Long-term follow up of feline leukemia virus infection and characterization of viral RNA loads using molecular methods in tissues of cats with different infection outcomes.

PubMed

Helfer-Hungerbuehler, A Katrin; Widmer, Stefan; Kessler, Yvonne; Riond, Barbara; Boretti, Felicitas S; Grest, Paula; Lutz, Hans; Hofmann-Lehmann, Regina

2015-02-02

It is a remarkable feature for a retrovirus that an infection with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) can result in various outcomes. Whereas some cats contain the infection and show a regressive course, others stay viremic and succumb to the infection within a few years. We hypothesized, that differences in the infection outcome might be causally linked to the viral RNA and provirus loads within the host and these loads therefore may give additional insight into the pathogenesis of the virus. Thus, the goals of the present study were to follow-up on experimentally infected cats and investigate tissues from cats with different infection outcomes using sensitive, specific TaqMan real-time PCR and reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR. Nineteen experimentally FeLV-A/Glasgow-1-infected cats were categorized into having regressive, progressive or reactivated FeLV infection according to follow-up of FeLV p27 antigen detection in the blood. Remarkably, regressively infected cats showed detectable provirus and viral RNA loads in almost all of the 27 tested tissues, even many years after virus exposure. Moreover, some regressively infected cats reactivated the infection, and these cats had intermediate to high viral RNA and provirus tissue loads. The highest loads were found in viremic cats, independent of their health status. Tissues that represented sites of virus replication and shedding revealed the highest viral RNA and provirus loads, while the lowest loads were present in muscle and nerve tissues. A supplementary analysis of 20 experimentally infected cats with progressive infection revealed a median survival time of 3.1 years (range from 0.6 to 6.5 years); ∼70% (n=14) of these cats developed lymphoma, while leukemia and non-regenerative anemia were observed less frequently. Our results demonstrate that the different infection outcomes are associated with differences in viral RNA and provirus tissue loads. Remarkably, no complete clearance of FeLV viral RNA or provirus was detected in cats with regressive infection, even up to 12 years after exposure. In several cases FeLV reactivation could be observed. Thus, retroviruses integrated as provirus into the host's genome, could not be eliminated completely by the host and maintained their full potential for replication and reactivation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Magnitude of Trial-By-Trial Neural Variability Is Reproducible over Time and across Tasks in Humans.

PubMed

Arazi, Ayelet; Gonen-Yaacovi, Gil; Dinstein, Ilan

2017-01-01

Numerous studies have shown that neural activity in sensory cortices is remarkably variable over time and across trials even when subjects are presented with an identical repeating stimulus or task. This trial-by-trial neural variability is relatively large in the prestimulus period and considerably smaller (quenched) following stimulus presentation. Previous studies have suggested that the magnitude of neural variability affects behavior such that perceptual performance is better on trials and in individuals where variability quenching is larger. To what degree are neural variability magnitudes of individual subjects flexible or static? Here, we used EEG recordings from adult humans to demonstrate that neural variability magnitudes in visual cortex are remarkably consistent across different tasks and recording sessions. While magnitudes of neural variability differed dramatically across individual subjects, they were surprisingly stable across four tasks with different stimuli, temporal structures, and attentional/cognitive demands as well as across experimental sessions separated by one year. These experiments reveal that, in adults, neural variability magnitudes are mostly solidified individual characteristics that change little with task or time, and are likely to predispose individual subjects to exhibit distinct behavioral capabilities.

Enhancement of the thermo-optical response of silver nanoparticles due to surface plasmon resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashemi Zadeh, Sakineh; Rashidi-Huyeh, Majid; Palpant, Bruno

2017-10-01

Owing to their remarkable optical properties, noble metals' nanoparticles are proposed for many applications. Controlling the temperature dependence of these properties may then appear to be of great relevance. In this paper, we investigate the thermo-optical properties of silver nanoparticles. Different silver nanocolloids were prepared with different surface plasmon resonance modes. The thermo-extinction spectra of the colloidal solutions were then evaluated by measuring the extinction spectra at different temperatures. This reveals a typical peak-valley profile around each surface plasmon resonance mode. Mie theory was used to study theoretically the impact of nanoparticle size on the thermo-optical properties. The results allow us to interpret properly the experimental findings.

Visualization of anomalous Ettingshausen effect in a ferromagnetic film: Direct evidence of different symmetry from spin Peltier effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seki, T.; Iguchi, R.; Takanashi, K.; Uchida, K.

2018-04-01

Spatial distribution of temperature modulation due to the anomalous Ettingshausen effect (AEE) is visualized in a ferromagnetic FePt thin film with in-plane and out-of-plane magnetizations using the lock-in thermography technique. Comparing the AEE of FePt with the spin Peltier effect (SPE) of a Pt/yttrium iron garnet junction provides direct evidence of different symmetries of AEE and SPE. Our experiments and numerical calculations reveal that the distribution of heat sources induced by AEE strongly depends on the direction of magnetization, leading to the remarkable different temperature profiles in the FePt thin film between the in-plane and perpendicularly magnetized configurations.

Transciptomic study of mucosal immune, antioxidant and growth related genes and non-specific immune response of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fed dietary Ferula (Ferula assafoetida).

PubMed

Safari, Roghieh; Hoseinifar, Seyed Hossein; Nejadmoghadam, Shabnam; Jafar, Ali

2016-08-01

A 8-weeks feeding trial was conducted to examine the effects of different levels (0, 0.5, 1 and 2%) of dietary Ferula (Ferula assafoetida) on expression of antioxidant enzymes (GSR, GPX and GSTA), immune (TNF-alpha, IL1B, IL- 8 and LYZ) and growth (GH, IGF1 and Ghrl) genes as well as cutaneous mucus and serum non-specific immune response in common carp. The results revealed Ferula significantly increased antioxidant gene expression (GSR and GSTA) in a dose dependent manner (P < 0.05). The expression of immune growth related genes were significantly higher in Ferula fed fish compared control group (P < 0.05). The effects of Ferula on expression of genes was more pronounced in higher doses. Feeding on Ferula supplemented diet remarkably increased skin mucus lysozyme activity (P < 0.05). However, evaluation of mucus total Ig and protease activity revealed no significant difference between control and treated groups (P > 0.05). Regarding non-specific humoral response, serum total Ig, lysozyme and ACH50 showed no remarkable variation between Ferula fed carps and control group (P > 0.05). These results indicated up-regulation of growth and health related genes in Ferula fed common carp. Further studies using pathogen or stress challenge is required to conclude that transcriptional modulation is beneficial in common carp. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergency satellite observation and assessment of a glacier lake outburst flood in Bhutan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagai, Hiroto; Tadono, Takeo; Suzuki, Shinichi

2016-04-01

Following a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) on Jun. 28, 2015, in western Bhutan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency performed an emergency observation on Jul. 2, 2015 using the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (PALSAR-2) onboard the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2, "DAICHI-2"). Based on a dataset generated from the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) imagery, "The Glacial Lake Inventory of Bhutan using ALOS Data", the glacier lake that potentially contributed to this GLOF were identified at 28°4'7.7"N, 89°34'50.0"E, in a headwater of the Mo Chu river basin, western Bhutan. A post-event lake outline was delineated manually using the acquired PALSAR-2 image. Pre-event outlines were delineated from previously acquired PALSAR-2 images (Apr. 23, 2015), Landsat 8 (Mar. 8, 2015), and ALOS (Dec. 22, 2010). The differences between these outlines reveal a remarkable expansion (+48.0%) from Mar. 8 to Apr. 23, 2015, followed by a remarkable shrinkage (-52.9%) from Apr. 23 to Jul. 2, 2015. This result indicates the lake to be a highly likely source of the flood. Topographically, it is located at a glacier terminus, surrounded by a moraine. Differing backscatter patterns between successive PALSAR-2 images in a certain part of the moraine suggest that it underwent some collapse, possibly as a result of the GLOF. More detailed investigations, including field surveys, are necessary to fully reveal and understand this event.

Remarkable Rates of Lightning Strike Mortality in Malawi

PubMed Central

Borgerhoff Mulder, Monique; Msalu, Lameck; Caro, Tim; Salerno, Jonathan

2012-01-01

Livingstone's second mission site on the shore of Lake Malawi suffers very high rates of consequential lightning strikes. Comprehensive interviewing of victims and their relatives in seven Traditional Authorities in Nkhata Bay District, Malawi revealed that the annual rate of consequential strikes was 419/million, more than six times higher than that in other developing countries; the rate of deaths from lightning was 84/million/year, 5.4 times greater than the highest ever recorded. These remarkable figures reveal that lightning constitutes a significant stochastic source of mortality with potential life history consequences, but it should not deflect attention away from the more prominent causes of mortality in this rural area. PMID:22253708

Functional photoreceptor loss revealed with adaptive optics: an alternate cause of color blindness.

PubMed

Carroll, Joseph; Neitz, Maureen; Hofer, Heidi; Neitz, Jay; Williams, David R

2004-06-01

There is enormous variation in the X-linked L/M (long/middle wavelength sensitive) gene array underlying "normal" color vision in humans. This variability has been shown to underlie individual variation in color matching behavior. Recently, red-green color blindness has also been shown to be associated with distinctly different genotypes. This has opened the possibility that there may be important phenotypic differences within classically defined groups of color blind individuals. Here, adaptive optics retinal imaging has revealed a mechanism for producing dichromatic color vision in which the expression of a mutant cone photopigment gene leads to the loss of the entire corresponding class of cone photoreceptor cells. Previously, the theory that common forms of inherited color blindness could be caused by the loss of photoreceptor cells had been discounted. We confirm that remarkably, this loss of one-third of the cones does not impair any aspect of vision other than color.

Validation of Brief Multidimensional Spirituality/Religiousness Inventory (BMMRS) in Italian Adult Participants and in Participants with Medical Diseases.

PubMed

Vespa, Anna; Giulietti, Maria Velia; Spatuzzi, Roberta; Fabbietti, Paolo; Meloni, Cristina; Gattafoni, Pisana; Ottaviani, Marica

2017-06-01

This study aimed at assessing the reliability and construct validity of Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) on Italian sample. 353 Italian participants: 58.9% affected by different diseases and 41.1% healthy subjects. The results of descriptive statistics of internal consistency reliabilities (Chronbach's coefficient) of the BMMRS revealed a remarkable consistency and reliability of different scales DSE, SpC, SC, CSC, VB, SPY-WELL and a good Inter-Class Correlations ≥70 maintaining a good stability of the measures over the time. BMMRS is a useful inventory for the evaluation of the principal spiritual dimensions.

Comparative genomics reveals insights into avian genome evolution and adaptation

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guojie; Li, Cai; Li, Qiye; Li, Bo; Larkin, Denis M.; Lee, Chul; Storz, Jay F.; Antunes, Agostinho; Greenwold, Matthew J.; Meredith, Robert W.; Ödeen, Anders; Cui, Jie; Zhou, Qi; Xu, Luohao; Pan, Hailin; Wang, Zongji; Jin, Lijun; Zhang, Pei; Hu, Haofu; Yang, Wei; Hu, Jiang; Xiao, Jin; Yang, Zhikai; Liu, Yang; Xie, Qiaolin; Yu, Hao; Lian, Jinmin; Wen, Ping; Zhang, Fang; Li, Hui; Zeng, Yongli; Xiong, Zijun; Liu, Shiping; Zhou, Long; Huang, Zhiyong; An, Na; Wang, Jie; Zheng, Qiumei; Xiong, Yingqi; Wang, Guangbiao; Wang, Bo; Wang, Jingjing; Fan, Yu; da Fonseca, Rute R.; Alfaro-Núñez, Alonzo; Schubert, Mikkel; Orlando, Ludovic; Mourier, Tobias; Howard, Jason T.; Ganapathy, Ganeshkumar; Pfenning, Andreas; Whitney, Osceola; Rivas, Miriam V.; Hara, Erina; Smith, Julia; Farré, Marta; Narayan, Jitendra; Slavov, Gancho; Romanov, Michael N; Borges, Rui; Machado, João Paulo; Khan, Imran; Springer, Mark S.; Gatesy, John; Hoffmann, Federico G.; Opazo, Juan C.; Håstad, Olle; Sawyer, Roger H.; Kim, Heebal; Kim, Kyu-Won; Kim, Hyeon Jeong; Cho, Seoae; Li, Ning; Huang, Yinhua; Bruford, Michael W.; Zhan, Xiangjiang; Dixon, Andrew; Bertelsen, Mads F.; Derryberry, Elizabeth; Warren, Wesley; Wilson, Richard K; Li, Shengbin; Ray, David A.; Green, Richard E.; O’Brien, Stephen J.; Griffin, Darren; Johnson, Warren E.; Haussler, David; Ryder, Oliver A.; Willerslev, Eske; Graves, Gary R.; Alström, Per; Fjeldså, Jon; Mindell, David P.; Edwards, Scott V.; Braun, Edward L.; Rahbek, Carsten; Burt, David W.; Houde, Peter; Zhang, Yong; Yang, Huanming; Wang, Jian; Jarvis, Erich D.; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Wang, Jun

2015-01-01

Birds are the most species-rich class of tetrapod vertebrates and have wide relevance across many research fields. We explored bird macroevolution using full genomes from 48 avian species representing all major extant clades. The avian genome is principally characterized by its constrained size, which predominantly arose because of lineage-specific erosion of repetitive elements, large segmental deletions, and gene loss. Avian genomes furthermore show a remarkably high degree of evolutionary stasis at the levels of nucleotide sequence, gene synteny, and chromosomal structure. Despite this pattern of conservation, we detected many non-neutral evolutionary changes in protein-coding genes and noncoding regions. These analyses reveal that pan-avian genomic diversity covaries with adaptations to different lifestyles and convergent evolution of traits. PMID:25504712

Diprosopiasis in a lamb. A case report.

PubMed

Mazzullo, G; Germanà, A; De Vico, G; Germanà, G

2003-02-01

Conjoined twinning has been reported in most of the domestic animal species. Among them, sheep have the highest incidence of craniofacial defects. A live male crossbreed dystocic two-headed lamb was delivered from a 2-year-old Pinzerita sheep after first mating. After 40 h of life, the lamb spontaneously died. The most important gross findings involved the head, whereas the examination of different organ and tissue sections did not reveal remarkable histomorphological changes. The lamb was classified as a conjoined twinning and, on the basis of the facial duplication, as a diprosopus tetraophtalmus.

Characterizing Urban Turbulence Under Haze Pollution: Insights into Temperature-Humidity Dissimilarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Xiaofeng; Sun, Yele; Miao, Shiguang

2016-03-01

We present a description of urban boundary-layer turbulence characteristics under conditions of severe haze pollution, an emerging issue of interest to air-pollution-relevant investigations. Comparative analysis between clean and hazy episodes reveals their remarkable difference in atmospheric stability. A stability signature is then identified in temperature-humidity de-correlation and dissimilarity. Such a signature is noteworthy, because the accuracy of a reliable parametrization of the heat-to-moisture transport efficiency is substantiated in unstable and stable conditions rather than in near-neutral conditions.

Topologically Allowed Nonsixfold Vortices in a Sixfold Multiferroic Material: Observation and Classification

DOE PAGES

Cheng, Shaobo; Li, Jun; Han, Myung-Geun; ...

2017-04-05

Here, we report structural transformation of sixfold vortex domains into two-, four-, and eightfold vortices via a different type of topological defect in hexagonal manganites. Combining high-resolution electron microscopy and Landau-theory-based numerical simulations, we also investigate the remarkable atomic arrangement and the intertwined relationship between the vortex structures and the topological defects. The roles of their displacement field, formation temperature, and nucleation sites are revealed. All conceivable vortices in the system are topologically classified using homotopy group theory, and their origins are identified.

Chloroplast digestion and the development of functional kleptoplasty in juvenile Elysia timida (Risso, 1818) as compared to short-term and non-chloroplast-retaining sacoglossan slugs

PubMed Central

Wägele, Heike

2017-01-01

Sacoglossan sea slugs are the only metazoans known to perform functional kleptoplasty, the sequestration and retention of functional chloroplasts within their digestive gland cells. Remarkably, a few species with this ability can survive starvation periods of 3–12 months likely due to their stolen chloroplasts. There are no reports of kleptoplast transfer from mother slug to either eggs or juveniles, demonstrating that each animal must independently acquire its kleptoplasts and develop the ability to maintain them within its digestive gland. We present here an investigation into the development of functional kleptoplasty in a long-term kleptoplast retaining species, Elysia timida. Laboratory-reared juvenile slugs of different post-metamorphic ages were placed in starvation and compared to 5 known short-term retaining slug species and 5 non-retaining slug species. The subsequent results indicate that functional kleptoplasty is not performed by E. timida until after 15 days post-metamorphosis and that by 25 days, these animals outlive many of the short-term retention species. Digestive activity was also monitored using lysosomal abundance as an indicator, revealing different patterns in starving juveniles versus adults. Starved juveniles were reintroduced to food to determine any differences in digestive activity when starvation ends, resulting in an increase in the number of kleptoplasts, but no overall change in lysosomal activity. By revealing some of the changes that occur during early development in these animals, which begin as non-kleptoplast-retaining and grow into long-term retaining slugs, this investigation provides a basis for future inquiries into the origin and development of this remarkable ability. PMID:29020043

[Study on changes of contents of 1-deoxynojirimycin in Bombyx mori and their byproducts].

PubMed

Ouyang, Zhen; Meng, Xia; Chang, Yu; Yang, Yu

2009-02-01

To Study the changing regularity of the contents of 1-deoxynojirimycin in Bombyx mori and their byproducts in different growth periods. The samples were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography equipped with fluorescence detector and separated on a HiQSiL C18 column at 25 degrees C. Mobile phase consisted of anetonitrile-0.1% aqueous acetic acid (55:45) with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The fluorescence detector was operated at lambdaEX = 254 nm and lambdaEM = 322 nm. The contents of 1-deoxynojirimycin in Bombyx mori and their byproducts in different growth periods were remarkably different, and changed regularly. This study reveals the metabolic regularity of 1-deoxynojirimycin in Bombyx mori preliminarily.

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

Qian, Yun; Gong, Daoyi; Leung, Ruby

Long-term daily precipitation data from NCDC are used to investigate the changes of light rain events from 1973-2009 over North America, Europe and Asia. Results reveal that the trend of light rain events presents a remarkably diverse feature in different regions, while an overall decrease trend can be found over the continents in northern hemisphere. In North America, most of stations show a decrease trend for light rain on the annual basis but a decrease trend can also be found for moderate and heavy rain. The opposite trends are observed over the stations in Europe and the trend of lightmore » rain is not significant when averaged for all the stations. In Asia, especially East Asia, the light rain days show an overwhelming decrease trend with high spatial coherency. Meanwhile the moderate and heavy rain events (> 10 mm/day) have increased, suggesting a remarkable shift of precipitation from light to heavy rain in East Asia. While both the warming at a global scale and increased atmospheric aerosols due to air pollution at a regional scale (e.g. East Asia) may have affected the light rain changes, it remains a challenging task to quantitatively detect and separate the cause of light rain changes in different regions.« less

Comparative genomics reveals insights into avian genome evolution and adaptation.

PubMed

Zhang, Guojie; Li, Cai; Li, Qiye; Li, Bo; Larkin, Denis M; Lee, Chul; Storz, Jay F; Antunes, Agostinho; Greenwold, Matthew J; Meredith, Robert W; Ödeen, Anders; Cui, Jie; Zhou, Qi; Xu, Luohao; Pan, Hailin; Wang, Zongji; Jin, Lijun; Zhang, Pei; Hu, Haofu; Yang, Wei; Hu, Jiang; Xiao, Jin; Yang, Zhikai; Liu, Yang; Xie, Qiaolin; Yu, Hao; Lian, Jinmin; Wen, Ping; Zhang, Fang; Li, Hui; Zeng, Yongli; Xiong, Zijun; Liu, Shiping; Zhou, Long; Huang, Zhiyong; An, Na; Wang, Jie; Zheng, Qiumei; Xiong, Yingqi; Wang, Guangbiao; Wang, Bo; Wang, Jingjing; Fan, Yu; da Fonseca, Rute R; Alfaro-Núñez, Alonzo; Schubert, Mikkel; Orlando, Ludovic; Mourier, Tobias; Howard, Jason T; Ganapathy, Ganeshkumar; Pfenning, Andreas; Whitney, Osceola; Rivas, Miriam V; Hara, Erina; Smith, Julia; Farré, Marta; Narayan, Jitendra; Slavov, Gancho; Romanov, Michael N; Borges, Rui; Machado, João Paulo; Khan, Imran; Springer, Mark S; Gatesy, John; Hoffmann, Federico G; Opazo, Juan C; Håstad, Olle; Sawyer, Roger H; Kim, Heebal; Kim, Kyu-Won; Kim, Hyeon Jeong; Cho, Seoae; Li, Ning; Huang, Yinhua; Bruford, Michael W; Zhan, Xiangjiang; Dixon, Andrew; Bertelsen, Mads F; Derryberry, Elizabeth; Warren, Wesley; Wilson, Richard K; Li, Shengbin; Ray, David A; Green, Richard E; O'Brien, Stephen J; Griffin, Darren; Johnson, Warren E; Haussler, David; Ryder, Oliver A; Willerslev, Eske; Graves, Gary R; Alström, Per; Fjeldså, Jon; Mindell, David P; Edwards, Scott V; Braun, Edward L; Rahbek, Carsten; Burt, David W; Houde, Peter; Zhang, Yong; Yang, Huanming; Wang, Jian; Jarvis, Erich D; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Wang, Jun

2014-12-12

Birds are the most species-rich class of tetrapod vertebrates and have wide relevance across many research fields. We explored bird macroevolution using full genomes from 48 avian species representing all major extant clades. The avian genome is principally characterized by its constrained size, which predominantly arose because of lineage-specific erosion of repetitive elements, large segmental deletions, and gene loss. Avian genomes furthermore show a remarkably high degree of evolutionary stasis at the levels of nucleotide sequence, gene synteny, and chromosomal structure. Despite this pattern of conservation, we detected many non-neutral evolutionary changes in protein-coding genes and noncoding regions. These analyses reveal that pan-avian genomic diversity covaries with adaptations to different lifestyles and convergent evolution of traits. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Computer-assisted image analysis of human cilia and Chlamydomonas flagella reveals both similarities and differences in axoneme structure.

PubMed

O'Toole, Eileen T; Giddings, Thomas H; Porter, Mary E; Ostrowski, Lawrence E

2012-08-01

In the past decade, investigations from several different fields have revealed the critical role of cilia in human health and disease. Because of the highly conserved nature of the basic axonemal structure, many different model systems have proven useful for the study of ciliopathies, especially the unicellular, biflagellate green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Although the basic axonemal structure of cilia and flagella is highly conserved, these organelles often perform specialized functions unique to the cell or tissue in which they are found. These differences in function are likely reflected in differences in structural organization. In this work, we directly compare the structure of isolated axonemes from human cilia and Chlamydomonas flagella to identify similarities and differences that potentially play key roles in determining their functionality. Using transmission electron microscopy and 2D image averaging techniques, our analysis has confirmed the overall structural similarity between these two species, but also revealed clear differences in the structure of the outer dynein arms, the central pair projections, and the radial spokes. We also show how the application of 2D image averaging can clarify the underlying structural defects associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Overall, our results document the remarkable similarity between these two structures separated evolutionarily by over a billion years, while highlighting several significant differences, and demonstrate the potential of 2D image averaging to improve the diagnosis and understanding of PCD. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Velcro mechanics in wood

Treesearch

David Kretschmann

2003-12-01

The remarkable deformability of wood in a moist environment resembles that of ductile metals. A combination of traditional mechanical tests and cutting-edge diffraction experiments reveal the molecular mechanism that determines such behaviour.

Congruent Strain Specific Intestinal Persistence of Lactobacillus plantarum in an Intestine-Mimicking In Vitro System and in Human Volunteers

PubMed Central

van Bokhorst-van de Veen, Hermien; van Swam, Iris; Wels, Michiel; Bron, Peter A.; Kleerebezem, Michiel

2012-01-01

Background An important trait of probiotics is their capability to reach their intestinal target sites alive to optimally exert their beneficial effects. Assessment of this trait in intestine-mimicking in vitro model systems has revealed differential survival of individual strains of a species. However, data on the in situ persistence characteristics of individual or mixtures of strains of the same species in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy human volunteers have not been reported to date. Methodology/Principal Findings The GI-tract survival of individual L. plantarum strains was determined using an intestine mimicking model system, revealing substantial inter-strain differences. The obtained data were correlated to genomic diversity of the strains using comparative genome hybridization (CGH) datasets, but this approach failed to discover specific genetic loci that explain the observed differences between the strains. Moreover, we developed a next-generation sequencing-based method that targets a variable intergenic region, and employed this method to assess the in vivo GI-tract persistence of different L. plantarum strains when administered in mixtures to healthy human volunteers. Remarkable consistency of the strain-specific persistence curves were observed between individual volunteers, which also correlated significantly with the GI-tract survival predicted on basis of the in vitro assay. Conclusion The survival of individual L. plantarum strains in the GI-tract could not be correlated to the absence or presence of specific genes compared to the reference strain L. plantarum WCFS1. Nevertheless, in vivo persistence analysis in the human GI-tract confirmed the strain-specific persistence, which appeared to be remarkably similar in different healthy volunteers. Moreover, the relative strain-specific persistence in vivo appeared to be accurately and significantly predicted by their relative survival in the intestine-mimicking in vitro assay, supporting the use of this assay for screening of strain-specific GI persistence. PMID:22970257

High resolution structure of cleaved Serpin 42 Da from Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Ellisdon, Andrew M; Zhang, Qingwei; Henstridge, Michelle A; Johnson, Travis K; Warr, Coral G; Law, Ruby Hp; Whisstock, James C

2014-04-24

The Drosophila melanogaster Serpin 42 Da gene (previously Serpin 4) encodes a serine protease inhibitor that is capable of remarkable functional diversity through the alternative splicing of four different reactive centre loop exons. Eight protein isoforms of Serpin 42 Da have been identified to date, targeting the protease inhibitor to both different proteases and cellular locations. Biochemical and genetic studies suggest that Serpin 42 Da inhibits target proteases through the classical serpin 'suicide' inhibition mechanism, however the crystal structure of a representative Serpin 42 Da isoform remains to be determined. We report two high-resolution crystal structures of Serpin 42 Da representing the A/B isoforms in the cleaved conformation, belonging to two different space-groups and diffracting to 1.7 Å and 1.8 Å. Structural analysis reveals the archetypal serpin fold, with the major elements of secondary structure displaying significant homology to the vertebrate serpin, neuroserpin. Key residues known to have central roles in the serpin inhibitory mechanism are conserved in both the hinge and shutter regions of Serpin 42 Da. Furthermore, these structures identify important conserved interactions that appear to be of crucial importance in allowing the Serpin 42 Da fold to act as a versatile template for multiple reactive centre loops that have different sequences and protease specificities. In combination with previous biochemical and genetic studies, these structures confirm for the first time that the Serpin 42 Da isoforms are typical inhibitory serpin family members with the conserved serpin fold and inhibitory mechanism. Additionally, these data reveal the remarkable structural plasticity of serpins, whereby the basic fold is harnessed as a template for inhibition of a large spectrum of proteases by reactive centre loop exon 'switching'. This is the first structure of a Drosophila serpin reported to date, and will provide a platform for future mutational studies in Drosophila to ascertain the functional role of each of the Serpin 42 Da isoforms.

Electrostatic precursors to granular slip events

PubMed Central

Shinbrot, Troy; Kim, Nam H.; Thyagu, N. Nirmal

2012-01-01

It has been known for over a century that electrical signals are produced by material failure, for example during crack formation of crystals and glasses, or stick-slip motion of liquid mercury on glass. We describe here new experiments revealing that slip events in cohesive powders also produce electrical signals, and remarkably these signals can appear significantly in advance of slip events. We have confirmed this effect in two different experimental systems and using two common powdered materials, and in a third experiment we have demonstrated that similar voltage signals are produced by crack-like defects in several powdered materials. PMID:22689956

In silico studies on tryparedoxin peroxidase of Leishmania infantum: structural aspects.

PubMed

Singh, Bishal Kumar; Dubey, Vikash Kumar

2009-09-01

Tryparedoxin peroxidase (TryP) is a key enzyme of the trypanothione-dependent metabolism for removal of oxidative stress in leishmania. These enzymes function as antioxidants through their peroxidase and peroxynitrite reductase activities. Inhibitors of this enzyme are presumed to be antilesihmania drugs and structural studies are prerequisite of rational drug design. We have constructed three dimensional structure of TryP of Leishmania infantum using comparative modeling. Structural analysis reveals several interesting features. Moreover, it shows remarkable structural difference with human host glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme involved in similar function and TryP from Leishmania major.

The growing skull. Part III. Dynamics of growth of the neurocranium.

PubMed

Gefferth, C M

1984-01-01

The growth characteristic of the neurocranium and the dynamics of its development were studied in 1036 children, 540 boys and 496 girls, from birth to the age of 16 years. Analysis of the individual distances showed differences in the velocity, tendency and extent of growth, maturation, and sex peculiarities. An attempt was made to estimate postpubertal development. Comparison with other authors results revealed some remarkable racial features and environmental effects. By the aid of new constructed lines it was possible to interpret the peculiar growth of the occipital region and of the posterior fossa.

Bulky Trichomonad Genomes: Encoding a Swiss Army Knife.

PubMed

Barratt, Joel; Gough, Rory; Stark, Damien; Ellis, John

2016-10-01

The trichomonads are a remarkably successful lineage of ancient, predominantly parasitic protozoa. Recent molecular analyses have revealed extensive duplication of certain genetic loci in trichomonads. Consequently, their genomes are exceptionally large compared to other parasitic protozoa. Retention of these large gene expansions across different trichomonad families raises the question: do these duplications afford an advantage? Many duplicated genes are linked to the parasitic lifestyle and some are regulated differently to their paralogues, suggesting they have acquired new functions. It is proposed that these large genomes encode a Swiss army knife of sorts, packed with a multitude of tools for use in many different circumstances. This may have bestowed trichomonads with the extraordinary versatility that has undoubtedly contributed to their success. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abnormalities of P300 cortical current density in unmedicated depressed patients revealed by LORETA analysis of event-related potentials.

PubMed

Kawasaki, Toshihiko; Tanaka, Shin; Wang, Jijun; Hokama, Hiroto; Hiramatsu, Kenichi

2004-02-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the neural substrates underlying event-related potential (ERP) abnormalities, with respect to the generators of the ERP components in depressed patients. Using an oddball paradigm, ERP from auditory stimuli were recorded from 22 unmedicated patients with current depressive episodes and compared with those from 22 age- and gender-matched normal controls. Cortical current densities of the N100 and P300 components were analyzed using low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA). Group differences in cortical current density were mapped on a 3-D cortex model. The results revealed that N100 cortical current densities did not differ between the two groups, while P300 cortical current densities were significantly lower in depressed patients over the bilateral temporal lobes, the left frontal region, and the right temporal-parietal area. Furthermore, the cortical area in which the group difference in P300 current density had been identified was remarkably larger over the right than the left hemisphere, thus supporting the hypothesis of right hemisphere dysfunction in depression.

Listening, Watching, and Reading: The Structure and Correlates of Entertainment Preferences

PubMed Central

Rentfrow, Peter J.; Goldberg, Lewis R.; Zilca, Ran

2010-01-01

People spend considerable amounts of time and money listening to music, watching TV and movies, and reading books and magazines, yet almost no attention in psychology has been devoted to understanding individual differences in preferences for such entertainment. The present research was designed to examine the structure and correlates of entertainment genre preferences. Analyses of the genre preferences of over 3,000 individuals revealed a remarkably clear factor structure. Using multiple samples, methods, and geographic regions, data converged to reveal five entertainment-preference dimensions: Communal, Aesthetic, Dark, Thrilling, and Cerebral. Preferences for these entertainment dimensions were uniquely related to demographics and personality traits. Results also indicated that personality accounted for significant proportions of variance in entertainment preferences over and above demographics. The results provide a foundation for developing and testing hypotheses about the psychology of entertainment preferences. PMID:20649744

A Proteome-wide Fission Yeast Interactome Reveals Network Evolution Principles from Yeasts to Human.

PubMed

Vo, Tommy V; Das, Jishnu; Meyer, Michael J; Cordero, Nicolas A; Akturk, Nurten; Wei, Xiaomu; Fair, Benjamin J; Degatano, Andrew G; Fragoza, Robert; Liu, Lisa G; Matsuyama, Akihisa; Trickey, Michelle; Horibata, Sachi; Grimson, Andrew; Yamano, Hiroyuki; Yoshida, Minoru; Roth, Frederick P; Pleiss, Jeffrey A; Xia, Yu; Yu, Haiyuan

2016-01-14

Here, we present FissionNet, a proteome-wide binary protein interactome for S. pombe, comprising 2,278 high-quality interactions, of which ∼ 50% were previously not reported in any species. FissionNet unravels previously unreported interactions implicated in processes such as gene silencing and pre-mRNA splicing. We developed a rigorous network comparison framework that accounts for assay sensitivity and specificity, revealing extensive species-specific network rewiring between fission yeast, budding yeast, and human. Surprisingly, although genes are better conserved between the yeasts, S. pombe interactions are significantly better conserved in human than in S. cerevisiae. Our framework also reveals that different modes of gene duplication influence the extent to which paralogous proteins are functionally repurposed. Finally, cross-species interactome mapping demonstrates that coevolution of interacting proteins is remarkably prevalent, a result with important implications for studying human disease in model organisms. Overall, FissionNet is a valuable resource for understanding protein functions and their evolution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuning carbon nanotube assembly for flexible, strong and conductive films.

PubMed

Wang, Yanjie; Li, Min; Gu, Yizhuo; Zhang, Xiaohua; Wang, Shaokai; Li, Qingwen; Zhang, Zuoguang

2015-02-21

Carbon nanotubes are ideal scaffolds for designing and architecting flexible graphite films with tunable mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Herein, we demonstrate that the assembly of aligned carbon nanotubes with different aggregation density and morphology leads to different mechanical properties and anisotropic electrical conduction along the films. Using drying evaporation under tension treatment, the carbon nanotubes can be assembled into strong films with tensile strength and Young's modulus as high as 3.2 GPa and 124 GPa, respectively, leading to a remarkable toughness of 54.38 J g(-1), greatly outperforming conventional graphite films, spider webs and even Kevlar fiber films. Different types of solvents may result in the assembly of CNTs with different aggregation morphology and therefore different modulus. In addition, we reveal that the high density assembly of aligned CNTs correlates with better electric conduction along the axial direction, enabling these flexible graphite films to be both strong and conductive.

Advances in Silver Nanotechnology: An Update on Biomedical Applications and Future Perspectives.

PubMed

Aziz, Shiva Gholizadeh-Ghaleh; Aziz, Sara Gholizadeh-Ghaleh; Akbarzadeh, Abolfazl

2017-04-01

Nanotechnology is one of the most promising fields for producing new applications in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and medicine. However, only a few products have been used for nanotechnology, biotechnology, and medical purposes. Nanoparticles have been among the most usually applied nanomaterial in our health care system for hundreds of years. The most prominent nano product is nano silver which generally present at 1-100 nm in size in at least one dimension. Silver nanoparticles reveal remarkably unusual chemical, physical and biological properties and have been used for many different applications which detailed in this review. This review is focusing on the different form of silver nanoparticles and its nanotechnological, biotechnological and medical applications. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Trail pheromones: an integrative view of their role in social insect colony organization.

PubMed

Czaczkes, Tomer J; Grüter, Christoph; Ratnieks, Francis L W

2015-01-07

Trail pheromones do more than simply guide social insect workers from point A to point B. Recent research has revealed additional ways in which they help to regulate colony foraging, often via positive and negative feedback processes that influence the exploitation of the different resources that a colony has knowledge of. Trail pheromones are often complementary or synergistic with other information sources, such as individual memory. Pheromone trails can be composed of two or more pheromones with different functions, and information may be embedded in the trail network geometry. These findings indicate remarkable sophistication in how trail pheromones are used to regulate colony-level behavior, and how trail pheromones are used and deployed at the individual level.

Video-Puff of Air Hits Ball of Water in Space Onboard the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Saturday Morning Science, the science of opportunity series of applied experiments and demonstrations, performed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by Expedition 6 astronaut Dr. Don Pettit, revealed some remarkable findings. In this video clip, Dr. Pettit demonstrates the phenomenon of a puff of air hitting a ball of water that is free floating in space. Watch the video to see why Dr. Pettit remarks 'I'd hate think that our planet would go through these kinds of gyrations if it got whacked by a big asteroid'.

Enrichment of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) diet with medlar (Mespilus germanica) leaf extract: Effects on skin mucosal immunity and growth performance.

PubMed

Hoseinifar, Seyed Hossein; Khodadadian Zou, Hassan; Kolangi Miandare, Hamed; Van Doan, Hien; Romano, Nicholas; Dadar, Maryam

2017-08-01

A feeding trial was performed to assess the effects of dietary Medlar (Mespilus germanica) leaf extract (MLE) on the growth performance, skin mucus non-specific immune parameters as well as mRNA levels of immune and antioxidant related genes in the skin of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings. Fish were fed diets supplemented with graded levels (0, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00%) of MLE for 49 days. The results revealed an improvement to the growth performance and feed conversion ratio in MLE fed carps (P < 0.05), regardless of the inclusion level. The immunoglobulin levels and interleukin 8 levels in the skin mucous and skin, respectively, revealed significant increment in fish fed 1% MLE (P < 0.05) in comparison with the other MLE treatments and control group. Also, feeding on 0.25% and 0.50% MLE remarkably increased skin mucus lysozyme activity (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant difference between MLE treated groups and control (P > 0.05) in case protease activity in the skin mucous or tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta gene expression in the skin of carps (P > 0.05). The expression of genes encoding glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase alpha were remarkably increased in MLE fed carps compared to the control group (P < 0.05) while carp fed 0.50% or 1.00% MLE had significantly increased glutathione peroxidase expression in their skin (P < 0.05). The present results revealed the potentially beneficial effects of MLE on the mucosal immune system and growth performance in common carp fingerlings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rickettsia infection in natural leech populations.

PubMed

Kikuchi, Y; Fukatsu, T

2005-02-01

Field-collected specimens of glossiphoniid leeches, Torix tagoi, Torix tukubana, Hemiclepsis marginata, and Hemiclepsis japonica, were surveyed for Rickettsia infection by using a diagnostic PCR assay. Rickettsia was detected in 96% (69/72) of T. tagoi, 83% (24/29) of T. tukubana, 29% (33/113) of H. marginata, and 0% (0/30) of H. japonica. The frequencies of Rickettsia infection were stably maintained in different seasons. In H. marginata and T. tukubana, distant local populations exhibited remarkably different frequencies of Rickettsia infection. Eggs carried by infected females of T. tagoi and H. marginata were all Rickettsia-positive, indicating nearly 100% vertical transmission. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences revealed that phylogenetic relationship of the leech-associated Rickettsia reflected the specific and populational divisions of the host leeches. However, circumstantial lines of evidence strongly suggested that horizontal transmission of Rickettsia must have occurred in the ancestors of these leeches. In T. tagoi and T. tukubana, infected individuals were remarkably larger in size than uninfected individuals, wheras in H. marginata, infected and uninfected individuals were almost comparable in size. This study first provides information on ecological aspects of leech-bone endocellular bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. On the basis of these data, we discuss possible mechanisms whereby Rickettsia infection is maintained in natural populations of these leeches in the freshwater ecosystem.

The Function of Embryonic Stem Cell-expressed RAS (E-RAS), a Unique RAS Family Member, Correlates with Its Additional Motifs and Its Structural Properties.

PubMed

Nakhaei-Rad, Saeideh; Nakhaeizadeh, Hossein; Kordes, Claus; Cirstea, Ion C; Schmick, Malte; Dvorsky, Radovan; Bastiaens, Philippe I H; Häussinger, Dieter; Ahmadian, Mohammad Reza

2015-06-19

E-RAS is a member of the RAS family specifically expressed in embryonic stem cells, gastric tumors, and hepatic stellate cells. Unlike classical RAS isoforms (H-, N-, and K-RAS4B), E-RAS has, in addition to striking and remarkable sequence deviations, an extended 38-amino acid-long unique N-terminal region with still unknown functions. We investigated the molecular mechanism of E-RAS regulation and function with respect to its sequence and structural features. We found that N-terminal extension of E-RAS is important for E-RAS signaling activity. E-RAS protein most remarkably revealed a different mode of effector interaction as compared with H-RAS, which correlates with deviations in the effector-binding site of E-RAS. Of all these residues, tryptophan 79 (arginine 41 in H-RAS), in the interswitch region, modulates the effector selectivity of RAS proteins from H-RAS to E-RAS features. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Novel 1-[4-(Aminosulfonyl)phenyl]-1H-1,2,4-triazole derivatives with remarkable selective COX-2 inhibition: design, synthesis, molecular docking, anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenicity studies.

PubMed

Abuo-Rahma, Gamal El-Din A A; Abdel-Aziz, Mohamed; Farag, Nahla A; Kaoud, Tamer S

2014-08-18

A novel series of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives were synthesized and confirmed with different spectroscopic techniques. The prepared compounds exhibited remarkable anti-inflammatory activity comparable to that of indomethacin and celecoxib after 3 h. The tested compounds exhibited very low incidence of gastric ulceration compared to indomethacin. Most of the newly developed compounds showed excellent selectivity towards human COX-2 with selectivity indices (COX-1 IC50/COX-2 IC50) ranged from 62.5 to 2127. Docking studies results revealed that the highly selective tested compounds 6h and 6j showed lower CDOCKER energies, which means that they require less energy for proper interaction with the enzyme. The additional H-bonds with the oxygen of the amide and/or H of NH of the amide with the amino acid residues may be responsible for the higher binding affinity of this group of compounds towards COX-2. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Effect of plasma superficial treatments on antibacterial functionalization and coloration of cellulosic fabrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Nabil A.; Eid, Basma M.; Abdel-Aziz, Mohamed S.

2017-01-01

Remarkable improvement in antibacterial activity and durability of different cellulosic substrates namely cotton, linen, viscose and lyocell was achieved by pre-surface modification using N2-plasma to create new active and binding sites, -NH2 groups, onto the modified fabric surfaces followed by subsequent loading of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) alone and in combination with certain antibiotics using exhaustion method. The imparted antibacterial activity against both G+ve (S. aureus) and G-ve (E. coli) pathogens was governed by type of substrate, extent of modification and subsequent loading of antibacterial agent, synergistic effect, and antibacterial activity as well as type of harmful bacteria. A remarkable antibacterial activity still retained even after 15 washings. In addition, incorporation of Ag NPs into pigment printing paste and into acid dyeing bath for combined coloration and functionalization of O2-plasma and N2-plasma pre-modified substrates respectively were successfully achieved. Moreover, both SEM images and EDS spectra of selected substrates revealed the change in surface morphology as well as the presence of the loaded Ag element onto the post-treated substrates.

Tuning carbon nanotube assembly for flexible, strong and conductive films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yanjie; Li, Min; Gu, Yizhuo; Zhang, Xiaohua; Wang, Shaokai; Li, Qingwen; Zhang, Zuoguang

2015-02-01

Carbon nanotubes are ideal scaffolds for designing and architecting flexible graphite films with tunable mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Herein, we demonstrate that the assembly of aligned carbon nanotubes with different aggregation density and morphology leads to different mechanical properties and anisotropic electrical conduction along the films. Using drying evaporation under tension treatment, the carbon nanotubes can be assembled into strong films with tensile strength and Young's modulus as high as 3.2 GPa and 124 GPa, respectively, leading to a remarkable toughness of 54.38 J g-1, greatly outperforming conventional graphite films, spider webs and even Kevlar fiber films. Different types of solvents may result in the assembly of CNTs with different aggregation morphology and therefore different modulus. In addition, we reveal that the high density assembly of aligned CNTs correlates with better electric conduction along the axial direction, enabling these flexible graphite films to be both strong and conductive.Carbon nanotubes are ideal scaffolds for designing and architecting flexible graphite films with tunable mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Herein, we demonstrate that the assembly of aligned carbon nanotubes with different aggregation density and morphology leads to different mechanical properties and anisotropic electrical conduction along the films. Using drying evaporation under tension treatment, the carbon nanotubes can be assembled into strong films with tensile strength and Young's modulus as high as 3.2 GPa and 124 GPa, respectively, leading to a remarkable toughness of 54.38 J g-1, greatly outperforming conventional graphite films, spider webs and even Kevlar fiber films. Different types of solvents may result in the assembly of CNTs with different aggregation morphology and therefore different modulus. In addition, we reveal that the high density assembly of aligned CNTs correlates with better electric conduction along the axial direction, enabling these flexible graphite films to be both strong and conductive. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: The TEM image of array CNTs. The surface height curves of x-z cross-section of the films. A comparison of the mechanical properties of the pure CNT films described in this work with other CNT films/fibers spun from CNT array reported in the literature. The measured evaporation rates of ethanol and acetone. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr06401a

Enantiomers of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Show Distinct Coating Displacement Kinetics.

PubMed

Zheng, Yu; Bachilo, Sergei M; Weisman, R Bruce

2018-06-27

It is known that specific oligomers of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) can show remarkable selectivity when coating different structural species of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). We report that (ATT) 4 ssDNA coatings strongly distinguish between the two optical isomers of (7,5) SWCNTs. This causes resolvable shifts in their fluorescence spectra and differences of 2 orders of magnitude in the room temperature rates of coating displacement, as monitored through changes in nanotube fluorescence wavelength and intensity on exposure to sodium deoxycholate. During coating displacement, the enantiomer with high affinity for the ssDNA oligomer is deduced to form an intermediate hybrid that is not observed for the low affinity enantiomer. These results reveal that enantiomeric differences in SWCNTs complexed with ssDNA are more diverse and dramatic than previously recognized.

Human Platelet Lysate versus Fetal Calf Serum: These Supplements Do Not Select for Different Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

PubMed

Fernandez-Rebollo, Eduardo; Mentrup, Birgit; Ebert, Regina; Franzen, Julia; Abagnale, Giulio; Sieben, Torsten; Ostrowska, Alina; Hoffmann, Per; Roux, Pierre-François; Rath, Björn; Goodhardt, Michele; Lemaitre, Jean-Marc; Bischof, Oliver; Jakob, Franz; Wagner, Wolfgang

2017-07-11

Culture medium of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is usually supplemented with either human platelet lysate (HPL) or fetal calf serum (FCS). Many studies have demonstrated that proliferation and cellular morphology are affected by these supplements - it is therefore important to determine if they favor outgrowth of different subpopulations and thereby impact on the heterogeneous composition of MSCs. We have isolated and expanded human bone marrow-derived MSCs in parallel with HPL or FCS and demonstrated that HPL significantly increases proliferation and leads to dramatic differences in cellular morphology. Remarkably, global DNA-methylation profiles did not reveal any significant differences. Even at the transcriptomic level, there were only moderate changes in pairwise comparison. Furthermore, the effects on proliferation, cytoskeletal organization, and focal adhesions were reversible by interchanging to opposite culture conditions. These results indicate that cultivation of MSCs with HPL or FCS has no systematic bias for specific cell types.

Reproducibility of the cutoff probe for the measurement of electron density

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

Kim, D. W.; Oh, W. Y.; You, S. J., E-mail: sjyou@cnu.ac.kr

2016-06-15

Since a plasma processing control based on plasma diagnostics attracted considerable attention in industry, the reproducibility of the diagnostics using in this application has become a great interest. Because the cutoff probe is one of the potential candidates for this application, knowing the reproducibility of the cutoff probe measurement becomes quit important in the cutoff probe application research. To test the reproducibility of the cutoff probe measurement, in this paper, a comparative study among the different cutoff probe measurements was performed. The comparative study revealed remarkable result: the cutoff probe has a great reproducibility for the electron density measurement, i.e.,more » there are little differences among measurements by different probes made by different experimenters. The discussion including the reason for the result was addressed via this paper by using a basic measurement principle of cutoff probe and a comparative experiment with Langmuir probe.« less

Remarkable morphological diversity of viruses and virus-like particles in hot terrestrial environments.

PubMed

Rachel, R; Bettstetter, M; Hedlund, B P; Häring, M; Kessler, A; Stetter, K O; Prangishvili, D

2002-12-01

Electron microscopic studies of the viruses in two hot springs (85 degrees C, pH 1.5-2.0, and 75-93 degrees C, pH 6.5) in Yellowstone National Park revealed particles with twelve different morphotypes. This diversity encompassed known viruses of hyperthermophilic archaea, filamentous Lipothrixviridae, rod-shaped Rudiviridae, and spindle-shaped Fuselloviridae, and novel morphotypes previously not observed in nature. Two virus types resembled head-and-tail bacteriophages from the families Siphoviridae and Podoviridae, and constituted the first observation of these viruses in a hydrothermal environment. Viral hosts in the acidic spring were members of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus.

Solid-state reaction synthesis for mixed-phase Eu3+-doped bismuth molybdate and its luminescence properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Danyang; Ding, Yu; Wang, Nan; Cai, Xiaomeng; Li, Jia; Han, Linyu; Wang, Shiqi; Han, Yuanyuan; Jia, Guang; Wang, Liyong

2017-09-01

A method for mixed-phase bismuth molybdate doped with Eu3+ ions was developed by solid-state reaction assisting with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The results of powder X-ray diffraction showed a mixed-phase structure and the microscopical characterization technology revealed the formation process with the addition of PVA. As a structure inducer, the PVA molecules played a vital role in the formation of phase structure. The as-obtained Eu3+-doped bismuth molybdates were also characterized by using different spectroscopic techniques including FTIR and photoluminescence (PL). The results show that doping concentration, PVA addition and calcination temperature affect photoluminescence properties remarkably.

Rapid growth rate results in remarkably hardened breast in broilers during the middle stage of rearing: A biochemical and histopathological study.

PubMed

Kawasaki, Takeshi; Iwasaki, Tomohito; Yamada, Michi; Yoshida, Takashi; Watanabe, Takafumi

2018-01-01

The high incidence of meat of impaired quality poses a serious problem in the poultry industry. In recent years, the incidence of the pectoralis major muscle that appeared pale colored, remarkably hardened, and exudative, called "wooden breast" or "woody breast" has increased in slaughter houses. In the present study, 19-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens affected (n = 10) and unaffected (n = 10) with remarkably hardened breast were selected from a commercial broiler farm, and reared to 55 days of age under a controlled environment. Among the affected birds, 5 of 10 birds appeared exhausted with markedly suppressed weight gain and 4 of 10 birds died during the rearing period. In contrast, all unaffected birds survived and most gained weight. Four of 10 unaffected birds lost the ability of back-to-back wing contact by the late stage of rearing. The biochemical analysis of blood plasma samples of 20-day-old birds revealed that creatine kinase and L-aspartate aminotransferase values in most affected birds were higher than those in unaffected birds; however, these values in unaffected birds increased rapidly with lost wing contactability and increasing age. Postmortem examinations revealed that the mean diameter of myofibers in affected birds was smaller than that in unaffected birds. Moreover, symptoms of degenerative and regenerative muscles were observed in most birds in both groups. Among them, a decrease in, or defect of, the characteristic polygonal shape of myofibers was the most common change within the pectoralis major muscles in both groups. The present study demonstrated that broilers affected with remarkably hardened breast during the middle stage of rearing would have suppressed physical status and weight gain, or would die. It was suggested that rapid growth in broilers might be a cause of remarkably hardened breast.

Rapid growth rate results in remarkably hardened breast in broilers during the middle stage of rearing: A biochemical and histopathological study

PubMed Central

Iwasaki, Tomohito; Yamada, Michi; Yoshida, Takashi

2018-01-01

The high incidence of meat of impaired quality poses a serious problem in the poultry industry. In recent years, the incidence of the pectoralis major muscle that appeared pale colored, remarkably hardened, and exudative, called “wooden breast” or “woody breast” has increased in slaughter houses. In the present study, 19-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens affected (n = 10) and unaffected (n = 10) with remarkably hardened breast were selected from a commercial broiler farm, and reared to 55 days of age under a controlled environment. Among the affected birds, 5 of 10 birds appeared exhausted with markedly suppressed weight gain and 4 of 10 birds died during the rearing period. In contrast, all unaffected birds survived and most gained weight. Four of 10 unaffected birds lost the ability of back-to-back wing contact by the late stage of rearing. The biochemical analysis of blood plasma samples of 20-day-old birds revealed that creatine kinase and L-aspartate aminotransferase values in most affected birds were higher than those in unaffected birds; however, these values in unaffected birds increased rapidly with lost wing contactability and increasing age. Postmortem examinations revealed that the mean diameter of myofibers in affected birds was smaller than that in unaffected birds. Moreover, symptoms of degenerative and regenerative muscles were observed in most birds in both groups. Among them, a decrease in, or defect of, the characteristic polygonal shape of myofibers was the most common change within the pectoralis major muscles in both groups. The present study demonstrated that broilers affected with remarkably hardened breast during the middle stage of rearing would have suppressed physical status and weight gain, or would die. It was suggested that rapid growth in broilers might be a cause of remarkably hardened breast. PMID:29474396

Occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in coastal water of the Bohai Bay, China: impacts of river discharge and aquaculture activities.

PubMed

Zou, Shichun; Xu, Weihai; Zhang, Ruijie; Tang, Jianhui; Chen, Yingjun; Zhang, Gan

2011-10-01

The presence of 21 antibiotics in six different groups was investigated in coastal water of the Bohai Bay. Meantime, to illuminate the potential effects caused by the river discharge and aquaculture activities, wastewater from three breeding plants and surface water from six rivers flowing into the Bohai Bay were also analyzed for the selected antibiotics. The result revealed that measured antibiotics in the North Bobai Bay were generally higher than those in the South, highlighting the remarkable effects of high density of human activities on the exposure of antibiotics in environment. The antibiotics found in the six rivers were generally higher than those in the Bohai Bay reflecting the important antibiotics source of river discharge. This study reveals that the high consumption of some antibiotics in aquaculture activities may pose high ecological risk to the bay. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Listening, watching, and reading: the structure and correlates of entertainment preferences.

PubMed

Rentfrow, Peter J; Goldberg, Lewis R; Zilca, Ran

2011-04-01

People spend considerable amounts of time and money listening to music, watching TV and movies, and reading books and magazines, yet almost no attention in psychology has been devoted to understanding individual differences in preferences for such entertainment. The present research was designed to examine the structure and correlates of entertainment genre preferences. Analyses of the genre preferences of more than 3,000 individuals revealed a remarkably clear factor structure. Using multiple samples, methods, and geographic regions, data converged to reveal five entertainment-preference dimensions: Communal, Aesthetic, Dark, Thrilling, and Cerebral. Preferences for these entertainment dimensions were uniquely related to demographics and personality traits. Results also indicated that personality accounted for significant proportions of variance in entertainment preferences over and above demographics. The results provide a foundation for developing and testing hypotheses about the psychology of entertainment preferences. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Personality © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hemimetabolous genomes reveal molecular basis of termite eusociality.

PubMed

Harrison, Mark C; Jongepier, Evelien; Robertson, Hugh M; Arning, Nicolas; Bitard-Feildel, Tristan; Chao, Hsu; Childers, Christopher P; Dinh, Huyen; Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Dugan, Shannon; Gowin, Johannes; Greiner, Carolin; Han, Yi; Hu, Haofu; Hughes, Daniel S T; Huylmans, Ann-Kathrin; Kemena, Carsten; Kremer, Lukas P M; Lee, Sandra L; Lopez-Ezquerra, Alberto; Mallet, Ludovic; Monroy-Kuhn, Jose M; Moser, Annabell; Murali, Shwetha C; Muzny, Donna M; Otani, Saria; Piulachs, Maria-Dolors; Poelchau, Monica; Qu, Jiaxin; Schaub, Florentine; Wada-Katsumata, Ayako; Worley, Kim C; Xie, Qiaolin; Ylla, Guillem; Poulsen, Michael; Gibbs, Richard A; Schal, Coby; Richards, Stephen; Belles, Xavier; Korb, Judith; Bornberg-Bauer, Erich

2018-03-01

Around 150 million years ago, eusocial termites evolved from within the cockroaches, 50 million years before eusocial Hymenoptera, such as bees and ants, appeared. Here, we report the 2-Gb genome of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the 1.3-Gb genome of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus. We show evolutionary signatures of termite eusociality by comparing the genomes and transcriptomes of three termites and the cockroach against the background of 16 other eusocial and non-eusocial insects. Dramatic adaptive changes in genes underlying the production and perception of pheromones confirm the importance of chemical communication in the termites. These are accompanied by major changes in gene regulation and the molecular evolution of caste determination. Many of these results parallel molecular mechanisms of eusocial evolution in Hymenoptera. However, the specific solutions are remarkably different, thus revealing a striking case of convergence in one of the major evolutionary transitions in biological complexity.

Revealing barriers and facilitators to use a new genetic test: comparison of three user involvement methods.

PubMed

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

2012-10-01

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

Structural and phylogenetic analysis of Rhodobacter capsulatus NifF: uncovering general features of nitrogen-fixation (nif)-flavodoxins.

PubMed

Pérez-Dorado, Inmaculada; Bortolotti, Ana; Cortez, Néstor; Hermoso, Juan A

2013-01-09

Analysis of the crystal structure of NifF from Rhodobacter capsulatus and its homologues reported so far reflects the existence of unique structural features in nif flavodoxins: a leucine at the re face of the isoalloxazine, an eight-residue insertion at the C-terminus of the 50's loop and a remarkable difference in the electrostatic potential surface with respect to non-nif flavodoxins. A phylogenetic study on 64 sequences from 52 bacterial species revealed four clusters, including different functional prototypes, correlating the previously defined as "short-chain" with the firmicutes flavodoxins and the "long-chain" with gram-negative species. The comparison of Rhodobacter NifF structure with other bacterial flavodoxin prototypes discloses the concurrence of specific features of these functional electron donors to nitrogenase.

Developmental trajectories of children's symbolic numerical magnitude processing skills and associated cognitive competencies.

PubMed

Vanbinst, Kiran; Ceulemans, Eva; Peters, Lien; Ghesquière, Pol; De Smedt, Bert

2018-02-01

Although symbolic numerical magnitude processing skills are key for learning arithmetic, their developmental trajectories remain unknown. Therefore, we delineated during the first 3years of primary education (5-8years of age) groups with distinguishable developmental trajectories of symbolic numerical magnitude processing skills using a model-based clustering approach. Three clusters were identified and were labeled as inaccurate, accurate but slow, and accurate and fast. The clusters did not differ in age, sex, socioeconomic status, or IQ. We also tested whether these clusters differed in domain-specific (nonsymbolic magnitude processing and digit identification) and domain-general (visuospatial short-term memory, verbal working memory, and processing speed) cognitive competencies that might contribute to children's ability to (efficiently) process the numerical meaning of Arabic numerical symbols. We observed minor differences between clusters in these cognitive competencies except for verbal working memory for which no differences were observed. Follow-up analyses further revealed that the above-mentioned cognitive competencies did not merely account for the cluster differences in children's development of symbolic numerical magnitude processing skills, suggesting that other factors account for these individual differences. On the other hand, the three trajectories of symbolic numerical magnitude processing revealed remarkable and stable differences in children's arithmetic fact retrieval, which stresses the importance of symbolic numerical magnitude processing for learning arithmetic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multilocus sequence data reveal dozens of putative cryptic species in a radiation of endemic Californian mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Nemesiidae).

PubMed

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

2015-10-01

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

Remarkable variation in the informativeness of RFLP markers linked to hemophilia B locus in Indian population groups: implication in the strategy for carrier detection.

PubMed

Mukherjee, S; Saha, A; Kumar P, Senthil; Chandak, G R; Majumder, P P; Ray, K

2006-01-01

Hemophilia B, an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder, is caused by heterogeneous mutations in the factor IX (F9) gene. Hence, carriers of the disease are usually detected by F9 gene linked RFLP analysis. We aimed to test a set of RFLP markers (DdeI, XmnI, MnlI, TaqI & HhaI), used worldwide for carrier detection, to estimate its heterozygosity in different population groups of India, and identify additional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) if necessary. A total of 8 population groups encompassing different regions of India, consisting of 107 unrelated normal females without any history of hemophilia B in the family and 13 unrelated obligate carriers were recruited in the study. Regions of F9 gene were amplified by PCR from genomic DNA of the donors followed by restriction enzyme digestion and/or sequencing as appropriate. Combined informativeness for the markers varied between 52-86% among normal females belonging to different geographical locations of India. Haplotype analysis revealed that the most prevalent haplotype lacked the restriction sites for all five RFLP markers. Screening regions of F9 gene that harbor 10 SNPs reported in dbSNP yielded only two SNPs, which increased the overall informativeness in each population group and heterozygosity in the obligate carriers for the disease from 38% to 69%. Our data show that heterozygosity of commonly used RFLP markers is remarkably variable across different regions of India. Thus prudent selection of the markers based on specific population groups including usage of additional markers is recommended for efficient carrier detection.

The truly remarkable universality of half a standard deviation: confirmation through another look.

PubMed

Norman, Geoffrey R; Sloan, Jeff A; Wyrwich, Kathleen W

2004-10-01

In this issue of Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, Farivar, Liu, and Hays present their findings in 'Another look at the half standard deviation estimate of the minimally important difference in health-related quality of life scores (hereafter referred to as 'Another look') . These researchers have re-examined the May 2003 Medical Care article 'Interpretation of changes in health-related quality of life: the remarkable universality of half a standard deviation' (hereafter referred to as 'Remarkable') in the hope of supporting their hypothesis that the minimally important difference in health-related quality of life measures is undoubtedly closer to 0.3 standard deviations than 0.5. Nonetheless, despite their extensive wranglings with the exclusion of many articles that we included in our review; the inclusion of articles that we did not include in our review; and the recalculation of effect sizes using the absolute value of the mean differences, in our opinion, the results of the 'Another look' article confirm the same findings in the 'Remarkable' paper.

Flexible timing by temporal scaling of cortical responses

PubMed Central

Wang, Jing; Narain, Devika; Hosseini, Eghbal A.; Jazayeri, Mehrdad

2017-01-01

Musicians can perform at different tempos, speakers can control the cadence of their speech, and children can flexibly vary their temporal expectations of events. To understand the neural basis of such flexibility, we recorded from the medial frontal cortex of nonhuman primates trained to produce different time intervals with different effectors. Neural responses were heterogeneous, nonlinear and complex, and exhibited a remarkable form of temporal invariance: firing rate profiles were temporally scaled to match the produced intervals. Recording from downstream neurons in the caudate and thalamic neurons projecting to the medial frontal cortex indicated that this phenomenon originates within cortical networks. Recurrent neural network models trained to perform the task revealed that temporal scaling emerges from nonlinearities in the network and degree of scaling is controlled by the strength of external input. These findings demonstrate a simple and general mechanism for conferring temporal flexibility upon sensorimotor and cognitive functions. PMID:29203897

Polarized Neutron Study of Ni-Mn-Ga Alloys: Site-Specific Spin Density Affected by Martensitic Transformation.

PubMed

Lázpita, P; Barandiarán, J M; Gutiérrez, J; Mondelli, C; Sozinov, A; Chernenko, V A

2017-10-13

Polarized neutron scattering has been used to obtain the magnetic moment at specific crystallographic sites of the austenitic and martensitic phases of two nonstoichiometric Ni-Mn-Ga single crystals with close composition. These alloys have been chosen because they exhibit different structures in the paramagnetic state and inverse positions of the respective martensitic transformation and Curie temperature. The diffraction analysis revealed a remarkable result: Despite the similar alloy composition, the magnetic moments of Mn are quite different for the two alloys at the same crystallographic position. Furthermore, such a difference enabled us to assess that the exchange coupling between Mn atoms switches from ferro- to antiferromagnetic at a distance between 2.92 and 3.32 Å in the martensite. These results are of great importance to guide first principles calculations that, up to now, have not been contrasted with experiments at the atomic level.

Polarized Neutron Study of Ni-Mn-Ga Alloys: Site-Specific Spin Density Affected by Martensitic Transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lázpita, P.; Barandiarán, J. M.; Gutiérrez, J.; Mondelli, C.; Sozinov, A.; Chernenko, V. A.

2017-10-01

Polarized neutron scattering has been used to obtain the magnetic moment at specific crystallographic sites of the austenitic and martensitic phases of two nonstoichiometric Ni-Mn-Ga single crystals with close composition. These alloys have been chosen because they exhibit different structures in the paramagnetic state and inverse positions of the respective martensitic transformation and Curie temperature. The diffraction analysis revealed a remarkable result: Despite the similar alloy composition, the magnetic moments of Mn are quite different for the two alloys at the same crystallographic position. Furthermore, such a difference enabled us to assess that the exchange coupling between Mn atoms switches from ferro- to antiferromagnetic at a distance between 2.92 and 3.32 Å in the martensite. These results are of great importance to guide first principles calculations that, up to now, have not been contrasted with experiments at the atomic level.

Atomic force microscopy studies on cellular elastic and viscoelastic properties.

PubMed

Li, Mi; Liu, Lianqing; Xi, Ning; Wang, Yuechao

2018-01-01

In this work, a method based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) approach-reside-retract experiments was established to simultaneously quantify the elastic and viscoelastic properties of single cells. First, the elastic and viscoelastic properties of normal breast cells and cancerous breast cells were measured, showing significant differences in Young's modulus and relaxation times between normal and cancerous breast cells. Remarkable differences in cellular topography between normal and cancerous breast cells were also revealed by AFM imaging. Next, the elastic and viscoelasitc properties of three other types of cell lines and primary normal B lymphocytes were measured; results demonstrated the potential of cellular viscoelastic properties in complementing cellular Young's modulus for discerning different states of cells. This research provides a novel way to quantify the mechanical properties of cells by AFM, which allows investigation of the biomechanical behaviors of single cells from multiple aspects.

Profiling microbial community structures across six large oilfields in China and the potential role of dominant microorganisms in bioremediation.

PubMed

Sun, Weimin; Li, Jiwei; Jiang, Lei; Sun, Zhilei; Fu, Meiyan; Peng, Xiaotong

2015-10-01

Successful bioremediation of oil pollution is based on a comprehensive understanding of the in situ physicochemical conditions and indigenous microbial communities as well as the interaction between microorganisms and geochemical variables. Nineteen oil-contaminated soil samples and five uncontaminated controls were taken from six major oilfields across different geoclimatic regions in China to investigate the spatial distribution of the microbial ecosystem. Microbial community analysis revealed remarkable variation in microbial diversity between oil-contaminated soils taken from different oilfields. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) further demonstrated that a suite of in situ geochemical parameters, including soil moisture and sulfate concentrations, were among the factors that influenced the overall microbial community structure and composition. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the vast majority of sequences were related to the genera Arthrobacter, Dietzia, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Marinobacter, many of which contain known oil-degrading or oil-emulsifying species. Remarkably, a number of archaeal genera including Halalkalicoccus, Natronomonas, Haloterrigena, and Natrinema were found in relatively high abundance in some of the oil-contaminated soil samples, indicating that these Euryarchaeota may play an important ecological role in some oil-contaminated soils. This study offers a direct and reliable reference of the diversity of the microbial community in various oil-contaminated soils and may influence strategies for in situ bioremediation of oil pollution.

