (Accommodation Barriers). Class 4 (2%) perceived problems with all dimension of access (Severe Barriers). Results also revealed that healthcare affordability is a problem shared by members of all three barrier groups, suggesting that older adults with perceived barriers tend to face multiple, co-occurring problems. Compared to those classified into the No Barriers group, those in the Severe Barrier class were more likely to live in a rural county, have no health insurance, have depressive symptomatology, and speech limitations. Those classified into the Availability/Accessibility Barriers group were more likely to live in rural and micropolitan counties, have depressive symptomatology, more chronic conditions, and hearing limitations. Those in the Accommodation group were more likely to have depressive symptomatology and cognitive limitations. The current study identified a typology of perceived barriers in healthcare access in older adults. The identified risk factors for membership in perceived barrier classes could potentially assist healthcare organizations and providers with targeting polices and interventions designed to improve access in their most vulnerable older adult populations, particularly those in rural areas, with functional disabilities, or in poor mental health.

Using Clinical Data, Hypothesis Generation Tools and PubMed Trends to Discover the Association between Diabetic Retinopathy and Antihypertensive Drugs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Senter, Katherine G; Sukumar, Sreenivas R; Patton, Robert M

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness and common complication of diabetes. Many diabetic patients take antihypertensive drugs to prevent cardiovascular problems, but these drugs may have unintended consequences on eyesight. Six common classes of antihypertensive drug are angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, alpha blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), -blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics. Analysis of medical history data might indicate which of these drugs provide safe blood pressure control, and a literature review is often used to guide such analyses. Beyond manual reading of relevant publications, we sought to identify quantitative trends in literature from themore » biomedical database PubMed to compare with quantitative trends in the clinical data. By recording and analyzing PubMed search results, we found wide variation in the prevalence of each antihypertensive drug in DR literature. Drug classes developed more recently such as ACE inhibitors and ARBs were most prevalent. We also identified instances of change-over-time in publication patterns. We then compared these literature trends to a dataset of 500 diabetic patients from the UT Hamilton Eye Institute. Data for each patient included class of antihypertensive drug, presence and severity of DR. Graphical comparison revealed that older drug classes such as diuretics, calcium channel blockers, and -blockers were much more prevalent in the clinical data than in the DR and antihypertensive literature. Finally, quantitative analysis of the dataset revealed that patients taking -blockers were statistically more likely to have DR than patients taking other medications, controlling for presence of hypertension and year of diabetes onset. This finding was concerning given the prevalence of -blockers in the clinical data. We determined that clinical use of -blockers should be minimized in diabetic patients to prevent retinal damage.« less

Decoding of top-down cognitive processing for SSVEP-controlled BMI

PubMed Central

Min, Byoung-Kyong; Dähne, Sven; Ahn, Min-Hee; Noh, Yung-Kyun; Müller, Klaus-Robert

2016-01-01

We present a fast and accurate non-invasive brain-machine interface (BMI) based on demodulating steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in electroencephalography (EEG). Our study reports an SSVEP-BMI that, for the first time, decodes primarily based on top-down and not bottom-up visual information processing. The experimental setup presents a grid-shaped flickering line array that the participants observe while intentionally attending to a subset of flickering lines representing the shape of a letter. While the flickering pixels stimulate the participant’s visual cortex uniformly with equal probability, the participant’s intention groups the strokes and thus perceives a ‘letter Gestalt’. We observed decoding accuracy of 35.81% (up to 65.83%) with a regularized linear discriminant analysis; on average 2.05-fold, and up to 3.77-fold greater than chance levels in multi-class classification. Compared to the EEG signals, an electrooculogram (EOG) did not significantly contribute to decoding accuracies. Further analysis reveals that the top-down SSVEP paradigm shows the most focalised activation pattern around occipital visual areas; Granger causality analysis consistently revealed prefrontal top-down control over early visual processing. Taken together, the present paradigm provides the first neurophysiological evidence for the top-down SSVEP BMI paradigm, which potentially enables multi-class intentional control of EEG-BMIs without using gaze-shifting. PMID:27808125

Decoding of top-down cognitive processing for SSVEP-controlled BMI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, Byoung-Kyong; Dähne, Sven; Ahn, Min-Hee; Noh, Yung-Kyun; Müller, Klaus-Robert

2016-11-01

We present a fast and accurate non-invasive brain-machine interface (BMI) based on demodulating steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in electroencephalography (EEG). Our study reports an SSVEP-BMI that, for the first time, decodes primarily based on top-down and not bottom-up visual information processing. The experimental setup presents a grid-shaped flickering line array that the participants observe while intentionally attending to a subset of flickering lines representing the shape of a letter. While the flickering pixels stimulate the participant’s visual cortex uniformly with equal probability, the participant’s intention groups the strokes and thus perceives a ‘letter Gestalt’. We observed decoding accuracy of 35.81% (up to 65.83%) with a regularized linear discriminant analysis; on average 2.05-fold, and up to 3.77-fold greater than chance levels in multi-class classification. Compared to the EEG signals, an electrooculogram (EOG) did not significantly contribute to decoding accuracies. Further analysis reveals that the top-down SSVEP paradigm shows the most focalised activation pattern around occipital visual areas; Granger causality analysis consistently revealed prefrontal top-down control over early visual processing. Taken together, the present paradigm provides the first neurophysiological evidence for the top-down SSVEP BMI paradigm, which potentially enables multi-class intentional control of EEG-BMIs without using gaze-shifting.

Transcriptome-wide analysis of WRKY transcription factors in wheat and their leaf rust responsive expression profiling.

PubMed

Satapathy, Lopamudra; Singh, Dharmendra; Ranjan, Prashant; Kumar, Dhananjay; Kumar, Manish; Prabhu, Kumble Vinod; Mukhopadhyay, Kunal

2014-12-01

WRKY, a plant-specific transcription factor family, has important roles in pathogen defense, abiotic cues and phytohormone signaling, yet little is known about their roles and molecular mechanism of function in response to rust diseases in wheat. We identified 100 TaWRKY sequences using wheat Expressed Sequence Tag database of which 22 WRKY sequences were novel. Identified proteins were characterized based on their zinc finger motifs and phylogenetic analysis clustered them into six clades consisting of class IIc and class III WRKY proteins. Functional annotation revealed major functions in metabolic and cellular processes in control plants; whereas response to stimuli, signaling and defense in pathogen inoculated plants, their major molecular function being binding to DNA. Tag-based expression analysis of the identified genes revealed differential expression between mock and Puccinia triticina inoculated wheat near isogenic lines. Gene expression was also performed with six rust-related microarray experiments at Gene Expression Omnibus database. TaWRKY10, 15, 17 and 56 were common in both tag-based and microarray-based differential expression analysis and could be representing rust specific WRKY genes. The obtained results will bestow insight into the functional characterization of WRKY transcription factors responsive to leaf rust pathogenesis that can be used as candidate genes in molecular breeding programs to improve biotic stress tolerance in wheat.

Coping styles of adolescents experiencing multiple forms of discrimination and bullying: evidence from a sample of ethnically diverse urban youth.

PubMed

Garnett, Bernice R; Masyn, Katherine E; Austin, S Bryn; Williams, David R; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula

2015-02-01

We used a latent class analysis (LCA) to characterize coping styles of urban youth and examined if coping styles moderated the association between experiencing discrimination and bullying and depressive symptoms. The data come from the 2006 Boston Youth Survey, where students were asked to select 2 behaviors they do most often when they are upset, from a list of 15 options. A total of 927 (75%) students contributed to the LCA analytic sample (44% non-Hispanic Blacks, 29% Hispanics, and 58% girls). Relative and absolute fit indices determined the number of classes. An interaction term between types of discrimination and bullying experienced and coping style tested for moderation. The LCA revealed that a 3-class solution had the best fit (Lo-Mendell-Rubin likelihood ratio test, 4-class vs 3-class, p-value .12). The largest coping style class was characterized by high endorsement of distractive coping strategies (59%), the second class was characterized by using supportive coping strategies (27%), and the third class was characterized by using avoidance coping strategies (12%). We found a significant interaction between discrimination and coping style for depressive symptoms. The relationship between experiencing discrimination and depression varied based on coping style and the type of discrimination and bullying experienced. © 2015, American School Health Association.

Content Themes of Alcohol Advertising in U.S. Television-Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Morgenstern, Matthis; Schoeppe, Franziska; Campbell, Julie; Braam, Marloes W G; Stoolmiller, Michael; Sargent, James D

2015-09-01

There is little alcohol research that reports on the thematic contents of contemporary alcohol advertisements in U.S. television. Studies of alcohol ads from 2 decades ago did not identify "Partying" as a social theme. Aim of this study was to describe and classify alcohol advertisements aired in national television in terms of contents, airing times, and channel placements and to identify different marketing strategies of alcohol brands. Content analysis of all ads from the top 20 U.S. beer and spirit brands aired between July 2009 and June 2011. These were 581 unique alcohol ads accounting for 272,828 (78%) national television airings. Ads were coded according to predefined definitions of 13 content areas. A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to define content cluster themes and determine alcoholic brands that were more likely to exploit these themes. About half of the advertisements (46%) were aired between 3 am and 8 pm, and the majority were placed either in Entertainment (40%) and Sports (38%) channels. Beer ads comprised 64% of the sample, with significant variation in airing times and channels between types of products and brands. LCA revealed 5 content classes that exploited the "Partying," "Quality," "Sports," "Manly," and "Relax" themes. The partying class, indicative of ad messages surrounding partying, love, and sex, was the dominant theme comprising 42% of all advertisements. Ads for alcopops, flavored spirits, and liqueur were more likely to belong to the party class, but there were also some beer brands (Corona, Heineken) where more than 67% of ads exploited this theme. This is the first analysis to identify a partying theme to contemporary alcohol advertising. Future analyses can now determine whether exposure to that or other themes predicts alcohol misuse among youth audiences. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Exploring the latent trait of Opioid Use Disorder criteria among frequent nonmedical prescription opioid users

PubMed Central

Castaldelli-Maia, João Mauricio; Andrade, Laura H.; Keyes, Katherine M.; Cerdá, Magdalena; Pilowsky, Daniel J.; Martins, Silvia S.

2016-01-01

Background There is a need to explore the dimensional and categorical phenotypes of criteria of opioid use disorder among frequent nonmedical users of prescription opioids (NMUPO) users. Methods We used pooled data of 2011–2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to examine reliability and phenotypic variability in the diagnosis of OUD secondary to NMUPO in a nationally-representative sample of 18+ years-old frequent past-year NMUPO users (120+ days, n=806). Through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and latent class analysis (LCA), we examined 10 past-year OUD criteria. We examined associations between the latent classes and sociodemographic/psychiatric/NMUPO correlates. Results OUD criteria were unidimensional, and a three-class model was the overall best fitting solution for characterizing individuals into phenotypes along this unidimensional continuum: a “non-symptomatic class” (40.7%), “Tolerance-Time spent class” (29.0%) with high probability of endorsing Tolerance/Time Spent criteria, and a “High-moderate symptomatic class” (30.1%). The last class was significantly associated with being male, having insurance and obtaining prescription opioids (PO) nonmedically via “doctor shopping” as compared to the non-symptomatic class. “Tolerance-Time spent class” was significantly associated with being younger (18–25 years) and obtaining PO nonmedically from family/friends as compared to the non-symptomatic class. Conclusion This study revealed the different characteristics and routes of access to PO of different classes of frequent NMUPO users. It is possible that these groups may respond to different interventions, however such conclusions would require a clinical study. PMID:27302873

Strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats of blended learning: students' perceptions.

PubMed

Hande, S

2014-05-01

Blended learning (BL) in a cell biology course of the premedical program at the Kasturba Medical College International Centre, Manipal, India, commenced in 2006. The program provides training in basic sciences to students, especially from the United States and Canada. The approach to the study was phenomenographic, with a qualitative study design using an open-ended questionnaire, focused interviews and empirical observations. The aim of this study was to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of BL in a premedical class. It was a cross-sectional study. Ninety six students in a premedical cell biology class participated in the study. SWOT analysis of students' perceptions was conducted manually. Statistical analysis included content analysis of qualitative data to classify data and aligning them into the SWOT analysis matrix. The outcomes of the study revealed student perceptions in terms of SWOT of BL and the potential uses of this strategy. The study provides background for educators and curriculum experts to plan their modules while incorporating a BL approach.

Childhood lupus nephritis: 12 years of experience from a developing country's perspective.

PubMed

Samanta, Moumita; Nandi, Madhumita; Mondal, Rakesh; Hazra, Avijit; Sarkar, Sumatra; Sabui, Tapas; Kundu, Chanchal Kumar; Biswas, Arnab

2017-09-01

To assess the long-term outcome of lupus nephritis in children with systemic lupus erythematosus followed up over 12 years at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Eastern India. This is a retrospective observational study of the clinicopathological presentation, management, and outcome in 46 children with lupus nephritis over a period of 12 years at a tertiary teaching hospital in Eastern India. Mortality was compared between different lupus classes and therapy groups with Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test. The incidence of lupus nephritis was 58.97% [95% confidence interval (CI) 48.06%-59.89%] with the mean age at presentation being 10.2±2.43 years (range 5.5-14.5) years. Majority belonged to class IV (30.43%), followed by class II (26.91%), class III (23.91), and class V (8.70%). Outcome analysis of children with lupus nephritis over 12 years revealed that 24 (52.17%) achieved complete remission of disease activity, 5 attained partial remission, 4 continued to have active disease, 5 developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and 8 died. Overall mortality thus observed was 17.39% with septicemia in the background of ESRD being the commonest cause. No significant difference in mortality was observed between different lupus nephritis classes or therapy arm groups. The study throws light on various aspects of lupus nephritis and their long-term outcome patterns in children from developing countries such as India.

Quantitation of flavonoid constituents in citrus fruits.

PubMed

Kawaii, S; Tomono, Y; Katase, E; Ogawa, K; Yano, M

1999-09-01

Twenty-four flavonoids have been determined in 66 Citrus species and near-citrus relatives, grown in the same field and year, by means of reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Statistical methods have been applied to find relations among the species. The F ratios of 21 flavonoids obtained by applying ANOVA analysis are significant, indicating that a classification of the species using these variables is reasonable to pursue. Principal component analysis revealed that the distributions of Citrus species belonging to different classes were largely in accordance with Tanaka's classification system.

Suicidality and profiles of childhood adversities, conflict related trauma and psychopathology in the Northern Ireland population.

PubMed

McLafferty, Margaret; Armour, Cherie; O'Neill, Siobhan; Murphy, Sam; Ferry, Finola; Bunting, Brendan

2016-08-01

Over 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland (NI) has impacted on the population's mental health. However, childhood adversities may add to the psychological impact of conflict. The aims of the study were to assess co-occurrence across childhood adversities, conflict related traumas, and psychological health, then explore demographic variations between identified classes, and examine the impact of class membership on suicidal ideation and behaviour. Data was obtained from the Northern Ireland Study of Health and Stress, a representative epidemiological study which used the CIDI to assess psychopathology and related risk factors in the NI population (N=4340, part 2 n=1986; response rate 64%). Latent Class Analysis uncovered 4 discrete profiles; a conflict class (n=191; 9.6%), a multi-risk class endorsing elevated levels of childhood adversities, conflict related traumas and psychopathology (n=85; 4.3%), a psychopathology class (n=290; 14.6%), and a low risk class (n=1420; 71.5%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals who grew up during the worst years of the Troubles were more likely to have experienced multiple traumas and psychopathology. Individuals in the multi-risk class were more than fifteen times more likely to endorse suicidal ideation and behaviour. The main limitations are that the study may not be fully representative of the NI population due to the exclusion criteria applied and also the possible misclassification of conflict related events. The findings indicate that treatment providers should be cognisant that those with wide ranging adversity profiles are those also likely to be reporting psychological distress and suicidality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stress and Multiple Substance Use Behaviors Among Hispanic Adolescents.

PubMed

Cardoso, Jodi Berger; Goldbach, Jeremy T; Cervantes, Richard C; Swank, Paul

2016-02-01

Hispanic adolescents reported a higher annual prevalence of use of nearly all major drugs compared to non-Hispanic White and African American adolescents. Cultural or minority stressors, such as those related to the acculturation process, discrimination, immigration, poverty, and community violence, have been implicated in these outcomes. Unfortunately, few studies have examined how these stressors may have a differential or additive effect when considered simultaneously. The current study examined the relation between stress and multiple substance use behaviors in a sample of Hispanic adolescents (n = 1036), age 11-19 years old. Latent class analysis identified subgroups of Hispanic adolescents based on combinations of substance use behaviors. General linear models were used to examine mean differences by class among the eight domains of stress. Fit statistics revealed a six-class structure: no substance use risk, predominately alcohol use, low polysubstance use, high polysubstance use, illicit drug use, and predominately marijuana use. Differences in stress across the six classes were identified for four of the eight domains: family economic, acculturation gap, community and gang, and family and drug stress. The effect sizes revealed the largest mean differences in stress between the no substance use group and the two polysubstance use groups and between the no risk group and alcohol use group. The findings from this study support the use of interventions that target stress to affect multiple substance use behaviors in Hispanic adolescents.

Platyhelminth Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) proteins: revealing structural diversity, class-specific features and biological associations across the phylum

PubMed Central

CHALMERS, IAIN W.; HOFFMANN, KARL F.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY During platyhelminth infection, a cocktail of proteins is released by the parasite to aid invasion, initiate feeding, facilitate adaptation and mediate modulation of the host immune response. Included amongst these proteins is the Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) family, part of the larger sperm coating protein/Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7 (SCP/TAPS) superfamily. To explore the significance of this protein family during Platyhelminthes development and host interactions, we systematically summarize all published proteomic, genomic and immunological investigations of the VAL protein family to date. By conducting new genomic and transcriptomic interrogations to identify over 200 VAL proteins (228) from species in all 4 traditional taxonomic classes (Trematoda, Cestoda, Monogenea and Turbellaria), we further expand our knowledge related to platyhelminth VAL diversity across the phylum. Subsequent phylogenetic and tertiary structural analyses reveal several class-specific VAL features, which likely indicate a range of roles mediated by this protein family. Our comprehensive analysis of platyhelminth VALs represents a unifying synopsis for understanding diversity within this protein family and a firm context in which to initiate future functional characterization of these enigmatic members. PMID:22717097

Levels of analysis in neuroscientific studies of emotion: Comment on "The quartet theory of human emotions: an integrative and neurofunctional model" by S. Koelsch et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuiken, Don; Douglas, Shawn

2015-06-01

In the conduct of neuroscience research, methodological choices and theoretical claims often reveal underlying metamethodological and ontological commitments. Koelsch et al. [1] accentuate such commitments in their description of four "neuroanatomically distinct systems," each the substrate of "a specific class of affects" (p. 1). Explication of those classes of affect require theoretical integration across methodologically diverse disciplines, including "psychology, neurobiology, sociology, anthropology, and psycholinguistics" (p. 3). (Philosophy is noticeably missing from this list, but several aspects of the authors' stance indicate that it is not ignored.)

1/f Noise from nonlinear stochastic differential equations.

PubMed

Ruseckas, J; Kaulakys, B

2010-03-01

We consider a class of nonlinear stochastic differential equations, giving the power-law behavior of the power spectral density in any desirably wide range of frequency. Such equations were obtained starting from the point process models of 1/fbeta noise. In this article the power-law behavior of spectrum is derived directly from the stochastic differential equations, without using the point process models. The analysis reveals that the power spectrum may be represented as a sum of the Lorentzian spectra. Such a derivation provides additional justification of equations, expands the class of equations generating 1/fbeta noise, and provides further insights into the origin of 1/fbeta noise.

Mediterranean Land Use and Land Cover Classification Assessment Using High Spatial Resolution Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elhag, Mohamed; Boteva, Silvena

2016-10-01

Landscape fragmentation is noticeably practiced in Mediterranean regions and imposes substantial complications in several satellite image classification methods. To some extent, high spatial resolution data were able to overcome such complications. For better classification performances in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) mapping, the current research adopts different classification methods comparison for LULC mapping using Sentinel-2 satellite as a source of high spatial resolution. Both of pixel-based and an object-based classification algorithms were assessed; the pixel-based approach employs Maximum Likelihood (ML), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithms, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and, the object-based classification uses the Nearest Neighbour (NN) classifier. Stratified Masking Process (SMP) that integrates a ranking process within the classes based on spectral fluctuation of the sum of the training and testing sites was implemented. An analysis of the overall and individual accuracy of the classification results of all four methods reveals that the SVM classifier was the most efficient overall by distinguishing most of the classes with the highest accuracy. NN succeeded to deal with artificial surface classes in general while agriculture area classes, and forest and semi-natural area classes were segregated successfully with SVM. Furthermore, a comparative analysis indicates that the conventional classification method yielded better accuracy results than the SMP method overall with both classifiers used, ML and SVM.

Genomic Characterization of Methanomicrobiales Reveals Three Classes of Methanogens

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Iain; Ulrich, Luke E.; Lupa, Boguslaw

2009-05-01

Methanomicrobiales is the least studied order of methanogens. While these organisms appear to be more closely related to the Methanosarcinales in ribosomal-based phylogenetic analyses, they are metabolically more similar to Class I methanogens. In order to improve our understanding of this lineage, we have completely sequenced the genomes of two members of this order, Methanocorpusculum labreanum Z and Methanoculleus marisnigri JR1, and compared them with the genome of a third, Methanospirillum hungatei JF-1. Similar to Class I methanogens, Methanomicrobiales use a partial reductive citric acid cycle for 2-oxoglutarate biosynthesis, and they have the Eha energy-converting hydrogenase. In common with Methanosarcinales,more » Methanomicrobiales possess the Ech hydrogenase and at least some of them may couple formylmethanofuran formation and heterodisulfide reduction to transmembrane ion gradients. Uniquely, M. labreanum and M. hungatei contain hydrogenases similar to the Pyrococcus furiosus Mbh hydrogenase, and all three Methanomicrobiales have anti-sigma factor and anti-anti-sigma factor regulatory proteins not found in other methanogens. Phylogenetic analysis based on seven core proteins of methanogenesis and cofactor biosynthesis places the Methanomicrobiales equidistant from Class I methanogens and Methanosarcinales. Our results indicate that Methanomicrobiales, rather than being similar to Class I methanogens or Methanomicrobiales, share some features of both and have some unique properties. We find that there are three distinct classes of methanogens: the Class I methanogens, the Methanomicrobiales (Class II), and the Methanosarcinales (Class III).« less

Information-theoretic metric as a tool to investigate nonclassical correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudolph, Alexander L.; Lamine, Brahim; Joyce, Michael; Vignolles, Hélène; Consiglio, David

2014-06-01

We report on a project to introduce interactive learning strategies (ILS) to physics classes at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, one of the leading science universities in France. In Spring 2012, instructors in two large introductory classes, first-year, second-semester mechanics, and second-year introductory electricity and magnetism, enrolling approximately 500 and 250 students, respectively, introduced ILS into some, but not all, of the sections of each class. The specific ILS utilized were think-pair-share questions and Peer Instruction in the main lecture classrooms, and University of Washington Tutorials for Introductory Physics in recitation sections. Pre- and postinstruction assessments [Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), respectively] were given, along with a series of demographic questions. Since not all lecture or recitation sections in these classes used ILS, we were able to compare the results of the FCI and CSEM between interactive and noninteractive classes taught simultaneously with the same curriculum. We also analyzed final exam results, as well as the results of student and instructor attitude surveys between classes. In our analysis, we argue that multiple linear regression modeling is superior to other common analysis tools, including normalized gain. Our results show that ILS are effective at improving student learning by all measures used: research-validated concept inventories and final exam scores, on both conceptual and traditional problem-solving questions. Multiple linear regression analysis reveals that interactivity in the classroom is a significant predictor of student learning, showing a similar or stronger relationship with student learning than such ascribed characteristics as parents’ education, and achieved characteristics such as grade point average and hours studied per week. Analysis of student and instructor attitudes shows that both groups believe that ILS improve student learning in the physics classroom and increase student engagement and motivation. All of the instructors who used ILS in this study plan to continue their use.

Genome-wide identification, splicing, and expression analysis of the myosin gene family in maize (Zea mays)

PubMed Central

Wang, Guifeng; Zhong, Mingyu; Wang, Gang; Song, Rentao

2014-01-01

The actin-based myosin system is essential for the organization and dynamics of the endomembrane system and transport network in plant cells. Plants harbour two unique myosin groups, class VIII and class XI, and the latter is structurally and functionally analogous to the animal and fungal class V myosin. Little is known about myosins in grass, even though grass includes several agronomically important cereal crops. Here, we identified 14 myosin genes from the genome of maize (Zea mays). The relatively larger sizes of maize myosin genes are due to their much longer introns, which are abundant in transposable elements. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that maize myosin genes could be classified into class VIII and class XI, with three and 11 members, respectively. Apart from subgroup XI-F, the remaining subgroups were duplicated at least in one analysed lineage, and the duplication events occurred more extensively in Arabidopsis than in maize. Only two pairs of maize myosins were generated from segmental duplication. Expression analysis revealed that most maize myosin genes were expressed universally, whereas a few members (XI-1, -6, and -11) showed an anther-specific pattern, and many underwent extensive alternative splicing. We also found a short transcript at the O1 locus, which conceptually encoded a headless myosin that most likely functions at the transcriptional level rather than via a dominant-negative mechanism at the translational level. Together, these data provide significant insights into the evolutionary and functional characterization of maize myosin genes that could transfer to the identification and application of homologous myosins of other grasses. PMID:24363426

Molecular characterization of class 1 integrons from Irish thermophilic Campylobacter spp.

PubMed

O'Halloran, Fiona; Lucey, Brigid; Cryan, Bartley; Buckley, Tom; Fanning, Séamus

2004-06-01

In this study a large random collection (n = 378) of Irish thermophilic Campylobacter isolates were investigated for the presence of integrons, genetic elements associated with the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Purified genomic DNA from each isolate was analysed by PCR for the presence of class 1 integrons. Four gene cassette-associated amplicons were completely characterized. Sixty-two of the isolates possessed a complete class 1 integron with a recombined gene cassette located within a 1.0 kb amplicon containing an aadA2 gene. This cassette was present in both Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates and following sequence analysis was shown to be similar to sequences recently reported in Salmonella enterica Hadar and on an 85 kb plasmid conferring quinolone resistance in Escherichia coli. Aminoglycoside aadA2-encoding class 1 integrons were identified among unrelated Campylobacter spp. Amino acid sequence comparisons revealed identical structures in both Salmonella and E. coli. The presence of class 1 integrons in Campylobacter spp. may be significant should these organisms enter the food chain and especially when antimicrobial treatment for severe infections is being considered.

Expression analysis of chitinase upon challenge inoculation to Alternaria wounding and defense inducers in Brassica juncea.

PubMed

Rawat, Sandhya; Ali, Sajad; Mittra, Bhabatosh; Grover, Anita

2017-03-01

Chitinases are the hydrolytic enzymes which belong to the pathogenesis-related (PR) protein family and play an important role not only in plant defense but also in various abiotic stresses. However, only a limited number of chitinase genes have been characterised in B. juncea . In this study, we have characterised B. juncea class IV chitinase gene (accession no EF586206) in response to fungal infection, salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) treatments and wounding. Gene expression studies revealed that the transcript levels of Bjchitinase ( BjChp ) gene increases significantly both in local and distal tissues after Alternaria infection. Bjchitinase gene was also induced by jasmonic acid and wounding but moderately by salicylic acid. A 2.5 kb class IV chitinase promoter of this gene was isolated from B. juncea by Genome walking (accession no KF055403.1). In-silico analysis of this promoter revealed a number of conserved cis -regulatory elements related to defense, wounding and signalling molecules like SA, and JA. For validation, chitinase promoter was fused to the GUS gene, and the resultant construct was then introduced into Arabidopsis plants. Histochemical analysis of T 2 transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed that higher GUS activity in leaves after fungal infection, wounding and JA treatment but weakly by SA. GUS activity was seen in meristematic tissues, young leaves, seeds and siliques. Finally investigation has led to the identification of a pathogen-inducible, developmentally regulated and organ-specific promoter. Present study revealed that Bjchitinase ( BjChp ) promoter is induced during biotic and environmental stress and it can be used in developing finely tuned transgenics.

An abundance of Epsilonproteobacteria revealed in the gut microbiome of the laboratory cultured sea urchin, Lytechinus variegatus

PubMed Central

Hakim, Joseph A.; Koo, Hyunmin; Dennis, Lacey N.; Kumar, Ranjit; Ptacek, Travis; Morrow, Casey D.; Lefkowitz, Elliot J.; Powell, Mickie L.; Bej, Asim K.; Watts, Stephen A.

2015-01-01

In this study, we have examined the bacterial community composition of the laboratory cultured sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus gut microbiome and its culture environment using NextGen amplicon sequencing of the V4 segment of the 16S rRNA gene, and downstream bioinformatics tools. Overall, the gut and tank water was dominated by Proteobacteria, whereas the feed consisted of a co-occurrence of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes at a high abundance. The gut tissue represented Epsilonproteobacteria as dominant, with order Campylobacterales at the highest relative abundance (>95%). However, the pharynx tissue was dominated by class Alphaproteobacteria. The gut digesta and egested fecal pellets had a high abundance of class Gammaproteobacteria, from which Vibrio was found to be the primary genus, and Epsilonproteobacteria, with genus Arcobacter occurring at a moderate level. At the class level, the tank water was dominated by Gammaproteobacteria, and the feed by Alphaproteobacteria. Multi-Dimensional Scaling analysis showed that the microbial community of the gut tissue clustered together, as did the pharynx tissue to the feed. The gut digesta and egested fecal pellets showed a similarity relationship to the tank water. Further analysis of Campylobacterales at a lower taxonomic level using the oligotyping method revealed 37 unique types across the 10 samples, where Oligotype 1 was primarily represented in the gut tissue. BLAST analysis identified Oligotype 1 to be Arcobacter sp., Sulfuricurvum sp., and Arcobacter bivalviorum at an identity level >90%. This study showed that although distinct microbial communities are evident across multiple components of the sea urchin gut ecosystem, there is a noticeable correlation between the overall microbial communities of the gut with the sea urchin L. variegatus culture environment. PMID:26528245

The character strengths of class clowns.

PubMed

Ruch, Willibald; Platt, Tracey; Hofmann, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Class clowns traditionally were studied as a type concept and identified via sociometric procedures. In the present study a variable-centered approach was favored and class clown behaviors were studied in the context of character strengths, orientations to happiness and satisfaction with life. A sample of 672 Swiss children and adolescents filled in an 18 item self-report instrument depicting class clown behaviors. A hierarchical model of class clown behaviors was developed distinguishing a general factor and the four positively correlated dimensions of "identified as a class clown," "comic talent," "disruptive rule-breaker," and "subversive joker." Analysis of the general factor showed that class clowns were primarily male, and tended to be seen as class clowns by the teacher. Analyses of the 24 character strengths of the VIA-Youth (Park and Peterson, 2006) showed that class clowns were high in humor and leadership, and low in strengths like prudence, self-regulation, modesty, honesty, fairness, perseverance, and love of learning. An inspection of signature strengths revealed that 75% of class clowns had humor as a signature strength. Furthermore, class clown behaviors were generally shown by students indulging in a life of pleasure, but low life of engagement. The four dimensions yielded different character strengths profiles. While all dimensions of class clowns behaviors were low in temperance strengths, the factors "identified as the class clown" and "comic talent" were correlated with leadership strengths and the two negative factors ("disruptive rule-breaker," "subversive joker") were low in other directed strengths. The disruptive rule breaking class clown was additionally low in intellectual strengths. While humor predicted life satisfaction, class clowning tended to go along with diminished satisfaction with life. It is concluded that different types of class clowns need to be kept apart and need different attention by teachers.

Ontogenetic changes in biochemical composition during larval and early postlarval development of Lepidophthalmus louisianensis, a ghost shrimp with abbreviated development

EPA Science Inventory

Larvae of the ghost shrimp, Lepidophthalmus louisianensis, were mass-reared under laboratory conditions (28|C; 20o/ooS) from hatching to the decapodid (D) stage. Iatroscan lipid class analysis revealed that polar lipids (Zoea I: 77.4|1.7%; Zoea II: 77.5|2.1%; Decapodid: 80.0|1.7%...

Impacts of Credit Cards on Individuals, Families and Society in Hong Kong: An Exploration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Alfred C. M.

Credit cards have swept through almost every social class and all ages in Hong Kong. This paper attempts to provide a preliminary analysis of the possible impact of credit cards on individuals and their families in Hong Kong. A literature review reveals that Hong Kong people, while enjoying the freedom and convenience of "plastic money,"…

What Should Young Black Children Know about Race? Parents of Preschoolers, Preparation for Bias, and Promoting Egalitarianism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doucet, Fabienne; Banerjee, Meeta; Parade, Stephanie

2018-01-01

This qualitative study of 26 African American parents and caregivers of preschool children sought to address gaps in the current literature by exploring how the intersection of parents' racism experiences and social class may play a role in race-related socialization during the early years. Analysis of narrative interviews revealed that…

MISAA, The Fall of Saigon, and College Choice, 1972 to 1980. ASHE 1986 Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Gregory A.

Changes in high school graduates' college choices between 1972 and 1980 were investigated, with attention to the importance of different enrollment influences and the distribution of these influences. Analysis of the National Longitudinal Study (NLS) of the High School Class of 1972 and the High School and Beyond (HSB) surveys revealed that 46.4%…

Metabolomics and Ionomics of Potato Tuber Reveals an Influence of Cultivar and Market Class on Human Nutrients and Bioactive Compounds

PubMed Central

Chaparro, Jacqueline M.; Holm, David G.; Broeckling, Corey D.; Prenni, Jessica E.; Heuberger, Adam L.

2018-01-01

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important global food crop that contains phytochemicals with demonstrated effects on human health. Understanding sources of chemical variation of potato tuber can inform breeding for improved health attributes of the cooked food. Here, a comprehensive metabolomics (UPLC- and GC-MS) and ionomics (ICP-MS) analysis of raw and cooked potato tuber was performed on 60 unique potato genotypes that span 5 market classes including russet, red, yellow, chip, and specialty potatoes. The analyses detected 2,656 compounds that included known bioactives (43 compounds), nutrients (42), lipids (76), and 23 metals. Most nutrients and bioactives were partially degraded during cooking (44 out of 85; 52%), however genotypes with high quantities of bioactives remained highest in the cooked tuber. Chemical variation was influenced by genotype and market class. Specifically, ~53% of all detected compounds from cooked potato varied among market class and 40% varied by genotype. The most notable metabolite profiles were observed in yellow-flesh potato which had higher levels of carotenoids and specialty potatoes which had the higher levels of chlorogenic acid as compared to the other market classes. Variation in several molecules with known association to health was observed among market classes and included vitamins (e.g., pyridoxal, ~2-fold variation), bioactives (e.g., chlorogenic acid, ~40-fold variation), medicinals (e.g., kukoamines, ~6-fold variation), and minerals (e.g., calcium, iron, molybdenum, ~2-fold variation). Furthermore, more metabolite variation was observed within market class than among market class (e.g., α-tocopherol, ~1-fold variation among market class vs. ~3-fold variation within market class). Taken together, the analysis characterized significant metabolite and mineral variation in raw and cooked potato tuber, and support the potential to breed new cultivars for improved health traits. PMID:29876353

Verification of relationship model between Korean new elderly class's recovery resilience and productive aging.

PubMed

Cho, Gun-Sang; Kim, Dae-Sung; Yi, Eun-Surk

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study is to verification of relationship model between Korean new elderly class's recovery resilience and productive aging. As of 2013, this study sampled preliminary elderly people in Gyeonggi-do and other provinces nationwide. Data from a total of effective 484 subjects was analyzed. The collected data was processed using the IBM SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 20.0, and underwent descriptive statistical analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structure model verification. The path coefficient associated with model fitness was examined. The standardization path coefficient between recovery resilience and productive aging is β=0.975 (t=14.790), revealing a statistically significant positive effect. Thus, it was found that the proposed basic model on the direct path of recovery resilience and productive aging was fit for the model.

Profiles in coping: responses to sexual harassment across persons, organizations, and cultures.

PubMed

Cortina, Lilia M; Wasti, S Arzu

2005-01-01

This study explicates the complexity of sexual harassment coping behavior among 4 diverse samples of working women: (a) working-class Hispanic Americans, (b) working-class Anglo Americans, (c) professional Turks, and (d) professional Anglo Americans. K-means cluster analysis revealed 3 common harassment coping profiles: (a) detached, (b) avoidant negotiating, and (c) support seeking. The authors then tested an integrated framework of coping profile determinants, involving social power, stressor severity, social support, and culture. Analysis of variance, chi-square, and discriminant function results identified significant determinants at each of the 4 levels of this ecological model. These findings underscore the importance of focusing on whole patterns of experience--and considering influences at the level of the individual employee and multiple levels of the surrounding context--when studying how women cope with workplace sexual harassment.

Insights into MHC class I peptide loading from the structure of the tapasin/ERp57 heterodimer

PubMed Central

Dong, Gang; Wearsch, Pamela A.; Peaper, David R.; Cresswell, Peter; Reinisch, Karin M.

2009-01-01

SUMMARY Tapasin is a glycoprotein critical for loading Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I molecules with high affinity peptides. It functions within the multimeric peptide-loading complex (PLC) as a disulfide-linked, stable heterodimer with the thiol oxidoreductase ERp57, and this covalent interaction is required to support optimal PLC activity. Here we present the 2.6 Å resolution structure of the tapasin/ERp57 core of the PLC. The structure reveals the basis for the stable dimerization of tapasin and ERp57 and provides the first example of a protein disulfide isomerase family member interacting with a substrate. Mutational analysis identified a conserved surface on tapasin that interacts with MHC class I molecules and is critical for the peptide loading and editing function of the tapasin-ERp57 heterodimer. By combining the tapasin/ERp57 structure with those of other defined PLC components we present a molecular model that illuminates the processes involved in MHC class I peptide loading. PMID:19119025

An Analysis of Conceptual Flow Patterns and Structures in the Physics Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eshach, Haim

2010-03-01

The aim of the current research is to characterize the conceptual flow processes occurring in whole-class dialogic discussions with a high level of interanimation; in the present case, of a high-school class learning about image creation on plane mirrors. Using detailed chains of interaction and conceptual flow discourse maps-both developed for the purpose of this research-the classroom discourse, audio-taped and transcribed verbatim, was analyzed and three discussion structures were revealed: accumulation around budding foci concepts, zigzag between foci concepts, and concept tower. These structures as well as two additional factors, suggest the Two-Space Model of the whole class discussion proposed in the present article. The two additional factors are: (1) the teacher intervention; and (2) the conceptual barriers observed among the students, namely, materialistic thinking, and the tendency to attribute "unique characteristics" to optical devices. This model might help teachers to prepare and conduct efficient whole-class discussions which accord with the social constructivist perspective of learning.

Mapping Rock and Soil Units in the MPF IMP SuperPan Using a Kohonen Self Organizing Map

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrand, W.; Merenyi, E.; Murchie, S.; Barnouin-Jha, O.; Johnson, J.

2004-01-01

The 1997 Mars Pathfinder mission provided information on a site in the Ares Vallis floodplain. Initial analysis of multispectral data from the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) indicated the presence of only a single rock type, the 'gray rock' spectral class and various coated variants thereof (e.g., 'maroon rock'). Continued analysis of the IMP 'SuperPan' mosaic has confirmed multiple examples of a second 'black rock' spectral class existing as small cobbles in the near field and as boulders in the far field. These results are consistent with recent analysis of MGS Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data which indicates that there is likely a mix of both 'Surface Type 1' (ST1) and 'Surface Type 2' (ST2) spectral classes at the MPF landing site. Nominally, the black rock spectral class would correspond to ST1 (basalts) and 'gray rock' would correspond to ST2 (andesites). Orbital remote sensing has also revealed the pervasive presence of layering on Mars. Recently it was suggested that there are extensive outcrops of the black rock spectral class in the SuperPan far field on the flanks of the Twin Peaks and on the rim of Big Crater. These authors suggested that these exposures represented outcrops of black rock from beneath a surficial, flood deposited layer. In this work, we have reexamined the MPF IMP SuperPan mosaic using an artificial neural network self organizing map (SOM) processing architecture in order to classify the distribution of spectral classes within the SuperPan. In this paper, we present initial results from that work and draw specific attention to a subset of the identified spectral classes in order to address questions relating to whether there are extensive exposures of black rock in the IMP far field, what other materials might be exposed in the far field, and what evidence there is for subsurface layering at the MPF landing site.

Body build classes as a method for systematization of age-related anthropometric changes in girls aged 7-8 and 17-18 years.

PubMed

Kasmel, Jaan; Kaarma, Helje; Koskel, Säde; Tiit, Ene-Margit

2004-03-01

A total of 462 schoolgirls aged 7-8 and 17-18 years were examined anthropometrically (45 body measurements and 10 skinfolds) in a cross-sectional study. The data were processed in two age groups: 7-8-year-olds (n = 205) and 17-18-year-olds (n = 257). Relying on average height and weight in the groups, both groups were divided into five body build classes: small, medium, large, pyknomorphous and leptomorphous. In these classes, the differences in all other body measurements were compared, and in both age groups, analogous systematic differences were found in length, width and depth measurements and circumferences. This enabled us to compare proportional changes in body measurements during ten years, using for this ratios of averages of basic measurements and measurement groups in the same body build classes. Statistical analysis by the sign test revealed statistically significant differences between various body build classes in the growth of averages. Girls belonging to the small class differed from the girls of the large class by an essentially greater increase in their measurements. Our results suggest that the growth rate of body measurements of girls with different body build can be studied by the help of body build classification.

Evaluation of Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, K. A.; Yale, M. S.; Bennett, D. E.; Haugan, M. P.; Bryan, L. A.

2014-12-01

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is a widely used instrument designed to measure student attitudes toward physics and learning physics. Previous research revealed a fairly complex factor structure. In this study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on data from an undergraduate introductory physics course (n =3844 ) to determine whether a more parsimonious factor structure exists. Exploratory factor analysis results indicate that many of the items from the original CLASS have poor psychometric properties and could not be used in a revised factor structure. The cross validation showed acceptable fit statistics for a three factor model found in the exploratory factor analysis. This research suggests that a more optimum measurement of students' attitudes about physics and learning physics is obtained with a 15-item instrument, which describes the factors of personal application, personal effort, and problem solving. The proposed revised version of the CLASS offers researchers the opportunity to test a shortened version of the instrument that may be able to provide information about students' attitudes in the areas of personal application of physics, personal effort in a physics course, and approaches to problem solving.

Classroom Research: GC Studies of Linoleic and Linolenic Fatty Acids Found in French Fries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowley, Janice P.; Deboise, Kristen L.; Marshall, Megan R.; Shaffer, Hannah M.; Zafar, Sara; Jones, Kevin A.; Palko, Nick R.; Mitsch, Stephen M.; Sutton, Lindsay A.; Chang, Margaret; Fromer, Ilana; Kraft, Jake; Meister, Jessica; Shah, Amar; Tan, Priscilla; Whitchurch, James

2002-07-01

A study of fatty-acid ratios in French fries has proved to be an excellent choice for an entry-level research class. This research develops reasoning skills and involves the subject of breast cancer, a major concern of American society. Analysis of tumor samples removed from women with breast cancer revealed high ratios of linoleic to linolenic acid, suggesting a link between the accelerated growth of breast tumors and the combination of these two fatty acids. When the ratio of linoleic to linolenic acid was approximately 9 to 1, accelerated growth was observed. Since these fatty acids are found in cooking oils, Wichita Collegiate students, under the guidance of their chemistry teacher, decided that an investigation of the ratios of these two fatty acids should be conducted. A research class was structured using a gas chromatograph for the analysis. Separation of linoleic from linolenic acid was successfully accomplished. The students experienced inductive experimental research chemistry as it applies to everyday life. The structure of this research class can serve as a model for high school and undergraduate college research curricula.

Digital modelling of landscape and soil in a mountainous region: A neuro-fuzzy approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viloria, Jesús A.; Viloria-Botello, Alvaro; Pineda, María Corina; Valera, Angel

2016-01-01

Research on genetic relationships between soil and landforms has largely improved soil mapping. Recent technological advances have created innovative methods for modelling the spatial soil variation from digital elevation models (DEMs) and remote sensors. This generates new opportunities for the application of geomorphology to soil mapping. This study applied a method based on artificial neural networks and fuzzy clustering to recognize digital classes of land surfaces in a mountainous area in north-central Venezuela. The spatial variation of the fuzzy memberships exposed the areas where each class predominates, while the class centres helped to recognize the topographic attributes and vegetation cover of each class. The obtained classes of terrain revealed the structure of the land surface, which showed regional differences in climate, vegetation, and topography and landscape stability. The land-surface classes were subdivided on the basis of the geological substratum to produce landscape classes that additionally considered the influence of soil parent material. These classes were used as a framework for soil sampling. A redundancy analysis confirmed that changes of landscape classes explained the variation in soil properties (p = 0.01), and a Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences (p = 0.01) in clay, hydraulic conductivity, soil organic carbon, base saturation, and exchangeable Ca and Mg between classes. Thus, the produced landscape classes correspond to three-dimensional bodies that differ in soil conditions. Some changes of land-surface classes coincide with abrupt boundaries in the landscape, such as ridges and thalwegs. However, as the model is continuous, it disclosed the remaining variation between those boundaries.

Approaching the axiomatic enrichment of the Gene Ontology from a lexical perspective.

PubMed

Quesada-Martínez, Manuel; Mikroyannidi, Eleni; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás; Stevens, Robert

2015-09-01

The main goal of this work is to measure how lexical regularities in biomedical ontology labels can be used for the automatic creation of formal relationships between classes, and to evaluate the results of applying our approach to the Gene Ontology (GO). In recent years, we have developed a method for the lexical analysis of regularities in biomedical ontology labels, and we showed that the labels can present a high degree of regularity. In this work, we extend our method with a cross-products extension (CPE) metric, which estimates the potential interest of a specific regularity for axiomatic enrichment in the lexical analysis, using information on exact matches in external ontologies. The GO consortium recently enriched the GO by using so-called cross-product extensions. Cross-products are generated by establishing axioms that relate a given GO class with classes from the GO or other biomedical ontologies. We apply our method to the GO and study how its lexical analysis can identify and reconstruct the cross-products that are defined by the GO consortium. The label of the classes of the GO are highly regular in lexical terms, and the exact matches with labels of external ontologies affect 80% of the GO classes. The CPE metric reveals that 31.48% of the classes that exhibit regularities have fragments that are classes into two external ontologies that are selected for our experiment, namely, the Cell Ontology and the Chemical Entities of Biological Interest ontology, and 18.90% of them are fully decomposable into smaller parts. Our results show that the CPE metric permits our method to detect GO cross-product extensions with a mean recall of 62% and a mean precision of 28%. The study is completed with an analysis of false positives to explain this precision value. We think that our results support the claim that our lexical approach can contribute to the axiomatic enrichment of biomedical ontologies and that it can provide new insights into the engineering of biomedical ontologies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative genomic analysis of the MHC: the evolution of class I duplication blocks, diversity and complexity from shark to man.

PubMed

Kulski, Jerzy K; Shiina, Takashi; Anzai, Tatsuya; Kohara, Sakae; Inoko, Hidetoshi

2002-12-01

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genomic region is composed of a group of linked genes involved functionally with the adaptive and innate immune systems. The class I and class II genes are intrinsic features of the MHC and have been found in all the jawed vertebrates studied so far. The MHC genomic regions of the human and the chicken (B locus) have been fully sequenced and mapped, and the mouse MHC sequence is almost finished. Information on the MHC genomic structures (size, complexity, genic and intergenic composition and organization, gene order and number) of other vertebrates is largely limited or nonexistent. Therefore, we are mapping, sequencing and analyzing the MHC genomic regions of different human haplotypes and at least eight nonhuman species. Here, we review our progress with these sequences and compare the human MHC structure with that of the nonhuman primates (chimpanzee and rhesus macaque), other mammals (pigs, mice and rats) and nonmammalian vertebrates such as birds (chicken and quail), bony fish (medaka, pufferfish and zebrafish) and cartilaginous fish (nurse shark). This comparison reveals a complex MHC structure for mammals and a relatively simpler design for nonmammalian animals with a hypothetical prototypic structure for the shark. In the mammalian MHC, there are two to five different class I duplication blocks embedded within a framework of conserved nonclass I and/or nonclass II genes. With a few exceptions, the class I framework genes are absent from the MHC of birds, bony fish and sharks. Comparative genomics of the MHC reveal a highly plastic region with major structural differences between the mammalian and nonmammalian vertebrates. Additional genomic data are needed on animals of the reptilia, crocodilia and marsupial classes to find the origins of the class I framework genes and examples of structures that may be intermediate between the simple and complex MHC organizations of birds and mammals, respectively.

Newly Identified Gait Patterns in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis May Be Related to Push-off Quality.

PubMed

Kempen, Jiska C E; Doorenbosch, Caroline A M; Knol, Dirk L; de Groot, Vincent; Beckerman, Heleen

2016-11-01

Limited walking ability is an important problem for patients with multiple sclerosis. A better understanding of how gait impairments lead to limited walking ability may help to develop more targeted interventions. Although gait classifications are available in cerebral palsy and stroke, relevant knowledge in MS is scarce. The aims of this study were: (1) to identify distinctive gait patterns in patients with MS based on a combined evaluation of kinematics, gait features, and muscle activity during walking and (2) to determine the clinical relevance of these gait patterns. This was a cross-sectional study of 81 patients with MS of mild-to-moderate severity (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] median score=3.0, range=1.0-7.0) and an age range of 28 to 69 years. The patients participated in 2-dimensional video gait analysis, with concurrent measurement of surface electromyography and ground reaction forces. A score chart of 73 gait items was used to rate each gait analysis. A single rater performed the scoring. Latent class analysis was used to identify gait classes. Analysis of the 73 gait variables revealed that 9 variables could distinguish 3 clinically meaningful gait classes. The 9 variables were: (1) heel-rise in terminal stance, (2) push-off, (3) clearance in initial swing, (4) plantar-flexion position in mid-swing, (5) pelvic rotation, (6) arm-trunk movement, (7) activity of the gastrocnemius muscle in pre-swing, (8) M-wave, and (9) propulsive force. The EDSS score and gait speed worsened in ascending classes. Most participants had mild-to-moderate limitations in walking ability based on their EDSS scores, and the number of walkers who were severely limited was small. Based on a small set of 9 variables measured with 2-dimensional clinical gait analysis, patients with MS could be divided into 3 different gait classes. The gait variables are suggestive of insufficient ankle push-off. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

A Bioinformatic Strategy for the Detection, Classification and Analysis of Bacterial Autotransporters

PubMed Central

Celik, Nermin; Webb, Chaille T.; Leyton, Denisse L.; Holt, Kathryn E.; Heinz, Eva; Gorrell, Rebecca; Kwok, Terry; Naderer, Thomas; Strugnell, Richard A.; Speed, Terence P.; Teasdale, Rohan D.; Likić, Vladimir A.; Lithgow, Trevor

2012-01-01

Autotransporters are secreted proteins that are assembled into the outer membrane of bacterial cells. The passenger domains of autotransporters are crucial for bacterial pathogenesis, with some remaining attached to the bacterial surface while others are released by proteolysis. An enigma remains as to whether autotransporters should be considered a class of secretion system, or simply a class of substrate with peculiar requirements for their secretion. We sought to establish a sensitive search protocol that could identify and characterize diverse autotransporters from bacterial genome sequence data. The new sequence analysis pipeline identified more than 1500 autotransporter sequences from diverse bacteria, including numerous species of Chlamydiales and Fusobacteria as well as all classes of Proteobacteria. Interrogation of the proteins revealed that there are numerous classes of passenger domains beyond the known proteases, adhesins and esterases. In addition the barrel-domain-a characteristic feature of autotransporters-was found to be composed from seven conserved sequence segments that can be arranged in multiple ways in the tertiary structure of the assembled autotransporter. One of these conserved motifs overlays the targeting information required for autotransporters to reach the outer membrane. Another conserved and diagnostic motif maps to the linker region between the passenger domain and barrel-domain, indicating it as an important feature in the assembly of autotransporters. PMID:22905239

Causal effects of socioeconomic status on central adiposity risks: Evidence using panel data from urban Mexico.

