Geostatistical noise filtering of geophysical images : application to unexploded ordnance (UXO) sites.

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

Saito, Hirotaka; McKenna, Sean Andrew; Coburn, Timothy C.

2004-07-01

Geostatistical and non-geostatistical noise filtering methodologies, factorial kriging and a low-pass filter, and a region growing method are applied to analytic signal magnetometer images at two UXO contaminated sites to delineate UXO target areas. Overall delineation performance is improved by removing background noise. Factorial kriging slightly outperforms the low-pass filter but there is no distinct difference between them in terms of finding anomalies of interest.

Perspectives on holoprosencephaly: Part III. Spectra, distinctions, continuities, and discontinuities.

PubMed

Cohen, M M

1989-10-01

This paper attempts to balance our knowledge of holoprosencephalic spectra and continuities with important distinctions and discontinuities. Prevalence studies and syndrome delineation are briefly reviewed. The following topics receive detailed coverage: human teratogens, special aspects of forebrain and hindbrain malformations, aprosencephaly/atelencephaly, association with neural tube defects, current assessment of "facial principles," and endocrine abnormalities.

Quality characteristics of U.S. soft white and club wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

U.S. soft white wheat from the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho is a premium quality, versatile soft wheat. Soft White wheat (SWW) is comprised of winter and spring-sown varieties; spike morphology further delineates the class into ‘common’ (lax) and club sub-classes. The reg...

Delineating slowly and rapidly evolving fractions of the Drosophila genome.

PubMed

Keith, Jonathan M; Adams, Peter; Stephen, Stuart; Mattick, John S

2008-05-01

Evolutionary conservation is an important indicator of function and a major component of bioinformatic methods to identify non-protein-coding genes. We present a new Bayesian method for segmenting pairwise alignments of eukaryotic genomes while simultaneously classifying segments into slowly and rapidly evolving fractions. We also describe an information criterion similar to the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) for determining the number of classes. Working with pairwise alignments enables detection of differences in conservation patterns among closely related species. We analyzed three whole-genome and three partial-genome pairwise alignments among eight Drosophila species. Three distinct classes of conservation level were detected. Sequences comprising the most slowly evolving component were consistent across a range of species pairs, and constituted approximately 62-66% of the D. melanogaster genome. Almost all (>90%) of the aligned protein-coding sequence is in this fraction, suggesting much of it (comprising the majority of the Drosophila genome, including approximately 56% of non-protein-coding sequences) is functional. The size and content of the most rapidly evolving component was species dependent, and varied from 1.6% to 4.8%. This fraction is also enriched for protein-coding sequence (while containing significant amounts of non-protein-coding sequence), suggesting it is under positive selection. We also classified segments according to conservation and GC content simultaneously. This analysis identified numerous sub-classes of those identified on the basis of conservation alone, but was nevertheless consistent with that classification. Software, data, and results available at www.maths.qut.edu.au/-keithj/. Genomic segments comprising the conservation classes available in BED format.

Delineating ecological regions in marine systems: Integrating physical structure and community composition to inform spatial management in the eastern Bering Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Matthew R.; Hollowed, Anne B.

2014-11-01

Characterizing spatial structure and delineating meaningful spatial boundaries have useful applications to understanding regional dynamics in marine systems, and are integral to ecosystem approaches to fisheries management. Physical structure and drivers combine with biological responses and interactions to organize marine systems in unique ways at multiple scales. We apply multivariate statistical methods to define spatially coherent ecological units or ecoregions in the eastern Bering Sea. We also illustrate a practical approach to integrate data on species distribution, habitat structure and physical forcing mechanisms to distinguish areas with distinct biogeography as one means to define management units in large marine ecosystems. We use random forests to quantify the relative importance of habitat and environmental variables to the distribution of individual species, and to quantify shifts in multispecies assemblages or community composition along environmental gradients. Threshold shifts in community composition are used to identify regions with distinct physical and biological attributes, and to evaluate the relative importance of predictor variables to determining regional boundaries. Depth, bottom temperature and frontal boundaries were dominant factors delineating distinct biological communities in this system, with a latitudinal divide at approximately 60°N. Our results indicate that distinct climatic periods will shift habitat gradients and that dynamic physical variables such as temperature and stratification are important to understanding temporal stability of ecoregion boundaries. We note distinct distribution patterns among functional guilds and also evidence for resource partitioning among individual species within each guild. By integrating physical and biological data to determine spatial patterns in community composition, we partition ecosystems along ecologically significant gradients. This may provide a basis for defining spatial management units or serve as a baseline index for analyses of structural shifts in the physical environment, species abundance and distribution, and community dynamics over time.

Postaccess processes in the open vs. closed class distinction.

PubMed

Matthei, E H; Kean, M L

1989-02-01

We present the results of two auditory lexical decision experiments in which we attempted to replicate findings originally presented in Bradley (1978, Computational distinctions of vocabulary type, Ph.D. dissertation, MIT). The results obtained by Bradley were used as evidence for a processing distinction between the open and the closed class vocabularies; this distinction then used as part of an explanation for agrammatism in the comprehension and production of Broca's aphasics. In our first experiment we failed to replicate Bradley's result of frequency insensitivity in the closed class. Our second experiment, however, replicates Bradley's finding that closed class based nonwords (e.g., thanage) fail to induce interference effects in nonword decisions. We argue that our results, together with the various other reported failures to replicate Bradley's frequency insensitivity result, indicate that the open and closed classes may play distinct roles in postaccess phenomena involving the processing of morphological information but that such studies cannot address the question of whether the open vs. closed class distinction plays a role in syntactic processing.

Structures of human folate receptors reveal biological trafficking states and diversity in folate and antifolate recognition.

PubMed

Wibowo, Ardian S; Singh, Mirage; Reeder, Kristen M; Carter, Joshua J; Kovach, Alexander R; Meng, Wuyi; Ratnam, Manohar; Zhang, Faming; Dann, Charles E

2013-09-17

Antifolates, folate analogs that inhibit vitamin B9 (folic acid)-using cellular enzymes, have been used over several decades for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Cellular uptake of the antifolates in clinical use occurs primarily via widely expressed facilitative membrane transporters. More recently, human folate receptors (FRs), high affinity receptors that transport folate via endocytosis, have been proposed as targets for the specific delivery of new classes of antifolates or folate conjugates to tumors or sites of inflammation. The development of specific, FR-targeted antifolates would be accelerated if additional biophysical data, particularly structural models of the receptors, were available. Here we describe six distinct crystallographic models that provide insight into biological trafficking of FRs and distinct binding modes of folate and antifolates to these receptors. From comparison of the structures, we delineate discrete structural conformations representative of key stages in the endocytic trafficking of FRs and propose models for pH-dependent conformational changes. Additionally, we describe the molecular details of human FR in complex with three clinically prevalent antifolates, pemetrexed (also Alimta), aminopterin, and methotrexate. On the whole, our data form the basis for rapid design and implementation of unique, FR-targeted, folate-based drugs for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

Delineation of preventative landslide buffers along steep streamside slopes in northern California

Treesearch

Jason S. Woodward; David W. Lamphear; Matthew R. House

2012-01-01

Green Diamond Resource Co (GDRCo) applies tree retention buffers to steep slopes along fish bearing (Class I) and non-fish bearing (Class II) streams that are in addition to the standard riparian management zones associated with timber harvest plans. These Steep Streamside Slope (SSS) buffers were designed to reduce the amount of sediment delivering to watercourses as...

Labeling for Big Data in radiation oncology: The Radiation Oncology Structures ontology.

PubMed

Bibault, Jean-Emmanuel; Zapletal, Eric; Rance, Bastien; Giraud, Philippe; Burgun, Anita

2018-01-01

Leveraging Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Oncology Information Systems (OIS) has great potential to generate hypotheses for cancer treatment, since they directly provide medical data on a large scale. In order to gather a significant amount of patients with a high level of clinical details, multicenter studies are necessary. A challenge in creating high quality Big Data studies involving several treatment centers is the lack of semantic interoperability between data sources. We present the ontology we developed to address this issue. Radiation Oncology anatomical and target volumes were categorized in anatomical and treatment planning classes. International delineation guidelines specific to radiation oncology were used for lymph nodes areas and target volumes. Hierarchical classes were created to generate The Radiation Oncology Structures (ROS) Ontology. The ROS was then applied to the data from our institution. Four hundred and seventeen classes were created with a maximum of 14 children classes (average = 5). The ontology was then converted into a Web Ontology Language (.owl) format and made available online on Bioportal and GitHub under an Apache 2.0 License. We extracted all structures delineated in our department since the opening in 2001. 20,758 structures were exported from our "record-and-verify" system, demonstrating a significant heterogeneity within a single center. All structures were matched to the ROS ontology before integration into our clinical data warehouse (CDW). In this study we describe a new ontology, specific to radiation oncology, that reports all anatomical and treatment planning structures that can be delineated. This ontology will be used to integrate dosimetric data in the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris CDW that stores data from 6.5 million patients (as of February 2017).

Labeling for Big Data in radiation oncology: The Radiation Oncology Structures ontology

PubMed Central

Zapletal, Eric; Rance, Bastien; Giraud, Philippe; Burgun, Anita

2018-01-01

Purpose Leveraging Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Oncology Information Systems (OIS) has great potential to generate hypotheses for cancer treatment, since they directly provide medical data on a large scale. In order to gather a significant amount of patients with a high level of clinical details, multicenter studies are necessary. A challenge in creating high quality Big Data studies involving several treatment centers is the lack of semantic interoperability between data sources. We present the ontology we developed to address this issue. Methods Radiation Oncology anatomical and target volumes were categorized in anatomical and treatment planning classes. International delineation guidelines specific to radiation oncology were used for lymph nodes areas and target volumes. Hierarchical classes were created to generate The Radiation Oncology Structures (ROS) Ontology. The ROS was then applied to the data from our institution. Results Four hundred and seventeen classes were created with a maximum of 14 children classes (average = 5). The ontology was then converted into a Web Ontology Language (.owl) format and made available online on Bioportal and GitHub under an Apache 2.0 License. We extracted all structures delineated in our department since the opening in 2001. 20,758 structures were exported from our “record-and-verify” system, demonstrating a significant heterogeneity within a single center. All structures were matched to the ROS ontology before integration into our clinical data warehouse (CDW). Conclusion In this study we describe a new ontology, specific to radiation oncology, that reports all anatomical and treatment planning structures that can be delineated. This ontology will be used to integrate dosimetric data in the Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris CDW that stores data from 6.5 million patients (as of February 2017). PMID:29351341

Neurogliaform cortical interneurons derive from cells in the preoptic area

PubMed Central

Cadilhac, Christelle; Prados, Julien; Holtmaat, Anthony

2018-01-01

Delineating the basic cellular components of cortical inhibitory circuits remains a fundamental issue in order to understand their specific contributions to microcircuit function. It is still unclear how current classifications of cortical interneuron subtypes relate to biological processes such as their developmental specification. Here we identified the developmental trajectory of neurogliaform cells (NGCs), the main effectors of a powerful inhibitory motif recruited by long-range connections. Using in vivo genetic lineage-tracing in mice, we report that NGCs originate from a specific pool of 5-HT3AR-expressing Hmx3+ cells located in the preoptic area (POA). Hmx3-derived 5-HT3AR+ cortical interneurons (INs) expressed the transcription factors PROX1, NR2F2, the marker reelin but not VIP and exhibited the molecular, morphological and electrophysiological profile of NGCs. Overall, these results indicate that NGCs are a distinct class of INs with a unique developmental trajectory and open the possibility to study their specific functional contribution to cortical inhibitory microcircuit motifs. PMID:29557780

Driven Phases of Quantum Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khemani, Vedika; von Keyserlingk, Curt; Lazarides, Achilleas; Moessner, Roderich; Sondhi, Shivaji

Clean and interacting periodically driven quantum systems are believed to exhibit a single, trivial ``infinite-temperature'' Floquet-ergodic phase. By contrast, I will show that their disordered Floquet many-body localized counterparts can exhibit distinct ordered phases with spontaneously broken symmetries delineated by sharp transitions. Some of these are analogs of equilibrium states, while others are genuinely new to the Floquet setting. I will show that a subset of these novel phases are absolutely stableto all weak local deformations of the underlying Floquet drives, and spontaneously break Hamiltonian dependent emergent symmetries. Strikingly, they simultaneously also break the underlying time-translation symmetry of the Floquet drive and the order parameter exhibits oscillations at multiples of the fundamental period. This ``time-crystallinity'' goes hand in hand with spatial symmetry breaking and, altogether, these phases exhibit a novel form of simultaneous long-range order in space and time. I will describe how this spatiotemporal order can be detected in experiments involving quenches from a broad class of initial states.

Optimal land use/land cover classification using remote sensing imagery for hydrological modeling in a Himalayan watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saran, Sameer; Sterk, Geert; Kumar, Suresh

2009-10-01

Land use/land cover is an important watershed surface characteristic that affects surface runoff and erosion. Many of the available hydrological models divide the watershed into Hydrological Response Units (HRU), which are spatial units with expected similar hydrological behaviours. The division into HRU's requires good-quality spatial data on land use/land cover. This paper presents different approaches to attain an optimal land use/land cover map based on remote sensing imagery for a Himalayan watershed in northern India. First digital classifications using maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) and a decision tree classifier were applied. The results obtained from the decision tree were better and even improved after post classification sorting. But the obtained land use/land cover map was not sufficient for the delineation of HRUs, since the agricultural land use/land cover class did not discriminate between the two major crops in the area i.e. paddy and maize. Subsequently the digital classification on fused data (ASAR and ASTER) were attempted to map land use/land cover classes with emphasis to delineate the paddy and maize crops but the supervised classification over fused datasets did not provide the desired accuracy and proper delineation of paddy and maize crops. Eventually, we adopted a visual classification approach on fused data. This second step with detailed classification system resulted into better classification accuracy within the 'agricultural land' class which will be further combined with topography and soil type to derive HRU's for physically-based hydrological modeling.

Bacterial community shift in the coastal Gulf of Mexico salt-marsh sediment microcosm in vitro following exposure to the Mississippi Canyon Block 252 oil (MC252).

PubMed

Koo, Hyunmin; Mojib, Nazia; Huang, Jonathan P; Donahoe, Rona J; Bej, Asim K

2015-08-01

In this study, we examined the responses by the indigenous bacterial communities in salt-marsh sediment microcosms in vitro following treatment with Mississippi Canyon Block 252 oil (MC252). Microcosms were constructed of sediment and seawater collected from Bayou La Batre located in coastal Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. We used an amplicon pyrosequencing approach on microcosm sediment metagenome targeting the V3-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Overall, we identified a shift in the bacterial community in three distinct groups. The first group was the early responders (orders Pseudomonadales and Oceanospirillales within class Gammaproteobacteria), which increased their relative abundance within 2 weeks and were maintained 3 weeks after oil treatment. The second group was identified as early, but transient responders (order Rhodobacterales within class Alphaproteobacteria; class Epsilonproteobacteria), which increased their population by 2 weeks, but returned to the basal level 3 weeks after oil treatment. The third group was the late responders (order Clostridiales within phylum Firmicutes; order Methylococcales within class Gammaproteobacteria; and phylum Tenericutes), which only increased 3 weeks after oil treatment. Furthermore, we identified oil-sensitive bacterial taxa (order Chromatiales within class Gammaproteobacteria; order Syntrophobacterales within class Deltaproteobacteria), which decreased in their population after 2 weeks of oil treatment. Detection of alkane (alkB), catechol (C2,3DO) and biphenyl (bph) biodegradation genes by PCR, particularly in oil-treated sediment metacommunity DNA, delineates proliferation of  the hydrocarbon degrading bacterial community. Overall, the indigenous bacterial communities in our salt-marsh sediment in vitro microcosm study responded rapidly and shifted towards members of the taxonomic groups that are capable of surviving in an MC252 oil-contaminated environment.

Explicit area-based accuracy assessment for mangrove tree crown delineation using Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamal, Muhammad; Johansen, Kasper

2017-10-01

Effective mangrove management requires spatially explicit information of mangrove tree crown map as a basis for ecosystem diversity study and health assessment. Accuracy assessment is an integral part of any mapping activities to measure the effectiveness of the classification approach. In geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) the assessment of the geometric accuracy (shape, symmetry and location) of the created image objects from image segmentation is required. In this study we used an explicit area-based accuracy assessment to measure the degree of similarity between the results of the classification and reference data from different aspects, including overall quality (OQ), user's accuracy (UA), producer's accuracy (PA) and overall accuracy (OA). We developed a rule set to delineate the mangrove tree crown using WorldView-2 pan-sharpened image. The reference map was obtained by visual delineation of the mangrove tree crowns boundaries form a very high-spatial resolution aerial photograph (7.5cm pixel size). Ten random points with a 10 m radius circular buffer were created to calculate the area-based accuracy assessment. The resulting circular polygons were used to clip both the classified image objects and reference map for area comparisons. In this case, the area-based accuracy assessment resulted 64% and 68% for the OQ and OA, respectively. The overall quality of the calculation results shows the class-related area accuracy; which is the area of correctly classified as tree crowns was 64% out of the total area of tree crowns. On the other hand, the overall accuracy of 68% was calculated as the percentage of all correctly classified classes (tree crowns and canopy gaps) in comparison to the total class area (an entire image). Overall, the area-based accuracy assessment was simple to implement and easy to interpret. It also shows explicitly the omission and commission error variations of object boundary delineation with colour coded polygons.

Technological Innovation in Grade Crossing Protective Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-06-01

The constraints on innovative grade crossing protective systems are delineated and guidelines for development indicated. Inventory data has been arranged to permit an estimate of the classes of systems needed, the allowable costs, and contribution of...

Class Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valdata, Patricia

2005-01-01

Ever since George Washington opted for the title of president rather than king, Americans have been uncomfortable with the idea of class distinctions. This article presents an interview with Dr. Janet Galligani Casey regarding the idea of class distinctions. Galligani Casey, who grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Somerville, Massachusetts,…

The nature of the semantic/episodic memory distinction: A missing piece of the "working through" process.

PubMed

Klein, Stanley B; Markowitsch, Hans J

2015-01-01

The relations between the semantic and episodic-autobiographical memory systems are more complex than described in the target article. We argue that understanding the noetic/autonoetic distinction provides critical insights into the foundation of the delineation between the two memory systems. Clarity with respect to the criteria for classification of these two systems, and the evolving conceptualization of episodic memory, can further neuroscientifically informed therapeutic approaches.

A New Map of Standardized Terrestrial Ecosystems of the Conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sayre, Roger G.; Comer, Patrick; Warner, Harumi; Cress, Jill

2009-01-01

A new map of standardized, mesoscale (tens to thousands of hectares) terrestrial ecosystems for the conterminous United States was developed by using a biophysical stratification approach. The ecosystems delineated in this top-down, deductive modeling effort are described in NatureServe's classification of terrestrial ecological systems of the United States. The ecosystems were mapped as physically distinct areas and were associated with known distributions of vegetation assemblages by using a standardized methodology first developed for South America. This approach follows the geoecosystems concept of R.J. Huggett and the ecosystem geography approach of R.G. Bailey. Unique physical environments were delineated through a geospatial combination of national data layers for biogeography, bioclimate, surficial materials lithology, land surface forms, and topographic moisture potential. Combining these layers resulted in a comprehensive biophysical stratification of the conterminous United States, which produced 13,482 unique biophysical areas. These were considered as fundamental units of ecosystem structure and were aggregated into 419 potential terrestrial ecosystems. The ecosystems classification effort preceded the mapping effort and involved the independent development of diagnostic criteria, descriptions, and nomenclature for describing expert-derived ecological systems. The aggregation and labeling of the mapped ecosystem structure units into the ecological systems classification was accomplished in an iterative, expert-knowledge-based process using automated rulesets for identifying ecosystems on the basis of their biophysical and biogeographic attributes. The mapped ecosystems, at a 30-meter base resolution, represent an improvement in spatial and thematic (class) resolution over existing ecoregionalizations and are useful for a variety of applications, including ecosystem services assessments, climate change impact studies, biodiversity conservation, and resource management.

Stratiform/convective rain delineation for TRMM microwave imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Tanvir; Srivastava, Prashant K.; Dai, Qiang; Gupta, Manika; Wan Jaafar, Wan Zurina

2015-10-01

This article investigates the potential for using machine learning algorithms to delineate stratiform/convective (S/C) rain regimes for passive microwave imager taking calibrated brightness temperatures as only spectral parameters. The algorithms have been implemented for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) microwave imager (TMI), and calibrated as well as validated taking the Precipitation Radar (PR) S/C information as the target class variables. Two different algorithms are particularly explored for the delineation. The first one is metaheuristic adaptive boosting algorithm that includes the real, gentle, and modest versions of the AdaBoost. The second one is the classical linear discriminant analysis that includes the Fisher's and penalized versions of the linear discriminant analysis. Furthermore, prior to the development of the delineation algorithms, a feature selection analysis has been conducted for a total of 85 features, which contains the combinations of brightness temperatures from 10 GHz to 85 GHz and some derived indexes, such as scattering index, polarization corrected temperature, and polarization difference with the help of mutual information aided minimal redundancy maximal relevance criterion (mRMR). It has been found that the polarization corrected temperature at 85 GHz and the features derived from the "addition" operator associated with the 85 GHz channels have good statistical dependency to the S/C target class variables. Further, it has been shown how the mRMR feature selection technique helps to reduce the number of features without deteriorating the results when applying through the machine learning algorithms. The proposed scheme is able to delineate the S/C rain regimes with reasonable accuracy. Based on the statistical validation experience from the validation period, the Matthews correlation coefficients are in the range of 0.60-0.70. Since, the proposed method does not rely on any a priori information, this makes it very suitable for other microwave sensors having similar channels to the TMI. The method could possibly benefit the constellation sensors in the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission era.

27 CFR 4.62 - Mandatory statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., type, and distinctive designation. The advertisement shall contain a conspicuous statement of the class, type, or distinctive designation to which the product belongs, corresponding with the statement of class, type, or distinctive designation which is required to appear on the label of the product. (c...

Familial Congenital Unilateral Cerebral Ventriculomegaly: Delineation of a Distinct Genetic Disorder

PubMed Central

Zaki, Maha S.; Afifi, Hanan H.; Barkovich, AJ.; Gleeson, Joseph G.

2016-01-01

We identified two female siblings, derived from healthy first cousin parents, with congenital unilateral cerebral ventriculomegaly detected prenatally. Patient 1 underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt operation at 1 week old, while Patient 2 was followed without surgical intervention. Both patients presented with mild developmental delay and hemiparesis contralateral to the involved hemisphere. Focal seizures were observed in Patient 1, whose neuroimaging revealed posterior insular polymicrogyria in the normal sized ventricle hemisphere and retrocerebellar cyst. Both siblings displayed near absence of white matter with marked thinning of the overlying cortex in the affected hemisphere and very thin corpus callosum. Investigations revealed no other system involvement and karyotyping was normal. Normal TORCH screening in subsequent pregnancies, normal parental coagulation profile and undetectable maternal autoantibodies suggested against the possible role of extrinsic factors as an etiological factor for unilateral ventriculomegaly. Parents had normal brain imaging findings. We suggest delineation of a distinct developmental brain defect, most likely of autosomal recessive inheritance. PMID:19610102

Quantification of soil mapping by digital analysis of LANDSAT data. [Clinton County, Indiana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirschner, F. R.; Kaminsky, S. A.; Hinzel, E. J.; Sinclair, H. R.; Weismiller, R. A.

1977-01-01

Soil survey mapping units are designed such that the dominant soil represents the major proportion of the unit. At times, soil mapping delineations do not adequately represent conditions as stated in the mapping unit descriptions. Digital analysis of LANDSAT multispectral scanner (MSS) data provides a means of accurately describing and quantifying soil mapping unit composition. Digital analysis of LANDSAT MSS data collected on 9 June 1973 was used to prepare a spectral soil map for a 430-hectare area in Clinton County, Indiana. Fifteen spectral classes were defined, representing 12 soil and 3 vegetation classes. The 12 soil classes were grouped into 4 moisture regimes based upon their spectral responses; the 3 vegetation classes were grouped into one all-inclusive class.

Naturally occurring deletions/insertions in HBV core promoter tend to decrease in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients during antiviral therapy.

PubMed

Peng, Yaqin; Liu, Baoming; Hou, Jinlin; Sun, Jian; Hao, Ran; Xiang, Kuanhui; Yan, Ling; Zhang, Jiangbo; Zhuang, Hui; Li, Tong

2015-01-01

Mutations in HBV core promoter (CP) are suggested to affect viral replication and disease progression. We investigated CP deletion/insertion mutations (Del/Ins) in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients before and during antiviral treatment. Direct and clone sequencings were used for detection of CP Del/Ins in 12 patients. The dynamic changes of CP Del/Ins were tracked in these cases until week 48 of treatment. The effects of Del/Ins on CP activities and hepatitis B X protein (HBx) were analysed using luciferase assay and sequence comparison, respectively. Furthermore, 292 untreated HBeAg-positive CHB cases were also analysed. Twelve cases with multi-peak PCR direct sequencing electropherograms at baseline were confirmed to have CP Del/Ins by clone sequencing, with detection rates varying from 14.8% to 93.3% of clones analysed. Follow-up studies showed the detection rates of CP Del/Ins in patients decreased from 100% (12/12) at baseline to 16.7% (2/12) at week 48 of treatment (P<0.001), in parallel with a decline in HBV DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels along with an increase in HBeAg loss. Luciferase assay results showed distinct promoter activities among Del/Ins-harbouring CP sequences. Importantly, 71.8% (148/206) of Del/Ins sequences potentially resulted in HBx carboxy-terminal truncations. CP Del/Ins mutations were also found in 27.4% (80/292) of untreated cases. Naturally occurring complex of CP Del/Ins mutants existed in untreated HBeAg-positive CHB patients. These mutations would affect HBV transcription activities and integrity of HBx, which might correlate with disease progression. Their prevalence decreases on antiviral therapy in parallel with the decline in HBV DNA, HBsAg and ALT and AST levels.

Effects of distinctive encoding on correct and false memory: a meta-analytic review of costs and benefits and their origins in the DRM paradigm.

PubMed

Huff, Mark J; Bodner, Glen E; Fawcett, Jonathan M

2015-04-01

We review and meta-analyze how distinctive encoding alters encoding and retrieval processes and, thus, affects correct and false recognition in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Reductions in false recognition following distinctive encoding (e.g., generation), relative to a nondistinctive read-only control condition, reflected both impoverished relational encoding and use of a retrieval-based distinctiveness heuristic. Additional analyses evaluated the costs and benefits of distinctive encoding in within-subjects designs relative to between-group designs. Correct recognition was design independent, but in a within design, distinctive encoding was less effective at reducing false recognition for distinctively encoded lists but more effective for nondistinctively encoded lists. Thus, distinctive encoding is not entirely "cost free" in a within design. In addition to delineating the conditions that modulate the effects of distinctive encoding on recognition accuracy, we discuss the utility of using signal detection indices of memory information and memory monitoring at test to separate encoding and retrieval processes.

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

Spatial and thematic assessment of object-based forest stand delineation using an OFA-matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernando, A.; Tiede, D.; Albrecht, F.; Lang, S.

2012-10-01

The delineation and classification of forest stands is a crucial aspect of forest management. Object-based image analysis (OBIA) can be used to produce detailed maps of forest stands from either orthophotos or very high resolution satellite imagery. However, measures are then required for evaluating and quantifying both the spatial and thematic accuracy of the OBIA output. In this paper we present an approach for delineating forest stands and a new Object Fate Analysis (OFA) matrix for accuracy assessment. A two-level object-based orthophoto analysis was first carried out to delineate stands on the Dehesa Boyal public land in central Spain (Avila Province). Two structural features were first created for use in class modelling, enabling good differentiation between stands: a relational tree cover cluster feature, and an arithmetic ratio shadow/tree feature. We then extended the OFA comparison approach with an OFA-matrix to enable concurrent validation of thematic and spatial accuracies. Its diagonal shows the proportion of spatial and thematic coincidence between a reference data and the corresponding classification. New parameters for Spatial Thematic Loyalty (STL), Spatial Thematic Loyalty Overall (STLOVERALL) and Maximal Interfering Object (MIO) are introduced to summarise the OFA-matrix accuracy assessment. A stands map generated by OBIA (classification data) was compared with a map of the same area produced from photo interpretation and field data (reference data). In our example the OFA-matrix results indicate good spatial and thematic accuracies (>65%) for all stand classes except for the shrub stands (31.8%), and a good STLOVERALL (69.8%). The OFA-matrix has therefore been shown to be a valid tool for OBIA accuracy assessment.

Distinct epigenetic signatures elucidate enhancer-gene relationships that delineate CIMP and non-CIMP colorectal cancers.

PubMed

Chong, Allen; Teo, Jing Xian; Ban, Kenneth H K

2016-05-10

Epigenetic changes, like DNA methylation, affect gene expression and in colorectal cancer (CRC), a distinct phenotype called the CpG island methylator phenotype ("CIMP") has significantly higher levels of DNA methylation at so-called "Type C loci" within the genome. We postulate that enhancer-gene pairs are coordinately controlled through DNA methylation in order to regulate the expression of key genes/biomarkers for a particular phenotype.Firstly, we found 24 experimentally-validated enhancers (VISTA enhancer browser) that contained statistically significant (FDR-adjusted q-value of <0.01) differentially methylated regions (DMRs) (1000bp) in a study of CIMP versus non-CIMP CRCs. Of these, the methylation of 2 enhancers, 1702 and 1944, were found to be very well correlated with the methylation of the genes Wnt3A and IGDCC3, respectively, in two separate and independent datasets.We show for the first time that there are indeed distinct and dynamic changes in the methylation pattern of specific enhancer-gene pairs in CRCs. Such a coordinated epigenetic event could be indicative of an interaction between (1) enhancer 1702 and Wnt3A and (2) enhancer 1944 and IGDCC3. Moreover, our study shows that the methylation patterns of these 2 enhancer-gene pairs can potentially be used as biomarkers to delineate CIMP from non-CIMP CRCs.

Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) for the Lower Missouri River Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.; Chojnacki, Kimberly A.; Reuter, Joanna M.

2007-01-01

The Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) was developed to serve as a relatively coarse-scale index to delineate broad land capability classes in the valley of the Lower Missouri River. The index integrates fundamental factors that determine suitability of land for various uses, and may provide a useful mechanism to guide land-management decisions. The LCPI was constructed from integration of hydrology, hydraulics, land-surface elevations, and soil permeability (or saturated hydraulic conductivity) datasets for an area of the Lower Missouri River, river miles 423–670. The LCPI estimates relative wetness based on intersecting water-surface elevations, interpolated from measurements or calculated from hydraulic models, with a high-resolution land-surface elevation dataset. The potential for wet areas to retain or drain water is assessed using soil-drainage classes that are estimated from saturated hydraulic conductivity of surface soils. Terrain mapping that delineates areas with convex, concave, and flat parts of the landscape provides another means to assess tendency of landscape patches to retain surface water.

Engineering Education Must Get Real

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Bernard M.

2007-01-01

Today, academics spend a great deal of time--and money--fretting over the state of "STEM" education. STEM--a clever acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics--attempts, wrongly in the author's view, to tightly associate educational enterprises that should be distinctly delineated. To be sure, STEM aims to promote study in areas…

The Empathy Cycle: Refinement of a Nuclear Concept.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett-Lennard, G.T.

1981-01-01

Delineates a sequence of distinct stages involved in empathic interaction. There is room for considerable slippage between the inner resonation, communication, and reception levels, and measures based on data from different phases would at best be moderately associated. Principal existing (state) scales are located in reference to the model.…

ADHD Symptoms and Insistence on Sameness in Prader-Willi Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wigren, M.; Hansen, S.

2005-01-01

Background: Apart from a pervasive eating disorder, the Prader-Willi (PWS) syndrome is characterized by a distinct behavioural profile comprising maladaptive behaviours, obsessive-compulsive traits and skin picking, all included in the PWS behavioural phenotype. In this study, we present a further delineation of this characteristic behavioural…

Lineage tracing of human B cells reveals the in vivo landscape of human antibody class switching

PubMed Central

Horns, Felix; Vollmers, Christopher; Croote, Derek; Mackey, Sally F; Swan, Gary E; Dekker, Cornelia L; Davis, Mark M; Quake, Stephen R

2016-01-01

Antibody class switching is a feature of the adaptive immune system which enables diversification of the effector properties of antibodies. Even though class switching is essential for mounting a protective response to pathogens, the in vivo patterns and lineage characteristics of antibody class switching have remained uncharacterized in living humans. Here we comprehensively measured the landscape of antibody class switching in human adult twins using antibody repertoire sequencing. The map identifies how antibodies of every class are created and delineates a two-tiered hierarchy of class switch pathways. Using somatic hypermutations as a molecular clock, we discovered that closely related B cells often switch to the same class, but lose coherence as somatic mutations accumulate. Such correlations between closely related cells exist when purified B cells class switch in vitro, suggesting that class switch recombination is directed toward specific isotypes by a cell-autonomous imprinted state. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16578.001 PMID:27481325

Use of LANDSAT data to define soil boundaries in Carroll County, Missouri

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, S. E.

1981-01-01

Bands 4, 5 and 7 false color composite photographs were prepared using data from LANDSAT scenes acquired during April 1977 and April 1981 on computer compatible tapes, and these color composites were compared with band 7 black and white photographs prepared for the entire county. Delineations of soil boundaries at the soil association level were achieved using LANDSAT spectral reflectance data and slope maps for a portion of Carroll County, Missouri. Forty two spectral reflectance classes from April 1977 LANDSAT data were overlaid on digitized slope maps of nine USGS 7.5 minute series topographic quadrangle slope maps to achieve boundary delineations of the soil associations.

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.

Point-Counterpoint: Should Attendance Be Required in Collegiate Classrooms?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinto, Jo Ann M.; Lohrey, Peter

2016-01-01

This paper examines two divergent viewpoints about whether or not class attendance should be mandatory in higher education. The authors, both accounting professors at the same institution, delineate their respective viewpoints citing school policy, federal regulations and academic freedom as factors which motivate their attendance policy.

Ask Questions to Encourage Questions Asked

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

belcastro, sarah-marie

2017-01-01

We delineate some types of structured practice (modeling, requests, feedback, and space-making) that help students learn to pose appropriate questions and to initiate exploration of those questions. Developing skills requires practice, so we suggest ways to embed structured practice into existing class sessions. Including structured practice is…

Area of ischemia assessed by physicians and software packages from myocardial perfusion scintigrams

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The European Society of Cardiology recommends that patients with >10% area of ischemia should receive revascularization. We investigated inter-observer variability for the extent of ischemic defects reported by different physicians and by different software tools, and if inter-observer variability was reduced when the physicians were provided with a computerized suggestion of the defects. Methods Twenty-five myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) patients who were regarded as ischemic according to the final report were included. Eleven physicians in nuclear medicine delineated the extent of the ischemic defects. After at least two weeks, they delineated the defects again, and were this time provided a suggestion of the defect delineation by EXINI HeartTM (EXINI). Summed difference scores and ischemic extent values were obtained from four software programs. Results The median extent values obtained from the 11 physicians varied between 8% and 34%, and between 9% and 16% for the software programs. For all 25 patients, mean extent obtained from EXINI was 17.0% (± standard deviation (SD) 14.6%). Mean extent for physicians was 22.6% (± 15.6%) for the first delineation and 19.1% (± 14.9%) for the evaluation where they were provided computerized suggestion. Intra-class correlation (ICC) increased from 0.56 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.72) to 0.81 (95% CI 0.71-0.90) between the first and the second delineation, and SD between physicians were 7.8 (first) and 5.9 (second delineation). Conclusions There was large variability in the estimated ischemic defect size obtained both from different physicians and from different software packages. When the physicians were provided with a suggested delineation, the inter-observer variability decreased significantly. PMID:24479846

Development of a widefield reflectance and fluorescence imaging device for the detection of skin and oral cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratavieira, S.; Santos, P. L. A.; Bagnato, V. S.; Kurachi, C.

2009-06-01

Oral and skin cancers constitute a major global health problem that cause great impact in patients. The most common screening method for oral cancer is visual inspection and palpation of the mouth. Visual examination relies heavily on the experience and skills of the physician to identify and delineate early premalignant and cancer changes, which is not simple due to the similar characteristics of early stage cancers and benign lesions. Optical imaging has the potential to address these clinical challenges. Contrast between normal and neoplastic areas may be increased, distinct to the conventional white light, when using illumination and detection conditions. Reflectance imaging can detect local changes in tissue scattering and absorption and fluorescence imaging can probe changes in the biochemical composition. These changes have shown to be indicatives of malignant progression. Widefield optical imaging systems are interesting because they may enhance the screening ability in large regions allowing the discrimination and the delineation of neoplastic and potentially of occult lesions. Digital image processing allows the combination of autofluorescence and reflectance images in order to objectively identify and delineate the peripheral extent of neoplastic lesions in the skin and oral cavity. Combining information from different imaging modalities has the potential of increasing diagnostic performance, due to distinct provided information. A simple widefiled imaging device based on fluorescence and reflectance modes together with a digital image processing was assembled and its performance tested in an animal study.

Nonpathologizing trauma interventions in abnormal psychology courses.

PubMed

Hoover, Stephanie M; Luchner, Andrew F; Pickett, Rachel F

2016-01-01

Because abnormal psychology courses presuppose a focus on pathological human functioning, nonpathologizing interventions within these classes are particularly powerful and can reach survivors, bystanders, and perpetrators. Interventions are needed to improve the social response to trauma on college campuses. By applying psychodynamic and feminist multicultural theory, instructors can deliver nonpathologizing interventions about trauma and trauma response within these classes. We recommend class-based interventions with the following aims: (a) intentionally using nonpathologizing language, (b) normalizing trauma responses, (c) subjectively defining trauma, (d) challenging secondary victimization, and (e) questioning the delineation of abnormal and normal. The recommendations promote implications for instructor self-reflection, therapy interventions, and future research.

"De-humanised females and Amazonians": British wartime fashion and its representation in Home chat, 1914-1918.

PubMed

Buckley, Cheryl

2002-01-01

Popular representations of the fashionably dressed female body between 1914 and 1918 were highly contradictory and, as this essay will show, were sharply delineated in Home Chat, one of a growing number of relatively new women's magazines which addressed the needs of an expanding skilled working-class and lower-middle-class female readership. Aiming to provide women with practical advice about all aspects of their daily lives, from the traditional concerns of fashion and beauty, marriage and children, to the more contentious issue of women's aspirations beyond the home, Home Chat was uniquely placed to reflect shifting gender and class relations.

IN VITRO METABOLISM OF THE FUNGICIDE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANT TRANS-BROMUCONAZOLE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RISK ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Trans-Bromuconazole is a chiral chemical representative of a class of triazole-derivatives known to inhibit specific fungal cytochrome P450 (CYP) reactions. Kinetic measurements and delineation of metabolic pathways for triazole chemicals within in vitro hepatic microsomes are ne...

A Simple and Novel Approach to Delineating Stereochemistry of Electrocyclic Reactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mandal, Dipak K.

2012-01-01

The dynamic stereochemistry of electrocyclic reactions (a class of pericyclic reactions) stems from the operation of either conrotatory (con) or disrotatory (dis) mode of ring-closing and ring-opening processes. Difficulty is often encountered in depicting product stereochemistry resulting from such movements of substituents. A novel, simple,…

Methods for Instructional Diagnosis with Limited Available Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillmore, Gerald M.; Clark, D. Joseph

College teaching should be approached with the same careful delineation of problems and systematic attempts to find solutions which characterize research. Specific methods for the diagnosis of instructional problems include audio-video taping, use of teaching assistants, colleague assistance, classroom tests, student projects in and out of class,…

CHANGES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE COLONIES (ISOPTERA: RHINOTERMITIDAE) IN CITY PARK, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Termite activity had been continuously monitored in four sections of City Park since 2002. Between 2002 and 2005, 12 distinct Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, colonies had been delineated using mark-release-recapture techniques. This study examines how the distribution ...

Getting Inside Knowledge: The Application of Entwistle's Model of Surface/Deep Processing in Producing Open Learning Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Barbara; Honour, Leslie

1997-01-01

Reports on a study that required student teachers training in business education to produce open learning materials on intercultural communication. Analysis of stages and responses to this assignment revealed a distinction between "deep" and "surface" learning. Includes charts delineating the characteristics of these two types…

Two Views of Criminology and Criminal Justice: Definitions, Trends, and the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conrad, John P.; Myren, Richard A.

The question of whether criminology and criminal justice are distinct fields is addressed in two papers. Differences between criminology and criminal justice are delineated by emphasizing formal definitions of the field(s), occupational roles, contemporary educational trends, and future development. According to John P. Conrad, criminology is the…

The Contribution of "Around the Dial" to American Music Radio Announcing Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Steven O.; Ogles, Robert M.

Shared conventions of the modern radio industry should allow radio announcers and other producers of radio content to distinguish "good radio" from "bad radio." To help in making this distinction, a study delineated some of the basic conventions used in the production of radio content and analyzed the frequency of their…

Toward a Physical Characterization of Raindrop Collision Outcome Regimes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Testik, F. Y.; Barros, Ana P.; Bilven, Francis L.

2011-01-01

A comprehensive raindrop collision outcome regime diagram that delineates the physical conditions associated with the outcome regimes (i.e., bounce, coalescence, and different breakup types) of binary raindrop collisions is proposed. The proposed diagram builds on a theoretical regime diagram defined in the phase space of collision Weber numbers We and the drop diameter ratio p by including critical angle of impact considerations. In this study, the theoretical regime diagram is first evaluated against a comprehensive dataset for drop collision experiments representative of raindrop collisions in nature. Subsequently, the theoretical regime diagram is modified to explicitly describe the dominant regimes of raindrop interactions in (We, p) by delineating the physical conditions necessary for the occurrence of distinct types of collision-induced breakup (neck/filament, sheet, disk, and crown breakups) based on critical angle of impact consideration. Crown breakup is a subtype of disk breakup for lower collision kinetic energy that presents distinctive morphology. Finally, the experimental results are analyzed in the context of the comprehensive collision regime diagram, and conditional probabilities that can be used in the parameterization of breakup kernels in stochastic models of raindrop dynamics are provided.

Word Class Distinctions in Second Language Acquisition: An Experimental Study of L2 Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zyzik, Eve; Azevedo, Clara

2009-01-01

Although the problem of word class has been explored in numerous first language studies, relatively little is known about this process in SLA. The present study measures second language (L2) learners' knowledge of word class distinctions (e.g., noun vs. adjective) in a variety of syntactic contexts. English-speaking learners of Spanish from…

Do recognizable lifetime eating disorder phenotypes naturally occur in a culturally asian population? A combined latent profile and taxometric approach.

PubMed

Thomas, Jennifer J; Eddy, Kamryn T; Ruscio, John; Ng, King Lam; Casale, Kristen E; Becker, Anne E; Lee, Sing

2015-05-01

We examined whether empirically derived eating disorder (ED) categories in Hong Kong Chinese patients (N = 454) would be consistent with recognizable lifetime ED phenotypes derived from latent structure models of European and American samples. We performed latent profile analysis (LPA) using indicator variables from data collected during routine assessment, and then applied taxometric analysis to determine whether latent classes were qualitatively versus quantitatively distinct. Latent profile analysis identified four classes: (i) binge/purge (47%); (ii) non-fat-phobic low-weight (34%); (iii) fat-phobic low-weight (12%); and (iv) overweight disordered eating (6%). Taxometric analysis identified qualitative (categorical) distinctions between the binge/purge and non-fat-phobic low-weight classes, and also between the fat-phobic and non-fat-phobic low-weight classes. Distinctions between the fat-phobic low-weight and binge/purge classes were indeterminate. Empirically derived categories in Hong Kong showed recognizable correspondence with recognizable lifetime ED phenotypes. Although taxometric findings support two distinct classes of low weight EDs, LPA findings also support heterogeneity among non-fat-phobic individuals. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Machine learning based brain tumour segmentation on limited data using local texture and abnormality.

PubMed

Bonte, Stijn; Goethals, Ingeborg; Van Holen, Roel

2018-05-07

Brain tumour segmentation in medical images is a very challenging task due to the large variety in tumour shape, position, appearance, scanning modalities and scanning parameters. Most existing segmentation algorithms use information from four different MRI-sequences, but since this is often not available, there is need for a method able to delineate the different tumour tissues based on a minimal amount of data. We present a novel approach using a Random Forests model combining voxelwise texture and abnormality features on a contrast-enhanced T1 and FLAIR MRI. We transform the two scans into 275 feature maps. A random forest model next calculates the probability to belong to 4 tumour classes or 5 normal classes. Afterwards, a dedicated voxel clustering algorithm provides the final tumour segmentation. We trained our method on the BraTS 2013 database and validated it on the larger BraTS 2017 dataset. We achieve median Dice scores of 40.9% (low-grade glioma) and 75.0% (high-grade glioma) to delineate the active tumour, and 68.4%/80.1% for the total abnormal region including edema. Our fully automated brain tumour segmentation algorithm is able to delineate contrast enhancing tissue and oedema with high accuracy based only on post-contrast T1-weighted and FLAIR MRI, whereas for non-enhancing tumour tissue and necrosis only moderate results are obtained. This makes the method especially suitable for high-grade glioma. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Management Zone Delineation for Winegrape Selective Harvesting Based on Fluorescence-Sensor Mapping of Grape Skin Anthocyanins.

PubMed

Agati, Giovanni; Soudani, Kamel; Tuccio, Lorenza; Fierini, Elisa; Ben Ghozlen, Naïma; Fadaili, El Mostafa; Romani, Annalisa; Cerovic, Zoran G

2018-06-13

We analyzed the potential of non-destructive optical sensing of grape skin anthocyanins for selective harvesting in precision viticulture. We measured anthocyanins by a hand-held fluorescence optical sensor on a 7 ha Sangiovese vineyard plot in central Italy. Optical indices obtained by the sensor were calibrated for the transformation in units of anthocyanins per berry mass, i.e., milligrams per gram of berry fresh weight. A full protocol for optimal data filtration, interpolation, and homogeneous zone delineation based on a very large number of optical measurements is proposed. Both the single signal-based fluorescence index (ANTH R ) and the two signal ratio-based index (ANTH RG ) can be used for Sangiovese grapes. Significant separations of grape-quality batches were obtained by several methods of data classification and zone delineations. Basic statistical criteria were as efficient as the K-means clustering. The best separations were obtained for three classes of grape skin anthocyanin.

The Effect of Nature Documentaries on Students' Environmental Sensitivity: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbas, Tasos A.; Paraskevopoulos, Stefanos; Stamou, Anastasia G.

2009-01-01

Despite the potential educational value of nature documentaries, the contribution of such films to environmental education is largely unknown. In the present study, we attempt to delineate the role of nature documentaries to the environmental sensitivity of students when the films are simply introduced to the class. More specifically, the present…

The Past and Present of Women in the Muslim World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keddie, Nikki R.

1990-01-01

Traces the history of Muslim women from ancient times to the present. Discusses the practice of veiling and its significance. Compares the status of women before and after the Qur'an. Delineates the class differences between Muslim women. Analyzes Muslim women under Islamic law, concentrating on laws governing marriage, sex, and divorce. (RW)

Creating Culturally Relevant Alzheimer's Support Groups for Racial and Ethnic Minorities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Joseph Neil

Although data indicate that Alzheimer's disease occurs among all racial and ethnic populations, the Alzheimer's disease support group system is used nationally primarily by white, middle-class caregivers. Developing a model ethnic-specific support group for Hispanics requires delineation of formal and informal health care networks in the ethnic…

Writing To Learn in Science: A Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatel, Regina G.

This curriculum guide supports and gives structure to engaging students in writing-to-learn activities in science classes by delineating writing outcomes and assessment. The guide is structured according to the beliefs that students need models, revision is the key to successful writing, writing is a tool for demonstrating learning, and writing is…

Delineating the Boundaries of Infants' Spatial Categories: The Case of Containment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rigney, Jennifer; Wang, Su-hua

2015-01-01

Spatial categorization has a long history in the research of infant cognition and perception. Many conclusions are drawn from the approach wherein infants are habituated to examples of a spatial category X and then display an attention recovery (i.e., dishabituation) to a contrasting category Y. However, the distinction infants make between X and…

Distinct Brain Systems Underlie the Processing of Valence and Arousal of Affective Pictures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielen, M. M. A.; Heslenfeld, D. J.; Heinen, K.; Van Strien, J. W.; Witter, M. P.; Jonker, C.; Veltman, D. J.

2009-01-01

Valence and arousal are thought to be the primary dimensions of human emotion. However, the degree to which valence and arousal interact in determining brain responses to emotional pictures is still elusive. This functional MRI study aimed to delineate neural systems responding to valence and arousal, and their interaction. We measured neural…

Delineating generalized species boundaries from species distribution data and a species distribution model

Treesearch

Matthew P. Peters; Stephen N. Matthews; Louis R. Iverson; Anantha M. Prasad

2013-01-01

Species distribution models (SDM) are commonly used to provide information about species ranges or extents, and often are intended to represent the entire area of potential occupancy or suitable habitat in which individuals occur. While SDMs can provide results over various geographic extents, they normally operate within a grid and cannot delimit distinct, smooth...

Delineating Components of Emotion and Its Dysregulation in Anxiety and Mood Psychopathology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mennin, Douglas S.; Holaway, Robert M.; Fresco, David M.; Moore, Michael T.; Heimberg, Richard G.

2007-01-01

Two studies sought to elucidate the components of emotion and its dysregulation and examine their role in both the overlap and distinctness of the symptoms of 3 highly comorbid anxiety and mood disorders (i.e., generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, and social anxiety disorder). In Study 1, exploratory factor analyses demonstrated that 4…

The architecture of personality.

PubMed

Cervone, David

2004-01-01

This article presents a theoretical framework for analyzing psychological systems that contribute to the variability, consistency, and cross-situational coherence of personality functioning. In the proposed knowledge-and-appraisal personality architecture (KAPA), personality structures and processes are delineated by combining 2 principles: distinctions (a) between knowledge structures and appraisal processes and (b) among intentional cognitions with varying directions of fit, with the latter distinction differentiating among beliefs, evaluative standards, and aims. Basic principles of knowledge activation and use illuminate relations between knowledge and appraisal, yielding a synthetic account of personality structures and processes. Novel empirical data illustrate the heuristic value of the knowledge/appraisal distinction by showing how self-referent and situational knowledge combine to foster cross-situational coherence in appraisals of self-efficacy.

Delineation of Two Clinically and Molecularly Distinct Subgroups of Posterior Fossa Ependymoma

PubMed Central

Witt, Hendrik; Mack, Stephen C.; Ryzhova, Marina; Bender, Sebastian; Sill, Martin; Isserlin, Ruth; Benner, Axel; Hielscher, Thomas; Milde, Till; Remke, Marc; Jones, David T.W.; Northcott, Paul A.; Garzia, Livia; Bertrand, Kelsey C.; Wittmann, Andrea; Yao, Yuan; Roberts, Stephen S.; Massimi, Luca; Van Meter, Tim; Weiss, William A.; Gupta, Nalin; Grajkowska, Wiesia; Lach, Boleslaw; Cho, Yoon-Jae; von Deimling, Andreas; Kulozik, Andreas E.; Witt, Olaf; Bader, Gary D.; Hawkins, Cynthia E.; Tabori, Uri; Guha, Abhijit; Rutka, James T.; Lichter, Peter; Korshunov, Andrey

2014-01-01

Summary Despite the histological similarity of ependymomas from throughout the neuroaxis, the disease likely comprises multiple independent entities, each with a distinct molecular pathogenesis. Transcriptional profiling of two large independent cohorts of ependymoma reveals the existence of two demographically, transcriptionally, genetically, and clinically distinct groups of posterior fossa (PF) ependymomas. Group A patients are younger, have laterally located tumors with a balanced genome, and are much more likely to exhibit recurrence, metastasis at recurrence, and death compared with Group B patients. Identification and optimization of immunohistochemical (IHC) markers for PF ependymoma subgroups allowed validation of our findings on a third independent cohort, using a human ependymoma tissue microarray, and provides a tool for prospective prognostication and stratification of PF ependymoma patients. PMID:21840481

Social class, power, and selfishness: when and why upper and lower class individuals behave unethically.

PubMed

Dubois, David; Rucker, Derek D; Galinsky, Adam D

2015-03-01

Are the rich more unethical than the poor? To answer this question, the current research introduces a key conceptual distinction between selfish and unethical behavior. Based on this distinction, the current article offers 2 novel findings that illuminate the relationship between social class and unethical behavior. First, the effects of social class on unethical behavior are not invariant; rather, the effects of social class are moderated by whether unethical behavior benefits the self or others. Replicating past work, social class positively predicted unethical behavior; however, this relationship was only observed when that behavior was self-beneficial. When unethical behavior was performed to benefit others, social class negatively predicted unethical behavior; lower class individuals were more likely than upper class individuals to engage in unethical behavior. Overall, social class predicts people's tendency to behave selfishly, rather than predicting unethical behavior per se. Second, individuals' sense of power drove the effects of social class on unethical behavior. Evidence for this relationship was provided in three forms. First, income, but not education level, predicted unethical behavior. Second, feelings of power mediated the effect of social class on unethical behavior, but feelings of status did not. Third, two distinct manipulations of power produced the same moderation by self-versus-other beneficiary as was found with social class. The current theoretical framework and data both synthesize and help to explain a range of findings in the social class and power literatures. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

The nature and origin of mineral coatings on volcanic rocks of the Black Mountain, Stonewall Mountain and Kane Springs Wash volcanic centers in southern Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taranik, J. V.; Noble, D. D.; Hsu, L. C.; Hutsinpiller, A.

1986-01-01

Four LANDSAT thematic mapping scenes in southern Nevada were requested at two different acquisition times in order to assess the effect of vegetation on the signature of the volcanic units. The remote sensing data acquisition and analysis portion are nearly completed. The LANDSAT thematic mapping data is of good quality, and image analysis techniques are so far successful in delineating areas with distinct spectral characteristics. Spectrally distinct areas were correlated with variations in surface coating and lithologies of the volcanic rocks.

Central pattern generator for vocalization: is there a vertebrate morphotype?

PubMed

Bass, Andrew H

2014-10-01

Animals that generate acoustic signals for social communication are faced with two essential tasks: generate a temporally precise signal and inform the auditory system about the occurrence of one's own sonic signal. Recent studies of sound producing fishes delineate a hindbrain network comprised of anatomically distinct compartments coding equally distinct neurophysiological properties that allow an organism to meet these behavioral demands. A set of neural characters comprising a vocal-sonic central pattern generator (CPG) morphotype is proposed for fishes and tetrapods that shares evolutionary developmental origins with pectoral appendage motor systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Central pattern generator for vocalization: Is there a vertebrate morphotype?

PubMed Central

Bass, Andrew H.

2014-01-01

Animals that generate acoustic signals for social communication are faced with two essential tasks: generate a temporally precise signal and inform the auditory system about the occurrence of one’s own sonic signal. Recent studies of sound producing fishes delineate a hindbrain network comprised of anatomically distinct compartments coding equally distinct neurophysiological properties that allow an organism to meet these behavioral demands. A set of neural characters comprising a vocal-sonic central pattern generator (CPG) morphotype is proposed for fishes and tetrapods that shares evolutionary developmental origins with pectoral appendage motor systems. PMID:25050813

Barcoding of ancient lake ostracods (crustacea) reveals cryptic speciation with extremely low distances.

PubMed

Karanovic, Ivana

2015-01-01

Ostracods are drastically reduced crustaceans, with never more than eight appendages enclosed between two valves, leaving only a limited number of morphological characters for species delineation. Conservative morphology of characters used to define genera, along with high variability of characters used to define species are creating problems in applying a morphospecies concept. A high intraspecific variability in a Lake Biwa (Japan) endemic, Physocypria biwaensis (Okubo, 1990), has been observed previously but was never studied in detail. Two sympatric forms, differing in pigmentation and size, suggest a presence of reproductive isolation. The aim of this study is to employ molecular and morphometric tools to aid in species delineation within P. biwaensis complex and reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships. A fragment of the mtCOI gene was amplified from 30 specimens, and an additional 37 specimens were studied for morphological characters. Resulting phylogenies showed that each morphologically distinct form is associated with a distinct phylogenetic group based on mtDNA. The average pairwise distance is very low (5%), indicating a recent divergence time. I speculate that there is a possibility that one of them originated in the lake, while the other probably colonized it afterwards. This seems to be supported with an apparent niche partitioning at different depths. In spite of the fact that traditionally used sexual characters are highly variable in these two species, the morphometric analysis of shell and soft part related characters clearly delineates them and suggests that such characters may be useful for future detection of seemingly cryptic ostracod species.

Moving beyond Type I and Type II neuron types.

PubMed

Skinner, Frances K

2013-01-01

In 1948, Hodgkin delineated different classes of axonal firing.  This has been mathematically translated allowing insight and understanding to emerge.  As such, the terminology of 'Type I' and 'Type II' neurons is commonplace in the Neuroscience literature today.  Theoretical insights have helped us realize that, for example, network synchronization depends on whether neurons are Type I or Type II.  Mathematical models are precise with analyses (considering Type I/II aspects), but experimentally, the distinction can be less clear.  On the other hand, experiments are becoming more sophisticated in terms of distinguishing and manipulating particular cell types but are limited in terms of being able to consider network aspects simultaneously.   Although there is much work going on mathematically and experimentally, in my opinion it is becoming common that models are either superficially linked with experiment or not described in enough detail to appreciate the biological context.  Overall, we all suffer in terms of impeding our understanding of brain networks and applying our understanding to neurological disease.  I suggest that more modelers become familiar with experimental details and that more experimentalists appreciate modeling assumptions. In other words, we need to move beyond our comfort zones.

Super Memory Bros.: going from mirror patterns to concordant patterns via similarity enhancements.

PubMed

Ozubko, Jason D; Joordens, Steve

2008-12-01

When memory is contrasted for stimuli belonging to distinct stimulus classes, one of two patterns is observed: a mirror pattern, in which one stimulus gives rise to higher hits but lower false alarms (e.g., the frequency-based mirror effect) or a concordant pattern, in which one stimulus class gives rise both to higher hits and to higher false alarms (e.g., the pseudoword effect). On the basis of the dual-process account proposed by Joordens and Hockley (2000), we predict that mirror patterns occur when one stimulus class is more familiar and less distinctive than another, whereas concordant patterns occur when one stimulus class is more familiar than another. We tested these assumptions within a video game paradigm using novel stimuli that allow manipulations in terms of distinctiveness and familiarity (via similarity). When more distinctive, less familiar items are contrasted with less distinctive, more familiar items, a mirror pattern is observed. Systematically enhancing the familiarity of stimuli transforms the mirror pattern to a concordant pattern as predicted. Although our stimuli differ considerably from those used in examinations of the frequency-based mirror effect and the pseudoword effect, the implications of our findings with respect to those phenomena are also discussed.

Quantifying the robustness of [18F]FDG-PET/CT radiomic features with respect to tumor delineation in head and neck and pancreatic cancer patients.

PubMed

Belli, Maria Luisa; Mori, Martina; Broggi, Sara; Cattaneo, Giovanni Mauro; Bettinardi, Valentino; Dell'Oca, Italo; Fallanca, Federico; Passoni, Paolo; Vanoli, Emilia Giovanna; Calandrino, Riccardo; Di Muzio, Nadia; Picchio, Maria; Fiorino, Claudio

2018-05-01

To investigate the robustness of PET radiomic features (RF) against tumour delineation uncertainty in two clinically relevant situations. Twenty-five head-and-neck (HN) and 25 pancreatic cancer patients previously treated with 18 F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)-based planning optimization were considered. Seven FDG-based contours were delineated for tumour (T) and positive lymph nodes (N, for HN patients only) following manual (2 observers), semi-automatic (based on SUV maximum gradient: PET_Edge) and automatic (40%, 50%, 60%, 70% SUV_max thresholds) methods. Seventy-three RF (14 of first order and 59 of higher order) were extracted using the CGITA software (v.1.4). The impact of delineation on volume agreement and RF was assessed by DICE and Intra-class Correlation Coefficients (ICC). A large disagreement between manual and SUV_max method was found for thresholds  ≥50%. Inter-observer variability showed median DICE values between 0.81 (HN-T) and 0.73 (pancreas). Volumes defined by PET_Edge were better consistent with the manual ones compared to SUV40%. Regarding RF, 19%/19%/47% of the features showed ICC < 0.80 between observers for HN-N/HN-T/pancreas, mostly in the Voxel-alignment matrix and in the intensity-size zone matrix families. RFs with ICC < 0.80 against manual delineation (taking the worst value) increased to 44%/36%/61% for PET_Edge and to 69%/53%/75% for SUV40%. About 80%/50% of 72 RF were consistent between observers for HN/pancreas patients. PET_edge was sufficiently robust against manual delineation while SUV40% showed a worse performance. This result suggests the possibility to replace manual with semi-automatic delineation of HN and pancreas tumours in studies including PET radiomic analyses. Copyright © 2018 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping of wildlife habitat in Farmington Bay, Utah

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaynes, R. A.; Willie, R. D. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Mapping was accomplished through the interpretation of high-altitude color infrared photography. The feasibility of utilizing LANDSAT digital data to augment the analysis was explored; complex patterns of wildlife habitat and confusion of spectral classes resulted in the decision to make limited use of LANDSAT data in the analysis. The final product is a map which delineates wildlife habitat at a scale of 1:24,000. The map is registered to and printed on a screened U.S.G.S. quadrangle base map. Screened delineations of shoreline contours, mapped from a previous study, are also shown on the map. Intensive field checking of the map was accomplished for the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in August 1981; other areas on the map received only spot field checking.

Mars Lander/Rover vehicle development: An advanced space design project for USRA and NASA/OAST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The accomplishments of the Utah State University (USU) Mars Lander/Rover (MLR) design class during the Winter Quarter are delineated and explained. Environment and trajectory, ground systems, balloon system, and payload system are described. Results from this effort will provide a valid and useful basis for further studies of Mars exploratory vehicles.

The Whys and Hows of Certification. Public Librarian Certification Law.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison. Div. of Library Services.

Under Wisconsin state law (Administrative Code P1-6.03) any librarian employed in a public library system or any municipal public library, except in a city of the first class, supported in whole or in part by public funds, must hold state certification. Qualifications are delineated for three grades of certification: grade 1, for public libraries…

Let's Think Creatively: Designing a High School Lesson on Metaphorical Creativity for English L2 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Hung-chun

2018-01-01

This article reports on a practitioner research study exploring how creative thinking activities can be designed and integrated into high school English classes. It delineates the process of developing a metaphorical creativity workshop for year 11 students in Taiwan and demonstrates the students' workshop experiences and learning outcomes.…

Geological map of parts of the state of Sao Paulo based on LANDSAT images. [Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejususparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Amaral, G.; Liu, C. C.; Filho, R. A.

1979-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Interpretation of LANDSAT images revealed the subdivision of the Bauru formation into three distinct lithofacies. Delineation of structural features yielded new information on paleoenvironmental reconstitution and hydrogeology. Structural features and photogeological units were revealed in the precambrian basement at the eastern portion of the state.

Quality of Bone Healing: Perspectives and Assessment Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

connective tissue specialized for load bearing . Embryologically, the formation of bone occurs via two routes: intramembranous and endochondral ossification.1...primarily suited to load bearing with two distinct configurations: an inner, porous, cancellous architecture and an outer, denser, cortical bone...delineate the multiple functions served by the human skeleton and then evaluate techniques for clinical assessment. Mechanical load bearing and transduction

A Linguistic Analysis of the Role of Israel in American Jewish Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chazan, Barry

2015-01-01

This essay analyzes the place of Israel in American Jewish schooling from the beginning of the 20th century until the early years of the 21st century. It utilizes curricula, textbooks, and instructional units, as well as other primary and secondary sources to delineate four distinct periods of Israel education. The subject of Teaching Israel is…

Effect of Alzheimer's disease risk and protective factors on cognitive trajectories in subjective memory complainers.

