Keep calm and carry on: Mental disorder is not more "organic" than any other medical condition.

PubMed

Micoulaud-Franchi, J A; Quiles, C; Masson, M

2017-10-01

Psychiatry as a discipline should no longer be grounded in the dualistic opposition between organic and mental disorders. This non-dualistic position refusing the partition along functional versus organic lines is in line with Jean Delay, and with Robert Spitzer who wanted to include in the definition of mental disorder discussed by the DSM-III task force the statement that "mental disorders are a subset of medical disorders". However, it is interesting to note that Spitzer and colleagues ingeniously introduced the definition of "mental disorder" in the DSM-III in the following statement: "there is no satisfactory definition that specifies precise boundaries for the concept "mental disorder" (also true for such concepts as physical disorder and mental and physical health)". Indeed, as for "mental disorders", it is as difficult to define what they are as it is to define what constitutes a "physical disorder". The problem is not the words "mental" or "organic" but the word "disorder". In this line, Wakefield has proposed a useful "harmful dysfunction" analysis of mental disorder. They raise the issue of the dualistic opposition between organic and mental disorders, and situate the debate rather between the biological/physiological and the social. The paper provides a brief analysis of this shift on the question of what is a mental disorder, and demonstrates that a mental disorder is not more "organic" than any other medical condition. While establishing a dichotomy between organic and psychiatry is no longer intellectually tenable, the solution is not to reduce psychiatric and non-psychiatric disorders to the level of "organic disorders" but rather to continue to adopt both a critical and clinically pertinent approach to what constitutes a "disorder" in medicine. Copyright © 2017 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Disrupting the right prefrontal cortex alters moral judgement.

PubMed

Tassy, Sébastien; Oullier, Olivier; Duclos, Yann; Coulon, Olivier; Mancini, Julien; Deruelle, Christine; Attarian, Sharam; Felician, Olivier; Wicker, Bruno

2012-03-01

Humans daily face social situations involving conflicts between competing moral decision. Despite a substantial amount of studies published over the past 10 years, the respective role of emotions and reason, their possible interaction, and their behavioural expression during moral evaluation remains an unresolved issue. A dualistic approach to moral evaluation proposes that the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFc) controls emotional impulses. However, recent findings raise the possibility that the right DLPFc processes emotional information during moral decision making. We used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to transiently disrupt rDLPFc activity before measuring decision making in the context of moral dilemmas. Results reveal an increase of the probability of utilitarian responses during objective evaluation of moral dilemmas in the rTMS group (compared to a SHAM one). This suggests that the right DLPFc function not only participates to a rational cognitive control process, but also integrates emotions generated by contextual information appraisal, which are decisive for response selection in moral judgements. © The Author (2011). Published by Oxford University Press.

Disrupting the right prefrontal cortex alters moral judgement

PubMed Central

Tassy, Sébastien; Oullier, Olivier; Duclos, Yann; Coulon, Olivier; Mancini, Julien; Deruelle, Christine; Attarian, Sharam; Felician, Olivier

2012-01-01

Humans daily face social situations involving conflicts between competing moral decision. Despite a substantial amount of studies published over the past 10 years, the respective role of emotions and reason, their possible interaction, and their behavioural expression during moral evaluation remains an unresolved issue. A dualistic approach to moral evaluation proposes that the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFc) controls emotional impulses. However, recent findings raise the possibility that the right DLPFc processes emotional information during moral decision making. We used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to transiently disrupt rDLPFc activity before measuring decision making in the context of moral dilemmas. Results reveal an increase of the probability of utilitarian responses during objective evaluation of moral dilemmas in the rTMS group (compared to a SHAM one). This suggests that the right DLPFc function not only participates to a rational cognitive control process, but also integrates emotions generated by contextual information appraisal, which are decisive for response selection in moral judgements. PMID:21515641

Proteomic signatures reveal a dualistic and clinically relevant classification of anal canal carcinoma.

PubMed

Herfs, Michael; Longuespée, Rémi; Quick, Charles M; Roncarati, Patrick; Suarez-Carmona, Meggy; Hubert, Pascale; Lebeau, Alizée; Bruyere, Diane; Mazzucchelli, Gabriel; Smargiasso, Nicolas; Baiwir, Dominique; Lai, Keith; Dunn, Andrew; Obregon, Fabiola; Yang, Eric J; Pauw, Edwin De; Crum, Christopher P; Delvenne, Philippe

2017-03-01

Aetiologically linked to HPV infection, malignancies of the anal canal have substantially increased in incidence over the last 20 years. Although most anal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) respond well to chemoradiotherapy, about 30% of patients experience a poor outcome, for undetermined reasons. Despite cumulative efforts for discovering independent predictors of overall survival, both nodal status and tumour size are still the only reliable factors predicting patient outcome. Recent efforts have revealed that the biology of HPV-related lesions in the cervix is strongly linked to the originally infected cell population. To address the hypothesis that topography also influences both gene expression profile and behaviour of anal (pre)neoplastic lesions, we correlated both proteomic signatures and clinicopathological features of tumours arising from two distinct portions of the anal canal: the lower part (squamous zone) and the more proximal anal transitional zone. Although microdissected cancer cells appeared indistinguishable by morphology (squamous phenotype), unsupervised clustering analysis of the whole proteome significantly highlighted the heterogeneity that exists within anal canal tumours. More importantly, two region-specific subtypes of SCC were revealed. The expression profile (sensitivity/specificity) of several selected biomarkers (keratin filaments) further confirmed the subclassification of anal (pre)cancers based on their cellular origin. Less commonly detected compared to their counterparts located in the squamous mucosa, SCCs originating in the transitional zone more frequently displayed a poor or basaloid differentiation, and were significantly correlated with reduced disease-free and overall survivals. Taken together, we present direct evidence that anal canal SCC comprises two distinct entities with different cells of origin, proteomic signatures, and survival rates. This study forms the basis for a dualistic classification of anal carcinoma, with implications for management, outcome expectations, and possibly therapy. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Masculinity and femininity scales: current state of the art].

PubMed

Fernández, Juan; Quiroga, María A; Del Olmo, Isabel; Rodríguez, Antonio

2007-08-01

A theoretical and empirical review of masculinity and femininity scales was carried out after 30 years of their existence. Hypotheses to be tested were: (a) muldimensionality versus bidimensionality; (b) inadequate percentage of variance accounted for (less than 50%); (c) inconsistency between factor structure and the dualistic model. 618, 200 and 287 students took part in each of the three studies that were carried out. Factorial analyses (PAF) were performed. Results support multidimensionality, unsatisfactory percentage of variance accounted for, and lack of congruence between obtained factors and the dualistic model. All these data were analysed within the context of the twofold sex and gender reality model.

On passion and sports fans: a look at football.

PubMed

Vallerand, Robert J; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Philippe, Frederick L; Lavigne, Geneviève L; Carbonneau, Noémie; Bonneville, Arielle; Lagacé-Labonté, Camille; Maliha, Gabrielle

2008-10-01

The purpose of the present research was to test the applicability of the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) to being a sport (football) fan. Three studies provided support for this dualistic conceptualization of passion. Study 1 showed that harmonious passion was positively associated with adaptive behaviours (e.g. celebrate the team's victory), whereas obsessive passion was positively associated with maladaptive behaviours (e.g. risking losing one's job to go to a game). Study 2 used a short Passion Scale and showed that harmonious passion was positively related to the positive affective life of fans during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, psychological health (self-esteem and life satisfaction), and public displays of adaptive behaviours (e.g. celebrate the team's victory into the streets), whereas obsessive passion was predictive of maladaptive affective life (e.g. hating opposing teams' fans) and behaviours (e.g. mocking opposing teams' fans). Finally, Study 3 examined the role of obsessive passion as a predictor of partner's conflict that in turn undermined partner's relationship satisfaction. Overall, the present results provided support for the Dualistic Model of Passion. The conceptual and applied implications of the findings are discussed.

On the costs and benefits of gaming: the role of passion.

PubMed

Lafrenière, Marc-André K; Vallerand, Robert J; Donahue, Eric G; Lavigne, Geneviève L

2009-06-01

The dualistic model of passion defines passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that a person likes and values and in which he or she invests time and energy. The model proposes two distinct types of passion: harmonious and obsessive passion that predict adaptive and less adaptive outcomes respectively. In the present research, we were interested in assessing both the negative and positive consequences that can result from gaming. Participants (n = 222) were all players involved in massively multiplayer online games. They completed an online survey. Results from a canonical correlation revealed that both harmonious and obsessive passion were positively associated with the experience of positive affect while playing. However, only obsessive passion was also positively related to the experience of negative affect while playing. In addition, only obsessive passion was positively related to problematic behaviors generally associated with excessive gaming, the amount of time spent playing, and negative physical symptoms. Moreover, obsessive passion was negatively related to self-realization and unrelated to life satisfaction. Conversely, harmonious passion was positively associated with both types of psychological well-being. This general pattern of results suggests that obsessive passion for gaming is an important predictor of the negative outcomes of gaming, while harmonious passion seems to account for positive consequences. Future research directions are discussed in light of the dualistic model of passion.

[The power of ideologies].

PubMed

Rubia Vila, Francisco José

2010-01-01

The ideologies of the xx century have caused millions of casualties. It is important to know the cognitive processes that originate ideological thinking. Ideologies are typically closed visions of the world with a strong dualistic component. Dualistic thinking is likely to be a distinct mental category which implicates the right inferior parietal lobe of the brain. Nevertheless, the connection between a manichean mental-cognitive thought and an emotional component presents great danger, due to the resulting simplification of history, its reification, and the demonization of the opposite, before proceeding to its destruction. Both communism and national socialism are evident examples of this perversion of thought. To know the neurocognitive underpinnings is hence of great relevance if we do not want ro repeat history.

Dualism persists in the science of mind.

PubMed

Demertzi, Athena; Liew, Charlene; Ledoux, Didier; Bruno, Marie-Aurélie; Sharpe, Michael; Laureys, Steven; Zeman, Adam

2009-03-01

The relationship between mind and brain has philosophical, scientific, and practical implications. Two separate but related surveys from the University of Edinburgh (University students, n= 250) and the University of Liège (health-care workers, lay public, n= 1858) were performed to probe attitudes toward the mind-brain relationship and the variables that account for differences in views. Four statements were included, each relating to an aspect of the mind-brain relationship. The Edinburgh survey revealed a predominance of dualistic attitudes emphasizing the separateness of mind and brain. In the Liège survey, younger participants, women, and those with religious beliefs were more likely to agree that the mind and brain are separate, that some spiritual part of us survives death, that each of us has a soul that is separate from the body, and to deny the physicality of mind. Religious belief was found to be the best predictor for dualistic attitudes. Although the majority of health-care workers denied the distinction between consciousness and the soma, more than one-third of medical and paramedical professionals regarded mind and brain as separate entities. The findings of the study are in line with previous studies in developmental psychology and with surveys of scientists' attitudes toward the relationship between mind and brain. We suggest that the results are relevant to clinical practice, to the formulation of scientific questions about the nature of consciousness, and to the reception of scientific theories of consciousness by the general public.

Framing the relationship between people and nature in the context of European conservation.

PubMed

Linnell, John D C; Kaczensky, Petra; Wotschikowsky, Ulrich; Lescureux, Nicolas; Boitani, Luigi

2015-08-01

A key controversy in conservation is the framing of the relationship between people and nature. The extent to which the realms of nature and human culture are viewed as separate (dualistic view) or integrated is often discussed in the social sciences. To explore how this relationship is represented in the practice of conservation in Europe, we considered examples of cultural landscapes, wildlife (red deer, reindeer, horses), and protected area management. We found little support, for a dualistic worldview, where people and nature are regarded as separate in the traditional practice of conservation in Europe. The borders between nature and culture, wild and domestic, public land and private land, and between protected areas and the wider landscape were blurred and dynamic. The institutionalized (in practice and legislation) view is of an interactive mutualistic system in which humans and nature share the whole landscape. However, more dualistic ideals, such as wilderness and rewilding that are challenging established practices are expanding. In the context of modern day Europe, wilderness conservation and rewilding are not valid for the whole landscape, although it is possible to integrate some areas of low-intervention management into a wider matrix. A precondition for success is to recognize and plan for a plurality of values concerning the most valid approaches to conservation and to plan for this plurality at the landscape scale. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

[Where Descartes got it right: the implications for science, biomedicine, and public health].

PubMed

Mendonça, André Luis de Oliveira; Camargo, Kenneth Rochel de

2016-01-01

The "received view" of Descartes has shaped the image of a dualist thinker who radically separated mind and body and thus laid the foundations for a "divided modernity". Numerous epithets have been applied to Cartesian thinking, all of which now sound depreciative: mechanicism, determinism, and reductionism, among others. This article contends that Descartes was not the type of dualist that is normally assumed. Based on a rereading of two essential works (Discourse on Method and Metaphysical Meditations) and a dialogue with the new literature on the theme, we contend that overcoming the "received view" of Descartes can shed new light on discussions in (and of) the collective health field and highlight the so-called expanded health paradigm (including aspects beyond the biological or physiological, such as the psychological, social, economic, cultural, and political).

Fermentation, phlogiston and matter theory: chemistry and natural philosophy in Georg Ernst Stahl's Zymotechnia Fundamentalis.

PubMed

Chang, Ku-Ming Kevin

2002-01-01

This paper examines Georg Ernst Stahl's first book, the Zymotechnia Fundamentalis, in the context of contemporary natural philosophy and the author's career. I argue that the Zymotechnia was a mechanical theory of fermentation written consciously against the influential "fermentational program" of Joan Baptista van Helmont and especially Thomas Willis, Stahl's theory of fermentation introduced his first conception of phlogiston, which was in part a corpuscular transformation of the Paracelsian sulphur principle. Meanwhile some assumptions underlying this theory, such as the composition of matter, the absolute passivity of matter and the "passions" of sulphur, reveal the combined scholastic and mechanistic character of Stahl's natural philosophy. In the conclusion I show that Stahl's theory of fermentation undermined the old fermentational program and paved the way for his dualist vitalism.

Descartes' Passions of the soul--seeds of psychiatry?

PubMed

Albuquerque, Joy; Deshauer, Dorian; Grof, Paul

2003-09-01

Rene Descartes (1596-1650), often called the 'father of modern philosophy', aimed at rooting all knowledge in certainty so that our understanding of the world could progress without error. To achieve this, he needed at least one sure thing on which to build. Starting with the most basic knowledge, the fact of his own existence--cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am), he systematically proceeded to explain the world. Such systematic understanding would be accessible to anyone who applied the Cartesian method, and in turn would lead to a good life. Descartes' Passions of the Soul was written according to his method of certainty and fits in with a meticulously refined worldview. It is one of the first systematic treatises to explain a wide array of emotions, both normal and abnormal. Based on the Cartesian dualistic model of mind and body, the work helps ground a long medical tradition of separating 'rational' consciousness from emotions. For Descartes, emotions arose from two sources, the intellect and the body (Passions of the Soul and Passions of the Body). The more subtle 'Passions of the Soul' were viewed as superior to coarser and often-troublesome emotions taking root in the body. It is interesting to note the absence of clarity, however, in Descartes' division of intellectual emotions from bodily emotions, perhaps revealing an enduring weakness in the dualistic model itself. The work grapples with the multi-causal nature of psychopathology and brings out complex interactions between temperament and life experience. While modern neuroscience makes ever-tighter associations between physiology and experience, many of the basic scientific challenges we face today are outlined in this 350-year-old book.

Pedagogical tools to explore Cartesian mind-body dualism in the classroom: philosophical arguments and neuroscience illusions.

PubMed

Hamilton, Scott; Hamilton, Trevor J

2015-01-01

A fundamental discussion in lower-level undergraduate neuroscience and psychology courses is Descartes's "radical" or "mind-body" dualism. According to Descartes, our thinking mind, the res cogitans, is separate from the body as physical matter or substance, the res extensa. Since the transmission of sensory stimuli from the body to the mind is a physical capacity shared with animals, it can be confused, misled, or uncertain (e.g., bodily senses imply that ice and water are different substances). True certainty thus arises from within the mind and its capacity to doubt physical stimuli. Since this doubting mind is a thinking thing that is distinct from bodily stimuli, truth and certainty are reached through the doubting mind as cogito ergo sum, or the certainty of itself as it thinks: hence Descartes's famous maxim, I think, therefore I am. However, in the last century of Western philosophy, with nervous system investigation, and with recent advances in neuroscience, the potential avenues to explore student's understanding of the epistemology and effects of Cartesian mind-body dualism has expanded. This article further explores this expansion, highlighting pedagogical practices and tools instructors can use to enhance a psychology student's understanding of Cartesian dualistic epistemology, in order to think more critically about its implicit assumptions and effects on learning. It does so in two ways: first, by offering instructors an alternative philosophical perspective to dualistic thinking: a mind-body holism that is antithetical to the assumed binaries of dualistic epistemology. Second, it supplements this philosophical argument with a practical component: simple mind-body illusions that instructors may use to demonstrate contrary epistemologies to students. Combining these short philosophical and neuroscience arguments thereby acts as a pedagogical tool to open new conceptual spaces within which learning may occur.

Goethe's "Delicate Empiricism": Assessing Its Value for Australian Ecologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Melanie

2011-01-01

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, recognised as a seminal German polymath, developed a unique approach for investigating nature, termed "delicate empiricism". Goethe's approach uses empathy, imagination and intuition to promote a participatory engagement with the world. It goes beyond the dualistic-rationalism that defines…

"The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak": the effects of mind-body dualism on health behavior.

PubMed

Forstmann, Matthias; Burgmer, Pascal; Mussweiler, Thomas

2012-10-01

Beliefs in mind-body dualism--that is, perceiving one's mind and body as two distinct entities--are evident in virtually all human cultures. Despite their prevalence, surprisingly little is known about the psychological implications of holding such beliefs. In the research reported here, we investigated the relationship between dualistic beliefs and health behaviors. We theorized that holding dualistic beliefs leads people to perceive their body as a mere "shell" and, thus, to neglect it. Supporting this hypothesis, our results showed that participants who were primed with dualism reported less engagement in healthy behaviors and less positive attitudes toward such behaviors than did participants primed with physicalism. Additionally, we investigated the bidirectionality of this link. Activating health-related concepts affected participants' subsequently reported metaphysical beliefs in mind-body dualism. A final set of studies demonstrated that participants primed with dualism make real-life decisions that may ultimately compromise their physical health (e.g., consuming unhealthy food). These findings have potential implications for health interventions.

The neural code of thoughts and feelings. Comment on "Topodynamics of metastable brains" by Arturo Tozzi et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaušovec, Norbert

2017-07-01

Recently the number of theories trying to explain the brain - cognition - behavior relation has been increased. Promoted on the one hand by the development of sophisticated brain imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and on the other, by complex computational models based on chaos and graph theory. But has this really advanced our understanding of the brain-behavior relation beyond Descartes's dualistic mind body division? One could critically argue that replacing the pineal body with extracellular electric fields represented in the electroencephalogram (EEG) as rapid transitional processes (RTS), combined with algebraic topology and dubbed brain topodynamics [1] is just putting lipstick on an outmoded evergreen.

Rethinking Terrestrial Pedagogy: Nature, Cultures, and Ethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Huey-Li

2006-01-01

In this article, I offer a clarification of the ambiguities surrounding the pivotal concepts that have shaped and will continue to shape environmental education movement in the United States and beyond: nature, conservation, sustainable development, and environmental justice. I point out that dualistic frameworks not only polarize environmental…

The Different Faces of Racism in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Andrea, Michael; Daniels, Judy

1994-01-01

A framework for examining racism in higher education is outlined. It distinguishes several stages of racist attitude: affective-impulsive, dualistic rational, libertarian, principled, and principled-activist. These stages of cognitive development are suggested as a model for planning intervention strategies. Some specific strategies are described.…

A Cross-national Comparison of the Gender Gap in Income.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenfeld, Rachel A.; Kalleberg, Arne L.

1990-01-01

Compares labor market samples from two dualist countries--the United States and Canada whose employment and family-related policies are decentralized--and two corporatist countries--Norway and Sweden whose policies are centralized. Hypothesizes that Scandinavian countries would show less effect from family responsibilities and fewer gender…

Motivation as Ethical Self-Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Matthew; Hennig, Barbara

2013-01-01

Motivation is a concept more frequently found in venues concerned with educational psychology than in ones concerned with educational philosophy. Under the influence of psychology, and its typically dualistic way of making sense of the world, motivation in education has tended to be viewed in dichotomous terms, for example, as intrinsic or…

Ethnography of Corporeality: A Carnal Move in Educational Technology Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enriquez-Gibson, Judith

2016-01-01

Despite the increasing focus on non-dualistic and materialist approaches in education technology studies, the materiality of the body has not been adequately examined. Because of the heavy orientation towards affordance, interaction, participation, inclusion and access at the interface or between various spatial and liminal settings, the subject's…

A Comparison of Passion and Teaching Modality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenberger, Scott

2016-01-01

Research exists that applies the dualistic model of passion to face-to-face teaching, but no research has applied this model to online instruction. Distance education theories imply a need to discover factors contributing to online faculty motivation to engage students. Although there has been extensive exploration of intrinsic and extrinsic…

Running away from stress: How regulatory modes prospectively affect athletes' stress through passion.

PubMed

Lucidi, F; Pica, G; Mallia, L; Castrucci, E; Manganelli, S; Bélanger, J J; Pierro, A

2016-06-01

A prospective field study conducted with runners training for an upcoming marathon (Marathon of Rome 2013) examined the relation between regulatory modes, locomotion and assessment, and stress. Integrating regulatory mode theory and the dualistic model of passion, we hypothesized that the relation between regulatory modes (evaluated 3 months before the race) and the experience of stress approaching the marathon, is mediated by the type of passion (harmonious vs obsessive) athletes experience with regard to marathoning. Results revealed that (a) locomotion positively predicted harmonious passion, which in turn reduced athletes' experience of stress; and (b) assessment positively predicted obsessive passion, which in turn enhanced athletes' experience of stress. Overall, the present results suggest that proximal psychological mechanisms such as basic regulatory mode orientations can predict distal outcomes such as stress indirectly through their relation with motivational phenomena such as passion. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reflection on Prosperity: Localization of Pedagogy in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Daishu

2009-01-01

In the past 20 years, China has seen an influx of foreign pedagogies that emphasize Western concepts such as dualistic opposition and linear development. As educational studies have become localized to China's environment, there has been a tendency to substitute transplanted ideas for methods based on local research. As such Chinese educational…

Embodied Identities: Using Kinesiology Programming Methods to Diminish the Hegemony of the Normal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Block, Betty A.; Weatherford, Gwendolyn M.

2013-01-01

The concept of embodiment and the reintroduction of the body into the disability movement debate is the focus of this investigation. This paper will include arguments from scholars from philosophy, disability studies, adapted physical education, counseling, nursing, and sociology who recognize that a dualistic approach to dealing with embodied…

Passion and Motivation for Studying: Predicting Academic Engagement and Burnout in University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoeber, Joachim; Childs, Julian H.; Hayward, Jennifer A.; Feast, Alexandra R.

2011-01-01

Research on the dualistic model of passion has investigated harmonious and obsessive passion in many domains. However, few studies have investigated passion for studying and the role passion for studying plays in student engagement and well-being. The present study investigated the relationships between harmonious and obsessive passion for…

The Fateful Rift: The San Andreas Fault in the Modern Mind.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Percy, Walker

1990-01-01

Claims that modern science is radically incoherent and that this incoherence lies within the practice of science. Details the work of the scientist and philosopher Charles Sanders Pierce, expounding on the difference between Rene Descartes' dualistic philosophy and Pierce's triadic view. Concludes with a brief description of the human existence.…

Beyond "NEET" and "Tidy" Pathways: Considering the "Missing Middle" of Youth Transition Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Steven

2011-01-01

Jones' (2002) discussion of polarised transitions and the "fast and slow lanes to adulthood" espoused by Bynner "et al." (2002) are good examples of how dualistic language often permeates youth transitions discourses. This often results in transitions research concentrating on a dichotomy of experience during the youth phase.…

A Successful Creative Process: The Role of Passion and Emotions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St-Louis, Ariane C.; Vallerand, Robert J.

2015-01-01

The creative process refers a sequence of thoughts and actions leading to a novel, adaptive production (Lubart, 2000). It demands love, time, and devotion; therefore, creators are passionate toward their creative work. The Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) defines passion as a strong inclination for a self-defining activity that…

A Dualistic Stream Classification System for Oregon: In Support of a Stream Compensatory Mitigation Framework

EPA Science Inventory

To meet the goals of the U.S. federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and Oregon’s Removal-Fill (R-F) Law, unavoidable impacts to jurisdictional waters, including streams and rivers, must be compensated for through compensatory mitigation under the CWA Section 404 and R-F permitting ...

Spirituality and Education; Inner and Outer Realities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radford, Mike

2006-01-01

There is a persisting tendency in attempts to define spirituality, to adopt a dualistic point of view which sees the spirit as somehow impenetrably inner, innate and introspectively perceived, interacting with the outer world through the body. As well as a strong intuitive sense of the correctness of this philosophical point of view, it also is…

Cultural Analyses in a Taiwanese Kindergarten: A Postcolonial Reflection and Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Teng

2013-01-01

The concept of homogenization is highlighted in the current discourse of postcolonialism in the educational arena. However, this concept strengthens the dimension of cultural convergence, but not the dimension of cultural divergence. Furthermore, an overly dualistic view is also aligned with the concept of homogenization and then leads to the…

From famine to food crisis: what history can teach us about local and global subsistence crises.

PubMed

Vanhaute, Eric

2011-01-01

The number of famine prone regions in the world has been shrinking for centuries. It is currently mainly limited to sub-Saharan Africa. Yet the impact of endemic hunger has not declined and the early twenty-first century seems to be faced with a new threat: global subsistence crises. In this essay I question the concepts of famine and food crisis from different analytical angles: historical and contemporary famine research, food regime theory, and peasant studies. I will argue that only a more integrated historical framework of analysis can surpass dualistic interpretations grounded in Eurocentric modernization paradigms. This article successively debates historical and contemporary famine research, the contemporary food regime and the new global food crisis, the lessons from Europe's 'grand escape' from hunger, and the peasantry and 'depeasantization' as central analytical concepts. Dualistic histories of food and famine have been dominating developmentalist stories for too long. This essay shows how a blending of historical and contemporary famine research, food regime theory and new peasant studies can foster a more integrated perspective.

Is It Really a Matter of Simple Dualism? Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors in Body and Mental Health

PubMed Central

Janssen, Donny; Kozicz, Tamás

2013-01-01

Physiological responses to stress coordinated by the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis are concerned with maintaining homeostasis in the presence of real or perceived challenges. Regulators of this axis are corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) and CRF related neuropeptides, including urocortins 1, 2, and 3. They mediate their actions by binding to CRF receptors (CRFR) 1 and 2, which are located in several stress-related brain regions. The prevailing theory has been that the initiation of and the recovery from an elicited stress response is coordinated by two elements, viz. the (mainly) opposing, but well balanced actions of CRFR1 and CRFR2. Such a dualistic view suggests that CRF/CRFR1 controls the initiation of, and urocortins/CRFR2 mediate the recovery from stress to maintain body and mental health. Consequently, failed adaptation to stress can lead to neuropathology, including anxiety and depression. Recent literature, however, challenges such dualistic and complementary actions of CRFR1 and CRFR2, and suggests that stress recruits CRF system components in a brain area and neuron specific manner to promote adaptation as conditions dictate. PMID:23487366

[Cooperation and conflict in childbirth care: representations and practices of nurses and obstetricians].

PubMed

Angulo-Tuesta, Antonia; Giffin, Karen; Gama, Andréa de Sousa; d'Orsi, Eleonora; Barbosa, Gisele Peixoto

2003-01-01

In Brazil, where birthing generally occurs in hospitals and under the care of obstetricians, the incorporation of nurses is a strategy that has been used recently in an attempt to improve obstetric care. This study, conducted in two maternity hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, focuses on representations of obstetricians and nurses regarding teamwork and analyzes how the dimensions of power, cooperation/conflict, and technical autonomy are permeated by dualistic conceptions which influence the quality of health care for women during childbirth. On the one hand, the results show a consensus regarding the advantages of professional cooperation in the improvement of health care, assuming the existence of a clear definition of professional roles. At the same time, conflicts regarding therapeutic conduct during the birth process reflect the professionals' perceptions of autonomy and the influence of professional hierarchies, in which obstetric care is seen to depend on the "objective observation" of the women giving birth. The degree of conflict is differentiated according to the institutional context and related to dualistic conceptions such as objective/subjective, rational/emotional, and male/female.

Pedagogical tools to explore Cartesian mind-body dualism in the classroom: philosophical arguments and neuroscience illusions

PubMed Central

Hamilton, Scott; Hamilton, Trevor J.

2015-01-01

A fundamental discussion in lower-level undergraduate neuroscience and psychology courses is Descartes’s “radical” or “mind-body” dualism. According to Descartes, our thinking mind, the res cogitans, is separate from the body as physical matter or substance, the res extensa. Since the transmission of sensory stimuli from the body to the mind is a physical capacity shared with animals, it can be confused, misled, or uncertain (e.g., bodily senses imply that ice and water are different substances). True certainty thus arises from within the mind and its capacity to doubt physical stimuli. Since this doubting mind is a thinking thing that is distinct from bodily stimuli, truth and certainty are reached through the doubting mind as cogito ergo sum, or the certainty of itself as it thinks: hence Descartes’s famous maxim, I think, therefore I am. However, in the last century of Western philosophy, with nervous system investigation, and with recent advances in neuroscience, the potential avenues to explore student’s understanding of the epistemology and effects of Cartesian mind-body dualism has expanded. This article further explores this expansion, highlighting pedagogical practices and tools instructors can use to enhance a psychology student’s understanding of Cartesian dualistic epistemology, in order to think more critically about its implicit assumptions and effects on learning. It does so in two ways: first, by offering instructors an alternative philosophical perspective to dualistic thinking: a mind-body holism that is antithetical to the assumed binaries of dualistic epistemology. Second, it supplements this philosophical argument with a practical component: simple mind-body illusions that instructors may use to demonstrate contrary epistemologies to students. Combining these short philosophical and neuroscience arguments thereby acts as a pedagogical tool to open new conceptual spaces within which learning may occur. PMID:26321981

Alternative Health Care Practitioners in a Chinese American Community: A Preliminary Report of Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kao, Jessica Ching-Yi

This paper provides a brief review of the literature on traditional Chinese medicine in both China and the United States and presents observations from a preliminary study of Chinese practitioners in the Chinatown section of Los Angeles, California. The dualistic health care system in Chinese culture is described as comprising both scholarly and…

Play Disabilities: A Reason for Physical Educators to Rethink the Boundaries of Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kretchmar, R. Scott

2012-01-01

Disabilities are commonly conceptualized in dualistic ways--specifically as mental or physical in nature and as located in the self rather than in the "other" or "out there." In this essay I reflect on the consequences of a more holistic understanding of both handicaps and special education. This new approach, I suggest, would…

"The Heart Has Reasons That Reason Cannot Know": Thinking, Feeling, and Willing in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blomberg, Doug

2013-01-01

Western (and Christian) education is an intellectualised, dualistic tradition which downplays the role of the body and emotions and thus the importance of practice in learning. Insights from neuroscience and James K. A. Smith's reflections on Christian college pedagogy introduce a consideration of the role of affectivity in learning, which…

Applying the Dualistic Model of Passion to Post-Secondary Online Instruction: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenberger, Scott W.

2013-01-01

With the growth of online education, online student attrition and failure rates will continue to be a concern for post-secondary institutions. Although many factors may contribute to such phenomena, the role of the online instructor is clearly an important factor. Exploring how online instructors perceive their role as online teachers,…

The Role of Passion for Teaching in Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carbonneau, Noemie; Vallerand, Robert J.; Fernet, Claude; Guay, Frederic

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of passion in teachers' burnout symptoms, work satisfaction, and perceptions of positive student classroom behaviors. The dualistic model of passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) proposes 2 types of passion: harmonious and obsessive. In previous studies, harmonious passion has been shown to lead to…

No Longer Silent: An Autobiographical/Biographical Exploration of a School Desegregation Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lind, Vicki R.; Bell-Tolliver, LaVerne

2015-01-01

The following article explores the experiences of one of the authors who desegregated a junior high school during the early 1960s. The article is written as an auto/biographical study and resulted from the collaboration between two university professors. We believe this dualistic approach, grounded in ecological theory and referencing culturally…

I Am Sailing--Towards a Transactional Analysis of "Body Techniques"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersson, Joacim; Östman, Leif; Öhman, Marie

2015-01-01

In recent years there has been a growing interest in questions related to embodiment and learning. Within the field of "body pedagogics" great efforts have been made to develop theory and methodology that can deal with the corporeal aspects of experience and knowledge without adopting any form of dualistic conceptions of body/mind and…

Radical Acceptance: A Nondual Psychology Approach to Grief and Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theriault, Brian

2012-01-01

This article explores the application of nondual psychology in transforming grief and loss into the experience of nondual consciousness. Nondual consciousness is the collapse of the dualistic notions of self and other through the direct realization of the stateless state of no-self. The experience of grief and loss serves as a catalyst to this…

Dualistic Thinking Underlying Students' Understanding of Quantum Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mashhadi, Azam; Woolnough, Brian

Philosophical analysis indicates that underlying much of the Western scientific world view is the metaphysical presupposition of duality, the claim being made that the world is made sense of in terms of either/or and in terms of polarities (e.g., light versus dark). By way of contrast, no concept is more important in Asian philosophical and…

An Examination of the Relationship between Passion and Subjective Well-Being in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rousseau, Francois L.; Vallerand, Robert J.

2008-01-01

Activity engagement has long been linked to improved subjective well-being (SWB) in old age. However, recent studies testing Vallerand et al.'s (2003) Dualistic Model of Passion suggest that the type of passionate activity that underlies activity engagement might influence the extent to which individuals benefit from an active lifestyle. In the…

``Sex Hormones'' in Secondary School Biology Textbooks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nehm, Ross H.; Young, Rebecca

2008-11-01

This study explores the extent to which the term “sex hormone” is used in science textbooks, and whether the use of the term “sex hormone” is associated with pre-empirical concepts of sex dualism, in particular the misconceptions that these so-called “sex hormones” are sex specific and restricted to sex-related physiological functioning. We found that: (1) all the texts employed the term “sex hormone”; (2) in all texts estrogen is characterized as restricted to females and testosterone is characterized as restricted to males; and (3) in all texts testosterone and estrogen are discussed as exclusively involved in sex-related physiological roles. We conclude that (1) contemporary science textbooks preserve sex-dualistic models of steroid hormones (one sex, one “sex hormone”) that were rejected by medical science in the early 20th century and (2) use of the term “sex hormone” is associated with misconceptions regarding the presence and functions of steroid hormones in male and female bodies.

Ensoulment and IVF embryos.

PubMed Central

Shea, M C

1987-01-01

This paper examines the metaphysical question of 'ensoulment' in relation to the theory, put forward in an earlier paper, that human life begins when the newly formed body organs and systems of the embryo begin to function as an organised whole, at which stage there is evidence of a change of nature. Although Roman Catholic theology teaches that a human being is a union of physical body and spiritual soul, it is incorrect to interpret this in a dualistic sense. The meaning of 'soul' is considered and the conclusion reached that although both in the religious context and apart from it abortion is difficult to justify at any stage after conception, it does not follow that the use of 'spare' In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) embryos should be rejected. If 'ensoulment' does not occur until the new organism functions as a whole then a decision not to make use of IVF embryos for medical purposes would be a heavy responsibility and not a 'safe' way out. PMID:3612702

Goethe's Conception of "Experiment as Mediator" and Implications for Practical Work in School Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Wonyong; Song, Jinwoong

2018-03-01

There has been growing criticism over the aims, methods, and contents of practical work in school science, particularly concerning their tendency to oversimplify the scientific practice with focus on the hypothesis-testing function of experiments. In this article, we offer a reading of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's scientific writings—particularly his works on color as an exquisite articulation of his ideas about experimentation—through the lens of practical school science. While avoiding the hasty conclusions made from isolated experiments and observations, Goethe sought in his experiments the interconnection among diverse natural phenomena and rejected the dualistic epistemology about the relation of humans and nature. Based on a close examination of his color theory and its underlying epistemology, we suggest three potential contributions that Goethe's conception of scientific experimentation can make to practical work in school science.

Through the Glass Darkly: New Paradigms for Counselors, Courage, and Spirituality in Contemporary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodell, Judy; Robinson, David C.

2008-01-01

This article proposes a paradigm shift in the view of the school counselor role. Evolving from the dualistic mind/body split of traditional physics, counseling has largely focused on problem identification and attempting to fix what is wrong. The new sciences of chaos and complexity invite a more holistic view, with the psychospiritual development…

Animals on drugs: understanding the role of pharmaceutical companies in the animal-industrial complex.

PubMed

Twine, Richard

2013-12-01

In this paper I revisit previous critiques that I have made of much, though by no means all, bioethical discourse. These pertain to faithfulness to dualistic ontology, a taken-for-granted normative anthropocentrism, and the exclusion of a consideration of how political economy shapes the conditions for bioethical discourse (Twine Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 8(3):285-295, 2005; International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food 16(3):1-18, 2007, 2010). Part of my argument around bioethical dualist ontology is to critique the assumption of a division between the "medical" (human) and "agricultural" (nonhuman) and to show various ways in which they are interrelated. I deepen this analysis with a focus on transnational pharmaceutical companies, with specific attention to their role in enhancing agricultural production through animal drug administration. I employ the topical case of antibiotics in order to speak to current debates in not only the interdisciplinary field of bioethics but also that of animal studies. More generally, the animal-industrial complex (Twine Journal for Critical Animal Studies 10(1):12-39, 2012) is underlined as a highly relevant bioethical object that deserves more conceptual and empirical attention.

Levels and loops: the future of artificial intelligence and neuroscience.

PubMed Central

Bell, A J

1999-01-01

In discussing artificial intelligence and neuroscience, I will focus on two themes. The first is the universality of cycles (or loops): sets of variables that affect each other in such a way that any feed-forward account of causality and control, while informative, is misleading. The second theme is based around the observation that a computer is an intrinsically dualistic entity, with its physical set-up designed so as not to interfere with its logical set-up, which executes the computation. The brain is different. When analysed empirically at several different levels (cellular, molecular), it appears that there is no satisfactory way to separate a physical brain model (or algorithm, or representation), from a physical implementational substrate. When program and implementation are inseparable and thus interfere with each other, a dualistic point-of-view is impossible. Forced by empiricism into a monistic perspective, the brain-mind appears as neither embodied by or embedded in physical reality, but rather as identical to physical reality. This perspective has implications for the future of science and society. I will approach these from a negative point-of-view, by critiquing some of our millennial culture's popular projected futures. PMID:10670021

On emergence: a neo-psychoanalytic essay on change and science.

PubMed

Whitehead, Clay C

2011-01-01

The neo-psychoanalytic paradigm re-establishes the connection between psychodynamics and evolution. This allows us to transcend the limitations of dualistic metapsychology, and to make seminal contributions to traditional science. The new paradigm employs the concept of emergence, the potential for change in the evolutionary and clinical process. Emergence is described as originating with the Big Bang, but also is reflected at much higher levels, for example, biochemistry, or the capacity of the evolved mind to produce insights in psychotherapy. The constraints of dualistic theories are examined. A neuron-based view of change illustrates the evolution of traditional science as well as the neuron, itself. The new mind paradigm recognizes individual, familial, communitarian, and global reciprocal influences mediated by culture and illustrated by the extended mind and the democratic spirit. Thus both traditional and psychodynamic sciences are undergoing revolutionary changes in their common efforts to better understand the mechanisms of knowledge, relationship and consciousness. The boundaries of the self and the consultation suite are also expanded in this view. Following a survey of invagination, the work is concluded by an application of emergence theory to the creationist controversy and Freud's views of religion.

Priorities for urban labor market research in Anglophone Africa.

PubMed

House, W J

1992-10-01

The earlier interest regarding how urban labor markets function centered on the dualist approach. An International Labor Office report on Kenya detected the urban informal sector reinforcing the labor market segmentation idea that those unable to obtain employment in the formal sector could obtain a subsistence-level livelihood in the urban informal sector. Recent work in urban Juba, Southern Sudan, has demonstrated that low-income households in the lowest quintile of urban income per adult showed an overrepresentation of female-headed households; larger household sizes; more children; greater dependency; and an overrepresentation of the indigenous, nonmigrant ethnic group plus an underrepresentation of the migrant Northern Sudanese who dominate the trade sector. Real wages in the formal sectors of English-speaking African countries have declined in the past decade. Unemployment of the educated is growing, evidenced by a longitudinal study of university graduates in Kenya over the period from 1970 to 1983. In 1991 the majority of 1990 graduates had still not found public sector employment. The rapid growth of labor supply has been paralleled by a rapidly growing informal sector which created 6 million new jobs in Africa between 1980 and 1985, while the formal sector added only 1/2 million jobs in the urban economy. An efficient labor market is characterized by relatively high turnover at less than 1 year of seniority and very low turnover among workers with 3-15 years of seniority. The modeling of the urban labor market has not progressed much in the last decade, and the dualistic approach has been repudiated. Such modeling requires in-depth data on the way workers and households allocate their time across the labor market segments. The understanding of the fusion of labor markets is best attained by well-designed household level surveys, which would study the relationship between labor market insertion and poverty status.

Incorporating Human Movement Behavior into the Analysis of Spatially Distributed Infrastructure.

PubMed

Wu, Lihua; Leung, Henry; Jiang, Hao; Zheng, Hong; Ma, Li

2016-01-01

For the first time in human history, the majority of the world's population resides in urban areas. Therefore, city managers are faced with new challenges related to the efficiency, equity and quality of the supply of resources, such as water, food and energy. Infrastructure in a city can be viewed as service points providing resources. These service points function together as a spatially collaborative system to serve an increasing population. To study the spatial collaboration among service points, we propose a shared network according to human's collective movement and resource usage based on data usage detail records (UDRs) from the cellular network in a city in western China. This network is shown to be not scale-free, but exhibits an interesting triangular property governed by two types of nodes with very different link patterns. Surprisingly, this feature is consistent with the urban-rural dualistic context of the city. Another feature of the shared network is that it consists of several spatially separated communities that characterize local people's active zones but do not completely overlap with administrative areas. According to these features, we propose the incorporation of human movement into infrastructure classification. The presence of well-defined spatially separated clusters confirms the effectiveness of this approach. In this paper, our findings reveal the spatial structure inside a city, and the proposed approach provides a new perspective on integrating human movement into the study of a spatially distributed system.

From a Dualistic toward a Holistic View of Dance Knowledge: A Phenomenological Analysis of Syllabuses in Upper Secondary Schools in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersson, Ninnie; Thorgersen, Cecilia Ferm

2015-01-01

This article examines how dance knowledge is seen through syllabuses in Swedish upper secondary schools. A starting point is life-world phenomenology. A phenomenological way of thinking allows that human beings are intersubjective, linked with and within the world, which influences the view of dance knowledge and how research is elaborated. A…

A case of learning to teach elementary science: Investigating beliefs, experiences, and tensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, Lynn Ann

This study examines how preservice elementary teacher beliefs and experiences within the context of reflective science teacher education influence the development of professional knowledge. From a cognitive constructivist theoretical perspective, I conducted a case analysis to investigate the beliefs about science teaching and learning held by a preservice teacher (Barbara), identify the tensions she encountered in learning to teach elementary science, understand the frames from which she identified problems of practice, and discern how her experiences influenced the process of reflecting on her own science teaching. From an analysis of interviews, observation, and written documents, I constructed a profile of Barbara's beliefs that consisted of three foundational and three dualistic beliefs about science teaching and learning. Her foundational beliefs concerned: (a) the value of science and science teaching, (b) the nature of scientific concepts and goals of science instruction, and (c) control in the science classroom. Barbara held dualistic beliefs about: (a) how children learn science, (b) the science students' role, and (c) the science teacher's role. The dualistic beliefs formed two contradictory nests of beliefs. One nest, grounded in life-long science learner experiences, reflected a didactic teaching orientation and predominantly guided her practice. The second nest, not well-grounded in experience, embraced a hands-on approach and predominantly guided her vision of practice. Barbara encountered tensions in thinking about science teaching and learning as a result of inconsistencies between her vision of science teaching and her actual practice. Confronting these tensions prompted Barbara to rethink the connections between her classroom actions and students' learning, create new perspectives for viewing her practice, and consider alternative practices more resonant with her visionary beliefs. However, the self-reinforcing belief system created by her didactic nest of beliefs, control beliefs, and belief about the goals of science instruction prevented Barbara from enacting new frames in practice. The findings contribute to an understanding of the relationship between beliefs and experiences in learning to teach and indicate that reframing is crucial in developing professional knowledge. Furthermore, the findings underscore the significance of (a) identifying prospective teachers' beliefs for designing teacher preparation programs, and (b) offering experiences as professionals early in the careers of prospective teachers.

Activity Theories and the Ontology of Psychology: Learning from Danish and Russian Experiences.

PubMed

Mammen, Jens; Mironenko, Irina

2015-12-01

Psychology has permanent problems of theoretical coherence and practical, analytic and critical efficiency. It is claimed that Activity Theory (AT) with roots in a long European philosophical tradition and continued in Russian AT is a first step to remedy this. A Danish version of AT may have a key to exceed some, mostly implicit, ontological restrictions in traditional AT and free it from an embracement of functionalism and mechanicism, rooted in Renaissance Physics. The analysis goes back to Aristotle's understanding of the freely moving animal in its ecology and introduces some dualities in the encounter between subject and object which replace the dualistic dichotomies traditionally splitting Psychology in Naturwissenschaft vs. Geisteswissenshaft. This also implies a "Copernican turn" of Cartesian dualism. The perspectives are to give place for a phenomenology of meaning without cutting human psyche out of Nature and to open Psychology to its domain.

Neuroscience, quantum indeterminism and the Cartesian soul.

PubMed

Clarke, Peter G H

2014-02-01

Quantum indeterminism is frequently invoked as a solution to the problem of how a disembodied soul might interact with the brain (as Descartes proposed), and is sometimes invoked in theories of libertarian free will even when they do not involve dualistic assumptions. Taking as example the Eccles-Beck model of interaction between self (or soul) and brain at the level of synaptic exocytosis, I here evaluate the plausibility of these approaches. I conclude that Heisenbergian uncertainty is too small to affect synaptic function, and that amplification by chaos or by other means does not provide a solution to this problem. Furthermore, even if Heisenbergian effects did modify brain functioning, the changes would be swamped by those due to thermal noise. Cells and neural circuits have powerful noise-resistance mechanisms, that are adequate protection against thermal noise and must therefore be more than sufficient to buffer against Heisenbergian effects. Other forms of quantum indeterminism must be considered, because these can be much greater than Heisenbergian uncertainty, but these have not so far been shown to play a role in the brain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Blushing and the philosophy of mind.

PubMed

Bunge, Mario

2007-01-01

The introduction, an imaginary dialogue between a philosopher and a scientist, is followed by a brief discussion of the interactions between science, philosophy, and religion. Next comes an analysis of the three most popular philosophies of mind: classical mind-body dualism, computerism, and psychoneural monism. It is argued that the latter, held by medical psychologists since Hippocrates, and formulated explicitly by Cajal and Hebb, is the philosophy of mind that underlies contemporary cognitive and affective neuroscience. The standard objections to psychoneural monism (or materialism) are examined. Evolutionary psychology, though promissory, is judged to be more fancy than fact at its present stage. The conclusion is that the philosophy of mind is still in a poor shape, but that it can advance if it learns more from the science of mind. It would also help if scientific psychologists were to replace such tacitly dualistic expressions as "organ N instantiates (or subserves) mental function M" with "organ N performs mental function M", just as we say "the legs walk" instead of "walking is subserved by legs," and "the lungs breathe" instead of "the lungs instantiate breathing."

Some historical and conceptual relations among logical positivism, operationism, and behaviorism.

PubMed

Moore, J

1985-01-01

Historical and conceptual relations among logical positivism, conventional operationism, and behaviorism are examined from the standpoint of Skinner's radical behaviorism. Although logical positivism and conventional operationism sought the formulation and application of an epistemology based strictly upon physicalistic principles and experiential verification, the application of that epistemology in psychology has resulted in the perpetuation, rather than the resolution, of a number of mentalistic, if not outright dualistic, problems.

Searle's"Dualism Revisited"

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

P., Henry

2008-11-20

A recent article in which John Searle claims to refute dualism is examined from a scientific perspective. John Searle begins his recent article 'Dualism Revisited' by stating his belief that the philosophical problem of consciousness has a scientific solution. He then claims to refute dualism. It is therefore appropriate to examine his arguments against dualism from a scientific perspective. Scientific physical theories contain two kinds of descriptions: (1) Descriptions of our empirical findings, expressed in an every-day language that allows us communicate to each other our sensory experiences pertaining to what we have done and what we have learned; andmore » (2) Descriptions of a theoretical model, expressed in a mathematical language that allows us to communicate to each other certain ideas that exist in our mathematical imaginations, and that are believed to represent, within our streams of consciousness, certain aspects of reality that we deem to exist independently of their being perceived by any human observer. These two parts of our scientific description correspond to the two aspects of our general contemporary dualistic understanding of the total reality in which we are imbedded, namely the empirical-mental aspect and the theoretical-physical aspect. The duality question is whether this general dualistic understanding of ourselves should be regarded as false in some important philosophical or scientific sense.« less

Balancing Automatic-Controlled Behaviors and Emotional-Salience States: A Dynamic Executive Functioning Hypothesis.

PubMed

Kluwe-Schiavon, Bruno; Viola, Thiago W; Sanvicente-Vieira, Breno; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro F; Grassi-Oliveira, Rodrigo

2016-01-01

Recently, there has been growing interest in understanding how executive functions are conceptualized in psychopathology. Since several models have been proposed, the major issue lies within the definition of executive functioning itself. Theoretical discussions have emerged, narrowing the boundaries between "hot" and "cold" executive functions or between self-regulation and cognitive control. Nevertheless, the definition of executive functions is far from a consensual proposition and it has been suggested that these models might be outdated. Current efforts indicate that human behavior and cognition are by-products of many brain systems operating and interacting at different levels, and therefore, it is very simplistic to assume a dualistic perspective of information processing. Based upon an adaptive perspective, we discuss how executive functions could emerge from the ability to solve immediate problems and to generalize successful strategies, as well as from the ability to synthesize and to classify environmental information in order to predict context and future. We present an executive functioning perspective that emerges from the dynamic balance between automatic-controlled behaviors and an emotional-salience state. According to our perspective, the adaptive role of executive functioning is to automatize efficient solutions simultaneously with cognitive demand, enabling individuals to engage such processes with increasingly complex problems. Understanding executive functioning as a mediator of stress and cognitive engagement not only fosters discussions concerning individual differences, but also offers an important paradigm to understand executive functioning as a continuum process rather than a categorical and multicomponent structure.

Balancing Automatic-Controlled Behaviors and Emotional-Salience States: A Dynamic Executive Functioning Hypothesis

PubMed Central

Kluwe-Schiavon, Bruno; Viola, Thiago W.; Sanvicente-Vieira, Breno; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro F.; Grassi-Oliveira, Rodrigo

2017-01-01

Recently, there has been growing interest in understanding how executive functions are conceptualized in psychopathology. Since several models have been proposed, the major issue lies within the definition of executive functioning itself. Theoretical discussions have emerged, narrowing the boundaries between “hot” and “cold” executive functions or between self-regulation and cognitive control. Nevertheless, the definition of executive functions is far from a consensual proposition and it has been suggested that these models might be outdated. Current efforts indicate that human behavior and cognition are by-products of many brain systems operating and interacting at different levels, and therefore, it is very simplistic to assume a dualistic perspective of information processing. Based upon an adaptive perspective, we discuss how executive functions could emerge from the ability to solve immediate problems and to generalize successful strategies, as well as from the ability to synthesize and to classify environmental information in order to predict context and future. We present an executive functioning perspective that emerges from the dynamic balance between automatic-controlled behaviors and an emotional-salience state. According to our perspective, the adaptive role of executive functioning is to automatize efficient solutions simultaneously with cognitive demand, enabling individuals to engage such processes with increasingly complex problems. Understanding executive functioning as a mediator of stress and cognitive engagement not only fosters discussions concerning individual differences, but also offers an important paradigm to understand executive functioning as a continuum process rather than a categorical and multicomponent structure. PMID:28154541

Some historical and conceptual relations among logical positivism, operationism, and behaviorism

PubMed Central

Moore, Jay

1985-01-01

Historical and conceptual relations among logical positivism, conventional operationism, and behaviorism are examined from the standpoint of Skinner's radical behaviorism. Although logical positivism and conventional operationism sought the formulation and application of an epistemology based strictly upon physicalistic principles and experiential verification, the application of that epistemology in psychology has resulted in the perpetuation, rather than the resolution, of a number of mentalistic, if not outright dualistic, problems. PMID:22478620

‘It’s All Done With Mirrors’: V.S. Ramachandran and the Material Culture of Phantom Limb Research

PubMed Central

Guenther, Katja

2016-01-01

This article examines the material culture of neuroscientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran’s research into phantom limbs. In the 1990s Ramachandran used a ‘mirror box’ to ‘resurrect’ phantom limbs and thus to treat the pain that often accompanied them. The experimental success of his mirror therapy led Ramachandran to see mirrors as a useful model of brain function, a tendency that explains his attraction to work on ‘mirror neurons’. I argue that Ramachandran’s fascination with and repeated appeal to the mirror can be explained by the way it allowed him to confront a perennial problem in the mind and brain sciences, that of the relationship between a supposedly immaterial mind and a material brain. By producing what Ramachandran called a ‘virtual reality’, relating in varied and complex ways to the material world, the mirror reproduced a form of psycho-physical parallelism and dualistic ontology, while conforming to the materialist norms of neuroscience today. PMID:27292324

[The inner coherence of psychosomatic medicine].

PubMed

Herrmann-Lingen, Christoph

2012-01-01

The body-mind dualism of somatic medicine is resolved through the concept of psychosomatic medicine. More unspecific descriptions such as "integrative medicine" (which does not clarify what should be integrated) or the "holistic approach" (which comes close to esoterics) suggest the unity of mind, body and soul, although the term "psycho-somatic" still reflects dualistic thinking. The American Psychosomatic Society has been considering a name change for years, partially to rid itself of the dualistic label, but so far these efforts have not resulted in a viable alternative. Engel's concept of biopsychosocial medicine supposes a triangular array of the body, mind, and social environment, setting body and mind into a relationship with each other and with a third party. Based on the physician-patient relationship (Balint), psychosomatic medicine can be understood in a broader sense as "relationship medicine," covering not only the use of the interpersonal relationship as a medical agent, but also a science of medicine that puts mind, body, and social environment into a theoretical framework of interrelations, with the perspective of integrating the different system levels. The translation processes among the system levels are, for example, addressed by biosemiotics (v. Uexküll). Both clinical medicine and medical research, if they intend to be psychosomatic, need to take these theoretical concepts into account and utilize them practically for (team)work with patients. Together with a clear differentiation from other cultures of (para)medicine, this can serve to develop a "psychosomatic identity."

Understanding the cognitive and motivational underpinnings of sexual passion from a dualistic model.

PubMed

Philippe, Frederick L; Vallerand, Robert J; Bernard-Desrosiers, Léa; Guilbault, Valérie; Rajotte, Guillaume

2017-11-01

Sexual passion has always been conceptualized as a one-dimensional phenomenon that emerges from interactions with partners. Drawing from the literature on passionate activities, sexual passion was defined in terms of its intrapersonal motivational and cognitive components and examined from a dualistic perspective. More specifically, in 5 studies, we investigated how 2 types of sexual passion, harmonious and obsessive, can lead to clearly distinct subjective, relational, and cognitive outcomes. Study 1 validated a scale measuring harmonious and obsessive sexual passion, and showed that each type of sexual passion leads to common, but also distinct, subjective consequences during sexual activity engagement for both singles and romantically engaged individuals. Studies 2 and 3 differentiated the constructs of harmonious and obsessive sexual passion from competing constructs existing in the literature and provided evidence for its predictive validity regarding various relational outcomes, including relationship sustainability over time. Finally, Studies 4 and 5 investigated the cognitive consequences of each type of sexual passion by showing how they reflect distinct levels of integration of sexual and relational representations, and how they can lead to biased processing of sexual information (Study 4) and conflict with ongoing sex-unrelated goals (Studies 5a and 5b). Overall, the present series of studies provides a new look at sexual passion from a motivational and cognitive intrapersonal perspective that is not restricted to interpersonal ramifications with partners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Recognizing and avoiding intercultural miscommunication in distance education a study of the experiences of Canadian faculty and aboriginal nursing students.

PubMed

Russell, Cynthia K; Gregory, David M; Care, W Dean; Hultin, David

2007-01-01

Language differences and diverse cultural norms influence the transmission and receipt of information. The online environment provides yet another potential source of miscommunication. Although distance learning has the potential to reach students in cultural groups that have been disenfranchised from traditional higher education settings in the past, intercultural miscommunication is also much more likely to occur through it. There is limited research examining intercultural miscommunication within distance education environments. This article presents the results of a qualitative study that explored the communication experiences of Canadian faculty and Aboriginal students while participating in an online baccalaureate nursing degree program that used various delivery modalities. The microlevel data analysis revealed participants' beliefs and interactions that fostered intercultural miscommunication as well as their recommendations for ensuring respectful and ethically supportive discourses in online courses. The unique and collective influences of intercultural miscommunication on the experiences of faculty and students within the courses are also identified. Instances of ethnocentrism and othering are illustrated, noting the effects that occurred from holding dualistic perspectives of us and them. Lastly, strategies for preventing intercultural miscommunication in online courses are described.

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Passion Scale.

PubMed

Chamarro, Andrés; Penelo, Eva; Fornieles, Albert; Oberst, Ursula; Vallerand, Robert J; Fernández-Castro, Jordi

2015-01-01

Passion has been shown to be involved in psychological processes that emerge in diverse human activities like physical activity and sports, work, leisure, videogaming, pathological gambling, and interpersonal relationships. We aimed to present evidence of validity and internal consistency of the Passion Scale in Spanish based on the Dualistic Model of Passion, comprising harmonious and obsessive dimensions. The sample comprised 1,007 participants (350 females and 657 males), aged 16-65 (Md= 30.0 years). Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), measurement invariance and Multiple-Cause-Multiple-Indicator models (MIMIC) were used. Fit for the ESEM 2-factor solution was acceptable. Near full or partial measurement invariance across sex, type of activity, and age was supported. Relationships between both harmonious and obsessive dimensions and the external variables considered (age, sex, and criterion items) reasonably replicated those found in previous studies. Both scale scores showed adequate internal consistency (α = .81). Empirical evidence for the validity and internal consistency of the Spanish version of the Passion Scale is satisfactory and reveals that the scale is comparable to the English and French versions. Therefore, the Passion Scale can be used in research conducted in Spanish.

[Albert Reder Ritter von Schellmann (1826-1904)].

PubMed

Schmidt, G; Holubar, K

1990-01-01

Albert Reder von Schellmann (1826-1904) was an important syphilidologist of the Vienna Medical School in the second half of the nineteenth century. He went in for the dualistic concept of the origin of syphilis and ulcer caused by soft chancre. In 1870 - Reder became head of a third dermato-syphilidologic department in the "Josephinum" in Vienna, where military surgeons got their medical education. At the same time the two full professorships of dermatosyphilidology in the Vienna General Hospital were held by Ferdinand von Hebra (1816-1880) and Carl Ludwig Sigmund von Ilanor (1810-1883).

Love and compassion meditation: a nondual perspective.

PubMed

Josipovic, Zoran

2016-06-01

This paper discusses meditation from the unique perspective of the nondual approach and explores the possible relevance of this approach to applications of love and compassion meditation in clinical settings. It contrasts the nondual approach with the better known gradual or goal-oriented, dualistic view of meditation. This paper also introduces one of the central ideas of the nondual approach-that love and compassion, like other positive qualities that are ordinarily considered as goals of meditation practice, can be found to be already present within oneself as innate dimensions of one's authentic being. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

Dualistic hearts: social class, education, different cultures, and lesbian love in desert hearts.

PubMed

Sterling, Eric

2012-01-01

Donna Deitch's Desert Hearts, one of the highest-grossing lesbian films ever made, is a groundbreaking and poignant movie about self-discovery and self-acceptance. This article focuses on the societal obstacles-such as vastly different social classes, cultures, and educational backgrounds-that Vivian and Cay must overcome in order to begin their relationship. The article also shows the taboos faced by gays in the 1950s, such as the firing of college professors in that era. The latent lesbian desire of the homophobic Frances, which is rarely addressed in criticism of the film, is discussed in detail.

Dualism and its importance for medicine.

PubMed

Switankowsky, I

2000-11-01

Cartesian dualism has been viewed by medical theorists to be one of the chief causes of a reductionist/mechanistic treatment of the patient. Although I aver that Cartesian dualism is one culprit for the misapprehension of the genuine treatment of patients in terms of both mind and body, I argue that interactive dualism which stresses the interaction of mind and body is essential to treat patients with dignity and compassion. Thus, adequate medical care that is humanistic in nature is difficult (if not impossible) to achieve without physicians adhering to a dualistic framework in which the body and person is treated during illness.

The social brain hypothesis of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Burns, Jonathan

2006-06-01

The social brain hypothesis is a useful heuristic for understanding schizophrenia. It focuses attention on the core Bleulerian concept of autistic alienation and is consistent with well-replicated findings of social brain dysfunction in schizophrenia as well as contemporary theories of human cognitive and brain evolution. The contributions of Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Wittgenstein allow us to arrive at a new "philosophy of interpersonal relatedness", which better reflects the "embodied mind" and signifies the end of Cartesian dualistic thinking. In this paper I review the evolution, development and neurobiology of the social brain - the anatomical and functional substrate for adaptive social behaviour and cognition. Functional imaging identifies fronto-temporal and fronto-parietal cortical networks as comprising the social brain, while the discovery of "mirror neurons" provides an understanding of social cognition at a cellular level. Patients with schizophrenia display abnormalities in a wide range of social cognition tasks such as emotion recognition, theory of mind and affective responsiveness. Furthermore, recent research indicates that schizophrenia is a disorder of functional and structural connectivity of social brain networks. These findings lend support to the claim that schizophrenia represents a costly by-product of social brain evolution in Homo sapiens. Individuals with this disorder find themselves seriously disadvantaged in the social arena and vulnerable to the stresses of their complex social environments. This state of "disembodiment" and interpersonal alienation is the core phenomenon of schizophrenia and the root cause of intolerable suffering in the lives of those affected.

The social brain hypothesis of schizophrenia

PubMed Central

BURNS, JONATHAN

2006-01-01

The social brain hypothesis is a useful heuristic for understanding schizophrenia. It focuses attention on the core Bleulerian concept of autistic alienation and is consistent with well-replicated findings of social brain dysfunction in schizophrenia as well as contemporary theories of human cognitive and brain evolution. The contributions of Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Wittgenstein allow us to arrive at a new "philosophy of interpersonal relatedness", which better reflects the "embodied mind" and signifies the end of Cartesian dualistic thinking. In this paper I review the evolution, development and neurobiology of the social brain - the anatomical and functional substrate for adaptive social behaviour and cognition. Functional imaging identifies fronto-temporal and fronto-parietal cortical networks as comprising the social brain, while the discovery of "mirror neurons" provides an understanding of social cognition at a cellular level. Patients with schizophrenia display abnormalities in a wide range of social cognition tasks such as emotion recognition, theory of mind and affective responsiveness. Furthermore, recent research indicates that schizophrenia is a disorder of functional and structural connectivity of social brain networks. These findings lend support to the claim that schizophrenia represents a costly by-product of social brain evolution in Homo sapiens. Individuals with this disorder find themselves seriously disadvantaged in the social arena and vulnerable to the stresses of their complex social environments. This state of "disembodiment" and interpersonal alienation is the core phenomenon of schizophrenia and the root cause of intolerable suffering in the lives of those affected. PMID:16946939

Passion for a Cause: How It Affects Health and Subjective Well-Being.

PubMed

St-Louis, Ariane C; Carbonneau, Noémie; Vallerand, Robert J

2016-06-01

Using the dualistic model of passion (Vallerand et al., 2003), this research investigated how harmonious passion (HP) or obsessive passion (OP) for a cause can affect volunteers' health and subjective well-being. Three studies with volunteers for local (local emergency crises and community help) and international (humanitarian missions) causes assessed physical and psychological health using cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Study 1 (N = 108) showed that HP was positively related to satisfaction with one's involvement in the cause and unrelated to physical injuries due to cause involvement. OP was unrelated to satisfaction but positively associated with injuries. Findings were replicated in Study 2 (N = 83). Moreover, self-neglect mediated the positive and negative effects of HP and OP, respectively, on injuries. Study 3 (N = 77) revealed that HP predicted an increase in satisfaction and health over a 3-month mission. OP predicted an increase in physical symptoms and a decrease in health. Furthermore, OP before a mission was positively related to self-neglect that was positively associated with physical symptoms after a mission. OP also positively predicted rumination that was conducive to posttraumatic stress disorder. HP was unrelated to these variables. Findings underscore the role of passion for a cause in predicting intrapersonal outcomes of volunteers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rational modulation of the innate immune system for neuroprotection in ischemic stroke

PubMed Central

Amantea, Diana; Micieli, Giuseppe; Tassorelli, Cristina; Cuartero, María I.; Ballesteros, Iván; Certo, Michelangelo; Moro, María A.; Lizasoain, Ignacio; Bagetta, Giacinto

2015-01-01

The innate immune system plays a dualistic role in the evolution of ischemic brain damage and has also been implicated in ischemic tolerance produced by different conditioning stimuli. Early after ischemia, perivascular astrocytes release cytokines and activate metalloproteases (MMPs) that contribute to blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption and vasogenic oedema; whereas at later stages, they provide extracellular glutamate uptake, BBB regeneration and neurotrophic factors release. Similarly, early activation of microglia contributes to ischemic brain injury via the production of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-1, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and proteases. Nevertheless, microglia also contributes to the resolution of inflammation, by releasing IL-10 and tumor growth factor (TGF)-β, and to the late reparative processes by phagocytic activity and growth factors production. Indeed, after ischemia, microglia/macrophages differentiate toward several phenotypes: the M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype is classically activated via toll-like receptors or interferon-γ, whereas M2 phenotypes are alternatively activated by regulatory mediators, such as ILs 4, 10, 13, or TGF-β. Thus, immune cells exert a dualistic role on the evolution of ischemic brain damage, since the classic phenotypes promote injury, whereas alternatively activated M2 macrophages or N2 neutrophils prompt tissue remodeling and repair. Moreover, a subdued activation of the immune system has been involved in ischemic tolerance, since different preconditioning stimuli act via modulation of inflammatory mediators, including toll-like receptors and cytokine signaling pathways. This further underscores that the immuno-modulatory approach for the treatment of ischemic stroke should be aimed at blocking the detrimental effects, while promoting the beneficial responses of the immune reaction. PMID:25972779

John Hughlings Jackson's evolutionary neurology: a unifying framework for cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Franz, Elizabeth A; Gillett, Grant

2011-10-01

John Hughlings Jackson was a pioneer in neurology who thought deeply about the structure of the brain and how that manifested itself in the various syndromes that he saw in the clinic. He enunciated a theory of the evolution and dissolution of neural function based on the idea that basic sensorimotor processes become embedded in networks of connections that relate them in successively more complex ways to allow for performance of more and more nuanced and adaptive functions. Hughlings Jackson noted the curious link between human thought, action and speech. He further recognized that disinhibition or release from control and direction marked neurological damage. His integrative framework remains deeply relevant to the plethora of results being produced by the careful and diverse experimentation currently undertaken with the aid of brain imaging techniques of which he could only dream. In celebration of the memory of John Hughlings Jackson, we revisit his concept of neural evolution and development, which led to what eventually became a leading model of brain organization, whereby a new order of behavioural control--the conscious mind--is created out of simpler elements, in a manner similar to Herbert Spencer's evolutionary theory. By this Hughlings Jackson did not mean anything dualistic but merely that the highest layer of evolution of nervous arrangements was 'highly complicated' and that dissolution of that higher level leaves 'a lower consciousness and a shallower nervous system'.

Mind and Language Architecture

PubMed Central

Logan, Robert K

2010-01-01

A distinction is made between the brain and the mind. The architecture of the mind and language is then described within a neo-dualistic framework. A model for the origin of language based on emergence theory is presented. The complexity of hominid existence due to tool making, the control of fire and the social cooperation that fire required gave rise to a new level of order in mental activity and triggered the simultaneous emergence of language and conceptual thought. The mind is shown to have emerged as a bifurcation of the brain with the emergence of language. The role of language in the evolution of human culture is also described. PMID:20922045

[Early symptoms of exacerbation of schizophrenia: views of patients, relatives and psychiatrists].

PubMed

Avedisova, A S; Iastrebov, D V; Kasimova, L N; Valeeva, A M; Bocharov, A V; Zakharova, K V

2012-01-01

The study was carried out using focused interviews in three groups of responders - patients with several exacerbations of schizophrenia, their relatives and their psychiatrists. It has been shown that either patients or their relatives do not recognize the early symptoms of the exacerbation of psychosis. Three opposite approaches of responders to the issues related to awareness of disease and medical intervention were singled out: rational (in psychiatrists), autonomic (in patients) and emotional (in relatives). The authors substantiate the necessity of psychoeducational programs for patients aimed at bringing together interests of patients and psychiatrists with the following impact on the relatives who take the dualistic position with conformal readiness.

Twins in Ancient Greece: a synopsis.