High-value utilization of eucalyptus kraft lignin: Preparation and characterization as efficient dye dispersant.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Yu, Boming; Zhou, Wanpeng; Liu, Xinxin; Chen, Fangeng

2018-04-01

The dark color of industrial lignin is the main obstacle for their high value-added use in areas such as dyestuff dispersants. A kind of light-colored lignosulfonate with favorable dispersibility and remarkable stain resistance is prepared using fractionated eucalyptus kraft lignin. The fractionated lignins named as D (insoluble part) and X (soluble part) and sulfonated lignin fractions named as SD and SX are characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, 1 H NMR spectroscopy, GPC and brightness test. The results reveal that fraction X presents a lower molecular weight but a higher hydroxyl content than that of fraction D, which lead to the differences on the SO 3 H content, dispersibility and color performance of SD and SX. The sulfonated fractions perform a similar molecular weight to that of unsulfonated lignins and show light color due to the phenolic hydroxyl blocking of 1,4-BS (1,4-butane sultone) and the postprocessing of sodium borohydride. The SX that performs the best of all exhibits obvious decrease on phenolic hydroxyl groups and increase on brightness value which is improved by 85.8% compared with control sample. The SX reaches the highest level (grade 5) in the dispersibility test and presents remarkable stain resistance on different textiles, especially on the dacron and cotton. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transverse spin in the scattering of focused radially and azimuthally polarized vector beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ankit Kumar; Saha, Sudipta; Gupta, Subhasish Dutta; Ghosh, Nirmalya

2018-04-01

We study the effect of focusing of the radially and azimuthally polarized vector beams on the spin angular momentum (SAM) density and Poynting vector of scattered waves from a Mie particle. Remarkably, the study reveals that the SAM density of the scattered field is solely transverse in nature for radially and azimuthally polarized incident vector beams; however, the Poynting vector shows the usual longitudinal character. We also demonstrate that the transverse SAM density can further be tuned with wavelength and focusing of the incident beam by exploiting the interference of different scattering modes. These results may stimulate further experimental techniques to detect the transverse spin and Belinfante's spin-momentum densities.

Mycobacterium leprae: genes, pseudogenes and genetic diversity

PubMed Central

Singh, Pushpendra; Cole, Stewart T

2011-01-01

Leprosy, which has afflicted human populations for millenia, results from infection with Mycobacterium leprae, an unculturable pathogen with an exceptionally long generation time. Considerable insight into the biology and drug resistance of the leprosy bacillus has been obtained from genomics. M. leprae has undergone reductive evolution and pseudogenes now occupy half of its genome. Comparative genomics of four different strains revealed remarkable conservation of the genome (99.995% identity) yet uncovered 215 polymorphic sites, mainly single nucleotide polymorphisms, and a handful of new pseudogenes. Mapping these polymorphisms in a large panel of strains defined 16 single nucleotide polymorphism-subtypes that showed strong geographical associations and helped retrace the evolution of M. leprae. PMID:21162636

Metagenomic sequence of saline desert microbiota from wild ass sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India.

PubMed

Patel, Rajesh; Mevada, Vishal; Prajapati, Dhaval; Dudhagara, Pravin; Koringa, Prakash; Joshi, C G

2015-03-01

We report Metagenome from the saline desert soil sample of Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat State, India. Metagenome consisted of 633,760 sequences with size 141,307,202 bp and 56% G + C content. Metagenome sequence data are available at EBI under EBI Metagenomics database with accession no. ERP005612. Community metagenomics revealed total 1802 species belonged to 43 different phyla with dominating Marinobacter (48.7%) and Halobacterium (4.6%) genus in bacterial and archaeal domain respectively. Remarkably, 18.2% sequences in a poorly characterized group and 4% gene for various stress responses along with versatile presence of commercial enzyme were evident in a functional metagenome analysis.

Dopamine Innervation in the Thalamus: Monkey versus Rat

PubMed Central

García-Cabezas, Miguel Ángel; Martínez-Sánchez, Patricia; Sánchez-González, Miguel Ángel; Garzón, Miguel

2009-01-01

We recently identified the thalamic dopaminergic system in the human and macaque monkey brains, and, based on earlier reports on the paucity of dopamine in the rat thalamus, hypothesized that this dopaminergic system was particularly developed in primates. Here we test this hypothesis using immunohistochemistry against the dopamine transporter (DAT) in adult macaque and rat brains. The extent and density of DAT-immunoreactive (-ir) axons were remarkably greater in the macaque dorsal thalamus, where the mediodorsal association nucleus and the ventral motor nuclei held the densest immunolabeling. In contrast, sparse DAT immunolabeling was present in the rat dorsal thalamus; it was mainly located in the mediodorsal, paraventricular, ventral medial, and ventral lateral nuclei. The reticular nucleus, zona incerta, and lateral habenular nucleus held numerous DAT-ir axons in both species. Ultrastructural analysis in the macaque mediodorsal nucleus revealed that thalamic interneurons are a main postsynaptic target of DAT-ir axons; this suggests that the marked expansion of the dopamine innervation in the primate in comparison to the rodent thalamus may be related to the presence of a sizable interneuron population in primates. We remark that it is important to be aware of brain species differences when using animal models of human brain disease. PMID:18550594

A robust neuromuscular system protects rat and human skeletal muscle from sarcopenia.

PubMed

Pannérec, Alice; Springer, Margherita; Migliavacca, Eugenia; Ireland, Alex; Piasecki, Mathew; Karaz, Sonia; Jacot, Guillaume; Métairon, Sylviane; Danenberg, Esther; Raymond, Frédéric; Descombes, Patrick; McPhee, Jamie S; Feige, Jerome N

2016-04-01

Declining muscle mass and function is one of the main drivers of loss of independence in the elderly. Sarcopenia is associated with numerous cellular and endocrine perturbations, and it remains challenging to identify those changes that play a causal role and could serve as targets for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we uncovered a remarkable differential susceptibility of certain muscles to age-related decline. Aging rats specifically lose muscle mass and function in the hindlimbs, but not in the forelimbs. By performing a comprehensive comparative analysis of these muscles, we demonstrate that regional susceptibility to sarcopenia is dependent on neuromuscular junction fragmentation, loss of motoneuron innervation, and reduced excitability. Remarkably, muscle loss in elderly humans also differs in vastus lateralis and tibialis anterior muscles in direct relation to neuromuscular dysfunction. By comparing gene expression in susceptible and non-susceptible muscles, we identified a specific transcriptomic signature of neuromuscular impairment. Importantly, differential molecular profiling of the associated peripheral nerves revealed fundamental changes in cholesterol biosynthetic pathways. Altogether our results provide compelling evidence that susceptibility to sarcopenia is tightly linked to neuromuscular decline in rats and humans, and identify dysregulation of sterol metabolism in the peripheral nervous system as an early event in this process.

Let's not, and say we would: imagined and actual responses to witnessing homophobia.

PubMed

Crosby, Jennifer Randall; Wilson, Johannes

2015-01-01

We compared imagined versus actual affective and behavioral responses to witnessing a homophobic slur. Participants (N = 72) witnessed a confederate using a homophobic slur, imagined the same scenario, or were not exposed to the slur. Those who imagined hearing the slur reported significantly higher levels of negative affect than those who actually witnessed the slur, and nearly one half of them reported that they would confront the slur, whereas no participants who actually heard the slur confronted it. These findings reveal a discrepancy between imagined and real responses to homophobic remarks, and they have implications for the likelihood that heterosexuals will actually confront homophobic remarks.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Xingguo red carp (Cyprinus carpio var. singuonensis) and purse red carp (Cyprinus carpio var. wuyuanensis).

PubMed

Hu, Guang-Fu; Liu, Xiang-Jiang; Li, Zhong; Liang, Hong-Wei; Hu, Shao-Na; Zou, Gui-Wei

2016-01-01

The complete mitochondrial genomes of Xingguo red carp (Cyprinus carpio var. singuonensis) and purse red carp (Cyprinus carpio var. wuyuanensis) were sequenced. Comparison of these two mitochondrial genomes revealed that the mtDNAs of these two common carp varieties were remarkably similar in genome length, gene order and content, and AT content. However, size variation between these two mitochondrial genomes presented here showed 39 site differences in overall length. About 2 site differences were located in rRNAs, 3 in tRNAs, 3 in the control region, 31 in protein-coding genes. Thirty-one variable bases in the protein-coding regions between the two varieties mitochondrial sequences led to three variable amino acids, which were mainly located in the protein ND5 and ND4.

Light microscopic detection of sugar residues in glycoconjugates of salivary glands and the pancreas with lectin-horseradish peroxidase conjugates. I. Mouse.

PubMed

Schulte, B A; Spicer, S S

1983-12-01

Mouse salivary glands and pancreases were stained with a battery of ten horseradish peroxidase-conjugated lectins. Lectin staining revealed striking differences in the structure of oligosaccharides of stored intracellular secretory glycoproteins and glycoconjugates associated with the surface of epithelial cells lining excretory ducts. The percentage of acinar cells containing terminal alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine residues varied greatly in submandibular glands of 30 male mice, but all submandibular acinar cells contained oligosaccharides with terminal sialic acid and penultimate beta-galactose residues. The last named dimer was abundant in secretory glycoprotein of all mucous acinar cells in murine sublingual glands and an additional 20-50% of these cells in all glands contained terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues. In contrast, terminal alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine was abundant in sublingual serous demilune secretions. Serous acinar cells in the exorbital lacrimal gland, posterior lingual gland, parotid gland and pancreas exhibited a staining pattern unique to each organ. In contrast, the apical cytoplasm and surface of striated duct epithelial cells in the submandibular, sublingual, parotid and exorbital lacrimal gland stained similarly. A comparison of staining with conjugated lectins reported biochemically to have very similar carbohydrate binding specificity has revealed some remarkable differences in their reactivity, suggesting different binding specificity for the same terminal sugars having different glycosidic linkages or with different penultimate sugar residues.

Analysis of the Transcriptional Differences between Indigenous and Invasive Whiteflies Reveals Possible Mechanisms of Whitefly Invasion

PubMed Central

Wang, Yong-Liang; Wang, Yu-Jun; Luan, Jun-Bo; Yan, Gen-Hong; Liu, Shu-Sheng; Wang, Xiao-Wei

2013-01-01

Background The whitefly Bemisa tabaci is a species complex of more than 31 cryptic species which include some of the most destructive invasive pests of crops worldwide. Among them, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean have invaded many countries and displaced the native whitefly species. The successful invasion of the two species is largely due to their wide range of host plants, high resistance to insecticides and remarkable tolerance to environmental stresses. However, the molecular differences between invasive and indigenous whiteflies remain largely unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings Here the global transcriptional difference between the two invasive whitefly species (MEAM1, MED) and one indigenous whitefly species (Asia II 3) were analyzed using the Illumina sequencing. Our analysis indicated that 2,422 genes between MEAM1 and MED; 3,073 genes between MEAM1 and Asia II 3; and 3,644 genes between MED and Asia II 3 were differentially expressed. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the differently expressed genes between the invasive and indigenous whiteflies were significantly enriched in the term of ‘oxidoreductase activity’. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that carbohydrate, amino acid and glycerolipid metabolisms were more active in MEAM1 and MED than in Asia II 3, which may contribute to their differences in biological characteristics. Our analysis also illustrated that the majority of genes involved in ‘drug metabolic pathway’ were expressed at a higher level in MEAM1 and MED than in Asia II 3. Taken together, these results revealed that the genes related to basic metabolism and detoxification were expressed at an elevated level in the invasive whiteflies, which might be responsible for their higher resistance to insecticides and environmental stresses. Conclusions/Significance The extensive comparison of MEAM1, MED and Asia II 3 gene expression may serve as an invaluable resource for revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying their biological differences and the whitefly invasion. PMID:23667457

Structural and quantum chemical analysis of exciton coupling in homo- and heteroaggregate stacks of merocyanines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, David; Zitzler-Kunkel, André; Kirchner, Eva; Schmidt, David; Würthner, Frank

2016-09-01

Exciton coupling is of fundamental importance and determines functional properties of organic dyes in (opto-)electronic and photovoltaic devices. Here we show that strong exciton coupling is not limited to the situation of equal chromophores as often assumed. Quadruple dye stacks were obtained from two bis(merocyanine) dyes with same or different chromophores, respectively, which dimerize in less-polar solvents resulting in the respective homo- and heteroaggregates. The structures of the quadruple dye stacks were assigned by NMR techniques and unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The heteroaggregate stack formed from the bis(merocyanine) bearing two different chromophores exhibits remarkably different ultraviolet/vis absorption bands compared with those of the homoaggregate of the bis(merocyanine) comprising two identical chromophores. Quantum chemical analysis based on an extension of Kasha's exciton theory appropriately describes the absorption properties of both types of stacks revealing strong exciton coupling also between different chromophores within the heteroaggregate.

Pyrosequencing reveals highly diverse and species-specific microbial communities in sponges from the Red Sea

PubMed Central

Lee, On On; Wang, Yong; Yang, Jiangke; Lafi, Feras F; Al-Suwailem, Abdulaziz; Qian, Pei-Yuan

2011-01-01

Marine sponges are associated with a remarkable array of microorganisms. Using a tag pyrosequencing technology, this study was the first to investigate in depth the microbial communities associated with three Red Sea sponges, Hyrtios erectus, Stylissa carteri and Xestospongia testudinaria. We revealed highly diverse sponge-associated bacterial communities with up to 1000 microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and richness estimates of up to 2000 species. Altogether, 26 bacterial phyla were detected from the Red Sea sponges, 11 of which were absent from the surrounding sea water and 4 were recorded in sponges for the first time. Up to 100 OTUs with richness estimates of up to 300 archaeal species were revealed from a single sponge species. This is by far the highest archaeal diversity ever recorded for sponges. A non-negligible proportion of unclassified reads was observed in sponges. Our results demonstrated that the sponge-associated microbial communities remained highly consistent in the same sponge species from different locations, although they varied at different degrees among different sponge species. A significant proportion of the tag sequences from the sponges could be assigned to one of the sponge-specific clusters previously defined. In addition, the sponge-associated microbial communities were consistently divergent from those present in the surrounding sea water. Our results suggest that the Red Sea sponges possess highly sponge-specific or even sponge-species-specific microbial communities that are resistant to environmental disturbance, and much of their microbial diversity remains to be explored. PMID:21085196

Electrocatalysis using transition metal carbide and oxide nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regmi, Yagya N.

Carbides are one of the several families of transition metal compounds that are considered economic alternatives to catalysts based on noble metals and their compounds. Phase pure transition metal carbides of group 4-6 metals, in the first three periods, were synthesized using a common eutectic salt flux synthesis method, and their electrocatalytic activities compared under uniform electrochemical conditions. Mo2C showed highest hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities among the nine metal carbides investigated, but all other metal carbides also showed substantial activities. All the metal carbides showed remarkable enhancement in catalytic activities as supports, when compared to traditional graphitic carbon as platinum support. Mo2C, the most active transition metal carbide electrocatalyst, was prepared using four different synthesis routes, and the synthesis route dependent activities compared. Bifunctional Mo 2C that is HER as well as oxygen evolution reaction (OER) active, was achieved when the carbide was templated on a multiwalled carbon nanotube using carbothermic reduction method. Bimetallic carbides of Fe, Co, and Ni with Mo or W were prepared using a common carbothermic reduction method. Two different stoichiometries of bimetallic carbides were obtained for each system within a 60 °C temperature window. While the bimetallic carbides showed relatively lower electrocatalytic activities towards HER and ORR in comparison to Mo2C and WC, they revealed remarkably higher OER activities than IrO2 and RuO2, the state-of-the-art OER catalysts. Bimetallic oxides of Fe, Co, and Ni with Mo and W were also prepared using a hydrothermal synthesis method and they also revealed OER activities that are much higher than RuO2 and IrO2. Additionally, the OER activities were dependent on the degree and nature of hydration in the bimetallic oxide crystal lattice, with the completely hydrated, as synthesized, cobalt molybdate and nickel molybdate showing the highest OER activities.

Remarkable Variation in the Informativeness of RFLP Markers Linked to Hemophilia B Locus in Indian Population Groups: Implication in the Strategy for Carrier Detection

PubMed Central

Mukherjee, S.; Saha, A.; Kumar P., Senthil; Chandak, G. R.; Majumder, P. P.; Ray, K.

2006-01-01

Hemophilia B, an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder, is caused by heterogeneous mutations in the factor IX (F9) gene. Hence, carriers of the disease are usually detected by F9 gene linked RFLP analysis. We aimed to test a set of RFLP markers (DdeI, XmnI, MnlI, TaqI & HhaI), used worldwide for carrier detection, to estimate its heterozygosity in different population groups of India, and identify additional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) if necessary. A total of 8 population groups encompassing different regions of India, consisting of 107 unrelated normal females without any history of hemophilia B in the family and 13 unrelated obligate carriers were recruited in the study. Regions of F9 gene were amplified by PCR from genomic DNA of the donors followed by restriction enzyme digestion and/or sequencing as appropriate. Combined informativeness for the markers varied between 52–86% among normal females belonging to different geographical locations of India. Haplotype analysis revealed that the most prevalent haplotype lacked the restriction sites for all five RFLP markers. Screening regions of F9 gene that harbor 10 SNPs reported in dbSNP yielded only two SNPs, which increased the overall informativeness in each population group and heterozygosity in the obligate carriers for the disease from 38% to 69%. Our data show that heterozygosity of commonly used RFLP markers is remarkably variable across different regions of India. Thus prudent selection of the markers based on specific population groups including usage of additional markers is recommended for efficient carrier detection. PMID:17264403

Musical genre-dependent behavioural and EEG signatures of action planning. A comparison between classical and jazz pianists.

PubMed

Bianco, R; Novembre, G; Keller, P E; Villringer, A; Sammler, D

2018-04-01

It is well established that musical training induces sensorimotor plasticity. However, there are remarkable differences in how musicians train for proficient stage performance. The present EEG study outlines for the first time clear-cut neurobiological differences between classical and jazz musicians at high and low levels of action planning, revealing genre-specific cognitive strategies adopted in production. Pianists imitated chord progressions without sound that were manipulated in terms of harmony and context length to assess high-level planning of sequence-structure, and in terms of the manner of playing to assess low-level parameter specification of single acts. Jazz pianists revised incongruent harmonies faster as revealed by an earlier reprogramming negativity and beta power decrease, hence neutralising response costs, albeit at the expense of a higher number of manner errors. Classical pianists in turn experienced more conflict during incongruent harmony, as shown by theta power increase, but were more ready to implement the required manner of playing, as indicated by higher accuracy and beta power decrease. These findings demonstrate that specific demands and action focus of training lead to differential weighting of hierarchical action planning. This suggests different enduring markers impressed in the brain when a musician practices one or the other style. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative Analysis of Repetitive DNA between the Main Vectors of Chagas Disease: Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus.

PubMed

Pita, Sebastián; Mora, Pablo; Vela, Jesús; Palomeque, Teresa; Sánchez, Antonio; Panzera, Francisco; Lorite, Pedro

2018-04-24

Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis affects six to seven million people worldwide, mostly in Latin America. This disease is transmitted by hematophagous insects known as "kissing bugs" (Hemiptera, Triatominae), with Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus being the two most important vector species. Despite the fact that both species present the same diploid chromosome number (2 n = 22), they have remarkable differences in their total DNA content, chromosome structure and genome organization. Variations in the DNA genome size are expected to be due to differences in the amount of repetitive DNA sequences. The T. infestans genome-wide analysis revealed the existence of 42 satellite DNA families. BLAST searches of these sequences against the R. prolixus genome assembly revealed that only four of these satellite DNA families are shared between both species, suggesting a great differentiation between the Triatoma and Rhodnius genomes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) location of these repetitive DNAs in both species showed that they are dispersed on the euchromatic regions of all autosomes and the X chromosome. Regarding the Y chromosome, these common satellite DNAs are absent in T. infestans but they are present in the R. prolixus Y chromosome. These results support a different origin and/or evolution in the Y chromosome of both species.

Secretomic survey of Trichoderma harzianum grown on plant biomass substrates.

PubMed

Gómez-Mendoza, Diana Paola; Junqueira, Magno; do Vale, Luis Henrique Ferreira; Domont, Gilberto Barbosa; Ferreira Filho, Edivaldo Ximenes; Sousa, Marcelo Valle de; Ricart, Carlos André Ornelas

2014-04-04

The present work aims at characterizing T. harzianum secretome when the fungus is grown in synthetic medium supplemented with one of the four substrates: glucose, cellulose, xylan, and sugarcane bagasse (SB). The characterization was done by enzymatic assays and proteomic analysis using 2-DE/MALDI-TOF and gel-free shotgun LC-MS/MS. The results showed that SB induced the highest cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities when compared with the other substrates, while remarkable differences in terms of number and distribution of protein spots in 2-DE gels were also observed among the samples. Additionally, treatment of the secretomes with PNGase F revealed that most spot trails in 2-DE gels corresponded to N-glycosylated proteoforms. The LC-MS/MS analysis of the samples identified 626 different protein groups, including carbohydrate-active enzymes and accessory, noncatalytic, and cell-wall-associated proteins. Although the SB-induced secretome displayed the highest cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities, it did not correspond to a higher proteome complexity because CM-cellulose-induced secretome was significantly more diverse. Among the identified proteins, 73% were exclusive to one condition, while only 5% were present in all samples. Therefore, this study disclosed the variation of T. harzianum secretome in response to different substrates and revealed the diversity of the fungus enzymatic toolbox.

Silk protein aggregation kinetics revealed by Rheo-IR.

PubMed

Boulet-Audet, Maxime; Terry, Ann E; Vollrath, Fritz; Holland, Chris

2014-02-01

The remarkable mechanical properties of silk fibres stem from a multi-scale hierarchical structure created when an aqueous protein "melt" is converted to an insoluble solid via flow. To directly relate a silk protein's structure and function in response to flow, we present the first application of a Rheo-IR platform, which couples cone and plate rheology with attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy. This technique provides a new window into silk processing by linking shear thinning to an increase in molecular alignment, with shear thickening affecting changes in the silk protein's secondary structure. Additionally, compared to other static characterization methods for silk, Rheo-IR proved particularly useful at revealing the intrinsic difference between natural (native) and reconstituted silk feedstocks. Hence Rheo-IR offers important novel insights into natural silk processing. This has intrinsic academic merit, but it might also be useful when designing reconstituted silk analogues alongside other polymeric systems, whether natural or synthetic. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-Molecule Imaging of an in Vitro-Evolved RNA Aptamer Reveals Homogeneous Ligand Binding Kinetics

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Many studies of RNA folding and catalysis have revealed conformational heterogeneity, metastable folding intermediates, and long-lived states with distinct catalytic activities. We have developed a single-molecule imaging approach for investigating the functional heterogeneity of in vitro-evolved RNA aptamers. Monitoring the association of fluorescently labeled ligands with individual RNA aptamer molecules has allowed us to record binding events over the course of multiple days, thus providing sufficient statistics to quantitatively define the kinetic properties at the single-molecule level. The ligand binding kinetics of the highly optimized RNA aptamer studied here displays a remarkable degree of uniformity and lack of memory. Such homogeneous behavior is quite different from the heterogeneity seen in previous single-molecule studies of naturally derived RNA and protein enzymes. The single-molecule methods we describe may be of use in analyzing the distribution of functional molecules in heterogeneous evolving populations or even in unselected samples of random sequences. PMID:19572753

Perceived climate in physical activity settings.

PubMed

Gill, Diane L; Morrow, Ronald G; Collins, Karen E; Lucey, Allison B; Schultz, Allison M

2010-01-01

This study focused on the perceived climate for LGBT youth and other minority groups in physical activity settings. A large sample of undergraduates and a selected sample including student teachers/interns and a campus Pride group completed a school climate survey and rated the climate in three physical activity settings (physical education, organized sport, exercise). Overall, school climate survey results paralleled the results with national samples revealing high levels of homophobic remarks and low levels of intervention. Physical activity climate ratings were mid-range, but multivariate analysis of variation test (MANOVA) revealed clear differences with all settings rated more inclusive for racial/ethnic minorities and most exclusive for gays/lesbians and people with disabilities. The results are in line with national surveys and research suggesting sexual orientation and physical characteristics are often the basis for harassment and exclusion in sport and physical activity. The current results also indicate that future physical activity professionals recognize exclusion, suggesting they could benefit from programs that move beyond awareness to skills and strategies for creating more inclusive programs.

A multi-scale analysis of bull sperm methylome revealed both species peculiarities and conserved tissue-specific features.

PubMed

Perrier, Jean-Philippe; Sellem, Eli; Prézelin, Audrey; Gasselin, Maxime; Jouneau, Luc; Piumi, François; Al Adhami, Hala; Weber, Michaël; Fritz, Sébastien; Boichard, Didier; Le Danvic, Chrystelle; Schibler, Laurent; Jammes, Hélène; Kiefer, Hélène

2018-05-29

Spermatozoa have a remarkable epigenome in line with their degree of specialization, their unique nature and different requirements for successful fertilization. Accordingly, perturbations in the establishment of DNA methylation patterns during male germ cell differentiation have been associated with infertility in several species. While bull semen is widely used in artificial insemination, the literature describing DNA methylation in bull spermatozoa is still scarce. The purpose of this study was therefore to characterize the bull sperm methylome relative to both bovine somatic cells and the sperm of other mammals through a multiscale analysis. The quantification of DNA methylation at CCGG sites using luminometric methylation assay (LUMA) highlighted the undermethylation of bull sperm compared to the sperm of rams, stallions, mice, goats and men. Total blood cells displayed a similarly high level of methylation in bulls and rams, suggesting that undermethylation of the bovine genome was specific to sperm. Annotation of CCGG sites in different species revealed no striking bias in the distribution of genome features targeted by LUMA that could explain undermethylation of bull sperm. To map DNA methylation at a genome-wide scale, bull sperm was compared with bovine liver, fibroblasts and monocytes using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and immunoprecipitation of methylated DNA followed by microarray hybridization (MeDIP-chip). These two methods exhibited differences in terms of genome coverage, and consistently, two independent sets of sequences differentially methylated in sperm and somatic cells were identified for RRBS and MeDIP-chip. Remarkably, in the two sets most of the differentially methylated sequences were hypomethylated in sperm. In agreement with previous studies in other species, the sequences that were specifically hypomethylated in bull sperm targeted processes relevant to the germline differentiation program (piRNA metabolism, meiosis, spermatogenesis) and sperm functions (cell adhesion, fertilization), as well as satellites and rDNA repeats. These results highlight the undermethylation of bull spermatozoa when compared with both bovine somatic cells and the sperm of other mammals, and raise questions regarding the dynamics of DNA methylation in bovine male germline. Whether sperm undermethylation has potential interactions with structural variation in the cattle genome may deserve further attention.

Ten (Usually Wrong) Ideas about ELLs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottschalk, Barbara

2016-01-01

ESOL teacher Barbara Gottshalk frequently hears well-intentioned but misinformed comments and questions about English language learners and her teaching field. In this article, she clarifies the misconceptions revealed by 10 common remarks--for example, "The students will never learn English if they don't speak it in their home,"…

Trees for Ohio

Treesearch

Ernest J. Gebhart

1980-01-01

Other members of this panel are going to reveal the basic statistics about the coal strip mining industry in Ohio so I will confine my remarks to the revegetation of the spoil banks. So it doesn't appear that Ohio confined its tree planting efforts to spoil banks alone, I will rely on a few statistics.

Survival of Bacillus thuringiensis strains in gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larvae is correlated with production of urease

Treesearch

Phyllis A.W. Martin; Robert R. Jr. Farrar; Michael B. Blackburn

2011-01-01

We tested 50 lepidopteran-toxic Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) strains with diverse phenotypes for the ability to survive repeated passages through larvae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), without intervening growth on artificial media. These experiments have revealed a remarkable correlation...

Women, Education and Work in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anugwom, Edlyne E.

2009-01-01

This paper examines the implication of the growing educational opportunities for women in Nigeria. Although bias has existed from the traditional Nigerian society against women, recent events especially in education reveal a conquering of this deep-rooted prejudice. Enrollment figures particularly in the last ten years show a remarkable bridging…

Year-round metagenomes reveal remarkably stable microbial communities in agricultural soils and novel ammonia oxidizers responding to fertilization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Insight to what underlies the seasonal dynamics of indigenous soil microbial communities in agricultural soils, especially after major activities such as nitrogen fertilization, remain elusive. More detailed understanding of population dynamics will have important implications for modeling efforts a...

Multiple Sex-Associated Regions and a Putative Sex Chromosome in Zebrafish Revealed by RAD Mapping and Population Genomics

PubMed Central

Anderson, Jennifer L.; Rodríguez Marí, Adriana; Braasch, Ingo; Amores, Angel; Hohenlohe, Paul; Batzel, Peter; Postlethwait, John H.

2012-01-01

Within vertebrates, major sex determining genes can differ among taxa and even within species. In zebrafish (Danio rerio), neither heteromorphic sex chromosomes nor single sex determination genes of large effect, like Sry in mammals, have yet been identified. Furthermore, environmental factors can influence zebrafish sex determination. Although progress has been made in understanding zebrafish gonad differentiation (e.g. the influence of germ cells on gonad fate), the primary genetic basis of zebrafish sex determination remains poorly understood. To identify genetic loci associated with sex, we analyzed F2 offspring of reciprocal crosses between Oregon *AB and Nadia (NA) wild-type zebrafish stocks. Genome-wide linkage analysis, using more than 5,000 sequence-based polymorphic restriction site associated (RAD-tag) markers and population genomic analysis of more than 30,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in our *ABxNA crosses revealed a sex-associated locus on the end of the long arm of chr-4 for both cross families, and an additional locus in the middle of chr-3 in one cross family. Additional sequencing showed that two SNPs in dmrt1 previously suggested to be functional candidates for sex determination in a cross of ABxIndia wild-type zebrafish, are not associated with sex in our AB fish. Our data show that sex determination in zebrafish is polygenic and that different genes may influence sex determination in different strains or that different genes become more important under different environmental conditions. The association of the end of chr-4 with sex is remarkable because, unique in the karyotype, this chromosome arm shares features with known sex chromosomes: it is highly heterochromatic, repetitive, late replicating, and has reduced recombination. Our results reveal that chr-4 has functional and structural properties expected of a sex chromosome. PMID:22792396

Video- Demonstration of Tea and Sugar in Water Onboard the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Saturday Morning Science, the science of opportunity series of applied experiments and demonstrations, performed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by Expedition 6 astronaut Dr. Don Pettit, revealed some remarkable findings. Imagine what would happen if a collection of loosely attractive particles were confined in a relatively small region in the floating environment of space. Would they self organize into a compact structure, loosely organize into a fractal, or just continue to float around in their container? In this video clip, Dr. Pettit explored the possibilities. At one point he remarks, 'These things look like pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope.' Watch the video and see what happens!

Convergence, recurrence and diversification of complex sperm traits in diving beetles (Dytiscidae)

PubMed Central

Higginson, Dawn M.; Miller, Kelly B.; Segraves, Kari A.; Pitnick, Scott

2013-01-01

Sperm display remarkable morphological diversity among even closely related species, a pattern that is widely attributed to postcopulatory sexual selection. Surprisingly few studies have used phylogenetic analyses to discern the details of evolutionary diversification in ornaments and armaments subject to sexual selection, and the origins of novel sperm traits and their subsequent modification are particularly poorly understood. Here we investigate sperm evolution in diving beetles (Dytiscidae), revealing dramatic diversification in flagellum length, head shape, presence of sperm heteromorphism, and the presence/type of sperm conjugation, an unusual trait where two or more sperm unite for motility or transport. Sperm conjugation was found to be the ancestral condition in diving beetles, with subsequent diversification into three forms, each exhibiting varying degrees of evolutionary loss, convergence and recurrence. Sperm head shape, but not length or heteromorphism, was found to evolve in a significantly correlated manner with conjugation, consistent with the different mechanisms of head alignment and binding required for the different forms of conjugation. Our study reveals that sperm morphological evolution is channeled along particular evolutionary pathways (i.e., conjugate form), yet subject to considerable diversification within those pathways through modification in sperm length, head shape and heteromorphism. PMID:22519797

Formation and Properties of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Different Glasses.

PubMed

Gräf, Stephan; Kunz, Clemens; Müller, Frank A

2017-08-10

The formation and properties of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) was investigated on different technically relevant glasses including fused silica, borosilicate glass, and soda-lime-silicate glass under irradiation of fs-laser pulses characterized by a pulse duration τ = 300 fs and a laser wavelength λ = 1025 nm. For this purpose, LIPSS were fabricated in an air environment at normal incidence with different laser peak fluence, pulse number, and repetition frequency. The generated structures were characterized by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam preparation and Fast-Fourier transformation. The results reveal the formation of LIPSS on all investigated glasses. LIPSS formation on soda-lime-silicate glass is determined by remarkable melt-formation as an intra-pulse effect. Differences between the different glasses concerning the appearing structures, their spatial period and their morphology were discussed based on the non-linear absorption behavior and the temperature-dependent viscosity. The findings facilitate the fabrication of tailored LIPSS-based surface structures on different technically relevant glasses that could be of particular interest for various applications.

Formation and Properties of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures on Different Glasses

PubMed Central

Kunz, Clemens; Müller, Frank A.

2017-01-01

The formation and properties of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) was investigated on different technically relevant glasses including fused silica, borosilicate glass, and soda-lime-silicate glass under irradiation of fs-laser pulses characterized by a pulse duration τ = 300 fs and a laser wavelength λ = 1025 nm. For this purpose, LIPSS were fabricated in an air environment at normal incidence with different laser peak fluence, pulse number, and repetition frequency. The generated structures were characterized by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam preparation and Fast-Fourier transformation. The results reveal the formation of LIPSS on all investigated glasses. LIPSS formation on soda-lime-silicate glass is determined by remarkable melt-formation as an intra-pulse effect. Differences between the different glasses concerning the appearing structures, their spatial period and their morphology were discussed based on the non-linear absorption behavior and the temperature-dependent viscosity. The findings facilitate the fabrication of tailored LIPSS-based surface structures on different technically relevant glasses that could be of particular interest for various applications. PMID:28796180

Quantitative comparison of structure and dynamics of elastin following three isolation schemes by 13C solid state NMR and MALDI mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Papaioannou, A; Louis, M; Dhital, B; Ho, H P; Chang, E J; Boutis, G S

2015-05-01

Methods for isolating elastin from fat, collagen, and muscle, commonly used in the design of artificial elastin based biomaterials, rely on exposing tissue to harsh pH levels and temperatures that usually denature many proteins. At present, a quantitative measurement of the modifications to elastin following isolation from other extracellular matrix constituents has not been reported. Using magic angle spinning (13)C NMR spectroscopy and relaxation methodologies, we have measured the modification in structure and dynamics following three known purification protocols. Our experimental data reveal that the (13)C spectra of the hydrated samples appear remarkably similar across the various purification methods. Subtle differences in the half maximum widths were observed in the backbone carbonyl suggesting possible structural heterogeneity across the different methods of purification. Additionally, small differences in the relative signal intensities were observed between purified samples. Lyophilizing the samples results in a reduction of backbone motion and reveals additional differences across the purification methods studied. These differences were most notable in the alanine motifs indicating possible changes in cross-linking or structural rigidity. The measured correlation times of glycine and proline moieties are observed to also vary considerably across the different purification methods, which may be related to peptide bond cleavage. Lastly, the relative concentration of desmosine cross-links in the samples quantified by MALDI mass spectrometry is reported. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in Cecal Microbiota and Mucosal Gene Expression Revealed New Aspects of Epizootic Rabbit Enteropathy

PubMed Central

Zúñiga, Manuel; Blas, Enrique; Pérez Martínez, Gaspar

2014-01-01

Epizootic Rabbit Enteropathy (ERE) is a severe disease of unknown aetiology that mainly affects post-weaning animals. Its incidence can be prevented by antibiotic treatment suggesting that bacterial elements are crucial for the development of the disease. Microbial dynamics and host responses during the disease were studied. Cecal microbiota was characterized in three rabbit groups (ERE-affected, healthy and healthy pretreated with antibiotics), followed by transcriptional analysis of cytokines and mucins in the cecal mucosa and vermix by q-rtPCR. In healthy animals, cecal microbiota with or without antibiotic pretreatment was very similar and dominated by Alistipes and Ruminococcus. Proportions of both genera decreased in ERE rabbits whereas Bacteroides, Akkermansia and Rikenella increased, as well as Clostridium, γ-Proteobacteria and other opportunistic and pathogenic species. The ERE group displayed remarkable dysbiosis and reduced taxonomic diversity. Transcription rate of mucins and inflammatory cytokines was very high in ERE rabbits, except IL-2, and its analysis revealed the existence of two clearly different gene expression patterns corresponding to Inflammatory and (mucin) Secretory Profiles. Furthermore, these profiles were associated to different bacterial species, suggesting that they may correspond to different stages of the disease. Other data obtained in this work reinforced the notion that ERE morbidity and mortality is possibly caused by an overgrowth of different pathogens in the gut of animals whose immune defence mechanisms seem not to be adequately responding. PMID:25147938

More lessons from linalool: insights gained from a ubiquitous floral volatile.

PubMed

Raguso, Robert A

2016-08-01

Linalool (3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol) is a common floral volatile with two distinct enantiomers and related metabolites involved in the full spectrum of plant-pollinator interactions. Recent studies reveal a complex interplay between pollinator attraction and plant defense mediated by linalool and its derivatives, from the smallest (Arabidopsis, Mitella) to the largest (Datura) flowers studied. Accordingly, fig wasps, fungus gnats and moths of all sizes show remarkable electrophysiological, neural and behavioral sensitivity to different enantiomers and quantitative ratios of linalool in floral bouquets. The diverse functions of linalool, ranging from toxin to long distance pollinator attractant are discussed in the broader context of floral volatile ecology and evolution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Grasping the nettle: A bacterial invasin that targets immunoglobulin variable domains.

PubMed

Barlow, Paul

2018-06-01

In a new paper, the protein InvD from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis , a zoonotic pathogen, is shown to assist late-stage invasion of intestinal epithelia. Remarkably, InvD acts by binding the Fab region of IgG or IgA. It straddles adjacent light-chain and heavy-chain variable domains, but its binding is different from that of antigens in that complementarity-determining regions do not participate. Structure determination revealed that its Fab-interacting domain adopts an immunoglobulin-like fold, fused to the preceding immunoglobulin-like domain and carried on a long stalk anchored to the bacterial outer membrane. Possible roles of this unusual host-pathogen interaction include avoidance of clearance from the intestine by secretory IgA. © 2018 Barlow.

Crystal structure of p44, a constitutively active splice variant of visual arrestin.

PubMed

Granzin, Joachim; Cousin, Anneliese; Weirauch, Moritz; Schlesinger, Ramona; Büldt, Georg; Batra-Safferling, Renu

2012-03-09

Visual arrestin specifically binds to photoactivated and phosphorylated rhodopsin and inactivates phototransduction. In contrast, the p44 splice variant can terminate phototransduction by binding to nonphosphorylated light-activated rhodopsin. Here we report the crystal structure of bovine p44 at a resolution of 1.85 Å. Compared to native arrestin, the p44 structure reveals significant differences in regions crucial for receptor binding, namely flexible loop V-VI and polar core regions. Additionally, electrostatic potential is remarkably positive on the N-domain and the C-domain. The p44 structure represents an active conformation that serves as a model to explain the 'constitutive activity' found in arrestin variants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spin fluctuation induced linear magnetoresistance in ultrathin superconducting FeSe films

DOE PAGES

Wang, Qingyan; Zhang, Wenhao; Chen, Weiwei; ...

2017-07-21

The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in FeSe/STO has trigged great research interest to reveal a range of exotic physical phenomena in this novel material. Here we present a temperature dependent magnetotransport measurement for ultrathin FeSe/STO films with different thickness and protection layers. Remarkably, a surprising linear magnetoresistance (LMR) is observed around the superconducting transition temperatures but absent otherwise. The experimental LMR can be reproduced by magnetotransport calculations based on a model of magnetic field dependent disorder induced by spin fluctuation. Thus, the observed LMR in coexistence with superconductivity provides the first magnetotransport signature for spin fluctuation around the superconducting transitionmore » region in ultrathin FeSe/STO films.« less

New Insights into the Diverse Electronic Phases of a Novel Vanadium Dioxide Polymorph: A Terahertz Spectroscopy Study

PubMed Central

Lourembam, James; Srivastava, Amar; La-o-vorakiat, Chan; Rotella, H.; Venkatesan, T.; Chia, Elbert E. M.

2015-01-01

A remarkable feature of vanadium dioxide is that it can be synthesized in a number of polymorphs. The conductivity mechanism in the metastable layered polymorph VO2(B) thin films has been investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). In VO2(B), a critical temperature of 240 K marks the appearance of a non-zero Drude term in the observed complex conductivity, indicating the evolution from a pure insulating state towards a metallic state. In contrast, the THz conductivity of the well-known VO2(M1) is well fitted only by a modification of the Drude model to include backscattering. We also identified two different THz conductivity regimes separated by temperature in these two polymorphs. The electronic phase diagram is constructed, revealing that the width and onset of the metal-insulator transition in the B phase develop differently from the M1 phase. PMID:25777320

Origin of tension-compression asymmetry in ultrafine-grained fcc metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuru, T.

2017-08-01

A mechanism of anomalous tension-compression (T-C) asymmetry in ultrafine-grained (UFG) metals is proposed using large-scale atomistic simulations and dislocation theory. Unlike coarse-grained metals, UFG Al exhibits remarkable T-C asymmetry of the yield stress. The atomistic simulations reveal that the yield event is not related to intragranular dislocations but caused by dislocation nucleation from the grain boundaries (GBs). The dislocation core structure associated with the stacking fault energy in Al is strongly affected by the external stress compared with Cu; specifically, high tensile stress stabilizes the dissociation into partial dislocations. These dislocations are more likely to be nucleated from GBs and form deformation twins from an energetic viewpoint. The mechanism, which is different from well-known mechanisms for nanocrystalline and amorphous metals, is unique to high-strength UFG metals and can explain the difference in T-C asymmetry between UFG Cu and Al.

Continuous-variable quantum teleportation with non-Gaussian resources

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

Dell'Anno, F.; Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita degli Studi di Salerno, Via S. Allende, I-84081 Baronissi; CNR-INFM Coherentia, Napoli, Italy and CNISM Unita di Salerno and INFN Sezione di Napoli, Gruppo Collegato di Salerno, Baronissi

2007-08-15

We investigate continuous variable quantum teleportation using non-Gaussian states of the radiation field as entangled resources. We compare the performance of different classes of degaussified resources, including two-mode photon-added and two-mode photon-subtracted squeezed states. We then introduce a class of two-mode squeezed Bell-like states with one-parameter dependence for optimization. These states interpolate between and include as subcases different classes of degaussified resources. We show that optimized squeezed Bell-like resources yield a remarkable improvement in the fidelity of teleportation both for coherent and nonclassical input states. The investigation reveals that the optimal non-Gaussian resources for continuous variable teleportation are those thatmore » most closely realize the simultaneous maximization of the content of entanglement, the degree of affinity with the two-mode squeezed vacuum, and the, suitably measured, amount of non-Gaussianity.« less

Measuring the mechanical properties of molecular conformers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarvis, S. P.; Taylor, S.; Baran, J. D.; Champness, N. R.; Larsson, J. A.; Moriarty, P.

2015-09-01

Scanning probe-actuated single molecule manipulation has proven to be an exceptionally powerful tool for the systematic atomic-scale interrogation of molecular adsorbates. To date, however, the extent to which molecular conformation affects the force required to push or pull a single molecule has not been explored. Here we probe the mechanochemical response of two tetra(4-bromophenyl)porphyrin conformers using non-contact atomic force microscopy where we find a large difference between the lateral forces required for manipulation. Remarkably, despite sharing very similar adsorption characteristics, variations in the potential energy surface are capable of prohibiting probe-induced positioning of one conformer, while simultaneously permitting manipulation of the alternative conformational form. Our results are interpreted in the context of dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations which reveal significant differences in the diffusion barriers for each conformer. These results demonstrate that conformational variation significantly modifies the mechanical response of even simple porpyhrins, potentially affecting many other flexible molecules.

Characterization and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from thirteen boletus mushrooms.

PubMed

Zhang, Lan; Hu, Yu; Duan, Xiaoyu; Tang, Tingting; Shen, Yingbin; Hu, Bin; Liu, Aiping; Chen, Hong; Li, Cheng; Liu, Yuntao

2018-07-01

Water-soluble polysaccharides were extracted from the caps and stipes of thirteen boletus mushrooms representing five different species collected in Southwest China. Investigations of their structures and antioxidant activities allowed an evaluation of structure-function relationships. The polysaccharides were composed mainly of the monosaccharides arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose. Most samples displayed a broad molecular weight range, with significant differences observed between the molecular weight ranges of the polysaccharides from the caps and the stipes. FT-IR spectral analysis of the polysaccharides revealed that most of polysaccharides from boletus mushrooms (except Boletus edulis) contained a pyranose ring. The antioxidant activities of the polysaccharides in stipes showed a significant correlation with their monosaccharide composition, and were also related to their molecular weight and anomeric configuration. Suillellus luridus collected in Pingwu, Mianyang, Sichuan, China had remarkably superior antioxidant activity and might be developed as a natural antioxidant. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Emotional persistence in online chatting communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garas, Antonios; Garcia, David; Skowron, Marcin; Schweitzer, Frank

2012-05-01

How do users behave in online chatrooms, where they instantaneously read and write posts? We analyzed about 2.5 million posts covering various topics in Internet relay channels, and found that user activity patterns follow known power-law and stretched exponential distributions, indicating that online chat activity is not different from other forms of communication. Analysing the emotional expressions (positive, negative, neutral) of users, we revealed a remarkable persistence both for individual users and channels. I.e. despite their anonymity, users tend to follow social norms in repeated interactions in online chats, which results in a specific emotional ``tone'' of the channels. We provide an agent-based model of emotional interaction, which recovers qualitatively both the activity patterns in chatrooms and the emotional persistence of users and channels. While our assumptions about agent's emotional expressions are rooted in psychology, the model allows to test different hypothesis regarding their emotional impact in online communication.

Emotional persistence in online chatting communities

PubMed Central

Garas, Antonios; Garcia, David; Skowron, Marcin; Schweitzer, Frank

2012-01-01

How do users behave in online chatrooms, where they instantaneously read and write posts? We analyzed about 2.5 million posts covering various topics in Internet relay channels, and found that user activity patterns follow known power-law and stretched exponential distributions, indicating that online chat activity is not different from other forms of communication. Analysing the emotional expressions (positive, negative, neutral) of users, we revealed a remarkable persistence both for individual users and channels. I.e. despite their anonymity, users tend to follow social norms in repeated interactions in online chats, which results in a specific emotional “tone” of the channels. We provide an agent-based model of emotional interaction, which recovers qualitatively both the activity patterns in chatrooms and the emotional persistence of users and channels. While our assumptions about agent's emotional expressions are rooted in psychology, the model allows to test different hypothesis regarding their emotional impact in online communication. PMID:22577512

Daily variations in oligosaccharides of human milk determined by microfluidic chips and mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Niñonuevo, Milady R; Perkins, Patrick D; Francis, Jimi; Lamotte, Latasha M; LoCascio, Riccardo G; Freeman, Samara L; Mills, David A; German, J Bruce; Grimm, Rudolf; Lebrilla, Carlito B

2008-01-23

Human milk is a complex biological fluid that provides not only primary nourishment for infants but also protection against pathogens and influences their metabolic, immunologic, and even cognitive development. The presence of oligosaccharides in remarkable abundance in human milk has been associated to provide diverse biological functions including directing the development of an infant's intestinal microflora and immune system. Recent advances in analytical tools offer invaluable insights in understanding the specific functions and health benefits these biomolecules impart to infants. Oligosaccharides in human milk samples obtained from five different individual donors over the course of a 3 month lactation period were isolated and analyzed using HPLC-Chip/TOF-MS technology. The levels and compositions of oligosaccharides in human milk were investigated from five individual donors. Comparison of HPLC-Chip/TOF-MS oligosaccharides profiles revealed heterogeneity among multiple individuals with no significant variations at different stages of lactation within individual donors.

A transmission electron microscopy study of the deformation behavior underneath nanoindents in nanoscale Al-TiN multilayered composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, D.; Mara, N. A.; Dickerson, P.; Hoagland, R. G.; Misra, A.

2010-05-01

Nanoscale multilayered Al-TiN composites were deposited using the dc magnetron sputtering technique in two different layer thickness ratios, Al : TiN = 1 : 1 and Al : TiN = 9 : 1. The Al layer thickness varied from 2 nm to 450 nm. The hardness of the samples was tested by nanoindentation using a Berkovich tip. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was carried out on samples extracted with focused ion beam from below the nanoindents. The results of the hardness tests on the Al-TiN multilayers with two different thickness ratios are presented, together with observations from the cross-sectional TEM studies of the regions underneath the indents. These studies revealed remarkable strength in the multilayers, as well as some very interesting deformation behavior in the TiN layers at extremely small length scales, where the hard TiN layers undergo co-deformation with the Al layers.

Oncogenic Osteomalacia Caused by a Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumor of the Oral Cavity: A Case Report

PubMed Central

Yang, In Myung; Park, Yong Koo; Hyun, Yong Jun; Kim, Deog Yoon; Woo, Jeong Taek; Kim, Sung Woon; Kim, Jin Woo; Kim, Young Seol; Choi, Young Kil

1997-01-01

We report a case of oncogenic osteomalacia associated with a phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor in a 31-year-old woman. She was presented with severe generalized bone and muscle pain and was restricted to bed. She lost 20cm in height over the 8 years since she had first noticed a pain in her thigh. A walnut-sized, hard, soft tissue tumor was found very easily beside her lower molar teeth. Radiologic examination revealed a remarkable decrease in bone density and multiple pathologic fractures of spine, femur and phalangeal bones. Severe hypophosphatemia, hyperphosphaturia, low plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 level and high plasma PTH level were disclosed at presentation. Histomorphometric examination revealed an extensive area of unmineralized osteoid and little mineralizing activity. A pharmacologic dose of 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 slightly increased the serum phosphate level and renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate, and slightly decreased plasma PTH level without any symptomatic improvement. Histologic examination of the tumor revealed a mixed connective tissue tumor that consisted of central woveh bones and surrounding primitive spindle cells with prominent vascularities. After removal of the tumor, all biochemical, hormonal and radiologic abnormalities disappeared with remarkable symptomatic improvement. PMID:9159046

Templating effect of the substrate on the structure of Cu-phthalocyanine thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierantozzi, Gian Marco; Sbroscia, Marco; Ruocco, Alessandro

2018-03-01

An experimental study of electronic properties, structure and morphology of Copper-phthalocyanine films deposited onto Al(100) and Au(110), as a function of thickness up to tens of nanometers, is presented. The monolayers grown on these two model substrates are already known to exhibit very different behavior for what concerns both the degree of interaction with the substrate and the formation of long range order; in this experiment, by means of low energy electron scattering and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS), remarkable differences are revealed also in the successive growth. Exploiting the link between the crystal structure and the lineshape of HOMO-LUMO transition in EELS spectrum, two different structural phases are identified, compatible with α and β phases, respectively in the case of the film grown on aluminum and on gold. Besides, the evolution of the specular reflection elastic peak indicates the formation of islands on the gold substrate and a more homogeneous growth on the aluminum one.

Unpleasant Situations Elicit Different Emotional Responses in Younger and Older Adults

PubMed Central

Charles, Susan Turk; Carstensen, Laura L.

2008-01-01

Older adults report less distress in response to interpersonal conflicts than do younger adults, yet few researchers have examined factors that may contribute to these age differences. Emotion regulation is partially determined by the initial cognitive and emotional reactions that events elicit. We examined reported thoughts and emotions of younger and older adults (N = 195) while they listened to three different audio-taped conversations in which people were ostensibly making disparaging remarks about them. At four points during each scenario, the tape paused and participants engaged in a talk-aloud procedure and rated their level of anger and sadness. Findings revealed that older adults reported less anger but equal levels of sadness compared to younger adults, and their comments were judged by coders as less negative. Older adults made fewer appraisals about the people speaking on the tape and expressed less interest in learning more about their motives. Together, findings are consistent with age-related increases in processes that promote disengagement from offending situations. PMID:18808240

Mice, myths, and men

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

Fry, R.J.M.

The author discusses some examples of how different experimental animal systems have helped to answer questions about the effects of radiation, in particular, carcinogenesis, and to indicate how the new experimental model systems promise an even more exciting future. Entwined in these themes will be observations about susceptibility and extrapolation across species. The hope of developing acceptable methods of extrapolation of estimates of the risk of radiogenic cancer increases as molecular biology reveals the trail of remarkable similarities in the genetic control of many functions common to many species. A major concern about even attempting to extrapolate estimates of risksmore » of radiation-induced cancer across species has been that the mechanisms of carcinogenesis were so different among different species that it would negate the validity of extrapolation. The more that has become known about the genes involved in cancer, especially those related to the initial events in carcinogenesis, the more have the reasons for considering methods of extrapolation across species increased.« less

Dietary habits among the JPHC study participants at baseline survey. Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study on Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases.

PubMed

Tsugane, S; Sasaki, S; Kobayashi, M; Tsubono, Y; Sobue, T

2001-10-01

Dietary habit is closely associated with development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, however little prospective evidence has been published for Japanese, whose dietary habit is substantially different from Western countries. Therefore, frequencies of food consumption, food preference, cooking method and acceptance of dietary advice were investigated at the baseline by two kinds of self-administered food frequency questionnaires. Dietary habits between urban and rural (Tokyo and Osaka vs. others), or between Okinawa and non-Okinawa revealed recognizable differences. The so-called westernized foods such as bread, beef and coffee were more consumed in the urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka and also in Okinawa. The frequencies of salted food intake such as pickled vegetables and salted seafoods were remarkably low in Okinawa. Cooking methods for meats, seafoods and vegetables were also unique in Okinawa. No distinct geographical difference was shown in food preference and modification of dietary habit by dietary advice.

Strain evolution of each type of grains in poly-crystalline (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films grown by sputtering

PubMed Central

Park, Woo Young; Park, Min Hyuk; Lee, Jong Ho; Yoon, Jung Ho; Han, Jeong Hwan; Choi, Jung-Hae; Hwang, Cheol Seong

2012-01-01

The strain states of [111]-, [110]-, and [002]-oriented grains in poly-crystalline sputtered (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films on highly [111]-oriented Pt electrode/Si substrates were carefully examined by X-ray diffraction techniques. Remarkably, [002]-oriented grains respond more while [110]- and [111]-oriented grains do less than the theoretically estimated responses, which is understandable from the arrangement of the TiO6 octahedra with respect to the stress direction. Furthermore, such mechanical responses are completely independent of the degree of crystallization and film thickness. The transition growth temperature between the positive and negative strains was also different depending on the grain orientation. The unstrained lattice parameter for each type of grain was different suggesting that the oxygen vacancy concentration for each type of grain is different, too. The results reveal that polycrystalline (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films are not an aggregation of differently oriented grains which simply follow the mechanical behavior of single crystal with different orientations. PMID:23230505

Durability of classification and action learning: differences revealed using ex-Gaussian distribution analysis.

PubMed

Moutsopoulou, Karolina; Waszak, Florian

2013-05-01

It has been shown that in associative learning it is possible to disentangle the effects caused on behaviour by the associations between a stimulus and a classification (S-C) and the associations between a stimulus and the action performed towards it (S-A). Such evidence has been provided using ex-Gaussian distribution analysis to show that different parameters of the reaction time distribution reflect the different processes. Here, using this method, we investigate another difference between these two types of associations: What is the relative durability of these associations across time? Using a task-switching paradigm and by manipulating the lag between the point of the creation of the associations and the test phase, we show that S-A associations have stronger effects on behaviour when the lag between the two repetitions of a stimulus is short. However, classification learning affects behaviour not only in short-term lags but also (and equally so) when the lag between prime and probe is long and the same stimuli are repeatedly presented within a different classification task, demonstrating a remarkable durability of S-C associations.

Clinical study on minimally invasive liquefaction and drainage of intracerebral hematoma in the treatment of hypertensive putamen hemorrhage.

PubMed

Liang, Ke-Shan; Ding, Jian; Yin, Cheng-Bin; Peng, Li-Jing; Liu, Zhen-Chuan; Guo, Xiao; Liang, Shu-Yu; Zhang, Yong; Zhou, Sheng-Nian

2017-12-04

This study aims to compare the curative effect of different treatment methods of hypertensive putamen hemorrhage, in order to determine an ideal method of treatment; and to explore the curative effect of the application of soft channel technology-minimally invasive liquefaction and drainage of intracerebral hematoma in the treatment of hypertensive putamen hemorrhage. Patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, who were treated in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2016, were included into this study. Patients were divided into three groups: minimally invasive drainage group, internal medical treatment group and craniotomy group. In the minimally invasive drainage group, puncture aspiration and drainage were performed according to different hematoma conditions detected in brain CT, the frontal approach was selected for putamen and intracerebral hemorrhage, and drainage was reserved until the hematoma disappeared in CT detection. Drug therapy was dominated in the internal medical treatment group, while surgery under general anesthesia was performed to remove the hematoma in the craniotomy group. Post-treatment neurological function defect scores in minimally invasive drainage group and internal medical group were 16.14 ± 11.27 and 31.43 ± 10.42, respectively; and the difference was remarkably significant (P< 0.01). Post-treatment neurological function defect scores in the minimally invasive drainage group and craniotomy group were 16.14 ± 11.27 and 24.20 ± 12.23, respectively; and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). There was a remarkable significant difference in ADL1-2 level during followed-up in survival patients between the minimally invasive drainage group and internal medical treatment group (P< 0.01), and there was a significant difference in followed-up mortality between these two groups (P< 0.01). Clinical observation and following-up results revealed that minimally invasive drainage treatment was superior to internal medical treatment and craniotomy.

Climate Outreach Using Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System Portals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, D. M.; Hernandez, D. L.; Wakely, A.; Bochenek, R. J.; Bickel, A.

2015-12-01

Coastal oceans are dynamic, changing environments affected by processes ranging from seconds to millennia. On the east and west coast of the U.S., regional observing systems have deployed and sustained a remarkable diverse array of observing tools and sensors. Data portals visualize and provide access to real-time sensor networks. Portals have emerged as an interactive tool for educators to help students explore and understand climate. Bringing data portals to outreach events, into classrooms, and onto tablets and smartphones enables educators to address topics and phenomena happening right now. For example at the 2015 Charleston Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Festival, visitors navigated the SECOORA (Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing regional Association) data portal to view the real-time marine meteorological conditions off South Carolina. Map-based entry points provide an intuitive interface for most students, an array of time series and other visualizations depict many of the essential principles of climate science manifest in the coastal zone, and data down-load/ extract options provide access to the data and documentation for further inquiry by advanced users. Beyond the exposition of climate principles, the portal experience reveals remarkable technologies in action and shows how the observing system is enabled by the activity of many different partners.

Evaluation of the microbial community in industrial rye sourdough upon continuous back-slopping propagation revealed Lactobacillus helveticus as the dominant species.

PubMed

Viiard, E; Mihhalevski, A; Rühka, T; Paalme, T; Sarand, I

2013-02-01

To assess the structure and stability of a dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population during the propagation of rye sourdough in an industrial semi-fluid production over a period of 7 months. The sourdough was started from a 6-year-old freeze-dried sourdough originating from the same bakery. A unique microbial consortium consisting mainly of bacteria belonging to species Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus panis and Lactobacillus pontis was identified based on culture-dependent (Rep-PCR) and culture-independent [denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)] methods. Three of the isolated Lact. helveticus strains showed remarkable adaptation to the sourdough conditions. They differed from the type strain by the ability to ferment compounds specific to plant material, like salicin, cellobiose and sucrose, but did not ferment lactose. We showed remarkable stability of a LAB consortium in rye sourdough started from lyophilized sourdough and propagated in a large bakery for 7 months. Lactobacillus helveticus was detected as the dominant species in the consortium and was shown to be metabolically adapted to the sourdough environment. The use of an established and adapted microbial consortium as a starter is a good alternative to commercial starter strains. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Neutrinos as Probes of Lorentz Invariance

DOE PAGES

Díaz, Jorge S.

2014-01-01

Neutrinos can be used to search for deviations from exact Lorentz invariance. The worldwide experimental program in neutrino physics makes these particles a remarkable tool to search for a variety of signals that could reveal minute relativity violations. This paper reviews the generic experimental signatures of the breakdown of Lorentz symmetry in the neutrino sector.

Adaptation of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) into Turkish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koyunlu Unlu, Zeynep; Dokme, Ilbilge; Unlu, Veli

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has recently become a remarkable research topic, especially in developed countries as a result of the skilled workforce required in the fields of the STEM. Considering that professional tendencies are revealed at early ages, determining students' interest in STEM…

A whole-plant perspective reveals unexpected impacts of above- and belowground herbivores on plant growth and defense

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tradeoffs between plant growth and defense are central to theoretical frameworks used to study the ecology and evolution of plant defense against herbivores. However, these frameworks, as well as the experiments designed to test them, rarely include the remarkable diversity of belowground herbivores...

Transcriptomic analysis reveals numerous diverse protein kinases and transcription factors involved in desiccation tolerance in the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The woody resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolia has remarkable tolerance to desiccation. Pyro-sequencing technology permitted us to analyze the transcriptome of M. flabellifolia during both dehydration and rehydration. We identified a total of 8287 and 8542 differentially transcribed genes du...

National Children's Television, United States (1970-1990).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Condry, John C.; Scheibe, Cynthia L.

Trends in the content and structure of television programs and commercials during children's viewing hours on U.S. network television over the past 20 years reveal a steady decrease in educational programs for children and an increase in violent acts. In addition, characters in both programs and commercials have remained remarkably sex-typed. A…

Travellers and Home Education: Safe Spaces and Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Arcy, Kate

2014-01-01

Elective home education (EHE) is a legal alternative to school in England but the statutory requirements for provision are remarkably vague. This book explores the use of EHE by Gypsy and Traveller families. The accounts of their experiences and their views about education spaces reveal the racism and discrimination their children encounter in…

The Psychological World of the Gay Teenager: Social Change, Narrative, and "Normality"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohler, Bertram J.; Hammack, Phillip L.

2007-01-01

This paper examines the application of concepts of normal adolescence pioneered by Offer and colleagues to the study of gay and lesbian youth. Adolescent development among this population demonstrates remarkable historical variability along the lines of generation-cohort, revealing the utility of a life-course approach to the study of normal…

A Comparative Study of the Grammatical Structures of Crucian Creole and West African Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vergne Vargas, Aida M.

2017-01-01

This thesis examines the role of the African substrate languages in the emergence of Atlantic Creole grammatical structures. Alleyne (1980) and Faraclas (1990) have convincingly demonstrated that a survey of the grammatical features that typify the Colonial Era English-Lexifier Creoles of the Atlantic reveals remarkable similarities with those…

Effects of thread size in the implant neck area on peri-implant hard and soft tissues: an animal study.

PubMed

Choi, Jay-Yong; Moon, Ik-Sang; Yun, Jeong-Ho; Park, Kwang-Ho; Huh, Jong-Ki; Lee, Dong-Won

2016-09-01

The aim of this animal study was to examine the effects of thread size in the implant neck area on peri-implant tissues in terms of BIC and hard- and soft-tissue dimensions. Six Beagle dogs received experimental implants in the mandible 3 month after the removal of premolars and first molars (P2, P3, P4, and M1). Two different types of implants were installed in each animal: Anyone microthread(®) as Group 1 and Anyone(®) as Group 2. Resonance frequency test, intraoral radiography, micro-CT, and histomorphometry were used to evaluate peri-implant tissue after implantation periods of 4 and 8 weeks. No remarkable complication was observed during the healing period in either group. Resonance frequency testing revealed no significant difference between groups. In radiographic evaluation, Group 2 showed more bone loss than Group 1. However, this difference was not statistically significant. In the micro-CT analysis, BIC and BIV values and soft-tissue height were not significant in both groups. Histological analysis revealed no significant difference in BIC ratio, bone density, or bone loss between groups. However, soft-tissue height was significantly greater in Group 2 than in Group 1 (P = 0.0004). No difference in peri-implant hard or soft tissues was observed according to thread size in the implant neck area. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Distribution of neurons in functional areas of the mouse cerebral cortex reveals quantitatively different cortical zones

PubMed Central

Herculano-Houzel, Suzana; Watson, Charles; Paxinos, George

2013-01-01

How are neurons distributed along the cortical surface and across functional areas? Here we use the isotropic fractionator (Herculano-Houzel and Lent, 2005) to analyze the distribution of neurons across the entire isocortex of the mouse, divided into 18 functional areas defined anatomically. We find that the number of neurons underneath a surface area (the N/A ratio) varies 4.5-fold across functional areas and neuronal density varies 3.2-fold. The face area of S1 contains the most neurons, followed by motor cortex and the primary visual cortex. Remarkably, while the distribution of neurons across functional areas does not accompany the distribution of surface area, it mirrors closely the distribution of cortical volumes—with the exception of the visual areas, which hold more neurons than expected for their volume. Across the non-visual cortex, the volume of individual functional areas is a shared linear function of their number of neurons, while in the visual areas, neuronal densities are much higher than in all other areas. In contrast, the 18 functional areas cluster into three different zones according to the relationship between the N/A ratio and cortical thickness and neuronal density: these three clusters can be called visual, sensory, and, possibly, associative. These findings are remarkably similar to those in the human cerebral cortex (Ribeiro et al., 2013) and suggest that, like the human cerebral cortex, the mouse cerebral cortex comprises two zones that differ in how neurons form the cortical volume, and three zones that differ in how neurons are distributed underneath the cortical surface, possibly in relation to local differences in connectivity through the white matter. Our results suggest that beyond the developmental divide into visual and non-visual cortex, functional areas initially share a common distribution of neurons along the parenchyma that become delimited into functional areas according to the pattern of connectivity established later. PMID:24155697

Estrogen modulates sexually dimorphic contextual fear extinction in rats through estrogen receptor beta.

PubMed

Chang, Yao-Ju; Yang, Chih-Hao; Liang, Ying-Ching; Yeh, Che-Ming; Huang, Chiung-Chun; Hsu, Kuei-Sen

2009-11-01

Females and males are different in brain and behavior. These sex differences occur early during development due to a combination of genetic and hormonal factors and continue throughout the lifespan. Previous studies revealed that male rats exhibited significantly higher levels of contextual fear memory than female rats. However, it remains unknown whether a sex difference exists in the contextual fear extinction. To address this issue, male, normally cycling female, and ovariectomized (OVX) female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to contextual fear conditioning and extinction trials. Here we report that although male rats exhibited higher levels of freezing than cycling female rats after contextual fear conditioning, female rats subjected to conditioning in the proestrus and estrus stage exhibited an enhancement of fear extinction than male rats. An estrogen receptor (ER) beta agonist diarylpropionitrile but not an ERalpha agonist propyl-pyrazole-triol administration also enhanced extinction of contextual fear in OVX female rats, suggesting that estrogen-mediated facilitation of extinction involves the activation of ERbeta. Intrahippocampal injection of estradiol or diarylpropionitrile before extinction training in OVX female rats remarkably reduced the levels of freezing response during extinction trials. In addition, the locomotion or anxiety state of female rats does not vary across the ovarian cycle. These results reveal a crucial role for estrogen in mediating sexually dimorphic contextual fear extinction, and that estrogen-mediated enhancement of fear extinction involves the activation of ERbeta.

Low Testosterone Correlates with Delayed Development in Male Orangutans

PubMed Central

Emery Thompson, Melissa; Zhou, Amy; Knott, Cheryl D.

2012-01-01

Male orangutans (Pongo spp.) display an unusual characteristic for mammals in that some adult males advance quickly to full secondary sexual development while others can remain in an adolescent-like form for a decade or more past the age of sexual maturity. Remarkably little is understood about how and why differences in developmental timing occur. While fully-developed males are known to produce higher androgen levels than arrested males, the longer-term role of steroid hormones in male life history variation has not been examined. We examined variation in testosterone and cortisol production among 18 fully-developed (“flanged”) male orangutans in U.S. captive facilities. Our study revealed that while testosterone levels did not vary significantly according to current age, housing condition, and species origin, males that had undergone precocious development had higher testosterone levels than males that had experienced developmental arrest. While androgen variation had previously been viewed as a state-dependent characteristic of male developmental status, our study reveals that differences in the physiology of early and late developing males are detectable long past the developmental transition and may instead be trait-level characteristics associated with a male’s life history strategy. Further studies are needed to determine how early in life differences in testosterone levels emerge and what consequences this variation may have for male behavioral strategies. PMID:23077585

Characterization of cancer and normal tissue fluorescence through wavelet transform and singular value decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gharekhan, Anita H.; Biswal, Nrusingh C.; Gupta, Sharad; Pradhan, Asima; Sureshkumar, M. B.; Panigrahi, Prasanta K.

