Predicting Performance on Academic and Non-Academic Tasks: A Comparison of Adolescents with and without Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Job, Jenelle M.; Klassen, Robert M.

2012-01-01

Previous research suggests that adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) are less accurate in predicting academic performance than normally achieving (NA) adolescents and display a tendency to overestimate their level of performance (e.g., Klassen, 2007). However, no studies have been conducted investigating whether this overestimation is…

Tudor-SN, a component of stress granules, regulates growth under salt stress by modulating GA20ox3 mRNA levels in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Yan, Chunxia; Yan, Zongyun; Wang, Yizheng; Yan, Xiaoyuan; Han, Yuzhen

2014-01-01

The Tudor-SN protein (TSN) is universally expressed and highly conserved in eukaryotes. In Arabidopsis, TSN is reportedly involved in stress adaptation, but the mechanism involved in this adaptation is not understood. Here, we provide evidence that TSN regulates the mRNA levels of GA20ox3, a key enzyme for gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis. The levels of GA20ox3 transcripts decreased in TSN1/TSN2 RNA interference (RNAi) transgenic lines and increased in TSN1 over-expression (OE) transgenic lines. The TSN1 OE lines displayed phenotypes that may be attributed to the overproduction of GA. No obvious defects were observed in the RNAi transgenic lines under normal conditions, but under salt stress conditions these lines displayed slower growth than wild-type (WT) plants. Two mutants of GA20ox3, ga20ox3-1 and -2, also showed slower growth under stress than WT plants. Moreover, a higher accumulation of GA20ox3 transcripts was observed under salt stress. The results of a western blot analysis indicated that higher levels of TSN1 accumulated after salt treatment than under normal conditions. Subcellular localization studies showed that TSN1 was uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm under normal conditions but accumulated in small granules and co-localized with RBP47, a marker protein for stress granules (SGs), in response to salt stress. The results of RNA immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that TSN1 bound GA20ox3 mRNA in vivo. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that TSN is a novel component of plant SGs that regulates growth under salt stress by modulating levels of GA20ox3 mRNA. PMID:25205572

An integrated genomics analysis of epigenetic subtypes in human breast tumors links DNA methylation patterns to chromatin states in normal mammary cells.

PubMed

Holm, Karolina; Staaf, Johan; Lauss, Martin; Aine, Mattias; Lindgren, David; Bendahl, Pär-Ola; Vallon-Christersson, Johan; Barkardottir, Rosa Bjork; Höglund, Mattias; Borg, Åke; Jönsson, Göran; Ringnér, Markus

2016-02-29

Aberrant DNA methylation is frequently observed in breast cancer. However, the relationship between methylation patterns and the heterogeneity of breast cancer has not been comprehensively characterized. Whole-genome DNA methylation analysis using Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip arrays was performed on 188 human breast tumors. Unsupervised bootstrap consensus clustering was performed to identify DNA methylation epigenetic subgroups (epitypes). The Cancer Genome Atlas data, including methylation profiles of 669 human breast tumors, was used for validation. The identified epitypes were characterized by integration with publicly available genome-wide data, including gene expression levels, DNA copy numbers, whole-exome sequencing data, and chromatin states. We identified seven breast cancer epitypes. One epitype was distinctly associated with basal-like tumors and with BRCA1 mutations, one epitype contained a subset of ERBB2-amplified tumors characterized by multiple additional amplifications and the most complex genomes, and one epitype displayed a methylation profile similar to normal epithelial cells. Luminal tumors were stratified into the remaining four epitypes, with differences in promoter hypermethylation, global hypomethylation, proliferative rates, and genomic instability. Specific hyper- and hypomethylation across the basal-like epitype was rare. However, we observed that the candidate genomic instability drivers BRCA1 and HORMAD1 displayed aberrant methylation linked to gene expression levels in some basal-like tumors. Hypomethylation in luminal tumors was associated with DNA repeats and subtelomeric regions. We observed two dominant patterns of aberrant methylation in breast cancer. One pattern, constitutively methylated in both basal-like and luminal breast cancer, was linked to genes with promoters in a Polycomb-repressed state in normal epithelial cells and displayed no correlation with gene expression levels. The second pattern correlated with gene expression levels and was associated with methylation in luminal tumors and genes with active promoters in normal epithelial cells. Our results suggest that hypermethylation patterns across basal-like breast cancer may have limited influence on tumor progression and instead reflect the repressed chromatin state of the tissue of origin. On the contrary, hypermethylation patterns specific to luminal breast cancer influence gene expression, may contribute to tumor progression, and may present an actionable epigenetic alteration in a subset of luminal breast cancers.

A developmental dose-response analysis of the effects of methylphenidate on the peer interactions of attention deficit disordered boys.

PubMed

Cunningham, C E; Siegel, L S; Offord, D R

1985-11-01

Mixed dyads of 42 normal and 42 ADD boys were videotaped in free play, co-operative task, and simulated classrooms. ADD boys received placebo, 0.15 mg/kg, and 0.50 mg/kg of methylphenidate. ADD boys were more active and off task, watched peers less, and scored lower on mathematics and visual-motor tasks. Older boys interacted less, ignored peer interactions and play more frequently, were less controlling, and more compliant. In class, methylphenidate improved visual motor scores, and reduced the controlling behaviour, activity level, and off task behaviour of ADD boys. Normal peers displayed reciprocal reductions in controlling behaviour, activity level, and off task behaviour.

Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome-FAS Patients Have an Abnormal Regulatory T Cell (Treg) Phenotype but Display Normal Natural Treg-Suppressive Function on T Cell Proliferation.

PubMed

Mazerolles, Fabienne; Stolzenberg, Marie-Claude; Pelle, Olivier; Picard, Capucine; Neven, Benedicte; Fischer, Alain; Magerus-Chatinet, Aude; Rieux-Laucat, Frederic

2018-01-01

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) with FAS mutation (ALPS-FAS) is a nonmalignant, noninfectious, lymphoproliferative disease with autoimmunity. Given the central role of natural regulatory T cells (nTregs) in the control of lymphoproliferation and autoimmunity, we assessed nTreg-suppressive function in 16 patients with ALPS-FAS. The proportion of CD25 high CD127 low Tregs was lower in ALPS-FAS patients than in healthy controls. This subset was correlated with a reduced CD25 expression in CD3 + CD4 + T cells from ALPS patients and thus an abnormally low proportion of CD25 high FOXP3 + Helios + T cells. The ALPS patients also displayed a high proportion of naïve Treg (FOXP3 low CD45RA + ) and an unusual subpopulation (CD4 + CD127 low CD15s + CD45RA + ). Despite this abnormal phenotype, the CD25 high CD127 low Tregs' suppressive function was unaffected. Furthermore, conventional T cells from FAS -mutated patients showed normal levels of sensitivity to Treg suppression. An abnormal Treg phenotype is observed in circulating lymphocytes of ALPS patients. However, these Tregs displayed a normal suppressive function on T effector proliferation in vitro . This is suggesting that lymphoproliferation observed in ALPS patients does not result from Tregs functional defect or T effector cells insensitivity to Tregs suppression.

Different Signal Enhancement Pathways of Attention and Consciousness Underlie Perception in Humans.

PubMed

van Boxtel, Jeroen J A

2017-06-14

It is not yet known whether attention and consciousness operate through similar or largely different mechanisms. Visual processing mechanisms are routinely characterized by measuring contrast response functions (CRFs). In this report, behavioral CRFs were obtained in humans (both males and females) by measuring afterimage durations over the entire range of inducer stimulus contrasts to reveal visual mechanisms behind attention and consciousness. Deviations relative to the standard CRF, i.e., gain functions, describe the strength of signal enhancement, which were assessed for both changes due to attentional task and conscious perception. It was found that attention displayed a response-gain function, whereas consciousness displayed a contrast-gain function. Through model comparisons, which only included contrast-gain modulations, both contrast-gain and response-gain effects can be explained with a two-level normalization model, in which consciousness affects only the first level and attention affects only the second level. These results demonstrate that attention and consciousness can effectively show different gain functions because they operate through different signal enhancement mechanisms. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The relationship between attention and consciousness is still debated. Mapping contrast response functions (CRFs) has allowed (neuro)scientists to gain important insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of visual processing. Here, the influence of both attention and consciousness on these functions were measured and they displayed a strong dissociation. First, attention lowered CRFs, whereas consciousness raised them. Second, attention manifests itself as a response-gain function, whereas consciousness manifests itself as a contrast-gain function. Extensive model comparisons show that these results are best explained in a two-level normalization model in which consciousness affects only the first level, whereas attention affects only the second level. These findings show dissociations between both the computational mechanisms behind attention and consciousness and the perceptual consequences that they induce. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/375912-11$15.00/0.

A Cancer-Indicative microRNA Pattern in Normal Prostate Tissue

PubMed Central

Hellwinkel, Olaf J. C.; Sellier, Christina; Sylvester, Yu-Mi Jessica; Brase, Jan C.; Isbarn, Hendrik; Erbersdobler, Andreas; Steuber, Thomas; Sültmann, Holger; Schlomm, Thorsten; Wagner, Christina

2013-01-01

We analyzed the levels of selected micro-RNAs in normal prostate tissue to assess their potential to indicate tumor foci elsewhere in the prostate. Histologically normal prostate tissue samples from 31 prostate cancer patients and two cancer negative control groups with either unsuspicious or elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels (14 and 17 individuals, respectively) were analyzed. Based on the expression analysis of 157 microRNAs in a pool of prostate tissue samples and information from data bases/literature, we selected eight microRNAs for quantification by real-time polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs). Selected miRNAs were analyzed in histologically tumor-free biopsy samples from patients and healthy controls. We identified seven microRNAs (miR-124a, miR-146a & b, miR-185, miR-16 and let-7a & b), which displayed significant differential expression in normal prostate tissue from men with prostate cancer compared to both cancer negative control groups. Four microRNAs (miR-185, miR-16 and let-7a and let-7b) remained to significantly discriminate normal tissues from prostate cancer patients from those of the cancer negative control group with elevated PSA levels. The transcript levels of these microRNAs were highly indicative for the presence of cancer in the prostates, independently of the PSA level. Our results suggest a microRNA-pattern in histologically normal prostate tissue, indicating prostate cancer elsewhere in the organ. PMID:23459235

Decreased SAP Expression in T Cells from Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Contributes to Early Signaling Abnormalities and Reduced IL-2 Production.

PubMed

Karampetsou, Maria P; Comte, Denis; Kis-Toth, Katalin; Terhorst, Cox; Kyttaris, Vasileios C; Tsokos, George C

2016-06-15

T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) display a number of abnormalities, including increased early signaling events following engagement of the TCR. Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family cell surface receptors and the X-chromosome-defined signaling lymphocytic activation molecule-associated protein (SAP) adaptor are important in the development of several immunocyte lineages and modulating the immune response. We present evidence that SAP protein levels are decreased in T cells and in their main subsets isolated from 32 women and three men with SLE, independent of disease activity. In SLE T cells, SAP protein is also subject to increased degradation by caspase-3. Forced expression of SAP in SLE T cells normalized IL-2 production, calcium (Ca(2+)) responses, and tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of proteins. Exposure of normal T cells to SLE serum IgG, known to contain anti-CD3/TCR Abs, resulted in SAP downregulation. We conclude that SLE T cells display reduced levels of the adaptor protein SAP, probably as a result of continuous T cell activation and degradation by caspase-3. Restoration of SAP levels in SLE T cells corrects the overexcitable lupus T cell phenotype. Copyright © 2016 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Male aromatase-knockout mice exhibit normal levels of activity, anxiety and "depressive-like" symptomatology.

PubMed

Dalla, C; Antoniou, K; Papadopoulou-Daifoti, Z; Balthazart, J; Bakker, J

2005-09-08

It is well known that estradiol derived from neural aromatization of testosterone plays a crucial role in the development of the male brain and the display of sexual behaviors in adulthood. It was recently found that male aromatase knockout mice (ArKO) deficient in estradiol due to a mutation in the aromatase gene have general deficits in coital behavior and are sexually less motivated. We wondered whether these behavioral deficits of ArKO males could be related to changes in activity, exploration, anxiety and "depressive-like" symptomatology. ArKO and wild type (WT) males were subjected to open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), and forced swim tests (FST), after being exposed or not to chronic mild stress (CMS). CMS was used to evaluate the impact of chronic stressful procedures and to unveil possible differences between genotypes. There was no effect of genotype on OF, EPM and FST behavioral parameters. WT and ArKO mice exposed to CMS or not exhibited the same behavioral profile during these three types of tests. However, all CMS-exposed mice (ArKO and WT) spent less time in the center of the EPM. Additionally, floating duration measured in the FST increased between two tests in both WT and ArKO mice, though that increase was less prominent in mice previously subjected to CMS than in controls. Therefore, both ArKO and WT males displayed the same behavior and had the same response to CMS however CMS exposure slightly modified the behavior displayed by mice of both genotypes in the FST and EPM paradigms. These results show that ArKO males display normal levels of activity, exploration, anxiety and "depressive-like" symptomatology and thus their deficits in sexual behavior are specific in nature and do not result indirectly from other behavioral changes.

Universal Power Law of the Gravity Wave Manifestation in the AIM CIPS Polar Mesospheric Cloud Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, P. P.; Yue, J.; Russell, J. M., III; Siskind, D. E.; Randall, C. E.

2017-12-01

A large ensemble of gravity waves (GWs) resides in the PMCs and we aim to extract the universal law that governs the wave display throughout the GW population. More specifically, we examined how wave display morphology and clarity level varies throughout the wave population manifested through the PMC albedo data. Higher clarity refers to more distinct exhibition of the features which often correspond to larger variances and better organized nature. A gravity wave tracking algorithm is designed and applied to the PMC albedo data taken by the AIM Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument to obtain the gravity wave detections throughout the two northern summers in 2007 and 2010. The horizontal wavelengths in the range of 20-60km are the focus of the study because they are the most commonly observed and readily captured in the CIPS orbital strips. A 1-dimensional continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is applied to PMC albedo along all radial directions within an elliptical region that has a radius of 400 km and an axial ratio of 0.65. The center of the elliptical region moves around the CIPS orbital strips so that waves at different locations and orientations can be captured. It shows that the CWT albedo power statistically increases as the background gets brighter. We resample the wave detections to conform to a normal distribution via removing the dependence of the albedo power on the background cloud brightness because we tend to examine the wave morphology beyond the cloud brightness impact. Sample cases are selected at the two tails and the peak of the normal distribution, and at three brightness levels, to represent the high, medium, and low albedo power categories. For these cases the albedo CWT power spectra follow exponential decay toward smaller scales. The high albedo power has the most rapid decay (i.e., exponent=-3.2) and corresponds to the most distinct wave display. Overall higher albedo power and more rapid decay both contributed to the more distinct display. The wave display becomes increasingly more blurry for the medium and low power categories that hold the exponents of -2.9 and -2.5, respectively. The majority of waves are straight waves whose clarity levels can be collapsed irrespective of the brightness levels but in the brighter background the wave signatures seem to exhibit mildly turbulent-like behavior.

The Ubiquitin Ligase Component Siah1a Is Required for Completion of Meiosis I in Male Mice

PubMed Central

Dickins, Ross A.; Frew, Ian J.; House, Colin M.; O'Bryan, Moira K.; Holloway, Andrew J.; Haviv, Izhak; Traficante, Nadia; de Kretser, David M.; Bowtell, David D. L.

2002-01-01

The mammalian Siah genes encode highly conserved proteins containing a RING domain. As components of E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, Siah proteins facilitate the ubiquitination and degradation of diverse protein partners including β-catenin, N-CoR, and DCC. We used gene targeting in mice to analyze the function of Siah1a during mammalian development and reveal novel roles in growth, viability, and fertility. Mutant animals have normal weights at term but are postnatally growth retarded, despite normal levels of pituitary growth hormone. Embryonic fibroblasts isolated from mutant animals grow normally. Most animals die before weaning, and few survive beyond 3 months. Serum gonadotropin levels are normal in Siah1a mutant mice; however, females are subfertile and males are sterile due to a block in spermatogenesis. Although spermatocytes in mutant mice display normal meiotic prophase and meiosis I spindle formation, they accumulate at metaphase to telophase of meiosis I and subsequently undergo apoptosis. The requirement of Siah1a for normal progression beyond metaphase I suggests that Siah1a may be part of a novel E3 complex acting late in the first meiotic division. PMID:11884614

Assessment of serum HE4 levels throughout the normal menstrual cycle.

PubMed

Moore, Richard G; Plante, Beth; Hartnett, Erin; Mitchel, Jessica; Raker, Christine A; Vitek, Wendy; Eklund, Elizabeth; Lambert-Messerlian, Geralyn

2017-07-01

Human epididymis protein 4 is a serum biomarker to aid in differentiating benign and malignant disease in women with a pelvic mass. Interpretation of human epididymis protein 4 results relies on robust normative data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether human epididymis protein 4 levels are variable in women during the normal menstrual cycle. Healthy women, 18-45 years old, with regular menstrual cycles were recruited from community gynecologic practices in Rhode Island. Women consented to enroll and to participate by the donation of blood and urine samples at 5 specific times over the course of each cycle. Levels of reproductive hormones and human epididymis protein 4 were determined. Data were analyzed with the use of linear regression after log transformation. Among 74 enrolled cycles, 53 women had confirmed ovulation during the menstrual cycle and completed all 5 sample collections. Levels of estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone displayed the expected menstrual cycle patterns. Levels of human epididymis protein 4 in serum were relatively stable across the menstrual cycle, except for a small ovulatory (median, 37.0 pM) increase. Levels of human epididymis protein 4 in urine, after correction for creatinine, displayed the same pattern of secretion observed in serum. Serum human epididymis protein 4 levels are relatively stable across the menstrual cycle of reproductive-aged women and can be determined on any day to evaluate risk of ovarian malignancy. A slight increase is expected at ovulation; but even with this higher human epididymis protein 4 level, results are well within the healthy reference range for women (<120 pM). Levels of human epididymis protein 4 in urine warrant further investigation for use in clinical practice as a simple and convenient sample. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hypergravity and estrogen effects on avian anterior pituitary growth hormone and prolactin levels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fiorindo, R. P.; Negulesco, J. A.

1980-01-01

Developing female chicks with fractured right radii were maintained for 14 d at either earth gravity (1 g) or a hypergravity state (2 g). The birds at 1 g were divided into groups which received daily injections of (1) saline, (2) 200 micrograms estrone, and (3) 400 micrograms estrone for 14 d. The 2-g birds were divided into three similarly treated groups. All 2-g birds showed significantly lower body weights than did 1-g birds. Anterior pituitary (AP) glands were excised and analyzed for growth hormone and prolactin content by analytical electrophoresis. The 1-g chicks receiving either dose of daily estrogen showed increased AP growth hormone levels, whereas hypergravity alone did not affect growth hormone content. Chicks exposed to daily estrogen and hypergravity displayed reduced growth hormone levels. AP prolactin levels were slightly increased by the lower daily estrogen dose in 1-g birds, but markedly reduced in birds exposed only to hypergravity. Doubly-treated chicks displayed normal prolactin levels. Reduced growth in 2-g birds might be due, in part, to reduced AP levels of prolactin and/or growth hormone.

Cytokine stimulation of MUC4 expression in human female reproductive tissue carcinoma cell lines and endometrial cancer.

PubMed

Chapela, Patricia J; Broaddus, Russell R; Hawkins, Shannon M; Lessey, Bruce A; Carson, Daniel D

2015-11-01

MUC4, a transmembrane glycoprotein, interferes with cell adhesion, and promotes EGFR signaling in cancer. Studies in rat models have demonstrated steroid hormonal regulation of endometrial MUC4 expression. In this study, qRT-PCR screening of mouse tissues determined that Muc4 mRNA also was robustly expressed in mouse uteri. Previous studies from our labs have demonstrated MUC4 mRNA was expressed at levels <1% of MUC1 mRNA in human endometrium and endometriotic tissue. Multiple human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell lines were assayed for MUC4 mRNA expression revealing extremely low basal expression in the Ishikawa, RL-95-2, AN3CA, and KLE lines. Moderate to high expression was observed in HEC50 and HEC-1A cells. MUC4 mRNA expression was not affected by progesterone and/or estrogen treatment, but was greatly stimulated at both mRNA and protein levels by proinflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ and TNF-α), particularly when used in combination. In endometrial tissue, MUC4 mRNA levels did not change significantly between normal or cancerous samples; although, a subset of patients with grade 1 and 2 tumors displayed substantially higher expression. Likewise, immunostaining of human endometrial adenocarcinoma tissues revealed little to no staining in many patients (low MUC4), but strong staining in some patients (high MUC4) independent of cancer grade. In cases where staining was observed, it was heterogeneous with some cells displaying robust MUC4 expression and others displaying little or no staining. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that while MUC4 is highly expressed in the mouse uterus, it is not a major mucin in normal human endometrium. Rather, MUC4 is a potential marker of endometrial adenocarcinoma in a subset of patients. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Experiment K-310: The effect of spaceflight on osteogenesis and dentinogenesis in the mandibles of rats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simmons, D. J.; Russell, J. E.; Winter, F.; Rosenberg, G. D.; Walker, W. V.

1981-01-01

Normal rates of dentinogenesis and osteogenesis in the body of the mandible were observed. The total calcium, inorganic phosphorus and hydroxyproline levels in the jaws and incisors of the flight rats were normal. Gravity density fractionation studies suggested, however, that spaceflight caused a delay in the normal maturation of bone mineral and matrix; normal values were reestablished by 6 days postflight. The teeth were spared. The circadian and ultradian patterns of dentin calcification were normal during spaceflight and recovery periods, but the enamel rhythms displayed a greater amplitude of sulfur concentrations and this abnormal calcium to sulfur ratios only during exposure to zero gravity. The rat mandible and teeth do not suffer the deficits of bone formation common to weight bearing parts of the skeleton during spaceflight. The only derangements detected were in the quality of the matrix and mineral moieties.

Illumination normalization of face image based on illuminant direction estimation and improved Retinex.

PubMed

Yi, Jizheng; Mao, Xia; Chen, Lijiang; Xue, Yuli; Rovetta, Alberto; Caleanu, Catalin-Daniel

2015-01-01

Illumination normalization of face image for face recognition and facial expression recognition is one of the most frequent and difficult problems in image processing. In order to obtain a face image with normal illumination, our method firstly divides the input face image into sixteen local regions and calculates the edge level percentage in each of them. Secondly, three local regions, which meet the requirements of lower complexity and larger average gray value, are selected to calculate the final illuminant direction according to the error function between the measured intensity and the calculated intensity, and the constraint function for an infinite light source model. After knowing the final illuminant direction of the input face image, the Retinex algorithm is improved from two aspects: (1) we optimize the surround function; (2) we intercept the values in both ends of histogram of face image, determine the range of gray levels, and stretch the range of gray levels into the dynamic range of display device. Finally, we achieve illumination normalization and get the final face image. Unlike previous illumination normalization approaches, the method proposed in this paper does not require any training step or any knowledge of 3D face and reflective surface model. The experimental results using extended Yale face database B and CMU-PIE show that our method achieves better normalization effect comparing with the existing techniques.

Loudness growth in 1/2-octave bands (LGOB)--a procedure for the assessment of loudness.

PubMed

Allen, J B; Hall, J L; Jeng, P S

1990-08-01

In this paper, a method that has been developed for the assessment and quantification of loudness perception in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired persons is described. The method has been named LGOB, which stands for loudness growth in 1/2-octave bands. The method uses 1/2-octave bands of noise, centered at 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kHz, with subjective levels between a subject's threshold of hearing and the "too loud" level. The noise bands are presented to the subject, randomized over frequency and level, and the subject is asked to respond with a loudness rating (one of: VERY SOFT, SOFT, OK, LOUD, VERY LOUD, TOO LOUD). Subject responses (normal and hearing-impaired) are then compared to the average responses of a group of normal-hearing subjects. This procedure allows one to estimate the subject's loudness growth relative to normals, as a function of frequency and level. The results may be displayed either as isoloudness contours or as recruitment curves. In its present form, the measurements take less than 30 min. The signal presentation and analysis is done using a PC and a PC plug-in board having a digital to analog converter.

The Evaluation of a Pulmonary Display to Detect Adverse Respiratory Events Using High Resolution Human Simulator

PubMed Central

Wachter, S. Blake; Johnson, Ken; Albert, Robert; Syroid, Noah; Drews, Frank; Westenskow, Dwayne

2006-01-01

Objective Authors developed a picture-graphics display for pulmonary function to present typical respiratory data used in perioperative and intensive care environments. The display utilizes color, shape and emergent alerting to highlight abnormal pulmonary physiology. The display serves as an adjunct to traditional operating room displays and monitors. Design To evaluate the prototype, nineteen clinician volunteers each managed four adverse respiratory events and one normal event using a high-resolution patient simulator which included the new displays (intervention subjects) and traditional displays (control subjects). Between-group comparisons included (i) time to diagnosis and treatment for each adverse respiratory event; (ii) the number of unnecessary treatments during the normal scenario; and (iii) self-reported workload estimates while managing study events. Measurements Two expert anesthesiologists reviewed video-taped transcriptions of the volunteers to determine time to treat and time to diagnosis. Time values were then compared between groups using a Mann-Whitney-U Test. Estimated workload for both groups was assessed using the NASA-TLX and compared between groups using an ANOVA. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results Clinician volunteers detected and treated obstructed endotracheal tubes and intrinsic PEEP problems faster with graphical rather than conventional displays (p < 0.05). During the normal scenario simulation, 3 clinicians using the graphical display, and 5 clinicians using the conventional display gave unnecessary treatments. Clinician-volunteers reported significantly lower subjective workloads using the graphical display for the obstructed endotracheal tube scenario (p < 0.001) and the intrinsic PEEP scenario (p < 0.03). Conclusion Authors conclude that the graphical pulmonary display may serve as a useful adjunct to traditional displays in identifying adverse respiratory events. PMID:16929038

Development and evaluation of a method of calibrating medical displays based on fixed adaptation

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

Sund, Patrik, E-mail: patrik.sund@vgregion.se; Månsson, Lars Gunnar; Båth, Magnus

2015-04-15

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to develop and evaluate a new method for calibration of medical displays that includes the effect of fixed adaptation and by using equipment and luminance levels typical for a modern radiology department. Methods: Low contrast sinusoidal test patterns were derived at nine luminance levels from 2 to 600 cd/m{sup 2} and used in a two alternative forced choice observer study, where the adaptation level was fixed at the logarithmic average of 35 cd/m{sup 2}. The contrast sensitivity at each luminance level was derived by establishing a linear relationship between the ten pattern contrastmore » levels used at every luminance level and a detectability index (d′) calculated from the fraction of correct responses. A Gaussian function was fitted to the data and normalized to the adaptation level. The corresponding equation was used in a display calibration method that included the grayscale standard display function (GSDF) but compensated for fixed adaptation. In the evaluation study, the contrast of circular objects with a fixed pixel contrast was displayed using both calibration methods and was rated on a five-grade scale. Results were calculated using a visual grading characteristics method. Error estimations in both observer studies were derived using a bootstrap method. Results: The contrast sensitivities for the darkest and brightest patterns compared to the contrast sensitivity at the adaptation luminance were 37% and 56%, respectively. The obtained Gaussian fit corresponded well with similar studies. The evaluation study showed a higher degree of equally distributed contrast throughout the luminance range with the calibration method compensated for fixed adaptation than for the GSDF. The two lowest scores for the GSDF were obtained for the darkest and brightest patterns. These scores were significantly lower than the lowest score obtained for the compensated GSDF. For the GSDF, the scores for all luminance levels were statistically separated from the average value; three were lower and two were higher. For the compensated GSDF, three of the scores could not be separated from the average value. Conclusions: An observer study using clinically relevant displays and luminance settings has demonstrated that the calibration of displays according to the GSDF causes the perceived contrast to be unevenly distributed when using displays with a high luminance range. As the luminance range increases, the perceived contrast in the dark and bright regions will be significantly lower than the perceived contrast in the middle of the luminance range. A new calibration method that includes the effect of fixed adaptation was developed and evaluated in an observer study and was found to distribute the contrast of the display more evenly throughout the grayscale than the GSDF.« less

Intermittent maple syrup urine disease: two case reports.

PubMed

Axler, Olof; Holmquist, Peter

2014-02-01

The presenting symptoms and clinical course of 2 cases of intermittent maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) are described. Intermittent MSUD is a potentially life-threatening metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase, the enzyme complex that decarboxylates the 3 branched-chain amino acids. In contrast to classic MSUD, children with the intermittent form show normal development with normal intelligence and, when asymptomatic, normal levels of branched-chain amino acids. Symptoms usually appear between 5 months and 2 years of age, when a trivial infection such as otitis media or viral gastroenteritis triggers catabolism of muscle protein. Intermittent MSUD should be suspected in cases of common infections with a clinically atypical course, especially in children displaying ataxia or marked drowsiness.

The austral peregrine falcon: Color variation, productivity, and pesticides

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellis, D.H.

1985-01-01

The austral peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus cassini) was studied in the Andean foot- hills and across the Patagonian steppe from November to December 1981. The birds under study (18 pairs) were reproducing at or near normal (pre-DDT) levels for other races. Pesticide residues, while elevated, were well below the values associated with reproductive failure in other populations. With one exception, eggshells were not abnormally thin. The peregrine falcon in Patagonia exhibits extreme color variation. Pallid birds are nearly pure white below (light cream as juveniles), whereas normally pigmented birds are black-crowned and conspicuously barred with black ventrally. Rare individuals of the Normal Phase display black heads, broad black ventral barring, and warm reddish-brown ventral background coloration.

Toothguide Trainer tests with color vision deficiency simulation monitor.

PubMed

Borbély, Judit; Varsányi, Balázs; Fejérdy, Pál; Hermann, Péter; Jakstat, Holger A

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether simulated severe red and green color vision deficiency (CVD) influenced color matching results and to investigate whether training with Toothguide Trainer (TT) computer program enabled better color matching results. A total of 31 color normal dental students participated in the study. Every participant had to pass the Ishihara Test. Participants with a red/green color vision deficiency were excluded. A lecture on tooth color matching was given, and individual training with TT was performed. To measure the individual tooth color matching results in normal and color deficient display modes, the TT final exam was displayed on a calibrated monitor that served as a hardware-based method of simulating protanopy and deuteranopy. Data from the TT final exams were collected in normal and in severe red and green CVD-simulating monitor display modes. Color difference values for each participant in each display mode were computed (∑ΔE(ab)(*)), and the respective means and standard deviations were calculated. The Student's t-test was used in statistical evaluation. Participants made larger ΔE(ab)(*) errors in severe color vision deficient display modes than in the normal monitor mode. TT tests showed significant (p<0.05) difference in the tooth color matching results of severe green color vision deficiency simulation mode compared to normal vision mode. Students' shade matching results were significantly better after training (p=0.009). Computer-simulated severe color vision deficiency mode resulted in significantly worse color matching quality compared to normal color vision mode. Toothguide Trainer computer program improved color matching results. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of diarrhoea in myotonic dystrophy.

PubMed

Rönnblom, A; Andersson, S; Danielsson, A

1998-07-01

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in myotonic dystrophy (MD). Diarrhoea is one of the more disabling of these GI complaints. The mechanisms behind diarrhoea in MD have not previously been investigated systematically. To elucidate the mechanisms behind diarrhoea in MD. Twenty patients with MD and suffering from diarrhoea were investigated in order to detect malabsorption (blood tests and faecal fat excretion) and bile acid malabsorption ([75Se]selenahomocholic acid-taurine (SeHCAT) retention) and to study intestinal morphology (duodenal and rectal biopsies). Two patients had deficiency of folic acid and four showed reduced levels of pancreatic isoamylase, but none of them had steatorrhoea. Two out of eight patients had abnormal bile acid breath tests with normal SeHCAT, indicating small bowel bacterial overgrowth and 12 displayed reduced SeHCAT retention. Duodenal biopsies were normal in eight patients and five out of nine rectal biopsies displayed slight inflammation. A possible mechanism of diarrhoea in MD could be identified in most of the patients. Bile acid malabsorption seems to be a frequent cause and can be treated successfully.

Body composition in men with anorexia nervosa: Longitudinal study.

PubMed

El Ghoch, Marwan; Calugi, Simona; Milanese, Chiara; Bazzani, Paola Vittoria; Dalle Grave, Riccardo

2017-07-01

To compare body composition patterns before and after complete weight restoration in men with anorexia nervosa. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure body composition patterns in 10 men with anorexia nervosa before and after complete weight restoration, and in 10 healthy men matched to age and patients' post-treatment body mass index (BMI). Before weight restoration, men with anorexia nervosa displayed lower total body fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LBM) than those in the healthy comparison group, with a greater FM loss from the extremity than the trunk region. After short-term weight restoration, patients displayed complete normalization in total LBM and FM, but greater deposition of FM in the trunk region. Short-term weight restoration can normalize body composition patterns in men with anorexia nervosa, but results in a central adiposity phenotype. The clinical implication of this finding is unknown, but should be explored given the high levels of concern about central adiposity in anorexia nervosa. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Deficits in acetylcholine homeostasis, receptors and behaviors in choline transporter heterozygous mice.

PubMed

Bazalakova, M H; Wright, J; Schneble, E J; McDonald, M P; Heilman, C J; Levey, A I; Blakely, R D

2007-07-01

Cholinergic neurons elaborate a hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) sensitive choline transporter (CHT) that mediates presynaptic, high-affinity choline uptake (HACU) in support of acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis and release. Homozygous deletion of CHT (-/-) is lethal shortly after birth (Ferguson et al. 2004), consistent with CHT as an essential component of cholinergic signaling, but precluding functional analyses of CHT contributions in adult animals. In contrast, CHT+/- mice are viable, fertile and display normal levels of synaptosomal HACU, yet demonstrate reduced CHT protein and increased sensitivity to HC-3, suggestive of underlying cholinergic hypofunction. We find that CHT+/- mice are equivalent to CHT+/+ siblings on measures of motor co-ordination (rotarod), general activity (open field), anxiety (elevated plus maze, light/dark paradigms) and spatial learning and memory (Morris water maze). However, CHT+/- mice display impaired performance as a result of physical challenge in the treadmill paradigm, as well as reduced sensitivity to challenge with the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine in the open field paradigm. These behavioral alterations are accompanied by significantly reduced brain ACh levels, elevated choline levels and brain region-specific decreased expression of M1 and M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Our studies suggest that CHT hemizygosity results in adequate baseline ACh stores, sufficient to sustain many phenotypes, but normal sensitivities to physical and/or pharmacological challenge require full cholinergic signaling capacity.

An automated normative-based fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography image-analysis procedure to aid Alzheimer disease diagnosis using statistical parametric mapping and interactive image display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kewei; Ge, Xiaolin; Yao, Li; Bandy, Dan; Alexander, Gene E.; Prouty, Anita; Burns, Christine; Zhao, Xiaojie; Wen, Xiaotong; Korn, Ronald; Lawson, Michael; Reiman, Eric M.

2006-03-01

Having approved fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in some patients, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services suggested the need to develop and test analysis techniques to optimize diagnostic accuracy. We developed an automated computer package comparing an individual's FDG PET image to those of a group of normal volunteers. The normal control group includes FDG-PET images from 82 cognitively normal subjects, 61.89+/-5.67 years of age, who were characterized demographically, clinically, neuropsychologically, and by their apolipoprotein E genotype (known to be associated with a differential risk for AD). In addition, AD-affected brain regions functionally defined as based on a previous study (Alexander, et al, Am J Psychiatr, 2002) were also incorporated. Our computer package permits the user to optionally select control subjects, matching the individual patient for gender, age, and educational level. It is fully streamlined to require minimal user intervention. With one mouse click, the program runs automatically, normalizing the individual patient image, setting up a design matrix for comparing the single subject to a group of normal controls, performing the statistics, calculating the glucose reduction overlap index of the patient with the AD-affected brain regions, and displaying the findings in reference to the AD regions. In conclusion, the package automatically contrasts a single patient to a normal subject database using sound statistical procedures. With further validation, this computer package could be a valuable tool to assist physicians in decision making and communicating findings with patients and patient families.

Evaluation of two cockpit display concepts for civil tiltrotor instrument operations on steep approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decker, William A.; Bray, Richard S.; Simmons, Rickey C.; Tucker, George E.

1993-01-01

A piloted simulation experiment was conducted using the NASA Ames Research Center Vertical Motion Simulator to evaluate two cockpit display formats designed for manual control on steep instrument approaches for a civil transport tiltrotor aircraft. The first display included a four-cue (pitch, roll, power lever position, and nacelle angle movement prompt) flight director. The second display format provided instantaneous flight path angle information together with other symbols for terminal area guidance. Pilots evaluated these display formats for an instrument approach task which required a level flight conversion from airplane-mode flight to helicopter-mode flight while decelerating to the nominal approach airspeed. Pilots tracked glide slopes of 6, 9, 15 and 25 degrees, terminating in a hover for a vertical landing on a 150 feet square vertipad. Approaches were conducted with low visibility and ceilings and with crosswinds and turbulence, with all aircraft systems functioning normally and were carried through to a landing. Desired approach and tracking performance was achieved with generally satisfactory handling qualities using either display format on glide slopes up through 15 degrees. Evaluations with both display formats for a 25 degree glide slope revealed serious problems with glide slope tracking at low airspeeds in crosswinds and the loss of the intended landing spot from the cockpit field of view.

Fumarate hydratase is a critical metabolic regulator of hematopoietic stem cell functions.

PubMed

Guitart, Amelie V; Panagopoulou, Theano I; Villacreces, Arnaud; Vukovic, Milica; Sepulveda, Catarina; Allen, Lewis; Carter, Roderick N; van de Lagemaat, Louie N; Morgan, Marcos; Giles, Peter; Sas, Zuzanna; Gonzalez, Marta Vila; Lawson, Hannah; Paris, Jasmin; Edwards-Hicks, Joy; Schaak, Katrin; Subramani, Chithra; Gezer, Deniz; Armesilla-Diaz, Alejandro; Wills, Jimi; Easterbrook, Aaron; Coman, David; So, Chi Wai Eric; O'Carroll, Donal; Vernimmen, Douglas; Rodrigues, Neil P; Pollard, Patrick J; Morton, Nicholas M; Finch, Andrew; Kranc, Kamil R

2017-03-06

Strict regulation of stem cell metabolism is essential for tissue functions and tumor suppression. In this study, we investigated the role of fumarate hydratase (Fh1), a key component of the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and cytosolic fumarate metabolism, in normal and leukemic hematopoiesis. Hematopoiesis-specific Fh1 deletion (resulting in endogenous fumarate accumulation and a genetic TCA cycle block reflected by decreased maximal mitochondrial respiration) caused lethal fetal liver hematopoietic defects and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) failure. Reexpression of extramitochondrial Fh1 (which normalized fumarate levels but not maximal mitochondrial respiration) rescued these phenotypes, indicating the causal role of cellular fumarate accumulation. However, HSCs lacking mitochondrial Fh1 (which had normal fumarate levels but defective maximal mitochondrial respiration) failed to self-renew and displayed lymphoid differentiation defects. In contrast, leukemia-initiating cells lacking mitochondrial Fh1 efficiently propagated Meis1 / Hoxa9 -driven leukemia. Thus, we identify novel roles for fumarate metabolism in HSC maintenance and hematopoietic differentiation and reveal a differential requirement for mitochondrial Fh1 in normal hematopoiesis and leukemia propagation. © 2017 Guitart et al.

Effects of Head-Mounted Display on the Oculomotor System and Refractive Error in Normal Adolescents.

PubMed

Ha, Suk-Gyu; Na, Kun-Hoo; Kweon, Il-Joo; Suh, Young-Woo; Kim, Seung-Hyun

2016-07-01

To investigate the clinical effects of head-mounted display on the refractive error and oculomotor system in normal adolescents. Sixty volunteers (age: 13 to 18 years) watched a three-dimensional movie and virtual reality application of head-mounted display for 30 minutes. The refractive error (diopters [D]), angle of deviation (prism diopters [PD]) at distance (6 m) and near (33 cm), near point of accommodation, and stereoacuity were measured before, immediately after, and 10 minutes after watching the head-mounted display. The refractive error was presented as spherical equivalent (SE). Refractive error was measured repeatedly after every 10 minutes when a myopic shift greater than 0.15 D was observed after watching the head-mounted display. The mean age of the participants was 14.7 ± 1.3 years and the mean SE before watching head-mounted display was -3.1 ± 2.6 D. One participant in the virtual reality application group was excluded due to motion sickness and nausea. After 30 minutes of watching the head-mounted display, the SE, near point of accommodation, and stereoacuity in both eyes did not change significantly (all P > .05). Immediately after watching the head-mounted display, esophoric shift was observed (0.6 ± 1.5 to 0.2 ± 1.5 PD), although it was not significant (P = .06). Transient myopic shifts of 17.2% to 30% were observed immediately after watching the head-mounted display in both groups, but recovered fully within 40 minutes after watching the head-mounted display. There were no significant clinical effects of watching head-mounted display for 30 minutes on the normal adolescent eye. Transient changes in refractive error and binocular alignment were noted, but were not significant. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2016;53(4):238-245.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Quantitative analysis reveals how EGFR activation and downregulation are coupled in normal but not in cancer cells

PubMed Central

Capuani, Fabrizio; Conte, Alexia; Argenzio, Elisabetta; Marchetti, Luca; Priami, Corrado; Polo, Simona; Di Fiore, Pier Paolo; Sigismund, Sara; Ciliberto, Andrea

2015-01-01

Ubiquitination of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that occurs when Cbl and Grb2 bind to three phosphotyrosine residues (pY1045, pY1068 and pY1086) on the receptor displays a sharp threshold effect as a function of EGF concentration. Here we use a simple modelling approach together with experiments to show that the establishment of the threshold requires both the multiplicity of binding sites and cooperative binding of Cbl and Grb2 to the EGFR. While the threshold is remarkably robust, a more sophisticated model predicted that it could be modulated as a function of EGFR levels on the cell surface. We confirmed experimentally that the system has evolved to perform optimally at physiological levels of EGFR. As a consequence, this system displays an intrinsic weakness that causes—at the supraphysiological levels of receptor and/or ligand associated with cancer—uncoupling of the mechanisms leading to signalling through phosphorylation and attenuation through ubiquitination. PMID:26264748

Adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing by ADAR1 is essential for normal murine erythropoiesis

PubMed Central

Liddicoat, Brian J.; Hartner, Jochen C.; Piskol, Robert; Ramaswami, Gokul; Chalk, Alistair M.; Kingsley, Paul D.; Sankaran, Vijay G.; Wall, Meaghan; Purton, Louise E.; Seeburg, Peter H.; Palis, James; Orkin, Stuart H.; Lu, Jun; Li, Jin Billy; Walkley, Carl R.

2016-01-01

Adenosine deaminases that act on RNA (ADARs) convert adenosine residues to inosine in double-stranded RNA. In vivo, ADAR1 is essential for the maintenance of hematopoietic stem/progenitors. Whether other hematopoietic cell types also require ADAR1 has not been assessed. Using erythroid- and myeloid-restricted deletion of Adar1, we demonstrate that ADAR1 is dispensable for myelopoiesis but is essential for normal erythropoiesis. Adar1-deficient erythroid cells display a profound activation of innate immune signaling and high levels of cell death. No changes in microRNA levels were found in ADAR1-deficient erythroid cells. Using an editing-deficient allele, we demonstrate that RNA editing is the essential function of ADAR1 during erythropoiesis. Mapping of adenosine-to-inosine editing in purified erythroid cells identified clusters of hyperedited adenosines located in long 3’-untranslated regions of erythroid-specific transcripts and these are ADAR1-specific editing events. ADAR1-mediated RNA editing is essential for normal erythropoiesis. PMID:27373493

Experience and Grouping Effects when Handling Non-Normal Situations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.

2004-01-01

Currently, most of the displays in control rooms can be categorized as status, alerts/procedures, or control screens. With the advent and use of CRTs and the associated computing power available to compute and display information, it is now possible to combine these different elements of information and control onto a single display. An experiment was conducted to determine which, if any, of these functions should be collocated in order to better handle simple anticipated non-normal system events. The results indicated that there are performance benefits and subject preferences to combining all the information onto one screen or combining the status and alert/procedure information onto one screen and placing the controls in another area. The results indicated that operators quickly modify their display preferences to the display configuration most recently used.

3D geometries of normal faults in a brittle-ductile sedimentary cover: Analogue modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasquez, Lina; Nalpas, Thierry; Ballard, Jean-François; Le Carlier De Veslud, Christian; Simon, Brendan; Dauteuil, Olivier; Bernard, Xavier Du

2018-07-01

It is well known that ductile layers play a major role in the style and location of deformation. However, at the scale of a single normal fault, the impact of rheological layering is poorly constrained and badly understood, and there is a lack of information regarding the influence of several décollement levels within a sedimentary cover on the single fault geometry under purely extensive deformation. We present small-scale experiments that were built with interbedded layers of brittle and ductile materials and with minimum initial constraints (only a velocity discontinuity at the base of the experiment) on the normal fault geometry in order to investigate the influence of controlled parameters such as extension velocity, rate of extension, ductile thickness and varying stratigraphy on the 3D fault geometry. These experiments showed a broad-spectrum of tectonic features such as grabens, ramp-flat-ramp normal faults and reverse faults. Forced folds are associated with fault flats that develop in the décollement levels (refraction of the fault angle). One of the key points is that the normal fault geometry displays large variations in both direction and dip, despite the imposed homogeneous extension. This result is exclusively related to the presence of décollement levels, and is not associated with any global/regional variation in extension direction and/or inversion.

Peripheral visual response time and visual display layout

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haines, R. F.

1974-01-01

Experiments were performed on a group of 42 subjects in a study of their peripheral visual response time to visual signals under positive acceleration, during prolonged bedrest, at passive 70 deg headup body lift, under exposures to high air temperatures and high luminance levels, and under normal stress-free laboratory conditions. Diagrams are plotted for mean response times to white, red, yellow, green, and blue stimuli under different conditions.

BIG: a calossin-like protein required for polar auxin transport in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Gil, Pedro; Dewey, Elizabeth; Friml, Jiri; Zhao, Yunde; Snowden, Kimberley C.; Putterill, Jo; Palme, Klaus; Estelle, Mark; Chory, Joanne

2001-01-01

Polar auxin transport is crucial for the regulation of auxin action and required for some light-regulated responses during plant development. We have found that two mutants of Arabidopsis—doc1, which displays altered expression of light-regulated genes, and tir3, known for its reduced auxin transport—have similar defects and define mutations in a single gene that we have renamed BIG. BIG is very similar to the Drosophila gene Calossin/Pushover, a member of a gene family also present in Caenorhabditis elegans and human genomes. The protein encoded by BIG is extraordinary in size, 560 kD, and contains several putative Zn-finger domains. Expression-profiling experiments indicate that altered expression of multiple light-regulated genes in doc1 mutants can be suppressed by elevated levels of auxin caused by overexpression of an auxin biosynthetic gene, suggesting that normal auxin distribution is required to maintain low-level expression of these genes in the dark. Double mutants of tir3 with the auxin mutants pin1, pid, and axr1 display severe defects in auxin-dependent growth of the inflorescence. Chemical inhibitors of auxin transport change the intracellular localization of the auxin efflux carrier PIN1 in doc1/tir3 mutants, supporting the idea that BIG is required for normal auxin efflux. PMID:11485992

Comparative transcriptomic analyses of normal and malformed flowers in sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) to identify the differential expressed genes between normal and malformed flowers.

PubMed

Liu, Kaidong; Li, Haili; Li, Weijin; Zhong, Jundi; Chen, Yan; Shen, Chenjia; Yuan, Changchun

2017-10-23

Sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.), a popular fruit with high medicinal and nutritional properties, is widely cultivated in tropical South Asia and America. The malformed flower is a major cause for a reduction in production of sugar apple. However, little information is available on the differences between normal and malformed flowers of sugar apple. To gain a comprehensive perspective on the differences between normal and malformed flowers of sugar apple, cDNA libraries from normal and malformation flowers were prepared independently for Illumina sequencing. The data generated a total of 70,189,896 reads that were integrated and assembled into 55,097 unigenes with a mean length of 783 bp. A large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Among these DEGs, 701 flower development-associated transcript factor encoding genes were included. Furthermore, a large number of flowering- and hormone-related DEGs were also identified, and most of these genes were down-regulated expressed in the malformation flowers. The expression levels of 15 selected genes were validated using quantitative-PCR. The contents of several endogenous hormones were measured. The malformed flowers displayed lower endogenous hormone levels compared to the normal flowers. The expression data as well as hormone levels in our study will serve as a comprehensive resource for investigating the regulation mechanism involved in floral organ development in sugar apple.

The flavonoid compound apigenin prevents colonic inflammation and motor dysfunctions associated with high fat diet-induced obesity.

PubMed

Gentile, Daniela; Fornai, Matteo; Colucci, Rocchina; Pellegrini, Carolina; Tirotta, Erika; Benvenuti, Laura; Segnani, Cristina; Ippolito, Chiara; Duranti, Emiliano; Virdis, Agostino; Carpi, Sara; Nieri, Paola; Németh, Zoltán H; Pistelli, Laura; Bernardini, Nunzia; Blandizzi, Corrado; Antonioli, Luca

2018-01-01

Apigenin can exert beneficial actions in the prevention of obesity. However, its putative action on obesity-associated bowel motor dysfunctions is unknown. This study examined the effects of apigenin on colonic inflammatory and motor abnormalities in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed with standard diet (SD) or high-fat diet (HFD). SD or HFD mice were treated with apigenin (10 mg/Kg/day). After 8 weeks, body and epididymal fat weight, as well as cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels were evaluated. Malondialdehyde (MDA), IL-1β and IL-6 levels, and let-7f expression were also examined. Colonic infiltration by eosinophils, as well as substance P (SP) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressions were evaluated. Motor responses elicited under blockade of NOS and tachykininergic contractions were recorded in vitro from colonic longitudinal muscle preparations. When compared to SD mice, HFD animals displayed increased body weight, epididymal fat weight and metabolic indexes. HFD mice showed increments in colonic MDA, IL-1β and IL-6 levels, as well as a decrease in let-7f expression in both colonic and epididymal tissues. HFD mice displayed an increase in colonic eosinophil infiltration. Immunohistochemistry revealed an increase in SP and iNOS expression in myenteric ganglia of HFD mice. In preparations from HFD mice, electrically evoked contractions upon NOS blockade or mediated by tachykininergic stimulation were enhanced. In HFD mice, Apigenin counteracted the increase in body and epididymal fat weight, as well as the alterations of metabolic indexes. Apigenin reduced also MDA, IL-1β and IL-6 colonic levels as well as eosinophil infiltration, SP and iNOS expression, along with a normalization of electrically evoked tachykininergic and nitrergic contractions. In addition, apigenin normalized let-7f expression in epididymal fat tissues, but not in colonic specimens. Apigenin prevents systemic metabolic alterations, counteracts enteric inflammation and normalizes colonic dysmotility associated with obesity.

Macrophages of multiple sclerosis patients display deficient SHP-1 expression and enhanced inflammatory phenotype.

PubMed

Christophi, George P; Panos, Michael; Hudson, Chad A; Christophi, Rebecca L; Gruber, Ross C; Mersich, Akos T; Blystone, Scott D; Jubelt, Burk; Massa, Paul T

2009-07-01

Recent studies in mice have demonstrated that the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 is a crucial negative regulator of proinflammatory cytokine signaling, TLR signaling, and inflammatory gene expression. Furthermore, mice genetically lacking SHP-1 (me/me) display a profound susceptibility to inflammatory CNS demyelination relative to wild-type mice. In particular, SHP-1 deficiency may act predominantly in inflammatory macrophages to increase CNS demyelination as SHP-1-deficient macrophages display coexpression of inflammatory effector molecules and increased demyelinating activity in me/me mice. Recently, we reported that PBMCs of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have a deficiency in SHP-1 expression relative to normal control subjects indicating that SHP-1 deficiency may play a similar role in MS as to that seen in mice. Therefore, it became essential to examine the specific expression and function of SHP-1 in macrophages from MS patients. Herein, we document that macrophages of MS patients have deficient SHP-1 protein and mRNA expression relative to those of normal control subjects. To examine functional consequences of the lower SHP-1, the activation of STAT6, STAT1, and NF-kappaB was quantified and macrophages of MS patients showed increased activation of these transcription factors. In accordance with this observation, several STAT6-, STAT1-, and NF-kappaB-responsive genes that mediate inflammatory demyelination were increased in macrophages of MS patients following cytokine and TLR agonist stimulation. Supporting a direct role of SHP-1 deficiency in altered macrophage function, experimental depletion of SHP-1 in normal subject macrophages resulted in an increased STAT/NF-kappaB activation and increased inflammatory gene expression to levels seen in macrophages of MS patients. In conclusion, macrophages of MS patients display a deficiency of SHP-1 expression, heightened activation of STAT6, STAT1, and NF-kappaB and a corresponding inflammatory profile that may be important in controlling macrophage-mediated demyelination in MS.

Obesity and risk taking. A male phenomenon.

PubMed

Koritzky, Gilly; Yechiam, Eldad; Bukay, Irit; Milman, Uzi

2012-10-01

There is a growing tendency to regard overeating as an addiction, with obesity as its primary symptom. We propose that similar to other addictions, obesity is associated with excessive risk-taking in men, though not in women. To examine this suggestion we conducted two studies, one involving a sample of overweight and normal-weight students, and the other involving obese adults drawn from a dataset of health care clients, and a control sample of normal-weight adults. In both of these studies, we found that overweight and obese men took more risk in a laboratory task than normal-weight men, while overweight and obese women did not differ from normal-weight women in this respect. At the same time, obese women (but not overweight women) displayed higher impulsivity levels than normal-weight women. These findings shed light on the cognitive characteristics of obesity in men, and accent the importance of taking gender into account when developing research paradigms and treatment methods for obesity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation into the Role of Phosphatidylserine in Modifying the Susceptibility of Human Lymphocytes to Secretory Phospholipase A2 using Cells Deficient in the Expression of Scramblase

PubMed Central

Nelson, Jennifer; Francom, Lyndee L.; Anderson, Lynn; Damm, Kelly; Baker, Ryan; Chen, Joseph; Franklin, Sarah; Hamaker, Amy; Izidoro, Izadora; Moss, Eric; Orton, Mikayla; Stevens, Evan; Yeung, Celestine; Judd, Allan M.; Bell, John D.

2012-01-01

Summary Normal human lymphocytes resisted the hydrolytic action of secretory phospholipase A2 but became susceptible to the enzyme following treatment with a calcium ionophore, ionomycin. To test the hypothesis that this susceptibility requires exposure of the anionic lipid phosphatidylserine on the external face of the cell membrane, experiments were repeated with a human Burkitt’s lymphoma cell line (Raji cells). In contrast to normal lymphocytes or S49 mouse lymphoma cells, most of the Raji cells (83%) did not translocate phosphatidylserine to the cell surface upon treatment with ionomycin. Those few that did display exposed phosphatidylserine were hydrolyzed immediately upon addition of phospholipase A2. Interestingly, the remaining cells were also completely susceptible to the enzyme but were hydrolyzed at a slower rate and after a latency of about 100 s. In contradistinction to the defect in phosphatidylserine translocation, Raji cells did display other physical membrane changes upon ionomycin treatment that may be relevant to hydrolysis by phospholipase A2. These changes were detected by merocyanine 540 and trimethylammonium diphenylhexatriene fluorescence and were common among normal lymphocytes, S49 cells, and Raji cells. The levels of these latter effects corresponded well with the relative rates of hydrolysis among the three cell lines. These results suggested that while phosphatidylserine enhances the rate of cell membrane hydrolysis by secretory phospholipase A2, it is not an absolute requirement. Other physical properties such as membrane order contribute to the level of membrane susceptibility to the enzyme independent of phosphatidylserine. PMID:22266334

Plasma glycoprotein V levels in the general population: normal distribution, associated parameters and implications for clinical studies.

PubMed

Aleil, Boris; Meyer, Nicolas; Wolff, Valérie; Kientz, Daniel; Wiesel, Marie-Louise; Gachet, Christian; Cazenave, Jean-Pierre; Lanza, François

2006-10-01

Soluble glycoprotein V (sGPV) is a new plasma marker of thrombosis released from the platelet surface by thrombin. sGPV levels are increased in patients with atherothrombotic diseases, but the determinants of sGPV levels are unknown in the general population. Identification of these potential confounding factors is needed for correct design and analysis of clinical studies on cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the normal range of plasma values and the factors controlling sGPV levels in a population of normal individuals. Three hundred blood donors were recruited at the Etablissement Français du Sang-Alsace for the measurement of plasma levels of sGPV, platelet factor 4 (PF4), thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT) and D-dimers. The plasma level of sGPV was (median [interquartile range]) 27.5 [23.5-34.4] microg/l and displayed a Gaussian distribution. sGPV had a lower interindividual coefficient of variation (33%) than PF4 (176%), TAT (87%) or D-dimers (82%). sGPV levels were independent of age and sex but sensitive to red cell (r = 0.412; p < 0.0001) and platelet counts (r = 0.267; p = 0.001), total cholesterol (r = -0.313; p < 0.0001), food intake (r = 0.184; p = 0.0014) and smoking (r = -0.154; p = 0.039). Contrary to PF4 and TAT, sGPV did not differ between venous and arterial blood samples of 12 healthy individuals. Red cell and platelet counts, total cholesterol, current smoking and recent food intake are important determinants of sGPV levels and must be taken into account in clinical studies using sGPV as a thrombosis marker. Normal distribution of sGPV levels in the general population supports its use in clinical applications.

Increased osteoblastic activity and expression of receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand in nonuremic nephrotic syndrome.

PubMed

Freundlich, Michael; Alonzo, Evelyn; Bellorin-Font, Ezequiel; Weisinger, Jose R

2005-07-01

Patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS), even with normal GFR, often display altered mineral homeostasis and abnormal bone histology. However, the latter, mostly osteomalacia and increased bone resorption, cannot be readily explained by the prevalent concentrations of parathyroid hormone and vitamin D metabolites. The transmembrane receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) of osteoblasts is essential for osteoclast formation and differentiation. Osteoblasts activity and the expression of RANKL were tested in cultures of normal human osteoblasts with sera obtained from patients with NS and normal GFR (129 +/- 26 ml/min per 1.73 m2) during relapse and remission of their NS. Osteoblasts that were cultured in vitro with sera during relapse displayed elevated concentrations of alkaline phosphatase (AP) and increased expression of RANKL. By contrast, during remission, AP concentrations were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and RANKL expression notably attenuated or absent. AP correlated with the proteinuria (r = 0.5, P < 0.05) and was not significantly affected by the therapeutic administration of corticosteroids. Whereas parathyroid hormone levels were normal (35 +/- 21 pg/ml), the serum markers of bone formation (osteocalcin and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase) were lower during relapse compared with remission. Thus, sera from patients with NS and normal GFR stimulate the activity of osteoblasts and upregulate their expression of RANKL. These alterations, more prominent during clinically active NS, are transient and reversible upon remission. These disturbances of bone biology may play an important pathogenic role in the abnormal bone histology observed in patients with NS even before a decline in GFR occurs.

Design and testing of artifact-suppressed adaptive histogram equalization: a contrast-enhancement technique for display of digital chest radiographs.

PubMed

Rehm, K; Seeley, G W; Dallas, W J; Ovitt, T W; Seeger, J F

1990-01-01

One of the goals of our research in the field of digital radiography has been to develop contrast-enhancement algorithms for eventual use in the display of chest images on video devices with the aim of preserving the diagnostic information presently available with film, some of which would normally be lost because of the smaller dynamic range of video monitors. The ASAHE algorithm discussed in this article has been tested by investigating observer performance in a difficult detection task involving phantoms and simulated lung nodules, using film as the output medium. The results of the experiment showed that the algorithm is successful in providing contrast-enhanced, natural-looking chest images while maintaining diagnostic information. The algorithm did not effect an increase in nodule detectability, but this was not unexpected because film is a medium capable of displaying a wide range of gray levels. It is sufficient at this stage to show that there is no degradation in observer performance. Future tests will evaluate the performance of the ASAHE algorithm in preparing chest images for video display.

iMOSFLM: a new graphical interface for diffraction-image processing with MOSFLM

PubMed Central

Battye, T. Geoff G.; Kontogiannis, Luke; Johnson, Owen; Powell, Harold R.; Leslie, Andrew G. W.

2011-01-01

iMOSFLM is a graphical user interface to the diffraction data-integration program MOSFLM. It is designed to simplify data processing by dividing the process into a series of steps, which are normally carried out sequentially. Each step has its own display pane, allowing control over parameters that influence that step and providing graphical feedback to the user. Suitable values for integration parameters are set automatically, but additional menus provide a detailed level of control for experienced users. The image display and the interfaces to the different tasks (indexing, strategy calculation, cell refinement, integration and history) are described. The most important parameters for each step and the best way of assessing success or failure are discussed. PMID:21460445

Esthetic impact of gingival plastic surgery from the dentistry students’ perspective

PubMed Central

Ayyildiz, Erdem; Tan, Enes; Keklik, Hakan; Demirtag, Zulfikar; Celebi, Ahmet Arif; Pithon, Matheus Melo

2016-01-01

Objective: The aim of the this study was to evaluate the perception of smile esthetics and alterations in cases of gingival plastic surgery for correction of a gummy smile, by means of alterations in smile photograph among dentistry degree students. Materials and Methods: A frontal smile photograph of a 40-year-old woman having normal occlusion was used with diverse compositions of gingival exposure level and crown length of maxillary teeth. The eight photographs were evaluated by 216 dentistry students in five class groups (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th classes). Results: The results revealed that almost all of the class’ students perceived differences between images, additionally, the highest percentage of students that answered “no difference” was 12% at 1st class’ students. 1st and 2nd class’ students most liked photograph which is 2.5 mm gingival display and 3rd class students liked two different photographs which are 2.5 mm gingival display and 2 mm gingival display whereas 4th class students preferred two different photographs which are 1.5 mm gingival display and 1 mm gingival display, 5th class students preferred photograph which is 1.5 mm gingival display as the most. Conclusion: Esthetic perception of smile improve as a student passes to higher study classes in terms of gingival exposure. The harmonious display of gingiva exhibits an important effect in the smile esthetics rather than reduced or excessive display. PMID:27403061

Mpl expression on megakaryocytes and platelets is dispensable for thrombopoiesis but essential to prevent myeloproliferation

PubMed Central

Ng, Ashley P.; Kauppi, Maria; Metcalf, Donald; Hyland, Craig D.; Josefsson, Emma C.; Lebois, Marion; Zhang, Jian-Guo; Baldwin, Tracey M.; Di Rago, Ladina; Hilton, Douglas J.; Alexander, Warren S.

2014-01-01

Thrombopoietin (TPO) acting via its receptor, the cellular homologue of the myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene (Mpl), is the major cytokine regulator of platelet number. To precisely define the role of specific hematopoietic cells in TPO-dependent hematopoiesis, we generated mice that express the Mpl receptor normally on stem/progenitor cells but lack expression on megakaryocytes and platelets (MplPF4cre/PF4cre). MplPF4cre/PF4cre mice displayed profound megakaryocytosis and thrombocytosis with a remarkable expansion of megakaryocyte-committed and multipotential progenitor cells, the latter displaying biological responses and a gene expression signature indicative of chronic TPO overstimulation as the underlying causative mechanism, despite a normal circulating TPO level. Thus, TPO signaling in megakaryocytes is dispensable for platelet production; its key role in control of platelet number is via generation and stimulation of the bipotential megakaryocyte precursors. Nevertheless, Mpl expression on megakaryocytes and platelets is essential to prevent megakaryocytosis and myeloproliferation by restricting the amount of TPO available to stimulate the production of megakaryocytes from the progenitor cell pool. PMID:24711413

Mpl expression on megakaryocytes and platelets is dispensable for thrombopoiesis but essential to prevent myeloproliferation.

PubMed

Ng, Ashley P; Kauppi, Maria; Metcalf, Donald; Hyland, Craig D; Josefsson, Emma C; Lebois, Marion; Zhang, Jian-Guo; Baldwin, Tracey M; Di Rago, Ladina; Hilton, Douglas J; Alexander, Warren S

2014-04-22

Thrombopoietin (TPO) acting via its receptor, the cellular homologue of the myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene (Mpl), is the major cytokine regulator of platelet number. To precisely define the role of specific hematopoietic cells in TPO-dependent hematopoiesis, we generated mice that express the Mpl receptor normally on stem/progenitor cells but lack expression on megakaryocytes and platelets (Mpl(PF4cre/PF4cre)). Mpl(PF4cre/PF4cre) mice displayed profound megakaryocytosis and thrombocytosis with a remarkable expansion of megakaryocyte-committed and multipotential progenitor cells, the latter displaying biological responses and a gene expression signature indicative of chronic TPO overstimulation as the underlying causative mechanism, despite a normal circulating TPO level. Thus, TPO signaling in megakaryocytes is dispensable for platelet production; its key role in control of platelet number is via generation and stimulation of the bipotential megakaryocyte precursors. Nevertheless, Mpl expression on megakaryocytes and platelets is essential to prevent megakaryocytosis and myeloproliferation by restricting the amount of TPO available to stimulate the production of megakaryocytes from the progenitor cell pool.

Cardiomyocyte-specific desmin rescue of desmin null cardiomyopathy excludes vascular involvement.

PubMed

Weisleder, Noah; Soumaka, Elisavet; Abbasi, Shahrzad; Taegtmeyer, Heinrich; Capetanaki, Yassemi

2004-01-01

Mice deficient in desmin, the muscle-specific member of the intermediate filament gene family, display defects in all muscle types and particularly in the myocardium. Desmin null hearts develop cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) characterized by extensive myocyte cell death, calcific fibrosis and multiple ultrastructural defects. Several lines of evidence suggest impaired vascular function in desmin null animals. To determine whether altered capillary function or an intrinsic cardiomyocyte defect is responsible for desmin null DCM, transgenic mice were generated to rescue desmin expression specifically to cardiomyocytes. Desmin rescue mice display a wild-type cardiac phenotype with no fibrosis or calcification in the myocardium and normalization of coronary flow. Cardiomyocyte ultrastructure is also restored to normal. Markers of hypertrophy upregulated in desmin null hearts return to wild-type levels in desmin rescue mice. Working hearts were perfused to assess coronary flow and cardiac power. Restoration of a wild-type cardiac phenotype in a desmin null background by expression of desmin specifically within cardiomyocyte indicates that defects in the desmin null heart are due to an intrinsic cardiomyocytes defect rather than compromised coronary circulation.

Glasses-free large size high-resolution three-dimensional display based on the projector array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, Xinzhu; Wang, Peng; Yu, Xunbo; Zhao, Tianqi; Gao, Xing; Xing, Shujun; Yu, Chongxiu; Xu, Daxiong

2014-11-01

Normally, it requires a huge amount of spatial information to increase the number of views and to provide smooth motion parallax for natural three-dimensional (3D) display similar to real life. To realize natural 3D video display without eye-wears, a huge amount of 3D spatial information is normal required. However, minimum 3D information for eyes should be used to reduce the requirements for display devices and processing time. For the 3D display with smooth motion parallax similar to the holographic stereogram, the size the virtual viewing slit should be smaller than the pupil size of eye at the largest viewing distance. To increase the resolution, two glass-free 3D display systems rear and front projection are presented based on the space multiplexing with the micro-projector array and the special designed 3D diffuse screens with the size above 1.8 m× 1.2 m. The displayed clear depths are larger 1.5m. The flexibility in terms of digitized recording and reconstructed based on the 3D diffuse screen relieves the limitations of conventional 3D display technologies, which can realize fully continuous, natural 3-D display. In the display system, the aberration is well suppressed and the low crosstalk is achieved.

Presence of a tumour-inhibiting factor (TIF) in sera from normal but not tumour-bearing mice.

PubMed

Kim, B S; Chin, D K

1980-10-01

Some plasmacytomas produce myeloma proteins with known antibody specificities and the secretion of these proteins by individual tumour cells can be determined using haemolytic plaque assay. After a 3 day culture of mouse plasmacytoma cells in medium containing 10% normal mouse serum, the number of plaques was reduced to less than 10% when compared to that of tumour cells incubated with either foetal calf serum or normal rabbit serum. However, tumour cells incubated with sera from mice bearing TEPC-15, McPC-603, or MOPC-315 plasmacytomas displayed control levels of plaques. The production of plaques paralleled the viability of tumour cells suggesting that the reduction of plaque formation is due to the decreased viable cell number. The tumour-inhibiting activity was recovered from the fraction of apparent molecular weight of 300,000-400,000 after a partial purification using an agarose (A 0.5 M) column. This fraction, however, did not suppress in vitro induction of antibody production. Kinetic experiments using sera obtained sequentially from individual mice receiving either TEPC-15 or MOPC-315 plasmacytomas further indicated that the tumour-inhibiting activity is severely reduced during a 2 week period after tumour inoculation. The inhibition of tumour cells did not appear to be specific since tumour cells of three plasmacytomas (TEPC-15, MOPC-167 and MOPC-315), a mastocytoma (P815) and a lymphoma (EL-4) displayed a similar susceptibility to normal serum.

Mice with a severe deficiency in protein C display prothrombotic and proinflammatory phenotypes and compromised maternal reproductive capabilities

PubMed Central

Lay, Angelina J.; Liang, Zhong; Rosen, Elliot D.; Castellino, Francis J.

2005-01-01

Anticoagulant protein C (PC) is important not only for maintenance of normal hemostasis, but also for regulating the host immune response during inflammation. Because mice with a designed total genetic deficiency in PC (PC–/– mice) die soon after birth, attempts to dissect PC function in various coagulation/inflammation-based pathologies through use of mice with less than 50% of normal PC levels have not been successful to date. In the current investigation, we have used a novel transgenic strategy to generate different mouse models expressing 1–18% of normal PC levels. In contrast to PC–/– mice, mice with only partial PC deficiency survived beyond birth and also developed thrombosis and inflammation. The onset and severity of these phenotypes vary significantly and are strongly dependent on plasma PC levels. Our findings additionally provide the first evidence that maternal PC is vital for sustaining pregnancy beyond 7.5 days postcoitum, likely by regulating the balance of coagulation and inflammation during trophoblast invasion. These low PC–expressing transgenic mouse lines provide novel animal models that can be used to elucidate the importance of PC in maintenance of the organism and in disease. PMID:15902301

Bioelements in hair of children with selected neurological disorders.

PubMed

Józefczuk, Jan; Kasprzycka, Wiktoria; Czarnecki, Rafał; Graczyk, Alfreda; Józefczuk, Paweł; Krzysztof, Magda; Lampart, Urszula; Mrozowska-Ząbek, Ewa; Surdy, Weronika; Kwiatkowska-Graczyk, Róża

2017-01-01

We have analyzed concentrations of magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) in hair of a group of 82 children with mental retardation, in which 9 patients suffered from epilepsy, 18 from the Down's syndrome and 55 from cerebral palsy. Girls comprised little over 50% of the patients. In the group of boys with epilepsy, we found Mg, Ca, Cu and Fe deficiency, and normal level of Zn. In the group of girls with epilepsy, apart from low Fe concentration, a high level of Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu was noted. For girls with the Down's syndrome, a high or normal level of Ca, Mg, Zn and Cu was found, whereas the Fe concentration varied and presented itself in a non-characteristic way. Both groups of children with cerebral palsy, i.e. boys and girls, displayed low Fe concentration in their hair; low Cu level was found in older patients as well. In this group of patients, we also noted high concentrations of Ca, Mg and Zn in girls and normal in boys. A high concentration of Ca in girls with cerebral palsy requires separate analysis. The obtained results could be useful as guidance in the direction and determination of the amount of possible patient nutritional supplementation.

Anxiety levels in adolescents who stutter.

PubMed

Blood, Gordon W; Blood, Ingrid M; Maloney, Kristy; Meyer, Crystal; Qualls, Constance Dean

2007-01-01

High levels of anxiety can negatively affect the lives of children and adolescents. Thirty-six adolescents who stutter and 36 adolescents who do not stutter were administered standardized scales for anxiety and self-esteem. Significant differences were found for the total T-scores for Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale for the two groups, although both groups mean T-scores were within normal range. Eighty-three percent of adolescents who stutter and 95% of adolescents who do not stutter earned scores in the normal range. No significant differences were found on the self-esteem scale, with 86% of adolescents who stutter and 97% of adolescents who do not stutter earning scores in the normal/positive range. Adolescents who stutter with co-occurring disorders displayed significantly higher levels of anxiety than adolescents who stutter with no co-occurring disorders. No significant differences were found between groups on ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender and anxiety levels. A positive, significant correlation between anxiety scores and self-esteem scores was found for both groups. Readers will learn about and understand (a) the role of anxiety and self-esteem in stuttering; (b) the methods used to evaluate anxiety and self-esteem in adolescents; and (c) the similarities between adolescents who stutter and adolescents who do not stutter on anxiety and self-esteem scales.

Reduced TCOF1 mRNA level in a rhesus macaque with Treacher Collins-like syndrome: further evidence for haploinsufficiency of treacle as the cause of disease.

PubMed

Shows, Kathryn H; Ward, Christy; Summers, Laura; Li, Lin; Ziegler, Gregory R; Hendrickx, Andrew G; Shiang, Rita

2006-02-01

Mutations in the human gene TCOF1 cause a mandibulofacial dysostosis known as Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS). An infant rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) that displayed the TCS phenotype was identified at the California National Primate Research Center. The TCOF1 coding region was cloned from a normal rhesus macaque and sequenced. The rhesus macaque homolog of TCOF1 is 91.6% identical in cDNA sequence and 93.8% identical in translated protein sequence compared to human TCOF1. Sequencing of TCOF1 in the TCS-affected rhesus macaque showed no mutations within the coding region or splice sites; however, real-time quantitative PCR showed an 87% reduction of spleen TCOF1 mRNA level in the TCS affected macaque when compared with normal macaque spleen.

Effects of color combination and ambient illumination on visual perception time with TFT-LCD.

PubMed

Lin, Chin-Chiuan; Huang, Kuo-Chen

2009-10-01

An empirical study was carried out to examine the effects of color combination and ambient illumination on visual perception time using TFT-LCD. The effect of color combination was broken down into two subfactors, luminance contrast ratio and chromaticity contrast. Analysis indicated that the luminance contrast ratio and ambient illumination had significant, though small effects on visual perception. Visual perception time was better at high luminance contrast ratio than at low luminance contrast ratio. Visual perception time under normal ambient illumination was better than at other ambient illumination levels, although the stimulus color had a confounding effect on visual perception time. In general, visual perception time was better for the primary colors than the middle-point colors. Based on the results, normal ambient illumination level and high luminance contrast ratio seemed to be the optimal choice for design of workplace with video display terminals TFT-LCD.

The viewpoint-specific failure of modern 3D displays in laparoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Sakata, Shinichiro; Grove, Philip M; Hill, Andrew; Watson, Marcus O; Stevenson, Andrew R L

2016-11-01

Surgeons conventionally assume the optimal viewing position during 3D laparoscopic surgery and may not be aware of the potential hazards to team members positioned across different suboptimal viewing positions. The first aim of this study was to map the viewing positions within a standard operating theatre where individuals may experience visual ghosting (i.e. double vision images) from crosstalk. The second aim was to characterize the standard viewing positions adopted by instrument nurses and surgical assistants during laparoscopic pelvic surgery and report the associated levels of visual ghosting and discomfort. In experiment 1, 15 participants viewed a laparoscopic 3D display from 176 different viewing positions around the screen. In experiment 2, 12 participants (randomly assigned to four clinically relevant viewing positions) viewed laparoscopic suturing in a simulation laboratory. In both experiments, we measured the intensity of visual ghosting. In experiment 2, participants also completed the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire. We mapped locations within the dimensions of a standard operating theatre at which visual ghosting may result during 3D laparoscopy. Head height relative to the bottom of the image and large horizontal eccentricities away from the surface normal were important contributors to high levels of visual ghosting. Conventional viewing positions adopted by instrument nurses yielded high levels of visual ghosting and severe discomfort. The conventional viewing positions adopted by surgical team members during laparoscopic pelvic operations are suboptimal for viewing 3D laparoscopic displays, and even short periods of viewing can yield high levels of discomfort.