PubMed

Malamitsi-Puchner, Ariadne

2016-01-01

This brief outline associates twins with several aspects of life in Ancient Greece. In Greek mythology twins caused ambivalent reactions and were believed to have ambivalent feelings for each other. Very often, they were viewed as the representatives of the dualistic nature of the universe. Heteropaternal superfecundation, which dominates in ancient myths, explains on one hand, the god-like qualities and, on the other hand, the mortal nature of many twins. An assumption is presented that legends referring to twins might reflect the territorial expansions of Ancient Greeks in Northern Mediterranean, around the Black Sea, in Asia Minor, as well as North East Africa. In conclusion, in Greek antiquity, twins have been used as transitional figures between myth and reality.

To speak in chords about sexuality.

PubMed

Bermant, G

1995-01-01

Sexuality emerges from the interdependencies of biology, awareness, and the facts and artifacts of public life. A useful metaphor is that correct accountings of sexuality are not one-finger melodies--they are chords. Unfortunately, the physical vs. mental and nature vs. nurture controversies remain alive, well, and mischievous in regard to the correct understanding of human sexuality. Active political and legal disputes about homosexuality exemplify a continuing reliance on reductionistic models of the causes of conduct. Discourse relying on public misapprehension about biological causality can alter the course of subsequent science and public opinion and thus affect personal experience as well. Both dualistic and reductionistic models are traps and bar progress; the models should not be smuggled into accounts of sexuality.

The relationship between passion and the psychological well-being of professional dancers.

PubMed

Padham, Melissa; Aujla, Imogen

2014-03-01

The Dualistic Model of Passion defines passion as an intense desire or enthusiasm for a self-defining activity that people love, consider important, and devote significant amounts of time and energy to. The model proposes two distinct types of passion, harmonious (HP) and obsessive (OP). HP occurs when the activity is autonomously internalized into the individual's life and identity, while OP is a result of a controlled internalization of the activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and type of passion professional dancers have for dance in relation to their psychological well-being, specifically eating attitudes, self-esteem, and perfectionism. Participants were 92 professional dancers, aged 19 to 35 years (M = 27.03, SD = 3.84), and mostly from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Results revealed that HP positively predicted self-esteem (SE), while OP positively predicted self-evaluative perfectionism (SEP), conscientious perfectionism (CP), and disordered eating attitudes (EAT-26). Additionally, SEP was found to mediate the relationship between OP and EAT-26, suggesting that OP may lead to SEP, which could in turn motivate disordered eating. Overall, the results of this study have supported and extended previous research suggesting that the two types of passion can have divergent effects on aspects of psychological well-being. Findings indicate that HP should be encouraged and OP discouraged among dancers, for example, via autonomy supportive behaviors of teachers.

Charity, Hospitality, and the Human Person.

PubMed

Agius, Mark; McKeever, Anna

2017-09-01

We believe that in order to properly interpret all aspects of human scientific enquiry in terms of its impact on human beings it is necessary to have an adequate all encompassing model of the human person. We began this presentation by discussing the differences between the 'Cartesian' Dualistic model of the human Person and that of Aquinas and Augustine (which depend on Aristotle and Plato respectively). While the 'Cartesian' describes a completely separate 'soul' or 'mind' from the physical body, the Thomistic model of the Human Person is that of an Embodied Spirit, in which every aspect of the human spirit is reflected in an aspect or function of the physical body. We argued that the 'Cartesian view', in the modern age of 'Evidence Based Science' is inadequate, because the absence of evidence of a separate Mind allows the existence if this to be challenged by the application of 'Ockham's Razor', whereas the Thomistic or Augustinian view need not be so challenged, since every aspect of the human spirit is reflected in an aspect or function of the physical body. Thus we argued that the 'embodied spirit' model of the Human Person can be an appropriate model in understanding the relationship of modern neuroscience to the reality of the human person. We were able to observe numerous examples from Neuroscience, at the level of organs, neural systems and also at the molecular level in which a dualistic model was inadequate to explain experimental observations. We then related these ideas to the idea of Empathy, the neural system for which appears to be the same as the system for establishing a sense of self for the person. We argued that therefore since the Concept of Charity, that is caring for others, related to the concept of Empathy, then the same neural system existed to promote Charity, as a function of the Human Person. We used anthropological data on the confraternities of 'Our Lady of Charity' to describe how humans had, since Roman Times at least given expression to thin imperative for Charity , and took this further to show how paintings of the Roman story see Pero, who secretly breastfeeds her father, Cimon, after he is incarcerated and sentenced to death by starvation, expresses the need for Charity as a 'giving of self' to others which can be explained by the embedded of the neural network for empathy in the human brain, closely linked with the sense of self. Finally, we moved to hospitality, most easily expressed among humans by the sharing of a meal. We showed the Confraternities of 'Our Lady of Charity' used paintings of the feast of the Marriage of Cana to express hospitality and their charitable work. We took the metaphor of sharing a meal further, and suggested that in paintings of the Trinity by Andrei Rublëv and the Supper of Emmeus by Caravaggio expressed that hospitality, as in sharing a meal, can link the human person to the Transendent ... perhaps through the mediation of the Neural system which expresses both sense of self and empathy. We concluded that 'In the consultation we should treat people as embodied spirits', and that 'Treating people as an embodied spirit - demands charity, in which we give of our own embodied spirit'.

[Anatomical discoveries and concept of human body structure in Nan-jing (Classic of Questioning)].

PubMed

Yang, Shi-zhe

2006-04-01

What Nan-jing (Classic of Questioning) contributes to the anatomical discoveries and concepts of human body structure in TCM is that it clarifies the concept, function and anatomical essence of viscera and bowels. It is the first. book that clearly defines the triple jiao as a "qi bowel", This statement is a typical example of Chinese dualistic system of its view on the human body, consisting of physical and spiritual components. This has stirred up confusion for modern interpretation and, as a result, some thought the visceral theory in the book is not based on substantial basis of anatomy. However, the Forty-second Question in Nan-jing not only carries the contents about Wei (stomach), Xiaochang (small intestine), Huichang (large intestine) and Guangchang (anus) in the chapter of "Intestine and Stomach" in Lingshu Jing (Miraculous Pivot), but also changes these names to those we actually use today in the latter chapters; and it also records the gross anatomical shape and size of gall bladder, urinary bladder and all the five viscerae. So, Nan-jing discusses the structure of human body in ancient times, and is equivalent to an integrated science of modern physiology and anatomy, and establishes a solid basis for the fundamental theory of TCM.

Legal Evidence of Subjective States: A Brain-Based Model of Chronic Pain Increases Accuracy and Fairness in Law.

PubMed

Pustilnik, Amanda C

Advances in structural and functional neuroimaging offer new ways to conceptualize chronic pain disorders and to prevent, diagnose, and treat chronic pain. Advances in pain science, though, do not entail changes in the concepts of chronic pain in law and culture. Authoritative legal and cultural conceptions of chronic pain continue to promote abstruse theories, characterizing these disorders as arising out of everything from a person's unmet need for love to resistance to "patriarchy." These constructs have consequences, impeding treatment and affecting whether individuals with chronic pain can obtain legal redress. Legal systems themselves are disadvantaged, as adjudicators struggle to make sense of regulations and presumptions at odds with the medical evidence that they must evaluate. Law's pain schema is so misdescriptive that, paradoxically, it can reward fraudulent claims and disadvantage legitimate ones. This review discusses advances in neuroimaging and related sciences that are contributing to an emerging neurological model of chronic pain. It then describes doctrines and cases in the United States and United Kingdom, demonstrating how law's pre-neurological model of pain complicates the legal process for all participants. It concludes with suggestions for doctrinal revisions, which may have broader effects on law's long-standing dualistic conception of body versus mind.

The persistence of mind-brain dualism in psychiatric reasoning about clinical scenarios.

PubMed

Miresco, Marc J; Kirmayer, Laurence J

2006-05-01

Despite attempts in psychiatry to adopt an integrative biopsychosocial model, social scientists have observed that psychiatrists continue to operate according to a mind-brain dichotomy in ways that are often covert and unacknowledged and suggest that the same intuitive cognitive schemas that people use to make judgments of responsibility lead to dualistic reasoning among clinicians. The goal of this study was to confirm these observations. Self-report questionnaires were sent to the 270 psychiatrists and psychologists in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. In response to clinical vignettes, the participants rated the level of intentionality, controllability, responsibility, and blame attributable to the patients, as well as the importance of neurobiological, psychological, and social factors in explaining the patients' symptoms. A total of 136 faculty members (50.4%) responded, and 127 were included in the analysis. Factor analysis revealed a single dimension of responsibility regarding the patients' illnesses that correlated positively with ratings of psychological etiology and negatively with ratings of neurobiological etiology. Psychological and neurobiological ratings were inversely correlated. Multivariate analyses of variance supported these results. Mental health professionals continue to employ a mind-brain dichotomy when reasoning about clinical cases. The more a behavioral problem is seen as originating in "psychological" processes, the more a patient tends to be viewed as responsible and blameworthy for his or her symptoms; conversely, the more behaviors are attributed to neurobiological causes, the less likely patients are to be viewed as responsible and blameworthy.

An Illustration of the Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) Framework on the Passion Scale

PubMed Central

Tóth-Király, István; Bõthe, Beáta; Rigó, Adrien; Orosz, Gábor

2017-01-01

While exploratory factor analysis (EFA) provides a more realistic presentation of the data with the allowance of item cross-loadings, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) includes many methodological advances that the former does not. To create a synergy of the two, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was proposed as an alternative solution, incorporating the advantages of EFA and CFA. The present investigation is thus an illustrative demonstration of the applicability and flexibility of ESEM. To achieve this goal, we compared CFA and ESEM models, then thoroughly tested measurement invariance and differential item functioning through multiple-indicators-multiple-causes (MIMIC) models on the Passion Scale, the only measure of the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP) which differentiates between harmonious and obsessive forms of passion. Moreover, a hybrid model was also created to overcome the drawbacks of the two methods. Analyses of the first large community sample (N = 7,466; 67.7% females; Mage = 26.01) revealed the superiority of the ESEM model relative to CFA in terms of improved goodness-of-fit and less correlated factors, while at the same time retaining the high definition of the factors. However, this fit was only achieved with the inclusion of three correlated uniquenesses, two of which appeared in previous studies and one of which was specific to the current investigation. These findings were replicated on a second, comprehensive sample (N = 504; 51.8% females; Mage = 39.59). After combining the two samples, complete measurement invariance (factor loadings, item intercepts, item uniquenesses, factor variances-covariances, and latent means) was achieved across gender and partial invariance across age groups and their combination. Only one item intercept was non-invariant across both multigroup and MIMIC approaches, an observation that was further corroborated by the hybrid model. While obsessive passion showed a slight decline in the hybrid model, harmonious passion did not. Overall, the ESEM framework is a viable alternative of CFA that could be used and even extended to address substantially important questions and researchers should systematically compare these two approaches to identify the most suitable one. PMID:29163325

An Illustration of the Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) Framework on the Passion Scale.

PubMed

Tóth-Király, István; Bõthe, Beáta; Rigó, Adrien; Orosz, Gábor

2017-01-01

While exploratory factor analysis (EFA) provides a more realistic presentation of the data with the allowance of item cross-loadings, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) includes many methodological advances that the former does not. To create a synergy of the two, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was proposed as an alternative solution, incorporating the advantages of EFA and CFA. The present investigation is thus an illustrative demonstration of the applicability and flexibility of ESEM. To achieve this goal, we compared CFA and ESEM models, then thoroughly tested measurement invariance and differential item functioning through multiple-indicators-multiple-causes (MIMIC) models on the Passion Scale, the only measure of the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP) which differentiates between harmonious and obsessive forms of passion. Moreover, a hybrid model was also created to overcome the drawbacks of the two methods. Analyses of the first large community sample ( N = 7,466; 67.7% females; M age = 26.01) revealed the superiority of the ESEM model relative to CFA in terms of improved goodness-of-fit and less correlated factors, while at the same time retaining the high definition of the factors. However, this fit was only achieved with the inclusion of three correlated uniquenesses, two of which appeared in previous studies and one of which was specific to the current investigation. These findings were replicated on a second, comprehensive sample ( N = 504; 51.8% females; M age = 39.59). After combining the two samples, complete measurement invariance (factor loadings, item intercepts, item uniquenesses, factor variances-covariances, and latent means) was achieved across gender and partial invariance across age groups and their combination. Only one item intercept was non-invariant across both multigroup and MIMIC approaches, an observation that was further corroborated by the hybrid model. While obsessive passion showed a slight decline in the hybrid model, harmonious passion did not. Overall, the ESEM framework is a viable alternative of CFA that could be used and even extended to address substantially important questions and researchers should systematically compare these two approaches to identify the most suitable one.

Perception of Simultaneous Auditive Contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tschinkel, Christian

Based on a model of pluralistic music, we may approach an aesthetic concept of music, which employs dichotic listening situations. The concept of dichotic listening stems from neuropsychological test conditions in lateralization experiments on brain hemispheres, in which each ear is exposed to a different auditory content. In the framework of such sound experiments, the question which primarily arises concerns a new kind of hearing, which is also conceivable without earphones as a spatial composition, and which may superficially be linked to its degree of complexity. From a psychological perspective, the degree of complexity is correlated with the degree of attention given, with the listener's musical or listening experience and the level of his appreciation. Therefore, we may possibly also expect a measurable increase in physical activity. Furthermore, a dialectic interpretation of such "dualistic" music presents itself.

Apocalyptic suicide: from a pathological to an eschatological interpretation.

PubMed

Dein, Simon; Littlewood, Roland

2005-09-01

The authors examine the possible interpretations of apocalyptic suicide--a form of suicide amongst a group which believes that the world will end imminently. Through a literature search the authors identify a number of paradigmatic cases exemplifying this phenomenon including Jonestown, Waco, The Order of the Solar Temple and Heaven's Gate. Interpretations of apocalyptic suicide might consider individual factors--the most common approach--but also the social and eschatological themes which are found in the group's ideological work. Religious violence (including suicide) may be precipitated in a dialectical interaction between group members and the perceived outside world. We consider here the ideological aspects that commonly lead to a dualist epistemology for the group. Apocalyptic suicide involves a shift of personal self and agency to the social self of the charismatic group.

James Hillman: Toward a poetic psychology.

PubMed

Avens, R

1980-09-01

InThe Dream and the Underworld James Hillman continues to deepen and to refine Jung's recovery of the spontaneous image-making of the soul. Hillman's contribution lies in his "imaginai reduction"-relating of images to their archetypal background in Greek mythology. Myth is seen as the maker of the psyche, and, in turn, the soul-making ispoesis-a return to the imaginal and poetic basis of consciousness. Dreams, understood poetically, are neither messages to be deciphered and used for the benefit of the rational ego (Freud) nor compensatory to the ego (Jung); they are complete in themselves and must be allowed to speak for themselves. Hillman also sees dreams as initiations into the underworld of death-the other side of life where our imaginal substance is unobstructed by the literal and dualistic standpoints of the dayworld.

Passion, Trait Self-Control, and Wellbeing: Comparing Two Mediation Models Predicting Wellbeing.

PubMed

Briki, Walid

2017-01-01

Research has found that passion and trait self-control represented key determinants of wellbeing. Yet, no study to date has attempted to investigate the mediating influences of trait self-control and passion for accounting for the relationships between passion, trait self-control, and wellbeing (dependent variable). Using different frameworks, such as the dualistic model of passion and the neo-socioanalytic theory, the present study proposed two mediation models, considering either trait self-control (model 1) or passion (model 2) as the mediating variable. Five hundred nine volunteers from the United States (326 females and 183 males; M age = 31.74, SD age = 11.05, from 18 to 70 years old), who reported being passionate about a specific activity (e.g., fishing, swimming, blogging; M passion = 5.94, SD passion = 0.89), answered questionnaires assessing harmonious and obsessive passion, trait self-control, and wellbeing (measured through hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing scales). Preliminary analyses revealed that both models were significant ( model 1: absolute GoF = 0.366, relative GoF = 0.971, outer model GoF = 0.997, inner model GoF = 0.973, R 2 = 18.300%, p < 0.001; model 2: absolute GoF = 0.298; relative GoF = 0.980; outer model GoF = 0.997; inner model GoF = 0.982; R 2 = 12.111%, p < 0.001). Correlational analyses revealed positive relationships between harmonious passion, trait self-control, and wellbeing, and no relationships of obsessive passion with trait self-control and wellbeing. Mediation analyses revealed that trait self-control significantly mediated the relationship between harmonious passion and wellbeing (i.e., partial mediation, VAF = 33.136%). Harmonious passion appeared to significantly mediate the positive effect of trait self-control on wellbeing; however, the size of the mediating effect indicated that (almost) no mediation would take place (i.e., VAF = 11.144%). The present study is the first to examine the relationships between passion, trait self-control, and wellbeing, and supports the view that trait self-control and harmonious passion represent not only adaptive and powerful constructs, but also key determinants of wellbeing. Implications for the study of passion, trait self-control and wellbeing are discussed.

Passion, Trait Self-Control, and Wellbeing: Comparing Two Mediation Models Predicting Wellbeing

PubMed Central

Briki, Walid

2017-01-01

Research has found that passion and trait self-control represented key determinants of wellbeing. Yet, no study to date has attempted to investigate the mediating influences of trait self-control and passion for accounting for the relationships between passion, trait self-control, and wellbeing (dependent variable). Using different frameworks, such as the dualistic model of passion and the neo-socioanalytic theory, the present study proposed two mediation models, considering either trait self-control (model 1) or passion (model 2) as the mediating variable. Five hundred nine volunteers from the United States (326 females and 183 males; Mage = 31.74, SDage = 11.05, from 18 to 70 years old), who reported being passionate about a specific activity (e.g., fishing, swimming, blogging; Mpassion = 5.94, SDpassion = 0.89), answered questionnaires assessing harmonious and obsessive passion, trait self-control, and wellbeing (measured through hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing scales). Preliminary analyses revealed that both models were significant (model 1: absolute GoF = 0.366, relative GoF = 0.971, outer model GoF = 0.997, inner model GoF = 0.973, R2 = 18.300%, p < 0.001; model 2: absolute GoF = 0.298; relative GoF = 0.980; outer model GoF = 0.997; inner model GoF = 0.982; R2 = 12.111%, p < 0.001). Correlational analyses revealed positive relationships between harmonious passion, trait self-control, and wellbeing, and no relationships of obsessive passion with trait self-control and wellbeing. Mediation analyses revealed that trait self-control significantly mediated the relationship between harmonious passion and wellbeing (i.e., partial mediation, VAF = 33.136%). Harmonious passion appeared to significantly mediate the positive effect of trait self-control on wellbeing; however, the size of the mediating effect indicated that (almost) no mediation would take place (i.e., VAF = 11.144%). The present study is the first to examine the relationships between passion, trait self-control, and wellbeing, and supports the view that trait self-control and harmonious passion represent not only adaptive and powerful constructs, but also key determinants of wellbeing. Implications for the study of passion, trait self-control and wellbeing are discussed. PMID:28611704

Medically unexplained physical symptoms, misunderstood and wrongly treated? A semiotic perspective on chronic pain.

PubMed

Busvold, Kari Irene H; Bondevik, Hilde

2018-06-01

Medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) are a significant and increasing health issue in the western world. Chronic pain constitutes a considerable element of these symptoms, and the lack of a biomedical explanation of their cause challenges the clinical encounter. The limitations of biomedicine become evident in these encounters and expose the need for an expanded understanding of body and symptom. Semiotics, as an anti-dualistic meta-theory, closes the gap between natural science and the humanities and views the human body in an evolutionary and existential perspective. By focusing on interpretation and communication of signs as ongoing processes at all levels of life, biology and experience, the subjective and the measurable will be integrated. A special type of sign, the self-referential, is part of the body's internal communication. These signs may be viewed as the body's warnings to itself, for instance when the individual's consciousness, thought and action run counter to the organism's physiological and psychological needs. In a semiotic perspective, existential conditions may also activate the body's defense systems. In this context, the unexplained pain may be understood as a functional warning sign. The enhanced understanding of body and symptom that a semiotic approach calls for is relevant for the work of physiotherapists and may lead to more constructive clinical encounters with patients with unexplained chronic pain.

Migration and spawning of radio-tagged zulega Prochilodus argenteus in a dammed Brazilian river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Godinho, Alexandre L.; Kynard, B.

2006-01-01

It is difficult for agencies to evaluate the impacts of the many planned dams on Sa??o Francisco River, Brazil, migratory fishes because fish migrations are poorly known. We conducted a study on zulega Prochilodus argenteus, an important commercial and recreational fish in the Sa??o Francisco River, to identify migrations and spawning areas and to determine linear home range. During two spawning seasons (2001-2003), we radio-tagged fish in three main-stem reaches downstream of Tre??s Marias Dam (TMD), located at river kilometer (rkm) 2,109. We tagged 10 fish at Tre??s Marias (TM), which is 5 km downstream of TMD; 12 fish at Pontal, which is 28 km downstream of TMD and which includes the mouth of the Abaete?? River, and 10 fish at Cilga, which is 45 km downstream of TMD. Late-stage (ripe) adults tagged in each area during the spawning season remained at or near the tagging site, except for four Cilga fish that went to Pontal and probably spawned. The Pontal area at the Abaete?? River mouth was the most important spawning site we found. Prespawning fish moved back and forth between main-stem staging areas upstream of the Abaete?? River mouth and Pontal for short visits. These multiple visits were probably needed as ripe fish waited for spawning cues from a flooding Abaete?? River. Some fish homed to prespaw ning staging areas, spawning areas, and nonspawning areas. The migratory style of zulega was dualistic, with resident and migratory fish. Total linear home range was also dualistic, with small (<26-km) and large (53-127-km) ranges. The locations of spawning areas and home ranges suggest that the Pontal group (which includes Cilga fish) is one population that occupies about 110 km. The Pontal population overlaps a short distance with a population located downstream of Cilga. Movements of late-stage TM adults suggest that the TM group is a separate population, possibly with connections to populations upstream of TMD. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2006.

What Does It Take to Produce Interpretation? Informational, Peircean, and Code-Semiotic Views on Biosemiotics

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

Brier, Soren; Joslyn, Cliff A.

2013-04-01

This paper presents a critical analysis of code-semiotics, which we see as the latest attempt to create paradigmatic foundation for solving the question of the emergence of life and consciousness. We view code semiotics as a an attempt to revise the empirical scientific Darwinian paradigm, and to go beyond the complex systems, emergence, self-organization, and informational paradigms, and also the selfish gene theory of Dawkins and the Peircean pragmaticist semiotic theory built on the simultaneous types of evolution. As such it is a new and bold attempt to use semiotics to solve the problems created by the evolutionary paradigm’s commitmentmore » to produce a theory of how to connect the two sides of the Cartesian dualistic view of physical reality and consciousness in a consistent way.« less

The non-independence discussion about cycle structure in the computer language: the final simplification of computer language in the structural design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Peilu

2013-03-01

In the first place, the article discusses the theory, content, development, and questions about structured programming design. The further extension on this basement provides the cycle structure in computer language is the sequence structure, branch structure, and the cycle structure with independence. Through the deeply research by the writer, we find the non-independence and reach the final simplification about the computer language design. In the first, the writer provides the language structure of linear structure (I structure) and curvilinear structure (Y structure). This makes the computer language has high proficiency with simplification during the program exploration. The research in this article is corresponding with the widely used dualistic structure in the computer field. Moreover, it is greatly promote the evolution of computer language.

Management of female sexual pain disorders.

PubMed

Boyer, Stéphanie C; Goldfinger, Corrie; Thibault-Gagnon, Stéphanie; Pukall, Caroline F

2011-01-01

Our understanding of the sexual pain disorders vaginismus and dyspareunia has been fundamentally altered over the past two decades due to increased attention and empirically sound research in this domain. This increased knowledge base has included a shift from a dualistic view of the etiology of painful and/or difficult vaginal penetration being due to either psychological or physiological causes, to a multifactorial perspective. The present chapter reviews current classification and prevalence rates, including ongoing definitional debates. Research regarding the etiology, assessment and management of sexual pain disorders is discussed from a biopsychosocial perspective. Cyclical theories of the development and maintenance of sexual pain disorders, which highlight the complex interplay among physiological, psychological and social factors, are described. Medical/surgical treatment options, pelvic floor rehabilitation and psychological approaches are reviewed, as well as future directions in treatment research. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Demographic pressure, "informal sector" and technological choices in Third World countries].

PubMed

Hugon, P

1983-01-01

Trisectorial models of economic functioning have been proposed to replace the dualistic models that proved incapable of illuminating postwar employment trends in developing countries. The new models propose 3 sectors: the subsistence sector, where average productivity corresponds to the subsistence minimum and which is thus incapable of generating a surplus for savings; the intermediate sector, weakly capitalistic, characterized by the absence of a permanent salaried work force or codified labor relations, in which precariousness of employment and the exploitation of specific social relations allow a low wage rate, with a concommitant mode of regulation that largely escapes state control; and the intensely capitalistic sector, with a salaried work force, codified labor relations, existence of administered prices, various state subventions and protections and a monopolistic type of regulation. The 3 sectors are described in greater detail and represented graphically, along with a critique of the limitations of most studies employing a trisectorial perspective. A study of the impact of demographic pressure at different levels of technology embedded in specific sociohistoric systems follows. The final section contains an analysis of 3 types of effects which may mediate the role of demographic pressure in the choice of technologies: effects of demographic pressure on structures of production and consumption, on segments of the labor force, and on involutive and evolutive processes. It is argued that the links between demographic pressure, technologic choices, and the productive sector can only be analyzed in specific social systems.

The rainbow and the worm

PubMed Central

Hunt, Tam

2013-01-01

What is life? Many have asked this question, and no definitive answer is yet widely accepted. Is life something truly distinct from non-living stuff, as many dualists have suggested for millennia? Is there an élan vital that distinguishes living from dead stuff? Or is life about certain types of organization, metabolism, reproduction, goal-oriented behavior? None of these answers have yet won the debate. There is, however, an intriguing new set of ideas that have been developed by Mae-Wan Ho, a biophysicist and science activist (as she calls herself) based in London. Ho’s basic assertion is that life exists on a spectrum and is at its root organized, quantum coherent energy. Ho’s work attempts to bridge the gap between physics and biology by recognizing that there is no real gap at all—just a gap in current methods and habits of thinking. PMID:23795236

History of Nuclear Fusion Research in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iguchi, Harukazu; Matsuoka, Keisuke; Kimura, Kazue; Namba, Chusei; Matsuda, Shinzaburo

In the late 1950s just after the atomic energy research was opened worldwide, there was a lively discussion among scientists on the strategy of nuclear fusion research in Japan. Finally, decision was made that fusion research should be started from the basic, namely, research on plasma physics and from cultivation of human resources at universities under the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MOE). However, an endorsement was given that construction of an experimental device for fusion research would be approved sooner or later. Studies on toroidal plasma confinement started at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) under the Science and Technology Agency (STA) in the mid-1960s. Dualistic fusion research framework in Japan was established. This structure has lasted until now. Fusion research activities over the last 50 years are described by the use of a flowchart, which is convenient to glance the historical development of fusion research in Japan.

Empathy's purity, sympathy's complexities; De Waal, Darwin and Adam Smith.

PubMed

van der Weele, Cor

2011-07-01

Frans de Waal's view that empathy is at the basis of morality directly seems to build on Darwin, who considered sympathy as the crucial instinct. Yet when we look closer, their understanding of the central social instinct differs considerably. De Waal sees our deeply ingrained tendency to sympathize (or rather: empathize) with others as the good side of our morally dualistic nature. For Darwin, sympathizing was not the whole story of the "workings of sympathy"; the (selfish) need to receive sympathy played just as central a role in the complex roads from sympathy to morality. Darwin's understanding of sympathy stems from Adam Smith, who argued that the presence of morally impure motives should not be a reason for cynicism about morality. I suggest that De Waal's approach could benefit from a more thorough alignment with the analysis of the workings of sympathy in the work of Darwin and Adam Smith.

Video gamers of League of Legends: The role of passion in abusive use and in performance.

PubMed

Bertran, Enric; Chamarro, Andrés

2016-03-02

There is growing concern about the addictive potential of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG). The Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) is a new genre, poorly studied but very popular, in which performance holds priority over immersion. The aim of the current study was to explore the influence of passion both on abuse and performance, using the dualistic model of passion. A total of 369 participants completed an online questionnaire that included problematic use and the Passion Scale. From players' nicknames, performance statistics were obtained. The results show that harmonious passion is a protector from negative consequences. On the other hand, obsessive passion predicts negative consequences and use of videogames for evasion. Obsessive passion also predicts better performance. These results suggest that distinguishing the two kinds of passion is important because they influence vulnerability to developing maladaptive behaviors and also players' performance.

Symbolic solutions for deadly dilemmas: an analysis of federal coal mine health and safety legislation.

PubMed

Curran, D J

1984-01-01

Numerous studies of coal mine laws have argued that the passage of all significant health and safety legislation can be attributed to a succession of catastrophic disasters which heightened awareness and propelled lawmakers into action. This paper takes issue with this "disaster-law" argument because it obscures the intricacies of law creation by focusing on a single factor. More accurately, mining disasters represent one dimension of a process aimed at resolving conflicts occurring within a specific social context. Historically, legislation has been utilized to avert economic crises by addressing the demands of protesting miners. Unfortunately, while the "written law" assured improvements, the "law in action" did not meet these guarantees and the deaths in the mines continued. A case study of the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 demonstrates how a law with apparently progressive standards can fail to effect change because of its dualistic nature and incomplete implementation.

A hundred years of controversy about the taxonomic status of Echinococcus species.

PubMed

Tappe, Dennis; Kern, Petra; Frosch, Matthias; Kern, Peter

2010-09-01

The parasitic diseases which we know today as cystic and alveolar echinococcosis are zoonoses known since antique times, and 1855, respectively. Whether the two clinically and morphologically distinct diseases were caused, according to a "unicistic" and a "dualistic" theory, by only one or two different cestode species was the subject of a fierce, 100 years long debate involving scientists from many countries. The natural life cycle of Echinococcus granulosus was fully clarified in 1855 after successful animal experiments. In contrast, the natural final and intermediate hosts of Echinococcus multilocularis remained unknown, and the advocates of either theory had to draw on a number of surrogate arguments to defend their positions. The seesaw of reasoning and mutual defeats of the two theories, and the final recognition of E. multilocularis as an independent species in the 1950s are described in this article. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Critical Places Beyond the Psychology of Well-Being and Competitiveness.

PubMed

Chemi, Tatiana

2018-05-14

The purpose of the present contribution is to look beyond the limits evident in dualistic discourses in educational practices. Torn between the promises of well-being or the hard facts of competitiveness, educational institutions at all levels of instruction might miss the point of a more holistic approach to learning and creativity. Looking beyond dichotomous discourses in educational practices is harder than ever, in a world where globalisation demands high standards of competitiveness and neoliberalism denies all but economic growth targets. Approaches that envision different solutions are necessarily imaginative, critical and alternative to rigid discourses. In order to find foundational evidence for alternative ways of thinking and talking about learning, I will look at how Dewian and Vygotskyan conceptualisations walk the same paths and go towards holistic suggestions. Concluding remarks will address the disruptive potential of critical thinking in schools for the future.

Expert performance in sport and the dynamics of talent development.

PubMed

Phillips, Elissa; Davids, Keith; Renshaw, Ian; Portus, Marc

2010-04-01

Research on expertise, talent identification and development has tended to be mono-disciplinary, typically adopting genocentric or environmentalist positions, with an overriding focus on operational issues. In this paper, the validity of dualist positions on sport expertise is evaluated. It is argued that, to advance understanding of expertise and talent development, a shift towards a multidisciplinary and integrative science focus is necessary, along with the development of a comprehensive multidisciplinary theoretical rationale. Here we elucidate dynamical systems theory as a multidisciplinary theoretical rationale for capturing how multiple interacting constraints can shape the development of expert performers. This approach suggests that talent development programmes should eschew the notion of common optimal performance models, emphasize the individual nature of pathways to expertise, and identify the range of interacting constraints that impinge on performance potential of individual athletes, rather than evaluating current performance on physical tests referenced to group norms.

The Problem of Dualism in Modern Western Medicine

PubMed Central

Gendle, Mathew H.

2016-01-01

Dualism is historically important in that it allowed the medical practice to be divorced from church oversight. The reductionist approaches of modern Western medicine facilitate a dispassionate and mechanistic approach to patient care, and dualist views promoted by complementary and alternative medicine are also problematic. Behavioural disorders are multifactorally realizable and emerge apparently chaotically from interactions between internal physiological systems and the patient's environment and experiential history. Conceptualizations of behavioural disorders that are based on dualism deny the primacy of individual physiology in the generation of pathology and distract from therapies that are most likely to produce positive outcomes. Behavioural health professionals should adopt holistic models of patient care, but these models must be based on methodologies that emphasize radical emergence over the artificial separation of the “physical” and “mental.” This will allow for the humanistic practice of medicine while simultaneously maximizing the likelihood of treatment success. PMID:28031628

Pavlov and the mind-body problem.

PubMed

Windholz, G

1997-01-01

I. P. Pavlov claimed that the mind-body problem would ultimately be resolved by empirical methods, rather than by rational arguments. A committed monist, Pavlov was confronted by dualism in the case of an hysterical person. Under normal conditions, her body's left side was insensitive to pain, but when she was hypnotized, there was a reversal of her sensitivity to pain, with the right side becoming insensitive. Pavlov acknowledged that the divergence between stimulation and response suggested dualism, yet condemned his disciple G.P. Zelenyĭ as well as Charles S. Sherrington, for their dualistic tendencies. Pavlov's continuous adherence to monism it attributed to the influence of popular scientific books that he read during his adolescence. The books maintained that science was based upon monism. Pavlov proposed that by introducing the concept of emotions, an hysterical person's condition could be explained within the framework of his theory of higher nervous activity, thereby obviating the need to change his paradigm.

Tangled paths: Three experienced teachers' growth in understanding during an extended science community of practice professional development effort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Nancy Melamed

This qualitative investigation extends the study of teacher learning within a reform-based community of practice model of professional development. This long-term, multiple case study examined three experienced teachers' transformations in thinking about science instruction. Data were collected during the three years of the Guided Inquiry supporting Multiple Literacies research project, designed to develop instructional practices informed by a socio-cultural, inquiry-based orientation. Data sources included: transcripts of semi-structured interviews collected at strategic points, the teacher's journals, initial application information, and teachers' written case studies. Using an interpretive case study approach, tenets of the teachers' orientations were identified through a recursive process. Results are organized to reflect two principles that were integral to the design of the professional development community. The first principle describes changes in teachers' orientations about the goals and characteristics of science instruction in the elementary grades. The second describes changes about teachers' knowledge about themselves as learners and the influence of this knowledge on their thinking about science instruction and student learning. Illustrative findings indicate that: (a) it is possible for teachers' language regarding conceptions of their practice to change with only superficial change in their orientations, (b) teachers can hold dualistic ways of thinking about their practice, (c) in some cases, teachers use a significant amount of autobiography about their own learning to explain their practice; over time, this was replaced with warrants using the language that developed within the professional development community, and (d) long-term case studies revealed differences in orientations that emerged and were refined over time. These findings provide strong support for communities of practice as a model of professional development and hold implications for advancing teacher learning.

Paradigm wars, dialogue or dance: is rapprochement possible and/or desirable?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luitel, Bal Chandra; Settelmaier, Elisabeth; Pereira, Les; Joyce, Paula; Nhalevilo, Emilia; Cupane, Alberto; Taylor, Peter Charles

2009-09-01

In focusing on the Kincheloe and Tobin paper, `The Much Exaggerated Death of Positivism,' this forum explores the hegemony of positivism in the professional practices of a group of educators whose research expertise lies in the fields of science education, mathematics education and leadership education. Responding to the first question, `What is your personal/professional experience of the hegemony of positivism?', four key issues arise: is positivism part of the external world or is it within us (and thus what is our agency)?, the role of positivism as a driver of Western cultural imperialism, dualism as the chief logic of positivism, and the difficulty of responding to positivism from a pluralist perspective. The second question, `Is rapprochement between positivism and other paradigms possible and/or desirable without being re-colonised?', raises a number of key issues that, although relatively new to science education, are of increasing interest to cultural studies researchers keen to embrace alternative research paradigms with which to create culturally inclusive science curricula. The discussants reveal their personal experiences of being marginalised by the hegemony of positivism and give voice to a range of opinions about how best to respond. The integral perspective of spiral dynamics is proposed as a model of paradigm evolution, our fundamental assumptions about modern progress are questioned, and the non-dualist logic of dialectics is explored as a more inclusive rationality for researchers. In the spirit of counter-hegemonic cultural studies, the discussants draw on their personal Buddhist and Hindu perspectives to open new doorways into complex ontological systems lying beyond the simplistic materialism of crypto-positivism. We are given a glimpse of powerful means of generating new insights into the emergent universe (within and without) that an evolving science endeavours to explain.

Experts opinion on the use of normative data for functional capacity evaluation in occupational and rehabilitation medicine and disability claims.

PubMed

Soer, Remko; Reneman, Michiel F; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; Kuijer, P Paul; Kuijer, P Paul F M

2014-12-01

Application of normative values for functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is controversial for the assessment of clients for work ability. The objective of this study was to study when clinicians and researchers consider normative values of FCE useful or of no use for their purposes. A focus group meeting was organized among 43 FCE experts working in insurance, occupational and/or rehabilitation medicine from eight countries during the first international FCE research meeting on October 25th, 2012 in the Netherlands. Participants were asked to rate to which degree they agree or disagree with a statement concerning their position toward normative values for FCE on a 10 cm VAS ranging from 0 (completely disagree) to 100 (completely agree) at T0 and T1. Arguments for aspects that are useful and of no use for normative values were systematically collected during the meeting and afterwards independently clustered by two researchers in higher order topics. Baseline opinion of participants on their position toward normative values was 49 ± 29 points. After the meeting, mean VAS was 55 ± 23 (p = 0.07), indicating that participants did not significantly change their opinion toward normative values. Based on arguments provided by the experts, seven higher order topics were constructed namely 'Comparison with job demands or treatment goals'; 'Comparison with co-workers physical ability'; 'Sincerity of effort'; 'Validity for work ability and return to work'; 'Experience of referrer with assessment method'; 'Clinimetrics compared to alternative assessment methods or reference values'; and 'Ease of use for clinician and stakeholders'. Although experts state useful aspects for the use of normative values of FCE for these assessments, it may also lead to over-interpretation of results, leading to dualistic statements concerning work ability, with potential harmful consequences for work ability of patients.

Genetic enhancement of microsomal epoxide hydrolase improves metabolic detoxification but impairs cerebral blood flow regulation.

PubMed

Marowsky, Anne; Haenel, Karen; Bockamp, Ernesto; Heck, Rosario; Rutishauser, Sibylle; Mule, Nandkishor; Kindler, Diana; Rudin, Markus; Arand, Michael

2016-12-01

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) is a detoxifying enzyme for xenobiotic compounds. Enzymatic activity of mEH can be greatly increased by a point mutation, leading to an E404D amino acid exchange in its catalytic triad. Surprisingly, this variant is not found in any vertebrate species, despite the obvious advantage of accelerated detoxification. We hypothesized that this evolutionary avoidance is due to the fact that the mEH plays a dualistic role in detoxification and control of endogenous vascular signaling molecules. To test this, we generated mEH E404D mice and assessed them for detoxification capacity and vascular dynamics. In liver microsomes from these mice, turnover of the xenobiotic compound phenanthrene-9,10-oxide was four times faster compared to WT liver microsomes, confirming accelerated detoxification. mEH E404D animals also showed faster metabolization of a specific class of endogenous eicosanoids, arachidonic acid-derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) to dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs). Significantly higher DHETs/EETs ratios were found in mEH E404D liver, urine, plasma, brain and cerebral endothelial cells compared to WT controls, suggesting a broad impact of the mEH mutant on endogenous EETs metabolism. Because EETs are strong vasodilators in cerebral vasculature, hemodynamics were assessed in mEH E404D and WT cerebral cortex and hippocampus using cerebral blood volume (CBV)-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Basal CBV 0 levels were similar between mEH E404D and control mice in both brain areas. But vascular reactivity and vasodilation in response to the vasodilatory drug acetazolamide were reduced in mEH E404D forebrain compared to WT controls by factor 3 and 2.6, respectively. These results demonstrate a critical role for mEH E404D in vasodynamics and suggest that deregulation of endogenous signaling pathways is the undesirable gain of function associated with the E404D variant.

Framing the Mind-Body Problem in Contemporary Neuroscientific and Sunni Islamic Theological Discourse.

PubMed

Qazi, Faisal; Fette, Don; Jafri, Syed S; I Padela, Aasim

2018-07-01

Famously posed by seventeenth-century French philosopher René Descartes, the mind-body problem remains unresolved in western philosophy and science, with both disciplines unable to move convincingly beyond the dualistic model. The persistence of dualism calls for a reframing of the problem through interdisciplinary modes of inquiry that include non-western points of view. One such perspective is Islamic theology of the soul, which, while approaching the problem from a distinct point of view, also adopts a position commensurate with (substance) dualism. Using this point of convergence as a conceptual starting point, we argue that bringing into dialogue contemporary neuroscientific, philosophy of mind, and Sunni Islamic theological discourses may provide a fruitful way of reframing the age-old mind-body problem. This paper provides an overview of how these three discourses have approached the issue of the mind-body (-soul) problem. Juxtaposing these three discourses, we hope, may ignite further scholarly dialogue and investigation.

[About creativity].

PubMed

Rubia Vila, Francisco José

2006-01-01

The term 'creativity', meaning to produce something out of nothing, is not accurate. A definition that included the establishment, the founding or the introduction of something anew for the first time would be rather appropiate. The most accurate interpretation of the creativity process is the one proposed by Alfred Rothenberg which establishes the hypothesis that creativity is due to what he calls a 'janusian thinking' characterized by conceiving simultaneously two or more opposed ideas, images or concepts. Two examples illustrate such way of thinking: one is Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and the other is Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection. The overcome of a dualistic thinking while keeping full consciousnees, that is, the utilization of both the primary and the secondary processes postulated by Freud, would be the key to creative thinking. From a neurophysiological point of view, it is very likely that the right hemisphere is rather connected to creativity, given that it is a mental state that requires non-focalized attention, greater right hemisphere activation, and low levels of prefrontal cortical activation allowing cognitive inhibition.

Intercorporeality as a theory of social cognition.

PubMed

Tanaka, Shogo

2015-08-01

The main aim of this article is to revisit Merleau-Ponty's notion of intercorporeality (intercorporéité) and elaborate it as a new theory of social cognition. As is well known, theory of mind has been the central issue in the field of social cognition for more than two decades. In reviewing the basic concepts involved in two major theories (theory theory and simulation theory), I make clear that both theories have been missing the embodied dimension because of their mind-body dualistic supposition. The notion of intercorporeality, in accordance with the recent interaction theory, stresses the role of embodied interactions between the self and the other in the process of social understanding. I develop this notion into two directions and describe the related process of social cognition: one is behavior matching and primordial empathy, the other is interactional synchrony and the sense of mutual understanding. Through these embodied interactions, intersubjective meanings are created and directly shared between the self and the other, without being mediated by mental representations.

Islamic politics and women's quest for gender equality in Iran.

PubMed

Hoodfar, Homa; Sadr, Shadi

2010-01-01

The unification of a strong and authoritarian state with religious laws and institutions after the 1979 revolution in Iran has resulted in the creation of a dualistic state structure in which non-elected and non-accountable state authorities and institutions-the majority of whom have not accepted either the primacy of democracy nor the premise of equality between men and women (or Muslims and non-Muslims)-are able to oversee the elected authorities and institutions. The central question posed by this paper is whether a religious state would be capable of democratising society and delivering gender equality. By analysing the regime's gender policies and political development, the paper suggests that, at least in the case of Iran and Shi'ism, the larger obstacle to gender (and minorities') equality has more to do with the undemocratic state-society relations that persist in Iran and less to do with the actual or potential compatibility (or lack thereof) of religious traditions or practices with democratic principles.

Psychiatric symptoms and dissociation in conversion, somatization and dissociative disorders.

PubMed

Espirito-Santo, Helena; Pio-Abreu, Jose Luis

2009-03-01

Conversion, dissociation and somatization are historically related in the long established concept of hysteria. Somewhere along the way they were separated due to the Cartesian dualistic view. The aim of the present study was to compare these pathologies and investigate whether symptoms of these pathologies overlap in their clinical appearance in a Portuguese sample. Twenty-six patients with conversion disorder, 38 with dissociative disorders, 40 with somatization disorder, and a comparison group of 46 patients having other psychiatric disorders answered questions about dissociation (Dissociative Experiences Scale), somatoform dissociation (Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire), and psychopathological symptoms (Brief Symptom Inventory). Dissociative and somatoform symptoms were significantly more frequent in dissociative and conversion disorder than in somatization disorder and controls. There were no significant differences between dissociative and conversion patients. Conversion disorder is closely related to dissociative disorders. These results support the ICD-10 categorization of conversion disorder among dissociative disorders and the hypothesis of analogous psychopathological processes in conversion and dissociative disorders versus somatization disorder.

Cord blood banking - bio-objects on the borderlands between community and immunity.

PubMed

Brown, Nik; Williams, Rosalind

2015-01-01

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) has become the focus of intense efforts to collect, screen and bank haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in hundreds of repositories around the world. UCB banking has developed through a broad spectrum of overlapping banking practices, sectors and institutional forms. Superficially at least, these sectors have been widely distinguished in bioethical and policy literature between notions of the 'public' and the 'private', the commons and the market respectively. Our purpose in this paper is to reflect more critically on these distinctions and to articulate the complex practical and hybrid nature of cord blood as a 'bio-object' that straddles binary conceptions of the blood economies. The paper draws upon Roberto Esposito's reflections on biopolitics and his attempt to transcend the dualistic polarisations of immunity and community, or the private and the public. We suggest that his thoughts on immunitary hospitality resonate with many of the actual features and realpolitik of a necessarily internationalised and globally distributed UCB 'immunitary regime'.

Conceptions about the mind-body problem and their relations to afterlife beliefs, paranormal beliefs, religiosity, and ontological confusions

PubMed Central

Riekki, Tapani; Lindeman, Marjaana; Lipsanen, Jari

2013-01-01

We examined lay people’s conceptions about the relationship between mind and body and their correlates. In Study 1, a web survey (N = 850) of reflective dualistic, emergentistic, and monistic perceptions of the mind-body relationship, afterlife beliefs (i.e., common sense dualism), religiosity, paranormal beliefs, and ontological confusions about physical, biological, and psychological phenomena was conducted. In Study 2 (N = 73), we examined implicit ontological confusions and their relations to afterlife beliefs, paranormal beliefs, and religiosity. Correlation and regression analyses showed that reflective dualism, afterlife beliefs, paranormal beliefs, and religiosity were strongly and positively related and that reflective dualism and afterlife beliefs mediated the relationship between ontological confusions and religious and paranormal beliefs. The results elucidate the contention that dualism is a manifestation of universal cognitive processes related to intuitions about physical, biological, and psychological phenomena by showing that especially individuals who confuse the distinctive attributes of these phenomena tend to set the mind apart from the body. PMID:25247011

Conceptions about the mind-body problem and their relations to afterlife beliefs, paranormal beliefs, religiosity, and ontological confusions.

PubMed

Riekki, Tapani; Lindeman, Marjaana; Lipsanen, Jari

2013-01-01

We examined lay people's conceptions about the relationship between mind and body and their correlates. In Study 1, a web survey (N = 850) of reflective dualistic, emergentistic, and monistic perceptions of the mind-body relationship, afterlife beliefs (i.e., common sense dualism), religiosity, paranormal beliefs, and ontological confusions about physical, biological, and psychological phenomena was conducted. In Study 2 (N = 73), we examined implicit ontological confusions and their relations to afterlife beliefs, paranormal beliefs, and religiosity. Correlation and regression analyses showed that reflective dualism, afterlife beliefs, paranormal beliefs, and religiosity were strongly and positively related and that reflective dualism and afterlife beliefs mediated the relationship between ontological confusions and religious and paranormal beliefs. The results elucidate the contention that dualism is a manifestation of universal cognitive processes related to intuitions about physical, biological, and psychological phenomena by showing that especially individuals who confuse the distinctive attributes of these phenomena tend to set the mind apart from the body.

Conception of the Natural World.

PubMed

Bruno, Andy

2016-09-01

Thoroughly a product of imperial Russia’s aristocratic culture, the mineralogist and geochemist Aleksandr Fersman rose to the top of the country’s scientific establishment after the Bolsheviks took control. He then remained a staunch supporter of various industrial projects through much of the Stalinist period. This essay puts Fersman’s thinking about the natural world in conversation with a quite distinctive mode of intellectual inquiry that developed contemporaneously. Eurasianism was a philosophical doctrine of a group of Russian émigrés who emphasized Russia’s unique status straddling Europe and Asia. While Fersman did not belong to this group of thinkers, a number of his ideas drew on specific experiences in the environments of the Eurasian landmass. Indeed, the article argues that Fersman’s dualistic understanding of nature, his advocacy for the field of geochemistry, his definition of deserts, and a scheme he proposed for industrial operations owed much to the Eurasian settings of the science he practiced. Furthermore, this case of a Eurasian mineralogist illuminates novel aspects of the interplay between national and global sciences.

A qualitative exploration of key informant perspectives regarding the nature and impact of contemporary legislation on professional development: a grounded theory study of chiropractic in Denmark.

PubMed

Myburgh, Corrie

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to construct a substantive framework of the manner in which the Danish government interacts with the Danish chiropractic profession and influences professional practice. An exploratory, qualitative study was performed using a substantive grounded theory (GT) approach. Unstructured, face-to-face, individual interviews were conducted during the years 2012 and 2013 and thematically analyzed. Six people were interviewed for this study including a gatekeeper and witness to legislative history, a previous chiropractic political representative and witness to legislative history, a previous Department of Health negotiator and previous administrator of chiropractic affairs and witness to legislative history, a current administrator of chiropractic affairs, an active chiropractic political representative and witness to legislative history, and a chief negotiator for Danish Regional Health Care Services. Open and axial coding yielded 2 themes centering on licensing chiropractors in Denmark and the resultant developmental issues encountered. Through further selective coding, the GT core construct, "chiropractic practice in the Danish heath care system" emerged. The GT highlights the tension between the strategic political importance of legislation and the restrictive nature of the overly specific act currently regulating chiropractic practice. Moreover, the GT also revealed the perceived negative effect that the National Board of Health may exert on clinical practice due to its conservative interpretation of the act. The Danish government is perceived to act as a countervailing power related to chiropractic practice. The derived substantive GT suggests that the Danish government's dualistic action relative to the Danish chiropractic community may inhibit the spontaneous evolution of contemporary Danish chiropractic practice. Although historically narrow legislation may limit chiropractic practice, conservative interpretations by the Danish National Board of Health may also play an important role. Copyright © 2014 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The changing economic role of women in the urbanization process: a preliminary report from Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Drakakis-smith, D W

1984-01-01

This article reports the findings of a survey, conducted to collect information on the present economic situation of women and the constraints they face in the choice of work in Zimbabwe, which has recently witnessed a steady growth in its urbanization. Questionnaires were administered to women in 3 district areas of the city of Harare--a middle class suburb within easy commuting distance to the main white collar employment in the city, a low income area of site-and-service housing in the semiperiphery of the city, and a densely populated, lower income, inner city district. There are clear contrasts among the economic activities of women in the 3 areas studied, but the factors which influence the activities seem to vary between and within the social groups, relating somewhat uneasily to the generalized concepts on the female labor market. The occupational analysis of Harare reveals not only the inadequacy of conventional dualistic theories on the labor market, but the somewhat limited utility of westernized concepts on the domestic role of women. The survey also showed strong spatial and geographic influence on women's work and the different opportunities that arise from particular residential locations in Harare. However, this was clearly tempered by social contacts and migrational histories, especially in the inner city areas, where proximity to potential employment was not exploited by many recent migrants. Political factors too were found to play an important role, in the particular circumstance of Zimbabwe, in affecting the residential and economic opportunities for households. In the middle class suburb and low income area studied, the allocation of site and service plots or mortgages was strongly influenced by one's previous combatant status during the struggle for independence. For instance, families with such a status which could be earned by men as well as women), and who are also members of the ruling ZANU-PF party have been favored since 1980.

Evolutionary psychology is compatible with equity feminism, but not with gender feminism: a reply to Eagly and Wood (2011).

PubMed

Kuhle, Barry X

2012-01-11

I comment on Eagly and Wood's biosocial constructionist evolutionary theory (2011; DOI: 10.1007/s11199-011-9949-9). Although this gender feminist theory allows for evolved physical differences between men and women and evolved psychological similarities for men and women, it fails to consider evolutionary accounts of psychological sex differences. I hypothesize that gender feminists' reluctance to acknowledge that evolution has left different fingerprints on men's and women's bodies and brains stems from two common misunderstandings of evolutionary psychology: the myth of immutability and the naturalistic fallacy. I conclude that although evolutionary psychology is eminently compatible with equity feminism, evolutionary psychology and feminist psychology will conflict as long as the latter adheres to gender feminism and its unwillingness to acknowledge the evidence for evolved psychological sex differences.  Gender feminism's dualistic view of evolution hinders the search for and understanding of the proximate and ultimate causes of inequality. Feminist psychology needs to evolve by embracing equity feminism, which has no a priori stance on the origin or existence of differences between the sexes.

Quantum Dualism: Hypermind?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, R.

Today the consensus view is that thought and mind is a combination of processes like memory, generalization, comparison, deduction, organization, analogy, etc. performed by classical computational machinery. (R. Jones, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., vol. 109, #3/4, 2006) But I believe quantum mechanics is a more plausible dualist theory of reality. (R. Jones, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc., vol. 5, 2011) In a quantum computer the processing (thinking) takes place either in computers in Everett's many worlds or else in the many dimensional Hilbert space. (Depending upon your interpretation of QM.) If our brains were quantum computers then there might be a world of mind which is distinct from the physical world that our bodies occupy. (4 space) This is much like the spirit-body dualism of Descartes and others. My own view is that thought and mind are classical phenomena (see www.robert-w-jones.com, philosopher, theory of thought and mind) but it would be interesting to run an artificial intelligence like my A.S.A. H. on a quantum computer. Might this produce, for the first time, a hypermind in its own universe?

On the Determinants and Outcomes of Passion for Playing Pokémon Go

PubMed Central

Orosz, Gábor; Zsila, Ágnes; Vallerand, Robert J.; Böthe, Beáta

2018-01-01

In 2016, Pokémon Go became the most popular smartphone game. Despite the increasing popularity of this augmented reality game, to date, no studies have investigated passion for playing Pokémon Go. On the theoretical basis of the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP), our goal was to investigate the associations between Pokémon Go playing motives, passion, and impulsivity. A total of 621 Pokémon Go players participated in the study (54.9% female; Mage = 22.6 years, SDage = 4.4). It was found that impulsivity was more strongly associated with obsessive passion (OP) than with harmonious passion (HP). HP was associated with adaptive motives (i.e., outdoor activity, social, recreation, and nostalgia), while OP was associated with less adaptive motives (i.e., fantasy, escape, boredom, competition, and coping). Therefore, in line with the DMP, HP and OP for playing Pokémon Go can predict an almost perfectly distinguished set of adaptive or maladaptive playing motives, and OP has a noteworthy relationship with impulsivity as a determinant. PMID:29599735

On the Determinants and Outcomes of Passion for Playing Pokémon Go.

PubMed

Orosz, Gábor; Zsila, Ágnes; Vallerand, Robert J; Böthe, Beáta

2018-01-01

In 2016, Pokémon Go became the most popular smartphone game. Despite the increasing popularity of this augmented reality game, to date, no studies have investigated passion for playing Pokémon Go. On the theoretical basis of the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP), our goal was to investigate the associations between Pokémon Go playing motives, passion, and impulsivity. A total of 621 Pokémon Go players participated in the study (54.9% female; M age = 22.6 years, SD age = 4.4). It was found that impulsivity was more strongly associated with obsessive passion (OP) than with harmonious passion (HP). HP was associated with adaptive motives (i.e., outdoor activity, social, recreation, and nostalgia), while OP was associated with less adaptive motives (i.e., fantasy, escape, boredom, competition, and coping). Therefore, in line with the DMP, HP and OP for playing Pokémon Go can predict an almost perfectly distinguished set of adaptive or maladaptive playing motives, and OP has a noteworthy relationship with impulsivity as a determinant.

Passion for an activity and quality of interpersonal relationships: the mediating role of emotions.

PubMed

Philippe, Frederick L; Vallerand, Robert J; Houlfort, Nathalie; Lavigne, Geneviève L; Donahue, Eric G

2010-06-01

Our purpose in this research was to investigate the role of passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) for a given activity in the quality of interpersonal relationships experienced within the context of that activity in 4 studies. Study 1 demonstrated that a harmonious passion was positively associated with the quality of interpersonal relationships within the context of the passionate activity, whereas an obsessive passion was unrelated to it. Furthermore, in line with the broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2001), results also showed that positive emotions experienced at work fully mediated the relation between harmonious passion and quality of interpersonal relationships. Obsessive passion was not associated with positive emotions. Study 2 replicated the results from Study 1 while controlling for trait extraversion. Also, in Study 2, we examined the negative mediating role of negative emotions between obsessive passion and quality of interpersonal relationships. Finally, Studies 3 and 4 replicated the results of Study 2 with prospective designs and with objective ratings of interpersonal relationships quality. Implications for the dualistic model of passion and the broaden-and-build theory are discussed. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Correlated Photon Dynamics in Dissipative Rydberg Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeuthen, Emil; Gullans, Michael J.; Maghrebi, Mohammad F.; Gorshkov, Alexey V.

2017-07-01

Rydberg blockade physics in optically dense atomic media under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) leads to strong dissipative interactions between single photons. We introduce a new approach to analyzing this challenging many-body problem in the limit of a large optical depth per blockade radius. In our approach, we separate the single-polariton EIT physics from Rydberg-Rydberg interactions in a serialized manner while using a hard-sphere model for the latter, thus capturing the dualistic particle-wave nature of light as it manifests itself in dissipative Rydberg-EIT media. Using this approach, we analyze the saturation behavior of the transmission through one-dimensional Rydberg-EIT media in the regime of nonperturbative dissipative interactions relevant to current experiments. Our model is able to capture the many-body dynamics of bright, coherent pulses through these strongly interacting media. We compare our model with available experimental data in this regime and find good agreement. We also analyze a scheme for generating regular trains of single photons from continuous-wave input and derive its scaling behavior in the presence of imperfect single-photon EIT.

How do passion for video games and needs frustration explain time spent gaming?

PubMed

Mills, Devin J; Milyavskaya, Marina; Mettler, Jessica; Heath, Nancy L; Derevensky, Jeffrey L

2018-04-01

Research applying self-determination theory and the dualistic model of passion (DMP) has shown video games may satisfy basic psychological needs (i.e., competence, autonomy, and relatedness) and be identified as a passion. The DMP distinguishes between healthy or harmonious passion and problematic or obsessive passion (OP), with the latter reflecting an overreliance towards one's passion to obtain needs satisfaction. The experience of daily obstructions to needs satisfaction, or needs frustration (NF), may facilitate such an overreliance. This study explored how NF and both types of passion explain the amount of time that university students spend gaming. The overall association between NF and time spent gaming was not significant. However, for video game users with low levels of OP for gaming, there was a significant negative association between NF and time spent gaming. Additionally, evidence of a mutually reinforcing association between NF and OP for gaming indicates that a vicious cycle exists, whereby a strong OP for gaming predicts and is reinforced by greater NF. The theoretical implications are discussed. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Theorizing with/out "Mediators".

PubMed

Roth, Wolff-Michael; Jornet, Alfredo

2017-01-05

Mediation is one of the most often cited concepts in current cultural-historical theory literature, in which cultural actions and artifacts are often characterized as mediators standing between situational stimuli and behavioral responses. Most often presented as a means to overcome Cartesian dualism between subject and object, and between individual and society, some scholars have nonetheless raised criticism suggesting that such mediators are problematic for a dialectical psychology that takes a unit analysis (monist) approach. In fact, Spinoza develops a monist theory of mind and body that goes without and even excludes every form of mediation. In this study, we follow up on the latter criticisms and explore what we consider to be problematic uses of the notion of mediation as an analytical construct in the literature. We elaborate an empirically grounded discussion on the ways the concept of mediation may lead to dualistic readings; and we offer an alternative account where the notion of mediator is not needed. We conclude discussing prospects for and implications of a cultural-historical theory where the notion of mediation no longer is invoked to account for human action and development.

Dualism and its place in a philosophical structure for psychiatry.

PubMed

Maung, Hane Htut

2018-05-19

It is often claimed in parts of the psychiatric literature that neuroscientific research into the biological basis of mental disorder undermines dualism in the philosophy of mind. This paper shows that such a claim does not apply to all forms of dualism. Focusing on Kenneth Kendler's discussion of the mind-body problem in biological psychiatry, I argue that such criticism of dualism often conflates the psychological and phenomenal concepts of the mental. Moreover, it fails to acknowledge that there are different varieties of dualism, and so overlooks the important metaphysical insights of contemporary dualist philosophers. I argue that while the neuroscientific research underpinning biological psychiatry challenges the traditional dualism of René Descartes, it does not pose any problem for the more modern dualism of David Chalmers. It is possible to take seriously the scientific claims of biological psychiatry while holding that this latter form of dualism is true. This has implications for the positioning of the mind-body problem in psychiatry. While the "easy" problem of explaining psychological processes is relevant to the aims of biological psychiatry, psychiatrists need not worry about the "hard" problem of consciousness.

A passion for gambling: a generation-specific conceptual analysis and review of gambling among older adults in Canada.

PubMed

Alberghetti, Alessandra; Collins, Patricia A

2015-06-01

The proliferation of gambling opportunities in Canada, coupled with an aging population, has led to an increased prevalence of gambling among older adults. Encouraged by this trend, gambling industries have modified their activities to attract and market to this group. Yet, older adults are not a homogeneous group. The life experiences, values, and attitudes shared by generations make a cohort-specific analysis of gambling among older adults a worthwhile pursuit. Drawing from the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al. in J Pers Soc Psychol 85(4):756-767, 2003), we discuss the role of passion in shaping gambling behaviours, and the implications of a harmonious or obsessive passion on the benefits and risks to two distinct generations of older adults. Based on their generational attributes, we posit that members of the Silent Generation (those born between 1925 and 1942) stand to gain more from the benefits of recreational gambling, but also stand lose more from problem gambling, than their children's generation, the Baby Boomers (those born between 1942 and 1964). Preventative strategies to assist problem gambling seniors, along with recommendations for further research, are discussed.

Application of the Integrative Harmony paradigm and Model.

PubMed

Haley, Janice; Ratliffe, Clark

2006-01-01

Medically-fragile children at home with technologic equipment to support their vital organs place extraordinary demands on the parent caregiver. An ethnographic study was conducted following 12 Pacific Island families in their homes who cared for their medically-fragile child from hospital discharge over a period of two and a half years. Results showed the 'strengths' parents needed and the 'stressors' encountered in caring for their child. Based on the 'strengths' and 'stressors,' the Integrative Harmony Model was introduced as a new nursing model to bring a sense of harmony/balance into the lives of these parents challenged by extreme conditions. This article explains the Integrative Harmony Model and demonstrates its application with a Pacific Island mother and her medically-fragile child. This new and unique nursing model views individuals from an inclusive, non-dualistic world view. In this model, strengths and stressors are not opposed but are melded together in such a way that a sense of harmony is approached. This model challenges the nurse and others to leave behind the usual boundaries and adapt an integrative perspective connecting with clients/others at a level where it is not a case and someone else's life-it is all our lives.

The body unbound: vestibular-motor hallucinations and out-of-body experiences.

PubMed

Cheyne, J Allan; Girard, Todd A

2009-02-01

Among the varied hallucinations associated with sleep paralysis (SP), out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and vestibular-motor (V-M) sensations represent a distinct factor. Recent studies of direct stimulation of vestibular cortex report a virtually identical set of bodily-self hallucinations. Both programs of research agree on numerous details of OBEs and V-M experiences and suggest similar hypotheses concerning their association. In the present study, self-report data from two on-line surveys of SP-related experiences were employed to assess hypotheses concerning the causal structure of relations among V-M experiences and OBEs during SP episodes. The results complement neurophysiological evidence and are consistent with the hypothesis that OBEs represent a breakdown in the normal binding of bodily-self sensations and suggest that out-of-body feelings (OBFs) are consequences of anomalous V-M experiences and precursors to a particular form of autoscopic experience, out-of-body autoscopy (OBA). An additional finding was that vestibular and motor experiences make relatively independent contributions to OBE variance. Although OBEs are superficially consistent with universal dualistic and supernatural intuitions about the nature of the soul and its relation to the body, recent research increasingly offers plausible alternative naturalistic explanations of the relevant phenomenology.

Global environmental crisis: is there a connection with place-based, ecosociocultural education in rural Spain?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasson, George E.

2011-06-01

Environmental educators are challenged by how to teach children about global environmental crisis such as the Gulf oil spill, which only serves to engender children's fears and apprehensions about the negative impact of humans on ecosystems. Eduardo Dopico and Eva Garcia-Vazquez's article presents an interesting context from which to analyze and reflect on the connections between local and global environmental education issues. The authors' study involves student researchers in actively learning about place-based, sustainable agricultural practices in rural Spain that are passed down through generations. These ecofriendly, culturally mediated farming practices, referred to as "traditional" by the farmers, were contrasted to "modern" practices that are used throughout market-based globalized economy. The connection between local (traditional) and global (modern) practices became very important in the reflections and learning of the student participants about sustainability and ecojustice issues associated with traditional farming. Students learned from the local farmers a positive, non-dualistic approach to sustainable agriculture in which human activity and culture is connected to ecological sustainability. Further, the students' active research of sustainable and culturally medicated agricultural practices at the local level provided a frame of reference to understand global environmental crises.

The medical philosophy of Francis Bacon (1561-1626).

PubMed

Boss, J

1978-01-01

Francis Bacon's view of man is dualistic but, although he takes note of mental faculties, he makes the relation between mind and body, rather than the substance of mind, the basis for enquiry into mental processes and, more particularly, for the medically relevant study of mind. (He uses "mind" and "soul" as equivalent terms.) The healing of the body requires study of the body, and the ineffectiveness of physicians is due to their failure in this respect rather than to the body's complexity. To learn about the body requires clinical observation and recording, together with the comparison of bodies, experiments on living animals and attention to pathological changes. The aims of medicine should include not only the restoration of health but also the relief of suffering and they are not to be limited by putting aside a disease as incurable. To learn from treatment it must be fixed in its ordering with controlled and limited variation. Bacon has no separation of medicine from natural science; his philosophy of medicine is his general philosophy of the advancement of knowledge, but limited to a particular field of application. If medicine is separated from natural philosophy it is changed wholly or greatly into empiricism.

Metapsychological and clinical issues in psychosomatics research.

PubMed

Press, Jacques

2016-02-01

The author starts by treating the general epistemological problems inherent to research and emphasizes that all investigation takes place between two poles: a creative pole and one that is defensive in relation to the unknown and formlessness. In the psychosomatic field, an additional difficulty resides in the western dualistic vision of the relationship between psyche and soma which influences our way of thinking about the body as well as about otherness. The author continues by exploring Pierre Marty's psychosomatic model. Its psychosomatic monism is revolutionary but incomplete and creates a distance with the other, the somatizing patient, resulting in a medically oriented nosology symptomatic of the impossibility to think about some of the most important aspects of counter-transference. With the help of clinical material, the author considers these unthought aspects and some of their theoretical implications, particularly the way of understanding the negative often so prevalent with these patients. Based on these reflections as well as Freud's on beyond the pleasure principle and Winnicott's theorization on the fear of breakdown, the author suggests some directions for research. Somatic illness might occur when the attempts at filling the cracks created by a breakdown are unsuccessful. Copyright © 2015 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Family therapy and fundamentalism: One family therapist's exploration of ethics and collaboration with religious fundamentalist families.

PubMed

Sherbersky, Hannah

2016-07-01

What are the therapeutic limitations of systemic psychotherapy when working with families who hold religious fundamentalist beliefs? At a time of debate about religious fundamentalism, terrorism and radicalisation, where do family therapists position themselves when confronted by extreme beliefs in the therapy room? Research suggests that the increase in modernity within our society equates not just with an increase in secularisation, but rather an increase in pluralism. Contemporary models of family therapy pay explicit attention to issues of gender, culture, ethnicity, discrimination and societal contexts. The author, therefore, proposes that family therapists need to examine their position regarding religious fundamentalism in relation to the social constructionist relativist continuum and engage with uncomfortable questions about whether they believe that fundamentalism has essentially pathological roots. This article will explore whether the dualist position within some religious movements set against a more secular psychotherapeutic and psychiatric cultural milieu can invite a fundamentalised response from clinicians. The author draws on her own work with families who hold religious fundamentalist beliefs and enquires about ethics, transparency and collaboration within family therapy practice. This article invites complex ongoing challenging questions and debate. © The Author(s) 2015.

The Russo-Williamson Theses in the social sciences: causal inference drawing on two types of evidence.

PubMed

Claveau, François

2012-12-01

This article examines two theses formulated by Russo and Williamson (2007) in their study of causal inference in the health sciences. The two theses are assessed against evidence from a specific case in the social sciences, i.e., research on the institutional determinants of the aggregate unemployment rate. The first Russo-Williamson Thesis is that a causal claim can only be established when it is jointly supported by difference-making and mechanistic evidence. This thesis is shown not to hold. While researchers in my case study draw extensively on both types of evidence, one causal claim out of the three analyzed is established even though it is exclusively supported by mechanistic evidence. The second Russo-Williamson Thesis is that standard accounts of causality fail to handle the dualist epistemology highlighted in the first Thesis. I argue that a counterfactual-manipulationist account of causality--which is endorsed by many philosophers as well as many social scientists--can perfectly make sense of the typical strategy in my case study to draw on both difference-making and mechanistic evidence; it is just an instance of the common strategy of increasing evidential variety. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Double function hydroperoxide lyases/epoxyalcohol synthases (CYP74C) of higher plants: identification and conversion into allene oxide synthases by site-directed mutagenesis.