PubMed

Teipel, Stefan J; Cavedo, Enrica; Lista, Simone; Habert, Marie-Odile; Potier, Marie-Claude; Grothe, Michel J; Epelbaum, Stephane; Sambati, Luisa; Gagliardi, Geoffroy; Toschi, Nicola; Greicius, Michael; Dubois, Bruno; Hampel, Harald

2018-05-21

Cognitive change in people at risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) such as subjective memory complainers is highly variable across individuals. We used latent class growth modeling to identify distinct classes of nonlinear trajectories of cognitive change over 2 years follow-up from 265 subjective memory complainers individuals (age 70 years and older) of the INSIGHT-preAD cohort. We determined the effect of cortical amyloid load, hippocampus and basal forebrain volumes, and education on the cognitive trajectory classes. Latent class growth modeling identified distinct nonlinear cognitive trajectories. Education was associated with higher performing trajectories, whereas global amyloid load and basal forebrain atrophy were associated with lower performing trajectories. Distinct classes of cognitive trajectories were associated with risk and protective factors of AD. These associations support the notion that the identified cognitive trajectories reflect different risk for AD that may be useful for selecting high-risk individuals for intervention trials. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A locally adaptive kernel regression method for facies delineation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernàndez-Garcia, D.; Barahona-Palomo, M.; Henri, C. V.; Sanchez-Vila, X.

2015-12-01

Facies delineation is defined as the separation of geological units with distinct intrinsic characteristics (grain size, hydraulic conductivity, mineralogical composition). A major challenge in this area stems from the fact that only a few scattered pieces of hydrogeological information are available to delineate geological facies. Several methods to delineate facies are available in the literature, ranging from those based only on existing hard data, to those including secondary data or external knowledge about sedimentological patterns. This paper describes a methodology to use kernel regression methods as an effective tool for facies delineation. The method uses both the spatial and the actual sampled values to produce, for each individual hard data point, a locally adaptive steering kernel function, self-adjusting the principal directions of the local anisotropic kernels to the direction of highest local spatial correlation. The method is shown to outperform the nearest neighbor classification method in a number of synthetic aquifers whenever the available number of hard data is small and randomly distributed in space. In the case of exhaustive sampling, the steering kernel regression method converges to the true solution. Simulations ran in a suite of synthetic examples are used to explore the selection of kernel parameters in typical field settings. It is shown that, in practice, a rule of thumb can be used to obtain suboptimal results. The performance of the method is demonstrated to significantly improve when external information regarding facies proportions is incorporated. Remarkably, the method allows for a reasonable reconstruction of the facies connectivity patterns, shown in terms of breakthrough curves performance.

A class-wide phylogenetic assessment of Dothideomycetes

PubMed Central

Schoch, C.L.; Crous, P.W.; Groenewald, J.Z.; Boehm, E.W.A.; Burgess, T.I.; de Gruyter, J.; de Hoog, G.S.; Dixon, L.J.; Grube, M.; Gueidan, C.; Harada, Y.; Hatakeyama, S.; Hirayama, K.; Hosoya, T.; Huhndorf, S.M.; Hyde, K.D.; Jones, E.B.G.; Kohlmeyer, J.; Kruys, Å.; Li, Y.M.; Lücking, R.; Lumbsch, H.T.; Marvanová, L.; Mbatchou, J.S.; McVay, A.H.; Miller, A.N.; Mugambi, G.K.; Muggia, L.; Nelsen, M.P.; Nelson, P.; Owensby, C A.; Phillips, A.J.L.; Phongpaichit, S.; Pointing, S.B.; Pujade-Renaud, V.; Raja, H.A.; Plata, E. Rivas; Robbertse, B.; Ruibal, C.; Sakayaroj, J.; Sano, T.; Selbmann, L.; Shearer, C.A.; Shirouzu, T.; Slippers, B.; Suetrong, S.; Tanaka, K.; Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, B.; Wingfield, M.J.; Wood, A.R.; Woudenberg, J.H.C.; Yonezawa, H.; Zhang, Y.; Spatafora, J.W.

2009-01-01

We present a comprehensive phylogeny derived from 5 genes, nucSSU, nucLSU rDNA, TEF1, RPB1 and RPB2, for 356 isolates and 41 families (six newly described in this volume) in Dothideomycetes. All currently accepted orders in the class are represented for the first time in addition to numerous previously unplaced lineages. Subclass Pleosporomycetidae is expanded to include the aquatic order Jahnulales. An ancestral reconstruction of basic nutritional modes supports numerous transitions from saprobic life histories to plant associated and lichenised modes and a transition from terrestrial to aquatic habitats are confirmed. Finally, a genomic comparison of 6 dothideomycete genomes with other fungi finds a high level of unique protein associated with the class, supporting its delineation as a separate taxon. PMID:20169021

Investigating heterogeneity in violent offending liability among injection drug users from a developmental perspective.

PubMed

Torok, Michelle; Darke, Shane; Shand, Fiona; Kaye, Sharlene

2016-09-01

Violence is a major burden of harm among injecting drug users (IDU), however, the liability to violent offending is not well understood. The current study aimed to better understand differences in the liability to violence by determining whether IDU could be disaggregated into distinct violent offending classes, and determining the correlates of class membership. A total of 300 IDU from Sydney, Australia were administered a structured interview examining the prevalence and severity of drug use and violent offending histories, as well as early life risk factors (maltreatment, childhood mental disorder, trait personality). IDU were disaggregated into four distinct latent classes, comprising a non-violent class (24%), an adolescent-onset persistent class (33%), an adult-onset transient class (24%) and an early-onset, chronic class (19%). Pairwise and group comparisons of classes on predispositional and substance use risks showed that the EARLY class had the poorest psychosocial risk profile, while the NON class had the most favourable. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that higher trait impulsivity and aggression scores, having a history of conduct disorder, frequent childhood abuse, and more problematic alcohol use, were independently associated with more temporally stable and severe violent offending. The model explained 67% of variance in class membership (χ(2)=207.7, df=51, p<0.001). IDU can be meaningfully disaggregated into distinct violent offending classes using developmental criteria. The age of onset of violence was indicative of class membership insomuch as that the extent of early life risk exposure was differentially associated with greater long-term liability to violence and drug use. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimal staining methods for delineation of cortical areas and neuron counts in human brains.

PubMed

Uylings, H B; Zilles, K; Rajkowska, G

1999-04-01

For cytoarchitectonic delineation of cortical areas in human brain, the Gallyas staining for somata with its sharp contrast between cell bodies and neuropil is preferable to the classical Nissl staining, the more so when an image analysis system is used. This Gallyas staining, however, does not appear to be appropriate for counting neuron numbers in pertinent brain areas, due to the lack of distinct cytological features between small neurons and glial cells. For cell counting Nissl is preferable. In an optimal design for cell counting at least both the Gallyas and the Nissl staining must be applied, the former staining for cytoarchitectural delineaton of cortical areas and the latter for counting the number of neurons in the pertinent cortical areas. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Classification of building infrastructure and automatic building footprint delineation using airborne laser swath mapping data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caceres, Jhon

Three-dimensional (3D) models of urban infrastructure comprise critical data for planners working on problems in wireless communications, environmental monitoring, civil engineering, and urban planning, among other tasks. Photogrammetric methods have been the most common approach to date to extract building models. However, Airborne Laser Swath Mapping (ALSM) observations offer a competitive alternative because they overcome some of the ambiguities that arise when trying to extract 3D information from 2D images. Regardless of the source data, the building extraction process requires segmentation and classification of the data and building identification. In this work, approaches for classifying ALSM data, separating building and tree points, and delineating ALSM footprints from the classified data are described. Digital aerial photographs are used in some cases to verify results, but the objective of this work is to develop methods that can work on ALSM data alone. A robust approach for separating tree and building points in ALSM data is presented. The method is based on supervised learning of the classes (tree vs. building) in a high dimensional feature space that yields good class separability. Features used for classification are based on the generation of local mappings, from three-dimensional space to two-dimensional space, known as "spin images" for each ALSM point to be classified. The method discriminates ALSM returns in compact spaces and even where the classes are very close together or overlapping spatially. A modified algorithm of the Hough Transform is used to orient the spin images, and the spin image parameters are specified such that the mutual information between the spin image pixel values and class labels is maximized. This new approach to ALSM classification allows us to fully exploit the 3D point information in the ALSM data while still achieving good class separability, which has been a difficult trade-off in the past. Supported by the spin image analysis for obtaining an initial classification, an automatic approach for delineating accurate building footprints is presented. The physical fact that laser pulses that happen to strike building edges can produce very different 1st and last return elevations has been long recognized. However, in older generation ALSM systems (<50 kHz pulse rates) such points were too few and far between to delineate building footprints precisely. Furthermore, without the robust separation of nearby trees and vegetation from the buildings, simply extracting ALSM shots where the elevation of the first return was much higher than the elevation of the last return, was not a reliable means of identifying building footprints. However, with the advent of ALSM systems with pulse rates in excess of 100 kHz, and by using spin-imaged based segmentation, it is now possible to extract building edges from the point cloud. A refined classification resulting from incorporating "on-edge" information is developed for obtaining quadrangular footprints. The footprint fitting process involves line generalization, least squares-based clustering and dominant points finding for segmenting individual building edges. In addition, an algorithm for fitting complex footprints using the segmented edges and data inside footprints is also proposed.

Geographic delineations of yeast communities and populations associated with vines and wines in New Zealand

PubMed Central

Gayevskiy, Velimir; Goddard, Matthew R

2012-01-01

Yeasts are a diverse seemingly ubiquitous group of eukaryotic microbes, and many are naturally associated with fruits. Humans have harnessed yeasts since the dawn of civilisation to make wine, and thus it is surprising that we know little of the distribution of yeast communities naturally associated with fruits. Previous reports of yeast community diversity have been descriptive only. Here we present, we believe, the first robust test for the geographic delineation of yeast communities. Humans have relatively recently employed Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model research organism, and have long harnessed its ancient adaption to ferment even in the presence of oxygen. However, as far as we are aware, there has not been a rigorous test for the presence of regional differences in natural S. cerevisiae populations before. We combined these community- and population-level questions and surveyed replicate vineyards and corresponding spontaneous ferments from different regions on New Zealand's (NZ's) North Island and analysed the resulting data with community ecology and population genetic tests. We show that there are distinct regional delineations of yeast communities, but the picture for S. cerevisiae is more complex: there is evidence for region-specific sub-populations but there are also reasonable levels of gene flow among these regions in NZ. We believe this is the first demonstration of regional delineations of yeast populations and communities worldwide. PMID:22189497

Methods for Data-based Delineation of Spatial Regions

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

Wilson, John E.

In data analysis, it is often useful to delineate or segregate areas of interest from the general population of data in order to concentrate further analysis efforts on smaller areas. Three methods are presented here for automatically generating polygons around spatial data of interest. Each method addresses a distinct data type. These methods were developed for and implemented in the sample planning tool called Visual Sample Plan (VSP). Method A is used to delineate areas of elevated values in a rectangular grid of data (raster). The data used for this method are spatially related. Although VSP uses data from amore » kriging process for this method, it will work for any type of data that is spatially coherent and appears on a regular grid. Method B is used to surround areas of interest characterized by individual data points that are congregated within a certain distance of each other. Areas where data are “clumped” together spatially will be delineated. Method C is used to recreate the original boundary in a raster of data that separated data values from non-values. This is useful when a rectangular raster of data contains non-values (missing data) that indicate they were outside of some original boundary. If the original boundary is not delivered with the raster, this method will approximate the original boundary.« less

Tulip, a Modified Munsell Color Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldman, Uri

1990-03-01

The "Tulip" is a modified Munsell Color Space in which equal hue spacing is converted to variable hue spacing, reflecting the differential sensitivity to hue as a function of value, for a fixed chroma. Number of discernible hues, when plotted on a hue-value plane, results in the proposed tulip shape, with curved lines delineating the boundaries between hues. By means of a signal detection experiment, the tulip for yellow-green and for blue is determined. It is shown that more distinct hues of yellow-green are discernible at a high value than at low value. Conversely, for blue, more distinct hues are discernible at low value than at high value.

A Study of Pupil Control Ideology: A Person-Oriented Approach to Data Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adwere-Boamah, Joseph

2010-01-01

Responses of urban school teachers to the Pupil Control Ideology questionnaire were studied using Latent Class Analysis. The results of the analysis suggest that the best fitting model to the data is a two-cluster solution. In particular, the pupil control ideology of the sample delineates into two clusters of teachers, those with humanistic and…

A Planning Study for the Conversion of Recorded Books and Magazines from Rigid Discs to Cassettes and Flexible Discs. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Innovative Systems Research, Inc., Pennsauken, NJ.

Twelve different conversion plans were delineated and evaluated in the performance of this study effort. An indepth technical, financial, and cost/benefit analysis was included. One plan was determined to be distinctively more cost-effective than any of the other plans because it provided a technically feasible system that assured the maximum…

Saber y conocer: Un plan para su ensenaza (To know and to be acquainted with: A teaching plan).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lizardi-Rivera, Carmen M.

1995-01-01

Focuses on how to teach English-speaking students of Spanish the practical distinction between the verbs, "saber" (to be cognizant of) and "conocer" (to be acquainted with). This article describes a solution proposed by K. Taylor for explaining the limits of the two verbs and examines similar proposals delineated in three other Spanish textbooks.…

Subgroups of Chemotherapy Patients With Distinct Morning and Evening Fatigue Trajectories

PubMed Central

Kober, Kord M.; Cooper, Bruce A.; Paul, Steven M.; Dunn, Laura B.; Levine, Jon D.; Wright, Fay; Hammer, Marilyn J.; Mastick, Judy; Venook, Alan; Aouizerat, Bradley E.; Miaskowski, Christine

2017-01-01

Purpose Purposes of this study were to: identify subgroups of patients with distinct trajectories for morning and evening fatigue; evaluate for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics among these subgroups; and compare and contrast the predictors of subgroup membership for morning and evening fatigue. Methods Outpatients with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer (n=582) completed questionnaires a total of six times over two cycles of CTX. Morning and evening fatigue severity were evaluated using the Lee Fatigue Scale. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify distinct subgroups. Results Three latent classes were identified for morning fatigue (i.e., Low (31.8%), High (51.4%), and Very High (16.8%)) and for evening evening fatigue (i.e., Moderate (20.0%), High (21.8%), and Very High (58.2%)). Most of the disease and treatment characteristics did not distinguish among the morning and evening fatigue classes. Compared to the Low class, patients in the High and Very High morning fatigue class were younger, had a lower functional status and higher level of comorbidity. Compared to the Moderate class, patients in the Very High evening fatigue class were younger, more likely to be female, had child care responsibilities, had a lower functional status, and a higher level of comorbidity. Conclusion LPA allows for the identification of risk factors for more severe fatigue. Since an overlap was not observed across the morning and evening fatigue classes and unique predictors for morning and evening fatigue were identified, these findings suggest that morning and evening fatigue may have distinct underlying mechanisms. PMID:26361758

Teachers in Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Galen, Jane

2008-01-01

In this article, I argue for a closer read of the daily "class work" of teachers, as posited by Reay, 1998. In developing exploratory class portraits of four teachers who occupy distinctive social positions (two from working-class homes now teaching upper-middle-class children and two from upper-middle-class homes now teaching poor children), I…

A Ferredoxin Disulfide Reductase Delivers Electrons to the Methanosarcina barkeri Class III Ribonucleotide Reductase

DOE PAGES

Wei, Yifeng; Li, Bin; Prakash, Divya; ...

2015-11-04

Two subtypes of class III anaerobic ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) studied so far couple the reduction of ribonucleotides to the oxidation of formate, or the oxidation of NADPH via thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase. Certain methanogenic archaea contain a phylogenetically distinct third subtype of class III RNR, with distinct active-site residues. Here we report the cloning and recombinant expression of the Methanosarcina barkeri class III RNR and show that the electrons required for ribonucleotide reduction can be delivered by a [4Fe-4S] protein ferredoxin disulfide reductase, and a conserved thioredoxin-like protein NrdH present in the RNR operon. The diversity of class III RNRsmore » reflects the diversity of electron carriers used in anaerobic metabolism« less

7 CFR 30.5 - Class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.5 Class. One of the major divisions of leaf tobacco based on the distinct characteristics of the tobacco caused...

7 CFR 30.5 - Class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.5 Class. One of the major divisions of leaf tobacco based on the distinct characteristics of the tobacco caused...

7 CFR 30.5 - Class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.5 Class. One of the major divisions of leaf tobacco based on the distinct characteristics of the tobacco caused...

7 CFR 30.5 - Class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.5 Class. One of the major divisions of leaf tobacco based on the distinct characteristics of the tobacco caused...

7 CFR 30.5 - Class.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.5 Class. One of the major divisions of leaf tobacco based on the distinct characteristics of the tobacco caused...

Use of slope, aspect, and elevation maps derived from digital elevation model data in making soil surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klingebiel, A.A.; Horvath, E.H.; Moore, D.G.; Reybold, W.U.

1987-01-01

Maps showing different classes of slope, aspect, and elevation were developed from U.S. Geological Survey digital elevation model data. The classes were displayed on clear Mylar at 1:24 000-scale and registered with topographic maps and orthophotos. The maps were used with aerial photographs, topographic maps, and other resource data to determine their value in making order-three soil surveys. They were tested on over 600 000 ha in Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada under various climatic and topographic conditions. Field evaluations showed that the maps developed from digital elevation model data were accurate, except for slope class maps where slopes were <4%. The maps were useful to soil scientists, especially where (i) class boundaries coincided with soil changes, landform delineations, land use and management separations, and vegetation changes, and (ii) rough terrain and dense vegetation made it difficult to traverse the area. In hot, arid areas of sparse vegetation, the relationship of slope classes to kinds of soil and vegetation was less significant.

The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations.

PubMed

Baron, R M; Kenny, D A

1986-12-01

In this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. First, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both conceptually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. We then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. We also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures appropriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both separately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators.

High-resolution satellite imagery is an important yet underutilized resource in conservation biology.

PubMed

Boyle, Sarah A; Kennedy, Christina M; Torres, Julio; Colman, Karen; Pérez-Estigarribia, Pastor E; de la Sancha, Noé U

2014-01-01

Technological advances and increasing availability of high-resolution satellite imagery offer the potential for more accurate land cover classifications and pattern analyses, which could greatly improve the detection and quantification of land cover change for conservation. Such remotely-sensed products, however, are often expensive and difficult to acquire, which prohibits or reduces their use. We tested whether imagery of high spatial resolution (≤5 m) differs from lower-resolution imagery (≥30 m) in performance and extent of use for conservation applications. To assess performance, we classified land cover in a heterogeneous region of Interior Atlantic Forest in Paraguay, which has undergone recent and dramatic human-induced habitat loss and fragmentation. We used 4 m multispectral IKONOS and 30 m multispectral Landsat imagery and determined the extent to which resolution influenced the delineation of land cover classes and patch-level metrics. Higher-resolution imagery more accurately delineated cover classes, identified smaller patches, retained patch shape, and detected narrower, linear patches. To assess extent of use, we surveyed three conservation journals (Biological Conservation, Biotropica, Conservation Biology) and found limited application of high-resolution imagery in research, with only 26.8% of land cover studies analyzing satellite imagery, and of these studies only 10.4% used imagery ≤5 m resolution. Our results suggest that high-resolution imagery is warranted yet under-utilized in conservation research, but is needed to adequately monitor and evaluate forest loss and conversion, and to delineate potentially important stepping-stone fragments that may serve as corridors in a human-modified landscape. Greater access to low-cost, multiband, high-resolution satellite imagery would therefore greatly facilitate conservation management and decision-making.

Explicit least squares system parameter identification for exact differential input/output models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, A. E.

1993-01-01

The equation error for a class of systems modeled by input/output differential operator equations has the potential to be integrated exactly, given the input/output data on a finite time interval, thereby opening up the possibility of using an explicit least squares estimation technique for system parameter identification. The paper delineates the class of models for which this is possible and shows how the explicit least squares cost function can be obtained in a way that obviates dealing with unknown initial and boundary conditions. The approach is illustrated by two examples: a second order chemical kinetics model and a third order system of Lorenz equations.

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

Lee, Gregory L.; Arnold, Dorian; LeGendre, Matthew

STAT is a light weight debugging tool that gathers and merges stack traces from all of the processes in a parallel application. STAT uses the MRNet tree based overlay network to broadcast commands from the tool front-end to the STAT daemons and for the front-end to gather the traces from the STAT daemons. As the traces propagate through the MRNet network tree, they are merged across all tasks to form a similar function call patterns and to delineate a small set of equivalence classes. A representative task from each of these classes can then be fed into a full featuremore » debugger like TolalView for root cause analysis.« less

Complicating the "Soccer Mom:" The Cultural Politics of Forming Class-Based Identity, Distinction, and Necessity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Lisa

2009-01-01

Using Pierre Bourdieu's theories of social class differentiation and class reproduction, this paper provides an analysis of class-based identity politics in contemporary suburban America. Through a critical ethnography of the emergent, American, upper-middle-class "soccer mom" phenomenon, this study contributes to a growing body of…

Substance use predictors of victimization profiles among homeless youth: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Bender, Kimberly; Thompson, Sanna; Ferguson, Kristin; Langenderfer, Lisa

2014-02-01

Although a substantial body of literature demonstrates high prevalence of street victimization among homeless youth, few studies have investigated the existence of victimization classes that differ on the type and frequency of victimization experienced. Nor do we know how substance use patterns relate to victimization classes. Using latent class analysis (LCA), we examined the existence of victimization classes of homeless youth and investigated substance use predictors of class membership utilizing a large purposive sample (N=601) recruited from homeless youth-serving host agencies in three disparate regions of the U.S. Results of the LCA suggest the presence of three distinct victimization profiles - youth fit into a low-victimization class, a witness class, or a high-victimization class. These three victimization classes demonstrated differences in their substance use, including rates of substance abuse/dependence on alcohol and/or drugs. The presence of distinct victimization profiles suggests the need for screening and referral for differential services. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serogrouping of Halophilic Bdellovibrios from Chesapeake Bay and Environs by Immunodiffusion and Immunoelectrophoresis

PubMed Central

Schoeffield, Andrew J.; Falkler, William A.; Desai, Darshana; Williams, Henry N.

1991-01-01

Little has been reported on the serological relationship of halophilic bdellovibrios (Bd). Immunodiffusion analysis performed with rabbit or mouse Bd antisera developed against eight halophilic Bd isolates and one terrestrial Bd isolate, when reacted with soluble antigen preparations of 45 isolates of halophilic Bd, allowed separation into seven serogroups, which were distinct from the terrestrial isolate. Soluble antigen preparations of prey bacteria, Vibrio parahaemolyticus P-5 (P-5) and Escherichia coli ML 35 (ML 35), exhibited no reactivity with the antisera by immunodiffusion. Immunoelectrophoresis revealed the presence of three distinct antigens in homologous reactions and one shared antigen in heterologous Bd reactions. Shared antigens were noted between halophilic and terrestrial Bd, in addition to between halophilic Bd strains, indicating the possible existence of an antigen(s) which may be shared among all Bd. Again, no shared antigen was noted when P-5 or ML 35 was allowed by immunoelectrophoresis to react with the antisera. Prey susceptibility testing of the seven distinct groups of halophilic Bd, using 20 test prey, produced essentially identical spectra for each group, indicating that this was not a useful technique in delineating the Bd. While immunoelectrophoresis was able to demonstrate an antigen common to all Bd tested, immunodiffusion was able to delineate strains on the basis of a “serogroup specific” antigen. This suggests that immunological tools may serve as important means to study the taxonomy of halophilic Bd, as well as in the formation of a clearer taxonomic picture of the genus Bdellovibrio. Images PMID:16348597

Defining personal utility in genomics: A Delphi study.

PubMed

Kohler, J N; Turbitt, E; Lewis, K L; Wilfond, B S; Jamal, L; Peay, H L; Biesecker, L G; Biesecker, B B

2017-09-01

Individual genome sequencing results are valued by patients in ways distinct from clinical utility. Such outcomes have been described as components of "personal utility," a concept that broadly encompasses patient-endorsed benefits, that is operationally defined as non-clinical outcomes. No empirical delineation of these outcomes has been reported. To address this gap, we administered a Delphi survey to adult participants in a National Institute of Health (NIH) clinical exome study to extract the most highly endorsed outcomes constituting personal utility. Forty research participants responded to a Delphi survey to rate 35 items identified by a systematic literature review of personal utility. Two rounds of ranking resulted in 24 items that represented 14 distinct elements of personal utility. Elements most highly endorsed by participants were: increased self-knowledge, knowledge of "the condition," altruism, and anticipated coping. Our findings represent the first systematic effort to delineate elements of personal utility that may be used to anticipate participant expectation and inform genetic counseling prior to sequencing. The 24 items reported need to be studied further in additional clinical genome sequencing studies to assess generalizability in other populations. Further research will help to understand motivations and to predict the meaning and use of results. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Subtypes of depression and their overlap in a naturalistic inpatient sample of major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Musil, Richard; Seemüller, Florian; Meyer, Sebastian; Spellmann, Ilja; Adli, Mazda; Bauer, Michael; Kronmüller, Klaus-Thomas; Brieger, Peter; Laux, Gerd; Bender, Wolfram; Heuser, Isabella; Fisher, Robert; Gaebel, Wolfgang; Schennach, Rebecca; Möller, Hans-Jürgen; Riedel, Michael

2018-03-01

Subtyping depression is important in order to further delineate biological causes of depressive syndromes. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and outcome characteristics of distinct subtypes of depression and to assess proportion and features of patients fulfilling criteria for more than one subtype. Melancholic, atypical and anxious subtypes of depression were assessed in a naturalistic sample of 833 inpatients using DSM-IV specifiers based on operationalized criteria. Baseline characteristics and outcome criteria at discharge were compared between distinct subtypes and their overlap. A substantial proportion of patients (16%) were classified with more than one subtype of depression, 28% were of the distinct anxious, 7% of the distinct atypical and 5% of the distinct melancholic subtype. Distinct melancholic patients had shortest duration of episode, highest baseline depression severity, but were more often early improvers; distinct anxious patients had higher NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) neuroticism scores compared with patients with unspecific subtype. Melancholic patients with overlap of anxious features had worse treatment outcome compared to distinct melancholic and distinct anxious subtype. Distinct subtypes differed in only few variables and patients with overlap of depression subtypes may have independent clinical and outcome characteristics. Studies investigating biological causes of subtypes of depression should take influence of features of other subtypes into account. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nuclear congression and membrane fusion: two distinct events in the yeast karyogamy pathway

PubMed Central

1994-01-01

Karyogamy is the process where haploid nuclei fuse to form a diploid nucleus during yeast mating. We devised a novel genetic screen that identified five new karyogamy (KAR) genes and three new cell fusion (FUS) genes. The kar mutants fell into two classes that represent distinct events in the yeast karyogamy pathway. Class I mutations blocked congression of the nuclei due to cytoplasmic microtubule defects. In Class II mutants, nuclear congression proceeded and the membranes of apposed nuclei were closely aligned but unfused. In vitro, Class II mutant membranes were defective in a homotypic ER/nuclear membrane fusion assay. We propose that Class II mutants define components of a novel membrane fusion complex which functions during vegetative growth and is recruited for karyogamy. PMID:8051211

Optimizing Linked Perceptual Class Formation and Transfer of Function

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fields, Lanny; Garruto, Michelle

2009-01-01

A linked perceptual class consists of two distinct perceptual classes, A' and B', the members of which have become related to each other. For example, a linked perceptual class might be composed of many pictures of a woman (one perceptual class) and the sounds of that woman's voice (the other perceptual class). In this case, any sound of the…

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

Wei, Yifeng; Li, Bin; Prakash, Divya

Two subtypes of class III anaerobic ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) studied so far couple the reduction of ribonucleotides to the oxidation of formate, or the oxidation of NADPH via thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase. Certain methanogenic archaea contain a phylogenetically distinct third subtype of class III RNR, with distinct active-site residues. Here we report the cloning and recombinant expression of the Methanosarcina barkeri class III RNR and show that the electrons required for ribonucleotide reduction can be delivered by a [4Fe-4S] protein ferredoxin disulfide reductase, and a conserved thioredoxin-like protein NrdH present in the RNR operon. The diversity of class III RNRsmore » reflects the diversity of electron carriers used in anaerobic metabolism« less

Lipids as a principle for the identification of Archaebacteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tornabene, T. G.; Lloyd, R. E.; Holzer, G.; Oro, J.

1980-01-01

The 'Archaebacteria' consist of several distinct subgroups including methanogens, extreme halophiles and specific thermoacidophiles. These bacteria are distinct from other bacteria with respect to their characteristic RNA compositions, the absence of muramic acid in the cell walls and the predominance of nonsaponifable lipids. The lipid composition of the Archaebacteria consists of isoprenoid and hydroisoprenoid hydrocarbons and isopranyl glycerol ether lipids. The pathways for the biosynthesis of the lipid components are those shared by most microorganisms and demonstrate a close relationship; however, an independent line of descent is indicated by the formation of the isopranyl glycerol ether lipids. This discontinuity formulates a point for delineating the early stages of biological evolution and for dividing bacteria into two subgroups.

Visualization and Classification of Deeply Seated Collateral Networks in Moyamoya Angiopathy with 7T MRI.

PubMed

Matsushige, T; Kraemer, M; Sato, T; Berlit, P; Forsting, M; Ladd, M E; Jabbarli, R; Sure, U; Khan, N; Schlamann, M; Wrede, K H

2018-06-07

Collateral networks in Moyamoya angiopathy have a complex angioarchitecture difficult to comprehend on conventional examinations. This study aimed to evaluate morphologic patterns and the delineation of deeply seated collateral networks using ultra-high-field MRA in comparison with conventional DSA. Fifteen white patients with Moyamoya angiopathy were investigated in this prospective trial. Sequences acquired at 7T were TOF-MRA with 0.22 × 0.22 × 0.41 mm 3 resolution and MPRAGE with 0.7 × 0.7 × 0.7 mm 3 resolution. Four raters evaluated the presence of deeply seated collateral networks and image quality in a consensus reading of DSA, TOF-MRA, and MPRAGE using a 5-point scale in axial source images and maximum intensity projections. Delineation of deeply seated collateral networks by different imaging modalities was compared by means of the McNemar test, whereas image quality was compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The relevant deeply seated collateral networks were classified into 2 categories and 6 pathways. A total of 100 collateral networks were detected on DSA; 106, on TOF-MRA; and 73, on MPRAGE. Delineation of deeply seated collateral networks was comparable between TOF-MRA and DSA ( P = .25); however, both were better than MPRAGE ( P < .001). This study demonstrates excellent delineation of 6 distinct deeply seated collateral network pathways in Moyamoya angiopathy in white adults using 7T TOF-MRA, comparable to DSA. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Comparison of Eh and H2 measurements for delineating redox processes in a contaminated aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapelle, Francis H.; Haack, Sheridan K.; Adriaens, Peter; Henry, Mark A.; Bradley, Paul M.

1996-01-01

Measurements of oxidation-reduction potential (Eh) and concentrations of dissolved hydrogen (H2) were made in a shallow groundwater system contaminated with solvents and jet fuel to delineate the zonation of redox processes. Eh measurements ranged from +69 to -158 mV in a cross section of the contaminated plume and accurately delineated oxic from anoxic groundwater. Plotting measured Eh and pH values on an equilibrium stability diagram indicated that Fe(III) reduction was the predominant redox process in the anoxic zone and did not indicate the presence of methanogenesis and sulfate reduction. In contrast, measurements of H2concentrations indicated that methanogenesis predominated in heavily contaminated sediments near the water table surface (H2 ∼ 7.0 nM) and that the methanogenic zone was surrounded by distinct sulfate-reducing (H2 ∼ 1-4 nM) and Fe(III)-reducing (H2 ∼ 0.1-0.8 nM) zones. The presence of methanogenesis, sulfate reduction, and Fe(III) reduction was confirmed by the distribution of dissolved oxygen, sulfate, Fe(II), and methane in groundwater. These results show that H2 concentrations were more useful for identifying anoxic redox processes than Ehmeasurements in this groundwater system. However, H2-based redox zone delineations are more reliable when H2 concentrations are interpreted in the context of electron-acceptor (oxygen, nitrate, sulfate) availability and the presence of final products [Fe(II), sulfide, methane] of microbial metabolism.

A comparison of three fiber tract delineation methods and their impact on white matter analysis.

PubMed

Sydnor, Valerie J; Rivas-Grajales, Ana María; Lyall, Amanda E; Zhang, Fan; Bouix, Sylvain; Karmacharya, Sarina; Shenton, Martha E; Westin, Carl-Fredrik; Makris, Nikos; Wassermann, Demian; O'Donnell, Lauren J; Kubicki, Marek

2018-05-19

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is an important method for studying white matter connectivity in the brain in vivo in both healthy and clinical populations. Improvements in dMRI tractography algorithms, which reconstruct macroscopic three-dimensional white matter fiber pathways, have allowed for methodological advances in the study of white matter; however, insufficient attention has been paid to comparing post-tractography methods that extract white matter fiber tracts of interest from whole-brain tractography. Here we conduct a comparison of three representative and conceptually distinct approaches to fiber tract delineation: 1) a manual multiple region of interest-based approach, 2) an atlas-based approach, and 3) a groupwise fiber clustering approach, by employing methods that exemplify these approaches to delineate the arcuate fasciculus, the middle longitudinal fasciculus, and the uncinate fasciculus in 10 healthy male subjects. We enable qualitative comparisons across methods, conduct quantitative evaluations of tract volume, tract length, mean fractional anisotropy, and true positive and true negative rates, and report measures of intra-method and inter-method agreement. We discuss methodological similarities and differences between the three approaches and the major advantages and drawbacks of each, and review research and clinical contexts for which each method may be most apposite. Emphasis is given to the means by which different white matter fiber tract delineation approaches may systematically produce variable results, despite utilizing the same input tractography and reliance on similar anatomical knowledge. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Therapeutic targeting of RNA splicing in myelodysplasia.

PubMed

Kim, Young Joon; Abdel-Wahab, Omar

2017-07-01

Genomic analysis of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has identified that mutations within genes encoding RNA splicing factors represent the most common class of genetic alterations in MDS. These mutations primarily affect SF3B1, SRSF2, U2AF1, and ZRSR2. Current data suggest that these mutations perturb RNA splicing catalysis in a manner distinct from loss of function but how exactly the global changes in RNA splicing imparted by these mutations result in MDS is not well delineated. At the same time, cells bearing mutations in RNA splicing factors are exquisitely dependent on the presence of the remaining wild-type (WT) allele to maintain residual normal splicing for cell survival. The high frequency of these mutations in MDS, combined with their mutual exclusivity and noteworthy dependence on the WT allele, make targeting RNA splicing attractive in MDS. To this end, two promising therapeutic approaches targeting RNA splicing are being tested clinically currently. These include molecules targeting core RNA splicing catalysis by interfering with the ability of the SF3b complex to interact with RNA, as well as molecules degrading the auxiliary RNA splicing factor RBM39. The preclinical and clinical evaluation of these compounds are discussed here in addition to their potential as therapies for spliceosomal mutant MDS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transformations of fluxes and forces describing the simultaneous transport of water and heat in unsaturated porous media

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

Raats, P.A.C.

1975-12-01

Balances of mass for the water in N distinct phases and a balance of heat for the medium as a whole were formulated. Following Philip and de Vries, it was assumed that the flux of water in each phase is proportional to the gradient of the pressure in that phase and that the diffusive component of the flux of heat is proportional to the gradient of the temperature. Clapeyron equations were used to express the gradient of the pressure in any phase in terms of the gradient of the pressure in a reference state and of the temperature. The referencemore » state may be the water in one of the phases or the water in some measuring device such as a tensiometer or a psychrometer. Expressions for the total flux of water and for the diffusive flux of heat plus the convective flux of heat associated with the conversion from any phase to the reference state were shown to satisfy the onsager reciprocal relations. A theorem due to Meixner was used to delineate the class of fluxes and forces that preserves these relations. In particular, it was shown that if the gradients of water content and temperature are used as the driving forces, the onsager relations are no longer satisfied.« less

Using Solid-state NMR to Monitor the Molecular Consequences of Cryptococcus neoformans Melanization with Different Catecholamine Precursors

PubMed Central

Chatterjee, Subhasish; Prados-Rosales, Rafael; Frases, Susana; Itin, Boris; Casadevall, Arturo; Stark, Ruth E.

2012-01-01

Melanins are a class of natural pigments associated with a wide range of biological functions, including microbial virulence, energy transduction, and protection against solar radiation. Because of their insolubility and structural heterogeneity, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides an unprecedented means to define the molecular architecture of these enigmatic pigments. The requirement of obligatory catecholamines for melanization of the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans also offers unique opportunities for investigating melanin development. In the current study, pigments produced with L-dopa, methyl-L-dopa, epinephrine, and norepinephrine precursors are compared structurally using 13C and 1H magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR. Striking structural differences were observed for both aromatic and aliphatic molecular constituents of the mature fungal pigment assemblies, thus making it possible to redefine the molecular prerequisites for formation of the aromatic domains of insoluble indole-based biopolymers, to rationalize their distinctive physical characteristics, and to delineate the role of cellular constituents in assembly of the melanized macromolecules with polysaccharides and fatty acyl chain-containing moieties. By achieving an augmented understanding of the mechanisms of C. neoformans melanin biosynthesis and cellular assembly, such studies can guide future drug discovery efforts related to melanin-associated virulence, resistance to tumor therapy, and production of melanin mimetics under cell-free conditions. PMID:22765382

Post-term growth and cognitive development at 5 years of age in preterm children: Evidence from a prospective population-based cohort.

PubMed

Simon, Laure; Nusinovici, Simon; Flamant, Cyril; Cariou, Bertrand; Rouger, Valérie; Gascoin, Géraldine; Darmaun, Dominique; Rozé, Jean-Christophe; Hanf, Matthieu

2017-01-01

While the effects of growth from birth to expected term on the subsequent development of preterm children has attracted plentiful attention, less is known about the effects of post-term growth. We aimed to delineate distinct patterns of post-term growth and to determine their association with the cognitive development of preterm children. Data from a prospective population-based cohort of 3,850 surviving infants born at less than 35 weeks of gestational age were used. Growth was assessed as the Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-scores at 3, 9, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months. Cognitive development at five years of age was evaluated by the Global School Adaptation score (GSA). Latent class analysis was implemented to identify distinct growth patterns and logistic regressions based on propensity matching were used to evaluate the relationship between identified growth trajectories and cognitive development. Four patterns of post-term growth were identified: a normal group with a Z-score consistently around zero during childhood (n = 2,469; 64%); a group with an early rapid rise in the BMI Z-score, but only up to 2 years of age (n = 195; 5%); a group with a slow yet steady rise in the BMI Z-score during childhood (n = 510; 13%); and a group with a negative Z-score growth until 3 years of age (n = 676; 18%). The group with a slow yet steady rise in the BMI Z-score was significantly associated with low GSA scores. Our findings indicate heterogeneous post-term growth of preterm children, with potential for association with their cognitive development.

Pathophysiology of B-cell intrinsic immunoglobulin class switch recombination deficiencies.

PubMed

Durandy, Anne; Taubenheim, Nadine; Peron, Sophie; Fischer, Alain

2007-01-01

B-cell intrinsic immunoglobulin class switch recombination (Ig-CSR) deficiencies, previously termed hyper-IgM syndromes, are genetically determined conditions characterized by normal or elevated serum IgM levels and an absence or very low levels of IgG, IgA, and IgE. As a function of the molecular mechanism, the defective CSR is variably associated to a defect in the generation of somatic hypermutations (SHMs) in the Ig variable region. The study of Ig-CSR deficiencies contributed to a better delineation of the mechanisms underlying CSR and SHM, the major events of antigen-triggered antibody maturation. Four Ig-CSR deficiency phenotypes have been so far reported: the description of the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) deficiency (Ig-CSR deficiency 1), caused by recessive mutations of AICDA gene, characterized by a defect in CSR and SHM, clearly established the role of AID in the induction of the Ig gene rearrangements underlying CSR and SHM. A CSR-specific function of AID has, however, been detected by the observation of a selective CSR defect caused by mutations affecting the C-terminus of AID. Ig-CSR deficiency 2 is the consequence of uracil-N-glycosylase (UNG) deficiency. Because UNG, a molecule of the base excision repair machinery, removes uracils from DNA and AID deaminates cytosines into uracils, that observation indicates that the AID-UNG pathway directly targets DNA of switch regions from the Ig heavy-chain locus to induce the CSR process. Ig-CSR deficiencies 3 and 4 are characterized by a selective CSR defect resulting from blocks at distinct steps of CSR. A further understanding of the CSR machinery is expected from their molecular definition.

Unsupervised nonlinear dimensionality reduction machine learning methods applied to multiparametric MRI in cerebral ischemia: preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parekh, Vishwa S.; Jacobs, Jeremy R.; Jacobs, Michael A.

2014-03-01

The evaluation and treatment of acute cerebral ischemia requires a technique that can determine the total area of tissue at risk for infarction using diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. Typical MRI data sets consist of T1- and T2-weighted imaging (T1WI, T2WI) along with advanced MRI parameters of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and perfusion weighted imaging (PWI) methods. Each of these parameters has distinct radiological-pathological meaning. For example, DWI interrogates the movement of water in the tissue and PWI gives an estimate of the blood flow, both are critical measures during the evolution of stroke. In order to integrate these data and give an estimate of the tissue at risk or damaged; we have developed advanced machine learning methods based on unsupervised non-linear dimensionality reduction (NLDR) techniques. NLDR methods are a class of algorithms that uses mathematically defined manifolds for statistical sampling of multidimensional classes to generate a discrimination rule of guaranteed statistical accuracy and they can generate a two- or three-dimensional map, which represents the prominent structures of the data and provides an embedded image of meaningful low-dimensional structures hidden in their high-dimensional observations. In this manuscript, we develop NLDR methods on high dimensional MRI data sets of preclinical animals and clinical patients with stroke. On analyzing the performance of these methods, we observed that there was a high of similarity between multiparametric embedded images from NLDR methods and the ADC map and perfusion map. It was also observed that embedded scattergram of abnormal (infarcted or at risk) tissue can be visualized and provides a mechanism for automatic methods to delineate potential stroke volumes and early tissue at risk.

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.

Review of Geologic Data Sources for Coastal Sediment Budgets

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-02-01

significant elements of the overall sedimentary environment . Boundaries can, for example, be delineated by headlands, submarine canyons, inlets, stream...Doubleday, Garden City, NY. Biederman, E. W. 1962. "Distinction of Shoreline Environments in New Jersey," Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, Vol 32, pp 181...234. Ingrim, R. L. 1965. " Facies Maps Based on the Megascopic Examination of Modvrn Sediments," Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, Vol 35, No. 3, pp 61W

Development of a software for quantitative evaluation radiotherapy target and organ-at-risk segmentation comparison.

PubMed

Kalpathy-Cramer, Jayashree; Awan, Musaddiq; Bedrick, Steven; Rasch, Coen R N; Rosenthal, David I; Fuller, Clifton D

2014-02-01

Modern radiotherapy requires accurate region of interest (ROI) inputs for plan optimization and delivery. Target delineation, however, remains operator-dependent and potentially serves as a major source of treatment delivery error. In order to optimize this critical, yet observer-driven process, a flexible web-based platform for individual and cooperative target delineation analysis and instruction was developed in order to meet the following unmet needs: (1) an open-source/open-access platform for automated/semiautomated quantitative interobserver and intraobserver ROI analysis and comparison, (2) a real-time interface for radiation oncology trainee online self-education in ROI definition, and (3) a source for pilot data to develop and validate quality metrics for institutional and cooperative group quality assurance efforts. The resultant software, Target Contour Testing/Instructional Computer Software (TaCTICS), developed using Ruby on Rails, has since been implemented and proven flexible, feasible, and useful in several distinct analytical and research applications.

Clericuzio-type poikiloderma with neutropenia syndrome in three sibs with mutations in the C16orf57 gene: delineation of the phenotype.

PubMed

Concolino, D; Roversi, G; Muzzi, G L; Sestito, S; Colombo, E A; Volpi, L; Larizza, L; Strisciuglio, P

2010-10-01

We report on three sibs who have autosomal recessive Clericuzio-type poikiloderma neutropenia (PN) syndrome. Recently, this consanguineous family was reported and shown to be informative in identifying the C16orf57 gene as the causative gene for this syndrome. Here we present the clinical data in detail. PN is a distinct and recognizable entity belonging to the group of poikiloderma syndromes among which Rothmund-Thomson is perhaps the best described and understood. PN is characterized by cutaneous poikiloderma, hyperkeratotic nails, generalized hyperkeratosis on palms and soles, neutropenia, short stature, and recurrent pulmonary infections. In order to delineate the phenotype of this rare genodermatosis, the clinical presentation together with the molecular investigations in our patients are reported and compared to those from the literature. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Effect of Increased Rear Row Occupancy on Injury to Seat Belt Restrained Children in Side Impact Crashes

PubMed Central

Maltese, Matthew R.; Chen, Irene G.; Arbogast, Kristy B.

2005-01-01

Previous work identified a similar risk of injury for children seated on the struck side and center rear in side impact crashes in passenger cars. In order to further explain this finding, we investigated the effect of sharing the rear row with other occupants on injury risk and delineated differences in injury patterns among the seat positions. These analyses, conducted from a large child specific crash surveillance system, included: children 4–15 years old, rear seated, seat belt restrained, in a passenger car, and in a side impact crash. Injury risk was compared among each rear seat position stratified by the presence of other occupants on the rear row. Occupants are at an increased risk of injury if they sit alone on their row as compared to sitting with other occupants. Patterns of injuries distinct to each seat position were delineated. PMID:16179151

Anisotropic analysis of trabecular architecture in human femur bone radiographs using quaternion wavelet transforms.

PubMed

Sangeetha, S; Sujatha, C M; Manamalli, D

2014-01-01

In this work, anisotropy of compressive and tensile strength regions of femur trabecular bone are analysed using quaternion wavelet transforms. The normal and abnormal femur trabecular bone radiographic images are considered for this study. The sub-anatomic regions, which include compressive and tensile regions, are delineated using pre-processing procedures. These delineated regions are subjected to quaternion wavelet transforms and statistical parameters are derived from the transformed images. These parameters are correlated with apparent porosity, which is derived from the strength regions. Further, anisotropy is also calculated from the transformed images and is analyzed. Results show that the anisotropy values derived from second and third phase components of quaternion wavelet transform are found to be distinct for normal and abnormal samples with high statistical significance for both compressive and tensile regions. These investigations demonstrate that architectural anisotropy derived from QWT analysis is able to differentiate normal and abnormal samples.

Evaluation of optimal reservoir prospectivity using acoustic-impedance model inversion: A case study of an offshore field, western Niger Delta, Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oyeyemi, Kehinde D.; Olowokere, Mary T.; Aizebeokhai, Ahzegbobor P.

2017-12-01

The evaluation of economic potential of any hydrocarbon field involves the understanding of the reservoir lithofacies and porosity variations. This in turns contributes immensely towards subsequent reservoir management and field development. In this study, integrated 3D seismic data and well log data were employed to assess the quality and prospectivity of the delineated reservoirs (H1-H5) within the OPO field, western Niger Delta using a model-based seismic inversion technique. The model inversion results revealed four distinct sedimentary packages based on the subsurface acoustic impedance properties and shale contents. Low acoustic impedance model values were associated with the delineated hydrocarbon bearing units, denoting their high porosity and good quality. Application of model-based inverted velocity, density and acoustic impedance properties on the generated time slices of reservoirs also revealed a regional fault and prospects within the field.

Distinct Evening Fatigue Profiles in Oncology Outpatients Receiving Chemotherapy

PubMed Central

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

2018-01-01

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

Validation of automated supervised segmentation of multibeam backscatter data from the Chatham Rise, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillman, Jess I. T.; Lamarche, Geoffroy; Pallentin, Arne; Pecher, Ingo A.; Gorman, Andrew R.; Schneider von Deimling, Jens

2018-06-01

Using automated supervised segmentation of multibeam backscatter data to delineate seafloor substrates is a relatively novel technique. Low-frequency multibeam echosounders (MBES), such as the 12-kHz EM120, present particular difficulties since the signal can penetrate several metres into the seafloor, depending on substrate type. We present a case study illustrating how a non-targeted dataset may be used to derive information from multibeam backscatter data regarding distribution of substrate types. The results allow us to assess limitations associated with low frequency MBES where sub-bottom layering is present, and test the accuracy of automated supervised segmentation performed using SonarScope® software. This is done through comparison of predicted and observed substrate from backscatter facies-derived classes and substrate data, reinforced using quantitative statistical analysis based on a confusion matrix. We use sediment samples, video transects and sub-bottom profiles acquired on the Chatham Rise, east of New Zealand. Inferences on the substrate types are made using the Generic Seafloor Acoustic Backscatter (GSAB) model, and the extents of the backscatter classes are delineated by automated supervised segmentation. Correlating substrate data to backscatter classes revealed that backscatter amplitude may correspond to lithologies up to 4 m below the seafloor. Our results emphasise several issues related to substrate characterisation using backscatter classification, primarily because the GSAB model does not only relate to grain size and roughness properties of substrate, but also accounts for other parameters that influence backscatter. Better understanding these limitations allows us to derive first-order interpretations of sediment properties from automated supervised segmentation.

Wealth, Poverty, and Happiness: Social Class Is Differentially Associated With Positive Emotions.

PubMed

Piff, Paul K; Moskowitz, Jake P

2017-12-18

Is higher social class associated with greater happiness? In a large nationally representative U.S. sample (N = 1,519), we examined the association between social class (household income) and self-reported tendencies to experience 7 distinct positive emotions that are core to happiness: amusement, awe, compassion, contentment, enthusiasm, love, and pride. Consistent with past research indicating that social class underlies differential patterns of attending to the self versus orienting to others, higher social class was associated with greater self-oriented feelings of contentment and pride, and with greater amusement. In contrast, lower social class was associated with more other-oriented feelings of compassion and love, and with greater awe. There were no class differences in enthusiasm. We discuss that individuals from different social class backgrounds may exhibit different patterns of emotional responding due to their distinct social concerns and priorities. Whereas self-oriented emotions may follow from, foster, and reinforce upper class individuals' desire for independence and self-sufficiency, greater other-oriented emotion may enable lower class individuals to form more interdependent bonds to cope with their more threatening environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Use of Latent Class Analysis to define groups based on validity, cognition, and emotional functioning.

PubMed

Morin, Ruth T; Axelrod, Bradley N

Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to classify a heterogeneous sample of neuropsychology data. In particular, we used measures of performance validity, symptom validity, cognition, and emotional functioning to assess and describe latent groups of functioning in these areas. A data-set of 680 neuropsychological evaluation protocols was analyzed using a LCA. Data were collected from evaluations performed for clinical purposes at an urban medical center. A four-class model emerged as the best fitting model of latent classes. The resulting classes were distinct based on measures of performance validity and symptom validity. Class A performed poorly on both performance and symptom validity measures. Class B had intact performance validity and heightened symptom reporting. The remaining two Classes performed adequately on both performance and symptom validity measures, differing only in cognitive and emotional functioning. In general, performance invalidity was associated with worse cognitive performance, while symptom invalidity was associated with elevated emotional distress. LCA appears useful in identifying groups within a heterogeneous sample with distinct performance patterns. Further, the orthogonal nature of performance and symptom validities is supported.

Trajectories of functional limitation in early rheumatoid arthritis and their association with mortality.

PubMed

Norton, Sam; Sacker, Amanda; Dixey, Josh; Done, John; Williams, Peter; Young, Adam

2013-11-01

This study aimed to identify subgroups with distinct trajectories of functional (HAQ) progression over 10 years following diagnosis of RA and identify baseline characteristics associated with the trajectories and their prognostic value for mortality. Between 1986 and 1998, 1460 patients with RA symptoms <2 years and prior to disease-modifying treatment (DMARDs) were recruited to an inception cohort (Early RA Study). Standard clinical, functional and laboratory assessments were performed at presentation and annually. Deaths were tracked by the National Health Service Central Register. Growth mixture modelling was used to identify distinct trajectories of HAQ score progression and survival analysis employed to compare all-cause mortality across the trajectory classes. Four HAQ score progression classes were identified: moderate increasing (46%), low stable (6%), moderate stable (28%) and high stable (20%). Only the moderate-increasing class exhibited an accelerated decline in function over normal ageing. Compared with the moderate-increasing class, individuals with high-stable HAQ scores were more likely to be female, have more severe disease and other coexistent conditions. Low-stable class patients were more likely to be male and report less pain. The high-stable class had increased risk of mortality compared with the moderate-increasing class after adjusting for potential confounding factors, whereas low-stable and moderate-stable classes were at reduced mortality risk. The effect of RA on function is set within the first few years and is affected by comorbidity. Identifying distinct groups of patients may help to target those at greater risk of poor functional outcome and mortality.

Functional dissociation in sweet taste receptor neurons between and within taste organs of Drosophila

PubMed Central

Thoma, Vladimiros; Knapek, Stephan; Arai, Shogo; Hartl, Marion; Kohsaka, Hiroshi; Sirigrivatanawong, Pudith; Abe, Ayako; Hashimoto, Koichi; Tanimoto, Hiromu

2016-01-01

Finding food sources is essential for survival. Insects detect nutrients with external taste receptor neurons. Drosophila possesses multiple taste organs that are distributed throughout its body. However, the role of different taste organs in feeding remains poorly understood. By blocking subsets of sweet taste receptor neurons, we show that receptor neurons in the legs are required for immediate sugar choice. Furthermore, we identify two anatomically distinct classes of sweet taste receptor neurons in the leg. The axonal projections of one class terminate in the thoracic ganglia, whereas the other projects directly to the brain. These two classes are functionally distinct: the brain-projecting neurons are involved in feeding initiation, whereas the thoracic ganglia-projecting neurons play a role in sugar-dependent suppression of locomotion. Distinct receptor neurons for the same taste quality may coordinate early appetitive responses, taking advantage of the legs as the first appendages to contact food. PMID:26893070

Conditional Viral Tract Tracing Delineates the Projections of the Distinct Kisspeptin Neuron Populations to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Neurons in the Mouse.

PubMed

Yip, Siew Hoong; Boehm, Ulrich; Herbison, Allan E; Campbell, Rebecca E

2015-07-01

Kisspeptin neurons play an essential role in the regulation of fertility through direct regulation of the GnRH neurons. However, the relative contributions of the two functionally distinct kisspeptin neuron subpopulations to this critical regulation are not fully understood. Here we analyzed the specific projection patterns of kisspeptin neurons originating from either the rostral periventricular nucleus of the third ventricle (RP3V) or the arcuate nucleus (ARN) using a cell-specific, viral-mediated tract-tracing approach. We stereotaxically injected a Cre-dependent recombinant adenovirus encoding farnesylated enhanced green fluorescent protein into the ARN or RP3V of adult male and female mice expressing Cre recombinase in kisspeptin neurons. Fibers from ARN kisspeptin neurons projected widely; however, we did not find any evidence for direct contact with GnRH neuron somata or proximal dendrites in either sex. In contrast, we identified RP3V kisspeptin fibers in close contact with GnRH neuron somata and dendrites in both sexes. Fibers originating from both the RP3V and ARN were observed in close contact with distal GnRH neuron processes in the ARN and in the lateral and internal aspects of the median eminence. Furthermore, GnRH nerve terminals were found in close contact with the proximal dendrites of ARN kisspeptin neurons in the ARN, and ARN kisspeptin fibers were found contacting RP3V kisspeptin neurons in both sexes. Together these data delineate selective zones of kisspeptin neuron inputs to GnRH neurons and demonstrate complex interconnections between the distinct kisspeptin populations and GnRH neurons.

From assistive to enhancing technology: should the treatment-enhancement distinction apply to future assistive and augmenting technologies?

PubMed

Minerva, Francesca; Giubilini, Alberto

2018-04-01

The treatment-enhancement distinction is often used to delineate acceptable and unacceptable medical interventions. It is likely that future assistive and augmenting technologies will also soon develop to a level that they might be considered to provide users, in particular those with disabilities, with abilities that go beyond natural human limits, and become in effect an enhancing technology. In this paper, we describe how this process might take place, and discuss the moral implications of such developments. We argue that such developments are morally acceptable and indeed desirable. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Mapping sensory circuits by anterograde trans-synaptic transfer of recombinant rabies virus

PubMed Central

Zampieri, Niccolò; Jessell, Thomas M.; Murray, Andrew J.

2014-01-01

Summary Primary sensory neurons convey information from the external world to relay circuits within the central nervous system (CNS), but the identity and organization of the neurons that process incoming sensory information remains sketchy. Within the CNS viral tracing techniques that rely on retrograde trans-synaptic transfer provide a powerful tool for delineating circuit organization. Viral tracing of the circuits engaged by primary sensory neurons has, however, been hampered by the absence of a genetically tractable anterograde transfer system. In this study we demonstrate that rabies virus can infect sensory neurons in the somatosensory system, is subject to anterograde trans-synaptic transfer from primary sensory to spinal target neurons, and can delineate output connectivity with third-order neurons. Anterograde trans-synaptic transfer is a feature shared by other classes of primary sensory neurons, permitting the identification and potentially the manipulation of neural circuits processing sensory feedback within the mammalian CNS. PMID:24486087

Parental attitudes towards measles vaccination in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Weiss, Carine; Schröpfer, Daniel; Merten, Sonja

2016-08-11

Despite the successes of routine national childhood vaccination programmes, measles remains a public health concern. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how patterns of parental attitudes are linked to the decision-making process for or against MMR vaccination. This exploratory study was designed to identify distinct patterns of attitudes towards or against measles vaccination through Latent Class Analysis (LCA) in a sub-sample of mothers living in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. Parents of young children below 36 months of age were randomly selected through parents' counsellors' registries. Among other questions, respondents were asked to state their agreement in response to 14 belief statements regarding measles vaccination on a 5-point Likert scale. To identify groups of parents showing distinct patterns of attitudes and beliefs regarding measles vaccination, we used Latent Class Analysis (LCA). The LCA showed three classes of parents with different attitudes and believes towards measles vaccination: The biggest group (class 1) are those having positive attitudes towards immunisation, followed by the second biggest group (class 2) which is characterised by having fearful attitudes and by showing uncertainty about immunisation. The third group (class 3) shows distinct patterns of critical attitudes against immunisation. Within this group over 90 % agree or totally agree that immunisation is an artificial intrusion into the natural immune system and therefore want to vaccinate their children only if necessary. We find that parents in the Canton Aargau who hesitate to vaccinate their children against measles, mumps and rubella show distinct opinions and attitudes. Health professionals should be aware of these perceptions to tailor their messages accordingly and positively influence these parents to vaccinate their children. Special attention needs to be given to those parents who are planning to vaccinate their children but are not following the national guidelines.

The political economy of conservation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A political economic purview of energy conservation in the United States was delineated. The concepts of substitution and elasticity are distinguished, and further distinctions are made between short run price elasticity, cross price elasticity, and available fund elasticity. An assessment of the role which cost factors can play in conservation is given. The structure of the petroleum industry and foreign petroleum resources is discussed. Also discussed is the role of government, industry and the consumer with the economic sphere.

Advanced MR Imaging of the Human Nucleus Accumbens--Additional Guiding Tool for Deep Brain Stimulation.

PubMed

Lucas-Neto, Lia; Reimão, Sofia; Oliveira, Edson; Rainha-Campos, Alexandre; Sousa, João; Nunes, Rita G; Gonçalves-Ferreira, António; Campos, Jorge G

2015-07-01

The human nucleus accumbens (Acc) has become a target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in some neuropsychiatric disorders. Nonetheless, even with the most recent advances in neuroimaging it remains difficult to accurately delineate the Acc and closely related subcortical structures, by conventional MRI sequences. It is our purpose to perform a MRI study of the human Acc and to determine whether there are reliable anatomical landmarks that enable the precise location and identification of the nucleus and its core/shell division. For the Acc identification and delineation, based on anatomical landmarks, T1WI, T1IR and STIR 3T-MR images were acquired in 10 healthy volunteers. Additionally, 32-direction DTI was obtained for Acc segmentation. Seed masks for the Acc were generated with FreeSurfer and probabilistic tractography was performed using FSL. The probability of connectivity between the seed voxels and distinct brain areas was determined and subjected to k-means clustering analysis, defining 2 different regions. With conventional T1WI, the Acc borders are better defined through its surrounding anatomical structures. The DTI color-coded vector maps and IR sequences add further detail in the Acc identification and delineation. Additionally, using probabilistic tractography it is possible to segment the Acc into a core and shell division and establish its structural connectivity with different brain areas. Advanced MRI techniques allow in vivo delineation and segmentation of the human Acc and represent an additional guiding tool in the precise and safe target definition for DBS. © 2015 International Neuromodulation Society.

Fluorescence lifetime technique for surgical imaging, guidance and augmented reality (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcu, Laura

2017-02-01

The surgeon's limited ability to accurately delineate the tumor margin during surgical interventions is one key challenge in clinical management of cancer. New methods for guiding tumor resection decisions are needed. Numerous studies have shown that tissue autofluorescence properties have the potential to asses biochemical features associates with distinct pathologies in tissue and to distinguish various cancers from normal tissues. However, despite these promising reports, autofluorescence techniques were sparsely adopted in clinical settings. Moreover, when adopted they were primarily used for pre-operative diagnosis rather than guiding interventions. To address this need, we have researched and engineered instrumentation that utilizes label-free fluorescence lifetime contrast to characterize tissue biochemical features in vivo in patients and methodologies conducive to real-time (few seconds) diagnosis of tissue pathologies during surgical procedures. This presentation overviews clinically-compatible multispectral fluorescence lifetime imaging techniques developed in our laboratory and their ability to operate as stand-alone tools, integrated in a biopsy needle and in conjunction with the da Vinci surgical robot. We present pre-clinical and clinical studies in patients that demonstrate the potential of these techniques for intraoperative assessment of brain tumors and head and neck cancer. Current results demonstrate that intrinsic fluorescence signals can provide useful contrast for delineation distinct types of tissues including tumors intraoperatively. Challenges and solutions in the clinical implementation of these techniques are discussed.

Calcium-binding proteins and development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckingham, K.; Lu, A. Q.; Andruss, B. F.; McIntire, L. V. (Principal Investigator)

1998-01-01

The known roles for calcium-binding proteins in developmental signaling pathways are reviewed. Current information on the calcium-binding characteristics of three classes of cell-surface developmental signaling proteins (EGF-domain proteins, cadherins and integrins) is presented together with an overview of the intracellular pathways downstream of these surface receptors. The developmental roles delineated to date for the universal intracellular calcium sensor, calmodulin, and its targets, and for calcium-binding regulators of the cytoskeleton are also reviewed.

Morphological and Genetic Evidence for Multiple Evolutionary Distinct Lineages in the Endangered and Commercially Exploited Red Lined Torpedo Barbs Endemic to the Western Ghats of India

PubMed Central

Dahanukar, Neelesh; Anvar Ali, Palakkaparambil Hamsa; Tharian, Josin; Raghavan, Rajeev; Antunes, Agostinho

2013-01-01

Red lined torpedo barbs (RLTBs) (Cyprinidae: Puntius) endemic to the Western Ghats Hotspot of India, are popular and highly priced freshwater aquarium fishes. Two decades of indiscriminate exploitation for the pet trade, restricted range, fragmented populations and continuing decline in quality of habitats has resulted in their ‘Endangered’ listing. Here, we tested whether the isolated RLTB populations demonstrated considerable variation qualifying to be considered as distinct conservation targets. Multivariate morphometric analysis using 24 size-adjusted characters delineated all allopatric populations. Similarly, the species-tree highlighted a phylogeny with 12 distinct RLTB lineages corresponding to each of the different riverine populations. However, coalescence-based methods using mitochondrial DNA markers identified only eight evolutionarily distinct lineages. Divergence time analysis points to recent separation of the populations, owing to the geographical isolation, more than 5 million years ago, after the lineages were split into two ancestral stocks in the Paleocene, on north and south of a major geographical gap in the Western Ghats. Our results revealing the existence of eight evolutionarily distinct RLTB lineages calls for the re-determination of conservation targets for these cryptic and endangered taxa. PMID:23894533

Cell Class-Dependent Intracortical Connectivity and Output Dynamics of Layer 6 Projection Neurons of the Rat Primary Visual Cortex.