The effects of repetitive vibration on sensorineural function: biomarkers of sensorineural injury in an animal model of metabolic syndrome

PubMed Central

Kiedrowski, Megan; Waugh, Stacey; Miller, Roger; Johnson, Claud; Krajnak, Kristine

2016-01-01

Exposure to hand-transmitted vibration in the work-place can result in the loss of sensation and pain in workers. These effects may be exacerbated by pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or the presence of primary Raynaud's phenomena. The goal of these studies was to use an established model of vibration-induced injury in Zucker rats. Lean Zucker rats have a normal metabolic profile, while obese Zucker rats display symptoms of metabolic disorder or Type II diabetes. This study examined the effects of vibration in obese and lean rats. Zucker rats were exposed to 4 h of vibration for 10 consecutive days at a frequency of 125 Hz and acceleration of 49 m/s2 for 10 consecutive days. Sensory function was checked using transcutaneous electrical stimulation on days 1, 5 and 9 of the exposure. Once the study was complete the ventral tail nerves, dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord were dissected, and levels of various transcripts involved in sensorineural dysfunction were measured. Sensorineural dysfunction was assessed using transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Obese Zucker rats displayed very few changes in sensorineural function. However they did display significant changes in transcript levels for factors involved in synapse formation, peripheral nerve remodeling, and inflammation. The changes in transcript levels suggested that obese Zucker rats had some level of sensory nerve injury prior to exposure, and that exposure to vibration activated pathways involved in injury and re-innervation. PMID:26433044

Relationship of weight status with mental and physical health in female fibromyalgia patients.

PubMed

Aparicio, Virginia A; Ortega, Francisco B; Carbonell-Baeza, Ana; Camiletti, Daniel; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Delgado-Fernández, Manuel

2011-01-01

To analyze the association of weight status with anxiety, depression, quality of life and physical fitness in fibromyalgia (FM) patients. The sample comprised 175 Spanish female FM patients (51.2 ± 7 years). We assessed quality of life by means of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey (SF36) and anxiety and depression by means of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). We used standardized fieldbased fitness tests to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, agility, and static and dynamic balance. BMI was calculated and categorized using the international criteria. 33% of the sample was normal-weight, 35% overweight and 33% obese. HADS-anxiety and HADS-depression levels increased across the weight status categories. Obese patients had higher anxiety and depression levels compared to normal-weight patients (p < 0.05) whereas no differences were observed between overweight and obese patients. Physical functioning, bodily pain, general health (all p < 0.01) and mental health (p < 0.05) subscales from the SF36 were worse across the weight status categories. Likewise, levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, dynamic balance/motor agility (both p < 0.05) and upper-body flexibility (p < 0.001) decreased as the weight status increased. Pairwise comparisons showed significant differences mainly between the normal-weight versus obese groups. Obese female FM patients displayed higher levels of anxiety and depression and worse quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness, dynamic balance/motor agility and upper-body flexibility than their normal-weight peers. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

To breathe or fight? Siamese fighting fish differ when facing a real opponent or mirror image.

PubMed

Arnott, Gareth; Beattie, Emma; Elwood, Robert W

2016-08-01

Displays are a feature of animal contest behaviour and have been interpreted as a means of gathering information on opponent fighting ability, as well as signalling aggressive motivation. In fish, contest displays often include frontal and lateral elements, which in the latter involves contestants showing their flanks to an opponent. Previous work in a range of fish species has demonstrated population-level lateralization of these displays, preferentially showing one side to their opponent. Mirrors are commonly used in place of a real opponent to study aggression in fish, yet they may disrupt the normal pattern of display behaviour. Here, using Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens, we compare the aggressive behaviour of males to a mirror image and real opponent behind a transparent barrier. As this species is a facultative air-breather, we also quantify surface breathing, providing insights into underlying fight motivation. Consistent with previous work, we found evidence of population-level lateralization, with a bias to present the left side and use the left eye when facing a real opponent. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences in the aggressive displays to a mirror and real opponent, with positive correlations between the behaviour in the two scenarios. However, there were important differences in surface breathing, which was more frequent and of longer duration in the mirror treatment. The reasons for these differences are discussed in relation to the repertoire of contest behaviour and motivation when facing a real opponent. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The components of somatostatin and ghrelin systems are altered in neuroendocrine lung carcinoids and associated to clinical-histological features.

PubMed

Herrera-Martínez, Aura D; Gahete, Manuel D; Sánchez-Sánchez, Rafael; Salas, Rosa Ortega; Serrano-Blanch, Raquel; Salvatierra, Ángel; Hofland, Leo J; Luque, Raúl M; Gálvez-Moreno, María A; Castaño, Justo P

2017-07-01

Lung carcinoids (LCs) are rare tumors that comprise 1-5% of lung malignancies but represent 20-30% of neuroendocrine tumors. Their incidence is progressively increasing and a better characterization of these tumors is required. Alterations in somatostatin (SST)/cortistatin (CORT) and ghrelin systems have been associated to development/progression of various endocrine-related cancers, wherein they may become useful diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers. We aimed to evaluate the expression levels of ghrelin and SST/CORT system components in LCs, as well as to explore their putative relationship with histological/clinical characteristics. An observational retrospective study was performed; 75 LC patients with clinical/histological characteristics were included. Samples from 46 patients were processed to isolate mRNA from tumor and adjacent non-tumor region, and the expression levels of SST/CORT and ghrelin systems components, determined by quantitative-PCR, were compared to those of 7 normal lung tissues. Patient cohort was characterized by mean age 53±15 years, 48% males, 34% with tobacco exposure; 71.4/28.6% typical/atypical carcinoids, 21.7% incidental tumors, 4.3% functioning tumors, 17.7% with metastasis. SST/CORT and ghrelin system components were expressed at variable levels in a high proportion of tumors, as well as in adjacent non-tumor tissues, while a lower proportion of normal lung samples also expressed these molecules. A gradation was observed from normal non-neoplastic lung tissues, non-tumor adjacent tissue and LCs, being SST, sst4, sst5, GHS-R1a and GHS-R1b overexpressed in tumor tissue compared to normal tissue. Importantly, several SST/CORT and ghrelin system components displayed significant correlations with relevant clinical parameters, such as necrosis, peritumoral and vascular invasion, or metastasis. Altogether, these data reveal a prominent, widespread expression of key SST/CORT/ghrelin system components in LCs, where they display clinical-histological correlations, which could provide novel, valuable markers for NET patient management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Stable Level of Glutamine synthetase 2 Plays an Important Role in Rice Growth and in Carbon-Nitrogen Metabolic Balance

PubMed Central

Bao, Aili; Zhao, Zhuqing; Ding, Guangda; Shi, Lei; Xu, Fangsen; Cai, Hongmei

2015-01-01

Glutamine synthetase 2 (GS2) is a key enzyme involved in the ammonium metabolism in plant leaves. In our previous study, we obtained GS2-cosuppressed plants, which displayed a normal growth phenotype at the seedling stage, while at the tillering stage they showed a chlorosis phenotype. In this study, to investigate the chlorosis mechanism, we systematically analyzed the plant growth, carbon-nitrogen metabolism and gene expressions between the GS2-cosuppressed rice and wild-type plants. The results revealed that the GS2-cosuppressed plants exhibited a poor plant growth phenotype and a poor nitrogen transport ability, which led to nitrogen accumulation and a decline in the carbon/nitrogen ratio in the stems. Interestingly, there was a higher concentration of soluble proteins and a lower concentration of carbohydrates in the GS2-cosuppressed plants at the seedling stage, while a contrasting result was displayed at the tillering stage. The analysis of the metabolic profile showed a significant increase of sugars and organic acids. Additionally, gene expression patterns were different in root and leaf of GS2-cosuppressed plants between the seedling and tillering stage. These results indicated the important role of a stable level of GS2 transcription during normal rice development and the importance of the carbon-nitrogen metabolic balance in rice growth. PMID:26053400

The Stable Level of Glutamine synthetase 2 Plays an Important Role in Rice Growth and in Carbon-Nitrogen Metabolic Balance.

PubMed

Bao, Aili; Zhao, Zhuqing; Ding, Guangda; Shi, Lei; Xu, Fangsen; Cai, Hongmei

2015-06-04

Glutamine synthetase 2 (GS2) is a key enzyme involved in the ammonium metabolism in plant leaves. In our previous study, we obtained GS2-cosuppressed plants, which displayed a normal growth phenotype at the seedling stage, while at the tillering stage they showed a chlorosis phenotype. In this study, to investigate the chlorosis mechanism, we systematically analyzed the plant growth, carbon-nitrogen metabolism and gene expressions between the GS2-cosuppressed rice and wild-type plants. The results revealed that the GS2-cosuppressed plants exhibited a poor plant growth phenotype and a poor nitrogen transport ability, which led to nitrogen accumulation and a decline in the carbon/nitrogen ratio in the stems. Interestingly, there was a higher concentration of soluble proteins and a lower concentration of carbohydrates in the GS2-cosuppressed plants at the seedling stage, while a contrasting result was displayed at the tillering stage. The analysis of the metabolic profile showed a significant increase of sugars and organic acids. Additionally, gene expression patterns were different in root and leaf of GS2-cosuppressed plants between the seedling and tillering stage. These results indicated the important role of a stable level of GS2 transcription during normal rice development and the importance of the carbon-nitrogen metabolic balance in rice growth.

Energy Signal Tool for Decision Support in Building Energy Systems

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

Henze, G. P.; Pavlak, G. S.; Florita, A. R.

2014-12-01

A prototype energy signal tool is demonstrated for operational whole-building and system-level energy use evaluation. The purpose of the tool is to give a summary of building energy use which allows a building operator to quickly distinguish normal and abnormal energy use. Toward that end, energy use status is displayed as a traffic light, which is a visual metaphor for energy use that is either substantially different from expected (red and yellow lights) or approximately the same as expected (green light). Which light to display for a given energy end use is determined by comparing expected to actual energy use.more » As expected, energy use is necessarily uncertain; we cannot choose the appropriate light with certainty. Instead, the energy signal tool chooses the light by minimizing the expected cost of displaying the wrong light. The expected energy use is represented by a probability distribution. Energy use is modeled by a low-order lumped parameter model. Uncertainty in energy use is quantified by a Monte Carlo exploration of the influence of model parameters on energy use. Distributions over model parameters are updated over time via Bayes' theorem. The simulation study was devised to assess whole-building energy signal accuracy in the presence of uncertainty and faults at the submetered level, which may lead to tradeoffs at the whole-building level that are not detectable without submetering.« less

What do cardiovascular nurses know about the hematological management of patients with Eisenmenger syndrome?

PubMed

Moons, Philip; Fleck, Desiree; Jaarsma, Tiny; Norekval, Tone M; Smith, Karen; Stromberg, Anna; Thompson, David R; Budts, Werner

2009-10-01

We investigated the level of knowledge of hematological management of patients with Eisenmenger syndrome among general cardiovascular nurses and nurses who specialize in congenital heart disease (CHD). We conducted a survey at two international conferences attended by cardiovascular nurses. Nurses were asked to complete a questionnaire comprising two questions and three clinical case scenarios. Overall, 89 nurses participated (response rate 90.8%), 43 of whom specialized in CHD. The level of knowledge displayed among cardiovascular nurses is poor. About one-third of nurses not specialized in CHD recognized the definition of Eisenmenger syndrome and knew what normal hematocrit levels are. With respect to the cases presented, less than 10% of the nurses could give a correct answer. The level of knowledge of specialized nurses was significantly higher, but also here, important gaps in the level of knowledge could be observed. Less than two-thirds knew the reference values of hematocrit and knew the appropriate management in two cases. Less than half of the specialized nurses knew about the procedure of isovolumic phlebotomy. The level of knowledge displayed by cardiovascular nurses regarding the hematological management of patients with Eisenmenger syndrome is poor. Also the knowledge of nurses specialized in CHD could be improved.

Getting better, but not well: A 1.5 year follow-up of cognitive performance and cortisol levels in clinical and non-Clinical burnout.

PubMed

Oosterholt, Bart G; Maes, Joseph H R; Van der Linden, Dimitri; Verbraak, Marc J P M; Kompier, Michiel A J

2016-05-01

The purpose was to reexamine cognitive performance and cortisol levels of initial clinical burnout patients, non-clinical burnout individuals, and healthy controls. After 1.5-years of the initial measurement, clinical burnout patients showed a reduction of burnout symptoms and general physical and psychological complaints, but these were still elevated compared with controls. Nonetheless, they continued to report cognitive problems and still showed a minor impaired cognitive test performance. However, they no longer reported larger subjective costs associated with cognitive test performance and their cortisol awakening response (CAR) returned to a normal level. Compared with controls, non-clinical burnout individuals still reported the same, elevated, level of burnout symptoms, general physical and psychological complaints, and cognitive problems. Their cognitive test performance and associated subjective costs remained normal. However, they seemed to continue to display a lowered CAR. To conclude, after 1.5-years, clinical burnout patients got better, but not 'well', and non-clinical burnout individuals remained not 'well'. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The differential effects of gender, anthropometry, and prior hormonal state on frontal plane knee joint stiffness

PubMed Central

Cammarata, Martha L.; Dhaher, Yasin Y.

2012-01-01

Background Gender differences in passive frontal plane knee stiffness may contribute to the increased anterior cruciate ligament injury rate in females. Gender-based stiffness differences have been attributed to anthropometric variations, but little data exist describing this relationship. Furthermore, sex hormone levels appear to influence joint stiffness, but the differential effects of instantaneous and prior hormonal concentrations remain unknown. This study sought to explore the effect of gender, prior hormonal status, and anthropometry on passive frontal plane knee joint stiffness. Methods Twelve males and 31 females participated. Females were grouped by hormonal contraceptive use (non users [n=11], monophasic contraceptive users [n=11], and triphasic contraceptive users [n=9]) and tested at the same point in the menstrual cycle. Subjects’ right knee was passively stretched ±7° in the frontal plane at 3°/s. Stiffness was estimated at three loading levels and normalized by body size to minimize anthropometric biases. A 4 (group) × 3 (load) repeated measures analysis of variance was performed for both raw and normalized stiffness. Linear regression analyses were preformed between stiffness estimates and knee diameter and quadriceps femoris angle. Findings Males displayed significantly greater (P<0.05) frontal plane stiffness than females. When normalized, males displayed significantly greater stiffness in valgus (P<0.05), but not varus (P>0.05) than females. No significant effect (P>0.05) of prior hormonal state was found; however, when normalized, varus stiffness was significantly less for triphasic contraceptive users than the other female groups (P<0.05). Quadriceps femoris angle was negatively correlated and knee diameter was positively correlated to knee stiffness. Interpretation Consistent with earlier in vitro findings, our data may indicate that ligament material properties are gender specific. A deficit in passive knee joint stiffness may place a larger burden on the neuromuscular system to resist frontal plane loading in females. PMID:18479791

Association of maternal weight with FADS and ELOVL genetic variants and fatty acid levels- The PREOBE follow-up

PubMed Central

de la Garza Puentes, Andrea; Montes Goyanes, Rosa; Chisaguano Tonato, Aida Maribel; Torres-Espínola, Francisco José; Arias García, Miriam; de Almeida, Leonor; Bonilla Aguirre, María; Guerendiain, Marcela; Castellote Bargalló, Ana Isabel; Segura Moreno, Maite; García-Valdés, Luz; Campoy, Cristina; Lopez-Sabater, M. Carmen

2017-01-01

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) and elongase (ELOVL) enzymes affect long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) production. We aimed to determine if these SNPs are associated with body mass index (BMI) or affect fatty acids (FAs) in pregnant women. Participants (n = 180) from the PREOBE cohort were grouped according to pre-pregnancy BMI: normal-weight (BMI = 18.5–24.9, n = 88) and overweight/obese (BMI≥25, n = 92). Plasma samples were analyzed at 24 weeks of gestation to measure FA levels in the phospholipid fraction. Selected SNPs were genotyped (7 in FADS1, 5 in FADS2, 3 in ELOVL2 and 2 in ELOVL5). Minor allele carriers of rs174545, rs174546, rs174548 and rs174553 (FADS1), and rs1535 and rs174583 (FADS2) were nominally associated with an increased risk of having a BMI≥25. Only for the normal-weight group, minor allele carriers of rs174537, rs174545, rs174546, and rs174553 (FADS1) were negatively associated with AA:DGLA index. Normal-weight women who were minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs had lower levels of AA, AA:DGLA and AA:LA indexes, and higher levels of DGLA, compared to major homozygotes. Among minor allele carriers of FADS2 and ELOVL2 SNPs, overweight/obese women showed higher DHA:EPA index than the normal-weight group; however, they did not present higher DHA concentrations than the normal-weight women. In conclusion, minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs have an increased risk of obesity. Maternal weight changes the effect of genotype on FA levels. Only in the normal-weight group, minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs displayed reduced enzymatic activity and FA levels. This suggests that women with a BMI≥25 are less affected by FADS genetic variants in this regard. In the presence of FADS2 and ELOVL2 SNPs, overweight/obese women showed higher n-3 LC-PUFA production indexes than women with normal weight, but this was not enough to obtain a higher n-3 LC-PUFA concentration. PMID:28598979

The androgen receptor governs the execution, but not programming, of male sexual and territorial behaviors

PubMed Central

Juntti, Scott A; Tollkuhn, Jessica; Wu, Melody V; Fraser, Eleanor J; Soderborg, Taylor; Tan, Stella; Honda, Shin-Ichiro; Harada, Nobuhiro; Shah, Nirao M

2010-01-01

SUMMARY Testosterone and estrogen are essential for male behaviors in vertebrates. How these two signaling pathways interact to control masculinization of the brain and behavior remains to be established. Circulating testosterone activates the androgen receptor (AR) and also serves as the source of estrogen in the brain. We have used a genetic strategy to delete AR specifically in the mouse nervous system. This approach permits us to determine the function of AR in sexually dimorphic behaviors in males while maintaining circulating testosterone levels within the normal range. We find that AR mutant males exhibit masculine sexual and territorial displays, but they have striking deficits in specific components of these behaviors. Taken together with the surprisingly limited expression of AR in the developing brain, our findings indicate that testosterone acts as a precursor to estrogen to masculinize the brain and behavior, and signals via AR to control the levels of male behavioral displays. PMID:20435002

Launch Control System Master Console Event Message Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Uyen

2014-01-01

System monitoring and control (SMC) message browsers receive so many messages daily that operators do not need to see. Important messages are often mixed up among the less important ones. My job is to reduce the messages displayed in the message browser so that warning and emergency messages can be seen easily and therefore, responded promptly. There are multiple methods to achieve this. Firstly, duplicate messages should not appear many times in the message browser. Instead, the message should appear only once but with a number that counts the times that it appears. This method is called duplicate message suppression. Secondly, messages that update the most recent state (e.g. up/down) of a component should replace the old-state messages. This method is called state based message correlation. Thirdly, messages that display "normal" alarm level should be suppressed unless it's a response to an operator action. In addition to message reduction, I also work on correcting the severity level and text formats on messages.

Parametrial adipose tissue and metabolic dysfunctions induced by fructose-rich diet in normal and neonatal-androgenized adult female rats.

PubMed

Alzamendi, Ana; Castrogiovanni, Daniel; Ortega, Hugo H; Gaillard, Rolf C; Giovambattista, Andres; Spinedi, Eduardo

2010-03-01

Hyperandrogenemia predisposes an organism toward developing impaired insulin sensitivity. The aim of our study was to evaluate endocrine and metabolic effects during early allostasis induced by a fructose-rich diet (FRD) in normal (control; CT) and neonatal-androgenized (testosterone propionate; TP) female adult rats. CT and TP rats were fed either a normal diet (ND) or an FRD for 3 weeks immediately before the day of study, which was at age 100 days. Energy intake, body weight (BW), parametrial (PM) fat characteristics, and endocrine/metabolic biomarkers were then evaluated. Daily energy intake was similar in CT and TP rats regardless of the differences in diet. When compared with CT-ND rats, the TP-ND rats were heavier, had larger PM fat, and were characterized by basal hypoadiponectinemia and enhanced plasma levels of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and leptin. FRD-fed CT rats, when compared with CT-ND rats, had high plasma levels of NEFA, triglyceride (TG), PAI-1, leptin, and adiponectin. The TP-FRD rats, when compared with TP-ND rats, displayed enhanced leptinemia and triglyceridemia, and were hyperinsulinemic, with glucose intolerance. The PM fat taken from TP rats displayed increase in the size of adipocytes, decrease in adiponectin (protein/gene), and a greater abundance of the leptin gene. PM adipocyte response to insulin was impaired in CT-FRD, TP-ND, and TP-FRD rats. A very short duration of isocaloric FRD intake in TP rats induced severe metabolic dysfunction at the reproductive age. Our study supports the hypothesis that the early-androgenized female rat phenotype is highly susceptible to developing endocrine/metabolic dysfunction. In turn, these abnormalities enhance the risk of metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Investigation into the role of phosphatidylserine in modifying the susceptibility of human lymphocytes to secretory phospholipase A(2) using cells deficient in the expression of scramblase.

PubMed

Nelson, Jennifer; Francom, Lyndee L; Anderson, Lynn; Damm, Kelly; Baker, Ryan; Chen, Joseph; Franklin, Sarah; Hamaker, Amy; Izidoro, Izadora; Moss, Eric; Orton, Mikayla; Stevens, Evan; Yeung, Celestine; Judd, Allan M; Bell, John D

2012-05-01

Normal human lymphocytes resisted the hydrolytic action of secretory phospholipase A(2) but became susceptible to the enzyme following treatment with a calcium ionophore, ionomycin. To test the hypothesis that this susceptibility requires exposure of the anionic lipid phosphatidylserine on the external face of the cell membrane, experiments were repeated with a human Burkitt's lymphoma cell line (Raji cells). In contrast to normal lymphocytes or S49 mouse lymphoma cells, most of the Raji cells (83%) did not translocate phosphatidylserine to the cell surface upon treatment with ionomycin. Those few that did display exposed phosphatidylserine were hydrolyzed immediately upon addition of phospholipase A(2). Interestingly, the remaining cells were also completely susceptible to the enzyme but were hydrolyzed at a slower rate and after a latency of about 100s. In contradistinction to the defect in phosphatidylserine translocation, Raji cells did display other physical membrane changes upon ionomycin treatment that may be relevant to hydrolysis by phospholipase A(2). These changes were detected by merocyanine 540 and trimethylammonium diphenylhexatriene fluorescence and were common among normal lymphocytes, S49 cells, and Raji cells. The levels of these latter effects corresponded well with the relative rates of hydrolysis among the three cell lines. These results suggested that while phosphatidylserine enhances the rate of cell membrane hydrolysis by secretory phospholipase A(2), it is not an absolute requirement. Other physical properties such as membrane order contribute to the level of membrane susceptibility to the enzyme independent of phosphatidylserine. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria by multiphoton microscopy in different sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yi; Chen, Zhifen; Kang, Deyong; li, Lianhuang; Zhuo, Shuangmu; Zhu, Xiaoqin; Guan, Guoxian; Chen, Jianxin

2016-01-01

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) based on two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) as a potential diagnostic tool is attractive. MPM can effectively provide information about morphological and biochemical changes in biological tissues at the molecular level. In this paper, we attempt to identify normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria by multiphoton microscopy in different sections (both in transverse and longitudinal sections). The results show that MPM can display different microstructure changes in the transverse and longitudinal sections of colorectal muscularis propria. MPM also can quantitatively describe the alteration of collagen content between normal and cancerous muscle layers. These are important pathological findings that MPM images can bring more detailed complementary information about tissue architecture and cell morphology through observing the transverse and longitudinal sections of colorectal muscularis propria. This work demonstrates that MPM can be better for identifying the microstructural characteristics of normal and cancerous human colorectal muscularis propria in different sections.

An Antioxidant Extract of the Insectivorous Plant Drosera burmannii Vahl. Alleviates Iron-Induced Oxidative Stress and Hepatic Injury in Mice

PubMed Central

Das, Abhishek; Panja, Sourav; Mandal, Nripendranath

2015-01-01

Free iron typically leads to the formation of excess free radicals, and additional iron deposition in the liver contributes to the oxidative pathologic processes of liver disease. Many pharmacological properties of the insectivorous plant Drosera burmannii Vahl. have been reported in previous studies; however, there is no evidence of its antioxidant or hepatoprotective potential against iron overload. The antioxidant activity of 70% methanolic extract of D. burmannii (DBME) was evaluated. DBME showed excellent DPPH, hydroxyl, hypochlorous, superoxide, singlet oxygen, nitric oxide, peroxynitrite radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. A substantial iron chelation (IC50 = 40.90 ± 0.31 μg/ml) and supercoiled DNA protection ([P]50 = 50.41 ± 0.55 μg) were observed. DBME also displayed excellent in vivo hepatoprotective activity in iron-overloaded Swiss albino mice compared to the standard desirox treatment. Administration of DBME significantly normalized serum enzyme levels and restored liver antioxidant enzymes levels. DBME lowered the raised levels of liver damage parameters, also reflected from the morphological analysis of the liver sections. DBME also reduced liver iron content by 115.90% which is also seen by Perls’ staining. A phytochemical analysis of DBME confirms the presence of various phytoconstituents, including phenols, flavonoids, carbohydrates, tannins, alkaloids and ascorbic acid. Alkaloids, phenols and flavonoids were abundantly found in DBME. An HPLC analysis of DBME revealed the presence of purpurin, catechin, tannic acid, reserpine, methyl gallate and rutin. Purpurin, tannic acid, methyl gallate and rutin displayed excellent iron chelation but exhibited cytotoxicity toward normal (WI-38) cells; while DBME found to be non-toxic to the normal cells. These findings suggest that the constituents present in DBME contributed to its iron chelation activity. Additional studies are needed to determine if DBME can be used as a treatment for iron overload diseases. PMID:26010614

14 CFR 65.89 - Display of certificate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... CERTIFICATION: AIRMEN OTHER THAN FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS Mechanics § 65.89 Display of certificate. Each person who holds a mechanic certificate shall keep it within the immediate area where he normally exercises the...

14 CFR 65.89 - Display of certificate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... CERTIFICATION: AIRMEN OTHER THAN FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS Mechanics § 65.89 Display of certificate. Each person who holds a mechanic certificate shall keep it within the immediate area where he normally exercises the...

14 CFR 65.89 - Display of certificate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... CERTIFICATION: AIRMEN OTHER THAN FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS Mechanics § 65.89 Display of certificate. Each person who holds a mechanic certificate shall keep it within the immediate area where he normally exercises the...

14 CFR 65.89 - Display of certificate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... CERTIFICATION: AIRMEN OTHER THAN FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS Mechanics § 65.89 Display of certificate. Each person who holds a mechanic certificate shall keep it within the immediate area where he normally exercises the...

14 CFR 65.89 - Display of certificate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... CERTIFICATION: AIRMEN OTHER THAN FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS Mechanics § 65.89 Display of certificate. Each person who holds a mechanic certificate shall keep it within the immediate area where he normally exercises the...

Differences in otosclerotic and normal human stapedial osteoblast properties are normalized by alendronate in vitro.

PubMed

Gronowicz, Gloria; Richardson, Yvonne L; Flynn, John; Kveton, John; Eisen, Marc; Leonard, Gerald; Aronow, Michael; Rodner, Craig; Parham, Kourosh

2014-10-01

Identify and compare phenotypic properties of osteoblasts from patients with otosclerosis (OSO), normal bones (HOB), and normal stapes (NSO) to determine a possible cause for OSO hypermineralization and assess any effects of the bisphosphonate, alendronate. OSO (n = 11), NSO (n = 4), and HOB (n = 13) cultures were assayed for proliferation, adhesion, mineralization, and gene expression with and without 10(-10)M-10(-8)M alendronate. Academic hospital. Cultures were matched for age, sex, and passage number. Cell attachment and proliferation + alendronate were determined by Coulter counting cells and assaying tritiated thymidine uptake, respectively. At 7, 14, and 21 days of culture + alendronate, calcium content and gene expression by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were determined. OSO had significantly more cells adhere but less proliferation than NSO or HOB. Calcification was significantly increased in OSO compared to HOB and NSO. NSO and HOB had similar cell adhesion and proliferation rates. A dose-dependent effect of alendronate on OSO adhesion, proliferation, and mineralization was found, resulting in levels equal to NSO and HOB. All cultures expressed osteoblast-specific genes such as RUNX2, alkaline phosphatase, type I collagen, and osteocalcin. However, osteopontin was dramatically reduced, 9.4-fold at 14 days, in OSO compared to NSO. Receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand/osteoprotegerin (RANKL/OPG), important in bone resorption, was elevated in OSO with decreased levels of OPG levels. Alendronate had little effect on gene expression in HOB but in OSO increased osteopontin levels and decreased RANKL/OPG. OSO cultures displayed properties of hypermineralization due to decreased osteopontin (OPN) and also had increased RANKL/OPG, which were normalized by alendronate. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014.

Peripheral nerve metabolism and zinc levels in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Effect of diets high in fish and corn oil

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

Burke, J.P.; Fenton, M.R.

1991-03-15

This study was designed to assess the effects of diets high in fish and corn oil on peripheral nerve metabolism in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. A type I diabetic state was induced in female Sprague-Dawley rats by injection of STZ. Animals were divided into three dietary groups; normal rat chow, high corn oil diet and high fish oil diet. After 4 weeks animals were analyzed for nerve conduction velocity, bled and then sacrificed. Sciatic nerves were removed, processed and several biochemical parameters determined. Plasma zinc levels were elevated in the STZ normal chow group compared to non-diabetic controls. Bothmore » corn oil and fish oil diets tended to eliminate the rise in plasma zinc. Differences in subcellular distribution of zinc in sciatic nerves were also observed. Normal chow STZ animals displayed a 20% decrease in nerve conduction velocity compared to control. Dietary supplementation with either fish or corn oil seemed to ameliorate these effects. Biochemical analysis of Na{sup +}-K{sup +}-ATPase and protein kinase C revealed a decrease in activity in normal chow animals compared to control groups. Again, dietary intervention with either fish or corn oil seemed to return these activities back to normal. The results suggest a link between zinc metabolism and peripheral nerve metabolism which can be modified by dietary intervention.« less

Evidence for retrovirus infections in green turtles Chelonia mydas from the Hawaiian islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Casey, R.N.; Quackenbush, S.L.; Work, Thierry M.; Balazs, G.H.; Bowser, P.R.; Casey, J.W.

1997-01-01

Apparently normal Hawaiian green turtles Chelonia mydas and those displaying fibropapillomas were analyzed for infection by retroviruses. Strikingly, all samples were positive for polymerase enhanced reverse transcriptase (PERT) with levels high enough to quantitate by the conventional reverse transcriptase (RT) assay. However, samples of skin, even from asymptomatic turtles, were RT positive, although the levels of enzyme activity in healthy turtles hatched and raised in captivity were much lower than those observed in asymptomatic free-ranging turtles. Turtles with fibropapillomas displayed a broad range of reverse transcriptase activity. Skin and eye fibropapillomas and a heart tumor were further analyzed and shown to have reverse transcriptase activity that banded in a sucrose gradient at 1.17 g ml-1. The reverse transcriptase activity purified from the heart tumor displayed a temperature optimum of 37??C and showed a preference for Mn2+ over Mg2+. Sucrose gradient fractions of this sample displaying elevated reverse transcriptase activity contained primarily retrovitalsized particles with prominent envelope spikes, when negatively stained and examined by electron microscopy. Sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of gradient-purified virions revealed a conserved profile among 4 independent tumors and showed 7 prominent proteins having molecular weights of 116, 83, 51, 43, 40, 20 and 14 kDa. The data suggest that retroviral infections are widespread in Hawaiian green turtles and a comprehensive investigation is warranted to address the possibility that these agents cause green turtle fibropapillomatosis (GTFP).

Deep Space Network Antenna Logic Controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahlstrom, Harlow; Morgan, Scott; Hames, Peter; Strain, Martha; Owen, Christopher; Shimizu, Kenneth; Wilson, Karen; Shaller, David; Doktomomtaz, Said; Leung, Patrick

2007-01-01

The Antenna Logic Controller (ALC) software controls and monitors the motion control equipment of the 4,000-metric-ton structure of the Deep Space Network 70-meter antenna. This program coordinates the control of 42 hydraulic pumps, while monitoring several interlocks for personnel and equipment safety. Remote operation of the ALC runs via the Antenna Monitor & Control (AMC) computer, which orchestrates the tracking functions of the entire antenna. This software provides a graphical user interface for local control, monitoring, and identification of faults as well as, at a high level, providing for the digital control of the axis brakes so that the servo of the AMC may control the motion of the antenna. Specific functions of the ALC also include routines for startup in cold weather, controlled shutdown for both normal and fault situations, and pump switching on failure. The increased monitoring, the ability to trend key performance characteristics, the improved fault detection and recovery, the centralization of all control at a single panel, and the simplification of the user interface have all reduced the required workforce to run 70-meter antennas. The ALC also increases the antenna availability by reducing the time required to start up the antenna, to diagnose faults, and by providing additional insight into the performance of key parameters that aid in preventive maintenance to avoid key element failure. The ALC User Display (AUD) is a graphical user interface with hierarchical display structure, which provides high-level status information to the operation of the ALC, as well as detailed information for virtually all aspects of the ALC via drill-down displays. The operational status of an item, be it a function or assembly, is shown in the higher-level display. By pressing the item on the display screen, a new screen opens to show more detail of the function/assembly. Navigation tools and the map button allow immediate access to all screens.

Claspin Promotes Normal Replication Fork Rates in Human Cells

PubMed Central

Helleday, Thomas; Caldecott, Keith W.

2008-01-01

The S phase-specific adaptor protein Claspin mediates the checkpoint response to replication stress by facilitating phosphorylation of Chk1 by ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR). Evidence suggests that these components of the ATR pathway also play a critical role during physiological S phase. Chk1 is required for high rates of global replication fork progression, and Claspin interacts with the replication machinery and might therefore monitor normal DNA replication. Here, we have used DNA fiber labeling to investigate, for the first time, whether human Claspin is required for high rates of replication fork progression during normal S phase. We report that Claspin-depleted HeLa and HCT116 cells display levels of replication fork slowing similar to those observed in Chk1-depleted cells. This was also true in primary human 1BR3 fibroblasts, albeit to a lesser extent, suggesting that Claspin is a universal requirement for high replication fork rates in human cells. Interestingly, Claspin-depleted cells retained significant levels of Chk1 phosphorylation at both Ser317 and Ser345, raising the possibility that Claspin function during normal fork progression may extend beyond facilitating phosphorylation of either individual residue. Consistent with this possibility, depletion of Chk1 and Claspin together doubled the percentage of very slow forks, compared with depletion of either protein alone. PMID:18353973

Prediction of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia with neuronally derived blood exosome protein profile.

PubMed

Winston, Charisse N; Goetzl, Edward J; Akers, Johnny C; Carter, Bob S; Rockenstein, Edward M; Galasko, Douglas; Masliah, Eliezer; Rissman, Robert A

2016-01-01

Levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related proteins in plasma neuronal derived exosomes (NDEs) were quantified to identify biomarkers for prediction and staging of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. Plasma exosomes were extracted, precipitated, and enriched for neuronal source by anti-L1CAM antibody absorption. NDEs were characterized by size (Nanosight) and shape (TEM) and extracted NDE protein biomarkers were quantified by ELISAs. Plasma NDE cargo was injected into normal mice, and results were characterized by immunohistochemistry to determine pathogenic potential. Plasma NDE levels of P-T181-tau, P-S396-tau, and Aβ1-42 were significantly higher, whereas those of neurogranin (NRGN) and the repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST) were significantly lower in AD and MCI converting to AD (ADC) patients compared to cognitively normal controls (CNC) subjects and stable MCI patients. Mice injected with plasma NDEs from ADC patients displayed increased P-tau (PHF-1 antibody)-positive cells in the CA1 region of the hippocampus compared to plasma NDEs from CNC and stable MCI patients. Abnormal plasma NDE levels of P-tau, Aβ1-42, NRGN, and REST accurately predict conversion of MCI to AD dementia. Plasma NDEs from demented patients seeded tau aggregation and induced AD-like neuropathology in normal mouse CNS.

Mechanical Component Diagnostic System

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

Control and Display Unit ( CADU ) executes the system software and controls data acquisition that is carried out by 6 the Data Acquisition Unit (DAU... CADU screen. Displays intended for the CD are also echoed on the CADU in the FDR backup mode. If initialization is successful, clocks are synchronized...and normal MCDS monitoring mode is entered. If there is no display on the CD, the user may manually switch to the backup CD display on the CADU . Hence

Temporal and spatio-temporal vibrotactile displays for voice fundamental frequency: an initial evaluation of a new vibrotactile speech perception aid with normal-hearing and hearing-impaired individuals.

PubMed

Auer, E T; Bernstein, L E; Coulter, D C

1998-10-01

Four experiments were performed to evaluate a new wearable vibrotactile speech perception aid that extracts fundamental frequency (F0) and displays the extracted F0 as a single-channel temporal or an eight-channel spatio-temporal stimulus. Specifically, we investigated the perception of intonation (i.e., question versus statement) and emphatic stress (i.e., stress on the first, second, or third word) under Visual-Alone (VA), Visual-Tactile (VT), and Tactile-Alone (TA) conditions and compared performance using the temporal and spatio-temporal vibrotactile display. Subjects were adults with normal hearing in experiments I-III and adults with severe to profound hearing impairments in experiment IV. Both versions of the vibrotactile speech perception aid successfully conveyed intonation. Vibrotactile stress information was successfully conveyed, but vibrotactile stress information did not enhance performance in VT conditions beyond performance in VA conditions. In experiment III, which involved only intonation identification, a reliable advantage for the spatio-temporal display was obtained. Differences between subject groups were obtained for intonation identification, with more accurate VT performance by those with normal hearing. Possible effects of long-term hearing status are discussed.

Psychophysical Comparison Of A Video Display System To Film By Using Bone Fracture Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seeley, George W.; Stempski, Mark; Roehrig, Hans; Nudelman, Sol; Capp, M. P.

1982-11-01

This study investigated the possibility of using a video display system instead of film for radiological diagnosis. Also investigated were the relationships between characteristics of the system and the observer's accuracy level. Radiologists were used as observers. Thirty-six clinical bone fractures were separated into two matched sets of equal difficulty. The difficulty parameters and ratings were defined by a panel of expert bone radiologists at the Arizona Health Sciences Center, Radiology Department. These two sets of fracture images were then matched with verifiably normal images using parameters such as film type, angle of view, size, portion of anatomy, the film's density range, and the patient's age and sex. The two sets of images were then displayed, using a counterbalanced design, to each of the participating radiologists for diagnosis. Whenever a response was given to a video image, the radiologist used enhancement controls to "window in" on the grey levels of interest. During the TV phase, the radiologist was required to record the settings of the calibrated controls of the image enhancer during interpretation. At no time did any single radiologist see the same film in both modes. The study was designed so that a standard analysis of variance would show the effects of viewing mode (film vs TV), the effects due to stimulus set, and any interactions with observers. A signal detection analysis of observer performance was also performed. Results indicate that the TV display system is almost as good as the view box display; an average of only two more errors were made on the TV display. The difference between the systems has been traced to four observers who had poor accuracy on a small number of films viewed on the TV display. This information is now being correlated with the video system's signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal transfer function (STF), and resolution measurements, to obtain information on the basic display and enhancement requirements for a video-based radiologic system. Due to time constraints the results are not included here. The complete results of this study will be reported at the conference.

Emotional display rules as work unit norms: a multilevel analysis of emotional labor among nurses.

PubMed

Diefendorff, James M; Erickson, Rebecca J; Grandey, Alicia A; Dahling, Jason J

2011-04-01

Emotional labor theory has conceptualized emotional display rules as shared norms governing the expression of emotions at work. Using a sample of registered nurses working in different units of a hospital system, we provided the first empirical evidence that display rules can be represented as shared, unit-level beliefs. Additionally, controlling for the influence of dispositional affectivity, individual-level display rule perceptions, and emotion regulation, we found that unit-level display rules are associated with individual-level job satisfaction. We also showed that unit-level display rules relate to burnout indirectly through individual-level display rule perceptions and emotion regulation strategies. Finally, unit-level display rules also interacted with individual-level dispositional affectivity to predict employee use of emotion regulation strategies. We discuss how future research on emotional labor and display rules, particularly in the health care setting, can build on these findings.

Beyond the cockpit: The visual world as a flight instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, W. W.; Kaiser, M. K.; Foyle, D. C.

1992-01-01

The use of cockpit instruments to guide flight control is not always an option (e.g., low level rotorcraft flight). Under such circumstances the pilot must use out-the-window information for control and navigation. Thus it is important to determine the basis of visually guided flight for several reasons: (1) to guide the design and construction of the visual displays used in training simulators; (2) to allow modeling of visibility restrictions brought about by weather, cockpit constraints, or distortions introduced by sensor systems; and (3) to aid in the development of displays that augment the cockpit window scene and are compatible with the pilot's visual extraction of information from the visual scene. The authors are actively pursuing these questions. We have on-going studies using both low-cost, lower fidelity flight simulators, and state-of-the-art helicopter simulation research facilities. Research results will be presented on: (1) the important visual scene information used in altitude and speed control; (2) the utility of monocular, stereo, and hyperstereo cues for the control of flight; (3) perceptual effects due to the differences between normal unaided daylight vision, and that made available by various night vision devices (e.g., light intensifying goggles and infra-red sensor displays); and (4) the utility of advanced contact displays in which instrument information is made part of the visual scene, as on a 'scene linked' head-up display (e.g., displaying altimeter information on a virtual billboard located on the ground).

Vascular liver anatomy and main variants: what the radiologist must know.

PubMed

Seco, M; Donato, P; Costa, J; Bernardes, A; Caseiro-Alves, F

2010-01-01

Advances in surgical techniques are extremely demanding regarding the accuracy and level of detail expected for display of the vascular anatomy of the liver. Precise knowledge of the arterial, portal and hepatic vein territories are mandatory whenever a liver intervention is planned. Sectional anatomy can now be routinely performed on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) with volumetric data and isotropic voxel display, by means of sub-millimetric slice thickness acquisition. The relevant vascular information can thus be gathered, reviewed and post-processed with unprecedented clarity, obviating the need for digital subtraction angiography. The scope of the present paper is to review the normal vascular liver anatomy, its most relevant variants including additional sources of vascular inflow. Apart from providing the surgeon with a detailed vascular and parenchymal roadmap knowledge of imaging findings may avoid potential confusion with pathologic processes.

Discrimination of bladder cancer cells from normal urothelial cells with high specificity and sensitivity: combined application of atomic force microscopy and modulated Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Canetta, Elisabetta; Riches, Andrew; Borger, Eva; Herrington, Simon; Dholakia, Kishan; Adya, Ashok K

2014-05-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and modulated Raman spectroscopy (MRS) were used to discriminate between living normal human urothelial cells (SV-HUC-1) and bladder tumour cells (MGH-U1) with high specificity and sensitivity. MGH-U1 cells were 1.5-fold smaller, 1.7-fold thicker and 1.4-fold rougher than normal SV-HUC-1 cells. The adhesion energy was 2.6-fold higher in the MGH-U1 cells compared to normal SV-HUC-1 cells, which possibly indicates that bladder tumour cells are more deformable than normal cells. The elastic modulus of MGH-U1 cells was 12-fold lower than SV-HUC-1 cells, suggesting a higher elasticity of the bladder cancer cell membranes. The biochemical fingerprints of cancer cells displayed a higher DNA and lipid content, probably due to an increase in the nuclear to cytoplasm ratio. Normal cells were characterized by higher protein contents. AFM studies revealed a decrease in the lateral dimensions and an increase in thickness of cancer cells compared to normal cells; these studies authenticate the observations from MRS. Nanostructural, nanomechanical and biochemical profiles of bladder cells provide qualitative and quantitative markers to differentiate between normal and cancerous cells at the single cellular level. AFM and MRS allow discrimination between adhesion energy, elasticity and Raman spectra of SV-HUC-1 and MGH-U1 cells with high specificity (83, 98 and 95%) and sensitivity (97, 93 and 98%). Such single-cell-level studies could have a pivotal impact on the development of AFM-Raman combined methodologies for cancer profiling and screening with translational significance. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The ''hot spleen'' phenomenon in metastatic malignant melanoma: its incidence and relationship with the immune system

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

Wagstaff, J.; Phadke, K.; Adam, N.

1982-02-01

Of patients with Stage II and III malignant melanoma, 34.7% display reversal of the liver-spleen ratio on technetium-99m-sulfhur colloid isotope scans. Such an occurrence does not suggest a greater likelihood of relapse or a worse survival. The phenomenom is more common in female patients and there is a significant relationship between the presence of a ''hot spleen'' and a high IgM level. Patients with Stage II disease and high IgM levels have relapses more quickly than do those with normal IgM levels. Lymphopenia is common in patients with Stage II and III disease and the survival of these patients ismore » worse than that of those with normal lymphocyte counts. In this report, the data are discussed together with results from other investigations, and a unifying hypothesis is presented which explains the phenomenon and relates it to increased activity of macrophages as a result of the presence of the tumor. The usefulness of isotope liver scanning in stage III malignant melanoma is also discussed.« less

Channel branching ratios in CH2CN- photodetachment: Rotational structure and vibrational energy redistribution in autodetachment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyle, Justin; Wedig, Olivia; Gulania, Sahil; Krylov, Anna I.; Mabbs, Richard

2017-12-01

We report photoelectron spectra of CH2CN-, recorded at photon energies between 13 460 and 15 384 cm-1, which show rapid intensity variations in particular detachment channels. The branching ratios for various spectral features reveal rotational structure associated with autodetachment from an intermediate anion state. Calculations using equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method with single and double excitations reveal the presence of two dipole-bound excited anion states (a singlet and a triplet). The computed oscillator strength for the transition to the singlet dipole-bound state provides an estimate of the autodetachment channel contribution to the total photoelectron yield. Analysis of the different spectral features allows identification of the dipole-bound and neutral vibrational levels involved in the autodetachment processes. For the most part, the autodetachment channels are consistent with the vibrational propensity rule and normal mode expectation. However, examination of the rotational structure shows that autodetachment from the ν3 (v = 1 and v = 2) levels of the dipole-bound state displays behavior counter to the normal mode expectation with the final state vibrational level belonging to a different mode.

Four-dimensional ultrasonography of the fetal heart using color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Luís F; Romero, Roberto; Espinoza, Jimmy; Lee, Wesley; Treadwell, Marjorie; Chintala, Kavitha; Brandl, Helmut; Chaiworapongsa, Tinnakorn

2004-04-01

To describe clinical and research applications of 4-dimensional imaging of the fetal heart using color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation. Forty-four volume data sets were acquired by color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation. Seven subjects were examined: 4 fetuses without abnormalities, 1 fetus with ventriculomegaly and a hypoplastic cerebellum but normal cardiac anatomy, and 2 fetuses with cardiac anomalies detected by fetal echocardiography (1 case of a ventricular septal defect associated with trisomy 21 and 1 case of a double-inlet right ventricle with a 46,XX karyotype). The median gestational age at the time of examination was 21 3/7 weeks (range, 19 5/7-34 0/7 weeks). Volume data sets were reviewed offline by multiplanar display and volume-rendering methods. Representative images and online video clips illustrating the diagnostic potential of this technology are presented. Color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation allowed multiplanar visualization of ventricular septal defects, multiplanar display and volume rendering of tricuspid regurgitation, volume rendering of the outflow tracts by color and power Doppler ultrasonography (both in a normal case and in a case of a double-inlet right ventricle with a double-outlet right ventricle), and visualization of venous streams at the level of the foramen ovale. Color Doppler spatiotemporal image correlation has the potential to simplify visualization of the outflow tracts and improve the evaluation of the location and extent of ventricular septal defects. Other applications include 3-dimensional evaluation of regurgitation jets and venous streams at the level of the foramen ovale.

Telepresence, time delay, and adaptation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Held, Richard; Durlach, Nathaniel

1989-01-01

Displays are now being used extensively throughout the society. More and more time is spent watching television, movies, computer screens, etc. Furthermore, in an increasing number of cases, the observer interacts with the display and plays the role of operator as well as observer. To a large extent, the normal behavior in the normal environment can also be thought of in these same terms. Taking liberties with Shakespeare, it might be said, all the world's a display and all the individuals in it are operators in and on the display. Within this general context of interactive display systems, a discussion is began with a conceptual overview of a particular class of such systems, namely, teleoperator systems. The notion is considered of telepresence and the factors that limit telepresence, including decorrelation between the: (1) motor output of the teleoperator as sensed directly via the kinesthetic/tactual system, and (2) the motor output of the teleoperator as sensed indirectly via feedback from the slave robot, i.e., via a visual display of the motor actions of the slave robot. Finally, the deleterious effect of time delay (a particular decorrelation) on sensory-motor adaptation (an important phenomenon related to telepresence) is examined.

The Rectangle Target Plot: A New Approach to the Graphical Presentation of Accuracy of Systems for Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose.

PubMed

Stephan, Peter; Schmid, Christina; Freckmann, Guido; Pleus, Stefan; Haug, Cornelia; Müller, Peter

2015-10-09

The measurement accuracy of systems for self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is usually analyzed by a method comparison in which the analysis results are displayed using difference plots or similar graphs. However, such plots become difficult to comprehend as the number of data points displayed increases. This article introduces a new approach, the rectangle target plot (RTP), which aims to provide a simplified and comprehensible visualization of accuracy data. The RTP is based on ISO 15197 accuracy evaluations of SMBG systems. Two-sided tolerance intervals for normally distributed data are calculated for absolute and relative differences at glucose concentrations <100 mg/dL and ≥100 mg/dL. These tolerance intervals provide an estimator of where a 90% proportion of results is found with a confidence level of 95%. Plotting these tolerance intervals generates a rectangle whose center indicates the systematic measurement difference of the investigated system relative to the comparison method. The size of the rectangle depends on the measurement variability. The RTP provides a means of displaying measurement accuracy data in a simple and comprehensible manner. The visualization is simplified by reducing the displayed information from typically 200 data points to just 1 rectangle. Furthermore, this allows data for several systems or several lots from 1 system to be displayed clearly and concisely in a single graph. © 2015 Diabetes Technology Society.

Chromium picolinate inhibits cholesterol-induced stimulation of platelet aggregation in hypercholesterolemic rats.

PubMed

Seif, A A

2015-06-01

Hypercholesterolemia indirectly increases the risk of myocardial infarction by enhancing platelet aggregation. Chromium has been shown to lower plasma lipids. This study was designed to investigate whether chromium inhibits platelet aggregation under hypercholesterolemic conditions. Albino rats were divided into four groups: control rats fed with a normolipemic diet (NLD group), chromium-supplemented rats fed with NLD (NLD + Cr group), rats fed with a high-fat diet (HF group), and chromium-supplemented rats fed with HF (HF + Cr group). After 10 weeks, blood was collected to determine adenosine diphosphate and collagen-induced platelet aggregation and plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, and thromboxane B2. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was calculated by Friedewald formula. High-fat diet animals displayed significant elevation of plasma lipids and platelet aggregation which was normalized to control levels by chromium supplementation. Chromium supplementation in normolipemic (NLD + Cr) rats did not produce significant changes in either plasma lipids or platelet activity. Chromium supplementation to hypercholesterolemic rats improves the lipid profile and returns platelet hyperaggregability to control levels. This normalization is mostly due to a reduction in plasma cholesterol level.

Possible stressors in a neonatal intensive care unit at a university hospital

PubMed Central

Jordão, Kamila Reis; Pinto, Lauriane de Assis Proença; Machado, Lucimer Rocha; Costa, Laetitia Braga Vasconcellos de Lima; Trajano, Eduardo Tavares Lima

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate possible stressors to which newborns are exposed in the neonatal intensive care unit. Methods The levels of continuous noise were checked by a decibel meter positioned near the ear of the newborn, brightness was observed by a light meter positioned in the incubator in front of the newborn's eyes, and temperature was checked through the incubator display. The evaluations were performed in three periods of the day, with ten measurements taken at one-minute intervals during each shift for the subsequent statistical analysis. Results All shifts showed noise above acceptable levels. Morning (p < 0.001), afternoon (p < 0.05) and night (p < 0.001) showed a significant increase compared to the control. The brightness significantly exceeded the normal range (p < 0.01) in the morning. We observed that only one of the incubators was within the normal temperature limits. Conclusion The noise, brightness and temperature intensities were not in accordance with regulatory standards and thus might be possible stressors to newborns. PMID:27626948

A higher score on the Aging Males' Symptoms scale is associated with insulin resistance in middle-aged men.

PubMed

Hamanoue, Nobuya; Tanabe, Makito; Tanaka, Tomoko; Akehi, Yuko; Murakami, Junji; Nomiyama, Takashi; Yanase, Toshihiko

2017-05-30

An age-associated androgen decrease and its pathological conditions are defined as late-onset hypogonadism (LOH). Among the various symptoms associated with LOH, a visceral fat increase is strongly associated with relatively low levels of testosterone. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between the Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scores and metabolic abnormalities. Thus, we aimed to clarify this relationship by investigating the relationship between AMS scores and various markers in blood. During routine health examinations in 241 middle-aged males (52.7±7.5 years of age, mean±SD), 150 males (62.2%) displayed higher AMS values than normal. No statistical association was observed between total AMS scores and any testosterone value. All mental, physical and sexual AMS subscales were significantly positively correlated with insulin levels and HOMA-IR. Only sexual subscale scores were significantly inversely associated with free or bioavailable testosterone level. Males with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR≥2.5) demonstrated significantly higher AMS scores than those with normal insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR<2.5). AMS values were positively correlated with fasting blood glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR values. Interestingly, univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that HOMA-IR≥2.5 was a significant predictor for detection of moderately severe AMS values (AMS≥37), whereas AMS≥37 was not a predictor of metabolic syndrome by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criterion. In conclusion, almost 60% of healthy male subjects displayed abnormal AMS scores. AMS values were not associated with testosterone values but rather were related to insulin resistance, particularly in subjects with moderately severe AMS values. Insulin resistance-related general unwellness might be reflected by AMS values.

PuLSE: Quality control and quantification of peptide sequences explored by phage display libraries.

PubMed

Shave, Steven; Mann, Stefan; Koszela, Joanna; Kerr, Alastair; Auer, Manfred

2018-01-01

The design of highly diverse phage display libraries is based on assumption that DNA bases are incorporated at similar rates within the randomized sequence. As library complexity increases and expected copy numbers of unique sequences decrease, the exploration of library space becomes sparser and the presence of truly random sequences becomes critical. We present the program PuLSE (Phage Library Sequence Evaluation) as a tool for assessing randomness and therefore diversity of phage display libraries. PuLSE runs on a collection of sequence reads in the fastq file format and generates tables profiling the library in terms of unique DNA sequence counts and positions, translated peptide sequences, and normalized 'expected' occurrences from base to residue codon frequencies. The output allows at-a-glance quantitative quality control of a phage library in terms of sequence coverage both at the DNA base and translated protein residue level, which has been missing from toolsets and literature. The open source program PuLSE is available in two formats, a C++ source code package for compilation and integration into existing bioinformatics pipelines and precompiled binaries for ease of use.

Is eye damage caused by stereoscopic displays?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Udo; Neumann, Markus D.; Kubbat, Wolfgang; Landau, Kurt

2000-05-01

A normal developing child will achieve emmetropia in youth and maintain it. Thereby cornea, lens and axial length of the eye grow astonishingly coordinated. In the last years research has evidenced that this coordinated growing process is a visually controlled closed loop. The mechanism has been studied particularly in animals. It was found that the growth of the axial length of the eyeball is controlled by image focus information from the retina. It was shown that maladjustment can occur by this visually-guided growth control mechanism that result in ametropia. Thereby it has been proven that e.g. short-sightedness is not only caused by heredity, but is acquired under certain visual conditions. It is shown that these conditions are similar to the conditions of viewing stereoscopic displays where the normal accommodation convergence coupling is disjoint. An evaluation is given of the potential of damaging the eyes by viewing stereoscopic displays. Concerning this, different viewing methods for stereoscopic displays are evaluated. Moreover, clues are given how the environment and display conditions shall be set and what users shall be chosen to minimize the risk of eye damages.

78 FR 38837 - Safety Zone; Fifth Coast Guard District Fireworks Displays, Barnegat Bay; Barnegat Township, NJ

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-28

... Township, New Jersey. The fireworks display is normally held on July 4th, but this year it will be held on... 4th over the waters of Barnegat Bay, Barnegat Township, New Jersey. The Table to Sec. 165.506, at... event. In the Table, this fireworks display occurs annually on July 4th. However, this year, the...

78 FR 40399 - Safety Zone; Fifth Coast Guard District Fireworks Displays, Delaware River; Philadelphia, PA.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-05

... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fireworks display is normally held on July 4th, but this year it will be held... America sponsors an annual fireworks display held on July 4th over the waters of Delaware River... annually on July 4th. However, this year, the fireworks event will be held on July 6, 2013. A fleet of...

Mice with chimeric livers are an improved model for human lipoprotein metabolism.

PubMed

Ellis, Ewa C S; Naugler, Willscott Edward; Nauglers, Scott; Parini, Paolo; Mörk, Lisa-Mari; Jorns, Carl; Zemack, Helen; Sandblom, Anita Lövgren; Björkhem, Ingemar; Ericzon, Bo-Göran; Wilson, Elizabeth M; Strom, Stephen C; Grompe, Markus

2013-01-01

Rodents are poor model for human hyperlipidemias because total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels are very low on a normal diet. Lipoprotein metabolism is primarily regulated by hepatocytes and we therefore assessed whether chimeric mice extensively repopulated with human cells can model human lipid and bile acid metabolism. FRG [ F ah(-/-) R ag2(-/-)Il2r g (-/-)]) mice were repopulated with primary human hepatocytes. Serum lipoprotein lipid composition and distribution (VLDL, LDL, and HDL) was analyzed by size exclusion chromatography. Bile was analyzed by LC-MS or by GC-MS. RNA expression levels were measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Chimeric mice displayed increased LDL and VLDL fractions and a lower HDL fraction compared to wild type, thus significantly shifting the ratio of LDL/HDL towards a human profile. Bile acid analysis revealed a human-like pattern with high amounts of cholic acid and deoxycholic acid (DCA). Control mice had only taurine-conjugated bile acids as expcted, but highly repopulated mice had glycine-conjugated cholic acid as found in human bile. RNA levels of human genes involved in bile acid synthesis including CYP7A1, and CYP27A1 were significantly upregulated as compared to human control liver. However, administration of recombinant hFGF19 restored human CYP7A1 levels to normal. Humanized-liver mice showed a typical human lipoprotein profile with LDL as the predominant lipoprotein fraction even on a normal diet. The bile acid profile confirmed presence of an intact enterohepatic circulation. Although bile acid synthesis was deregulated in this model, this could be fully normalized by FGF19 administration. Taken together these data indicate that chimeric FRG-mice are a useful new model for human lipoprotein and bile-acid metabolism.

Innovative monitoring campaign of the environmental conditions of the Stibbert museum in Florence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angelini, E.; Civita, F.; Corbellini, S.; Fulginiti, D.; Giovagnoli, A.; Grassini, S.; Parvis, M.

2016-02-01

Conservation of ancient metallic artefact displayed inside museums is a complex problem due to the large number of constraints mainly related to the artefacts fruition by people. The development of a simple procedure for monitoring the artefact conservation state promptly highlighting risky conditions without impacting on the normal museum operations could be of interest in the cultural heritage world. This paper describes the interesting results obtained by using a highly sensitive and innovative methodology for evaluating the safety level of the museum indoor areas, and more specifically of the interior of the showcases, with respect to the metallic artefacts. The methodology is based on the use of an innovative smart sensors network and of copper reference samples. The smart sensors network was employed for the continuous monitoring of temperature and relative humidity close to the artefacts, i.e. inside the display showcases. The reference specimens were Cu coated with a 100 nm Cu nanostructured layer put for 1 year in the exhibition rooms inside and outside the showcases and characterised by means of normal imaging, colorimetric and FESEM techniques at regular intervals. The results of the monitoring activity evidenced the higher reactivity to the environmental aggressivity of the nanocoated copper specimen with respect to bulk artefacts and therefore the possibility to use them as alerts to possible corrosion phenomena that may occur to the real artefacts. A proper temperature and relative humidity monitoring inside the showcases and close to each group of artefacts is a powerful though economic and non-invasive way to highlight most of the possible critical display conditions.

The myeloproliferative neoplasms, unclassifiable: clinical and pathological considerations.

PubMed

Gianelli, Umberto; Cattaneo, Daniele; Bossi, Anna; Cortinovis, Ivan; Boiocchi, Leonardo; Liu, Yen-Chun; Augello, Claudia; Bonometti, Arturo; Fiori, Stefano; Orofino, Nicola; Guidotti, Francesca; Orazi, Attilio; Iurlo, Alessandra

2017-02-01

In this study, we investigate in detail the morphological, clinical and molecular features of 71 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms, unclassifiable. We performed a meticulous morphological analysis and found that most of the cases displayed a hypercellular bone marrow (70%) with normal erythropoiesis without left-shifting (59%), increased granulopoiesis with left-shifting (73%) and increased megakaryocytes with loose clustering (96%). Megakaryocytes displayed frequent giant forms with hyperlobulated or bulbous nuclei and/or other maturation defects. Interestingly, more than half of the cases displayed severe bone marrow fibrosis (59%). Median values of hemoglobin level and white blood cells count were all within the normal range; in contrast, median platelets count and lactate dehydrogenase were increased. Little less than half of the patients (44%) showed splenomegaly. JAK2V617F mutation was detected in 72% of all patients. Among the JAK2-negative cases, MPLW515L mutation was found in 17% and CALR mutations in 67% of the investigated cases, respectively. Finally, by multiple correspondence analysis of the morphological profiles, we found that all but four of the cases could be grouped in three morphological clusters with some features similar to those of the classic BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms. Analysis of the clinical parameters in these three clusters revealed discrepancies with the morphological profile in about 55% of the patients. In conclusion, we found that the category of myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable is heterogeneous but identification of different subgroups is possible and should be recommended for a better management of these patients.

Kinetochore localized Mad2 and Cdc20 is itself insufficient for triggering the mitotic checkpoint when Mps1 is low in Drosophila melanogaster neuroblasts.

PubMed

Herriott, Ashleigh; Sweeney, Michele; Whitaker, Michael; Taggart, Michael; Huang, Jun-Yong

2012-12-15

The relationships between the kinetochore and checkpoint control remain unresolved. Here, we report the characterization of the in vivo behavior of Cdc20 and Mad2 and the relevant spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) functions in the neuroblasts of a Drosophila Mps1 weak allele (ald (B4-2) ). ald (B4-2) third instar larvae brain samples contain only around 16% endogenous Mps1 protein, and the SAC function is abolished. However, this does not lead to rapid anaphase onset and mitotic exit, in contrast to the loss of Mad2 alone in a mad2 (EY) mutant. The level of GFP-Cdc20 recruitment to the kinetochore is unaffected in ald (B4-2) neuroblasts, while the level of GFP-Mad2 is reduced to just about 20%. Cdc20 and Mad2 display only monophasic exponential kinetics at the kinetochores. The ald (B4-2) heterozygotes expressed approximately 65% of normal Mps1 protein levels, and this is enough to restore the SAC function. The kinetochore recruitment of GFP-Mad2 in response to SAC activation increases by around 80% in heterozygotes, compared with just about 20% in ald (B4-2) mutant. This suggests a correlation between Mps1 levels and Mad2 kinetochore localization and perhaps the existence of a threshold level at which Mps1 is fully functional. The failure to arrest the mitotic progression in ald (B4-2) neuroblasts in response to colchicine treatment suggests that when Mps1 levels are low, approximately 20% of normal GFP-Mad2, alongside normal levels of GFP-Cdc20 kinetochore recruitments, is insufficient for triggering SAC signal propagation.

New genetic associations detected in a host response study to hepatitis B vaccine.

PubMed

Davila, S; Froeling, F E M; Tan, A; Bonnard, C; Boland, G J; Snippe, H; Hibberd, M L; Seielstad, M

2010-04-01

The immune response to hepatitis B vaccination differs greatly among individuals, with 5-10% of healthy people failing to produce protective levels of antibodies. Several factors have been implicated in determining this response, chiefly individual genetic variation and age. Aiming to identify genes involved in the response to hepatitis B vaccination, a two-stage investigation of 6091 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 914 immune genes was performed in an Indonesian cohort of 981 individuals showing normal levels of anti-HBs versus 665 individuals displaying undetectable levels of anti-HBs 18 months after initial dose of the vaccine. Of 275 SNPs identified in the first stage (476 normal/372 nonresponders) with P<0.05, significant associations were replicated for 25 polymorphisms in 15 genes (503 normal/295 nonresponders). We validated previous findings (HLA-DRA, rs5000563, P-value combined=5.57 x 10(-10); OR (95%CI)=0.61 (0.52-0.71)). In addition, we detected a new association outside of the human leukocyte antigen loci region that passed correction for multiple testing. This SNP is in the 3' downstream region of FOXP1, a transcription factor involved in B-cell development (P-value combined=9.2 x 10(-6); OR (95%CI)=1.38 (1.2-1.6)).These findings might help to understand the biological reasons behind vaccine failure and other aspects of variation in the immune responses of healthy individuals.

Qualitative and semiquantitative Fourier transformation using a noncoherent system.

PubMed

Rogers, G L

1979-09-15

A number of authors have pointed out that a system of zone plates combined with a diffuse source, transparent input, lens, and focusing screen will display on the output screen the Fourier transform of the input. Strictly speaking, the transform normally displayed is the cosine transform, and the bipolar output is superimposed on a dc gray level to give a positive-only intensity variation. By phase-shifting one zone plate the sine transform is obtained. Temporal modulation is possible. It is also possible to redesign the system to accept a diffusely reflecting input at the cost of introducing a phase gradient in the output. Results are given of the sine and cosine transforms of a small circular aperture. As expected, the sine transform is a uniform gray. Both transforms show unwanted artifacts beyond 0.1 rad off-axis. An analysis shows this is due to unwanted circularly symmetrical moire patterns between the zone plates.

Point mutant mice with hypersensitive alpha 4 nicotinic receptors show dopaminergic deficits and increased anxiety.

PubMed

Labarca, C; Schwarz, J; Deshpande, P; Schwarz, S; Nowak, M W; Fonck, C; Nashmi, R; Kofuji, P; Dang, H; Shi, W; Fidan, M; Khakh, B S; Chen, Z; Bowers, B J; Boulter, J; Wehner, J M; Lester, H A

2001-02-27

Knock-in mice were generated that harbored a leucine-to-serine mutation in the alpha4 nicotinic receptor near the gate in the channel pore. Mice with intact expression of this hypersensitive receptor display dominant neonatal lethality. These mice have a severe deficit of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, possibly because the hypersensitive receptors are continuously activated by normal extracellular choline concentrations. A strain that retains the neo selection cassette in an intron has reduced expression of the hypersensitive receptor and is viable and fertile. The viable mice display increased anxiety, poor motor learning, excessive ambulation that is eliminated by very low levels of nicotine, and a reduction of nigrostriatal dopaminergic function upon aging. These knock-in mice provide useful insights into the pathophysiology of sustained nicotinic receptor activation and may provide a model for Parkinson's disease.

Histopathologic changes of the nasal mucosa in southwest Metropolitan Mexico City inhabitants.

PubMed Central

Calderon-Garcidueñas, L.; Osorno-Velazquez, A.; Bravo-Alvarez, H.; Delgado-Chavez, R.; Barrios-Marquez, R.

1992-01-01

Metropolitan Mexico City (MMC) is one of the most polluted urban areas in the world. The authors characterized the morphologic nasal mucosal changes in short-term (less than 30 days) and long-term (more than 60 days) exposures to the polluted southwest MMC atmosphere with high levels of ozone and other contaminants versus a control group of subjects living in a nonpolluted, low-ozone Mexican port. Seventy-six inferior turbinate biopsies were examined. The control group showed normal mucociliary epithelium, whereas the short-exposure group displayed loss of normal epithelium, basal cell hyperplasia, and mild dysplasia (17.64%). In the long-term exposure group, 78.72% of dysplasias were found (59.45% mild and 40.54% moderate) together with severe loss of normal respiratory epithelium, prominent basal cell hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia, and submucosal vascular proliferation. Our findings suggest that southwest metropolitan Mexico City inhabitants develop histopathologic changes in their nasal mucosa on exposure to the polluted city atmosphere. Images Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 PMID:1731527

Differences in ME and CFS Symptomology in Patients with Normal and Abnormal Exercise Test Results.

PubMed

McManimen, Stephanie L; Jason, Leonard A

2017-01-01

Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a cardinal symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which often distinguishes patients with this illness from healthy controls or individuals with exclusionary illnesses such as depression. However, occurrence rates for PEM fluctuate from subject to how the symptom is operationalized. One commonly utilized method is exercise testing, maximal or submaximal. Many patients with ME and CFS experience PEM after participating in these tests, and often show abnormal results. However, some patients still exhibit normal results after participating in the exercise testing. This study examined the differences between two patient groups with ME and CFS, those with normal results and those with abnormal results, on several PEM-related symptoms and illness characteristics. The results suggest those that displayed abnormal results following testing have more frequent and severe PEM, worse overall functioning, and are more likely to be bedbound than those that displayed normal results.

Diagnosing and treatment planning inadequate tooth display.

PubMed

Spear, F

2016-10-21

Some of the most challenging patients to produce a pleasing smile for are those who present with inadequate tooth display (either due to tooth position, the patient has normal size teeth, but they aren't exposed adequately to fill out the smile) or due to tooth size (the teeth are small, often due to tooth wear). The key to understanding how to manage these patients is to learn to understand the possible aetiologies that could produce the condition, and learn how to diagnose which aetiologies exist for your patient. Potential aetiologies for inadequate tooth display in patients with normal length unworn anterior teeth: excessive lip length; inadequate lip mobility; inadequate vertical eruption of the anterior teeth; inadequate facial prominence of the maxillary anterior teeth; vertical maxillary deficiency; and anterior maxillary deficiency.This article, the first in a British Dental Journal series on the topic of aesthetic dentistry, reviews the clinical findings consistent with diagnosing each of the above etiologies, and then reviews the treatment options available for correcting the inadequate tooth display.

Inhibition of Lysyl Oxidases Impairs Migration and Angiogenic Properties of Tumor-Associated Pericytes.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Aline Lopes; Kaid, Carolini; Silva, Patrícia B G; Cortez, Beatriz A; Okamoto, Oswaldo Keith

2017-01-01

Pericytes are important cellular components of the tumor microenviroment with established roles in angiogenesis and metastasis. These two cancer hallmarks are modulated by enzymes of the LOX family, but thus far, information about LOX relevance in tumor-associated pericytes is lacking. Here, we performed a comparative characterization of normal and tumoral pericytes and report for the first time the modulatory effects of LOX enzymes on activated pericyte properties. Tumoral pericytes isolated from childhood ependymoma and neuroblastoma specimens displayed angiogenic properties in vitro and expressed typical markers, including CD146, NG2, and PDGFR β . Expression of all LOX family members could be detected in both normal and tumor-associated pericytes. In most pericyte samples, LOXL3 was the family member displaying the highest transcript levels. Inhibition of LOX/LOXL activity with the inhibitor β -aminopropionitrile ( β APN) significantly reduced migration of pericytes, while proliferation rates were kept unaltered. Formation of tube-like structures in vitro by pericytes was also significantly impaired upon inhibition of LOX/LOXL activity with β APN, which induced more prominent effects in tumor-associated pericytes. These findings reveal a novel involvement of the LOX family of enzymes in migration and angiogenic properties of pericytes, with implications in tumor development and in therapeutic targeting tumor microenvironment constituents.

Inhibition of Lysyl Oxidases Impairs Migration and Angiogenic Properties of Tumor-Associated Pericytes

PubMed Central

Kaid, Carolini; Silva, Patrícia B. G.; Cortez, Beatriz A.

2017-01-01

Pericytes are important cellular components of the tumor microenviroment with established roles in angiogenesis and metastasis. These two cancer hallmarks are modulated by enzymes of the LOX family, but thus far, information about LOX relevance in tumor-associated pericytes is lacking. Here, we performed a comparative characterization of normal and tumoral pericytes and report for the first time the modulatory effects of LOX enzymes on activated pericyte properties. Tumoral pericytes isolated from childhood ependymoma and neuroblastoma specimens displayed angiogenic properties in vitro and expressed typical markers, including CD146, NG2, and PDGFRβ. Expression of all LOX family members could be detected in both normal and tumor-associated pericytes. In most pericyte samples, LOXL3 was the family member displaying the highest transcript levels. Inhibition of LOX/LOXL activity with the inhibitor β-aminopropionitrile (βAPN) significantly reduced migration of pericytes, while proliferation rates were kept unaltered. Formation of tube-like structures in vitro by pericytes was also significantly impaired upon inhibition of LOX/LOXL activity with βAPN, which induced more prominent effects in tumor-associated pericytes. These findings reveal a novel involvement of the LOX family of enzymes in migration and angiogenic properties of pericytes, with implications in tumor development and in therapeutic targeting tumor microenvironment constituents. PMID:28553358

Co-segregation of hyperactivity, active coping styles, and cognitive dysfunction in mice selectively bred for low levels of anxiety.

PubMed

Yen, Yi-Chun; Anderzhanova, Elmira; Bunck, Mirjam; Schuller, Julia; Landgraf, Rainer; Wotjak, Carsten T

2013-01-01

We established mouse models of extremes in trait anxiety, which are based on selective breeding for low vs. normal vs. high open-arm exploration on the elevated plus-maze. Genetically selected low anxiety-related behavior (LAB) coincided with hyperactivity in the home cage. Given the fact that several psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mania, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share hyperactivity symptom, we systematically examined LAB mice with respect to unique and overlapping endophenotypes of the three diseases. To this end Venn diagrams were used as an instrument for discrimination of possible models. We arranged the endophenotypes in Venn diagrams and translated them into different behavioral tests. LAB mice showed elevated levels of locomotion in the open field (OF) test with deficits in habituation, compared to mice bred for normal (NAB) and high anxiety-related behavior (HAB). Cross-breeding of hypoactive HAB and hyperactive LAB mice resulted in offspring showing a low level of locomotion comparable to HAB mice, indicating that the HAB alleles are dominant over LAB alleles in determining the level of locomotion. In a holeboard test, LAB mice spent less time in hole exploration, as shown in patients with schizophrenia and ADHD; however, LAB mice displayed no impairments in social interaction and prepulse inhibition (PPI), implying a unlikelihood of LAB as an animal model of schizophrenia. Although LAB mice displayed hyperarousal, active coping styles, and cognitive deficits, symptoms shared by mania and ADHD, they failed to reveal the classic manic endophenotypes, such as increased hedonia and object interaction. The neuroleptic haloperidol reduced locomotor activity in all mouse lines. The mood stabilizer lithium and the psychostimulant amphetamine, in contrast, selectively reduced hyperactivity in LAB mice. Based on the behavioral and pharmacological profiles, LAB mice are suggested as a novel rodent model of ADHD-like symptoms.

Co-segregation of hyperactivity, active coping styles, and cognitive dysfunction in mice selectively bred for low levels of anxiety

PubMed Central

Yen, Yi-Chun; Anderzhanova, Elmira; Bunck, Mirjam; Schuller, Julia; Landgraf, Rainer; Wotjak, Carsten T.

2013-01-01

We established mouse models of extremes in trait anxiety, which are based on selective breeding for low vs. normal vs. high open-arm exploration on the elevated plus-maze. Genetically selected low anxiety-related behavior (LAB) coincided with hyperactivity in the home cage. Given the fact that several psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mania, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share hyperactivity symptom, we systematically examined LAB mice with respect to unique and overlapping endophenotypes of the three diseases. To this end Venn diagrams were used as an instrument for discrimination of possible models. We arranged the endophenotypes in Venn diagrams and translated them into different behavioral tests. LAB mice showed elevated levels of locomotion in the open field (OF) test with deficits in habituation, compared to mice bred for normal (NAB) and high anxiety-related behavior (HAB). Cross-breeding of hypoactive HAB and hyperactive LAB mice resulted in offspring showing a low level of locomotion comparable to HAB mice, indicating that the HAB alleles are dominant over LAB alleles in determining the level of locomotion. In a holeboard test, LAB mice spent less time in hole exploration, as shown in patients with schizophrenia and ADHD; however, LAB mice displayed no impairments in social interaction and prepulse inhibition (PPI), implying a unlikelihood of LAB as an animal model of schizophrenia. Although LAB mice displayed hyperarousal, active coping styles, and cognitive deficits, symptoms shared by mania and ADHD, they failed to reveal the classic manic endophenotypes, such as increased hedonia and object interaction. The neuroleptic haloperidol reduced locomotor activity in all mouse lines. The mood stabilizer lithium and the psychostimulant amphetamine, in contrast, selectively reduced hyperactivity in LAB mice. Based on the behavioral and pharmacological profiles, LAB mice are suggested as a novel rodent model of ADHD-like symptoms. PMID:23966915

Geometry and architecture of faults in a syn-rift normal fault array: The Nukhul half-graben, Suez rift, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Paul; Gawthorpe, Rob L.; Hodgetts, David; Rarity, Franklin; Sharp, Ian R.