PubMed

Toporkova, Yana Y; Gorina, Svetlana S; Bessolitsyna, Elena K; Smirnova, Elena O; Fatykhova, Valeria S; Brühlmann, Fredi; Ilyina, Tatiana M; Mukhtarova, Lucia S; Grechkin, Alexander N

2018-04-01

The CYP74C subfamily of fatty acid hydroperoxide transforming enzymes includes hydroperoxide lyases (HPLs) and allene oxide synthases (AOSs). This work reports a new facet of the putative CYP74C HPLs. Initially, we found that the recombinant CYP74C13_MT (Medicago truncatula) behaved predominantly as the epoxyalcohol synthase (EAS) towards the 9(S)-hydroperoxide of linoleic acid. At the same time, the CYP74C13_MT mostly possessed the HPL activity towards the 13(S)-hydroperoxides of linoleic and α-linolenic acids. To verify whether this dualistic behaviour of CYP74C13_MT is occasional or typical, we also examined five similar putative HPLs (CYP74C). These were CYP74C4_ST (Solanum tuberosum), CYP74C2 (Cucumis melo), CYP74C1_CS and CYP74C31 (both of Cucumis sativus), and CYP74C13_GM (Glycine max). All tested enzymes behaved predominantly as EAS toward 9-hydroperoxide of linoleic acid. Oxiranyl carbinols such as (9S,10S,11S,12Z)-9,10-epoxy-11-hydroxy-12-octadecenoic acids were the major EAS products. Besides, the CYP74C31 possessed an additional minor 9-AOS activity. The mutant forms of CYP74C13_MT, CYP74C1_CS, and CYP74C31 with substitutions at the catalytically essential domains, namely the "hydroperoxide-binding domain" (I-helix), or the SRS-1 domain near the N-terminus, showed strong AOS activity. These HPLs to AOSs conversions were observed for the first time. Until now a large part of CYP74C enzymes has been considered as 9/13-HPLs. Notwithstanding, these results show that all studied putative CYP74C HPLs are in fact the versatile HPL/EASs that can be effortlessly mutated into specific AOSs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional Relationships for Investigating Cognitive Processes

PubMed Central

Wright, Anthony A.

2013-01-01

Functional relationships (from systematic manipulation of critical variables) are advocated for revealing fundamental processes of (comparative) cognition—through examples from my work in psychophysics, learning, and memory. Functional relationships for pigeon wavelength (hue) discrimination revealed best discrimination at the spectral points of hue transition for pigeons—a correspondence (i.e., functional relationship) similar to that for humans. Functional relationships for learning revealed: Item-specific or relational learning in matching to sample as a function of the pigeons’ sample-response requirement, and same/different abstract-concept learning as a function of the training set size for rhesus monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and pigeons. Functional relationships for visual memory revealed serial position functions (a 1st order functional relationship) that changed systematically with retention delay (a 2nd order relationship) for pigeons, capuchin monkeys, rhesus monkeys, and humans. Functional relationships for rhesus-monkey auditory memory also revealed systematic changes in serial position functions with delay, but these changes were opposite to those for visual memory. Functional relationships for proactive interference revealed interference that varied as a function of a ratio of delay times. Functional relationships for change detection memory revealed (qualitative) similarities and (quantitative) differences in human and monkey visual short term memory as a function of the number of memory items. It is concluded that these findings were made possible by varying critical variables over a substantial portion of the manipulable range to generate functions and derive relationships. PMID:23174335

The Paradoxical Roles of Climate Stressors on Disturbance and Recovery of Coral Reef Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manfrino, C.; Foster, G.; Camp, E.

2013-05-01

The geographic isolation, absence of significant anthropogenic impacts, compressed spatial scale, and habitat diversity of Little Cayman combine to make it a natural laboratory for elucidating the dualistic impacts of various climatic events. These events both impart ecosystem disturbances and aid in the subsequent recovery of coral reef habitats. Within the isolated microcosm of Little Cayman the environmental factors commonly associated with coral stress, mortality, resilience and recovery hinted at by regional-scale observations can be more clearly observed. The primary thrust of this study is to reveal the under-pinning biophysical and hydrologic factors pertinent to reef resilience and to better understand the various roles played by climatic disturbances that have led to the rapid recovery of corals at Little Cayman following a spate of high temperature anomalies. Six closely-spaced high-temperature events were recorded in the Caribbean between the years of 1987 and 2009. Of these, only the 1998 global ENSO event, with well-documented levels of elevated SST, reduced cloud cover and surface water texture with concomittant increases in UV and irradiance and reduced water velocity, resulted in significant mortality at Little Cayman. Following this event, island-wide live coral cover decreased by 40%, from 26% to 14%. Annual monitoring of live coral cover following the 1998 ENSO event revealed no significant recovery of live coral cover until 2009, at which point there was a rapid rebound to pre-disturbance levels by 2011. Such a protracted step-change in coral recovery is indicative of one or more episodic events. The proposed scenario is that the numerous thermal stress events damaged the photo-system of the zooxanthellae, limiting the scope for growth and recovery as the metabolic budgets of corals were diverted to cellular repair. It is posited that the rapid cooling effect of frequent Tropical Storms and Hurricanes between 2002 - 2008, coupled with the translocation of nutrients, amino acids and essential minerals to the coral reef habitats provided the necessary raw materials for rapid cellular repair. Indeed, the observed step-change in coral recovery followed an increase in Tropical Storms and Hurricanes. In this scenario, hurricanes expedited recovery by translocating the necessary materials otherwise unavailable to the presumably autotrophic corals occupying the clear waters surrounding Little Cayman. This scenario is reinforced by the observation that corals with higher littoral drift transports epiphytic detritus from adjacent seagrass beds and may lead to a greater recovery. Corals directly adjacent to areas with higher inputs of suspeniods suffered the same levels of mortality to thermal stress but showed incremental recovery in the ensuing years. Future studies of metabolic budgets will reveal the relative roles of autotrophy and heterotrophy of conspecifics in the recovery of corals. Such findings will illustrate the role of local hydrology and suspenoids as it pertains to recovery from climate- stress with global applications for coral reefs.

The nature of water: excerpts from Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Heraclitus and Parmenides.

PubMed

Bisaccia, Carmela; De Santo, Rosa Maria; Bilancio, Giancarlo; Anastasio, Pietro; Perna, Alessandra; De Santo, Luca Salvatore

2009-01-01

Water was a prominent substance with Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Heraclitus and Parmenides, who flourished in the years 530-490 bc. The basic Pythagorean elements were earth and fire, and between them there were 2 intermediate entities (water and air), which were instrumental and indispensable components of specific solids. All things are a blend of different elements. For Xenophanes, "All things that come into being and grow are earth and water," "We all originated from earth and water" and "And in certain caves water drips down."For Heraclitus water is an ambivalent substance: "One cannot bathe in the same river on two occasions." "The sea is the safest and the most polluted water, for fish it is healthy and gives life, for men it is unhealthy and causes death." "Fire experiences the death of earth, air experiences that of fire, water experiences the death of air and the earth that of water." Parmenides was a man who sought the truth through reasoning and was, according to Hegel, the founder of Western philosophy. He built a dualist theory of the cosmos based on heat and cold, fire and earth - the former as a cause, the latter as substrate. The former unified, the latter separated. According to Aristotle, Parmenides considered air and water as mixtures of earth and fire.

What is Health and What is Important for its Achievement? A Qualitative Study on Adolescent Boys’ Perceptions and Experiences of Health

PubMed Central

Randell, Eva; Jerdén, Lars; Öhman, Ann; Flacking, Renée

2016-01-01

Few qualitative studies have explored adolescent boys’ perceptions of health. Aim: The aim of this study was therefore to explore how adolescent boys understand the concept of health and what they find important for its achievement Methods: Grounded theory was used as a method to analyse interviews with 33 adolescent boys aged 16 to 17 years attending three upper secondary schools in a relatively small town in Sweden. Results: There was a complexity in how health was perceived, experienced, dealt with, and valued. Although health on a conceptual level was described as ‘holistic’, health was experienced and dealt with in a more dualistic manner, one in which the boys were prone to differentiate between mind and body. Health was experienced as mainly emotional and relational, whereas the body had a subordinate value. The presence of positive emotions, experiencing self-esteem, balance in life, trustful relationships, and having a sense of belonging were important factors for health while the body was experienced as a tool to achieve health, as energy, and as a condition. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that young, masculine health is largely experienced through emotions and relationships and thus support theories on health as a social construction of interconnected processes. PMID:27347252

Premenstrual Syndrome: Symptomatic and Diagnosed Prevalence, Dualistic Treatment Approach - A Cross-Sectional Study in Ukraine.

PubMed

Crow, Edith Meszaros; Jeannot, Emilien

2017-01-01

Diagnosing and treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) still pose a challenge in the routine medical practice which usually focuses on single pharmacological therapy. Recent research suggests that the combination of treatments including complementary alternative medicine (CAM) therapies may be more beneficial. The objective of this study was to assess the percentage of diagnosed and nondiagnosed PMS/premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) based on the presence of adequate symptoms and to compare population using hormonal or pharmaceutical agents versus CAM therapies. This is a cross-sectional study targeting sample population of 160 females of potentially reproductive age done in Ukraine between May 2014 and April 2015. According to declared symptoms, 29% females versus 26% previously diagnosed by a medical professional qualify for "moderate/severe PMS," P > 0.05. In 30% persons using pharmacological agents, major side effects, namely, nausea, insomnia, headache was caused by painkillers, contraceptives, and antidepressants. Only 37.5% of study population has been using CAM therapy methods to deal with the symptoms of PMS. Of these, 22% have achieved moderate degree in relief of the symptoms long term. We have concluded that when dealing with the burden of PMS/PMDD, the affected treatment-seeking women should have choice and access to the variety of therapies within integrative medicine (both conventional and nonconventional).

Passion: Does one scale fit all? Construct validity of two-factor passion scale and psychometric invariance over different activities and languages.

PubMed

Marsh, Herbert W; Vallerand, Robert J; Lafrenière, Marc-André K; Parker, Philip; Morin, Alexandre J S; Carbonneau, Noémie; Jowett, Sophia; Bureau, Julien S; Fernet, Claude; Guay, Frédéric; Salah Abduljabbar, Adel; Paquet, Yvan

2013-09-01

The passion scale, based on the dualistic model of passion, measures 2 distinct types of passion: Harmonious and obsessive passions are predictive of adaptive and less adaptive outcomes, respectively. In a substantive-methodological synergy, we evaluate the construct validity (factor structure, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity) of Passion Scale responses (N = 3,571). The exploratory structural equation model fit to the data was substantially better than the confirmatory factor analysis solution, and resulted in better differentiated (less correlated) factors. Results from a 13-model taxonomy of measurement invariance supported complete invariance (factor loadings, factor correlations, item uniquenesses, item intercepts, and latent means) over language (French vs. English; the instrument was originally devised in French, then translated into English) and gender. Strong measurement partial invariance over 5 passion activity groups (leisure, sport, social, work, education) indicates that the same set of items is appropriate for assessing passion across a wide variety of activities--a previously untested, implicit assumption that greatly enhances practical utility. Support was found for the convergent and discriminant validity of the harmonious and obsessive passion scales, based on a set of validity correlates: life satisfaction, rumination, conflict, time investment, activity liking and valuation, and perceiving the activity as a passion.

Brain early infarct detection using gamma correction extreme-level eliminating with weighting distribution.

PubMed

Teh, V; Sim, K S; Wong, E K

2016-11-01

According to the statistic from World Health Organization (WHO), stroke is one of the major causes of death globally. Computed tomography (CT) scan is one of the main medical diagnosis system used for diagnosis of ischemic stroke. CT scan provides brain images in Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) format. The presentation of CT brain images is mainly relied on the window setting (window center and window width), which converts an image from DICOM format into normal grayscale format. Nevertheless, the ordinary window parameter could not deliver a proper contrast on CT brain images for ischemic stroke detection. In this paper, a new proposed method namely gamma correction extreme-level eliminating with weighting distribution (GCELEWD) is implemented to improve the contrast on CT brain images. GCELEWD is capable of highlighting the hypodense region for diagnosis of ischemic stroke. The performance of this new proposed technique, GCELEWD, is compared with four of the existing contrast enhancement technique such as brightness preserving bi-histogram equalization (BBHE), dualistic sub-image histogram equalization (DSIHE), extreme-level eliminating histogram equalization (ELEHE), and adaptive gamma correction with weighting distribution (AGCWD). GCELEWD shows better visualization for ischemic stroke detection and higher values with image quality assessment (IQA) module. SCANNING 38:842-856, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

I wept for four years and when I stopped I was blind.

PubMed

Hustvedt, S

2014-10-01

The conversion phenomena of hysteria were the subject of intense study in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, after which work on the subject went into decline. The patients are still with us, however, and I cite an epidemic of hysterical blindness among Cambodian refugees living in the U.S. as a poignant example. Since the advent of brain imaging technology, conversion hysteria has been receiving renewed attention. In this paper, I suggest that examining the ideas about hysteria from the past, especially those of Charcot and Janet are fertile areas of study, including the illness and its relation to hypnosis, shock, suggestion, and dissociation theory. I also address the role of the imaginary and the imagination in the illness and critique the implicit dualist model used in most brain imaging studies that distorts the integration of psyche and soma. I summon Merleau-Ponty's body-subject, infant research on intersubjectivity, and Vittorio Gallese's "embodied simulation" as possible windows onto the problem of hysterical conversion, and finally I suggest that along with imaging studies, more dynamic narrative strategies should be used if we hope to understand the metamorphoses, mimesis, and powerful emotions that all play a part in this mysterious disease. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Molecular dialogues between the ischemic brain and the peripheral immune system: Dualistic roles in injury and repair

PubMed Central

An, Chengrui; Shi, Yejie; Li, Peiying; Hu, Xiaoming; Gan, Yu; Stetler, Ruth A.; Leak, Rehana K.; Gao, Yanqin; Sun, Bao-Liang; Zheng, Ping; Chen, Jun

2014-01-01

Immune and inflammatory responses actively modulate the pathophysiological processes of acute brain injuries such as stroke. Soon after the onset of stroke, signals such as brain-derived antigens, danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), cytokines, and chemokines are released from the injured brain into the systemic circulation. The injured brain also communicates with peripheral organs through the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. Many of these diverse signals not only activate resident immune cells in the brain, but also trigger robust immune responses in the periphery. Peripheral immune cells then migrate toward the site of injury and release additional cytokines, chemokines, and other molecules, causing further disruptive or protective effects in the ischemic brain. Bidirectional communication between the injured brain and the peripheral immune system is now known to regulate the progression of stroke pathology as well as tissue repair. In the end, this exquisitely coordinated crosstalk helps determine the fate of animals after stroke. This article reviews the literature on ischemic brain-derived signals through which peripheral immune responses are triggered, and the potential impact of these peripheral responses on brain injury and repair. Pharmacological strategies and cell-based therapies that target the dialogue between the brain and peripheral immune system show promise as potential novel treatments for stroke. PMID:24374228

Beyond body experiences: phantom limbs, pain and the locus of sensation.

PubMed

Wade, Nicholas J

2009-02-01

Reports of perceptual experiences are found throughout history. However, the phenomena considered worthy of note have not been those that nurture our survival (the veridical features of perception) but the oddities or departures from the common and commonplace accuracies of perception. Some oddities (like afterimages) could be experienced by everyone, whereas others were idiosyncratic. Such phenomena were often given a paranormal interpretation before they were absorbed into the normal science of the day. This sequence is examined historically in the context of beyond body experiences or phantom limbs. The experience of sensations in lost body parts provides an example of the ways in which novel phenomena can be interpreted. The first phase of description probably occurred in medieval texts and was often associated with accounts of miraculous reconnection. Ambroise Paré (1510-1590) initiated medical interest in this intriguing aspect of perception, partly because more of his patients survived the trauma of surgery. Description is followed by attempts to incorporate the phenomenon into the body of extant theory. René Descartes (1596-1650) integrated sensations in amputated limbs into his dualist theory of mind, and used the phenomenon to support the unity of the mind in comparison to the fragmented nature of bodily sensations. Others, like William Porterfield (ca. 1696-1771), did not consider the phenomenon as illusory and interpreted it in terms of other projective features of perception. Finally, the phenomenon is accepted and utilized to gain more insights into the functioning of the senses and the brain. The principal features of phantom limbs were well known before they were given that name in the 19th century. Despite the puzzles they still pose, these phantoms continue to provide perception with some potent concepts: the association with theories of pain has loosened the link with peripheral stimulation and emphasis on the phenomenal dimension has slackened the grip of stimulus-based theories of perception. The pattern of development in theories of phantom limbs might provide a model for examining out-of-body experiences (OBEs).

Working Towards Führer: A Chaotic View

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cakar, Ulas

Leadership is a concept that has been discussed since the beginning of history. Even though there have been many theories in the field accepting leadership's role in bringing order, chaotic aspects of leadership are generally neglected. This chapter aims to examine the leadership beyond an orderly interpretation of universe. For this purpose, Third Reich period and leadership during this period will be examined. Ian Kershaw's "Working Towards Führer" concept provides a unique understanding of leadership concept. It goes beyond the dualist depiction of Third Reich, it does not state Adolf Hitler as an all powerful dictator, or a weak one. Rather, he expresses that due to the conditions in the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler was both of this. This complex situation can be understood deeper when it is examined through the lens of chaos theory. This study contributes to the field by being the first in using chaos theory for examining "Working Towards Führer" concept and its development. Seemingly orderly nature of synchronization process and its vortex will be shown. Adolf Hitler's storm spot position in the chaotic system and its dynamics are explained. War's entropic power and its effect on the downfall of the system is crucial in understanding this unique chaotic system. The chaotic pattern of "Working Towards Führer" offers an opportunity to analyze the complexities of the leadership concept.

Molecular dialogs between the ischemic brain and the peripheral immune system: dualistic roles in injury and repair.

PubMed

An, Chengrui; Shi, Yejie; Li, Peiying; Hu, Xiaoming; Gan, Yu; Stetler, Ruth A; Leak, Rehana K; Gao, Yanqin; Sun, Bao-Liang; Zheng, Ping; Chen, Jun

2014-04-01

Immune and inflammatory responses actively modulate the pathophysiological processes of acute brain injuries such as stroke. Soon after the onset of stroke, signals such as brain-derived antigens, danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), cytokines, and chemokines are released from the injured brain into the systemic circulation. The injured brain also communicates with peripheral organs through the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. Many of these diverse signals not only activate resident immune cells in the brain, but also trigger robust immune responses in the periphery. Peripheral immune cells then migrate toward the site of injury and release additional cytokines, chemokines, and other molecules, causing further disruptive or protective effects in the ischemic brain. Bidirectional communication between the injured brain and the peripheral immune system is now known to regulate the progression of stroke pathology as well as tissue repair. In the end, this exquisitely coordinated crosstalk helps determine the fate of animals after stroke. This article reviews the literature on ischemic brain-derived signals through which peripheral immune responses are triggered, and the potential impact of these peripheral responses on brain injury and repair. Pharmacological strategies and cell-based therapies that target the dialog between the brain and peripheral immune system show promise as potential novel treatments for stroke. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The role of pre-oedipal and oedipal factors in psychic life.

PubMed

Kancyper, Luis

2006-02-01

The Oedipus complex, a basic concept in Freudian theory, is an essential factor in the constitution of the human subject. It plays a key role in the structuring of the personality and in the orientation of desire. It is the oedipal triangular structure that precedes the pre-oedipal situation (in a logical, not chronological, order), and not vice versa. The oedipal structure exists before the infant's biological birth. It is present in the parents' desires and identifications, which inexorably fall upon each subject. That is why the author believes that it is necessary to leave behind a solipsistic reading of the nuclear complex of neuroses--a reading that is based solely on Oedipus's drive nucleus--and take a joint and comprehensive view of Laius's and Jocasta's histories and traumatic experiences, which were invested in their son. Among these three vertices, a dynamic set of forces emerges whereby a basic, original unconscious field phantasy is created that bears a unique narrative and an invisible and hermetic web made of passions and beliefs, scandals and secrets. This phantasy gives shape to an unrepeatable oedipal structure in each subject, a structure that articulates with the effects of the narcissistic and fraternal dynamic and may determine the subject's fate. This paper develops the following issues: 1) Oedipus, victimizer or victim?; 2) the generational confrontation as dynamic field; and 3) neuroses with a preponderance of dualistic relationships.

Further results on the macroeconomic effects of AIDS: the dualistic, labor-surplus economy.

PubMed

Cuddington, J T

1993-09-01

Analyses by Cuddington in 1993 and forthcoming work from Cuddington and Hancock model the macroeconomic effects of the AIDS epidemic using a modified Solow growth model. This single-sector framework rests upon the assumption that labor and capital are always efficiently allocated throughout the economy with neither market failures nor policy-induced distortions resulting in resource misallocation. Economies in low-income developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, however, are not operating at capacity. Impact models based upon the potential growth path of economies will therefore significantly overstate the effect of an AIDS epidemic. The author thus incorporates the presence of underemployment and dual labor markets to redress the limitations of these earlier impact models. The dual-economy simulations of the economic impact of AIDS using Tanzanian data suggest that the macroeconomic consequences of the epidemic are of the same order of magnitude as those obtained using a single-sector, full-employment model: gross domestic product (GDP) is 15-25% smaller by 2010 than it would have been without AIDS, and per capita GDP is 0-10% smaller. Output lost from AIDS in the dual-economy framework is approximately the same as the output gain achievable through policies designed to increase labor market flexibility. Findings suggest that serious economic reform in economies fraught with AIDS may lessen the negative economic effects of the epidemic.

Testing the dualistic model of passion using a novel quadripartite approach: A look at physical and psychological well-being.

PubMed

Schellenberg, Benjamin J I; Verner-Filion, Jérémie; Gaudreau, Patrick; Bailis, Daniel S; Lafrenière, Marc-André K; Vallerand, Robert J

2018-03-10

Passion research has focused extensively on the unique effects of both harmonious passion and obsessive passion (Vallerand, 2015). We adopted a quadripartite approach (Gaudreau & Thompson, 2010) to test whether physical and psychological well-being are distinctly related to subtypes of passion with varying within-person passion combinations: pure harmonious passion, pure obsessive passion, mixed passion, and non-passion. In four studies (total N = 3,122), we tested whether passion subtypes were differentially associated with self-reported general health (Study 1; N = 1,218 undergraduates), health symptoms in video gamers (Study 2; N = 269 video game players), global psychological well-being (Study 3; N = 1,192 undergraduates), and academic burnout (Study 4; N = 443 undergraduates) using latent moderated structural equation modeling. Pure harmonious passion was generally associated with more positive levels of physical health and psychological well-being compared to pure obsessive passion, mixed passion, and non-passion. In contrast, outcomes were more negative for pure obsessive passion compared to both mixed passion and non-passion subtypes. This research underscores the theoretical and empirical usefulness of a quadripartite approach for the study of passion. Overall, the results demonstrate the benefits of having harmonious passion, even when obsessive passion is also high (i.e., mixed passion), and highlight the costs associated with a pure obsessive passion. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Humanism and its critiques in nursing research literature.

PubMed

Traynor, Michael

2009-07-01

This paper raises for debate the issue of how humanist ideas have been taken up by nurse scholars, particularly in research literature. Many nurses from the mid-1970s onwards have described and promoted humanism as an appropriate philosophical basis for nursing practice and research. This has been partly in an attempt to sharply differentiate the profession from medicine, and later, managerialism, which have been represented as reductionist and failing to adequately respond to the whole patient. A summary of definitions of humanism and critiques of humanism in broad philosophical literature is followed by an examination and critique of literature appearing in PubMed published within nursing scholarship from 1976 to 2007 which discusses or promotes humanism in nursing practice or research. Writers have attempted to enhance the importance of nursing by associating it with the humanistic project of accepting responsibility for realizing our human potential. They have promoted a version of research which is qualitative and centres on understanding individual lifeworlds of research participants because of a strong valuing of the experiences and perspectives of the individual. Much of the literature on this topic describes this humanism in dualistic contrast to medico-scientific reductionism and objectivity. Some of the presentations of humanistic nursing lack rigour and can be seen as doing little more than reproducing professional ideology. Scholars and others in the field of nursing could take the trouble to submit these ideologies to proper scrutiny.

Protocols and participatory democracy in a 'North-South' product development partnership.

PubMed

Montgomery, Catherine M

2012-09-01

Global product development partnerships (PDPs) for new health technologies have become an increasingly important part of the science and development landscape over the past two decades. Polarised positions are adopted by those scrutinising the power and governance of these public-private formations; on the one hand, they are seen as successful social technology innovations, on the other as regressive and imperialistic regimes of neo-colonialism. Answering recent calls for research to examine the actors, governance, context and dynamics of PDPs, this article presents a sociological case study of one particular partnership, the Microbicides Development Programme (MDP). Interviews were conducted with a cross-section of programme staff in the UK and Zambia, and discourses analysed through a Foucauldian lens of governmentality. This article suggests that two tools of government were central to MDP's cohesiveness: institutional discourses of participatory democracy and capacity building and scientific protocols. Through these material-semiotic tools, the scientific community, junior operational researchers and the funder were successfully enrolled into the programme and governed by a central body based in the UK. This article draws on Nikolas Rose's work to discuss these socio-scientific discourses as technologies of government, and provides a non-dualistic account of power and governance in a North-South PDP. © 2012 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2012 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Livelihood benefits and costs from an invasive alien tree (Acacia dealbata) to rural communities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

PubMed

Ngorima, A; Shackleton, C M

2018-05-31

The negative effects of invasive alien species (IAS) are increasingly invoked to justify widespread and usually top-down approaches for their management or eradication. However, very little of the research or discourse is based on investigating local perceptions, uses and struggles with IAS, and how their presence influences and changes local livelihoods. The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions and livelihood uses of Acacia dealbata by local communities at three localities in the montane grasslands of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, using a combination of random household interviews, focus group discussions and participatory tools. We calculated direct-use values for each product and household (based on quantity used and local prices) and disaggregated these by gender of the household head and wealth quartiles. The results revealed the dualistic role of A. dealbata in local livelihoods. On the one hand, A. dealbata was widely used for firewood (100% of households), tools (77%) and construction timber (73%), with limited use for traditional medicines and forage. The cumulative value of approximately ZAR 2870 (±US$224) per household per year (across all households) represents considerable cash saving to households, most of whom are quite poor by national and international measures. On the other hand, the increasing extent of A. dealbata (93% said it was increasing) exacerbates local household vulnerability though reported reductions in cultivated areas, crop yields and forage production, and allegedly higher risks of crime. This quandary is well encapsulated by the considerable majority of respondents (84%) not wanting higher extents and densities of A. dealbata, but an equally high majority not wanting its total removal from local landscapes. Most respondents disliked A. dealbata in fields, close to homesteads or along primary access routes, and were more tolerant of it away from such sites. Institutional and use dynamics have varied over several decades in response to the changing extent and densities of A. dealbata and the broader political and socio-economic contexts. These results indicate that greater efforts are required to understand perceptions and uses of IAS by the people who live with them, and to direct such understanding into more spatially and temporally contextualised response strategies where required. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[The current mind-brain theories in analytical philosophy of mind and their epistemic significance for psychiatry].

PubMed

Schäfer, M L

2005-03-01

This article begins with an orientational survey of the historical evolution of analytical philosophy of mind (APM) which was formulated in the last 40 years as "philosophy of mind" in the Anglo-Saxon scientific-cultural world and which, in the meantime, dominates to a great extent contemporary German philosophy. Then there follows a discussion of the currently most popular mind-brain theories in philosophy. In comparison to the more marginal dualist variants (interactionism, epiphenomenalism, parallelism), it is mainly the monistic positions of non-reductive, reductive and eliminative materialism and the materialist functionalism underlying it, which determines analytical philosophy of mind and its influence on psychopathology and psychiatry. Under the additional influence of modern brain research methods, particularly neuroimaging, it is progressively developing into a subdiscipline of neuroscience, a complex and increasingly more firmly established scientific discipline which comprises the totality of all sciences dealing with neuronal functions, including the close epistemic associations of APM and neuroimaging. This is the effective epistemic central idea determining the theory of the neuronal network which, in the form of a connectionist psychopathology, is intended to make possible a fundamentally new access to the comprehension of psychiatric forms of illness. In this respect it is evident, however, that the perception of the naturality of the mind as the fundamental thesis of APM and thus of connectionism cannot be followed through, since, up to now, neither from the phenomenality of the mind (especially the quality of senses, "Qualia") nor from intentionality of the mind (i. e. the ability to act intentionally, free from the constraint of the causality of nature and thus in self-responsible fashion) has proved it possible to reconstruct a generally accepted naturalist theory. Furthermore, it has not been possible to reformulate it in an exclusively physical, i. e. non-phenomenological concept and terminology which is, above all, free from the intentionality idiom. The consequence of this, however, is that a connectionist psychopathology can only represent a subpersonal, i. e., subhuman area and that in order to establish a personal psychopathology, naturalistic unreduced theories of experience-qualities and intentional acts of completeness are absolutely essential. The neuroscientific-connectionist paradigm of psychopathology must therefore - at least for the present - be supplement by the paradigm of a non-natural (e. g. phenomenological-hermeneutic) psychopathology. This result can only encourage the relinquishing of epistemically one-sided materialist and other monistic mind-brain theories of APM in favour of an epistemically open pragmatic interactionist dualism as the scientific position which best represents the current state of knowledge.

Inter-species activity correlations reveal functional correspondences between monkey and human brain areas

PubMed Central

Mantini, Dante; Hasson, Uri; Betti, Viviana; Perrucci, Mauro G.; Romani, Gian Luca; Corbetta, Maurizio; Orban, Guy A.; Vanduffel, Wim

2012-01-01

Evolution-driven functional changes in the primate brain are typically assessed by aligning monkey and human activation maps using cortical surface expansion models. These models use putative homologous areas as registration landmarks, assuming they are functionally correspondent. In cases where functional changes have occurred in an area, this assumption prohibits to reveal whether other areas may have assumed lost functions. Here we describe a method to examine functional correspondences across species. Without making spatial assumptions, we assess similarities in sensory-driven functional magnetic resonance imaging responses between monkey (Macaca mulatta) and human brain areas by means of temporal correlation. Using natural vision data, we reveal regions for which functional processing has shifted to topologically divergent locations during evolution. We conclude that substantial evolution-driven functional reorganizations have occurred, not always consistent with cortical expansion processes. This novel framework for evaluating changes in functional architecture is crucial to building more accurate evolutionary models. PMID:22306809

[Weizsäcker and Indian philosophy - a new beginning in negotiating the dualism of mind and matter?].

PubMed

von Brück, Michael

2014-01-01

Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker's thought is centred around the idea of the unity of reality. He tries to express this idea in his interpretation of quantum physics as well as on the background of neoplatonic thinking. Even his interest in Indian philosophies is based on this concept that would overcome the dualism of mind and matter as well as the dualism of subject and object. On this basis he also tries to reflect on his own inexpressible "mystical" experience in Tiruvannamalai, India, interpreting it with the help of the experience he has been told about by the Indian thinker Gopi Krishna. This is the concept of prana (vital energy) that he uses to find a common terminological ground for physical and mental events. According to Indian Advaita Vedanta, the non-dualistic interpretation of the Vedantic scriptures, reality is based on a non-dual oneness that is self-reflective, transparent and neither immanent nor transcendent but beyond any category. It is pure bliss in its self-expression. Human "mental" experience is a reflective mode of this one reality, subject and object coincide. The result is a holistic psycho-somatology. In view of these ideas Weizsäcker reformulates the notion of "matter". It is less an interaction of particles with specific mass than a non-dual net of interrelations and information, and this would correlate with a concept of mind (consciousness) that could be conceptualized as the energy of self-reflectivity in that very process.

Nothingness and the human umwelt: a cultural-ecological approach to meaning.

PubMed

Bang, Jytte

2009-12-01

In the paper I argue that the great impact of empiricism on psychology and the enclosed dualist agenda traps psychological phenomena into subjectivism. By discussing the phenomena of nothingness in biological and cultural life it is argued that meaning must be considered as a phenomenon that represents both a fit and a misfit of the individual with the environment. By stressing the overall presence of nothingness phenomena it is argued how the reduced ontology of empiricism--and its blindness to relations and transformations out of which meaning grows--should be overcome. In human cultural life, transformations are constitutive and ongoing changes are being produced to make sure that continuity as well as discontinuity will happen. The analysis of especially one case--the removal of an Amish school after a shooting episode--serves to prove how meaning grows out of cultural processes as people produce their own conditions of life. From a cultural-ecological point of view, analyzing meaning at the level of individual phenomenology, hence, means analyzing the 'total psychological situation' (legacy of Kurt Lewin). This may for instance include analyzing how people live, what they consider important and worth preserving, what must be changed, what are their core values and how do institutional arrangements contribute to keeping up that which is valued or to changing that which is not, etc. Meaning may be viewed the lived-out experience-the domain of self-generativity in human life.

Introducing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to a physiotherapy-led pain rehabilitation programme: an Action Research study.

PubMed

Barker, Karen L; Heelas, Leila; Toye, Francine

2016-02-01

Recent developments in pain rehabilitation emphasise the importance of promoting psychological flexibility. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one approach that has been shown to be effective for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. However, studies have shown that introducing innovative approaches such as ACT into established health care can cause some anxiety for professional groups. We used Action Research to evaluate the implementation of ACT to a physiotherapy-led pain rehabilitation programme. All staff in the pain service were invited to participate. Participants took part in focus groups, engaged in reflective sessions/meetings and completed reflective diaries. The analysis was undertaken by an experienced qualitative researcher using constant comparison. Participants reviewed emerging themes and validated the findings. Four key themes emerged from the study: (a) the need to see pain as an embodied, rather than dualistic, experience; (b) the need for a more therapeutic construction of 'acceptance'; (c) value-based goals as profound motivation for positive change; and (d) it's quite a long way from physiotherapy. Integral to a therapeutic definition of acceptance was the challenge of moving away from 'fixing' towards 'sitting with'. Participants described this as uncomfortable because it did not fit their biomedical training. This article describes how Action Research methodology was used in the introduction of ACT to a physiotherapy-led pain rehabilitation programme. The innovation of this study is that it helps us to understand the potential barriers and facilitators to embedding an ACT philosophy within a physiotherapy setting.

The Kuznets process in Malaysia.

PubMed

Randolph, S

1990-10-01

This study looks at how the Kuznets process, the structural determinants of the aggregate inequality trend during the course of economic development, is transpiring in Malaysia. A time-series test of Kuznets's hypothesis concerning the trend in participation income in the course of economic growth and its underlying structural components is conducted using data from the Malaysian Family Life Survey. The study covers the period 1968-76 during which the equalizing phase of growth was expected to take hold. Analysis determined that while many of the underlying processes which Kuznets speculated combined to generate the aggregate trend in participation income are at work in Malaysia, others are either absent or their phasing has been altered. The equalizing phase in the course of development has been delayed in arriving. Inequality in the nonagricultural sector exceeded that in the agricultural sector, and the wage gap which opened during the early phase of development declined with further development. These findings conform with Kuznets's expectations. Available time-series evidence from other currently developing countries suggests that inequality is typically higher in the nonagricultural sector during the early phase of development and that an increasing and subsequently decreasing between-sector wage gap is a broadly shared experience. This study's findings also support Kuznets's expectation that inequality within the agricultural sector can worsen in the face of dualistic agricultural development. Finally, Malaysia's trend in inequality within the nonagricultural sector exerted the greatest influence upon the aggregate trend in inequality per Kuznets's hypothesis.

Family planning and married fulfillment.

PubMed

Burke, C

1989-01-01

Large numbers of children typified the Catholic family until the 60s when there was a general societal change towards smaller families. This change, which even affected Catholics, is thought to derive from 3 sources. The population explosion and its complimentary disadvantages, a change towards more egocentric values, and an increase in the importance of material values. The Western world is aging fast and fertility rates are falling to the point that an overall effect of population reduction is occurring. Children have become only an optional, instead of necessary as in previous generations, part of most couples' lifestyles in West. Careers, social status, gadgets, vacations, ease, and comfort are now commonly seen as more self- fulfilling than children. The Catholic church believes that the only reasons for family planning are natural methods used out of necessity. Vatican II clearly states that the purpose of marriage is the raising of children. It has become the opinion of many that marriage and children are only accidentally connected and that the 2 are not bound inseparably. It is the authors contention that this dualistic view of marriage and children is false. The author feels that through a marriage people can draw each other out of themselves and towards their children. Sacrificing oneself for one's children is the natural end to marriage. The author admits that family planning has been a great good to the world for the couples that need it to survive, but that couples that can have children should do so.

The Gist of Delay of Gratification: Understanding and Predicting Problem Behaviors

PubMed Central

REYNA, VALERIE F.; WILHELMS, EVAN A.

2017-01-01

Delay of gratification captures elements of temptation and self-denial that characterize real-life problems with money and other problem behaviors such as unhealthy risk taking. According to fuzzy-trace theory, decision makers mentally represent social values such as delay of gratification in a coarse but meaningful form of memory called “gist.” Applying this theory, we developed a gist measure of delay of gratification that does not involve quantitative trade-offs (as delay discounting does) and hypothesize that this construct explains unique variance beyond sensation seeking and inhibition in accounting for problem behaviors. Across four studies, we examine this Delay-of-gratification Gist Scale by using principal components analyses and evaluating convergent and divergent validity with other potentially related scales such as Future Orientation, Propensity to Plan, Time Perspectives Inventory, Spendthrift-Tightwad, Sensation Seeking, Cognitive Reflection, Barratt Impulsiveness, and the Monetary Choice Questionnaire (delay discounting). The new 12-item measure captured a single dimension of delay of gratification, correlated as predicted with other scales, but accounted for unique variance in predicting such outcomes as overdrawing bank accounts, substance abuse, and overall subjective well-being. Results support a theoretical distinction between reward-related approach motivation, including sensation seeking, and inhibitory faculties, including cognitive reflection. However, individuals’ agreement with the qualitative gist of delay of gratification, as expressed in many cultural traditions, could not be reduced to such dualist distinctions nor to quantitative conceptions of delay discounting, shedding light on mechanisms of self-control and risk taking. PMID:28808356

The Gist of Delay of Gratification: Understanding and Predicting Problem Behaviors.

PubMed

Reyna, Valerie F; Wilhelms, Evan A

2017-04-01

Delay of gratification captures elements of temptation and self-denial that characterize real-life problems with money and other problem behaviors such as unhealthy risk taking. According to fuzzy-trace theory, decision makers mentally represent social values such as delay of gratification in a coarse but meaningful form of memory called "gist." Applying this theory, we developed a gist measure of delay of gratification that does not involve quantitative trade-offs (as delay discounting does) and hypothesize that this construct explains unique variance beyond sensation seeking and inhibition in accounting for problem behaviors. Across four studies, we examine this Delay-of-gratification Gist Scale by using principal components analyses and evaluating convergent and divergent validity with other potentially related scales such as Future Orientation, Propensity to Plan, Time Perspectives Inventory, Spendthrift-Tightwad, Sensation Seeking, Cognitive Reflection, Barratt Impulsiveness, and the Monetary Choice Questionnaire (delay discounting). The new 12-item measure captured a single dimension of delay of gratification, correlated as predicted with other scales, but accounted for unique variance in predicting such outcomes as overdrawing bank accounts, substance abuse, and overall subjective well-being. Results support a theoretical distinction between reward-related approach motivation, including sensation seeking, and inhibitory faculties, including cognitive reflection. However, individuals' agreement with the qualitative gist of delay of gratification, as expressed in many cultural traditions, could not be reduced to such dualist distinctions nor to quantitative conceptions of delay discounting, shedding light on mechanisms of self-control and risk taking.

Neuroscience of Meditation

PubMed Central

Deshmukh, Vinod D.

2006-01-01

Dhyana-Yoga is a Sanskrit word for the ancient discipline of meditation, as a means to Samadhi or enlightenment. Samadhi is a self-absorptive, adaptive state with realization of ones being in harmony with reality. It is unitive, undifferentiated, reality-consciousness, an essential being, which can only be experienced by spontaneous intuition and self-understanding. Modern neuroscience can help us to better understand Dhyana-Yoga. This article discusses topics including brain-mind-reality, consciousness, attention, emotional intelligence, sense of self, meditative mind, and meditative brain. A new hypothesis is proposed for a better understanding of the meditative mind. Meditation is an art of being serene and alert in the present moment, instead of constantly struggling to change or to become. It is an art of efficient management of attentional energy with total engagement (poornata, presence, mindfulness) or disengagement (shunyata, silence, emptiness). In both states, there is an experience of spontaneous unity with no sense of situational interactive self or personal time. It is a simultaneous, participatory consciousness rather than a dualistic, sequential attentiveness. There is a natural sense of well being with self-understanding, spontaneous joy, serenity, freedom, and self-fulfillment. It is where the ultimate pursuit of happiness and the search for meaning of life resolve. One realizes the truth of ones harmonious being in nature and nature in oneself. It is being alive at its fullest, when each conscious moment becomes a dynamic process of discovery and continuous learning of the ever-new unfolding reality. PMID:17370019

75 FR 61341 - Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model A109E Helicopters

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-05

... electrical failure, an investigation revealed inadequate functioning of the 35 amperes (Amps) battery bus... investigation revealed inadequate functioning of the 35 amperes (Amps) battery bus (BATT BUS) circuit breaker...

Intertextuality in Indonesian Newspaper Opinion Articles on Education: Its Types, Functions, and Discursive Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pulungan, Anni Holila; Subroto, Edi D.; Tarjana, Sri Samiati; Sumarlam

2010-01-01

This research deals with intertextuality in opinion articles on education. Its objectives are to discover types and functions of intertextuality in the articles and to reveal its social practice. The results of the research reveal there are three major types and two major functions of intertextuality in the articles. The type dominantly applied is…

Characterizing genomic alterations in cancer by complementary functional associations.

PubMed

Kim, Jong Wook; Botvinnik, Olga B; Abudayyeh, Omar; Birger, Chet; Rosenbluh, Joseph; Shrestha, Yashaswi; Abazeed, Mohamed E; Hammerman, Peter S; DiCara, Daniel; Konieczkowski, David J; Johannessen, Cory M; Liberzon, Arthur; Alizad-Rahvar, Amir Reza; Alexe, Gabriela; Aguirre, Andrew; Ghandi, Mahmoud; Greulich, Heidi; Vazquez, Francisca; Weir, Barbara A; Van Allen, Eliezer M; Tsherniak, Aviad; Shao, Diane D; Zack, Travis I; Noble, Michael; Getz, Gad; Beroukhim, Rameen; Garraway, Levi A; Ardakani, Masoud; Romualdi, Chiara; Sales, Gabriele; Barbie, David A; Boehm, Jesse S; Hahn, William C; Mesirov, Jill P; Tamayo, Pablo

2016-05-01

Systematic efforts to sequence the cancer genome have identified large numbers of mutations and copy number alterations in human cancers. However, elucidating the functional consequences of these variants, and their interactions to drive or maintain oncogenic states, remains a challenge in cancer research. We developed REVEALER, a computational method that identifies combinations of mutually exclusive genomic alterations correlated with functional phenotypes, such as the activation or gene dependency of oncogenic pathways or sensitivity to a drug treatment. We used REVEALER to uncover complementary genomic alterations associated with the transcriptional activation of β-catenin and NRF2, MEK-inhibitor sensitivity, and KRAS dependency. REVEALER successfully identified both known and new associations, demonstrating the power of combining functional profiles with extensive characterization of genomic alterations in cancer genomes.

Open chromatin reveals the functional maize genome

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Every cellular process mediated through nuclear DNA must contend with chromatin. As results from ENCODE show, open chromatin assays can efficiently integrate across diverse regulatory elements, revealing functional non-coding genome. In this study, we use a MNase hypersensitivity assay to discover o...

Revealing Ozgur's Thoughts of a Quadratic Function with a Clinical Interview: Concepts and Their Underlying Reasons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozaltun Celik, Aytug; Bukova Guzel, Esra

2017-01-01

The quadratic function is an important concept for calculus but the students at high school have many difficulties related to this concept. It is important that the teaching of the quadratic function is realized considering the students' thinking. In this context, the aim of this study conducted through a qualitative case study is to reveal the…

Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Spatial Protein Networks by Colocalization Analysis (COLA).

PubMed

Mardakheh, Faraz K

2017-01-01

A major challenge in systems biology is comprehensive mapping of protein interaction networks. Crucially, such interactions are often dynamic in nature, necessitating methods that can rapidly mine the interactome across varied conditions and treatments to reveal change in the interaction networks. Recently, we described a fast mass spectrometry-based method to reveal functional interactions in mammalian cells on a global scale, by revealing spatial colocalizations between proteins (COLA) (Mardakheh et al., Mol Biosyst 13:92-105, 2017). As protein localization and function are inherently linked, significant colocalization between two proteins is a strong indication for their functional interaction. COLA uses rapid complete subcellular fractionation, coupled with quantitative proteomics to generate a subcellular localization profile for each protein quantified by the mass spectrometer. Robust clustering is then applied to reveal significant similarities in protein localization profiles, indicative of colocalization.

Correspondent Functional Topography of the Human Left Inferior Parietal Lobule at Rest and Under Task Revealed Using Resting-State fMRI and Coactivation Based Parcellation.

PubMed

Wang, Jiaojian; Xie, Sangma; Guo, Xin; Becker, Benjamin; Fox, Peter T; Eickhoff, Simon B; Jiang, Tianzi

2017-03-01

The human left inferior parietal lobule (LIPL) plays a pivotal role in many cognitive functions and is an important node in the default mode network (DMN). Although many previous studies have proposed different parcellation schemes for the LIPL, the detailed functional organization of the LIPL and the exact correspondence between the DMN and LIPL subregions remain unclear. Mounting evidence indicates that spontaneous fluctuations in the brain are strongly associated with cognitive performance at the behavioral level. However, whether a consistent functional topographic organization of the LIPL during rest and under task can be revealed remains unknown. Here, they used resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and task-related coactivation patterns separately to parcellate the LIPL and identified seven subregions. Four subregions were located in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and three subregions were located in the angular gyrus (AG). The subregion-specific networks and functional characterization revealed that the four anterior subregions were found to be primarily involved in sensorimotor processing, movement imagination and inhibitory control, audition perception and speech processing, and social cognition, whereas the three posterior subregions were mainly involved in episodic memory, semantic processing, and spatial cognition. The results revealed a detailed functional organization of the LIPL and suggested that the LIPL is a functionally heterogeneous area. In addition, the present study demonstrated that the functional architecture of the LIPL during rest corresponds with that found in task processing. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1659-1675, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Gays vs. Russia: media representations, vulnerable bodies and the construction of a (post)modern West

PubMed Central

Wiedlack, M. Katharina

2017-01-01

Abstract This essay analyses the recent focus on Russian human rights violations in Anglophone media, scrutinising the ideological agenda of the visual politics which strategically foreground victimised bodies of Russian dissidents. Notwithstanding the importance of a critique on human rights violations, the article points to the unwanted but very real side effects the current mediatisations of violence have, from structural victimisation and the creation of ‘gay martyrs’ to the resignification of the West as progressive and ‘gay’ and Russia as backward and heterosexual. A close reading of popular press photographs of wounded Russian gay youth and the textual context – arguably representative for the Western media focus on the ‘Eastern’ violation of human rights between 2012 and 2014 – serves to illustrate how an image of Russian nation and Russian state politics is forged within Anglophone media discourses meant to reinforce the positive identity of the self-same by evoking pity, empathy and a responsible helpful attitude toward the endangered othered. The essay argues that Anglophone media’s focus on the vulnerability of Russian LGBTIQ+ bodies, consciously or unconsciously, reduces the subjects to this vulnerability, confirming feelings of moral superiority within the enlightened audience. The study highlights the important role that Russia’s vulnerable citizens play not only in the construction of values such as ‘tolerance’ and ‘acceptance’ and evaluations like ‘progressive’ and ‘modern’, but also in perceptions of the nation and its people and the reaffirmation of the dualistic divide between ‘The East’ and ‘The West’. PMID:29250129

Wavelength dependent SHG imaging and scattering probes of extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations in ovarian cancer (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campagnola, Paul J.; Tilbury, Karissa B.; Campbell, Kirby R.; Eliceiri, Kevin W.; Patankar, Manish

2017-02-01

Ovarian cancer remains the most deadly gynecological cancer with a poor aggregate survival rate. To improve upon this situation, we utilized collagen-specific Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) imaging microscopy and optical scattering measurements to probe structural differences in the extracellular matrix of normal stroma, benign tumors, endometrioid tumors, and low and high-grade serous (LGS and HGS) tumors. The SHG signatures of the emission directionality and conversion efficiency as well as the optical scattering are related to the organization of collagen on the sub-micron size. The wavelength dependence of these readouts adds additional characterization of the size and distribution of collagen fibrils/fibers relative to the interrogating wavelengths. We found strong wavelength dependent dependencies of these metrics that were different between the different tumors that are related to respective structural attributes in the collagen organization. These sub-resolution determinations are consistent with the dualistic classification of type I and II serous tumors. However, type I endometrioid tumors have strongly differing ECM architecture than the serous malignancies. Moreover, our analyses are further consistent with LGS and benign tumors having similar etiology. We identified optimal wavelengths for the SHG metrics as well as optical scattering measurements. The SHG metrics and optical scattering measurements were then used to form a linear discriminant model to classify the tissues, and we obtained high accuracy ( 90%) between the tissue types. This delineation is superior to current clinical performance and has potential applicability in supplementing histological analysis, understanding the etiology, as well as development of an in vivo screening tool.

Isolation, Characterization, and Purification of Macrophages from Tissues Affected by Obesity-related Inflammation.

PubMed

Allen, Joselyn N; Dey, Adwitia; Nissly, Ruth; Fraser, James; Yu, Shan; Balandaram, Gayathri; Peters, Jeffrey M; Hankey-Giblin, Pamela A

2017-04-03

Obesity promotes a chronic inflammatory state that is largely mediated by tissue-resident macrophages as well as monocyte-derived macrophages. Diet-induced obesity (DIO) is a valuable model in studying the role of macrophage heterogeneity; however, adequate macrophage isolations are difficult to acquire from inflamed tissues. In this protocol, we outline the isolation steps and necessary troubleshooting guidelines derived from our studies for obtaining a suitable population of tissue-resident macrophages from mice following 18 weeks of high-fat (HFD) or high-fat/high-cholesterol (HFHCD) diet intervention. This protocol focuses on three hallmark tissues studied in obesity and atherosclerosis including the liver, white adipose tissues (WAT), and the aorta. We highlight how dualistic usage of flow cytometry can achieve a new dimension of isolation and characterization of tissue-resident macrophages. A fundamental section of this protocol addresses the intricacies underlying tissue-specific enzymatic digestions and macrophage isolation, and subsequent cell-surface antibody staining for flow cytometric analysis. This protocol addresses existing complexities underlying fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) and presents clarifications to these complexities so as to obtain broad range characterization from adequately sorted cell populations. Alternate enrichment methods are included for sorting cells, such as the dense liver, allowing for flexibility and time management when working with FACS. In brief, this protocol aids the researcher to evaluate macrophage heterogeneity from a multitude of inflamed tissues in a given study and provides insightful troubleshooting tips that have been successful for favorable cellular isolation and characterization of immune cells in DIO-mediated inflammation.

When passion makes the heart grow colder: the role of passion in alternative goal suppression.

PubMed

Bélanger, Jocelyn J; Lafrenière, Marc-André K; Vallerand, Robert J; Kruglanski, Arie W

2013-01-01

Quality of goal engagement and alternative goal suppression were investigated in this research. Integrating the dualistic model of passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) with goal-systems theory (Kruglanski et al., 2002), we hypothesized that obsessive passion--associated with recurrent goal-conflicts--would predict greater alternative goal suppression (i.e., goal-shielding) than would harmonious passion--characterized by effective synthesis of the passionate activity with other life domains. Results from 5 laboratory studies supported these hypotheses. In Study 1, participants' dispositional measures of harmonious and obsessive passion were correlated with an implicit measure of goal-shielding. Obsessive (but not harmonious) passion predicted the suppression of alternative goals and the progressive inhibition of unfamiliar goals. In Study 2, we extended these findings by demonstrating the interrelation between quality of goal engagement and goal-commitment such that goal-shielding effects were enhanced, but only for goals in conflict with other life domains (vs. well-integrated goals). In Study 3, the causal influence of passion on goal-shielding was supported via an experimental manipulation of passion. In Study 4, we replicated and extended Studies 1 and 3 by experimentally demonstrating that obsessive (but not harmonious) passion is a mindset conducive to the development of inhibitory links with alternative goals. Study 5 explored the psychological costs associated with repeated unconscious goal suppression by examining its effects on the depletion of self-regulatory resources. Collectively, the present results suggest that the qualitative distinction between obsessive and harmonious passion has implications for the goal-shielding effect and for subsequent self-regulatory behavior.

Sheaf theoretic formulation for consciousness and qualia and relationship to the idealism of non-dual philosophies.

PubMed

Kafatos, Menas C; Kato, Goro C

2017-12-01

Questions about the nature of reality, whether Consciousness is the fundamental reality in the universe, and what is Consciousness itself, have no answer in systems that assume an external reality independent of Consciousness. Ultimately, the ontological foundation of such systems is the absolute division of subject and object. We advocate instead what we consider to be an approach that is in agreement with the foundation of quantum reality, which is based on Rāmānuja's version of Vedanta philosophy and non-dual Kashmir Śaivism. Quantum mechanics opened the door to consciousness, but it cannot account for consciousness. However, the quantum measurement problem implies that we cannot remove subjective experience from the practice of science. It is then appropriate to seek mathematical formalisms for the workings of consciousness that don't rely on specific interpretations of quantum mechanics. Temporal topos provides such a framework. In the theory of temporal topos, which we outline here, the difference between a subject and an object involves the direction of a morphism in a category. We also note that in the dual category, the direction of the morphism is in the opposite direction compared with the original direction of the original category. The resulting formalism provides powerful ways to address consciousness and qualia, beyond attempts to account for consciousness through physical theories. We also discuss the implications of the mathematics presented here for the convergence of science and non-dualist philosophies, as an emerging science of Consciousness, that may bring out the underlying unity of physics, life and mind. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[From dualism to multiplicity: seeing BCL-2 family proteins and cell death with new eyes].

PubMed

Aouacheria, Abdel

2015-01-01

The concept of cell death has many links to the concept of death itself, defined as the opposite of life. Achievements obtained through research on apoptosis have apparently allowed us to transcend this Manichean view. Death is no longer outside, but rather inside living systems, as a constitutive force at work within the living matter. Whereas the death of cells can be positive and breed "creation" (e.g. during morphogenesis), its dysregulation can also cause or contribute to fatal diseases including cancer. It is tempting to apply this biological discourse to illuminate the relations between life and death, taken in general terms, but does this generalization actually hold? Is this discourse not essentially a metaphor? If cell death is considered as a vital aspect of various biological processes, then are we not faced with some vitalistic conception of death? Are there one or more meanings to the word "death"? Does the power to self-destruct act in opposition to other key features of living entities, or rather in juxtaposition to them? In this article, we first describe how the field of cell death has been developed on the basis of perceived and built dichotomies, mirroring the original opposition between life and death. We detail the limitations of the current paradigm of apoptosis regulation by BCL-2 family proteins, which nicely illustrate the problem of binary thinking in biology. Last, we try to show a way out of this dualistic matrix, by drawing on the notions of multiplicity, complexity, diversity, evolution and contingency. © Société de Biologie, 2016.

Excited state absorption spectra of dissolved and aggregated distyrylbenzene: A TD-DFT state and vibronic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Eliezer Fernando; Shi, Junqing; Lavarda, Francisco Carlos; Lüer, Larry; Milián-Medina, Begoña; Gierschner, Johannes

2017-07-01

A time-dependent density functional theory study is performed to reveal the excited state absorption (ESA) features of distyrylbenzene (DSB), a prototype π-conjugated organic oligomer. Starting with a didactic insight to ESA based on simple molecular orbital and configuration considerations, the performance of various density functional theory functionals is tested to reveal the full vibronic ESA features of DSB at short and long probe delay times.

Functional resting-state connectivity of the human motor network: differences between right- and left-handers.

PubMed

Pool, Eva-Maria; Rehme, Anne K; Eickhoff, Simon B; Fink, Gereon R; Grefkes, Christian

2015-04-01

Handedness is associated with differences in activation levels in various motor tasks performed with the dominant or non-dominant hand. Here we tested whether handedness is reflected in the functional architecture of the motor system even in the absence of an overt motor task. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging we investigated 18 right- and 18 left-handers. Whole-brain functional connectivity maps of the primary motor cortex (M1), supplementary motor area (SMA), dorsolateral premotor cortex (PMd), pre-SMA, inferior frontal junction and motor putamen were compared between right- and left-handers. We further used a multivariate linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier to reveal the specificity of brain regions for classifying handedness based on individual resting-state maps. Using left M1 as seed region, functional connectivity analysis revealed stronger interhemispheric functional connectivity between left M1 and right PMd in right-handers as compared to left-handers. This connectivity cluster contributed to the individual classification of right- and left-handers with 86.2% accuracy. Consistently, also seeding from right PMd yielded a similar handedness-dependent effect in left M1, albeit with lower classification accuracy (78.1%). Control analyses of the other resting-state networks including the speech and the visual network revealed no significant differences in functional connectivity related to handedness. In conclusion, our data revealed an intrinsically higher functional connectivity in right-handers. These results may help to explain that hand preference is more lateralized in right-handers than in left-handers. Furthermore, enhanced functional connectivity between left M1 and right PMd may serve as an individual marker of handedness. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functional resting-state connectivity of the human motor network: Differences between right- and left-handers

PubMed Central

Pool, Eva-Maria; Rehme, Anne K.; Eickhoff, Simon B.; Fink, Gereon R.; Grefkes, Christian

2016-01-01

Handedness is associated with differences in activation levels in various motor tasks performed with the dominant or non-dominant hand. Here we tested whether handedness is reflected in the functional architecture of the motor system even in the absence of an overt motor task. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging we investigated 18 right- and 18 left-handers. Whole-brain functional connectivity maps of the primary motor cortex (M1), supplementary motor area (SMA), dorsolateral premotor cortex (PMd), pre-SMA, inferior frontal junction and motor putamen were compared between right- and left-handers. We further used a multivariate linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier to reveal the specificity of brain regions for classifying handedness based on individual resting-state maps. Using left M1 as seed region, functional connectivity analysis revealed stronger interhemispheric functional connectivity between left M1 and right PMd in right-handers as compared to left-handers. This connectivity cluster contributed to the individual classification of right- and left-handers with 86.2% accuracy. Consistently, also seeding from right PMd yielded a similar handedness-dependent effect in left M1, albeit with lower classification accuracy (78.1%). Control analyses of the other resting-state networks including the speech and the visual network revealed no significant differences in functional connectivity related to handedness. In conclusion, our data revealed an intrinsically higher functional connectivity in right-handers. These results may help to explain that hand preference is more lateralized in right-handers than in left-handers. Furthermore, enhanced functional connectivity between left M1 and right PMd may serve as an individual marker of handedness. PMID:25613438

Molecular Characterization of Mosquitocidal Toxin (Surface Layer Protein, SLP) from Bacillus cereus VCRC B540.

PubMed

Mani, Chinnasamy; Selvakumari, Jeyaperumal; Han, YeonSoo; Jo, YongHun; Thirugnanasambantham, Krishnaraj; Sundarapandian, Somaiah; Poopathi, Subbiah

2018-04-01

A marine Bacillus cereus (VCRC B540) with mosquitocidal effect was recently reported from red snapper fish (Lutjanus sanguineous) gut and surface layer protein (S-layer protein, SLP) was reported to be mosquito larvicidal factor. In this present study, the gene encoding the surface layer protein was amplified from the genomic DNA and functionally characterized. Amplification of SLP-encoding gene revealed 1,518 bp PCR product, and analysis of the sequence revealed the presence of 1482 bp open reading frame with coding capacity for a polypeptide of 493 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis revealed with homology among closely related Bacillus cereus groups of organisms as well as Bacillus strains. Removal of nucleotides encoding signaling peptide revealed the functional cloning fragment of length 1398 bp. Theoretical molecular weight (51.7 kDa) and isoelectric point (5.99) of the deduced functional SLP protein were predicted using ProtParam. The amplified PCR product was cloned into a plasmid vector (pGEM-T), and the open reading frame free off signaling peptide was subsequently cloned inpET-28a(+) and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-induced recombinant SLP was confirmed using western blotting, and functional SLP revealed mosquito larvicidal property. Therefore, the major findings revealed that SLP is a factor responsible for mosquitocidal activity, and the molecular characterization of this toxin was extensively studied.

Nuclear traffic and peloton formation in fungal networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roper, Marcus; Hickey, Patrick; Lewkiewicz, Stephanie; Dressaire, Emilie; Read, Nick

2013-11-01

Hyphae, the network of microfluidic pipes that make up a growing fungal cell, must balance their function as conduits for the transport of nuclei with other cellular functions including secretion and growth. Constant flow of nuclei may interfere with the protein traffic that enables other functions to be performed. Live-cell imaging reveals that nuclear flows are anti-congestive; that groups of nuclei flow faster than single nuclei, and that nuclei sweep through the colony in dense clumps. We call these clumps pelotons, after the term used to describe groups of cycle racers slip-streaming off each other. Because of the pelotons, individual hyphae transport nuclei only intermittently, producing long intervals in which hyphae can perform their other functions. Modeling reveals how pelotons are created by interactions between nuclei and the hyphal cytoskeleton, and reveal the control that the fungus enjoys over peloton assembly and timing.

Extraversion modulates functional connectivity hubs of resting-state brain networks.

PubMed

Pang, Yajing; Cui, Qian; Duan, Xujun; Chen, Heng; Zeng, Ling; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Guangming; Chen, Huafu

2017-09-01

Personality dimension extraversion describes individual differences in social behaviour and socio-emotional functioning. The intrinsic functional connectivity patterns of the brain are reportedly associated with extraversion. However, whether or not extraversion is associated with functional hubs warrants clarification. Functional hubs are involved in the rapid integration of neural processing, and their dysfunction contributes to the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, we employed the functional connectivity density (FCD) method for the first time to distinguish the energy-efficient hubs associated with extraversion. The resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 71 healthy subjects were used in the analysis. Short-range FCD was positively correlated with extraversion in the left cuneus, revealing a link between the local functional activity of this region and extraversion in risk-taking. Long-range FCD was negatively correlated with extraversion in the right superior frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus. Seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses revealed that a decreased long-range FCD in individuals with high extraversion scores showed a low long-range functional connectivity pattern between the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and anterior cingulate cortex. This result suggests that decreased RSFC patterns are responsible for self-esteem, self-evaluation, and inhibitory behaviour system that account for the modulation and shaping of extraversion. Overall, our results emphasize specific brain hubs, and reveal long-range functional connections in relation to extraversion, thereby providing a neurobiological basis of extraversion. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Gene silencing reveals multiple functions of Na+/K+-ATPase in the salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis).

PubMed

Komisarczuk, Anna Z; Kongshaug, Heidi; Nilsen, Frank

2018-02-01

Na + /K + -ATPase has a key function in a variety of physiological processes including membrane excitability, osmoregulation, regulation of cell volume, and transport of nutrients. While knowledge about Na + /K + -ATPase function in osmoregulation in crustaceans is extensive, the role of this enzyme in other physiological and developmental processes is scarce. Here, we report characterization, transcriptional distribution and likely functions of the newly identified L. salmonis Na + /K + -ATPase (LsalNa + /K + -ATPase) α subunit in various developmental stages. The complete mRNA sequence was identified, with 3003 bp open reading frame encoding a putative protein of 1001 amino acids. Putative protein sequence of LsalNa + /K + -ATPase revealed all typical features of Na + /K + -ATPase and demonstrated high sequence identity to other invertebrate and vertebrate species. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed higher LsalNa + /K + -ATPase transcript level in free-living stages in comparison to parasitic stages. In situ hybridization analysis of copepodids and adult lice revealed LsalNa + /K + -ATPase transcript localization in a wide variety of tissues such as nervous system, intestine, reproductive system, and subcuticular and glandular tissue. RNAi mediated knock-down of LsalNa + /K + -ATPase caused locomotion impairment, and affected reproduction and feeding. Morphological analysis of dsRNA treated animals revealed muscle degeneration in larval stages, severe changes in the oocyte formation and maturation in females and abnormalities in tegmental glands. Thus, the study represents an important foundation for further functional investigation and identification of physiological pathways in which Na + /K + -ATPase is directly or indirectly involved. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scenario-Based Case Study Method and the Functionality of the Section Called "From Production to Consumption" from the Perspective of Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taneri, Ahu

2018-01-01

In this research, the aim was showing the evaluation of students on scenario-based case study method and showing the functionality of the studied section called "from production to consumption". Qualitative research method and content analysis were used to reveal participants' experiences and reveal meaningful relations regarding…

Functional network organization of the human brain

PubMed Central

Power, Jonathan D; Cohen, Alexander L; Nelson, Steven M; Wig, Gagan S; Barnes, Kelly Anne; Church, Jessica A; Vogel, Alecia C; Laumann, Timothy O; Miezin, Fran M; Schlaggar, Bradley L; Petersen, Steven E

2011-01-01

Summary Real-world complex systems may be mathematically modeled as graphs, revealing properties of the system. Here we study graphs of functional brain organization in healthy adults using resting state functional connectivity MRI. We propose two novel brain-wide graphs, one of 264 putative functional areas, the other a modification of voxelwise networks that eliminates potentially artificial short-distance relationships. These graphs contain many subgraphs in good agreement with known functional brain systems. Other subgraphs lack established functional identities; we suggest possible functional characteristics for these subgraphs. Further, graph measures of the areal network indicate that the default mode subgraph shares network properties with sensory and motor subgraphs: it is internally integrated but isolated from other subgraphs, much like a “processing” system. The modified voxelwise graph also reveals spatial motifs in the patterning of systems across the cortex. PMID:22099467

[Noopept in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment in patients with stroke].

PubMed

Amelin, A V; Iliukhina, A Iu; Shmonin, A A

2011-01-01

Noopept is a neuroprotector and nootropics. Literature data revealed the treatment effect of noopept on mild cognitive impairment in patients with discirculatory encephalopathy. The present open prospective study included 60 patients with stroke treated with noopept during 12 months. Cognitive functions were assessed before and after treatment using neuropsychological tests. An analysis of MMSE scores and lateral and categorical associations revealed the significant improvement of cognitive functions after 2 months in patients of the main group compared to the controls. The global assessment of efficacy revealed the mild improvement in the main group while no changes were found in the control group. The results have demonstrated that noopept, used in dose 20 mg daily during 2 months, improves cognitive functions in stroke patients and has a high level of safety.

Human neural stem cell-derived cultures in three-dimensional substrates form spontaneously functional neuronal networks.

PubMed

Smith, Imogen; Silveirinha, Vasco; Stein, Jason L; de la Torre-Ubieta, Luis; Farrimond, Jonathan A; Williamson, Elizabeth M; Whalley, Benjamin J

2017-04-01

Differentiated human neural stem cells were cultured in an inert three-dimensional (3D) scaffold and, unlike two-dimensional (2D) but otherwise comparable monolayer cultures, formed spontaneously active, functional neuronal networks that responded reproducibly and predictably to conventional pharmacological treatments to reveal functional, glutamatergic synapses. Immunocytochemical and electron microscopy analysis revealed a neuronal and glial population, where markers of neuronal maturity were observed in the former. Oligonucleotide microarray analysis revealed substantial differences in gene expression conferred by culturing in a 3D vs a 2D environment. Notable and numerous differences were seen in genes coding for neuronal function, the extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton. In addition to producing functional networks, differentiated human neural stem cells grown in inert scaffolds offer several significant advantages over conventional 2D monolayers. These advantages include cost savings and improved physiological relevance, which make them better suited for use in the pharmacological and toxicological assays required for development of stem cell-based treatments and the reduction of animal use in medical research. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chemical Bonding: The Orthogonal Valence-Bond View

PubMed Central

Sax, Alexander F.

2015-01-01

Chemical bonding is the stabilization of a molecular system by charge- and spin-reorganization processes in chemical reactions. These processes are said to be local, because the number of atoms involved is very small. With multi-configurational self-consistent field (MCSCF) wave functions, these processes can be calculated, but the local information is hidden by the delocalized molecular orbitals (MO) used to construct the wave functions. The transformation of such wave functions into valence bond (VB) wave functions, which are based on localized orbitals, reveals the hidden information; this transformation is called a VB reading of MCSCF wave functions. The two-electron VB wave functions describing the Lewis electron pair that connects two atoms are frequently called covalent or neutral, suggesting that these wave functions describe an electronic situation where two electrons are never located at the same atom; such electronic situations and the wave functions describing them are called ionic. When the distance between two atoms decreases, however, every covalent VB wave function composed of non-orthogonal atomic orbitals changes its character from neutral to ionic. However, this change in the character of conventional VB wave functions is hidden by its mathematical form. Orthogonal VB wave functions composed of orthonormalized orbitals never change their character. When localized fragment orbitals are used instead of atomic orbitals, one can decide which local information is revealed and which remains hidden. In this paper, we analyze four chemical reactions by transforming the MCSCF wave functions into orthogonal VB wave functions; we show how the reactions are influenced by changing the atoms involved or by changing their local symmetry. Using orthogonal instead of non-orthogonal orbitals is not just a technical issue; it also changes the interpretation, revealing the properties of wave functions that remain otherwise undetected. PMID:25906476

Mass functions for globular cluster main sequences based on CCD photometry and stellar models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClure, Robert D.; Vandenberg, Don A.; Smith, Graeme H.; Fahlman, Gregory G.; Richer, Harvey B.; Hesser, James E.; Harris, William E.; Stetson, Peter B.; Bell, R. A.