PubMed

Cotel, Florence; Fletcher, Lee N; Kalita-de Croft, Simon; Apergis-Schoute, John; Williams, Stephen R

2018-07-01

Neocortical information processing is powerfully influenced by the activity of layer 6 projection neurons through control of local intracortical and subcortical circuitry. Morphologically distinct classes of layer 6 projection neuron have been identified in the mammalian visual cortex, which exhibit contrasting receptive field properties, but little information is available on their functional specificity. To address this we combined anatomical tracing techniques with high-resolution patch-clamp recording to identify morphological and functional distinct classes of layer 6 projection neurons in the rat primary visual cortex, which innervated separable subcortical territories. Multisite whole-cell recordings in brain slices revealed that corticoclaustral and corticothalamic layer 6 projection neurons exhibited similar somatically recorded electrophysiological properties. These classes of layer 6 projection neurons were sparsely and reciprocally synaptically interconnected, but could be differentiated by cell-class, but not target-cell-dependent rules of use-dependent depression and facilitation of unitary excitatory synaptic output. Corticoclaustral and corticothalamic layer 6 projection neurons were differentially innervated by columnar excitatory circuitry, with corticoclaustral, but not corticothalamic, neurons powerfully driven by layer 4 pyramidal neurons, and long-range pathways conveyed in neocortical layer 1. Our results therefore reveal projection target-specific, functionally distinct, streams of layer 6 output in the rodent neocortex.

The Quest for Clarity in Research Integrity: A Conceptual Schema.

PubMed

Shaw, David

2018-03-28

Researchers often refer to "research integrity", "scientific integrity", "research misconduct", "scientific misconduct" and "research ethics". However, they may use some of these terms interchangeably despite conceptual distinctions. The aim of this paper is to clarify what is signified by several key terms related to research integrity, and to suggest clearer conceptual delineation between them. To accomplish this task, it provides a conceptual analysis based upon definitions and general usage of these phrases and categorization of integrity-breaching behaviours in literature and guidelines, including clarification of the different domains and agents involved. In the first part of the analysis, following some initial clarifications, I explore the distinction between internal and external rules of integrity. In the second part, I explore the distinction between integrity and lack of misconduct, before suggesting a recategorisation of different types of integrity breach. I conclude that greater clarity is needed in the debate on research integrity. Distinguishing between scientific and research integrity, reassessing the relative gravity of different misbehaviours in light of this distinction, and recognising all intentional breaches of integrity as misconduct may help to improve guidelines and education.

Near-census Delineation of Laterally Organized Geomorphic Zones and Associated Sub-width Fluvial Landforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasternack, G. B.; Hopkins, C.

2017-12-01

A river channel and its associated riparian corridor exhibit a pattern of nested, geomorphically imprinted, lateral inundation zones (IZs). Each zone plays a key role in fluvial geomorphic processes and ecological functions. Within each zone, distinct landforms (aka geomorphic or morphological units, MUs) reside at the 0.1-10 channel width scale. These features are basic units linking river corridor morphology with local ecosystem services. Objective, automated delineation of nested inundation zones and morphological units remains a significant scientific challenge. This study describes and demonstrates new, objective methods for solving this problem, using the 35-km alluvial lower Yuba River as a testbed. A detrended, high-resolution digital elevation model constructed from near-census topographic and bathymetric data was produced and used in a hypsograph analysis, a commonly used method in oceanographic studies capable of identifying slope breaks at IZ transitions. Geomorphic interpretation mindful of the river's setting was required to properly describe each IZ identified by the hypsograph analysis. Then, a 2D hydrodynamic model was used to determine what flow yields the wetted area that most closely matches each IZ domain. The model also provided meter-scale rasters of depth and velocity useful for MU mapping. Even though MUs are discharge-independent landforms, they can be revealed by analyzing their overlying hydraulics at low flows. Baseflow depth and velocity rasters are used along with a hydraulic landform classification system to quantitatively delineate in-channel bed MU types. In-channel bar and off-channel flood and valley MUs are delineated using a combination of hydraulic and geomorphic indicators, such as depth and velocity rasters for different discharges, topographic contours, NAIP imagery, and a raster of vegetation. The ability to objectively delineate inundation zones and morphological units in tandem allows for better informed river management and restoration strategies as well as scientific studies about abiotic-biotic linkages.

Object-based delineation and classification of alluvial fans by application of mean-shift segmentation and support vector machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pipaud, Isabel; Lehmkuhl, Frank

2017-09-01

In the field of geomorphology, automated extraction and classification of landforms is one of the most active research areas. Until the late 2000s, this task has primarily been tackled using pixel-based approaches. As these methods consider pixels and pixel neighborhoods as the sole basic entities for analysis, they cannot account for the irregular boundaries of real-world objects. Object-based analysis frameworks emerging from the field of remote sensing have been proposed as an alternative approach, and were successfully applied in case studies falling in the domains of both general and specific geomorphology. In this context, the a-priori selection of scale parameters or bandwidths is crucial for the segmentation result, because inappropriate parametrization will either result in over-segmentation or insufficient segmentation. In this study, we describe a novel supervised method for delineation and classification of alluvial fans, and assess its applicability using a SRTM 1‧‧ DEM scene depicting a section of the north-eastern Mongolian Altai, located in northwest Mongolia. The approach is premised on the application of mean-shift segmentation and the use of a one-class support vector machine (SVM) for classification. To consider variability in terms of alluvial fan dimension and shape, segmentation is performed repeatedly for different weightings of the incorporated morphometric parameters as well as different segmentation bandwidths. The final classification layer is obtained by selecting, for each real-world object, the most appropriate segmentation result according to fuzzy membership values derived from the SVM classification. Our results show that mean-shift segmentation and SVM-based classification provide an effective framework for delineation and classification of a particular landform. Variable bandwidths and terrain parameter weightings were identified as being crucial for consideration of intra-class variability, and, in turn, for a constantly high segmentation quality. Our analysis further reveals that incorporation of morphometric parameters quantifying specific morphological aspects of a landform is indispensable for developing an accurate classification scheme. Alluvial fans exhibiting accentuated composite morphologies were identified as a major challenge for automatic delineation, as they cannot be fully captured by a single segmentation run. There is, however, a high probability that this shortcoming can be overcome by enhancing the presented approach with a routine merging fan sub-entities based on their spatial relationships.

41 CFR 301-10.121 - What classes of airline accommodations are available?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... airlines as “tourist class,” “economy class,” or as “single class” when the airline offers only one class... available, i.e., two “cabins”, with two distinctly different seating types (such as girth and pitch) and the... airline flight has only two cabins available but equips both with one type of seating, (i.e., seating...

Clustering of adversity in young adults on disability pension due to mental disorders: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Joensuu, Matti; Mattila-Holappa, Pauliina; Ahola, Kirsi; Ervasti, Jenni; Kivimäki, Mika; Kivekäs, Teija; Koskinen, Aki; Vahtera, Jussi; Virtanen, Marianna

2016-02-01

Mental disorders are the leading cause of work disability among young adults. This study examined whether distinct classes could be identified among young adults on the basis of medical history before receiving a disability pension due to a mental disorder. Medical history was obtained from pension applications and attached medical certificates for 1163 individuals aged 18-34 years who, in 2008, received a disability pension due to a mental disorder. Using latent class analysis, 10 clinical and individual adversities and their associations with sex, age and diagnostic category were examined. Three classes were identified: childhood adversity (prevalence, 33%), comorbidity (23%), and undefined (44%). The childhood adversity class was characterized by adverse events and symptoms reported during childhood and it associated with depressive disorders. The comorbidity class was characterized by comorbid mental disorders, suicide attempts and substance abuse and associated with younger age and bipolar disorder. The undefined class formed no distinct profile; individuals in this class had the lowest number of adversities and it associated with psychotic disorders. The identification of subgroups characterized by childhood circumstances and comorbidity may help planning of prevention and support practices for young adults with mental disorders and risk of work disability.

The Educational Strategies of Danish University Students from Professional and Working-Class Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomsen, Jens Peter; Munk, Martin D.; Eiberg-Madsen, Misja; Hansen, Gro Inge

2013-01-01

This article studies the educational strategies adopted by university students from different class backgrounds in a Scandinavian welfare regime. Studies show distinct differences among classes relating to economic considerations, risk-averse behavior, and patterns of socialization among university students. We investigate these differences…

Children's Understanding of Social Class Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naimark, Hedwin

Investigated were school children's recognition of social class distinctions, cues they used, and the relationship of their ideas about social class to other beliefs and attitudes about the social world. An ethnically mixed group of 201 male and female subjects participated in the study. Five age groups were represented: second, fifth, and sixth…

Is there Complex Trauma Experience typology for Australian's experiencing extreme social disadvantage and low housing stability?

PubMed

Keane, Carol A; Magee, Christopher A; Kelly, Peter J

2016-11-01

Traumatic childhood experiences predict many adverse outcomes in adulthood including Complex-PTSD. Understanding complex trauma within socially disadvantaged populations has important implications for policy development and intervention implementation. This paper examined the nature of complex trauma experienced by disadvantaged individuals using a latent class analysis (LCA) approach. Data were collected through the large-scale Journeys Home Study (N=1682), utilising a representative sample of individuals experiencing low housing stability. Data on adverse childhood experiences, adulthood interpersonal trauma and relevant covariates were collected through interviews at baseline (Wave 1). Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify distinct classes of childhood trauma history, which included physical assault, neglect, and sexual abuse. Multinomial logistic regression investigated childhood relevant factors associated with class membership such as biological relationship of primary carer at age 14 years and number of times in foster care. Of the total sample (N=1682), 99% reported traumatic adverse childhood experiences. The most common included witnessing of violence, threat/experience of physical abuse, and sexual assault. LCA identified six distinct childhood trauma history classes including high violence and multiple traumas. Significant covariate differences between classes included: gender, biological relationship of primary carer at age 14 years, and time in foster care. Identification of six distinct childhood trauma history profiles suggests there might be unique treatment implications for individuals living in extreme social disadvantage. Further research is required to examine the relationship between these classes of experience, consequent impact on adulthood engagement, and future transitions though homelessness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of top-down and bottom-up approaches to benthic habitat mapping to inform offshore wind energy development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaFrance, Monique; King, John W.; Oakley, Bryan A.; Pratt, Sheldon

2014-07-01

Recent interest in offshore renewable energy within the United States has amplified the need for marine spatial planning to direct management strategies and address competing user demands. To assist this effort in Rhode Island, benthic habitat classification maps were developed for two sites in offshore waters being considered for wind turbine installation. Maps characterizing and representing the distribution and extent of benthic habitats are valuable tools for improving understanding of ecosystem patterns and processes, and promoting scientifically-sound management decisions. This project presented the opportunity to conduct a comparison of the methodologies and resulting map outputs of two classification approaches, “top-down” and “bottom-up” in the two study areas. This comparison was undertaken to improve understanding of mapping methodologies and their applicability, including the bottom-up approach in offshore environments where data density tends to be lower, as well as to provide case studies for scientists and managers to consider for their own areas of interest. Such case studies can offer guidance for future work for assessing methodologies and translating them to other areas. The traditional top-down mapping approach identifies biological community patterns based on communities occurring within geologically defined habitat map units, under the concept that geologic environments contain distinct biological assemblages. Alternatively, the bottom-up approach aims to establish habitat map units centered on biological similarity and then uses statistics to identify relationships with associated environmental parameters and determine habitat boundaries. When applied to the two study areas, both mapping approaches produced habitat classes with distinct macrofaunal assemblages and each established statistically strong and significant biotic-abiotic relationships with geologic features, sediment characteristics, water depth, and/or habitat heterogeneity over various spatial scales. The approaches were also able to integrate various data at differing spatial resolutions. The classification outputs exhibited similar results, including the number of habitat classes generated, the number of species defining the classes, the level of distinction of the biological communities, and dominance by tube-building amphipods. These results indicate that both approaches are able to discern a comparable degree of habitat variability and produce cohesive macrofaunal assemblages. The mapping approaches identify broadly similar benthic habitats at the two study sites and methods were able to distinguish the differing levels of heterogeneity between them. The top-down approach to habitat classification was faster and simpler to accomplish with the data available in this study when compared to the bottom-up approach. Additionally, the top-down approach generated full-coverage habitat classes that are clearly delineated and can easily be interpreted by the map user, which is desirable from a management perspective for providing a more complete assessment of the areas of interest. However, a higher level of biological variability was noted in some of the habitat classes created, indicating that the biological communities present in this area are influenced by factors not captured in the broad-scale geological habitat units used in this approach. The bottom-up approach was valuable in its ability to more clearly define macrofaunal assemblages among habitats, discern finer-scale habitat characteristics, and directly assess the degree of macrofaunal assemblage variability captured by the environmental parameters. From a user perspective, the map is more complex, which may be perceived as a limitation, though likely reflects natural gradations in habitat structure and likely presents a more ecologically realistic portrayal of the study areas. Though more comprehensive, the bottom-up approach in this study was limited by the reliance on full-coverage data to create full-coverage habitat classes. Such classes could only be developed when sediment data was excluded, since this point-sample dataset could not be interpolated due to high spatial heterogeneity of the study areas. Given a higher density of bottom samples, this issue could be rectified. While the top-down approach was more appropriate for this study, both approaches were found to be suitable for mapping and classifying benthic habitats. In the United States, objectives for mapping and classification for renewable energy development have not been well established. Therefore, at this time, the best-suited approach primarily depends on mapping objectives, resource availability, data quality and coverage, and geographical location, as these factors impact the types of data included, the analyses and modeling that can be performed, and the biotic-abiotic relationships identified.

Improving the delineation of hydrocarbon-impacted soils and water through induced polarization (IP) tomographies: a field study at an industrial waste land.

PubMed

Deceuster, John; Kaufmann, Olivier

2012-08-01

Without a good estimation of samples representativeness, the delineation of the contaminated plume extent and the evaluation of volumes of hydrocarbon-impacted soils may remain difficult. To contribute to this question, a time domain induced polarization (IP) field experiment was conducted on an industrial waste land. Boreholes were drilled to specify the local geological context. Cross-hole seismic tomographies were performed to extend borehole logs and to draw an interpreted geological cross-section. Soil samples taken during drillings were analysed in laboratory. A preliminary survey was conducted to locate the IP profile. The polarization signatures linked to the presence of clayey sediments were filtered out from the data set. Chargeability and resistivity depth soundings were computed and compared to mean concentrations of total organic products to overcome the data support issue between the geophysical models and the spot samples of soils. A logarithmic relation between chargeabilities and smoothed hydrocarbon concentrations in soils was found. Taking into account contaminant's concentration thresholds defined in local codes and regulations allows defining chargeability classes to delineate hotspots on this site. This showed that IP tomography can be an accurate screening methodology. A statistical methodology is proposed to assess the efficiency of the investigation strategy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mapping Mountain Front Recharge Areas in Arid Watersheds Based on a Digital Elevation Model and Land Cover Types

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

Bowen, Esther E.; Hamada, Yuki; O’Connor, Ben L.

Here, a recent assessment that quantified potential impacts of solar energy development on water resources in the southwestern United States necessitated the development of a methodology to identify locations of mountain front recharge (MFR) in order to guide land development decisions. A spatially explicit, slope-based algorithm was created to delineate MFR zones in 17 arid, mountainous watersheds using elevation and land cover data. Slopes were calculated from elevation data and grouped into 100 classes using iterative self-organizing classification. Candidate MFR zones were identified based on slope classes that were consistent with MFR. Land cover types that were inconsistent with groundwatermore » recharge were excluded from the candidate areas to determine the final MFR zones. No MFR reference maps exist for comparison with the study’s results, so the reliability of the resulting MFR zone maps was evaluated qualitatively using slope, surficial geology, soil, and land cover datasets. MFR zones ranged from 74 km2 to 1,547 km2 and accounted for 40% of the total watershed area studied. Slopes and surficial geologic materials that were present in the MFR zones were consistent with conditions at the mountain front, while soils and land cover that were present would generally promote groundwater recharge. Visual inspection of the MFR zone maps also confirmed the presence of well-recognized alluvial fan features in several study watersheds. While qualitative evaluation suggested that the algorithm reliably delineated MFR zones in most watersheds overall, the algorithm was better suited for application in watersheds that had characteristic Basin and Range topography and relatively flat basin floors than areas without these characteristics. Because the algorithm performed well to reliably delineate the spatial distribution of MFR, it would allow researchers to quantify aspects of the hydrologic processes associated with MFR and help local land resource managers to consider protection of critical groundwater recharge regions in their development decisions.« less

Mapping Mountain Front Recharge Areas in Arid Watersheds Based on a Digital Elevation Model and Land Cover Types

DOE PAGES

Bowen, Esther E.; Hamada, Yuki; O’Connor, Ben L.

2014-06-01

Here, a recent assessment that quantified potential impacts of solar energy development on water resources in the southwestern United States necessitated the development of a methodology to identify locations of mountain front recharge (MFR) in order to guide land development decisions. A spatially explicit, slope-based algorithm was created to delineate MFR zones in 17 arid, mountainous watersheds using elevation and land cover data. Slopes were calculated from elevation data and grouped into 100 classes using iterative self-organizing classification. Candidate MFR zones were identified based on slope classes that were consistent with MFR. Land cover types that were inconsistent with groundwatermore » recharge were excluded from the candidate areas to determine the final MFR zones. No MFR reference maps exist for comparison with the study’s results, so the reliability of the resulting MFR zone maps was evaluated qualitatively using slope, surficial geology, soil, and land cover datasets. MFR zones ranged from 74 km2 to 1,547 km2 and accounted for 40% of the total watershed area studied. Slopes and surficial geologic materials that were present in the MFR zones were consistent with conditions at the mountain front, while soils and land cover that were present would generally promote groundwater recharge. Visual inspection of the MFR zone maps also confirmed the presence of well-recognized alluvial fan features in several study watersheds. While qualitative evaluation suggested that the algorithm reliably delineated MFR zones in most watersheds overall, the algorithm was better suited for application in watersheds that had characteristic Basin and Range topography and relatively flat basin floors than areas without these characteristics. Because the algorithm performed well to reliably delineate the spatial distribution of MFR, it would allow researchers to quantify aspects of the hydrologic processes associated with MFR and help local land resource managers to consider protection of critical groundwater recharge regions in their development decisions.« less

Analysis of ERTS-1 imagery of Wyoming and its application to evaluation of Wyoming's natural resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marrs, R. W.; Breckenridge, R. M.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The Wyoming investigation has progressed according to schedule during the Jan. - Feb., 1973 report period. A map of the maximum extent of Pleistocene glaciation was compiled for northwest Wyoming from interpretations of glacial features seen on ERTS-1 imagery. Using isodensitometry as a tool for image enhancement, techniques were developed which allowed accurate delineation of small urban areas and provided distinction of broad classifications within these small urban centers.

Occurrence and Distribution of Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) Indicators in Non-Perennial Streams in the Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region of the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

1 Common hydrogeomorphic units that form in stream systems in response to spatially and temporally varying hydrologic and geomorphic processes... geomorphic , and vegetative indica- tors for use in OHWM delineations in arid streams and categorized their typical landscape positions with respect...the presence of a bed and banks. Hydrogeomorphic units are distinct macro- scale geomorphic features formed within stream systems in response to

Liquid chromatographic separation of terpenoid pigments in foods and food products.

PubMed

Cserháti, T; Forgács, E

2001-11-30

The newest achievements in the use of various liquid chromatographic techniques such as adsorption and reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography and HPLC employed for the separation and quantitative determination of terpenoid-based color substances in foods and food products are reviewed. The techniques applied for the analysis of individual pigments and pigments classes are surveyed and critically evaluated. Future trends in the separation and identification of pigments in foods and food products are delineated.

Electronegativity and hardness as coordinates in structure stability diagrams.

PubMed Central

Shankar, S; Parr, R G

1985-01-01

With electronegativity and hardness of an atom defined as 1/2(I + A) and 1/2(I - A), respectively, where I and A are the ionization potential and electron affinity, electronegativity difference and hardness sum are proposed as coordinates in structure stability diagrams. With these coordinates a successful topological classification of the crystal structures of octet and suboctet binary compounds is obtained, and a clear delineation of the structural classes portraying chemical periodicity is found. PMID:3855552

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

Serotonergic Modulation Differentially Targets Distinct Network Elements within the Antennal Lobe of Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Sizemore, Tyler R.; Dacks, Andrew M.

2016-01-01

Neuromodulation confers flexibility to anatomically-restricted neural networks so that animals are able to properly respond to complex internal and external demands. However, determining the mechanisms underlying neuromodulation is challenging without knowledge of the functional class and spatial organization of neurons that express individual neuromodulatory receptors. Here, we describe the number and functional identities of neurons in the antennal lobe of Drosophila melanogaster that express each of the receptors for one such neuromodulator, serotonin (5-HT). Although 5-HT enhances odor-evoked responses of antennal lobe projection neurons (PNs) and local interneurons (LNs), the receptor basis for this enhancement is unknown. We used endogenous reporters of transcription and translation for each of the five 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs) to identify neurons, based on cell class and transmitter content, that express each receptor. We find that specific receptor types are expressed by distinct combinations of functional neuronal classes. For instance, the excitatory PNs express the excitatory 5-HTRs, while distinct classes of LNs each express different 5-HTRs. This study therefore provides a detailed atlas of 5-HT receptor expression within a well-characterized neural network, and enables future dissection of the role of serotonergic modulation of olfactory processing. PMID:27845422

On the use of airborne LiDAR for braided river monitoring and water surface delineation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vetter, M.; Höfle, B.; Pfeifer, N.; Rutzinger, M.; Stötter, J.

2009-04-01

Airborne LiDAR is an established technology for Earth surface surveying. With LiDAR data sets it is possible to derive maps with different land use classes, which are important for hydraulic simulations. We present a 3D point cloud based method for automatic water surface delineation using single as well as multitemporal LiDAR data sets. With the developed method it is possible to detect the location of the water surface with high planimetric accuracy. The multitemporal analysis of different LiDAR data sets makes it possible to visualize, monitor and quantify the changes of the flow path of braided rivers as well as derived water surface land use classes. The reflection properties from laser beams (1064 nm wavelength) on water surfaces are characterized by strong absorption or specular reflection resulting in a dominance of low signal amplitude values and a high number of laser shot dropouts (i.e. non-recorded laser echoes). The occurrence of dropouts is driven by (i) the incidence angle, (ii) the surface reflectance and (iii) the roughness of the water body. The input data of the presented delineation method are the modeled dropouts and the point cloud attributes of geometry and signal amplitude. A terrestrial orthophoto is used to explore the point cloud in order to find proper information about the geometry and amplitude attributes that are characteristic for water surfaces. The delineation method is divided into five major steps. (a) We compute calibrated amplitude values by reducing the atmospheric, topographic influences and the scan geometry for each laser echo. (b) Then, the dropouts are modeled by using the information from the time stamps, the pulse repetition frequency, the inertial measurement unit and the GPS information of the laser shots and the airplane. The next step is to calculate the standard deviation of the heights for all reflections and all modeled dropouts (c) in a specific radius around the points. (d) We compute the amplitude ratio density for all shots. The amplitude density ratio is the relation between the number of laser echoes having an amplitude within a specific interval (i.e. very low amplitudes) plus the dropouts (i.e. with amplitude of zero) divided by the number of all laser shots in a fixed search distance of a point. (e) We classify each point in water or a non-water by using the attributes of (i) the standard deviation of the height and (ii) the amplitude density ratio. For validation, a terrestrial orthophoto is used, which was taken at the same time as the laser campaign. A major advantage of this new approach is the ability of a point cloud based delineation of water and non-water areas. We demonstrate the results at the glacier forefield of the Hintereisferner (Ötztal, Tyrol, Austria) with multitemporal data sets. The multitemporal analysis demonstrates the strength of the delineation method for mapping the watercourse and monitoring the changes in the flow path of the braided river between the different epochs.

Modular control of glutamatergic neuronal identity in C.elegans by distinct homeodomain proteins

PubMed Central

Serrano-Saiz, Esther; Poole, Richard J.; Felton, Terry; Zhang, Feifan; De La Cruz, Estanisla Daniel; Hobert, Oliver

2013-01-01

The choice of using one of many possible neurotransmitter systems is a critical step in defining the identity of an individual neuron type. We show here that the key defining feature of glutamatergic neurons, the vesicular glutamate transporter EAT-4/VGLUT is expressed in 38 of the 118 anatomically defined neuron classes of the C.elegans nervous system. We show that eat-4/VGLUT expression is controlled in a modular manner, with distinct cis-regulatory modules driving expression in distinct glutamatergic neuron classes. We identify 13 different transcription factors, 11 of them homeodomain proteins, that act in specific combinations in 25 different glutamatergic neuron classes to initiate and maintain eat-4/VGLUT expression. We show that the adoption of a glutamatergic phenotype is linked to the adoption of other terminal identity features of a neuron, including cotransmitter phenotypes. Examination of mouse orthologs of these homeodomain proteins resulted in the identification of mouse LHX1 as a regulator of glutamatergic neurons in the brainstem. PMID:24243022

The difference between emotion and affect. Comment on "The quartet theory of human emotions: An integrative and neurofunctional model" by S. Koelsch et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochrane, Tom

2015-06-01

Koelsch and colleagues have produced a fascinating model that convincingly argues for the existence of four neuroanatomically distinct systems involved in our emotions. As I understood it, the claim was that these systems build upon each other, each one introducing a new sophistication that allows a distinct class of emotional states to emerge. For instance, the hippocampus enables the generation of emotions related to long-term attachment as opposed to simple reward and punishment [1, Section 2.3.2]. However, it was uncertain why we should stop at four affect systems. Many different brain structures contribute an additional sophistication to emotional function; could there not be a class of emotions associated with each of these sophistications? How distinctive does the new function, or the new class of emotions have to be to qualify? Should we be on the lookout for neural structures associated with meta-emotions [2] or epistemic emotions [3] as well?

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

Wolverton, Christopher; Ozolins, Vidvuds; Kung, Harold H.

The objective of the proposed program is to discover novel mixed hydrides for hydrogen storage, which enable the DOE 2010 system-level goals. Our goal is to find a material that desorbs 8.5 wt.% H 2 or more at temperatures below 85°C. The research program will combine first-principles calculations of reaction thermodynamics and kinetics with material and catalyst synthesis, testing, and characterization. We will combine materials from distinct categories (e.g., chemical and complex hydrides) to form novel multicomponent reactions. Systems to be studied include mixtures of complex hydrides and chemical hydrides [e.g. LiNH 2+NH 3BH 3] and nitrogen-hydrogen based borohydrides [e.g.more » Al(BH 4) 3(NH 3) 3]. The 2010 and 2015 FreedomCAR/DOE targets for hydrogen storage systems are very challenging, and cannot be met with existing materials. The vast majority of the work to date has delineated materials into various classes, e.g., complex and metal hydrides, chemical hydrides, and sorbents. However, very recent studies indicate that mixtures of storage materials, particularly mixtures between various classes, hold promise to achieve technological attributes that materials within an individual class cannot reach. Our project involves a systematic, rational approach to designing novel multicomponent mixtures of materials with fast hydrogenation/dehydrogenation kinetics and favorable thermodynamics using a combination of state-of-the-art scientific computing and experimentation. We will use the accurate predictive power of first-principles modeling to understand the thermodynamic and microscopic kinetic processes involved in hydrogen release and uptake and to design new material/catalyst systems with improved properties. Detailed characterization and atomic-scale catalysis experiments will elucidate the effect of dopants and nanoscale catalysts in achieving fast kinetics and reversibility. And, state-of-the-art storage experiments will give key storage attributes of the investigated reactions, validate computational predictions, and help guide and improve computational methods. In sum, our approach involves a powerful blend of: 1) H2 Storage measurements and characterization, 2) State-of-the-art computational modeling, 3) Detailed catalysis experiments, 4) In-depth automotive perspective.« less

Retrieval monitoring and anosognosia in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Gallo, David A; Chen, Jennifer M; Wiseman, Amy L; Schacter, Daniel L; Budson, Andrew E

2007-09-01

This study explored the relationship between episodic memory and anosognosia (a lack of deficit awareness) among patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Participants studied words and pictures for subsequent memory tests. Healthy older adults made fewer false recognition errors when trying to remember pictures compared with words, suggesting that the perceptual distinctiveness of picture memories enhanced retrieval monitoring (the distinctiveness heuristic). In contrast, although participants with AD could discriminate between studied and nonstudied items, they had difficulty recollecting the specific presentation formats (words or pictures), and they had limited use of the distinctiveness heuristic. Critically, the demands of the memory test modulated the relationship between memory accuracy and anosognosia. Greater anosognosia was associated with impaired memory accuracy when participants with AD tried to remember words but not when they tried to remember pictures. These data further delineate the retrieval monitoring difficulties among individuals with AD and suggest that anosognosia measures are most likely to correlate with memory tests that require the effortful retrieval of nondistinctive information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

Detecting Math Anxiety with a Mixture Partial Credit Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ölmez, Ibrahim Burak; Cohen, Allan S.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate a new methodology for detection of differences in middle grades students' math anxiety. A mixture partial credit model analysis revealed two distinct latent classes based on homogeneities in response patterns within each latent class. Students in Class 1 had less anxiety about apprehension of math…

Thoughts of Death and Suicide in Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vander Stoep, Ann; McCauley, Elizabeth; Flynn, Cynthia; Stone, Andrea

2009-01-01

The prevalence and persistence of thoughts of death and suicide during early adolescence were estimated in a community-based cohort. A latent class approach was used to identify distinct subgroups based on endorsements to depression items administered repeatedly over 24 months. Two classes emerged, with 75% in a low ideation class across four…

Preschool Children Use Linguistic Form Class and Pragmatic Cues To Interpret Generics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelman, Susan A.; Raman, Lakshmi

2003-01-01

Five studies examined preschoolers' understanding of linguistic form class and pragmatic context in presence of a single exemplar or multiexemplars. Data indicated that by 2 years, children use linguistic form class, and by age 3, use pragmatic context. Young children have begun to understand the distinction between generic and nongeneric noun…

Classes in the Balance: Latent Class Analysis and the Balance Scale Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boom, Jan; ter Laak, Jan

2007-01-01

Latent class analysis (LCA) has been successfully applied to tasks measuring higher cognitive functioning, suggesting the existence of distinct strategies used in such tasks. With LCA it became possible to classify post hoc. This important step forward in modeling and analyzing cognitive strategies is relevant to the overlapping waves model for…

Gender and Social Class Differences in Japanese Mothers' Beliefs about Children's Education and Socialisation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamamoto, Yoko

2016-01-01

Despite increasing rates of university attendance among women, a significant gender gap remains in socialisation and educational processes in Japan. To understand why and how gender-distinctive socialisation processes persist, this study aimed to examine both middle-class and working-class mothers' beliefs about gender, education, and children's…

Attentional Requirements for the Selection of Words from Different Grammatical Categories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayora, Pauline; Janssen, Niels; Dell'Acqua, Roberto; Alario, F.-Xavier

2009-01-01

Two grammatical classes are commonly distinguished in psycholinguistic research. The open-class includes content words such as nouns, whereas the closed-class includes function words such as determiners. A standing issue is to identify whether these words are retrieved through similar or distinct selection mechanisms. We report a comparative…

Acquiring Word Class Distinctions in American Sign Language: Evidence from Handshape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brentari, Diane; Coppola, Marie; Jung, Ashley; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2013-01-01

Handshape works differently in nouns versus a class of verbs in American Sign Language (ASL) and thus can serve as a cue to distinguish between these two word classes. Handshapes representing characteristics of the object itself ("object" handshapes) and handshapes representing how the object is handled ("handling" handshapes)…

Latent Class Analysis of Peer Conformity: Who Is Yielding to Pressure and Why?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosten, Paul A.; Scheier, Lawrence M.; Grenard, Jerry L.

2013-01-01

This study used latent class analysis to examine typologies of peer conformity in a community sample of middle school students. Students responded to 31 items assessing diverse facets of conformity dispositions. The most parsimonious model produced three qualitatively distinct classes that differed on the basis of conformity to recreational…

Studying Psychosocial Barriers to Drug Treatment Among Chinese Methamphetamine Users Using A 3-Step Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Jichuan; Kelly, Brian C; Liu, Tieqiao; Hao, Wei

2016-03-01

Given the growth in methamphetamine use in China during the 21st century, we assessed perceived psychosocial barriers to drug treatment among this population. Using a sample of 303 methamphetamine users recruited via Respondent Driven Sampling, we use Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to identify possible distinct latent groups among Chinese methamphetamine users on the basis of their perceptions of psychosocial barriers to drug treatment. After covariates were included to predict latent class membership, the 3-step modeling approach was applied. Our findings indicate that the Chinese methamphetamine using population was heterogeneous on perceptions of drug treatment barriers; four distinct latent classes (subpopulations) were identified--Unsupported Deniers, Deniers, Privacy Anxious, and Low Barriers--and individual characteristics shaped the probability of class membership. Efforts to link Chinese methamphetamine users to treatment may require a multi-faceted approach that attends to differing perceptions about impediments to drug treatment. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Binding and activation of major histocompatibility complex class II-deficient macrophages by staphylococcal exotoxins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beharka, A. A.; Armstrong, J. W.; Iandolo, J. J.; Chapes, S. K.; Spooner, B. S. (Principal Investigator)

1994-01-01

Macrophages from C2D transgenic mice deficient in the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II proteins were used to identify binding sites for superantigens distinct from the MHC class II molecule. Iodinated staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B (SEA and SEB) and exfoliative toxins A and B (ETA and ETB) bound to C2D macrophages in a concentration-dependent and competitive manner. All four toxins increased F-actin concentration within 30 s of their addition to C2D macrophages, indicating that signal transduction occurred in response to toxin in the absence of class II MHC. Furthermore, ETA, ETB, SEA, and, to a lesser extent, SEB induced C2D macrophages to produce interleukin 6. Several molecular species on C2D macrophages with molecular masses of 140, 97, 61, 52, 43, and 37 kDa bound SEA in immunoprecipitation experiments. These data indicate the presence of novel, functionally active toxin binding sites on murine macrophages distinct from MHC class II molecules.

Tri-city study of Ecstasy use problems: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Scheier, Lawrence M; Ben Abdallah, Arbi; Inciardi, James A; Copeland, Jan; Cottler, Linda B

2008-12-01

This study used latent class analysis to examine distinctive subtypes of Ecstasy users based on 24 abuse and dependence symptoms underlying standard DSM-IV criteria. Data came from a three site, population-based, epidemiological study to examine diagnostic nosology for Ecstasy use. Subject inclusion criteria included lifetime Ecstasy use exceeding five times and once in the past year, with participants ranging in age between 16 and 47 years of age from St. Louis, Miami, U.S. and Sydney, Australia. A satisfactory model typified four latent classes representing clearly differentiated diagnostic clusters including: (1) a group of sub-threshold users endorsing few abuse and dependence symptoms (negatives), (2) a group of 'diagnostic orphans' who had characteristic features of dependence for a select group of symptoms (mild dependent), (3) a 'transitional group' mimicking the orphans with regard to their profile of dependence also but reporting some abuse symptoms (moderate dependent), and (4) a 'severe dependent' group with a distinct profile of abuse and dependence symptoms. A multinomial logistic regression model indicated that certain latent classes showed unique associations with external non-diagnostic markers. Controlling for demographic characteristics and lifetime quantity of Ecstasy pill use, criminal behavior and motivational cues for Ecstasy use were the most efficient predictors of cluster membership. This study reinforces the heuristic utility of DSM-IV criteria applied to Ecstasy but with a different collage of symptoms that produced four distinct classes of Ecstasy users.

Differential regulation of microtubule severing by APC underlies distinct patterns of projection neuron and interneuron migration

PubMed Central

Eom, Tae-Yeon; Stanco, Amelia; Guo, Jiami; Wilkins, Gary; Deslauriers, Danielle; Yan, Jessica; Monckton, Chase; Blair, Josh; Oon, Eesim; Perez, Abby; Salas, Eduardo; Oh, Adrianna; Ghukasyan, Vladimir; Snider, William D.; Rubenstein, John L. R.; Anton, E. S.

2014-01-01

Coordinated migration of distinct classes of neurons to appropriate positions leads to the formation of functional neuronal circuitry in the cerebral cortex. Two major classes of cortical neurons, interneurons and projection neurons, utilize distinctly different modes (radial vs. tangential) and routes of migration to arrive at their final positions in the cerebral cortex. Here, we show that adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) modulates microtubule (MT) severing in interneurons to facilitate tangential mode of interneuron migration, but not the glial-guided, radial migration of projection neurons. APC regulates the stability and activity of the MT severing protein p60-katanin in interneurons to promote the rapid remodeling of neuronal processes necessary for interneuron migration. These findings reveal how severing and restructuring of MTs facilitate distinct modes of neuronal migration necessary for laminar organization of neurons in the developing cerebral cortex. PMID:25535916

Precision medicine in acute myeloid leukemia: Hope, hype or both?

PubMed

Prasad, Vinay; Gale, Robert Peter

2016-09-01

Precision medicine is interchangeably used with personalized medicine, genomic medicine and individualized medicine. Collectively, these terms refer to at least 5 distinct concepts in the context of AML. 1st, using molecular or omics data (e.g. genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) to delineate or define subtypes of AML. 2nd, using these data to select the best therapy for someone with an AML subtype, such as a person with a FLT3-mutation. 3rd, using these data to monitor therapy-response such as measurable residual disease [MRD]-testing. 4th, using results of MRD-testing to select from amongst therapy-options such as additional chemotherapy or a haematopoietic cell transplant. And 5th, using these data to identify persons with hereditary forms of AML with potential therapy and surveillance implications. Here, we review these 5 conceptions and delineate where precision medicine is likely to afford greatest hope and where instead our rhetoric may constitute hype. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chamber identity programs drive early functional partitioning of the heart.

PubMed

Mosimann, Christian; Panáková, Daniela; Werdich, Andreas A; Musso, Gabriel; Burger, Alexa; Lawson, Katy L; Carr, Logan A; Nevis, Kathleen R; Sabeh, M Khaled; Zhou, Yi; Davidson, Alan J; DiBiase, Anthony; Burns, Caroline E; Burns, C Geoffrey; MacRae, Calum A; Zon, Leonard I

2015-08-26

The vertebrate heart muscle (myocardium) develops from the first heart field (FHF) and expands by adding second heart field (SHF) cells. While both lineages exist already in teleosts, the primordial contributions of FHF and SHF to heart structure and function remain incompletely understood. Here we delineate the functional contribution of the FHF and SHF to the zebrafish heart using the cis-regulatory elements of the draculin (drl) gene. The drl reporters initially delineate the lateral plate mesoderm, including heart progenitors. Subsequent myocardial drl reporter expression restricts to FHF descendants. We harnessed this unique feature to uncover that loss of tbx5a and pitx2 affect relative FHF versus SHF contributions to the heart. High-resolution physiology reveals distinctive electrical properties of each heart field territory that define a functional boundary within the single zebrafish ventricle. Our data establish that the transcriptional program driving cardiac septation regulates physiologic ventricle partitioning, which successively provides mechanical advantages of sequential contraction.

Diffusion with finite-helicity field tensor: A mechanism of generating heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, N.; Yoshida, Z.

2018-02-01

Topological constraints on a dynamical system often manifest themselves as breaking of the Hamiltonian structure; well-known examples are nonholonomic constraints on Lagrangian mechanics. The statistical mechanics under such topological constraints is the subject of this study. Conventional arguments based on phase spaces, Jacobi identity, invariant measure, or the H theorem are no longer applicable since all these notions stem from the symplectic geometry underlying canonical Hamiltonian systems. Remembering that Hamiltonian systems are endowed with field tensors (canonical 2-forms) that have zero helicity, our mission is to extend the scope toward the class of systems governed by finite-helicity field tensors. Here, we introduce a class of field tensors that are characterized by Beltrami vectors. We prove an H theorem for this Beltrami class. The most general class of energy-conserving systems are non-Beltrami, for which we identify the "field charge" that prevents the entropy to maximize, resulting in creation of heterogeneous distributions. The essence of the theory can be delineated by classifying three-dimensional dynamics. We then generalize to arbitrary (finite) dimensions.

The role of eigenvalues in linear feature selection theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, D. R.; Omalley, M. J.

1976-01-01

A particular measure of pattern class distinction called the average interclass divergence, or more simply, divergence, is considered. Here divergence will be the pairwise average of the expected interclass divergence derived from Hajek's two-class divergence.

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.

Cellulose synthase 'class specific regions' are intrinsically disordered and functionally undifferentiated.

PubMed

Scavuzzo-Duggan, Tess R; Chaves, Arielle M; Singh, Abhishek; Sethaphong, Latsavongsakda; Slabaugh, Erin; Yingling, Yaroslava G; Haigler, Candace H; Roberts, Alison W

2018-06-01

Cellulose synthases (CESAs) are glycosyltransferases that catalyze formation of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls. Seed plant CESA isoforms cluster in six phylogenetic clades, whose non-interchangeable members play distinct roles within cellulose synthesis complexes (CSCs). A 'class specific region' (CSR), with higher sequence similarity within versus between functional CESA classes, has been suggested to contribute to specific activities or interactions of different isoforms. We investigated CESA isoform specificity in the moss, Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) B. S. G. to gain evolutionary insights into CESA structure/function relationships. Like seed plants, P. patens has oligomeric rosette-type CSCs, but the PpCESAs diverged independently and form a separate CESA clade. We showed that P. patens has two functionally distinct CESAs classes, based on the ability to complement the gametophore-negative phenotype of a ppcesa5 knockout line. Thus, non-interchangeable CESA classes evolved separately in mosses and seed plants. However, testing of chimeric moss CESA genes for complementation demonstrated that functional class-specificity is not determined by the CSR. Sequence analysis and computational modeling showed that the CSR is intrinsically disordered and contains predicted molecular recognition features, consistent with a possible role in CESA oligomerization and explaining the evolution of class-specific sequences without selection for class-specific function. © 2018 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Using a Simple Neural Network to Delineate Some Principles of Distributed Economic Choice.

PubMed

Balasubramani, Pragathi P; Moreno-Bote, Rubén; Hayden, Benjamin Y

2018-01-01

The brain uses a mixture of distributed and modular organization to perform computations and generate appropriate actions. While the principles under which the brain might perform computations using modular systems have been more amenable to modeling, the principles by which the brain might make choices using distributed principles have not been explored. Our goal in this perspective is to delineate some of those distributed principles using a neural network method and use its results as a lens through which to reconsider some previously published neurophysiological data. To allow for direct comparison with our own data, we trained the neural network to perform binary risky choices. We find that value correlates are ubiquitous and are always accompanied by non-value information, including spatial information (i.e., no pure value signals). Evaluation, comparison, and selection were not distinct processes; indeed, value signals even in the earliest stages contributed directly, albeit weakly, to action selection. There was no place, other than at the level of action selection, at which dimensions were fully integrated. No units were specialized for specific offers; rather, all units encoded the values of both offers in an anti-correlated format, thus contributing to comparison. Individual network layers corresponded to stages in a continuous rotation from input to output space rather than to functionally distinct modules. While our network is likely to not be a direct reflection of brain processes, we propose that these principles should serve as hypotheses to be tested and evaluated for future studies.

Using a Simple Neural Network to Delineate Some Principles of Distributed Economic Choice

PubMed Central

Balasubramani, Pragathi P.; Moreno-Bote, Rubén; Hayden, Benjamin Y.

2018-01-01

The brain uses a mixture of distributed and modular organization to perform computations and generate appropriate actions. While the principles under which the brain might perform computations using modular systems have been more amenable to modeling, the principles by which the brain might make choices using distributed principles have not been explored. Our goal in this perspective is to delineate some of those distributed principles using a neural network method and use its results as a lens through which to reconsider some previously published neurophysiological data. To allow for direct comparison with our own data, we trained the neural network to perform binary risky choices. We find that value correlates are ubiquitous and are always accompanied by non-value information, including spatial information (i.e., no pure value signals). Evaluation, comparison, and selection were not distinct processes; indeed, value signals even in the earliest stages contributed directly, albeit weakly, to action selection. There was no place, other than at the level of action selection, at which dimensions were fully integrated. No units were specialized for specific offers; rather, all units encoded the values of both offers in an anti-correlated format, thus contributing to comparison. Individual network layers corresponded to stages in a continuous rotation from input to output space rather than to functionally distinct modules. While our network is likely to not be a direct reflection of brain processes, we propose that these principles should serve as hypotheses to be tested and evaluated for future studies. PMID:29643773

Inventory of wetlands and agricultural land cover in the upper Sevier River Basin, Utah

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaynes, R. A.; Clark, L. D., Jr.; Landgraf, K. F. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The use of color infrared aerial photography in the mapping of agricultural land use and wetlands in the Sevier River Basin of south central utah is described. The efficiency and cost effectiveness of utilizing LANDSAT multispectral scanner digital data to augment photographic interpretations are discussed. Transparent overlays for 27 quadrangles showing delineations of wetlands and agricultural land cover were produced. A table summarizing the acreage represented by each class on each quadrangle overlay is provided.

Combined Patterns of Risk for Problem and Obesogenic Behaviors in Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleary, Sasha A.

2017-01-01

Background: Several studies have used latent class analyses to explore obesogenic behaviors and substance use in adolescents independently. We explored a variety of health risks jointly to identify distinct patterns of risk behaviors among adolescents. Methods: Latent class models were estimated using Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System…

Complicating the "soccer mom:"the cultural politics of forming class-based identity, distinction, and necessity.

PubMed

Swanson, Lisa

2009-06-01

Using Pierre Bourdieu's theories of social class differentiation and class reproduction, this paper provides an analysis of class-based identity politics in contemporary suburban America. Through a critical ethnography of the emergent, American, upper-middle-class "soccer mom" phenomenon, this study contributes to a growing body of research that interrogates class-based, cultural practices of status differentiation. As part of a larger; longitudinal ethnographic study, this paper specifically focuses on the ways in which women, who are driven by upper-middle-class habitus, contest and construct their identity as mothers of young, soccer-playing children.

Rocks of the Columbia Hills

USGS Publications Warehouse

Squyres, S. W.; Arvidson, R. E.; Blaney, D.L.; Clark, B. C.; Crumpler, L.; Farrand, W. H.; Gorevan, S.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Hurowitz, J.; Kusack, A.; McSween, H.Y.; Ming, D. W.; Morris, R.V.; Ruff, S.W.; Wang, A.; Yen, A.

2006-01-01

The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has identified five distinct rock types in the Columbia Hills of Gusev crater. Clovis Class rock is a poorly sorted clastic rock that has undergone substantial aqueous alteration. We interpret it to be aqueously altered ejecta deposits formed by impacts into basaltic materials. Wishstone Class rock is also a poorly sorted clastic rock that has a distinctive chemical composition that is high in Ti and P and low in Cr. Wishstone Class rock may be pyroclastic or impact in origin. Peace Class rock is a sedimentary material composed of ultramafic sand grains cemented by significant quantities of Mg- and Ca-sulfates. Peace Class rock may have formed when water briefly saturated the ultramafic sands and evaporated to allow precipitation of the sulfates. Watchtower Class rocks are similar chemically to Wishstone Class rocks and have undergone widely varying degrees of near-isochemical aqueous alteration. They may also be ejecta deposits, formed by impacts into Wishstone-rich materials and altered by small amounts of water. Backstay Class rocks are basalt/trachybasalt lavas that were emplaced in the Columbia Hills after the other rock classes were, either as impact ejecta or by localized volcanic activity. The geologic record preserved in the rocks of the Columbia Hills reveals a period very early in Martian history in which volcanic materials were widespread, impact was a dominant process, and water was commonly present. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

The Rocks of the Columbia Hills

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Squyres, Steven W.; Arvidson, Raymond E.; Blaney, Diana L.; Clark, Benton C.; Crumpler, Larry; Farrand, William H.; Gorevan, Stephen; Herkenhoff, Kenneth; Hurowitz, Joel; Kusack, Alastair;

Evidence of Associations between Cytokine Genes and Subjective Reports of Sleep Disturbance in Oncology Patients and Their Family Caregivers

PubMed Central

Miaskowski, Christine; Cooper, Bruce A.; Dhruva, Anand; Dunn, Laura B.; Langford, Dale J.; Cataldo, Janine K.; Baggott, Christina R.; Merriman, John D.; Dodd, Marylin; Lee, Kathryn; West, Claudia; Paul, Steven M.; Aouizerat, Bradley E.

2012-01-01

The purposes of this study were to identify distinct latent classes of individuals based on subjective reports of sleep disturbance; to examine differences in demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics between the latent classes; and to evaluate for variations in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine genes between the latent classes. Among 167 oncology outpatients with breast, prostate, lung, or brain cancer and 85 of their FCs, growth mixture modeling (GMM) was used to identify latent classes of individuals based on General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS) obtained prior to, during, and for four months following completion of radiation therapy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes in candidate cytokine genes were interrogated for differences between the two latent classes. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the effect of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics on GSDS group membership. Two latent classes were identified: lower sleep disturbance (88.5%) and higher sleep disturbance (11.5%). Participants who were younger and had a lower Karnofsky Performance status score were more likely to be in the higher sleep disturbance class. Variation in two cytokine genes (i.e., IL6, NFKB) predicted latent class membership. Evidence was found for latent classes with distinct sleep disturbance trajectories. Unique genetic markers in cytokine genes may partially explain the interindividual heterogeneity characterizing these trajectories. PMID:22844404

Delineation of ground water potential zones using GIS and remote sensing - A case study from midland region of Vamanapuram river basin, Kerala, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Geena; Vinod P., G.; John, Shaleena Elizabeth

2018-04-01

In a highly rugged terrain, shielded by hard crystalline rocks like that of Kerala, locating potential zones of groundwater is found to be an unenviable task. Remote sensing and Geographical information system technologies have been attempted widely to delineate the potential regions in such terrain. Geographical information system tool has been used for delineation of groundwater prospect zones in midland physiographic zone (30-200m) of Vamanapuram river basin. The terrain variables are generated using satellite imageries, SRTM DEM data of 30m resolution and SOI toposheets. The groundwater prospect zones were delineated through the integration of the reclassified raster map layers of geomorphology, slope percent, geology, land use / land cover and soil texture using the weighted overlay analysis in the GIS platform. The groundwater prospects in the study area were grouped into five classes and their distribution are; `very high/high' (8.79%), `moderate' (39.08%), and `very low / low' (52.01%). The study result of the area has been validated with water level data of dug wells and bore wells of the area. The spatial distribution map of the water level of the region is overlaid on groundwater prospect map and shows a positive correlation i.e., the water level at shallow depth in higher prospect zones and at deeper depth in poor to very poor zones. The Groundwater prospect map of midland region of Vamanapuram river basin can be used as base level information which can be further investigated with geophysical methods to locate potential well sites for the execution of water supply schemes.

Trajectories of depression in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes: results from the German Multicenter Diabetes Cohort Study.

PubMed

Kampling, Hanna; Petrak, Frank; Farin, Erik; Kulzer, Bernd; Herpertz, Stephan; Mittag, Oskar

2017-01-01

There is a paucity of longitudinal data on type 1 diabetes and depression, especially in adults. The present study prospectively analysed trajectories of depressive symptoms in adults during the first 5 years of living with type 1 diabetes. We aimed to identify distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms and to examine how they affect diabetes outcome. We reanalysed data from a prospective multicentre observational cohort study including 313 adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. At baseline and in annual postal surveys over 5 consecutive years, we gathered patient characteristics and behavioural and psychosocial data (e.g. Symptom Checklist-90-R [SCL-90-R]). Medical data (e.g. HbA 1c levels) was obtained from the treating physicians. We applied growth mixture modelling (GMM) to identify distinct trajectories of depression over time. Five years after diagnosis, 7.8% (n = 20) of patients were moderately depressed and 10.2% (n = 26) were severely depressed. GMM statistics identified three possible models of trajectories (class 1, 'no depressive symptoms'; class 2, 'worsening depressive symptoms that improve after 2 years'; class 3, 'worsening depressive symptoms'). Severity of depression symptoms at baseline (subscale of the SCL-90-R questionnaire) significantly predicted membership of classes 2 and 3 vs class 1. After 5 years, higher HbA 1c values were detected in class 3 patients (mean = 8.2%, 66 mmol/mol) compared with class 1 and class 2 (both: mean = 7.2%, 55 mmol/mol). We identified distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms that are also relevant for diabetes outcome. Patients with worsening depressive symptoms over time exhibited poor glycaemic control after the first 5 years of living with diabetes. They also exhibited a reduced quality of life and increased diabetes-related distress.

Segmentation of thalamus from MR images via task-driven dictionary learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Luoluo; Glaister, Jeffrey; Sun, Xiaoxia; Carass, Aaron; Tran, Trac D.; Prince, Jerry L.

2016-03-01

Automatic thalamus segmentation is useful to track changes in thalamic volume over time. In this work, we introduce a task-driven dictionary learning framework to find the optimal dictionary given a set of eleven features obtained from T1-weighted MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. In this dictionary learning framework, a linear classifier is designed concurrently to classify voxels as belonging to the thalamus or non-thalamus class. Morphological post-processing is applied to produce the final thalamus segmentation. Due to the uneven size of the training data samples for the non-thalamus and thalamus classes, a non-uniform sampling scheme is pro- posed to train the classifier to better discriminate between the two classes around the boundary of the thalamus. Experiments are conducted on data collected from 22 subjects with manually delineated ground truth. The experimental results are promising in terms of improvements in the Dice coefficient of the thalamus segmentation overstate-of-the-art atlas-based thalamus segmentation algorithms.

Segmentation of Thalamus from MR images via Task-Driven Dictionary Learning.

PubMed

Liu, Luoluo; Glaister, Jeffrey; Sun, Xiaoxia; Carass, Aaron; Tran, Trac D; Prince, Jerry L

2016-02-27

Automatic thalamus segmentation is useful to track changes in thalamic volume over time. In this work, we introduce a task-driven dictionary learning framework to find the optimal dictionary given a set of eleven features obtained from T1-weighted MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. In this dictionary learning framework, a linear classifier is designed concurrently to classify voxels as belonging to the thalamus or non-thalamus class. Morphological post-processing is applied to produce the final thalamus segmentation. Due to the uneven size of the training data samples for the non-thalamus and thalamus classes, a non-uniform sampling scheme is proposed to train the classifier to better discriminate between the two classes around the boundary of the thalamus. Experiments are conducted on data collected from 22 subjects with manually delineated ground truth. The experimental results are promising in terms of improvements in the Dice coefficient of the thalamus segmentation over state-of-the-art atlas-based thalamus segmentation algorithms.

Aspects of depression associated with borderline personality disorder.

PubMed

Rogers, J H; Widiger, T A; Krupp, A

1995-02-01

Shared symptoms between borderline personality disorder and depression have resulted in inherent difficulties in evaluating the relationship between these disorders. Some theorists have argued that depression in patients with borderline personality disorder is qualitatively distinct from depression in nonborderline patients. The purpose of this study was to empirically identify aspects of depression most associated with borderline personality disorder. Through interview and self-report measures, the authors studied depression in 50 inpatients, 21 of whom had borderline personality disorder. The aspects of depression most associated with borderline personality disorder were self-condemnation, emptiness, abandonment fears, self-destructiveness, and hopelessness; boredom and somatic complaints exhibited no association. Depression associated with borderline pathology appears to be in some respects unique, as well as distinct from nonborderline depression. The study's implications delineate the importance of considering the phenomenological aspects of depression in borderline personality disorder.

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

PubMed

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

2015-04-01

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

Languages Discourses in Australian Middle-Class Schools: Parent and Student Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Jan; Cruickshank, Ken; Black, Stephen

2018-01-01

Much of the literature on social class and language study in schools argues that for middle-class parents and their children, languages are chosen for their capacity to offer forms of distinction that provide an edge in the global labour market. In this paper, we draw on data collected from interviews with parents and children in middle-class…

Measuring Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Knowledge and Perceptions of Risk in Middle-Class African Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spears, Erica C.; Guidry, Jeffrey J.; Harvey, Idethia S.

2018-01-01

There is a paucity in the literature examining the African American middle-class. Most studies of African Americans and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) have concentrated on lower-SES individuals, or make no distinction between African Americans of varying socio-economic positions. Middle-class African Americans are vulnerable in ways often…

Prostitution

PubMed Central

Sawa, R.J.

1987-01-01

A review of the literature discloses that prostitutes are distinguishable into distinct classes, each with distinct clinical implications. The spectre of AIDS suggests that we review the implications of the health risks associated with this profession. This article discusses the potential causes, health problems, and treatment of prostitutes. PMID:21263810

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

Geology of the Sklodowska Region, Lunar Farside. M.S. Thesis Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kauffman, J. D.

1974-01-01

Investigation of an area on the lunar farside has resulted in a geologic map, development of a regional stratigraphic sequence, and interpretation of surface materials. Apollo 15 metric photographs were used in conjunction with photogrammetric techniques to produce a base map to which geologic units were later added. Geologic units were first delineated on the metric photographs and then transferred to the base map. Materials were defined and described from selected Lunar Orbiter and Apollo 15 metric, panoramic, and Hasselblad photographs on the basis of distinctive morphologic characteristics.

Categorizing Biases in High-Confidence High-Throughput Protein-Protein Interaction Data Sets*

PubMed Central

Yu, Xueping; Ivanic, Joseph; Memišević, Vesna; Wallqvist, Anders; Reifman, Jaques

2011-01-01

We characterized and evaluated the functional attributes of three yeast high-confidence protein-protein interaction data sets derived from affinity purification/mass spectrometry, protein-fragment complementation assay, and yeast two-hybrid experiments. The interacting proteins retrieved from these data sets formed distinct, partially overlapping sets with different protein-protein interaction characteristics. These differences were primarily a function of the deployed experimental technologies used to recover these interactions. This affected the total coverage of interactions and was especially evident in the recovery of interactions among different functional classes of proteins. We found that the interaction data obtained by the yeast two-hybrid method was the least biased toward any particular functional characterization. In contrast, interacting proteins in the affinity purification/mass spectrometry and protein-fragment complementation assay data sets were over- and under-represented among distinct and different functional categories. We delineated how these differences affected protein complex organization in the network of interactions, in particular for strongly interacting complexes (e.g. RNA and protein synthesis) versus weak and transient interacting complexes (e.g. protein transport). We quantified methodological differences in detecting protein interactions from larger protein complexes, in the correlation of protein abundance among interacting proteins, and in their connectivity of essential proteins. In the latter case, we showed that minimizing inherent methodology biases removed many of the ambiguous conclusions about protein essentiality and protein connectivity. We used these findings to rationalize how biological insights obtained by analyzing data sets originating from different sources sometimes do not agree or may even contradict each other. An important corollary of this work was that discrepancies in biological insights did not necessarily imply that one detection methodology was better or worse, but rather that, to a large extent, the insights reflected the methodological biases themselves. Consequently, interpreting the protein interaction data within their experimental or cellular context provided the best avenue for overcoming biases and inferring biological knowledge. PMID:21876202

Delineation, characterization, and classification of topographic eminences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Gaurav

Topographic eminences are defined as upwardly rising, convex shaped topographic landforms that are noticeably distinct in their immediate surroundings. As opposed to everyday objects, the properties of a topographic eminence are dependent not only on how it is conceptualized, but is also intrinsically related to its spatial extent and its relative location in the landscape. In this thesis, a system for automated detection, delineation and characterization of topographic eminences based on an analysis of digital elevation models is proposed. Research has shown that conceptualization of eminences (and other landforms) is linked to the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of people. However, the perception of stimuli from our physical environment is not subject to cultural or linguistic bias. Hence, perceptually salient morphological and spatial properties of the natural landscape can form the basis for generically applicable detection and delineation of topographic eminences. Six principles of cognitive eminence modeling are introduced to develop the philosophical foundation of this research regarding eminence delineation and characterization. The first step in delineating eminences is to automatically detect their presence within digital elevation models. This is achieved by the use of quantitative geomorphometric parameters (e.g., elevation, slope and curvature) and qualitative geomorphometric features (e.g., peaks, passes, pits, ridgelines, and valley lines). The process of eminence delineation follows that of eminence detection. It is posited that eminences may be perceived either as monolithic terrain objects, or as composites of morphological parts (e.g., top, bottom, slope). Individual eminences may also simultaneously be conceived as comprising larger, higher order eminence complexes (e.g., mountain ranges). Multiple algorithms are presented for the delineation of simple and complex eminences, and the morphological parts of eminences. The proposed eminence detection and delineation methods are amenable to intuitive parameterization such that they can easily capture the multitude of eminence conceptualizations that people develop due to differences in terrain type and cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Eminence delineation is an important step in object based modeling of the natural landscape. However, mere 'geocoding' of eminences is not sufficient for modeling how people intuitively perceive and reason about eminences. Therefore, a comprehensive eminence parameterization system for characterizing the perceptual properties of eminences is also proposed in this thesis. Over 40 parameters are suggested for measuring the commonly perceived properties of eminences: size, shape, topology, proximity, and visibility. The proposed parameters describe different aspects of naive eminence perception. Quantitative analysis of eminence parameters using cluster analysis, confirms that not only can eminences be parameterized as individual terrain objects, but that eminence (dis)similarities can be exploited to develop intuitive eminence classification systems. Eminence parameters are also shown to be essential for exploring the relationships between extracted eminences and natural language terms (e.g., hill, mount, mountain, peak) used commonly to refer to different types of eminences. The results from this research confirm that object based modeling of the landscape is not only useful for terrain information system design, but is also essential for understanding how people commonly conceptualize their observations of and interactions with the natural landscape.

The class politics of prejudice: Brexit and the land of no-hope and glory.

PubMed

Mckenzie, Lisa

2017-11-01

The debates relating to social class and whether it is still a useful concept in describing a lived reality of the British population has never been far away from media, political and academic dispute. Thatcher's Britain throughout the 1980s attempted to dilute class meaning with what was called 'a home owning democracy' and thus end class collective politics through easily available credit for the working class while simultaneously attacking trade union organization, recruitment and political action. During the late 1990s and into the noughties a 'New Labour' administration attempted to exacerbate the end of class politics through an agenda of a 'cultural distinction' to class identity. Class struggle, class politics and class identity is embedded deep within the cultural norms practices, and history of British democracy. Consequently it is difficult if not impossible to prise class inequality in the UK away from and out of national, local and personal politics (Savage et al. 2015: 393-8). This paper focuses upon the sense that class politics, and cultural class distinction, within the UK had the biggest influence in determining a working-class 'Leave Vote' in the 2016 referendum within the UK. This paper explores accounts and narratives from working-class 'leave' voters though an ethnographic study of the political and social viewpoints of working-class communities of East London, and of ex-mining towns of Nottinghamshire. Framing into fuller context the anger and apathy of being 'left out', arguing that being 'left out' has been part of working-class political narratives for over 30 years. Going beyond frustration and apathy, a significant part of the narrative of working people was of 'not existing', suggesting certain important linkages with ongoing debates about new ways of conceptualizing class differences and class structures. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

der(11)t(11;17): a distinct cytogenetic pathway of advanced stage neuroblastoma (NBL) - detected by spectral karyotyping (SKY).

PubMed

Stark, Batia; Jeison, Marta; Glaser-Gabay, Leticia; Bar-Am, Irit; Mardoukh, Jacques; Ash, Shifra; Atias, Dina; Stein, Jerry; Zaizov, Rina; Yaniv, Isaac

2003-07-18

Conventional cytogenetic, molecular cytogenic and genetic methods disclosed a broad spectrum of genetic abnormalities leading to gain and loss of chromosomal segments in advanced stage neuroblastoma (NBL). Specific correlation between the genetic findings could delineate distinct genetic pathways, of which the biology and prognostic significance is as yet undetermined. Using spectral karyotyping (SKY) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on metaphases from 16 patients with advanced stage NBL, it was possible to explore the whole spectrum of rearrangement within complex karyotypes and to detect hidden recurrent translocations. All translocations were unbalanced. The most prevalent recurrent unbalanced translocations resulted in 17q gain in 12 patients (75%), 11q loss in nine patients (56%), and 1p deletion/imbalance in eight patients (50%). The most frequent recurrent translocation was der(11)t(11;17) in six patients. Three cytogenetic pathways could be delineated. The first, with six patients, was characterized by the unbalanced translocation der(11)t(11;17), detected only by SKY, resulting in the concomitant 17q gain and 11q loss. No MYCN amplification or 1p deletion (except one patient with 1p imbalance) were found, while 3p deletion, and complex karyotypes were common. The second subgroup, with four patients, had 17q gain and 1p deletion, and in two patients 11q loss, that was apparent only by FISH. 1p deletion occurred through der(1)t(1;17) or del(1p). The third subgroup of four patients was characterized by MYCN amplification with 17q gain and 1p deletion, very rarely with 11q loss (one patient) through a translocation with a non-17q partner. The SKY subclassifications were in accordance with the findings reported by molecular genetic techniques, and may indicate that distinct oncogenes and suppressor genes are involved in the der(11)t(11;17) pathway of advanced stage NBL.

