A biographical note on Max Friedrich (1856-1887), Wundt's first PhD student in experimental psychology.

PubMed

Domanski, Cezary W

2004-01-01

This article unveils some previously unknown facts about the short life of Max Friedrich (1856-1887), the author in 1881 of the first PhD dissertation on experimental psychology, written under the supervision of Wilhelm Wundt: "On the Duration of Apperception for Simple and Complex Visual Stimuli." The article describes Friedrich's family background and life, professional career as a teacher, and works in psychology and mathematics. Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A new approach to aid the characterisation and identification of metabolites of a model drug; partial isotope enrichment combined with novel formula elucidation software.

PubMed

Hobby, Kirsten; Gallagher, Richard T; Caldwell, Patrick; Wilson, Ian D

2009-01-01

This work describes the identification of 'isotopically enriched' metabolites of 4-cyanoaniline using the unique features of the software package 'Spectral Simplicity'. The software is capable of creating the theoretical mass spectra for partially isotope-enriched compounds, and subsequently performing an elemental composition analysis to give the elemental formula for the 'isotopically enriched' metabolite. A novel mass spectral correlation method, called 'FuzzyFit', was employed. 'FuzzyFit' utilises the expected experimental distribution of errors in both mass accuracy and isotope pattern and enables discrimination between statistically probable and improbable candidate formulae. The software correctly determined the molecular formulae of ten previously described metabolites of 4-cyanoaniline confirming the technique of partial isotope enrichment can produce results analogous to standard methodologies. Six previously unknown species were also identified, based on the presence of the unique 'designer' isotope ratio. Three of the unknowns were tentatively identified as N-acetylglutamine, O-methyl-N acetylglucuronide and a putative fatty acid conjugate. The discovery of a significant number of unknown species of a model drug with a comprehensive history of investigation highlights the potential for enhancement to the analytical process by the use of 'designer' isotope ratio compounds. The 'FuzzyFit' methodology significantly aided the elucidation of candidate formulae, by provision of a vastly simplified candidate formula data set. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

New Trichoptera records from Arkansas and Missouri

Treesearch

David A. Etnier

2010-01-01

Analysis of about 69,000 Trichoptera from Arkansas and Missouri resulted in identification of six species previously unknown from Arkansas (i.e., Agraylea costello, Neotrichia collata, Orthotrichia curta, Oxyethira glasa, O. pescadori, Neureclipsis piersoni) and three species previously unknown from Missouri (i.e., Cheumatopsyche mollala, Hydroptila broweri, H....

Multialternative drift-diffusion model predicts the relationship between visual fixations and choice in value-based decisions.

PubMed

Krajbich, Ian; Rangel, Antonio

2011-08-16

How do we make decisions when confronted with several alternatives (e.g., on a supermarket shelf)? Previous work has shown that accumulator models, such as the drift-diffusion model, can provide accurate descriptions of the psychometric data for binary value-based choices, and that the choice process is guided by visual attention. However, the computational processes used to make choices in more complicated situations involving three or more options are unknown. We propose a model of trinary value-based choice that generalizes what is known about binary choice, and test it using an eye-tracking experiment. We find that the model provides a quantitatively accurate description of the relationship between choice, reaction time, and visual fixation data using the same parameters that were estimated in previous work on binary choice. Our findings suggest that the brain uses similar computational processes to make binary and trinary choices.

Michael Maier--nine newly discovered letters.

PubMed

Lenke, Nils; Roudet, Nicolas; Tilton, Hereward

2014-02-01

The authors provide a transcription, translation, and evaluation of nine newly discovered letters from the alchemist Michael Maier (1568-1622) to Gebhardt Johann von Alvensleben (1576-1631), a noble landholder in the vicinity of Magdeburg. Stemming from the final year of his life, this correspondence casts new light on Maier's biography, detailing his efforts to secure patronage amid the financial crisis of the early Thirty Years' War. While his ill-fated quest to perfect potable gold continued to form the central focus of his patronage suits, Maier also offered his services in several arts that he had condemned in his printed works, namely astrology and "supernatural" magic. Remarks concerning his previously unknown acquaintance with Heinrich Khunrath call for a re-evaluation of Maier's negotiation of the discursive boundaries between Lutheran orthodoxy and Paracelsianism. The letters also reveal Maier's substantial contribution to a work previously ascribed solely to the English alchemist Francis Anthony.

413. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

413. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; DIVISION OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY TOLL CROSSINGS; SAN FRANCISCO OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION; STEEL WORK - WEST BAY; CONTINUOUS SPANS - LONGITUDINAL GIRDERS; SHEET NO. 18; DRAWING NO. C-4028-18R - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

414. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

414. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; DIVISION OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY TOLL CROSSINGS; SAN FRANCISCO OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION; STEEL WORK - WEST BAY; TYPICAL SECTIONS; SHEET NO. 5; DRAWING NO. C-4028-5R - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Water cavities of sH clathrate hydrate stabilized by molecular hydrogen.

PubMed

Strobel, Timothy A; Koh, Carolyn A; Sloan, E Dendy

2008-02-21

X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic measurements confirm that molecular hydrogen can be contained within the small water cavities of a binary sH clathrate hydrate using large guest molecules that stabilize the large cavity. The potential increase in hydrogen storage could be more than 40% when compared with binary sII hydrates. This work demonstrates the stabilization of hydrogen in a hydrate structure previously unknown for encapsulating molecular hydrogen, indicating the potential for other inclusion compound materials with even greater hydrogen storage capabilities.

The centrality of guilt: working with ultra-orthodox Jewish patients in Israel.

PubMed

Hess, Esther

2014-09-01

The ultra-orthodox Jewish (Haredi) community in Israel is characterized by strict observance of the requirements of orthodox Jewish life. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy within this community brings us into contact with guilt as a central emotion throughout the therapeutic process. The exposure to new concepts, ways of thought and a previously unknown space, together with increased awareness of internal wishes and drives, are experienced as forbidden areas that arouse an awakening of conscience and a sense of guilt. The author's cases illustrate these conflicts.

415. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

415. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; DIVISION OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY TOLL CROSSINGS; SAN FRANCISCO OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION; STEEL WORK - WEST BAY; Y.B. ANCHORAGE - FLOOR BEAMS YA-5 AND BENT 3; SHEET NO. 22; DRAWING NO. C-4028-22R - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Ethical Concerns and Procedural Pathways for Patients Who are Incapacitated and Alone: Implications from a Qualitative Study for Advancing Ethical Practice

PubMed Central

Catlin, Casey; Kwak, Jennifer; Wood, Erica; Teaster, Pamela B.

2017-01-01

Adults who are incapacitated and alone, having no surrogates, may be known as “unbefriended.” Decision-making for these particularly vulnerable patients is a common and vexing concern for healthcare providers and hospital ethics committees. When all other avenues for resolving the need for surrogate decision-making fail, patients who are incapacitated and alone may be referred for “public guardianship” or guardianship of last resort. While an appropriate mechanism in theory, these programs are often under-staffed and under-funded, laying the consequences of inadequacies on the healthcare system and the patient him or herself. We describe a qualitative study of professionals spanning clinical, court, and agency settings about the mechanisms for resolving surrogate consent for these patients and problems therein within the state of Massachusetts. Interviews found that all participants encountered adults who are incapacitated and without surrogates. Four approaches for addressing surrogate needs were: (1) work to restore capacity; (2) find previously unknown surrogates; (3) work with agencies to obtain surrogates; and (4) access the guardianship system. The use of guardianship was associated with procedural challenges and ethical concerns including delays in care, short term gains for long term costs, inabilities to meet a patient’s values and preferences, conflicts of interest, and ethical discomfort among interviewees. Findings are discussed in the context of resources to restore capacity, identify previously unknown surrogates, and establish improved surrogate mechanisms for this vulnerable population. PMID:28084575

Ethical Concerns and Procedural Pathways for Patients Who are Incapacitated and Alone: Implications from a Qualitative Study for Advancing Ethical Practice.

PubMed

Moye, Jennifer; Catlin, Casey; Kwak, Jennifer; Wood, Erica; Teaster, Pamela B

2017-06-01

Adults who are incapacitated and alone, having no surrogates, may be known as "unbefriended." Decision-making for these particularly vulnerable patients is a common and vexing concern for healthcare providers and hospital ethics committees. When all other avenues for resolving the need for surrogate decision-making fail, patients who are incapacitated and alone may be referred for "public guardianship" or guardianship of last resort. While an appropriate mechanism in theory, these programs are often under-staffed and under-funded, laying the consequences of inadequacies on the healthcare system and the patient him or herself. We describe a qualitative study of professionals spanning clinical, court, and agency settings about the mechanisms for resolving surrogate consent for these patients and problems therein within the state of Massachusetts. Interviews found that all participants encountered adults who are incapacitated and without surrogates. Four approaches for addressing surrogate needs were: (1) work to restore capacity; (2) find previously unknown surrogates; (3) work with agencies to obtain surrogates; and (4) access the guardianship system. The use of guardianship was associated with procedural challenges and ethical concerns including delays in care, short term gains for long term costs, inabilities to meet a patient's values and preferences, conflicts of interest, and ethical discomfort among interviewees. Findings are discussed in the context of resources to restore capacity, identify previously unknown surrogates, and establish improved surrogate mechanisms for this vulnerable population.

Prediction of binding hot spot residues by using structural and evolutionary parameters.

PubMed

Higa, Roberto Hiroshi; Tozzi, Clésio Luis

2009-07-01

In this work, we present a method for predicting hot spot residues by using a set of structural and evolutionary parameters. Unlike previous studies, we use a set of parameters which do not depend on the structure of the protein in complex, so that the predictor can also be used when the interface region is unknown. Despite the fact that no information concerning proteins in complex is used for prediction, the application of the method to a compiled dataset described in the literature achieved a performance of 60.4%, as measured by F-Measure, corresponding to a recall of 78.1% and a precision of 49.5%. This result is higher than those reported by previous studies using the same data set.

Systematic discovery of antiphage defense systems in the microbial pangenome.

PubMed

Doron, Shany; Melamed, Sarah; Ofir, Gal; Leavitt, Azita; Lopatina, Anna; Keren, Mai; Amitai, Gil; Sorek, Rotem

2018-03-02

The arms race between bacteria and phages led to the development of sophisticated antiphage defense systems, including CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification systems. Evidence suggests that known and unknown defense systems are located in "defense islands" in microbial genomes. Here, we comprehensively characterized the bacterial defensive arsenal by examining gene families that are clustered next to known defense genes in prokaryotic genomes. Candidate defense systems were systematically engineered and validated in model bacteria for their antiphage activities. We report nine previously unknown antiphage systems and one antiplasmid system that are widespread in microbes and strongly protect against foreign invaders. These include systems that adopted components of the bacterial flagella and condensin complexes. Our data also suggest a common, ancient ancestry of innate immunity components shared between animals, plants, and bacteria. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Holographic maps of quasiparticle interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalla Torre, Emanuele G.; He, Yang; Demler, Eugene

2016-11-01

The analysis of Fourier-transformed scanning tunnelling microscopy images with subatomic resolution is a common tool for studying the properties of quasiparticle excitations in strongly correlated materials. Although Fourier amplitudes are generally complex valued, earlier analysis primarily focused on their absolute values. Their complex phases were often deemed random, and thus irrelevant, due to the unknown positions of the impurities in the sample. Here we show how to factor out these random phases by analysing overlaps between Fourier amplitudes that differ by reciprocal lattice vectors. The resulting holographic maps provide important and previously unknown information about the electronic structures. When applied to superconducting cuprates, our method solves a long-standing puzzle of the dichotomy between equivalent wavevectors. We show that d-wave Wannier functions of the conduction band provide a natural explanation for experimental results that were interpreted as evidence for competing unconventional charge modulations. Our work opens a new pathway to identify the nature of electronic states in scanning tunnelling microscopy.

Tactile perception and working memory in rats and humans

PubMed Central

Fassihi, Arash; Akrami, Athena; Esmaeili, Vahid; Diamond, Mathew E.

2014-01-01

Primates can store sensory stimulus parameters in working memory for subsequent manipulation, but until now, there has been no demonstration of this capacity in rodents. Here we report tactile working memory in rats. Each stimulus is a vibration, generated as a series of velocity values sampled from a normal distribution. To perform the task, the rat positions its whiskers to receive two such stimuli, “base” and “comparison,” separated by a variable delay. It then judges which stimulus had greater velocity SD. In analogous experiments, humans compare two vibratory stimuli on the fingertip. We demonstrate that the ability of rats to hold base stimulus information (for up to 8 s) and their acuity in assessing stimulus differences overlap the performance demonstrated by humans. This experiment highlights the ability of rats to perceive the statistical structure of vibrations and reveals their previously unknown capacity to store sensory information in working memory. PMID:24449850

On the computation of steady Hopper flows. II: von Mises materials in various geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gremaud, Pierre A.; Matthews, John V.; O'Malley, Meghan

2004-11-01

Similarity solutions are constructed for the flow of granular materials through hoppers. Unlike previous work, the present approach applies to nonaxisymmetric containers. The model involves ten unknowns (stresses, velocity, and plasticity function) determined by nine nonlinear first order partial differential equations together with a quadratic algebraic constraint (yield condition). A pseudospectral discretization is applied; the resulting problem is solved with a trust region method. The important role of the hopper geometry on the flow is illustrated by several numerical experiments of industrial relevance.

The "LARSE" Project - Working Toward a Safer Future for Los Angeles

USGS Publications Warehouse

Henyey, Thomas L.; Fuis, Gary S.; Benthien, Mark L.; Burdette, Thomas R.; Christofferson, Shari A.; Clayton, Robert W.; Davis, Paul M.; Hendley, James W.; Kohler, Monica D.; Lutter, William J.; McRaney, John K.; Murphy, Janice M.; Okaya, David A.; Ryberg, Trond; Similia, Gerald W.; Stauffer, Peter H.

1999-01-01

The Los Angeles region is underlain by a network of active faults, including many that are deep and do not break the Earth's surface. These hidden faults include the previously unknown one responsible for the devastating January 1994 Northridge earthquake, the costliest quake in U.S. history. So that structures can be built or strengthened to withstand the quakes that are certain in the future, the Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment (LARSE) is locating hidden earthquake hazards beneath the region to help scientists determine where the strongest shaking will occur.

Orbit Determination and Maneuver Detection Using Event Representation with Thrust-Fourier-Coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubey, D.; Ko, H.; Scheeres, D.

The classical orbit determination (OD) method of dealing with unknown maneuvers is to restart the OD process with post-maneuver observations. However, it is also possible to continue the OD process through such unknown maneuvers by representing those unknown maneuvers with an appropriate event representation. It has been shown in previous work (Ko & Scheeres, JGCD 2014) that any maneuver performed by a satellite transitioning between two arbitrary orbital states can be represented as an equivalent maneuver connecting those two states using Thrust-Fourier-Coefficients (TFCs). Event representation using TFCs rigorously provides a unique control law that can generate the desired secular behavior for a given unknown maneuver. This paper presents applications of this representation approach to orbit prediction and maneuver detection problem across unknown maneuvers. The TFCs are appended to a sequential filter as an adjoint state to compensate unknown perturbing accelerations and the modified filter estimates the satellite state and thrust coefficients by processing OD across the time of an unknown maneuver. This modified sequential filter with TFCs is capable of fitting tracking data and maintaining an OD solution in the presence of unknown maneuvers. Also, the modified filter is found effective in detecting a sudden change in TFC values which indicates a maneuver. In order to illustrate that the event representation approach with TFCs is robust and sufficiently general to be easily adjustable, different types of measurement data are processed with the filter in a realistic LEO setting. Further, cases with mis-modeling of non-gravitational force are included in our study to verify the versatility and efficiency of our presented algorithm. Simulation results show that the modified sequential filter with TFCs can detect and estimate the orbit and thrust parameters in the presence of unknown maneuvers with or without measurement data during maneuvers. With no measurement data during maneuvers, the modified filter with TFCs uses an existing pre-maneuver orbit solution to compute a post-maneuver orbit solution by forcing TFCs to compensate for an unknown maneuver. With observation data available during maneuvers, maneuver start time and stop time is determined

Identifying known unknowns using the US EPA's CompTox Chemistry Dashboard.

PubMed

McEachran, Andrew D; Sobus, Jon R; Williams, Antony J

2017-03-01

Chemical features observed using high-resolution mass spectrometry can be tentatively identified using online chemical reference databases by searching molecular formulae and monoisotopic masses and then rank-ordering of the hits using appropriate relevance criteria. The most likely candidate "known unknowns," which are those chemicals unknown to an investigator but contained within a reference database or literature source, rise to the top of a chemical list when rank-ordered by the number of associated data sources. The U.S. EPA's CompTox Chemistry Dashboard is a curated and freely available resource for chemistry and computational toxicology research, containing more than 720,000 chemicals of relevance to environmental health science. In this research, the performance of the Dashboard for identifying known unknowns was evaluated against that of the online ChemSpider database, one of the primary resources used by mass spectrometrists, using multiple previously studied datasets reported in the peer-reviewed literature totaling 162 chemicals. These chemicals were examined using both applications via molecular formula and monoisotopic mass searches followed by rank-ordering of candidate compounds by associated references or data sources. A greater percentage of chemicals ranked in the top position when using the Dashboard, indicating an advantage of this application over ChemSpider for identifying known unknowns using data source ranking. Additional approaches are being developed for inclusion into a non-targeted analysis workflow as part of the CompTox Chemistry Dashboard. This work shows the potential for use of the Dashboard in exposure assessment and risk decision-making through significant improvements in non-targeted chemical identification. Graphical abstract Identifying known unknowns in the US EPA's CompTox Chemistry Dashboard from molecular formula and monoisotopic mass inputs.

Balanced Cortical Microcircuitry for Spatial Working Memory Based on Corrective Feedback Control

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

A hallmark of working memory is the ability to maintain graded representations of both the spatial location and amplitude of a memorized stimulus. Previous work has identified a neural correlate of spatial working memory in the persistent maintenance of spatially specific patterns of neural activity. How such activity is maintained by neocortical circuits remains unknown. Traditional models of working memory maintain analog representations of either the spatial location or the amplitude of a stimulus, but not both. Furthermore, although most previous models require local excitation and lateral inhibition to maintain spatially localized persistent activity stably, the substrate for lateral inhibitory feedback pathways is unclear. Here, we suggest an alternative model for spatial working memory that is capable of maintaining analog representations of both the spatial location and amplitude of a stimulus, and that does not rely on long-range feedback inhibition. The model consists of a functionally columnar network of recurrently connected excitatory and inhibitory neural populations. When excitation and inhibition are balanced in strength but offset in time, drifts in activity trigger spatially specific negative feedback that corrects memory decay. The resulting networks can temporally integrate inputs at any spatial location, are robust against many commonly considered perturbations in network parameters, and, when implemented in a spiking model, generate irregular neural firing characteristic of that observed experimentally during persistent activity. This work suggests balanced excitatory–inhibitory memory circuits implementing corrective negative feedback as a substrate for spatial working memory. PMID:24828633

Improving Hall Thruster Plume Simulation through Refined Characterization of Near-field Plasma Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huismann, Tyler D.

Due to the rapidly expanding role of electric propulsion (EP) devices, it is important to evaluate their integration with other spacecraft systems. Specifically, EP device plumes can play a major role in spacecraft integration, and as such, accurate characterization of plume structure bears on mission success. This dissertation addresses issues related to accurate prediction of plume structure in a particular type of EP device, a Hall thruster. This is done in two ways: first, by coupling current plume simulation models with current models that simulate a Hall thruster's internal plasma behavior; second, by improving plume simulation models and thereby increasing physical fidelity. These methods are assessed by comparing simulated results to experimental measurements. Assessment indicates the two methods improve plume modeling capabilities significantly: using far-field ion current density as a metric, these approaches used in conjunction improve agreement with measurements by a factor of 2.5, as compared to previous methods. Based on comparison to experimental measurements, recent computational work on discharge chamber modeling has been largely successful in predicting properties of internal thruster plasmas. This model can provide detailed information on plasma properties at a variety of locations. Frequently, experimental data is not available at many locations that are of interest regarding computational models. Excepting the presence of experimental data, there are limited alternatives for scientifically determining plasma properties that are necessary as inputs into plume simulations. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on coupling current models that simulate internal thruster plasma behavior with plume simulation models. Further, recent experimental work on atom-ion interactions has provided a better understanding of particle collisions within plasmas. This experimental work is used to update collision models in a current plume simulation code. Previous versions of the code assume an unknown dependence between particles' pre-collision velocities and post-collision scattering angles. This dissertation focuses on updating several of these types of collisions by assuming a curve fit based on the measurements of atom-ion interactions, such that previously unknown angular dependences are well-characterized.

Prediction of binding hot spot residues by using structural and evolutionary parameters

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

In this work, we present a method for predicting hot spot residues by using a set of structural and evolutionary parameters. Unlike previous studies, we use a set of parameters which do not depend on the structure of the protein in complex, so that the predictor can also be used when the interface region is unknown. Despite the fact that no information concerning proteins in complex is used for prediction, the application of the method to a compiled dataset described in the literature achieved a performance of 60.4%, as measured by F-Measure, corresponding to a recall of 78.1% and a precision of 49.5%. This result is higher than those reported by previous studies using the same data set. PMID:21637529

Detecting Unknown Artificial Urban Surface Materials Based on Spectral Dissimilarity Analysis.

PubMed

Jilge, Marianne; Heiden, Uta; Habermeyer, Martin; Mende, André; Juergens, Carsten

2017-08-08

High resolution imaging spectroscopy data have been recognised as a valuable data resource for augmenting detailed material inventories that serve as input for various urban applications. Image-specific urban spectral libraries are successfully used in urban imaging spectroscopy studies. However, the regional- and sensor-specific transferability of such libraries is limited due to the wide range of different surface materials. With the developed methodology, incomplete urban spectral libraries can be utilised by assuming that unknown surface material spectra are dissimilar to the known spectra in a basic spectral library (BSL). The similarity measure SID-SCA (Spectral Information Divergence-Spectral Correlation Angle) is applied to detect image-specific unknown urban surfaces while avoiding spectral mixtures. These detected unknown materials are categorised into distinct and identifiable material classes based on their spectral and spatial metrics. Experimental results demonstrate a successful redetection of material classes that had been previously erased in order to simulate an incomplete BSL. Additionally, completely new materials e.g., solar panels were identified in the data. It is further shown that the level of incompleteness of the BSL and the defined dissimilarity threshold are decisive for the detection of unknown material classes and the degree of spectral intra-class variability. A detailed accuracy assessment of the pre-classification results, aiming to separate natural and artificial materials, demonstrates spectral confusions between spectrally similar materials utilizing SID-SCA. However, most spectral confusions occur between natural or artificial materials which are not affecting the overall aim. The dissimilarity analysis overcomes the limitations of working with incomplete urban spectral libraries and enables the generation of image-specific training databases.