2009-08-01

The geometry and architecture of a well exposed syn-rift normal fault array in the Suez rift is examined. At pre-rift level, the Nukhul fault consists of a single zone of intense deformation up to 10 m wide, with a significant monocline in the hanging wall and much more limited folding in the footwall. At syn-rift level, the fault zone is characterised by a single discrete fault zone less than 2 m wide, with damage zone faults up to approximately 200 m into the hanging wall, and with no significant monocline developed. The evolution of the fault from a buried structure with associated fault-propagation folding, to a surface-breaking structure with associated surface faulting, has led to enhanced bedding-parallel slip at lower levels that is absent at higher levels. Strain is enhanced at breached relay ramps and bends inherited from pre-existing structures that were reactivated during rifting. Damage zone faults observed within the pre-rift show ramp-flat geometries associated with contrast in competency of the layers cut and commonly contain zones of scaly shale or clay smear. Damage zone faults within the syn-rift are commonly very straight, and may be discrete fault planes with no visible fault rock at the scale of observation, or contain relatively thin and simple zones of scaly shale or gouge. The geometric and architectural evolution of the fault array is interpreted to be the result of (i) the evolution from distributed trishear deformation during upward propagation of buried fault tips to surface faulting after faults breach the surface; (ii) differences in deformation response between lithified pre-rift units that display high competence contrasts during deformation, and unlithified syn-rift units that display low competence contrasts during deformation, and; (iii) the history of segmentation, growth and linkage of the faults that make up the fault array. This has important implications for fluid flow in fault zones.

Sepsis-induced activation of endogenous GLP-1 system is enhanced in type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Perl, Sivan H; Bloch, Olga; Zelnic-Yuval, Dana; Love, Itamar; Mendel-Cohen, Lior; Flor, Hadar; Rapoport, Micha J

2018-05-01

High levels of circulating GLP-1 are associated with severity of sepsis in critically ill nondiabetic patients. Whether patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) display different activation of the endogenous GLP-1 system during sepsis and whether it is affected by diabetes-related metabolic parameters are not known. Serum levels of GLP-1 (total and active forms) and its inhibitor enzyme sDPP-4 were determined by ELISA on admission and after 2 to 4 days in 37 sepsis patients with (n = 13) and without T2D (n = 24) and compared to normal healthy controls (n = 25). Correlations between GLP-1 system activation and clinical, inflammatory, and diabetes-related metabolic parameters were performed. A 5-fold (P < .001) and 2-fold (P < .05) increase in active and total GLP-1 levels, respectively, were found on admission as compared to controls. At 2 to 4 days from admission, the level of active GLP-1 forms in surviving patients were decreased significantly (P < .005), and positively correlated with inflammatory marker CRP (r = 0.33, P = .05). T2D survivors displayed a similar but more enhanced pattern of GLP-1 response than nondiabetic survivors. Nonsurvivors demonstrate an early extreme increase of both total and active GLP-1 forms, 9.5-fold and 5-fold, respectively (P < .05). The initial and late levels of circulating GLP-1 inhibitory enzyme sDPP-4 were twice lower in all studied groups (P < .001), compared with healthy controls. Taken together, these data indicate that endogenous GLP-1 system is activated during sepsis. Patients with T2D display an enhanced and prolonged activation as compared to nondiabetic patients. Extreme early increased GLP-1 levels during sepsis indicate poor prognosis. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Texture-Based Correspondence Display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerald-Yamasaki, Michael

2004-01-01

Texture-based correspondence display is a methodology to display corresponding data elements in visual representations of complex multidimensional, multivariate data. Texture is utilized as a persistent medium to contain a visual representation model and as a means to create multiple renditions of data where color is used to identify correspondence. Corresponding data elements are displayed over a variety of visual metaphors in a normal rendering process without adding extraneous linking metadata creation and maintenance. The effectiveness of visual representation for understanding data is extended to the expression of the visual representation model in texture.

Presence of muscle dysmorphia symptomology among male weightlifters.

PubMed

Hildebrandt, Tom; Schlundt, David; Langenbucher, James; Chung, Tammy

2006-01-01

Limited research exists on muscle dysmorphia (MD) in men and in nonclinical populations. The current study evaluated types of body image disturbance among 237 male weightlifters. Latent class analysis of 8 measures of body image disturbance revealed 5 independent types of respondents: Dysmorphic, Muscle Concerned, Fat Concerned, Normal Behavioral, and Normal. One-way analysis of variance of independent measures of body image disturbance and associated psychopathology confirmed significant differences between groups. The Dysmorphic group reported a pattern of body image disturbance consistent with MD by displaying a high overall level of body image disturbance, symptoms of associated psychopathology, steroid use, and appearance-controlling behavior. Findings generally supported classifying MD as a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder and an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. Implications for studying body image disturbance in male weightlifters, and further evaluation of the MD diagnostic criteria are discussed.

Millisecond accuracy video display using OpenGL under Linux.

PubMed

Stewart, Neil

2006-02-01

To measure people's reaction times to the nearest millisecond, it is necessary to know exactly when a stimulus is displayed. This article describes how to display stimuli with millisecond accuracy on a normal CRT monitor, using a PC running Linux. A simple C program is presented to illustrate how this may be done within X Windows using the OpenGL rendering system. A test of this system is reported that demonstrates that stimuli may be consistently displayed with millisecond accuracy. An algorithm is presented that allows the exact time of stimulus presentation to be deduced, even if there are relatively large errors in measuring the display time.

Nuclear DNA Methylation and Chromatin Condensation Phenotypes Are Distinct Between Normally Proliferating/Aging, Rapidly Growing/Immortal, and Senescent Cells

PubMed Central

Gertych, Arkadiusz; Tajbakhsh, Jian

2013-01-01

This study reports on probing the utility of in situ chromatin texture features such as nuclear DNA methylation and chromatin condensation patterns — visualized by fluorescent staining and evaluated by dedicated three-dimensional (3D) quantitative and high-throughput cell-by-cell image analysis — in assessing the proliferative capacity, i.e. growth behavior of cells: to provide a more dynamic picture of a cell population with potential implications in basic science, cancer diagnostics/prognostics and therapeutic drug development. Two types of primary cells and four different cancer cell lines were propagated and subjected to cell-counting, flow cytometry, confocal imaging, and 3D image analysis at various points in culture. Additionally a subset of primary and cancer cells was accelerated into senescence by oxidative stress. DNA methylation and chromatin condensation levels decreased with declining doubling times when primary cells aged in culture with the lowest levels reached at the stage of proliferative senescence. In comparison, immortal cancer cells with constant but higher doubling times mostly displayed lower and constant levels of the two in situ-derived features. However, stress-induced senescent primary and cancer cells showed similar levels of these features compared with primary cells that had reached natural growth arrest. With regards to global DNA methylation and chromatin condensation levels, aggressively growing cancer cells seem to take an intermediate level between normally proliferating and senescent cells. Thus, normal cells apparently reach cancer-cell equivalent stages of the two parameters at some point in aging, which might challenge phenotypic distinction between these two types of cells. Companion high-resolution molecular profiling could provide information on possible underlying differences that would explain benign versus malign cell growth behaviors. PMID:23562889

Nuclear DNA methylation and chromatin condensation phenotypes are distinct between normally proliferating/aging, rapidly growing/immortal, and senescent cells.

PubMed

Oh, Jin Ho; Gertych, Arkadiusz; Tajbakhsh, Jian

2013-03-01

This study reports on probing the utility of in situ chromatin texture features such as nuclear DNA methylation and chromatin condensation patterns - visualized by fluorescent staining and evaluated by dedicated three-dimensional (3D) quantitative and high-throughput cell-by-cell image analysis - in assessing the proliferative capacity, i.e. growth behavior of cells: to provide a more dynamic picture of a cell population with potential implications in basic science, cancer diagnostics/prognostics and therapeutic drug development. Two types of primary cells and four different cancer cell lines were propagated and subjected to cell-counting, flow cytometry, confocal imaging, and 3D image analysis at various points in culture. Additionally a subset of primary and cancer cells was accelerated into senescence by oxidative stress. DNA methylation and chromatin condensation levels decreased with declining doubling times when primary cells aged in culture with the lowest levels reached at the stage of proliferative senescence. In comparison, immortal cancer cells with constant but higher doubling times mostly displayed lower and constant levels of the two in situ-derived features. However, stress-induced senescent primary and cancer cells showed similar levels of these features compared with primary cells that had reached natural growth arrest. With regards to global DNA methylation and chromatin condensation levels, aggressively growing cancer cells seem to take an intermediate level between normally proliferating and senescent cells. Thus, normal cells apparently reach cancer-cell equivalent stages of the two parameters at some point in aging, which might challenge phenotypic distinction between these two types of cells. Companion high-resolution molecular profiling could provide information on possible underlying differences that would explain benign versus malign cell growth behaviors.

Patterns of gene expression in different histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer correlate with those in normal fallopian tube, endometrium, and colon.

PubMed

Marquez, Rebecca T; Baggerly, Keith A; Patterson, Andrea P; Liu, Jinsong; Broaddus, Russell; Frumovitz, Michael; Atkinson, Edward N; Smith, David I; Hartmann, Lynn; Fishman, David; Berchuck, Andrew; Whitaker, Regina; Gershenson, David M; Mills, Gordon B; Bast, Robert C; Lu, Karen H

2005-09-01

Epithelial ovarian cancers are thought to arise from flattened epithelial cells that cover the ovarian surface or that line inclusion cysts. During malignant transformation, different histotypes arise that resemble epithelial cells from normal fallopian tube, endometrium, and intestine. This study compares gene expression in serous, endometrioid, clear cell, and mucinous ovarian cancers with that in the normal tissues that they resemble. Expression of 63,000 probe sets was measured in 50 ovarian cancers, in 5 pools of normal ovarian epithelial brushings, and in mucosal scrapings from 4 normal fallopian tube, 5 endometrium, and 4 colon specimens. Using rank-sum analysis, genes whose expressions best differentiated the ovarian cancer histotypes and normal ovarian epithelium were used to determine whether a correlation based on gene expression existed between ovarian cancer histotypes and the normal tissues they resemble. When compared with normal ovarian epithelial brushings, alterations in serous tumors correlated with those in normal fallopian tube (P = 0.0042) but not in other normal tissues. Similarly, mucinous cancers correlated with those in normal colonic mucosa (P = 0.0003), and both endometrioid and clear cell histotypes correlated with changes in normal endometrium (P = 0.0172 and 0.0002, respectively). Mucinous cancers displayed the greatest number of alterations in gene expression when compared with normal ovarian epithelial cells. Studies at a molecular level show distinct expression profiles of different histologies of ovarian cancer and support the long-held belief that histotypes of ovarian cancers come to resemble normal fallopian tube, endometrial, and colonic epithelium. Several potential molecular markers for mucinous ovarian cancers have been identified.

Absence of opioid stress-induced analgesia in mice lacking beta-endorphin by site-directed mutagenesis.

PubMed

Rubinstein, M; Mogil, J S; Japón, M; Chan, E C; Allen, R G; Low, M J

1996-04-30

A physiological role for beta-endorphin in endogenous pain inhibition was investigated by targeted mutagenesis of the proopiomelanocortin gene in mouse embryonic stem cells. The tyrosine codon at position 179 of the proopiomelanocortin gene was converted to a premature translational stop codon. The resulting transgenic mice display no overt developmental or behavioral alterations and have a normally functioning hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Homozygous transgenic mice with a selective deficiency of beta-endorphin exhibit normal analgesia in response to morphine, indicating the presence of functional mu-opiate receptors. However, these mice lack the opioid (naloxone reversible) analgesia induced by mild swim stress. Mutant mice also display significantly greater nonopioid analgesia in response to cold water swim stress compared with controls and display paradoxical naloxone-induced analgesia. These changes may reflect compensatory upregulation of alternative pain inhibitory mechanisms.

49 CFR 236.202 - Signal governing movements over hand-operated switch.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... switch. 236.202 Section 236.202 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued...-operated switch. Signal governing movements over hand-operated switch in the facing direction shall display... over the switch in the normal and in the reverse position, the signal shall display its most...

49 CFR 236.202 - Signal governing movements over hand-operated switch.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... switch. 236.202 Section 236.202 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued...-operated switch. Signal governing movements over hand-operated switch in the facing direction shall display... over the switch in the normal and in the reverse position, the signal shall display its most...

49 CFR 236.202 - Signal governing movements over hand-operated switch.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... switch. 236.202 Section 236.202 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued...-operated switch. Signal governing movements over hand-operated switch in the facing direction shall display... over the switch in the normal and in the reverse position, the signal shall display its most...

Clinically Normal Stereopsis Does Not Ensure Performance Benefit from Stereoscopic 3D Depth Cues

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-28

Stereopsis, Binocular Vision, Optometry , Depth Perception, 3D vision, 3D human factors, Stereoscopic displays, S3D, Virtual environment 16...Binocular Vision, Optometry , Depth Perception, 3D vision, 3D human factors, Stereoscopic displays, S3D, Virtual environment 1 Distribution A: Approved

Distribution of Auditory Response Behaviors in Normal Infants and Profoundly Multihandicapped Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flexer, Carol; Gans, Donald P.

1986-01-01

A study compared the responsiveness to sound by normal infants and profoundly multihandicapped children. Results revealed that the profoundly multihandicapped subjects displayed relatively more reflexive than attentive type behaviors and exhibited fewer behaviors per response. (Author/CB)

Decreased SAP expression in T cells from patients with SLE contributes to early signaling abnormalities and reduced IL-2 production

PubMed Central

Karampetsou, Maria P.; Comte, Denis; Kis-Toth, Katalin; Terhorst, Cox; Kyttaris, Vasileios C.; Tsokos, George C.

2016-01-01

T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) display a number of functions including increased early signaling events following engagement of the T cell receptor (TCR). Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family (SLAMF) cell surface receptors and the X-chromosome-defined signaling lymphocytic activation molecule-associated protein (SAP) adaptor are important in the development of several immunocyte lineages and modulating immune response. Here we present evidence that SAP protein levels are decreased in T cells and in their main subsets isolated from 32 women and 3 men with SLE independently of disease activity. In SLE T cells the SAP protein is also subject to increased degradation by a caspase-3. Forced expression of SAP in SLE T cells simultaneously heightened IL-2 production, calcium (Ca2+) responses and tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of proteins. Exposure of normal T cells to SLE serum IgG, known to contain anti-CD3/TCR antibodies, resulted in SAP downregulation. We conclude that SLE T cells display reduced levels of the adaptor protein SAP probably as a result of continuous T cell activation and degradation by caspase-3. Restoration of SAP levels in SLE T cells corrects the overexcitable lupus T cell phenotype. PMID:27183584

An Evaluation of Detect and Avoid Displays for UAS: The Effect of Information Level and Display Location on Pilot Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rorie, Conrad; Fern, Lisa; Pack, Jessica; Shively, Jay; Draper, Mark H.

2015-01-01

The pilot-in-the-loop Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) task requires the pilot to carry out three major functions: 1) detect a potential threat, 2) determine an appropriate resolution maneuver, and 3) execute that resolution maneuver via the GCS control and navigation interface(s). The purpose of the present study was to examine two main questions with respect to DAA display considerations that could impact pilots ability to maintain well clear from other aircraft. First, what is the effect of a minimum (or basic) information display compared to an advanced information display on pilot performance? Second, what is the effect of display location on UAS pilot performance? Two levels of information level (basic, advanced) were compared across two levels of display location (standalone, integrated), for a total of four displays. The results indicate that the advanced displays had faster overall response times compared to the basic displays, however, there were no significant differences between the standalone and integrated displays.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans regulate autophagy in Drosophila.

PubMed

Reynolds-Peterson, Claire E; Zhao, Na; Xu, Jie; Serman, Taryn M; Xu, Jielin; Selleck, Scott B

2017-08-03

Heparan sulfate-modified proteoglycans (HSPGs) are important regulators of signaling and molecular recognition at the cell surface and in the extracellular space. Disruption of HSPG core proteins, HS-synthesis, or HS-degradation can have profound effects on growth, patterning, and cell survival. The Drosophila neuromuscular junction provides a tractable model for understanding the activities of HSPGs at a synapse that displays developmental and activity-dependent plasticity. Muscle cell-specific knockdown of HS biosynthesis disrupted the organization of a specialized postsynaptic membrane, the subsynaptic reticulum (SSR), and affected the number and morphology of mitochondria. We provide evidence that these changes result from a dysregulation of macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy). Cellular and molecular markers of autophagy are all consistent with an increase in the levels of autophagy in the absence of normal HS-chain biosynthesis and modification. HS production is also required for normal levels of autophagy in the fat body, the central energy storage and nutritional sensing organ in Drosophila. Genetic mosaic analysis indicates that HS-dependent regulation of autophagy occurs non-cell autonomously, consistent with HSPGs influencing this cellular process via signaling in the extracellular space. These findings demonstrate that HS biosynthesis has important regulatory effects on autophagy and that autophagy is critical for normal assembly of postsynaptic membrane specializations.

Calcium, phosphorus and protein levels as factors in the distribution of the pheasant

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dale, F.H.; DeWitt, J.B.

1958-01-01

Summary of work on pheasant nutrition conducted since 1949 at the Patuxent Research Refuge. Pheasant chicks fed experimental diets failed to develop normally on protein levels of 15 and 18%. With 22% protein they grew at a reduced rate as compared to those on 28%. Protein level of the reproductive diet was shown to be important; low production of eggs and young resulted from levels below 25%. Calcium was found to be even more critical than protein level for reproduction; birds on a winter diet that furnished 145 mg./kg. per day had poor reproductive success the following spring. About 600 mg./kg. of Ca per day was necessary in the reproduction diet. Birds on an intermediate level of Ca (about 0.5% of diet) showed evidence of cumulative deficiency. It was concluded that pheasants receiving levels of Ca no higher than 0.5% in nature might display 'straggling failure' such as has been observed in several midwestern areas.

Behavioral evaluation of visual function of rats using a visual discrimination apparatus.

PubMed

Thomas, Biju B; Samant, Deedar M; Seiler, Magdalene J; Aramant, Robert B; Sheikholeslami, Sharzad; Zhang, Kevin; Chen, Zhenhai; Sadda, SriniVas R

2007-05-15

A visual discrimination apparatus was developed to evaluate the visual sensitivity of normal pigmented rats (n=13) and S334ter-line-3 retinal degenerate (RD) rats (n=15). The apparatus is a modified Y maze consisting of two chambers leading to the rats' home cage. Rats were trained to find a one-way exit door leading into their home cage, based on distinguishing between two different visual alternatives (either a dark background or black and white stripes at varying luminance levels) which were randomly displayed on the back of each chamber. Within 2 weeks of training, all rats were able to distinguish between these two visual patterns. The discrimination threshold of normal pigmented rats was a luminance level of -5.37+/-0.05 log cd/m(2); whereas the threshold level of 100-day-old RD rats was -1.14+/-0.09 log cd/m(2) with considerable variability in performance. When tested at a later age (about 150 days), the threshold level of RD rats was significantly increased (-0.82+/-0.09 log cd/m(2), p<0.03, paired t-test). This apparatus could be useful to train rats at a very early age to distinguish between two different visual stimuli and may be effective for visual functional evaluations following therapeutic interventions.

Reading with filtered fixations: adult age differences in the effectiveness of low-level properties of text within central vision.

PubMed

Jordan, Timothy R; McGowan, Victoria A; Paterson, Kevin B

2014-06-01

When reading, low-level visual properties of text are acquired from central vision during brief fixational pauses, but the effectiveness of these properties may differ in older age. To investigate, a filtering technique displayed the low, medium, or high spatial frequencies of text falling within central vision as young (18-28 years) and older (65+ years) adults read. Reading times for normal text did not differ across age groups, but striking differences in the effectiveness of spatial frequencies were observed. Consequently, even when young and older adults read equally well, the effectiveness of spatial frequencies in central vision differs markedly in older age. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Tryptophan autofluorescence imaging of neoplasms of the human colon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Bhaskar; Renkoski, Timothy; Graves, Logan R.; Rial, Nathaniel S.; Tsikitis, Vassiliki Liana; Nfonsom, Valentine; Pugh, Judith; Tiwari, Piyush; Gavini, Hemanth; Utzinger, Urs

2012-01-01

Detection of flat neoplasia is a major challenge in colorectal cancer screening, as missed lesions can lead to the development of an unexpected `incident' cancer prior to the subsequent endoscopy. The use of a tryptophan-related autofluorescence has been reported to be increased in murine intestinal dysplasia. The emission spectra of cells isolated from human adenocarcinoma and normal mucosa of the colon were studied and showed markedly greater emission intensity from cancerous cells compared to cells obtained from the surrounding normal mucosa. A proto-type multispectral imaging system optimized for ultraviolet macroscopic imaging of tissue was used to obtain autofluorescence images of surgical specimens of colonic neoplasms and normal mucosa after resection. Fluorescence images did not display the expected greater emission from the tumor as compared to the normal mucosa, most probably due to increased optical absorption and scattering in the tumors. Increased fluorescence intensity in neoplasms was observed however, once fluorescence images were corrected using reflectance images. Tryptophan fluorescence alone may be useful in differentiating normal and cancerous cells, while in tissues its autofluorescence image divided by green reflectance may be useful in displaying neoplasms.

Simulation techniques for estimating error in the classification of normal patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitsitt, S. J.; Landgrebe, D. A.

1974-01-01

Methods of efficiently generating and classifying samples with specified multivariate normal distributions were discussed. Conservative confidence tables for sample sizes are given for selective sampling. Simulation results are compared with classified training data. Techniques for comparing error and separability measure for two normal patterns are investigated and used to display the relationship between the error and the Chernoff bound.

Muscle dysmorphia in male weightlifters: a case-control study.

PubMed

Olivardia, R; Pope, H G; Hudson, J I

2000-08-01

Muscle dysmorphia is a form of body dysmorphic disorder in which individuals develop a pathological preoccupation with their muscularity. The authors interviewed 24 men with muscle dysmorphia and 30 normal comparison weightlifters, recruited from gymnasiums in the Boston area, using a battery of demographic, psychiatric, and physical measures. The men with muscle dysmorphia differed significantly from the normal comparison weightlifters on numerous measures, including body dissatisfaction, eating attitudes, prevalence of anabolic steroid use, and lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. The men with muscle dysmorphia frequently described shame, embarrassment, and impairment of social and occupational functioning in association with their condition. By contrast, normal weightlifters displayed little pathology. Indeed, in an a posteriori analysis, the normal weightlifters proved closely comparable to a group of male college students recruited as a normal comparison group in an earlier study. Muscle dysmorphia appears to be a valid diagnostic entity, possibly related to a larger group of disorders, and is associated with striking and stereotypical features. Men with muscle dysmorphia differ sharply from normal weightlifters, most of whom display little psychopathology. Further research is necessary to characterize the nosology and potential treatment of this syndrome.

The quantitative insulin sensitivity check index is not able to detect early metabolic alterations in young patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

PubMed

Angioni, Stefano; Sanna, Stefania; Magnini, Roberta; Melis, Gian Benedetto; Fulghesu, Anna Maria

2011-07-01

To verify whether QUICKY is a suitable method for the identification of metabolic deterioration in normal weight patients affected by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Prospective clinical study. Seventy-nine PCOS normal weight adolescent subjects, 50 eumenorrheic, normal weight, non-hirsute controls matched for age and BMI. Quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKY) and integrated secretory area under the curve of insulin values (I-AUC) during oral glucose tolerance test were calculated. Seventy-nine PCOS and 50 controls were studied. Normal insulin sensitivity was defined as upper control 95th percentile by QUICKY values <0.31, I-AUC at 180 min < 16,645. When applying the calculated I-AUC cut-off, 41 PCOS were classified as normoinsulinemic and 38 as hyperinsulinemic, whereas using the calculated QUICKY cut-off, only 19 PCOS could be classified as insulin resistant (IR). Fifteen out of the 60 non-IR PCOS presented hyperinsulinemia; fasting glucose and insulin levels and QUICKY were not sufficient to identify these subjects. Thus, QUICKY displayed a low sensitivity (44%) and specificity (91%) in the diagnosis of the metabolic disorder disclosed by I-AUC. CONCLUSIONS.: In young normal weight patients with PCOS the prevalence of early alterations of insulin metabolism are not detectable by QUICKY studies.

Long-Term Fructose Intake Increases Adipogenic Potential: Evidence of Direct Effects of Fructose on Adipocyte Precursor Cells

PubMed Central

Zubiría, María Guillermina; Alzamendi, Ana; Moreno, Griselda; Rey, María Amanda; Spinedi, Eduardo; Giovambattista, Andrés

2016-01-01

We have previously addressed that fructose rich diet (FRD) intake for three weeks increases the adipogenic potential of stromal vascular fraction cells from the retroperitoneal adipose tissue (RPAT). We have now evaluated the effect of prolonged FRD intake (eight weeks) on metabolic parameters, number of adipocyte precursor cells (APCs) and in vitro adipogenic potential from control (CTR) and FRD adult male rats. Additionally, we have examined the direct fructose effects on the adipogenic capacity of normal APCs. FRD fed rats had increased plasma levels of insulin, triglyceride and leptin, and RPAT mass and adipocyte size. FACS studies showed higher APCs number and adipogenic potential in FRD RPAT pads; data is supported by high mRNA levels of competency markers: PPARγ2 and Zfp423. Complementary in vitro experiments indicate that fructose-exposed normal APCs displayed an overall increased adipogenic capacity. We conclude that the RPAT mass expansion observed in eight week-FRD fed rats depends on combined accelerated adipogenesis and adipocyte hypertrophy, partially due to a direct effect of fructose on APCs. PMID:27049396

Long-Term Fructose Intake Increases Adipogenic Potential: Evidence of Direct Effects of Fructose on Adipocyte Precursor Cells.

PubMed

Zubiría, María Guillermina; Alzamendi, Ana; Moreno, Griselda; Rey, María Amanda; Spinedi, Eduardo; Giovambattista, Andrés

2016-04-02

We have previously addressed that fructose rich diet (FRD) intake for three weeks increases the adipogenic potential of stromal vascular fraction cells from the retroperitoneal adipose tissue (RPAT). We have now evaluated the effect of prolonged FRD intake (eight weeks) on metabolic parameters, number of adipocyte precursor cells (APCs) and in vitro adipogenic potential from control (CTR) and FRD adult male rats. Additionally, we have examined the direct fructose effects on the adipogenic capacity of normal APCs. FRD fed rats had increased plasma levels of insulin, triglyceride and leptin, and RPAT mass and adipocyte size. FACS studies showed higher APCs number and adipogenic potential in FRD RPAT pads; data is supported by high mRNA levels of competency markers: PPARγ2 and Zfp423. Complementary in vitro experiments indicate that fructose-exposed normal APCs displayed an overall increased adipogenic capacity. We conclude that the RPAT mass expansion observed in eight week-FRD fed rats depends on combined accelerated adipogenesis and adipocyte hypertrophy, partially due to a direct effect of fructose on APCs.

Reproduction of auditory and visual standards in monochannel cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Kanabus, Magdalena; Szelag, Elzbieta; Kolodziejczyk, Iwona; Szuchnik, Joanna

2004-01-01

The temporal reproduction of standard durations ranging from 1 to 9 seconds was investigated in monochannel cochlear implant (CI) users and in normally hearing subjects for the auditory and visual modality. The results showed that the pattern of performance in patients depended on their level of auditory comprehension. Results for CI users, who displayed relatively good auditory comprehension, did not differ from that of normally hearing subjects for both modalities. Patients with poor auditory comprehension significantly overestimated shorter auditory standards (1, 1.5 and 2.5 s), compared to both patients with good comprehension and controls. For the visual modality the between-group comparisons were not significant. These deficits in the reproduction of auditory standards were explained in accordance with both the attentional-gate model and the role of working memory in prospective time judgment. The impairments described above can influence the functioning of the temporal integration mechanism that is crucial for auditory speech comprehension on the level of words and phrases. We postulate that the deficits in time reproduction of short standards may be one of the possible reasons for poor speech understanding in monochannel CI users.

Appetitive and consummatory sexual behaviors of female rats in bilevel chambers. II. Patterns of estrus termination following vaginocervical stimulation.

PubMed

Pfaus, J G; Smith, W J; Byrne, N; Stephens, G

2000-02-01

Copulation with intromission or manual vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) shortens the duration that intact female rats maintain lordosis responding during estrus. The present study examined whether VCS could shorten the duration of both appetitive and consummatory measures of female sexual behavior, and whether these effects occur differentially in time and across different hormone priming intervals. Ovariectomized, sexually experienced female rats were administered subcutaneous injections of estradiol benzoate 48 h and progesterone 4 h, before receiving 50 manual VCSs with a lubricated glass rod distributed over 1 h. Control females received sham VCSs distributed over the same time. The females were then tested for sexual behavior in bilevel chambers with two sexually vigorous males (to one ejaculatory series or 10 min with each male, separated by 5 min) 12, 16, and 20 h after VCS. Prior to the final hormone treatment, different groups of females had been given the same hormone treatment either 28, 14, 7, or 4 days before. In females tested at 28- and 14-day hormone intervals, VCS induced both active and passive rejection responses at 12, 16, and 20 h. In contrast, females that received sham VCS displayed relatively normal sexual behavior at 12 h, although by 16 and 20 h these females displayed active and passive rejection. Females tested at 7- or 4-day intervals displayed normal levels of lordosis at all testing times, regardless of VCS treatment. These data indicate that VCS facilitates rejection responses that precede the decrease in lordosis responsiveness. However, the effects of VCS are dependent on the frequency of hormone priming, suggesting that hormone treatment may block some of the long-term inhibitory effects of VCS on female sexual behavior. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Differential expression of lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA-1) on peripheral blood leucocytes from individuals with Down's syndrome.

PubMed Central

Barrena, M J; Echaniz, P; Garcia-Serrano, C; Zubillaga, P; Cuadrado, E

1992-01-01

We analysed the expression of lymphocyte function-associated antigen LFA-1 on the cell surface of peripheral blood lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes from 20 children with Down's syndrome. No differences in LFA-1 expression was found within monocytes or granulocytes from either normal or Down's syndrome children; however, a clear-cut difference was observed on lymphoid cells. Both normal and Down's syndrome lymphocytes displayed a bimodal pattern of LFA-1 staining by flow cytometry, with a predominance of cells with low expression in normal population, and an increased proportion of lymphocytes with high level of LFA-1 expression in Down's syndrome children. This difference correlates well with the abnormal proportion of T cell subsets and inversion of CD4/CD8 observed in a majority of our cases, and therefore, it could merely reflect the increase of certain T cell subsets normally expressing higher number of LFA-1 molecules. Taken together, our results do not support an abnormally increased expression of leucocytes integrins in trisomy 21 cells, and raise some doubt about the suggested role of the abnormal cellular expression of LFA-1 in the pathogensis of secondary immunodeficiency associated to Down's syndrome. PMID:1348667

Reverse-mode PSLC multi-plane optical see-through display for AR applications.

PubMed

Liu, Shuxin; Li, Yan; Zhou, Pengcheng; Chen, Quanming; Su, Yikai

2018-02-05

In this paper we propose an optical see-through multi-plane display with reverse-mode polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC). Our design solves the problem of accommodation-vergence conflict with correct focus cues. In the reverse mode PSLC system, power consumption could be reduced to ~1/(N-1) of that in a normal mode system if N planes are displayed. The PSLC films fabricated in our experiment exhibit a low saturation voltage ~20 V rms , a high transparent-state transmittance (92%), and a fast switching time within 2 ms and polarization insensitivity. A proof-of-concept two-plane color display prototype and a four-plane monocolor display prototype were implemented.

Absence of opioid stress-induced analgesia in mice lacking beta-endorphin by site-directed mutagenesis.

PubMed Central

Rubinstein, M; Mogil, J S; Japón, M; Chan, E C; Allen, R G; Low, M J

1996-01-01

A physiological role for beta-endorphin in endogenous pain inhibition was investigated by targeted mutagenesis of the proopiomelanocortin gene in mouse embryonic stem cells. The tyrosine codon at position 179 of the proopiomelanocortin gene was converted to a premature translational stop codon. The resulting transgenic mice display no overt developmental or behavioral alterations and have a normally functioning hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Homozygous transgenic mice with a selective deficiency of beta-endorphin exhibit normal analgesia in response to morphine, indicating the presence of functional mu-opiate receptors. However, these mice lack the opioid (naloxone reversible) analgesia induced by mild swim stress. Mutant mice also display significantly greater nonopioid analgesia in response to cold water swim stress compared with controls and display paradoxical naloxone-induced analgesia. These changes may reflect compensatory upregulation of alternative pain inhibitory mechanisms. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 PMID:8633004

Mice lacking the extracellular matrix protein MAGP1 display delayed thrombotic occlusion following vessel injury

PubMed Central

Werneck, Claudio C.; Vicente, Cristina P.; Weinberg, Justin S.; Shifren, Adrian; Pierce, Richard A.; Broekelmann, Thomas J.; Tollefsen, Douglas M.

2008-01-01

Mice lacking the extracellular matrix protein microfibril-associated glycoprotein-1 (MAGP1) display delayed thrombotic occlusion of the carotid artery following injury as well as prolonged bleeding from a tail vein incision. Normal occlusion times were restored when recombinant MAGP1 was infused into deficient animals prior to vessel wounding. Blood coagulation was normal in these animals as assessed by activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time. Platelet number was lower in MAGP1-deficient mice, but the platelets showed normal aggregation properties in response to various agonists. MAGP1 was not found in normal platelets or in the plasma of wild-type mice. In ligand blot assays, MAGP1 bound to fibronectin, fibrinogen, and von Willebrand factor, but von Willebrand factor was the only protein of the 3 that bound to MAGP1 in surface plasmon resonance studies. These findings show that MAGP1, a component of microfibrils and vascular elastic fibers, plays a role in hemostasis and thrombosis. PMID:18281502

Isolation, purification, culture and characterisation of myoepithelial cells from normal and neoplastic canine mammary glands using a magnetic-activated cell sorting separation system.

PubMed

Sánchez-Céspedes, R; Maniscalco, L; Iussich, S; Martignani, E; Guil-Luna, S; De Maria, R; Martín de Las Mulas, J; Millán, Y

2013-08-01

Mammary gland tumours, the most common malignant neoplasm in bitches, often display myoepithelial (ME) cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to isolate, purify, culture and characterise ME cells from normal and neoplastic canine mammary glands. Monodispersed cells from three normal canine mammary glands and five canine mammary tumours were incubated with an anti-Thy1 antibody and isolated by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). Cells isolated from two normal glands (cell lines CmME-N1 and CmME-N2) and four tumours (cell lines CmME-K1 from a complex carcinoma, CmME-K2 from a simple tubulopapillary carcinoma, and CmME-K3 and CmME-K4 from two carcinomas within benign tumours) were cultured in supplemented DMEM/F12 media for 40days. Cell purity was >90%. Tumour-derived ME cell lines exhibited heterogeneous morphology, growth patterns and immunocytochemical expression of cytokeratins, whereas cell lines from normal glands retained their morphology and levels of cytokeratin expression during culture. Cell lines from normal glands and carcinomas within benign tumours grew more slowly than those from simple and complex carcinomas. This methodology has the potential to be used for in vitro analysis of the role of ME cells in the growth and progression of canine mammary tumours. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth hormone-releasing hormone resistance in pseudohypoparathyroidism type ia: new evidence for imprinting of the Gs alpha gene.

PubMed

Mantovani, Giovanna; Maghnie, Mohamad; Weber, Giovanna; De Menis, Ernesto; Brunelli, Valeria; Cappa, Marco; Loli, Paola; Beck-Peccoz, Paolo; Spada, Anna

2003-09-01

Heterozygous inactivating mutations in the Gs alpha gene cause Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy. Consistent with the observation that only maternally inherited mutations lead to resistance to hormone action [pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia (PHP Ia)], recent studies provided evidence for a predominant maternal origin of Gs alpha transcripts in endocrine organs, such as thyroid, gonad, and pituitary. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of pituitary resistance to hypothalamic hormones acting via Gs alpha-coupled receptors in patients with PHP Ia. Six of nine patients showed an impaired GH responsiveness to GHRH plus arginine, consistent with a complete GH deficiency (GH peak from 2.6-8.6 microg/liter, normal > 16.5), and partial (GH peak 13.9 and 13.6 microg/liter) and normal responses were found in two and one patient, respectively. Accordingly, IGF-I levels were below and in the low-normal range in seven and two patients. All patients had a normal cortisol response to 1 microg ACTH test, suggesting a normal corticotroph function that was confirmed by a normal ACTH and cortisol response to CRH test in three patients. In conclusion, we report that in addition to PTH and TSH resistance, patients with PHP Ia display variable degrees of GHRH resistance, consistent with Gs alpha imprinting in human pituitary.

[A case of hypothyroidism displaying "dropped head" syndrome].

PubMed

Furutani, Rikiya; Ishihara, Kenji; Miyazawa, Yumi; Suzuki, Yoshio; Shiota, Jun-Ichi; Kawamur, Mitsuru

2007-01-01

We describe a patient with hypothyroidism displaying "dropped head" syndrome. A 50-year-old man visited our clinic because he was unable to hold his head in the natural position. He had weakness and hypertrophy of the neck extensor muscles. Tendon reflexes were diminished or absent in all limbs. Mounding phenomena were observed in the bilateral upper extremities. Blood biochemical analysis revealed hypothyroidism, hyperlipidemia, and elevated levels of muscle-derived enzymes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the neck demonstrated swelling and hyperintensity of the neck extensor muscles on T2-weighted images. The result of biopsy of the right biceps brachii muscle suggested mild atrophy of type 2 fibers. The diameters of the muscle fibers exhibited mild variation. No inflammatory changes were observed. We diagnosed hin as having "dropped head" syndrome due to hypothyroidism. Administration of thyroid hormone agent gradually improved his condition, and he became able to hold his head in the natural position. Levels of muscle-derived enzymes normalized and his hyperlipidemia remitted. Neck MRI also revealed improvement. Our findings suggest that hypothyroidism should be considered in the differential diagnosis of "dropped head" syndrome, although only a few cases like ours have been reported.

Comparison of Thoracic and Lumbar Erector Spinae Muscle Activation Before and After a Golf Practice Session.

PubMed

Sorbie, Graeme G; Grace, Fergal M; Gu, Yaodong; Baker, Julien S; Ugbolue, Ukadike C

2017-08-01

Lower back pain is commonly associated with golfers. The study aimed: to determine whether thoracic- and lumbar-erector-spinae muscle display signs of muscular fatigue after completing a golf practice session, and to examine the effect of the completed practice session on club head speed, ball speed and absolute carry distance performance variables. Fourteen right-handed male golfers participated in the laboratory-based-study. Surface electromyography (EMG) data was collected from the lead and trail sides of the thoracic- and lumbar-erector-spinae muscle. Normalized root mean squared (RMS) EMG activation levels and performance variables for the golf swings were compared before and after the session. Fatigue was assessed using median frequency (MDF) and RMS during the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) performed before and after the session. No significant differences were observed in RMS thoracic- and lumbar-erector-spinae muscle activation levels during the five phases of the golf swing and performance variables before and after the session (p > .05). Significant changes were displayed in MDF and RMS when comparing the MVC performed before and after the session (p < .05). Fatigue was evident in the trail side of the erector-spinae muscle after the session.

Functional metabolomics as a tool to analyze Mediator function and structure in plants.

PubMed

Davoine, Celine; Abreu, Ilka N; Khajeh, Khalil; Blomberg, Jeanette; Kidd, Brendan N; Kazan, Kemal; Schenk, Peer M; Gerber, Lorenz; Nilsson, Ove; Moritz, Thomas; Björklund, Stefan

2017-01-01

Mediator is a multiprotein transcriptional co-regulator complex composed of four modules; Head, Middle, Tail, and Kinase. It conveys signals from promoter-bound transcriptional regulators to RNA polymerase II and thus plays an essential role in eukaryotic gene regulation. We describe subunit localization and activities of Mediator in Arabidopsis through metabolome and transcriptome analyses from a set of Mediator mutants. Functional metabolomic analysis based on the metabolite profiles of Mediator mutants using multivariate statistical analysis and heat-map visualization shows that different subunit mutants display distinct metabolite profiles, which cluster according to the reported localization of the corresponding subunits in yeast. Based on these results, we suggest localization of previously unassigned plant Mediator subunits to specific modules. We also describe novel roles for individual subunits in development, and demonstrate changes in gene expression patterns and specific metabolite levels in med18 and med25, which can explain their phenotypes. We find that med18 displays levels of phytoalexins normally found in wild type plants only after exposure to pathogens. Our results indicate that different Mediator subunits are involved in specific signaling pathways that control developmental processes and tolerance to pathogen infections.

Effectiveness of Immersive Videos in Inducing Awe: An Experimental Study.

PubMed

Chirico, Alice; Cipresso, Pietro; Yaden, David B; Biassoni, Federica; Riva, Giuseppe; Gaggioli, Andrea

2017-04-27

Awe, a complex emotion composed by the appraisal components of vastness and need for accommodation, is a profound and often meaningful experience. Despite its importance, psychologists have only recently begun empirical study of awe. At the experimental level, a main issue concerns how to elicit high intensity awe experiences in the lab. To address this issue, Virtual Reality (VR) has been proposed as a potential solution. Here, we considered the highest realistic form of VR: immersive videos. 42 participants watched at immersive and normal 2D videos displaying an awe or a neutral content. After the experience, they rated their level of awe and sense of presence. Participants' psychophysiological responses (BVP, SC, sEMG) were recorded during the whole video exposure. We hypothesized that the immersive video condition would increase the intensity of awe experienced compared to 2D screen videos. Results indicated that immersive videos significantly enhanced the self-reported intensity of awe as well as the sense of presence. Immersive videos displaying an awe content also led to higher parasympathetic activation. These findings indicate the advantages of using VR in the experimental study of awe, with methodological implications for the study of other emotions.

Sensitivity to synchronicity of biological motion in normal and amblyopic vision

PubMed Central

Luu, Jennifer Y.; Levi, Dennis M.

2017-01-01

Amblyopia is a developmental disorder of spatial vision that results from abnormal early visual experience usually due to the presence of strabismus, anisometropia, or both strabismus and anisometropia. Amblyopia results in a range of visual deficits that cannot be corrected by optics because the deficits reflect neural abnormalities. Biological motion refers to the motion patterns of living organisms, and is normally displayed as points of lights positioned at the major joints of the body. In this experiment, our goal was twofold. We wished to examine whether the human visual system in people with amblyopia retained the higher-level processing capabilities to extract visual information from the synchronized actions of others, therefore retaining the ability to detect biological motion. Specifically, we wanted to determine if the synchronized interaction of two agents performing a dancing routine allowed the amblyopic observer to use the actions of one agent to predict the expected actions of a second agent. We also wished to establish whether synchronicity sensitivity (detection of synchronized versus desynchronized interactions) is impaired in amblyopic observers relative to normal observers. The two aims are differentiated in that the first aim looks at whether synchronized actions result in improved expected action predictions while the second aim quantitatively compares synchronicity sensitivity, or the ratio of desynchronized to synchronized detection sensitivities, to determine if there is a difference between normal and amblyopic observers. Our results show that the ability to detect biological motion requires more samples in both eyes of amblyopes than in normal control observers. The increased sample threshold is not the result of low-level losses but may reflect losses in feature integration due to undersampling in the amblyopic visual system. However, like normal observers, amblyopes are more sensitive to synchronized versus desynchronized interactions, indicating that higher-level processing of biological motion remains intact. We also found no impairment in synchronicity sensitivity in the amblyopic visual system relative to the normal visual system. Since there is no impairment in synchronicity sensitivity in either the nonamblyopic or amblyopic eye of amblyopes, our results suggest that the higher order processing of biological motion is intact. PMID:23474301

A Centralized Display for Mission Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.

2004-01-01

Humans traditionally experience a vigilance decrement over extended periods of time on reliable systems. One possible solution to aiding operators in monitoring is to use polar-star displays that will show deviations from normal in a more salient manner. The primary objectives of this experiment were to determine if polar-star displays aid in monitoring and preliminary diagnosis of the aircraft state. This experiment indicated that the polar-star display does indeed aid operators in detecting and diagnosing system events. Subjects were able to notice system events earlier and they subjectively reported the polar-star display helped them in monitoring, noticing an event, and diagnosing an event. Therefore, these results indicate that the polar-star display used for monitoring and preliminary diagnosis improves performance in these areas for system related events.

Three-dimensional computer graphic animations for studying social approach behaviour in medaka fish: Effects of systematic manipulation of morphological and motion cues.

PubMed

Nakayasu, Tomohiro; Yasugi, Masaki; Shiraishi, Soma; Uchida, Seiichi; Watanabe, Eiji

2017-01-01

We studied social approach behaviour in medaka fish using three-dimensional computer graphic (3DCG) animations based on the morphological features and motion characteristics obtained from real fish. This is the first study which used 3DCG animations and examined the relative effects of morphological and motion cues on social approach behaviour in medaka. Various visual stimuli, e.g., lack of motion, lack of colour, alternation in shape, lack of locomotion, lack of body motion, and normal virtual fish in which all four features (colour, shape, locomotion, and body motion) were reconstructed, were created and presented to fish using a computer display. Medaka fish presented with normal virtual fish spent a long time in proximity to the display, whereas time spent near the display was decreased in other groups when compared with normal virtual medaka group. The results suggested that the naturalness of visual cues contributes to the induction of social approach behaviour. Differential effects between body motion and locomotion were also detected. 3DCG animations can be a useful tool to study the mechanisms of visual processing and social behaviour in medaka.

Quantification of differences between nailfold capillaroscopy images with a scleroderma pattern and normal pattern using measures of geometric and algorithmic complexity.

PubMed

Urwin, Samuel George; Griffiths, Bridget; Allen, John

2017-02-01

This study aimed to quantify and investigate differences in the geometric and algorithmic complexity of the microvasculature in nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) images displaying a scleroderma pattern and those displaying a 'normal' pattern. 11 NFC images were qualitatively classified by a capillary specialist as indicative of 'clear microangiopathy' (CM), i.e. a scleroderma pattern, and 11 as 'not clear microangiopathy' (NCM), i.e. a 'normal' pattern. Pre-processing was performed, and fractal dimension (FD) and Kolmogorov complexity (KC) were calculated following image binarisation. FD and KC were compared between groups, and a k-means cluster analysis (n  =  2) on all images was performed, without prior knowledge of the group assigned to them (i.e. CM or NCM), using FD and KC as inputs. CM images had significantly reduced FD and KC compared to NCM images, and the cluster analysis displayed promising results that the quantitative classification of images into CM and NCM groups is possible using the mathematical measures of FD and KC. The analysis techniques used show promise for quantitative microvascular investigation in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Three-dimensional computer graphic animations for studying social approach behaviour in medaka fish: Effects of systematic manipulation of morphological and motion cues

PubMed Central

Nakayasu, Tomohiro; Yasugi, Masaki; Shiraishi, Soma; Uchida, Seiichi; Watanabe, Eiji

2017-01-01

We studied social approach behaviour in medaka fish using three-dimensional computer graphic (3DCG) animations based on the morphological features and motion characteristics obtained from real fish. This is the first study which used 3DCG animations and examined the relative effects of morphological and motion cues on social approach behaviour in medaka. Various visual stimuli, e.g., lack of motion, lack of colour, alternation in shape, lack of locomotion, lack of body motion, and normal virtual fish in which all four features (colour, shape, locomotion, and body motion) were reconstructed, were created and presented to fish using a computer display. Medaka fish presented with normal virtual fish spent a long time in proximity to the display, whereas time spent near the display was decreased in other groups when compared with normal virtual medaka group. The results suggested that the naturalness of visual cues contributes to the induction of social approach behaviour. Differential effects between body motion and locomotion were also detected. 3DCG animations can be a useful tool to study the mechanisms of visual processing and social behaviour in medaka. PMID:28399163

Use of structured personality survey techniques to indicate operator response to stressful situations

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

Waller, M.A.

Under given circumstances, a person will tend to operate in one of four dominant orientations: (1) to perform tasks; (2) to achieve consensus; (3) to achieve understanding, or (4) to maintain structure. Historically, personality survey techniques, such as the Myers-Briggs type indicator, have been used to determine these tendencies. While these techniques can accurately reflect a person's orientation under normal social situations, under different sets of conditions, the same person may exhibit other tendencies, displaying a similar or entirely different orientation. While most do not exhibit extreme tendencies or changes of orientation, the shift in personality from normal to stressfulmore » conditions can be rather dramatic, depending on the individual. Structured personality survey techniques have been used to indicate operator response to stressful situations. These techniques have been extended to indicate the balance between orientations that the control room team has through the various levels of cognizance.« less

The Production of lnterleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist by Human Bronchogenic Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Smith, Daniel R.; Kunkel, Steven L.; Standiford, Theodore J.; Chensue, Stephen W.; Rolfe, Mark W.; Orringer, Mark B.; Whyte, Richard I.; Burdick, Marie D.; Danforth, Jean M.; Gilbert, Andrew R.; Strieter, Robert M.

1993-01-01

Bronchogenic carcinoma displays an aggressive clinical course that may reflect a capacity to evade host defenses. We postulated that tumors may elaborate interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) to escape host interleukin-1-dependent responses. Homogenates of human bronchogenic lung tumors demonstrated significant increases of IRAP compared with normal lung tissue controls (n = 48). There was no significant difference in interleukin-1 β levels between tumor and normal lung tissue. Immunohistochemical staining localized IRAP to tumor cells. Semiquantitative pathological analysis demonstrated a modest inflammatory cell infiltrate with qualitative differences between tumors of different histology. Western blot analysis of tumor homogenates demonstrated several molecular weight forms of IRAP. Finally, antigenic IRAP was detected in supernatants of the human bronchogenic carcinoma cell line (A549) maintained in vitro. These findings illustrate the capacity of bronchogenic tumors to produce and secrete IRAP that may be important in tumor evasion of host defenses. ImagesFigure 3Figure 4 PMID:8362978

Chronic High Fructose Intake Reduces Serum 1,25 (OH)2D3 Levels in Calcium-Sufficient Rodents

PubMed Central

Douard, Veronique; Patel, Chirag; Lee, Jacklyn; Tharabenjasin, Phuntila; Williams, Edek; Fritton, J. Christopher; Sabbagh, Yves; Ferraris, Ronaldo P.

2014-01-01

Excessive fructose consumption inhibits adaptive increases in intestinal Ca2+ transport in lactating and weanling rats with increased Ca2+ requirements by preventing the increase in serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3. Here we tested the hypothesis that chronic fructose intake decreases 1,25(OH)2D3 levels independent of increases in Ca2+ requirements. Adult mice fed for five wk a high glucose-low Ca2+ diet displayed expected compensatory increases in intestinal and renal Ca2+ transporter expression and activity, in renal CYP27B1 (coding for 1α-hydroxylase) expression as well as in serum 1,25(OH)2D3 levels, compared with mice fed isocaloric glucose- or fructose-normal Ca2+ diets. Replacing glucose with fructose prevented these increases in Ca2+ transporter, CYP27B1, and 1,25(OH)2D3 levels induced by a low Ca2+ diet. In adult mice fed for three mo a normal Ca2+ diet, renal expression of CYP27B1 and of CYP24A1 (24-hydroxylase) decreased and increased, respectively, when the carbohydrate source was fructose instead of glucose or starch. Intestinal and renal Ca2+ transporter activity and expression did not vary with dietary carbohydrate. To determine the time course of fructose effects, a high fructose or glucose diet with normal Ca2+ levels was fed to adult rats for three mo. Serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 decreased and of FGF23 increased significantly over time. Renal expression of CYP27B1 and serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 still decreased in fructose- compared to those in glucose-fed rats after three mo. Serum parathyroid hormone, Ca2+ and phosphate levels were normal and independent of dietary sugar as well as time of feeding. Thus, chronically high fructose intakes can decrease serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 in adult rodents experiencing no Ca2+ stress and fed sufficient levels of dietary Ca2+. This finding is highly significant because fructose constitutes a substantial portion of the average diet of Americans already deficient in vitamin D. PMID:24718641

Preferred viewing distance and screen angle of electronic paper displays.

PubMed

Shieh, Kong-King; Lee, Der-Song

2007-09-01

This study explored the viewing distance and screen angle for electronic paper (E-Paper) displays under various light sources, ambient illuminations, and character sizes. Data analysis showed that the mean viewing distance and screen angle were 495 mm and 123.7 degrees. The mean viewing distances for Kolin Chlorestic Liquid Crystal display was 500 mm, significantly longer than Sony electronic ink display, 491 mm. Screen angle for Kolin was 127.4 degrees, significantly greater than that of Sony, 120.0 degrees. Various light sources revealed no significant effect on viewing distances; nevertheless, they showed significant effect on screen angles. The screen angle for sunlight lamp (D65) was similar to that of fluorescent lamp (TL84), but greater than that of tungsten lamp (F). Ambient illumination and E-paper type had significant effects on viewing distance and screen angle. The higher the ambient illumination was, the longer the viewing distance and the lesser the screen angle. Character size had significant effect on viewing distances: the larger the character size, the longer the viewing distance. The results of this study indicated that the viewing distance for E-Paper was similar to that of visual display terminal (VDT) at around 500 mm, but greater than normal paper at about 360 mm. The mean screen angle was around 123.7 degrees, which in terms of viewing angle is 29.5 degrees below horizontal eye level. This result is similar to the general suggested viewing angle between 20 degrees and 50 degrees below the horizontal line of sight.

Immunephenotype of glomerular and interstitial infiltrating cells in protocol renal allograft biopsies and histological diagnosis.

PubMed

Moreso, F; Seron, D; O'Valle, F; Ibernon, M; Gomà, M; Hueso, M; Cruzado, J M; Bestard, O; Duarte, V; del Moral, R García; Grinyó, J M

2007-12-01

Patients with a protocol renal allograft biopsy simultaneously displaying interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA) and subclinical rejection (SCR) have a shortened graft survival than patients with a normal biopsy, or with a biopsy only displaying IF/TA or SCR. The poor outcome of these patients could be related with a more severe inflammation. We evaluate the immunophenotype of infiltrating cells in these diagnostic categories. Nonexhausted paraffin blocks from protocol biopsies done during the first year were stained with anti-CD45, CD3, CD20, CD68 and CD15 monoclonal antibodies. Glomerular and interstitial positive cells were counted. C4d deposition in peritubular capillaries was evaluated. Histological diagnoses were: normal (n = 80), SCR (n = 17), IF/TA (n = 42) and IF/TA + SCR (n = 17). Only interstitial CD20 positive cells were significantly increased in patients displaying IF/TA + SCR; normal (137 +/- 117), SCR (202 +/- 145), IF/TA (208 +/- 151) and IF/TA + SCR (307 +/- 180 cells/mm(2)), p < 0.01. The proportion of biopsies displaying C4d deposition was not different among groups. The upper tertile of CD20 positive interstitial cells was associated with a decreased death-censored graft survival (relative risk: 3.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.23-7.35; p = 0.015). These data suggest that B-cell interstitial infiltrates are associated with histological damage and outcome, but do not distinguish whether these infiltrates were the cause or the consequence of chronic tubulo-interstitial damage.

Differential susceptibility of primary cultured human skin cells to hypericin PDT in an in vitro model.

PubMed

Popovic, A; Wiggins, T; Davids, L M

2015-08-01

Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, and its incidence rate in South Africa is increasing. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been shown to be an effective treatment modality, through topical administration, for treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers. Our group investigates hypericin-induced PDT (HYP-PDT) for the treatment of both non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers. However, a prerequisite for effective cancer treatments is efficient and selective targeting of the tumoral cells with minimal collateral damage to the surrounding normal cells, as it is well established that cancer therapies have bystander effects on normal cells in the body, often causing undesirable side effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular and molecular effects of HYP-PDT on normal primary human keratinocytes (Kc), melanocytes (Mc) and fibroblasts (Fb) in an in vitro tissue culture model which represented both the epidermal and dermal cellular compartments of human skin. Cell viability analysis revealed a differential cytotoxic response to a range of HYP-PDT doses in all the human skin cell types, showing that Fb (LD50=1.75μM) were the most susceptible to HYP-PDT, followed by Mc (LD50=3.5μM) and Kc (LD50>4μM HYP-PDT) These results correlated with the morphological analysis which displayed distinct morphological changes in Fb and Mc, 24h post treatment with non-lethal (1μM) and lethal (3μM) doses of HYP-PDT, but the highest HYP-PDT doses had no effect on Kc morphology. Fluorescent microscopy displayed cytoplasmic localization of HYP in all the 3 skin cell types and additionally, HYP was excluded from the nuclei in all the cell types. Intracellular ROS levels measured in Fb at 3μM HYP-PDT, displayed a significant 3.8 fold (p<0.05) increase in ROS, but no significant difference in ROS levels occurred in Mc or Kc. Furthermore, 64% (p<0.005) early apoptotic Fb and 20% (p<0.05) early apoptotic Mc were evident; using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), 24h post 3μM HYP-PDT. These results depict a differential response to HYP-PDT by different human skin cells thus highlighting the efficacy and indeed, the potential bystander effect of if administered in vivo. This study contributes toward our knowledge of the cellular response of the epidermis to photodynamic therapies and will possibly enhance the efficacy of future photobiological treatments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deregulation of PAX2 expression in renal cell tumours: mechanisms and potential use in differential diagnosis

PubMed Central

Patrício, Patrícia; Ramalho-Carvalho, João; Costa-Pinheiro, Pedro; Almeida, Mafalda; Barros-Silva, João Diogo; Vieira, Joana; Dias, Paula Cristina; Lobo, Francisco; Oliveira, Jorge; Teixeira, Manuel R; Henrique, Rui; Jeronimo, Carmen

2013-01-01

Expression of PAX2 (Paired-box 2) is suppressed through promoter methylation at the later stages of embryonic development, but eventually reactivated during carcinogenesis. Pax-2 is commonly expressed in the most prevalent renal cell tumour (RCT) subtypes—clear cell RCC (ccRCC), papillary RCC (pRCC) and oncocytoma—but not in chromophobe RCC (chrRCC), which frequently displays chromosome 10 loss (to which PAX2 is mapped). Herein, we assessed the epigenetic and/or genetic alterations affecting PAX2 expression in RCTs and evaluated its potential as biomarker. We tested 120 RCTs (30 of each main subtype) and four normal kidney tissues. Pax-2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and PAX2 mRNA expression levels were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. PAX2 promoter methylation status was assessed by methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing. Chromosome 10 and PAX2 copy number alterations were determined by FISH. Pax-2 immunoexpression was significantly lower in chrRCC compared to other RCT subtypes. Using a 10% immunoexpression cut-off, Pax-2 immunoreactivity discriminated chrRCC from oncocytoma with 67% sensitivity and 90% specificity. PAX2 mRNA expression was significantly lower in chrRCC, compared to ccRCC, pRCC and oncocytoma, and transcript levels correlated with immunoexpression. Whereas no promoter methylation was found in RCTs or normal kidney, 69% of chrRCC displayed chromosome 10 monosomy, correlating with Pax-2 immunoexpression. We concluded that Pax-2 expression might be used as an ancillary tool to discriminate chrRCC from oncocytomas with overlapping morphological features. The biological rationale lies on the causal relation between Pax-2 expression and chromosome 10 monosomy, but not PAX2 promoter methylation, in chrRCC. PMID:23890189

Gap junctions between interneurons are required for normal spatial coding in the hippocampus and short-term spatial memory

PubMed Central

Allen, Kevin; Fuchs, Elke C.; Jaschonek, Hannah; Bannerman, David M.; Monyer, Hannah

2011-01-01

Gap junctions containing connexin-36 (Cx36) electrically couple interneurons in many brain regions and synchronize their activity. We used Cx36 knockout mice (Cx36−/−) to study the importance of electrical coupling between interneurons for spatial coding in the hippocampus and for different forms of hippocampus-dependent spatial memory. Recordings in behaving mice revealed that the spatial selectivity of hippocampal pyramidal neurons was reduced and less stable in Cx36−/− mice. Altered network activity was reflected in slower theta oscillations in the mutants. Temporal coding, assessed by determining the presence and characteristics of theta phase precession, had different dynamics in Cx36−/− mice compared to controls. At the behavioral level, Cx36−/− mice displayed impaired short-term spatial memory but normal spatial reference memory. These results highlight the functional role of electrically coupled interneurons for spatial coding and cognition. Moreover, they suggest that the precise spatial selectivity of place cells is not essential for normal performance on spatial tasks assessing associative long-term memory. PMID:21525295

Qualitative changes in human γ-secretase underlie familial Alzheimer’s disease

PubMed Central

Szaruga, Maria; Veugelen, Sarah; Benurwar, Manasi; Lismont, Sam; Sepulveda-Falla, Diego; Lleo, Alberto; Ryan, Natalie S.; Lashley, Tammaryn; Fox, Nick C.; Murayama, Shigeo; Gijsen, Harrie

2015-01-01

Presenilin (PSEN) pathogenic mutations cause familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD [FAD]) in an autosomal-dominant manner. The extent to which the healthy and diseased alleles influence each other to cause neurodegeneration remains unclear. In this study, we assessed γ-secretase activity in brain samples from 15 nondemented subjects, 22 FAD patients harboring nine different mutations in PSEN1, and 11 sporadic AD (SAD) patients. FAD and control brain samples had similar overall γ-secretase activity levels, and therefore, loss of overall (endopeptidase) γ-secretase function cannot be an essential part of the pathogenic mechanism. In contrast, impaired carboxypeptidase-like activity (γ-secretase dysfunction) is a constant feature in all FAD brains. Significantly, we demonstrate that pharmacological activation of the carboxypeptidase-like γ-secretase activity with γ-secretase modulators alleviates the mutant PSEN pathogenic effects. Most SAD cases display normal endo- and carboxypeptidase-like γ-secretase activities. However and interestingly, a few SAD patient samples display γ-secretase dysfunction, suggesting that γ-secretase may play a role in some SAD cases. In conclusion, our study highlights qualitative shifts in amyloid-β (Aβ) profiles as the common denominator in FAD and supports a model in which the healthy allele contributes with normal Aβ products and the diseased allele generates longer aggregation-prone peptides that act as seeds inducing toxic amyloid conformations. PMID:26481686

Structural interpretation from horizontal seismic sections

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

Brown, A.R.

1983-03-01

The interpreter of a 3D survey must use a data volume. Horizontal slices through a data volume, called Seiscrop sections, have unique properties and structural interpretation from them is fast, convenient, and effective. An event on a Seiscrop section displays local strike, a property which permits direct contouring of a structural surface without any timing and posting. The width of an event on a Seiscrop section is a composition of the frequency of the data and the structural dip. Event terminations indicate faults or other discontinuities when they are transverse to structural strike. Faults parallel to structural strike are muchmore » less evident on a single Seiscrop section but become apparent with the relative movement of events from section to section. In practical mapping, we normally contour one fault block before proceeding to the next with the correlation between them being established from the vertical sections. With dual polarity variable area displays, the interpreter can perceive five amplitude levels and normally picks the edge of a trough. With color amplitude Seiscrop sections, it is possible to pick on the crest of any event. With color phase sections the interpreter can pick at any arbitrary but consistent point on the seismic waveform. Subtle structural features are commonly revealed on horizontal sections which may never have been noticed if working from vertical sections alone.« less

Preoperative Statin Therapy in Cardiac Surgery Is More Effective in Patients Who Display Preoperative Activation of the Inflammatory System

PubMed Central

Martínez-Comendador, José; Alvarez, José Rubio; Sierra, Juan; Teijeira, Elvis; Adrio, Belén

2013-01-01

We sought to determine whether preoperative statin treatment is more effective in reducing, after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, systemic inflammatory response and myocardial damage markers in patients who have elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels than in patients who have normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels. The study involved a prospective cohort of 164 patients who underwent coronary and valvular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. There were 2 study groups: group A (n = 60), patients with elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels; and group B (n = 104), patients with normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels. Each group was subdivided according to whether patients were (group 1) or were not (group 2) treated preoperatively with statins. Accordingly, the subdivided study groups were A1 (n = 40), A2 (n = 20), B1 (n = 56), and B2 (n = 48). The plasma levels of proinflammatory interleukin-6 were measured 1, 6, 24, and >72 hours after surgery. The baseline, operative, and postoperative morbidity and mortality characteristics were similar in all groups. Group A1 had significantly lower levels of interleukin-6 and troponin I than did group A2 at all postoperative time points. Group B1 had significantly lower levels of interleukin-6 than did group B2 postoperatively. There were no significant differences in troponin I levels between groups B1 and B2. We conclude that, in patients with preoperative activation of the inflammatory system, preoperative treatment with statins is associated with lower postoperative interleukin-6 and troponin I levels after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. PMID:23466655

Preoperative statin therapy in cardiac surgery is more effective in patients who display preoperative activation of the inflammatory system.

PubMed

Martínez-Comendador, José; Alvarez, José Rubio; Sierra, Juan; Teijeira, Elvis; Adrio, Belén

2013-01-01

We sought to determine whether preoperative statin treatment is more effective in reducing, after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, systemic inflammatory response and myocardial damage markers in patients who have elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels than in patients who have normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels. The study involved a prospective cohort of 164 patients who underwent coronary and valvular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. There were 2 study groups: group A (n = 60), patients with elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels; and group B (n = 104), patients with normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels. Each group was subdivided according to whether patients were (group 1) or were not (group 2) treated preoperatively with statins. Accordingly, the subdivided study groups were A1 (n = 40), A2 (n = 20), B1 (n = 56), and B2 (n = 48). The plasma levels of proinflammatory interleukin-6 were measured 1, 6, 24, and >72 hours after surgery. The baseline, operative, and postoperative morbidity and mortality characteristics were similar in all groups. Group A1 had significantly lower levels of interleukin-6 and troponin I than did group A2 at all postoperative time points. Group B1 had significantly lower levels of interleukin-6 than did group B2 postoperatively. There were no significant differences in troponin I levels between groups B1 and B2. We conclude that, in patients with preoperative activation of the inflammatory system, preoperative treatment with statins is associated with lower postoperative interleukin-6 and troponin I levels after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Reverse-mode microdroplet liquid crystal display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yao-Dong; Wu, Bao Gang; Xu, Gang

1990-04-01

This paper presents the production of the a reverse-mode microdroplet liquid crystal (RMLC) light shutter display. In this unit, the display is formed by a thin polymer film with dispersed liquid crystal microdroplets. The display is light transmissive in the absence of an applied electrical field. The display is converted to a non-transmissive state (i.e. absorbing or scattering) when an electrical field is applied. The "off' and "on" state. of this display are thus exactly opposite to that encountered in "normal-mode" microdroplet liquid crystal display devices such as polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLC)15 or Nematic Curvilinear Aligned Phase (NCAP)6. The Reverse Mode Microdroplet Liquid Crystal is obtained by modification of the surface energy of the polymer which encases liquid crystals via reaction of a dopant incorporated inside of the microdroplet during the droplet formation within the inside polymer layer. The liquid crystal used in RMLC is of negative dielectric anisotropy.

Miniaturized LEDs for flat-panel displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radauscher, Erich J.; Meitl, Matthew; Prevatte, Carl; Bonafede, Salvatore; Rotzoll, Robert; Gomez, David; Moore, Tanya; Raymond, Brook; Cok, Ronald; Fecioru, Alin; Trindade, António Jose; Fisher, Brent; Goodwin, Scott; Hines, Paul; Melnik, George; Barnhill, Sam; Bower, Christopher A.

2017-02-01

Inorganic light emitting diodes (LEDs) serve as bright pixel-level emitters in displays, from indoor/outdoor video walls with pixel sizes ranging from one to thirty millimeters to micro displays with more than one thousand pixels per inch. Pixel sizes that fall between those ranges, roughly 50 to 500 microns, are some of the most commercially significant ones, including flat panel displays used in smart phones, tablets, and televisions. Flat panel displays that use inorganic LEDs as pixel level emitters (μILED displays) can offer levels of brightness, transparency, and functionality that are difficult to achieve with other flat panel technologies. Cost-effective production of μILED displays requires techniques for precisely arranging sparse arrays of extremely miniaturized devices on a panel substrate, such as transfer printing with an elastomer stamp. Here we present lab-scale demonstrations of transfer printed μILED displays and the processes used to make them. Demonstrations include passive matrix μILED displays that use conventional off-the shelf drive ASICs and active matrix μILED displays that use miniaturized pixel-level control circuits from CMOS wafers. We present a discussion of key considerations in the design and fabrication of highly miniaturized emitters for μILED displays.

Diminished IL-17A levels may protect filarial-infected individuals from development of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Panda, A K; Das, B K

2017-04-01

Nematode infections have been observed to inversely correlate with autoimmune disorders. Recently, we have shown the absence of filarial infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who live in filarial-endemic areas. The mechanism(s) by which filarial-infected individuals are protected against the development of RA or SLE are unknown. In mice CIA, an experimental model for RA, ES-62, an execratory product of rodent filarial nematode , has been shown to improve arthritis through suppression of the IL-17 pathway. A total of 160 individuals, 40 each of endemic normal, filarial-infected cases, SLE and RA patients, from filarial-endemic areas, were enrolled in the study. Plasma levels of IL17-A, IFN-α and TNF-α were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RA and SLE patients displayed significantly higher plasma IL-17A, IFN-α and TNF-α levels compared to endemic normal and infected individuals. Furthermore, IL-17A levels were significantly low in participants with filarial infection compared to endemic controls ( p < 0.05). Interestingly, plasma IL-17A levels correlated inversely with circulating filarial antigen (CFA) ( p = 0.004, Spearman r = -0.51). Filarial infection was associated with low plasma IL-17A levels, a mechanism by which it possibly protects individuals in filarial-endemic areas from the development of autoimmune disorders like RA and SLE.

Hyperactivity and impaired response habituation in hyperdopaminergic mice

PubMed Central

Zhuang, Xiaoxi; Oosting, Ronald S.; Jones, Sara R.; Gainetdinov, Raul R.; Miller, Gary W.; Caron, Marc G.; Hen, René

2001-01-01

Abnormal dopaminergic transmission is implicated in schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and drug addiction. In an attempt to model aspects of these disorders, we have generated hyperdopaminergic mutant mice by reducing expression of the dopamine transporter (DAT) to 10% of wild-type levels (DAT knockdown). Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and in vivo microdialysis revealed that released dopamine was cleared at a slow rate in knockdown mice, which resulted in a higher extracellular dopamine concentration. Unlike the DAT knockout mice, the DAT knockdown mice do not display a growth retardation phenotype. They have normal home cage activity but display hyperactivity and impaired response habituation in novel environments. In addition, we show that both the indirect dopamine receptor agonist amphetamine and the direct agonists apomorphine and quinpirole inhibit locomotor activity in the DAT knockdown mice, leading to the hypothesis that a shift in the balance between dopamine auto and heteroreceptor function may contribute to the therapeutic effect of psychostimulants in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. PMID:11172062

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of hybrids of β-carboline and salicylic acid as potential anticancer and apoptosis inducing agents

PubMed Central

Xu, Qi-Bing; Chen, Xiang-Fan; Feng, Jiao; Miao, Jie-Fei; Liu, Ji; Liu, Feng-Tao; Niu, Bi-Xi; Cai, Jin-Yang; Huang, Chao; Zhang, Yanan; Ling, Yong

2016-01-01

A novel series of hybrids (7a-l, 8a-l) from β-carboline and salicylic acid (SA) were designed and synthesized, and their in vitro biological activities were evaluated. Most of the hybrids displayed potent antiproliferative activity against five cancer cell lines in vitro, showing potencies superior to 5-FU and harmine. In particular, compound 8h selectively inhibited proliferation of liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells but not normal liver LO2 cells, and displayed greater inhibitory selectivity than intermediate 5h and SA. 8h also induced cancer cell apoptosis in an Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide flow cytometry assay, and triggered the mitochondrial/caspase apoptosis by decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential which was associated with up-regulation of Bax, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and activation levels of the caspase cascade in a concentration-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that the β-carboline/SA hybrids may hold greater promise as therapeutic agents for the intervention of human cancers. PMID:27824091

Transcriptional expression of type-I interferon response genes and stability of housekeeping genes in the human endometrium and endometriosis.

PubMed

Vestergaard, Anna L; Knudsen, Ulla B; Munk, Torben; Rosbach, Hanne; Martensen, Pia M

2011-04-01

Endometriosis is a painful chronic female disease defined by the presence of endometrial tissue implants in ectopic (Ec) locations. The pathogenesis is much debated, and type-I interferons (IFNs) could be involved. The expression of genes of the type-I IFN response were profiled by a specific PCR array of RNA obtained from Ec and eutopic (Eu) endometrium collected from nine endometriosis patients and nine healthy control women. Transcriptional expression levels of selected IFN-regulated and housekeeping genes (HKGs) were investigated by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Stably expressed HKGs for valid normalization of transcriptional studies of endometrium and endometriosis have not yet been published. Here, seven HKGs were evaluated for stability using the GeNorm and NormFinder software. A normalization factor based on HMBS, TBP and YWHAZ expression was suitable for normalization of qRT-PCR studies of Eu versus Ec endometrium. In the endometrial cell lines HEC1A, HEC1B, Ishikawa and RL95-2, HMBS and HPRT1 were the most stably expressed. The IFN-specific PCR array indicated significantly different expression of the genes BST2, COL16A1, HOXB2 and ISG20 between the endometrial tissue types. However, by correctly normalized qRT-PCR, levels of BST2, COL16A1 and the highly type-I IFN-stimulated genes ISG12A and 6-16 displayed insignificant variations. Conversely, HOXB2 and ISG20 transcriptions were significantly reduced in endometriosis lesions compared with endometrium from endometriosis patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, appropriate HKGs for normalization of qRT-PCR studies of endometrium and endometriosis have been identified here. Abolished expression of ISG20 and HOX genes could be important in endometriosis.

Solid-state turn coordinator display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meredith, B. D.; Crouch, R. K.; Kelly, W. L., IV

1975-01-01

A solid state turn coordinator display which employs light emitting diodes (LED's) as the display medium was developed to demonstrate the feasibility of such displays for aircraft applications. The input to the display is supplied by a fluidic inertial rate sensor used in an aircraft wing leveler system. The display is composed of the LED radial display face and the electronics necessary to address and drive the individual lines of LED's. Three levels of brightness are provided to compensate for the different amounts of ambient light present in the cockpit.

Abnormal emotional learning in a rat model of autism exposed to valproic acid in utero

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Anwesha; Engineer, Crystal T.; Sauls, Bethany L.; Morales, Anna A.; Kilgard, Michael P.; Ploski, Jonathan E.

2014-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by repetitive behavior and impaired social communication and interactions. Apart from these core symptoms, a significant number of ASD individuals display higher levels of anxiety and some ASD individuals exhibit impaired emotional learning. We therefore sought to further examine anxiety and emotional learning in an environmentally induced animal model of ASD that utilizes the administration of the known teratogen, valproic acid (VPA) during gestation. Specifically we exposed dams to one of two different doses of VPA (500 and 600 mg/kg) or vehicle on day 12.5 of gestation and examined the resultant progeny. Our data indicate that animals exposed to VPA in utero exhibit enhanced anxiety in the open field test and normal object recognition memory compared to control animals. Animals exposed to 500 mg/kg of VPA displayed normal acquisition of auditory fear conditioning, and exhibited reduced extinction of fear memory and normal litter survival rates as compared to control animals. We observed that animals exposed to 600 mg/kg of VPA exhibited a significant reduction in the acquisition of fear conditioning, a significant reduction in social interaction and a significant reduction in litter survival rates as compared to control animals. VPA (600 mg/kg) exposed animals exhibited similar shock sensitivity and hearing as compared to control animals indicating the fear conditioning deficit observed in these animals was not likely due to sensory deficits, but rather due to deficits in learning or memory retrieval. In conclusion, considering that progeny from dams exposed to rather similar doses of VPA exhibit striking differences in emotional learning, the VPA model may serve as a useful tool to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to not only ASD, but also emotional learning. PMID:25429264

Noncanonical Gβ Gib2 is a scaffolding protein promoting cAMP signaling through functions of Ras1 and Cac1 proteins in Cryptococcus neoformans.