PubMed

Levasseur, Pierre

2015-07-01

Associated with overweight, obesity and chronic diseases, the nutrition transition process reveals important socioeconomic issues in Mexico. Using panel data from the Mexican Family Life Survey, the purpose of the study is to estimate the causal effect of household socioeconomic status (SES) on nutritional outcomes among urban adults. We divide the analysis into two steps. First, using a mixed clustering procedure, we distinguish four socioeconomic classes based on income, educational and occupational dimensions: (i) a poor class; (ii) a lower-middle class; (iii) an upper-middle class; (iv) a rich class. Second, using an econometric framework adapted to our study (the Hausman-Taylor estimator), we measure the impact of belonging to these socioeconomic groups on individual anthropometric indicators, based on the body-mass index (BMI) and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Our results make several contributions: (i) we show that a new middle class, rising out of poverty, is the most exposed to the risks of adiposity; (ii) as individuals from the upper class seem to be fatter than individuals from the upper-middle class, we can reject the assumption of an inverted U-shaped relationship between socioeconomic and anthropometric status as commonly suggested in emerging economies; (iii) the influence of SES on central adiposity appears to be particularly strong for men. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Backbone Brackets and Arginine Tweezers delineate Class I and Class II aminoacyl tRNA synthetases

PubMed Central

Haupt, V. Joachim; Schroeder, Michael; Labudde, Dirk

2018-01-01

The origin of the machinery that realizes protein biosynthesis in all organisms is still unclear. One key component of this machinery are aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (aaRS), which ligate tRNAs to amino acids while consuming ATP. Sequence analyses revealed that these enzymes can be divided into two complementary classes. Both classes differ significantly on a sequence and structural level, feature different reaction mechanisms, and occur in diverse oligomerization states. The one unifying aspect of both classes is their function of binding ATP. We identified Backbone Brackets and Arginine Tweezers as most compact ATP binding motifs characteristic for each Class. Geometric analysis shows a structural rearrangement of the Backbone Brackets upon ATP binding, indicating a general mechanism of all Class I structures. Regarding the origin of aaRS, the Rodin-Ohno hypothesis states that the peculiar nature of the two aaRS classes is the result of their primordial forms, called Protozymes, being encoded on opposite strands of the same gene. Backbone Brackets and Arginine Tweezers were traced back to the proposed Protozymes and their more efficient successors, the Urzymes. Both structural motifs can be observed as pairs of residues in contemporary structures and it seems that the time of their addition, indicated by their placement in the ancient aaRS, coincides with the evolutionary trace of Proto- and Urzymes. PMID:29659563

Postural abnormalities and contraversive pushing following right hemisphere brain damage.

PubMed

Lafosse, C; Kerckhofs, E; Vereeck, L; Troch, M; Van Hoydonck, G; Moeremans, M; Sneyers, C; Broeckx, J; Dereymaeker, L

2007-06-01

We investigated the presence of postural abnormalities in a consecutive sample of stroke patients, with either left or right brain damage, in relation to their perceived body position in space. The presence or absence of posture-related symptoms was judged by two trained therapists and subsequently analysed by hierarchical classes analysis (HICLAS). The subject classes resulting from the HICLAS model were further validated with respect to posture-related measurements, such as centre of gravity position and head position, as well as measurements related to the postural body scheme, such as the perception of postural and visual verticality. The results of the classification analysis clearly demonstrated a relation between the presence of right brain damage and abnormalities in body geometry. The HICLAS model revealed three classes of subjects: The first class contained almost all the patients without neglect and without any signs of contraversive pushing. They were mainly characterised by a normal body axis in any position. The second class were all neglect patients but predominantly without any contraversive pushing. The third class contained right brain damaged patients, all showing neglect and mostly exhibiting contraversive pushing. The patients in the third class showed a clear resistance to bringing the weight over to the ipsilesional side when the therapist attempted to make the subject achieve a vertical posture across the midline. The clear correspondence between abnormalities of the observed body geometry and the tilt of the subjective postural and visual vertical suggests that a patient's postural body geometry is characterised by leaning towards the side of space where he/she feels aligned with an altered postural body scheme. The presence of contraversive pushing after right brain damage points in to a spatial higher-order processing deficit underlying the higher frequency and severity of the axial postural abnormalities found after right brain lesions.

The heterogeneous health latent classes of elderly people and their socio-demographic characteristics in Taiwan.

PubMed

Liu, Li-Fan; Tian, Wei-Hua; Yao, Hui-Ping

2014-01-01

The health care needs of elderly people were influenced by their heterogeneity. This study aimed to identify the health latent classes of elderly people by using latent class analysis to deal with heterogeneity and examine their socio-demographic characteristics. Data came from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in Taiwan. In total, 2449 elderly individuals with available health indicators were examined in latent class analysis (LCA), and 2217 elderly community-dwellings with complete socio-demographic data were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression. Four health latent classes were identified which included 1066 (43.5%) people in the High Comorbidity (HC), 152 (6.2%) in the Functional Impairment (FI), 252 (10.3%) in the Frail (FR), and 979 (40.0%) in the Relatively Healthy (RH) group. Multinomial logistic regressions revealed socio-demographic characteristics among health classes. The variables associated with an increased likelihood of being in the FR group were age, female, and living with families. They were also correlated to ethnicity and educations. Apart from age and gender, the Functional Impairment group was less likely to be ethnicity of Hakka, more likely to live with others than were the RH group. The HC group tended to be younger, with higher educations, and more likely to live in urban area than the Functional Impairment group. The correlations between health classes and socio-demographic factors were discussed. The health status of elderly people includes a variety of health indicators. A person-centered approach is critical to identify the health heterogeneity of elderly people and manage their care needs by targeting differential aging. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enantiomeric and Isotopic Analysis of Sugar Derivatives in Carbonaceous Meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, George; Asiyo, Cynthia; Turk, Kendra; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Several classes of organic compounds are found in carbonaceous meteorites including amino acids, carboxylic acids, hydroxy acids, purines, and pyrimidines. Such compounds are thought to have been delivered to the early Earth in asteroids and comets and may have played a role in the origin of life. Likewise, sugar derivatives are critical to all known lifeforms. Recent analyses of the Murchison and Murray carbonaceous meteorites revealed a diverse suite of such derivatives, i.e., sugar alcohols, and sugar acids. This presentation will focus primarily on the analysis of individual sugar acids - their enantiomeric and isotopic composition. Analysis of these compounds may reveal the nature of past (or present) meteoritic sugars themselves. For example, if parent sugars decomposed (by well-known mechanisms) to give the present acids, were their enantiomeric ratios preserved? Combined with other evidence, the enantiomeric composition of such compounds as glyceric acid and (especially) rare acids may help to answer such questions. C-13 and D isotope analysis of meteoritic sugar alcohols (glycerol, threitol, ribitol, etc.) as a group revealed that they were indigenous to the meteorite. Preliminary C-13 analysis of glyceric acid shows that it is also extraterrestrial.

Identification and Transcript Analysis of the TCP Transcription Factors in the Diploid Woodland Strawberry Fragaria vesca

PubMed Central

Wei, Wei; Hu, Yang; Cui, Meng-Yuan; Han, Yong-Tao; Gao, Kuan; Feng, Jia-Yue

2016-01-01

Plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, and PROLIFERATING CELL FACTORS (TCP) transcription factors play versatile functions in multiple processes of plant growth and development. However, no systematic study has been performed in strawberry. In this study, 19 FvTCP genes were identified in the diploid woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) accession Heilongjiang-3. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the FvTCP genes were classified into two main classes, with the second class further divided into two subclasses, which was supported by the exon-intron organizations and the conserved motif structures. Promoter analysis revealed various cis-acting elements related to growth and development, hormone and/or stress responses. We analyzed FvTCP gene transcript accumulation patterns in different tissues and fruit developmental stages. Among them, 12 FvTCP genes exhibited distinct tissue-specific transcript accumulation patterns. Eleven FvTCP genes were down-regulated in different fruit developmental stages, while five FvTCP genes were up-regulated. Transcripts of FvTCP genes also varied with different subcultural propagation periods and were induced by hormone treatments and biotic and abiotic stresses. Subcellular localization analysis showed that six FvTCP-GFP fusion proteins showed distinct localizations in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts. Notably, transient over-expression of FvTCP9 in strawberry fruits dramatically affected the expression of a series of genes implicated in fruit development and ripening. Taken together, the present study may provide the basis for functional studies to reveal the role of this gene family in strawberry growth and development. PMID:28066489

The fifth class of Gα proteins

PubMed Central

Oka, Yuichiro; Saraiva, Luis R.; Kwan, Yen Yen; Korsching, Sigrun I.

2009-01-01

All α-subunits of vertebrate heterotrimeric G proteins have been classified into 4 major classes, Gs, Gi, Gq, and G12, which possess orthologs already in sponges, one of the earliest animal phyla to evolve. Here we report the discovery of the fifth class of Gα protein, Gv, ancient like the other 4 classes, with members already in sponges, and encoded by 1–2 gnav genes per species. Gv is conserved across the animal kingdom including vertebrates, arthropods, mollusks, and annelids, but has been lost in many lineages such as nematodes, fruit fly, jawless fish, and tetrapods, concordant with a birth-and-death mode of evolution. All Gv proteins contain 5 G-box motifs characteristic of GTP-binding proteins and the expected acylation consensus sites in the N-terminal region. Sixty amino acid residues are conserved only among Gv, suggesting that they may constitute interaction sites for Gv-specific partner molecules. Overall Gv homology is high, on average 70% amino acid identity among vertebrate family members. The dN/dS analysis of teleost gnav genes reveals evolution under stringent negative selection. Genomic structure of vertebrate gnav genes is well conserved and different from those of the other 4 classes. The predicted full ORF of zebrafish gnav1 was confirmed by isolation from cDNA. RT-PCR analysis showed broad expression of gnav1 in adult zebrafish and in situ hybridization demonstrated a more restricted expression in larval tissues including the developing inner ear. The discovery of this fifth class of Gα proteins changes our understanding of G protein evolution. PMID:19164534

Molecular Evolution of Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase (TPS) Gene Family in Populus, Arabidopsis and Rice

PubMed Central

Yang, Hai-Ling; Liu, Yan-Jing; Wang, Cai-Ling; Zeng, Qing-Yin

2012-01-01

Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) plays important roles in trehalose metabolism and signaling. Plant TPS proteins contain both a TPS and a trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) domain, which are coded by a multi-gene family. The plant TPS gene family has been divided into class I and class II. A previous study showed that the Populus, Arabidopsis, and rice genomes have seven class I and 27 class II TPS genes. In this study, we found that all class I TPS genes had 16 introns within the protein-coding region, whereas class II TPS genes had two introns. A significant sequence difference between the two classes of TPS proteins was observed by pairwise sequence comparisons of the 34 TPS proteins. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that at least seven TPS genes were present in the monocot–dicot common ancestor. Segmental duplications contributed significantly to the expansion of this gene family. At least five and three TPS genes were created by segmental duplication events in the Populus and rice genomes, respectively. Both the TPS and TPP domains of 34 TPS genes have evolved under purifying selection, but the selective constraint on the TPP domain was more relaxed than that on the TPS domain. Among 34 TPS genes from Populus, Arabidopsis, and rice, four class I TPS genes (AtTPS1, OsTPS1, PtTPS1, and PtTPS2) were under stronger purifying selection, whereas three Arabidopsis class I TPS genes (AtTPS2, 3, and 4) apparently evolved under relaxed selective constraint. Additionally, a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis showed the expression divergence of the TPS gene family in Populus, Arabidopsis, and rice under normal growth conditions and in response to stressors. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of gene family expansion and functional evolution. PMID:22905132

Molecular evolution of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) gene family in Populus, Arabidopsis and rice.

PubMed

Yang, Hai-Ling; Liu, Yan-Jing; Wang, Cai-Ling; Zeng, Qing-Yin

2012-01-01

Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) plays important roles in trehalose metabolism and signaling. Plant TPS proteins contain both a TPS and a trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) domain, which are coded by a multi-gene family. The plant TPS gene family has been divided into class I and class II. A previous study showed that the Populus, Arabidopsis, and rice genomes have seven class I and 27 class II TPS genes. In this study, we found that all class I TPS genes had 16 introns within the protein-coding region, whereas class II TPS genes had two introns. A significant sequence difference between the two classes of TPS proteins was observed by pairwise sequence comparisons of the 34 TPS proteins. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that at least seven TPS genes were present in the monocot-dicot common ancestor. Segmental duplications contributed significantly to the expansion of this gene family. At least five and three TPS genes were created by segmental duplication events in the Populus and rice genomes, respectively. Both the TPS and TPP domains of 34 TPS genes have evolved under purifying selection, but the selective constraint on the TPP domain was more relaxed than that on the TPS domain. Among 34 TPS genes from Populus, Arabidopsis, and rice, four class I TPS genes (AtTPS1, OsTPS1, PtTPS1, and PtTPS2) were under stronger purifying selection, whereas three Arabidopsis class I TPS genes (AtTPS2, 3, and 4) apparently evolved under relaxed selective constraint. Additionally, a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis showed the expression divergence of the TPS gene family in Populus, Arabidopsis, and rice under normal growth conditions and in response to stressors. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of gene family expansion and functional evolution.

African Americans in Urban Catholic Schools: Faith, Leadership and Persistence in Pursuit of Educational Opportunity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Paul

2011-01-01

A review of research on US Catholic education reveals that race is not treated as an important area of analysis like class and gender. Black Catholics are rarely studied in education let alone mainstream writings. This article examines the social and educational history of blacks in the US Catholic Church and the dual reality of inclusion and…

Construct and Predictive Validity of Social Acceptability: Scores From High School Teacher Ratings on the School Intervention Rating Form

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Judith R.; State, Talida M.; Evans, Steven W.; Schamberg, Terah

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct and predictive validity of scores on a measure of social acceptability of class-wide and individual student intervention, the School Intervention Rating Form (SIRF), with high school teachers. Utilizing scores from 158 teachers, exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor (i.e.,…

What Matters for Excellence in PhD Programs? Latent Constructs of Doctoral Program Quality Used by Early Career Social Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Emory; Rudd, Elizabeth; Zumeta, William; Nerad, Maresi

2011-01-01

This paper unpacks how social science doctorate-holders come to evaluate overall excellence in their PhD training programs based on their domain-specific assessments of aspects of their programs. Latent class analysis reveals that social scientists 6-10 years beyond their PhD evaluate the quality of their doctoral program with one of two…

Identification, cloning and characterization of the tomato TCP transcription factor family.

PubMed

Parapunova, Violeta; Busscher, Marco; Busscher-Lange, Jacqueline; Lammers, Michiel; Karlova, Rumyana; Bovy, Arnaud G; Angenent, Gerco C; de Maagd, Ruud A

2014-06-06

TCP proteins are plant-specific transcription factors, which are known to have a wide range of functions in different plant species such as in leaf development, flower symmetry, shoot branching, and senescence. Only a small number of TCP genes has been characterised from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Here we report several functional features of the members of the entire family present in the tomato genome. We have identified 30 Solanum lycopersicum SlTCP genes, most of which have not been described before. Phylogenetic analysis clearly distinguishes two homology classes of the SlTCP transcription factor family - class I and class II. Class II differentiates in two subclasses, the CIN-TCP subclass and the CYC/TB1 subclass, involved in leaf development and axillary shoots formation, respectively. The expression patterns of all members were determined by quantitative PCR. Several SlTCP genes, like SlTCP12, SlTCP15 and SlTCP18 are preferentially expressed in the tomato fruit, suggesting a role during fruit development or ripening. These genes are regulated by RIN (RIPENING INHIBITOR), CNR (COLORLESS NON-RIPENING) and SlAP2a (APETALA2a) proteins, which are transcription factors with key roles in ripening. With a yeast one-hybrid assay we demonstrated that RIN binds the promoter fragments of SlTCP12, SlTCP15 and SlTCP18, and that CNR binds the SlTCP18 promoter. This data strongly suggests that these class I SlTCP proteins are involved in ripening. Furthermore, we demonstrate that SlTCPs bind the promoter fragments of members of their own family, indicating that they regulate each other. Additional yeast one-hybrid studies performed with Arabidopsis transcription factors revealed binding of the promoter fragments by proteins involved in the ethylene signal transduction pathway, contributing to the idea that these SlTCP genes are involved in the ripening process. Yeast two-hybrid data shows that SlTCP proteins can form homo and heterodimers, suggesting that they act together in order to form functional protein complexes and together regulate developmental processes in tomato. The comprehensive analysis we performed, like phylogenetic analysis, expression studies, identification of the upstream regulators and the dimerization specificity of the tomato TCP transcription factor family provides the basis for functional studies to reveal the role of this family in tomato development.

Identification, cloning and characterization of the tomato TCP transcription factor family

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background TCP proteins are plant-specific transcription factors, which are known to have a wide range of functions in different plant species such as in leaf development, flower symmetry, shoot branching, and senescence. Only a small number of TCP genes has been characterised from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Here we report several functional features of the members of the entire family present in the tomato genome. Results We have identified 30 Solanum lycopersicum SlTCP genes, most of which have not been described before. Phylogenetic analysis clearly distinguishes two homology classes of the SlTCP transcription factor family - class I and class II. Class II differentiates in two subclasses, the CIN-TCP subclass and the CYC/TB1 subclass, involved in leaf development and axillary shoots formation, respectively. The expression patterns of all members were determined by quantitative PCR. Several SlTCP genes, like SlTCP12, SlTCP15 and SlTCP18 are preferentially expressed in the tomato fruit, suggesting a role during fruit development or ripening. These genes are regulated by RIN (RIPENING INHIBITOR), CNR (COLORLESS NON-RIPENING) and SlAP2a (APETALA2a) proteins, which are transcription factors with key roles in ripening. With a yeast one-hybrid assay we demonstrated that RIN binds the promoter fragments of SlTCP12, SlTCP15 and SlTCP18, and that CNR binds the SlTCP18 promoter. This data strongly suggests that these class I SlTCP proteins are involved in ripening. Furthermore, we demonstrate that SlTCPs bind the promoter fragments of members of their own family, indicating that they regulate each other. Additional yeast one-hybrid studies performed with Arabidopsis transcription factors revealed binding of the promoter fragments by proteins involved in the ethylene signal transduction pathway, contributing to the idea that these SlTCP genes are involved in the ripening process. Yeast two-hybrid data shows that SlTCP proteins can form homo and heterodimers, suggesting that they act together in order to form functional protein complexes and together regulate developmental processes in tomato. Conclusions The comprehensive analysis we performed, like phylogenetic analysis, expression studies, identification of the upstream regulators and the dimerization specificity of the tomato TCP transcription factor family provides the basis for functional studies to reveal the role of this family in tomato development. PMID:24903607

Sulfate resistance of high calcium fly ash concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhole, Rajaram

Sulfate attack is one of the mechanisms which can cause deterioration of concrete. In general, Class C fly ash mixtures are reported to provide poor sulfate resistance. Fly ashes, mainly those belonging to the Class C, were tested as per the ASTM C 1012 procedure to evaluate chemical sulfate resistance. Overall the Class C fly ashes showed poor resistance in the sulfate environment. Different strategies were used in this research work to improve the sulfate resistance of Class C fly ash mixes. The study revealed that some of the strategies such as use of low W/CM (water to cementing materials by mass ratio), silica fume or ultra fine fly ash, high volumes of fly ash and, ternary or quaternary mixes with suitable supplementary cementing materials, can successfully improve the sulfate resistance of the Class C fly ash mixes. Combined sulfate attack, involving physical and chemical action, was studied using sodium sulfate and calcium sulfate solutions. The specimens were subjected to wetting-drying cycles and temperature changes. These conditions were found to accelerate the rate of degradation of concrete placed in a sodium sulfate environment. W/CM was found to be the main governing factor in providing sulfate resistance to mixes. Calcium sulfate did not reveal damage as a result of mainly physical action. Characterization of the selected fly ashes was undertaken by using SEM, XRD and the Rietveld analysis techniques, to determine the relation between the composition of fly ashes and resistance to sulfate attack. The chemical composition of glass represented on the ternary diagram was the main factor which had a significant influence on the sulfate resistance of fly ash mixtures. Mixes prepared with fly ashes containing significant amounts of vulnerable crystalline phases offered poor sulfate resistance. Comparatively, fly ash mixes containing inert crystalline phases such as quartz, mullite and hematite offered good sulfate resistance. The analysis of hydrated lime-fly ash pastes confirmed that fly ash mortar or concrete mixes forming more monosulfate than ettringite before exposure to sulfates would offer poor sulfate resistance and vice versa. During quantitative Rietveld analysis carried out for determining ettringite, monosulfate and gypsum formed in the fly ash pastes, it was observed that fly ash mixtures showing more ettringite after exposures to sulfates, give poor sulfate resistance. A good relationship between the amounts of ettringite formed and expansions of mortar specimens in the ASTM C 1012 test was found.

Diversity and Evolution of Bacterial Twin Arginine Translocase Protein, TatC, Reveals a Protein Secretion System That Is Evolving to Fit Its Environmental Niche

PubMed Central

Simone, Domenico; Bay, Denice C.; Leach, Thorin; Turner, Raymond J.

2013-01-01

Background The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) protein export system enables the transport of fully folded proteins across a membrane. This system is composed of two integral membrane proteins belonging to TatA and TatC protein families and in some systems a third component, TatB, a homolog of TatA. TatC participates in substrate protein recognition through its interaction with a twin arginine leader peptide sequence. Methodology/Principal Findings The aim of this study was to explore TatC diversity, evolution and sequence conservation in bacteria to identify how TatC is evolving and diversifying in various bacterial phyla. Surveying bacterial genomes revealed that 77% of all species possess one or more tatC loci and half of these classes possessed only tatC and tatA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of diverse TatC homologues showed that they were primarily inherited but identified a small subset of taxonomically unrelated bacteria that exhibited evidence supporting lateral gene transfer within an ecological niche. Examination of bacilli tatCd/tatCy isoform operons identified a number of known and potentially new Tat substrate genes based on their frequent association to tatC loci. Evolutionary analysis of these Bacilli isoforms determined that TatCy was the progenitor of TatCd. A bacterial TatC consensus sequence was determined and highlighted conserved and variable regions within a three dimensional model of the Escherichia coli TatC protein. Comparative analysis between the TatC consensus sequence and Bacilli TatCd/y isoform consensus sequences revealed unique sites that may contribute to isoform substrate specificity or make TatA specific contacts. Synonymous to non-synonymous nucleotide substitution analyses of bacterial tatC homologues determined that tatC sequence variation differs dramatically between various classes and suggests TatC specialization in these species. Conclusions/Significance TatC proteins appear to be diversifying within particular bacterial classes and its specialization may be driven by the substrates it transports and the environment of its host. PMID:24236045

A Search for Vector Magnetic Field Variations Associated with the M-Class Flares of 1991 June 10 in AR 6659

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagyard, Mona J.; Stark, B. A.; Venkatakrishnan, P.

1998-01-01

A careful analysis of a 6-hour time sequence of vector magnetograms of AR 6659, observed on 1991 June 10 with the MSFC vector magnetograph, has revealed only minor changes in the vector magnetic field azimuths in the vicinity of two M-class flares, and the association of these changes with the flares is not unambiguous. In this paper we present our analysis of the data which includes comparison of vector magnetograms prior to and during the flares, calculation of distributions of the rms variation of the azimuth at each pixel in the field of view of the active region, and examination of the variation with time of the azimuths at every pixel covered by the main flare emissions as observed with the H-alpha telescope coaligned with the vector magnetograph. We also present results of an analysis of evolutionary changes in the azimuth over the field of view of the active region.

Longitudinal Course of Risk for Parental Post-Adoption Depression

PubMed Central

Foli, Karen J.; South, Susan C.; Lim, Eunjung; Hebdon, Megan

2016-01-01

Objective To determine whether the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R) could be used to reveal distinct classes of adoptive parents across time. Design Longitudinal data were collected via online surveys at 4-6 weeks pre-placement, 4-6 weeks post-placement, and 5-6 months post-placement. Setting Participants were primarily clients of the largest adoption agency in the United States. Participants Participants included 127 adoptive parents (68 mothers and 59 fathers). Methods We applied a latent class growth analysis to the PDPI-R and conducted mixed effects modeling of class, time, and class×time interaction for the following categories of explanatory variables: parental expectations; interpersonal variables; psychological symptoms; and life orientation. Results Four latent trajectory classes were found. Class 1 (55% of sample) showed a stably low level of PDPI-R scores over time. Class 2 (32%) reported mean scores below the cut-off points at all three time points. Class 3 (8%) started at an intermediate level and increased after post-placement, but decreased at 5-6 months post-placement. Class 4 (5%) had high mean scores at all three time points. Significant main effects were found for almost all explanatory variables for class and for several variables for time. Significant interactions between class and time were found for expectations about the child and amount of love and ambivalence in parent's intimate relationship. Conclusion Findings may assist nurses to be alert to trajectories of risk for post-adoption depression. Additional factors, not included in the PDPI-R, to determine risk for post-adoption depression may be needed for adoptive parents. PMID:26874267

Antimicrobial Peptides in Reptiles

PubMed Central

van Hoek, Monique L.

2014-01-01

Reptiles are among the oldest known amniotes and are highly diverse in their morphology and ecological niches. These animals have an evolutionarily ancient innate-immune system that is of great interest to scientists trying to identify new and useful antimicrobial peptides. Significant work in the last decade in the fields of biochemistry, proteomics and genomics has begun to reveal the complexity of reptilian antimicrobial peptides. Here, the current knowledge about antimicrobial peptides in reptiles is reviewed, with specific examples in each of the four orders: Testudines (turtles and tortosises), Sphenodontia (tuataras), Squamata (snakes and lizards), and Crocodilia (crocodilans). Examples are presented of the major classes of antimicrobial peptides expressed by reptiles including defensins, cathelicidins, liver-expressed peptides (hepcidin and LEAP-2), lysozyme, crotamine, and others. Some of these peptides have been identified and tested for their antibacterial or antiviral activity; others are only predicted as possible genes from genomic sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis of the reptile genomes is presented, revealing many predicted candidate antimicrobial peptides genes across this diverse class. The study of how these ancient creatures use antimicrobial peptides within their innate immune systems may reveal new understandings of our mammalian innate immune system and may also provide new and powerful antimicrobial peptides as scaffolds for potential therapeutic development. PMID:24918867

Stereotactic radiosurgery alone versus resection plus whole-brain radiotherapy for 1 or 2 brain metastases in recursive partitioning analysis class 1 and 2 patients.

PubMed

Rades, Dirk; Bohlen, Guenther; Pluemer, Andre; Veninga, Theo; Hanssens, Patrick; Dunst, Juergen; Schild, Steven E

2007-06-15

The objective of this study was to compare stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) alone with resection plus whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for the treatment of patients in recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class 1 and 2 who had 1 or 2 brain metastases. Two hundred six patients in RPA class 1 and 2 who had 1 or 2 brain metastases were analyzed retrospectively. Patients in Group A (n = 94) received from 18 grays (Gy) to 25 Gy SRS, and patients in Group B (n = 112) underwent resection of their metastases and received 10 x 3 Gy/20 x 2 Gy WBRT. Eight other potential prognostic factors were evaluated regarding overall survival (OS), brain control (BC), and local control (LC) of treated metastases: age, sex, performance status, tumor type, number of brain metastases, extracranial metastases, RPA class, and interval from tumor diagnosis to treatment of brain metastases. A comparison of the 2 treatment groups did not reveal significantly different OS (P = .19), BC (P = .52), or LC (P = .25). In RPA subgroup analyses, outcome also did not differ significantly for either RPA class of patients (P values from .21 to .83). On multivariate analysis, improved OS was associated with age < or =60 years (relative risk [RR], 1.75; P = .002), better performance status (RR, 1.67; P = .015), no extracranial metastases (RR, 2.84; P < .001), interval from tumor diagnosis to treatment >12 months (RR, 1.70; P = .003), and RPA class 1 (RR, 1.51; P = .016). Improved BC was associated with a single metastasis (RR, 1.54; P = .034) and an interval from tumor diagnosis to treatment >12 months (RR, 1.58; P = .019), and improved LC was associated with an interval from tumor diagnosis to treatment >12 months (RR, 1.59; P = .047). SRS alone appeared to be as effective as resection plus WBRT in the treatment of 1 or 2 brain metastases for patients in RPA class 1 and 2. Patient outcomes were associated with age, Karnofsky performance status, number of brain metastases, extracranial metastases, RPA class, and interval from tumor diagnosis to treatment. Copyright 2007 American Cancer Society.

Sexual health and sexual trauma in women with severe mental illness: An exploratory survey of Western Australian community mental health services.

PubMed

Nguyen, Thinh; Hauck, Yvonne L; Pedruzzi, Rebecca A; Frayne, Jacqueline; Rock, Daniel; Dragovic, Milan

2017-07-01

Australian women attending community mental health services were surveyed to determine the relationship between sexual trauma, sexual activity, and sexual health seeking behaviors. Self-reported history of "forced sex" was 58.4% (n = 122 out of 220). Latent class analysis revealed a three-class model: "sexually active and health seeking," "low sexual activity and health seeking" and "low sexual activity and not health seeking." An association with general practitioner engagement and sexual health seeking behaviors was found. Rates of self-reported sexual trauma reinforce the need for screening and trauma informed care. Groupings may reflect different aspects of recovery associated with sexual health behaviors.

Genomic Characterization of Methanomicrobiales Reveals Three Classes of Methanogens

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Iain; Ulrich, Luke; Lupa, Boguslaw

2009-01-01

Background Methanomicrobiales is the least studied order of methanogens. While these organisms appear to be more closely related to the Methanosarcinales in ribosomal-based phylogenetic analyses, they are metabolically more similar to Class I methanogens. Methodology/Principal Findings In order to improve our understanding of this lineage, we have completely sequenced the genomes of two members of this order, Methanocorpusculum labreanum Z and Methanoculleus marisnigri JR1, and compared them with the genome of a third, Methanospirillum hungatei JF-1. Similar to Class I methanogens, Methanomicrobiales use a partial reductive citric acid cycle for 2-oxoglutarate biosynthesis, and they have the Eha energy-converting hydrogenase. Inmore » common with Methanosarcinales, Methanomicrobiales possess the Ech hydrogenase and at least some of them may couple formylmethanofuran formation and heterodisulfide reduction to transmembrane ion gradients. Uniquely, M. labreanum and M. hungatei contain hydrogenases similar to the Pyrococcus furiosus Mbh hydrogenase, and all three Methanomicrobiales have anti-sigma factor and anti-anti-sigma factor regulatory proteins not found in other methanogens. Phylogenetic analysis based on seven core proteins of methanogenesis and cofactor biosynthesis places the Methanomicrobiales equidistant from Class I methanogens and Methanosarcinales. Conclusions/Significance Our results indicate that Methanomicrobiales, rather than being similar to Class I methanogens or Methanomicrobiales, share some features of both and have some unique properties. We find that there are three distinct classes of methanogens: the Class I methanogens, the Methanomicrobiales (Class II), and the Methanosarcinales (Class III).« less

Lineament and polygon patterns on Europa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pieri, D. C.

1981-01-01

A classification scheme is presented for the lineaments and associated polygonal patterns observed on the surface of Europa, and the frequency distribution of the polygons is discussed in terms of the stress-relief fracturing of the surface. The lineaments are divided on the basis of albedo, morphology, orientation and characteristic geometry into eight groups based on Voyager 2 images taken at a best resolution of 4 km. The lineaments in turn define a system of polygons varying in size from small reticulate patterns the limit of resolution to 1,000,000 sq km individuals. Preliminary analysis of polygon side frequency distributions reveals a class of polygons with statistics similar to those found in complex terrestrial terrains, particularly in areas of well-oriented stresses, a class with similar statistics around the antijovian point, and a class with a distribution similar to those seen in terrestrial tensional fracture patterns. Speculations concerning the processes giving rise to the lineament patterns are presented.

Network-based stochastic semisupervised learning.

PubMed

Silva, Thiago Christiano; Zhao, Liang

2012-03-01

Semisupervised learning is a machine learning approach that is able to employ both labeled and unlabeled samples in the training process. In this paper, we propose a semisupervised data classification model based on a combined random-preferential walk of particles in a network (graph) constructed from the input dataset. The particles of the same class cooperate among themselves, while the particles of different classes compete with each other to propagate class labels to the whole network. A rigorous model definition is provided via a nonlinear stochastic dynamical system and a mathematical analysis of its behavior is carried out. A numerical validation presented in this paper confirms the theoretical predictions. An interesting feature brought by the competitive-cooperative mechanism is that the proposed model can achieve good classification rates while exhibiting low computational complexity order in comparison to other network-based semisupervised algorithms. Computer simulations conducted on synthetic and real-world datasets reveal the effectiveness of the model.

Replica analysis of the class of antibodies produced by single cells

PubMed Central

Ivanyi, J.; Dresser, D. W.

1970-01-01

Improvements have been made in a localized haemolysis in gel replica assay developed previously. The technique is designed to show if an individual antibody producing cell releases antibody of one or more classes. The techniques can also be used to indicate the specificity of antibodies produced by individual cells by using two different antigens in the test system. In experiments where both slides of a slide-pair are untreated or treated identically, and 100% coincidence of plaques is expected, the technique has been shown to detect about 95% coincidence. Pairs of slides treated differently to reveal plaques due to antibodies of different classes show a mean of about 3·5% coincident plaques. This `background' of coincidence which it is thought is not due to `double-producers', is one of the limiting factors of the technique. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2Fig. 3Fig. 4 PMID:4920598

Identification of neurotensin-related peptides in human thymic epithelial cell membranes and relationship with major histocompatibility complex class I molecules.

PubMed

Vanneste, Y; Thome, A N; Vandersmissen, E; Charlet, C; Franchimont, D; Martens, H; Lhiaubet, A M; Schimpff, R M; Rostène, W; Geenen, V

1997-06-01

This study shows the expression at the cell surface of human thymic epithelial cells (TEC) of a neurotensin (NT)-like immunoreactivity. NT radio-immunoassay (RIA) revealed that cultured human TEC contain +/-5 ng immunoreactive (ir) NT/10(6) cells, of which 5% is associated with plasma cell membranes. HPLC analysis of NT-ir present in human TEC showed a major peak of NT-ir corresponding to NT1-13. NT-ir was not detected in the supernatant of human TEC cultures. Using an affinity column prepared with a anti-MHC class I monoclonal antibody, NT-ir-related peptides were retained on the column and eluted together with MHC class I-related proteins. According to the elution time on HPLC of these peptides, they correspond to intact NT1-13, as well as to smaller fragments of NT1-13.

Anger profiles in social anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Versella, Mark V; Piccirillo, Marilyn L; Potter, Carrie M; Olino, Thomas M; Heimberg, Richard G

2016-01-01

Individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) exhibit elevated levels of anger and anger suppression, which are both associated with increased depression, diminished quality of life, and poorer treatment outcomes. However, little is known about how anger experiences differ among individuals with SAD and whether any heterogeneity might relate to negative outcomes. This investigation sought to empirically define anger profiles among 136 treatment-seeking individuals with SAD and to assess their association with distress and impairment. A latent class analysis was conducted utilizing the trait subscales of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 as indicators of class membership. Analysis revealed four distinct anger profiles, with greatest distress and impairment generally demonstrated by individuals with elevated trait anger, a greater tendency to suppress the expression of anger, and diminished ability to adaptively control their anger expression. These results have implications for tailoring more effective interventions for socially anxious individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Purification and Crystallization Reveal Two Types of Interactions of the Fusion Protein Homotrimer of Semliki Forest Virus

PubMed Central

Gibbons, Don L.; Reilly, Brigid; Ahn, Anna; Vaney, Marie-Christine; Vigouroux, Armelle; Rey, Felix A.; Kielian, Margaret

2004-01-01

The fusion proteins of the alphaviruses and flaviviruses have a similar native structure and convert to a highly stable homotrimer conformation during the fusion of the viral and target membranes. The properties of the alpha- and flavivirus fusion proteins distinguish them from the class I viral fusion proteins, such as influenza virus hemagglutinin, and establish them as the first members of the class II fusion proteins. Understanding how this new class carries out membrane fusion will require analysis of the structural basis for both the interaction of the protein subunits within the homotrimer and their interaction with the viral and target membranes. To this end we report a purification method for the E1 ectodomain homotrimer from the alphavirus Semliki Forest virus. The purified protein is trimeric, detergent soluble, retains the characteristic stability of the starting homotrimer, and is free of lipid and other contaminants. In contrast to the postfusion structures that have been determined for the class I proteins, the E1 homotrimer contains the fusion peptide region responsible for interaction with target membranes. This E1 trimer preparation is an excellent candidate for structural studies of the class II viral fusion proteins, and we report conditions that generate three-dimensional crystals suitable for analysis by X-ray diffraction. Determination of the structure will provide our first high-resolution views of both the low-pH-induced trimeric conformation and the target membrane-interacting region of the alphavirus fusion protein. PMID:15016874

Comparative phylogenomic analysis provides insights into TCP gene functions in Sorghum

PubMed Central

Francis, Aleena; Dhaka, Namrata; Bakshi, Mohit; Jung, Ki-Hong; Sharma, Manoj K.; Sharma, Rita

2016-01-01

Sorghum is a highly efficient C4 crop with potential to mitigate challenges associated with food, feed and fuel. TCP proteins are of particular interest for crop improvement programs due to their well-demonstrated roles in crop domestication and shaping plant architecture thereby, affecting agronomic traits. We identified 20 TCP genes from Sorghum. Except SbTCP8, all are either intronless or contain introns in the untranslated regions. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of Arabidopsis, rice, Brachypodium and Sorghum TCP proteins revealed two distinct classes categorized into ten sub-clades. Sub-clade F is dicot-specific, whereas A2, G1 and I1 groups only contained genes from grasses. Sub-clade B was missing in Sorghum, whereas group A1 was missing in rice indicating species-specific divergence of TCP proteins. TCP proteins of Sorghum are enriched in disorder promoting residues with class I containing higher percent disorder than class II proteins. Seven pairs of paralogous TCP genes were identified from Sorghum, five of which seem to predate Rice-Sorghum divergence. All of them have diverged in their expression. Based on the expression and orthology analysis, five Sorghum genes have been shortlisted for further investigation for their roles in regulating plant morphology. Whereas, three genes have been identified as candidates for engineering abiotic stress tolerance. PMID:27917941

In silico genome-wide identification and characterization of the glutathione S-transferase gene family in Vigna radiata.

PubMed

Vaish, Swati; Awasthi, Praveen; Tiwari, Siddharth; Tiwari, Shailesh Kumar; Gupta, Divya; Basantani, Mahesh Kumar

2018-05-01

Plant glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are integral to normal plant metabolism and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. The GST gene family has been characterized in diverse plant species using molecular biology and bioinformatics approaches. In the current study, in silico analysis identified 44 GSTs in Vigna radiata. Of the total 44 GSTs identified, chromosomal locations of 31 GSTs were confirmed. The pI value of GST proteins ranged from 5.10 to 9.40. The predicted molecular weights ranged from 13.12 to 50 kDa. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that all GSTs were predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. The active site amino acids were confirmed to be serine in tau, phi, theta, zeta, and TCHQD; cysteine in lambda, DHAR, and omega; and tyrosine in EF1G. The gene architecture conformed to the two-exon/one-intron and three-exon/two-intron organization in the case of tau and phi classes, respectively. MEME analysis identified 10 significantly conserved motifs with the width of 8-50 amino acids. The motifs identified were either specific to a specific GST class or were shared by multiple GST classes. The results of the current study will be of potential importance in the characterization of the GST gene family in V. radiata, an economically important leguminous crop.

Comparative phylogenomic analysis provides insights into TCP gene functions in Sorghum.

PubMed

Francis, Aleena; Dhaka, Namrata; Bakshi, Mohit; Jung, Ki-Hong; Sharma, Manoj K; Sharma, Rita

2016-12-05

Sorghum is a highly efficient C4 crop with potential to mitigate challenges associated with food, feed and fuel. TCP proteins are of particular interest for crop improvement programs due to their well-demonstrated roles in crop domestication and shaping plant architecture thereby, affecting agronomic traits. We identified 20 TCP genes from Sorghum. Except SbTCP8, all are either intronless or contain introns in the untranslated regions. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of Arabidopsis, rice, Brachypodium and Sorghum TCP proteins revealed two distinct classes categorized into ten sub-clades. Sub-clade F is dicot-specific, whereas A2, G1 and I1 groups only contained genes from grasses. Sub-clade B was missing in Sorghum, whereas group A1 was missing in rice indicating species-specific divergence of TCP proteins. TCP proteins of Sorghum are enriched in disorder promoting residues with class I containing higher percent disorder than class II proteins. Seven pairs of paralogous TCP genes were identified from Sorghum, five of which seem to predate Rice-Sorghum divergence. All of them have diverged in their expression. Based on the expression and orthology analysis, five Sorghum genes have been shortlisted for further investigation for their roles in regulating plant morphology. Whereas, three genes have been identified as candidates for engineering abiotic stress tolerance.

Improving Student Success in Calculus: A Comparison of Four College Calculus Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagley, Spencer Franklin

The quality of education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is an issue of particular educational and economic importance, and Calculus I is a linchpin course in STEM major tracks. A national study is currently being conducted examining the characteristics of successful programs in college calculus (CSPCC, 2012). In work related to the CSPCC program, this study examines the effects on student outcomes of four different teaching strategies used at a single institution. The four classes were a traditional lecture, a lecture with discussion, a lecture incorporating both discussion and technology, and an inverted model. This dissertation was guided by three questions: (1) What impact do these four instructional approaches have on students' persistence, beliefs about mathematics, and conceptual and procedural achievement in calculus? (2) How do students at the local institution compare to students in the national database? And (3) How do the similarities and differences in opportunities for learning presented in the four classes contribute to the similarities and differences in student outcomes? Quantitative analysis of surveys and exams revealed few statistically significant differences in outcomes, and students in the inverted classroom often had poorer outcomes than those in other classes. Students in the technology-enhanced class scored higher on conceptual items on the final exam than those in other classes. Comparing to the national database, local students had similar switching rates but less expert-like attitudes and beliefs about mathematics than the national average. Qualitative analysis of focus group interviews, classroom observations, and student course evaluations showed that several implementation issues, some the result of pragmatic constraints, others the result of design choice, weakened affordances provided by innovative features and shrunk the differences between classes. There were substantial differences between the inverted classroom in this study and successful implementations in the literature. I identified a set of departures that forms a list of best practices for inverting classrooms. Students in all classes felt that prior calculus experience was a prerequisite for their current calculus class, and that class sessions felt rushed. These concerns implicate the constraints imposed by the curriculum shared by the four classes.

Comparative Analyses of Discourse in Specialized STEM School Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tofel-Grehl, Colby; Callahan, Carolyn M.; Nadelson, Louis S.

2017-01-01

The authors detail the discourse patterns observed within mathematics and science classes at specialized STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) high schools. Analyses reveal that teachers in mathematics classes tended to engage their students in authoritative discourse while teachers in science classes tended to engage students…

Prevalence and prognosis of ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation in patients with post-infarction left ventricular aneurysm: Analysis of 575 cases.

PubMed

Ning, Xiaohui; Ye, Xuerui; Si, Yanhua; Yang, Zihe; Zhao, Yunzi; Sun, Qi; Chen, Ruohan; Tang, Min; Chen, Keping; Zhang, Xiaoli; Zhang, Shu

2018-03-21

We investigated the prevalence of ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) in Post-infarction left ventricular aneurysm (PI-LVA) patients and analyze clinical outcomes in patients presenting with VT/VF. 575 PI-LVA patients were enrolled and investigated by logistic regression analysis. Patients with VT/VF were followed up, the composite primary endpoint was cardiac death and appropriate ICD/external shocks. The incidence of sustained VT/VF was 11%. Logistical regression analysis showed male gender, enlarged LV end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and higher NYHA class were correlated with VT/VF development. During follow up of 46 ± 15 months, 19 out of 62(31%) patients reached study end point. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that enlarged LVEDD and moderate/severe mitral regurgitation (MR) were independently predictive of clinical outcome. Male gender, enlarged LVEDD and higher NYHA class associated with risk of sustained VT/VF in PI-LVA patients. Among VT/VF positive patients, enlarged LVEDD and moderate/severe MR independently predicted poor clinical prognosis. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats of Blended Learning: Students’ Perceptions

PubMed Central

Hande, S

2014-01-01

Background: Blended learning (BL) in a cell biology course of the premedical program at the Kasturba Medical College International Centre, Manipal, India, commenced in 2006. The program provides training in basic sciences to students, especially from the United States and Canada. The approach to the study was phenomenographic, with a qualitative study design using an open-ended questionnaire, focused interviews and empirical observations. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of BL in a premedical class. Subjects and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Ninety six students in a premedical cell biology class participated in the study. SWOT analysis of students’ perceptions was conducted manually. Statistical analysis included content analysis of qualitative data to classify data and aligning them into the SWOT analysis matrix. Results: The outcomes of the study revealed student perceptions in terms of SWOT of BL and the potential uses of this strategy. Conclusions: The study provides background for educators and curriculum experts to plan their modules while incorporating a BL approach. PMID:24971204

Comprehensive analysis of prognostic factors in hospitalized patients with pneumonia occurring outside hospital: Serum albumin is not less important than pneumonia severity assessment scale.

PubMed

Miyazaki, Hiroyuki; Nagata, Nobuhiko; Akagi, Takanori; Takeda, Satoshi; Harada, Taishi; Ushijima, Shinichiro; Aoyama, Takashi; Yoshida, Yuji; Yatsugi, Hiroshi; Fujita, Masaki; Watanabe, Kentaro

2018-08-01

This study aimed to elucidate factors related to 30-day mortality of pneumonia occurring outside hospital by comprehensively analyzing data considered relevant to prognosis. Data considered relevant to prognosis were retrospectively examined from clinical charts and chest X-ray images of all patients with pneumonia occurring outside hospital admitted to our hospital from 2010 to 2016. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Data were collected from 534 patients (317 community-acquired pneumonia and 217 nursing- and healthcare associated pneumonia patients; 338 men (63.3%); mean age, 76.2 years-old). Eighty-three patients (9.9%) died from pneumonia within 30 days from the date of admission. The numbers of patients with pneumonia severity index (PSI) classes of I/II/III/IV/V and age, dehydration, respiratory failure, orientation disturbance, pressure (A-DROP) scores of 0/1/2/3/4/5 were 29/66/127/229/83, and 71/107/187/132/30/7, respectively. Mean (standard deviation) body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, blood procalcitonin, white blood cell and C-reactive protein were 20.00 (4.12) kg/m 2 , 3.16 (0.60) g/dL, 3.69 (13.15) ng/mL, 11559.4 (5656.9)/mm 3 , and 10.92 (8.75) mg/dL, respectively. Chest X-ray images from 152 patients exhibited a pneumonia shadow over a quarter of total lung field. Logistic regression analysis revealed that PSI class or A-DROP score, BMI, serum albumin, and extent of pneumonia shadow were related to 30-day mortality. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis revealed that serum albumin was superior to PSI class or A-DROP score for predicting 30-day mortality. Serum albumin is not less important than PSI class or A-DROP score for predicting 30-day mortality in hospitalized patients with pneumonia occurring outside hospital. Copyright © 2018 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sequence, distribution and chromosomal context of class I and class II pilin genes of Neisseria meningitidis identified in whole genome sequences

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Neisseria meningitidis expresses type four pili (Tfp) which are important for colonisation and virulence. Tfp have been considered as one of the most variable structures on the bacterial surface due to high frequency gene conversion, resulting in amino acid sequence variation of the major pilin subunit (PilE). Meningococci express either a class I or a class II pilE gene and recent work has indicated that class II pilins do not undergo antigenic variation, as class II pilE genes encode conserved pilin subunits. The purpose of this work was to use whole genome sequences to further investigate the frequency and variability of the class II pilE genes in meningococcal isolate collections. Results We analysed over 600 publically available whole genome sequences of N. meningitidis isolates to determine the sequence and genomic organization of pilE. We confirmed that meningococcal strains belonging to a limited number of clonal complexes (ccs, namely cc1, cc5, cc8, cc11 and cc174) harbour a class II pilE gene which is conserved in terms of sequence and chromosomal context. We also identified pilS cassettes in all isolates with class II pilE, however, our analysis indicates that these do not serve as donor sequences for pilE/pilS recombination. Furthermore, our work reveals that the class II pilE locus lacks the DNA sequence motifs that enable (G4) or enhance (Sma/Cla repeat) pilin antigenic variation. Finally, through analysis of pilin genes in commensal Neisseria species we found that meningococcal class II pilE genes are closely related to pilE from Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria polysaccharea, suggesting horizontal transfer among these species. Conclusions Class II pilins can be defined by their amino acid sequence and genomic context and are present in meningococcal isolates which have persisted and spread globally. The absence of G4 and Sma/Cla sequences adjacent to the class II pilE genes is consistent with the lack of pilin subunit variation in these isolates, although horizontal transfer may generate class II pilin diversity. This study supports the suggestion that high frequency antigenic variation of pilin is not universal in pathogenic Neisseria. PMID:24690385

Characterization of glutathione transferases involved in the pathogenicity of Alternaria brassicicola.

PubMed

Calmes, Benoit; Morel-Rouhier, Mélanie; Bataillé-Simoneau, Nelly; Gelhaye, Eric; Guillemette, Thomas; Simoneau, Philippe

2015-06-18

Glutathione transferases (GSTs) represent an extended family of multifunctional proteins involved in detoxification processes and tolerance to oxidative stress. We thus anticipated that some GSTs could play an essential role in the protection of fungal necrotrophs against plant-derived toxic metabolites and reactive oxygen species that accumulate at the host-pathogen interface during infection. Mining the genome of the necrotrophic Brassica pathogen Alternaria brassicicola for glutathione transferase revealed 23 sequences, 17 of which could be clustered into the main classes previously defined for fungal GSTs and six were 'orphans'. Five isothiocyanate-inducible GSTs from five different classes were more thoroughly investigated. Analysis of their catalytic properties revealed that two GSTs, belonging to the GSTFuA and GTT1 classes, exhibited GSH transferase activity with isothiocyanates (ITC) and peroxidase activity with cumene hydroperoxide, respectively. Mutant deficient for these two GSTs were however neither more susceptible to ITC nor less aggressive than the wild-type parental strain. By contrast mutants deficient for two other GSTs, belonging to the Ure2pB and GSTO classes, were distinguished by their hyper-susceptibility to ITC and low aggressiveness against Brassica oleracea. In particular AbGSTO1 could participate in cell tolerance to ITC due to its glutathione-dependent thioltransferase activity. The fifth ITC-inducible GST belonged to the MAPEG class and although it was not possible to produce the soluble active form of this protein in a bacterial expression system, the corresponding deficient mutant failed to develop normal symptoms on host plant tissues. Among the five ITC-inducible GSTs analyzed in this study, three were found essential for full aggressiveness of A. brassicicola on host plant. This, to our knowledge is the first evidence that GSTs might be essential virulence factors for fungal necrotrophs.

A Quasi Experiment to Determine the Effectiveness of a “Partially Flipped” versus “Fully Flipped” Undergraduate Class in Genetics and Evolution

PubMed Central

Adams, Alison E. M.; Garcia, Jocelyn; Traustadóttir, Tinna

2016-01-01

Two sections of Genetics and Evolution were taught by one instructor. One group (the fully flipped section) had the entire class period devoted to active learning (with background material that had to be watched before class), and the other group (the partially flipped section) had just a portion of class time spent on active learning (with the background material presented during class time). The same materials and assessments were used for both sections. Analysis of objective measures revealed that there was no significant difference between the learning outcomes of students in the two sections. There was no main effect of gender, major, or ethnicity on success in the whole cohort or in either section. There appeared to be a significant main effect of class standing, with freshmen performing significantly less well than sophomores, juniors, or seniors (who all performed equally well) in both sections (p < 0.01); however, this was a very preliminary observation, as there were very few freshmen in either section. The only predictor of success in the two sections was prior grade point average. An anonymous end-of-semester survey showed no significant difference between the two sections in interest in the subject matter. PMID:27174581

Religiosity profiles of American youth in relation to substance use, violence, and delinquency.