Detecting Unknown Artificial Urban Surface Materials Based on Spectral Dissimilarity Analysis

PubMed Central

Jilge, Marianne; Heiden, Uta; Habermeyer, Martin; Mende, André; Juergens, Carsten

2017-01-01

High resolution imaging spectroscopy data have been recognised as a valuable data resource for augmenting detailed material inventories that serve as input for various urban applications. Image-specific urban spectral libraries are successfully used in urban imaging spectroscopy studies. However, the regional- and sensor-specific transferability of such libraries is limited due to the wide range of different surface materials. With the developed methodology, incomplete urban spectral libraries can be utilised by assuming that unknown surface material spectra are dissimilar to the known spectra in a basic spectral library (BSL). The similarity measure SID-SCA (Spectral Information Divergence-Spectral Correlation Angle) is applied to detect image-specific unknown urban surfaces while avoiding spectral mixtures. These detected unknown materials are categorised into distinct and identifiable material classes based on their spectral and spatial metrics. Experimental results demonstrate a successful redetection of material classes that had been previously erased in order to simulate an incomplete BSL. Additionally, completely new materials e.g., solar panels were identified in the data. It is further shown that the level of incompleteness of the BSL and the defined dissimilarity threshold are decisive for the detection of unknown material classes and the degree of spectral intra-class variability. A detailed accuracy assessment of the pre-classification results, aiming to separate natural and artificial materials, demonstrates spectral confusions between spectrally similar materials utilizing SID-SCA. However, most spectral confusions occur between natural or artificial materials which are not affecting the overall aim. The dissimilarity analysis overcomes the limitations of working with incomplete urban spectral libraries and enables the generation of image-specific training databases. PMID:28786947

396. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

396. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; CANTILEVER STRUCTURE; DETAILS I; DRG. NO. 68 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

393. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

393. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; PIER-E3; GENERAL DETAILS; DRG. NO. 47 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

397. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

397. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; CANTILEVER STRUCTURE; DETAILS II; DRG. NO. 69 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

398. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

398. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; GENERAL PLAN; TOWER E-9; DRG. NO. 59 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Old drug new trick: levamisole-adulterated cocaine causing acute kidney injury.

PubMed

Ammar, Abeer T; Livak, Mark; Witsil, Joanne C

2015-02-01

Levamisole is an agent previously used in humans and later withdrawn from the US drug market due to concerns of agranulocytosis.It is currently used as an adulterating agent in cocaine, bringing to light toxicities typically manifested by vasculitis and skin necrosis.We report a case of a 36-year-old crack cocaine user who presented with a purpuric rash on her face and limbs. Levamisole-induced vasculitis was suspected, and she therefore underwent an extensive work-up. In addition to these findings, she also presented with acute kidney injury of unknown etiology, which was later attributed to levamisoleadulterated cocaine.

Bird collections in the United States and Canada: Addenda and corrigenda

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clench, M.H.; Banks, R.C.; Barlow, J.C.

1976-01-01

Since publication of our report on the avian collections in the United States and Canada (Banks, Clench, and Barlow 1973, Auk 90: 136- 170) several changes and additions have come to our attention. In some cases, recent curatorial work has resulted in more accurate counts to replace previous estimates. Other collections have grown markedly in the last few years. Some important private or institutional collections have been transferred to other jurisdictions. Finally, we have received a few completely new reports from collections that were unknown to us or that were unresponsive to our original requests for information.

Math anxiety differentially affects WAIS-IV arithmetic performance in undergraduates.

PubMed

Buelow, Melissa T; Frakey, Laura L

2013-06-01

Previous research has shown that math anxiety can influence the math performance level; however, to date, it is unknown whether math anxiety influences performance on working memory tasks during neuropsychological evaluation. In the present study, 172 undergraduate students completed measures of math achievement (the Math Computation subtest from the Wide Range Achievement Test-IV), math anxiety (the Math Anxiety Rating Scale-Revised), general test anxiety (from the Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College version), and the three Working Memory Index tasks from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Edition (WAIS-IV; Digit Span [DS], Arithmetic, Letter-Number Sequencing [LNS]). Results indicated that math anxiety predicted performance on Arithmetic, but not DS or LNS, above and beyond the effects of gender, general test anxiety, and math performance level. Our findings suggest that math anxiety can negatively influence WAIS-IV working memory subtest scores. Implications for clinical practice include the utilization of LNS in individuals expressing high math anxiety.

Representing exact number visually using mental abacus.

PubMed

Frank, Michael C; Barner, David

2012-02-01

Mental abacus (MA) is a system for performing rapid and precise arithmetic by manipulating a mental representation of an abacus, a physical calculation device. Previous work has speculated that MA is based on visual imagery, suggesting that it might be a method of representing exact number nonlinguistically, but given the limitations on visual working memory, it is unknown how MA structures could be stored. We investigated the structure of the representations underlying MA in a group of children in India. Our results suggest that MA is represented in visual working memory by splitting the abacus into a series of columns, each of which is independently stored as a unit with its own detailed substructure. In addition, we show that the computations of practiced MA users (but not those of control participants) are relatively insensitive to verbal interference, consistent with the hypothesis that MA is a nonlinguistic format for exact numerical computation.

Integration of Component Knowledge in Penalized-Likelihood Reconstruction with Morphological and Spectral Uncertainties.

PubMed

Stayman, J Webster; Tilley, Steven; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H

2014-01-01

Previous investigations [1-3] have demonstrated that integrating specific knowledge of the structure and composition of components like surgical implants, devices, and tools into a model-based reconstruction framework can improve image quality and allow for potential exposure reductions in CT. Using device knowledge in practice is complicated by uncertainties in the exact shape of components and their particular material composition. Such unknowns in the morphology and attenuation properties lead to errors in the forward model that limit the utility of component integration. In this work, a methodology is presented to accommodate both uncertainties in shape as well as unknown energy-dependent attenuation properties of the surgical devices. This work leverages the so-called known-component reconstruction (KCR) framework [1] with a generalized deformable registration operator and modifications to accommodate a spectral transfer function in the component model. Moreover, since this framework decomposes the object into separate background anatomy and "known" component factors, a mixed fidelity forward model can be adopted so that measurements associated with projections through the surgical devices can be modeled with much greater accuracy. A deformable KCR (dKCR) approach using the mixed fidelity model is introduced and applied to a flexible wire component with unknown structure and composition. Image quality advantages of dKCR over traditional reconstruction methods are illustrated in cone-beam CT (CBCT) data acquired on a testbench emulating a 3D-guided needle biopsy procedure - i.e., a deformable component (needle) with strong energy-dependent attenuation characteristics (steel) within a complex soft-tissue background.

400. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

400. Delineator Unknown Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; PIER E-6 TO E-23; TYPICAL DETAILS; DRG. NO. 52 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Error analysis in inverse scatterometry. I. Modeling.

PubMed

Al-Assaad, Rayan M; Byrne, Dale M

2007-02-01

Scatterometry is an optical technique that has been studied and tested in recent years in semiconductor fabrication metrology for critical dimensions. Previous work presented an iterative linearized method to retrieve surface-relief profile parameters from reflectance measurements upon diffraction. With the iterative linear solution model in this work, rigorous models are developed to represent the random and deterministic or offset errors in scatterometric measurements. The propagation of different types of error from the measurement data to the profile parameter estimates is then presented. The improvement in solution accuracies is then demonstrated with theoretical and experimental data by adjusting for the offset errors. In a companion paper (in process) an improved optimization method is presented to account for unknown offset errors in the measurements based on the offset error model.

Occupational injuries due to violence.

PubMed

Hales, T; Seligman, P J; Newman, S C; Timbrook, C L

1988-06-01

Each year in the United States, an estimated 800 to 1,400 people are murdered at work, and an unknown number of nonfatal injuries due to workplace violence occur. Based on Ohio's workers' compensation claims from 1983 through 1985, police officers, gasoline service station employees, employees of the real estate industry, and hotel/motel employees were found to be at the highest risk for occupational violent crime (OVC) injury and death. Grocery store employees, specifically those working in convenience food stores, and employees of the real estate industry had the most reported rapes. Four previously unidentified industries at increased risk of employee victimization were described. Identification of industries and occupations at high risk for crime victimization provides the opportunity to focus preventive strategies to promote employee safety and security in the workplace.

A Previously Unknown Path to Corpuscularism in the Seventeenth Century: Santorio’s Marginalia to the Commentaria in Primam Fen Primi Libri Canonis Avicennae (1625)

PubMed Central

Bigotti, Fabrizio

2017-01-01

This paper presents some of Santorio's marginalia to his Commentaria in primam fen primi libri Canonis Avicennae (Venice, 1625), which I identified in the Sloane Collection of the British Library in 2016, as well as the evidence for their authorship. The name of the Venetian physician Santorio Santori (1561–1636) is linked with the introduction of quantification in medicine and with the invention of precision instruments that, displayed for the first time in this work, laid down the foundations for what we today understand as evidence-based medicine. But Santorio's monumentale opus also contains evidence of many quantified experiments and displays his ideas on mixtures, structure of matter and corpuscles, which are in many cases clarified and completed by the new marginalia. These ideas testify to an early interest in chemistry within the Medical School of Padua which predates both Galileo and Sennert and which has hitherto been unknown. PMID:28350287

Genotypic and environmental effects on coffee (Coffea arabica L.) bean fatty acid profile: impact on variety and origin chemometric determination.

PubMed

Villarreal, Diana; Laffargue, Andreina; Posada, Huver; Bertrand, Benoit; Lashermes, Philippe; Dussert, Stephane

2009-12-09

In a previous study, the effectiveness of chlorogenic acids, fatty acids (FA), and elements was compared for the discrimination of Arabica varieties and growing terroirs. Since FA provided the best results, the aim of the present work was to validate their discrimination ability using an extended experimental design, including twice the number of location x variety combinations and 2 years of study. It also aimed at understanding how the environment influences FA composition through correlation analysis using different climatic parameters. Percentages of correct classification of known samples remained very high, independent of the classification criterion. However, cross-validation tests across years indicated that prediction of unknown locations was less efficient than that of unknown genotypes. Environmental temperature during the development of coffee beans had a dramatic influence on their FA composition. Analysis of climate patterns over years enabled us to understand the efficient location discrimination within a single year but only moderate efficiency across years.

Inverse identification of unknown finite-duration air pollutant release from a point source in urban environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalets, Ivan V.; Efthimiou, George C.; Andronopoulos, Spyros; Venetsanos, Alexander G.; Argyropoulos, Christos D.; Kakosimos, Konstantinos E.

2018-05-01

In this work, we present an inverse computational method for the identification of the location, start time, duration and quantity of emitted substance of an unknown air pollution source of finite time duration in an urban environment. We considered a problem of transient pollutant dispersion under stationary meteorological fields, which is a reasonable assumption for the assimilation of available concentration measurements within 1 h from the start of an incident. We optimized the calculation of the source-receptor function by developing a method which requires integrating as many backward adjoint equations as the available measurement stations. This resulted in high numerical efficiency of the method. The source parameters are computed by maximizing the correlation function of the simulated and observed concentrations. The method has been integrated into the CFD code ADREA-HF and it has been tested successfully by performing a series of source inversion runs using the data of 200 individual realizations of puff releases, previously generated in a wind tunnel experiment.

Balanced cortical microcircuitry for spatial working memory based on corrective feedback control.

PubMed

Lim, Sukbin; Goldman, Mark S

2014-05-14

A hallmark of working memory is the ability to maintain graded representations of both the spatial location and amplitude of a memorized stimulus. Previous work has identified a neural correlate of spatial working memory in the persistent maintenance of spatially specific patterns of neural activity. How such activity is maintained by neocortical circuits remains unknown. Traditional models of working memory maintain analog representations of either the spatial location or the amplitude of a stimulus, but not both. Furthermore, although most previous models require local excitation and lateral inhibition to maintain spatially localized persistent activity stably, the substrate for lateral inhibitory feedback pathways is unclear. Here, we suggest an alternative model for spatial working memory that is capable of maintaining analog representations of both the spatial location and amplitude of a stimulus, and that does not rely on long-range feedback inhibition. The model consists of a functionally columnar network of recurrently connected excitatory and inhibitory neural populations. When excitation and inhibition are balanced in strength but offset in time, drifts in activity trigger spatially specific negative feedback that corrects memory decay. The resulting networks can temporally integrate inputs at any spatial location, are robust against many commonly considered perturbations in network parameters, and, when implemented in a spiking model, generate irregular neural firing characteristic of that observed experimentally during persistent activity. This work suggests balanced excitatory-inhibitory memory circuits implementing corrective negative feedback as a substrate for spatial working memory. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/346790-17$15.00/0.

Navigation through unknown and dynamic open spaces using topological notions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miguel-Tomé, Sergio

2018-04-01

Until now, most algorithms used for navigation have had the purpose of directing system towards one point in space. However, humans communicate tasks by specifying spatial relations among elements or places. In addition, the environments in which humans develop their activities are extremely dynamic. The only option that allows for successful navigation in dynamic and unknown environments is making real-time decisions. Therefore, robots capable of collaborating closely with human beings must be able to make decisions based on the local information registered by the sensors and interpret and express spatial relations. Furthermore, when one person is asked to perform a task in an environment, this task is communicated given a category of goals so the person does not need to be supervised. Thus, two problems appear when one wants to create multifunctional robots: how to navigate in dynamic and unknown environments using spatial relations and how to accomplish this without supervision. In this article, a new architecture to address the two cited problems is presented, called the topological qualitative navigation architecture. In previous works, a qualitative heuristic called the heuristic of topological qualitative semantics (HTQS) has been developed to establish and identify spatial relations. However, that heuristic only allows for establishing one spatial relation with a specific object. In contrast, navigation requires a temporal sequence of goals with different objects. The new architecture attains continuous generation of goals and resolves them using HTQS. Thus, the new architecture achieves autonomous navigation in dynamic or unknown open environments.

LC-MS/MS screening strategy for unknown adducts to N-terminal valine in hemoglobin applied to smokers and nonsmokers.

PubMed

Carlsson, Henrik; von Stedingk, Hans; Nilsson, Ulrika; Törnqvist, Margareta

2014-12-15

Electrophilically reactive compounds have the ability to form adducts with nucleophilic sites in DNA and proteins, constituting a risk for toxic effects. Mass spectrometric detection of adducts to N-terminal valine in hemoglobin (Hb) after detachment by modified Edman degradation procedures is one approach for in vivo monitoring of exposure to electrophilic compounds/metabolites. So far, applications have been limited to one or a few selected reactive species, such as acrylamide and its metabolite glycidamide. This article presents a novel screening strategy for unknown Hb adducts to be used as a basis for an adductomic approach. The method is based on a modified Edman procedure, FIRE, specifically developed for LC-MS/MS analysis of N-terminal valine adducts in Hb detached as fluorescein thiohydantoin (FTH) derivatives. The aim is to detect and identify a priori unknown Hb adducts in human blood samples. Screening of valine adducts was performed by stepwise scanning of precursor ions in small mass increments, monitoring four fragments common for the FTH derivative of valine with different N-substitutions in the multiple-reaction mode, covering a mass range of 135 Da (m/z 503-638). Samples from six smokers and six nonsmokers were analyzed. Control experiments were performed to compare these results with known adducts and to check for artifactual formation of adducts. In all samples of smokers and nonsmokers, seven adducts were identified, of which six have previously been studied. Nineteen unknown adducts were observed, and 14 of those exhibited fragmentation patterns similar to earlier studied FTH derivatives of adducts to valine. Identification of the unknown adducts will be the focus of future work. The presented methodology is a promising screening tool using Hb adducts to indicate exposure to potentially toxic electrophilic compounds and metabolites.

Opportunistic pathology-based screening for diabetes

PubMed Central

Simpson, Aaron J; Krowka, Renata; Kerrigan, Jennifer L; Southcott, Emma K; Wilson, J Dennis; Potter, Julia M; Nolan, Christopher J; Hickman, Peter E

2013-01-01

Objective To determine the potential of opportunistic glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) testing of pathology samples to detect previously unknown diabetes. Design Pathology samples from participants collected for other reasons and suitable for HbA1c testing were utilised for opportunistic diabetes screening. HbA1c was measured with a Biorad Variant II turbo analyser and HbA1c levels of ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol) were considered diagnostic for diabetes. Confirmation of previously unknown diabetes status was obtained by a review of hospital medical records and phone calls to general practitioners. Setting Hospital pathology laboratory receiving samples from hospital-based and community-based (CB) settings. Participants Participants were identified based on the blood sample collection location in the CB, emergency department (ED) and inpatient (IP) groups. Exclusions pretesting were made based on the electronic patient history of: age <18 years, previous diabetes diagnosis, query for diabetes status in the past 12 months, evidence of pregnancy and sample collected postsurgery or transfusion. Only one sample per individual participant was tested. Results Of the 22 396 blood samples collected, 4505 (1142 CB, 1113 ED, 2250 IP) were tested of which 327 (7.3%) had HbA1c levels ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol). Of these 120 (2.7%) were determined to have previously unknown diabetes (11 (1%) CB, 21 (1.9%) ED, 88 (3.9%) IP). The prevalence of previously unknown diabetes was substantially higher (5.4%) in hospital-based (ED and IP) participants aged over 54 years. Conclusions Opportunistic testing of referred pathology samples can be an effective method of screening for diabetes, especially in hospital-based and older persons. PMID:24065696

Reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Farah Garan-Kutam mineral belt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Samater, R.M.; Johnson, P.R.; Bookstrom, A.A.

1991-01-01

In the present survey, geochemical anomalies locate all the sites of mineralization known from previous work. The survey is therefore technically a success. However, a large number of these anomalies probably result from contamination of the wadi systems by metal dispersed from ancient mine workings, and this particular survey, overall, may be of limited value as a guide to the discovery of hitherto unknown mineralization. Nevertheless, the survey outlines two areas that may mark extensions to known mineralization, and a number of other areas in which no mineralization is known. Based on a consideration of the character of the bedrock geology, the value of each reported analytical result in relation to the respective element thresholds, and the number of anomalous samples that cluster in any given area, four areas are recommended for high-priority follow-up sampling.

The first sexual associations in the genus Darditilla Casal, 1965 (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae)

PubMed Central

Luz, David R.; Williams, Kevin A.

2014-01-01

Abstract New sex associations are proposed for four species of Darditilla: Darditilla amabilis (Gerstaecker, 1874); Darditilla bejaranoi Casal, 1968; Darditilla debilis (Gerstaecker, 1874); and Darditilla felina (Burmeister, 1854). Darditilla botija Casal, 1965, syn. n. is the male of Darditilla amabilis; the other three males were previously unknown. Mutilla decorosa Kohl, 1882, syn. n. is conspecific with Darditilla felina. Descriptions and extended diagnoses are provided for previously unknown males and for females that were not adequately described. These represent the first sex associations for the genus Darditilla. PMID:25493066

No association of IL-10 promoter SNP -592 and -1082 and SIDS.

PubMed

Courts, Cornelius; Madea, Burkhard

2011-01-30

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) constitutes a considerable percentage of infant death of unknown etiology. The genetically controlled pathway of cytokine mediated response to inflammation is presumed to play a role in SIDS. The A allele of SNP -592 of the promoter region of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 has been suggested to be associated with SIDS. Herein we investigated whether we could confirm this finding by SNP genotyping a series of 123 cases of SIDS and 406 control cases. We did not find a correlation between the A allele or an A allele containing genotype of IL-10 promoter SNP -592 and SIDS which is in contrast to previous studies. Also, in concordance with previous work, no association of the A allele or A allele containing genotypes of IL-10 promoter SNP -1082 and SIDS was found. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defining the human deubiquitinating enzyme interaction landscape.

PubMed

Sowa, Mathew E; Bennett, Eric J; Gygi, Steven P; Harper, J Wade

2009-07-23

Deubiquitinating enzymes (Dubs) function to remove covalently attached ubiquitin from proteins, thereby controlling substrate activity and/or abundance. For most Dubs, their functions, targets, and regulation are poorly understood. To systematically investigate Dub function, we initiated a global proteomic analysis of Dubs and their associated protein complexes. This was accomplished through the development of a software platform called CompPASS, which uses unbiased metrics to assign confidence measurements to interactions from parallel nonreciprocal proteomic data sets. We identified 774 candidate interacting proteins associated with 75 Dubs. Using Gene Ontology, interactome topology classification, subcellular localization, and functional studies, we link Dubs to diverse processes, including protein turnover, transcription, RNA processing, DNA damage, and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation. This work provides the first glimpse into the Dub interaction landscape, places previously unstudied Dubs within putative biological pathways, and identifies previously unknown interactions and protein complexes involved in this increasingly important arm of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Defining the Human Deubiquitinating Enzyme Interaction Landscape

PubMed Central

Sowa, Mathew E.; Bennett, Eric J.; Gygi, Steven P.; Harper, J. Wade

2009-01-01

Summary Deubiquitinating enzymes (Dubs) function to remove covalently attached ubiquitin from proteins, thereby controlling substrate activity and/or abundance. For most Dubs, their functions, targets, and regulation are poorly understood. To systematically investigate Dub function, we initiated a global proteomic analysis of Dubs and their associated protein complexes. This was accomplished through the development of a software platform, called CompPASS, which uses unbiased metrics to assign confidence measurements to interactions from parallel non-reciprocal proteomic datasets. We identified 774 candidate interacting proteins associated with 75 Dubs. Using Gene Ontology, interactome topology classification, sub-cellular localization and functional studies, we link Dubs to diverse processes, including protein turnover, transcription, RNA processing, DNA damage, and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation. This work provides the first glimpse into the Dub interaction landscape, places previously unstudied Dubs within putative biological pathways, and identifies previously unknown interactions and protein complexes involved in this increasingly important arm of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. PMID:19615732

A rapid and rational approach to generating isomorphous heavy-atom phasing derivatives.