PubMed

Wang, Yanli; Shen, Gui; Gong, Jinjun; Shen, Danyu; Whittington, Amy; Qing, Jiang; Treloar, Joshua; Boisvert, Scott; Zhang, Zhengguang; Yang, Cai; Wang, Ping

2014-05-02

Gβ-like/RACK1 functions as a key mediator of various pathways and contributes to numerous cellular functions in eukaryotic organisms. In the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, noncanonical Gβ Gib2 promotes cAMP signaling in cells lacking normal Gpa1 function while displaying versatility in interactions with Gα Gpa1, protein kinase Pkc1, and endocytic intersectin Cin1. To elucidate the Gib2 functional mechanism(s), we demonstrate that Gib2 is required for normal growth and virulence. We show that Gib2 directly binds to Gpa1 and Gγ Gpg1/Gpg2 and that it interacts with phosphodiesterase Pde2 and monomeric GTPase Ras1. Pde2 remains functionally dispensable, but Ras1 is found to associate with adenylyl cyclase Cac1 through the conserved Ras association domain. In addition, the ras1 mutant exhibits normal capsule formation, whereas the ras1 gpa1 mutant displays enhanced capsule formation, and the ras1 gpa1 cac1 mutant is acapsular. Collectively, these findings suggest that Gib2 promotes cAMP levels by relieving an inhibitory function of Ras1 on Cac1 in the absence of Gpa1. In addition, using GST affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry, we identified 47 additional proteins that interact with Gib2. These proteins have putative functions ranging from signal transduction, energy generation, metabolism, and stress response to ribosomal function. After establishing and validating a protein-protein interactive network, we believe Gib2 to be a key adaptor/scaffolding protein that drives the formation of various protein complexes required for growth and virulence. Our study reveals Gib2 as an essential component in deciphering the complexity of regulatory networks that control growth and virulence in C. neoformans.

Core temperature rhythms in normal and tumor-bearing mice.

PubMed

Griffith, D J; Busot, J C; Lee, W E; Djeu, D J

1993-01-01

The core temperature temporal behavior of DBA/2 mice (11 normal and 13 with an ascites tumor) was studied using surgically implanted radio telemetry transmitters. Normal mice continuously displayed a stable 24 hour temperature rhythm. Tumor-bearers displayed a progressive deterioration of the temperature rhythm following inoculation with tumor cells. While such disruptions have been noted by others, details on the dynamics of the changes have been mostly qualitative, often due to time-averaging or steady-state analysis of the data. The present study attempts to quantify the dynamics of the disruption of temperature rhythm (when present) by continuously monitoring temperatures over periods up to a month. Analysis indicated that temperature regulation in tumor-bearers was adversely affected during the active period only. Furthermore, it appears that the malignancy may be influencing temperature regulation via pathways not directly attributable to the energy needs of the growing tumor.

[Effect of flavonoids of ginkgo biloba on anti-oxidizing system of mice after acute alcohol administration].

PubMed

Yao, Ping; Liu, Lie-Gang; Jia, Wen-Bo; Song, Fang-Fang; Zhou, Shaoliang; Zhang, Xiping; Sun, Xiufa

2005-05-01

To investigate the protective effects of flavonoids of ginkgo biloba on anti-oxidizing system damaged by acute alcohol administration. Adult male Kunming mice were employed and divided into randomly flavonoid intervention group, normal control and ethanol control group according to body weight. After pretreated with flavonoids of ginkgo biloba (96mg/kg bw), the mice in flavonoid intervention group ingested alcohol (ethanol 4.8g/kg bw) via i.g. and were decapitated after 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 15 h of ethanol administration. The same treatment was carried out on ethanol control group except that physiological saline was applied instead of flavonoid of ginkgo biloba. Meanwhile, the normal control group was established. The concentration of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the serum and liver were determined. The experiment displays that the content of GSH and the activities of GSH-Px and SOD decreased rapidly after 1 h of treatment with alcohol and dropped to the lowest level at 4h of treatment. After 6h of treatment, these indexes came to the normal level rapidly. The level of MDA of serum and liver increased rapidly after 1 h of treatment and reached the climax at 4h and 6h respectively. It went back to the normal concentration until 15h and 9 h respectively. On a whole, there were similar curves between flavonoids intervention group and alcohol control group on the indexes. However, to some extent, the supplement of flavonoid of ginkgo biloba can prohibit the rise of MDA level and the decline of GSH-Px, SOD, GSH which were induced by acute alcohol intakes. Flavonoid of ginkgo biloba have some protective effects on the damage of anti-oxidizing system of mice induced by acute alcohol adminstration.

Creatine maintains intestinal homeostasis and protects against colitis.

PubMed

Turer, Emre; McAlpine, William; Wang, Kuan-Wen; Lu, Tianshi; Li, Xiaohong; Tang, Miao; Zhan, Xiaoming; Wang, Tao; Zhan, Xiaowei; Bu, Chun-Hui; Murray, Anne R; Beutler, Bruce

2017-02-14

Creatine, a nitrogenous organic acid, replenishes cytoplasmic ATP at the expense of mitochondrial ATP via the phosphocreatine shuttle. Creatine levels are maintained by diet and endogenous synthesis from arginine and glycine. Glycine amidinotransferase (GATM) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of creatine biosynthesis: the transfer of an amidino group from arginine to glycine to form ornithine and guanidinoacetate. We screened 36,530 third-generation germline mutant mice derived from N -ethyl- N -nitrosourea-mutagenized grandsires for intestinal homeostasis abnormalities after oral administration of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Among 27 colitis susceptibility phenotypes identified and mapped, one was strongly correlated with a missense mutation in Gatm in a recessive model of inheritance, and causation was confirmed by CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting. Supplementation of homozygous Gatm mutants with exogenous creatine ameliorated the colitis phenotype. CRISPR/Cas9-targeted ( Gatm c/c ) mice displayed a normal peripheral immune response and immune cell homeostasis. However, the intestinal epithelium of the Gatm c/c mice displayed increased cell death and decreased proliferation during DSS treatment. In addition, Gatm c/c colonocytes showed increased metabolic stress in response to DSS with higher levels of phospho-AMPK and lower levels of phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (phospho-mTOR). These findings establish an in vivo requirement for rapid replenishment of cytoplasmic ATP within colonic epithelial cells in the maintenance of the mucosal barrier after injury.

Creatine maintains intestinal homeostasis and protects against colitis

PubMed Central

Turer, Emre; McAlpine, William; Wang, Kuan-wen; Lu, Tianshi; Li, Xiaohong; Tang, Miao; Zhan, Xiaoming; Wang, Tao; Zhan, Xiaowei; Bu, Chun-Hui; Murray, Anne R.; Beutler, Bruce

2017-01-01

Creatine, a nitrogenous organic acid, replenishes cytoplasmic ATP at the expense of mitochondrial ATP via the phosphocreatine shuttle. Creatine levels are maintained by diet and endogenous synthesis from arginine and glycine. Glycine amidinotransferase (GATM) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of creatine biosynthesis: the transfer of an amidino group from arginine to glycine to form ornithine and guanidinoacetate. We screened 36,530 third-generation germline mutant mice derived from N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea–mutagenized grandsires for intestinal homeostasis abnormalities after oral administration of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Among 27 colitis susceptibility phenotypes identified and mapped, one was strongly correlated with a missense mutation in Gatm in a recessive model of inheritance, and causation was confirmed by CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting. Supplementation of homozygous Gatm mutants with exogenous creatine ameliorated the colitis phenotype. CRISPR/Cas9-targeted (Gatmc/c) mice displayed a normal peripheral immune response and immune cell homeostasis. However, the intestinal epithelium of the Gatmc/c mice displayed increased cell death and decreased proliferation during DSS treatment. In addition, Gatmc/c colonocytes showed increased metabolic stress in response to DSS with higher levels of phospho-AMPK and lower levels of phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (phospho-mTOR). These findings establish an in vivo requirement for rapid replenishment of cytoplasmic ATP within colonic epithelial cells in the maintenance of the mucosal barrier after injury. PMID:28137860

Sunlight-readable display technology: a dual-use case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanchard, Randall D.

1996-05-01

This paper describes our vision of sunlight readable color display requirements, an alternate technology that offers a high level of performance, and how we implemented it for the military avionics display market. This knowledge base and product development experience was then applied with a comparable level of performance to commercial applications. The successful dual use of this technology for these two diverse markets is presented. Details of the technical commonality and a comparison of the design and performance differences are presented. A basis for specifying the required level of performance for a sunlight readable full color display is discussed. With the objective of providing a high level of image brightness and high ambient light rejection, a display architecture using collimated light is used. The resulting designs of two military cockpit display products, with contrast ratios above 20:1 in sunlight are shown. The performance of a commercial display providing several thousand foot- Lamberts of image brightness is presented.

M13 bacteriophage coat proteins engineered for improved phage display.

PubMed

Sidhu, Sachdev S; Feld, Birte K; Weiss, Gregory A

2007-01-01

This chapter describes a method for increasing levels of protein fusions displayed on the surfaces of M13 bacteriophage particles. By introducing mutations into the anchoring M13 coat protein, protein display levels can be increased by up to two orders of magnitude. Experimental methods are presented for the design, construction, and screening of phage-displayed libraries for improved protein display.

The Hypoglycemic, Hypolipidemic, and Anti-Diabetic Nephritic Activities of Zeaxanthin in Diet-Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Sprague Dawley Rats.

PubMed

Kou, Ling; Du, Mingzhao; Zhang, Chaopu; Dai, Zhiyin; Li, Xuan; Zhang, Baohai

2017-07-01

Zeaxanthin (ZA), an important compound found in Lycium barbarum, shows various pharmacodynamic effects. In our present study, a high-fat, high-sucrose diet and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model was used to investigate the antidiabetic activities of ZA. After a 4-week administration of 200 and 400 mg/kg of ZA and 100 mg/kg of metformin hydrochloride, various blood biochemical indexes were detected. ZA strongly normalized the reduced bodyweight and enhanced fasting blood glucose in diabetic rats. The positive data obtained from the oral glucose tolerance test further confirmed its antidiabetic effects. ZA displayed significant hypolipidemic activities indicated by its modulation of serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. The antidiabetic nephropathy of ZA was confirmed by its regulation of pathological kidney structures, urine levels of n-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase and albuminuria, and serum levels of urea nitrogen. ZA inhibited the serum levels of inflammatory factors including interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and nuclear factor kappa B, further confirming its renal protection. Moreover, the serum imbalances in superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, methane dicarboxylic aldehyde, and catalase were normalized by ZA, suggesting its antioxidant properties. Altogether, ZA produced hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antidiabetic nephritic effects in a diet-STZ-induced diabetic rat model.

Targeting of phage particles towards endothelial cells by antibodies selected through a multi-parameter selection strategy.

PubMed

Mandrup, Ole A; Lykkemark, Simon; Kristensen, Peter

2017-02-10

One of the hallmarks of cancer is sustained angiogenesis. Here, normal endothelial cells are activated, and their formation of new blood vessels leads to continued tumour growth. An improved patient condition is often observed when angiogenesis is prevented or normalized through targeting of these genomically stable endothelial cells. However, intracellular targets constitute a challenge in therapy, as the agents modulating these targets have to be delivered and internalized specifically to the endothelial cells. Selection of antibodies binding specifically to certain cell types is well established. It is nonetheless a challenge to ensure that the binding of antibodies to the target cell will mediate internalization. Previously selection of such antibodies has been performed targeting cancer cell lines; most often using either monovalent display or polyvalent display. In this article, we describe selections that isolate internalizing antibodies by sequential combining monovalent and polyvalent display using two types of helper phages, one which increases display valence and one which reduces background. One of the selected antibodies was found to mediate internalization into human endothelial cells, although our results confirms that the single stranded nature of the DNA packaged into phage particles may limit applications aimed at targeting nucleic acids in mammalian cells.

Cardiovascular cast model fabrication and casting effectiveness evaluation in fetus with severe congenital heart disease or normal heart.

PubMed

Wang, Yu; Cao, Hai-yan; Xie, Ming-xing; He, Lin; Han, Wei; Hong, Liu; Peng, Yuan; Hu, Yun-fei; Song, Ben-cai; Wang, Jing; Wang, Bin; Deng, Cheng

2016-04-01

To investigate the application and effectiveness of vascular corrosion technique in preparing fetal cardiovascular cast models, 10 normal fetal heart specimens with other congenital disease (control group) and 18 specimens with severe congenital heart disease (case group) from induced abortions were enrolled in this study from March 2013 to June 2015 in our hospital. Cast models were prepared by injecting casting material into vascular lumen to demonstrate real geometries of fetal cardiovascular system. Casting effectiveness was analyzed in terms of local anatomic structures and different anatomical levels (including overall level, atrioventricular and great vascular system, left-sided and right-sided heart), as well as different trimesters of pregnancy. In our study, all specimens were successfully casted. Casting effectiveness analysis of local anatomic structures showed a mean score from 1.90±1.45 to 3.60±0.52, without significant differences between case and control groups in most local anatomic structures except left ventricle, which had a higher score in control group (P=0.027). Inter-group comparison of casting effectiveness in different anatomical levels showed no significant differences between the two groups. Intra-group comparison also revealed undifferentiated casting effectiveness between atrioventricular and great vascular system, or left-sided and right-sided heart in corresponding group. Third-trimester group had a significantly higher perfusion score in great vascular system than second-trimester group (P=0.046), while the other anatomical levels displayed no such difference. Vascular corrosion technique can be successfully used in fabrication of fetal cardiovascular cast model. It is also a reliable method to demonstrate three-dimensional anatomy of severe congenital heart disease and normal heart in fetus.

Endocrine cells in human Bartholin's glands. An immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis.

PubMed

Fetissof, F; Arbeille, B; Bellet, D; Barre, I; Lansac, J

1989-01-01

Endocrine cells were investigated in human Bartholin's glands by use of histochemical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural methods. Endocrine cells represent normal constituents of these glands, being mainly distributed throughout the transitional epithelium of the major excretory duct; however, single elements are dispersed among the acinar lobules. Serotonin-, calcitonin-, katacalcin-, bombesin- and alpha-hCG-immunoreactive cells were recognized, with serotonin-immunoreactive cells predominating. Co-expression of calcitonin, katacalcin or alpha-hCG with serotonin was observed in single endocrine cells. At the ultrastructural level, these cells are richly granulated and show typical neuroendocrine features. Bartholin's glands display an endocrine profile quite similar to that of other cloacal-derived tissues.

SSL: A software specification language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Austin, S. L.; Buckles, B. P.; Ryan, J. P.

1976-01-01

SSL (Software Specification Language) is a new formalism for the definition of specifications for software systems. The language provides a linear format for the representation of the information normally displayed in a two-dimensional module inter-dependency diagram. In comparing SSL to FORTRAN or ALGOL, it is found to be largely complementary to the algorithmic (procedural) languages. SSL is capable of representing explicitly module interconnections and global data flow, information which is deeply imbedded in the algorithmic languages. On the other hand, SSL is not designed to depict the control flow within modules. The SSL level of software design explicitly depicts intermodule data flow as a functional specification.

Gaze-contingent displays: a review.

PubMed

Duchowski, Andrew T; Cournia, Nathan; Murphy, Hunter

2004-12-01

Gaze-contingent displays (GCDs) attempt to balance the amount of information displayed against the visual information processing capacity of the observer through real-time eye movement sensing. Based on the assumed knowledge of the instantaneous location of the observer's focus of attention, GCD content can be "tuned" through several display processing means. Screen-based displays alter pixel level information generally matching the resolvability of the human retina in an effort to maximize bandwidth. Model-based displays alter geometric-level primitives along similar goals. Attentive user interfaces (AUIs) manage object- level entities (e.g., windows, applications) depending on the assumed attentive state of the observer. Such real-time display manipulation is generally achieved through non-contact, unobtrusive tracking of the observer's eye movements. This paper briefly reviews past and present display techniques as well as emerging graphics and eye tracking technology for GCD development.

Chinese Writing of Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Students and Normal-Hearing Peers from Complex Network Approach.

PubMed

Jin, Huiyuan; Liu, Haitao

2016-01-01

Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals usually face a greater challenge to learn to write than their normal-hearing counterparts. Due to the limitations of traditional research methods focusing on microscopic linguistic features, a holistic characterization of the writing linguistic features of these language users is lacking. This study attempts to fill this gap by adopting the methodology of linguistic complex networks. Two syntactic dependency networks are built in order to compare the macroscopic linguistic features of deaf or hard-of-hearing students and those of their normal-hearing peers. One is transformed from a treebank of writing produced by Chinese deaf or hard-of-hearing students, and the other from a treebank of writing produced by their Chinese normal-hearing counterparts. Two major findings are obtained through comparison of the statistical features of the two networks. On the one hand, both linguistic networks display small-world and scale-free network structures, but the network of the normal-hearing students' exhibits a more power-law-like degree distribution. Relevant network measures show significant differences between the two linguistic networks. On the other hand, deaf or hard-of-hearing students tend to have a lower language proficiency level in both syntactic and lexical aspects. The rigid use of function words and a lower vocabulary richness of the deaf or hard-of-hearing students may partially account for the observed differences.

Speech Timing and Working Memory in Profoundly Deaf Children after Cochlear Implantation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkholder, Rose A.; Pisoni, David B.

2003-01-01

Compared speaking rates, digit span, and speech timing in profoundly deaf 8- and 9-year-olds with cochlear implants and normal-hearing children. Found that deaf children displayed longer sentence durations and pauses during recall and shorter digit spans than normal-hearing children. Articulation rates strongly correlated with immediate memory…

Determination of washout performance of various monochrome displays under simulated flight ambient and solar lighting conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batson, Vernon M.; Robertson, James B.; Parrish, Russell V.

1990-01-01

The aircraft cockpit ambient lighting simulation system (ACALSS) has been developed to study display readability and associated pilot/vehicle performance effects in a part-task simulator cockpit. In the study reported here, the ACALSS was used to determine the illumination levels at which subjects lose the ability to maintain aircraft states when using three display technologies as display media for primary flight displays: a standard monochrome EL (electroluminescent) flat-panel, a laboratory-class monochrome CRT, and an enhanced-brightness EL flat-panel. The multivariate statistical technique of modified profile analysis was used to test for performance differences between display devices as functions of illumination levels. The standard monochrome EL flat-panel display began to washout after the 2500 foot-candle level of illumination. The monochrome CRT began to washout after the 5500 foot-candle level of illumination. No performance decrements by increased illumination up to the 12,000 foot-candle level were found for the enhanced-brightness EL flat-panel display. What was not anticipated was that half the subjects would subjectively prefer the CRT over the enhanced-brightness EL, even though their performance errors would have indicated the opposite.

Identification of Hemoglobin Levels Based on Anthropometric Indices in Elderly Koreans

PubMed Central

Kim, Jong Yeol

2016-01-01

Objectives Anemia is independently and strongly associated with an increased risk of mortality in older people and is also strongly associated with obesity. The objectives of the present study were to examine the associations between the hemoglobin level and various anthropometric indices, to predict low and normal hemoglobin levels using combined anthropometric indices, and to assess differences in the hemoglobin level and anthropometric indices between Korean men and women. Methods A total of 7,156 individuals ranging in age from 53–90 years participated in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Binary logistic regression (LR) and naïve Bayes (NB) models were used to identify significant differences in the anthropometric indices between subjects with low and normal hemoglobin levels and to assess the predictive power of these indices for the hemoglobin level. Results Among all of the variables, age displayed the strongest association with the hemoglobin level in both men (p < 0.0001, odds ratio [OR] = 0.487, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve based on the LR [LR-AUC] = 0.702, NB-AUC = 0.701) and women (p < 0.0001, OR = 0.636, LR-AUC = 0.625, NB-AUC = 0.624). Among the anthropometric indices, weight and body mass index (BMI) were the best predictors of the hemoglobin level. The predictive powers of all of the variables were higher in men than in women. The AUC values for the NB-Wrapper and LR-Wrapper predictive models generated using combined anthropometric indices were 0.734 and 0.723, respectively, for men and 0.649 and 0.652, respectively, for women. The use of combined anthropometric indices may improve the predictive power for the hemoglobin level. Discussion Among the various anthropometric indices, with the exception of age, we did not identify any indices that were better predictors than weight and BMI for low and normal hemoglobin levels. In addition, none of the ratios between pairs of indices were good indicators of the hemoglobin level. Finally, the Korean men tended to have higher associations between the anthropometric indices and anemia than the women. PMID:27812118

SPAM- SPECTRAL ANALYSIS MANAGER (DEC VAX/VMS VERSION)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, J. E.

1994-01-01

The Spectral Analysis Manager (SPAM) was developed to allow easy qualitative analysis of multi-dimensional imaging spectrometer data. Imaging spectrometers provide sufficient spectral sampling to define unique spectral signatures on a per pixel basis. Thus direct material identification becomes possible for geologic studies. SPAM provides a variety of capabilities for carrying out interactive analysis of the massive and complex datasets associated with multispectral remote sensing observations. In addition to normal image processing functions, SPAM provides multiple levels of on-line help, a flexible command interpretation, graceful error recovery, and a program structure which can be implemented in a variety of environments. SPAM was designed to be visually oriented and user friendly with the liberal employment of graphics for rapid and efficient exploratory analysis of imaging spectrometry data. SPAM provides functions to enable arithmetic manipulations of the data, such as normalization, linear mixing, band ratio discrimination, and low-pass filtering. SPAM can be used to examine the spectra of an individual pixel or the average spectra over a number of pixels. SPAM also supports image segmentation, fast spectral signature matching, spectral library usage, mixture analysis, and feature extraction. High speed spectral signature matching is performed by using a binary spectral encoding algorithm to separate and identify mineral components present in the scene. The same binary encoding allows automatic spectral clustering. Spectral data may be entered from a digitizing tablet, stored in a user library, compared to the master library containing mineral standards, and then displayed as a timesequence spectral movie. The output plots, histograms, and stretched histograms produced by SPAM can be sent to a lineprinter, stored as separate RGB disk files, or sent to a Quick Color Recorder. SPAM is written in C for interactive execution and is available for two different machine environments. There is a DEC VAX/VMS version with a central memory requirement of approximately 242K of 8 bit bytes and a machine independent UNIX 4.2 version. The display device currently supported is the Raster Technologies display processor. Other 512 x 512 resolution color display devices, such as De Anza, may be added with minor code modifications. This program was developed in 1986.

SPAM- SPECTRAL ANALYSIS MANAGER (UNIX VERSION)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, J. E.

1994-01-01

The Spectral Analysis Manager (SPAM) was developed to allow easy qualitative analysis of multi-dimensional imaging spectrometer data. Imaging spectrometers provide sufficient spectral sampling to define unique spectral signatures on a per pixel basis. Thus direct material identification becomes possible for geologic studies. SPAM provides a variety of capabilities for carrying out interactive analysis of the massive and complex datasets associated with multispectral remote sensing observations. In addition to normal image processing functions, SPAM provides multiple levels of on-line help, a flexible command interpretation, graceful error recovery, and a program structure which can be implemented in a variety of environments. SPAM was designed to be visually oriented and user friendly with the liberal employment of graphics for rapid and efficient exploratory analysis of imaging spectrometry data. SPAM provides functions to enable arithmetic manipulations of the data, such as normalization, linear mixing, band ratio discrimination, and low-pass filtering. SPAM can be used to examine the spectra of an individual pixel or the average spectra over a number of pixels. SPAM also supports image segmentation, fast spectral signature matching, spectral library usage, mixture analysis, and feature extraction. High speed spectral signature matching is performed by using a binary spectral encoding algorithm to separate and identify mineral components present in the scene. The same binary encoding allows automatic spectral clustering. Spectral data may be entered from a digitizing tablet, stored in a user library, compared to the master library containing mineral standards, and then displayed as a timesequence spectral movie. The output plots, histograms, and stretched histograms produced by SPAM can be sent to a lineprinter, stored as separate RGB disk files, or sent to a Quick Color Recorder. SPAM is written in C for interactive execution and is available for two different machine environments. There is a DEC VAX/VMS version with a central memory requirement of approximately 242K of 8 bit bytes and a machine independent UNIX 4.2 version. The display device currently supported is the Raster Technologies display processor. Other 512 x 512 resolution color display devices, such as De Anza, may be added with minor code modifications. This program was developed in 1986.

Evaluation of advanced displays for engine monitoring and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Summers, L. G.

1993-01-01

The relative effectiveness of two advanced display concepts for monitoring engine performance for commercial transport aircraft was studied. The concepts were the Engine Monitoring and Control System (EMACS) display developed by NASA Langley and a display by exception design. Both of these concepts were based on the philosophy of providing information that is directly related to the pilot's task. Both concepts used a normalized thrust display. In addition, EMACS used column deviation indicators; i.e., the difference between the actual parameter value and the value predicted by an engine model, for engine health monitoring; while the Display by Exception displayed the engine parameters if the automated system detected a difference between the actual and the predicted values. The results showed that the advanced display concepts had shorter detection and response times. There were no differences in any of the results between manual and auto throttles. There were no effects upon perceived workload or performance on the primary flight task. The majority of pilots preferred the advanced displays and thought they were operationally acceptable. Certification of these concepts depends on the validation of the engine model. Recommendations are made to improve both the EMACS and the display by exception display formats.

The 28-entity IGES test file results using ComputerVision CADDS 4X

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuan, Anchyi; Shah, Saurin; Smith, Kevin

1987-01-01

The investigation was based on the following steps: (1) Read the 28 Entity IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) Test File into the CAD data base with the IGES post-processor; (2) Make the modifications to the displayed geometries, which should produce the normalized front view and the drawing entity defined display; (3) Produce the drawing entity defined display of the file as it appears in the CAD system after modification to the geometry; (4) Translate the file back to IGES format using IGES pre-processor; (5) Read the IGES file produced by the pre-processor back into the CAD data base; (6) Produce another drawing entity defined display of the CAD display; and (7) Compare the plots resulting from steps 3 and 6 - they should be identical to each other.

Temporal lobe epileptic signs and correlative behaviors displayed by normal populations.

PubMed

Persinger, M A; Makarec, K

1987-04-01

With regard to epileptic signs and correlative behaviors, one hypothesis is that the experiences and nonconvulsive behaviors of patients with electrical foci within the temporal lobe are also displayed, but with less intensity, by normal people. If this is correct, then there should be quantitative relationships between the numbers of major complex partial epileptic signs (CPES) and the occurrence of other frequent clinical experiences and behaviors. An inventory to answer this question was developed. Over a 3-year period, 414 (6 groups) university students were administered an inventory that included themes of CPES as well as control and information items. Strong correlations were consistently found between CPES scores and reports of paranormal (mystical, with religious overtones) experiences and "a sense of presence." Results from three personality (CPI, MMPI, and IPAT anxiety) inventories clearly demonstrated similar profiles. In addition to being more anxious, people who displayed higher CPES scores were more suspicious, aloof, stereotyped in their behavior, ruminative (overthinking), intellectually inefficient, and overly judgmental. CPES scores were significantly (p less than .001) correlated with the schizophrenia and mania subscales of the MMPI. The results suggest that functional hyperconnectionism of cortical-limbic systems within the brain may be more prevalent in the normal population than previously suspected.

A comparison of the language skills of ELLs and monolinguals who are poor decoders, poor comprehenders, or normal readers.

PubMed

Geva, Esther; Massey-Garrison, Angela

2013-01-01

The overall objective of this article is to examine how oral language abilities relate to reading profiles in English language learners (ELLs) and English as a first language (EL1) learners, and the extent of similarities and differences between ELLs and EL1s in three reading subgroups: normal readers, poor decoders, and poor comprehenders. The study included 100 ELLs and 50 EL1s in Grade 5. The effect of language group (ELL/EL1) and reading group on cognitive and linguistic skills was examined. Except for vocabulary, there was no language group effect on any measure. However, within ELL and EL1 alike, significant differences were found between reading groups: Normal readers outperformed the two other groups on all the oral language measures. Distinct cognitive and linguistic profiles were associated with poor decoders and poor comprehenders, regardless of language group. The ELL and EL1 poor decoders outperformed the poor comprehenders on listening comprehension and inferencing. The poor decoders displayed phonological-based weaknesses, whereas the poor comprehenders displayed a more generalized language processing weakness that is nonphonological in nature. Regardless of language status, students with poor decoding or comprehension problems display difficulties with various aspects of language.

Brachypodium distachyon. A New Model System for Functional Genomics in Grasses1

PubMed Central

Draper, John; Mur, Luis A.J.; Jenkins, Glyn; Ghosh-Biswas, Gadab C.; Bablak, Pauline; Hasterok, Robert; Routledge, Andrew P.M.

2001-01-01

A new model for grass functional genomics is described based on Brachypodium distachyon, which in the evolution of the Pooideae diverged just prior to the clade of “core pooid” genera that contain the majority of important temperate cereals and forage grasses. Diploid ecotypes of B. distachyon (2n = 10) have five easily distinguishable chromosomes that display high levels of chiasma formation at meiosis. The B. distachyon nuclear genome was indistinguishable in size from that of Arabidopsis, making it the simplest genome described in grasses to date. B. distachyon is a self-fertile, inbreeding annual with a life cycle of less than 4 months. These features, coupled with its small size (approximately 20 cm at maturity), lack of seed-head shatter, and undemanding growth requirements should make it amenable to high-throughput genetics and mutant screens. Immature embryos exhibited a high capacity for plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis. Regenerated plants display very low levels of albinism and have normal fertility. A simple transformation system has been developed based on microprojectile bombardment of embryogenic callus and hygromycin selection. Selected B. distachyon ecotypes were resistant to all tested cereal-adapted Blumeria graminis species and cereal brown rusts (Puccinia reconditia). In contrast, different ecotypes displayed resistance or disease symptoms following challenge with the rice blast pathogen (Magnaporthe grisea) and wheat/barley yellow stripe rusts (Puccinia striformis). Despite its small stature, B. distachyon has large seeds that should prove useful for studies on grain filling. Such biological characteristics represent important traits for study in temperate cereals. PMID:11743099

The Effect of Programmable Tactile Displays on Spatial Learning Skills in Children and Adolescents of Different Visual Disability.

PubMed

Leo, Fabrizio; Cocchi, Elena; Brayda, Luca

2017-07-01

Vision loss has severe impacts on physical, social and emotional well-being. The education of blind children poses issues as many scholar disciplines (e.g., geometry, mathematics) are normally taught by heavily relying on vision. Touch-based assistive technologies are potential tools to provide graphical contents to blind users, improving learning possibilities and social inclusion. Raised-lines drawings are still the golden standard, but stimuli cannot be reconfigured or adapted and the blind person constantly requires assistance. Although much research concerns technological development, little work concerned the assessment of programmable tactile graphics, in educative and rehabilitative contexts. Here we designed, on programmable tactile displays, tests aimed at assessing spatial memory skills and shapes recognition abilities. Tests involved a group of blind and a group of low vision children and adolescents in a four-week longitudinal schedule. After establishing subject-specific difficulty levels, we observed a significant enhancement of performance across sessions and for both groups. Learning effects were comparable to raised paper control tests: however, our setup required minimal external assistance. Overall, our results demonstrate that programmable maps are an effective way to display graphical contents in educative/rehabilitative contexts. They can be at least as effective as traditional paper tests yet providing superior flexibility and versatility.

Does the position of conus medullaris change with increased thoracolumbar kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis patients?

PubMed Central

Qu, Zhe; Qian, Bang-ping; Qiu, Yong; Zhang, Yun-peng; Hu, Jun; Zhu, Ze-zhang

2017-01-01

Abstract To date, only a few reports described the potential factors influencing the position of conus medullaris. One previous study revealed no significant change of conus locations in patients with idiopathic scoliosis; however, the effect of ankylosing spondylitis (AS)-related thoracolumbar kyphosis on conus position remains unexplored. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the variation of conus medullaris terminations in patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis secondary to AS when compared with normal subjects, and evaluated the relationship between conus positions and the magnitude of kyphosis. In this study, MR images of 96 AS patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis, including 86 males and 10 females with an average of 34.6 years (range, 17–65 years), and 100 age-matched normal controls were reviewed to determine the conus terminations in relation to spinal levels. Sagittal parameters of the AS group measured on radiograph included: global kyphosis (GK), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), and thoracolumbar junction (TLJ). Finally, conus tips located at the mean level of the lower 3rd of L1 in both groups, there was no significant difference of the conus distributions between AS and control group (P = 0.49). In addition, conus medullaris displayed similar positions in AS patients among various apical region groups (P = 0.88), and no significant difference was found when AS population was stratified into GK ranges of 30° (P = 0.173). Also, no remarkable correlation of the conus positions with GK (r = −0.15, P = 0.15), TK (r = −0.10, P = 0.34), LL (r = −0.10, P = 0.32), and TLJ (r = −0.06, P = 0.54) was identified. This study showed the conus terminations displayed a wide range of distributions in AS patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis, which was similar to normal subjects. Moreover, the conus located at a relatively fixed position and would not be affected by the change of kyphosis magnitude, which is an important knowledge that surgeons should acquire in surgical correction of the deformity in these patients. PMID:28178137

Does the position of conus medullaris change with increased thoracolumbar kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis patients?

PubMed

Qu, Zhe; Qian, Bang-Ping; Qiu, Yong; Zhang, Yun-Peng; Hu, Jun; Zhu, Ze-Zhang

2017-02-01

To date, only a few reports described the potential factors influencing the position of conus medullaris. One previous study revealed no significant change of conus locations in patients with idiopathic scoliosis; however, the effect of ankylosing spondylitis (AS)-related thoracolumbar kyphosis on conus position remains unexplored. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the variation of conus medullaris terminations in patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis secondary to AS when compared with normal subjects, and evaluated the relationship between conus positions and the magnitude of kyphosis. In this study, MR images of 96 AS patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis, including 86 males and 10 females with an average of 34.6 years (range, 17-65 years), and 100 age-matched normal controls were reviewed to determine the conus terminations in relation to spinal levels. Sagittal parameters of the AS group measured on radiograph included: global kyphosis (GK), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), and thoracolumbar junction (TLJ). Finally, conus tips located at the mean level of the lower 3rd of L1 in both groups, there was no significant difference of the conus distributions between AS and control group (P = 0.49). In addition, conus medullaris displayed similar positions in AS patients among various apical region groups (P = 0.88), and no significant difference was found when AS population was stratified into GK ranges of 30° (P = 0.173). Also, no remarkable correlation of the conus positions with GK (r = -0.15, P = 0.15), TK (r = -0.10, P = 0.34), LL (r = -0.10, P = 0.32), and TLJ (r = -0.06, P = 0.54) was identified. This study showed the conus terminations displayed a wide range of distributions in AS patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis, which was similar to normal subjects. Moreover, the conus located at a relatively fixed position and would not be affected by the change of kyphosis magnitude, which is an important knowledge that surgeons should acquire in surgical correction of the deformity in these patients.

Method and system for monitoring and displaying engine performance parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Terence S. (Inventor); Person, Jr., Lee H. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

The invention is a method and system for monitoring and directly displaying the actual thrust produced by a jet aircraft engine under determined operating conditions and the available thrust and predicted (commanded) thrust of a functional model of an ideal engine under the same determined operating conditions. A first set of actual value output signals representative of a plurality of actual performance parameters of the engine under the determined operating conditions is generated and compared with a second set of predicted value output signals representative of the predicted value of corresponding performance parameters of a functional model of the engine under the determined operating conditions to produce a third set of difference value output signals within a range of normal, caution, or warning limit values. A thrust indicator displays when any one of the actual value output signals is in the warning range while shaping function means shape each of the respective difference output signals as each approaches the limit of the respective normal, caution, and warning range limits.

An Evaluation of Detect and Avoid (DAA) Displays for Unmanned Aircraft Systems: The Effect of Information Level and Display Location on Pilot Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fern, Lisa; Rorie, R. Conrad; Pack, Jessica S.; Shively, R. Jay; Draper, Mark H.

2015-01-01

A consortium of government, industry and academia is currently working to establish minimum operational performance standards for Detect and Avoid (DAA) and Control and Communications (C2) systems in order to enable broader integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). One subset of these performance standards will need to address the DAA display requirements that support an acceptable level of pilot performance. From a pilot's perspective, the DAA task is the maintenance of self separation and collision avoidance from other aircraft, utilizing the available information and controls within the Ground Control Station (GCS), including the DAA display. The pilot-in-the-loop DAA task requires the pilot to carry out three major functions: 1) detect a potential threat, 2) determine an appropriate resolution maneuver, and 3) execute that resolution maneuver via the GCS control and navigation interface(s). The purpose of the present study was to examine two main questions with respect to DAA display considerations that could impact pilots' ability to maintain well clear from other aircraft. First, what is the effect of a minimum (or basic) information display compared to an advanced information display on pilot performance? Second, what is the effect of display location on UAS pilot performance? Two levels of information level (basic, advanced) were compared across two levels of display location (standalone, integrated), for a total of four displays. The authors propose an eight-stage pilot-DAA interaction timeline from which several pilot response time metrics can be extracted. These metrics were compared across the four display conditions. The results indicate that the advanced displays had faster overall response times compared to the basic displays, however, there were no significant differences between the standalone and integrated displays. Implications of the findings on understanding pilot performance on the DAA task, the development of DAA display performance standards, as well as the need for future research are discussed.

Downregulation of missing in metastasis gene (MIM) is associated with the progression of bladder transitional carcinomas.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Liu, Jiali; Smith, Elizabeth; Zhou, Kang; Liao, Jie; Yang, Guang-Yu; Tan, Ming; Zhan, Xi

2007-03-01

Missing in metastasis (MIM) gene encodes a putative metastasis suppressor. However, the role of MIM in tumorigenesis and metastasis has not yet been established. Western blot analysis using a MIM specific antibody demonstrated that MIM protein is present at varying levels in a variety of normal cells as well as tumor cell lines. Immunohistochemical staining of adult mouse tissues revealed abundant MIM immunoreactivity in uroepithelial cells in the bladder, neuron Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, and megakaryocytes in the bone marrow and spleen in addition. MIM immunoreactivity also was found in human normal bladder transitional epithelial cells. However, the reactivity was not seen in 69 percent of human primary transitional cell carcinoma specimens. Over 51 percent of the tumors at low grade display MIM staining similarly to the normal cells, whereas only 16.7 percent of the tumors at high-grade with poor differentiation show faint or mild staining. Furthermore, full-length MIM protein is highly expressed in SV-HUC-L an immortalized normal transitional epithelial cell line, moderately expressed in T24 and poorly expressed in J82 and TCCSUP transitional cell carcinoma cells. This finding indicates that downegulation of MIM expression may correlate with the transition of tumor cells from distinct epithelium-like morphology to less differentiated carcinomas.

A subjective evaluation of high-chroma color with wide color-gamut display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishimoto, Junko; Yamaguchi, Masahiro; Ohyama, Nagaaki

2009-01-01

Displays tends to expand its color gamut, such as multi-primary color display, Adobe RGB and so on. Therefore displays got possible to display high chroma colors. However sometimes, we feel unnatural some for the image which only expanded chroma. Appropriate gamut mapping method to expand color gamut is not proposed very much. We are attempting preferred expanded color reproduction on wide color gamut display utilizing high chroma colors effectively. As a first step, we have conducted an experiment to investigate the psychological effect of color schemes including highly saturated colors. We used the six-primary-color projector that we have developed for the presentation of test colors. The six-primary-color projector's gamut volume in CIELAB space is about 1.8 times larger than the normal RGB projector. We conducted a subjective evaluation experiment using the SD (Semantic Differential) technique to find the quantitative psychological effect of high chroma colors.

Activated platelets are the source of elevated levels of soluble CD40 ligand in the circulation of inflammatory bowel disease patients.

PubMed

Danese, S; Katz, J A; Saibeni, S; Papa, A; Gasbarrini, A; Vecchi, M; Fiocchi, C

2003-10-01

The CD40/CD40L system, a key regulator and amplifier of immune reactivity, is activated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mucosa. To determine whether plasma levels of sCD40L are elevated in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients compared with normal controls, to investigate the cellular source of sCD40L, and to explore CD40L induction mechanisms. CD, UC, and normal control subjects were studied. The concentration of sCD40L in plasma and supernatants of freshly isolated platelets and autologous peripheral blood T cells (PBT) was measured by ELISA. Surface CD40L expression level was measured by flow cytometry in resting and thrombin activated platelets, and unstimulated and CD3/CD28 stimulated PBT before and after coculture with human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells (HIMEC). Compared with normal controls, plasma sCD40L levels were significantly higher in both CD and UC patients and proportional to the extent of mucosal inflammation. Platelets from IBD patients displayed a significantly higher surface CD40L expression than those from control subjects, and released greater amounts of sCD40L than autologous PBT. Contact with IL-1beta activated HIMEC induced significant upregulation of CD40L surface expression and release by platelets. Elevated levels of sCD40L in the circulation of IBD patients reflect enhanced surface expression and release of CD40L by platelets. This phenomenon translates to an increased platelet activation state apparently induced by passage through an inflamed mucosal microvascular bed, a conclusion supported by the positive correlation of plasma sCD40L levels with the extent of anatomical involvement by IBD. These results suggest that platelet-endothelial interactions critically contribute to activation of the CD40 pathway in IBD.

Experimental investigation of control/display augmentation effects in a compensatory tracking task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garg, Sanjay; Schmidt, David K.

1988-01-01

The effects of control/display augmentation on human performance and workload have been investigated for closed-loop, continuous-tracking tasks by a real-time, man-in-the-loop simulation study. The experimental results obtained indicate that only limited improvement in actual tracking performance is obtainable through display augmentation alone; with a very high level of display augmentation, tracking error will actually deteriorate. Tracking performance improves when status information is furnished for reasonable levels of display quickening; again, very high quickening levels lead to tracking error deterioration due to the incompatibility between the status information and the quickened signal.

Measurement of diabetic sugar concentration in human blood using Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firdous, S.; Nawaz, M.; Ahmed, M.; Anwar, S.; Rehman, A.; Rashid, R.; Mahmood, A.

2012-06-01

This study demonstrates the use of Raman spectroscopy for the direct measurement of diabetic sugar in human blood using 532 nm laser system. Raman spectra were collected from whole blood drawn from 21 individuals. We have elicited a reliable glucose signature in diabetic patients, and measured glucose levels in blood serum of normal, healthy diabetic and diabetic patients with other malignancies like cancer and hepatitis. Quantitative predictions of glucose spectra illustrate the predictions based on molecular information carried by the Raman light in highly light-scattering and absorbing media. Raman spectrum peaks for diabetic blood serum are observed at 1168, 1531, 1463, 1021 cm-1 with intensity level 17000 to 18500 pixels attributed to carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, collagen, and skeletal C-C stretch of lipids acyl chains. Raman spectra for normal, diabetic patients having cancer and hepatitis were also recorded. This in vitro glucose monitoring methodology will lead in vivo noninvasive on-line monitoring having painless and at the same time the data will be displayed on-line and in real time. The measured Raman peaks provides detailed bio-chemical fingerprint of the sample and could confer diagnostic benefit in a clinical setting.

Analysis of Mold Friction in a Continuous Casting Using Wavelet Transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yong; Fang, Bohan; Ding, Qiqi; Wang, Fangyin

2018-04-01

Mold friction (MDF) is an important parameter reflecting the lubrication condition between the initial shell and the mold during continuous casting. In this article, based on practical MDF from the slab continuous casting driven by a mechanical vibration device, the characteristics of friction were analyzed by continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) in different casting conditions, such as normal casting, level fluctuation, and alarming of the temperature measurement system. The results show that the CWT of friction accurately captures the subtle changes in friction force, such as the periodic characteristic of MDF during normal casting and the disordered feature of MDF during level fluctuation. Most important, the results capture the occurrence of abnormal casting and display the friction frequency characteristics at this abnormal time. In addition, in this article, there are some abnormal casting conditions, and the friction signal is stable until there is a sudden large change when abnormal casting, such as split breakout and submerged entry nozzle breakage, occurs. The DWT has a good ability to capture the friction characteristics for such abnormal situations. In particular, the potential abnormal features of MDF were presented in advance, which provides strong support for identifying abnormal casting and even preventing abnormal casting.

Acute Zika Virus Infection in an Endemic Area Shows Modest Proinflammatory Systemic Immunoactivation and Cytokine-Symptom Associations.

PubMed

Barros, Jéssica Barletto de Sousa; da Silva, Paulo Alex Neves; Koga, Rosemary de Carvalho Rocha; Gonzalez-Dias, Patrícia; Carmo Filho, José Rodrigues; Nagib, Patrícia Resende Alo; Coelho, Verônica; Nakaya, Helder I; Fonseca, Simone Gonçalves; Pfrimer, Irmtraut Araci Hoffmann

2018-01-01

An early immune response to Zika virus (ZIKV) infection may determine its clinical manifestation and outcome, including neurological effects. However, low-grade and transient viremia limits the prompt diagnosis of acute ZIKV infection. We have investigated the plasma cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor profiles of 36 individuals from an endemic area displaying different symptoms such as exanthema, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, fever, hyperemia, swelling, itching, and nausea during early-phase infection. These profiles were then associated with symptoms, revealing important aspects of the immunopathophysiology of ZIKV infection. The levels of some cytokines/chemokines were significantly higher in acute ZIKV-infected individuals compared to healthy donors, including interferon (IFN) gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-9, IL-7, IL-5, and IL-1ra, including some with predominantly immunoregulatory activity. Of note, we found that higher levels of IP-10 and IL-5 in ZIKV-infected individuals were strongly associated with exanthema and headache, respectively. Also, higher levels of IL-1ra were associated with subjects with arthralgia, whereas those with fever showed lower levels of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). No correlation was observed between the number of symptoms and ZIKV viral load. Interestingly, only IP-10 showed significantly decreased levels in the recovery phase. In conclusion, our results indicate that acute ZIKV infection in a larger cohort resident to an endemic area displays a modest systemic immune activation profile, involving both proinflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines and chemokines that could participate of virus control. In addition, we showed that differential cytokine/chemokine levels are related to specific clinical symptoms, suggesting their participation in underlying mechanisms.

Sequence walkers: a graphical method to display how binding proteins interact with DNA or RNA sequences | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

A graphical method is presented for displaying how binding proteins and other macromolecules interact with individual bases of nucleotide sequences. Characters representing the sequence are either oriented normally and placed above a line indicating favorable contact, or upside-down and placed below the line indicating unfavorable contact. The positive or negative height of

Visual Motion Perception

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-15

Conversely, displays Atr con- past experience to the experimental stimuli. structed %xith normal density- controlled KDE cues but %ith 5. Excluding...frame. This 3Ndisplays, gray background is displayed’ on ail introduces 50% -scintillation (density control lion even frames (labelled 1:0). Other non ...video tapes were prepared, each of whsich contained all the experimental ASL signs but distributed 1 2 3 4 into dliffereint. filter groups . Eight

Overexpression of SERBP1 (Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 RNA binding protein) in human breast cancer is correlated with favourable prognosis.

PubMed

Serce, Nuran Bektas; Boesl, Andreas; Klaman, Irina; von Serényi, Sonja; Noetzel, Erik; Press, Michael F; Dimmler, Arno; Hartmann, Arndt; Sehouli, Jalid; Knuechel, Ruth; Beckmann, Matthias W; Fasching, Peter A; Dahl, Edgar

2012-12-13

Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) overexpression is an important prognostic and predictive biomarker in human breast cancer. SERBP1, a protein that is supposed to regulate the stability of PAI-1 mRNA, may play a role in gynaecological cancers as well, since upregulation of SERBP1 was described in ovarian cancer recently. This is the first study to present a systematic characterisation of SERBP1 expression in human breast cancer and normal breast tissue at both the mRNA and the protein level. Using semiquantitative realtime PCR we analysed SERBP1 expression in different normal human tissues (n = 25), and in matched pairs of normal (n = 7) and cancerous breast tissues (n = 7). SERBP1 protein expression was analysed in two independent cohorts on tissue microarrays (TMAs), an initial evaluation set, consisting of 193 breast carcinomas and 48 normal breast tissues, and a second large validation set, consisting of 605 breast carcinomas. In addition, a collection of benign (n = 2) and malignant (n = 6) mammary cell lines as well as breast carcinoma lysates (n = 16) were investigated for SERBP1 expression by Western blot analysis. Furthermore, applying non-radioisotopic in situ hybridisation a subset of normal (n = 10) and cancerous (n = 10) breast tissue specimens from the initial TMA were analysed for SERBP1 mRNA expression. SERBP1 is not differentially expressed in breast carcinoma compared to normal breast tissue, both at the RNA and protein level. However, recurrence-free survival analysis showed a significant correlation (P = 0.008) between abundant SERBP1 expression in breast carcinoma and favourable prognosis. Interestingly, overall survival analysis also displayed a tendency (P = 0.09) towards favourable prognosis when SERBP1 was overexpressed in breast cancer. The RNA-binding protein SERBP1 is abundantly expressed in human breast cancer and may represent a novel breast tumour marker with prognostic significance. Its potential involvement in the plasminogen activator protease cascade warrants further investigation.

Age-related decline in verbal learning is moderated by demographic factors, working memory capacity, and presence of amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Constantinidou, Fofi; Zaganas, Ioannis; Papastefanakis, Emmanouil; Kasselimis, Dimitrios; Nidos, Andreas; Simos, Panagiotis G

2014-09-01

Age-related memory changes are highly varied and heterogeneous. The study examined the rate of decline in verbal episodic memory as a function of education level, auditory attention span and verbal working memory capacity, and diagnosis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI). Data were available on a community sample of 653 adults aged 17-86 years and 70 patients with a-MCI recruited from eight broad geographic areas in Greece and Cyprus. Measures of auditory attention span and working memory capacity (digits forward and backward) and verbal episodic memory (Auditory Verbal Learning Test [AVLT]) were used. Moderated mediation regressions on data from the community sample did not reveal significant effects of education level on the rate of age-related decline in AVLT indices. The presence of a-MCI was a significant moderator of the direct effect of Age on both immediate and delayed episodic memory indices. The rate of age-related decline in verbal episodic memory is normally mediated by working memory capacity. Moreover, in persons who display poor episodic memory capacity (a-MCI group), age-related memory decline is expected to advance more rapidly for those who also display relatively poor verbal working memory capacity.

Epidermal Dysfunction Leads to an Age-Associated Increase in Levels of Serum Inflammatory Cytokines.

PubMed

Hu, Lizhi; Mauro, Theodora M; Dang, Erle; Man, George; Zhang, Jing; Lee, Dale; Wang, Gang; Feingold, Kenneth R; Elias, Peter M; Man, Mao-Qiang

2017-06-01

Even though elderly populations lack visible or other clinical signs of inflammation, their serum cytokine and C-reactive protein levels typically are elevated. However, the origin of age-associated systemic inflammation is unknown. Our previous studies showed that abnormalities in epidermal function provoke cutaneous inflammation, and because intrinsically aged skin displays compromised permeability barrier homeostasis and reduced stratum corneum hydration, we hypothesized here that epidermal dysfunction could contribute to the elevations in serum cytokines in the elderly. Our results show first that acute disruption of the epidermal permeability barrier in young mice leads not only to a rapid increase in cutaneous cytokine mRNA expression but also an increase in serum cytokine levels. Second, cytokine levels in both the skin and serum increase in otherwise normal, aged mice (>12 months). Third, expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and amyloid A mRNA levels increased in the epidermis, but not in the liver, in parallel with a significant elevation in serum levels of cytokines. Fourth, disruption of the permeability barrier induced similar elevations in epidermal and serum cytokine levels in normal and athymic mice, suggesting that T cells play a negligible role in the elevations in cutaneous and serum inflammatory cytokines induced by epidermal dysfunction. Fifth, correction of epidermal function significantly reduced cytokine levels not only in the skin but also in the serum of aged mice. Together, these results indicate that the sustained abnormalities in epidermal function in chronologically aged skin contribute to the elevated serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, potentially predisposing the elderly to the subsequent development or exacerbation of chronic inflammatory disorders. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of 3D displays using objective metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havig, Paul; McIntire, John; Dixon, Sharon; Moore, Jason; Reis, George

2008-04-01

Previously, we (Havig, Aleva, Reis, Moore, and McIntire, 2007) presented a taxonomy for the development of three-dimensional (3D) displays. We proposed three levels of metrics: objective (in which physical measurements are made of the display), subjective (Likert-type rating scales to show preferences of the display), and subjective-objective (performance metrics in which one shows how the 3D display may be more or less useful than a 2D display or a different 3D display). We concluded that for each level of metric, drawing practical comparisons among currently disparate 3D displays is difficult. In this paper we attempt to define more clearly the objective metrics for 3D displays. We set out to collect and measure physical attributes of several 3D displays and compare the results. We discuss our findings in terms of both difficulties in making the measurements in the first place, due to the physical set-up of the display, to issues in comparing the results we found and comparing how similar (or dissimilar) two 3D displays may or may not be. We conclude by discussing the next steps in creating objective metrics for three-dimensional displays as well as a proposed way ahead for the other two levels of metrics based on our findings.

Compression of stereoscopic video using MPEG-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puri, A.; Kollarits, Richard V.; Haskell, Barry G.

1995-10-01

Many current as well as emerging applications in areas of entertainment, remote operations, manufacturing industry and medicine can benefit from the depth perception offered by stereoscopic video systems which employ two views of a scene imaged under the constraints imposed by human visual system. Among the many challenges to be overcome for practical realization and widespread use of 3D/stereoscopic systems are good 3D displays and efficient techniques for digital compression of enormous amounts of data while maintaining compatibility with normal video decoding and display systems. After a brief introduction to the basics of 3D/stereo including issues of depth perception, stereoscopic 3D displays and terminology in stereoscopic imaging and display, we present an overview of tools in the MPEG-2 video standard that are relevant to our discussion on compression of stereoscopic video, which is the main topic of this paper. Next, we outilne the various approaches for compression of stereoscopic video and then focus on compatible stereoscopic video coding using MPEG-2 Temporal scalability concepts. Compatible coding employing two different types of prediction structures become potentially possible, disparity compensated prediction and combined disparity and motion compensated predictions. To further improve coding performance and display quality, preprocessing for reducing mismatch between the two views forming stereoscopic video is considered. Results of simulations performed on stereoscopic video of normal TV resolution are then reported comparing the performance of two prediction structures with the simulcast solution. It is found that combined disparity and motion compensated prediction offers the best performance. Results indicate that compression of both views of stereoscopic video of normal TV resolution appears feasible in a total of 6 to 8 Mbit/s. We then discuss regarding multi-viewpoint video, a generalization of stereoscopic video. Finally, we describe ongoing efforts within MPEG-2 to define a profile for stereoscopic video coding, as well as, the promise of MPEG-4 in addressing coding of multi-viewpoint video.

Compression of stereoscopic video using MPEG-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puri, Atul; Kollarits, Richard V.; Haskell, Barry G.

1995-12-01

Many current as well as emerging applications in areas of entertainment, remote operations, manufacturing industry and medicine can benefit from the depth perception offered by stereoscopic video systems which employ two views of a scene imaged under the constraints imposed by human visual system. Among the many challenges to be overcome for practical realization and widespread use of 3D/stereoscopic systems are good 3D displays and efficient techniques for digital compression of enormous amounts of data while maintaining compatibility with normal video decoding and display systems. After a brief introduction to the basics of 3D/stereo including issues of depth perception, stereoscopic 3D displays and terminology in stereoscopic imaging and display, we present an overview of tools in the MPEG-2 video standard that are relevant to our discussion on compression of stereoscopic video, which is the main topic of this paper. Next, we outline the various approaches for compression of stereoscopic video and then focus on compatible stereoscopic video coding using MPEG-2 Temporal scalability concepts. Compatible coding employing two different types of prediction structures become potentially possible, disparity compensated prediction and combined disparity and motion compensated predictions. To further improve coding performance and display quality, preprocessing for reducing mismatch between the two views forming stereoscopic video is considered. Results of simulations performed on stereoscopic video of normal TV resolution are then reported comparing the performance of two prediction structures with the simulcast solution. It is found that combined disparity and motion compensated prediction offers the best performance. Results indicate that compression of both views of stereoscopic video of normal TV resolution appears feasible in a total of 6 to 8 Mbit/s. We then discuss regarding multi-viewpoint video, a generalization of stereoscopic video. Finally, we describe ongoing efforts within MPEG-2 to define a profile for stereoscopic video coding, as well as, the promise of MPEG-4 in addressing coding of multi-viewpoint video.

Demonstration of a large-size horizontal light-field display based on the LED panel and the micro-pinhole unit array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Le; Sang, Xinzhu; Yu, Xunbo; Liu, Boyang; Liu, Li; Yang, Shenwu; Yan, Binbin; Du, Jingyan; Gao, Chao

2018-05-01

A 54-inch horizontal-parallax only light-field display based on the light-emitting diode (LED) panel and the micro-pinhole unit array (MPUA) is demonstrated. Normally, the perceived 3D effect of the three-dimensional (3D) display with smooth motion parallax and abundant light-field information can be enhanced with increasing the density of viewpoints. However, the density of viewpoints is inversely proportional to the spatial display resolution for the conventional integral imaging. Here, a special MPUA is designed and fabricated, and the displayed 3D scene constructed by the proposed horizontal light-field display is presented. Compared with the conventional integral imaging, both the density of horizontal viewpoints and the spatial display resolution are significantly improved. In the experiment, A 54-inch horizontal light-field display with 42.8° viewing angle based on the LED panel with the resolution of 1280 × 720 and the MPUA is realized, which can provide natural 3D visual effect to observers with high quality.

Virtual surface characteristics of a tactile display using magneto-rheological fluids.

PubMed

Lee, Chul-Hee; Jang, Min-Gyu

2011-01-01

Virtual surface characteristics of tactile displays are investigated to characterize the feeling of human touch for a haptic interface application. In order to represent the tactile feeling, a prototype tactile display incorporating Magneto-Rheological (MR) fluid has been developed. Tactile display devices simulate the finger's skin to feel the sensations of contact such as compliance, friction, and topography of the surface. Thus, the tactile display can provide information on the surface of an organic tissue to the surgeon in virtual reality. In order to investigate the compliance feeling of a human finger's touch, normal force responses of a tactile display under various magnetic fields have been assessed. Also, shearing friction force responses of the tactile display are investigated to simulate the action of finger dragging on the surface. Moreover, different matrix arrays of magnetic poles are applied to form the virtual surface topography. From the results, different tactile feelings are observed according to the applied magnetic field strength as well as the arrays of magnetic poles combinations. This research presents a smart tactile display technology for virtual surfaces.

[Effects on visual functions following several hours' usage of a head mounted display].

PubMed

Hara, N; Ukai, K; Ishikawa, S; Takagi, M; Bando, T; Oyamada, H

1996-07-01

We investigated the effects of viewing video movies with a head-mounted display (HMD) for 4 to 6 hours on visual functions such as refraction, visual acuity, and accommodation-vergence system. Two or three video movies were watched without any breaks by 13 normal volunteers (age: 22 approximately 40). Measurements were made of (1) objective and subjective refraction, (2) corrected visual acuity, (3) tonic level and step response of accommodation with a computer-assisted infrared optometer, and (4) near and far phorias and AC/A ratio. Significant transient myopia was found following 4 hours' viewing, but not following 6 hours' viewing. Scrutinizing individual data, myopia was consistently found in some subjects, and hyperopia in others. We presumed that many subjects might have been influenced by initial instrumental myopia when they adjusted the focus by using the mechanism built in the HMD. No significant change was observed in any other examination. However, there was a tendency for the AC/A ratio to change after a short time, and then to recover to its original value. Based on the results in this study, it appears that some changes in accommodation and vergence systems are caused by viewing video movies with the HMD. Although the amount of changes was within normal physiological variation in this study, the possibility still remains that usage for a longer time may lead to other changes in visual function. Care is also necessary when using the HMD in subjects with subclinical problems.

Optimization of Cat's Whiskers Tea (Orthosiphon stamineus) Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Selective Chemotherapeutic Potential against Prostate Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Al-Suede, Fouad Saleih R.; Khadeer Ahamed, Mohamed B.; Abdul Majid, Aman S.; Baharetha, Hussin M.; Hassan, Loiy E. A.; Kadir, Mohd Omar A.; Nassar, Zeyad D.; Abdul Majid, Amin M. S.

2014-01-01

Cat's whiskers (Orthosiphon stamineus) leaves extracts were prepared using supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) with full factorial design to determine the optimum extraction parameters. Nine extracts were obtained by varying pressure, temperature, and time. The extracts were analysed using FTIR, UV-Vis, and GC-MS. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated on human (colorectal, breast, and prostate) cancer and normal fibroblast cells. Moderate pressure (31.1 MPa) and temperature (60°C) were recorded as optimum extraction conditions with high yield (1.74%) of the extract (B2) at 60 min extraction time. The optimized extract (B2) displayed selective cytotoxicity against prostate cancer (PC3) cells (IC50 28 µg/mL) and significant antioxidant activity (IC50 42.8 µg/mL). Elevated levels of caspases 3/7 and 9 in B2-treated PC3 cells suggest the induction of apoptosis through nuclear and mitochondrial pathways. Hoechst and rhodamine assays confirmed the nuclear condensation and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential in the cells. B2 also demonstrated inhibitory effects on motility and colonies of PC3 cells at its subcytotoxic concentrations. It is noteworthy that B2 displayed negligible toxicity against the normal cells. Chemometric analysis revealed high content of essential oils, hydrocarbon, fatty acids, esters, and aromatic sesquiterpenes in B2. This study highlights the therapeutic potentials of SC-CO2 extract of cat's whiskers in targeting prostate carcinoma. PMID:25276215

Eye Gaze Correlates of Motor Impairment in VR Observation of Motor Actions.

PubMed

Alves, J; Vourvopoulos, A; Bernardino, A; Bermúdez I Badia, S

2016-01-01

This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on "Methodologies, Models and Algorithms for Patients Rehabilitation". Identify eye gaze correlates of motor impairment in a virtual reality motor observation task in a study with healthy participants and stroke patients. Participants consisted of a group of healthy subjects (N = 20) and a group of stroke survivors (N = 10). Both groups were required to observe a simple reach-and-grab and place-and-release task in a virtual environment. Additionally, healthy subjects were required to observe the task in a normal condition and a constrained movement condition. Eye movements were recorded during the observation task for later analysis. For healthy participants, results showed differences in gaze metrics when comparing the normal and arm-constrained conditions. Differences in gaze metrics were also found when comparing dominant and non-dominant arm for saccades and smooth pursuit events. For stroke patients, results showed longer smooth pursuit segments in action observation when observing the paretic arm, thus providing evidence that the affected circuitry may be activated for eye gaze control during observation of the simulated motor action. This study suggests that neural motor circuits are involved, at multiple levels, in observation of motor actions displayed in a virtual reality environment. Thus, eye tracking combined with action observation tasks in a virtual reality display can be used to monitor motor deficits derived from stroke, and consequently can also be used for rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Alterations in Masticatory Muscle Activation in People with Persistent Neck Pain Despite the Absence of Orofacial Pain or Temporomandibular Disorders.

PubMed

Testa, Marco; Geri, Tommaso; Gizzi, Leonardo; Petzke, Frank; Falla, Deborah

2015-01-01

To assess whether patients with persistent neck pain display evidence of altered masticatory muscle behavior during a jaw-clenching task, despite the absence of orofacial pain or temporomandibular disorders. Ten subjects with persistent, nonspecific neck pain and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy controls participated. Maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of unilateral jaw clenching followed by 5-second submaximal contractions at 10%, 30%, 50%, and 70% MVC were recorded by two flexible force transducers positioned between the first molar teeth. Task performance was quantified by mean distance and offset error from the reference target force as error indices, and standard deviation of force was used as an index of force steadiness. Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded bilaterally from the masseter muscle with 13 X 5 grids of electrodes and from the anterior temporalis with bipolar electrodes. Normalized EMG root mean square (RMS) was computed for each location of the grid to form a map of the EMG amplitude distribution, and the average normalized RMS was determined for the bipolar acquisition. Between-group differences were analyzed with the Kruskal Wallis analysis of variance. Task performance was similar in patients and controls. However, patients displayed greater masseter EMG activity bilaterally at higher force levels (P<.05). This study has provided novel evidence of altered motor control of the jaw in people with neck pain despite the absence of orofacial pain or temporomandibular disorders.

Demonstration of arbitrary views based on autostereoscopic three-dimensional display system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Boyang; Sang, Xinzhu; Yu, Xunbo; Li, Liu; Yang, Le; Yan, Binbin; Wang, Kuiru; Yu, Chongxiu

2017-10-01

A method to realize arbitrary views for the lenticular lens array based on autostereoscopic three-dimensional display system is demonstrated. Normally, the number of views is proportional to pitch of the lenticular lens array. Increasing the number of views will result in reducing resolution and enhancing of granular sensation. 32 dense views can be achieved with one lenticular lens pitch covering 5.333 sub-pixels, which does significantly increases the number of views without affecting the resolution. But the structure of pitch and the number of views are fixed. Here, the 3D display method that the number of views can be changed artificially for most structures of lenticular lens is presented. Compared with the previous 32 views display method, the smoothness of motion parallex and the display depth of field are significantly improved.

Comparison of Mucin Levels at the Ocular Surface of Postmenopausal Women With and Without a History of Dry Eye

PubMed Central

Gipson, Ilene K.; Spurr-Michaud, Sandra J.; Senchyna, Michelle; Ritter, Robert; Schaumberg, Debra

2011-01-01

Purpose Determine 1) if levels of the glycocalyx membrane mucins, MUC1 and MUC16, and the secreted goblet cell mucin MUC5AC are altered in conjunctival cells and tears of postmenopausal women presenting with a history of non-Sjögren's dry eye, and 2) if mucin levels correlate with dry eye clinical diagnostic data. Methods Eighty-four postmenopausal women with a history of non-Sjögren's dry eye and 30 normal subjects were recruited for this study. Impression cytology samples were collected for mucin mRNA and protein analysis. Tears were collected for mucin protein assay. qPCR, western blot, and ELISA assays were used to quantitate MUC1, MUC16 and MUC5AC levels. Results Postmenopausal women with a history of dry eye displayed significantly increased MUC1 mRNA expression and cellular protein compared to normal subjects (P<0.001 and P<0.0l, respectively). Similarly, cellular MUC16 protein levels were significantly higher (P<0.001). Mucin levels were found to be correlated with the clinical characterization of the subjects, including staining and symptoms. Although cellular MUC5AC protein levels were increased in symptomatic subjects, the increase did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Elevation in MUC1 and MUC16 mRNA and/or protein levels in postmenopausal non-Sjögren's dry eye patients with a history of dry eye may be a compensatory response to irritation and inflammation associated with the disease. Understanding the pattern of mucin expression associated with dry eye pathology may clarify factors involved in the progression of the disease and enhance the development of targeted therapies. PMID:22089171

Biomechanics of the ankle-foot system during stair ambulation: implications for design of advanced ankle-foot prostheses.

PubMed

Sinitski, Emily H; Hansen, Andrew H; Wilken, Jason M

2012-02-02

Unilateral lower limb prosthesis users display temporal, kinematic, and kinetic asymmetries between limbs while ascending and descending stairs. These asymmetries are due, in part, to the inability of current prosthetic devices to effectively mimic normal ankle function. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive set of biomechanical data for able-bodied and unilateral transtibial amputee (TTA) ankle-foot systems for level-ground (LG), stair ascent (SA), and stair descent (SD), and to characterize deviations from normal performance associated with prosthesis use. Ankle joint kinematics, kinetics, torque-angle curves, and effective shapes were calculated for twelve able-bodied individuals and twelve individuals with TTA. The data from this study demonstrated the prosthetic limb can more effectively mimic the range of motion and power output of a normal ankle-foot during LG compared to SA and SD. There were larger differences between the prosthetic and able-bodied limbs during SA and SD, most evident in the torque-angle curves and effective shapes. These data can be used by persons designing ankle-foot prostheses and provide comparative data for assessment of future ankle-foot prosthesis designs. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Active tectonics in southern Xinjiang, China: Analysis of terrace riser and normal fault scarp degradation along the Hotan-Qira fault system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Avouac, Jean-Philippe; Peltzer, Gilles

1993-01-01

The northern piedmont of the western Kunlun mountains (Xinjiang, China) is marked at its easternmost extremity, south of the Hotan-Qira oases, by a set of normal faults trending N50E for nearly 70 km. Conspicuous on Landsat and SPOT images, these faults follow the southeastern border of a deep flexural basin and may be related to the subsidence of the Tarim platform loaded by the western Kunlun northward overthrust. The Hotan-Qira normal fault system vertically offsets the piedmont slope by 70 m. Highest fault scarps reach 20 m and often display evidence for recent reactivations about 2 m high. Successive stream entrenchments in uplifted footwallls have formed inset terraces. We have leveled topographic profiles across fault scarps and transverse abandoned terrace risers. The state of degradation of each terrace edge has been characterized by a degradation coefficient tau, derived by comparison with analytical erosion models. Edges of highest abandoned terraces yield a degradation coefficient of 33 +/- 4 sq.m. Profiles of cumulative fault scarps have been analyzed in a similar way using synthetic profiles generated with a simple incremental fault scarp model.

Fast software-based volume rendering using multimedia instructions on PC platforms and its application to virtual endoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Kensaku; Suenaga, Yasuhito; Toriwaki, Jun-ichiro

2003-05-01

This paper describes a software-based fast volume rendering (VolR) method on a PC platform by using multimedia instructions, such as SIMD instructions, which are currently available in PCs' CPUs. This method achieves fast rendering speed through highly optimizing software rather than an improved rendering algorithm. In volume rendering using a ray casting method, the system requires fast execution of the following processes: (a) interpolation of voxel or color values at sample points, (b) computation of normal vectors (gray-level gradient vectors), (c) calculation of shaded values obtained by dot-products of normal vectors and light source direction vectors, (d) memory access to a huge area, and (e) efficient ray skipping at translucent regions. The proposed software implements these fundamental processes in volume rending by using special instruction sets for multimedia processing. The proposed software can generate virtual endoscopic images of a 3-D volume of 512x512x489 voxel size by volume rendering with perspective projection, specular reflection, and on-the-fly normal vector computation on a conventional PC without any special hardware at thirteen frames per second. Semi-translucent display is also possible.

Nutrient-deprived cancer cells preferentially use sialic acid to maintain cell surface glycosylation.

PubMed

Badr, Haitham A; AlSadek, Dina M M; Mathew, Mohit P; Li, Chen-Zhong; Djansugurova, Leyla B; Yarema, Kevin J; Ahmed, Hafiz

2015-11-01

Cancer is characterized by abnormal energy metabolism shaped by nutrient deprivation that malignant cells experience during various stages of tumor development. This study investigated the response of nutrient-deprived cancer cells and their non-malignant counterparts to sialic acid supplementation and found that cells utilize negligible amounts of this sugar for energy. Instead cells use sialic acid to maintain cell surface glycosylation through complementary mechanisms. First, levels of key metabolites (e.g., UDP-GlcNAc and CMP-Neu5Ac) required for glycan biosynthesis are maintained or enhanced upon Neu5Ac supplementation. In concert, sialyltransferase expression increased at both the mRNA and protein levels, which facilitated increased sialylation in biochemical assays that measure sialyltransferase activity as well as at the whole cell level. In the course of these experiments, several important differences emerged that differentiated the cancer cells from their normal counterparts including resistant to sialic acid-mediated energy depletion, consistently more robust sialic acid-mediated glycan display, and distinctive cell surface vs. internal vesicle display of newly-produced sialoglycans. Finally, the impact of sialic acid supplementation on specific markers implicated in cancer progression was demonstrated by measuring levels of expression and sialylation of EGFR1 and MUC1 as well as the corresponding function of sialic acid-supplemented cells in migration assays. These findings both provide fundamental insight into the biological basis of sialic acid supplementation of nutrient-deprived cancer cells and open the door to the development of diagnostic and prognostic tools. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel gelatin hydrogel carrier sheet for corneal endothelial transplantation.

PubMed

Watanabe, Ryou; Hayashi, Ryuhei; Kimura, Yu; Tanaka, Yuji; Kageyama, Tomofumi; Hara, Susumu; Tabata, Yasuhiko; Nishida, Kohji

2011-09-01

We examined the feasibility of using gelatin hydrogels as carrier sheets for the transplantation of cultivated corneal endothelial cells. The mechanical properties, transparency, and permeability of gelatin hydrogel sheets were compared with those of atelocollagen sheets. Immunohistochemistry (ZO-1, Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, and N-cadherin), hematoxylin and eosin staining, and scanning electron microscopy were performed to assess the integrity of corneal endothelial cells that were cultured on gelatin hydrogel sheets. The gelatin hydrogel sheets displayed greater transparency, elastic modulus, and albumin permeability compared to those of atelocollagen sheets. The corneal endothelial cells on gelatin hydrogel sheets showed normal expression levels of ZO-1, Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, and N-cadherin. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed the formation of a continuous monolayer of cells attached to the gelatin hydrogel sheet. Scanning electron microscopy observations showed that the corneal endothelial cells were arranged in a regular, mosaic, and polygonal pattern with normal cilia. These results indicate that the gelatin hydrogel sheet is a promising material to transport corneal endothelial cells during transplantation.

[Clinical comments on female homosexuality].

PubMed

Zeul, M

1993-02-01

In psychoanalytic theory, homosexual women are regarded as being possessed by violent hatred of the mother. They are held to identify with the male or the phallic and to display an absence of "normal" femaleness. Their attendant immaturity makes them incapable of love. The author takes issue with the assumption that normality is synonymous with mature, reciprocal heterosexuality. With reference to a case study of a homosexual woman, she traces the structure of a lesbian love relationship. The patient is the involuntary witness of sexual intercourse between the parents. The mixture of alarm and excitement which this arouses sparks off female desires that revive early libidinous experiences with the mother. The girl desires her mother, without however identifying with the father. In her later relationships with women she does not relate to her partners as a disguised man but as a woman. Identification with the father serves as a defence against the desire for-and the fear of-identification at a female level.

Experimental Studies of Intent Information on Cockpit Traffic Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barhydt, Richard; Hansman, R. John, Jr.

1997-01-01

Intent information provides knowledge of another aircraft's current and future trajectory states. Prototype traffic displays were designed for four different levels of intent: No Intent, Rate, Commanded State, and Flight Management System (FMS)-Path. The TCAS Display was used as a baseline and represents the No Intent Level. The Rate, Commanded State, and FMS-Path Displays show increasing levels of intent information using TCAS-like symbology in addition to incorporating a conflict probe and profile view display. An experiment was run on the MIT Part Task Flight Simulator in which eight airline pilots flew five traffic scenarios with each of the four displays. Results show that pilots had fewer separation violations and maneuvered earlier with the three intent displays. Separation violations were reduced when pilots maneuvered earlier. A second experiment was run to compare performance between displaying intent information directly and incorporating it into a conflict probe. A different set of eight airline pilots flew four traffic scenarios with the TCAS and Commanded State Displays with and without the conflict probe. Conflict probes with two minute and long range look-ahead times were tested. Displaying conflict bands or showing intent information directly both led to fewer separation violations and earlier avoidance maneuvers than the base TCAS Display. Performance was similar between the two minute and long range look-ahead conflict probes. Pilots preferred all intent displays over the TCAS Display.

Selective anti-tumor activity of the novel fluoropyrimidine polymer F10 towards G48a orthotopic GBM tumors.

PubMed

Gmeiner, William H; Lema-Tome, Carla; Gibo, Denise; Jennings-Gee, Jamie; Milligan, Carol; Debinski, Waldemar

2014-02-01

F10 is a novel anti-tumor agent with minimal systemic toxicity in vivo and which displays strong cytotoxicity towards glioblastoma (GBM) cells in vitro. Here we investigate the cytotoxicity of F10 towards GBM cells and evaluate the anti-tumor activity of locally-administered F10 towards an orthotopic xenograft model of GBM. The effects of F10 on thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibition and Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) cleavage complex formation were evaluated using TS activity assays and in vivo complex of enzyme bioassays. Cytotoxicity of F10 towards normal brain was evaluated using cortices from embryonic (day 18) mice. F10 displays minimal penetrance of the blood-brain barrier and was delivered by intra-cerebral (i.c.) administration and prospective anti-tumor response towards luciferase-expressing G48a human GBM tumors in nude mice was evaluated using IVIS imaging. Histological examination of tumor and normal brain tissue was used to assess the selectivity of anti-tumor activity. F10 is cytotoxic towards G48a, SNB-19, and U-251 MG GBM cells through dual targeting of TS and Top1. F10 is not toxic to murine primary neuronal cultures. F10 is well-tolerated upon i.c. administration and induces significant regression of G48a tumors that is dose-dependent. Histological analysis from F10-treated mice revealed tumors were essentially completely eradicated in F10-treated mice while vehicle-treated mice displayed substantial infiltration into normal tissue. F10 displays strong efficacy for GBM treatment with minimal toxicity upon i.c. administration establishing F10 as a promising drug-candidate for treating GBM in human patients.