PubMed

Salas-Wright, Christopher P; Vaughn, Michael G; Hodge, David R; Perron, Brian E

2012-12-01

Relatively little is known in terms of the relationship between religiosity profiles and adolescents' involvement in substance use, violence, and delinquency. Using a diverse sample of 17,705 (49 % female) adolescents from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, latent profile analysis and multinomial regression are employed to examine the relationships between latent religiosity classes and substance use, violence, and delinquency. Results revealed a five class solution. Classes were identified as religiously disengaged (10.76 %), religiously infrequent (23.59 %), privately religious (6.55 %), religious regulars (40.85 %), and religiously devoted (18.25 %). Membership in the religiously devoted class was associated with the decreased likelihood of participation in a variety of substance use behaviors as well as decreases in the likelihood of fighting and theft. To a lesser extent, membership in the religious regulars class was also associated with the decreased likelihood of substance use and fighting. However, membership in the religiously infrequent and privately religious classes was only associated with the decreased likelihood of marijuana use. Findings suggest that private religiosity alone does not serve to buffer youth effectively against involvement in problem behavior, but rather that it is the combination of intrinsic and extrinsic adolescent religiosity factors that is associated with participation in fewer problem behaviors.

A Ballroom Dance Classroom Program Promotes Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Elementary School Children

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Purpose To determine if an existing ballroom dance classroom program meets national recommendations to engage children in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for > 50% of class time and to determine class effects on body mass index (BMI). Design Prospective descriptive study. Setting Two New York City public schools. Subjects Seventy-nine fourth and fifth grade students. Measurements The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) and direct heart rate monitoring were used to determine subjects’ MVPA levels during class time. Weight and height were measured to calculate BMI. Analysis Means were calculated for continuous variables; frequency counts and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. Change in BMI percentiles was assessed using Bhapkar’s chi-square test of overall marginal homogeneity. Results Data from SOFIT observations showed that a mean of 50.0% and 67.0% of class time in the first and second halves of the program were spent in MVPA. Data from the heart rate monitoring data revealed that 71.1% of students were at ≥25% heart rate reserve, indicating MVPA, for ≥50% of class time. Improvement was seen in BMI percentile (P=0.051). Conclusion Ballroom dance provides MVPA in elementary school children for ≥50 % of class time and has a positive impact on BMI percentiles. PMID:22208413

Early Hematopoietic Zinc Finger Protein Prevents Tumor Cell Recognition by Natural Killer Cells1

PubMed Central

La Rocca, Rosanna; Fulciniti, Mariateresa; Lakshmikanth, Tadepally; Mesuraca, Maria; Ali, Talib Hassan; Mazzei, Valerio; Amodio, Nicola; Catalano, Lucio; Rotoli, Bruno; Ouerfelli, Ouathek; Grieco, Michele; Gulletta, Elio; Bond, Heather M.; Morrone, Giovanni; Ferrone, Soldano; Carbone, Ennio

2009-01-01

Early hematopoietic zinc finger/zinc finger protein 521 (EHZF/ZNF521) is a novel zinc finger protein expressed in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and is down-regulated during their differentiation. Its transcript is also abundant in some hematopoietic malignancies. Analysis of the changes in the antigenic profile of cells transfected with EHZF cDNA revealed up-regulation of HLA class I cell surface expression. This phenotypic change was associated with an increased level of HLA class I H chain, in absence of detectable changes in the expression of other Ag-processing machinery components. Enhanced resistance of target cells to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity was induced by enforced expression of EHZF in the cervical carcinoma cell line HeLa and in the B lymphoblastoid cell line IM9. Preincubation of transfected cells with HLA class I Ag-specific mAb restored target cell susceptibility to NK cell-mediated lysis, indicating a specific role for HLA class I Ag up-regulation in the NK resistance induced by EHZF. A potential clinical significance of these findings is further suggested by the inverse correlation between EHZF and MHC class I expression levels, and autologous NK susceptibility of freshly explanted multiple myeloma cells. PMID:19342626

In-Class Purposes of Flipped Mathematics Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenhut, Lindsay A.; Taylor, Cynthia E.

2015-01-01

This paper provides empirical findings from a study that examined how three grade 7-12 flipped mathematics educators utilized class time when implementing a flipped learning model. Additionally, the researchers investigated the educators' purposes for various in-class tasks as well as their general use of class time. The data revealed flipped…

Isolation of the three grape sub-lineages of B-class MADS-box TM6, PISTILLATA and APETALA3 genes which are differentially expressed during flower and fruit development.

PubMed

Poupin, María Josefina; Federici, Fernán; Medina, Consuelo; Matus, José Tomás; Timmermann, Tania; Arce-Johnson, Patricio

2007-12-01

The B class of MADS-box floral homeotic genes specifies petal and stamen identity in angiosperms. While this group is one of the most studied in herbaceous plant species, it has remained largely uncharacterized in woody species such as grapevine. Although the B class PI/GLO and AP3/DEF clades have been extensively characterized in model species, the role of the TM6 subgroup within the AP3 clade is not completely understood, since it is absent in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, the coding regions of VvTM6 and VvAP3 and the genomic sequence of VvPI, were cloned. VvPI and AtPI were confirmed to be functional homologues by means of complementation of the pi Arabidopsis mutant. Expression analysis revealed that VvPI and VvAP3 transcripts are restricted almost exclusively to inflorescences, although VvPI was detected at low levels in leaves and roots. VvTM6 expresses throughout the plant, with higher levels in flowers and berries. A detailed chronological study of grape flower progression by light microscopy and temporal expression analysis throughout early and late developmental stages, revealed that VvPI expression increases during pollen maturation and decreases between the events of pollination and fertilization, before the cap fall. On the other hand, VvTM6 is expressed in the last stage of anther development. Specific expression of VvAP3 and VvPI was detected in petals and stamens within the flower, while VvTM6 was also expressed in carpels. Moreover, this work provides the first evidence for expression of a TM6-like gene throughout fruit growth and ripening. Even if these genes belong to the same genetic class they could act in different periods and/or tissues during reproductive organ development.

A data-driven approach for the study of coagulation phenomena in waste lubricant oils and its relevance in alkaline regeneration treatments.

PubMed

Pinheiro, C T; Ascensão, V R; Reis, M S; Quina, M J; Gando-Ferreira, L M

2017-12-01

Coagulation phenomena can occur in certain types of waste lubricant oils (WLO) during regeneration processes involving alkaline treatments, causing plant shutdowns. In this context, this study addresses the nature of the compounds responsible for the coagulation phenomena after the alkaline treatment. For such, an empirical test was developed to assess the coagulation behaviour of WLO, consisting in the addition of KOH to the WLO followed by heating under stirring conditions. This test was performed on 133 samples and four coagulation classes were identified: A; B1; B2 and C. Moreover, a physicochemical characterization of WLO was carried out regarding viscosity at 40°C, saponification number (SN), total acid number (TAN), surface tension, water content, elemental analysis and functional groups (FTIR). 56 samples of fresh lubricant oils for different applications were also characterized and their properties assessed and compared. Multivariate methods were applied to WLO to discriminate among coagulation classes based on FTIR spectra. It was found that coagulation classes A and B1 exhibit statistically similar patterns for all properties determined. Spectral discriminating analysis did not reveal discriminant peaks for class B1 samples, and the presence of specific additives was pointed as the possible factor underlying the increase in viscosity in this oils. Class B2 presents the absence of additives and oxidation products as differentiating features. In addition, B2 samples showed lower TAN SN, and lower concentration of some elements. Lubricants from gear or hydraulic applications can give rise to this class of WLO. Oils of Class C are mainly composed by synthetic ester type base oils, which hamper regeneration processes using alkaline pretreatments. In future studies, WLO type A and B1 can be classified as a single class. The coagulation phenomena classification becomes A - negative, B - precipitate formation and C - positive. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distal displacement of the maxilla and the upper first molar.

PubMed

Baumrind, S; Molthen, R; West, E E; Miller, D M

1979-06-01

Data from a sample of 198 Class II cases treated with various appliances which deliver distally directed forces to the maxilla were examined to determine the frequency of absolute distal displacement of the upper first molar and of the maxilla. Analysis revealed that such distal displacement is possible and that it is, in fact, a frequent finding following treatment. Long-range stability of distal displacement was not assessed.

Content Themes of Alcohol Advertising in US Television — Latent Class Analysis

PubMed Central

Morgenstern, Matthis; Schoeppe, Franziska; Campbell, Julie; Braam, Marloes W.G.; Stoolmiller, Michael; Sargent, James D.

2015-01-01

Background There is little alcohol research that reports on the thematic contents of contemporary alcohol advertisements in US television. Studies of alcohol ads from two decades ago did not identify “partying” as a social theme. Aim of the present study was to describe and classify alcohol advertisements aired in national television in terms of contents, airing times, and channel placements and to identify different marketing strategies of alcohol brands. Methods Content analysis of all ads from the top 20 US beer and spirit brands aired between July 2009 and June 2011. These were 581 unique alcohol ads accounting for 272,828 (78%) national television airings. Ads were coded according to predefined definitions of 13 content areas. A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to define content cluster themes and determine alcoholic brands that were more likely to exploit these themes. Results About half of the advertisements (46%) were aired between 3am and 8pm, and the majority were placed either in Entertainment (40%) and Sports (38%) channels. Beer ads comprised 64% of the sample, with significant variation in airing times and channels between types of products and brands. LCA revealed five content classes that exploited the “Partying”, “Quality”, “Sports”, “Manly”, and “Relax” themes. The partying class, indicative of ad messages surrounding partying, love and sex, was the dominant theme, comprising 42% of all advertisements. Ads for alcopops, flavored spirits, and liqueur were more likely to belong to the party class, but there were also some beer brands (Corona, Heineken) where more than 67% of ads exploited this theme. Conclusions This is the first analysis to identify a partying theme to contemporary alcohol advertising. Future analyses can now determine whether exposure to that or other themes predicts alcohol misuse among youth audiences. PMID:26207317

Lysine acetylome profiling uncovers novel histone deacetylase substrate proteins in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Hartl, Markus; Füßl, Magdalena; Boersema, Paul J; Jost, Jan-Oliver; Kramer, Katharina; Bakirbas, Ahmet; Sindlinger, Julia; Plöchinger, Magdalena; Leister, Dario; Uhrig, Glen; Moorhead, Greg Bg; Cox, Jürgen; Salvucci, Michael E; Schwarzer, Dirk; Mann, Matthias; Finkemeier, Iris

2017-10-23

Histone deacetylases have central functions in regulating stress defenses and development in plants. However, the knowledge about the deacetylase functions is largely limited to histones, although these enzymes were found in diverse subcellular compartments. In this study, we determined the proteome-wide signatures of the RPD3/HDA1 class of histone deacetylases in Arabidopsis Relative quantification of the changes in the lysine acetylation levels was determined on a proteome-wide scale after treatment of Arabidopsis leaves with deacetylase inhibitors apicidin and trichostatin A. We identified 91 new acetylated candidate proteins other than histones, which are potential substrates of the RPD3/HDA1-like histone deacetylases in Arabidopsis , of which at least 30 of these proteins function in nucleic acid binding. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that histone deacetylase 14 (HDA14) is the first organellar-localized RPD3/HDA1 class protein found to reside in the chloroplasts and that the majority of its protein targets have functions in photosynthesis. Finally, the analysis of HDA14 loss-of-function mutants revealed that the activation state of RuBisCO is controlled by lysine acetylation of RuBisCO activase under low-light conditions. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

The character strengths of class clowns

PubMed Central

Ruch, Willibald; Platt, Tracey; Hofmann, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Class clowns traditionally were studied as a type concept and identified via sociometric procedures. In the present study a variable-centered approach was favored and class clown behaviors were studied in the context of character strengths, orientations to happiness and satisfaction with life. A sample of 672 Swiss children and adolescents filled in an 18 item self-report instrument depicting class clown behaviors. A hierarchical model of class clown behaviors was developed distinguishing a general factor and the four positively correlated dimensions of “identified as a class clown,” “comic talent,” “disruptive rule-breaker,” and “subversive joker.” Analysis of the general factor showed that class clowns were primarily male, and tended to be seen as class clowns by the teacher. Analyses of the 24 character strengths of the VIA-Youth (Park and Peterson, 2006) showed that class clowns were high in humor and leadership, and low in strengths like prudence, self-regulation, modesty, honesty, fairness, perseverance, and love of learning. An inspection of signature strengths revealed that 75% of class clowns had humor as a signature strength. Furthermore, class clown behaviors were generally shown by students indulging in a life of pleasure, but low life of engagement. The four dimensions yielded different character strengths profiles. While all dimensions of class clowns behaviors were low in temperance strengths, the factors “identified as the class clown” and “comic talent” were correlated with leadership strengths and the two negative factors (“disruptive rule-breaker,” “subversive joker”) were low in other directed strengths. The disruptive rule breaking class clown was additionally low in intellectual strengths. While humor predicted life satisfaction, class clowning tended to go along with diminished satisfaction with life. It is concluded that different types of class clowns need to be kept apart and need different attention by teachers. PMID:25324796

Identification of Tf1 integration events in S. pombe under nonselective conditions

PubMed Central

Cherry, Kristina E.; Hearn, Willis E.; Seshie, Osborne Y.; Singleton, Teresa L.; Singleton, Teresa L.

2014-01-01

Integration of retroviral elements into the host genome is a phenomena observed among many classes of retroviruses. Much information concerning integration of retroviral elements has been documented based on in vitro analysis or expression of selectable markers. To identify possible Tf1 integration events within silent regions of the S. pombe genome, we focused on performing an in vivo genome-wide analysis of Tf1 integration events from the nonselective phase of the retrotransposition assay. We analyzed 1000 individual colonies streaked from four independent Tf1 transposed patches under nonselection conditions. Our analysis detected a population of G418S/neo+ Tf1 integration events that would have been overlooked during the selective phase of the assay. Further RNA analysis from the G418S/neo+ clones revealed 50% of clones expressing the neo selectable marker. Our data reveals Tf1’s ability to insert within silent regions of S. pombe’s genome. PMID:24680781

Identification of Tf1 integration events in S. pombe under nonselective conditions.

PubMed

Cherry, Kristina E; Hearn, Willis E; Seshie, Osborne Y K; Singleton, Teresa L

2014-06-01

Integration of retroviral elements into the host genome is a phenomena observed among many classes of retroviruses. Much information concerning the integration of retroviral elements has been documented based on in vitro analysis or expression of selectable markers. To identify possible Tf1 integration events within silent regions of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome, we focused on performing an in vivo genome-wide analysis of Tf1 integration events from the nonselective phase of the retrotransposition assay. We analyzed 1000 individual colonies streaked from four independent Tf1 transposed patches under nonselection conditions. Our analysis detected a population of G418(S)/neo(+) Tf1 integration events that would have been overlooked during the selective phase of the assay. Further RNA analysis from the G418(S)/neo(+) clones revealed 50% of clones expressing the neo selectable marker. Our data reveals Tf1's ability to insert within silent regions of S. pombe's genome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Can the dissociative PTSD subtype be identified across two distinct trauma samples meeting caseness for PTSD?

PubMed

Hansen, Maj; Műllerová, Jana; Elklit, Ask; Armour, Cherie

2016-08-01

For over a century, the occurrence of dissociative symptoms in connection to traumatic exposure has been acknowledged in the scientific literature. Recently, the importance of dissociation has also been recognized in the long-term traumatic response within the DSM-5 nomenclature. Several studies have confirmed the existence of the dissociative posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subtype. However, there is a lack of studies investigating latent profiles of PTSD solely in victims with PTSD. This study investigates the possible presence of PTSD subtypes using latent class analysis (LCA) across two distinct trauma samples meeting caseness for DSM-5 PTSD based on self-reports (N = 787). Moreover, we assessed if a number of risk factors resulted in an increased probability of membership in a dissociative compared with a non-dissociative PTSD class. The results of LCA revealed a two-class solution with two highly symptomatic classes: a dissociative class and a non-dissociative class across both samples. Increased emotion-focused coping increased the probability of individuals being grouped into the dissociative class across both samples. Social support reduced the probability of individuals being grouped into the dissociative class but only in the victims of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) suffering from whiplash. The results are discussed in light of their clinical implications and suggest that the dissociative subtype can be identified in victims of incest and victims of MVA suffering from whiplash meeting caseness for DSM-5 PTSD.

Classroom learning and achievement: how the complexity of classroom interaction impacts students' learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podschuweit, Sören; Bernholt, Sascha; Brückmann, Maja

2016-05-01

Background: Complexity models have provided a suitable framework in various domains to assess students' educational achievement. Complexity is often used as the analytical focus when regarding learning outcomes, i.e. when analyzing written tests or problem-centered interviews. Numerous studies reveal negative correlations between the complexity of a task and the probability of a student solving it. Purpose: Thus far, few detailed investigations explore the importance of complexity in actual classroom lessons. Moreover, the few efforts made so far revealed inconsistencies. Hence, the present study sheds light on the influence the complexity of students' and teachers' class contributions have on students' learning outcomes. Sample: Videos of 10 German 8th grade physics courses covering three consecutive lessons on two topics each (electricity, mechanics) have been analyzed. The sample includes 10 teachers and 290 students. Design and methods: Students' and teachers' verbal contributions were coded manual-based according to the level of complexity. Additionally, pre-post testing of knowledge in electricity and mechanics was applied to assess the students' learning gain. ANOVA analysis was used to characterize the influence of the complexity on the learning gain. Results: Results indicate that the mean level of complexity in classroom contributions explains a large portion of variance in post-test results on class level. Despite this overarching trend, taking classroom activities into account as well reveals even more fine-grained patterns, leading to more specific relations between the complexity in the classroom and students' achievement. Conclusions: In conclusion, we argue for more reflected teaching approaches intended to gradually increase class complexity to foster students' level of competency.

The Comparative Effects of Prediction/Discussion-Based Learning Cycle, Conceptual Change Text, and Traditional Instructions on Student Understanding of Genetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yilmaz, Diba; Tekkaya, Ceren; Sungur, Semra

2011-03-01

The present study examined the comparative effects of a prediction/discussion-based learning cycle, conceptual change text (CCT), and traditional instructions on students' understanding of genetics concepts. A quasi-experimental research design of the pre-test-post-test non-equivalent control group was adopted. The three intact classes, taught by the same science teacher, were randomly assigned as prediction/discussion-based learning cycle class (N = 30), CCT class (N = 25), and traditional class (N = 26). Participants completed the genetics concept test as pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test to examine the effects of instructional strategies on their genetics understanding and retention. While the dependent variable of this study was students' understanding of genetics, the independent variables were time (Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3) and mode of instruction. The mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance revealed that students in both prediction/discussion-based learning cycle and CCT groups understood the genetics concepts and retained their knowledge significantly better than students in the traditional instruction group.

Alcoholytic Cleavage of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Chains by Class IV Synthases Induced by Endogenous and Exogenous Ethanol

PubMed Central

Hyakutake, Manami; Tomizawa, Satoshi; Mizuno, Kouhei; Abe, Hideki

2014-01-01

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-producing Bacillus strains express class IV PHA synthase, which is composed of the subunits PhaR and PhaC. Recombinant Escherichia coli expressing PHA synthase from Bacillus cereus strain YB-4 (PhaRCYB-4) showed an unusual reduction of the molecular weight of PHA produced during the stationary phase of growth. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the low-molecular-weight PHA revealed that its carboxy end structure was capped by ethanol, suggesting that the molecular weight reduction was the result of alcoholytic cleavage of PHA chains by PhaRCYB-4 induced by endogenous ethanol. This scission reaction was also induced by exogenous ethanol in both in vivo and in vitro assays. In addition, PhaRCYB-4 was observed to have alcoholysis activity for PHA chains synthesized by other synthases. The PHA synthase from Bacillus megaterium (PhaRCBm) from another subgroup of class IV synthases was also assayed and was shown to have weak alcoholysis activity for PHA chains. These results suggest that class IV synthases may commonly share alcoholysis activity as an inherent feature. PMID:24334666

Clinical Performance of Viscous Glass Ionomer Cement in Posterior Cavities over Two Years

PubMed Central

Frankenberger, Roland; Garcia-Godoy, Franklin; Krämer, Norbert

2009-01-01

In this controlled prospective clinical study the highly viscous glass ionomer cement Ketac Molar was clinically assessed in Class I and Class II cavities. Forty-nine subjects (mean age 32.3 years) received 108 restorations placed by six operators in conventional Black I and II type cavities with undercuts after excavating primary lesions or after removing insufficient restorations. At baseline, and after 6, 12, and 24 months, restorations were assessed by two independent investigators according to modified USPHS codes and criteria. Impressions of the restorations were taken and epoxy replicas were made. Between the baseline and the 24-month recall, 51 representative samples were analyzed at 130 × magnification by use of a stereo light microscope (SLM). Recall rates were 83% after 6 months, 50% after 12 months, and 24% after 24 months. Failure rates after 24 months were 8% for Class I and 40% for Class II fillings, mainly due to bulk fracture at occlusally loaded areas (Kaplan Meier survival analysis). Significant changes over time were found for the criteria “surface roughness”, “marginal integrity”, “restoration integrity”, and “overall judgement” (P < .05; Friedman test). SLM analysis revealed statistically significant differences for the following criteria over time (baseline/6 months/12 months (in % of entire evaluable margin length); P < .05; Friedman 2-way ANOVA): perfect margin 37/19/11, negative step formation 26/49/57, gap formation 2/7/9, and overhang 24/11/8. Replicas exhibited mainly negative step formation as main finding due to apparently inferior wear resistance (P < .05). Gap formations were more frequently observed in Class II restorations than in Class I (12% versus 3% after 12 months; P < .05, Mann-Whitney-U test). The evaluated margin lengths were not statistically different (P > .05, Friedman 2-way ANOVA). PMID:20339470

Clustering of lifestyle risk behaviours among residents of forty deprived neighbourhoods in London: lessons for targeting public health interventions.

PubMed

Watts, P; Buck, D; Netuveli, G; Renton, A

2016-06-01

Clustering of lifestyle risk behaviours is very important in predicting premature mortality. Understanding the extent to which risk behaviours are clustered in deprived communities is vital to most effectively target public health interventions. We examined co-occurrence and associations between risk behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, low physical activity and high sedentary time) reported by adults living in deprived London neighbourhoods. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and clustered risk behaviours were examined. Latent class analysis was used to identify underlying clustering of behaviours. Over 90% of respondents reported at least one risk behaviour. Reporting specific risk behaviours predicted reporting of further risk behaviours. Latent class analyses revealed four underlying classes. Membership of a maximal risk behaviour class was more likely for young, white males who were unable to work. Compared with recent national level analysis, there was a weaker relationship between education and clustering of behaviours and a very high prevalence of clustering of risk behaviours in those unable to work. Young, white men who report difficulty managing on income were at high risk of reporting multiple risk behaviours. These groups may be an important target for interventions to reduce premature mortality caused by multiple risk behaviours. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Wood-inhabiting fungi in southern Italy forest stands: morphogroups, vegetation types and decay classes.

PubMed

Granito, Vito Mario; Lunghini, Dario; Maggi, Oriana; Persiani, Anna Maria

2015-01-01

The authors conducted an ecological study of forests subjected to varying management. The aim of the study was to extend and integrate, within a multivariate context, knowledge of how saproxylic fungal communities behave along altitudinal/vegetational gradients in response to the varying features and quality of coarse woody debris (CWD). The intra-annual seasonal monitoring of saproxylic fungi, based on sporocarp inventories, was used to investigate saproxylic fungi in relation to vegetation types and management categories. We analyzed fungal species occurrence, recorded according to the presence/absence and frequency of sporocarps, on the basis of the harvest season, of coarse woody debris decay classes as well as other environmental and ecological variables. Two-way cluster analysis, DCA and Spearman's rank correlations, for indirect gradient analysis, were performed to identify any patterns of seasonality and decay. Most of the species were found on CWD in an intermediate decay stage. The first DCA axis revealed the vegetational/microclimate gradient as the main driver of fungal community composition, while the second axis corresponded to a strong gradient of CWD decay classes. © 2015 by The Mycological Society of America.

Diet of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in subtropical mangrove habitats in South Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denton, Mathew J.; Hart, Kristen M.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Oleinik, Anton; Baldwin, John N.

2016-01-01

Unique among turtles as the only exclusively estuarine species, the diamondback terrapin’s (Malaclemys terrapin) life history predisposes it to impacts from humans both on land and in the near-shore environment. Terrapins are found in salt marshes and mangroves along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Texas. Whereas previous dietary studies have elucidated terrapins’ role in temperate salt marsh food webs, food resources for terrapins inhabiting subtropical mangrove habitats have not been studied. We examined dietary resource use for diamondback terrapins in subtropical mangrove creek and island habitats within Everglades National Park, Florida, to determine foraging strategies of terrapins inhabiting south Florida (SF) mangrove systems. Fecal analysis revealed 6 categories of food items, with gastropods, crabs, and bivalves being the dominant food items. Multivariate analysis revealed differences in food sources based on habitat more so than by terrapin size class. Our results revealed that like their counterparts in temperate salt marshes, SF terrapins consume similar prey categories but with different species and abundances comprising each category.

A Typology of Substance Use Among Pregnant Teens in the United States.

PubMed

Salas-Wright, Christopher P; Vaughn, Michael G; Ugalde, Jenny

2016-03-01

Previous research suggests that, in general, youth who become pregnant during their teenage years tend to report elevated levels of substance use prior to conception and substantial reductions in use during pregnancy. While such studies provide insight into aggregate patterns of adolescent substance use in relation to pregnancy, they may have the unintended effect of masking the behavioral heterogeneity of pregnant teens. The present study employs data from a large, population-based study of adolescents in the United States. We employ latent class analysis to identify subgroups of pregnant adolescents (ages 12-17; n = 810) on the basis of variables measuring the past 12-month and past 30-day use of an extensive array of substances. Results revealed a four class solution. Classes were identified as Class 1: Abstainers (n = 344, 42.47 %), Class 2: Drinkers (n = 303, 37.41 %), Class 3: Alcohol and Cannabis Users (n = 77, 9.51 %), and Class 4: Polydrug Users (n = 86, 10.62 %). The Abstainers class had the highest proportion of Hispanic youth (34.3 %) as well as the highest proportion of youth residing in households earning less than $20,000 per year (44.2 %). The Polydrug Users class had the highest proportion of youth who were in late adolescence (75.58 %), non-Hispanic white (54.65 %), high-income (13.95 %), and in their first trimester of pregnancy (58.33 %). Findings point to an important degree of heterogeneity among pregnant teens and may have implications for the development of interventions designed for youth exhibiting disconcerting patterns of substance use prior to pregnancy.

Polymorphism at Expressed DQ and DR Loci in Five Common Equine MHC Haplotypes

PubMed Central

Miller, Donald; Tallmadge, Rebecca L.; Binns, Matthew; Zhu, Baoli; Mohamoud, Yasmin Ali; Ahmed, Ayeda; Brooks, Samantha A.; Antczak, Douglas F.

2016-01-01

The polymorphism of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II DQ and DR genes in five common Equine Leukocyte Antigen (ELA) haplotypes was determined through sequencing of mRNA transcripts isolated from lymphocytes of eight ELA homozygous horses. Ten expressed MHC class II genes were detected in horses of the ELA-A3 haplotype carried by the donor horses of the equine Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) library and the reference genome sequence: four DR genes and six DQ genes. The other four ELA haplotypes contained at least eight expressed polymorphic MHC class II loci. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of genomic DNA of these four MHC haplotypes revealed stop codons in the DQA3 gene in the ELA-A2, ELA-A5, and ELA-A9 haplotypes. Few NGS reads were obtained for the other MHC class II genes that were not amplified in these horses. The amino acid sequences across haplotypes contained locus-specific residues, and the locus clusters produced by phylogenetic analysis were well supported. The MHC class II alleles within the five tested haplotypes were largely non-overlapping between haplotypes. The complement of equine MHC class II DQ and DR genes appears to be well conserved between haplotypes, in contrast to the recently described variation in class I gene loci between equine MHC haplotypes. The identification of allelic series of equine MHC class II loci will aid comparative studies of mammalian MHC conservation and evolution and may also help to interpret associations between the equine MHC class II region and diseases of the horse. PMID:27889800

EEG source space analysis of the supervised factor analytic approach for the classification of multi-directional arm movement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shenoy Handiru, Vikram; Vinod, A. P.; Guan, Cuntai

2017-08-01

Objective. In electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) systems for motor control tasks the conventional practice is to decode motor intentions by using scalp EEG. However, scalp EEG only reveals certain limited information about the complex tasks of movement with a higher degree of freedom. Therefore, our objective is to investigate the effectiveness of source-space EEG in extracting relevant features that discriminate arm movement in multiple directions. Approach. We have proposed a novel feature extraction algorithm based on supervised factor analysis that models the data from source-space EEG. To this end, we computed the features from the source dipoles confined to Brodmann areas of interest (BA4a, BA4p and BA6). Further, we embedded class-wise labels of multi-direction (multi-class) source-space EEG to an unsupervised factor analysis to make it into a supervised learning method. Main Results. Our approach provided an average decoding accuracy of 71% for the classification of hand movement in four orthogonal directions, that is significantly higher (>10%) than the classification accuracy obtained using state-of-the-art spatial pattern features in sensor space. Also, the group analysis on the spectral characteristics of source-space EEG indicates that the slow cortical potentials from a set of cortical source dipoles reveal discriminative information regarding the movement parameter, direction. Significance. This study presents evidence that low-frequency components in the source space play an important role in movement kinematics, and thus it may lead to new strategies for BCI-based neurorehabilitation.

Adversarial risk analysis with incomplete information: a level-k approach.

PubMed

Rothschild, Casey; McLay, Laura; Guikema, Seth

2012-07-01

This article proposes, develops, and illustrates the application of level-k game theory to adversarial risk analysis. Level-k reasoning, which assumes that players play strategically but have bounded rationality, is useful for operationalizing a Bayesian approach to adversarial risk analysis. It can be applied in a broad class of settings, including settings with asynchronous play and partial but incomplete revelation of early moves. Its computational and elicitation requirements are modest. We illustrate the approach with an application to a simple defend-attack model in which the defender's countermeasures are revealed with a probability less than one to the attacker before he decides on how or whether to attack. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Molecular screening of antibiotic-resistant determinants among multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Proteus mirabilis from SouthWest Nigeria.

PubMed

Alabi, Olumuyiwa Samuel; Mendonça, Nuno; Adeleke, Olufemi Ezekiel; da Silva, Gabriela Jorge

2017-06-01

Globally, and particularly in developing countries, the menace of anti-microbial resistance is an accelerating problem. In Nigeria, increase in bacterial resistance has been phenotypically established but due to high cost, few molecular studies have been reported. This study screened for presence of transferable resistance genes and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as integron among multi-drug resistant (MDR) P. mirabilis . A total of 108 P. mirabilis strains collected from five tertiary hospitals in SouthWest Nigeria were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility study using disc-diffusion method. Transferable resistance genes and MGEs were amplified using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and amplicons sequenced. Varied resistance was observed against all the antibiotics tested. About 56% of the isolates were MDR including those from 0-12 years old children. PCR analysis revealed the presence of aac(6')-Ib (33.3%), plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes [qnrA (36.7%), acc(6')-Ib-cr (5%)], TEM (48.3%), CTX-M (6.7%) and integrons class 1 (58.3%) and class 2 (26.7%). Sequencing analysis revealed bla TEM-1 , bla CTX-M-15 associated with IS Ecp1 and eight different arrays of gene cassettes: aadA1, aadA1-qacH, aadB-aadA2, aadA5, dfrA7, dfrA15, dfrA17, dfrA17-aadA5 . Transferable resistance genes in association with MGEs are present in Nigerian P. mirabilis thus their potential in disseminating resistance.

Exploring gender differences in the patterns of intimate partner violence in Canada: a latent class approach.

PubMed

Ansara, Donna L; Hindin, Michelle J

2010-10-01

There has been an ongoing debate about the extent and nature of gender differences in the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). Disagreement about the appropriate definition of IPV is central to this debate. This study used latent class analysis (LCA) to map the patterns of physical violence, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviour, and examined whether LCA can better illuminate the gendered nature of this experience than conventional measures of IPV. Data from the 2004 Canadian General Social Survey were analysed, which included 8360 women and 7056 men 15 years of age and over who reported a current or ex-spouse or common-law partner. Results revealed more variation in the patterns of IPV for women than for men. Six classes were found for women, whereas four classes were found for men. Women and men were equally likely to experience less severe acts of physical aggression that were not embedded in a pattern of control. However, only women experienced a severe and chronic pattern of violence and control involving high levels of fear and injury. For women and men, intermediate patterns of violence and control, and patterns describing exclusively non-physical acts of abuse were also found. The results also revealed substantial differences in the IPV subtypes for those reporting about a current versus an ex-partner. These results support the use of LCA in identifying meaningful patterns of IPV and provide a more nuanced understanding of the role of gender than conventional measures. Implications for sampling within IPV research are discussed.

Retrospective View of North American Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Breeding in the 20th and 21st Centuries

PubMed Central

Hirsch, Candice N.; Hirsch, Cory D.; Felcher, Kimberly; Coombs, Joseph; Zarka, Dan; Van Deynze, Allen; De Jong, Walter; Veilleux, Richard E.; Jansky, Shelley; Bethke, Paul; Douches, David S.; Buell, C. Robin

2013-01-01

Cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a vegetatively propagated autotetraploid, has been bred for distinct market classes, including fresh market, pigmented, and processing varieties. Breeding efforts have relied on phenotypic selection of populations developed from intra- and intermarket class crosses and introgressions of wild and cultivated Solanum relatives. To retrospectively explore the effects of potato breeding at the genome level, we used 8303 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers to genotype a 250-line diversity panel composed of wild species, genetic stocks, and cultivated potato lines with release dates ranging from 1857 to 2011. Population structure analysis revealed four subpopulations within the panel, with cultivated potato lines grouping together and separate from wild species and genetic stocks. With pairwise kinship estimates clear separation between potato market classes was observed. Modern breeding efforts have scarcely changed the percentage of heterozygous loci or the frequency of homozygous, single-dose, and duplex loci on a genome level, despite concerted efforts by breeders. In contrast, clear selection in less than 50 years of breeding was observed for alleles in biosynthetic pathways important for market class-specific traits such as pigmentation and carbohydrate composition. Although improvement and diversification for distinct market classes was observed through whole-genome analysis of historic and current potato lines, an increased rate of gain from selection will be required to meet growing global food demands and challenges due to climate change. Understanding the genetic basis of diversification and trait improvement will allow for more rapid genome-guided improvement of potato in future breeding efforts. PMID:23589519

Retrospective view of North American potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) breeding in the 20th and 21st centuries.

PubMed

Hirsch, Candice N; Hirsch, Cory D; Felcher, Kimberly; Coombs, Joseph; Zarka, Dan; Van Deynze, Allen; De Jong, Walter; Veilleux, Richard E; Jansky, Shelley; Bethke, Paul; Douches, David S; Buell, C Robin

2013-06-21

Cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a vegetatively propagated autotetraploid, has been bred for distinct market classes, including fresh market, pigmented, and processing varieties. Breeding efforts have relied on phenotypic selection of populations developed from intra- and intermarket class crosses and introgressions of wild and cultivated Solanum relatives. To retrospectively explore the effects of potato breeding at the genome level, we used 8303 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers to genotype a 250-line diversity panel composed of wild species, genetic stocks, and cultivated potato lines with release dates ranging from 1857 to 2011. Population structure analysis revealed four subpopulations within the panel, with cultivated potato lines grouping together and separate from wild species and genetic stocks. With pairwise kinship estimates clear separation between potato market classes was observed. Modern breeding efforts have scarcely changed the percentage of heterozygous loci or the frequency of homozygous, single-dose, and duplex loci on a genome level, despite concerted efforts by breeders. In contrast, clear selection in less than 50 years of breeding was observed for alleles in biosynthetic pathways important for market class-specific traits such as pigmentation and carbohydrate composition. Although improvement and diversification for distinct market classes was observed through whole-genome analysis of historic and current potato lines, an increased rate of gain from selection will be required to meet growing global food demands and challenges due to climate change. Understanding the genetic basis of diversification and trait improvement will allow for more rapid genome-guided improvement of potato in future breeding efforts.

Gradient of association between parenting styles and patterns of drug use in adolescence: A latent class analysis.

PubMed

Valente, Juliana Y; Cogo-Moreira, Hugo; Sanchez, Zila M

2017-11-01

To identify different patterns of drug use in adolescence and determine if these are associated with parenting styles and other sociodemographic factors. A latent class analysis was conducted using baseline data collected in a sample (n=6381) from a randomized controlled trial conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the #Tamojunto drug-use prevention program, carried out with 7th- and 8th-grade public school students in six Brazilian cities. Three latent classes were identified among the students: 1) abstainers/low users (81.54%), 2) alcohol users/binge drinkers (16.65%), and 3) polydrug users (1.80%). A gradient of inverse association was found between parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and indulgent, with the neglectful style as a reference point) and the classes "alcohol users/binge drinkers" (aOR=0.36, 95%CI=0.27-0.47; aOR=0.56, 95%CI=0.43-0.72; and aOR=0.64, 95%CI=0.51-0.80, respectively) and "polydrug users" (aOR=0.09, 95%CI=0.03-0.24; aOR=0.23, 95%CI=0.11-0.52; and aOR=0.24, 95%CI=0.08-0.74, respectively). Associations were also revealed between the latent classes and the adolescent's age and socioeconomic status. The results suggest that activities to develop parenting skills should be included in school programs aimed at the prevention of drug use among adolescents in order to reduce neglectful practices and thereby possibly reduce drug use among the children. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Weak Solar Burst Submillimeter Only Spectral Component During a GOES M Class Flare: Implications for its Emission Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristiani, G. D.; Giménez de Castro, C. G.; Mandrini, C. H.; et al.

2008-09-01

Since the installation of the Submillimeter Solar Radio Telescope, a new spectral burst component was discovered at frequencies above 100 GHz, creating the THz bursts category. In all the reported cases, the events were X class flares and the THz component was increasing with frequency. We report for the first time an M class flare which shows a submillimeter radio spectral component different from the one in microwave classical bursts. Two successive flares of 2 minute duration occurred in active region NOAA 10226 with 2 minutes delay. They started at around 13:15 UT and had an M 6.8 maximum intensity in soft X-rays. The submillimeter flux density from the Solar Submillimeter Telescope (SST) is used in addition to microwave total Sun patrol telescope observations. Images with H filters from the H-alpha Solar Telescope for Argentina (HASTA) and in the extreme UV from the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) are used to characterize the flaring region. An extensive analysis of the magnetic topology evolution is derived from Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) magnetograms and used to constrain the space of solutions for the possible emission mechanisms. The submillimeter component is observed at 212 GHz only. We have upper limits for the emission at 89.4and 405 GHz which are smaller than the observed flux density at 212 GHz. The analysis of the magnetic topology reveals a very compact and complex system of arches that reconnects at a low height, while from the soft X-ray observations we deduce that the flaring area is compact and dense (n=1e12 cm-3). The finding of a submillimeter only burst component in a medium size flare indicates that the phenomenon is more universal than shown until now. The multiwavelength analysis reveals that neither positron synchrotron nor free-free emission could produce the submillimeter component, which is explained here by synchrotron of accelerated electrons in a rather complex and compact magnetic configuration.

Lead Diversification through a Prins-Driven Macrocyclization Strategy: Application to C13-Diversified Bryostatin Analogues.

PubMed

Wender, Paul A; Billingsley, Kelvin L

2013-01-01

The design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a novel class of C13-diversified bryostatin analogues are described. An innovative and general strategy based on a Prins macrocyclization-nucleophilic trapping cascade was used to achieve late-stage diversification. In vitro analysis of selected library members revealed that modification at the C13 position of the bryostatin scaffold can be used as a diversification handle to regulate biological activity.

Widespread dissemination of class 1 integron components in soils and related ecosystems as revealed by cultivation-independent analysis.

PubMed

Jechalke, Sven; Schreiter, Susanne; Wolters, Birgit; Dealtry, Simone; Heuer, Holger; Smalla, Kornelia

2013-01-01

Class 1 integrons contribute to the emerging problem of antibiotic resistance in human medicine by acquisition, exchange, and expression of resistance genes embedded within gene cassettes. Besides the clinical setting they were recently reported from environmental habitats and often located on plasmids and transposons, facilitating their transfer and spread within bacterial communities. In this study we aimed to provide insights into the occurrence of genes typically associated with the class 1 integrons in previously not studied environments with or without human impact and their association with IncP-1 plasmids. Total community DNA was extracted from manure-treated and untreated soils, lettuce and potato rhizosphere, digestates, and an on-farm biopurification system and screened by PCR with subsequent Southern blot hybridization for the presence of the class 1 integrase gene intI1 as well as qacE and qacEΔ 1 resistance genes. The results revealed a widespread dissemination of class 1 integrons in the environments analyzed, mainly related to the presence of qacEΔ 1 genes. All 28 IncP-1ε plasmids carrying class 1 integrons, which were captured exogenously in a recent study from piggery manure and soils treated with manure, carried qacEΔ 1 genes. Based on the strong hybridization signals in the rhizosphere of lettuce compared to the potato rhizosphere, the abundances of intI1, qacE/qacEΔ 1, and sul1 genes were quantified relative to the 16S rRNA gene abundance by real-time PCR in the rhizosphere of lettuce planted in three different soils and in the corresponding bulk soil. A significant enrichment of intI1 and qacE/qacEΔ 1 genes was confirmed in the rhizosphere of lettuce compared to bulk soil. Additionally, the relative abundance of korB genes specific for IncP-1 plasmids was enriched in the rhizosphere and correlated to the intI1 gene abundance indicating that IncP-1 plasmids might have contributed to the spread of class 1 integrons in the analyzed soils.

The Analysis of Learning Obstacle and Students Learning Motivation of Prospective Math Teachers in Basic Physics Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniawan, D. T.; Suhandi, A.; Kaniawati, I.; Rusdiana, D.

2017-02-01

Learning motivation revealed as a whole intrinsic factor that created, maintained and supported students to achieve the goal of learning. As the bigger motivation came with bigger success, motivation was considered as the main key to reach what students have planned. There were intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence both the students and lecturers’ motivation. The factors in one hand, were essential to be defined by the lecturers in order to maintain and enhance the students’ enthusiasm. On the other hand, they also encouraged and thrilled the students to learn. The study aimed to expose and describe the motivational tendency and to knowledge and analyze learning obstacles faced by the students in basic physics class on students of prospective math teachers in FKIP Unswagati Cirebon. In addition, the study focused on the description of the six motivational components stated by Glyn and Koballa. The six were intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, the relevance of studying physics for subjective purposes, willpower, self assessment and anxiety. Class responses were determined through questionnaire with four main indicators; the causes of being less popular subject, the cause of being disfavored subject, the description of the way the students draw the examination on basic physics subject and the academic background of the students. The results showed that 54% students stated that physics was disfavored because the subject was difficult to understand, 49% stated that the cause of being disfavored of the subject was because physics required complicated mathematics. Most of the students preferred to have game based activities that boosted thinking skill. According to the analysis of the students’ motivation, the findings revealed that the students’ had high level of anxiety in learning the subject. They mostly expressed their anxiety appeared from the material density and text book based assignments.

Flower-predominant expression of a gene encoding a novel class I chitinase in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Takakura, Y; Ito, T; Saito, H; Inoue, T; Komari, T; Kuwata, S

2000-04-01

A flower-predominant cDNA for a gene, termed OsChia 1;175, was isolated from a cDNA library of rice pistils. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses revealed that the OsChia 1;175 gene is highly expressed in floral organs (pistils, stamens and lodicules at the heading stage) but not or at an extremely low level in vegetative organs. OsChia 1;175 encodes a protein that consists of 340 amino acid residues, and the putative mature protein shows 52% to 63% amino acid identity to class I chitinases of rice or other plants. The phylogenetic tree shows that the OsChia 1;175 protein is a new type of plant class I chitinase in rice. The expression of OsChia 1;175 in vegetative organs is not induced by several chemicals, UV, and wounding. The soluble putative mature OsChia 1;175 protein expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited chitinase activity in the assay with colloidal chitin as a substrate. Genomic Southern analysis revealed that the OsChia 1;175 gene was organized as a low-copy gene family. The rice genomic library was screened and a genome clone corresponding to OsChia 1;175 was isolated. The transcription start sites of the OsChia 1;175 gene were mapped by primer extension analysis. The 1.2 kb putative promoter region of the OsChia 1;175 gene was fused to the GUS (beta-glucuronidase) gene, and this chimeric gene was introduced to rice by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The flower-predominant gene expression was identified also in the transgenic rice plants. The high promoter activity was detected in the stigmas, styles, stamens and lodicules in transgenic plants. The possible functions of OsChia 1;175 are discussed.

Oligomeric structure and functional characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans Innexin-6 gap junction protein.

PubMed

Oshima, Atsunori; Matsuzawa, Tomohiro; Nishikawa, Kouki; Fujiyoshi, Yoshinori

2013-04-12

Innexin is the molecular component of invertebrate gap junctions. Here we successfully expressed and purified Caenorhabditis elegans innexin-6 (INX-6) gap junction channels and characterized the molecular dimensions and channel permeability using electron microscopy (EM) and microinjection of fluorescent dye tracers, respectively. Negative staining and thin-section EM of isolated INX-6 gap junction membranes revealed a loosely packed hexagonal lattice and a greater cross-sectional width than that of connexin26 and connexin43 (Cx43)-GFP. In gel filtration analysis, the elution profile of purified INX-6 channels in dodecyl maltoside solution exhibited a peak at ∼400 kDa that was shifted to ∼800 kDa in octyl glucose neopentyl glycol. We also obtained the class averages of purified INX-6 channels from these peak fractions by single particle analysis. The class average from the ∼800-kDa fraction showed features of the junction form with a longitudinal height of 220 Å, a channel diameter of 110 Å in the absence of detergent micelles, and an extracellular gap space of 60 Å, whereas the class averages from the ∼400-kDa fraction showed diameters of up to 140 Å in the presence of detergent micelles. These findings indicate that the purified INX-6 channels are predominantly hemichannels in dodecyl maltoside and docked junction channels in octyl glucose neopentyl glycol. Dye transfer experiments revealed that the INX-6-GFP-His channels are permeable to 3- and 10-kDa tracers, whereas no significant amounts of these tracers passed through the Cx43-GFP channels. Based on these findings, INX-6 channels have a larger overall structure and greater permeability than connexin channels.

Oligomeric Structure and Functional Characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans Innexin-6 Gap Junction Protein*

PubMed Central

Oshima, Atsunori; Matsuzawa, Tomohiro; Nishikawa, Kouki; Fujiyoshi, Yoshinori

2013-01-01

Innexin is the molecular component of invertebrate gap junctions. Here we successfully expressed and purified Caenorhabditis elegans innexin-6 (INX-6) gap junction channels and characterized the molecular dimensions and channel permeability using electron microscopy (EM) and microinjection of fluorescent dye tracers, respectively. Negative staining and thin-section EM of isolated INX-6 gap junction membranes revealed a loosely packed hexagonal lattice and a greater cross-sectional width than that of connexin26 and connexin43 (Cx43)-GFP. In gel filtration analysis, the elution profile of purified INX-6 channels in dodecyl maltoside solution exhibited a peak at ∼400 kDa that was shifted to ∼800 kDa in octyl glucose neopentyl glycol. We also obtained the class averages of purified INX-6 channels from these peak fractions by single particle analysis. The class average from the ∼800-kDa fraction showed features of the junction form with a longitudinal height of 220 Å, a channel diameter of 110 Å in the absence of detergent micelles, and an extracellular gap space of 60 Å, whereas the class averages from the ∼400-kDa fraction showed diameters of up to 140 Å in the presence of detergent micelles. These findings indicate that the purified INX-6 channels are predominantly hemichannels in dodecyl maltoside and docked junction channels in octyl glucose neopentyl glycol. Dye transfer experiments revealed that the INX-6-GFP-His channels are permeable to 3- and 10-kDa tracers, whereas no significant amounts of these tracers passed through the Cx43-GFP channels. Based on these findings, INX-6 channels have a larger overall structure and greater permeability than connexin channels. PMID:23460640

Rice Grain Quality and Consumer Preferences: A Case Study of Two Rural Towns in the Philippines

PubMed Central

Velarde, Orlee; Demont, Matty

2016-01-01

Hedonic pricing analysis is conducted to determine the implicit values of various attributes in the market value of a good. In this study, hedonic pricing analysis was applied to measure the contribution of grain quality search and experience attributes to the price of rice in two rural towns in the Philippines. Rice samples from respondents underwent quantitative routine assessments of grain quality. In particular, gelatinization temperature and chalkiness, two parameters that are normally assessed through visual scores, were evaluated by purely quantitative means (differential scanning calorimetry and by digital image analysis). Results indicate that rice consumed by respondents had mainly similar physical and chemical grain quality attributes. The respondents’ revealed preferences were typical of what has been previously reported for Filipino rice consumers. Hedonic regression analyses showed that grain quality characteristics that affected price varied by income class. Some of the traits or socioeconomic factors that affected price were percent broken grains, gel consistency, and household per capita rice consumption. There is an income effect on rice price and the characteristics that affect price vary between income classes. PMID:26982587

Rice Grain Quality and Consumer Preferences: A Case Study of Two Rural Towns in the Philippines.

PubMed

Cuevas, Rosa Paula; Pede, Valerien O; McKinley, Justin; Velarde, Orlee; Demont, Matty

2016-01-01

Hedonic pricing analysis is conducted to determine the implicit values of various attributes in the market value of a good. In this study, hedonic pricing analysis was applied to measure the contribution of grain quality search and experience attributes to the price of rice in two rural towns in the Philippines. Rice samples from respondents underwent quantitative routine assessments of grain quality. In particular, gelatinization temperature and chalkiness, two parameters that are normally assessed through visual scores, were evaluated by purely quantitative means (differential scanning calorimetry and by digital image analysis). Results indicate that rice consumed by respondents had mainly similar physical and chemical grain quality attributes. The respondents' revealed preferences were typical of what has been previously reported for Filipino rice consumers. Hedonic regression analyses showed that grain quality characteristics that affected price varied by income class. Some of the traits or socioeconomic factors that affected price were percent broken grains, gel consistency, and household per capita rice consumption. There is an income effect on rice price and the characteristics that affect price vary between income classes.

Genome-wide Analysis of the H3K4 Histone Demethylase RBP2 Reveals a Transcriptional Program Controlling Differentiation

PubMed Central

Lopez-Bigas, Nuria; Kisiel, Tomasz A.; DeWaal, Dannielle C.; Holmes, Katie B.; Volkert, Tom L.; Gupta, Sumeet; Love, Jennifer; Murray, Heather L.; Young, Richard A.; Benevolenskaya, Elizaveta V.

2010-01-01

SUMMARY Retinoblastoma protein (pRB) mediates cell-cycle withdrawal and differentiation by interacting with a variety of proteins. RB-Binding Protein 2 (RBP2) has been shown to be a key effector. We sought to determine transcriptional regulation by RBP2 genome-wide by using location analysis and gene expression profiling experiments. We describe that RBP2 shows high correlation with the presence of H3K4me3 and its target genes are separated into two functionally distinct classes: differentiation-independent and differentiation-dependent genes. The former class is enriched by genes that encode mitochondrial proteins, while the latter is represented by cell-cycle genes. We demonstrate the role of RBP2 in mitochondrial biogenesis, which involves regulation of H3K4me3-modified nucleosomes. Analysis of expression changes upon RBP2 depletion depicted genes with a signature of differentiation control, analogous to the changes seen upon reintroduction of pRB. We conclude that, during differentiation, RBP2 exerts inhibitory effects on multiple genes through direct interaction with their promoters. PMID:18722178

Analysis of total phenolic, flavonoids, anthocyanins and tannins content in Romanian red wines: prediction of antioxidant activities and classification of wines using artificial neural networks.

PubMed

Hosu, Anamaria; Cristea, Vasile-Mircea; Cimpoiu, Claudia

2014-05-01

Wine is one of the most consumed beverages over the world containing large quantities of polyphenolic compounds. These compounds are responsible for quality of red wines, influencing the antioxidant activity, astringency, bitterness and colour, their composition in wine being influenced by the varieties, the vintage and the wineries. The aim of the present work is to build software instruments intended to work as data-mining tools for predicting valuable properties of wine and for revealing different wine classes. The developed ANNs are able to reveal the relationships between the concentration of total phenolic, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tannins content, associated to the antioxidant activity, and the wine distinctive classes determined by the wine variety, harvesting year or winery. The presented ANNs proved to be reliable software tools for assessment or validation of the wine essential characteristics and authenticity and may be further used to establish a database of analytical characteristics of wines. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Playing Hooky" Health Messages: Apprehension, Impression Management, and Deception.