PubMed

Lu, Jinghua; Sun, Peter D

2014-09-01

In attempts to replace the conventional trial-and-error heavy-atom derivative search method with a rational approach, we previously defined heavy metal compound reactivity against peptide ligands. Here, we assembled a composite pH- and buffer-dependent peptide reactivity profile for each heavy metal compound to guide rational heavy-atom derivative search. When knowledge of the best-reacting heavy-atom compound is combined with mass spectrometry assisted derivatization, and with a quick-soak method to optimize phasing, it is likely that the traditional heavy-atom compounds could meet the demand of modern high-throughput X-ray crystallography. As an example, we applied this rational heavy-atom phasing approach to determine a previously unknown mouse serum amyloid A2 crystal structure. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Exploring the Relationship Between Working Memory, Compressor Speed, and Background Noise Characteristics.

PubMed

Ohlenforst, Barbara; Souza, Pamela E; MacDonald, Ewen N

2016-01-01

Previous work has shown that individuals with lower working memory demonstrate reduced intelligibility for speech processed with fast-acting compression amplification. This relationship has been noted in fluctuating noise, but the extent of noise modulation that must be present to elicit such an effect is unknown. This study expanded on previous study by exploring the effect of background noise modulations in relation to compression speed and working memory ability, using a range of signal to noise ratios. Twenty-six older participants between ages 61 and 90 years were grouped by high or low working memory according to their performance on a reading span test. Speech intelligibility was measured for low-context sentences presented in background noise, where the noise varied in the extent of amplitude modulation. Simulated fast- or slow-acting compression amplification combined with individual frequency-gain shaping was applied to compensate for the individual's hearing loss. Better speech intelligibility scores were observed for participants with high working memory when fast compression was applied than when slow compression was applied. The low working memory group behaved in the opposite way and performed better under slow compression compared with fast compression. There was also a significant effect of the extent of amplitude modulation in the background noise, such that the magnitude of the score difference (fast versus slow compression) depended on the number of talkers in the background noise. The presented signal to noise ratios were not a significant factor on the measured intelligibility performance. In agreement with earlier research, high working memory allowed better speech intelligibility when fast compression was applied in modulated background noise. In the present experiment, that effect was present regardless of the extent of background noise modulation.

Learning to echolocate in sighted people: a correlational study on attention, working memory and spatial abilities.

PubMed

Ekkel, M R; van Lier, R; Steenbergen, B

2017-03-01

Echolocation can be beneficial for the orientation and mobility of visually impaired people. Research has shown considerable individual differences for acquiring this skill. However, individual characteristics that affect the learning of echolocation are largely unknown. In the present study, we examined individual factors that are likely to affect learning to echolocate: sustained and divided attention, working memory, and spatial abilities. To that aim, sighted participants with normal hearing performed an echolocation task that was adapted from a previously reported size-discrimination task. In line with existing studies, we found large individual differences in echolocation ability. We also found indications that participants were able to improve their echolocation ability. Furthermore, we found a significant positive correlation between improvement in echolocation and sustained and divided attention, as measured in the PASAT. No significant correlations were found with our tests regarding working memory and spatial abilities. These findings may have implications for the development of guidelines for training echolocation that are tailored to the individual with a visual impairment.

A method to identify the main mode of machine tool under operating conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Daming; Pan, Yabing

2017-04-01

The identification of the modal parameters under experimental conditions is the most common procedure when solving the problem of machine tool structure vibration. However, the influence of each mode on the machine tool vibration in real working conditions remains unknown. In fact, the contributions each mode makes to the machine tool vibration during machining process are different. In this article, an active excitation modal analysis is applied to identify the modal parameters in operational condition, and the Operating Deflection Shapes (ODS) in frequencies of high level vibration that affect the quality of machining in real working conditions are obtained. Then, the ODS is decomposed by the mode shapes which are identified in operational conditions. So, the contributions each mode makes to machine tool vibration during machining process are got by decomposition coefficients. From the previous steps, we can find out the main modes which effect the machine tool more significantly in working conditions. This method was also verified to be effective by experiments.

Functional specialization in nucleotide sugar transporters occurred through differentiation of the gene cluster EamA (DUF6) before the radiation of Viridiplantae

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The drug/metabolite transporter superfamily comprises a diversity of protein domain families with multiple functions including transport of nucleotide sugars. Drug/metabolite transporter domains are contained in both solute carrier families 30, 35 and 39 proteins as well as in acyl-malonyl condensing enzyme proteins. In this paper, we present an evolutionary analysis of nucleotide sugar transporters in relation to the entire superfamily of drug/metabolite transporters that considers crucial intra-protein duplication events that have shaped the transporters. We use a method that combines the strengths of hidden Markov models and maximum likelihood to find relationships between drug/metabolite transporter families, and branches within families. Results We present evidence that the triose-phosphate transporters, domain unknown function 914, uracil-diphosphate glucose-N-acetylglucosamine, and nucleotide sugar transporter families have evolved from a domain duplication event before the radiation of Viridiplantae in the EamA family (previously called domain unknown function 6). We identify previously unknown branches in the solute carrier 30, 35 and 39 protein families that emerged simultaneously as key physiological developments after the radiation of Viridiplantae, including the "35C/E" branch of EamA, which formed in the lineage of T. adhaerens (Animalia). We identify a second cluster of DMTs, called the domain unknown function 1632 cluster, which has non-cytosolic N- and C-termini, and thus appears to have been formed from a different domain duplication event. We identify a previously uncharacterized motif, G-X(6)-G, which is overrepresented in the fifth transmembrane helix of C-terminal domains. We present evidence that the family called fatty acid elongases are homologous to transporters, not enzymes as had previously been thought. Conclusions The nucleotide sugar transporters families were formed through differentiation of the gene cluster EamA (domain unknown function 6) before Viridiplantae, showing for the first time the significance of EamA. PMID:21569384

Working memory contents revive the neglected, but suppress the inhibited.

PubMed

Han, Suk Won

2015-12-01

It is well known that attention is biased toward a stimulus matching working memory contents. However, it remains unknown whether the maintenance of information in working memory by itself is sufficient to create memory-driven attentional capture. Notably, in many previous studies showing the memory-driven attentional capture, the task settings might have explicitly or implicitly incentivized participants to strategically attend to a memory-matching stimulus. By innovating an experimental paradigm, the present study overcame this challenge and directly tested whether working memory contents capture attention in the absence of task-level attentional bias toward a memory-matching stimulus. I found that a stimulus that is usually outside the focus of attention, powerfully captured attention when it matched working memory contents, whereas a match between working memory and an inhibited stimulus suppressed attentional allocation toward the memory-matching stimulus. These findings suggest that in the absence of any task-level attentional bias toward memory-matching stimuli, attention is biased toward a memory-matching stimulus, but this memory-driven attentional capture is diminished when top-down inhibition is imposed on the stimulus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A biologically inspired meta-control navigation system for the Psikharpax rat robot.

PubMed

Caluwaerts, K; Staffa, M; N'Guyen, S; Grand, C; Dollé, L; Favre-Félix, A; Girard, B; Khamassi, M

2012-06-01

A biologically inspired navigation system for the mobile rat-like robot named Psikharpax is presented, allowing for self-localization and autonomous navigation in an initially unknown environment. The ability of parts of the model (e.g. the strategy selection mechanism) to reproduce rat behavioral data in various maze tasks has been validated before in simulations. But the capacity of the model to work on a real robot platform had not been tested. This paper presents our work on the implementation on the Psikharpax robot of two independent navigation strategies (a place-based planning strategy and a cue-guided taxon strategy) and a strategy selection meta-controller. We show how our robot can memorize which was the optimal strategy in each situation, by means of a reinforcement learning algorithm. Moreover, a context detector enables the controller to quickly adapt to changes in the environment-recognized as new contexts-and to restore previously acquired strategy preferences when a previously experienced context is recognized. This produces adaptivity closer to rat behavioral performance and constitutes a computational proposition of the role of the rat prefrontal cortex in strategy shifting. Moreover, such a brain-inspired meta-controller may provide an advancement for learning architectures in robotics.

Lod score curves for phase-unknown matings.

PubMed

Hulbert-Shearon, T; Boehnke, M; Lange, K

1996-01-01

For a phase-unknown nuclear family, we show that the likelihood and lod score are unimodal, and we describe conditions under which the maximum occurs at recombination fraction theta = 0, theta = 1/2, and 0 < theta < 1/2. These simply stated necessary and sufficient conditions seem to have escaped the notice of previous statistical geneticists.

Fatal Metacestode Infection in Bornean Orangutan Caused by Unknown Versteria Species

PubMed Central

Gendron-Fitzpatrick, Annette; Deering, Kathleen M.; Wallace, Roberta S.; Clyde, Victoria L.; Lauck, Michael; Rosen, Gail E.; Bennett, Andrew J.; Greiner, Ellis C.; O’Connor, David H.

2014-01-01

A captive juvenile Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) died from an unknown disseminated parasitic infection. Deep sequencing of DNA from infected tissues, followed by gene-specific PCR and sequencing, revealed a divergent species within the newly proposed genus Versteria (Cestoda: Taeniidae). Versteria may represent a previously unrecognized risk to primate health. PMID:24377497

Dissecting a complex chemical stress: chemogenomic profiling of plant hydrolysates

PubMed Central

Skerker, Jeffrey M; Leon, Dacia; Price, Morgan N; Mar, Jordan S; Tarjan, Daniel R; Wetmore, Kelly M; Deutschbauer, Adam M; Baumohl, Jason K; Bauer, Stefan; Ibáñez, Ana B; Mitchell, Valerie D; Wu, Cindy H; Hu, Ping; Hazen, Terry; Arkin, Adam P

2013-01-01

The efficient production of biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks will require the efficient fermentation of the sugars in hydrolyzed plant material. Unfortunately, plant hydrolysates also contain many compounds that inhibit microbial growth and fermentation. We used DNA-barcoded mutant libraries to identify genes that are important for hydrolysate tolerance in both Zymomonas mobilis (44 genes) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (99 genes). Overexpression of a Z. mobilis tolerance gene of unknown function (ZMO1875) improved its specific ethanol productivity 2.4-fold in the presence of miscanthus hydrolysate. However, a mixture of 37 hydrolysate-derived inhibitors was not sufficient to explain the fitness profile of plant hydrolysate. To deconstruct the fitness profile of hydrolysate, we profiled the 37 inhibitors against a library of Z. mobilis mutants and we modeled fitness in hydrolysate as a mixture of fitness in its components. By examining outliers in this model, we identified methylglyoxal as a previously unknown component of hydrolysate. Our work provides a general strategy to dissect how microbes respond to a complex chemical stress and should enable further engineering of hydrolysate tolerance. PMID:23774757

Exceptional Solar-System Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, Benjamin

1990-12-01

This is a target-of-opportunity proposal for HST observations to be executed if a previously unknown, truly exceptional solar-system object or phenomenon is discovered either in the normal course of HST work or by anyone, anywhere. Trails due to unknown moving objects will often appear on HST images made for other purposes. A short trail seen near the opposition point or at high ecliptic latitude could represent a major addition to our knowledge of the solar system. Thus we further propose that all short trials seen on HST images taken in favorable regions of the sky be given a quick analysis in the Observation Support System for their possible significance. If an unusual object is found we propose to: (1) Seek from the owner of data rights permission to proceed as may be appropriate; (2) Contact the Minor Planet Center for an evaluation of the significance of the discovery; and (3) For an object that appears to be of great significance where effective groundbased followup appears unlikely, request the HST schedule be replanned for followup images and physical studies using HST.

Fluctuating volume-current formulation of electromagnetic fluctuations in inhomogeneous media: Incandescence and luminescence in arbitrary geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polimeridis, Athanasios G.; Reid, M. T. H.; Jin, Weiliang; Johnson, Steven G.; White, Jacob K.; Rodriguez, Alejandro W.

2015-10-01

We describe a fluctuating volume-current formulation of electromagnetic fluctuations that extends our recent work on heat exchange and Casimir interactions between arbitrarily shaped homogeneous bodies [A. W. Rodriguez, M. T. H. Reid, and S. G. Johnson, Phys. Rev. B 88, 054305 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevB.88.054305] to situations involving incandescence and luminescence problems, including thermal radiation, heat transfer, Casimir forces, spontaneous emission, fluorescence, and Raman scattering, in inhomogeneous media. Unlike previous scattering formulations based on field and/or surface unknowns, our work exploits powerful techniques from the volume-integral equation (VIE) method, in which electromagnetic scattering is described in terms of volumetric, current unknowns throughout the bodies. The resulting trace formulas (boxed equations) involve products of well-studied VIE matrices and describe power and momentum transfer between objects with spatially varying material properties and fluctuation characteristics. We demonstrate that thanks to the low-rank properties of the associated matrices, these formulas are susceptible to fast-trace computations based on iterative methods, making practical calculations tractable. We apply our techniques to study thermal radiation, heat transfer, and fluorescence in complicated geometries, checking our method against established techniques best suited for homogeneous bodies as well as applying it to obtain predictions of radiation from complex bodies with spatially varying permittivities and/or temperature profiles.

Meteor showers of the southern hemisphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molau, Sirko; Kerr, Steve

2014-04-01

We present the results of an exhaustive meteor shower search in the southern hemisphere. The underlying data set is a subset of the IMO Video Meteor Database comprising 50,000 single station meteors obtained by three Australian cameras between 2001 and 2012. The detection technique was similar to previous single station analysis. In the data set we find 4 major and 6 minor northern hemisphere meteor showers, and 12 segments of the Antihelion source (including the Northern and Southern Taurids and six streams from the MDC working list). We present details for 14 southern hemisphere showers plus the Centaurid and Puppid-Velid complex, with the η Aquariids and the Southern δ Aquariids being the strongest southern showers. Two of the showers (θ^2 Sagittariids and τ Cetids) were previously unknown and have received preliminary designations by the MDC. Overall we find that the fraction of southern meteor showers south of -30deg declination (roughly 25%) is clearly smaller than the fraction of northern meteor showers north of +30deg declination (more than 50%) obtained in our previous analysis.

The aggregate complexity of decisions in the game of Go

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harré, M. S.; Bossomaier, T.; Gillett, A.; Snyder, A.

2011-04-01

Artificial intelligence (AI) research is fast approaching, or perhaps has already reached, a bottleneck whereby further advancement towards practical human-like reasoning in complex tasks needs further quantified input from large studies of human decision-making. Previous studies in psychology, for example, often rely on relatively small cohorts and very specific tasks. These studies have strongly influenced some of the core notions in AI research such as the reinforcement learning and the exploration versus exploitation paradigms. With the goal of contributing to this direction in AI developments we present our findings on the evolution towards world-class decision-making across large cohorts of subjects in the formidable game of Go. Some of these findings directly support previous work on how experts develop their skills but we also report on several previously unknown aspects of the development of expertise that suggests new avenues for AI research to explore. In particular, at the level of play that has so far eluded current AI systems for Go, we are able to quantify the lack of `predictability' of experts and how this changes with their level of skill.

Integration of Pragmatic and Phonetic Cues in Spoken Word Recognition

PubMed Central

Rohde, Hannah; Ettlinger, Marc

2015-01-01

Although previous research has established that multiple top-down factors guide the identification of words during speech processing, the ultimate range of information sources that listeners integrate from different levels of linguistic structure is still unknown. In a set of experiments, we investigate whether comprehenders can integrate information from the two most disparate domains: pragmatic inference and phonetic perception. Using contexts that trigger pragmatic expectations regarding upcoming coreference (expectations for either he or she), we test listeners' identification of phonetic category boundaries (using acoustically ambiguous words on the/hi/∼/∫i/continuum). The results indicate that, in addition to phonetic cues, word recognition also reflects pragmatic inference. These findings are consistent with evidence for top-down contextual effects from lexical, syntactic, and semantic cues, but they extend this previous work by testing cues at the pragmatic level and by eliminating a statistical-frequency confound that might otherwise explain the previously reported results. We conclude by exploring the time-course of this interaction and discussing how different models of cue integration could be adapted to account for our results. PMID:22250908

Bayesian power spectrum inference with foreground and target contamination treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasche, J.; Lavaux, G.

2017-10-01

This work presents a joint and self-consistent Bayesian treatment of various foreground and target contaminations when inferring cosmological power spectra and three-dimensional density fields from galaxy redshift surveys. This is achieved by introducing additional block-sampling procedures for unknown coefficients of foreground and target contamination templates to the previously presented ARES framework for Bayesian large-scale structure analyses. As a result, the method infers jointly and fully self-consistently three-dimensional density fields, cosmological power spectra, luminosity-dependent galaxy biases, noise levels of the respective galaxy distributions, and coefficients for a set of a priori specified foreground templates. In addition, this fully Bayesian approach permits detailed quantification of correlated uncertainties amongst all inferred quantities and correctly marginalizes over observational systematic effects. We demonstrate the validity and efficiency of our approach in obtaining unbiased estimates of power spectra via applications to realistic mock galaxy observations that are subject to stellar contamination and dust extinction. While simultaneously accounting for galaxy biases and unknown noise levels, our method reliably and robustly infers three-dimensional density fields and corresponding cosmological power spectra from deep galaxy surveys. Furthermore, our approach correctly accounts for joint and correlated uncertainties between unknown coefficients of foreground templates and the amplitudes of the power spectrum. This effect amounts to correlations and anti-correlations of up to 10 per cent across wide ranges in Fourier space.

[Biological mechanisms of myopia].

PubMed

Schaeffel, F

2017-01-01

Recent studies have confirmed that the prevalence of myopia has increased in most countries, that the increase must be due to environmental factors and that myopia is closely linked to the level of education. Extensive close-up work with short viewing distances, little outdoor activity and continuous exposure to low illumination are currently considered the major factors. It remains unknown how close-up work can stimulate eye growth. Animal models provide the possibility to manipulate visual experiences and to observe subsequent changes in eye growth. They have uncovered a number of unexpected aspects which have led to studies in children. When applied in low doses atropine (0.01 %) is effective against progression of myopia and shows no rebound effect after termination of the treatment, in contrast to treatment with previously used higher doses. While education cannot be limited in our society, there are now an increasing number of options to slow myopia progression so that high myopia is less frequently reached.

Biomechanical implications of lumbar spinal ligament transection.

PubMed

Von Forell, Gregory A; Bowden, Anton E

2014-11-01

Many lumbar spine surgeries either intentionally or inadvertently damage or transect spinal ligaments. The purpose of this work was to quantify the previously unknown biomechanical consequences of isolated spinal ligament transection on the remaining spinal ligaments (stress transfer), vertebrae (bone remodelling stimulus) and intervertebral discs (disc pressure) of the lumbar spine. A finite element model of the full lumbar spine was developed and validated against experimental data and tested in the primary modes of spinal motion in the intact condition. Once a ligament was removed, stress increased in the remaining spinal ligaments and changes occurred in vertebral strain energy, but disc pressure remained similar. All major biomechanical changes occurred at the same spinal level as the transected ligament, with minor changes at adjacent levels. This work demonstrates that iatrogenic damage to spinal ligaments disturbs the load sharing within the spinal ligament network and may induce significant clinically relevant changes in the spinal motion segment.

Virtual Estimator for Piecewise Linear Systems Based on Observability Analysis

PubMed Central

Morales-Morales, Cornelio; Adam-Medina, Manuel; Cervantes, Ilse; Vela-Valdés and, Luis G.; García Beltrán, Carlos Daniel

2013-01-01

This article proposes a virtual sensor for piecewise linear systems based on observability analysis that is in function of a commutation law related with the system's outpu. This virtual sensor is also known as a state estimator. Besides, it presents a detector of active mode when the commutation sequences of each linear subsystem are arbitrary and unknown. For the previous, this article proposes a set of virtual estimators that discern the commutation paths of the system and allow estimating their output. In this work a methodology in order to test the observability for piecewise linear systems with discrete time is proposed. An academic example is presented to show the obtained results. PMID:23447007

A Novel Switching-Based Control Framework for Improved Task Performance in Teleoperation System With Asymmetric Time-Varying Delays.

PubMed

Zhai, Di-Hua; Xia, Yuanqing

2018-02-01

This paper addresses the adaptive control for task-space teleoperation systems with constrained predefined synchronization error, where a novel switched control framework is investigated. Based on multiple Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals method, the stability of the resulting closed-loop system is established in the sense of state-independent input-to-output stability. Compared with previous work, the developed method can simultaneously handle the unknown kinematics/dynamics, asymmetric varying time delays, and prescribed performance control in a unified framework. It is shown that the developed controller can guarantee the prescribed transient-state and steady-state synchronization performances between the master and slave robots, which is demonstrated by the simulation study.

"Physics is supposed to be spoken of with a bit of irony": unknown speech by L D Landau, 8 April 1960

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Druzhinin, P. A.

2018-01-01

A previously unknown speech by Lev Landau dated 8 April 1960 has been published, as transcribed from a unique tape recording obtained from the Russian State Phonogram Archive (Moscow). This is Landau's only true public speech known to have been recorded.

The Use of Simulation to Reduce the Domain of "Black Swans" with Application to Hurricane Impacts to Power Systems.

PubMed

Berner, Christine L; Staid, Andrea; Flage, Roger; Guikema, Seth D

2017-10-01

Recently, the concept of black swans has gained increased attention in the fields of risk assessment and risk management. Different types of black swans have been suggested, distinguishing between unknown unknowns (nothing in the past can convincingly point to its occurrence), unknown knowns (known to some, but not to relevant analysts), or known knowns where the probability of occurrence is judged as negligible. Traditional risk assessments have been questioned, as their standard probabilistic methods may not be capable of predicting or even identifying these rare and extreme events, thus creating a source of possible black swans. In this article, we show how a simulation model can be used to identify previously unknown potentially extreme events that if not identified and treated could occur as black swans. We show that by manipulating a verified and validated model used to predict the impacts of hazards on a system of interest, we can identify hazard conditions not previously experienced that could lead to impacts much larger than any previous level of impact. This makes these potential black swan events known and allows risk managers to more fully consider them. We demonstrate this method using a model developed to evaluate the effect of hurricanes on energy systems in the United States; we identify hurricanes with potentially extreme impacts, storms well beyond what the historic record suggests is possible in terms of impacts. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Proteomic analysis of the venom from the scorpion Mesobuthus martensii.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaobo; Duan, Zhigui; Di, Zhiyong; He, Yawen; Li, Jianglin; Li, Zhongjie; Xie, Chunliang; Zeng, Xiongzhi; Cao, Zhijian; Wu, Yingliang; Liang, Songping; Li, Wenxin

2014-06-25

The scorpion Mesobuthus martensii is the most populous species in eastern Asian countries, and several toxic components have been identified from their venoms. Nevertheless, a complete proteomic profile of the venom of M. martensii is still not available. In this study, the venom of M. martensii was analyzed by comprehensive proteomic approaches. 153 fractions were isolated from the M. martensii venom by 2-DE, SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC. The ESI-Q-TOF MS results of all fractions were used to search the scorpion genomic and transcriptomic databases. Totally, 227 non-redundant protein sequences were unambiguously identified, composed of 134 previously known and 93 previously unknown proteins. Among 134 previously known proteins, 115 proteins were firstly confirmed from the M. martensii crude venom and 19 toxins were confirmed once again, involving 43 typical toxins, 7 atypical toxins, 12 venom enzymes and 72 cell associated proteins. In typical toxins, 7 novel-toxin sequences were identified, including 3 Na(+)-channel toxins, 3K(+)-channel toxins and 1 no-annotation toxin. These results increased 230% (115/50) venom components compared with previous studies from the M. martensii venom, especially 50% (24/48) typical toxins. Additionally, a mass fingerprint obtained by MALDI-TOF MS indicated that the scorpion venom contained more than 200 different molecular mass components. This work firstly gave a systematic investigation of the M. martensii venom by combined proteomics strategy coupled with genomics and transcriptomics. A large number of protein components were unambiguously identified from the venom of M. martensii, most of which were confirmed for the first time. We also contributed 7 novel-toxin sequences and 93 protein sequences previously unknown to be part of the venom, for which we assigned potential biological functions. Besides, we obtained a mass fingerprint of the M. martensii venom. Together, our study not only provides the most comprehensive catalog of the molecular diversity of the M. martensii venom at the proteomic level, but also enriches the composition information of scorpion venom. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparing the Effects of Unknown-Known Ratios on Word Reading Learning versus Learning Rates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Laurice M.; Nist, Lindsay M.