Impact of prebiotics on metabolic and behavioral alterations in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

de Cossío, Lourdes Fernández; Fourrier, Célia; Sauvant, Julie; Everard, Amandine; Capuron, Lucile; Cani, Patrice D; Layé, Sophie; Castanon, Nathalie

2017-08-01

Mounting evidence shows that the gut microbiota, an important player within the gut-brain communication axis, can affect metabolism, inflammation, brain function and behavior. Interestingly, gut microbiota composition is known to be altered in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS), who also often display neuropsychiatric symptoms. The use of prebiotics, which beneficially alters the microbiota, may therefore be a promising way to potentially improve physical and mental health in MetS patients. This hypothesis was tested in a mouse model of MetS, namely the obese and type-2 diabetic db/db mice, which display emotional and cognitive alterations associated with changes in gut microbiota composition and hippocampal inflammation compared to their lean db/+ littermates. We assessed the impact of chronic administration (8weeks) of prebiotics (oligofructose) on both metabolic (body weight, food intake, glucose homeostasis) and behavioral (increased anxiety-like behavior and impaired spatial memory) alterations characterizing db/db mice, as well as related neurobiological correlates, with particular attention to neuroinflammatory processes. Prebiotic administration improved excessive food intake and glycemic dysregulations (glucose tolerance and insulin resistance) in db/db mice. This was accompanied by an increase of plasma anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 levels and hypothalamic mRNA expression of the anorexigenic cytokine IL-1β, whereas unbalanced mRNA expression of hypothalamic orexigenic (NPY) and anorexigenic (CART, POMC) peptides was unchanged. We also detected signs of improved blood-brain-barrier integrity in the hypothalamus of oligofructose-treated db/db mice (normalized expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin). On the contrary, prebiotic administration did not improve behavioral alterations and associated reduction of hippocampal neurogenesis displayed by db/db mice, despite normalization of increased hippocampal IL-6 mRNA expression. Of note, we found a relationship between the effect of treatment on dentate gyrus neurons and spatial memory. These findings may prove valuable for introducing novel approaches to treat some of the comorbidities associated with MetS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Behavioral biases when viewing multiplexed scenes: scene structure and frames of reference for inspection

PubMed Central

Stainer, Matthew J.; Scott-Brown, Kenneth C.; Tatler, Benjamin W.

2013-01-01

Where people look when viewing a scene has been a much explored avenue of vision research (e.g., see Tatler, 2009). Current understanding of eye guidance suggests that a combination of high and low-level factors influence fixation selection (e.g., Torralba et al., 2006), but that there are also strong biases toward the center of an image (Tatler, 2007). However, situations where we view multiplexed scenes are becoming increasingly common, and it is unclear how visual inspection might be arranged when content lacks normal semantic or spatial structure. Here we use the central bias to examine how gaze behavior is organized in scenes that are presented in their normal format, or disrupted by scrambling the quadrants and separating them by space. In Experiment 1, scrambling scenes had the strongest influence on gaze allocation. Observers were highly biased by the quadrant center, although physical space did not enhance this bias. However, the center of the display still contributed to fixation selection above chance, and was most influential early in scene viewing. When the top left quadrant was held constant across all conditions in Experiment 2, fixation behavior was significantly influenced by the overall arrangement of the display, with fixations being biased toward the quadrant center when the other three quadrants were scrambled (despite the visual information in this quadrant being identical in all conditions). When scenes are scrambled into four quadrants and semantic contiguity is disrupted, observers no longer appear to view the content as a single scene (despite it consisting of the same visual information overall), but rather anchor visual inspection around the four separate “sub-scenes.” Moreover, the frame of reference that observers use when viewing the multiplex seems to change across viewing time: from an early bias toward the display center to a later bias toward quadrant centers. PMID:24069008

'Green mice' display limitations in enhanced green fluorescent protein expression in retina and optic nerve cells.

PubMed

Caminos, Elena; Vaquero, Cecilia F; García-Olmo, Dolores C

2014-12-01

Characterization of retinal cells, cell transplants and gene therapies may be helped by pre-labeled retinal cells, such as those transfected with vectors for green fluorescent protein expression. The aim of this study was to analyze retinal cells and optic nerve components from transgenic green mice (GM) with the 'enhanced' green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene under the control of the CAG promoter (a chicken β-actin promoter and a cytomegalovirus enhancer). The structural analysis and electroretinography recordings showed a normal, healthy retina. Surprisingly, EGFP expression was not ubiquitously located in the retina and optic nerve. Epithelial cells, photoreceptors and bipolar cells presented high green fluorescence levels. In contrast, horizontal cells, specific amacrine cells and ganglion cells exhibited a null EGFP expression level. The synaptic terminals of rod bipolar cells displayed a high green fluorescence level when animals were kept in the dark. Immature retinas exhibited different EGFP expression patterns to those noted in adults. Axons and glial cells in the optic nerve revealed a specific regional EGFP expression pattern, which correlated with the presence of myelin. These results suggest that EGFP expression might be related to the activity of both the CAG promoter and β-actin in mature retinal neurons and oligodendrocytes. Moreover, EGFP expression might be regulated by light in both immature and adult animals. Since GM are used in numerous retina bioassays, it is essential to know the differential EGFP expression in order to select cells of interest for each study.

A multistream model of visual word recognition.

PubMed

Allen, Philip A; Smith, Albert F; Lien, Mei-Ching; Kaut, Kevin P; Canfield, Angie

2009-02-01

Four experiments are reported that test a multistream model of visual word recognition, which associates letter-level and word-level processing channels with three known visual processing streams isolated in macaque monkeys: the magno-dominated (MD) stream, the interblob-dominated (ID) stream, and the blob-dominated (BD) stream (Van Essen & Anderson, 1995). We show that mixing the color of adjacent letters of words does not result in facilitation of response times or error rates when the spatial-frequency pattern of a whole word is familiar. However, facilitation does occur when the spatial-frequency pattern of a whole word is not familiar. This pattern of results is not due to different luminance levels across the different-colored stimuli and the background because isoluminant displays were used. Also, the mixed-case, mixed-hue facilitation occurred when different display distances were used (Experiments 2 and 3), so this suggests that image normalization can adjust independently of object size differences. Finally, we show that this effect persists in both spaced and unspaced conditions (Experiment 4)--suggesting that inappropriate letter grouping by hue cannot account for these results. These data support a model of visual word recognition in which lower spatial frequencies are processed first in the more rapid MD stream. The slower ID and BD streams may process some lower spatial frequency information in addition to processing higher spatial frequency information, but these channels tend to lose the processing race to recognition unless the letter string is unfamiliar to the MD stream--as with mixed-case presentation.

CD73 and AMPD3 deficiency enhance metabolic performance via erythrocyte ATP that decreases hemoglobin oxygen affinity.

PubMed

O'Brien, William G; Berka, Vladimir; Tsai, Ah-Lim; Zhao, Zhaoyang; Lee, Cheng Chi

2015-08-07

Erythrocytes are the key target in 5'-AMP induced hypometabolism. To understand how regulation of endogenous erythrocyte AMP levels modulates systemic metabolism, we generated mice deficient in both CD73 and AMPD3, the key catabolic enzymes for extracellular and intra-erythrocyte AMP, respectively. Under physiological conditions, these mice displayed enhanced capacity for physical activity accompanied by significantly higher food and oxygen consumption, compared to wild type mice. Erythrocytes from Ampd3(-/-) mice exhibited higher half-saturation pressure of oxygen (p50) and about 3-fold higher levels of ATP and ADP, while they maintained normal 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG), methemoglobin levels and intracellular pH. The affinity of mammalian hemoglobin for oxygen is thought to be regulated primarily by 2,3-BPG levels and pH (the Bohr effect). However, our results show that increased endogenous levels of ATP and ADP, but not AMP, directly increase the p50 value of hemoglobin. Additionally, the rise in erythrocyte p50 directly correlates with an enhanced capability of systemic metabolism.

Surgical-orthodontic treatment of Class I malocclusion with maxillary vertical excess--a case report.

PubMed

Kiran, Jyothi; Isaac, Anish; Shanthraj, Ravis; Madannagowda, Shivalinga

2012-01-01

This article describes the treatment of an adult male with vertical maxillary excess, excessive gingival display on smiling, a convex profile, proclined upper and lower incisors, and crowded lower anteriors with severe lip incompetence. The therapy included stages: (1) Pre surgical orthodontics- leveling and aligning of the maxillary and mandibular arch with closure of all extraction spaces. (2) Surgical phase-Lefort I osteotomy for superior maxillary impaction, 5 mm of anterior and 3 mm of posterior impaction ofmaxilla was done. (3) Post surgical orthodontics for finishing and detailing. The treatment lasted 16 months; improved facial esthetics significantly; and resulted in a normal occlusion, overjet, and overbite.

Differential roles of osteopontin/Eta-1 in early and late lpr disease

PubMed Central

Weber, G F; Cantor, H

2001-01-01

The cytokine osteopontin (Eta-1) leads to macrophage-dependent polyclonal B-cell activation and is induced early in autoimmune prone mice with the lpr mutation, suggesting a significant pathogenic role for this molecule. Indeed, C57BL/6-Faslpr/lpr mice crossed with osteopontin−/– mice display delayed onset of polyclonal B-cell activation, as judged by serum immunoglobulin levels. In contrast, they are subject to normal onset, but late exacerbation of lymphoproliferation and evidence of kidney disease. These observations define two stages of Faslpr/lpr disease with respect to osteopontin-dependent pathogenesis that should be taken into account in the design of therapeutic approaches to the clinical disease. PMID:11737079

Impact of moisture variations on the circulation of the south-west monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishtawal, C. M.; Pal, P. K.; Narayanan, M. S.; Manna, S. K.; Sharma, O. P.; Agarwal, Sangeeta; Upadhyaya, H. C.

1993-12-01

The impact of moisture anomalies on the circulation of the south-west Indian monsoon has been studied with a general circulation model. Newtonian relaxation is adopted to subject the model atmosphere under sustained moisture anomalies. The impact of negative anomalies of moisture was seen as a divergent circulation anomaly, while the positive anomaly was a stronger convergent anomaly. Although the humidity fields display a resilient behaviour, and relax back to normal patterns 1-2 days after the forcing terms in humidity are withdrawn, the circulation anomalies created by the moisture variation keeps growing. A feedback between positive moisture anomalies and low level convergence exists, which is terminated in the absence of external forcings.

YB-1 Is Important for Late-Stage Embryonic Development, Optimal Cellular Stress Responses, and the Prevention of Premature Senescence

PubMed Central

Lu, Zhi Hong; Books, Jason T.; Ley, Timothy J.

2005-01-01

Proteins containing “cold shock” domains belong to the most evolutionarily conserved family of nucleic acid-binding proteins known among bacteria, plants, and animals. One of these proteins, YB-1, is widely expressed throughout development and has been implicated as a cell survival factor that regulates the transcription and/or translation of many cellular growth and death-related genes. For these reasons, YB-1 deficiency has been predicted to be incompatible with cell survival. However, the majority of YB-1−/− embryos develop normally up to embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5). After E13.5, YB-1−/− embryos exhibit severe growth retardation and progressive mortality, revealing a nonredundant role of YB-1 in late embryonic development. Fibroblasts derived from YB-1−/− embryos displayed a normal rate of protein synthesis and minimal alterations in the transcriptome and proteome but demonstrated reduced abilities to respond to oxidative, genotoxic, and oncogene-induced stresses. YB-1−/− cells under oxidative stress expressed high levels of the G1-specific CDK inhibitors p16Ink4a and p21Cip1 and senesced prematurely; this defect was corrected by knocking down CDK inhibitor levels with specific small interfering RNAs. These data suggest that YB-1 normally represses the transcription of CDK inhibitors, making it an important component of the cellular stress response signaling pathway. PMID:15899865

Executive functions in adolescents with binge-eating disorder and obesity.

PubMed

Kittel, Rebekka; Schmidt, Ricarda; Hilbert, Anja

2017-08-01

Binge-eating disorder (BED) in adults is associated with alterations in executive functions (EF) and obesity. Much less is known about these relationships in adolescents, including whether poor EF are associated with eating disorder psychopathology and/or elevated body mass index. This study examined EF in response to neutral stimuli in youth with BED. Adolescents with BED and obesity (n = 22), individually matched adolescents with obesity (n = 22), and normal weight (n = 22) completed neuropsychological tests targeting inhibition (Color-Word Interference Test), sustained attention (D2 Concentration Endurance Test), cognitive flexibility (Comprehensive Trail Making Test), and decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task). Adolescents with BED and obesity displayed significantly poorer inhibitory control compared to normal-weight adolescents. This effect persisted after controlling for the level of secondary education. However, initial differences between adolescents with obesity and normal-weight controls regarding inhibitory control and sustained attention vanished after controlling for education. The three groups did not differ regarding cognitive flexibility and decision-making. Moreover, adolescents with BED and obesity did not perform worse than adolescents with obesity on any of the neuropsychological tests. Overall, our results indicate that adolescent BED is associated with only a few alterations in general EF, specifically inhibitory control, and underline BED and educational level as confounding factors in neuropsychological research on obesity. To further delineate EF profiles of adolescents with BED, future research should focus on EF in response to disorder-related stimuli and experimental settings with high ecological validity. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The use of optical waveguides in head up display (HUD) applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homan, Malcolm

2013-06-01

The application of optical waveguides to Head Up Displays (HUD) is an enabling technology which solves the critical issues of volume reduction (including cockpit intrusion) and mass reduction in an affordable product which retains the high performance optical capabilities associated with today's generation of digital display based HUDs. Improved operability and pilot comfort is achieved regardless of the installation by virtue of the intrinsic properties of optical waveguides and this has enabled BAE Systems Electronic Systems to develop two distinct product streams for glareshield and overhead HUD installations respectively. This paper addresses the design drivers behind the development of the next generation of Head Up Displays and their compatibility with evolving cockpit architectures and structures. The implementation of large scale optical waveguide combiners capable of matching and exceeding the display performances normally only associated with current digital display sourced HUDs has enabled BAE Systems Electronic Systems to solve the volume and installation challenges of the latest military and civil cockpits with it's LiteHUD® technology. Glareshield mounted waveguide based HUDs are compatible with the trend towards the addition of Large Area Displays (LAD) in place of the traditional multiple Head Down Displays (HDD) within military fast jet cockpits. They use an "indirect view" variant of the display which allows the amalgamation of high resolution digital display devices with the inherently small volume and low mass of the waveguide optics. This is then viewed using the more traditional technology of a conventional HUD combiner. This successful combination of technologies has resulted in the LPHUD product which is specifically designed by BAE Systems Electronic Systems to provide an ultra-low profile HUD which can be installed behind a LAD; still providing the level of performance that is at least equivalent to that of a conventional large volume glareshield mounted HUD. In many current Business Jet and Air Transport cockpits overhead mounted HUDs employ a conventional optical combiner to relay the display from a separate projector to the pilot's eyes. In BAE Systems' Electronic Systems QHUDTM configuration this combiner is replaced by the waveguide and the bulky, intrusive overhead projector completely eliminated. The result is a significant reduction in equipment volume and mass and a much greater head clearance combined with a substantially larger Head Motion Box. This latter feature is a fundamental outturn of waveguide optical solutions which removes the restrictions on pilot eye positioning associated with current conventional systems. LiteHUD®, developed by BAE Systems, Electronic Systems achieves equivalent optical performance to in-service HUDs for less cost, mass and volume.

Non-Essential Role for TLR2 and Its Signaling Adaptor Mal/TIRAP in Preserving Normal Lung Architecture in Mice

PubMed Central

Ruwanpura, Saleela M.; McLeod, Louise; Lilja, Andrew R.; Brooks, Gavin; Dousha, Lovisa F.; Seow, Huei J.; Bozinovski, Steven; Vlahos, Ross; Hertzog, Paul J.; Anderson, Gary P.; Jenkins, Brendan J.

2013-01-01

Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and MyD88-adaptor like (Mal)/Toll-interleukin 1 receptor domain containing adaptor protein (TIRAP) play a critical role in transducing signals downstream of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family. While genetic ablation of the TLR4/MyD88 signaling axis in mice leads to pulmonary cell death and oxidative stress culminating in emphysema, the involvement of Mal, as well as TLR2 which like TLR4 also signals via MyD88 and Mal, in the pathogenesis of emphysema has not been studied. By employing an in vivo genetic approach, we reveal here that unlike the spontaneous pulmonary emphysema which developed in Tlr4−/− mice by 6 months of age, the lungs of Tlr2−/− mice showed no physiological or morphological signs of emphysema. A more detailed comparative analysis of the lungs from these mice confirmed that elevated oxidative protein carbonylation levels and increased numbers of alveolar cell apoptosis were only detected in Tlr4−/− mice, along with up-regulation of NADPH oxidase 3 (Nox3) mRNA expression. With respect to Mal, the architecture of the lungs of Mal−/− mice was normal. However, despite normal oxidative protein carbonylation levels in the lungs of emphysema-free Mal−/− mice, these mice displayed increased levels of apoptosis comparable to those observed in emphysematous Tlr4−/− mice. In conclusion, our data provide in vivo evidence for the non-essential role for TLR2, unlike the related TLR4, in maintaining the normal architecture of the lung. In addition, we reveal that Mal differentially facilitates the anti-apoptotic, but not oxidant suppressive, activities of TLR4 in the lung, both of which appear to be essential for TLR4 to prevent the onset of emphysema. PMID:24205107

Effect of Harm Anchors in Visual Displays of Test Results on Patient Perceptions of Urgency About Near-Normal Values: Experimental Study.

PubMed

Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J; Scherer, Aaron M; Witteman, Holly O; Solomon, Jacob B; Exe, Nicole L; Fagerlin, Angela

2018-03-26

Patient-facing displays of laboratory test results typically provide patients with one reference point (the "standard range"). To test the effect of including an additional harm anchor reference point in visual displays of laboratory test results, which indicates how far outside of the standard range values would need to be in order to suggest substantial patient risk. Using a demographically diverse, online sample, we compared the reactions of 1618 adults in the United States who viewed visual line displays that included both standard range and harm anchor reference points ("Many doctors are not concerned until here") to displays that included either (1) only a standard range, (2) standard range plus evaluative categories (eg, "borderline high"), or (3) a color gradient showing degree of deviation from the standard range. Providing the harm anchor reference point significantly reduced perceived urgency of close-to-normal alanine aminotransferase and creatinine results (P values <.001) but not generally for platelet count results. Notably, display type did not significantly alter perceptions of more extreme results in potentially harmful ranges. Harm anchors also substantially reduced the number of participants who wanted to contact their doctor urgently or go to the hospital about these test results. Presenting patients with evaluative cues regarding when test results become clinically concerning can reduce the perceived urgency of out-of-range results that do not require immediate clinical action. ©Brian J Zikmund-Fisher, Aaron M Scherer, Holly O Witteman, Jacob B Solomon, Nicole L Exe, Angela Fagerlin. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 26.03.2018.

High expression of Polycomb group protein EZH2 predicts poor survival in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma.

PubMed

Vékony, H; Raaphorst, F M; Otte, A P; van Lohuizen, M; Leemans, C R; van der Waal, I; Bloemena, E

2008-06-01

The prognosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a malignant salivary gland tumour, depends on clinicopathological parameters. To decipher the biological behaviour of ACC, and to identify patients at risk of developing metastases, additional markers are needed. Expression of the cell cycle proteins p53, cyclin D1, p16(INK4a), E2F1 and Ki-67, together with the Polycomb group (PcG) proteins BMI-1, MEL-18, EZH2 and EED was investigated immunohistochemically 21 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary ACCs in relation to tumour characteristics. ACC revealed significantly increased expression of the cell cycle proteins compared to normal salivary tissue (n = 17). Members of the two PcG complexes displayed mutually exclusive expression in normal salivary gland tissue, with BMI-1 and MEL-18 being abundantly present. In ACC, this expression pattern was disturbed, with EZH2 and EED showing significantly increased expression levels. In univariate analysis, presence of recurrence, poor differentiation and high EZH2 levels (>25% immunopositivity) significantly correlated with unfavourable outcome. ACCs with high proliferative rate (>25% Ki-67 immunopositivity) significantly correlated with high levels of EZH2 and p16. Only the development of recurrence was an independent prognostic factor of survival in multivariate analysis. Expression of PcG complexes and of essential cell cycle proteins is highly deregulated in ACC. Also, EZH2 expression has prognostic relevance in this malignancy.

Selective Enhancement of Systemic Th1 Immunity in Immunologically Immature Rats with an Orally Administered Bacterial Extract

PubMed Central

Bowman, L. M.; Holt, P. G.

2001-01-01

Infant rats primed during the first week of life with soluble antigen displayed adult-equivalent levels of T-helper 2 (Th2)-dependent immunological memory development as revealed by production of secondary immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) antibody responses to subsequent challenge, but in contrast to adults failed to prime for Th1-dependent IgG2b responses. We demonstrate that this Th2 bias in immune function can be redressed by oral administration to neonates of a bacterial extract (Broncho-Vaxom OM-85) comprising lyophilized fractions of several common respiratory tract bacterial pathogens. Animals given OM-85 displayed a selective upregulation in primary and secondary IgG2b responses, accompanied by increased gamma interferon and decreased interleukin-4 production (both antigen specific and polyclonal), and increased capacity for development of Th1-dependent delayed hypersensitivity to the challenge antigen. We hypothesize that the bacterial extract functions via enhancement of the process of postnatal maturation of Th1 function, which is normally driven by stimuli from the gastrointestinal commensal microflora. PMID:11349036

A Stereological Study of Synapse Number in the Epileptic Human Hippocampus

PubMed Central

Alonso-Nanclares, Lidia; Kastanauskaite, Asta; Rodriguez, Jose-Rodrigo; Gonzalez-Soriano, Juncal; DeFelipe, Javier

2011-01-01

Hippocampal sclerosis is the most frequent pathology encountered in resected mesial temporal structures from patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Here, we have used stereological methods to compare the overall density of synapses and neurons between non-sclerotic and sclerotic hippocampal tissue obtained by surgical resection from patients with TLE. Specifically, we examined the possible changes in the subiculum and CA1, regions that seem to be critical for the development and/or maintenance of seizures in these patients. We found a remarkable decrease in synaptic and neuronal density in the sclerotic CA1, and while the subiculum from the sclerotic hippocampus did not display changes in synaptic density, the neuronal density was higher. Since the subiculum from the sclerotic hippocampus displays a significant increase in neuronal density, as well as a various other neurochemical changes, we propose that the apparently normal subiculum from the sclerotic hippocampus suffers profound alterations in neuronal circuits at both the molecular and synaptic level that are likely to be critical for the development or maintenance of seizure activity. PMID:21390290

Measurement of urinary calcium using AT89C51RD2 microcontroller.

PubMed

Neelamegam, P; Jamaludeen, A; Rajendran, A; Raghunathan, R

2009-04-01

A simple and inexpensive absorption technique for determination of calcium ion in urine samples is developed, comprising a light emitting diode (650 nm) as the light source and photodiode as the detector with AT89C51RD2 microcontroller. The design of the system and details of interface, calibration, and procedure of operation are explained in this paper. Software is developed to monitor sample processing and to display the results in liquid crystal display screen. With 15 microl sample volume, a linear output is obtained in the range of 2.5-7.5 mM calcium with a detection limit of 0.06 mM. Interferences from other cations such as monovalent ion and divalent ion are investigated in the expected range, which are normally present in clinical samples, and absorption changes over the pH range of 3-12 are also determined. This system has been demonstrated successfully for the successive assay of calcium in urine samples, with the results comparing well to those achieved and in good agreement with values obtained with the current clinical spectrophotometric method at 95% of confidence level.

C9orf72 BAC Transgenic Mice Display Typical Pathologic Features of ALS/FTD.

PubMed

O'Rourke, Jacqueline G; Bogdanik, Laurent; Muhammad, A K M G; Gendron, Tania F; Kim, Kevin J; Austin, Andrew; Cady, Janet; Liu, Elaine Y; Zarrow, Jonah; Grant, Sharday; Ho, Ritchie; Bell, Shaughn; Carmona, Sharon; Simpkinson, Megan; Lall, Deepti; Wu, Kathryn; Daughrity, Lillian; Dickson, Dennis W; Harms, Matthew B; Petrucelli, Leonard; Lee, Edward B; Lutz, Cathleen M; Baloh, Robert H

2015-12-02

Noncoding expansions of a hexanucleotide repeat (GGGGCC) in the C9orf72 gene are the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Here we report transgenic mice carrying a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) containing the full human C9orf72 gene with either a normal allele (15 repeats) or disease-associated expansion (∼100-1,000 repeats; C9-BACexp). C9-BACexp mice displayed pathologic features seen in C9orf72 expansion patients, including widespread RNA foci and repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translated dipeptides, which were suppressed by antisense oligonucleotides targeting human C9orf72. Nucleolin distribution was altered, supporting that either C9orf72 transcripts or RAN dipeptides promote nucleolar dysfunction. Despite early and widespread production of RNA foci and RAN dipeptides in C9-BACexp mice, behavioral abnormalities and neurodegeneration were not observed even at advanced ages, supporting the hypothesis that RNA foci and RAN dipeptides occur presymptomatically and are not sufficient to drive neurodegeneration in mice at levels seen in patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

14 CFR 23.1311 - Electronic display instrument systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Electronic display instrument systems. 23... Equipment Instruments: Installation § 23.1311 Electronic display instrument systems. (a) Electronic display..., considering the expected electronic display brightness level at the end of an electronic display indictor's...

14 CFR 23.1311 - Electronic display instrument systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Electronic display instrument systems. 23... Equipment Instruments: Installation § 23.1311 Electronic display instrument systems. (a) Electronic display..., considering the expected electronic display brightness level at the end of an electronic display indictor's...

14 CFR 23.1311 - Electronic display instrument systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Electronic display instrument systems. 23... Equipment Instruments: Installation § 23.1311 Electronic display instrument systems. (a) Electronic display..., considering the expected electronic display brightness level at the end of an electronic display indictor's...

Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic normal reference ranges for proximal aorta dimensions: results from the EACVI NORRE study.

PubMed

Saura, Daniel; Dulgheru, Raluca; Caballero, Luis; Bernard, Anne; Kou, Seisyou; Gonjilashvili, Natalia; Athanassopoulos, George D; Barone, Daniele; Baroni, Monica; Cardim, Nuno; Hagendorff, Andreas; Hristova, Krasimira; Lopez, Teresa; de la Morena, Gonzalo; Popescu, Bogdan A; Penicka, Martin; Ozyigit, Tolga; Rodrigo Carbonero, Jose David; Van De Veire, Nico; Von Bardeleben, Ralph Stephan; Vinereanu, Dragos; Zamorano, Jose Luis; Gori, Ann-Stephan; Cosyns, Bernard; Donal, Erwan; Habib, Gilbert; Addetia, Karima; Lang, Roberto M; Badano, Luigi P; Lancellotti, Patrizio

2017-02-01

To report normal reference ranges for echocardiographic dimensions of the proximal aorta obtained in a large group of healthy volunteers recruited using state-of-the-art cardiac ultrasound equipment, considering different measurement conventions, and taking into account gender, age, and body size of individuals. A total of 704 (mean age: 46.0 ± 13.5 years) healthy volunteers (310 men and 394 women) were prospectively recruited from the collaborating institutions of the Normal Reference Ranges for Echocardiography (NORRE) study. A comprehensive echocardiographic examination was obtained in all subjects following pre-defined protocols. Aortic dimensions were obtained in systole and diastole, following both the leading-edge to leading-edge and the inner-edge to inner-edge conventions. Diameters were measured at four levels: ventricular-arterial junction, sinuses of Valsalva, sino-tubular junction, and proximal tubular ascending aorta. Measures of aortic root in the short-axis view following the orientation of each of the three sinuses were also performed. Men had significantly larger body sizes when compared with women, and showed larger aortic dimensions independently of the measurement method used. Dimensions indexed by height and body surface area are provided, and stratification by age ranges is also displayed. In multivariable analysis, the independent predictors of aortic dimensions were age, gender, and height or body surface area. The NORRE study provides normal values of proximal aorta dimensions as assessed by echocardiography. Reference ranges for different anatomical levels using different (i) measurement conventions and (ii) at different times of the cardiac cycle (i.e. mid-systole and end-diastole) are provided. Age, gender, and body size were significant determinants of aortic dimensions. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impacts of exposure to 900 MHz mobile phone radiation on liver function in rats.

PubMed

Ma, Hui-rong; Ma, Zhi-hong; Wang, Gui-ying; Song, Cui-miao; Ma, Xue-lian; Cao, Xiao-hui; Zhang, Guo-hong

2015-11-01

To study the impacts of exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on liver function in rats. Twenty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group and radiated group. The rats in normal group were not radiated, those in radiated group were exposed to EMR 4 h/ d for 18 consecutive days. Rats were sacrificed immediately after the end of the experiment. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and those of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) in liver tissue were evaluated by colorimetric method. The liver histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and the protein expression of bax and bcl- 2 in liver tissue were detected by immunohistochemical method. Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick and labelling (TUNEL) method was used for analysis of apoptosis in liver. Compared with the normal rats, the serum levels of ALT and AST in the radiated group had no obvious changes (P>0.05), while the contents of MDA increased (P < 0.01) and those of GSH decreased (P < 0.01) in liver tissues. The histopathology examination showed diffuse hepatocyte swelling and vacuolation, small pieces and focal necrosis. The immunohistochemical results displayed that the expression of the bax protein was higher and that of bcl-2 protein was lower in radiated group. The hepatocyte apoptosis rates in radiated group was higher than that in normal group (all P < 0.01). The exposure to 900 MHz mobile phone 4 h/d for 18 days could induce the liver histological changes, which may be partly due to the apoptosis and oxidative stress induced in liver tissue by electromagnetic radiation.

Chinese Writing of Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Students and Normal-Hearing Peers from Complex Network Approach

PubMed Central

Jin, Huiyuan; Liu, Haitao

2016-01-01

Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals usually face a greater challenge to learn to write than their normal-hearing counterparts. Due to the limitations of traditional research methods focusing on microscopic linguistic features, a holistic characterization of the writing linguistic features of these language users is lacking. This study attempts to fill this gap by adopting the methodology of linguistic complex networks. Two syntactic dependency networks are built in order to compare the macroscopic linguistic features of deaf or hard-of-hearing students and those of their normal-hearing peers. One is transformed from a treebank of writing produced by Chinese deaf or hard-of-hearing students, and the other from a treebank of writing produced by their Chinese normal-hearing counterparts. Two major findings are obtained through comparison of the statistical features of the two networks. On the one hand, both linguistic networks display small-world and scale-free network structures, but the network of the normal-hearing students' exhibits a more power-law-like degree distribution. Relevant network measures show significant differences between the two linguistic networks. On the other hand, deaf or hard-of-hearing students tend to have a lower language proficiency level in both syntactic and lexical aspects. The rigid use of function words and a lower vocabulary richness of the deaf or hard-of-hearing students may partially account for the observed differences. PMID:27920733

Evidence and arguments on tobacco retail displays: marketing an addictive drug to children?

PubMed

Thomson, George; Hoek, Janet; Edwards, Richard; Gifford, Heather

2008-06-20

To investigate arguments for and against a ban on tobacco displays in New Zealand shops. Analysis of evidence from international experience and research studies, for the arguments used to oppose and support display bans; and 27 qualitative interviews with New Zealand ex-smokers, smokers, and retailers. The main arguments used to oppose display bans identified were: (1) Fears of financial losses for retailers, particularly for small stores; (2) Claims that tobacco is a 'normal' product; (3) 'Lack of evidence' about effectiveness of display bans; and (4) Fears of increased theft and risks to staff. The counter-arguments include: (1) The lack of evidence of significant short term adverse economic effects on retailers (including small stores) where display bans have been implemented; (2) Tobacco is a highly abnormal and hazardous retail product; (3) Evidence that tobacco displays influence initiation of smoking among children, increase impulse purchases, and are crucial to tobacco companies' marketing strategies; (4) Lack of evidence that display bans increase thefts and risks to staff. The qualitative interviews supported the counter arguments. Smokers and ex-smokers interviewed indicated that tobacco displays tempt smokers trying to quit. There was widespread support for a display ban among interviewees (including some retailers) mainly because it might reduce smoking uptake among children. Arguments for tobacco displays are contradictory, flawed, and unsupported by local and international research evidence, and by the overseas experience of tobacco-free display policies.

Increased levels of conditioned fear and avoidance behavior coincide with changes in phosphorylation of the protein kinase B (AKT) within the amygdala in a mouse model of extremes in trait anxiety.

PubMed

Yen, Yi-Chun; Mauch, Christoph P; Dahlhoff, Maik; Micale, Vincenzo; Bunck, Mirjam; Sartori, Simone B; Singewald, Nicolas; Landgraf, Rainer; Wotjak, Carsten T

2012-07-01

Patients diagnosed for anxiety disorders often display faster acquisition and slower extinction of learned fear. To gain further insights into the mechanisms underlying these phenomenona, we studied conditioned fear in mice originating form a bi-directional selective breeding approach, which is based on elevated plus-maze behavior and results in CD1-derived high (HAB), normal (NAB), and low (LAB) anxiety-related behavior mice. HAB mice displayed pronounced cued-conditioned fear compared to NAB/CD1 and LAB mice that coincided with increased phosphorylation of the protein kinase B (AKT) in the basolateral amygdala 45 min after conditioning. No similar changes were observed after non-associative immediate shock presentations. Fear extinction of recent but not older fear memories was preserved. However, HAB mice were more prone to relapse of conditioned fear with the passage of time. HAB mice also displayed higher levels of contextual fear compared to NAB and LAB mice and exaggerated avoidance following step-down avoidance training. Interestingly, HAB mice showed lower and LAB mice higher levels of acoustic startle responses compared to NAB controls. The increase in arousal observed in LAB mice coincided with the general absence of conditioned freezing. Taken together, our results suggest that the genetic predisposition to high anxiety-related behavior may increase the risk of forming traumatic memories, phobic-like fear and avoidance behavior following aversive encounters, with a clear bias towards passive coping styles. In contrast, genetic predisposition to low anxiety-related and high risk-taking behavior seems to be associated with an increase in active coping styles. Our data imply changes in AKT phosphorylation as a therapeutic target for the prevention of exaggerated fear memories. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Targeted overexpression of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α increases Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activity and TRPV1-dependent Ca2+ influx in trigeminal neurons

PubMed Central

Rozas, Pablo; Lazcano, Pablo; Piña, Ricardo; Cho, Andrew; Terse, Anita; Pertusa, Maria; Madrid, Rodolfo; Gonzalez-Billault, Christian; Kulkarni, Ashok B.; Utreras, Elias

2016-01-01

We reported earlier that TNF-α, a proinflammatory cytokine implicated in many inflammatory disorders causing orofacial pain increases Cdk5 activity, a key kinase involved in brain development and function and recently in pain signaling. To investigate a potential mechanism underlying inflammatory pain in trigeminal ganglia (TG), we engineered a transgenic mouse model (TNFglo) that can conditionally overexpresses TNF-α upon genomic recombination by Cre recombinase. TNFglo mice were bred with Nav1.8-Cre mouse line that expresses the Cre recombinase in sensory neurons to obtain TNF-α:Nav1.8-Cre (TNF-α cTg) mice. Although TNF-α cTg mice appeared normal without any gross phenotype, they displayed a significant increase in TNF-α levels after activation of NFκB signaling in the TG. IL-6 and MCP-1 levels were also increased along with intense immunostaining for Iba1 and GFAP in TG, indicating the presence of infiltrating macrophages and the activation of satellite glial cells. TNF-α cTg mice displayed increased trigeminal Cdk5 activity, and this increase was associated with elevated levels of phospho-T407-TRPV1 and capsaicin-evocated Ca2+ influx in cultured trigeminal neurons. Remarkably, this effect was prevented by roscovitine, an inhibitor of Cdk5, suggesting that TNF-α overexpression induced sensitization of the TRPV1 channel. Furthermore, TNF-α cTg mice displayed more aversive behavior to noxious thermal stimulation (45°C) of the face in an operant pain assessment device as compared with control mice. In summary, TNF-α overexpression in the sensory neurons of TNF-α cTg mice results in inflammatory sensitization and increased Cdk5 activity, therefore this mouse model would be valuable for investigating mechanism involved TNF-α in orofacial pain. PMID:26894912

Display Considerations For Intravascular Ultrasonic Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gessert, James M.; Krinke, Charlie; Mallery, John A.; Zalesky, Paul J.

1989-08-01

A display has been developed for intravascular ultrasonic imaging. Design of this display has a primary goal of providing guidance information for therapeutic interventions such as balloons, lasers, and atherectomy devices. Design considerations include catheter configuration, anatomy, acoustic properties of normal and diseased tissue, catheterization laboratory and operating room environment, acoustic and electrical safety, acoustic data sampling issues, and logistical support such as image measurement, storage and retrieval. Intravascular imaging is in an early stage of development so design flexibility and expandability are very important. The display which has been developed is capable of acquisition and display of grey scale images at rates varying from static B-scans to 30 frames per second. It stores images in a 640 X 480 X 8 bit format and is capable of black and white as well as color display in multiplevideo formats. The design is based on the industry standard PC-AT architecture and consists of two AT style circuit cards, one for high speed sampling and the other for scan conversion, graphics and video generation.

Thalamocortical neurons display suppressed burst-firing due to an enhanced Ih current in a genetic model of absence epilepsy.

PubMed

Cain, Stuart M; Tyson, John R; Jones, Karen L; Snutch, Terrance P

2015-06-01

Burst-firing in distinct subsets of thalamic relay (TR) neurons is thought to be a key requirement for the propagation of absence seizures. However, in the well-regarded Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) model as yet there has been no link described between burst-firing in TR neurons and spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs). GAERS ventrobasal (VB) neurons are a specific subset of TR neurons that do not normally display burst-firing during absence seizures in the GAERS model, and here, we assessed the underlying relationship of VB burst-firing with Ih and T-type calcium currents between GAERS and non-epileptic control (NEC) animals. In response to 200-ms hyperpolarizing current injections, adult epileptic but not pre-epileptic GAERS VB neurons displayed suppressed burst-firing compared to NEC. In response to longer duration 1,000-ms hyperpolarizing current injections, both pre-epileptic and epileptic GAERS VB neurons required significantly more hyperpolarizing current injection to burst-fire than those of NEC animals. The current density of the Hyperpolarization and Cyclic Nucleotide-activated (HCN) current (Ih) was found to be increased in GAERS VB neurons, and the blockade of Ih relieved the suppressed burst-firing in both pre-epileptic P15-P20 and adult animals. In support, levels of HCN-1 and HCN-3 isoform channel proteins were increased in GAERS VB thalamic tissue. T-type calcium channel whole-cell currents were found to be decreased in P7-P9 GAERS VB neurons, and also noted was a decrease in CaV3.1 mRNA and protein levels in adults. Z944, a potent T-type calcium channel blocker with anti-epileptic properties, completely abolished hyperpolarization-induced VB burst-firing in both NEC and GAERS VB neurons.

Modernizing engine displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, E. T.; Enevoldson, E. K.

1984-01-01

The introduction of electronic fuel control to modern turbine engines has a number of advantages, which are related to an increase in engine performance and to a reduction or elimination of the problems associated with high angle of attack engine operation from the surface to 50,000 feet. If the appropriate engine display devices are available to the pilot, the fuel control system can provide a great amount of information. Some of the wealth of information available from modern fuel controls are discussed in this paper. The considered electronic engine control systems in their most recent forms are known as the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) and the Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC). Attention is given to some details regarding the control systems, typical engine problems, the solution of problems with the aid of displays, engine displays in normal operation, an example display format, a multipage format, flight strategies, and hardware considerations.

Unilateral pigmentary degeneration of the retina associated with heterochromia iridis.

PubMed

Grisanti, S; Diestelhorst, M; Lebek, J; Walter, P; Heimann, K

1998-12-01

For the past 5 years, a 56-year-old patient has been displaying monocular progressive pigmentary changes in the left eye. Heterochromy of the left eye has been known since childhood. The other eye is clinically and functionally normal. The patient was adopted and he has no children. Therefore, we have no family history. The patient was examined clinically and by means of electroretinography, electrooculography, perimetry, computer tomography, pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF) measurement, serology and Doppler sonography. Electrophysiology displayed a considerable reduction of scotopic and photopic ERGs, a reduced dark-through, and a reduced light-rise in the left eye, whereas the fellow eye was normal. The visual field was limited to 5 deg around the fixation point, and a peripheral crescent-shaped arch encircled the temporal-inferior quadrant concomitant to the pigmentary changes. By computer tomography and Doppler sonography a vascular affection was excluded. The left eye displayed lower POBF values. All serological tests were found negative. The clinical picture and negative exclusion criteria indicate a unilateral retinitis pigmentosa. However, with regard to the literature an unequivocal diagnosis can only be made upon hereditary evidence.

Electrotactile and vibrotactile displays for sensory substitution systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaczmarek, Kurt A.; Webster, John G.; Bach-Y-rita, Paul; Tompkins, Willis J.

1991-01-01

Sensory substitution systems provide their users with environmental information through a human sensory channel (eye, ear, or skin) different from that normally used or with the information processed in some useful way. The authors review the methods used to present visual, auditory, and modified tactile information to the skin and discuss present and potential future applications of sensory substitution, including tactile vision substitution (TVS), tactile auditory substitution, and remote tactile sensing or feedback (teletouch). The relevant sensory physiology of the skin, including the mechanisms of normal touch and the mechanisms and sensations associated with electrical stimulation of the skin using surface electrodes (electrotactile, or electrocutaneous, stimulation), is reviewed. The information-processing ability of the tactile sense and its relevance to sensory substitution is briefly summarized. The limitations of current tactile display technologies are discussed.

Small Changes in the Regulation of One Arabidopsis Profilin Isovariant, PRF1, Alter Seedling Development

PubMed Central

McKinney, Elizabeth Cohen; Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K.; Meagher, Richard B.

2001-01-01

Profilin (PRF) is a low-molecular-weight actin binding protein encoded by a diverse gene family in plants. Arabidopsis PRF1 transcripts are moderately well expressed in all vegetative organs. A regulatory mutant in PRF1, prf1-1, was isolated from a library of T-DNA insertions. The insertion disrupted the promoter region of PRF1 100 bp upstream from the transcriptional start site. Although steady state levels of PRF1 transcripts appeared normal in mature prf1-1 plants, the levels in young seedlings were only one-half those observed in wild type. Reactions with a PRF1 isovariant–specific monoclonal antiserum and general anti-profilin antisera demonstrated that PRF1 protein levels also were one-half those found in wild-type seedlings, although total profilin levels were unaffected. Mutant seedlings no longer could downregulate PRF1 levels in the light, as did wild type. Consistent with their molecular phenotypes, young mutant seedlings displayed several morphological phenotypes but developed into apparently normal adult plants. Their initial germination rate and development were slow, and they produced excessive numbers of root hairs. Mutant seedlings had abnormally raised cotyledons, elongated hypocotyls, and elongated cells in the hypocotyl, typical of phenotypes associated with some defects in light and circadian responses. A wild-type PRF1 transgene fully complements the hypocotyl phenotypes in the prf1-1 mutant. The ability of profilin to regulate actin polymerization and participate directly in signal transduction pathways is discussed in light of the prf1-1 phenotypes. PMID:11340190

Canine cancer screening via ultraviolet absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy of serum proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickerson, Bryan D.; Geist, Brian L.; Spillman, William B., Jr.; Robertson, John L.

2007-11-01

A cost-effective optical cancer screening and monitoring technique was demonstrated in a pilot study of canine serum samples and was patented for commercialization. Compared to conventional blood chemistry analysis methods, more accurate estimations of the concentrations of albumin, globulins, and hemoglobin in serum were obtained by fitting the near UV absorbance and photoluminescence spectra of diluted serum as a linear combination of component reference spectra. Tracking these serum proteins over the course of treatment helped to monitor patient immune response to carcinoma and therapy. For cancer screening, 70% of dogs with clinical presentation of cancer displayed suppressed serum hemoglobin levels (below 20 mg/dL) in combination with atypical serum protein compositions, that is, albumin levels outside of a safe range (from 4 to 8 g/dL) and globulin levels above or below a more normal range (from 1.7 to 3.7 g/dL). Of the dogs that met these criteria, only 20% were given a false positive label by this cancer screening test.

Experimental Studies of the Effect of Intent Information on Cockpit Traffic Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barhydt, Richard; Hansman, R. John

1997-01-01

Intent information provides knowledge of another aircraft's current and future trajectory states. Prototype traffic displays were designed for four different levels of intent: Position, Rate, Commanded State, and FMS (Flight Management System)-Path. The current TCAS (traffic collision avoidance systems) Display, which shows altitude rate in addition to current position and altitude, was used as a baseline and represents the lowest level of intent. The Rate, Commanded State, and FMS-Path Displays show increasing levels of intent information using TCAS-like symbology in addition to incorporating a conflict probe and profile view display. An initial experiment was run on the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Part Task Flight Simulator in which eight airline pilots flew five traffic scenarios with each of the four displays. Results show that pilots had fewer separation violations and maneuvered earlier with the three intent displays. Separation violations were reduced when pilots maneuvered earlier. A second experiment was run to compare performance between displaying intent information directly and incorporating it into a conflict probe. A different set of eight airline pilots flew four traffic scenarios with the TCAS and Commanded State Displays with and without the conflict probe. Conflict probes with two minute and long range look-ahead times were tested. Displaying conflict bands or showing intent information directly both led to fewer separation violations and earlier avoidance maneuvers than the base TCAS Display. Performance was similar between the two minute and long range look-ahead conflict probes. Pilots preferred all intent displays over the TCAS Display.

Inferring network structure in non-normal and mixed discrete-continuous genomic data.

PubMed

Bhadra, Anindya; Rao, Arvind; Baladandayuthapani, Veerabhadran

2018-03-01

Inferring dependence structure through undirected graphs is crucial for uncovering the major modes of multivariate interaction among high-dimensional genomic markers that are potentially associated with cancer. Traditionally, conditional independence has been studied using sparse Gaussian graphical models for continuous data and sparse Ising models for discrete data. However, there are two clear situations when these approaches are inadequate. The first occurs when the data are continuous but display non-normal marginal behavior such as heavy tails or skewness, rendering an assumption of normality inappropriate. The second occurs when a part of the data is ordinal or discrete (e.g., presence or absence of a mutation) and the other part is continuous (e.g., expression levels of genes or proteins). In this case, the existing Bayesian approaches typically employ a latent variable framework for the discrete part that precludes inferring conditional independence among the data that are actually observed. The current article overcomes these two challenges in a unified framework using Gaussian scale mixtures. Our framework is able to handle continuous data that are not normal and data that are of mixed continuous and discrete nature, while still being able to infer a sparse conditional sign independence structure among the observed data. Extensive performance comparison in simulations with alternative techniques and an analysis of a real cancer genomics data set demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. © 2017, The International Biometric Society.

Inferring network structure in non-normal and mixed discrete-continuous genomic data

PubMed Central

Bhadra, Anindya; Rao, Arvind; Baladandayuthapani, Veerabhadran

2017-01-01

Inferring dependence structure through undirected graphs is crucial for uncovering the major modes of multivariate interaction among high-dimensional genomic markers that are potentially associated with cancer. Traditionally, conditional independence has been studied using sparse Gaussian graphical models for continuous data and sparse Ising models for discrete data. However, there are two clear situations when these approaches are inadequate. The first occurs when the data are continuous but display non-normal marginal behavior such as heavy tails or skewness, rendering an assumption of normality inappropriate. The second occurs when a part of the data is ordinal or discrete (e.g., presence or absence of a mutation) and the other part is continuous (e.g., expression levels of genes or proteins). In this case, the existing Bayesian approaches typically employ a latent variable framework for the discrete part that precludes inferring conditional independence among the data that are actually observed. The current article overcomes these two challenges in a unified framework using Gaussian scale mixtures. Our framework is able to handle continuous data that are not normal and data that are of mixed continuous and discrete nature, while still being able to infer a sparse conditional sign independence structure among the observed data. Extensive performance comparison in simulations with alternative techniques and an analysis of a real cancer genomics data set demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. PMID:28437848

Measuring Student Effort and Engagement in an Introductory Physics Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonham, Scott

2007-11-01

Multiple scales reflecting student effort were developed using factor and scale analysis on data from an introductory physics course. This data included interactions with an on-line homework system. One of the scales displays many characteristics of a metric of the individual level of engagement in the course. This scale is shown to be a good predictor of performance on class exams and the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Furthermore, normalized learning gains on the FCI are well predicted by this scale while pre-instructional FCI scores provide no additional predictive ability, agreeing with observations by Richard Hake. This scale also correlates strongly with epistemological beliefs that learning is related to effort and is the responsibility of the student. The factors that enter into this scale, writing and mastering expert-like problem-solving, are consistent with this being a measure of individual levels of class engagement.

The availability of snack food displays that may trigger impulse purchases in Melbourne supermarkets.

PubMed

Thornton, Lukar E; Cameron, Adrian J; McNaughton, Sarah A; Worsley, Anthony; Crawford, David A

2012-03-15

Supermarkets play a major role in influencing the food purchasing behaviours of most households. Snack food exposures within these stores may contribute to higher levels of consumption and ultimately to increasing levels of obesity, particularly within socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. We aimed to examine the availability of snack food displays at checkouts, end-of-aisle displays and island displays in major supermarket chains in the least and most socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Melbourne. Within-store audits of 35 Melbourne supermarkets. Supermarkets were sampled from the least and most socioeconomically disadvantaged suburbs within 30 km of the Melbourne CBD. We measured the availability of crisps, chocolate, confectionery, and soft drinks (diet and regular) at the checkouts, in end-of-aisle displays, and in island bin displays. Snack food displays were most prominent at checkouts with only five stores not having snack foods at 100% of their checkouts. Snack foods were also present at a number of end-of-aisle displays (at both the front (median 38%) and back (median 33%) of store), and in island bin displays (median number of island displays: 7; median total circumference of island displays: 19.4 metres). Chocolate items were the most common snack food item on display. There was no difference in the availability of these snack food displays by neighbourhood disadvantage. As a result of the high availability of snack food displays, exposure to snack foods is almost unavoidable in Melbourne supermarkets, regardless of levels of neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage. Results of this study could promote awareness of the prominence of unhealthy food items in chain-brand supermarkets outlets.

Novel ligands for cancer diagnosis: selection of peptide ligands for identification and isolation of B-cell lymphomas.

PubMed

McGuire, Michael J; Samli, Kausar N; Chang, Ya-Ching; Brown, Kathlynn C

2006-04-01

Lymphoma and leukemia account for nearly 8% of cancer fatalities each year. Present treatments do not differentiate between normal and malignant cells. New reagents that distinguish malignant cells and enable the isolation of these cells from the normal background will enhance the molecular characterization of disease and specificity of treatment. Peptide ligands were selected from a phage-displayed peptide library by biopanning on the B-cell lymphoma line, A20. The isolated peptides were assessed as reagents for identification and isolation of lymphoma cells by flow cytometry and cell capture with magnetic beads. Two novel peptides and one obtained previously on cardiomyocytes were selected. A20 cells bind phage displaying these peptides 250- to 450-fold over control phage. These phage bind to other bone marrow-derived cancel lines including some macrophage and T cells but do not bind to normal splenocytes. Synthetic constructs of these peptides have binding affinities comparable to B-cell-specific antibodies. Similar to antibodies, these peptides can be used in flow cytometry and magnetic bead capture to distinguish lymphoma cells from normal splenocytes. Bone marrow-derived malignant cells express cell surface markers that can be used to distinguish them from normal cells. These results demonstrate the ability to use an unbiased screen to rapidly generate high-affinity peptide ligands for identification and isolation of lymphoma cells.

Clinically Normal Stereopsis Does Not Ensure a Performance Benefit from Stereoscopic 3D Depth Cues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntire, John P.; Havig, Paul R.; Harrington, Lawrence K.; Wright, Steve T.; Watamaniuk, Scott N. J.; Heft, Eric L.

2014-09-01

To investigate the effect of manipulating disparity on task performance and viewing comfort, twelve participants were tested on a virtual object precision placement task while viewing a stereoscopic 3D (S3D) display. All participants had normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity, passed the Titmus stereovision clinical test, and demonstrated normal binocular function, including phorias and binocular fusion ranges. Each participant completed six experimental sessions with different maximum binocular disparity limits. The results for ten of the twelve participants were generally as expected, demonstrating a large performance advantage when S3D cues were provided. The sessions with the larger disparity limits typically resulted in the best performance, and the sessions with no S3D cues the poorest performance. However, one participant demonstrated poorer performance in sessions with smaller disparity limits but improved performance in sessions with the larger disparity limits. Another participant's performance declined whenever any S3D cues were provided. Follow-up testing suggested that the phenomenon of pseudo-stereoanomaly may account for one viewer's atypical performance, while the phenomenon of stereoanomaly might account for the other. Overall, the results demonstrate that a subset of viewers with clinically normal binocular and stereoscopic vision may have difficulty performing depth-related tasks on S3D displays. The possibility of the vergence-accommodation conflict contributing to individual performance differences is also discussed.

Histomorphometric Study of New Bone Formation Comparing Defect Healing with Three Bone Grafting Materials: The Effect of Osteoporosis on Graft Consolidation.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiao; Jing, Dai; Zhang, Yufeng; Miron, Richard J

Bone grafting materials are frequently utilized in oral surgery and periodontology to fill bone defects and augment lost or missing bone. The purpose of this study was to compare new bone formation in bone defects created in both normal and osteoporotic animals loaded with three types of bone grafts from different origins. Forty-eight female Wistar rats were equally divided into control normal and ovariectomized animals. Bilateral 2.5-mm femur defects were created and filled with an equal weight of (1) natural bone mineral (NBM, BioOss) of bovine origin, (2) demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA, LifeNet), or (3) biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP, Vivoss). Following 3 and 6 weeks of healing, hematoxylin and eosin and TRAP staining was performed to determine new bone formation, material degradation, and osteoclast activity. All bone substitutes demonstrated osteoconductive potential at 3 and 6 weeks with higher osteoclast numbers observed in all ovariectomized animals. NBM displayed continual new bone formation with little to no sign of particle degradation, even in osteoporotic animals. DFDBA particles showed similar levels of new bone formation but rapid particle degradation rates with lower levels of mineralized tissue. BCP bone grafts demonstrated significantly higher new bone formation when compared with both NBM and DFDBA particles; however, the material was associated with higher osteoclast activity and particle degradation. Interestingly, in osteoporotic animals, BCP displayed synergistically and markedly more rapid rates of particle degradation. Recent modifications to synthetically fabricated materials were shown to be equally or more osteopromotive than NBM and DFDBA. However, the current BCP utilized demonstrated much faster resorption properties in osteoporotic animals associated with a decrease in total bone volume when compared with the slowly/nonresorbing NBM. The results from this study point to the clinical relevance of minimizing fast-resorbing bone grafting materials in osteoporotic phenotypes due to the higher osteoclastic activity and greater material resorption.

Deregulation of PAX2 expression in renal cell tumours: mechanisms and potential use in differential diagnosis.

PubMed

Patrício, Patrícia; Ramalho-Carvalho, João; Costa-Pinheiro, Pedro; Almeida, Mafalda; Barros-Silva, João Diogo; Vieira, Joana; Dias, Paula Cristina; Lobo, Francisco; Oliveira, Jorge; Teixeira, Manuel R; Henrique, Rui; Jeronimo, Carmen

2013-08-01

Expression of PAX2 (Paired-box 2) is suppressed through promoter methylation at the later stages of embryonic development, but eventually reactivated during carcinogenesis. Pax-2 is commonly expressed in the most prevalent renal cell tumour (RCT) subtypes-clear cell RCC (ccRCC), papillary RCC (pRCC) and oncocytoma--but not in chromophobe RCC (chrRCC), which frequently displays chromosome 10 loss (to which PAX2 is mapped). Herein, we assessed the epigenetic and/or genetic alterations affecting PAX2 expression in RCTs and evaluated its potential as biomarker. We tested 120 RCTs (30 of each main subtype) and four normal kidney tissues. Pax-2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and PAX2 mRNA expression levels were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. PAX2 promoter methylation status was assessed by methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing. Chromosome 10 and PAX2 copy number alterations were determined by FISH. Pax-2 immunoexpression was significantly lower in chrRCC compared to other RCT subtypes. Using a 10% immunoexpression cut-off, Pax-2 immunoreactivity discriminated chrRCC from oncocytoma with 67% sensitivity and 90% specificity. PAX2 mRNA expression was significantly lower in chrRCC, compared to ccRCC, pRCC and oncocytoma, and transcript levels correlated with immunoexpression. Whereas no promoter methylation was found in RCTs or normal kidney, 69% of chrRCC displayed chromosome 10 monosomy, correlating with Pax-2 immunoexpression. We concluded that Pax-2 expression might be used as an ancillary tool to discriminate chrRCC from oncocytomas with overlapping morphological features. The biological rationale lies on the causal relation between Pax-2 expression and chromosome 10 monosomy, but not PAX2 promoter methylation, in chrRCC. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine Published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

TMS stimulus-response asymmetry in left- and right-handed individuals.

PubMed

Daligadu, Julian; Murphy, Bernadette; Brown, Jeff; Rae, Brendan; Yielder, Paul

2013-02-01

There have been inconsistencies in the literature regarding asymmetrical neural control and results of experiments using TMS techniques. Therefore, the aim of this study was to further our understanding of the neural relationships that may underlie performance asymmetry with respect to the distal muscles of the hand using a TMS stimulus-response curve technique. Twenty-four male subjects (12 right handed, 12 left handed) participated in a TMS stimulus-response (S-R) curve trial. Focal TMS was applied over the motor cortex to find the optimal position for the first dorsal interossei muscle and to determine rest threshold (RTh). Seven TMS intensities ranging from 90 to 150 % of RTh were delivered in 10 % increments. One single TMS block consisted of 16 stimuli at each intensity. Peak-to-peak amplitudes were measured and the S-R curve generated. In right-handed subjects, the mean difference in slopes between the right and left hand was -0.011 ± 0.03, while the mean difference between hands in left-handed subjects was -0.049 ± 0.08. Left-handed normalized data in right handers displayed a mean of 1.616 ± 1.019 (two-tailed t test p < 0.05). The left-handed group showed a significant change in the normalized slope as indicated by a mean of 1.693 ± 0.149 (two-tailed t test p < 0.00006). The results found in this study reinforce previous work which suggests that there is an asymmetry in neural drive that exists in both left- and right-handed individuals. However, the results show that the non-dominant motor hemisphere displays a greater amount of excitability than the dominant, which goes against the conventional dogma. This asymmetry indicates that the non-dominant hemisphere may have a higher level of excitation or a lower level of inhibition for both groups of participants.

Insights into the role of differential gene expression on the ecological adaptation of the snail Littorina saxatilis

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In the past 40 years, there has been increasing acceptance that variation in levels of gene expression represents a major source of evolutionary novelty. Gene expression divergence is therefore likely to be involved in the emergence of incipient species, namely, in a context of adaptive radiation. In this study, a genome-wide expression profiling approach (cDNA-AFLP), validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to get insights into the role of differential gene expression on the ecological adaptation of the marine snail Littorina saxatilis. This gastropod displays two sympatric ecotypes (RB and SU) which are becoming one of the best studied systems for ecological speciation. Results Among the 99 transcripts shared between ecotypes, 12.12% showed significant differential expression. At least 4% of these transcripts still displayed significant differences after correction for multiple tests, highlighting that gene expression can differ considerably between subpopulations adapted to alternative habitats in the face of gene flow. One of the transcripts identified was Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I (COI). In addition, 6 possible reference genes were validated to normalize and confirm this result using qPCR. α-Tubulin and histone H3.3 showed the more stable expression levels, being therefore chosen as the best option for normalization. The qPCR analysis confirmed a higher COI expression in SU individuals. Conclusions At least 4% of the transcriptome studied is being differentially expressed between ecotypes living in alternative habitats, even when gene flow is still substantial between ecotypes. We could identify a candidate transcript of such ecotype differentiation: Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (COI), a mitochondrial gene involved in energy metabolism. Quantitative PCR was used to confirm the differences found in COI and its over-expression in the SU ecotype. Interestingly, COI is involved in the oxidative phosphorylation, suggesting an enhanced mitochondrial gene expression (or increased number of mitochondria) to improve energy supply in the ecotype subjected to the strongest wave action. PMID:21087461

Next generation smart window display using transparent organic display and light blocking screen.

PubMed

Kim, Gyeong Woo; Lampande, Raju; Choe, Dong Cheol; Ko, Ik Jang; Park, Jin Hwan; Pode, Ramchandra; Kwon, Jang Hyuk

2018-04-02

Transparent organic light emitting diodes (TOLED) have widespread applications in the next-generation display devices particularly in the large size transparent window and interactive displays. Herein, we report high performance and stable attractive smart window displays using facile process. Advanced smart window display is realized by integrating the high performance light blocking screen and highly transparent white OLED panel. The full smart window display reveals a maximum transmittance as high as 64.2% at the wavelength of 600 nm and extremely good along with tunable ambient contrast ratio (171.94:1) compared to that of normal TOLED (4.54:1). Furthermore, the performance decisive light blocking screen has demonstrated an excellent optical and electrical characteristics such as i) high transmittance (85.56% at 562nm) at light-penetrating state, ii) superior absorbance (2.30 at 562nm) in light interrupting mode, iii) high optical contrast (85.50 at 562 nm), iv) high optical stability for more than 25,000 cycle of driving, v) fast switching time of 1.9 sec, and vi) low driving voltage of 1.7 V. The experimental results of smart window display are also validated using optical simulation. The proposed smart window display technology allows us to adjust the intensity of daylight entering the system quickly and conveniently.

Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colonic Histopathology, but not Altered Epithelial Ion Transport, Is Reduced by Inhibition of Phosphodiesterase Activity

PubMed Central

Diaz-Granados, Natalia; Howe, Kathryn; Lu, Jun; McKay, Derek M.

2000-01-01

Inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity is beneficial in models of arthritis and airway inflammation. Here we assessed the ability of PDE inhibitors to modulate colitis by exposing mice to 4% (w/v) dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) drinking water for 5 days with or without rolipram, an inhibitor of PDE type 4, or the nonselective PDE inhibitor, pentoxifylline (both at 5 mg/kg, i.p., twice daily). Controls received saline, vehicle, or drug only. Colonic histology, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, and epithelial ion transport (baseline and stimulated by electrical nerve stimulation, carbachol, and forskolin) were examined. DSS-treated mice displayed a variable diarrhea, significant histopathology in the mid-distal colon, elevated MPO activity, and reduced (>50%) responses to all three pro-secretory stimuli. Treatment with rolipram, and to a lesser extent pentoxifylline, significantly reduced the severity of the colonic histopathology and MPO levels. Neither PDE inhibitor had any affect on the diminished ion transport events caused by DSS-induced colitis. However, although stimulated ion transport events were still reduced 3 days after DSS treatment, colonic segments from DSS + rolipram-treated mice displayed enhanced recovery in their secretory responsiveness, particularly to carbachol. These findings indicate that specific PDE4 inhibition can significantly reduce the tissue damage that accompanies colitis and enhance recovery of normal colonic function. PMID:10854237

Isolation and characterization of novel RECK tumor suppressor gene splice variants

PubMed Central

Trombetta-Lima, Marina; Winnischofer, Sheila Maria Brochado; Demasi, Marcos Angelo Almeida; Filho, Renato Astorino; Carreira, Ana Claudia Oliveira; Wei, Beiyang; de Assis Ribas, Thais; Konig, Michelle Silberspitz; Bowman-Colin, Christian; Oba-Shinjo, Sueli Mieko; Marie, Suely Kazue Nagahashi; Stetler-Stevenson, William; Sogayar, Mari Cleide

2015-01-01

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and lethal of the central nervous system glial-derived tumors. RECK suppresses tumor invasion by negatively regulating at least three members of the matrix metalloproteinase family: MMP-9, MMP-2, and MT1-MMP. A positive correlation has been observed between the abundance of RECK expression in tumor samples and a more favorable prognosis for patients with several types of tumors. In the present study, novel alternatively spliced variants of the RECK gene: RECK-B and RECK-I were isolated by RT-PCR and sequenced. The expression levels and profiles of these alternative RECK transcripts, as well as canonical RECK were determined in tissue samples of malignant astrocytomas of different grades and in a normal tissue RNA panel by qRT-PCR. Our results show that higher canonical RECK expression, accompanied by a higher canonical to alternative transcript expression ratio, positively correlates with higher overall survival rate after chemotherapeutic treatment of GBM patients. U87MG and T98G cells over-expressing the RECK-B alternative variant display higher anchorage-independent clonal growth and do not display modulation of, respectively, MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. Our findings suggest that RECK transcript variants might have opposite roles in GBM biology and the ratio of their expression levels may be informative for the prognostic outcome of GBM patients. PMID:26431549

Covariation bias for food-related control is associated with eating disorders symptoms in normal adolescents.

PubMed

Mayer, Birgit; Muris, Peter; Kramer Freher, Nancy; Stout, Janne; Polak, Marike

2012-12-01

Covariation bias refers to the phenomenon of overestimating the contingency between certain stimuli and negative outcomes, which is considered as a heuristic playing a role in the maintenance of certain types of psychopathology. In the present study, covariation bias was investigated within the context of eating pathology. In a sample of 148 adolescents (101 girls, 47 boys; mean age 15.3 years), a priori and a posteriori contingencies were measured between words referring to control and loss of control over eating behavior, on the one hand, and fear, disgust, positive and neutral outcomes, on the other hand. Results indicated that all adolescents displayed an a priori covariation bias reflecting an overestimation of the contingency of words referring to loss of control over eating behavior and fear- and disgust-relevant outcomes, while words referring to control over eating behavior were more often associated with positive and neutral outcomes. This bias was unrelated to level of eating disorder symptoms. In the case of a posteriori contingency estimates no overall bias could be observed, but some evidence was found indicating that girls with higher levels of eating disorder symptoms displayed a stronger covariation bias. These findings provide further support for the notion that covariation bias is involved in eating pathology, and also demonstrate that this type of cognitive distortion is already present in adolescents. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Murine Dishevelled 3 Functions in Redundant Pathways with Dishevelled 1 and 2 in Normal Cardiac Outflow Tract, Cochlea, and Neural Tube Development

PubMed Central

Etheridge, S. Leah; Ray, Saugata; Li, Shuangding; Hamblet, Natasha S.; Lijam, Nardos; Tsang, Michael; Greer, Joy; Kardos, Natalie; Wang, Jianbo; Sussman, Daniel J.; Chen, Ping; Wynshaw-Boris, Anthony

2008-01-01

Dishevelled (Dvl) proteins are important signaling components of both the canonical β-catenin/Wnt pathway, which controls cell proliferation and patterning, and the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, which coordinates cell polarity within a sheet of cells and also directs convergent extension cell (CE) movements that produce narrowing and elongation of the tissue. Three mammalian Dvl genes have been identified and the developmental roles of Dvl1 and Dvl2 were previously determined. Here, we identify the functions of Dvl3 in development and provide evidence of functional redundancy among the three murine Dvls. Dvl3 −/− mice died perinatally with cardiac outflow tract abnormalities, including double outlet right ventricle and persistent truncus arteriosis. These mutants also displayed a misorientated stereocilia in the organ of Corti, a phenotype that was enhanced with the additional loss of a single allele of the PCP component Vangl2/Ltap (LtapLp/+). Although neurulation appeared normal in both Dvl3 −/− and LtapLp/+ mutants, Dvl3 +/−;LtapLp/+ combined mutants displayed incomplete neural tube closure. Importantly, we show that many of the roles of Dvl3 are also shared by Dvl1 and Dvl2. More severe phenotypes were observed in Dvl3 mutants with the deficiency of another Dvl, and increasing Dvl dosage genetically with Dvl transgenes demonstrated the ability of Dvls to compensate for each other to enable normal development. Interestingly, global canonical Wnt signaling appeared largely unaffected in the double Dvl mutants, suggesting that low Dvl levels are sufficient for functional canonical Wnt signals. In summary, we demonstrate that Dvl3 is required for cardiac outflow tract development and describe its importance in the PCP pathway during neurulation and cochlea development. Finally, we establish several developmental processes in which the three Dvls are functionally redundant. PMID:19008950

Murine dishevelled 3 functions in redundant pathways with dishevelled 1 and 2 in normal cardiac outflow tract, cochlea, and neural tube development.

PubMed

Etheridge, S Leah; Ray, Saugata; Li, Shuangding; Hamblet, Natasha S; Lijam, Nardos; Tsang, Michael; Greer, Joy; Kardos, Natalie; Wang, Jianbo; Sussman, Daniel J; Chen, Ping; Wynshaw-Boris, Anthony

2008-11-01

Dishevelled (Dvl) proteins are important signaling components of both the canonical beta-catenin/Wnt pathway, which controls cell proliferation and patterning, and the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, which coordinates cell polarity within a sheet of cells and also directs convergent extension cell (CE) movements that produce narrowing and elongation of the tissue. Three mammalian Dvl genes have been identified and the developmental roles of Dvl1 and Dvl2 were previously determined. Here, we identify the functions of Dvl3 in development and provide evidence of functional redundancy among the three murine Dvls. Dvl3(-/-) mice died perinatally with cardiac outflow tract abnormalities, including double outlet right ventricle and persistent truncus arteriosis. These mutants also displayed a misorientated stereocilia in the organ of Corti, a phenotype that was enhanced with the additional loss of a single allele of the PCP component Vangl2/Ltap (LtapLp/+). Although neurulation appeared normal in both Dvl3(-/-) and LtapLp/+ mutants, Dvl3(+/-);LtapLp/+ combined mutants displayed incomplete neural tube closure. Importantly, we show that many of the roles of Dvl3 are also shared by Dvl1 and Dvl2. More severe phenotypes were observed in Dvl3 mutants with the deficiency of another Dvl, and increasing Dvl dosage genetically with Dvl transgenes demonstrated the ability of Dvls to compensate for each other to enable normal development. Interestingly, global canonical Wnt signaling appeared largely unaffected in the double Dvl mutants, suggesting that low Dvl levels are sufficient for functional canonical Wnt signals. In summary, we demonstrate that Dvl3 is required for cardiac outflow tract development and describe its importance in the PCP pathway during neurulation and cochlea development. Finally, we establish several developmental processes in which the three Dvls are functionally redundant.

33 CFR 183.27 - Construction of markings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... exposure to water, oil, salt spray, direct sunlight, heat, cold, and wear expected in normal operation of...) BOATING SAFETY BOATS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT Display of Capacity Information § 183.27 Construction of...

33 CFR 183.27 - Construction of markings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... exposure to water, oil, salt spray, direct sunlight, heat, cold, and wear expected in normal operation of...) BOATING SAFETY BOATS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT Display of Capacity Information § 183.27 Construction of...

Thermal anomalies of the transmitter experiment package on the communications technology satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexovich, R. E.; Curren, A. N.

1979-01-01

The causes of four temporary thermal-control-system malfunctions that gave rise to unexpected temperature excursions in the 12-gigahertz, 200-watt transmitter experiment package (TEP) on the Communications Technology Satellite were investigated. The TEP consists of a nominal 200-watt output stage tube (OST), a supporting power-processing system (PPS), and a variable-conductance heat-pipe system (VCHPS). The VCHPS, which uses three heat pipes to conduct heat from the body of the OST to a radiator fin, was designed to maintain the TEP at safe operating temperatures at all operating conditions. On four occasions during 1977, all near the spring and fall equinoxes, the OST body temperature and related temperatures displayed sudden, rapid, and unexpected rises above normal levels while the TEP was operating at essentially constant, normal conditions. The temperature excursions were terminated without TEP damage by reducing the radio frequency (RF) output power of the OST. Between the anomalies and since the fourth, the thermal control system has apparently functioned as designed. The results indicate the most probable cause of the temperature anomalies is depriming of the arteries in the variable-conductance heat pipes. A mode was identified in which the TEP, as presently configured, may operate with stable temperatures and with minimum change in performance level.

Tachycardia, reduced vagal capacity, and age-dependent ventricular dysfunction arising from diminished expression of the presynaptic choline transporter.

PubMed

English, Brett A; Appalsamy, Martin; Diedrich, Andre; Ruggiero, Alicia M; Lund, David; Wright, Jane; Keller, Nancy R; Louderback, Katherine M; Robertson, David; Blakely, Randy D

2010-09-01

Healthy cardiovascular function relies on a balanced and responsive integration of noradrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the heart. High-affinity choline uptake by cholinergic terminals is pivotal for efficient ACh production and release. To date, the cardiovascular impact of diminished choline transporter (CHT) expression has not been directly examined, largely due to the transporter's inaccessibility in vivo. Here, we describe findings from cardiovascular experiments using transgenic mice that bear a CHT genetic deficiency. Whereas CHT knockout (CHT(-/-)) mice exhibit early postnatal lethality, CHT heterozygous (CHT(+/-)) mice survive, grow, and reproduce normally and exhibit normal spontaneous behaviors. However, the CHT(+/-) mouse heart displays significantly reduced levels of high-affinity choline uptake accompanied by significantly reduced levels of ACh. Telemeterized recordings of cardiovascular function in these mice revealed tachycardia and hypertension at rest. After treadmill exercise, CHT(+/-) mice exhibited slower heart rate recovery, consistent with a diminished cholinergic reserve, a contention validated through direct vagal nerve stimulation. Echocardiographic and histological experiments revealed an age-dependent decrease in fractional shortening, increased left ventricular dimensions, and increased ventricular fibrosis, consistent with ventricular dysfunction. These cardiovascular phenotypes of CHT(+/-) mice encourage an evaluation of humans bearing reduced CHT expression for their resiliency in maintaining proper heart function as well as risk for cardiovascular disease.

Geographic Data Display Implementation

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-06-01

display to be either multiplied or divided by the magnification factor (normally 1.5). The result is a change of extent around the cursor as seen in... Products printer and a 200-card- per-minute card reader with the Interdata 4 (1-4). The 1-4 with its 64K of core is the applications machine connected...storing these values in the CURSTA array. 57 ZOOM IN FUNCTION KEY ZOOM OUT FUNCTION KEY ZMINTP ZMOUTP SET ZOOM OUT MAG FACTOR ZOMTOP SET

Expanding the versatility of phage display I: efficient display of peptide-tags on protein VII of the filamentous phage.

PubMed

Løset, Geir Åge; Bogen, Bjarne; Sandlie, Inger

2011-02-24

Phage display is a platform for selection of specific binding molecules and this is a clear-cut motivation for increasing its performance. Polypeptides are normally displayed as fusions to the major coat protein VIII (pVIII), or the minor coat protein III (pIII). Display on other coat proteins such as pVII allows for display of heterologous peptide sequences on the virions in addition to those displayed on pIII and pVIII. In addition, pVII display is an alternative to pIII or pVIII display. Here we demonstrate how standard pIII or pVIII display phagemids are complemented with a helper phage which supports production of virions that are tagged with octa FLAG, HIS(6) or AviTag on pVII. The periplasmic signal sequence required for pIII and pVIII display, and which has been added to pVII in earlier studies, is omitted altogether. Tagging on pVII is an important and very useful add-on feature to standard pIII and pVII display. Any phagemid bearing a protein of interest on either pIII or pVIII can be tagged with any of the tags depending simply on choice of helper phage. We show in this paper how such tags may be utilized for immobilization and separation as well as purification and detection of monoclonal and polyclonal phage populations.

Altered activity-rest patterns in mice with a human autosomal-dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy mutation in the β2 nicotinic receptor

PubMed Central

Xu, Jian; Cohen, Bruce N.; Zhu, Yongling; Dziewczapolski, Gustavo; Panda, Satchidananda; Lester, Henry A.; Heinemann, Stephen F.; Contractor, Anis

2010-01-01

High-affinity nicotinic receptors containing beta2 subunits (β2*) are widely expressed in the brain, modulating many neuronal processes and contributing to neuropathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. Mutations in both the α4 and β2 subunits are associated with a rare partial epilepsy, autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE). Here we introduced one such human missense mutation into the mouse genome to generate a knock-in strain carrying a valine-to-leucine mutation β2V287L.β2V287L mice were viable and born at an expected Mendelian ratio. Surprisingly, mice did not display an overt seizure phenotype; however homozygous mice did display significant alterations in their activity-rest patterns. This was manifest as an increase in activity during the light cycle suggestive of disturbances in the normal sleep patterns of mice; a parallel phenotype to that found in human ADNFLE patients. Consistent with the role of nicotinic receptors in reward pathways, we found that β2V287L mice did not develop a normal proclivity to voluntary wheel running, a model for natural reward. Anxiety-related behaviors were also affected by the V287L mutation. Mutant mice spent more time in the open arms on the elevated plus maze (EPM) suggesting that they had reduced levels of anxiety. Together, these findings emphasize several important roles of β2* nicotinic receptors in complex biological processes including the activity-rest cycle, natural reward, and anxiety. PMID:20603624

Metabolism and Energy Expenditure, But Not Feeding or Glucose Tolerance, Are Impaired in Young Kiss1r KO Female Mice.