PubMed

Barrett, Ashley; Murphy, Melissa; Blackburn, Kate

2018-03-01

This study investigates playing hooky in higher education classrooms and associates this behavior with students' communicative dispositions, instructor perceptions, and language use. We define "playing hooky" as students skipping class and explaining their absence to their instructor with deceptive health messages. The purpose of Study 1, an online survey (N = 177), is to further understand the characteristics of students who engage in this type of deceptive health communication. Study 1 measures communication apprehension and perceived instructor credibility in students who had played hooky from class and those who had not. Findings reveal that students who communicate playing hooky health messages (a) reported more instructor communication apprehension and (b) perceived the instructors with whom they had played hooky to be less credible. Study 2 uses facework theory and MEH analysis to reveal the different linguistic strategies students use to communicate (a) truthful health messages (N = 165) and (b) deceptive heath messages (N = 82) to their instructor following an absence. Results demonstrate that students' facework strategies are more geared toward saving instructors' negative face in the deceptive health message condition. Implications of both studies are offered.

CSReport: A New Computational Tool Designed for Automatic Analysis of Class Switch Recombination Junctions Sequenced by High-Throughput Sequencing.

PubMed

Boyer, François; Boutouil, Hend; Dalloul, Iman; Dalloul, Zeinab; Cook-Moreau, Jeanne; Aldigier, Jean-Claude; Carrion, Claire; Herve, Bastien; Scaon, Erwan; Cogné, Michel; Péron, Sophie

2017-05-15

B cells ensure humoral immune responses due to the production of Ag-specific memory B cells and Ab-secreting plasma cells. In secondary lymphoid organs, Ag-driven B cell activation induces terminal maturation and Ig isotype class switch (class switch recombination [CSR]). CSR creates a virtually unique IgH locus in every B cell clone by intrachromosomal recombination between two switch (S) regions upstream of each C region gene. Amount and structural features of CSR junctions reveal valuable information about the CSR mechanism, and analysis of CSR junctions is useful in basic and clinical research studies of B cell functions. To provide an automated tool able to analyze large data sets of CSR junction sequences produced by high-throughput sequencing (HTS), we designed CSReport, a software program dedicated to support analysis of CSR recombination junctions sequenced with a HTS-based protocol (Ion Torrent technology). CSReport was assessed using simulated data sets of CSR junctions and then used for analysis of Sμ-Sα and Sμ-Sγ1 junctions from CH12F3 cells and primary murine B cells, respectively. CSReport identifies junction segment breakpoints on reference sequences and junction structure (blunt-ended junctions or junctions with insertions or microhomology). Besides the ability to analyze unprecedentedly large libraries of junction sequences, CSReport will provide a unified framework for CSR junction studies. Our results show that CSReport is an accurate tool for analysis of sequences from our HTS-based protocol for CSR junctions, thereby facilitating and accelerating their study. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Characterizing the successful student in general chemistry and physical science classes in terms of Jung's personality types as identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riley, Wayne David

1998-11-01

A student's success in a science class can depend upon previous experiences, motivation, and the level of interest in the subject. Since psychological type is intrinsic to a person's whole being, it can be influential upon the student's motivation and interests. Thus, a study of student psychological types versus the level of success in a class, as measured by a percentage, has potential to uncover certain personality characteristics which may be helpful to or which may hinder a student's learning environment. This study was initiated, using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, to evaluate any correlation between a student's personality type and his/her performance in a science class. A total of 1041 students from three classes: Chemistry 121/122, Chemistry 112, Physical Science 100, volunteered for the study. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the levels of significance among sixteen personality types' averages. The results reveal that for the Chemistry 1121/122 course, the average score of the INTJ personality type was 5.1 to 12.6 points higher than every other personality type. The ANOVA identifies 3 personality types with averages significantly below the INTJ at the p < 0.05 significance level. The ANOVA analysis for the Chemistry 112 course identified significances between student scores at p = 0.08. The significance level for the differences among scores for the Physical Science 100 course was determined at a level of p = 0.02. Significance levels for p < 0.05 and <0.01 were identified between several groups in this course. The data suggest, that although personality type may not predict a particular student's success in a science class, students with certain personality traits may be favored in a chemistry class due the structure of the instruction and the presentation of the subject matter.

Factors influencing exemplary science teachers' levels of computer use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakverdi, Meral

This study examines exemplary science teachers' use of technology in science instruction, factors influencing their level of computer use, their level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction, their use of computer-related applications/tools during their instruction, and their students' use of computer applications/tools in or for their science class. After a relevant review of the literature certain variables were selected for analysis. These variables included personal self-efficacy in teaching with computers, outcome expectancy, pupil-control ideology, level of computer use, age, gender, teaching experience, personal computer use, professional computer use and science teachers' level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction. The sample for this study includes middle and high school science teachers who received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching Award (sponsored by the White House and the National Science Foundation) between the years 1997 and 2003 from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Award-winning science teachers were contacted about the survey via e-mail or letter with an enclosed return envelope. Of the 334 award-winning science teachers, usable responses were received from 92 science teachers, which made a response rate of 27.5%. Analysis of the survey responses indicated that exemplary science teachers have a variety of knowledge/skills in using computer related applications/tools. The most commonly used computer applications/tools are information retrieval via the Internet, presentation tools, online communication, digital cameras, and data collection probes. Results of the study revealed that students' use of technology in their science classroom is highly correlated with the frequency of their science teachers' use of computer applications/tools. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that personal self-efficacy related to the exemplary science teachers' level of computer use suggesting that computer use is dependent on perceived abilities at using computers. The teachers' use of computer-related applications/tools during class, and their personal self-efficacy, age, and gender are highly related with their level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction. The teachers' level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction and gender related to their use of computer-related applications/tools during class and the students' use of computer-related applications/tools in or for their science class. In conclusion, exemplary science teachers need assistance in learning and using computer-related applications/tool in their science class.

Parent-Child Endorsement Discrepancies among Youth at Chronic-Risk for Depression.

PubMed

Makol, Bridget A; Polo, Antonio J

2017-11-10

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems among U.S. adolescents, particularly among Latinos. Parent-child ratings of the presence and severity of child depressive symptoms show only low-to-moderate agreement. However, research has failed to examine discrepancies in populations with the highest levels of unmet need and little is known about patterns and predictors of parent-child agreement in ratings of depressive symptoms among ethnic minority families in community settings. Using a sample of 184 low-income, predominantly Latino, 5th through 7th grade students (63.6% female) at chronic risk for depression, this study utilized exploratory Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to uncover patterns of parent-child endorsement of core diagnostic depressive symptoms. Overall, children reported higher levels of core (i.e., depressed mood, anhedonia, irritability) and secondary (e.g., sleep disturbances) depressive symptoms relative to their parents. The three latent classes identified include a low endorsement and high agreement class (LH), high endorsement and high agreement class (HH), and high child endorsement and low agreement class (HCL). Multinomial regression models revealed that previous mental health service use and higher externalizing problems were associated with HH class membership, relative to HCL class membership. Findings provide evidence that a substantial number of children may have depressive symptoms that go undetected by their parents. Access to services among children at-risk for depression may be increased with psychoeducation to improve parental awareness and stigma reduction.

Flavobacteria Blooms in Four Eutrophic Lakes: Linking Population Dynamics of Freshwater Bacterioplankton to Resource Availability▿ †

PubMed Central

Eiler, Alexander; Bertilsson, Stefan

2007-01-01

Heterotrophic bacteria are major contributors to biogeochemical cycles and influence water quality. Still, the lack of representative isolates and the few quantitative surveys leave the ecological role and significance of single bacterial populations to be revealed. Here we analyzed the diversity and dynamics of freshwater Flavobacteria populations in four eutrophic temperate lakes. From each lake, clone libraries were constructed using primers specific for either the class Flavobacteria or Bacteria. Sequencing of 194 Flavobacteria clones from 8 libraries revealed a diverse freshwater Flavobacteria community and distinct differences among lakes. Abundance and seasonal dynamics of Flavobacteria were assessed by quantitative PCR with class-specific primers. In parallel, the dynamics of individual populations within the Flavobacteria community were assessed with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using identical primers. The contribution of Flavobacteria to the total bacterioplankton community ranged from 0.4 to almost 100% (average, 24%). Blooms where Flavobacteria represented more than 30% of the bacterioplankton were observed at different times in the four lakes. In general, high proportions of Flavobacteria appeared during episodes of high bacterial production. Phylogenetic analyses combined with Flavobacteria community fingerprints suggested dominance of two Flavobacteria lineages. Both drastic alterations in total Flavobacteria and in community composition of this class significantly correlated with bacterial production, emphasizing that resource availability is an important driver of heterotrophic bacterial succession in eutrophic lakes. PMID:17435002

A brief motivational interview promotes internal motivation to donate blood among young adults with and without a prior donation history.

PubMed

Livitz, Irina E; Fox, Kristen R; Himawan, Lina K; France, Christopher R

2017-06-01

Recruitment and retention of first-time and repeat donors is essential to maintain a stable blood supply. Recent evidence has shown that promoting internal motivation may be an effective strategy to enhance donation behavior. We tested the efficacy of an in-person motivational interview at increasing internal motivation and intention to donate. A sample of 219 donors and nondonors (69.4% female; mean ± SD age, 19.2 ± 1.1 years; 52.1% nondonors) were randomly assigned to either a motivational or a knowledge interview. Immediately before and after the interview participants completed a measure of donation intention and the Blood Donor Identity Survey, which is a multidimensional measure of donor motivation. A latent profile analysis revealed three distinct latent classes, which were identified as low internal motivation, mid internal motivation, and high internal motivation. Comparison of change in latent class from pre- to postinterview revealed that a higher proportion of participants in the motivational interview group moved to a more internally motivated class compared to the knowledge interview group (i.e., 34% vs. 4%, respectively). Further, relative to the knowledge interview group, participants in the motivational interview group reported greater increases in intention to donate. A brief motivational interview may enhance donation intention and intrinsic motivation among both experienced donors and nondonors alike. © 2017 AABB.

Characterization of Different Types of Excitability in Large Somatosensory Neurons and Its Plastic Changes in Pathological Pain States

PubMed Central

Xie, Rou-Gang; Chu, Wen-Guang; Hu, San-Jue; Luo, Ceng

2018-01-01

Sensory neuron types have been distinguished by distinct morphological and transcriptional characteristics. Excitability is the most fundamental functional feature of neurons. Mathematical models described by Hodgkin have revealed three types of neuronal excitability based on the relationship between firing frequency and applied current intensity. However, whether natural sensory neurons display different functional characteristics in terms of excitability and whether this excitability type undergoes plastic changes under pathological pain states have remained elusive. Here, by utilizing whole-cell patch clamp recordings, behavioral and pharmacological assays, we demonstrated that large dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons can be classified into three classes and four subclasses based on their excitability patterns, which is similar to mathematical models raised by Hodgkin. Analysis of hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih) revealed different magnitude of Ih in different excitability types of large DRG neurons, with higher Ih in Class 2-1 than that in Class 1, 2-2 and 3. This indicates a crucial role of Ih in the determination of excitability type of large DRG neurons. More importantly, this pattern of excitability displays plastic changes and transition under pathological pain states caused by peripheral nerve injury. This study sheds new light on the functional characteristics of large DRG neurons and extends functional classification of large DRG neurons by integration of transcriptomic and morphological characteristics. PMID:29303989

Molecular deletion mapping of the Y chromosome in males with idiopathic azoospermia reveals a new class of microdeletions located in middle Yq11

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farah, S.B.; Ramos, C.F.; Bortoletto, R.K.

1994-09-01

Microdeletions in proximal and distal Yq11 found {open_quotes}de novo{close_quotes} in males with idiopathic azoospermia or a severe oligospermia suggested that these Y mutations interrupt the gene structure(s) of a spermatogenesis function located in Yq11 and defined earlier as AZF. Using an extended interval map, dividing Yq11 into 22 subintervals (D1-D22) a third class of microdeletions could now be mapped in middle Yq11. It was found {open_quotes}de novo{close_quotes} in two sterile males with idiopathic azoospermia. Histological analysis of testes tissue sections of both males reveals arrest of spermatogenesis during the pachytene stage. Y-mutations in proximal Yq11 were usually associated to anmore » arrest of spermatogenesis before the proliferation phase of spermatogonia; the corresponding Y gene was defined as {open_quotes}AZFa{close_quotes}. It is, therefore, assumed that the new class of microdeletions, observed now in the middle of Yq11, disrupt another Y spermatogenesis gene expressed during the spermatocyte stage and defined earlier as {open_quotes}AZFb{close_quotes}. Experimental evidence presented during the meeting will try to confirm this view discussing a series of Y genes (AZFa,b,c,...) in Yq11 functioning at different stages during human spermatogenesis.« less

Principal component analysis as a tool for library design: a case study investigating natural products, brand-name drugs, natural product-like libraries, and drug-like libraries.

PubMed

Wenderski, Todd A; Stratton, Christopher F; Bauer, Renato A; Kopp, Felix; Tan, Derek S

2015-01-01

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a useful tool in the design and planning of chemical libraries. PCA can be used to reveal differences in structural and physicochemical parameters between various classes of compounds by displaying them in a convenient graphical format. Herein, we demonstrate the use of PCA to gain insight into structural features that differentiate natural products, synthetic drugs, natural product-like libraries, and drug-like libraries, and show how the results can be used to guide library design.

Principal Component Analysis as a Tool for Library Design: A Case Study Investigating Natural Products, Brand-Name Drugs, Natural Product-Like Libraries, and Drug-Like Libraries

PubMed Central

Wenderski, Todd A.; Stratton, Christopher F.; Bauer, Renato A.; Kopp, Felix; Tan, Derek S.

2015-01-01

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a useful tool in the design and planning of chemical libraries. PCA can be used to reveal differences in structural and physicochemical parameters between various classes of compounds by displaying them in a convenient graphical format. Herein, we demonstrate the use of PCA to gain insight into structural features that differentiate natural products, synthetic drugs, natural product-like libraries, and drug-like libraries, and show how the results can be used to guide library design. PMID:25618349

The TCP4 transcription factor of Arabidopsis blocks cell division in yeast at G1 {yields} S transition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aggarwal, Pooja; Padmanabhan, Bhavna; Bhat, Abhay

2011-07-01

Highlights: {yields} TCP4 is a class II TCP transcription factor, that represses cell division in Arabidopsis. {yields} TCP4 expression in yeast retards cell division by blocking G1 {yields} S transition. {yields} Genome-wide expression studies and Western analysis reveals stabilization of cell cycle inhibitor Sic1, as possible mechanism. -- Abstract: The TCP transcription factors control important aspects of plant development. Members of class I TCP proteins promote cell cycle by regulating genes directly involved in cell proliferation. In contrast, members of class II TCP proteins repress cell division. While it has been postulated that class II proteins induce differentiation signal, theirmore » exact role on cell cycle has not been studied. Here, we report that TCP4, a class II TCP protein from Arabidopsis that repress cell proliferation in developing leaves, inhibits cell division by blocking G1 {yields} S transition in budding yeast. Cells expressing TCP4 protein with increased transcriptional activity fail to progress beyond G1 phase. By analyzing global transcriptional status of these cells, we show that expression of a number of cell cycle genes is altered. The possible mechanism of G1 {yields} S arrest is discussed.« less

Dust control effectiveness of drywall sanding tools.

PubMed

Young-Corbett, Deborah E; Nussbaum, Maury A

2009-07-01

In this laboratory study, four drywall sanding tools were evaluated in terms of dust generation rates in the respirable and thoracic size classes. In a repeated measures study design, 16 participants performed simulated drywall finishing tasks with each of four tools: (1) ventilated sander, (2) pole sander, (3) block sander, and (4) wet sponge. Dependent variables of interest were thoracic and respirable breathing zone dust concentrations. Analysis by Friedman's Test revealed that the ventilated drywall sanding tool produced significantly less dust, of both size classes, than did the other three tools. The pole and wet sanders produced significantly less dust of both size classes than did the block sander. The block sander, the most commonly used tool in drywall finishing operations, produced significantly more dust of both size classes than did the other three tools. When compared with the block sander, the other tools offer substantial dust reduction. The ventilated tool reduced respirable concentrations by 88% and thoracic concentrations by 85%. The pole sander reduced respirable concentrations by 58% and thoracic by 50%. The wet sander produced reductions of 60% and 47% in the respirable and thoracic classes, respectively. Wet sponge sanders and pole sanders are effective at reducing breathing-zone dust concentrations; however, based on its superior dust control effectiveness, the ventilated sander is the recommended tool for drywall finishing operations.

Clarifying Interpersonal Heterogeneity in Borderline Personality Disorder Using Latent Mixture Modeling

PubMed Central

Wright, Aidan G.C.; Hallquist, Michael N.; Morse, Jennifer Q.; Scott, Lori N.; Stepp, Stephanie D.; Nolf, Kimberly A.; Pilkonis, Paul A.

2013-01-01

Significant interpersonal impairment is a cardinal feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, past research has demonstrated that the interpersonal profile associated with BPD varies across samples, evidence for considerable interpersonal heterogeneity. The current study used Inventory of Interpersonal Problems – Circumplex (IIP-C; Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 1990) scale scores to investigate interpersonal inhibitions and excesses in a large sample (N = 255) selected for significant borderline pathology. Results indicated that BPD symptom counts were unrelated to the primary dimensions of the IIP-C, but were related to generalized interpersonal distress. A latent class analysis clarified this finding by revealing six homogeneous interpersonal classes with prototypical profiles associated with Intrusive, Vindictive, Avoidant, Nonassertive, and moderate and severe Exploitable interpersonal problems. These classes differed in clinically relevant features (e.g., antisocial behaviors, self-injury, past suicide attempts). Findings are discussed in terms of the incremental clinical utility of the interpersonal circumplex model and the implications for developmental and nosological models of BPD. PMID:23514179

Intergenerational Exchanges of Middle-Aged Adults With Their Parents and Parents-In-Law in Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyungmin; Zarit, Steven H.; Fingerman, Karen L.; Han, Gyounghae

2015-01-01

The authors investigated patterns of support exchanges between Korean adult children and their parents and parents-in-law, gender differences in these patterns, and implications of children’s marital quality for exchange patterns. Data were from a nationally representative sample of married adults (N = 920, age 30–59 years) with at least 1 living parent and 1 living parent-in-law. Latent class analysis was applied to 12 indicators of exchanges (financial, instrumental, emotional support given to and received from parents and parents-in-law). Five classes of exchanges were identified, 3 showing balanced patterns of exchanges with parents and parents-in-law across three types of support and 2 classes with unbalanced patterns (e.g., giving instrumental and financial, but not emotional support). The findings revealed variability in intergenerational exchange patterns, with a mix of patrilineal traditional and balanced patterns. Significant associations of exchange patterns with adult children’s marital quality suggest the importance of balanced exchanges with parents for marriage. PMID:25937670

Human HOX Proteins Use Diverse and Context-Dependent Motifs to Interact with TALE Class Cofactors.

PubMed

Dard, Amélie; Reboulet, Jonathan; Jia, Yunlong; Bleicher, Françoise; Duffraisse, Marilyne; Vanaker, Jean-Marc; Forcet, Christelle; Merabet, Samir

2018-03-13

HOX proteins achieve numerous functions by interacting with the TALE class PBX and MEIS cofactors. In contrast to this established partnership in development and disease, how HOX proteins could interact with PBX and MEIS remains unclear. Here, we present a systematic analysis of HOX/PBX/MEIS interaction properties, scanning all paralog groups with human and mouse HOX proteins in vitro and in live cells. We demonstrate that a previously characterized HOX protein motif known to be critical for HOX-PBX interactions becomes dispensable in the presence of MEIS in all except the two most anterior paralog groups. We further identify paralog-specific TALE-binding sites that are used in a highly context-dependent manner. One of these binding sites is involved in the proliferative activity of HOXA7 in breast cancer cells. Together these findings reveal an extraordinary level of interaction flexibility between HOX proteins and their major class of developmental cofactors. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison between flipped classroom and team-based learning in fixed prosthodontic education.

PubMed

Nishigawa, Keisuke; Omoto, Katsuhiro; Hayama, Rika; Okura, Kazuo; Tajima, Toyoko; Suzuki, Yoshitaka; Hosoki, Maki; Shigemoto, Shuji; Ueda, Mayu; Rodis, Omar Marianito Maningo; Matsuka, Yoshizo

2017-04-01

We previously investigated the effects of team-based learning (TBL) on fixed prosthodontic education and reported that TBL could have higher efficiency with high student satisfaction than traditional lecture. In the current report, we introduced flipped classroom to the fixed prosthodontic education and compared their effectiveness based on the final examination score in addition to TBL. Participants were 41 students from Tokushima University School of Dentistry who attended a fixed prosthodontics course. The first six classes adopted the flipped classroom style while the latter eight classes adopted TBL. To evaluate the relationship between learning styles and their effectiveness, we compared results from the term-end examination between the curriculum covered by flipped classroom and TBL-style classes. To draw comparisons, a referential examination with the same questions was conducted to eight faculty members who had not attended any of these classes. Term-end examination results showed that TBL classes had slightly higher scores than flipped classroom classes. Referential examination results also showed higher scores for the same curriculum and no significant interaction was found between class formats and the term-end and referential examination scores. Analysis revealed no noticeable difference in the effectiveness of the class formats. Our previous study reported that TBL had higher efficiency than traditional style lecture. In the current study, there was no statistical difference in the examination score between flipped classroom and TBL. Therefore, we conclude that both styles are highly effective than traditional style lecture and constitute valid formats for clinical dental education. Copyright © 2016 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Caffeinated Alcohol Consumption Profiles and Associations with Use Severity and Outcome Expectancies

PubMed Central

Lau-Barraco, Cathy; Milletich, Robert J.; Linden, Ashley N.

2014-01-01

Growing evidence suggests that the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CAB) may be riskier than alcohol alone. Efforts to identify patterns of CAB use and the correlates of such drinking patterns could further our conceptualization of and intervention for this health issue. Consequently, the current study aimed to (1) identify distinct classes of CAB users, (2) examine differences between classes on measures of alcohol and caffeine problems, and (3) compare distinct classes of CAB users on caffeine and alcohol outcome expectancies. Participants were 583 (31% men) undergraduate students from a psychology research pool. Latent profile analysis models were derived using four indicators: CAB use quantity, CAB use frequency, alcohol use quantity, and alcohol use frequency. Finding revealed four classes of drinkers: High Alcohol/High CAB (6.00%), High Alcohol/Moderate CAB (5.15%), High Alcohol/Low CAB (22.99%), and Low Alcohol/Low CAB (65.87%). The Low Alcohol/Low CAB class reported the lowest relative levels of caffeine dependence symptoms, caffeine withdrawal, alcohol use problems, and heavy episodic drinking frequency. Further, results indicated differential expectancy endorsement based on use profiles. CAB users in the High Alcohol/Low CAB class endorsed more positive alcohol expectancies than the Low Alcohol/Low CAB group. Those in the High Alcohol/High CAB class endorsed stronger withdrawal symptoms caffeine expectancies than all other classes. Inclusion of substance-specific expectancies into larger theoretical frameworks in future work of CAB use may be beneficial. Findings may inform intervention efforts for those at greatest risk related to CAB consumption. PMID:24210683

Caffeinated alcohol consumption profiles and associations with use severity and outcome expectancies.

PubMed

Lau-Barraco, Cathy; Milletich, Robert J; Linden, Ashley N

2014-01-01

Growing evidence suggests that the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CAB) may be riskier than alcohol alone. Efforts to identify patterns of CAB use and the correlates of such drinking patterns could further our conceptualization of and intervention for this health issue. Consequently, the current study aimed to (1) identify distinct classes of CAB users, (2) examine differences between classes on measures of alcohol and caffeine problems, and (3) compare distinct classes of CAB users on caffeine and alcohol outcome expectancies. Participants were 583 (31% men) undergraduate students from a psychology research pool. Latent profile analysis models were derived using four indicators: CAB use quantity, CAB use frequency, alcohol use quantity, and alcohol use frequency. Finding revealed four classes of drinkers: High Alcohol/High CAB (6.00%), High Alcohol/Moderate CAB (5.15%), High Alcohol/Low CAB (22.99%), and Low Alcohol/Low CAB (65.87%). The Low Alcohol/Low CAB class reported the lowest relative levels of caffeine dependence symptoms, caffeine withdrawal, alcohol use problems, and heavy episodic drinking frequency. Further, results indicated differential expectancy endorsement based on use profiles. CAB users in the High Alcohol/Low CAB class endorsed more positive alcohol expectancies than the Low Alcohol/Low CAB group. Those in the High Alcohol/High CAB class endorsed stronger withdrawal symptom caffeine expectancies than all other classes. Inclusion of substance-specific expectancies into larger theoretical frameworks in future work of CAB use may be beneficial. Findings may inform intervention efforts for those at greatest risk related to CAB consumption. © 2013.

OsGA2ox5, a Gibberellin Metabolism Enzyme, Is Involved in Plant Growth, the Root Gravity Response and Salt Stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Weiming; Shan, Chi

Gibberellin (GA) 2-oxidases play an important role in the GA catabolic pathway through 2b-hydroxylation. There are two classes of GA2oxs, i.e., a larger class of C19-GA2oxs and a smaller class of C20-GA2oxs. In this study, the gene encoding a GA 2-oxidase of rice, Oryza sativa GA 2-oxidase 5 (OsGA2ox5), was cloned and characterized. BLASTP analysis showed that OsGA2ox5 belongs to the C20-GA2oxs subfamily, a subfamily of GA2oxs acting on C20-GAs (GA12, GA53). Subcellular localization of OsGA2ox5-YFP in transiently transformed onion epidermal cells revealed the presence of this protein in both of the nucleus and cytoplasm. Real-time PCR analysis, along with GUS staining, revealed that OsGA2ox5 is expressed in the roots, culms, leaves, sheaths and panicles of rice. Rice plants overexpressing OsGA2ox5 exhibited dominant dwarf and GAdeficient phenotypes, with shorter stems and later development of reproductive organs than the wild type. The dwarfism phenotype was partially rescued by the application of exogenous GA3 at a concentration of 10 mM. Ectopic expression of OsGA2ox5 cDNA in Arabidopsis resulted in a similar phenotype. Real-time PCR assays revealed that both GA synthesis-related genes and GA signaling genes were expressed at higher levels in transgenic rice plants than in wild-type rice; OsGA3ox1, which encodes a key enzyme in the last step of the bioactive GAs synthesis pathway, was highly expressed in transgenic rice. The roots of OsGA2ox5-ox plants exhibited increased starch granule accumulation and gravity responses, revealing a role for GA in root starch granule development and gravity responses. Furthermore, rice and Arabidopsis plants overexpressing OsGA2ox5 were more resistant to high-salinity stress than wild-type plants. These results suggest that OsGA2ox5 plays important roles in GAs homeostasis, development, gravity responses and stress tolerance in rice.

OsGA2ox5, a Gibberellin Metabolism Enzyme, Is Involved in Plant Growth, the Root Gravity Response and Salt Stress

PubMed Central

Shan, Chi; Mei, Zhiling; Duan, Jianli; Chen, Haiying; Feng, Huafeng; Cai, Weiming

2014-01-01

Gibberellin (GA) 2-oxidases play an important role in the GA catabolic pathway through 2β-hydroxylation. There are two classes of GA2oxs, i.e., a larger class of C19-GA2oxs and a smaller class of C20-GA2oxs. In this study, the gene encoding a GA 2-oxidase of rice, Oryza sativa GA 2-oxidase 5 (OsGA2ox5), was cloned and characterized. BLASTP analysis showed that OsGA2ox5 belongs to the C20-GA2oxs subfamily, a subfamily of GA2oxs acting on C20-GAs (GA12, GA53). Subcellular localization of OsGA2ox5-YFP in transiently transformed onion epidermal cells revealed the presence of this protein in both of the nucleus and cytoplasm. Real-time PCR analysis, along with GUS staining, revealed that OsGA2ox5 is expressed in the roots, culms, leaves, sheaths and panicles of rice. Rice plants overexpressing OsGA2ox5 exhibited dominant dwarf and GA-deficient phenotypes, with shorter stems and later development of reproductive organs than the wild type. The dwarfism phenotype was partially rescued by the application of exogenous GA3 at a concentration of 10 µM. Ectopic expression of OsGA2ox5 cDNA in Arabidopsis resulted in a similar phenotype. Real-time PCR assays revealed that both GA synthesis-related genes and GA signaling genes were expressed at higher levels in transgenic rice plants than in wild-type rice; OsGA3ox1, which encodes a key enzyme in the last step of the bioactive GAs synthesis pathway, was highly expressed in transgenic rice. The roots of OsGA2ox5-ox plants exhibited increased starch granule accumulation and gravity responses, revealing a role for GA in root starch granule development and gravity responses. Furthermore, rice and Arabidopsis plants overexpressing OsGA2ox5 were more resistant to high-salinity stress than wild-type plants. These results suggest that OsGA2ox5 plays important roles in GAs homeostasis, development, gravity responses and stress tolerance in rice. PMID:24475234

OsGA2ox5, a gibberellin metabolism enzyme, is involved in plant growth, the root gravity response and salt stress.

PubMed

Shan, Chi; Mei, Zhiling; Duan, Jianli; Chen, Haiying; Feng, Huafeng; Cai, Weiming

2014-01-01

Gibberellin (GA) 2-oxidases play an important role in the GA catabolic pathway through 2β-hydroxylation. There are two classes of GA2oxs, i.e., a larger class of C₁₉-GA2oxs and a smaller class of C₂₀-GA2oxs. In this study, the gene encoding a GA 2-oxidase of rice, Oryza sativa GA 2-oxidase 5 (OsGA2ox5), was cloned and characterized. BLASTP analysis showed that OsGA2ox5 belongs to the C₂₀-GA2oxs subfamily, a subfamily of GA2oxs acting on C₂₀-GAs (GA₁₂, GA₅₃). Subcellular localization of OsGA2ox5-YFP in transiently transformed onion epidermal cells revealed the presence of this protein in both of the nucleus and cytoplasm. Real-time PCR analysis, along with GUS staining, revealed that OsGA2ox5 is expressed in the roots, culms, leaves, sheaths and panicles of rice. Rice plants overexpressing OsGA2ox5 exhibited dominant dwarf and GA-deficient phenotypes, with shorter stems and later development of reproductive organs than the wild type. The dwarfism phenotype was partially rescued by the application of exogenous GA3 at a concentration of 10 µM. Ectopic expression of OsGA2ox5 cDNA in Arabidopsis resulted in a similar phenotype. Real-time PCR assays revealed that both GA synthesis-related genes and GA signaling genes were expressed at higher levels in transgenic rice plants than in wild-type rice; OsGA3ox1, which encodes a key enzyme in the last step of the bioactive GAs synthesis pathway, was highly expressed in transgenic rice. The roots of OsGA2ox5-ox plants exhibited increased starch granule accumulation and gravity responses, revealing a role for GA in root starch granule development and gravity responses. Furthermore, rice and Arabidopsis plants overexpressing OsGA2ox5 were more resistant to high-salinity stress than wild-type plants. These results suggest that OsGA2ox5 plays important roles in GAs homeostasis, development, gravity responses and stress tolerance in rice.

Stress in Professional Classes: Causes, Manifestations, Coping.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Endres, Fred F.

1992-01-01

Investigates whether students in professional journalism and mass communication classes experience class-related stress, what factors contribute to the stress, and whether that stress changes over time. Finds that students perceive stress in their professional course work, and reveals general stress patterns over the 15-week semester. (SR)

48 CFR 44.305-2 - Notification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... approved. The system approval notification shall identify the class or classes of subcontracts requiring... has revealed sufficient weaknesses in a particular area of subcontracting to warrant special attention...

Overlapping protective roles for glutathione transferase gene family members in chemical and oxidative stress response in Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

PubMed

Skopelitou, Katholiki; Muleta, Abdi W; Pavli, Ourania; Skaracis, Georgios N; Flemetakis, Emmanouil; Papageorgiou, Anastassios C; Labrou, Nikolaos E

2012-03-01

In the present work, we describe the characterisation of the glutathione transferase (GST) gene family from Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58. A genome survey revealed the presence of eight GST-like proteins in A. tumefaciens (AtuGSTs). Comparison by multiple sequence alignment generated a dendrogram revealing the phylogenetic relationships of AtuGSTs-like proteins. The beta and theta classes identified in other bacterial species are represented by five members in A. tumefaciens C58. In addition, there are three "orphan" sequences that do not fit into any previously recognised GST classes. The eight GST-like genes were cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli and their substrate specificity was determined towards 17 different substrates. The results showed that AtuGSTs catalyse a broad range of reactions, with different members of the family exhibiting quite varied substrate specificity. The 3D structures of AtuGSTs were predicted using molecular modelling. The use of comparative sequence and structural analysis of the AtuGST isoenzymes allowed us to identify local sequence and structural characteristics between different GST isoenzymes and classes. Gene expression profiling was conducted under normal culture conditions as well as under abiotic stress conditions (addition of xenobiotics, osmotic stress and cold and heat shock) to induce and monitor early stress-response mechanisms. The results reveal the constitutive expression of GSTs in A. tumefaciens and a modulation of GST activity after treatments, indicating that AtuGSTs presumably participate in a wide range of functions, many of which are important in counteracting stress conditions. These functions may be relevant to maintaining cellular homeostasis as well as in the direct detoxification of toxic compounds.

Comparative study between laser and conventional techniques for class V cavity preparation in gamma-irradiated teeth (in vitro study).

PubMed

Rasmy, Amr H M; Harhash, Tarek A; Ghali, Rami M S; El Maghraby, Eman M F; El Rouby, Dalia H

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare laser with conventional techniques in class V cavity preparation in gamma-irradiated teeth. Forty extracted human teeth with no carious lesions were used for this study and were divided into two main groups: Group I (n = 20) was not subjected to gamma radiation (control) and Group II (n=20) was subjected to gamma radiation of 60 Gray. Standard class V preparation was performed in buccal and lingual sides of each tooth in both groups. Buccal surfaces were prepared by the Er,Cr:YSGG laser (Waterlase iPlus) 2780 nm, using the gold handpiece with MZ10 Tip in non-contact and the "H" mode, following parameters of cavity preparation - power 6 W, frequency 50 Hz, 90% water and 70% air, then shifting to surface treatment laser parameters - power 4.5 W, frequency 50 Hz, 80% water and 50% air. Lingual surfaces were prepared by the conventional high-speed turbine using round diamond bur. Teeth were then sectioned mesio-distally, resulting in 80 specimens: 40 of which were buccal laser-treated (20 control and 20 gamma-irradiated specimens) and 40 were lingual conventional high-speed bur specimens (20 control and 20 gamma-irradiated specimens). Microleakage analysis revealed higher scores in both gamma groups compared with control groups. Chi-square test revealed no significant difference between both control groups and gamma groups (p=1, 0.819, respectively). A significant difference was revealed between all 4 groups (p=0.00018). Both laser and conventional high-speed turbine bur show good bond strength in control (non-gamma) group, while microleakage is evident in gamma group, indicating that gamma radiation had a dramatic negative effect on the bond strength in both laser and bur-treated teeth.

HIV-1 Tat protein promotes formation of more-processive elongation complexes.

PubMed Central

Marciniak, R A; Sharp, P A

1991-01-01

The Tat protein of HIV-1 trans-activates transcription in vitro in a cell-free extract of HeLa nuclei. Quantitative analysis of the efficiency of elongation revealed that a majority of the elongation complexes generated by the HIV-1 promoter were not highly processive and terminated within the first 500 nucleotides. Tat trans-activation of transcription from the HIV-1 promoter resulted from an increase in processive character of the elongation complexes. More specifically, the analysis suggests that there exist two classes of elongation complexes initiating from the HIV promoter: a less-processive form and a more-processive form. Addition of purified Tat protein was found to increase the abundance of the more-processive class of elongation complex. The purine nucleoside analog, 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB) inhibits transcription in this reaction by decreasing the efficiency of elongation. Surprisingly, stimulation of transcription elongation by Tat was preferentially inhibited by the addition of DRB. Images PMID:1756726

Ethnicity and skeletal Class III morphology: a pubertal growth analysis using thin-plate spline analysis.

PubMed

Alkhamrah, B; Terada, K; Yamaki, M; Ali, I M; Hanada, K

2001-01-01

A longitudinal retrospective study using thin-plate spline analysis was used to investigate skeletal Class III etiology in Japanese female adolescents. Headfilms of 40 subjects were chosen from the archives of the Orthodontic department at Niigata University Dental Hospital, and were traced at IIIB and IVA Hellman dental ages. Twenty-eight homologous landmarks, representing hard and soft tissue, were digitized. These were used to reproduce a consensus for the profilogram, craniomaxillary complex, mandible, and soft tissue for each age and skeletal group. Generalized least-square analysis revealed a significant shape difference between age-matched groups (P < .001), except for the craniomaxillary complex at stage IVA. T test for size analysis showed unequivocally increased mandibular size in skeletal Class III, which directly increased the craniofacial size collectively (P < .05). A deviant profilogram showed anisotropy displaying as maxillary deficiency, acute cranial base, and obtuse gonial angle in addition to increased facial height at stage IIIB. Maxillary retrusion decreased while the mandible showed excessive incremental growth and a forward position caused by deficient orthocephalization at stage IVA. Craniomaxillary complex total spline and partial warps (PW)3 and 2 showed a maxillary retrusion at stage IIIB opposite an acute cranial base at stage IVA. Mandibular total spline and PW4, 5 showed changes affecting most landmarks and their spatial interrelationship, especially a stretch along the articulare-pogonion axis. In soft tissue analysis, PW8 showed large and local changes which paralleled the underlying hard tissue components. Allometry of the mandible and anisotropy of the cranial base, the maxilla, and the mandible asserted the complexity of craniofacial growth and the difficulty of predicting its outcome.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Reveals Correlated Inter-Lobe Motion in Protein Lysine Methyltransferase SMYD2.

PubMed

Spellmon, Nicholas; Sun, Xiaonan; Sirinupong, Nualpun; Edwards, Brian; Li, Chunying; Yang, Zhe

2015-01-01

SMYD proteins are an exciting field of study as they are linked to many types of cancer-related pathways. Cardiac and skeletal muscle development and function also depend on SMYD proteins opening a possible avenue for cardiac-related treatment. Previous crystal structure studies have revealed that this special class of protein lysine methyltransferases have a bilobal structure, and an open-closed motion may regulate substrate specificity. Here we use the molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the still-poorly-understood SMYD2 dynamics. Cross-correlation analysis reveals that SMYD2 exhibits a negative correlated inter-lobe motion. Principle component analysis suggests that this correlated dynamic is contributed to by a twisting motion of the C-lobe with respect to the N-lobe and a clamshell-like motion between the lobes. Dynamical network analysis defines possible allosteric paths for the correlated dynamics. There are nine communities in the dynamical network with six in the N-lobe and three in the C-lobe, and the communication between the lobes is mediated by a lobe-bridging β hairpin. This study provides insight into the dynamical nature of SMYD2 and could facilitate better understanding of SMYD2 substrate specificity.

Pathognomonic features of Angle's Class II division 2 malocclusion: A comparative cephalometric and arch width study

PubMed Central

Prasad, Singamsetty E.R.V.; Indukuri, Ravikishore Reddy; Singh, Rupesh; Nooney, Anitha; Palagiri, Firoz Babu; Narayana, Veera

2014-01-01

Background: A thorough knowledge of the salient features of malocclusion helps the clinician in arriving at a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, and also to predict the prognosis, prior to the onset of treatment process. Among the four classes of Angle's classification of malocclusion, Class II division 2 occurs with the least frequency. There is still continuing debate in the literature whether the Class II division 2 patients ascribe the pathognomonic skeletal and dental features. Aim of the study: The aim of this study is to describe the unique features of Angle's Class II division 2 malocclusion to differentiate it from Angle's Class II division 1 malocclusion. Materials and Methods: A total of 582 pre-treatment records (study models and cephalograms), with the age of patients ranging from 15 to 22 years, were obtained from the hospital records of Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram and Geetam's Dental College, Visakhapatnam. Out of these, 11 pre-treatment records were excluded because of lack of clarity. In the rest of the sample, 283 were Class II division 1 and 288 were Class II division 2. The lateral cephalograms were analyzed by using digiceph and the arch width analysis was done based on the anatomical points described by Staley et al. and Sergl et al. Results: An intergroup evaluation was done by using unpaired Student's “t” test. The skeletal vertical parameters, dental parameters, and the maxillary arch width parameters revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups of malocclusion. Conclusion: Angle's Class II division 2 malocclusion has a pronounced horizontal growth pattern with decreased lower anterior facial height, retroclined upper anteriors, and significantly increased maxillary arch width parameters. PMID:25558449

Investigation of the thermophilic mechanism in the genus Porphyrobacter by comparative genomic analysis.

PubMed

Xu, Lin; Wu, Yue-Hong; Zhou, Peng; Cheng, Hong; Liu, Qian; Xu, Xue-Wei

2018-05-23

Type strains of the genus Porphyrobacter belonging to the family Erythrobacteraceae and the class Alphaproteobacteria have been isolated from various environments, such as swimming pools, lake water and hot springs. P. cryptus DSM 12079 T and P. tepidarius DSM 10594 T out of all Erythrobacteraceae type strains, are two type strains that have been isolated from geothermal environments. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology offers a convenient approach for detecting situational types based on protein sequence differences between thermophiles and mesophiles; amino acid substitutions can lead to protein structural changes, improving the thermal stabilities of proteins. Comparative genomic studies have revealed that different thermal types exist in different taxa, and few studies have been focused on the class Alphaproteobacteria, especially the family Erythrobacteraceae. In this study, eight genomes of Porphyrobacter strains were compared to elucidate how Porphyrobacter thermophiles developed mechanisms to adapt to thermal environments. P. cryptus DSM 12079 T grew optimally at 50 °C, which was higher than the optimal growth temperature of other Porphyrobacter type strains. Phylogenomic analysis of the genus Porphyrobacter revealed that P. cryptus DSM 12079 T formed a distinct and independent clade. Comparative genomic studies uncovered that 1405 single-copy genes were shared by Porphyrobacter type strains. Alignments of single-copy proteins showed that various types of amino acid substitutions existed between P. cryptus DSM 12079 T and the other Porphyrobacter strains. The primary substitution types were changes from glycine/serine to alanine. P. cryptus DSM 12079 T was the sole thermophile within the genus Porphyrobacter. Phylogenomic analysis and amino acid frequencies indicated that amino acid substitutions might play an important role in the thermophily of P. cryptus DSM 12079 T . Bioinformatic analysis revealed that major amino acid substitutional types, such as changes from glycine/serine to alanine, increase the frequency of α-helices in proteins, promoting protein thermostability in P. cryptus DSM 12079 T . Hence, comparative genomic analysis broadens our understanding of thermophilic mechanisms in the genus Porphyrobacter and may provide a useful insight in the design of thermophilic enzymes for agricultural, industrial and medical applications.

Evaluation of the Aviation Warrant Officer Advanced Course.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

were reviewed to ascertain if any particular areas or subject blocks presented problems which should be investigated. (3) The Aviation Center Training...Analysis and Assistance Team (ACTAAT) Report revealed no trends/ problems relating to the AWOAC. (6) A review of course critiques from the previous class...explain what PET is and why it is important for leadership skills. Be able to list five goals in counseling and to know what they mean." 5 (c) The 27

The complex lightcurve of 1992 NA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wisniewski, Wieslaw Z.; Harris, A. W.

1994-01-01

Amor asteroid 1992 NA was monitored during three nights at a large phase angle of -65 deg. The lightcurves obtained did not reveal a repeatable curve with two maxima and two minima. However, some features suggested a periodicity with three maxima and three minima. A satisfactory composite lightcurve of this form was obtained by means of an 'eyeball' fit and by Fourier analysis. Individual and composite lightcurves are presented. The observed colors are consistent with the C class.

Survival of introduced phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and their impact on microbial community structure during the phytoextraction of Cd-contaminated soil.

PubMed

Jeong, Seulki; Moon, Hee Sun; Shin, Doyun; Nam, Kyoungphile

2013-12-15

This study was conducted to investigate whether or not phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) as a kind of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria enhance the uptake of Cd by plants. In addition, the effect of PSB augmentation during phytoextraction on the microbial community of indigenous soil bacteria was also studied. In the initial Cd-contaminated soil, the major phyla were Proteobacteria (35%), Actinobacteria (38%) and Firmicutes (8%). While Proteobacteria were dominant at the second and sixth week (41 and 54%, respectively) in inoculated soil, Firmicutes (mainly belonging to the Bacilli class-61%), dramatically increased in the eight-week soil. For the uninoculated soil, the proportion of α-Proteobacteria increased after eight weeks (32%). Interestingly, Actinobacteria class, which was originally present in the soil (37%), seemed to disappear during phytoremediation, irrespective of whether PSB was inoculated or not. Cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis revealed that the microbial community of eight-week inoculated soil was completely separated from the other soil samples, due to the dramatic increase of Bacillus aryabhattai. These findings revealed that it took at least eight weeks for the inoculated Bacillus sp. to functionally adapt to the introduced soil, against competition with indigenous microorganisms in soil. An ecological understanding of interaction among augmented bacteria, plant and indigenous soil bacteria is needed, for proper management of phytoextraction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patterns of Drug Use and Serum Sodium Concentrations in Older Hospitalized Patients: A Latent Class Analysis Approach.

PubMed

Woodman, Richard J; Wood, Karen M; Kunnel, Aline; Dedigama, Maneesha; Pegoli, Matthew A; Soiza, Roy L; Mangoni, Arduino A

2016-12-01

Several drugs may lower serum sodium concentrations (NaC) in older patients. However, distinguishing their individual effects is particularly difficult in this population because of the high prevalence of polypharmacy and disease states that are per se associated with hyponatremia. Our objective was to identify specific patterns of medication use in older hospitalized patients and determine whether these patterns were associated with serum NaC. We collected clinical and demographic data, pre-admission drugs, Drug Burden Index (DBI) score, and average NaC during hospitalization in a consecutive series of older medical patients (n = 101, mean ± standard deviation [SD] age 87 ± 6 years). We used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify specific patterns of drug use and multivariate regression to determine the associations between 14 separate drug classes, identified patterns of drug use, and NaC. LCA revealed three patterns: lower overall drug use (class 1), anticoagulant use and higher drug use (class 2), and antiplatelet use (class 3). Mean (±SD) DBI score in each class was 2.7 ± 1.3, 3.3 ± 1.6, and 2.4 ± 1.5, respectively (p = 0.04). Mean (± SD) NaC in classes 1, 2, and 3 were 140.6 ± 6.8, 138.7 ± 5.3, and 136.5 ± 4.7 mmol/l, respectively (p = 0.006). After adjustment for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), DBI score, and digoxin use, mean NaC in class 2 and class 3 was significantly lower than in class 1 (-3.9 mmol/l; 95% confidence interval [CI] -7.1 to -0.8, p = 0.01 and -5.2 mmol/l; 95% CI -7.9 to -2.5, p < 0.001, respectively). Mean serum NaC was not significantly associated with any of the 14 individually assessed drug classes. In addition to latent class, increasing age and higher eGFR were also independently associated with lower serum NaC (p = 0.002 and p = 0.03, respectively). LCA enabled us to identify patterns of drug use associated with lower serum NaC in older inpatients. Our results suggest that older patients using antiplatelets or anticoagulants are especially at risk of lower serum NaC.

A Triad of Molecular Regions Contribute to the Formation of Two Distinct MHC Class II Conformers

PubMed Central

Drake, Lisa A.; Drake, James R.

2016-01-01

MHC class II molecules present antigen-derived peptides to CD4 T cells to drive the adaptive immune response. Previous work has established that class II αβ dimers can adopt two distinct conformations, driven by the differential pairing of transmembrane domain GxxxG dimerization motifs. These class II conformers differ in their ability to be loaded with antigen-derived peptide and to effectively engage CD4 T cells. Motif 1 (M1) paired I-Ak class II molecules are efficiently loaded with peptides derived from the processing of B cell receptor-bound antigen, have unique B cell signaling properties and high T cell stimulation activity. The 11-5.2 mAb selectively binds M1 paired I-Ak class II molecules. However, the molecular determinants of 11-5.2 binding are currently unclear. Here, we report the ability of a human class II transmembrane domain to drive both M1 and M2 class II conformer formation. Protease sensitivity analysis further strengthens the idea that there are conformational differences between the extracellular domains of M1 and M2 paired class II. Finally, MHC class II chain alignments and site directed mutagenesis reveals a triad of molecular regions that contributes to 11-5.2 mAb binding. In addition to transmembrane GxxxG motif domain pairing, 11-5.2 binding is influenced directly by α chain residue Glu-71 and indirectly by the region around the inter-chain salt bridge formed by α chain Arg-52 and β chain Glu-86. These findings provide insight into the complexity of 11-5.2 mAb recognition of the M1 paired I-Ak class II conformer and further highlight the molecular heterogeneity of peptide-MHC class II complexes that drive T cell antigen recognition. PMID:27148821

A Revised Class Play Method of Peer Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masten, Ann S.; And Others

1985-01-01

Revised Class Play (RCP) was presented as a measure of peer reputation designed to improve the assessment of social competence as well as the psychometric properties of class play method. Administered to third through sixth graders three test dimensions were revealed: sociability-leadership, aggressive-disruptive, and sensitive-isolated. Data…

Research of facial feature extraction based on MMC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Donglin; Zhao, Jiufen; Tang, Qinhong; Shi, Shaokun

2017-07-01

Based on the maximum margin criterion (MMC), a new algorithm of statistically uncorrelated optimal discriminant vectors and a new algorithm of orthogonal optimal discriminant vectors for feature extraction were proposed. The purpose of the maximum margin criterion is to maximize the inter-class scatter while simultaneously minimizing the intra-class scatter after the projection. Compared with original MMC method and principal component analysis (PCA) method, the proposed methods are better in terms of reducing or eliminating the statistically correlation between features and improving recognition rate. The experiment results on Olivetti Research Laboratory (ORL) face database shows that the new feature extraction method of statistically uncorrelated maximum margin criterion (SUMMC) are better in terms of recognition rate and stability. Besides, the relations between maximum margin criterion and Fisher criterion for feature extraction were revealed.

Enterocin T, a novel class IIa bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus sp. 812.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-Sheng; Yu, Chi-Rong; Ji, Si-Hua; Liou, Min-Shiuan; Leong, Kun-Hon; Pan, Shwu-Fen; Wu, Hui-Chung; Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Yu, Bi; Yanagida, Fujitoshi

2013-09-01

Enterococcus sp. 812, isolated from fresh broccoli, was previously found to produce a bacteriocin active against a number of Gram-positive bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes. Bacteriocin activity decreased slightly after autoclaving (121 °C for 15 min), but was inactivated by protease K. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed the bacteriocin mass to be approximately 4,521.34 Da. N-terminal amino acid sequencing yielded a partial sequence, NH2-ATYYGNGVYXDKKKXWVEWGQA, by Edman degradation, which contained the consensus class IIa bacteriocin motif YGNGV in the N-terminal region. The obtained partial sequence showed high homology with some enterococcal bacteriocins; however, no identical peptide or protein was found. This peptide was therefore considered to be a novel bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus sp. 812 and was termed enterocin T.

Bidirectional selection between two classes in complex social networks.

PubMed

Zhou, Bin; He, Zhe; Jiang, Luo-Luo; Wang, Nian-Xin; Wang, Bing-Hong

2014-12-19

The bidirectional selection between two classes widely emerges in various social lives, such as commercial trading and mate choosing. Until now, the discussions on bidirectional selection in structured human society are quite limited. We demonstrated theoretically that the rate of successfully matching is affected greatly by individuals' neighborhoods in social networks, regardless of the type of networks. Furthermore, it is found that the high average degree of networks contributes to increasing rates of successful matches. The matching performance in different types of networks has been quantitatively investigated, revealing that the small-world networks reinforces the matching rate more than scale-free networks at given average degree. In addition, our analysis is consistent with the modeling result, which provides the theoretical understanding of underlying mechanisms of matching in complex networks.

Probing the determinants of protein stability: comparison of class A beta-lactamases.

PubMed Central

Vanhove, M; Houba, S; b1motte-Brasseur, J; Frère, J M

1995-01-01

Five class A beta-lactamases produced by various mesophilic bacterial species have been compared. Although closely related in primary and overall structures, these enzymes exhibit very different stabilities. In order to investigate the factors responsible for these differences, several features deduced from the amino acid composition and three-dimensional structures were studied for the five proteins. This analysis revealed that higher stability appeared to correlate with increased numbers of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and of salt bridges. By contrast, the global hydrophobicity of the protein seemed to play a relatively minor role. A strongly unfavourable balance between charged residues and the presence of a cis-peptide bond preceding a non-proline residue might also contribute to the particularly low stability of two of the enzymes. PMID:8948443

Putting Bourdieu to work for class analysis: reflections on some recent contributions.