2006-01-01

An extension of G. L. Cates et al. (2003) investigation was conducted to determine if students' cumulative learning rates would be superior for words read under a traditional drill and practice condition (as they were for spelling in the previous study) than under interspersal conditions of varying ratios of unknown to known words. Participants…

Comparison of functional group selective ion-molecule reactions of trimethyl borate in different ion trap mass spectrometers

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

Habicht, S C; Vinueza, Nelson R; Amundson, Lucas M

2011-02-01

We report here a comparison of the use of diagnostic ion–molecule reactions for the identification of oxygen-containing functional groups in Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) and linear quadrupole ion trap (LQIT) mass spectrometers. The ultimate goal of this research is to be able to identify functionalities in previously unknown analytes by using many different types of mass spectrometers. Previous work has focused on the reactions of various boron reagents with protonated oxygen-containing analytes in FTICR mass spectrometers. By using a LQIT modified to allow the introduction of neutral reagents into the helium buffer gas, this methodology has been successfully implementedmore » to this type of an ion trap instrument. The products obtained from the reactions of trimethyl borate (TMB) with various protonated analytes are compared for the two instruments. Finally, the ability to integrate these reactions into LC-MS experiments on the LQIT is demonstrated.« less

Elasto-capillarity in insect fibrillar adhesion.

PubMed

Gernay, Sophie; Federle, Walter; Lambert, Pierre; Gilet, Tristan

2016-08-01

The manipulation of microscopic objects is challenging because of high adhesion forces, which render macroscopic gripping strategies unsuitable. Adhesive footpads of climbing insects could reveal principles relevant for micro-grippers, as they are able to attach and detach rapidly during locomotion. However, the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this work, we characterize the geometry and contact formation of the adhesive setae of dock beetles (Gastrophysa viridula) by interference reflection microscopy. We compare our experimental results to the model of an elastic beam loaded with capillary forces. Fitting the model to experimental data yielded not only estimates for seta adhesion and compliance in agreement with previous direct measurements, but also previously unknown parameters such as the volume of the fluid meniscus and the bending stiffness of the tip. In addition to confirming the primary role of surface tension for insect adhesion, our investigation reveals marked differences in geometry and compliance between the three main kinds of seta tips in leaf beetles. © 2016 The Author(s).

Analysis of Network Clustering Algorithms and Cluster Quality Metrics at Scale

PubMed Central

Kobourov, Stephen; Gallant, Mike; Börner, Katy

2016-01-01

Overview Notions of community quality underlie the clustering of networks. While studies surrounding network clustering are increasingly common, a precise understanding of the realtionship between different cluster quality metrics is unknown. In this paper, we examine the relationship between stand-alone cluster quality metrics and information recovery metrics through a rigorous analysis of four widely-used network clustering algorithms—Louvain, Infomap, label propagation, and smart local moving. We consider the stand-alone quality metrics of modularity, conductance, and coverage, and we consider the information recovery metrics of adjusted Rand score, normalized mutual information, and a variant of normalized mutual information used in previous work. Our study includes both synthetic graphs and empirical data sets of sizes varying from 1,000 to 1,000,000 nodes. Cluster Quality Metrics We find significant differences among the results of the different cluster quality metrics. For example, clustering algorithms can return a value of 0.4 out of 1 on modularity but score 0 out of 1 on information recovery. We find conductance, though imperfect, to be the stand-alone quality metric that best indicates performance on the information recovery metrics. Additionally, our study shows that the variant of normalized mutual information used in previous work cannot be assumed to differ only slightly from traditional normalized mutual information. Network Clustering Algorithms Smart local moving is the overall best performing algorithm in our study, but discrepancies between cluster evaluation metrics prevent us from declaring it an absolutely superior algorithm. Interestingly, Louvain performed better than Infomap in nearly all the tests in our study, contradicting the results of previous work in which Infomap was superior to Louvain. We find that although label propagation performs poorly when clusters are less clearly defined, it scales efficiently and accurately to large graphs with well-defined clusters. PMID:27391786

Analysis of Network Clustering Algorithms and Cluster Quality Metrics at Scale.

PubMed

Emmons, Scott; Kobourov, Stephen; Gallant, Mike; Börner, Katy

2016-01-01

Notions of community quality underlie the clustering of networks. While studies surrounding network clustering are increasingly common, a precise understanding of the realtionship between different cluster quality metrics is unknown. In this paper, we examine the relationship between stand-alone cluster quality metrics and information recovery metrics through a rigorous analysis of four widely-used network clustering algorithms-Louvain, Infomap, label propagation, and smart local moving. We consider the stand-alone quality metrics of modularity, conductance, and coverage, and we consider the information recovery metrics of adjusted Rand score, normalized mutual information, and a variant of normalized mutual information used in previous work. Our study includes both synthetic graphs and empirical data sets of sizes varying from 1,000 to 1,000,000 nodes. We find significant differences among the results of the different cluster quality metrics. For example, clustering algorithms can return a value of 0.4 out of 1 on modularity but score 0 out of 1 on information recovery. We find conductance, though imperfect, to be the stand-alone quality metric that best indicates performance on the information recovery metrics. Additionally, our study shows that the variant of normalized mutual information used in previous work cannot be assumed to differ only slightly from traditional normalized mutual information. Smart local moving is the overall best performing algorithm in our study, but discrepancies between cluster evaluation metrics prevent us from declaring it an absolutely superior algorithm. Interestingly, Louvain performed better than Infomap in nearly all the tests in our study, contradicting the results of previous work in which Infomap was superior to Louvain. We find that although label propagation performs poorly when clusters are less clearly defined, it scales efficiently and accurately to large graphs with well-defined clusters.

The transcriptome of sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis in heartwood xylem of Western Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum).

PubMed

Moniodis, Jessie; Jones, Christopher G; Barbour, E Liz; Plummer, Julie A; Ghisalberti, Emilio L; Bohlmann, Joerg

2015-05-01

The fragrant heartwood oil of West Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) contains a mixture of sesquiterpene olefins and alcohols, including variable levels of the valuable sesquiterpene alcohols, α- and β-santalol, and often high levels of E,E-farnesol. Transcriptome analysis revealed sequences for a nearly complete set of genes of the sesquiterpenoid biosynthetic pathway in this commercially valuable sandalwood species. Transcriptome sequences were produced from heartwood xylem tissue of a farnesol-rich individual tree. From the assembly of 12,537 contigs, seven different terpene synthases (TPSs), several cytochromes P450, and allylic phosphatases were identified, as well as transcripts of the mevalonic acid and methylerythritol phosphate pathways. Five of the S. spicatum TPS sequences were previously unknown. The full-length cDNA of SspiTPS4 was cloned and the enzyme functionally characterized as a multi-product sesquisabinene B synthase, which complements previous characterization of santalene and bisabolol synthases in S. spicatum. While SspiTPS4 and previously cloned sandalwood TPSs do not explain the prevalence of E,E-farnesol in S. spicatum, the genes identified in this and previous work can form a basis for future studies on natural variation of sandalwood terpenoid oil profiles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ratbot automatic navigation by electrical reward stimulation based on distance measurement in unknown environments.

PubMed

Gao, Liqiang; Sun, Chao; Zhang, Chen; Zheng, Nenggan; Chen, Weidong; Zheng, Xiaoxiang

2013-01-01

Traditional automatic navigation methods for bio-robots are constrained to configured environments and thus can't be applied to tasks in unknown environments. With no consideration of bio-robot's own innate living ability and treating bio-robots in the same way as mechanical robots, those methods neglect the intelligence behavior of animals. This paper proposes a novel ratbot automatic navigation method in unknown environments using only reward stimulation and distance measurement. By utilizing rat's habit of thigmotaxis and its reward-seeking behavior, this method is able to incorporate rat's intrinsic intelligence of obstacle avoidance and path searching into navigation. Experiment results show that this method works robustly and can successfully navigate the ratbot to a target in the unknown environment. This work might put a solid base for application of ratbots and also has significant implication of automatic navigation for other bio-robots as well.

An iterative method for the localization of a neutron source in a large box (container)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubinski, S.; Presler, O.; Alfassi, Z. B.

2007-12-01

The localization of an unknown neutron source in a bulky box was studied. This can be used for the inspection of cargo, to prevent the smuggling of neutron and α emitters. It is important to localize the source from the outside for safety reasons. Source localization is necessary in order to determine its activity. A previous study showed that, by using six detectors, three on each parallel face of the box (460×420×200 mm 3), the location of the source can be found with an average distance of 4.73 cm between the real source position and the calculated one and a maximal distance of about 9 cm. Accuracy was improved in this work by applying an iteration method based on four fixed detectors and the successive iteration of positioning of an external calibrating source. The initial positioning of the calibrating source is the plane of detectors 1 and 2. This method finds the unknown source location with an average distance of 0.78 cm between the real source position and the calculated one and a maximum distance of 3.66 cm for the same box. For larger boxes, localization without iterations requires an increase in the number of detectors, while localization with iterations requires only an increase in the number of iteration steps. In addition to source localization, two methods for determining the activity of the unknown source were also studied.

Socioeconomic status and executive function: developmental trajectories and mediation.

PubMed

Hackman, Daniel A; Gallop, Robert; Evans, Gary W; Farah, Martha J

2015-09-01

Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) predicts executive function (EF), but fundamental aspects of this relation remain unknown: the developmental course of the SES disparity, its continued sensitivity to SES changes during that course, and the features of childhood experience responsible for the SES-EF relation. Regarding course, early disparities would be expected to grow during development if caused by accumulating stressors at a given constant level of SES. Alternatively, they would narrow if schooling partly compensates for the effects of earlier deprivation, allowing lower-SES children to 'catch up'. The potential for later childhood SES change to affect EF is also unknown. Regarding mediating factors, previous analyses produced mixed answers, possibly due to correlation amongst candidate mediators. We address these issues with measures of SES, working memory and planning, along with multiple candidate mediators, from the NICHD Study of Early Childcare (n = 1009). Early family income-to-needs and maternal education predicted planning by first grade, and income-to-needs predicted working memory performance at 54 months. Effects of early SES remained consistent through middle childhood, indicating that the relation between early indicators of SES and EF emerges in childhood and persists without narrowing or widening across early and middle childhood. Changes in family income-to-needs were associated with significant changes in planning and trend-level changes in working memory. Mediation analyses supported the role of early childhood home characteristics in explaining the association between SES and EF, while early childhood maternal sensitivity was specifically implicated in the association between maternal education and planning. Early emerging and persistent SES-related differences in EF, partially explained by characteristics of the home and family environment, are thus a potential source of socioeconomic disparities in achievement and health across development. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Victor Henri: 111 years of his equation.

PubMed

Cornish-Bowden, Athel; Mazat, Jean-Pierre; Nicolas, Serge

2014-12-01

Victor Henri's great contribution to the understanding of enzyme kinetics and mechanism is not always given the credit that it deserves. In addition, his earlier work in experimental psychology is totally unknown to biochemists, and his later work in spectroscopy and photobiology almost equally so. Applying great rigour to his analysis he succeeded in obtaining a model of enzyme action that explained all of the observations available to him, and he showed why the considerable amount of work done in the preceding decade had not led to understanding. His view was that only physical chemistry could explain the behaviour of enzymes, and that models should be judged in accordance with their capacity not only to explain previously known facts but also to predict new observations against which they could be tested. The kinetic equation usually attributed to Michaelis and Menten was in reality due to him. His thesis of 1903 is now available in English. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and Société française de biochimie et biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

An expert system shell for inferring vegetation characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrison, P. Ann; Harrison, Patrick R.

1993-01-01

The NASA VEGetation Workbench (VEG) is a knowledge based system that infers vegetation characteristics from reflectance data. VEG is described in detail in several references. The first generation version of VEG was extended. In the first year of this contract, an interface to a file of unknown cover type data was constructed. An interface that allowed the results of VEG to be written to a file was also implemented. A learning system that learned class descriptions from a data base of historical cover type data and then used the learned class descriptions to classify an unknown sample was built. This system had an interface that integrated it into the rest of VEG. The VEG subgoal PROPORTION.GROUND.COVER was completed and a number of additional techniques that inferred the proportion ground cover of a sample were implemented. This work was previously described. The work carried out in the second year of the contract is described. The historical cover type database was removed from VEG and stored as a series of flat files that are external to VEG. An interface to the files was provided. The framework and interface for two new VEG subgoals that estimate the atmospheric effect on reflectance data were built. A new interface that allows the scientist to add techniques to VEG without assistance from the developer was designed and implemented. A prototype Help System that allows the user to get more information about each screen in the VEG interface was also added to VEG.

Polyenergetic known-component CT reconstruction with unknown material compositions and unknown x-ray spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, S.; Uneri, A.; Khanna, A. Jay; Siewerdsen, J. H.; Stayman, J. W.

2017-04-01

Metal artifacts can cause substantial image quality issues in computed tomography. This is particularly true in interventional imaging where surgical tools or metal implants are in the field-of-view. Moreover, the region-of-interest is often near such devices which is exactly where image quality degradations are largest. Previous work on known-component reconstruction (KCR) has shown the incorporation of a physical model (e.g. shape, material composition, etc) of the metal component into the reconstruction algorithm can significantly reduce artifacts even near the edge of a metal component. However, for such approaches to be effective, they must have an accurate model of the component that include energy-dependent properties of both the metal device and the CT scanner, placing a burden on system characterization and component material knowledge. In this work, we propose a modified KCR approach that adopts a mixed forward model with a polyenergetic model for the component and a monoenergetic model for the background anatomy. This new approach called Poly-KCR jointly estimates a spectral transfer function associated with known components in addition to the background attenuation values. Thus, this approach eliminates both the need to know component material composition a prior as well as the requirement for an energy-dependent characterization of the CT scanner. We demonstrate the efficacy of this novel approach and illustrate its improved performance over traditional and model-based iterative reconstruction methods in both simulation studies and in physical data including an implanted cadaver sample.

The South American spider genera Mesabolivar and Carapoia (Araneae, Pholcidae): new species and a framework for redrawing generic limits.

PubMed

Huber, Bernhard A

2018-03-18

The South American genera Mesabolivar González-Sponga, 1998 and Carapoia González-Sponga, 1998 are among the most species-rich pholcid genera in the Neotropics. Representatives of both genera occupy a wide range of microhabitats from the leaf litter to high among the vegetation, resulting in a morphological and behavioral diversity that complicates not only identification in the field but also the establishment of generic limits. The present paper is primarily an effort to improve the foundation for future work on these genera by describing new species and unknown sexes, by redescribing poorly known species, and by adding distribution data for known species. In order to provide some structure for the 72 species treated herein, the genera are divided into operational species groups, based in part on previous morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses, in part on similarity. The following 47 species are newly described. In Mesabolivar: M. acrensis, M. amadoi, M. amanaye, M. amazonicus, M. baianus, M. bico, M. bicuspis, M. borgesi, M. buraquinho, M. camacan, M. catarinensis, M. chapeco, M. claricae, M. constrictus, M. guaycolec, M. inmanis, M. itajai, M. jamari, M. kaingang, M. madalena, M. macushi, M. maraba, M. mimoso, M. murici, M. niteroi, M. pallens, M. saci, M. sepitus, M. serrapelada, M. similis, M. tabatinga, M. tapajos, M. turvo, M. yucuma. In Carapoia: C. agilis, C. bispina, C. djavani, C. exigua, C. kaxinawa, C. maculata, C. munduruku, C. pulchra, C. rubra, C. suassunai, C. tapajos, C. tenuis, C. utinga. Three poorly known species are redescribed in detail: M. spinosus (González-Sponga, 2005), M. anseriformis (González-Sponga, 2011), and M. azureus (Badcock, 1932). The previously unknown females are described for M. anseriformis and M. rudilapsi Machado et al., 2007; the previously unknown male is described for M. argentinensis (Mello-Leitão, 1938). The monotypic genus Teuia Huber, 2000 is newly synonymized with Mesabolivar, resulting in the new combination Mesabolivar beckeri (Huber, 2000). Psilochorus fluminensis Mello-Leitão, 1918 and Blechroscelis aurantia Mello-Leitão, 1940 are newly synonymized with Mesabolivar togatus (Keyserling, 1891). Three species are formally transferred from Mesabolivar to Carapoia: C. cambridgei (Mello-Leitão, 1947), C. lutea (Keyserling, 1891), and C. levii (Huber, 2000).

Photothermal and infrared thermography characterizations of thermal diffusion in hydroxyapatite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bante-Guerra, J.; Conde-Contreras, M.; Trujillo, S.; Martinez-Torres, P.; Cruz-Jimenez, B.; Quintana, P.; Alvarado-Gil, J. J.

2009-02-01

Non destructive analysis of hydroxyapatite materials is an active research area mainly in the study of dental pieces and bones due to the importance these pieces have in medicine, archeology, dentistry, forensics and anthropology. Infrared thermography and photothermal techniques constitute highly valuable tools in those cases. In this work the quantitative analysis of thermal diffusion in bones is presented. The results obtained using thermographic images are compared with the ones obtained from the photothermal radiometry. Special emphasis is done in the analysis of samples with previous thermal damage. Our results show that the treatments induce changes in the physical properties of the samples. These results could be useful in the identification of the agents that induced modifications of unknown origin in hydroxyapatite structures.

A causal role for right frontopolar cortex in directed, but not random, exploration

PubMed Central

Zajkowski, Wojciech K; Kossut, Malgorzata

2017-01-01

The explore-exploit dilemma occurs anytime we must choose between exploring unknown options for information and exploiting known resources for reward. Previous work suggests that people use two different strategies to solve the explore-exploit dilemma: directed exploration, driven by information seeking, and random exploration, driven by decision noise. Here, we show that these two strategies rely on different neural systems. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation to inhibit the right frontopolar cortex, we were able to selectively inhibit directed exploration while leaving random exploration intact. This suggests a causal role for right frontopolar cortex in directed, but not random, exploration and that directed and random exploration rely on (at least partially) dissociable neural systems. PMID:28914605

Correlating chemical sensitivity and basal gene expression reveals mechanism of action | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

Changes in cellular gene expression in response to small-molecule or genetic perturbations have yielded signatures that can connect unknown mechanisms of action (MoA) to ones previously established. We hypothesized that differential basal gene expression could be correlated with patterns of small-molecule sensitivity across many cell lines to illuminate the actions of compounds whose MoA are unknown.

Documenting the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Oblate Earth Simulation Equations of Motion and Integration Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, R.; Lintereur, L.; Bahm, C.

2016-01-01

A desire for more complete documentation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC), Edwards, California legacy code used in the core simulation has led to this e ort to fully document the oblate Earth six-degree-of-freedom equations of motion and integration algorithm. The authors of this report have taken much of the earlier work of the simulation engineering group and used it as a jumping-o point for this report. The largest addition this report makes is that each element of the equations of motion is traced back to first principles and at no point is the reader forced to take an equation on faith alone. There are no discoveries of previously unknown principles contained in this report; this report is a collection and presentation of textbook principles. The value of this report is that those textbook principles are herein documented in standard nomenclature that matches the form of the computer code DERIVC. Previous handwritten notes are much of the backbone of this work, however, in almost every area, derivations are explicitly shown to assure the reader that the equations which make up the oblate Earth version of the computer routine, DERIVC, are correct.

Raman spectroscopy analysis of the skin of patients with melasma before standard treatment with topical corticosteroids, retinoic acid, and hydroquinone mixture.

PubMed

Moncada, B; Castillo-Martínez, C; Arenas, E; León-Bejarano, F; Ramírez-Elías, M G; González, F J

2016-05-01

Melasma is an abnormal acquired hyperpigmentation of the face of unknown origin, it is considered a single disease and very little has been found regarding its pathogenesis. It is usually assumed that melasma is due to excessive melanin production, but previous work using Raman spectroscopy showed degraded molecules of melanin in some melasma subjects, which may help to explain the success or failure of the standard therapy. We perform Raman spectroscopy measurements on in vivo skin from melasma patients before treatment to identify the molecular structure of melanin within every melasma lesion. The Raman spectra were grouped according to the treatment response from patient, and the Raman spectra were analyzed. Raman spectroscopy measurements showed a different molecular structure of the patients who did not respond to treatment, those patients shows atypical Raman skin spectrum with peaks associated with melanin not well defined, which is consistent with molecular degradation and protein breakdown. Our results are consistent with our previous work in the sense that melasma patients who do not respond to treatment have an abnormal melanin. We believe it will eventually help to decide the treatment of melasma in clinical dermatology. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

356. Delineator Unknown March 1946 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

356. Delineator Unknown March 1946 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; GENERAL DATA; PLAT III - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

The sensory strength of voluntary visual imagery predicts visual working memory capacity.