2008-02-01

The statistical and characteristic features of the polarized fluorescence spectra from cancer, normal and benign human breast tissues are studied through wavelet transform and singular value decomposition. The discrete wavelets enabled one to isolate high and low frequency spectral fluctuations, which revealed substantial randomization in the cancerous tissues, not present in the normal cases. In particular, the fluctuations fitted well with a Gaussian distribution for the cancerous tissues in the perpendicular component. One finds non-Gaussian behavior for normal and benign tissues' spectral variations. The study of the difference of intensities in parallel and perpendicular channels, which is free from the diffusive component, revealed weak fluorescence activity in the 630nm domain, for the cancerous tissues. This may be ascribable to porphyrin emission. The role of both scatterers and fluorophores in the observed minor intensity peak for the cancer case is experimentally confirmed through tissue-phantom experiments. Continuous Morlet wavelet also highlighted this domain for the cancerous tissue fluorescence spectra. Correlation in the spectral fluctuation is further studied in different tissue types through singular value decomposition. Apart from identifying different domains of spectral activity for diseased and non-diseased tissues, we found random matrix support for the spectral fluctuations. The small eigenvalues of the perpendicular polarized fluorescence spectra of cancerous tissues fitted remarkably well with random matrix prediction for Gaussian random variables, confirming our observations about spectral fluctuations in the wavelet domain.

How the Molecular Packing Affects the Room Temperature Phosphorescence in Pure Organic Compounds: Ingenious Molecular Design, Detailed Crystal Analysis, and Rational Theoretical Calculations.

PubMed

Xie, Yujun; Ge, Yuwei; Peng, Qian; Li, Conggang; Li, Qianqian; Li, Zhen

2017-05-01

Long-lived phosphorescence at room temperature (RTP) from pure organic molecules is rare. Recent research reveals various crystalline organic molecules can realize RTP with lifetimes extending to the magnitude of second. There is little research on how molecular packing affecting RTP. Three compounds are designed with similar optical properties in solution, but tremendously different solid emission characteristics. By investigating the molecular packing arrangement in single crystals, it is found that the packing style of the compact face to face favors of long phosphorescence lifetime and high photoluminescence efficiency, with the lifetime up to 748 ms observed in the crystal of CPM ((9H-carbazol-9-yl)(phenyl)methanone). Theoretical calculation analysis also reveals this kind of packing style can remarkably reduce the singlet excited energy level and prompt electron communication between dimers. Surprisingly, CPM has two very similar single crystals, labeled as CPM and CPM-A, with almost identical crystal data, and the only difference is that molecules in CPM-A crystal take a little looser packing arrangement. X-ray diffraction and cross-polarization under magic spinning 13 C NMR spectra double confirm that they are different crystals. Interestingly, CPM-A crystal shows negligible RTP compared to the CPM crystal, once again proving that the packing style is critical to the RTP property. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Map-based Cloning and Characterization of the BPH18 Gene from Wild Rice Conferring Resistance to Brown Planthopper (BPH) Insect Pest

PubMed Central

Ji, Hyeonso; Kim, Sung-Ryul; Kim, Yul-Ho; Suh, Jung-Pil; Park, Hyang-Mi; Sreenivasulu, Nese; Misra, Gopal; Kim, Suk-Man; Hechanova, Sherry Lou; Kim, Hakbum; Lee, Gang-Seob; Yoon, Ung-Han; Kim, Tae-Ho; Lim, Hyemin; Suh, Suk-Chul; Yang, Jungil; An, Gynheung; Jena, Kshirod K.

2016-01-01

Brown planthopper (BPH) is a phloem sap-sucking insect pest of rice which causes severe yield loss. We cloned the BPH18 gene from the BPH-resistant introgression line derived from the wild rice species Oryza australiensis. Map-based cloning and complementation test revealed that the BPH18 encodes CC-NBS-NBS-LRR protein. BPH18 has two NBS domains, unlike the typical NBS-LRR proteins. The BPH18 promoter::GUS transgenic plants exhibited strong GUS expression in the vascular bundles of the leaf sheath, especially in phloem cells where the BPH attacks. The BPH18 proteins were widely localized to the endo-membranes in a cell, including the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network, and prevacuolar compartments, suggesting that BPH18 may recognize the BPH invasion at endo-membranes in phloem cells. Whole genome sequencing of the near-isogenic lines (NILs), NIL-BPH18 and NIL-BPH26, revealed that BPH18 located at the same locus of BPH26. However, these two genes have remarkable sequence differences and the independent NILs showed differential BPH resistance with different expression patterns of plant defense-related genes, indicating that BPH18 and BPH26 are functionally different alleles. These findings would facilitate elucidation of the molecular mechanism of BPH resistance and the identified novel alleles to fast track breeding BPH resistant rice cultivars. PMID:27682162

Map-based Cloning and Characterization of the BPH18 Gene from Wild Rice Conferring Resistance to Brown Planthopper (BPH) Insect Pest.

PubMed

Ji, Hyeonso; Kim, Sung-Ryul; Kim, Yul-Ho; Suh, Jung-Pil; Park, Hyang-Mi; Sreenivasulu, Nese; Misra, Gopal; Kim, Suk-Man; Hechanova, Sherry Lou; Kim, Hakbum; Lee, Gang-Seob; Yoon, Ung-Han; Kim, Tae-Ho; Lim, Hyemin; Suh, Suk-Chul; Yang, Jungil; An, Gynheung; Jena, Kshirod K

2016-09-29

Brown planthopper (BPH) is a phloem sap-sucking insect pest of rice which causes severe yield loss. We cloned the BPH18 gene from the BPH-resistant introgression line derived from the wild rice species Oryza australiensis. Map-based cloning and complementation test revealed that the BPH18 encodes CC-NBS-NBS-LRR protein. BPH18 has two NBS domains, unlike the typical NBS-LRR proteins. The BPH18 promoter::GUS transgenic plants exhibited strong GUS expression in the vascular bundles of the leaf sheath, especially in phloem cells where the BPH attacks. The BPH18 proteins were widely localized to the endo-membranes in a cell, including the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network, and prevacuolar compartments, suggesting that BPH18 may recognize the BPH invasion at endo-membranes in phloem cells. Whole genome sequencing of the near-isogenic lines (NILs), NIL-BPH18 and NIL-BPH26, revealed that BPH18 located at the same locus of BPH26. However, these two genes have remarkable sequence differences and the independent NILs showed differential BPH resistance with different expression patterns of plant defense-related genes, indicating that BPH18 and BPH26 are functionally different alleles. These findings would facilitate elucidation of the molecular mechanism of BPH resistance and the identified novel alleles to fast track breeding BPH resistant rice cultivars.

Linking biological soil crust diversity to ecological functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Karin; Borchhardt, Nadine; Schulz, Karoline; Mikhailyuk, Tatiana; Baumann, Karen; Leinweber, Peter; Ulf, Karsten

2016-04-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are an association of different microorganisms and soil particles in the top millimeters of the soil. They are formed by algae, cyanobacteria, microfungi, bacteria, bryophytes and lichens in various compositions. Our aim was to determine and compare the biodiversity of all occurring organisms in biogeographically different habitats, ranging from polar (both Arctic and Antarctic), subpolar (Scandinavia), temperate (Germany) to dry regions (Chile). The combination of microscopy and molecular techniques (next-generation sequencing) revealed highly diverse crust communities, whose composition clustered by region and correlates with habitat characteristics such as water content. The BSC biodiversity was then linked to the ecological function of the crusts. The functional role of the BSCs in the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous is evaluated using an array of state of the art soil chemistry methods including Py-FIMS (pyrolysis field ionization mass spectrometry) and XANES (x-ray absorbance near edge structure). Total P as well as P fractions were quantified in all BSCs, adjacent soil underneath and comparable nearby soil of BSC-free areas revealing a remarkable accumulation of total phosphorous and a distinct pattern of P fractions in the crust. Further, we observed an indication of a different P-speciation composition in the crust compared with BSC-free soil. The data allow answering the question whether BSCs act as sink or source for these compounds, and how biodiversity controls the biogeochemical function of BSCs.

Genome Comparison of Candida orthopsilosis Clinical Strains Reveals the Existence of Hybrids between Two Distinct Subspecies

PubMed Central

Pryszcz, Leszek P.; Németh, Tibor; Gácser, Attila; Gabaldón, Toni

2014-01-01

The Candida parapsilosis species complex comprises a group of emerging human pathogens of varying virulence. This complex was recently subdivided into three different species: C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, C. metapsilosis, and C. orthopsilosis. Within the latter, at least two clearly distinct subspecies seem to be present among clinical isolates (Type 1 and Type 2). To gain insight into the genomic differences between these subspecies, we undertook the sequencing of a clinical isolate classified as Type 1 and compared it with the available sequence of a Type 2 clinical strain. Unexpectedly, the analysis of the newly sequenced strain revealed a highly heterozygous genome, which we show to be the consequence of a hybridization event between both identified subspecies. This implicitly suggests that C. orthopsilosis is able to mate, a so-far unanswered question. The resulting hybrid shows a chimeric genome that maintains a similar gene dosage from both parental lineages and displays ongoing loss of heterozygosity. Several of the differences found between the gene content in both strains relate to virulent-related families, with the hybrid strain presenting a higher copy number of genes coding for efflux pumps or secreted lipases. Remarkably, two clinical strains isolated from distant geographical locations (Texas and Singapore) are descendants of the same hybrid line, raising the intriguing possibility of a relationship between the hybridization event and the global spread of a virulent clone. PMID:24747362

Vapor-phase hydrothermal transformation of HTiOF3 intermediates into {001} faceted anatase single-crystalline nanosheets.

PubMed

Liu, Porun; Wang, Yun; Zhang, Haimin; An, Taicheng; Yang, Huagui; Tang, Zhiyong; Cai, Weiping; Zhao, Huijun

2012-12-07

For the first time, a facile, one-pot hydrofluoric acid vapor-phase hydrothermal (HF-VPH) method is demonstrated to directly grow single-crystalline anatase TiO(2) nanosheets with 98.2% of exposed {001} faceted surfaces on the Ti substrate via a distinctive two-stage formation mechanism. The first stage produces a new intermediate crystal (orthorhombic HTiOF(3) ) that is transformed into anatase TiO(2) nanosheets during the second stage. The findings reveal that the HF-VPH reaction environment is unique and differs remarkably from that of liquid-phase hydrothermal processes. The uniqueness of the HF-VPH conditions can be readily used to effectively control the nanostructure growth. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Wormlike Chain Theory and Bending of Short DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazur, Alexey K.

2007-05-01

The probability distributions for bending angles in double helical DNA obtained in all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are compared with theoretical predictions. The computed distributions remarkably agree with the wormlike chain theory and qualitatively differ from predictions of the subelastic chain model. The computed data exhibit only small anomalies in the apparent flexibility of short DNA and cannot account for the recently reported AFM data. It is possible that the current atomistic DNA models miss some essential mechanisms of DNA bending on intermediate length scales. Analysis of bent DNA structures reveal, however, that the bending motion is structurally heterogeneous and directionally anisotropic on the length scales where the experimental anomalies were detected. These effects are essential for interpretation of the experimental data and they also can be responsible for the apparent discrepancy.

Revision of Tomocerus similis Chen & Ma, with discussion of the kinoshitai complex and the distal tibiotarsal chaetae in Tomocerinae (Collembola, Tomoceridae).

PubMed

Yu, Daoyuan; Ding, Yinhuan; Ma, Yitong

2017-05-17

Molecular analysis and a detailed morphological comparison revealed that Tomocerus similis Chen & Ma was described from individuals belonging to several species from several localities. Based on both old and new material from Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces, China, T. similis is redescribed and two new species are described. The three species are morphologically similar. Tomocerus persimilis sp. nov. differs from the others by the presence of central macrochaeta on head and of several distinct distal inner teeth on unguis. Tomocerus dissimilis sp. nov. is characterised by pointed tenent hairs on anterior legs. Remarks are made on the systematics and ecology of the kinoshitai complex, and on the taxonomic value of tenent hair and its adjacent chaetae.

Beijing fifteen years on: the persistence of barriers to gender mainstreaming in health policy.

PubMed

Payne, Sarah

2011-01-01

In 2010, fifteen years after the Beijing declaration on women's rights, the UN Commission on the Status of Women met to review progress in gender mainstreaming. Reports on gender equality by member states revealed differences in the degree of change achieved in this period, while highlighting common barriers to gender mainstreaming. The same barriers have long been identified by academics and activists, but prove remarkably resistant to strategies to address gender inequalities. This paper reviews approaches to gender mainstreaming in the context of health policy, and suggests that a model of the obstacles to gender mainstreaming, which identifies barriers as essentially pragmatic, conceptual, or political in origin, might enable a more explicit discussion of the factors underlying this resistance and the ways in which they might be challenged.

Effects of space vacuum and solar ultraviolet irradiation (254 nanometers) on the colony forming ability of Bacillus subtilis spores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buecker, H.; Horneck, G.; Wollenhaupt, H.

1973-01-01

Bacillus subtilis spores are highly resistant to harsh environments. Therefore, in the Apollo 16 Microbial Response to Space Environment Experiment (M191), these spores were exposed to space vacuum or solar ultraviolet irradiation, or both, to estimate the change of survival for terrestrial organisms in space. The survival of the spores was determined in terms of colony-forming ability. Comparison of the flight results with results of simulation experiments on earth applying high vacuum or ultraviolet irradiation, or both, revealed no remarkable difference. Simultaneous exposure to both these space factors resulted in a synergistic effect (that is, an ultraviolet supersensitivity). Therefore, the change of survival in space is assumed to depend on the degree of protection against solar ultraviolet irradiation.

Second Generation TQ-Ligation for Cell Organelle Imaging.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoyun; Dong, Ting; Li, Qiang; Liu, Xiaohui; Li, Lin; Chen, She; Lei, Xiaoguang

2015-07-17

Bioorthogonal ligations play a crucial role in labeling diverse types of biomolecules in living systems. Herein, we describe a novel class of ortho-quinolinone quinone methide (oQQM) precursors that show a faster kinetic rate in the "click cycloaddition" with thio-vinyl ether (TV) than the first generation TQ-ligation in both chemical and biological settings. We further demonstrate that the second generation TQ-ligation is also orthogonal to the widely used strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) both in vitro and in vivo, revealing that these two types of bioorthogonal ligations could be used as an ideal reaction pair for the simultaneous tracking of multiple elements within a single system. Remarkably, the second generation TQ-ligation and SPAAC are effective for selective and simultaneous imaging of two different cell organelles in live cells.

Electrostatic Interactions between OmpG Nanopore and Analyte Protein Surface Can Distinguish between Glycosylated Isoforms.

PubMed

Fahie, Monifa A; Chen, Min

2015-08-13

The flexible loops decorating the entrance of OmpG nanopore move dynamically during ionic current recording. The gating caused by these flexible loops changes when a target protein is bound. The gating is characterized by parameters including frequency, duration, and open-pore current, and these features combine to reveal the identity of a specific analyte protein. Here, we show that OmpG nanopore equipped with a biotin ligand can distinguish glycosylated and deglycosylated isoforms of avidin by their differences in surface charge. Our studies demonstrate that the direct interaction between the nanopore and analyte surface, induced by the electrostatic attraction between the two molecules, is essential for protein isoform detection. Our technique is remarkably sensitive to the analyte surface, which may provide a useful tool for glycoprotein profiling.

Self-Assembling Brush Polymers Bearing Multisaccharides.

PubMed

Lee, Jongchan; Kim, Jin Chul; Lee, Hoyeol; Song, Sungjin; Kim, Heesoo; Ree, Moonhor

2017-06-01

Three different series of brush polymers bearing glucosyl, maltosyl, or maltotriosyl moiety at the bristle end are successfully prepared by using cationic ring-opening polymerization and two sequential postmodification reactions. All brush polymers, except for the polymer containing 100 mol% maltotriosyl moiety, demonstrate the formation of multibilayer structure in films, always providing saccharide-enriched surface. These self-assembling features are remarkable, regarding the bulkiness of saccharide moieties and the kink in the bristle due to the triazole linker. The saccharide-enriched film surfaces reveal exceptionally high specific binding affinity to concanavalin A but suppress nonspecific binding of plasma proteins severely. Overall, the brush polymers bearing saccharide moieties of various kinds in this study are highly suitable materials for biomedical applications including biosensors. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Thermalization and prethermalization in isolated quantum systems: a theoretical overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Takashi; Ikeda, Tatsuhiko N.; Kaminishi, Eriko; Ueda, Masahito

2018-06-01

The approach to thermal equilibrium, or thermalization, in isolated quantum systems is among the most fundamental problems in statistical physics. Recent theoretical studies have revealed that thermalization in isolated quantum systems has several remarkable features, which emerge from quantum entanglement and are quite distinct from those in classical systems. Experimentally, well isolated and highly controllable ultracold quantum gases offer an ideal testbed to study the nonequilibrium dynamics in isolated quantum systems, promoting intensive recent theoretical endeavors on this fundamental subject. Besides thermalization, many isolated quantum systems show intriguing behavior in relaxation processes, especially prethermalization. Prethermalization occurs when there is a clear separation of relevant time scales and has several different physical origins depending on individual systems. In this review, we overview theoretical approaches to the problems of thermalization and prethermalization.

Phylogenetic assessment reveals continuous evolution and circulation of pigeon-derived virulent avian avulaviruses 1 in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: The remarkable diversity and mobility of Newcastle disease viruses (NDV) includes virulent viruses of genotype VI. These viruses are often referred to as pigeon paramyxoviruses 1 because they are normally isolated and cause clinical disease in birds from the Columbidae family. Genotype V...

[The benthic red alga Ceramium ciliatum var. robustum (J.Ag.) G. Mazoyer is a remarkable biological indicator of littoral mercury pollution].

PubMed

Augier, H; Gilles, G; Ramonda, G

1977-02-07

The study of mercury composition of red Algae Ceranium ciliatum var. robustum, comparatively with other marine organisms and considering its growth and the extent of pollution at various harvesting points: reveals that this seaweed constitutes a conspicuous biological indicator for the littoral mercury pollution.

Efficacy testing of 35-year-old commercially-produced ERM bacterin reveals the remarkable stability of this product

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recently, a bottle of ERM bacterin that was approximately 35-years-old and labeled by Wildlife Vaccines with a serial number of 236 and an expiration date of October 18, 1982 was discovered in a storage closet at room temperature at the Clear Springs Foods Research Division. Microscopic evaluation a...

He's Frequency Formulation for Nonlinear Oscillators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geng, Lei; Cai, Xu-Chu

2007-01-01

Based on an ancient Chinese algorithm, J H He suggested a simple but effective method to find the frequency of a nonlinear oscillator. In this paper, a modified version is suggested to improve the accuracy of the frequency; two examples are given, revealing that the obtained solutions are of remarkable accuracy and are valid for the whole solution…

Students' Understanding of Chemical Formulae: A Review of Empirical Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taskin, Vahide; Bernholt, Sascha

2014-01-01

The fluent use of the chemical language is a major tool for successfully passing chemistry courses at school or university as well as for working as a chemist, since chemical formulae are both a descriptive and a heuristic tool. However, numerous studies have revealed remarkable difficulties of students with chemical formulae both at school and at…

Factors Favouring or Impeding Building a Stronger Higher Education System in the United Arab Emirates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashour, Sanaa; Fatima, Syeda Kauser

2016-01-01

The paper examines the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the higher education system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Using a literature review, three elements were examined: its development and structure, quality, and research capacity. The findings reveal that the UAE's higher education sector has witnessed remarkable growth since 1997,…

Preactivated thiolated poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethyl acrylate): synthesis and evaluation of mucoadhesive potential.

PubMed

Hauptstein, Sabine; Bonengel, Sonja; Rohrer, Julia; Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas

2014-10-15

The study was aimed to developed and investigate a novel polymer for intestinal drug delivery with improved mucoadhesive properties. Therefore Eudragit® L 100-55 (poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethyl acrylate)) was thiolated by covalent attachment of L-cysteine. The immobilized thiol groups were preactivated by disulfide bond formation with 2-mercaptonicotinic acid. Resulting derivative (Eu-S-MNA) was investigated in terms of mucoadhesion via three different methods: tensile studies, rotating cylinder studies and rheological synergism method, as well as water-uptake capacity and cytotoxicity. Different derivatives were obtained with increasing amount of bound L-cysteine (60, 140 and 266 μmol/g polymer) and degree of preactivation (33, 45 and 51 μmol/g polymer). Tensile studies revealed a 30.5-, 35.3- and 52.2-fold rise of total work of adhesion for the preactivated polymers compared to the unmodified Eudragit. The adhesion time on the rotating cylinder was prolonged up to 17-fold in case of thiolated polymer and up to 34-fold prolonged in case of the preactivated polymer. Rheological synergism revealed remarkable interaction of all investigated modified derivatives with mucus. Further, water-uptake studies showed an over 7h continuing weight gain for the modified polymers whereat disintegration took place for the unmodified polymer within the first hour. Cell viability studies revealed no impact of modification. Accordingly, the novel preactivated thiolated Eudragit-derivative seems to be a promising excipient for intestinal drug delivery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative Proteomic and Physiological Analysis Reveals the Variation Mechanisms of Leaf Coloration and Carbon Fixation in a Xantha Mutant of Ginkgo biloba L.

PubMed

Liu, Xinliang; Yu, Wanwen; Wang, Guibin; Cao, Fuliang; Cai, Jinfeng; Wang, Huanli

2016-10-27

Yellow-green leaf mutants are common in higher plants, and these non-lethal chlorophyll-deficient mutants are ideal materials for research on photosynthesis and plant development. A novel xantha mutant of Ginkgo biloba displaying yellow-colour leaves (YL) and green-colour leaves (GL) was identified in this study. The chlorophyll content of YL was remarkably lower than that in GL. The chloroplast ultrastructure revealed that YL had less dense thylakoid lamellae, a looser structure and fewer starch grains than GL. Analysis of the photosynthetic characteristics revealed that YL had decreased photosynthetic activity with significantly high nonphotochemical quenching. To explain these phenomena, we analysed the proteomic differences in leaves and chloroplasts between YL and GL of ginkgo using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. In total, 89 differential proteins were successfully identified, 82 of which were assigned functions in nine metabolic pathways and cellular processes. Among them, proteins involved in photosynthesis, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, carbohydrate/energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and protein metabolism were greatly enriched, indicating a good correlation between differentially accumulated proteins and physiological changes in leaves. The identifications of these differentially accumulated proteins indicates the presence of a specific different metabolic network in YL and suggests that YL possess slower chloroplast development, weaker photosynthesis, and a less abundant energy supply than GL. These studies provide insights into the mechanism of molecular regulation of leaf colour variation in YL mutants.

Differential CD4+ versus CD8+ T-cell responses elicited by different poxvirus-based human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vaccine candidates provide comparable efficacies in primates.

PubMed

Mooij, Petra; Balla-Jhagjhoorsingh, Sunita S; Koopman, Gerrit; Beenhakker, Niels; van Haaften, Patricia; Baak, Ilona; Nieuwenhuis, Ivonne G; Kondova, Ivanela; Wagner, Ralf; Wolf, Hans; Gómez, Carmen E; Nájera, José L; Jiménez, Victoria; Esteban, Mariano; Heeney, Jonathan L

2008-03-01

Poxvirus vectors have proven to be highly effective for boosting immune responses in diverse vaccine settings. Recent reports reveal marked differences in the gene expression of human dendritic cells infected with two leading poxvirus-based human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine candidates, New York vaccinia virus (NYVAC) and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA). To understand how complex genomic changes in these two vaccine vectors translate into antigen-specific systemic immune responses, we undertook a head-to-head vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy study in the pathogenic HIV type 1 (HIV-1) model of AIDS in Indian rhesus macaques. Differences in the immune responses in outbred animals were not distinguished by enzyme-linked immunospot assays, but differences were distinguished by multiparameter fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, revealing a difference between the number of animals with both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses to vaccine inserts (MVA) and those that elicit a dominant CD4(+) T-cell response (NYVAC). Remarkably, vector-induced differences in CD4(+)/CD8(+) T-cell immune responses persisted for more than a year after challenge and even accompanied antigenic modulation throughout the control of chronic infection. Importantly, strong preexposure HIV-1/simian immunodeficiency virus-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses did not prove deleterious with respect to accelerated disease progression. In contrast, in this setting, animals with strong vaccine-induced polyfunctional CD4(+) T-cell responses showed efficacies similar to those with stronger CD8(+) T-cell responses.

The effects of dietary Myrtle (Myrtus communis) on skin mucus immune parameters and mRNA levels of growth, antioxidant and immune related genes in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

PubMed

Safari, Roghieh; Hoseinifar, Seyed Hossein; Van Doan, Hien; Dadar, Maryam

2017-07-01

Myrtle (Myrtus communis L., Myrtaceae) is a significant plant which naturally distributed around the globe. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of myrtle in different species, studies using the oral route are rare in the literature. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of myrtle intake on the antioxidant, immune, appetite and growth related genes as well as mucosal immune responses in zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. Zebrafish were fed control or myrtle (5, 10 and 20 g kg -1 myrtle) supplemented diets for sixty days. The results showed that, oral administration of Myrtle significantly improved mucosal immune responses (the activity of lysozyme, total Ig and protease). Furthermore, fish fed 20 g kg -1 showed remarkably higher antioxidant (sod and cat) enzymes gene expression compared other treatment. There were significant difference between myrtle fed fish and control group regarding tnf-alpha and lyz expression. Also, evaluation of growth (gh and igf1) related genes revealed remarkable upregulation in 20 g kg -1 myrtle treatment compared other myrtle treatments and control group. Similar results was observed regarding the mRNA levels of appetite related genes (ghrl) in zebrafish fed 20 g kg -1 myrtle. The present results indicated that dietary administration of myrtle improved mucosal immune parameters and altered mRNA levels of selected genes. These results on zebrafish model also highlights the potential use of Myrtle supplements as additive in human diets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural Determinants for Functional Coupling Between the β and α Subunits in the Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) Channel

PubMed Central

Orio, Patricio; Torres, Yolima; Rojas, Patricio; Carvacho, Ingrid; Garcia, Maria L.; Toro, Ligia; Valverde, Miguel A.; Latorre, Ramon

2006-01-01

High conductance, calcium- and voltage-activated potassium (BK, MaxiK) channels are widely expressed in mammals. In some tissues, the biophysical properties of BK channels are highly affected by coexpression of regulatory (β) subunits. The most remarkable effects of β1 and β2 subunits are an increase of the calcium sensitivity and the slow down of channel kinetics. However, the detailed characteristics of channels formed by α and β1 or β2 are dissimilar, the most remarkable difference being a reduction of the voltage sensitivity in the presence of β1 but not β2. Here we reveal the molecular regions in these β subunits that determine their differential functional coupling with the pore-forming α-subunit. We made chimeric constructs between β1 and β2 subunits, and BK channels formed by α and chimeric β subunits were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The electrophysiological characteristics of the resulting channels were determined using the patch clamp technique. Chimeric exchange of the different regions of the β1 and β2 subunits demonstrates that the NH3 and COOH termini are the most relevant regions in defining the behavior of either subunit. This strongly suggests that the intracellular domains are crucial for the fine tuning of the effects of these β subunits. Moreover, the intracellular domains of β1 are responsible for the reduction of the BK channel voltage dependence. This agrees with previous studies that suggested the intracellular regions of the α-subunit to be the target of the modulation by the β1-subunit. PMID:16446507

A role for acoustic distortion in novel rapid frequency modulation behaviour in free-flying male mosquitoes.

PubMed

Simões, Patrício M V; Ingham, Robert A; Gibson, Gabriella; Russell, Ian J

2016-07-01

We describe a new stereotypical acoustic behaviour by male mosquitoes in response to the fundamental frequency of female flight tones during mating sequences. This male-specific free-flight behaviour consists of phonotactic flight beginning with a steep increase in wing-beat frequency (WBF) followed by rapid frequency modulation (RFM) of WBF in the lead up to copula formation. Male RFM behaviour involves remarkably fast changes in WBF and can be elicited without acoustic feedback or physical presence of the female. RFM features are highly consistent, even in response to artificial tones that do not carry the multi-harmonic components of natural female flight tones. Comparison between audiograms of the robust RFM behaviour and the electrical responses of the auditory Johnston's organ (JO) reveals that the male JO is tuned not to the female WBF per se but, remarkably, to the difference between the male and female WBFs. This difference is generated in the JO responses as a result of intermodulation distortion products (DPs) caused by non-linear interaction between male-female flight tones in the vibrations of the antenna. We propose that male mosquitoes rely on their own flight tones in making use of DPs to acoustically detect, locate and orientate towards flying females. We argue that the previously documented flight-tone harmonic convergence of flying male and female mosquitoes could be a consequence of WBF adjustments so that DPs generated through flight-tone interaction fall within the optimal frequency ranges for JO detection. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Drosophila Ionotropic Receptor 25a mediates circadian clock resetting by temperature.

PubMed

Chen, Chenghao; Buhl, Edgar; Xu, Min; Croset, Vincent; Rees, Johanna S; Lilley, Kathryn S; Benton, Richard; Hodge, James J L; Stanewsky, Ralf

2015-11-26

Circadian clocks are endogenous timers adjusting behaviour and physiology with the solar day. Synchronized circadian clocks improve fitness and are crucial for our physical and mental well-being. Visual and non-visual photoreceptors are responsible for synchronizing circadian clocks to light, but clock-resetting is also achieved by alternating day and night temperatures with only 2-4 °C difference. This temperature sensitivity is remarkable considering that the circadian clock period (~24 h) is largely independent of surrounding ambient temperatures. Here we show that Drosophila Ionotropic Receptor 25a (IR25a) is required for behavioural synchronization to low-amplitude temperature cycles. This channel is expressed in sensory neurons of internal stretch receptors previously implicated in temperature synchronization of the circadian clock. IR25a is required for temperature-synchronized clock protein oscillations in subsets of central clock neurons. Extracellular leg nerve recordings reveal temperature- and IR25a-dependent sensory responses, and IR25a misexpression confers temperature-dependent firing of heterologous neurons. We propose that IR25a is part of an input pathway to the circadian clock that detects small temperature differences. This pathway operates in the absence of known 'hot' and 'cold' sensors in the Drosophila antenna, revealing the existence of novel periphery-to-brain temperature signalling channels.

Surface properties and cytocompatibillity of silk fibroin films cast from aqueous solutions in different concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lian, Xiao-Jie; Wang, Song; Zhu, He-Sun

2010-03-01

Silk fibroin film (SFF) has been widely used in biomaterials. SFF is usually prepared from a regenerated silk aqueous solution and its properties depend remarkably on the preparation conditions. However, the effect of the silk fibroin concentration ( C 0) on the SFF surface properties as well as the cytocompatibility has rarely been investigated. In this work we prepared a series of Bombyx mori SFFs by casting SF aqueous solutions with the concentration from 10° to 102 mg/mL on TCPS substrate at 60°C. The test results of atomic force microscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared and contact angles analysis showed that the film surface roughness and β-sheet structure increased with the increase of C 0, whereas the surface hydrophilicity increased with the decrease of C 0. The in vitro clotting time measurement results revealed that the SFFs prepared from the thinner solution showed a longer APTT (activated partial thromboplastin time) and TT (thrombin time). The results of microscopy and MTT assay also revealed that cell adhesion and growth were enhanced on the SFF cast from lower C 0 for fibroblasts. In contrast, endothelial cells showed a similar behavior on all those films that were prepared from the solution in different concentrations.

Overcoming the loss of blue sensitivity through opsin duplication in the largest animal group, beetles.

PubMed

Sharkey, Camilla R; Fujimoto, M Stanley; Lord, Nathan P; Shin, Seunggwan; McKenna, Duane D; Suvorov, Anton; Martin, Gavin J; Bybee, Seth M

2017-01-31

Opsin proteins are fundamental components of animal vision whose structure largely determines the sensitivity of visual pigments to different wavelengths of light. Surprisingly little is known about opsin evolution in beetles, even though they are the most species rich animal group on Earth and exhibit considerable variation in visual system sensitivities. We reveal the patterns of opsin evolution across 62 beetle species and relatives. Our results show that the major insect opsin class (SW) that typically confers sensitivity to "blue" wavelengths was lost ~300 million years ago, before the origin of modern beetles. We propose that UV and LW opsin gene duplications have restored the potential for trichromacy (three separate channels for colour vision) in beetles up to 12 times and more specifically, duplications within the UV opsin class have likely led to the restoration of "blue" sensitivity up to 10 times. This finding reveals unexpected plasticity within the insect visual system and highlights its remarkable ability to evolve and adapt to the available light and visual cues present in the environment.

Genome-wide analysis and expression profiling of the Solanum tuberosum aquaporins.

PubMed

Venkatesh, Jelli; Yu, Jae-Woong; Park, Se Won

2013-12-01

Aquaporins belongs to the major intrinsic proteins involved in the transcellular membrane transport of water and other small solutes. A comprehensive genome-wide search for the homologues of Solanum tuberosum major intrinsic protein (MIP) revealed 41 full-length potato aquaporin genes. All potato aquaporins are grouped into five subfamilies; plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), NOD26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs), small basic intrinsic proteins (SIPs) and x-intrinsic proteins (XIPs). Functional predictions based on the aromatic/arginine (ar/R) selectivity filters and Froger's positions showed a remarkable difference in substrate transport specificity among subfamilies. The expression pattern of potato aquaporins, examined by qPCR analysis, showed distinct expression profiles in various organs and tuber developmental stages. Furthermore, qPCR analysis of potato plantlets, subjected to various abiotic stresses revealed the marked effect of stresses on expression levels of aquaporins. Taken together, the expression profiles of aquaporins imply that aquaporins play important roles in plant growth and development, in addition to maintaining water homeostasis in response to environmental stresses. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A tick-borne segmented RNA virus contains genome segments derived from unsegmented viral ancestors

PubMed Central

Qin, Xin-Cheng; Shi, Mang; Tian, Jun-Hua; Lin, Xian-Dan; Gao, Dong-Ya; He, Jin-Rong; Wang, Jian-Bo; Li, Ci-Xiu; Kang, Yan-Jun; Yu, Bin; Zhou, Dun-Jin; Xu, Jianguo; Plyusnin, Alexander; Holmes, Edward C.; Zhang, Yong-Zhen

2014-01-01

Although segmented and unsegmented RNA viruses are commonplace, the evolutionary links between these two very different forms of genome organization are unclear. We report the discovery and characterization of a tick-borne virus—Jingmen tick virus (JMTV)—that reveals an unexpected connection between segmented and unsegmented RNA viruses. The JMTV genome comprises four segments, two of which are related to the nonstructural protein genes of the genus Flavivirus (family Flaviviridae), whereas the remaining segments are unique to this virus, have no known homologs, and contain a number of features indicative of structural protein genes. Remarkably, homology searching revealed that sequences related to JMTV were present in the cDNA library from Toxocara canis (dog roundworm; Nematoda), and that shared strong sequence and structural resemblances. Epidemiological studies showed that JMTV is distributed in tick populations across China, especially Rhipicephalus and Haemaphysalis spp., and experiences frequent host-switching and genomic reassortment. To our knowledge, JMTV is the first example of a segmented RNA virus with a genome derived in part from unsegmented viral ancestors. PMID:24753611

A karyotype comparison between two species of bordered plant bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Largidae) by conventional chromosome staining, C-banding and rDNA-FISH.

PubMed

Salanitro, Lucila Belén; Massaccesi, Anabella Cecilia; Urbisaglia, Santiago; Bressa, María José; Chirino, Mónica Gabriela

2017-01-01

A cytogenetic characterization, including heterochromatin content, and the analysis of the location of rDNA genes, was performed in Largus fasciatus Blanchard, 1843 and L. rufipennis Laporte, 1832. Mitotic and meiotic analyses revealed the same diploid chromosome number 2n = 12 + X0/XX (male/female). Heterochromatin content, very scarce in both species, revealed C-blocks at both ends of autosomes and X chromosome. The most remarkable cytological feature observed between both species was the different chromosome position of the NORs. This analysis allowed us to use the NORs as a cytological marker because two clusters of rDNA genes are located at one end of one pair of autosomes in L. fasciatus , whereas a single rDNA cluster is located at one terminal region of the X chromosome in L. rufipennis . Taking into account our results and previous data obtained in other heteropteran species, the conventional staining, chromosome bandings, and rDNA-FISH provide important chromosome markers for cytotaxonomy, karyotype evolution, and chromosome structure and organization studies.

Genetic structure of South African Nguni (Zulu) sheep populations reveals admixture with exotic breeds.

PubMed

Selepe, Mokhethi Matthews; Ceccobelli, Simone; Lasagna, Emiliano; Kunene, Nokuthula Winfred

2018-01-01

The population of Zulu sheep is reported to have declined by 7.4% between 2007 and 2011 due to crossbreeding. There is insufficient information on the genetic diversity of the Zulu sheep populations in the different area of KwaZulu Natal where they are reared. The study investigated genetic variation and genetic structure within and among eight Zulu sheep populations using 26 microsatellite markers. In addition, Damara, Dorper and South African Merino breeds were included to assess the genetic relationship between these breeds and the Zulu sheep. The results showed that there is considerable genetic diversity among the Zulu sheep populations (expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.57 to 0.69) and the level of inbreeding was not remarkable. The structure analysis results revealed that Makhathini Research Station and UNIZULU research station share common genetic structure, while three populations (Nongoma, Ulundi and Nquthu) had some admixture with the exotic Dorper breed. Thus, there is a need for sustainable breeding and conservation programmes to control the gene flow, in order to stop possible genetic dilution of the Zulu sheep.

Impulsivity and the Modular Organization of Resting-State Neural Networks

PubMed Central

Davis, F. Caroline; Knodt, Annchen R.; Sporns, Olaf; Lahey, Benjamin B.; Zald, David H.; Brigidi, Bart D.; Hariri, Ahmad R.

2013-01-01

Impulsivity is a complex trait associated with a range of maladaptive behaviors, including many forms of psychopathology. Previous research has implicated multiple neural circuits and neurotransmitter systems in impulsive behavior, but the relationship between impulsivity and organization of whole-brain networks has not yet been explored. Using graph theory analyses, we characterized the relationship between impulsivity and the functional segregation (“modularity”) of the whole-brain network architecture derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. These analyses revealed remarkable differences in network organization across the impulsivity spectrum. Specifically, in highly impulsive individuals, regulatory structures including medial and lateral regions of the prefrontal cortex were isolated from subcortical structures associated with appetitive drive, whereas these brain areas clustered together within the same module in less impulsive individuals. Further exploration of the modular organization of whole-brain networks revealed novel shifts in the functional connectivity between visual, sensorimotor, cortical, and subcortical structures across the impulsivity spectrum. The current findings highlight the utility of graph theory analyses of resting-state fMRI data in furthering our understanding of the neurobiological architecture of complex behaviors. PMID:22645253

Quantitative proteomic analysis reveals proteins involved in the neurotoxicity of marine medaka Oryzias melastigma chronically exposed to inorganic mercury.

PubMed

Wang, Yuyu; Wang, Dazhi; Lin, Lin; Wang, Minghua

2015-01-01

Mercury is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant which exerts neurotoxicity upon animals. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms involved in inorganic mercury neurotoxicity are unknown. We investigated protein profiles of marine medaka, chronically exposed to mercuric chloride using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF MS) analysis. The mercury accumulation and ultrastructure were also examined in the brain. The results showed that mercury was significantly accumulated in the treated brain, and subsequently caused a noticeable damage. The comparison of 2D-DIGE protein profiles between the control and treatment revealed that 16 protein spots were remarkably altered in abundance, which were further submitted for MALDI-TOF-TOF MS analysis. The identified proteins indicated that inorganic mercury may cause neurotoxicity through the induction of oxidative stress, cytoskeletal assembly dysfunction and metabolic disorders. Thus, this study provided a basis for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in mercury neurotoxicity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic structure of South African Nguni (Zulu) sheep populations reveals admixture with exotic breeds

PubMed Central

Kunene, Nokuthula Winfred

2018-01-01

The population of Zulu sheep is reported to have declined by 7.4% between 2007 and 2011 due to crossbreeding. There is insufficient information on the genetic diversity of the Zulu sheep populations in the different area of KwaZulu Natal where they are reared. The study investigated genetic variation and genetic structure within and among eight Zulu sheep populations using 26 microsatellite markers. In addition, Damara, Dorper and South African Merino breeds were included to assess the genetic relationship between these breeds and the Zulu sheep. The results showed that there is considerable genetic diversity among the Zulu sheep populations (expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.57 to 0.69) and the level of inbreeding was not remarkable. The structure analysis results revealed that Makhathini Research Station and UNIZULU research station share common genetic structure, while three populations (Nongoma, Ulundi and Nquthu) had some admixture with the exotic Dorper breed. Thus, there is a need for sustainable breeding and conservation programmes to control the gene flow, in order to stop possible genetic dilution of the Zulu sheep. PMID:29698497

Development, characterization and biocompatibility of chondroitin sulfate/poly(vinyl alcohol)/bovine bone powder porous biocomposite.

PubMed

da Silva, Gabriela T; Voss, Guilherme T; Kaplum, Vanessa; Nakamura, Celso V; Wilhelm, Ethel A; Luchese, Cristiane; Fajardo, André R

2017-03-01

Chondroitin sulfate (ChS), a sulfated glycosaminoglycan, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bovine bone powder (BBP) were blended to form a novel eco-friendly biocomposite through cyclic freeze-thawing under mild conditions. The systematic investigation reveals that the content of BBP has a remarkable effect on the pore size, porosity, mechanical and liquid uptake properties and biodegradability. At 10wt.% BBP the biocomposite exhibited enhanced mechanical properties and biodegradability rate as compared to the pristine sample. Further, different properties of the biocomposite can be tailored according to the content of BBP. In vitro assays showed that ChS/PVA-BBP does not exert cytotoxicity against healthy cells. In vivo and ex vivo experiments revealed that ChS/PVA-BBP biocomposites are biocompatibility materials without exert pro-inflammatory responses. The biocomposite was completely biodegraded and bioresorbed after 15days of treatment. Taken together, BBP is a low-cost source of hydroxyapatite and collagen, which are insurance. All these results suggest that the biocomposite designed in this study is a promising biomaterial for potential skin tissue engineering. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prediction of ball and roller bearing thermal and kinematic performance by computer analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pirvics, J.; Kleckner, R. J.

1983-01-01

Characteristics of good computerized analysis software are suggested. These general remarks and an overview of representative software precede a more detailed discussion of load support system analysis program structure. Particular attention is directed at a recent cylindrical roller bearing analysis as an example of the available design tools. Selected software modules are then examined to reveal the detail inherent in contemporary analysis. This leads to a brief section on current design computation which seeks to suggest when and why computerized analysis is warranted. An example concludes the argument offered for such design methodology. Finally, remarks are made concerning needs for model development to address effects which are now considered to be secondary but are anticipated to emerge to primary status in the near future.

Distinct herpesvirus resistances and immune responses of three gynogenetic clones of gibel carp revealed by comprehensive transcriptomes.

PubMed

Gao, Fan-Xiang; Wang, Yang; Zhang, Qi-Ya; Mou, Cheng-Yan; Li, Zhi; Deng, Yuan-Sheng; Zhou, Li; Gui, Jian-Fang

2017-07-24

Gibel carp is an important aquaculture species in China, and a herpesvirus, called as Carassius auratus herpesvirus (CaHV), has hampered the aquaculture development. Diverse gynogenetic clones of gibel carp have been identified or created, and some of them have been used as aquaculture varieties, but their resistances to herpesvirus and the underlying mechanism remain unknown. To reveal their susceptibility differences, we firstly performed herpesvirus challenge experiments in three gynogenetic clones of gibel carp, including the leading variety clone A + , candidate variety clone F and wild clone H. Three clones showed distinct resistances to CaHV. Moreover, 8772, 8679 and 10,982 differentially expressed unigenes (DEUs) were identified from comparative transcriptomes between diseased individuals and control individuals of clone A + , F and H, respectively. Comprehensive analysis of the shared DEUs in all three clones displayed common defense pathways to the herpesvirus infection, activating IFN system and suppressing complements. KEGG pathway analysis of specifically changed DEUs in respective clones revealed distinct immune responses to the herpesvirus infection. The DEU numbers identified from clone H in KEGG immune-related pathways, such as "chemokine signaling pathway", "Toll-like receptor signaling pathway" and others, were remarkably much more than those from clone A + and F. Several IFN-related genes, including Mx1, viperin, PKR and others, showed higher increases in the resistant clone H than that in the others. IFNphi3, IFI44-like and Gig2 displayed the highest expression in clone F and IRF1 uniquely increased in susceptible clone A + . In contrast to strong immune defense in resistant clone H, susceptible clone A + showed remarkable up-regulation of genes related to apoptosis or death, indicating that clone A + failed to resist virus offensive and evidently induced apoptosis or death. Our study is the first attempt to screen distinct resistances and immune responses of three gynogenetic gibel carp clones to herpesvirus infection by comprehensive transcriptomes. These differential DEUs, immune-related pathways and IFN system genes identified from susceptible and resistant clones will be beneficial to marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding or molecular module-based resistance breeding in gibel carp.

Expression of hybrid fusion protein (Cry1Ac::ASAL) in transgenic rice plants imparts resistance against multiple insect pests.

PubMed

Boddupally, Dayakar; Tamirisa, Srinath; Gundra, Sivakrishna Rao; Vudem, Dashavantha Reddy; Khareedu, Venkateswara Rao

2018-05-31

To evolve rice varieties resistant to different groups of insect pests a fusion gene, comprising DI and DII domains of Bt Cry1Ac and carbohydrate binding domain of garlic lectin (ASAL), was constructed. Transgenic rice lines were generated and evaluated to assess the efficacy of Cry1Ac::ASAL fusion protein against three major pests, viz., yellow stem borer (YSB), leaf folder (LF) and brown planthopper (BPH). Molecular analyses of transgenic plants revealed stable integration and expression of the fusion gene. In planta insect bioassays on transgenics disclosed enhanced levels of resistance compared to the control plants. High insect mortality of YSB, LF and BPH was observed on transgenics compared to that of control plants. Furthermore, honeydew assays revealed significant decreases in the feeding ability of BPH on transgenic plants as compared to the controls. Ligand blot analysis, using BPH insects fed on cry1Ac::asal transgenic rice plants, revealed a modified receptor protein-binding pattern owing to its ability to bind to additional receptors in insects. The overall results authenticate that Cry1Ac::ASAL protein is endowed with remarkable entomotoxic effects against major lepidopteran and hemipteran insects. As such, the fusion gene appears promising and can be introduced into various other crops to control multiple insect pests.

Sensitive photo-thermal response of graphene oxide for mid-infrared detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Jung Jun; Yoon, Jung Hyun; Jeong, Sooyeon; Moon, Byoung Hee; Han, Joong Tark; Jeong, Hee Jin; Lee, Geon-Woong; Hwang, Ha Ryong; Lee, Young Hee; Jeong, Seung Yol; Lim, Seong Chu

2015-09-01

This study characterizes the effects of incident infrared (IR) radiation on the electrical conductivity of graphene oxide (GO) and examines its potential for mid-IR detection. Analysis of the mildly reduced GO (m-GO) transport mechanism near room temperature reveals variable range hopping (VRH) for the conduction of electrons. This VRH behavior causes the m-GO resistance to exhibit a strong temperature dependence, with a large negative temperature coefficient of resistance of approximately -2 to -4% K-1. In addition to this hopping transport, the presence of various oxygen-related functional groups within GO enhances the absorption of IR radiation significantly. These two GO material properties are synergically coupled and provoke a remarkable photothermal effect within this material; specifically, a large resistance drop is exhibited by m-GO in response to the increase in temperature caused by the IR absorption. The m-GO bolometer effect identified in this study is different from that exhibited in vanadium oxides, which require added gold-black films that function as IR absorbers owing to their limited IR absorption capability.This study characterizes the effects of incident infrared (IR) radiation on the electrical conductivity of graphene oxide (GO) and examines its potential for mid-IR detection. Analysis of the mildly reduced GO (m-GO) transport mechanism near room temperature reveals variable range hopping (VRH) for the conduction of electrons. This VRH behavior causes the m-GO resistance to exhibit a strong temperature dependence, with a large negative temperature coefficient of resistance of approximately -2 to -4% K-1. In addition to this hopping transport, the presence of various oxygen-related functional groups within GO enhances the absorption of IR radiation significantly. These two GO material properties are synergically coupled and provoke a remarkable photothermal effect within this material; specifically, a large resistance drop is exhibited by m-GO in response to the increase in temperature caused by the IR absorption. The m-GO bolometer effect identified in this study is different from that exhibited in vanadium oxides, which require added gold-black films that function as IR absorbers owing to their limited IR absorption capability. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04039f

Defining the Optimal Selenium Dose for Prostate Cancer Risk Reduction: Insights from the U-Shaped Relationship Between Selenium Status, DNA Damage, and Apoptosis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Our work in dogs has revealed a U-shaped dose response between selenium status and prostatic DNA damage that remarkably parallels the relationship between dietary selenium and prostate cancer risk in men, suggesting that more selenium is not necessarily better. Herein, we extend this canine work to ...

The remarkably high excitation planetary nebula GC 6537

PubMed Central

Aller, Lawrence H.; Hung, Siek; Feibelman, Walter A.

1999-01-01

NGC 6537 is an unusually high excitation point symmetric planetary nebula with a rich spectrum. Its kinematical structures are of special interest. We are here primarily concerned with the high resolution spectrum as revealed by the Hamilton echelle Spectrograph at Lick Observatory (resolution ≈ 0.2 Å) and supplemented by UV and near-UV data. These extensive data permit a determination of interstellar extinction, plasma diagnostics, and ionic concentrations. The photoionization models that have been used successfully for many planetary nebulae are not entirely satisfactory here. The plasma electron temperature of a photoionization model cannot much exceed 20,000 K, but plasma diagnostics show that regions emitting radiation of highly ionized atoms such as [Neiv] and [Nev] are much hotter, showing that shock excitation must be important, as suggested by the remarkable kinematics of this object. Hence, instead of employing a strict photoionization model, we are guided by the nebular diagnostics, which reveal how electron temperature varies with ionization potential and accommodates density effects. The predictions of the photoionization model may be useful in estimating ionization correction factor. In effect, we have estimated the chemical composition by using both photoionization and shock considerations. PMID:10318889

The remarkably high excitation planetary nebula GC 6537.

PubMed

Aller, L H; Hung, S; Feibelman, W A

1999-05-11

NGC 6537 is an unusually high excitation point symmetric planetary nebula with a rich spectrum. Its kinematical structures are of special interest. We are here primarily concerned with the high resolution spectrum as revealed by the Hamilton echelle Spectrograph at Lick Observatory (resolution approximately 0.2 A) and supplemented by UV and near-UV data. These extensive data permit a determination of interstellar extinction, plasma diagnostics, and ionic concentrations. The photoionization models that have been used successfully for many planetary nebulae are not entirely satisfactory here. The plasma electron temperature of a photoionization model cannot much exceed 20,000 K, but plasma diagnostics show that regions emitting radiation of highly ionized atoms such as [NeIV] and [NeV] are much hotter, showing that shock excitation must be important, as suggested by the remarkable kinematics of this object. Hence, instead of employing a strict photoionization model, we are guided by the nebular diagnostics, which reveal how electron temperature varies with ionization potential and accommodates density effects. The predictions of the photoionization model may be useful in estimating ionization correction factor. In effect, we have estimated the chemical composition by using both photoionization and shock considerations.

Phenotypic and genetic diversity of Malassezia furfur from domestic and zoo animals.

PubMed

Puig, Laura; Bragulat, M Rosa; Castellá, Gemma; Cabañes, F Javier

2017-12-27

Malassezia furfur is traditionally associated to human skin, although more recent studies have been revealing its presence in a variety of animals. The aim of this study was to analyze phenotypically and genetically the diversity among strains isolated from animals of this species. We have examined 21 strains of M. furfur from domestic and wild animals held in captivity. On the one hand, their phenotypic characteristics were studied, by assessing its growth at different incubation temperatures, their catalase and β-glucosidase activities and the Tween diffusion test on Sabouraud glucose agar (SGA), and on yeast nitrogen base agar (YNBA), a synthetic medium without lipids. On the other hand, the large subunit (LSU) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal RNA and the β-tubulin gene were sequenced. Different sequence types were identified for each target gene, and fourteen genotypes were revealed. While several genotypes were obtained from the strains from domestic animals, the strains from zoo animals appeared to be genetically more stable. With ITS and β-tubulin gene, M. furfur strains grouped in two clades. One clade included the strains from domestic animals and the other clade included the strains from zoo animals. The phenotypic tests also revealed a remarkable diversity within this species, which appeared to be more significant among strains from domestic animals. Moreover, the Tween diffusion test using YNBA was more useful to observe differences among strains, which could not be perceived using SGA. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Quantitative profiling of sphingolipids in wild Cordyceps and its mycelia by using UHPLC-MS

PubMed Central

Mi, Jia-Ning; Wang, Jing-Rong; Jiang, Zhi-Hong

2016-01-01

In the present study, 101 sphingolipids in wild Cordyceps and its five mycelia were quantitatively profiled by using a fully validated UHPLC-MS method. The results revealed that a general rank order for the abundance of different classes of sphingolipids in wild Cordyceps and its mycelia is sphingoid bases/ceramides > phosphosphingolipids > glycosphingolipids. However, remarkable sphingolipid differences between wild Cordyceps and its mycelia were observed. One is that sphingoid base is the dominant sphingolipid in wild Cordyceps, whereas ceramide is the major sphingolipid in mycelia. Another difference is that the abundance of sphingomyelins in wild Cordyceps is almost 10-folds higher than those in most mycelia. The third one is that mycelia contain more inositol phosphorylceramides and glycosphingolipids than wild Cordyceps. Multivariate analysis was further employed to visualize the difference among wild Cordyceps and different mycelia, leading to the identification of respective sphingolipids as potential chemical markers for the differentiation of wild Cordyceps and its related mycelia. This study represents the first report on the quantitative profiling of sphingolipids in wild Cordyceps and its related mycelia, which provided comprehensive chemical evidence for the quality control and rational utilization of wild Cordyceps and its mycelia. PMID:26868933

Sound source localization inspired by the ears of the Ormia ochracea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuntzman, Michael L.; Hall, Neal A.

2014-07-01

The parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea has the remarkable ability to locate crickets using audible sound. This ability is, in fact, remarkable as the fly's hearing mechanism spans only 1.5 mm which is 50× smaller than the wavelength of sound emitted by the cricket. The hearing mechanism is, for all practical purposes, a point in space with no significant interaural time or level differences to draw from. It has been discovered that evolution has empowered the fly with a hearing mechanism that utilizes multiple vibration modes to amplify interaural time and level differences. Here, we present a fully integrated, man-made mimic of the Ormia's hearing mechanism capable of replicating the remarkable sound localization ability of the special fly. A silicon-micromachined prototype is presented which uses multiple piezoelectric sensing ports to simultaneously transduce two orthogonal vibration modes of the sensing structure, thereby enabling simultaneous measurement of sound pressure and pressure gradient.

The secreted fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase as a broad spectrum vaccine candidate against pathogenic bacteria in aquaculture.

PubMed

Sun, Zhongyang; Shen, Binbing; Wu, Haizhen; Zhou, Xiangyu; Wang, Qiyao; Xiao, Jingfan; Zhang, Yuanxing

2015-10-01

The development of aquaculture has been hampered by different aquatic pathogens that can cause edwardsiellosis, vibriosis, or other diseases. Therefore, developing a broad spectrum vaccine against different fish diseases is necessary. In this study, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA), a conserved enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, was demonstrated to be located in the non-cytoplasmic components of five aquatic pathogenic bacteria and exhibited remarkable protection and cross-protection against these pathogens in turbot and zebrafish. Further analysis revealed that sera sampled from vaccinated turbot had a high level of specific antibody and bactericidal activity against these pathogens. Meanwhile, the increased expressions of immune response-related genes associated with antigen recognition and presentation indicated that the adaptive immune response was effectively aroused. Taken together, our results suggest that FBA can be utilized as a broad-spectrum vaccine against various pathogenic bacteria of aquaculture in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biological treatment of steroidal drug industrial effluent and electricity generation in the microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Liu, Ru; Gao, Chongyang; Zhao, Yang-Guo; Wang, Aijie; Lu, Shanshan; Wang, Min; Maqbool, Farhana; Huang, Qing

2012-11-01

The single chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were used to treat steroidal drug production wastewater (SPW) and generate electricity simultaneously. The results indicated that the maximum COD removal efficiency reached 82%, total nitrogen and sulfate removal rate approached 62.47% and 26.46%, respectively. The maximum power density and the Coulombic efficiency reached to 22.3Wm(-3) and 30%, respectively. The scanning electron microscope showed that the dominant microbial populations were remarkably different in morphology on the surface of SPW and acetate-fed anodes. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles revealed that the microbial community structure fed with different concentrations of SPW presented a gradual succession and unique bacterial sequences were detected on the SPW and acetate-fed anodes. This research demonstrates that MFCs fed with SPW achieved a high efficiency of power density and simultaneous nutrient removal, and the dominant microorganisms on the anode were related to the types and the concentrations of substrates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ovipositor setation in oldest insects (Insecta: Archaeognatha) revealed by SEM and He-ion microscopy.

PubMed

Matushkina, Nataliia A

2017-10-01

Archaeognatha represent the oldest living lineage of true insects (=Ectognatha), which are remarkable, among others, for plesiomorphic genital morphology and complicated mating behaviour. I used scanning electron microscopy and He-ion microscopy to examine the ovipositor morphology of seven species, in order to describe the cuticle microsculpture. The species studied are characterised by different types of the ovipositor setation pattern, which are considered an important taxonomic feature for Archaeognatha. The common and well discernible elements of ovipositor setation in Archaeognatha are: (1) non-articulated terminal seta, (2) grooved type I basiconic sensillum with apical pore, (3) multiporous type II basiconic sensillum, (4) articulated setae of different length. Coeloconica-like sensilla and campaniform sensilla demonstrate a variety of transient morphology. Results of this study provide morphological evidence of presence of olfactory receptors on the ovipositor in Archaeognatha. The possible functions of the ovipositor setation in Archaeognatha are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in relation to soil chemical properties and heavy metal contamination.

PubMed

Zarei, Mehdi; Hempel, Stefan; Wubet, Tesfaye; Schäfer, Tina; Savaghebi, Gholamreza; Jouzani, Gholamreza Salehi; Nekouei, Mojtaba Khayam; Buscot, François

2010-08-01

Abundance and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with dominant plant species were studied along a transect from highly lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) polluted to non-polluted soil at the Anguran open pit mine in Iran. Using an established primer set for AMF in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA, nine different AMF sequence types were distinguished after phylogenetic analyses, showing remarkable differences in their distribution patterns along the transect. With decreasing Pb and Zn concentration, the number of AMF sequence types increased, however one sequence type was only found in the highly contaminated area. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that further factors than HM soil concentration affect the AMF community at contaminated sites. Specifically, the soils' calcium carbonate equivalent and available P proved to be of importance, which illustrates that field studies on AMF distribution should also consider important environmental factors and their possible interactions. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary diversity and turn-over of sex determination in teleost fishes.

PubMed

Mank, J E; Avise, J C

2009-01-01

Sex determination, due to the obvious association with reproduction and Darwinian fitness, has been traditionally assumed to be a relatively conserved trait. However, research on teleost fishes has shown that this need not be the case, as these animals display a remarkable diversity in the ways that they determine sex. These different mechanisms, which include constitutive genetic mechanisms on sex chromosomes, polygenic constitutive mechanisms, environmental influences, hermaphroditism, and unisexuality have each originated numerous independent times in the teleosts. The evolutionary lability of sex determination, and the corresponding rapid rate of turn-over among different modes, makes the teleost clade an excellent model with which to test theories regarding the evolution of sex determining adaptations. Much of the plasticity in sex determination likely results from the dynamic teleost genome, and recent advances in fish genetics and genomics have revealed the role of gene and genome duplication in fostering emergence and turn-over of sex determining mechanisms. 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Probing He bubbles in naturally aged and annealed δ-Pu alloys using ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering

DOE PAGES

Jeffries, J. R.; Hammons, J. A.; Willey, T. M.; ...

2017-10-31

We report the self-irradiation of Pu alloys generates He that is trapped within the metal matrix in the form of He bubbles. The distribution of these He bubbles in δ-phase Pu-Ga alloys exhibits a peak near a radius of 0.7 nm, and this size is remarkably stable as function of time. When annealed, the He bubbles in δ-Pu alloys grow, coarsening the distribution. However, the magnitude of this coarsening is uncertain, as different experimental methods reveal bubbles that differ by at least one order of magnitude. Small-angle x-ray scattering results, which can probe a wide range of bubble sizes, implymore » only a mild coarsening of the He bubble distribution for an annealing treatment of 425 °C for 24 h, and analysis of the He bubble content suggests that He is actually lost from the bubbles with annealing.« less

Self-Reference Refractive Index Sensor Based on Independently Controlled Double Resonances in Side-Coupled U-Shaped Resonators.

PubMed

Ren, Xiaobin; Ren, Kun; Ming, Chengguo

2018-04-28

A plasmonic, refractive, index nanosensor is investigated theoretically and numerically in two U-shaped cavities side-coupled to a metal⁻dielectric⁻metal (MDM) waveguide. A transparency window between two transmission dips is observed. The physical origin of the transmission phenomenon is revealed by mapping the magnetic field distribution. Independent double resonances are realized through the proposed design. Double resonances showed diverse responses to the variations of the structural dimensions. In particular, they presented different dependences on a refraction index of the medium in an individual resonator. One resonance exhibited a remarkable shift with the increase of the refraction index; however, the other resonance remained unchanged. On the basis of this unique characteristic of differing sensitivities, self-reference sensing is discussed. The nanosensor yielded a high sensitivity of 917 nm/RIU and a figure of merit of 180 RIU −1 . This work is helpful in terms of the design of on-chip optical sensors with high sensitivity and improved detection accuracy in complicated environments.

Social and nonsocial behaviours of sex- and age-matched enclosed and free-ranging rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

PubMed

Baulu, J; Redmond, D E

1980-01-01

The behavioural profiles (time budgeting of social and nonsocial activities) and the frequencies of major social interactions of corral-enclosed rhesus monkeys were compared with sex- and age-matched free-ranging rhesus monkeys on La Cueva Island, Puerto Rico. All animals (n = 32) were provisioned ad libitum at specific feeder sites. The occurrence of 14 behaviours around feeders was compared with their occurrence away from the feeders by noting the location of each monkey relative to the feeder at the time of observation. An analysis of variance between free-ranging versus corral-enclosed groups and within groups by location (around or away from the feeder) revealed significant differences in several behavioural categories, including foraging, lookout, inactive, dominant, submissive, allogrooming, social contact, social initiative, active, and passive behaviours. When the effect of limited food distribution sites was analyzed by comparing data recorded away from the feeding sites, there were remarkably few differences between the groups.

Putting Humpty together and pulling him apart: accessing and unbinding the hippocampal item-context engram.

PubMed

Sadeh, Talya; Maril, Anat; Bitan, Tali; Goshen-Gottstein, Yonatan

2012-03-01

A remarkable act of memory entails binding different forms of information. We focus on the timeless question of how the bound engram is accessed such that its component features-item and context-are extracted. To shed light on this question, we investigate the dynamics between brain structures that together mediate the binding and extraction of item and context. Converging evidence has implicated the Parahippocampal cortex (PHc) in contextual processing, the Perirhinal cortex (PRc) in item processing, and the hippocampus in item-context binding. Effective connectivity analysis was conducted on fMRI data gathered during retrieval on tests that differ with regard to the to-be-extracted information. Results revealed that recall is initiated by context-related PHc activity, followed by hippocampal item-context engram activation, and completed with retrieval of the study-item by the PRc. The reverse path was found for recognition. We thus provide novel evidence for dissociative patterns of item-context unbinding during retrieval. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of SEC-ICP-MS for comparative analyses of metal-containing species in cancerous and healthy human thyroid samples.

PubMed

Boulyga, Sergei F; Loreti, Valeria; Bettmer, Jörg; Heumann, Klaus G

2004-09-01

Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was coupled on-line to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for speciation study of trace metals in cancerous thyroid tissues in comparison to healthy thyroids aimed to estimation of changes in metalloprotein speciation in pathological tissue. The study showed a presence of species binding Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in healthy thyroid tissue with a good reproducibility of chromatographic results, whereas the same species could not be detected in cancerous tissues. Thus, remarkable differences with respect to metal-binding species were revealed between healthy and pathological thyroid samples, pointing out a completely different distribution of trace metals in cancerous tissues. The metal-binding species could not be identified in the frame of this work because of a lack of appropriate standards. Nevertheless, the results obtained confirm the suitability of SEC-ICP-MS for monitoring of changes in trace metal distribution in cancerous tissue and will help to better understand the role of metal-containing species in thyroid pathology.

Phase diagrams for the spatial public goods game with pool punishment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szolnoki, Attila; Szabó, György; Perc, Matjaž

2011-03-01

The efficiency of institutionalized punishment is studied by evaluating the stationary states in the spatial public goods game comprising unconditional defectors, cooperators, and cooperating pool punishers as the three competing strategies. Fines and costs of pool punishment are considered as the two main parameters determining the stationary distributions of strategies on the square lattice. Each player collects a payoff from five five-person public goods games, and the evolution of strategies is subsequently governed by imitation based on pairwise comparisons at a low level of noise. The impact of pool punishment on the evolution of cooperation in structured populations is significantly different from that reported previously for peer punishment. Representative phase diagrams reveal remarkably rich behavior, depending also on the value of the synergy factor that characterizes the efficiency of investments payed into the common pool. Besides traditional single- and two-strategy stationary states, a rock-paper-scissors type of cyclic dominance can emerge in strikingly different ways.

High Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis Infection among Schoolchildren in Three Townships around Yangon, Myanmar

PubMed Central

Chai, Jong-Yil; Yang, Seung Koo; Kim, Jae Won; Choi, Soo-Lyoen; Song, Gyu-Young; Jung, Bong-Kwang; Kim, Min-Jae; Cho, Jaeeun; Kim, Deok-Gyu; Sohn, Woon-Mok; Jeoung, Hoo-Gn; Cho, Seon; Park, Jong-Bok; Hong, Sooji; Htoon, Thi Thi; Tin, Htay Htay

2015-01-01

In order to determine the status of Enterobius vermicularis infection among schoolchildren in suburban areas of Myanmar, 761 primary schoolchildren in 3 different townships around Yangon City were subjected to a survey using cello-tape anal swabs. The subjected schoolchildren were 383 boys and 378 girls who were 5-7 years of age. Only 1 anal swab was obtained from each child. The overall egg positive rate of E. vermicularis was 47.2% (359 positives), and sex difference was not remarkable (48.6% in boys and 45.8% in girls). However, the positive rate was the highest in South Dagon (54.6%) followed by Hlaing Thayar (43.8%) and North Dagon (34.8%). This difference was highly correlated with the living standards of the people in each township. Nucleotide sequence of the 5S rDNA from the eggs on the cello-tape (2 children) revealed 99.7% identity with that of E. vermicularis reported in GenBank. The results indicated that E. vermicularis infection is highly prevalent among primary schoolchildren around Yangon, Myanmar. PMID:26797448

High Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis Infection among Schoolchildren in Three Townships around Yangon, Myanmar.

PubMed

Chai, Jong-Yil; Yang, Seung Koo; Kim, Jae Won; Choi, Soo-Lyoen; Song, Gyu-Young; Jung, Bong-Kwang; Kim, Min-Jae; Cho, Jaeeun; Kim, Deok-Gyu; Sohn, Woon-Mok; Jeoung, Hoo-Gn; Cho, Seon; Park, Jong-Bok; Hong, Sooji; Htoon, Thi Thi; Tin, Htay Htay

2015-12-01

In order to determine the status of Enterobius vermicularis infection among schoolchildren in suburban areas of Myanmar, 761 primary schoolchildren in 3 different townships around Yangon City were subjected to a survey using cello-tape anal swabs. The subjected schoolchildren were 383 boys and 378 girls who were 5-7 years of age. Only 1 anal swab was obtained from each child. The overall egg positive rate of E. vermicularis was 47.2% (359 positives), and sex difference was not remarkable (48.6% in boys and 45.8% in girls). However, the positive rate was the highest in South Dagon (54.6%) followed by Hlaing Thayar (43.8%) and North Dagon (34.8%). This difference was highly correlated with the living standards of the people in each township. Nucleotide sequence of the 5S rDNA from the eggs on the cello-tape (2 children) revealed 99.7% identity with that of E. vermicularis reported in GenBank. The results indicated that E. vermicularis infection is highly prevalent among primary schoolchildren around Yangon, Myanmar.