Delineating Area of Review in a System with Pre-injection Relative Overpressure

DOE PAGES

Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Cihan, Abdullah; Zhou, Quanlin; ...

2014-12-31

The Class VI permit application for geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) requires delineation of an area of review (AoR), defined as the region surrounding the (GCS) project where underground sources of drinking water (USDWs) may be endangered. The methods for estimating AoR under the Class VI regulation were developed assuming that GCS reservoirs would be in hydrostatic equilibrium with overlying aquifers. Here we develop and apply an approach to estimating AoR for sites with preinjection relative overpressure for which standard AoR estimation methods produces an infinite AoR. The approach we take is to compare brine leakage through a hypothetical open flowmore » path in the base-case scenario (no-injection) to the incrementally larger leakage that would occur in the CO 2-injection case. To estimate AoR by this method, we used semi-analytical solutions to single-phase flow equations to model reservoir pressurization and flow up (single) leaky wells located at progressively greater distances from the injection well. We found that the incrementally larger flow rates for hypothetical leaky wells located 6 km and 4 km from the injection well are ~20% and 30% greater, respectively, than hypothetical baseline leakage rates. If total brine leakage is considered, the results depend strongly on how the incremental increase in total leakage is calculated, varying from a few percent to up to 40% greater (at most at early time) than base-case total leakage.« less

Delineation of marine ecosystem zones in the northern Arabian Sea during winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shalin, Saleem; Samuelsen, Annette; Korosov, Anton; Menon, Nandini; Backeberg, Björn C.; Pettersson, Lasse H.

2018-03-01

The spatial and temporal variability of marine autotrophic abundance, expressed as chlorophyll concentration, is monitored from space and used to delineate the surface signature of marine ecosystem zones with distinct optical characteristics. An objective zoning method is presented and applied to satellite-derived Chlorophyll a (Chl a) data from the northern Arabian Sea (50-75° E and 15-30° N) during the winter months (November-March). Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to statistically delineate the Chl a into zones with similar surface distribution patterns and temporal variability. The PCA identifies principal components of variability and the CA splits these into zones based on similar characteristics. Based on the temporal variability of the Chl a pattern within the study area, the statistical clustering revealed six distinct ecological zones. The obtained zones are related to the Longhurst provinces to evaluate how these compared to established ecological provinces. The Chl a variability within each zone was then compared with the variability of oceanic and atmospheric properties viz. mixed-layer depth (MLD), wind speed, sea-surface temperature (SST), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), nitrate and dust optical thickness (DOT) as an indication of atmospheric input of iron to the ocean. The analysis showed that in all zones, peak values of Chl a coincided with low SST and deep MLD. The rate of decrease in SST and the deepening of MLD are observed to trigger the algae bloom events in the first four zones. Lagged cross-correlation analysis shows that peak Chl a follows peak MLD and SST minima. The MLD time lag is shorter than the SST lag by 8 days, indicating that the cool surface conditions might have enhanced mixing, leading to increased primary production in the study area. An analysis of monthly climatological nitrate values showed increased concentrations associated with the deepening of the mixed layer. The input of iron seems to be important in both the open-ocean and coastal areas of the northern and north-western parts of the northern Arabian Sea, where the seasonal variability of the Chl a pattern closely follows the variability of iron deposition.

Subjective reactions to cocaine and marijuana are associated with abuse and dependence.

PubMed

Grant, Julia D; Scherrer, Jeffrey F; Lyons, Michael J; Tsuang, Ming; True, William R; Bucholz, Kathleen K

2005-09-01

Subjective effects of marijuana and cocaine use are associated with amount of drug use and potentially with risk of abuse and dependence. We used Latent Class Analyses (LCA) to examine subjective responses to two categories of drugs and link these to abuse and dependence. In 1992, subjective responses were queried of 2506 marijuana and 661 cocaine lifetime users who were members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. LCA was used to identify classes of subjective effects. Multinomial logistic regression models were computed to test for an association between classes and marijuana and cocaine abuse or dependence. The best LCA solution for marijuana identified 6 distinct classes characterized as positive, relaxed, reactive, adverse, low and very reactive. The best LCA solution for cocaine identified 5 distinct classes characterized as positive, alert, adverse, low and very reactive. Marijuana abuse and dependence were significantly associated with each latent class. Cocaine abuse was associated with the reactive class (OR=3.9; 95% CI: 1.6-9.5). Cocaine dependence was associated with reactive (OR=15.3; 95% CI: 7.1-32.6), adverse (OR=9.7; 95% CI: 4.5-21.0) and very reactive (OR=18.7; 95% CI: 5.6-62.6) classes. We found evidence for both qualitative and quantitative subjective effect profiles. Subjective effects, both positive and adverse are associated with lifetime risk for marijuana and cocaine dependence.

A novel examination of exposure patterns and posttraumatic stress after a university mass murder.

PubMed

Liu, Sabrina R; Kia-Keating, Maryam

2018-03-05

Occurring at an alarming rate in the United States, mass violence has been linked to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in both direct victims and community members who are indirectly exposed. Identifying what distinct exposure patterns exist and their relation to later PTSS has important clinical implications. The present study determined classes of exposure to an event of mass violence, and if PTSS differed across classes. First- and second-year college students (N = 1,189) participated in a confidential online survey following a mass murder at their university, which assessed event exposure and PTSS 3 months later. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to empirically determine distinct classes of exposure patterns and links between class membership and PTSS. The final model yielded 4 classes: minimal exposure (55.5% of sample), auditory exposure (29.4% of sample), visual exposure (10% of sample), and interpersonal exposure (5% of sample). More severe direct exposure (i.e., the visual exposure class) was associated with significantly higher levels of PTSS than the auditory exposure or minimal exposure classes, as was the interpersonal exposure class. There were no significant differences in PTSS between the auditory exposure and minimal exposure classes or the visual exposure and interpersonal exposure classes. Results point to the differential impact of exposure categories, and provide empirical evidence for distinguishing among auditory, visual, and interpersonal exposures to events of mass violence on college campuses. Clinical implications suggest that visual and interpersonal exposure may warrant targeted efforts following mass violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Social power and social class: conceptualization, consequences, and current challenges.

PubMed

Rucker, Derek D; Galinsky, Adam D

2017-12-01

This article offers a primer on social power and social class with respect to their theoretical importance, conceptual distinction, and empirical relationship. We introduce and define the constructs of social power, social class, and one's psychological sense of power. We next explore the complex relationship between social power and social class. Because social class can produce a sense of power within an individual, studies on social power can inform theory and research on social class. We conclude with a discussion of the current challenges and future opportunities for the study of social power and social class. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Update on "What" and "Where" in Spatial Language: A New Division of Labor for Spatial Terms.

PubMed

Landau, Barbara

2017-03-01

In this article, I revisit Landau and Jackendoff's () paper, "What and where in spatial language and spatial cognition," proposing a friendly amendment and reformulation. The original paper emphasized the distinct geometries that are engaged when objects are represented as members of object kinds (named by count nouns), versus when they are represented as figure and ground in spatial expressions (i.e., play the role of arguments of spatial prepositions). We provided empirical and theoretical arguments for the link between these distinct representations in spatial language and their accompanying nonlinguistic neural representations, emphasizing the "what" and "where" systems of the visual system. In the present paper, I propose a second division of labor between two classes of spatial prepositions in English that appear to be quite distinct. One class includes prepositions such as in and on, whose core meanings engage force-dynamic, functional relationships between objects, with geometry only a marginal player. The second class includes prepositions such as above/below and right/left, whose core meanings engage geometry, with force-dynamic relationships a passing or irrelevant variable. The insight that objects' force-dynamic relationships matter to spatial terms' uses is not new; but thinking of these terms as a distinct set within spatial language has theoretical and empirical consequences that are new. I propose three such consequences, rooted in the fact that geometric knowledge is highly constrained and early-emerging in life, while force-dynamic knowledge of objects and their interactions is relatively unconstrained and needs to be learned piecemeal over a lengthy timeline. First, the two classes will engage different learning problems, with different developmental trajectories for both first and second language learners; second, the classes will naturally lead to different degrees of cross-linguistic variation; and third, they may be rooted in different neural representations. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Haemophilus ducreyi Cutaneous Ulcer Strains Diverged from Both Class I and Class II Genital Ulcer Strains: Implications for Epidemiological Studies.

PubMed

Gangaiah, Dharanesh; Spinola, Stanley M

2016-12-01

Haemophilus ducreyi has emerged as a major cause of cutaneous ulcers (CU) in yaws-endemic regions of the tropics in the South Pacific, South East Asia and Africa. H. ducreyi was once thought only to cause the genital ulcer (GU) disease chancroid; GU strains belong to 2 distinct classes, class I and class II. Using whole-genome sequencing of 4 CU strains from Samoa, 1 from Vanuatu and 1 from Papua New Guinea, we showed that CU strains diverged from the class I strain 35000HP and that one CU strain expressed β-lactamase. Recently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released the genomes of 11 additional CU strains from Vanuatu and Ghana; however, the evolutionary relationship of these CU strains to previously-characterized CU and GU strains is unknown. We performed phylogenetic analysis of 17 CU and 10 GU strains. Class I and class II GU strains formed two distinct clades. The class I strains formed two subclades, one containing 35000HP and HD183 and the other containing the remainder of the class I strains. Twelve of the CU strains formed a subclone under the class I 35000HP subclade, while 2 CU strains formed a subclone under the other class I subclade. Unexpectedly, 3 of the CU strains formed a subclone under the class II clade. Phylogenetic analysis of dsrA-hgbA-ncaA sequences yielded a tree similar to that of whole-genome phylogenetic tree. CU strains diverged from multiple lineages within both class I and class II GU strains. Multilocus sequence typing of dsrA-hgbA-ncaA could be reliably used for epidemiological investigation of CU and GU strains. As class II strains grow relatively poorly and are relatively more susceptible to vancomycin than class I strains, these findings have implications for methods to recover CU strains. Comparison of contemporary CU and GU isolates would help clarify the relationship between these entities.

Trajectories of Social Withdrawal from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence

PubMed Central

Oh, Wonjung; Bowker, Julie C.; Booth-LaForce, Cathryn; Rose-Krasnor, Linda; Laursen, Brett

2013-01-01

Heterogeneity and individual differences in the developmental course of social withdrawal were examined longitudinally in a community sample (N=392). General Growth Mixture Modeling (GGMM) was used to identify distinct pathways of social withdrawal, differentiate valid subgroup trajectories, and examine factors that predicted change in trajectories within subgroups. Assessments of individual (social withdrawal), interactive (prosocial behavior), relationship (friendship involvement, stability and quality, best friend’s withdrawal and exclusion/victimization) and group- (exclusion/victimization) level characteristics were used to define growth trajectories from the final year of elementary school, across the transition to middle school, and then to the final year of middle school (fifth-to-eighth grades). Three distinct trajectory classes were identified: low stable, increasing, and decreasing. Peer exclusion, prosocial behavior, and mutual friendship involvement differentiated class membership. Friendlessness, friendship instability, and exclusion were significant predictors of social withdrawal for the increasing class, whereas lower levels of peer exclusion predicted a decrease in social withdrawal for the decreasing class. PMID:18193479

The leader peptide of mutacin 1140 has distinct structural components compared to related class I lantibiotics

PubMed Central

Escano, Jerome; Stauffer, Byron; Brennan, Jacob; Bullock, Monica; Smith, Leif

2014-01-01

Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized peptide antibiotics composed of an N-terminal leader peptide that promotes the core peptide's interaction with the post translational modification (PTM) enzymes. Following PTMs, mutacin 1140 is transported out of the cell and the leader peptide is cleaved to yield the antibacterial peptide. Mutacin 1140 leader peptide is structurally unique compared to other class I lantibiotic leader peptides. Herein, we further our understanding of the structural differences of mutacin 1140 leader peptide with regard to other class I leader peptides. We have determined that the length of the leader peptide is important for the biosynthesis of mutacin 1140. We have also determined that mutacin 1140 leader peptide contains a novel four amino acid motif compared to related lantibiotics. PTM enzyme recognition of the leader peptide appears to be evolutionarily distinct from related class I lantibiotics. Our study on mutacin 1140 leader peptide provides a basis for future studies aimed at understanding its interaction with the PTM enzymes. PMID:25400246

Search for Type Ia supernova NUV-optical subclasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cinabro, David; Scolnic, Daniel; Kessler, Richard; Li, Ashley; Miller, Jake

2017-04-01

In response to a recently reported observation of evidence for two classes of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) distinguished by their brightness in the rest-frame near-ultraviolet (NUV), we search for the phenomenon in publicly available light-curve data. We use the SNANA supernova analysis package to simulate SN Ia light curves in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Supernova Search and the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) with a model of two distinct ultraviolet classes of SNe Ia and a conventional model with a single broad distribution of SN-Ia ultraviolet brightnesses. We compare simulated distributions of rest-frame colours with these two models to those observed in 158 SNe Ia in the SDSS and SNLS data. The SNLS sample of 99 SNe Ia is in clearly better agreement with a model with one class of SN Ia light curves and shows no evidence for distinct NUV sub-classes. The SDSS sample of 59 SNe Ia with poorer colour resolution does not distinguish between the two models.

Trajectories of social withdrawal from middle childhood to early adolescence.

PubMed

Oh, Wonjung; Rubin, Kenneth H; Bowker, Julie C; Booth-LaForce, Cathryn; Rose-Krasnor, Linda; Laursen, Brett

2008-05-01

Heterogeneity and individual differences in the developmental course of social withdrawal were examined longitudinally in a community sample (N = 392). General Growth Mixture Modeling (GGMM) was used to identify distinct pathways of social withdrawal, differentiate valid subgroup trajectories, and examine factors that predicted change in trajectories within subgroups. Assessments of individual (social withdrawal), interactive (prosocial behavior), relationship (friendship involvement, stability and quality, best friend's withdrawal and exclusion/victimization) and group- (exclusion/victimization) level characteristics were used to define growth trajectories from the final year of elementary school, across the transition to middle school, and then to the final year of middle school (fifth-to-eighth grades). Three distinct trajectory classes were identified: low stable, increasing, and decreasing. Peer exclusion, prosocial behavior, and mutual friendship involvement differentiated class membership. Friendlessness, friendship instability, and exclusion were significant predictors of social withdrawal for the increasing class, whereas lower levels of peer exclusion predicted a decrease in social withdrawal for the decreasing class.

Four Distinct Subgroups of Self-Injurious Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: Findings from a Latent Class Analysis

PubMed Central

Xin, Xiuhong; Ming, Qingsen; Zhang, Jibiao; Wang, Yuping; Liu, Mingli; Yao, Shuqiao

2016-01-01

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) among adolescents is an important public health issue worldwide. It is still uncertain whether homogeneous subgroups of SIB can be identified and whether constellations of SIBs can co-occur due to the high heterogeneity of these behaviors. In this study, a cross-sectional study was conducted on a large school-based sample and latent class analysis was performed (n = 10,069, mean age = 15 years) to identify SIB classes based on 11 indicators falling under direct SIB (DSIB), indirect SIB (ISIB), and suicide attempts (SAs). Social and psychological characteristics of each subgroup were examined after controlling for age and gender. Results showed that a four-class model best fit the data and each class had a distinct pattern of co-occurrence of SIBs and external measures. Class 4 (the baseline/normative group, 65.3%) had a low probability of SIB. Class 3 (severe SIB group, 3.9%) had a high probability of SIB and the poorest social and psychological status. Class 1 (DSIB+SA group, 14.2%) had similar scores for external variables compared to class 3, and included a majority of girls [odds ratio (OR) = 1.94]. Class 2 (ISIB group, 16.6%) displayed moderate endorsement of ISIB items, and had a majority of boys and older adolescents (OR = 1.51). These findings suggest that SIB is a heterogeneous entity, but it may be best explained by four homogenous subgroups that display quantitative and qualitative differences. Findings in this study will improve our understanding on SIB and may facilitate the prevention and treatment of SIB. PMID:27392132

Characterization of Non-coding DNA Satellites Associated with Sweepoviruses (Genus Begomovirus, Geminiviridae) – Definition of a Distinct Class of Begomovirus-Associated Satellites

PubMed Central

Lozano, Gloria; Trenado, Helena P.; Fiallo-Olivé, Elvira; Chirinos, Dorys; Geraud-Pouey, Francis; Briddon, Rob W.; Navas-Castillo, Jesús

2016-01-01

Begomoviruses (family Geminiviridae) are whitefly-transmitted, plant-infecting single-stranded DNA viruses that cause crop losses throughout the warmer parts of the World. Sweepoviruses are a phylogenetically distinct group of begomoviruses that infect plants of the family Convolvulaceae, including sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). Two classes of subviral molecules are often associated with begomoviruses, particularly in the Old World; the betasatellites and the alphasatellites. An analysis of sweet potato and Ipomoea indica samples from Spain and Merremia dissecta samples from Venezuela identified small non-coding subviral molecules in association with several distinct sweepoviruses. The sequences of 18 clones were obtained and found to be structurally similar to tomato leaf curl virus-satellite (ToLCV-sat, the first DNA satellite identified in association with a begomovirus), with a region with significant sequence identity to the conserved region of betasatellites, an A-rich sequence, a predicted stem–loop structure containing the nonanucleotide TAATATTAC, and a second predicted stem–loop. These sweepovirus-associated satellites join an increasing number of ToLCV-sat-like non-coding satellites identified recently. Although sharing some features with betasatellites, evidence is provided to suggest that the ToLCV-sat-like satellites are distinct from betasatellites and should be considered a separate class of satellites, for which the collective name deltasatellites is proposed. PMID:26925037

POLLUTION FROM PERSONAL ACTIONS, ACTIVITIES, AND ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Perhaps more so than with any other class of anthropogenic chemicals, the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPS) in the environment highlights the immediate, intimate, and inseparable connection between the personal activities of individual citizens and their environment. PPCPS, in contrast to other types of environmental contaminants, owe their origins in the environment directly to their worldwide, universal, frequent, highly dispersed, and individually small but cumulative usage by multitudes of individuals - as opposed to the larger, highly delineated, and more-controllable industrial manufacturing/usage of most high-volume synthetic chemicals. PPCPs are a diverse group of chemicals, used internally or externally with the bodies of humans and domestic animals (and agricultural plants), comprising a wide spectrum of chemical classes. In very general terms, PPCPs include: o- drugs (available by prescription or over-the-counter; including the new genre of

Parental psychopathology in families of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy.

PubMed

Sengupta, Sarojini M; Fortier, Marie-Ève; Thakur, Geeta A; Bhat, Venkat; Grizenko, Natalie; Joober, Ridha

2015-02-01

Both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in the etiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We had previously suggested that exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) may be a valid basis for delineating a distinct subtype of ADHD, where children exposed to MSDP present with a more severe clinical picture. Here, we examine the psychopathology of parents in this group, to better understand the etiology of ADHD. Using the Family Interview for Genetic Studies in a sample of 514 families of children with ADHD, we collected data pertaining to lifetime parental psychopathology. Families were stratified based on maternal smoking during the complete gestational period. The frequency of different disorders was compared using the χ2 statistic. In the group where mothers smoked during pregnancy, both parents were significantly more likely to have antisocial personality disorder, and problems with alcohol and drug abuse. Mothers had a significantly higher frequency of major depressive disorder (MDD), while fathers showed a trend for both MDD and bipolar disorder. Based on the pattern of psychopathology in parents of children exposed to MSDP, as well as earlier reports of the severe clinical, behavioral, and cognitive phenotype in these children, combined with the large body of epidemiological evidence, we propose that these children present a distinct subtype of ADHD with comorbid conduct disorder. Furthermore, we propose that MSDP may be a proxy measure to help delineate this subtype. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Ventral striatal dysfunction in cocaine dependence - difference mapping for subregional resting state functional connectivity.

PubMed

Zhang, Sheng; Li, Chiang-Shan R

2018-06-18

Research of dopaminergic deficits has focused on the ventral striatum (VS) with many studies elucidating altered resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) in individuals with cocaine dependence (CD). The VS comprises functional subregions and delineation of subregional changes in rsFC requires careful consideration of the differences between addicted and healthy populations. In the current study, we parcellated the VS using whole-brain rsFC differences between CD and non-drug-using controls (HC). Voxels with similar rsFC changes formed functional clusters. The results showed that the VS was divided into 3 subclusters, in the area of the dorsal-anterior VS (daVS), dorsal posterior VS (dpVS), and ventral VS (vVS), each in association with different patterns of rsFC. The three subregions shared reduced rsFC with bilateral hippocampal/parahippocampal gyri (HG/PHG) but also showed distinct changes, including reduced vVS rsFC with ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and increased daVS rsFC with visual cortex in CD as compared to HC. Across CD, daVS visual cortical connectivity was positively correlated with amount of prior-month cocaine use and cocaine craving, and vVS vmPFC connectivity was negatively correlated with the extent of depression and anxiety. These findings suggest a distinct pattern of altered VS subregional rsFC in cocaine dependence, and some of the changes have eluded analyses using the whole VS as a seed region. The findings may provide new insight to delineating VS circuit deficits in cocaine dependence and provide an alternative analytical framework to address functional dysconnectivity in other mental illnesses.

The Specter of Divorce: Views from Working- and Middle-Class Cohabitors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Amanda J.; Sassler, Sharon; Kusi-Appouh, Dela

2011-01-01

Young Americans increasingly express apprehension about their ability to successfully manage intimate relationships. Partially in response, cohabitation has become normative over the past few decades. Little research, however, examines social class distinctions in how emerging adults perceive challenges to sustaining intimate unions. We examine…

Investigations of Potential Phenotypes of Foot Osteoarthritis: Cross‐Sectional Analysis From the Clinical Assessment Study of the Foot

PubMed Central

Marshall, Michelle; Thomas, Martin J.; Menz, Hylton B.; Myers, Helen L.; Thomas, Elaine; Downes, Thomas; Peat, George; Roddy, Edward

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate the existence of distinct foot osteoarthritis (OA) phenotypes based on pattern of joint involvement and comparative symptom and risk profiles. Methods Participants ages ≥50 years reporting foot pain in the previous year were drawn from a population‐based cohort. Radiographs were scored for OA in the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, first and second cuneometatarsal, navicular first cuneiform, and talonavicular joints according to a published atlas. Chi‐square tests established clustering, and odds ratios (ORs) examined symmetry and pairwise associations of radiographic OA in the feet. Distinct underlying classes of foot OA were investigated by latent class analysis (LCA) and their association with symptoms and risk factors was assessed. Results In 533 participants (mean age 64.9 years, 55.9% female) radiographic OA clustered across both feet (P < 0.001) and was highly symmetrical (adjusted OR 3.0, 95% confidence interval 2.1, 4.2). LCA identified 3 distinct classes of foot OA: no or minimal foot OA (64%), isolated first MTP joint OA (22%), and polyarticular foot OA (15%). After adjustment for age and sex, polyarticular foot OA was associated with nodal OA, increased body mass index, and more pain and functional limitation compared to the other classes. Conclusion Patterning of radiographic foot OA has provided insight into the existence of 2 forms of foot OA: isolated first MTP joint OA and polyarticular foot OA. The symptom and risk factor profiles in individuals with polyarticular foot OA indicate a possible distinctive phenotype of foot OA, but further research is needed to explore the characteristics of isolated first MTP joint and polyarticular foot OA. PMID:26238801

Virtual libraries of tetrapyrrole macrocycles. Combinatorics, isomers, product distributions, and data mining.

PubMed

Taniguchi, Masahiko; Du, Hai; Lindsey, Jonathan S

2011-09-26

A software program (PorphyrinViLiGe) has been developed to enumerate the type and relative amounts of substituted tetrapyrrole macrocycles in a virtual library formed by one of four different classes of reactions. The classes include (1) 4-fold reaction of n disubstituted heterocycles (e.g., pyrroles or diiminoisoindolines) to form β-substituted porphyrins, β-substituted tetraazaporphyrins, or α- or β-substituted phthalocyanines; (2) combination of m aminoketones and n diones to form m × n pyrroles, which upon 4-fold reaction give β-substituted porphyrins; (3) derivatization of an 8-point tetrapyrrole scaffold with n reagents, and (4) 4-fold reaction of n aldehydes and pyrrole to form meso-substituted porphyrins. The program accommodates variable ratios of reactants, reversible or irreversible reaction (reaction classes 1 and 2), and degenerate modes of formation. Pólya's theorem (for enumeration of cyclic entities) has also been implemented and provides validation for reaction classes 3 and 4. The output includes the number and identity of distinct reaction-accessible substituent combinations, the number and identity of isomers thereof, and the theoretical mass spectrum. Provisions for data mining enable assessment of the number of products having a chosen pattern of substituents. Examples include derivatization of an octa-substituted phthalocyanine with eight reagents to afford a library of 2,099,728 members (yet only 6435 distinct substituent combinations) and reversible reaction of six distinct disubstituted pyrroles to afford 2649 members (yet only 126 distinct substituent combinations). In general, libraries of substituted tetrapyrrole macrocycles occupy a synthetically accessible region of chemical space that is rich in isomers (>99% or 95% for the two examples, respectively).

The discourse of design-based science classroom activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azevedo, Flávio S.; Martalock, Peggy L.; Keser, Tugba

2015-06-01

This paper is an initial contribution to a general theory in which science classroom activity types and epistemological discourse practices are systematically linked. The idea is that activities and discourse are reflexively related, so that different types of science classroom activities (e.g., scientific argumentation, modeling, and design) recruit characteristically distinct forms of participants' (students and teacher) discourse. Such a general theory would eventually map out the full spectrum of discourse practices (and their patterns of manifestation) across various kinds of science classroom activities, and reveal new relationships between forms of both discourse and activities. Because this defines a complex and long-term project, here our aim is simply to delineate this larger theoretical program and to illustrate it with a detailed case study—namely, that of mapping out and characterizing the discourse practices of design- based science classroom activities. To do so, we draw on data from an activity that is prototypically design-based—i.e., one in which students iteratively design and refine an artifact (in this case, pictorial representations of moving objects)—and examine the structure and dynamics of the whole-class discourse practices that emerge around these representational forms. We then compare and contrast these discourse practices to those of an activity that is prototypical of scientific argumentation (taken from the literature)—i.e., one in which students argue between competing theories and explanations of a phenomenon—and begin to illustrate the kinds of insights our theoretical program might afford.

A Semiquantitative Framework for Gene Regulatory Networks: Increasing the Time and Quantitative Resolution of Boolean Networks

PubMed Central

Kerkhofs, Johan; Geris, Liesbet

2015-01-01

Boolean models have been instrumental in predicting general features of gene networks and more recently also as explorative tools in specific biological applications. In this study we introduce a basic quantitative and a limited time resolution to a discrete (Boolean) framework. Quantitative resolution is improved through the employ of normalized variables in unison with an additive approach. Increased time resolution stems from the introduction of two distinct priority classes. Through the implementation of a previously published chondrocyte network and T helper cell network, we show that this addition of quantitative and time resolution broadens the scope of biological behaviour that can be captured by the models. Specifically, the quantitative resolution readily allows models to discern qualitative differences in dosage response to growth factors. The limited time resolution, in turn, can influence the reachability of attractors, delineating the likely long term system behaviour. Importantly, the information required for implementation of these features, such as the nature of an interaction, is typically obtainable from the literature. Nonetheless, a trade-off is always present between additional computational cost of this approach and the likelihood of extending the model’s scope. Indeed, in some cases the inclusion of these features does not yield additional insight. This framework, incorporating increased and readily available time and semi-quantitative resolution, can help in substantiating the litmus test of dynamics for gene networks, firstly by excluding unlikely dynamics and secondly by refining falsifiable predictions on qualitative behaviour. PMID:26067297

Urban Area Monitoring using MODIS Time Series Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devadiga, S.; Sarkar, S.; Mauoka, E.

2015-12-01

Growing urban sprawl and its impact on global climate due to urban heat island effects has been an active area of research over the recent years. This is especially significant in light of rapid urbanization that is happening in some of the first developing nations across the globe. But so far study of urban area growth has been largely restricted to local and regional scales, using high to medium resolution satellite observations, taken at distinct time periods. In this presentation we propose a new approach to detect and monitor urban area expansion using long time series of MODIS data. This work characterizes data points using a vector of several annual metrics computed from the MODIS 8-day and 16-day composite L3 data products, at 250M resolution and over several years and then uses a vector angle mapping classifier to detect and segment the urban area. The classifier is trained using a set of training points obtained from a reference vector point and polygon pre-filtered using the MODIS VI product. This work gains additional significance, given that, despite unprecedented urban growth since 2000, the area covered by the urban class in the MODIS Global Land Cover (MCD12Q1, MCDLCHKM and MCDLC1KM) product hasn't changed since the launch of Terra and Aqua. The proposed approach was applied to delineate the urban area around several cities in Asia known to have maximum growth in the last 15 years. Results were verified using high resolution Landsat data.

Overlapping and Divergent Actions of Structurally Distinct Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in Cardiac Fibroblasts

PubMed Central

Schuetze, Katherine B.; Stratton, Matthew S.; Blakeslee, Weston W.; Wempe, Michael F.; Wagner, Florence F.; Holson, Edward B.; Kuo, Yin-Ming; Andrews, Andrew J.; Gilbert, Tonya M.; Hooker, Jacob M.

2017-01-01

Inhibitors of zinc-dependent histone deacetylases (HDACs) profoundly affect cellular function by altering gene expression via changes in nucleosomal histone tail acetylation. Historically, investigators have employed pan-HDAC inhibitors, such as the hydroxamate trichostatin A (TSA), which simultaneously targets members of each of the three zinc-dependent HDAC classes (classes I, II, and IV). More recently, class- and isoform-selective HDAC inhibitors have been developed, providing invaluable chemical biology probes for dissecting the roles of distinct HDACs in the control of various physiologic and pathophysiological processes. For example, the benzamide class I HDAC-selective inhibitor, MGCD0103 [N-(2-aminophenyl)-4-[[(4-pyridin-3-ylpyrimidin-2-yl)amino]methyl] benzamide], was shown to block cardiac fibrosis, a process involving excess extracellular matrix deposition, which often results in heart dysfunction. Here, we compare the mechanisms of action of structurally distinct HDAC inhibitors in isolated primary cardiac fibroblasts, which are the major extracellular matrix–producing cells of the heart. TSA, MGCD0103, and the cyclic peptide class I HDAC inhibitor, apicidin, exhibited a common ability to enhance histone acetylation, and all potently blocked cardiac fibroblast cell cycle progression. In contrast, MGCD0103, but not TSA or apicidin, paradoxically increased expression of a subset of fibrosis-associated genes. Using the cellular thermal shift assay, we provide evidence that the divergent effects of HDAC inhibitors on cardiac fibroblast gene expression relate to differential engagement of HDAC1- and HDAC2-containing complexes. These findings illustrate the importance of employing multiple compounds when pharmacologically assessing HDAC function in a cellular context and during HDAC inhibitor drug development. PMID:28174211

Differential cytokine modulation and T cell activation by two distinct classes of thalidomide analogues that are potent inhibitors of TNF-alpha.

PubMed

Corral, L G; Haslett, P A; Muller, G W; Chen, R; Wong, L M; Ocampo, C J; Patterson, R T; Stirling, D I; Kaplan, G

1999-07-01

TNF-alpha mediates both protective and detrimental manifestations of the host immune response. Our previous work has shown thalidomide to be a relatively selective inhibitor of TNF-alpha production in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, we have recently reported that thalidomide exerts a costimulatory effect on T cell responses. To develop thalidomide analogues with increased anti-TNF-alpha activity and reduced or absent toxicities, novel TNF-alpha inhibitors were designed and synthesized. When a selected group of these compounds was examined for their immunomodulatory activities, different patterns of cytokine modulation were revealed. The tested compounds segregated into two distinct classes: one class of compounds, shown to be potent phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors, inhibited TNF-alpha production, increased IL-10 production by LPS-induced PBMC, and had little effect on T cell activation; the other class of compounds, similar to thalidomide, were not phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors and markedly stimulated T cell proliferation and IL-2 and IFN-gamma production. These compounds inhibited TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6 and greatly increased IL-10 production by LPS-induced PBMC. Similar to thalidomide, the effect of these agents on IL-12 production was dichotomous; IL-12 was inhibited when PBMC were stimulated with LPS but increased when cells were stimulated by cross-linking the TCR. The latter effect was associated with increased T cell CD40 ligand expression. The distinct immunomodulatory activities of these classes of thalidomide analogues may potentially allow them to be used in the clinic for the treatment of different immunopathological disorders.

Delineating the Neural Signatures of Tracking Spatial Position and Working Memory during Attentive Tracking

PubMed Central

Drew, Trafton; Horowitz, Todd S.; Wolfe, Jeremy M.; Vogel, Edward K.

2015-01-01

In the attentive tracking task, observers track multiple objects as they move independently and unpredictably among visually identical distractors. Although a number of models of attentive tracking implicate visual working memory as the mechanism responsible for representing target locations, no study has ever directly compared the neural mechanisms of the two tasks. In the current set of experiments, we used electrophysiological recordings to delineate similarities and differences between the neural processing involved in working memory and attentive tracking. We found that the contralateral electrophysiological response to the two tasks was similarly sensitive to the number of items attended in both tasks but that there was also a unique contralateral negativity related to the process of monitoring target position during tracking. This signal was absent for periods of time during tracking tasks when objects briefly stopped moving. These results provide evidence that, during attentive tracking, the process of tracking target locations elicits an electrophysiological response that is distinct and dissociable from neural measures of the number of items being attended. PMID:21228175

Duplication 16p13.3 and the CREBBP gene: confirmation of the phenotype.

PubMed

Demeer, Bénédicte; Andrieux, Joris; Receveur, Aline; Morin, Gilles; Petit, Florence; Julia, Sophie; Plessis, Ghislaine; Martin-Coignard, Dominique; Delobel, Bruno; Firth, Helen V; Thuresson, Ann C; Lanco Dosen, Sandrine; Sjörs, Kerstin; Le Caignec, Cedric; Devriendt, Koenraad; Mathieu-Dramard, Michèle

2013-01-01

The introduction of molecular karyotyping technologies into the diagnostic work-up of patients with congenital disorders permitted the identification and delineation of novel microdeletion and microduplication syndromes. Interstitial 16p13.3 duplication, encompassing the CREBBP gene, which is mutated or deleted in the Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, have been proposed to cause a recognisable syndrome with variable intellectual disability, normal growth, mild facial dysmorphism, mild anomalies of the extremities, and occasional findings such as developmental defects of the heart, genitalia, palate or the eyes. We here report the phenotypic and genotypic delineation of 9 patients carrying a submicroscopic 16p13.3 duplication, including the smallest 16p13.3 duplication reported so far. Careful clinical assessment confirms the distinctive clinical phenotype and also defines frequent associated features : marked speech problems, frequent ocular region involvement with upslanting of the eyes, narrow palpebral fissures, ptosis and strabismus, frequent proximal implantation of thumbs, cleft palate/bifid uvula and inguinal hernia. It also confirms that CREBBP is the critical gene involved in the duplication 16p13.3 syndrome. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Satellite detection of vegetative damage and alteration caused by pollutants emitted by a zinc smelter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmurtry, G. J.; Petersen, G. W. (Principal Investigator); Fritz, E. L.; Pennypacker, S. P.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Field observations and data collected by low flying aircraft were used to verify the accuracy of maps produced from the satellite data. Although areas of vegetation as small as six acres can accurately be detected, a white pine stand that was severely damaged by sulfur dioxide could not be differentiated from a healthy white pine stand because spectral differences were not large enough. When winter data were used to eliminate interference from herbaceous and deciduous vegetation, the damage was still undetectable. The analysis was able to produce a character map that accurately delineated areas of vegetative alteration due to high zinc levels accumulating in the soil. The map depicted a distinct gradient of less damage and alteration as the distance from the smelter increased. Although the satellite data will probably not be useful for detecting small acreages of damaged vegetation, it is concluded that the data may be very useful as an inventory tool to detect and delineate large vegetative areas possessing differing spectral signatures.

Spatial computation of intratumoral T cells correlates with survival of patients with pancreatic cancer.

PubMed

Carstens, Julienne L; Correa de Sampaio, Pedro; Yang, Dalu; Barua, Souptik; Wang, Huamin; Rao, Arvind; Allison, James P; LeBleu, Valerie S; Kalluri, Raghu

2017-04-27

The exact nature and dynamics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) immune composition remains largely unknown. Desmoplasia is suggested to polarize PDAC immunity. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of the composition and distribution of desmoplastic elements and T-cell infiltration is necessary to delineate their roles. Here we develop a novel computational imaging technology for the simultaneous evaluation of eight distinct markers, allowing for spatial analysis of distinct populations within the same section. We report a heterogeneous population of infiltrating T lymphocytes. Spatial distribution of cytotoxic T cells in proximity to cancer cells correlates with increased overall patient survival. Collagen-I and αSMA + fibroblasts do not correlate with paucity in T-cell accumulation, suggesting that PDAC desmoplasia may not be a simple physical barrier. Further exploration of this technology may improve our understanding of how specific stromal composition could impact T-cell activity, with potential impact on the optimization of immune-modulatory therapies.

The Cambridge Behavioural Inventory revised.

PubMed

Wear, Helen J; Wedderburn, Catherine J; Mioshi, Eneida; Williams-Gray, Caroline H; Mason, Sarah L; Barker, Roger A; Hodges, John R

2008-01-01

Neurobehavioural and psychiatric symptoms are common in a range of neurodegenerative disorders with distinct profiles which are helpful in the diagnosis and monitoring of these disorders. The Cambridge Behavioural Inventory (CBI) has been shown to distinguish frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), but it is lengthy. To develop a shorter version of the 81 item CBI. CBI data from 450 participants with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD) (64), AD (96), PD (215) and HD (75) were analysed using Principal Components Analysis and measures of internal consistency (Cronbach alpha). A reduced 45-item questionnaire was developed. The instrument identified distinct behavioural profiles and performed as well as the original version. A shorter (45 item) version of the CBI is capable of differentiating bv-FTD and AD from PD and HD. It may be useful in delineating the type and extent of problems in these disorders as well as monitoring therapeutic interventions.

Understanding mutagenesis through delineation of mutational signatures in human cancer

DOE PAGES

Petljak, Mia; Alexandrov, Ludmil B.

2016-05-04

Each individual cell within a human body acquires a certain number of somatic mutations during a course of its lifetime. These mutations originate from a wide spectra of both endogenous and exogenous mutational processes that leave distinct patterns of mutations, termed mutational signatures, embedded within the genomes of all cells. In recent years, the vast amount of data produced by sequencing of cancer genomes was coupled with novel mathematical models and computational tools to generate the first comprehensive map of mutational signatures in human cancer. Up to date, >30 distinct mutational signatures have been identified, and etiologies have been proposedmore » for many of them. This paper provides a brief historical background on examination of mutational patterns in human cancer, summarizes the knowledge accumulated since introducing the concept of mutational signatures and discusses their future potential applications and perspectives within the field.« less

High-Expenditure Pharmaceutical Use Among Children in Medicaid.

PubMed

Cohen, Eyal; Hall, Matt; Lopert, Ruth; Bruen, Brian; Chamberlain, Lisa J; Bardach, Naomi; Gedney, Jennifer; Zima, Bonnie T; Berry, Jay G

2017-09-01

Medication use may be a target for quality improvement, cost containment, and research. We aimed to identify medication classes associated with the highest expenditures among pediatric Medicaid enrollees and to characterize the demographic, clinical, and health service use of children prescribed these medications. Retrospective, cross-sectional study of 3 271 081 Medicaid-enrolled children. Outpatient medication spending among high-expenditure medication classes, defined as the 10 most expensive among 261 mutually exclusive medication classes, was determined by using transaction prices paid to pharmacies by Medicaid agencies and managed care plans among prescriptions filled and dispensed in 2013. Outpatient medications accounted for 16.6% of all Medicaid expenditures. The 10 most expensive medication classes accounted for 63.9% of all medication expenditures. Stimulants (amphetamine-type) accounted for both the highest proportion of expenditures (20.6%) and days of medication use (14.0%) among medication classes. Users of medications in the 10 highest-expenditure classes were more likely to have a chronic condition of any complexity (77.9% vs 41.6%), a mental health condition (35.7% vs 11.9%), or a complex chronic condition (9.8% vs 4.3%) than other Medicaid enrollees (all P < .001). The 4 medications with the highest spending were all psychotropic medications. Polypharmacy was common across all high-expenditure classes. Medicaid expenditure on pediatric medicines is concentrated among a relatively small number of medication classes most commonly used in children with chronic conditions. Interventions to improve medication safety and effectiveness and contain costs may benefit from better delineation of the appropriate prescription of these medications. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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.

Nottingham Prognostic Index Plus (NPI+): a modern clinical decision making tool in breast cancer.

PubMed

Rakha, E A; Soria, D; Green, A R; Lemetre, C; Powe, D G; Nolan, C C; Garibaldi, J M; Ball, G; Ellis, I O

2014-04-02

Current management of breast cancer (BC) relies on risk stratification based on well-defined clinicopathologic factors. Global gene expression profiling studies have demonstrated that BC comprises distinct molecular classes with clinical relevance. In this study, we hypothesised that molecular features of BC are a key driver of tumour behaviour and when coupled with a novel and bespoke application of established clinicopathologic prognostic variables can predict both clinical outcome and relevant therapeutic options more accurately than existing methods. In the current study, a comprehensive panel of biomarkers with relevance to BC was applied to a large and well-characterised series of BC, using immunohistochemistry and different multivariate clustering techniques, to identify the key molecular classes. Subsequently, each class was further stratified using a set of well-defined prognostic clinicopathologic variables. These variables were combined in formulae to prognostically stratify different molecular classes, collectively known as the Nottingham Prognostic Index Plus (NPI+). The NPI+ was then used to predict outcome in the different molecular classes. Seven core molecular classes were identified using a selective panel of 10 biomarkers. Incorporation of clinicopathologic variables in a second-stage analysis resulted in identification of distinct prognostic groups within each molecular class (NPI+). Outcome analysis showed that using the bespoke NPI formulae for each biological BC class provides improved patient outcome stratification superior to the traditional NPI. This study provides proof-of-principle evidence for the use of NPI+ in supporting improved individualised clinical decision making.

Evolution of vertebrate visual pigments.

PubMed

Bowmaker, James K

2008-09-01

The visual pigments of vertebrates evolved about 500 million years ago, before the major evolutionary step of the development of jaws. Four spectrally distinct classes of cone opsin evolved through gene duplication, followed by the rod opsin class that arose from the duplication of the middle-wave-sensitive cone opsin. All four cone classes are present in many extant teleost fish, reptiles and birds, but one or more classes have been lost in primitive fish, amphibians and mammals. Gene duplication within the cone classes, especially in teleosts, has resulted in multiple opsins being available, both temporally and spatially, during development.

LIPID CLASS DISTRIBUTION OF HIGHLY UNSATURATED LONG CHAIN FATTY ACIDS IN MARINE DINOFLAGELLATES.

EPA Science Inventory

The very long chain highly unsaturated C28 fatty acids, octacosaheptaenoic [28:7(n-6)] and octacosaoctaenoic acid [28:8(n-3)], were found to be associated with phospholipids, obtained by fractionation of total lipid extracts into distinct lipid classes, in 4 and 6, respectively, ...

Integrating Single-System Design Research into the Clinical Practice Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Marlene G.

2006-01-01

Clinical practice and research are generally taught separately in Master of Social Work programs by faculty with distinct areas of expertise. This paper discusses the teaching of single-subject design research methodology by clinical faculty, in the clinical practice class. Examples from student papers demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating…

Critical Analysis: A Comparison of Critical Thinking Changes in Psychology and Philosophy Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Brian L.; Sears, Sharon R.; Kraus, Sue; Roberts-Cady, Sarah

2014-01-01

This study compared changes in psychology and philosophy classes in two distinct components of critical thinking (CT): general skills and personal beliefs. Participants were 128 undergraduates enrolled in CT in psychology, other psychology courses, or philosophy courses. CT and philosophy students significantly reduced beliefs in paranormal…

Women and Men in the Class Structure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Randall

1988-01-01

Describes the stratification position of women as generally more complex than that of men, because of class distinction of organizational power. Asserts that many women, in presenting the front-stage image of an organization, in performing considerable surplus domestic labor, and in employment and leisure activities, are involved primarily in…

The Influence of Semantic Property and Grammatical Class on Semantic Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Fan-pei Gloria; Khodaparast, Navid; Bradley, Kailyn; Fang, Min-Chieh; Bernstein, Ari; Krawczyk, Daniel C.

2013-01-01

Research to-date has not successfully demonstrated consistent neural distinctions for different types of ambiguity or explored the effect of grammatical class on semantic selection. We conducted a relatedness judgment task using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to further explore these topics. Participants judged…

Altering Methods to Fill the English Curriculum Gap in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinck, Gerald W.

2017-01-01

In the Japanese English education system, a distinct disconnect exists between the elementary and secondary education curricula. Elementary schools across Japan offer English classes, but adjusting to junior high English classes is often difficult for students. While the Japanese government reformed junior high school tests to aid student…

Positioning Food Cultures: ‘Alternative’ Food as Distinctive Consumer Practice

PubMed Central

Paddock, Jessica

2015-01-01

Many sociological studies to date have explored the role of food in marking distinctions between groups. Less well understood is how ‘alternative’ means of food consumption become figured in such relations. Drawing on accounts of food practice derived from 20 in-depth interviews and a two-year period of participant observation, this article considers the role of class culture in the practice of alternative food consumption. As participants speak their position, expressions of class arise through discussions of food practice. Having explored how food plays a part in marking boundaries of distinction between foods ‘for us’ and ‘for them’, we are reminded that in reproducing certain ideas about proper eating, we confine our imagining of alternative food futures to a limited politics of the possible. The article highlights implications for future development of equitable alternatives to conventional foodways. PMID:28018005

Thailand national programme of the Earth Resources Technology Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheosakul, P. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 data has been used to delineate floating rice regions with a clear distinction between irrigated and nonirrigated areas and recognition of orchard and horitcultural crops. Alluvial fans marking the ancient river outlets in the northwestern portion of the Central Plain of Thailand and the shape and size of the flood plains in the central region have been identified and outlined. A new forestry map was constructed using band 5 and band 7 imagery combined with ground observations. A geologic map of Thailand has been constructed from ERTS imagery.

Acoustic fingerprints of photoacoustic contrast agents for molecular imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Michael A.; Jankovic, Ladislav; Shahzad, Khalid; Burcher, Michael; Li, King C. P.

2007-02-01

Protein nanospheres capable of frequency controlled oscillation in response to laser stimulation are presented as contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging. Incident laser energy absorbed by dye-labeled protein nanospheres causes thermoelastically generated sound production. Plotted A-line graphs reveal a distinctive morphology and greater than 2 orders of magnitude increase in signal amplitude subsequent to converting labeled proteins into nanospheres. Evidence of nonlinearity and enhancement of ultrasound backscatter indicate a potential use in contrast-enhanced harmonic imaging. Photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging of protein nanospheres in phantom vessels show enhanced contrast at low concentration and clear delineation of the phantom vessel wall.

Acute myeloid leukemia originates from a hierarchy of leukemic stem cell classes that differ in self-renewal capacity.

PubMed

Hope, Kristin J; Jin, Liqing; Dick, John E

2004-07-01

Emerging evidence suggests cancer stem cells sustain neoplasms; however, little is understood of the normal cell initially targeted and the resultant cancer stem cells. We show here, by tracking individual human leukemia stem cells (LSCs) in nonobese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficiency mice serially transplanted with acute myeloid leukemia cells, that LSCs are not functionally homogeneous but, like the normal hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment, comprise distinct hierarchically arranged LSC classes. Distinct LSC fates derived from heterogeneous self-renewal potential. Some LSCs emerged only in recipients of serial transplantation, indicating they divided rarely and underwent self-renewal rather than commitment after cell division within primary recipients. Heterogeneity in LSC self-renewal potential supports the hypothesis that they derive from normal HSCs. Furthermore, normal developmental processes are not completely abolished during leukemogenesis. The existence of multiple stem cell classes shows the need for LSC-targeted therapies.

Epitopes in α8β1 and other RGD-binding integrins delineate classes of integrin-blocking antibodies and major binding loops in α subunits

PubMed Central

Nishimichi, Norihisa; Kawashima, Nagako; Yokosaki, Yasuyuki

2015-01-01

Identification of epitopes for integrin-blocking monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has aided our understanding of structure-function relationship of integrins. We mapped epitopes of chicken anti-integrin-α8-subunit-blocking mAbs by mutational analyses, examining regions that harboured all mapped epitopes recognized by mAbs against other α-subunits in the RGD-binding-integrin subfamily. Six mAbs exhibited blocking function, and these mAbs recognized residues on the same W2:41-loop on the top-face of the β-propeller. Loop-tips sufficiently close to W2:41 (<25 Å) contained within a footprint of the mAbs were mutated, and the loop W3:34 on the bottom face was identified as an additional component of the epitope of one antibody, clone YZ5. Binding sequences on the two loops were conserved in virtually all mammals, and that on W3:34 was also conserved in chickens. These indicate 1) YZ5 binds both top and bottom loops, and the binding to W3:34 is by interactions to conserved residues between immunogen and host species, 2) five other blocking mAbs solely bind to W2:41 and 3) the α8 mAbs would cross-react with most mammals. Comparing with the mAbs against the other α-subunits of RGD-integrins, two classes were delineated; those binding to “W3:34 and an top-loop”, and “solely W2:41”, accounting for 82% of published RGD-integrin-mAbs. PMID:26349930

Epitopes in α8β1 and other RGD-binding integrins delineate classes of integrin-blocking antibodies and major binding loops in α subunits.

PubMed

Nishimichi, Norihisa; Kawashima, Nagako; Yokosaki, Yasuyuki

2015-09-09

Identification of epitopes for integrin-blocking monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has aided our understanding of structure-function relationship of integrins. We mapped epitopes of chicken anti-integrin-α8-subunit-blocking mAbs by mutational analyses, examining regions that harboured all mapped epitopes recognized by mAbs against other α-subunits in the RGD-binding-integrin subfamily. Six mAbs exhibited blocking function, and these mAbs recognized residues on the same W2:41-loop on the top-face of the β-propeller. Loop-tips sufficiently close to W2:41 (<25 Å) contained within a footprint of the mAbs were mutated, and the loop W3:34 on the bottom face was identified as an additional component of the epitope of one antibody, clone YZ5. Binding sequences on the two loops were conserved in virtually all mammals, and that on W3:34 was also conserved in chickens. These indicate 1) YZ5 binds both top and bottom loops, and the binding to W3:34 is by interactions to conserved residues between immunogen and host species, 2) five other blocking mAbs solely bind to W2:41 and 3) the α8 mAbs would cross-react with most mammals. Comparing with the mAbs against the other α-subunits of RGD-integrins, two classes were delineated; those binding to "W3:34 and an top-loop", and "solely W2:41", accounting for 82% of published RGD-integrin-mAbs.

Molecular Mechanism of Acrylamide Neurotoxicity: Lessons Learned from Organic Chemistry

PubMed Central

Gavin, Terrence

2012-01-01

Background: Acrylamide (ACR) produces cumulative neurotoxicity in exposed humans and laboratory animals through a direct inhibitory effect on presynaptic function. Objectives: In this review, we delineate how knowledge of chemistry provided an unprecedented understanding of the ACR neurotoxic mechanism. We also show how application of the hard and soft, acids and bases (HSAB) theory led to the recognition that the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl structure of ACR is a soft electrophile that preferentially forms covalent bonds with soft nucleophiles. Methods: In vivo proteomic and in chemico studies demonstrated that ACR formed covalent adducts with highly nucleophilic cysteine thiolate groups located within active sites of presynaptic proteins. Additional research showed that resulting protein inactivation disrupted nerve terminal processes and impaired neurotransmission. Discussion: ACR is a type-2 alkene, a chemical class that includes structurally related electrophilic environmental pollutants (e.g., acrolein) and endogenous mediators of cellular oxidative stress (e.g., 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal). Members of this chemical family produce toxicity via a common molecular mechanism. Although individual environmental concentrations might not be toxicologically relevant, exposure to an ambient mixture of type-2 alkene pollutants could pose a significant risk to human health. Furthermore, environmentally derived type-2 alkenes might act synergistically with endogenously generated unsaturated aldehydes to amplify cellular damage and thereby accelerate human disease/injury processes that involve oxidative stress. Conclusions: These possibilities have substantial implications for environmental risk assessment and were realized through an understanding of ACR adduct chemistry. The approach delineated here can be broadly applied because many toxicants of different chemical classes are electrophiles that produce toxicity by interacting with cellular proteins. PMID:23060388

Geostatistical and GIS analysis of the spatial variability of alluvial gold content in Ngoura-Colomines area, Eastern Cameroon: Implications for the exploration of primary gold deposit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takodjou Wambo, Jonas Didero; Ganno, Sylvestre; Djonthu Lahe, Yannick Sthopira; Kouankap Nono, Gus Djibril; Fossi, Donald Hermann; Tchouatcha, Milan Stafford; Nzenti, Jean Paul

2018-06-01

Linear and nonlinear geostatistic is commonly used in ore grade estimation and seldom used in Geographical Information System (GIS) technology. In this study, we suggest an approach based on geostatistic linear ordinary kriging (OK) and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques to investigate the spatial distribution of alluvial gold content, mineralized and gangue layers thicknesses from 73 pits at the Ngoura-Colomines area with the aim to determine controlling factors for the spatial distribution of mineralization and delineate the most prospective area for primary gold mineralization. Gold content varies between 0.1 and 4.6 g/m3 and has been broadly grouped into three statistical classes. These classes have been spatially subdivided into nine zones using ordinary kriging model based on physical and topographical characteristics. Both mineralized and barren layer thicknesses show randomly spatial distribution, and there is no correlation between these parameters and the gold content. This approach has shown that the Ngoura-Colomines area is located in a large shear zone compatible with the Riedel fault system composed of P and P‧ fractures oriented NE-SW and NNE-SSW respectively; E-W trending R fractures and R‧ fractures with NW-SE trends that could have contributed significantly to the establishment of this gold mineralization. The combined OK model and GIS analysis have led to the delineation of Colomines, Tissongo, Madubal and Boutou villages as the most prospective areas for the exploration of primary gold deposit in the study area.

Marital Happiness and Psychological Well-Being across the Life Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamp Dush, Claire M.; Taylor, Miles G.; Kroeger, Rhiannon A.

2008-01-01

Using data from six waves of the Study of Marital Instability over the Life Course (N = 1,998), we conducted a latent class analysis to test for distinct marital happiness trajectories. We found three distinct marital happiness trajectories: low, middle, and high happiness. Initial levels of life happiness were strongly associated with membership…

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

Bromfield, C.S.; Grauch, R.I.; Otton, J.K.

The Richfield Quadrangle in west-central Utah was evaluated to identify areas favorable for the occurrence of uranium deposits known or likely to contain 100 tons of uranium with an average grade of not less than 100 ppM U/sub 3/O/sub 8/. Geologic reconnaissance was made of all known environments thought to be favorable for uranium deposits, and a representative selection of uranium occurrences reported in the literature was visited. Geochemical analyses from rock and limited water samples were used in the evaluation. Preliminary and incomplete aeroradiometric data and hydrogeochemical and stream-sediment analyses arrived too late in the program to be field-checkedmore » or to be adequately analyzed for this report. Two areas favorable for uranium deposits were delineated: (1) volcanogenic deposits (class 500 to 599) in association with Miocene Mount Belknap rhyolite, and acidic plutons in the Marysvale Volcanic Field in the Antelope Range and Tushar Mountains; and (2) volcanogenic (class 500 to 599) and/or magmatic hydrothermal deposits (class 330) associated with Miocene high-silica high-alkali rhyolite tuffs, flows, and hypabyssal intrusives in volcanic or subvolcanic environments in the southern Wah Wah Mountains.« less

Patient factors and quality of life outcomes differ among four subgroups of oncology patients based on symptom occurrence.

PubMed

Astrup, Guro Lindviksmoen; Hofsø, Kristin; Bjordal, Kristin; Guren, Marianne Grønlie; Vistad, Ingvild; Cooper, Bruce; Miaskowski, Christine; Rustøen, Tone

2017-03-01

Reviews of the literature on symptoms in oncology patients undergoing curative treatment, as well as patients receiving palliative care, suggest that they experience multiple, co-occurring symptoms and side effects. The purposes of this study were to determine if subgroups of oncology patients could be identified based on symptom occurrence rates and if these subgroups differed on a number of demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as on quality of life (QoL) outcomes. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify subgroups (i.e. latent classes) of patients with distinct symptom experiences based on the occurrence rates for the 13 most common symptoms from the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. In total, 534 patients with breast, head and neck, colorectal, or ovarian cancer participated. Four latent classes of patients were identified based on probability of symptom occurrence: all low class [i.e. low probability for all symptoms (n = 152)], all high class (n = 149), high psychological class (n = 121), and low psychological class (n = 112). Patients in the all high class were significantly younger compared with patients in the all low class. Furthermore, compared to the other three classes, patients in the all high class had lower functional status and higher comorbidity scores, and reported poorer QoL scores. Patients in the high and low psychological classes had a moderate probability of reporting physical symptoms. Patients in the low psychological class reported a higher number of symptoms, a lower functional status, and poorer physical and total QoL scores. Distinct subgroups of oncology patients can be identified based on symptom occurrence rates. Patient characteristics that are associated with these subgroups can be used to identify patients who are at greater risk for multiple co-occurring symptoms and diminished QoL, so that these patients can be offered appropriate symptom management interventions.

The Latent Classes of Subclinical ADHD Symptoms: Convergences of Multiple Informant Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kobor, Andrea; Takacs, Adam; Urban, Robert; Csepe, Valeria

2012-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to conduct latent class analysis on the Hyperactivity scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in order to identify distinct subgroups of subclinical ADHD in a multi-informant framework. We hypothesized a similar structure between teachers and parents, and differences in symptom severity across…

The Role of Internationalisation in the Schooling of Brazilian Elites: Distinctions between Two Class Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Windle, Joel; Nogueira, Maria Alice

2015-01-01

This paper analyses tendencies that distinguish the internationalisation of education for two class fractions--owners of medium to large businesses and highly qualified university professors and researchers. We identify the importance of cosmopolitan cultural capital, particularly fluency in English, in strengthening the position of both groups…

Contextual Control by Function and Form of Transfer of Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkins, David R.; Dougher, Michael J.; Greenway, David E.

2007-01-01

This study investigated conditions leading to contextual control by stimulus topography over transfer of functions. Three 4-member stimulus equivalence classes, each consisting of four (A, B, C, D) topographically distinct visual stimuli, were established for 5 college students. Across classes, designated A stimuli were open-ended linear figures,…

"I Can't Do Any More Education": Class, Individualisation and Educational Decision-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Andrew

2008-01-01

This paper, drawing upon a recent study of youth post-compulsory educational and occupational decision-making, argues for a culturalist perspective to understand the persistence of class-based inequalities within VET. The paper begins by outlining two broadly distinct perspectives within current research into youth: an "individualist" approach…

Informing the Discussion on Evaluator Training: A Look at Evaluators' Course Taking and Professional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Christina A.; Quiñones, Patricia; Fierro, Leslie

2014-01-01

This classification study examines evaluators' coursework training as a way of understanding evaluation practice. Data regarding courses that span methods and evaluation topics were collected from evaluation practitioners. Using latent class analysis, we establish four distinct classes of evaluator course-taking patterns: quantitative,…

A Comparison of Classification Approaches for Cyberbullying and Traditional Bullying Using Data from Six European Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultze-Krumbholz, Anja; Göbel, Kristin; Scheithauer, Herbert; Brighi, Antonella; Guarini, Annalisa; Tsorbatzoudis, Haralambos; Barkoukis, Vassilis; Pyzalski, Jacek; Plichta, Piotr; Del Rey, Rosario; Casas, José A.; Thompson, Fran; Smith, Peter K.

2015-01-01

In recently published studies on cyberbullying, students are frequently categorized into distinct (cyber)bully and (cyber)victim clusters based on theoretical assumptions and arbitrary cut-off scores adapted from traditional bullying research. The present study identified involvement classes empirically using latent class analysis (LCA), to…

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products: overview and recommendations for a universal nomenclature

PubMed Central

Arnison, Paul G.; Bibb, Mervyn J.; Bierbaum, Gabriele; Bowers, Albert A.; Bugni, Tim S.; Bulaj, Grzegorz; Camarero, Julio A.; Campopiano, Dominic J.; Challis, Gregory L.; Clardy, Jon; Cotter, Paul D.; Craik, David J.; Dawson, Michael; Dittmann, Elke; Donadio, Stefano; Dorrestein, Pieter C.; Entian, Karl-Dieter; Fischbach, Michael A.; Garavelli, John S.; Göransson, Ulf; Gruber, Christian W.; Haft, Daniel H.; Hemscheidt, Thomas K.; Hertweck, Christian; Hill, Colin; Horswill, Alexander R.; Jaspars, Marcel; Kelly, Wendy L.; Klinman, Judith P.; Kuipers, Oscar P.; Link, A. James; Liu, Wen; Marahiel, Mohamed A.; Mitchell, Douglas A.; Moll, Gert N.; Moore, Bradley S.; Müller, Rolf; Nair, Satish K.; Nes, Ingolf F.; Norris, Gillian E.; Olivera, Baldomero M.; Onaka, Hiroyasu; Patchett, Mark L.; Piel, Joern; Reaney, Martin J. T.; Rebuffat, Sylvie; Ross, R. Paul; Sahl, Hans-Georg; Schmidt, Eric W.; Selsted, Michael E.; Severinov, Konstantin; Shen, Ben; Sivonen, Kaarina; Smith, Leif; Stein, Torsten; Süssmuth, Roderich D.; Tagg, John R.; Tang, Gong-Li; Truman, Andrew W.; Vederas, John C.; Walsh, Christopher T.; Walton, Jonathan D.; Wenzel, Silke C.; Willey, Joanne M.; van der Donk, Wilfred A.

2014-01-01

This review presents recommended nomenclature for the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), a rapidly growing class of natural products. The current knowledge regarding the biosynthesis of the >20 distinct compound classes is also reviewed, and commonalities are discussed. PMID:23165928

Value Preferences Associated With Social Class, Sex, and Race

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malpass, Roy S.; Symonds, John D.

1974-01-01

Preferences for 92 values were measured for 10 groups of black and white males and females of lower and middle class status in two geographically distinct settings in the United States. Factor analysis showed five shared value composites: (1) the good life, (2) pleasant working companions, (3) balance and adjustment; (4) artistic creativity, and…

Co-Ethnic Network, Social Class, and Heritage Language Maintenance among Chinese Immigrant Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Donghui

2012-01-01

This ethnographic study investigated heritage language maintenance among two distinct groups of Chinese immigrant families (Mandarin and Fujianese) from the social network perspective. The results indicated that a co-ethnic network could be a double-edged sword, which works differently on children from different social classes. While the Mandarin…

Sleep quality subtypes and obesity.