PubMed

Keogh, Rebecca; Pearson, Joel

2014-10-09

How much we can actively hold in mind is severely limited and differs greatly from one person to the next. Why some individuals have greater capacities than others is largely unknown. Here, we investigated why such large variations in visual working memory (VWM) capacity might occur, by examining the relationship between visual working memory and visual mental imagery. To assess visual working memory capacity participants were required to remember the orientation of a number of Gabor patches and make subsequent judgments about relative changes in orientation. The sensory strength of voluntary imagery was measured using a previously documented binocular rivalry paradigm. Participants with greater imagery strength also had greater visual working memory capacity. However, they were no better on a verbal number working memory task. Introducing a uniform luminous background during the retention interval of the visual working memory task reduced memory capacity, but only for those with strong imagery. Likewise, for the good imagers increasing background luminance during imagery generation reduced its effect on subsequent binocular rivalry. Luminance increases did not affect any of the subgroups on the verbal number working memory task. Together, these results suggest that luminance was disrupting sensory mechanisms common to both visual working memory and imagery, and not a general working memory system. The disruptive selectivity of background luminance suggests that good imagers, unlike moderate or poor imagers, may use imagery as a mnemonic strategy to perform the visual working memory task. © 2014 ARVO.

Cinerama sickness and postural instability.

PubMed

Bos, Jelte E; Ledegang, Wietse D; Lubeck, Astrid J A; Stins, John F

2013-01-01

Motion sickness symptoms and increased postural instability induced by motion pictures have been reported in a laboratory, but not in a real cinema. We, therefore, carried out an observational study recording sickness severity and postural instability in 19 subjects before, immediately and 45 min after watching a 1 h 3D aviation documentary in a cinema. Sickness was significantly larger right after the movie than before, and in a lesser extent still so after 45 min. The average standard deviation of the lateral centre of pressure excursions was significantly larger only right afterwards. When low-pass filtered at 0.1 Hz, lateral and for-aft excursions were both significantly larger right after the movie, while for-aft excursions then remained larger even after 45 min. Speculating on previous findings, we predict more sickness and postural instability in 3D than in 2D movies, also suggesting a possible, but yet unknown risk for work-related activities and vehicle operation. Watching motion pictures may be sickening and posturally destabilising, but effects in a cinema are unknown. We, therefore, carried out an observational study showing that sickness then is mainly an issue during the exposure while postural instability is an issue afterwards.

Renormalization group analysis of the 2000-2002 anti-bubble in the US S&P500 index: explanation of the hierarchy of five crashes and prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wei-Xing; Sornette, Didier

2003-12-01

We propose a straightforward extension of our previously proposed log-periodic power-law model of the “anti-bubble” regime of the USA stock market since the summer of 2000, in terms of the renormalization group framework to model critical points. Using a previous work by Gluzman and Sornette (Phys. Rev. E 65 (2003) 036142) on the classification of the class of Weierstrass-like functions, we show that the five crashes that occurred since August 2000 can be accurately modeled by this approach, in a fully consistent way with no additional parameters. Our theory suggests an overall consistent organization of the investors forming a collective network which interact to form the pessimistic bearish “anti-bubble” regime with intermittent acceleration of the positive feedbacks of pessimistic sentiment leading to these crashes. We develop retrospective predictions, that confirm the existence of significant arbitrage opportunities for a trader using our model. Finally, we offer a prediction for the unknown future of the US S&P500 index extending over 2003 and 2004, that refines the previous prediction of Sornette and Zhou (Quant. Finance 2 (2002) 468).

Memory functions in chronic pain: examining contributions of attention and age to test performance.

PubMed

Oosterman, Joukje M; Derksen, Laura C; van Wijck, Albert J M; Veldhuijzen, Dieuwke S; Kessels, Roy P C

2011-01-01

Previous studies have revealed that memory performance is diminished in chronic pain patients. Few studies, however, have assessed multiple components of memory in a single sample. It is currently also unknown whether attentional problems, which are commonly observed in chronic pain, mediate the decline in memory. Finally, previous studies have focused on middle-aged adults, and a possible detrimental effect of aging on memory performance in chronic pain patients has been commonly disregarded. This study, therefore, aimed at describing the pattern of semantic, working, and visual and verbal episodic memory performance in participants with chronic pain, while testing for possible contributions of attention and age to task performance. Thirty-four participants with chronic pain and 32 pain-free participants completed tests of episodic, semantic, and working memory to assess memory performance and a test of attention. Participants with chronic pain performed worse on tests of working memory and verbal episodic memory. A decline in attention explained some, but not all, group differences in memory performance. Finally, no additional effect of age on the diminished task performance in participants with chronic pain was observed. Taken together, the results indicate that chronic pain significantly affects memory performance. Part of this effect may be caused by underlying attentional dysfunction, although this could not fully explain the observed memory decline. An increase in age in combination with the presence of chronic pain did not additionally affect memory performance.

Global diversity and biogeography of deep-sea pelagic prokaryotes.

PubMed

Salazar, Guillem; Cornejo-Castillo, Francisco M; Benítez-Barrios, Verónica; Fraile-Nuez, Eugenio; Álvarez-Salgado, X Antón; Duarte, Carlos M; Gasol, Josep M; Acinas, Silvia G

2016-03-01

The deep-sea is the largest biome of the biosphere, and contains more than half of the whole ocean's microbes. Uncovering their general patterns of diversity and community structure at a global scale remains a great challenge, as only fragmentary information of deep-sea microbial diversity exists based on regional-scale studies. Here we report the first globally comprehensive survey of the prokaryotic communities inhabiting the bathypelagic ocean using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. This work identifies the dominant prokaryotes in the pelagic deep ocean and reveals that 50% of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belong to previously unknown prokaryotic taxa, most of which are rare and appear in just a few samples. We show that whereas the local richness of communities is comparable to that observed in previous regional studies, the global pool of prokaryotic taxa detected is modest (~3600 OTUs), as a high proportion of OTUs are shared among samples. The water masses appear to act as clear drivers of the geographical distribution of both particle-attached and free-living prokaryotes. In addition, we show that the deep-oceanic basins in which the bathypelagic realm is divided contain different particle-attached (but not free-living) microbial communities. The combination of the aging of the water masses and a lack of complete dispersal are identified as the main drivers for this biogeographical pattern. All together, we identify the potential of the deep ocean as a reservoir of still unknown biological diversity with a higher degree of spatial complexity than hitherto considered.

Global diversity and biogeography of deep-sea pelagic prokaryotes

PubMed Central

Salazar, Guillem; Cornejo-Castillo, Francisco M; Benítez-Barrios, Verónica; Fraile-Nuez, Eugenio; Álvarez-Salgado, X Antón; Duarte, Carlos M; Gasol, Josep M; Acinas, Silvia G

2016-01-01

The deep-sea is the largest biome of the biosphere, and contains more than half of the whole ocean's microbes. Uncovering their general patterns of diversity and community structure at a global scale remains a great challenge, as only fragmentary information of deep-sea microbial diversity exists based on regional-scale studies. Here we report the first globally comprehensive survey of the prokaryotic communities inhabiting the bathypelagic ocean using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. This work identifies the dominant prokaryotes in the pelagic deep ocean and reveals that 50% of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belong to previously unknown prokaryotic taxa, most of which are rare and appear in just a few samples. We show that whereas the local richness of communities is comparable to that observed in previous regional studies, the global pool of prokaryotic taxa detected is modest (~3600 OTUs), as a high proportion of OTUs are shared among samples. The water masses appear to act as clear drivers of the geographical distribution of both particle-attached and free-living prokaryotes. In addition, we show that the deep-oceanic basins in which the bathypelagic realm is divided contain different particle-attached (but not free-living) microbial communities. The combination of the aging of the water masses and a lack of complete dispersal are identified as the main drivers for this biogeographical pattern. All together, we identify the potential of the deep ocean as a reservoir of still unknown biological diversity with a higher degree of spatial complexity than hitherto considered. PMID:26251871

Assessment of source-specific health effects associated with an unknown number of major sources of multiple air pollutants: a unified Bayesian approach.

PubMed

Park, Eun Sug; Hopke, Philip K; Oh, Man-Suk; Symanski, Elaine; Han, Daikwon; Spiegelman, Clifford H

2014-07-01

There has been increasing interest in assessing health effects associated with multiple air pollutants emitted by specific sources. A major difficulty with achieving this goal is that the pollution source profiles are unknown and source-specific exposures cannot be measured directly; rather, they need to be estimated by decomposing ambient measurements of multiple air pollutants. This estimation process, called multivariate receptor modeling, is challenging because of the unknown number of sources and unknown identifiability conditions (model uncertainty). The uncertainty in source-specific exposures (source contributions) as well as uncertainty in the number of major pollution sources and identifiability conditions have been largely ignored in previous studies. A multipollutant approach that can deal with model uncertainty in multivariate receptor models while simultaneously accounting for parameter uncertainty in estimated source-specific exposures in assessment of source-specific health effects is presented in this paper. The methods are applied to daily ambient air measurements of the chemical composition of fine particulate matter ([Formula: see text]), weather data, and counts of cardiovascular deaths from 1995 to 1997 for Phoenix, AZ, USA. Our approach for evaluating source-specific health effects yields not only estimates of source contributions along with their uncertainties and associated health effects estimates but also estimates of model uncertainty (posterior model probabilities) that have been ignored in previous studies. The results from our methods agreed in general with those from the previously conducted workshop/studies on the source apportionment of PM health effects in terms of number of major contributing sources, estimated source profiles, and contributions. However, some of the adverse source-specific health effects identified in the previous studies were not statistically significant in our analysis, which probably resulted because we incorporated parameter uncertainty in estimated source contributions that has been ignored in the previous studies into the estimation of health effects parameters. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Pollen and mold exposure impairs the work performance of employees with allergic rhinitis.

PubMed

Kessler, R C; Almeida, D M; Berglund, P; Stang, P

2001-10-01

Although quality of life studies suggest that allergic rhinitis has a substantial impact on work impairment, national survey estimates of the magnitude of this impairment have varied widely. Retrospective recall bias is likely to be a major cause of this variability. This study used a nationally representative daily diary sample to obtain prospective data that improve on previous estimates of the work impairment because of allergic rhinitis. The MacArthur Foundation National Survey of Daily Experience is a daily diary survey that included a nationally representative subsample of 739 employed people, each of whom provided daily reports on work performance for 1 randomly assigned week of the calendar year. National Allergy Bureau monitoring station data were merged with the survey data to study the association of time-space variation in pollen/mold exposure with impaired daily work quality and quantity. National Allergy Bureau pollen/mold counts are significantly related to work impairments only among respondents with self-reported allergic rhinitis. The average estimated monthly salary-equivalent work impairment costs associated with pollen/mold exposure for each allergy sufferer is between $109 and $156, with an annualized national projection of between $5.4 billion and $7.7 billion. The extent to which these costs can be recovered by increasing the proportion of allergy sufferers who are successfully treated remains unknown and can only be evaluated definitively in effectiveness trials.

[Stress in families with children: are children the cause?].

PubMed

Engell, Rikke; Nielsen, Naja Rod; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo

2007-01-22

Stress may affect health negatively. Therefore, it is important to identify risks factors for high levels of stress. Previous studies indicate that parents report higher levels of stress than adults without children. Whether this it due to having children or due to other circumstances is unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether parents have higher levels of stress than adults without children after controlling for possible confounders. A possible interaction between being a parent and working time on perceived stress will be examined. Cross-sectional data from Danish Health and Morbidity Survey 2000 were used. 3,083 men and 2,813 women aged 25-49 years answered one question on perceived stress. All analyses were stratified on sex and marital status and adjusted for age, socio-economic level, income and work hours/week. No differences in perceived stress between men and women with and without children were found. Women, who were lone parents and worked more than 37 hours a week, had a markedly increased level of stress (OR: 3.2, 95%CI: (1.3-7.8)) compared to single women without children working 37 hours a week. Children in the household did not appear to be the cause of a high level of perceived stress. Single mothers with long working hours were an exception to this conclusion.

Decomposition of Multi-player Games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Dengji; Schiffel, Stephan; Thielscher, Michael

Research in General Game Playing aims at building systems that learn to play unknown games without human intervention. We contribute to this endeavour by generalising the established technique of decomposition from AI Planning to multi-player games. To this end, we present a method for the automatic decomposition of previously unknown games into independent subgames, and we show how a general game player can exploit a successful decomposition for game tree search.

Nuclear and chloroplast DNA phylogeny reveals complex evolutionary history of Elymus pendulinus.

PubMed

Yan, Chi; Hu, Qianni; Sun, Genlou

2014-02-01

Evidence accumulated over the last decade has shown that allopolyploid genomes may undergo complex reticulate evolution. In this study, 13 accessions of tetraploid Elymus pendulinus were analyzed using two low-copy nuclear genes (RPB2 and PepC) and two regions of chloroplast genome (Rps16 and trnD-trnT). Previous studies suggested that Pseudoroegneria (St) and an unknown diploid (Y) were genome donors to E. pendulinus, and that Pseudoroegneria was the maternal donor. Our results revealed an extreme reticulate pattern, with at least four distinct gene lineages coexisting within this species that might be acquired through a possible combination of allotetraploidization and introgression from both within and outside the tribe Hordeeae. Chloroplast DNA data identified two potential maternal genome donors (Pseudoroegneria and an unknown species outside Hordeeae) to E. pendulinus. Nuclear gene data indicated that both Pseudoroegneria and an unknown Y diploid have contributed to the nuclear genome of E. pendulinus, in agreement with cytogenetic data. However, unexpected contributions from Hordeum and unknown aliens from within or outside Hordeeae to E. pendulinus without genome duplication were observed. Elymus pendulinus provides a remarkable instance of the previously unsuspected chimerical nature of some plant genomes and the resulting phylogenetic complexity produced by multiple historical reticulation events.

ERP profiles for face and word recognition are based on their status in semantic memory not their stimulus category.

PubMed

Nie, Aiqing; Griffin, Michael; Keinath, Alexander; Walsh, Matthew; Dittmann, Andrea; Reder, Lynne

2014-04-04

Previous research has suggested that faces and words are processed and remembered differently as reflected by different ERP patterns for the two types of stimuli. Specifically, face stimuli produced greater late positive deflections for old items in anterior compared to posterior regions, while word stimuli produced greater late positive deflections in posterior compared to anterior regions. Given that words have existing representations in subjects׳ long-term memories (LTM) and that face stimuli used in prior experiments were of unknown individuals, we conducted an ERP study that crossed face and letter stimuli with the presence or absence of a prior (stable or existing) memory representation. During encoding, subjects judged whether stimuli were known (famous face or real word) or not known (unknown person or pseudo-word). A surprise recognition memory test required subjects to distinguish between stimuli that appeared during the encoding phase and stimuli that did not. ERP results were consistent with previous research when comparing unknown faces and words; however, the late ERP pattern for famous faces was more similar to that for words than for unknown faces. This suggests that the critical ERP difference is mediated by whether there is a prior representation in LTM, and not whether the stimulus involves letters or faces. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[On the astrology and computation in the 12th century: new unpublished manuscripts ].

PubMed

Caiazzo, Irene

2012-01-01

This article examines three so far unknown lemmatic commentaries on computus and on astrolabe topics, which are to be found in MS Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Cod. math. 4 degrees 33 (second half of the twelfth-century). The commentaries are on the 'Compotus' by Gerlandus, on the 'De mensura astrolabii' by Hermann of Reichenau, and on the 'De utilitatibus astrolabii', which is sometimes attributed to Gerbert of Aurillac. No commentaries on the respective treatises have previously been identified as such. The commentaries of the Stuttgart manuscript are of special interest in that they allow us to understand how a twelfth-century scholar read works on computus and the astrolabe, namely works that date back to the eleventh century. Their author remains anonymous, but in all probability he wrote his commentary on the 'Compotus' by Gerlandus either in 1143 or in 1150. An appendix to the article includes transcriptions of the introductory texts on the computus and on the astrolabe as well as the beginnings of the commentaries.

Learning from the Unknown Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barlow, Angela T.; Gerstenschlager, Natasha E.; Harmon, Shannon E.

2016-01-01

In this article, three instructional situations demonstrate the value of using an "unknown" student's work to allow the advancement of students' mathematical thinking as well as their engagement in the mathematical practice of critiquing the reasoning of others: (1) introducing alternative solution strategies; (2) critiquing inaccuracies…

Hazardous-waste-characterization survey of unknown drums at the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, Elmendorf and Shemya Air Force Bases, and Galena and King Salmon Airports, Alaska. Final report 2-13 Aug 91

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

Bishop, M.S.

1991-12-01

At the request of the USAF Regional Hospital Elmendorf/SGPB (PACAF), the Armstrong Laboratory, Occupational and Environmental Health Directorate, conducted a hazardous waste characterization survey of unknown drums at Elmendorf AFB from 2 Aug - 13 Aug 91. The scope of the survey was to sample and characterize drums of unknown material stored at Elmendorf AFB, Shemya AFB, and Galena and King Salmon Airports. Several waste streams were sampled at Elmendorf AFB to revalidate sample results from a previous survey.

Influence of multiple categories on the prediction of unknown properties

PubMed Central

Verde, Michael F.; Murphy, Gregory L.; Ross, Brian H.

2006-01-01

Knowing an item's category helps us predict its unknown properties. Previous studies suggest that when asked to evaluate the probability of an unknown property, people tend to consider only an item's most likely category, ignoring alternative categories. In the present study, property prediction took the form of either a probability rating or a speeded, binary-choice judgment. Consistent with past findings, subjects ignored alternative categories in their probability ratings. However, their binary-choice judgments were influenced by alternative categories. This novel finding suggests that the way category knowledge is used in prediction depends critically on the form of the prediction. PMID:16156183

Locus of control as a stress moderator and mediator in children of divorce.

PubMed

Kim, L S; Sandler, I N; Tein, J Y

1997-04-01

This paper examined the stress moderator and mediator effects of four dimensions of perceived control in children of divorce. The dimensions of locus of control included internal control for positive events, internal control for negative events, unknown control for positive events, and unknown control for negative events. The sample consisted of 222 children between the ages of 8 and 12 whose parents had divorced in the previous 2 years. Moderational analyses showed that unknown control for positive events interacted with negative events to predict total symptoms. Plots of the simple slopes indicated a stress buffering effect whereby the slope of negative events on symptoms was higher for high than for low levels of unknown control for positive events. Mediational analysis showed that the relations between negative events and symptoms were mediated by both unknown control for positive events and unknown control for negative events. In contrast, evidence was not found for either a stress mediational or a moderational model for perceived internal control for positive or negative events. These results suggest that unknown control beliefs may be a particularly important dimension of control for children of divorce.

Characterization of Actinomyces Isolates from Infected Root Canals of Teeth: Description of Actinomyces radicidentis sp. nov.

PubMed Central

Collins, Matthew D.; Hoyles, Lesley; Kalfas, Sotos; Sundquist, Goran; Monsen, Tor; Nikolaitchouk, Natalia; Falsen, Enevold

2000-01-01

Two strains of a previously undescribed Actinomyces-like bacterium were recovered in pure culture from infected root canals of teeth. Analysis by biochemical testing and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins indicated that the strains closely resembled each other phenotypically but were distinct from previously described Actinomyces and Arcanobacterium species. Comparative 16S rRNA gene-sequencing studies showed the bacterium to be a hitherto unknown subline within a group of Actinomyces species which includes Actinomyces bovis, the type species of the genus. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, we propose that the unknown bacterium isolated from human clinical specimens be classified as Actinomyces radicidentis sp. nov. The type strain of Actinomyces radicidentis is CCUG 36733. PMID:10970390

Adaptive and Innate Immune Responsiveness to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Exposed Asymptomatic Children and Children with Previous Clinical Lyme Borreliosis

PubMed Central

Skogman, Barbro H.; Hellberg, Sandra; Ekerfelt, Christina; Jenmalm, Maria C.; Forsberg, Pia; Ludvigsson, Johnny; Bergström, Sven; Ernerudh, Jan

2012-01-01

Why some individuals develop clinical manifestations in Lyme borreliosis (LB) while others remain asymptomatic is largely unknown. Therefore, we wanted to investigate adaptive and innate immune responsiveness to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in exposed Borrelia-antibody-positive asymptomatic children (n = 20), children with previous clinical LB (n = 24), and controls (n = 20). Blood samples were analyzed for Borrelia-specific interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-17 secretion by ELISPOT and Borrelia-induced IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12(p70), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) secretion by Luminex. We found no significant differences in cytokine secretion between groups, but a tendency towards an increased spontaneous secretion of IL-6 was found among children with previous clinical LB. In conclusion, the adaptive or innate immune responsiveness to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was similar in Borrelia-exposed asymptomatic children and children with previous clinical LB. Thus, the immunological mechanisms of importance for eradicating the spirochete effectively without developing clinical manifestations of LB remain unknown. PMID:22190976

Characterization of Marine Mammal Recordings from the Hawaii Range Complex

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

This was higher than known from a previous study at Palmyra Atoll (Baumann- Pickering, 2009), where the peak frequency was around 25-29 kHz. Recordings...cavirostris), signals known from an unknown species at Palmyra Atoll (possibly Mesoplodon hotaula, Baumann-Pickering et al., 2010), and an unknown...Measurement of Activity in Odontocete Species of Palmyra Atoll by Acoustic Monitoring,” Doctorate thesis, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen

Metabolic Control of Vesicular Glutamate Transport and Release

PubMed Central

Juge, Narinobu; Gray, John A.; Omote, Hiroshi; Miyaji, Takaaki; Inoue, Tsuyoshi; Hara, Chiaki; Uneyama, Hisayuki; Edwards, Robert H.; Nicoll, Roger A.; Moriyama, Yoshinori

2010-01-01

Fasting has been used to control epilepsy since antiquity, but the mechanism of coupling between metabolic state and excitatory neurotransmission remains unknown. Previous work has shown that the vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) required for exocytotic release of glutamate undergo an unusual form of regulation by Cl−. Using functional reconstitution of the purified VGLUTs into proteoliposomes, we now show that Cl− acts as an allosteric activator, and the ketone bodies that increase with fasting inhibit glutamate release by competing with Cl− at the site of allosteric regulation. Consistent with these observations, acetoacetate reduced quantal size at hippocampal synapses, and suppresses glutamate release and seizures evoked with 4-aminopyridine in the brain. The results indicate an unsuspected link between metabolic state and excitatory neurotransmission through anion-dependent regulation of VGLUT activity. PMID:20920794

Bioaerosol generation by raindrops on soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joung, Young Soo; Ge, Zhifei; Buie, Cullen R.

2017-03-01

Aerosolized microorganisms may play an important role in climate change, disease transmission, water and soil contaminants, and geographic migration of microbes. While it is known that bioaerosols are generated when bubbles break on the surface of water containing microbes, it is largely unclear how viable soil-based microbes are transferred to the atmosphere. Here we report a previously unknown mechanism by which rain disperses soil bacteria into the air. Bubbles, tens of micrometres in size, formed inside the raindrops disperse micro-droplets containing soil bacteria during raindrop impingement. A single raindrop can transfer 0.01% of bacteria on the soil surface and the bacteria can survive more than one hour after the aerosol generation process. This work further reveals that bacteria transfer by rain is highly dependent on the regional soil profile and climate conditions.