PubMed

Flemmen, Magne

2013-06-01

Recent developments in class analysis, particularly associated with so-called 'cultural class analysis'; have seen the works of Pierre Bourdieu take centre stage. Apart from the general influence of 'habitus' and 'cultural capital', some scholars have tried to reconstruct class analysis with concepts drawn from Bourdieu. This involves a theoretical reorientation, away from the conventional concerns of class analysis with property and market relations, towards an emphasis on the multiple forms of capital. Despite the significant potential of these developments, such a reorientation dismisses or neglects the relations of power and domination founded in the economic institutions of capitalism as a crucial element of what class is. Through a critique of some recent attempts by British authors to develop a 'Bourdieusian' class theory, the paper reasserts the centrality of the relations of power and domination that used to be the domain of class analysis. The paper suggests some elements central to a reworked class analysis that benefits from the power of Bourdieu's ideas while retaining a perspective on the fundamentals of class relations in capitalism. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2013.

Identification and Characterization of Putative Integron-Like Elements of the Heavy-Metal-Hypertolerant Strains of Pseudomonas spp.

PubMed

Ciok, Anna; Adamczuk, Marcin; Bartosik, Dariusz; Dziewit, Lukasz

2016-11-28

Pseudomonas strains isolated from the heavily contaminated Lubin copper mine and Zelazny Most post-flotation waste reservoir in Poland were screened for the presence of integrons. This analysis revealed that two strains carried homologous DNA regions composed of a gene encoding a DNA_BRE_C domain-containing tyrosine recombinase (with no significant sequence similarity to other integrases of integrons) plus a three-component array of putative integron gene cassettes. The predicted gene cassettes encode three putative polypeptides with homology to (i) transmembrane proteins, (ii) GCN5 family acetyltransferases, and (iii) hypothetical proteins of unknown function (homologous proteins are encoded by the gene cassettes of several class 1 integrons). Comparative sequence analyses identified three structural variants of these novel integron-like elements within the sequenced bacterial genomes. Analysis of their distribution revealed that they are found exclusively in strains of the genus Pseudomonas .

Using a cross section to train veterinary students to visualize anatomical structures in three dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provo, Judy; Lamar, Carlton; Newby, Timothy

2002-01-01

A cross section was used to enhance three-dimensional knowledge of anatomy of the canine head. All veterinary students in two successive classes (n = 124) dissected the head; experimental groups also identified structures on a cross section of the head. A test assessing spatial knowledge of the head generated 10 dependent variables from two administrations. The test had content validity and statistically significant interrater and test-retest reliability. A live-dog examination generated one additional dependent variable. Analysis of covariance controlling for performance on course examinations and quizzes revealed no treatment effect. Including spatial skill as a third covariate revealed a statistically significant effect of spatial skill on three dependent variables. Men initially had greater spatial skill than women, but spatial skills were equal after 8 months. A qualitative analysis showed the positive impact of this experience on participants. Suggestions for improvement and future research are discussed.

Immunogenetic Variation and Differential Pathogen Exposure in Free-Ranging Cheetahs across Namibian Farmlands

PubMed Central

Castro-Prieto, Aines; Wachter, Bettina; Melzheimer, Joerg; Thalwitzer, Susanne; Hofer, Heribert; Sommer, Simone

2012-01-01

Background Genes under selection provide ecologically important information useful for conservation issues. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II genes are essential for the immune defence against pathogens from intracellular (e.g. viruses) and extracellular (e.g. helminths) origins, respectively. Serosurvey studies in Namibian cheetahs (Acinonyx juabuts) revealed higher exposure to viral pathogens in individuals from north-central than east-central regions. Here we examined whether the observed differences in exposure to viruses influence the patterns of genetic variation and differentiation at MHC loci in 88 free-ranging Namibian cheetahs. Methodology/Principal Findings Genetic variation at MHC I and II loci was assessed through single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and sequencing. While the overall allelic diversity did not differ, we observed a high genetic differentiation at MHC class I loci between cheetahs from north-central and east-central Namibia. No such differentiation in MHC class II and neutral markers were found. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that MHC class I variation mirrors the variation in selection pressure imposed by viruses in free-ranging cheetahs across Namibian farmland. This is of high significance for future management and conservation programs of this species. PMID:23145096

Immunogenetic variation and differential pathogen exposure in free-ranging cheetahs across Namibian farmlands.

PubMed

Castro-Prieto, Aines; Wachter, Bettina; Melzheimer, Joerg; Thalwitzer, Susanne; Hofer, Heribert; Sommer, Simone

2012-01-01

Genes under selection provide ecologically important information useful for conservation issues. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II genes are essential for the immune defence against pathogens from intracellular (e.g. viruses) and extracellular (e.g. helminths) origins, respectively. Serosurvey studies in Namibian cheetahs (Acinonyx juabuts) revealed higher exposure to viral pathogens in individuals from north-central than east-central regions. Here we examined whether the observed differences in exposure to viruses influence the patterns of genetic variation and differentiation at MHC loci in 88 free-ranging Namibian cheetahs. Genetic variation at MHC I and II loci was assessed through single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and sequencing. While the overall allelic diversity did not differ, we observed a high genetic differentiation at MHC class I loci between cheetahs from north-central and east-central Namibia. No such differentiation in MHC class II and neutral markers were found. Our results suggest that MHC class I variation mirrors the variation in selection pressure imposed by viruses in free-ranging cheetahs across Namibian farmland. This is of high significance for future management and conservation programs of this species.

Rising Intragenerational Occupational Mobility in the United States, 1969 to 2011

PubMed Central

Jarvis, Benjamin F.; Song, Xi

2017-01-01

Despite the theoretical importance of intragenerational mobility and its connection to intergenerational mobility, no study since the 1970s has documented trends in intragenerational occupational mobility. The present article fills this intellectual gap by presenting evidence of an increasing trend in intragenerational mobility in the United States from 1969 to 2011. We decompose the trend using a nested occupational classification scheme that distinguishes between disaggregated micro-classes and progressively more aggregated meso-classes, macro-classes, and manual and nonmanual sectors. Log-linear analysis reveals that mobility increased across the occupational structure at nearly all levels of aggregation, especially after the early 1990s. Controlling for structural changes in occupational distributions modifies, but does not substantially alter, these findings. Trends are qualitatively similar for men and women. We connect increasing mobility to other macro-economic trends dating back to the 1970s, including changing labor force composition, technologies, employment relations, and industrial structures. We reassert the sociological significance of intragenerational mobility and discuss how increasing variability in occupational transitions within careers may counteract or mask trends in intergenerational mobility, across occupations and across more broadly construed social classes. PMID:28966346

Revealing interdyad differences in naturally occurring staff reactions to challenging behaviour of clients with severe or profound intellectual disabilities by means of Clusterwise Hierarchical Classes Analysis (HICLAS).

PubMed

Wilderjans, T F; Lambrechts, G; Maes, B; Ceulemans, E

2014-11-01

Investigating interdyad (i.e. couples of a client and their usual caregiver) differences in naturally occurring patterns of staff reactions to challenging behaviour (e.g. self-injurious, stereotyped and aggressive/destructive behaviour) of clients with severe or profound intellectual disabilities is important to optimise client-staff interactions. Most studies, however, fail to combine a naturalistic setup with a person-level analysis, in that they do not involve a careful inspection of the interdyad differences and similarities. In this study, the recently proposed Clusterwise Hierarchical Classes Analysis (HICLAS) method is adopted and applied to data of in which video fragments (recorded in a naturalistic setting) of a client showing challenging behaviour and the staff reacting to it were analysed. In a Clusterwise HICLAS analysis, the staff-client dyads are grouped into a number of clusters and the prototypical behaviour-reaction patterns that are specific for each cluster (i.e. interdyad differences and similarities) are revealed. Clusterwise HICLAS discloses clear interdyad differences (and similarities) in the prototypical patterns of clients' challenging behaviour and the associated staff reactions, complementing and qualifying the results of earlier studies in which only general patterns were disclosed. The usefulness and clinical relevance of Clusterwise HICLAS is demonstrated. In particular, Clusterwise HICLAS may capture idiosyncratic aspects of staff-client interactions, which may stimulate direct support workers to adopt person-centred support practices that take the specific abilities of the client into account. © 2013 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Topical Trajectory on Survival: an Analysis of Link-Making in a Sequence of Lessons on Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocksén, Miranda; Olander, Clas

2017-04-01

This study explores the concept of link-making in relation to communicative strategies applied in the teaching and studying of biological evolution. The analysis focused on video recordings of 11 lessons on biological evolution conducted in a Swedish 9th grade class of students aged 15 years. It reveals how the teacher and students connected classroom conversations, the frequency of references to conversations in whole-class settings, and the development of a theme focusing on species survival and extinction. Detailed examples from the data illustrate how this theme developed from its initiation during the first lesson, through discussion and clarification, to its wrapping up during the last lesson. They further illustrate how students made sense of what the teacher said and wrote, and how the teacher postponed issues, explained and developed topics, provided opportunities for link-making, organised the class, motivated students, and checked their understanding. The study's methodological approach offers a way of including several time dimensions within research. Based on our findings, we conclude that the excerpts examined here did succeed in building `islands of coherence' in the co-construction of curricular content. Moreover, the topical trajectory in relation to species survival provided opportunities for constructing a `scientific story' in the classroom.

Artificial dental pulp exposure injury up-regulates antigen-presenting cell-related molecules in rat central nervous system.

PubMed

Kaneko, Tomoatsu; Kaneko, Mitsuhiro; Chokechanachaisakul, Uraiwan; Kawamura, Jun; Kaneko, Reika; Sunakawa, Mitsuhiro; Okiji, Takashi; Suda, Hideaki

2010-03-01

Bacterial infection and resulting inflammation of the dental pulp might not only trigger neuroimmune interactions in this tissue but also sensitize the central nervous system (CNS) such as the thalamus via nociceptive neurons. Thus, immunopathologic changes in the rat thalamus that take place after pulp inflammation were investigated. Pulp exposure was made in mandibular right first molars of 5-week-old Wistar rats. After 24 hours, the thalamus was retrieved and subjected to either immunohistochemistry for class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) or mRNA expression analysis of antigen-presenting cell-related molecules and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2D subunit (NR2D) by means of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time PCR. At 24 hours after pulp exposure, the density of class II MHC molecule-expressing and GFAP-expressing cells was increased in the contralateral thalamus. Gene expression analysis revealed the up-regulation of class II MHC molecules, CD80, CD83, CD86, and NR2D in the contralateral thalamus, as compared with the ipsilateral thalamus. These results suggest the signal of pulp inflammation induces neuronal activation in the CNS. Copyright (c) 2010 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Examining the Relationship of Textbooks and Labs on Student Achievement in Eighth-Grade Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugalan, Anacita Noromor

One of the most important objectives of teachers, parents, school administrators, and students is to improve student scores on standardized tests such as the State of Texas Assessment for Academic Readiness (STAAR) in eighth-grade science. This quasi experimental study examined the science achievement scores between schools that use textbooks and labs when delivering instruction. This study utilized a quantitative approach using archival data and survey design. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multiple regression were used to analyze the data while controlling STAAR eighth-grade reading scores to reveal significant differences between classes. The sample and population for this study were predominantly eighth-grade Hispanic students in South Texas. Analysis of covariance showed that classes that used high labs got higher science scores and that the reading scores were significantly related to science scores. Multiple regression findings indicated that textbooks and labs were significant predictors of student achievement on the STAAR eighth- grade science class result in South Texas for Spring 2015. The findings of this study may serve as a catalyst for improving student achievement in science through changes in textbook adoption and doing labs in science. The result suggests the need to research further to investigate other contributing factors of student achievement.

Eukaryotic genomes may exhibit up to 10 generic classes of gene promoters.

PubMed

Gagniuc, Paul; Ionescu-Tirgoviste, Constantin

2012-09-28

The main function of gene promoters appears to be the integration of different gene products in their biological pathways in order to maintain homeostasis. Generally, promoters have been classified in two major classes, namely TATA and CpG. Nevertheless, many genes using the same combinatorial formation of transcription factors have different gene expression patterns. Accordingly, we tried to ask ourselves some fundamental questions: Why certain genes have an overall predisposition for higher gene expression levels than others? What causes such a predisposition? Is there a structural relationship of these sequences in different tissues? Is there a strong phylogenetic relationship between promoters of closely related species? In order to gain valuable insights into different promoter regions, we obtained a series of image-based patterns which allowed us to identify 10 generic classes of promoters. A comprehensive analysis was undertaken for promoter sequences from Arabidopsis thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, Homo sapiens and Oryza sativa, and a more extensive analysis of tissue-specific promoters in humans. We observed a clear preference for these species to use certain classes of promoters for specific biological processes. Moreover, in humans, we found that different tissues use distinct classes of promoters, reflecting an emerging promoter network. Depending on the tissue type, comparisons made between these classes of promoters reveal a complementarity between their patterns whereas some other classes of promoters have been observed to occur in competition. Furthermore, we also noticed the existence of some transitional states between these classes of promoters that may explain certain evolutionary mechanisms, which suggest a possible predisposition for specific levels of gene expression and perhaps for a different number of factors responsible for triggering gene expression. Our conclusions are based on comprehensive data from three different databases and a new computer model whose core is using Kappa index of coincidence. To fully understand the connections between gene promoters and gene expression, we analyzed thousands of promoter sequences using our Kappa Index of Coincidence method and a specialized Optical Character Recognition (OCR) neural network. Under our criteria, 10 classes of promoters were detected. In addition, the existence of "transitional" promoters suggests that there is an evolutionary weighted continuum between classes, depending perhaps upon changes in their gene products.

Investigating Science Discourse in a High School Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, Lauren Honeycutt

Science classrooms in the United States have become more diverse with respect to the variety of languages spoken by students. This qualitative study used ethnographic methods to investigate the discourse and practices of two ninth grade science classrooms. Approximately 44% of students included in the study were designated as English learners. The present work focused on addressing the following questions: 1) In what ways is science discourse taken up and used by students and their teacher? 2) Are there differences in how science discourse is used by students depending on their English language proficiency? Data collection consisted of interviewing the science teacher and the students, filming whole class and small group discussions during two lesson sequences, and collecting lesson plans, curricular materials, and student work. These data were analyzed qualitatively. Findings indicated that the teacher characterized science discourse along three dimensions: 1) the use of evidence-based explanations; 2) the practice of sharing one's science understandings publically; and 3) the importance of using precise language, including both specialized (i.e., science specific) and non-specialized academic words. Analysis of student participation during in-class activities highlighted how students progressed in each of these science discourse skills. However, this analysis also revealed that English learners were less likely to participate in whole class discussions: Though these students participated in small group discussions, they rarely volunteered to share individual or collective ideas with the class. Overall, students were more adept at utilizing science discourse during class discussions than in written assignments. Analysis of students' written work highlighted difficulties that were not visible during classroom interactions. One potential explanation is the increased amount of scaffolding the teacher provided during class discussions as compared to written assignments. In the implications section, I provide science teachers with recommendations regarding how to promote science discourse in their classrooms. Specifically, teachers should provide students structured opportunities to practice science discourse, require students to use both written and oral modalities in assignments, and offer timely feedback to students regarding their progress in developing their science discourse skills. How this study contributes to the research base on the teaching of science and English learners will also be described.

Polar Lipids Analysis of Cultured Phytoplankton Reveals Significant Inter-taxa Changes, Low Influence of Growth Stage, and Usefulness in Chemotaxonomy.

PubMed

Cañavate, José Pedro; Armada, Isabel; Hachero-Cruzado, Ismael

2017-05-01

The high lipid diversity of microalgae has been used to taxonomically differentiate phytoplankton taxa at the class level. However, important lipids such as phospholipids (PL) and betaine lipids (BL) with potential chemotaxonomy application in phytoplankton ecology have been scarcely studied. The chemotaxonomy value of PL and BL depends on their intraspecific extent of variation as microalgae respond to external changing factors. To determine such effects, lipid class changes occurring at different growth stages in 15 microalgae from ten different classes were analyzed. BL occurred in 14 species and were the less affected lipids by growth stage with diacylglyceryl-hydroxymethyl-N,N,N-trimethyl-b-alanine (DGTA) showing the highest stability. PL were more influenced by growth stage with phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidyletanolamine (PE) declining towards older culture stages in some species. Glycolipids were the more common lipids, and no evident age-related variability pattern could be associated to taxonomic diversity. Selecting BL and PL as descriptor variables optimally distinguished microalgae taxonomic variability at all growth stages. Principal coordinate analysis arranged species through a main tendency from diacylglyceryl-hydroxymethyl-N,N,N-trimethyl-b-alanine (DGCC) containing species (mainly dinoflagellates and haptophytes) to DGTA or PC containing species (mainly cryptophytes). Two diatom classes with similar fatty acid profiles could be distinguished from their respective content in DGTA (Bacillariophyceae) or DGCC (Mediophyceae). In green lineage classes (Trebouxiophyceae, Porphyridophyceae, and Chlorodendrophyceae), PC was a better descriptor than BL. BL and PL explained a higher proportion of microalgae taxonomic variation than did fatty acids and played a complementary role as lipid markers.

A Study of Incivility in the Iranian Nursing Training System Based on Educators and Students’ Experiences: A Quantitative Content Analysis

PubMed Central

Rad, Mostafa; Ildarabadi, Es-hagh; Moharreri, Fatemeh; Moonaghi, Hossein Karimi

2015-01-01

Background: It is absolutely essential to know the negative impacts incivility in students and educators may have on the creation of a suitable teaching-learning environment. Better education of to-be nurses would improve their service to patients and society in the future. There has been no research in Iran so far on this particular case. This study examines the experiences of uncivil or disrespectful behavior from the standpoint of educators and students. Methodology & Methods: A quantitative content analysis was carried out to study manuscripts presented in the form of open questionnaires. To this end, data produced from detailed answers from 640 students and educators were inputted into the computer and line-by-line and sentence-by-sentence coding was done. After that, implied codes were added, the categories were revealed, and finally counting frequency of code in categories was carried out. Results: The most important categories that students considered uncivil behavior were waste of class time, distraction, incompetence in managing the class, discrimination, bad assessment, insult and threat on behalf of the educators. In contrast to their view, what the educators thought of as disrespectful included class disorder, humiliation of other students, irregular attendance of classes, bad sitting postures, non-observance of Islamic standards, and coming unprepared to the class by students. Conclusion: From the viewpoint of students and educators, incivility is present towards one another in the academic environment. This study determines the most important forms of the same from their stand point. Since disrespectful and threatening behavior has a significant impact on learning environment, we highly recommend a thorough examination to be carried out in future studies on the origin and the managing strategies of such behaviors. PMID:25716390

Reconciling patterns of inter-ocean molecular variance from four classes of molecular markers in blue marlin (Makaira nigricans).

PubMed

Buonaccorsi, V P; McDowell, J R; Graves, J E

2001-05-01

Different classes of molecular markers occasionally yield discordant views of population structure within a species. Here, we examine the distribution of molecular variance from 14 polymorphic loci comprising four classes of molecular markers within approximately 400 blue marlin individuals (Makaira nigricans). Samples were collected from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans over 5 years. Data from five hypervariable tetranucleotide microsatellite loci and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of whole molecule mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were reported and compared with previous analyses of allozyme and single-copy nuclear DNA (scnDNA) loci. Temporal variance in allele frequencies was nonsignificant in nearly all cases. Mitochondrial and microsatellite loci revealed striking phylogeographic partitioning among Atlantic and Pacific Ocean samples. A large cluster of alleles was present almost exclusively in Atlantic individuals at one microsatellite locus and for mtDNA, suggesting that, if gene flow occurs, it is likely to be unidirectional from Pacific to Atlantic oceans. Mitochondrial DNA inter-ocean divergence (FST) was almost four times greater than microsatellite or combined nuclear divergences including allozyme and scnDNA markers. Estimates of Neu varied by five orders of magnitude among marker classes. Using mathematical and computer simulation approaches, we show that substantially different distributions of FST are expected from marker classes that differ in mode of inheritance and rate of mutation, without influence of natural selection or sex-biased dispersal. Furthermore, divergent FST values can be reconciled by quantifying the balance between genetic drift, mutation and migration. These results illustrate the usefulness of a mitochondrial analysis of population history, and relative precision of nuclear estimates of gene flow based on a mean of several loci.

Complex MHC class I gene transcription profiles and their functional impact in orangutans

PubMed Central

de Groot, Natasja G.; Heijmans, Corrine M.C.; van der Wiel, Marit K.H.; Blokhuis, Jeroen H.; Mulder, Arend; Guethlein, Lisbeth A.; Doxiadis, Gaby G.M.; Claas, Frans H.J.; Parham, Peter; Bontrop, Ronald E.

2015-01-01

MHC haplotypes of humans and the African great ape species have one copy of the MHC-A, -B, and -C genes. In contrast, MHC haplotypes of orangutans, the Asian great ape species, exhibit variation in the number of gene copies. An in-depth analysis of the MHC class I gene repertoire in the two orangutan species, Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus, is presented here. This analysis involved Sanger and next-generation sequencing methodologies, revealing diverse and complicated transcription profiles for orangutan MHC-A, -B, and -C. Thirty-five previously unreported MHC class I alleles are described. The data demonstrate that each orangutan MHC haplotype has one copy of the MHC-A gene, and that the MHC-B region has been subject to duplication, giving rise to at least three MHC-B genes. The MHC-B*03 and -B*08 lineages of alleles each account for a separate MHC-B gene. All MHC-B*08 allotypes have the C1-epitope motif recognized by KIR. At least one other MHC-B gene is present, pointing to MHC-B alleles that are not B*03 or B*08. The MHC-C gene is present only on some haplotypes, and each MHC-C allotype has the C1-epitope. The transcription profiles demonstrate that MHC-A alleles are highly transcribed, whereas MHC-C alleles, when present, are transcribed at very low levels. The MHC-B alleles are transcribed to a variable extent and over a wide range. For those orangutan MHC class I allotypes that are detected by human monoclonal anti-HLA class I antibodies, the level of cell-surface expression of proteins correlates with the level of transcription of the allele. PMID:26685209

Human Leukocyte Antigen and Interleukin 2, 10 and 12p40 Cytokine Responses to Measles: Is There Evidence of the HLA Effect?

PubMed Central

Ovsyannikova, Inna G.; Ryan, Jenna E.; Jacobson, Robert M.; Vierkant, Robert A.; Pankratz, V. Shane; Poland, Gregory A.

2007-01-01

HLA class I and class II associations were examined in relation to measles virus-specific cytokine responses in 339 healthy children who had received two doses of live attenuated measles vaccine. Multivariate linear regression modeling analysis revealed suggestions of associations between the expression of DPA1*0201 (p=0.03) and DPA1*0202 (p=0.09) alleles and interleukin-2 (IL-2) cytokine production (global p-value 0.06). Importantly, cytokine production and DQB1 allele associations (global p-value 0.04) revealed that the alleles with the strongest association with IL-10 secretion were DQB1*0302 (p=0.02), DQB1*0303 (p=0.07) and DQB1*0502 (p=0.06). Measles-specific IL-10 secretion associations approached significance with DRB1 and DQA1 loci (both global p-values 0.08). Specifically, suggestive associations were found between DRB1*0701 (p=0.07), DRB1*1103 (p=0.06), DRB1*1302 (p=0.08), DRB1*1303 (p=0.06), DQA1*0101 (p=0.08), and DQA1*0201 (p=0.04) alleles and measles-induced IL-10 secretion. Further, suggestive association was observed between specific DQA1*0505 (p=0.002) alleles and measles-specific IL-12p40 secretion (global p-value 0.09) indicating that cytokine responses to measles antigens are predominantly influenced by HLA class II genes. We found no associations between any of the alleles of HLA A, B, and Cw loci and cytokine secretion. These novel findings suggest that HLA class II genes may influence the level of cytokine production in the adaptive immune responses to measles vaccine. PMID:17234427

Molecular and cellular aspects of rhabdovirus entry.

PubMed

Albertini, Aurélie A V; Baquero, Eduard; Ferlin, Anna; Gaudin, Yves

2012-01-01

Rhabdoviruses enter the cell via the endocytic pathway and subsequently fuse with a cellular membrane within the acidic environment of the endosome. Both receptor recognition and membrane fusion are mediated by a single transmembrane viral glycoprotein (G). Fusion is triggered via a low-pH induced structural rearrangement. G is an atypical fusion protein as there is a pH-dependent equilibrium between its pre- and post-fusion conformations. The elucidation of the atomic structures of these two conformations for the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G has revealed that it is different from the previously characterized class I and class II fusion proteins. In this review, the pre- and post-fusion VSV G structures are presented in detail demonstrating that G combines the features of the class I and class II fusion proteins. In addition to these similarities, these G structures also reveal some particularities that expand our understanding of the working of fusion machineries. Combined with data from recent studies that revealed the cellular aspects of the initial stages of rhabdovirus infection, all these data give an integrated view of the entry pathway of rhabdoviruses into their host cell.

Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Rhabdovirus Entry

PubMed Central

Albertini, Aurélie A. V.; Baquero, Eduard; Ferlin, Anna; Gaudin, Yves

2012-01-01

Rhabdoviruses enter the cell via the endocytic pathway and subsequently fuse with a cellular membrane within the acidic environment of the endosome. Both receptor recognition and membrane fusion are mediated by a single transmembrane viral glycoprotein (G). Fusion is triggered via a low-pH induced structural rearrangement. G is an atypical fusion protein as there is a pH-dependent equilibrium between its pre- and post-fusion conformations. The elucidation of the atomic structures of these two conformations for the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G has revealed that it is different from the previously characterized class I and class II fusion proteins. In this review, the pre- and post-fusion VSV G structures are presented in detail demonstrating that G combines the features of the class I and class II fusion proteins. In addition to these similarities, these G structures also reveal some particularities that expand our understanding of the working of fusion machineries. Combined with data from recent studies that revealed the cellular aspects of the initial stages of rhabdovirus infection, all these data give an integrated view of the entry pathway of rhabdoviruses into their host cell. PMID:22355455

Growth Mixture Modeling of Academic Achievement in Children of Varying Birth Weight Risk

PubMed Central

Espy, Kimberly Andrews; Fang, Hua; Charak, David; Minich, Nori; Taylor, H. Gerry

2009-01-01

The extremes of birth weight and preterm birth are known to result in a host of adverse outcomes, yet studies to date largely have used cross-sectional designs and variable-centered methods to understand long-term sequelae. Growth mixture modeling (GMM) that utilizes an integrated person- and variable-centered approach was applied to identify latent classes of achievement from a cohort of school-age children born at varying birth weights. GMM analyses revealed two latent achievement classes for calculation, problem-solving, and decoding abilities. The classes differed substantively and persistently in proficiency and in growth trajectories. Birth weight was a robust predictor of class membership for the two mathematics achievement outcomes and a marginal predictor of class membership for decoding. Neither visuospatial-motor skills nor environmental risk at study entry added to class prediction for any of the achievement skills. Among children born preterm, neonatal medical variables predicted class membership uniquely beyond birth weight. More generally, GMM is useful in revealing coherence in the developmental patterns of academic achievement in children of varying weight at birth, and is well suited to investigations of sources of heterogeneity. PMID:19586210

Analysis of Nearly One Thousand Mammalian Mirtrons Reveals Novel Features of Dicer Substrates

PubMed Central

Shenker, Sol; Mohammed, Jaaved; Lai, Eric C.

2015-01-01

Mirtrons are microRNA (miRNA) substrates that utilize the splicing machinery to bypass the necessity of Drosha cleavage for their biogenesis. Expanding our recent efforts for mammalian mirtron annotation, we use meta-analysis of aggregate datasets to identify ~500 novel mouse and human introns that confidently generate diced small RNA duplexes. These comprise nearly 1000 total loci distributed in four splicing-mediated biogenesis subclasses, with 5'-tailed mirtrons as, by far, the dominant subtype. Thus, mirtrons surprisingly comprise a substantial fraction of endogenous Dicer substrates in mammalian genomes. Although mirtron-derived small RNAs exhibit overall expression correlation with their host mRNAs, we observe a subset with substantial differences that suggest regulated processing or accumulation. We identify characteristic sequence, length, and structural features of mirtron loci that distinguish them from bulk introns, and find that mirtrons preferentially emerge from genes with larger numbers of introns. While mirtrons generate miRNA-class regulatory RNAs, we also find that mirtrons exhibit many features that distinguish them from canonical miRNAs. We observe that conventional mirtron hairpins are substantially longer than Drosha-generated pre-miRNAs, indicating that the characteristic length of canonical pre-miRNAs is not a general feature of Dicer substrate hairpins. In addition, mammalian mirtrons exhibit unique patterns of ordered 5' and 3' heterogeneity, which reveal hidden complexity in miRNA processing pathways. These include broad 3'-uridylation of mirtron hairpins, atypically heterogeneous 5' termini that may result from exonucleolytic processing, and occasionally robust decapitation of the 5' guanine (G) of mirtron-5p species defined by splicing. Altogether, this study reveals that this extensive class of non-canonical miRNA bears a multitude of characteristic properties, many of which raise general mechanistic questions regarding the processing of endogenous hairpin transcripts. PMID:26325366

Class I KNOX genes are associated with organogenesis during bulbil formation in Agave tequilana.

PubMed

Abraham-Juárez, María Jazmín; Martínez-Hernández, Aída; Leyva-González, Marco Antonio; Herrera-Estrella, Luis; Simpson, June

2010-09-01

Bulbil formation in Agave tequilana was analysed with the objective of understanding this phenomenon at the molecular and cellular levels. Bulbils formed 14-45 d after induction and were associated with rearrangements in tissue structure and accelerated cell multiplication. Changes at the cellular level during bulbil development were documented by histological analysis. In addition, several cDNA libraries produced from different stages of bulbil development were generated and partially sequenced. Sequence analysis led to the identification of candidate genes potentially involved in the initiation and development of bulbils in Agave, including two putative class I KNOX genes. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR and in situ hybridization revealed that expression of the putative Agave KNOXI genes occurs at bulbil initiation and specifically in tissue where meristems will develop. Functional analysis of Agave KNOXI genes in Arabidopsis thaliana showed the characteristic lobed phenotype of KNOXI ectopic expression in leaves, although a slightly different phenotype was observed for each of the two Agave genes. An Arabidopsis KNOXI (knat1) mutant line (CS30) was successfully complemented with one of the Agave KNOX genes and partially complemented by the other. Analysis of the expression of the endogenous Arabidopsis genes KNAT1, KNAT6, and AS1 in the transformed lines ectopically expressing or complemented by the Agave KNOX genes again showed different regulatory patterns for each Agave gene. These results show that Agave KNOX genes are functionally similar to class I KNOX genes and suggest that spatial and temporal control of their expression is essential during bulbil formation in A. tequilana.

Early Implementation of the Class Size Reduction Initiative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illig, David C.

A survey of school districts was conducted to determine the initial progress and problems associated with the 1997 Class Size Reduction (CSR) Initiative. Data reveal that most school districts had enough space for smaller classes for at least two grade levels; small school districts were much less likely to report space constraints. The CSR did…

Ligand Recognition by A-Class Eph Receptors: Crystal Structures of the EphA2 Ligand-Binding Domain and the EphA2/ephrin-A1 Complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Himanen, J.; Goldgur, Y; Miao, H

2009-01-01

Ephrin (Eph) receptor tyrosine kinases fall into two subclasses (A and B) according to preferences for their ephrin ligands. All published structural studies of Eph receptor/ephrin complexes involve B-class receptors. Here, we present the crystal structures of an A-class complex between EphA2 and ephrin-A1 and of unbound EphA2. Although these structures are similar overall to their B-class counterparts, they reveal important differences that define subclass specificity. The structures suggest that the A-class Eph receptor/ephrin interactions involve smaller rearrangements in the interacting partners, better described by a 'lock-and-key'-type binding mechanism, in contrast to the 'induced fit' mechanism defining the B-class molecules.more » This model is supported by structure-based mutagenesis and by differential requirements for ligand oligomerization by the two subclasses in cell-based Eph receptor activation assays. Finally, the structure of the unligated receptor reveals a homodimer assembly that might represent EphA2-specific homotypic cell adhesion interactions.« less

The effect of peer interactions on Newtonian thinking in secondary physics: What are they saying? How does it help?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowe, Jacalyn

Many studies in the field of Physics Education Research (PER) have demonstrated that courses which include a component of interaction among peers achieve significantly higher gains in conceptual understanding. Few of those studies have closely examined the content of those interactions and the role that they play in achieving those gains. This study evaluates the role of peer interaction in children's understanding of Newtonian physics and analyzes the characteristics of peer interaction that are conducive to better learning. The current study took place in a suburban public high school, in a college-preparatory, introductory course in physics. One hundred and seventy eight students were randomly placed in the eight classes participating in the study. Two of the classes were randomly chosen to constitute the treatment group and were taught by the principal investigator. The remaining six classes were taught by five other instructors in the department and served as a control or comparison group. One class session of each instructor was videotaped to assess how class time was typically utilized. In all classes, students used the same textbook, and completed the same problem sets and laboratory investigations. Students in the treatment group participated in peer instruction activities, approximately twice per week, over the course of the semester. Results showed a significant effect of treatment on achievement from pre- to post-test, based on scores on the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). Employing peer instruction methods did not require additional instructional time overall. Analysis of classroom videotapes demonstrated that a greater portion of class time is dedicated to active student discussion in classes where peer instruction methods are employed. Conversational data revealed that, in peer discussions, students were routinely involved in conversational mechanisms such as articulating their own thinking, questioning, and explanation. Each of these behaviors is believed to support improved conceptual understanding. Correlating the quantity of total comments and number of substantive comments to achievement on the FMCE post-test produced mixed results, with some significant positive correlations and other positive but non-significant ones. Failure to reach significance for these correlations may have resulted from the small sample size. A focus on changes in students' conceptions about force and motion, as identified by analysis of clusters of FMCE questions, revealed significant differences in changes in those conceptions between the treatment and control groups. Anecdotal evidence from transcripts supports the assertion that, in their conversations, students routinely articulated and discussed their own ideas about these relationships. In conclusion, the study provided evidence that peer instruction methods are an effective and efficient method of supporting improved conceptual understanding for students in a first course in mechanics, but no specific factors present in the discussions could be identified as playing a role for every student. Instead, different aspects of the discussions' format and content may have contributed to the overall achievement of students participating in the discussions.

Diversity of Class 1 Integrons, and Disruption of carO and dacD by Insertion Sequences Among Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates in Tehran, Iran.

PubMed

Mirshekar, Maryam; Shahcheraghi, Fereshteh; Azizi, Omid; Solgi, Hamid; Badmasti, Farzad

2018-05-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen which causes a wide range of infections. In this study, we addressed the role of class 1 integron, ISAba1 and ISAba125 associated with antimicrobial resistance in 72 clinical isolates of A. baumannii collected from clinical settings in Tehran, Iran. Moreover, to study the clonal relatedness of strains, repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR (rep-PCR) assay was carried out. PCR revealed that bla OXA-51 -like, bla OXA-23 -like, bla OXA-24/40 -like, bla OXA-58 -like, bla NDM , integrase gene (intI1), ISAba1, and ISAba125 were present in 86.11% (62/72), 84.72% (61/72), 30.55% (22/72), 0% (0/72), 0% (0/72), 58.33% (42/72), 97.22% (70/72), and 65.27% (47/72) of the strains, respectively. Sequencing of 39 internal variable regions of class 1 integrons showed seven gene cassette arrays, including aadA4-catB8-aadA1 (2.77%), aadA1-aadA4 (1.38%), aacC4-aadA1 (2.77%), aacC4 (22.22%), aadA1 (13.88%), aadA4 (5.55%), and catB8 (5.55%). We detected ISAba1 in the upstream of bla OXA-23 -like, bla OXA-51 -like, and bla ADC in 54.16% (39/72), 9.72% (7/72), and 56.94% (41/72) of the strains, respectively. Whereas, there was a low frequency of disruptions in carO and dacD genes: 5.55% (4/72) and 4.16% (3/72). Rep-PCR analysis revealed that the isolates were genetically diverse. However, Cl-12 and Cl-15 were the largest clusters and they were recovered from various hospitals. Our analysis showed the high rates of class 1 integrons as a repertoire of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes. It seems that linkages of ISAba1-bla OXA-23 -like and ISAba1-bla OXA-69 , and disruptions in carO or dacD can develop resistance to carbapenems among clinical isolates of A. baumannii.

Structure of an Arrestin2-clathrin Complex Reveals a Novel Clathrin Binding Domain that Modulates Receptor Trafficking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kang, D.; Kern, R; Puthenveedu, M

2009-01-01

Non-visual arrestins play a pivotal role as adaptor proteins in regulating the signaling and trafficking of multiple classes of receptors. Although arrestin interaction with clathrin, AP-2, and phosphoinositides contributes to receptor trafficking, little is known about the configuration and dynamics of these interactions. Here, we identify a novel interface between arrestin2 and clathrin through x-ray diffraction analysis. The intrinsically disordered clathrin binding box of arrestin2 interacts with a groove between blades 1 and 2 in the clathrin {beta}-propeller domain, whereas an 8-amino acid splice loop found solely in the long isoform of arrestin2 (arrestin2L) interacts with a binding pocket formedmore » by blades 4 and 5 in clathrin. The apposition of the two binding sites in arrestin2L suggests that they are exclusive and may function in higher order macromolecular structures. Biochemical analysis demonstrates direct binding of clathrin to the splice loop in arrestin2L, whereas functional analysis reveals that both binding domains contribute to the receptor-dependent redistribution of arrestin2L to clathrin-coated pits. Mutagenesis studies reveal that the clathrin binding motif in the splice loop is (L/I){sub 2}GXL. Taken together, these data provide a framework for understanding the dynamic interactions between arrestin2 and clathrin and reveal an essential role for this interaction in arrestin-mediated endocytosis.« less

Viral peptides-MHC interaction: Binding probability and distance from human peptides.

PubMed

Santoni, Daniele

2018-05-23

Identification of peptides binding to MHC class I complex can play a crucial role in retrieving potential targets able to trigger an immune response. Affinity binding of viral peptides can be estimated through effective computational methods that in the most of cases are based on machine learning approach. Achieving a better insight into peptide features that impact on the affinity binding rate is a challenging issue. In the present work we focused on 9-mer peptides of Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and Human herpes simplex virus 1, studying their binding to MHC class I. Viral 9-mers were partitioned into different classes, where each class is characterized by how far (in terms of mutation steps) the peptides belonging to that class are from human 9-mers. Viral 9-mers were partitioned in different classes, based on the number of mutation steps they are far from human 9-mers. We showed that the overall binding probability significantly differs among classes, and it typically increases as the distance, computed in terms of number of mutation steps from the human set of 9-mers, increases. The binding probability is particularly high when considering viral 9-mers that are far from all human 9-mers more than three mutation steps. A further evidence, providing significance to those special viral peptides and suggesting a potential role they can play, comes from the analysis of their distribution along viral genomes, as it revealed they are not randomly located, but they preferentially occur in specific genes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unconscious race and class bias: its association with decision making by trauma and acute care surgeons.

PubMed

Haider, Adil H; Schneider, Eric B; Sriram, N; Dossick, Deborah S; Scott, Valerie K; Swoboda, Sandra M; Losonczy, Lia; Haut, Elliott R; Efron, David T; Pronovost, Peter J; Freischlag, Julie A; Lipsett, Pamela A; Cornwell, Edward E; MacKenzie, Ellen J; Cooper, Lisa A

2014-09-01

Recent studies have found that unconscious biases may influence physicians' clinical decision making. The objective of our study was to determine, using clinical vignettes, if unconscious race and class biases exist specifically among trauma/acute care surgeons and, if so, whether those biases impact surgeons' clinical decision making. A prospective Web-based survey was administered to active members of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Participants completed nine clinical vignettes, each with three trauma/acute care surgery management questions. Race Implicit Association Test (IAT) and social class IAT assessments were completed by each participant. Multivariable, ordered logistic regression analysis was then used to determine whether implicit biases reflected on the IAT tests were associated with vignette responses. In total, 248 members of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma participated. Of these, 79% explicitly stated that they had no race preferences and 55% stated they had no social class preferences. However, 73.5% of the participants had IAT scores demonstrating an unconscious preference toward white persons; 90.7% demonstrated an implicit preference toward upper social class persons. Only 2 of 27 vignette-based clinical decisions were associated with patient race or social class on univariate analyses. Multivariable analyses revealed no relationship between IAT scores and vignette-based clinical assessments. Unconscious preferences for white and upper-class persons are prevalent among trauma and acute care surgeons. In this study, these biases were not statistically significantly associated with clinical decision making. Further study of the factors that may prevent implicit biases from influencing patient management is warranted. Epidemiologic study, level II.

Psychological Symptoms are Associated with Both Abstinence and Risky Sex among Men with HIV

PubMed Central

Miller, Carol T.; Solomon, Sondra E.; Bunn, Janice Y.; Varni, Susan E.; Hodge, James J.

2015-01-01

Sexual abstinence is often deemed the “safest behavior” in HIV prevention, but is sometimes associated with psychological symptoms (e.g., depression) just as sexually risky behavior is. This study explored whether sexual abstinence and risky sexual behavior among men with HIV are associated with similar constellations of psychological symptoms. Prior research has not addressed this issue because abstinent people often are not included in the sample, or when data are analyzed, researchers combine abstinent people with sexually active people who practice safer sex. Past research also neglects the co-morbidity of psychological symptoms. A latent class analysis of the psychological symptoms (assessed with the Symptom Check List 90-R; Derogatis, 1994) of 140 men with HIV, mostly from rural New England, revealed three latent classes; men who were asymptomatic on all symptom domains (28.8%), men who were symptomatic on all domains (34.1%), and men who were symptomatic on internalizing domains (37.1%), but were asymptomatic on the externalizing symptoms of hostility and paranoid ideation. Logistic regression showed that sexual behavior during the past 90 days of men in the all symptom class and the internalizing symptoms class was similar, with abstinence and risky sex predominating, and safer sex being relatively uncommon for both classes. The sexual behavior of men in the asymptomatic class differed, with safer sex being relatively more likely to occur compared to the symptomatic classes. These findings suggest that the psychological symptom profile of sexually abstinent people places them at risk for inconsistent condom use should they engage in sexual behavior. PMID:25614050

Empirical redefinition of comprehensive health and well-being in the older adults of the United States.

PubMed

McClintock, Martha K; Dale, William; Laumann, Edward O; Waite, Linda

2016-05-31

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a "state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Despite general acceptance of this comprehensive definition, there has been little rigorous scientific attempt to use it to measure and assess population health. Instead, the dominant model of health is a disease-centered Medical Model (MM), which actively ignores many relevant domains. In contrast to the MM, we approach this issue through a Comprehensive Model (CM) of health consistent with the WHO definition, giving statistically equal consideration to multiple health domains, including medical, physical, psychological, functional, and sensory measures. We apply a data-driven latent class analysis (LCA) to model 54 specific health variables from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative sample of US community-dwelling older adults. We first apply the LCA to the MM, identifying five health classes differentiated primarily by having diabetes and hypertension. The CM identifies a broader range of six health classes, including two "emergent" classes completely obscured by the MM. We find that specific medical diagnoses (cancer and hypertension) and health behaviors (smoking) are far less important than mental health (loneliness), sensory function (hearing), mobility, and bone fractures in defining vulnerable health classes. Although the MM places two-thirds of the US population into "robust health" classes, the CM reveals that one-half belong to less healthy classes, independently associated with higher mortality. This reconceptualization has important implications for medical care delivery, preventive health practices, and resource allocation.

Multi-functional acetyl-CoA carboxylase from Brassica napus is encoded by a multi-gene family: indication for plastidic localization of at least one isoform.

PubMed

Schulte, W; Töpfer, R; Stracke, R; Schell, J; Martini, N

1997-04-01

Three genes coding for different multifunctional acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase; EC 6.4.1.2) isoenzymes from Brassica napus were isolated and divided into two major classes according to structural features in their 5' regions: class I comprises two genes with an additional coding exon of approximately 300 bp at the 5' end, and class II is represented by one gene carrying an intron of 586 bp in its 5' untranslated region. Fusion of the peptide sequence encoded by the additional first exon of a class I ACCase gene to the jellyfish Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP) and transient expression in tobacco protoplasts targeted GFP to the chloroplasts. In contrast to the deduced primary structure of the biotin carboxylase domain encoded by the class I gene, the corresponding amino acid sequence of the class II ACCase shows higher identity with that of the Arabidopsis ACCase, both lacking a transit peptide. The Arabidopsis ACCase has been proposed to be a cytosolic isoenzyme. These observations indicate that the two classes of ACCase genes encode plastidic and cytosolic isoforms of multi-functional, eukaryotic type, respectively, and that B. napus contains at least one multi-functional ACCase besides the multi-subunit, prokaryotic type located in plastids. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from B. napus, Brassica rapa, and Brassica oleracea, the ancestors of amphidiploid rapeseed, using a fragment of a multi-functional ACCase gene as a probe revealed that ACCase is encoded by a multi-gene family of at least five members.

Patterns of sun protective behaviors among Hispanic children in a skin cancer prevention intervention.

PubMed

Miller, Kimberly A; Huh, Jimi; Unger, Jennifer B; Richardson, Jean L; Allen, Martin W; Peng, David H; Cockburn, Myles G

2015-12-01

Invasive melanoma is becoming more common in U.S. Hispanics, yet little is known about the sun protection behaviors in this population, particularly children and adolescents who incur high ultraviolet (UV) exposures. We used latent class analysis to examine patterns of sun protective behaviors in a cross-sectional survey of Hispanic elementary students participating in a sun safety intervention in Los Angeles from 2013- to 2014 (N=972). Five behavior indicators in two environments (school and home) representing multiple methods of sun protection were selected for the model. Results suggested a four-class model best fit the data. Classes were labeled in order of increasing risk as multiple protective behaviors (28%), clothing and shade (32%), pants only (15%), and low/inconsistent protective behaviors (25%). Children who reported high parental engagement with sun protection were significantly more likely to be classified in high overall protective categories (odds ratio (OR)=4.77). Girls were more likely than boys to be classified in the highest protecting class (OR=3.46), but were also more likely to be in the "pants only" class (OR=2.65). Sensitivity to sunburn was associated with less likelihood of being in the "clothing and shade" class (OR=0.53). The differences among these classes and their predictors reveal the heterogeneity and complexity of Hispanic children's sun protective behaviors. These findings have implications for the design and delivery of future sun protection interventions targeting Hispanic children, as strategies tailored to specific subgroups may be more effective in achieving meaningful behavioral changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shark class II invariant chain reveals ancient conserved relationships with cathepsins and MHC class II.

PubMed

Criscitiello, Michael F; Ohta, Yuko; Graham, Matthew D; Eubanks, Jeannine O; Chen, Patricia L; Flajnik, Martin F

2012-03-01

The invariant chain (Ii) is the critical third chain required for the MHC class II heterodimer to be properly guided through the cell, loaded with peptide, and expressed on the surface of antigen presenting cells. Here, we report the isolation of the nurse shark Ii gene, and the comparative analysis of Ii splice variants, expression, genomic organization, predicted structure, and function throughout vertebrate evolution. Alternative splicing to yield Ii with and without the putative protease-protective, thyroglobulin-like domain is as ancient as the MHC-based adaptive immune system, as our analyses in shark and lizard further show conservation of this mechanism in all vertebrate classes except bony fish. Remarkable coordinate expression of Ii and class II was found in shark tissues. Conserved Ii residues and cathepsin L orthologs suggest their long co-evolution in the antigen presentation pathway, and genomic analyses suggest 450 million years of conserved Ii exon/intron structure. Other than an extended linker preceding the thyroglobulin-like domain in cartilaginous fish, the Ii gene and protein are predicted to have largely similar physiology from shark to man. Duplicated Ii genes found only in teleosts appear to have become sub-functionalized, as one form is predicted to play the same role as that mediated by Ii mRNA alternative splicing in all other vertebrate classes. No Ii homologs or potential ancestors of any of the functional Ii domains were found in the jawless fish or lower chordates. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beyond age at first sex: Patterns of emerging sexual behavior in adolescence and young adulthood

PubMed Central

Haydon, Abigail A.; Herring, Amy H.; Prinstein, Mitchell J.; Halpern, Carolyn Tucker

2011-01-01

Purpose Although the emergence of sexual expression during adolescence and early adulthood is nearly universal, little is known about patterns of initiation. Methods We used latent class analysis to group 12,194 respondents from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) into one of five classes based on variety, timing, spacing, and sequencing of oral-genital, anal, and vaginal sex. Multinomial logistic regression models, stratified by biological sex, examined associations between sociodemographic characteristics and class membership. Results Approximately half of respondents followed a pattern characterized predominately by initiation of vaginal sex first, average age of initiation of approximately 16 years, and spacing of one year or more between initiation of the first and second behaviors; almost one third initiated sexual activity slightly later but reported first experiences of oral-genital and vaginal sex within the same year. Classes characterized by postponement of sexual activity, initiation of only one type of behavior, or adolescent initiation of anal sex were substantially less common. Compared to White respondents, Black respondents were more likely to appear in classes characterized by initiation of vaginal sex first. Respondents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to be in classes distinguished by early/atypical patterns of initiation. Conclusions A small number of typical and atypical patterns capture the emergence of sexual behavior during adolescence, but these patterns reveal complex associations among different elements of emerging sexuality that should be considered in future research. PMID:22525108

A Privacy-Protecting Authentication Scheme for Roaming Services with Smart Cards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Kyungho; Han, Dong-Guk; Won, Dongho

In this work we propose a novel smart card based privacy-protecting authentication scheme for roaming services. Our proposal achieves so-called Class 2 privacy protection, i.e., no information identifying a roaming user and also linking the user's behaviors is not revealed in a visited network. It can be used to overcome the inherent structural flaws of smart card based anonymous authentication schemes issued recently. As shown in our analysis, our scheme is computationally efficient for a mobile user.

Light curve of the optical counterpart of 2A0311-227

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, G.; Hiltner, W. A.

1980-01-01

Visual and blue light curves are presented for the optical counterpart of the X-ray source 2A0311-227. This system, which is the newest member of the AM Herculis class of binaries, has an orbital period of 81 minutes which also modulates the visual light curve. A Fourier analysis of the data has revealed the presence of a 6-minute oscillation, at least in the visual light curve. Whether or not it is also present in the blue light curve is unclear.

What Doesn't Work for Whom? Exploring Heterogeneity in Responsiveness to the Family Check-Up in Early Childhood Using a Mixture Model Approach.

PubMed

Pelham, William E; Dishion, Thomas J; Tein, Jenn-Yun; Shaw, Daniel S; Wilson, Melvin N

2017-11-01

This study applied latent class analysis to a family-centered prevention trial in early childhood to identify subgroups of families with differential responsiveness to the Family Check-Up (FCU) intervention. The sample included 731 families with 2-year-olds randomized to the FCU or control condition and followed through age 5 with yearly follow-up assessments. A two-step mixture model was used to examine whether specific constellations of family characteristics at age 2 (baseline) were related to intervention response across ages 3, 4, and 5. The first step empirically identified latent classes of families based on several family risk and adjustment variables selected on the basis of previous research. The second step modeled the effect of the FCU on longitudinal change in children's problem behavior in each of the empirically derived latent classes. Results suggested a five-class solution, where a significant intervention effect of moderate to large size was observed in one of the five classes-the class characterized by child neglect, legal problems, and parental mental health issues. Pairwise comparisons revealed that the intervention effect was significantly greater in this class of families than in two other classes that were generally less at risk for the development of child disruptive behavior problems, albeit still low-income. Thus, findings suggest that (a) the FCU is most successful in reducing child problem behavior in more highly distressed, low-income families, and (b) the FCU may have little impact for relatively low-risk, low-income families. Future directions include the development of a brief screening process that can triage low-income families into groups that should be targeted for intervention, redirected to other services, monitored prospectively, or left alone.