PubMed

Tolson, Kristen P; Garcia, Christian; Delgado, Iris; Marooki, Nuha; Kauffman, Alexander S

2016-11-01

Kisspeptin regulates reproduction via signaling through the receptor, Kiss1r, in GnRH neurons. However, both kisspeptin and Kiss1r are produced in several peripheral tissues, and recent studies have highlighted a role for kisspeptin signaling in metabolism and glucose homeostasis. We recently reported that Kiss1r knockout (KO) mice display a sexually dimorphic metabolic phenotype, with KO females displaying obesity, impaired metabolism, and glucose intolerance at 4-5 months of age. However, it remains unclear when this metabolic phenotype first emerges in development, or which aspects of the pleiotropic phenotype underlie the metabolic defects and which are secondary to the obesity. Here, we studied Kiss1r KO females at different ages, including several weeks before the emergence of body weight (BW) differences and later when obesity is present. We determined that at young adult ages (6 wk old), KO females already exhibit altered adiposity, leptin levels, metabolism, and energy expenditure, despite having normal BWs at this time. In contrast, food intake, water intake, and glucose tolerance are normal at young ages and only show impairments at older adult ages, suggesting that these impairments may be secondary to earlier alterations in metabolism and adiposity. We also demonstrate that, in addition to BW, all other facets of the adult metabolic phenotype persist even when gonadal sex steroids are similar between genotypes. Collectively, these data highlight the developmental emergence of a metabolic phenotype induced by disrupted kisspeptin signaling and reveal that multiple, but not all, aspects of this phenotype are already disrupted before detectable changes in BW.

Effect of explosion-puffed coffee on locomotor activity and behavioral patterns in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Ko, Bong Soo; Ahn, So Hyun; Noh, Dong Ouk; Hong, Ki-Bae; Han, Sung Hee; Suh, Hyung Joo

2017-10-01

We hypothesized that the administration of explosion-puffed coffee, containing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), would be associated with a reduction of the caffeine effect on sleep behavior and behavioral patterns, which was investigated in a Drosophila model. The effects of feeding roasted coffee beans (RB), explosion-puffed coffee beans puffed at 0.75MPa and 0.9MPa (PB 7.5 and PB 9.0, respectively), or decaffeinated coffee beans (DeRB) on locomotor activity and behavioral patterns of Drosophila was analyzed. In the decreasing order, the total chlorogenic acid (caffeoylquinic acids, CQA) content was PB 7.5>PB 9.0>RB. PB content analysis showed high levels of GABA and 5-HTP, compared with that of RB, which corresponded with the sleep-wake behavior of Drosophila. The RB and PB (PB 7.5 and PB 9.0) groups were not significantly different with respect to an activity count during the subjective night and day period compared with the normal controls. Sleep bout numbers of the normal, PB, and DeRB groups showed significant differences as compared with the caffeine and RB groups (p<0.05). The PB and DePB groups showed a significantly increased transcript levels for the GABA receptors compared to the caffeine group. The caffeine and RB groups displayed better climbing ability than the other groups, covering an average distance 6cm in the related test; the average distance covered by the normal, PB 7.5, and DeRB groups was <4cm. The normal and DeRB groups showed similar behavior patterns with respect to total distance, velocity, moving, not moving, and meander. However, the PB 7.5 group significantly regulated not moving and meander of flies compared to flies receiving only caffeine and RB. Suppression of the stimulating effect of caffeine by explosion-puffed coffee administration was indicated in the above results, which can be attributed to the increased content of GABA and 5-HTP with explosive puffing process carried out at 0.75MPa. Results of the underlying mechanism of the behavioral change patterns of explosive puffed with or without caffeine in Drosophila models, transcript level for the Dop1-R1 receptor in caffeine group was significantly higher than normal, PB, and DePB groups. Flies exposed to the caffeine had significantly decreased transcript levels for the GABA receptors. PB 7.5 and DePB showed higher level of GABA content than RB. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stroop tasks reveal abnormal selective attention among psychopathic offenders.

PubMed

Hiatt, Kristina D; Schmitt, William A; Newman, Joseph P

2004-01-01

Selective attention among offenders with psychopathy was investigated using 3 Stroop paradigms: a standard color-word (CW) Stroop, a picture-word (PW) Stroop, and a color-word Stroop in which the word and color were spatially separated (separated CW). Consistent with "overselective" attention, offenders with psychopathy displayed reduced Stroop interference on the separated CW and PW tasks relative to offenders who were not psychopathic. However, offenders with psychopathy displayed normal Stroop interference on the standard CW Stroop. Further, the reduced interference of offenders with psychopathy on the separated CW Stroop was accompanied by normal facilitation. These findings suggest a circumscribed attentional deficit in psychopathy that hinders the use of unattended information that is (a) not integrated with deliberately attended information and (b) not compatible with current goal-directed behavior. ((c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

Health monitoring display system for a complex plant

DOEpatents

Ridolfo, Charles F [Bloomfield, CT; Harmon, Daryl L [Enfield, CT; Colin, Dreyfuss [Enfield, CT

2006-08-08

A single page enterprise wide level display provides a comprehensive readily understood representation of the overall health status of a complex plant. Color coded failure domains allow rapid intuitive recognition of component failure status. A three-tier hierarchy of displays provide details on the health status of the components and systems displayed on the enterprise wide level display in a manner that supports a logical drill down to the health status of sub-components on Tier 1 to expected faults of the sub-components on Tier 2 to specific information relative to expected sub-component failures on Tier 3.

Investigation of display issues relevant to the presentation of aircraft fault information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Donald M.

1989-01-01

This research, performed as a part of NASA Langley's Faultfinder project, investigated display implementation issues related to the introduction of real time fault diagnostic systems into next generation commercial aircraft. Three major issues were investigated: visual display styles for presenting fault related information to the crew, the form the output from the expert system should take, and methods for filtering fault related information for presentation to the crew. Twenty-four flight familiar male volunteers participated as subjects. Five subjects were NASA test pilots, six were Commercial Airline Pilots, seven were Air Force Lear Jet pilots, and six were NASA personnel familiar with flight (non-pilots). Subjects were presented with aircraft subsystem information on a CRT screen. They were required to identify the subsystems presented in a display and to remember the state (normal or abnormal) of subsystem parameter information contained in the display. The results of the study indicated that in the simpler experimental test cases (i.e., those involving single subsystem failures and composite hypothesis displays) subjects' performance did not differ across the different display formats. However, for the more complex cases (i.e., those involving multiple subsystem faults and multiple hypotheses displays), subjects' performance was superior in the text- and picture-based display formats compared to the symbol-based format. In addition, the findings suggest that a layered approached to information display is appropriate.

The availability of snack food displays that may trigger impulse purchases in Melbourne supermarkets

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Supermarkets play a major role in influencing the food purchasing behaviours of most households. Snack food exposures within these stores may contribute to higher levels of consumption and ultimately to increasing levels of obesity, particularly within socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. We aimed to examine the availability of snack food displays at checkouts, end-of-aisle displays and island displays in major supermarket chains in the least and most socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Melbourne. Methods Within-store audits of 35 Melbourne supermarkets. Supermarkets were sampled from the least and most socioeconomically disadvantaged suburbs within 30 km of the Melbourne CBD. We measured the availability of crisps, chocolate, confectionery, and soft drinks (diet and regular) at the checkouts, in end-of-aisle displays, and in island bin displays. Results Snack food displays were most prominent at checkouts with only five stores not having snack foods at 100% of their checkouts. Snack foods were also present at a number of end-of-aisle displays (at both the front (median 38%) and back (median 33%) of store), and in island bin displays (median number of island displays: 7; median total circumference of island displays: 19.4 metres). Chocolate items were the most common snack food item on display. There was no difference in the availability of these snack food displays by neighbourhood disadvantage. Conclusions As a result of the high availability of snack food displays, exposure to snack foods is almost unavoidable in Melbourne supermarkets, regardless of levels of neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage. Results of this study could promote awareness of the prominence of unhealthy food items in chain-brand supermarkets outlets. PMID:22420759

Dihydroartemisinin Inhibits Glucose Uptake and Cooperates with Glycolysis Inhibitor to Induce Apoptosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Cells

PubMed Central

Gao, Jing; Luo, Xian-yang; Liu, Yu; Li, Ning; Li, Chun-lei; Chen, Yu-qiang; Yu, Xiu-yi; Jiang, Jie

2015-01-01

Despite recent advances in the therapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the chemotherapy efficacy against NSCLC is still unsatisfactory. Previous studies show the herbal antimalarial drug dihydroartemisinin (DHA) displays cytotoxic to multiple human tumors. Here, we showed that DHA decreased cell viability and colony formation, induced apoptosis in A549 and PC-9 cells. Additionally, we first revealed DHA inhibited glucose uptake in NSCLC cells. Moreover, glycolytic metabolism was attenuated by DHA, including inhibition of ATP and lactate production. Consequently, we demonstrated that the phosphorylated forms of both S6 ribosomal protein and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and GLUT1 levels were abrogated by DHA treatment in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the upregulation of mTOR activation by high expressed Rheb increased the level of glycolytic metabolism and cell viability inhibited by DHA. These results suggested that DHA-suppressed glycolytic metabolism might be associated with mTOR activation and GLUT1 expression. Besides, we showed GLUT1 overexpression significantly attenuated DHA-triggered NSCLC cells apoptosis. Notably, DHA synergized with 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2DG, a glycolysis inhibitor) to reduce cell viability and increase cell apoptosis in A549 and PC-9 cells. However, the combination of the two compounds displayed minimal toxicity to WI-38 cells, a normal lung fibroblast cell line. More importantly, 2DG synergistically potentiated DHA-induced activation of caspase-9, -8 and -3, as well as the levels of both cytochrome c and AIF of cytoplasm. However, 2DG failed to increase the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels elicited by DHA. Overall, the data shown above indicated DHA plus 2DG induced apoptosis was involved in both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways in NSCLC cells. PMID:25799586

Dihydroartemisinin inhibits glucose uptake and cooperates with glycolysis inhibitor to induce apoptosis in non-small cell lung carcinoma cells.

PubMed

Mi, Yan-jun; Geng, Guo-jun; Zou, Zheng-zhi; Gao, Jing; Luo, Xian-yang; Liu, Yu; Li, Ning; Li, Chun-lei; Chen, Yu-qiang; Yu, Xiu-yi; Jiang, Jie

2015-01-01

Despite recent advances in the therapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the chemotherapy efficacy against NSCLC is still unsatisfactory. Previous studies show the herbal antimalarial drug dihydroartemisinin (DHA) displays cytotoxic to multiple human tumors. Here, we showed that DHA decreased cell viability and colony formation, induced apoptosis in A549 and PC-9 cells. Additionally, we first revealed DHA inhibited glucose uptake in NSCLC cells. Moreover, glycolytic metabolism was attenuated by DHA, including inhibition of ATP and lactate production. Consequently, we demonstrated that the phosphorylated forms of both S6 ribosomal protein and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and GLUT1 levels were abrogated by DHA treatment in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the upregulation of mTOR activation by high expressed Rheb increased the level of glycolytic metabolism and cell viability inhibited by DHA. These results suggested that DHA-suppressed glycolytic metabolism might be associated with mTOR activation and GLUT1 expression. Besides, we showed GLUT1 overexpression significantly attenuated DHA-triggered NSCLC cells apoptosis. Notably, DHA synergized with 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2DG, a glycolysis inhibitor) to reduce cell viability and increase cell apoptosis in A549 and PC-9 cells. However, the combination of the two compounds displayed minimal toxicity to WI-38 cells, a normal lung fibroblast cell line. More importantly, 2DG synergistically potentiated DHA-induced activation of caspase-9, -8 and -3, as well as the levels of both cytochrome c and AIF of cytoplasm. However, 2DG failed to increase the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels elicited by DHA. Overall, the data shown above indicated DHA plus 2DG induced apoptosis was involved in both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways in NSCLC cells.

Abrupt aridities in the Levant-Sahel linked with solar activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, M.; Kushnir, Y.

2012-04-01

Observations of 19th and 20th century precipitation in the Dead Sea watershed region display a multidecadal, anti-phase relationship to North Atlantic (NAtl) sea surface temperature (SST) variability, such that when the NAtl is relatively cold, Jerusalem experiences higher than normal precipitation and vice versa. This association is underlined by a negative correlation to precipitation in the sub-Saharan Sahel and a positive correlation to precipitation in western North America, areas that are also affected by multidecadal NAtl SST variability. These observations are consistent with broad range of Holocene hydroclimatic fluctuations from the epochal, to the millennial and centennial time scales, as displayed by the Dead Sea and Sahelian lake levels and by direct and indirect proxy indicators of NAtl SSTs. On the epochal time scale, the gradual cooling of NAtl SSTs throughout the Holocene in response to precession-driven reduction of summer insolation is associated with previously well-studied wet-to-dry transition in the Sahel and with a general increase in Dead Sea lake levels from low stands after the Younger Dryas to higher stands in the mid- to late-Holocene. On the millennial and centennial time scales there is also evidence for an antiphase relationship between Holocene variations in the Dead Sea and Sahelian lake levels and with proxy indicators of NAtl SSTs. However, the records are punctuated by abrupt lake-level drops and extensive expansion of the desert belt at ~8.1, 5.7, 3.3 and 1.4 ka cal BP, which appear to be in-phase and which occur during previously documented abrupt major cooling events in the Northern Hemisphere. We link these cooling to solar activity variations that were identified in the North Atlantic IRD and cosmogenic isotopes records.

Anomalous proximity effect in an inhomogeneous disordered superconductor.

PubMed

Escoffier, W; Chapelier, C; Hadacek, N; Villégier, J-C

2004-11-19

By combining very low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy on a TiN film we have observed a nonuniform state comprising of superconducting (S) and normal (N) areas. The local density of states displays a spatial dependence between S and N different from the usual proximity effect. We conclude that mesoscopic fluctuations might play a major role in accordance with recent theories describing superconductor-normal-metal quantum transition.

Delayed fertilization of anuran amphibian (Xenopus) eggs leads to reduced numbers of primordial germ cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wakahara, M.; Neff, A. W.; Malacinski, G. M.

1984-01-01

Several media were tested for the extent to which they promoted high fertilization efficiencies in ovulated, stripped Xenopus eggs. One medium was selected for maintaining eggs in a 'delayed fertilization' (DelF) condition. DelF eggs displayed several unusual characteristics, including shift of the center of gravity, prominent sperm entrance site, and occasional polyspermy. The frequency of normal pattern formation varied according to the length of time eggs were maintained in the DelF condition. Various developmental abnormalities were observed during gastrulation, neurulation, and organogenesis. Most abnormalities appeared, however, to be related to morphogenesis of the endoderm. Primordial germ cell (PGC) development was examined in DelF eggs which displayed normal external morphological features at the swimming tadpole stage. PGC counts were usually normal in short-duration (eg, 5 hr) DelF eggs, but frequently substantially reduced or completely diminished in longer-duration (eg, 25h) tadpoles. Six spawnings were compared and shown to exhibit considerable variability in fertility, morphogenesis, and PGC development. Yolk platelet shifts and developmental parameters were examined in two additional spawnings. The subcortical cytoplasm in which the germ plasm is normally localized appeared to be disrupted in longer duration DelF eggs. That observation may account for low PGC counts in DelF tadpoles.

Induction of the tumor-suppressor p16(INK4a) within regenerative epithelial crypts in ulcerative colitis.

PubMed

Furth, Emma E; Gustafson, Karen S; Dai, Charlotte Y; Gibson, Steven L; Menard-Katcher, Paul; Chen, Tina; Koh, Jim; Enders, Greg H

2006-06-01

p16(INK4a) is a major tumor-suppressor protein, but its regulation and settings of fuction remain poorly understood. To explore the notion that p16 is induced in vivo in response to replicative stress, we examined p16 expression in tissues from human ulcerative colitis (UC; n = 25) and normal controls (n = 20). p16 was expressed strongly in UC-associated neoplasms (n = 17), as seen previously in sporadic colonic neoplasms. In non-neoplastic UC epithelium, p16 was expressed in 33% of crypts (the proliferative compartment) compared to < 1% of normal controls. p16 expression did not correlate with degree of inflammation but did correlate with the degree of crypt architecture distortion (P = .002)-a reflection of epithelial regeneration. In coimmunofluorescence studies with Ki67, p16 expression was associated with cell cycle arrest (P < .001). Both UC and normal crypts displayed evidence for the activation of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway, and p16 was induced in primary cultures of normal epithelial cells by ionizing irradiation (IR). However, induction by IR displayed delayed kinetics, implying that p16 is not an immediate target of the checkpoint pathway. These findings support a model in which p16 is induced as an "emergency brake" in cells experiencing sustained replicative stress.

Design and test of a situation-augmented display for an unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring task.

PubMed

Lu, Jen-Li; Horng, Ruey-Yun; Chao, Chin-Jung

2013-08-01

In this study, a situation-augmented display for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) monitoring was designed, and its effects on operator performance and mental workload were examined. The display design was augmented with the knowledge that there is an invariant flight trajectory (formed by the relationship between altitude and velocity) for every flight, from takeoff to landing. 56 participants were randomly assigned to the situation-augmented display or a conventional display condition to work on 4 (number of abnormalities) x 2 (noise level) UAV monitoring tasks three times. Results showed that the effects of situation-augmented display on flight completion time and time to detect abnormalities were robust under various workload conditions, but error rate and perceived mental workload were unaffected by the display type. Results suggest that the UAV monitoring task is extremely difficult, and that display devices providing high-level situation-awareness may improve operator monitoring performance.

Self-interferometric technique for visualization of phase patterns encoded onto a liquid-crystal display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bentley, Joel B.; Davis, Jeffrey A.; Albero, Jorge; Moreno, Ignacio

2006-10-01

We report a new self-interferometric technique for visualizing phase patterns that are encoded onto a phase-only liquid-crystal display (LCD). In our approach, the LCD generates both the desired object beam as well as the reference beam. Normally the phase patterns are encoded with a phase depth of 2π radians, and all of the incident energy is diffracted into the first-order beam. However, by reducing this phase depth, we can generate an additional zero-order diffracted beam, which acts as the reference beam. We work at distances such that these two patterns spatially interfere, producing an interference pattern that displays the encoded phase pattern. This approach was used recently to display the phase vortices of helical Ince-Gaussian beams. Here we show additional experimental results and analyze the process.

A study of image quality for radar image processing. [synthetic aperture radar imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, R. W.; Kaupp, V. H.; Waite, W. P.; Macdonald, H. C.

1982-01-01

Methods developed for image quality metrics are reviewed with focus on basic interpretation or recognition elements including: tone or color; shape; pattern; size; shadow; texture; site; association or context; and resolution. Seven metrics are believed to show promise as a way of characterizing the quality of an image: (1) the dynamic range of intensities in the displayed image; (2) the system signal-to-noise ratio; (3) the system spatial bandwidth or bandpass; (4) the system resolution or acutance; (5) the normalized-mean-square-error as a measure of geometric fidelity; (6) the perceptual mean square error; and (7) the radar threshold quality factor. Selective levels of degradation are being applied to simulated synthetic radar images to test the validity of these metrics.

Transfer of Training from Predictor to Conventional Displays. Interim Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wulfeck, J. W.

Use of a predictor display has been shown to virtually transform the difficulty of a variety of complex, manual control pursuit tracking tasks to the level of those having relatively simple control requirements. With 15-minutes practice, naive operators are able to perform some complex tasks with a predictor display at accuracy levels previously…

Fish oil promotes survival and protects against cognitive decline in severely undernourished mice by normalizing satiety signals

PubMed Central

Avraham, Yosefa; Saidian, Mayer; Burston, James J.; Mevorach, Raphael; Vorobiev, Lia; Magen, Iddo; Kunkes, Eithan; Borges, Beatriz; Lichtman, Aron H.; Berry, Elliot M.

2010-01-01

Severe malnutrition resulting from anorexia nervosa or involuntary starvation leads to low weight, cognitive deficits, and increased mortality rates. In the present study, we examined whether fish oil supplementation, compared with canola oil, would ameliorate the morbidity and mortality associated with these conditions by normalizing endocannabinoid and monoaminergeric systems as well as other systems involved in satiety and cognitive function within the hypothalamus and hippocampus. Female Sabra mice restricted to 40% of their daily food intake exhibited decreased body weight, were sickly in appearance, displayed cognitive deficits, and had increased mortality rates. Strikingly, fish oil supplementation that contains high omega-3 fatty acids levels decreased mortality and morbidity, and normalized the expression of genes and neurotransmitters in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Fish oil supplementation, but not canola oil, increased survival rates, improved general appearance, and prevented cognitive decline, despite the facts that both diets contained an equivalent number of calories and that there were no differences in weight between mice maintained on the two diets in 100% but decrease in the 40%. In the hypothalamus, the beneficial effects of fish oil supplementation were related to normalization of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG), serotonin (5-HT) (p<0.056), dopamine (DA), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase (Camkk2). In the hippocampus, fish oil supplementation normalized 5-HT, Camkk2, silent mating type information regulation 1 (SIRT-1), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In conclusion, dietary supplements of fish oil, as source of omega-3 fatty acids, may alleviate cognitive impairments associated with severe diet restriction and prolong survival independently of weight gain by normalizing neurochemical systems. PMID:21109417

Overexpression of SERBP1 (Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 RNA binding protein) in human breast cancer is correlated with favourable prognosis

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) overexpression is an important prognostic and predictive biomarker in human breast cancer. SERBP1, a protein that is supposed to regulate the stability of PAI-1 mRNA, may play a role in gynaecological cancers as well, since upregulation of SERBP1 was described in ovarian cancer recently. This is the first study to present a systematic characterisation of SERBP1 expression in human breast cancer and normal breast tissue at both the mRNA and the protein level. Methods Using semiquantitative realtime PCR we analysed SERBP1 expression in different normal human tissues (n = 25), and in matched pairs of normal (n = 7) and cancerous breast tissues (n = 7). SERBP1 protein expression was analysed in two independent cohorts on tissue microarrays (TMAs), an initial evaluation set, consisting of 193 breast carcinomas and 48 normal breast tissues, and a second large validation set, consisting of 605 breast carcinomas. In addition, a collection of benign (n = 2) and malignant (n = 6) mammary cell lines as well as breast carcinoma lysates (n = 16) were investigated for SERBP1 expression by Western blot analysis. Furthermore, applying non-radioisotopic in situ hybridisation a subset of normal (n = 10) and cancerous (n = 10) breast tissue specimens from the initial TMA were analysed for SERBP1 mRNA expression. Results SERBP1 is not differentially expressed in breast carcinoma compared to normal breast tissue, both at the RNA and protein level. However, recurrence-free survival analysis showed a significant correlation (P = 0.008) between abundant SERBP1 expression in breast carcinoma and favourable prognosis. Interestingly, overall survival analysis also displayed a tendency (P = 0.09) towards favourable prognosis when SERBP1 was overexpressed in breast cancer. Conclusions The RNA-binding protein SERBP1 is abundantly expressed in human breast cancer and may represent a novel breast tumour marker with prognostic significance. Its potential involvement in the plasminogen activator protease cascade warrants further investigation. PMID:23236990

Psychophysical contrast calibration

PubMed Central

To, Long; Woods, Russell L; Goldstein, Robert B; Peli, Eli

2013-01-01

Electronic displays and computer systems offer numerous advantages for clinical vision testing. Laboratory and clinical measurements of various functions and in particular of (letter) contrast sensitivity require accurately calibrated display contrast. In the laboratory this is achieved using expensive light meters. We developed and evaluated a novel method that uses only psychophysical responses of a person with normal vision to calibrate the luminance contrast of displays for experimental and clinical applications. Our method combines psychophysical techniques (1) for detection (and thus elimination or reduction) of display saturating nonlinearities; (2) for luminance (gamma function) estimation and linearization without use of a photometer; and (3) to measure without a photometer the luminance ratios of the display’s three color channels that are used in a bit-stealing procedure to expand the luminance resolution of the display. Using a photometer we verified that the calibration achieved with this procedure is accurate for both LCD and CRT displays enabling testing of letter contrast sensitivity to 0.5%. Our visual calibration procedure enables clinical, internet and home implementation and calibration verification of electronic contrast testing. PMID:23643843

GPER Deficiency in Male Mice Results in Insulin Resistance, Dyslipidemia, and a Proinflammatory State

PubMed Central

Sharma, Geetanjali; Hu, Chelin; Brigman, Jonathan L.; Zhu, Gang; Hathaway, Helen J.

2013-01-01

Estrogen is an important regulator of metabolic syndrome, a collection of abnormalities including obesity, insulin resistance/glucose intolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and inflammation, which together lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The role of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER/GPR30), particularly in males, in these pathologies remains unclear. We therefore sought to determine whether loss of GPER contributes to aspects of metabolic syndrome in male mice. Although 6-month-old male and female GPER knockout (KO) mice displayed increased body weight compared with wild-type littermates, only female GPER KO mice exhibited glucose intolerance at this age. Weight gain in male GPER KO mice was associated with increases in both visceral and sc fat. GPER KO mice, however, exhibited no differences in food intake or locomotor activity. One-year-old male GPER KO mice displayed an abnormal lipid profile with higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Fasting blood glucose levels remained normal, whereas insulin levels were elevated. Although insulin resistance was evident in GPER KO male mice from 6 months onward, glucose intolerance was pronounced only at 18 months of age. Furthermore, by 2 years of age, a proinflammatory phenotype was evident, with increases in the proinflammatory and immunomodulatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, TNFα, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, interferon γ-induced protein 10, and monokine induced by interferon gamma and a concomitant decrease in the adipose-specific cytokine adiponectin. In conclusion, our study demonstrates for the first time that in male mice, GPER regulates metabolic parameters associated with obesity and diabetes. PMID:23970785

GPER deficiency in male mice results in insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and a proinflammatory state.

PubMed

Sharma, Geetanjali; Hu, Chelin; Brigman, Jonathan L; Zhu, Gang; Hathaway, Helen J; Prossnitz, Eric R

2013-11-01

Estrogen is an important regulator of metabolic syndrome, a collection of abnormalities including obesity, insulin resistance/glucose intolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and inflammation, which together lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The role of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER/GPR30), particularly in males, in these pathologies remains unclear. We therefore sought to determine whether loss of GPER contributes to aspects of metabolic syndrome in male mice. Although 6-month-old male and female GPER knockout (KO) mice displayed increased body weight compared with wild-type littermates, only female GPER KO mice exhibited glucose intolerance at this age. Weight gain in male GPER KO mice was associated with increases in both visceral and sc fat. GPER KO mice, however, exhibited no differences in food intake or locomotor activity. One-year-old male GPER KO mice displayed an abnormal lipid profile with higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Fasting blood glucose levels remained normal, whereas insulin levels were elevated. Although insulin resistance was evident in GPER KO male mice from 6 months onward, glucose intolerance was pronounced only at 18 months of age. Furthermore, by 2 years of age, a proinflammatory phenotype was evident, with increases in the proinflammatory and immunomodulatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, TNFα, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, interferon γ-induced protein 10, and monokine induced by interferon gamma and a concomitant decrease in the adipose-specific cytokine adiponectin. In conclusion, our study demonstrates for the first time that in male mice, GPER regulates metabolic parameters associated with obesity and diabetes.

The invasive phenotype of placenta accreta extravillous trophoblasts associates with loss of E-cadherin.

PubMed

Duzyj, C M; Buhimschi, I A; Motawea, H; Laky, C A; Cozzini, G; Zhao, G; Funai, E F; Buhimschi, C S

2015-06-01

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process of molecular and phenotypic epithelial cell alteration promoting invasiveness. Loss of E-cadherin (E-CAD), a transmembrane protein involved in cell adhesion, is a marker of EMT. Proteolysis into N- and C-terminus fragments by ADAM10 and presenilin-1 (PSEN-1) generates soluble (sE-CAD) and transcriptionally active forms. We studied the protein expression patterns of E-CAD in the serum and placenta of women with histologically-confirmed over-invasive placentation. The patterns of expression and levels of sE-CAD were analyzed by Western blot, immunoassay, and immunoprecipitation. Tissue immunostaining for E-CAD, cytokeratin-7 (epithelial marker), vimentin (mesenchymal marker), ADAM10, PSEN-1 and β-catenin expression were investigated in parallel. N-terminus cleaved 80 kDa sE-CAD fragments were present in serum of pregnant women with gestational age regulation of the circulatory levels. Women with advanced trophoblast invasion did not display circulatory levels of sE-CAD different from those of women with normal placentation. Histologically, extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) closer to the placental-myometrial interface demonstrated less E-CAD staining than those found deeper in the myometrium. These cells expressed both vimentin and cytokeratin, an additional feature of EMT. EVT of placentas with advanced invasion displayed intracellular E-CAD C-terminus immunoreactivity predominating over that of the extracellular N-terminus, a pattern consistent with preferential PSEN-1 processing. Local processing of E-CAD may be an important molecular mechanism controlling the invasive phenotype of accreta EVT. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dietary soya saponins increase gut permeability and play a key role in the onset of soyabean-induced enteritis in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.).

PubMed

Knudsen, David; Jutfelt, Fredrik; Sundh, Henrik; Sundell, Kristina; Koppe, Wolfgang; Frøkiaer, Hanne

2008-07-01

Saponins are naturally occurring amphiphilic molecules and have been associated with many biological activities. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether soya saponins trigger the onset of soyabean-induced enteritis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), and to examine if dietary soya saponins increase the epithelial permeability of the distal intestine in Atlantic salmon. Seven experimental diets containing different levels of soya saponins were fed to seawater-adapted Atlantic salmon for 53 d. The diets included a fishmeal-based control diet, two fishmeal-based diets with different levels of added soya saponins, one diet containing 25% lupin kernel meal, two diets based on 25% lupin kernel meal with different levels of added soya saponins, and one diet containing 25% defatted soyabean meal. The effect on intestinal morphology, intestinal epithelial permeability and faecal DM content was examined. Fish fed 25% defatted soyabean meal displayed severe enteritis, whereas fish fed 25% lupin kernel meal had normal intestinal morphology. The combination of soya saponins and fishmeal did not induce morphological changes but fish fed soya saponins in combination with lupin kernel meal displayed significant enteritis. Increased epithelial permeability was observed in fish fed 25% defatted soyabean meal and in fish fed soya saponin concentrate independent of the protein source in the feed. The study demonstrates that soya saponins, in combination with one or several unidentified components present in legumes, induce an inflammatory reaction in the distal intestine of Atlantic salmon. Soya saponins increase the intestinal epithelial permeability but do not, per se, induce enteritis.

Symbolic enhancement of perspective displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R.; Hacisalihzade, Selim S.

1990-01-01

Two exocentric azimuth judgment experiments with a perspective display were conducted with 16 subjects. Previous work has shown these judgments to exhibit a bias possibly due to misinterpretation of the viewing parameters used to generate the display. Though geometric compensations may be used to correct for the bias, an alternate technique selected in the following 2 experiments was the introduction of symbolic enhancements in the form of compass roses. It is suggested that a compass rose with 30 deg divisions results in overall optimal azimuth estimation accuracy when accuracy and decision time are both considered. The data also suggest that the added radial lines on the compass roses may interact with normalization processes that influence the judgment errors.

The Stanford-Ames portable echocardioscope - A case study in technology transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, G.; Miller, H.

1975-01-01

The paper describes a lightweight portable battery-powered echocardioscope fabricated largely from readily available components. The transducer contains a piezoelectric crystal which acts as both an ultrasound pulse emitter and echo receiver, and the oscilloscope is of modular construction. The oscilloscope display can be produced in any of three different modes: A-mode, B-mode, and M-mode (time-motion) by sweeping the intensified points of light of the B-mode display vertically along the oscilloscope face. The resulting display can be photographed in a time exposure, thus providing a hardcopy record for the patient's chart or physician's records. The device is clinically validated on both normal subjects and patients by experienced echocardiographers.

Functional Association of Arabidopsis CAX1 and CAX3 Is Required for Normal Growth and Ion Homeostasis1

PubMed Central

Cheng, Ning-Hui; Pittman, Jon K.; Shigaki, Toshiro; Lachmansingh, Jinesh; LeClere, Sherry; Lahner, Brett; Salt, David E.; Hirschi, Kendal D.

2005-01-01

Cation levels within the cytosol are coordinated by a network of transporters. Here, we examine the functional roles of calcium exchanger 1 (CAX1), a vacuolar H+/Ca2+ transporter, and the closely related transporter CAX3. We demonstrate that like CAX1, CAX3 is also localized to the tonoplast. We show that CAX1 is predominately expressed in leaves, while CAX3 is highly expressed in roots. Previously, using a yeast assay, we demonstrated that an N-terminal truncation of CAX1 functions as an H+/Ca2+ transporter. Here, we use the same yeast assay to show that full-length CAX1 and full-length CAX3 can partially, but not fully, suppress the Ca2+ hypersensitive yeast phenotype and coexpression of full-length CAX1 and CAX3 conferred phenotypes not produced when either transporter was expressed individually. In planta, CAX3 null alleles were modestly sensitive to exogenous Ca2+ and also displayed a 22% reduction in vacuolar H+-ATPase activity. cax1/cax3 double mutants displayed a severe reduction in growth, including leaf tip and flower necrosis and pronounced sensitivity to exogenous Ca2+ and other ions. These growth defects were partially suppressed by addition of exogenous Mg2+. The double mutant displayed a 42% decrease in vacuolar H+/Ca2+ transport, and a 47% decrease in H+-ATPase activity. While the ionome of cax1 and cax3 lines were modestly perturbed, the cax1/cax3 lines displayed increased PO43−, Mn2+, and Zn2+ and decreased Ca2+ and Mg2+ in shoot tissue. These findings suggest synergistic function of CAX1 and CAX3 in plant growth and nutrient acquisition. PMID:16055687

Haptic Stylus and Empirical Studies on Braille, Button, and Texture Display

PubMed Central

Kyung, Ki-Uk; Lee, Jun-Young; Park, Junseok

2008-01-01

This paper presents a haptic stylus interface with a built-in compact tactile display module and an impact module as well as empirical studies on Braille, button, and texture display. We describe preliminary evaluations verifying the tactile display's performance indicating that it can satisfactorily represent Braille numbers for both the normal and the blind. In order to prove haptic feedback capability of the stylus, an experiment providing impact feedback mimicking the click of a button has been conducted. Since the developed device is small enough to be attached to a force feedback device, its applicability to combined force and tactile feedback display in a pen-held haptic device is also investigated. The handle of pen-held haptic interface was replaced by the pen-like interface to add tactile feedback capability to the device. Since the system provides combination of force, tactile and impact feedback, three haptic representation methods for texture display have been compared on surface with 3 texture groups which differ in direction, groove width, and shape. In addition, we evaluate its capacity to support touch screen operations by providing tactile sensations when a user rubs against an image displayed on a monitor. PMID:18317520

Haptic stylus and empirical studies on braille, button, and texture display.

PubMed

Kyung, Ki-Uk; Lee, Jun-Young; Park, Junseok

2008-01-01

This paper presents a haptic stylus interface with a built-in compact tactile display module and an impact module as well as empirical studies on Braille, button, and texture display. We describe preliminary evaluations verifying the tactile display's performance indicating that it can satisfactorily represent Braille numbers for both the normal and the blind. In order to prove haptic feedback capability of the stylus, an experiment providing impact feedback mimicking the click of a button has been conducted. Since the developed device is small enough to be attached to a force feedback device, its applicability to combined force and tactile feedback display in a pen-held haptic device is also investigated. The handle of pen-held haptic interface was replaced by the pen-like interface to add tactile feedback capability to the device. Since the system provides combination of force, tactile and impact feedback, three haptic representation methods for texture display have been compared on surface with 3 texture groups which differ in direction, groove width, and shape. In addition, we evaluate its capacity to support touch screen operations by providing tactile sensations when a user rubs against an image displayed on a monitor.

Integrative cortical dysfunction and pervasive motion perception deficit in fragile X syndrome.

PubMed

Kogan, C S; Bertone, A; Cornish, K; Boutet, I; Der Kaloustian, V M; Andermann, E; Faubert, J; Chaudhuri, A

2004-11-09

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with neurologic deficits recently attributed to the magnocellular pathway of the lateral geniculate nucleus. To test the hypotheses that FXS individuals 1) have a pervasive visual motion perception impairment affecting neocortical circuits in the parietal lobe and 2) have deficits in integrative neocortical mechanisms necessary for perception of complex stimuli. Psychophysical tests of visual motion and form perception defined by either first-order (luminance) or second-order (texture) attributes were used to probe early and later occipito-temporal and occipito-parietal functioning. When compared to developmental- and age-matched controls, FXS individuals displayed severe impairments in first- and second-order motion perception. This deficit was accompanied by near normal perception for first-order form stimuli but not second-order form stimuli. Impaired visual motion processing for first- and second-order stimuli suggests that both early- and later-level neurologic function of the parietal lobe are affected in Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Furthermore, this deficit likely stems from abnormal input from the magnocellular compartment of the lateral geniculate nucleus. Impaired visual form and motion processing for complex visual stimuli with normal processing for simple (i.e., first-order) form stimuli suggests that FXS individuals have normal early form processing accompanied by a generalized impairment in neurologic mechanisms necessary for integrating all early visual input.

Prevalence and causes of abnormal liver function in patients with coeliac disease.

PubMed

Casella, Giovanni; Antonelli, Elisabetta; Di Bella, Camillo; Villanacci, Vincenzo; Fanini, Lucia; Baldini, Vittorio; Bassotti, Gabrio

2013-08-01

Coeliac disease patients frequently display mild elevation of liver enzymes and this abnormality usually normalizes after gluten-free diet. To investigate the cause and prevalence of altered liver function tests in coeliac patients, basally and after 1 year of gluten-free diet. Data from 245 untreated CD patients (196 women and 49 men, age range 15-80 years) were retrospectively analysed and the liver function tests before and after diet, as well as associated liver pathologies, were assessed. Overall, 43/245 (17.5%) patients had elevated values of one or both aminotransferases; the elevation was mild (<5 times the upper reference limit) in 41 (95%) and marked (>10 times the upper reference limit) in the remaining 2 (5%) patients. After 1 year of gluten-free diet, aminotransferase levels normalized in all but four patients with HCV infection or primary biliary cirrhosis. In coeliac patients, hypertransaminaseaemia at diagnosis and the lack of normalization of liver enzymes after 12 months of diet suggest coexisting liver disease. In such instance, further evaluation is recommended to exclude the liver disease. Early recognition and treatment of coeliac disease in patients affected by liver disease are important to improve the liver function and prevent complications. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Arctigenin preferentially induces tumor cell death under glucose deprivation by inhibiting cellular energy metabolism.

PubMed

Gu, Yuan; Qi, Chunting; Sun, Xiaoxiao; Ma, Xiuquan; Zhang, Haohao; Hu, Lihong; Yuan, Junying; Yu, Qiang

2012-08-15

Selectively eradicating cancer cells with minimum adverse effects on normal cells is a major challenge in the development of anticancer therapy. We hypothesize that nutrient-limiting conditions frequently encountered by cancer cells in poorly vascularized solid tumors might provide an opportunity for developing selective therapy. In this study, we investigated the function and molecular mechanisms of a natural compound, arctigenin, in regulating tumor cell growth. We demonstrated that arctigenin selectively promoted glucose-starved A549 tumor cells to undergo necrosis by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration. In doing so, arctigenin elevated cellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and blocked cellular energy metabolism in the glucose-starved tumor cells. We also demonstrated that cellular ROS generation was caused by intracellular ATP depletion and played an essential role in the arctigenin-induced tumor cell death under the glucose-limiting condition. Furthermore, we combined arctigenin with the glucose analogue 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) and examined their effects on tumor cell growth. Interestingly, this combination displayed preferential cell-death inducing activity against tumor cells compared to normal cells. Hence, we propose that the combination of arctigenin and 2DG may represent a promising new cancer therapy with minimal normal tissue toxicity. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of a new digital breast tomosynthesis medical display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchessoux, Cédric; Vivien, Nicolas; Kumcu, Asli; Kimpe, Tom

2011-03-01

The main objective of this study is to evaluate and validate the new Barco medical display MDMG-5221 which has been optimized for the Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) imaging modality system, and to prove the benefit of the new DBT display in terms of image quality and clinical performance. The clinical performance is evaluated by the detection of micro-calcifications inserted in reconstructed Digital Breast Tomosynthesis slices. The slices are shown in dynamic cine loops, at two frames rates. The statistical analysis chosen for this study is the Receiver Operating Characteristic Multiple-Reader, Multiple-Case methodology, in order to measure the clinical performance of the two displays. Four experienced radiologists are involved in this study. For this clinical study, 50 normal and 50 abnormal independent datasets were used. The result is that the new display outperforms the mammography display for a signal detection task using real DBT images viewed at 25 and 50 slices per second. In the case of 50 slices per second, the p-value = 0.0664. For a cut-off where alpha=0.05, the conclusion is that the null hypothesis cannot be rejected, however the trend is that the new display performs 6% better than the old display in terms of AUC. At 25 slices per second, the difference between the two displays is very apparent. The new display outperforms the mammography display by 10% in terms of AUC, with a good statistical significance of p=0.0415.

Relationship of the Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group E DNA Repair Defect to the Chromatin and DNA Binding Proteins UV-DDB and Replication Protein A

PubMed Central

Rapić Otrin, Vesna; Kuraoka, Isao; Nardo, Tiziana; McLenigan, Mary; Eker, A. P. M.; Stefanini, Miria; Levine, Arthur S.; Wood, Richard D.

1998-01-01

Cells from complementation groups A through G of the heritable sun-sensitive disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) show defects in nucleotide excision repair of damaged DNA. Proteins representing groups A, B, C, D, F, and G are subunits of the core recognition and incision machinery of repair. XP group E (XP-E) is the mildest form of the disorder, and cells generally show about 50% of the normal repair level. We investigated two protein factors previously implicated in the XP-E defect, UV-damaged DNA binding protein (UV-DDB) and replication protein A (RPA). Three newly identified XP-E cell lines (XP23PV, XP25PV, and a line formerly classified as an XP variant) were defective in UV-DDB binding activity but had levels of RPA in the normal range. The XP-E cell extracts did not display a significant nucleotide excision repair defect in vitro, with either UV-irradiated DNA or a uniquely placed cisplatin lesion used as a substrate. Purified UV-DDB protein did not stimulate repair of naked DNA by DDB− XP-E cell extracts, but microinjection of the protein into DDB− XP-E cells could partially correct the repair defect. RPA stimulated repair in normal, XP-E, or complemented extracts from other XP groups, and so the effect of RPA was not specific for XP-E cell extracts. These data strengthen the connection between XP-E and UV-DDB. Coupled with previous results, the findings suggest that UV-DDB has a role in the repair of DNA in chromatin. PMID:9584159

Misregulated progesterone secretion and impaired pregnancy in Cyp11a1 transgenic mice.

PubMed

Chien, Yu; Cheng, Wei-Cheng; Wu, Menq-Rong; Jiang, Si-Tse; Shen, Che-Kun James; Chung, Bon-chu

2013-10-01

Normal pregnancy is supported by increased levels of progesterone (P4), which is secreted from ovarian luteal cells via enzymatic steps catalyzed by P450scc (CYP11A1) and HSD3B. The development and maintenance of corpora lutea during pregnancy, however, are less well understood. Here we used Cyp11a1 transgenic mice to delineate the steps of luteal cell differentiation during pregnancy. Cyp11a1 in a bacterial artificial chromosome was injected into mouse embryos to generate transgenic mice with transgene expression that recapitulated endogenous Cyp11a1 expression. Cyp11a1 transgenic females displayed reduced pregnancy rate, impaired implantation and placentation, and decreased litter size in utero, although they produced comparable numbers of blastocysts. The differentiation of transgenic luteal cells was delayed during early pregnancy as shown by the delayed activation of genes involved in steroidogenesis and cholesterol availability. Luteal cell mitochondria were elongated, and their numbers were reduced, with morphology and numbers similar to those observed in granulosa cells. Transgenic luteal cells accumulated lipid droplets and secreted less progesterone during early pregnancy. The progesterone level returned to normal on gestation day 9 but was not properly withdrawn at term, leading to delayed stillbirth. P4 supplementation rescued the implantation rates but not the ovarian defects. Thus, overexpression of Cyp11a1 disrupts normal development of the corpus luteum, leading to progesterone insufficiency during early pregnancy. Misregulation of the progesterone production in Cyp11a1 transgenic mice during pregnancy resulted in aberrant implantation, anomalous placentation, and delayed parturition.

Overcoming the species hybridization barrier by ploidy manipulation in the genus Oryza.

PubMed

Tonosaki, Kaoru; Sekine, Daisuke; Ohnishi, Takayuki; Ono, Akemi; Furuumi, Hiroyasu; Kurata, Nori; Kinoshita, Tetsu

2018-02-01

In most eudicot and monocot species, interspecific and interploidy crosses generally display abnormalities in the endosperm that are the major cause of a post-zygotic hybridization barrier. In some eudicot species, however, this type of hybridization barrier can be overcome by the manipulation of ploidy levels of one parental species, suggesting that the molecular mechanisms underlying the species hybridization barrier can be circumvented by genome dosage. We previously demonstrated that endosperm barriers in interspecific and interploidy crosses in the genus Oryza involve overlapping but different mechanisms. This result contrasts with those in the genus Arabidopsis, which shows similar outcomes in both interploidy and interspecific crosses. Therefore, we postulated that an exploration of pathways for overcoming the species hybridization barrier in Oryza endosperm, by manipulating the ploidy levels in one parental species, might provide novel insights into molecular mechanisms. We showed that fertile hybrid seeds could be produced by an interspecific cross of female tetraploid Oryza sativa and male diploid Oryza longistaminata. Although the rate of nuclear divisions did not return to normal levels in the hybrid endosperm, the timing of cellularization, nucellus degeneration and the accumulation of storage products were close to normal levels. In addition, the expression patterns of the imprinted gene MADS87 and YUCCA11 were changed when the species barrier was overcome. These results suggest that the regulatory machinery for developmental transitions and imprinted gene expression are likely to play a central role in overcoming species hybridization barriers by genome dosage in the genus Oryza. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Span of Apprehension in Learning Disabled Boys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntyre, Curtis W.; And Others

1978-01-01

The span of apprehension (a measure of the amount of information processed simultaneously from a brief visual display) was studied in two experiments involving 40 normal and learning disabled boys (ages 6-11 years). (Author/DLS)

Increased aggressive and affiliative display behavior in intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) baboons

PubMed Central

Huber, Hillary F; Ford, Susan M; Bartlett, Thad Q; Nathanielsz, Peter W

2016-01-01

Background We hypothesized intrauterine growth restricted offspring (IUGR) demonstrate higher rates of aggression and higher dominance ranks than control (CTR) offspring with normal weight at term; if aggressive behavior is advantageous during resource scarcity, developmental programming may lead to an association between aggression and IUGR. Methods We studied 22 group-housed baboons (ages 3-5 years). CTR (male n=8, female n=5) mothers ate ad libitum. IUGR (male n=4, female n=5) mothers were fed 70% feed eaten by CTR mothers during pregnancy and lactation. Results IUGR showed higher rates of aggressive displays (p<0.01) and friendly displays (p<0.02). Dominance ranks and physical aggression rates did not differ between groups. Conclusions High rates of IUGR aggressive display might reflect developmental programming of behavioral phenotypes enhancing fitness. Friendly displays may reflect reconciliation. Potential mechanisms include neurodevelopment and learning. Exploration of IUGR as a risk factor for behavioral patterns is important for developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. PMID:25891005

"Crypto-Display" in Dual-Mode Metasurfaces by Simultaneous Control of Phase and Spectral Responses.

PubMed

Yoon, Gwanho; Lee, Dasol; Nam, Ki Tae; Rho, Junsuk

2018-06-26

Although conventional metasurfaces have demonstrated many promising functionalities in light control by tailoring either phase or spectral responses of subwavelength structures, simultaneous control of both responses has not been explored yet. Here, we propose a concept of dual-mode metasurfaces that enables simultaneous control of phase and spectral responses for two kinds of operation modes of transmission and reflection, respectively. In the transmission mode, the dual-mode metasurface acts as conventional metasurfaces by tailoring phase distribution of incident light. In the reflection mode, a reflected colored image is produced under white light illumination. We also experimentally demonstrate a crypto-display as one application of the dual-mode metasurface. The crypto-display looks a normal reflective display under white light illumination but generates a hologram that reveals the encrypted phase information under single-wavelength coherent light illumination. Because two operation modes do not affect each other, the crypto-display can have applications in security techniques.

A Smart Spoofing Face Detector by Display Features Analysis.

PubMed

Lai, ChinLun; Tai, ChiuYuan

2016-07-21

In this paper, a smart face liveness detector is proposed to prevent the biometric system from being "deceived" by the video or picture of a valid user that the counterfeiter took with a high definition handheld device (e.g., iPad with retina display). By analyzing the characteristics of the display platform and using an expert decision-making core, we can effectively detect whether a spoofing action comes from a fake face displayed in the high definition display by verifying the chromaticity regions in the captured face. That is, a live or spoof face can be distinguished precisely by the designed optical image sensor. To sum up, by the proposed method/system, a normal optical image sensor can be upgraded to a powerful version to detect the spoofing actions. The experimental results prove that the proposed detection system can achieve very high detection rate compared to the existing methods and thus be practical to implement directly in the authentication systems.

The ergonomic evaluation of eye movement and mental workload in aircraft pilots.

PubMed

Itoh, Y; Hayashi, Y; Tsukui, I; Saito, S

1990-06-01

This paper presents an experiment which examines characteristics of pilots' scanning behaviour when using integrated CRT displays, and the changes in characteristics when pilots face abnormal situations. The subjects were five experienced pilots. They performed two modes of flight tasks, under normal and abnormal situations, in flight simulators with standard settings. The flight simulators were for a Boeing 747-300 (B747), which made use of electromechanical displays, and for a Boeing 767 (B767), equipped with integrated CRT displays. The results showed that the B767 pilots tended to gaze at the attitude director indicator which was displayed in the integrated CRT display. It was assumed that 'gaze-type scanning' might be one of the characteristics of pilots' scanning behaviour in cockpits which use the integrated display. By employing subjective ratings and heart rate variability to measure mental workload, no differences in mental workload between the B767 pilots and the B747 pilots were observed. However, in abnormal situations, the changes in scanning pattern for B767 pilots were found to be smaller than those of the B747 pilots. It is concluded that the application of integrated displays helps pilots to obtain sufficient information more easily than electromechanical displays do, even under abnormal situations.

Triple-phase helical computed tomography in dogs with solid splenic masses

PubMed Central

KUTARA, Kenji; SEKI, Mamiko; ISHIGAKI, Kumiko; TESHIMA, Kenji; ISHIKAWA, Chieko; KAGAWA, Yumiko; EDAMURA, Kazuya; NAKAYAMA, Tomohiro; ASANO, Kazushi

2017-01-01

We investigated the utility of triple-phase helical computed tomography (CT) in differentiating between benign and malignant splenic masses in dogs. Forty-two dogs with primary splenic masses underwent triple-phase helical CT scanning (before administration of contrast, and in the arterial phase, portal venous phase, and delayed phase) prior to splenectomy. Tissue specimens were sent for pathological diagnosis; these included hematomas (n=14), nodular hyperplasias (n=12), hemangiosarcomas (n=11), and undifferentiated sarcomas (n=5). The CT findings were compared with the histological findings. Nodular hyperplasia significantly displayed a homogeneous normal enhancement pattern in all phases. Hemangiosarcoma displayed 2 significant contrast-enhancement patterns, including a homogeneous pattern of poor enhancement in all phases, and a heterogeneous remarkable enhancement pattern in the arterial and portal venous phases. Hematoma and undifferentiated sarcoma displayed a heterogeneous normal enhancement pattern in all phases. The contrast-enhanced volumetric ratios of hematoma tended to be greater than those of undifferentiated sarcoma. Our study demonstrated that the characteristic findings on triple-phase helical CT could be useful for the preoperative differentiation of hematoma, nodular hyperplasia, hemangiosarcoma, and undifferentiated sarcoma in dogs. Triple-phase helical CT may be a useful diagnostic tool in dogs with splenic masses. PMID:28993600

Clinical implication of elevated human cervical cancer oncogene-1 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PubMed

Liu, Ying; Li, Ke; Ren, Zhonghai; Li, Shenglei; Zhang, Hongyan; Fan, Qingxia

2012-07-01

The human cervical cancer oncogene 1 (HCCR-1), a novel human oncoprotein, has been shown to be upregulated in various human tumors and plays a critical role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Here, the authors investigated HCCR-1 level in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and assessed the correlation between HCCR-1 level and prognosis of the patients with ESCC. HCCR-1 levels were investigated by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, real-time quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting methods; Kaplan-Meier curve was used to evaluate the prognostic value of HCCR-1 level in patients with ESCC using log-rank test. HCCR-1 displayed high levels in ESCC tissues compared to squamous dysplasia tissues and normal esophageal epithelial tissues. No significant correlation was observed between the levels of HCCR-1 mRNA and protein and gender and age (all p>0.05) but obviously related to histological grade, clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis (all p<0.001). Moreover, the survival rate of the patients with low HCCR-1 levels was higher than that of the patients with high HCCR-1 levels (both p<0.05). These data demonstrate that HCCR-1 may be used as a novel predictor for the prognosis of the patients with ESCC.

An Assessment of the Importance of Technologies to Military Capabilities.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-10-01

64 1 . 64 1 .64 24 14 9 . 91 TnTAL. .4" .46 .4, r7., .I- 34.92 .2.1 - THT14 NIif - WFArl’N - CANG/MT’. FArTOR, WT 00 00 O ~e. DI.TCI Cl IM61T Fl...NUCLEAR STRUCTURE 6 Figure 2-4a LEVEL-BY-LEVEL DISPLAY 9 Figure 2-4b LEVEL-BY-LEVEL DISPLAY 11 1 . tii TABLES Page tTable 3-1 LIST OF TECHNOLOGIES 15...00 .00 3) rLCTR OPTC *(56) .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 TOTAL .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 Figure 2-4a LEVEL-BY-LEVEL DISPLAY 9 I

PKCθ promotes c-Rel–driven mammary tumorigenesis in mice and humans by repressing estrogen receptor α synthesis

PubMed Central

Belguise, Karine; Sonenshein, Gail E.

2007-01-01

The vast majority of primary human breast cancer tissues display aberrant nuclear NF-κB c-Rel expression. A causal role for c-Rel in mammary tumorigenesis has been demonstrated using a c-Rel transgenic mouse model; however, tumors developed with a long latency, suggesting a second event is needed to trigger tumorigenesis. Here we show that c-Rel activity in the mammary gland is repressed by estrogen receptor α (ERα) signaling, and we identify an epigenetic mechanism in breast cancer mediated by activation of what we believe is a novel PKCθ-Akt pathway that leads to downregulation of ERα synthesis and derepression of c-Rel. ERα levels were lower in c-Rel–induced mammary tumors compared with normal mammary gland tissue. PKCθ induced c-Rel activity and target gene expression and promoted growth of c-Rel- and c-RelxCK2α–driven mouse mammary tumor–derived cell lines. RNA expression levels of PKCθ and c-Rel target genes were inversely correlated with ERα levels in human breast cancer specimens. PKCθ activated Akt, thereby inactivating forkhead box O protein 3a (FOXO3a) and leading to decreased synthesis of its target genes, ERα and p27Kip1. Thus we have shown that activation of PKCθ inhibits the FOXO3a/ERα/p27Kip1 axis that normally maintains an epithelial cell phenotype and induces c-Rel target genes, thereby promoting proliferation, survival, and more invasive breast cancer. PMID:18037997

The Heterotrimeric G-Protein Subunits GNG-1 and GNB-1 Form a Gβγ Dimer Required for Normal Female Fertility, Asexual Development, and Gα Protein Levels in Neurospora crassa

PubMed Central

Krystofova, Svetlana; Borkovich, Katherine A.

2005-01-01

We have identified a gene encoding a heterotrimeric G protein γ subunit, gng-1, from the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. gng-1 possesses a gene structure similar to that of mammalian Gγ genes, consisting of three exons and two introns, with introns present in both the open reading frame and 5′-untranslated region. The GNG-1 amino acid sequence displays high identity to predicted Gγ subunits from other filamentous fungi, including Giberella zeae, Cryphonectria parasitica, Trichoderma harzianum, and Magnaporthe grisea. Deletion of gng-1 leads to developmental defects similar to those previously characterized for Δgnb-1 (Gβ) mutants. Δgng-1, Δgnb-1, and Δgng-1 Δgnb-1 strains conidiate inappropriately in submerged cultures and are female sterile, producing aberrant female reproductive structures. Similar to previous results obtained with Δgnb-1 mutants, loss of gng-1 negatively influences levels of Gα proteins (GNA-1, GNA-2, and GNA-3) in plasma membrane fractions isolated from various tissues of N. crassa and leads to a significant reduction in the amount of intracellular cyclic AMP. In addition, we show that GNB-1 is essential for maintenance of normal steady-state levels of GNG-1, suggesting a functional interaction between GNB-1 and GNG-1. Direct evidence for a physical association between GNB-1 and GNG-1 in vivo was provided by coimmunoprecipitation. PMID:15701799

Biased Type 1 Cannabinoid Receptor Signaling Influences Neuronal Viability in a Cell Culture Model of Huntington Disease.

PubMed

Laprairie, Robert B; Bagher, Amina M; Kelly, Melanie E M; Denovan-Wright, Eileen M

2016-03-01

Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited, autosomal dominant, neurodegenerative disorder with limited treatment options. Prior to motor symptom onset or neuronal cell loss in HD, levels of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) decrease in the basal ganglia. Decreasing CB1 levels are strongly correlated with chorea and cognitive deficit. CB1 agonists are functionally selective (biased) for divergent signaling pathways. In this study, six cannabinoids were tested for signaling bias in in vitro models of medium spiny projection neurons expressing wild-type (STHdh(Q7/Q7)) or mutant huntingtin protein (STHdh(Q111/Q111)). Signaling bias was assessed using the Black and Leff operational model. Relative activity [ΔlogR (τ/KA)] and system bias (ΔΔlogR) were calculated relative to the reference compound WIN55,212-2 for Gαi/o, Gαs, Gαq, Gβγ, and β-arrestin1 signaling following treatment with 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), anandamide (AEA), CP55,940, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and THC+CBD (1:1), and compared between wild-type and HD cells. The Emax of Gαi/o-dependent extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling was 50% lower in HD cells compared with wild-type cells. 2-AG and AEA displayed Gαi/o/Gβγ bias and normalized CB1 protein levels and improved cell viability, whereas CP55,940 and THC displayed β-arrestin1 bias and reduced CB1 protein levels and cell viability in HD cells. CBD was not a CB1 agonist but inhibited THC-dependent signaling (THC+CBD). Therefore, enhancing Gαi/o-biased endocannabinoid signaling may be therapeutically beneficial in HD. In contrast, cannabinoids that are β-arrestin-biased--such as THC found at high levels in modern varieties of marijuana--may be detrimental to CB1 signaling, particularly in HD where CB1 levels are already reduced. Copyright © 2016 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Timing considerations of Helmet Mounted Display performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tharp, Gregory; Liu, Andrew; French, Lloyd; Lai, Steve; Stark, Lawrence

1992-01-01

The Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) system developed in our lab should be a useful teleoperator systems display if it increases operator performance of the desired task; it can, however, introduce degradation in performance due to display update rate constraints and communication delays. Display update rates are slowed by communication bandwidth and/or computational power limitations. We used simulated 3D tracking and pick-and-place tasks to characterize performance levels for a range of update rates. Initial experiments with 3D tracking indicate that performance levels plateau at an update rate between 10 and 20 Hz. We have found that using the HMD with delay decreases performance as delay increases.

A programmable display layer for virtual reality system architectures.

PubMed

Smit, Ferdi Alexander; van Liere, Robert; Froehlich, Bernd

2010-01-01

Display systems typically operate at a minimum rate of 60 Hz. However, existing VR-architectures generally produce application updates at a lower rate. Consequently, the display is not updated by the application every display frame. This causes a number of undesirable perceptual artifacts. We describe an architecture that provides a programmable display layer (PDL) in order to generate updated display frames. This replaces the default display behavior of repeating application frames until an update is available. We will show three benefits of the architecture typical to VR. First, smooth motion is provided by generating intermediate display frames by per-pixel depth-image warping using 3D motion fields. Smooth motion eliminates various perceptual artifacts due to judder. Second, we implement fine-grained latency reduction at the display frame level using a synchronized prediction of simulation objects and the viewpoint. This improves the average quality and consistency of latency reduction. Third, a crosstalk reduction algorithm for consecutive display frames is implemented, which improves the quality of stereoscopic images. To evaluate the architecture, we compare image quality and latency to that of a classic level-of-detail approach.

A thyroid hormone receptor mutation that dissociates thyroid hormone regulation of gene expression in vivo

PubMed Central

Machado, Danielle S.; Sabet, Amin; Santiago, Leticia A.; Sidhaye, Aniket R.; Chiamolera, Maria I.; Ortiga-Carvalho, Tania M.; Wondisford, Fredric E.

2009-01-01

Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is most often due to point mutations in the β-isoform of the thyroid hormone (TH) receptor (TR-β). The majority of mutations involve the ligand-binding domain, where they block TH binding and receptor function on both stimulatory and inhibitory TH response elements. In contrast, a few mutations in the ligand-binding domain are reported to maintain TH binding and yet cause RTH in certain tissues. We introduced one such naturally occurring human RTH mutation (R429Q) into the germline of mice at the TR-β locus. R429Q knock-in (KI) mice demonstrated elevated serum TH and inappropriately normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, consistent with hypothalamic–pituitary RTH. In contrast, 3 hepatic genes positively regulated by TH (Dio1, Gpd1, and Thrsp) were increased in R429Q KI animals. Mice were then rendered hypothyroid, followed by graded T3 replacement. Hypothyroid R429Q KI mice displayed elevated TSH subunit mRNA levels, and T3 treatment failed to normally suppress these levels. T3 treatment, however, stimulated pituitary Gh levels to a greater degree in R429Q KI than in control mice. Gsta, a hepatic gene negatively regulated by TH, was not suppressed in R429Q KI mice after T3 treatment, but hepatic Dio1 and Thrsp mRNA levels increased in response to TH. Cardiac myosin heavy chain isoform gene expression also showed a specific defect in TH inhibition. In summary, the R429Q mutation is associated with selective impairment of TH-mediated gene repression, suggesting that the affected domain, necessary for TR homodimerization and corepressor binding, has a critical role in negative gene regulation by TH. PMID:19439650

C/EBPα regulates CRL4Cdt2-mediated degradation of p21 in response to UVB-induced DNA damage to control the G1/S checkpoint

PubMed Central

Hall, Jonathan R; Bereman, Michael S; Nepomuceno, Angelito I; Thompson, Elizabeth A; Muddiman, David C; Smart, Robert C

2014-01-01

The bZIP transcription factor, C/EBPα is highly inducible by UVB and other DNA damaging agents in keratinocytes. C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes fail to undergo cell cycle arrest in G1 in response to UVB-induced DNA damage and mice lacking epidermal C/EBPα are highly susceptible to UVB-induced skin cancer. The mechanism through which C/EBPα regulates the cell cycle checkpoint in response to DNA damage is unknown. Here we report untreated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes have normal levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21, however, UVB-treated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes fail to up-regulate nuclear p21 protein levels despite normal up-regulation of Cdkn1a mRNA levels. UVB-treated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes displayed a 4-fold decrease in nuclear p21 protein half-life due to the increased proteasomal degradation of p21 via the E3 ubiquitin ligase CRL4Cdt2. Cdt2 is the substrate recognition subunit of CRL4Cdt2 and Cdt2 mRNA and protein levels were up-regulated in UVB-treated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes. Knockdown of Cdt2 restored p21 protein levels in UVB-treated C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes. Lastly, the failure to accumulate p21 in response to UVB in C/EBPα-deficient keratinocytes resulted in decreased p21 interactions with critical cell cycle regulatory proteins, increased CDK2 activity, and inappropriate entry into S-phase. These findings reveal C/EBPα regulates G1/S cell cycle arrest in response to DNA damage via the control of CRL4Cdt2 mediated degradation of p21. PMID:25483090

Monitoring Intracellular Oxygen Concentration: Implications for Hypoxia Studies and Real-Time Oxygen Monitoring.

PubMed

Potter, Michelle; Badder, Luned; Hoade, Yvette; Johnston, Iain G; Morten, Karl J

2016-01-01

The metabolic properties of cancer cells have been widely accepted as a hallmark of cancer for a number of years and have shown to be of critical importance in tumour development. It is generally accepted that tumour cells exhibit a more glycolytic phenotype than normal cells. In this study, we investigate the bioenergetic phenotype of two widely used cancer cell lines, RD and U87MG, by monitoring intracellular oxygen concentrations using phosphorescent Pt-porphyrin based intracellular probes. Our study demonstrates that cancer cell lines do not always exhibit an exclusively glycolytic phenotype. RD demonstrates a reliance on oxidative phosphorylation whilst U87MG display a more glycolytic phenotype. Using the intracellular oxygen sensing probe we generate an immediate readout of intracellular oxygen levels, with the glycolytic lines reflecting the oxygen concentration of the environment, and cells with an oxidative phenotype having significantly lower levels of intracellular oxygen. Inhibition of oxygen consumption in lines with high oxygen consumption increases intracellular oxygen levels towards environmental levels. We conclude that the use of intracellular oxygen probes provides a quantitative assessment of intracellular oxygen levels, allowing the manipulation of cellular bioenergetics to be studied in real time.

DeltaPhage—a novel helper phage for high-valence pIX phagemid display

PubMed Central

Nilssen, Nicolay R.; Frigstad, Terje; Pollmann, Sylvie; Roos, Norbert; Bogen, Bjarne; Sandlie, Inger; Løset, Geir Å.

2012-01-01

Phage display has been instrumental in discovery of novel binding peptides and folded domains for the past two decades. We recently reported a novel pIX phagemid display system that is characterized by a strong preference for phagemid packaging combined with low display levels, two key features that support highly efficient affinity selection. However, high diversity in selected repertoires are intimately coupled to high display levels during initial selection rounds. To incorporate this additional feature into the pIX display system, we have developed a novel helper phage termed DeltaPhage that allows for high-valence display on pIX. This was obtained by inserting two amber mutations close to the pIX start codon, but after the pVII translational stop, conditionally inactivating the helper phage encoded pIX. Until now, the general notion has been that display on pIX is dependent on wild-type complementation, making high-valence display unachievable. However, we found that DeltaPhage does facilitate high-valence pIX display when used with a non-suppressor host. Here, we report a side-by-side comparison with pIII display, and we find that this novel helper phage complements existing pIX phagemid display systems to allow both low and high-valence display, making pIX display a complete and efficient alternative to existing pIII phagemid display systems. PMID:22539265

DeltaPhage--a novel helper phage for high-valence pIX phagemid display.

PubMed

Nilssen, Nicolay R; Frigstad, Terje; Pollmann, Sylvie; Roos, Norbert; Bogen, Bjarne; Sandlie, Inger; Løset, Geir Å

2012-09-01

Phage display has been instrumental in discovery of novel binding peptides and folded domains for the past two decades. We recently reported a novel pIX phagemid display system that is characterized by a strong preference for phagemid packaging combined with low display levels, two key features that support highly efficient affinity selection. However, high diversity in selected repertoires are intimately coupled to high display levels during initial selection rounds. To incorporate this additional feature into the pIX display system, we have developed a novel helper phage termed DeltaPhage that allows for high-valence display on pIX. This was obtained by inserting two amber mutations close to the pIX start codon, but after the pVII translational stop, conditionally inactivating the helper phage encoded pIX. Until now, the general notion has been that display on pIX is dependent on wild-type complementation, making high-valence display unachievable. However, we found that DeltaPhage does facilitate high-valence pIX display when used with a non-suppressor host. Here, we report a side-by-side comparison with pIII display, and we find that this novel helper phage complements existing pIX phagemid display systems to allow both low and high-valence display, making pIX display a complete and efficient alternative to existing pIII phagemid display systems.

From shunting inhibition to dynamic normalization: Attentional selection and decision-making in brief visual displays.

PubMed

Smith, Philip L; Sewell, David K; Lilburn, Simon D

2015-11-01

Normalization models of visual sensitivity assume that the response of a visual mechanism is scaled divisively by the sum of the activity in the excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in its neighborhood. Normalization models of attention assume that the weighting of excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms is modulated by attention. Such models have provided explanations of the effects of attention in both behavioral and single-cell recording studies. We show how normalization models can be obtained as the asymptotic solutions of shunting differential equations, in which stimulus inputs and the activity in the mechanism control growth rates multiplicatively rather than additively. The value of the shunting equation approach is that it characterizes the entire time course of the response, not just its asymptotic strength. We describe two models of attention based on shunting dynamics, the integrated system model of Smith and Ratcliff (2009) and the competitive interaction theory of Smith and Sewell (2013). These models assume that attention, stimulus salience, and the observer's strategy for the task jointly determine the selection of stimuli into visual short-term memory (VSTM) and the way in which stimulus representations are weighted. The quality of the VSTM representation determines the speed and accuracy of the decision. The models provide a unified account of a variety of attentional phenomena found in psychophysical tasks using single-element and multi-element displays. Our results show the generality and utility of the normalization approach to modeling attention. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

System Collects And Displays Demultiplexed Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reschke, Millard F.; Fariss, Julie L.; Kulecz, Walter B.; Paloski, William H.

1992-01-01

Electronic system collects, manipulates, and displays in real time results of manipulation of streams of data transmitted from remote scientific instrumentation. Interface circuit shifts data-and-clock signal from differential logic levels of multiplexer to single-ended logic levels of computer. System accommodates nonstandard data-transmission protocol. Software useful in applications where Macintosh computers used in real-time display and recording of data.

Precision-cut tissue chips as an in vitro toxicology system

PubMed Central

Catania, J. M.; Pershing, A. M.; Gandolfi, A. J.

2007-01-01

Precision-cut tissue slices mimic specific organ toxicity because normal cellular heterogeneity and organ architecture are retained. To optimize the use of the smaller tissues of the mouse and to establish easy assays for tissue viability, a tissue chip based system was used to generate large numbers of samples from a single organ. Iodoacetamide (IAM), was used as a model toxicant, and assays for intracellular potassium (normalized to DNA content) were used to establish viability and toxicant susceptibility. Thereafter, assays that were more rapid and specific were pursued. Lysates from tissues incubated in 6-carboxyfluorescein fluoresced proportionately to concentrations of IAM, indicating disruption of cellular membranes. Similarly, FURA-2, a probe applied to lysates to measure calcium levels, fluoresced proportionately to IAM dosage. Monobromobimane, a fluorescent sulfhydryl probe, displayed a decrease in fluorescent intensity at higher IAM challenge; a finding confirmed with an absorbance assay with Ellman’s reagent. Importantly, the number of samples per organ/mouse was increased at least 3-fold and a significant time reduction per analysis was realized. PMID:17376647

Effects of scopolamine on autonomic profiles underlying motion sickness susceptibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uijtdehaage, Sebastian H. J.; Stern, Robert M.; Koch, Kenneth L.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of scopolamine on the physiological patterns occurring prior to and during motion sickness stimulation. In addition, the use of physiological profiles in the prediction of motion sickness was evaluated. Sixty subjects ingested either 0.6 mg scopolamine, 2.5 mg methoscopolamine, or a placebo. Heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (an index of vagal tone), and electrogastrograms were measured prior to and during the exposure to a rotating optokinetic drum. Compared to the other groups, the scopolamine group reported fewer motion sickness symptoms, and displayed lower HR, higher vagal tone, enhanced normal gastric myoelectric activity, and depressed gastric dysrhythmias before and during motion sickness induction. Distinct physiological profiles prior to drum rotation could reliably differentiate individuals who would develop gastric discomfort from those who would not. Symptom-free subjects were characterized by high levels of vagal tone and low HR across conditions, and by maintaining normal (3 cpm) electrogastrographic activity during drum rotation. It was concluded that scopolamine offered motion sickness protection by initiating a pattern of increased vagal tone and gastric myoelectric stability.

[Changes in the secretion of somatotropin and insulin in hyperthyroidism].

PubMed

Cavagnini, F; Peracchi, M; Panerai, A E; Pinto, M

1975-06-01

Twenty hyperthyroid patients were investigated for growth hormone (GH) and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) secretion in response to insulin hypoglycaemia, arginine infusion and glucose-induced hyperglycaemia. GH response to either insulin hypoglycaemia or arginine infusion was significantly reduced in these patients compared with 20 normal subjects. Thyrotoxic patients also displayed an abnormal GH pattern after a 100 g oral glucose load: in fact, serum GH underwent a paradoxical increase in spite of abnormally high levels attained by blood glucose. IRI secretion was also clearly reduced in response to arginine infusion and moderately blunted after oral glucose. In a group of patients re-evaluated under euthyroid conditions, a fair increase of GH response to the provocative stimuli jointly with the restoration of a normal suppressibility of serum GH by glucose were noted; by contrast, no significant change of IRI response to arginine or glucose took place. Likewise, the impairment of glucose tolerance was not improved. These findings indicate that an impairment of GH and IRI secretion is present in hyperthyroidism. The possibility that a potentiation of the catecholamine effects caused by the thyroid hormones is involved in this alteration deserves consideration.

A cross-sectional study of the relationship between body mass index and clinical characteristics, tenderness measures, quality of life, and physical functioning in fibromyalgia patients.

PubMed

Neumann, Lily; Lerner, Ella; Glazer, Yael; Bolotin, Arkady; Shefer, Alexander; Buskila, Dan

2008-12-01

We examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and measures of tenderness, quality of life, and physical functioning in female fibromyalgia (FMS) patients. A random sample of 100 female FMS patients from a database of 550 FMS individuals was interviewed and assessed according to a structured questionnaire that included FMS-related symptoms, measures of tenderness (point count and dolorimetry), quality of life (SF-36), physical functioning, and BMI. Weight was defined as normal, overweight, and obesity according to BMI. Twenty-seven percent of the FMS patients had normal BMI, 28% were overweight, and 45% were obese. BMI was negatively correlated with quality of life (r = -0.205, P = 0.044) and tenderness threshold (r = -0.238, P = 0.021) and positively correlated with physical dysfunctioning (r = 0.202, P = 0.047) and point count (r = 0.261, P = 0.011). Obese FMS patients display higher pain sensitivity and lower levels of quality of life. In designing studies that explore factors affecting tenderness, BMI should be included in addition to sex, age, etc.

Sensitivity of Salivary Glands to Radiation

PubMed Central

Grundmann, O.; Mitchell, G.C.; Limesand, K.H.

2009-01-01

Radiation therapy for head and neck cancer causes significant secondary side-effects in normal salivary glands, resulting in diminished quality of life for these individuals. Salivary glands are exquisitely sensitive to radiation and display acute and chronic responses to radiotherapy. This review will discuss clinical implications of radiosensitivity in normal salivary glands, compare animal models used to investigate radiation-induced salivary gland damage, address therapeutic advances, and project future directions in the field. PMID:19783796

Development, reliability and use of a food environment assessment tool in supermarkets of four neighbourhoods in Montréal, Canada.

PubMed

Jalbert-Arsenault, Élise; Robitaille, Éric; Paquette, Marie-Claude

2017-09-01

The food environment is a promising arena in which to influence people's dietary habits. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive food environment assessment tool for businesses and characterize the food environment of a low-tomedium income area of Montréal, Canada. We developed a tool, Mesure de l'environnement alimentaire du consommateur dans les supermarchés (MEAC-S), and tested it for reliability. We used the MEAC-S to assess the consumer food environment of 17 supermarkets in four neighbourhoods of Montréal. We measured the shelf length, variety, price, display counts and in-store positions of fruits and vegetables (FV) and ultra-processed food products (UPFPs). We also assessed fresh FV for quality. Store size was estimated using the total measured shelf length for all food categories. We conducted Spearman correlations between these indicators of the food environment. Reliability analyses revealed satisfactory results for most indicators. Characterization of the food environment revealed high variability in shelf length, variety and price of FV between supermarkets and suggested a disproportionate promotion of UPFPs. Display counts of UPFPs outside their normal display location ranged from 7 to 26, and they occupied 8 to 33 strategic in-store positions, whereas the number of display counts of fresh FV outside their normal display location exceeded 1 in only 2 of the 17 stores surveyed, and they occupied a maximum of 2 strategic in-store positions per supermarket. Price of UPFPs was inversely associated with their prominence (p < .005) and promotion (p < .003). Store size was associated with display counts and strategic in-store positioning of UPFPs (p < .001), but not FV, and was inversely associated with the price of soft drinks (p < .003). This study illustrates the variability of the food environment between supermarkets and underscores the importance of measuring in-store characteristics to adequately picture the consumer food environment.