PubMed

Magee, Christopher A; Reddy, Prasuna; Robinson, Laura; McGregor, Alisha

2016-12-01

Poor sleep quality could be a risk factor for obesity. This article utilized a person-centered approach to investigate whether distinct sleep quality subtypes were associated with obesity directly, and indirectly via physical activity. The sample included 8,932 Australian employees who participated in the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey. Structured interviews and self-report questionnaires collected information on sleep quality, obesity, and relevant demographic, health, and work-related variables. Latent class analysis identified distinct subtypes of sleep quality. General linear modeling examined the associations of sleep quality subtypes with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Multicategorical mediation models examined indirect paths linking sleep quality classes with obesity via physical activity. Five distinct sleep quality subtypes were identified: Poor Sleepers (20.0%), Frequent Sleep Disturbances (19.2%), Minor Sleep Disturbances (24.5%), Long Sleepers (9.6%), and Good Sleepers (26.7%). BMI, waist circumference, and physical activity differed among the sleep quality subtypes, with similar results observed for males and females. For example, Poor Sleepers had the highest BMIs, followed by Frequent Sleep Disturbances and Minor Sleep Disturbances; Long Sleepers and Good Sleepers had the lowest BMIs. Mediation analyses indicated that low levels of physical activity linked the Poor Sleep, Frequent Sleep Disturbance, and Long Sleep classes with higher BMI. These results provide new insights into the nature of sleep quality in employees. In particular, distinct sleep quality patterns had differing associations with measures of obesity, suggesting the need for tailored workplace interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Antagonism of human CC-chemokine receptor 4 can be achieved through three distinct binding sites on the receptor

PubMed Central

Slack, Robert J; Russell, Linda J; Barton, Nick P; Weston, Cathryn; Nalesso, Giovanna; Thompson, Sally-Anne; Allen, Morven; Chen, Yu Hua; Barnes, Ashley; Hodgson, Simon T; Hall, David A

2013-01-01

Chemokine receptor antagonists appear to access two distinct binding sites on different members of this receptor family. One class of CCR4 antagonists has been suggested to bind to a site accessible from the cytoplasm while a second class did not bind to this site. In this report, we demonstrate that antagonists representing a variety of structural classes bind to two distinct allosteric sites on CCR4. The effects of pairs of low-molecular weight and/or chemokine CCR4 antagonists were evaluated on CCL17- and CCL22-induced responses of human CCR4+ T cells. This provided an initial grouping of the antagonists into sets which appeared to bind to distinct binding sites. Binding studies were then performed with radioligands from each set to confirm these groupings. Some novel receptor theory was developed to allow the interpretation of the effects of the antagonist combinations. The theory indicates that, generally, the concentration-ratio of a pair of competing allosteric modulators is maximally the sum of their individual effects while that of two modulators acting at different sites is likely to be greater than their sum. The low-molecular weight antagonists could be grouped into two sets on the basis of the functional and binding experiments. The antagonistic chemokines formed a third set whose behaviour was consistent with that of simple competitive antagonists. These studies indicate that there are two allosteric regulatory sites on CCR4. PMID:25505571

Structural insight into the activation of a class B G-protein-coupled receptor by peptide hormones in live human cells

PubMed Central

Seidel, Lisa; Zarzycka, Barbara; Zaidi, Saheem A; Katritch, Vsevolod; Coin, Irene

2017-01-01

The activation mechanism of class B G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) remains largely unknown. To characterize conformational changes induced by peptide hormones, we investigated interactions of the class B corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 (CRF1R) with two peptide agonists and three peptide antagonists obtained by N-truncation of the agonists. Surface mapping with genetically encoded photo-crosslinkers and pair-wise crosslinking revealed distinct footprints of agonists and antagonists on the transmembrane domain (TMD) of CRF1R and identified numerous ligand-receptor contact sites, directly from the intact receptor in live human cells. The data enabled generating atomistic models of CRF- and CRF(12-41)-bound CRF1R, further explored by molecular dynamics simulations. We show that bound agonist and antagonist adopt different folds and stabilize distinct TMD conformations, which involves bending of helices VI and VII around flexible glycine hinges. Conservation of these glycine hinges among all class B GPCRs suggests their general role in activation of these receptors. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.27711.001 PMID:28771403

The leader peptide of mutacin 1140 has distinct structural components compared to related class I lantibiotics.

PubMed

Escano, Jerome; Stauffer, Byron; Brennan, Jacob; Bullock, Monica; Smith, Leif

2014-12-01

Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized peptide antibiotics composed of an N-terminal leader peptide that promotes the core peptide's interaction with the post translational modification (PTM) enzymes. Following PTMs, mutacin 1140 is transported out of the cell and the leader peptide is cleaved to yield the antibacterial peptide. Mutacin 1140 leader peptide is structurally unique compared to other class I lantibiotic leader peptides. Herein, we further our understanding of the structural differences of mutacin 1140 leader peptide with regard to other class I leader peptides. We have determined that the length of the leader peptide is important for the biosynthesis of mutacin 1140. We have also determined that mutacin 1140 leader peptide contains a novel four amino acid motif compared to related lantibiotics. PTM enzyme recognition of the leader peptide appears to be evolutionarily distinct from related class I lantibiotics. Our study on mutacin 1140 leader peptide provides a basis for future studies aimed at understanding its interaction with the PTM enzymes. © 2014 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Overlapping and Divergent Actions of Structurally Distinct Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in Cardiac Fibroblasts.

PubMed

Schuetze, Katherine B; Stratton, Matthew S; Blakeslee, Weston W; Wempe, Michael F; Wagner, Florence F; Holson, Edward B; Kuo, Yin-Ming; Andrews, Andrew J; Gilbert, Tonya M; Hooker, Jacob M; McKinsey, Timothy A

2017-04-01

Inhibitors of zinc-dependent histone deacetylases (HDACs) profoundly affect cellular function by altering gene expression via changes in nucleosomal histone tail acetylation. Historically, investigators have employed pan-HDAC inhibitors, such as the hydroxamate trichostatin A (TSA), which simultaneously targets members of each of the three zinc-dependent HDAC classes (classes I, II, and IV). More recently, class- and isoform-selective HDAC inhibitors have been developed, providing invaluable chemical biology probes for dissecting the roles of distinct HDACs in the control of various physiologic and pathophysiological processes. For example, the benzamide class I HDAC-selective inhibitor, MGCD0103 [ N -(2-aminophenyl)-4-[[(4-pyridin-3-ylpyrimidin-2-yl)amino]methyl] benzamide], was shown to block cardiac fibrosis, a process involving excess extracellular matrix deposition, which often results in heart dysfunction. Here, we compare the mechanisms of action of structurally distinct HDAC inhibitors in isolated primary cardiac fibroblasts, which are the major extracellular matrix-producing cells of the heart. TSA, MGCD0103, and the cyclic peptide class I HDAC inhibitor, apicidin, exhibited a common ability to enhance histone acetylation, and all potently blocked cardiac fibroblast cell cycle progression. In contrast, MGCD0103, but not TSA or apicidin, paradoxically increased expression of a subset of fibrosis-associated genes. Using the cellular thermal shift assay, we provide evidence that the divergent effects of HDAC inhibitors on cardiac fibroblast gene expression relate to differential engagement of HDAC1- and HDAC2-containing complexes. These findings illustrate the importance of employing multiple compounds when pharmacologically assessing HDAC function in a cellular context and during HDAC inhibitor drug development. Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Haemophilus ducreyi Cutaneous Ulcer Strains Diverged from Both Class I and Class II Genital Ulcer Strains: Implications for Epidemiological Studies

PubMed Central

Gangaiah, Dharanesh

2016-01-01

Background Haemophilus ducreyi has emerged as a major cause of cutaneous ulcers (CU) in yaws-endemic regions of the tropics in the South Pacific, South East Asia and Africa. H. ducreyi was once thought only to cause the genital ulcer (GU) disease chancroid; GU strains belong to 2 distinct classes, class I and class II. Using whole-genome sequencing of 4 CU strains from Samoa, 1 from Vanuatu and 1 from Papua New Guinea, we showed that CU strains diverged from the class I strain 35000HP and that one CU strain expressed β-lactamase. Recently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released the genomes of 11 additional CU strains from Vanuatu and Ghana; however, the evolutionary relationship of these CU strains to previously-characterized CU and GU strains is unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed phylogenetic analysis of 17 CU and 10 GU strains. Class I and class II GU strains formed two distinct clades. The class I strains formed two subclades, one containing 35000HP and HD183 and the other containing the remainder of the class I strains. Twelve of the CU strains formed a subclone under the class I 35000HP subclade, while 2 CU strains formed a subclone under the other class I subclade. Unexpectedly, 3 of the CU strains formed a subclone under the class II clade. Phylogenetic analysis of dsrA-hgbA-ncaA sequences yielded a tree similar to that of whole-genome phylogenetic tree. Conclusions/Significance CU strains diverged from multiple lineages within both class I and class II GU strains. Multilocus sequence typing of dsrA-hgbA-ncaA could be reliably used for epidemiological investigation of CU and GU strains. As class II strains grow relatively poorly and are relatively more susceptible to vancomycin than class I strains, these findings have implications for methods to recover CU strains. Comparison of contemporary CU and GU isolates would help clarify the relationship between these entities. PMID:28027326

GC-ASM: Synergistic Integration of Graph-Cut and Active Shape Model Strategies for Medical Image Segmentation

PubMed Central

Chen, Xinjian; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Alavi, Abass; Torigian, Drew A.

2013-01-01

Image segmentation methods may be classified into two categories: purely image based and model based. Each of these two classes has its own advantages and disadvantages. In this paper, we propose a novel synergistic combination of the image based graph-cut (GC) method with the model based ASM method to arrive at the GC-ASM method for medical image segmentation. A multi-object GC cost function is proposed which effectively integrates the ASM shape information into the GC framework. The proposed method consists of two phases: model building and segmentation. In the model building phase, the ASM model is built and the parameters of the GC are estimated. The segmentation phase consists of two main steps: initialization (recognition) and delineation. For initialization, an automatic method is proposed which estimates the pose (translation, orientation, and scale) of the model, and obtains a rough segmentation result which also provides the shape information for the GC method. For delineation, an iterative GC-ASM algorithm is proposed which performs finer delineation based on the initialization results. The proposed methods are implemented to operate on 2D images and evaluated on clinical chest CT, abdominal CT, and foot MRI data sets. The results show the following: (a) An overall delineation accuracy of TPVF > 96%, FPVF < 0.6% can be achieved via GC-ASM for different objects, modalities, and body regions. (b) GC-ASM improves over ASM in its accuracy and precision to search region. (c) GC-ASM requires far fewer landmarks (about 1/3 of ASM) than ASM. (d) GC-ASM achieves full automation in the segmentation step compared to GC which requires seed specification and improves on the accuracy of GC. (e) One disadvantage of GC-ASM is its increased computational expense owing to the iterative nature of the algorithm. PMID:23585712

GC-ASM: Synergistic Integration of Graph-Cut and Active Shape Model Strategies for Medical Image Segmentation.

PubMed

Chen, Xinjian; Udupa, Jayaram K; Alavi, Abass; Torigian, Drew A

2013-05-01

Image segmentation methods may be classified into two categories: purely image based and model based. Each of these two classes has its own advantages and disadvantages. In this paper, we propose a novel synergistic combination of the image based graph-cut (GC) method with the model based ASM method to arrive at the GC-ASM method for medical image segmentation. A multi-object GC cost function is proposed which effectively integrates the ASM shape information into the GC framework. The proposed method consists of two phases: model building and segmentation. In the model building phase, the ASM model is built and the parameters of the GC are estimated. The segmentation phase consists of two main steps: initialization (recognition) and delineation. For initialization, an automatic method is proposed which estimates the pose (translation, orientation, and scale) of the model, and obtains a rough segmentation result which also provides the shape information for the GC method. For delineation, an iterative GC-ASM algorithm is proposed which performs finer delineation based on the initialization results. The proposed methods are implemented to operate on 2D images and evaluated on clinical chest CT, abdominal CT, and foot MRI data sets. The results show the following: (a) An overall delineation accuracy of TPVF > 96%, FPVF < 0.6% can be achieved via GC-ASM for different objects, modalities, and body regions. (b) GC-ASM improves over ASM in its accuracy and precision to search region. (c) GC-ASM requires far fewer landmarks (about 1/3 of ASM) than ASM. (d) GC-ASM achieves full automation in the segmentation step compared to GC which requires seed specification and improves on the accuracy of GC. (e) One disadvantage of GC-ASM is its increased computational expense owing to the iterative nature of the algorithm.

Combinational pixel-by-pixel and object-level classifying, segmenting, and agglomerating in performing quantitative image analysis that distinguishes between healthy non-cancerous and cancerous cell nuclei and delineates nuclear, cytoplasm, and stromal material objects from stained biological tissue materials

DOEpatents

Boucheron, Laura E

2013-07-16

Quantitative object and spatial arrangement-level analysis of tissue are detailed using expert (pathologist) input to guide the classification process. A two-step method is disclosed for imaging tissue, by classifying one or more biological materials, e.g. nuclei, cytoplasm, and stroma, in the tissue into one or more identified classes on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and segmenting the identified classes to agglomerate one or more sets of identified pixels into segmented regions. Typically, the one or more biological materials comprises nuclear material, cytoplasm material, and stromal material. The method further allows a user to markup the image subsequent to the classification to re-classify said materials. The markup is performed via a graphic user interface to edit designated regions in the image.

Comparison of Learning Styles of Pharmacy Students and Faculty Members

PubMed Central

Crawford, Stephanie Y.; Alhreish, Suhail K.

2012-01-01

Objectives. To compare dominant learning styles of pharmacy students and faculty members and between faculty members in different tracks. Methods. Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) and Zubin’s Pharmacists’ Inventory of Learning Styles (PILS) were administered to students and faculty members at an urban, Midwestern college of pharmacy. Results. Based on responses from 299 students (classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010) and 59 faculty members, GSD styles were concrete sequential (48%), abstract sequential (18%), abstract random (13%), concrete random (13%), and multimodal (8%). With PILS, dominant styles were assimilator (47%) and converger (30%). There were no significant differences between faculty members and student learning styles nor across pharmacy student class years (p>0.05). Learning styles differed between men and women across both instruments (p<0.01), and between faculty members in tenure and clinical tracks for the GSD styles (p=0.01). Conclusion. Learning styles differed among respondents based on gender and faculty track. PMID:23275657

Brains, Bones, and Aging: Psychotropic medications and bone health among older adults

PubMed Central

Brown, Monique J.; Mezuk, Briana

2012-01-01

Psychotropic drugs are a crucial element of treatment for psychiatric disorders; however there is an established association between many classes of psychotropic medications and fracture risk among older adults, and growing evidence that some classes of medications may also impact bone mineral density (BMD). In this paper we review recent epidemiologic research on the association between psychotropic medications and osteoporosis, and discuss current controversies and unresolved issues surrounding this relationship. Key areas in need of focused inquiry include resolving whether the apparent association between psychotropic medications and BMD is due to confounding by indication, whether this relationship differs for men and women, and whether the implications of these medications for bone health vary over the life course. Clinical research to delineate the risk/benefit ratio of psychotropic medications for older adults, particularly those who are at high risk for fracture, is also needed to facilitate prescribing decisions between patients and physicians. PMID:23001917

Catatonia from its creation to DSM-V: Considerations for ICD.

PubMed

Fink, Max

2011-07-01

Catatonia was delineated only as a type of schizophrenia in the many American Psychiatric Association DSM classifications and revisions from 1952 until 1994 when "catatonia secondary to a medical condition" was added. Since the 1970s the diagnosis of catatonia has been clarified as a syndrome of rigidity, posturing, mutism, negativism, and other motor signs of acute onset. It is found in about 10% of psychiatric hospital admissions, in patients with depressed and manic mood states and in toxic states. It is quickly treatable to remission by benzodiazepines and by ECT. The DSM-V revision proposes catatonia in two major diagnostic classes, specifiers for 10 principal diagnoses, and deletion of the designation of schizophrenia, catatonic type. This complex recommendation serves no clinical or research purpose and confuses treatment options. Catatonia is best considered in the proposed ICD revision as a unique syndrome of multiple forms warranting a single unique defined class similar to that of delirium.

The same ELA class II risk factors confer equine insect bite hypersensitivity in two distinct populations.

PubMed

Andersson, Lisa S; Swinburne, June E; Meadows, Jennifer R S; Broström, Hans; Eriksson, Susanne; Fikse, W Freddy; Frey, Rebecka; Sundquist, Marie; Tseng, Chia T; Mikko, Sofia; Lindgren, Gabriella

2012-03-01

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a chronic allergic dermatitis common in horses. Affected horses mainly react against antigens present in the saliva from the biting midges, Culicoides ssp, and occasionally black flies, Simulium ssp. Because of this insect dependency, the disease is clearly seasonal and prevalence varies between geographical locations. For two distinct horse breeds, we genotyped four microsatellite markers positioned within the MHC class II region and sequenced the highly polymorphic exons two from DRA and DRB3, respectively. Initially, 94 IBH-affected and 93 unaffected Swedish born Icelandic horses were tested for genetic association. These horses had previously been genotyped on the Illumina Equine SNP50 BeadChip, which made it possible to ensure that our study did not suffer from the effects of stratification. The second population consisted of 106 unaffected and 80 IBH-affected Exmoor ponies. We show that variants in the MHC class II region are associated with disease susceptibility (p (raw) = 2.34 × 10(-5)), with the same allele (COR112:274) associated in two separate populations. In addition, we combined microsatellite and sequencing data in order to investigate the pattern of homozygosity and show that homozygosity across the entire MHC class II region is associated with a higher risk of developing IBH (p = 0.0013). To our knowledge this is the first time in any atopic dermatitis suffering species, including man, where the same risk allele has been identified in two distinct populations.

Pathological and non-pathological variants of restrictive eating behaviors in middle childhood: A latent class analysis.

PubMed

Schmidt, Ricarda; Vogel, Mandy; Hiemisch, Andreas; Kiess, Wieland; Hilbert, Anja

2018-08-01

Although restrictive eating behaviors are very common during early childhood, their precise nature and clinical correlates remain unclear. Especially, there is little evidence on restrictive eating behaviors in older children and their associations with children's shape concern. The present population-based study sought to delineate subgroups of restrictive eating patterns in N = 799 7-14 year old children. Using Latent Class Analysis, children were classified based on six restrictive eating behaviors (for example, picky eating, food neophobia, and eating-related anxiety) and shape concern, separately in three age groups. For cluster validation, sociodemographic and objective anthropometric data, parental feeding practices, and general and eating disorder psychopathology were used. The results showed a 3-cluster solution across all age groups: an asymptomatic class (Cluster 1), a class with restrictive eating behaviors without shape concern (Cluster 2), and a class showing restrictive eating behaviors with prominent shape concern (Cluster 3). The clusters differed in all variables used for validation. Particularly, the proportion of children with symptoms of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder was greater in Cluster 2 than Clusters 1 and 3. The study underlined the importance of considering shape concern to distinguish between different phenotypes of children's restrictive eating patterns. Longitudinal data are needed to evaluate the clusters' predictive effects on children's growth and development of clinical eating disorders. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing a Measure to Assess Emotions Associated with Never Being Deployed.

PubMed

Hoopsick, Rachel A; Homish, D Lynn; Bartone, Paul T; Homish, Gregory G

2018-03-14

Much research has focused on stress related to deployments; however, a substantial proportion of soldiers never deploy. In a study of 1.3 million veterans, suicide risk was higher among veterans who had never deployed. Thus, not being deployed may have an impact on soldiers' well-being; however, no measures exist to assess emotions regarding non-deployment. We aimed to develop and test an original measure of non-deployment emotions. We examined the Non-Deployment Emotions (NDE) questionnaire, a novel four-item measure of guilt, unit value, unit camaraderie, and unit connectedness in a sample of never-deployed male and female US Army Reserve/National Guard (USAR/NG) soldiers (N = 174). Data are from Operation: SAFETY (Soldiers and Families Excelling Through the Years), an ongoing survey-based study examining the health of USAR/NG soldiers and their partners. The protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the State University of New York at Buffalo. The relationship between each of the items was examined by calculating correlation and alpha coefficients. Latent class analyses tested for the existence of distinct levels of negative emotions related to non-deployment. Negative binomial regression models examined the cross-sectional associations between NDE summary score and each of the following outcomes, separately: anger, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. More than half of never-deployed USAR/NG soldiers expressed negative emotions for having not been deployed. "Guilt," "value," "camaraderie," and "connectedness" were each positively correlated with each other (p < 0.001) and the internal consistency reliability was high (male soldier α = 0.90, female soldier α = 0.93). Latent class analyses revealed a superior three-class model with well-delineated class membership (entropy = 0.93): "Class 1" (low NDE; 47.6%), "Class 2" (moderate NDE; 33.8%), and "Class 3" (high NDE; 18.6%). Regression models demonstrated that greater non-deployment emotions were independently associated with more severe anger (RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03, p < 0.001), anxiety (RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.11, p < 0.05), depression (RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.11, p < 0.05), and PTSD (RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.16, p < 0.01). Findings demonstrate that negative emotions regarding non-deployment are prevalent among never-deployed USAR/NG soldiers and that these emotions are related to a mental health. The NDE provides a measure of "guilt," "value," "camaraderie," and "connectedness" specific to non-deployed soldiers and is able to well discriminate between soldiers that have low, moderately, and highly negative non-deployment emotions. These findings suggest that all military personnel, regardless of deployment status, could be at risk for negative outcomes. As with any survey-based study, there is a potential for response bias; however, given the range of responses collected with the NDE, social desirability is unlikely. Further work is needed to confirm our findings in other components of the military and to examine soldiers in the rear detachment.

CRISPR-mediated HDAC2 disruption identifies two distinct classes of target genes in human cells.

PubMed

Somanath, Priyanka; Herndon Klein, Rachel; Knoepfler, Paul S

2017-01-01

The transcriptional functions of the class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) HDAC1 and HDAC2 are mainly viewed as both repressive and redundant based on murine knockout studies, but they may have additional independent roles and their physiological functions in human cells are not as clearly defined. To address the individual epigenomic functions of HDAC2, here we utilized CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt HDAC2 in human cells. We find that while HDAC2 null cells exhibited signs of cross-regulation between HDAC1 and HDAC2, specific epigenomic phenotypes were still apparent using RNA-seq and ChIP assays. We identified specific targets of HDAC2 repression, and defined a novel class of genes that are actively expressed in a partially HDAC2-dependent manner. While HDAC2 was required for the recruitment of HDAC1 to repressed HDAC2-gene targets, HDAC2 was dispensable for HDAC1 binding to HDAC2-activated targets, supporting the notion of distinct classes of targets. Both active and repressed classes of gene targets demonstrated enhanced histone acetylation and methylation in HDAC2-null cells. Binding of the HDAC1/2-associated SIN3A corepressor was altered at most HDAC2-targets, but without a clear pattern. Overall, our study defines two classes of HDAC2 targets in human cells, with a dependence of HDAC1 on HDAC2 at one class of targets, and distinguishes unique functions for HDAC2.

Parvalbumin+ Neurons and Npas1+ Neurons Are Distinct Neuron Classes in the Mouse External Globus Pallidus

PubMed Central

Hernández, Vivian M.; Hegeman, Daniel J.; Cui, Qiaoling; Kelver, Daniel A.; Fiske, Michael P.; Glajch, Kelly E.; Pitt, Jason E.; Huang, Tina Y.; Justice, Nicholas J.

2015-01-01

Compelling evidence suggests that pathological activity of the external globus pallidus (GPe), a nucleus in the basal ganglia, contributes to the motor symptoms of a variety of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have challenged the idea that the GPe comprises a single, homogenous population of neurons that serves as a simple relay in the indirect pathway. However, we still lack a full understanding of the diversity of the neurons that make up the GPe. Specifically, a more precise classification scheme is needed to better describe the fundamental biology and function of different GPe neuron classes. To this end, we generated a novel multicistronic BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) transgenic mouse line under the regulatory elements of the Npas1 gene. Using a combinatorial transgenic and immunohistochemical approach, we discovered that parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons in the GPe represent two nonoverlapping cell classes, amounting to 55% and 27% of the total GPe neuron population, respectively. These two genetically identified cell classes projected primarily to the subthalamic nucleus and to the striatum, respectively. Additionally, parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons were distinct in their autonomous and driven firing characteristics, their expression of intrinsic ion conductances, and their responsiveness to chronic 6-hydroxydopamine lesion. In summary, our data argue that parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons are two distinct functional classes of GPe neurons. This work revises our understanding of the GPe, and provides the foundation for future studies of its function and dysfunction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Until recently, the heterogeneity of the constituent neurons within the external globus pallidus (GPe) was not fully appreciated. We addressed this knowledge gap by discovering two principal GPe neuron classes, which were identified by their nonoverlapping expression of the markers parvalbumin and Npas1. Our study provides evidence that parvalbumin and Npas1 neurons have different topologies within the basal ganglia. PMID:26311767

Parvalbumin+ Neurons and Npas1+ Neurons Are Distinct Neuron Classes in the Mouse External Globus Pallidus.

PubMed

Hernández, Vivian M; Hegeman, Daniel J; Cui, Qiaoling; Kelver, Daniel A; Fiske, Michael P; Glajch, Kelly E; Pitt, Jason E; Huang, Tina Y; Justice, Nicholas J; Chan, C Savio

2015-08-26

Compelling evidence suggests that pathological activity of the external globus pallidus (GPe), a nucleus in the basal ganglia, contributes to the motor symptoms of a variety of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have challenged the idea that the GPe comprises a single, homogenous population of neurons that serves as a simple relay in the indirect pathway. However, we still lack a full understanding of the diversity of the neurons that make up the GPe. Specifically, a more precise classification scheme is needed to better describe the fundamental biology and function of different GPe neuron classes. To this end, we generated a novel multicistronic BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) transgenic mouse line under the regulatory elements of the Npas1 gene. Using a combinatorial transgenic and immunohistochemical approach, we discovered that parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons in the GPe represent two nonoverlapping cell classes, amounting to 55% and 27% of the total GPe neuron population, respectively. These two genetically identified cell classes projected primarily to the subthalamic nucleus and to the striatum, respectively. Additionally, parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons were distinct in their autonomous and driven firing characteristics, their expression of intrinsic ion conductances, and their responsiveness to chronic 6-hydroxydopamine lesion. In summary, our data argue that parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons are two distinct functional classes of GPe neurons. This work revises our understanding of the GPe, and provides the foundation for future studies of its function and dysfunction. Until recently, the heterogeneity of the constituent neurons within the external globus pallidus (GPe) was not fully appreciated. We addressed this knowledge gap by discovering two principal GPe neuron classes, which were identified by their nonoverlapping expression of the markers parvalbumin and Npas1. Our study provides evidence that parvalbumin and Npas1 neurons have different topologies within the basal ganglia. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3511830-18$15.00/0.

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.

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.

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

Delineation of early brain development from fetuses to infants with diffusion MRI and beyond.

PubMed

Ouyang, Minhui; Dubois, Jessica; Yu, Qinlin; Mukherjee, Pratik; Huang, Hao

2018-04-12

Dynamic macrostructural and microstructural changes take place from the mid-fetal stage to 2 years after birth. Delineating structural changes of the brain during early development provides new insights into the complicated processes of both typical development and the pathological mechanisms underlying various psychiatric and neurological disorders including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. Decades of histological studies have identified strong spatial and functional maturation gradients in human brain gray and white matter. The recent improvements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, especially diffusion MRI (dMRI), relaxometry imaging, and magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) have provided unprecedented opportunities to non-invasively quantify and map the early developmental changes at whole brain and regional levels. Here, we review the recent advances in understanding early brain structural development during the second half of gestation and the first two postnatal years using modern MR techniques. Specifically, we review studies that delineate the emergence and microstructural maturation of white matter tracts, as well as dynamic mapping of inhomogeneous cortical microstructural organization unique to fetuses and infants. These imaging studies converge into maturational curves of MRI measurements that are distinctive across different white matter tracts and cortical regions. Furthermore, contemporary models offering biophysical interpretations of the dMRI-derived measurements are illustrated to infer the underlying microstructural changes. Collectively, this review summarizes findings that contribute to charting spatiotemporally heterogeneous gray and white matter structural development, offering MRI-based biomarkers of typical brain development and setting the stage for understanding aberrant brain development in neurodevelopmental disorders. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial and temporal selectivity patterns of fires in Attika, Greece from 1984 to 2015 delineated from Landsat time series satellite images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stamos, Zoi; Koutsias, Nikos

2017-04-01

The aim of this study is to assess spatial and temporalfire selectivity patterns in the region of Attica - Greece from 1984 to 2015. Our work is implemented in two distinct phases: the first consists of the accurate delineation of the fire perimeter using satellite remote sensing technology, and the second consists of the application of suitable GIS supported analyses to develop thematic layers that optimally summarised the spatial and temporal information of fire occurrence. Fire perimeters of wildland fires occurred within the time window 1984-2015 were delineated from freely available Landsat images from USGS and ESA sources.More than three thousands satellite images were processed in order to extract fire perimeters and create maps of fire frequency and fire return interval. In total one thousand and one hundred twenty fire perimeters were recorded during this thirty years' period. Fire perimeters within each year of fire occurrence were compared against the available to burn under complete random processes to identify selectivity patterns over (i) CORINE land use/land cover, (ii) fire frequency and (iii) time since last firemaps. For example, non- irrigated arable lands, complex cultivation patterns and discontinuous urban fabrics are negative related with fires, while coniferous forests, sclerophyllous vegetation and transitional woodlands seem to be preferable by the fires. Additionally, it seems that fires prefer their old burnings (two and three times burned) and also places with different patterns of time since last fire depending on the time needed by the type of vegetation to recover and thus to re-burn.

Multi-scale hippocampal parcellation improves atlas-based segmentation accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plassard, Andrew J.; McHugo, Maureen; Heckers, Stephan; Landman, Bennett A.

2017-02-01

Known for its distinct role in memory, the hippocampus is one of the most studied regions of the brain. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging have allowed for high-contrast, reproducible imaging of the hippocampus. Typically, a trained rater takes 45 minutes to manually trace the hippocampus and delineate the anterior from the posterior segment at millimeter resolution. As a result, there has been a significant desire for automated and robust segmentation of the hippocampus. In this work we use a population of 195 atlases based on T1-weighted MR images with the left and right hippocampus delineated into the head and body. We initialize the multi-atlas segmentation to a region directly around each lateralized hippocampus to both speed up and improve the accuracy of registration. This initialization allows for incorporation of nearly 200 atlases, an accomplishment which would typically involve hundreds of hours of computation per target image. The proposed segmentation results in a Dice similiarity coefficient over 0.9 for the full hippocampus. This result outperforms a multi-atlas segmentation using the BrainCOLOR atlases (Dice 0.85) and FreeSurfer (Dice 0.75). Furthermore, the head and body delineation resulted in a Dice coefficient over 0.87 for both structures. The head and body volume measurements also show high reproducibility on the Kirby 21 reproducibility population (R2 greater than 0.95, p < 0.05 for all structures). This work signifies the first result in an ongoing work to develop a robust tool for measurement of the hippocampus and other temporal lobe structures.

Aftershocks illuminate the 2011 Mineral, Virginia, earthquake causative fault zone and nearby active faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horton, J. Wright; Shah, Anjana K.; McNamara, Daniel E.; Snyder, Stephen L.; Carter, Aina M

2015-01-01

Deployment of temporary seismic stations after the 2011 Mineral, Virginia (USA), earthquake produced a well-recorded aftershock sequence. The majority of aftershocks are in a tabular cluster that delineates the previously unknown Quail fault zone. Quail fault zone aftershocks range from ~3 to 8 km in depth and are in a 1-km-thick zone striking ~036° and dipping ~50°SE, consistent with a 028°, 50°SE main-shock nodal plane having mostly reverse slip. This cluster extends ~10 km along strike. The Quail fault zone projects to the surface in gneiss of the Ordovician Chopawamsic Formation just southeast of the Ordovician–Silurian Ellisville Granodiorite pluton tail. The following three clusters of shallow (<3 km) aftershocks illuminate other faults. (1) An elongate cluster of early aftershocks, ~10 km east of the Quail fault zone, extends 8 km from Fredericks Hall, strikes ~035°–039°, and appears to be roughly vertical. The Fredericks Hall fault may be a strand or splay of the older Lakeside fault zone, which to the south spans a width of several kilometers. (2) A cluster of later aftershocks ~3 km northeast of Cuckoo delineates a fault near the eastern contact of the Ordovician Quantico Formation. (3) An elongate cluster of late aftershocks ~1 km northwest of the Quail fault zone aftershock cluster delineates the northwest fault (described herein), which is temporally distinct, dips more steeply, and has a more northeastward strike. Some aftershock-illuminated faults coincide with preexisting units or structures evident from radiometric anomalies, suggesting tectonic inheritance or reactivation.

Migration, foraging, and residency patterns for Northern Gulf loggerheads: implications of local threats and international movements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, Kristen M.; Lamont, Margaret M.; Sartain-Iverson, Autumn R.; Fujisaki, Ikuko

2014-01-01

Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM) loggerheads (Caretta caretta) make up one of the smallest subpopulations of this threatened species and have declining nest numbers. We used satellite telemetry and a switching state-space model to identify distinct foraging areas used by 59 NGoM loggerheads tagged during 2010–2013. We tagged turtles after nesting at three sites, 1 in Alabama (Gulf Shores; n = 37) and 2 in Florida (St. Joseph Peninsula; n = 20 and Eglin Air Force Base; n = 2). Peak migration time was 22 July to 9 August during which >40% of turtles were in migration mode; the mean post-nesting migration period was 23.0 d (±13.8 d SD). After displacement from nesting beaches, 44 turtles traveled to foraging sites where they remained resident throughout tracking durations. Selected foraging locations were variable distances from tagging sites, and in 5 geographic regions; no turtles selected foraging sites outside the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Foraging sites delineated using 50% kernel density estimation were located a mean distance of 47.6 km from land and in water with mean depth of −32.5 m; other foraging sites, delineated using minimum convex polygons, were located a mean distance of 43.0 km from land and in water with a mean depth of −24.9 m. Foraging sites overlapped with known trawling activities, oil and gas extraction activities, and the footprint of surface oiling during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (n = 10). Our results highlight the year-round use of habitats in the GoM by loggerheads that nest in the NGoM. Our findings indicate that protection of females in this subpopulation requires both international collaborations and management of threats that spatially overlap with distinct foraging habitats.

Migration, foraging, and residency patterns for Northern Gulf loggerheads: implications of local threats and international movements.

PubMed

Hart, Kristen M; Lamont, Margaret M; Sartain, Autumn R; Fujisaki, Ikuko

2014-01-01

Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM) loggerheads (Caretta caretta) make up one of the smallest subpopulations of this threatened species and have declining nest numbers. We used satellite telemetry and a switching state-space model to identify distinct foraging areas used by 59 NGoM loggerheads tagged during 2010-2013. We tagged turtles after nesting at three sites, 1 in Alabama (Gulf Shores; n = 37) and 2 in Florida (St. Joseph Peninsula; n = 20 and Eglin Air Force Base; n = 2). Peak migration time was 22 July to 9 August during which >40% of turtles were in migration mode; the mean post-nesting migration period was 23.0 d (±13.8 d SD). After displacement from nesting beaches, 44 turtles traveled to foraging sites where they remained resident throughout tracking durations. Selected foraging locations were variable distances from tagging sites, and in 5 geographic regions; no turtles selected foraging sites outside the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Foraging sites delineated using 50% kernel density estimation were located a mean distance of 47.6 km from land and in water with mean depth of -32.5 m; other foraging sites, delineated using minimum convex polygons, were located a mean distance of 43.0 km from land and in water with a mean depth of -24.9 m. Foraging sites overlapped with known trawling activities, oil and gas extraction activities, and the footprint of surface oiling during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (n = 10). Our results highlight the year-round use of habitats in the GoM by loggerheads that nest in the NGoM. Our findings indicate that protection of females in this subpopulation requires both international collaborations and management of threats that spatially overlap with distinct foraging habitats.

Clinical and genetic heterogeneity in patients with mosaic variegated aneuploidy: delineation of clinical subtypes.

PubMed

García-Castillo, Herbert; Vásquez-Velásquez, Ana Isabel; Rivera, Horacio; Barros-Núñez, Patricio

2008-07-01

Mosaic variegated aneuploidy (MVA) is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome related to BUB1B gene mutations and characterized by multiple mosaic aneuploidies, cancer predisposition, and a distinct phenotype. We report on two mildly affected sibs with MVA syndrome but without BUB1B mutation. Both patients exhibited growth retardation, frontal bossing, triangular face and micrognathia but not microcephaly or cancer. Aneuploidies were assessed both in G-banded metaphases from lymphocyte cultures and in interphase nuclei from buccal cells by FISH. Screening of 23 exons and intron-exon boundaries of BUB1B was also carried out. These patients were then compared with other 19 MVA patients screened for BUB1B mutations. Around one half of the cultured lymphocytes from our patients had aneuploidies ranging from nullisomies to heptasomies; the most frequent abnormalities were trisomies (42%) and monosomies (28%). FISH results demonstrated more chromosomal losses than gains. Screening of BUB1B in our two patients failed to identify any mutation. A review of the 21/35 patients screened for BUB1B demonstrated three clinical pictures. Patients with monoallelic BUB1B mutations were severely affected with Dandy-Walker complex (7/8), cataracts (6/6), and Wilms' tumor (7/8); premature chromatid separation (PCS) was observed in 8/8 propositi and 7/7 carrier parents. Patients without BUB1B mutations were mildly affected with no evidence of cancer, Dandy-Walker malformation or cataract, and rarely (1/7) showed PCS. Finally, patients with biallelic BUB1B mutations showed a moderate phenotype. The distinct MVA clinical groups delineated here point to involvement of at least another mitotic spindle checkpoint gene in addition to the BUB1B gene. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Ocean surface partitioning strategies using ocean colour remote Sensing: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krug, Lilian Anne; Platt, Trevor; Sathyendranath, Shubha; Barbosa, Ana B.

2017-06-01

The ocean surface is organized into regions with distinct properties reflecting the complexity of interactions between environmental forcing and biological responses. The delineation of these functional units, each with unique, homogeneous properties and underlying ecosystem structure and dynamics, can be defined as ocean surface partitioning. The main purposes and applications of ocean partitioning include the evaluation of particular marine environments; generation of more accurate satellite ocean colour products; assimilation of data into biogeochemical and climate models; and establishment of ecosystem-based management practices. This paper reviews the diverse approaches implemented for ocean surface partition into functional units, using ocean colour remote sensing (OCRS) data, including their purposes, criteria, methods and scales. OCRS offers a synoptic, high spatial-temporal resolution, multi-decadal coverage of bio-optical properties, relevant to the applications and value of ocean surface partitioning. In combination with other biotic and/or abiotic data, OCRS-derived data (e.g., chlorophyll-a, optical properties) provide a broad and varied source of information that can be analysed using different delineation methods derived from subjective, expert-based to unsupervised learning approaches (e.g., cluster, fuzzy and empirical orthogonal function analyses). Partition schemes are applied at global to mesoscale spatial coverage, with static (time-invariant) or dynamic (time-varying) representations. A case study, the highly heterogeneous area off SW Iberian Peninsula (NE Atlantic), illustrates how the selection of spatial coverage and temporal representation affects the discrimination of distinct environmental drivers of phytoplankton variability. Advances in operational oceanography and in the subject area of satellite ocean colour, including development of new sensors, algorithms and products, are among the potential benefits from extended use, scope and applications of ocean surface partitioning using OCRS.

Development of the Distinct Multiple Intelligences in Primary Students through Interest Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dueñas Macías, Fredy Alonso

2013-01-01

This article reports on an action research study that focused on developing the distinct multiple intelligences of an English class of fifth graders through interest centers at a Colombian school. A multiple intelligences questionnaire, an open-ended observation form, and a student mini-report sheet were used to collect data. Findings revealed…

Biodistribution and Radiation Dosimetry for the Novel SV2A Radiotracer [(18)F]UCB-H: First-in-Human Study.

PubMed

Bretin, F; Bahri, M A; Bernard, C; Warnock, G; Aerts, J; Mestdagh, N; Buchanan, T; Otoul, C; Koestler, F; Mievis, F; Giacomelli, F; Degueldre, C; Hustinx, R; Luxen, A; Seret, A; Plenevaux, A; Salmon, E

2015-08-01

[(18)F]UCB-H is a novel radiotracer with a high affinity for synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), a protein expressed in synaptic vesicles. SV2A is the binding site of levetiracetam, a "first-in-class" antiepileptic drug with a distinct but still poorly understood mechanism of action. The objective of this study was to determine the biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of [(18)F]UCB-H in a human clinical trial and to establish injection limits according to biomedical research guidelines. Additionally, the clinical radiation dosimetry results were compared to estimations in previously published preclinical data. Dynamic whole body positron emission tomography/X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging was performed over approximately 110 min on five healthy male volunteers after injection of 144.5 ± 7.1 MBq (range, 139.1-156.5 MBq) of [(18)F]UCB-H. Major organs were delineated on CT images, and time-activity curves were obtained from co-registered dynamic PET emission scans. The bladder could only be delineated on PET images. Time-integrated activity coefficients were calculated as area under the curve using trapezoidal numerical integration. Urinary excretion data based on PET activities including voiding was also simulated using the dynamic bladder module of OLINDA/EXM. The radiation dosimetry was calculated using OLINDA/EXM. The effective dose to the OLINDA/EXM 70-kg standard male was 1.54 × 10(-2) ± 6.84 × 10(-4) millisieverts (mSv)/MBq, with urinary bladder wall, gallbladder wall, and the liver receiving the highest absorbed dose. The brain, the tracer's main organ of interest, received an absorbed dose of 1.89 × 10(-2) ± 2.32 × 10(-3) mGy/MBq. This first human dosimetry study of [(18)F]UCB-H indicated that the tracer shows similar radiation burdens to widely used common clinical tracers. Single injections of at maximum 672 MBq for US practice and 649 MBq for European practice keep radiation exposure below recommended limits. Recently published preclinical dosimetry data extrapolated from mice provided satisfactory prediction of total body and effective dose but showed significant differences in organ absorbed doses compared to human data.

A new working class in the making? The rise of the peasant workers and implications for social policy in China.

PubMed

Mok, Ka Ho; Ngok, Kinglun

2011-01-01

The major objective of this article is to critically examine changes in social stratification and social mobility of the peasant workers in the post-Mao period, with particular reference to examine whether and how the selected peasant workers in Dongguan city in South China have asserted themselves in protecting their labour rights. The present studies is based upon intensive policy and documentary analysis, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and survey in getting first-hand data from conducting fieldwork in China. Migrant workers in Dongguan city in South China. Although peasant workers are becoming more concerned with their economic and social rights, they have not attempted to organize themselves as organized social organizations in protecting their own interests. Despite the fact that peasant workers may have a greater awareness of the interests as a social group, such a consciousness has not been developed into a distinct class identity. Without a distinct class identity, coupled with a lack of organized social forces in asserting their class interests, peasant workers have not formed themselves into an organized social class right now, especially as many of them still consider themselves having a peasant status instead of obtaining a new citizenship associated with working in urban China.

Capitals, assets, and resources: some critical issues.

PubMed

Savage, Mike; Warde, Alan; Devine, Fiona

2005-03-01

This paper explores the potential of Bourdieu's approach to capital as a way of understanding class dynamics in contemporary capitalism. Recent rethinking of class analysis has sought to move beyond what Rosemary Crompton (1998) calls the 'employment aggregate approach', one which involves categorizing people into class groups according to whether they have certain attributes (e.g. occupations). Instead, recent contributions by Pierre Bourdieu, Erik Wright, Aage Sorensen, and Charles Tilly have concentrated on understanding the mechanisms that produce class inequalities. Concepts such as assets, capitals and resources (CARs) are often used to explain how class inequalities are produced, but there remain ambiguities and differences in how such terms are understood. This paper identifies problems faced both by game theoretical Marxism and by the rational choice approach of Goldthorpe in developing an adequate approach to CARs. It then turns to critically consider how elements of Bourdieu's approach, where his concept of capital is related to those of habitus and field, might overcome these weaknesses. Our rendering of his arguments leads us to conclude that our understanding of CARs might be enriched by considering how capital is distinctive not in terms of distinct relations of exploitation, but through its potential to accumulate and to be converted to other resources. This focus, we suggest, sidesteps otherwise intractable problems in CAR based approaches.

Metaphilosophy of Mind: how Do Minds Investigate Minds? Refutation of the Theocentric View.

PubMed

Werner, Konrad

2017-03-01

I shall propose metaphilosophy of mind as the philosophy of mind investigating mind. That is to say, I pose the question of how knowledge of mind provided by cognitive science, broadly construed, is constrained by the epistemic position of the knower, i.e. by the very fact that it is undertaken by a mind. Here I would like to propose a minimal framework, based on two distinctions: (i) the standard one between empirical and conceptual analysis; (ii) a new one, between the internal questions of mind and the boundary questions of mind. I shall then combine these distinctions to arrive at several ways of investigating the mind, the brain and cognition. On this ground, I will discuss the notion of epistemological theocentrism as outlined by Henry Allison and argue against the perspective I call theocentric philosophy of mind. From this angle I will be able to address skepticism which cannot be defeated but actually can be, as I put it, disarmed. Finally, metaphilosophy of mind based on the abovementioned distinctions elicits a perspective that is not sufficiently delineated by cognitive scientists and philosophers: empirical way of addressing the boundary questions of mind.

Trust and Its Role in the Medical Encounter.

PubMed

Holland, Stephen; Stocks, David

2017-09-01

This paper addresses two research questions. The first is theoretical: What is trust? In the first half of this paper we present a distinctive tripartite analysis. We describe three attitudes, here called reliance, specific trust and general trust, each of which is characterised and illustrated. We argue that these attitudes are related, but not reducible, to one another. We suggest that the current impasse in the analysis of trust is in part due to the fact that some writers allude to these distinctions, but unclearly so, whilst others elide them altogether. The second research question focuses on doctor-patient interaction. Trust is often said to be central in medical encounters but this strikes us as too vague. The success of doctor-patient relations in part depends on adopting the most appropriate of the three attitudes we delineate. We argue that reliance is the appropriate attitude for most medical encounters. When circumstances do require trust, the distinction between specific trust and general trust is crucial. We describe medical encounters requiring specific trust. General trust is less often required in medicine; but it is appropriate in some cases and, when called for, it is called for strongly.

Evidence for Latent Classes of IQ in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munson, Jeffrey; Dawson, Geraldine; Sterling, Lindsey; Beauchaine, Theodore; Zhou, Andrew; Koehler, Elizabeth; Lord, Catherine; Rogers, Sally; Sigman, Marian; Estes, Annette; Abbott, Robert

2008-01-01

Autism is currently viewed as a spectrum condition that includes strikingly different severity levels; IQ is consistently described as one of the primary aspects of the heterogeneity in autism. To investigate the possibility of more than one distinct subtype of autism based on IQ, both latent class analysis and taxometrics methods were used to…

Designing and Implementing a Unique Website Design Project in an Undergraduate Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kontos, George

2016-01-01

The following paper describes a distinctive collaborative service-learning project done in an undergraduate class on web design. In this project, students in a web design class contacted local community non-profit organizations to create websites (collections of web pages) to benefit these organizations. The two phases of creating a website,…

Common Microbehavioral "Footprint" of Two Distinct Classes of Conditioned Aversion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paisios, Emmanouil; Rjosk, Annabell; Pamir, Evren; Schleyer, Michael

2017-01-01

Avoiding unfavorable situations is a vital skill and a constant task for any animal. Situations can be unfavorable because they feature something that the animal wants to escape from, or because they do not feature something that it seeks to obtain. We investigate whether the microbehavioral mechanisms by which these two classes of aversion come…

The Impact of Various Class-Distinction Features on Model Selection in the Mixture Rasch Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, In-Hee; Paek, Insu; Cho, Sun-Joo

2017-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to examine the performance of four information criteria (Akaike's information criterion [AIC], corrected AIC [AICC] Bayesian information criterion [BIC], sample-size adjusted BIC [SABIC]) for detecting the correct number of latent classes in the mixture Rasch model through simulations. The simulation study…

Social Class and the Experience of Work-Family Conflict during the Transition to Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammons, Samantha K.; Kelly, Erin L.

2008-01-01

The challenges of juggling work and family responsibilities are well known, but there has been little attention to the distinctive work and family experiences of young adults. This chapter explores how class affects young adults' exposure to work-family conflicts and the strategies they use to manage their work and family responsibilities. Using…

The Structure of Student Satisfaction with College Services: A Latent Class Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adwere-Boamah, Joseph

2011-01-01

Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify distinct groups of Community college students based on their self-ratings of satisfaction with student service programs. The programs were counseling, financial aid, health center, student programs and student government. The best fitting model to describe the data was a two Discrete-Factor model…

Rethinking Role Play in the Reception Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Sue; Evans, Julie

2007-01-01

Background: In 2000 the so-called "Reception" class was re-conceived (in curricular terms, at least) as the second and final year of the Foundation Stage, a distinctive educational phase for children aged 3 until entry to key stage 1 at 5 or 6 years old. The "Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage" endorses a play-based,…

What My Refugee Students Taught Me

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Sidney

2016-01-01

In the early 1990s, a coup in Haiti sent a new wave of political refugees to southern Florida. First-year teacher Sidney Brown taught ESOL classes to Haitian teens who came to Dillard High School in Ft. Lauderdale. As she got to know her students, she was surprised by the class distinctions that divided the French-speaking students, whose…

Direct Whole-Genome Sequencing of Cutaneous Strains of Haemophilus ducreyi

PubMed Central

Fookes, Maria; Wagner, Josef; Ghinai, Rosanna; Sokana, Oliver; Sarkodie, Yaw-Adu; Solomon, Anthony W.; Mabey, David C.W.; Thomson, Nicholas R.

2018-01-01

Haemophilus ducreyi, which causes chancroid, has emerged as a cause of pediatric skin disease. Isolation of H. ducreyi in low-income settings is challenging, limiting phylogenetic investigation. Next-generation sequencing demonstrates that cutaneous strains arise from class I and II H. ducreyi clades and that class II may represent a distinct subspecies. PMID:29553314

Class advantages and disadvantages are not so Black and White: intersectionality impacts rank and selves.

PubMed

Brannon, Tiffany N; Higginbotham, Gerald D; Henderson, Kyshia

2017-12-01

At the intersection of race and class the consequences of being working-class or middle-class are not so Black and White. Rather, established and emerging research suggests that race/ethnicity and social class intersect to differentially afford benefits and burdens. For instance, racial/ethnic minorities often do not reap the social, psychological or economic benefits of higher social class; yet, in some key life domains (e.g. health and mortality) racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. seem to be buffered from some burdens of lower social class. We integrate empirical evidence to suggest that such differential advantages and disadvantages along racial lines reflect that social class exists alongside, rather than separate from, race/ethnicity as two distinct yet intersecting sources of rank and in turn selves. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2μ plasmid in Saccharomyces species and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Strope, Pooja K; Kozmin, Stanislav G; Skelly, Daniel A; Magwene, Paul M; Dietrich, Fred S; McCusker, John H

2015-12-01

We determined that extrachromosomal 2μ plasmid was present in 67 of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae 100-genome strains; in addition to variation in the size and copy number of 2μ, we identified three distinct classes of 2μ. We identified 2μ presence/absence and class associations with populations, clinical origin and nuclear genotypes. We also screened genome sequences of S. paradoxus, S. kudriavzevii, S. uvarum, S. eubayanus, S. mikatae, S. arboricolus and S. bayanus strains for both integrated and extrachromosomal 2μ. Similar to S. cerevisiae, we found no integrated 2μ sequences in any S. paradoxus strains. However, we identified part of 2μ integrated into the genomes of some S. uvarum, S. kudriavzevii, S. mikatae and S. bayanus strains, which were distinct from each other and from all extrachromosomal 2μ. We identified extrachromosomal 2μ in one S. paradoxus, one S. eubayanus, two S. bayanus and 13 S. uvarum strains. The extrachromosomal 2μ in S. paradoxus, S. eubayanus and S. cerevisiae were distinct from each other. In contrast, the extrachromosomal 2μ in S. bayanus and S. uvarum strains were identical with each other and with one of the three classes of S. cerevisiae 2μ, consistent with interspecific transfer. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Central Topography of Cranial Motor Nuclei Controlled by Differential Cadherin Expression

PubMed Central

Astick, Marc; Tubby, Kristina; Mubarak, Waleed M.; Guthrie, Sarah; Price, Stephen R.

2014-01-01

Summary Neuronal nuclei are prominent, evolutionarily conserved features of vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) organization [1]. Nuclei are clusters of soma of functionally related neurons and are located in highly stereotyped positions. Establishment of this CNS topography is critical to neural circuit assembly. However, little is known of either the cellular or molecular mechanisms that drive nucleus formation during development, a process termed nucleogenesis [2–5]. Brainstem motor neurons, which contribute axons to distinct cranial nerves and whose functions are essential to vertebrate survival, are organized exclusively as nuclei. Cranial motor nuclei are composed of two main classes, termed branchiomotor/visceromotor and somatomotor [6]. Each of these classes innervates evolutionarily distinct structures, for example, the branchial arches and eyes, respectively. Additionally, each class is generated by distinct progenitor cell populations and is defined by differential transcription factor expression [7, 8]; for example, Hb9 distinguishes somatomotor from branchiomotor neurons. We characterized the time course of cranial motornucleogenesis, finding that despite differences in cellular origin, segregation of branchiomotor and somatomotor nuclei occurs actively, passing through a phase of each being intermingled. We also found that differential expression of cadherin cell adhesion family members uniquely defines each motor nucleus. We show that cadherin expression is critical to nucleogenesis as its perturbation degrades nucleus topography predictably. PMID:25308074

Switch Transcripts in Immunoglobulin Class Switching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, Matthias; Jung, Steffen; Radbruch, Andreas

1995-03-01

B cells can exchange gene segments for the constant region of the immunoglobulin heavy chain, altering the class and effector function of the antibodies that they produce. Class switching is directed to distinct classes by cytokines, which induce transcription of the targeted DNA sequences. These transcripts are processed, resulting in spliced "switch" transcripts. Switch recombination can be directed to immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) by the heterologous human metallothionein II_A promoter in mutant mice. Induction of the structurally conserved, spliced switch transcripts is sufficient to target switch recombination to IgG1, whereas transcription alone is not.

Relationships among classes of self-oscillating transistor parallel inverters. [dc to square wave converter circuits for power conditioning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, T. G.; Lee, F. C. Y.; Burns, W. W., III; Owen, H. A., Jr.

1974-01-01

A procedure is developed for classifying dc-to-square-wave two-transistor parallel inverters used in power conditioning applications. The inverters are reduced to equivalent RLC networks and are then grouped with other inverters with the same basic equivalent circuit. Distinction between inverter classes is based on the topology characteristics of the equivalent circuits. Information about one class can then be extended to another class using the basic oscillation theory and the concept of duality. Oscillograms from test circuits confirm the validity of the procedure adopted.

Survival of gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients in the imatinib era: life raft group observational registry

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), one of the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, prior to routine immunohistochemical staining and the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, were often mistaken for neoplasms of smooth muscle origin such as leiomyomas, leiomyosarcomas or leiomyoblastomas. Since the advent of imatinib, GIST has been further delineated into adult- (KIT or PDGFRα mutations) and pediatric- (typified by wild-type GIST/succinate dehydrogenase deficiencies) types. Using varying gender ratios at age of diagnosis we sought to elucidate prognostic factors for each sub-type and their impact on overall survival. Methods This is a long-term retrospective analysis of a large observational study of an international open cohort of patients from a GIST research and patient advocacy's lifetime registry. Demographic and disease-specific data were voluntarily supplied by its members from May 2000-October 2010; the primary outcome was overall survival. Associations between survival and prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate Cox proportional hazard analyses, with backward selection at P < 0.05 used to identify independent factors. Results Inflections in gender ratios by age at diagnosis in years delineated two distinct groups: above and below age 35 at diagnosis. Closer analysis confirmed the above 35 age group as previously reported for adult-type GIST, typified by mixed primary tumor sites and gender, KIT or PDGFRα mutations, and shorter survival times. The pediatric group (< age 18 at diagnosis) was also as previously reported with predominantly stomach tumors, females, wild-type GIST or SDH mutations, and extended survival. "Young adults" however formed a third group aged 18-35 at diagnosis, and were a clear mix of these two previously reported distinct sub-types. Conclusions Pediatric- and adult-type GIST have been previously characterized in clinical settings and these observations confirm significant prognostic factors for each from a diverse real-world cohort. Additionally, these findings suggest that extra diligence be taken with "young adults" (aged 18-35 at diagnosis) as pediatric-type GIST may present well beyond adolescence, particularly as these distinct sub-types have different causes, and consequently respond differently to treatments. PMID:22429770

Survival of gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients in the imatinib era: life raft group observational registry.

PubMed

Call, Jerry; Walentas, Christopher D; Eickhoff, Jens C; Scherzer, Norman

2012-03-19

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), one of the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, prior to routine immunohistochemical staining and the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, were often mistaken for neoplasms of smooth muscle origin such as leiomyomas, leiomyosarcomas or leiomyoblastomas. Since the advent of imatinib, GIST has been further delineated into adult- (KIT or PDGFRα mutations) and pediatric- (typified by wild-type GIST/succinate dehydrogenase deficiencies) types. Using varying gender ratios at age of diagnosis we sought to elucidate prognostic factors for each sub-type and their impact on overall survival. This is a long-term retrospective analysis of a large observational study of an international open cohort of patients from a GIST research and patient advocacy's lifetime registry. Demographic and disease-specific data were voluntarily supplied by its members from May 2000-October 2010; the primary outcome was overall survival. Associations between survival and prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate Cox proportional hazard analyses, with backward selection at P < 0.05 used to identify independent factors. Inflections in gender ratios by age at diagnosis in years delineated two distinct groups: above and below age 35 at diagnosis. Closer analysis confirmed the above 35 age group as previously reported for adult-type GIST, typified by mixed primary tumor sites and gender, KIT or PDGFRα mutations, and shorter survival times. The pediatric group (< age 18 at diagnosis) was also as previously reported with predominantly stomach tumors, females, wild-type GIST or SDH mutations, and extended survival. "Young adults" however formed a third group aged 18-35 at diagnosis, and were a clear mix of these two previously reported distinct sub-types. Pediatric- and adult-type GIST have been previously characterized in clinical settings and these observations confirm significant prognostic factors for each from a diverse real-world cohort. Additionally, these findings suggest that extra diligence be taken with "young adults" (aged 18-35 at diagnosis) as pediatric-type GIST may present well beyond adolescence, particularly as these distinct sub-types have different causes, and consequently respond differently to treatments.

Irrigated acreage and other land uses on the Snake River Plain, Idaho and eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindholm, Gerald F.; Goodell, S.A.

1986-01-01

Prompted by the need for a current, accurate, and repeatable delineation of irrigated acreage on the Snake River Plain, the U.S. Geological Survey entered into a cooperative agreement with the Idaho Department of Water Resources Image Analysis Facility and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to delineate 1980 land use form Landsat data. Irrigated acreage data were needed as input to groundwater flow models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in a study of the regional aquifer system underlying the Snake River Plain. Single-date digital multispectral scanner data analyzed to delineate land-use classes. Source of irrigation water (surface water, ground water, and combined) was determined from county maps of 1975 water-related land use, data from previous investigations, and field checking. Surface-water diversions for irrigation on the Snake River Plain began in the 1840's. With the stimulus of Federal aid authorized by the Desert Land Act, Carey Act, and Reclamation Act, irrigated area increased rapidly in the early 1900's. By 1929, 2.2 million acres were irrigated. Ground water became and important source of irrigation water after World War II. In 1980, about 3.1 million acres of the Snake River Plain were irrigate: 2.0 million acres with surface water, 1.0 million with ground water, and 0.1 million with combined surface and ground water. About 5.2 million acres (half of the plain) are undeveloped rangeland, 1.0 million acres (one-tenth) are classified as barren. The remaining land is a mixture of dryland agriculture, water bodies, wetland, forests, and urban areas.

Extracellular ice phase transitions in insects.

PubMed

Hawes, T C

2014-01-01

At temperatures below their temperature of crystallization (Tc), the extracellular body fluids of insects undergo a phase transition from liquid to solid. Insects that survive the transition to equilibrium (complete freezing of the body fluids) are designated as freeze tolerant. Although this phenomenon has been reported and described in many Insecta, current nomenclature and theory does not clearly delineate between the process of transition (freezing) and the final solid phase itself (the frozen state). Thus freeze tolerant insects are currently, by convention, described in terms of the temperature at which the crystallization of their body fluids is initiated, Tc. In fact, the correct descriptor for insects that tolerate freezing is the temperature of equilibrium freezing, Tef. The process of freezing is itself a separate physical event with unique physiological stresses that are associated with ice growth. Correspondingly there are a number of insects whose physiological cryo-limits are very specifically delineated by this transitional envelope. The distinction also has considerable significance for our understanding of insect cryobiology: firstly, because the ability to manage endogenous ice growth is a fundamental segregator of cryotype; and secondly, because our understanding of internal ice management is still largely nascent.

[The research protocol III. Study population].

PubMed

Arias-Gómez, Jesús; Villasís-Keever, Miguel Ángel; Miranda-Novales, María Guadalupe

2016-01-01

The study population is defined as a set of cases, determined, limited, and accessible, that will constitute the subjects for the selection of the sample, and must fulfill several characteristics and distinct criteria. The objectives of this manuscript are focused on specifying each one of the elements required to make the selection of the participants of a research project, during the elaboration of the protocol, including the concepts of study population, sample, selection criteria and sampling methods. After delineating the study population, the researcher must specify the criteria that each participant has to comply. The criteria that include the specific characteristics are denominated selection or eligibility criteria. These criteria are inclusion, exclusion and elimination, and will delineate the eligible population. The sampling methods are divided in two large groups: 1) probabilistic or random sampling and 2) non-probabilistic sampling. The difference lies in the employment of statistical methods to select the subjects. In every research, it is necessary to establish at the beginning the specific number of participants to be included to achieve the objectives of the study. This number is the sample size, and can be calculated or estimated with mathematical formulas and statistic software.

Phylogeny and classification of bacteria in the genera Clavibacter and Rathayibacter on the basis of 16s rRNA gene sequence analyses.

PubMed

Lee, I M; Bartoszyk, I M; Gundersen-Rindal, D E; Davis, R E

1997-07-01

A phylogenetic analysis by parsimony of 16S rRNA gene sequences (16S rDNA) revealed that species and subspecies of Clavibacter and Rathayibacter form a discrete monophyletic clade, paraphyletic to Corynebacterium species. Within the Clavibacter-Rathayibacter clade, four major phylogenetic groups (subclades) with a total of 10 distinct taxa were recognized: (I) species C. michiganensis; (II) species C. xyli; (III) species R. iranicus and R. tritici; and (IV) species R. rathayi. The first three groups form a monophyletic cluster, paraphyletic to R. rathayi. On the basis of the phylogeny inferred, reclassification of members of Clavibacter-Rathayibacter group is proposed. A system for classification of taxa in Clavibacter and Rathayibacter was developed based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the PCR-amplified 16S rDNA sequences. The groups delineated on the basis of RFLP patterns of 16S rDNA coincided well with the subclades delineated on the basis of phylogeny. In contrast to previous classification systems, which are based primarily on phenotypic properties and are laborious, the RFLP analyses allow for rapid differentiation among species and subspecies in the two genera.

IFN-γ signaling maintains skin pigmentation homeostasis through regulation of melanosome maturation

PubMed Central

Natarajan, Vivek T.; Ganju, Parul; Singh, Archana; Vijayan, Vinaya; Kirty, Kritika; Yadav, Shalini; Puntambekar, Shraddha; Bajaj, Sonali; Dani, Prachi P.; Kar, Hemanta K.; Gadgil, Chetan J.; Natarajan, Krishnamurthy; Rani, Rajni; Gokhale, Rajesh S.

2014-01-01

Cellular homeostasis is an outcome of complex interacting processes with nonlinear feedbacks that can span distinct spatial and temporal dimensions. Skin tanning is one such dynamic response that maintains genome integrity of epidermal cells. Although pathways underlying hyperpigmentation cascade are recognized, negative feedback regulatory loops that can dampen the activated melanogenesis process are not completely understood. In this study, we delineate a regulatory role of IFN-γ in skin pigmentation biology. We show that IFN-γ signaling impedes maturation of the key organelle melanosome by concerted regulation of several pigmentation genes. Withdrawal of IFN-γ signal spontaneously restores normal cellular programming. This effect in melanocytes is mediated by IFN regulatory factor-1 and is not dependent on the central regulator microphthalmia-associated transcription factor. Chronic IFN-γ signaling shows a clear hypopigmentation phenotype in both mouse and human skin. Interestingly, IFN-γ KO mice display a delayed recovery response to restore basal state of epidermal pigmentation after UV-induced tanning. Together, our studies delineate a new spatiotemporal role of the IFN-γ signaling network in skin pigmentation homeostasis, which could have implications in various cutaneous depigmentary and malignant disorders. PMID:24474804

The categorisation of dysthymic disorder: can its constituents be meaningfully apportioned?