THE HUBBLE WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3 TEST OF SURFACES IN THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM: SPECTRAL VARIATION ON KUIPER BELT OBJECTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fraser, Wesley C.; Brown, Michael E.; Glass, Florian, E-mail: wesley.fraser@nrc.ca

2015-05-01

Here, we present additional photometry of targets observed as part of the Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Test of Surfaces in the Outer Solar System. Twelve targets were re-observed with the WFC3 in the optical and NIR wavebands designed to complement those used during the first visit. Additionally, all of the observations originally presented by Fraser and Brown were reanalyzed through the same updated photometry pipeline. A re-analysis of the optical and NIR color distribution reveals a bifurcated optical color distribution and only two identifiable spectral classes, each of which occupies a broad range of colors and has correlatedmore » optical and NIR colors, in agreement with our previous findings. We report the detection of significant spectral variations on five targets which cannot be attributed to photometry errors, cosmic rays, point-spread function or sensitivity variations, or other image artifacts capable of explaining the magnitude of the variation. The spectrally variable objects are found to have a broad range of dynamical classes and absolute magnitudes, exhibit a broad range of apparent magnitude variations, and are found in both compositional classes. The spectrally variable objects with sufficiently accurate colors for spectral classification maintain their membership, belonging to the same class at both epochs. 2005 TV189 exhibits a sufficiently broad difference in color at the two epochs that span the full range of colors of the neutral class. This strongly argues that the neutral class is one single class with a broad range of colors, rather than the combination of multiple overlapping classes.« less

Phytoplankton class-specific primary production in the world's oceans: Seasonal and interannual variability from satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uitz, Julia; Claustre, Hervé; Gentili, Bernard; Stramski, Dariusz

2010-09-01

We apply an innovative approach to time series data of surface chlorophyll from satellite observations with SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) to estimate the primary production associated with three major phytoplankton classes (micro-, nano-, and picophytoplankton) within the world's oceans. Statistical relationships, determined from an extensive in situ database of phytoplankton pigments, are used to infer class-specific vertical profiles of chlorophyll a concentration from satellite-derived surface chlorophyll a. This information is combined with a primary production model and class-specific photophysiological parameters to compute global seasonal fields of class-specific primary production over a 10-year period from January 1998 through December 2007. Microphytoplankton (mostly diatoms) appear as a major contributor to total primary production in coastal upwelling systems (70%) and temperate and subpolar regions (50%) during the spring-summer season. The contribution of picophytoplankton (e.g., prokaryotes) reaches maximum values (45%) in subtropical oligotrophic gyres. Nanophytoplankton (e.g., prymnesiophytes) provide a ubiquitous, substantial contribution (30-60%). Annual global estimates of class-specific primary production amount to 15 Gt C yr-1 (32% of total), 20 Gt C yr-1 (44%) and 11 Gt C yr-1 (24%) for micro-, nano-, and picophytoplankton, respectively. The analysis of interannual variations revealed large anomalies in class-specific primary production as compared to the 10-year mean cycle in both the productive North Atlantic basin and the more stable equatorial Pacific upwelling. Microphytoplankton show the largest range of variability of the three phytoplankton classes on seasonal and interannual time scales. Our results contribute to an understanding and quantification of carbon cycle in the ocean.

The effects of academic grouping on student performance in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scoggins, Sally Smykla

The current action research study explored how student placement in heterogeneous or homogeneous classes in seventh-grade science affected students' eighth-grade Science State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores, and how ability grouping affected students' scores based on race and socioeconomic status. The population included all eighth-grade students in the target district who took the regular eighth-grade science STAAR over four academic school years. The researcher ran three statistical tests: a t-test for independent samples, a one-way between subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a two-way between subjects ANOVA. The results showed no statistically significant difference between eighth-grade Pre-AP students from seventh-grade Pre-AP classes and eighth-grade Pre-AP students from heterogeneous seventh-grade classes and no statistically significant difference between Pre-AP students' scores based on socioeconomic status. There was no statistically significant interaction between socioeconomic status and the seventh-grade science classes. The scores between regular eighth-grade students who were in heterogeneous seventh-grade classes were statistically significantly higher than the scores of regular eighth-grade students who were in regular seventh-grade classes. The results also revealed that the scores of students who were White were statistically significantly higher than the scores of students who were Black and Hispanic. Black and Hispanic scores did not differ significantly. Further results indicated that the STAAR Level II and Level III scores were statistically significantly higher for the Pre-AP eighth-grade students who were in heterogeneous seventh-grade classes than the STAAR Level II and Level III scores of Pre-AP eighth-grade students who were in Pre-AP seventh-grade classes.

Molecular Characterization of OXA-198 Carbapenemase-Producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates.

PubMed

Bonnin, Rémy A; Bogaerts, Pierre; Girlich, Delphine; Huang, Te-Din; Dortet, Laurent; Glupczynski, Youri; Naas, Thierry

2018-06-01

Carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonadaceae have increasingly been reported worldwide, with an ever-increasing heterogeneity of carbapenem resistance mechanisms, depending on the bacterial species and the geographical location. OXA-198 is a plasmid-encoded class D β-lactamase involved in carbapenem resistance in one Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate from Belgium. In the setting of a multicenter survey of carbapenem resistance in P. aeruginosa strains in Belgian hospitals in 2013, three additional OXA-198-producing P. aeruginosa isolates originating from patients hospitalized in one hospital were detected. To reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the reduced susceptibility to carbapenems, MIC determinations, whole-genome sequencing, and PCR analyses to confirm the genetic organization were performed. The plasmid harboring the bla OXA-198 gene was characterized, along with the genetic relatedness of the four P. aeruginosa isolates. The bla OXA-198 gene was harbored on a class 1 integron carried by an ∼49-kb IncP-type plasmid proposed as IncP-11. The same plasmid was present in all four P. aeruginosa isolates. Multilocus sequence typing revealed that the isolates all belonged to sequence type 446, and single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis revealed only a few differences between the isolates. This report describes the structure of a 49-kb plasmid harboring the bla OXA-198 gene and presents the first description of OXA-198-producing P. aeruginosa isolates associated with a hospital-associated cluster episode. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

A combined analysis of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS), Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), and Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R): Different perfectionist profiles in adolescent high school students.

PubMed

Sironic, Amanda; Reeve, Robert A

2015-12-01

To investigate differences and similarities in the dimensional constructs of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS; Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990), Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS; Flett, Hewitt, Boucher, Davidson, & Munro, 2000), and Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R; Slaney, Rice, Mobley, Trippi, & Ashby, 2001), 938 high school students completed the 3 perfectionism questionnaires, as well as the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Preliminary analyses revealed commonly observed factor structures for each perfectionism questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis of item responses from the questionnaires (combined) yielded a 4-factor solution (factors were labeled High Personal Standards, Concerns, Doubts and Discrepancy, Externally Motivated Perfectionism, and Organization and Order). A latent class analysis of individuals' mean ratings on each of the 4 factors yielded a 6-class solution. Three of the 6 classes represented perfectionist subgroups (labeled adaptive perfectionist, externally motivated maladaptive perfectionist, and mixed maladaptive perfectionist), and 3 represented nonperfectionist subgroups (labeled nonperfectionist A, nonperfectionist B, and order and organization nonperfectionist). Each of the 6 subgroups was meaningfully associated with the DASS. Findings showed that 3 out of 10 students were classified as maladaptive perfectionists, and maladaptive perfectionists were more prevalent than adaptive perfectionists. In sum, it is evident that combined ratings from the FMPS, CAPS, and APS-R offer a meaningful characterization of perfectionism. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Differences in environmental preferences towards cycling for transport among adults: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Mertens, Lieze; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle; Ghekiere, Ariane; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte; Van de Weghe, Nico; Van Dyck, Delfien

2016-08-12

Increasing cycling for transport can contribute to improve public health among adults. Micro-environmental factors (i.e. small-scaled street-setting features) may play an important role in affecting the street's appeal to cycle for transport. Understanding about the interplay between individuals and their physical environment is important to establish tailored environmental interventions. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine whether specific subgroups exist based on similarities in micro-environmental preferences to cycle for transport. Responses of 1950 middle-aged adults (45-65 years) on a series of choice tasks depicting potential cycling routes with manipulated photographs yielded three subgroups with different micro-environmental preferences using latent class analysis. Although latent class analysis revealed three different subgroups in the middle-aged adult population based on their environmental preferences, results indicated that cycle path type (i.e. a good separated cycle path) is the most important environmental factor for all participants and certainly for individuals who did not cycle for transport. Furthermore, only negligible differences were found between the importances of the other micro-environmental factors (i.e. traffic density, evenness of the cycle path, maintenance, vegetation and speed limits) regarding the two at risk subgroups and that providing a speed bump obviously has the least impact on the street's appeal to cycle for transport. Results from the current study indicate that only negligible differences were found between the three subgroups. Therefore, it might be suggested that tailored environmental interventions are not required in this research context.

Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior.

PubMed

Piff, Paul K; Stancato, Daniel M; Côté, Stéphane; Mendoza-Denton, Rodolfo; Keltner, Dacher

2012-03-13

Seven studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals. In studies 1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while driving, relative to lower-class individuals. In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at work (study 7) than were lower-class individuals. Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals' unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed.

A Comparison of Tissue Spray and Lipid Extract Direct Injection Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for the Differentiation of Eutopic and Ectopic Endometrial Tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chagovets, Vitaliy; Wang, Zhihao; Kononikhin, Alexey; Starodubtseva, Natalia; Borisova, Anna; Salimova, Dinara; Popov, Igor; Kozachenko, Andrey; Chingin, Konstantin; Chen, Huanwen; Frankevich, Vladimir; Adamyan, Leila; Sukhikh, Gennady

2018-02-01

Recent research revealed that tissue spray mass spectrometry enables rapid molecular profiling of biological tissues, which is of great importance for the search of disease biomarkers as well as for online surgery control. However, the payback for the high speed of analysis in tissue spray analysis is the generally lower chemical sensitivity compared with the traditional approach based on the offline chemical extraction and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry detection. In this study, high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of endometrium tissues of different localizations obtained using direct tissue spray mass spectrometry in positive ion mode is compared with the results of electrospray ionization analysis of lipid extracts. Identified features in both cases belong to three lipid classes: phosphatidylcholines, phosphoethanolamines, and sphingomyelins. Lipids coverage is validated by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry of lipid extracts. Multivariate analysis of data from both methods reveals satisfactory differentiation of eutopic and ectopic endometrium tissues. Overall, our results indicate that the chemical information provided by tissue spray ionization is sufficient to allow differentiation of endometrial tissues by localization with similar reliability but higher speed than in the traditional approach relying on offline extraction.

Price elasticity and medication use: cost sharing across multiple clinical conditions.

PubMed

Gatwood, Justin; Gibson, Teresa B; Chernew, Michael E; Farr, Amanda M; Vogtmann, Emily; Fendrick, A Mark

2014-11-01

To address the impact that out-of-pocket prices may have on medication use, it is vital to understand how the demand for medications may be affected when patients are faced with changes in the price to acquire treatment and how price responsiveness differs across medication classes.  To examine the impact of cost-sharing changes on the demand for 8 classes of prescription medications. This was a retrospective database analysis of 11,550,363 commercially insured enrollees within the 2005-2009 MarketScan Database. Patient cost sharing, expressed as a price index for each medication class, was the main explanatory variable to examine the price elasticity of demand. Negative binomial fixed effect models were estimated to examine medication fills. The elasticity estimates reflect how use changes over time as a function of changes in copayments. Model estimates revealed that price elasticity of demand ranged from -0.015 to -0.157 within the 8 categories of medications (P  less than  0.01 for 7 of 8 categories). The price elasticity of demand for smoking deterrents was largest (-0.157, P  less than  0.0001), while demand for antiplatelet agents was not responsive to price (P  greater than 0.05). The price elasticity of demand varied considerably by medication class, suggesting that the influence of cost sharing on medication use may be related to characteristics inherent to each medication class or underlying condition.

'Bourdieu', medical elites and 'social class': a qualitative study of 'desert island' doctors.

PubMed

McDonald, Ruth

2014-07-01

Sociologists of professions draw on Weberian theories of closure. However they have tended to ignore Bourdieu's work, which rejects Weberian notions of class and status groups as distinct ideal types and sees these concepts as inextricably linked. Bourdieu emphasises the importance of a class-based habitus which generates orientations, inclinations and dispositions that organise practices and the perception of practice. For Bourdieu, because individuals perceive one another primarily through the status that attaches to their practices (through a symbolic veil of honour) they fail to perceive the real basis of these practices: the forms of capital that underlie the different habitus and enable their realisation. This article draws on interviews with 17 elite doctors appearing on a national (UK) radio show during which they choose eight discs to take to a desert island. According to Bourdieu, 'nothing more clearly affirms one's "class", nothing more infallibly classifies, than one's taste in music'. An analysis of the doctors' musical tastes and their mode of acquisition (largely, for these elites, via their family and education at independent schools), as well as other insights into their cultural capital reveals the importance of linking class and status when exploring professional status and prestige. © 2014 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2014 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Analysis of the role of tripeptidyl peptidase II in MHC class I antigen presentation in vivo1

PubMed Central

Kawahara, Masahiro; York, Ian A.; Hearn, Arron; Farfan, Diego; Rock, Kenneth L.

2015-01-01

Previous experiments using enzyme inhibitors and RNAi in cell lysates and cultured cells have suggested that tripeptidyl peptidase II (TPPII) plays a role in creating and destroying MHC class I-presented peptides. However, its precise contribution to these processes has been controversial. To elucidate the importance of TPPII in MHC class I antigen presentation, we analyzed TPPII-deficient gene-trapped mice and cell lines from these animals. In these mice, the expression level of TPPII was reduced by >90% compared to wild-type mice. Thymocytes from TPPII gene-trapped mice displayed more MHC class I on the cell surface, suggesting that TPPII normally limits antigen presentation by destroying peptides overall. TPPII gene-trapped mice responded as well as did wild-type mice to four epitopes from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). The processing and presentation of peptide precursors with long N-terminal extensions in TPPII gene-trapped embryonic fibroblasts was modestly reduced, but in vivo immunization with recombinant lentiviral or vaccinia virus vectors revealed that such peptide precursors induced an equivalent CD8 T cell response in wild type and TPPII-deficient mice. These data indicate while TPPII contributes to the trimming of peptides with very long N-terminal extensions, TPPII is not essential for generating most MHC class I-presented peptides or for stimulating CTL responses to several antigens in vivo. PMID:19841172

Apart Together: "Girl Talk" and "Boy Talk" Classes at an Urban Middle School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calderwood, Patricia E

1998-01-01

The influence of two subgroups (male and female) on their larger middle-school community are examined. Participant observation of two single-sex classes in an urban middle school reveals both negative and positive effects. The classes differed in organization, goals, sense of community, and actual or potential fracturing or strengthening effects.…

Education in the Working-Class Home: Modes of Learning as Revealed by Nineteenth-Century Criminal Records

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crone, Rosalind

2015-01-01

The transmission of knowledge and skills within the working-class household greatly troubled social commentators and social policy experts during the first half of the nineteenth century. To prove theories which related criminality to failures in working-class up-bringing, experts and officials embarked upon an ambitious collection of data on…

Class, Control, and Contestation in Educational Organisations. ESA 841, Theory and Practice in Educational Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Peter

The introductory essay in this volume presents a case study of class-based organizational control and contestation in secondary schools in Victoria (Australia) in the 1970s, based on a critical perspective derived from the Frankfurt school, a perspective that undertakes to reveal the power structures, class hierarchy, and legitimating ideologies…

Radar signal analysis of ballistic missile with micro-motion based on time-frequency distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianming; Liu, Lihua; Yu, Hua

2015-12-01

The micro-motion of ballistic missile targets induces micro-Doppler modulation on the radar return signal, which is a unique feature for the warhead discrimination during flight. In order to extract the micro-Doppler feature of ballistic missile targets, time-frequency analysis is employed to process the micro-Doppler modulated time-varying radar signal. The images of time-frequency distribution (TFD) reveal the micro-Doppler modulation characteristic very well. However, there are many existing time-frequency analysis methods to generate the time-frequency distribution images, including the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), Wigner distribution (WD) and Cohen class distribution, etc. Under the background of ballistic missile defence, the paper aims at working out an effective time-frequency analysis method for ballistic missile warhead discrimination from the decoys.

Fostering Student Introspection through Guided Reflection Forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Laura; Matheson, Amanda; Franklin, Scott

2017-01-01

Student self-reflection is an important metacognitive skill to developing expert-like habits of mind. This study focuses on student responses to Guided Reflection Forms (GRFs) and individualized instructor feedback to the submissions. Student and instructor entries were hand-coded by an emergent rubric and, separately, analyzed with LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count), a computerized text analysis program that extracts affective sentiment. Sentiment analysis supports the development of a stable basis set (rubric) to describe responses that is robust across both introductory and advanced classes. The analysis also reveals the instructor's use of the ``praise sandwich,'' instinctively embedding critiques and suggestions between specific and general encouragements. The study demonstrates the utility of validated, automated, sentiment analysis as a method by which to analyze large corpuses of written text.

Understanding protein synthesis: a role-play approach in large undergraduate human anatomy and physiology classes.

PubMed

Sturges, Diana; Maurer, Trent W; Cole, Oladipo

2009-06-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of role play in a large undergraduate science class. The targeted population consisted of 298 students enrolled in 2 sections of an undergraduate Human Anatomy and Physiology course taught by the same instructor. The section engaged in the role-play activity served as the study group, whereas the section presented with a traditional lecture served as the control group. A pretest/posttest assessment and a survey were administered to both sections and used in data analysis. In addition, overall test scores and item analysis were examined. The analysis revealed that participants in both groups improved significantly from pretest to posttest, but there were no significant differences between the groups in posttest scores. Neither group showed a significant change from posttest to the exam. However, there was a moderate positive effect on engagement and satisfaction survey questions from being in the study group (based on 255 total surveys returned by both groups). The role-play activity was at least as effective as the lecture in terms of student performance on the above-mentioned assessments. In addition, it proved successful in engaging students in the learning process and increasing their satisfaction.

Evolutionary analysis of a novel zinc ribbon in the N-terminal region of threonine synthase.

PubMed

Kaur, Gurmeet; Subramanian, Srikrishna

2017-10-18

Threonine synthase (TS) catalyzes the terminal reaction in the biosynthetic pathway of threonine and requires pyridoxal phosphate as a cofactor. TSs share a common catalytic domain with other fold type II PALP dependent enzymes. TSs are broadly grouped into two classes based on their sequence, quaternary structure, and enzyme regulation. We report the presence of a novel zinc ribbon domain in the N-terminal region preceding the catalytic core in TS. The zinc ribbon domain is present in TSs belonging to both classes. Our sequence analysis reveals that archaeal TSs possess all zinc chelating residues to bind a metal ion that are lacking in the structurally characterized homologs. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that TSs with an N-terminal zinc ribbon likely represents the ancestral state of the enzyme while TSs without a zinc ribbon must have diverged later in specific lineages. The zinc ribbon and its N- and C-terminal extensions are important for enzyme stability, activity and regulation. It is likely that the zinc ribbon domain is involved in higher order oligomerization or mediating interactions with other biomolecules leading to formation of larger metabolic complexes.

Phylogenetic study of Class Armophorea (Alveolata, Ciliophora) based on 18S-rDNA data.

PubMed

da Silva Paiva, Thiago; do Nascimento Borges, Bárbara; da Silva-Neto, Inácio Domingos

2013-12-01

The 18S rDNA phylogeny of Class Armophorea, a group of anaerobic ciliates, is proposed based on an analysis of 44 sequences (out of 195) retrieved from the NCBI/GenBank database. Emphasis was placed on the use of two nucleotide alignment criteria that involved variation in the gap-opening and gap-extension parameters and the use of rRNA secondary structure to orientate multiple-alignment. A sensitivity analysis of 76 data sets was run to assess the effect of variations in indel parameters on tree topologies. Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony phylogenetic analyses were used to explore how different analytic frameworks influenced the resulting hypotheses. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the relationships among higher taxa of the Intramacronucleata were dependent upon how indels were determined during multiple-alignment of nucleotides. The phylogenetic analyses rejected the monophyly of the Armophorea most of the time and consistently indicated that the Metopidae and Nyctotheridae were related to the Litostomatea. There was no consensus on the placement of the Caenomorphidae, which could be a sister group of the Metopidae + Nyctorheridae, or could have diverged at the base of the Spirotrichea branch or the Intramacronucleata tree.

Phylogenetic study of Class Armophorea (Alveolata, Ciliophora) based on 18S-rDNA data

PubMed Central

da Silva Paiva, Thiago; do Nascimento Borges, Bárbara; da Silva-Neto, Inácio Domingos

2013-01-01

The 18S rDNA phylogeny of Class Armophorea, a group of anaerobic ciliates, is proposed based on an analysis of 44 sequences (out of 195) retrieved from the NCBI/GenBank database. Emphasis was placed on the use of two nucleotide alignment criteria that involved variation in the gap-opening and gap-extension parameters and the use of rRNA secondary structure to orientate multiple-alignment. A sensitivity analysis of 76 data sets was run to assess the effect of variations in indel parameters on tree topologies. Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony phylogenetic analyses were used to explore how different analytic frameworks influenced the resulting hypotheses. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the relationships among higher taxa of the Intramacronucleata were dependent upon how indels were determined during multiple-alignment of nucleotides. The phylogenetic analyses rejected the monophyly of the Armophorea most of the time and consistently indicated that the Metopidae and Nyctotheridae were related to the Litostomatea. There was no consensus on the placement of the Caenomorphidae, which could be a sister group of the Metopidae + Nyctorheridae, or could have diverged at the base of the Spirotrichea branch or the Intramacronucleata tree. PMID:24385862

Class-first analysis in a continuum: an approach to the complexities of schools, society, and insurgent science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdiviezo, Laura Alicia

2010-06-01

This essay addresses Katherine Richardson Bruna's paper: Mexican Immigrant Transnational Social Capital and Class Transformation: Examining the Role of Peer Mediation in Insurgent Science, through five main points . First, I offer a comparison between the traditional analysis of classism in Latin America and Richardson Bruna's call for a class-first analysis in the North American social sciences where there has been a tendency to obviate the specific examination of class relations and class issues. Secondly, I discuss that a class-first analysis solely cannot suffice to depict the complex dimensions in the relations of schools and society. Thus, I suggest a continuum in the class-first analysis. Third, I argue that social constructions surrounding issues of language, ethnicity, and gender necessarily intersect with issues of class and that, in fact, those other constructions offer compatible epistemologies that aid in representing the complexity of social and institutional practices in the capitalist society. Richardson Bruna's analysis of Augusto's interactions with his teacher and peers in the science class provides a fourth point of discussion in this essay. As a final point in my response I discuss Richardson Bruna's idea of making accessible class-first analysis knowledge to educators and especially to science teachers.

Identifying public expectations of genetic biobanks.

PubMed

Critchley, Christine; Nicol, Dianne; McWhirter, Rebekah

2017-08-01

Understanding public priorities for biobanks is vital for maximising utility and efficiency of genetic research and maintaining respect for donors. This research directly assessed the relative importance the public place on different expectations of biobanks. Quantitative and qualitative results from a national sample of 800 Australians revealed that the majority attributed more importance to protecting privacy and ethical conduct than maximising new healthcare benefits, which was in turn viewed as more important than obtaining specific consent, benefit sharing, collaborating and sharing data. A latent class analysis identified two distinct classes displaying different patterns of expectations. One placed higher priority on behaviours that respect the donor ( n = 623), the other on accelerating science ( n = 278). Additional expectations derived from qualitative data included the need for biobanks to be transparent and to prioritise their research focus, educate the public and address commercialisation.

Natural Mallow Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composite for Ballistic Armor Against Class III-A Ammunition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nascimento, Lucio Fabio Cassiano; Holanda, Luane Isquerdo Ferreira; Louro, Luis Henrique Leme; Monteiro, Sergio Neves; Gomes, Alaelson Vieira; Lima, Édio Pereira

2017-10-01

Epoxy matrix composites reinforced with up to 30 vol pct of continuous and aligned natural mallow fibers were for the first time ballistic tested as personal armor against class III-A 9 mm FMJ ammunition. The ballistic efficiency of these composites was assessed by measuring the dissipated energy and residual velocity after the bullet perforation. The results were compared to those in similar tests of aramid fabric (Kevlar™) commonly used in vests for personal protections. Visual inspection and scanning electron microscopy analysis of impact-fractured samples revealed failure mechanisms associated with fiber pullout and rupture as well as epoxy cracking. As compared to Kevlar™, the mallow fiber composite displayed practically the same ballistic efficiency. However, there is a reduction in both weight and cost, which makes the mallow fiber composites a promising material for personal ballistic protection.

HOXD-AS1 is a novel lncRNA encoded in HOXD cluster and a marker of neuroblastoma progression revealed via integrative analysis of noncoding transcriptome

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute a major, but poorly characterized part of human transcriptome. Recent evidence indicates that many lncRNAs are involved in cancer and can be used as predictive and prognostic biomarkers. Significant fraction of lncRNAs is represented on widely used microarray platforms, however they have usually been ignored in cancer studies. Results We developed a computational pipeline to annotate lncRNAs on popular Affymetrix U133 microarrays, creating a resource allowing measurement of expression of 1581 lncRNAs. This resource can be utilized to interrogate existing microarray datasets for various lncRNA studies. We found that these lncRNAs fall into three distinct classes according to their statistical distribution by length. Remarkably, these three classes of lncRNAs were co-localized with protein coding genes exhibiting distinct gene ontology groups. This annotation was applied to microarray analysis which identified a 159 lncRNA signature that discriminates between localized and metastatic stages of neuroblastoma. Analysis of an independent patient cohort revealed that this signature differentiates also relapsing from non-relapsing primary tumors. This is the first example of the signature developed via the analysis of expression of lncRNAs solely. One of these lncRNAs, termed HOXD-AS1, is encoded in HOXD cluster. HOXD-AS1 is evolutionary conserved among hominids and has all bona fide features of a gene. Studying retinoid acid (RA) response of SH-SY5Y cell line, a model of human metastatic neuroblastoma, we found that HOXD-AS1 is a subject to morphogenic regulation, is activated by PI3K/Akt pathway and itself is involved in control of RA-induced cell differentiation. Knock-down experiments revealed that HOXD-AS1 controls expression levels of clinically significant protein-coding genes involved in angiogenesis and inflammation, the hallmarks of metastatic cancer. Conclusions Our findings greatly extend the number of noncoding RNAs functionally implicated in tumor development and patient treatment and highlight their role as potential prognostic biomarkers of neuroblastomas. PMID:25522241

Bioinformatic analysis of the neprilysin (M13) family of peptidases reveals complex evolutionary and functional relationships.

PubMed

Bland, Nicholas D; Pinney, John W; Thomas, Josie E; Turner, Anthony J; Isaac, R Elwyn

2008-01-23

The neprilysin (M13) family of endopeptidases are zinc-metalloenzymes, the majority of which are type II integral membrane proteins. The best characterised of this family is neprilysin, which has important roles in inactivating signalling peptides involved in modulating neuronal activity, blood pressure and the immune system. Other family members include the endothelin converting enzymes (ECE-1 and ECE-2), which are responsible for the final step in the synthesis of potent vasoconstrictor endothelins. The ECEs, as well as neprilysin, are considered valuable therapeutic targets for treating cardiovascular disease. Other members of the M13 family have not been functionally characterised, but are also likely to have biological roles regulating peptide signalling. The recent sequencing of animal genomes has greatly increased the number of M13 family members in protein databases, information which can be used to reveal evolutionary relationships and to gain insight into conserved biological roles. The phylogenetic analysis successfully resolved vertebrate M13 peptidases into seven classes, one of which appears to be specific to mammals, and insect genes into five functional classes and a series of expansions, which may include inactive peptidases. Nematode genes primarily resolved into groups containing no other taxa, bar the two nematode genes associated with Drosophila DmeNEP1 and DmeNEP4. This analysis reconstructed only one relationship between chordate and invertebrate clusters, that of the ECE sub-group and the DmeNEP3 related genes. Analysis of amino acid utilisation in the active site of M13 peptidases reveals a basis for their biochemical properties. A relatively invariant S1' subsite gives the majority of M13 peptidases their strong preference for hydrophobic residues in P1' position. The greater variation in the S2' subsite may be instrumental in determining the specificity of M13 peptidases for their substrates and thus allows M13 peptidases to fulfil a broad range of physiological roles. The M13 family of peptidases have diversified extensively in all species examined, indicating wide ranging roles in numerous physiological processes. It is predicted that differences in the S2' subsite are fundamental to determining the substrate specificities that facilitate this functional diversity.

Downregulation of peptide transporter genes in cell lines transformed with the highly oncogenic adenovirus 12

PubMed Central

1994-01-01

The expression of class I major histocompatibility complex antigens on the surface of cells transformed by adenovirus 12 (Ad12) is generally very low, and correlates with the high oncogenicity of this virus. In primary embryonal fibroblasts from transgenic mice that express both endogenous H-2 genes and a miniature swine class I gene (PD1), Ad12- mediated transformation results in suppression of cell surface expression of all class I antigens. Although class I mRNA levels of PD1 and H-2Db are similar to those in nonvirally transformed cells, recognition of newly synthesized class I molecules by a panel of monoclonal antibodies is impaired, presumably as a result of inefficient assembly and transport of the class I molecules. Class I expression can be partially induced by culturing cells at 26 degrees C, or by coculture of cells with class I binding peptides at 37 degrees C. Analysis of steady state mRNA levels of the TAP1 and TAP2 transporter genes for Ad12-transformed cell lines revealed that they both are significantly reduced, TAP2 by about 100-fold and TAP1 by 5-10-fold. Reconstitution of PD1 and H-2Db, but not H-2Kb, expression is achieved in an Ad12-transformed cell line by stable transfection with a TAP2, but not a TAP1, expression construct. From these data it may be concluded that suppressed expression of peptide transporter genes, especially TAP2, in Ad12-transformed cells inhibits cell surface expression of class I molecules. The failure to fully reconstitute H- 2Db and H-2Kb expression indicates that additional factors are involved in controlling class I gene expression in Ad12-transformed cells. Nevertheless, these results suggest that suppression of peptide transporter genes might be an important mechanism whereby virus- transformed cells escape immune recognition in vivo. PMID:7519239

Structure-Based Optimization of Arylamides as Inhibitors of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eldrup, Anne B.; Soleymanzadeh, Fariba; Taylor, Steven J.

2009-11-04

Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is hypothesized to lead to an increase in circulating levels of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, resulting in the potentiation of their in vivo pharmacological properties. As part of an effort to identify inhibitors of sEH with high and sustained plasma exposure, we recently performed a high throughput screen of our compound collection. The screen identified N-(3,3-diphenyl-propyl)-nicotinamide as a potent inhibitor of sEH. Further profiling of this lead revealed short metabolic half-lives in microsomes and rapid clearance in the rat. Consistent with these observations, the determination of the in vitro metabolic profile of N-(3,3-diphenyl-propyl)-nicotinamide in rat livermore » microsomes revealed extensive oxidative metabolism and a propensity for metabolite switching. Lead optimization, guided by the analysis of the solid-state costructure of N-(3,3-diphenyl-propyl)-nicotinamide bound to human sEH, led to the identification of a class of potent and selective inhibitors. An inhibitor from this class displayed an attractive in vitro metabolic profile and high and sustained plasma exposure in the rat after oral administration.« less

Cutting the Composite Gordian Knot: Untangling the AGN-Starburst Threads in Single Aperture Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flury, Sophia; Moran, Edward C.

2018-01-01

Standard emission line diagnostics are able to segregate star-forming galaxies and Seyfert nuclei, and it is often assumed that ambiguous emission-line galaxies falling between these two populations are “composite” objects exhibiting both types of photoionization. We have developed a method that predicts the most probable H II and AGN components that could plausibly explain the “composite” classed objects solely on the basis of their SDSS spectra. The majority of our analysis is driven by empirical relationships revealed by SDSS data rather than theoretical models founded in assumptions. To verify our method, we have compared the predictions of our model with publicly released IFU data from the S7 survey and find that composite objects are not in fact a simple linear combination of the two types of emission. The data reveal a key component in the mixing sequence: geometric dilution of the ionizing radiation which powers the NLR of the active nucleus. When accounting for this effect, our model is successful when applied to several composite-class galaxies. Some objects, however, appear to be at variance with the predicted results, suggesting they may not be powered by black hole accretion.

Describing three-class task performance: three-class linear discriminant analysis and three-class ROC analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xin; Frey, Eric C.

2007-03-01

Binary ROC analysis has solid decision-theoretic foundations and a close relationship to linear discriminant analysis (LDA). In particular, for the case of Gaussian equal covariance input data, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) value has a direct relationship to the Hotelling trace. Many attempts have been made to extend binary classification methods to multi-class. For example, Fukunaga extended binary LDA to obtain multi-class LDA, which uses the multi-class Hotelling trace as a figure-of-merit, and we have previously developed a three-class ROC analysis method. This work explores the relationship between conventional multi-class LDA and three-class ROC analysis. First, we developed a linear observer, the three-class Hotelling observer (3-HO). For Gaussian equal covariance data, the 3- HO provides equivalent performance to the three-class ideal observer and, under less strict conditions, maximizes the signal to noise ratio for classification of all pairs of the three classes simultaneously. The 3-HO templates are not the eigenvectors obtained from multi-class LDA. Second, we show that the three-class Hotelling trace, which is the figureof- merit in the conventional three-class extension of LDA, has significant limitations. Third, we demonstrate that, under certain conditions, there is a linear relationship between the eigenvectors obtained from multi-class LDA and 3-HO templates. We conclude that the 3-HO based on decision theory has advantages both in its decision theoretic background and in the usefulness of its figure-of-merit. Additionally, there exists the possibility of interpreting the two linear features extracted by the conventional extension of LDA from a decision theoretic point of view.

Separate class true discovery rate degree of association sets for biomarker identification.

PubMed

Crager, Michael R; Ahmed, Murat

2014-01-01

In 2008, Efron showed that biological features in a high-dimensional study can be divided into classes and a separate false discovery rate (FDR) analysis can be conducted in each class using information from the entire set of features to assess the FDR within each class. We apply this separate class approach to true discovery rate degree of association (TDRDA) set analysis, which is used in clinical-genomic studies to identify sets of biomarkers having strong association with clinical outcome or state while controlling the FDR. Careful choice of classes based on prior information can increase the identification power of the separate class analysis relative to the overall analysis.

Differential Impact of Whole-Brain Radiotherapy Added to Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kong, Doo-Sik; Lee, Jung-Il, E-mail: jilee@skku.ed; Im, Yong-Seok

2010-10-01

Purpose: The authors investigated whether the addition of whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) provided any therapeutic benefit according to recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class. Methods and Materials: Two hundred forty-five patients with 1 to 10 metastases who underwent SRS between January 2002 and December 2007 were included in the study. Of those, 168 patients were treated with SRS alone and 77 patients received SRS followed by WBRT. Actuarial curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method regarding overall survival (OS), distant brain control (DC), and local brain control (LC) stratified by RPA class. Analyses for known prognostic variables weremore » performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that control of the primary tumor, small number of brain metastases, Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) > 70, and initial treatment modalities were significant predictors for survival. For RPA class 1, SRS plus WBRT was associated with a longer survival time compared with SRS alone (854 days vs. 426 days, p = 0.042). The SRS plus WBRT group also showed better LC rate than did the SRS-alone group (p = 0.021), although they did not show a better DC rate (p = 0.079). By contrast, for RPA class 2 or 3, no significant difference in OS, LC, or DC was found between the two groups. Conclusions: These results suggest that RPA classification should determine whether or not WBRT is added to SRS. WBRT may be recommended to be added to SRS for patients in whom long-term survival is expected on the basis of RPA classification.« less

The impact of patterns of trauma exposure among low income children with and without histories of child maltreatment.

PubMed

Rosen, Abigail L; Handley, Elizabeth D; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A

2018-06-01

Previous research has revealed a large prevalence of trauma experienced by children, creating high risk for the development of psychopathology. Research investigating the negative impacts of child maltreatment and other traumas has typically examined these experiences individually, controlling for co-occurring traumas, or has combined these experiences into a general variable of risk, thereby obscuring the complex relationships among environmental traumas and maltreatment. The current study expands on previous research by elucidating relationships between multiple contexts of overlapping traumas and maltreatment experienced by children, and by categorizing how these experiences join together to impact internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Participants included 316 maltreated children and 269 nonmaltreated children (M age = 9.4, SD = 0.88) who attended a summer day camp research program for low-income children. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) identified three differential patterns of trauma exposure across children: 1) community violence and loss; 2) pervasive trauma; and 3) low trauma. Covariate analyses demonstrated that child maltreatment was significantly associated with class membership, suggesting that maltreated children were more likely to experience diverse traumas extending beyond their maltreatment experiences (pervasive trauma class). A two-way analysis of variance also demonstrated that trauma latent class membership and child maltreatment each represented unique predictors of internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with each having an independent effect on symptomatology. This investigation provides unique insight into the differential impact of patterns of trauma exposure and child maltreatment, providing support for further research and clinical practice addressing multiple levels of a child's ecology. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Taxonomy of Caribbean Tourism Alcohol Venues: Implications for HIV Transmission*

PubMed Central

GUILAMO-RAMOS, Vincent; JACCARD, James; MCCARTHY, Katharine; QUIÑONES, Zahira; LUSHIN, Viktor; SKINNER-DAY, Molly; PADILLA, Mark; MEISTERLIN, Leah

2013-01-01

Background Tourism areas represent ecologies of heightened HIV vulnerability characterized by a disproportionate concentration of alcohol venues. Limited research has explored how alcohol venues facilitate HIV transmission. Methods We spatially mapped locations of alcohol venues in a Dominican tourism town and conducted a venue-based survey of key informants (n=135) focused on three facets of alcohol venues: structural features, type of patrons, and HIV risk behaviors. Using latent class analysis, we identified evidence-based typologies of alcohol venues for each of the three facets. Focused contrasts identified the co-occurrence of classes of structural features, classes of types of patrons, and classes of HIV risk behavior, thus elaborating the nature of high risk venues. Results We identified three categories of venue structural features, three for venue patrons, and five for HIV risk behaviors. Analysis revealed that alcohol venues with the greatest structural risks (e.g., sex work on site with lack of HIV prevention services) were most likely frequented by the venue patron category characterized by high population-mixing between locals and foreign tourists, who were in turn most likely to engage in the riskiest behaviors. Conclusion Our results highlight the stratification of venue patrons into groups who engage in behaviors of varying risk in structural settings that vary in risk. The convergence of high-risk patron groups in alcohol venues with the greatest structural risk suggests these locations have potential for HIV transmission. Policymakers and prevention scientists can use these methods and data to target HIV prevention resources to identified priority areas. PMID:23478154

Taxonomy of Caribbean tourism alcohol venues: implications for HIV transmission.

PubMed

Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent; Jaccard, James; McCarthy, Katharine; Quiñones, Zahira; Lushin, Viktor; Skinner-Day, Molly; Padilla, Mark; Meisterlin, Leah

2013-09-01

Tourism areas represent ecologies of heightened HIV vulnerability characterized by a disproportionate concentration of alcohol venues. Limited research has explored how alcohol venues facilitate HIV transmission. We spatially mapped locations of alcohol venues in a Dominican tourism town and conducted a venue-based survey of key informants (n=135) focused on three facets of alcohol venues: structural features, type of patrons, and HIV risk behaviors. Using latent class analysis, we identified evidence-based typologies of alcohol venues for each of the three facets. Focused contrasts identified the co-occurrence of classes of structural features, classes of types of patrons, and classes of HIV risk behavior, thus elaborating the nature of high risk venues. We identified three categories of venue structural features, three for venue patrons, and five for HIV risk behaviors. Analysis revealed that alcohol venues with the greatest structural risks (e.g. sex work on-site with lack of HIV prevention services) were most likely frequented by the venue patron category characterized by high population-mixing between locals and foreign tourists, who were in turn most likely to engage in the riskiest behaviors. Our results highlight the stratification of venue patrons into groups who engage in behaviors of varying risk in structural settings that vary in risk. The convergence of high-risk patron groups in alcohol venues with the greatest structural risk suggests these locations have potential for HIV transmission. Policymakers and prevention scientists can use these methods and data to target HIV prevention resources to identified priority areas. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Information literacy needs in graduate-level health sciences education.

PubMed

Kleyman, Emily Z; Tabaei, Sara

2012-01-01

To determine whether incorporating information literacy education through workshops led by library faculty improves students' information literacy skills. A series of information literacy initiatives were incorporated into the curriculum of a physician assistant program. Initiatives included two library workshops, class instruction, and a research paper. Assessment included subjective and objective measures of students' information literacy skills and research competencies. Students' ratings of their skills were significantly higher on the postmeasure (t37 = 2.85, P = .007). The objective measures of these skills revealed an increase from 25% to 65% of the class scoring above 70% correct. Class assignments also revealed an improvement from 10% of the class citing and referencing material correctly at the beginning of the initiative to 80% at the end of the initiative. Engaging academic library faculty and providing students with guided instruction has a significant positive effect on objective as well as subjective measures of students' skills.

Assessing High School Students’ Pro-Environmental Behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayah, N.; Agustin, R. R.

2017-09-01

This paper aims to reveal students’ pro-environmental behavior in a High School. Self-reported behavior assessment was administered in this study involving students with age range 15 to 18 years. Pro-environmental behavior in this study comprises six domains. Those are recycling, waste avoidance, consumerism, energy conservation, mobility and transportation, and vicarious conservation behavior. Pro-environmental behavior (PEB) of science class students was compared to behavior of non-science class students. Effect of students’ grade level and extracurricular activity on the behavior was evaluated. Study revealed that science could improve students’ PEB. It is because environmental topics are covered in science class. Student’s involvement in extracurricular activity may enhance PEB as well. In conclusion, students’ PEB is influenced by class program (science or non-science) but it is not influenced by time length in learning science. This finding could be consider by science educator in choosing strategy to enhance student’s pro-environmental behaviour.

Correlation between coronal and apical arch form and degree of divergence: a volumetric computed tomography analysis

PubMed Central

LOMBARDO, L.; VERONESI, F.; CANDOTTO, V.; NARDONE, M.; SICILIANI, G.

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Purpose. To determine the existence of any correlation between the degree of divergence and apical and coronal arch form using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and methods. A total of 176 (88 coronal and 88 apical) CBCT scans pertaining to a sample of 44 subjects (16 males and 28 females), of which 26 were Class I, 14 Class II and 4 Class III, were analysed. A lateral projection of the skull was obtained from each VCT and cephalometric tracing was performed (according to Ricketts) so as to divide the sample into subgroups based on the degree of divergence (11 short-faced, 18 norm-faced and 15 long-faced subjects). Dahlberg’s index values were calculated and Student’s t-test for paired data was applied. Results. On the whole, the hyperbolic cosine curve was found to be the most representative of the arch forms considered. Conclusions. A correlation between degree of divergence and the arch form of the apical and, especially, coronal portions of both the upper and lower jaws was revealed. PMID:29682260

Assessing possible DSM-5 ASD subtypes in a sample of victims meeting caseness for DSM-5 ASD based on self-report following multiple forms of traumatic exposure.

PubMed

Hansen, Maj; Armour, Cherie; Wang, Li; Elklit, Ask; Bryant, Richard A

2015-04-01

Acute stress disorder (ASD) was introduced into the DSM-IV to recognize early traumatic responses and as a precursor of PTSD. Although the diagnostic criteria for ASD were altered and structured more similarly to the PTSD definition in DSM-5, only the PTSD diagnosis includes a dissociative subtype. Emerging research has indicated that there also appears to be a highly symptomatic subtype for ASD. However, the specific nature of the subtype is currently unclear. The present study investigates the possible presence of ASD subtypes in a mixed sample of victims meeting caseness for DSM-5 ASD based on self-report following four different types of traumatic exposure (N=472). The results of latent profile analysis revealed a 5-class solution. The highly symptomatic class was marked by high endorsement on avoidance and dissociation compared to the other classes. Findings are discussed in regard to its clinical implications including the implications for the pending the ICD-11 and the recently released DSM-5. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expanding the Described Metabolome of the Marine Cyanobacterium Moorea producens JHB through Orthogonal Natural Products Workflows

PubMed Central

Boudreau, Paul D.; Monroe, Emily A.; Mehrotra, Suneet; Desfor, Shane; Korobeynikov, Anton; Sherman, David H.; Murray, Thomas F.; Gerwick, Lena; Dorrestein, Pieter C.; Gerwick, William H.

2015-01-01

Moorea producens JHB, a Jamaican strain of tropical filamentous marine cyanobacteria, has been extensively studied by traditional natural products techniques. These previous bioassay and structure guided isolations led to the discovery of two exciting classes of natural products, hectochlorin (1) and jamaicamides A (2) and B (3). In the current study, mass spectrometry-based ‘molecular networking’ was used to visualize the metabolome of Moorea producens JHB, and both guided and enhanced the isolation workflow, revealing additional metabolites in these compound classes. Further, we developed additional insight into the metabolic capabilities of this strain by genome sequencing analysis, which subsequently led to the isolation of a compound unrelated to the jamaicamide and hectochlorin families. Another approach involved stimulation of the biosynthesis of a minor jamaicamide metabolite by cultivation in modified media, and provided insights about the underlying biosynthetic machinery as well as preliminary structure-activity information within this structure class. This study demonstrated that these orthogonal approaches are complementary and enrich secondary metabolomic coverage even in an extensively studied bacterial strain. PMID:26222584

[Peculiarities of secondary structure of serum albumin of some representatives of the animal kingdom].

PubMed

Pekhymenko, G V; Kuchmerovskaia, T M

2011-01-01

Methods of infrared (IR) spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) are suitable techniques for detection of proteins structural changes. These methods were used for determinating peculiarities of the secondary structure of serum albumins in some representatives of two classes of reptiles: Horsfield's tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi), water snake (Natrix tessellata) and grass snake (Natrix natrix) and birds: domestic goose (Anser anser), domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus), domestic duck (Anas platyrhyncha) and dove colored (Columba livia). An analysis of IR spectra and spectra obtained by the method of CD of serum albumins of both classes representatives revealed that beta-folding structure and alpha-helical sections that form the alpha-conformation play an important role in conformational structure formation of polypeptide chain and also disordered sites of molecules of these proteins. It was observed that certain redistribution depending on animals species exists, in the formation of secondary structure of serum albumins of the investigated representatives of reptiles and birds classes between the content of beta-folding structure, alpha-helical sections and disordered sites in molecules of these proteins.

Efficient test to demonstrate genuine three particle nonlocality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Kaushiki; Paul, Biswajit; Sarkar, Debasis

2015-11-01

According to the studies of genuine tripartite nonlocality in discrete variable quantum systems conducted so far, Svetlichny inequality is considered as the best Bell-type inequality to detect genuine (three way) nonlocality of pure tripartite genuine entangled states. In the present work, we have considered another Bell-type inequality (which has been reported as the 99th facet of NS 2 local polytope in Bancal et al (2013 Phys. Rev. A 88 014102), to reveal genuine tripartite nonlocality of generalized GHZ (Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger) class and a subclass of extended GHZ class states Acín et al (2000 Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 1560) thereby proving the conjecture given by Bancal et al (2013 Phys. Rev. A 88 014102) for the GGHZ class and the subclass of extended GHZ states. We compare the violation of this inequality with Svetlichny inequality which reveals the efficiency of the former inequality over the latter to demonstrate genuine nonlocality using the above classes of quantum states. Even in some cases discord monogamy score can be used as a better measure of quantum correlation over Svetlichny inequality for those classes of pure states. Besides, the 99th facet inequality is found efficient not only for revealing genuine nonlocal behavior of correlations emerging in systems using pure entangled states but also in some cases of mixed entangled states over Svetlichny inequality and some well known measures of entanglement.

Changes of humoral anti-endotoxin immunity and low-intensity inflammation in diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2.

PubMed

Gordienko, A I; Beloglazov, V A; Kubyshkin, A V

2016-01-01

The purpose. Investigate the levels of different classes serum anti-endotoxin antibodies in patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2 and to hold the cluster analysis of the relationship between the individual levels of such antibodies and the concentration of C-reactive protein in the blood. We examined 51 patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 60 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus type 1 or type 2 has been delivered in accordance with the criteria of the World Health Organization. The control group included 49 healthy people who have not a history of any chronic disease, and the clinical manifestations of acute diseases were absent at the time of the survey. By sex and age, the control group of healthy people matched to a group of patients with diabetes type 1 and type 2. The concentration of C-reactive protein in the blood and the levels of serum anti-endotoxin antibodies of different classes (A, M and G) was determined by ELISA. Using cluster analysis revealed that 40.8% of patients with type 1 diabetes increased concentration of C-reactive protein in the blood is associated with a significant reduction of levels of serum anti-endotoxin antibodies classes A, M and G. In 56.7% of patients with type 2 diabetes the high concentration of C-reactive protein in the blood levels of serum anti-endotoxin antibody classes A and M were not significantly different from the normal values, but the levels of serum anti-endotoxin antibodies of class G were significantly increased. The activation of inflammation with a further increase of C-reactive protein in the blood of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus accompanied by a significant increase in levels of serum anti-endotoxin antibodies classes A and G, and also a tendency to reduce of levels anti-endotoxin antibodies class M. The results suggest about the relationship between low-intensity inflammation and immune response to enterobacterial endotoxins in patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2.

The study of seasonal composition and dynamics of wetland ecosystems and wintering bird habitat at Poyang Lake, PR China using object-based image analysis and field observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dronova, Iryna

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world which support critical ecological services and high biological diversity yet are vulnerable to climate change and human activities. In this thesis, I investigated the capabilities of satellite remote sensing with medium spatial resolution and object-based image analysis (OBIA) methods to elucidate seasonal composition and dynamics of wetland ecosystems and indicators of habitat for wintering waterbirds in a large conservation hotspot of Poyang Lake, PR China. I first examined changes in major wetland cover types during the low water period when Poyang Lake provides habitat to large numbers of migratory birds from the East Asian pathway. I used OBIA to map and analyze the transitions among water, vegetation, mudflat and sand classes from four 32-m Beijing-1 microsatellite images between late fall 2007 and early spring 2008. This analysis revealed that, while transitions among wetland classes were strongly associated with precipitation and flood-driven hydrological variation, the overall dynamics were a more complex interplay of vegetation phenology, disturbance and post-flood exposure. Remote sensing signals of environmental processes were more effectively captured by changes in fuzzy memberships to each class per location than by changes in spatial extents of the best-matching classes alone. The highest uncertainty in the image analysis corresponded to transitional wetland states at the end of the major flood recession in November and to heterogeneous mudflat areas at the land-water interface during the whole study period. Results suggest seasonally exposed mudflat features as important targets for future research due to heterogeneity and uncertainty of their composition, variable spatial distribution and sensitivity to hydrological dynamics. I further explored the potential of OBIA to overcome the limitations of the traditional pixel-based image classification methods in characterizing Poyang Lake plant functional types (PFTs) from the medium-resolution Landsat satellite data. I assessed the sensitivity in PFT classification accuracy to image object scale, machine-learning classification method and hierarchical level of vegetation classes determined from ecological functional traits of the locally dominant plant species. Both the overall and class-specific accuracy values were higher at coarser object scales compared to near-pixel levels, regardless of the machine-learning algorithm, with the overall accuracy exceeding 85-90%. However, more narrowly defined PFT classes differed in their highest-accuracy object scale values due to their unique patch structure, ecology of the dominant species and disturbance agents. To improve classification agreement between different levels of vegetation type hierarchy and reduce the uncertainty, future analyses should integrate spectral and geometric properties of vegetation patches with species' functional ecological traits. In periodically flooded wetlands such as Poyang Lake, rapid short-term surface dynamics and frequent inundation may constrain detection of directional long-term effects of climate change, succession or alien species invasions. To address this challenge, I proposed to classify Poyang Lake wetlands into "dynamic cover types" (DCTs) representing short-term ecological regimes shaped by phenology, disturbance and inundation, instead of static classes. I defined and mapped Poyang Lake DCTs for one flood cycle (late summer 2007-late spring 2008) from combined time series of medium-resolution multi-spectral and radar imagery. I further assessed sensitivity of DCTs to hydrological and climatic variation by comparing results with a hypothetical change scenario of a warmer wetter spring simulated by substituting spring 2008 input images with 2007 ones. This analysis identified the major steps in seasonal wetland change driven by flooding and vegetation phenology and spatial differences in change schedules across the heterogeneous study area. Comparison of DCTs from the actual flood season with the hypothetical scenario revealed both directional class shifts away from expanding permanent water and more complex location-specific redistributions of vegetation types and mudflats. These outcomes imply that changes in flooding may have non-uniform effects on different ecosystems and habitats and call for a thorough investigation of the future change scenarios for this landscape. The possibility to disentangle short-term ecological "regimes" from longer-term landscape changes via DCT framework suggests a promising research strategy for landscape ecosystem modeling, conservation and ecosystem management. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Mhc class II B gene evolution in East African cichlid fishes.