Downwash of airplane winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munk, Max; Cario, Gunther

1923-01-01

The data for the calculation of the air forces acting on the elevators, obtained from previous model experiments are not immediately applicable in practice, as the angle at which the control surfaces meet the air stream is, in general, still unknown. The air stream, when it reaches the elevator has already been deflected by the wings and although the velocity imparted to the air current by the wings is of negligible amount compared with the speed of flight, the air behind the wings has been deflected downwards, so that the elevators work in an airstream which is inclined in a downward direction. The angle at which the air stream meets the elevator surface is, therefore, different from, and, with the usual arrangement of elevators, less than the angle made by the elevator surfaces with the line of flight.

Schlieren Cinematography of Current Driven Plasma Jet Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loebner, Keith; Underwood, Thomas; Cappelli, Mark

2016-10-01

Schlieren cinematography of a pulsed plasma deflagration jet is presented and analyzed. An ultra-high frame rate CMOS camera coupled to a Z-type laser Schlieren apparatus is used to obtain flow-field refractometry data for the continuous flow Z-pinch formed within the plasma deflagration jet. The 10 MHz frame rate for 256 consecutive frames provides high temporal resolution, enabling turbulent fluctuations and plasma instabilities to be visualized over the course of a single pulse (20 μs). The Schlieren signal is radiometrically calibrated to obtain a two dimensional mapping of the refraction angle of the axisymmetric pinch plasma, and this mapping is then Abel inverted to derive the plasma density distribution as a function radius, axial coordinate, and time. Analyses of previously unknown discharge characteristics and comparisons with prior work are discussed.

Search for biological specimens from midwestern parks: pitfalls and solutions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bennett, J.P.

2001-01-01

This paper describes the results of searches of herbarium and museum collections and databases for records of vertebrate and vascular plant specimens that had been collected in 15 midwestern National Park System units. The records of these specimens were previously unknown to the National Park Service (NPS). In the course of our searches, numerous obstacles were encountered that prevented us from fully completing our task. These ranged from difficulties with the way databases are structured, to poor record-keeping, to incomplete or incorrect information on the actual location of specimens within collections. Despite these problems, we are convinced that the information to be gained from such searches in invaluable, and we believe that our experience, and the recommendations we offer, may well prove instructive to others undertaking this kind of work.

PubMed

Kranz, Horst

The anonymously transmitted Speculi almukefi compositio is one of the most original works that the Middle Ages brought out on conic sections and construction of parabolic mirrors. The author is suspected to have been an unknown monk of the 13th/14th century. Based on source documents that were previously left unconsidered, this article assigns the tract to the Venetian Johannes Fontana. The diversely interested doctor of arts and medicine practiced as a physician in Udine in the 1430s, a time during which he wrote about geometric subjects. The close relationship to practical application is typical for the scientist Fontana. It is expressed in an excursion on the conditions of a good steel. The rich text, still to be evaluated from a technical-historical point of view, is published here in a German translation for the first time.

Unveiling the morphology of the acetabulum in octopus suckers and its role in attachment

PubMed Central

Tramacere, Francesca; Pugno, Nicola M.; Kuba, Michael J.; Mazzolai, Barbara

2015-01-01

In recent years, the attachment mechanism of the octopus sucker has attracted the interest of scientists from different research areas, including biology, engineering, medicine and robotics. From a technological perspective, the main goal is to identify the underlying mechanisms involved in sucker attachment for use in the development of new generations of artificial devices and materials. Recently, the understanding of the morphology of the sucker has been significantly improved; however, the mechanisms that allow attachment remain largely unknown. In this work, we present new anatomical findings: specifically, a protuberance in the acetabular roof in five different octopus species; previously, this protuberance was identified by the authors in Octopus vulgaris. Moreover, we discuss the role of the protuberance and other anatomical structures in attachment with minimal energy consumption. PMID:25657834

359. Delineator Unknown April 1935 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

359. Delineator Unknown April 1935 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; BRIDGE RAILWAY SAN FRANCISCO LOOP; DETAILS OF VIADUCT; FINAL REPORT; DRG. NO. 92 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

381. J.H.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

381. J.H.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; SUSPENDED STRUCTURE; ERECTION; DRG. NO. 43 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

369. J.R.L., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

369. J.R.L., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; CAISSON ANCHORAGE; DRG. NO. 22 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Estimating the energetic cost of feeding excess dietary nitrogen to dairy cows.

PubMed

Reed, K F; Bonfá, H C; Dijkstra, J; Casper, D P; Kebreab, E

2017-09-01

Feeding N in excess of requirement could require the use of additional energy to metabolize excess protein, and to synthesize and excrete urea; however, the amount and fate of this energy is unknown. Little progress has been made on this topic in recent decades, so an extension of work published in 1970 was conducted to quantify the effect of excess N on ruminant energetics. In part 1 of this study, the results of previous work were replicated using a simple linear regression to estimate the effect of excess N on energy balance. In part 2, mixed model methodology and a larger data set were used to improve upon the previously reported linear regression methods. In part 3, heat production, retained energy, and milk energy replaced the composite energy balance variable previously proposed as the dependent variable to narrow the effect of excess N. In addition, rumen degradable and undegradable protein intakes were estimated using table values and included as covariates in part 3. Excess N had opposite and approximately equal effects on heat production (+4.1 to +7.6 kcal/g of excess N) and retained energy (-4.2 to -6.6 kcal/g of excess N) but had a larger negative effect on milk gross energy (-52 to -68 kcal/g of excess N). The results suggest that feeding excess N increases heat production, but more investigation is required to determine why excess N has such a large effect on milk gross energy production. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increased Kawasaki Disease Incidence Associated With Higher Precipitation and Lower Temperatures, Japan, 1991-2004.

PubMed

Abrams, Joseph Y; Blase, Jennifer L; Belay, Ermias D; Uehara, Ritei; Maddox, Ryan A; Schonberger, Lawrence B; Nakamura, Yosikazu

2018-06-01

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vasculitis, which primarily affects children. The etiology of KD is unknown; while certain characteristics of the disease suggest an infectious origin, genetic or environmental factors may also be important. Seasonal patterns of KD incidence are well documented, but it is unclear whether these patterns are caused by changes in climate or by other unknown seasonal effects. The relationship between KD incidence and deviations from expected temperature and precipitation were analyzed using KD incidence data from Japanese nationwide epidemiologic surveys (1991-2004) and climate data from 136 weather stations of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Seven separate Poisson-distributed generalized linear regression models were run to examine the effects of temperature and precipitation on KD incidence in the same month as KD onset and the previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months, controlling for geography as well as seasonal and long-term trends in KD incidence. KD incidence was negatively associated with temperature in the previous 2, 3, 4 and 5 months and positively associated with precipitation in the previous 1 and 2 months. The model that best predicted variations in KD incidence used climate data from the previous 2 months. An increase in total monthly precipitation by 100 mm was associated with increased KD incidence (rate ratio [RR] 1.012, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.005-1.019), and an increase of monthly mean temperature by 1°C was associated with decreased KD incidence (RR 0.984, 95% CI: 0.978-0.990). KD incidence was significantly affected by temperature and precipitation in previous months independent of other unknown seasonal factors. Climate data from the previous 2 months best predicted the variations in KD incidence. Although fairly minor, the effect of temperature and precipitation independent of season may provide additional clues to the etiology of KD.

Guidelines for the identification of unknown samples for laboratories performing forensic analyses for chemical terrorism.

PubMed

Magnuson, Matthew L; Satzger, R Duane; Alcaraz, Armando; Brewer, Jason; Fetterolf, Dean; Harper, Martin; Hrynchuk, Ronald; McNally, Mary F; Montgomery, Madeline; Nottingham, Eric; Peterson, James; Rickenbach, Michael; Seidel, Jimmy L; Wolnik, Karen

2012-05-01

Since the early 1990s, the FBI Laboratory has sponsored Scientific Working Groups to improve discipline practices and build consensus among the forensic community. The Scientific Working Group on the Forensic Analysis of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism developed guidance, contained in this document, on issues forensic laboratories encounter when accepting and analyzing unknown samples associated with chemical terrorism, including laboratory capabilities and analytical testing plans. In the context of forensic analysis of chemical terrorism, this guidance defines an unknown sample and addresses what constitutes definitive and tentative identification. Laboratory safety, reporting issues, and postreporting considerations are also discussed. Utilization of these guidelines, as part of planning for forensic analysis related to a chemical terrorism incident, may help avoid unfortunate consequences not only to the public but also to the laboratory personnel. 2011 American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Published 2011. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.

Decentralised output feedback control of Markovian jump interconnected systems with unknown interconnections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Li-Wei; Yang, Guang-Hong

2017-07-01

The problem of decentralised output feedback control is addressed for Markovian jump interconnected systems with unknown interconnections and general transition rates (TRs) allowed to be unknown or known with uncertainties. A class of decentralised dynamic output feedback controllers are constructed, and a cyclic-small-gain condition is exploited to dispose the unknown interconnections so that the resultant closed-loop system is stochastically stable and satisfies an H∞ performance. With slack matrices to cope with the nonlinearities incurred by unknown and uncertain TRs in control synthesis, a novel controller design condition is developed in linear matrix inequality formalism. Compared with the existing works, the proposed approach leads to less conservatism. Finally, two examples are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the new results.

ATP-binding Cassette (ABC) Transport System Solute-binding Protein-guided Identification of Novel d-Altritol and Galactitol Catabolic Pathways in Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58*

PubMed Central

Wichelecki, Daniel J.; Vetting, Matthew W.; Chou, Liyushang; Al-Obaidi, Nawar; Bouvier, Jason T.; Almo, Steven C.; Gerlt, John A.

2015-01-01

Innovations in the discovery of the functions of uncharacterized proteins/enzymes have become increasingly important as advances in sequencing technology flood protein databases with an exponentially growing number of open reading frames. This study documents one such innovation developed by the Enzyme Function Initiative (EFI; U54GM093342), the use of solute-binding proteins for transport systems to identify novel metabolic pathways. In a previous study, this strategy was applied to the tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic transporters. Here, we apply this strategy to the ATP-binding cassette transporters and report the discovery of novel catabolic pathways for d-altritol and galactitol in Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58. These efforts resulted in the description of three novel enzymatic reactions as follows: 1) oxidation of d-altritol to d-tagatose via a dehydrogenase in Pfam family PF00107, a previously unknown reaction; 2) phosphorylation of d-tagatose to d-tagatose 6-phosphate via a kinase in Pfam family PF00294, a previously orphan EC number; and 3) epimerization of d-tagatose 6-phosphate C-4 to d-fructose 6-phosphate via a member of Pfam family PF08013, another previously unknown reaction. The epimerization reaction catalyzed by a member of PF08013 is especially noteworthy, because the functions of members of PF08013 have been unknown. These discoveries were assisted by the following two synergistic bioinformatics web tools made available by the Enzyme Function Initiative: the EFI-Enzyme Similarity Tool and the EFI-Genome Neighborhood Tool. PMID:26472925

An fMRI investigation of cerebellar function during verbal working memory in methadone maintenance patients.

PubMed

Marvel, Cherie L; Faulkner, Monica L; Strain, Eric C; Mintzer, Miriam Z; Desmond, John E

2012-03-01

Working memory is impaired in opioid-dependent individuals, yet the neural underpinnings of working memory in this population are largely unknown. Previous studies in healthy adults have demonstrated that working memory is supported by a network of brain regions that includes a cerebro-cerebellar circuit. The cerebellum, in particular, may be important for inner speech mechanisms that assist verbal working memory. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activity associated with working memory in five opioid-dependent, methadone-maintained patients and five matched, healthy controls. An item recognition task was administered in two conditions: (1) a low working memory load "match" condition in which participants determined whether target letters presented at the beginning of the trial matched a probe item, and (2) a high working memory load "manipulation" condition in which participants counted two alphabetical letters forward of each of the targets and determined whether either of these new items matched a probe item. Response times and accuracy scores were not significantly different between the groups. FMRI analyses indicated that, in association with higher working memory load ("manipulation" condition), the patient group exhibited hyperactivity in the superior and inferior cerebellum and amygdala relative to that of controls. At a more liberal statistical threshold, patients exhibited hypoactivity in the left prefrontal and medial frontal/pre-SMA regions. These results indicate that verbal working memory in opioid-dependent individuals involves a disrupted cerebro-cerebellar circuit and shed light on the neuroanatomical basis of working memory impairments in this population.

An fMRI Investigation of Cerebellar Function During Verbal Working Memory in Methadone Maintenance Patients

PubMed Central

Marvel, Cherie L.; Faulkner, Monica L.; Strain, Eric C.; Mintzer, Miriam Z.; Desmond, John E.

2011-01-01

Working memory is impaired in opioid-dependent individuals, yet the neural underpinnings of working memory in this population are largely unknown. Previous studies in healthy adults have demonstrated that working memory is supported by a network of brain regions that includes a cerebro-cerebellar circuit. The cerebellum, in particular, may be important for inner speech mechanisms that assist verbal working memory. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain activity associated with working memory in 5 opioid-dependent, methadone-maintained patients and 5 matched, healthy controls. An item recognition task was administered in two conditions: 1) a low working memory load “match” condition in which participants determined whether target letters presented at the beginning of the trial matched a probe item, and 2) a high working memory load “manipulation” condition in which participants counted two alphabetical letters forward of each of the targets and determined whether either of these new items matched a probe item. Response times and accuracy scores were not significantly different between the groups. FMRI analyses indicated that, in association with higher working memory load (“manipulation” condition), the patient group exhibited hyperactivity in the superior and inferior cerebellum and amygdala relative to that of controls. At a more liberal statistical threshold, patients exhibited hypoactivity in the left prefrontal and medial frontal/pre-SMA regions. These results indicate that verbal working memory in opioid-dependent individuals involves a disrupted cerebro-cerebellar circuit, and shed light on the neuroanatomical basis of working memory impairments in this population. PMID:21892700

380. Delineator Unknown December 1932 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

380. Delineator Unknown December 1932 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; CABLES & ATTACHMENTS WEST BAY CROSSING; CABLE BANDS; CONTRACT NO. 6A; DRAWING NO. 3 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

389. J.H.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

389. J.H.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; SUSPENDED STRUCTURE; TYPICAL DETAILS; DRG. NO. 42 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

366. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

366. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; SAN FRANCISCO CABLE BENT; DRG. NO. 33 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

382. J.R.L., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

382. J.R.L., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; TOWERS; GENERAL ELEVATIONS & SECTIONS; DRG. NO. 28 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

383. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

383. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; TOWERS; TYPICAL BASE DETAILS; DRG. NO. 29 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

399. J.H.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

399. J.H.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; 504FOOT SPANS; TYPICAL DETAILS; DRG. NO. 64 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

360. J.H.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

360. J.H.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; SAN FRANCISCO ANCHORAGE; TYPICAL SECTIONS; DRG. NO. 13 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

391. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

391. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; PIER E1; GENERAL DETAILS; DRG. NO. 45 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

395. J.L.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

395. J.L.E., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; TOWER E-4; GENERAL PLAN; DRG. NO. 58 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

385. Delineator Unknown December 1932 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

385. Delineator Unknown December 1932 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; SUPERSTRUCTURE - WEST BAY CROSSING; ROCKER POSTS AND BEARING; CONTRACT NO. 6; DRAWINGS NO. 42 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

361. W.J.M., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

361. W.J.M., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; SAN FRANCISCO ANCHORAGE; TYPICAL SECTIONS; DRG. NO. 14 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

386. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

386. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; TOWERS; TYPICAL TOP DETAILS; DRG. NO. 31 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

384. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

384. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; TOWERS; BRACING AND ROCKER BRACKET DETAILS; DRG. NO. 30 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

379. Delineator Unknown December 1932 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

379. Delineator Unknown December 1932 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; CABLES AND ATTACHMENTS - WEST BAY CROSSING; SPLAY CASTINGS; CONTRACT NO. 6A; DRAWING NO. 4 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

373. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

373. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; PIER W-4; DETAILS OF A-FRAME; DRG. NO. 19 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

370. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

370. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; PIER W-4; PLANS AND ELEVATIONS; DRG. NO. 17 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Invisible Colors of the Moon

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-09-24

Data from NASA Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument on the Indian Space Research Organization Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft reveal subtle and previously unknown lunar diversity and features. Animation available at the Photojournal.

The extent of ocean acidification on aragonite saturation state along the Washington-Oregon continental shelf margin in late summer 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feely, R. A.; Alin, S. R.; Hales, B. R.; Juranek, L.; Greeley, D.

2012-12-01

The Washington-Oregon continental shelf region is exposed to conditions of low aragonite saturation state during the late spring/early summer upwelling season. However, the extent of its evolution in late summer/early fall has been largely unknown. Along this continental margin, ocean acidification, upwelling, biological productivity, and respiration processes in subsurface waters are major contributors to the variability in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), pH and aragonite saturation state. The persistence of water with aragonite saturation state <1 on the continental shelf off Washington and Oregon has been previously identified and could have profound ecological consequences for benthic and pelagic calcifying organisms such as mussels, oysters, abalone, echinoderms, and pteropods. In the late summer of 2012 we studied the extent of acidification conditions employing shipboard cruises and profiling gliders. We conducted several large-scale chemical and hydrographic surveys of the region in order to better understand the interrelationships between these natural and human-induced processes and their effects on aragonite saturation. We will compare the results of these new surveys with our previous work in 2011 and 2007.

Interband coherence induced correction to Thouless pumping: possible observation in cold-atom systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghava, Gudapati Naresh; Zhou, Longwen; Gong, Jiangbin

2017-08-01

In Thouless pump, the charge transport in a one-dimensional insulator over an adiabatic cycle is topologically quantized. For nonequilibrium initial states, however, interband coherence will induce a previously unknown contribution to Thouless pumping. Though not geometric in nature, this contribution is independent of the time scale of the pumping protocol. In this work, we perform a detailed analysis of our previous finding [H.L. Wang et al., Phys. Rev. B 91, 085420 (2015)] in an already available cold-atom setup. We show that initial states with interband coherence can be obtained via a quench of the system's Hamiltonian. Adiabatic pumping in the post-quench system are then examined both theoretically and numerically, in which the interband coherence is shown to play an important role and can hence be observed experimentally. By choosing adiabatic protocols with different switching-on rates, we also show that the contribution of interband coherence to adiabatic pumping can be tuned. It is further proposed that the interband coherence induced correction to Thouless pumping may be useful in capturing a topological phase transition point. All our results have direct experimental interests.

Electronic excitation-induced semiconductor-to-metal transition in monolayer MoTe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolobov, A. V.; Fons, P.; Tominaga, J.

2016-09-01

Reversible polymorphism of monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) has currently attracted much attention from both academic and applied perspectives. Of special interest is MoTe2, where the stable semiconducting 2 H and metastable (semi)metallic 1 T' phases have a rather small energy difference implying the low-energy cost of such a transition. In this work, using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that there exists a previously unknown phase of MoTe2, namely a distorted trigonal prismatic phase with alternating shorter and longer bonds and bond angles, that is formed in the electronically excited state due to population inversion. This phase, which is unstable and decays to the ground 2 H state after cessation of the excitation, is metallic and can act to lower the energy barrier on the way to the metastable 1 T' phase. Our findings indicate that there exists a previously unexplored route of ultrafast local and selective band-structure control in monolayer TMDC using electronic excitation, which will significantly broaden the application spectrum of these materials.

Neonatal blood transfusion as transmission route in chronic hepatitis C.

PubMed

Einberg, Afrodite Psaros; Lindh, Gudrun; Hökeberg, Ingegerd; Papadogiannakis, Nikos; Fischler, Björn

2014-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate if neonatal transfusions could underlie chronic hepatitis C in adults for whom the disease transmission route was previously unknown. Questionnaires were sent to 255 patients with chronic hepatitis C born in Sweden in 1960 to 1975. The medical records of 230 of the patients, of whom 98 (43%) had unknown transmission route, were studied regarding the occurrence of neonatal blood transfusions. The clinical, virologic, and histopathologic characteristics of those found to have received transfusions as neonates were also studied. Four of 230 (1.7%; 95% confidence interval, 0.5%-4.4%) patients with hepatitis C had received blood products as neonates. Three of them had reported unknown transmission route. One had cirrhosis, while two had mild histopathologic findings on liver biopsy. Three out of four patients in the transfused group, including the patient with liver cirrhosis, had undergone treatment for hepatitis C, all of them with a sustained viral response. Previously unidentified neonatal blood transfusions explain only a small fraction of chronic hepatitis C cases with unknown transmission route. Individual patients infected early in life can develop progressive liver damage as young adults and may benefit from antiviral treatment. The finding suggests that efforts are needed to actively trace and test adults who have been subjected to neonatal blood product transfusion before 1992. © 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.

Teleporting an unknown quantum state with unit fidelity and unit probability via a non-maximally entangled channel and an auxiliary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashvand, Taghi

2016-11-01

We present a new scheme for quantum teleportation that one can teleport an unknown state via a non-maximally entangled channel with certainly, using an auxiliary system. In this scheme depending on the state of the auxiliary system, one can find a class of orthogonal vectors set as a basis which by performing von Neumann measurement in each element of this class Alice can teleport an unknown state with unit fidelity and unit probability. A comparison of our scheme with some previous schemes is given and we will see that our scheme has advantages that the others do not.

Operation Sun Beam, Shot Small Boy. Project Officer's report - Project 6. 9. Correlation of present and previous electric-field measurements

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

Reno; Fowles, H.M.