Yarrowia lipolytica possesses two plasma membrane alkali metal cation/H+ antiporters with different functions in cell physiology.

PubMed

Papouskova, Klara; Sychrova, Hana

2006-04-03

The family of Nha antiporters mediating the efflux of alkali metal cations in exchange for protons across the plasma membrane is conserved in all yeast species. Yarrowia lipolytica is a dimorphic yeast, phylogenetically very distant from the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A search in its sequenced genome revealed two genes (designated as YlNHA1 and YlNHA2) with homology to the S. cerevisiae NHA1 gene, which encodes a plasma membrane alkali metal cation/H+ antiporter. Upon heterologous expression of both YlNHA genes in S. cerevisiae, we showed that Y. lipolytica antiporters differ not only in length and sequence, but also in their affinity for individual substrates. While the YlNha1 protein mainly increased cell tolerance to potassium, YlNha2p displayed a remarkable transport capacity for sodium. Thus, Y. lipolytica is the first example of a yeast species with two plasma membrane alkali metal cation/H+ antiporters differing in their putative functions in cell physiology; cell detoxification vs. the maintenance of stable intracellular pH, potassium content and cell volume.

Exon Shuffling and Origin of Scorpion Venom Biodiversity

PubMed Central

Wang, Xueli; Gao, Bin; Zhu, Shunyi

2016-01-01

Scorpion venom is a complex combinatorial library of peptides and proteins with multiple biological functions. A combination of transcriptomic and proteomic techniques has revealed its enormous molecular diversity, as identified by the presence of a large number of ion channel-targeted neurotoxins with different folds, membrane-active antimicrobial peptides, proteases, and protease inhibitors. Although the biodiversity of scorpion venom has long been known, how it arises remains unsolved. In this work, we analyzed the exon-intron structures of an array of scorpion venom protein-encoding genes and unexpectedly found that nearly all of these genes possess a phase-1 intron (one intron located between the first and second nucleotides of a codon) near the cleavage site of a signal sequence despite their mature peptides remarkably differ. This observation matches a theory of exon shuffling in the origin of new genes and suggests that recruitment of different folds into scorpion venom might be achieved via shuffling between body protein-coding genes and ancestral venom gland-specific genes that presumably contributed tissue-specific regulatory elements and secretory signal sequences. PMID:28035955

Exon Shuffling and Origin of Scorpion Venom Biodiversity.

PubMed

Wang, Xueli; Gao, Bin; Zhu, Shunyi

2016-12-26

Scorpion venom is a complex combinatorial library of peptides and proteins with multiple biological functions. A combination of transcriptomic and proteomic techniques has revealed its enormous molecular diversity, as identified by the presence of a large number of ion channel-targeted neurotoxins with different folds, membrane-active antimicrobial peptides, proteases, and protease inhibitors. Although the biodiversity of scorpion venom has long been known, how it arises remains unsolved. In this work, we analyzed the exon-intron structures of an array of scorpion venom protein-encoding genes and unexpectedly found that nearly all of these genes possess a phase-1 intron (one intron located between the first and second nucleotides of a codon) near the cleavage site of a signal sequence despite their mature peptides remarkably differ. This observation matches a theory of exon shuffling in the origin of new genes and suggests that recruitment of different folds into scorpion venom might be achieved via shuffling between body protein-coding genes and ancestral venom gland-specific genes that presumably contributed tissue-specific regulatory elements and secretory signal sequences.

Application of remote sensing data to structural analysis of the East Kalimantan, Indonesia

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

Moriya, Shunji; Nishidai, Takashi

1996-07-01

JERS-1 SAR and LANDSAT TM images of the northern Kutei Basin, East Kalimantan, Indonesia were geologically interpreted. The focus of the study is on the structural analysis of the Samarinda Anticlinorium located in the onshore area of the Kutei Basin. In the Samarinda Anticlinorium, N-S folds and thrusts are well developed in the Tertiary sediments. They are believed to have been formed during the Middle Miocene or later. In addition to the N-S structure, an extensive NW-SE lineament traversing the central part of the study area can be identified on the images. Image interpretation reveals that this lineament is amore » major fault formed before the Oligocene. Noticeable differences in the N-S structure are recognized at the north and south of this NW-SE fault, Lithology and thickness of the sediments overlying the basement are remarkably different at the north and south of the fault. These may be responsible for the differences in the N-S structure of the northern and southern Anticlinorium.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Surface gravity determination in late-type stars (Morel+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morel, T.; Miglio, A.

2012-06-01

The frequency of maximum oscillation power measured in dwarfs and giants exhibiting solar-like pulsations provides a precise, and potentially accurate, inference of the stellar surface gravity. An extensive comparison for about 40 well-studied pulsating stars with gravities derived using classical methods (ionization balance, pressure-sensitive spectral features or location with respect to evolutionary tracks) supports the validity of this technique and reveals an overall remarkable agreement with mean differences not exceeding 0.05dex (although with a dispersion of up to ~0.2dex). It is argued that interpolation in theoretical isochrones may be the most precise way of estimating the gravity by traditional means in nearby dwarfs. Attention is drawn to the usefulness of seismic targets as benchmarks in the context of large-scale surveys. (1 data file).

Humanizing birth: a global grassroots movement.

PubMed

Goer, Henci

2004-12-01

A survey of a convenience sample of 24 grassroots birth activist groups based in several countries revealed remarkable similarities despite differences in culture and maternity care systems. With few exceptions, they began with a few individuals, generally women, who were dissatisfied or angry with an obstetric management system that failed to provide safe, effective, humane maternity care, that suppressed alternative models of care and nonconforming practitioners, or both. Responses indicated that organizational structures tend to fall into a limited number of categories, and strategies intended to accomplish reform overlap considerably. All groups have experienced difficulties resulting from the hegemony of conventional obstetric management and active opposition of practitioners within that model. Most groups are volunteer based, and all struggle under the handicap of limited resources compared with the forces arrayed against them and the scope of what they hope to accomplish.

Sensitivity to coincidences and paranormal belief.

PubMed

Hadlaczky, Gergö; Westerlund, Joakim

2011-12-01

Often it is difficult to find a natural explanation as to why a surprising coincidence occurs. In attempting to find one, people may be inclined to accept paranormal explanations. The objective of this study was to investigate whether people with a lower threshold for being surprised by coincidences have a greater propensity to become believers compared to those with a higher threshold. Participants were exposed to artificial coincidences, which were formally defined as less or more probable, and were asked to provide remarkability ratings. Paranormal belief was measured by the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale. An analysis of the remarkability ratings revealed a significant interaction effect between Sheep-Goat score and type of coincidence, suggesting that people with lower thresholds of surprise, when experiencing coincidences, harbor higher paranormal belief than those with a higher threshold. The theoretical aspects of these findings were discussed.

Multiscale Spatial Assessment of Determinant Factors of Land Use Change: Study at Urban Area of Yogyakarta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susilo, Bowo

2017-12-01

Studies of land use change have been undertaken by different researchers using various methods. Among those methods, modelling is widely utilized. Modelling land use change required several components remarked as model variables. Those represent any conditions or factors which considered relevant or have some degree of correlation to the changes of land use. Variables which have significant correlation to land use change are referred as determinant factors or driving forces. Those factors as well as changes of land use are distributed across space and therefore referred as spatial determinant factors. The main objective of the research was to examine land use change and its determinant factors. Area and location of land use change were analysed based on three different years of land use maps, which are 1993, 2000 and 2007. Spatial and temporal analysis were performed which emphasize to the influence of scale to both of analysis’s. Urban area of Yogyakarta was selected as study area. Study area covered three different districts (kabupaten), involving 20 sub districts and totally consists of 74 villages. Result of this study shows that during 14 years periods (1993 to 2007), there were about 1,460 hectares of land use change had been taken place. Dominant type of land use change is agricultural to residential. The uses of different spatial and temporal scale in analysis were able to reveal different factors related to land use change. In general, factors influencing the quantities of land use change in the study area were population growth and the availability of land. The use of data with different spatial resolution can reveal the presence of various factors associated with the location of the change. Locations of land use change were influenced or determined by accessibility factors.

Effects of different mechanized soil fertilization methods on corn nutrient accumulation and yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Qingwen; Bai, Chunming; Wang, Huixin; Wu, Di; Song, Qiaobo; Dong, Zengqi; Gao, Depeng; Dong, Qiping; Cheng, Xin; Zhang, Yahao; Mu, Jiahui; Chen, Qinghong; Liao, Wenqing; Qu, Tianru; Zhang, Chunling; Zhang, Xinyu; Liu, Yifei; Han, Xiaori

2017-05-01

Aim: Experiments for mechanized corn soil fertilization were conducted in Faku demonstration zone. On this basis, we studied effects on corn nutrient accumulation and yield traits at brown soil regions due to different mechanized soil fertilization measures. We also evaluated and optimized the regulation effects of mechanized soil fertilization for the purpose of crop yield increase and production efficiency improvement. Method: Based on the survey of soil background value in the demonstration zone, we collected plant samples during different corn growth periods to determine and make statistical analysis. Conclusions: Decomposed cow dung, when under mechanical broadcasting, was able to remarkably increase nitrogen and potassium accumulation content of corns at their ripe stage. Crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage would remarkably increase phosphorus accumulation content of corn plants. When compared with top application, crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage would remarkably increase corn thousand kernel weight (TKW). Mechanized broadcasting of granular organic fertilizer and crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage, when compared with surface application, were able to boost corn yield in the in the demonstration zone.

An unusual cause of flash pulmonary oedema

PubMed Central

Palkar, Atul Vijay; Shrivastava, Makardhwaj Sarvadaman; Moulick, Nivedita D

2012-01-01

We report a case of young woman who presented with acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema and respiratory failure. She underwent emergent endotracheal intubation and was transferred to the intensive care unit. She responded to intravenous diuretics and positive pressure ventilation. Subsequent workup revealed that she had Graves’ disease and was in thyrotoxic crisis. Therapy with propranolol and propylthiouracil was instituted to which she showed remarkable improvement. PMID:22707683

Remarkable fly (Diptera) diversity in a patch of Costa Rican cloud forest: Why inventory is a vital science

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

All flies (Diptera) collected for one year from a four-hectare (150 X 266 meter) patch of cloud forest at 1600 meters above sea level at Zurquí de Moravia, San José Province, Costa Rica (hereafter referred to as Zurquí), revealed an astounding 4,348 species. These amount to more than half the number...

Air-stable n-type semiconductor: core-perfluoroalkylated perylene bisimides.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Tan, Lin; Wang, Zhaohui; Qian, Hualei; Shi, Yubai; Hu, Wenping

2008-02-21

A series of core-perfluoroalkylated perylene bisimides (PBIs) have been efficiently synthesized by copper-mediated perfluoroalkylation of dibrominated PBIs. Their aromatic cores are highly twisted due to the steric encumbrance in the bay regions as revealed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) incorporating these new n-type semiconductors show remarkable air-stability and good field effect mobility.

Transfection Studies with Colloidal Systems Containing Highly Purified Bipolar Tetraether Lipids from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.

PubMed

Engelhardt, Konrad H; Pinnapireddy, Shashank Reddy; Baghdan, Elias; Jedelská, Jarmila; Bakowsky, Udo

2017-01-01

Lipid vectors are commonly used to facilitate the transfer of nucleic acids into mammalian cells. In this study, two fractions of tetraether lipids from the archaea Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were extracted and purified using different methods. The purified lipid fractions polar lipid fraction E (PLFE) and hydrolysed glycerol-dialkyl-nonitol tetraether (hGDNT) differ in their structures, charge, size, and miscibility from conventional lipids. Liposomes were prepared by mixing tetraether lipids with cholesterol (CH) and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) resulting in stable vectors for gene delivery. Lipoplexes were prepared by complexation of liposomes with a luciferase expressing plasmid (pCMV-luc) at certain nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N/P) ratios and optimised for the transient transfection of ovarian adenocarcinoma cells (SK-OV-3). Complexation efficacy was investigated by gel-red fluorescence assay. Biophysical properties, like size, surface charge, and morphology, were investigated by differential light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM), respectively, revealing structural differences between liposomes and lipoplexes. A range of stable transfecting agents containing tetraether lipids were obtained by incorporating 5 mol% of tetraether lipids. Lipoplexes showed a decrease in free gel-red with increasing N/P ratios indicating efficient incorporation of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and remarkable stability. Transfection experiments of the lipoplexes revealed successful and superior transfection of SK-OV-3 cell line compared to the commercially available DOTAP and branched polyethyleneimine (25 kDa bPEI).

Transfection Studies with Colloidal Systems Containing Highly Purified Bipolar Tetraether Lipids from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

PubMed Central

Pinnapireddy, Shashank Reddy; Baghdan, Elias; Jedelská, Jarmila

2017-01-01

Lipid vectors are commonly used to facilitate the transfer of nucleic acids into mammalian cells. In this study, two fractions of tetraether lipids from the archaea Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were extracted and purified using different methods. The purified lipid fractions polar lipid fraction E (PLFE) and hydrolysed glycerol-dialkyl-nonitol tetraether (hGDNT) differ in their structures, charge, size, and miscibility from conventional lipids. Liposomes were prepared by mixing tetraether lipids with cholesterol (CH) and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) resulting in stable vectors for gene delivery. Lipoplexes were prepared by complexation of liposomes with a luciferase expressing plasmid (pCMV-luc) at certain nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N/P) ratios and optimised for the transient transfection of ovarian adenocarcinoma cells (SK-OV-3). Complexation efficacy was investigated by gel-red fluorescence assay. Biophysical properties, like size, surface charge, and morphology, were investigated by differential light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM), respectively, revealing structural differences between liposomes and lipoplexes. A range of stable transfecting agents containing tetraether lipids were obtained by incorporating 5 mol% of tetraether lipids. Lipoplexes showed a decrease in free gel-red with increasing N/P ratios indicating efficient incorporation of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and remarkable stability. Transfection experiments of the lipoplexes revealed successful and superior transfection of SK-OV-3 cell line compared to the commercially available DOTAP and branched polyethyleneimine (25 kDa bPEI). PMID:28239294

The structure of bradyzoite-specific enolase from Toxoplasma gondii reveals insights into its dual cytoplasmic and nuclear functions

DOE PAGES

Ruan, Jiapeng; Mouveaux, Thomas; Light, Samuel H.; ...

2015-03-01

In addition to catalyzing a central step in glycolysis, enolase assumes a remarkably diverse set of secondary functions in different organisms, including transcription regulation as documented for the oncogene c-Myc promoter-binding protein 1. The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii differentially expresses two nuclear-localized, plant-like enolases: enolase 1 (TgENO1) in the latent bradyzoite cyst stage and enolase 2 (TgENO2) in the rapidly replicative tachyzoite stage. A 2.75 Å resolution crystal structure of bradyzoite enolase 1, the second structure to be reported of a bradyzoite-specific protein inToxoplasma, captures an open conformational state and reveals that distinctive plant-like insertions are located on surface loops.more » The enolase 1 structure reveals that a unique residue, Glu164, in catalytic loop 2 may account for the lower activity of this cyst-stage isozyme. Recombinant TgENO1 specifically binds to a TTTTCT DNA motif present in the cyst matrix antigen 1 (TgMAG1) gene promoter as demonstrated by gel retardation. Furthermore, direct physical interactions of both nuclear TgENO1 and TgENO2 with the TgMAG1 gene promoter are demonstrated n vivo using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Structural and biochemical studies reveal that T. gondii enolase functions are multifaceted, including the coordination of gene regulation in parasitic stage development. Lastly, enolase 1 provides a potential lead in the design of drugs against Toxoplasma brain cysts.« less

Superhydrophobic properties induced by sol-gel routes on copper surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raimondo, M.; Veronesi, F.; Boveri, G.; Guarini, G.; Motta, A.; Zanoni, R.

2017-11-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces are attracting increasing attention in different fields such as energy, transportation, building industry and electronics, as they exhibit many interesting properties such as high water repellence, anti-fogging, anti-corrosion, anti-fouling and self-cleaning abilities. Here, superhydrophobic nanostructured hybrid materials obtained by depositing alumina nanoparticles on copper surfaces via dip coating in Al2O3 sol are presented. Two different preparation routes were explored, based on either an alcoholic or an aqueous Al2O3 sol, and the resulting wetting properties were compared. Wettability measurements showed that when the alcoholic sol is used superhydrophobicity is attained, with values of water contact angle very close to the upper limit of 180°, while highly hydrophobic coatings are obtained with the aqueous sol. These findings were further supported by electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which revealed that the surface layer deposited on Cu is more homogenous and richer in alumina nanoparticles when the alcoholic sol was used. Durability of the superhydrophobic coating was assessed by performing ageing tests in chemically aggressive environments. A remarkable resistance is displayed by the superhydrophobic coating in acid environment, while alkaline conditions severely affect its properties. Such behaviors were investigated by XPS and FE-SEM measurements, which disclosed the nature of the surface reactions under the different conditions tested. The present results underline that a thorough investigation of surface morphology, chemical composition and wetting properties reveals their strongly connection and helps optimizing the combination of substrate nanostructuring and suitable chemical coating for an improved durability in different aggressive environments.

A Qualitative Study to Understand Nativity Differences in Breastfeeding Behaviors Among Middle-Class African American and African-Born Women.

PubMed

Fabiyi, Camille; Peacock, Nadine; Hebert-Beirne, Jennifer; Handler, Arden

2016-10-01

Objective To explore nativity differences and the role of attitudes, social norms, and behavioral control perceptions surrounding breastfeeding initiation and duration among middle-class African-American (AA) and African-born (AB) mothers in the US. Methods Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 20 middle-class AA and AB mothers in central Ohio from December 2012 to February 2013. Interview questions were developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Interviews were analyzed for salient themes by TPB constructs. Differences in themes were examined by nativity status. Results All study participants had initiated breastfeeding or bottle-feeding with expressed breast milk, noting the benefits it conferred as well as the persuasive encouragement they received from others. Persistent encouragement was often cited as a factor for sustaining breastfeeding. More AA mothers had discontinued breastfeeding by the time of the interview, which was often attributed to health, lactation, and work challenges. Inconsistent support from health providers, dissuasive remarks from others, ambivalent breastfeeding attitudes, and diminished family support led some mothers to begin formula supplementation. Analysis of maternal narratives revealed nativity differences across sources of encouragement. Specifically, important sources of encouragement were health providers for AA mothers and family, friends, partners and culture for AB mothers. Only AB mothers expressed concerns about difficulty they encountered with breastfeeding due to the lack of proximal family support. Conclusions Findings reveal that both groups of mothers may be susceptible to unsupportive breastfeeding norms in the US and also highlight the need for intervention in health care settings and workplaces to improve AA women's breastfeeding rates.

Fish-mediated changes in bacterioplankton community composition: an in situ mesocosm experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Congqiang; Yi, Chunlong; Ni, Leyi; Guo, Longgen

2017-06-01

We characterized variations in bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) in mesocosms subject to three different treatments. Two groups contained fish (group one: Cyprinus carpio; group two: Hypophthalmichthys molitrix); and group three, the untreated mesocosm, was the control. Samples were taken seven times over a 49-day period, and BCC was analyzed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Results revealed that introduction of C. carpio and H. molitrix had a remarkable impact on the composition of bacterioplankton communities, and the BCC was significantly different between each treatment. Sequencing of DGGE bands revealed that the bacterioplankton community in the different treatment groups was consistent at a taxonomic level, but differed in its abundance. H. molitrix promoted the richness of Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria, while more bands affiliated to Cyanobacteria were detected inC. carpio mesocosms. The redundancy analysis (RDA) result demonstrated that the BCC was closely related to the bottom-up (total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, phytoplankton biomass) and top-down forces (biomass of copepods and cladocera) in C. carpio and control mesocosms, respectively. We found no evidence for top-down regulation of BCC by zooplankton in H. molitrix mesocosms, while grazing by protozoa (heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates) became the major way to regulate BCC. Total bacterioplankton abundances were significantly higher in C. carpio mesocosms because of high nutrient concentration and suspended solids. Our study provided insights into the relationship between fish and bacterioplankton at species level, leading to a deep understanding of the function of the microbial loop and the aquatic ecosystem.

Fish-mediated changes in bacterioplankton community composition: an in situ mesocosm experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Congqiang; Yi, Chunlong; Ni, Leyi; Guo, Longgen

2018-03-01

We characterized variations in bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) in mesocosms subject to three different treatments. Two groups contained fish (group one: Cyprinus carpio; group two: Hypophthalmichthys molitrix); and group three, the untreated mesocosm, was the control. Samples were taken seven times over a 49-d period, and BCC was analyzed by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Results revealed that introduction of C. carpio and H. molitrix had a remarkable impact on the composition of bacterioplankton communities, and the BCC was significantly different between each treatment. Sequencing of DGGE bands revealed that the bacterioplankton community in the different treatment groups was consistent at a taxonomic level, but differed in its abundance. H. molitrix promoted the richness of Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria, while more bands affiliated to Cyanobacteria were detected in C. carpio mesocosms. The redundancy analysis (RDA) result demonstrated that the BCC was closely related to the bottom-up (total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, phytoplankton biomass) and top-down forces (biomass of copepods and cladocera) in C. carpio and control mesocosms, respectively. We found no evidence for top-down regulation of BCC by zooplankton in H. molitrix mesocosms, while grazing by protozoa (heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates) became the major way to regulate BCC. Total bacterioplankton abundances were significantly higher in C. carpio mesocosms because of high nutrient concentration and suspended solids. Our study provided insights into the relationship between fish and bacterioplankton at species level, leading to a deep understanding of the function of the microbial loop and the aquatic ecosystem.

Contrasting patterns of coral bleaching susceptibility in 2010 suggest an adaptive response to thermal stress.

PubMed

Guest, James R; Baird, Andrew H; Maynard, Jeffrey A; Muttaqin, Efin; Edwards, Alasdair J; Campbell, Stuart J; Yewdall, Katie; Affendi, Yang Amri; Chou, Loke Ming

2012-01-01

Coral bleaching events vary in severity, however, to date, the hierarchy of susceptibility to bleaching among coral taxa has been consistent over a broad geographic range and among bleaching episodes. Here we examine the extent of spatial and temporal variation in thermal tolerance among scleractinian coral taxa and between locations during the 2010 thermally induced, large-scale bleaching event in South East Asia. Surveys to estimate the bleaching and mortality indices of coral genera were carried out at three locations with contrasting thermal and bleaching histories. Despite the magnitude of thermal stress being similar among locations in 2010, there was a remarkable contrast in the patterns of bleaching susceptibility. Comparisons of bleaching susceptibility within coral taxa and among locations revealed no significant differences between locations with similar thermal histories, but significant differences between locations with contrasting thermal histories (Friedman = 34.97; p<0.001). Bleaching was much less severe at locations that bleached during 1998, that had greater historical temperature variability and lower rates of warming. Remarkably, Acropora and Pocillopora, taxa that are typically highly susceptible, although among the most susceptible in Pulau Weh (Sumatra, Indonesia) where respectively, 94% and 87% of colonies died, were among the least susceptible in Singapore, where only 5% and 12% of colonies died. The pattern of susceptibility among coral genera documented here is unprecedented. A parsimonious explanation for these results is that coral populations that bleached during the last major warming event in 1998 have adapted and/or acclimatised to thermal stress. These data also lend support to the hypothesis that corals in regions subject to more variable temperature regimes are more resistant to thermal stress than those in less variable environments.

Contrasting Patterns of Coral Bleaching Susceptibility in 2010 Suggest an Adaptive Response to Thermal Stress

PubMed Central

Guest, James R.; Baird, Andrew H.; Maynard, Jeffrey A.; Muttaqin, Efin; Edwards, Alasdair J.; Campbell, Stuart J.; Yewdall, Katie; Affendi, Yang Amri; Chou, Loke Ming

2012-01-01

Background Coral bleaching events vary in severity, however, to date, the hierarchy of susceptibility to bleaching among coral taxa has been consistent over a broad geographic range and among bleaching episodes. Here we examine the extent of spatial and temporal variation in thermal tolerance among scleractinian coral taxa and between locations during the 2010 thermally induced, large-scale bleaching event in South East Asia. Methodology/Principal Findings Surveys to estimate the bleaching and mortality indices of coral genera were carried out at three locations with contrasting thermal and bleaching histories. Despite the magnitude of thermal stress being similar among locations in 2010, there was a remarkable contrast in the patterns of bleaching susceptibility. Comparisons of bleaching susceptibility within coral taxa and among locations revealed no significant differences between locations with similar thermal histories, but significant differences between locations with contrasting thermal histories (Friedman = 34.97; p<0.001). Bleaching was much less severe at locations that bleached during 1998, that had greater historical temperature variability and lower rates of warming. Remarkably, Acropora and Pocillopora, taxa that are typically highly susceptible, although among the most susceptible in Pulau Weh (Sumatra, Indonesia) where respectively, 94% and 87% of colonies died, were among the least susceptible in Singapore, where only 5% and 12% of colonies died. Conclusions/Significance The pattern of susceptibility among coral genera documented here is unprecedented. A parsimonious explanation for these results is that coral populations that bleached during the last major warming event in 1998 have adapted and/or acclimatised to thermal stress. These data also lend support to the hypothesis that corals in regions subject to more variable temperature regimes are more resistant to thermal stress than those in less variable environments. PMID:22428027

Reinforcement of double dynamo waves as a source of solar activity and its prediction on millennium timescale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popova, E.; Zharkova, V. V.; Shepherd, S. J.; Zharkov, S.

2016-12-01

Using the principal components of solar magnetic field variations derived from the synoptic maps for solar cycles 21-24 with Principal Components Analysis (PCA) (Zharkova et al, 2015) we confirm our previous prediction of the upcoming Maunder minimum to occur in cycles 25-27, or in 2020-2055. We also use a summary curve of the two eigen vectors of solar magnetic field oscillations (or two dynamo waves) to extrapolate solar activity backwards to the three millennia and to compare it with relevant historic and Holocene data. Extrapolation of the summary curve confirms the eight grand cycles of 350-400-years superimposed on 22 year-cycles caused by beating effect of the two dynamo waves generated in the two (deep and shallow) layers of the solar interior. The grand cycles in different periods comprise a different number of individual 22-year cycles; the longer the grand cycles the larger number of 22 year cycles and the smaller their amplitudes. We also report the super-grand cycle of about 2000 years often found in solas activity with spectral analysis. Furthermore, the summary curve reproduces a remarkable resemblance to the sunspot and terrestrial activity reported in the past: the recent Maunder Minimum (1645-1715), Dalton minimum (1790-1815), Wolf minimum (1200), Homeric minimum (800-900 BC), the Medieval Warmth Period (900-1200), the Roman Warmth Period (400-10BC) and so on. Temporal variations of these dynamo waves are modelled with the two layer mean dynamo model with meridional circulation revealing a remarkable resemblance of the butterfly diagram to the one derived for the last Maunder minimum in 17 century and predicting the one for the upcoming Maunder minimum in 2020-2055.

Effect of humic acids with different characteristics on fermentative short-chain fatty acids production from waste activated sludge.

PubMed

Liu, Kun; Chen, Yinguang; Xiao, Naidong; Zheng, Xiong; Li, Mu

2015-04-21

Recently, the use of waste activated sludge to bioproduce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) has attracted much attention as the sludge-derived SCFA can be used as a preferred carbon source to drive biological nutrient removal or biopolymer (polyhydroxyalkanoates) synthesis. Although large number of humic acid (HA) has been reported in sludge, the influence of HA on SCFA production has never been documented. This study investigated the effects on sludge-derived SCFA production of two commercially available humic acids (referred to as SHHA and SAHA purchased respectively from Shanghai Reagent Company and Sigma-Aldrich) that differ in chemical structure, hydrophobicity, surfactant properties, and degree of aromaticity. It was found that SHHA remarkably enhanced SCFA production (1.7-3.5 folds), while SAHA had no obvious effect. Mechanisms study revealed that all four steps (solubilization, hydrolysis, acidification, and methanogenesis) involved in sludge fermentation were unaffected by SAHA. However, SHHA remarkably improved the solubilization of sludge protein and carbohydrate and the activity of hydrolysis enzymes (protease and α-glucosidase) owing to its greater hydrophobicity and protection of enzyme activity. SHHA also enhanced the acidification step by accelerating the bioreactions of glyceradehyde-3P → d-glycerate 1,3-diphosphate, and pyruvate → acetyl-CoA due to its abundant quinone groups which served as electron acceptor. Further investigation showed that SHHA negatively influenced the activity of acetoclastic methanogens for its competition for electrons and inhibition on the reaction of acetyl-CoA → 5-methyl-THMPT, which caused less SCFA being consumed. All these observations were in correspondence with SHHA significantly enhancing the production of sludge derived SCFA.

Slow Replication Fork Velocity of Homologous Recombination-Defective Cells Results from Endogenous Oxidative Stress.

PubMed

Wilhelm, Therese; Ragu, Sandrine; Magdalou, Indiana; Machon, Christelle; Dardillac, Elodie; Técher, Hervé; Guitton, Jérôme; Debatisse, Michelle; Lopez, Bernard S

2016-05-01

Replications forks are routinely hindered by different endogenous stresses. Because homologous recombination plays a pivotal role in the reactivation of arrested replication forks, defects in homologous recombination reveal the initial endogenous stress(es). Homologous recombination-defective cells consistently exhibit a spontaneously reduced replication speed, leading to mitotic extra centrosomes. Here, we identify oxidative stress as a major endogenous source of replication speed deceleration in homologous recombination-defective cells. The treatment of homologous recombination-defective cells with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine or the maintenance of the cells at low O2 levels (3%) rescues both the replication fork speed, as monitored by single-molecule analysis (molecular combing), and the associated mitotic extra centrosome frequency. Reciprocally, the exposure of wild-type cells to H2O2 reduces the replication fork speed and generates mitotic extra centrosomes. Supplying deoxynucleotide precursors to H2O2-exposed cells rescued the replication speed. Remarkably, treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine strongly expanded the nucleotide pool, accounting for the replication speed rescue. Remarkably, homologous recombination-defective cells exhibit a high level of endogenous reactive oxygen species. Consistently, homologous recombination-defective cells accumulate spontaneous γH2AX or XRCC1 foci that are abolished by treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine or maintenance at 3% O2. Finally, oxidative stress stimulated homologous recombination, which is suppressed by supplying deoxynucleotide precursors. Therefore, the cellular redox status strongly impacts genome duplication and transmission. Oxidative stress should generate replication stress through different mechanisms, including DNA damage and nucleotide pool imbalance. These data highlight the intricacy of endogenous replication and oxidative stresses, which are both evoked during tumorigenesis and senescence initiation, and emphasize the importance of homologous recombination as a barrier against spontaneous genetic instability triggered by the endogenous oxidative/replication stress axis.

Comparison of Multiple Bioactive Constituents in Different Parts of Eucommia ulmoides Based on UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS Combined with PCA.

PubMed

Yan, Ying; Zhao, Hui; Chen, Cuihua; Zou, Lisi; Liu, Xunhong; Chai, Chuan; Wang, Chengcheng; Shi, Jingjing; Chen, Shuyu

2018-03-13

Eucommia ulmoides Oilv. (EU), also called Du-zhong, is a classical traditional Chinese medicine. Its bark, leaf, and male flower are all used for medicinal purposes, called Eucommiae Cortex (EC), Eucommiae Folium (EF), and Eucommiae Flos Male (EFM). In order to study the difference in synthesis and the accumulation of metabolites in different parts of EU, a reliable method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of a total of 21 constituents, including two lignans, 6 iridoids, 6 penylpropanoids, 6 flavonoids, and one phenol in the samples (EC, EF, and EFM). Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to evaluate and classify the samples according to the contents of these 21 constituents. All of the results demonstrated that the chemical compositions in EC, EF, and EFM were significantly different and the differential constituents (i.e., aucubin, geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, pinoresinol-di- O -β-d-glucopyranoside, geniposide, cryptochlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin) were remarkably associated with sample classifications. The research will provide the basic information for revealing the laws of metabolite accumulation in EC, EF, and EFM from the same origin.

Associations of Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Ribotype Profiles with Clinical Disease and Antimicrobial Resistance

PubMed Central

Rasmussen, S. R.; Aarestrup, F. M.; Jensen, N. E.; Jorsal, S. E.

1999-01-01

A total of 122 Streptococcus suis serotype 2 strains were characterized thoroughly by comparing clinical and pathological observations, ribotype profiles, and antimicrobial resistance. Twenty-one different ribotype profiles were found and compared by cluster analysis, resulting in the identification of three ribotype clusters. A total of 58% of all strains investigated were of two ribotypes belonging to different ribotype clusters. A remarkable relationship existed between the observed ribotype profiles and the clinical-pathological observations because strains of one of the two dominant ribotypes were almost exclusively isolated from pigs with meningitis, while strains of the other dominant ribotype were never associated with meningitis. This second ribotype was isolated only from pigs with pneumonia, endocarditis, pericarditis, or septicemia. Cluster analysis revealed that strains belonging to the same ribotype cluster as one of the dominant ribotypes came from pigs that showed clinical signs similar to those of pigs infected with strains with the respective dominant ribotype profiles. Furthermore, strains belonging to different ribotype clusters had totally different patterns of resistance to antibiotics because strains isolated from pigs with meningitis were resistant to sulfamethazoxazole and strains isolated from pigs with pneumonia, endocarditis, pericarditis, or septicemia were resistant to tetracycline. PMID:9889228

A new bioenergetic and thermodynamic approach to batch photoautotrophic growth of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis in different photobioreactors and under different light conditions.

PubMed

da Silva, Milena Fernandes; Casazza, Alessandro Alberto; Ferrari, Pier Francesco; Perego, Patrizia; Bezerra, Raquel Pedrosa; Converti, Attilio; Porto, Ana Lucia Figueiredo

2016-05-01

Photobioreactor configuration, mode of operation and light intensity are known to strongly impact on cyanobacteria growth. To shed light on these issues, kinetic, bioenergetic and thermodynamic parameters of batch Arthrospira platensis cultures were estimated along the time at photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 70μmolm(-2)s(-1) in different photobioreactors with different surface/volume ratio (S/V), namely open pond (0.25cm(-1)), shaken flask (0.48cm(-1)), horizontal photobioreactor (HoP) (1.94cm(-1)) and helicoidal photobioreactor (HeP) (3.88cm(-1)). Maximum biomass concentration and productivity remarkably increased with S/V up to 1.94cm(-1). HoP was shown to be the best-performing system throughout the whole runs, while HeP behaved better only at the start. Runs carried out in HoP increasing PPFD from 40 to 100μmolm(-2)s(-1) revealed a progressive enhancement of bioenergetics and thermodynamics likely because of favorable light distribution. HoP appeared to be a promising configuration to perform high-yield indoor cyanobacterial cultures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of temperature on the aging behavior of 18650-type lithium ion cells: A comprehensive approach combining electrochemical characterization and post-mortem analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friesen, Alex; Mönnighoff, Xaver; Börner, Markus; Haetge, Jan; Schappacher, Falko M.; Winter, Martin

2017-02-01

The understanding of the aging behavior of lithium ion batteries in automotive and energy storage applications is essential for the acceptance of the technology. Therefore, aging experiments were conducted on commercial 18650-type state-of-the-art cells to determine the influence of the temperature during electrochemical cycling on the aging behavior of the different cell components. The cells, based on Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)O2 (NCM532)/graphite, were aged at 20 °C and 45 °C to different states of health. The electrochemical performance of the investigated cells shows remarkable differences depending on the cycling temperature. At contrast to the expected behavior, the cells cycled at 45 °C show a better electrochemical performance over lifetime than the cells cycled at 20 °C. Comprehensive post-mortem analyses revealed the main aging mechanisms, showing a complex interaction between electrodes and electrolyte. The main aging mechanisms of the cells cycled at 45 °C differ strongly at contrast to cells cycled at 20 °C. A strong correlation between the formed SEI, the electrolyte composition and the electrochemical performance over lifetime was observed.

Did the reporting of prognostic studies of tumour markers improve since the introduction of REMARK guideline? A comparison of reporting in published articles

PubMed Central

Mallett, Susan; Altman, Douglas G.; Sauerbrei, Willi

2017-01-01

Although biomarkers are perceived as highly relevant for future clinical practice, few biomarkers reach clinical utility for several reasons. Among them, poor reporting of studies is one of the major problems. To aid improvement, reporting guidelines like REMARK for tumour marker prognostic (TMP) studies were introduced several years ago. The aims of this project were to assess whether reporting quality of TMP-studies improved in comparison to a previously conducted study assessing reporting quality of TMP-studies (PRE-study) and to assess whether articles citing REMARK (citing group) are better reported, in comparison to articles not citing REMARK (not-citing group). For the POST-study, recent articles citing and not citing REMARK (53 each) were identified in selected journals through systematic literature search and evaluated in same way as in the PRE-study. Ten of the 20 items of the REMARK checklist were evaluated and used to define an overall score of reporting quality. The observed overall scores were 53.4% (range: 10%-90%) for the PRE-study, 57.7% (range: 20%-100%) for the not-citing group and 58.1% (range: 30%-100%) for the citing group of the POST-study. While there is no difference between the two groups of the POST-study, the POST-study shows a slight but not relevant improvement in reporting relative to the PRE-study. Not all the articles of the citing group, cited REMARK appropriately. Irrespective of whether REMARK was cited, the overall score was slightly higher for articles published in journals requesting adherence to REMARK than for those published in journals not requesting it: 59.9% versus 51.9%, respectively. Several years after the introduction of REMARK, many key items of TMP-studies are still very poorly reported. A combined effort is needed from authors, editors, reviewers and methodologists to improve the current situation. Good reporting is not just nice to have but is essential for any research to be useful. PMID:28614415

Protein sequences from mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex revealed by mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Asara, John M; Schweitzer, Mary H; Freimark, Lisa M; Phillips, Matthew; Cantley, Lewis C

2007-04-13

Fossilized bones from extinct taxa harbor the potential for obtaining protein or DNA sequences that could reveal evolutionary links to extant species. We used mass spectrometry to obtain protein sequences from bones of a 160,000- to 600,000-year-old extinct mastodon (Mammut americanum) and a 68-million-year-old dinosaur (Tyrannosaurus rex). The presence of T. rex sequences indicates that their peptide bonds were remarkably stable. Mass spectrometry can thus be used to determine unique sequences from ancient organisms from peptide fragmentation patterns, a valuable tool to study the evolution and adaptation of ancient taxa from which genomic sequences are unlikely to be obtained.

A Case of endoscopic retrieval of a long bamboo stick from a Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti).

PubMed

Jung, Woo-Sung; Ko, Minho; Cho, Hyun Kee; Kang, Byung-Jae; Choi, Jung Hoon; Chung, Jin-Young

2017-02-28

An eighteen-month-old female Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) that was 50 cm in length and 4.5 kg in weight was presented with anorexia and vomiting. The hematological and blood biochemical profiles revealed no remarkable findings, and no Salmonella, Shigella or Vibrio spp. were isolated from the fecal culture. However, radiographic imaging revealed a long linear foreign body presenting from the lower esophagus to the stomach. To retrieve this foreign body, flexible endoscopic extraction was performed using flexible rat tooth grasping forceps. A long bamboo stick (29 × 1 cm) was removed from the stomach, and the penguin fully recovered.

A Case of endoscopic retrieval of a long bamboo stick from a Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)

PubMed Central

JUNG, Woo-Sung; KO, Minho; CHO, Hyun Kee; KANG, Byung-Jae; CHOI, Jung Hoon; CHUNG, Jin-Young

2016-01-01

An eighteen-month-old female Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) that was 50 cm in length and 4.5 kg in weight was presented with anorexia and vomiting. The hematological and blood biochemical profiles revealed no remarkable findings, and no Salmonella, Shigella or Vibrio spp. were isolated from the fecal culture. However, radiographic imaging revealed a long linear foreign body presenting from the lower esophagus to the stomach. To retrieve this foreign body, flexible endoscopic extraction was performed using flexible rat tooth grasping forceps. A long bamboo stick (29 × 1 cm) was removed from the stomach, and the penguin fully recovered. PMID:27990010

Recent Observational Progress on Accretion Disks Around Compact Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Jon M.

2016-04-01

Studies of accretion disks around black holes and neutron stars over the last ten years have made remarkable progress. Our understanding of disk evolution as a function of mass accretion rate is pushing toward a consensus on thin/thick disk transitions; an apparent switching between disk-driven outflow modes has emerged; and monitoring observations have revealed complex spectral energy distributions wherein disk reprocessing must be important. Detailed studies of disk winds, in particular, have the potential to reveal the basic physical processes that mediate disk accretion, and to connect with numerical simulations. This talk will review these developments and look ahead to the potential of Astro-H.

Radiological and Pathological Correlation in Anti-MDA5 Antibody-positive Interstitial Lung Disease: Rapidly Progressive Perilobular Opacities and Diffuse Alveolar Damage.

PubMed

Chino, Haruka; Sekine, Akimasa; Baba, Tomohisa; Iwasawa, Tae; Okudela, Koji; Takemura, Tamiko; Itoh, Harumi; Sato, Shinji; Suzuki, Yasuo; Ogura, Takashi

2016-01-01

We herein present the first case of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) antibody evaluated by surgical lung biopsy (SLB). High-resolution CT scan revealed perilobular opacities, which rapidly became thicker and formed consolidation, resulting in remarkable loss of lung volume. Specimens taken from SLB revealed membranous organization with alveolar occlusion, dilation of alveolar ducts, and sacs with collapsed alveoli, which are typical features of diffuse alveolar damage (DAD). Rapidly progressive perilobular opacities may be characteristic of RP-ILD with anti-MDA5 antibody and DAD.

Coping behavior of Finnish adolescents: remarks on a cross-cultural comparison.

PubMed

Seiffge-Krenke, I

1992-12-01

As part of a larger cross-cultural project, the present study analyses the coping styles of Finnish adolescents. A sample of 548 adolescents aged 15 to 17 years was investigated. Coping styles were defined by a matrix of 20 coping strategies applied across eight different developmental areas. Factor analysis revealed a three-dimensional structure of coping styles. The first dimension involves activities such as seeking support or taking advice (Active Coping), the second emphasizes the adolescent's appraisal of the situation and the search for a compromise (Internal Coping/Compromising) and the third includes defenses like denial and withdrawal (Withdrawal) and may be regarded as dysfunctional. The Finnish adolescents most frequently employed functional forms of coping like Active Coping and Internal Coping/Compromising: dysfunctional coping style such as Withdrawal was used less often. In addition, significant main effects for age and gender were found. Girls favored more Active Coping and support seeking behavior, as compared to boys. Both functional coping modes showed an increase with age. A comparison of coping styles across eight different problem areas revealed situation specific influences, too. The discussion compares the coping styles of Finnish adolescents with results of two parallel studies focussing on German and Israeli adolescents, using the same instrument. In spite of the considerable impact of environmental and historical conditions in the three countries, the similarities in coping behavior were impressive.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of aquaporin gene family in Beta vulgaris

PubMed Central

Kong, Weilong; Yang, Shaozong; Wang, Yulu; Bendahmane, Mohammed

2017-01-01

Aquaporins (AQPs) are essential channel proteins that execute multi-functions throughout plant growth and development, including water transport, uncharged solutes uptake, stress response, and so on. Here, we report the first genome-wide identification and characterization AQP (BvAQP) genes in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), an important crop widely cultivated for feed, for sugar production and for bioethanol production. Twenty-eight sugar beet AQPs (BvAQPs) were identified and assigned into five subfamilies based on phylogenetic analyses: seven of plasma membrane (PIPs), eight of tonoplast (TIPs), nine of NOD26-like (NIPs), three of small basic (SIPs), and one of x-intrinsic proteins (XIPs). BvAQP genes unevenly mapped on all chromosomes, except on chromosome 4. Gene structure and motifs analyses revealed that BvAQP have conserved exon-intron organization and that they exhibit conserved motifs within each subfamily. Prediction of BvAQPs functions, based on key protein domains conservation, showed a remarkable difference in substrate specificity among the five subfamilies. Analyses of BvAQPs expression, by mean of RNA-seq, in different plant organs and in response to various abiotic stresses revealed that they were ubiquitously expressed and that their expression was induced by heat and salt stresses. These results provide a reference base to address further the function of sugar beet aquaporins and to explore future applications for plants growth and development improvements as well as in response to environmental stresses. PMID:28948097

Multi-region and single-cell sequencing reveal variable genomic heterogeneity in rectal cancer.

PubMed

Liu, Mingshan; Liu, Yang; Di, Jiabo; Su, Zhe; Yang, Hong; Jiang, Beihai; Wang, Zaozao; Zhuang, Meng; Bai, Fan; Su, Xiangqian

2017-11-23

Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous group of malignancies with complex molecular subtypes. While colon cancer has been widely investigated, studies on rectal cancer are very limited. Here, we performed multi-region whole-exome sequencing and single-cell whole-genome sequencing to examine the genomic intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) of rectal tumors. We sequenced nine tumor regions and 88 single cells from two rectal cancer patients with tumors of the same molecular classification and characterized their mutation profiles and somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) at the multi-region and the single-cell levels. A variable extent of genomic heterogeneity was observed between the two patients, and the degree of ITH increased when analyzed on the single-cell level. We found that major SCNAs were early events in cancer development and inherited steadily. Single-cell sequencing revealed mutations and SCNAs which were hidden in bulk sequencing. In summary, we studied the ITH of rectal cancer at regional and single-cell resolution and demonstrated that variable heterogeneity existed in two patients. The mutational scenarios and SCNA profiles of two patients with treatment naïve from the same molecular subtype are quite different. Our results suggest each tumor possesses its own architecture, which may result in different diagnosis, prognosis, and drug responses. Remarkable ITH exists in the two patients we have studied, providing a preliminary impression of ITH in rectal cancer.

Global diversity in the human salivary microbiome.

PubMed

Nasidze, Ivan; Li, Jing; Quinque, Dominique; Tang, Kun; Stoneking, Mark

2009-04-01

The human salivary microbiome may play a role in diseases of the oral cavity and interact with microbiomes from other parts of the human body (in particular, the intestinal tract), but little is known about normal variation in the salivary microbiome. We analyzed 14,115 partial ( approximately 500 bp) 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences from saliva samples from 120 healthy individuals (10 individuals from each of 12 worldwide locations). These sequences could be assigned to 101 known bacterial genera, of which 39 were not previously reported from the human oral cavity; phylogenetic analysis suggests that an additional 64 unknown genera are present. There is high diversity in the salivary microbiome within and between individuals, but little geographic structure. Overall, approximately 13.5% of the total variance in the composition of genera is due to differences among individuals, which is remarkably similar to the fraction of the total variance in neutral genetic markers that can be attributed to differences among human populations. Investigation of some environmental variables revealed a significant association between the genetic distances among locations and the distance of each location from the equator. Further characterization of the enormous diversity revealed here in the human salivary microbiome will aid in elucidating the role it plays in human health and disease, and in the identification of potentially informative species for studies of human population history.

Epidermal gene expression and ethnic pigmentation variations among individuals of Asian, European and African ancestry.

PubMed

Yin, Lanlan; Coelho, Sergio G; Ebsen, Dominik; Smuda, Christoph; Mahns, Andre; Miller, Sharon A; Beer, Janusz Z; Kolbe, Ludger; Hearing, Vincent J

2014-10-01

Differences in visible skin pigmentation give rise to the wide variation of skin colours seen in racial/ethnic populations. Skin pigmentation is important not only from cosmetic and psychological points of view, but more importantly because of its implications for the risk of all types of skin cancers, on photoaging, etc. Despite differences in those parameters in Caucasian and Asian skin types, they are remarkably similar in their production and distribution of melanins, and the mechanism(s) underlying their different characteristics have remained obscure. In this study, we used microarray analysis of skin suction blisters to investigate molecular differences underlying the determination of pigmentation in various skin types, and we used immunohistochemistry to validate the expression patterns of several interesting targets that were identified. Intriguingly, Caucasian and Asian skins had highly similar gene expression patterns that differed significantly from the pattern of African skin. The results of this study suggest the dynamic interactions of different types of cells in human skin that regulate its pigmentation, reveal that the known pigmentation genes have a limited contribution and uncover a new array of genes, including NINL and S100A4, that might be involved in that regulation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Large Marseillevirus Explores Different Entry Pathways by Forming Giant Infectious Vesicles.

PubMed

Arantes, Thalita Souza; Rodrigues, Rodrigo Araújo Lima; Dos Santos Silva, Ludmila Karen; Oliveira, Graziele Pereira; de Souza, Helton Luís; Khalil, Jacques Y B; de Oliveira, Danilo Bretas; Torres, Alice Abreu; da Silva, Luis Lamberti; Colson, Philippe; Kroon, Erna Geessien; da Fonseca, Flávio Guimarães; Bonjardim, Cláudio Antônio; La Scola, Bernard; Abrahão, Jônatas Santos

2016-06-01

Triggering the amoebal phagocytosis process is a sine qua non condition for most giant viruses to initiate their replication cycle and consequently to promote their progeny formation. It is well known that the amoebal phagocytosis process requires the recognition of particles of >500 nm, and most amoebal giant viruses meet this requirement, such as mimivirus, pandoravirus, pithovirus, and mollivirus. However, in the context of the discovery of amoebal giant viruses in the last decade, Marseillevirus marseillevirus (MsV) has drawn our attention, because despite its ability to successfully replicate in Acanthamoeba, remarkably it does not fulfill the >500-nm condition, since it presents an ∼250-nm icosahedrally shaped capsid. We deeply investigated the MsV cycle by using a set of methods, including virological, molecular, and microscopic (immunofluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy) assays. Our results revealed that MsV is able to form giant vesicles containing dozens to thousands of viral particles wrapped by membranes derived from amoebal endoplasmic reticulum. Remarkably, our results strongly suggested that these giant vesicles are able to stimulate amoebal phagocytosis and to trigger the MsV replication cycle by an acidification-independent process. Also, we observed that MsV entry may occur by the phagocytosis of grouped particles (without surrounding membranes) and by an endosome-stimulated pathway triggered by single particles. Taken together, not only do our data deeply describe the main features of MsV replication cycle, but this is the first time, to our knowledge, that the formation of giant infective vesicles related to a DNA virus has been described. Triggering the amoebal phagocytosis process is a sine qua non condition required by most giant viruses to initiate their replication cycle. This process requires the recognition of particles of >500 nm, and many giant viruses meet this requirement. However, MsV is unusual, as despite having particles of ∼250 nm it is able to replicate in Acanthamoeba Our results revealed that MsV is able to form giant vesicles, containing dozens to thousands of viral particles, wrapped in membranes derived from amoebal endoplasmic reticulum. Remarkably, our results strongly suggest that these giant vesicles are able to stimulate phagocytosis using an acidification-independent process. Our work not only describes the main features of the MsV replication cycle but also describes, for the first time to our knowledge, the formation of huge infective vesicles in a large DNA viruses. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Practical remarks on the heart rate and saturation measurement methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowal, M.; Kubal, S.; Piotrowski, P.; Staniec, K.

2017-05-01

A surface reflection-based method for measuring heart rate and saturation has been introduced as one having a significant advantage over legacy methods in that it lends itself for use in special applications such as those where a person’s mobility is of prime importance (e.g. during a miner’s work) and excluding the use of traditional clips. Then, a complete ATmega1281-based microcontroller platform has been described for performing computational tasks of signal processing and wireless transmission. In the next section remarks have been provided regarding the basic signal processing rules beginning with raw voltage samples of converted optical signals, their acquisition, storage and smoothing. This chapter ends with practical remarks demonstrating an exponential dependence between the minimum measurable heart rate and the readout resolution at different sampling frequencies for different cases of averaging depth (in bits). The following section is devoted strictly to the heart rate and hemoglobin oxygenation (saturation) measurement with the use of the presented platform, referenced to measurements obtained with a stationary certified pulsoxymeter.

Evidence of two-stage melting of Wigner solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knighton, Talbot; Wu, Zhe; Huang, Jian; Serafin, Alessandro; Xia, J. S.; Pfeiffer, L. N.; West, K. W.

2018-02-01

Ultralow carrier concentrations of two-dimensional holes down to p =1 ×109cm-2 are realized. Remarkable insulating states are found below a critical density of pc=4 ×109cm-2 or rs≈40 . Sensitive dc V-I measurement as a function of temperature and electric field reveals a two-stage phase transition supporting the melting of a Wigner solid as a two-stage first-order transition.

Video- Demonstration of Seltzer Tablet in Water Onboard the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Saturday Morning Science, the science of opportunity series of applied experiments and demonstrations, performed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by Expedition 6 astronaut Dr. Don Pettit, revealed some remarkable findings. In this video clip, Pettit demonstrates dropping an Alka Seltzer tablet into a film of water which becomes a floating ball of activity filled water. Watch the video to see the surprising results!

Camping impact management at Isle Royale National Park: An evaluation of visitor activity containment policies from the perspective of social conditions

Treesearch

Tracy A. Farrell; Jeffrey L. Marion

2000-01-01

A survey of backcountry and wilderness campsites at Isle Royale National Park reveals that the park’s policies for managing visitor impacts have been remarkably effective in limiting the areal extent of camping-related disturbance. However, the dense spatial arrangement of designated campsites within backcountry campgrounds has also contributed to problems with visitor...

Multilocus patterns of nucleotide diversity and divergence reveal positive selection at candidate genes related to cold hardiness in coastal Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii).

Treesearch

A. Eckert; J. Wegrzyn; B. Pande; K. Jermstad; J. Lee; J. Liechty; B. Tearse; K. Krutovsky; D. Neale

2009-01-01

Forest trees exhibit remarkable adaptations to their environments. The genetic basis for phenotypic adaptation to climatic gradients has been established through a long history of common garden, provenance, and genecological studies. The identities of genes underlying these traits, however, have remained elusive and thus so have the patterns of adaptive molecular...

Evolution of nectarivory in phyllostomid bats (Phyllostomidae Gray, 1825, Chiroptera: Mammalia).

PubMed

Datzmann, Thomas; von Helversen, Otto; Mayer, Frieder

2010-06-04

Bats of the family Phyllostomidae show a unique diversity in feeding specializations. This taxon includes species that are highly specialized on insects, blood, small vertebrates, fruits or nectar, and pollen. Feeding specialization is accompanied by morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations. Several attempts were made to resolve the phylogenetic relationships within this family in order to reconstruct the evolutionary transitions accompanied by nutritional specialization. Nevertheless, the evolution of nectarivory remained equivocal. Phylogenetic reconstructions, based on a concatenated nuclear-and mitochondrial data set, revealed a paraphyletic relationship of nectarivorous phyllostomid bats. Our phylogenetic reconstructions indicate that the nectarivorous genera Lonchophylla and Lionycteris are closer related to mainly frugivorous phyllostomids of the subfamilies Rhinophyllinae, Stenodermatinae, Carolliinae, and the insectivorous Glyphonycterinae rather than to nectarivorous bats of the Glossophaginae. This suggests an independent origin of morphological adaptations to a nectarivorous lifestyle within Lonchophyllinae and Glossophaginae. Molecular clock analysis revealed a relatively short time frame of about ten million years for the divergence of subfamilies. Our study provides strong support for diphyly of nectarivorous phyllostomids. This is remarkable, since their morphological adaptations to nutrition, like elongated rostrums and tongues, reduced teeth and the ability to use hovering flight while ingestion, closely resemble each other. However, more precise examinations of their tongues (e.g. type and structure of papillae and muscular innervation) revealed levels of difference in line with an independent evolution of nectarivory in these bats.

Revealing the Hidden Relationship by Sparse Modules in Complex Networks with a Large-Scale Analysis

PubMed Central

Jiao, Qing-Ju; Huang, Yan; Liu, Wei; Wang, Xiao-Fan; Chen, Xiao-Shuang; Shen, Hong-Bin

2013-01-01

One of the remarkable features of networks is module that can provide useful insights into not only network organizations but also functional behaviors between their components. Comprehensive efforts have been devoted to investigating cohesive modules in the past decade. However, it is still not clear whether there are important structural characteristics of the nodes that do not belong to any cohesive module. In order to answer this question, we performed a large-scale analysis on 25 complex networks with different types and scales using our recently developed BTS (bintree seeking) algorithm, which is able to detect both cohesive and sparse modules in the network. Our results reveal that the sparse modules composed by the cohesively isolated nodes widely co-exist with the cohesive modules. Detailed analysis shows that both types of modules provide better characterization for the division of a network into functional units than merely cohesive modules, because the sparse modules possibly re-organize the nodes in the so-called cohesive modules, which lack obvious modular significance, into meaningful groups. Compared with cohesive modules, the sizes of sparse ones are generally smaller. Sparse modules are also found to have preferences in social and biological networks than others. PMID:23762457

Arsenic metabolism in high altitude modern stromatolites revealed by metagenomic analysis.

PubMed

Kurth, Daniel; Amadio, Ariel; Ordoñez, Omar F; Albarracín, Virginia H; Gärtner, Wolfgang; Farías, María E

2017-04-21

Modern stromatolites thrive only in selected locations in the world. Socompa Lake, located in the Andean plateau at 3570 masl, is one of the numerous extreme Andean microbial ecosystems described over recent years. Extreme environmental conditions include hypersalinity, high UV incidence, and high arsenic content, among others. After Socompa's stromatolite microbial communities were analysed by metagenomic DNA sequencing, taxonomic classification showed dominance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and a remarkably high number of unclassified sequences. A functional analysis indicated that carbon fixation might occur not only by the Calvin-Benson cycle, but also through alternative pathways such as the reverse TCA cycle, and the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway. Deltaproteobacteria were involved both in sulfate reduction and nitrogen fixation. Significant differences were found when comparing the Socompa stromatolite metagenome to the Shark Bay (Australia) smooth mat metagenome: namely, those involving stress related processes, particularly, arsenic resistance. An in-depth analysis revealed a surprisingly diverse metabolism comprising all known types of As resistance and energy generating pathways. While the ars operon was the main mechanism, an important abundance of arsM genes was observed in selected phyla. The data resulting from this work will prove a cornerstone for further studies on this rare microbial community.

Time irreversibility and multifractality of power along single particle trajectories in turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cencini, Massimo; Biferale, Luca; Boffetta, Guido; De Pietro, Massimo

2017-10-01

The irreversible turbulent energy cascade epitomizes strongly nonequilibrium systems. At the level of single fluid particles, time irreversibility is revealed by the asymmetry of the rate of kinetic energy change, the Lagrangian power, whose moments display a power-law dependence on the Reynolds number, as recently shown by Xu et al. [H. Xu et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 111, 7558 (2014), 10.1073/pnas.1321682111]. Here Lagrangian power statistics are rationalized within the multifractal model of turbulence, whose predictions are shown to agree with numerical and empirical data. Multifractal predictions are also tested, for very large Reynolds numbers, in dynamical models of the turbulent cascade, obtaining remarkably good agreement for statistical quantities insensitive to the asymmetry and, remarkably, deviations for those probing the asymmetry. These findings raise fundamental questions concerning time irreversibility in the infinite-Reynolds-number limit of the Navier-Stokes equations.

Remarkable separability of circulation response to Arctic sea ice loss and greenhouse gas forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCusker, K. E.; Kushner, P. J.; Fyfe, J. C.; Sigmond, M.; Kharin, V. V.; Bitz, C. M.

2017-08-01

Arctic sea ice loss may influence midlatitude climate by changing large-scale circulation. The extent to which climate change can be understood as greenhouse gas-induced changes that are modulated by this loss depends on how additive the responses to the separate influences are. A novel sea ice nudging methodology in a fully coupled climate model reveals that the separate effects of doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and associated Arctic sea ice loss are remarkably additive and insensitive to the mean climate state. This separability is evident in several fields throughout most of the year, from hemispheric to synoptic scales. The extent to which the regional response to sea ice loss sometimes agrees with and sometimes cancels the response to CO2 is quantified. The separability of the responses might provide a means to better interpret the diverse array of modeling and observational studies of Arctic change and influence.

Carbon nanocages: a new support material for Pt catalyst with remarkably high durability.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao Xia; Tan, Zhe Hua; Zeng, Min; Wang, Jian Nong

2014-03-24

Low durability is the major challenge hindering the large-scale implementation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology, and corrosion of carbon support materials of current catalysts is the main cause. Here, we describe the finding of remarkably high durability with the use of a novel support material. This material is based on hollow carbon nanocages developed with a high degree of graphitization and concurrent nitrogen doping for oxidation resistance enhancement, uniform deposition of fine Pt particles, and strong Pt-support interaction. Accelerated degradation testing shows that such designed catalyst possesses a superior electrochemical activity and long-term stability for both hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction relative to industry benchmarks of current catalysts. Further testing under conditions of practical fuel cell operation reveals almost no degradation over long-term cycling. Such a catalyst of high activity, particularly, high durability, opens the door for the next-generation PEMFC for "real world" application.

Lung Adenocarcinoma Distally Rewires Hepatic Circadian Homeostasis

PubMed Central

Masri, Selma; Papagiannakopoulos, Thales; Kinouchi, Kenichiro; Liu, Yu; Cervantes, Marlene; Baldi, Pierre; Jacks, Tyler; Sassone-Corsi, Paolo

2016-01-01

SUMMARY The circadian clock controls metabolic and physiological processes through finely tuned molecular mechanisms. The clock is remarkably plastic and adapts to exogenous zeitgebers, such as light and nutrition. How a pathological condition in a given tissue influences systemic circadian homeostasis in other tissues remains an unanswered question of conceptual and biomedical importance. Here we show that lung adenocarcinoma operates as an endogenous reorganizer of circadian metabolism. High-throughput transcriptomics and metabolomics revealed unique signatures of transcripts and metabolites cycling exclusively in livers of tumor-bearing mice. Remarkably, lung cancer has no effect on the core clock, but rather reprograms hepatic metabolism through altered pro-inflammatory response via the STAT3-Socs3 pathway. This results in disruption of AKT, AMPK and SREBP signaling, leading to altered insulin, glucose and lipid metabolism. Thus, lung adenocarcinoma functions as a potent endogenous circadian organizer (ECO), which rewires the pathophysiological dimension of a distal tissue such as the liver. PMID:27153497

Enduring epigenetic landmarks define the cancer microenvironment

PubMed Central

Pidsley, Ruth; Lawrence, Mitchell G.; Zotenko, Elena; Niranjan, Birunthi; Statham, Aaron; Song, Jenny; Chabanon, Roman M.; Qu, Wenjia; Wang, Hong; Richards, Michelle; Nair, Shalima S.; Armstrong, Nicola J.; Nim, Hieu T.; Papargiris, Melissa; Balanathan, Preetika; French, Hugh; Peters, Timothy; Norden, Sam; Ryan, Andrew; Pedersen, John; Kench, James; Daly, Roger J.; Horvath, Lisa G.; Stricker, Phillip; Frydenberg, Mark; Taylor, Renea A.; Stirzaker, Clare; Risbridger, Gail P.; Clark, Susan J.

2018-01-01

The growth and progression of solid tumors involves dynamic cross-talk between cancer epithelium and the surrounding microenvironment. To date, molecular profiling has largely been restricted to the epithelial component of tumors; therefore, features underpinning the persistent protumorigenic phenotype of the tumor microenvironment are unknown. Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, we show for the first time that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) from localized prostate cancer display remarkably distinct and enduring genome-wide changes in DNA methylation, significantly at enhancers and promoters, compared to nonmalignant prostate fibroblasts (NPFs). Differentially methylated regions associated with changes in gene expression have cancer-related functions and accurately distinguish CAFs from NPFs. Remarkably, a subset of changes is shared with prostate cancer epithelial cells, revealing the new concept of tumor-specific epigenome modifications in the tumor and its microenvironment. The distinct methylome of CAFs provides a novel epigenetic hallmark of the cancer microenvironment and promises new biomarkers to improve interpretation of diagnostic samples. PMID:29650553

Investigation of the bipolar effect in the thermoelectric material CaMg2Bi2 using a first-principles study.

PubMed

Gong, J J; Hong, A J; Shuai, J; Li, L; Yan, Z B; Ren, Z F; Liu, J-M

2016-06-28

The bipolar effect in relatively narrow band-gap thermoelectric (TE) compounds is a negative process deteriorating the TE properties particularly at higher temperatures. In this work, we investigate the TE performance of the compound CaMg2Bi2 using the first-principles calculation and semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory in combination with our experimental data. It is revealed that this compound exhibits a remarkable bipolar effect and temperature-dependent carrier concentration. The bipolar effect imposes remarkable influence on all the electron-transport related TE parameters. An effective carrier concentration neff as a function of temperature is proposed to account for the bipolar effect induced carrier excitations. The as-evaluated TE parameters then show good consistency with measured results. This work may shed light on our understanding of the bipolar effect in TE compounds.

The microbiome of New World vultures.

PubMed

Roggenbuck, Michael; Bærholm Schnell, Ida; Blom, Nikolaj; Bælum, Jacob; Bertelsen, Mads Frost; Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas; Pontén, Thomas Sicheritz; Sørensen, Søren Johannes; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Graves, Gary R; Hansen, Lars H

2014-11-25

Vultures are scavengers that fill a key ecosystem niche, in which they have evolved a remarkable tolerance to bacterial toxins in decaying meat. Here we report the first deep metagenomic analysis of the vulture microbiome. Through face and gut comparisons of 50 vultures representing two species, we demonstrate a remarkably conserved low diversity of gut microbial flora. The gut samples contained an average of 76 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) per specimen, compared with 528 OTUs on the facial skin. Clostridia and Fusobacteria, widely pathogenic to other vertebrates, dominate the vulture's gut microbiota. We reveal a likely faecal-oral-gut route for their origin. DNA of prey species detectable on facial swabs was completely degraded in the gut samples from most vultures, suggesting that the gastrointestinal tracts of vultures are extremely selective. Our findings show a strong adaption of vultures and their bacteria to their food source, exemplifying a specialized host-microbial alliance.

Some remarks on the numerical solution of parabolic partial differential equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campagna, R.; Cuomo, S.; Leveque, S.; Toraldo, G.; Giannino, F.; Severino, G.

2017-11-01

Numerous environmental/engineering applications relying upon the theory of diffusion phenomena into chaotic environments have recently stimulated the interest toward the numerical solution of parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs). In the present paper, we outline a formulation of the mathematical problem underlying a quite general diffusion mechanism in the natural environments, and we shortly emphasize some remarks concerning the applicability of the (straightforward) finite difference method. An illustration example is also presented.

Assessing Species-specific Contributions To Craniofacial Development Using Quail-duck Chimeras

PubMed Central

Fish, Jennifer L.; Schneider, Richard A.

2014-01-01

The generation of chimeric embryos is a widespread and powerful approach to study cell fates, tissue interactions, and species-specific contributions to the histological and morphological development of vertebrate embryos. In particular, the use of chimeric embryos has established the importance of neural crest in directing the species-specific morphology of the craniofacial complex. The method described herein utilizes two avian species, duck and quail, with remarkably different craniofacial morphology. This method greatly facilitates the investigation of molecular and cellular regulation of species-specific pattern in the craniofacial complex. Experiments in quail and duck chimeric embryos have already revealed neural crest-mediated tissue interactions and cell-autonomous behaviors that regulate species-specific pattern in the craniofacial skeleton, musculature, and integument. The great diversity of neural crest derivatives suggests significant potential for future applications of the quail-duck chimeric system to understanding vertebrate development, disease, and evolution. PMID:24962088

Remarkable modification of light curves for shadowing effects on irregular surfaces - The case of the asteroid 37 Fides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zappala, V.; Di Martino, M.; Scaltriti, F.; Burchi, R.; Milano, L.; Young, J. W.; Wahlgren, G.; Pavlovski, K.