Development, reliability and use of a food environment assessment tool in supermarkets of four neighbourhoods in Montréal, Canada

PubMed Central

Élise, Jalbert-Arsenault; Éric, Robitaille; Marie-Claude, Paquette

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: The food environment is a promising arena in which to influence people’s dietary habits. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive food environment assessment tool for businesses and characterize the food environment of a low-tomedium income area of Montréal, Canada. Methods: We developed a tool, Mesure de l’environnement alimentaire du consommateur dans les supermarchés (MEAC-S), and tested it for reliability. We used the MEAC-S to assess the consumer food environment of 17 supermarkets in four neighbourhoods of Montréal. We measured the shelf length, variety, price, display counts and in-store positions of fruits and vegetables (FV) and ultra-processed food products (UPFPs). We also assessed fresh FV for quality. Store size was estimated using the total measured shelf length for all food categories. We conducted Spearman correlations between these indicators of the food environment. Results: Reliability analyses revealed satisfactory results for most indicators. Characterization of the food environment revealed high variability in shelf length, variety and price of FV between supermarkets and suggested a disproportionate promotion of UPFPs. Display counts of UPFPs outside their normal display location ranged from 7 to 26, and they occupied 8 to 33 strategic in-store positions, whereas the number of display counts of fresh FV outside their normal display location exceeded 1 in only 2 of the 17 stores surveyed, and they occupied a maximum of 2 strategic in-store positions per supermarket. Price of UPFPs was inversely associated with their prominence (p < .005) and promotion (p < .003). Store size was associated with display counts and strategic in-store positioning of UPFPs (p < .001), but not FV, and was inversely associated with the price of soft drinks (p < .003). Conclusion: This study illustrates the variability of the food environment between supermarkets and underscores the importance of measuring in-store characteristics to adequately picture the consumer food environment. PMID:28902478

Mental status testing

MedlinePlus

... time is it? What season is it? PSYCHOMOTOR ACTIVITY Are you calm or irritable and anxious Do you have a normal expression and body movement (affect) or display a flat and depressed affect ATTENTION SPAN Attention span may be tested earlier, because ...

Contractile properties of skinned muscle fibres from young and adult normal and dystrophic (mdx) mice.

PubMed Central

Williams, D A; Head, S I; Lynch, G S; Stephenson, D G

1993-01-01

1. Single muscle fibres were enzymatically isolated from the soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of genetically dystrophic mdx and normal (C57BL/10) mice aged 3-6 or 17-23 weeks. 2. Fibres of both muscles were chemically skinned with the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 (2% v/v). Ca(2+)- and Sr(2+)-activated contractile responses were recorded and comparisons were made between several contractile parameters of various fibre types of normal and dystrophic mice of similar age. 3. There were no significant differences in the following contractile parameters of skinned fibres of normal and mdx mice of the same age: sensitivity to activating Ca2+ (pCa50) or Sr2+ (pSr50) and differential sensitivity to the activating ions (pCa50-pSr50). However the maximum isometric tension (Po) and the frequency of myofibrillar force oscillations in EDL fast-twitch fibres of young mdx mice were significantly lower than those of soleus fast-twitch fibres of the same animals, or fast-twitch fibres (EDL or soleus) of normal mice. 4. Age-related differences were apparent in some contractile parameters of both normal and mdx mice. In particular the steepness of force-pCa and force-pSr curves increased with age in normal mice, yet decreased with age in fibres of mdx mice. 5. A fluorescent probe, ethidium bromide, which interchelates with DNA, was used with laser-scanning confocal microscopy to determine the distribution of myonuclei in fibres. Fibres isolated from either muscle type of normal animals displayed a characteristic peripheral spiral of myonuclei. Fibres from muscles of mdx mice displayed three major patterns of nuclear distribution; the normal peripheral spiral, long central strands of nuclei, and a mixture of these two patterns. 6. The contractile characteristics of mdx fibres were not markedly influenced by the nuclear distribution pattern in that there were no discernible differences in the major contractile parameters (the Hill coefficients nCa and nSr, which are associated with the steepness of the Ca2+ and Sr2+ activation curves, pCa50, pSr50, pCa50-pSr50) of skinned fibres possessing peripheral or central nuclei. However, except for nSr, these values were all lower in individual fibres which displayed similar proportions of central and peripheral nuclei. The presence of mixed nucleation and absence of fibres with embryonic contractile characteristics in mdx mice suggest that the dystrophin-negative fibres can repair locally occurring muscle damage. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 1(Contd.) Fig. 4 Fig. 5 PMID:8487206

Going Below Minimums: The Efficacy of Display Enhanced/Synthetic Vision Fusion for Go-Around Decisions during Non-Normal Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Kramer, Lynda J.; Bailey, Randall E.

2007-01-01

The use of enhanced vision systems in civil aircraft is projected to increase rapidly as the Federal Aviation Administration recently changed the aircraft operating rules under Part 91, revising the flight visibility requirements for conducting approach and landing operations. Operators conducting straight-in instrument approach procedures may now operate below the published approach minimums when using an approved enhanced flight vision system that shows the required visual references on the pilot's Head-Up Display. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the complementary use of synthetic vision systems and enhanced vision system technologies, focusing on new techniques for integration and/or fusion of synthetic and enhanced vision technologies and crew resource management while operating under these newly adopted rules. Experimental results specific to flight crew response to non-normal events using the fused synthetic/enhanced vision system are presented.

Growth promotion and inhibition of the Amazonian wild rice species Oryza grandiglumis to survive flooding.

PubMed

Okishio, Takuma; Sasayama, Daisuke; Hirano, Tatsuya; Akimoto, Masahiro; Itoh, Kazuyuki; Azuma, Tetsushi

2014-09-01

In Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa), distinct mechanisms to survive flooding are activated in two groups of varieties. Submergence-tolerant rice varieties possessing the SUBMERGENCE1A (SUB1A) gene display reduced growth during flash floods at the seedling stage and resume growth after the flood recedes, whereas deepwater rice varieties possessing the SNORKEL1 (SK1) and SNORKEL2 (SK2) genes display enhanced growth based on internodal elongation during prolonged submergence at the mature stage. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of these growth responses to submergence in the wild rice species Oryza grandiglumis, which is native to the Amazon floodplains. When subjected to gradual submergence, adult plants of O. grandiglumis accessions showed enhanced internodal elongation with rising water level and their growth response closely resembled that of deepwater varieties of O. sativa with high floating capacity. On the other hand, when subjected to complete submergence, seedlings of O. grandiglumis accessions displayed reduced shoot growth and resumed normal growth after desubmergence, similar to the response of submergence-tolerant varieties of O. sativa. Neither SUB1A nor the SK genes were detected in the O. grandiglumis accessions. These results indicate that the O. grandiglumis accessions are capable of adapting successfully to flooding by activating two contrasting mechanisms as the situation demands and that each mechanism of adaptation to flooding is not mediated by SUB1A or the SK genes.

Conflict and performance monitoring throughout the lifespan: An event-related potential (ERP) and temporospatial component analysis.

PubMed

Clawson, Ann; Clayson, Peter E; Keith, Cierra M; Catron, Christina; Larson, Michael J

2017-03-01

Cognitive control includes higher-level cognitive processes used to evaluate environmental conflict. Given the importance of cognitive control in regulating behavior, understanding the developmental course of these processes may contribute to a greater understanding of normal and abnormal development. We examined behavioral (response times [RTs], error rates) and event-related potential data (N2, error-related negativity [ERN], correct-response negativity [CRN], error positivity [Pe]) during a flanker task in cross-sectional groups of 45 youth (ages 8-18), 52 younger adults (ages 20-28), and 58 older adults (ages 56-91). Younger adults displayed the most efficient processing, including significantly reduced CRN and N2 amplitude, increased Pe amplitude, and significantly better task performance than youth or older adults (e.g., faster RTs, fewer errors). Youth displayed larger CRN and N2, attenuated Pe, and significantly worse task performance than younger adults. Older adults fell either between youth and younger adults (e.g., CRN amplitudes, N2 amplitudes) or displayed neural and behavioral performance that was similar to youth (e.g., Pe amplitudes, error rates). These findings point to underdeveloped neural and cognitive processes early in life and reduced efficiency in older adulthood, contributing to poor implementation and modulation of cognitive control in response to conflict. Thus, cognitive control processing appears to reach peak performance and efficiency in younger adulthood, marked by improved task performance with less neural activation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential clinical relevance of the 'little brain' on the mammalian heart.

PubMed

Armour, J A

2008-02-01

It is hypothesized that the heart possesses a nervous system intrinsic to it that represents the final relay station for the co-ordination of regional cardiac indices. This 'little brain' on the heart is comprised of spatially distributed sensory (afferent), interconnecting (local circuit) and motor (adrenergic and cholinergic efferent) neurones that communicate with others in intrathoracic extracardiac ganglia, all under the tonic influence of central neuronal command and circulating catecholamines. Neurones residing from the level of the heart to the insular cortex form temporally dependent reflexes that control overlapping, spatially determined cardiac indices. The emergent properties that most of its components display depend primarily on sensory transduction of the cardiovascular milieu. It is further hypothesized that the stochastic nature of such neuronal interactions represents a stabilizing feature that matches cardiac output to normal corporal blood flow demands. Thus, with regard to cardiac disease states, one must consider not only cardiac myocyte dysfunction but also the fact that components within this neuroaxis may interact abnormally to alter myocyte function. This review emphasizes the stochastic behaviour displayed by most peripheral cardiac neurones, which appears to be a consequence of their predominant cardiac chemosensory inputs, as well as their complex functional interconnectivity. Despite our limited understanding of the whole, current data indicate that the emergent properties displayed by most neurones comprising the cardiac neuroaxis will have to be taken into consideration when contemplating the targeting of its individual components if predictable, long-term therapeutic benefits are to accrue.

Follicular localization of growth differentiation factor 8 and its receptors in normal and polycystic ovary syndrome ovaries.

PubMed

Lin, Ting-Ting; Chang, Hsun-Ming; Hu, Xiao-Ling; Leung, Peter C K; Zhu, Yi-Min

2018-05-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age and its etiology has not been characterized. Growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily that plays a critical role in the regulation of ovarian functions. However, the expression pattern of GDF8 in the human ovary is not yet clear. This study examined the cellular distribution of GDF8 and its putative cellular receptors (ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5) in a series of normal (n = 34) and PCOS ovaries (n = 14). The immunostaining of GDF8, ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5 was detected in the oocytes regardless of the developmental stage. All these proteins were localized in antral follicles in normal and PCOS ovaries, and the expression of these proteins increased with increasing follicle diameter. A significantly higher expression of GDF8 was detected in the granulosa cells than in the matched theca cells (TCs). These proteins were also localized in the luteal cells of the corpus luteum. Granulosa cells and TCs of large antral follicles in PCOS ovaries display a higher expression of these proteins. The higher expression levels of GDF8 and its functional receptors (ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5) in antral follicles of PCOS ovaries than those in normal ovaries suggest the possible involvement of dysregulated GDF8 in the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Early environmental therapy rescues brain development in a mouse model of Down syndrome.

PubMed

Begenisic, Tatjana; Sansevero, Gabriele; Baroncelli, Laura; Cioni, Giovanni; Sale, Alessandro

2015-10-01

Down syndrome (DS), the most common genetic disorder associated with intellectual disabilities, is an untreatable condition characterized by a number of developmental defects and permanent deficits in the adulthood. Ts65Dn mice, the major animal model for DS, display severe cognitive and synaptic plasticity defects closely resembling the human phenotype. Here, we employed a multidisciplinary approach to investigate, for the first time in developing Ts65Dn mice, the effects elicited by early environmental enrichment (EE) on brain maturation and function. We report that exposure to EE resulted in a robust increase in maternal care levels displayed by Ts65Dn mothers and led to a normalization of declarative memory abilities and hippocampal plasticity in trisomic offspring. The positive effects of EE on Ts65Dn phenotype were not limited to the cognitive domain, but also included a rescue of visual system maturation. The beneficial EE effects were accompanied by increased BDNF and correction of over-expression of the GABA vesicular transporter vGAT. These findings highlight the beneficial impact of early environmental stimuli and their potential for application in the treatment of major functional deficits in children with DS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying corals displaying aberrant behavior in Fiji’s Lau Archipelago

PubMed Central

Chen, Chii-Shiarng; Dempsey, Alexandra C.

2017-01-01

Abstract Given the numerous threats against Earth’s coral reefs, there is an urgent need to develop means of assessing reef coral health on a proactive timescale. Molecular biomarkers may prove useful in this endeavor because their expression should theoretically undergo changes prior to visible signs of health decline, such as the breakdown of the coral-dinoflagellate (genus Symbiodinium) endosymbiosis. Herein 13 molecular- and physiological-scale biomarkers spanning both eukaryotic compartments of the anthozoan-Symbiodinium mutualism were assessed across 70 pocilloporid coral colonies sampled from reefs of Fiji’s easternmost province, Lau. Eleven colonies were identified as outliers upon employment of a detection method based partially on the Mahalanobis distance; these corals were hypothesized to have been displaying aberrant sub-cellular behavior with respect to their gene expression signatures, as they were characterized not only by lower Symbiodinium densities, but also by higher levels of expression of several stress-targeted genes. Although these findings could suggest that the sampled colonies were physiologically compromised at the time of sampling, further studies are warranted to state conclusively whether these 11 scleractinian coral colonies are more stress-prone than nearby conspecifics that demonstrated statistically normal phenotypes. PMID:28542245

Mice lacking GPR3 receptors display late-onset obese phenotype due to impaired thermogenic function in brown adipose tissue

PubMed Central

Godlewski, Grzegorz; Jourdan, Tony; Szanda, Gergő; Tam, Joseph; Resat Cinar; Harvey-White, Judith; Liu, Jie; Mukhopadhyay, Bani; Pacher, Pál; Ming Mo, Fong; Osei-Hyiaman, Douglas; George Kunos

2015-01-01

We report an unexpected link between aging, thermogenesis and weight gain via the orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR3. Mice lacking GPR3 and maintained on normal chow had similar body weights during their first 5 months of life, but gained considerably more weight thereafter and displayed reduced total energy expenditure and lower core body temperature. By the age of 5 months GPR3 KO mice already had lower thermogenic gene expression and uncoupling protein 1 protein level and showed impaired glucose uptake into interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) relative to WT littermates. These molecular deviations in iBAT of GPR3 KO mice preceded measurable differences in body weight and core body temperature at ambient conditions, but were coupled to a failure to maintain thermal homeostasis during acute cold challenge. At the same time, the same cold challenge caused a 17-fold increase in Gpr3 expression in iBAT of WT mice. Thus, GPR3 appears to have a key role in the thermogenic response of iBAT and may represent a new therapeutic target in age-related obesity. PMID:26455425

TNF-{alpha} similarly induces IL-6 and MCP-1 in fibroblasts from colorectal liver metastases and normal liver fibroblasts

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

Mueller, Lars, E-mail: lars.mueller@uksh-kiel.de; Seggern, Lena von; Schumacher, Jennifer

2010-07-02

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) represent the predominant cell type of the neoplastic stroma of solid tumors, yet their biology and functional specificity for cancer pathogenesis remain unclear. We show here that primary CAFs from colorectal liver metastases express several inflammatory, tumor-enhancing factors, including interleukin (IL)-6 and monocyte-chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1. Both molecules were intensely induced by TNF-{alpha} on the transcript and protein level, whereas PDGF-BB, TGF-{beta}1 and EGF showed no significant effects. To verify their potential specialization for metastasis progression, CAFs were compared to fibroblasts from non-tumor liver tissue. Interestingly, these liver fibroblasts (LFs) displayed similar functions. Further analyses revealed a comparablemore » up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) by TNF-{alpha}, and of alpha-smooth muscle actin, by TGF-{beta}1. Moreover, the proliferation of both cell types was induced by PDGF-BB, and CAFs and LFs displayed an equivalent migration towards HT29 colon cancer cells in Boyden chamber assays. In conclusion, colorectal liver metastasis may be supported by CAFs and resident fibroblastic cells competent to generate a prometastatic microenvironment through inflammatory activation of IL-6 and MCP-1.« less

Pilot Preferences for Information Provided and Its Format for Status, Alerts, and Controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.

2004-01-01

With the increased use of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in flight decks and the computing power available, it is possible to combine status screens, alerts/procedures screens, and control screens onto a single display. This report presents the results of a survey designed to assess the perceived helpfulness and need of various pieces of information that could be included on status and control screens. The results from the survey indicate that operators want parameter ranges that change depending on the current aircraft configuration shown on bow-tie or dial displays. These displays should show the current value, normal range, alert type and range, and predictive information. Respondents wanted to see system relationships to one another for both component control and menu selection. When bringing up these various displays, this information should come up with a single button push. Finally, checklists should sense when a component has changed to the desired state.

Flexible active-matrix organic light-emitting diode display enabled by MoS2 thin-film transistor.

PubMed

Choi, Minwoo; Park, Yong Ju; Sharma, Bhupendra K; Bae, Sa-Rang; Kim, Soo Young; Ahn, Jong-Hyun

2018-04-01

Atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) has been extensively investigated in semiconductor electronics but has not been applied in a backplane circuitry of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Its applicability as an active drive element is hampered by the large contact resistance at the metal/MoS 2 interface, which hinders the transport of carriers at the dielectric surface, which in turn considerably deteriorates the mobility. Modified switching device architecture is proposed for efficiently exploiting the high- k dielectric Al 2 O 3 layer, which, when integrated in an active matrix, can drive the ultrathin OLED display even in dynamic folding states. The proposed architecture exhibits 28 times increase in mobility compared to a normal back-gated thin-film transistor, and its potential as a wearable display attached to a human wrist is demonstrated.

Experimental evaluation of candidate graphical microburst alert displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wanke, Craig R.; Hansman, R. John

1992-01-01

A piloted flight simulator experiment was conducted to evaluate issues related to the display of microburst alerts on electronic cockpit instrumentation. Issues addressed include display clarity, usefulness of multilevel microburst intensity information, and whether information from multiple sensors should be presented separately or 'fused' into combined alerts. Nine active airline pilots of 'glass cockpit' aircraft participated in the study. Microburst alerts presented on a moving map display were found to be visually clear and useful to pilots. Also, multilevel intensity information coded by colors or patterns was found to be important for decision making purposes. Pilot opinion was mixed on whether to 'fuse' data from multiple sensors, and some resulting design tradeoffs were identified. The positional information included in the graphical alert presentation was found useful by the pilots for planning lateral missed approach maneuvers, but may result in deviations which could interfere with normal airport operations. A number of flight crew training issues were also identified.

Flexible active-matrix organic light-emitting diode display enabled by MoS2 thin-film transistor

PubMed Central

Park, Yong Ju

2018-01-01

Atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been extensively investigated in semiconductor electronics but has not been applied in a backplane circuitry of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Its applicability as an active drive element is hampered by the large contact resistance at the metal/MoS2 interface, which hinders the transport of carriers at the dielectric surface, which in turn considerably deteriorates the mobility. Modified switching device architecture is proposed for efficiently exploiting the high-k dielectric Al2O3 layer, which, when integrated in an active matrix, can drive the ultrathin OLED display even in dynamic folding states. The proposed architecture exhibits 28 times increase in mobility compared to a normal back-gated thin-film transistor, and its potential as a wearable display attached to a human wrist is demonstrated. PMID:29713686

Amplified Pilot Head Vibration and the Effects of Vibration Mitigation on Neck Muscle Strain.

PubMed

Wright Beatty, Heather E; Law, Andrew J; Thomas, J Russell; Wickramasinghe, Viresh

2018-06-01

Rotary wing pilot neck strain is increasing in prevalence due to the combined effects of head supported mass (e.g., Night Vision Goggles, head mounted displays) and whole-body vibration. This study examined the physiological responses of pilots during exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) representative of the National Research Council's Bell 412 helicopter in forward flight. WBV levels were measured and evaluated using the ISO-2631-1-1997 WBV standards. Twelve pilots (aged 20-59 yr, 7 of the 12 with 20+ years flight experience) underwent six 15-min vibration trials on a human rated shaker platform. Participants were exposed to three vibration levels (-25%, normal, and +25% amplitude; Levels 1-3, respectively) while seated on an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or vibration mitigating (MIT) cushion. Upper back and neck electromyography (EMG) and acceleration were continuously recorded. Normalized EMG amplitude was higher using the OEM compared to the MIT during Level 2 (0.18 vs. -0.27) and Level 3 (0.24 vs. -0.14) for the anterior neck muscles. Health weighted vibration amplitude at the head (Mean of 3 levels: OEM = 1.19 and MIT = 1.11 m · s-2) was larger than the vibration amplitude at the seat (Mean of 3 levels: OEM = 0.77 and MIT = 0.70 m · s-2). The amplification of head vibration relative to the seat, and the significant effects of vibration level, as well as the vibration mitigation cushion, on neck EMG amplitude support the need for revisions to the ISO-2631-1 standard to account for the head and neck response to whole-body vibration.Wright Beatty HE, Law AJ, Thomas JR, Wickramasinghe V. Amplified pilot head vibration and the effects of vibration mitigation on neck muscle strain. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(6):510-519.

Two non-allelic nuclear genes restore fertility in a gametophytic pattern and enhance abiotic stress tolerance in the hybrid rice plant.

PubMed

Huang, Wenchao; Hu, Jun; Yu, Changchun; Huang, Qi; Wan, Lei; Wang, Lili; Qin, Xiaojian; Ji, Yanxiao; Zhu, Renshan; Li, Shaoqing; Zhu, Yingguo

2012-03-01

In indica rice, the HongLian (HL)-type combination of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and fertility restoration (Rf) is widely used for the production of commercial hybrid seeds in China, Laos, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. Generally, any member of the gametophytic fertility restoration system, 50% of the pollen in hybrid F(1) plants displays recovered sterility. In this study, however, a HL-type hybrid variety named HongLian You6 had approximately 75% normal (viable) pollen rather than the expected 50%. To resolve this discrepancy, several fertility segregation populations, including F(2) and BC(1)F(1) derived from the HL-CMS line Yuetai A crossed with the restorer line 9311, were constructed and subjected to genetic analysis. A gametophytic restoration model was discovered to involve two non-allelic nuclear restorer genes, Rf5 and Rf6. The Rf5 had been previously identified using a positional clone strategy. The Rf6 gene represents a new restorer gene locus, which was mapped to the short arm of chromosome 8. The hybrid F(1) plants containing one restorer gene, either Rf5 or Rf6, displayed 50% normal pollen grains with I(2)-KI solution; however, those with both Rf5 and Rf6 displayed 75% normal pollens. We also established that the hybrid F(1) plants including both non-allelic restorer genes exhibited an increased stable seed setting when subjected to stress versus the F(1) plants with only one restorer gene. Finally, we discuss the breeding scheme for the plant gametophytic CMS/Rf system.

Display activity and seasonality of faecal sexual steroids in male great bustard (Otis tarda L.).

PubMed

Biczó, A; Péczely, P

2007-03-01

The non-invasive faecal sampling and RIA was used to measure faecal equivalents of testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), oestradiol-17beta (E2) and progesterone (P4) in juvenile and adult great bustard males. Possible connections of diurnal and seasonal changes of sexual steroid levels and display activity were studied. Correlations were found between sexual steroid equivalent levels of faeces and display activity and agonistic behaviour in the different phases of annual cycle of adult males. In early display period increasing levels of androgens were measured, during main display period very high androgen dominance was observable against E2 and P4. During postnuptial moult strong T decrease and DHEA and P4 increase were detected. Elevation of E2 was measured during wintering. In juveniles level of DHEA was higher than level of T suggesting its importance in immature males. Decrease of T was detected between reproductive period and postnuptial moult and DHEA between reproduction and wintering, accompanying with E2 elevation. The inhibiting effect of inclement weather on gonad functions also was detected in our study. We suppose that the unexpected cold weather with strong wind depressed the levels of androgens both in juveniles and adults and the increase of faecal E2 was also detected.

Microcomputer Assisted Interpretative Reporting of Sequential Creatine Kinase (CK) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Isoenzyme Determination

PubMed Central

Talamo, Thomas S.; Losos, Frank J.; Mercer, Donald W.

1984-01-01

We have developed a microcomputer based system for interpretative reporting of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme studies. Patient demographic data and test results (total CK, CK-MB, LD-1, and LD-2) are entered manually through the keyboard. The test results are compared with normal range values and an interpretative report is generated. This report consists of all pertinent demographic information with a graphic display of up to 12 previous CK and LDH isoenzyme determinations. Diagnostic interpretative statements are printed beneath the graphic display following analysis of previously entered test results. The combination of graphic data display and interpretations based on analysis of up to 12 previous specimens provides useful and accurate information to the cardiologist.

Artificial Structural Color Pixels: A Review

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yuqian; Zhao, Yong; Hu, Sheng; Lv, Jiangtao; Ying, Yu; Gervinskas, Gediminas; Si, Guangyuan

2017-01-01

Inspired by natural photonic structures (Morpho butterfly, for instance), researchers have demonstrated varying artificial color display devices using different designs. Photonic-crystal/plasmonic color filters have drawn increasing attention most recently. In this review article, we show the developing trend of artificial structural color pixels from photonic crystals to plasmonic nanostructures. Such devices normally utilize the distinctive optical features of photonic/plasmon resonance, resulting in high compatibility with current display and imaging technologies. Moreover, dynamical color filtering devices are highly desirable because tunable optical components are critical for developing new optical platforms which can be integrated or combined with other existing imaging and display techniques. Thus, extensive promising potential applications have been triggered and enabled including more abundant functionalities in integrated optics and nanophotonics. PMID:28805736

Schizophrenia and the structure of language: the linguist's view.

PubMed

Covington, Michael A; He, Congzhou; Brown, Cati; Naçi, Lorina; McClain, Jonathan T; Fjordbak, Bess Sirmon; Semple, James; Brown, John

2005-09-01

Patients with schizophrenia often display unusual language impairments. This is a wide ranging critical review of the literature on language in schizophrenia since the 19th century. We survey schizophrenic language level by level, from phonetics through phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. There are at least two kinds of impairment (perhaps not fully distinct): thought disorder, or failure to maintain a discourse plan, and schizophasia, comprising various dysphasia-like impairments such as clanging, neologism, and unintelligible utterances. Thought disorder appears to be primarily a disruption of executive function and pragmatics, perhaps with impairment of the syntax-semantics interface; schizophasia involves disruption at other levels. Phonetics is also often abnormal (manifesting as flat intonation or unusual voice quality), but phonological structure, morphology, and syntax are normal or nearly so (some syntactic impairments have been demonstrated). Access to the lexicon is clearly impaired, manifesting as stilted speech, word approximation, and neologism. Clanging (glossomania) is straightforwardly explainable as distraction by self-monitoring. Recent research has begun to relate schizophrenia, which is partly genetic, to the genetic endowment that makes human language possible.

JAVA Stereo Display Toolkit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmonds, Karina

2008-01-01

This toolkit provides a common interface for displaying graphical user interface (GUI) components in stereo using either specialized stereo display hardware (e.g., liquid crystal shutter or polarized glasses) or anaglyph display (red/blue glasses) on standard workstation displays. An application using this toolkit will work without modification in either environment, allowing stereo software to reach a wider audience without sacrificing high-quality display on dedicated hardware. The toolkit is written in Java for use with the Swing GUI Toolkit and has cross-platform compatibility. It hooks into the graphics system, allowing any standard Swing component to be displayed in stereo. It uses the OpenGL graphics library to control the stereo hardware and to perform the rendering. It also supports anaglyph and special stereo hardware using the same API (application-program interface), and has the ability to simulate color stereo in anaglyph mode by combining the red band of the left image with the green/blue bands of the right image. This is a low-level toolkit that accomplishes simply the display of components (including the JadeDisplay image display component). It does not include higher-level functions such as disparity adjustment, 3D cursor, or overlays all of which can be built using this toolkit.

The role of retinal versus perceived size in the effects of pitched displays on visually perceived eye level

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Post, R. B.; Welch, R. B.

1996-01-01

Visually perceived eye level (VPEL) was measured while subjects viewed two vertical lines which were either upright or pitched about the horizontal axis. In separate conditions, the display consisted of a relatively large pair of lines viewed at a distance of 1 m, or a display scaled to one third the dimensions and viewed at a distance of either 1 m or 33.3 cm. The small display viewed at 33.3 cm produced a retinal image the same size as that of the large display at 1 m. Pitch of all three displays top-toward and top-away from the observer caused upward and downward VPEL shifts, respectively. These effects were highly similar for the large display and the small display viewed at 33.3 cm (ie equal retinal size), but were significantly smaller for the small display viewed at 1 m. In a second experiment, perceived size of the three displays was measured and found to be highly accurate. The results of the two experiments indicate that the effect of optical pitch on VPEL depends on the retinal image size of stimuli rather than on perceived size.

Display rules versus display autonomy: emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and task performance in a call center simulation.

PubMed

Goldberg, Lori Sideman; Grandey, Alicia A

2007-07-01

"Service with a smile" is satisfying for the customer, but such display rules may be costly to the employee and the organization. Most previous research on such costs has used self-reported and cross-sectional designs. The authors use an experimental approach to test tenets of resource depletion theories; specifically, whether the self-regulation of emotions required by display rules depletes energy and attentional resources during a service encounter. Using a call center simulation with three "customer" interactions, the authors found that participants given positive display rules (e.g., be enthusiastic and hide frustration) reported more postsimulation exhaustion and made more errors on the order form compared to those with display autonomy. Customer hostility during one of the calls also increased exhaustion overall and the number of errors during that specific call, though proposed interactions with display rules were not supported. Surface-level emotion regulation, but not deep-level, was the mechanism for the energy depletion effect of display rules, while display rules had a direct effect on performance decrements. Theoretical and practical implications for display rules as part of job requirements are discussed. Copyright 2007 APA

Biaxial Normal Strength Behavior in the Axial-Transverse Plane for Human Trabecular Bone—Effects of Bone Volume Fraction, Microarchitecture, and Anisotropy

PubMed Central

Sanyal, Arnav; Keaveny, Tony M.

2013-01-01

The biaxial failure behavior of the human trabecular bone, which has potential relevance both for fall and gait loading conditions, is not well understood, particularly for low-density bone, which can display considerable mechanical anisotropy. Addressing this issue, we investigated the biaxial normal strength behavior and the underlying failure mechanisms for human trabecular bone displaying a wide range of bone volume fraction (0.06–0.34) and elastic anisotropy. Micro-computer tomography (CT)-based nonlinear finite element analysis was used to simulate biaxial failure in 15 specimens (5 mm cubes), spanning the complete biaxial normal stress failure space in the axial-transverse plane. The specimens, treated as approximately transversely isotropic, were loaded in the principal material orientation. We found that the biaxial stress yield surface was well characterized by the superposition of two ellipses—one each for yield failure in the longitudinal and transverse loading directions—and the size, shape, and orientation of which depended on bone volume fraction and elastic anisotropy. However, when normalized by the uniaxial tensile and compressive strengths in the longitudinal and transverse directions, all of which depended on bone volume fraction, microarchitecture, and mechanical anisotropy, the resulting normalized biaxial strength behavior was well described by a single pair of (longitudinal and transverse) ellipses, with little interspecimen variation. Taken together, these results indicate that the role of bone volume fraction, microarchitecture, and mechanical anisotropy is mostly accounted for in determining the uniaxial strength behavior and the effect of these parameters on the axial-transverse biaxial normal strength behavior per se is minor. PMID:24121715

Long-term follow-up of echolalia and question answering.

PubMed

Foxx, R M; Faw, G D

1990-01-01

A long-term follow-up of echolalia and correct question answering was conducted for 6 subjects from three previously published studies. The follow-up periods ranged from 26 to 57 months. In a training site follow-up, subjects were exposed to baseline/posttraining conditions in which the original trainer and/or a novel person(s) presented trained and untrained questions. Four subjects displayed echolalia below baseline levels, and another did so in some assessments. Overall, echolalia was lower than in baseline in 80.6% of the follow-ups. Five subjects displayed correct responding above baseline levels. No clear differences were noted in correct responding or echolalia between the trainer and novel-person presentations or between trained and untrained questions. In a follow-up in a natural environment conducted by a novel person, lower than baseline levels of echolalia were displayed by 3 subjects; 2 subjects displayed lower than baseline levels in some assessments. Two subjects consistently displayed correct responding above baseline, and 3 did so occasionally. Issues related to the study of maintenance are discussed.

Long-term follow-up of echolalia and question answering.

PubMed Central

Foxx, R M; Faw, G D

1990-01-01

A long-term follow-up of echolalia and correct question answering was conducted for 6 subjects from three previously published studies. The follow-up periods ranged from 26 to 57 months. In a training site follow-up, subjects were exposed to baseline/posttraining conditions in which the original trainer and/or a novel person(s) presented trained and untrained questions. Four subjects displayed echolalia below baseline levels, and another did so in some assessments. Overall, echolalia was lower than in baseline in 80.6% of the follow-ups. Five subjects displayed correct responding above baseline levels. No clear differences were noted in correct responding or echolalia between the trainer and novel-person presentations or between trained and untrained questions. In a follow-up in a natural environment conducted by a novel person, lower than baseline levels of echolalia were displayed by 3 subjects; 2 subjects displayed lower than baseline levels in some assessments. Two subjects consistently displayed correct responding above baseline, and 3 did so occasionally. Issues related to the study of maintenance are discussed. PMID:2249974

Isolated benign cerebral vasculitis or migrainous vasospasm?

PubMed Central

Serdaru, M; Chiras, J; Cujas, M; Lhermitte, F

1984-01-01

A 39-year-old woman experienced severe headache, epilepsy and rapidly progressive aphasia and hemianopia. Carotid angiograms displayed segmentary narrowing of intracranial arteries as previously described in benign cerebral vasculitis. Her superficial temporal artery was also involved, allowing a biopsy of the abnormal part of the vessel. Microscopical study of this artery was normal. A second carotid angiogram, 14 days later, showed normal intracranial arteries. These findings suggest arterial spasm rather than distal arteritis. Images PMID:6693916

"To everything there is a season": some Shakespearean models of normal and anomalous aging.

PubMed

Donow, H S

1992-12-01

Shakespeare perceived aging characters as falling broadly into two categories: normal and anomalous. The former age in conformity to societal expectations, often displaying an inability to affect the outcome of events; the latter (e.g., Lear and Falstaff), deviating from these behavioral norms, dominate the action of their respective plays. Falstaff, a prime example of the anomalous ager, suffers rejection by King Henry V, his former boon companion, a consequence of ageism.

Design and Development of Functionally Effective Human-Machine Interfaces for Firing Room Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cho, Henry

2013-01-01

This project involves creating software for support equipment used on the Space Launch System (SLS). The goal is to create applications and displays that will be used to remotely operate equipment from the firing room and will continue to support the SLS launch vehicle to the extent of its program. These displays include design practices that help to convey information effectively, such as minimizing distractions at normal operating state and displaying intentional distractions during a warning or alarm state. The general practice for creating an operator display is to reduce the detail of unimportant aspects of the display and promote focus on data and dynamic information. These practices include using minimalist design, using muted tones for background colors, using a standard font at a readable text size, displaying alarms visible for immediate attention, grouping data logically, and displaying data appropriately varying on the type of data. Users of these displays are more likely to stay focused on operating for longer periods by using design practices that reduce eye strain and fatigue. Effective operator displays will improve safety by reducing human errors during operation, which will help prevent catastrophic accidents. This report entails the details of my work on developing remote displays for the Hypergolic fuel servicing system. Before developing a prototype display, the design and requirements of the system are outlined and compiled into a document. Then each subsystem has schematic representations drawn that meet the specifications detailed in the document. The schematics are then used as the outline to create display representations of each subsystem. Each display is first tested individually. Then the displays are integrated with a prototype of the master system, and they are tested in a simulated environment then retested in the real environment. Extensive testing is important to ensure the displays function reliably as intended.

Design and Development of Functionally Effective Human-Machine Interfaces for Firing Room Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cho, Henry

2013-01-01

This project involves creating software for support equipment used on the Space l aunch System (SLS). The goal is to create applications and displays that will be used to remotely operate equipment from the firing room and will continue to support the SLS launch vehicle to the extent of its program. These displays include design practices that help to convey information effectively, such as minimizing distractions at normal operating state and displaying intentional distractions during a warning or alarm state. The general practice for creating an operator display is to reduce the detail of unimportant aspects of the display and promote focus on data and dynamic information. These practices include using minimalist design, using muted tones for background colors, using a standard font at a readable text size, displaying alarms visible for Immediate attention, grouping data logically, and displaying data appropriately varying on the type of data. Users of these displays are more likely to stay focused on operating for longer periods by using design practices that reduce eye strain and fatigue. Effective operator displays will improve safety by reducing human errors during operation, which will help prevent catastrophic accidents. This report entails the details of my work on developing remote displays for the Hypergolics ground system. Before developing a prototype display, the design and requirements of the system are outlined and compiled into a document. Then each subsystem has schematic representations drawn tha.t meet the specifications detailed in the document. The schematics are then used as the outline to create display representations of each subsystem. Each display is first tested individually. Then the displays are integrated with a prototype of the master system, and they are tested in a simulated environment then retested in the real environment. Extensive testing is important to ensure the displays function reliably as intended.

Induction of the Tumor-Suppressor p16INK4a within Regenerative Epithelial Crypts in Ulcerative Colitis1

PubMed Central

Furth, Emma E; Gustafson, Karen S; Dai, Charlotte Y; Gibson, Steven L; Menard-Katcher, Paul; Chen, Tina; Koh, Jim; Enders, Greg H

2006-01-01

Abstract p16INK4a is a major tumor-suppressor protein, but its regulation and settings of fuction remain poorly understood. To explore the notion that p16 is induced in vivo in response to replicative stress, we examined p16 expression in tissues from human ulcerative colitis (UC; n = 25) and normal controls (n = 20). p16 was expressed strongly in UC-associated neoplasms (n = 17), as seen previously in sporadic colonic neoplasms. In non-neoplastic UC epithelium, p16 was expressed in 33% of crypts (the proliferative compartment) compared to < 1% of normal controls. p16 expression did not correlate with degree of inflammation but did correlate with the degree of crypt architecture distortion (P = .002)—a reflection of epithelial regeneration. In coimmunofluorescence studies with Ki67, p16 expression was associated with cell cycle arrest (P < .001). Both UC and normal crypts displayed evidence for the activation of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway, and p16 was induced in primary cultures of normal epithelial cells by ionizing irradiation (IR). However, induction by IR displayed delayed kinetics, implying that p16 is not an immediate target of the checkpoint pathway. These findings support a model in which p16 is induced as an “emergency brake” in cells experiencing sustained replicative stress. PMID:16820088

Synthesis, characterization, X-ray crystal structures of heterocyclic Schiff base compounds and in vitro cholinesterase inhibition and anticancer activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arafath, Md. Azharul; Adam, Farook; Al-Suede, Fouad Saleih R.; Razali, Mohd R.; Ahamed, Mohamed B. Khadeer; Abdul Majid, Amin Malik Shah; Hassan, Mohd Zaheen; Osman, Hasnah; Abubakar, Saifullah

2017-12-01

Four heterocyclic embedded Schiff base derivatives (1-4) were synthesized and characterized by melting point, elemental analysis, FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR, UV-Visible spectral data. The structures of compounds 1, 2 and 4 were successfully established through single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In vitro cholinesterase inhibition assays showed that the cyclized derivative 1 displayed higher BuChE enzyme inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 1.45 ± 0.09 μM. The anti-proliferative efficacies of the compounds were also evaluated using human colorectal HCT 116 and breast MCF-7 adenocarcinoma cell lines. In addition, a human normal endothelial cell line (Ea.hy926) was also tested to assess the safety and selectivity of the compounds towards normal and cancer cells, respectively. Among the compounds tested, compound 2 displayed potent cytotoxic effect (IC50 = 34 μM) against HCT 116 cells with highest selectivity index of 3.1 with respect to the normal endothelial cells. Whereas, compound 4 exhibited significant anti-proliferative effect (IC50 = 21.1 μM) against MCF-7 cells with highest selectivity index of 3.3 with respect to the normal endothelial cells. The docking result of these compounds against hAChE showed potent activities with different binding modes. These compounds could be a promising pharmacological agent to treat cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

A role for autophagic protein beclin 1 early in lymphocyte development.

PubMed

Arsov, Ivica; Adebayo, Adeola; Kucerova-Levisohn, Martina; Haye, Joanna; MacNeil, Margaret; Papavasiliou, F Nina; Yue, Zhenyu; Ortiz, Benjamin D

2011-02-15

Autophagy is a highly regulated and evolutionarily conserved process of cellular self-digestion. Recent evidence suggests that this process plays an important role in regulating T cell homeostasis. In this study, we used Rag1(-/-) (recombination activating gene 1(-/-)) blastocyst complementation and in vitro embryonic stem cell differentiation to address the role of Beclin 1, one of the key autophagic proteins, in lymphocyte development. Beclin 1-deficient Rag1(-/-) chimeras displayed a dramatic reduction in thymic cellularity compared with control mice. Using embryonic stem cell differentiation in vitro, we found that the inability to maintain normal thymic cellularity is likely caused by impaired maintenance of thymocyte progenitors. Interestingly, despite drastically reduced thymocyte numbers, the peripheral T cell compartment of Beclin 1-deficient Rag1(-/-) chimeras is largely normal. Peripheral T cells displayed normal in vitro proliferation despite significantly reduced numbers of autophagosomes. In addition, these chimeras had greatly reduced numbers of early B cells in the bone marrow compared with controls. However, the peripheral B cell compartment was not dramatically impacted by Beclin 1 deficiency. Collectively, our results suggest that Beclin 1 is required for maintenance of undifferentiated/early lymphocyte progenitor populations. In contrast, Beclin 1 is largely dispensable for the initial generation and function of the peripheral T and B cell compartments. This indicates that normal lymphocyte development involves Beclin 1-dependent, early-stage and distinct, Beclin 1-independent, late-stage processes.

Smooth muscle membrane organization in the normal and dysfunctional human urinary bladder: a structural analysis.

PubMed

Burkhard, Fiona C; Monastyrskaya, Katia; Studer, Urs E; Draeger, Annette

2005-01-01

The decline in contractile properties is a characteristic feature of the dysfunctional bladder as a result of infravesical outlet obstruction. During clinical progression of the disease, smooth muscle cells undergo structural modifications. Since adaptations to constant changes in length require a high degree of structural organization within the sarcolemma, we have investigated the expression of several proteins, which are involved in smooth muscle membrane organization, in specimens derived from normal and dysfunctional organs. Specimen from patients with urodynamically normal/equivocal (n = 4), obstructed (n = 2), and acontractile (n = 2) bladders were analyzed relative to their structural features and sarcolemmal protein profile. Smooth muscle cells within the normal urinary bladder display a distinct sarcolemmal domain structure, characterized by firm actin-attachment sites, alternating with flexible "hinge" regions. In obstructed bladders, foci of cells displaying degenerative sarcolemmal changes alternate with areas of hypertrophic cells in which the membrane appears unaffected. In acontractile organs, the overall membrane structure remains intact, however annexin 6, a protein belonging to a family of Ca2+-dependent, "membrane-organizers," is downregulated. Degenerative changes in smooth muscle cells, which are chronically working against high resistance, are preferentially located within the actin-attachment sites. In acontractile bladders, the downregulation of annexin 6 might have a bearing on the fine-tuning of the plasma membrane during contraction/relaxation cycles. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[Clinical correlation of hypnagogic hypersynchrony during sleep in normal children and those with learning disability].

PubMed

Olmos G de Alba, G; Fraire-Martínez, M I; Valenzuela-Romero, R

One of the electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns that can be mistaken for paroxysmal clinical activity, when not taken into account and especially in children, is hypnagogic hypersynchrony (HH). This consists in generalised, paroxysmal, synchronic, symmetrical, slow, high voltage waves lasting 2 8 seconds, which appear in drowsiness and in stage I. It was observed that this pattern often appeared in children with learning disability (LD). AIMS. To correlate clinical data with the presence of HH during sleep in normal children and those with LD. We assessed 180 children between the ages of 6 12 years with normal neurological development, 130 of which suffered LD and 50 who did not have LD. EEG was performed with sleep deprivation, following the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology guidelines. The presence or absence of HH, together with its characteristics, was assessed. Of the children with LD, 35.38% displayed HH and of the children without LD, only 4% displayed HH. Since the characteristics of HH in the children with LD were different to previous descriptions, we put forward criteria with which to evaluate those differences. HH appeared more often in children with LD than in normal children. Qualitative, quantitative (p< 0.05) and morphological changes were found in the paroxysmal activity of HH during the stages of sleep in children with LD.

Evaluating display fidelity and interaction fidelity in a virtual reality game.

PubMed

McMahan, Ryan P; Bowman, Doug A; Zielinski, David J; Brady, Rachael B

2012-04-01

In recent years, consumers have witnessed a technological revolution that has delivered more-realistic experiences in their own homes through high-definition, stereoscopic televisions and natural, gesture-based video game consoles. Although these experiences are more realistic, offering higher levels of fidelity, it is not clear how the increased display and interaction aspects of fidelity impact the user experience. Since immersive virtual reality (VR) allows us to achieve very high levels of fidelity, we designed and conducted a study that used a six-sided CAVE to evaluate display fidelity and interaction fidelity independently, at extremely high and low levels, for a VR first-person shooter (FPS) game. Our goal was to gain a better understanding of the effects of fidelity on the user in a complex, performance-intensive context. The results of our study indicate that both display and interaction fidelity significantly affect strategy and performance, as well as subjective judgments of presence, engagement, and usability. In particular, performance results were strongly in favor of two conditions: low-display, low-interaction fidelity (representative of traditional FPS games) and high-display, high-interaction fidelity (similar to the real world).

Simulation and flight test evaluation of head-up-display guidance for harrier approach transitions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorr, D. W.; Moralez, E., III; Merrick, V. K.

1994-01-01

Position and speed guidance displays for STOVL aircraft curved, decelerating approaches to hover and vertical landing have been evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing pilot workload and improving performance. The NASA V/STOL Systems Research Aircraft, a modified YAV-8B Harrier prototype, was used to evaluate the displays in flight, whereas the NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulator was used to extend the flight test results to instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and to examine performance in various conditions of wind and turbulence. The simulation data showed close correlation with the flight test data, and both demonstrated the feasibility of the displays. With the exception of the hover task in zero visibility, which was level-3, averaged Copper-Harper handling qualities ratings given during simulation were level-2 for both the approach task and the hover task in all conditions. During flight tests in calm and clear conditions, the displays also gave rise to level-2 handling qualities ratings. Pilot opinion showed that the guidance displays would be useful in visual flight, especially at night, as well as in IMC.

Amelioration of Behavioral Abnormalities in BH4-deficient Mice by Dietary Supplementation of Tyrosine

PubMed Central

Kwak, Sang Su; Jeong, Mikyoung; Choi, Ji Hye; Kim, Daesoo; Min, Hyesun; Yoon, Yoosik; Hwang, Onyou; Meadows, Gary G.; Joe, Cheol O.

2013-01-01

This study reports an amelioration of abnormal motor behaviors in tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)-deficient Spr −/− mice by the dietary supplementation of tyrosine. Since BH4 is an essential cofactor for the conversion of phenylalanine into tyrosine as well as the synthesis of dopamine neurotransmitter within the central nervous system, the levels of tyrosine and dopamine were severely reduced in brains of BH4-deficient Spr −/− mice. We found that Spr −/− mice display variable ‘open-field’ behaviors, impaired motor functions on the ‘rotating rod’, and dystonic ‘hind-limb clasping’. In this study, we report that these aberrant motor deficits displayed by Spr −/− mice were ameliorated by the therapeutic tyrosine diet for 10 days. This study also suggests that dopamine deficiency in brains of Spr −/− mice may not be the biological feature of aberrant motor behaviors associated with BH4 deficiency. Brain levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites in Spr −/− mice were not substantially increased by the dietary tyrosine therapy. However, we found that mTORC1 activity severely suppressed in brains of Spr −/− mice fed a normal diet was restored 10 days after feeding the mice the tyrosine diet. The present study proposes that brain mTORC1 signaling pathway is one of the potential targets in understanding abnormal motor behaviors associated with BH4-deficiency. PMID:23577163

Learning Building Layouts with Non-geometric Visual Information: The Effects of Visual Impairment and Age

PubMed Central

Kalia, Amy A.; Legge, Gordon E.; Giudice, Nicholas A.

2009-01-01

Previous studies suggest that humans rely on geometric visual information (hallway structure) rather than non-geometric visual information (e.g., doors, signs and lighting) for acquiring cognitive maps of novel indoor layouts. This study asked whether visual impairment and age affect reliance on non-geometric visual information for layout learning. We tested three groups of participants—younger (< 50 years) normally sighted, older (50–70 years) normally sighted, and low vision (people with heterogeneous forms of visual impairment ranging in age from 18–67). Participants learned target locations in building layouts using four presentation modes: a desktop virtual environment (VE) displaying only geometric cues (Sparse VE), a VE displaying both geometric and non-geometric cues (Photorealistic VE), a Map, and a Real building. Layout knowledge was assessed by map drawing and by asking participants to walk to specified targets in the real space. Results indicate that low-vision and older normally-sighted participants relied on additional non-geometric information to accurately learn layouts. In conclusion, visual impairment and age may result in reduced perceptual and/or memory processing that makes it difficult to learn layouts without non-geometric visual information. PMID:19189732

Abnormal causal attribution leads to advantageous economic decision-making: A neuropsychological approach

PubMed Central

Koscik, Timothy R.; Tranel, Daniel

2013-01-01

People tend to assume that outcomes are caused by dispositional factors, e.g., a person’s constitution or personality, even when the actual cause is due to situational factors, e.g., luck or coincidence. This is known as the ‘correspondence bias.’ This tendency can lead normal, intelligent persons to make suboptimal decisions. Here, we used a neuropsychological approach to investigate the neural basis of the correspondence bias, by studying economic decision-making in patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Given the role of the vmPFC in social cognition, we predicted that vmPFC is necessary for the normal correspondence bias. In our experiment, consistent with expectations, healthy (N=46) and brain-damaged (N=30) comparison participants displayed the correspondence bias when investing and invested no differently when given dispositional or situational information. By contrast, vmPFC patients (N=17) displayed a lack of correspondence bias and invested more when given dispositional than situational information. The results support the conclusion that vmPFC is critical for normal social inference and the correspondence bias, and our findings help clarify the important (and potentially disadvantageous) role of social inference in economic decision-making. PMID:23574584

Expression of cell cycle regulators, 14-3-3σ and p53 proteins, and vimentin in canine transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

PubMed

Suárez-Bonnet, Alejandro; Herráez, Pedro; Aguirre, Maria; Suárez-Bonnet, Elena; Andrada, Marisa; Rodríguez, Francisco; Espinosa de Los Monteros, Antonio

2015-07-01

The study of the expression of 14-3-3σ, p53, and vimentin proteins in canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) evaluating differences with normal bladder tissues, and the association with clinicopathological variables. We analyze by immunohistochemistry in 19 canine TCCs the expression of 14-3-3σ, p53, and vimentin using monoclonal antibodys. A semiquantitative scoring method was employed and statistical analysis was performed to display relationships between variables. In contrast to normal urinary bladder epithelium, which showed high levels of 14-3-3σ, its expression was decreased in 53% of the studied tumors (P = 0.0344). The 14-3-3σ protein was expressed by neoplastic emboli and by highly infiltrative neoplastic cells. The p53 protein was expressed in 26% of TCCs, but no significant association between 14-3-3σ and p53 was detected. Neoplastic epithelial cells displayed vimentin immunoreactivity in 21% of TCCs, and a positive correlation with mitotic index was observed (P = 0.042). Coexpression of vimentin and 14-3-3σ by highly infiltrative neoplastic cells was also observed. 14-3-3σ is deregulated in canine TCCs and its expression by highly infiltrative tumor cells may be related to the acquisition of aggressive behavior. Furthermore, this article reinforce the role of canine TCC as relevant model of human urothelial carcinoma and we suggest 14-3-3σ as a potential therapeutic target. Further studies are necessary to clarify the role of 14-3-3σ in canine TCC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metabolic rescue in pluripotent cells from patients with mtDNA disease.

PubMed

Ma, Hong; Folmes, Clifford D L; Wu, Jun; Morey, Robert; Mora-Castilla, Sergio; Ocampo, Alejandro; Ma, Li; Poulton, Joanna; Wang, Xinjian; Ahmed, Riffat; Kang, Eunju; Lee, Yeonmi; Hayama, Tomonari; Li, Ying; Van Dyken, Crystal; Gutierrez, Nuria Marti; Tippner-Hedges, Rebecca; Koski, Amy; Mitalipov, Nargiz; Amato, Paula; Wolf, Don P; Huang, Taosheng; Terzic, Andre; Laurent, Louise C; Izpisua Belmonte, Juan Carlos; Mitalipov, Shoukhrat

2015-08-13

Mitochondria have a major role in energy production via oxidative phosphorylation, which is dependent on the expression of critical genes encoded by mitochondrial (mt)DNA. Mutations in mtDNA can cause fatal or severely debilitating disorders with limited treatment options. Clinical manifestations vary based on mutation type and heteroplasmy (that is, the relative levels of mutant and wild-type mtDNA within each cell). Here we generated genetically corrected pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) from patients with mtDNA disease. Multiple induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines were derived from patients with common heteroplasmic mutations including 3243A>G, causing mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), and 8993T>G and 13513G>A, implicated in Leigh syndrome. Isogenic MELAS and Leigh syndrome iPS cell lines were generated containing exclusively wild-type or mutant mtDNA through spontaneous segregation of heteroplasmic mtDNA in proliferating fibroblasts. Furthermore, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) enabled replacement of mutant mtDNA from homoplasmic 8993T>G fibroblasts to generate corrected Leigh-NT1 PSCs. Although Leigh-NT1 PSCs contained donor oocyte wild-type mtDNA (human haplotype D4a) that differed from Leigh syndrome patient haplotype (F1a) at a total of 47 nucleotide sites, Leigh-NT1 cells displayed transcriptomic profiles similar to those in embryo-derived PSCs carrying wild-type mtDNA, indicative of normal nuclear-to-mitochondrial interactions. Moreover, genetically rescued patient PSCs displayed normal metabolic function compared to impaired oxygen consumption and ATP production observed in mutant cells. We conclude that both reprogramming approaches offer complementary strategies for derivation of PSCs containing exclusively wild-type mtDNA, through spontaneous segregation of heteroplasmic mtDNA in individual iPS cell lines or mitochondrial replacement by SCNT in homoplasmic mtDNA-based disease.

Effect of delayed auditory feedback on normal speakers at two speech rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuart, Andrew; Kalinowski, Joseph; Rastatter, Michael P.; Lynch, Kerry

2002-05-01

This study investigated the effect of short and long auditory feedback delays at two speech rates with normal speakers. Seventeen participants spoke under delayed auditory feedback (DAF) at 0, 25, 50, and 200 ms at normal and fast rates of speech. Significantly two to three times more dysfluencies were displayed at 200 ms (p<0.05) relative to no delay or the shorter delays. There were significantly more dysfluencies observed at the fast rate of speech (p=0.028). These findings implicate the peripheral feedback system(s) of fluent speakers for the disruptive effects of DAF on normal speech production at long auditory feedback delays. Considering the contrast in fluency/dysfluency exhibited between normal speakers and those who stutter at short and long delays, it appears that speech disruption of normal speakers under DAF is a poor analog of stuttering.

A target-unrelated peptide in an M13 phage display library traced to an advantageous mutation in the gene II ribosome-binding site.

PubMed

Brammer, Leighanne A; Bolduc, Benjamin; Kass, Jessica L; Felice, Kristin M; Noren, Christopher J; Hall, Marilena Fitzsimons

2008-02-01

Screening of the commercially available Ph.D.-7 phage-displayed heptapeptide library for peptides that bind immobilized Zn2+ resulted in the repeated selection of the peptide HAIYPRH, although binding assays indicated that HAIYPRH is not a zinc-binding peptide. HAIYPRH has also been selected in several other laboratories using completely different targets, and its ubiquity suggests that it is a target-unrelated peptide. We demonstrated that phage displaying HAIYPRH are enriched after serial amplification of the library without exposure to target. The amplification of phage displaying HAIYPRH was found to be dramatically faster than that of the library itself. DNA sequencing uncovered a mutation in the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence for gIIp, a protein involved in phage replication, imparting to the SD sequence better complementarity to the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Introducing this mutation into phage lacking a displayed peptide resulted in accelerated propagation, whereas phage displaying HAIYPRH with a wild-type SD sequence were found to amplify normally. The SD mutation may alter gIIp expression and, consequently, the rate of propagation of phage. In the Ph.D.-7 library, the mutation is coincident with the displayed peptide HAIYPRH, accounting for the target-unrelated selection of this peptide in multiple reported panning experiments.

Magnifying Smartphone Screen Using Google Glass for Low-Vision Users.

PubMed

Pundlik, Shrinivas; HuaQi Yi; Rui Liu; Peli, Eli; Gang Luo

2017-01-01

Magnification is a key accessibility feature used by low-vision smartphone users. However, small screen size can lead to loss of context and make interaction with magnified displays challenging. We hypothesize that controlling the viewport with head motion can be natural and help in gaining access to magnified displays. We implement this idea using a Google Glass that displays the magnified smartphone screenshots received in real time via Bluetooth. Instead of navigating with touch gestures on the magnified smartphone display, the users can view different screen locations by rotating their head, and remotely interacting with the smartphone. It is equivalent to looking at a large virtual image through a head contingent viewing port, in this case, the Glass display with ~ 15 ° field of view. The system can transfer seven screenshots per second at 8 × magnification, sufficient for tasks where the display content does not change rapidly. A pilot evaluation of this approach was conducted with eight normally sighted and four visually impaired subjects performing assigned tasks using calculator and music player apps. Results showed that performance in the calculation task was faster with the Glass than with the phone's built-in screen zoom. We conclude that head contingent scanning control can be beneficial in navigating magnified small smartphone displays, at least for tasks involving familiar content layout.

Display formats and commercial vehicle operator (CVO) workload

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of display modality, level of driver interaction, and amount of information on the driving performance and system operation performance of commercial drivers. Introducing any level of interacti...

Human factors studies of control configurations for advanced transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, Harry L.; Monty, Robert W.; Old, Joe

1985-01-01

This research investigated the threshold levels of display luminance contrast which were required to interpret static, achromatic, integrated displays of primary flight information. A four-factor within-subjects design was used to investigate the influences of type of flight variable information, the level of ambient illumination, the type of control input, and the size of the display symbology on the setting of these interpretability thresholds. A three-alternative forced choice paradigm was used in conjunction with the method of adjustments to obtain a measure of the upper limen of display luminance contrast needed to interpret a complex display of primary flight information. The pattern of results and the absolute magnitudes of the luminance contrast settings were found to be in good agreement with previously reported data from psychophysical investigations of display luminance contrast requirements.

Field observations of display placement requirements and character size for presbyopic and prepresbyopic computer users.

PubMed

Bartha, Michael C; Allie, Paul; Kokot, Douglas; Roe, Cynthia Purvis

2015-01-01

Computer users continue to report eye and upper body discomfort even as workstation flexibility has improved. Research shows a relationship between character size, viewing distance, and reading performance. Few reports exist regarding text height viewed under normal office work conditions and eye discomfort. This paper reports self-selected computer display placement, text characteristics, and subjective comfort for older and younger computer workers under real-world conditions. Computer workers were provided with monitors and adjustable display support(s). In Study 1, older workers wearing progressive-addition lenses (PALs) were observed. In study 2, older workers wearing multifocal lenses and younger workers were observed. Workers wearing PALs experienced less eye and body discomfort with adjustable displays, and less eye and neck discomfort for text visual angles near or greater than ergonomic recommendations. Older workers wearing multifocal correction positioned displays much lower than younger workers. In general, computer users did not adjust character size to ensure that fovial images of text fell within the recommended range. Ergonomic display placement recommendations should be different for computer users wearing multifocal correction for presbyopia. Ergonomic training should emphasize adjusting text size for user comfort.

T7 lytic phage-displayed peptide libraries exhibit less sequence bias than M13 filamentous phage-displayed peptide libraries.

PubMed

Krumpe, Lauren R H; Atkinson, Andrew J; Smythers, Gary W; Kandel, Andrea; Schumacher, Kathryn M; McMahon, James B; Makowski, Lee; Mori, Toshiyuki

2006-08-01

We investigated whether the T7 system of phage display could produce peptide libraries of greater diversity than the M13 system of phage display due to the differing processes of lytic and filamentous phage morphogenesis. Using a bioinformatics-assisted computational approach, collections of random peptide sequences obtained from a T7 12-mer library (X(12)) and a T7 7-mer disulfide-constrained library (CX(7)C) were analyzed and compared with peptide populations obtained from New England BioLabs' M13 Ph.D.-12 and Ph.D.-C7C libraries. Based on this analysis, peptide libraries constructed with the T7 system have fewer amino acid biases, increased peptide diversity, and more normal distributions of peptide net charge and hydropathy than the M13 libraries. The greater diversity of T7-displayed libraries provides a potential resource of novel binding peptides for new as well as previously studied molecular targets. To demonstrate their utility, several of the T7-displayed peptide libraries were screened for streptavidin- and neutravidin-binding phage. Novel binding motifs were identified for each protein.

78 FR 39591 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Lake Washington Ship Canal at Seattle, WA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

...The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs three Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) bridges: The Ballard Bridge, mile 1.1, the Fremont Bridge, mile 2.6, and the University Bridge, mile 4.3, all crossing the Lake Washington Ship Canal at Seattle, WA. The deviation is necessary to accommodate heavier than normal roadway traffic associated with a fireworks display over Lake Union. This deviation allows the bridges to remain in the closed position immediately prior to until immediately after the fireworks display.

NCAP projection displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havens, John R.; Ishioka, J.; Jones, Philip J.; Lau, Aldrich; Tomita, Akira; Asano, A.; Konuma, Nobuhiro; Sato, Kazuhiko; Takemoto, Iwao

1997-05-01

Projectors based on polymer-eNCAPsulated liquid crystals can provide bright displays suitable for use in conference rooms with normal lighting. Contrast is generated by light scattering among the droplets, rather than by light absorption with crossed polarizers. We have demonstrated a full-color, compact projector showing 1200 ANSI lumens with 200 watts of lamp power - a light efficiency of 6 lumens/watt. This projector is based on low-voltage NCAP material, highly reflective CMOS die, and matched illumination and projection optics. We will review each of these areas and discuss the integrated system performance.

Acute effects of exercise on plasma catecholamines in sedentary and athletic women with normal and abnormal menses.

PubMed

Chin, N W; Chang, F E; Dodds, W G; Kim, M H; Malarkey, W B

1987-10-01

Norepinephrine plays a role in the regulation of luteinizing hormone secretion and may therefore be involved in the etiology of exercise-induced menstrual dysfunction. This study evaluated both intraexercise and postexercise responses of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine in sedentary women and women runners with normal and abnormal menstruation. Five eumenorrheic nonrunners and five eumenorrheic, four oligomenorrheic, and five amenorrheic runners were evaluated on 2 consecutive days. On day 1, the women cycled on a bicycle ergometer against an increasing work load until exhaustion, and on day 2, the women underwent a submaximal exercise regimen. Serial blood draws were taken at specified time intervals during intraexercise and postexercise periods on both days. The data collected during exercise for all groups showed that epinephrine and norepinephrine had a sixfold to sevenfold rise on day 1 and had a threefold rise on day 2. Dopamine increased twofold during both exercise protocols. On day 1 norepinephrine displayed a significantly higher percentage change from baseline to peak levels for oligomenorrheic and amenorrheic runners than for eumenorrheic runners and sedentary women. This latter finding is consistent with the hypothesis that periodic marked elevations in norepinephrine levels during maximal exercise may interfere with pulsatile luteinizing hormone release and hence may play a role in the occurrence of menstrual dysfunction in women runners.

STAT3 is a critical cell-intrinsic regulator of human unconventional T cell numbers and function

PubMed Central

Wilson, Robert P.; Ives, Megan L.; Rao, Geetha; Lau, Anthony; Payne, Kathryn; Kobayashi, Masao; Arkwright, Peter D.; Peake, Jane; Wong, Melanie; Adelstein, Stephen; Smart, Joanne M.; French, Martyn A.; Fulcher, David A.; Picard, Capucine; Bustamante, Jacinta; Boisson-Dupuis, Stephanie; Gray, Paul; Stepensky, Polina; Warnatz, Klaus; Freeman, Alexandra F.; Rossjohn, Jamie; McCluskey, James; Holland, Steven M.; Casanova, Jean-Laurent; Uzel, Gulbu; Ma, Cindy S.

2015-01-01

Unconventional T cells such as γδ T cells, natural killer T cells (NKT cells) and mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells) are a major component of the immune system; however, the cytokine signaling pathways that control their development and function in humans are unknown. Primary immunodeficiencies caused by single gene mutations provide a unique opportunity to investigate the role of specific molecules in regulating human lymphocyte development and function. We found that individuals with loss-of-function mutations in STAT3 had reduced numbers of peripheral blood MAIT and NKT but not γδ T cells. Analysis of STAT3 mosaic individuals revealed that this effect was cell intrinsic. Surprisingly, the residual STAT3-deficient MAIT cells expressed normal levels of the transcription factor RORγt. Despite this, they displayed a deficiency in secretion of IL-17A and IL-17F, but were able to secrete normal levels of cytokines such as IFNγ and TNF. The deficiency in MAIT and NKT cells in STAT3-deficient patients was mirrored by loss-of-function mutations in IL12RB1 and IL21R, respectively. Thus, these results reveal for the first time the essential role of STAT3 signaling downstream of IL-23R and IL-21R in controlling human MAIT and NKT cell numbers. PMID:25941256

Immune biomarkers in older adults: Role of physical activity.

PubMed

Valdiglesias, Vanessa; Sánchez-Flores, María; Maseda, Ana; Lorenzo-López, Laura; Marcos-Pérez, Diego; López-Cortón, Ana; Strasser, Barbara; Fuchs, Dietmar; Laffon, Blanca; Millán-Calenti, José C; Pásaro, Eduardo

2017-01-01

Aging is associated with a decline in the normal functioning of the immune system. Several studies described the relationship between immunological alterations, including immunosenescence and inflammation, and aging or age-related outcomes, such as sarcopenia, depression, and neurodegenerative disorders. Physical activity is known to improve muscle function and to exert a number of benefits on older adult health, including reduced risk for heart and metabolic system chronic diseases. However, the positive influence of physical activity on the immune system has not been elucidated. In order to shed light on the role of physical activity in immune responses of older individuals, a number of immunological parameters comprising % lymphocyte subsets (CD3 + , CD4 + , CD8 + , CD19 + , and CD16 + 56 + ) and serum levels of neopterin and tryptophan metabolism products were evaluated in peripheral blood samples of older adults performing normal (N = 170) or reduced (N = 89) physical activity. In addition, the potential influence of other clinical and epidemiological factors was also considered. Results showed that subjects with reduced physical activity displayed significantly higher levels of CD4 + /CD8 + ratio, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, and serum neopterin, along with lower %CD19 + cells and tryptophan concentrations. Further, some immunological biomarkers were associated with cognitive impairment and functional status. These data contribute to reinforce the postulation that physical activity supports healthy aging, particularly by helping to protect the immunological system from aging-related changes.

The absence of oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation during apoptosis of IMR-5 neuroblastoma cells: disappearance of the caspase-activated DNase.

PubMed

Yuste, V J; Bayascas, J R; Llecha, N; Sánchez-López, I; Boix, J; Comella, J X

2001-06-22

Caspase-activated DNase is responsible for the oligonucleosomal DNA degradation during apoptosis. DNA degradation is thought to be important for multicellular organisms to prevent oncogenic transformation or as a mechanism of viral defense. It has been reported that certain cells, including some neuroblastoma cell lines such as IMR-5, enter apoptosis without digesting DNA in such a way. We have analyzed the causes for the absence of DNA laddering in staurosporine-treated IMR-5 cells, and we have found that most of the molecular mechanisms controlling apoptosis are well preserved in this cell line. These include degradation of substrates for caspases, blockade of cell death by antiapoptotic genes such as Bcl-2 or Bcl-X(L), or normal levels and adequate activation of caspase-3. Moreover, these cells display normal levels of caspase-activated DNase and its inhibitory protein, inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase, and their cDNA sequences are identical to those reported previously. Nevertheless, IMR-5 cells lose caspase-activated DNase during apoptosis and recover their ability to degrade DNA when human recombinant caspase-activated DNase is overexpressed. Our results lead to the conclusion that caspase-activated DNase is processed during apoptosis of IMR-5 cells, making these cells a good model to study the relevance of this endonuclease in physiological or pathological conditions.

Affective temperament in the eating disorders.

PubMed

Ramacciotti, C E; Paoli, R A; Ciapparelli, A; Marcacci, G; Placidi, G E; Dell'Osso, L; Garfinkel, P E

2004-06-01

In this study, we investigate the affective temperamental characteristics in a sample of ED (eating disorder) patients. 49 ED patients diagnosed by the SCID (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV), were divided into two groups on the basis of the presence or absence of Binge Eating (restricting-anorexia nervosa [R-AN]= 16; Binge Eaters= 33). All patients were administered the TEMPS-I (Temperament Evaluation Memphis Pisa Semistructured - Interview), to assess affective temperament. A third group of controls (N= 1010), derived from a study with the TEMPS-I on normal subjects, was included for comparison. A full affective temperament was not found in patients of the restricting group. By contrast 24% of the binge eating group had a full affective temperament of one of three types. Comparing the three temperaments for the three groups, only cyclothymic temperament proved to be significant, with higher levels in the binge eating group (p<0.01). In this study, people with R-AN do not show a full affective temperament. However, people with binge eating, had depressive and hyperthymic temperament, and displayed higher level of cyclothymic temperament than the normal population. The findings of this study add to a growing literature on temperament in people with ED; particularly, they add to the view that may be various paths leading to R-AN, and these may differ from those of binge eating.

Weight Perturbation Alters Leptin Signal Transduction in a Region-Specific Manner throughout the Brain

PubMed Central

Morabito, Michael V.; Ravussin, Yann; Mueller, Bridget R.; Skowronski, Alicja A.; Watanabe, Kazuhisa; Foo, Kylie S.; Lee, Samuel X.; Lehmann, Anders; Hjorth, Stephan; Zeltser, Lori M.; LeDuc, Charles A.; Leibel, Rudolph L.

2017-01-01

Diet-induced obesity (DIO) resulting from consumption of a high fat diet (HFD) attenuates normal neuronal responses to leptin and may contribute to the metabolic defense of an acquired higher body weight in humans; the molecular bases for the persistence of this defense are unknown. We measured the responses of 23 brain regions to exogenous leptin in 4 different groups of weight- and/or diet-perturbed mice. Responses to leptin were assessed by quantifying pSTAT3 levels in brain nuclei 30 minutes following 3 mg/kg intraperitoneal leptin. HFD attenuated leptin sensing throughout the brain, but weight loss did not restore central leptin signaling to control levels in several brain regions important in energy homeostasis, including the arcuate and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei. Effects of diet on leptin signaling varied by brain region, with results dependent on the method of weight loss (restriction of calories of HFD, ad lib intake of standard mouse chow). High fat diet attenuates leptin signaling throughout the brain, but some brain regions maintain their ability to sense leptin. Weight loss restores leptin sensing to some degree in most (but not all) brain regions, while other brain regions display hypersensitivity to leptin following weight loss. Normal leptin sensing was restored in several brain regions, with the pattern of restoration dependent on the method of weight loss. PMID:28107353

Classification of different degrees of adiposity in sedentary rats.

PubMed

Leopoldo, A S; Lima-Leopoldo, A P; Nascimento, A F; Luvizotto, R A M; Sugizaki, M M; Campos, D H S; da Silva, D C T; Padovani, C R; Cicogna, A C

2016-01-01

In experimental studies, several parameters, such as body weight, body mass index, adiposity index, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, have commonly been used to demonstrate increased adiposity and investigate the mechanisms underlying obesity and sedentary lifestyles. However, these investigations have not classified the degree of adiposity nor defined adiposity categories for rats, such as normal, overweight, and obese. The aim of the study was to characterize the degree of adiposity in rats fed a high-fat diet using cluster analysis and to create adiposity intervals in an experimental model of obesity. Thirty-day-old male Wistar rats were fed a normal (n=41) or a high-fat (n=43) diet for 15 weeks. Obesity was defined based on the adiposity index; and the degree of adiposity was evaluated using cluster analysis. Cluster analysis allowed the rats to be classified into two groups (overweight and obese). The obese group displayed significantly higher total body fat and a higher adiposity index compared with those of the overweight group. No differences in systolic blood pressure or nonesterified fatty acid, glucose, total cholesterol, or triglyceride levels were observed between the obese and overweight groups. The adiposity index of the obese group was positively correlated with final body weight, total body fat, and leptin levels. Despite the classification of sedentary rats into overweight and obese groups, it was not possible to identify differences in the comorbidities between the two groups.

Net effect of wort osmotic pressure on fermentation course, yeast vitality, beer flavor, and haze.

PubMed

Sigler, K; Matoulková, D; Dienstbier, M; Gabriel, P

2009-04-01

The net effect of increased wort osmolarity on fermentation time, bottom yeast vitality and sedimentation, beer flavor compounds, and haze was determined in fermentations with 12 degrees all-malt wort supplemented with sorbitol to reach osmolarity equal to 16 degrees and 20 degrees. Three pitchings were performed in 12 degrees/12 degrees/12 degrees, 16 degrees/16 degrees/12 degrees, and 20 degrees/20 degrees/12 degrees worts. Fermentations in 16 degrees and 20 degrees worts decreased yeast vitality measured as acidification power (AP) by a maximum of 10%, lowered yeast proliferation, and increased fermentation time. Repitching aggravated these effects. The 3rd "back to normal" pitching into 12 degrees wort restored the yeast AP and reproductive abilities while the extended fermentation time remained. Yeast sedimentation in 16 degrees and 20 degrees worts was delayed but increased about two times at fermentation end relative to that in 12 degrees wort. Third "back-to-normal" pitching abolished the delay in sedimentation and reduced its extent, which became nearly equal in all variants. Beer brewed at increased osmolarity was characterized by increased levels of diacetyl and pentanedione and lower levels of dimethylsulfide and acetaldehyde. Esters and higher alcohols displayed small variations irrespective of wort osmolarity or repitching. Increased wort osmolarity had no appreciable effect on the haze of green beer and accelerated beer clarification during maturation. In all variants, chill haze increased with repitching.

Deficiency of base excision repair enzyme NEIL3 drives increased predisposition to autoimmunity

PubMed Central

Massaad, Michel J.; Zhou, Jia; Tsuchimoto, Daisuke; Chou, Janet; Jabara, Haifa; Janssen, Erin; Glauzy, Salomé; Olson, Brennan G.; Morbach, Henner; Ohsumi, Toshiro K.; Schmitz, Klaus; Kane, Jennifer; Torisu, Kumiko; Chouery, Eliane; Megarbane, Andre; Kang, Peter B.; Al-Idrissi, Eman; Aldhekri, Hasan; Meffre, Eric; Mizui, Masayuki; Manis, John P.; Al-Herz, Waleed; Wallace, Susan S.; Geha, Raif S.

2016-01-01

Alterations in the apoptosis of immune cells have been associated with autoimmunity. Here, we have identified a homozygous missense mutation in the gene encoding the base excision repair enzyme Nei endonuclease VIII-like 3 (NEIL3) that abolished enzymatic activity in 3 siblings from a consanguineous family. The NEIL3 mutation was associated with fatal recurrent infections, severe autoimmunity, hypogammaglobulinemia, and impaired B cell function in these individuals. The same homozygous NEIL3 mutation was also identified in an asymptomatic individual who exhibited elevated levels of serum autoantibodies and defective peripheral B cell tolerance, but normal B cell function. Further analysis of the patients revealed an absence of LPS-responsive beige-like anchor (LRBA) protein expression, a known cause of immunodeficiency. We next examined the contribution of NEIL3 to the maintenance of self-tolerance in Neil3–/– mice. Although Neil3–/– mice displayed normal B cell function, they exhibited elevated serum levels of autoantibodies and developed nephritis following treatment with poly(I:C) to mimic microbial stimulation. In Neil3–/– mice, splenic T and B cells as well as germinal center B cells from Peyer’s patches showed marked increases in apoptosis and cell death, indicating the potential release of self-antigens that favor autoimmunity. These findings demonstrate that deficiency in NEIL3 is associated with increased lymphocyte apoptosis, autoantibodies, and predisposition to autoimmunity. PMID:27760045

Effect of the thickness of the anode electrode catalyst layers on the performance in direct methanol fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glass, Dean E.; Olah, George A.; Prakash, G. K. Surya

2017-06-01

For the large scale fuel cell manufacture, the catalyst loading and layer thickness are critical factors affecting the performance and cost of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The influence of catalyst layer thicknesses at the anode of a PEM based direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been investigated. Catalysts were applied with the drawdown method with varied thicknesses ranging from 1 mil to 8 mils (1 mil = 25.4 μm) with a Pt/Ru anode loading of 0.25 mg cm-2 to 2.0 mg cm-2. The MEAs with the thicker individual layers (8 mils and 4 mils) performed better overall compared to the those with the thinner layers (1 mil and painted). The peak power densities for the different loading levels followed an exponential decrease of Pt/Ru utilization at the higher loading levels. The highest power density achieved was 49 mW cm-2 with the 4 mil layers at 2.0 mg cm-2 catalyst loading whereas the highest normalized power density was 116 mW mg-1 with the 8 mil layers at 0.25 mg cm-2 loading. The 8 mil drawdowns displayed a 50% and 23% increase in normalized power density compared to the 1 mil drawdowns at 0.25 mg cm-2 and 0.5 mg cm-2 loadings, respectively.