1986-08-01

Main-sequence luminosity functions constructed from CCD observations of globular clusters reveal a strong trend in slope with metal abundance. Theoretical luminosity functions constructed from VandenBerg and Bell's (1985) isochrones have been fitted to the observations and reveal a trend between x, the power-law index of the mass function, and metal abundance. The most metal-poor clusters require an index of about x = 2.5, whereas the most metal-rich clusters exhibit an index of x of roughly -0.5. The luminosity functions for two sparse clusters, E3 and Pal 5, are distinct from those of the more massive clusters, in that they show a turndown which is possibly a result of mass loss or tidal disruption.

Application of a Novel Functional Gene Microarray to Probe the Functional Ecology of Ammonia Oxidation in Nitrifying Activated Sludge

PubMed Central

Short, Michael D.; Abell, Guy C. J.; Bodrossy, Levente; van den Akker, Ben

2013-01-01

We report on the first study trialling a newly-developed, functional gene microarray (FGA) for characterising bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidisers in activated sludge. Mixed liquor (ML) and media biofilm samples from a full-scale integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) plant were analysed with the FGA to profile the diversity and relative abundance of ammonia-oxidising archaea and bacteria (AOA and AOB respectively). FGA analyses of AOA and AOB communities revealed ubiquitous distribution of AOA across all samples – an important finding for these newly-discovered and poorly characterised organisms. Results also revealed striking differences in the functional ecology of attached versus suspended communities within the IFAS reactor. Quantitative assessment of AOB and AOA functional gene abundance revealed a dominance of AOB in the ML and approximately equal distribution of AOA and AOB in the media-attached biofilm. Subsequent correlations of functional gene abundance data with key water quality parameters suggested an important functional role for media-attached AOB in particular for IFAS reactor nitrification performance and indicate possible functional redundancy in some IFAS ammonia oxidiser communities. Results from this investigation demonstrate the capacity of the FGA to resolve subtle ecological shifts in key microbial communities in nitrifying activated sludge and indicate its value as a tool for better understanding the linkages between the ecology and performance of these engineered systems. PMID:24155925

Quantitative proteomic study of Aspergillus Fumigatus secretome revealed deamidation of secretory enzymes.

PubMed

Adav, Sunil S; Ravindran, Anita; Sze, Siu Kwan

2015-04-24

Aspergillus sp. plays an essential role in lignocellulosic biomass recycling and is also exploited as cell factories for the production of industrial enzymes. This study profiled the secretome of Aspergillus fumigatus when grown with cellulose, xylan and starch by high throughput quantitative proteomics using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ). Post translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins play a critical role in protein functions. However, our understanding of the PTMs in secretory proteins is limited. Here, we present the identification of PTMs such as deamidation of secreted proteins of A. fumigatus. This study quantified diverse groups of extracellular secreted enzymes and their functional classification revealed cellulases and glycoside hydrolases (32.9%), amylases (0.9%), hemicellulases (16.2%), lignin degrading enzymes (8.1%), peptidases and proteases (11.7%), chitinases, lipases and phosphatases (7.6%), and proteins with unknown function (22.5%). The comparison of quantitative iTRAQ results revealed that cellulose and xylan stimulates expression of specific cellulases and hemicellulases, and their abundance level as a function of substrate. In-depth data analysis revealed deamidation as a major PTM of key cellulose hydrolyzing enzymes like endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases and glucosidases. Hemicellulose degrading endo-1,4-beta-xylanase, monosidases, xylosidases, lignin degrading laccase, isoamyl alcohol oxidase and oxidoreductases were also found to be deamidated. The filamentous fungi play an essential role in lignocellulosic biomass recycling and fungal strains belonging to Aspergillus were also exploited as cell factories for the production of organic acids, pharmaceuticals, and industrially important enzymes. In this study, extracellular proteins secreted by thermophilic A. fumigatus when grown with cellulose, xylan and starch were profiled using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) by adopting liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The comparison of quantitative iTRAQ results revealed that cellulose and xylan stimulate expression of specific cellulases and hemicellulases, and expression level as a function of substrate. Post translational modifications revealed deamidation of key cellulases including endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases and glucosidases; and hemicellulases and lignin degrading enzymes. The knowledge on deamidated enzymes along with specific sites of modifications could be crucial information for further functional studies of these enzymes of A. fumigatus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional diversity of Csk, Chk, and Src SH2 domains due to a single residue variation.

PubMed

Ayrapetov, Marina K; Nam, Nguyen Hai; Ye, Guofeng; Kumar, Anil; Parang, Keykavous; Sun, Gongqin

2005-07-08

The C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) family of protein tyrosine kinases contains two members: Csk and Csk homologous kinase (Chk). Both phosphorylate and inactivate Src family kinases. Recent reports suggest that the Src homology (SH) 2 domains of Csk and Chk may bind to different phosphoproteins, which provides a basis for different cellular functions for Csk and Chk. To verify and characterize such a functional divergence, we compared the binding properties of the Csk, Chk, and Src SH2 domains and investigated the structural basis for the functional divergence. First, the study demonstrated striking functional differences between the Csk and Chk SH2 domains and revealed functional similarities between the Chk and Src SH2 domains. Second, structural analysis and mutagenic studies revealed that the functional differences among the three SH2 domains were largely controlled by one residue, Glu127 in Csk, Ile167 in Chk, and Lys200 in Src. Mutating these residues in the Csk or Chk SH2 domain to the Src counterpart resulted in dramatic gain of function similar to Src SH2 domain, whereas mutating Lys200 in Src SH2 domain to Glu (the Csk counterpart) resulted in loss of Src SH2 function. Third, a single point mutation of E127K rendered Csk responsive to activation by a Src SH2 domain ligand. Finally, the optimal phosphopeptide sequence for the Chk SH2 domain was determined. These results provide a compelling explanation for the functional differences between two homologous protein tyrosine kinases and reveal a new structure-function relationship for the SH2 domains.

Early life stress induces attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behavioral and brain metabolic dysfunctions: functional imaging of methylphenidate treatment in a novel rodent model.

PubMed

Bock, J; Breuer, S; Poeggel, G; Braun, K

2017-03-01

In a novel animal model Octodon degus we tested the hypothesis that, in addition to genetic predisposition, early life stress (ELS) contributes to the etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-like behavioral symptoms and the associated brain functional deficits. Since previous neurochemical observations revealed that early life stress impairs dopaminergic functions, we predicted that these symptoms can be normalized by treatment with methylphenidate. In line with our hypothesis, the behavioral analysis revealed that repeated ELS induced locomotor hyperactivity and reduced attention towards an emotionally relevant acoustic stimulus. Functional imaging using ( 14 C)-2-fluoro-deoxyglucose-autoradiography revealed that the behavioral symptoms are paralleled by metabolic hypoactivity of prefrontal, mesolimbic and subcortical brain areas. Finally, the pharmacological intervention provided further evidence that the behavioral and metabolic dysfunctions are due to impaired dopaminergic neurotransmission. Elevating dopamine in ELS animals by methylphenidate normalized locomotor hyperactivity and attention-deficit and ameliorated brain metabolic hypoactivity in a dose-dependent manner.

Immunoactive two-dimensional self-assembly of monoclonal antibodies in aqueous solution revealed by atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ido, Shinichiro; Kimiya, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Kei; Kominami, Hiroaki; Matsushige, Kazumi; Yamada, Hirofumi

2014-03-01

The conformational flexibility of antibodies in solution directly affects their immune function. Namely, the flexible hinge regions of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are essential in epitope-specific antigen recognition and biological effector function. The antibody structure, which is strongly related to its functions, has been partially revealed by electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, but only under non-physiological conditions. Here we observed monoclonal IgG antibodies in aqueous solution by high-resolution frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM). We found that monoclonal antibodies self-assemble into hexamers, which form two-dimensional crystals in aqueous solution. Furthermore, by directly observing antibody-antigen interactions using FM-AFM, we revealed that IgG molecules in the crystal retain immunoactivity. As the self-assembled monolayer crystal of antibodies retains immunoactivity at a neutral pH and is functionally stable at a wide range of pH and temperature, the antibody crystal is applicable to new biotechnological platforms for biosensors or bioassays.

Migration and spawning of female surubim (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans, Pimelodidae) in the São Francisco river, Brazil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Godinho, Alexandre L.; Kynard, Boyd; Godinho, Hugo P.

2007-01-01

Surubim, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans, is the most valuable commercial and recreational fish in the São Francisco River, but little is known about adult migration and spawning. Movements of 24 females (9.5–29.0 kg), which were radio-tagged just downstream of Três Marias Dam (TMD) at river kilometer 2,109 and at Pirapora Rapids (PR) 129 km downstream of TMD, suggest the following conceptual model of adult female migration and spawning. The tagged surubims used only 274 km of the main stem downstream of TMD and two tributaries, the Velhas and Abaeté rivers. Migration style was dualistic with non-migratory (resident) and migratory fish. Pre-spawning females swam at ground speeds of up to 31 km day-1 in late September–December to pre-spawning staging sites located 0–11 km from the spawning ground. In the spawning season (November–March), pre-spawning females migrated back and forth from nearby pre-spawning staging sites to PR for short visits to spawn, mostly during floods. Multiple visits to the spawning site suggest surubim is a multiple spawner. Most post-spawning surubims left the spawning ground to forage elsewhere, but some stayed at the spawning site until the next spawning season. Post-spawning migrants swam up or downstream at ground speeds up to 29 km day-1 during January–March. Construction of proposed dams in the main stem and tributaries downstream of TMD will greatly reduce surubim abundance by blocking migrations and changing the river into reservoirs that eliminate riverine spawning and non-spawning habitats, and possibly, cause extirpation of populations.

A Conceptual Muddle: An Empirical Analysis of the Use of ‘Sex’ and ‘Gender’ in ‘Gender-Specific Medicine’ Journals

PubMed Central

Hammarström, Anne; Annandale, Ellen

2012-01-01

Background At the same time as there is increasing awareness in medicine of the risks of exaggerating differences between men and women, there is a growing professional movement of ‘gender-specific medicine’ which is directed towards analysing ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ differences. The aim of this article is to empirically explore how the concepts of ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are used in the new field of ‘gender-specific medicine’, as reflected in two medical journals which are foundational to this relatively new field. Method and Principal Findings The data consist of all articles from the first issue of each journal in 2004 and an issue published three years later (n = 43). In addition, all editorials over this period were included (n = 61). Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were undertaken by the authors. Less than half of the 104 papers used the concepts of ‘sex’ and ‘gender’. Less than 1 in 10 papers attempted any definition of the concepts. Overall, the given definitions were simple, unspecific and created dualisms between men and women. Almost all papers which used the two concepts did so interchangeably, with any possible interplay between ‘sex’ and gender’ referred to only in six of the papers. Conclusion The use of the concepts of ‘sex’ and gender’ in ‘gender-specific medicine’ is conceptually muddled. The simple, dualistic and individualised use of these concepts increases the risk of essentialism and reductivist thinking. It therefore highlights the need to clarify the use of the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in medical research and to develop more effective ways of conceptualising the interplay between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in relation to different diseases. PMID:22529907

Grieving my broken body: an autoethnographic account of spinal cord injury as an experience of grief.

PubMed

Clifton, Shane

2014-01-01

For good reason, the trajectory of contemporary research and therapy into rehabilitation following spinal cord injury (SCI) has moved away from focusing on the pathology of depression, to highlight the contribution of resiliency, optimism, and hope to long-term well-being. This article complements this literature, exploring the analogous links between the losses of SCI and the experiences of the grief that accompanies the death of a loved one. The article uses autoethnography, drawing on the authors' writing about his own experiences as a C5 (incomplete) quadriplegic, to identify a correlation between the stages/symptoms of grief and the journey of rehabilitating from an SCI. The article highlights the "wild" and ambiguous reality of adjusting to an SCI, and so challenges the dualist tendency to assume that people are either resilient or weak, successful or unsuccessful in their recovery. It recognises that adjusting to an SCI involves complex swings in emotion--sadness, anger, and melancholy, alongside hope and determination. Drawing on strategies of grief therapy, the article suggests that constructing and reconstructing the story of one's own life is essential to learning to accept and live with an SCI. Since the losses accompanying SCI are analogous to grief, grief therapy strategies that recognise the complex and ambiguous nature of recovery can be part of rehabilitation. Therapy should encourage people to construct and reconstruct narratives--life stories--that help them mourn their loss and make sense of their new lives. The loss of an SCI is especially potent following return to the community, so storied therapy should continue beyond the period of the in-house rehabilitation.

Comparison between types I and II epithelial ovarian cancer using histogram analysis of monoexponential, biexponential, and stretched-exponential diffusion models.

PubMed

Wang, Feng; Wang, Yuxiang; Zhou, Yan; Liu, Congrong; Xie, Lizhi; Zhou, Zhenyu; Liang, Dong; Shen, Yang; Yao, Zhihang; Liu, Jianyu

2017-12-01

To evaluate the utility of histogram analysis of monoexponential, biexponential, and stretched-exponential models to a dualistic model of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Fifty-two patients with histopathologically proven EOC underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (including diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI] with 11 b-values) using a 3.0T system and were divided into two groups: types I and II. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f), distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC), and intravoxel water diffusion heterogeneity (α) histograms were obtained based on solid components of the entire tumor. The following metrics of each histogram were compared between two types: 1) mean; 2) median; 3) 10th percentile and 90th percentile. Conventional MRI morphological features were also recorded. Significant morphological features for predicting EOC type were maximum diameter (P = 0.007), texture of lesion (P = 0.001), and peritoneal implants (P = 0.001). For ADC, D, f, DDC, and α, all metrics were significantly lower in type II than type I (P < 0.05). Mean, median, 10th, and 90th percentile of D* were not significantly different (P = 0.336, 0.154, 0.779, and 0.203, respectively). Most histogram metrics of ADC, D, and DDC had significantly higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values than those of f and α (P < 0.05) CONCLUSION: It is feasible to grade EOC by morphological features and three models with histogram analysis. ADC, D, and DDC have better performance than f and α; f and α may provide additional information. 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1797-1809. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

The decision of out-of-home placement in residential care after parental neglect: Empirically testing a psychosocial model.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Leonor; Calheiros, Manuela; Pereira, Cícero

2015-11-01

Out-of-home placement decisions in residential care are complex, ambiguous and full of uncertainty, especially in cases of parental neglect. Literature on this topic is so far unable to understand and demonstrate the source of errors involved in those decisions and still fails to focus on professional's decision making process. Therefore, this work intends to test a socio-psychological model of decision-making that is a more integrated, dualistic and ecological version of the Theory of Planned Behavior's model. It describes the process through which the decision maker takes into account personal, contextual and social factors of the Decision-Making Ecology in the definition of his/her decision threshold. One hundred and ninety-five professionals from different Children and Youth Protection Units, throughout the Portuguese territory, participated in this online study. After reading a vignette of a (psychological and physical) neglect case toward a one-year-old child, participants were presented with a group of questions that measured worker's assessment of risk, intention, attitude, subjective norm, behavior control and beliefs toward residential care placement decision, as well as worker's behavior experience, emotions and family/child-related-values involved in that decision. A set of structural equation modeling analyses have proven the good fit of the proposed model. The intention to propose a residential care placement decision was determined by cognitive, social, affective, value-laden and experience variables and the perceived risk. Altogether our model explained 61% of professional's decision toward a parental neglect case. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, namely the importance of raising awareness about the existence of these biased psychosocial determinants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of aqueous extracts of "Betel quid" and its constituents on testosterone production by dispersed mouse interstitial cells.

PubMed

Yang, Nai-Yen Jack; Kaphle, Krishna; Wang, Pei-Hwa; Jong, De-Shien; Wu, Leang-Shin; Lin, Jen-Hsou

2004-01-01

Betel quid (BQ) is a favorite chewing item among many communities in different parts of Asia where it is popular by different names. BQ is a unique combination of nut or fruit from the Areca catechu Linn. (AN) tree, leaf from the Piper betle Linn. (BL) vine, slaked lime, paste of bark from the Acacia catechu tree and other spices. AN has been used successfully in various traditional medicines by different civilizations over several ages. Initially condemned by the medical communities for its health hazards, identification and application of potent pharmacologically bioactive compounds from different constituents of BQ have rekindled growing interest in related investigations. Curious about the stimulating role of BQ, we investigated the potential steroidogenic activity of hot water extract from BQ and its constituents and arecoline on testosterone producing ability in an in vitro experiment. Enzyme dissociated interstitial cells from adult mouse testes (ICR strain) were cultured with/without different doses of the extracts and the level of testosterone produced was assayed by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technique. It was found that at lower doses of arecoline, AN and BL extracts had significantly stimulated testosterone production over the basal level (p < 0.05). BQ extract, on the other hand, did not show any significant effect on testosterone production. Combinations of arecoline at low doses with 10 ng/ml ovine leutinizing hormone (oLH) showed increases in testosterone produced, while cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) co-culture showed dose-related inhibition. Our current finding hints at the possible dose-dependent dualistic role of AN and BL extracts and arecoline for testosterone production employing possible non-cAMP-dependent pathway of steroidogenesis. However, the identity of the active compounds besides arecoline and the exact mechanism involved remains to be further investigated.

[Sabuco's suco nerveo and the origins of neurochemistry in the Spanish Renaissance].

PubMed

Martin Araguz, A; Bustamante Martinez, C; Fernandez Armayor, V

In the 16th century, at the height of the Spanish Renaissance, Bachiller Miguel Sabuco revolutionised medical theories about brain physiology with the publication of his work Nueva Filosof a in 1587. This work, which is mysteriously attributed to his daughter Luisa Oliva, presents a surprisingly gynocentric ideology for its time and has been reprinted on numerous occasions since its first edition saw the light. Sabuco s ideas have been plagiarised by such renowned authors as Descartes, Willis and Glisson. In stark contrast to the Arabized galenism based on the criterion of authority that predominated the medical practice of his time, Nueva Filosof a empirically promoted a modern approach to neurophysiology. This becomes even more worthy of merit if we bear in mind that Sabuco was not trained as a doctor but instead worked as an apothecary in Alcaraz (Albacete, Spain). The Bachiller granted the brain a commanding role over the organisation of the body for the first time in the history of medicine. He not only developed the surprising theory of succo nervoso (the nervous sap, or original neurotransmitting substance), but also an elegant digression on human nature that puts forward solid arguments about the dualist relation between mind and brain. He examined the association between emotional and physical health and explained how the emotions can impair health and lead to early death, which means he was also a pioneer in the development of psychosomatic medicine. Besides constituting the most illustrious forerunner of modern day neurochemistry, Sabuco s work also encourages doctors to treat their patients in an integral manner, with equal attention being given to the body, mind and soul. It comes as no surprise, then, that many aspects of his work can still be compared to modern medical and philosophical thought.

Doing gender/teaching science: A feminist poststructural analysis of middle school science teachers' identity negotiations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowell, Scott P.

This research joins the gender equity conversation within science education by providing a feminist poststructural analysis of teachers' doing gender and teaching science. Feminist poststructuralism is used in recognition of the oppressive nature of dualistic modes of thought, which often reduce reality into a limiting either/or fallacy and can be theoretically constraining as research within any particular field becomes more sophisticated. By uprooting the concept of gendered identity from the unproductive grip of essentialism, and conceptualizing it instead as a shifting 'work in progress,' feminist poststructuralism provides an invigorating theoretical framework from which to conduct inquiries. From a this perspective, the identity of a teacher, as any identity, is not a fixed entity, but rather an unfinished project, swarmed upon by a variety of competing discourses. Situated in a rural middle school in the Florida panhandle, this research explores how numerous discourses compete to define what it means to be a female science teacher. More specifically, the aims of this research are to explore: (a) how the participants negotiated successful gendered identities within science and (b) how this taking up of subject positions crystallized into classroom practices which worked to reproduce and/or challenge commonsense notions of the heteropatriarchal gender dualism as well as the enmeshment of masculinity and science. Findings illustrate a wide array of classroom pedagogical practices, ranging from antioppressive emancipatory constructions of both gender and science to more traditional objectivist constructions that validated the patriarchal status quo. Explicating teacher identity as effects of these pedagogical approaches proved insightful in unveiling notions of resistance, frustration, enthusiasm, and agency as the teachers reflected on their practice.

Philosophical aspects of dual use technologies.

PubMed

Pustovit, Svitlana V; Williams, Erin D

2010-03-01

The term dual use technologies refers to research and technology with the potential both to yield valuable scientific knowledge and to be used for nefarious purposes with serious consequences for public health or the environment. There are two main approaches to assessing dual use technologies: pragmatic and metaphysical. A pragmatic approach relies on ethical principles and norms to generate specific guidance and policy for dual use technologies. A metaphysical approach exhorts us to the deeper study of human nature, our intentions, goals, values ideals and social relations when considering dual use technology. Use of science and technology (S and T) is determined by two components of human nature: human intentions and choices. We have drawn a distinction between specific measures, goals and intentions with respect to technologies in order to show that moral judgment about technologies must precede their use. Understanding of our intentionality and values, and our moral ideals, as a measurable, tangible part of the real world is important for the prevention of any possible harm from S and T. In the context of dual use technologies, we stress the importance of three main understandings of human nature: vulnerability, responsibility and narrative identity. These can become a strong ontological "antidote" to technology's poisoning of modern man. Each new technology can be measured and compared with man's values, traditions and societal norms. This can be done bearing in mind the concept that human nature is not dualistic, but pluralistic. A system of ethical principles that includes the principles of good intentions, the correspondence of goals and means, the balancing of risks and benefits, simplicity, and contextuality, will help ensure that technologies are more humanistic and friendly to human beings.

Consciousness and Quantum Physics: Empirical Research on the Subjective Reduction of the Statevector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bierman, Dick J.; Whitmarsh, Stephen

There are two major theoretical perspectives on the relation between quantum physics and consciousness. The first one is the proposal by Hameroff and Penrose CHEXX[16] that consciousness arises from the collapse of the statevector describing nonconscious brainstates. The second perspective is the proposition that consciousness acts as the ultimate measurement device, i. e. a measurement is defined as the collapse of the statevector describing the external physical system, due to interaction with a conscious observer. The latter (dualistic) proposition has resulted in the thought experiment with Schrodinger's cat and is generally considered as extremely unlikely. However, that proposition is, under certain assumptions, open to empirical verification. This was originally done by Hall et al. CHEXX[15]. A refined experiment to test the "subjective" reduction' interpretation of the measurement problem in quantum physics was reported by Bierman CHEXX[3]. In the latter experiment, auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) of subjects observing (previously unobserved) radioactive decay were recorded. These were compared with AEPs from events that were already observed and thus supposedly already collapsed into a singular state. Significant differences in brain signals of the observer were found. In this chapter we report a further replication that is improved upon the previous experiments by adding a nonquantum event as control. Differential effects of preobservation were expected not to appear in this classical condition since the quantum character of the event is presumed crucial. No differential effects were found in either condition, however. Marginal differences were found between the quantum and classical conditions. Possible explanations for the inability to replicate the previous findings are given as well as suggestions for further research.

Perceptions of coping with non-disease-related life stress for women with osteoarthritis: a qualitative analysis

PubMed Central

Harris, Melissa L; Byles, Julie E; Townsend, Natalie; Loxton, Deborah

2016-01-01

Objective Coping with arthritis-related stress has been extensively studied. However, limited evidence exists regarding coping with stress extraneous to the disease (life stress). This study explored life stress and coping in a subset of older women with osteoarthritis from a larger longitudinal study. Setting An Australian regional university. Design This qualitative study involved semistructured telephone interviews. Potential participants were mailed a letter of invitation/participant information statement by the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Invitations were sent out in small batches (primarily 10). Interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved using a systematic process (n=19). Digitally recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and deidentified. Data were thematically analysed. Participants Women who indicated being diagnosed or treated for arthritis in the previous 3 years in the fifth survey of the ALSWH (conducted in 2007) provided the sampling frame. Potential participants were randomly sampled by a blinded data manager using a random number generator. Results Coping with life stress involved both attitudinal coping processes developed early in life (ie, stoicism) and transient cognitive and support-based responses. Women also described a dualistic process involving a reduction in the ability to cope with ongoing stress over time, coupled with personal growth. Conclusions This is the first study to examine how individuals cope with non-arthritis-related stress. The findings add to the current understanding of stress and coping, and have implications regarding the prevention of arthritis in women. Importantly, this study highlighted the potential detrimental impact of persistent coping patterns developed early in life. Public health campaigns aimed at stress mitigation and facilitation of adaptive coping mechanisms in childhood and adolescence may assist with arthritis prevention. PMID:27188808

Unbiased transcriptomic analyses reveal distinct effects of immune deficiency in CNS function with and without injury.

PubMed

Luo, Dandan; Ge, Weihong; Hu, Xiao; Li, Chen; Lee, Chia-Ming; Zhou, Liqiang; Wu, Zhourui; Yu, Juehua; Lin, Sheng; Yu, Jing; Xu, Wei; Chen, Lei; Zhang, Chong; Jiang, Kun; Zhu, Xingfei; Li, Haotian; Gao, Xinpei; Geng, Yanan; Jing, Bo; Wang, Zhen; Zheng, Changhong; Zhu, Rongrong; Yan, Qiao; Lin, Quan; Ye, Keqiang; Sun, Yi E; Cheng, Liming

2018-06-28

The mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is considered an immune privileged system as it is separated from the periphery by the blood brain barrier (BBB). Yet, immune functions have been postulated to heavily influence the functional state of the CNS, especially after injury or during neurodegeneration. There is controversy regarding whether adaptive immune responses are beneficial or detrimental to CNS injury repair. In this study, we utilized immunocompromised SCID mice and subjected them to spinal cord injury (SCI). We analyzed motor function, electrophysiology, histochemistry, and performed unbiased RNA-sequencing. SCID mice displayed improved CNS functional recovery compared to WT mice after SCI. Weighted gene-coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) of spinal cord transcriptomes revealed that SCID mice had reduced expression of immune function-related genes and heightened expression of neural transmission-related genes after SCI, which was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis and was consistent with better functional recovery. Transcriptomic analyses also indicated heightened expression of neurotransmission-related genes before injury in SCID mice, suggesting that a steady state of immune-deficiency potentially led to CNS hyper-connectivity. Consequently, SCID mice without injury demonstrated worse performance in Morris water maze test. Taken together, not only reduced inflammation after injury but also dampened steady-state immune function without injury heightened the neurotransmission program, resulting in better or worse behavioral outcomes respectively. This study revealed the intricate relationship between immune and nervous systems, raising the possibility for therapeutic manipulation of neural function via immune modulation.

Community assembly of the ferns of Florida.

PubMed

Sessa, Emily B; Chambers, Sally M; Li, Daijiang; Trotta, Lauren; Endara, Lorena; Burleigh, J Gordon; Baiser, Benjamin

2018-03-01

Many ecological and evolutionary processes shape the assembly of organisms into local communities from a regional pool of species. We analyzed phylogenetic and functional diversity to understand community assembly of the ferns of Florida at two spatial scales. We built a phylogeny for 125 of the 141 species of ferns in Florida using five chloroplast markers. We calculated mean pairwise dissimilarity (MPD) and mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) from phylogenetic distances and functional trait data for both spatial scales and compared the results to null models to assess significance. Our results for over vs. underdispersion in functional and phylogenetic diversity differed depending on spatial scale and metric considered. At the county scale, MPD revealed evidence for phylogenetic overdispersion, while MNTD revealed phylogenetic and functional underdispersion, and at the conservation area scale, MPD revealed phylogenetic and functional underdispersion while MNTD revealed evidence only of functional underdispersion. Our results are consistent with environmental filtering playing a larger role at the smaller, conservation area scale. The smaller spatial units are likely composed of fewer local habitat types that are selecting for closely related species, with the larger-scale units more likely to be composed of multiple habitat types that bring together a larger pool of species from across the phylogeny. Several aspects of fern biology, including their unique physiology and water relations and the importance of the independent gametophyte stage of the life cycle, make ferns highly sensitive to local, microhabitat conditions. © 2018 The Authors. American Journal of Botany is published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the Botanical Society of America.

The Chlamydomonas Genome Reveals the Evolution of Key Animal and Plant Functions

PubMed Central

Merchant, Sabeeha S.; Prochnik, Simon E.; Vallon, Olivier; Harris, Elizabeth H.; Karpowicz, Steven J.; Witman, George B.; Terry, Astrid; Salamov, Asaf; Fritz-Laylin, Lillian K.; Maréchal-Drouard, Laurence; Marshall, Wallace F.; Qu, Liang-Hu; Nelson, David R.; Sanderfoot, Anton A.; Spalding, Martin H.; Kapitonov, Vladimir V.; Ren, Qinghu; Ferris, Patrick; Lindquist, Erika; Shapiro, Harris; Lucas, Susan M.; Grimwood, Jane; Schmutz, Jeremy; Cardol, Pierre; Cerutti, Heriberto; Chanfreau, Guillaume; Chen, Chun-Long; Cognat, Valérie; Croft, Martin T.; Dent, Rachel; Dutcher, Susan; Fernández, Emilio; Ferris, Patrick; Fukuzawa, Hideya; González-Ballester, David; González-Halphen, Diego; Hallmann, Armin; Hanikenne, Marc; Hippler, Michael; Inwood, William; Jabbari, Kamel; Kalanon, Ming; Kuras, Richard; Lefebvre, Paul A.; Lemaire, Stéphane D.; Lobanov, Alexey V.; Lohr, Martin; Manuell, Andrea; Meier, Iris; Mets, Laurens; Mittag, Maria; Mittelmeier, Telsa; Moroney, James V.; Moseley, Jeffrey; Napoli, Carolyn; Nedelcu, Aurora M.; Niyogi, Krishna; Novoselov, Sergey V.; Paulsen, Ian T.; Pazour, Greg; Purton, Saul; Ral, Jean-Philippe; Riaño-Pachón, Diego Mauricio; Riekhof, Wayne; Rymarquis, Linda; Schroda, Michael; Stern, David; Umen, James; Willows, Robert; Wilson, Nedra; Zimmer, Sara Lana; Allmer, Jens; Balk, Janneke; Bisova, Katerina; Chen, Chong-Jian; Elias, Marek; Gendler, Karla; Hauser, Charles; Lamb, Mary Rose; Ledford, Heidi; Long, Joanne C.; Minagawa, Jun; Page, M. Dudley; Pan, Junmin; Pootakham, Wirulda; Roje, Sanja; Rose, Annkatrin; Stahlberg, Eric; Terauchi, Aimee M.; Yang, Pinfen; Ball, Steven; Bowler, Chris; Dieckmann, Carol L.; Gladyshev, Vadim N.; Green, Pamela; Jorgensen, Richard; Mayfield, Stephen; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd; Rajamani, Sathish; Sayre, Richard T.; Brokstein, Peter; Dubchak, Inna; Goodstein, David; Hornick, Leila; Huang, Y. Wayne; Jhaveri, Jinal; Luo, Yigong; Martínez, Diego; Ngau, Wing Chi Abby; Otillar, Bobby; Poliakov, Alexander; Porter, Aaron; Szajkowski, Lukasz; Werner, Gregory; Zhou, Kemin; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Rokhsar, Daniel S.; Grossman, Arthur R.

2010-01-01

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular green alga whose lineage diverged from land plants over 1 billion years ago. It is a model system for studying chloroplast-based photosynthesis, as well as the structure, assembly, and function of eukaryotic flagella (cilia), which were inherited from the common ancestor of plants and animals, but lost in land plants. We sequenced the ∼120-megabase nuclear genome of Chlamydomonas and performed comparative phylogenomic analyses, identifying genes encoding uncharacterized proteins that are likely associated with the function and biogenesis of chloroplasts or eukaryotic flagella. Analyses of the Chlamydomonas genome advance our understanding of the ancestral eukaryotic cell, reveal previously unknown genes associated with photosynthetic and flagellar functions, and establish links between ciliopathy and the composition and function of flagella. PMID:17932292

Emotional Regulation and Executive Function Deficits in Unmedicated Chinese Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

PubMed

Jiang, Wenqing; Li, Yan; Du, Yasong; Fan, Juan

2016-05-01

This study aims to explore the feature of emotional regulation and executive functions in oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) children. The emotional regulation and executive functions of adolescents with ODD, as well as the relationship between the two factors were analyzed using tools including Adolescent Daily Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ADERQ), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), in comparison with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children without behavioral problem and healthy children; the ADERQ assessed emotional regulation ability and others were used to assess executive function. Compared to normal children, the ODD group displayed significant differences in the scores of cognitive reappraisal, rumination, expressive suppression, and revealing of negative emotions, as well as in the score of cognitive reappraisal of positive emotions. WCST perseverative errors were well correlated with rumination of negative emotions (r=0.47). Logistic regression revealed that the minimum number of moves in the Stocking of Cambridge (SOC) test (one test in CANTAB) and negative emotion revealing, were strongly associated with ODD diagnosis. Children with ODD showed emotion dysregulation, with negative emotion dysregulation as the main feature. Emotion dysregulation and the lack of ability to plan lead to executive function deficits. The executive function deficits may guide us to understand the deep mechanism under ODD.

Structural properties of prokaryotic promoter regions correlate with functional features.

PubMed

Meysman, Pieter; Collado-Vides, Julio; Morett, Enrique; Viola, Roberto; Engelen, Kristof; Laukens, Kris

2014-01-01

The structural properties of the DNA molecule are known to play a critical role in transcription. In this paper, the structural profiles of promoter regions were studied within the context of their diversity and their function for eleven prokaryotic species; Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas auroginosa, Geobacter sulfurreducens Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Synechocystis sp., Synechoccocus elongates, Bacillus anthracis, and the archaea Sulfolobus solfataricus. The main anchor point for these promoter regions were transcription start sites identified through high-throughput experiments or collected within large curated databases. Prokaryotic promoter regions were found to be less stable and less flexible than the genomic mean across all studied species. However, direct comparison between species revealed differences in their structural profiles that can not solely be explained by the difference in genomic GC content. In addition, comparison with functional data revealed that there are patterns in the promoter structural profiles that can be linked to specific functional loci, such as sigma factor regulation or transcription factor binding. Interestingly, a novel structural element clearly visible near the transcription start site was found in genes associated with essential cellular functions and growth in several species. Our analyses reveals the great diversity in promoter structural profiles both between and within prokaryotic species. We observed relationships between structural diversity and functional features that are interesting prospects for further research to yet uncharacterized functional loci defined by DNA structural properties.

Understanding the Derivative through the Calculus Triangle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Eric; Tallman, Michael; Byerley, Cameron; Thompson, Patrick W.

2012-01-01

Typical treatments of the derivative do not clearly convey the idea that the derivative function represents the original function's rate of change. Revealing the relationship between a function and its rate-of-change function for static values of "x" does not facilitate productive ways of thinking about generating the rate-of-change function or…

Multiple Roles of Integrin-Linked Kinase in Epidermal Development, Maturation and Pigmentation Revealed by Molecular Profiling

PubMed Central

Judah, David; Rudkouskaya, Alena; Wilson, Ryan; Carter, David E.; Dagnino, Lina

2012-01-01

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is an important scaffold protein that mediates a variety of cellular responses to integrin stimulation by extracellular matrix proteins. Mice with epidermis-restricted inactivation of the Ilk gene exhibit pleiotropic phenotypic defects, including impaired hair follicle morphogenesis, reduced epidermal adhesion to the basement membrane, compromised epidermal integrity, as well as wasting and failure to thrive leading to perinatal death. To better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms that cause such a broad range of alterations, we investigated the impact of Ilk gene inactivation on the epidermis transcriptome. Microarray analysis showed over 700 differentially regulated mRNAs encoding proteins involved in multiple aspects of epidermal function, including keratinocyte differentiation and barrier formation, inflammation, regeneration after injury, and fundamental epidermal developmental pathways. These studies also revealed potential effects on genes not previously implicated in ILK functions, including those important for melanocyte and melanoblast development and function, regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics, and homeobox genes. This study shows that ILK is a critical regulator of multiple aspects of epidermal function and homeostasis, and reveals the previously unreported involvement of ILK not only in epidermal differentiation and barrier formation, but also in melanocyte genesis and function. PMID:22574216

Multiple roles of integrin-linked kinase in epidermal development, maturation and pigmentation revealed by molecular profiling.

PubMed

Judah, David; Rudkouskaya, Alena; Wilson, Ryan; Carter, David E; Dagnino, Lina

2012-01-01

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is an important scaffold protein that mediates a variety of cellular responses to integrin stimulation by extracellular matrix proteins. Mice with epidermis-restricted inactivation of the Ilk gene exhibit pleiotropic phenotypic defects, including impaired hair follicle morphogenesis, reduced epidermal adhesion to the basement membrane, compromised epidermal integrity, as well as wasting and failure to thrive leading to perinatal death. To better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms that cause such a broad range of alterations, we investigated the impact of Ilk gene inactivation on the epidermis transcriptome. Microarray analysis showed over 700 differentially regulated mRNAs encoding proteins involved in multiple aspects of epidermal function, including keratinocyte differentiation and barrier formation, inflammation, regeneration after injury, and fundamental epidermal developmental pathways. These studies also revealed potential effects on genes not previously implicated in ILK functions, including those important for melanocyte and melanoblast development and function, regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics, and homeobox genes. This study shows that ILK is a critical regulator of multiple aspects of epidermal function and homeostasis, and reveals the previously unreported involvement of ILK not only in epidermal differentiation and barrier formation, but also in melanocyte genesis and function.

Metagenomic analysis reveals significant changes of microbial compositions and protective functions during drinking water treatment.

PubMed

Chao, Yuanqing; Ma, Liping; Yang, Ying; Ju, Feng; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Wu, Wei-Min; Zhang, Tong

2013-12-19

The metagenomic approach was applied to characterize variations of microbial structure and functions in raw (RW) and treated water (TW) in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) at Pearl River Delta, China. Microbial structure was significantly influenced by the treatment processes, shifting from Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria in RW to Alphaproteobacteria in TW. Further functional analysis indicated the basic metabolic functions of microorganisms in TW did not vary considerably. However, protective functions, i.e. glutathione synthesis genes in 'oxidative stress' and 'detoxification' subsystems, significantly increased, revealing the surviving bacteria may have higher chlorine resistance. Similar results were also found in glutathione metabolism pathway, which identified the major reaction for glutathione synthesis and supported more genes for glutathione metabolism existed in TW. This metagenomic study largely enhanced our knowledge about the influences of treatment processes, especially chlorination, on bacterial community structure and protective functions (e.g. glutathione metabolism) in ecosystems of DWTPs.

VALUING BENEFITS FROM WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS USING KUHN TUCKER MODEL - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON UTILITY FUNCTIONAL FORMS-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okuyama, Tadahiro

Kuhn-Tucker model, which has studied in recent years, is a benefit valuation technique using the revealed-preference data, and the feature is to treatvarious patterns of corner solutions flexibly. It is widely known for the benefit calculation using the revealed-preference data that a value of a benefit changes depending on a functional form. However, there are little studies which examine relationship between utility functions and values of benefits in Kuhn-Tucker model. The purpose of this study is to analysis an influence of the functional form to the value of a benefit. Six types of utility functions are employed for benefit calculations. The data of the recreational activity of 26 beaches of Miyagi Prefecture were employed. Calculation results indicated that Phaneuf and Siderelis (2003) and Whitehead et al.(2010)'s functional forms are useful for benefit calculations.

PyramidalExplorer: A New Interactive Tool to Explore Morpho-Functional Relations of Human Pyramidal Neurons.

PubMed

Toharia, Pablo; Robles, Oscar D; Fernaud-Espinosa, Isabel; Makarova, Julia; Galindo, Sergio E; Rodriguez, Angel; Pastor, Luis; Herreras, Oscar; DeFelipe, Javier; Benavides-Piccione, Ruth

2015-01-01

This work presents PyramidalExplorer, a new tool to interactively explore and reveal the detailed organization of the microanatomy of pyramidal neurons with functionally related models. It consists of a set of functionalities that allow possible regional differences in the pyramidal cell architecture to be interactively discovered by combining quantitative morphological information about the structure of the cell with implemented functional models. The key contribution of this tool is the morpho-functional oriented design that allows the user to navigate within the 3D dataset, filter and perform Content-Based Retrieval operations. As a case study, we present a human pyramidal neuron with over 9000 dendritic spines in its apical and basal dendritic trees. Using PyramidalExplorer, we were able to find unexpected differential morphological attributes of dendritic spines in particular compartments of the neuron, revealing new aspects of the morpho-functional organization of the pyramidal neuron.

PyramidalExplorer: A New Interactive Tool to Explore Morpho-Functional Relations of Human Pyramidal Neurons

PubMed Central

Toharia, Pablo; Robles, Oscar D.; Fernaud-Espinosa, Isabel; Makarova, Julia; Galindo, Sergio E.; Rodriguez, Angel; Pastor, Luis; Herreras, Oscar; DeFelipe, Javier; Benavides-Piccione, Ruth

2016-01-01

This work presents PyramidalExplorer, a new tool to interactively explore and reveal the detailed organization of the microanatomy of pyramidal neurons with functionally related models. It consists of a set of functionalities that allow possible regional differences in the pyramidal cell architecture to be interactively discovered by combining quantitative morphological information about the structure of the cell with implemented functional models. The key contribution of this tool is the morpho-functional oriented design that allows the user to navigate within the 3D dataset, filter and perform Content-Based Retrieval operations. As a case study, we present a human pyramidal neuron with over 9000 dendritic spines in its apical and basal dendritic trees. Using PyramidalExplorer, we were able to find unexpected differential morphological attributes of dendritic spines in particular compartments of the neuron, revealing new aspects of the morpho-functional organization of the pyramidal neuron. PMID:26778972

Alterations in the coupling functions between cortical and cardio-respiratory oscillations due to anaesthesia with propofol and sevoflurane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stankovski, Tomislav; Petkoski, Spase; Raeder, Johan; Smith, Andrew F.; McClintock, Peter V. E.; Stefanovska, Aneta

2016-05-01

The precise mechanisms underlying general anaesthesia pose important and still open questions. To address them, we have studied anaesthesia induced by the widely used (intravenous) propofol and (inhalational) sevoflurane anaesthetics, computing cross-frequency coupling functions between neuronal, cardiac and respiratory oscillations in order to determine their mutual interactions. The phase domain coupling function reveals the form of the function defining the mechanism of an interaction, as well as its coupling strength. Using a method based on dynamical Bayesian inference, we have thus identified and analysed the coupling functions for six relationships. By quantitative assessment of the forms and strengths of the couplings, we have revealed how these relationships are altered by anaesthesia, also showing that some of them are differently affected by propofol and sevoflurane. These findings, together with the novel coupling function analysis, offer a new direction in the assessment of general anaesthesia and neurophysiological interactions, in general.

Single-cell-type Proteomics: Toward a Holistic Understanding of Plant Function*

PubMed Central

Dai, Shaojun; Chen, Sixue

2012-01-01

Multicellular organisms such as plants contain different types of cells with specialized functions. Analyzing the protein characteristics of each type of cell will not only reveal specific cell functions, but also enhance understanding of how an organism works. Most plant proteomics studies have focused on using tissues and organs containing a mixture of different cells. Recent single-cell-type proteomics efforts on pollen grains, guard cells, mesophyll cells, root hairs, and trichomes have shown utility. We expect that high resolution proteomic analyses will reveal novel functions in single cells. This review provides an overview of recent developments in plant single-cell-type proteomics. We discuss application of the approach for understanding important cell functions, and we consider the technical challenges of extending the approach to all plant cell types. Finally, we consider the integration of single-cell-type proteomics with transcriptomics and metabolomics with the goal of providing a holistic understanding of plant function. PMID:22982375

Functional Assays and Metagenomic Analyses Reveals Differences between the Microbial Communities Inhabiting the Soil Horizons of a Norway Spruce Plantation

PubMed Central

Uroz, Stéphane; Ioannidis, Panos; Lengelle, Juliette; Cébron, Aurélie; Morin, Emmanuelle; Buée, Marc; Martin, Francis

2013-01-01

In temperate ecosystems, acidic forest soils are among the most nutrient-poor terrestrial environments. In this context, the long-term differentiation of the forest soils into horizons may impact the assembly and the functions of the soil microbial communities. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the ecology and functional potentials of these microbial communities, a suite of analyses including comparative metagenomics was applied on independent soil samples from a spruce plantation (Breuil-Chenue, France). The objectives were to assess whether the decreasing nutrient bioavailability and pH variations that naturally occurs between the organic and mineral horizons affects the soil microbial functional biodiversity. The 14 Gbp of pyrosequencing and Illumina sequences generated in this study revealed complex microbial communities dominated by bacteria. Detailed analyses showed that the organic soil horizon was significantly enriched in sequences related to Bacteria, Chordata, Arthropoda and Ascomycota. On the contrary the mineral horizon was significantly enriched in sequences related to Archaea. Our analyses also highlighted that the microbial communities inhabiting the two soil horizons differed significantly in their functional potentials according to functional assays and MG-RAST analyses, suggesting a functional specialisation of these microbial communities. Consistent with this specialisation, our shotgun metagenomic approach revealed a significant increase in the relative abundance of sequences related glycoside hydrolases in the organic horizon compared to the mineral horizon that was significantly enriched in glycoside transferases. This functional stratification according to the soil horizon was also confirmed by a significant correlation between the functional assays performed in this study and the functional metagenomic analyses. Together, our results suggest that the soil stratification and particularly the soil resource availability impact the functional diversity and to a lesser extent the taxonomic diversity of the bacterial communities. PMID:23418476

Genetic randomization reveals functional relationships among morphologic and tissue-quality traits that contribute to bone strength and fragility

PubMed Central

Hu, Bin; Tommasini, Steven M.; Courtland, Hayden-William; Price, Christopher; Terranova, Carl J.; Nadeau, Joseph H.

2007-01-01

We examined femora from adult AXB/BXA recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains to identify skeletal traits that are functionally related and to determine how functional interactions among these traits contribute to genetic variability in whole-bone stiffness, strength, and toughness. Randomization of A/J and C57BL/6J genomic regions resulted in each adult male and female RI strain building mechanically functional femora by assembling unique sets of morphologic and tissue-quality traits. A correlation analysis was conducted using the mean trait values for each RI strain. A third of the 66 correlations examined were significant, indicating that many bone traits covaried or were functionally related. Path analysis revealed important functional interactions among bone slenderness, cortical thickness, and tissue mineral density. The path coefficients describing these functional relations were similar for both sexes. The causal relationship among these three traits suggested that cellular processes during growth simultaneously regulate bone slenderness, cortical thickness, and tissue mineral density so that the combination of traits is sufficiently stiff and strong to satisfy daily loading demands. A disadvantage of these functional interactions was that increases in tissue mineral density also deleteriously affected tissue ductility. Consequently, slender bones with high mineral density may be stiff and strong but they are also brittle. Thus, genetically randomized mouse strains revealed a basic biological paradigm that allows for flexibility in building bones that are functional for daily activities but that creates preferred sets of traits under extreme loading conditions. Genetic or environmental perturbations that alter these functional interactions during growth would be expected to lead to loss of function and suboptimal adult bone quality. PMID:17557179

van der Waals Heterostructures with High Accuracy Rotational Alignment.

PubMed

Kim, Kyounghwan; Yankowitz, Matthew; Fallahazad, Babak; Kang, Sangwoo; Movva, Hema C P; Huang, Shengqiang; Larentis, Stefano; Corbet, Chris M; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Banerjee, Sanjay K; LeRoy, Brian J; Tutuc, Emanuel

2016-03-09

We describe the realization of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures with accurate rotational alignment of individual layer crystal axes. We illustrate the approach by demonstrating a Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene formed using successive transfers of monolayer graphene flakes. The Raman spectra of this artificial bilayer graphene possess a wide 2D band, which is best fit by four Lorentzians, consistent with Bernal stacking. Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals no moiré pattern on the artificial bilayer graphene, and tunneling spectroscopy as a function of gate voltage reveals a constant density of states, also in agreement with Bernal stacking. In addition, electron transport probed in dual-gated samples reveals a band gap opening as a function of transverse electric field. To illustrate the applicability of this technique to realize vdW heterostructuctures in which the functionality is critically dependent on rotational alignment, we demonstrate resonant tunneling double bilayer graphene heterostructures separated by hexagonal boron-nitride dielectric.

Aberrant striatal functional connectivity in children with autism.

PubMed

Di Martino, Adriana; Kelly, Clare; Grzadzinski, Rebecca; Zuo, Xi-Nian; Mennes, Maarten; Mairena, Maria Angeles; Lord, Catherine; Castellanos, F Xavier; Milham, Michael P

2011-05-01

Models of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as neural disconnection syndromes have been predominantly supported by examinations of abnormalities in corticocortical networks in adults with autism. A broader body of research implicates subcortical structures, particularly the striatum, in the physiopathology of autism. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed detailed maps of striatal circuitry in healthy and psychiatric populations and vividly captured maturational changes in striatal circuitry during typical development. Using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined striatal functional connectivity (FC) in 20 children with ASD and 20 typically developing children between the ages of 7.6 and 13.5 years. Whole-brain voxelwise statistical maps quantified within-group striatal FC and between-group differences for three caudate and three putamen seeds for each hemisphere. Children with ASD mostly exhibited prominent patterns of ectopic striatal FC (i.e., functional connectivity present in ASD but not in typically developing children), with increased functional connectivity between nearly all striatal subregions and heteromodal associative and limbic cortex previously implicated in the physiopathology of ASD (e.g., insular and right superior temporal gyrus). Additionally, we found striatal functional hyperconnectivity with the pons, thus expanding the scope of functional alterations implicated in ASD. Secondary analyses revealed ASD-related hyperconnectivity between the pons and insula cortex. Examination of FC of striatal networks in children with ASD revealed abnormalities in circuits involving early developing areas, such as the brainstem and insula, with a pattern of increased FC in ectopic circuits that likely reflects developmental derangement rather than immaturity of functional circuits. Copyright © 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Students' Conceptualisations of Function Revealed through Definitions and Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayalon, Michal; Watson, Anne; Lerman, Steve

2017-01-01

This study aims to explore the conceptualisations of function that some students express when they are responding to fictitious students' statements about functions. We also asked them what is meant by "function" and many voluntarily used examples in their responses. The task was developed in collaboration with teachers from two…

Large‐scale analysis reveals populational contributions of cortical spike rate and synchrony to behavioural functions

PubMed Central

Saiki, Akiko; Fujiwara‐Tsukamoto, Yoko; Sakai, Yutaka; Isomura, Yoshikazu

2016-01-01

Key points There have been few systematic population‐wide analyses of relationships between spike synchrony within a period of several milliseconds and behavioural functions.In this study, we obtained a large amount of spike data from > 23,000 neuron pairs by multiple single‐unit recording from deep layer neurons in motor cortical areas in rats performing a forelimb movement task.The temporal changes of spike synchrony in the whole neuron pairs were statistically independent of behavioural changes during the task performance, although some neuron pairs exhibited correlated changes in spike synchrony.Mutual information analyses revealed that spike synchrony made a smaller contribution than spike rate to behavioural functions.The strength of spike synchrony between two neurons was statistically independent of the spike rate‐based preferences of the pair for behavioural functions. Abstract Spike synchrony within a period of several milliseconds in presynaptic neurons enables effective integration of functional information in the postsynaptic neuron. However, few studies have systematically analysed the population‐wide relationships between spike synchrony and behavioural functions. Here we obtained a sufficiently large amount of spike data among regular‐spiking (putatively excitatory) and fast‐spiking (putatively inhibitory) neuron subtypes (> 23,000 pairs) by multiple single‐unit recording from deep layers in motor cortical areas (caudal forelimb area, rostral forelimb area) in rats performing a forelimb movement task. After holding a lever, rats pulled the lever either in response to a cue tone (external‐trigger trials) or spontaneously without any cue (internal‐trigger trials). Many neurons exhibited functional spike activity in association with forelimb movements, and the preference of regular‐spiking neurons in the rostral forelimb area was more biased toward externally triggered movement than that in the caudal forelimb area. We found that a population of neuron pairs with spike synchrony does exist, and that some neuron pairs exhibit a dependence on movement phase during task performance. However, the population‐wide analysis revealed that spike synchrony was statistically independent of the movement phase and the spike rate‐based preferences of the pair for behavioural functions, whereas spike rates were clearly dependent on the movement phase. In fact, mutual information analyses revealed that the contribution of spike synchrony to the behavioural functions was small relative to the contribution of spike rate. Our large‐scale analysis revealed that cortical spike rate, rather than spike synchrony, contributes to population coding for movement. PMID:27488936

Large-scale analysis reveals populational contributions of cortical spike rate and synchrony to behavioural functions.

PubMed

Kimura, Rie; Saiki, Akiko; Fujiwara-Tsukamoto, Yoko; Sakai, Yutaka; Isomura, Yoshikazu

2017-01-01

There have been few systematic population-wide analyses of relationships between spike synchrony within a period of several milliseconds and behavioural functions. In this study, we obtained a large amount of spike data from > 23,000 neuron pairs by multiple single-unit recording from deep layer neurons in motor cortical areas in rats performing a forelimb movement task. The temporal changes of spike synchrony in the whole neuron pairs were statistically independent of behavioural changes during the task performance, although some neuron pairs exhibited correlated changes in spike synchrony. Mutual information analyses revealed that spike synchrony made a smaller contribution than spike rate to behavioural functions. The strength of spike synchrony between two neurons was statistically independent of the spike rate-based preferences of the pair for behavioural functions. Spike synchrony within a period of several milliseconds in presynaptic neurons enables effective integration of functional information in the postsynaptic neuron. However, few studies have systematically analysed the population-wide relationships between spike synchrony and behavioural functions. Here we obtained a sufficiently large amount of spike data among regular-spiking (putatively excitatory) and fast-spiking (putatively inhibitory) neuron subtypes (> 23,000 pairs) by multiple single-unit recording from deep layers in motor cortical areas (caudal forelimb area, rostral forelimb area) in rats performing a forelimb movement task. After holding a lever, rats pulled the lever either in response to a cue tone (external-trigger trials) or spontaneously without any cue (internal-trigger trials). Many neurons exhibited functional spike activity in association with forelimb movements, and the preference of regular-spiking neurons in the rostral forelimb area was more biased toward externally triggered movement than that in the caudal forelimb area. We found that a population of neuron pairs with spike synchrony does exist, and that some neuron pairs exhibit a dependence on movement phase during task performance. However, the population-wide analysis revealed that spike synchrony was statistically independent of the movement phase and the spike rate-based preferences of the pair for behavioural functions, whereas spike rates were clearly dependent on the movement phase. In fact, mutual information analyses revealed that the contribution of spike synchrony to the behavioural functions was small relative to the contribution of spike rate. Our large-scale analysis revealed that cortical spike rate, rather than spike synchrony, contributes to population coding for movement. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

Effect of exercise on cognitive function in chronic disease patients: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Cai, Hong; Li, Guichen; Hua, Shanshan; Liu, Yufei; Chen, Li

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis and systematic review to assess the effect of exercise on cognitive function in people with chronic diseases. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and three Chinese databases were electronically searched for papers that were published until September 2016. This meta-analysis and systematic review included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of exercise on cognitive function compared with control group for people with chronic diseases. Totally, 35 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 3,113 participants. The main analysis revealed a positive overall random effect of exercise intervention on cognitive function in patients with chronic diseases. The secondary analysis revealed that aerobic exercise interventions and aerobic included exercise interventions had a positive effect on cognition in patients with chronic diseases. The intervention offering low frequency had a positive effect on cognitive function in patients with chronic diseases. Finally, we found that interventions offered at both low exercise intensity and moderate exercise intensity had a positive effect on cognitive function in patients with chronic diseases. The secondary analysis also revealed that exercise interventions were beneficial in Alzheimer's disease patients when grouped by disease type. This meta-analysis and systematic review suggests that exercise interventions positively influence cognitive function in patients with chronic diseases. Beneficial effect was independent of the type of disease, type of exercise, frequency, and the intensity of the exercise intervention.

Variation analysis of transcriptome changes reveals cochlear genes and their associated functions in cochlear susceptibility to acoustic overstimulation.

PubMed

Yang, Shuzhi; Cai, Qunfeng; Bard, Jonathan; Jamison, Jennifer; Wang, Jianmin; Yang, Weiping; Hu, Bo Hua

2015-12-01

Individual variation in the susceptibility of the auditory system to acoustic overstimulation has been well-documented at both the functional and structural levels. However, the molecular mechanism responsible for this variation is unclear. The current investigation was designed to examine the variation patterns of cochlear gene expression using RNA-seq data and to identify the genes with expression variation that increased following acoustic trauma. This study revealed that the constitutive expressions of cochlear genes displayed diverse levels of gene-specific variation. These variation patterns were altered by acoustic trauma; approximately one-third of the examined genes displayed marked increases in their expression variation. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that the genes that exhibited increased variation were functionally related to cell death, biomolecule metabolism, and membrane function. In contrast, the stable genes were primarily related to basic cellular processes, including protein and macromolecular syntheses and transport. There was no functional overlap between the stable and variable genes. Importantly, we demonstrated that glutamate metabolism is related to the variation in the functional response of the cochlea to acoustic overstimulation. Taken together, the results indicate that our analyses of the individual variations in transcriptome changes of cochlear genes provide important information for the identification of genes that potentially contribute to the generation of individual variation in cochlear responses to acoustic overstimulation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differential effects of power training versus functional task practice on compensation and restoration of arm function after stroke.

PubMed

Corti, Manuela; McGuirk, Theresa E; Wu, Samuel S; Patten, Carolynn

2012-09-01

Improved upper-extremity (UE) movement with stroke rehabilitation may involve restoration of more normal or development of compensatory movement patterns. The authors investigated the differential effects of functional task practice (FTP) and dynamic resistance training (POWER) on clinical function and reaching kinematics in an effort to distinguish between mechanisms of gains. A total of 14 hemiparetic individuals were randomly assigned to 10 weeks of either FTP or POWER and then crossed over to 10 weeks of the alternate treatment. Treatment order A was FTP followed by POWER, whereas treatment order B was POWER followed by FTP. Evaluation before and after each treatment block included a battery of clinical evaluations and kinematics of paretic UE functional reach to grasp. Both FTP and POWER improved movement accuracy, as revealed by a shift toward normal, including fewer submovements and reduced reach-path ratio. However, active range of motion revealed differential treatment effects. Shoulder flexion and elbow extension decreased with FTP and were associated with increased trunk displacement. In contrast, shoulder flexion and elbow extension excursion increased with POWER and were associated with significantly reduced trunk displacement. Treatment order B (POWER followed by FTP) revealed greater overall improvements. FTP increases compensatory movement patterns to improve UE function. POWER leads to more normal movement patterns. POWER prior to FTP may enhance the benefits of repetitive task practice.

Hund's Multiplicity Rule Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rioux, Frank

2007-01-01

The plausible and frequently used explanation of the singlet and triplet wave functions for a two-electron system is presented. Its findings reveal that the antisymmetric triplet spatial wave function keeps electrons apart, while the symmetric singlet spatial wave function permits electrons to be close together.

Functional characterization of the turkey macrophage migration inhibitory factor.

PubMed

Park, Myeongseon; Kim, Sungwon; Fetterer, Raymond H; Dalloul, Rami A

2016-08-01

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a soluble protein that inhibits the random migration of macrophages and plays a pivotal immunoregulatory function in innate and adaptive immunity. The aim of this study was to clone the turkey MIF (TkMIF) gene, express the active protein, and characterize its basic function. The full-length TkMIF gene was amplified from total RNA extracted from turkey spleen, followed by cloning into a prokaryotic (pET11a) expression vector. Sequence analysis revealed that TkMIF consists of 115 amino acids with 12.5 kDa molecular weight. Multiple sequence alignment revealed 100%, 65%, 95% and 92% identity with chicken, duck, eagle and zebra finch MIFs, respectively. Recombinant TkMIF (rTkMIF) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified through HPLC and endotoxin removal. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed an approximately 13.5 kDa of rTkMIF monomer containing T7 tag in soluble form. Western blot analysis showed that anti-chicken MIF (ChMIF) polyclonal antisera detected a monomer form of TkMIF at approximately 13.5 kDa size. Further functional analysis revealed that rTkMIF inhibits migration of both mononuclear cells and splenocytes in a dose-dependent manner, but was abolished by the addition of anti-ChMIF polyclonal antisera. qRT-PCR analysis revealed elevated transcripts of pro-inflammatory cytokines by rTkMIF in LPS-stimulated monocytes. rTkMIF also led to increased levels of IFN-γ and IL-17F transcripts in Con A-activated splenocytes, while IL-10 and IL-13 transcripts were decreased. Overall, the sequences of both the turkey and chicken MIF have high similarity and comparable biological functions with respect to migration inhibitory activities of macrophages and enhancement of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, suggesting that turkey and chicken MIFs would be biologically cross-reactive. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modular organization of the white spruce (Picea glauca) transcriptome reveals functional organization and evolutionary signatures.

PubMed

Raherison, Elie S M; Giguère, Isabelle; Caron, Sébastien; Lamara, Mebarek; MacKay, John J

2015-07-01

Transcript profiling has shown the molecular bases of several biological processes in plants but few studies have developed an understanding of overall transcriptome variation. We investigated transcriptome structure in white spruce (Picea glauca), aiming to delineate its modular organization and associated functional and evolutionary attributes. Microarray analyses were used to: identify and functionally characterize groups of co-expressed genes; investigate expressional and functional diversity of vascular tissue preferential genes which were conserved among Picea species, and identify expression networks underlying wood formation. We classified 22 857 genes as variable (79%; 22 coexpression groups) or invariant (21%) by profiling across several vegetative tissues. Modular organization and complex transcriptome restructuring among vascular tissue preferential genes was revealed by their assignment to coexpression groups with partially overlapping profiles and partially distinct functions. Integrated analyses of tissue-based and temporally variable profiles identified secondary xylem gene networks, showed their remodelling over a growing season and identified PgNAC-7 (no apical meristerm (NAM), Arabidopsis transcription activation factor (ATAF) and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC) transcription factor 007 in Picea glauca) as a major hub gene specific to earlywood formation. Reference profiling identified comprehensive, statistically robust coexpressed groups, revealing that modular organization underpins the evolutionary conservation of the transcriptome structure. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Genetic Interaction Maps in Escherichia coli Reveal Functional Crosstalk among Cell Envelope Biogenesis Pathways

PubMed Central

Vlasblom, James; Gagarinova, Alla; Phanse, Sadhna; Graham, Chris; Yousif, Fouad; Ding, Huiming; Xiong, Xuejian; Nazarians-Armavil, Anaies; Alamgir, Md; Ali, Mehrab; Pogoutse, Oxana; Pe'er, Asaf; Arnold, Roland; Michaut, Magali; Parkinson, John; Golshani, Ashkan; Whitfield, Chris; Wodak, Shoshana J.; Moreno-Hagelsieb, Gabriel; Greenblatt, Jack F.; Emili, Andrew

2011-01-01

As the interface between a microbe and its environment, the bacterial cell envelope has broad biological and clinical significance. While numerous biosynthesis genes and pathways have been identified and studied in isolation, how these intersect functionally to ensure envelope integrity during adaptive responses to environmental challenge remains unclear. To this end, we performed high-density synthetic genetic screens to generate quantitative functional association maps encompassing virtually the entire cell envelope biosynthetic machinery of Escherichia coli under both auxotrophic (rich medium) and prototrophic (minimal medium) culture conditions. The differential patterns of genetic interactions detected among >235,000 digenic mutant combinations tested reveal unexpected condition-specific functional crosstalk and genetic backup mechanisms that ensure stress-resistant envelope assembly and maintenance. These networks also provide insights into the global systems connectivity and dynamic functional reorganization of a universal bacterial structure that is both broadly conserved among eubacteria (including pathogens) and an important target. PMID:22125496

Genetic interaction maps in Escherichia coli reveal functional crosstalk among cell envelope biogenesis pathways.

PubMed

Babu, Mohan; Díaz-Mejía, J Javier; Vlasblom, James; Gagarinova, Alla; Phanse, Sadhna; Graham, Chris; Yousif, Fouad; Ding, Huiming; Xiong, Xuejian; Nazarians-Armavil, Anaies; Alamgir, Md; Ali, Mehrab; Pogoutse, Oxana; Pe'er, Asaf; Arnold, Roland; Michaut, Magali; Parkinson, John; Golshani, Ashkan; Whitfield, Chris; Wodak, Shoshana J; Moreno-Hagelsieb, Gabriel; Greenblatt, Jack F; Emili, Andrew

2011-11-01

As the interface between a microbe and its environment, the bacterial cell envelope has broad biological and clinical significance. While numerous biosynthesis genes and pathways have been identified and studied in isolation, how these intersect functionally to ensure envelope integrity during adaptive responses to environmental challenge remains unclear. To this end, we performed high-density synthetic genetic screens to generate quantitative functional association maps encompassing virtually the entire cell envelope biosynthetic machinery of Escherichia coli under both auxotrophic (rich medium) and prototrophic (minimal medium) culture conditions. The differential patterns of genetic interactions detected among > 235,000 digenic mutant combinations tested reveal unexpected condition-specific functional crosstalk and genetic backup mechanisms that ensure stress-resistant envelope assembly and maintenance. These networks also provide insights into the global systems connectivity and dynamic functional reorganization of a universal bacterial structure that is both broadly conserved among eubacteria (including pathogens) and an important target.

AAV-mediated in vivo functional selection of tissue-protective factors against ischaemia

PubMed Central

Ruozi, Giulia; Bortolotti, Francesca; Falcione, Antonella; Dal Ferro, Matteo; Ukovich, Laura; Macedo, Antero; Zentilin, Lorena; Filigheddu, Nicoletta; Cappellari, Gianluca Gortan; Baldini, Giovanna; Zweyer, Marina; Barazzoni, Rocco; Graziani, Andrea; Zacchigna, Serena; Giacca, Mauro

2015-01-01

Functional screening of expression libraries in vivo would offer the possibility of identifying novel biotherapeutics without a priori knowledge of their biochemical function. Here we describe a procedure for the functional selection of tissue-protective factors based on the in vivo delivery of arrayed cDNA libraries from the mouse secretome using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors. Application of this technique, which we call FunSel, in the context of acute ischaemia, revealed that the peptide ghrelin protects skeletal muscle and heart from ischaemic damage. When delivered to the heart using an AAV9 vector, ghrelin markedly reduces infarct size and preserves cardiac function over time. This protective activity associates with the capacity of ghrelin to sustain autophagy and remove dysfunctional mitochondria after myocardial infarction. Our findings describe an innovative tool to identify biological therapeutics and reveal a novel role of ghrelin as an inducer of myoprotective autophagy. PMID:26066847

Differential subcellular distribution of ion channels and the diversity of neuronal function.

PubMed

Nusser, Zoltan

2012-06-01

Following the astonishing molecular diversity of voltage-gated ion channels that was revealed in the past few decades, the ion channel repertoire expressed by neurons has been implicated as the major factor governing their functional heterogeneity. Although the molecular structure of ion channels is a key determinant of their biophysical properties, their subcellular distribution and densities on the surface of nerve cells are just as important for fulfilling functional requirements. Recent results obtained with high resolution quantitative localization techniques revealed complex, subcellular compartment-specific distribution patterns of distinct ion channels. Here I suggest that within a given neuron type every ion channel has a unique cell surface distribution pattern, with the functional consequence that this dramatically increases the computational power of nerve cells. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genome-Wide Association and Functional Follow-Up Reveals New Loci for Kidney Function

PubMed Central

Fuchsberger, Christian; Olden, Matthias; Chen, Ming-Huei; Tin, Adrienne; Taliun, Daniel; Li, Man; Gao, Xiaoyi; Gorski, Mathias; Yang, Qiong; Hundertmark, Claudia; Foster, Meredith C.; O'Seaghdha, Conall M.; Glazer, Nicole; Isaacs, Aaron; Liu, Ching-Ti; Smith, Albert V.; O'Connell, Jeffrey R.; Struchalin, Maksim; Tanaka, Toshiko; Li, Guo; Johnson, Andrew D.; Gierman, Hinco J.; Feitosa, Mary; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Atkinson, Elizabeth J.; Lohman, Kurt; Cornelis, Marilyn C.; Johansson, Åsa; Tönjes, Anke; Dehghan, Abbas; Chouraki, Vincent; Holliday, Elizabeth G.; Sorice, Rossella; Kutalik, Zoltan; Lehtimäki, Terho; Esko, Tõnu; Deshmukh, Harshal; Ulivi, Sheila; Chu, Audrey Y.; Murgia, Federico; Trompet, Stella; Imboden, Medea; Kollerits, Barbara; Pistis, Giorgio; Harris, Tamara B.; Launer, Lenore J.; Aspelund, Thor; Eiriksdottir, Gudny; Mitchell, Braxton D.; Boerwinkle, Eric; Schmidt, Helena; Cavalieri, Margherita; Rao, Madhumathi; Hu, Frank B.; Demirkan, Ayse; Oostra, Ben A.; de Andrade, Mariza; Turner, Stephen T.; Ding, Jingzhong; Andrews, Jeanette S.; Freedman, Barry I.; Koenig, Wolfgang; Illig, Thomas; Döring, Angela; Wichmann, H.-Erich; Kolcic, Ivana; Zemunik, Tatijana; Boban, Mladen; Minelli, Cosetta; Wheeler, Heather E.; Igl, Wilmar; Zaboli, Ghazal; Wild, Sarah H.; Wright, Alan F.; Campbell, Harry; Ellinghaus, David; Nöthlings, Ute; Jacobs, Gunnar; Biffar, Reiner; Endlich, Karlhans; Ernst, Florian; Homuth, Georg; Kroemer, Heyo K.; Nauck, Matthias; Stracke, Sylvia; Völker, Uwe; Völzke, Henry; Kovacs, Peter; Stumvoll, Michael; Mägi, Reedik; Hofman, Albert; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Aulchenko, Yurii S.; Polasek, Ozren; Hastie, Nick; Vitart, Veronique; Helmer, Catherine; Wang, Jie Jin; Ruggiero, Daniela; Bergmann, Sven; Kähönen, Mika; Viikari, Jorma; Nikopensius, Tiit; Province, Michael; Ketkar, Shamika; Colhoun, Helen; Doney, Alex; Robino, Antonietta; Giulianini, Franco; Krämer, Bernhard K.; Portas, Laura; Ford, Ian; Buckley, Brendan M.; Adam, Martin; Thun, Gian-Andri; Paulweber, Bernhard; Haun, Margot; Sala, Cinzia; Metzger, Marie; Mitchell, Paul; Ciullo, Marina; Kim, Stuart K.; Vollenweider, Peter; Raitakari, Olli; Metspalu, Andres; Palmer, Colin; Gasparini, Paolo; Pirastu, Mario; Jukema, J. Wouter; Probst-Hensch, Nicole M.; Kronenberg, Florian; Toniolo, Daniela; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Shuldiner, Alan R.; Coresh, Josef; Schmidt, Reinhold; Ferrucci, Luigi; Siscovick, David S.; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; Borecki, Ingrid; Kardia, Sharon L. R.; Liu, Yongmei; Curhan, Gary C.; Rudan, Igor; Gyllensten, Ulf; Wilson, James F.; Franke, Andre; Pramstaller, Peter P.; Rettig, Rainer; Prokopenko, Inga; Witteman, Jacqueline C. M.; Hayward, Caroline; Ridker, Paul; Parsa, Afshin; Bochud, Murielle; Heid, Iris M.; Goessling, Wolfram; Chasman, Daniel I.; Kao, W. H. Linda; Fox, Caroline S.