1983-01-01

Photometric observations of the asteroid 37 Fides carried out at four observatories are reported. The data were taken at phase angles ranging from approximately 2-23 deg. A composite of the light curves obtained revealed that, considering a period of 7.33 hr, the full cycle light curve exhibits one maximum and one minimum. An increase in brightness was observed following a primary minimum, a factor that indicated the cyclical appearance and disappearance of a large topographical feature. It is concluded that the 7.33 hr period is the rotational speed of the asteroid, in contrast with a previously held 14.66 hr rotational period. The method is concluded useful for identifying rotational periods of asteroids when only partial light curve data from different sources is available, and when the projections can be checked observationally.

Three-dimensional motion aftereffects reveal distinct direction-selective mechanisms for binocular processing of motion through depth.

PubMed

Czuba, Thaddeus B; Rokers, Bas; Guillet, Kyle; Huk, Alexander C; Cormack, Lawrence K

2011-09-26

Motion aftereffects are historically considered evidence for neuronal populations tuned to specific directions of motion. Despite a wealth of motion aftereffect studies investigating 2D (frontoparallel) motion mechanisms, there is a remarkable dearth of psychophysical evidence for neuronal populations selective for the direction of motion through depth (i.e., tuned to 3D motion). We compared the effects of prolonged viewing of unidirectional motion under dichoptic and monocular conditions and found large 3D motion aftereffects that could not be explained by simple inheritance of 2D monocular aftereffects. These results (1) demonstrate the existence of neurons tuned to 3D motion as distinct from monocular 2D mechanisms, (2) show that distinct 3D direction selectivity arises from both interocular velocity differences and changing disparities over time, and (3) provide a straightforward psychophysical tool for further probing 3D motion mechanisms. © ARVO

New sea spiders from the Jurassic La Voulte-sur-Rhône Lagerstätte.

PubMed

Charbonnier, S; Vannier, J; Riou, B

2007-10-22

The diverse and exceptionally well-preserved pycnogonids described herein from the Middle Jurassic La Voulte Lagerstätte fill a 400 Myr gap of knowledge in the evolutionary history of this enigmatic group of marine arthropods. They reveal very close morphological and functional (locomotion, feeding) similarities with present-day pycnogonids and, by contrast, marked differences with all Palaeozoic representatives of the group. This suggests a relatively recent, possibly Mesozoic origin for at least three major extant lineages of pycnogonids (Ammotheidae, Colossendeidae, Endeidae). Combined evidence from depositional environment, faunal associates and recent analogues indicate that the La Voulte pycnogonids probably lived in the upper bathyal zone (ca 200 m). Our results point to a remarkable morphological and ecological stability of this arthropod group over at least 160 Myr and suggest that the colonization of the deep sea by pycnogonids occurred before the Jurassic.

Multiple convergent supergene evolution events in mating-type chromosomes.

PubMed

Branco, Sara; Carpentier, Fantin; Rodríguez de la Vega, Ricardo C; Badouin, Hélène; Snirc, Alodie; Le Prieur, Stéphanie; Coelho, Marco A; de Vienne, Damien M; Hartmann, Fanny E; Begerow, Dominik; Hood, Michael E; Giraud, Tatiana

2018-05-21

Convergent adaptation provides unique insights into the predictability of evolution and ultimately into processes of biological diversification. Supergenes (beneficial gene linkage) are striking examples of adaptation, but little is known about their prevalence or evolution. A recent study on anther-smut fungi documented supergene formation by rearrangements linking two key mating-type loci, controlling pre- and post-mating compatibility. Here further high-quality genome assemblies reveal four additional independent cases of chromosomal rearrangements leading to regions of suppressed recombination linking these mating-type loci in closely related species. Such convergent transitions in genomic architecture of mating-type determination indicate strong selection favoring linkage of mating-type loci into cosegregating supergenes. We find independent evolutionary strata (stepwise recombination suppression) in several species, with extensive rearrangements, gene losses, and transposable element accumulation. We thus show remarkable convergence in mating-type chromosome evolution, recurrent supergene formation, and repeated evolution of similar phenotypes through different genomic changes.

Iodoform gauze removes necrotic tissue from pressure ulcer wounds by fibrinolytic activity.

PubMed

Mizokami, Fumihiro; Murasawa, Yusuke; Furuta, Katsunori; Isogai, Zenzo

2012-01-01

Iodoform gauze is used in clinical practice for treatment of infected wounds. However, effectiveness and action mechanism of iodoform gauze for removal of necrotic tissue are unknown. We therefore employed case control and biochemical studies in order to clarify the pharmacological activity of iodoform gauze. A clinical study demonstrated that treatment with iodoform gauze removed necrotic tissue more effectively than treatment with conventional ointments. More than 60% of iodoform gauze-treated wounds were completely debrided within 2 weeks. Consistent with the clinical observation, biochemical analyses revealed clear differences in wound fluid proteins after treatment with iodoform gauze or conventional gauze. The amount of macroaggregates of type I collagen from wounds were remarkably decreased in iodoform gauze. Moreover, iodoform gauze and iodoform itself released non-aggregative type I collagen from necrotic debris in vitro. Taken together, we conclude that iodoform gauze efficiently removes necrotic tissue by its lytic activity for collagen fibers.

Three-dimensional motion aftereffects reveal distinct direction-selective mechanisms for binocular processing of motion through depth

PubMed Central

Czuba, Thaddeus B.; Rokers, Bas; Guillet, Kyle; Huk, Alexander C.; Cormack, Lawrence K.

2013-01-01

Motion aftereffects are historically considered evidence for neuronal populations tuned to specific directions of motion. Despite a wealth of motion aftereffect studies investigating 2D (frontoparallel) motion mechanisms, there is a remarkable dearth of psychophysical evidence for neuronal populations selective for the direction of motion through depth (i.e., tuned to 3D motion). We compared the effects of prolonged viewing of unidirectional motion under dichoptic and monocular conditions and found large 3D motion aftereffects that could not be explained by simple inheritance of 2D monocular aftereffects. These results (1) demonstrate the existence of neurons tuned to 3D motion as distinct from monocular 2D mechanisms, (2) show that distinct 3D direction selectivity arises from both interocular velocity differences and changing disparities over time, and (3) provide a straightforward psychophysical tool for further probing 3D motion mechanisms. PMID:21945967

An ambient stable core-substituted perylene bisimide dianion: isolation and single crystal structure analysis† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthesis, spectroelectrochemistry, UV-vis, electrochemistry, X-ray diffraction, NMR and mass spectra. CCDC 1032959. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c4sc03671a Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Seifert, Sabine; Schmidt, David

2015-01-01

Here we report the first example of an isolable, ambient stable perylene bisimide (PBI) dianion which was synthesized by catalytic reduction of a highly electron deficient PBI derivative. The remarkable stability of this unprecedented dianion in air for months facilitated its complete characterization by different methods, including single crystal X-ray analysis. Furthermore, solvent dependent cyclic and square wave voltammetry studies revealed that the formation of PBI dianions is preferred in more polar solvents, whereas the generation of PBI radical anions should be favoured in less polar solvents. PMID:28717450

Ionosphere of Venus - First observations of day-night variations of the ion composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, H. A., Jr.; Brinton, H. C.; Bauer, S. J.; Hartle, R. E.; Cloutier, P. A.; Daniell, R. E., Jr.; Donahue, T. M.

1979-01-01

Preliminary observations of day-night variations in the ion composition of the ionosphere of Venus, obtained by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter ion mass spectrometer experiment, are reported. A remarkable abundance and extent of ionization in the deep regions of the nightside ionosphere was observed, in spite of the long Venus night. A comparison of dayside and nightside ion distributions reveals a nightside composition similar in several respects to that of the dayside, with the ions O(+) and O2(+) forming the nightside F 2 and F 1 regions, respectively, as in the dayside. Important differences include a greater abundance of low-latitude ionization in the nightside, a significant increase of H(+) and NO(+) ions with increasing solar zenith angle, and extreme dynamic variability of the nightside region above 160 km. Ion composition data support the view that the nightside ionosphere can be maintained by the transport of ionization from the dayside.

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

None available

For the purpose of this STI product and unless otherwise stated, hybrid fuel cell systems are power generation systems in which a high temperature fuel cell is combined with another power generating technology. The resulting system exhibits a synergism in which the combination performs with an efficiency far greater than can be provided by either system alone. Hybrid fuel cell designs under development include fuel cell with gas turbine, fuel cell with reciprocating (piston) engine, and designs that combine different fuel cell technologies. Hybrid systems have been extensively analyzed and studied over the past five years by the Department ofmore » Energy (DOE), industry, and others. These efforts have revealed that this combination is capable of providing remarkably high efficiencies. This attribute, combined with an inherent low level of pollutant emission, suggests that hybrid systems are likely to serve as the next generation of advanced power generation systems.« less

Moonshine Versus Earthshine: Physics Makes a Difference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, T. L.

2005-01-01

Introduction: Recently released, high-resolution images from the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) and the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) reveal a myriad of intriguing landforms banked along the northern edge of Terby Crater located on the northern rim of Hellas (approx.28degS, 287degW). Landforms within this crater include north-trending troughs and ridges, a remarkable 2.5 km-thick sequence of exposed layers, mantled ramps that extend across and between layered sequences, fan-like structures, sinuous channels, collapse pits, a massive landslide and viscous flow features. The suite of diverse landforms in Terby and its immediate surroundings attest to a diversity of rock types and geologic processes, making this locality ideal for studying landform-climate relationships on Mars. In order to decipher the complicated geologic history of Terby Crater and the nature of the layered deposits, a generalized geomorphic map was created and the slope of the layered deposits was examined.

Toda hierarchies and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takasaki, Kanehisa

2018-05-01

The 2D Toda hierarchy occupies a central position in the family of integrable hierarchies of the Toda type. The 1D Toda hierarchy and the Ablowitz–Ladik (aka relativistic Toda) hierarchy can be derived from the 2D Toda hierarchy as reductions. These integrable hierarchies have been applied to various problems of mathematics and mathematical physics since 1990s. A recent example is a series of studies on models of statistical mechanics called the melting crystal model. This research has revealed that the aforementioned two reductions of the 2D Toda hierarchy underlie two different melting crystal models. Technical clues are a fermionic realization of the quantum torus algebra, special algebraic relations therein called shift symmetries, and a matrix factorization problem. The two melting crystal models thus exhibit remarkable similarity with the Hermitian and unitary matrix models for which the two reductions of the 2D Toda hierarchy play the role of fundamental integrable structures.

[Study on Xinyueshu spray drying assisted with copovidone and its effect on powder property].

PubMed

Jiang, Yan-Rong; Zhang, Zhen-Hai; Ding, Dong-Mei; Yan, Hong-Mei; Hu, Shao-Ying; Jia, Xiao-Bin

2013-12-01

To study the application characteristics of copovidone (PVP-S630) in Xinyueshu extracts during the spray drying process, and its effect on such pharmaceutical properties as micromeritics and drug release behavior. PVP-S630 was added into Xinyueshu extracts to study on the spray drying, the effect of different dosages of PVP-S630 against the wall sticking effect of the spray drying, as well as the power property of Xinyueshu spray drying power and the dissolution in vitro behavior of the effective component of hyperoside. The results showed that PVP-S630 revealed a significant anti-wall sticking effect, with no notable change in the grain size of the spray drying power, increase in the fluidity, improvement in the moisture absorption and remarkable rise in the dissolution in vitro behavior of hyperoside. It was worth further studying the application of PVP-S630 in spray drying power of traditional Chinese medicine.

On nonstationarity and antipersistency in global temperature series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KäRner, O.

2002-10-01

Statistical analysis is carried out for satellite-based global daily tropospheric and stratospheric temperature anomaly and solar irradiance data sets. Behavior of the series appears to be nonstationary with stationary daily increments. Estimating long-range dependence between the increments reveals a remarkable difference between the two temperature series. Global average tropospheric temperature anomaly behaves similarly to the solar irradiance anomaly. Their daily increments show antipersistency for scales longer than 2 months. The property points at a cumulative negative feedback in the Earth climate system governing the tropospheric variability during the last 22 years. The result emphasizes a dominating role of the solar irradiance variability in variations of the tropospheric temperature and gives no support to the theory of anthropogenic climate change. The global average stratospheric temperature anomaly proceeds like a 1-dim random walk at least up to 11 years, allowing good presentation by means of the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models for monthly series.

Effects of the gap slope on the distribution of removal rate in Belt-MRF.

PubMed

Wang, Dekang; Hu, Haixiang; Li, Longxiang; Bai, Yang; Luo, Xiao; Xue, Donglin; Zhang, Xuejun

2017-10-30

Belt magnetorheological finishing (Belt-MRF) is a promising tool for large-optics processing. However, before using a spot, its shape should be designed and controlled by the polishing gap. Previous research revealed a remarkably nonlinear relationship between the removal function and normal pressure distribution. The pressure is nonlinearly related to the gap geometry, precluding prediction of the removal function given the polishing gap. Here, we used the concepts of gap slope and virtual ribbon to develop a model of removal profiles in Belt-MRF. Between the belt and the workpiece in the main polishing area, a gap which changes linearly along the flow direction was created using a flat-bottom magnet box. The pressure distribution and removal function were calculated. Simulations were consistent with experiments. Different removal functions, consistent with theoretical calculations, were obtained by adjusting the gap slope. This approach allows to predict removal functions in Belt-MRF.

Effect of carbon and manganese on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 9Cr2WVTa deposited metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jian; Rong, Lijian; Li, Dianzhong; Lu, Shanping

2017-03-01

Six 9Cr2WVTa deposited metals with different carbon and manganese contents have been studied to reveal the role of major elements, which guide for the design of welding consumables for reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel and meet for the requirements of accelerator driven systems-lead fusion reactors. The typical microstructure for the 9Cr2WVTa deposited metals is the lath martensite along with the fine stripe δ-ferrite. The chemical compositions influence the solidification sequence and therefore, change the δ-ferrite content in the deposited metal. The impact toughness for the 9Cr2WVTa deposited metals decreases remarkably when the δ-ferrite content is more than 5.2 vol%, also the impact toughness decreases owing to the high quenching martensite formation. Increasing the level of manganese addition, α phase of each alloy shifts to the bottom right according to the CCT diagram.

Pressure-Induced Amorphization and a New High Density Amorphous Metallic Phase in Matrix-Free Ge Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Corsini, Niccolo R C; Zhang, Yuanpeng; Little, William R; Karatutlu, Ali; Ersoy, Osman; Haynes, Peter D; Molteni, Carla; Hine, Nicholas D M; Hernandez, Ignacio; Gonzalez, Jesus; Rodriguez, Fernando; Brazhkin, Vadim V; Sapelkin, Andrei

2015-11-11

Over the last two decades, it has been demonstrated that size effects have significant consequences for the atomic arrangements and phase behavior of matter under extreme pressure. Furthermore, it has been shown that an understanding of how size affects critical pressure-temperature conditions provides vital guidance in the search for materials with novel properties. Here, we report on the remarkable behavior of small (under ~5 nm) matrix-free Ge nanoparticles under hydrostatic compression that is drastically different from both larger nanoparticles and bulk Ge. We discover that the application of pressure drives surface-induced amorphization leading to Ge-Ge bond overcompression and eventually to a polyamorphic semiconductor-to-metal transformation. A combination of spectroscopic techniques together with ab initio simulations were employed to reveal the details of the transformation mechanism into a new high density phase-amorphous metallic Ge.

Differing Distribution of Hepatocyte Growth Factor‐positive Cells in the Liver of LEC Rats with Acute Hepatitis, Chronic Hepatitis and Hepatoma

PubMed Central

Kashiwazaki, Haruhiko; Kobayashi, Narumi; Hamada, Jun‐ichi; Matsumoto, Kunio; Nakamura, Toshikazu; Takeichi, Noritoshi

1995-01-01

Using anti‐rat hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) antibody, we investigated the distribution of HGF‐positive cells in the liver tissues of LEC rats at various phases of liver diseases. During the phase of fulminant hepatitis, HGF‐positive cells increased remarkably, and many of them were localized at the portal triads; these cells were identified from their shape as non‐epithelial cells. A reduced number of HGF‐positive cells was observed during the phase of chronic hepatitis, while no HGF‐positive cells were seen in the tissue of cholangiofibrosis. During the phase of carcinoma, staining revealed that both the hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the non‐epithelial cells in cancerous liver tissue were HGF‐positive. These results suggest that, in LEC rats, HGF may play an important role in the regeneration of hepatocytes as well as in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. PMID:7737910

Carbon dioxide inhalation treatments of neurotic anxiety. An overview.

PubMed

Wolpe, J

1987-03-01

A lucky chance more than 30 years ago revealed the remarkable efficacy of single inhalations of high concentrations of carbon dioxide in eliminating or markedly reducing free-floating anxiety. The reduction of anxiety lasts for days, weeks, or longer--well beyond the persistence of carbon dioxide in the body. The effects are explicable on the hypothesis that free-floating anxiety is anxiety conditioned to continuously present sources of stimulation, such as background noise or the awareness of space or time, and that the anxiety response habit is weakened when the anxiety is inhibited by the competition of responses that carbon dioxide induces. More recently, it has become apparent that inhalations of carbon dioxide, applied in a different manner, are effective in overcoming maladaptive anxiety responses to specific stimuli, e.g., social stimuli. The substance is also proving to be a valuable resource in the treatment of the common variety of panic attacks.

Exploring the charge localization and band gap opening of borophene: a first-principles study.

PubMed

Kistanov, Andrey A; Cai, Yongqing; Zhou, Kun; Srikanth, Narasimalu; Dmitriev, Sergey V; Zhang, Yong-Wei

2018-01-18

Recently synthesized two-dimensional (2D) boron, borophene, exhibits a novel metallic behavior rooted in the s-p orbital hybridization, distinctively different from other 2D materials such as sulfides/selenides and semi-metallic graphene. This unique feature of borophene implies new routes for charge delocalization and band gap opening. Herein, using first-principles calculations, we explore the routes to localize the carriers and open the band gap of borophene via chemical functionalization, ribbon construction, and defect engineering. The metallicity of borophene is found to be remarkably robust against H- and F-functionalization and the presence of vacancies. Interestingly, a strong odd-even oscillation of the electronic structure with width is revealed for H-functionalized borophene nanoribbons, while an ultra-high work function (∼7.83 eV) is found for the F-functionalized borophene due to its strong charge transfer to the atomic adsorbates.

Molecular dynamics simulation of the polymer electrolyte poly(ethylene oxide)/LiClO(4). II. Dynamical properties.

PubMed

Siqueira, Leonardo J A; Ribeiro, Mauro C C

2006-12-07

The dynamical properties of the polymer electrolyte poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)LiClO(4) have been investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The effect of changing salt concentration and temperature was evaluated on several time correlation functions. Ionic displacements projected on different directions reveal anisotropy in short-time (rattling) and long-time (diffusive) dynamics of Li(+) cations. It is shown that ionic mobility is coupled to the segmental motion of the polymeric chain. Structural relaxation is probed by the intermediate scattering function F(k,t) at several wave vectors. Good agreement was found between calculated and experimental F(k,t) for pure PEO. A remarkable slowing down of polymer relaxation is observed upon addition of the salt. The ionic conductivity estimated by the Nernst-Einstein equation is approximately ten times higher than the actual conductivity calculated by the time correlation function of charge current.

Pressure-dependent ground states and fermiology in β- ( BDA-TTP ) 2 M Cl4 ( M=Fe,Ga )

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, E. S.; Graf, D.; Brooks, J. S.; Yamada, J.; Akutsu, H.; Kikuchi, K.; Tokumoto, M.

2004-07-01

We have investigated pressure- and magnetic-field-dependent electrical transport properties in the charge transfer salts β-(BDA-TTP)2MCl4(M=Fe,Ga) , both of which show a metal-insulator (MI) transition around 120K at ambient pressure. The zero field temperature-pressure phase diagrams of the two compounds are quite similar; the MI transition temperature decreases with pressure, and superconductivity is observed in both the magnetic and non-magnetic compounds above ˜4.5kbar . Likewise, Shubnikov-de Haas effect measurements show nearly identical Fermi surfaces. These similarities suggest that the magnetic interaction J between the conduction electrons and the magnetic moments in β-(BDA-TTP)2FeCl4 is small. Nevertheless, magnetoresistance measurements show remarkable differences and reveal that magnetic interactions with the conduction electrons are still effective in M=Fe compounds.

Spectrum-per-Pixel Cathodoluminescence Imaging of CdTe Thin-Film Bevels

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

Moseley, John; Al-Jassim, Mowafak M.; Burst, James

2016-11-21

We conduct T=6 K cathodoluminescence (CL) spectrum imaging with a nano-scale electron beam on beveled surfaces of CdTe thin-films at different critical stages of standard CdTe device fabrication. The through-thickness total CL intensity profiles are consistent with a reduction in grain boundary recombination due to the CdCl2 treatment. Color-coded maps of the low-temperature luminescence transition energies reveal that CdTe thin films have remarkably non-uniform opto-electronic properties, which depend strongly on sample processing history. The grain-to-grain S content in the interdiffused CdTe/CdS region is estimated from a sample size of thirty-five grains, and the S content in adjacent grains varies significantlymore » in CdCl2-treated samples. A low-temperature luminescence model is developed to interpret spectral behavior at grain boundaries and grain interiors.« less

Wave Excitation in Accretion Disks by Protoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koller, J.; Li, H.

2002-05-01

The ongoing discoveries of extrasolar planets in the recent years revealed remarkable properties and unexpected results concerning the formation process. We studied the perturbation of a protostellar accretion disk by a companion utilizing APOLLO, a fast hydro disk code well tested in the case of accretion disks without a companion (Li et al. 2001, ApJ, 551, 874). We consider limiting cases where the companion's mass is much smaller than the central protostar and resides in a circular keplerian orbit. The gravitational field of the protoplanet, embedded in a numerically thin disk, generates spiral density waves and Rossby instabilities resulting in a non-axisymmetric density distribution. We present nonlinear hydro simulations to investigate those non-axisymmetric density distribution with different disk and planet parameters in order to understand how disks respond to a fixed companion in orbit. This work has been supported by IGPP at LANL (award # 1109) and NASA (grant # NAG5-9223).

Temporally Coordinated Deep Brain Stimulation in the Dorsal and Ventral Striatum Synergistically Enhances Associative Learning.

PubMed

Katnani, Husam A; Patel, Shaun R; Kwon, Churl-Su; Abdel-Aziz, Samer; Gale, John T; Eskandar, Emad N

2016-01-04

The primate brain has the remarkable ability of mapping sensory stimuli into motor behaviors that can lead to positive outcomes. We have previously shown that during the reinforcement of visual-motor behavior, activity in the caudate nucleus is correlated with the rate of learning. Moreover, phasic microstimulation in the caudate during the reinforcement period was shown to enhance associative learning, demonstrating the importance of temporal specificity to manipulate learning related changes. Here we present evidence that extends upon our previous finding by demonstrating that temporally coordinated phasic deep brain stimulation across both the nucleus accumbens and caudate can further enhance associative learning. Monkeys performed a visual-motor associative learning task and received stimulation at time points critical to learning related changes. Resulting performance revealed an enhancement in the rate, ceiling, and reaction times of learning. Stimulation of each brain region alone or at different time points did not generate the same effect.

Anti-bacterial properties of ultrafiltration membrane modified by graphene oxide with nano-silver particles.

PubMed

Li, Jingchun; Liu, Xuyang; Lu, Jiaqi; Wang, Yudan; Li, Guanglu; Zhao, Fangbo

2016-12-15

To improve the anti-biofouling properties of PVDF membranes, GO-Ag composites were synthesized and used as membrane antibacterial agent by a simple and environmentally friendly method. As identified by XRD, TEM and FTIR analysis, AgNPs were uniformly assembled on the synthesized GO-Ag sheets. The membranes were prepared by phase inversion method with different additional amounts (0.00-0.15wt%) of GO-Ag composites. The GO-Ag composites modified membranes show improved hydrophilicity, mechanical property and permeability than unmodified PVDF membrane. Specially, the antibacterial properties and inhibition of biofilm formation were greatly enhanced based on conventional inhibition zone test and anti-adhesion of bacterial experiment. The modified membranes also reveal a remarkable long-term continuous antimicrobial activity with slower release rate of Ag + compared to AgNPs/PVDF membrane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Explosion interaction with water in a tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homae, T.; Sugiyama, Y.; Wakabayashi, K.; Matsumura, T.; Nakayama, Y.

2017-02-01

As proposed and legislated in Japan, subsurface magazines have an explosive storage chamber, a horizontal passageway, and a vertical shaft for a vent. The authors found that a small amount of water on the floor of the storage chamber mitigated blast pressure remarkably. The mitigation mechanism has been examined more closely. To examine the effect of water, the present study assesses explosions in a transparent, square cross section, and a straight tube. A high-speed camera used to observe the tube interior. Blast pressure in and around the tube was also measured. Images obtained using the high-speed camera revealed that water inside the tube did not move after the explosion. Differences between cases of tubes without water and with water were unclear. Along with blast pressure measurements, these study results suggest that blast pressure mitigation by water occurs because of interaction between the explosion and the water near the explosion point.

Formation of a Tunneling Product in the Photorearrangement of o-Nitrobenzaldehyde.

PubMed

Gerbig, Dennis; Schreiner, Peter R

2017-08-01

The photochemical rearrangement of o-nitrobenzaldehyde to o-nitrosobenzoic acid, first reported in 1901, has been shown to proceed via a distinct ketene intermediate. In the course of matrix isolation experiments in various host materials at temperatures as low as 3 K, the ketene was re-investigated in its electronic and vibrational ground states. It was shown that hitherto unreported H-tunneling dominates its reactivity, with half-lives of a few minutes. Unexpectedly, the tunneling product is different from o-nitrosobenzoic acid formed in the photoprocess: Once prepared by irradiation, the ketene spontaneously rearranges to an isoxazolone via an intriguing mechanism initiated by H-tunneling. CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ computations reveal that this isoxazolone is neither thermodynamically nor kinetically favored under the experimental conditions, and that formation of this unique tunneling product constitutes a remarkable and new example of tunneling control. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Dilemma of Supporting Electrolytes for Electroorganic Synthesis: A Case Study on Kolbe Electrolysis.

PubMed

Stang, Carolin; Harnisch, Falk

2016-01-08

Remarkably, coulombic efficiency (CE, about 50 % at 1 Farad equivalent), and product composition resulting from aqueous Kolbe electrolysis are independent of reactor temperature and initial pH value. Although numerous studies on Kolbe electrolysis are available, the interrelations of different reaction parameters (e.g., acid concentration, pH, and especially electrolytic conductivity) are not addressed. A systematic analysis based on cyclic voltammetry reveals that solely the electrolytic conductivity impacts the current-voltage behavior. When using supporting electrolytes, not only their concentration, but also the type is decisive. We show that higher concentrations of KNO3 result in reduced CE and thus in significant increase in electric energy demand per converted molecule, whereas Na2 SO4 allows improved space-time yields. Pros and cons of adding supporting electrolytes are discussed in a final cost assessment. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dynamic diffraction effects and coherent breathing oscillations in ultrafast electron diffraction in layered 1T-TaSeTe

PubMed Central

Wei, Linlin; Sun, Shuaishuai; Guo, Cong; Li, Zhongwen; Sun, Kai; Liu, Yu; Lu, Wenjian; Sun, Yuping; Tian, Huanfang; Yang, Huaixin; Li, Jianqi

2017-01-01

Anisotropic lattice movements due to the difference between intralayer and interlayer bonding are observed in the layered transition-metal dichalcogenide 1T-TaSeTe following femtosecond laser pulse excitation. Our ultrafast electron diffraction investigations using 4D-transmission electron microscopy (4D-TEM) clearly reveal that the intensity of Bragg reflection spots often changes remarkably due to the dynamic diffraction effects and anisotropic lattice movement. Importantly, the temporal diffracted intensity from a specific crystallographic plane depends on the deviation parameter s, which is commonly used in the theoretical study of diffraction intensity. Herein, we report on lattice thermalization and structural oscillations in layered 1T-TaSeTe, analyzed by dynamic diffraction theory. Ultrafast alterations of satellite spots arising from the charge density wave in the present system are also briefly discussed. PMID:28470025

RNA Recombination In Vivo in the Absence of Viral Replication

PubMed Central

Gallei, Andreas; Pankraz, Alexander; Thiel, Heinz-Jürgen; Becher, Paul

2004-01-01

To study fundamental aspects of RNA recombination, an in vivo RNA recombination system was established. This system allowed the efficient generation of recombinant cytopathogenic pestiviruses after transfection of synthetic, nonreplicatable, subgenomic transcripts in cells infected with a replicating noncytopathogenic virus. Studies addressing the interplay between RNA recombination and replication revealed that cotransfection of noninfected cells with various pairs of nonreplicatable RNA derivatives also led to the emergence of recombinant viral genomes. Remarkably, homologous and nonhomologous recombination occurred between two overlapping transcripts, each lacking different essential parts of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. Apart from the generally accepted viral replicative copy choice recombination, our results prove the existence of a viral RdRp-independent mechanism of RNA recombination that occurs in vivo. It appears likely that such a mechanism not only contributes to the evolution of RNA viruses but also leads to the generation of recombinant cellular RNAs. PMID:15163720

Core Perylene Diimide Designs via Direct Bay- and ortho-(Poly)trifluoromethylation: Synthesis, Isolation, X-Ray Structures, Optical and Electronic Properties

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

Clikeman, Tyler T.; Bukovsky, Eric V.; Wang, Xue-Bin

2015-09-22

We developed an efficient solvent- and catalyst-free direct polytrifluoromethylation of solid perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride that produced a new family of (poly)perfluoroalkyl bay- and ortho-substituted PDIs with two different imide substituents. Direct hydrogen substitution with CN group led to the synthesis of a cyanated perfluoroalkyl PDI derivative for the first time. Absorption, steady-state and time-resolved emission, X-ray diffraction, electrochemical, and gas-phase electron affinity data allowed for systematic studies of substitution effects at bay, ortho, and imide positions in the new PDIs. Solid-state packing showed remarkable variations in the intermolecular interactions that are important for charge transport and photophysical properties. Moreover, analysis ofmore » the electrochemical data for 143 electron poor PDIs, including newly reported compounds, revealed some general trends and peculiar effects from substituting electron-withdrawing groups at all three positions.« less

Core Perylene Diimide Designs via Direct Bay and Ortho (Poly)trifluoromethylation: Synthesis, Isolation, X-ray Structures, Optical and Electronic Properties

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

Clikeman, Tyler T.; Bukovsky, Eric V.; Wang, Xue B.

2015-09-22

We developed an efficient solvent- and catalyst-free direct polytrifluoromethylation of solid perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride that produced a new family of (poly)perfluoroalkyl bay and ortho substituted PDIs with two different imide substituents. Direct hydrogen substitution with CN group led to the synthesis of a cyanated perfluoroalkyl PDI derivative for the first time. Absorption, steady-state and time-resolved emission, X-ray diffraction, electrochemical, and gas-phase electron affinity data allowed for systematic studies of substitution effects at bay, ortho, and imide positions in the new PDIs. Solid-state packing showed remarkable variations in the intermolecular interactions that are important for charge transport and photophysical properties. Analysis ofmore » the electrochemical data for 143 electron poor PDIs, including newly reported compounds, revealed some general trends and peculiar effects of electron withdrawing group substitution at all three positions.« less

Antimicrobial peptides and proteins of the horse - insights into a well-armed organism

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Antimicrobial peptides play a pivotal role as key effectors of the innate immune system in plants and animals and act as endogenous antibiotics. The molecules exhibit an antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotic pathogens with different specificities and potencies depending on the structure and amino-acid composition of the peptides. Several antimicrobial peptides were comprehensively investigated in the last three decades and some molecules with remarkable antimicrobial properties have reached the third phase of clinical studies. Next to the peptides themselves, numerous organisms were examined and analyzed regarding their repertoire of antimicrobial peptides revealing a huge number of candidates with potencies and properties for future medical applications. One of these organisms is the horse, which possesses numerous peptides that are interesting candidates for therapeutical applications in veterinary medicine. Here we summarize investigations and knowledge on equine antimicrobial peptides, point to interesting candidates, and discuss prospects for therapeutical applications. PMID:21888650

Characterization of Aronia melanocarpa volatiles by headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), simultaneous distillation/extraction (SDE), and gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) methods.

PubMed

Kraujalytė, Vilma; Leitner, Erich; Venskutonis, Petras Rimantas

2013-05-22

The profiles of volatile constituents of berry fruit of two Aronia melanocarpa genotypes were evaluated by headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE), and gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). In total, 74 volatile compounds were identified in chokeberry juice, 3-penten-2-one, 3,9-epoxy-p-menth-1-ene, and benzaldehyde being the most abundant constituents; however, their percentage concentrations were remarkably different in the HS-SPME and SDE profiles. Twenty two aroma-active compounds were detected and characterized by the trained panelists in HS-SPME using GC-O detection frequency analysis. Olfactometry revealed that ethyl-2-methyl butanoate, ethyl-3-methyl butanoate, ethyl decanoate ("fruity" aroma notes), nonanal ("green" notes), unidentified compound possessing "moldy" odor, and some other volatiles may be very important constituents in formation of chokeberry aroma of both analyzed plant cultivars.

Pliocene-Pleistocene ecological niche evolution shapes the phylogeography of a Mediterranean plant group.

PubMed

Benítez-Benítez, C; Escudero, M; Rodríguez-Sánchez, F; Martín-Bravo, S; Jiménez-Mejías, P

2018-04-01

Estimating species ability to adapt to environmental changes is crucial to understand their past and future response to climate change. The Mediterranean Basin has experienced remarkable climatic changes since the Miocene, which have greatly influenced the evolution of the Mediterranean flora. Here, we examine the evolutionary history and biogeographic patterns of two sedge sister species (Carex, Cyperaceae) restricted to the western Mediterranean Basin, but with Pliocene fossil record in central Europe. In particular, we estimated the evolution of climatic niches through time and its influence in lineage differentiation. We carried out a dated phylogenetic-phylogeographic study based on seven DNA regions (nDNA and ptDNA) and fingerprinting data (AFLPs), and modelled ecological niches and species distributions for the Pliocene, Pleistocene and present. Phylogenetic and divergence time analyses revealed that both species form a monophyletic lineage originated in the late Pliocene-early Pleistocene. We detected clear genetic differentiation between both species with distinct genetic clusters in disjunct areas, indicating the predominant role of geographic barriers limiting gene flow. We found a remarkable shift in the climatic requirements between Pliocene and extant populations, although the niche seems to have been relatively conserved since the Pleistocene split of both species. This study highlights how an integrative approach combining different data sources and analyses, including fossils, allows solid and robust inferences about the evolutionary history of a plant group since the Pliocene. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Toward the definition of a peptidome signature and protease profile in chronic periodontitis.

PubMed

Trindade, Fábio; Amado, Francisco; Oliveira-Silva, Rui P; Daniel-da-Silva, Ana L; Ferreira, Rita; Klein, Julie; Faria-Almeida, Ricardo; Gomes, Pedro S; Vitorino, Rui

2015-10-01

Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a complex immuno-inflammatory disease that results from preestablished gingivitis. We investigated potential differences in salivary peptidome in health and CP. Saliva was collected from nine CP patients and ten healthy subjects, from which five CP and five healthy were enriched following endoProteoFASP approach, separated and identified by nanoHPLC-MALDI-TOF/TOF. Protease prediction was carried out in silico with Proteasix. Parallel gelatin and collagen (I) zymographies were performed to study proteolytic activity in CP. An association of CP with increased gelatinolytic and collagenolytic activity was observed, which is mainly attributed to metalloproteases, remarkably MMP9. Protease prediction revealed distinct protease profiles in CP and in health. Peptidomic data corroborated the inflammatory status, and demonstrated that intact histatin 1 may play an important role in the defense response against oral pathogens. The application of the endoProteoFASP approach to study the salivary peptidome of CP subjects resulted in the identification of eight surrogate peptide markers, which may be used in multiplex to identify CP. These peptides belong to acidic PRP and to P-B peptide. Particularly, P-B peptide fragments exhibited domains with potential predicted antimicrobial activity, corroborating an antimicrobial function. The comparison between the salivary peptidome obtained by control and CP samples showed a specific association of eight peptides to CP, with remarkable predicted antimicrobial activity, which should be further validated in studies with large number of subjects. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ab Initio Simulation of Charge Transfer at the Semiconductor Quantum Dot/TiO 2 Interface in Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells

DOE PAGES

Xin, Xukai; Li, Bo; Jung, Jaehan; ...

2014-07-24

Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) have emerged as a promising solar architecture for next-generation solar cells. The QDSSCs exhibit a remarkably fast electron transfer from the quantum dot (QD) donor to the TiO 2 acceptor with size quantization properties of QDs that allows for the modulation of band energies to control photoresponse and photoconversion efficiency of solar cells. In order to understand the mechanisms that underpin this rapid charge transfer, the electronic properties of CdSe and PbSe QDs with different sizes on the TiO 2 substrate are simulated using a rigorous ab initio density functional method. Our method capitalizes onmore » localized orbital basis set, which is computationally less intensive. Quite intriguingly, a remarkable set of electron bridging states between QDs and TiO 2 occurring via the strong bonding between the conduction bands of QDs and TiO 2 is revealed. Such bridging states account for the fast adiabatic charge transfer from the QD donor to the TiO 2 acceptor, and may be a general feature for strongly coupled donor/acceptor systems. All the QDs/TiO 2 systems exhibit type II band alignments, with conduction band offsets that increase with the decrease in QD size. This facilitates the charge transfer from QDs donors to TiO 2 acceptors and explains the dependence of the increased charge transfer rate with the decreased QD size.« less

Heterogeneity of allocation promotes cooperation in public goods games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Chuang; Wu, Te; Jia, Jian-Yuan; Cong, Rui; Wang, Long

2010-11-01

We investigate the effects of heterogeneous investment and distribution on the evolution of cooperation in the context of the public goods games. To do this, we develop a simple model in which each individual allocates differing funds to his direct neighbors based upon their difference in connectivity, because of the heterogeneity of real social ties. This difference is characterized by the weight of the link between paired individuals, with an adjustable parameter precisely controlling the heterogeneous level of ties. By numerical simulations, it is found that allocating both too much and too little funds to diverse neighbors can remarkably improve the cooperation level. However, there exists a worst mode of funds allocation leading to the most unfavorable cooperation induced by the moderate values of the parameter. In order to better reveal the potential causes behind these nontrivial phenomena we probe the microscopic characteristics including the average payoff and the cooperator density for individuals of different degrees. It demonstrates rather different dynamical behaviors between the modes of these two types of cooperation promoter. Besides, we also investigate the total link weights of individuals numerically and theoretically for negative values of the parameter, and conclude that the payoff magnitude of middle-degree nodes plays a crucial role in determining the cooperators’ fate.

Synthesis of 4-aminophenyl substituted indole derivatives for the instrumental analysis and molecular docking evaluation studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Navneet; Kumar, Keshav

2017-07-01

The Indole has been known to maintain celebrity status since so many decades and has been a centre point at the spectrum of pharmacological research. The present work stimulates an idea of generating a pool of library of lead compounds. The data collected can be used for the mapping of biologically active compounds. The reported derivatives of 4-aminophenyl substituted Indole were prepared by the methods of Fischer Indole synthesis and Vilsemeier reaction followed by screening for instrumental analysis and molecular docking studies. The synthesized compounds 4-(1-(2-phenylhydrazono)ethyl)aniline, 1, 4-(1H-indol-2-yl)aniline, 2 and 2-(4-aminophenyl)-1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde, 3 were found to have remarkable yield and instrumental data analysis and also showed remarkable docked characteristic. The molecular docking studies revealed that ligand (amino acids) of comp. 1, 2 and 3 had been docked successfully on the binding site of the 3JUS protein selected from PDB with H bonding. The molecular docking data showed that compound 1, would possess remarkable biological activity and compd. 2 and 3 would possess mild to moderate biological activity. Thus this research work paves the way to synthesize new derivatives and thus to develop new compounds in future with accurate prediction.

A transcriptional time-course analysis of oral vs. aboral whole-body regeneration in the Sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.

PubMed

Schaffer, Amos A; Bazarsky, Michael; Levy, Karine; Chalifa-Caspi, Vered; Gat, Uri

2016-09-07

The ability of regeneration is essential for the homeostasis of all animals as it allows the repair and renewal of tissues and body parts upon normal turnover or injury. The extent of this ability varies greatly in different animals with the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, a basal cnidarian model animal, displaying remarkable whole-body regeneration competence. In order to study this process in Nematostella we performed an RNA-Seq screen wherein we analyzed and compared the transcriptional response to bisection in the wound-proximal body parts undergoing oral (head) or aboral (tail) regeneration at several time points up to the initial restoration of the basic body shape. The transcriptional profiles of regeneration responsive genes were analyzed so as to define the temporal pattern of differential gene expression associated with the tissue-specific oral and aboral regeneration. The identified genes were characterized according to their GO (gene ontology) assignations revealing groups that were enriched in the regeneration process with particular attention to their affiliation to the major developmental signaling pathways. While some of the genes and gene groups thus analyzed were previously known to be active in regeneration, we have also revealed novel and surprising candidate genes such as cilia-associated genes that likely participate in this important developmental program. This work highlighted the main groups of genes which showed polarization upon regeneration, notably the proteinases, multiple transcription factors and the Wnt pathway genes that were highly represented, all displaying an intricate temporal balance between the two sides. In addition, the evolutionary comparison performed between regeneration in different animal model systems may reveal the basic mechanisms playing a role in this fascinating process.

Communication between Tandem cAMP Binding Domains in the Regulatory Subunit of Protein Kinase A-Iα as Revealed by Domain-silencing Mutations*

PubMed Central

McNicholl, E. Tyler; Das, Rahul; SilDas, Soumita; Taylor, Susan S.; Melacini, Giuseppe

2010-01-01

Protein kinase A (PKA) is the main receptor for the universal cAMP second messenger. PKA is a tetramer with two catalytic (C) and two regulatory (R) subunits, each including two tandem cAMP binding domains, i.e. CBD-A and -B. Structural investigations of RIα have revealed that although CBD-A plays a pivotal role in the cAMP-dependent inhibition of C, the main function of CBD-B is to regulate the access of cAMP to site A. To further understand the mechanism underlying the cross-talk between CBD-A and -B, we report here the NMR investigation of a construct of R, RIα-(119–379), which unlike previous fragments characterized by NMR, spans in full both CBDs. Our NMR studies were also extended to two mutants, R209K and the corresponding R333K, which severely reduce the affinity of cAMP for CBD-A and -B, respectively. The comparative NMR analysis of wild-type RIα-(119–379) and of the two domain silencing mutations has led to the definition at an unprecedented level of detail of both intra- and interdomain allosteric networks, revealing several striking differences between the two CBDs. First, the two domains, although homologous in sequence and structure, exhibit remarkably different responses to the R/K mutations especially at the β2-3 allosteric “hot spot.” Second, although the two CBDs are reciprocally coupled at the level of local unfolding of the hinge, the A-to-B and B-to-A pathways are dramatically asymmetrical at the level of global unfolding. Such an asymmetric interdomain cross-talk ensures efficiency and robustness in both the activation and de-activation of PKA. PMID:20202931

Recovery of divergent avian bornaviruses from cases of proventricular dilatation disease: Identification of a candidate etiologic agent

PubMed Central

Kistler, Amy L; Gancz, Ady; Clubb, Susan; Skewes-Cox, Peter; Fischer, Kael; Sorber, Katherine; Chiu, Charles Y; Lublin, Avishai; Mechani, Sara; Farnoushi, Yigal; Greninger, Alexander; Wen, Christopher C; Karlene, Scott B; Ganem, Don; DeRisi, Joseph L

2008-01-01

Background Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) is a fatal disorder threatening domesticated and wild psittacine birds worldwide. It is characterized by lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the ganglia of the central and peripheral nervous system, leading to central nervous system disorders as well as disordered enteric motility and associated wasting. For almost 40 years, a viral etiology for PDD has been suspected, but to date no candidate etiologic agent has been reproducibly linked to the disease. Results Analysis of 2 PDD case-control series collected independently on different continents using a pan-viral microarray revealed a bornavirus hybridization signature in 62.5% of the PDD cases (5/8) and none of the controls (0/8). Ultra high throughput sequencing was utilized to recover the complete viral genome sequence from one of the virus-positive PDD cases. This revealed a bornavirus-like genome organization for this agent with a high degree of sequence divergence from all prior bornavirus isolates. We propose the name avian bornavirus (ABV) for this agent. Further specific ABV PCR analysis of an additional set of independently collected PDD cases and controls yielded a significant difference in ABV detection rate among PDD cases (71%, n = 7) compared to controls (0%, n = 14) (P = 0.01; Fisher's Exact Test). Partial sequence analysis of a total of 16 ABV isolates we have now recovered from these and an additional set of cases reveals at least 5 distinct ABV genetic subgroups. Conclusion These studies clearly demonstrate the existence of an avian reservoir of remarkably diverse bornaviruses and provide a compelling candidate in the search for an etiologic agent of PDD. PMID:18671869

Video- Making a Film of Water Aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Saturday Morning Science, the science of opportunity series of applied experiments and demonstrations, performed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by Expedition 6 astronaut Dr. Don Pettit, revealed some remarkable findings. In this video, Dr. Pettit demonstrates how to make films of pure water. Watch the video to see how he does it, see his two-dimensional beaker, and marvel along with him at how tenacious the films are.

Incarcerated umbilical hernia leading to small bowel ischemia.

PubMed

Lutwak, Nancy; Dill, Curt

2011-09-19

A 59-year-old male with history of hepatitis C, refractory ascites requiring multiple paracentesis and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement presented to the emergency department with 2 days of abdominal pain. Physical examination revealed blood pressure of 104/66 and pulse of 94. The abdomen was remarkable for distention and a tender incarcerated umbilical hernia. The skin overlying the hernia was pale with areas of necrosis. The patient immediately underwent laparotomy which was successful.

Magnetic resonance investigation of magnetic-labeled baker's yeast cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godoy Morais, J. P. M.; Azevedo, R. B.; Silva, L. P.; Lacava, Z. G. M.; Báo, S. N.; Silva, O.; Pelegrini, F.; Gansau, C.; Buske, N.; Safarik, I.; Safarikova, M.; Morais, P. C.

2004-05-01

In this study, the interaction of DMSA-coated magnetite nanoparticles (5 and 10 nm core-size) with Saccharomyces cerevisae was investigated using magnetic resonance (MR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM micrographs revealed magnetite nanoparticles attached externally to the cell wall. The MR data support the strong interaction among the nanoparticles supported by the cells. A remarkable shift in the resonance field was used as signature of particle attachment to the cell wall.

A one-parametric formula relating the frequencies of twin-peak quasi-periodic oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Török, Gabriel; Goluchová, Kateřina; Šrámková, Eva; Horák, Jiří; Bakala, Pavel; Urbanec, Martin

2017-12-01

Timing analysis of X-ray flux in more than a dozen low-mass X-ray binary systems containing a neutron star reveals remarkable correlations between frequencies of two characteristic peaks present in the power-density spectra. We find a simple analytic relation that well reproduces all these individual correlations. We link this relation to a physical model which involves accretion rate modulation caused by an oscillating torus.

The Importance of Barley Genetics and Domestication in a Global Perspective

PubMed Central

Pourkheirandish, Mohammad; Komatsuda, Takao

2007-01-01

Background Archaeological evidence has revealed that barley (Hordeum vulgare) is one of the oldest crops used by ancient farmers. Studies of the time and place of barley domestication may help in understanding ancient human civilization. Scope The studies of domesticated genes in crops have uncovered the mechanisms which converted wild and unpromising wild species to the most important food for humans. In addition to archaeological studies, molecular studies are finding new insights into the process of domestication. Throughout the process of barley domestication human selection on wild species resulted in plants with more harvestable seeds. One of the remarkable changes during barley domestications was the appearance of six-rowed barley. The gene associated with this trait results in three times more seed per spike compared with ancestral wild barley. This increase in number of seed resulted in a major dichotomy in the evolution of barley. The identification of the six-rowed spike gene provided a framework for understanding how this character was evolved. Some important barley domestication genes have been discovered and many are currently being investigated. Conclusions Identification of domestication genes in crops revealed that most of the drastic changes during domestication are the result of functional impairments in transcription factor genes, and creation of new functions is rare. Isolation of the six-rowed spike gene revealed that this trait was domesticated more than once in the domestication history of barley. Six-rowed barley is derived from two-rowed ancestral forms. Isolation of photoperiod-response genes in barley and rice revealed that different genes belonging to similar genetic networks partially control this trait. PMID:17761690

An approach to analyzing a single subject's scores obtained in a standardized test with application to the Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT).

PubMed

Willmes, K

1985-08-01

Methods for the analysis of a single subject's test profile(s) proposed by Huber (1973) are applied to the Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT). The procedures are based on the classical test theory model (Lord & Novick, 1968) and are suited for any (achievement) test with standard norms from a large standardization sample and satisfactory reliability estimates. Two test profiles of a Wernicke's aphasic, obtained before and after a 3-month period of speech therapy, are analyzed using inferential comparisons between (groups of) subtest scores on one test application and between two test administrations for single (groups of) subtests. For each of these comparisons, the two aspects of (i) significant (reliable) differences in performance beyond measurement error and (ii) the diagnostic validity of that difference in the reference population of aphasic patients are assessed. Significant differences between standardized subtest scores and a remarkably better preserved reading and writing ability could be found for both test administrations using the multiple test procedure of Holm (1979). Comparison of both profiles revealed an overall increase in performance for each subtest as well as changes in level of performance relations between pairs of subtests.

Susceptibility to emotional contagion for negative emotions improves detection of smile authenticity.

PubMed

Manera, Valeria; Grandi, Elisa; Colle, Livia

2013-01-01

A smile is a context-dependent emotional expression. A smiling face can signal the experience of enjoyable emotions, but people can also smile to convince another person that enjoyment is occurring when it is not. For this reason, the ability to discriminate between felt and faked enjoyment expressions is a crucial social skill. Despite its importance, adults show remarkable individual variation in this ability. Revealing the factors responsible for these huge individual differences is a key challenge in this domain. Here we investigated, on a large sample of participants, whether individual differences in smile authenticity recognition are accounted for by differences in the predisposition to experience other people's emotions, i.e., by susceptibility to emotional contagion. Results showed that susceptibility to emotional contagion for negative emotions increased smile authenticity detection, while susceptibility to emotional contagion for positive emotions worsened detection performance, because it leaded to categorize most of the faked smiles as sincere. These findings suggest that susceptibility to emotional contagion plays a key role in complex emotion recognition, and point out the importance of analyzing the tendency to experience other people's positive and negative emotions as separate abilities.

Susceptibility to emotional contagion for negative emotions improves detection of smile authenticity

PubMed Central

Manera, Valeria; Grandi, Elisa; Colle, Livia

2013-01-01

A smile is a context-dependent emotional expression. A smiling face can signal the experience of enjoyable emotions, but people can also smile to convince another person that enjoyment is occurring when it is not. For this reason, the ability to discriminate between felt and faked enjoyment expressions is a crucial social skill. Despite its importance, adults show remarkable individual variation in this ability. Revealing the factors responsible for these huge individual differences is a key challenge in this domain. Here we investigated, on a large sample of participants, whether individual differences in smile authenticity recognition are accounted for by differences in the predisposition to experience other people's emotions, i.e., by susceptibility to emotional contagion. Results showed that susceptibility to emotional contagion for negative emotions increased smile authenticity detection, while susceptibility to emotional contagion for positive emotions worsened detection performance, because it leaded to categorize most of the faked smiles as sincere. These findings suggest that susceptibility to emotional contagion plays a key role in complex emotion recognition, and point out the importance of analyzing the tendency to experience other people's positive and negative emotions as separate abilities. PMID:23508036

Functional relevance of interindividual differences in temporal lobe callosal pathways: a DTI tractography study.

PubMed

Westerhausen, René; Grüner, Renate; Specht, Karsten; Hugdahl, Kenneth

2009-06-01

The midsagittal corpus callosum is topographically organized, that is, with regard to their cortical origin several subtracts can be distinguished within the corpus callosum that belong to specific functional brain networks. Recent diffusion tensor tractography studies have also revealed remarkable interindividual differences in the size and exact localization of these tracts. To examine the functional relevance of interindividual variability in callosal tracts, 17 right-handed male participants underwent structural and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging. Probabilistic tractography was carried out to identify the callosal subregions that interconnect left and right temporal lobe auditory processing areas, and the midsagittal size of this tract was seen as indicator of the (anatomical) strength of this connection. Auditory information transfer was assessed applying an auditory speech perception task with dichotic presentations of consonant-vowel syllables (e.g., /ba-ga/). The frequency of correct left ear reports in this task served as a functional measure of interhemispheric transfer. Statistical analysis showed that a stronger anatomical connection between the superior temporal lobe areas supports a better information transfer. This specific structure-function association in the auditory modality supports the general notion that interindividual differences in callosal topography possess functional relevance.

Flipped Phenyl Ring Orientations of Dopamine Binding with Human and Drosophila Dopamine Transporters: Remarkable Role of Three Nonconserved Residues.

PubMed

Yuan, Yaxia; Zhu, Jun; Zhan, Chang-Guo

2018-03-09

Molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations were performed in the present study to examine the modes of dopamine binding with human and Drosophila dopamine transporters (hDAT and dDAT). The computational data revealed flipped binding orientations of dopamine in hDAT and dDAT due to the major differences in three key residues (S149, G153, and A423 of hDAT vs A117, D121, and S422 of dDAT) in the binding pocket. These three residues dictate the binding orientation of dopamine in the binding pocket, as the aromatic ring of dopamine tends to take an orientation with both the para- and meta-hydroxyl groups being close to polar residues and away from nonpolar residues of the protein. The flipped binding orientations of dopamine in hDAT and dDAT clearly demonstrate a generally valuable insight concerning how the species difference could drastically affect the protein-ligand binding modes, demonstrating that the species difference, which is a factor rarely considered in early drug design stage, must be accounted for throughout the ligand/drug design and discovery processes in general.

Differences in planktonic microbial communities associated with three types of macrophyte stands in a shallow lake.

PubMed

Mentes, Anikó; Szabó, Attila; Somogyi, Boglárka; Vajna, Balázs; Tugyi, Nóra; Csitári, Bianka; Vörös, Lajos; Felföldi, Tamás

2018-02-01

Little is known about how various substances from living and decomposing aquatic macrophytes affect the horizontal patterns of planktonic bacterial communities. Study sites were located within Lake Kolon, which is a freshwater marsh and can be characterised by open-water sites and small ponds with different macrovegetation (Phragmites australis, Nymphea alba and Utricularia vulgaris). Our aim was to reveal the impact of these macrophytes on the composition of the planktonic microbial communities using comparative analysis of environmental parameters, microscopy and pyrosequencing data. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were dominated by members of phyla Proteobacteria (36%-72%), Bacteroidetes (12%-33%) and Actinobacteria (5%-26%), but in the anoxic sample the ratio of Chlorobi (54%) was also remarkable. In the phytoplankton community, Cryptomonas sp., Dinobryon divergens, Euglena acus and chrysoflagellates had the highest proportion. Despite the similarities in most of the measured environmental parameters, the inner ponds had different bacterial and algal communities, suggesting that the presence and quality of macrophytes directly and indirectly controlled the composition of microbial plankton. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Regioselective intramolecular Pauson-Khand reactions of C60: an electrochemical study and theoretical underpinning.

PubMed

Martín, Nazario; Altable, Margarita; Filippone, Salvatore; Martín-Domenech, Angel; Poater, Albert; Solà, Miquel

2005-04-22

Suitably functionalized fulleropyrrolidines endowed with one or two propargyl groups at the C-2 position of the pyrrolidine ring (1,6-enynes) react efficiently and regioselectively with [Co2(CO)8] to afford the respective Pauson-Khand products with an unprecedented three (5 a-d, 7, and 24) or five (25) pentagonal rings, respectively, fused onto the fullerene sphere. Fulleropyrrolidines with 1,7-, 1,9-, 1,10-, or 1,11-enyne moieties do not undergo the PK reaction and, instead, the intermediate dicobalt complexes formed with the alkynyl group are isolated in quantitative yields. These differences in reactivity have been studied by DFT calculations with a generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functional and several important energy and structural differences were found for the intermediates formed by the interaction between the coordinatively unsaturated Co atom and the pi system of C60 in 1,6- and 1,7-enynes. The different lengths of the alkyne chains are responsible for the observed reactivities. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that the presence of the cyclopentenone's carbonyl group connected directly to the C60 core results in PK compounds with remarkable electron-accepting ability.

Heterogeneity in microbial exposure in schools in Sweden, Poland and Jordan revealed by analysis of chemical markers.

PubMed

Wady, Loay; Shehabi, Asem; Szponar, Bogumila; Pehrson, Christina; Sheng, Yezhou; Larsson, Lennart

2004-07-01

We used gas chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry to analyze microbial components in 85 samples of airborne dust from schools in Jordan, Sweden, and Poland. To collect the samples, we allowed dust to settle on plexiglass plates hanging in the breathing zone in school buildings during both summer and winter. In each of the three countries, we conducted such sampling in two schools: one in an urban environment and the other in rural surroundings. The microbial marker profiles differed significantly between the schools and seasons. For example, samples from Jordan contained remarkably low levels of ergosterol (marker of fungal biomass) and high levels of 3-hydroxy acids (markers of lipopolysaccharide) of 10, 12, and 14 carbon chain lengths relative to such acids of 16 and 18 carbons in comparison with samples from Sweden and Poland. This dissimilarity in 3-hydroxy fatty acid distribution indicates significant differences in the populations of Gram-negative bacteria. We also noted that muramic acid (marker of bacterial biomass) exhibited the smallest variation between schools and seasons. In summary, our results demonstrate that exposure to microorganisms in indoor air in school buildings may differ markedly between countries, between seasons, and between urban and rural environments.

Differential activation of stress-response signaling in load-induced cardiac hypertrophy and failure

PubMed Central

Rothermel, Beverly A.; Berenji, Kambeez; Tannous, Paul; Kutschke, William; Dey, Asim; Nolan, Bridgid; Yoo, Ki-Dong; Demetroulis, Elaine; Gimbel, Michael; Cabuay, Barry; Karimi, Mohsen; Hill, Joseph A.

2014-01-01

Hypertrophic growth of the myocardium occurs in most forms of heart failure and may contribute to the pathogenesis of the failure state. Little is known about the regulatory mechanisms governing the often-coexisting phenotypes of hypertrophy, systolic failure, and diastolic stiffness that characterize clinical disease. We hypothesized that intracellular signaling pathways are differentially activated by graded degrees of hemodynamic stress. To test this, we developed models of graded pressure stress in mice and used them to directly compare compensated hypertrophy and pressure-overload heart failure. Surgical interventions were designed to be similar, on either side of a threshold separating compensated from decompensated responses. Our findings revealed two dramatically different hypertrophic phenotypes with only modest differences in the activation of relevant intracellular signaling pathways. Furthermore, we uncovered a functional requirement of calcineurin signaling in each model such that calcineurin suppression blunted hypertrophic growth. Remarkably, in each case, suppression of calcineurin signaling was not associated with clinical deterioration or increased mortality. Profiles of stress-response signaling and Ca2+ handling differ between the steady-state, maintenance phases of load-induced cardiac hypertrophy and failure. This information may be useful in identifying novel targets of therapy in chronic disease. PMID:16033866

Differential activation of stress-response signaling in load-induced cardiac hypertrophy and failure.

PubMed

Rothermel, Beverly A; Berenji, Kambeez; Tannous, Paul; Kutschke, William; Dey, Asim; Nolan, Bridgid; Yoo, Ki-Dong; Demetroulis, Elaine; Gimbel, Michael; Cabuay, Barry; Karimi, Mohsen; Hill, Joseph A

2005-09-21

Hypertrophic growth of the myocardium occurs in most forms of heart failure and may contribute to the pathogenesis of the failure state. Little is known about the regulatory mechanisms governing the often-coexisting phenotypes of hypertrophy, systolic failure, and diastolic stiffness that characterize clinical disease. We hypothesized that intracellular signaling pathways are differentially activated by graded degrees of hemodynamic stress. To test this, we developed models of graded pressure stress in mice and used them to directly compare compensated hypertrophy and pressure-overload heart failure. Surgical interventions were designed to be similar, on either side of a threshold separating compensated from decompensated responses. Our findings revealed two dramatically different hypertrophic phenotypes with only modest differences in the activation of relevant intracellular signaling pathways. Furthermore, we uncovered a functional requirement of calcineurin signaling in each model such that calcineurin suppression blunted hypertrophic growth. Remarkably, in each case, suppression of calcineurin signaling was not associated with clinical deterioration or increased mortality. Profiles of stress-response signaling and Ca2+ handling differ between the steady-state, maintenance phases of load-induced cardiac hypertrophy and failure. This information may be useful in identifying novel targets of therapy in chronic disease.

Similarity Evaluation of Different Origins and Species of Dendrobiums by GC-MS and FTIR Analysis of Polysaccharides

PubMed Central

Chen, Nai-Dong; Chen, Nai-Fu; Li, Jun; Cao, Cai-Yun; Wang, Jin-Mei; Huang, He-Ping

2015-01-01

GC-MS method combined with FTIR techniques by the analysis of polysaccharide was applied to evaluate the similarity between wild (W) and tissue-cultured (TC) Dendrobium huoshanense (DHS), Dendrobium officinale (DO), and Dendrobium moniliforme (DM) as well as 3 wild Dendrobium spp.: Dendrobium henanense (DHN), Dendrobium loddigesii (DL), and Dendrobium crepidatum (DC). Eight monosaccharides involving xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucose, mannose, fructose, galactose, and galacturonic acid were identified in the polysaccharide from each Dendrobium sample while the contents of the monosugars varied remarkably across origins and species. Further similarity evaluation based on GC-MS data showed that the r cor values of different origins of DHS, DO, and DM were 0.831, 0.865, and 0.884, respectively, while the r cor values ranged from 0.475 to 0.837 across species. FTIR files of the polysaccharides revealed that the similarity coefficients between W and TC-DHS, DO, and DM were 88.7%, 86.8%, and 88.5%, respectively, in contrast to the similarity coefficients varying from 57.4% to 82.6% across species. These results suggested that the structures of polysaccharides between different origins of the investigated Dendrobiums might be higher than what we had supposed. PMID:26539215

Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of human liver cytochrome(s) P450

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

Shrivas, Kamlesh; Mindaye, Samuel T.; Getie-Kebtie, Melkamu

2013-02-15

The major objective of personalized medicine is to select optimized drug therapies and to a large degree such mission is determined by the expression profiles of cytochrome(s) P450 (CYP). Accordingly, a proteomic case study in personalized medicine is provided by the superfamily of cytochromes P450. Our knowledge about CYP isozyme expression on a protein level is very limited and based exclusively on DNA/mRNA derived data. Such information is not sufficient because transcription and translation events do not lead to correlated levels of expressed proteins. Here we report expression profiles of CYPs in human liver obtained by mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomicmore » approach. We analyzed 32 samples of human liver microsomes (HLM) of different sexes, ages and ethnicity along with samples of recombinant human CYPs. We have experimentally confirmed that each CYP isozyme can be effectively differentiated by their unique isozyme-specific tryptic peptide(s). Trypsin digestion patterns for almost 30 human CYP isozymes were established. Those findings should assist in selecting tryptic peptides suitable for MS-based quantitation. The data obtained demonstrate remarkable differences in CYP expression profiles. CYP2E1, CYP2C8 and CYP4A11 were the only isozymes found in all HLM samples. Female and pediatric HLM samples revealed much more diverse spectrum of expressed CYPs isozymes compared to male HLM. We have confirmed expression of a number of “rare” CYP (CYP2J2, CYP4B1, CYP4V2, CYP4F3, CYP4F11, CYP8B1, CYP19A1, CYP24A1 and CYP27A1) and obtained first direct experimental data showing expression of such CYPs as CYP2F1, CYP2S1, CYP2W1, CYP4A22, CYP4X1, and CYP26A1 on a protein level. - Highlights: ► First detailed proteomic analysis of CYP isozymes expression in human liver ► Trypsin digestion patterns for almost 30 human CYP isozymes established ► The data obtained demonstrate remarkable differences in CYP expression profiles. ► Female HLM samples revealed more diverse spectrum of CYP isozymes than male. ► First data showing expression of 2F1, 2S1, 2W1, 4A22, 4X1, 26A1 on a protein level.« less

Genome sequencing of ovine isolates of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis offers insights into host association

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The genome of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is remarkably homogeneous among the genomes of bovine, human and wildlife isolates. However, previous work in our laboratories with the bovine K-10 strain has revealed substantial differences compared to sheep isolates. To systematically characterize all genomic differences that may be associated with the specific hosts, we sequenced the genomes of three U.S. sheep isolates and also obtained an optical map. Results Our analysis of one of the isolates, MAP S397, revealed a genome 4.8 Mb in size with 4,700 open reading frames (ORFs). Comparative analysis of the MAP S397 isolate showed it acquired approximately 10 large sequence regions that are shared with the human M. avium subsp. hominissuis strain 104 and lost 2 large regions that are present in the bovine strain. In addition, optical mapping defined the presence of 7 large inversions between the bovine and ovine genomes (~ 2.36 Mb). Whole-genome sequencing of 2 additional sheep strains of MAP (JTC1074 and JTC7565) further confirmed genomic homogeneity of the sheep isolates despite the presence of polymorphisms on the nucleotide level. Conclusions Comparative sequence analysis employed here provided a better understanding of the host association, evolution of members of the M. avium complex and could help in deciphering the phenotypic differences observed among sheep and cattle strains of MAP. A similar approach based on whole-genome sequencing combined with optical mapping could be employed to examine closely related pathogens. We propose an evolutionary scenario for M. avium complex strains based on these genome sequences. PMID:22409516

Structure-guided investigation of lipopolysaccharide O-antigen chain length regulators reveals regions critical for modal length control.

PubMed

Kalynych, Sergei; Ruan, Xiang; Valvano, Miguel A; Cygler, Miroslaw

2011-08-01

The O-antigen component of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) represents a population of polysaccharide molecules with nonrandom (modal) chain length distribution. The number of the repeat O units in each individual O-antigen polymer depends on the Wzz chain length regulator, an inner membrane protein belonging to the polysaccharide copolymerase (PCP) family. Different Wzz proteins confer vastly different ranges of modal lengths (4 to >100 repeat units), despite having remarkably conserved structural folds. The molecular mechanism responsible for the selective preference for a certain number of O units is unknown. Guided by the three-dimensional structures of PCPs, we constructed a panel of chimeric molecules containing parts of two closely related Wzz proteins from Salmonella enterica and Shigella flexneri which confer different O-antigen chain length distributions. Analysis of the O-antigen length distribution imparted by each chimera revealed the region spanning amino acids 67 to 95 (region 67 to 95), region 200 to 255, and region 269 to 274 as primarily affecting the length distribution. We also showed that there is no synergy between these regions. In particular, region 269 to 274 also influenced chain length distribution mediated by two distantly related PCPs, WzzB and FepE. Furthermore, from the 3 regions uncovered in this study, region 269 to 274 appeared to be critical for the stability of the oligomeric form of Wzz, as determined by cross-linking experiments. Together, our data suggest that chain length determination depends on regions that likely contribute to stabilize a supramolecular complex.

Live-cell imaging of dual-labeled Golgi stacks in tobacco BY-2 cells reveals similar behaviors for different cisternae during movement and brefeldin A treatment.