On most previous nuclear detonations, signatures and quantitative measurements of the electric-field signals associated with the detonations was obtained at distances such that normal radiation field characteristics apply. On Small Boy, measurements were made from stations located much closer in, such as to be inside, on the boundary of and just outside the limits of the ionized sphere created by the nuclear burst. The electric-field characteristics in these regions were unknown. In the hope of providing continuity from the region of the unknown into the reasonably well-understood region of the radiation field, this project was requested to make the typicalmore » radiation-field type of measurement that had been made on previous detonations. This report covers the signature characteristics and quantitative measurements of the electric-field signal from Small Boy as seen from outside the immediate region of theoretical generating mechanism.« less

Position Estimation and Local Mapping Using Omnidirectional Images and Global Appearance Descriptors

PubMed Central

Berenguer, Yerai; Payá, Luis; Ballesta, Mónica; Reinoso, Oscar

2015-01-01

This work presents some methods to create local maps and to estimate the position of a mobile robot, using the global appearance of omnidirectional images. We use a robot that carries an omnidirectional vision system on it. Every omnidirectional image acquired by the robot is described only with one global appearance descriptor, based on the Radon transform. In the work presented in this paper, two different possibilities have been considered. In the first one, we assume the existence of a map previously built composed of omnidirectional images that have been captured from previously-known positions. The purpose in this case consists of estimating the nearest position of the map to the current position of the robot, making use of the visual information acquired by the robot from its current (unknown) position. In the second one, we assume that we have a model of the environment composed of omnidirectional images, but with no information about the location of where the images were acquired. The purpose in this case consists of building a local map and estimating the position of the robot within this map. Both methods are tested with different databases (including virtual and real images) taking into consideration the changes of the position of different objects in the environment, different lighting conditions and occlusions. The results show the effectiveness and the robustness of both methods. PMID:26501289

Trifocal Tensor-Based Adaptive Visual Trajectory Tracking Control of Mobile Robots.

PubMed

Chen, Jian; Jia, Bingxi; Zhang, Kaixiang

2017-11-01

In this paper, a trifocal tensor-based approach is proposed for the visual trajectory tracking task of a nonholonomic mobile robot equipped with a roughly installed monocular camera. The desired trajectory is expressed by a set of prerecorded images, and the robot is regulated to track the desired trajectory using visual feedback. Trifocal tensor is exploited to obtain the orientation and scaled position information used in the control system, and it works for general scenes owing to the generality of trifocal tensor. In the previous works, the start, current, and final images are required to share enough visual information to estimate the trifocal tensor. However, this requirement can be easily violated for perspective cameras with limited field of view. In this paper, key frame strategy is proposed to loosen this requirement, extending the workspace of the visual servo system. Considering the unknown depth and extrinsic parameters (installing position of the camera), an adaptive controller is developed based on Lyapunov methods. The proposed control strategy works for almost all practical circumstances, including both trajectory tracking and pose regulation tasks. Simulations are made based on the virtual experimentation platform (V-REP) to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Label-assisted mass spectrometry for the acceleration of reaction discovery and optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrera-Pardo, Jaime R.; Chai, David I.; Liu, Song; Mrksich, Milan; Kozmin, Sergey A.

2013-05-01

The identification of new reactions expands our knowledge of chemical reactivity and enables new synthetic applications. Accelerating the pace of this discovery process remains challenging. We describe a highly effective and simple platform for screening a large number of potential chemical reactions in order to discover and optimize previously unknown catalytic transformations, thereby revealing new chemical reactivity. Our strategy is based on labelling one of the reactants with a polyaromatic chemical tag, which selectively undergoes a photoionization/desorption process upon laser irradiation, without the assistance of an external matrix, and enables rapid mass spectrometric detection of any products originating from such labelled reactants in complex reaction mixtures without any chromatographic separation. This method was successfully used for high-throughput discovery and subsequent optimization of two previously unknown benzannulation reactions.

Multiresolution MR elastography using nonlinear inversion

PubMed Central

McGarry, M. D. J.; Van Houten, E. E. W.; Johnson, C. L.; Georgiadis, J. G.; Sutton, B. P.; Weaver, J. B.; Paulsen, K. D.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Nonlinear inversion (NLI) in MR elastography requires discretization of the displacement field for a finite element (FE) solution of the “forward problem”, and discretization of the unknown mechanical property field for the iterative solution of the “inverse problem”. The resolution requirements for these two discretizations are different: the forward problem requires sufficient resolution of the displacement FE mesh to ensure convergence, whereas lowering the mechanical property resolution in the inverse problem stabilizes the mechanical property estimates in the presence of measurement noise. Previous NLI implementations use the same FE mesh to support the displacement and property fields, requiring a trade-off between the competing resolution requirements. Methods: This work implements and evaluates multiresolution FE meshes for NLI elastography, allowing independent discretizations of the displacements and each mechanical property parameter to be estimated. The displacement resolution can then be selected to ensure mesh convergence, and the resolution of the property meshes can be independently manipulated to control the stability of the inversion. Results: Phantom experiments indicate that eight nodes per wavelength (NPW) are sufficient for accurate mechanical property recovery, whereas mechanical property estimation from 50 Hz in vivo brain data stabilizes once the displacement resolution reaches 1.7 mm (approximately 19 NPW). Viscoelastic mechanical property estimates of in vivo brain tissue show that subsampling the loss modulus while holding the storage modulus resolution constant does not substantially alter the storage modulus images. Controlling the ratio of the number of measurements to unknown mechanical properties by subsampling the mechanical property distributions (relative to the data resolution) improves the repeatability of the property estimates, at a cost of modestly decreased spatial resolution. Conclusions: Multiresolution NLI elastography provides a more flexible framework for mechanical property estimation compared to previous single mesh implementations. PMID:23039674

Bacterial ClpB heat-shock protein, an antigen-mimetic of the anorexigenic peptide α-MSH, at the origin of eating disorders

PubMed Central

Tennoune, N; Chan, P; Breton, J; Legrand, R; Chabane, Y N; Akkermann, K; Järv, A; Ouelaa, W; Takagi, K; Ghouzali, I; Francois, M; Lucas, N; Bole-Feysot, C; Pestel-Caron, M; do Rego, J-C; Vaudry, D; Harro, J; Dé, E; Déchelotte, P; Fetissov, S O

2014-01-01

The molecular mechanisms at the origin of eating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia and binge-eating disorder (BED), are currently unknown. Previous data indicated that immunoglobulins (Igs) or autoantibodies (auto-Abs) reactive with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) are involved in regulation of feeding and emotion; however, the origin of such auto-Abs is unknown. Here, using proteomics, we identified ClpB heat-shock disaggregation chaperone protein of commensal gut bacteria Escherichia coli as a conformational antigen mimetic of α-MSH. We show that ClpB-immunized mice produce anti-ClpB IgG crossreactive with α-MSH, influencing food intake, body weight, anxiety and melanocortin receptor 4 signaling. Furthermore, chronic intragastric delivery of E. coli in mice decreased food intake and stimulated formation of ClpB- and α-MSH-reactive antibodies, while ClpB-deficient E. coli did not affect food intake or antibody levels. Finally, we show that plasma levels of anti-ClpB IgG crossreactive with α-MSH are increased in patients with AN, bulimia and BED, and that the ED Inventory-2 scores in ED patients correlate with anti-ClpB IgG and IgM, which is similar to our previous findings for α-MSH auto-Abs. In conclusion, this work shows that the bacterial ClpB protein, which is present in several commensal and pathogenic microorganisms, can be responsible for the production of auto-Abs crossreactive with α-MSH, associated with altered feeding and emotion in humans with ED. Our data suggest that ClpB-expressing gut microorganisms might be involved in the etiology of EDs. PMID:25290265

Quantum key distribution with an unknown and untrusted source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yi; Qi, Bing; Lo, Hoi-Kwong

2008-05-01

The security of a standard bidirectional “plug-and-play” quantum key distribution (QKD) system has been an open question for a long time. This is mainly because its source is equivalently controlled by an eavesdropper, which means the source is unknown and untrusted. Qualitative discussion on this subject has been made previously. In this paper, we solve this question directly by presenting the quantitative security analysis on a general class of QKD protocols whose sources are unknown and untrusted. The securities of standard Bennett-Brassard 1984 protocol, weak+vacuum decoy state protocol, and one-decoy state protocol, with unknown and untrusted sources are rigorously proved. We derive rigorous lower bounds to the secure key generation rates of the above three protocols. Our numerical simulation results show that QKD with an untrusted source gives a key generation rate that is close to that with a trusted source.

Prostaglandin E2 is an endogenous modulator of cerebellar development and complex behavior during a sensitive postnatal period.

PubMed

Dean, Shannon L; Knutson, Jessica F; Krebs-Kraft, Desiree L; McCarthy, Margaret M

2012-04-01

Prostaglandins are lipid-derived molecules that mediate the generation of fever in the central nervous system. In addition to their proinflammatory role, prostaglandins also impact neuronal development and synaptic plasticity, sometimes in a sex-specific manner. The cerebellum has a high expression of prostaglandin receptors during development, but the role that these molecules play during normal cerebellar maturation is unknown. We demonstrate here that disrupting prostaglandin synthesis with cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors during a time-sensitive window in early postnatal life alters cerebellar Purkinje cell development in rats, resulting in initially increased dendritic growth in both sexes. We show that this results in later cerebellar atrophy in males only, resulting in a sex-specific loss of cerebellar volume. Further, although performance in motor tasks is spared, social interaction and the sensory threshold are altered in males developmentally exposed to cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors. This work demonstrates a previously unknown role for prostaglandins in cerebellar development and emphasizes the role that the cerebellum plays outside motor tasks, in cognitive and sensory domains that may help to explain its connection to complex neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. © 2012 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2012 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A validation procedure for a LADAR system radiometric simulation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leishman, Brad; Budge, Scott; Pack, Robert

2007-04-01

The USU LadarSIM software package is a ladar system engineering tool that has recently been enhanced to include the modeling of the radiometry of Ladar beam footprints. This paper will discuss our validation of the radiometric model and present a practical approach to future validation work. In order to validate complicated and interrelated factors affecting radiometry, a systematic approach had to be developed. Data for known parameters were first gathered then unknown parameters of the system were determined from simulation test scenarios. This was done in a way to isolate as many unknown variables as possible, then build on the previously obtained results. First, the appropriate voltage threshold levels of the discrimination electronics were set by analyzing the number of false alarms seen in actual data sets. With this threshold set, the system noise was then adjusted to achieve the appropriate number of dropouts. Once a suitable noise level was found, the range errors of the simulated and actual data sets were compared and studied. Predicted errors in range measurements were analyzed using two methods: first by examining the range error of a surface with known reflectivity and second by examining the range errors for specific detectors with known responsivities. This provided insight into the discrimination method and receiver electronics used in the actual system.

High-pressure synthesis of predicted oxynitride perovskite: Yttrium Silicon Oxynitride (YSiO2N)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahart, Muhtar; Somayazulu, M.; Vadapoo, Rajasekarakumar; Cohen, R. E.

We synthesized the previously predicted polar oxynitride perovskite in a diamond anvil cell with laser heating. YSiO2N was predicted to have the polar P4mm structure with an effective spontaneous polarization of 130 μC/cm2. A mixture of Yttrium nitride (YN) and amorphous Silicon dioxide (SiO2) were loaded into a diamond anvil cell and laser heated at or above 1200 C at 12 GPa. The run products were investigated by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and second harmonic generation, for their phase and structural properties. The x-ray diffraction pattern (a = 3.235 Å, c = 4.485 Å) shows the phase formation of YSiO2N and matches with the diffraction pattern derived from the first-principle predicted lattice parameters. However, minor unknown peaks are on the diffraction pattern indicating of the co-existence of other unknown phases. Further study of Raman spectroscopy observes the theoretically predicted modes, and second harmonic generation shows strong non-linear optical signal, which confirms the polar properties of YSiO2N. This work is supported by ONR Grants N00014-12-1-1038 and N00014-14-1-0561, by the ERC Advanced Grant ToMCaT.

Evidence of a molecular boundary lubricant at snakeskin surfaces

PubMed Central

Spinner, Marlene; Jaye, Cherno; Fischer, Daniel A.; Gorb, Stanislav N.; Weidner, Tobias

2015-01-01

During slithering locomotion the ventral scales at a snake's belly are in direct mechanical interaction with the environment, while the dorsal scales provide optical camouflage and thermoregulation. Recent work has demonstrated that compared to dorsal scales, ventral scales provide improved lubrication and wear protection. While biomechanic adaption of snake motion is of growing interest in the fields of material science and robotics, the mechanism for how ventral scales influence the friction between the snake and substrate, at the molecular level, is unknown. In this study, we characterize the outermost surface of snake scales using sum frequency generation (SFG) spectra and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) images collected from recently shed California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) epidermis. SFG's nonlinear optical selection rules provide information about the outermost surface of materials; NEXAFS takes advantage of the shallow escape depth of the electrons to probe the molecular structure of surfaces. Our analysis of the data revealed the existence of a previously unknown lipid coating on both the ventral and dorsal scales. Additionally, the molecular structure of this lipid coating closely aligns to the biological function: lipids on ventral scales form a highly ordered layer which provides both lubrication and wear protection at the snake's ventral surface. PMID:26655468

Evidence of a molecular boundary lubricant at snakeskin surfaces.

PubMed

Baio, Joe E; Spinner, Marlene; Jaye, Cherno; Fischer, Daniel A; Gorb, Stanislav N; Weidner, Tobias

2015-12-06

During slithering locomotion the ventral scales at a snake's belly are in direct mechanical interaction with the environment, while the dorsal scales provide optical camouflage and thermoregulation. Recent work has demonstrated that compared to dorsal scales, ventral scales provide improved lubrication and wear protection. While biomechanic adaption of snake motion is of growing interest in the fields of material science and robotics, the mechanism for how ventral scales influence the friction between the snake and substrate, at the molecular level, is unknown. In this study, we characterize the outermost surface of snake scales using sum frequency generation (SFG) spectra and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) images collected from recently shed California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) epidermis. SFG's nonlinear optical selection rules provide information about the outermost surface of materials; NEXAFS takes advantage of the shallow escape depth of the electrons to probe the molecular structure of surfaces. Our analysis of the data revealed the existence of a previously unknown lipid coating on both the ventral and dorsal scales. Additionally, the molecular structure of this lipid coating closely aligns to the biological function: lipids on ventral scales form a highly ordered layer which provides both lubrication and wear protection at the snake's ventral surface. © 2015 The Author(s).

The Fas/Fap-1/Cav-1 complex regulates IL-1RA secretion in mesenchymal stem cells to accelerate wound healing.

PubMed

Kou, Xiaoxing; Xu, Xingtian; Chen, Chider; Sanmillan, Maria Laura; Cai, Tao; Zhou, Yanheng; Giraudo, Claudio; Le, Anh; Shi, Songtao

2018-03-14

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of secreting exosomes, extracellular vesicles, and cytokines to regulate cell and tissue homeostasis. However, it is unknown whether MSCs use a specific exocytotic fusion mechanism to secrete exosomes and cytokines. We show that Fas binds with Fas-associated phosphatase-1 (Fap-1) and caveolin-1 (Cav-1) to activate a common soluble N -ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein receptor (SNARE)-mediated membrane fusion mechanism to release small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in MSCs. Moreover, we reveal that MSCs produce and secrete interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) associated with sEVs to maintain rapid wound healing in the gingiva via the Fas/Fap-1/Cav-1 cascade. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) serves as an activator to up-regulate Fas and Fap-1 expression via the nuclear factor κB pathway to promote IL-1RA release. This study identifies a previously unknown Fas/Fap-1/Cav-1 axis that regulates SNARE-mediated sEV and IL-1RA secretion in stem cells, which contributes to accelerated wound healing. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

In Saturn Shadow

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-10-11

With giant Saturn hanging in the blackness and sheltering Cassini from the sun blinding glare, the spacecraft viewed the rings as never before, revealing previously unknown faint rings and even glimpsing its home world.

Cryptococcal meningitis in an immunocompetent child: a case report and literature review.

PubMed

Othman, Norlijah; Abdullah, Nor Atiqah Ng; Wahab, Zubaidah Abdul

2004-12-01

An immunocompetent 5 year-old girl presented with pyrexia of unknown origin associated with headache. Initial investigations showed leukocytosis and an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. A Widal-Weil Felix test, blood film for malarial parasites, mycoplasma IgM antibody, cultures from blood and urine, full blood picture, Mantoux test, and chest x-ray were all negative. A lumbar puncture was done as part of a work-up for pyrexia of unknown origin. Cryptococcus neoformans was seen on India ink examination and confirmed on culture. She was treated with 10 weeks of intravenous amphotericin B and 8 weeks of fluconazole. Further immunological tests did not reveal any defect in the cell-mediated immune system. C. neoformans meningitis may present with non-specific symptoms and should be considered in a work-up for pyrexia of unknown origin.

377. F.A.N. and Q.E.D., Delineators Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

377. F.A.N. and Q.E.D., Delineators Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; WEST BAY CROSSING; YERBA BUENA CABLE BENT; DRG. NO. 34 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

390. Delineator Unknown October 1933 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

390. Delineator Unknown October 1933 STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; SUPERSTRUCTURE - EAST BAY CROSSING; SPANS YBI TO El - E9 TO El ; TYPICAL CROSSSECTION; CONTRACT NO. 7; SUP. DRAWING NO. 82 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Stellar cannibalism in fits and starts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, Thomas

2017-12-01

Dense stellar remnants called white dwarfs are often found in binary star systems. Satellite observations suggest a previously unknown way in which a white dwarf can draw material from its companion star.

Exposure to welding fumes is associated with hypomethylation of the F2RL3 gene: a cardiovascular disease marker

PubMed Central

Hossain, Mohammad B; Li, Huiqi; Hedmer, Maria; Tinnerberg, Håkan; Albin, Maria; Broberg, Karin

2015-01-01

Background Welders are at risk for cardiovascular disease. Recent studies linked tobacco smoke exposure to hypomethylation of the F2RL3 (coagulation factor II (thrombin) receptor-like 3) gene, a marker for cardiovascular disease prognosis and mortality. However, whether welding fumes cause hypomethylation of F2RL3 remains unknown. Methods We investigated 101 welders (median span of working as a welder: 7 years) and 127 unexposed controls (non-welders with no obvious exposure to respirable dust at work), age range 23–60 years, all currently non-smoking, in Sweden. The participants were interviewed about their work history, lifestyle factors and diseases. Personal sampling of respirable dust was performed for the welders. DNA methylation of F2RL3 in blood was assessed by pyrosequencing of four CpG sites, CpG_2 (corresponds to cg03636183) to CpG_5, in F2RL3. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between exposure to welding fumes and F2RL3 methylation. Results Welders had 2.6% lower methylation of CpG_5 than controls (p<0.001). Higher concentrations of measured respirable dust among the welders were associated with hypomethylation of CpG_2, CpG_4 and CpG_5 (β=−0.49 to −1.4, p<0.012); p<0.029 adjusted for age, previous smoking, passive smoking, education, current residence and respirator use. Increasing the number of years working as a welder was associated with hypomethylation of CpG_4 (linear regression analysis, β=−0.11, p=0.039, adjusted for previous smoking). Previous tobacco smokers had 1.5–4.7% (p<0.014) lower methylation of 3 of the 4 CpG sites in F2RL3 (CpG_2, CpG_4 and CpG_5) compared to never-smokers. A non-significant lower risk of cardiovascular disease with more methylation was observed for all CpG sites. Conclusions Welding fumes exposure and previous smoking were associated with F2RL3 hypomethylation. This finding links low-to-moderate exposure to welding fumes to adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, and suggests a potential mechanistic pathway for this link, via epigenetic effects on F2RL3 expression. PMID:26395445

Experimental studies of microwave propagation through fires for through-wall, search-and-rescue radar in firefighting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Temme, Andrew Kenneth Gerken

Finding people trapped inside of a burning house is extremely difficult, dangerous, and time consuming. Smoke, heat, unfamiliar floor plans, and possible structural collapse all combine to challenge a firefighter's ability to find a person. Thermal imaging cameras, the most advanced technology available to firefighters today, are able to see through smoke but are unable to see through walls and household items. Through-wall radar and vital-sign detection radar offer an imaging modality that may be able to help firefighters find victims from outside of a room or even a house. Flames can interact with electromagnetic (radar) waves because the flames create a weakly-ionized plasma. Previous work has looked at small flames fueled by pure gases or flames from wildfires. Combustable items in a house are typically petroleum-based products that have different combustion reactions compared to previously studied flames and fire-induced plasmas. Because of this, it is unknown how electromagnetic waves interact with flames found in a house fire. This dissertation investigates the question of how electromagnetic waves interact with flames in a house fire. This is an open problem, with many variables, that poses a subtle and difficult measurement task. This work focuses on creating experimental techniques to explore this problem. From an electromagnetic metrology perspective, the physical phenomena of interest are difficult to measure due to ill-defined physical boundaries, characteristics lengths of varying magnitude, inhomogeneity, and varying time scales. The experimental methods studied here primarily focus on transmission measurements through flames a few feet in height. Additionally, this work presents a proof-of-concept two-wire transmission line for bench-scale, material-characterization of solids, liquids, gases, and flames. Results from this work provide a metrological foundation for future studies in this area. An experimental setup that can withstand direct exposure to flames was developed and preliminary measurements recorded. Data taken during the development of this setup showed a time-dependance that corresponded to transmissions through the flame and the solid fuel being consumed. Calibration procedures were used to verify measurements of standard materials; the calibration procedure should be refined for larger flame measurements. Transmitters were placed inside of a burning house and signal propagation was measured, which required the design of fire-proof enclosures for the transmitters. Measured results demonstrated that transmissions may not be affected when sent from a firefighter inside of a house with fire conditions suitable for an offensive, interior attack. It is unknown if severe conditions, such as a flashover, would affect transmissions. Plasmas were observed in interferometric measurements of live-fire experiments performed in the laboratory. This work has explored an open problem in electromagnetics with live-saving applications to the fire service. Results from this work warrant additional study in this area to improve techniques, with the goal of putting search-and-rescue radars into the hands of firefighters.

Is functional integration of resting state brain networks an unspecific biomarker for working memory performance?

PubMed

Alavash, Mohsen; Doebler, Philipp; Holling, Heinz; Thiel, Christiane M; Gießing, Carsten

2015-03-01

Is there one optimal topology of functional brain networks at rest from which our cognitive performance would profit? Previous studies suggest that functional integration of resting state brain networks is an important biomarker for cognitive performance. However, it is still unknown whether higher network integration is an unspecific predictor for good cognitive performance or, alternatively, whether specific network organization during rest predicts only specific cognitive abilities. Here, we investigated the relationship between network integration at rest and cognitive performance using two tasks that measured different aspects of working memory; one task assessed visual-spatial and the other numerical working memory. Network clustering, modularity and efficiency were computed to capture network integration on different levels of network organization, and to statistically compare their correlations with the performance in each working memory test. The results revealed that each working memory aspect profits from a different resting state topology, and the tests showed significantly different correlations with each of the measures of network integration. While higher global network integration and modularity predicted significantly better performance in visual-spatial working memory, both measures showed no significant correlation with numerical working memory performance. In contrast, numerical working memory was superior in subjects with highly clustered brain networks, predominantly in the intraparietal sulcus, a core brain region of the working memory network. Our findings suggest that a specific balance between local and global functional integration of resting state brain networks facilitates special aspects of cognitive performance. In the context of working memory, while visual-spatial performance is facilitated by globally integrated functional resting state brain networks, numerical working memory profits from increased capacities for local processing, especially in brain regions involved in working memory performance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The man and the sea: marine phytoplancton and public health].