2012-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important public health problem with a genetic component. We performed genome-wide association studies in up to 130,600 European ancestry participants overall, and stratified for key CKD risk factors. We uncovered 6 new loci in association with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the primary clinical measure of CKD, in or near MPPED2, DDX1, SLC47A1, CDK12, CASP9, and INO80. Morpholino knockdown of mpped2 and casp9 in zebrafish embryos revealed podocyte and tubular abnormalities with altered dextran clearance, suggesting a role for these genes in renal function. By providing new insights into genes that regulate renal function, these results could further our understanding of the pathogenesis of CKD. PMID:22479191

Genome-wide association and functional follow-up reveals new loci for kidney function.

PubMed

Pattaro, Cristian; Köttgen, Anna; Teumer, Alexander; Garnaas, Maija; Böger, Carsten A; Fuchsberger, Christian; Olden, Matthias; Chen, Ming-Huei; Tin, Adrienne; Taliun, Daniel; Li, Man; Gao, Xiaoyi; Gorski, Mathias; Yang, Qiong; Hundertmark, Claudia; Foster, Meredith C; O'Seaghdha, Conall M; Glazer, Nicole; Isaacs, Aaron; Liu, Ching-Ti; Smith, Albert V; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; Struchalin, Maksim; Tanaka, Toshiko; Li, Guo; Johnson, Andrew D; Gierman, Hinco J; Feitosa, Mary; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Atkinson, Elizabeth J; Lohman, Kurt; Cornelis, Marilyn C; Johansson, Åsa; Tönjes, Anke; Dehghan, Abbas; Chouraki, Vincent; Holliday, Elizabeth G; Sorice, Rossella; Kutalik, Zoltan; Lehtimäki, Terho; Esko, Tõnu; Deshmukh, Harshal; Ulivi, Sheila; Chu, Audrey Y; Murgia, Federico; Trompet, Stella; Imboden, Medea; Kollerits, Barbara; Pistis, Giorgio; Harris, Tamara B; Launer, Lenore J; Aspelund, Thor; Eiriksdottir, Gudny; Mitchell, Braxton D; Boerwinkle, Eric; Schmidt, Helena; Cavalieri, Margherita; Rao, Madhumathi; Hu, Frank B; Demirkan, Ayse; Oostra, Ben A; de Andrade, Mariza; Turner, Stephen T; Ding, Jingzhong; Andrews, Jeanette S; Freedman, Barry I; Koenig, Wolfgang; Illig, Thomas; Döring, Angela; Wichmann, H-Erich; Kolcic, Ivana; Zemunik, Tatijana; Boban, Mladen; Minelli, Cosetta; Wheeler, Heather E; Igl, Wilmar; Zaboli, Ghazal; Wild, Sarah H; Wright, Alan F; Campbell, Harry; Ellinghaus, David; Nöthlings, Ute; Jacobs, Gunnar; Biffar, Reiner; Endlich, Karlhans; Ernst, Florian; Homuth, Georg; Kroemer, Heyo K; Nauck, Matthias; Stracke, Sylvia; Völker, Uwe; Völzke, Henry; Kovacs, Peter; Stumvoll, Michael; Mägi, Reedik; Hofman, Albert; Uitterlinden, Andre G; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Aulchenko, Yurii S; Polasek, Ozren; Hastie, Nick; Vitart, Veronique; Helmer, Catherine; Wang, Jie Jin; Ruggiero, Daniela; Bergmann, Sven; Kähönen, Mika; Viikari, Jorma; Nikopensius, Tiit; Province, Michael; Ketkar, Shamika; Colhoun, Helen; Doney, Alex; Robino, Antonietta; Giulianini, Franco; Krämer, Bernhard K; Portas, Laura; Ford, Ian; Buckley, Brendan M; Adam, Martin; Thun, Gian-Andri; Paulweber, Bernhard; Haun, Margot; Sala, Cinzia; Metzger, Marie; Mitchell, Paul; Ciullo, Marina; Kim, Stuart K; Vollenweider, Peter; Raitakari, Olli; Metspalu, Andres; Palmer, Colin; Gasparini, Paolo; Pirastu, Mario; Jukema, J Wouter; Probst-Hensch, Nicole M; Kronenberg, Florian; Toniolo, Daniela; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Shuldiner, Alan R; Coresh, Josef; Schmidt, Reinhold; Ferrucci, Luigi; Siscovick, David S; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Borecki, Ingrid; Kardia, Sharon L R; Liu, Yongmei; Curhan, Gary C; Rudan, Igor; Gyllensten, Ulf; Wilson, James F; Franke, Andre; Pramstaller, Peter P; Rettig, Rainer; Prokopenko, Inga; Witteman, Jacqueline C M; Hayward, Caroline; Ridker, Paul; Parsa, Afshin; Bochud, Murielle; Heid, Iris M; Goessling, Wolfram; Chasman, Daniel I; Kao, W H Linda; Fox, Caroline S

2012-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important public health problem with a genetic component. We performed genome-wide association studies in up to 130,600 European ancestry participants overall, and stratified for key CKD risk factors. We uncovered 6 new loci in association with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the primary clinical measure of CKD, in or near MPPED2, DDX1, SLC47A1, CDK12, CASP9, and INO80. Morpholino knockdown of mpped2 and casp9 in zebrafish embryos revealed podocyte and tubular abnormalities with altered dextran clearance, suggesting a role for these genes in renal function. By providing new insights into genes that regulate renal function, these results could further our understanding of the pathogenesis of CKD.

Segregated Systems of Human Brain Networks.

PubMed

Wig, Gagan S

2017-12-01

The organization of the brain network enables its function. Evaluation of this organization has revealed that large-scale brain networks consist of multiple segregated subnetworks of interacting brain areas. Descriptions of resting-state network architecture have provided clues for understanding the functional significance of these segregated subnetworks, many of which correspond to distinct brain systems. The present report synthesizes accumulating evidence to reveal how maintaining segregated brain systems renders the human brain network functionally specialized, adaptable to task demands, and largely resilient following focal brain damage. The organizational properties that support system segregation are harmonious with the properties that promote integration across the network, but confer unique and important features to the brain network that are central to its function and behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proteome-wide Structural Analysis of PTM Hotspots Reveals Regulatory Elements Predicted to Impact Biological Function and Disease.

PubMed

Torres, Matthew P; Dewhurst, Henry; Sundararaman, Niveda

2016-11-01

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate protein behavior through modulation of protein-protein interactions, enzymatic activity, and protein stability essential in the translation of genotype to phenotype in eukaryotes. Currently, less than 4% of all eukaryotic PTMs are reported to have biological function - a statistic that continues to decrease with an increasing rate of PTM detection. Previously, we developed SAPH-ire (Structural Analysis of PTM Hotspots) - a method for the prioritization of PTM function potential that has been used effectively to reveal novel PTM regulatory elements in discrete protein families (Dewhurst et al., 2015). Here, we apply SAPH-ire to the set of eukaryotic protein families containing experimental PTM and 3D structure data - capturing 1,325 protein families with 50,839 unique PTM sites organized into 31,747 modified alignment positions (MAPs), of which 2010 (∼6%) possess known biological function. Here, we show that using an artificial neural network model (SAPH-ire NN) trained to identify MAP hotspots with biological function results in prediction outcomes that far surpass the use of single hotspot features, including nearest neighbor PTM clustering methods. We find the greatest enhancement in prediction for positions with PTM counts of five or less, which represent 98% of all MAPs in the eukaryotic proteome and 90% of all MAPs found to have biological function. Analysis of the top 1092 MAP hotspots revealed 267 of truly unknown function (containing 5443 distinct PTMs). Of these, 165 hotspots could be mapped to human KEGG pathways for normal and/or disease physiology. Many high-ranking hotspots were also found to be disease-associated pathogenic sites of amino acid substitution despite the lack of observable PTM in the human protein family member. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate that the functional relevance of a PTM can be predicted very effectively by neural network models, revealing a large but testable body of potential regulatory elements that impact hundreds of different biological processes important in eukaryotic biology and human health. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Proteome-wide Structural Analysis of PTM Hotspots Reveals Regulatory Elements Predicted to Impact Biological Function and Disease*

PubMed Central

Dewhurst, Henry; Sundararaman, Niveda

2016-01-01

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate protein behavior through modulation of protein-protein interactions, enzymatic activity, and protein stability essential in the translation of genotype to phenotype in eukaryotes. Currently, less than 4% of all eukaryotic PTMs are reported to have biological function - a statistic that continues to decrease with an increasing rate of PTM detection. Previously, we developed SAPH-ire (Structural Analysis of PTM Hotspots) - a method for the prioritization of PTM function potential that has been used effectively to reveal novel PTM regulatory elements in discrete protein families (Dewhurst et al., 2015). Here, we apply SAPH-ire to the set of eukaryotic protein families containing experimental PTM and 3D structure data - capturing 1,325 protein families with 50,839 unique PTM sites organized into 31,747 modified alignment positions (MAPs), of which 2010 (∼6%) possess known biological function. Here, we show that using an artificial neural network model (SAPH-ire NN) trained to identify MAP hotspots with biological function results in prediction outcomes that far surpass the use of single hotspot features, including nearest neighbor PTM clustering methods. We find the greatest enhancement in prediction for positions with PTM counts of five or less, which represent 98% of all MAPs in the eukaryotic proteome and 90% of all MAPs found to have biological function. Analysis of the top 1092 MAP hotspots revealed 267 of truly unknown function (containing 5443 distinct PTMs). Of these, 165 hotspots could be mapped to human KEGG pathways for normal and/or disease physiology. Many high-ranking hotspots were also found to be disease-associated pathogenic sites of amino acid substitution despite the lack of observable PTM in the human protein family member. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate that the functional relevance of a PTM can be predicted very effectively by neural network models, revealing a large but testable body of potential regulatory elements that impact hundreds of different biological processes important in eukaryotic biology and human health. PMID:27697855

Olfactory function in chemical workers exposed to acrylate and methacrylate vapors.

PubMed Central

Schwartz, B S; Doty, R L; Monroe, C; Frye, R; Barker, S

1989-01-01

An investigation of the olfactory function of 731 workers at a chemical facility which manufacturers acrylates and methacrylates was undertaken using a standardized quantitative test. In a cross-sectional analysis of the data, no associations of chemical exposure with olfactory test scores were observed. A nested case-control study designed to evaluate the cumulative effects of exposure on olfactory function, however, revealed elevated crude exposure odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of 2.0 (1.1, 3.8) for all workers and 6.0 (1.7, 21.5) for workers who never smoked cigarettes. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for multiple confounders, revealed exposure odds ratios of 2.8 (1.1, 7.0) and 13.5 (2.1, 87.6) in these same groups, respectively, and a dose-response relationship between olfactory dysfunction and cumulative exposure scores--semi-quantitative indices of lifetime exposure to the acrylates. The data also revealed decreasing exposure odds ratios with increasing duration since last exposure to these chemicals, suggesting that the effects may be reversible. PMID:2784947

Alkaline-stable nickel manganese oxides with ideal band gap for solar fuel photoanodes.

PubMed

Suram, Santosh K; Zhou, Lan; Shinde, Aniketa; Yan, Qimin; Yu, Jie; Umehara, Mitsutaro; Stein, Helge S; Neaton, Jeffrey B; Gregoire, John M

2018-05-01

Combinatorial (photo)electrochemical studies of the (Ni-Mn)Ox system reveal a range of promising materials for oxygen evolution photoanodes. X-ray diffraction, quantum efficiency, and optical spectroscopy mapping reveal stable photoactivity of NiMnO3 in alkaline conditions with photocurrent onset commensurate with its 1.9 eV direct band gap. The photoactivity increases upon mixture with 10-60% Ni6MnO8 providing an example of enhanced charge separation via heterojunction formation in mixed-phase thin film photoelectrodes. Density functional theory-based hybrid functional calculations of the band edge energies in this oxide reveal that a somewhat smaller than typical fraction of exact exchange is required to explain the favorable valence band alignment for water oxidation.

Srs2 overexpression reveals a helicase-independent role at replication forks that requires diverse cell functions

PubMed Central

León Ortiz, Ana María; Reid, Robert J. D.; Dittmar, John C.; Rothstein, Rodney; Nicolas, Alain

2011-01-01

Srs2 is a 3’ to 5’ DNA helicase that regulates many aspects of DNA metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is best known for its ability to counteract homologous recombination by dismantling Rad51 filaments, but is also involved in checkpoint activation, adaptation and recovery, and in resolution of late recombination intermediates. To further address its biological roles and uncover new genetic interactions, we examined the consequences of overexpressing SRS2 as well as two helicase-dead mutants, srs2-K41A and srs2-K41R, in the collection of 4827 yeast haploid deletion mutants. We identified 274 genes affecting a large variety of cellular functions that are required for cell growth when SRS2 or its mutants are overexpressed. Further analysis of these interactions reveals that Srs2 acts independently of its helicase function at replication forks likely through its recruitment by the sumoylated PCNA replication clamp. This helicase-independent function is responsible for the negative interactions with DNA metabolism genes and for the toxicity of SRS2 overexpression in many of the diverse cellular pathways revealed in our screens. PMID:21459050

Functional sequencing read annotation for high precision microbiome analysis

PubMed Central

Zhu, Chengsheng; Miller, Maximilian; Marpaka, Srinayani; Vaysberg, Pavel; Rühlemann, Malte C; Wu, Guojun; Heinsen, Femke-Anouska; Tempel, Marie; Zhao, Liping; Lieb, Wolfgang; Franke, Andre; Bromberg, Yana

2018-01-01

Abstract The vast majority of microorganisms on Earth reside in often-inseparable environment-specific communities—microbiomes. Meta-genomic/-transcriptomic sequencing could reveal the otherwise inaccessible functionality of microbiomes. However, existing analytical approaches focus on attributing sequencing reads to known genes/genomes, often failing to make maximal use of available data. We created faser (functional annotation of sequencing reads), an algorithm that is optimized to map reads to molecular functions encoded by the read-correspondent genes. The mi-faser microbiome analysis pipeline, combining faser with our manually curated reference database of protein functions, accurately annotates microbiome molecular functionality. mi-faser’s minutes-per-microbiome processing speed is significantly faster than that of other methods, allowing for large scale comparisons. Microbiome function vectors can be compared between different conditions to highlight environment-specific and/or time-dependent changes in functionality. Here, we identified previously unseen oil degradation-specific functions in BP oil-spill data, as well as functional signatures of individual-specific gut microbiome responses to a dietary intervention in children with Prader–Willi syndrome. Our method also revealed variability in Crohn's Disease patient microbiomes and clearly distinguished them from those of related healthy individuals. Our analysis highlighted the microbiome role in CD pathogenicity, demonstrating enrichment of patient microbiomes in functions that promote inflammation and that help bacteria survive it. PMID:29194524

A mechanism producing power law etc. distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Heling; Shen, Hongjun; Yang, Bin

2017-07-01

Power law distribution is playing an increasingly important role in the complex system study. Based on the insolvability of complex systems, the idea of incomplete statistics is utilized and expanded, three different exponential factors are introduced in equations about the normalization condition, statistical average and Shannon entropy, with probability distribution function deduced about exponential function, power function and the product form between power function and exponential function derived from Shannon entropy and maximal entropy principle. So it is shown that maximum entropy principle can totally replace equal probability hypothesis. Owing to the fact that power and probability distribution in the product form between power function and exponential function, which cannot be derived via equal probability hypothesis, can be derived by the aid of maximal entropy principle, it also can be concluded that maximal entropy principle is a basic principle which embodies concepts more extensively and reveals basic principles on motion laws of objects more fundamentally. At the same time, this principle also reveals the intrinsic link between Nature and different objects in human society and principles complied by all.

Transmembrane domain dependent inhibitory function of FcγRIIB.

PubMed

Wang, Junyi; Li, Zongyu; Xu, Liling; Yang, Hengwen; Liu, Wanli

2018-03-01

FcγRIIB, the only inhibitory IgG Fc receptor, functions to suppress the hyper-activation of immune cells. Numerous studies have illustrated its inhibitory function through the ITIM motif in the cytoplasmic tail of FcγRIIB. However, later studies revealed that in addition to the ITIM, the transmembrane (TM) domain of FcγRIIB is also indispensable for its inhibitory function. Indeed, recent epidemiological studies revealed that a non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (rs1050501) within the TM domain of FcγRIIB, responsible for the I232T substitution, is associated with the susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this review, we will summarize these epidemiological and functional studies of FcγRIIB-I232T in the past few years, and will further discuss the mechanisms accounting for the functional loss of FcγRIIB-I232T. Our review will help the reader gain a deeper understanding of the importance of the TM domain in mediating the inhibitory function of FcγRIIB and may provide insights to a new therapeutic target for the associated diseases.

Neurodegenerative disease mutations in TREM2 reveal a functional surface and distinct loss-of-function mechanisms

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

Kober, Daniel L.; Alexander-Brett, Jennifer M.; Karch, Celeste M.

Genetic variations in the myeloid immune receptor TREM2 are linked to several neurodegenerative diseases. To determine how TREM2 variants contribute to these diseases, we performed structural and functional studies of wild-type and variant proteins. Our 3.1 Å TREM2 crystal structure revealed that mutations found in Nasu-Hakola disease are buried whereas Alzheimer’s disease risk variants are found on the surface, suggesting that these mutations have distinct effects on TREM2 function. Biophysical and cellular methods indicate that Nasu-Hakola mutations impact protein stability and decrease folded TREM2 surface expression, whereas Alzheimer’s risk variants impact binding to a TREM2 ligand. Additionally, the Alzheimer’s riskmore » variants appear to epitope map a functional surface on TREM2 that is unique within the larger TREM family. These findings provide a guide to structural and functional differences among genetic variants of TREM2, indicating that therapies targeting the TREM2 pathway should be tailored to these genetic and functional differences with patient-specific medicine approaches for neurodegenerative disorders.« less

Arctigenin from Fructus Arctii (Seed of Burdock) Reinforces Intestinal Barrier Function in Caco-2 Cell Monolayers

PubMed Central

Shin, Hee Soon; Jung, Sun Young; Back, Su Yeon; Do, Jeong-Ryong; Shon, Dong-Hwa

2015-01-01

Fructus Arctii is used as a traditional herbal medicine to treat inflammatory diseases in oriental countries. This study aimed to investigate effect of F. Arctii extract on intestinal barrier function in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and to reveal the active component of F. Arctii. We measured transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) value (as an index of barrier function) and ovalbumin (OVA) permeation (as an index of permeability) to observe the changes of intestinal barrier function. The treatment of F. Arctii increased TEER value and decreased OVA influx on Caco-2 cell monolayers. Furthermore, we found that arctigenin as an active component of F. Arctii increased TEER value and reduced permeability of OVA from apical to the basolateral side but not arctiin. In the present study, we revealed that F. Arctii could enhance intestinal barrier function, and its active component was an arctigenin on the functionality. We expect that the arctigenin from F. Arctii could contribute to prevention of inflammatory, allergic, and infectious diseases by reinforcing intestinal barrier function. PMID:26550018

Structure-guided discovery of the metabolite carboxy-SAM that modulates tRNA function.

PubMed

Kim, Jungwook; Xiao, Hui; Bonanno, Jeffrey B; Kalyanaraman, Chakrapani; Brown, Shoshana; Tang, Xiangying; Al-Obaidi, Nawar F; Patskovsky, Yury; Babbitt, Patricia C; Jacobson, Matthew P; Lee, Young-Sam; Almo, Steven C

2013-06-06

The identification of novel metabolites and the characterization of their biological functions are major challenges in biology. X-ray crystallography can reveal unanticipated ligands that persist through purification and crystallization. These adventitious protein-ligand complexes provide insights into new activities, pathways and regulatory mechanisms. We describe a new metabolite, carboxy-S-adenosyl-l-methionine (Cx-SAM), its biosynthetic pathway and its role in transfer RNA modification. The structure of CmoA, a member of the SAM-dependent methyltransferase superfamily, revealed a ligand consistent with Cx-SAM in the catalytic site. Mechanistic analyses showed an unprecedented role for prephenate as the carboxyl donor and the involvement of a unique ylide intermediate as the carboxyl acceptor in the CmoA-mediated conversion of SAM to Cx-SAM. A second member of the SAM-dependent methyltransferase superfamily, CmoB, recognizes Cx-SAM and acts as a carboxymethyltransferase to convert 5-hydroxyuridine into 5-oxyacetyl uridine at the wobble position of multiple tRNAs in Gram-negative bacteria, resulting in expanded codon-recognition properties. CmoA and CmoB represent the first documented synthase and transferase for Cx-SAM. These findings reveal new functional diversity in the SAM-dependent methyltransferase superfamily and expand the metabolic and biological contributions of SAM-based biochemistry. These discoveries highlight the value of structural genomics approaches in identifying ligands within the context of their physiologically relevant macromolecular binding partners, and in revealing their functions.

Diversity and function in microbial mats from the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field.

PubMed

Crépeau, Valentin; Cambon Bonavita, Marie-Anne; Lesongeur, Françoise; Randrianalivelo, Henintsoa; Sarradin, Pierre-Marie; Sarrazin, Jozée; Godfroy, Anne

2011-06-01

Diversity and function in microbial mats from the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) were investigated using molecular approaches. DNA and RNA were extracted from mat samples overlaying hydrothermal deposits and Bathymodiolus azoricus mussel assemblages. We constructed and analyzed libraries of 16S rRNA gene sequences and sequences of functional genes involved in autotrophic carbon fixation [forms I and II RuBisCO (cbbL/M), ATP-citrate lyase B (aclB)]; methane oxidation [particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA)] and sulfur oxidation [adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate reductase (aprA) and soxB]. To gain new insights into the relationships between mats and mussels, we also used new domain-specific 16S rRNA gene primers targeting Bathymodiolus sp. symbionts. All identified archaeal sequences were affiliated with a single group: the marine group 1 Thaumarchaeota. In contrast, analyses of bacterial sequences revealed much higher diversity, although two phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were largely dominant. The 16S rRNA gene sequence library revealed that species affiliated to Beggiatoa Gammaproteobacteria were the dominant active population. Analyses of DNA and RNA functional gene libraries revealed a diverse and active chemolithoautotrophic population. Most of these sequences were affiliated with Gammaproteobacteria, including hydrothermal fauna symbionts, Thiotrichales and Methylococcales. PCR and reverse transcription-PCR using 16S rRNA gene primers targeted to Bathymodiolus sp. symbionts revealed sequences affiliated with both methanotrophic and thiotrophic endosymbionts. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic gene expression analysis in a H1N1 influenza virus mouse pneumonia model.

PubMed

Bao, Yanyan; Gao, Yingjie; Shi, Yujing; Cui, Xiaolan

2017-06-01

H1N1, a major pathogenic subtype of influenza A virus, causes a respiratory infection in humans and livestock that can range from a mild infection to more severe pneumonia associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Understanding the dynamic changes in the genome and the related functional changes induced by H1N1 influenza virus infection is essential to elucidating the pathogenesis of this virus and thereby determining strategies to prevent future outbreaks. In this study, we filtered the significantly expressed genes in mouse pneumonia using mRNA microarray analysis. Using STC analysis, seven significant gene clusters were revealed, and using STC-GO analysis, we explored the significant functions of these seven gene clusters. The results revealed GOs related to H1N1 virus-induced inflammatory and immune functions, including innate immune response, inflammatory response, specific immune response, and cellular response to interferon-beta. Furthermore, the dynamic regulation relationships of the key genes in mouse pneumonia were revealed by dynamic gene network analysis, and the most important genes were filtered, including Dhx58, Cxcl10, Cxcl11, Zbp1, Ifit1, Ifih1, Trim25, Mx2, Oas2, Cd274, Irgm1, and Irf7. These results suggested that during mouse pneumonia, changes in the expression of gene clusters and the complex interactions among genes lead to significant changes in function. Dynamic gene expression analysis revealed key genes that performed important functions. These results are a prelude to advancements in mouse H1N1 influenza virus infection biology, as well as the use of mice as a model organism for human H1N1 influenza virus infection studies.

Analysis of global gene expression in Brachypodium distachyon reveals extensive network plasticity in response to abiotic stress.

PubMed

Priest, Henry D; Fox, Samuel E; Rowley, Erik R; Murray, Jessica R; Michael, Todd P; Mockler, Todd C

2014-01-01

Brachypodium distachyon is a close relative of many important cereal crops. Abiotic stress tolerance has a significant impact on productivity of agriculturally important food and feedstock crops. Analysis of the transcriptome of Brachypodium after chilling, high-salinity, drought, and heat stresses revealed diverse differential expression of many transcripts. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis revealed 22 distinct gene modules with specific profiles of expression under each stress. Promoter analysis implicated short DNA sequences directly upstream of module members in the regulation of 21 of 22 modules. Functional analysis of module members revealed enrichment in functional terms for 10 of 22 network modules. Analysis of condition-specific correlations between differentially expressed gene pairs revealed extensive plasticity in the expression relationships of gene pairs. Photosynthesis, cell cycle, and cell wall expression modules were down-regulated by all abiotic stresses. Modules which were up-regulated by each abiotic stress fell into diverse and unique gene ontology GO categories. This study provides genomics resources and improves our understanding of abiotic stress responses of Brachypodium.

Saturation Mutagenesis of 5S rRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PubMed Central

Smith, Maria W.; Meskauskas, Arturas; Wang, Pinger; Sergiev, Petr V.; Dinman, Jonathan D.

2001-01-01

rRNAs are the central players in the reactions catalyzed by ribosomes, and the individual rRNAs are actively involved in different ribosome functions. Our previous demonstration that yeast 5S rRNA mutants (called mof9) can impact translational reading frame maintenance showed an unexpected function for this ubiquitous biomolecule. At the time, however, the highly repetitive nature of the genes encoding rRNAs precluded more detailed genetic and molecular analyses. A new genetic system allows all 5S rRNAs in the cell to be transcribed from a small, easily manipulated plasmid. The system is also amenable for the study of the other rRNAs, and provides an ideal genetic platform for detailed structural and functional studies. Saturation mutagenesis reveals regions of 5S rRNA that are required for cell viability, translational accuracy, and virus propagation. Unexpectedly, very few lethal alleles were identified, demonstrating the resilience of this molecule. Superimposition of genetic phenotypes on a physical map of 5S rRNA reveals the existence of phenotypic clusters of mutants, suggesting that specific regions of 5S rRNA are important for specific functions. Mapping these mutants onto the Haloarcula marismortui large subunit reveals that these clusters occur at important points of physical interaction between 5S rRNA and the different functional centers of the ribosome. Our analyses lead us to propose that one of the major functions of 5S rRNA may be to enhance translational fidelity by acting as a physical transducer of information between all of the different functional centers of the ribosome. PMID:11713264

Effect of exercise on cognitive function in chronic disease patients: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials

PubMed Central

Cai, Hong; Li, Guichen; Hua, Shanshan; Liu, Yufei; Chen, Li

2017-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis and systematic review to assess the effect of exercise on cognitive function in people with chronic diseases. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and three Chinese databases were electronically searched for papers that were published until September 2016. This meta-analysis and systematic review included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of exercise on cognitive function compared with control group for people with chronic diseases. Results Totally, 35 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 3,113 participants. The main analysis revealed a positive overall random effect of exercise intervention on cognitive function in patients with chronic diseases. The secondary analysis revealed that aerobic exercise interventions and aerobic included exercise interventions had a positive effect on cognition in patients with chronic diseases. The intervention offering low frequency had a positive effect on cognitive function in patients with chronic diseases. Finally, we found that interventions offered at both low exercise intensity and moderate exercise intensity had a positive effect on cognitive function in patients with chronic diseases. The secondary analysis also revealed that exercise interventions were beneficial in Alzheimer’s disease patients when grouped by disease type. Conclusion This meta-analysis and systematic review suggests that exercise interventions positively influence cognitive function in patients with chronic diseases. Beneficial effect was independent of the type of disease, type of exercise, frequency, and the intensity of the exercise intervention. PMID:28546744

Default mode of brain function in monkeys.

PubMed

Mantini, Dante; Gerits, Annelis; Nelissen, Koen; Durand, Jean-Baptiste; Joly, Olivier; Simone, Luciano; Sawamura, Hiromasa; Wardak, Claire; Orban, Guy A; Buckner, Randy L; Vanduffel, Wim

2011-09-07

Human neuroimaging has revealed a specific network of brain regions-the default-mode network (DMN)-that reduces its activity during goal-directed behavior. So far, evidence for a similar network in monkeys is mainly indirect, since, except for one positron emission tomography study, it is all based on functional connectivity analysis rather than activity increases during passive task states. Here, we tested whether a consistent DMN exists in monkeys using its defining property. We performed a meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected in 10 awake monkeys to reveal areas in which activity consistently decreases when task demands shift from passive tasks to externally oriented processing. We observed task-related spatially specific deactivations across 15 experiments, implying in the monkey a functional equivalent of the human DMN. We revealed by resting-state connectivity that prefrontal and medial parietal regions, including areas 9/46d and 31, respectively, constitute the DMN core, being functionally connected to all other DMN areas. We also detected two distinct subsystems composed of DMN areas with stronger functional connections between each other. These clusters included areas 24/32, 8b, and TPOC and areas 23, v23, and PGm, respectively. Such a pattern of functional connectivity largely fits, but is not completely consistent with anatomical tract tracing data in monkeys. Also, analysis of afferent and efferent connections between DMN areas suggests a multisynaptic network structure. Like humans, monkeys increase activity during passive epochs in heteromodal and limbic association regions, suggesting that they also default to internal modes of processing when not actively interacting with the environment.

Discriminative analysis of non-linear brain connectivity for leukoaraiosis with resting-state fMRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Youzhi; Xu, Lele; Yao, Li; Wu, Xia

2015-03-01

Leukoaraiosis (LA) describes diffuse white matter abnormalities on CT or MR brain scans, often seen in the normal elderly and in association with vascular risk factors such as hypertension, or in the context of cognitive impairment. The mechanism of cognitive dysfunction is still unclear. The recent clinical studies have revealed that the severity of LA was not corresponding to the cognitive level, and functional connectivity analysis is an appropriate method to detect the relation between LA and cognitive decline. However, existing functional connectivity analyses of LA have been mostly limited to linear associations. In this investigation, a novel measure utilizing the extended maximal information coefficient (eMIC) was applied to construct non-linear functional connectivity in 44 LA subjects (9 dementia, 25 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 10 cognitively normal (CN)). The strength of non-linear functional connections for the first 1% of discriminative power increased in MCI compared with CN and dementia, which was opposed to its linear counterpart. Further functional network analysis revealed that the changes of the non-linear and linear connectivity have similar but not completely the same spatial distribution in human brain. In the multivariate pattern analysis with multiple classifiers, the non-linear functional connectivity mostly identified dementia, MCI and CN from LA with a relatively higher accuracy rate than the linear measure. Our findings revealed the non-linear functional connectivity provided useful discriminative power in classification of LA, and the spatial distributed changes between the non-linear and linear measure may indicate the underlying mechanism of cognitive dysfunction in LA.

Default Mode of Brain Function in Monkeys

PubMed Central

Mantini, Dante; Gerits, Annelis; Nelissen, Koen; Durand, Jean-Baptiste; Joly, Olivier; Simone, Luciano; Sawamura, Hiromasa; Wardak, Claire; Orban, Guy A.; Buckner, Randy L.; Vanduffel, Wim

2013-01-01

Human neuroimaging has revealed a specific network of brain regions—the default-mode network (DMN)—that reduces its activity during goal-directed behavior. So far, evidence for a similar network in monkeys is mainly indirect, since, except for one positron emission tomography study, it is all based on functional connectivity analysis rather than activity increases during passive task states. Here, we tested whether a consistent DMN exists in monkeys using its defining property. We performed a meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected in 10 awake monkeys to reveal areas in which activity consistently decreases when task demands shift from passive tasks to externally oriented processing. We observed task-related spatially specific deactivations across 15 experiments, implying in the monkey a functional equivalent of the human DMN. We revealed by resting-state connectivity that prefrontal and medial parietal regions, including areas 9/46d and 31, respectively, constitute the DMN core, being functionally connected to all other DMN areas. We also detected two distinct subsystems composed of DMN areas with stronger functional connections between each other. These clusters included areas 24/32, 8b, and TPOC and areas 23, v23, and PGm, respectively. Such a pattern of functional connectivity largely fits, but is not completely consistent with anatomical tract tracing data in monkeys. Also, analysis of afferent and efferent connections between DMN areas suggests a multisynaptic network structure. Like humans, monkeys increase activity during passive epochs in heteromodal and limbic association regions, suggesting that they also default to internal modes of processing when not actively interacting with the environment. PMID:21900574

Convergent functional architecture of the superior parietal lobule unraveled with multimodal neuroimaging approaches.

PubMed

Wang, Jiaojian; Yang, Yong; Fan, Lingzhong; Xu, Jinping; Li, Changhai; Liu, Yong; Fox, Peter T; Eickhoff, Simon B; Yu, Chunshui; Jiang, Tianzi

2015-01-01

The superior parietal lobule (SPL) plays a pivotal role in many cognitive, perceptive, and motor-related processes. This implies that a mosaic of distinct functional and structural subregions may exist in this area. Recent studies have demonstrated that the ongoing spontaneous fluctuations in the brain at rest are highly structured and, like coactivation patterns, reflect the integration of cortical locations into long-distance networks. This suggests that the internal differentiation of a complex brain region may be revealed by interaction patterns that are reflected in different neuroimaging modalities. On the basis of this perspective, we aimed to identify a convergent functional organization of the SPL using multimodal neuroimaging approaches. The SPL was first parcellated based on its structural connections as well as on its resting-state connectivity and coactivation patterns. Then, post hoc functional characterizations and connectivity analyses were performed for each subregion. The three types of connectivity-based parcellations consistently identified five subregions in the SPL of each hemisphere. The two anterior subregions were found to be primarily involved in action processes and in visually guided visuomotor functions, whereas the three posterior subregions were primarily associated with visual perception, spatial cognition, reasoning, working memory, and attention. This parcellation scheme for the SPL was further supported by revealing distinct connectivity patterns for each subregion in all the used modalities. These results thus indicate a convergent functional architecture of the SPL that can be revealed based on different types of connectivity and is reflected by different functions and interactions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Functional assessment of patients with vertigo and dizziness in occupational medicine].

PubMed

Zamysłowska-Szmytke, Ewa; Szostek-Rogula, Sylwia; Śliwińska-Kowalska, Mariola

2018-03-09

Balance assessment relies on symptoms, clinical examination and functional assessment and their verification in objective tests. Our study was aimed at calculating the assessment compatibility between questionnaires, functional scales and objective vestibular and balance examinations. A group of 131 patients (including 101 women; mean age: 59±14 years) of the audiology outpatient clinic was examined. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, phobic vertigo and central dizziness were the most common diseases observed in the study group. Patients' symptoms were tested using the questionnaire on Cawthworne-Cooksey exercises (CC), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and Duke Anxiety-Depression Scale. Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), the Tinetti test, Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA) were used for the functional balance assessment. Objective evaluation included: videonystagmography caloric test and static posturography. The study results revealed statistically significant but moderate compatibility between functional tests BBS, DGI, TUG, DVA and caloric results (Kendall's W = 0.29) and higher for posturography (W = 0.33). The agreement between questionnaires and objective tests were very low (W = 0.08-0.11).The positive predictive values of BBS were 42% for caloric and 62% for posturography tests, of DGI - 46% and 57%, respectively. The results of functional tests (BBS, DGI, TUG, DVA) revealed statistically significant correlations with objective balance tests but low predictive values did not allow to use these tests in vestibular damage screening. Only half of the patients with functional disturbances revealed abnormal caloric or posturography tests. The qualification to work based on objective tests ignore functional state of the worker, which may influence the ability to work. Med Pr 2018;69(2):179-189. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Tagging methyl-CpG-binding domain proteins reveals different spatiotemporal expression and supports distinct functions.

PubMed

Wood, Kathleen H; Johnson, Brian S; Welsh, Sarah A; Lee, Jun Y; Cui, Yue; Krizman, Elizabeth; Brodkin, Edward S; Blendy, Julie A; Robinson, Michael B; Bartolomei, Marisa S; Zhou, Zhaolan

2016-04-01

DNA methylation is recognized by methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins. Multiple MBDs are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders in humans and mice. However, the functions of MBD2 are poorly understood. We characterized Mbd2 knockout mice and determined spatiotemporal expression of MBDs and MBD2-NuRD (nucleosome remodeling deacetylase) interactions. We analyzed behavioral phenotypes, generated biotin-tagged MBD1 and MBD2 knockin mice, and performed biochemical studies of MBD2-NuRD. Most behavioral measures are minimally affected in Mbd2 knockout mice. In contrast to other MBDs, MBD2 shows distinct expression patterns. Unlike most MBDs, MBD2 is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues examined and appears dispensable for brain functions measured in this study. We provide novel genetic tools and reveal new directions to investigate MBD2 functions in vivo.

Default-Mode Network Functional Connectivity in Aphasia: Therapy-Induced Neuroplasticity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcotte, Karine; Perlbarg, Vincent; Marrelec, Guillaume; Benali, Habib; Ansaldo, Ana Ines

2013-01-01

Previous research on participants with aphasia has mainly been based on standard functional neuroimaging analysis. Recent studies have shown that functional connectivity analysis can detect compensatory activity, not revealed by standard analysis. Little is known, however, about the default-mode network in aphasia. In the current study, we studied…

Psychometrics of Multiple Choice Questions with Non-Functioning Distracters: Implications to Medical Education.

PubMed

Deepak, Kishore K; Al-Umran, Khalid Umran; AI-Sheikh, Mona H; Dkoli, B V; Al-Rubaish, Abdullah

2015-01-01

The functionality of distracters in a multiple choice question plays a very important role. We examined the frequency and impact of functioning and non-functioning distracters on psychometric properties of 5-option items in clinical disciplines. We analyzed item statistics of 1115 multiple choice questions from 15 summative assessments of undergraduate medical students and classified the items into five groups by their number of non-functioning distracters. We analyzed the effect of varying degree of non-functionality ranging from 0 to 4, on test reliability, difficulty index, discrimination index and point biserial correlation. The non-functionality of distracters inversely affected the test reliability and quality of items in a predictable manner. The non-functioning distracters made the items easier and lowered the discrimination index significantly. Three non-functional distracters in a 5-option MCQ significantly affected all psychometric properties (p < 0.5). The corrected point biserial correlation revealed that the items with 3 functional options were psychometrically as effective as 5-option items. Our study reveals that a multiple choice question with 3 functional options provides lower most limit of item format that has adequate psychometric property. The test containing items with less number of functioning options have significantly lower reliability. The distracter function analysis and revision of nonfunctioning distracters can serve as important methods to improve the psychometrics and reliability of assessment.

Motivational and neurocognitive deficits are central to the prediction of longitudinal functional outcome in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Fervaha, G; Foussias, G; Agid, O; Remington, G

2014-10-01

Functional impairment is characteristic of most individuals with schizophrenia; however, the key variables that undermine community functioning are not well understood. This study evaluated the association between selected clinical variables and one-year longitudinal functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. The sample included 754 patients with schizophrenia who completed both baseline and one-year follow-up visits in the CATIE study. Patients were evaluated with a comprehensive battery of assessments capturing symptom severity and cognitive performance among other variables. The primary outcome variable was functional status one-year postbaseline measured using the Heinrichs-Carpenter Quality of Life Scale. Factor analysis of negative symptom items revealed two factors reflecting diminished expression and amotivation. Multivariate regression modeling revealed several significant independent predictors of longitudinal functioning scores. The strongest predictors were baseline amotivation and neurocognition. Both amotivation and neurocognition also had independent predictive value for each of the domains of functioning assessed (e.g., vocational). Both motivational and neurocognitive deficits independently contribute to longitudinal functional outcomes assessed 1 year later among patients with schizophrenia. Both of these domains of psychopathology impede functional recovery; hence, it follows that treatments ameliorating each of these symptoms should promote community functioning among individuals with schizophrenia. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Correlates of Social Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Social Cognition.

PubMed

Bishop-Fitzpatrick, Lauren; Mazefsky, Carla A; Eack, Shaun M; Minshew, Nancy J

2017-03-01

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience marked challenges with social function by definition, but few modifiable predictors of social functioning in ASD have been identified in extant research. This study hypothesized that deficits in social cognition and motor function may help to explain poor social functioning in individuals with ASD. Cross-sectional data from 108 individuals with ASD and without intellectual disability ages 9 through 27.5 were used to assess the relationship between social cognition and motor function, and social functioning. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that greater social cognition, but not motor function, was significantly associated with better social functioning when controlling for sex, age, and intelligence quotient. Post-hoc analyses revealed that, better performance on second-order false belief tasks was associated with higher levels of socially adaptive behavior and lower levels of social problems. Our findings support the development and testing of interventions that target social cognition in order to improve social functioning in individuals with ASD. Interventions that teach generalizable skills to help people with ASD better understand social situations and develop competency in advanced perspective taking have the potential to create more durable change because their effects can be applied to a wide and varied set of situations and not simply a prescribed set of rehearsed situations.

Integrating community assembly and biodiversity to better understand ecosystem function: the Community Assembly and the Functioning of Ecosystems (CAFE) approach.

PubMed

Bannar-Martin, Katherine H; Kremer, Colin T; Ernest, S K Morgan; Leibold, Mathew A; Auge, Harald; Chase, Jonathan; Declerck, Steven A J; Eisenhauer, Nico; Harpole, Stanley; Hillebrand, Helmut; Isbell, Forest; Koffel, Thomas; Larsen, Stefano; Narwani, Anita; Petermann, Jana S; Roscher, Christiane; Cabral, Juliano Sarmento; Supp, Sarah R

2018-02-01

The research of a generation of ecologists was catalysed by the recognition that the number and identity of species in communities influences the functioning of ecosystems. The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is most often examined by controlling species richness and randomising community composition. In natural systems, biodiversity changes are often part of a bigger community assembly dynamic. Therefore, focusing on community assembly and the functioning of ecosystems (CAFE), by integrating both species richness and composition through species gains, losses and changes in abundance, will better reveal how community changes affect ecosystem function. We synthesise the BEF and CAFE perspectives using an ecological application of the Price equation, which partitions the contributions of richness and composition to function. Using empirical examples, we show how the CAFE approach reveals important contributions of composition to function. These examples show how changes in species richness and composition driven by environmental perturbations can work in concert or antagonistically to influence ecosystem function. Considering how communities change in an integrative fashion, rather than focusing on one axis of community structure at a time, will improve our ability to anticipate and predict changes in ecosystem function. © 2017 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic Diversity of Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins Revealed by Structurally and Functionally Diverse Hemoglobins

PubMed Central

Remington, Nicole; Stevens, Robert D.; Wells, Randall S.; Hohn, Aleta; Dhungana, Suraj; Taboy, Celine H.; Crumbliss, Alvin L.; Henkens, Robert; Bonaventura, Celia

2007-01-01

Studies of structure-function relationships in the respiratory proteins of marine mammals revealed unexpected variations in the number and types of hemoglobins (Hbs) present in coastal bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. We obtained blood samples from free-ranging coastal bottlenose dolphins as a component of capture-release studies. We found that the oxygen-binding functions of bottlenose dolphin blood are poised between effector-saturated and unsaturated levels, enabling exercise-dependent shifts in oxygen transfer functions. Isolated bottlenose dolphin Hbs showed elevated pH sensitivities (Bohr effects) and appreciably lower oxygen affinities than adult human Hb in the absence of allosteric effectors. These properties may be an adaptive modification that enhance oxygen delivery during diving episodes when oxygen tensions and effector levels are low. The Hbs of individual dolphins showed similar oxygen affinities, responses to effectors, and expression of heme-heme interaction in oxygen binding, but differed in their redox potentials and rates of autoxidation. The heterogeneity suggested by these functional variations in Hbs of individual dolphins was born out by variations in the molecular weights and numbers of their α and β globin chains. Although coastal bottlenose dolphins were expected to have a single type of Hb, the mass differences observed revealed considerable genetic diversity. There were multiple Hb forms in some individuals and differences in Hb patterns among individuals within the same community. PMID:17604574

Genetic diversity of coastal bottlenose dolphins revealed by structurally and functionally diverse hemoglobins.

PubMed

Remington, Nicole; Stevens, Robert D; Wells, Randall S; Holn, Aleta; Dhungana, Suraj; Taboy, Celine H; Crumbliss, Alvin L; Henkens, Robert; Bonaventura, Celia

2007-08-15

Studies of structure-function relationships in the respiratory proteins of marine mammals revealed unexpected variations in the number and types of hemoglobins (Hbs) present in coastal bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. We obtained blood samples from free-ranging coastal bottlenose dolphins as a component of capture-release studies. We found that the oxygen-binding functions of bottlenose dolphin blood are poised between effector-saturated and unsaturated levels, enabling exercise-dependent shifts in oxygen transfer functions. Isolated bottlenose dolphin Hbs showed elevated pH sensitivities (Bohr effects) and appreciably lower oxygen affinities than adult human Hb in the absence of allosteric effectors. These properties may be an adaptive modification that enhances oxygen delivery during diving episodes when oxygen tensions and effector levels are low. The Hbs of individual dolphins showed similar oxygen affinities, responses to effectors, and expression of heme-heme interaction in oxygen binding, but differed in their redox potentials and rates of autoxidation. The heterogeneity suggested by these functional variations in Hbs of individual dolphins was born out by variations in the molecular weights and numbers of their alpha and beta globin chains. Although coastal bottlenose dolphins were expected to have a single type of Hb, the mass differences observed revealed considerable genetic diversity. There were multiple Hb forms in some individuals and differences in Hb patterns among individuals within the same community.

Impaired social brain network for processing dynamic facial expressions in autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Sato, Wataru; Toichi, Motomi; Uono, Shota; Kochiyama, Takanori

2012-08-13

Impairment of social interaction via facial expressions represents a core clinical feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the neural correlates of this dysfunction remain unidentified. Because this dysfunction is manifested in real-life situations, we hypothesized that the observation of dynamic, compared with static, facial expressions would reveal abnormal brain functioning in individuals with ASD.We presented dynamic and static facial expressions of fear and happiness to individuals with high-functioning ASD and to age- and sex-matched typically developing controls and recorded their brain activities using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Regional analysis revealed reduced activation of several brain regions in the ASD group compared with controls in response to dynamic versus static facial expressions, including the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), fusiform gyrus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Dynamic causal modeling analyses revealed that bi-directional effective connectivity involving the primary visual cortex-MTG-IFG circuit was enhanced in response to dynamic as compared with static facial expressions in the control group. Group comparisons revealed that all these modulatory effects were weaker in the ASD group than in the control group. These results suggest that weak activity and connectivity of the social brain network underlie the impairment in social interaction involving dynamic facial expressions in individuals with ASD.

[Comparative rheoencephalographic and convective radiation encephalic thermometric studies].

PubMed

Vaĭsfel'd, D N; Korobov, S A; Petrov, A P

1996-01-01

It is for the first time that thermoassimetry of heart flows of brain right and left hemispheres presenting as predominance of radiative-convective heat radiation from the left has been revealed, the thermoassimetry gradient being rostral-caudal. Disclosed in cerebral hemispheres was complimentarity of energetic processes: the right hemisphere secures the background energy state, the left one functions in ensuring the discrete adaptive thermoenergy reactions. The thermoassimetry revealed may be the basis of other functional asymmetries of the brain. There was no parallelism between the studied parameters of circulation and heat flow.

Regulation of PCP by the Fat signaling pathway

PubMed Central

Matis, Maja; Axelrod, Jeffrey D.

2013-01-01

Planar cell polarity (PCP) in epithelia, orthogonal to the apical–basal axis, is essential for numerous developmental events and physiological functions. Drosophila model systems have been at the forefront of studies revealing insights into mechanisms regulating PCP and have revealed distinct signaling modules. One of these, involving the atypical cadherins Fat and Dachsous and the ectokinase Four-jointed, appears to link the direction of cell polarization to the tissue axes. We discuss models for the function of this signaling module as well as several unanswered questions that may guide future investigations. PMID:24142873

Brain PET scan

MedlinePlus

... tissues are working. Other imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) and computed tomography ( CT ) scans only reveal ... M, Hellwig S, Kloppel S, Weiller C. Functional neuroimaging: functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and single-photon emission computed ...

Comparative limb proportions reveal differential locomotor morphofunctions of alligatoroids and crocodyloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iijima, Masaya; Kubo, Tai; Kobayashi, Yoshitsugu

2018-03-01

Although two major clades of crocodylians (Alligatoroidea and Crocodyloidea) were split during the Cretaceous period, relatively few morphological and functional differences between them have been known. In addition, interaction of multiple morphofunctional systems that differentiated their ecology has barely been assessed. In this study, we examined the limb proportions of crocodylians to infer the differences of locomotor functions between alligatoroids and crocodyloids, and tested the correlation of locomotor and feeding morphofunctions. Our analyses revealed crocodyloids including Gavialis have longer stylopodia (humerus and femur) than alligatoroids, indicating that two groups may differ in locomotor functions. Fossil evidence suggested that alligatoroids have retained short stylopodia since the early stage of their evolution. Furthermore, rostral shape, an indicator of trophic function, is correlated with limb proportions, where slender-snouted piscivorous taxa have relatively long stylopodia and short overall limbs. In combination, trophic and locomotor functions might differently delimit the ecological opportunity of alligatoroids and crocodyloids in the evolution of crocodylians.

Concordance Between Patient and Family Reports of Family Functioning in Bipolar I Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder

PubMed Central

Weinstock, Lauren M.; Wenze, Susan J.; Munroe, Mary K.; Miller, Ivan W.

2013-01-01

Despite the extensive literature on family functioning and mood disorders, less is known about concordance between patient- and family-reported family functioning. To address this question, adults with bipolar I disorder (BD; n = 92), major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 121), and their family members (ns = 135 and 201, respectively) were recruited from hospital sources. All patients and their family members completed the Family Assessment Device (Epstein et al., 1983). Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed that, in contrast to the moderate degree of concordance in the MDD sample, degree of concordance between patient- and family-reported family functioning was significantly weaker in BD. Subsequent analysis revealed that this discordance was driven by the reports of the child and young adolescent family members of the patients with BD. Results highlight the importance of collateral reports in the assessment of family functioning, especially among families of patients with BD, in research and treatment. PMID:23588224

Consistency between the luminosity function of resolved millisecond pulsars and the galactic center excess

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

Ploeg, Harrison; Gordon, Chris; Crocker, Roland

Fermi Large Area Telescope data reveal an excess of GeV gamma rays from the direction of the Galactic Center and bulge. Several explanations have been proposed for this excess including an unresolved population of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) and self-annihilating dark matter. It has been claimed that a key discriminant for or against the MSP explanation can be extracted from the properties of the luminosity function describing this source population. Specifically, is the luminosity function of the putative MSPs in the Galactic Center consistent with that characterizing the resolved MSPs in the Galactic disk? To investigate this we have used amore » Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo to evaluate the posterior distribution of the parameters of the MSP luminosity function describing both resolved MSPs and the Galactic Center excess. At variance with some other claims, our analysis reveals that, within current uncertainties, both data sets can be well fit with the same luminosity function.« less

Concordance between patient and family reports of family functioning in bipolar I disorder and major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Weinstock, Lauren M; Wenze, Susan J; Munroe, Mary K; Miller, Ivan W

2013-05-01

Despite the extensive literature on family functioning and mood disorders, less is known about concordance between patient- and family-reported family functioning. To address this question, adults with bipolar I disorder (BD; n = 92) or major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 121) and their family members (n = 135 and 201, respectively) were recruited from hospital sources. All patients and their family members completed the Family Assessment Device (Epstein, Baldwin, Bishop. J Marital Fam Ther. 9:171-180, 1983). Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed that, in contrast to the moderate degree of concordance in the MDD sample, degree of concordance between patient- and family-reported family functioning was significantly weaker in BD. Subsequent analysis revealed that this discordance was driven by the reports of the child and young adolescent family members of the patients with BD. Results highlight the importance of collateral reports in the assessment of family functioning, especially among families of patients with BD, in research and treatment.

Exploring the Yeast Acetylome Using Functional Genomics

PubMed Central

Duffy, Supipi Kaluarachchi; Friesen, Helena; Baryshnikova, Anastasia; Lambert, Jean-Philippe; Chong, Yolanda T.; Figeys, Daniel; Andrews, Brenda

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Lysine acetylation is a dynamic posttranslational modification with a well-defined role in regulating histones. The impact of acetylation on other cellular functions remains relatively uncharacterized. We explored the budding yeast acetylome with a functional genomics approach, assessing the effects of gene overexpression in the absence of lysine deacetylases (KDACs). We generated a network of 463 synthetic dosage lethal (SDL) interactions involving class I and II KDACs, revealing many cellular pathways regulated by different KDACs. A biochemical survey of genes interacting with the KDAC RPD3 identified 72 proteins acetylated in vivo. In-depth analysis of one of these proteins, Swi4, revealed a role for acetylation in G1-specific gene expression. Acetylation of Swi4 regulates interaction with its partner Swi6, both components of the SBF transcription factor. This study expands our view of the yeast acetylome, demonstrates the utility of functional genomic screens for exploring enzymatic pathways, and provides functional information that can be mined for future studies. PMID:22579291

Functional wiring of the yeast kinome revealed by global analysis of genetic network motifs

PubMed Central

Sharifpoor, Sara; van Dyk, Dewald; Costanzo, Michael; Baryshnikova, Anastasia; Friesen, Helena; Douglas, Alison C.; Youn, Ji-Young; VanderSluis, Benjamin; Myers, Chad L.; Papp, Balázs; Boone, Charles; Andrews, Brenda J.

2012-01-01

A combinatorial genetic perturbation strategy was applied to interrogate the yeast kinome on a genome-wide scale. We assessed the global effects of gene overexpression or gene deletion to map an integrated genetic interaction network of synthetic dosage lethal (SDL) and loss-of-function genetic interactions (GIs) for 92 kinases, producing a meta-network of 8700 GIs enriched for pathways known to be regulated by cognate kinases. Kinases most sensitive to dosage perturbations had constitutive cell cycle or cell polarity functions under standard growth conditions. Condition-specific screens confirmed that the spectrum of kinase dosage interactions can be expanded substantially in activating conditions. An integrated network composed of systematic SDL, negative and positive loss-of-function GIs, and literature-curated kinase–substrate interactions revealed kinase-dependent regulatory motifs predictive of novel gene-specific phenotypes. Our study provides a valuable resource to unravel novel functional relationships and pathways regulated by kinases and outlines a general strategy for deciphering mutant phenotypes from large-scale GI networks. PMID:22282571

Large Work Function Modulation of Monolayer MoS2 by Ambient Gases.

PubMed

Lee, Si Young; Kim, Un Jeong; Chung, JaeGwan; Nam, Honggi; Jeong, Hye Yun; Han, Gang Hee; Kim, Hyun; Oh, Hye Min; Lee, Hyangsook; Kim, Hyochul; Roh, Young-Geun; Kim, Jineun; Hwang, Sung Woo; Park, Yeonsang; Lee, Young Hee

2016-06-28

Although two-dimensional monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides reveal numerous unique features that are inaccessible in bulk materials, their intrinsic properties are often obscured by environmental effects. Among them, work function, which is the energy required to extract an electron from a material to vacuum, is one critical parameter in electronic/optoelectronic devices. Here, we report a large work function modulation in MoS2 via ambient gases. The work function was measured by an in situ Kelvin probe technique and further confirmed by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. A measured work function of 4.04 eV in vacuum was converted to 4.47 eV with O2 exposure, which is comparable with a large variation in graphene. The homojunction diode by partially passivating a transistor reveals an ideal junction with an ideality factor of almost one and perfect electrical reversibility. The estimated depletion width obtained from photocurrent mapping was ∼200 nm, which is much narrower than bulk semiconductors.

Validation of Skeletal Muscle cis-Regulatory Module Predictions Reveals Nucleotide Composition Bias in Functional Enhancers

PubMed Central

Kwon, Andrew T.; Chou, Alice Yi; Arenillas, David J.; Wasserman, Wyeth W.

2011-01-01

We performed a genome-wide scan for muscle-specific cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) using three computational prediction programs. Based on the predictions, 339 candidate CRMs were tested in cell culture with NIH3T3 fibroblasts and C2C12 myoblasts for capacity to direct selective reporter gene expression to differentiated C2C12 myotubes. A subset of 19 CRMs validated as functional in the assay. The rate of predictive success reveals striking limitations of computational regulatory sequence analysis methods for CRM discovery. Motif-based methods performed no better than predictions based only on sequence conservation. Analysis of the properties of the functional sequences relative to inactive sequences identifies nucleotide sequence composition can be an important characteristic to incorporate in future methods for improved predictive specificity. Muscle-related TFBSs predicted within the functional sequences display greater sequence conservation than non-TFBS flanking regions. Comparison with recent MyoD and histone modification ChIP-Seq data supports the validity of the functional regions. PMID:22144875

Mechanism of the coupling of diazonium to single-walled carbon nanotubes and its consequences.

PubMed

Schmidt, Grégory; Gallon, Salomé; Esnouf, Stéphane; Bourgoin, Jean-Philippe; Chenevier, Pascale

2009-01-01

On the tube: The coupling of diazonium ions onto single-walled carbon nanotubes is shown to proceed through a radical chain reaction by kinetic analysis of the absorption peak drop (see picture). Radical species are also revealed by ESR. Metallic (m) nanotubes play a special catalytic role in the functionalization of semiconducting (sc) nanotubes.Due to its simplicity and versatility, diazonium coupling is the most widely used method for carbon nanotube (CNT) functionalization to increase CNT processability and add new functionalities. Yet, its mechanism is so far mostly unknown. Herein, we use kinetic analysis to shed light on this complex mechanism. A free-radical chain reaction is revealed by absorption spectroscopy and ESR. Metallic CNTs are shown to play an unexpected catalytic role. The step determining the selectivity towards metallic CNTs is identified by a Hammett correlation. A mechanistic model is proposed that predicts reactivity and selectivity as a function of diazonium electrophilicity and metallic-to-semiconducting CNT ratio, thus opening perspectives of controlled high-yield functionalization and purification.

Assessing Language Dominance with Functional MRI: The Role of Control Tasks and Statistical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodoo-Schittko, Frank; Rosengarth, Katharina; Doenitz, Christian; Greenlee, Mark W.

2012-01-01

There is a discrepancy between the brain regions revealed by functional neuroimaging techniques and those brain regions where a loss of function, either by lesion or by electrocortical stimulation, induces language disorders. To differentiate between essential and non-essential language-related processes, we investigated the effects of linguistic…

Epigenomics Reveals a Functional Genome Anatomy and a New Approach to Common Disease

PubMed Central

Feinberg, Andrew P.

2010-01-01

Standfirst header Epigenomics provides the functional context of genome sequence, analogous to the functional anatomy of the human body provided by Vesalius a half millennium ago. Much of what appear to be inconclusive genetic data for common disease could therefore become meaningful in an epigenomic context. PMID:20944596

Functional Assessment Leading to a Behavior Plan for Transition Times at School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dooley, Pamela; Wilczenski, Felicia L.; Torem, Christopher

This paper outlines a case study based upon the functional assessment of a pre-school child's aggressive and disruptive behaviors, revealing difficulties with transitions from one activity to another at school. Antecedent conditions and functional communication were addressed in the behavior plan using a schedule board based on the Picture…

[PSYCHO PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF ACCELERATED AGING AMONG THOSE WORKING WITH OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS].

PubMed

Bashkireva, A S; Kachan, Ye Yu; Kulapina, M E

2015-01-01

We assessed the significance of psycho physiological markers of accelerated aging of the function of attention using comparative analysis of two occupational groups in order to reveal how the working process affects mental work capacity. We revealed peculiarities of systemic structure of functions which determine mental work capacity depending on the age and length of service in lorry drivers. It was proved that decrease in the mnestic functions of lorry-drivers takes place 10-15 years earlier compared to the control group. Psycho physiological indices, reflecting the functioning of attention, decreased not only with aging but also with longer driving experience. Our results show that it is necessary to conduct further studies of psycho physiological markers of age-related decrease in short-term memory depending on the activities at work in order to prevent accelerated aging and achieve professional longevity.

Discovery and Characterization of Chromatin States for Systematic Annotation of the Human Genome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernst, Jason; Kellis, Manolis

A plethora of epigenetic modifications have been described in the human genome and shown to play diverse roles in gene regulation, cellular differentiation and the onset of disease. Although individual modifications have been linked to the activity levels of various genetic functional elements, their combinatorial patterns are still unresolved and their potential for systematic de novo genome annotation remains untapped. Here, we use a multivariate Hidden Markov Model to reveal chromatin states in human T cells, based on recurrent and spatially coherent combinations of chromatin marks.We define 51 distinct chromatin states, including promoter-associated, transcription-associated, active intergenic, largescale repressed and repeat-associated states. Each chromatin state shows specific enrichments in functional annotations, sequence motifs and specific experimentally observed characteristics, suggesting distinct biological roles. This approach provides a complementary functional annotation of the human genome that reveals the genome-wide locations of diverse classes of epigenetic function.

Age-related changes in the activation of the intraparietal sulcus during nonsymbolic magnitude processing: an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

PubMed

Ansari, Daniel; Dhital, Bibek

2006-11-01

Numerical magnitude processing is an essential everyday skill. Functional brain imaging studies with human adults have repeatedly revealed that bilateral regions of the intraparietal sulcus are correlated with various numerical and mathematical skills. Surprisingly little, however, is known about the development of these brain representations. In the present study, we used functional neuroimaging to compare the neural correlates of nonsymbolic magnitude judgments between children and adults. Although behavioral performance was similar across groups, in comparison to the group of children the adult participants exhibited greater effects of numerical distance on the left intraparietal sulcus. Our findings are the first to reveal that even the most basic aspects of numerical cognition are subject to age-related changes in functional neuroanatomy. We propose that developmental impairments of number may be associated with atypical specialization of cortical regions underlying magnitude processing.

Ghrelin and cancer progression.

PubMed

Lin, Tsung-Chieh; Hsiao, Michael

2017-08-01

Ghrelin is a small peptide with 28 amino acids, and has been characterized as the ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR). In addition to its original function in stimulating pituitary growth hormone release, ghrelin is multifunctional and plays a role in the regulation of energy balance, gastric acid release, appetite, insulin secretion, gastric motility and the turnover of gastric and intestinal mucosa. The discovery of ghrelin and GHSR expression beyond normal tissues suggests its role other than physiological function. Emerging evidences have revealed ghrelin's function in regulating several processes related to cancer progression, especially in metastasis and proliferation. We further show the relative GHRL and GHSR expression in pan-cancers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), suggesting the potential pathological role of the axis in cancers. This review focuses on ghrelin's biological function in cancer progression, and reveals its clinical significance especially the impact on cancer patient outcome. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neurophysiological testing in anorectal disorders

PubMed Central

Remes-Troche, Jose M; Rao, Satish SC

2013-01-01

Neurophysiological tests of anorectal function can provide useful information regarding the integrity of neuronal innervation, as well as neuromuscular function. This information can give insights regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to several disorders of anorectal function, particularly fecal incontinence, pelvic floor disorders and dyssynergic defecation. Currently, several tests are available for the neurophysiological evaluation of anorectal function. These tests are mostly performed on patients referred to tertiary care centers, either following negative evaluations or when there is lack of response to conventional therapy. Judicious use of these tests can reveal significant and new understanding of the underlying mechanism(s) that could pave the way for better management of these disorders. In addition, these techniques are complementary to other modalities of investigation, such as pelvic floor imaging. The most commonly performed neurophysiological tests, along with their indications and clinical utility are discussed. Several novel techniques are evolving that may reveal new information on brain–gut interactions. PMID:19072383

The relationship between change in cognition and change in functional ability in schizophrenia during cognitive and psychosocial rehabilitation.

PubMed

Rispaud, Samuel G; Rose, Jennifer; Kurtz, Matthew M

2016-10-30

While a wealth of studies have evaluated cross-sectional links between cognition and functioning in schizophrenia, few have investigated the relationship between change in cognition and change in functioning in the context of treatment trials targeted at cognition. Identifying cognitive skills that, when improved, predict improvement in functioning will guide the development of more targeted rehabilitation for this population. The present study identifies the relationship between change in specific cognitive skills and change in functional ability during one year of cognitive rehabilitation. Ninety-six individuals with schizophrenia were assessed with a battery of cognitive measures and a measure of performance-based functioning before and after cognitive training consisting of either drill-and-practice cognitive remediation or computer skills training. Results revealed that while working and episodic memory, problem-solving, and processing speed skills all improved during the trial, only improved working memory and processing speed skills predicted improvement in functional ability. Secondary analyses revealed these relationships were driven by individuals who showed a moderate level (SD≥0.5) of cognitive improvement during the trial. These findings suggest that while a variety of cognitive skills may improve during training targeted at cognition, only improvements in a subset of cognitive functions may translate into functional gains. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Striatal changes in Parkinson disease: An investigation of morphology, functional connectivity and their relationship to clinical symptoms.

PubMed

Owens-Walton, Conor; Jakabek, David; Li, Xiaozhen; Wilkes, Fiona A; Walterfang, Mark; Velakoulis, Dennis; van Westen, Danielle; Looi, Jeffrey C L; Hansson, Oskar

2018-05-30

We sought to investigate morphological and resting state functional connectivity changes to the striatal nuclei in Parkinson disease (PD) and examine whether changes were associated with measures of clinical function. Striatal nuclei were manually segmented on 3T-T1 weighted MRI scans of 74 PD participants and 27 control subjects, quantitatively analysed for volume, shape and also functional connectivity using functional MRI data. Bilateral caudate nuclei and putamen volumes were significantly reduced in the PD cohort compared to controls. When looking at left and right hemispheres, the PD cohort had significantly smaller left caudate nucleus and right putamen volumes compared to controls. A significant correlation was found between greater atrophy of the caudate nucleus and poorer cognitive function, and between greater atrophy of the putamen and more severe motor symptoms. Resting-state functional MRI analysis revealed altered functional connectivity of the striatal structures in the PD group. This research demonstrates that PD involves atrophic changes to the caudate nucleus and putamen that are linked to clinical dysfunction. Our work reveals important information about a key structure-function relationship in the brain and provides support for caudate nucleus and putamen atrophy as neuroimaging biomeasures in PD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term psychosocial consequences of surgical congenital malformations.