PubMed

Madison, Stephanie L; Nebenführ, Andreas

2011-09-01

In plant cells, the Golgi apparatus consists of numerous stacks that, in turn, are composed of several flattened cisternae with a clear cis-to-trans polarity. During normal functioning within living cells, this unusual organelle displays a wide range of dynamic behaviors such as whole stack motility, constant membrane flux through the cisternae, and Golgi enzyme recycling through the ER. In order to further investigate various aspects of Golgi stack dynamics and integrity, we co-expressed pairs of established Golgi markers in tobacco BY-2 cells to distinguish sub-compartments of the Golgi during monensin treatments, movement, and brefeldin A (BFA)-induced disassembly. A combination of cis and trans markers revealed that Golgi stacks remain intact as they move through the cytoplasm. The Golgi stack orientation during these movements showed a slight preference for the cis side moving ahead, but trans cisternae were also found at the leading edge. During BFA treatments, the different sub-compartments of about half of the observed stacks fused with the ER sequentially; however, no consistent order could be detected. In contrast, the ionophore monensin resulted in swelling of trans cisternae while medial and particularly cis cisternae were mostly unaffected. Our results thus demonstrate a remarkable equivalence of the different cisternae with respect to movement and BFA-induced fusion with the ER. In addition, we propose that a combination of dual-label fluorescence microscopy and drug treatments can provide a simple alternative approach to the determination of protein localization to specific Golgi sub-compartments.

Proteomics analysis reveals a potential new target protein for the lipid-lowering effect of Berberine8998.

PubMed

Yu, Cheng-Yin; Liu, Gang-Yi; Liu, Xiao-Hui; Gui, Yu-Zhou; Liu, Hai-Ming; Zheng, Hong-Chao; Gorecki, Darek C; Patel, Asmita V; Yu, Chen; Wang, Yi-Ping

2018-04-12

Berberine8998 is a newly synthesized berberine derivative with better lipid-lowering activity and improved absorption. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of berberine8998 on serum cholesterol and lipid levels in vivo and to examine the mechanisms involved. Hamsters on high-fat diet (HFD) were administered berberine or berberine8998 (50 mg·kg -1 ·d -1 , ig) for 3 weeks. Berberine8998 administration significantly lowered the total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C levels in HFD hamsters. Bioinformatics revealed that berberine and berberine8998 shared similar metabolic pathways and fatty acid metabolism was the predominant pathway. Western blot validation results showed that peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1) and long-chain fatty acid-CoA ligase 1 (ACSL1), two proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism, were expressed differently in the berberine8998 group than in the untreated group and the berberine treatment group. Biochemistry results showed that berberine8998 significantly lowered the non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels, which may lead to a reduction in TG levels in the berberine8998 treatment group and the differences observed in proteomics analyses. Pharmacokinetic analysis conducted in rats. After administration of berberine or berberine8998 (50 mg/kg, ig), berberine8998 exhibited a remarkably improved absorption with increasing bioavailability by 6.7 times compared with berberine. These findings suggest that berberine8998 lowers cholesterol and lipid levels via different mechanisms than berberine, and its improved absorption makes it a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and obesity.

Differential anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of dexamethasone and N-acetylcysteine in endotoxin-induced lung inflammation

PubMed Central

Rocksén, D; Lilliehöök, B; Larsson, R; Johansson, T; Bucht, A

2000-01-01

Inhalation of bacterial endotoxin induces an acute inflammation in the lower respiratory tract. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of the anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and the glucocorticoid dexamethasone were investigated in mice exposed to aerosolized endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)). Powerful reduction of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was obtained by a single i.p. injection of dexamethasone (10 mg/kg), whereas treatment with NAC only resulted in reduction of neutrophils when administered at a high dose (500 mg/kg). Measurement of cytokine and chemokine expression in lung tissue revealed a significant decrease of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p40, and MIP-1α mRNA when mice where treated with dexamethasone but not when treated with NAC. Analysis of oxidative burst demonstrated a remarkable reduction of oxygen radicals in BALF neutrophils after treatment with dexamethasone, whereas the effect of NAC was not significantly different from that in untreated animals. In conclusion, dexamethasone exerted both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects in acute airway inflammation, probably by blocking early events in the inflammatory cascade. In contrast, treatment with NAC resulted in a weak reduction of the inflammatory response but no inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines or reduction of oxidative burst in neutrophils. These results demonstrate dramatic differences in efficiency and also indicate that the two drugs have different actions. Combined treatment with NAC and dexamethasone revealed an additive action but no synergy was observed. PMID:11091282

Determinants and taxonomic consequences of extreme egg shell variability in Ramazzottius subanomalus (Biserov, 1985) (Tardigrada).

PubMed

Stec, Daniel; Morek, Witold; Gąsiorek, Piotr; Kaczmarek, Łukasz; Michalczyk, Łukasz

2016-12-15

Nearly a half of known eutardigrade species lay ornamented eggs. The ornamentation is thought to provide attachment of the egg to the substrate and protection for the developing embryo, but from the taxonomic point of view chorion morphology may also provide key characters for species differentiation and identification, especially between closely related taxa. Nonetheless, despite the evolutionary and taxonomic importance of the egg shell, the determinants of its morphology are very poorly, if at all, understood. Here, we combine morphological, molecular and experimental approaches in an attempt to separate the genetic and environmental factors that shape egg chorion morphology in Ramazzottius subanomalus (Biserov, 1985). Our integrative study, based on a population of R. subanomalus isolated from a single moss sample, revealed (1) remarkable variation in egg shell morphology, but (2) relatively little variation in animal morphometric traits, and (3) genetic differentiation, expressed as two ITS-2 haplotypes, but no parallel polymorphism in COI. Although animals did not differ morphometrically between the haplotypes, eggs laid by haplotype 1 and 2 females exhibited highly statistically significant differences in all measured traits. The study demonstrates, for the first time, a correlation between phenotypic and genetic variability within a tardigrade species. The revealed congruence between genetic and morphological traits might be viewed as an example of incipient speciation that illustrates early evolutionary steps leading to species complexes that differ primarily in terms of egg shell morphology. Moreover, our data confirm the value of the ITS-2 fragment in distinguishing very closely related tardigrade lineages.

A study of volatile organic compounds evolved from the decaying human body.

PubMed

Statheropoulos, M; Spiliopoulou, C; Agapiou, A

2005-10-29

Two men were found dead near the island of Samos, Greece, in the Mediterranean sea. The estimated time of death for both victims was 3-4 weeks. Autopsy revealed no remarkable external injuries or acute poisoning. The exact cause of death remained unclear because the bodies had advanced decomposition. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evolved from these two corpses were determined by thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis (TD/GC/MS). Over 80 substances have been identified and quantified. The most prominent among them were dimethyl disulfide (13.39 nmol/L), toluene (10.11 nmol/L), hexane (5.58 nmol/L), benzene 1,2,4-trimethyl (4.04 nmol/L), 2-propanone (3.84 nmol/L), 3-pentanone (3.59 nmol/L). Qualitative and quantitative differences among the evolved VOCs and CO2 mean concentration values might indicate different rates of decomposition between the two bodies. The study of the evolved VOCs appears to be a promising adjunct to the forensic pathologist as they may offer important information which can be used in his final evaluation.

Improving CNN Performance Accuracies With Min-Max Objective.

PubMed

Shi, Weiwei; Gong, Yihong; Tao, Xiaoyu; Wang, Jinjun; Zheng, Nanning

2017-06-09

We propose a novel method for improving performance accuracies of convolutional neural network (CNN) without the need to increase the network complexity. We accomplish the goal by applying the proposed Min-Max objective to a layer below the output layer of a CNN model in the course of training. The Min-Max objective explicitly ensures that the feature maps learned by a CNN model have the minimum within-manifold distance for each object manifold and the maximum between-manifold distances among different object manifolds. The Min-Max objective is general and able to be applied to different CNNs with insignificant increases in computation cost. Moreover, an incremental minibatch training procedure is also proposed in conjunction with the Min-Max objective to enable the handling of large-scale training data. Comprehensive experimental evaluations on several benchmark data sets with both the image classification and face verification tasks reveal that employing the proposed Min-Max objective in the training process can remarkably improve performance accuracies of a CNN model in comparison with the same model trained without using this objective.

B-vitamins, carotenoids and α-/γ-tocopherol in raw and roasted nuts.

PubMed

Stuetz, Wolfgang; Schlörmann, Wiebke; Glei, Michael

2017-04-15

The concentrations of B-vitamins, carotenoids and tocopherols in nuts may differ between species and might be influenced by roasting. Thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene and α-/γ-tocopherol were determined in different varieties of raw and roasted nuts using HPLC (fluorescence/UV-vis detection). The analysis revealed remarkable concentrations of thiamine and pyridoxine in pistachios (57%, 79% of the recommended daily intake/100g (RDI), respectively) and riboflavin in almonds (119% of the RDI). Pistachios were rich in lutein/zeaxanthin and contained highest β-carotene levels among nuts. Almonds and hazelnuts were abundant in α-tocopherol (>4-fold the RDI for tocopherol equivalents) while pistachios and walnuts were rich in γ-tocopherol. Roasting had a diminishing effect on thiamine, carotenoids and tocopherols especially in almonds and walnuts. Nuts could make a valuable contribution to a healthy diet in regard to B-vitamins, lutein/zeaxanthin and tocopherols. A reduction in micronutrient content by roasting is reliant on the nut variety and specific micronutrient. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Divergence in Ubiquitin Interaction and Catalysis among the Ubiquitin-Specific Protease Family Deubiquitinating Enzymes.

PubMed

Tencer, Adam H; Liang, Qin; Zhuang, Zhihao

2016-08-23

Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) are responsible for reversing mono- and polyubiquitination of proteins and play essential roles in numerous cellular processes. Close to 100 human DUBs have been identified and are classified into five families, with the ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) family being the largest (>50 members). The binding of ubiquitin (Ub) to USP is strikingly different from that observed for the DUBs in the ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH) and ovarian tumor domain protease (OTU) families. We generated a panel of mutant ubiquitins and used them to probe the ubiquitin's interaction with a number of USPs. Our results revealed a remarkable divergence of USP-Ub interactions among the USP catalytic domains. Our double-mutant cycle analysis targeting the ubiquitin residues located in the tip, the central body, and the tail of ubiquitin also demonstrated different crosstalk among the USP-Ub interactions. This work uncovered intriguing divergence in the ubiquitin-binding mode in the USP family DUBs and raised the possibility of targeting the ubiquitin-binding hot spots on USPs for selective inhibition of USPs by small molecule antagonists.

RBFOX2 Is an Important Regulator of Mesenchymal Tissue-Specific Splicing in both Normal and Cancer Tissues

PubMed Central

Venables, Julian P.; Brosseau, Jean-Philippe; Gadea, Gilles; Klinck, Roscoe; Prinos, Panagiotis; Beaulieu, Jean-François; Lapointe, Elvy; Durand, Mathieu; Thibault, Philippe; Tremblay, Karine; Rousset, François; Tazi, Jamal; Abou Elela, Sherif

2013-01-01

Alternative splicing provides a critical and flexible layer of regulation intervening in many biological processes to regulate the diversity of proteins and impact cell phenotype. To identify alternative splicing differences that distinguish epithelial from mesenchymal tissues, we have investigated hundreds of cassette exons using a high-throughput reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) platform. Extensive changes in splicing were noted between epithelial and mesenchymal tissues in both human colon and ovarian tissues, with many changes from mostly one splice variant to predominantly the other. Remarkably, many of the splicing differences that distinguish normal mesenchymal from normal epithelial tissues matched those that differentiate normal ovarian tissues from ovarian cancer. Furthermore, because splicing profiling could classify cancer cell lines according to their epithelial/mesenchymal characteristics, we used these cancer cell lines to identify regulators for these specific splicing signatures. By knocking down 78 potential splicing factors in five cell lines, we provide an extensive view of the complex regulatory landscape associated with the epithelial and mesenchymal states, thus revealing that RBFOX2 is an important driver of mesenchymal tissue-specific splicing. PMID:23149937

Carbon Nanotubes as Support in the Platinum-Catalyzed Hydrolytic Dehydrogenation of Ammonia Borane.

PubMed

Chen, Wenyao; Duan, Xuezhi; Qian, Gang; Chen, De; Zhou, Xinggui

2015-09-07

We report remarkable support effects for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the Pt/CNT-catalyzed hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane. The origin of the support-dependent activity and durability is elucidated by combining the catalytic and durability testing with characterization by a range of spectroscopy and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques and ICP analysis. The effects mainly arise from different electronic properties and different abilities for the adsorption of boron-containing species on platinum surfaces and changes in size and shape of the platinum particles during the reaction. Defect-rich CNTs in particular are a promising support material, as it not only enhances the platinum binding energy, leading to the highest hydrogen generation rate, but also inhibits the adsorption of boron-containing species and stabilizes the platinum nanoparticles to resist the agglomeration during the reaction, leading to the highest durability. The insights revealed herein may pave the way for the rational design of highly active and durable metal/carbon catalysts for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Time-dependent gel to gel transformation of a peptide based supramolecular gelator.

PubMed

Baral, Abhishek; Basak, Shibaji; Basu, Kingshuk; Dehsorkhi, Ashkan; Hamley, Ian W; Banerjee, Arindam

2015-06-28

A dipeptide with a long fatty acid chain at its N-terminus gives hydrogels in phosphate buffer in the pH range 7.0-8.5. The hydrogel with a gelator concentration of 0.45% (w/v) at pH 7.46 (physiological pH) provides a very good platform to study dynamic changes within a supramolecular framework as it exhibits remarkable change in its appearance with time. Interestingly, the first formed transparent hydrogel gradually transforms into a turbid gel within 2 days. These two forms of the hydrogel have been thoroughly investigated by using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HR-TEM) imaging, FT-IR and rheometric analyses. The SAXS and low angle PXRD studies substantiate different packing arrangements for the gelator molecules for these two different gel states (the freshly prepared and the aged hydrogel). Moreover, rheological studies of these two gels reveal that the aged gel is stiffer than the freshly prepared gel.

Binding affinity of amyloid oligomers to cellular membranes is a generic indicator of cellular dysfunction in protein misfolding diseases

PubMed Central

Evangelisti, Elisa; Cascella, Roberta; Becatti, Matteo; Marrazza, Giovanna; Dobson, Christopher M.; Chiti, Fabrizio; Stefani, Massimo; Cecchi, Cristina

2016-01-01

The conversion of peptides or proteins from their soluble native states into intractable amyloid deposits is associated with a wide range of human disorders. Misfolded protein oligomers formed during the process of aggregation have been identified as the primary pathogenic agents in many such conditions. Here, we show the existence of a quantitative relationship between the degree of binding to neuronal cells of different types of oligomers formed from a model protein, HypF-N, and the GM1 content of the plasma membranes. In addition, remarkably similar behavior is observed for oligomers of the Aβ42 peptide associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Further analysis has revealed the existence of a linear correlation between the level of the influx of Ca2+ across neuronal membranes that triggers cellular damage, and the fraction of oligomeric species bound to the membrane. Our findings indicate that the susceptibility of neuronal cells to different types of misfolded oligomeric assemblies is directly related to the extent of binding of such oligomers to the cellular membrane. PMID:27619987

The Emergence of Two Distinct Fertility Regimes in Economically Advanced Countries

PubMed Central

Rindfuss, Ronald R.; Choe, Minja Kim; Brauner-Otto, Sarah R.

2018-01-01

Beginning in 2000, in economically advanced countries, a remarkable bifurcation in fertility levels has emerged, with one group in the moderate range of period total fertility rates (TFR), about 1.9, and the other at 1.3. The upper branch consists of countries in Northern and Western Europe, Oceania and the United States; the lower branch includes Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, and East and Southeast Asia. A review of the major theories for low fertility countries reveals that none of them would have predicted this specific bifurcation. We argue that those countries with fertility levels close to replacement level have institutional arrangements, and related policies, that make it easier, not easy, for women to combine the worker and mother roles. The institutional details are quite different across countries, suggesting that multiple combinations of institutional arrangements and policies can lead to the same country-level fertility outcome. Canada, the only exception to this bifurcation, illustrates the importance of the different institutional structures in Québec compared to the rest of Canada. PMID:29593366

Floral features of two species of Bulbophyllum section Lepidorhiza Schltr.: B. levanae Ames and B. nymphopolitanum Kraenzl. (Bulbophyllinae Schltr., Orchidaceae).

PubMed

Wiśniewska, Natalia; Kowalkowska, Agnieszka K; Kozieradzka-Kiszkurno, Małgorzata; Krawczyńska, Agnieszka T; Bohdanowicz, Jerzy

2018-03-01

Two representatives of section Lepidorhiza, previously sometimes considered conspecific, Bulbophyllum levanae and Bulbophyllum nymphopolitanum, demonstrated both similarities and differences in floral features. There were significant differences in the length of sepals and micromorphological features of the labellum. In both species, osmophores are located on the extended apices of sepals and possibly on petals. An abundance of proteins in tepals is probably associated with the unpleasant scent of the flowers, whereas the thin wax layers on the epidermis are probably involved in the maintenance of the brilliance of floral tepals, which strongly attracts flies. In all tepals of both species, we noted the presence of dihydroxyphenolic globules in the cytoplasm after staining with FeCl 3 . Comparison with ultrastructure results revealed that they were associated with plastids containing plastoglobuli. The most remarkable feature was the presence of a prominent periplasmic space in the epidermal cells of both investigated species. Furthermore, in the labellum of B. levanae, the cuticle contained microchannels. The combination of periplasmic space and microchannels has not previously been recorded.

The synaptonemal complex of basal metazoan hydra: more similarities to vertebrate than invertebrate meiosis model organisms.

PubMed

Fraune, Johanna; Wiesner, Miriam; Benavente, Ricardo

2014-03-20

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is an evolutionarily well-conserved structure that mediates chromosome synapsis during prophase of the first meiotic division. Although its structure is conserved, the characterized protein components in the current metazoan meiosis model systems (Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Mus musculus) show no sequence homology, challenging the question of a single evolutionary origin of the SC. However, our recent studies revealed the monophyletic origin of the mammalian SC protein components. Many of them being ancient in Metazoa and already present in the cnidarian Hydra. Remarkably, a comparison between different model systems disclosed a great similarity between the SC components of Hydra and mammals while the proteins of the ecdysozoan systems (D. melanogaster and C. elegans) differ significantly. In this review, we introduce the basal-branching metazoan species Hydra as a potential novel invertebrate model system for meiosis research and particularly for the investigation of SC evolution, function and assembly. Also, available methods for SC research in Hydra are summarized. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Distinct Orai-coupling domains in STIM1 and STIM2 define the Orai-activating site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xizhuo; Wang, Youjun; Zhou, Yandong; Hendron, Eunan; Mancarella, Salvatore; Andrake, Mark D.; Rothberg, Brad S.; Soboloff, Jonathan; Gill, Donald L.

2014-02-01

STIM1 and STIM2 are widely expressed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ sensor proteins able to translocate within the ER membrane to physically couple with and gate plasma membrane Orai Ca2+ channels. Although they are structurally similar, we reveal critical differences in the function of the short STIM-Orai-activating regions (SOAR) of STIM1 and STIM2. We narrow these differences in Orai1 gating to a strategically exposed phenylalanine residue (Phe-394) in SOAR1, which in SOAR2 is substituted by a leucine residue. Remarkably, in full-length STIM1, replacement of Phe-394 with the dimensionally similar but polar histidine head group prevents both Orai1 binding and gating, creating an Orai1 non-agonist. Thus, this residue is critical in tuning the efficacy of Orai activation. While STIM1 is a full Orai1-agonist, leucine-replacement of this crucial residue in STIM2 endows it with partial agonist properties, which may be critical for limiting Orai1 activation stemming from its enhanced sensitivity to store-depletion.

Parental criticism and externalizing behavior problems in adolescents: the role of environment and genotype-environment correlation.

PubMed

Narusyte, Jurgita; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Andershed, Anna-Karin; D'Onofrio, Brian M; Reiss, David; Spotts, Erica; Ganiban, Jody; Lichtenstein, Paul

2011-05-01

Genetic factors are important for the association between parental negativity and child problem behavior, but it is not clear whether this is due to passive or evocative genotype-environment correlation (rGE). In this study, we applied the extended children-of-twins model to directly examine the presence of passive and evocative rGE as well as direct environmental effects in the association between parental criticism and adolescent externalizing problem behavior. The cross-sectional data come from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden (N = 909 pairs of adult twins) and from the Twin Study of Child and Adolescent Development (N = 915 pairs of twin children). The results revealed that maternal criticism was primarily due to evocative rGE emanating from their adolescent's externalizing behavior. On the other hand, fathers' critical remarks tended to affect adolescent problem behavior in a direct environmental way. This suggests that previously reported differences in caretaking between mothers and fathers also are reflected in differences in why parenting is associated with externalizing behavior in offspring.

Parental criticism and externalizing behavior problems in adolescents– the role of environment and genotype-environment correlation

PubMed Central

Narusyte, Jurgita; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Andershed, Anna-Karin; D’Onofrio, Brian M.; Reiss, David; Spotts, Erica; Ganiban, Jody; Lichtenstein, Paul

2011-01-01

Genetic factors are important for the association between parental negativity and child problem behavior, but it is not clear whether this is dueto passive or evocative genotype-environment correlation (rGE). In this study we applied the extended children-of-twins model to directly examine the presence of passive and evocative rGE as well as direct environmental effects in the association between parental criticism and adolescent externalizing problem behavior. The cross-sectional data come from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden (TOSS) (N=909 pairs of adult twins) and from the Twin study of CHild and Adolescent Development (TCHAD) (N=915 pairs of twin children). The results revealed that maternal criticism was primarily due to evocative rGE emanating from their adolescent’s externalizing behavior. On the other hand, fathers’ critical remarks tended to affect adolescent problem behavior in a direct environmental way. This suggests that previously reported differences in caretaking between mothers and fathers also are reflected in differences in why parenting is associated with externalizing behavior in offspring. PMID:21280930

Quantitative and functional interrogation of parent-of-origin allelic expression biases in the brain

PubMed Central

Perez, Julio D; Rubinstein, Nimrod D; Fernandez, Daniel E; Santoro, Stephen W; Needleman, Leigh A; Ho-Shing, Olivia; Choi, John J; Zirlinger, Mariela; Chen, Shau-Kwaun; Liu, Jun S; Dulac, Catherine

2015-01-01

The maternal and paternal genomes play different roles in mammalian brains as a result of genomic imprinting, an epigenetic regulation leading to differential expression of the parental alleles of some genes. Here we investigate genomic imprinting in the cerebellum using a newly developed Bayesian statistical model that provides unprecedented transcript-level resolution. We uncover 160 imprinted transcripts, including 41 novel and independently validated imprinted genes. Strikingly, many genes exhibit parentally biased—rather than monoallelic—expression, with different magnitudes according to age, organ, and brain region. Developmental changes in parental bias and overall gene expression are strongly correlated, suggesting combined roles in regulating gene dosage. Finally, brain-specific deletion of the paternal, but not maternal, allele of the paternally-biased Bcl-x, (Bcl2l1) results in loss of specific neuron types, supporting the functional significance of parental biases. These findings reveal the remarkable complexity of genomic imprinting, with important implications for understanding the normal and diseased brain. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07860.001 PMID:26140685

Magnetic and Magnetocaloric Properties of Ca0.97La0.03MnO3 Manganites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, G. D.; Hu, P. F.; Li, Y.; Kim, D. H.; Liu, C. L.; Phan, T. L.; Ho, T. A.; Yu, S. C.; Telegin, A.; Naumov, S. V.

2016-07-01

In spite of many previous studies on electron-doped CaMnO3 perovskite manganites, detailed investigations into the influence of low-doping concentrations on their magnetic and magnetocaloric (MC) properties have not been carried out yet. Additionally, there is still the lack of the comparison between single-crystal (SC) and polycrystalline (PC) materials. Dealing with these problems, we prepared orthorhombic Ca0.97La0.03MnO3 SC and PC samples. Magnetization measurements versus the temperature and magnetic field revealed remarkable differences in the magnetic property, particularly around the antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic-paramagnetic phase-transition region. The analyses of the magnetization versus magnetic field, M( H), data indicated a weak MC effect with magnetic-entropy changes less than 0.1 J kg-1 K-1 for an applied field interval H = 10 kOe because ferromagnetic interactions between Mn3+ and Mn4+ ions are insignificant. The differences in the magnetic and MC properties of the SC and PC samples are ascribed to the effects of grain boundary, magnetic anisotropy, and nonstoichiometry in oxygen.

Antennal multiporous sensilla: their gustatory features for host recognition in female parasitic wasps (insecta, Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea).

PubMed

Isidoro, N; Romani, R; Bin, F

2001-12-01

In parasitic wasps, various kinds of antennal plates have been interpreted as olfactory organs due to the presence of numerous pores. However, on the basis of ultrastructural investigations, some of these multiporous plates were revealed as being release sites of exocrine glands while others were postulated to have a gustatory function. Such sensilla, present only on female antennae, show unique features, found exclusively in Platygastroidea, with some differences between Scelionidae and Platygastridae. The cuticular apparatus consists of a short basiconic shaft with an apical multiporous area, the pores of which are covered by movable structures. The cellular components are made up of a remarkable number of sensory neurons, from 200 to 220, and an undefined number of sheath cells. These multiporous sensilla have tubular accessory glands that release their secretion through the socket sensillum only in scelionids. These morphological characters, combined with behavioral observations, strongly suggest a gustatory function, although electrophysiological studies are still needed to confirm this. A new terminology for antennal multiporous plates is discussed in relation to their different functions. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Flirting with disaster: short-term mating orientation and hostile sexism predict different types of sexual harassment.

PubMed

Diehl, Charlotte; Rees, Jonas; Bohner, Gerd

2012-01-01

We combine evolutionary and sociocultural accounts of sexual harassment, proposing that sexuality-related and hostility-related motives lead to different types of harassment. Specifically, men's short-term mating orientation (STMO) was hypothesized to predict only unwanted sexual attention but not gender harassment, whereas men's hostile sexism (HS) was hypothesized to predict both unwanted sexual attention and gender harassment. As part of an alleged computer-chat task, 100 male students could send sexualized personal remarks (representing unwanted sexual attention), sexist jokes (representing gender harassment), or nonharassing material to an attractive female target. Independently, participants' STMO, HS, and sexual harassment myth acceptance (SHMA) were assessed. Correlational and path analyses revealed that STMO specifically predicted unwanted sexual attention, whereas HS predicted both unwanted sexual attention and gender harassment. Furthermore, SHMA fully mediated the effect of HS on gender harassment, but did not mediate effects of STMO or HS on unwanted sexual attention. Results are discussed in relation to motivational explanations for sexual harassment and antiharassment interventions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Multiple choristoma and a myelolipoma in a Sheltie].

PubMed

Cubillos, Claudette C; Köhler, Claudia; Fromme, Vivian; Leitner, Susanne; Hauber, Elke; Schwede, Maartje; Alef, Michaele; Kiefer, Ingmar

2018-06-01

An 11-year-old female Sheltie was presented with inappetence and a progressive increase in abdominal distention. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a large cystic mass in the midabdomen and cystic lesions in the right liver lobe and in the caudal pole of the left kidney. Histopathologic examination of the resected tissue revealed a myelolipoma of the spleen, dispersed splenic tissue in the liver and dispersed uterine and salpinx tissues in the kidney. This report describes the clinical, ultrasonographic and computed tomographic features and the results of histopathology. In addition to the abnormally large and cystic myelolipoma of the spleen, the great number of choristomas is remarkable, which has not previously been documented in a dog. Schattauer GmbH.

Atrial septal defect in a Korean wild raccoon dog

PubMed Central

YIM, Soomi; CHOI, Sooyoung; KIM, Jongtaek; CHUNG, Jin-Young; PARK, Inchul

2017-01-01

An approximately two-year-old, male 6.1 kg body weight, Korean wild raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis) was captured by the wildlife medical rescue center of Kangwon National University. Upon physical examination, the heart rate was 87 beats per min and there were no clinical signs. The hematological, and blood biochemical profiles revealed no remarkable findings; however, thoracic radiographs showed cardiac enlargement, especially in the right atrium. On electrocardiogram, sinus node dysfunction and bradyarrhythmia were revealed. Echocardiography showed a left-to-right shunting atrial septal defect. Based on these findings, this Korean wild raccoon dog was diagnosed with atrial septal defect. This is the rare case report of atrial septal defect in wildlife. PMID:28804099

Atrial septal defect in a Korean wild raccoon dog.

PubMed

Yim, Soomi; Choi, Sooyoung; Kim, Jongtaek; Chung, Jin-Young; Park, Inchul

2017-10-07

An approximately two-year-old, male 6.1 kg body weight, Korean wild raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis) was captured by the wildlife medical rescue center of Kangwon National University. Upon physical examination, the heart rate was 87 beats per min and there were no clinical signs. The hematological, and blood biochemical profiles revealed no remarkable findings; however, thoracic radiographs showed cardiac enlargement, especially in the right atrium. On electrocardiogram, sinus node dysfunction and bradyarrhythmia were revealed. Echocardiography showed a left-to-right shunting atrial septal defect. Based on these findings, this Korean wild raccoon dog was diagnosed with atrial septal defect. This is the rare case report of atrial septal defect in wildlife.

Genome size diversity in orchids: consequences and evolution

PubMed Central

Leitch, I. J.; Kahandawala, I.; Suda, J.; Hanson, L.; Ingrouille, M. J.; Chase, M. W.; Fay, M. F.

2009-01-01

Background The amount of DNA comprising the genome of an organism (its genome size) varies a remarkable 40 000-fold across eukaryotes, yet most groups are characterized by much narrower ranges (e.g. 14-fold in gymnosperms, 3- to 4-fold in mammals). Angiosperms stand out as one of the most variable groups with genome sizes varying nearly 2000-fold. Nevertheless within angiosperms the majority of families are characterized by genomes which are small and vary little. Species with large genomes are mostly restricted to a few monocots families including Orchidaceae. Scope A survey of the literature revealed that genome size data for Orchidaceae are comparatively rare representing just 327 species. Nevertheless they reveal that Orchidaceae are currently the most variable angiosperm family with genome sizes ranging 168-fold (1C = 0·33–55·4 pg). Analysing the data provided insights into the distribution, evolution and possible consequences to the plant of this genome size diversity. Conclusions Superimposing the data onto the increasingly robust phylogenetic tree of Orchidaceae revealed how different subfamilies were characterized by distinct genome size profiles. Epidendroideae possessed the greatest range of genome sizes, although the majority of species had small genomes. In contrast, the largest genomes were found in subfamilies Cypripedioideae and Vanilloideae. Genome size evolution within this subfamily was analysed as this is the only one with reasonable representation of data. This approach highlighted striking differences in genome size and karyotype evolution between the closely related Cypripedium, Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedium. As to the consequences of genome size diversity, various studies revealed that this has both practical (e.g. application of genetic fingerprinting techniques) and biological consequences (e.g. affecting where and when an orchid may grow) and emphasizes the importance of obtaining further genome size data given the considerable phylogenetic gaps which have been highlighted by the current study. PMID:19168860

Premna grandipaniculata (Lamiaceae, Premnoideae), a remarkable new species from north Myanmar

PubMed Central

Tan, Yun-Hong; Li, De-Rong; Zhou, Shi-Shun; Chen, Yong-Jun; Bramley, Gemma L.C.; Li, Bo

2018-01-01

Abstract A remarkable new Premna species from Myanmar, P. grandipaniculata Y.H.Tan & Bo Li (Lamiaceae), is here described and illustrated. It differs from all known congeneric taxa by having huge complicated panicles which have tertiary branches formed by spike-like thyrses. In Premna, such a spike-like thyrse is found in P. bracteata and P. interrupta, but those species can be easily distinguished from P. grandipaniculata by their habit, indumentum, leaf size and inflorescence structure. PMID:29416426

DYNAMICS OF OPIOID SUBSTITUTION TREATMENTIN DIFFERENT INITIAL SUBSTANCE USER OPIOID DEPENDENT PATIENTS.

PubMed

Todadze, Kh; Mosia, S

2016-05-01

Injecting drug user size estimation studies carried out in 2009, 2012 and 2015 revealed growing trends of drug abuse in Georgia:estimated number of people who inject drugs (PWID) have been increased from 40000 and 45000 to 50000. Since Soviet period the most popular injective narcotics have been opioids: home-made opium, heroine, buprenorphine and home-made desomorphine ("Krokodile") replacing each other on the black market. Self-made desomorphine typically contains big amounts of different toxic substances and causes significant somatic disorders, especially skin, bone, blood infections, liver and kidney failure; is highly addictive, associates with frequent injections that enhance injecting-related harm, including the risk of HIV transmission, in comparison with typical opioids. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of opioid substitution treatment (OST) on depression and anxiety in opioid dependent clients with history of different opioid substance use. 104 opioid drug users undergoing OST with intensive psychological counseling have been divided in 5 groups according to the principal opioid drug that was abused during past 6 months before starting treatment: heroine, desomorphine, illicit methadone injectors, illicit buprenorphine injectors, and multiple drug abusers consuming opioids as primary drugs. Level of depression (Beck Depression Inventory), anxiety (Spielberger Anxiety Inventory) as well as clinical symptoms, risky behavior, quality of life (WHO), and other data were measured before starting and after 3, 9, 15, 21 months of treatment. The illegal use of psychotropic-narcotics was checked through random urine-testing 1-2 times per patient per month. In all five groups remarkable decrease of depression and anxiety was observed in comparison with the starting data. Before inclusion desomorphine and poly-drug users had the highest scores of depression and anxiety while buprenorphine users manifested the lowest rate. Improvement of figures was observed in all groups in three month period that have been continuing during 21 month of treatment process. Study revealed normalization of scores forbothstatesin groups of heroine, desomorphine, methadone and buprenorphine users. The highest scores of depression and anxiety were observed in the group of poly-drug abusers andwhile depression rate hesitated in the range of clear "no-depression", anxiety index still remained close to the clinical important threshold after 21 month of treatment. Urine-testingon psychotropic-narcotic substances indicated remarkable decrease of illegal drug abuse in all studied groups in three month and although abuse of benzodiazepine drugs was highest in desomorphine and poly-drug abusers, the difference between groups was not statistically significant. Although some disparities have been observed in dynamics of subjects with different spectrum of initial opioid substance use, including homemade desomorphine, there is no significant difference between groups and OST effectively supports to improve depression and anxiety indices, and dramatically decreases use of illegal psychotropic-narcotic drugs during treatment. However poly-drug users seems to be the most resistant to achieve stabilization and require more treatment time and targeted interventions.

Comparison of mesospheric sodium layers at different latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yingjie

With the support of the Chinese Meridional project in the eastern hemisphere, two brand new sodium fluorescence lidars with the same configuration were respectively set up at Yanqing (40.46(°) N, 115.98(°) E) and Haikou (20.04(°) N, 110.34(°) E) in April, 2010. Based on the observations obtained from 2010 to 2012, comparison of the Na layer at these two latitudes was performed. It reveals a strong correlation in the topside layer between these two sites. Independently of their seasonal characteristics at lower altitudes, they both show an extension to 120 km and above, predominantly during summer. Simultaneous observations at these two sites show that the correlation above 102 km is remarkable in contrast to their different seasonal characteristics below 98 km. It indicates that different processes dominate different height ranges in the Na layer. Meanwhile, it indicates that the topside extension effect is global, combined with the observations at other latitudes. Besides, when the topside layer has an extension, the bottom side layer extends slightly downward, too. Comparison with known meteor showers shows that most of these extensions correspond well to one or more meteor showers, although not one by one. Meteor showers with velocities less than 35 km/s appear to have more influence on these extensions.

Attitudes among transplant professionals regarding shifting paradigms in eligibility criteria for live kidney donation.

PubMed

Lafranca, Jeffrey A; Spoon, Emerentia Q W; van de Wetering, Jacqueline; IJzermans, Jan N M; Dor, Frank J M F

2017-01-01

The transplant community increasingly accepts extended criteria live kidney donors, however, great (geographical) differences are present in policies regarding the acceptance of these donors, and guidelines do not offer clarity. The aim of this survey was to reveal these differences and to get an insight in both centre policies as well as personal beliefs of transplant professionals. An online survey was sent to 1128 ESOT-members. Questions were included about several extended donor criteria; overweight/obesity, older age, vascular multiplicity, minors as donors and comorbidities; hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, kidney stones, malignancies and renal cysts. Comparisons were made between transplant centres of three regions in Europe and between Europe and other countries worldwide. 331 questionnaires were completed by professionals from 55 countries. Significant differences exist between regions in Europe in acceptance of donors with several extended criteria. Median refusal rate for potential live donors is 15%. Furthermore, differences are seen regarding pre-operative work-up, both in specialists who perform screening as in preoperative imaging. Remarkably, 23.4% of transplant professionals sometimes deviate from their centre policy, resulting in more or less comparable personal beliefs regarding extended criteria. Variety is seen, proving the need for a standardized approach in selection, preferably evidence based.

Attitudes among transplant professionals regarding shifting paradigms in eligibility criteria for live kidney donation

PubMed Central

Spoon, Emerentia Q. W.; van de Wetering, Jacqueline; IJzermans, Jan N. M.; Dor, Frank J. M. F.

2017-01-01

Background The transplant community increasingly accepts extended criteria live kidney donors, however, great (geographical) differences are present in policies regarding the acceptance of these donors, and guidelines do not offer clarity. The aim of this survey was to reveal these differences and to get an insight in both centre policies as well as personal beliefs of transplant professionals. Methods An online survey was sent to 1128 ESOT-members. Questions were included about several extended donor criteria; overweight/obesity, older age, vascular multiplicity, minors as donors and comorbidities; hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, kidney stones, malignancies and renal cysts. Comparisons were made between transplant centres of three regions in Europe and between Europe and other countries worldwide. Results 331 questionnaires were completed by professionals from 55 countries. Significant differences exist between regions in Europe in acceptance of donors with several extended criteria. Median refusal rate for potential live donors is 15%. Furthermore, differences are seen regarding pre-operative work-up, both in specialists who perform screening as in preoperative imaging. Conclusions Remarkably, 23.4% of transplant professionals sometimes deviate from their centre policy, resulting in more or less comparable personal beliefs regarding extended criteria. Variety is seen, proving the need for a standardized approach in selection, preferably evidence based. PMID:28732093

Sexual and reproductive behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster from a microclimatically interslope differentiated population of "Evolution Canyon" (Mount Carmel, Israel).

PubMed

Iliadi, K; Iliadi, N; Rashkovetsky, E; Minkov, I; Nevo, E; Korol, A

2001-11-22

The strong microscale interslope environmental differences in "Evolution Canyon" provide an excellent natural model for sympatric speciation. Our previous studies revealed significant slope-specific differences for a fitness complex of Drosophila. This complex involved either adaptation traits (tolerance to high temperature, different viability and longevity pattern) or behavioural differentiation, manifested in habitat choice and non-random mating. This remarkable differentiation has evolved despite a very small interslope distance (a few hundred metres only). Our hypothesis is that strong interslope microclimatic contrast caused differential selection for fitness-related traits accompanied by behavioural differentiation and reinforced by some sexual isolation, which started incipient speciation. Here we describe the results of a systematic analysis of sexual behaviour in a non-choice situation and several reproductive parameters of D. melanogaster populations from the opposite slopes of "Evolution Canyon". The evidence indicates that: (i) mate choice derives from differences in mating propensity and discrimination; (ii) females from the milder north-facing slope discriminate strongly against males of the opposite slope; (iii) both sexes of the south-facing slope display distinct reproductive and behavioural patterns with females showing increased fecundity, shorter time before remating and relatively higher receptivity, and males showing higher mating propensity. These patterns represent adaptive life strategies contributing to higher fitness.

The Ecohydrologic Role of Coexistence and Competition in Semiarid Hillslopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soltanjalili, M. J.; Saco, P. M.; Willgoose, G. R.

2015-12-01

Through its influence on runoff and erosion-deposition processes, vegetation remarkably regulates different aspects of landscape dynamics. Here, the influence of different plant functional traits on the coexistence of different species in arid and semi-arid regions with patchy vegetation is investigated using an ecohydrology model. The model simulates coevolving changes in biomass patterns for two species, as well as overland flow and soil moisture dynamics. Vegetation patterns emerge as a result of facilitation (shading and infiltration) and competition mechanisms as well as varying seed dispersal strategies. The results show that the survival of only one species or the coexistence of both species not only strongly depends on environmental stresses, but also on differences in hillslope micro and macro topography. These vegetation patterns have very different hydrologic signatures and the potential to trigger remarkably different geomorphic responses. Based on these results we establish new hypothesis that will be used to further investigate the role of plant interspecific and intraspecific feedbacks on landscape coevolution processes.

Genetic Selection to Enhance Animal Welfare Using Meat Inspection Data from Slaughter Plants.

PubMed

Mathur, Pramod K; Vogelzang, Roos; Mulder, Herman A; Knol, Egbert F

2018-01-24

Animal health and welfare are monitored during meat inspection in many slaughter plants around the world. Carcasses are examined by meat inspectors and remarks are made with respect to different diseases, injuries, and other abnormalities. This is a valuable data resource for disease prevention and enhancing animal welfare, but it is rarely used for this purpose. Records on carcass remarks on 140,375 finisher pigs were analyzed to investigate the possibility of genetic selection to reduce the risk of the most prevalent diseases and indicators of suboptimal animal welfare. As part of this, effects of some non-genetic factors such as differences between farms, sexes, and growth rates were also examined. The most frequent remarks were pneumonia (15.4%), joint disorders (9.8%), pleuritis (4.7%), pericarditis (2.3%), and liver lesions (2.2%). Joint disorders were more frequent in boars than in gilts. There were also significant differences between farms. Pedigree records were available for 142,324 pigs from 14 farms and were used for genetic analysis. Heritability estimates for pneumonia, pleuritis, pericarditis, liver lesions, and joint disorders were 0.10, 0.09, 0.14, 0.24, and 0.17 on the liability scale, respectively, suggesting the existence of substantial genetic variation. This was further confirmed though genome wide associations using deregressed breeding values as phenotypes. The genetic correlations between these remarks and finishing traits were small but mostly negative, suggesting the possibility of enhancing pig health and welfare simultaneously with genetic improvement in finishing traits. A selection index based on the breeding values for these traits and their economic values was developed. This index is used to enhance animal welfare in pig farms.

Targeted Metabolomic Pathway Analysis and Validation Revealed Glutamatergic Disorder in the Prefrontal Cortex among the Chronic Social Defeat Stress Mice Model of Depression.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Guo, Hua; Zhang, Shu-Xiao; Li, Juan; Cheng, Ke; Bai, Shun-Jie; Yang, De-Yu; Wang, Hai-Yang; Liang, Zi-Hong; Liao, Li; Sun, Lin; Xie, Peng

2016-10-07

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe psychiatric disease that has critically affected life quality for millions of people. Chronic stress is gradually recognized as a primary pathogenesis risk factor of MDD. Despite the remarkable progress in mechanism research, the pathogenesis mechanism of MDD is still not well understood. Therefore, we conducted a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection of 25 major metabolites of tryptophanic, GABAergic, and catecholaminergic pathways in the prefontal cortex (PFC) of mice in chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). The depressed mice exhibit significant reduction of glutamate in the GABAergic pathway and an increase of L-DOPA and vanillylmandelic acid in catecholaminergic pathways. The data of real-time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting analysis revealed an altered level of glutamatergic circuitry. The metabolomic and molecular data reveal that the glutamatergic disorder in mice shed lights to reveal a mechanism on depression-like and stress resilient phenotype.

The Maize (Zea mays L.) AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID Gene Family: Phylogeny, Synteny, and Unique Root-Type and Tissue-Specific Expression Patterns during Development

PubMed Central

Ludwig, Yvonne; Zhang, Yanxiang; Hochholdinger, Frank

2013-01-01

The plant hormone auxin plays a key role in the coordination of many aspects of growth and development. AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID (Aux/IAA) genes encode instable primary auxin responsive regulators of plant development that display a protein structure with four characteristic domains. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of the 34 members of the maize Aux/IAA gene family was performed. Phylogenetic reconstructions revealed two classes of Aux/IAA proteins that can be distinguished by alterations in their domain III. Seven pairs of paralogous maize Aux/IAA proteins were discovered. Comprehensive root-type and tissue-specific expression profiling revealed unique expression patterns of the diverse members of the gene family. Remarkably, five of seven pairs of paralogous genes displayed highly correlated expression patterns in roots. All but one (ZmIAA23) tested maize Aux/IAA genes were auxin inducible, displaying two types of auxin induction within three hours of treatment. Moreover, 51 of 55 (93%) differential Aux/IAA expression patterns between different root-types followed the expression tendency: crown roots > seminal roots > primary roots > lateral roots. This pattern might imply root-type-specific regulation of Aux/IAA transcript abundance. In summary, the detailed analysis of the maize Aux/IAA gene family provides novel insights in the evolution and developmental regulation and thus the function of these genes in different root-types and tissues. PMID:24223858

Psychosocial Hazard Analysis in a Heterogeneous Workforce: Determinants of Work Stress in Blue- and White-Collar Workers of the European Steel Industry.

PubMed

Metzler, Yannick Arnold; Bellingrath, Silja

2017-01-01

The European steel industry's workforce is highly heterogeneous and consists of various occupational groups, presumably facing different psychosocial stressors. The few existing studies on the subject mainly focused on physical constraints of blue-collar workers, whereas the supposable psychosocial workload received only little research attention. This is remarkable considering the challenges associated with statutory required risk assessment of psychosocial hazards. Valid measures of hazard analysis must account for various stressors and reliably identify them, also between occupational groups. The present study, based on a sample of blue- and white-collar workers ( N  = 124) from the European steel industry, aims to provide a first insight into psychosocial stressors and strain at work in this rarely researched industrial sector. Furthermore, two well-known theoretical roadmaps in job analysis are examined regarding their utility for risk assessment in heterogeneous workforces: the German standard version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and the short version of the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the COPSOQ was better suited to predict various strain indices in the present sample. Especially stressors relating to socioemotional aspects, such as work-privacy conflict, revealed a reasonable impact, indicating the need for comprehensive solutions at the organizational level instead of solutions focusing on single workplaces. To conclude, a broadly diversified and validated approach in psychosocial risk assessment is needed to adequately assess the variety of psychosocial factors at work and in different occupational groups.

The maize (Zea mays L.) AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID gene family: phylogeny, synteny, and unique root-type and tissue-specific expression patterns during development.

PubMed

Ludwig, Yvonne; Zhang, Yanxiang; Hochholdinger, Frank

2013-01-01

The plant hormone auxin plays a key role in the coordination of many aspects of growth and development. AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID (Aux/IAA) genes encode instable primary auxin responsive regulators of plant development that display a protein structure with four characteristic domains. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of the 34 members of the maize Aux/IAA gene family was performed. Phylogenetic reconstructions revealed two classes of Aux/IAA proteins that can be distinguished by alterations in their domain III. Seven pairs of paralogous maize Aux/IAA proteins were discovered. Comprehensive root-type and tissue-specific expression profiling revealed unique expression patterns of the diverse members of the gene family. Remarkably, five of seven pairs of paralogous genes displayed highly correlated expression patterns in roots. All but one (ZmIAA23) tested maize Aux/IAA genes were auxin inducible, displaying two types of auxin induction within three hours of treatment. Moreover, 51 of 55 (93%) differential Aux/IAA expression patterns between different root-types followed the expression tendency: crown roots > seminal roots > primary roots > lateral roots. This pattern might imply root-type-specific regulation of Aux/IAA transcript abundance. In summary, the detailed analysis of the maize Aux/IAA gene family provides novel insights in the evolution and developmental regulation and thus the function of these genes in different root-types and tissues.

Incarcerated umbilical hernia leading to small bowel ischemia

PubMed Central

Lutwak, Nancy; Dill, Curt

2011-01-01

A 59-year-old male with history of hepatitis C, refractory ascites requiring multiple paracentesis and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement presented to the emergency department with 2 days of abdominal pain. Physical examination revealed blood pressure of 104/66 and pulse of 94. The abdomen was remarkable for distention and a tender incarcerated umbilical hernia. The skin overlying the hernia was pale with areas of necrosis. The patient immediately underwent laparotomy which was successful. PMID:22679256

GaN microcavities: Giant Rabi splitting and optical anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavokin, Alexey; Gil, Bernard

1998-06-01

Numerical simulation of light reflection from a λ/2 GaN microcavity with Ga0.8Al0.2N/Ga0.5Al0.5N Bragg mirrors grown on the A surface of Al2O3 revealed a Rabi splitting of the order of 50 meV and remarkable optical anisotropy. These effects are originated from the giant exciton oscillator strength in GaN and a pronounced uniaxial strain in the structure.

Boron-capped tris(glyoximato) cobalt clathrochelate as a precursor for the electrodeposition of nanoparticles catalyzing H2 evolution in water.

PubMed

Anxolabéhère-Mallart, Elodie; Costentin, Cyrille; Fournier, Maxime; Nowak, Sophie; Robert, Marc; Savéant, Jean-Michel

2012-04-11

Electrochemical investigation of a boron-capped tris(glyoximato)cobalt clathrochelate complex in the presence of acid reveals that the catalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution results from an electrodeposition of cobalt-containing nanoparticles on the electrode surface at a modest cathodic potential. The deposited particles act as remarkably active catalysts for H(2) production in water at pH 7. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Preformulation studies and optimization of sodium alginate based floating drug delivery system for eradication of Helicobacter pylori.

PubMed

Diós, Péter; Nagy, Sándor; Pál, Szilárd; Pernecker, Tivadar; Kocsis, Béla; Budán, Ferenc; Horváth, Ildikó; Szigeti, Krisztián; Bölcskei, Kata; Máthé, Domokos; Dévay, Attila

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to design a local, floating, mucoadhesive drug delivery system containing metronidazole for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Face-centered central composite design (with three factors, in three levels) was used for evaluation and optimization of in vitro floating and dissolution studies. Sodium alginate (X1), low substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (L-HPC B1, X2) and sodium bicarbonate (X3) concentrations were the independent variables in the development of effervescent floating tablets. All tablets showed acceptable physicochemical properties. Statistical analysis revealed that tablets with 5.00% sodium alginate, 38.63% L-HPC B1 and 8.45% sodium bicarbonate content showed promising in vitro floating and dissolution properties for further examinations. Optimized floating tablets expressed remarkable floating force. Their in vitro dissolution studies were compared with two commercially available non-floating metronidazole products and then microbiologically detected dissolution, ex vivo detachment force, rheological mucoadhesion studies and compatibility studies were carried out. Remarkable similarity (f1, f2) between in vitro spectrophotometrically and microbiologically detected dissolutions was found. Studies revealed significant ex vivo mucoadhesion of optimized tablets, which was considerably increased by L-HPC. In vivo X-ray CT studies of optimized tablets showed 8h gastroretention in rats represented by an animation prepared by special CT technique. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive analysis of transcriptome response to salinity stress in the halophytic turf grass Sporobolus virginicus

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Naoki; Takano, Tomoyuki; Tanaka, Keisuke; Ishige, Taichiro; Terashima, Shin; Endo, Chisato; Kurusu, Takamitsu; Yajima, Shunsuke; Yano, Kentaro; Tada, Yuichi

2015-01-01

The turf grass Sporobolus virginicus is halophyte and has high salinity tolerance. To investigate the molecular basis of its remarkable tolerance, we performed Illumina high-throughput RNA sequencing on roots and shoots of a S. virginicus genotype under normal and saline conditions. The 130 million short reads were assembled into 444,242 unigenes. A comparative analysis of the transcriptome with rice and Arabidopsis transcriptome revealed six turf grass-specific unigenes encoding transcription factors. Interestingly, all of them showed root specific expression and five of them encode bZIP type transcription factors. Another remarkable transcriptional feature of S. virginicus was activation of specific pathways under salinity stress. Pathway enrichment analysis suggested transcriptional activation of amino acid, pyruvate, and phospholipid metabolism. Up-regulation of several unigenes, previously shown to respond to salt stress in other halophytes was also observed. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that unigenes assigned as proteins in response to water stress, such as dehydrin and aquaporin, and transporters such as cation, amino acid, and citrate transporters, and H+-ATPase, were up-regulated in both shoots and roots under salinity. A correspondence analysis of the enriched pathways in turf grass cells, but not in rice cells, revealed two groups of unigenes similarly up-regulated in the turf grass in response to salt stress; one of the groups, showing excessive up-regulation under salinity, included unigenes homologos to salinity responsive genes in other halophytes. Thus, the present study identified candidate genes involved in salt tolerance of S. virginicus. This genetic resource should be valuable for understanding the mechanisms underlying high salt tolerance in S. virginicus. This information can also provide insight into salt tolerance in other halophytes. PMID:25954282

Evolution mechanisms of the primary α and β phases during α/β deformation of an α/β titanium alloy TC8

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

Wang, Ke, E-mail: study_ke@cqu.edu.cn

A TC8 titanium alloy was isothermally compressed at the strain rates of 10–50 s{sup −1} in the two-phase region of 820–940 °C, and the evolution mechanisms of the primary α and β phases, including grain morphology, dynamic recovery (DRV) and dynamic recrystallization (DRX), were investigated by optical microscopy (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). OM reveals that the phase content and grain morphology are more significantly influenced by the deformation temperature than the strain rate. The β grains achieve refinement only at 940 °C due to DRX in the β phase. TEM reveals the remarkable variations of the DRX grains,more » subgrains, sub-boundaries and dislocations morphology with temperature and strain rate related to DRV and DRX in the primary α phase. The DRX in the primary α phase appears most strongly at a middle temperature of 860 °C, and DRV dominates in the primary α phase at 940 °C. While the dominant mechanism varies from DRV to DRX in the β phase as the temperature increases. Finally, the influence mechanism of deformation parameters on the primary α grain morphology is revealed based on the combined effect of DRV and DRX in the primary α phase and diffusion of the β phase. - Highlights: •The β grains achieve refinement only at 940 °C due to DRX in the β phase. •The DRX in the primary α phase is most remarkable at 860 °C. •The dominant mechanism in β phase varies from DRV to DRX with increasing temperature. •The interaction between the primary α and β phases depends on the phase content.« less

Intrinsic-Signal Optical Imaging Reveals Cryptic Ocular Dominance Columns in Primary Visual Cortex of New World Owl Monkeys

PubMed Central

Kaskan, Peter M.; Lu, Haidong D.; Dillenburger, Barbara C.; Roe, Anna W.; Kaas, Jon H.

2007-01-01

A significant concept in neuroscience is that sensory areas of the neocortex have evolved the remarkable ability to represent a number of stimulus features within the confines of a global map of the sensory periphery. Modularity, the term often used to describe the inhomogeneous nature of the neocortex, is without a doubt an important organizational principle of early sensory areas, such as the primary visual cortex (V1). Ocular dominance columns, one type of module in V1, are found in many primate species as well as in carnivores. Yet, their variable presence in some New World monkey species and complete absence in other species has been enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that optical imaging reveals the presence of ocular dominance columns in the superficial layers of V1 of owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus), even though the geniculate inputs related to each eye are highly overlapping in layer 4. The ocular dominance columns in owl monkeys revealed by optical imaging are circular in appearance. The distance between left eye centers and right eye centers is approximately 650 μm. We find no relationship between ocular dominance centers and other modular organizational features such as orientation pinwheels or the centers of the cytochrome oxidase blobs. These results are significant because they suggest that functional columns may exist in the absence of obvious differences in the distributions of activating inputs and ocular dominance columns may be more widely distributed across mammalian taxa than commonly suggested. PMID:18974855

Sonographic findings in a case of tetrasomy 9p associated with increased nuchal translucency and Dandy-Walker malformation.

PubMed

Nakamura-Pereira, Marcos; Cima, Luciana Carneiro do; Llerena, Juan Clinton; Guerra, Fernando Antonio Ramos; Peixoto-Filho, Fernando Maia

2009-10-01

We report a case of a 23-year-old pregnant woman, who underwent amniocentesis after ultrasound (US) examination in the first trimester which revealed a nuchal translucency thickness of 2.9 mm. Cytogenetic analysis revealed complete tetrasomy of the short arm of chromosome 9. Further US evaluation in the second trimester revealed Dandy-Walker malformation, ventriculomegaly, bilateral clubfoot, lip and palate clefts, arthrogryposis and hyperechoic kidneys with bilateral pelvic dilatation. At 30 weeks of gestation, a placental abruption was noted and a Cesarean section was performed. The infant died shortly after birth. A review of previous cases of tetrasomy 9p shows that the remarkable sonographic findings are ventriculomegaly, intrauterine growth restriction, genitourinary anomaly, Dandy-Walker malformation, cleft lip/palate and limb malformation, but the association of tetrasomy 9p and increased nuchal translucency had not been reported.

Reversal of pulmonary hypertension after percutaneous closure of congenital renal arteriovenous fistula in a 74-year old woman.

PubMed

Brar, Vijaywant; Bernardo, Nelson; Suddath, William; Weissman, Gaby; Asch, Federico; Campia, Umberto

2015-01-01

We report the case of a large right renal arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in a 74-year old woman who presented with heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed normal left ventricular size and systolic function (ejection fraction 60-65%), moderately dilated right ventricle with severely depressed systolic function, and severe pulmonary hypertension. Right heart catheterization confirmed the elevated pulmonary pressures and showed a high cardiac output. Physical examination was remarkable for a right flank bruit. An abdominal ultrasound revealed an AVF originating from the distal right renal artery and dilated suprarenal inferior vena cava and hepatic veins. These findings were confirmed with an abdominal MRI. Percutaneous endovascular closure of the right renal AVF was successfully performed, with immediate reduction of pulmonary pressures and normalization of cardiac output. The patient's symptoms improved, and a post intervention echocardiogram revealed normalization of right ventricular size. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel phage group infecting Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, as revealed by genomic and proteomic analysis of bacteriophage Ldl1.

PubMed

Casey, Eoghan; Mahony, Jennifer; Neve, Horst; Noben, Jean-Paul; Dal Bello, Fabio; van Sinderen, Douwe

2015-02-01

Ldl1 is a virulent phage infecting the dairy starter Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis LdlS. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that this phage exhibits a large head and a long tail and bears little resemblance to other characterized phages infecting Lactobacillus delbrueckii. In vitro propagation of this phage revealed a latent period of 30 to 40 min and a burst size of 59.9 +/- 1.9 phage particles. Comparative genomic and proteomic analyses showed remarkable similarity between the genome of Ldl1 and that of Lactobacillus plantarum phage ATCC 8014-B2. The genomic and proteomic characteristics of Ldl1 demonstrate that this phage does not belong to any of the four previously recognized L. delbrueckii phage groups, necessitating the creation of a new group, called group e, thus adding to the knowledge on the diversity of phages targeting strains of this industrially important lactic acid bacterial species.

Megalocytivirus infection in cultured Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus.

PubMed

Subramaniam, Kuttichantran; Gotesman, Michael; Smith, Charlie E; Steckler, Natalie K; Kelley, Karen L; Groff, Joseph M; Waltzek, Thomas B

2016-05-26

Megalocytiviruses, such as infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), induce lethal systemic diseases in both ornamental and food fish species. In this study, we investigated an epizootic affecting Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus cultured in the US Midwest. Diseased fish displayed lethargy, gill pallor, and distension of the coelomic cavity due to ascites. Histopathological examination revealed a severe systemic abundance of intravascular megalocytes that were especially prominent in the gills, kidney, spleen, liver, and intestinal submucosa. Transmission electron microscopic examination revealed abundant intracytoplasmic polygonal virions consistent with iridovirus infection. Comparison of the full-length major capsid protein nucleotide sequences from a recent outbreak with a remarkably similar case that occurred at the same facility many years earlier revealed that both epizootics were caused by ISKNV. A comparison of this case with previous reports suggests that ISKNV may represent a greater threat to tilapia aquaculture than previously realized.

Texture Profile and Color Determination on Local and Imported Meat Available in Semarang City, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arifin, Mukh; Ni'matullah Al-Baarri, Ahmad; Etza Setiani, Bhakti; Fazriyati Siregar, Risa

2018-02-01

This study was done for analysing the texture profile and colour performance in local and imported meat in Semarang, Indonesia. Two types of available meat were compared in the hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, adhesiveness and the colour L*a*b* performance. Five fresh beef cut of round meats from local and imported meat were used in this experiments. Data were analysed statistically using T-test. The results showed that local beef exhibit higher in the springiness than imported beef resulting in the remarkable differences. The colour analysis showed that imported beef provided remarkable higher in L* value than local beef. Resulting significant differences among two types of beef. As conclusion, these value might provide the notable of differences among local and imported meat and may give preferences status to the user for further application in meat processing.

Hyaluronic acid, an efficient biomacromolecule for treatment of inflammatory skin and joint diseases: A review of recent developments and critical appraisal of preclinical and clinical investigations.

PubMed

Chen, Li Hui; Xue, Jian Feng; Zheng, Zhi Yong; Shuhaidi, Muhammad; Thu, Hnin Ei; Hussain, Zahid

2018-05-18

Hyaluronic acid (HA) plays multifaceted role in regulating various biological processes and maintaining homeostasis into the body. Numerous researches evidenced the biomedical implications of HA in skin repairmen, cancer prognosis, wound healing, tissue regeneration, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation. The present review was aimed to summarize and critically appraise the recent developments and efficacy of HA for treatment of inflammatory skin and joint diseases. A thorough analysis of the literature revealed that HA based formulations (i.e., gels, creams, autologous graft, thin sheets, soaked gauze, gauze pad, tincture, injection) have shown remarkable efficacy in treating a wide range of inflammatory skin diseases. The safety, tolerability, and efficacy of HA (as intra-articular injection) have also been well-documented for treatment of various types of joint disease including knee osteoarthritic, joint osteoarthritis, canine osteoarthritis, and meniscal swelling. Intra-articular injection of HA produces remarkable reduction in joint pain, synovial inflammation, and articular swelling. A remarkable improvement in chondrocyte density, territorial matrix appearance, reconstitution of superficial amorphous layer of the cartilage, collagen remodelling, and regeneration of meniscus have also been evident in patients treated with HA. Conclusively, we validate that the application/administration of HA is a promising pharmacotherapeutic regimen for treatment of inflammatory skin and joint diseases. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

One Language, Two Number-Word Systems and Many Problems: Numerical Cognition in the Czech Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pixner, S.; Zuber, J.; Hermanova, V.; Kaufmann, L.; Nuerk, H.-C.; Moeller, K.

2011-01-01

Comparing numerical performance between different languages does not only mean comparing different number-word systems, but also implies a comparison of differences regarding culture or educational systems. The Czech language provides the remarkable opportunity to disentangle this confound as there exist two different number-word systems within…

Structural Basis of Arc Binding to Synaptic Proteins: Implications for Cognitive Disease

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Wenchi; Wu, Jing; Ward, Matthew D.; ...

2015-04-09

Arc is a cellular immediate-early gene (IEG) that functions at excitatory synapses and is required for learning and memory. Here we report crystal structures of Arc subdomains that form a bi-lobar architecture remarkably similar to the capsid domain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gag protein. Analysis indicates Arc originated from the Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposon family and was “domesticated” in higher vertebrates for synaptic functions. The Arc N-terminal lobe evolved a unique hydrophobic pocket that mediates intermolecular binding with synaptic proteins as resolved in complexes with TARPγ2 (Stargazin) and CaMKII peptides and is essential for Arc’s synaptic function. A consensus sequence formore » Arc binding identifies several additional partners that include genes implicated in schizophrenia. Arc N-lobe binding is inhibited by small chemicals suggesting Arc’s synaptic action may be druggable. Finally, these studies reveal the remarkable evolutionary origin of Arc and provide a structural basis for understanding Arc’s contribution to neural plasticity and disease.« less

Structural Basis of Arc Binding to Synaptic Proteins: Implications for Cognitive Disease

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

Zhang, Wenchi; Wu, Jing; Ward, Matthew D.

Arc is a cellular immediate-early gene (IEG) that functions at excitatory synapses and is required for learning and memory. Here we report crystal structures of Arc subdomains that form a bi-lobar architecture remarkably similar to the capsid domain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gag protein. Analysis indicates Arc originated from the Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposon family and was “domesticated” in higher vertebrates for synaptic functions. The Arc N-terminal lobe evolved a unique hydrophobic pocket that mediates intermolecular binding with synaptic proteins as resolved in complexes with TARPγ2 (Stargazin) and CaMKII peptides and is essential for Arc’s synaptic function. A consensus sequence formore » Arc binding identifies several additional partners that include genes implicated in schizophrenia. Arc N-lobe binding is inhibited by small chemicals suggesting Arc’s synaptic action may be druggable. Finally, these studies reveal the remarkable evolutionary origin of Arc and provide a structural basis for understanding Arc’s contribution to neural plasticity and disease.« less

Carbon nanocages: A new support material for Pt catalyst with remarkably high durability

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiao Xia; Tan, Zhe Hua; Zeng, Min; Wang, Jian Nong

2014-01-01

Low durability is the major challenge hindering the large-scale implementation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology, and corrosion of carbon support materials of current catalysts is the main cause. Here, we describe the finding of remarkably high durability with the use of a novel support material. This material is based on hollow carbon nanocages developed with a high degree of graphitization and concurrent nitrogen doping for oxidation resistance enhancement, uniform deposition of fine Pt particles, and strong Pt-support interaction. Accelerated degradation testing shows that such designed catalyst possesses a superior electrochemical activity and long-term stability for both hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction relative to industry benchmarks of current catalysts. Further testing under conditions of practical fuel cell operation reveals almost no degradation over long-term cycling. Such a catalyst of high activity, particularly, high durability, opens the door for the next-generation PEMFC for “real world” application. PMID:24658614

Structural Basis of Arc Binding to Synaptic Proteins: Implications for Cognitive Disease

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wenchi; Wu, Jing; Ward, Matthew D.; Yang, Sunggu; Chuang, Yang-An; Xiao, Meifang; Li, Ruojing; Leahy, Daniel J.; Worley, Paul F.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Arc is a cellular immediate early gene (IEG) that functions at excitatory synapses and is required for learning and memory. We report crystal structures of Arc subdomains that form a bi-lobar architecture remarkably similar to the capsid domain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gag protein. Analysis indicates Arc originated from the Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposon family and was “domesticated” in higher vertebrates for synaptic functions. The Arc N-terminal lobe evolved a unique hydrophobic pocket that mediates intermolecular binding with synaptic proteins as resolved in complexes with TARPγ2 (Stargazin) and CaMKII peptides, and is essential for Arc’s synaptic function. A consensus sequence for Arc binding identifies several additional partners that include genes implicated in schizophrenia. Arc N-lobe binding is inhibited by small chemicals suggesting Arc’s synaptic action may be druggable. These studies reveal the remarkable evolutionary origin of Arc and provide a structural basis for understanding Arc’s contribution to neural plasticity and disease. PMID:25864631

Synergistic effect of nisin and cone essential oil of Metasequoia glyptostroboides Miki ex Hu against Listeria monocytogenes in milk samples.

PubMed

Yoon, Jung In; Bajpai, Vivek K; Kang, Sun Chul

2011-01-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of nisin and cone essential oil of Metasequoia glyptostroboides against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19116 inoculated in whole (8%), low (1%) and skim (no fat content) milks. Essential oil at the concentrations of 2% and 5% revealed strong antilisterial effect against L. monocytogenes ATCC 19116 in all categories of milks. Nisin at the concentrations of 250 and 500 IU/ml displayed a remarkable antilisterial effect as compared to the control group. Also, the synergistic combinations of cone essential oil (1% and 2%) and nisin (62.5, 125, 250 and 500 IU/ml) had a remarkable antilisterial activity in all categories of whole, low and skim milks after 14 days. Results of this study indicate that the cone essential oil of M. glyptostroboides might be a useful candidate for using in food industry to control the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inequality in malnutrition by maternal education levels in early childhood: the Prospective Cohort of Thai Children (PCTC).

PubMed

Hong, Seo Ah; Winichagoon, Pattanee; Mongkolchati, Aroonsri

2017-05-01

As tackling socioeconomic inequality in child malnutrition still remains one of the greatest challenges in developing countries, we examined maternal educational differences in malnutrition and the magnitude of its inequality among 4,198 children from the Prospective Cohort study of Thai Children (PCTC). Prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting from birth to 24 months was calculated using the new WHO growth chart. The Relative Index of Inequality (RII) was used to examine the magnitude and trend of inequality in malnutrition between maternal educational levels. The low education group had lower weight and height in most ages than the high education group. Faltering in height was observed in all education levels, but was most remarkable in the low education group. On the other hand, while upward trends for weight-for-age and weight-for-height across ages were observed in the high education group, a marked decline between 6 to 12 months was observed in the low education group. An increasing trend in inequality in The RII revealed an increasing trend in inequality in stunting, underweight, and wasting by maternal education levels was observed during infancy with an almost monotonic increase until 24 months, although the inequality in wasting decreased after 18 months of age. Inequality in malnutrition remarkably increased during infancy, and for stunting and underweight it remained until 24 months. These findings shed light on the extent of malnutrition inequality during the first 2 years of life and they suggest sustainable efforts must be established at the national level to tackle the malnutrition inequality in infancy.