PubMed

Rhebergen, Didi; Graham, Rebecca; Hadzi-Pavlovic, Dusan; Stek, Max; Friend, Paul; Barrett, Melissa; Parker, Gordon

2012-12-20

Since its introduction in DSM-III, the validity of dysthymia has been debated. Our objective is to further examine the concept of dysthymia in an outpatient sample, and explore whether its constituents can be meaningfully apportioned. 318 patients attending the Black Dog Institute Depression Clinic were assessed by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and completed several self-report measures, in addition to a clinical assessment by an Institute psychiatrist. The characteristics of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymic disorder and double depression were examined. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) were then conducted with the aim of detecting distinct classes based on depressive symptomatology and personality domains, respectively. Finally, clinicians' formulations of the study patients were examined. Depression groups mainly differed on parameters of severity. Although LCA and LPA analyses indicated the presence of distinct classes, these only moderately correlated with the MINI-diagnosed groups. Finally, there was evidence for considerable heterogeneity within clinicians' formulations of dysthymia. Inadequate sample numbers for various measures limited the power of the LPA and our sample was weighted to patients with a more severe depressive condition which may affect the detection of a distinct 'dysthymic' personality profile. Despite employing a variety of techniques, we were unable to obtain a clear homogeneous picture of dysthymia. Rather, there was evidence for a distinct heterogeneity in clinician-derived diagnoses. These findings allude to the questionable discriminant validity of dysthymia and may encourage future research and discussion on this important topic. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Different Classes of Glutamate Receptors Mediate Distinct Behaviors in a Single Brainstem Nucleus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dye, John; Heiligenberg, Walter; Keller, Clifford H.; Kawasaki, Masashi

1989-11-01

We have taken advantage of the increasing understanding of glutamate neuropharmacology to probe mechanisms of well-defined vertebrate behaviors. Here we report a set of experiments that suggests distinct roles for two major classes of glutamate receptors in a discrete premotor nucleus of the brainstem. The medullary pacemaker nucleus of weakly electric fish is an endogenous oscillator that controls the electric organ discharge (EOD). Its regular frequency of firing is modulated during several distinct behaviors. The pacemaker nucleus continues firing regularly when isolated in vitro, and modulatory behaviors can be reproduced by stimulating the descending input pathway. Glutamate agonists applied to the pacemaker in vitro produced increases in frequency, while glutamate antagonists selectively blocked stimulus-induced modulations. Experiments with glutamate antagonists in the intact animal resulted in specific effects on two well-characterized behaviors. Our data indicate that these behaviors are separately mediated in the pacemaker by receptors displaying characteristics of the kainate/quisqualate and N-methyl-D-aspartate subtypes of glutamate receptor, respectively.

Distinct Conformations of Ly49 Natural Killer Cell Receptors Mediate MHC Class I Recognition in Trans and Cis

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

Back, J.; Malchiodi, E; Cho, S

2009-01-01

Certain cell-surface receptors engage ligands expressed on juxtaposed cells and ligands on the same cell. The structural basis for trans versus cis binding is not known. Here, we showed that Ly49 natural killer (NK) cell receptors bound two MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules in trans when the two ligand-binding domains were backfolded onto the long stalk region. In contrast, dissociation of the ligand-binding domains from the stalk and their reorientation relative to the NK cell membrane allowed monovalent binding of MHC-I in cis. The distinct conformations (backfolded and extended) define the structural basis for cis-trans binding by Ly49 receptors andmore » explain the divergent functional consequences of cis versus trans interactions. Further analyses identified specific stalk segments that were not required for MHC-I binding in trans but were essential for inhibitory receptor function. These data identify multiple distinct roles of stalk regions for receptor function.« less

A glial palisade delineates the ipsilateral optic projection in Monodelphis.

PubMed

MacLaren, R E

1998-01-01

In developing marsupials, the path taken through the optic chiasm by ipsilaterally projecting retinal ganglion cells is complicated. Just prior to entry into the chiasm, ganglion cells destined for the ipsilateral optic tract separate from the remainder of axons by turning abruptly downwards to take a position in the ventral part of the optic nerve. In this report, it is shown that a discrete population of about 10-15 large glial cells transiently form a linear array across the prechiasmatic part of the optic nerve, precisely at this axon turning point. The distinct morphology of these cells and their novel location may reflect a specialized role in axon guidance.

A multifacet typology of patient satisfaction with a hospital stay.

PubMed

Singh, J

1990-12-01

The author views patient satisfaction after a hospital visit as a combination of several different and distinct evaluations. Patients are posited to form satisfaction judgments concurrently for each of the individual "objects" (e.g., physician, insurance provider) comprising the health care system. With patient data from four geographic areas, the author examines this multifacet view empirically and uses it to derive a typology of patient satisfaction. The study results suggest two broad groups of patients, the "satisfieds" and the "dissatisfieds." Finally, the author delineates the behavioral and demographic characteristics that discriminate between the two groups. Implications for health care researchers, practitioners, and public policy officials are presented.

'Limits and current knowledge of Pick's disease: its differential diagnosis'. A translation of the 1957 Delay, Brion, Escourolle article.

PubMed

Thibodeau, Marie-Pierre; Miller, Bruce L

2013-01-01

This article is a translation of a French article by Delay, Brion, and Escourolle. In a seminal article published in French in 1957 these authors summarized the work of previous researchers and reviewed a wide sample of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) cases formerly referred to as Pick's disease. The authors were among the first to define the critical clinical and anatomical differences between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and FTD and they even delineated distinctive FTD subtypes making possible the advances that now constitute the base of our studies. Reviewing their work allows us to appreciate the progress research has made.

Recent Advances in Elucidating the Genetic Mechanisms of Nephrogenesis Using Zebrafish

PubMed Central

Cheng, Christina N.; Verdun, Valerie A.; Wingert, Rebecca A.

2015-01-01

The kidney is comprised of working units known as nephrons, which are epithelial tubules that contain a series of specialized cell types organized into a precise pattern of functionally distinct segment domains. There is a limited understanding of the genetic mechanisms that establish these discrete nephron cell types during renal development. The zebrafish embryonic kidney serves as a simplified yet conserved vertebrate model to delineate how nephron segments are patterned from renal progenitors. Here, we provide a concise review of recent advances in this emerging field, and discuss how continued research using zebrafish genetics can be applied to gain insightsabout nephrogenesis. PMID:26024215

Genus-Wide Comparative Genomics of Malassezia Delineates Its Phylogeny, Physiology, and Niche Adaptation on Human Skin

PubMed Central

Wu, Guangxi; Zhao, He; Li, Chenhao; Rajapakse, Menaka Priyadarsani; Wong, Wing Cheong; Xu, Jun; Saunders, Charles W.; Reeder, Nancy L.; Reilman, Raymond A.; Scheynius, Annika; Sun, Sheng; Billmyre, Blake Robert; Li, Wenjun; Averette, Anna Floyd; Mieczkowski, Piotr; Heitman, Joseph; Theelen, Bart; Schröder, Markus S.; De Sessions, Paola Florez; Butler, Geraldine; Maurer-Stroh, Sebastian; Boekhout, Teun; Nagarajan, Niranjan; Dawson, Thomas L.

2015-01-01

Malassezia is a unique lipophilic genus in class Malasseziomycetes in Ustilaginomycotina, (Basidiomycota, fungi) that otherwise consists almost exclusively of plant pathogens. Malassezia are typically isolated from warm-blooded animals, are dominant members of the human skin mycobiome and are associated with common skin disorders. To characterize the genetic basis of the unique phenotypes of Malassezia spp., we sequenced the genomes of all 14 accepted species and used comparative genomics against a broad panel of fungal genomes to comprehensively identify distinct features that define the Malassezia gene repertoire: gene gain and loss; selection signatures; and lineage-specific gene family expansions. Our analysis revealed key gene gain events (64) with a single gene conserved across all Malassezia but absent in all other sequenced Basidiomycota. These likely horizontally transferred genes provide intriguing gain-of-function events and prime candidates to explain the emergence of Malassezia. A larger set of genes (741) were lost, with enrichment for glycosyl hydrolases and carbohydrate metabolism, concordant with adaptation to skin’s carbohydrate-deficient environment. Gene family analysis revealed extensive turnover and underlined the importance of secretory lipases, phospholipases, aspartyl proteases, and other peptidases. Combining genomic analysis with a re-evaluation of culture characteristics, we establish the likely lipid-dependence of all Malassezia. Our phylogenetic analysis sheds new light on the relationship between Malassezia and other members of Ustilaginomycotina, as well as phylogenetic lineages within the genus. Overall, our study provides a unique genomic resource for understanding Malassezia niche-specificity and potential virulence, as well as their abundance and distribution in the environment and on human skin. PMID:26539826

Defining the diverse spectrum of inversions, complex structural variation, and chromothripsis in the morbid human genome.

PubMed

Collins, Ryan L; Brand, Harrison; Redin, Claire E; Hanscom, Carrie; Antolik, Caroline; Stone, Matthew R; Glessner, Joseph T; Mason, Tamara; Pregno, Giulia; Dorrani, Naghmeh; Mandrile, Giorgia; Giachino, Daniela; Perrin, Danielle; Walsh, Cole; Cipicchio, Michelle; Costello, Maura; Stortchevoi, Alexei; An, Joon-Yong; Currall, Benjamin B; Seabra, Catarina M; Ragavendran, Ashok; Margolin, Lauren; Martinez-Agosto, Julian A; Lucente, Diane; Levy, Brynn; Sanders, Stephan J; Wapner, Ronald J; Quintero-Rivera, Fabiola; Kloosterman, Wigard; Talkowski, Michael E

2017-03-06

Structural variation (SV) influences genome organization and contributes to human disease. However, the complete mutational spectrum of SV has not been routinely captured in disease association studies. We sequenced 689 participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental abnormalities to construct a genome-wide map of large SV. Using long-insert jumping libraries at 105X mean physical coverage and linked-read whole-genome sequencing from 10X Genomics, we document seven major SV classes at ~5 kb SV resolution. Our results encompass 11,735 distinct large SV sites, 38.1% of which are novel and 16.8% of which are balanced or complex. We characterize 16 recurrent subclasses of complex SV (cxSV), revealing that: (1) cxSV are larger and rarer than canonical SV; (2) each genome harbors 14 large cxSV on average; (3) 84.4% of large cxSVs involve inversion; and (4) most large cxSV (93.8%) have not been delineated in previous studies. Rare SVs are more likely to disrupt coding and regulatory non-coding loci, particularly when truncating constrained and disease-associated genes. We also identify multiple cases of catastrophic chromosomal rearrangements known as chromoanagenesis, including somatic chromoanasynthesis, and extreme balanced germline chromothripsis events involving up to 65 breakpoints and 60.6 Mb across four chromosomes, further defining rare categories of extreme cxSV. These data provide a foundational map of large SV in the morbid human genome and demonstrate a previously underappreciated abundance and diversity of cxSV that should be considered in genomic studies of human disease.

Genus-Wide Comparative Genomics of Malassezia Delineates Its Phylogeny, Physiology, and Niche Adaptation on Human Skin.

PubMed

Wu, Guangxi; Zhao, He; Li, Chenhao; Rajapakse, Menaka Priyadarsani; Wong, Wing Cheong; Xu, Jun; Saunders, Charles W; Reeder, Nancy L; Reilman, Raymond A; Scheynius, Annika; Sun, Sheng; Billmyre, Blake Robert; Li, Wenjun; Averette, Anna Floyd; Mieczkowski, Piotr; Heitman, Joseph; Theelen, Bart; Schröder, Markus S; De Sessions, Paola Florez; Butler, Geraldine; Maurer-Stroh, Sebastian; Boekhout, Teun; Nagarajan, Niranjan; Dawson, Thomas L

2015-11-01

Malassezia is a unique lipophilic genus in class Malasseziomycetes in Ustilaginomycotina, (Basidiomycota, fungi) that otherwise consists almost exclusively of plant pathogens. Malassezia are typically isolated from warm-blooded animals, are dominant members of the human skin mycobiome and are associated with common skin disorders. To characterize the genetic basis of the unique phenotypes of Malassezia spp., we sequenced the genomes of all 14 accepted species and used comparative genomics against a broad panel of fungal genomes to comprehensively identify distinct features that define the Malassezia gene repertoire: gene gain and loss; selection signatures; and lineage-specific gene family expansions. Our analysis revealed key gene gain events (64) with a single gene conserved across all Malassezia but absent in all other sequenced Basidiomycota. These likely horizontally transferred genes provide intriguing gain-of-function events and prime candidates to explain the emergence of Malassezia. A larger set of genes (741) were lost, with enrichment for glycosyl hydrolases and carbohydrate metabolism, concordant with adaptation to skin's carbohydrate-deficient environment. Gene family analysis revealed extensive turnover and underlined the importance of secretory lipases, phospholipases, aspartyl proteases, and other peptidases. Combining genomic analysis with a re-evaluation of culture characteristics, we establish the likely lipid-dependence of all Malassezia. Our phylogenetic analysis sheds new light on the relationship between Malassezia and other members of Ustilaginomycotina, as well as phylogenetic lineages within the genus. Overall, our study provides a unique genomic resource for understanding Malassezia niche-specificity and potential virulence, as well as their abundance and distribution in the environment and on human skin.

Secondary targets of nitrite-derived reactive nitrogen species: nitrosation/nitration pathways, antioxidant defense mechanisms and toxicological implications.

PubMed

d'Ischia, Marco; Napolitano, Alessandra; Manini, Paola; Panzella, Lucia

2011-12-19

Nitrite, the primary metabolite of nitric oxide (NO) and a widely diffused component of human diet, plays distinct and increasingly appreciated roles in human physiology. However, when exposed to acidic environments, typically in the stomach, or under oxidative stress conditions, it may be converted to a range of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) which in turn can target a variety of biomolecules. Typical consequences of toxicological relevance include protein modification, DNA base deamination and the formation of N-nitrosamines, among the most potent mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds for humans. Besides primary biomolecules, nitrite can cause structural modifications to a variety of endogenous and exogenous organic compounds, ranging from polyunsaturated fatty acids to estrogens, tocopherol, catecholamines, furans, retinoids, dietary phenols, and a range of xenobiotics. The study of the interactions between nitrite and key food components, including phenolic antioxidants, has therefore emerged as an area of great promise for delineating innovative strategies in cancer chemoprevention. Depending on substrates and conditions, diverse reaction pathways may compete to determine product features and distribution patterns. These include nitrosation and nitration but also oxidation, via electron transfer to nitrosonium ion or nitrogen dioxide. This contribution aims to provide an overview of the main classes of compounds that can be targeted by nitrite and to discuss at chemical levels the possible reaction mechanisms under conditions that model those occurring in the stomach. The toxicological implications of the nitrite-modified molecules are finally addressed, and a rational chemical approach to the design of potent antinitrosing agents is illustrated. © 2011 American Chemical Society

The Structure of an Unconventional HD-GYP Protein from Bdellovibrio Reveals the Roles of Conserved Residues in this Class of Cyclic-di-GMP Phosphodiesterases

PubMed Central

Lovering, Andrew L.; Capeness, Michael J.; Lambert, Carey; Hobley, Laura; Sockett, R. Elizabeth

2011-01-01

ABSTRACT Cyclic-di-GMP is a near-ubiquitous bacterial second messenger that is important in localized signal transmission during the control of various processes, including virulence and switching between planktonic and biofilm-based lifestyles. Cyclic-di-GMP is synthesized by GGDEF diguanylate cyclases and hydrolyzed by EAL or HD-GYP phosphodiesterases, with each functional domain often appended to distinct sensory modules. HD-GYP domain proteins have resisted structural analysis, but here we present the first structural representative of this family (1.28 Å), obtained using the unusual Bd1817 HD-GYP protein from the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Bd1817 lacks the active-site tyrosine present in most HD-GYP family members yet remains an excellent model of their features, sharing 48% sequence similarity with the archetype RpfG. The protein structure is highly modular and thus provides a basis for delineating domain boundaries in other stimulus-dependent homologues. Conserved residues in the HD-GYP family cluster around a binuclear metal center, which is observed complexed to a molecule of phosphate, providing information on the mode of hydroxide ion attack on substrate. The fold and active site of the HD-GYP domain are different from those of EAL proteins, and restricted access to the active-site cleft is indicative of a different mode of activity regulation. The region encompassing the GYP motif has a novel conformation and is surface exposed and available for complexation with binding partners, including GGDEF proteins. PMID:21990613

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.

Patterns of separation anxiety symptoms amongst pregnant women in conflict-affected Timor-Leste: Associations with traumatic loss, family conflict, and intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Silove, D M; Tay, A K; Tol, W A; Tam, N; Dos Reis, N; da Costa, Z; Soares, C; Rees, S

2016-11-15

Adult separation anxiety (ASA) symptoms are prevalent amongst young women in low and middle-income countries and symptoms may be common in pregnancy. No studies have focused on defining distinctive patterns of ASA symptoms amongst pregnant women in these settings or possible associations with trauma exposure and ongoing stressors. In a consecutive sample of 1672 women attending antenatal clinics in Dili, Timor-Leste (96% response), we assessed traumatic events of conflict, ongoing adversity, intimate partner violence (IPV), ASA, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe psychological distress. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify classes of women based on their distinctive profiles of ASA symptoms, comparisons then being made with key covariates including trauma domains of conflict, intimate partner violence (IPV) and ongoing stressors. LCA yielded three classes, comprising a core ASA (4%), a limited ASA (25%) and a low symptom class (61%). The core ASA class reported exposure to multiple traumatic losses and IPV and showed a pattern of comorbidity with PTSD; the limited ASA class predominantly reported exposure to ongoing stressors and was comorbid with severe psychological distress; the low symptom class reported relatively low levels of exposure to trauma and stressors. The study is cross-sectional, cautioning against inferring causal inferences. The core ASA group may be in need of immediate intervention given the high rate of exposure to IPV amongst this class. A larger number of women experiencing a limited array of non-specific ASA symptoms may need assistance to address the immediate stressors of pregnancy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Kattke, Michele D.; Chan, Albert H.; Duong, Andrew

Here, many species of Gram-positive bacteria use sortase transpeptidases to covalently affix proteins to their cell wall or to assemble pili. Sortase-displayed proteins perform critical and diverse functions for cell survival, including cell adhesion, nutrient acquisition, and morphological development, among others. Based on their amino acid sequences, there are at least six types of sortases (class A to F enzymes); however, class E enzymes have not been extensively studied. Class E sortases are used by soil and freshwater-dwelling Actinobacteria to display proteins that contain a non-canonical LAXTG sorting signal, which differs from 90% of known sorting signals by substitution ofmore » alanine for proline. Here we report the first crystal structure of a class E sortase, the 1.93 Å resolution structure of the SrtE1 enzyme from Streptomyces coelicolor. The active site is bound to a tripeptide, providing insight into the mechanism of substrate binding. SrtE1 possesses β3/β4 and β6/β7 active site loops that contact the LAXTG substrate and are structurally distinct from other classes. We propose that SrtE1 and other class E sortases employ a conserved tyrosine residue within their β3/β4 loop to recognize the amide nitrogen of alanine at position P3 of the sorting signal through a hydrogen bond, as seen here. Incapability of hydrogen-bonding with canonical proline-containing sorting signals likely contributes to class E substrate specificity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that surface anchoring of proteins involved in aerial hyphae formation requires an N-terminal segment in SrtE1 that is presumably positioned within the cytoplasm. Combined, our results reveal unique features within class E enzymes that enable them to recognize distinct sorting signals, and could facilitate the development of substrate-based inhibitors of this important enzyme family.« less

Patterns of Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration among Latino Youth.

PubMed

Reyes, H Luz McNaughton; Foshee, Vangie A; Chen, May S; Ennett, Susan T

2017-08-01

Theory and research suggest that there may be significant heterogeneity in the development, manifestation, and consequences of adolescent dating violence that is not yet well understood. The current study contributed to our understanding of this heterogeneity by identifying distinct patterns of involvement in psychological, physical, and sexual dating violence victimization and perpetration in a sample of Latino youth (n = 201; M = 13.87 years; 42% male), a group that is understudied, growing, and at high risk for involvement in dating violence. Among both boys and girls, latent class analyses identified a three-class solution wherein the largest class demonstrated a low probability of involvement in dating violence across all indices ("uninvolved"; 56% of boys, 64% of girls) and the smallest class demonstrated high probability of involvement in all forms of dating violence except for sexual perpetration among girls and physical perpetration among boys ("multiform aggressive victims"; 10% of boys, 11% of girls). A third class of "psychologically aggressive victims" was identified for which there was a high probability of engaging and experiencing psychological dating violence, but low likelihood of involvement in physical or sexual dating violence (34% of boys, 24% of girls). Cultural (parent acculturation, acculturation conflict), family (conflict and cohesion) and individual (normative beliefs, conflict resolution skills, self-control) risk and protective factors were associated with class membership. Membership in the multiform vs. the uninvolved class was concurrently associated with emotional distress among girls and predicted emotional distress longitudinally among boys. The results contribute to understanding heterogeneity in patterns of involvement in dating violence among Latino youth that may reflect distinct etiological processes.

The heterogeneity of antipsychotic response in the treatment of schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Case, M.; Stauffer, V. L.; Ascher-Svanum, H.; Conley, R.; Kapur, S.; Kane, J. M.; Kollack-Walker, S.; Jacob, J.; Kinon, B. J.

2011-01-01

Background Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder in terms of patient response to antipsychotic treatment. Understanding the heterogeneity of treatment response may help to guide treatment decisions. This study was undertaken to capture inherent patterns of response to antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia, characterize the subgroups of patients with similar courses of response, and examine illness characteristics at baseline as possible predictors of response. Method Growth mixture modeling (GMM) was applied to data from a randomized, double-blind, 12-week study of 628 patients with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder treated with risperidone or olanzapine. Results Four distinct response trajectories based on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score over 12 weeks were identified: Class 1 (420 patients, 80.6%) with moderate average baseline PANSS total score showing gradual symptom improvement; Class 2 (65 patients, 12.5%) showing rapid symptom improvement; Class 3 (24 patients, 4.6%) with high average baseline PANSS total score showing gradual symptom improvement; and Class 4 (12 patients, 2.3%) showing unsustained symptom improvement. Latent class membership of early responders (ER) and early non-responders (ENR) was determined based on 20% symptom improvement criteria at 2 weeks and ultimate responders (UR) and ultimate non-responders (UNR) based on 40% symptom improvement criteria at 12 weeks. Baseline factors with potential influence on latent class membership were identified. Conclusions This study identified four distinct treatment response patterns with predominant representation of responders or non-responders to treatment in these classes. This heterogeneity may represent discrete endophenotypes of response to treatment with different etiologic underpinnings. PMID:20925971

Automated segmentation of thyroid gland on CT images with multi-atlas label fusion and random classification forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jiamin; Chang, Kevin; Kim, Lauren; Turkbey, Evrim; Lu, Le; Yao, Jianhua; Summers, Ronald

2015-03-01

The thyroid gland plays an important role in clinical practice, especially for radiation therapy treatment planning. For patients with head and neck cancer, radiation therapy requires a precise delineation of the thyroid gland to be spared on the pre-treatment planning CT images to avoid thyroid dysfunction. In the current clinical workflow, the thyroid gland is normally manually delineated by radiologists or radiation oncologists, which is time consuming and error prone. Therefore, a system for automated segmentation of the thyroid is desirable. However, automated segmentation of the thyroid is challenging because the thyroid is inhomogeneous and surrounded by structures that have similar intensities. In this work, the thyroid gland segmentation is initially estimated by multi-atlas label fusion algorithm. The segmentation is refined by supervised statistical learning based voxel labeling with a random forest algorithm. Multiatlas label fusion (MALF) transfers expert-labeled thyroids from atlases to a target image using deformable registration. Errors produced by label transfer are reduced by label fusion that combines the results produced by all atlases into a consensus solution. Then, random forest (RF) employs an ensemble of decision trees that are trained on labeled thyroids to recognize features. The trained forest classifier is then applied to the thyroid estimated from the MALF by voxel scanning to assign the class-conditional probability. Voxels from the expert-labeled thyroids in CT volumes are treated as positive classes; background non-thyroid voxels as negatives. We applied this automated thyroid segmentation system to CT scans of 20 patients. The results showed that the MALF achieved an overall 0.75 Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and the RF classification further improved the DSC to 0.81.

Modern Methods for Modeling Change in Obesity Research in Nursing.

PubMed

Sereika, Susan M; Zheng, Yaguang; Hu, Lu; Burke, Lora E

2017-08-01

Persons receiving treatment for weight loss often demonstrate heterogeneity in lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes over time. Traditional repeated measures approaches focus on the estimation and testing of an average temporal pattern, ignoring the interindividual variability about the trajectory. An alternate person-centered approach, group-based trajectory modeling, can be used to identify distinct latent classes of individuals following similar trajectories of behavior or outcome change as a function of age or time and can be expanded to include time-invariant and time-dependent covariates and outcomes. Another latent class method, growth mixture modeling, builds on group-based trajectory modeling to investigate heterogeneity within the distinct trajectory classes. In this applied methodologic study, group-based trajectory modeling for analyzing changes in behaviors or outcomes is described and contrasted with growth mixture modeling. An illustration of group-based trajectory modeling is provided using calorie intake data from a single-group, single-center prospective study for weight loss in adults who are either overweight or obese.

Pyrazoleamide compounds are potent antimalarials that target Na+ homeostasis in intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum

PubMed Central

Vaidya, Akhil B.; Morrisey, Joanne M.; Zhang, Zhongsheng; Das, Sudipta; Daly, Thomas M.; Otto, Thomas D.; Spillman, Natalie J.; Wyvratt, Matthew; Siegl, Peter; Marfurt, Jutta; Wirjanata, Grennady; Sebayang, Boni F.; Price, Ric N.; Chatterjee, Arnab; Nagle, Advait; Stasiak, Marcin; Charman, Susan A.; Angulo-Barturen, Iñigo; Ferrer, Santiago; Belén Jiménez-Díaz, María; Martínez, María Santos; Gamo, Francisco Javier; Avery, Vicky M.; Ruecker, Andrea; Delves, Michael; Kirk, Kiaran; Berriman, Matthew; Kortagere, Sandhya; Burrows, Jeremy; Fan, Erkang; Bergman, Lawrence W.

2014-01-01

The quest for new antimalarial drugs, especially those with novel modes of action, is essential in the face of emerging drug-resistant parasites. Here we describe a new chemical class of molecules, pyrazoleamides, with potent activity against human malaria parasites and showing remarkably rapid parasite clearance in an in vivo model. Investigations involving pyrazoleamide-resistant parasites, whole-genome sequencing and gene transfers reveal that mutations in two proteins, a calcium-dependent protein kinase (PfCDPK5) and a P-type cation-ATPase (PfATP4), are necessary to impart full resistance to these compounds. A pyrazoleamide compound causes a rapid disruption of Na+ regulation in blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Similar effect on Na+ homeostasis was recently reported for spiroindolones, which are antimalarials of a chemical class quite distinct from pyrazoleamides. Our results reveal that disruption of Na+ homeostasis in malaria parasites is a promising mode of antimalarial action mediated by at least two distinct chemical classes. PMID:25422853

A quantitative chaperone interaction network reveals the architecture of cellular protein homeostasis pathways

PubMed Central

Taipale, Mikko; Tucker, George; Peng, Jian; Krykbaeva, Irina; Lin, Zhen-Yuan; Larsen, Brett; Choi, Hyungwon; Berger, Bonnie; Gingras, Anne-Claude; Lindquist, Susan

2014-01-01

Chaperones are abundant cellular proteins that promote the folding and function of their substrate proteins (clients). In vivo, chaperones also associate with a large and diverse set of co-factors (co-chaperones) that regulate their specificity and function. However, how these co-chaperones regulate protein folding and whether they have chaperone-independent biological functions is largely unknown. We have combined mass spectrometry and quantitative high-throughput LUMIER assays to systematically characterize the chaperone/co-chaperone/client interaction network in human cells. We uncover hundreds of novel chaperone clients, delineate their participation in specific co-chaperone complexes, and establish a surprisingly distinct network of protein/protein interactions for co-chaperones. As a salient example of the power of such analysis, we establish that NUDC family co-chaperones specifically associate with structurally related but evolutionarily distinct β-propeller folds. We provide a framework for deciphering the proteostasis network, its regulation in development and disease, and expand the use of chaperones as sensors for drug/target engagement. PMID:25036637

Techniques for estimating flood-depth frequency relations for streams in West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiley, J.B.

1987-01-01

Multiple regression analyses are applied to data from 119 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow stations to develop equations that estimate baseline depth (depth of 50% flow duration) and 100-yr flood depth on unregulated streams in West Virginia. Drainage basin characteristics determined from the 100-yr flood depth analysis were used to develop 2-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 500-yr regional flood depth equations. Two regions with distinct baseline depth equations and three regions with distinct flood depth equations are delineated. Drainage area is the most significant independent variable found in the central and northern areas of the state where mean basin elevation also is significant. The equations are applicable to any unregulated site in West Virginia where values of independent variables are within the range evaluated for the region. Examples of inapplicable sites include those in reaches below dams, within and directly upstream from bridge or culvert constrictions, within encroached reaches, in karst areas, and where streams flow through lakes or swamps. (Author 's abstract)

The Cambridge Behavioural Inventory revised

PubMed Central

Wear, Helen J.; Wedderburn, Catherine J.; Mioshi, Eneida; Williams-Gray, Caroline H.; Mason, Sarah L.; Barker, Roger A.; Hodges, John R.

2008-01-01

Neurobehavioural and psychiatric symptoms are common in a range of neurodegenerative disorders with distinct profiles which are helpful in the diagnosis and monitoring of these disorders. The Cambridge Behavioural Inventory (CBI) has been shown to distinguish frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Huntington’s disease (HD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), but it is lengthy. Objective To develop a shorter version of the 81 item CBI. Methods CBI data from 450 participants with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD) (64), AD (96), PD (215) and HD (75) were analysed using Principal Components Analysis and measures of internal consistency (Cronbach alpha). Results A reduced 45-item questionnaire was developed. The instrument identified distinct behavioural profiles and performed as well as the original version. Conclusions A shorter (45 item) version of the CBI is capable of differentiating bv-FTD and AD from PD and HD. It may be useful in delineating the type and extent of problems in these disorders as well as monitoring therapeutic interventions. PMID:29213551

Anatomy of a fumarolic system inferred from a multiphysics approach.

PubMed

Gresse, Marceau; Vandemeulebrouck, Jean; Byrdina, Svetlana; Chiodini, Giovanni; Roux, Philippe; Rinaldi, Antonio Pio; Wathelet, Marc; Ricci, Tullio; Letort, Jean; Petrillo, Zaccaria; Tuccimei, Paola; Lucchetti, Carlo; Sciarra, Alessandra

2018-05-15

Fumaroles are a common manifestation of volcanic activity that are associated with large emissions of gases into the atmosphere. These gases originate from the magma, and they can provide indirect and unique insights into magmatic processes. Therefore, they are extensively used to monitor and forecast eruptive activity. During their ascent, the magmatic gases interact with the rock and hydrothermal fluids, which modify their geochemical compositions. These interactions can complicate our understanding of the real volcanic dynamics and remain poorly considered. Here, we present the first complete imagery of a fumarolic plumbing system using three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography and new acoustic noise localization. We delineate a gas reservoir that feeds the fumaroles through distinct channels. Based on this geometry, a thermodynamic model reveals that near-surface mixing between gas and condensed steam explains the distinct geochemical compositions of fumaroles that originate from the same source. Such modeling of fluid interactions will allow for the simulation of dynamic processes of magmatic degassing, which is crucial to the monitoring of volcanic unrest.

ZIC2 in Holoprosencephaly.

PubMed

Barratt, Kristen S; Arkell, Ruth M

2018-01-01

The ZIC2 transcription factor is one of the most commonly mutated genes in Holoprosencephaly (HPE) probands. HPE is a severe congenital defect of forebrain development which occurs when the cerebral hemispheres fail to separate during the early stages of organogenesis and is typically associated with mispatterning of the embryonic midline. Recent study of genotype-phenotype correlations in HPE cases has defined distinctive features of ZIC2-associated HPE presentation and genetics, revealing that ZIC2 mutation does not produce the craniofacial abnormalities generally thought to characterise HPE but leads to a range of non-forebrain phenotypes. Furthermore, the studies confirm the extent of ZIC2 allelic heterogeneity and that pathogenic variants of ZIC2 are associated with both classic and middle interhemispheric variant (MIHV) HPE which arise from defective ventral and dorsal forebrain patterning, respectively. An allelic series of mouse mutants has helped to delineate the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which one gene leads to defects in these related but distinct embryological processes.

Common and disorder-specific neural responses to emotional faces in generalised anxiety, social anxiety and panic disorders

PubMed Central

Fonzo, Gregory A.; Ramsawh, Holly J.; Flagan, Taru M.; Sullivan, Sarah G.; Letamendi, Andrea; Simmons, Alan N.; Paulus, Martin P.; Stein, Murray B.

2015-01-01

Background Although evidence exists for abnormal brain function across various anxiety disorders, direct comparison of neural function across diagnoses is needed to elicit abnormalities common across disorders and those distinct to a particular diagnosis. Aims To delineate common and distinct abnormalities within generalised anxiety (GAD), panic and social anxiety disorder (SAD) during affective processing. Method Fifty-nine adults (15 with GAD, 15 with panic disorder, 14 with SAD, and 15 healthy controls) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while completing a facial emotion matching task with fearful, angry and happy faces. Results Greater differential right amygdala activation to matching fearful v. happy facial expressions related to greater negative affectivity (i.e. trait anxiety) and was heightened across all anxiety disorder groups compared with controls. Collapsing across emotional face types, participants with panic disorder uniquely displayed greater posterior insula activation. Conclusions These preliminary results highlight a common neural basis for clinical anxiety in these diagnoses and also suggest the presence of disorder-specific dysfunction. PMID:25573399

Localization and roles of Ski8p protein in Sordaria meiosis and delineation of three mechanistically distinct steps of meiotic homolog juxtaposition.

PubMed

Tessé, Sophie; Storlazzi, Aurora; Kleckner, Nancy; Gargano, Silvana; Zickler, Denise

2003-10-28

Ski8p is implicated in degradation of non-poly(A) and double-stranded RNA, and in meiotic DNA recombination. We have identified the Sordaria macrospora SKI8 gene. Ski8p is cytoplasmically localized in all vegetative and sexual cycle cells, and is nuclear localized, specifically in early-mid-meiotic prophase, in temporal correlation with Spo11p, the meiotic double-strand break (DSB) transesterase. Localizations of Ski8p and Spo11p are mutually interdependent. ski8 mutants exhibit defects in vegetative growth, entry into the sexual program, and sporulation. Diverse meiotic defects, also seen in spo11 mutants, are diagnostic of DSB absence, and they are restored by exogenous DSBs. These results suggest that Ski8p promotes meiotic DSB formation by acting directly within meiotic prophase chromosomes. Mutant phenotypes also divide meiotic homolog juxtaposition into three successive, mechanistically distinct steps; recognition, presynaptic alignment, and synapsis, which are distinguished by their differential dependence on DSBs.

Localization and roles of Ski8p protein in Sordaria meiosis and delineation of three mechanistically distinct steps of meiotic homolog juxtaposition

PubMed Central

Tessé, Sophie; Storlazzi, Aurora; Kleckner, Nancy; Gargano, Silvana; Zickler, Denise

2003-01-01

Ski8p is implicated in degradation of non-poly(A) and double-stranded RNA, and in meiotic DNA recombination. We have identified the Sordaria macrospora SKI8 gene. Ski8p is cytoplasmically localized in all vegetative and sexual cycle cells, and is nuclear localized, specifically in early-mid-meiotic prophase, in temporal correlation with Spo11p, the meiotic double-strand break (DSB) transesterase. Localizations of Ski8p and Spo11p are mutually interdependent. ski8 mutants exhibit defects in vegetative growth, entry into the sexual program, and sporulation. Diverse meiotic defects, also seen in spo11 mutants, are diagnostic of DSB absence, and they are restored by exogenous DSBs. These results suggest that Ski8p promotes meiotic DSB formation by acting directly within meiotic prophase chromosomes. Mutant phenotypes also divide meiotic homolog juxtaposition into three successive, mechanistically distinct steps; recognition, presynaptic alignment, and synapsis, which are distinguished by their differential dependence on DSBs. PMID:14563920

Question mark ears, temporo-mandibular joint malformation and hypotonia: auriculo-condylar syndrome or a distinct entity?

PubMed

Priolo, M; Lerone, M; Rosaia, L; Calcagno, E P; Sadeghi, A K; Ghezzi, F; Ravazzolo, R; Silengo, M

2000-10-01

We report a boy with prominent, peculiarly malformed ears, abnormality of the ramus of the mandible and hypotonia. An isolated peculiar bilateral ear deformity named 'question mark ear' has been delineated in plastic reconstruction surgery reviews [Cosman et al., 1970 Plast Reconstr Surg 46:454-457; Cosman (1984) Plast Reconstr Surg 73:572-576; Takato et al. (1989) Ann Plast Surg 22:69-73; Brodovsky (1997) Plast Reconstr Surg 100:1254-1257; Park (1998) Plast Reconstr Surg 101:1620-1623; Al-Quattan (1998) Plast Reconstr Surg 102:439-441] and a similar deformity of the ear and changes in the temporo-mandibular joint and condyle has been described by Jampol et al. [(1998) Am J Med Genet 75:449-452] and by Guion-Almeida et al. [(1999) Am J Med Genet 86:130-133]. The present case may be the third description of this malformation complex with additional clinical features characterized by hypotonia and mild developmental delay, or possibly a new distinct entity.

Precision of Discrete and Rhythmic Forelimb Movements Requires a Distinct Neuronal Subpopulation in the Interposed Anterior Nucleus.

PubMed

Low, Aloysius Y T; Thanawalla, Ayesha R; Yip, Alaric K K; Kim, Jinsook; Wong, Kelly L L; Tantra, Martesa; Augustine, George J; Chen, Albert I

2018-02-27

The deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) represent output channels of the cerebellum, and they transmit integrated sensorimotor signals to modulate limb movements. But the functional relevance of identifiable neuronal subpopulations within the DCN remains unclear. Here, we examine a genetically tractable population of neurons in the mouse interposed anterior nucleus (IntA). We show that these neurons represent a subset of glutamatergic neurons in the IntA and constitute a specific element of an internal feedback circuit within the cerebellar cortex and cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway associated with limb control. Ablation and optogenetic stimulation of these neurons disrupt efficacy of skilled reach and locomotor movement and reveal that they control positioning and timing of the forelimb and hindlimb. Together, our findings uncover the function of a distinct neuronal subpopulation in the deep cerebellum and delineate the anatomical substrates and kinematic parameters through which it modulates precision of discrete and rhythmic limb movements. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Categorical and Coordinate Relations in Faces, or Fechner's Law and Face Space Instead?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKone, Elinor; Aitkin, Alex; Edwards, Mark

2005-01-01

E. E. Cooper and T. J. Wojan (2000) applied the categorical-coordinate relations distinction to faces on the basis of a finding that two-eyes-up versus one-eye-up distortions had opposite effects in between-class (face normality) and within-class (face identity) tasks. However, Cooper and Wojan failed to match amount of metric change between their…

The Role of Education in the Cultural and Artistic Development of the Individual: Developing Artistic and Creative Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbosa, Ana Mae Tavares Bastos

Education should be the most efficient way of arousing the individual's cultural consciousness. A concept of "interculturality" now exists, signifying the importance of the interaction between different cultures. There must no longer be a distinction between the "high class" culture of the erudite and the "low class" culture of the lower social…

THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE NEGRO IN THE UNITED STATES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DRAKE, SAINT CLAIR

A CASTE-CLASS ANALYSIS IS A USEFUL FRAMEWORK FROM WHICH TO STUDY THE CURRENT POSITION OF THE NEGRO. HIS SPATIAL ISOLATION HAS CREATED A RACE CONSCIOUSNESS AND A RACIAL SUBCULTURE WITH DISTINCTIVE FOLKWAYS (MUSIC, FOOD, AND CHURCHES). THE NEGRO LOWER CLASS IS STRATIFIED INTO AN "ORGANIZED" SECTOR WHOSE LIFE STYLE IS ORIENTED AROUND THE CHURCH AND…

International Elite, or Global Citizens? Equity, Distinction and Power: The International Baccalaureate and the Rise of the South

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner-McTaggart, Alexander

2016-01-01

The 2013 UN Human Development report predicts the middle classes of "The South" a five-fold increase by 2030. Globalisation has resulted in national conceptions of business: education and identity being in flux. Emerging middle classes of the South are already embracing international forms of education for instrumental reasons of…

Synergistic inhibition of natural killer cells by the nonsignaling molecule CD94.

PubMed

Cheent, Kuldeep S; Jamil, Khaleel M; Cassidy, Sorcha; Liu, Mengya; Mbiribindi, Berenice; Mulder, Arend; Claas, Frans H J; Purbhoo, Marco A; Khakoo, Salim I

2013-10-15

Peptide selectivity is a feature of inhibitory receptors for MHC class I expressed by natural killer (NK) cells. CD94-NKG2A operates in tandem with the polymorphic killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIR) and Ly49 systems to inhibit NK cells. However, the benefits of having two distinct inhibitory receptor-ligand systems are not clear. We show that noninhibitory peptides presented by HLA-E can augment the inhibition of NKG2A(+) NK cells mediated by MHC class I signal peptides through the engagement of CD94 without a signaling partner. Thus, CD94 is a peptide-selective NK cell receptor, and NK cells can be regulated by nonsignaling interactions. We also show that KIR(+) and NKG2A(+) NK cells respond with differing stoichiometries to MHC class I down-regulation. MHC-I-bound peptide functions as a molecular rheostat controlling NK cell function. Selected peptides which in isolation do not inhibit NK cells can have different effects on KIR and NKG2A receptors. Thus, these two inhibitory systems may complement each other by having distinct responses to bound peptide and surface levels of MHC class I.

Synergistic inhibition of natural killer cells by the nonsignaling molecule CD94

PubMed Central

Cheent, Kuldeep S.; Jamil, Khaleel M.; Cassidy, Sorcha; Liu, Mengya; Mbiribindi, Berenice; Mulder, Arend; Claas, Frans H. J.; Purbhoo, Marco A.; Khakoo, Salim I.

2013-01-01

Peptide selectivity is a feature of inhibitory receptors for MHC class I expressed by natural killer (NK) cells. CD94–NKG2A operates in tandem with the polymorphic killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIR) and Ly49 systems to inhibit NK cells. However, the benefits of having two distinct inhibitory receptor–ligand systems are not clear. We show that noninhibitory peptides presented by HLA-E can augment the inhibition of NKG2A+ NK cells mediated by MHC class I signal peptides through the engagement of CD94 without a signaling partner. Thus, CD94 is a peptide-selective NK cell receptor, and NK cells can be regulated by nonsignaling interactions. We also show that KIR+ and NKG2A+ NK cells respond with differing stoichiometries to MHC class I down-regulation. MHC-I–bound peptide functions as a molecular rheostat controlling NK cell function. Selected peptides which in isolation do not inhibit NK cells can have different effects on KIR and NKG2A receptors. Thus, these two inhibitory systems may complement each other by having distinct responses to bound peptide and surface levels of MHC class I. PMID:24082146

Trajectory classes of cannabis use and heavy drinking among rural African American adolescents: multi-level predictors of class membership.

PubMed

Barton, Allen W; Brody, Gene H; Zapolski, Tamika C B; Goings, Trenette C; Kogan, Steven M; Windle, Michael; Yu, Tianyi

2018-02-17

To inform research on the etiology and prevention of substance use among rural African American youth by (a) identifying developmental trajectory classes of cannabis use and heavy drinking across adolescence and young adulthood and (b) examining associations between trajectory class membership and multi-level assessments of risk factors. A prospective study spanning 9 years with assessments of cannabis use and heavy drinking, the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine, perceived stress and psychosocial risk factors. Rural communities in the southeastern United States. African American youth (n = 518). Participants were assessed for cannabis use and heavy drinking at seven assessments beginning at 16 years of age and continuing to 25 years of age. At age 19, participants provided overnight urine voids that were assayed for catecholamines, a biological marker of life stress resulting from sympathetic nervous system activation. At ages 16 and 19, participants provided information on malleable psychosocial risk factors. Latent class growth models revealed three distinct trajectory classes for cannabis use and for heavy drinking. Higher levels of circulating stress hormones and perceived stress were associated with classes reporting greater substance use over time (all Ps < 0.05). A composite of selected risk factors discriminated class membership (all Ps < 0.05). Trajectory classes characterized by rapid usage increases in early adulthood exhibited the greatest increase in deviant peer affiliations between ages 16 and 19 years. Rural African American youth's cannabis use and heavy drinking across adolescence and young adulthood demonstrate distinct developmental courses; a small number of risk factors and measures of biological and perceived stress differentiate class membership prognostically. Variability over time in these measures, specifically an increase in deviant peer affiliation, may help to account for steep increases in young adulthood. © 2018 Society for the Study of Addiction.

[An intriguing model for 5S rDNA sequences dispersion in the genome of freshwater stingray Potamotrygon motoro (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae)].

PubMed

Cruz, V P; Oliveira, C; Foresti, F

2015-01-01

5S rDNA genes of the stingray Potamotrygon motoro were PCR replicated, purified, cloned and sequenced. Two distinct classes of segments of different sizes were obtained. The smallest, with 342 bp units, was classified as class I, and the largest, with 1900 bp units, was designated as class II. Alignment with the consensus sequences for both classes showed changes in a few bases in the 5S rDNA genes. TATA-like sequences were detected in the nontranscribed spacer (NTS) regions of class I and a microsatellite (GCT) 10 sequence was detected in the NTS region of class II. The results obtained can help to understand the molecular organization of ribosomal genes and the mechanism of gene dispersion.

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

PubMed

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

2016-03-01

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

Metadata Analysis of Phanerochaete chrysosporium Gene Expression Data Identified Common CAZymes Encoding Gene Expression Profiles Involved in Cellulose and Hemicellulose Degradation.

PubMed

Kameshwar, Ayyappa Kumar Sista; Qin, Wensheng

2017-01-01

In literature, extensive studies have been conducted on popular wood degrading white rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium about its lignin degrading mechanisms compared to the cellulose and hemicellulose degrading abilities. This study delineates cellulose and hemicellulose degrading mechanisms through large scale metadata analysis of P. chrysosporium gene expression data (retrieved from NCBI GEO) to understand the common expression patterns of differentially expressed genes when cultured on different growth substrates. Genes encoding glycoside hydrolase classes commonly expressed during breakdown of cellulose such as GH-5,6,7,9,44,45,48 and hemicellulose are GH-2,8,10,11,26,30,43,47 were found to be highly expressed among varied growth conditions including simple customized and complex natural plant biomass growth mediums. Genes encoding carbohydrate esterase class enzymes CE (1,4,8,9,15,16) polysaccharide lyase class enzymes PL-8 and PL-14, and glycosyl transferases classes GT (1,2,4,8,15,20,35,39,48) were differentially expressed in natural plant biomass growth mediums. Based on these results, P. chrysosporium, on natural plant biomass substrates was found to express lignin and hemicellulose degrading enzymes more than cellulolytic enzymes except GH-61 (LPMO) class enzymes, in early stages. It was observed that the fate of P. chrysosporium transcriptome is significantly affected by the wood substrate provided. We believe, the gene expression findings in this study plays crucial role in developing genetically efficient microbe with effective cellulose and hemicellulose degradation abilities.

Delineation and validation of river network spatial scales for water resources and fisheries management.

PubMed

Wang, Lizhu; Brenden, Travis; Cao, Yong; Seelbach, Paul

2012-11-01

Identifying appropriate spatial scales is critically important for assessing health, attributing data, and guiding management actions for rivers. We describe a process for identifying a three-level hierarchy of spatial scales for Michigan rivers. Additionally, we conduct a variance decomposition of fish occurrence, abundance, and assemblage metric data to evaluate how much observed variability can be explained by the three spatial scales as a gage of their utility for water resources and fisheries management. The process involved the development of geographic information system programs, statistical models, modification by experienced biologists, and simplification to meet the needs of policy makers. Altogether, 28,889 reaches, 6,198 multiple-reach segments, and 11 segment classes were identified from Michigan river networks. The segment scale explained the greatest amount of variation in fish abundance and occurrence, followed by segment class, and reach. Segment scale also explained the greatest amount of variation in 13 of the 19 analyzed fish assemblage metrics, with segment class explaining the greatest amount of variation in the other six fish metrics. Segments appear to be a useful spatial scale/unit for measuring and synthesizing information for managing rivers and streams. Additionally, segment classes provide a useful typology for summarizing the numerous segments into a few categories. Reaches are the foundation for the identification of segments and segment classes and thus are integral elements of the overall spatial scale hierarchy despite reaches not explaining significant variation in fish assemblage data.

An activity canyon characterization of the pharmacological topography.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Varsha S; Wild, David J

2016-01-01

Highly chemically similar drugs usually possess similar biological activities, but sometimes, small changes in chemistry can result in a large difference in biological effects. Chemically similar drug pairs that show extreme deviations in activity represent distinctive drug interactions having important implications. These associations between chemical and biological similarity are studied as discontinuities in activity landscapes. Particularly, activity cliffs are quantified by the drop in similar activity of chemically similar drugs. In this paper, we construct a landscape using a large drug-target network and consider the rises in similarity and variation in activity along the chemical space. Detailed analysis of structure and activity gives a rigorous quantification of distinctive pairs and the probability of their occurrence. We analyze pairwise similarity (s) and variation (d) in activity of drugs on proteins. Interactions between drugs are quantified by considering pairwise s and d weights jointly with corresponding chemical similarity (c) weights. Similarity and variation in activity are measured as the number of common and uncommon targets of two drugs respectively. Distinctive interactions occur between drugs having high c and above (below) average d (s). Computation of predicted probability of distinctiveness employs joint probability of c, s and of c, d assuming independence of structure and activity. Predictions conform with the observations at different levels of distinctiveness. Results are validated on the data used and another drug ensemble. In the landscape, while s and d decrease as c increases, d maintains value more than s. c ∈ [0.3, 0.64] is the transitional region where rises in d are significantly greater than drops in s. It is fascinating that distinctive interactions filtered with high d and low s are different in nature. It is crucial that high c interactions are more probable of having above average d than s. Identification of distinctive interactions is better with high d than low s. These interactions belong to diverse classes. d is greatest between drugs and analogs prepared for treatment of same class of ailments but with different therapeutic specifications. In contrast, analogs having low s would treat ailments from distinct classes. Intermittent spikes in d along the axis of c represent canyons in the activity landscape. This new representation accounts for distinctiveness through relative rises in s and d. It provides a mathematical basis for predicting the probability of occurrence of distinctiveness. It identifies the drug pairs at varying levels of distinctiveness and non-distinctiveness. The predicted probability formula is validated even if data approximately satisfy the conditions of its construction. Also, the postulated independence of structure and activity is of little significance to the overall assessment. The difference in distinctive interactions obtained by s and d highlights the importance of studying both of them, and reveals how the choice of measurement can affect the interpretation. The methods in this paper can be used to interpret whether or not drug interactions are distinctive and the probability of their occurrence. Practitioners and researchers can rely on this identification for quantitative modeling and assessment.

A semester-long soil mapping project for an undergraduate pedology course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, David J.

2015-04-01

Most students taking a pedology course will never work as soil mappers. But many will use soil maps at some point in their careers. At Montana State University, students spent 3 "lab" hours a week, complementing two lectures a week, in the field learning how to study soils literally from the ground up. The only prerequisites for enrollment were completion of an introductory soil science class and 3rd year standing at the university. The area to be mapped, just a km from campus, included a steep mountain backslope, and a complex footslope-toeslope area with diverse soils. Students were divided into teams of 3-4, with approximately 40 students altogether split over two sections that overlapped in the field by one hour. In the first lab session, groups completed a very basic description of just one soil profile. In subsequent weeks, they rotated through multiple pits excavated in a small area, and expanded their soil profile descriptions and interpretations. As students developed proficiency, they were assigned more dispersed locations to study, working for the most part independently as I hiked between pits. Throughout this process, every pit was geolocated using a GPS unit, and every profile description was copied and retained in a designated class file. Student groups delineated map units using stereo air photography, then used these delineations to guide the selection of their final locations to describe. At the end of the course, groups used all of the combined and georeferenced profile descriptions to construct a soil map of the study area complete with map unit descriptions. Most students struggled to make sense of the substantial variability within their map units, but through this struggle -- and their semester of field work -- they gained an appreciation for the value and limitations of a soil map that could not be obtained from even the most entertaining lecture. Both the class and particularly the field sessions received consistently high student reviews during the four years I had students map soils at Montanta State University.

Heterosexual Casual Sex and STI Diagnosis: A Latent Class Analysis

PubMed Central

Ann Lyons, Heidi

2017-01-01

Casual sex is common during the emerging adult life course stage, but little research has taken a person-centered approach to investigate if casual sexual behavior influences STI rates. Using a nationally representative sample and latent class analysis, results showed three distinctive latent classes. Abstainers were the least likely to have an STI, followed by the casual sex experienced, and then the casual sex risk-takers. Once other covariates were included in the model, there was no significant difference between the abstainers and casual sex experienced classes. These results highlight the need for future research to include diverse samples of emerging adults. PMID:29276549

Flood Mapping in the Lower Mekong River Basin Using Daily MODIS Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fayne, Jessica V.; Bolten, John D.; Doyle, Colin S.; Fuhrmann, Sven; Rice, Matthew T.; Houser, Paul R.; Lakshmi, Venkat

2017-01-01

In flat homogenous terrain such as in Cambodia and Vietnam, the monsoon season brings significant and consistent flooding between May and November. To monitor flooding in the Lower Mekong region, the near real-time NASA Flood Extent Product (NASA-FEP) was developed using seasonal normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) differences from the 250 m resolution Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor compared to daily observations. The use of a percentage change interval classification relating to various stages of flooding reduces might be confusing to viewers or potential users, and therefore reducing the product usage. To increase the product usability through simplification, the classification intervals were compared with other commonly used change detection schemes to identify the change classification scheme that best delineates flooded areas. The percentage change method used in the NASA-FEP proved to be helpful in delineating flood boundaries compared to other change detection methods. The results of the accuracy assessments indicate that the -75% NDVI change interval can be reclassified to a descriptive 'flood' classification. A binary system was used to simplify the interpretation of the NASA-FEP by removing extraneous information from lower interval change classes.

Satellite geological and geophysical remote sensing of Iceland

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, R. S., Jr. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 imagery provides sufficient resolution to discern two effects of geothermal activity at the Namafjall geothermal area: snowmelt anomalies and delineation of altered ground. The fallout pattern of tephra from Hekla's 1970 volcanic eruption can be mapped where sufficient depth of deposition destroyed the vegetation. Lava flows from the volcanic eruptions at Askja and Hekla can be delineated. Low sun-angle imagery of snow-covered terrain has permitted the mapping of new structural and volcanic features beneath the icecaps. Coastline changes on the islands of Surtsey and Heimaey can be mapped. Variations of sediment plumes from glacial rivers on the south coast give a qualitative indication of seasonal changes in melting rates of glaciers. ERTS-1 imagery has been shown to be especially amenable to portrayal of changing glaciological phenomena: surging glaciers, collapse features in icecaps caused by subglacial volcanic (?) and geothermal activity and resulting jokulhlaups, and variations in size of glacier-margin lakes. A fifth vegetation class has now been added: lichen-covered bedrock. The high latitude permits more precise analysis of landforms, vegetation distribution, occurrence of snow cover, glaciers, and geologic structure.

Childhood personality types: vulnerability and adaptation over time.

PubMed

De Clercq, Barbara; Rettew, David; Althoff, Robert R; De Bolle, Marleen

2012-06-01

  Substantial evidence suggests that a Five-Factor Model personality assessment generates a valid description of childhood individual differences and relates to a range of psychological outcomes. Less is known, however, about naturally occurring profiles of personality and their links to psychopathology. The current study explores whether childhood personality characteristics tend to cluster in particular personality profiles that show unique associations with psychopathology and quality of life across time.   Latent class analysis was conducted on maternal rated general personality of a Flemish childhood community sample (N = 477; mean age 10.6 years). The associations of latent class membership probability with psychopathology and quality of life 2 years later were examined, using a multi-informant perspective.   Four distinguishable latent classes were found, representing a Moderate, a Protected, an Undercontrolled and a Vulnerable childhood personality type. Each of these types showed unique associations with childhood outcomes across raters.   Four different personality types can be delineated at young age and have a significant value in understanding vulnerability and adaptation over time. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2011 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

MEXICAN-AMERICAN STUDY PROJECT. ADVANCE REPORT 9, THE SPANISH AMERICANS OF NEW MEXICO--A DISTINCTIVE HERITAGE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GONZALEZ, NANCIE L.

USING NEW MEXICO AS A BASIS TO TRACE THE SPANISH-AMERICAN AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE, THE AUTHOR STATES THAT ANY STIGMA PLACED ON THE LATTER GROUP IS ONE OF CLASS DISTINCTION. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT ACCULTURATION AND ASSIMILATION OF BOTH GROUPS INTO THE ANGLO-AMERICAN SOCIETY IS PROCEEDING STEADILY, AND THAT THE WORLD WARS AND THE KOREAN…

Potent and efficacious inhibition of CXCR2 signaling by biparatopic nanobodies combining two distinct modes of action.

PubMed

Bradley, M E; Dombrecht, B; Manini, J; Willis, J; Vlerick, D; De Taeye, S; Van den Heede, K; Roobrouck, A; Grot, E; Kent, T C; Laeremans, T; Steffensen, S; Van Heeke, G; Brown, Z; Charlton, S J; Cromie, K D

2015-02-01

Chemokines and chemokine receptors are key modulators in inflammatory diseases and malignancies. Here, we describe the identification and pharmacologic characterization of nanobodies selectively blocking CXCR2, the most promiscuous of all chemokine receptors. Two classes of selective monovalent nanobodies were identified, and detailed epitope mapping showed that these bind to distinct, nonoverlapping epitopes on the CXCR2 receptor. The N-terminal-binding or class 1 monovalent nanobodies possessed potencies in the single-digit nanomolar range but lacked complete efficacy at high agonist concentrations. In contrast, the extracellular loop-binding or class 2 monovalent nanobodies were of lower potency but were more efficacious and competitively inhibited the CXCR2-mediated functional response in both recombinant and neutrophil in vitro assays. In addition to blocking CXCR2 signaling mediated by CXCL1 (growth-related oncogene α) and CXCL8 (interleukin-8), both classes of nanobodies displayed inverse agonist behavior. Bivalent and biparatopic nanobodies were generated, respectively combining nanobodies from the same or different classes via glycine/serine linkers. Interestingly, receptor mutation and competition studies demonstrated that the biparatopic nanobodies were able to avidly bind epitopes within one or across two CXCR2 receptor molecules. Most importantly, the biparatopic nanobodies were superior over their monovalent and bivalent counterparts in terms of potency and efficacy. Copyright © 2015 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Are posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex-PTSD distinguishable within a treatment-seeking sample of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon?

PubMed

Hyland, P; Ceannt, R; Daccache, F; Abou Daher, R; Sleiman, J; Gilmore, B; Byrne, S; Shevlin, M; Murphy, J; Vallières, F

2018-01-01

The World Health Organization will publish its 11 th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in 2018. The ICD-11 will include a refined model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a new diagnosis of complex PTSD (CPTSD). Whereas emerging data supports the validity of these proposals, the discriminant validity of PTSD and CPTSD have yet to be tested amongst a sample of refugees. Treatment-seeking Syrian refugees ( N  = 110) living in Lebanon completed an Arabic version of the International Trauma Questionnaire ; a measure specifically designed to capture the symptom content of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD. In total, 62.6% of the sample met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD or CPTSD. More refugees met the criteria for CPTSD (36.1%) than PTSD (25.2%) and no gender differences were observed. Latent class analysis results identified three distinct groups: (1) a PTSD class, (2) a CPTSD class and (3) a low symptom class. Class membership was significantly predicted by levels of functional impairment. Support for the discriminant validity of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD was observed for the first time within a sample of refugees. In support of the cross-cultural validity of the ICD-11 proposals, the prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD were similar to those observed in culturally distinct contexts.

Integrated omics analyses of retrograde signaling mutant delineate interrelated stress-response strata.

PubMed

Bjornson, Marta; Balcke, Gerd Ulrich; Xiao, Yanmei; de Souza, Amancio; Wang, Jin-Zheng; Zhabinskaya, Dina; Tagkopoulos, Ilias; Tissier, Alain; Dehesh, Katayoon

2017-07-01

To maintain homeostasis in the face of intrinsic and extrinsic insults, cells have evolved elaborate quality control networks to resolve damage at multiple levels. Interorganellar communication is a key requirement for this maintenance, however the underlying mechanisms of this communication have remained an enigma. Here we integrate the outcome of transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomics analyses of genotypes including ceh1, a mutant with constitutively elevated levels of both the stress-specific plastidial retrograde signaling metabolite methyl-erythritol cyclodiphosphate (MEcPP) and the defense hormone salicylic acid (SA), as well as the high MEcPP but SA deficient genotype ceh1/eds16, along with corresponding controls. Integration of multi-omic analyses enabled us to delineate the function of MEcPP from SA, and expose the compartmentalized role of this retrograde signaling metabolite in induction of distinct but interdependent signaling cascades instrumental in adaptive responses. Specifically, here we identify strata of MEcPP-sensitive stress-response cascades, among which we focus on selected pathways including organelle-specific regulation of jasmonate biosynthesis; simultaneous induction of synthesis and breakdown of SA; and MEcPP-mediated alteration of cellular redox status in particular glutathione redox balance. Collectively, these integrated multi-omic analyses provided a vehicle to gain an in-depth knowledge of genome-metabolism interactions, and to further probe the extent of these interactions and delineate their functional contributions. Through this approach we were able to pinpoint stress-mediated transcriptional and metabolic signatures and identify the downstream processes modulated by the independent or overlapping functions of MEcPP and SA in adaptive responses. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Schizophrenia with prominent catatonic features ('catatonic schizophrenia') III. Latent class analysis of the catatonic syndrome.

PubMed

Ungvari, Gabor S; Goggins, William; Leung, Siu-Kau; Lee, Edwin; Gerevich, Jozsef

2009-02-01

No reports have yet been published on catatonia using latent class analysis (LCA). This study applied LCA to a large, diagnostically homogenous sample of patients with chronic schizophrenia who also presented with catatonic symptoms. A random sample of 225 Chinese inpatients with DSM-IV schizophrenia was selected from the long-stay wards of a psychiatric hospital. Their psychopathology, extrapyramidal motor status and level of functioning were evaluated with standardized rating scales. Catatonia was rated using a modified version of the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale. LCA was then applied to the 178 patients who presented with at least one catatonic sign. In LCA a four-class solution was found to fit best the statistical model. Classes 1, 2, 3 and 4 constituted 18%, 39.4%, 20.1% and 22.5% of the whole catatonic sample, respectively. Class 1 included patients with symptoms of 'automatic' phenomena (automatic obedience, Mitgehen, waxy flexibility). Class 2 comprised patients with 'repetitive/echo' phenomena (perseveration, stereotypy, verbigeration, mannerisms and grimacing). Class 3 contained patients with symptoms of 'withdrawal' (immobility, mutism, posturing, staring and withdrawal). Class 4 consisted of 'agitated/resistive' patients, who displayed symptoms of excitement, impulsivity, negativism and combativeness. The symptom composition of these 4 classes was nearly identical with that of the four factors identified by factor analysis in the same cohort of subjects in an earlier study. In multivariate regression analysis, the 'withdrawn' class was associated with higher scores on the Scale of Assessment of Negative Symptoms and lower and higher scores for negative and positive items respectively on the Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation's (NOSIE). The 'automatic' class was associated with lower values on the Simpson-Angus Extrapyramidal Side Effects Scale, and the 'repetitive/echo' class with higher scores on the NOSIE positive items. These results provide preliminary support for the notion that chronic schizophrenia patients with catatonic features can be classified into 4 distinct syndromal groups on the basis of their motor symptoms. Identifying distinct catatonic syndromes would help to find their biological substrates and to develop specific therapeutic measures.