PubMed

Diseth, Trond H; Emblem, Ragnhild

2017-10-01

Surgical congenital malformations often represent years of treatment, large number of hospital stays, treatment procedures, and long-term functional sequels affecting patients' psychosocial functioning. Both functional defects and psychosocial difficulties that occur commonly in childhood may pass through adolescence on to adulthood. This overview presents reports published over the past 3 decades to elucidate the long-term psychosocial consequences of surgical congenital malformations. Literature searches conducted on PubMed database revealed that less than 1% of all the records of surgical congenital malformations described long-term psychosocial consequences, but with diverse findings. This inconsistency may be due to methodological differences or deficiencies; especially in study design, patient sampling, and methods. Most of the studies revealed that the functional deficits may have great impact on patients' mental health, psychosocial functioning, and QoL; both short- and long-term negative consequences. Factors other than functional problems, e.g., repeated anesthesia, multiple hospitalization, traumatic treatment procedures, and parental dysfunctioning, may also predict long-term mental health and psychosocial functioning. Through multidisciplinary approach, pediatric surgeons should also be aware of deficits in emotional and psychosocial functioning. To achieve overall optimal psychosocial functioning, the challenge is to find a compromise between physically optimal treatment procedures and procedures that are not psychologically detrimental. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Network analysis reveals disrupted functional brain circuitry in drug-naive social anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Yang, Xun; Liu, Jin; Meng, Yajing; Xia, Mingrui; Cui, Zaixu; Wu, Xi; Hu, Xinyu; Zhang, Wei; Gong, Gaolang; Gong, Qiyong; Sweeney, John A; He, Yong

2017-12-07

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common and disabling condition characterized by excessive fear and avoidance of public scrutiny. Psychoradiology studies have suggested that the emotional and behavior deficits in SAD are associated with abnormalities in regional brain function and functional connectivity. However, little is known about whether intrinsic functional brain networks in patients with SAD are topologically disrupted. Here, we collected resting-state fMRI data from 33 drug-naive patients with SAD and 32 healthy controls (HC), constructed functional networks with 34 predefined regions based on previous meta-analytic research with task-based fMRI in SAD, and performed network-based statistic and graph-theory analyses. The network-based statistic analysis revealed a single connected abnormal circuitry including the frontolimbic circuit (termed the "fear circuit", including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventral medial prefrontal cortex and insula) and posterior cingulate/occipital areas supporting perceptual processing. In this single altered network, patients with SAD had higher functional connectivity than HC. At the global level, graph-theory analysis revealed that the patients exhibited a lower normalized characteristic path length than HC, which suggests a disorder-related shift of network topology toward randomized configurations. SAD-related deficits in nodal degree, efficiency and participation coefficient were detected in the parahippocampal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula and the calcarine sulcus. Aspects of abnormal connectivity were associated with anxiety symptoms. These findings highlight the aberrant topological organization of functional brain network organization in SAD, which provides insights into the neural mechanisms underlying excessive fear and avoidance of social interactions in patients with debilitating social anxiety. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Memory functions reveal structural properties of gene regulatory networks

PubMed Central

Perez-Carrasco, Ruben

2018-01-01

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) control cellular function and decision making during tissue development and homeostasis. Mathematical tools based on dynamical systems theory are often used to model these networks, but the size and complexity of these models mean that their behaviour is not always intuitive and the underlying mechanisms can be difficult to decipher. For this reason, methods that simplify and aid exploration of complex networks are necessary. To this end we develop a broadly applicable form of the Zwanzig-Mori projection. By first converting a thermodynamic state ensemble model of gene regulation into mass action reactions we derive a general method that produces a set of time evolution equations for a subset of components of a network. The influence of the rest of the network, the bulk, is captured by memory functions that describe how the subnetwork reacts to its own past state via components in the bulk. These memory functions provide probes of near-steady state dynamics, revealing information not easily accessible otherwise. We illustrate the method on a simple cross-repressive transcriptional motif to show that memory functions not only simplify the analysis of the subnetwork but also have a natural interpretation. We then apply the approach to a GRN from the vertebrate neural tube, a well characterised developmental transcriptional network composed of four interacting transcription factors. The memory functions reveal the function of specific links within the neural tube network and identify features of the regulatory structure that specifically increase the robustness of the network to initial conditions. Taken together, the study provides evidence that Zwanzig-Mori projections offer powerful and effective tools for simplifying and exploring the behaviour of GRNs. PMID:29470492

Two novel mutations in the POU1F1 gene generate null alleles through different mechanisms leading to combined pituitary hormone deficiency.

PubMed

Turton, J P; Strom, M; Langham, S; Dattani, M T; Le Tissier, P

2012-03-01

  Mutations in the POU1F1 gene severely affect the development and function of the anterior pituitary gland and lead to combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD).   The clinical and genetic analysis of a patient presenting with CPHD and functional characterization of identified mutations.   We describe a male patient with extreme short stature, learning difficulties, anterior pituitary hypoplasia, secondary hypothyroidism and undetectable prolactin, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), with normal random cortisol.   The POU1F1 coding region was amplified by PCR and sequenced; the functional consequence of the mutations was analysed by cell transfection and in vitro assays.   Genetic analysis revealed compound heterozygosity for two novel putative loss of function mutations in POU1F1: a transition at position +3 of intron 1 [IVS1+3nt(A>G)] and a point mutation in exon 6 resulting in a substitution of arginine by tryptophan (R265W). Functional analysis revealed that IVS1+3nt(A>G) results in a reduction in the correctly spliced POU1F1 mRNA, which could be corrected by mutations of the +4, +5 and +6 nucleotides. Analysis of POU1F1(R265W) revealed complete loss of function resulting from severely reduced protein stability.   Combined pituitary hormone deficiency in this patient is caused by loss of POU1F1 function by two novel mechanisms, namely aberrant splicing (IVS1+3nt (A>G) and protein instability (R265W). Identification of the genetic basis of CPHD enabled the cessation of hydrocortisone therapy without the need for further assessment for evolving endocrinopathy. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Results of intraoperative neuromonitoring in thyroid surgery and preoperative vocal cord paralysis.

PubMed

Lorenz, Kerstin; Abuazab, Mohammed; Sekulla, Carsten; Schneider, Rick; Nguyen Thanh, Phuong; Dralle, Henning

2014-03-01

Systematic studies of intermittent intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) have shown that IONM enhances recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) identification via functional assessment, but does not significantly reduce rates of vocal cord (VC) paralysis (VCP). The reliability of functional nerve assessment depends on the preoperative integrity of VC mobility. The present study was therefore performed to analyze the validity of IONM in patients with pre-existing VC paralysis. Of 8,128 patients, 285 (3.5 %) with preoperative VCP underwent thyroid surgery using standardized IONM of the RLN and vagus nerves (VNs). VC function was assessed by pre- and postoperative direct videolaryngoscopy. Quantitative parameters of IONM in patients with VCP were compared with IONM in patients with intact VC function. Clinical symptoms and surgical outcomes of patients with pre-existing VCP were analyzed. A total of 244 patients revealed negative, and 41 revealed positive IONM on the side of the VCP. VCP with positive IONM revealed significantly lower amplitudes of VN and RLN than intact VN (p = 0.010) and RLN (p = 0.011). Symptoms of patients with VCP included hoarseness (25 %), dyspnea (29 %), stridor (13 %), and dysphagia (13 %); 13 % were asymptomatic. New VCP occurred in five patients, ten needed tracheostomy for various reasons, and one patient died. Patients with pre-existing VCP revealed significantly reduced amplitude of ipsilateral VN and RLN, indicating retained nerve conductivity despite VC immobility. Preoperative laryngoscopy is therefore indispensable for reliable IONM and risk assessment, even in patients without voice abnormalities.

Discovering functional DNA elements using population genomic information: a proof of concept using human mtDNA.

PubMed

Schrider, Daniel R; Kern, Andrew D

2014-06-09

Identifying the complete set of functional elements within the human genome would be a windfall for multiple areas of biological research including medicine, molecular biology, and evolution. Complete knowledge of function would aid in the prioritization of loci when searching for the genetic bases of disease or adaptive phenotypes. Because mutations that disrupt function are disfavored by natural selection, purifying selection leaves a detectable signature within functional elements; accordingly, this signal has been exploited for over a decade through the use of genomic comparisons of distantly related species. While this is so, the functional complement of the genome changes extensively across time and between lineages; therefore, evidence of the current action of purifying selection in humans is essential. Because the removal of deleterious mutations by natural selection also reduces within-species genetic diversity within functional loci, dense population genetic data have the potential to reveal genomic elements that are currently functional. Here, we assess the potential of this approach by examining an ultradeep sample of human mitochondrial genomes (n = 16,411). We show that the high density of polymorphism in this data set precisely delineates regions experiencing purifying selection. Furthermore, we show that the number of segregating alleles at a site is strongly correlated with its divergence across species after accounting for known mutational biases in human mitochondrial DNA (ρ = 0.51; P < 2.2 × 10(-16)). These two measures track one another at a remarkably fine scale across many loci-a correlation that is purely the result of natural selection. Our results demonstrate that genetic variation has the potential to reveal with surprising precision which regions in the genome are currently performing important functions and likely to have deleterious fitness effects when mutated. As more complete human genomes are sequenced, similar power to reveal purifying selection may be achievable in the human nuclear genome. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Engineering of a conditional allele reveals multiple roles of XRN2 in Caenorhabditis elegans development and substrate specificity in microRNA turnover.

PubMed

Miki, Takashi S; Rüegger, Stefan; Gaidatzis, Dimos; Stadler, Michael B; Großhans, Helge

2014-04-01

Although XRN2 proteins are highly conserved eukaryotic 5'→3' exonucleases, little is known about their function in animals. Here, we characterize Caenorhabditis elegans XRN2, which we find to be a broadly and constitutively expressed nuclear protein. An xrn-2 null mutation or loss of XRN2 catalytic activity causes a molting defect and early larval arrest. However, by generating a conditionally mutant xrn-2ts strain de novo through an approach that may be also applicable to other genes of interest, we reveal further functions in fertility, during embryogenesis and during additional larval stages. Consistent with the known role of XRN2 in controlling microRNA (miRNA) levels, we can demonstrate that loss of XRN2 activity stabilizes some rapidly decaying miRNAs. Surprisingly, however, other miRNAs continue to decay rapidly in xrn-2ts animals. Thus, XRN2 has unanticipated miRNA specificity in vivo, and its diverse developmental functions may relate to distinct substrates. Finally, our global analysis of miRNA stability during larval stage 1 reveals that miRNA passenger strands (miR*s) are substantially less stable than guide strands (miRs), supporting the notion that the former are mostly byproducts of biogenesis rather than a less abundant functional species.

Integrative Analysis of Subcellular Quantitative Proteomics Studies Reveals Functional Cytoskeleton Membrane-Lipid Raft Interactions in Cancer.

PubMed

Shah, Anup D; Inder, Kerry L; Shah, Alok K; Cristino, Alexandre S; McKie, Arthur B; Gabra, Hani; Davis, Melissa J; Hill, Michelle M

2016-10-07

Lipid rafts are dynamic membrane microdomains that orchestrate molecular interactions and are implicated in cancer development. To understand the functions of lipid rafts in cancer, we performed an integrated analysis of quantitative lipid raft proteomics data sets modeling progression in breast cancer, melanoma, and renal cell carcinoma. This analysis revealed that cancer development is associated with increased membrane raft-cytoskeleton interactions, with ∼40% of elevated lipid raft proteins being cytoskeletal components. Previous studies suggest a potential functional role for the raft-cytoskeleton in the action of the putative tumor suppressors PTRF/Cavin-1 and Merlin. To extend the observation, we examined lipid raft proteome modulation by an unrelated tumor suppressor opioid binding protein cell-adhesion molecule (OPCML) in ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells. In agreement with the other model systems, quantitative proteomics revealed that 39% of OPCML-depleted lipid raft proteins are cytoskeletal components, with microfilaments and intermediate filaments specifically down-regulated. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction network and simulation analysis showed significantly higher interactions among cancer raft proteins compared with general human raft proteins. Collectively, these results suggest increased cytoskeleton-mediated stabilization of lipid raft domains with greater molecular interactions as a common, functional, and reversible feature of cancer cells.

Abnormal cardiac autonomic regulation in mice lacking ASIC3.

PubMed

Cheng, Ching-Feng; Kuo, Terry B J; Chen, Wei-Nan; Lin, Chao-Chieh; Chen, Chih-Cheng

2014-01-01

Integration of sympathetic and parasympathetic outflow is essential in maintaining normal cardiac autonomic function. Recent studies demonstrate that acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) is a sensitive acid sensor for cardiac ischemia and prolonged mild acidification can open ASIC3 and evoke a sustained inward current that fires action potentials in cardiac sensory neurons. However, the physiological role of ASIC3 in cardiac autonomic regulation is not known. In this study, we elucidate the role of ASIC3 in cardiac autonomic function using Asic3(-/-) mice. Asic3(-/-) mice showed normal baseline heart rate and lower blood pressure as compared with their wild-type littermates. Heart rate variability analyses revealed imbalanced autonomic regulation, with decreased sympathetic function. Furthermore, Asic3(-/-) mice demonstrated a blunted response to isoproterenol-induced cardiac tachycardia and prolonged duration to recover to baseline heart rate. Moreover, quantitative RT-PCR analysis of gene expression in sensory ganglia and heart revealed that no gene compensation for muscarinic acetylcholines receptors and beta-adrenalin receptors were found in Asic3(-/-) mice. In summary, we unraveled an important role of ASIC3 in regulating cardiac autonomic function, whereby loss of ASIC3 alters the normal physiological response to ischemic stimuli, which reveals new implications for therapy in autonomic nervous system-related cardiovascular diseases.

Electrical stimulation reduces smokers' craving by modulating the coupling between dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus.

PubMed

Yang, Li-Zhuang; Shi, Bin; Li, Hai; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Ying; Wang, Hongzhi; Zhou, Yanfei; Wang, Ying; Lv, Wanwan; Ji, Xuebing; Hudak, Justin; Zhou, Yifeng; Fallgatter, Andreas J; Zhang, Xiaochu

2017-08-01

Applying electrical stimulation over the prefrontal cortex can help nicotine dependents reduce cigarette craving. However, the underlying mechanism remains ambiguous. This study investigates this issue with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Thirty-two male chronic smokers received real and sham stimulation over dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) separated by 1 week. The neuroimaging data of the resting state, the smoking cue-reactivity task and the emotion task after stimulation were collected. The craving across the cue-reactivity task was diminished during real stimulation as compared with sham stimulation. The whole-brain analysis on the cue-reactivity task revealed a significant interaction between the stimulation condition (real vs sham) and the cue type (smoking vs neutral) in the left superior frontal gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus. The functional connectivity between the left DLPFC and the right parahippocampal gyrus, as revealed by both psychophysical interaction analysis and the resting state functional connectivity, is altered by electrical stimulation. Moreover, the craving change across the real and sham condition is predicted by alteration of functional connectivity revealed by psychophysical interaction analysis. The local and long-distance coupling, altered by the electrical stimulation, might be the underlying neural mechanism of craving regulation. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

CRISPR/Cas9 and active genetics-based trans-species replacement of the endogenous Drosophila kni-L2 CRM reveals unexpected complexity.

PubMed

Xu, Xiang-Ru Shannon; Gantz, Valentino Matteo; Siomava, Natalia; Bier, Ethan

2017-12-23

The knirps ( kni ) locus encodes transcription factors required for induction of the L2 wing vein in Drosophila . Here, we employ diverse CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools to generate a series of targeted lesions within the endogenous cis-regulatory module (CRM) required for kni expression in the L2 vein primordium. Phenotypic analysis of these ' in locus ' mutations based on both expression of Kni protein and adult wing phenotypes, reveals novel unexpected features of L2-CRM function including evidence for a chromosome pairing-dependent process that promotes transcription. We also demonstrate that self-propagating active genetic elements (CopyCat elements) can efficiently delete and replace the L2-CRM with orthologous sequences from other divergent fly species. Wing vein phenotypes resulting from these trans-species enhancer replacements parallel features of the respective donor fly species. This highly sensitive phenotypic readout of enhancer function in a native genomic context reveals novel features of CRM function undetected by traditional reporter gene analysis. © 2017, Xu et al.

CRISPR/Cas9 and active genetics-based trans-species replacement of the endogenous Drosophila kni-L2 CRM reveals unexpected complexity

PubMed Central

Siomava, Natalia

2017-01-01

The knirps (kni) locus encodes transcription factors required for induction of the L2 wing vein in Drosophila. Here, we employ diverse CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools to generate a series of targeted lesions within the endogenous cis-regulatory module (CRM) required for kni expression in the L2 vein primordium. Phenotypic analysis of these ‘in locus’ mutations based on both expression of Kni protein and adult wing phenotypes, reveals novel unexpected features of L2-CRM function including evidence for a chromosome pairing-dependent process that promotes transcription. We also demonstrate that self-propagating active genetic elements (CopyCat elements) can efficiently delete and replace the L2-CRM with orthologous sequences from other divergent fly species. Wing vein phenotypes resulting from these trans-species enhancer replacements parallel features of the respective donor fly species. This highly sensitive phenotypic readout of enhancer function in a native genomic context reveals novel features of CRM function undetected by traditional reporter gene analysis. PMID:29274230

Serial optical coherence scanning reveals an association between cardiac function and the heart architecture in the aging rodent heart

PubMed Central

Castonguay, Alexandre; Lefebvre, Joël; Pouliot, Philippe; Avti, Pramod; Moeini, Mohammad; Lesage, Frédéric

2017-01-01

Normal aging is accompanied by structural changes in the heart architecture. To explore this remodeling, we used a serial optical coherence tomography scanner to image entire mouse hearts at micron scale resolution. Ex vivo hearts of 7 young (4 months) and 5 old (24 months) C57BL/6 mice were acquired with the imaging platform. OCT of the myocardium revealed myofiber orientation changing linearly from the endocardium to the epicardium. In old mice, this rate of change was lower when compared to young mice while the average volume of old mice hearts was significantly larger (p<0.05). Myocardial wall thickening was also accompanied by extracellular spacing in the endocardium, resulting in a lower OCT attenuation coefficient in old mice endocardium (p<0.05). Prior to serial sectioning, cardiac function of the same hearts was imaged in vivo using MRI and revealed a reduced ejection fraction with aging. The use of a serial optical coherence tomography scanner allows new insight into fine age-related changes of the heart associated with changes in heart function. PMID:29188099

Native KCC2 interactome reveals PACSIN1 as a critical regulator of synaptic inhibition.

PubMed

Mahadevan, Vivek; Khademullah, C Sahara; Dargaei, Zahra; Chevrier, Jonah; Uvarov, Pavel; Kwan, Julian; Bagshaw, Richard D; Pawson, Tony; Emili, Andrew; De Koninck, Yves; Anggono, Victor; Airaksinen, Matti; Woodin, Melanie A

2017-10-13

KCC2 is a neuron-specific K + -Cl - cotransporter essential for establishing the Cl - gradient required for hyperpolarizing inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS). KCC2 is highly localized to excitatory synapses where it regulates spine morphogenesis and AMPA receptor confinement. Aberrant KCC2 function contributes to human neurological disorders including epilepsy and neuropathic pain. Using functional proteomics, we identified the KCC2-interactome in the mouse brain to determine KCC2-protein interactions that regulate KCC2 function. Our analysis revealed that KCC2 interacts with diverse proteins, and its most predominant interactors play important roles in postsynaptic receptor recycling. The most abundant KCC2 interactor is a neuronal endocytic regulatory protein termed PACSIN1 (SYNDAPIN1). We verified the PACSIN1-KCC2 interaction biochemically and demonstrated that shRNA knockdown of PACSIN1 in hippocampal neurons increases KCC2 expression and hyperpolarizes the reversal potential for Cl - . Overall, our global native-KCC2 interactome and subsequent characterization revealed PACSIN1 as a novel and potent negative regulator of KCC2.

Native KCC2 interactome reveals PACSIN1 as a critical regulator of synaptic inhibition

PubMed Central

Mahadevan, Vivek; Chevrier, Jonah; Uvarov, Pavel; Kwan, Julian; Bagshaw, Richard D; Pawson, Tony; Emili, Andrew; De Koninck, Yves; Anggono, Victor; Airaksinen, Matti

2017-01-01

KCC2 is a neuron-specific K+-Cl– cotransporter essential for establishing the Cl- gradient required for hyperpolarizing inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS). KCC2 is highly localized to excitatory synapses where it regulates spine morphogenesis and AMPA receptor confinement. Aberrant KCC2 function contributes to human neurological disorders including epilepsy and neuropathic pain. Using functional proteomics, we identified the KCC2-interactome in the mouse brain to determine KCC2-protein interactions that regulate KCC2 function. Our analysis revealed that KCC2 interacts with diverse proteins, and its most predominant interactors play important roles in postsynaptic receptor recycling. The most abundant KCC2 interactor is a neuronal endocytic regulatory protein termed PACSIN1 (SYNDAPIN1). We verified the PACSIN1-KCC2 interaction biochemically and demonstrated that shRNA knockdown of PACSIN1 in hippocampal neurons increases KCC2 expression and hyperpolarizes the reversal potential for Cl-. Overall, our global native-KCC2 interactome and subsequent characterization revealed PACSIN1 as a novel and potent negative regulator of KCC2. PMID:29028184

Raman Spectroscopy Reveals New Insights into the Zonal Organization of Native and Tissue-Engineered Articular Cartilage

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Tissue architecture is intimately linked with its functions, and loss of tissue organization is often associated with pathologies. The intricate depth-dependent extracellular matrix (ECM) arrangement in articular cartilage is critical to its biomechanical functions. In this study, we developed a Raman spectroscopic imaging approach to gain new insight into the depth-dependent arrangement of native and tissue-engineered articular cartilage using bovine tissues and cells. Our results revealed previously unreported tissue complexity into at least six zones above the tidemark based on a principal component analysis and k-means clustering analysis of the distribution and orientation of the main ECM components. Correlation of nanoindentation and Raman spectroscopic data suggested that the biomechanics across the tissue depth are influenced by ECM microstructure rather than composition. Further, Raman spectroscopy together with multivariate analysis revealed changes in the collagen, glycosaminoglycan, and water distributions in tissue-engineered constructs over time. These changes were assessed using simple metrics that promise to instruct efforts toward the regeneration of a broad range of tissues with native zonal complexity and functional performance. PMID:28058277

Tomato golden mosaic virus open reading frame AL4 is genetically distinct from its C4 analogue in monopartite geminiviruses.

PubMed

Pooma, W; Petty, I T

1996-08-01

Tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) is a bipartite geminivirus with six well-characterized genes. An additional open reading frame (ORF), AL4, lies within the essential AL1 gene. Recent studies of monopartite, dicot-infecting geminiviruses have revealed that mutations in their analogous C4 ORFs have host-specific effects on infectivity, symptomatology, virus movement and/or viral DNA accumulation. We have investigated whether TGMV has a similar host-specific requirement for AL4. The phenotypes of three TGMV al4 mutants were determined in a range of hosts, which included species that revealed c4 mutant phenotypes for monopartite geminiviruses. Each TGMV al4 mutant was indistinguishable from wild-type TGMV in all hosts tested. Additional analyses of double mutants revealed no evidence for functional redundancy between AL4 and the AL3, or AR1 genes. In contrast to the putative C4 proteins of monpartite geminiviruses, TGMV AL4, if it is expressed, is either non-functional, or functionally redundant with an essential TGMV gene product.

Cryptic biodiversity effects: importance of functional redundancy revealed through addition of food web complexity.

PubMed

Philpott, Stacy M; Pardee, Gabriella L; Gonthier, David J

2012-05-01

Interactions between predators and the degree of functional redundancy among multiple predator species may determine whether herbivores experience increased or decreased predation risk. Specialist parasites can modify predator behavior, yet rarely have cascading effects on multiple predator species and prey been evaluated. We examined influences of specialist phorid parasites (Pseudacteon spp.) on three predatory ant species and herbivores in a coffee agroecosystem. Specifically, we examined whether changes in ant richness affected fruit damage by the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) and whether phorids altered multi-predator effects. Each ant species reduced borer damage, and without phorids, increasing predator richness did not further decrease borer damage. However, with phorids, activity of one ant species was reduced, indicating that the presence of multiple ant species was necessary to limit borer damage. In addition, phorid presence revealed synergistic effects of multiple ant species, not observed without the presence of this parasite. Thus, a trait-mediated cascade resulting from a parasite-induced predator behavioral change revealed the importance of functional redundancy, predator diversity, and food web complexity for control of this important pest.

Effect of roughage on rumen microbiota composition in the efficient feed converter and sturdy Indian Jaffrabadi buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

PubMed

Nathani, Neelam M; Patel, Amrutlal K; Mootapally, Chandra Shekar; Reddy, Bhaskar; Shah, Shailesh V; Lunagaria, Pravin M; Kothari, Ramesh K; Joshi, Chaitanya G

2015-12-29

The rumen microbiota functions as an effective system for conversion of dietary feed to microbial proteins and volatile fatty acids. In the present study, metagenomic approach was applied to elucidate the buffalo rumen microbiome of Jaffrabadi buffalo adapted to varied dietary treatments with the hypothesis that the microbial diversity and subsequent in the functional capacity will alter with diet change and enhance our knowledge of effect of microbe on host physiology. Eight adult animals were gradually adapted to an increasing roughage diet (4 animals each with green and dry roughage) containing 50:50 (J1), 75:25 (J2) and 100:0 (J3) roughage to concentrate proportion for 6 weeks. Metagenomic sequences of solid (fiber adherent microbiota) and liquid (fiber free microbiota) fractions obtained using Ion Torrent PGM platform were analyzed using MG-RAST server and CAZymes approach. Taxonomic analysis revealed that Bacteroidetes was the most abundant phylum followed by Firmicutes, Fibrobacter and Proteobacteria. Functional analysis revealed protein (25-30 %) and carbohydrate (15-20 %) metabolism as the dominant categories. Principal component analysis demonstrated that roughage proportion, fraction of rumen and type of forage affected rumen microbiome at taxonomic as well as functional level. Rumen metabolite study revealed that rumen fluid nitrogen content reduced in high roughage diet fed animals and pathway analysis showed reduction in the genes coding enzymes involved in methanogenesis pathway. CAZyme annotation revealed the abundance of genes encoding glycoside hydrolases (GH), with the GH3 family most abundant followed by GH2 and GH13 in all samples. Results reveals that high roughage diet feed improved microbial protein synthesis and reduces methane emission. CAZyme analysis indicated the importance of microbiome in feed component digestion for fulfilling energy requirements of the host. The findings help determine the role of rumen microbes in plant polysaccharide breakdown and in developing strategies to maximize productivity in ruminants.

Correlates of Social Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Social Cognition

PubMed Central

Bishop-Fitzpatrick, Lauren; Mazefsky, Carla A.; Eack, Shaun M.; Minshew, Nancy J.

2017-01-01

Background Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience marked challenges with social function by definition, but few modifiable predictors of social functioning in ASD have been identified in extant research. This study hypothesized that deficits in social cognition and motor function may help to explain poor social functioning in individuals with ASD. Method Cross-sectional data from 108 individuals with ASD and without intellectual disability ages 9 through 27.5 were used to assess the relationship between social cognition and motor function, and social functioning. Results Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that greater social cognition, but not motor function, was significantly associated with better social functioning when controlling for sex, age, and intelligence quotient. Post-hoc analyses revealed that, better performance on second-order false belief tasks was associated with higher levels of socially adaptive behavior and lower levels of social problems. Conclusions Our findings support the development and testing of interventions that target social cognition in order to improve social functioning in individuals with ASD. Interventions that teach generalizable skills to help people with ASD better understand social situations and develop competency in advanced perspective taking have the potential to create more durable change because their effects can be applied to a wide and varied set of situations and not simply a prescribed set of rehearsed situations. PMID:28839456

A functional genomics screen in planarians reveals regulators of whole-brain regeneration.

PubMed

Roberts-Galbraith, Rachel H; Brubacher, John L; Newmark, Phillip A

2016-09-09

Planarians regenerate all body parts after injury, including the central nervous system (CNS). We capitalized on this distinctive trait and completed a gene expression-guided functional screen to identify factors that regulate diverse aspects of neural regeneration in Schmidtea mediterranea . Our screen revealed molecules that influence neural cell fates, support the formation of a major connective hub, and promote reestablishment of chemosensory behavior. We also identified genes that encode signaling molecules with roles in head regeneration, including some that are produced in a previously uncharacterized parenchymal population of cells. Finally, we explored genes downregulated during planarian regeneration and characterized, for the first time, glial cells in the planarian CNS that respond to injury by repressing several transcripts. Collectively, our studies revealed diverse molecules and cell types that underlie an animal's ability to regenerate its brain.

The Functions of the Nontarget "Be" in the Written Interlanguage of Chinese Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Suying

2014-01-01

Through examining all instances of the nontarget "be" before verbs in the written interlanguage of Chinese learners at different proficiency levels, the present study reveals that nontarget "be" performs different functions, and there is a function shift from low to high proficiency levels. At the lowest levels, "be"…

Structure-function insights of membrane and soluble proteins revealed by electron crystallography.

PubMed

Dreaden, Tina M; Devarajan, Bharanidharan; Barry, Bridgette A; Schmidt-Krey, Ingeborg

2013-01-01

Electron crystallography is emerging as an important method in solving protein structures. While it has found extensive applications in the understanding of membrane protein structure and function at a wide range of resolutions, from revealing oligomeric arrangements to atomic models, electron crystallography has also provided invaluable information on the soluble α/β-tubulin which could not be obtained by any other method to date. Examples of critical insights from selected structures of membrane proteins as well as α/β-tubulin are described here, demonstrating the vast potential of electron crystallography that is first beginning to unfold.

Co-expression Network Approach to Studying the Effects of Botulinum Neurotoxin-A.

PubMed

Mukund, Kavitha; Ward, Samuel R; Lieber, Richard L; Subramaniam, Shankar

2017-10-16

Botulinum Neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) is a potent neurotoxin with several clinical applications.The goal of this study was to utilize co-expression network theory to analyze temporal transcriptional data from skeletal muscle after BoNT-A treatment. Expression data for 2000 genes (extracted using a ranking heuristic) served as the basis for this analysis. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified 19 co-expressed modules, further hierarchically clustered into 5 groups. Quantifying average expression and co-expression patterns across these groups revealed temporal aspects of muscle's response to BoNT-A. Functional analysis revealed enrichment of group 1 with metabolism; group 5 with contradictory functions of atrophy and cellular recovery; and groups 2 and 3 with extracellular matrix (ECM) and non-fast fiber isoforms. Topological positioning of two highly ranked, significantly expressed genes- Dclk1 and Ostalpha within group 5 suggested possible mechanistic roles in recovery from BoNT-A induced atrophy. Phenotypic correlations of groups with titin and myosin protein content further emphasized the effect of BoNT-A on the sarcomeric contraction machinery in early phase of chemodenervation. In summary, our approach revealed a hierarchical functional response to BoNT-A induced paralysis with early metabolic and later ECM responses and identified putative biomarkers associated with chemodenervation. Additionally, our results provide an unbiased validation of the response documented in our previous workBotulinum Neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) is a potent neurotoxin with several clinical applications.The goal of this study was to utilize co-expression network theory to analyze temporal transcriptional data from skeletal muscle after BoNT-A treatment. Expression data for 2000 genes (extracted using a ranking heuristic) served as the basis for this analysis. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified 19 co-expressed modules, further hierarchically clustered into 5 groups. Quantifying average expression and co-expression patterns across these groups revealed temporal aspects of muscle's response to BoNT-A. Functional analysis revealed enrichment of group 1 with metabolism; group 5 with contradictory functions of atrophy and cellular recovery; and groups 2 and 3 with extracellular matrix (ECM) and non-fast fiber isoforms. Topological positioning of two highly ranked, significantly expressed genes- Dclk1 and Ostalpha within group 5 suggested possible mechanistic roles in recovery from BoNT-A induced atrophy. Phenotypic correlations of groups with titin and myosin protein content further emphasized the effect of BoNT-A on the sarcomeric contraction machinery in early phase of chemodenervation. In summary, our approach revealed a hierarchical functional response to BoNT-A induced paralysis with early metabolic and later ECM responses and identified putative biomarkers associated with chemodenervation. Additionally, our results provide an unbiased validation of the response documented in our previous work.

Core microbial functional activities in ocean environments revealed by global metagenomic profiling analyses.

PubMed

Ferreira, Ari J S; Siam, Rania; Setubal, João C; Moustafa, Ahmed; Sayed, Ahmed; Chambergo, Felipe S; Dawe, Adam S; Ghazy, Mohamed A; Sharaf, Hazem; Ouf, Amged; Alam, Intikhab; Abdel-Haleem, Alyaa M; Lehvaslaiho, Heikki; Ramadan, Eman; Antunes, André; Stingl, Ulrich; Archer, John A C; Jankovic, Boris R; Sogin, Mitchell; Bajic, Vladimir B; El-Dorry, Hamza

2014-01-01

Metagenomics-based functional profiling analysis is an effective means of gaining deeper insight into the composition of marine microbial populations and developing a better understanding of the interplay between the functional genome content of microbial communities and abiotic factors. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of 24 datasets covering surface and depth-related environments at 11 sites around the world's oceans. The complete datasets comprises approximately 12 million sequences, totaling 5,358 Mb. Based on profiling patterns of Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) of proteins, a core set of reference photic and aphotic depth-related COGs, and a collection of COGs that are associated with extreme oxygen limitation were defined. Their inferred functions were utilized as indicators to characterize the distribution of light- and oxygen-related biological activities in marine environments. The results reveal that, while light level in the water column is a major determinant of phenotypic adaptation in marine microorganisms, oxygen concentration in the aphotic zone has a significant impact only in extremely hypoxic waters. Phylogenetic profiling of the reference photic/aphotic gene sets revealed a greater variety of source organisms in the aphotic zone, although the majority of individual photic and aphotic depth-related COGs are assigned to the same taxa across the different sites. This increase in phylogenetic and functional diversity of the core aphotic related COGs most probably reflects selection for the utilization of a broad range of alternate energy sources in the absence of light.

Core Microbial Functional Activities in Ocean Environments Revealed by Global Metagenomic Profiling Analyses

PubMed Central

Ferreira, Ari J. S.; Siam, Rania; Setubal, João C.; Moustafa, Ahmed; Sayed, Ahmed; Chambergo, Felipe S.; Dawe, Adam S.; Ghazy, Mohamed A.; Sharaf, Hazem; Ouf, Amged; Alam, Intikhab; Abdel-Haleem, Alyaa M.; Lehvaslaiho, Heikki; Ramadan, Eman; Antunes, André; Stingl, Ulrich; Archer, John A. C.; Jankovic, Boris R.; Sogin, Mitchell; Bajic, Vladimir B.; El-Dorry, Hamza

2014-01-01

Metagenomics-based functional profiling analysis is an effective means of gaining deeper insight into the composition of marine microbial populations and developing a better understanding of the interplay between the functional genome content of microbial communities and abiotic factors. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of 24 datasets covering surface and depth-related environments at 11 sites around the world's oceans. The complete datasets comprises approximately 12 million sequences, totaling 5,358 Mb. Based on profiling patterns of Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) of proteins, a core set of reference photic and aphotic depth-related COGs, and a collection of COGs that are associated with extreme oxygen limitation were defined. Their inferred functions were utilized as indicators to characterize the distribution of light- and oxygen-related biological activities in marine environments. The results reveal that, while light level in the water column is a major determinant of phenotypic adaptation in marine microorganisms, oxygen concentration in the aphotic zone has a significant impact only in extremely hypoxic waters. Phylogenetic profiling of the reference photic/aphotic gene sets revealed a greater variety of source organisms in the aphotic zone, although the majority of individual photic and aphotic depth-related COGs are assigned to the same taxa across the different sites. This increase in phylogenetic and functional diversity of the core aphotic related COGs most probably reflects selection for the utilization of a broad range of alternate energy sources in the absence of light. PMID:24921648

Resting state fMRI reveals a default mode dissociation between retrosplenial and medial prefrontal subnetworks in ASD despite motion scrubbing.

PubMed

Starck, Tuomo; Nikkinen, Juha; Rahko, Jukka; Remes, Jukka; Hurtig, Tuula; Haapsamo, Helena; Jussila, Katja; Kuusikko-Gauffin, Sanna; Mattila, Marja-Leena; Jansson-Verkasalo, Eira; Pauls, David L; Ebeling, Hanna; Moilanen, Irma; Tervonen, Osmo; Kiviniemi, Vesa J

2013-01-01

In resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) decreased frontal-posterior functional connectivity is a persistent finding. However, the picture of the default mode network (DMN) hypoconnectivity remains incomplete. In addition, the functional connectivity analyses have been shown to be susceptible even to subtle motion. DMN hypoconnectivity in ASD has been specifically called for re-evaluation with stringent motion correction, which we aimed to conduct by so-called scrubbing. A rich set of default mode subnetworks can be obtained with high dimensional group independent component analysis (ICA) which can potentially provide more detailed view of the connectivity alterations. We compared the DMN connectivity in high-functioning adolescents with ASDs to typically developing controls using ICA dual-regression with decompositions from typical to high dimensionality. Dual-regression analysis within DMN subnetworks did not reveal alterations but connectivity between anterior and posterior DMN subnetworks was decreased in ASD. The results were very similar with and without motion scrubbing thus indicating the efficacy of the conventional motion correction methods combined with ICA dual-regression. Specific dissociation between DMN subnetworks was revealed on high ICA dimensionality, where networks centered at the medial prefrontal cortex and retrosplenial cortex showed weakened coupling in adolescents with ASDs compared to typically developing control participants. Generally the results speak for disruption in the anterior-posterior DMN interplay on the network level whereas local functional connectivity in DMN seems relatively unaltered.

An exemplar-based approach to individualized parcellation reveals the need for sex specific functional networks

PubMed Central

Salehi, Mehraveh; Karbasi, Amin; Shen, Xilin; Scheinost, Dustin; Constable, R. Todd

2018-01-01

Recent work with functional connectivity data has led to significant progress in understanding the functional organization of the brain. While the majority of the literature has focused on group-level parcellation approaches, there is ample evidence that the brain varies in both structure and function across individuals. In this work, we introduce a parcellation technique that incorporates delineation of functional networks both at the individual- and group-level. The proposed technique deploys the notion of “submodularity” to jointly parcellate the cerebral cortex while establishing an inclusive correspondence between the individualized functional networks. Using this parcellation technique, we successfully established a cross-validated predictive model that predicts individuals’ sex, solely based on the parcellation schemes (i.e. the node-to-network assignment vectors). The sex prediction finding illustrates that individualized parcellation of functional networks can reveal subgroups in a population and suggests that the use of a global network parcellation may overlook fundamental differences in network organization. This is a particularly important point to consider in studies comparing patients versus controls or even patient subgroups. Network organization may differ between individuals and global configurations should not be assumed. This approach to the individualized study of functional organization in the brain has many implications for both neuroscience and clinical applications. PMID:28882628

Aberrant functional brain connectome in people with antisocial personality disorder

PubMed Central

Tang, Yan; Long, Jun; Wang, Wei; Liao, Jian; Xie, Hua; Zhao, Guihu; Zhang, Hao

2016-01-01

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is characterised by a disregard for social obligations and callous unconcern for the feelings of others. Studies have demonstrated that ASPD is associated with abnormalities in brain regions and aberrant functional connectivity. In this paper, topological organisation was examined in resting-state fMRI data obtained from 32 ASPD patients and 32 non-ASPD controls. The frequency-dependent functional networks were constructed using wavelet-based correlations over 90 brain regions. The topology of the functional networks of ASPD subjects was analysed via graph theoretical analysis. Furthermore, the abnormal functional connectivity was determined with a network-based statistic (NBS) approach. Our results revealed that, compared with the controls, the ASPD patients exhibited altered topological configuration of the functional connectome in the frequency interval of 0.016–0.031 Hz, as indicated by the increased clustering coefficient and decreased betweenness centrality in the medial superior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, Rolandic operculum, superior parietal gyrus, angular gyrus, and middle temporal pole. In addition, the ASPD patients showed increased functional connectivity mainly located in the default-mode network. The present study reveals an aberrant topological organisation of the functional brain network in individuals with ASPD. Our findings provide novel insight into the neuropathological mechanisms of ASPD. PMID:27257047

Aberrant functional brain connectome in people with antisocial personality disorder.

PubMed

Tang, Yan; Long, Jun; Wang, Wei; Liao, Jian; Xie, Hua; Zhao, Guihu; Zhang, Hao

2016-06-03

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is characterised by a disregard for social obligations and callous unconcern for the feelings of others. Studies have demonstrated that ASPD is associated with abnormalities in brain regions and aberrant functional connectivity. In this paper, topological organisation was examined in resting-state fMRI data obtained from 32 ASPD patients and 32 non-ASPD controls. The frequency-dependent functional networks were constructed using wavelet-based correlations over 90 brain regions. The topology of the functional networks of ASPD subjects was analysed via graph theoretical analysis. Furthermore, the abnormal functional connectivity was determined with a network-based statistic (NBS) approach. Our results revealed that, compared with the controls, the ASPD patients exhibited altered topological configuration of the functional connectome in the frequency interval of 0.016-0.031 Hz, as indicated by the increased clustering coefficient and decreased betweenness centrality in the medial superior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, Rolandic operculum, superior parietal gyrus, angular gyrus, and middle temporal pole. In addition, the ASPD patients showed increased functional connectivity mainly located in the default-mode network. The present study reveals an aberrant topological organisation of the functional brain network in individuals with ASPD. Our findings provide novel insight into the neuropathological mechanisms of ASPD.

Hypnosis as a model of functional neurologic disorders.

PubMed

Deeley, Q

2016-01-01

In the 19th century it was recognized that neurologic symptoms could be caused by "morbid ideation" as well as organic lesions. The subsequent observation that hysteric (now called "functional") symptoms could be produced and removed by hypnotic suggestion led Charcot to hypothesize that suggestion mediated the effects of ideas on hysteric symptoms through as yet unknown effects on brain activity. The advent of neuroimaging 100 years later revealed strikingly similar neural correlates in experiments matching functional symptoms with clinical analogs created by suggestion. Integrative models of suggested and functional symptoms regard these alterations in brain function as the endpoint of a broader set of changes in information processing due to suggestion. These accounts consider that suggestions alter experience by mobilizing representations from memory systems, and altering causal attributions, during preconscious processing which alters the content of what is provided to our highly edited subjective version of the world. Hypnosis as a model for functional symptoms draws attention to how radical alterations in experience and behavior can conform to the content of mental representations through effects on cognition and brain function. Experimental study of functional symptoms and their suggested counterparts in hypnosis reveals the distinct and shared processes through which this can occur. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contributions of structural connectivity and cerebrovascular parameters to functional magnetic resonance imaging signals in mice at rest and during sensory paw stimulation.

PubMed

Schroeter, Aileen; Grandjean, Joanes; Schlegel, Felix; Saab, Bechara J; Rudin, Markus

2017-07-01

Previously, we reported widespread bilateral increases in stimulus-evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging signals in mouse brain to unilateral sensory paw stimulation. We attributed the pattern to arousal-related cardiovascular changes overruling cerebral autoregulation thereby masking specific signal changes elicited by local neuronal activity. To rule out the possibility that interhemispheric neuronal communication might contribute to bilateral functional magnetic resonance imaging responses, we compared stimulus-evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging responses to unilateral hindpaw stimulation in acallosal I/LnJ, C57BL/6, and BALB/c mice. We found bilateral blood-oxygenation-level dependent signal changes in all three strains, ruling out a dominant contribution of transcallosal communication as reason for bilaterality. Analysis of functional connectivity derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, revealed that bilateral cortical functional connectivity is largely abolished in I/LnJ animals. Cortical functional connectivity in all strains correlated with structural connectivity in corpus callosum as revealed by diffusion tensor imaging. Given the profound influence of systemic hemodynamics on stimulus-evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging outcomes, we evaluated whether functional connectivity data might be affected by cerebrovascular parameters, i.e. baseline cerebral blood volume, vascular reactivity, and reserve. We found that effects of cerebral hemodynamics on functional connectivity are largely outweighed by dominating contributions of structural connectivity. In contrast, contributions of transcallosal interhemispheric communication to the occurrence of ipsilateral functional magnetic resonance imaging response of equal amplitude to unilateral stimuli seem negligible.

The point-spread function of fiber-coupled area detectors

PubMed Central

Holton, James M.; Nielsen, Chris; Frankel, Kenneth A.

2012-01-01

The point-spread function (PSF) of a fiber-optic taper-coupled CCD area detector was measured over five decades of intensity using a 20 µm X-ray beam and ∼2000-fold averaging. The ‘tails’ of the PSF clearly revealed that it is neither Gaussian nor Lorentzian, but instead resembles the solid angle subtended by a pixel at a point source of light held a small distance (∼27 µm) above the pixel plane. This converges to an inverse cube law far from the beam impact point. Further analysis revealed that the tails are dominated by the fiber-optic taper, with negligible contribution from the phosphor, suggesting that the PSF of all fiber-coupled CCD-type detectors is best described as a Moffat function. PMID:23093762

Examining the impact of child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) on family functioning.

PubMed

Cornett, Nick; Bratton, Sue C

2014-07-01

Research supports that child parent relationship therapy (CPRT), a filial therapy approach, has strong effects on participating parents and children. Some speculate that filial therapy improves the family system; however, minimal research exists to support this claim. Using a single-case design, researchers examined CPRT's impact on the functioning of 8 families. Results revealed that 6 families experienced statistically significant improvements in targeted areas of family functioning. Results from self-reported measures indicated that 7 families improved in family satisfaction, 4 in cohesion, 3 in communication, and 1 in flexibility. Observational measures also revealed improvements: 5 families in flexibility, 4 families in cohesion, and 4 families in communication. The results support that the benefits of CPRT may extend to the family system. © 2013 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Caveolae structure and function

PubMed Central

Thomas, Candice M; Smart, Eric J

2008-01-01

Abstract Studies on the structure and function of caveolae have revealed how this versatile subcellular organelle can influence numerous signalling pathways. This brief review will discuss a few of the key features of caveolae as it relates to signalling and disease processes. PMID:18315571

Vision's Brain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Julie Ann

1978-01-01

The functional architecture of the primary visual cortex has been explored by monitoring the responses of individual brain cells to visual stimuli. A combination of anatomical and physiological techniques reveals groups of functionally related cells, juxtaposed and superimposed, in a sometimes complex, but presumably efficient, structure. (BB)

Fragments of Bacterial Endoglycosidase S and Immunoglobulin G Reveal Subdomains of Each That Contribute to Deglycosylation*

PubMed Central

Dixon, Emma V.; Claridge, Jolyon K.; Harvey, David J.; Baruah, Kavitha; Yu, Xiaojie; Vesiljevic, Snezana; Mattick, Susan; Pritchard, Laura K.; Krishna, Benjamin; Scanlan, Christopher N.; Schnell, Jason R.; Higgins, Matthew K.; Zitzmann, Nicole; Crispin, Max

2014-01-01

Endoglycosidase S (EndoS) is a glycoside-hydrolase secreted by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. EndoS preferentially hydrolyzes the N-linked glycans from the Fc region of IgG during infection. This hydrolysis impedes Fc functionality and contributes to the immune evasion strategy of S. pyogenes. Here, we investigate the mechanism of human serum IgG deactivation by EndoS. We expressed fragments of IgG1 and demonstrated that EndoS was catalytically active against all of them including the isolated CH2 domain of the Fc domain. Similarly, we sought to investigate which domains within EndoS could contribute to activity. Bioinformatics analysis of the domain organization of EndoS confirmed the previous predictions of a chitinase domain and leucine-rich repeat but also revealed a putative carbohydrate binding module (CBM) followed by a C-terminal region. Using expressed fragments of EndoS, circular dichroism of the isolated CBM, and a CBM-C-terminal region fusion revealed folded domains dominated by β sheet and α helical structure, respectively. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the CBM with monosaccharides was suggestive of carbohydrate binding functionality. Functional analysis of truncations of EndoS revealed that, whereas the C-terminal of EndoS is dispensable for activity, its deletion impedes the hydrolysis of IgG glycans. PMID:24668806

Impaired social brain network for processing dynamic facial expressions in autism spectrum disorders

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Impairment of social interaction via facial expressions represents a core clinical feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the neural correlates of this dysfunction remain unidentified. Because this dysfunction is manifested in real-life situations, we hypothesized that the observation of dynamic, compared with static, facial expressions would reveal abnormal brain functioning in individuals with ASD. We presented dynamic and static facial expressions of fear and happiness to individuals with high-functioning ASD and to age- and sex-matched typically developing controls and recorded their brain activities using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Result Regional analysis revealed reduced activation of several brain regions in the ASD group compared with controls in response to dynamic versus static facial expressions, including the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), fusiform gyrus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Dynamic causal modeling analyses revealed that bi-directional effective connectivity involving the primary visual cortex–MTG–IFG circuit was enhanced in response to dynamic as compared with static facial expressions in the control group. Group comparisons revealed that all these modulatory effects were weaker in the ASD group than in the control group. Conclusions These results suggest that weak activity and connectivity of the social brain network underlie the impairment in social interaction involving dynamic facial expressions in individuals with ASD. PMID:22889284

OxyContin in Ontario: the multiple materialities of prescription painkillers.

PubMed

King, Samantha

2014-05-01

In the past decade, OxyContin diversion and misusehave been firmly established in Ontarian public discourse as serious problems requiring major intervention.This article contextualizes and theorizesthe processes through which the marketing of the prescription opioid and its subsequent problematization occurred. Theanalysis refuses the impossible choice between the 'deserving pain patient' and the 'undeserving addict,' between the war on pain and the war on drugs, and between a notion of OxyContin as either miracle panacea or destructive poison. Rather than falling in step with these binaries, OxyContinis theorized across them, or multiply, with the aim of moving beyond established moral and theoretical registers for exploring embodied consumption. This discursive study is based on a broad range of texts collected between 2009-2013: Hansard reports from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; newspaper, magazine, and internet coverage of OxyContin; and policy documents, research reports, and position papers and news releases produced by government agencies, advocacy organizations, professional bodies, think tanks, tribal councils, and law enforcement agencies. Pharmaceutical industry and state actors have attempted to dualistically parse disparate materializations of OxyContin, a tactic that intensified as media pressure helped produce the notion of a public health crisis and, implicitly, a crisis of welfare dependence. By focusing on the (impossible) task of stratifying proper from improper use, the drug's advocatessought to secure the integrity of opioid painkillers and to protect their materialization as vehicles for maintaining a body that is normal, stable, and in control, as opposed to a body of excess that threatens to expose the consumerist logic of contemporary medicine. Attempts to contain the multiplicity of OxyContin result in the further entrenchment of privatized and individualized approaches to pain and painkilling and serve to undermine rather than secure public health and safety. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of coping with non-disease-related life stress for women with osteoarthritis: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Harris, Melissa L; Byles, Julie E; Townsend, Natalie; Loxton, Deborah

2016-05-17

Coping with arthritis-related stress has been extensively studied. However, limited evidence exists regarding coping with stress extraneous to the disease (life stress). This study explored life stress and coping in a subset of older women with osteoarthritis from a larger longitudinal study. An Australian regional university. This qualitative study involved semistructured telephone interviews. Potential participants were mailed a letter of invitation/participant information statement by the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Invitations were sent out in small batches (primarily 10). Interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved using a systematic process (n=19). Digitally recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and deidentified. Data were thematically analysed. Women who indicated being diagnosed or treated for arthritis in the previous 3 years in the fifth survey of the ALSWH (conducted in 2007) provided the sampling frame. Potential participants were randomly sampled by a blinded data manager using a random number generator. Coping with life stress involved both attitudinal coping processes developed early in life (ie, stoicism) and transient cognitive and support-based responses. Women also described a dualistic process involving a reduction in the ability to cope with ongoing stress over time, coupled with personal growth. This is the first study to examine how individuals cope with non-arthritis-related stress. The findings add to the current understanding of stress and coping, and have implications regarding the prevention of arthritis in women. Importantly, this study highlighted the potential detrimental impact of persistent coping patterns developed early in life. Public health campaigns aimed at stress mitigation and facilitation of adaptive coping mechanisms in childhood and adolescence may assist with arthritis prevention. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Through the lens of our cameras: children's lived experience with food security in a Canadian Indigenous community.

PubMed

Genuis, S K; Willows, N; Jardine, C

2015-07-01

The related issues of food security and obesity among North American Indigenous children are serious public health concerns. This community-based participatory study sought to gain deeper understanding of young First Nation children's lived experience with food and to learn, from their perspective, about food security issues in their community. In this Photovoice investigation 26 young children attending a rural reserve school in Canada were asked to take photographs of the food they ate. Nine high school students from the same school were trained as co-researchers: they interviewed the younger students, helped identify emerging themes and contributed to knowledge translation. Data analysis incorporated conventional content analysis, grounded theory's constant-comparative method, and examination of photos and texts. Five primary findings emerged from photographs and interviews: (1) children had a dualistic understanding of healthy vs. unhealthy foods; (2) packaged, quick-preparation foods played a dominant role in children's everyday food experiences; (3) families were critical to children's food-related experiences; (4) although traditional foods are viewed as central to Aboriginal health, few were depicted in the photographs; and (5) photos do not tell the whole story - despite the smaller numbers of fruits and vegetables in photos, children like to eat these foods when they are available at home. The study improved understanding of children's everyday food-related experiences, provided insight into community food security, and demonstrated the contribution of children and youth as experts on their lives and matters affecting them. A photobook representing findings provided a rich, visual tool for communicating the food-related experiences of children and messages about healthy eating within the school and to community members and leaders. Intervention efforts can build on participants' understanding of healthy versus unhealthy foods and on the critical role of family for healthy eating. © 2014 The Authors. Child: Care, Health and Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bioinformatics functional analysis of let-7a, miR-34a, and miR-199a/b reveals novel insights into immune system pathways and cancer hallmarks for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Soliman, Bangly; Salem, Ahmed; Ghazy, Mohamed; Abu-Shahba, Nourhan; El Hefnawi, Mahmoud

2018-05-01

Let-7a, miR-34a, and miR-199 a/b have gained a great attention as master regulators for cellular processes. In particular, these three micro-RNAs act as potential onco-suppressors for hepatocellular carcinoma. Bioinformatics can reveal the functionality of these micro-RNAs through target prediction and functional annotation analysis. In the current study, in silico analysis using innovative servers (miRror Suite, DAVID, miRGator V3.0, GeneTrail) has demonstrated the combinatorial and the individual target genes of these micro-RNAs and further explored their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma progression. There were 87 common target messenger RNAs (p ≤ 0.05) that were predicted to be regulated by the three micro-RNAs using miRror 2.0 target prediction tool. In addition, the functional enrichment analysis of these targets that was performed by DAVID functional annotation and REACTOME tools revealed two major immune-related pathways, eight hepatocellular carcinoma hallmarks-linked pathways, and two pathways that mediate interconnected processes between immune system and hepatocellular carcinoma hallmarks. Moreover, protein-protein interaction network for the predicted common targets was obtained by using STRING database. The individual analysis of target genes and pathways for the three micro-RNAs of interest using miRGator V3.0 and GeneTrail servers revealed some novel predicted target oncogenes such as SOX4, which we validated experimentally, in addition to some regulated pathways of immune system and hepatocarcinogenesis such as insulin signaling pathway and adipocytokine signaling pathway. In general, our results demonstrate that let-7a, miR-34a, and miR-199 a/b have novel interactions in different immune system pathways and major hepatocellular carcinoma hallmarks. Thus, our findings shed more light on the roles of these miRNAs as cancer silencers.

Neuropsychological profile and social cognition in congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS): Correlation with neuroimaging in a clinical case.

PubMed

Esteso Orduña, Borja; Seijas Gómez, Raquel; García Esparza, Elena; Briceño, Emily M; Melero Llorente, Javier; Fournier Del Castillo, María de la Concepción

2018-02-01

Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is a rare genetic disorder due to paired-like homeobox gene (PHOX2B) mutations. CCHS patients suffer from dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system characterized by the absence of or extremely reduced response to hypercapnia and hypoxia, with neuropsychological deficits. The aim of this exploratory study is to describe the longitudinal neuropsychological profile and its correlations with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a child with CCHS with a PHOX2B mutation. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation was conducted serially at age 7 years 4 months and 10 years 3 months, including assessment of intellectual functioning (IQ), motor functioning, perception, attention, executive functions, language, memory, social cognition, academic skills, and psychopathology. Reliable change index (RCI) scores were used to assess changes between assessments. We collected spin lattice relaxation time (T1)-weighted, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and spin spin lattice relaxation time (T2)-weighted images from the child at age 10 years 3 months using a 1.5-tesla MRI scanner. IQ, processing speed index (PSI), social cognition (theory of mind and facial emotion recognition), selective attention, naming, academic skills (reading/comprehension), and manual speed with right hand declined in the second evaluation relative to the initial evaluation, while visuoconstructional praxis, receptive vocabulary, working memory, and arithmetic skill improved. The patient showed a remarkable global deterioration in executive functions (planning, task flexibility, behavioral regulation, and metacognition) as revealed by parental report and clinical evaluation. MRI revealed gliosis from the head to tail of the hippocampus and thinning of parahippocampal gyri. In a clinical case of CCHS, serial evaluation revealed deterioration of executive functions and social cognition over a 3-year interval. These changes corresponded to hippocampal damage as revealed in MRI, which may have affected social cognition through its role in the default mode network. Serial neuropsychological assessment is clinically useful in managing the needs of these patients.

Methylation of transcription factor YY2 regulates its transcriptional activity and cell proliferation

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiao-nan; Shi, Tao-tao; He, Yao-hui; Wang, Fei-fei; Sang, Rui; Ding, Jian-cheng; Zhang, Wen-juan; Shu, Xing-yi; Shen, Hai-feng; Yi, Jia; Gao, Xiang; Liu, Wen

2017-01-01

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a multifunctional DNA-binding transcription factor shown to be critical in a variety of biological processes, and its activity and function have been shown to be regulated by multitude of mechanisms, which include but are not limited to post-translational modifications (PTMs), its associated proteins and cellular localization. YY2, the paralog of YY1 in mouse and human, has been proposed to function redundantly or oppositely in a context-specific manner compared with YY1. Despite its functional importance, how YY2’s DNA-binding activity and function are regulated, particularly by PTMs, remains completely unknown. Here we report the first PTM with functional characterization on YY2, namely lysine 247 monomethylation (K247me1), which was found to be dynamically regulated by SET7/9 and LSD1 both in vitro and in cultured cells. Functional study revealed that SET7/9-mediated YY2 methylation regulated its DNA-binding activity in vitro and in association with chromatin examined by chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with sequencing (ChIP-seq) in cultured cells. Knockout of YY2, SET7/9 or LSD1 by CRISPR (clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats)/Cas9-mediated gene editing followed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed that a subset of genes was positively regulated by YY2 and SET7/9, but negatively regulated by LSD1, which were enriched with genes involved in cell proliferation regulation. Importantly, YY2-regulated gene transcription, cell proliferation and tumor growth were dependent, at least partially, on YY2 K247 methylation. Finally, somatic mutations on YY2 found in cancer, which are in close proximity to K247, altered its methylation, DNA-binding activity and gene transcription it controls. Our findings revealed the first PTM with functional implications imposed on YY2 protein, and linked YY2 methylation with its biological functions. PMID:29098080

Interaction of ATP with a small heat shock protein from Mycobacterium leprae: effect on its structure and function.

PubMed

Nandi, Sandip Kumar; Chakraborty, Ayon; Panda, Alok Kumar; Ray, Sougata Sinha; Kar, Rajiv Kumar; Bhunia, Anirban; Biswas, Ashis

2015-03-01

Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) is an important phosphate metabolite abundantly found in Mycobacterium leprae bacilli. This pathogen does not derive ATP from its host but has its own mechanism for the generation of ATP. Interestingly, this molecule as well as several antigenic proteins act as bio-markers for the detection of leprosy. One such bio-marker is the 18 kDa antigen. This 18 kDa antigen is a small heat shock protein (HSP18) whose molecular chaperone function is believed to help in the growth and survival of the pathogen. But, no evidences of interaction of ATP with HSP18 and its effect on the structure and chaperone function of HSP18 are available in the literature. Here, we report for the first time evidences of "HSP18-ATP" interaction and its consequences on the structure and chaperone function of HSP18. TNP-ATP binding experiment and surface plasmon resonance measurement showed that HSP18 interacts with ATP with a sub-micromolar binding affinity. Comparative sequence alignment between M. leprae HSP18 and αB-crystallin identified the sequence 49KADSLDIDIE58 of HSP18 as the Walker-B ATP binding motif. Molecular docking studies revealed that β4-β8 groove/strands as an ATP interactive region in M. leprae HSP18. ATP perturbs the tertiary structure of HSP18 mildly and makes it less susceptible towards tryptic cleavage. ATP triggers exposure of additional hydrophobic patches at the surface of HSP18 and induces more stability against chemical and thermal denaturation. In vitro aggregation and thermal inactivation assays clearly revealed that ATP enhances the chaperone function of HSP18. Our studies also revealed that the alteration in the chaperone function of HSP18 is reversible and is independent of ATP hydrolysis. As the availability and binding of ATP to HSP18 regulates its chaperone function, this functional inflection may play an important role in the survival of M. leprae in hosts.

Metatranscriptomic analysis of diverse microbial communities reveals core metabolic pathways and microbiome-specific functionality.

PubMed

Jiang, Yue; Xiong, Xuejian; Danska, Jayne; Parkinson, John

2016-01-12

Metatranscriptomics is emerging as a powerful technology for the functional characterization of complex microbial communities (microbiomes). Use of unbiased RNA-sequencing can reveal both the taxonomic composition and active biochemical functions of a complex microbial community. However, the lack of established reference genomes, computational tools and pipelines make analysis and interpretation of these datasets challenging. Systematic studies that compare data across microbiomes are needed to demonstrate the ability of such pipelines to deliver biologically meaningful insights on microbiome function. Here, we apply a standardized analytical pipeline to perform a comparative analysis of metatranscriptomic data from diverse microbial communities derived from mouse large intestine, cow rumen, kimchi culture, deep-sea thermal vent and permafrost. Sequence similarity searches allowed annotation of 19 to 76% of putative messenger RNA (mRNA) reads, with the highest frequency in the kimchi dataset due to its relatively low complexity and availability of closely related reference genomes. Metatranscriptomic datasets exhibited distinct taxonomic and functional signatures. From a metabolic perspective, we identified a common core of enzymes involved in amino acid, energy and nucleotide metabolism and also identified microbiome-specific pathways such as phosphonate metabolism (deep sea) and glycan degradation pathways (cow rumen). Integrating taxonomic and functional annotations within a novel visualization framework revealed the contribution of different taxa to metabolic pathways, allowing the identification of taxa that contribute unique functions. The application of a single, standard pipeline confirms that the rich taxonomic and functional diversity observed across microbiomes is not simply an artefact of different analysis pipelines but instead reflects distinct environmental influences. At the same time, our findings show how microbiome complexity and availability of reference genomes can impact comprehensive annotation of metatranscriptomes. Consequently, beyond the application of standardized pipelines, additional caution must be taken when interpreting their output and performing downstream, microbiome-specific, analyses. The pipeline used in these analyses along with a tutorial has been made freely available for download from our project website: http://www.compsysbio.org/microbiome .

Ferroptosis-inducing agents compromise in vitro human islet viability and function.

PubMed

Bruni, Antonio; Pepper, Andrew R; Pawlick, Rena L; Gala-Lopez, Boris; Gamble, Anissa F; Kin, Tatsuya; Seeberger, Karen; Korbutt, Gregory S; Bornstein, Stefan R; Linkermann, Andreas; Shapiro, A M James

2018-05-22

Human islet transplantation has been hampered by donor cell death associated with the islet preparation procedure before transplantation. Regulated necrosis pathways are biochemically and morphologically distinct from apoptosis. Recently, ferroptosis was identified as a non-apoptotic form of iron-dependent regulated necrosis implicated in various pathological conditions. Mediators of islet oxidative stress, including glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4), have been identified as inhibitors of ferroptosis, and mechanisms that affect GPX4 function can impact islet function and viability. Ferroptosis has not been investigated directly in human islets, and its relevance in islet transplantation remains unknown. Herein, we sought to determine whether in vitro human islet viability and function is compromised in the presence of two distinct ferroptosis-inducing agents (FIA), erastin or RSL3, and whether these effects could be rescued with ferroptosis inhibitors, ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), or desferrioxamine (DFO). Viability, as assessed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, revealed significant death in erastin- and RSL3-treated islets, 20.3% ± 3.8 and 24.4% ± 2.5, 24 h post culture, respectively. These effects were ameliorated in islets pre-treated with Fer-1 or the iron chelator, desferrioxamine (DFO). Stimulation index, a marker of islet function revealed a significant reduction in function in erastin-treated islets (control 1.97 ± 0.13 vs. 50 μM erastin 1.32 ± 0.1) (p < 0.05). Fer-1 and DFO pre-treatment alone did not augment islet viability or function. Pre-treatment of islets with erastin or Fer-1 did not impact in vivo engraftment in an immunodeficient mouse transplant model. Our data reveal that islets are indeed susceptible to ferroptosis in vitro, and induction of this novel cell death modality leads to compromised islet function, which can be recoverable in the presence of the ferroptosis inhibitors. The in vivo impact of this pathway in islet transplantation remains elusive given the constraints of our study, but warrants continued investigation.

Biological function in the twilight zone of sequence conservation.

PubMed

Ponting, Chris P

2017-08-16

Strong DNA conservation among divergent species is an indicator of enduring functionality. With weaker sequence conservation we enter a vast 'twilight zone' in which sequence subject to transient or lower constraint cannot be distinguished easily from neutrally evolving, non-functional sequence. Twilight zone functional sequence is illuminated instead by principles of selective constraint and positive selection using genomic data acquired from within a species' population. Application of these principles reveals that despite being biochemically active, most twilight zone sequence is not functional.

[The post-discectomy syndrome: clinical and electroneuromyographic characteristics and methods of treatment].

PubMed

Musaev, A V; Guseĭnova, S G; Musaeva, I R

2008-01-01

The data of the Azerbaijan Neurosurgical Center, including 2618 case-reports of patients operated on for low back discal hernia between 1997 and 2002, have been analyzed. The retrospective analysis of the data reveals that 26,4% of patients need further restorative treatment due to the presence of various neurological disturbances: pain syndromes of different intensity, motor deficits (pareses), sensory disorders and functional disorders of pelvic organs. The retrospective analysis of the data reveals that 26,4% of patients need further restorative treatment due to the presence of various neurological disturbances: pain syndromes of different intensity, motor deficits (pareses), sensory disorders and functional disorders of pelvic organs. Along with these data, the results of our own clinical and neurophysiological study of 110 patients have been summarized as well. Along with these data, the results of our own clinical and neurophysiological study of 110 patients have been summarized as well. A high effectiveness of electrostimulation and naphthalan therapy alone and in combination with massage and medical gymnastics has been revealed. A high effectiveness of electrostimulation and naphthalan therapy alone and in combination with massage and medical gymnastics has been revealed. Electroneuromyographic data revealing the positive dynamics as a result of the treatment of patients with the post-discectomy syndrome are presented. Electroneuromyographic data revealing the positive dynamics as a result of the treatment of patients with the post-discectomy syndrome are presented.

Dissociated language functions: a matter of atypical language lateralization or cerebral plasticity?

PubMed

Acioly, Marcus Andre; Gharabaghi, Alireza; Zimmermann, Christoph; Erb, Michael; Heckl, Stefan; Tatagiba, Marcos

2014-01-01

The left hemisphere is generally considered to harbor language functions. Atypical cortical language lateralization is mainly demonstrated in left-handed and ambidextrous individuals, whereas dissociated language functions have been reported in association with brain injuries as a part of the reorganization process. We present a thoughtful discussion on the underlying mechanisms of dissociated language functions through an illustrative case of dissociated expressive language. A 31-year-old left-handed woman presented with a recurrent left frontal glioma. Preoperative language functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) panel revealed right-sided dominance for two different language tasks (verbal fluency and visual naming), and the word chain task demonstrated maximal activation in the left hemisphere at the posterior margin of the tumor. The patient was operated on awake to assess language functions intraoperatively. Preoperative fMRI findings were confirmed revealing a task-specific dissociation of expressive language functions. Surgical resection was taken to the functional boundaries. Postoperatively, no language dysfunction occurred. Dissociated language functions are prone to occur in long-standing lesions. Different patterns of dissociation may be encountered due to interindividual particularities and cerebral plasticity. The presented patient is unique by demonstrating new insight into expressive language dissociation, emphasizing the role of a preoperative language fMRI panel and the capability of intraoperative language mapping for identifying special language networks. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Analysis of Tryptophan Residues in the Staphylococcal Multidrug Transporter QacA Reveals Long-Distance Functional Associations of Residues on Opposite Sides of the Membrane▿

PubMed Central

Hassan, Karl A.; Souhani, Talal; Skurray, Ronald A.; Brown, Melissa H.

2008-01-01

Tryptophan residues can possess a multitude of functions within a multidrug transport protein, e.g., mediating interactions with substrates or distal parts of the protein, or fulfilling a structural requirement, such as guiding the depth of membrane insertion. In this study, the nine tryptophan residues of the staphylococcal QacA multidrug efflux protein were individually mutated to alanine and phenylalanine, and the functional consequences of these changes were determined. Phenylalanine substitutions for each tryptophan residue were functionally tolerated. However, alanine modifications revealed an important functional role for three tryptophan residues, W58, W149, and W173, each of which is well conserved among QacA-related transport proteins in the major facilitator superfamily. The most functionally compromising mutation, an alanine substitution for W58, likely to be located at the extracellular interface of transmembrane segment 2, abolished all detectable QacA-mediated resistance and transport function. Second-site suppressor analyses identified several mutations that rescued the function of the W58A QacA mutant. Remarkably, all of these suppressor mutations were shown to be located in cytoplasmic loops between transmembrane helices 2 and 3 or 12 and 13, demonstrating novel functional associations between amino acid positions on opposite sides of the membrane and in distal N- and C-terminal regions of the QacA protein. PMID:18223078

[Status of the upper respiratory tract of workers in the synthetic detergent industry].

PubMed

Artamonova, V G; Barsukov, A F; Galzhiev, A S

1991-01-01

Otorhinolaryngologic examinations and functional studies were performed among 99 workers engaged in the production of synthetic detergents. The studies revealed disorders in the barrier and decontamination functions of the nasal ciliary epithelium caused by synthetic detergent dusts.

Biomarkers in nutrition: new frontiers in research and application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nutritional biomarkers—biochemical, functional, or clinical indices of nutrient intake, status, or functional effects—are needed to support evidence-based clinical guidance and effective health programs and policies related to food, nutrition, and health. Such indices can reveal information about bi...