Remarkable Reproducibility of Enzyme Activity Profiles in Tomato Fruits Grown under Contrasting Environments Provides a Roadmap for Studies of Fruit Metabolism1[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Biais, Benoît; Bénard, Camille; Beauvoit, Bertrand; Colombié, Sophie; Prodhomme, Duyên; Ménard, Guillaume; Bernillon, Stéphane; Gehl, Bernadette; Gautier, Hélène; Ballias, Patricia; Mazat, Jean-Pierre; Sweetlove, Lee; Génard, Michel; Gibon, Yves

2014-01-01

To assess the influence of the environment on fruit metabolism, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Moneymaker’) plants were grown under contrasting conditions (optimal for commercial, water limited, or shaded production) and locations. Samples were harvested at nine stages of development, and 36 enzyme activities of central metabolism were measured as well as protein, starch, and major metabolites, such as hexoses, sucrose, organic acids, and amino acids. The most remarkable result was the high reproducibility of enzyme activities throughout development, irrespective of conditions or location. Hierarchical clustering of enzyme activities also revealed tight relationships between metabolic pathways and phases of development. Thus, cell division was characterized by high activities of fructokinase, glucokinase, pyruvate kinase, and tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes, indicating ATP production as a priority, whereas cell expansion was characterized by enzymes involved in the lower part of glycolysis, suggesting a metabolic reprogramming to anaplerosis. As expected, enzymes involved in the accumulation of sugars, citrate, and glutamate were strongly increased during ripening. However, a group of enzymes involved in ATP production, which is probably fueled by starch degradation, was also increased. Metabolites levels seemed more sensitive than enzymes to the environment, although such differences tended to decrease at ripening. The integration of enzyme and metabolite data obtained under contrasting growth conditions using principal component analysis suggests that, with the exceptions of alanine amino transferase and glutamate and malate dehydrogenase and malate, there are no links between single enzyme activities and metabolite time courses or levels. PMID:24474652

Juvenile manifestation of ultrasound communication deficits in the neuroligin-4 null mutant mouse model of autism.

PubMed

Ju, Anes; Hammerschmidt, Kurt; Tantra, Martesa; Krueger, Dilja; Brose, Nils; Ehrenreich, Hannelore

2014-08-15

Neuroligin-4 (Nlgn4) is a member of the neuroligin family of postsynaptic cell adhesion molecules. Loss-of-function mutations of NLGN4 are among the most frequent, known genetic causes of heritable autism. Adult Nlgn4 null mutant (Nlgn4(-/-)) mice are a construct valid model of human autism, with both genders displaying a remarkable autistic phenotype, including deficits in social interaction and communication as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors. In contrast to adults, autism-related abnormalities in neonatal and juvenile Nlgn4(-/-) mice have not been reported yet. The present study has been designed to systematically investigate in male and female Nlgn4(-/-) pups versus wildtype littermates (WT, Nlgn4(+/+)) developmental milestones and stimulus-induced ultrasound vocalization (USV). Neonatal development, followed daily from postnatal days (PND) 4 to 21, including physical development, neurological reflexes and neuromotor coordination, did not yield any differences between Nlgn4(-/-) and their WT littermates. USV in pups (PND8-9) in response to brief separation from their mothers revealed remarkable gender effects, and a genotype influence in females regarding latency to first call. In juveniles (PND22-23), USV monitoring upon exposure to an anesthetized female intruder mouse uncovered a clear genotype effect with reduced USV in Nlgn4(-/-) mice, and again a more prominent phenotype in females. Together, these data support an early manifestation of communication deficits in Nlgn4(-/-) mice that appear more pronounced in immature females with their overall stronger USV as compared to males. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiative entropy generation in a gray absorbing, emitting, and scattering planar medium at radiative equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, Pegah; Safavinejad, Ali

2017-11-01

Radiative entropy generation through a gray absorbing, emitting, and scattering planar medium at radiative equilibrium with diffuse-gray walls is investigated. The radiative transfer equation and radiative entropy generation equations are solved using discrete ordinates method. Components of the radiative entropy generation are considered for two different boundary conditions: two walls are at a prescribed temperature and mixed boundary conditions, which one wall is at a prescribed temperature and the other is at a prescribed heat flux. The effect of wall emissivities, optical thickness, single scattering albedo, and anisotropic-scattering factor on the entropy generation is attentively investigated. The results reveal that entropy generation in the system mainly arises from irreversible radiative transfer at wall with lower temperature. Total entropy generation rate for the system with prescribed temperature at walls remarkably increases as wall emissivity increases; conversely, for system with mixed boundary conditions, total entropy generation rate slightly decreases. Furthermore, as the optical thickness increases, total entropy generation rate remarkably decreases for the system with prescribed temperature at walls; nevertheless, for the system with mixed boundary conditions, total entropy generation rate increases. The variation of single scattering albedo does not considerably affect total entropy generation rate. This parametric analysis demonstrates that the optical thickness and wall emissivities have a significant effect on the entropy generation in the system at radiative equilibrium. Considering the parameters affecting radiative entropy generation significantly, provides an opportunity to optimally design or increase overall performance and efficiency by applying entropy minimization techniques for the systems at radiative equilibrium.

Mechanical, morphological and structural properties of cellulose nanofibers reinforced epoxy composites.

PubMed

Saba, N; Mohammad, F; Pervaiz, M; Jawaid, M; Alothman, O Y; Sain, M

2017-04-01

Present study, deals about isolation and characterization of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from the Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp, fabrication by hand lay-up technique and characterization of fabricated epoxy nanocomposites at different filler loadings (0.5%, 0.75%, 1% by wt.). The effect of CNFs loading on mechanical (tensile, impact and flexural), morphological (scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope) and structural (XRD and FTIR) properties of epoxy composites were investigated. FTIR analysis confirms the introduction of CNFs into the epoxy matrix while no considerable change in the crystallinity and diffraction peaks of epoxy composites were observed by the XRD patterns. Additions of CNFs considerably enhance the mechanical properties of epoxy composites but a remarkable improvement is observed for 0.75% CNFs as compared to the rest epoxy nanocomposites. In addition, the electron micrographs revealed the perfect distribution and dispersion of CNFs in the epoxy matrix for the 0.75% CNFs/epoxy nanocomposites, while the existence of voids and agglomerations were observed beyond 0.75% CNFs filler loadings. Overall results analysis clearly revealed that the 0.75% CNFs filler loading is best and effective with respect to rest to enhance the mechanical and structural properties of the epoxy composites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tolerance and stress response of sclerotiogenic Aspergillus oryzae G15 to copper and lead.

PubMed

Long, Dan-Dan; Fu, Rong-Rong; Han, Jian-Rong

2017-07-01

Aspergillus oryzae G15 was cultured on Czapek yeast extract agar medium containing different concentrations of copper and lead to investigate the mechanisms sustaining metal tolerance. The effects of heavy metals on biomass, metal accumulation, metallothionein (MT), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) were evaluated. Cu and Pb treatment remarkably delayed sclerotial maturation and inhibited mycelial growth, indicating the toxic effects of the metals. Cu decreased sclerotial biomass, whereas Pb led to an increase in sclerotial biomass. G15 bioadsorbed most Cu and Pb ions on the cell surface, revealing the involvement of the extracellular mechanism. Cu treatment significantly elevated MT level in mycelia, and Pb treatment at concentrations of 50-100 mg/L also caused an increase in MT content in mycelia. Both metals significantly increased MDA level in sclerotia. The variations in MT and MDA levels revealed the appearance of heavy metal-induced oxidative stress. The activities of SOD, CAT, and POD varied with heavy metal concentrations, which demonstrated that tolerance of G15 to Cu and Pb was associated with an efficient antioxidant defense system. In sum, the santioxidative detoxification system allowed the strain to survive in high concentrations of Cu and Pb. G15 depended mostly on sclerotial differentiation to defend against Pb stress.

Suicide Gene-Engineered Stromal Cells Reveal a Dynamic Regulation of Cancer Metastasis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-02-01

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

Lateral topological crystalline insulator heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qilong; Dai, Ying; Niu, Chengwang; Ma, Yandong; Wei, Wei; Yu, Lin; Huang, Baibiao

2017-06-01

The emergence of lateral heterostructures fabricated by two-dimensional building blocks brings many exciting realms in material science and device physics. Enriching available nanomaterials for creating such heterostructures and enabling the underlying new physics is highly coveted for the integration of next-generation devices. Here, we report a breakthrough in lateral heterostructure based on the monolayer square transition-metal dichalcogenides MX2 (M  =  W, X  =  S/Se) modules. Our results reveal that the MX2 lateral heterostructure (1S-MX2 LHS) can possess excellent thermal and dynamical stability. Remarkably, the highly desired two-dimensional topological crystalline insulator phase is confirmed by the calculated mirror Chern number {{n}\\text{M}}=-1 . A nontrivial band gap of 65 meV is obtained with SOC, indicating the potential for room-temperature observation and applications. The topologically protected edge states emerge at the edges of two different nanoribbons between the bulk band gap, which is consistent with the mirror Chern number. In addition, a strain-induced topological phase transition in 1S-MX2 LHS is also revealed, endowing the potential utilities in electronics and spintronics. Our predictions not only introduce new member and vitality into the studies of lateral heterostructures, but also highlight the promise of lateral heterostructure as appealing topological crystalline insulator platforms with excellent stability for future devices.

Traumatic Experience and Somatoform Dissociation Among Spirit Possession Practitioners in the Dominican Republic.

PubMed

Schaffler, Yvonne; Cardeña, Etzel; Reijman, Sophie; Haluza, Daniela

2016-03-01

Recent studies in African contexts have revealed a strong association between spirit possession and severe trauma, with inclusion into a possession cult serving at times a therapeutic function. Research on spirit possession in the Dominican Republic has so far not included quantitative studies of trauma and dissociation. This study evaluated demographic variables, somatoform dissociative symptoms, and potentially traumatizing events in the Dominican Republic with a group of Vodou practitioners that either do or do not experience spirit possession. Inter-group comparisons revealed that in contrast to non-possessed participants (n = 38), those experiencing spirit possession (n = 47) reported greater somatoform dissociation, more problems with sleep, and previous exposure to mortal danger such as assaults, accidents, or diseases. The two groups did not differ significantly in other types of trauma. The best predictor variable for group classification was somatoform dissociation, although those items could also reflect the experience of followers during a possession episode. A factor analysis across variables resulted in three factors: having to take responsibility early on in life and taking on a professional spiritual role; traumatic events and pain; and distress/dissociation. In comparison with the non-possessed individuals, the possessed ones did not seem to overall have a remarkably more severe story of trauma and seemed to derive economic gains from possession practice.

Screening of microbial contamination and antimicrobial activity of sea cucumber Holothuria polii.

PubMed

Omran, Nahla E E; Allam, Nanis G

2013-11-01

Microbiological studies were carried out on microbial contamination and antimicrobial activity of sea cucumber Holothuria polii collected from Mediterranean Sea at Abu-kir shore of Alexandria, Egypt. The obtained results revealed the presence of isolates of five human Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, representing five genera were identified to species level, including, Esherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. In addition, an yeast Candida albicans was isolated. The pathogenic bacteria were identified using API 20E strip system (BioMereux). All collected H. polii specimens were healthy with no external signs of infection. Histopathological study of the tegument, intestine and gonads showed no abnormal changes. The antimicrobial activity of two tegumental ethanol extracts (A and B, differ in the method of dehydration) were tested against wide range of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including intestinal, skin and nosocomial pathogens and one plant fungal pathogen. The results revealed a remarkable antifungal activity of the extract B at 2.5 mg/ml MIC90, especially on Aspergillus niger, Scloretium sp, C. albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Malassezia furfur, and limited antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella choleraesuis ATCC 14028 and Aeromonas hydrophila). The domain of bacterial and limited fungal contamination confirms the results that showed strong antifungal activity of investigated extract.

The effect of air stable n-doping through mild plasma on the mechanical property of WSe2 layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Linyan; Qian, Shuangbei; Xie, Yuan; Wu, Enxiu; Hei, Haicheng; Feng, Zhihong; Wu, Sen; Hu, Xiaodong; Guo, Tong; Zhang, Daihua

2018-04-01

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides have been widely applied to electronic and optoelectronic device owing to their remarkable material properties. Many studies present the platform for regulating the contact resistance via various doping schemes. Here, we report the alteration of mechanical properties of few top layers of the WSe2 flake which are processed by air stable n-doping of N2O with a constant gas flow through mild plasma and present better manufacturability and friability. The single-line nanoscratching experiments on the WSe2 flakes with different doping time reveal that the manufacturable depths are positively correlated with the exposure time at a certain range and tend to be stable afterwards. Meanwhile, material characterization by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms that the alteration of mechanical properties is owing to the creation of Se vacancies and substitution of O atoms, which breaks the primary molecular structure of the WSe2 flakes. The synchronous Kelvin probe force microscopy and topography results of ROI nanoscratching of a stepped WSe2 sample confirmed that the depth of the degenerate doping is five layers, which was consistent with the single-line scratching experiments. Our results reveal the interrelationship of the mechanical property, chemical bonds and work function changes of the doped WSe2 flakes.

Inference of Low and High-Grade Glioma Gene Regulatory Networks Delineates the Role of Rnd3 in Establishing Multiple Hallmarks of Cancer

PubMed Central

Turan, Nil; Soulet, Fabienne; Mohd Zahari, Maihafizah; Ryan, Katie R.; Durant, Sarah; He, Shan; Herbert, John; Ankers, John; Heath, John K.; Bjerkvig, Rolf; Bicknell, Roy; Hotchin, Neil A.; Bikfalvi, Andreas; Falciani, Francesco

2015-01-01

Gliomas are a highly heterogeneous group of brain tumours that are refractory to treatment, highly invasive and pro-angiogenic. Glioblastoma patients have an average survival time of less than 15 months. Understanding the molecular basis of different grades of glioma, from well differentiated, low-grade tumours to high-grade tumours, is a key step in defining new therapeutic targets. Here we use a data-driven approach to learn the structure of gene regulatory networks from observational data and use the resulting models to formulate hypothesis on the molecular determinants of glioma stage. Remarkably, integration of available knowledge with functional genomics datasets representing clinical and pre-clinical studies reveals important properties within the regulatory circuits controlling low and high-grade glioma. Our analyses first show that low and high-grade gliomas are characterised by a switch in activity of two subsets of Rho GTPases. The first one is involved in maintaining normal glial cell function, while the second is linked to the establishment of multiple hallmarks of cancer. Next, the development and application of a novel data integration methodology reveals novel functions of RND3 in controlling glioma cell migration, invasion, proliferation, angiogenesis and clinical outcome. PMID:26132659

More than a safety line: jump-stabilizing silk of salticids.

PubMed

Chen, Yung-Kang; Liao, Chen-Pan; Tsai, Feng-Yueh; Chi, Kai-Jung

2013-10-06

Salticids are diurnal hunters known for acute vision, remarkable predatory strategies and jumping ability. Like other jumpers, they strive for stability and smooth landings. Instead of using inertia from swinging appendages or aerodynamic forces by flapping wings as in other organisms, we show that salticids use a different mechanism for in-air stability by using dragline silk, which was previously believed to function solely as a safety line. Analyses from high-speed images of jumps by the salticid Hasarius adansoni demonstrate that despite being subject to rearward pitch at take-off, spiders with dragline silk can change body orientation in the air. Instantaneous drag and silk forces calculated from kinematic data further suggest a comparable contribution to deceleration and energy dissipation, and reveal that adjustments by the spider to the silk force can reverse its body pitch for a predictable and optimal landing. Without silk, upright-landing spiders would slip or even tumble, deferring completion of landing. Thus, for salticids, dragline silk is critical for dynamic stability and prey-capture efficiency. The dynamic functioning of dragline silk revealed in this study can advance the understanding of silk's physiological control over material properties and its significance to spider ecology and evolution, and also provide inspiration for future manoeuvrable robot designs.

Characterization of a novel laccase produced by the wood-rotting fungus Phellinus ribis.

PubMed

Min, K L; Kim, Y H; Kim, Y W; Jung, H S; Hah, Y C

2001-08-15

The white-rot fungus Phellinus ribis produced a single form of laccase, which was purified to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity from cultures induced with 2,5-xylidine. This protein was a dimer, consisting of two subunits of 76 kDa as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Carbohydrate analysis revealed that the enzyme contained about 28% carbohydrate content. The laccase appeared to be different from other known laccases by the UV-visible absorption spectrum analysis. One enzyme molecule contained one copper, one manganese, and two zinc atoms. The laccase showed optimal activity at pH 4.0-6.0, 5.0, and 6.0 with 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, ABTS [2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)], and syringaldazine, respectively. The enzyme preferably oxidized dimethoxyphenol and aromatic amine compounds. The stability of the laccase was low at acidic pH, whereas it showed high stability at neutral pH and mild temperature. The N-terminal amino acid sequence revealed a very low homology with other microbial laccases. With some substrates, the addition of manganese and H2O2 resulted in a remarkable increase in the oxidation rate. Without an appropriate phenolic substrate, the enzyme could not oxidize Mn(II) in the presence of H2O2 or pyrophosphate. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

The complete genome, comparative and functional analysis of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia reveals an organism heavily shielded by drug resistance determinants

PubMed Central

Crossman, Lisa C; Gould, Virginia C; Dow, J Maxwell; Vernikos, Georgios S; Okazaki, Aki; Sebaihia, Mohammed; Saunders, David; Arrowsmith, Claire; Carver, Tim; Peters, Nicholas; Adlem, Ellen; Kerhornou, Arnaud; Lord, Angela; Murphy, Lee; Seeger, Katharine; Squares, Robert; Rutter, Simon; Quail, Michael A; Rajandream, Mari-Adele; Harris, David; Churcher, Carol; Bentley, Stephen D; Parkhill, Julian; Thomson, Nicholas R; Avison, Matthew B

2008-01-01

Background Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a nosocomial opportunistic pathogen of the Xanthomonadaceae. The organism has been isolated from both clinical and soil environments in addition to the sputum of cystic fibrosis patients and the immunocompromised. Whilst relatively distant phylogenetically, the closest sequenced relatives of S. maltophilia are the plant pathogenic xanthomonads. Results The genome of the bacteremia-associated isolate S. maltophilia K279a is 4,851,126 bp and of high G+C content. The sequence reveals an organism with a remarkable capacity for drug and heavy metal resistance. In addition to a number of genes conferring resistance to antimicrobial drugs of different classes via alternative mechanisms, nine resistance-nodulation-division (RND)-type putative antimicrobial efflux systems are present. Functional genomic analysis confirms a role in drug resistance for several of the novel RND efflux pumps. S. maltophilia possesses potentially mobile regions of DNA and encodes a number of pili and fimbriae likely to be involved in adhesion and biofilm formation that may also contribute to increased antimicrobial drug resistance. Conclusion The panoply of antimicrobial drug resistance genes and mobile genetic elements found suggests that the organism can act as a reservoir of antimicrobial drug resistance determinants in a clinical environment, which is an issue of considerable concern. PMID:18419807

Old age and vulnerability between first, second and third person perspectives. Ethnographic explorations of aging in contemporary Denmark.

PubMed

Grøn, Lone

2016-12-01

This paper is based on an ethnographic fieldwork aimed at exploring ethnographically how vulnerability in old age is perceived and experienced in contemporary Denmark. The fieldwork showed remarkable differences between two phases of the fieldwork: the first addressing vulnerability from the "outside" through group interviews with professionals, leaders and older people who were not (yet) vulnerable; and the second from the "inside" through more in depth fieldwork with older people who in diverse ways could be seen as vulnerable. After a short introduction to anthropological and social gerontological literature on characteristics of "Western" aging: medicalization, successful, healthy and active aging, I present findings from both phases of this ethnographic fieldwork arguing that the ethnographic approach reveals the composite and complex nature of vulnerability in old age and the constant interactions between first, second and third person perspectives. Through these methodological and analytical moves a complex and empirically tenable understanding of vulnerability in old age has emerged which 1. moves beyond rigid dichotomies that have characterized the study of old age, 2. integrates individual experience, social interaction and the structural and discursive context into the analysis, and 3. reveals the complex interplay between vulnerability and agency in diverse situations and settings of old age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developmental transitions in C. elegans larval stages.

PubMed

Rougvie, Ann E; Moss, Eric G

2013-01-01

Molecular mechanisms control the timing, sequence, and synchrony of developmental events in multicellular organisms. In Caenorhabditis elegans, these mechanisms are revealed through the analysis of mutants with "heterochronic" defects: cell division or differentiation patterns that occur in the correct lineage, but simply at the wrong time. Subsets of cells in these mutants thus express temporal identities normally restricted to a different life stage. A seminal finding arising from studies of the heterochronic genes was the discovery of miRNAs; these tiny miRNAs are now a defining feature of the pathway. A series of sequentially expressed miRNAs guide larval transitions through stage-specific repression of key effector molecules. The wild-type lineage patterns are executed as discrete modules programmed between temporal borders imposed by the molting cycles. How these successive events are synchronized with the oscillatory molting cycle is just beginning to come to light. Progression through larval stages can be specifically, yet reversibly, halted in response to environmental cues, including nutrient availability. Here too, heterochronic genes and miRNAs play key roles. Remarkably, developmental arrest can, in some cases, either mask or reveal timing defects associated with mutations. In this chapter, we provide an overview of how the C. elegans heterochronic gene pathway guides developmental transitions during continuous and interrupted larval development. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

More than a safety line: jump-stabilizing silk of salticids

PubMed Central

Chen, Yung-Kang; Liao, Chen-Pan; Tsai, Feng-Yueh; Chi, Kai-Jung

2013-01-01

Salticids are diurnal hunters known for acute vision, remarkable predatory strategies and jumping ability. Like other jumpers, they strive for stability and smooth landings. Instead of using inertia from swinging appendages or aerodynamic forces by flapping wings as in other organisms, we show that salticids use a different mechanism for in-air stability by using dragline silk, which was previously believed to function solely as a safety line. Analyses from high-speed images of jumps by the salticid Hasarius adansoni demonstrate that despite being subject to rearward pitch at take-off, spiders with dragline silk can change body orientation in the air. Instantaneous drag and silk forces calculated from kinematic data further suggest a comparable contribution to deceleration and energy dissipation, and reveal that adjustments by the spider to the silk force can reverse its body pitch for a predictable and optimal landing. Without silk, upright-landing spiders would slip or even tumble, deferring completion of landing. Thus, for salticids, dragline silk is critical for dynamic stability and prey-capture efficiency. The dynamic functioning of dragline silk revealed in this study can advance the understanding of silk's physiological control over material properties and its significance to spider ecology and evolution, and also provide inspiration for future manoeuvrable robot designs. PMID:23925983

The effect of air stable n-doping through mild plasma on the mechanical property of WSe2 layers.

PubMed

Xu, Linyan; Qian, Shuangbei; Xie, Yuan; Wu, Enxiu; Hei, Haicheng; Feng, Zhihong; Wu, Sen; Hu, Xiaodong; Guo, Tong; Zhang, Daihua

2018-04-27

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides have been widely applied to electronic and optoelectronic device owing to their remarkable material properties. Many studies present the platform for regulating the contact resistance via various doping schemes. Here, we report the alteration of mechanical properties of few top layers of the WSe 2 flake which are processed by air stable n-doping of N 2 O with a constant gas flow through mild plasma and present better manufacturability and friability. The single-line nanoscratching experiments on the WSe 2 flakes with different doping time reveal that the manufacturable depths are positively correlated with the exposure time at a certain range and tend to be stable afterwards. Meanwhile, material characterization by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms that the alteration of mechanical properties is owing to the creation of Se vacancies and substitution of O atoms, which breaks the primary molecular structure of the WSe 2 flakes. The synchronous Kelvin probe force microscopy and topography results of ROI nanoscratching of a stepped WSe 2 sample confirmed that the depth of the degenerate doping is five layers, which was consistent with the single-line scratching experiments. Our results reveal the interrelationship of the mechanical property, chemical bonds and work function changes of the doped WSe 2 flakes.

Photosensitizer-Loaded Branched Polyethylenimine-PEGylated Ceria Nanoparticles for Imaging-Guided Synchronous Photochemotherapy.

PubMed

Yang, Zhang-You; Li, Hong; Zeng, Yi-Ping; Hao, Yu-Hui; Liu, Cong; Liu, Jing; Wang, Wei-Dong; Li, Rong

2015-11-04

A multifunctional theranostic platform based on photosensitizer (chlorin e6, Ce6)-loaded branched polyethylenimine-PEGylated ceria nanoparticles (PPCNPs-Ce6) was created for the development of effective cancer treatments involving the use of imaging-guided synchronous photochemotherapy. PPCNPs-Ce6 with high Ce6 photosensitizer loading (Ce6: cerium ∼40 wt %) significantly enhanced the delivery of Ce6 into cells and its accumulation in lysosomes, remarkably improving photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) efficacy levels compared to those in the administration of free Ce6 at ultralow drug doses (∼200 nM). Interestingly, PPCNPs-Ce6 efficiently induced HeLa cell death even at low concentrations (∼10 μM) without the use of laser irradiation and exhibit chemocytotoxicity. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and biology transmission electron microscopy (Bio-TEM) analyses demonstrated that ceria nanoparticles enter cells abundantly and accumulate in lysosomes or large vesicles. We then evaluated the effects of the different materials on lysosomal integrity and function, which revealed that PPCNPs-Ce6 catastrophically impaired lysosomal function compared to results with PPCNPs and Ce6. Studies of apoptosis revealed greater induction of apoptosis by PPCNPs-Ce6 treatment. This multifunctional nanocarrier also exhibited a high degree of solubility and stability in aqueous solutions, suggesting its applicability for extensive biomedical application.

Pancreatic Abscess in a cat due to Staphylococcus aureus infection.

PubMed

Nemoto, Yuki; Haraguchi, Tomoya; Shimokawa Miyama, Takako; Kobayashi, Kosuke; Hama, Kaori; Kurogouchi, Yosuke; Fujiki, Noriyuki; Baba, Kenji; Okuda, Masaru; Mizuno, Takuya

2017-07-07

A 16-year-old spayed female American Shorthair cat was presented with lethargy, anorexia, and wamble. Physical and blood examination did not reveal any remarkable findings. Abdominal ultrasonography identified the presence of a localized anechoic structure with a thick wall in contact with the small intestine and adjacent to the liver. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of the structure revealed fluid containing numerous cocci and neutrophils. Two days after antibiotic treatment, exploratory laparotomy was performed and the content of the structure was removed before multiple lavages. The pathological and bacteriological examination results supported a confirmatory diagnosis of pancreatic abscess due to Staphylococcus aureus infection, making this the first such report in a cat. The cat remained healthy thereafter with no disease recurrence.

LANDSAT imagery analysis: An aid for predicting landslide prone areas for highway construction. [in Arkansas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macdonald, H. C.; Grubbs, R. S.

1975-01-01

The most obvious landform features of geologic significance revealed on LANDSAT imagery are linear trends or lineaments. These trends were found to correspond, at least to a large degree, with unmapped faults or complex fracture zones. LANDSAT imagery analysis in northern Arkansas revealed a lineament complex which provides a remarkable correlation with landslide-prone areas along major highway routes. The weathering properties of various rock types, which are considered in designing stable cut slopes and drainage structures, appear to be adversely influenced by the location and trends of LANDSAT defined lineaments. Geologic interpretation of LANDSAT imagery, where applicable and utilized effectively, provides the highway engineer with a tool for predicting and evaluating landslide-prone areas.

Picosecond Dynamics Of The GaAs (110) Surface Studied With Laser Photoemission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haight, R.; Silberman, J. A.; Lilie, M. I.

1988-08-01

A novel laser system and detection scheme is described which has been developed to investigate the transient dynamics of photoexcited electrons at material surfaces and interfaces with photoemission. The excited carrier population on the surface of GaAs (110) and the related Cr/GaAs (110) surface has been studied with 1-2 picosecond time resolution. Studies reveal a rapid rise and fall of the photexcited carrier population at the clean semiconductor surface within 15 picoseconds of excitation. For times greater than 15 picoseconds the carrier density decays slowly. Studies of the photoexcited surface after deposition of small numbers of Cr atoms reveal a remarkable decrease in the carrier density observed at the surface for a coverage as low as .006 monolayer.

Pt nanoparticles residing in the pores of porous LaNiO₃ nanocubes as high-efficiency electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells.

PubMed

Yu, Nan; Kuai, Long; Wang, Qing; Geng, Baoyou

2012-09-07

Pt-filled porous LaNiO₃ cubes are prepared through a facile route. The characterizations reveal that large numbers of pores (9-10 nm) are distributed homogeneously in porous LaNiO₃ cubes. The Pt nanoparticles residing in the pores of porous LaNiO₃ cubes are about 5 nm in size. The investigation on the electrocatalytic activity reveals that electrocatalytic activity of the obtained Pt loaded porous LaNiO₃ nanocubes exhibit a significantly improved electrochemical active surface area (EASA) and a remarkably enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward methanol oxidation. The results are significant for improving the efficiency of Pt-based catalysts for DMFCs as well as the applications of perovskite compounds.

Pumping Performance or RBCC Engine under Sea Level Static Condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouchi, Toshinori; Tomioka, Sadatake; Kanda, Takeshi

Numerical simulations were conducted to predict the ejector pumping performance of a rocket-ramjet combined-cycle engine under a take-off condition. The numerical simulations revealed that the suction airflow was chocked at the exit of the engine throat when the ejector rocket was driven by cold N2 gas at the chamber pressure of 3MPa. When the ejector-driving gas was changed from cold N2 gas to hot combustion gas, the suction performance decreased remarkably. Mach contours in the engine revealed that the rocket plume constricted when the driving gas was the hot combustion gas. The change of the area of the stream tube area seemed to induce the pressure rise in the duct and decreasing in the pumping performance.

Video- Astronauts Don Pettit and Ken Bowersox Paint Water Onboard the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Saturday Morning Science, the science of opportunity series of applied experiments and demonstrations, performed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by Expedition 6 astronaut Dr. Don Pettit, revealed some remarkable findings. Science begets art in this video as Dr. Pettit and commander Ken Bowersox demonstrate two dimensional diffusion using food coloring in a film of water when they created an intriguing birdlike image. Dr. Pettit wonders aloud 'It makes us wonder what Matisse could do with a medium like this.'

Science Museum Series - Speed, Time, Space, and Flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkinson, Philip

2004-04-01

This four-volume set explores some of the most popular areas of science and invention. It is produced in collaboration with the Science Museum in London, which houses one of the most remarkable science collections in the world. Each book takes one area of our inventiveness and reveals our progress through time, highlighting the key developments and ending with the state-of-the-art technology of today. Each story is told with brief, lively text linked to the four-color images and includes a glossary and index.

Bioremediation of industrial waste by using bat guano.

PubMed

Gadhikar, Y A; Zade, V S; Khadse, T

2007-04-01

The present investigation is an attempt to study the effect of bat guano with its rich microbial flora on bioremediation of industrial waste effluents. The results revealed that within a period of 15 days, there was a remarkable reduction in the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values up to 50%-70%, thus stabilizing the industrial effluents. In addition to this,values of various physico-chemical parameters were notably found to reduce suggesting that industrial effluents can be effectively treated by bat guano.

Brain Representations of Basic Physics Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Just, Marcel Adam

2017-09-01

The findings concerning physics concepts build on the remarkable new ability to determine the neural signature (or activation pattern) corresponding to an individual concept using fMRI brain imaging. Moreover, the neural signatures can be decomposed into meaningful underlying dimensions, identifying the individual, interpretable components of the neural representation of a concept. The investigation of physics concepts representations reveals how relatively recent physics concepts (formalized only in the last few centuries) are stored in the millenia-old information system of the human brain.

Learning to Encode Timing: Mechanisms of Plasticity in the Auditory Brainstem

PubMed Central

Tzounopoulos, Thanos; Kraus, Nina

2009-01-01

Mechanisms of plasticity have traditionally been ascribed to higher-order sensory processing areas such as the cortex, whereas early sensory processing centers have been considered largely hard-wired. In agreement with this view, the auditory brainstem has been viewed as a nonplastic site, important for preserving temporal information and minimizing transmission delays. However, recent groundbreaking results from animal models and human studies have revealed remarkable evidence for cellular and behavioral mechanisms for learning and memory in the auditory brainstem. PMID:19477149

Case report 775. Canine osteosarcoma with associated avascular necrosis and sequestrum formation.

PubMed

De Smet, A A; Dueland, R T; Dubielzig, R R

1993-01-01

A young dog was found to have an osteosarcoma of the proximal femur containing a radiologically evident sequestrum of dead bone. Although the tumor was extensive, the plain films were most remarkable for the presence of a sequestrum. MR scans revealed the extent of the lesion, with low signal throughout the lesion consistent with the heavily calcified tumor and central avascular bone. At the 1-year follow-up, lung metastases had developed, but the dog appeared well.

The Adiabatic Piston and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosignani, Bruno; Di Porto, Paolo; Conti, Claudio

2002-11-01

A detailed analysis of the adiabatic-piston problem reveals peculiar dynamical features that challenge the general belief that isolated systems necessarily reach a static equilibrium state. In particular, the fact that the piston behaves like a perpetuum mobile, i.e., it never stops but keeps wandering, undergoing sizable oscillations, around the position corresponding to maximum entropy, has remarkable implications on the entropy variations of the system and on the validity of the second law when dealing with systems of mesoscopic dimensions.

Heterochromatin position effects on circularized sex chromosomes cause filicidal embryonic lethality in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Ferree, Patrick M; Gomez, Karina; Rominger, Peter; Howard, Dagnie; Kornfeld, Hannah; Barbash, Daniel A

2014-04-01

Some circularized X-Y chromosomes in Drosophila melanogaster are mitotically unstable and induce early embryonic lethality, but the genetic basis is unknown. Our experiments suggest that a large region of X-linked satellite DNA causes anaphase bridges and lethality when placed into a new heterochromatic environment within certain circularized X-Y chromosomes. These results reveal that repetitive sequences can be incompatible with one another in cis. The lethal phenotype also bears a remarkable resemblance to a case of interspecific hybrid lethality.

Remarkable fly (Diptera) diversity in a patch of Costa Rican cloud forest: Why inventory is a vital science

Treesearch

Art Borkent; Brian V. Brown; Peter H. Adler; Dalton de Souza Amorim; Kevin Barber; Daniel Bickel; Stephanie Boucher; Scott E. Brooks; John Burger; Zelia L. Burington; Renato S. Capellari; Daniel N. R. Costa; Jeffrey M. Cumming; Greg Curler; Carl W. Dick; John H. Epler; Eric Fisher; Stephen D. Gaimari; Jon Gelhaus; David A. Grimaldi; John Hash; Martin Hauser; Heikki Hippa; Sergio Ibanez-Bernal; Mathias Jaschhof; Elena P. Kameneva; Peter H. Kerr; Valery Korneyev; Cheslavo A. Korytkowski; Giar-Ann Kung; Gunnar Mikalsen Kvifte; Owen Lonsdale; Stephen A. Marshall; Wayne N. Mathis; Verner Michelsen; Stefan Naglis; Allen L. Norrbom; Steven Paiero; Thomas Pape; Alessandre Pereira-Colavite; Marc Pollet; Sabrina Rochefort; Alessandra Rung; Justin B. Runyon; Jade Savage; Vera C. Silva; Bradley J. Sinclair; Jeffrey H. Skevington; John O. Stireman; John Swann; F. Christian Thompson; Pekka Vilkamaa; Terry Wheeler; Terry Whitworth; Maria Wong; D. Monty Wood; Norman Woodley; Tiffany Yau; Thomas J. Zavortink; Manuel A. Zumbado

2018-01-01

Study of all flies (Diptera) collected for one year from a four-hectare (150 x 266 meter) patch of cloud forest at 1,600 meters above sea level at Zurquí de Moravia, San José Province, Costa Rica (hereafter referred to as Zurquí), revealed an astounding 4,332 species. This amounts to more than half the number of named species of flies for all of Central America....

Arctic skate Amblyraja hyperborea preys on remarkably large glacial eelpouts Lycodes frigidus.

PubMed

Byrkjedal, I; Christiansen, J S; Karamushko, O V; Langhelle, G; Lynghammar, A

2015-01-01

During scientific surveys on the continental slopes north-west of Spitsbergen and off north-east Greenland (c. 600 and 1000 m depths), two female Arctic skates Amblyraja hyperborea were caught while swallowing extraordinary large individuals of glacial eelpout Lycodes frigidus. The total length (LT) of the prey constituted 50 and 80% of the LT of the skates, which reveal that A. hyperborea are capable predators of fishes of surprisingly large relative size. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

The PLATO trial: do you believe in magic?

PubMed

Serebruany, Victor L; Atar, Dan

2010-04-01

The PLATO trial revealed a remarkable advantage of ticagrelor over clopidogrel in ACS patients. Unless the regulatory authorities discover serious flaws with the study, which is unlikely, the drug may substantially change the present landscape of oral antiplatelet therapy, especially in high-risk patients. Despite a somewhat unfavourable safety profile, ticagrelor has a lot of room to compensate for these well-defined side effects based on a documented absolute mortality reduction, solid prevention of MI, and convincing pattern of benefit growing over time.

CHNO Energetic Polymer Specific Heat Prediction From The Proposed Nominal/Generic (N/G) CP Concept

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-01

HMX can exist in different solid polymorphic forms. At a certain temperature, TT, one form may change to another form if the heat energy of...more than 100 °K for TNT, HNS and HMX and over 200 °K for TETRYL, PETN, and RDX ). So based on the above remarks and similar remarks in References...are very close to (or equal to) the RDX CP values and TNT CP values near absolute zero. In Reference 7, two examples (TNT and HMX ) were selected for

The structure of bradyzoite-specific enolase from Toxoplasma gondii reveals insights into its dual cytoplasmic and nuclear functions

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

Ruan, Jiapeng; Mouveaux, Thomas; Light, Samuel H.

2015-03-01

The second crystal structure of a parasite protein preferentially enriched in the brain cyst of T. gondii has been solved at 2.75 Å resolution. Bradyzoite enolase 1 is reported to have differential functions as a glycolytic enzyme and a transcriptional regulator in bradyzoites. In addition to catalyzing a central step in glycolysis, enolase assumes a remarkably diverse set of secondary functions in different organisms, including transcription regulation as documented for the oncogene c-Myc promoter-binding protein 1. The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii differentially expresses two nuclear-localized, plant-like enolases: enolase 1 (TgENO1) in the latent bradyzoite cyst stage and enolase 2 (TgENO2)more » in the rapidly replicative tachyzoite stage. A 2.75 Å resolution crystal structure of bradyzoite enolase 1, the second structure to be reported of a bradyzoite-specific protein in Toxoplasma, captures an open conformational state and reveals that distinctive plant-like insertions are located on surface loops. The enolase 1 structure reveals that a unique residue, Glu164, in catalytic loop 2 may account for the lower activity of this cyst-stage isozyme. Recombinant TgENO1 specifically binds to a TTTTCT DNA motif present in the cyst matrix antigen 1 (TgMAG1) gene promoter as demonstrated by gel retardation. Furthermore, direct physical interactions of both nuclear TgENO1 and TgENO2 with the TgMAG1 gene promoter are demonstrated in vivo using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Structural and biochemical studies reveal that T. gondii enolase functions are multifaceted, including the coordination of gene regulation in parasitic stage development. Enolase 1 provides a potential lead in the design of drugs against Toxoplasma brain cysts.« less

Nanohybrid conjugated polyelectrolytes: highly photostable and ultrabright nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darwish, Ghinwa H.; Karam, Pierre

2015-09-01

We present a general and straightforward one-step approach to enhance the photophysical properties of conjugated polyelectrolytes. Upon complexation with an amphiphilic polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), an anionic conjugated polyelectrolyte (poly[5-methoxy-2-(3-sulfopropoxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene]) was prepared into small nanoparticles with exceptional photostability and brightness. The polymer fluorescence intensity was enhanced by 23 -fold and could be easily tuned by changing the order of addition. Single molecule experiments revealed a complete suppression of blinking. In addition, after only losing 18% of the original intensity, a remarkable amount of photons were emitted per particle (~109, on average). This number is many folds greater than popular organic fluorescent dyes. We believe that an intimate contact between the two polymers is shielding the conjugated polyelectrolyte from the destructive photooxidation. The prepared nanohybrid particles will prove instrumental in single particle based fluorescent assays and can serve as a probe for the current state-of-the-art bioimaging fluorescence techniques.We present a general and straightforward one-step approach to enhance the photophysical properties of conjugated polyelectrolytes. Upon complexation with an amphiphilic polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), an anionic conjugated polyelectrolyte (poly[5-methoxy-2-(3-sulfopropoxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene]) was prepared into small nanoparticles with exceptional photostability and brightness. The polymer fluorescence intensity was enhanced by 23 -fold and could be easily tuned by changing the order of addition. Single molecule experiments revealed a complete suppression of blinking. In addition, after only losing 18% of the original intensity, a remarkable amount of photons were emitted per particle (~109, on average). This number is many folds greater than popular organic fluorescent dyes. We believe that an intimate contact between the two polymers is shielding the conjugated polyelectrolyte from the destructive photooxidation. The prepared nanohybrid particles will prove instrumental in single particle based fluorescent assays and can serve as a probe for the current state-of-the-art bioimaging fluorescence techniques. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Dynamic light scattering, photostability of different nanohybrids, and emission and absorption spectra. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03299g

Exploring water cycle dynamics by sampling multiple stable water isotope pools in a developed landscape in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlowski, Natalie; Kraft, Philipp; Pferdmenges, Jakob; Breuer, Lutz

2016-09-01

A dual stable water isotope (δ2H and δ18O) study was conducted in the developed (managed) landscape of the Schwingbach catchment (Germany). The 2-year weekly to biweekly measurements of precipitation, stream, and groundwater isotopes revealed that surface and groundwater are isotopically disconnected from the annual precipitation cycle but showed bidirectional interactions between each other. Apparently, snowmelt played a fundamental role for groundwater recharge explaining the observed differences to precipitation δ values. A spatially distributed snapshot sampling of soil water isotopes at two soil depths at 52 sampling points across different land uses (arable land, forest, and grassland) revealed that topsoil isotopic signatures were similar to the precipitation input signal. Preferential water flow paths occurred under forested soils, explaining the isotopic similarities between top- and subsoil isotopic signatures. Due to human-impacted agricultural land use (tilling and compression) of arable and grassland soils, water delivery to the deeper soil layers was reduced, resulting in significant different isotopic signatures. However, the land use influence became less pronounced with depth and soil water approached groundwater δ values. Seasonally tracing stable water isotopes through soil profiles showed that the influence of new percolating soil water decreased with depth as no remarkable seasonality in soil isotopic signatures was obvious at depths > 0.9 m and constant values were observed through space and time. Since classic isotope evaluation methods such as transfer-function-based mean transit time calculations did not provide a good fit between the observed and calculated data, we established a hydrological model to estimate spatially distributed groundwater ages and flow directions within the Vollnkirchener Bach subcatchment. Our model revealed that complex age dynamics exist within the subcatchment and that much of the runoff must has been stored for much longer than event water (average water age is 16 years). Tracing stable water isotopes through the water cycle in combination with our hydrological model was valuable for determining interactions between different water cycle components and unravelling age dynamics within the study area. This knowledge can further improve catchment-specific process understanding of developed, human-impacted landscapes.

Single-Molecule FISH Reveals Non-selective Packaging of Rift Valley Fever Virus Genome Segments

PubMed Central

Wichgers Schreur, Paul J.; Kortekaas, Jeroen

2016-01-01

The bunyavirus genome comprises a small (S), medium (M), and large (L) RNA segment of negative polarity. Although genome segmentation confers evolutionary advantages by enabling genome reassortment events with related viruses, genome segmentation also complicates genome replication and packaging. Accumulating evidence suggests that genomes of viruses with eight or more genome segments are incorporated into virions by highly selective processes. Remarkably, little is known about the genome packaging process of the tri-segmented bunyaviruses. Here, we evaluated, by single-molecule RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), the intracellular spatio-temporal distribution and replication kinetics of the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) genome and determined the segment composition of mature virions. The results reveal that the RVFV genome segments start to replicate near the site of infection before spreading and replicating throughout the cytoplasm followed by translocation to the virion assembly site at the Golgi network. Despite the average intracellular S, M and L genome segments approached a 1:1:1 ratio, major differences in genome segment ratios were observed among cells. We also observed a significant amount of cells lacking evidence of M-segment replication. Analysis of two-segmented replicons and four-segmented viruses subsequently confirmed the previous notion that Golgi recruitment is mediated by the Gn glycoprotein. The absence of colocalization of the different segments in the cytoplasm and the successful rescue of a tri-segmented variant with a codon shuffled M-segment suggested that inter-segment interactions are unlikely to drive the copackaging of the different segments into a single virion. The latter was confirmed by direct visualization of RNPs inside mature virions which showed that the majority of virions lack one or more genome segments. Altogether, this study suggests that RVFV genome packaging is a non-selective process. PMID:27548280

A new multi-scale method to reveal hierarchical modular structures in biological networks.

PubMed

Jiao, Qing-Ju; Huang, Yan; Shen, Hong-Bin

2016-11-15

Biological networks are effective tools for studying molecular interactions. Modular structure, in which genes or proteins may tend to be associated with functional modules or protein complexes, is a remarkable feature of biological networks. Mining modular structure from biological networks enables us to focus on a set of potentially important nodes, which provides a reliable guide to future biological experiments. The first fundamental challenge in mining modular structure from biological networks is that the quality of the observed network data is usually low owing to noise and incompleteness in the obtained networks. The second problem that poses a challenge to existing approaches to the mining of modular structure is that the organization of both functional modules and protein complexes in networks is far more complicated than was ever thought. For instance, the sizes of different modules vary considerably from each other and they often form multi-scale hierarchical structures. To solve these problems, we propose a new multi-scale protocol for mining modular structure (named ISIMB) driven by a node similarity metric, which works in an iteratively converged space to reduce the effects of the low data quality of the observed network data. The multi-scale node similarity metric couples both the local and the global topology of the network with a resolution regulator. By varying this resolution regulator to give different weightings to the local and global terms in the metric, the ISIMB method is able to fit the shape of modules and to detect them on different scales. Experiments on protein-protein interaction and genetic interaction networks show that our method can not only mine functional modules and protein complexes successfully, but can also predict functional modules from specific to general and reveal the hierarchical organization of protein complexes.

Role of jet spacing and strut geometry on the formation of large scale structures and mixing characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soni, Rahul Kumar; De, Ashoke

2018-05-01

The present study primarily focuses on the effect of the jet spacing and strut geometry on the evolution and structure of the large-scale vortices which play a key role in mixing characteristics in turbulent supersonic flows. Numerically simulated results corresponding to varying parameters such as strut geometry and jet spacing (Xn = nDj such that n = 2, 3, and 5) for a square jet of height Dj = 0.6 mm are presented in the current study, while the work also investigates the presence of the local quasi-two-dimensionality for the X2(2Dj) jet spacing; however, the same is not true for higher jet spacing. Further, the tapered strut (TS) section is modified into the straight strut (SS) for investigation, where the remarkable difference in flow physics is unfolded between the two configurations for similar jet spacing (X2: 2Dj). The instantaneous density and vorticity contours reveal the structures of varying scales undergoing different evolution for the different configurations. The effect of local spanwise rollers is clearly manifested in the mixing efficiency and the jet spreading rate. The SS configuration exhibits excellent near field mixing behavior amongst all the arrangements. However, in the case of TS cases, only the X2(2Dj) configuration performs better due to the presence of local spanwise rollers. The qualitative and quantitative analysis reveals that near-field mixing is strongly affected by the two-dimensional rollers, while the early onset of the wake mode is another crucial parameter to have improved mixing. Modal decomposition performed for the SS arrangement sheds light onto the spatial and temporal coherence of the structures, where the most dominant structures are found to be the von Kármán street vortices in the wake region.

Adjustment of Cell-Type Composition Minimizes Systematic Bias in Blood DNA Methylation Profiles Derived by DNA Collection Protocols

PubMed Central

Shiwa, Yuh; Hachiya, Tsuyoshi; Furukawa, Ryohei; Ohmomo, Hideki; Ono, Kanako; Kudo, Hisaaki; Hata, Jun; Hozawa, Atsushi; Iwasaki, Motoki; Matsuda, Koichi; Minegishi, Naoko; Satoh, Mamoru; Tanno, Kozo; Yamaji, Taiki; Wakai, Kenji; Hitomi, Jiro; Kiyohara, Yutaka; Kubo, Michiaki; Tanaka, Hideo; Tsugane, Shoichiro; Yamamoto, Masayuki; Sobue, Kenji; Shimizu, Atsushi

2016-01-01

Differences in DNA collection protocols may be a potential confounder in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) using a large number of blood specimens from multiple biobanks and/or cohorts. Here we show that pre-analytical procedures involved in DNA collection can induce systematic bias in the DNA methylation profiles of blood cells that can be adjusted by cell-type composition variables. In Experiment 1, whole blood from 16 volunteers was collected to examine the effect of a 24 h storage period at 4°C on DNA methylation profiles as measured using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array. Our statistical analysis showed that the P-value distribution of more than 450,000 CpG sites was similar to the theoretical distribution (in quantile-quantile plot, λ = 1.03) when comparing two control replicates, which was remarkably deviated from the theoretical distribution (λ = 1.50) when comparing control and storage conditions. We then considered cell-type composition as a possible cause of the observed bias in DNA methylation profiles and found that the bias associated with the cold storage condition was largely decreased (λadjusted = 1.14) by taking into account a cell-type composition variable. As such, we compared four respective sample collection protocols used in large-scale Japanese biobanks or cohorts as well as two control replicates. Systematic biases in DNA methylation profiles were observed between control and three of four protocols without adjustment of cell-type composition (λ = 1.12–1.45) and no remarkable biases were seen after adjusting for cell-type composition in all four protocols (λadjusted = 1.00–1.17). These results revealed important implications for comparing DNA methylation profiles between blood specimens from different sources and may lead to discovery of disease-associated DNA methylation markers and the development of DNA methylation profile-based predictive risk models. PMID:26799745

Adjustment of Cell-Type Composition Minimizes Systematic Bias in Blood DNA Methylation Profiles Derived by DNA Collection Protocols.

PubMed

Shiwa, Yuh; Hachiya, Tsuyoshi; Furukawa, Ryohei; Ohmomo, Hideki; Ono, Kanako; Kudo, Hisaaki; Hata, Jun; Hozawa, Atsushi; Iwasaki, Motoki; Matsuda, Koichi; Minegishi, Naoko; Satoh, Mamoru; Tanno, Kozo; Yamaji, Taiki; Wakai, Kenji; Hitomi, Jiro; Kiyohara, Yutaka; Kubo, Michiaki; Tanaka, Hideo; Tsugane, Shoichiro; Yamamoto, Masayuki; Sobue, Kenji; Shimizu, Atsushi

2016-01-01

Differences in DNA collection protocols may be a potential confounder in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) using a large number of blood specimens from multiple biobanks and/or cohorts. Here we show that pre-analytical procedures involved in DNA collection can induce systematic bias in the DNA methylation profiles of blood cells that can be adjusted by cell-type composition variables. In Experiment 1, whole blood from 16 volunteers was collected to examine the effect of a 24 h storage period at 4°C on DNA methylation profiles as measured using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array. Our statistical analysis showed that the P-value distribution of more than 450,000 CpG sites was similar to the theoretical distribution (in quantile-quantile plot, λ = 1.03) when comparing two control replicates, which was remarkably deviated from the theoretical distribution (λ = 1.50) when comparing control and storage conditions. We then considered cell-type composition as a possible cause of the observed bias in DNA methylation profiles and found that the bias associated with the cold storage condition was largely decreased (λ adjusted = 1.14) by taking into account a cell-type composition variable. As such, we compared four respective sample collection protocols used in large-scale Japanese biobanks or cohorts as well as two control replicates. Systematic biases in DNA methylation profiles were observed between control and three of four protocols without adjustment of cell-type composition (λ = 1.12-1.45) and no remarkable biases were seen after adjusting for cell-type composition in all four protocols (λ adjusted = 1.00-1.17). These results revealed important implications for comparing DNA methylation profiles between blood specimens from different sources and may lead to discovery of disease-associated DNA methylation markers and the development of DNA methylation profile-based predictive risk models.

[The relation of the patient's condition and outcome of drug maintainance therapy in schizophrenia (analysis of the curative effect in 324 cases)].

PubMed

Zhang, Z

1989-12-01

Cf, the methodology and diagnostic standard of 12 collaborative units about "Epidemiological investigation" of 1982, we traced to investigate the relation between the patients' condition outcome and drug maintain therapy of 324 cases with schizophrenia in community. The investigative result showed the cure rate of insisting on taking medicine group was 25.21%, the effective rate was 97.48%, the cure rate of irregular taking medicine groups was 6.63%, the effective rate was 68.37%, there was remarkable difference between the cure rate and the effective rate in two groups. Otherwise we also compared the patients, condition of insisting on taking drug groups with during investigation. We found there was no remarkable change that showed insisting a drug maintain therapy out the hospital to the curative effect of the disease to possess on important meaning. The pattern also compared the curative effect of a time onset of disease group and many times. There was no remarkable difference about the statistical analysis of the curative effect among each group. It showed me never lose confidence to the patients. We should treat actively them.

Consumer diversity across kingdoms supports multiple functions in a coastal ecosystem

PubMed Central

Hensel, Marc J. S.; Silliman, Brian R.

2013-01-01

The global biodiversity crisis impairs the valuable benefits ecosystems provide humans. These nature-generated benefits are defined by a multitude of different ecosystem functions that operate simultaneously. Although several studies have simulated species loss in communities and tracked the response of single functions such as productivity or nutrient cycling, these studies have involved relatively similar taxa, and seldom are strikingly different functions examined. With the exception of highly managed ecosystems such as agricultural fields, rarely are we interested in only one function being performed well. Instead, we rely on ecosystems to deliver several different functions at the same time. Here, we experimentally investigated the extinction impacts of dominant consumers in a salt marsh. These consumers are remarkably phylogenetically diverse, spanning two kingdoms (i.e., Animalia and Fungi). Our field studies reveal that a diverse consumer assemblage significantly enhances simultaneous functioning of disparate ecosystem processes (i.e., productivity, decomposition, and infiltration). Extreme functional and phylogenetic differences among consumers underlie this relationship. Each marsh consumer affected at least one different ecosystem function, and each individual function was affected by no more than two consumers. The implications of these findings are profound: If we want ecosystems to perform many different functions well, it is not just number of species that matter. Rather, the presence of species representing markedly different ecologies and biology is also essential to maximizing multiple functions. Moreover, this work emphasizes the need to incorporate both microcomponents and macrocomponents of food webs to accurately predict biodiversity declines on integrated-ecosystem functioning. PMID:24297926

Heme oxygenase-1 exacerbates early brain injury after intracerebral haemorrhage

PubMed Central

Wang, Jian; Doré, Sylvain

2008-01-01

Because heme oxygenase (HO) is the rate limiting enzyme in the degradation of the pro-oxidant hemin/heme from blood, here we investigated the contribution of the inducible HO-1 to early brain injury produced by intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). We found that after induction of ICH, HO-1 proteins were highly detectable in the peri-ICH region predominantly in microglia/macrophages and endothelial cells. Remarkably, the injury volume was significantly smaller in HO-1 knockout (HO-1−/−) mice than in wild-type controls 24 and 72 h after ICH. Although the brain water content did not appear to be significantly different, the protection in HO-1−/− mice was associated with a marked reduction in ICH-induced leucocyte infiltration, microglia/macrophage activation and free radical levels. These data reveal a previously unrecognized role of HO-1 in early brain injury after ICH. Thus, modulation of HO-1 signalling should be assessed further in clinical settings, especially for haemorrhagic states. PMID:17525142

Aqueous heterogeneity at the air/water interface revealed by 2D-HD-SFG spectroscopy.

PubMed

Hsieh, Cho-Shuen; Okuno, Masanari; Hunger, Johannes; Backus, Ellen H G; Nagata, Yuki; Bonn, Mischa

2014-07-28

Water molecules interact strongly with each other through hydrogen bonds. This efficient intermolecular coupling causes strong delocalization of molecular vibrations in bulk water. We study intermolecular coupling at the air/water interface and find intermolecular coupling 1) to be significantly reduced and 2) to vary strongly for different water molecules at the interface--whereas in bulk water the coupling is homogeneous. For strongly hydrogen-bonded OH groups, coupling is roughly half of that of bulk water, due to the lower density in the near-surface region. For weakly hydrogen-bonded OH groups that absorb around 3500 cm(-1), which are assigned to the outermost, yet hydrogen-bonded OH groups pointing towards the liquid, coupling is further reduced by an additional factor of 2. Remarkably, despite the reduced structural constraints imposed by the interfacial hydrogen-bond environment, the structural relaxation is slow and the intermolecular coupling of these water molecules is weak. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diversity of immunoglobulin lambda light chain gene usage over developmental stages in the horse.

PubMed

Tallmadge, Rebecca L; Tseng, Chia T; Felippe, M Julia B

2014-10-01

To further studies of neonatal immune responses to pathogens and vaccination, we investigated the dynamics of B lymphocyte development and immunoglobulin (Ig) gene diversity. Previously we demonstrated that equine fetal Ig VDJ sequences exhibit combinatorial and junctional diversity levels comparable to those of adult Ig VDJ sequences. Herein, RACE clones from fetal, neonatal, foal, and adult lymphoid tissue were assessed for Ig lambda light chain combinatorial, junctional, and sequence diversity. Remarkably, more lambda variable genes (IGLV) were used during fetal life than later stages and IGLV gene usage differed significantly with time, in contrast to the Ig heavy chain. Junctional diversity measured by CDR3L length was constant over time. Comparison of Ig lambda transcripts to germline revealed significant increases in nucleotide diversity over time, even during fetal life. These results suggest that the Ig lambda light chain provides an additional dimension of diversity to the equine Ig repertoire. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The unusually large Plasmodium telomerase reverse-transcriptase localizes in a discrete compartment associated with the nucleolus

PubMed Central

Figueiredo, Luisa M.; Rocha, Eduardo P. C.; Mancio-Silva, Liliana; Prevost, Christine; Hernandez-Verdun, Danièle; Scherf, Artur

2005-01-01

Telomerase replicates chromosome ends, a function necessary for maintaining genome integrity. We have identified the gene that encodes the catalytic reverse transcriptase (RT) component of this enzyme in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (PfTERT) as well as the orthologous genes from two rodent and one simian malaria species. PfTERT is predicted to encode a basic protein that contains the major sequence motifs previously identified in known telomerase RTs (TERTs). At ∼2500 amino acids, PfTERT is three times larger than other characterized TERTs. We observed remarkable sequence diversity between TERT proteins of different Plasmodial species, with conserved domains alternating with hypervariable regions. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that PfTERT is expressed in asexual blood stage parasites that have begun DNA synthesis. Surprisingly, rather than at telomere clusters, PfTERT typically localizes into a discrete nuclear compartment. We further demonstrate that this compartment is associated with the nucleolus, hereby defined for the first time in P.falciparum. PMID:15722485

Multi-Shell Nano-CarboScavengers for Petroleum Spill Remediation

PubMed Central

Daza, Enrique A.; Misra, Santosh K.; Scott, John; Tripathi, Indu; Promisel, Christine; Sharma, Brajendra K.; Topczewski, Jacek; Chaudhuri, Santanu; Pan, Dipanjan

2017-01-01

Increasingly frequent petroleum contamination in water bodies continues to threaten our ecosystem, which lacks efficient and safe remediation tactics both on macro and nanoscales. Current nanomaterial and dispersant remediation methods neglect to investigate their adverse environmental and biological impact, which can lead to a synergistic chemical imbalance. In response to this rising threat, a highly efficient, environmentally friendly and biocompatible nano-dispersant has been developed comprising a multi-shelled nanoparticle termed ‘Nano-CarboScavengers’ (NCS) with native properties for facile recovery via booms and mesh tools. NCS treated different forms of petroleum oil (raw and distillate form) with considerable efficiency (80% and 91%, respectively) utilizing sequestration and dispersion abilities in tandem with a ~10:1 (oil: NCS; w/w) loading capacity. In extreme contrast with chemical dispersants, the NCS was found to be remarkably benign in in vitro and in vivo assays. Additionally, the carbonaceous nature of NCS broke down by human myeloperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase enzymes, revealing that incidental biological uptake can enzymatically digest the sugar based core. PMID:28157204

The rice endophyte Harpophora oryzae genome reveals evolution from a pathogen to a mutualistic endophyte

PubMed Central

Xu, Xi-Hui; Su, Zhen-Zhu; Wang, Chen; Kubicek, Christian P.; Feng, Xiao-Xiao; Mao, Li-Juan; Wang, Jia-Ying; Chen, Chen; Lin, Fu-Cheng; Zhang, Chu-Long

2014-01-01

The fungus Harpophora oryzae is a close relative of the pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae and a beneficial endosymbiont of wild rice. Here, we show that H. oryzae evolved from a pathogenic ancestor. The overall genomic structures of H. and M. oryzae were found to be similar. However, during interactions with rice, the expression of 11.7% of all genes showed opposing trends in the two fungi, suggesting differences in gene regulation. Moreover, infection patterns, triggering of host defense responses, signal transduction and nutritional preferences exhibited remarkable differentiation between the two fungi. In addition, the H. oryzae genome was found to contain thousands of loci of transposon-like elements, which led to the disruption of 929 genes. Our results indicate that the gain or loss of orphan genes, DNA duplications, gene family expansions and the frequent translocation of transposon-like elements have been important factors in the evolution of this endosymbiont from a pathogenic ancestor. PMID:25048173

Gravity field of Venus - A preliminary analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, R. J.; Sjogren, W. L.; Abbott, E. A.; Smith, J. C.; Wimberly, R. N.; Wagner, C. A.

1979-01-01

The gravitational field of Venus obtained by tracking the Pioneer Venus Orbiter is examined. For each spacecraft orbit, two hours of Doppler data centered around periapsis were used to estimate spacecraft position and velocity and the velocity residuals obtained were spline fit and differentiated to produce line of sight gravitational accelerations. Consistent variations in line of sight accelerations from orbit to orbit reveal the presence of gravitational anomalies. A simulation of isostatic compensation for an elevated region on the surface of Venus indicates that the mean depth of compensation is no greater than about 100 km. Gravitational spectra obtained from a Fourier analysis of line of sight accelerations from selected Venus orbits are compared to the earth's gravitational spectrum and spherical harmonic gravitational potential power spectra of the earth, the moon and Mars. The Venus power spectrum is found to be remarkably similar to that of the earth, however systematic variations in the harmonics suggest differences in dynamic processes or lithospheric behavior.

Identification of Autophagosome-associated Proteins and Regulators by Quantitative Proteomic Analysis and Genetic Screens*

PubMed Central

Dengjel, Jörn; Høyer-Hansen, Maria; Nielsen, Maria O.; Eisenberg, Tobias; Harder, Lea M.; Schandorff, Søren; Farkas, Thomas; Kirkegaard, Thomas; Becker, Andrea C.; Schroeder, Sabrina; Vanselow, Katja; Lundberg, Emma; Nielsen, Mogens M.; Kristensen, Anders R.; Akimov, Vyacheslav; Bunkenborg, Jakob; Madeo, Frank; Jäättelä, Marja; Andersen, Jens S.

2012-01-01

Autophagy is one of the major intracellular catabolic pathways, but little is known about the composition of autophagosomes. To study the associated proteins, we isolated autophagosomes from human breast cancer cells using two different biochemical methods and three stimulus types: amino acid deprivation or rapamycin or concanamycin A treatment. The autophagosome-associated proteins were dependent on stimulus, but a core set of proteins was stimulus-independent. Remarkably, proteasomal proteins were abundant among the stimulus-independent common autophagosome-associated proteins, and the activation of autophagy significantly decreased the cellular proteasome level and activity supporting interplay between the two degradation pathways. A screen of yeast strains defective in the orthologs of the human genes encoding for a common set of autophagosome-associated proteins revealed several regulators of autophagy, including subunits of the retromer complex. The combined spatiotemporal proteomic and genetic data sets presented here provide a basis for further characterization of autophagosome biogenesis and cargo selection. PMID:22311637

Healthcare system and the wealth-health gradient: a comparative study of older populations in six countries.

PubMed

Maskileyson, Dina

2014-10-01

The present study provides a comparative analysis of the association between wealth and health in six healthcare systems (Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Israel, the United States). National samples of individuals fifty years and over reveal considerable cross-country variations in health outcomes. In all six countries wealth and health are positively associated. The findings also show that state-based healthcare systems produce better population health outcomes than private-based healthcare systems. The results indicate that in five out of the six countries studied, the wealth-health gradients were remarkably similar, despite significant variations in healthcare system type. Only in the United States was the association between wealth and health substantially different from, and much greater than that in the other five countries. The findings suggest that private-based healthcare system in the U.S. is likely to promote stronger positive associations between wealth and health. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The fine scale genetic structure of the British population

PubMed Central

Davison, Dan; Boumertit, Abdelhamid; Day, Tammy; Hutnik, Katarzyna; Royrvik, Ellen C; Cunliffe, Barry; Lawson, Daniel J; Falush, Daniel; Freeman, Colin; Pirinen, Matti; Myers, Simon; Robinson, Mark; Donnelly, Peter; Bodmer, Walter

2015-01-01

Summary Fine-scale genetic variation between human populations is interesting as a signature of historical demographic events and because of its potential for confounding disease studies. We use haplotype-based statistical methods to analyse genome-wide SNP data from a carefully chosen geographically diverse sample of 2,039 individuals from the United Kingdom (UK). This reveals a rich and detailed pattern of genetic differentiation with remarkable concordance between genetic clusters and geography. The regional genetic differentiation and differing patterns of shared ancestry with 6,209 individuals from across Europe carry clear signals of historical demographic events. We estimate the genetic contribution to SE England from Anglo-Saxon migrations to be under half, identify the regions not carrying genetic material from these migrations, suggest significant pre-Roman but post-Mesolithic movement into SE England from the Continent, and show that in non-Saxon parts of the UK there exist genetically differentiated subgroups rather than a general “Celtic” population. PMID:25788095

Atypical pleomorphic neoplasms of the pineal gland: Case report and review of the literature.

PubMed

Praver, M; D'Amico, R; Arraez, C; Zacharia, B E; Varma, H; Goldman, J E; Bruce, J N; Canoll, P

2015-01-01

Pineal region tumors are rare and diverse. Among them exist reports of pleomorphic xanthroastrocytoma (PXA) and pleomorphic granular cell astrocytoma (PGCA) of the pineal gland. These related tumors are remarkably similar sharing pleomorphic histologic features with only minor immunohistochemical and ultrastructural differences. We present a case of a 42-year old right-handed woman presented with a longstanding history of migraine headaches which had worsened over the two months leading up to her hospitalization. MRI revealed a 1.7 × 1.3 × 1.6 cm intensely enhancing lesion originating in the pineal gland. The tumor closely resembled PGCA but did not strictly fit the diagnostic requirements of either PGCA or PXA. The present case highlights the exotic nature of pineal region tumors with pleomorphic cell histology. Given the diverse range of tumors encountered in the pineal region, pathological confirmation is mandatory. Favorable clinical outcomes demonstrate that surgical resection alone can yield excellent long-term results for tumors falling within the spectrum of pleomorphic lesions of the pineal gland.

Effect of axial ligands on the molecular configurations, stability, reactivity, and photodynamic activities of silicon phthalocyanines.