PubMed

Figueroa, F; Mayer, W E; Sültmann, H; O'hUigin, C; Tichy, H; Satta, Y; Takezaki, N; Takahata, N; Klein, J

2000-06-01

A distinctive feature of essential major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) loci is their polymorphism characterized by large genetic distances between alleles and long persistence times of allelic lineages. Since the lineages often span several successive speciations, we investigated the behavior of the Mhc alleles during or close to the speciation phase. We sequenced exon 2 of the class II B locus 4 from 232 East African cichlid fishes representing 32 related species. The divergence times of the (sub)species ranged from 6,000 to 8.4 million years. Two types of evolutionary analysis were used to elucidate the pattern of exon 2 sequence divergence. First, phylogenetic methods were applied to reconstruct the most likely evolutionary pathways leading from the last common ancestor of the set to the extant sequences, and to assess the probable mechanisms involved in allelic diversification. Second, pairwise comparisons of sequences were carried out to detect differences seemingly incompatible with origin by nonparallel point mutations. The analysis revealed point mutations to be the most important mechanism behind allelic divergences, with recombination playing only an auxiliary part. Comparison of sequences from related species revealed evidence of random allelic (lineage) losses apparently associated with speciation. Sharing of identical alleles could be demonstrated between species that diverged 2 million years ago. The phylogeny of the exon was incongruent with that of the flanking introns, indicating either a high degree of convergent evolution at the peptide-binding region-encoding sites, or intron homogenization.

Astrosat/LAXPC Reveals the High-energy Variability of GRS 1915+105 in the X Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, J. S.; Misra, Ranjeev; Verdhan Chauhan, Jai; Agrawal, P. C.; Antia, H. M.; Pahari, Mayukh; Dedhia, Dhiraj; Katoch, Tilak; Madhwani, P.; Manchanda, R. K.; Paul, B.; Shah, Parag; Ishwara-Chandra, C. H.

2016-12-01

We present the first quick look analysis of data from nine AstroSat's Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) observations of GRS 1915+105 during 2016 March when the source had the characteristics of being in the Radio-quiet χ class. We find that a simple empirical model of a disk blackbody emission, with Comptonization and a broad Gaussian Iron line can fit the time-averaged 3-80 keV spectrum with a systematic uncertainty of 1.5% and a background flux uncertainty of 4%. A simple dead time corrected Poisson noise level spectrum matches well with the observed high-frequency power spectra till 50 kHz and as expected the data show no significant high-frequency (\\gt 20 {Hz}) features. Energy dependent power spectra reveal a strong low-frequency (2-8 Hz) quasi-periodic oscillation and its harmonic along with broadband noise. The QPO frequency changes rapidly with flux (nearly 4 Hz in ˜5 hr). With increasing QPO frequency, an excess noise component appears significantly in the high-energy regime (\\gt 8 keV). At the QPO frequencies, the time-lag as a function of energy has a non-monotonic behavior such that the lags decrease with energy till about 15-20 keV and then increase for higher energies. These first-look results benchmark the performance of LAXPC at high energies and confirms that its data can be used for more sophisticated analysis such as flux or frequency-resolved spectro-timing studies.

Analysis of the plasticity of location of the Arg244 positive charge within the active site of the TEM-1 β-lactamase

PubMed Central

Marciano, David C; Brown, Nicholas G; Palzkill, Timothy

2009-01-01

A large number of β-lactamases have emerged that are capable of conferring bacterial resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. Comparison of the structural and functional features of this family has refined understanding of the catalytic properties of these enzymes. An arginine residue present at position 244 in TEM-1 β-lactamase interacts with the carboxyl group common to penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics and thereby stabilizes both the substrate and transition state complexes. A comparison of class A β-lactamase sequences reveals that arginine at position 244 is not conserved, although a positive charge at this structural location is conserved and is provided by an arginine at positions 220 or 276 for those enzymes lacking arginine at position 244. The plasticity of the location of positive charge in the β-lactamase active site was experimentally investigated by relocating the arginine at position 244 in TEM-1 β-lactamase to positions 220, 272, and 276 by site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic analysis of the engineered β-lactamases revealed that removal of arginine 244 by alanine mutation reduced catalytic efficiency against all substrates tested and restoration of an arginine at positions 272 or 276 partially suppresses the catalytic defect of the Arg244Ala substitution. These results suggest an evolutionary mechanism for the observed divergence of the position of positive charge in the active site of class A β-lactamases. PMID:19672877

Application of HB17, an Arabidopsis class II homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor, to regulate chloroplast number and photosynthetic capacity.

PubMed

Hymus, Graham J; Cai, Suqin; Kohl, Elizabeth A; Holtan, Hans E; Marion, Colleen M; Tiwari, Shiv; Maszle, Don R; Lundgren, Marjorie R; Hong, Melissa C; Channa, Namitha; Loida, Paul; Thompson, Rebecca; Taylor, J Philip; Rice, Elena; Repetti, Peter P; Ratcliffe, Oliver J; Reuber, T Lynne; Creelman, Robert A

2013-11-01

Transcription factors are proposed as suitable targets for the control of traits such as yield or food quality in plants. This study reports the results of a functional genomics research effort that identified ATHB17, a transcription factor from the homeodomain-leucine zipper class II family, as a novel target for the enhancement of photosynthetic capacity. It was shown that ATHB17 is expressed natively in the root quiescent centre (QC) from Arabidopsis embryos and seedlings. Analysis of the functional composition of genes differentially expressed in the QC from a knockout mutant (athb17-1) compared with its wild-type sibling revealed the over-representation of genes involved in auxin stimulus, embryo development, axis polarity specification, and plastid-related processes. While no other phenotypes were observed in athb17-1 plants, overexpression of ATHB17 produced a number of phenotypes in Arabidopsis including enhanced chlorophyll content. Image analysis of isolated mesophyll cells of 35S::ATHB17 lines revealed an increase in the number of chloroplasts per unit cell size, which is probably due to an increase in the number of proplastids per meristematic cell. Leaf physiological measurements provided evidence of improved photosynthetic capacity in 35S::ATHB17 lines on a per unit leaf area basis. Estimates of the capacity for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate-saturated and -limited photosynthesis were significantly higher in 35S::ATHB17 lines.

Application of HB17, an Arabidopsis class II homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor, to regulate chloroplast number and photosynthetic capacity

PubMed Central

Kohl, Elizabeth A.; Tiwari, Shiv; Lundgren, Marjorie R.; Channa, Namitha; Creelman, Robert A.

2013-01-01

Transcription factors are proposed as suitable targets for the control of traits such as yield or food quality in plants. This study reports the results of a functional genomics research effort that identified ATHB17, a transcription factor from the homeodomain-leucine zipper class II family, as a novel target for the enhancement of photosynthetic capacity. It was shown that ATHB17 is expressed natively in the root quiescent centre (QC) from Arabidopsis embryos and seedlings. Analysis of the functional composition of genes differentially expressed in the QC from a knockout mutant (athb17-1) compared with its wild-type sibling revealed the over-representation of genes involved in auxin stimulus, embryo development, axis polarity specification, and plastid-related processes. While no other phenotypes were observed in athb17-1 plants, overexpression of ATHB17 produced a number of phenotypes in Arabidopsis including enhanced chlorophyll content. Image analysis of isolated mesophyll cells of 35S::ATHB17 lines revealed an increase in the number of chloroplasts per unit cell size, which is probably due to an increase in the number of proplastids per meristematic cell. Leaf physiological measurements provided evidence of improved photosynthetic capacity in 35S::ATHB17 lines on a per unit leaf area basis. Estimates of the capacity for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate-saturated and -limited photosynthesis were significantly higher in 35S::ATHB17 lines. PMID:24006420

Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior

PubMed Central

Piff, Paul K.; Stancato, Daniel M.; Côté, Stéphane; Mendoza-Denton, Rodolfo; Keltner, Dacher

2012-01-01

Seven studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals. In studies 1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while driving, relative to lower-class individuals. In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at work (study 7) than were lower-class individuals. Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals’ unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed. PMID:22371585

Ginkgotides: Proline-Rich Hevein-Like Peptides from Gymnosperm Ginkgo biloba

PubMed Central

Wong, Ka H.; Tan, Wei Liang; Serra, Aida; Xiao, Tianshu; Sze, Siu Kwan; Yang, Daiwen; Tam, James P.

2016-01-01

Hevein and hevein-like peptides belong to the family of chitin-binding cysteine-rich peptides. They are classified into three subfamilies, the prototypic 8C- and the 6C- and 10C-hevein-like peptides. Thus far, only five 8C-hevein-like peptides have been characterized from three angiosperms and none from gymnosperm. To determine their occurrence and distribution in the gymnosperm, Ginkgo biloba leaves were examined. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of 11 novel 8C-hevein-like peptides, namely ginkgotides gB1–gB11. Proteomic analysis showed that the ginkgotides contain 41–44 amino acids (aa), a chitin-binding domain and are Pro-rich, a distinguishing feature that differs from other hevein-like peptides. Solution NMR structure determination revealed that gB5 contains a three β-stranded structure shaped by a cystine knot with an additional disulfide bond at the C-terminus. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the ginkgotide precursors contain a three-domain architecture, comprised of a C-terminal tail (20 aa) that is significantly shorter than those of other 8C- and 10C-hevein-like peptides, which generally contain a protein cargo such as a Barwin-like protein (126 aa) or class I chitinase (254 aa). Transcriptomic data mining found an additional 48 ginkgotide homologs in 39 different gymnosperms. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ginkgotides and their homologs belong to a new class of 8C-hevein-like peptides. Stability studies showed that ginkgotides are highly resistant to thermal, acidic and endopeptidase degradation. Ginkgotides flanked at both the N- and C-terminal ends by Pro were resistant to exopeptidase degradation by carboxypeptidase A and aminopeptidase. Antifungal assays showed that ginkgotides inhibit the hyphal growth of phyto-pathogenic fungi. Taken together, ginkgotides represent the first suite of hevein-like peptides isolated and characterized from gymnosperms. As a group, they represent a novel class of 8C-hevein-like peptides that are Pro-rich and protein-cargo free. Our findings also suggest that the ginkgotide scaffold could be useful for engineering metabolic-stable peptide therapeutics. PMID:27857717

Ginkgotides: Proline-Rich Hevein-Like Peptides from Gymnosperm Ginkgo biloba.

PubMed

Wong, Ka H; Tan, Wei Liang; Serra, Aida; Xiao, Tianshu; Sze, Siu Kwan; Yang, Daiwen; Tam, James P

2016-01-01

Hevein and hevein-like peptides belong to the family of chitin-binding cysteine-rich peptides. They are classified into three subfamilies, the prototypic 8C- and the 6C- and 10C-hevein-like peptides. Thus far, only five 8C-hevein-like peptides have been characterized from three angiosperms and none from gymnosperm. To determine their occurrence and distribution in the gymnosperm, Ginkgo biloba leaves were examined. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of 11 novel 8C-hevein-like peptides, namely ginkgotides gB1-gB11. Proteomic analysis showed that the ginkgotides contain 41-44 amino acids (aa), a chitin-binding domain and are Pro-rich, a distinguishing feature that differs from other hevein-like peptides. Solution NMR structure determination revealed that gB5 contains a three β-stranded structure shaped by a cystine knot with an additional disulfide bond at the C-terminus. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the ginkgotide precursors contain a three-domain architecture, comprised of a C-terminal tail (20 aa) that is significantly shorter than those of other 8C- and 10C-hevein-like peptides, which generally contain a protein cargo such as a Barwin-like protein (126 aa) or class I chitinase (254 aa). Transcriptomic data mining found an additional 48 ginkgotide homologs in 39 different gymnosperms. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ginkgotides and their homologs belong to a new class of 8C-hevein-like peptides. Stability studies showed that ginkgotides are highly resistant to thermal, acidic and endopeptidase degradation. Ginkgotides flanked at both the N- and C-terminal ends by Pro were resistant to exopeptidase degradation by carboxypeptidase A and aminopeptidase. Antifungal assays showed that ginkgotides inhibit the hyphal growth of phyto-pathogenic fungi. Taken together, ginkgotides represent the first suite of hevein-like peptides isolated and characterized from gymnosperms. As a group, they represent a novel class of 8C-hevein-like peptides that are Pro-rich and protein-cargo free. Our findings also suggest that the ginkgotide scaffold could be useful for engineering metabolic-stable peptide therapeutics.

Education of Social Skills among Senior High School Age Students in Physical Education Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akelaitis, Arturas V.; Malinauskas, Romualdas K.

2016-01-01

Research aim was to reveal peculiarities of the education of social skills among senior high school age students in physical education classes. We hypothesized that after the end of the educational experiment the senior high school age students will have more developed social skills in physical education classes. Participants in the study were 51…

Peer Attitudes toward Students with Disabilities: A Comparison of the In-Class and Pull-Out Models of Service Delivery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noland, Emily N.; And Others

1993-01-01

This study compared the differential effects of in-class and pull-out service delivery models on attitudes of students (n=194) in grades four through six toward students with disabilities. Results revealed that students from classrooms where services were being delivered through in-class service delivery models had more positive attitudes.…

Categorizing Sounds

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

psychophysical study. These have been called Class A and Class B, or sensory and perceptual, or local and global, and probably 18 other terms. Among...Class A studies, detection, two-choice dis- criminability and other local measures reveal differential sensi- tivities of receptor or sensory systems...Eds.), Percepcion del Obieto: Estructura y Procesos, 553-596. Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia. Lisanby, S. H., & Lockhead, G. R. (accepted

The Effect of Corpus-Based Activities on Verb-Noun Collocations in EFL Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ucar, Serpil; Yükselir, Ceyhun

2015-01-01

This current study sought to reveal the impacts of corpus-based activities on verb-noun collocation learning in EFL classes. This study was carried out on two groups--experimental and control groups- each of which consists of 15 students. The students were preparatory class students at School of Foreign Languages, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University.…

An Examination of How Community of Inquiry Relates to Student Performance in an Online Community College Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWhorter, Robert Rowe

2013-01-01

Research has revealed that students in online classes may have higher rates of attrition than those in traditional face-to-face classes. Effective teaching and learning in an online environment requires different pedagogical skills than those used in traditional face-to-face classes. Online courses must focus on the quality of interaction. As an…

Opinions of the Class Teachers towards "Privacy" and Its Violation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiral, Bilgen; Karaman Kepenekci, Yasemin

2017-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study is to reveal the opinions of teachers in terms of the right to privacy at school, both in the class and individually, and the violation of this right. Research Methods: Data was collected using a qualitative interview method. 21 teachers from state schools and 15 from two private schools, in total 36 class teachers,…

Class-Size Reduction: Using What's Been Learned To Inform Educational Decisions. The Informed Educator Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boniface, Russell; Protheroe, Nancy

Class-size reduction (CSR) has been a complex and contentious issue for the last quarter century. Although the small-class concept was adopted because it appealed to common sense, research over time has revealed a mix of confounding variables, instead of a definitive conclusion. Some CSR efforts, such as Tennessee's Project STAR and Wisconsin's…

The class analysis of poverty: a response to Tony Novak.

PubMed

Wright, E O

1996-01-01

In responding to Tony Novak's criticisms of his earlier article "The Class Analysis of Poverty," the author makes four principle points. First, contrary to Novak's views, a class analysis to poverty should define poverty in terms of both income-poverty and asset-poverty. Second, while Novak is correct that the term "underclass" often has a pejorative meaning, it remains an important concept for identifying segments of the population that are deeply oppressed economically, but not exploited. Third, the concepts of class analysis must be elaborated at a variety of levels of abstraction, not simply the highest level of the pure "mode of production," as is implied by Novak's arguments. Finally, class analysis must acknowledge and conceptualize the specific forms of complexity of contemporary class structures, which is impossible if it restricts its class concepts to a simple polarized notion.

Feasibility study of spectral pattern recognition reveals distinct classes of volcanic tremor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unglert, K.; Jellinek, A. M.

2017-04-01

Systematic investigations of the similarities and differences among volcanic tremor at a range of volcano types may hold crucial information about the plausibility of inferred source mechanisms, which, in turn, may be important for eruption forecasting. However, such studies are rare, in part because of an intrinsic difficulty with identifying tremor signals within very long time series of volcano seismic data. Accordingly, we develop an efficient tremor detection algorithm and identify over 12,000h of volcanic tremor on 24 stations at Kīlauea, Okmok, Pavlof, and Redoubt volcanoes. We estimate spectral content over 5-minute tremor windows, and apply a novel combination of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering to identify patterns in the tremor spectra. Analyzing several stations from a given volcano together reveals different styles of tremor within individual volcanic settings. In addition to identifying tremor properties common to all stations in a given network, we find localized tremor signals including those related to processes such as lahars or dike intrusions that are only observed on some of the stations within a network. Subsequent application of our analysis to a combination of stations from the different volcanoes reveals that at least three main tremor classes can be detected across all settings. Whereas a regime with a ridge of high power distributed over 1-2Hz and a gradual decay of spectral power towards higher frequencies is observed dominantly at three volcanoes (Kīlauea, Okmok, Redoubt) with magma reservoirs centered at less than 5km below sea level (b.s.l.), a spectrum with a steeper slope and a narrower peak at 1-2Hz is observed only in association with open vents (Kīlauea and Pavlof). A third regime with a peak at approximately 3Hz is confined to two stratovolcanoes (Pavlof and Redoubt). These observations suggest generic relationships between the spectral character of the observed signals and volcano characteristics such as magma viscosity, storage depths, and the physical properties of volcanic edifices. Similarities among the spectral patterns detected at stations 4km and 8-10km distance from the centers of volcanic activity, respectively, indicate that path effects do not strongly influence spectral shapes at distances of a few kilometers from the inferred source of the signals. Our preliminary work shows that a global comparison of tremor is feasible. Our results suggest that further work on data from a larger sample and diverse range of volcano types will reveal additional classes of tremor signals and plausibly identify fingerprints of source processes that are specific to volcano type, but independent of volcano location.

Ontology-based literature mining and class effect analysis of adverse drug reactions associated with neuropathy-inducing drugs.

PubMed

Hur, Junguk; Özgür, Arzucan; He, Yongqun

2018-06-07

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs), also called as drug adverse events (AEs), are reported in the FDA drug labels; however, it is a big challenge to properly retrieve and analyze the ADRs and their potential relationships from textual data. Previously, we identified and ontologically modeled over 240 drugs that can induce peripheral neuropathy through mining public drug-related databases and drug labels. However, the ADR mechanisms of these drugs are still unclear. In this study, we aimed to develop an ontology-based literature mining system to identify ADRs from drug labels and to elucidate potential mechanisms of the neuropathy-inducing drugs (NIDs). We developed and applied an ontology-based SciMiner literature mining strategy to mine ADRs from the drug labels provided in the Text Analysis Conference (TAC) 2017, which included drug labels for 53 neuropathy-inducing drugs (NIDs). We identified an average of 243 ADRs per NID and constructed an ADR-ADR network, which consists of 29 ADR nodes and 149 edges, including only those ADR-ADR pairs found in at least 50% of NIDs. Comparison to the ADR-ADR network of non-NIDs revealed that the ADRs such as pruritus, pyrexia, thrombocytopenia, nervousness, asthenia, acute lymphocytic leukaemia were highly enriched in the NID network. Our ChEBI-based ontology analysis identified three benzimidazole NIDs (i.e., lansoprazole, omeprazole, and pantoprazole), which were associated with 43 ADRs. Based on ontology-based drug class effect definition, the benzimidazole drug group has a drug class effect on all of these 43 ADRs. Many of these 43 ADRs also exist in the enriched NID ADR network. Our Ontology of Adverse Events (OAE) classification further found that these 43 benzimidazole-related ADRs were distributed in many systems, primarily in behavioral and neurological, digestive, skin, and immune systems. Our study demonstrates that ontology-based literature mining and network analysis can efficiently identify and study specific group of drugs and their associated ADRs. Furthermore, our analysis of drug class effects identified 3 benzimidazole drugs sharing 43 ADRs, leading to new hypothesis generation and possible mechanism understanding of drug-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Determination of a novel integron-located variant (blaOXA -320 ) of Class D β-lactamase in Proteus mirabilis.

PubMed

Cicek, Aysegul Copur; Duzgun, Azer Ozad; Saral, Aysegul; Sandalli, Cemal

2014-10-01

Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) is one of Gram-negative pathogens encountered in clinical specimens. A clinical isolate (TRP41) of P. mirabilis was isolated from a Turkish patient in Turkey. The isolate was identified using the API 32GN system and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and it was found resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam, piperacillin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. This isolate was harboring a Class 1 integron gene cassette and its DNA sequence analysis revealed a novel blaOXA variant exhibiting one amino acid substitution (Asn266Ile) from blaOXA-1 . This new variant of OXA was located on Class 1 integron together with aadA1 gene encoding aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes. According to sequence records, the new variant was named as blaOXA-320 . Cassette array and size of integron were found as blaOXA-320 -aadA1 and 2086 bp, respectively. The blaOXA-320 gene is not transferable according to conjugation experiment. In this study, we report the first identification of blaOXA-320 -aadA1 gene cassette, a novel variant of Class D β-lactamase, in P. mirabilis from Turkey. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Histopathological Image Classification using Discriminative Feature-oriented Dictionary Learning

PubMed Central

Vu, Tiep Huu; Mousavi, Hojjat Seyed; Monga, Vishal; Rao, Ganesh; Rao, UK Arvind

2016-01-01

In histopathological image analysis, feature extraction for classification is a challenging task due to the diversity of histology features suitable for each problem as well as presence of rich geometrical structures. In this paper, we propose an automatic feature discovery framework via learning class-specific dictionaries and present a low-complexity method for classification and disease grading in histopathology. Essentially, our Discriminative Feature-oriented Dictionary Learning (DFDL) method learns class-specific dictionaries such that under a sparsity constraint, the learned dictionaries allow representing a new image sample parsimoniously via the dictionary corresponding to the class identity of the sample. At the same time, the dictionary is designed to be poorly capable of representing samples from other classes. Experiments on three challenging real-world image databases: 1) histopathological images of intraductal breast lesions, 2) mammalian kidney, lung and spleen images provided by the Animal Diagnostics Lab (ADL) at Pennsylvania State University, and 3) brain tumor images from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, reveal the merits of our proposal over state-of-the-art alternatives. Moreover, we demonstrate that DFDL exhibits a more graceful decay in classification accuracy against the number of training images which is highly desirable in practice where generous training is often not available. PMID:26513781

Sequence and Structure Analysis of Distantly-Related Viruses Reveals Extensive Gene Transfer between Viruses and Hosts and among Viruses

PubMed Central

Caprari, Silvia; Metzler, Saskia; Lengauer, Thomas; Kalinina, Olga V.

2015-01-01

The origin and evolution of viruses is a subject of ongoing debate. In this study, we provide a full account of the evolutionary relationships between proteins of significant sequence and structural similarity found in viruses that belong to different classes according to the Baltimore classification. We show that such proteins can be found in viruses from all Baltimore classes. For protein families that include these proteins, we observe two patterns of the taxonomic spread. In the first pattern, they can be found in a large number of viruses from all implicated Baltimore classes. In the other pattern, the instances of the corresponding protein in species from each Baltimore class are restricted to a few compact clades. Proteins with the first pattern of distribution are products of so-called viral hallmark genes reported previously. Additionally, this pattern is displayed by the envelope glycoproteins from Flaviviridae and Bunyaviridae and helicases of superfamilies 1 and 2 that have homologs in cellular organisms. The second pattern can often be explained by horizontal gene transfer from the host or between viruses, an example being Orthomyxoviridae and Coronaviridae hemagglutinin esterases. Another facet of horizontal gene transfer comprises multiple independent introduction events of genes from cellular organisms into otherwise unrelated viruses. PMID:26492264

A Tale of Two Sections: An Experiment to Compare the Effectiveness of a Hybrid versus a Traditional Lecture Format in Introductory Microbiology

PubMed Central

Adams, Alison E. M.; Randall, Shelby; Traustadóttir, Tinna

2015-01-01

Two sections of an introductory microbiology course were taught by one instructor. One was taught through a hybrid format and the other through a traditional format. Students were randomly assigned to the two sections. Both sections were provided with identical lecture materials, in-class worksheets, in-class assessments, and extra credit opportunities; the main difference was in the way the lecture material was delivered—online for the hybrid section and in person for the traditional section. Analysis of final grades revealed that students in the traditional section did significantly better than those in the hybrid section (p < 0.001). There was a significant main effect of class standing (p < 0.01). When performance in the two sections was compared for each class year separately, the differences were only significant for sophomores (p < 0.001); freshmen, juniors, and seniors did not perform differently in the hybrid versus the traditional section. An anonymous midterm survey suggested factors likely contributing to the overall lower success of students in the hybrid section: some students in the hybrid section did not take lecture notes and/or use the audio component of the online lectures, suggesting minimal interaction with the lecture material for these students. PMID:25713096

Similarity-dissimilarity plot for visualization of high dimensional data in biomedical pattern classification.

PubMed

Arif, Muhammad

2012-06-01

In pattern classification problems, feature extraction is an important step. Quality of features in discriminating different classes plays an important role in pattern classification problems. In real life, pattern classification may require high dimensional feature space and it is impossible to visualize the feature space if the dimension of feature space is greater than four. In this paper, we have proposed a Similarity-Dissimilarity plot which can project high dimensional space to a two dimensional space while retaining important characteristics required to assess the discrimination quality of the features. Similarity-dissimilarity plot can reveal information about the amount of overlap of features of different classes. Separable data points of different classes will also be visible on the plot which can be classified correctly using appropriate classifier. Hence, approximate classification accuracy can be predicted. Moreover, it is possible to know about whom class the misclassified data points will be confused by the classifier. Outlier data points can also be located on the similarity-dissimilarity plot. Various examples of synthetic data are used to highlight important characteristics of the proposed plot. Some real life examples from biomedical data are also used for the analysis. The proposed plot is independent of number of dimensions of the feature space.

Decreased expression of class III β-tubulin is associated with unfavourable prognosis in patients with malignant melanoma.

PubMed

Shimizu, Akira; Kaira, Kyoichi; Yasuda, Masahito; Asao, Takayuki; Ishikawa, Osamu

2016-02-01

Class III β-tubulin (TUBB3) has been recognized as being associated with resistance to taxane-based regimens in several cancers. However, little is known about the clinicopathological significance of TUBB3 expression in patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma. The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic significance of TUBB3 expression in cutaneous malignant melanoma. A total of 106 patients with surgically resected cutaneous malignant melanoma were assessed. Tumour sections were immunohistochemically stained for TUBB3, Ki-67 and microvessel density with CD34. TUBB3 was highly expressed in 80% (85/106) of patients. No statistically significant relationship was observed between the high expression of TUBB3 and any variables. On univariate analysis, ulceration, disease stage, TUBB3 and CD34 revealed a significant relationship with overall survival and progression-free survival. Multivariate analysis confirmed that a low TUBB3 expression was an independent prognostic factor for poor prognosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma. The decreased expression of TUBB3 could be a significant marker for predicting unfavourable prognosis in patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma.

Antiretroviral drug resistance and phylogenetic diversity of HIV-1 in Chile.

PubMed

Ríos, Maritza; Delgado, Elena; Pérez-Alvarez, Lucía; Fernández, Jorge; Gálvez, Paula; de Parga, Elena Vázquez; Yung, Verónica; Thomson, Michael M; Nájera, Rafael

2007-06-01

This study reports the analysis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) coding sequences from 136 HIV-1-infected subjects from Chile, 66 (49%) of them under antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. The prevalence of mutations conferring high or intermediate resistance levels to ARVs was 77% among treated patients and 2.5% among drug-naïve subjects. The distribution of resistance prevalence in treated patients by drug class was 61% to nucleoside RT inhibitors, 84% to nonnucleoside RT inhibitors, and 46% to PR inhibitors. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 115 (85%) subjects were infected with subtype B viruses, 1 with a subtype F1 virus, and 20 (15%) carried BF intersubtype recombinants. Most BF recombinants grouped into two clusters, one related to CRF12_BF, while the other could represent a new circulating recombinant form (CRF). In conclusion, this is the first report analysing the prevalence of ARV resistance which includes patients under HAART from Chile. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of the PR-RT coding sequences reveals the presence of BF intersubtype recombinants. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Systematic prediction of control proteins and their DNA binding sites

PubMed Central

Sorokin, Valeriy; Severinov, Konstantin; Gelfand, Mikhail S.

2009-01-01

We present here the results of a systematic bioinformatics analysis of control (C) proteins, a class of DNA-binding regulators that control time-delayed transcription of their own genes as well as restriction endonuclease genes in many type II restriction-modification systems. More than 290 C protein homologs were identified and DNA-binding sites for ∼70% of new and previously known C proteins were predicted by a combination of phylogenetic footprinting and motif searches in DNA upstream of C protein genes. Additional analysis revealed that a large proportion of C protein genes are translated from leaderless RNA, which may contribute to time-delayed nature of genetic switches operated by these proteins. Analysis of genetic contexts of newly identified C protein genes revealed that they are not exclusively associated with restriction-modification genes; numerous instances of associations with genes originating from mobile genetic elements were observed. These instances might be vestiges of ancient horizontal transfers and indicate that during evolution ancestral restriction-modification system genes were the sites of mobile elements insertions. PMID:19056824

The Neural Correlates of Desire

PubMed Central

Kawabata, Hideaki; Zeki, Semir

2008-01-01

In an event-related fMRI study, we scanned eighteen normal human subjects while they viewed three categories of pictures (events, objects and persons) which they classified according to desirability (desirable, indifferent or undesirable). Each category produced activity in a distinct part of the visual brain, thus reflecting its functional specialization. We used conjunction analysis to learn whether there is a brain area which is always active when a desirable picture is viewed, regardless of the category to which it belongs. The conjunction analysis of the contrast desirable > undesirable revealed activity in the superior orbito-frontal cortex. This activity bore a positive linear relationship to the declared level of desirability. The conjunction analysis of desirable > indifferent revealed activity in the mid-cingulate cortex and in the anterior cingulate cortex. In the former, activity was greater for desirable and undesirable stimuli than for stimuli classed as indifferent. Other conjunction analyses produced no significant effects. These results show that categorizing any stimulus according to its desirability activates three different brain areas: the superior orbito-frontal, the mid-cingulate, and the anterior cingulate cortices. PMID:18728753

Identifying desertification risk areas using fuzzy membership and geospatial technique - A case study, Kota District, Rajasthan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasgupta, Arunima; Sastry, K. L. N.; Dhinwa, P. S.; Rathore, V. S.; Nathawat, M. S.

2013-08-01

Desertification risk assessment is important in order to take proper measures for its prevention. Present research intends to identify the areas under risk of desertification along with their severity in terms of degradation in natural parameters. An integrated model with fuzzy membership analysis, fuzzy rule-based inference system and geospatial techniques was adopted, including five specific natural parameters namely slope, soil pH, soil depth, soil texture and NDVI. Individual parameters were classified according to their deviation from mean. Membership of each individual values to be in a certain class was derived using the normal probability density function of that class. Thus if a single class of a single parameter is with mean μ and standard deviation σ, the values falling beyond μ + 2 σ and μ - 2 σ are not representing that class, but a transitional zone between two subsequent classes. These are the most important areas in terms of degradation, as they have the lowest probability to be in a certain class, hence highest probability to be extended or narrowed down in next or previous class respectively. Eventually, these are the values which can be easily altered, under extrogenic influences, hence are identified as risk areas. The overall desertification risk is derived by incorporating the different risk severity of each parameter using fuzzy rule-based interference system in GIS environment. Multicriteria based geo-statistics are applied to locate the areas under different severity of desertification risk. The study revealed that in Kota, various anthropogenic pressures are accelerating land deterioration, coupled with natural erosive forces. Four major sources of desertification in Kota are, namely Gully and Ravine erosion, inappropriate mining practices, growing urbanization and random deforestation.

Relationship between crown-root angulation (collum angle) of maxillary central incisors in Class II, division 2 malocclusion and lower lip line.

PubMed

Srinivasan, Bhadrinath; Kailasam, Vignesh; Chitharanjan, Arun; Ramalingam, Arthi

2013-01-01

The present study aimed to measure the magnitude of the collum angle (crown-root angulation) of maxillary central incisors present in Class II, division 2 malocclusion and to relate the changes in its magnitude with variations in the lower lip line. A set of 120 conventional lateral cephalograms were selected and divided into three groups of 40 each based on the type of malocclusion presented: Class II, division 2 (group 1); Class II, division 1 (group 2); and Class I (group 3). The collum angle of the maxillary central incisor was measured, and the lower lip line was recorded. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the mean collum angle was statistically significantly different in the three groups. The mean collum angle was greatest in Class II, division 2 malocclusion (group 1). The mean collum angles were 3.24 ± 4.69 degrees, 0.95 ± 1.06 degrees, and 1.05 ± 1.50 degrees in groups 1, 2, and 3 respectively. In χ ² test comparison of the location of the lower lip line (incisal, middle, or apical third of the central incisor) among the three groups, the lower lip line was found to contact the middle third of the central incisor most frequently in Class II, division 2 malocclusion. ANOVA followed by Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) test showed that the mean collum angle is significantly increased when the lower lip is in the middle third (P < .05) of the central incisor. Variations in magnitude of the collum angle with the change in the lower lip line suggest a probable etiologic role of the lower lip line in the development of the collum angle.

Identification of Heterogeneous Cognitive Subgroups in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Latent Class Analysis of the Einstein Aging Study.

PubMed

Zammit, Andrea R; Hall, Charles B; Lipton, Richard B; Katz, Mindy J; Muniz-Terrera, Graciela

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to identify natural subgroups of older adults based on cognitive performance, and to establish each subgroup's characteristics based on demographic factors, physical function, psychosocial well-being, and comorbidity. We applied latent class (LC) modeling to identify subgroups in baseline assessments of 1345 Einstein Aging Study (EAS) participants free of dementia. The EAS is a community-dwelling cohort study of 70+ year-old adults living in the Bronx, NY. We used 10 neurocognitive tests and 3 covariates (age, sex, education) to identify latent subgroups. We used goodness-of-fit statistics to identify the optimal class solution and assess model adequacy. We also validated our model using two-fold split-half cross-validation. The sample had a mean age of 78.0 (SD=5.4) and a mean of 13.6 years of education (SD=3.5). A 9-class solution based on cognitive performance at baseline was the best-fitting model. We characterized the 9 identified classes as (i) disadvantaged, (ii) poor language, (iii) poor episodic memory and fluency, (iv) poor processing speed and executive function, (v) low average, (vi) high average, (vii) average, (viii) poor executive and poor working memory, (ix) elite. The cross validation indicated stable class assignment with the exception of the average and high average classes. LC modeling in a community sample of older adults revealed 9 cognitive subgroups. Assignment of subgroups was reliable and associated with external validators. Future work will test the predictive validity of these groups for outcomes such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and death, as well as markers of biological pathways that contribute to cognitive decline. (JINS, 2018, 24, 511-523).

TCP4-dependent induction of CONSTANS transcription requires GIGANTEA in photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Shim, Jae Sung; Song, Yong Hun; Laboy Cintrón, Dianne; Koyama, Tomotsugu; Ohme-Takagi, Masaru; Pruneda-Paz, Jose L.; Kay, Steve A.; MacCoss, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Photoperiod is one of the most reliable environmental cues for plants to regulate flowering timing. In Arabidopsis thaliana, CONSTANS (CO) transcription factor plays a central role in regulating photoperiodic flowering. In contrast to posttranslational regulation of CO protein, still little was known about CO transcriptional regulation. Here we show that the CINCINNATA (CIN) clade of class II TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1/ CYCLOIDEA/ PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN FACTOR (TCP) proteins act as CO activators. Our yeast one-hybrid analysis revealed that class II CIN-TCPs, including TCP4, bind to the CO promoter. TCP4 induces CO expression around dusk by directly associating with the CO promoter in vivo. In addition, TCP4 binds to another flowering regulator, GIGANTEA (GI), in the nucleus, and induces CO expression in a GI-dependent manner. The physical association of TCP4 with the CO promoter was reduced in the gi mutant, suggesting that GI may enhance the DNA-binding ability of TCP4. Our tandem affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry (TAP-MS) analysis identified all class II CIN-TCPs as the components of the in vivo TCP4 complex, and the gi mutant did not alter the composition of the TCP4 complex. Taken together, our results demonstrate a novel function of CIN-TCPs as photoperiodic flowering regulators, which may contribute to coordinating plant development with flowering regulation. PMID:28628608

Genome-wide identification and characterization of TCP genes involved in ovule development of Phalaenopsis equestris

PubMed Central

Lin, Yu-Fu; Chen, You-Yi; Hsiao, Yu-Yun; Shen, Ching-Yu; Hsu, Jui-Ling; Yeh, Chuan-Ming; Mitsuda, Nobutaka; Ohme-Takagi, Masaru; Liu, Zhong-Jian; Tsai, Wen-Chieh

2016-01-01

TEOSINTE-BRANCHED/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors known to have a role in multiple aspects of plant growth and development at the cellular, organ and tissue levels. However, there has been no related study of TCPs in orchids. Here we identified 23 TCP genes from the genome sequence of Phalaenopsis equestris. Phylogenetic analysis distinguished two homology classes of PeTCP transcription factor families: classes I and II. Class II was further divided into two subclasses, CIN and CYC/TB1. Spatial and temporal expression analysis showed that PePCF10 was predominantly expressed in ovules at early developmental stages and PeCIN8 had high expression at late developmental stages in ovules, with overlapping expression at day 16 after pollination. Subcellular localization and protein–protein interaction analyses revealed that PePCF10 and PeCIN8 could form homodimers and localize in the nucleus. However, PePCF10 and PeCIN8 could not form heterodimers. In transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants (overexpression and SRDX, a super repression motif derived from the EAR-motif of the repression domain of tobacco ETHYLENE-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT-BINDING FACTOR 3 and SUPERMAN, dominantly repressed), the two genes helped regulate cell proliferation. Together, these results suggest that PePCF10 and PeCIN8 play important roles in orchid ovule development by modulating cell division. PMID:27543606

TCP4-dependent induction of CONSTANS transcription requires GIGANTEA in photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Kubota, Akane; Ito, Shogo; Shim, Jae Sung; Johnson, Richard S; Song, Yong Hun; Breton, Ghislain; Goralogia, Greg S; Kwon, Michael S; Laboy Cintrón, Dianne; Koyama, Tomotsugu; Ohme-Takagi, Masaru; Pruneda-Paz, Jose L; Kay, Steve A; MacCoss, Michael J; Imaizumi, Takato

2017-06-01

Photoperiod is one of the most reliable environmental cues for plants to regulate flowering timing. In Arabidopsis thaliana, CONSTANS (CO) transcription factor plays a central role in regulating photoperiodic flowering. In contrast to posttranslational regulation of CO protein, still little was known about CO transcriptional regulation. Here we show that the CINCINNATA (CIN) clade of class II TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1/ CYCLOIDEA/ PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN FACTOR (TCP) proteins act as CO activators. Our yeast one-hybrid analysis revealed that class II CIN-TCPs, including TCP4, bind to the CO promoter. TCP4 induces CO expression around dusk by directly associating with the CO promoter in vivo. In addition, TCP4 binds to another flowering regulator, GIGANTEA (GI), in the nucleus, and induces CO expression in a GI-dependent manner. The physical association of TCP4 with the CO promoter was reduced in the gi mutant, suggesting that GI may enhance the DNA-binding ability of TCP4. Our tandem affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry (TAP-MS) analysis identified all class II CIN-TCPs as the components of the in vivo TCP4 complex, and the gi mutant did not alter the composition of the TCP4 complex. Taken together, our results demonstrate a novel function of CIN-TCPs as photoperiodic flowering regulators, which may contribute to coordinating plant development with flowering regulation.

Exploring the application of latent class cluster analysis for investigating pedestrian crash injury severities in Switzerland.

PubMed

Sasidharan, Lekshmi; Wu, Kun-Feng; Menendez, Monica

2015-12-01

One of the major challenges in traffic safety analyses is the heterogeneous nature of safety data, due to the sundry factors involved in it. This heterogeneity often leads to difficulties in interpreting results and conclusions due to unrevealed relationships. Understanding the underlying relationship between injury severities and influential factors is critical for the selection of appropriate safety countermeasures. A method commonly employed to address systematic heterogeneity is to focus on any subgroup of data based on the research purpose. However, this need not ensure homogeneity in the data. In this paper, latent class cluster analysis is applied to identify homogenous subgroups for a specific crash type-pedestrian crashes. The manuscript employs data from police reported pedestrian (2009-2012) crashes in Switzerland. The analyses demonstrate that dividing pedestrian severity data into seven clusters helps in reducing the systematic heterogeneity of the data and to understand the hidden relationships between crash severity levels and socio-demographic, environmental, vehicle, temporal, traffic factors, and main reason for the crash. The pedestrian crash injury severity models were developed for the whole data and individual clusters, and were compared using receiver operating characteristics curve, for which results favored clustering. Overall, the study suggests that latent class clustered regression approach is suitable for reducing heterogeneity and revealing important hidden relationships in traffic safety analyses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chest ultrasound and hidden lung congestion in peritoneal dialysis patients.

PubMed

Panuccio, Vincenzo; Enia, Giuseppe; Tripepi, Rocco; Torino, Claudia; Garozzo, Maurizio; Battaglia, Giovanni Giorgio; Marcantoni, Carmelita; Infantone, Lorena; Giordano, Guido; De Giorgi, Maria Loreta; Lupia, Mario; Bruzzese, Vincenzo; Zoccali, Carmine

2012-09-01

Chest ultrasound (US) is a non-invasive well-validated technique for estimating extravascular lung water (LW) in patients with heart diseases and in end-stage renal disease. We systematically applied this technique to the whole peritoneal dialysis (PD) population of five dialysis units. We studied the cross-sectional association between LW, echocardiographic parameters, clinical [pedal oedema, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class] and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) markers of volume status in 88 PD patients. Moderate to severe lung congestion was evident in 41 (46%) patients. Ejection fraction was the echocardiographic parameter with the strongest independent association with LW (r = -0.40 P = 0.002). Oedema did not associate with LW on univariate and multivariate analysis. NYHA class was slightly associated with LW (r = 0.21 P = 0.05). Among patients with severe lung congestion, only 27% had pedal oedema and the majority (57%) had no dyspnoea (NYHA Class I). Similarly, the prevalence of patients with BIA, evidence of volume excess was small (11%) and not significantly different (P = 0.79) from that observed in patients with mild or no congestion (9%). In PD patients, LW by chest US reveals moderate to severe lung congestion in a significant proportion of asymptomatic patients. Intervention studies are necessary to prove the usefulness of chest US for optimizing the control of fluid excess in PD patients.

PURA syndrome: clinical delineation and genotype-phenotype study in 32 individuals with review of published literature

PubMed Central

Reijnders, Margot R F; Janowski, Robert; Alvi, Mohsan; Self, Jay E; van Essen, Ton J; Vreeburg, Maaike; Rouhl, Rob P W; Stevens, Servi J C; Stegmann, Alexander P A; Schieving, Jolanda; Pfundt, Rolph; van Dijk, Katinke; Smeets, Eric; Stumpel, Connie T R M; Bok, Levinus A; Cobben, Jan Maarten; Engelen, Marc; Mansour, Sahar; Whiteford, Margo; Chandler, Kate E; Douzgou, Sofia; Cooper, Nicola S; Tan, Ene-Choo; Foo, Roger; Lai, Angeline H M; Rankin, Julia; Green, Andrew; Lönnqvist, Tuula; Isohanni, Pirjo; Williams, Shelley; Ruhoy, Ilene; Carvalho, Karen S; Dowling, James J; Lev, Dorit L; Sterbova, Katalin; Lassuthova, Petra; Neupauerová, Jana; Waugh, Jeff L; Keros, Sotirios; Clayton-Smith, Jill; Smithson, Sarah F; Brunner, Han G; van Hoeckel, Ceciel; Anderson, Mel; Clowes, Virginia E; Siu, Victoria Mok; DDD study, The; Selber, Paulo; Leventer, Richard J; Nellaker, Christoffer; Niessing, Dierk; Hunt, David; Baralle, Diana

2018-01-01

Background De novo mutations in PURA have recently been described to cause PURA syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by severe intellectual disability (ID), epilepsy, feeding difficulties and neonatal hypotonia. Objectives To delineate the clinical spectrum of PURA syndrome and study genotype-phenotype correlations. Methods Diagnostic or research-based exome or Sanger sequencing was performed in individuals with ID. We systematically collected clinical and mutation data on newly ascertained PURA syndrome individuals, evaluated data of previously reported individuals and performed a computational analysis of photographs. We classified mutations based on predicted effect using 3D in silico models of crystal structures of Drosophila-derived Pur-alpha homologues. Finally, we explored genotype-phenotype correlations by analysis of both recurrent mutations as well as mutation classes. Results We report mutations in PURA (purine-rich element binding protein A) in 32 individuals, the largest cohort described so far. Evaluation of clinical data, including 22 previously published cases, revealed that all have moderate to severe ID and neonatal-onset symptoms, including hypotonia (96%), respiratory problems (57%), feeding difficulties (77%), exaggerated startle response (44%), hypersomnolence (66%) and hypothermia (35%). Epilepsy (54%) and gastrointestinal (69%), ophthalmological (51%) and endocrine problems (42%) were observed frequently. Computational analysis of facial photographs showed subtle facial dysmorphism. No strong genotype-phenotype correlation was identified by subgrouping mutations into functional classes. Conclusion We delineate the clinical spectrum of PURA syndrome with the identification of 32 additional individuals. The identification of one individual through targeted Sanger sequencing points towards the clinical recognisability of the syndrome. Genotype-phenotype analysis showed no significant correlation between mutation classes and disease severity. PMID:29097605

High-throughput sequence analysis of Ciona intestinalis SL trans-spliced mRNAs: alternative expression modes and gene function correlates.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Jun; Dewar, Ken; Wasserscheid, Jessica; Wiley, Graham B; Macmil, Simone L; Roe, Bruce A; Zeller, Robert W; Satou, Yutaka; Hastings, Kenneth E M

2010-05-01

Pre-mRNA 5' spliced-leader (SL) trans-splicing occurs in some metazoan groups but not in others. Genome-wide characterization of the trans-spliced mRNA subpopulation has not yet been reported for any metazoan. We carried out a high-throughput analysis of the SL trans-spliced mRNA population of the ascidian tunicate Ciona intestinalis by 454 Life Sciences (Roche) pyrosequencing of SL-PCR-amplified random-primed reverse transcripts of tailbud embryo RNA. We obtained approximately 250,000 high-quality reads corresponding to 8790 genes, approximately 58% of the Ciona total gene number. The great depth of this data revealed new aspects of trans-splicing, including the existence of a significant class of "infrequently trans-spliced" genes, accounting for approximately 28% of represented genes, that generate largely non-trans-spliced mRNAs, but also produce trans-spliced mRNAs, in part through alternative promoter use. Thus, the conventional qualitative dichotomy of trans-spliced versus non-trans-spliced genes should be supplanted by a more accurate quantitative view recognizing frequently and infrequently trans-spliced gene categories. Our data include reads representing approximately 80% of Ciona frequently trans-spliced genes. Our analysis also revealed significant use of closely spaced alternative trans-splice acceptor sites which further underscores the mechanistic similarity of cis- and trans-splicing and indicates that the prevalence of +/-3-nt alternative splicing events at tandem acceptor sites, NAGNAG, is driven by spliceosomal mechanisms, and not nonsense-mediated decay, or selection at the protein level. The breadth of gene representation data enabled us to find new correlations between trans-splicing status and gene function, namely the overrepresentation in the frequently trans-spliced gene class of genes associated with plasma/endomembrane system, Ca(2+) homeostasis, and actin cytoskeleton.

The relationship between fluorescent, agglutinating, and precipitating antibodies to Candida albicans and their immunoglobin classes

PubMed Central

Lehner, T.; Buckley, Helen R.; Murray, I. G.

1972-01-01

A parallel study of fluorescent, agglutinating, and precipitating antibodies to Candida albicans revealed that precipitating antibodies belong to the IgG class, whereas agglutinating antibodies reside in the IgG, IgM, and IgA classes. The three types as well as the three classes of antibodies were found in Candida endocarditis and mucocutaneous candidiasis. Immuno-absorption studies suggest that the three serological tests estimate antibodies to mannan determinants of Candida albicans. Images PMID:4555044

Combined risk assessment of nonstationary monthly water quality based on Markov chain and time-varying copula.

PubMed

Shi, Wei; Xia, Jun

2017-02-01

Water quality risk management is a global hot research linkage with the sustainable water resource development. Ammonium nitrogen (NH 3 -N) and permanganate index (COD Mn ) as the focus indicators in Huai River Basin, are selected to reveal their joint transition laws based on Markov theory. The time-varying moments model with either time or land cover index as explanatory variables is applied to build the time-varying marginal distributions of water quality time series. Time-varying copula model, which takes the non-stationarity in the marginal distribution and/or the time variation in dependence structure between water quality series into consideration, is constructed to describe a bivariate frequency analysis for NH 3 -N and COD Mn series at the same monitoring gauge. The larger first-order Markov joint transition probability indicates water quality state Class V w , Class IV and Class III will occur easily in the water body of Bengbu Sluice. Both marginal distribution and copula models are nonstationary, and the explanatory variable time yields better performance than land cover index in describing the non-stationarities in the marginal distributions. In modelling the dependence structure changes, time-varying copula has a better fitting performance than the copula with the constant or the time-trend dependence parameter. The largest synchronous encounter risk probability of NH 3 -N and COD Mn simultaneously reaching Class V is 50.61%, while the asynchronous encounter risk probability is largest when NH 3 -N and COD Mn is inferior to class V and class IV water quality standards, respectively.

Naming, the Formation of Stimulus Classes, and Applied Behavior Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stromer, Robert; And Others

1996-01-01

This review of research discusses how children with autism may acquire equivalence classes after learning to supply a common oral name to each stimulus in a potential class. A proposed methodology for researching referent naming and class formation, analysis of stimulus classes, and generalization is offered. (CR)

A Latent Class Analysis of Dyadic Perfectionism in a College Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Frederick G.; Fons-Scheyd, Alia; Bush-King, Imelda; McDermott, Ryon C.

2011-01-01

A latent class analysis of dyadic perfectionism scores within a college sample (N = 369) identified four classes of participants. Controlling for gender and current dating status, class membership was associated with significant differences on several measures of relationship attitudes. Gender and class membership also significantly interacted in…

Crystal structure of an Fe-S cluster-containing fumarate hydratase enzyme from Leishmania major reveals a unique protein fold.

PubMed

Feliciano, Patricia R; Drennan, Catherine L; Nonato, M Cristina

2016-08-30

Fumarate hydratases (FHs) are essential metabolic enzymes grouped into two classes. Here, we present the crystal structure of a class I FH, the cytosolic FH from Leishmania major, which reveals a previously undiscovered protein fold that coordinates a catalytically essential [4Fe-4S] cluster. Our 2.05 Å resolution data further reveal a dimeric architecture for this FH that resembles a heart, with each lobe comprised of two domains that are arranged around the active site. Besides the active site, where the substrate S-malate is bound bidentate to the unique iron of the [4Fe-4S] cluster, other binding pockets are found near the dimeric enzyme interface, some of which are occupied by malonate, shown here to be a weak inhibitor of this enzyme. Taken together, these data provide a framework both for investigations of the class I FH catalytic mechanism and for drug design aimed at fighting neglected tropical diseases.

The Unknown City: Lives of Poor and Working-Class Young Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fine, Michelle; Weis, Lois

The deeply fractured nature of U.S. society is examined, focusing on poor and working class people in cities. Based on data from 154 poor and working class young adults aged 23 to 35, the study reveals the ways in which this urban generation has suffered from social change. The following chapters are included: (1) "Voices of Hope and Despair:…

Personal Belief in a Just World, Experience of Teacher Justice, and School Distress in Different Class Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peter, Felix; Dalbert, Claudia; Kloeckner, Nils; Radant, Matthias

2013-01-01

The study examined the meaning of personal belief in a just world and students' experience of their teachers' behavior toward them personally for school distress in different class contexts. The study involved 827 secondary school students from 61 classes (grades 9 to 11). Analyses revealed that the more the students believed in a…

Hurricane Katrina-linked environmental injustice: race, class, and place differentials in attitudes.