Mid-Task Break Improves Global Integration of Functional Connectivity in Lower Alpha Band

PubMed Central

Li, Junhua; Lim, Julian; Chen, Yu; Wong, Kianfoong; Thakor, Nitish; Bezerianos, Anastasios; Sun, Yu

2016-01-01

Numerous efforts have been devoted to revealing neurophysiological mechanisms of mental fatigue, aiming to find an effective way to reduce the undesirable fatigue-related outcomes. Until recently, mental fatigue is thought to be related to functional dysconnectivity among brain regions. However, the topological representation of brain functional connectivity altered by mental fatigue is only beginning to be revealed. In the current study, we applied a graph theoretical approach to analyse such topological alterations in the lower alpha band (8~10 Hz) of EEG data from 20 subjects undergoing a two-session experiment, in which one session includes four successive blocks with visual oddball tasks (session 1) whereas a mid-task break was introduced in the middle of four task blocks in the other session (session 2). Phase lag index (PLI) was then employed to measure functional connectivity strengths for all pairs of EEG channels. Behavior and connectivity maps were compared between the first and last task blocks in both sessions. Inverse efficiency scores (IES = reaction time/response accuracy) were significantly increased in the last task block, showing a clear effect of time-on-task in participants. Furthermore, a significant block-by-session interaction was revealed in the IES, suggesting the effectiveness of the mid-task break on maintaining task performance. More importantly, a significant session-independent deficit of global integration and an increase of local segregation were found in the last task block across both sessions, providing further support for the presence of a reshaped topology in functional brain connectivity networks under fatigue state. Moreover, a significant block-by-session interaction was revealed in the characteristic path length, small-worldness, and global efficiency, attributing to the significantly disrupted network topology in session 1 in comparison of the maintained network structure in session 2. Specifically, we found increased nodal betweenness centrality in several channels resided in frontal regions in session 1, resembling the observations of more segregated global architecture under fatigue state. Taken together, our findings provide insights into the substrates of brain functional dysconnectivity patterns for mental fatigue and reiterate the effectiveness of the mid-task break on maintaining brain network efficiency. PMID:27378894

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

Individual-based analyses reveal limited functional overlap in a coral reef fish community.

PubMed

Brandl, Simon J; Bellwood, David R

2014-05-01

Detailed knowledge of a species' functional niche is crucial for the study of ecological communities and processes. The extent of niche overlap, functional redundancy and functional complementarity is of particular importance if we are to understand ecosystem processes and their vulnerability to disturbances. Coral reefs are among the most threatened marine systems, and anthropogenic activity is changing the functional composition of reefs. The loss of herbivorous fishes is particularly concerning as the removal of algae is crucial for the growth and survival of corals. Yet, the foraging patterns of the various herbivorous fish species are poorly understood. Using a multidimensional framework, we present novel individual-based analyses of species' realized functional niches, which we apply to a herbivorous coral reef fish community. In calculating niche volumes for 21 species, based on their microhabitat utilization patterns during foraging, and computing functional overlaps, we provide a measurement of functional redundancy or complementarity. Complementarity is the inverse of redundancy and is defined as less than 50% overlap in niche volumes. The analyses reveal extensive complementarity with an average functional overlap of just 15.2%. Furthermore, the analyses divide herbivorous reef fishes into two broad groups. The first group (predominantly surgeonfishes and parrotfishes) comprises species feeding on exposed surfaces and predominantly open reef matrix or sandy substrata, resulting in small niche volumes and extensive complementarity. In contrast, the second group consists of species (predominantly rabbitfishes) that feed over a wider range of microhabitats, penetrating the reef matrix to exploit concealed surfaces of various substratum types. These species show high variation among individuals, leading to large niche volumes, more overlap and less complementarity. These results may have crucial consequences for our understanding of herbivorous processes on coral reefs, as algal removal appears to depend strongly on species-specific microhabitat utilization patterns of herbivores. Furthermore, the results emphasize the capacity of the individual-based analyses to reveal variation in the functional niches of species, even in high-diversity systems such as coral reefs, demonstrating its potential applicability to other high-diversity ecosystems. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

Co-regulation of Iron Metabolism and Virulence Associated Functions by Iron and XibR, a Novel Iron Binding Transcription Factor, in the Plant Pathogen Xanthomonas

PubMed Central

Pandey, Sheo Shankar; Patnana, Pradeep Kumar; Lomada, Santosh Kumar; Tomar, Archana; Chatterjee, Subhadeep

2016-01-01

Abilities of bacterial pathogens to adapt to the iron limitation present in hosts is critical to their virulence. Bacterial pathogens have evolved diverse strategies to coordinately regulate iron metabolism and virulence associated functions to maintain iron homeostasis in response to changing iron availability in the environment. In many bacteria the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) functions as transcription factor that utilize ferrous form of iron as cofactor to regulate transcription of iron metabolism and many cellular functions. However, mechanisms of fine-tuning and coordinated regulation of virulence associated function beyond iron and Fur-Fe2+ remain undefined. In this study, we show that a novel transcriptional regulator XibR (named X anthomonas iron binding regulator) of the NtrC family, is required for fine-tuning and co-coordinately regulating the expression of several iron regulated genes and virulence associated functions in phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc). Genome wide expression analysis of iron-starvation stimulon and XibR regulon, GUS assays, genetic and functional studies of xibR mutant revealed that XibR positively regulates functions involved in iron storage and uptake, chemotaxis, motility and negatively regulates siderophore production, in response to iron. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative real-time PCR indicated that iron promoted binding of the XibR to the upstream regulatory sequence of operon’s involved in chemotaxis and motility. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that purified XibR bound ferric form of iron. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that iron positively affected the binding of XibR to the upstream regulatory sequences of the target virulence genes, an effect that was reversed by ferric iron chelator deferoxamine. Taken together, these data revealed that how XibR coordinately regulates virulence associated and iron metabolism functions in Xanthomonads in response to iron availability. Our results provide insight of the complex regulatory mechanism of fine-tuning of virulence associated functions with iron availability in this important group of phytopathogen. PMID:27902780

Mechanisms and function of autophagy in intestinal disease.

PubMed

Lassen, Kara G; Xavier, Ramnik J

2018-01-01

The discovery of numerous genetic variants in the human genome that are associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has revealed critical pathways that play important roles in intestinal homeostasis. These genetic studies have identified a critical role for macroautophagy/autophagy and more recently, lysosomal function, in maintaining the intestinal barrier and mucosal homeostasis. This review highlights recent work on the functional characterization of IBD-associated human genetic variants in cell type-specific functions for autophagy.

Executive functions predict conceptual learning of science.

PubMed

Rhodes, Sinéad M; Booth, Josephine N; Palmer, Lorna Elise; Blythe, Richard A; Delibegovic, Mirela; Wheate, Nial J

2016-06-01

We examined the relationship between executive functions and both factual and conceptual learning of science, specifically chemistry, in early adolescence. Sixty-three pupils in their second year of secondary school (aged 12-13 years) participated. Pupils completed tasks of working memory (Spatial Working Memory), inhibition (Stop-Signal), attention set-shifting (ID/ED), and planning (Stockings of Cambridge), from the CANTAB. They also participated in a chemistry teaching session, practical, and assessment on the topic of acids and alkalis designed specifically for this study. Executive function data were related to (1) the chemistry assessment which included aspects of factual and conceptual learning and (2) a recent school science exam. Correlational analyses between executive functions and both the chemistry assessment and science grades revealed that science achievements were significantly correlated with working memory. Linear regression analysis revealed that visuospatial working memory ability was predictive of chemistry performance. Interestingly, this relationship was observed solely in relation to the conceptual learning condition of the assessment highlighting the role of executive functions in understanding and applying knowledge about what is learned within science teaching. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

A Thermoacidophile-Specific Protein Family, DUF3211, Functions as a Fatty Acid Carrier with Novel Binding Mode

PubMed Central

Miyakawa, Takuya; Sawano, Yoriko; Miyazono, Ken-ichi; Miyauchi, Yumiko; Hatano, Ken-ichi

2013-01-01

STK_08120 is a member of the thermoacidophile-specific DUF3211 protein family from Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7. Its molecular function remains obscure, and sequence similarities for obtaining functional remarks are not available. In this study, the crystal structure of STK_08120 was determined at 1.79-Å resolution to predict its probable function using structure similarity searches. The structure adopts an α/β structure of a helix-grip fold, which is found in the START domain proteins with cavities for hydrophobic substrates or ligands. The detailed structural features implied that fatty acids are the primary ligand candidates for STK_08120, and binding assays revealed that the protein bound long-chain saturated fatty acids (>C14) and their trans-unsaturated types with an affinity equal to that for major fatty acid binding proteins in mammals and plants. Moreover, the structure of an STK_08120-myristic acid complex revealed a unique binding mode among fatty acid binding proteins. These results suggest that the thermoacidophile-specific protein family DUF3211 functions as a fatty acid carrier with a novel binding mode. PMID:23836863

Phospho-selective mechanisms of arrestin conformations and functions revealed by unnatural amino acid incorporation and 19F-NMR

PubMed Central

Yang, Fan; Yu, Xiao; Liu, Chuan; Qu, Chang-Xiu; Gong, Zheng; Liu, Hong-Da; Li, Fa-Hui; Wang, Hong-Mei; He, Dong-Fang; Yi, Fan; Song, Chen; Tian, Chang-Lin; Xiao, Kun-Hong; Wang, Jiang-Yun; Sun, Jin-Peng

2015-01-01

Specific arrestin conformations are coupled to distinct downstream effectors, which underlie the functions of many G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Here, using unnatural amino acid incorporation and fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance (19F-NMR) spectroscopy, we demonstrate that distinct receptor phospho-barcodes are translated to specific β-arrestin-1 conformations and direct selective signalling. With its phosphate-binding concave surface, β-arrestin-1 ‘reads' the message in the receptor phospho-C-tails and distinct phospho-interaction patterns are revealed by 19F-NMR. Whereas all functional phosphopeptides interact with a common phosphate binding site and induce the movements of finger and middle loops, different phospho-interaction patterns induce distinct structural states of β-arrestin-1 that are coupled to distinct arrestin functions. Only clathrin recognizes and stabilizes GRK2-specific β-arrestin-1 conformations. The identified receptor-phospho-selective mechanism for arrestin conformation and the spacing of the multiple phosphate-binding sites in the arrestin enable arrestin to recognize plethora phosphorylation states of numerous GPCRs, contributing to the functional diversity of receptors. PMID:26347956

Role of internal motions and molecular geometry on the NMR relaxation of hydrocarbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, P. M.; Asthagiri, D.; Chen, Z.; Valiya Parambathu, A.; Hirasaki, G. J.; Chapman, W. G.

2018-04-01

The role of internal motions and molecular geometry on 1H NMR relaxation rates in liquid-state hydrocarbons is investigated using MD (molecular dynamics) simulations of the autocorrelation functions for intramolecular and intermolecular 1H-1H dipole-dipole interactions. The effects of molecular geometry and internal motions on the functional form of the autocorrelation functions are studied by comparing symmetric molecules such as neopentane and benzene to corresponding straight-chain alkanes n-pentane and n-hexane, respectively. Comparison of rigid versus flexible molecules shows that internal motions cause the intramolecular and intermolecular correlation-times to get significantly shorter, and the corresponding relaxation rates to get significantly smaller, especially for longer-chain n-alkanes. Site-by-site simulations of 1H's across the chains indicate significant variations in correlation times and relaxation rates across the molecule, and comparison with measurements reveals insights into cross-relaxation effects. Furthermore, the simulations reveal new insights into the relative strength of intramolecular versus intermolecular relaxation as a function of internal motions, as a function of molecular geometry, and on a site-by-site basis across the chain.

Nasal conchae function as aerodynamic baffles: Experimental computational fluid dynamic analysis in a turkey nose (Aves: Galliformes).

PubMed

Bourke, Jason M; Witmer, Lawrence M

2016-12-01

We tested the aerodynamic function of nasal conchae in birds using CT data from an adult male wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) to construct 3D models of its nasal passage. A series of digital "turbinectomies" were performed on these models and computational fluid dynamic analyses were performed to simulate resting inspiration. Models with turbinates removed were compared to the original, unmodified control airway. Results revealed that the four conchae found in turkeys, along with the crista nasalis, alter the flow of inspired air in ways that can be considered baffle-like. However, these baffle-like functions were remarkably limited in their areal extent, indicating that avian conchae are more functionally independent than originally hypothesized. Our analysis revealed that the conchae of birds are efficient baffles that-along with potential heat and moisture transfer-serve to efficiently move air to specific regions of the nasal passage. This alternate function of conchae has implications for their evolution in birds and other amniotes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Teaching a Child with Autism and Severe Language Delays to Reject: Direct and Indirect Effects of Functional Communication Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Christian A.; Drasgow, Erik; Halle, James W.; Brucker, Jennifer M.

2005-01-01

We used functional communication training to teach Bob, a 10-year-old student with autism and severe language delays, to reject items by touching an icon. Our initial assessment revealed that Bob's behaviours serving a rejecting function consisted of pushing away, yelling, bear hugging-grabbing, and leaving. We used prompting, differential…

Accessing the Phenotype Gap: Enabling Systematic Investigation of Paralog Functional Complexity with CRISPR.

PubMed

Ewen-Campen, Ben; Mohr, Stephanie E; Hu, Yanhui; Perrimon, Norbert

2017-10-09

Single-gene knockout experiments can fail to reveal function in the context of redundancy, which is frequently observed among duplicated genes (paralogs) with overlapping functions. We discuss the complexity associated with studying paralogs and outline how recent advances in CRISPR will help address the "phenotype gap" and impact biomedical research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Extended Functional Analysis Protocol Assesses the Role of Stereotypy in Aggression in Two Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Pamela; O'Reilly, Mark; Fragale, Christina; Kang, Soyeon; Muhich, Kimberly; Falcomata, Terry; Lang, Russell; Sigafoos, Jeff; Lancioni, Giulio

2011-01-01

Two children with autism who engaged in aggression and stereotypy were assessed using common analogue functional analysis procedures. Aggression was maintained by access to specific preferred items. Data on the rates of stereotypy and appropriate play were collected during an extended functional analysis tangible condition. These data reveal that…

Morphological study on the prediction of the site of surface slides

Treesearch

Hiromasa Hiura

1991-01-01

The annual continual occurrence of surface slides in the basin was estimated by modifying the estimation formula of Yoshimatsu. The Weibull Distribution Function revealed to be usefull for presenting the state and the transition of surface slides in the basin. Three parameters of the Weibull Function are recognized to be the linear function of the area ratio a/A. The...

Practices and Institutional Effects of Function-Implementation by the Professional Staff of Statewide Coordinating Agencies for Public Junior Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuckman, Jeffrey Alan

The implementation of selected coordinating functions by the professional staffs of state Junior College Boards in Florida and Illinois, and effects of the implementation practices on individual community-junior college integrity were investigated in this study. A survey of the literature revealed the generally recognized functions for which state…

Identification of a conserved branched RNA structure that functions as a factor-independent terminator.

PubMed

Johnson, Christopher M; Chen, Yuqing; Lee, Heejin; Ke, Ailong; Weaver, Keith E; Dunny, Gary M

2014-03-04

Anti-Q is a small RNA encoded on pCF10, an antibiotic resistance plasmid of Enterococcus faecalis, which negatively regulates conjugation of the plasmid. In this study we sought to understand how Anti-Q is generated relative to larger transcripts of the same operon. We found that Anti-Q folds into a branched structure that functions as a factor-independent terminator. In vitro and in vivo, termination is dependent on the integrity of this structure as well as the presence of a 3' polyuridine tract, but is not dependent on other downstream sequences. In vitro, terminated transcripts are released from RNA polymerase after synthesis. In vivo, a mutant with reduced termination efficiency demonstrated loss of tight control of conjugation function. A search of bacterial genomes revealed the presence of sequences that encode Anti-Q-like RNA structures. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that one of these functions as a terminator. This work reveals a previously unappreciated flexibility in the structure of factor-independent terminators and identifies a mechanism for generation of functional small RNAs; it should also inform annotation of bacterial sequence features, such as terminators, functional sRNAs, and operons.

Identification of a conserved branched RNA structure that functions as a factor-independent terminator

PubMed Central

Johnson, Christopher M.; Chen, Yuqing; Lee, Heejin; Ke, Ailong; Weaver, Keith E.; Dunny, Gary M.

2014-01-01

Anti-Q is a small RNA encoded on pCF10, an antibiotic resistance plasmid of Enterococcus faecalis, which negatively regulates conjugation of the plasmid. In this study we sought to understand how Anti-Q is generated relative to larger transcripts of the same operon. We found that Anti-Q folds into a branched structure that functions as a factor-independent terminator. In vitro and in vivo, termination is dependent on the integrity of this structure as well as the presence of a 3′ polyuridine tract, but is not dependent on other downstream sequences. In vitro, terminated transcripts are released from RNA polymerase after synthesis. In vivo, a mutant with reduced termination efficiency demonstrated loss of tight control of conjugation function. A search of bacterial genomes revealed the presence of sequences that encode Anti-Q–like RNA structures. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that one of these functions as a terminator. This work reveals a previously unappreciated flexibility in the structure of factor-independent terminators and identifies a mechanism for generation of functional small RNAs; it should also inform annotation of bacterial sequence features, such as terminators, functional sRNAs, and operons. PMID:24550474

Differential expression pattern of UBX family genes in Caenorhabditis elegans

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

Yamauchi, Seiji; Sasagawa, Yohei; Ogura, Teru

2007-06-29

UBX (ubiquitin regulatory X)-containing proteins belong to an evolutionary conserved protein family and determine the specificity of p97/VCP/Cdc48p function by binding as its adaptors. Caenorhabditis elegans was found to possess six UBX-containing proteins, named UBXN-1 to -6. However, no general or specific function of them has been revealed. During the course of understanding not only their function but also specified function of p97, we investigated spatial and temporal expression patterns of six ubxn genes in this study. Transcript analyses showed that the expression pattern of each ubxn gene was different throughout worm's development and may show potential developmental dynamics inmore » their function, especially ubxn-5 was expressed specifically in the spermatogenic germline, suggesting a crucial role in spermatogenesis. In addition, as ubxn-4 expression was induced by ER stress, it would function as an ERAD factor in C. elegans. In vivo expression analysis by using GFP translational fusion constructs revealed that six ubxn genes show distinct expression patterns. These results altogether demonstrate that the expression of all six ubxn genes of C. elegans is differently regulated.« less

Financial literacy is associated with medial brain region functional connectivity in old age.

PubMed

Han, S Duke; Boyle, Patricia A; Yu, Lei; Fleischman, Debra A; Arfanakis, Konstantinos; Leurgans, Sue; Bennett, David A

2014-01-01

Financial literacy refers to the ability to access and utilize financial information in ways that promote better outcomes. In old age, financial literacy has been associated with a wide range of positive characteristics; however, the neural correlates remain unclear. Recent work has suggested greater co-activity between anterior-posterior medial brain regions is associated with better brain functioning. We hypothesized financial literacy would be associated with this pattern. We assessed whole-brain functional connectivity to a posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) seed region of interest (ROI) in 138 participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Results revealed financial literacy was associated with greater functional connectivity between the PCC and three regions: the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), the left postcentral gyrus, and the right precuneus. Results also revealed financial literacy was associated negatively with functional connectivity between the PCC and left caudate. Post hoc analyses showed the PCC-vmPFC relationship accounted for the most variance in a regression model adjusted for all four significant functional connectivity relationships, demographic factors, and global cognition. These findings provide information on the neural mechanisms associated with financial literacy in old age. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studying hemispheric lateralization during a Stroop task through near-infrared spectroscopy-based connectivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Sun, Jinyan; Sun, Bailei; Luo, Qingming; Gong, Hui

2014-05-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a developing and promising functional brain imaging technology. Developing data analysis methods to effectively extract meaningful information from collected data is the major bottleneck in popularizing this technology. In this study, we measured hemodynamic activity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during a color-word matching Stroop task using NIRS. Hemispheric lateralization was examined by employing traditional activation and novel NIRS-based connectivity analyses simultaneously. Wavelet transform coherence was used to assess intrahemispheric functional connectivity. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between behavioral performance and activation/functional connectivity, respectively. In agreement with activation analysis, functional connectivity analysis revealed leftward lateralization for the Stroop effect and correlation with behavioral performance. However, functional connectivity was more sensitive than activation for identifying hemispheric lateralization. Granger causality was used to evaluate the effective connectivity between hemispheres. The results showed increased information flow from the left to the right hemispheres for the incongruent versus the neutral task, indicating a leading role of the left PFC. This study demonstrates that the NIRS-based connectivity can reveal the functional architecture of the brain more comprehensively than traditional activation, helping to better utilize the advantages of NIRS.

Outfielders playing in the infield: functions of aging-associated "nuclear" proteins in the mitochondria.

PubMed

Czypiorski, P; Altschmied, J; Rabanter, L L; Goy, C; Jakob, S; Haendeler, J

2014-01-01

Over the past few years it has become clear that mitochondria are not merely the powerhouses of cells. Proteome-analyses of mitochondria from different organisms and organs revealed that more than 1000 proteins are localized in and/or on mitochondria. This by far exceeds the number of proteins required for classical mitochondrial functions, e.g. the respiratory chain, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, fatty acid oxidation and apoptosis. This suggests that many of these proteins have other, as yet unknown functions. Several proteins with well-described nuclear functions, like the transcription factor FoxO3A or the Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase, have recently been shown to be localized also within the mitochondria. This mini-review will focus on the description of the functions of these two proteins in the nucleus and in the mitochondria - as two examples of many more proteins, which are yet to be uncovered. It will give insights into the role of these proteins within different organelles of the cell and will reveal that the functions of the proteins are probably not the same in the nucleus and the mitochondria. Therefore, these differences have to be considered when targeting proteins for therapeutic approaches.

A high throughput mutagenic analysis of yeast sumo structure and function

PubMed Central

Newman, Heather A.; Lu, Jian; Carson, Caryn; Boeke, Jef D.

2017-01-01

Sumoylation regulates a wide range of essential cellular functions through diverse mechanisms that remain to be fully understood. Using S. cerevisiae, a model organism with a single essential SUMO gene (SMT3), we developed a library of >250 mutant strains with single or multiple amino acid substitutions of surface or core residues in the Smt3 protein. By screening this library using plate-based assays, we have generated a comprehensive structure-function based map of Smt3, revealing essential amino acid residues and residues critical for function under a variety of genotoxic and proteotoxic stress conditions. Functionally important residues mapped to surfaces affecting Smt3 precursor processing and deconjugation from protein substrates, covalent conjugation to protein substrates, and non-covalent interactions with E3 ligases and downstream effector proteins containing SUMO-interacting motifs. Lysine residues potentially involved in formation of polymeric chains were also investigated, revealing critical roles for polymeric chains, but redundancy in specific chain linkages. Collectively, our findings provide important insights into the molecular basis of signaling through sumoylation. Moreover, the library of Smt3 mutants represents a valuable resource for further exploring the functions of sumoylation in cellular stress response and other SUMO-dependent pathways. PMID:28166236

Psychosocial functioning in adolescents with complex partial seizures.

PubMed

Elliott, I

1992-03-01

This pilot study examined psychosocial functioning in adolescents (age 12.5-18.5 years) with complex partial seizures. Twenty-five subjects were divided into three groups: Group I (N = 11), medically treated with uncontrolled seizures; Group II (N = 6), medically managed with controlled seizures; and Group III (N = 8), epilepsy refractory to medical management with seizure control following surgery. Psychosocial functioning was measured using the "Adolescent Psychosocial Inventory" of Batzel and Dodrill. Findings revealed significant differences (F 4.80. p less than 0.02) in psychosocial functioning between the three groups. Group I showed the poorest overall adjustment; Group II, the best adjustment; Group III was better adjusted than Group I, but less than Group II. Significant difficulties were evident in the areas of school, interpersonal, emotional, seizure adjustment and overall psychosocial functioning in Group III. No problems were evident in Group II. School, emotional and overall adjustment were moderately problematic in Group III. Analysis of biological and demographic data revealed a significant association between increased numbers of medications and poorer psychosocial functioning (r = 58, p less than 0.02). The study results provide direction for clinic and community nurse specialists to set priorities with regard to assessment and supportive interventions.

Drosophila Pelle phosphorylates Dichaete protein and influences its subcellular distribution in developing oocytes.

PubMed

Mutsuddi, Mousumi; Mukherjee, Ashim; Shen, Baohe; Manley, James L; Nambu, John R

2010-01-01

The Drosophila Dichaete gene encodes a member of the Sox family of high mobility group (HMG) domain proteins that have crucial gene regulatory functions in diverse developmental processes. The subcellular localization and transcriptional regulatory activities of Sox proteins can be regulated by several post-translational modifications. To identify genes that functionally interact with Dichaete, we undertook a genetic modifier screen based on a Dichaete gain-of-function phenotype in the adult eye. Mutations in several genes, including decapentaplegic, engrailed and pelle, behaved as dominant modifiers of this eye phenotype. Further analysis of pelle mutants revealed that loss of pelle function results in alterations in the distinctive cytoplasmic distribution of Dichaete protein within the developing oocyte, as well as defects in the elaboration of individual egg chambers. The death domain-containing region of the Pelle protein kinase was found to associate with both Dichaete and mouse Sox2 proteins, and Pelle can phosphorylate Dichaete protein in vitro. Overall, these findings reveal that maternal functions of pelle are essential for proper localization of Dichaete protein in the oocyte and normal egg chamber formation. Dichaete appears to be a novel phosphorylation substrate for Pelle and may function in a Pelle-dependent signaling pathway during oogenesis.

Financial Literacy is Associated with Medial Brain Region Functional Connectivity in Old Age

PubMed Central

Han, S. Duke; Boyle, Patricia A.; Yu, Lei; Fleischman, Debra A.; Arfanakis, Konstantinos; Leurgans, Sue; Bennett, David A.

2014-01-01

Financial literacy refers to the ability to access and utilize financial information in ways that promote better outcomes. In old age, financial literacy has been associated with a wide range of positive characteristics; however, the neural correlates remain unclear. Recent work has suggested greater co-activity between anterior-posterior medial brain regions is associated with better brain functioning. We hypothesized financial literacy would be associated with this pattern. We assessed whole-brain functional connectivity to a posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) seed region of interest in 138 participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Results revealed financial literacy was associated with greater functional connectivity between the PCC and three regions: the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), the left postcentral gyrus, and the right precuneus. Results also revealed financial literacy was associated negatively with functional connectivity between the PCC and left caudate. Post-hoc analyses showed the PCC-vmPFC relationship accounted for the most variance in a regression model adjusted for all four significant functional connectivity relationships, demographic factors, and global cognition. These findings provide information on the neural mechanisms associated with financial literacy in old age. PMID:24893911

Cdx ParaHox genes acquired distinct developmental roles after gene duplication in vertebrate evolution.

PubMed

Marlétaz, Ferdinand; Maeso, Ignacio; Faas, Laura; Isaacs, Harry V; Holland, Peter W H

2015-08-01

The functional consequences of whole genome duplications in vertebrate evolution are not fully understood. It remains unclear, for instance, why paralogues were retained in some gene families but extensively lost in others. Cdx homeobox genes encode conserved transcription factors controlling posterior development across diverse bilaterians. These genes are part of the ParaHox gene cluster. Multiple Cdx copies were retained after genome duplication, raising questions about how functional divergence, overlap, and redundancy respectively contributed to their retention and evolutionary fate. We examined the degree of regulatory and functional overlap between the three vertebrate Cdx genes using single and triple morpholino knock-down in Xenopus tropicalis followed by RNA-seq. We found that one paralogue, Cdx4, has a much stronger effect on gene expression than the others, including a strong regulatory effect on FGF and Wnt genes. Functional annotation revealed distinct and overlapping roles and subtly different temporal windows of action for each gene. The data also reveal a colinear-like effect of Cdx genes on Hox genes, with repression of Hox paralogy groups 1 and 2, and activation increasing from Hox group 5 to 11. We also highlight cases in which duplicated genes regulate distinct paralogous targets revealing pathway elaboration after whole genome duplication. Despite shared core pathways, Cdx paralogues have acquired distinct regulatory roles during development. This implies that the degree of functional overlap between paralogues is relatively low and that gene expression pattern alone should be used with caution when investigating the functional evolution of duplicated genes. We therefore suggest that developmental programmes were extensively rewired after whole genome duplication in the early evolution of vertebrates.

Formoterol, a long-acting β2 adrenergic agonist, improves cognitive function and promotes dendritic complexity in a mouse model of Down syndrome.

PubMed

Dang, Van; Medina, Brian; Das, Devsmita; Moghadam, Sarah; Martin, Kara J; Lin, Bill; Naik, Priyanka; Patel, Devan; Nosheny, Rachel; Wesson Ashford, John; Salehi, Ahmad

2014-02-01

Down syndrome is associated with significant failure in cognitive function. Our previous investigation revealed age-dependent degeneration of locus coeruleus, a major player in contextual learning, in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome. We studied whether drugs already available for use in humans can be used to improve cognitive function in these mice. We studied the status of β adrenergic signaling in the dentate gyrus of the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome. Furthermore, we used fear conditioning to study learning and memory in these mice. Postmortem analyses included the analysis of synaptic density, dendritic arborization, and neurogenesis. We found significant atrophy of dentate gyrus and failure of β adrenergic signaling in the hippocampus of Ts65Dn mice. Our behavioral analyses revealed that formoterol, a long-acting β2 adrenergic receptor agonist, caused significant improvement in the cognitive function in Ts65Dn mice. Postmortem analyses revealed that the use of formoterol was associated with a significant improvement in the synaptic density and increased complexity of newly born dentate granule neurons in the hippocampus of Ts65Dn mice. Our data suggest that targeting β2 adrenergic receptors is an effective strategy for restoring synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in these mice. Considering its widespread use in humans and positive effects on cognition in Ts65Dn mice, formoterol or similar β2 adrenergic receptor agonists with ability to cross the blood brain barrier might be attractive candidates for clinical trials to improve cognitive function in individuals with Down syndrome. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Conservation of tubulin-binding sequences in TRPV1 throughout evolution.

PubMed

Sardar, Puspendu; Kumar, Abhishek; Bhandari, Anita; Goswami, Chandan

2012-01-01

Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid sub type 1 (TRPV1), commonly known as capsaicin receptor can detect multiple stimuli ranging from noxious compounds, low pH, temperature as well as electromagnetic wave at different ranges. In addition, this receptor is involved in multiple physiological and sensory processes. Therefore, functions of TRPV1 have direct influences on adaptation and further evolution also. Availability of various eukaryotic genomic sequences in public domain facilitates us in studying the molecular evolution of TRPV1 protein and the respective conservation of certain domains, motifs and interacting regions that are functionally important. Using statistical and bioinformatics tools, our analysis reveals that TRPV1 has evolved about ∼420 million years ago (MYA). Our analysis reveals that specific regions, domains and motifs of TRPV1 has gone through different selection pressure and thus have different levels of conservation. We found that among all, TRP box is the most conserved and thus have functional significance. Our results also indicate that the tubulin binding sequences (TBS) have evolutionary significance as these stretch sequences are more conserved than many other essential regions of TRPV1. The overall distribution of positively charged residues within the TBS motifs is conserved throughout evolution. In silico analysis reveals that the TBS-1 and TBS-2 of TRPV1 can form helical structures and may play important role in TRPV1 function. Our analysis identifies the regions of TRPV1, which are important for structure-function relationship. This analysis indicates that tubulin binding sequence-1 (TBS-1) near the TRP-box forms a potential helix and the tubulin interactions with TRPV1 via TBS-1 have evolutionary significance. This interaction may be required for the proper channel function and regulation and may also have significance in the context of Taxol®-induced neuropathy.

Acetylproteomic Analysis Reveals Functional Implications of Lysine Acetylation in Human Spermatozoa (sperm)*

PubMed Central

Yu, Heguo; Diao, Hua; Wang, Chunmei; Lin, Yan; Yu, Fudong; Lu, Hui; Xu, Wei; Li, Zheng; Shi, Huijuan; Zhao, Shimin; Zhou, Yuchuan; Zhang, Yonglian

2015-01-01

Male infertility is a medical condition that has been on the rise globally. Lysine acetylation of human sperm, an essential posttranslational modification involved in the etiology of sperm abnormality, is not fully understood. Therefore, we first generated a qualified pan-anti-acetyllysine monoclonal antibody to characterize the global lysine acetylation of uncapacitated normal human sperm with a proteomics approach. With high enrichment ratios that were up to 31%, 973 lysine-acetylated sites that matched to 456 human sperm proteins, including 671 novel lysine acetylation sites and 205 novel lysine-acetylated proteins, were identified. These proteins exhibited conserved motifs XXXKYXXX, XXXKFXXX, and XXXKHXXX, were annotated to function in multiple metabolic processes, and were localized predominantly in the mitochondrion and cytoplasmic fractions. Between the uncapacitated and capacitated sperm, different acetylation profiles in regard to functional proteins involved in sperm capacitation, sperm-egg recognition, sperm-egg plasma fusion, and fertilization were observed, indicating that acetylation of functional proteins may be required during sperm capacitation. Bioinformatics analysis revealed association of acetylated proteins with diseases and drugs. Novel acetylation of voltage-dependent anion channel proteins was also found. With clinical sperm samples, we observed differed lysine acetyltransferases and lysine deacetylases expression between normal sperm and abnormal sperm of asthenospermia or necrospermia. Furthermore, with sperm samples impaired by epigallocatechin gallate to mimic asthenospermia, we observed that inhibition of sperm motility was partly through the blockade of voltage-dependent anion channel 2 Lys-74 acetylation combined with reduced ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together, we obtained a qualified pan-anti-acetyllysine monoclonal antibody, analyzed the acetylproteome of uncapacitated human sperm, and revealed associations between functional protein acetylation and sperm functions. PMID:25680958

Novel Functional Properties of Drosophila CNS Glutamate Receptors

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

Li, Yan; Dharkar, Poorva; Han, Tae-Hee

Phylogenetic analysis reveals AMPA, kainate, and NMDA receptor families in insect genomes, suggesting conserved functional properties corresponding to their vertebrate counterparts. However, heterologous expression of the Drosophila kainate receptor DKaiR1D and the AMPA receptor DGluR1A revealed novel ligand selectivity at odds with the classification used for vertebrate glutamate receptor ion channels (iGluRs). DKaiR1D forms a rapidly activating and desensitizing receptor that is inhibited by both NMDA and the NMDA receptor antagonist AP5; crystallization of the KaiR1D ligand-binding domain reveals that these ligands stabilize open cleft conformations, explaining their action as antagonists. Surprisingly, the AMPA receptor DGluR1A shows weak activation bymore » its namesake agonist AMPA and also by quisqualate. Crystallization of the DGluR1A ligand-binding domain reveals amino acid exchanges that interfere with binding of these ligands. The unexpected ligand-binding profiles of insect iGluRs allows classical tools to be used in novel approaches for the study of synaptic regulation.« less

Novel Functional Properties of Drosophila CNS Glutamate Receptors.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Dharkar, Poorva; Han, Tae-Hee; Serpe, Mihaela; Lee, Chi-Hon; Mayer, Mark L

2016-12-07

Phylogenetic analysis reveals AMPA, kainate, and NMDA receptor families in insect genomes, suggesting conserved functional properties corresponding to their vertebrate counterparts. However, heterologous expression of the Drosophila kainate receptor DKaiR1D and the AMPA receptor DGluR1A revealed novel ligand selectivity at odds with the classification used for vertebrate glutamate receptor ion channels (iGluRs). DKaiR1D forms a rapidly activating and desensitizing receptor that is inhibited by both NMDA and the NMDA receptor antagonist AP5; crystallization of the KaiR1D ligand-binding domain reveals that these ligands stabilize open cleft conformations, explaining their action as antagonists. Surprisingly, the AMPA receptor DGluR1A shows weak activation by its namesake agonist AMPA and also by quisqualate. Crystallization of the DGluR1A ligand-binding domain reveals amino acid exchanges that interfere with binding of these ligands. The unexpected ligand-binding profiles of insect iGluRs allows classical tools to be used in novel approaches for the study of synaptic regulation. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Self-harming behavior of a parent with borderline personality disorder assessed using revealed preference and attributional approaches: a case study.

PubMed

Tustin, R Don

2002-08-01

This article discusses a case study involving a parent with Borderline Personality Disorder who exhibited self-harming behaviors. Assessment and intervention were based both on a review of the client's attributions about causes of her own behavior as being either internalizing or externalizing, and on a review of motivation of the behaviors using functional analysis. Antecedent situations for self-harming behaviors were identified to provide a basis for reviewing the client's attributions of reasons for disordered behavior. A new technique of functional analysis was applied using the principle of revealed preference arising from behavioral economics. Revealed preference identified outcomes that were valued by the client, enabling new responses to be identified to attain these reinforcers. Attribution re-training was provided. Significant reductions in self-harming behaviors were achieved during brief therapy and were maintained during follow-up.

A functional genomics screen in planarians reveals regulators of whole-brain regeneration

PubMed Central

Roberts-Galbraith, Rachel H; Brubacher, John L; Newmark, Phillip A

2016-01-01

Planarians regenerate all body parts after injury, including the central nervous system (CNS). We capitalized on this distinctive trait and completed a gene expression-guided functional screen to identify factors that regulate diverse aspects of neural regeneration in Schmidtea mediterranea. Our screen revealed molecules that influence neural cell fates, support the formation of a major connective hub, and promote reestablishment of chemosensory behavior. We also identified genes that encode signaling molecules with roles in head regeneration, including some that are produced in a previously uncharacterized parenchymal population of cells. Finally, we explored genes downregulated during planarian regeneration and characterized, for the first time, glial cells in the planarian CNS that respond to injury by repressing several transcripts. Collectively, our studies revealed diverse molecules and cell types that underlie an animal’s ability to regenerate its brain. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17002.001 PMID:27612384

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.

Comprehensive assay of kinase catalytic activity reveals features of kinase inhibitor selectivity

PubMed Central

Anastassiadis, Theonie; Deacon, Sean W.; Devarajan, Karthik; Ma, Haiching; Peterson, Jeffrey R.

2011-01-01

Small-molecule protein kinase inhibitors are central tools for elucidating cellular signaling pathways and are promising therapeutic agents. Due to evolutionary conservation of the ATP-binding site, most kinase inhibitors that target this site promiscuously inhibit multiple kinases. Interpretation of experiments utilizing these compounds is confounded by a lack of data on the comprehensive kinase selectivity of most inhibitors. Here we profiled the activity of 178 commercially available kinase inhibitors against a panel of 300 recombinant protein kinases using a functional assay. Quantitative analysis revealed complex and often unexpected kinase-inhibitor interactions, with a wide spectrum of promiscuity. Many off-target interactions occur with seemingly unrelated kinases, revealing how large-scale profiling can be used to identify multi-targeted inhibitors of specific, diverse kinases. The results have significant implications for drug development and provide a resource for selecting compounds to elucidate kinase function and for interpreting the results of experiments that use them. PMID:22037377

Iatrogenic bile duct injuries in kashmir valley.

PubMed

Chowdri, Nisar A; Dar, Farooq A; Naikoo, Zahoor A; Wani, Nazir A; Parray, Fazl Q; Wani, Khurshid A

2010-08-01

Cholecystectomy is one of the commonest operations performed throughout the world and bile duct injury is the worst complication of this procedure. In a prospective and retrospective study 25 patients were seen in a tertiary care hospital over a period of 10 years. 72% of patients were referred from other hospitals. 48% of patients presented within one month of injury. Pain was the commonest presentation (92%) followed by jaundice (80%). Liver functions were deranged in 70% of patients, USG revealed biliary dilatation in 69.6% of patients. ERCP was done in 16 patients and revealed cut off of the common hepatic duct in 43.8% of patients. Intraoperative findings revealed adhesions in 96% of patients. 48% of patients had bile duct stricture. Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was the commonest procedure performed. All patients showed improvement in liver function after surgery. Wound infection was the commonest complication seen in 32% patients. 3 patients died in our series.

Differential involvement of the extracellular 6-O-endosulfatases Sulf1 and Sulf2 in brain development and neuronal and behavioural plasticity

PubMed Central

Kalus, Ina; Salmen, Benedikt; Viebahn, Christoph; von Figura, Kurt; Schmitz, Dietmar; D'Hooge, Rudi; Dierks, Thomas

2009-01-01

The extracellular sulfatases Sulf1 and Sulf2 remove specific 6-O-sulfate groups from heparan sulfate, thereby modulating numerous signalling pathways underlying development and homeostasis. In vitro data have suggested that the two enzymes show functional redundancy. To elucidate their in vivo functions and to further address the question of a putative redundancy, we have generated Sulf1- and Sulf2-deficient mice. Phenotypic analysis of these animals revealed higher embryonic lethality of Sulf2 knockout mice, which can be associated with neuroanatomical malformations during embryogenesis. Sulf1 seems not to be essential for developmental or postnatal viability, as mice deficient in this sulfatase show no overt phenotype. However, neurite outgrowth deficits were observed in hippocampal and cerebellar neurons of both mutant mouse lines, suggesting that not only Sulf2 but also Sulf1 function plays a role in the developing nervous system. Behavioural analysis revealed differential deficits with regard to cage activity and spatial learning for Sulf1- and Sulf2-deficient mouse lines. In addition, Sulf1-specific deficits were shown for synaptic plasticity in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, associated with a reduced spine density. These results reveal that Sulf1 and Sulf2 fulfil non-redundant functions in vivo in the development and maintenance of the murine nervous system. PMID:20394677

Testing complex animal cognition: Concept learning, proactive interference, and list memory.

PubMed

Wright, Anthony A

2018-01-01

This article describes an approach for assessing and comparing complex cognition in rhesus monkeys and pigeons by training them in a sequence of synergistic tasks, each yielding a whole function for enhanced comparisons. These species were trained in similar same/different tasks with expanding training sets (8, 16, 32, 64, 128 … 1024 pictures) followed by novel-stimulus transfer eventually resulting in full abstract-concept learning. Concept-learning functions revealed better rhesus transfer throughout and full concept learning at the 128 set, versus pigeons at the 256 set. They were then tested in delayed same/different tasks for proactive interference by inserting occasional tests within trial-unique sessions where the test stimulus matched a previous sample stimulus (1, 2, 4, 8, 16 trials prior). Proactive-interference functions revealed time-based interference for pigeons (1, 10 s delays), but event-based interference for rhesus (no effect of 1, 10, 20 s delays). They were then tested in list-memory tasks by expanding the sample to four samples in trial-unique sessions (minimizing proactive interference). The four-item, list-memory functions revealed strong recency memory at short delays, gradually changing to strong primacy memory at long delays over 30 s for rhesus, and 10 s for pigeons. Other species comparisons and future directions are discussed. © 2018 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Interhemispheric Plasticity following Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia

PubMed Central

Griffis, Joseph C.; Nenert, Rodolphe; Allendorfer, Jane B.; Szaflarski, Jerzy P.

2016-01-01

The effects of noninvasive neurostimulation on brain structure and function in chronic poststroke aphasia are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) applied to residual language-responsive cortex in chronic patients using functional and anatomical MRI data acquired before and after iTBS. Lateralization index (LI) analyses, along with comparisons of inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) activation and connectivity during covert verb generation, were used to assess changes in cortical language function. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to assess effects on regional grey matter (GM). LI analyses revealed a leftward shift in IFG activity after treatment. While left IFG activation increased, right IFG activation decreased. Changes in right to left IFG connectivity during covert verb generation also decreased after iTBS. Behavioral correlations revealed a negative relationship between changes in right IFG activation and improvements in fluency. While anatomical analyses did not reveal statistically significant changes in grey matter volume, the fMRI results provide evidence for changes in right and left IFG function after iTBS. The negative relationship between post-iTBS changes in right IFG activity during covert verb generation and improvements in fluency suggests that iTBS applied to residual left-hemispheric language areas may reduce contralateral responses related to language production and facilitate recruitment of residual language areas after stroke. PMID:26881111

Interhemispheric Plasticity following Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia.

PubMed

Griffis, Joseph C; Nenert, Rodolphe; Allendorfer, Jane B; Szaflarski, Jerzy P

2016-01-01

The effects of noninvasive neurostimulation on brain structure and function in chronic poststroke aphasia are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) applied to residual language-responsive cortex in chronic patients using functional and anatomical MRI data acquired before and after iTBS. Lateralization index (LI) analyses, along with comparisons of inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) activation and connectivity during covert verb generation, were used to assess changes in cortical language function. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to assess effects on regional grey matter (GM). LI analyses revealed a leftward shift in IFG activity after treatment. While left IFG activation increased, right IFG activation decreased. Changes in right to left IFG connectivity during covert verb generation also decreased after iTBS. Behavioral correlations revealed a negative relationship between changes in right IFG activation and improvements in fluency. While anatomical analyses did not reveal statistically significant changes in grey matter volume, the fMRI results provide evidence for changes in right and left IFG function after iTBS. The negative relationship between post-iTBS changes in right IFG activity during covert verb generation and improvements in fluency suggests that iTBS applied to residual left-hemispheric language areas may reduce contralateral responses related to language production and facilitate recruitment of residual language areas after stroke.

The protocadherin 17 gene affects cognition, personality, amygdala structure and function, synapse development and risk of major mood disorders.

PubMed

Chang, H; Hoshina, N; Zhang, C; Ma, Y; Cao, H; Wang, Y; Wu, D-D; Bergen, S E; Landén, M; Hultman, C M; Preisig, M; Kutalik, Z; Castelao, E; Grigoroiu-Serbanescu, M; Forstner, A J; Strohmaier, J; Hecker, J; Schulze, T G; Müller-Myhsok, B; Reif, A; Mitchell, P B; Martin, N G; Schofield, P R; Cichon, S; Nöthen, M M; Walter, H; Erk, S; Heinz, A; Amin, N; van Duijn, C M; Meyer-Lindenberg, A; Tost, H; Xiao, X; Yamamoto, T; Rietschel, M; Li, M

2018-02-01

Major mood disorders, which primarily include bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, are the leading cause of disability worldwide and pose a major challenge in identifying robust risk genes. Here, we present data from independent large-scale clinical data sets (including 29 557 cases and 32 056 controls) revealing brain expressed protocadherin 17 (PCDH17) as a susceptibility gene for major mood disorders. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the PCDH17 region are significantly associated with major mood disorders; subjects carrying the risk allele showed impaired cognitive abilities, increased vulnerable personality features, decreased amygdala volume and altered amygdala function as compared with non-carriers. The risk allele predicted higher transcriptional levels of PCDH17 mRNA in postmortem brain samples, which is consistent with increased gene expression in patients with bipolar disorder compared with healthy subjects. Further, overexpression of PCDH17 in primary cortical neurons revealed significantly decreased spine density and abnormal dendritic morphology compared with control groups, which again is consistent with the clinical observations of reduced numbers of dendritic spines in the brains of patients with major mood disorders. Given that synaptic spines are dynamic structures which regulate neuronal plasticity and have crucial roles in myriad brain functions, this study reveals a potential underlying biological mechanism of a novel risk gene for major mood disorders involved in synaptic function and related intermediate phenotypes.

Combined Secretomics and Transcriptomics Revealed Cancer-Derived GDF15 is Involved in Diffuse-Type Gastric Cancer Progression and Fibroblast Activation.

PubMed

Ishige, Takayuki; Nishimura, Motoi; Satoh, Mamoru; Fujimoto, Mai; Fukuyo, Masaki; Semba, Toshihisa; Kado, Sayaka; Tsuchida, Sachio; Sawai, Setsu; Matsushita, Kazuyuki; Togawa, Akira; Matsubara, Hisahiro; Kaneda, Atsushi; Nomura, Fumio

2016-02-19

Gastric cancer is classified into two subtypes, diffuse and intestinal. The diffuse-type gastric cancer (DGC) has poorer prognosis, and the molecular pathology is not yet fully understood. The purpose of this study was to identify functional secreted molecules involved in DGC progression. We integrated the secretomics of six gastric cancer cell lines and gene expression analysis of gastric cancer tissues with publicly available microarray data. Hierarchical clustering revealed characteristic gene expression differences between diffuse- and intestinal-types. GDF15 was selected as a functional secreted molecule owing to high expression only in fetal tissues. Protein expression of GDF15 was higher in DGC cell lines and tissues. Serum levels of GDF15 were significant higher in DGC patients as compared with healthy individuals and chronic gastritis patients, and positively correlated with wall invasion and lymph node metastasis. In addition, the stimulation of GDF15 on NIH3T3 fibroblast enhanced proliferation and up-regulated expression of extracellular matrix genes, which were similar to TGF-β stimulation. These results indicate that GDF15 contributes to fibroblast activation. In conclusion, this study revealed that GDF15 may be a novel functional secreted molecule for DGC progression, possibly having important roles for cancer progression via the affecting fibroblast function, as well as TGF-β.

Ab initio study of gold-doped zigzag graphene nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Pankaj; Dhar, Subhra; Jaiswal, Neeraj K.

2014-12-01

The electronic transport properties of zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) through covalent functionalization of gold (Au) atoms is investigated by using non-equilibrium Green's function combined with density functional theory. It is revealed that the electronic properties of Au-doped ZGNRs vary significantly due to spin and its non-inclusion. We find that the DOS profiles of Au-adsorbed ZGNR due to spin reveal very less number of states available for conduction, whereas non-inclusion of spin results in higher DOS across the Fermi level. Edge Au-doped ribbons exhibit stable structure and are energetically more favorable than the center Au-doped ZGNRs. Though the chemical interaction at the ZGNR-Au interface modifies the Fermi level, Au-adsorbed ZGNR reveals semimetallic properties. A prominent qualitative change of the I-V curve from linear to nonlinear is observed as the Au atom shifts from center toward the edges of the ribbon. Number of peaks present near the Fermi level ensures conductance channels available for charge transport in case of Au-center-substituted ZGNR. We predict semimetallic nature of the Au-adsorbed ZGNR with a high DOS peak distributed over a narrow energy region at the Fermi level and fewer conductance channels. Our calculations for the magnetic properties predict that Au functionalization leads to semiconducting nature with different band gaps for spin up and spin down. The outcomes are compared with the experimental and theoretical results available for other materials.

The cerebellum and cognition: evidence from functional imaging studies.

PubMed

Stoodley, Catherine J

2012-06-01

Evidence for a role of the human cerebellum in cognitive functions comes from anatomical, clinical and neuroimaging data. Functional neuroimaging reveals cerebellar activation during a variety of cognitive tasks, including language, visual-spatial, executive, and working memory processes. It is important to note that overt movement is not a prerequisite for cerebellar activation: the cerebellum is engaged during conditions which either control for motor output or do not involve motor responses. Resting-state functional connectivity data reveal that, in addition to networks underlying motor control, the cerebellum is part of "cognitive" networks with prefrontal and parietal association cortices. Consistent with these findings, regional differences in activation patterns within the cerebellum are evident depending on the task demands, suggesting that the cerebellum can be broadly divided into functional regions based on the patterns of anatomical connectivity between different regions of the cerebellum and sensorimotor and association areas of the cerebral cortex. However, the distinct contribution of the cerebellum to cognitive tasks is not clear. Here, the functional neuroimaging evidence for cerebellar involvement in cognitive functions is reviewed and related to hypotheses as to why the cerebellum is active during such tasks. Identifying the precise role of the cerebellum in cognition-as well as the mechanism by which the cerebellum modulates performance during a wide range of tasks-remains a challenge for future investigations.

Caenorhabditis elegans ABCRNAi transporters interact genetically with rde-2 and mut-7.

PubMed

Sundaram, Prema; Han, Wang; Cohen, Nancy; Echalier, Benjamin; Albin, John; Timmons, Lisa

2008-02-01

RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms are conserved and consist of an interrelated network of activities that not only respond to exogenous dsRNA, but also perform endogenous functions required in the fine tuning of gene expression and in maintaining genome integrity. Not surprisingly, RNAi functions have widespread influences on cellular function and organismal development. Previously, we observed a reduced capacity to mount an RNAi response in nine Caenorhabditis elegans mutants that are defective in ABC transporter genes (ABC(RNAi) mutants). Here, we report an exhaustive study of mutants, collectively defective in 49 different ABC transporter genes, that allowed for the categorization of one additional transporter into the ABC(RNAi) gene class. Genetic complementation tests reveal functions for ABC(RNAi) transporters in the mut-7/rde-2 branch of the RNAi pathway. These second-site noncomplementation interactions suggest that ABC(RNAi) proteins and MUT-7/RDE-2 function together in parallel pathways and/or as multiprotein complexes. Like mut-7 and rde-2, some ABC(RNAi) mutants display transposon silencing defects. Finally, our analyses reveal a genetic interaction network of ABC(RNAi) gene function with respect to this part of the RNAi pathway. From our results, we speculate that the coordinated activities of ABC(RNAi) transporters, through their effects on endogenous RNAi-related mechanisms, ultimately affect chromosome function and integrity.

Caenorhabditis elegans ABCRNAi Transporters Interact Genetically With rde-2 and mut-7

PubMed Central

Sundaram, Prema; Han, Wang; Cohen, Nancy; Echalier, Benjamin; Albin, John; Timmons, Lisa

2008-01-01

RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms are conserved and consist of an interrelated network of activities that not only respond to exogenous dsRNA, but also perform endogenous functions required in the fine tuning of gene expression and in maintaining genome integrity. Not surprisingly, RNAi functions have widespread influences on cellular function and organismal development. Previously, we observed a reduced capacity to mount an RNAi response in nine Caenorhabditis elegans mutants that are defective in ABC transporter genes (ABCRNAi mutants). Here, we report an exhaustive study of mutants, collectively defective in 49 different ABC transporter genes, that allowed for the categorization of one additional transporter into the ABCRNAi gene class. Genetic complementation tests reveal functions for ABCRNAi transporters in the mut-7/rde-2 branch of the RNAi pathway. These second-site noncomplementation interactions suggest that ABCRNAi proteins and MUT-7/RDE-2 function together in parallel pathways and/or as multiprotein complexes. Like mut-7 and rde-2, some ABCRNAi mutants display transposon silencing defects. Finally, our analyses reveal a genetic interaction network of ABCRNAi gene function with respect to this part of the RNAi pathway. From our results, we speculate that the coordinated activities of ABCRNAi transporters, through their effects on endogenous RNAi-related mechanisms, ultimately affect chromosome function and integrity. PMID:18245353

Advanced lesion symptom mapping analyses and implementation as BCBtoolkit.

PubMed

Foulon, Chris; Cerliani, Leonardo; Kinkingnéhun, Serge; Levy, Richard; Rosso, Charlotte; Urbanski, Marika; Volle, Emmanuelle; Thiebaut de Schotten, Michel

2018-03-01

Patients with brain lesions provide a unique opportunity to understand the functioning of the human mind. However, even when focal, brain lesions have local and remote effects that impact functionally and structurally connected circuits. Similarly, function emerges from the interaction between brain areas rather than their sole activity. For instance, category fluency requires the associations between executive, semantic, and language production functions. Here, we provide, for the first time, a set of complementary solutions for measuring the impact of a given lesion on the neuronal circuits. Our methods, which were applied to 37 patients with a focal frontal brain lesions, revealed a large set of directly and indirectly disconnected brain regions that had significantly impacted category fluency performance. The directly disconnected regions corresponded to areas that are classically considered as functionally engaged in verbal fluency and categorization tasks. These regions were also organized into larger directly and indirectly disconnected functional networks, including the left ventral fronto-parietal network, whose cortical thickness correlated with performance on category fluency. The combination of structural and functional connectivity together with cortical thickness estimates reveal the remote effects of brain lesions, provide for the identification of the affected networks, and strengthen our understanding of their relationship with cognitive and behavioral measures. The methods presented are available and freely accessible in the BCBtoolkit as supplementary software [1].

Fungal proteomics: from identification to function.

PubMed

Doyle, Sean

2011-08-01

Some fungi cause disease in humans and plants, while others have demonstrable potential for the control of insect pests. In addition, fungi are also a rich reservoir of therapeutic metabolites and industrially useful enzymes. Detailed analysis of fungal biochemistry is now enabled by multiple technologies including protein mass spectrometry, genome and transcriptome sequencing and advances in bioinformatics. Yet, the assignment of function to fungal proteins, encoded either by in silico annotated, or unannotated genes, remains problematic. The purpose of this review is to describe the strategies used by many researchers to reveal protein function in fungi, and more importantly, to consolidate the nomenclature of 'unknown function protein' as opposed to 'hypothetical protein' - once any protein has been identified by protein mass spectrometry. A combination of approaches including comparative proteomics, pathogen-induced protein expression and immunoproteomics are outlined, which, when used in combination with a variety of other techniques (e.g. functional genomics, microarray analysis, immunochemical and infection model systems), appear to yield comprehensive and definitive information on protein function in fungi. The relative advantages of proteomic, as opposed to transcriptomic-only, analyses are also described. In the future, combined high-throughput, quantitative proteomics, allied to transcriptomic sequencing, are set to reveal much about protein function in fungi. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sexuality in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morokoff, Patricia J.

1988-01-01

Reviews psychological and biological aspects of effects of menopause on sexuality. Discusses population studies revealing that postmenopausal status is associated with decline in some components of sexual functioning. Notes that little research has examined psychological response to menopause and its effect on sexual functioning. Research on…

Life in Oligotropic Desert Environments: Contrasting Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Two Microbial Mats with Metagenomics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonilla-Rosso, G.; Peimbert, M.; Olmedo, G.; Alcaraz, L. D.; Eguiarte, L. E.; Souza, V.

2010-04-01

The metagenomic analysis of two microbial mats from the oligotrophic waters in the Cuatrociéngas basin reveals large differences both at taxonomic and functional level. These are explained in terms of environmental stability and nutrient availability.

David W. Mulder, Ph.D. | NREL

Science.gov Websites

an emphasis on identifying unique structure-functions relationships and molecular determinates of exploring structure-function relationships of redox metalloenzymes Designated Area Representative of the ]-hydrogenase H-cluster assembly revealed in the structure of HydAΔEFG" Nature (2010) Illustration labeled

Construction of synthetic nucleoli in human cells reveals how a major functional nuclear domain is formed and propagated through cell division.

PubMed

Grob, Alice; Colleran, Christine; McStay, Brian

2014-02-01

Human cell nuclei are functionally organized into structurally stable yet dynamic bodies whose cell cycle inheritance is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the biogenesis and propagation of nucleoli, sites of ribosome biogenesis and key regulators of cellular growth. Nucleolar and cell cycles are intimately connected. Nucleoli disappear during mitosis, reforming around prominent uncharacterized chromosomal features, nucleolar organizer regions (NORs). By examining the effects of UBF depletion on both endogenous NORs and synthetic pseudo-NORs, we reveal its essential role in maintaining competency and establishing a bookmark on mitotic NORs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that neo-NORs, UBF-binding site arrays coupled with rDNA transcription units, direct the de novo biogenesis of functional compartmentalized neonucleoli irrespective of their site of chromosomal integration. For the first time, we establish the sequence requirements for nucleolar biogenesis and provide proof that this is a staged process where UBF-dependent mitotic bookmarking precedes function-dependent nucleolar assembly.

Construction of synthetic nucleoli in human cells reveals how a major functional nuclear domain is formed and propagated through cell division

PubMed Central

Grob, Alice; Colleran, Christine; McStay, Brian

2014-01-01

Human cell nuclei are functionally organized into structurally stable yet dynamic bodies whose cell cycle inheritance is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the biogenesis and propagation of nucleoli, sites of ribosome biogenesis and key regulators of cellular growth. Nucleolar and cell cycles are intimately connected. Nucleoli disappear during mitosis, reforming around prominent uncharacterized chromosomal features, nucleolar organizer regions (NORs). By examining the effects of UBF depletion on both endogenous NORs and synthetic pseudo-NORs, we reveal its essential role in maintaining competency and establishing a bookmark on mitotic NORs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that neo-NORs, UBF-binding site arrays coupled with rDNA transcription units, direct the de novo biogenesis of functional compartmentalized neonucleoli irrespective of their site of chromosomal integration. For the first time, we establish the sequence requirements for nucleolar biogenesis and provide proof that this is a staged process where UBF-dependent mitotic bookmarking precedes function-dependent nucleolar assembly. PMID:24449107

The BioPlex Network: A Systematic Exploration of the Human Interactome.

PubMed

Huttlin, Edward L; Ting, Lily; Bruckner, Raphael J; Gebreab, Fana; Gygi, Melanie P; Szpyt, John; Tam, Stanley; Zarraga, Gabriela; Colby, Greg; Baltier, Kurt; Dong, Rui; Guarani, Virginia; Vaites, Laura Pontano; Ordureau, Alban; Rad, Ramin; Erickson, Brian K; Wühr, Martin; Chick, Joel; Zhai, Bo; Kolippakkam, Deepak; Mintseris, Julian; Obar, Robert A; Harris, Tim; Artavanis-Tsakonas, Spyros; Sowa, Mathew E; De Camilli, Pietro; Paulo, Joao A; Harper, J Wade; Gygi, Steven P

2015-07-16

Protein interactions form a network whose structure drives cellular function and whose organization informs biological inquiry. Using high-throughput affinity-purification mass spectrometry, we identify interacting partners for 2,594 human proteins in HEK293T cells. The resulting network (BioPlex) contains 23,744 interactions among 7,668 proteins with 86% previously undocumented. BioPlex accurately depicts known complexes, attaining 80%-100% coverage for most CORUM complexes. The network readily subdivides into communities that correspond to complexes or clusters of functionally related proteins. More generally, network architecture reflects cellular localization, biological process, and molecular function, enabling functional characterization of thousands of proteins. Network structure also reveals associations among thousands of protein domains, suggesting a basis for examining structurally related proteins. Finally, BioPlex, in combination with other approaches, can be used to reveal interactions of biological or clinical significance. For example, mutations in the membrane protein VAPB implicated in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis perturb a defined community of interactors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The BioPlex Network: A Systematic Exploration of the Human Interactome

PubMed Central

Huttlin, Edward L.; Ting, Lily; Bruckner, Raphael J.; Gebreab, Fana; Gygi, Melanie P.; Szpyt, John; Tam, Stanley; Zarraga, Gabriela; Colby, Greg; Baltier, Kurt; Dong, Rui; Guarani, Virginia; Vaites, Laura Pontano; Ordureau, Alban; Rad, Ramin; Erickson, Brian K.; Wühr, Martin; Chick, Joel; Zhai, Bo; Kolippakkam, Deepak; Mintseris, Julian; Obar, Robert A.; Harris, Tim; Artavanis-Tsakonas, Spyros; Sowa, Mathew E.; DeCamilli, Pietro; Paulo, Joao A.; Harper, J. Wade; Gygi, Steven P.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Protein interactions form a network whose structure drives cellular function and whose organization informs biological inquiry. Using high-throughput affinity-purification mass spectrometry, we identify interacting partners for 2,594 human proteins in HEK293T cells. The resulting network (BioPlex) contains 23,744 interactions among 7,668 proteins with 86% previously undocumented. BioPlex accurately depicts known complexes, attaining 80-100% coverage for most CORUM complexes. The network readily subdivides into communities that correspond to complexes or clusters of functionally related proteins. More generally, network architecture reflects cellular localization, biological process, and molecular function, enabling functional characterization of thousands of proteins. Network structure also reveals associations among thousands of protein domains, suggesting a basis for examining structurally-related proteins. Finally, BioPlex, in combination with other approaches can be used to reveal interactions of biological or clinical significance. For example, mutations in the membrane protein VAPB implicated in familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis perturb a defined community of interactors. PMID:26186194

Ultra-low input transcriptomics reveal the spore functional content and phylogenetic affiliations of poorly studied arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

PubMed Central

Beaudet, Denis; Chen, Eric C H; Mathieu, Stephanie; Yildirir, Gokalp; Ndikumana, Steve; Dalpé, Yolande; Séguin, Sylvie; Farinelli, Laurent; Stajich, Jason E; Corradi, Nicolas

2018-01-01

Abstract Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are a group of soil microorganisms that establish symbioses with the vast majority of land plants. To date, generation of AMF coding information has been limited to model genera that grow well axenically; Rhizoglomus and Gigaspora. Meanwhile, data on the functional gene repertoire of most AMF families is non-existent. Here, we provide primary large-scale transcriptome data from eight poorly studied AMF species (Acaulospora morrowiae, Diversispora versiforme, Scutellospora calospora, Racocetra castanea, Paraglomus brasilianum, Ambispora leptoticha, Claroideoglomus claroideum and Funneliformis mosseae) using ultra-low input ribonucleic acid (RNA)-seq approaches. Our analyses reveals that quiescent spores of many AMF species harbour a diverse functional diversity and solidify known evolutionary relationships within the group. Our findings demonstrate that RNA-seq data obtained from low-input RNA are reliable in comparison to conventional RNA-seq experiments. Thus, our methodology can potentially be used to deepen our understanding of fungal microbial function and phylogeny using minute amounts of RNA material. PMID:29211832

Structural variations in prefrontal cortex mediate the relationship between early childhood stress and spatial working memory

PubMed Central

Hanson, Jamie L.; Chung, Moo K.; Avants, Brian B.; Rudolph, Karen D.; Shirtcliff, Elizabeth A.; Gee, James C.; Davidson, Richard J.; Pollak, Seth D.

2012-01-01

A large corpus of research indicates exposure to stress impairs cognitive abilities, specifically executive functioning dependent on the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We collected structural MRI scans (n=61), well-validated assessments of executive functioning, and detailed interviews assessing stress exposure in humans, to examine whether cumulative life stress affected brain morphometry and one type of executive functioning, spatial working memory, during adolescence—a critical time of brain development and reorganization. Analysis of variations in brain structure revealed that cumulative life stress and spatial working memory were related to smaller volumes in the PFC, specifically prefrontal gray and white matter between the anterior cingulate and the frontal poles. Mediation analyses revealed that individual differences in prefrontal volumes accounted for the association between cumulative life stress and spatial working memory. These results suggest that structural changes in the PFC may serve as a mediating mechanism through which greater cumulative life stress engenders decrements in cognitive functioning. PMID:22674267

Mirror neurons and imitation: a computationally guided review.

PubMed

Oztop, Erhan; Kawato, Mitsuo; Arbib, Michael

2006-04-01

Neurophysiology reveals the properties of individual mirror neurons in the macaque while brain imaging reveals the presence of 'mirror systems' (not individual neurons) in the human. Current conceptual models attribute high level functions such as action understanding, imitation, and language to mirror neurons. However, only the first of these three functions is well-developed in monkeys. We thus distinguish current opinions (conceptual models) on mirror neuron function from more detailed computational models. We assess the strengths and weaknesses of current computational models in addressing the data and speculations on mirror neurons (macaque) and mirror systems (human). In particular, our mirror neuron system (MNS), mental state inference (MSI) and modular selection and identification for control (MOSAIC) models are analyzed in more detail. Conceptual models often overlook the computational requirements for posited functions, while too many computational models adopt the erroneous hypothesis that mirror neurons are interchangeable with imitation ability. Our meta-analysis underlines the gap between conceptual and computational models and points out the research effort required from both sides to reduce this gap.

Basal paravian functional anatomy illuminated by high-detail body outline

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaoli; Pittman, Michael; Zheng, Xiaoting; Kaye, Thomas G.; Falk, Amanda R.; Hartman, Scott A.; Xu, Xing

2017-01-01

Body shape is a fundamental expression of organismal biology, but its quantitative reconstruction in fossil vertebrates is rare. Due to the absence of fossilized soft tissue evidence, the functional consequences of basal paravian body shape and its implications for the origins of avians and flight are not yet fully understood. Here we reconstruct the quantitative body outline of a fossil paravian Anchiornis based on high-definition images of soft tissues revealed by laser-stimulated fluorescence. This body outline confirms patagia-bearing arms, drumstick-shaped legs and a slender tail, features that were probably widespread among paravians. Finely preserved details also reveal similarities in propatagial and footpad form between basal paravians and modern birds, extending their record to the Late Jurassic. The body outline and soft tissue details suggest significant functional decoupling between the legs and tail in at least some basal paravians. The number of seemingly modern propatagial traits hint that feathering was a significant factor in how basal paravians utilized arm, leg and tail function for aerodynamic benefit. PMID:28248287

Deconstructing the brain’s moral network: dissociable functionality between the temporoparietal junction and ventro-medial prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

Mobbs, Dean; Dalgleish, Tim

2014-01-01

Research has illustrated that the brain regions implicated in moral cognition comprise a robust and broadly distributed network. However, understanding how these brain regions interact and give rise to the complex interplay of cognitive processes underpinning human moral cognition is still in its infancy. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine patterns of activation for ‘difficult’ and ‘easy’ moral decisions relative to matched non-moral comparators. This revealed an activation pattern consistent with a relative functional double dissociation between the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and ventro-medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Difficult moral decisions activated bilateral TPJ and deactivated the vmPFC and OFC. In contrast, easy moral decisions revealed patterns of activation in the vmPFC and deactivation in bilateral TPJ and dorsolateral PFC. Together these results suggest that moral cognition is a dynamic process implemented by a distributed network that involves interacting, yet functionally dissociable networks. PMID:23322890

The C. elegans Connectome Consists of Homogenous Circuits with Defined Functional Roles

PubMed Central

Azulay, Aharon; Zaslaver, Alon

2016-01-01

A major goal of systems neuroscience is to decipher the structure-function relationship in neural networks. Here we study network functionality in light of the common-neighbor-rule (CNR) in which a pair of neurons is more likely to be connected the more common neighbors it shares. Focusing on the fully-mapped neural network of C. elegans worms, we establish that the CNR is an emerging property in this connectome. Moreover, sets of common neighbors form homogenous structures that appear in defined layers of the network. Simulations of signal propagation reveal their potential functional roles: signal amplification and short-term memory at the sensory/inter-neuron layer, and synchronized activity at the motoneuron layer supporting coordinated movement. A coarse-grained view of the neural network based on homogenous connected sets alone reveals a simple modular network architecture that is intuitive to understand. These findings provide a novel framework for analyzing larger, more complex, connectomes once these become available. PMID:27606684

All-atom molecular dynamics of the HBV capsid reveals insights into biological function and cryo-EM resolution limits

PubMed Central

Perilla, Juan R; Schlicksup, Christopher John; Venkatakrishnan, Balasubramanian; Zlotnick, Adam; Schulten, Klaus

2018-01-01

The hepatitis B virus capsid represents a promising therapeutic target. Experiments suggest the capsid must be flexible to function; however, capsid structure and dynamics have not been thoroughly characterized in the absence of icosahedral symmetry constraints. Here, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are leveraged to investigate the capsid without symmetry bias, enabling study of capsid flexibility and its implications for biological function and cryo-EM resolution limits. Simulation results confirm flexibility and reveal a propensity for asymmetric distortion. The capsid’s influence on ionic species suggests a mechanism for modulating the display of cellular signals and implicates the capsid’s triangular pores as the location of signal exposure. A theoretical image reconstruction performed using simulated conformations indicates how capsid flexibility may limit the resolution of cryo-EM. Overall, the present work provides functional insight beyond what is accessible to experimental methods and raises important considerations regarding asymmetry in structural studies of icosahedral virus capsids. PMID:29708495

Regulatory T Cells in Skin Facilitate Epithelial Stem Cell Differentiation.