The rare DAT coding variant Val559 perturbs DA neuron function, changes behavior, and alters in vivo responses to psychostimulants.

PubMed

Mergy, Marc A; Gowrishankar, Raajaram; Gresch, Paul J; Gantz, Stephanie C; Williams, John; Davis, Gwynne L; Wheeler, C Austin; Stanwood, Gregg D; Hahn, Maureen K; Blakely, Randy D

2014-11-04

Despite the critical role of the presynaptic dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT, SLC6A3) in DA clearance and psychostimulant responses, evidence that DAT dysfunction supports risk for mental illness is indirect. Recently, we identified a rare, nonsynonymous Slc6a3 variant that produces the DAT substitution Ala559Val in two male siblings who share a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with other studies identifying the variant in subjects with bipolar disorder (BPD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previously, using transfected cell studies, we observed that although DAT Val559 displays normal total and surface DAT protein levels, and normal DA recognition and uptake, the variant transporter exhibits anomalous DA efflux (ADE) and lacks capacity for amphetamine (AMPH)-stimulated DA release. To pursue the significance of these findings in vivo, we engineered DAT Val559 knock-in mice, and here we demonstrate in this model the presence of elevated extracellular DA levels, altered somatodendritic and presynaptic D2 DA receptor (D2R) function, a blunted ability of DA terminals to support depolarization and AMPH-evoked DA release, and disruptions in basal and psychostimulant-evoked locomotor behavior. Together, our studies demonstrate an in vivo functional impact of the DAT Val559 variant, providing support for the ability of DAT dysfunction to impact risk for mental illness.

The rare DAT coding variant Val559 perturbs DA neuron function, changes behavior, and alters in vivo responses to psychostimulants

PubMed Central

Mergy, Marc A.; Gowrishankar, Raajaram; Gresch, Paul J.; Gantz, Stephanie C.; Williams, John; Davis, Gwynne L.; Wheeler, C. Austin; Stanwood, Gregg D.; Hahn, Maureen K.; Blakely, Randy D.

2014-01-01

Despite the critical role of the presynaptic dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT, SLC6A3) in DA clearance and psychostimulant responses, evidence that DAT dysfunction supports risk for mental illness is indirect. Recently, we identified a rare, nonsynonymous Slc6a3 variant that produces the DAT substitution Ala559Val in two male siblings who share a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with other studies identifying the variant in subjects with bipolar disorder (BPD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previously, using transfected cell studies, we observed that although DAT Val559 displays normal total and surface DAT protein levels, and normal DA recognition and uptake, the variant transporter exhibits anomalous DA efflux (ADE) and lacks capacity for amphetamine (AMPH)-stimulated DA release. To pursue the significance of these findings in vivo, we engineered DAT Val559 knock-in mice, and here we demonstrate in this model the presence of elevated extracellular DA levels, altered somatodendritic and presynaptic D2 DA receptor (D2R) function, a blunted ability of DA terminals to support depolarization and AMPH-evoked DA release, and disruptions in basal and psychostimulant-evoked locomotor behavior. Together, our studies demonstrate an in vivo functional impact of the DAT Val559 variant, providing support for the ability of DAT dysfunction to impact risk for mental illness. PMID:25331903

Tachycardia, reduced vagal capacity, and age-dependent ventricular dysfunction arising from diminished expression of the presynaptic choline transporter

PubMed Central

English, Brett A.; Appalsamy, Martin; Diedrich, Andre; Ruggiero, Alicia M.; Lund, David; Wright, Jane; Keller, Nancy R.; Louderback, Katherine M.; Robertson, David

2010-01-01

Healthy cardiovascular function relies on a balanced and responsive integration of noradrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the heart. High-affinity choline uptake by cholinergic terminals is pivotal for efficient ACh production and release. To date, the cardiovascular impact of diminished choline transporter (CHT) expression has not been directly examined, largely due to the transporter's inaccessibility in vivo. Here, we describe findings from cardiovascular experiments using transgenic mice that bear a CHT genetic deficiency. Whereas CHT knockout (CHT−/−) mice exhibit early postnatal lethality, CHT heterozygous (CHT+/−) mice survive, grow, and reproduce normally and exhibit normal spontaneous behaviors. However, the CHT+/− mouse heart displays significantly reduced levels of high-affinity choline uptake accompanied by significantly reduced levels of ACh. Telemeterized recordings of cardiovascular function in these mice revealed tachycardia and hypertension at rest. After treadmill exercise, CHT+/− mice exhibited slower heart rate recovery, consistent with a diminished cholinergic reserve, a contention validated through direct vagal nerve stimulation. Echocardiographic and histological experiments revealed an age-dependent decrease in fractional shortening, increased left ventricular dimensions, and increased ventricular fibrosis, consistent with ventricular dysfunction. These cardiovascular phenotypes of CHT+/− mice encourage an evaluation of humans bearing reduced CHT expression for their resiliency in maintaining proper heart function as well as risk for cardiovascular disease. PMID:20601463

NHLH2: At the intersection of obesity and fertility

PubMed Central

Good, Deborah J.; Braun, Thomas

2013-01-01

Nescient helix loop helix 2 (NSCL2/NHLH2) is a neuronal transcription factor originally thought to be involved in neuronal development and childhood neuroblastomas. Accumulating evidence has since identified roles for NHLH2 in adult phenotypes of obesity and fertility. Here, we summarize these findings, and attempt to link genotype with phenotype in mouse models and humans. In particular, NHLH2 (Nhlh2 in mice) is one of only two genes that are genetically linked to physical activity levels. Nhlh2 also controls obesity and fertility, with strong sexual dimorphism displayed for both phenotypes by Nhlh2 mutant animals. We propose that Nhlh2 might function as a molecular sensor in different adult hypothalamic neurons to regulate energy balance, leading to normal body weight and reproduction. PMID:23684566

Impaired cognitive functioning during spontaneous dieting.

PubMed

Green, M W; Rogers, P J

1995-09-01

In one of a continuing series of studies, the cognitive performance of normal weight female dieters was compared on two sessions, 3 weeks apart. Those who reported themselves as being on a weight-reducing diet on only one of the two sessions displayed poorer vigilance performance, slower reaction times and poorer immediate recall of words when they were dieting. In contrast, performance on a low processing load tapping task was unaffected. Self-report measures showed that dietary restraint, but not state anxiety or depression was increased during dieting. These results are interpreted in terms of an association between dieting behaviour and high levels of distractibility, and extend earlier findings by demonstrating that these deficits in cognitive performance are closely related to dieting or the perceived need to diet per se.

Abscisic acid is a negative regulator of root gravitropism in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Han, Woong; Rong, Honglin; Zhang, Hanma; Wang, Myeong-Hyeon

2009-01-23

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a role in root gravitropism and has led to an intense debate over whether ABA acts similar to auxin by translating the gravitational signal into directional root growth. While tremendous advances have been made in the past two decades in establishing the role of auxin in root gravitropism, little progress has been made in characterizing the role of ABA in this response. In fact, roots of plants that have undetectable levels of ABA and that display a normal gravitropic response have raised some serious doubts about whether ABA plays any role in root gravitropism. Here, we show strong evidence that ABA plays a role opposite to that of auxin and that it is a negative regulator of the gravitropic response of Arabidopsis roots.

Anti-ghrelin immunoglobulins modulate ghrelin stability and its orexigenic effect in obese mice and humans

PubMed Central

Takagi, Kuniko; Legrand, Romain; Asakawa, Akihiro; Amitani, Haruka; François, Marie; Tennoune, Naouel; Coëffier, Moïse; Claeyssens, Sophie; do Rego, Jean-Claude; Déchelotte, Pierre; Inui, Akio; Fetissov, Sergueï O.

2013-01-01

Obese individuals often have increased appetite despite normal plasma levels of the main orexigenic hormone ghrelin. Here we show that ghrelin degradation in the plasma is inhibited by ghrelin-reactive IgG immunoglobulins, which display increased binding affinity to ghrelin in obese patients and mice. Co-administration of ghrelin together with IgG from obese individuals, but not with IgG from anorectic or control patients, increases food intake in rats. Similarly, chronic injections of ghrelin together with IgG from ob/ob mice increase food intake, meal frequency and total lean body mass of mice. These data reveal that in both obese humans and mice, IgG with increased affinity for ghrelin enhances ghrelin’s orexigenic effect, which may contribute to increased appetite and overeating. PMID:24158035

Locally disordered methylation forms the basis of intratumor methylome variation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

PubMed

Landau, Dan A; Clement, Kendell; Ziller, Michael J; Boyle, Patrick; Fan, Jean; Gu, Hongcang; Stevenson, Kristen; Sougnez, Carrie; Wang, Lili; Li, Shuqiang; Kotliar, Dylan; Zhang, Wandi; Ghandi, Mahmoud; Garraway, Levi; Fernandes, Stacey M; Livak, Kenneth J; Gabriel, Stacey; Gnirke, Andreas; Lander, Eric S; Brown, Jennifer R; Neuberg, Donna; Kharchenko, Peter V; Hacohen, Nir; Getz, Gad; Meissner, Alexander; Wu, Catherine J

2014-12-08

Intratumoral heterogeneity plays a critical role in tumor evolution. To define the contribution of DNA methylation to heterogeneity within tumors, we performed genome-scale bisulfite sequencing of 104 primary chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLLs). Compared with 26 normal B cell samples, CLLs consistently displayed higher intrasample variability of DNA methylation patterns across the genome, which appears to arise from stochastically disordered methylation in malignant cells. Transcriptome analysis of bulk and single CLL cells revealed that methylation disorder was linked to low-level expression. Disordered methylation was further associated with adverse clinical outcome. We therefore propose that disordered methylation plays a similar role to that of genetic instability, enhancing the ability of cancer cells to search for superior evolutionary trajectories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Locally disordered methylation forms the basis of intra-tumor methylome variation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

PubMed Central

Landau, Dan A.; Clement, Kendell; Ziller, Michael J.; Boyle, Patrick; Fan, Jean; Gu, Hongcang; Stevenson, Kristen; Sougnez, Carrie; Wang, Lili; Li, Shuqiang; Kotliar, Dylan; Zhang, Wandi; Ghandi, Mahmoud; Garraway, Levi; Fernandes, Stacey M.; Livak, Kenneth J.; Gabriel, Stacey; Gnirke, Andreas; Lander, Eric S.; Brown, Jennifer R.; Neuberg, Donna; Kharchenko, Peter V.; Hacohen, Nir; Getz, Gad; Meissner, Alexander; Wu, Catherine J.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Intra-tumoral heterogeneity plays a critical role in tumor evolution. To define the contribution of DNA methylation to heterogeneity within tumors, we performed genome-scale bisulfite sequencing of 104 primary chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLL). Compared to 26 normal B cell samples, CLLs consistently displayed higher intra-sample variability of DNA methylation patterns across the genome, which appears to arise from stochastically disordered methylation in malignant cells. Transcriptome analysis of bulk and single CLL cells revealed that methylation disorder was linked to low-level expression. Disordered methylation was further associated with adverse clinical outcome. We therefore propose that disordered methylation plays a similar role to genetic instability, enhancing the ability of cancer cells to search for superior evolutionary trajectories. PMID:25490447

Soluble Syndecan-1: A Novel Biomarker of Small Bowel Mucosal Damage in Children with Celiac Disease.

PubMed

Yablecovitch, D; Oren, A; Ben-Horin, S; Fudim, E; Eliakim, R; Saker, T; Konikoff, F M; Kopylov, U; Matthias, T; Lerner, A

2017-03-01

Syndecan-1 (SDC1) is essential for maintaining normal epithelial barrier. Shedding of SDC1 ectodomain, reflected by serum soluble syndecan-1 (SSDC1) levels, is regulated by inflammation. Increased intestinal permeability plays a central role in celiac disease (CD). The association between SSDC1 levels and mucosal damage in CD has not been evaluated. To evaluate serum SSDC1 levels in children with CD and to determine its relationship with histological grading classified by modified Marsh criteria. This is a cross-sectional, pilot study, in which serum SSDC1 was analyzed by ELISA in a cohort of 49 untreated children with CD and 15 children with nonspecific abdominal pain (AP). CD was diagnosed based on positive celiac serology and small intestinal biopsy. SSDC1 levels at the time of biopsy were correlated with Marsh grading. Controls were defined by AP, negative celiac serology, normal upper endoscopy, and small intestinal biopsies. SSDC1 levels were significantly higher in CD patients compared to AP controls (116.2 ± 161 vs. 41.3 ± 17.5 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.01). SSDC1 levels were significantly higher in patients with Marsh 3c lesion compared to AP controls (170.6 ± 201 vs. 41.3 ± 17.5 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.05). SSDC1 concentrations displayed a significant correlation with mucosal damage defined by Marsh (r = 0.39, p < 0.05). This is the first study demonstrating elevated levels of serum SSDC1 in children with CD. Our results suggest that SSDC1 is a potentially novel marker of intestinal mucosal damage in patients with CD. Its applicability as a surrogate biomarker in CD remains to be determined.

Touchscreen everywhere: on transferring a normal planar surface to a touch-sensitive display.

PubMed

Dai, Jingwen; Chung, Chi-Kit Ronald

2014-08-01

We address how a human-computer interface with small device size, large display, and touch-input facility can be made possible by a mere projector and camera. The realization is through the use of a properly embedded structured light sensing scheme that enables a regular light-colored table surface to serve the dual roles of both a projection screen and a touch-sensitive display surface. A random binary pattern is employed to code structured light in pixel accuracy, which is embedded into the regular projection display in a way that the user perceives only regular display but not the structured pattern hidden in the display. With the projection display on the table surface being imaged by a camera, the observed image data, plus the known projection content, can work together to probe the 3-D workspace immediately above the table surface, like deciding if there is a finger present and if the finger touches the table surface, and if so, at what position on the table surface the contact is made. All the decisions hinge upon a careful calibration of the projector-camera-table surface system, intelligent segmentation of the hand in the image data, and exploitation of the homography mapping existing between the projector's display panel and the camera's image plane. Extensive experimentation including evaluation of the display quality, hand segmentation accuracy, touch detection accuracy, trajectory tracking accuracy, multitouch capability and system efficiency are shown to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed realization.

Redox control of plant growth and development.

PubMed

Kocsy, Gábor; Tari, Irma; Vanková, Radomíra; Zechmann, Bernd; Gulyás, Zsolt; Poór, Péter; Galiba, Gábor

2013-10-01

Redox changes determined by genetic and environmental factors display well-organized interactions in the control of plant growth and development. Diurnal and seasonal changes in the environmental conditions are important for the normal course of these physiological processes and, similarly to their mild irregular alterations, for stress adaptation. However, fast or large-scale environmental changes may lead to damage or death of sensitive plants. The spatial and temporal redox changes influence growth and development due to the reprogramming of metabolism. In this process reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and antioxidants are involved as components of signalling networks. The control of growth, development and flowering by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and antioxidants in interaction with hormones at organ, tissue, cellular and subcellular level will be discussed in the present review. Unsolved problems of the field, among others the need for identification of new components and interactions in the redox regulatory network at various organization levels using systems biology approaches will be also indicated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serine racemase is associated with schizophrenia susceptibility in humans and in a mouse model

PubMed Central

Labrie, Viviane; Fukumura, Ryutaro; Rastogi, Anjali; Fick, Laura J.; Wang, Wei; Boutros, Paul C.; Kennedy, James L.; Semeralul, Mawahib O.; Lee, Frankie H.; Baker, Glen B.; Belsham, Denise D.; Barger, Steven W.; Gondo, Yoichi; Wong, Albert H.C.; Roder, John C.

2009-01-01

Abnormal N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. d-serine is an important NMDAR modulator, and to elucidate the role of the d-serine synthesis enzyme serine racemase (Srr) in schizophrenia, we identified and characterized mice with an ENU-induced mutation that results in a complete loss of Srr activity and dramatically reduced d-serine levels. Mutant mice displayed behaviors relevant to schizophrenia, including impairments in prepulse inhibition, sociability and spatial discrimination. Behavioral deficits were exacerbated by an NMDAR antagonist and ameliorated by d-serine or the atypical antipsychotic clozapine. Expression profiling revealed that the Srr mutation influenced several genes that have been linked to schizophrenia and cognitive ability. Transcript levels altered by the Srr mutation were also normalized by d-serine or clozapine treatment. Furthermore, analysis of SRR genetic variants in humans identified a robust association with schizophrenia. This study demonstrates that aberrant Srr function and diminished d-serine may contribute to schizophrenia pathogenesis. PMID:19483194

Emotional reasoning and parent-based reasoning in normal children.

PubMed

Morren, Mattijn; Muris, Peter; Kindt, Merel

2004-01-01

A previous study by Muris, Merckelbach, and Van Spauwen demonstrated that children display emotional reasoning irrespective of their anxiety levels. That is, when estimating whether a situation is dangerous, children not only rely on objective danger information but also on their own anxiety-response. The present study further examined emotional reasoning in children aged 7-13 years (N = 508). In addition, it was investigated whether children also show parent-based reasoning, which can be defined as the tendency to rely on anxiety-responses that can be observed in parents. Children completed self-report questionnaires of anxiety, depression, and emotional and parent-based reasoning. Evidence was found for both emotional and parent-based reasoning effects. More specifically, children's danger ratings were not only affected by objective danger information, but also by anxiety-response information in both objective danger and safety stories. High levels of anxiety and depression were significantly associated with the tendency to rely on anxiety-response information, but only in the case of safety scripts.

A neurobehavioral examination of individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder using a fronto-striatal model of dysfunction.

PubMed

Rinehart, Nicole J; Bradshaw, John L; Tonge, Bruce J; Brereton, Avril V; Bellgrove, Mark A

2002-06-01

The repetitive, stereotyped, and obsessive behaviors that characterize autism may in part be attributable to disruption of the region of the fronto-striatal system, which mediates executive abilities. Neuropsychological testing has shown that children with autism exhibit set-shifting deficiencies on tests such as the Wisconsin Card Sorting task but show normal inhibitory ability on variants of the Stroop color-word test. According to Minshew and Goldstein's multiple primary deficit theory, the complexity of the executive functioning task is important in determining the performance of individuals with autism. This study employed a visual-spatial task (with a Stroop-type component) to examine the integrity of executive functioning, in particular inhibition, in autism (n = 12) and Asperger's disorder (n = 12) under increasing levels of cognitive complexity. Whereas the Asperger's disorder group performed similarly to age- and IQ-matched control participants, even at the higher levels of cognitive complexity, the high-functioning autism group displayed inhibitory deficits specifically associated with increasing cognitive load.

Pathfinder, Volume 7, Number 6, November/December 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

identified forest vegetation between 2005 and 2008 using normalized difference vegetation index ( NDVI ) measurements derived from low-resolution, com...posite images. Vegetation indices, including NDVI , are helpful for monitoring the health and vigor of vegetation and are used in products displaying

Scurvy: a new problem for patients with chronic GVHD involving mucous membranes; an easy problem to resolve.

PubMed

Kletzel, Morris; Powers, Kim; Hayes, Meghan

2014-08-01

Vitamin C deficiency in developed countries is typically observed in patients with unique clinical conditions such as cystic fibrosis or anorexia nervosa, or in patients on long-term tube feeds. We report here a clinical observation in six pediatric and adolescent patients (median age 17.5 yr, range 9.8-23.5 yr) with chronic GVHD with mucous membrane involvement found to be vitamin C deficient. These patients' baseline serum vitamin C levels ranged from <0.12 to 0.94 mg/dL (normal value 0.20-1.90 mg/dL), with a mean level 0.56 ± 0.36 mg/dL and a median level 0.6 mg/dL. Among these patients, signs and symptoms of mucositis failed to respond to standard chronic GVHD therapy. After receiving treatment with 2000 mg of ascorbic acid by mouth, daily patients displayed increased serum vitamin C levels. Clinically, this correlated with a remarkable improvement in patients' mucositis and ability to eat. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Body fat percentage is associated with cardiometabolic dysregulation in BMI-defined normal weight subjects.

PubMed

Shea, J L; King, M T C; Yi, Y; Gulliver, W; Sun, G

2012-09-01

Nearly 25% of normal weight individuals display abnormal metabolic profiles associated with obesity. As a wide range in body fat percentage (%BF) exists for BMI-defined normal weight individuals, we investigated whether elevated %BF (determined using DXA) was associated with cardiometabolic dysregulation among 977 normal weight subjects (192 men, 785 women) from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. BMI and %BF were measured after a 12-h fasting period. Cardiometabolic abnormalities considered included elevated triglyceride, glucose and hsCRP levels, decreased HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Subjects were classified as metabolically healthy (0 or 1 cardiometabolic abnormality) or abnormal (≥2 cardiometabolic abnormalities) and divided into sex-specific %BF tertiles as follows: low (≤15.2% men, ≤29.7% women), medium (15.3-20.7%% men, 29.8-34.9%% women) and high (≥20.8% men, ≥35.0% women). The prevalence of the metabolically abnormal phenotype was higher among medium and high %BF subjects (12.0% and 19.5%, respectively) compared to the low group (7.4%; p < 0.05). Furthermore, the odds of being metabolically abnormal were 1.61 (95% CI 0.94-2.77) for medium %BF subjects compared to the low group and nearly tripled for high %BF subjects (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.63-4.86). ORs remained significant after further adjustment for waist circumference. Our findings indicate that those with elevated %BF are at increased risk of developing cardiometabolic disease despite having a normal BMI. Future development of adequate screening tools to identify these individuals is crucial to the prevention of obesity-associated disease. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Balance and postural skills in normal-weight and overweight prepubertal boys.

PubMed

Deforche, Benedicte I; Hills, Andrew P; Worringham, Charles J; Davies, Peter S W; Murphy, Alexia J; Bouckaert, Jacques J; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse M

2009-01-01

This study investigated differences in balance and postural skills in normal-weight versus overweight prepubertal boys. Fifty-seven 8-10-year-old boys were categorized overweight (N = 25) or normal-weight (N = 32) according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points for overweight in children. The Balance Master, a computerized pressure plate system, was used to objectively measure six balance skills: sit-to-stand, walk, step up/over, tandem walk (walking on a line), unilateral stance and limits of stability. In addition, three standardized field tests were employed: standing on one leg on a balance beam, walking heel-to-toe along the beam and the multiple sit-to-stand test. Overweight boys showed poorer performances on several items assessed on the Balance Master. Overweight boys had slower weight transfer (p < 0.05), lower rising index (p < 0.05) and greater sway velocity (p < 0.001) in the sit-to-stand test, greater step width while walking (p < 0.05) and lower speed when walking on a line (p < 0.01) compared with normal-weight counterparts. Performance on the step up/over test, the unilateral stance and the limits of stability were comparable between both groups. On the balance beam, overweight boys could not hold their balance on one leg as long (p < 0.001) and had fewer correct steps in the heel-to-toe test (p < 0.001) than normal-weight boys. Finally, overweight boys were slower in standing up and sitting down five times in the multiple sit-to-stand task (p < 0.01). This study demonstrates that when categorised by body mass index (BMI) level, overweight prepubertal boys displayed lower capacity on several static and dynamic balance and postural skills.

Multiple forms of hypogonadism of central, peripheral or combined origin in males with Prader-Willi syndrome.

PubMed

Radicioni, A F; Di Giorgio, G; Grugni, G; Cuttini, M; Losacco, V; Anzuini, A; Spera, S; Marzano, C; Lenzi, A; Cappa, M; Crinò, A

2012-01-01

Hypogonadism in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is generally attributed to hypothalamic dysfunction or to primary gonadal defect, but pathophysiology is still unclear. To investigate the aetiology of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis dysfunction in PWS males. Clinical examination and blood sampling for luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, inhibin B and sexhormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were performed in 34 PWS patients, age 5·1-42·7 years, and in 125 healthy males of same age range. All participants were divided into two groups : < or ≥13·5 years. Pubertal PWS patients showed an arrest of pubertal development. Patients <13·5 years had normal LH, FSH, testosterone and 7/10 had low inhibin B. Among those ≥13·5 years, 8/24 patients had normal LH and testosterone, high FSH and low inhibin B. 5/24 had low FSH, LH, testosterone and inhibin B; one showed normal LH and FSH despite low testosterone and inhibin B; 4/24 had low testosterone and LH but normal FSH despite low inhibin B; 6/24 showed high FSH, low inhibin B and normal LH despite low testosterone. Compared with controls, patients <13·5 years had lower LH, inhibin B, similar FSH, testosterone, SHBG levels and testicular volume; those ≥13·5 years had smaller testicular volume, near-significantly lower LH, testosterone, SHBG, inhibin B and higher FSH. PWS patients display heterogeneity of hypogonadism: (i) hypogonadotropic hypogonadism of central origin for LH and/or FSH; (ii) early primary testicular dysfunction (Sertoli cells damage); and (iii) a combined hypogonadism (testicular origin for FSH-inhibin B axis and central origin for LH-T axis). © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Problems with Using the Normal Distribution – and Ways to Improve Quality and Efficiency of Data Analysis

PubMed Central

Limpert, Eckhard; Stahel, Werner A.

2011-01-01

Background The Gaussian or normal distribution is the most established model to characterize quantitative variation of original data. Accordingly, data are summarized using the arithmetic mean and the standard deviation, by ± SD, or with the standard error of the mean, ± SEM. This, together with corresponding bars in graphical displays has become the standard to characterize variation. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we question the adequacy of this characterization, and of the model. The published literature provides numerous examples for which such descriptions appear inappropriate because, based on the “95% range check”, their distributions are obviously skewed. In these cases, the symmetric characterization is a poor description and may trigger wrong conclusions. To solve the problem, it is enlightening to regard causes of variation. Multiplicative causes are by far more important than additive ones, in general, and benefit from a multiplicative (or log-) normal approach. Fortunately, quite similar to the normal, the log-normal distribution can now be handled easily and characterized at the level of the original data with the help of both, a new sign, x/, times-divide, and notation. Analogous to ± SD, it connects the multiplicative (or geometric) mean * and the multiplicative standard deviation s* in the form * x/s*, that is advantageous and recommended. Conclusions/Significance The corresponding shift from the symmetric to the asymmetric view will substantially increase both, recognition of data distributions, and interpretation quality. It will allow for savings in sample size that can be considerable. Moreover, this is in line with ethical responsibility. Adequate models will improve concepts and theories, and provide deeper insight into science and life. PMID:21779325

Problems with using the normal distribution--and ways to improve quality and efficiency of data analysis.

PubMed

Limpert, Eckhard; Stahel, Werner A

2011-01-01

The gaussian or normal distribution is the most established model to characterize quantitative variation of original data. Accordingly, data are summarized using the arithmetic mean and the standard deviation, by mean ± SD, or with the standard error of the mean, mean ± SEM. This, together with corresponding bars in graphical displays has become the standard to characterize variation. Here we question the adequacy of this characterization, and of the model. The published literature provides numerous examples for which such descriptions appear inappropriate because, based on the "95% range check", their distributions are obviously skewed. In these cases, the symmetric characterization is a poor description and may trigger wrong conclusions. To solve the problem, it is enlightening to regard causes of variation. Multiplicative causes are by far more important than additive ones, in general, and benefit from a multiplicative (or log-) normal approach. Fortunately, quite similar to the normal, the log-normal distribution can now be handled easily and characterized at the level of the original data with the help of both, a new sign, x/, times-divide, and notation. Analogous to mean ± SD, it connects the multiplicative (or geometric) mean mean * and the multiplicative standard deviation s* in the form mean * x/s*, that is advantageous and recommended. The corresponding shift from the symmetric to the asymmetric view will substantially increase both, recognition of data distributions, and interpretation quality. It will allow for savings in sample size that can be considerable. Moreover, this is in line with ethical responsibility. Adequate models will improve concepts and theories, and provide deeper insight into science and life.

Dynamic Visual Acuity While Walking in Normals and Labyrinthine-Deficient Patients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hillman, Edward J.; Bloomberg, Jacob J.; McDonald, P. Vernon; Cohen, Helen S.

1996-01-01

We describe a new, objective, easily administered test of dynamic visual acuity (DVA) while walking. Ten normal subjects and five patients with histories of severe bilateral vestibular dysfunctions participated in this study. Subjects viewed a visual display of numerals of different font sizes presented on a laptop computer while they stood still and while they walked on a motorized treadmill. Treadmill speed was adapted for 4 of 5 patients. Subjects were asked to identify the numerals as they appeared on the computer screen. Test results were reasonably repeatable in normals. The percent correct responses at each font size dropped slightly while walking in normals and dropped significantly more in patients. Patients performed significantly worse than normals while standing still and while walking. This task may be useful for evaluating post-flight astronauts and vestibularly impaired patients.

Role of adipose tissue-derived stem cells in the progression of renal disease.

PubMed

Donizetti-Oliveira, Cassiano; Semedo, Patricia; Burgos-Silva, Marina; Cenedeze, Marco Antonio; Malheiros, Denise Maria Avancini Costa; Reis, Marlene Antônia Dos; Pacheco-Silva, Alvaro; Câmara, Niels Olsen Saraiva

2011-03-01

To analyze the role of adipose tissue-derived stem cells in reducing the progression of renal fibrosis. adipose tissue-derived stem cells were isolated from C57Bl/6 mice and characterized by cytometry and differentiation. Renal fibrosis was established after unilateral clamping of the renal pedicle for 1 hour. Four hours after reperfusion, 2.105 adipose tissue-derived stem cells were administered intraperitoneally and the animals were followed for 24 hours during 6 weeks. In another experimental group, 2.105adipose tissue-derived stem cells were administered only after 6 weeks of reperfusion, and they were euthanized and studied 4 weeks later. Twenty-four hours after reperfusion, the animals treated with adipose tissue-derived stem cells displayed reduced renal and tubular dysfunction and an increase of the regenerative process. Renal expression of IL-6 and TNF mRNA were decreased in the animals treated with adipose tissue-derived stem cells, while the levels of IL-4, IL-10, and HO-1 were increased, despite the fact that adipose tissue-derived stem cells were not observed in the kidneys via SRY analysis. In 6 weeks, the kidneys of non-treated animals decreased in size, and the kidneys of the animals treated with adipose tissue-derived stem cells remained at normal size and display less deposition of type 1 collagen and FSP-1. The renal protection observed in animals treated with adipose tissue-derived stem cells was followed by a drop in serum levels of TNF-α, KC, RANTES, and IL-1a. Treatment with adipose tissue-derived stem cells after 6 weeks, when the animals already displayed established fibrosis, demonstrated an improvement in functional parameters and less fibrosis analyzed by Picrosirius stain, as well as a reduction of the expression of type 1 collagen and vimentin mRNA. Treatment with adipose tissue-derived stem cells may deter the progression of renal fibrosis by modulation of the early inflammatory response, likely via reduction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Selective depletion of microglial progranulin in mice is not sufficient to cause neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis or neuroinflammation.

PubMed

Petkau, Terri L; Kosior, Natalia; de Asis, Kathleen; Connolly, Colúm; Leavitt, Blair R

2017-11-17

Progranulin deficiency due to heterozygous null mutations in the GRN gene are a common cause of familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), while homozygous loss-of-function GRN mutations are thought to be a rare cause of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL). Aged progranulin-knockout (Grn-null) mice display highly exaggerated lipofuscinosis, microgliosis, and astrogliosis, as well as mild cell loss in specific brain regions. In the brain, progranulin is predominantly expressed in neurons and microglia, and previously, we demonstrated that neuronal-specific depletion of progranulin does not recapitulate the neuropathological phenotype of Grn-null mice. In this study, we evaluated whether selective depletion of progranulin expression in myeloid-lineage cells, including microglia, causes NCL-like neuropathology or neuroinflammation in mice. We generated mice with progranulin depleted in myeloid-lineage cells by crossing mice homozygous for a floxed progranulin allele to mice expressing Cre recombinase under control of the LyzM promotor (Lyz-cKO). Progranulin expression was reduced by approximately 50-70% in isolated microglia compared to WT levels. Lyz-cKO mice aged to 12 months did not display any increase in lipofuscin deposition, microgliosis, or astrogliosis in the four brain regions examined, though increases were observed for many of these measures in Grn-null animals. To evaluate the functional effect of reduced progranulin expression in isolated microglia, primary cultures were stimulated with controlled standard endotoxin and cytokine release was measured. While Grn-null microglia display a hyper-inflammatory phenotype, Lyz-cKO and WT microglia secreted similar levels of inflammatory cytokines. We conclude that progranulin expression from either microglia or neurons is sufficient to prevent the development of NCL-like neuropathology in mice. Furthermore, microglia that are deficient for progranulin expression but isolated from a progranulin-rich environment have a normal inflammatory profile. Our results suggest that progranulin acts, at least partly, in a non-cell autonomous manner in the brain.

26S proteasome and insulin-like growth factor-1 in serum of dogs suffering from malignant tumors.

PubMed

Gerke, Ingrid; Kaup, Franz-Josef; Neumann, Stephan

2018-04-01

Studies in humans have shown that the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and the insulin-like growth factor axis are involved in carcinogenesis, thus, components of these systems might be useful as prognostic markers and constitute potential therapeutic targets. In veterinary medicine, only a few studies exist on this topic. Here, serum concentrations of 26S proteasome (26SP) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were measured by canine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 43 dogs suffering from malignant tumors and 21 clinically normal dogs (control group). Relationships with tumor size, survival time, body condition score (BCS), and tumor entity were assessed. The median 26SP concentration in the tumor group was non-significantly higher than in the control group. However, dogs with mammary carcinomas displayed significantly increased 26SP levels compared to the control group and dogs with tumor size less than 5 cm showed significantly increased 26SP concentrations compared to dogs with larger tumors and control dogs. 26SP concentrations were not correlated to survival time or BCS. No significant difference in IGF-1 levels was found between the tumor group and the control group; however, IGF-1 concentrations displayed a larger range of values in the tumor group. Dogs with tumors greater than 5 cm showed significantly higher IGF-1 levels than dogs with smaller tumors. The IGF-1 concentrations were positively correlated to survival time, but no correlation with BCS was found. Consequently, serum 26SP concentrations seem to be increased in some dogs suffering from malignant tumors, especially in dogs with mammary carcinoma and smaller tumors. Increased serum IGF-1 concentrations could be an indication of large tumors and a poor prognosis.

The acute effect of a mineralocorticoid receptor agonist on corticotrope secretion in Addison's disease.

PubMed

Berardelli, R; Karamouzis, I; D'Angelo, V; Fussotto, B; Minetto, M A; Ghigo, E; Giordano, R; Arvat, E

2016-05-01

Mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) in the hippocampus display an important role in the control of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, mediating the ''proactive'' feedback of glucocorticoids (GC). Fludrocortisone (FC), a potent MR agonist, has been shown to decrease HPA activity through a hippocampal mechanism. Since it has been demonstrated that FC shows a significant inhibition of the HPA axis response to hCRH stimulus in normal subjects, also at doses usually administered as replacement therapy in patients with Addison's disease, an FC effect at MRs in human pituitary or a GR-pituitary agonism stronger than believed until now has been postulated. Ten patients affected by autoimmune Addison's disease received: (1) placebo p.o. + placebo i.v., (2) hydrocortisone (H) 10 mg p.o. + placebo i.v., (3) FC 0.1 mg p.o. + placebo i.v., (4) FC 0.1 mg and H 10 mg p.o. + placebo i.v. to verify a possible GR FC-mediated effect that might display a repercussion on the GC-replacement therapy. H reduced ACTH (p < 0.01) and increased cortisol levels (p < 0.01) with respect to the placebo session, while FC did not affect either ACTH or cortisol levels compared to placebo, and higher ACTH and lower cortisol levels (p < 0.03 and p < 0.01) were observed compared with the H session; furthermore the co-administration of FC + H showed ACTH and cortisol profiles similar to that observed during H alone. Our study showed a lack of FC effect on corticotrope secretion in Addison's disease, thus making unlikely the hypothesis of its GR pituitary agonism and the risk of glucocorticoid excess in primary adrenal insufficiency.

Activation of the GH/IGF-1 axis by CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog, results in serum protein profile changes in normal adult subjects.

PubMed

Sackmann-Sala, Lucila; Ding, Juan; Frohman, Lawrence A; Kopchick, John J

2009-12-01

To identify biomarkers of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) action in human serum. The search for new markers of GH activity has received extensive attention given that the current biomarkers (IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and collagen peptides) show substantial variability in the population, and are not reliably predictive of either the physiologic effects of GH therapy or the detection of GH abuse by athletes. GH releasing hormone (GHRH) is a polypeptide synthesized in the hypothalamus that binds to receptors on pituitary somatotropes to promote the synthesis and release of GH. Serum GH and IGF-1 levels have been shown to increase with administration of GHRH or CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog. Sera from 11 healthy young adult men before and one week after CJC-1295 injection were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis for proteomic changes. Serum proteins displaying significant changes before and after treatment were subsequently identified using mass spectrometry. In addition, correlations between these proteins and GH or IGF-1 levels were evaluated. Two protein spots that displayed decreased intensities after treatment were identified as an apolipoprotein A1 isoform and a transthyretin isoform. Three protein spots upregulated by CJC-1295 treatment included beta-hemoglobin, a C-terminal fragment of albumin, and a mix of an immunoglobulin fragment and another C-terminal albumin fragment. A linear relationship was found between the spot containing immunoglobulin and albumin fragments and IGF-1 levels. Although the molecular mechanisms linking the identified proteins to GH and IGF-1 biological activity remain to be clarified, the results suggest that they represent potential biomarkers of GH and/or IGF-1 action.

The ctenidium of the giant clam, Tridacna squamosa, expresses an ammonium transporter 1 that displays light-suppressed gene and protein expression and may be involved in ammonia excretion.

PubMed

Boo, Mel V; Hiong, Kum C; Goh, Enan J K; Choo, Celine Y L; Wong, Wai P; Chew, Shit F; Ip, Yuen K

2018-04-24

Ammonium transporters (AMTs) can participate in ammonia uptake or excretion across the plasma membrane of prokaryotic, plant and invertebrate cells. The giant clam, Tridacna squamosa, harbors nitrogen-deficient symbiotic zooxanthellae, and normally conducts light-enhanced ammonia absorption to benefit the symbionts. Nonetheless, it can excrete ammonia when there is a supply of exogenous nitrogen or exposed to continuous darkness. This study aimed to elucidate the role of AMT1 in the ctenidium of T. squamosa by cloning and characterizing the AMT1/AMT1, determining its subcellular localization, and examining changes in its transcript and protein expression levels in response to light exposure. The cDNA coding sequence of AMT1 from T. squamosa consisted of 1527 bp and encoded 508 amino acids of 54.6 kDa. AMT1-immunofluorescence was detected mainly at the apical epithelium of ctenidial filaments, and it decreased significantly after 12 h of exposure to light. By contrast, the epithelial cells surrounding the tertiary water channels in the ctentidium, which are known to exhibit light-enhanced glutamine synthetase expression and take part in the assimilation of exogenous ammonia in light, did not display any AMT1-immunolabelling. Furthermore, the transcript level and protein abundance of ctenidial AMT1/AMT1 decreased significantly at the 6th and 12th h of light exposure. Taken together, these results indicate that AMT1 might participate in ammonia excretion instead of ammonia absorption and assimilation in T. squamosa. It is probable that the expression levels of AMT1/AMT1 need to be down-regulated during light exposure to achieve light-enhanced ammonia uptake.

Protein Dynamics Associated with Failed and Rescued Learning in the Ts65Dn Mouse Model of Down Syndrome

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Md. Mahiuddin; Dhanasekaran, A. Ranjitha; Block, Aaron; Tong, Suhong; Costa, Alberto C. S.; Stasko, Melissa; Gardiner, Katheleen J.

2015-01-01

Down syndrome (DS) is caused by an extra copy of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21). Although it is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability (ID), there are, as yet, no effective pharmacotherapies. The Ts65Dn mouse model of DS is trisomic for orthologs of ∼55% of Hsa21 classical protein coding genes. These mice display many features relevant to those seen in DS, including deficits in learning and memory (L/M) tasks requiring a functional hippocampus. Recently, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, memantine, was shown to rescue performance of the Ts65Dn in several L/M tasks. These studies, however, have not been accompanied by molecular analyses. In previous work, we described changes in protein expression induced in hippocampus and cortex in control mice after exposure to context fear conditioning (CFC), with and without memantine treatment. Here, we extend this analysis to Ts65Dn mice, measuring levels of 85 proteins/protein modifications, including components of MAP kinase and MTOR pathways, and subunits of NMDA receptors, in cortex and hippocampus of Ts65Dn mice after failed learning in CFC and after learning was rescued by memantine. We show that, compared with wild type littermate controls, (i) of the dynamic responses seen in control mice in normal learning, >40% also occur in Ts65Dn in failed learning or are compensated by baseline abnormalities, and thus are considered necessary but not sufficient for successful learning, and (ii) treatment with memantine does not in general normalize the initial protein levels but instead induces direct and indirect responses in approximately half the proteins measured and results in normalization of the endpoint protein levels. Together, these datasets provide a first view of the complexities associated with pharmacological rescue of learning in the Ts65Dn. Extending such studies to additional drugs and mouse models of DS will aid in identifying pharmacotherapies for effective clinical trials. PMID:25793384

Disruptions in follicle cell functions in the ovaries of rhesus monkeys during summer

PubMed Central

VandeVoort, Catherine A.; Mtango, Namdori R.; Midic, Uros

2015-01-01

Oocytes isolated from female rhesus monkeys following standard ovarian stimulation protocols during the summer months displayed a reduced capacity to mature compared with stimulation during the normal breeding season. Because the gene expression profiles of oocyte-associated cumulus cells and mural granulosa cells (CCs and GCs) are indicative of altered oocyte quality and can provide insight into intrafollicular processes that may be disrupted during oogenesis, we performed array-based transcriptome comparisons of CCs and GCs from summer and normal breeding season stimulation cycles. Summer CCs and GCs both display deficiencies in expression of mRNAs related to cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and endocrine signaling, as well as reduced expression of glycogen phosphorylase. Additionally, CCs display deficiencies in expression of mRNAs related to stress response. These results provide the first insight into the specific molecular pathways and processes that are disrupted in the follicles of rhesus macaque females during the summer season. Some of the changes seen in summer GCs and CCs have been reported in humans and in other model mammalian species. This suggests that the seasonal effects seen in the rhesus monkey may help us to understand better the mechanisms that contribute to reduced oocyte quality and fertility in humans. PMID:25586978

Octacosanol educes physico-chemical attributes, release and bioavailability as modified nanocrystals.

PubMed

Sen Gupta, Surashree; Ghosh, Mahua

2017-10-01

Octacosanol is a lesser known nutraceutical with the potential for treatment of several inflammatory diseases, high cholesterol, Parkinson's symptoms and tumour growth along with the capacity to improve athletic performance. But its lipophilicity and large structure inhibits extended solubility in water resulting in poor absorption and a low bioavailability. In the present work, sodium salt of octacosyl sulfate was synthesized. It displayed improved water solubility. Its nanocrystals, synthesized by means of nanoprecipitation technique, enhanced diffusion velocity, antioxidant capacity, shelf-life, penetrability and bioavailability. Particle size of the nanocrystals ranged between 197 and 220nm. Both modified octacosanol and its nanocrystals displayed maximum lipid peroxidation activities at a concentration 1000ppm, but nanocrystals demonstrated higher prevention. From freeze-thaw cycles it was evident that normal octacosanol crystals were far more prone to temperature variations than the nanocrystals. A pronounced increase in release/diffusion rate and bioavailability was observed for the nanocrystals of the modified octacosanol. In vitro release kinetics, bioavailability and bioequivalence were studied. Relative bioavailability for gastric passage and pancreatic passage of nanocrystals was 2.58 times and 1.81 times that of normal crystals respectively. Furthermore the nanocrystals displayed a superior in vitro release rate, while following a non-Fickian mode. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differential Expression Analysis of a Subset of Drought-Responsive GmNAC Genes in Two Soybean Cultivars Differing in Drought Tolerance

PubMed Central

Thao, Nguyen Phuong; Thu, Nguyen Binh Anh; Hoang, Xuan Lan Thi; Van Ha, Chien; Tran, Lam-Son Phan

2013-01-01

The plant-specific NAC transcription factors play important roles in plant response to drought stress. Here, we have compared the expression levels of a subset of GmNAC genes in drought-tolerant DT51 and drought-sensitive MTD720 under both normal and drought stress conditions aimed at identifying correlation between GmNAC expression levels and drought tolerance degree, as well as potential GmNAC candidates for genetic engineering. The expression of 23 selected dehydration-responsive GmNACs was assessed in both stressed and unstressed root tissues of DT51 and MTD720 using real-time quantitative PCR. The results indicated that expression of GmNACs was genotype-dependent. Seven and 13 of 23 tested GmNACs showed higher expression levels in roots of DT51 in comparison with MTD720 under normal and drought stress conditions, respectively, whereas none of them displayed lower transcript levels under any conditions. This finding suggests that the higher drought tolerance of DT51 might be positively correlated with the higher induction of the GmNAC genes during water deficit. The drought-inducible GmNAC011 needs to be mentioned as its transcript accumulation was more than 76-fold higher in drought-stressed DT51 roots relative to MTD720 roots. Additionally, among the GmNAC genes examined, GmNAC085, 092, 095, 101 and 109 were not only drought-inducible but also more highly up-regulated in DT51 roots than in that of MTD720 under both treatment conditions. These data together suggest that GmNAC011, 085, 092, 095, 101 and 109 might be promising candidates for improvement of drought tolerance in soybean by biotechnological approaches. PMID:24322442

A novel fluorescent sensor for measurement of CFTR function by flow cytometry.

PubMed

Vijftigschild, Lodewijk A W; van der Ent, Cornelis K; Beekman, Jeffrey M

2013-06-01

Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene cause cystic fibrosis. CFTR-dependent iodide transport measured by fluorescent quenching of ectopically expressed halide-sensitive yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) is widely being used to study CFTR function by microscopy or plate readers. Since YFP fluorescence in these systems is dependent on YFP expression levels and iodide concentration, differences in sensor expression level between experimental units are normalized at the start of each experiment. To allow accurate measurement of CFTR function by flow cytometry, we reasoned that co-expression of an iodide insensitive fluorescent protein would allow for normalization of sensor expression levels and more accurate quantification of CFTR function. Our data indicated that dsRed and mKate fluorescence are iodide insensitive, and we determined an optimal format for co-expression of these fluorescent proteins with halide-sensitive YFP. We showed using microscopy that ratiometric measurement (YFP/mKate) corrects for differences in sensor expression levels. Ratiometric measurements were essential to accurately measure CFTR function by flow cytometry that we here describe for the first time. Mixing of wild type or mutant CFTR expressing cells indicated that addition of approximately 10% of wild type CFTR expressing cells could be distinguished by ratiometric YFP quenching. Flow cytometric ratiometric YFP quenching also allowed us to study CFTR mutants associated with differential residual function upon ectopic expression. Compared with conventional plate-bound CFTR function assays, the flow cytometric approach described here can be used to study CFTR function in suspension cells. It may be further adapted to study CFTR function in heterologous cell populations using cell surface markers and selection of cells that display high CFTR function by cell sorting. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Neurotrophic actions of dopamine on the development of a serotonergic feeding circuit in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, serotonin functions both as a neurotransmitter to regulate larval feeding, and in the development of the stomatogastric feeding circuit. There is an inverse relationship between neuronal serotonin levels during late embryogenesis and the complexity of the serotonergic fibers projecting from the larval brain to the foregut, which correlate with perturbations in feeding, the functional output of the circuit. Dopamine does not modulate larval feeding, and dopaminergic fibers do not innervate the larval foregut. Since dopamine can function in central nervous system development, separate from its role as a neurotransmitter, the role of neuronal dopamine was assessed on the development, and mature function, of the 5-HT larval feeding circuit. Results Both decreased and increased neuronal dopamine levels in late embryogenesis during development of this circuit result in depressed levels of larval feeding. Perturbations in neuronal dopamine during this developmental period also result in greater branch complexity of the serotonergic fibers innervating the gut, as well as increased size and number of the serotonin-containing vesicles along the neurite length. This neurotrophic action for dopamine is modulated by the D2 dopamine receptor expressed during late embryogenesis in central 5-HT neurons. Animals carrying transgenic RNAi constructs to knock down both dopamine and serotonin synthesis in the central nervous system display normal feeding and fiber architecture. However, disparate levels of neuronal dopamine and serotonin during development of the circuit result in abnormal gut fiber architecture and feeding behavior. Conclusions These results suggest that dopamine can exert a direct trophic influence on the development of a specific neural circuit, and that dopamine and serotonin may interact with each other to generate the neural architecture necessary for normal function of the circuit. PMID:22413901

BI 885578, a Novel IGF1R/INSR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor with Pharmacokinetic Properties That Dissociate Antitumor Efficacy and Perturbation of Glucose Homeostasis.

PubMed

Sanderson, Michael P; Apgar, Joshua; Garin-Chesa, Pilar; Hofmann, Marco H; Kessler, Dirk; Quant, Jens; Savchenko, Alexander; Schaaf, Otmar; Treu, Matthias; Tye, Heather; Zahn, Stephan K; Zoephel, Andreas; Haaksma, Eric; Adolf, Günther R; Kraut, Norbert

2015-12-01

Inhibition of the IGF1R, INSRA, and INSRB receptor tyrosine kinases represents an attractive approach of pharmacologic intervention in cancer, owing to the roles of the IGF1R and INSRA in promoting cell proliferation and survival. However, the central role of the INSRB isoform in glucose homeostasis suggests that prolonged inhibition of this kinase could result in metabolic toxicity. We describe here the profile of the novel compound BI 885578, a potent and selective ATP-competitive IGF1R/INSR tyrosine kinase inhibitor distinguished by rapid intestinal absorption and a short in vivo half-life as a result of rapid metabolic clearance. BI 885578, administered daily per os, displayed an acceptable tolerability profile in mice at doses that significantly reduced the growth of xenografted human GEO and CL-14 colon carcinoma tumors. We found that treatment with BI 885578 is accompanied by increases in circulating glucose and insulin levels, which in turn leads to compensatory hyperphosphorylation of muscle INSRs and subsequent normalization of blood glucose within a few hours. In contrast, the normalization of IGF1R and INSR phosphorylation in GEO tumors occurs at a much slower rate. In accordance with this, BI 885578 led to a prolonged inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in GEO tumors. We propose that the remarkable therapeutic window observed for BI 885578 is achieved by virtue of the distinctive pharmacokinetic properties of the compound, capitalizing on the physiologic mechanisms of glucose homeostasis and differential levels of IGF1R and INSR expression in tumors and normal tissues. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

The Characteristic Long-Term Upregulation of Hippocampal NF-κB Complex in PTSD-Like Behavioral Stress Response Is Normalized by High-Dose Corticosterone and Pyrrolidine Dithiocarbamate Administered Immediately after Exposure

PubMed Central

Cohen, Hagit; Kozlovsky, Nitsan; Matar, Michael A; Zohar, Joseph; Kaplan, Zeev

2011-01-01

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor for genes involved in cell survival, differentiation, inflammation, and growth. This study examined the role of NF-κB pathway in stress-induced PTSD-like behavioral response patterns in rats. Immunohistochemical technique was used to detect the expression of the NF-κB p50 and p65 subunits, I-κBα, p38, and phospho-p38 in the hippocampal subregions at 7 days after exposure to predator scent stress. Expression of p65 nuclear translocation was quantified by western blot as the level of NF-κB activation. The effects of intraperitoneally administered corticosterone or a selective NF-κB inhibitor (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)) at 1 h post exposure on behavioral tests (elevated plus-maze and acoustic startle response) were evaluated 7 days later. Hippocampal expressions of those genes were subsequently evaluated. All data were analyzed in relation to individual behavior patterns. Extreme behavioral responder animals displayed significant upregulation of p50 and p65 with concomitant downregulation of I-κBα, p38, and phospho-p38 levels in hippocampal structures compared with minimal behavioral responders and controls. Immediate post-exposure treatment with high-dose corticosterone and PDTC significantly reduced prevalence rates of extreme responders and normalized the expression of those genes. Stress-induced upregulation of NF-κB complex in the hippocampus may contribute to the imbalance between what are normally precisely orchestrated and highly coordinated physiological and behavioral processes, thus associating it with stress-related disorders. PMID:21734649

Gestural recovery and the role of forward and reversed syllabic repetitions as stuttering inhibitors in adults.

PubMed

Kalinowski, Joseph; Saltuklaroglu, Tim; Guntupalli, Vijaya; Stuart, Andrew

2004-06-10

Instead of being the core stuttering 'problem', syllabic repetitions may be a biological mechanism, or 'solution', to the central involuntary stuttering block. Simply put, stuttering is an endogenous transitory state of 'shadowed speech', a choral speech derivative that allows for a neural release of the central block. To investigate this possibility, 14 adults who stutter read while listening to forward fluent speech, reversed fluent speech, forward stuttered speech, and reversed stuttered speech. All conditions induced significant degrees of stuttering inhibition when compared to a control condition. However, the reversed fluent condition was less powerful than the other three conditions ( approximately 42% vs. approximately 65%) for inhibiting stuttering. Stuttering inhibition appears to proceed by 'gestural recovery', made possible by the presence of an exogenous or 'second' set of speech gestures and engagement of mirror neurons. When reversed fluent speech was used, violations in normal gesture-time relationships (i.e., normal speech entropy) resulted in gestural configurations that apparently were inadequately recovered, and therefore, were not as conducive to high levels of stuttering inhibition. In contrast, high levels of encoding found in the simple syllabic structures of stuttered speech allowed its forward and reversed forms to be equally effective for gestural recovery and stuttering inhibition. The reversal of repeated syllables did not appear to significantly degrade the natural gesture-time relationships (i.e., they were perceptually recognizable). Thus, exogenous speech gestures that displayed near normal gestural relationships allowed for easy recovery and fluent productions via mirror systems, suggesting a more choral-like nature. The importance of syllabic repetitions is highlighted: both their perceived (exogenous) and produced (endogenous) forms appear to be fundamental, surface acoustic manifestations for central stuttering inhibition via the engagement of mirror neurons.

Cardiac autonomic regulation is disturbed in children with euthyroid Hashimoto thyroiditis.

PubMed

Kilic, Ayhan; Gulgun, Mustafa; Tascilar, Mehmet Emre; Sari, Erkan; Yokusoglu, Mehmet

2012-03-01

Hashimoto thyroiditis (chronic autoimmune thyroiditis) is the most common form of thyroiditis in childhood. Previous studies have found autonomic dysfunction of varying magnitude in patients with autoimmune diseases, which is considered a cardiovascular risk factor. We aimed to evaluate the heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac autonomic modulation, in children with euthyroid Hashimoto thyroiditis (eHT). The study included 32 patients with eHT (27 girls and 5 boys; mean age 11 ± 4.1 years, range 8-16; body mass index 0.47 ± 0.69 kg/m(2)), as judged by normal or minimally elevated serum TSH levels (normal range: 0.34-5.6 mIU/l) and normal levels of free thyroid hormones (FT4 and FT3) and 38 euthyroid age-matched controls. Patients with eHT and control subjects underwent physical examination and 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring. Time-domain parameters of HRV were evaluated for cardiac autonomic functions. Children with eHT displayed significantly lower values of time-domain parameters of SDANN (standard deviation of the averages of NN intervals), RMSSD (square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals), NN50 counts (number of pairs of adjacent NN intervals differing by more than 50 ms) and PNN50 (NN50 count divided by the total number of all NN intervals) for each 5-min interval, compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05 for each), indicating the decreased beat-to-beat variation of heart rate. In conclusion, eHT is associated with disturbed autonomic regulation of heart rate. Hence, the children with eHT are at higher risk for developing cardiovascular diseases.

Training and Transfer of Training in Rapid Visual Search for Camouflaged Targets

PubMed Central

Neider, Mark B.; Ang, Cher Wee; Voss, Michelle W.; Carbonari, Ronald; Kramer, Arthur F.

2013-01-01

Previous examinations of search under camouflage conditions have reported that performance improves with training and that training can engender near perfect transfer to similar, but novel camouflage-type displays [1]. What remains unclear, however, are the cognitive mechanisms underlying these training improvements and transfer benefits. On the one hand, improvements and transfer benefits might be associated with higher-level overt strategy shifts, such as through the restriction of eye movements to target-likely (background) display regions. On the other hand, improvements and benefits might be related to the tuning of lower-level perceptual processes, such as figure-ground segregation. To decouple these competing possibilities we had one group of participants train on camouflage search displays and a control group train on non-camouflage displays. Critically, search displays were rapidly presented, precluding eye movements. Before and following training, all participants completed transfer sessions in which they searched novel displays. We found that search performance on camouflage displays improved with training. Furthermore, participants who trained on camouflage displays suffered no performance costs when searching novel displays following training. Our findings suggest that training to break camouflage is related to the tuning of perceptual mechanisms and not strategic shifts in overt attention. PMID:24386301

MMP21 is mutated in human heterotaxy and is required for normal left-right asymmetry in vertebrates.

PubMed

Guimier, Anne; Gabriel, George C; Bajolle, Fanny; Tsang, Michael; Liu, Hui; Noll, Aaron; Schwartz, Molly; El Malti, Rajae; Smith, Laurie D; Klena, Nikolai T; Jimenez, Gina; Miller, Neil A; Oufadem, Myriam; Moreau de Bellaing, Anne; Yagi, Hisato; Saunders, Carol J; Baker, Candice N; Di Filippo, Sylvie; Peterson, Kevin A; Thiffault, Isabelle; Bole-Feysot, Christine; Cooley, Linda D; Farrow, Emily G; Masson, Cécile; Schoen, Patric; Deleuze, Jean-François; Nitschké, Patrick; Lyonnet, Stanislas; de Pontual, Loic; Murray, Stephen A; Bonnet, Damien; Kingsmore, Stephen F; Amiel, Jeanne; Bouvagnet, Patrice; Lo, Cecilia W; Gordon, Christopher T

2015-11-01

Heterotaxy results from a failure to establish normal left-right asymmetry early in embryonic development. By whole-exome sequencing, whole-genome sequencing and high-throughput cohort resequencing, we identified recessive mutations in MMP21 (encoding matrix metallopeptidase 21) in nine index cases with heterotaxy. In addition, Mmp21-mutant mice and mmp21-morphant zebrafish displayed heterotaxy and abnormal cardiac looping, respectively, suggesting a new role for extracellular matrix remodeling in the establishment of laterality in vertebrates.

Ground Impingement of a Fan Jet Exhaust Plume

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-05-01

ground plane to avoid a possible interaction between the ground-deflected exhaust and the fan j .t engine inlet. Two pitot pressure rakes , shown on the...Pressure signals from the two rakes (total of 18 pitot tubes) were read sequentially with a Scannivalve system, time-averaged, and displayed on a pen...taken from the inner anid outer rakes with the ground plane normal to the flow at h/d f 2. Pitot pressures from each rake were normalized by the

MMP21 is mutated in human heterotaxy and is required for normal left-right asymmetry in vertebrates

PubMed Central

Guimier, Anne; Gabriel, George C.; Bajolle, Fanny; Tsang, Michael; Liu, Hui; Noll, Aaron; Schwartz, Molly; El Malti, Rajae; Smith, Laurie D.; Klena, Nikolai T.; Jimenez, Gina; Miller, Neil A.; Oufadem, Myriam; Moreau de Bellaing, Anne; Yagi, Hisato; Saunders, Carol J.; Baker, Candice N.; Di Filippo, Sylvie; Peterson, Kevin A.; Thiffault, Isabelle; Bole-Feysot, Christine; Cooley, Linda D.; Farrow, Emily G.; Masson, Cécile; Schoen, Patric; Deleuze, Jean-François; Nitschké, Patrick; Lyonnet, Stanislas; de Pontual, Loic; Murray, Stephen A.; Bonnet, Damien; Kingsmore, Stephen F.; Amiel, Jeanne; Bouvagnet, Patrice; Lo, Cecilia W.; Gordon, Christopher T.

2017-01-01

Heterotaxy results from a failure to establish normal left-right asymmetry early in embryonic development. By whole exome sequencing, whole genome sequencing and high-throughput cohort resequencing we identified recessive mutations in matrix metallopeptidase 21 (MMP21), in nine index cases with heterotaxy. In addition, Mmp21 mutant mice and morphant zebrafish display heterotaxy and abnormal cardiac looping, respectively, suggesting a novel role for extra-cellular remodeling in the establishment of laterality in vertebrates. PMID:26437028

Large Terrain Continuous Level of Detail 3D Visualization Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myint, Steven; Jain, Abhinandan

2012-01-01

This software solved the problem of displaying terrains that are usually too large to be displayed on standard workstations in real time. The software can visualize terrain data sets composed of billions of vertices, and can display these data sets at greater than 30 frames per second. The Large Terrain Continuous Level of Detail 3D Visualization Tool allows large terrains, which can be composed of billions of vertices, to be visualized in real time. It utilizes a continuous level of detail technique called clipmapping to support this. It offloads much of the work involved in breaking up the terrain into levels of details onto the GPU (graphics processing unit) for faster processing.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein is required for tooth eruption

PubMed Central

Philbrick, William M.; Dreyer, Barbara E.; Nakchbandi, Inaam A.; Karaplis, Andrew C.

1998-01-01

Parathyroid hormone (PTH)-related protein (PTHrP)-knockout mice die at birth with a chondrodystrophic phenotype characterized by premature chondrocyte differentiation and accelerated bone formation, whereas overexpression of PTHrP in the chondrocytes of transgenic mice produces a delay in chondrocyte maturation and endochondral ossification. Replacement of PTHrP expression in the chondrocytes of PTHrP-knockout mice using a procollagen II-driven transgene results in the correction of the lethal skeletal abnormalities and generates animals that are effectively PTHrP-null in all sites other than cartilage. These rescued PTHrP-knockout mice survive to at least 6 months of age but are small in stature and display a number of developmental defects, including cranial chondrodystrophy and a failure of tooth eruption. Teeth appear to develop normally but become trapped by the surrounding bone and undergo progressive impaction. Localization of PTHrP mRNA during normal tooth development by in situ hybridization reveals increasing levels of expression in the enamel epithelium before the formation of the eruption pathway. The type I PTH/PTHrP receptor is expressed in both the adjacent dental mesenchyme and in the alveolar bone. The replacement of PTHrP expression in the enamel epithelium with a keratin 14-driven transgene corrects the defect in bone resorption and restores the normal program of tooth eruption. PTHrP therefore represents an essential signal in the formation of the eruption pathway. PMID:9751753

Normalizing XRF-scanner data: A cautionary note on the interpretation of high-resolution records from organic-rich lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löwemark, L.; Chen, H.-F.; Yang, T.-N.; Kylander, M.; Yu, E.-F.; Hsu, Y.-W.; Lee, T.-Q.; Song, S.-R.; Jarvis, S.

2011-04-01

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning of unlithified, untreated sediment cores is becoming an increasingly common method used to obtain paleoproxy data from lake records. XRF-scanning is fast and delivers high-resolution records of relative variations in the elemental composition of the sediment. However, lake sediments display extreme variations in their organic matter content, which can vary from just a few percent to well over 50%. As XRF scanners are largely insensitive to organic material in the sediment, increasing levels of organic material effectively dilute those components that can be measured, such as the lithogenic material (the closed-sum effect). Consequently, in sediments with large variations in organic material, the measured variations in an element will to a large extent mirror the changes in organic material. It is therefore necessary to normalize the elements in the lithogenic component of the sediment against a conservative element to allow changes in the input of the elements to be addressed. In this study we show that Al, which is the lightest element that can be measured using the Itrax XRF-scanner, can be used to effectively normalize the elements of the lithogenic fraction of the sediment against variations in organic content. We also show that care must be taken when choosing resolution and exposure time to ensure optimal output from the measurements.

p38α Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Plays a Critical Role in Cardiomyocyte Survival but Not in Cardiac Hypertrophic Growth in Response to Pressure Overload

PubMed Central

Nishida, Kazuhiko; Yamaguchi, Osamu; Hirotani, Shinichi; Hikoso, Shungo; Higuchi, Yoshiharu; Watanabe, Tetsuya; Takeda, Toshihiro; Osuka, Soh; Morita, Takashi; Kondoh, Gen; Uno, Yoshihiro; Kashiwase, Kazunori; Taniike, Masayuki; Nakai, Atsuko; Matsumura, Yasushi; Miyazaki, Jun-ichi; Sudo, Tatsuhiko; Hongo, Kenichi; Kusakari, Yoichiro; Kurihara, Satoshi; Chien, Kenneth R.; Takeda, Junji; Hori, Masatsugu; Otsu, Kinya

2004-01-01

The molecular mechanism for the transition from cardiac hypertrophy, an adaptive response to biomechanical stress, to heart failure is poorly understood. The mitogen-activated protein kinase p38α is a key component of stress response pathways in various types of cells. In this study, we attempted to explore the in vivo physiological functions of p38α in hearts. First, we generated mice with floxed p38α alleles and crossbred them with mice expressing the Cre recombinase under the control of the α-myosin heavy-chain promoter to obtain cardiac-specific p38α knockout mice. These cardiac-specific p38α knockout mice were born normally, developed to adulthood, were fertile, exhibited a normal life span, and displayed normal global cardiac structure and function. In response to pressure overload to the left ventricle, they developed significant levels of cardiac hypertrophy, as seen in controls, but also developed cardiac dysfunction and heart dilatation. This abnormal response to pressure overload was accompanied by massive cardiac fibrosis and the appearance of apoptotic cardiomyocytes. These results demonstrate that p38α plays a critical role in the cardiomyocyte survival pathway in response to pressure overload, while cardiac hypertrophic growth is unaffected despite its dramatic down-regulation. PMID:15572667

A Systematic Analysis on mRNA and MicroRNA Expression in Runting and Stunting Chickens

PubMed Central

Xu, Haiping; Xu, Zhenqiang; Ma, Jinge; Li, Bixiao; Lin, Shudai; Nie, Qinghua; Luo, Qingbin; Zhang, Xiquan

2015-01-01

Runting and stunting syndrome (RSS), which is characterized by lower body weight, widely occurs in broilers. Some RSS chickens simply exhibit slow growth without pathological changes. An increasing number of studies indicate that broiler strains differ in susceptibility to infectious diseases, most likely due to their genetic differences. The objective of this study was to detect the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs in RSS and normal chickens. By integrating miRNA with mRNA expression profiling, potential molecular mechanisms involved in RSS could be further explored. Twenty-two known miRNAs and 1,159 genes were differentially expressed in RSS chickens compared with normal chickens (P < 0.05). qPCR validation results displayed similar patterns. The differentially expressed genes were primarily involved in energy metabolism pathways. The antisense transcripts were extensively expressed in chicken liver albeit with reduced abundance. Dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that gga-miR-30b/c directly target CARS through binding to its 3′UTR. The miR-30b/c: CARS regulation mainly occurred in liver. In thigh muscle and the hypothalamus, miR-30b/c are expressed at higher levels in RSS chickens compared with normal chickens from 2 to 6 w of age, and notably significant differences are observed at 4 w of age. PMID:26010155

A new helper phage for improved monovalent display of Fab molecules.

PubMed

Beaber, John W; Tam, Eric M; Lao, Llewelyn S; Rondon, Isaac J

2012-02-28

Phage display technology is a powerful tool for the identification of novel antibodies for drug discovery. Phage display libraries have been constructed with massive diversity, but their use may be hindered by limited antibody display levels when rescued with the M13KO7 helper phage. Variants of M13KO7 have been constructed previously that increase the levels of display of rescued phage, but all produce phage that display multiple copies of the antibody fragment on their surface and have reduced titer and infectivity. In this study, we describe a new helper phage, XP5, which increased the display level of Fab molecules more than two-fold compared to phage rescued with M13KO7. XP5 uses a combination of ribosome binding site spacing alterations and rare codon clusters to reduce the expression of pIII from the helper phage. This reduction in pIII expression leads to an increase in the incorporation of pIII-Fab fusions during phage rescue. The rescued phage displayed a single copy of the Fab molecule, preventing any avidity effects during the selection process. This also suggests that the percentage of the population of phage displaying a Fab molecule is increased when rescued with XP5. Additionally, the phage titers and infectivity are comparable to libraries rescued with M13KO7. After two rounds of panning we observed a nearly 5-fold increase in the number of antigen binding Fab molecules compared to panning conducted with the same library rescued with M13KO7. The nature of the mutations in XP5 makes it a universal substitute for M13KO7 in pIII-based phage display, compatible with most phagemids and bacterial strains. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Family leadership styles and adolescent dietary and physical activity behaviors: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Transformational leadership is conceptualized as a set of behaviors designed to inspire, energize and motivate others to achieve higher levels of functioning, and is associated with salient health-related outcomes in organizational settings. Given (a) the similarities that exist between leadership within organizational settings and parenting within families, and (b) the importance of the family environment in the promotion of adolescent health-enhancing behaviors, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the cross-sectional relationships between parents’ transformational leadership behaviors and adolescent dietary and physical activity behaviors. Methods 857 adolescents (aged 13–15, mean age = 14.70 yrs) completed measures of transformational parenting behaviors, healthful dietary intake and leisure-time physical activity. Regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between family transformational leadership and adolescent health outcomes. A further ‘extreme group analysis’ was conducted by clustering families based on quartile splits. A MANCOVA (controlling for child gender) was conducted to examine differences between families displaying (a) HIGH levels of transformational parenting (consistent HIGH TP), (b) LOW levels of transformational parenting (consistent LOW TP), and (c) inconsistent levels of transformational parenting (inconsistent HIGH-LOW TP). Results Results revealed that adolescents’ perceptions of family transformational parenting were associated with both healthy dietary intake and physical activity. Adolescents who perceived their families to display the highest levels of transformational parenting (HIGH TP group) displayed greater healthy eating and physical activity behaviors than adolescents who perceived their families to display the lowest levels of transformational parenting behaviors (LOW TP group). Adolescents who perceived their families to display inconsistent levels of transformational parenting behaviors (HIGH-LOW TP group) displayed the same levels of healthy eating behaviors as those adolescents from the LOW TP group. For physical activity behaviors, adolescents who perceived their families to display inconsistent levels of transformational parenting behaviors (HIGH-LOW TP group) did not differ in terms of physical activity than those in either the HIGH TP or LOW TP group. Conclusions Family transformational parenting behaviors were positively associated with both healthful dietary intake and leisure-time physical activity levels amongst adolescents. The findings suggest that transformational leadership theory is a useful framework for understanding the relationship between family leadership behaviors and adolescent health outcomes. PMID:22546151

Family leadership styles and adolescent dietary and physical activity behaviors: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Morton, Katie L; Wilson, Alexandra H; Perlmutter, Lisa S; Beauchamp, Mark R

2012-04-30

Transformational leadership is conceptualized as a set of behaviors designed to inspire, energize and motivate others to achieve higher levels of functioning, and is associated with salient health-related outcomes in organizational settings. Given (a) the similarities that exist between leadership within organizational settings and parenting within families, and (b) the importance of the family environment in the promotion of adolescent health-enhancing behaviors, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the cross-sectional relationships between parents' transformational leadership behaviors and adolescent dietary and physical activity behaviors. 857 adolescents (aged 13-15, mean age = 14.70 yrs) completed measures of transformational parenting behaviors, healthful dietary intake and leisure-time physical activity. Regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between family transformational leadership and adolescent health outcomes. A further 'extreme group analysis' was conducted by clustering families based on quartile splits. A MANCOVA (controlling for child gender) was conducted to examine differences between families displaying (a) HIGH levels of transformational parenting (consistent HIGH TP), (b) LOW levels of transformational parenting (consistent LOW TP), and (c) inconsistent levels of transformational parenting (inconsistent HIGH-LOW TP). Results revealed that adolescents' perceptions of family transformational parenting were associated with both healthy dietary intake and physical activity. Adolescents who perceived their families to display the highest levels of transformational parenting (HIGH TP group) displayed greater healthy eating and physical activity behaviors than adolescents who perceived their families to display the lowest levels of transformational parenting behaviors (LOW TP group). Adolescents who perceived their families to display inconsistent levels of transformational parenting behaviors (HIGH-LOW TP group) displayed the same levels of healthy eating behaviors as those adolescents from the LOW TP group. For physical activity behaviors, adolescents who perceived their families to display inconsistent levels of transformational parenting behaviors (HIGH-LOW TP group) did not differ in terms of physical activity than those in either the HIGH TP or LOW TP group. Family transformational parenting behaviors were positively associated with both healthful dietary intake and leisure-time physical activity levels amongst adolescents. The findings suggest that transformational leadership theory is a useful framework for understanding the relationship between family leadership behaviors and adolescent health outcomes.

Central Auditory Nervous System Dysfunction in Echolalic Autistic Individuals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wetherby, Amy Miller; And Others

1981-01-01

The results showed that all the Ss had normal hearing on the monaural speech tests; however, there was indication of central auditory nervous system dysfunction in the language dominant hemisphere, inferred from the dichotic tests, for those Ss displaying echolalia. (Author)

21 CFR 1020.10 - Television receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., under normal usage, are not accessible to the user. (4) Television receiver means an electronic product designed to receive and display a television picture through broadcast, cable, or closed circuit television... from that component or circuit failure which maximizes x-radiation emissions. (4) Critical component...

21 CFR 1020.10 - Television receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., under normal usage, are not accessible to the user. (4) Television receiver means an electronic product designed to receive and display a television picture through broadcast, cable, or closed circuit television... from that component or circuit failure which maximizes x-radiation emissions. (4) Critical component...

21 CFR 1020.10 - Television receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., under normal usage, are not accessible to the user. (4) Television receiver means an electronic product designed to receive and display a television picture through broadcast, cable, or closed circuit television... from that component or circuit failure which maximizes x-radiation emissions. (4) Critical component...

21 CFR 1020.10 - Television receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., under normal usage, are not accessible to the user. (4) Television receiver means an electronic product designed to receive and display a television picture through broadcast, cable, or closed circuit television... from that component or circuit failure which maximizes x-radiation emissions. (4) Critical component...

21 CFR 1020.10 - Television receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., under normal usage, are not accessible to the user. (4) Television receiver means an electronic product designed to receive and display a television picture through broadcast, cable, or closed circuit television... from that component or circuit failure which maximizes x-radiation emissions. (4) Critical component...

Mice deficient for striatal Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter (VAChT) display impaired short-term but normal long-term object recognition memory.

PubMed

Palmer, Daniel; Creighton, Samantha; Prado, Vania F; Prado, Marco A M; Choleris, Elena; Winters, Boyer D

2016-09-15

Substantial evidence implicates Acetylcholine (ACh) in the acquisition of object memories. While most research has focused on the role of the cholinergic basal forebrain and its cortical targets, there are additional cholinergic networks that may contribute to object recognition. The striatum contains an independent cholinergic network comprised of interneurons. In the current study, we investigated the role of this cholinergic signalling in object recognition using mice deficient for Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter (VAChT) within interneurons of the striatum. We tested whether these striatal VAChT(D2-Cre-flox/flox) mice would display normal short-term (5 or 15min retention delay) and long-term (3h retention delay) object recognition memory. In a home cage object recognition task, male and female VAChT(D2-Cre-flox/flox) mice were impaired selectively with a 15min retention delay. When tested on an object location task, VAChT(D2-Cre-flox/flox) mice displayed intact spatial memory. Finally, when object recognition was tested in a Y-shaped apparatus, designed to minimize the influence of spatial and contextual cues, only females displayed impaired recognition with a 5min retention delay, but when males were challenged with a 15min retention delay, they were also impaired; neither males nor females were impaired with the 3h delay. The pattern of results suggests that striatal cholinergic transmission plays a role in the short-term memory for object features, but not spatial location. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.