PubMed

Adeola, Francis O; Picou, J Steven

2017-04-01

Claims of environmental injustice, human neglect, and racism dominated the popular and academic literature after Hurricane Katrina struck the United States in August 2005. A systematic analysis of environmental injustice from the perspective of the survivors remains scanty or nonexistent. This paper presents, therefore, a systematic empirical analysis of the key determinants of Katrina-induced environmental injustice attitudes among survivors in severely affected parishes (counties) in Louisiana and Mississippi three years into the recovery process. Statistical models based on a random sample of survivors were estimated, with the results revealing significant predictors such as age, children in household under 18, education, homeownership, and race. The results further indicate that African-Americans were more likely to perceive environmental injustice following Katrina than their white counterparts. Indeed, the investigation reveals that there are substantial racial gaps in measures of environmental injustice. The theoretical, methodological, and applied policy implications of these findings are discussed. © 2017 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2017.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0003575 regulates oxLDL induced vascular endothelial cells proliferation and angiogenesis.

PubMed

Li, Chen-Ye; Ma, Lan; Yu, Bo

2017-11-01

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of RNAs generated from back-splicing and characterized by covalently closed continuous loops. Recently, circRNAs have recently shown large regulation on cardiovascular system, including atherosclerosis. The present study aims to investigate the circRNA expression profile and identify their roles on vascular endothelial cells induced by oxLDL. Human circRNA microarray analysis revealed that total 943 differently expressed circRNAs were screened with 2 fold change. Hsa_circ_0003575 was validated to be significantly up-regulated in oxLDL induced HUVECs. Loss-of-function experiments indicated that hsa_circ_0003575 silencing promoted the proliferation and angiogenesis ability of HUVECs. Bioinformatics online programs predicted the potential circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network for hsa_circ_0003575. In summary, circRNA microarray analysis reveals the expression profiles of HUVECs and verifies the role of hsa_circ_0003575 on HUVECs, providing a therapeutic strategy for vascular endothelial cell injury of atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Molecular dynamics simulations of a K+ channel blocker: Tc1 toxin from Tityus cambridgei.

PubMed

Grottesi, Alessandro; Sansom, Mark S P

2003-01-30

Toxins that block voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels provide a possible template for improved homology models of the Kv pore. In assessing the interactions of Kv channels and their toxins it is important to determine the dynamic flexibility of the toxins. Multiple 10 ns duration molecular dynamics simulations combined with essential dynamics analysis have been used to explore the flexibility of four different Kv channel-blocking toxins. Three toxins (Tc1, AgTx and ChTx) share a common fold. They also share a common pattern of conformational dynamics, as revealed by essential dynamics analysis of the simulation results. This suggests that some aspects of dynamic behaviour are conserved across a single protein fold class. In each of these three toxins, the residue exhibiting minimum flexibility corresponds to a conserved lysine residue that is suggested to interact with the filter domain of the channel. Thus, comparative simulations reveal functionally important conservation of molecular dynamics as well as protein fold across a family of related toxins.

Source environment feature related phylogenetic distribution pattern of anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria as revealed by pufM analysis.

PubMed

Zeng, Yonghui; Jiao, Nianzhi

2007-06-01

Anoxygenic photosynthesis, performed primarily by anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (APB), has been supposed to arise on Earth more than 3 billion years ago. The long established APB are distributed in almost every corner where light can reach. However, the relationship between APB phylogeny and source environments has been largely unexplored. Here we retrieved the pufM sequences and related source information of 89 pufM containing species from the public database. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) most likely occurred within 11 out of a total 21 pufM subgroups, not only among species within the same class but also among species of different phyla or subphyla. A clear source environment feature related phylogenetic distribution pattern was observed, with all species from oxic habitats and those from anoxic habitats clustering into independent subgroups, respectively. HGT among ancient APB and subsequent long term evolution and adaptation to separated niches may have contributed to the coupling of environment and pufM phylogeny.

Proteomic analysis of isolated chlamydomonas centrioles reveals orthologs of ciliary-disease genes.

PubMed

Keller, Lani C; Romijn, Edwin P; Zamora, Ivan; Yates, John R; Marshall, Wallace F

2005-06-21

The centriole is one of the most enigmatic organelles in the cell. Centrioles are cylindrical, microtubule-based barrels found in the core of the centrosome. Centrioles also act as basal bodies during interphase to nucleate the assembly of cilia and flagella. There are currently only a handful of known centriole proteins. We used mass-spectrometry-based MudPIT (multidimensional protein identification technology) to identify the protein composition of basal bodies (centrioles) isolated from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This analysis detected the majority of known centriole proteins, including centrin, epsilon tubulin, and the cartwheel protein BLD10p. By combining proteomic data with information about gene expression and comparative genomics, we identified 45 cross-validated centriole candidate proteins in two classes. Members of the first class of proteins (BUG1-BUG27) are encoded by genes whose expression correlates with flagellar assembly and which therefore may play a role in ciliogenesis-related functions of basal bodies. Members of the second class (POC1-POC18) are implicated by comparative-genomics and -proteomics studies to be conserved components of the centriole. We confirmed centriolar localization for the human homologs of four candidate proteins. Three of the cross-validated centriole candidate proteins are encoded by orthologs of genes (OFD1, NPHP-4, and PACRG) implicated in mammalian ciliary function and disease, suggesting that oral-facial-digital syndrome and nephronophthisis may involve a dysfunction of centrioles and/or basal bodies. By analyzing isolated Chlamydomonas basal bodies, we have been able to obtain the first reported proteomic analysis of the centriole.

Comprehensive genome-wide analysis of Glutathione S-transferase gene family in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and their expression profiling in various anatomical tissues and perturbation conditions.

PubMed

Islam, Md Shiful; Choudhury, Mouraj; Majlish, Al-Nahian Khan; Islam, Tahmina; Ghosh, Ajit

2018-01-10

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are ubiquitous enzymes which play versatile functions including cellular detoxification and stress tolerance. In this study, a comprehensive genome-wide identification of GST gene family was carried out in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The result demonstrated the presence of at least 90 GST genes in potato which is greater than any other reported species. According to the phylogenetic analyses of Arabidopsis, rice and potato GST members, GSTs could be subdivided into ten different classes and each class is found to be highly conserved. The largest class of potato GST family is tau with 66 members, followed by phi and lambda. The chromosomal localization analysis revealed the highly uneven distribution of StGST genes across the potato genome. Transcript profiling of 55 StGST genes showed the tissue-specific expression for most of the members. Moreover, expression of StGST genes were mainly repressed in response to abiotic stresses, while largely induced in response to biotic and hormonal elicitations. Further analysis of StGST gene's promoter identified the presence of various stress responsive cis-regulatory elements. Moreover, one of the highly stress responsive StGST members, StGSTU46, showed strong affinity towards flurazole with lowest binding energy of -7.6kcal/mol that could be used as antidote to protect crop against herbicides. These findings will facilitate the further functional and evolutionary characterization of GST genes in potato. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Analysis of the Perceptions and Resources of Large University Classes

PubMed Central

Cash, Ceilidh Barlow; Letargo, Jessa; Graether, Steffen P.; Jacobs, Shoshanah R.

2017-01-01

Large class learning is a reality that is not exclusive to the first-year experience at midsized, comprehensive universities; upper-year courses have similarly high enrollment, with many class sizes greater than 200 students. Research into the efficacy and deficiencies of large undergraduate classes has been ongoing for more than 100 years, with most research associating large classes with weak student engagement, decreased depth of learning, and ineffective interactions. This study used a multidimensional research approach to survey student and instructor perceptions of large biology classes and to characterize the courses offered by a department according to resources and course structure using a categorical principal components analysis. Both student and instructor survey results indicated that a large class begins around 240 students. Large classes were identified as impersonal and classified using extrinsic qualifiers; however, students did identify techniques that made the classes feel smaller. In addition to the qualitative survey, we also attempted to quantify courses by collecting data from course outlines and analyzed the data using categorical principal component analysis. The analysis maps institutional change in resource allocation and teaching structure from 2010 through 2014 and validates the use of categorical principal components analysis in educational research. We examine what perceptions and factors are involved in a large class that is perceived to feel small. Our analysis suggests that it is not the addition of resources or difference in the lecturing method, but it is the instructor that determines whether a large class can feel small. PMID:28495937

Student journals: a means of assessing transformative learning in aging related courses.

PubMed

Cohen, Adrienne L; Pitman Brown, Pamela; Morales, Justin P

2015-01-01

In courses where topics are sensitive or even considered taboo for discussion, it can be difficult to assess students' deeper learning. In addition, incorporating a wide variety of students' values and beliefs, designing instructional strategies and including varied assessments adds to the difficulty. Journal entries or response notebooks can highlight reflection upon others' viewpoints, class readings, and additional materials. These are useful across all educational levels in deep learning and comprehension strategies assessments. Journaling meshes with transformative learning constructs, allowing for critical self-reflection essential to transformation. Qualitative analysis of journals in a death and dying class reveals three transformative themes: awareness of others, questioning, and comfort. Students' journal entries demonstrate transformative learning via communication with others through increased knowledge/exposure to others' experiences and comparing/contrasting others' personal beliefs with their own. Using transformative learning within gerontology and geriatrics education, as well as other disciplined aging-related courses is discussed.

Effects of reading picture books on kindergartners' mathematics performance.

PubMed

van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Marja; Elia, Iliada; Robitzsch, Alexander

2016-02-07

This article describes a field experiment with a pretest-posttest control group design which investigated the potential of reading picture books to children for supporting their mathematical understanding. The study involved 384 children from 18 kindergarten classes in 18 schools in the Netherlands. During three months, the children in the nine experimental classes were read picture books. Data analysis revealed that, when controlled for relevant covariates, the picture book reading programme had a positive effect ( d  = .13) on kindergartners' mathematics performance as measured by a project test containing items on number, measurement and geometry. Compared to the increase from pretest to posttest in the control group, the increase in the experimental group was 22% larger. No significant differential intervention effects were found between subgroups based on kindergarten year, age, home language, socio-economic status and mathematics and language ability, but a significant intervention effect was found for girls and not for boys.

Isolation of a complementary DNA clone for the human complement protein C2 and its use in the identification of a restriction fragment length polymorphism.

PubMed Central

Woods, D E; Edge, M D; Colten, H R

1984-01-01

Complementary DNA (cDNA) clones corresponding to the major histocompatibility (MHC) class III antigen, complement protein C2, have been isolated from human liver cDNA libraries with the use of a complex mixture of synthetic oligonucleotides (17 mer) that contains 576 different oligonucleotide sequences. The C2 cDNA were used to identify a DNA restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism that provides a genetic marker within the MHC that was not detectable at the protein level. An extensive search for genomic polymorphisms using a cDNA clone for another MHC class III gene, factor B, failed to reveal any DNA variants. The genomic variants detected with the C2 cDNA probe provide an additional genetic marker for analysis of MHC-linked diseases. Images PMID:6086718

Metallic 'Ferroelectrity' in the Pyrochlore Cd 2Re 2O 7

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sergienko, I. A.; Keppens, Veerle; McGuire, M. A.

2004-01-01

A class of materials known as 'ferroelectric metals' was discussed theoretically by Anderson and Blount in 1965, but to date no examples of this class have been reported. Here we present measurements of the elastic moduli of Cd{sub 2}Re{sub 2}O{sub 7} through the 200 K cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition. A Landau analysis of the moduli reveals that the transition is consistent with Cd{sub 2}Re{sub 2}O{sub 7} being classified as a 'ferroelectric metal' in the weaker sense described by Anderson and Blount (loss of a center of symmetry). First-principles calculations of the lattice instabilities indicate that the dominant lattice instability corresponds tomore » a two-fold degenerate mode with Eu symmetry, and that motions of the O ions forming the O octahedra dominate the energetics of the transition.« less

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 11 new loci for anthropometric traits and provides insights into genetic architecture

PubMed Central

Berndt, Sonja I.; Gustafsson, Stefan; Mägi, Reedik; Ganna, Andrea; Wheeler, Eleanor; Feitosa, Mary F.; Justice, Anne E.; Monda, Keri L.; Croteau-Chonka, Damien C.; Day, Felix R.; Esko, Tõnu; Fall, Tove; Ferreira, Teresa; Gentilini, Davide; Jackson, Anne U.; Luan, Jian’an; Randall, Joshua C.; Vedantam, Sailaja; Willer, Cristen J.; Winkler, Thomas W.; Wood, Andrew R.; Workalemahu, Tsegaselassie; Hu, Yi-Juan; Lee, Sang Hong; Liang, Liming; Lin, Dan-Yu; Min, Josine L.; Neale, Benjamin M.; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Yang, Jian; Albrecht, Eva; Amin, Najaf; Bragg-Gresham, Jennifer L.; Cadby, Gemma; den Heijer, Martin; Eklund, Niina; Fischer, Krista; Goel, Anuj; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Huffman, Jennifer E.; Jarick, Ivonne; Johansson, Åsa; Johnson, Toby; Kanoni, Stavroula; Kleber, Marcus E.; König, Inke R.; Kristiansson, Kati; Kutalik, Zoltán; Lamina, Claudia; Lecoeur, Cecile; Li, Guo; Mangino, Massimo; McArdle, Wendy L.; Medina-Gomez, Carolina; Müller-Nurasyid, Martina; Ngwa, Julius S.; Nolte, Ilja M.; Paternoster, Lavinia; Pechlivanis, Sonali; Perola, Markus; Peters, Marjolein J.; Preuss, Michael; Rose, Lynda M.; Shi, Jianxin; Shungin, Dmitry; Smith, Albert Vernon; Strawbridge, Rona J.; Surakka, Ida; Teumer, Alexander; Trip, Mieke D.; Tyrer, Jonathan; Van Vliet-Ostaptchouk, Jana V.; Vandenput, Liesbeth; Waite, Lindsay L.; Zhao, Jing Hua; Absher, Devin; Asselbergs, Folkert W.; Atalay, Mustafa; Attwood, Antony P.; Balmforth, Anthony J.; Basart, Hanneke; Beilby, John; Bonnycastle, Lori L.; Brambilla, Paolo; Bruinenberg, Marcel; Campbell, Harry; Chasman, Daniel I.; Chines, Peter S.; Collins, Francis S.; Connell, John M.; Cookson, William; de Faire, Ulf; de Vegt, Femmie; Dei, Mariano; Dimitriou, Maria; Edkins, Sarah; Estrada, Karol; Evans, David M.; Farrall, Martin; Ferrario, Marco M.; Ferrières, Jean; Franke, Lude; Frau, Francesca; Gejman, Pablo V.; Grallert, Harald; Grönberg, Henrik; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Hall, Alistair S.; Hall, Per; Hartikainen, Anna-Liisa; Hayward, Caroline; Heard-Costa, Nancy L.; Heath, Andrew C.; Hebebrand, Johannes; Homuth, Georg; Hu, Frank B.; Hunt, Sarah E.; Hyppönen, Elina; Iribarren, Carlos; Jacobs, Kevin B.; Jansson, John-Olov; Jula, Antti; Kähönen, Mika; Kathiresan, Sekar; Kee, Frank; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Kivimaki, Mika; Koenig, Wolfgang; Kraja, Aldi T.; Kumari, Meena; Kuulasmaa, Kari; Kuusisto, Johanna; Laitinen, Jaana H.; Lakka, Timo A.; Langenberg, Claudia; Launer, Lenore J.; Lind, Lars; Lindström, Jaana; Liu, Jianjun; Liuzzi, Antonio; Lokki, Marja-Liisa; Lorentzon, Mattias; Madden, Pamela A.; Magnusson, Patrik K.; Manunta, Paolo; Marek, Diana; März, Winfried; Mateo Leach, Irene; McKnight, Barbara; Medland, Sarah E.; Mihailov, Evelin; Milani, Lili; Montgomery, Grant W.; Mooser, Vincent; Mühleisen, Thomas W.; Munroe, Patricia B.; Musk, Arthur W.; Narisu, Narisu; Navis, Gerjan; Nicholson, George; Nohr, Ellen A.; Ong, Ken K.; Oostra, Ben A.; Palmer, Colin N.A.; Palotie, Aarno; Peden, John F.; Pedersen, Nancy; Peters, Annette; Polasek, Ozren; Pouta, Anneli; Pramstaller, Peter P.; Prokopenko, Inga; Pütter, Carolin; Radhakrishnan, Aparna; Raitakari, Olli; Rendon, Augusto; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Rudan, Igor; Saaristo, Timo E.; Sambrook, Jennifer G.; Sanders, Alan R.; Sanna, Serena; Saramies, Jouko; Schipf, Sabine; Schreiber, Stefan; Schunkert, Heribert; Shin, So-Youn; Signorini, Stefano; Sinisalo, Juha; Skrobek, Boris; Soranzo, Nicole; Stančáková, Alena; Stark, Klaus; Stephens, Jonathan C.; Stirrups, Kathleen; Stolk, Ronald P.; Stumvoll, Michael; Swift, Amy J.; Theodoraki, Eirini V.; Thorand, Barbara; Tregouet, David-Alexandre; Tremoli, Elena; Van der Klauw, Melanie M.; van Meurs, Joyce B.J.; Vermeulen, Sita H.; Viikari, Jorma; Virtamo, Jarmo; Vitart, Veronique; Waeber, Gérard; Wang, Zhaoming; Widén, Elisabeth; Wild, Sarah H.; Willemsen, Gonneke; Winkelmann, Bernhard R.; Witteman, Jacqueline C.M.; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H.R.; Wong, Andrew; Wright, Alan F.; Zillikens, M. Carola; Amouyel, Philippe; Boehm, Bernhard O.; Boerwinkle, Eric; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Caulfield, Mark J.; Chanock, Stephen J.; Cupples, L. Adrienne; Cusi, Daniele; Dedoussis, George V.; Erdmann, Jeanette; Eriksson, Johan G.; Franks, Paul W.; Froguel, Philippe; Gieger, Christian; Gyllensten, Ulf; Hamsten, Anders; Harris, Tamara B.; Hengstenberg, Christian; Hicks, Andrew A.; Hingorani, Aroon; Hinney, Anke; Hofman, Albert; Hovingh, Kees G.; Hveem, Kristian; Illig, Thomas; Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi, Sirkka M.; Kiemeney, Lambertus A.; Kuh, Diana; Laakso, Markku; Lehtimäki, Terho; Levinson, Douglas F.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Metspalu, Andres; Morris, Andrew D.; Nieminen, Markku S.; Njølstad, Inger; Ohlsson, Claes; Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Ouwehand, Willem H.; Palmer, Lyle J.; Penninx, Brenda; Power, Chris; Province, Michael A.; Psaty, Bruce M.; Qi, Lu; Rauramaa, Rainer; Ridker, Paul M.; Ripatti, Samuli; Salomaa, Veikko; Samani, Nilesh J.; Snieder, Harold; Sørensen, Thorkild I.A.; Spector, Timothy D.; Stefansson, Kari; Tönjes, Anke; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Uitterlinden, André G.; Uusitupa, Matti; van der Harst, Pim; Vollenweider, Peter; Wallaschofski, Henri; Wareham, Nicholas J.; Watkins, Hugh; Wichmann, H.-Erich; Wilson, James F.; Abecasis, Goncalo R.; Assimes, Themistocles L.; Barroso, Inês; Boehnke, Michael; Borecki, Ingrid B.; Deloukas, Panos; Fox, Caroline S.; Frayling, Timothy; Groop, Leif C.; Haritunian, Talin; Heid, Iris M.; Hunter, David; Kaplan, Robert C.; Karpe, Fredrik; Moffatt, Miriam; Mohlke, Karen L.; O’Connell, Jeffrey R.; Pawitan, Yudi; Schadt, Eric E.; Schlessinger, David; Steinthorsdottir, Valgerdur; Strachan, David P.; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Visscher, Peter M.; Di Blasio, Anna Maria; Hirschhorn, Joel N.; Lindgren, Cecilia M.; Morris, Andrew P.; Meyre, David; Scherag, André; McCarthy, Mark I.; Speliotes, Elizabeth K.; North, Kari E.; Loos, Ruth J.F.; Ingelsson, Erik

2014-01-01

Approaches exploiting extremes of the trait distribution may reveal novel loci for common traits, but it is unknown whether such loci are generalizable to the general population. In a genome-wide search for loci associated with upper vs. lower 5th percentiles of body mass index, height and waist-hip ratio, as well as clinical classes of obesity including up to 263,407 European individuals, we identified four new loci (IGFBP4, H6PD, RSRC1, PPP2R2A) influencing height detected in the tails and seven new loci (HNF4G, RPTOR, GNAT2, MRPS33P4, ADCY9, HS6ST3, ZZZ3) for clinical classes of obesity. Further, we show that there is large overlap in terms of genetic structure and distribution of variants between traits based on extremes and the general population and little etiologic heterogeneity between obesity subgroups. PMID:23563607

Elusive treatment for human rhinosporidiosis.

PubMed

Janardhanan, Jeshina; Patole, Shalom; Varghese, Lalee; Rupa, V; Tirkey, Amit Jiwan; Varghese, George M

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to clarify the contentious taxonomic classification of Rhinosporidium seeberi, the cause of human rhinosporidiosis, which may have treatment implications. PCR was used to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-2 region from the genomic DNA of the aetiological agent obtained from a sample of human rhinosporidiosis lesions. The amplicon was sequenced and the organism identified using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tools (BLAST). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the aetiological agent clustered along with the R. seeberi isolated from humans and also with Amphibiocystidium ranae from frogs. This organism is a member of the order Dermocystida in the class Mesomycetozoea. A patient with disseminated rhinosporidiosis did not respond to conventional therapy with dapsone and surgical excision, and treatment with amphotericin B also proved futile. An effective treatment for R. seeberi-a eukaryote belonging to the class Mesomycetozoea-is still elusive. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

AnnoTALE: bioinformatics tools for identification, annotation, and nomenclature of TALEs from Xanthomonas genomic sequences

PubMed Central

Grau, Jan; Reschke, Maik; Erkes, Annett; Streubel, Jana; Morgan, Richard D.; Wilson, Geoffrey G.; Koebnik, Ralf; Boch, Jens

2016-01-01

Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are virulence factors, produced by the bacterial plant-pathogen Xanthomonas, that function as gene activators inside plant cells. Although the contribution of individual TALEs to infectivity has been shown, the specific roles of most TALEs, and the overall TALE diversity in Xanthomonas spp. is not known. TALEs possess a highly repetitive DNA-binding domain, which is notoriously difficult to sequence. Here, we describe an improved method for characterizing TALE genes by the use of PacBio sequencing. We present ‘AnnoTALE’, a suite of applications for the analysis and annotation of TALE genes from Xanthomonas genomes, and for grouping similar TALEs into classes. Based on these classes, we propose a unified nomenclature for Xanthomonas TALEs that reveals similarities pointing to related functionalities. This new classification enables us to compare related TALEs and to identify base substitutions responsible for the evolution of TALE specificities. PMID:26876161

Effects of reading picture books on kindergartners’ mathematics performance

PubMed Central

van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Marja; Elia, Iliada; Robitzsch, Alexander

2016-01-01

This article describes a field experiment with a pretest–posttest control group design which investigated the potential of reading picture books to children for supporting their mathematical understanding. The study involved 384 children from 18 kindergarten classes in 18 schools in the Netherlands. During three months, the children in the nine experimental classes were read picture books. Data analysis revealed that, when controlled for relevant covariates, the picture book reading programme had a positive effect (d = .13) on kindergartners’ mathematics performance as measured by a project test containing items on number, measurement and geometry. Compared to the increase from pretest to posttest in the control group, the increase in the experimental group was 22% larger. No significant differential intervention effects were found between subgroups based on kindergarten year, age, home language, socio-economic status and mathematics and language ability, but a significant intervention effect was found for girls and not for boys. PMID:26855457

The Role of IDO in Muc1 Targeted Immunotherapy

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

the immune system activation, such as S100A8 , S100A9, Fc receptors, MHC Class II molecules and even arginase were significantly up-regulated...protein analysis of CCN1 revealed that it was not significantly changed between 10 groups (Figure 26A). Also although S100A8 and S100A9 were...highly altered in our RNA microarray data, protein levels of S100A8 and S100A9 were highly variable within our tumors and thus an exact correlation to

Pressure-induced quantum phase transition in the quantum antiferromagnet CsFeCl3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashida, Shohei; Zaharko, Oksana; Kurita, Nobuyuki; Tanaka, Hidekazu; Hagihala, Masato; Soda, Minoru; Itoh, Shinichi; Uwatoko, Yoshiya; Masuda, Takatsugu

2018-04-01

We have studied the pressure-induced quantum phase transition in the singlet-ground-state antiferromagnet CsFeCl3. Neutron diffraction experiments under pressure evidence the magnetic long-range order at low temperatures. Magnetic structure analysis reveals a 120∘ structure with a propagation vector of kmag=(1 /3 ,1 /3 ,0 ) . The estimated critical exponent of the order parameter suggests that CsFeCl3 belongs to the universality class of U (1 ) ×Z2 symmetry which is expected to realize the chiral liquid state.

Understanding the Heterogeneity of BPD Symptoms through Latent Class Analysis: Initial Results and Clinical Correlates among Inner-City Substance Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornovalova, Marina A.; Levy, Roy; Gratz, Kim L.; Lejuez, C. W.

2010-01-01

The current study investigated the heterogeneity of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms in a sample of 382 inner-city, predominantly African American male substance users through the use of latent class analysis. A 4-class model was statistically preferred, with 1 class interpreted to be a baseline class, 1 class interpreted to be a…

Latent Class Analysis of Differential Item Functioning on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Mi-young Lee; Cohen, Allan S.; Schwanenflugel, Paula J.

2008-01-01

This study investigated the use of latent class analysis for the detection of differences in item functioning on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition (PPVT-III). A two-class solution for a latent class model appeared to be defined in part by ability because Class 1 was lower in ability than Class 2 on both the PPVT-III and the…

Limiting exercise options: depending on a proxy may inhibit exercise self-management.

PubMed

Shields, Christopher A; Brawley, Lawrence R

2007-07-01

We examined the influence of proxy-assistance on exercisers' social cognitions and behavior. Fifty-six fitness class participants reported preference for proxy-assistance and reacted to exercising in different contexts. A 2 (proxy-led vs self-managed exercise context) by 2 (preferred assistance) MANOVA revealed significant assistance by context interactions for self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) and difficulty. Regarding self-managed exercise, high-assistance individuals expressed lower SRE and higher difficulty. Chi-square analysis revealed that significantly fewer high-assistance participants chose self-managed exercise. A one-way MANOVA on preferred assistance indicated that high-assistance participants were less confident, satisfied and perceived their self-managed exercise as more difficult. Results support Bandura's theorizing that use of a proxy can limit SRE of those preferring the proxy's control of their behavior.

A Qualitative Study to Understand Nativity Differences in Breastfeeding Behaviors Among Middle-Class African American and African-Born Women.

PubMed

Fabiyi, Camille; Peacock, Nadine; Hebert-Beirne, Jennifer; Handler, Arden

2016-10-01

Objective To explore nativity differences and the role of attitudes, social norms, and behavioral control perceptions surrounding breastfeeding initiation and duration among middle-class African-American (AA) and African-born (AB) mothers in the US. Methods Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 20 middle-class AA and AB mothers in central Ohio from December 2012 to February 2013. Interview questions were developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Interviews were analyzed for salient themes by TPB constructs. Differences in themes were examined by nativity status. Results All study participants had initiated breastfeeding or bottle-feeding with expressed breast milk, noting the benefits it conferred as well as the persuasive encouragement they received from others. Persistent encouragement was often cited as a factor for sustaining breastfeeding. More AA mothers had discontinued breastfeeding by the time of the interview, which was often attributed to health, lactation, and work challenges. Inconsistent support from health providers, dissuasive remarks from others, ambivalent breastfeeding attitudes, and diminished family support led some mothers to begin formula supplementation. Analysis of maternal narratives revealed nativity differences across sources of encouragement. Specifically, important sources of encouragement were health providers for AA mothers and family, friends, partners and culture for AB mothers. Only AB mothers expressed concerns about difficulty they encountered with breastfeeding due to the lack of proximal family support. Conclusions Findings reveal that both groups of mothers may be susceptible to unsupportive breastfeeding norms in the US and also highlight the need for intervention in health care settings and workplaces to improve AA women's breastfeeding rates.

Harmonic context influences pitch class equivalence judgments through gestalt and congruency effects.

PubMed

Slana, Anka; Repovš, Grega; Fitch, W Tecumseh; Gingras, Bruno

2016-05-01

The context in which a stimulus is presented shapes the way it is processed. This effect has been studied extensively in the field of visual perception. Our understanding of how context affects the processing of auditory stimuli is, however, rather limited. Western music is primarily built on melodies (succession of pitches) typically accompanied by chords (harmonic context), which provides a natural template for the study of context effects in auditory processing. Here, we investigated whether pitch class equivalence judgments of tones are affected by the harmonic context within which the target tones are embedded. Nineteen musicians and 19 non-musicians completed a change detection task in which they were asked to determine whether two successively presented target tones, heard either in isolation or with a chordal accompaniment (same or different chords), belonged to the same pitch class. Both musicians and non-musicians were most accurate when the chords remained the same, less so in the absence of chordal accompaniment, and least when the chords differed between both target tones. Further analysis investigating possible mechanisms underpinning these effects of harmonic context on task performance revealed that both a change in gestalt (change in either chord or pitch class), as well as incongruency between change in target tone pitch class and change in chords, led to reduced accuracy and longer reaction times. Our results demonstrate that, similarly to visual processing, auditory processing is influenced by gestalt and congruency effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anatomy and histology as socially networked learning environments: some preliminary findings.

PubMed

Hafferty, Frederic W; Castellani, Brian; Hafferty, Philip K; Pawlina, Wojciech

2013-09-01

An exploratory study to better understand the "networked" life of the medical school as a learning environment. In a recent academic year, the authors gathered data during two six-week blocks of a sequential histology and anatomy course at a U.S. medical college. An eight-item questionnaire captured different dimensions of student interactions. The student cohort/network was 48 first-year medical students. Using social network analysis (SNA), the authors focused on (1) the initial structure and the evolution of informal class networks over time, (2) how informal class networks compare to formal in-class small-group assignments in influencing student information gathering, and (3) how peer assignment of professionalism role model status is shaped more by informal than formal ties. In examining these latter two issues, the authors explored not only how formal group assignment persisted over time but also how it functioned to prevent the tendency for groupings based on gender or ethnicity. The study revealed an evolving dynamic between the formal small-group learning structure of the course blocks and the emergence of informal student networks. For example, whereas formal group membership did influence in-class questions and did prevent formation of groups of like gender and ethnicity, outside-class questions and professionalism were influenced more by informal group ties where gender and, to a much lesser extent, ethnicity influence student information gathering. The richness of these preliminary findings suggests that SNA may be a useful tool in examining an array of medical student learning encounters.

A General Framework for Discovery and Classification in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Steven J.

2012-09-01

An analysis of the discovery of 82 classes of astronomical objects reveals an extended structure of discovery, consisting of detection, interpretation and understanding, each with its own nuances and a microstructure including conceptual, technological and social roles. This is true with a remarkable degree of consistency over the last 400 years of telescopic astronomy, ranging from Galileo's discovery of satellites, planetary rings and star clusters, to the discovery of quasars and pulsars. Telescopes have served as ``engines of discovery'' in several ways, ranging from telescope size and sensitivity (planetary nebulae and spiral nebulae), to specialized detectors (TNOs) and the opening of the electromagnetic spectrum for astronomy (pulsars, pulsar planets, and most active galaxies). A few classes (radiation belts, the solar wind and cosmic rays) were initially discovered without the telescope. Classification also plays an important role in discovery. While it might seem that classification marks the end of discovery, or a post-discovery phase, in fact it often marks the beginning, even a pre-discovery phase. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in the classification of stellar spectra, long before dwarfs, giants and supergiants were known, or their evolutionary sequence recognized. Classification may also be part of a post-discovery phase, as in the MK system of stellar classification, constructed after the discovery of stellar luminosity classes. Some classes are declared rather than detected, as in the case of gas and ice giant planets, and, infamously, Pluto as a dwarf planet. Others are inferred rather than detected, including most classes of stars.

Comparative analysis of fungal genomes reveals different plant cell wall degrading capacity in fungi

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Fungi produce a variety of carbohydrate activity enzymes (CAZymes) for the degradation of plant polysaccharide materials to facilitate infection and/or gain nutrition. Identifying and comparing CAZymes from fungi with different nutritional modes or infection mechanisms may provide information for better understanding of their life styles and infection models. To date, over hundreds of fungal genomes are publicly available. However, a systematic comparative analysis of fungal CAZymes across the entire fungal kingdom has not been reported. Results In this study, we systemically identified glycoside hydrolases (GHs), polysaccharide lyases (PLs), carbohydrate esterases (CEs), and glycosyltransferases (GTs) as well as carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) in the predicted proteomes of 103 representative fungi from Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Zygomycota. Comparative analysis of these CAZymes that play major roles in plant polysaccharide degradation revealed that fungi exhibit tremendous diversity in the number and variety of CAZymes. Among them, some families of GHs and CEs are the most prevalent CAZymes that are distributed in all of the fungi analyzed. Importantly, cellulases of some GH families are present in fungi that are not known to have cellulose-degrading ability. In addition, our results also showed that in general, plant pathogenic fungi have the highest number of CAZymes. Biotrophic fungi tend to have fewer CAZymes than necrotrophic and hemibiotrophic fungi. Pathogens of dicots often contain more pectinases than fungi infecting monocots. Interestingly, besides yeasts, many saprophytic fungi that are highly active in degrading plant biomass contain fewer CAZymes than plant pathogenic fungi. Furthermore, analysis of the gene expression profile of the wheat scab fungus Fusarium graminearum revealed that most of the CAZyme genes related to cell wall degradation were up-regulated during plant infection. Phylogenetic analysis also revealed a complex history of lineage-specific expansions and attritions for the PL1 family. Conclusions Our study provides insights into the variety and expansion of fungal CAZyme classes and revealed the relationship of CAZyme size and diversity with their nutritional strategy and host specificity. PMID:23617724

Social network analysis of duplicative prescriptions: One-month analysis of medical facilities in Japan.

PubMed

Takahashi, Yoshimitsu; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Nakayama, Takeo; Kawachi, Ichiro

2016-03-01

Duplicative prescriptions refer to situations in which patients receive medications for the same condition from two or more sources. Health officials in Japan have expressed concern about medical "waste" resulting from this practices. We sought to conduct descriptive analysis of duplicative prescriptions using social network analysis and to report their prevalence across ages. We analyzed a health insurance claims database including 1.24 million people from December 2012. Through social network analysis, we examined the duplicative prescription networks, representing each medical facility as nodes, and individual prescriptions for patients as edges. The prevalence of duplicative prescription for any drug class was strongly correlated with its frequency of prescription (r=0.90). Among patients aged 0-19, cough and colds drugs showed the highest prevalence of duplicative prescriptions (10.8%). Among people aged 65 and over, antihypertensive drugs had the highest frequency of prescriptions, but the prevalence of duplicative prescriptions was low (0.2-0.3%). Social network analysis revealed clusters of facilities connected via duplicative prescriptions, e.g., psychotropic drugs showed clustering due to a few patients receiving drugs from 10 or more facilities. Overall, the prevalence of duplicative prescriptions was quite low - less than 10% - although the extent of the problem varied by drug class and age group. Our approach illustrates the potential utility of using a social network approach to understand these practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bayesian variable selection for post-analytic interrogation of susceptibility loci.

PubMed

Chen, Siying; Nunez, Sara; Reilly, Muredach P; Foulkes, Andrea S

2017-06-01

Understanding the complex interplay among protein coding genes and regulatory elements requires rigorous interrogation with analytic tools designed for discerning the relative contributions of overlapping genomic regions. To this aim, we offer a novel application of Bayesian variable selection (BVS) for classifying genomic class level associations using existing large meta-analysis summary level resources. This approach is applied using the expectation maximization variable selection (EMVS) algorithm to typed and imputed SNPs across 502 protein coding genes (PCGs) and 220 long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that overlap 45 known loci for coronary artery disease (CAD) using publicly available Global Lipids Gentics Consortium (GLGC) (Teslovich et al., 2010; Willer et al., 2013) meta-analysis summary statistics for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The analysis reveals 33 PCGs and three lncRNAs across 11 loci with >50% posterior probabilities for inclusion in an additive model of association. The findings are consistent with previous reports, while providing some new insight into the architecture of LDL-cholesterol to be investigated further. As genomic taxonomies continue to evolve, additional classes such as enhancer elements and splicing regions, can easily be layered into the proposed analysis framework. Moreover, application of this approach to alternative publicly available meta-analysis resources, or more generally as a post-analytic strategy to further interrogate regions that are identified through single point analysis, is straightforward. All coding examples are implemented in R version 3.2.1 and provided as supplemental material. © 2016, The International Biometric Society.

A large-scale genetic analysis reveals a strong contribution of the HLA class II region to giant cell arteritis susceptibility.

PubMed

Carmona, F David; Mackie, Sarah L; Martín, Jose-Ezequiel; Taylor, John C; Vaglio, Augusto; Eyre, Stephen; Bossini-Castillo, Lara; Castañeda, Santos; Cid, Maria C; Hernández-Rodríguez, José; Prieto-González, Sergio; Solans, Roser; Ramentol-Sintas, Marc; González-Escribano, M Francisca; Ortiz-Fernández, Lourdes; Morado, Inmaculada C; Narváez, Javier; Miranda-Filloy, José A; Beretta, Lorenzo; Lunardi, Claudio; Cimmino, Marco A; Gianfreda, Davide; Santilli, Daniele; Ramirez, Giuseppe A; Soriano, Alessandra; Muratore, Francesco; Pazzola, Giulia; Addimanda, Olga; Wijmenga, Cisca; Witte, Torsten; Schirmer, Jan H; Moosig, Frank; Schönau, Verena; Franke, Andre; Palm, Øyvind; Molberg, Øyvind; Diamantopoulos, Andreas P; Carette, Simon; Cuthbertson, David; Forbess, Lindsy J; Hoffman, Gary S; Khalidi, Nader A; Koening, Curry L; Langford, Carol A; McAlear, Carol A; Moreland, Larry; Monach, Paul A; Pagnoux, Christian; Seo, Philip; Spiera, Robert; Sreih, Antoine G; Warrington, Kenneth J; Ytterberg, Steven R; Gregersen, Peter K; Pease, Colin T; Gough, Andrew; Green, Michael; Hordon, Lesley; Jarrett, Stephen; Watts, Richard; Levy, Sarah; Patel, Yusuf; Kamath, Sanjeet; Dasgupta, Bhaskar; Worthington, Jane; Koeleman, Bobby P C; de Bakker, Paul I W; Barrett, Jennifer H; Salvarani, Carlo; Merkel, Peter A; González-Gay, Miguel A; Morgan, Ann W; Martín, Javier

2015-04-02

We conducted a large-scale genetic analysis on giant cell arteritis (GCA), a polygenic immune-mediated vasculitis. A case-control cohort, comprising 1,651 case subjects with GCA and 15,306 unrelated control subjects from six different countries of European ancestry, was genotyped by the Immunochip array. We also imputed HLA data with a previously validated imputation method to perform a more comprehensive analysis of this genomic region. The strongest association signals were observed in the HLA region, with rs477515 representing the highest peak (p = 4.05 × 10(-40), OR = 1.73). A multivariate model including class II amino acids of HLA-DRβ1 and HLA-DQα1 and one class I amino acid of HLA-B explained most of the HLA association with GCA, consistent with previously reported associations of classical HLA alleles like HLA-DRB1(∗)04. An omnibus test on polymorphic amino acid positions highlighted DRβ1 13 (p = 4.08 × 10(-43)) and HLA-DQα1 47 (p = 4.02 × 10(-46)), 56, and 76 (both p = 1.84 × 10(-45)) as relevant positions for disease susceptibility. Outside the HLA region, the most significant loci included PTPN22 (rs2476601, p = 1.73 × 10(-6), OR = 1.38), LRRC32 (rs10160518, p = 4.39 × 10(-6), OR = 1.20), and REL (rs115674477, p = 1.10 × 10(-5), OR = 1.63). Our study provides evidence of a strong contribution of HLA class I and II molecules to susceptibility to GCA. In the non-HLA region, we confirmed a key role for the functional PTPN22 rs2476601 variant and proposed other putative risk loci for GCA involved in Th1, Th17, and Treg cell function. Copyright © 2015 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Large-Scale Genetic Analysis Reveals a Strong Contribution of the HLA Class II Region to Giant Cell Arteritis Susceptibility

PubMed Central

Carmona, F. David; Mackie, Sarah L.; Martín, Jose-Ezequiel; Taylor, John C.; Vaglio, Augusto; Eyre, Stephen; Bossini-Castillo, Lara; Castañeda, Santos; Cid, Maria C.; Hernández-Rodríguez, José; Prieto-González, Sergio; Solans, Roser; Ramentol-Sintas, Marc; González-Escribano, M. Francisca; Ortiz-Fernández, Lourdes; Morado, Inmaculada C.; Narváez, Javier; Miranda-Filloy, José A.; Martínez-Berriochoa, Agustín; Unzurrunzaga, Ainhoa; Hidalgo-Conde, Ana; Madroñero-Vuelta, Ana B.; Fernández-Nebro, Antonio; Ordóñez-Cañizares, M. Carmen; Escalante, Begoña; Marí-Alfonso, Begoña; Sopeña, Bernardo; Magro, César; Raya, Enrique; Grau, Elena; Román, José A.; de Miguel, Eugenio; López-Longo, F. Javier; Martínez, Lina; Gómez-Vaquero, Carmen; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Benjamín; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Luis; Díaz-López, J. Bernardino; Caminal-Montero, Luis; Martínez-Zapico, Aleida; Monfort, Jordi; Tío, Laura; Sánchez-Martín, Julio; Alegre-Sancho, Juan J.; Sáez-Comet, Luis; Pérez-Conesa, Mercedes; Corbera-Bellalta, Marc; García-Villanueva, M. Jesús; Fernández-Contreras, M. Encarnación; Sanchez-Pernaute, Olga; Blanco, Ricardo; Ortego-Centeno, Norberto; Ríos-Fernández, Raquel; Callejas, José L.; Fanlo-Mateo, Patricia; Martínez-Taboada, Víctor M.; Beretta, Lorenzo; Lunardi, Claudio; Cimmino, Marco A.; Gianfreda, Davide; Santilli, Daniele; Ramirez, Giuseppe A.; Soriano, Alessandra; Muratore, Francesco; Pazzola, Giulia; Addimanda, Olga; Wijmenga, Cisca; Witte, Torsten; Schirmer, Jan H.; Moosig, Frank; Schönau, Verena; Franke, Andre; Palm, Øyvind; Molberg, Øyvind; Diamantopoulos, Andreas P.; Carette, Simon; Cuthbertson, David; Forbess, Lindsy J.; Hoffman, Gary S.; Khalidi, Nader A.; Koening, Curry L.; Langford, Carol A.; McAlear, Carol A.; Moreland, Larry; Monach, Paul A.; Pagnoux, Christian; Seo, Philip; Spiera, Robert; Sreih, Antoine G.; Warrington, Kenneth J.; Ytterberg, Steven R.; Gregersen, Peter K.; Pease, Colin T.; Gough, Andrew; Green, Michael; Hordon, Lesley; Jarrett, Stephen; Watts, Richard; Levy, Sarah; Patel, Yusuf; Kamath, Sanjeet; Dasgupta, Bhaskar; Worthington, Jane; Koeleman, Bobby P.C.; de Bakker, Paul I.W.; Barrett, Jennifer H.; Salvarani, Carlo; Merkel, Peter A.; González-Gay, Miguel A.; Morgan, Ann W.; Martín, Javier

2015-01-01

We conducted a large-scale genetic analysis on giant cell arteritis (GCA), a polygenic immune-mediated vasculitis. A case-control cohort, comprising 1,651 case subjects with GCA and 15,306 unrelated control subjects from six different countries of European ancestry, was genotyped by the Immunochip array. We also imputed HLA data with a previously validated imputation method to perform a more comprehensive analysis of this genomic region. The strongest association signals were observed in the HLA region, with rs477515 representing the highest peak (p = 4.05 × 10−40, OR = 1.73). A multivariate model including class II amino acids of HLA-DRβ1 and HLA-DQα1 and one class I amino acid of HLA-B explained most of the HLA association with GCA, consistent with previously reported associations of classical HLA alleles like HLA-DRB1∗04. An omnibus test on polymorphic amino acid positions highlighted DRβ1 13 (p = 4.08 × 10−43) and HLA-DQα1 47 (p = 4.02 × 10−46), 56, and 76 (both p = 1.84 × 10−45) as relevant positions for disease susceptibility. Outside the HLA region, the most significant loci included PTPN22 (rs2476601, p = 1.73 × 10−6, OR = 1.38), LRRC32 (rs10160518, p = 4.39 × 10−6, OR = 1.20), and REL (rs115674477, p = 1.10 × 10−5, OR = 1.63). Our study provides evidence of a strong contribution of HLA class I and II molecules to susceptibility to GCA. In the non-HLA region, we confirmed a key role for the functional PTPN22 rs2476601 variant and proposed other putative risk loci for GCA involved in Th1, Th17, and Treg cell function. PMID:25817017

Koula Pratsika and Her Dance School: Embracing Gender, Class and the Nation in the Formative Years of Contemporary Dance Education in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsintziloni, Steriani

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article was to provide a historical examination of the interplay between Koula Pratsika's dance school, its historical and social context and the formation of social categories of class, gender and nation in the 1930s as part of a greater project, that of the formation of upper class culture. This perspective reveals the…

Paths to tobacco abstinence: A repeated-measures latent class analysis.

PubMed

McCarthy, Danielle E; Ebssa, Lemma; Witkiewitz, Katie; Shiffman, Saul

2015-08-01

Knowledge of smoking change processes may be enhanced by identifying pathways to stable abstinence. We sought to identify latent classes of smokers based on their day-to-day smoking status in the first weeks of a cessation attempt. We examined treatment effects on class membership and compared classes on baseline individual differences and 6-month abstinence rates. In this secondary analysis of a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial (N = 1,433) of 5 smoking cessation pharmacotherapies (nicotine patch, nicotine lozenge, bupropion SR, patch and lozenge, or bupropion SR and lozenge), we conducted repeated-measures latent class analysis of daily smoking status (any smoking vs. none) for the first 27 days of a quit attempt. Treatment and covariate relations with latent class membership were examined. Distal outcome analysis compared confirmed 6-month abstinence rates among the latent classes. A 5-class solution was selected. Three-quarters of smokers were in stable smoking or abstinent classes, but 25% were in classes with unstable abstinence probabilities over time. Active treatment (compared to placebo), and particularly the patch and lozenge combination, promoted early quitting. Latent classes differed in 6-month abstinence rates and on several baseline variables, including nicotine dependence, quitting history, self-efficacy, sleep disturbance, and minority status. Repeated-measures latent class analysis identified latent classes of smoking change patterns affected by treatment, related to known risk factors, and predictive of distal outcomes. Tracking behavior early in a change attempt may identify prognostic patterns of change and facilitate adaptive treatment planning. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Dental compensation for moderate Class III with vertical growth pattern by extraction of the lower second molars.

PubMed

Jacobs, Collin; Jacobs-Müller, Claudia; Hoffmann, Viviana; Meila, Dan; Erbe, Christina; Krieger, Elena; Wehrbein, Heiner

2012-01-01

Analysis of the effects and side effects of treatment of patients with moderate skeletal Class III and vertical growth pattern by means of extraction of the second molars in the lower jaw. A total of 20 patients with a mean age of 12.9 years were examined retrospectively. Inclusion criteria consisted of a Wits value of 0 to -5, a posterior growth pattern of the mandible (Hasund analysis), an overjet of -2 to 1 mm, and an overbite of 0 to -3 mm. Treatment was performed using a straight-wire appliance. As part of the treatment, the lower second molars were extracted and Class III elastics attached. Cephalograms and orthopantomograms taken before and after treatment were used for evaluation. Treatment resulted in a significant change in the mean overjet from 0.5 mm to 2.1 mm and the attainment of a positive mean overbite of -1.0 mm to 0.9 mm. The occlusal plane rotated anteriorly from 18.8° to 13.7°. The skeletal parameters showed a change in the Wits value from -3.3 mm to -1.4 mm and an anterior mandibular rotation (ML-NSL 35.5° vs. 32.0°). The soft tissues revealed an increase in the distance between the lower lip and the "esthetic line" to the posterior (-2.0 mm vs. -3.9 mm). Dental compensation of moderate skeletal Class III with a tendency to an anterior open bite with vertical growth pattern by extracting the lower second molars, combined with Class III elastics, resulted in an anterior rotation of the occlusal plane and mandible. Eighteen of 20 patients achieved a physiological overjet and positive overbite. A prerequisite for this therapy is the presence of lower wisdom teeth; a potential side effect is elongation of the upper second molars.

Comparing Factor, Class, and Mixture Models of Cannabis Initiation and DSM Cannabis Use Disorder Criteria, Including Craving, in the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study

PubMed Central

Kubarych, Thomas S.; Kendler, Kenneth S.; Aggen, Steven H.; Estabrook, Ryne; Edwards, Alexis C.; Clark, Shaunna L.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Hickie, Ian B.; Neale, Michael C.; Gillespie, Nathan A.

2014-01-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) diagnostic criteria for cannabis abuse and dependence are best represented by a single underlying factor. However, it remains possible that models with additional factors, or latent class models or hybrid models, may better explain the data. Using structured interviews, 626 adult male and female twins provided complete data on symptoms of cannabis abuse and dependence, plus a craving criterion. We compared latent factor analysis, latent class analysis, and factor mixture modeling using normal theory marginal maximum likelihood for ordinal data. Our aim was to derive a parsimonious, best-fitting cannabis use disorder (CUD) phenotype based on DSM-IV criteria and determine whether DSM-5 craving loads onto a general factor. When compared with latent class and mixture models, factor models provided a better fit to the data. When conditioned on initiation and cannabis use, the association between criteria for abuse, dependence, withdrawal, and craving were best explained by two correlated latent factors for males and females: a general risk factor to CUD and a factor capturing the symptoms of social and occupational impairment as a consequence of frequent use. Secondary analyses revealed a modest increase in the prevalence of DSM-5 CUD compared with DSM-IV cannabis abuse or dependence. It is concluded that, in addition to a general factor with loadings on cannabis use and symptoms of abuse, dependence, withdrawal, and craving, a second clinically relevant factor defined by features of social and occupational impairment was also found for frequent cannabis use. PMID:24588857

In silico analysis and in vitro evaluation of immunogenic and immunomodulatory properties of promiscuous peptides derived from Leishmania infantum eukaryotic initiation factor.

PubMed

Koutsoni, Olga S; Routsias, John G; Kyriazis, Ioannis D; Barhoumi, Mourad; Guizani, Ikram; Tsakris, Athanassios; Dotsika, Eleni

2017-11-01

It is generally considered as imperative the ability to control leishmaniasis through the development of a protective vaccine capable of inducing long-lasting and protective cell-mediated immune responses. In this current study, we demonstrated potential epitopes that bind to H2 MHC class I and II molecules by conducting the in silico analysis of Leishmania infantum eukaryotic Initiation Factor (LieIF) protein, using online available algorithms. Moreover, we synthesized five peptides (16-18 amino acids long) which are part of the N-terminal portion of LieIF and contain promising MHC class I and II-restricted epitopes and afterwards, their predicted immunogenicity was evaluated in vitro by monitoring peptide-specific T-cell responses. Additionally, the immunomodulatory properties of these peptides were investigated in vitro by exploring their potential of inducing phenotypic maturation and functional differentiation of murine Bone-Marrow derived Dendritic Cells (BM-DCs). It was revealed by our data that all the synthetic peptides predicted for H2 alleles; present the property of immunogenicity. Among the synthetic peptides which contained T-cell epitopes, the peptide 52-68 aa (LieIF_2) exhibited immunomodulatory properties with the larger potential. LieIF_2-pulsed BM-DCs up-regulated the expression of the co-stimulatory surface molecules CD80 and CD86, as well as the production of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α and of the Th1-polarizing cytokines IL-12 and IFN-γ. The aforementioned data suggest that selected parts of LieIF could be used to develop innovative subunit protective vaccines able to induce effective immunity mediated by MHC class I-restricted as well as class II-restricted T-cell responses. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.