PubMed

Ali, Niwa; Zirak, Bahar; Rodriguez, Robert Sanchez; Pauli, Mariela L; Truong, Hong-An; Lai, Kevin; Ahn, Richard; Corbin, Kaitlin; Lowe, Margaret M; Scharschmidt, Tiffany C; Taravati, Keyon; Tan, Madeleine R; Ricardo-Gonzalez, Roberto R; Nosbaum, Audrey; Bertolini, Marta; Liao, Wilson; Nestle, Frank O; Paus, Ralf; Cotsarelis, George; Abbas, Abul K; Rosenblum, Michael D

2017-06-01

The maintenance of tissue homeostasis is critically dependent on the function of tissue-resident immune cells and the differentiation capacity of tissue-resident stem cells (SCs). How immune cells influence the function of SCs is largely unknown. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in skin preferentially localize to hair follicles (HFs), which house a major subset of skin SCs (HFSCs). Here, we mechanistically dissect the role of Tregs in HF and HFSC biology. Lineage-specific cell depletion revealed that Tregs promote HF regeneration by augmenting HFSC proliferation and differentiation. Transcriptional and phenotypic profiling of T regs and HFSCs revealed that skin-resident Tregs preferentially express high levels of the Notch ligand family member, Jagged 1 (Jag1). Expression of Jag1 on Tregs facilitated HFSC function and efficient HF regeneration. Taken together, our work demonstrates that Tregs in skin play a major role in HF biology by promoting the function of HFSCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Whole-Brain Data to Functional Circuit Models: The Zebrafish Optomotor Response.

PubMed

Naumann, Eva A; Fitzgerald, James E; Dunn, Timothy W; Rihel, Jason; Sompolinsky, Haim; Engert, Florian

2016-11-03

Detailed descriptions of brain-scale sensorimotor circuits underlying vertebrate behavior remain elusive. Recent advances in zebrafish neuroscience offer new opportunities to dissect such circuits via whole-brain imaging, behavioral analysis, functional perturbations, and network modeling. Here, we harness these tools to generate a brain-scale circuit model of the optomotor response, an orienting behavior evoked by visual motion. We show that such motion is processed by diverse neural response types distributed across multiple brain regions. To transform sensory input into action, these regions sequentially integrate eye- and direction-specific sensory streams, refine representations via interhemispheric inhibition, and demix locomotor instructions to independently drive turning and forward swimming. While experiments revealed many neural response types throughout the brain, modeling identified the dimensions of functional connectivity most critical for the behavior. We thus reveal how distributed neurons collaborate to generate behavior and illustrate a paradigm for distilling functional circuit models from whole-brain data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of significantly mutated regions across cancer types highlights a rich landscape of functional molecular alterations

PubMed Central

Araya, Carlos L.; Cenik, Can; Reuter, Jason A.; Kiss, Gert; Pande, Vijay S.; Snyder, Michael P.; Greenleaf, William J.

2015-01-01

Cancer sequencing studies have primarily identified cancer-driver genes by the accumulation of protein-altering mutations. An improved method would be annotation-independent, sensitive to unknown distributions of functions within proteins, and inclusive of non-coding drivers. We employed density-based clustering methods in 21 tumor types to detect variably-sized significantly mutated regions (SMRs). SMRs reveal recurrent alterations across a spectrum of coding and non-coding elements, including transcription factor binding sites and untranslated regions mutated in up to ∼15% of specific tumor types. SMRs reveal spatial clustering of mutations at molecular domains and interfaces, often with associated changes in signaling. Mutation frequencies in SMRs demonstrate that distinct protein regions are differentially mutated among tumor types, as exemplified by a linker region of PIK3CA in which biophysical simulations suggest mutations affect regulatory interactions. The functional diversity of SMRs underscores both the varied mechanisms of oncogenic misregulation and the advantage of functionally-agnostic driver identification. PMID:26691984

ZFP36 RNA-binding proteins restrain T-cell activation and anti-viral immunity.

PubMed

Moore, Michael J; Blachere, Nathalie E; Fak, John J; Park, Christopher Y; Sawicka, Kirsty; Parveen, Salina; Zucker-Scharff, Ilana; Moltedo, Bruno; Rudensky, Alexander Y; Darnell, Robert B

2018-05-31

Dynamic post-transcriptional control of RNA expression by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) is critical during immune response. ZFP36 RBPs are prominent inflammatory regulators linked to autoimmunity and cancer, but functions in adaptive immunity are less clear. We used HITS-CLIP to define ZFP36 targets in mouse T cells, revealing unanticipated actions in regulating T cell activation, proliferation, and effector functions. Transcriptome and ribosome profiling showed that ZFP36 represses mRNA target abundance and translation, notably through novel AU-rich sites in coding sequence. Functional studies revealed that ZFP36 regulates early T cell activation kinetics cell autonomously, by attenuating activation marker expression, limiting T cell expansion, and promoting apoptosis. Strikingly, loss of ZFP36 in vivo accelerated T cell responses to acute viral infection and enhanced anti-viral immunity. These findings uncover a critical role for ZFP36 RBPs in restraining T cell expansion and effector functions, and suggest ZFP36 inhibition as a strategy to enhance immune-based therapies. © 2018, Moore et al.

Effect of functionalization of boron nitride flakes by main group metal clusters on their optoelectronic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Debdutta; Chattaraj, Pratim Kumar

2017-10-01

The possibility of functionalizing boron nitride flakes (BNFs) with some selected main group metal clusters, viz. OLi4, NLi5, CLi6, BLI7 and Al12Be, has been analyzed with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) based computations. Thermochemical as well as energetic considerations suggest that all the metal clusters interact with the BNF moiety in a favorable fashion. As a result of functionalization, the static (first) hyperpolarizability (β ) values of the metal cluster supported BNF moieties increase quite significantly as compared to that in the case of pristine BNF. Time dependent DFT analysis reveals that the metal clusters can lower the transition energies associated with the dominant electronic transitions quite significantly thereby enabling the metal cluster supported BNF moieties to exhibit significant non-linear optical activity. Moreover, the studied systems demonstrate broad band absorption capability spanning the UV-visible as well as infra-red domains. Energy decomposition analysis reveals that the electrostatic interactions principally stabilize the metal cluster supported BNF moieties.

Effect of functionalization of boron nitride flakes by main group metal clusters on their optoelectronic properties.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Debdutta; Chattaraj, Pratim Kumar

2017-10-25

The possibility of functionalizing boron nitride flakes (BNFs) with some selected main group metal clusters, viz. OLi 4 , NLi 5 , CLi 6 , BLI 7 and Al 12 Be, has been analyzed with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) based computations. Thermochemical as well as energetic considerations suggest that all the metal clusters interact with the BNF moiety in a favorable fashion. As a result of functionalization, the static (first) hyperpolarizability ([Formula: see text]) values of the metal cluster supported BNF moieties increase quite significantly as compared to that in the case of pristine BNF. Time dependent DFT analysis reveals that the metal clusters can lower the transition energies associated with the dominant electronic transitions quite significantly thereby enabling the metal cluster supported BNF moieties to exhibit significant non-linear optical activity. Moreover, the studied systems demonstrate broad band absorption capability spanning the UV-visible as well as infra-red domains. Energy decomposition analysis reveals that the electrostatic interactions principally stabilize the metal cluster supported BNF moieties.

Structure and function of complex brain networks

PubMed Central

Sporns, Olaf

2013-01-01

An increasing number of theoretical and empirical studies approach the function of the human brain from a network perspective. The analysis of brain networks is made feasible by the development of new imaging acquisition methods as well as new tools from graph theory and dynamical systems. This review surveys some of these methodological advances and summarizes recent findings on the architecture of structural and functional brain networks. Studies of the structural connectome reveal several modules or network communities that are interlinked by hub regions mediating communication processes between modules. Recent network analyses have shown that network hubs form a densely linked collective called a “rich club,” centrally positioned for attracting and dispersing signal traffic. In parallel, recordings of resting and task-evoked neural activity have revealed distinct resting-state networks that contribute to functions in distinct cognitive domains. Network methods are increasingly applied in a clinical context, and their promise for elucidating neural substrates of brain and mental disorders is discussed. PMID:24174898

A rare cause of hyperthyroidism: functioning thyroid metastases.

PubMed

Gardner, Daphne; Ho, Su Chin

2014-10-09

Hyperthyroidism is a common medical problem that is readily treated with antithyroid medications. However, attributing the correct aetiology of hyperthyroidism alters management and outcome. We present a case of a 66-year-old woman with a seemingly common problem of hyperthyroidism associated with a goitre, which was initially attributed to a toxic nodule. However, Tc-99m pertechnetate uptake scan and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody were negative, inconsistent with a toxic nodule or Grave's disease. Her thyroid function tests proved difficult to control over the next few months. She eventually proceeded to a total thyroidectomy and histology revealed follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma. She was started on levothyroxine postoperatively but developed severe hyperthyroidism, revealing the cause of hyperthyroidism to be autonomously functioning thyroid metastases. Although functioning thyroid metastases are very rare, they need to be considered among the differential diagnoses of hyperthyroidism, as there are nuances in management that could alter the eventual outcome. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

C-RAF function at the genome-wide transcriptome level: A systematic view.

PubMed

Huang, Ying; Zhang, Xin-Yu; An, Su; Yang, Yang; Liu, Ying; Hao, Qian; Guo, Xiao-Xi; Xu, Tian-Rui

2018-05-20

C-RAF was the first member of the RAF kinase family to be discovered. Since its discovery, C-RAF has been found to regulate many fundamental cell processes, such as cell proliferation, cell death, and metabolism. However, the majority of these functions are achieved through interactions with different proteins; the genes regulated by C-RAF in its active or inactive state remain unclear. In the work, we used RNA-seq analysis to study the global transcriptomes of C-RAF bearing or C-RAF knockout cells in quiescent or EGF activated states. We identified 3353 genes that are promoted or suppressed by C-RAF. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses revealed that these genes are involved in drug addiction, cardiomyopathy, autoimmunity, and regulation of cell metabolism. Our results provide a panoramic view of C-RAF function, including known and novel functions, and have revealed potential targets for elucidating the role of C-RAF. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tuning Riboswitch Regulation through Conformational Selection

PubMed Central

Wilson, Ross C.; Smith, Angela M.; Fuchs, Ryan T.; Kleckner, Ian R.; Henkin, Tina M.; Foster, Mark P.

2010-01-01

SUMMARY The SMK box riboswitch, which represents one of three known classes of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-responsive riboswitches, regulates gene expression in bacteria at the level of translation initiation. In contrast to most riboswitches, which contain separate domains responsible for ligand recognition and gene regulation, the ligand-binding and regulatory domains of the SMK box riboswitch are coincident. This property was exploited to allow the first atomic-level characterization of a functionally intact riboswitch in both the ligand-bound and ligand-free states. NMR spectroscopy revealed distinct mutually exclusive RNA conformations that are differentially populated in the presence or absence of the effector metabolite. Isothermal titration calorimetry and in vivo reporter assay results revealed the thermodynamic and functional consequences of this conformational equilibrium. We present a comprehensive model of the structural, thermodynamic, and functional properties of this compact RNA regulatory element. PMID:21075119

[NUCLEAR STRUCTURE IN THE SECRETORY CELLS OF MAMMARY GLANDS IN LACTATING AND NON-LACTATING RATS].

PubMed

Tyutina, K V; Skopichev, V G; Bogolyubov, D S; Bogolyubova, I O

2016-01-01

The features of structural and functional organization of the main nuclear compartments and distribution of their key molecular components (chromatin-remodeling protein ATRX, RNA polymerase I and II, and the splicing factor SC35) has been studied in the nuclei of mammary gland cells at different functional states. No significant differences between the nuclei of the cells in the lactating and non-lactating mammary glands have been revealed at the ultrastructural level. At the same time, photometric analysis has revealed higher intensity of nucleoplasmic immunofluorescent staining of mammary glands in the lactating animals when antibodies against the proteins ATRX and SC35 were used. Apparently, this observation reflects the changes of the structural and functional status of chromatin as well as the redistribution of splicing factors between the sites of their deposition and transcription.

Temporal Dynamics Assessment of Spatial Overlap Pattern of Functional Brain Networks Reveals Novel Functional Architecture of Cerebral Cortex.

PubMed

Jiang, Xi; Li, Xiang; Lv, Jinglei; Zhao, Shijie; Zhang, Shu; Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Tuo; Han, Junwei; Guo, Lei; Liu, Tianming

2018-06-01

Various studies in the brain mapping field have demonstrated that there exist multiple concurrent functional networks that are spatially overlapped and interacting with each other during specific task performance to jointly realize the total brain function. Assessing such spatial overlap patterns of functional networks (SOPFNs) based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has thus received increasing interest for brain function studies. However, there are still two crucial issues to be addressed. First, the SOPFNs are assessed over the entire fMRI scan assuming the temporal stationarity, while possibly time-dependent dynamics of the SOPFNs is not sufficiently explored. Second, the SOPFNs are assessed within individual subjects, while group-wise consistency of the SOPFNs is largely unknown. To address the two issues, we propose a novel computational framework of group-wise sparse representation of whole-brain fMRI temporal segments to assess the temporal dynamic spatial patterns of SOPFNs that are consistent across different subjects. Experimental results based on the recently publicly released Human Connectome Project grayordinate task fMRI data demonstrate that meaningful SOPFNs exhibiting dynamic spatial patterns across different time periods are effectively and robustly identified based on the reconstructed concurrent functional networks via the proposed framework. Specifically, those SOPFNs locate significantly more on gyral regions than on sulcal regions across different time periods. These results reveal novel functional architecture of cortical gyri and sulci. Moreover, these results help better understand functional dynamics mechanisms of cerebral cortex in the future.

Revealing topological organization of human brain functional networks with resting-state functional near infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Niu, Haijing; Wang, Jinhui; Zhao, Tengda; Shu, Ni; He, Yong

2012-01-01

The human brain is a highly complex system that can be represented as a structurally interconnected and functionally synchronized network, which assures both the segregation and integration of information processing. Recent studies have demonstrated that a variety of neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion MRI and electroencephalography/magnetoencephalography can be employed to explore the topological organization of human brain networks. However, little is known about whether functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a relatively new optical imaging technology, can be used to map functional connectome of the human brain and reveal meaningful and reproducible topological characteristics. We utilized resting-state fNIRS (R-fNIRS) to investigate the topological organization of human brain functional networks in 15 healthy adults. Brain networks were constructed by thresholding the temporal correlation matrices of 46 channels and analyzed using graph-theory approaches. We found that the functional brain network derived from R-fNIRS data had efficient small-world properties, significant hierarchical modular structure and highly connected hubs. These results were highly reproducible both across participants and over time and were consistent with previous findings based on other functional imaging techniques. Our results confirmed the feasibility and validity of using graph-theory approaches in conjunction with optical imaging techniques to explore the topological organization of human brain networks. These results may expand a methodological framework for utilizing fNIRS to study functional network changes that occur in association with development, aging and neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Whole-brain analytic measures of network communication reveal increased structure-function correlation in right temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Wirsich, Jonathan; Perry, Alistair; Ridley, Ben; Proix, Timothée; Golos, Mathieu; Bénar, Christian; Ranjeva, Jean-Philippe; Bartolomei, Fabrice; Breakspear, Michael; Jirsa, Viktor; Guye, Maxime

2016-01-01

The in vivo structure-function relationship is key to understanding brain network reorganization due to pathologies. This relationship is likely to be particularly complex in brain network diseases such as temporal lobe epilepsy, in which disturbed large-scale systems are involved in both transient electrical events and long-lasting functional and structural impairments. Herein, we estimated this relationship by analyzing the correlation between structural connectivity and functional connectivity in terms of analytical network communication parameters. As such, we targeted the gradual topological structure-function reorganization caused by the pathology not only at the whole brain scale but also both in core and peripheral regions of the brain. We acquired diffusion (dMRI) and resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) data in seven right-lateralized TLE (rTLE) patients and fourteen healthy controls and analyzed the structure-function relationship by using analytical network communication metrics derived from the structural connectome. In rTLE patients, we found a widespread hypercorrelated functional network. Network communication analysis revealed greater unspecific branching of the shortest path (search information) in the structural connectome and a higher global correlation between the structural and functional connectivity for the patient group. We also found evidence for a preserved structural rich-club in the patient group. In sum, global augmentation of structure-function correlation might be linked to a smaller functional repertoire in rTLE patients, while sparing the central core of the brain which may represent a pathway that facilitates the spread of seizures.

Determinants of cation transport selectivity: Equilibrium binding and transport kinetics

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The crystal structures of channels and transporters reveal the chemical nature of ion-binding sites and, thereby, constrain mechanistic models for their transport processes. However, these structures, in and of themselves, do not reveal equilibrium selectivity or transport preferences, which can be discerned only from various functional assays. In this Review, I explore the relationship between cation transport protein structures, equilibrium binding measurements, and ion transport selectivity. The primary focus is on K+-selective channels and nonselective cation channels because they have been extensively studied both functionally and structurally, but the principles discussed are relevant to other transport proteins and molecules. PMID:26078056

Enzyme-mediated assimilation of DNA-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Arnett, Clint M; Marsh, Charles P; Welch, Charles R; Strano, Michael S; Han, Jae-Hee; Gray, Jeffry H; Carlson, Thomas A

2010-01-19

When pyrimidine-functionalized carbon nanotubes were incubated with single-stranded DNA ligase, formations of macroscopic aggregates were observed. Wet-cell transmission electron microscopy imaging revealed that the nanotubes were radially bound to form a 3D latticelike structure. These structures were not observed in control reactions lacking ligase or adenosine triphosphate. Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed no spectra indicative of carbon nanotubes in ligase-unamended controls; however, spectra were observed in radial breathing mode and in the G and G' bands in reactions containing ligase. Furthermore, the addition of deoxyribonuclease to the ligated reactions dispersed the aggregates, and a reduction in Raman spectral intensity was observed.

Trophic Mode-Dependent Proteomic Analysis Reveals Functional Significance of Light-Independent Chlorophyll Synthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

PubMed

Fang, Longfa; Ge, Haitao; Huang, Xiahe; Liu, Ye; Lu, Min; Wang, Jinlong; Chen, Weiyang; Xu, Wu; Wang, Yingchun

2017-01-09

The photosynthetic model organism Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 can grow in different trophic modes, depending on the availability of light and exogenous organic carbon source. However, how the protein profile changes to facilitate the cells differentially propagate in different modes has not been comprehensively investigated. Using isobaric labeling-based quantitative proteomics, we simultaneously identified and quantified 45% Synechocystis proteome across four different trophic modes, i.e., autotrophic, heterotrophic, photoheterotrophic, and mixotrophic modes. Among the 155 proteins that are differentially expressed across four trophic modes, proteins involved in nitrogen assimilation and light-independent chlorophyll synthesis are dramatically upregulated in the mixotrophic mode, concomitant with a dramatic increase of P II phosphorylation that senses carbon and nitrogen assimilation status. Moreover, functional study using a mutant defective in light-independent chlorophyll synthesis revealed that this pathway is important for chlorophyll accumulation under a cycled light/dark illumination regime, a condition mimicking day/night cycles in certain natural habitats. Collectively, these results provide the most comprehensive information on trophic mode-dependent protein expression in cyanobacterium, and reveal the functional significance of light-independent chlorophyll synthesis in trophic growth. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ERP evidence suggests executive dysfunction in ecstasy polydrug users.

PubMed

Roberts, C A; Fairclough, S H; Fisk, J E; Tames, F; Montgomery, C

2013-08-01

Deficits in executive functions such as access to semantic/long-term memory have been shown in ecstasy users in previous research. Equally, there have been many reports of equivocal findings in this area. The current study sought to further investigate behavioural and electro-physiological measures of this executive function in ecstasy users. Twenty ecstasy-polydrug users, 20 non-ecstasy-polydrug users and 20 drug-naïve controls were recruited. Participants completed background questionnaires about their drug use, sleep quality, fluid intelligence and mood state. Each individual also completed a semantic retrieval task whilst 64 channel Electroencephalography (EEG) measures were recorded. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed no between-group differences in behavioural performance on the task. Mixed ANOVA on event-related potential (ERP) components P2, N2 and P3 revealed significant between-group differences in the N2 component. Subsequent exploratory univariate ANOVAs on the N2 component revealed marginally significant between-group differences, generally showing greater negativity at occipito-parietal electrodes in ecstasy users compared to drug-naïve controls. Despite absence of behavioural differences, differences in N2 magnitude are evidence of abnormal executive functioning in ecstasy-polydrug users.

Fab-based inhibitors reveal ubiquitin independent functions for HIV Vif neutralization of APOBEC3 restriction factors

PubMed Central

Smith, Amber M.; Hultquist, Judd F.; Caretta Cartozo, Nathalie; Campbell, Melody G.; Burton, Lily; La Greca, Florencia; McGregor, Michael J.; Ta, Hai M.; Bartholomeeusen, Koen; Peterlin, B. Matija; Krogan, Nevan J.; Sevillano, Natalia

2018-01-01

The lentiviral protein Viral Infectivity Factor (Vif) counteracts the antiviral effects of host APOBEC3 (A3) proteins and contributes to persistent HIV infection. Vif targets A3 restriction factors for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation by recruiting them to a multi-protein ubiquitin E3 ligase complex. Here, we describe a degradation-independent mechanism of Vif-mediated antagonism that was revealed through detailed structure-function studies of antibody antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) to the Vif complex. Two Fabs were found to inhibit Vif-mediated A3 neutralization through distinct mechanisms: shielding A3 from ubiquitin transfer and blocking Vif E3 assembly. Combined biochemical, cell biological and structural studies reveal that disruption of Vif E3 assembly inhibited A3 ubiquitination but was not sufficient to restore its packaging into viral particles and antiviral activity. These observations establish that Vif can neutralize A3 family members in a degradation-independent manner. Additionally, this work highlights the potential of Fabs as functional probes, and illuminates how Vif uses a multi-pronged approach involving both degradation dependent and independent mechanisms to suppress A3 innate immunity. PMID:29304101

Structural and Functional Survey of Environmental Aminoglycoside Acetyltransferases Reveals Functionality of Resistance Enzymes.

PubMed

Xu, Zhiyu; Stogios, Peter J; Quaile, Andrew T; Forsberg, Kevin J; Patel, Sanket; Skarina, Tatiana; Houliston, Scott; Arrowsmith, Cheryl; Dantas, Gautam; Savchenko, Alexei

2017-09-08

Aminoglycoside N-acetyltransferases (AACs) confer resistance against the clinical use of aminoglycoside antibiotics. The origin of AACs can be traced to environmental microbial species representing a vast reservoir for new and emerging resistance enzymes, which are currently undercharacterized. Here, we performed detailed structural characterization and functional analyses of four metagenomic AAC (meta-AACs) enzymes recently identified in a survey of agricultural and grassland soil microbiomes ( Forsberg et al. Nature 2014 , 509 , 612 ). These enzymes are new members of the Gcn5-Related-N-Acetyltransferase superfamily and confer resistance to the aminoglycosides gentamicin C, sisomicin, and tobramycin. Moreover, the meta-AAC0020 enzyme demonstrated activity comparable with an AAC(3)-I enzyme that serves as a model AAC enzyme identified in a clinical bacterial isolate. The crystal structure of meta-AAC0020 in complex with sisomicin confirmed an unexpected AAC(6') regiospecificity of this enzyme and revealed a drug binding mechanism distinct from previously characterized AAC(6') enzymes. Together, our data highlights the presence of highly active antibiotic-modifying enzymes in the environmental microbiome and reveals unexpected diversity in substrate specificity. These observations of additional AAC enzymes must be considered in the search for novel aminoglycosides less prone to resistance.

End-to-side neurorraphy: a long-term study of neural regeneration in a rat model.

PubMed

Tarasidis, G; Watanabe, O; Mackinnon, S E; Strasberg, S R; Haughey, B H; Hunter, D A

1998-10-01

This study evaluated long-term reinnervation of an end-to-side neurorraphy and the resultant functional recovery in a rat model. The divided distal posterior tibial nerve was repaired to the side of an intact peroneal nerve. Control groups included a cut-and-repair of the posterior tibial nerve and an end-to-end repair of the peroneal nerve to the posterior tibial nerve. Evaluations included walking-track analysis, nerve conduction studies, muscle mass measurements, retrograde nerve tracing, and histologic evaluation. Walking tracks indicated poor recovery of posterior tibial nerve function in the experimental group. No significant difference in nerve conduction velocities was seen between the experimental and control groups. Gastrocnemius muscle mass measurements revealed no functional recovery in the experimental group. Similarly, retrograde nerve tracing revealed minimal motor neuron staining in the experimental group. However, some sensory staining was seen within the dorsal root ganglia of the end-to-side group. Histologic study revealed minimal myelinated axonal regeneration in the experimental group as compared with findings in the other groups. These results suggest that predominantly sensory regeneration occurs in an end-to-side neurorraphy at an end point of 6 months.

Putting a photon to biological work: lessons from novel photoactive yellow protein homologs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoff, Wouter; Hara, Miwa; Ren, Jie; Kumauchi, Masato; Xie, Aihua; Larsen, Delmar; Mix, Tyler; Haraguchi, Shojiro; Shingae, Takahito; Unno, Masashi

The photoactive yellow protein (PYP) is a photosensory protein from the bacterium Halorhodospira halophila that has been used extensively as a model system for functional protein dynamics and biological signaling. We have been studying PYP homologs from a diverse set of bacteria. The PYP from Salinibacter ruber (Srub PYP) revealed a novel ``spectral isotope effect'' when the protein is dissolved in D2O. We were able to assign this effect to H/D exchange of an active side COOH group that forms an ionic hydrogen bond to the deprotonated (negatively charged) light-absorbing chromophore in PYP. Srub PYP also allowed us to measure Raman Optical Activity (ROA) spectra under resonance and pre-resonance conditions. This work revealed that pre-resonance (ROA) spectra are informative for analyzing active site distortions in PYP. Finally, ultrafast pump-probe experiments on three different PYPs revealed that the primary I0 photoproduct observed in Hhal PYP is not populated in some other PYP homologs. This observation has implications for the mechanism of chromophore photoisomerization at the start of the functional photocycle of PYP. These results illustrate how studies of different members of a protein family can lead to novel insights into basic mechanisms underlying protein function

Time-Varying Networks of Inter-Ictal Discharging Reveal Epileptogenic Zone.

PubMed

Zhang, Luyan; Liang, Yi; Li, Fali; Sun, Hongbin; Peng, Wenjing; Du, Peishan; Si, Yajing; Song, Limeng; Yu, Liang; Xu, Peng

2017-01-01

The neuronal synchronous discharging may cause an epileptic seizure. Currently, most of the studies conducted to investigate the mechanism of epilepsy are based on EEGs or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recorded during the ictal discharging or the resting-state, and few studies have probed into the dynamic patterns during the inter-ictal discharging that are much easier to record in clinical applications. Here, we propose a time-varying network analysis based on adaptive directed transfer function to uncover the dynamic brain network patterns during the inter-ictal discharging. In addition, an algorithm based on the time-varying outflow of information derived from the network analysis is developed to detect the epileptogenic zone. The analysis performed revealed the time-varying network patterns during different stages of inter-ictal discharging; the epileptogenic zone was activated prior to the discharge onset then worked as the source to propagate the activity to other brain regions. Consistence between the epileptogenic zones detected by our proposed approach and the actual epileptogenic zones proved that time-varying network analysis could not only reveal the underlying neural mechanism of epilepsy, but also function as a useful tool in detecting the epileptogenic zone based on the EEGs in the inter-ictal discharging.

A negative genetic interaction map in isogenic cancer cell lines reveals cancer cell vulnerabilities

PubMed Central

Vizeacoumar, Franco J; Arnold, Roland; Vizeacoumar, Frederick S; Chandrashekhar, Megha; Buzina, Alla; Young, Jordan T F; Kwan, Julian H M; Sayad, Azin; Mero, Patricia; Lawo, Steffen; Tanaka, Hiromasa; Brown, Kevin R; Baryshnikova, Anastasia; Mak, Anthony B; Fedyshyn, Yaroslav; Wang, Yadong; Brito, Glauber C; Kasimer, Dahlia; Makhnevych, Taras; Ketela, Troy; Datti, Alessandro; Babu, Mohan; Emili, Andrew; Pelletier, Laurence; Wrana, Jeff; Wainberg, Zev; Kim, Philip M; Rottapel, Robert; O'Brien, Catherine A; Andrews, Brenda; Boone, Charles; Moffat, Jason

2013-01-01

Improved efforts are necessary to define the functional product of cancer mutations currently being revealed through large-scale sequencing efforts. Using genome-scale pooled shRNA screening technology, we mapped negative genetic interactions across a set of isogenic cancer cell lines and confirmed hundreds of these interactions in orthogonal co-culture competition assays to generate a high-confidence genetic interaction network of differentially essential or differential essentiality (DiE) genes. The network uncovered examples of conserved genetic interactions, densely connected functional modules derived from comparative genomics with model systems data, functions for uncharacterized genes in the human genome and targetable vulnerabilities. Finally, we demonstrate a general applicability of DiE gene signatures in determining genetic dependencies of other non-isogenic cancer cell lines. For example, the PTEN−/− DiE genes reveal a signature that can preferentially classify PTEN-dependent genotypes across a series of non-isogenic cell lines derived from the breast, pancreas and ovarian cancers. Our reference network suggests that many cancer vulnerabilities remain to be discovered through systematic derivation of a network of differentially essential genes in an isogenic cancer cell model. PMID:24104479

Changes in reflectance anisotropy of wheat crop during different phenophases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunagaria, Manoj M.; Patel, Haridas R.

2017-04-01

The canopy structure of wheat changes significantly with growth stages and leads to changes in reflectance anisotropy. Bidirectional reflectance distribution function characterises the reflectance anisotropy of the targets, which can be approximated. Spectrodirectional reflectance measurements on wheat crop were acquired using a field goniometer system. The bidirectional reflectance spectra were acquired at 54 view angles to cover the hemispheric span up to 60° view zenith. The observations were made during early growth stages till maturity of the crop. The anisotropy was not constant for all wavelengths and anisotropic factors clearly revealed spectral dependence, which was more pronounced in near principal plane. In near infrared, wheat canopy expressed less reflectance anisotropy because of higher multiple scattering. The broad hotspot signature was noticeable in reflectance of canopy whenever view and solar angles were close. Distinct changes in bidirectional reflectance distribution function were observed during booting to flowering stages as the canopy achieves more uniformity, height and head emergence. The function clearly reveals bowl shape during heading to early milking growth stages of the crop. Late growth stages show less prominent gap and shadow effects. Anisotropy index revealed that wheat exhibits changes in reflectance anisotropy with phenological development and with spectral bands.

The phosphoproteome of Aspergillus nidulans reveals functional association with cellular processes involved in morphology and secretion.

PubMed

Ramsubramaniam, Nikhil; Harris, Steven D; Marten, Mark R

2014-11-01

We describe the first phosphoproteome of the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Phosphopeptides were enriched using titanium dioxide, separated using a convenient ultra-long reverse phase gradient, and identified using a "high-high" strategy (high mass accuracy on the parent and fragment ions) with higher-energy collisional dissociation. Using this approach 1801 phosphosites, from 1637 unique phosphopeptides, were identified. Functional classification revealed phosphoproteins were overrepresented under GO categories related to fungal morphogenesis: "sites of polar growth," "vesicle mediated transport," and "cytoskeleton organization." In these same GO categories, kinase-substrate analysis of phosphoproteins revealed the majority were target substrates of CDK and CK2 kinase families, indicating these kinase families play a prominent role in fungal morphogenesis. Kinase-substrate analysis also identified 57 substrates for kinases known to regulate secretion of hydrolytic enzymes (e.g. PkaA, SchA, and An-Snf1). Altogether this data will serve as a benchmark that can be used to elucidate regulatory networks functionally associated with fungal morphogenesis and secretion. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000715 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000715). © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Transcriptome mining and in silico structural and functional analysis of ascorbic acid and tartaric acid biosynthesis pathway enzymes in rose-scanted geranium.

PubMed

Narnoliya, Lokesh K; Sangwan, Rajender S; Singh, Sudhir P

2018-06-01

Rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium sp.) is widely known as aromatic and medicinal herb, accumulating specialized metabolites of high economic importance, such as essential oils, ascorbic acid, and tartaric acid. Ascorbic acid and tartaric acid are multifunctional metabolites of human value to be used as vital antioxidants and flavor enhancing agents in food products. No information is available related to the structural and functional properties of the enzymes involved in ascorbic acid and tartaric acid biosynthesis in rose-scented geranium. In the present study, transcriptome mining was done to identify full-length genes, followed by their bioinformatic and molecular modeling investigations and understanding of in silico structural and functional properties of these enzymes. Evolutionary conserved domains were identified in the pathway enzymes. In silico physicochemical characterization of the catalytic enzymes revealed isoelectric point (pI), instability index, aliphatic index, and grand average hydropathy (GRAVY) values of the enzymes. Secondary structural prediction revealed abundant proportion of alpha helix and random coil confirmations in the pathway enzymes. Three-dimensional homology models were developed for these enzymes. The predicted structures showed significant structural similarity with their respective templates in root mean square deviation analysis. Ramachandran plot analysis of the modeled enzymes revealed that more than 84% of the amino acid residues were within the favored regions. Further, functionally important residues were identified corresponding to catalytic sites located in the enzymes. To, our best knowledge, this is the first report which provides a foundation on functional annotation and structural determination of ascorbic acid and tartaric acid pathway enzymes in rose-scanted geranium.

Effect of Copper Treatment on the Composition and Function of the Bacterial Community in the Sponge Haliclona cymaeformis

PubMed Central

Tian, Ren-Mao; Wang, Yong; Bougouffa, Salim; Gao, Zhao-Ming; Cai, Lin; Zhang, Wei-Peng; Bajic, Vladimir

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Marine sponges are the most primitive metazoan and host symbiotic microorganisms. They are crucial components of the marine ecological system and play an essential role in pelagic processes. Copper pollution is currently a widespread problem and poses a threat to marine organisms. Here, we examined the effects of copper treatment on the composition of the sponge-associated bacterial community and the genetic features that facilitate the survival of enriched bacteria under copper stress. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that the sponge Haliclona cymaeformis harbored symbiotic sulfur-oxidizing Ectothiorhodospiraceae and photosynthetic Cyanobacteria as dominant species. However, these autotrophic bacteria decreased substantially after treatment with a high copper concentration, which enriched for a heterotrophic-bacterium-dominated community. Metagenomic comparison revealed a varied profile of functional genes and enriched functions, including bacterial motility and chemotaxis, extracellular polysaccharide and capsule synthesis, virulence-associated genes, and genes involved in cell signaling and regulation, suggesting short-period mechanisms of the enriched bacterial community for surviving copper stress in the microenvironment of the sponge. Microscopic observation and comparison revealed dynamic bacterial aggregation within the matrix and lysis of sponge cells. The bacteriophage community was also enriched, and the complete genome of a dominant phage was determined, implying that a lytic phage cycle was stimulated by the high copper concentration. This study demonstrated a copper-induced shift in the composition of functional genes of the sponge-associated bacterial community, revealing the selective effect of copper treatment on the functions of the bacterial community in the microenvironment of the sponge. PMID:25370493

Environmental drivers of the distribution of nitrogen functional genes at a watershed scale.

PubMed

Tsiknia, Myrto; Paranychianakis, Nikolaos V; Varouchakis, Emmanouil A; Nikolaidis, Nikolaos P

2015-06-01

To date only few studies have dealt with the biogeography of microbial communities at large spatial scales, despite the importance of such information to understand and simulate ecosystem functioning. Herein, we describe the biogeographic patterns of microorganisms involved in nitrogen (N)-cycling (diazotrophs, ammonia oxidizers, denitrifiers) as well as the environmental factors shaping these patterns across the Koiliaris Critical Zone Observatory, a typical Mediterranean watershed. Our findings revealed that a proportion of variance ranging from 40 to 80% of functional genes abundance could be explained by the environmental variables monitored, with pH, soil texture, total organic carbon and potential nitrification rate being identified as the most important drivers. The spatial autocorrelation of N-functional genes ranged from 0.2 to 6.2 km and prediction maps, generated by cokriging, revealed distinct patterns of functional genes. The inclusion of functional genes in statistical modeling substantially improved the proportion of variance explained by the models, a result possibly due to the strong relationships that were identified among microbial groups. Significant relationships were set between functional groups, which were further mediated by land use (natural versus agricultural lands). These relationships, in combination with the environmental variables, allow us to provide insights regarding the ecological preferences of N-functional groups and among them the recently identified clade II of nitrous oxide reducers. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

An exemplar-based approach to individualized parcellation reveals the need for sex specific functional networks.

PubMed

Salehi, Mehraveh; Karbasi, Amin; Shen, Xilin; Scheinost, Dustin; Constable, R Todd

2018-04-15

Recent work with functional connectivity data has led to significant progress in understanding the functional organization of the brain. While the majority of the literature has focused on group-level parcellation approaches, there is ample evidence that the brain varies in both structure and function across individuals. In this work, we introduce a parcellation technique that incorporates delineation of functional networks both at the individual- and group-level. The proposed technique deploys the notion of "submodularity" to jointly parcellate the cerebral cortex while establishing an inclusive correspondence between the individualized functional networks. Using this parcellation technique, we successfully established a cross-validated predictive model that predicts individuals' sex, solely based on the parcellation schemes (i.e. the node-to-network assignment vectors). The sex prediction finding illustrates that individualized parcellation of functional networks can reveal subgroups in a population and suggests that the use of a global network parcellation may overlook fundamental differences in network organization. This is a particularly important point to consider in studies comparing patients versus controls or even patient subgroups. Network organization may differ between individuals and global configurations should not be assumed. This approach to the individualized study of functional organization in the brain has many implications for both neuroscience and clinical applications. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mapping causal functional contributions derived from the clinical assessment of brain damage after stroke

PubMed Central

Zavaglia, Melissa; Forkert, Nils D.; Cheng, Bastian; Gerloff, Christian; Thomalla, Götz; Hilgetag, Claus C.

2015-01-01

Lesion analysis reveals causal contributions of brain regions to mental functions, aiding the understanding of normal brain function as well as rehabilitation of brain-damaged patients. We applied a novel lesion inference technique based on game theory, Multi-perturbation Shapley value Analysis (MSA), to a large clinical lesion dataset. We used MSA to analyze the lesion patterns of 148 acute stroke patients together with their neurological deficits, as assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The results revealed regional functional contributions to essential behavioral and cognitive functions as reflected in the NIHSS, particularly by subcortical structures. There were also side specific differences of functional contributions between the right and left hemispheric brain regions which may reflect the dominance of the left hemispheric syndrome aphasia in the NIHSS. Comparison of MSA to established lesion inference methods demonstrated the feasibility of the approach for analyzing clinical data and indicated its capability for objectively inferring functional contributions from multiple injured, potentially interacting sites, at the cost of having to predict the outcome of unknown lesion configurations. The analysis of regional functional contributions to neurological symptoms measured by the NIHSS contributes to the interpretation of this widely used standardized stroke scale in clinical practice as well as clinical trials and provides a first approximation of a ‘map of stroke’. PMID:26448908

Mapping causal functional contributions derived from the clinical assessment of brain damage after stroke.

PubMed

Zavaglia, Melissa; Forkert, Nils D; Cheng, Bastian; Gerloff, Christian; Thomalla, Götz; Hilgetag, Claus C

2015-01-01

Lesion analysis reveals causal contributions of brain regions to mental functions, aiding the understanding of normal brain function as well as rehabilitation of brain-damaged patients. We applied a novel lesion inference technique based on game theory, Multi-perturbation Shapley value Analysis (MSA), to a large clinical lesion dataset. We used MSA to analyze the lesion patterns of 148 acute stroke patients together with their neurological deficits, as assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The results revealed regional functional contributions to essential behavioral and cognitive functions as reflected in the NIHSS, particularly by subcortical structures. There were also side specific differences of functional contributions between the right and left hemispheric brain regions which may reflect the dominance of the left hemispheric syndrome aphasia in the NIHSS. Comparison of MSA to established lesion inference methods demonstrated the feasibility of the approach for analyzing clinical data and indicated its capability for objectively inferring functional contributions from multiple injured, potentially interacting sites, at the cost of having to predict the outcome of unknown lesion configurations. The analysis of regional functional contributions to neurological symptoms measured by the NIHSS contributes to the interpretation of this widely used standardized stroke scale in clinical practice as well as clinical trials and provides a first approximation of a 'map of stroke'.

Functional connectivity pattern during rest within the episodic memory network in association with episodic memory performance in bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Oertel-Knöchel, Viola; Reinke, Britta; Matura, Silke; Prvulovic, David; Linden, David E J; van de Ven, Vincent

2015-02-28

In this study, we sought to examine the intrinsic functional organization of the episodic memory network during rest in bipolar disorder (BD). The previous work suggests that deficits in intrinsic functional connectivity may account for impaired memory performance. We hypothesized that regions involved in episodic memory processing would reveal aberrant functional connectivity in patients with bipolar disorder. We examined 21 patients with BD and 21 healthy matched controls who underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a resting condition. We did a seed-based functional connectivity analysis (SBA), using the regions of the episodic memory network that showed a significantly different activation pattern during task-related fMRI as seeds. The functional connectivity scores (FC) were further correlated with episodic memory task performance. Our results revealed decreased FC scores within frontal areas and between frontal and temporal/hippocampal/limbic regions in BD patients in comparison with controls. We observed higher FC in BD patients compared with controls between frontal and limbic regions. The decrease in fronto-frontal functional connectivity in BD patients showed a significant positive association with episodic memory performance. The association between task-independent dysfunctional frontal-limbic FC and episodic memory performance may be relevant for current pathophysiological models of the disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional Redundancy Patterns Reveal Non-Random Assembly Rules in a Species-Rich Marine Assemblage

PubMed Central

Guillemot, Nicolas; Kulbicki, Michel; Chabanet, Pascale; Vigliola, Laurent

2011-01-01

The relationship between species and the functional diversity of assemblages is fundamental in ecology because it contains key information on functional redundancy, and functionally redundant ecosystems are thought to be more resilient, resistant and stable. However, this relationship is poorly understood and undocumented for species-rich coastal marine ecosystems. Here, we used underwater visual censuses to examine the patterns of functional redundancy for one of the most diverse vertebrate assemblages, the coral reef fishes of New Caledonia, South Pacific. First, we found that the relationship between functional and species diversity displayed a non-asymptotic power-shaped curve, implying that rare functions and species mainly occur in highly diverse assemblages. Second, we showed that the distribution of species amongst possible functions was significantly different from a random distribution up to a threshold of ∼90 species/transect. Redundancy patterns for each function further revealed that some functions displayed fast rates of increase in redundancy at low species diversity, whereas others were only becoming redundant past a certain threshold. This suggested non-random assembly rules and the existence of some primordial functions that would need to be fulfilled in priority so that coral reef fish assemblages can gain a basic ecological structure. Last, we found little effect of habitat on the shape of the functional-species diversity relationship and on the redundancy of functions, although habitat is known to largely determine assemblage characteristics such as species composition, biomass, and abundance. Our study shows that low functional redundancy is characteristic of this highly diverse fish assemblage, and, therefore, that even species-rich ecosystems such as coral reefs may be vulnerable to the removal of a few keystone species. PMID:22039543

Genetics Home Reference: PURA syndrome

MedlinePlus

... lead to a reduced amount of functional Purα protein. Although it is not understood how a partial loss of Purα function leads to the ... KJ, Gawne-Cain M; DDD study, Magee AC, Turnpenny PD, Baralle D. Whole exome sequencing in family trios reveals de novo mutations in ...

Effect of copper treatment on the composition and function of the bacterial community in the sponge Haliclona cymaeformis.

PubMed

Tian, Ren-Mao; Wang, Yong; Bougouffa, Salim; Gao, Zhao-Ming; Cai, Lin; Zhang, Wei-Peng; Bajic, Vladimir; Qian, Pei-Yuan

2014-11-04

Marine sponges are the most primitive metazoan and host symbiotic microorganisms. They are crucial components of the marine ecological system and play an essential role in pelagic processes. Copper pollution is currently a widespread problem and poses a threat to marine organisms. Here, we examined the effects of copper treatment on the composition of the sponge-associated bacterial community and the genetic features that facilitate the survival of enriched bacteria under copper stress. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that the sponge Haliclona cymaeformis harbored symbiotic sulfur-oxidizing Ectothiorhodospiraceae and photosynthetic Cyanobacteria as dominant species. However, these autotrophic bacteria decreased substantially after treatment with a high copper concentration, which enriched for a heterotrophic-bacterium-dominated community. Metagenomic comparison revealed a varied profile of functional genes and enriched functions, including bacterial motility and chemotaxis, extracellular polysaccharide and capsule synthesis, virulence-associated genes, and genes involved in cell signaling and regulation, suggesting short-period mechanisms of the enriched bacterial community for surviving copper stress in the microenvironment of the sponge. Microscopic observation and comparison revealed dynamic bacterial aggregation within the matrix and lysis of sponge cells. The bacteriophage community was also enriched, and the complete genome of a dominant phage was determined, implying that a lytic phage cycle was stimulated by the high copper concentration. This study demonstrated a copper-induced shift in the composition of functional genes of the sponge-associated bacterial community, revealing the selective effect of copper treatment on the functions of the bacterial community in the microenvironment of the sponge. This study determined the bacterial community structure of the common sponge Haliclona cymaeformis and examined the effect of copper treatment on the community structure and functional gene composition, revealing that copper treatment had a selective effect on the functions of the bacterial community in the sponge. These findings suggest that copper pollution has an ecological impact on the sponge symbiont. The analysis showed that the untreated sponges hosted symbiotic autotrophic bacteria as dominant species, and the high-concentration copper treatment enriched for a heterotrophic bacterial community with enrichment for genes important for bacterial motility, supplementary cellular components, signaling and regulation, and virulence. Microscopic observation showed obvious bacterial aggregation and a reduction of sponge cell numbers in treated sponges, which suggested the formation of aggregates to reduce the copper concentration. The enrichment for functions of directional bacterial movement and supplementary cellular components and the formation of bacterial aggregates and phage enrichment are novel findings in sponge studies. Copyright © 2014 Tian et al.

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

Genome wide analysis reveals Zic3 interaction with distal regulatory elements of stage specific developmental genes in zebrafish.

PubMed

Winata, Cecilia L; Kondrychyn, Igor; Kumar, Vibhor; Srinivasan, Kandhadayar G; Orlov, Yuriy; Ravishankar, Ashwini; Prabhakar, Shyam; Stanton, Lawrence W; Korzh, Vladimir; Mathavan, Sinnakaruppan

2013-10-01

Zic3 regulates early embryonic patterning in vertebrates. Loss of Zic3 function is known to disrupt gastrulation, left-right patterning, and neurogenesis. However, molecular events downstream of this transcription factor are poorly characterized. Here we use the zebrafish as a model to study the developmental role of Zic3 in vivo, by applying a combination of two powerful genomics approaches--ChIP-seq and microarray. Besides confirming direct regulation of previously implicated Zic3 targets of the Nodal and canonical Wnt pathways, analysis of gastrula stage embryos uncovered a number of novel candidate target genes, among which were members of the non-canonical Wnt pathway and the neural pre-pattern genes. A similar analysis in zic3-expressing cells obtained by FACS at segmentation stage revealed a dramatic shift in Zic3 binding site locations and identified an entirely distinct set of target genes associated with later developmental functions such as neural development. We demonstrate cis-regulation of several of these target genes by Zic3 using in vivo enhancer assay. Analysis of Zic3 binding sites revealed a distribution biased towards distal intergenic regions, indicative of a long distance regulatory mechanism; some of these binding sites are highly conserved during evolution and act as functional enhancers. This demonstrated that Zic3 regulation of developmental genes is achieved predominantly through long distance regulatory mechanism and revealed that developmental transitions could be accompanied by dramatic changes in regulatory landscape.

Functional mapping of language networks in the normal brain using a word-association task.

PubMed

Ghosh, Shantanu; Basu, Amrita; Kumaran, Senthil S; Khushu, Subash

2010-08-01

Language functions are known to be affected in diverse neurological conditions, including ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumors. Because language networks are extensive, interpretation of functional data depends on the task completed during evaluation. The aim was to map the hemodynamic consequences of word association using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in normal human subjects. Ten healthy subjects underwent fMRI scanning with a postlexical access semantic association task vs lexical processing task. The fMRI protocol involved a T2*-weighted gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (GE-EPI) sequence (TR 4523 ms, TE 64 ms, flip angle 90°) with alternate baseline and activation blocks. A total of 78 scans were taken (interscan interval = 3 s) with a total imaging time of 587 s. Functional data were processed in Statistical Parametric Mapping software (SPM2) with 8-mm Gaussian kernel by convolving the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal with an hemodynamic response function estimated by general linear method to generate SPM{t} and SPM{F} maps. Single subject analysis of the functional data (FWE-corrected, P≤0.001) revealed extensive activation in the frontal lobes, with overlaps among middle frontal gyrus (MFG), superior, and inferior frontal gyri. BOLD activity was also found in the medial frontal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus (MOG), anterior fusiform gyrus, superior and inferior parietal lobules, and to a smaller extent, the thalamus and right anterior cerebellum. Group analysis (FWE-corrected, P≤0.001) revealed neural recruitment of bilateral lingual gyri, left MFG, bilateral MOG, left superior occipital gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, bilateral thalami, and right cerebellar areas. Group data analysis revealed a cerebellar-occipital-fusiform-thalamic network centered around bilateral lingual gyri for word association, thereby indicating how these areas facilitate language comprehension by activating a semantic association network of words processed postlexical access. This finding is important when assessing the extent of cognitive damage and/or recovery and can be used for presurgical planning after optimization.

New aspects of grassland recovery in old-fields revealed by trait-based analyses of perennial-crop-mediated succession.

PubMed

Kelemen, András; Tóthmérész, Béla; Valkó, Orsolya; Miglécz, Tamás; Deák, Balázs; Török, Péter

2017-04-01

Classical old-field succession studies focused on vegetation changes after the abandonment of annual croplands or on succession after the elimination of cultivated crops. Perennial-crop-mediated succession, where fields are initially covered by perennial crops, reveals alternative aspects of old-field succession theories. We tested the validity of classical theories of old-field succession for perennial-crop-mediated succession. We formulated the following hypotheses: (1) functional diversity increases with increasing field age; (2) resource acquisition versus conservation trade-off shifts toward conservation at community level during the succession; (3) the importance of spatial and temporal seed dispersal decreases during the succession; and (4) competitiveness and stress-tolerance increases and ruderality decreases at community level during the succession. We studied functional diversity, trait distributions and plant strategies in differently aged old-fields using chronosequence method. We found increasing functional richness and functional divergence, but also unchanged or decreasing functional evenness. We detected a shift from resource acquisition to resource conservation strategy of communities during the succession. The role of spatial and temporal seed dispersal was found to be important not only at the initial but also at latter successional stages. We found an increasing stress-tolerance and a decreasing ruderality during succession, while the competitiveness remained unchanged at the community level. Despite the markedly different starting conditions, we found that classical and perennial-crop-mediated old-field successions have some similarities regarding the changes of functional diversity, resource acquisition versus conservation trade-off, and seed dispersal strategies. However, we revealed also the subsequent differences. The competitive character of communities remained stable during the succession; hence, the initial stages of perennial-crop-mediated succession can be similar to the middle stages of classical old-field succession. Moreover, the occupied functional niche space and differentiation were larger in the older stages, but resources were not effectively utilized within this space, suggesting that the stabilization of the vegetation requires more time.

Functional MRI evidence for the decline of word retrieval and generation during normal aging.

PubMed

Baciu, M; Boudiaf, N; Cousin, E; Perrone-Bertolotti, M; Pichat, C; Fournet, N; Chainay, H; Lamalle, L; Krainik, A

2016-02-01

This fMRI study aimed to explore the effect of normal aging on word retrieval and generation. The question addressed is whether lexical production decline is determined by a direct mechanism, which concerns the language operations or is rather indirectly induced by a decline of executive functions. Indeed, the main hypothesis was that normal aging does not induce loss of lexical knowledge, but there is only a general slowdown in retrieval mechanisms involved in lexical processing, due to possible decline of the executive functions. We used three tasks (verbal fluency, object naming, and semantic categorization). Two groups of participants were tested (Young, Y and Aged, A), without cognitive and psychiatric impairment and showing similar levels of vocabulary. Neuropsychological testing revealed that older participants had lower executive function scores, longer processing speeds, and tended to have lower verbal fluency scores. Additionally, older participants showed higher scores for verbal automatisms and overlearned information. In terms of behavioral data, older participants performed as accurate as younger adults, but they were significantly slower for the semantic categorization and were less fluent for verbal fluency task. Functional MRI analyses suggested that older adults did not simply activate fewer brain regions involved in word production, but they actually showed an atypical pattern of activation. Significant correlations between the BOLD (Blood Oxygen Level Dependent) signal of aging-related (A > Y) regions and cognitive scores suggested that this atypical pattern of the activation may reveal several compensatory mechanisms (a) to overcome the slowdown in retrieval, due to the decline of executive functions and processing speed and (b) to inhibit verbal automatic processes. The BOLD signal measured in some other aging-dependent regions did not correlate with the behavioral and neuropsychological scores, and the overactivation of these uncorrelated regions would simply reveal dedifferentiation that occurs with aging. Altogether, our results suggest that normal aging is associated with a more difficult access to lexico-semantic operations and representations by a slowdown in executive functions, without any conceptual loss.

Functional connectivity change as shared signal dynamics

PubMed Central

Cole, Michael W.; Yang, Genevieve J.; Murray, John D.; Repovš, Grega; Anticevic, Alan

2015-01-01

Background An increasing number of neuroscientific studies gain insights by focusing on differences in functional connectivity – between groups, individuals, temporal windows, or task conditions. We found using simulations that additional insights into such differences can be gained by forgoing variance normalization, a procedure used by most functional connectivity measures. Simulations indicated that these functional connectivity measures are sensitive to increases in independent fluctuations (unshared signal) in time series, consistently reducing functional connectivity estimates (e.g., correlations) even though such changes are unrelated to corresponding fluctuations (shared signal) between those time series. This is inconsistent with the common notion of functional connectivity as the amount of inter-region interaction. New Method Simulations revealed that a version of correlation without variance normalization – covariance – was able to isolate differences in shared signal, increasing interpretability of observed functional connectivity change. Simulations also revealed cases problematic for non-normalized methods, leading to a “covariance conjunction” method combining the benefits of both normalized and non-normalized approaches. Results We found that covariance and covariance conjunction methods can detect functional connectivity changes across a variety of tasks and rest in both clinical and non-clinical functional MRI datasets. Comparison with Existing Method(s) We verified using a variety of tasks and rest in both clinical and non-clinical functional MRI datasets that it matters in practice whether correlation, covariance, or covariance conjunction methods are used. Conclusions These results demonstrate the practical and theoretical utility of isolating changes in shared signal, improving the ability to interpret observed functional connectivity change. PMID:26642966

How Costly is Hospital Quality? A Revealed-Preference Approach*

PubMed Central

Romley, John A.; Goldman, Dana P.

2013-01-01

We analyze the cost of quality improvement in hospitals, dealing with two challenges. Hospital quality is multidimensional and hard to measure, while unobserved productivity may influence quality supply. We infer the quality of hospitals in Los Angeles from patient choices. We then incorporate ‘revealed quality’ into a cost function, instrumenting with hospital demand. We find that revealed quality differentiates hospitals, but is not strongly correlated with clinical quality. Revealed quality is quite costly, and tends to increase with hospital productivity. Thus, non-clinical aspects of the hospital experience (perhaps including patient amenities) play important roles in hospital demand, competition, and costs. PMID:22299199

Functional Recovery and Life Satisfaction in the First Year After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Multicenter Study of a Norwegian National Cohort.

PubMed

Anke, Audny; Andelic, Nada; Skandsen, Toril; Knoph, Rein; Ader, Tiina; Manskow, Unn; Sigurdardottir, Solrun; Røe, Cecilie

2015-01-01

(1) To examine the impact of demographic and acute injury-related variables on functional recovery and life satisfaction after severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) and (2) to test whether postinjury functioning, postconcussive symptoms, emotional state, and functional improvement are related to life satisfaction. Prospective national multicenter study. Level 1 trauma centers in Norway. 163 adults with sTBI. Functional recovery between 3 and 12 months postinjury measured with Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended, Rivermead Postconcussion Symptoms Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and satisfaction with life situation. 60% of cases experienced functional improvement from 3 to 12 months postinjury. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that discharge to a rehabilitation department from acute care (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14; P < .05) and fewer days with artificial ventilation (OR = 1.04; P < .05) were significantly related to improvement. At 12 months postinjury, 85% were independent in daily activities. Most participants (63%) were satisfied with their life situation. Regression analysis revealed that older age (>65 years), low education, better functional outcome, and the absence of depressive and postconcussion symptoms were significant (P < .05) predictors of life satisfaction. Functional improvement was significantly associated with emotional state but not to life satisfaction. Following sTBI, approximately two-thirds of survivors improve between 3 and 12 months postinjury and are satisfied with their life. Direct discharge from acute care to specialized rehabilitation appears to increase functional recovery.

Cluster analysis differentiates high and low community functioning in schizophrenia: Subgroups differ on working memory but not other neurocognitive domains.

PubMed

Alden, Eva C; Cobia, Derin J; Reilly, James L; Smith, Matthew J

2015-10-01

Schizophrenia is characterized by impairment in multiple aspects of community functioning. Available literature suggests that community functioning may be enhanced through cognitive remediation, however, evidence is limited regarding whether specific neurocognitive domains may be treatment targets. We characterized schizophrenia subjects based on their level of community functioning through cluster analysis in an effort to identify whether specific neurocognitive domains were associated with variation in functioning. Schizophrenia (SCZ, n=60) and control (CON, n=45) subjects completed a functional capacity task, social competence role-play, functional attainment interview, and a neuropsychological battery. Multiple cluster analytic techniques were used on the measures of functioning in the schizophrenia subjects to generate functionally-defined subgroups. MANOVA evaluated between-group differences in neurocognition. The cluster analysis revealed two distinct groups, consisting of 36 SCZ characterized by high levels of community functioning (HF-SCZ) and 24 SCZ with low levels of community functioning (LF-SCZ). There was a main group effect for neurocognitive performance (p<0.001) with CON outperforming both SCZ groups in all neurocognitive domains. Post-hoc tests revealed that HF-SCZ had higher verbal working memory compared to LF-SCZ (p≤0.05, Cohen's d=0.78) but the two groups did not differ in remaining domains. The cluster analysis classified schizophrenia subjects in HF-SCZ and LF-SCZ using a multidimensional assessment of community functioning. Moreover, HF-SCZ demonstrated rather preserved verbal working memory relative to LF-SCZ. The results suggest that verbal working memory may play a critical role in community functioning, and is a potential cognitive treatment target for schizophrenia subjects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Value of Consensual Ratings in Differentiating Organic and Functional Low Back Pain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donham, Greg W.; And Others

1984-01-01

Evaluated 40 low back pain patients by a multidisciplinary team to identify the behavioral characteristics associated with functional and organic determinants of pain. Results indicated that behavioral observations of the orthopedists and the nursing staff revealed contrasting patterns of behavior for those patients classified as organic or…

Effects of Intralaminar Thalamic Stimulation on Language Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhatnagar, Subhash C.; Mandybur, George T.

2005-01-01

Fifteen neurosurgical subjects, who were undergoing thalamic chronic electrode implants as a treatment for dyskinesia and chronic pain, were evaluated on a series of neurolinguistic functions to determine if the stimulation of the centromedianum nucleus of the thalamus affected language and cognitive processing. Analysis of the data revealed that…

Psychosocial Aspects of Siblings' Experiences of Pediatric Cancer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapiro, Marla; Brack, Gregory

1994-01-01

Identified those aspects of experiences of siblings of children with cancer that might have impact on school functioning. Also examined extent to which parents and siblings concurred in their reports of siblings' psychosocial functioning and adjustment. Findings from 15 children and adults attending pediatric oncology camp revealed that most…

The Functions of Spanish in the School Lives of Mexicano Bilingual Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benjamin, Rebecca

1996-01-01

A study of the language usage of five Mexican American fifth-grade bilingual students in an all-English classroom revealed the functions that Spanish continued to serve: providing information and assistance with school work, seeking explanations, providing self-talk, establishing and maintaining social relationships, and negotiating and…

The Interplay of Language on Executive Functions in Children with ASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akbar, Maysa; Loomis, Rebecca; Paul, Rhea

2013-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication and by repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Prior research has revealed executive function (EF) deficits in children with ASD. It has been suggested that these EF impairments are associated with language…

The Function of Phenomenal States: Supramodular Interaction Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morsella, Ezequiel

2005-01-01

Discovering the function of phenomenal states remains a formidable scientific challenge. Research on consciously penetrable conflicts (e.g., "pain-for-gain" scenarios) and impenetrable conflicts (as in the pupillary reflex, ventriloquism, and the McGurk effect [H. McGurk & J. MacDonald, 1976]) reveals that these states integrate diverse kinds of…

Automated Essay Scoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dikli, Semire

2006-01-01

The impacts of computers on writing have been widely studied for three decades. Even basic computers functions, i.e. word processing, have been of great assistance to writers in modifying their essays. The research on Automated Essay Scoring (AES) has revealed that computers have the capacity to function as a more effective cognitive tool (Attali,…

Maintenance of Function in Relocation of Community-Dwelling Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storandt, Martha; Wittels, Ilene

1975-01-01

Relocation is often seen as a high-risk stress for the elderly. The present study compared relatively healthy older people moving voluntarily with nonmovers. An examination of behavioral test performance in a pre-post design revealed no decrement in function among those who changed residence. (Author)

On Spirituality and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogan, Michael J.

2009-01-01

It is a mistake to ignore the scientific study of spirituality. Research examining the structure and function of concepts such as "spirit" and "spirituality" is likely to reveal new insights into the relationship between a functional spirituality and other thinking skills, including creativity. The study of spirituality should not stand alone as a…

Neural Correlates of Symptom Dimensions in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Andrew R.; Akkal, Dalila; Almeida, Jorge R. C.; Mataix-Cols, David; Kalas, Catherine; Devlin, Bernie; Birmaher, Boris; Phillips, Mary L.

2009-01-01

The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging on a group of pediatric subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder reveals that this group has reduced activity in neural regions underlying emotional processing, cognitive processing, and motor performance as compared to control subjects.

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Sensory Cortex

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metherate, Raju

2004-01-01

Acetylcholine release in sensory neocortex contributes to higher-order sensory function, in part by activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Molecular studies have revealed a bewildering array of nAChR subtypes and cellular actions; however, there is some consensus emerging about the major nAChR subtypes and their functions in…

Genome-wide characterization of Mediator recruitment, function, and regulation.

PubMed

Grünberg, Sebastian; Zentner, Gabriel E

2017-05-27

Mediator is a conserved and essential coactivator complex broadly required for RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription. Recent genome-wide studies of Mediator binding in budding yeast have revealed new insights into the functions of this critical complex and raised new questions about its role in the regulation of gene expression.

Social Maturity and Executive Function among Deaf Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marschark, Marc; Kronenberger, William G.; Rosica, Mark; Borgna, Georgianna; Convertino, Carol; Durkin, Andreana; Machmer, Elizabeth; Schmitz, Kathryn L.

2017-01-01

Two experiments examined relations among social maturity, executive function, language, and cochlear implant (CI) use among deaf high school and college students. Experiment 1 revealed no differences between deaf CI users, deaf nonusers, and hearing college students in measures of social maturity. However, deaf students (both CI users and…

Sulfakinin is an important regulator of digestive processes in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sulfakinin (SK) is a sulfated insect neuropeptide that is best known for its function as a satiety factor. It displays structural and functional similarities with the vertebrate peptides gastrin and cholecystokinin. Peptidomic studies in multiple insects, crustaceans and arachnids have revealed th...

T Cell Receptor Signaling in the Control of Regulatory T Cell Differentiation and Function

PubMed Central

Li, Ming O.; Rudensky, Alexander Y.

2016-01-01

Regulatory T cells (TReg cells), a specialized T cell lineage, have a pivotal function in the control of self-tolerance and inflammatory responses. Recent studies have revealed a discrete mode of TCR signaling that regulates Treg cell differentiation, maintenance and function and that impacts on gene expression, metabolism, cell adhesion and migration of these cells. Here, we discuss the emerging understanding of TCR-guided differentiation of Treg cells in the context of their function in health and disease. PMID:27026074

Contextuality and Wigner-function negativity in qubit quantum computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raussendorf, Robert; Browne, Dan E.; Delfosse, Nicolas; Okay, Cihan; Bermejo-Vega, Juan

2017-05-01

We describe schemes of quantum computation with magic states on qubits for which contextuality and negativity of the Wigner function are necessary resources possessed by the magic states. These schemes satisfy a constraint. Namely, the non-negativity of Wigner functions must be preserved under all available measurement operations. Furthermore, we identify stringent consistency conditions on such computational schemes, revealing the general structure by which negativity of Wigner functions, hardness of classical simulation of the computation, and contextuality are connected.

Dual role of wingless signaling in stem-like hematopoietic precursor maintenance in Drosophila.

PubMed

Sinenko, Sergey A; Mandal, Lolitika; Martinez-Agosto, Julian A; Banerjee, Utpal

2009-05-01

In Drosophila, blood development occurs in a specialized larval hematopoietic organ, the lymph gland (LG), within which stem-like hemocyte precursors or prohemocytes differentiate to multiple blood cell types. Here we show that components of the Wingless (Wg) signaling pathway are expressed in prohemocytes. Loss- and gain-of-function analysis indicates that canonical Wg signaling is required for maintenance of prohemocytes and negatively regulates their differentiation. Wg signals locally in a short-range fashion within different compartments of the LG. In addition, Wg signaling positively regulates the proliferation and maintenance of cells that function as a hematopoietic niche in Drosophila, the posterior signaling center (PSC), and in the proliferation of crystal cells. Our studies reveal a conserved function of Wg signaling in the maintenance of stem-like blood progenitors and reveal an involvement of this pathway in the regulation of hemocyte differentiation through its action in the hematopoietic niche.

Whole-brain activity maps reveal stereotyped, distributed networks for visuomotor behavior.

PubMed

Portugues, Ruben; Feierstein, Claudia E; Engert, Florian; Orger, Michael B

2014-03-19

Most behaviors, even simple innate reflexes, are mediated by circuits of neurons spanning areas throughout the brain. However, in most cases, the distribution and dynamics of firing patterns of these neurons during behavior are not known. We imaged activity, with cellular resolution, throughout the whole brains of zebrafish performing the optokinetic response. We found a sparse, broadly distributed network that has an elaborate but ordered pattern, with a bilaterally symmetrical organization. Activity patterns fell into distinct clusters reflecting sensory and motor processing. By correlating neuronal responses with an array of sensory and motor variables, we find that the network can be clearly divided into distinct functional modules. Comparing aligned data from multiple fish, we find that the spatiotemporal activity dynamics and functional organization are highly stereotyped across individuals. These experiments systematically reveal the functional architecture of neural circuits underlying a sensorimotor behavior in a vertebrate brain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Whole-brain activity maps reveal stereotyped, distributed networks for visuomotor behavior

PubMed Central

Portugues, Ruben; Feierstein, Claudia E.; Engert, Florian; Orger, Michael B.

2014-01-01

Summary Most behaviors, even simple innate reflexes, are mediated by circuits of neurons spanning areas throughout the brain. However, in most cases, the distribution and dynamics of firing patterns of these neurons during behavior are not known. We imaged activity, with cellular resolution, throughout the whole brains of zebrafish performing the optokinetic response. We found a sparse, broadly distributed network that has an elaborate, but ordered, pattern, with a bilaterally symmetrical organization. Activity patterns fell into distinct clusters reflecting sensory and motor processing. By correlating neuronal responses with an array of sensory and motor variables, we find that the network can be clearly divided into distinct functional modules. Comparing aligned data from multiple fish, we find that the spatiotemporal activity dynamics and functional organization are highly stereotyped across individuals. These experiments reveal, for the first time in a vertebrate, the comprehensive functional architecture of the neural circuits underlying a sensorimotor behavior. PMID:24656252