Probing photoelectron multiple interferences via Fourier spectroscopy in energetic photoionization of Xe@C60

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, Andrea; McCune, Matthew A.; de, Ruma; Madjet, Mohamed E.; Chakraborty, Himadri S.

2010-09-01

Considering the photoionization of the Xe@C60 endohedral compound, we study in detail the ionization cross sections of various levels of the system at energies higher than the plasmon resonance region. Five classes of single-electron levels are identified depending on their spectral character. Each class engenders distinct oscillations in the cross section, emerging from the interference between active ionization modes specific to that class. Analysis of the cross sections based on their Fourier transforms unravels oscillation frequencies that carry unique fingerprints of the emitting level.

Proliferative and transcriptional identity of distinct classes of neural precursors in the mammalian olfactory epithelium.

PubMed

Tucker, Eric S; Lehtinen, Maria K; Maynard, Tom; Zirlinger, Mariela; Dulac, Catherine; Rawson, Nancy; Pevny, Larysa; Lamantia, Anthony-Samuel

2010-08-01

Neural precursors in the developing olfactory epithelium (OE) give rise to three major neuronal classes - olfactory receptor (ORNs), vomeronasal (VRNs) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Nevertheless, the molecular and proliferative identities of these precursors are largely unknown. We characterized two precursor classes in the olfactory epithelium (OE) shortly after it becomes a distinct tissue at midgestation in the mouse: slowly dividing self-renewing precursors that express Meis1/2 at high levels, and rapidly dividing neurogenic precursors that express high levels of Sox2 and Ascl1. Precursors expressing high levels of Meis genes primarily reside in the lateral OE, whereas precursors expressing high levels of Sox2 and Ascl1 primarily reside in the medial OE. Fgf8 maintains these expression signatures and proliferative identities. Using electroporation in the wild-type embryonic OE in vitro as well as Fgf8, Sox2 and Ascl1 mutant mice in vivo, we found that Sox2 dose and Meis1 - independent of Pbx co-factors - regulate Ascl1 expression and the transition from lateral to medial precursor state. Thus, we have identified proliferative characteristics and a dose-dependent transcriptional network that define distinct OE precursors: medial precursors that are most probably transit amplifying neurogenic progenitors for ORNs, VRNs and GnRH neurons, and lateral precursors that include multi-potent self-renewing OE neural stem cells.

Proliferative and transcriptional identity of distinct classes of neural precursors in the mammalian olfactory epithelium

PubMed Central

Tucker, Eric S.; Lehtinen, Maria K.; Maynard, Tom; Zirlinger, Mariela; Dulac, Catherine; Rawson, Nancy; Pevny, Larysa; LaMantia, Anthony-Samuel

2010-01-01

Neural precursors in the developing olfactory epithelium (OE) give rise to three major neuronal classes – olfactory receptor (ORNs), vomeronasal (VRNs) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Nevertheless, the molecular and proliferative identities of these precursors are largely unknown. We characterized two precursor classes in the olfactory epithelium (OE) shortly after it becomes a distinct tissue at midgestation in the mouse: slowly dividing self-renewing precursors that express Meis1/2 at high levels, and rapidly dividing neurogenic precursors that express high levels of Sox2 and Ascl1. Precursors expressing high levels of Meis genes primarily reside in the lateral OE, whereas precursors expressing high levels of Sox2 and Ascl1 primarily reside in the medial OE. Fgf8 maintains these expression signatures and proliferative identities. Using electroporation in the wild-type embryonic OE in vitro as well as Fgf8, Sox2 and Ascl1 mutant mice in vivo, we found that Sox2 dose and Meis1 – independent of Pbx co-factors – regulate Ascl1 expression and the transition from lateral to medial precursor state. Thus, we have identified proliferative characteristics and a dose-dependent transcriptional network that define distinct OE precursors: medial precursors that are most probably transit amplifying neurogenic progenitors for ORNs, VRNs and GnRH neurons, and lateral precursors that include multi-potent self-renewing OE neural stem cells. PMID:20573694

Students' perceptions of academic dishonesty in a chemistry classroom laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Carlo, Dawn Irene

Academic dishonesty has been an important issue in the classroom for as long as the classroom has been in use. Most reports pertain to exams, homework, and plagiarism of term papers but, one area that has not been studied extensively is that of the classroom laboratory. My work focuses on three guiding questions: (1) What are students' perceptions toward academic dishonesty in a laboratory based class? (2) What distinction if any do students make between this type of academic dishonesty compared to dishonesty that may occur in a research laboratory? (3) How if at all do these perceptions change with age and/or research experience? Four major assertions come from this work. The first is that students do not think that what they do in the classroom laboratory is science and consequently do not treat the classroom laboratory differently than any other academic class. Additionally, they make a clear distinction between what happens in a class lab and what happens in a research or industrial lab. Consequently, students perceive there to be a significant difference in dishonesty between those two settings. Finally, this distinction is not as pronounced in graduate students and is seen as an element of maturity. In the process of determining the above assertions, students perceptions on the nature of science were revealed and are also discussed. These beliefs have direct relevance to students' perceptions of dishonesty in both lab atmospheres.

"Why Did You Blend My Learning?" A Comparison of Student Success in Lecture and Blended Learning Introduction to Sociology Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luna, Yvonne M.; Winters, Stephanie A.

2017-01-01

Introduction to Sociology at a large public university was taught in two separate formats, blended learning and lecture, during the same semester by the first author. While some similarities existed, the distinction was in delivery of course content. Additionally, the blended class had one-third less in-class time that was primarily devoted to…

Class D β-lactamases do exist in Gram-positive bacteria

PubMed Central

Toth, Marta; Antunes, Nuno Tiago; Stewart, Nichole K.; Frase, Hilary; Bhattacharya, Monolekha; Smith, Clyde; Vakulenko, Sergei

2015-01-01

Production of β-lactamases of the four molecular classes (A, B, C, and D) is the major mechanism of bacterial resistance to β-lactams, the largest class of antibiotics that have saved countless lives since their inception 70 years ago. Although several hundred efficient class D enzymes have been identified in Gram-negative pathogens over the last four decades, they have not been reported in Gram-positive bacteria. Here we demonstrate that efficient class D β-lactamases capable of hydrolyzing a wide array of β-lactam substrates are widely disseminated in various species of environmental Gram-positive organisms. Class D enzymes of Gram-positive bacteria have a distinct structural architecture and employ a unique substrate binding mode quite different from that of all currently known class A, C, and D β-lactamases. They constitute a novel reservoir of antibiotic resistance enzymes. PMID:26551395

An improved approach to measuring drug innovation finds steady rates of first-in-class pharmaceuticals, 1987-2011.

PubMed

Lanthier, Michael; Miller, Kathleen L; Nardinelli, Clark; Woodcock, Janet

2013-08-01

For more than a decade, industry analysts and policy makers have raised concerns about declining pharmaceutical innovation, citing declining numbers of new molecular entities (NMEs) approved in the United States each year. Yet there is little consensus on whether this is the best measure of "innovation." We examined NME approvals during 1987-2011 and propose the three distinct subcategories of NMEs--first-in-class, advance-in-class, and addition-to-class--to provide more nuanced and informative insights into underlying trends. We found that trends in NME approvals were largely driven by addition-to-class, or "me too," drug approvals, while first-in-class approvals remained fairly steady over the study period. Moreover, the higher proportion of first-in-class drug approvals over the most recent decade is an encouraging sign of the health of the industry as a whole.

Global forest cover mapping for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization forest resources assessment 2000 program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhu, Z.; Waller, E.

2003-01-01

Many countries periodically produce national reports on the status and changes of forest resources, using statistical surveys and spatial mapping of remotely sensed data. At the global level, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has conducted a Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) program every 10 yr since 1980, producing statistics and analysis that give a global synopsis of forest resources in the world. For the year 2000 of the FRA program (FRA2000), a global forest cover map was produced to provide spatial context to the extensive survey. The forest cover map, produced at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Data Center (EDC), has five classes: closed forest, open or fragmented forest, other wooded land, other land cover, and water. The first two forested classes at the global scale were delineated using combinations of temporal compositing, modified mixture analysis, geographic stratification, and other classification techniques. The remaining three FAO classes were derived primarily from the USGS global land cover characteristics database (Loveland et al. 1999). Validated on the basis of existing reference data sets, the map is estimated to be 77% accurate for the first four classes (no reference data were available for water), and 86% accurate for the forest and nonforest classification. The final map will be published as an insert to the FAO FRA2000 report.

SU-F-T-312: Identifying Distinct Radiation Therapy Plan Classes Through Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Plan Complexity Metrics

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

Desai, V; Labby, Z; Culberson, W

Purpose: To determine whether body site-specific treatment plans form unique “plan class” clusters in a multi-dimensional analysis of plan complexity metrics such that a single beam quality correction determined for a representative plan could be universally applied within the “plan class”, thereby increasing the dosimetric accuracy of a detector’s response within a subset of similarly modulated nonstandard deliveries. Methods: We collected 95 clinical volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans from four body sites (brain, lung, prostate, and spine). The lung data was further subdivided into SBRT and non-SBRT data for a total of five plan classes. For each control pointmore » in each plan, a variety of aperture-based complexity metrics were calculated and stored as unique characteristics of each patient plan. A multiple comparison of means analysis was performed such that every plan class was compared to every other plan class for every complexity metric in order to determine which groups could be considered different from one another. Statistical significance was assessed after correcting for multiple hypothesis testing. Results: Six out of a possible 10 pairwise plan class comparisons were uniquely distinguished based on at least nine out of 14 of the proposed metrics (Brain/Lung, Brain/SBRT lung, Lung/Prostate, Lung/SBRT Lung, Lung/Spine, Prostate/SBRT Lung). Eight out of 14 of the complexity metrics could distinguish at least six out of the possible 10 pairwise plan class comparisons. Conclusion: Aperture-based complexity metrics could prove to be useful tools to quantitatively describe a distinct class of treatment plans. Certain plan-averaged complexity metrics could be considered unique characteristics of a particular plan. A new approach to generating plan-class specific reference (pcsr) fields could be established through a targeted preservation of select complexity metrics or a clustering algorithm that identifies plans exhibiting similar modulation characteristics. Measurements and simulations will better elucidate potential plan-class specific dosimetry correction factors.« less

Comparative Genome Analyses Reveal Distinct Structure in the Saltwater Crocodile MHC

PubMed Central

Jaratlerdsiri, Weerachai; Deakin, Janine; Godinez, Ricardo M.; Shan, Xueyan; Peterson, Daniel G.; Marthey, Sylvain; Lyons, Eric; McCarthy, Fiona M.; Isberg, Sally R.; Higgins, Damien P.; Chong, Amanda Y.; John, John St; Glenn, Travis C.; Ray, David A.; Gongora, Jaime

2014-01-01

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a dynamic genome region with an essential role in the adaptive immunity of vertebrates, especially antigen presentation. The MHC is generally divided into subregions (classes I, II and III) containing genes of similar function across species, but with different gene number and organisation. Crocodylia (crocodilians) are widely distributed and represent an evolutionary distinct group among higher vertebrates, but the genomic organisation of MHC within this lineage has been largely unexplored. Here, we studied the MHC region of the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and compared it with that of other taxa. We characterised genomic clusters encompassing MHC class I and class II genes in the saltwater crocodile based on sequencing of bacterial artificial chromosomes. Six gene clusters spanning ∼452 kb were identified to contain nine MHC class I genes, six MHC class II genes, three TAP genes, and a TRIM gene. These MHC class I and class II genes were in separate scaffold regions and were greater in length (2–6 times longer) than their counterparts in well-studied fowl B loci, suggesting that the compaction of avian MHC occurred after the crocodilian-avian split. Comparative analyses between the saltwater crocodile MHC and that from the alligator and gharial showed large syntenic areas (>80% identity) with similar gene order. Comparisons with other vertebrates showed that the saltwater crocodile had MHC class I genes located along with TAP, consistent with birds studied. Linkage between MHC class I and TRIM39 observed in the saltwater crocodile resembled MHC in eutherians compared, but absent in avian MHC, suggesting that the saltwater crocodile MHC appears to have gene organisation intermediate between these two lineages. These observations suggest that the structure of the saltwater crocodile MHC, and other crocodilians, can help determine the MHC that was present in the ancestors of archosaurs. PMID:25503521

Crystal structure of the Streptomyces coelicolor sortase E1 transpeptidase provides insight into the binding mode of the novel class E sorting signal

DOE PAGES

Kattke, Michele D.; Chan, Albert H.; Duong, Andrew; ...

2016-12-09

Here, many species of Gram-positive bacteria use sortase transpeptidases to covalently affix proteins to their cell wall or to assemble pili. Sortase-displayed proteins perform critical and diverse functions for cell survival, including cell adhesion, nutrient acquisition, and morphological development, among others. Based on their amino acid sequences, there are at least six types of sortases (class A to F enzymes); however, class E enzymes have not been extensively studied. Class E sortases are used by soil and freshwater-dwelling Actinobacteria to display proteins that contain a non-canonical LAXTG sorting signal, which differs from 90% of known sorting signals by substitution ofmore » alanine for proline. Here we report the first crystal structure of a class E sortase, the 1.93 Å resolution structure of the SrtE1 enzyme from Streptomyces coelicolor. The active site is bound to a tripeptide, providing insight into the mechanism of substrate binding. SrtE1 possesses β3/β4 and β6/β7 active site loops that contact the LAXTG substrate and are structurally distinct from other classes. We propose that SrtE1 and other class E sortases employ a conserved tyrosine residue within their β3/β4 loop to recognize the amide nitrogen of alanine at position P3 of the sorting signal through a hydrogen bond, as seen here. Incapability of hydrogen-bonding with canonical proline-containing sorting signals likely contributes to class E substrate specificity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that surface anchoring of proteins involved in aerial hyphae formation requires an N-terminal segment in SrtE1 that is presumably positioned within the cytoplasm. Combined, our results reveal unique features within class E enzymes that enable them to recognize distinct sorting signals, and could facilitate the development of substrate-based inhibitors of this important enzyme family.« less

Trajectory Classes of Body Mass Index in a Representative Elderly Community Sample

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background. It is unclear whether distinct weight-related trajectory classes, differing in course, demographics, and health characteristics, exist in the elderly population. Methods. Data came from the 10-year (1986–1996) Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly study of 3,861 black (54%) and white (46%) participants aged 65–105 years. Latent-class trajectories of body mass index (BMI: kg/m2) based on self-reported weight and height at baseline, 3, 6, and 10 years later were determined using generalized mixture models. Polytomous logistic regression was used to identify baseline demographic and health characteristics that distinguished the trajectories, and 10-year postbaseline data to confirm the findings. Results. We identified three trajectories: normal weight (BMI ~24, 27.6% of the sample), overweight (BMI ~26, 65.1%), and obese (BMI ~31, 7.3%). Demographic characteristics distinguished the three trajectories: highest odds of blacks, women, and less education in the obese trajectory, lowest in the normal-weight trajectory. Obese and overweight differed adversely from normal-weight trajectories, but not significantly from each other on cognitive impairment, hypertension, and diabetes. Depressive symptomatology was more prevalent in the obese; they were also younger. There was no association with cancer or heart disease. Conclusion. Distinct trajectories and course of BMI were present in this older population. Weight loss increased with increase in BMI class. Although demographic characteristics distinguished all trajectory classes, adverse health characteristics distinguished the overweight and obese classes from the normal-weight class, but not from each other. Problems associated with education and health are present at study entry and should be addressed earlier in life. PMID:23089335

Application of Latent Class Analysis to Identify Behavioral Patterns of Response to Behavioral Lifestyle Interventions in Overweight and Obese Adults

PubMed Central

Fitzpatrick, Stephanie L.; Coughlin, Janelle W.; Appel, Lawrence J.; Tyson, Crystal; Stevens, Victor J.; Jerome, Gerald J.; Dalcin, Arlene; Brantley, Phillip J.; Hill-Briggs, Felicia

2016-01-01

Background Examining responders and non-responders to behavioral lifestyle interventions among overweight/obese adults with additional comorbidities may aid in refining and tailoring obesity treatment. Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use of latent class analysis to identify patterns of response to behavioral lifestyle interventions based on adherence to diet and exercise recommendations. Method Repeated measures latent class analysis was applied to two clinical trial datasets, combination of two active interventions in the PREMIER Trial (n=501) and phase 1 of the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial (WLM; n=1685), to identify patterns of response to behavioral lifestyle interventions. Treatment response was based on adherence to daily recommendations for fruit/vegetable, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and exercise at baseline and 6 months. Results In PREMIER, three distinct latent classes emerged: responders (45.9 %), non-responders (23.6 %), and early adherers (30.5 %). Responders and Early Adherers had greater weight loss at 6 and 18 months and were more likely to meet behavioral recommendations at 18 months than Non-responders. For WLM, there were four latent classes: partial responders (16 %), non-responders (40 %), early adherers (2 %), and fruit/veggie only responders (41 %). Non-responders in WLM had significantly less weight loss at 6 months compared to that of the other three latent classes. Conclusion Latent class analysis is a useful method to apply to clinical trial data to identify distinct patterns of response to behavioral interventions. Overweight/ obese participants who respond to behavioral lifestyle treatment (i.e., meet behavioral recommendations) have significantly greater weight loss than that of participants who do not make behavioral changes. PMID:25331853

Application of Latent Class Analysis to Identify Behavioral Patterns of Response to Behavioral Lifestyle Interventions in Overweight and Obese Adults.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Stephanie L; Coughlin, Janelle W; Appel, Lawrence J; Tyson, Crystal; Stevens, Victor J; Jerome, Gerald J; Dalcin, Arlene; Brantley, Phillip J; Hill-Briggs, Felicia

2015-08-01

Examining responders and non-responders to behavioral lifestyle interventions among overweight/obese adults with additional comorbidities may aid in refining and tailoring obesity treatment. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use of latent class analysis to identify patterns of response to behavioral lifestyle interventions based on adherence to diet and exercise recommendations. Repeated measures latent class analysis was applied to two clinical trial datasets, combination of two active interventions in the PREMIER Trial (n = 501) and phase 1 of the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial (WLM; n = 1685), to identify patterns of response to behavioral lifestyle interventions. Treatment response was based on adherence to daily recommendations for fruit/vegetable, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and exercise at baseline and 6 months. In PREMIER, three distinct latent classes emerged: responders (45.9%), non-responders (23.6%), and early adherers (30.5%). Responders and Early Adherers had greater weight loss at 6 and 18 months and were more likely to meet behavioral recommendations at 18 months than Non-responders. For WLM, there were four latent classes: partial responders (16%), non-responders (40%), early adherers (2%), and fruit/veggie only responders (41%). Non-responders in WLM had significantly less weight loss at 6 months compared to that of the other three latent classes. Latent class analysis is a useful method to apply to clinical trial data to identify distinct patterns of response to behavioral interventions. Overweight/ obese participants who respond to behavioral lifestyle treatment (i.e., meet behavioral recommendations) have significantly greater weight loss than that of participants who do not make behavioral changes.

Sensitizing Tb(III) and Eu(III) emission with triarylboron functionalized 1,3-diketonato ligands.

PubMed

Smith, Larissa F; Blight, Barry A; Park, Hee-Jun; Wang, Suning

2014-08-04

Four BMes2Ar (Mes = mesityl, Ar = phenyl or duryl) functionalized 1,3-diketonato ligands have been investigated for use in selective sensitization of Tb(III) and Eu(III) emission. These ligands have the general formula of [R1C(O)CR2C(O)R3](-) (R1 = Ph, R2 = H, R3 = p-Ph-BMes2, L1; R1 = R3 = p-Ph-BMes2, R2 = H, L2; R1 = R3 = Me, R2 = p-Ph-BMes2, L3; R1 = R3 = Me, R2 = p-duryl-BMes2, L4) and belong to class I (L1 and L2) and class II (L3 and L4), respectively. In class I, the boron unit is conjugated with the phenyl linker and the diketone backbone, while in class II, the boron unit, the linker unit, and the diketone unit are nonconjugated with a mutually orthogonal arrangement. To understand the impact of the location of the BMes2Ar unit on the electronic properties of the 1,3-diketone molecules and their ability in activating lanthanide emission, the difluoroboron chelate compounds (1-BF2 to 4-BF2) of ligands L1-L4 were synthesized and examined. The class I ligands were effective in activating Eu(III) emission, while the class II ligands were effective in activating Tb(III) emission. Four Ln(III) complexes, 1Eu, 2Eu, 3Tb, and 4Tb, based on the L1-L4 ligands, respectively, were prepared and examined. The emission quantum efficiency of 1Eu and 2Eu is low (Φ(Eu) ≤ 0.01 in THF, 0.07-0.13 in the solid state), but can be greatly enhanced by the addition of fluoride ions. In contrast, the complex 4Tb has a moderate emission efficiency (Φ(Tb) = 0.14 in THF, 0.47 in the solid state) and experiences a distinct emission quenching upon the addition of fluoride. The selective sensitization of Eu(III) and Tb(III) by L1-L4 and the distinct luminescent response of their Ln(III) complexes toward fluoride ions are caused by the distinct intraligand charge transfer transitions of the two different classes of ligands involving the BMes2 unit.

Comprehensive Morpho-Electrotonic Analysis Shows 2 Distinct Classes of L2 and L3 Pyramidal Neurons in Human Temporal Cortex

PubMed Central

Deitcher, Yair; Eyal, Guy; Kanari, Lida; Verhoog, Matthijs B; Atenekeng Kahou, Guy Antoine; Mansvelder, Huibert D; de Kock, Christiaan P J; Segev, Idan

2017-01-01

Abstract There have been few quantitative characterizations of the morphological, biophysical, and cable properties of neurons in the human neocortex. We employed feature-based statistical methods on a rare data set of 60 3D reconstructed pyramidal neurons from L2 and L3 in the human temporal cortex (HL2/L3 PCs) removed after brain surgery. Of these cells, 25 neurons were also characterized physiologically. Thirty-two morphological features were analyzed (e.g., dendritic surface area, 36 333 ± 18 157 μm2; number of basal trees, 5.55 ± 1.47; dendritic diameter, 0.76 ± 0.28 μm). Eighteen features showed a significant gradual increase with depth from the pia (e.g., dendritic length and soma radius). The other features showed weak or no correlation with depth (e.g., dendritic diameter). The basal dendritic terminals in HL2/L3 PCs are particularly elongated, enabling multiple nonlinear processing units in these dendrites. Unlike the morphological features, the active biophysical features (e.g., spike shapes and rates) and passive/cable features (e.g., somatic input resistance, 47.68 ± 15.26 MΩ, membrane time constant, 12.03 ± 1.79 ms, average dendritic cable length, 0.99 ± 0.24) were depth-independent. A novel descriptor for apical dendritic topology yielded 2 distinct classes, termed hereby as “slim-tufted” and “profuse-tufted” HL2/L3 PCs; the latter class tends to fire at higher rates. Thus, our morpho-electrotonic analysis shows 2 distinct classes of HL2/L3 PCs. PMID:28968789

Long-Term Exposure to Ozone and Life Expectancy in the United States, 2002 to 2008

PubMed Central

Li, Chaoyang; Balluz, Lina S.; Vaidyanathan, Ambarish; Wen, Xiao-Jun; Hao, Yongping; Qualters, Judith R.

2016-01-01

Abstract Long-term exposure to ground-level ozone is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The association remains uncertain between long-term exposure to ozone and life expectancy. We assessed the associations between seasonal mean daily 8-hour maximum (8-hr max) ozone concentrations measured during the ozone monitoring seasons and life expectancy at birth in 3109 counties of the conterminous U.S. during 2002 to 2008. We used latent class growth analysis to identify latent classes of counties that had distinct mean levels and rates of change in ozone concentrations over the 7-year period and used linear regression analysis to determine differences in life expectancy by ozone levels. We identified 3 classes of counties with distinct seasonal mean daily 8-hr max ozone concentrations and rates of change. When compared with the counties with the lowest ozone concentrations, the counties with the highest ozone concentrations had 1.7- and 1.4-year lower mean life expectancy in males and females (both P < 0.0001), respectively. The associations remained statistically significant after controlling for potential confounding effects of seasonal mean PM2.5 concentrations and other selected environmental, demographic, socio-economic, and health-related factors (both P < 0.0001). A 5 ppb higher ozone concentration was associated with 0.25 year lower life expectancy in males (95% CI: −0.30 to −0.19) and 0.21 year in females (95% CI: −0.25 to −0.17). We identified 3 classes of counties with distinct mean levels and rates of change in ozone concentrations. Our findings suggest that long-term exposure to a higher ozone concentration may be associated with a lower life expectancy. PMID:26886595

Hierarchical, quantitative biogeographic provinces for all North American turtles and their contribution to the biogeography of turtles and the continent

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ennen, Joshua R.; Matamoros, Wilfredo A.; Agha, Mickey; Lovich, Jeffrey E.; Sweat, Sarah C.; Hoagstrom, Christopher W.

2017-01-01

Our study represents the first attempt to describe biogeographic provinces for North American (México, United States, and Canada) turtles. We analyzed three nested data sets separately: (1) all turtles, (2) freshwater turtles, and (3) aquatic turtles. We georeferenced North American turtle distributions, then we created presence–absence matrices for each of the three data sets. We used watershed unit as biogeographic units. We conducted an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean clustering analysis on each Jaccard index distance matrix from our watershed species matrices to delineate biogeographic provinces. Provinces were then tested for significant differences in species compositions in a global model with the use of a one-way analysis of similarity. We conducted a best subset of environmental variables with maximum (rank) correlation with community dissimilarities that determined the best model of abiotic variables explaining province delineation (i.e., climate, topography, and stream channel). To identify which species contributed the most to province delineations, we conducted an indicator species analysis and a similarity-percentage analysis. There were 16 all-turtle provinces, 15 freshwater provinces, and 13 aquatic provinces. Species compositions delineating the provinces were explained by abiotic variables, including mean annual precipitation, mean precipitation seasonality, and diversity of streams. Province delineations correspond closely with geographical boundaries, many of which have Pleistocene origins. For example, rivers with a history of carrying glacial runoff (e.g., Arkansas, Mississippi) sometimes dissect upland provinces, especially for aquatic and semiaquatic turtles. Compared with freshwater fishes, turtles show greater sensitivity to decreased temperature with restriction of most taxa south of the last permafrost maximum. Turtles also exhibit higher sensitivity to climatic, geomorphic, and tectonic instability, with richness and endemism concentrated along the more stable Gulf of México and Atlantic (south of the last permafrost maximum) coasts. Although distribution data indicate two aquatic turtles are most cold tolerant (i.e., Chrysemys picta, Chelydra serpentina), aquatic turtles overall show the most restriction to warmer, wetter climates. Sequential addition of semiaquatic and terrestrial turtles into analyses shows, as expected, that these taxa flesh out turtle faunas in climatically harsh (e.g., grasslands) or remote (e.g., California, Sonoran Desert) regions. The turtle assemblages of southwestern versus southeastern North America are distinct. But there is a transition zone across the semiarid plains of the Texas Gulf Coast, High Plains, and Chihuahuan Desert, including a strong boundary congruent with the Cochise Filter-Barrier. This is not a simple subdivision of Neotropical versus Nearctic taxa, as some lineages from both realms span the transition zone.

Molecular basis for allosteric specificity regulation in class Ia ribonucleotide reductase from Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

Zimanyi, Christina M; Chen, Percival Yang-Ting; Kang, Gyunghoon; Funk, Michael A; Drennan, Catherine L

2016-01-01

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) converts ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides, a reaction that is essential for DNA biosynthesis and repair. This enzyme is responsible for reducing all four ribonucleotide substrates, with specificity regulated by the binding of an effector to a distal allosteric site. In all characterized RNRs, the binding of effector dATP alters the active site to select for pyrimidines over purines, whereas effectors dGTP and TTP select for substrates ADP and GDP, respectively. Here, we have determined structures of Escherichia coli class Ia RNR with all four substrate/specificity effector-pairs bound (CDP/dATP, UDP/dATP, ADP/dGTP, GDP/TTP) that reveal the conformational rearrangements responsible for this remarkable allostery. These structures delineate how RNR ‘reads’ the base of each effector and communicates substrate preference to the active site by forming differential hydrogen bonds, thereby maintaining the proper balance of deoxynucleotides in the cell. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07141.001 PMID:26754917

Time-Based Loss in Visual Short-Term Memory is from Trace Decay, not Temporal Distinctiveness

PubMed Central

Ricker, Timothy J.; Spiegel, Lauren R.; Cowan, Nelson

2014-01-01

There is no consensus as to why forgetting occurs in short-term memory tasks. In past work, we have shown that forgetting occurs with the passage of time, but there are two classes of theories that can explain this effect. In the present work, we investigate the reason for time-based forgetting by contrasting the predictions of temporal distinctiveness and trace decay in the procedure in which we have observed such loss, involving memory for arrays of characters or letters across several seconds. The first theory, temporal distinctiveness, predicts that increasing the amount of time between trials will lead to less proactive interference, resulting in less forgetting across a retention interval. In the second theory, trace decay, temporal distinctiveness between trials is irrelevant to the loss over a retention interval. Using visual array change detection tasks in four experiments, we find small proactive interference effects on performance under some specific conditions, but no concomitant change in the effect of a retention interval. We conclude that trace decay is the more suitable class of explanations of the time-based forgetting in short-term memory that we have observed, and we suggest the need for further clarity in what the exact basis of that decay may be. PMID:24884646

Phreatophytic land-cover map of the northern and central Great Basin Ecoregion: California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mathie, Amy M.; Welborn, Toby L.; Susong, David D.; Tumbusch, Mary L.

2011-01-01

Increasing water use and changing climate in the Great Basin of the western United States are likely affecting the distribution of phreatophytic vegetation in the region. Phreatophytic plant communities that depend on groundwater are susceptible to natural and anthropogenic changes to hydrologic flow systems. The purpose of this report is to document the methods used to create the accompanying map that delineates areas of the Great Basin that have the greatest potential to support phreatophytic vegetation. Several data sets were used to develop the data displayed on the map, including Shrub Map (a land-cover data set derived from the Regional Gap Analysis Program) and Gap Analysis Program (GAP) data sets for California and Wyoming. In addition, the analysis used the surface landforms from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Global Ecosystems Mapping Project data to delineate regions of the study area based on topographic relief that are most favorable to support phreatophytic vegetation. Using spatial analysis techniques in a GIS, phreatophytic vegetation classes identified within Shrub Map and GAP were selected and compared to the spatial distribution of selected landforms in the study area to delineate areas of phreatophyte vegetation. Results were compared to more detailed studies conducted in selected areas. A general qualitative description of the data and the limitations of the base data determined that these results provide a regional overview but are not intended for localized studies or as a substitute for detailed field analysis. The map is intended as a decision-support aide for land managers to better understand, anticipate, and respond to ecosystem changes in the Great Basin.

Phylogeographic Patterns in Africa and High Resolution Delineation of Genetic Clades in the Lion (Panthera leo)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertola, L. D.; Jongbloed, H.; van der Gaag, K. J.; de Knijff, P.; Yamaguchi, N.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Bauer, H.; Henschel, P.; White, P. A.; Driscoll, C. A.; Tende, T.; Ottosson, U.; Saidu, Y.; Vrieling, K.; de Iongh, H. H.

2016-08-01

Comparative phylogeography of African savannah mammals shows a congruent pattern in which populations in West/Central Africa are distinct from populations in East/Southern Africa. However, for the lion, all African populations are currently classified as a single subspecies (Panthera leo leo), while the only remaining population in Asia is considered to be distinct (Panthera leo persica). This distinction is disputed both by morphological and genetic data. In this study we introduce the lion as a model for African phylogeography. Analyses of mtDNA sequences reveal six supported clades and a strongly supported ancestral dichotomy with northern populations (West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa/Asia) on one branch, and southern populations (North East Africa, East/Southern Africa and South West Africa) on the other. We review taxonomies and phylogenies of other large savannah mammals, illustrating that similar clades are found in other species. The described phylogeographic pattern is considered in relation to large scale environmental changes in Africa over the past 300,000 years, attributable to climate. Refugial areas, predicted by climate envelope models, further confirm the observed pattern. We support the revision of current lion taxonomy, as recognition of a northern and a southern subspecies is more parsimonious with the evolutionary history of the lion.

Phylogeographic Patterns in Africa and High Resolution Delineation of Genetic Clades in the Lion (Panthera leo).

PubMed

Bertola, L D; Jongbloed, H; van der Gaag, K J; de Knijff, P; Yamaguchi, N; Hooghiemstra, H; Bauer, H; Henschel, P; White, P A; Driscoll, C A; Tende, T; Ottosson, U; Saidu, Y; Vrieling, K; de Iongh, H H

2016-08-04

Comparative phylogeography of African savannah mammals shows a congruent pattern in which populations in West/Central Africa are distinct from populations in East/Southern Africa. However, for the lion, all African populations are currently classified as a single subspecies (Panthera leo leo), while the only remaining population in Asia is considered to be distinct (Panthera leo persica). This distinction is disputed both by morphological and genetic data. In this study we introduce the lion as a model for African phylogeography. Analyses of mtDNA sequences reveal six supported clades and a strongly supported ancestral dichotomy with northern populations (West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa/Asia) on one branch, and southern populations (North East Africa, East/Southern Africa and South West Africa) on the other. We review taxonomies and phylogenies of other large savannah mammals, illustrating that similar clades are found in other species. The described phylogeographic pattern is considered in relation to large scale environmental changes in Africa over the past 300,000 years, attributable to climate. Refugial areas, predicted by climate envelope models, further confirm the observed pattern. We support the revision of current lion taxonomy, as recognition of a northern and a southern subspecies is more parsimonious with the evolutionary history of the lion.

Phylogeographic Patterns in Africa and High Resolution Delineation of Genetic Clades in the Lion (Panthera leo)

PubMed Central

Bertola, L. D.; Jongbloed, H.; van der Gaag, K. J.; de Knijff, P.; Yamaguchi, N.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Bauer, H.; Henschel, P.; White, P. A.; Driscoll, C. A.; Tende, T.; Ottosson, U.; Saidu, Y.; Vrieling, K.; de Iongh, H. H.

2016-01-01

Comparative phylogeography of African savannah mammals shows a congruent pattern in which populations in West/Central Africa are distinct from populations in East/Southern Africa. However, for the lion, all African populations are currently classified as a single subspecies (Panthera leo leo), while the only remaining population in Asia is considered to be distinct (Panthera leo persica). This distinction is disputed both by morphological and genetic data. In this study we introduce the lion as a model for African phylogeography. Analyses of mtDNA sequences reveal six supported clades and a strongly supported ancestral dichotomy with northern populations (West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa/Asia) on one branch, and southern populations (North East Africa, East/Southern Africa and South West Africa) on the other. We review taxonomies and phylogenies of other large savannah mammals, illustrating that similar clades are found in other species. The described phylogeographic pattern is considered in relation to large scale environmental changes in Africa over the past 300,000 years, attributable to climate. Refugial areas, predicted by climate envelope models, further confirm the observed pattern. We support the revision of current lion taxonomy, as recognition of a northern and a southern subspecies is more parsimonious with the evolutionary history of the lion. PMID:27488946

Classifying distinct basal cell carcinoma subtype by means of dermatoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy.

PubMed

Longo, Caterina; Lallas, Aimilios; Kyrgidis, Athanassios; Rabinovitz, Harold; Moscarella, Elvira; Ciardo, Silvana; Zalaudek, Iris; Oliviero, Margaret; Losi, Amanda; Gonzalez, Salvador; Guitera, Pascale; Piana, Simonetta; Argenziano, Giuseppe; Pellacani, Giovanni

2014-10-01

The current guidelines for the management of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) suggest a different therapeutic approach according to histopathologic subtype. Although dermatoscopic and confocal criteria of BCC have been investigated, no specific studies were performed to evaluate the distinct reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) aspects of BCC subtypes. To define the specific dermatoscopic and confocal criteria for delineating different BCC subtypes. Dermatoscopic and confocal images of histopathologically confirmed BCCs were retrospectively evaluated for the presence of predefined criteria. Frequencies of dermatoscopic and confocal parameters are provided. Univariate and adjusted odds ratios were calculated. Discriminant analyses were performed to define the independent confocal criteria for distinct BCC subtypes. Eighty-eight BCCs were included. Dermatoscopically, superficial BCCs (n=44) were primarily typified by the presence of fine telangiectasia, multiple erosions, leaf-like structures, and revealed cords connected to the epidermis and epidermal streaming upon RCM. Nodular BCCs (n=22) featured the classic dermatoscopic features and well outlined large basaloid islands upon RCM. Infiltrative BCCs (n=22) featured structureless, shiny red areas, fine telangiectasia, and arborizing vessels on dermatoscopy and dark silhouettes upon RCM. The retrospective design. Dermatoscopy and confocal microscopy can reliably classify different BCC subtypes. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Half a century of research on Garner interference and the separability-integrality distinction.

PubMed

Algom, Daniel; Fitousi, Daniel

2016-12-01

Research in the allied domains of selective attention and perceptual independence has made great advances over the past 5 decades ensuing from the foundational ideas and research conceived by Wendell R. Garner. In particular, Garner's speeded classification paradigm has received considerable attention in psychology. The paradigm is widely used to inform research and theory in various domains of cognitive science. It was Garner who provided the consensual definition of the separable-integral partition of stimulus dimensions, delineating a set of converging operations sustaining the distinction. This distinction is a pillar of today's cognitive science. We review the key ideas, definitions, and findings along 2 paths of the evolution of Garnerian research: selective attention, with a focus on Garner interference and its relation to the Stroop effect, and divided attention, with focus on perceptual independence gauged by multivariate models of perception. The review tracks developments in a roughly chronological order. Our review is also integrative as we follow the evolution of a set of nascent ideas into the vast multifaceted enterprise that they comprise today. Finally, the review is also critical as we highlight problems, inconsistencies, and deviations from original intent in the various studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Sexual Health and Positive Subjective Well-Being in Partnered Older Men and Women

PubMed Central

Vanhoutte, Bram; Nazroo, James; Pendleton, Neil

2016-01-01

Objectives: We examine the associations between different patterns of sexual behavior and function and three indicators of subjective well-being (SWB) covering eudemonic, evaluative, and affective well-being in a representative sample of partnered older people. Method: Using data from a Sexual Relationships and Activities Questionnaire (SRA-Q) in Wave 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, latent class analysis identified groups characterized by distinctive patterns of sexual behavior and function and then examined their link to SWB. Eudemonic SWB was measured using a revised 15-item version of the CASP-19, evaluative SWB using the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and affective SWB using the 8-item version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. Results: Sexual behavior and function was best described by six classes among men and five classes among women. These ranged from high sexual desire, frequent partnered sexual activities, and few sexual problems (Class 1) to low sexual desire, infrequent/no sexual activity, and problems with sexual function (Class 5[women]/6[men]). Men and women who reported either infrequent/no sexual activity, or were sexually active but reported sexual problems, generally had lower SWB than those individuals identified in Class 1. Poorer SWB in men was more strongly associated with sexual function difficulties, whereas in women desire and frequency of partnered activities appeared more important in relation to SWB. Discussion: Within the context of a partnered relationship continuing sexual desire, activity and functioning are associated with higher SWB, with distinctive patterns for women and men. PMID:26993519

Physiological and structural differences in spatially distinct subpopulations of cardiac mitochondria: influence of cardiac pathologies

PubMed Central

Thapa, Dharendra; Shepherd, Danielle L.

2014-01-01

Cardiac tissue contains discrete pools of mitochondria that are characterized by their subcellular spatial arrangement. Subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM) exist below the cell membrane, interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM) reside in rows between the myofibrils, and perinuclear mitochondria are situated at the nuclear poles. Microstructural imaging of heart tissue coupled with the development of differential isolation techniques designed to sequentially separate spatially distinct mitochondrial subpopulations have revealed differences in morphological features including shape, absolute size, and internal cristae arrangement. These findings have been complemented by functional studies indicating differences in biochemical parameters and, potentially, functional roles for the ATP generated, based upon subcellular location. Consequently, mitochondrial subpopulations appear to be influenced differently during cardiac pathologies including ischemia/reperfusion, heart failure, aging, exercise, and diabetes mellitus. These influences may be the result of specific structural and functional disparities between mitochondrial subpopulations such that the stress elicited by a given cardiac insult differentially impacts subcellular locales and the mitochondria contained within. The goal of this review is to highlight some of the inherent structural and functional differences that exist between spatially distinct cardiac mitochondrial subpopulations as well as provide an overview of the differential impact of various cardiac pathologies on spatially distinct mitochondrial subpopulations. As an outcome, we will instill a basis for incorporating subcellular spatial location when evaluating the impact of cardiac pathologies on the mitochondrion. Incorporation of subcellular spatial location may offer the greatest potential for delineating the influence of cardiac pathology on this critical organelle. PMID:24778166

Description of textures by a structural analysis.

PubMed

Tomita, F; Shirai, Y; Tsuji, S

1982-02-01

A structural analysis system for describing natural textures is introduced. The analyzer automatically extracts the texture elements in an input image, measures their properties, classifies them into some distinctive classes (one ``ground'' class and some ``figure'' classes), and computes the distributions of the gray level, the shape, and the placement of the texture elements in each class. These descriptions are used for classification of texture images. An analysis-by-synthesis method for evaluating texture analyzers is also presented. We propose a synthesizer which generates a texture image based on the descriptions. By comparing the reconstructed image with the original one, we can see what information is preserved and what is lost in the descriptions.

Medical intelligence, security and global health: the foundations of a new health agenda.

PubMed

Bowsher, G; Milner, C; Sullivan, R

2016-07-01

Medical intelligence, security and global health are distinct fields that often overlap, especially as the drive towards a global health security agenda gathers pace. Here, we outline some of the ways in which this has happened in the recent past during the recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa and in the killing of Osama Bin laden by US intelligence services. We evaluate medical intelligence and the role it can play in global health security; we also attempt to define a framework that illustrates how medical intelligence can be incorporated into foreign policy action in order delineate the boundaries and scope of this growing field. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

Phacomatosis pigmentokeratotica: another epidermal nevus syndrome and a distinctive type of twin spotting.

PubMed

Boente, M C; Pizzi de Parra, N; Larralde de Luna, M; Bonet, H B; Santos Muñoz, A; Parra, V; Gramajo, P; Moreno, S; Asial, R A

2000-01-01

The name epidermal nevus syndrome could be applied to a group of clinically and histopathologically different entities as has been pointed out by Happle. Phacomatosis pigmentokeratotica is a further type of epidermal nevus syndrome distinguished by the presence of a sebaceous nevus and a contralateral speckled lentiginous nevus of the papular type, associated with skeletal or neurological abnormalities. Three new cases of this recently delineated syndrome are presented. A common origin may account for the temporal and spatial relationship between the epidermal and the speckled lentiginous nevus. The concept of melanocytic-epidermal twin spotting similar to the interpretation of vascular twin spotting could explain the pathogenesis of this entity.

Evolving molecular era of childhood medulloblastoma: time to revisit therapy.

PubMed

Khatua, Soumen

2016-01-01

Currently medulloblastoma is treated with a uniform therapeutic approach based on histopathology and clinico-radiological risk stratification, resulting in unpredictable treatment failure and relapses. Improved understanding of the biological, molecular and genetic make-up of these tumors now clearly identifies it as a compendium of four distinct subtypes (WNT, SHH, group 3 and 4). Advances in utilization of the genomic and epigenomic machinery have now delineated genetic aberrations and epigenetic perturbations in each subgroup as potential druggable targets. This has resulted in endeavors to profile targeted therapy. The challenge and future of medulloblastoma therapeutics will be to keep pace with the evolving novel biological insights and translating them into optimal targeted treatment regimens.

Primary Prevention Is? A Global Perspective on How Organizations Engaging Men in Preventing Gender-Based Violence Conceptualize and Operationalize Their Work.

PubMed

Storer, Heather L; Casey, Erin A; Carlson, Juliana; Edleson, Jeffrey L; Tolman, Richard M

2016-02-01

Engaging men in addressing violence against women (VAW) has become a strategy in the global prevention of gender-based violence. Concurrently, Western public health frameworks have been utilized to guide prevention agendas worldwide. Using qualitative methods, this study describes how global anti-violence organizations that partner with men conceptualize primary prevention in their work. Findings suggest that "primary prevention" is not a fixed term in the context of VAW and that front-line prevention work challenges rigidly delineated distinctions between levels of prevention. Much can be learned from global organizations' unique and contextualized approaches to the prevention of VAW. © The Author(s) 2015.

PRIMARY PREVENTION IS? A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ON HOW ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGING MEN IN PREVENTING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CONCEPTUALIZE AND OPERATIONALIZE THEIR WORK

PubMed Central

Storer, Heather L.; Casey, Erin A.; Carlson, Juliana; Edleson, Jeffrey L.; Tolman, Richard M.

2014-01-01

Engaging men in addressing violence against women (VAW) has become a strategy in the global prevention of gender-based violence. Concurrently, Western public health frameworks have been utilized to guide prevention agendas worldwide. Using qualitative methods, this study describes how global anti-violence organizations that partner with men conceptualize primary prevention in their work. Findings suggest that ‘primary prevention’ is not a fixed term in the context of VAW and that front-line prevention work challenges rigidly delineated distinctions between levels of prevention. Much can be learned from global organizations’ unique and contextualized approaches to the prevention of VAW. PMID:26333283

Wound Care Nursing: Professional Issues and Opportunities

PubMed Central

Corbett, Lisa Q.

2012-01-01

As the field of wound care advances and seeks validity as a distinctive healthcare specialty, it becomes imperative to define practice competencies for all related professionals in the arena. As such, the myriad nurses practicing wound care in settings across the continuum should be understood for their unique contribution to the wound care team. Furthermore, the hierarchy of wound care nursing with varying levels of licensure, certification, and scope of practice can be clarified to delineate leadership and reimbursement issues to meet current health care challenges. A review of the role of nursing in wound care from a historical and evolutionary perspective helps to characterize the trend towards advanced practice nursing in the wound care specialty. PMID:24527304

Life-history chronicle for a patient with the recently described chromosome 4q21 microdeletion syndrome.

PubMed

Tsang, Erica; Rupps, Rosemarie; McGillivray, Barbara; Eydoux, Patrice; Marra, Marco; Arbour, Laura; Langlois, Sylvie; Friedman, Jan M; Zahir, Farah R

2012-10-01

[Bonnet et al. (2010); J Med Genet 47: 377-384] recently suggested a 4q21 microdeletion syndrome with several common features, including severe intellectual disability, lack of speech, hypotonia, significant growth restriction, and distinctive facial features. Overlap of the deleted regions of 13 patients, including a patient we previously reported, delineates a critical region, with PRKG2 and RASGEF1B emerging as candidate genes. Here we provide a detailed clinical report and photographic life history of our previously reported patient. Previous case reports of this new syndrome have not described the prognosis or natural history of these patients. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Framework for Empirical Discovery.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-24

history of science reveal distinct classes of defined terms. Some systems have focused on one subset of these classes, while other programs have...the operators in detail, presenting examples of each from the history of science . 2.1 Defining Numeric Terms The most obvious operator for defining...laws; they can also simplify the process of discovering such laws. Let us consider some examples from the history of science in which the definition of

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

Alkaline volcanic rocks from the Columbia Hills, Gusev crater, Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

McSween, H.Y.; Ruff, S.W.; Morris, R.V.; Bell, J.F.; Herkenhoff, K.; Gellert, Ralf; Stockstill, K.R.; Tornabene, L.L.; Squyres, S. W.; Crisp, J.A.; Christensen, P.R.; McCoy, T.J.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Schmidt, M.

2006-01-01

Irvine, Backstay, and Wishstone are the type specimens for three classes of fine-grained or fragmental, relatively unaltered rocks with distinctive thermal emission spectra, found as float on the flanks of the Columbia Hills. Chemical analyses indicate that these rocks are mildly alkaline basalt, trachybasalt, and tephrite, respectively. Their mineralogy consists of Na- and K-rich feldspar(s), low- and high-Ca pyroxenes, ferroan olivine, Fe-Ti (and possibly Cr) oxides, phosphate, and possibly glass. The texture of Wishstone is consistent with a pyroclastic origin, whereas Irvine and Backstay are lavas or possibly dike rocks. Chemical compositions of these rocks plot on or near liquid lines of descent for most elements calculated for Adirondack class rocks (olivine-rich basalts from the Gusev plains) at various pressures from 0.1 to 1.0 GPa. We infer that Wishstone-, Backstay-, and Irvine-class magmas may have formed by fractionation of primitive, oxidized basaltic magma similar to Adirondack-class rocks. The compositions of all these rocks reveal that the Gusev magmatic province is alkaline, distinct from the subalkaline volcanic rocks thought to dominate most of the planet's surface. The fact that differentiated volcanic rocks were not encountered on the plains prior to ascending Husband Hill may suggest a local magma source for volcanism beneath Gusev crater. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

How social-class stereotypes maintain inequality.

PubMed

Durante, Federica; Fiske, Susan T

2017-12-01

Social class stereotypes support inequality through various routes: ambivalent content, early appearance in children, achievement consequences, institutionalization in education, appearance in cross-class social encounters, and prevalence in the most unequal societies. Class-stereotype content is ambivalent, describing lower-SES people both negatively (less competent, less human, more objectified), and sometimes positively, perhaps warmer than upper-SES people. Children acquire the wealth aspects of class stereotypes early, which become more nuanced with development. In school, class stereotypes advantage higher-SES students, and educational contexts institutionalize social-class distinctions. Beyond school, well-intentioned face-to-face encounters ironically draw on stereotypes to reinforce the alleged competence of higher-status people and sometimes the alleged warmth of lower-status people. Countries with more inequality show more of these ambivalent stereotypes of both lower-SES and higher-SES people. At a variety of levels and life stages, social-class stereotypes reinforce inequality, but constructive contact can undermine them; future efforts need to address high-status privilege and to query more heterogeneous samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying classes of persons with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning: a latent class analysis.

PubMed

Nouwens, Peter J G; Lucas, Rosanne; Smulders, Nienke B M; Embregts, Petri J C M; van Nieuwenhuizen, Chijs

2017-07-17

Persons with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning are often studied as a single group with similar characteristics. However, there are indications that differences exist within this population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify classes of persons with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning and to examine whether these classes are related to individual and/or environmental characteristics. Latent class analysis was performed using file data of 250 eligible participants with a mean age of 26.1 (SD 13.8, range 3-70) years. Five distinct classes of persons with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning were found. These classes significantly differed in individual and environmental characteristics. For example, persons with a mild intellectual disability experienced fewer problems than those with borderline intellectual disability. The identification of five classes implies that a differentiated approach is required towards persons with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning.

Processing companies' preferences for attributes of beef in Switzerland.

PubMed

Boesch, Irene

2014-01-01

The aim of this work was to assess processing companies' preferences for attributes of Swiss beef. To this end, qualitative interviews were used to derive product attributes that determine the buying decision. Through an adaptive-choice based conjoint analysis survey and latent class analysis of choice data, we compute class preferences. Results show that there are two distinct classes. A smaller class emphasizes traceability back to the birth farm and low producer price, a larger class focuses on environmental effects and origin. Additionally we see that larger companies are more price-sensitive and smaller companies are more sensitive to origin of the animals. The results outlined in this paper may be used to target market segments and to derive differentiation strategies based on product characteristics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social affiliation in same-class and cross-class interactions.

PubMed

Côté, Stéphane; Kraus, Michael W; Carpenter, Nichelle C; Piff, Paul K; Beermann, Ursula; Keltner, Dacher

2017-02-01

Historically high levels of economic inequality likely have important consequences for relationships between people of the same and different social class backgrounds. Here, we test the prediction that social affiliation among same-class partners is stronger at the extremes of the class spectrum, given that these groups are highly distinctive and most separated from others by institutional and economic forces. An internal meta-analysis of 4 studies (N = 723) provided support for this hypothesis. Participant and partner social class were interactively, rather than additively, associated with social affiliation, indexed by affiliative behaviors and emotions during structured laboratory interactions and in daily life. Further, response surface analyses revealed that paired upper or lower class partners generally affiliated more than average-class pairs. Analyses with separate class indices suggested that these patterns are driven more by parental income and subjective social class than by parental education. The findings illuminate the dynamics of same- and cross-class interactions, revealing that not all same-class interactions feature the same degree of affiliation. They also reveal the importance of studying social class from an intergroup perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

On the role of perception in shaping phonological assimilation rules.

PubMed

Hura, S L; Lindblom, B; Diehl, R L

1992-01-01

Assimilation of nasals to the place of articulation of following consonants is a common and natural process among the world's languages. Recent phonological theory attributes this naturalness to the postulated geometry of articulatory features and the notion of spreading (McCarthy, 1988). Others view assimilation as a result of perception (Ohala, 1990), or as perceptually tolerated articulatory simplification (Kohler, 1990). Kohler notes that certain consonant classes (such as nasals and stops) are more likely than other classes (such as fricatives) to undergo place assimilation to a following consonant. To explain this pattern, he proposes that assimilation tends not to occur when the members of a consonant class are relatively distinctive perceptually, such that their articulatory reduction would be particularly salient. This explanation, of course, presupposes that the stops and nasals which undergo place assimilation are less distinctive than fricatives, which tend not to assimilate. We report experimental results that confirm Kohler's perceptual assumption: In the context of a following word initial stop, fricatives were less confusable than nasals or unreleased stops. We conclude, in agreement with Ohala and Kohler, that perceptual factors are likely to shape phonological assimilation rules.

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

Delineating Facies Spatial Distribution by Integrating Ensemble Data Assimilation and Indicator Geostatistics with Level Set Transformation.

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

Hammond, Glenn Edward; Song, Xuehang; Ye, Ming

A new approach is developed to delineate the spatial distribution of discrete facies (geological units that have unique distributions of hydraulic, physical, and/or chemical properties) conditioned not only on direct data (measurements directly related to facies properties, e.g., grain size distribution obtained from borehole samples) but also on indirect data (observations indirectly related to facies distribution, e.g., hydraulic head and tracer concentration). Our method integrates for the first time ensemble data assimilation with traditional transition probability-based geostatistics. The concept of level set is introduced to build shape parameterization that allows transformation between discrete facies indicators and continuous random variables. Themore » spatial structure of different facies is simulated by indicator models using conditioning points selected adaptively during the iterative process of data assimilation. To evaluate the new method, a two-dimensional semi-synthetic example is designed to estimate the spatial distribution and permeability of two distinct facies from transient head data induced by pumping tests. The example demonstrates that our new method adequately captures the spatial pattern of facies distribution by imposing spatial continuity through conditioning points. The new method also reproduces the overall response in hydraulic head field with better accuracy compared to data assimilation with no constraints on spatial continuity on facies.« less

Molecular Recognition of Corticotropin releasing Factor by Its G protein-coupled Receptor CRFR1

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

Pioszak, Augen A.; Parker, Naomi R.; Suino-Powell, Kelly

2009-01-15

The bimolecular interaction between corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a neuropeptide, and its type 1 receptor (CRFR1), a class B G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is crucial for activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to stress, and has been a target of intense drug design for the treatment of anxiety, depression, and related disorders. As a class B GPCR, CRFR1 contains an N-terminal extracellular domain (ECD) that provides the primary ligand binding determinants. Here we present three crystal structures of the human CRFR1 ECD, one in a ligand-free form and two in distinct CRF-bound states. The CRFR1 ECD adopts the alpha-beta-betaalpha fold observedmore » for other class B GPCR ECDs, but the N-terminal alpha-helix is significantly shorter and does not contact CRF. CRF adopts a continuous alpha-helix that docks in a hydrophobic surface of the ECD that is distinct from the peptide-binding site of other class B GPCRs, thereby providing a basis for the specificity of ligand recognition between CRFR1 and other class B GPCRs. The binding of CRF is accompanied by clamp-like conformational changes of two loops of the receptor that anchor the CRF C terminus, including the C-terminal amide group. These structural studies provide a molecular framework for understanding peptide binding and specificity by the CRF receptors as well as a template for designing potent and selective CRFR1 antagonists for therapeutic applications.« less

Casting wider nets for anxiety and depression: disability-driven cross-diagnostic subtypes in a large cohort.

PubMed

Wanders, R B K; van Loo, H M; Vermunt, J K; Meijer, R R; Hartman, C A; Schoevers, R A; Wardenaar, K J; de Jonge, P

2016-12-01

In search of empirical classifications of depression and anxiety, most subtyping studies focus solely on symptoms and do so within a single disorder. This study aimed to identify and validate cross-diagnostic subtypes by simultaneously considering symptoms of depression and anxiety, and disability measures. A large cohort of adults (Lifelines, n = 73 403) had a full assessment of 16 symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders, and measurement of physical, social and occupational disability. The best-fitting subtyping model was identified by comparing different hybrid mixture models with and without disability covariates on fit criteria in an independent test sample. The best model's classes were compared across a range of external variables. The best-fitting Mixed Measurement Item Response Theory model with disability covariates identified five classes. Accounting for disability improved differentiation between people reporting isolated non-specific symptoms ['Somatic' (13.0%), and 'Worried' (14.0%)] and psychopathological symptoms ['Subclinical' (8.8%), and 'Clinical' (3.3%)]. Classes showed distinct associations with clinically relevant external variables [e.g. somatization: odds ratio (OR) 8.1-12.3, and chronic stress: OR 3.7-4.4]. The Subclinical class reported symptomatology at subthreshold levels while experiencing disability. No pure depression or anxiety, but only mixed classes were found. An empirical classification model, incorporating both symptoms and disability identified clearly distinct cross-diagnostic subtypes, indicating that diagnostic nets should be cast wider than current phenomenology-based categorical systems.

Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) and geodatabase for the Lower Missouri River Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chojnacki, Kimberly A.; Struckhoff, Matthew A.; Jacobson, Robert B.

2012-01-01

The Land Capacity Potential Index (LCPI) is a coarse-scale index intended to delineate broad land-capability classes in the Lower Missouri River valley bottom from the Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota to the mouth of the Missouri River near St. Louis, Missouri (river miles 811–0). The LCPI provides a systematic index of wetness potential and soil moisture-retention potential of the valley-bottom lands by combining the interactions among water-surface elevations, land-surface elevations, and the inherent moisture-retention capability of soils. A nine-class wetness index was generated by intersecting a digital elevation model for the valley bottom with sloping water-surface elevation planes derived from eight modeled discharges. The flow-recurrence index was then intersected with eight soil-drainage classes assigned to soils units in the digital Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database (Soil Survey Staff, 2010) to create a 72-class index of potential flow-recurrence and moisture-retention capability of Missouri River valley-bottom lands. The LCPI integrates the fundamental abiotic factors that determine long-term suitability of land for various uses, particularly those relating to vegetative communities and their associated values. Therefore, the LCPI provides a mechanism allowing planners, land managers, landowners, and other stakeholders to assess land-use capability based on the physical properties of the land, in order to guide future land-management decisions. This report documents data compilation for the LCPI in a revised and expanded, 72-class version for the Lower Missouri River valley bottom, and inclusion of additional soil attributes to allow users flexibility in exploring land capabilities.

Differential affinities of molindone, metoclopramide and domperidone for classes of [3H]spiroperidol binding sites in rat striatum: evidence for pharmacologically distinct classes of receptors.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, M R; Dvorkin, B; Klein, P N; Makman, M H

1982-03-04

Rat striatum contains two populations of dopaminergic [3H]spiroperidol binding sites. The two populations are similar in their affinities for chlorpromazine and dopamine. Only one population, that with a somewhat higher affinity for spiroperidol itself, exhibits high affinity for the selective D2 antagonists molindone, metoclopramide and domperidone. Hence, this population may represent D2 receptor sites. The other larger population may represent either a separate class of receptor sites or a different form of D2 receptor sites.

Social class, sense of control, and social explanation.

PubMed

Kraus, Michael W; Piff, Paul K; Keltner, Dacher

2009-12-01

Lower social class is associated with diminished resources and perceived subordinate rank. On the basis of this analysis, the authors predicted that social class would be closely associated with a reduced sense of personal control and that this association would explain why lower class individuals favor contextual over dispositional explanations of social events. Across 4 studies, lower social class individuals, as measured by subjective socioeconomic status (SES), endorsed contextual explanations of economic trends, broad social outcomes, and emotion. Across studies, the sense of control mediated the relation between subjective SES and contextual explanations, and this association was independent of objective SES, ethnicity, political ideology, and self-serving biases. Finally, experimentally inducing a higher sense of control attenuated the tendency for lower subjective SES individuals to make more contextual explanations (Study 4). Implications for future research on social class as well as theoretical distinctions between objective SES and subjective SES are discussed.

What a Difference a Day Makes: Differences in Initial Abstinence Response During a Smoking Cessation Attempt

PubMed Central

Piper, Megan E.; Vasilenko, Sara A.; Cook, Jessica W.; Lanza, Stephanie T.

2016-01-01

Aims To 1) identify distinct classes of smokers based on quit day withdrawal symptoms and 2) explore the relations between withdrawal classes and demographics, tobacco dependence, treatment, and smoking outcomes. Design Secondary data analysis of participants (N=1504) in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled multi-site smoking cessation trial who provided ecological momentary assessments of withdrawal symptoms on their quit day. Participants received smoking cessation counseling and were randomized to receive placebo or one of five active pharmacotherapies. Setting Research offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Participants Adult smokers (N=1236; 58% female, 86% white), recruited from the community via advertisements, who abstained on their quit day. Measurements Demographics and tobacco dependence were assessed at baseline and participants carried palmtop computers to record withdrawal symptoms (craving, negative affect, difficulty concentrating, hunger, and anhedonia) on their quit day. Point-prevalence abstinence and latency to relapse were assessed at Weeks 8 and 26. Findings Latent class analysis identified four withdrawal classes (AIC=70.09): Moderate Withdrawal (64% of sample), High Craving-Anhedonia (8% of sample), Affective Withdrawal (13% of sample) and Hunger (15% of sample). The High Craving-Anhedonia class reported significantly higher dependence (p<0.01), were less likely to have received combination nicotine replacement, reported lower Week 8 abstinence rates, and relapsed sooner than those in the Moderate Withdrawal class (p<0.05). The Affective Withdrawal class reported higher levels of baseline negative affect and lifetime psychopathology (p<0.05) and relapsed more quickly than the Moderate Withdrawal class (p<0.01). Conclusions While the majority of smokers report typical levels of withdrawal symptoms on their quit day, more than one-third report extreme craving or extreme negative affective or extreme hunger responses to initial abstinence. These distinct quit-day withdrawal symptom patterns are related to baseline characteristics, treatment, and cessation success. PMID:27633341

Molecular cloning and functional analysis of nine cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase family members in Populus tomentosa.

PubMed

Chao, Nan; Liu, Shu-Xin; Liu, Bing-Mei; Li, Ning; Jiang, Xiang-Ning; Gai, Ying

2014-11-01

Nine CAD/CAD-like genes in P. tomentosa were classified into four classes based on expression patterns, phylogenetic analysis and biochemical properties with modification for the previous claim of SAD. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) functions in monolignol biosynthesis and plays a critical role in wood development and defense. In this study, we isolated and cloned nine CAD/CAD-like genes in the Populus tomentosa genome. We investigated differential expression using microarray chips and found that PtoCAD1 was highly expressed in bud, root and vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) with the greatest expression in the root. Differential expression in tissues was demonstrated for PtoCAD3, PtoCAD6 and PtoCAD9. Biochemical analysis of purified PtoCADs in vitro indicated PtoCAD1, PtoCAD2 and PtoCAD8 had detectable activity against both coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde. PtoCAD1 used both substrates with high efficiency. PtoCAD2 showed no specific requirement for sinapaldehyde in spite of its high identity with so-called PtrSAD (sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase). In addition, the enzymatic activity of PtoCAD1 and PtoCAD2 was affected by temperature. We classified these nine CAD/CAD-like genes into four classes: class I included PtoCAD1, which was a bone fide CAD with the highest activity; class II included PtoCAD2, -5, -7, -8, which might function in monolignol biosynthesis and defense; class III genes included PtoCAD3, -6, -9, which have a distinct expression pattern; class IV included PtoCAD12, which has a distinct structure. These data suggest divergence of the PtoCADs and its homologs, related to their functions. We propose genes in class II are a subset of CAD genes that evolved before angiosperms appeared. These results suggest CAD/CAD-like genes in classes I and II play a role in monolignol biosynthesis and contribute to our knowledge of lignin biosynthesis in P. tomentosa.