PubMed

Luan, Liqiang; Ding, Lanlan; Shi, Jiawei; Fang, Wenjuan; Ni, Yuxing; Liu, Wei

2014-12-01

To demonstrate the effect of axial ligands on the structure-activity relationship, a series of axially substituted silicon phthalocyanines (SiPcs) have been synthesized with changes to the axial ligands. The reactivity of the axial ligand upon shielding by the phthalocyanine ring current, along with their stability, photophysical, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) activities were compared and evaluated for the first time. As revealed by single-crystal XRD analysis, rotation of the axial -OMe ligands was observed in SiPc 3, which resulted in two molecular configurations coexisting synchronously in both the solid and solution states and causing a split of the phthalocyanine α protons in the (1)H NMR spectra that is significantly different from all SiPcs reported so far. The remarkable photostability, good singlet oxygen quantum yield, and efficient in vitro photodynamic activity synergistically show that compound 3 is one of the most promising photosensitizers for PDT. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Laboratory Investigation of Astrophysical Collimated Jets with Intense Lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Dawei; Li, Yutong; Tao, Tao; Wei, Huigang; Zhong, Jiayong; Zhu, Baojun; Li, Yanfei; Zhao, Jiarui; Li, Fang; Han, Bo; Zhang, Zhe; Liang, Guiyun; Wang, Feilu; Hu, Guangyue; Zheng, Jian; Jiang, Shaoen; Du, Kai; Ding, Yongkun; Zhou, Shenlei; Zhu, Baoqiang; Zhu, Jianqiang; Zhao, Gang; Zhang, Jie

2018-06-01

One of the remarkable dynamic features of the Herbig–Haro (HH) object is its highly collimated propagation far away from the accretion disk. Different factors are proposed to give us a clearly physical explanation behind these fascinating phenomena, including magnetic field, radiation cooling, surrounding medium, and so on. Laboratory astrophysics, as a new complementary method of studying astrophysical issues, can provide an insight into these behaviors in a similar and controllable laboratory environment. Here we report the scaled laboratory experiments that a well-collimated radiative jet with high Mach number is successfully created to mimic the evolution of HH objects. According to our results, we find that the radiation cooling effect within the jet and the outer rare surrounding plasmas from the X-ray (>keV) photoionized target contribute to the jet collimation. The local nonuniform density structures along the collimated radiative jet axis are caused by the pressure competition between the inner jet and the outer plasmas. The corresponding simulations performed with radiation-hydrodynamic codes FLASH reveal how the radiative jet evolves.

Influence of lead ions on the macromorphology of electrodeposited zinc

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

Tsuda, Tetsuaki; Tobias, Charles W.

1981-09-01

The morphology of zinc as it is electrodeposited from acid solutions demonstrates a remarkable imprint of electrolyte flow conditions. The development of macromorphology of zinc deposits has been investigated under galvanostatic conditions on a rotating plantinum disk electrode by use of photomacrography, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and Auger microprobe analysis. Logarithmic spiral markings, which reflect the hydrodynamic flow on a rotating disk, appear in a certain region of current density well below the limiting current density. Morphological observations revealed the major influence of trace lead ions on the amplifications of surface roughness through coalescence and preferred growth ofmore » initial protrusions. Results obtained from ultra-pure electrolyte suggest preferred crystal growth towards well-mixed orientation in the concentration field caused by slight differences in crystallization overpotential. A qualitative model involving a coupling mechanism between the evolving surface roughness and instability phenomena in the boundary layer is advanced to explain the formation of spiral patterns.« less

Multifractal characteristics of multiparticle production in heavy-ion collisions at SPS energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Shaista; Ahmad, Shakeel

Entropy, dimensions and other multifractal characteristics of multiplicity distributions of relativistic charged hadrons produced in ion-ion collisions at SPS energies are investigated. The analysis of the experimental data is carried out in terms of phase space bin-size dependence of multiplicity distributions following the Takagi’s approach. Yet another method is also followed to study the multifractality which, is not related to the bin-width and (or) the detector resolution, rather involves multiplicity distribution of charged particles in full phase space in terms of information entropy and its generalization, Rényi’s order-q information entropy. The findings reveal the presence of multifractal structure — a remarkable property of the fluctuations. Nearly constant values of multifractal specific heat “c” estimated by the two different methods of analysis followed indicate that the parameter “c” may be used as a universal characteristic of the particle production in high energy collisions. The results obtained from the analysis of the experimental data agree well with the predictions of Monte Carlo model AMPT.

Solving Fractional Programming Problems based on Swarm Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raouf, Osama Abdel; Hezam, Ibrahim M.

2014-04-01

This paper presents a new approach to solve Fractional Programming Problems (FPPs) based on two different Swarm Intelligence (SI) algorithms. The two algorithms are: Particle Swarm Optimization, and Firefly Algorithm. The two algorithms are tested using several FPP benchmark examples and two selected industrial applications. The test aims to prove the capability of the SI algorithms to solve any type of FPPs. The solution results employing the SI algorithms are compared with a number of exact and metaheuristic solution methods used for handling FPPs. Swarm Intelligence can be denoted as an effective technique for solving linear or nonlinear, non-differentiable fractional objective functions. Problems with an optimal solution at a finite point and an unbounded constraint set, can be solved using the proposed approach. Numerical examples are given to show the feasibility, effectiveness, and robustness of the proposed algorithm. The results obtained using the two SI algorithms revealed the superiority of the proposed technique among others in computational time. A better accuracy was remarkably observed in the solution results of the industrial application problems.

Modelling Spatially Regulated β-Catenin Dynamics and Invasion in Intestinal Crypts

PubMed Central

Murray, Philip J.; Kang, Jun-Won; Mirams, Gary R.; Shin, Sung-Young; Byrne, Helen M.; Maini, Philip K.; Cho, Kwang-Hyun

2010-01-01

Experimental data (e.g., genetic lineage and cell population studies) on intestinal crypts reveal that regulatory features of crypt behavior, such as control via morphogen gradients, are remarkably well conserved among numerous organisms (e.g., from mouse and rat to human) and throughout the different regions of the small and large intestines. In this article, we construct a partial differential equation model of a single colonic crypt that describes the spatial distribution of Wnt pathway proteins along the crypt axis. The novelty of our continuum model is that it is based upon assumptions that can be directly related to processes at the cellular and subcellular scales. We use the model to predict how the distributions of Wnt pathway proteins are affected by mutations. The model is then extended to investigate how mutant cell populations can invade neighboring crypts. The model simulations suggest that cell crowding caused by increased proliferation and decreased cell loss may be sufficient for a mutant cell population to colonize a neighboring healthy crypt. PMID:20682248

Molecular characterization of atypical antigenic variants of canine rabies virus reveals its reintroduction by wildlife vectors in southeastern Mexico.

PubMed

Garcés-Ayala, Fabiola; Aréchiga-Ceballos, Nidia; Ortiz-Alcántara, Joanna M; González-Durán, Elizabeth; Pérez-Agüeros, Sandra I; Méndez-Tenorio, Alfonso; Torres-Longoria, Belem; López-Martínez, Irma; Hernández-Rivas, Lucía; Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto

2017-12-01

Rabies is an infectious viral disease that is practically always fatal following the onset of clinical signs. In Mexico, the last case of human rabies transmitted by dogs was reported in 2006 and canine rabies has declined significantly due to vaccination campaigns implemented in the country. Here we report on the molecular characterization of six rabies virus strains found in Yucatan and Chiapas, remarkably, four of them showed an atypical reaction pattern when antigenic characterization with a reduced panel of eight monoclonal antibodies was performed. Phylogenetic analyses on the RNA sequences unveiled that the three atypical strains from Yucatan are associated with skunks. Analysis using the virus entire genome showed that they belong to a different lineage distinct from the variants described for this animal species in Mexico. The Chiapas atypical strain was grouped in a lineage that was considered extinct, while the others are clustered within classic dog variants.

Flux density measurement of radial magnetic bearing with a rotating rotor based on fiber Bragg grating-giant magnetostrictive material sensors.

PubMed

Ding, Guoping; Zhang, Songchao; Cao, Hao; Gao, Bin; Zhang, Biyun

2017-06-10

The rotational magnetic field of radial magnetic bearings characterizes remarkable time and spatial nonlinearity due to the eddy current and induced electromagnetic field. It is significant to experimentally obtain the features of the rotational magnetic field of the radial magnetic bearings to validate the theoretical analysis and reveal the discipline of a rotational magnetic field. This paper developed thin-slice fiber Bragg grating-giant magnetostrictive material (FBG-GMM) magnetic sensors to measure air-gap flux density of a radial magnetic bearing with a rotating rotor; a radial magnetic bearing test rig was constructed and the rotational magnetic field with different rotation speed was measured. Moreover, the finite element method (FEM) was used to simulate the rotational magnetic field; the measurement results and FEM results were investigated, and it was concluded that the FBG-GMM sensors were capable of measuring the radial magnetic bearing's air gap flux density with a rotating rotor, and the measurement results showed a certain degree of accuracy.

Multi-Shell Nano-CarboScavengers for Petroleum Spill Remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daza, Enrique A.; Misra, Santosh K.; Scott, John; Tripathi, Indu; Promisel, Christine; Sharma, Brajendra K.; Topczewski, Jacek; Chaudhuri, Santanu; Pan, Dipanjan

2017-02-01

Increasingly frequent petroleum contamination in water bodies continues to threaten our ecosystem, which lacks efficient and safe remediation tactics both on macro and nanoscales. Current nanomaterial and dispersant remediation methods neglect to investigate their adverse environmental and biological impact, which can lead to a synergistic chemical imbalance. In response to this rising threat, a highly efficient, environmentally friendly and biocompatible nano-dispersant has been developed comprising a multi-shelled nanoparticle termed ‘Nano-CarboScavengers’ (NCS) with native properties for facile recovery via booms and mesh tools. NCS treated different forms of petroleum oil (raw and distillate form) with considerable efficiency (80% and 91%, respectively) utilizing sequestration and dispersion abilities in tandem with a ~10:1 (oil: NCS; w/w) loading capacity. In extreme contrast with chemical dispersants, the NCS was found to be remarkably benign in in vitro and in vivo assays. Additionally, the carbonaceous nature of NCS broke down by human myeloperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase enzymes, revealing that incidental biological uptake can enzymatically digest the sugar based core.

The earliest document regarding the history of cranioplasty from the Ottoman era.

PubMed

Aciduman, Ahmet; Belen, Deniz

2007-09-01

Cranioplasty is one of the significant neurosurgical procedures in which the technical advances and also, by some means, drawbacks are still continuing. According to archeological findings and anthropological studies, the earliest procedures regarding cranioplasty date back to just about the same period claimed for trepanation. Ancient surgeons from different geographical sites and cultures performed both practices with remarkable survival rates. However, despite the length of the thriving past of cranioplasty, the first known written record on the topic dates back to late 16th century Europe. Further study of the Ottoman era documents revealed an intriguing text that was written about the repair of skull defects and that dates from early 16th century. This worthy discovery will add valuable contribution to the history of neurosurgery by drawing the written history of cranioplasty more than 60 years back and the use of organic grafts 160 years back. In the present study, this original text is discussed.

Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC): Evaluating Scholary Journals Based on Citation Analysis

PubMed Central

Mehrad, Jaffar; Arastoopoor, Sholeh

2012-01-01

Introduction: Citation analysis is currently one of the most widely used metrics for analyzing the scientific contribution in different fields. The Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) aims at promoting technical cooperation among Muslim scientists and their respected centers based on these theories. It also facilitates the accessibility of knowledge and research contribution among them. This paper aims at revealing some of the outmost features of ISC databases, in order to give a fairly clear view of what it is and what are its products. The paper consists of three major parts. After an introduction about the Islamic World Science Citation Center, the paper deals with major tools and products of ISC. In the third part ISCs’ journal Submission system is presented as an automatic means, by which users can upload journals’ papers into the respected databases. Conclusion: Some complementary remarks have been made regarding the current state of ISC and its future plans. PMID:23322953

Detrended Fluctuation Analysis: A Scale-Free View on Neuronal Oscillations

PubMed Central

Hardstone, Richard; Poil, Simon-Shlomo; Schiavone, Giuseppina; Jansen, Rick; Nikulin, Vadim V.; Mansvelder, Huibert D.; Linkenkaer-Hansen, Klaus

2012-01-01

Recent years of research have shown that the complex temporal structure of ongoing oscillations is scale-free and characterized by long-range temporal correlations. Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) has proven particularly useful, revealing that genetic variation, normal development, or disease can lead to differences in the scale-free amplitude modulation of oscillations. Furthermore, amplitude dynamics is remarkably independent of the time-averaged oscillation power, indicating that the DFA provides unique insights into the functional organization of neuronal systems. To facilitate understanding and encourage wider use of scaling analysis of neuronal oscillations, we provide a pedagogical explanation of the DFA algorithm and its underlying theory. Practical advice on applying DFA to oscillations is supported by MATLAB scripts from the Neurophysiological Biomarker Toolbox (NBT) and links to the NBT tutorial website http://www.nbtwiki.net/. Finally, we provide a brief overview of insights derived from the application of DFA to ongoing oscillations in health and disease, and discuss the putative relevance of criticality for understanding the mechanism underlying scale-free modulation of oscillations. PMID:23226132

Effect of solvent volume on the physical properties of aluminium doped nanocrystalline zinc oxide thin films deposited using a simplified spray pyrolysis technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jabena Begum, N.; Mohan, R.; Ravichandran, K.

2013-01-01

Aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films were deposited by employing a low cost and simplified spray technique using a perfume atomizer from starting solutions having different volumes (10, 20, … , 50 mL) of solvent. The effect of solvent volume on the structural, electrical, optical, photoluminescence (PL) and surface morphological properties was studied. The electrical resistivity of the AZO films is remarkably influenced by the variation in the solvent volume. The X-ray diffraction profiles clearly showed that all the films have preferential orientation along the (0 0 2) plane irrespective of the solvent volume. The crystallite size was found to be in the nano range of 35-46 nm. The optical transmittance in the visible region is desirably high (>85%). The AFM images show columnar morphology with varying grain size. The PL studies revealed that the AZO film deposited from 50 mL of solvent volume has good quality with lesser defect density.

Conserved patterns hidden within group A Streptococcus M protein hypervariability recognize human C4b-binding protein

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

Buffalo, Cosmo Z.; Bahn-Suh, Adrian J.; Hirakis, Sophia P.

No vaccine exists against group A Streptococcus (GAS), a leading cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality. A severe hurdle is the hypervariability of its major antigen, the M protein, with >200 different M types known. Neutralizing antibodies typically recognize M protein hypervariable regions (HVRs) and confer narrow protection. In stark contrast, human C4b-binding protein (C4BP), which is recruited to the GAS surface to block phagocytic killing, interacts with a remarkably large number of M protein HVRs (apparently ~90%). Such broad recognition is rare, and we discovered a unique mechanism for this through the structure determination of four sequence-diverse M proteinsmore » in complexes with C4BP. The structures revealed a uniform and tolerant ‘reading head’ in C4BP, which detected conserved sequence patterns hidden within hypervariability. Our results open up possibilities for rational therapies that target the M–C4BP interaction, and also inform a path towards vaccine design.« less

Synesthetic colors are elicited by sound quality in Japanese synesthetes.

PubMed

Asano, Michiko; Yokosawa, Kazuhiko

2011-12-01

Determinants of synesthetic color choice for Japanese phonetic characters were studied in six Japanese synesthetes. The study used Hiragana and Katakana characters, which represent the same set of syllables although their visual forms are dissimilar. From a palette of 138 colors, synesthetes selected a color corresponding to each character. Results revealed that synesthetic color choices for Hiragana characters and those for their Katakana counterparts were remarkably consistent, indicating that color selection depended on character-related sounds and not visual form. This Hiragana-Katakana invariance cannot be regarded as the same phenomenon as letter case invariance, usually reported for English grapheme-color synesthesia, because Hiragana and Katakana characters have different identities whereas upper and lower case letters have the same identity. This involvement of phonology suggests that cross-activation between an inducer (i.e., letter/character) brain region and that of the concurrent (i.e., color) area in grapheme-color synesthesia is mediated by higher order cortical processing areas. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic evidence for a nematic phase transition at the onset of the pseudogap in YBa2Cu3Oy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Y.; Kasahara, S.; Murayama, H.; Kasahara, Y.; Moon, E.-G.; Nishizaki, T.; Loew, T.; Porras, J.; Keimer, B.; Shibauchi, T.; Matsuda, Y.

2017-11-01

A long-standing controversial issue in the quest to understand the superconductivity in cuprates is the nature of the enigmatic pseudogap region of the phase diagram. Especially important is whether the pseudogap state is a distinct thermodynamic phase characterized by broken symmetries below the onset temperature T*. Here we report torque-magnetometry measurements of anisotropic susceptibility within the ab planes in orthorhombic YBa2Cu3Oy with exceptionally high precision. The in-plane anisotropy displays a significant increase with a distinct kink at the pseudogap onset temperature T*, showing a remarkable scaling behaviour with respect to T/T* in a wide doping range. Our systematic analysis reveals that the rotational symmetry breaking sets in at T* in the limit where the effect of orthorhombicity is eliminated. These results provide thermodynamic evidence that the pseudogap onset is associated with a second-order nematic phase transition, which differs from the recently reported charge-density-wave transition that accompanies translational symmetry breaking.

Structure of Hydrophobically Modified Phytoglycogen Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, John; Nickels, Jonathan; Dutcher, John; Katsaras, John

Phytoglycogen is a highly branched, polysaccharide nanoparticle produced by some varieties of plants including sweet corn. These particles are attractive candidates for cosmetic, industrial and biomedical applications. Many of these applications result from phytoglycogen's unique interaction with water: (1) high solubility; (2) low viscosity and high stability in aqueous dispersions; and (3) a remarkable capacity to sequester and retain water. Neutron scattering measurements of native phytoglycogen revealed that the particles have uniform size, uniform radial particle density, and a high level of hydration. Hydrophobically modifying the outer surface of the hydrophilic nanoparticles opens up new applications in food and biomedicine, such as solubilizing and stabilizing bioactive compounds. One such modification is octenyl succinate anhydride (OSA), where the hydrophobicity can be tuned by adjusting the degree of substitution. I will present the results of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements of aqueous dispersions of OSA-modified phytoglycogen with two different degrees of modification. Contrast series SANS measurements have yielded information about the radial density profile, providing insight into the nature of the chemical modification of the particles.

Update on Legionnaires’ disease: pathogenesis, epidemiology, detection and control

PubMed Central

Hilbi, Hubert; Jarraud, Sophie; Hartland, Elizabeth; Buchrieser, Carmen

2010-01-01

Summary Legionellosis or Legionnaires’ disease is an emerging and often-fatal form of pneumonia that is most severe in elderly and immunocompromised people, an ever-increasing risk group for infection. In recent years, the genomics of Legionella spp. has significantly increased our knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disease by providing new insights into the evolution and genetic and physiological basis of Legionella–host interactions. The 7th international conference on Legionella, Legionella 2009, illustrated many recent conceptual advances in epidemiology, pathogenesis and ecology. Experts in different fields presented new findings on basic mechanisms of pathogen–host interactions and bacterial evolution, as well as the clinical management and environmental prevalence and persistence of Legionella. The presentations revealed remarkable facts about the genetic and metabolic basis of the intracellular lifestyle of Legionella and reported on its striking ability to manipulate host cell processes by molecular mimicry. Together, these investigations will lead to new approaches for the treatment and prevention of Legionnaires’ disease. PMID:20149105

Novel mechanisms power bacterial gliding motility.

PubMed

Nan, Beiyan; Zusman, David R

2016-07-01

For many bacteria, motility is essential for survival, growth, virulence, biofilm formation and intra/interspecies interactions. Since natural environments differ, bacteria have evolved remarkable motility systems to adapt, including swimming in aqueous media, and swarming, twitching and gliding on solid and semi-solid surfaces. Although tremendous advances have been achieved in understanding swimming and swarming motilities powered by flagella, and twitching motility powered by Type IV pili, little is known about gliding motility. Bacterial gliders are a heterogeneous group containing diverse bacteria that utilize surface motilities that do not depend on traditional flagella or pili, but are powered by mechanisms that are less well understood. Recently, advances in our understanding of the molecular machineries for several gliding bacteria revealed the roles of modified ion channels, secretion systems and unique machinery for surface movements. These novel mechanisms provide rich source materials for studying the function and evolution of complex microbial nanomachines. In this review, we summarize recent findings made on the gliding mechanisms of the myxobacteria, flavobacteria and mycoplasmas. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Low trap states in in situ SiN{sub x}/AlN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor structures grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

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

Lu, Xing; Ma, Jun; Jiang, Huaxing

2014-09-08

We report the use of SiN{sub x} grown in situ by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition as the gate dielectric for AlN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures. Two kinds of trap states with different time constants were identified and characterized. In particular, the SiN{sub x}/AlN interface exhibits remarkably low trap state densities in the range of 10{sup 11}–10{sup 12 }cm{sup −2}eV{sup −1}. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses revealed that the in situ SiN{sub x} layer can provide excellent passivation without causing chemical degradation to the AlN surface. These results imply the great potential of in situ SiN{sub x} as an effectivemore » gate dielectric for AlN/GaN MIS devices.« less

C60(Nd) nanoparticles enhance chemotherapeutic susceptibility of cancer cells by modulation of autophagy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Pengfei; Zhang, Li; Lu, Yang; Man, Na; Wen, Longping

2010-12-01

Autophagy, an evolutionally conserved intracellular process degrading cytoplasmic proteins and organelles for recycling, has become one of the most remarkable strategies applied in cancer research. The fullerene C60 nanoparticle (nC60) has been shown to induce autophagy and sensitize chemotherapeutic killing of cancer cells, but the details still remain unknown. Here we show that a water-dispersed nanoparticle solution of derivatized fullerene C60, C60(Nd) nanoparticles (nC60(Nd)), has greater potential in inducing autophagy and sensitizing chemotherapeutic killing of both normal and drug-resistant cancer cells than nC60 does in an autophagy-dependent fashion. Additionally we further demonstrated that autophagy induced by nC60/C60(Nd) and Rapamycin had completely different roles in cancer chemotherapy. Our results, for the first time, revealed a novel and more potent derivative of the C60 nanoparticle in enhancing the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents and reducing drug resistance through autophagy modulation, which may ultimately lead to novel therapeutic strategies in cancer therapy.

Observation of ice nucleation in acoustically levitated water drops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lü, Y. J.; Xie, W. J.; Wei, B.

2005-10-01

The supercooling and nucleation of acoustically levitated water drops were investigated at two different sound pressure levels (SPL). These water drops were supercooled by 13to16K at the low SPL of 160.6dB, whereas their supercoolings varied from 5to11K at the high SPL of 164.4dB. The maximum supercooling obtained in the experiments is 32K. Statistical analyses based on the classical nucleation theory reveal that the occurrence of ice nucleation in water drops is mainly confined to the surface region under acoustic levitation conditions and the enlargement of drop surface area caused by the acoustic radiation pressure reduces water supercoolability remarkably. A comparison of the nucleation rates at the two SPLs indicates that the sound pressure can strengthen the surface-dominated nucleation of water drops. The acoustic stream around levitated water drops and the cavitation effect associated with ultrasonic field are the main factors that induce surface-dominated nucleation.

Identification of Serine Conformers by Matrix-Isolation IR Spectroscopy Aided by Near-Infrared Laser Induced Conformational Change, 2D Correlation Analysis, and Quantum Mechanical Anharmonic Computations

PubMed Central

Najbauer, Eszter E.; Bazsó, Gábor; Apóstolo, Rui; Fausto, Rui; Biczysko, Malgorzata; Barone, Vincenzo; Tarczay, György

2018-01-01

The conformers of α-serine were investigated by matrix-isolation IR spectroscopy combined with NIR laser irradiation. This method, aided by 2D correlation analysis, enabled unambiguously grouping the spectral lines to individual conformers. On the basis of comparison of at least nine experimentally observed vibrational transitions of each conformer with empirically scaled (SQM) and anharmonic (GVPT2) computed IR spectra, 6 conformers were identified. In addition, the presence of at least one more conformer in Ar matrix was proved, and a short-lived conformer with a half-live of (3.7±0.5)·103 s in N2 matrix was generated by NIR irradiation. The analysis of the NIR laser induced conversions revealed that the excitation of the stretching overtone of both the side-chain and the carboxylic OH groups can effectively promote conformational changes, but remarkably different paths were observed for the two kinds of excitations. PMID:26201050

Habitat heterogeneity drives the host diversity-begets-parasite diversity relationship: evidence from experimental and field studies

PubMed Central

Johnson, Pieter T. J.; Wood, Chelsea L.; Joseph, Maxwell B.; Preston, Daniel L.; Haas, Sarah E.; Springer, Yuri P.

2016-01-01

Despite a century of research into the factors that generate and maintain biodiversity, we know remarkably little about the drivers of parasite diversity. To identify the mechanisms governing parasite diversity, we combined surveys of 8,100 amphibian hosts with an outdoor experiment that tested theory developed for free-living species. Our analyses revealed that parasite diversity increased consistently with host diversity due to habitat (i.e., host) heterogeneity, with secondary contributions from parasite colonization and host abundance. Results of the experiment, in which host diversity was manipulated while parasite colonization and host abundance were fixed, further reinforced this conclusion. Finally, the coefficient of host diversity on parasite diversity increased with spatial grain, which was driven by differences in their species-area curves: while host richness quickly saturated, parasite richness continued to increase with neighborhood size. These results offer mechanistic insights into drivers of parasite diversity and provide a hierarchical framework for multi-scale disease research. PMID:27147106

Human milk fat globules from different stages of lactation: a lipid composition analysis and microstructure characterization.

PubMed

Zou, Xiao-Qiang; Guo, Zheng; Huang, Jian-Hua; Jin, Qing-Zhe; Cheong, Ling-Zhi; Wang, Xing-Guo; Xu, Xue-Bing

2012-07-25

The physicochemical properties of human milk fat globules (MFG) at different lactation stages from Danish mothers and the microstructure changes of MFG membrane (MFGM) at varied temperatures were investigated, and the relationship between chemical composition and the microstructure of MFGM was elucidated. The fat content in MFG was found to be significantly increased as lactation progressed, and colostrum MFG had the largest mean diameter of 5.75 ± 0.81 μm and the lowest ζ potential of -5.60 ± 0.12 mV. Chemical composition analyses of MFG revealed the following: (i) Colostrum milk fat constituted higher content in PUFAs (ω-6, and long-chain ω-6 and ω-3) than transitional and mature milk fats, with the corresponding lower content of SFA in its sn-2 position. (ii) The content of polar lipids among total lipids varied during lactation course (maximized at transitional stage); however, in terms of subclasses of polar lipids, no significant change of the relative content of sphingomyelin was observed, while the content of phosphatidycholine in mature milk was higher than that in colostrum and transitional milk. (iii) Inspection of fatty acid composition in phospholipids from different lactation milk revealed no remarkable and regular changes could be generalized; and no obvious difference of the morphologies of MFGM at different lactation stages can be visualized. An investigation of the microstructure change of MFGM vs temperature demonstrated that the segregated domains became larger as temperature decreased to 4 °C, while it became smaller when increased to 37 °C. This phenomenon indicated that, in addition to sphingimyelin and cholesterol, phospholipids might also contribute to increasing the segregated domains at lower temperature, while, at elevated temperature, these domains could be diminished, most likely due to a restructuring or distributing of sphingimyelin and cholesterol.

NREL Researchers Create New Materials With Unusual Properties | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

show how such new low-density materials can be made - with unique properties remarkably different from compounds with atomic structures that didn't match, the researchers theorized that mixing two different high manganese telluride (MnTe) that have different crystal structures - the approach known as heterostructural

Social Reconstructionism or Child-Centered Progressivism? Difficulties Defining Progressive Education from the PEA's 1939 Documentary Film, School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kridel, Craig

2013-01-01

In "The Transformation of the School", Lawrence Cremin warned against formulating any capsule definition of progressive education: "None exists, and none ever will; for throughout its history progressive education meant different things to different people, and these differences were only compounded by the remarkable diversity of…

Comparative Genome Structure, Secondary Metabolite, and Effector Coding Capacity across Cochliobolus Pathogens

PubMed Central

Bushley, Kathryn E.; Ohm, Robin A.; Otillar, Robert; Martin, Joel; Schackwitz, Wendy; Grimwood, Jane; MohdZainudin, NurAinIzzati; Xue, Chunsheng; Wang, Rui; Manning, Viola A.; Dhillon, Braham; Tu, Zheng Jin; Steffenson, Brian J.; Salamov, Asaf; Sun, Hui; Lowry, Steve; LaButti, Kurt; Han, James; Copeland, Alex; Lindquist, Erika; Barry, Kerrie; Schmutz, Jeremy; Baker, Scott E.; Ciuffetti, Lynda M.; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Zhong, Shaobin; Turgeon, B. Gillian

2013-01-01

The genomes of five Cochliobolus heterostrophus strains, two Cochliobolus sativus strains, three additional Cochliobolus species (Cochliobolus victoriae, Cochliobolus carbonum, Cochliobolus miyabeanus), and closely related Setosphaeria turcica were sequenced at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI). The datasets were used to identify SNPs between strains and species, unique genomic regions, core secondary metabolism genes, and small secreted protein (SSP) candidate effector encoding genes with a view towards pinpointing structural elements and gene content associated with specificity of these closely related fungi to different cereal hosts. Whole-genome alignment shows that three to five percent of each genome differs between strains of the same species, while a quarter of each genome differs between species. On average, SNP counts among field isolates of the same C. heterostrophus species are more than 25× higher than those between inbred lines and 50× lower than SNPs between Cochliobolus species. The suites of nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), polyketide synthase (PKS), and SSP–encoding genes are astoundingly diverse among species but remarkably conserved among isolates of the same species, whether inbred or field strains, except for defining examples that map to unique genomic regions. Functional analysis of several strain-unique PKSs and NRPSs reveal a strong correlation with a role in virulence. PMID:23357949

Presence of global and local α-relaxations in an alkyl phosphate glass former

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Tao; Jin, Xiao; Saini, Manoj K.; Liu, Ying Dan; Ngai, K. L.; Wang, Li-Min

2017-10-01

The dynamics of a molecular glass former, tributyl phosphate (TBP), with an alkyl phosphate structure (three alkyl branches emanating from a polar core of PO4) is studied in the supercooled regime by dielectric and thermal (or enthalpic) relaxations. The dielectric fragility index md and the stretching exponent βd of the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts correlation function are determined. Analyses of the enthalpic relaxation data by the Tool-Narayanaswamy-Moynihan-Hodge formalism yield the enthalpic fragility index mH and stretching exponent βH. The large difference between the dielectric md and the enthalpic mH, as well as between βd and βH, is a remarkable finding. The differences are interpreted by the formation of molecular self-assemblies. The interpretation is supported by the quite comparable fragility determined by viscosity and the enthalpic relaxation. The Kirkwood factor calculated at low temperatures is also consistent with the interpretation. The results suggest that the enthalpic relaxation involving the motions of all parts of TBP is global, while the dielectric relaxation detects the local rotation, which might originate from the rotation of the dipole moment of the core. The presence of two structural α-relaxations, one global and one local, with a large difference in dynamics is revealed for the first time in a molecular glass former.

Motor unit number estimation and quantitative needle electromyography in stroke patients.

PubMed

Kouzi, Ioanna; Trachani, Eftichia; Anagnostou, Evangelos; Rapidi, Christina-Anastasia; Ellul, John; Sakellaropoulos, George C; Chroni, Elisabeth

2014-12-01

To evaluate the effect of upper motor neuron damage upon motor units' function by means of two separate and supplementary electrophysiological methods. The abductor digiti minimi muscle of the non-paretic and the paretic side was studied in forty-six stroke patients with (a) motor unit number estimation (MUNE) - adapted multiple point stimulation method and (b) computerized quantitative needle electromyography (EMG) assessing the configuration of voluntary recruited motor unit potentials. Main outcome comparisons were focused on differences between non-paretic and paretic side. On the affected hands mean MUNE value was significantly lower and mean area of the surface recorded single motor unit potentials was significantly larger than the corresponding ones on the non-paretic hands. EMG findings did not reveal remarkable differences between the two sides. Neither severity nor chronicity of stroke was related to MUNE or EMG parameters. MUNE results, which suggested reduced motor unit numbers in stroke patients, in conjunction with the normal EMG features in these same muscles has given rise to different interpretations. In a clinical setting, reinnervation type changes in the EMG similar to that occurring in neuronopathies or axonal neuropathies should not be expected in muscles with central neurogenic lesion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arcing time analysis of liquid nitrogen with respect to electrode materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junaid, Muhammad; Yang, Kun; Ge, Hanming; Wang, Jianhua

2018-03-01

Unlike sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), liquid nitrogen (LN2) is cost effective, environment friendly and cryogenic dielectric. It has astounding insulating properties with the potential to decrease power loss in switchgear applications due to its remarkably low temperatures. The basic research is however a necessity to observe the performance of LN2 subjected to high luminance arcs. So far, there are no findings that refer to the arcing time inside the LN2 environment. The objective of this work was to investigate the arcing times in LN2 and compare the results with open air conditions using different electrode materials. Experiments were conducted on different DC voltages and their arcing times were measured. Three different kinds of electrode materials, namely: pure copper (Cu), stainless used steel (SUS) and aluminium alloy (Al 6061) were tested under 1 atmospheric pressure. The results revealed that LN2 extinguishes arc in almost half the amount of time required by the open air insulation. With Al 6061 has the shortest arcing time, whilst Cu, the second best choice and SUS places last in the evaluation. It was encapsulated from the findings that LN2 is a better choice than air insulation in terms of arc quenching and a better alternative to SF6 when environment is the priority.

A Filifactor alocis-centered co-occurrence group associates with periodontitis across different oral habitats

PubMed Central

Chen, Hui; Liu, Ying; Zhang, Menghui; Wang, Guoyang; Qi, Zhengnan; Bridgewater, Laura; Zhao, Liping; Tang, Zisheng; Pang, Xiaoyan

2015-01-01

Periodontitis is a highly prevalent polymicrobial disease worldwide, yet the synergistic pattern of the multiple oral pathogens involved is still poorly characterized. Here, saliva, supragingival and subgingival plaque samples from periodontitis patients and periodontally healthy volunteers were collected and profiled with 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. Different oral habitats harbored significantly different microbiota, and segregation of microbiota composition between periodontitis and health was observed as well. Two-step redundancy analysis identified twenty-one OTUs, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Filifactor alocis, as potential pathogens that were significantly associated with periodontitis and with two periodontitis diagnostic parameters (pocket depth and attachment loss) in both saliva and supragingival plaque habitats. Interestingly, pairwise correlation analysis among the 21 OTUs revealed that Filifactor alocis was positively correlated with seven other putative pathogens (R > 0.6, P < 0.05), forming a co-occurrence group that was remarkably enriched in all three habitats of periodontitis patients. This bacterial cluster showed a higher diagnostic value for periodontitis than did any individual potential pathogens, especially in saliva. Thus, our study identified a potential synergistic ecological pattern involving eight co-infecting pathogens across various oral habitats, providing a new framework for understanding the etiology of periodontitis and developing new diagnoses and therapies. PMID:25761675

Changes in the composition of intestinal fungi and their role in mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.

PubMed

Qiu, Xinyun; Zhang, Feng; Yang, Xi; Wu, Na; Jiang, Weiwei; Li, Xia; Li, Xiaoxue; Liu, Yulan

2015-05-27

Intestinal fungi are increasingly believed to greatly influence gut health. However, the effects of fungi on intestinal inflammation and on gut bacterial constitution are not clear. Here, based on pyrosequencing method, we reveal that fungal compositions vary in different intestinal segments (ileum, cecum, and colon), prefer different colonization locations (mucosa and feces), and are remarkably changed during intestinal inflammation in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-colitis mouse models compare to normal controls: Penicillium, Wickerhamomyces, Alternaria, and Candida are increased while Cryptococcus, Phialemonium, Wallemia and an unidentified Saccharomycetales genus are decreased in the guts of DSS-colitis mice. Fungi-depleted mice exhibited aggravated acute DSS-colitis associated with gain of Hallella, Barnesiella, Bacteroides, Alistipes, and Lactobacillus and loss of butyrate-producing Clostridium XIVa, and Anaerostipes compare with normal control. In contrast, bacteria-depleted mice show attenuated acute DSS-colitis. Mice with severely chronic recurrent DSS-colitis show increased plasma (1,3)-β-D-glucan level and fungal translocation into the colonic mucosa, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen. This work demonstrate the different roles of fungi in acute and chronic recurrent colitis: They are important counterbalance to bacteria in maintaining intestinal micro-ecological homeostasis and health in acutely inflamed intestines, but can harmfully translocate into abnormal sites and could aggravate disease severity in chronic recurrent colitis.

Comparative Genome Structure, Secondary Metabolite, and Effector Coding Capacity across Cochliobolus Pathogens

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

Condon, Bradford J.; Leng, Yueqiang; Wu, Dongliang

The genomes of five Cochliobolus heterostrophus strains, two Cochliobolus sativus strains, three additional Cochliobolus species (Cochliobolus victoriae, Cochliobolus carbonum, Cochliobolus miyabeanus), and closely related Setosphaeria turcica were sequenced at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI). The datasets were used to identify SNPs between strains and species, unique genomic regions, core secondary metabolism genes, and small secreted protein (SSP) candidate effector encoding genes with a view towards pinpointing structural elements and gene content associated with specificity of these closely related fungi to different cereal hosts. Whole-genome alignment shows that three to five of each genome differs between strains of the same species,more » while a quarter of each genome differs between species. On average, SNP counts among field isolates of the same C. heterostrophus species are more than 25 higher than those between inbred lines and 50 lower than SNPs between Cochliobolus species. The suites of nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), polyketide synthase (PKS), and SSP encoding genes are astoundingly diverse among species but remarkably conserved among isolates of the same species, whether inbred or field strains, except for defining examples that map to unique genomic regions. Functional analysis of several strain-unique PKSs and NRPSs reveal a strong correlation with a role in virulence.« less

Kefir induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation in human acute erythroleukemia.

PubMed

Jalali, Fatemeh; Sharifi, Mohammadreza; Salehi, Rasoul

2016-01-01

Acute erythroleukemia is an uncommon subtype of acute myeloid leukemia which has been considered to be a subtype of AML with a worse prognosis. Intensive chemotherapy is the first line of treatment. In recent years, the effect of kefir on some malignancies has been experimented. Kefir is a kind of beverage, which obtained by incubation of kefir grains with raw milk. Kefir grains are a symbiotic complex of different kinds of yeasts and bacteria, especially lactic acid bacteria which gather in a mostly carbohydrate matrix, named kefiran. We investigated the effect of kefir on acute erythroleukemia cell line (KG-1) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The cell line and PBMCs were treated with different doses of kefir and milk and incubated for three different times. We used Polymixin B to block the lipopolysaccharide and NaOH (1 mol/l) to neutralize the acidic media. Viability was detected by MTT assay. Apoptosis and necrosis were assessed by annexin-propidium iodide staining. Our results showed that kefir induced apoptosis and necrosis in KG-1 cell line. It was revealed that kefir decreased proliferation in erythroleukemia cell line. We did not observe a remarkable effect of kefir on PBMCs. Our study suggested that kefir may have potential to be an effective treatment for erythroleukemia.

Phenotypic, Molecular and Symbiotic Characterization of the Rhizobial Symbionts of Desmanthus paspalaceus (Lindm.) Burkart That Grow in the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina

PubMed Central

Fornasero, Laura Viviana; Del Papa, María Florencia; López, José Luis; Albicoro, Francisco Javier; Zabala, Juan Marcelo; Toniutti, María Antonieta; Pensiero, José Francisco; Lagares, Antonio

2014-01-01

Desmanthus paspalaceus (Lindm.) Burkart belongs to the D. virgatus complex, subfamily Mimosoidae. The known potential as livestock fodder of several of these legumes prompted us to undertake a phenotypic, molecular, and symbiotic characterization of the D. paspalaceus symbionts in the Santa Fe province, Argentina. The rhizobia collected—containing isolates with different abiotic-stress tolerances—showed a remarkable genetic diversity by PCR fingerprinting, with 11 different amplification profiles present among 20 isolates. In selected isolates 16S-rDNA sequencing detected mesorhizobia (60%) and rhizobia (40%) within the collection, in contrast to the genus of the original inoculant strain CB3126—previously isolated from Leucaena leucocephala—that we typified here through its 16S rDNA as Sinorhizobium terangae. The results revealed the establishment by diverse bacterial genera -rhizobia, sinorhizobia, and mesorhizobia- of full N2-fixing symbiotic associations with D. paspalaceus. This diversity was paralleled by the presence of at least two different nodC allelic variants. The identical nodC alleles of the Mesorhizobia sp. 10.L.4.2 and 10.L.5.3 notably failed to group within any of the currently described rhizo-/brady-/azorhizobial nodC clades. Interestingly, the nodC from S. terangae CB3126 clustered close to homologs from common bean nodulating rhizobia, but not with the nodC from S. terangae WSM1721 that nodulates Acacia. No previous data were available on nod-gene phylogeny for Desmanthus symbionts. A field assay indicated that inoculation of D. paspalaceus with the local Rhizobium sp. 10L.11.4 produced higher aerial-plant dry weights compared to S. teranga CB3126–inoculated plants. Neither the mesorhizobia 10.L.4.2 or 10.L.5.3 nor the rhizobium 10L.11.4 induced root nodules in L. leucocephala or P. vulgaris. The results show that some of the local isolates have remarkable tolerances to several abiotic stresses including acidity, salt, and temperature; while exhibiting prominent N2 fixation; thus indicating suitability as candidates for inoculation of D. paspalaceus. PMID:25153989

Teachers' Understandings of Probability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Yan; Thompson, Patrick

2007-01-01

Probability is an important idea with a remarkably wide range of applications. However, psychological and instructional studies conducted in the last two decades have consistently documented poor understanding of probability among different populations across different settings. The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical framework for…

Differences and similarities between human and chimpanzee neural progenitors during cerebral cortex development

PubMed Central

Mora-Bermúdez, Felipe; Badsha, Farhath; Kanton, Sabina; Camp, J Gray; Vernot, Benjamin; Köhler, Kathrin; Voigt, Birger; Okita, Keisuke; Maricic, Tomislav; He, Zhisong; Lachmann, Robert; Pääbo, Svante; Treutlein, Barbara; Huttner, Wieland B

2016-01-01

Human neocortex expansion likely contributed to the remarkable cognitive abilities of humans. This expansion is thought to primarily reflect differences in proliferation versus differentiation of neural progenitors during cortical development. Here, we have searched for such differences by analysing cerebral organoids from human and chimpanzees using immunohistofluorescence, live imaging, and single-cell transcriptomics. We find that the cytoarchitecture, cell type composition, and neurogenic gene expression programs of humans and chimpanzees are remarkably similar. Notably, however, live imaging of apical progenitor mitosis uncovered a lengthening of prometaphase-metaphase in humans compared to chimpanzees that is specific to proliferating progenitors and not observed in non-neural cells. Consistent with this, the small set of genes more highly expressed in human apical progenitors points to increased proliferative capacity, and the proportion of neurogenic basal progenitors is lower in humans. These subtle differences in cortical progenitors between humans and chimpanzees may have consequences for human neocortex evolution. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18683.001 PMID:27669147

Discovery of a Lensed Ultrabright Submillimeter Galaxy at z = 2.0439

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Sánchez, A.; Iglesias-Groth, S.; Rebolo, R.; Dannerbauer, H.

2017-07-01

We report an ultrabright lensed submillimeter galaxy (SMG) at z = 2.0439, WISE J132934.18+224327.3, identified as a result of a full-sky cross-correlation of the AllWISE and Planck compact source catalogs aimed to search for bright analogs of the SMG SMM J2135, the Cosmic Eyelash. Inspection of archival SCUBA-2 observations of the candidates revealed a source with fluxes ({S}850μ {{m}}=130 mJy) consistent with the Planck measurements. The centroid of the SCUBA-2 source coincides within 1 arcsec with the position of the AllWISE mid-IR source, and, remarkably, with an arc-shaped lensed galaxy in HST images at visible wavelengths. Low-resolution rest-frame UV-optical spectroscopy of this lensed galaxy obtained with 10.4 m GTC reveals the typical absorption lines of a starburst galaxy. Gemini-N near-IR spectroscopy provided a clear detection of {{{H}}}α emission. The lensed source appears to be gravitationally magnified by a massive foreground galaxy cluster lens at z = 0.44 modeling with Lenstool indicates a lensing amplification factor of 11 ± 2. We determine an intrinsic rest-frame 8-1000 μm luminosity, {L}{IR}, of (1.3+/- 0.1)× {10}13 {L}⊙ , and a likely star formation rate (SFR) of ˜ 500{--}2000 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1. The SED shows a remarkable similarity with the Cosmic Eyelash from optical-mid/IR to submillimeter/radio, albeit at higher fluxes.

Molecular dynamics simulations to calculate glass transition temperature and elastic constants of novel polyethers.

PubMed

Sarangapani, Radhakrishnan; Reddy, Sreekantha T; Sikder, Arun K

2015-04-01

Molecular dynamics simulations studies are carried out on hydroxyl terminated polyethers that are useful in energetic polymeric binder applications. Energetic polymers derived from oxetanes with heterocyclic side chains with different energetic substituents are designed and simulated under the ensembles of constant particle number, pressure, temperature (NPT) and constant particle number, volume, temperature (NVT). Specific volume of different amorphous polymeric models is predicted using NPT-MD simulations as a function of temperature. Plots of specific volume versus temperature exhibited a characteristic change in slope when amorphous systems change from glassy to rubbery state. Several material properties such as Young's, shear, and bulk modulus, Poisson's ratio, etc. are predicted from equilibrated structures and established the structure-property relations among designed polymers. Energetic performance parameters of these polymers are calculated and results reveal that the performance of the designed polymers is comparable to the benchmark energetic polymers like polyNIMMO, polyAMMO and polyBAMO. Overall, it is worthy remark that this molecular simulations study on novel energetic polyethers provides a good guidance on mastering the design principles and allows us to design novel polymers of tailored properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and spatial distribution of maytansinoids in Putterlickia pyracantha, an unexplored resource of anticancer compounds.

PubMed

Eckelmann, Dennis; Kusari, Souvik; Spiteller, Michael

2016-09-01

Maytansinoids possess remarkable antibiotic activities along with high cytotoxicity, many of which are currently used (or in clinical trials) in the treatment of breast cancer. Celastraceous plants and their associated microorganisms serve as an important resource of maytansinoids. Here, we report the occurrence and structural elucidation of several maytansinoids in Putterlickia pyracantha plants bioprospected in South Africa. In addition to maytansine, which is already known to be present in this species, we show the presence of maytanprine, maytanbutine, maytanvaline, normaytancyprine and an abundant maytansine precursor in different tissues using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we identified two new hydroxylated maytansinoids by HRMS(2) analyses. We also employed MALDI-imaging-HRMS to study the spatial distribution and localization of the maytansinoids within the different plant tissues. On the one hand, the fragmentation pathways of the maytansinoids we report herein using HRMS(n) will allow quick identification of these compounds in the future without isolating from the natural resources. On the other hand, MALDI-imaging-HRMS revealed insights into the plausible ecological roles and biosynthetic pathways of these compounds in P. pyracantha plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solubility and dissolution performances of spray-dried solid dispersion of Efavirenz in Soluplus.

PubMed

Lavra, Zênia Maria Maciel; Pereira de Santana, Davi; Ré, Maria Inês

2017-01-01

Efavirenz (EFV), a first-line anti-HIV drug largely used as part of antiretroviral therapies, is practically insoluble in water and belongs to BCS class II (low solubility/high permeability). The aim of this study was to improve the solubility and dissolution performances of EFV by formulating an amorphous solid dispersion of the drug in polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer (Soluplus ® ) using spray-drying technique. To this purpose, spray-dried dispersions of EFV in Soluplus ® at different mass ratios (1:1.25, 1:7, 1:10) were prepared and characterized using particle size measurements, SEM, XRD, DSC, FTIR and Raman microscopy mapping. Solubility and dissolution were determined in different media. Stability was studied at accelerated conditions (40 °C/75% RH) and ambient conditions for 12 months. DSC and XRD analyses confirmed the EFV amorphous state. FTIR spectroscopy analyses revealed possible drug-polymer molecular interaction. Solubility and dissolution rate of EFV was enhanced remarkably in the developed spray-dried solid dispersions, as a function of the polymer concentration. Spray-drying was concluded to be a proper technique to formulate a physically stable dispersion of amorphous EFV in Soluplus ® , when protected from moisture.

Structure of a Reptilian Adenovirus Reveals a Phage Tailspike Fold Stabilizing a Vertebrate Virus Capsid.

PubMed

Menéndez-Conejero, Rosa; Nguyen, Thanh H; Singh, Abhimanyu K; Condezo, Gabriela N; Marschang, Rachel E; van Raaij, Mark J; San Martín, Carmen

2017-10-03

Although non-human adenoviruses (AdVs) might offer solutions to problems posed by human AdVs as therapeutic vectors, little is known about their basic biology. In particular, there are no structural studies on the complete virion of any AdV with a non-mammalian host. We combine mass spectrometry, cryo-electron microscopy, and protein crystallography to characterize the composition and structure of a snake AdV (SnAdV-1, Atadenovirus genus). SnAdV-1 particles contain the genus-specific proteins LH3, p32k, and LH2, a previously unrecognized structural component. Remarkably, the cementing protein LH3 has a trimeric β helix fold typical of bacteriophage host attachment proteins. The organization of minor coat proteins differs from that in human AdVs, correlating with higher thermostability in SnAdV-1. These findings add a new piece to the intriguing puzzle of virus evolution, hint at the use of cell entry pathways different from those in human AdVs, and will help development of new, thermostable SnAdV-1-based vectors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Highly Luminescent Lanthanide Complexes of 1 Hydroxy-2-pyridinones

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

University of California, Berkeley; Lawrence National Laboratory; Raymond, Kenneth

2007-11-01

The synthesis, X-ray structure, stability, and photophysical properties of several trivalent lanthanide complexes formed from two differing bis-bidentate ligands incorporating either alkyl or alkyl ether linkages and featuring the 1-hydroxy-2-pyridinone (1,2-HOPO) chelate group in complex with Eu(III), Sm(III) and Gd(III) are reported. The Eu(III) complexes are among some of the best examples, pairing highly efficient emission ({Phi}{sub tot}{sup Eu} {approx} 21.5%) with high stability (pEu {approx} 18.6) in aqueous solution, and are excellent candidates for use in biological assays. A comparison of the observed behavior of the complexes with differing backbone linkages shows remarkable similarities, both in stability and photophysicalmore » properties. Low temperature photophysical measurements for a Gd(III) complex were also used to gain insight into the electronic structure, and were found to agree with corresponding TD-DFT calculations for a model complex. A comparison of the high resolution Eu(III) emission spectra in solution and from single crystals also revealed a more symmetric coordination geometry about the metal ion in solution due to dynamic rotation of the observed solid state structure.« less

Tunnelling spectroscopy of Andreev states in graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bretheau, Landry; Wang, Joel I.-Jan; Pisoni, Riccardo; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

2017-08-01

A normal conductor placed in good contact with a superconductor can inherit its remarkable electronic properties. This proximity effect microscopically originates from the formation in the conductor of entangled electron-hole states, called Andreev states. Spectroscopic studies of Andreev states have been performed in just a handful of systems. The unique geometry, electronic structure and high mobility of graphene make it a novel platform for studying Andreev physics in two dimensions. Here we use a full van der Waals heterostructure to perform tunnelling spectroscopy measurements of the proximity effect in superconductor-graphene-superconductor junctions. The measured energy spectra, which depend on the phase difference between the superconductors, reveal the presence of a continuum of Andreev bound states. Moreover, our device heterostructure geometry and materials enable us to measure the Andreev spectrum as a function of the graphene Fermi energy, showing a transition between different mesoscopic regimes. Furthermore, by experimentally introducing a novel concept, the supercurrent spectral density, we determine the supercurrent-phase relation in a tunnelling experiment, thus establishing the connection between Andreev physics at finite energy and the Josephson effect. This work opens up new avenues for probing exotic topological phases of matter in hybrid superconducting Dirac materials.

Performance and molecular evaluation of an anaerobic system with suspended biomass for treating wastewater with high fat content after enzymatic hydrolysis.

PubMed

Rosa, Daniela R; Duarte, Iolanda C S; Saavedra, N Katia; Varesche, Maria B; Zaiat, Marcelo; Cammarota, Magali C; Freire, Denise M G

2009-12-01

The effect of a lipase-rich fungal enzymatic preparation, produced by a Penicillium sp. during solid-state fermentation, was evaluated in an anaerobic digester treating dairy wastewater with 1200 mg of oil and grease/L. The oil and grease hydrolysis step was carried out with 0.1% (w/v) of solid enzymatic preparation at 30 degrees C for 24 h, and resulted in a final free acid concentration eight times higher than the initial value. The digester operated in sequential batches of 48 h at 30 degrees C for 245 days, and had high chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies (around 90%) when fed with pre-hydrolyzed wastewater. However, when the pre-hydrolysis step was removed, the anaerobic digester performed poorly (with an average COD removal of 32%), as the oil and grease accumulated in the biomass and effluent oil and grease concentration increased throughout the operational period. PCR-DGGE analysis of the Bacteria and Archaea domains revealed remarkable differences in the microbial profiles in trials conducted with and without the pre-hydrolysis step, indicating that differences observed in overall parameters were intrinsically related to the microbial diversity of the anaerobic sludge.

Brazil-Bolivia Border

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-04-16

This image of the river-delineated border between western Brazil Acre province, and northwestern Bolivia Pando Department, demarcates a remarkable difference in land use and development practices as seen by NASA Terra spacecraft.

Case of cheilitis granulomatosa associated with apical periodontitis.

PubMed

Kawakami, Tomoko; Fukai, Kazuyoshi; Sowa, Junko; Ishii, Masamitsu; Teramae, Hiroyuki; Kanazawa, Koutetsu

2008-02-01

The etiology of cheilitis granulomatosa is unknown. In some cases, rapid improvement and/or complete elimination of swelling of the lips after dental treatment has been reported. Here, we describe another case of improvement following dental treatment. A 57-year-old woman had developed asymptomatic swelling of the lower lip 2 months previously. Histological examination revealed non-caseous giant cell granulomas. Neither facial nerve palsy nor fissuring of the tongue was present. Patch testing for metal allergy revealed only mild irritation to zinc ion. Although topical corticosteroid ointment and oral tranilast for 4 months were ineffective, rapid and remarkable improvement of the swelling was noted soon after treatment of two lesions of apical periodontitis. Thorough examination for foci of infection is necessary when treating a patient with cheilitis granulomatosa.

Mammalian skin cell biology: at the interface between laboratory and clinic.

PubMed

Watt, Fiona M

2014-11-21

Mammalian skin research represents the convergence of three complementary disciplines: cell biology, mouse genetics, and dermatology. The skin provides a paradigm for current research in cell adhesion, inflammation, and tissue stem cells. Here, I discuss recent insights into the cell biology of skin. Single-cell analysis has revealed that human epidermal stem cells are heterogeneous and differentiate in response to multiple extrinsic signals. Live-cell imaging, optogenetics, and cell ablation experiments show skin cells to be remarkably dynamic. High-throughput, genome-wide approaches have yielded unprecedented insights into the circuitry that controls epidermal stem cell fate. Last, integrative biological analysis of human skin disorders has revealed unexpected functions for elements of the skin that were previously considered purely structural. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The crystal structure of choline kinase reveals a eukaryotic protein kinase fold

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

Peisach, D.; Gee, P.; Kent, K.

2010-03-08

Choline kinase catalyzes the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of choline, the first committed step in the CDP-choline pathway for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine. The 2.0 {angstrom} crystal structure of a choline kinase from C. elegans (CKA-2) reveals that the enzyme is a homodimeric protein with each monomer organized into a two-domain fold. The structure is remarkably similar to those of protein kinases and aminoglycoside phosphotransferases, despite no significant similarity in amino acid sequence. Comparisons to the structures of other kinases suggest that ATP binds to CKA-2 in a pocket formed by highly conserved and catalytically important residues. In addition, a choline bindingmore » site is proposed to be near the ATP binding pocket and formed by several structurally flexible loops.« less

A case of brugada syndrome presenting with ventricular fibrillation storm and prominent early repolarization.

PubMed

Iizuka, Chifumi; Sato, Masahito; Kitazawa, Hitoshi; Ikeda, Yoshio; Okabe, Masaaki; Kugiyama, Kiyotaka; Aizawa, Yoshifusa

2016-01-01

A 21-year-old man developed ventricular fibrillation (VF) while drinking alcohol and was admitted to our hospital. An electrocardiogram (ECG) on admission revealed remarkably prominent slurs on the terminal part of QRS complexes in the left precordial leads and a coved type ST elevation at higher intercostal spaces. After hypothermia therapy, he underwent implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Standard twelve-lead follow-up ECGs revealed early repolarization pattern and an intermittent coved type ST elevation. When the coved type ST elevation appeared, the early repolarization pattern in the inferior and left precordial leads was attenuated. Prominent early repolarization pattern was the most likely trigger of the VF storm in this Brugada patient. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The dynamics of social networks among female Asian elephants

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Patterns in the association of individuals can shed light on the underlying conditions and processes that shape societies. Here we characterize patterns of association in a population of wild Asian Elephants at Uda Walawe National Park in Sri Lanka. We observed 286 individually-identified adult female elephants over 20 months and examined their social dynamics at three levels of organization: pairs of individuals (dyads), small sets of direct companions (ego-networks), and the population level (complete networks). Results Corroborating previous studies of this and other Asian elephant populations, we find that the sizes of elephant groups observed in the field on any particular day are typically small and that rates of association are low. In contrast to earlier studies, our longitudinal observations reveal that individuals form larger social units that can be remarkably stable across years while associations among such units change across seasons. Association rates tend to peak in dry seasons as opposed to wet seasons, with some cyclicity at the level of dyads. In addition, we find that individuals vary substantially in their fidelity to companions. At the ego-network level, we find that despite these fluctuations, individuals associate with a pool of long-term companions. At the population level, social networks do not exhibit any clear seasonal structure or hierarchical stratification. Conclusions This detailed longitudinal study reveals different social dynamics at different levels of organization. Taken together, these results demonstrate that low association rates, seemingly small group sizes, and fission-fusion grouping behavior mask hidden stability in the extensive and fluid social affiliations in this population of Asian elephants. PMID:21794147

Psychosocial Hazard Analysis in a Heterogeneous Workforce: Determinants of Work Stress in Blue- and White-Collar Workers of the European Steel Industry

PubMed Central

Metzler, Yannick Arnold; Bellingrath, Silja

2017-01-01

The European steel industry’s workforce is highly heterogeneous and consists of various occupational groups, presumably facing different psychosocial stressors. The few existing studies on the subject mainly focused on physical constraints of blue-collar workers, whereas the supposable psychosocial workload received only little research attention. This is remarkable considering the challenges associated with statutory required risk assessment of psychosocial hazards. Valid measures of hazard analysis must account for various stressors and reliably identify them, also between occupational groups. The present study, based on a sample of blue- and white-collar workers (N = 124) from the European steel industry, aims to provide a first insight into psychosocial stressors and strain at work in this rarely researched industrial sector. Furthermore, two well-known theoretical roadmaps in job analysis are examined regarding their utility for risk assessment in heterogeneous workforces: the German standard version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and the short version of the effort–reward imbalance questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the COPSOQ was better suited to predict various strain indices in the present sample. Especially stressors relating to socioemotional aspects, such as work-privacy conflict, revealed a reasonable impact, indicating the need for comprehensive solutions at the organizational level instead of solutions focusing on single workplaces. To conclude, a broadly diversified and validated approach in psychosocial risk assessment is needed to adequately assess the variety of psychosocial factors at work and in different occupational groups. PMID:28861410

Involvement of signal peptidase I in Streptococcus sanguinis biofilm formation

PubMed Central

Ge, Xiuchun; Stone, Victoria; Zhu, Bin; Kitten, Todd

2017-01-01

Biofilm accounts for 65–80 % of microbial infections in humans. Considerable evidence links biofilm formation by oral microbiota to oral disease and consequently systemic infections. Streptococcus sanguinis, a Gram-positive bacterium, is one of the most abundant species of the oral microbiota and it contributes to biofilm development in the oral cavity. Due to its altered biofilm formation, we investigated a biofilm mutant, ΔSSA_0351, that is deficient in type I signal peptidase (SPase) in this study. Although the growth curve of the ΔSSA_0351 mutant showed no significant difference from that of the wild-type strain SK36, biofilm assays using both microtitre plate assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) confirmed a sharp reduction in biofilm formation in the mutant compared to the wild-type strain and the paralogous mutant ΔSSA_0849. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed remarkable differences in the cell surface morphologies and chain length of the ΔSSA_0351 mutant compared with those of the wild-type strain. Transcriptomic and proteomic assays using RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry, respectively, were conducted on the ΔSSA_0351 mutant to evaluate the functional impact of SPase on biofilm formation. Subsequently, bioinformatics analysis revealed a number of proteins that were differentially regulated in the ΔSSA_0351 mutant, narrowing down the list of SPase substrates involved in biofilm formation to lactate dehydrogenase (SSA_1221) and a short-chain dehydrogenase (SSA_0291). With further experimentation, this list defined the link between SSA_0351-encoded SPase, cell wall biosynthesis and biofilm formation. PMID:28869408

Convergent structural responses of tropical forests to diverse disturbance regimes.

PubMed

Kellner, James R; Asner, Gregory P

2009-09-01

Size frequency distributions of canopy gaps are a hallmark of forest dynamics. But it remains unknown whether legacies of forest disturbance are influencing vertical size structure of landscapes, or space-filling in the canopy volume. We used data from LiDAR remote sensing to quantify distributions of canopy height and sizes of 434,501 canopy gaps in five tropical rain forest landscapes in Costa Rica and Hawaii. The sites represented a wide range of variation in structure and natural disturbance history, from canopy gap dynamics in lowland Costa Rica and Hawaii, to stages and types of stand-level dieback on upland Mauna Kea and Kohala volcanoes. Large differences in vertical canopy structure characterized these five tropical rain forest landscapes, some of which were related to known disturbance events. Although there were quantitative differences in the values of scaling exponents within and among sites, size frequency distributions of canopy gaps followed power laws at all sites and in all canopy height classes. Scaling relationships in gap size at different heights in the canopy were qualitatively similar at all sites, revealing a remarkable similarity despite clearly defined differences in species composition and modes of prevailing disturbance. These findings indicate that power-law gap-size frequency distributions are ubiquitous features of these five tropical rain forest landscapes, and suggest that mechanisms of forest disturbance may be secondary to other processes in determining vertical and horizontal size structure in canopies.

Cell behavior of human mesenchymal stromal cells in response to silica/collagen based xerogels and calcium deficient culture conditions.

PubMed

Wagner, Alena-Svenja; Glenske, Kristina; Henß, Anja; Kruppke, Benjamin; Rößler, Sina; Hanke, Thomas; Moritz, Andreas; Rohnke, Marcus; Kressin, Monika; Arnhold, Stefan; Schnettler, Reinhard; Wenisch, Sabine

2017-07-04

Herein, we aim to elucidate osteogenic effects of two silica-based xerogels with different degrees of bioactivity on human bone-derived mesenchymal stromal cells by means of scanning electron microscopy, quantitative PCR enhanced osteogenic effects and the formation of an extracellular matrix which could be ascribed to the sample with lower bioactivity. Given the high levels of bioactivity, the cells revealed remarkable sensitivity to extremely low calcium levels of the media. Therefore, additional experiments were performed to elucidate cell behavior under calcium deficient conditions. The results refer to capacity of the bone-derived stromal cells to overcome calcium deficiency even though proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation capabilities were diminished. One reason for the differences of the cellular response (on tissue culture plates versus xerogels) to calcium deficiency seems to be the positive effect of silica. The silica could be detected intracellularly as shown by time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry after cultivation of primary cells for 21 days on the surfaces of the xerogels. Thus, the present findings refer to different osteogenic differentiation potentials of the xerogels according to the different degrees of bioactivity, and to the role of silica as a stimulator of osteogenesis. Finally, the observed pattern of connexin-based hemichannel gating supports the assumption that connexin 43 is a key factor for calcium-mediated osteogenesis in bone-derived mesenchymal stromal cells.

Elucidation of Ligand-Dependent Modulation of Disorder-Order Transitions in the Oncoprotein MDM2.

PubMed

Bueren-Calabuig, Juan A; Michel, Julien

2015-06-01

Numerous biomolecular interactions involve unstructured protein regions, but how to exploit such interactions to enhance the affinity of a lead molecule in the context of rational drug design remains uncertain. Here clarification was sought for cases where interactions of different ligands with the same disordered protein region yield qualitatively different results. Specifically, conformational ensembles for the disordered lid region of the N-terminal domain of the oncoprotein MDM2 in the presence of different ligands were computed by means of a novel combination of accelerated molecular dynamics, umbrella sampling, and variational free energy profile methodologies. The resulting conformational ensembles for MDM2, free and bound to p53 TAD (17-29) peptide identify lid states compatible with previous NMR measurements. Remarkably, the MDM2 lid region is shown to adopt distinct conformational states in the presence of different small-molecule ligands. Detailed analyses of small-molecule bound ensembles reveal that the ca. 25-fold affinity improvement of the piperidinone family of inhibitors for MDM2 constructs that include the full lid correlates with interactions between ligand hydrophobic groups and the C-terminal lid region that is already partially ordered in apo MDM2. By contrast, Nutlin or benzodiazepinedione inhibitors, that bind with similar affinity to full lid and lid-truncated MDM2 constructs, interact additionally through their solubilizing groups with N-terminal lid residues that are more disordered in apo MDM2.

Genetic Selection to Enhance Animal Welfare Using Meat Inspection Data from Slaughter Plants

PubMed Central

Mathur, Pramod K.; Vogelzang, Roos; Mulder, Herman A.; Knol, Egbert F.

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Analysis of a large volume of meat inspection data suggests availability of genetic variation for most common indicators of poor animal welfare. This genetic variation can be used to select pigs that have the potential to resist common infections and other unfavorable welfare conditions. Genetic selection can be a tool in addition to farm management in reducing the risk of diseases, thereby reducing pain and suffering of animals. In general, the slaughter remarks have small but favorable genetic relationships with finishing and carcass quality traits. Therefore, it is possible to enhance animal welfare along with the genetic selection for economically important production traits. Abstract Animal health and welfare are monitored during meat inspection in many slaughter plants around the world. Carcasses are examined by meat inspectors and remarks are made with respect to different diseases, injuries, and other abnormalities. This is a valuable data resource for disease prevention and enhancing animal welfare, but it is rarely used for this purpose. Records on carcass remarks on 140,375 finisher pigs were analyzed to investigate the possibility of genetic selection to reduce the risk of the most prevalent diseases and indicators of suboptimal animal welfare. As part of this, effects of some non-genetic factors such as differences between farms, sexes, and growth rates were also examined. The most frequent remarks were pneumonia (15.4%), joint disorders (9.8%), pleuritis (4.7%), pericarditis (2.3%), and liver lesions (2.2%). Joint disorders were more frequent in boars than in gilts. There were also significant differences between farms. Pedigree records were available for 142,324 pigs from 14 farms and were used for genetic analysis. Heritability estimates for pneumonia, pleuritis, pericarditis, liver lesions, and joint disorders were 0.10, 0.09, 0.14, 0.24, and 0.17 on the liability scale, respectively, suggesting the existence of substantial genetic variation. This was further confirmed though genome wide associations using deregressed breeding values as phenotypes. The genetic correlations between these remarks and finishing traits were small but mostly negative, suggesting the possibility of enhancing pig health and welfare simultaneously with genetic improvement in finishing traits. A selection index based on the breeding values for these traits and their economic values was developed. This index is used to enhance animal welfare in pig farms. PMID:29364186

Semantic Verbal Fluency in Two Contrasting Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pekkala, Seija; Goral, Mira; Hyun, JungMoon; Obler, Loraine K.; Erkinjuntti, Timo; Albert, Martin L.

2009-01-01

This cross-linguistic study investigated Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF) performance in 30 American English-speaking and 30 Finnish-speaking healthy elderly adults with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Despite the different backgrounds of the participant groups, remarkable similarities were found between the groups in the overall SVF…