Analysis of MASTER Thermal Data in the Greeley Area of the Front Range Urban Corridor, Colorado--Delineation of Sites for Infrastructure Resource Characterization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Livo, K. Eric; Watson, Ken

2002-01-01

Sand and soils southwest of Greeley, Colorado, were characterized for mineral composition and industrial quality. Radi-ance data from the thermal channels of the MASTER simulator were calibrated using estimated atmospheric parameters. Chan-nel emissivities were approximated using an estimated ground temperature. Subsequently, a decorrelation algorithm was used to calculate inverse wave emissivity images. Six soil classes, one vegetation class, water, and several small classes were defined using an unsupervised classification algorithm. Ground covered by each of the derived emissivity spectral classes was studied using color-infrared air photos, color-infrared composite MAS-TER data, geologic maps, NASA/JPL Airborne Visible and Infra-red Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, and field examination. Spectral classes were characterized by their responses and related to their mineral content through field examination. Classes with a minimum at channel 44, and having a similar spectral shape to quartz, field checked as containing abundant quartz. Classes with a minimum at channel 45, and having a spectral shape similar to the sheet minerals, were found in the field to contain abundant mica and clay. Sandy soil was found to have a positive slope at the longer wavelengths; the more clay rich soils had a negative slope. Spectra with a strong downturn at channel 50 generally indicated low vegetation cover, whereas an upturn indicated more vegetation cover. Mapping revealed a range of classified soils with varying amounts of quartz, silt, clay, and plant humus. Sand and gravel operations along the St. Vrain River, gravel lots, and some fields spectrally classified as quartz-rich sands were confirmed through field examination. Other fields mapped as sandy soils, ranging from quartz-rich sandy soil to quartz-rich silt-sand soil with clay. Flood plains mapped as sandy-silty-organic-rich clay. The city of Greeley contained all classes of materials, with the sand classes mapping as various types of asphalt. Abundant quartz gravel was apparent within the asphalt during field check-ing. The clay classes mapped silt-clay soils in areas of irrigated grass landscaping, some fields, and roofing materials.

Identifying elemental genomic track types and representing them uniformly

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background With the recent advances and availability of various high-throughput sequencing technologies, data on many molecular aspects, such as gene regulation, chromatin dynamics, and the three-dimensional organization of DNA, are rapidly being generated in an increasing number of laboratories. The variation in biological context, and the increasingly dispersed mode of data generation, imply a need for precise, interoperable and flexible representations of genomic features through formats that are easy to parse. A host of alternative formats are currently available and in use, complicating analysis and tool development. The issue of whether and how the multitude of formats reflects varying underlying characteristics of data has to our knowledge not previously been systematically treated. Results We here identify intrinsic distinctions between genomic features, and argue that the distinctions imply that a certain variation in the representation of features as genomic tracks is warranted. Four core informational properties of tracks are discussed: gaps, lengths, values and interconnections. From this we delineate fifteen generic track types. Based on the track type distinctions, we characterize major existing representational formats and find that the track types are not adequately supported by any single format. We also find, in contrast to the XML formats, that none of the existing tabular formats are conveniently extendable to support all track types. We thus propose two unified formats for track data, an improved XML format, BioXSD 1.1, and a new tabular format, GTrack 1.0. Conclusions The defined track types are shown to capture relevant distinctions between genomic annotation tracks, resulting in varying representational needs and analysis possibilities. The proposed formats, GTrack 1.0 and BioXSD 1.1, cater to the identified track distinctions and emphasize preciseness, flexibility and parsing convenience. PMID:22208806

Unraveling Synaptic GCaMP Signals: Differential Excitability and Clearance Mechanisms Underlying Distinct Ca2+ Dynamics in Tonic and Phasic Excitatory, and Aminergic Modulatory Motor Terminals in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Xing, Xiaomin

2018-01-01

Abstract GCaMP is an optogenetic Ca2+ sensor widely used for monitoring neuronal activities but the precise physiological implications of GCaMP signals remain to be further delineated among functionally distinct synapses. The Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ), a powerful genetic system for studying synaptic function and plasticity, consists of tonic and phasic glutamatergic and modulatory aminergic motor terminals of distinct properties. We report a first simultaneous imaging and electric recording study to directly contrast the frequency characteristics of GCaMP signals of the three synapses for physiological implications. Different GCaMP variants were applied in genetic and pharmacological perturbation experiments to examine the Ca2+ influx and clearance processes underlying the GCaMP signal. Distinct mutational and drug effects on GCaMP signals indicate differential roles of Na+ and K+ channels, encoded by genes including paralytic (para), Shaker (Sh), Shab, and ether-a-go-go (eag), in excitability control of different motor terminals. Moreover, the Ca2+ handling properties reflected by the characteristic frequency dependence of the synaptic GCaMP signals were determined to a large extent by differential capacity of mitochondria-powered Ca2+ clearance mechanisms. Simultaneous focal recordings of synaptic activities further revealed that GCaMPs were ineffective in tracking the rapid dynamics of Ca2+ influx that triggers transmitter release, especially during low-frequency activities, but more adequately reflected cytosolic residual Ca2+ accumulation, a major factor governing activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. These results highlight the vast range of GCaMP response patterns in functionally distinct synaptic types and provide relevant information for establishing basic guidelines for the physiological interpretations of presynaptic GCaMP signals from in situ imaging studies. PMID:29464198

Ionotropic and metabotropic mechanisms in chemoreception: 'chance or design'?

PubMed

Silbering, Ana Florencia; Benton, Richard

2010-03-01

Chemosensory receptors convert an enormous diversity of chemical signals from the external world into a common language of electrical activity in the brain. Mammals and insects use several families of transmembrane receptor proteins to recognize distinct classes of volatile and non-volatile chemicals that are produced by conspecifics or other environmental sources. A comparison of the signalling mechanisms of mammalian and insect receptors has revealed an unexpected functional distinction: mammals rely almost exclusively on metabotropic ligand-binding receptors, which use second messenger signalling cascades to indirectly activate ion channels, whereas insects use ionotropic receptors, which are gated directly by chemical stimuli, thereby leading to neuronal depolarization. In this review, we consider possible reasons for this dichotomy, taking into account biophysical, cell biological, ecological and evolutionary influences on how information is extracted from chemosensory cues by these animal classes.

Ionotropic and metabotropic mechanisms in chemoreception: ‘chance or design'?

PubMed Central

Silbering, Ana Florencia; Benton, Richard

2010-01-01

Chemosensory receptors convert an enormous diversity of chemical signals from the external world into a common language of electrical activity in the brain. Mammals and insects use several families of transmembrane receptor proteins to recognize distinct classes of volatile and non-volatile chemicals that are produced by conspecifics or other environmental sources. A comparison of the signalling mechanisms of mammalian and insect receptors has revealed an unexpected functional distinction: mammals rely almost exclusively on metabotropic ligand-binding receptors, which use second messenger signalling cascades to indirectly activate ion channels, whereas insects use ionotropic receptors, which are gated directly by chemical stimuli, thereby leading to neuronal depolarization. In this review, we consider possible reasons for this dichotomy, taking into account biophysical, cell biological, ecological and evolutionary influences on how information is extracted from chemosensory cues by these animal classes. PMID:20111052

Structural distinction of diacyl-, alkylacyl, and alk-1-enylacyl glycerophosphocholines as [M - 15]⁻ ions by multiple-stage linear ion-trap mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization.

PubMed

Hsu, Fong-Fu; Lodhi, Irfan J; Turk, John; Semenkovich, Clay F

2014-08-01

We describe a linear ion-trap (LIT) multiple-stage (MS(n)) mass spectrometric approach towards differentiation of alkylacyl, alk-1-enylacyl- and diacyl-glycerophoscholines (PCs) as the [M - 15]⁻ ions desorbed by electrospray ionization (ESI) in the negative-ion mode. The MS⁴ mass spectra of the [M - 15 - R²'CH = CO]⁻ ions originated from the three PC subfamilies are readily distinguishable, resulting in unambiguous distinction of the lipid classes. This method is applied to two alkyl ether rich PC mixtures isolated from murine bone marrow neutrophils and kidney, respectively, to explore its utility in the characterization of complex PC mixture of biological origin, resulting in the realization of the detailed structures of the PC species, including various classes and many minor isobaric isomers.

Maize centromere structure and evolution: sequence analysis of centromeres 2 and 5 reveals dynamic Loci shaped primarily by retrotransposons.

PubMed

Wolfgruber, Thomas K; Sharma, Anupma; Schneider, Kevin L; Albert, Patrice S; Koo, Dal-Hoe; Shi, Jinghua; Gao, Zhi; Han, Fangpu; Lee, Hyeran; Xu, Ronghui; Allison, Jamie; Birchler, James A; Jiang, Jiming; Dawe, R Kelly; Presting, Gernot G

2009-11-01

We describe a comprehensive and general approach for mapping centromeres and present a detailed characterization of two maize centromeres. Centromeres are difficult to map and analyze because they consist primarily of repetitive DNA sequences, which in maize are the tandem satellite repeat CentC and interspersed centromeric retrotransposons of maize (CRM). Centromeres are defined epigenetically by the centromeric histone H3 variant, CENH3. Using novel markers derived from centromere repeats, we have mapped all ten centromeres onto the physical and genetic maps of maize. We were able to completely traverse centromeres 2 and 5, confirm physical maps by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and delineate their functional regions by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) with anti-CENH3 antibody followed by pyrosequencing. These two centromeres differ substantially in size, apparent CENH3 density, and arrangement of centromeric repeats; and they are larger than the rice centromeres characterized to date. Furthermore, centromere 5 consists of two distinct CENH3 domains that are separated by several megabases. Succession of centromere repeat classes is evidenced by the fact that elements belonging to the recently active recombinant subgroups of CRM1 colonize the present day centromeres, while elements of the ancestral subgroups are also found in the flanking regions. Using abundant CRM and non-CRM retrotransposons that inserted in and near these two centromeres to create a historical record of centromere location, we show that maize centromeres are fluid genomic regions whose borders are heavily influenced by the interplay of retrotransposons and epigenetic marks. Furthermore, we propose that CRMs may be involved in removal of centromeric DNA (specifically CentC), invasion of centromeres by non-CRM retrotransposons, and local repositioning of the CENH3.

Computer-aided Assessment of Regional Abdominal Fat with Food Residue Removal in CT

PubMed Central

Makrogiannis, Sokratis; Caturegli, Giorgio; Davatzikos, Christos; Ferrucci, Luigi

2014-01-01

Rationale and Objectives Separate quantification of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat regions is essential to understand the role of regional adiposity as risk factor in epidemiological studies. Fat quantification is often based on computed tomography (CT) because fat density is distinct from other tissue densities in the abdomen. However, the presence of intestinal food residues with densities similar to fat may reduce fat quantification accuracy. We introduce an abdominal fat quantification method in CT with interest in food residue removal. Materials and Methods Total fat was identified in the feature space of Hounsfield units and divided into subcutaneous and visceral components using model-based segmentation. Regions of food residues were identified and removed from visceral fat using a machine learning method integrating intensity, texture, and spatial information. Cost-weighting and bagging techniques were investigated to address class imbalance. Results We validated our automated food residue removal technique against semimanual quantifications. Our feature selection experiments indicated that joint intensity and texture features produce the highest classification accuracy at 95%. We explored generalization capability using k-fold cross-validation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with variable k. Losses in accuracy and area under ROC curve between maximum and minimum k were limited to 0.1% and 0.3%. We validated tissue segmentation against reference semimanual delineations. The Dice similarity scores were as high as 93.1 for subcutaneous fat and 85.6 for visceral fat. Conclusions Computer-aided regional abdominal fat quantification is a reliable computational tool for large-scale epidemiological studies. Our proposed intestinal food residue reduction scheme is an original contribution of this work. Validation experiments indicate very good accuracy and generalization capability. PMID:24119354

Computer-aided assessment of regional abdominal fat with food residue removal in CT.

PubMed

Makrogiannis, Sokratis; Caturegli, Giorgio; Davatzikos, Christos; Ferrucci, Luigi

2013-11-01

Separate quantification of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat regions is essential to understand the role of regional adiposity as risk factor in epidemiological studies. Fat quantification is often based on computed tomography (CT) because fat density is distinct from other tissue densities in the abdomen. However, the presence of intestinal food residues with densities similar to fat may reduce fat quantification accuracy. We introduce an abdominal fat quantification method in CT with interest in food residue removal. Total fat was identified in the feature space of Hounsfield units and divided into subcutaneous and visceral components using model-based segmentation. Regions of food residues were identified and removed from visceral fat using a machine learning method integrating intensity, texture, and spatial information. Cost-weighting and bagging techniques were investigated to address class imbalance. We validated our automated food residue removal technique against semimanual quantifications. Our feature selection experiments indicated that joint intensity and texture features produce the highest classification accuracy at 95%. We explored generalization capability using k-fold cross-validation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with variable k. Losses in accuracy and area under ROC curve between maximum and minimum k were limited to 0.1% and 0.3%. We validated tissue segmentation against reference semimanual delineations. The Dice similarity scores were as high as 93.1 for subcutaneous fat and 85.6 for visceral fat. Computer-aided regional abdominal fat quantification is a reliable computational tool for large-scale epidemiological studies. Our proposed intestinal food residue reduction scheme is an original contribution of this work. Validation experiments indicate very good accuracy and generalization capability. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Maize Centromere Structure and Evolution: Sequence Analysis of Centromeres 2 and 5 Reveals Dynamic Loci Shaped Primarily by Retrotransposons

PubMed Central

Albert, Patrice S.; Koo, Dal-Hoe; Shi, Jinghua; Gao, Zhi; Han, Fangpu; Lee, Hyeran; Xu, Ronghui; Allison, Jamie; Birchler, James A.; Jiang, Jiming; Dawe, R. Kelly; Presting, Gernot G.

2009-01-01

We describe a comprehensive and general approach for mapping centromeres and present a detailed characterization of two maize centromeres. Centromeres are difficult to map and analyze because they consist primarily of repetitive DNA sequences, which in maize are the tandem satellite repeat CentC and interspersed centromeric retrotransposons of maize (CRM). Centromeres are defined epigenetically by the centromeric histone H3 variant, CENH3. Using novel markers derived from centromere repeats, we have mapped all ten centromeres onto the physical and genetic maps of maize. We were able to completely traverse centromeres 2 and 5, confirm physical maps by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and delineate their functional regions by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) with anti-CENH3 antibody followed by pyrosequencing. These two centromeres differ substantially in size, apparent CENH3 density, and arrangement of centromeric repeats; and they are larger than the rice centromeres characterized to date. Furthermore, centromere 5 consists of two distinct CENH3 domains that are separated by several megabases. Succession of centromere repeat classes is evidenced by the fact that elements belonging to the recently active recombinant subgroups of CRM1 colonize the present day centromeres, while elements of the ancestral subgroups are also found in the flanking regions. Using abundant CRM and non-CRM retrotransposons that inserted in and near these two centromeres to create a historical record of centromere location, we show that maize centromeres are fluid genomic regions whose borders are heavily influenced by the interplay of retrotransposons and epigenetic marks. Furthermore, we propose that CRMs may be involved in removal of centromeric DNA (specifically CentC), invasion of centromeres by non-CRM retrotransposons, and local repositioning of the CENH3. PMID:19956743

Investigation on the separability of slums by multi-aspect TerraSAR-X dual-co-polarized high resolution spotlight images based on the multi-scale evaluation of local distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, Andreas; Sieg, Tobias; Wurm, Michael; Taubenböck, Hannes

2018-02-01

Following recent advances in distinguishing settlements vs. non-settlement areas from latest SAR data, the question arises whether a further automatic intra-urban delineation and characterization of different structural types is possible. This paper studies the appearance of the structural type ;slums; in high resolution SAR images. Geocoded Kennaugh elements are used as backscatter information and Schmittlet indices as descriptor of local texture. Three cities with a significant share of slums (Cape Town, Manila, Mumbai) are chosen as test sites. These are imaged by TerraSAR-X in the dual-co-polarized high resolution spotlight mode in any available aspect angle. Representative distributions are estimated and fused by a robust approach. Our observations identify a high similarity of slums throughout all three test sites. The derived similarity maps are validated with reference data sets from visual interpretation and ground truth. The final validation strategy is based on completeness and correctness versus other classes in relation to the similarity. High accuracies (up to 87%) in identifying morphologic slums are reached for Cape Town. For Manila (up to 60%) and Mumbai (up to 54%), the distinction is more difficult due to their complex structural configuration. Concluding, high resolution SAR data can be suitable to automatically trace potential locations of slums. Polarimetric information and the incidence angle seem to have a negligible impact on the results whereas the intensity patterns and the passing direction of the satellite are playing a key role. Hence, the combination of intensity images (brightness) acquired from ascending and descending orbits together with Schmittlet indices (spatial pattern) promises best results. The transfer from the automatically recognized physical similarity to the semantic interpretation remains challenging.

Composition and Formation of the "Paso Robles" Class Soils at Gusev Crater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yen, A. S.; Morris, Richard V.; Gellert, R.; Clark, B. C.; Ming, Douglas W.; Klingelhoefer, G.; McCoy, T. J.; Schmidt, M. E.

2007-01-01

Light-toned, subsurface soil deposits have been excavated by the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit in six distinct locations along its traverse across the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater. Samples at two of these sites have been analyzed in detail by the M ssbauer (MB) and Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometers (APXS), providing information on iron mineralogy and elemental chemistry, respectively. These soils are referred to as "Paso Robles" class deposits.

Preoperative systemic levels of VEGFA, IL-7, IL-17A, and TNF-β delineate two distinct groups of children with brain tumors.

PubMed

Sandén, Emma; Enríquez Pérez, Julio; Visse, Edward; Kool, Marcel; Carén, Helena; Siesjö, Peter; Darabi, Anna

2016-12-01

Primary brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Increasing evidence demonstrates diverse intratumoral immune signatures, which are tentatively reflected in peripheral blood. Twenty cytokines were analyzed in preoperative plasma samples from five healthy children and 45 children with brain tumors, using a multiplex platform (MesoScale Discovery V-PLEX ® ). Tumor types included medulloblastoma (MB), ependymoma, sarcoma, high-grade glioma, pilocytic astrocytoma, and other low-grade gliomas. A panel of four cytokines [VEGFA, interleukin (IL)-7, IL-17A, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-β] delineated two distinct patient groups, identified as VEGFA high IL-7 high IL-17A low TNF-β low (Group A) and VEGFA low IL-7 low IL-17A high TNF-β high (Group B). Healthy controls and the vast majority of patients with MB were found within Group A, whereas patients with other tumor types were equally distributed between the two groups. Unrelated to A/B affiliation, we detected trends toward increased IL-10 and decreased IL-12/23 and TNF-α in several tumor types. Finally, a small number of patients displayed evidence of enhanced systemic immune activation, including elevated levels of interferon-γ, granulocyte monocyte colony-stimulating factor, IL-6, IL-12/23, and TNF-α. Following tumor resection, cytokine levels in a MB patient approached the levels of healthy controls. We identify common features and individual differences in the systemic immune profiles of children with brain tumors. Overall, patients with MB displayed a uniform cytokine profile, whereas other tumor diagnoses did not predict systemic immunological status in single patients. Future characterization and monitoring of systemic immune responses in children with brain tumors will have important implications for the development and implementation of immunotherapy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Integrative taxonomy: Combining morphological, molecular and chemical data for species delineation in the parthenogenetic Trhypochthonius tectorum complex (Acari, Oribatida, Trhypochthoniidae)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is a long-standing controversial about how parthenogenetic species can be defined in absence of a generally accepted species concept for this reproductive mode. An integrative approach was suggested, combining molecular and morphological data to identify distinct monophyletic entities. Using this approach, speciation of parthenogenetic lineages was recently demonstrated for groups of bdelloid rotifers and oribatid mites. Trhypochthonius tectorum, an oribatid mite from the entirely parthenogenetic desmonomatan family Trhypochthoniidae, is traditionally treated as a single species in Central Europe. However, two new morphological lineages were recently proposed for some Austrian populations of T. tectorum, and were described as novel subspecies (T. silvestris europaeus) or form (T. japonicus forma occidentalis). We used the morphological and morphometrical data which led to this separation, and added mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences and the chemical composition of complex exocrine oil gland secretions to test this taxonomical hypothesis. This is the first attempt to combine these three types of data for integrative taxonomical investigations of oribatid mites. Results We show that the previous European species T. tectorum represents a species complex consisting of three distinct lineages in Austria (T.tectorum, T. silvestris europaeus and T. japonicus forma occidentalis), each clearly separated by morphology, oil gland secretion profiles and mitochondrial cox1 sequences. This diversification happened in the last ten million years. In contrast to these results, no variation among the lineages was found in the nuclear 18S rDNA. Conclusions Our approach combined morphological, molecular and chemical data to investigate diversity and species delineation in a parthenogenetic oribatid mite species complex. To date, hypotheses of a general oribatid mite phylogeny are manifold, and mostly based on single-method approaches. Probably, the integrative approach proposed here can be used to uncover further hidden biodiversity of glandulate Oribatida and help to build up more stable phylogenetic hypotheses in the future. PMID:21303503

Migration, Foraging, and Residency Patterns for Northern Gulf Loggerheads: Implications of Local Threats and International Movements

PubMed Central

Hart, Kristen M.; Lamont, Margaret M.; Sartain, Autumn R.; Fujisaki, Ikuko

2014-01-01

Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM) loggerheads (Caretta caretta) make up one of the smallest subpopulations of this threatened species and have declining nest numbers. We used satellite telemetry and a switching state-space model to identify distinct foraging areas used by 59 NGoM loggerheads tagged during 2010–2013. We tagged turtles after nesting at three sites, 1 in Alabama (Gulf Shores; n = 37) and 2 in Florida (St. Joseph Peninsula; n = 20 and Eglin Air Force Base; n = 2). Peak migration time was 22 July to 9 August during which >40% of turtles were in migration mode; the mean post-nesting migration period was 23.0 d (±13.8 d SD). After displacement from nesting beaches, 44 turtles traveled to foraging sites where they remained resident throughout tracking durations. Selected foraging locations were variable distances from tagging sites, and in 5 geographic regions; no turtles selected foraging sites outside the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Foraging sites delineated using 50% kernel density estimation were located a mean distance of 47.6 km from land and in water with mean depth of −32.5 m; other foraging sites, delineated using minimum convex polygons, were located a mean distance of 43.0 km from land and in water with a mean depth of −24.9 m. Foraging sites overlapped with known trawling activities, oil and gas extraction activities, and the footprint of surface oiling during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (n = 10). Our results highlight the year-round use of habitats in the GoM by loggerheads that nest in the NGoM. Our findings indicate that protection of females in this subpopulation requires both international collaborations and management of threats that spatially overlap with distinct foraging habitats. PMID:25076053

Ferrate(VI)-prompted removal of metals in aqueous media: mechanistic delineation of enhanced efficiency via metal entrenchment in magnetic oxides.

PubMed

Prucek, Robert; Tuček, Jiří; Kolařík, Jan; Hušková, Ivana; Filip, Jan; Varma, Rajender S; Sharma, Virender K; Zbořil, Radek

2015-02-17

The removal efficiency of heavy metal ions (cadmium(II), Cd(II); cobalt(II), Co(II); nickel(II), Ni(II); copper(II), Cu(II)) by potassium ferrate(VI) (K2FeO4, Fe(VI)) was studied as a function of added amount of Fe(VI) (or Fe) and varying pH. At pH = 6.6, the effective removal of Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) from water was observed at a low Fe-to-heavy metal ion ratio (Fe/M(II) = 2:1) while a removal efficiency of 70% was seen for Cd(II) ions at a high Fe/Cd(II) weight ratio of 15:1. The role of ionic radius and metal valence state was explored by conducting similar removal experiments using Al(III) ions. The unique combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), in-field Mössbauer spectroscopy, and magnetization measurements enabled the delineation of several distinct mechanisms for the Fe(VI)-prompted removal of metal ions. Under a Fe/M weight ratio of 5:1, Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) were removed by the formation of MFe2O4 spinel phase and partially through their structural incorporation into octahedral positions of γ-Fe2O3 (maghemite) nanoparticles. In comparison, smaller sized Al(III) ions got incorporated easily into the tetrahedral positions of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. In contrast, Cd(II) ions either did not form the spinel ferrite structure or were not incorporated into the lattic of iron(III) oxide phase due to the distinct electronic structure and ionic radius. Environmentally friendly removal of heavy metal ions at a much smaller dosage of Fe than those of commonly applied iron-containing coagulants and the formation of ferrimagnetic species preventing metal ions leaching back into the environment and allowing their magnetic separation are highlighted.

Digital analysis of Potomac River Basin ERTS imagery: Sedimentation levels at the Potomac-Anacostia confluence and strip mining in Allegheny County, Maryland

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, J. S.; Macleod, N. H.

1973-01-01

Two simple algorithms for classification of sedimentation levels in water and for delineation of active strip mines are in use as part of the development of a more general resource management information system. ERTS MSS CCT's are processed so that each pixel in each channel is geographically referenced and can be accessed individually during whole frame, multi-channel analysis or partial frame analysis. The sedimentation analysis clearly separates classes representing the turbid Anacostia water, the less disturbed Potomac (really), and mud flats resulting from effluent of a major sewage treatment plant. Mud flats of organic or mineral origin are easily distinguished.

The significance of cultural patterning for the "alcoholic family".

PubMed

Ablon, J

1980-06-01

This paper presents findings from a recent study of a population of middle-class Catholic families, primarily Irish, German, and Italian, among whom alcohol-related problems are frequent and severe. To understand alcohol usage in this population, a knowledge of the historical and cultural roles of drinking in the relevant ethnic or national groups and a holistic view of contemporary family life are essential. It is suggested that massive social controls in major areas of family life are closely related to problematic drinking behavior. The delineation of cultural prescriptions regarding behaviors and attitudes directly and indirectly related to drinking patterns may contribute a significant cultural dimension to proposed models of the "alcoholic family" system.

A Titan Explorer Mission Utilizing Solar Electric Propulsion and Chemical Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cupples, Michael; Coverstone, Vicki

2003-01-01

Mission and Systems analyses were performed for a Titan Explorer Mission scenario utilizing medium class launch vehicles, solar electric propulsion system (SEPS) for primary interplanetary propulsion, and chemical propulsion for capture at Titan. An examination of a range of system factors was performed to determine their affect on the payload delivery capability to Titan. The effect of varying the launch vehicle, solar array power, associated number of SEPS thrusters, chemical propellant combinations, tank liner thickness, and tank composite overwrap stress factor was investigated. This paper provides a parametric survey of the aforementioned set of system factors, delineating their affect on Titan payload delivery, as well as discussing aspects of planetary capture methodology.

Patterns of text reuse in a scientific corpus

PubMed Central

Citron, Daniel T.; Ginsparg, Paul

2015-01-01

We consider the incidence of text “reuse” by researchers via a systematic pairwise comparison of the text content of all articles deposited to arXiv.org from 1991 to 2012. We measure the global frequencies of three classes of text reuse and measure how chronic text reuse is distributed among authors in the dataset. We infer a baseline for accepted practice, perhaps surprisingly permissive compared with other societal contexts, and a clearly delineated set of aberrant authors. We find a negative correlation between the amount of reused text in an article and its influence, as measured by subsequent citations. Finally, we consider the distribution of countries of origin of articles containing large amounts of reused text. PMID:25489072

Computational modeling of heterogeneity and function of CD4+ T cells

PubMed Central

Carbo, Adria; Hontecillas, Raquel; Andrew, Tricity; Eden, Kristin; Mei, Yongguo; Hoops, Stefan; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2014-01-01

The immune system is composed of many different cell types and hundreds of intersecting molecular pathways and signals. This large biological complexity requires coordination between distinct pro-inflammatory and regulatory cell subsets to respond to infection while maintaining tissue homeostasis. CD4+ T cells play a central role in orchestrating immune responses and in maintaining a balance between pro- and anti- inflammatory responses. This tight balance between regulatory and effector reactions depends on the ability of CD4+ T cells to modulate distinct pathways within large molecular networks, since dysregulated CD4+ T cell responses may result in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The CD4+ T cell differentiation process comprises an intricate interplay between cytokines, their receptors, adaptor molecules, signaling cascades and transcription factors that help delineate cell fate and function. Computational modeling can help to describe, simulate, analyze, and predict some of the behaviors in this complicated differentiation network. This review provides a comprehensive overview of existing computational immunology methods as well as novel strategies used to model immune responses with a particular focus on CD4+ T cell differentiation. PMID:25364738

Cortical organization of inhibition-related functions and modulation by psychopathology

PubMed Central

Warren, Stacie L.; Crocker, Laura D.; Spielberg, Jeffery M.; Engels, Anna S.; Banich, Marie T.; Sutton, Bradley P.; Miller, Gregory A.; Heller, Wendy

2013-01-01

Individual differences in inhibition-related functions have been implicated as risk factors for a broad range of psychopathology, including anxiety and depression. Delineating neural mechanisms of distinct inhibition-related functions may clarify their role in the development and maintenance of psychopathology. The present study tested the hypothesis that activity in common and distinct brain regions would be associated with an ecologically sensitive, self-report measure of inhibition and a laboratory performance measure of prepotent response inhibition. Results indicated that sub-regions of DLPFC distinguished measures of inhibition, whereas left inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral inferior parietal cortex were associated with both types of inhibition. Additionally, co-occurring anxiety and depression modulated neural activity in select brain regions associated with response inhibition. Results imply that specific combinations of anxiety and depression dimensions are associated with failure to implement top-down attentional control as reflected in inefficient recruitment of posterior DLPFC and increased activation in regions associated with threat (MTG) and worry (BA10). Present findings elucidate possible neural mechanisms of interference that could help explain executive control deficits in psychopathology. PMID:23781192

Cortical organization of inhibition-related functions and modulation by psychopathology.

PubMed

Warren, Stacie L; Crocker, Laura D; Spielberg, Jeffery M; Engels, Anna S; Banich, Marie T; Sutton, Bradley P; Miller, Gregory A; Heller, Wendy

2013-01-01

Individual differences in inhibition-related functions have been implicated as risk factors for a broad range of psychopathology, including anxiety and depression. Delineating neural mechanisms of distinct inhibition-related functions may clarify their role in the development and maintenance of psychopathology. The present study tested the hypothesis that activity in common and distinct brain regions would be associated with an ecologically sensitive, self-report measure of inhibition and a laboratory performance measure of prepotent response inhibition. Results indicated that sub-regions of DLPFC distinguished measures of inhibition, whereas left inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral inferior parietal cortex were associated with both types of inhibition. Additionally, co-occurring anxiety and depression modulated neural activity in select brain regions associated with response inhibition. Results imply that specific combinations of anxiety and depression dimensions are associated with failure to implement top-down attentional control as reflected in inefficient recruitment of posterior DLPFC and increased activation in regions associated with threat (MTG) and worry (BA10). Present findings elucidate possible neural mechanisms of interference that could help explain executive control deficits in psychopathology.

Resolving the Phoma enigma

PubMed Central

Chen, Q.; Jiang, J.R.; Zhang, G.Z.; Cai, L.; Crous, P.W.

2015-01-01

The Didymellaceae was established in 2009 to accommodate Ascochyta, Didymella and Phoma, as well as several related phoma-like genera. The family contains numerous plant pathogenic, saprobic and endophytic species associated with a wide range of hosts. Ascochyta and Phoma are morphologically difficult to distinguish, and species from both genera have in the past been linked to Didymella sexual morphs. The aim of the present study was to clarify the generic delimitation in Didymellaceae by combing multi-locus phylogenetic analyses based on ITS, LSU, rpb2 and tub2, and morphological observations. The resulting phylogenetic tree revealed 17 well-supported monophyletic clades in Didymellaceae, leading to the introduction of nine genera, three species, two nomina nova and 84 combinations. Furthermore, 11 epitypes and seven neotypes were designated to help stabilise the taxonomy and use of names. As a result of these data, Ascochyta, Didymella and Phoma were delineated as three distinct genera, and the generic circumscriptions of Ascochyta, Didymella, Epicoccum and Phoma emended. Furthermore, the genus Microsphaeropsis, which is morphologically distinct from the members of Didymellaceae, grouped basal to the Didymellaceae, for which a new family Microsphaeropsidaceae was introduced. PMID:26955202

The Staphylococcus aureus Two-Component System AgrAC Displays Four Distinct Genomic Arrangements That Delineate Genomic Virulence Factor Signatures

PubMed Central

Choudhary, Kumari S.; Mih, Nathan; Monk, Jonathan; Kavvas, Erol; Yurkovich, James T.; Sakoulas, George; Palsson, Bernhard O.

2018-01-01

Two-component systems (TCSs) consist of a histidine kinase and a response regulator. Here, we evaluated the conservation of the AgrAC TCS among 149 completely sequenced Staphylococcus aureus strains. It is composed of four genes: agrBDCA. We found that: (i) AgrAC system (agr) was found in all but one of the 149 strains, (ii) the agr positive strains were further classified into four agr types based on AgrD protein sequences, (iii) the four agr types not only specified the chromosomal arrangement of the agr genes but also the sequence divergence of AgrC histidine kinase protein, which confers signal specificity, (iv) the sequence divergence was reflected in distinct structural properties especially in the transmembrane region and second extracellular binding domain, and (v) there was a strong correlation between the agr type and the virulence genomic profile of the organism. Taken together, these results demonstrate that bioinformatic analysis of the agr locus leads to a classification system that correlates with the presence of virulence factors and protein structural properties. PMID:29887846

A One-Step Immunostaining Method to Visualize Rodent Muscle Fiber Type within a Single Specimen

PubMed Central

Sawano, Shoko; Komiya, Yusuke; Ichitsubo, Riho; Ohkawa, Yasuyuki; Nakamura, Mako; Tatsumi, Ryuichi; Ikeuchi, Yoshihide; Mizunoya, Wataru

2016-01-01

In this study, we present a quadruple immunostaining method for rapid muscle fiber typing of mice and rats using antibodies specific to the adult myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms MyHC1, 2A, 2X, and 2B, which are common marker proteins of distinct muscle fiber types. We developed rat monoclonal antibodies specific to each MyHC isoform and conjugated these four antibodies to fluorophores with distinct excitation and emission wavelengths. By mixing the four types of conjugated antibodies, MyHC1, 2A, 2X, and 2B could be distinguished within a single specimen allowing for facile delineation of skeletal muscle fiber types. Furthermore, we could observe hybrid fibers expressing MyHC2X and MyHC2B together in single longitudinal muscle sections from mice and rats, that was not attained in previous techniques. This staining method is expected to be applied to study muscle fiber type transition in response to environmental factors, and to ultimately develop techniques to regulate animal muscle fiber types. PMID:27814384

Childhood adversity profiles and adult psychopathology in a representative Northern Ireland study.

PubMed

McLafferty, Margaret; Armour, Cherie; McKenna, Aine; O'Neill, Siobhan; Murphy, Sam; Bunting, Brendan

2015-10-01

Childhood adversities are key aetiological factors in the onset and persistence of psychopathology. The aims of this study were to identify childhood adversity profiles, and investigate the relationship between the adversity classes and psychopathology in Northern Ireland. The study utilized data from the Northern Ireland Study of Health and Stress, an epidemiological survey (N=1986), which used the CIDI to examine mental health disorders and associated risk factors. Latent Class Analysis revealed 3 distinct typologies; a low risk class (n=1709; 86%), a poly-adversity class (n=122; 6.1%), and an economic adversity class (n=155; 7.8%). Logistic Regression models revealed that individuals in the economic adversity class had a heightened risk of anxiety and substance disorders, with individuals in the poly-adversity class more likely to have a range of mental health problems and suicidality. The findings indicate the importance of considering the impact of co-occurring childhood adversities when planning treatment, prevention, and intervention programmes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Specter of Divorce: Views From Working- and Middle-Class Cohabitors

PubMed Central

Miller, Amanda J.; Sassler, Sharon; Kusi-Appouh, Dela

2012-01-01

Young Americans increasingly express apprehension about their ability to successfully manage intimate relationships. Partially in response, cohabitation has become normative over the past few decades. Little research, however, examines social class distinctions in how emerging adults perceive challenges to sustaining intimate unions. We examine cohabitors’ views of divorce and how these color their sentiments regarding marriage. Data are from in-depth interviews with 122 working- and middle-class cohabitors. More than two thirds of respondents mentioned concerns with divorce. Working-class women, in particular, view marriage less favorably than do their male and middle-class counterparts, in part because they see marriage as hard to exit and are reluctant to assume restrictive gender roles. Middle-class cohabitors are more likely to have concrete wedding plans and believe that marriage signifies a greater commitment than does cohabitation. These differences in views of marriage and divorce may help explain the bifurcation of cohabitation outcomes among working- and middle-class cohabitors. PMID:22822285

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.

"One can't shake off the women": images of sport and gender in Punch, 1901-10.

PubMed

Constanzo, Marilyn

2002-01-01

Examining the manner in which the popular press portrayed middle-class Edwardian women's activity in sport provides insight into the social liberation of English women. The popular middle-class British journal Punch included thousands of images of sportswomen. Despite the misogynistic satirizing of inept women, Punch's cartoons and articles depict distinct changes in women's behavior and social expectations that are linked to their increasing involvement in sport. By engaging in sport, women unconsciously challenged and permanently altered the pervasive middle-class Victorian ideology. The contents of Punch suggests that middle-class women's participation in sport, though perhaps begun in a conservative manner, completely altered and expanded their social role and changed the traditional image of womanhood.

Experience by children and adolescents of more than one type of maltreatment: Association of different classes of maltreatment profiles with clinical outcome variables.

PubMed

Witt, Andreas; Münzer, Annika; Ganser, Helene G; Fegert, Jörg M; Goldbeck, Lutz; Plener, Paul L

2016-07-01

Most victims of child abuse have experienced more than one type of maltreatment, yet there is a lack of understanding of the impact of specific combinations of types of maltreatment. This study aimed to identify meaningful classes of maltreatment profiles and to associate them with short-term clinical outcomes. A total of 358 German children and adolescents aged 4-17 with a known history of child maltreatment were included in the study. Through interviews and questionnaires, information was obtained from participants and their primary caregivers on history of maltreatment, sociodemographics, psychopathology, level of psychosocial functioning, and health-related quality of life. Types of abuse were categorized into six major groups: sexual abuse in general, sexual abuse with penetration, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence. A latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to determine distinct multi-type maltreatment profiles, which were then assessed for their associations with the sociodemographic and clinical outcome variables. The LCA revealed that participants could be categorized into three meaningful classes according to history of maltreatment: (1) experience of multiple types of maltreatment excluding sexual abuse (63.1%), (2) experience of multiple types of maltreatment including sexual abuse (26.5%), and (3) experience of predominantly sexual abuse (10.3%). Members of Class 2 showed significantly worse short-term outcomes on psychopathology, level of functioning, and quality of life compared to the other classes. Three distinct profiles of multiple types of maltreatment were empirically identified in this sample. Exposure to multiple types of abuse was associated with poorer outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sexual Health and Positive Subjective Well-Being in Partnered Older Men and Women.

PubMed

Lee, David M; Vanhoutte, Bram; Nazroo, James; Pendleton, Neil

2016-07-01

We examine the associations between different patterns of sexual behavior and function and three indicators of subjective well-being (SWB) covering eudemonic, evaluative, and affective well-being in a representative sample of partnered older people. Using data from a Sexual Relationships and Activities Questionnaire (SRA-Q) in Wave 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, latent class analysis identified groups characterized by distinctive patterns of sexual behavior and function and then examined their link to SWB. Eudemonic SWB was measured using a revised 15-item version of the CASP-19, evaluative SWB using the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and affective SWB using the 8-item version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. Sexual behavior and function was best described by six classes among men and five classes among women. These ranged from high sexual desire, frequent partnered sexual activities, and few sexual problems (Class 1) to low sexual desire, infrequent/no sexual activity, and problems with sexual function (Class 5([women])/6([men])). Men and women who reported either infrequent/no sexual activity, or were sexually active but reported sexual problems, generally had lower SWB than those individuals identified in Class 1. Poorer SWB in men was more strongly associated with sexual function difficulties, whereas in women desire and frequency of partnered activities appeared more important in relation to SWB. Within the context of a partnered relationship continuing sexual desire, activity and functioning are associated with higher SWB, with distinctive patterns for women and men. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Associations Between Neurotransmitter Genes and Fatigue and Energy Levels in Women Following Breast Cancer Surgery

PubMed Central

Eshragh, Jasmine; Dhruva, Anand; Paul, Steven M.; Cooper, Bruce A.; Mastick, Judy; Hamolsky, Deborah; Levine, Jon D.; Miaskowski, Christine; Kober, Kord M.

2016-01-01

Context Fatigue is a common problem in oncology patients. Less is known about decrements in energy levels and the mechanisms that underlie both fatigue and energy. Objectives In patients with breast cancer, variations in neurotransmitter genes between Lower and Higher Fatigue latent classes and between the Higher and Lower Energy latent classes were evaluated. Methods Patients completed assessments prior to and monthly for 6 months following surgery. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify distinct latent classes for fatigue severity and energy levels. Thirty candidate genes involved in various aspects of neurotransmission were evaluated. Results Eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or haplotypes (i.e., ADRB2 rs1042718, BDNF rs6265, COMT rs9332377, CYP3A4 rs4646437, GALR1 rs949060, GCH1 rs3783642, NOS1 rs9658498, NOS1 rs2293052, NPY1R Haplotype A04, SLC6A2 rs17841327 and 5HTTLPR + rs25531 in SLC6A4) were associated with latent class membership for fatigue. Seven SNPs or haplotypes (i.e., NOS1 rs471871, SLC6A1 rs2675163, SLC6A1 Haplotype D01, SLC6A2 rs36027, SLC6A3 rs37022, SLC6A4 rs2020942, and TAC1 rs2072100) were associated with latent class membership for energy. Three of thirteen genes (i.e., NOS1, SLC6A2, SLC6A4) were associated with latent class membership for both fatigue and energy. Conclusions Molecular findings support the hypothesis that fatigue and energy are distinct, yet related symptoms. Results suggest that a large number of neurotransmitters play a role in the development and maintenance of fatigue and energy levels in breast cancer patients. PMID:27720787

Class-specific Error Bounds for Ensemble Classifiers

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

Prenger, R; Lemmond, T; Varshney, K

2009-10-06

The generalization error, or probability of misclassification, of ensemble classifiers has been shown to be bounded above by a function of the mean correlation between the constituent (i.e., base) classifiers and their average strength. This bound suggests that increasing the strength and/or decreasing the correlation of an ensemble's base classifiers may yield improved performance under the assumption of equal error costs. However, this and other existing bounds do not directly address application spaces in which error costs are inherently unequal. For applications involving binary classification, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, performance curves that explicitly trade off false alarms and missedmore » detections, are often utilized to support decision making. To address performance optimization in this context, we have developed a lower bound for the entire ROC curve that can be expressed in terms of the class-specific strength and correlation of the base classifiers. We present empirical analyses demonstrating the efficacy of these bounds in predicting relative classifier performance. In addition, we specify performance regions of the ROC curve that are naturally delineated by the class-specific strengths of the base classifiers and show that each of these regions can be associated with a unique set of guidelines for performance optimization of binary classifiers within unequal error cost regimes.« less

Region 9 2010 Census Web Service

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web service displays data collected during the 2010 U.S. Census. The data are organized into layers representing Tract, Block, and Block Group visualizations. Geography The TIGER Line Files are feature classes and related database files that are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER Line File is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county or equivalent entity, and were defined by local participants as part of the 2010 Census Participant Statistical Areas Program. The Census Bureau delineated the census tracts in situations where no local participant existed or where all the potential participants declined to participate. The primary purpose of census tracts is to provide a stable set of geographic units for the presentation of census data and comparison back to previous decennial censuses. Census tracts generally have a population size between 1,200 and 8,000 people, with an optimum size of 4,000 people. When first delineated, census tracts were designed to be homogeneous with respect to population characteristics, economic status

Application of Data-Driven Evidential Belief Functions to Prospectivity Mapping for Aquamarine-Bearing Pegmatites, Lundazi District, Zambia

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

Carranza, E. J. M., E-mail: carranza@itc.nl; Woldai, T.; Chikambwe, E. M.

A case application of data-driven estimation of evidential belief functions (EBFs) is demonstrated to prospectivity mapping in Lundazi district (eastern Zambia). Spatial data used to represent recognition criteria of prospectivity for aquamarine-bearing pegmatites include mapped granites, mapped faults/fractures, mapped shear zones, and radioelement concentration ratios derived from gridded airborne radiometric data. Data-driven estimates EBFs take into account not only (a) spatial association between an evidential map layer and target deposits but also (b) spatial relationships between classes of evidences in an evidential map layer. Data-driven estimates of EBFs can indicate which spatial data provide positive or negative evidence of prospectivity.more » Data-driven estimates of EBFs of only spatial data providing positive evidence of prospectivity were integrated according to Dempster's rule of combination. Map of integrated degrees of belief was used to delineate zones of relative degress of prospectivity for aquamarine-bearing pegmatites. The predictive map has at least 85% prediction rate and at least 79% success rate of delineating training and validation deposits, respectively. The results illustrate usefulness of data-driven estimation of EBFs in GIS-based predictive mapping of mineral prospectivity. The results also show usefulness of EBFs in managing uncertainties associated with evidential maps.« less

Time-based loss in visual short-term memory is from trace decay, not temporal distinctiveness.

PubMed

Ricker, Timothy J; Spiegel, Lauren R; Cowan, Nelson

2014-11-01

There is no consensus as to why forgetting occurs in short-term memory tasks. In past work, we have shown that forgetting occurs with the passage of time, but there are 2 classes of theories that can explain this effect. In the present work, we investigate the reason for time-based forgetting by contrasting the predictions of temporal distinctiveness and trace decay in the procedure in which we have observed such loss, involving memory for arrays of characters or letters across several seconds. The 1st theory, temporal distinctiveness, predicts that increasing the amount of time between trials will lead to less proactive interference, resulting in less forgetting across a retention interval. In the 2nd theory, trace decay, temporal distinctiveness between trials is irrelevant to the loss over a retention interval. Using visual array change detection tasks in 4 experiments, we find small proactive interference effects on performance under some specific conditions, but no concomitant change in the effect of a retention interval. We conclude that trace decay is the more suitable class of explanations of the time-based forgetting in short-term memory that we have observed, and we suggest the need for further clarity in what the exact basis of that decay may be. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Evolution and functional diversification of fructose bisphosphate aldolase genes in photosynthetic marine diatoms.

PubMed

Allen, Andrew E; Moustafa, Ahmed; Montsant, Anton; Eckert, Angelika; Kroth, Peter G; Bowler, Chris

2012-01-01

Diatoms and other chlorophyll-c containing, or chromalveolate, algae are among the most productive and diverse phytoplankton in the ocean. Evolutionarily, chlorophyll-c algae are linked through common, although not necessarily monophyletic, acquisition of plastid endosymbionts of red as well as most likely green algal origin. There is also strong evidence for a relatively high level of lineage-specific bacterial gene acquisition within chromalveolates. Therefore, analyses of gene content and derivation in chromalveolate taxa have indicated particularly diverse origins of their overall gene repertoire. As a single group of functionally related enzymes spanning two distinct gene families, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolases (FBAs) illustrate the influence on core biochemical pathways of specific evolutionary associations among diatoms and other chromalveolates with various plastid-bearing and bacterial endosymbionts. Protein localization and activity, gene expression, and phylogenetic analyses indicate that the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum contains five FBA genes with very little overall functional overlap. Three P. tricornutum FBAs, one class I and two class II, are plastid localized, and each appears to have a distinct evolutionary origin as well as function. Class I plastid FBA appears to have been acquired by chromalveolates from a red algal endosymbiont, whereas one copy of class II plastid FBA is likely to have originated from an ancient green algal endosymbiont. The other copy appears to be the result of a chromalveolate-specific gene duplication. Plastid FBA I and chromalveolate-specific class II plastid FBA are localized in the pyrenoid region of the chloroplast where they are associated with β-carbonic anhydrase, which is known to play a significant role in regulation of the diatom carbon concentrating mechanism. The two pyrenoid-associated FBAs are distinguished by contrasting gene expression profiles under nutrient limiting compared with optimal CO2 fixation conditions, suggestive of a distinct specialized function for each. Cytosolically localized FBAs in P. tricornutum likely play a role in glycolysis and cytoskeleton function and seem to have originated from the stramenopile host cell and from diatom-specific bacterial gene transfer, respectively.

Evolution and Functional Diversification of Fructose Bisphosphate Aldolase Genes in Photosynthetic Marine Diatoms

PubMed Central

Allen, Andrew E.; Moustafa, Ahmed; Montsant, Anton; Eckert, Angelika; Kroth, Peter G.; Bowler, Chris

2012-01-01

Diatoms and other chlorophyll-c containing, or chromalveolate, algae are among the most productive and diverse phytoplankton in the ocean. Evolutionarily, chlorophyll-c algae are linked through common, although not necessarily monophyletic, acquisition of plastid endosymbionts of red as well as most likely green algal origin. There is also strong evidence for a relatively high level of lineage-specific bacterial gene acquisition within chromalveolates. Therefore, analyses of gene content and derivation in chromalveolate taxa have indicated particularly diverse origins of their overall gene repertoire. As a single group of functionally related enzymes spanning two distinct gene families, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolases (FBAs) illustrate the influence on core biochemical pathways of specific evolutionary associations among diatoms and other chromalveolates with various plastid-bearing and bacterial endosymbionts. Protein localization and activity, gene expression, and phylogenetic analyses indicate that the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum contains five FBA genes with very little overall functional overlap. Three P. tricornutum FBAs, one class I and two class II, are plastid localized, and each appears to have a distinct evolutionary origin as well as function. Class I plastid FBA appears to have been acquired by chromalveolates from a red algal endosymbiont, whereas one copy of class II plastid FBA is likely to have originated from an ancient green algal endosymbiont. The other copy appears to be the result of a chromalveolate-specific gene duplication. Plastid FBA I and chromalveolate-specific class II plastid FBA are localized in the pyrenoid region of the chloroplast where they are associated with β-carbonic anhydrase, which is known to play a significant role in regulation of the diatom carbon concentrating mechanism. The two pyrenoid-associated FBAs are distinguished by contrasting gene expression profiles under nutrient limiting compared with optimal CO2 fixation conditions, suggestive of a distinct specialized function for each. Cytosolically localized FBAs in P. tricornutum likely play a role in glycolysis and cytoskeleton function and seem to have originated from the stramenopile host cell and from diatom-specific bacterial gene transfer, respectively. PMID:21903677

High-Density SNP Screening of the Major Histocompatibility Complex in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Demonstrates Strong Evidence for Independent Susceptibility Regions

PubMed Central

Barcellos, Lisa F.; May, Suzanne L.; Ramsay, Patricia P.; Quach, Hong L.; Lane, Julie A.; Nititham, Joanne; Noble, Janelle A.; Taylor, Kimberly E.; Quach, Diana L.; Chung, Sharon A.; Kelly, Jennifer A.; Moser, Kathy L.; Behrens, Timothy W.; Seldin, Michael F.; Thomson, Glenys; Harley, John B.; Gaffney, Patrick M.; Criswell, Lindsey A.

2009-01-01

A substantial genetic contribution to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk is conferred by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene(s) on chromosome 6p21. Previous studies in SLE have lacked statistical power and genetic resolution to fully define MHC influences. We characterized 1,610 Caucasian SLE cases and 1,470 parents for 1,974 MHC SNPs, the highly polymorphic HLA-DRB1 locus, and a panel of ancestry informative markers. Single-marker analyses revealed strong signals for SNPs within several MHC regions, as well as with HLA-DRB1 (global p = 9.99×10−16). The most strongly associated DRB1 alleles were: *0301 (odds ratio, OR = 2.21, p = 2.53×10−12), *1401 (OR = 0.50, p = 0.0002), and *1501 (OR = 1.39, p = 0.0032). The MHC region SNP demonstrating the strongest evidence of association with SLE was rs3117103, with OR = 2.44 and p = 2.80×10−13. Conditional haplotype and stepwise logistic regression analyses identified strong evidence for association between SLE and the extended class I, class I, class III, class II, and the extended class II MHC regions. Sequential removal of SLE–associated DRB1 haplotypes revealed independent effects due to variation within OR2H2 (extended class I, rs362521, p = 0.006), CREBL1 (class III, rs8283, p = 0.01), and DQB2 (class II, rs7769979, p = 0.003, and rs10947345, p = 0.0004). Further, conditional haplotype analyses demonstrated that variation within MICB (class I, rs3828903, p = 0.006) also contributes to SLE risk independent of HLA-DRB1*0301. Our results for the first time delineate with high resolution several MHC regions with independent contributions to SLE risk. We provide a list of candidate variants based on biologic and functional considerations that may be causally related to SLE risk and warrant further investigation. PMID:19851445

Empirically derived subtypes of serious emotional disturbance in a large adolescent sample.

PubMed

Peiper, Nicholas; Clayton, Richard; Wilson, Richard; Illback, Robert; O'Brien, Elizabeth; Kerber, Richard; Baumgartner, Richard; Hornung, Carlton

2015-06-01

The heterogeneity of serious emotional disturbance has been thoroughly documented among adolescents with nationally representative data derived from structured interviews, although use of these interviews may not be feasible within the context of brief and self-administered school surveys. This study seeks to identify distinct subtypes of serious emotional disturbance in a large school-based sample. A total of 108,736 students fully completed the K6 scale that was included on the 2012 Kentucky Incentives for Prevention Survey. Latent class analysis was used to derive subtypes of serious emotional disturbance among students receiving a positive screen (n = 15,147). To determine significant predictors of class membership, adjusted rate ratios and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated using multinomial logistic regression. A four-class model was the most parsimonious, with four distinct subtypes emerging that varied by both symptom type and severity: comorbid moderate severity, comorbid high severity, anxious moderate severity, and depressed high severity. Age, gender, race/ethnicity, family structure, substance use, antisocial behavior, role impairments, and peer victimization were significant predictors of class membership, although the magnitude of these effects was stronger for the two high severity groups. Our results suggest heterogeneity of serious emotional disturbance by both symptom type and severity. Prevention programs may benefit by shifting focus from specific disorders to the core features of serious emotional disturbance, including psychological distress, high comorbidity, and role impairments.

Trajectories of Children's Social Interactions with their Infant Sibling in the First Year: A Multi-Dimensional Approach

PubMed Central

Oh, Wonjung; Volling, Brenda L.; Gonzalez, Richard

2015-01-01

Individual differences in longitudinal trajectories of children's social behaviors toward their infant sibling were examined simultaneously across multiple social dimensions: Positive engagement (moving toward), Antagonism (moving against), and Avoidance (moving away). Three distinct social patterns were identified: (C1) Positively-Engaged (n=107, 50%); (C2) Escalating-Antagonism (n=90, 42%); and (C3) Early-Onset Antagonism (n=16, 8%). Children in the positively-engaged class had high levels of positive engagement with their infant siblings, coupled with low levels of antagonism and avoidance. The escalating-antagonism class was positively engaged in sibling interaction with a steep escalation in antagonistic behavior and avoidance from 4 to 12 months. Children in the early-onset antagonism class displayed the highest level of antagonistic behavior starting as early as 4 months, and became increasingly avoidant over time. A path model, guided by a process × person × context × time model, revealed that low parental self-efficacy heightened by parenting stress and children's dysregulated temperament was directly related to the escalating-antagonism pattern. Punitive parenting in response to children's antagonistic behavior increased the likelihood of being in the early-onset antagonism class. Together, the results highlighted heterogeneity in the earliest emergence of sibling interaction patterns and the interplay of child and parent factors in predicting distinct sibling interaction trajectory patterns. PMID:25664367

Identification of MHC class I sequences in Chinese-origin rhesus macaques

PubMed Central

Karl, Julie A.; Wiseman, Roger W.; Campbell, Kevin J.; Blasky, Alex J.; Hughes, Austin L.; Ferguson, Betsy; Read, Daniel S.

2010-01-01

The rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is an excellent model for human disease and vaccine research. Two populations exhibiting distinctive morphological and physiological characteristics, Indian- and Chinese-origin rhesus macaques, are commonly used in research. Genetic analysis has focused on the Indian macaque population, but the accessibility of these animals for research is limited. Due to their greater availability, Chinese rhesus macaques are now being used more frequently, particularly in vaccine and biodefense studies, although relatively little is known about their immunogenetics. In this study, we discovered major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I cDNAs in 12 Chinese rhesus macaques and detected 41 distinct Mamu-A and Mamu-B sequences. Twenty-seven of these class I cDNAs were novel, while six and eight of these sequences were previously reported in Chinese and Indian rhesus macaques, respectively. We then performed microsatellite analysis on DNA from these 12 animals, as well as an additional 18 animals, and developed sequence specific primer PCR (PCR-SSP) assays for eight cDNAs found in multiple animals. We also examined our cohort for potential admixture of Chinese and Indian origin animals using a recently developed panel of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The discovery of 27 novel MHC class I sequences in this analysis underscores the genetic diversity of Chinese rhesus macaques and contributes reagents that will be valuable for studying cellular immunology in this population. PMID:18097659

Attentional requirements for the selection of words from different grammatical categories.

PubMed

Ayora, Pauline; Janssen, Niels; Dell'acqua, Roberto; Alario, F-Xavier

2009-09-01

Two grammatical classes are commonly distinguished in psycholinguistic research. The open-class includes content words such as nouns, whereas the closed-class includes function words such as determiners. A standing issue is to identify whether these words are retrieved through similar or distinct selection mechanisms. We report a comparative investigation of the allocation of attentional resources during the retrieval of words from these 2 classes. Previous studies used a psychological-refractory-period paradigm to establish that open-class word retrieval is supported by central attention mechanisms. We applied the same logic to closed-class word retrieval. French native speakers named pictures with determiner noun phrases while they concurrently identified the pitch of an auditory tone. The ease of noun and determiner retrieval was manipulated independently. Results showed that both manipulations affected picture naming and tone discrimination responses in similar ways. This suggests the involvement of central attentional resources in word production, irrespective of word class. These results argue against the commonly held hypothesis that closed-class retrieval is an automatic consequence of syntactic specific processes. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Higher Impulsivity As a Distinctive Trait of Severe Cocaine Addiction among Individuals Treated for Cocaine or Alcohol Use Disorders.

PubMed

García-Marchena, Nuria; Ladrón de Guevara-Miranda, David; Pedraz, María; Araos, Pedro Fernando; Rubio, Gabriel; Ruiz, Juan Jesús; Pavón, Francisco Javier; Serrano, Antonia; Castilla-Ortega, Estela; Santín, Luis J; Rodríguez de Fonseca, Fernando

2018-01-01

Despite alcohol being the most often used addictive substance among addicted patients, use of other substances such as cocaine has increased over recent years, and the combination of both drugs aggravates health impairment and complicates clinical assessment. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize heterogeneous subgroups of cocaine- and alcohol-addicted patients with common characteristics based on substance use disorders, psychiatric comorbidity and impulsivity. A total of 214 subjects with cocaine and/or alcohol use disorders were recruited from outpatient treatment programs and clinically assessed. A latent class analysis was used to establish phenotypic categories according to diagnosis of cocaine and alcohol use disorders, mental disorders, and impulsivity scores. Relevant variables were examined in the latent classes (LCs) using correlation and analyses of variance and covariance. Four LCs of addicted patients were identified: Class 1 (45.3%) formed by alcohol-dependent patients exhibiting lifetime mood disorder diagnosis and mild impulsivity; Class 2 (14%) formed mainly by lifetime cocaine use disorder patients with low probability of comorbid mental disorders and mild impulsivity; Class 3 (10.7%) formed by cocaine use disorder patients with elevated probability to course with lifetime anxiety, early and personality disorders, and greater impulsivity scores; and Class 4 (29.9%) formed mainly by patients with alcohol and cocaine use disorders, with elevated probability in early and personality disorders and elevated impulsivity. Furthermore, there were significant differences among classes in terms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th Edition-Text Revision criteria for abuse and dependence: Class 3 showed more criteria for cocaine use disorders than other classes, while Class 1 and Class 4 showed more criteria for alcohol use disorders. Cocaine- and alcohol-addicted patients who were grouped according to diagnosis of substance use disorders, psychiatric comorbidity, and impulsivity show different clinical and sociodemographic variables. Whereas mood and anxiety disorders are more prevalent in alcohol-addicted patients, personality disorders are associated with cocaine use disorders and diagnosis of comorbid substance use disorders. Notably, increased impulsivity is a distinctive characteristic of patients with severe cocaine use disorder and comorbid personality disorders. Psychiatric disorders and impulsivity should be considered for improving the stratification of addicted patients with shared clinical and sociodemographic characteristics to select more appropriate treatments.

Unified criteria for multipartite quantum nonlocality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavalcanti, E. G.; He, Q. Y.; Reid, M. D.; Wiseman, H. M.

2011-09-01

Wiseman and co-workers [H. M. Wiseman, S. J. Jones, and A. C. Doherty, Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.98.140402 98, 140402, (2007)] proposed a distinction among the nonlocality classes of Bell's nonlocality, Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox or steering, and entanglement based on whether or not an overseer trusts each party in a bipartite scenario where they are asked to demonstrate entanglement. Here we extend that concept to the multipartite case and derive inequalities that progressively test for those classes of nonlocality, with different thresholds for each level. This framework includes the three classes of nonlocality above in special cases and introduces a family of others.

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.

Manufacturing Marginality among Women and Latinos in Neoliberal America.

PubMed

Massey, Douglas S

2014-01-01

Intersectionality is the study of how categorical distinctions made on the basis of race, class, and gender interact to generate inequality, and this concept has become a primary lens by which scholars have come to model social stratification in the United States. In addition to the historically powerful interaction between race and class, gender interactions have become increasingly powerful in exacerbating class inequalities while the growing exclusion of foreigners on the basis of legal status has progressively marginalized Latinos in U.S. society. As a result, poor whites and immigrant-origin Latinos have increasingly joined African Americans at the bottom of American society to form a new, expanded underclass.

Classification of Four-Qubit States by Means of a Stochastic Local Operation and the Classical Communication Invariant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zha, Xin-Wei; Ma, Gang-Long

2011-02-01

It is a recent observation that entanglement classification for qubits is closely related to stochastic local operations and classical communication (SLOCC) invariants. Verstraete et al.[Phys. Rev. A 65 (2002) 052112] showed that for pure states of four qubits there are nine different degenerate SLOCC entanglement classes. Li et al.[Phys. Rev. A 76 (2007) 052311] showed that there are at feast 28 distinct true SLOCC entanglement classes for four qubits by means of the SLOCC invariant and semi-invariant. We give 16 different entanglement classes for four qubits by means of basic SLOCC invariants.

Acoustic fingerprints of dye-labeled protein submicrosphere photoacoustic contrast agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Michael A.; Jankovic, Ladislav; Shahzad, Khalid; Burcher, Michael; Li, King C. P.

2009-05-01

Dye-labeled protein microspheres, submicron in size and capable of producing thermoelastically generated ultrasound in response to laser stimulation, are presented as contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging. Incident laser energy absorbed by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled elastin submicrospheres results in thermoelastically generated sound production. Plotted A-line graphs reveal a distinctive morphology and a greater than two orders of magnitude increase in signal amplitude subsequent to converting FITC elastin into submicrospheres (despite a four orders of magnitude decrease in concentration). Evidence of nonlinearity and enhancement of ultrasound backscatter indicate a potential use in contrast-enhanced harmonic imaging. Photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging of FITC-elastin submicrospheres in a water-filled phantom vessel shows enhanced contrast at low concentration and clear delineation of the phantom vessel wall.