PubMed

Mira Gutiérrez, José

2005-01-01

The progressive, world-wide emergence of the natural phenomenon "red tide" normally ignored because of the exceptionality or exotic nature of its sanitary and medical formation, is a risk already present in Spain and Europe, with a certain repetition and under some of the ethiological and clinical forms which were previously unknown to us. Today under the conventional denomination of "Harmful Algae Blooms" (HABs) they have given rise to an extensive investigation, to much bibliography and an almost universal sanitary legislation, as well as a preventive preoccupation of the some states which have become aware that this is a potential and practically unavoidable risk. In this work the basic facts of HABs, their eco-epidemiology and the knowledge of toxic syndroms produced by the marine phytoplancton, represented by some Dinoflagellates and Diatomeas, and Cyanobacteria, are reviewed.

Substance Use in Muslim Culture: Social and Generational Changes in Acceptance and Practice in Jordan.

PubMed

Mauseth, Kira B; Skalisky, Jordan; Clark, Noël E; Kaffer, Ray

2016-08-01

Through narrative analysis, this paper explores the changes in acceptance of and response to substance use in Muslim culture by evaluating data collected in qualitative interviews in Jordan in 2013. What is known and unknown about substance use in Muslim culture throughout the Arab world from previous research findings provides a foundation from which to explore new perspectives and compare themes between younger and older generations in Jordan. Trends of social change and behavioral expression influenced by dramatic political and social upheaval in the Arab world in the last 5 years will also be evaluated for the way in which they may be influencing both substance use and its acceptance among young adults in this population. Recommendations for future research and work in this area are also provided based on these findings.

Phylogenetic analysis of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 isolated from Cuban individuals.

PubMed

Machado, Liuber Y; Díaz, Héctor M; Noa, Enrique; Martín, Dayamí; Blanco, Madeline; Díaz, Dervel F; Sánchez, Yordank R; Nibot, Carmen; Sánchez, Lourdes; Dubed, Marta

2014-08-01

The presence of infection by human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) in Cuba has been previously documented. However, genetic information on the strains that circulate in the Cuban people is still unknown. The present work constitutes the first study concerning the phylogenetic relationship of HIV-2 Cuban isolates conducted on 13 Cuban patients who were diagnosed with HIV-2. The env sequences were analyzed for the construction of a phylogenetic tree with reference sequences of HIV-2. Phylogenetic analysis of the env gene showed that all the Cuban sequences clustered in group A of HIV-2. The analysis indicated several independent introductions of HIV-2 into Cuba. The results of the study will reinforce the program on the epidemiological surveillance of the infection in Cuba and make possible further molecular evolutionary studies.

PRP5: a helicase-like protein required for mRNA splicing in yeast.

PubMed Central

Dalbadie-McFarland, G; Abelson, J

1990-01-01

A 96-kDa protein predicted by the DNA sequence of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PRP5 gene contains a domain that bears a striking resemblance to a family of RNA helicases characterized by the conserved amino acid sequence Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (D-E-A-D). Previous work indicated that the product of the PRP5 gene is required for splicing and that spliceosome assembly does not occur in its absence. However, its precise role in splicing and the nature of its biochemical activity remained unknown. To examine the role of PRP5 in splicing, we cloned the gene by complementation of a temperature-sensitive mutation and determined its DNA sequence. We discuss here the possible roles for an RNA helicase in splicing and for the activity of the PRP5 protein. Images PMID:2349233

Metrics for evaluation of the author's writing styles: Who is the best?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darooneh, Amir H.; Shariati, Ashrafosadat

2014-09-01

Studying the complexity of language has attracted the physicist's attention recently. The methods borrowed from the statistical mechanics; namely, the complex network theory, can be used for exploring the regularities as a characteristic of complexity of language. In this paper, we focus on the authorship identification by using the complex network approach. We introduce three metrics which enable us for comparison the author's writing styles. This approach was previously used by us for finding the author of unknown book among collection of thirty six books written by five Persian poets. Here, we select a collection of one hundred and one books of nine English writers and quantify their writing styles according to our metrics. In our experiment, Shakespeare appears as the best author who follows a unique writing style in all of his works.

An exact noniterative linear method for locating sources based on measuring receiver arrival times.

PubMed

Militello, C; Buenafuente, S R

2007-06-01

In this paper an exact, linear solution to the source localization problem based on the time of arrival at the receivers is presented. The method is unique in that the source's position can be obtained by solving a system of linear equations, three for a plane and four for a volume. This simplification means adding an additional receiver to the minimum mathematically required (3+1 in two dimensions and 4+1 in three dimensions). The equations are easily worked out for any receiver configuration and their geometrical interpretation is straightforward. Unlike other methods, the system of reference used to describe the receivers' positions is completely arbitrary. The relationship between this method and previously published ones is discussed, showing how the present, more general, method overcomes nonlinearity and unknown dependency issues.

Vortex breakdown simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hafez, M.; Ahmad, J.; Kuruvila, G.; Salas, M. D.

1987-01-01

In this paper, steady, axisymmetric inviscid, and viscous (laminar) swirling flows representing vortex breakdown phenomena are simulated using a stream function-vorticity-circulation formulation and two numerical methods. The first is based on an inverse iteration, where a norm of the solution is prescribed and the swirling parameter is calculated as a part of the output. The second is based on direct Newton iterations, where the linearized equations, for all the unknowns, are solved simultaneously by an efficient banded Gaussian elimination procedure. Several numerical solutions for inviscid and viscous flows are demonstrated, followed by a discussion of the results. Some improvements on previous work have been achieved: first order upwind differences are replaced by second order schemes, line relaxation procedure (with linear convergence rate) is replaced by Newton's iterations (which converge quadratically), and Reynolds numbers are extended from 200 up to 1000.

Metrics for evaluation of the author's writing styles: who is the best?

PubMed

Darooneh, Amir H; Shariati, Ashrafosadat

2014-09-01

Studying the complexity of language has attracted the physicist's attention recently. The methods borrowed from the statistical mechanics; namely, the complex network theory, can be used for exploring the regularities as a characteristic of complexity of language. In this paper, we focus on the authorship identification by using the complex network approach. We introduce three metrics which enable us for comparison the author's writing styles. This approach was previously used by us for finding the author of unknown book among collection of thirty six books written by five Persian poets. Here, we select a collection of one hundred and one books of nine English writers and quantify their writing styles according to our metrics. In our experiment, Shakespeare appears as the best author who follows a unique writing style in all of his works.

Metabolic control of vesicular glutamate transport and release.

PubMed

Juge, Narinobu; Gray, John A; Omote, Hiroshi; Miyaji, Takaaki; Inoue, Tsuyoshi; Hara, Chiaki; Uneyama, Hisayuki; Edwards, Robert H; Nicoll, Roger A; Moriyama, Yoshinori

2010-10-06

Fasting has been used to control epilepsy since antiquity, but the mechanism of coupling between metabolic state and excitatory neurotransmission remains unknown. Previous work has shown that the vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) required for exocytotic release of glutamate undergo an unusual form of regulation by Cl(-). Using functional reconstitution of the purified VGLUTs into proteoliposomes, we now show that Cl(-) acts as an allosteric activator, and the ketone bodies that increase with fasting inhibit glutamate release by competing with Cl(-) at the site of allosteric regulation. Consistent with these observations, acetoacetate reduced quantal size at hippocampal synapses and suppresses glutamate release and seizures evoked with 4-aminopyridine in the brain. The results indicate an unsuspected link between metabolic state and excitatory neurotransmission through anion-dependent regulation of VGLUT activity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NIH Researchers Identify OCD Risk Gene

MedlinePlus

... News From NIH NIH Researchers Identify OCD Risk Gene Past Issues / Summer 2006 Table of Contents For ... and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have identified a previously unknown gene variant that doubles an individual's risk for obsessive- ...

Natural product biosynthesis: Tackling tunicamycin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goddard-Borger, Ethan D.; Withers, Stephen G.

2012-07-01

The tunicamycins, secondary metabolites of various Streptomyces species, are invaluable tools in glycobiology. It has now been shown that their biosynthesis involves an unusual exo-glycal intermediate produced by previously unknown short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase activity.

401. J.W.P.C., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

401. J.W.P.C., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; PIERS E6 TO E-22; SEQUENCE OF OPERATION; DETAILS OF EQUIPMENT; DRG. NO. 53 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

394. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

394. F.A.N., Delineator Date Unknown STATE OF CALIFORNIA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS; SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE; EAST BAY CROSSING; PIERS E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5; PLANT LAYOUT AND CAISSON ANCHORAGES; DRG. NO.51 - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Optimization of power utilization in multimobile robot foraging behavior inspired by honeybees system.

PubMed

Ahmad, Faisul Arif; Ramli, Abd Rahman; Samsudin, Khairulmizam; Hashim, Shaiful Jahari

2014-01-01

Deploying large numbers of mobile robots which can interact with each other produces swarm intelligent behavior. However, mobile robots are normally running with finite energy resource, supplied from finite battery. The limitation of energy resource required human intervention for recharging the batteries. The sharing information among the mobile robots would be one of the potentials to overcome the limitation on previously recharging system. A new approach is proposed based on integrated intelligent system inspired by foraging of honeybees applied to multimobile robot scenario. This integrated approach caters for both working and foraging stages for known/unknown power station locations. Swarm mobile robot inspired by honeybee is simulated to explore and identify the power station for battery recharging. The mobile robots will share the location information of the power station with each other. The result showed that mobile robots consume less energy and less time when they are cooperating with each other for foraging process. The optimizing of foraging behavior would result in the mobile robots spending more time to do real work.

Optimization of Power Utilization in Multimobile Robot Foraging Behavior Inspired by Honeybees System

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Faisul Arif; Ramli, Abd Rahman; Samsudin, Khairulmizam; Hashim, Shaiful Jahari

2014-01-01

Deploying large numbers of mobile robots which can interact with each other produces swarm intelligent behavior. However, mobile robots are normally running with finite energy resource, supplied from finite battery. The limitation of energy resource required human intervention for recharging the batteries. The sharing information among the mobile robots would be one of the potentials to overcome the limitation on previously recharging system. A new approach is proposed based on integrated intelligent system inspired by foraging of honeybees applied to multimobile robot scenario. This integrated approach caters for both working and foraging stages for known/unknown power station locations. Swarm mobile robot inspired by honeybee is simulated to explore and identify the power station for battery recharging. The mobile robots will share the location information of the power station with each other. The result showed that mobile robots consume less energy and less time when they are cooperating with each other for foraging process. The optimizing of foraging behavior would result in the mobile robots spending more time to do real work. PMID:24949491

Impact of cultural differences in self on cognitive appraisals in posttraumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Jobson, Laura; O'Kearney, Richard T

2009-05-01

Accumulating research indicates posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a universal phenomenon. However, it remains substantially unknown as to whether the processes implicated in the aetiology and maintenance of PTSD are culturally similar. This study investigated the impact of cultural differences in self on negative cognitive appraisals in those with and without PTSD. Trauma survivors with PTSD and without PTSD from independent and interdependent cultures (N = 106) provided trauma narratives. Narratives were coded for negative cognitive appraisals (mental defeat, control strategies, alienation and permanent change) as in Ehlers and colleagues' previous work. Replicating Ehlers and colleagues' work, trauma survivors with PTSD from independent cultures reported more mental defeat, alienation, permanent change and less control strategies than non-PTSD trauma survivors from independent cultures. In contrast, for those from interdependent cultures, only alienation appraisals differentiated between trauma survivors with and without PTSD. Those with PTSD had more alienation appraisals than those without PTSD. The findings suggest cultural differences in self impact on the relationship between appraisals and posttraumatic psychological adjustment. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Automatic threshold selection for multi-class open set recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherreik, Matthew; Rigling, Brian

2017-05-01

Multi-class open set recognition is the problem of supervised classification with additional unknown classes encountered after a model has been trained. An open set classifer often has two core components. The first component is a base classifier which estimates the most likely class of a given example. The second component consists of open set logic which estimates if the example is truly a member of the candidate class. Such a system is operated in a feed-forward fashion. That is, a candidate label is first estimated by the base classifier, and the true membership of the example to the candidate class is estimated afterward. Previous works have developed an iterative threshold selection algorithm for rejecting examples from classes which were not present at training time. In those studies, a Platt-calibrated SVM was used as the base classifier, and the thresholds were applied to class posterior probabilities for rejection. In this work, we investigate the effectiveness of other base classifiers when paired with the threshold selection algorithm and compare their performance with the original SVM solution.

Working memory training improves emotional states of healthy individuals

PubMed Central

Takeuchi, Hikaru; Taki, Yasuyuki; Nouchi, Rui; Hashizume, Hiroshi; Sekiguchi, Atsushi; Kotozaki, Yuka; Nakagawa, Seishu; Miyauchi, Carlos Makoto; Sassa, Yuko; Kawashima, Ryuta

2014-01-01

Working memory (WM) capacity is associated with various emotional aspects, including states of depression and stress, reactions to emotional stimuli, and regulatory behaviors. We have previously investigated the effects of WM training (WMT) on cognitive functions and brain structures. However, the effects of WMT on emotional states and related neural mechanisms among healthy young adults remain unknown. In the present study, we investigated these effects in young adults who underwent WMT or received no intervention for 4 weeks. Before and after the intervention, subjects completed self-report questionnaires related to their emotional states and underwent scanning sessions in which brain activities related to negative emotions were measured. Compared with controls, subjects who underwent WMT showed reduced anger, fatigue, and depression. Furthermore, WMT reduced activity in the left posterior insula during tasks evoking negative emotion, which was related to anger. It also reduced activity in the left frontoparietal area. These findings show that WMT can reduce negative mood and provide new insight into the clinical applications of WMT, at least among subjects with preclinical-level conditions. PMID:25360090

Font group identification using reconstructed fonts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutter, Michael P.; van Beusekom, Joost; Shafait, Faisal; Breuel, Thomas M.

2011-01-01

Ideally, digital versions of scanned documents should be represented in a format that is searchable, compressed, highly readable, and faithful to the original. These goals can theoretically be achieved through OCR and font recognition, re-typesetting the document text with original fonts. However, OCR and font recognition remain hard problems, and many historical documents use fonts that are not available in digital forms. It is desirable to be able to reconstruct fonts with vector glyphs that approximate the shapes of the letters that form a font. In this work, we address the grouping of tokens in a token-compressed document into candidate fonts. This permits us to incorporate font information into token-compressed images even when the original fonts are unknown or unavailable in digital format. This paper extends previous work in font reconstruction by proposing and evaluating an algorithm to assign a font to every character within a document. This is a necessary step to represent a scanned document image with a reconstructed font. Through our evaluation method, we have measured a 98.4% accuracy for the assignment of letters to candidate fonts in multi-font documents.

A Comparison of Evaluation Metrics for Biomedical Journals, Articles, and Websites in Terms of Sensitivity to Topic

PubMed Central

Fu, Lawrence D.; Aphinyanaphongs, Yindalon; Wang, Lily; Aliferis, Constantin F.

2011-01-01

Evaluating the biomedical literature and health-related websites for quality are challenging information retrieval tasks. Current commonly used methods include impact factor for journals, PubMed’s clinical query filters and machine learning-based filter models for articles, and PageRank for websites. Previous work has focused on the average performance of these methods without considering the topic, and it is unknown how performance varies for specific topics or focused searches. Clinicians, researchers, and users should be aware when expected performance is not achieved for specific topics. The present work analyzes the behavior of these methods for a variety of topics. Impact factor, clinical query filters, and PageRank vary widely across different topics while a topic-specific impact factor and machine learning-based filter models are more stable. The results demonstrate that a method may perform excellently on average but struggle when used on a number of narrower topics. Topic adjusted metrics and other topic robust methods have an advantage in such situations. Users of traditional topic-sensitive metrics should be aware of their limitations. PMID:21419864

Preeclampsia: is it because of the asymptomatic, unrecognized renal scars caused by urinary tract infections in childhood that become symptomatic with pregnancy?

PubMed

Ozlü, Tülay; Alçelik, Aytekin; Calişkan, Billur; Dönmez, Melahat Emine

2012-11-01

Preeclampsia is an important disease of pregnancy whose exact etiology is still unknown despite continuing developments in medicine. Although most commonly it is believed to be caused by a defective placentation, in this paper, we hypothesize that the primary underlying problem in the development of preeclampsia can be in kidneys in a greater proportion of cases than it is believed today. The increased intravascular volume and the increased work load of kidneys together with the resulting glomerular hypertrophy may precipitate nephrotic syndrome, which in this case is called "preeclampsia" in a previously affected kidney. Urinary tract infections in childhood leaving silent, unrecognized small scars in the kidneys may be the underlying renal cause which disrupts its silence with an increased work load of kidneys prominently occurring after the midtrimester. The histopathologic finding in kidneys with renal scars after childhood urinary tract infections and in preeclampsia is focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in the majority of cases and this similarity strengthens our hypothesis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new family of β-helix proteins with similarities to the polysaccharide lyases

DOE PAGES

Close, Devin W.; D'Angelo, Sara; Bradbury, Andrew R. M.

2014-09-27

Microorganisms that degrade biomass produce diverse assortments of carbohydrate-active enzymes and binding modules. Despite tremendous advances in the genomic sequencing of these organisms, many genes do not have an ascribed function owing to low sequence identity to genes that have been annotated. Consequently, biochemical and structural characterization of genes with unknown function is required to complement the rapidly growing pool of genomic sequencing data. A protein with previously unknown function (Cthe_2159) was recently isolated in a genome-wide screen using phage display to identify cellulose-binding protein domains from the biomass-degrading bacterium Clostridium thermocellum. Here, the crystal structure of Cthe_2159 is presentedmore » and it is shown that it is a unique right-handed parallel β-helix protein. Despite very low sequence identity to known β-helix or carbohydrate-active proteins, Cthe_2159 displays structural features that are very similar to those of polysaccharide lyase (PL) families 1, 3, 6 and 9. Cthe_2159 is conserved across bacteria and some archaea and is a member of the domain of unknown function family DUF4353. This suggests that Cthe_2159 is the first representative of a previously unknown family of cellulose and/or acid-sugar binding β-helix proteins that share structural similarities with PLs. More importantly, these results demonstrate how functional annotation by biochemical and structural analysis remains a critical tool in the characterization of new gene products.« less

A new family of β-helix proteins with similarities to the polysaccharide lyases

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

Close, Devin W.; D'Angelo, Sara; Bradbury, Andrew R. M.

Microorganisms that degrade biomass produce diverse assortments of carbohydrate-active enzymes and binding modules. Despite tremendous advances in the genomic sequencing of these organisms, many genes do not have an ascribed function owing to low sequence identity to genes that have been annotated. Consequently, biochemical and structural characterization of genes with unknown function is required to complement the rapidly growing pool of genomic sequencing data. A protein with previously unknown function (Cthe_2159) was recently isolated in a genome-wide screen using phage display to identify cellulose-binding protein domains from the biomass-degrading bacterium Clostridium thermocellum. Here, the crystal structure of Cthe_2159 is presentedmore » and it is shown that it is a unique right-handed parallel β-helix protein. Despite very low sequence identity to known β-helix or carbohydrate-active proteins, Cthe_2159 displays structural features that are very similar to those of polysaccharide lyase (PL) families 1, 3, 6 and 9. Cthe_2159 is conserved across bacteria and some archaea and is a member of the domain of unknown function family DUF4353. This suggests that Cthe_2159 is the first representative of a previously unknown family of cellulose and/or acid-sugar binding β-helix proteins that share structural similarities with PLs. More importantly, these results demonstrate how functional annotation by biochemical and structural analysis remains a critical tool in the characterization of new gene products.« less

Photogrammetry Tool for Forensic Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, John

2012-01-01

A system allows crime scene and accident scene investigators the ability to acquire visual scene data using cameras for processing at a later time. This system uses a COTS digital camera, a photogrammetry calibration cube, and 3D photogrammetry processing software. In a previous instrument developed by NASA, the laser scaling device made use of parallel laser beams to provide a photogrammetry solution in 2D. This device and associated software work well under certain conditions. In order to make use of a full 3D photogrammetry system, a different approach was needed. When using multiple cubes, whose locations relative to each other are unknown, a procedure that would merge the data from each cube would be as follows: 1. One marks a reference point on cube 1, then marks points on cube 2 as unknowns. This locates cube 2 in cube 1 s coordinate system. 2. One marks reference points on cube 2, then marks points on cube 1 as unknowns. This locates cube 1 in cube 2 s coordinate system. 3. This procedure is continued for all combinations of cubes. 4. The coordinate of all of the found coordinate systems is then merged into a single global coordinate system. In order to achieve maximum accuracy, measurements are done in one of two ways, depending on scale: when measuring the size of objects, the coordinate system corresponding to the nearest cube is used, or when measuring the location of objects relative to a global coordinate system, a merged coordinate system is used. Presently, traffic accident analysis is time-consuming and not very accurate. Using cubes with differential GPS would give absolute positions of cubes in the accident area, so that individual cubes would provide local photogrammetry calibration to objects near a cube.

Pattern and predictors of sick leave among users of antidepressants: a Danish retrospective register-based cohort study.

PubMed

Gasse, Christiane; Petersen, Liselotte; Chollet, Julien; Saragoussi, Delphine

2013-12-01

Depression is associated with work absenteeism, reduced productivity, and significant personal and societal economic burden. We describe patterns and determinants of sick leave among working Danish antidepressant users. Persons starting antidepressant treatment (January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2005) were identified from a representative 25% sample of the Danish population by linking Danish national registries. Inclusion criteria were age 18-64 years, being in the workforce the week prior to the first antidepressant prescription (index prescription, IP), and no antidepressant prescription in the year prior to the IP. Only sick leaves >2 weeks are centrally registered in Denmark and could be assessed. Cox regression analyses identified predictors of sick leave during the year following the IP, based on previous history of sick leave and clinical and socio-demographic baseline characteristics. In the cohort of 25,908 (59.7% women), sick leave prevalence increased from 37.5% (year prior to IP) to 45.3% (year after the IP); 30.7% were on sick leave for >8 weeks. Incidence peaked (35.5% of individuals) the week after the IP. Of persons with sick leave in the year before the IP, 62.7% were on sick leave the first week after the IP, vs 5.7% of those without previous sick leave. Predictors associated with increased risk of sick leave among those without previous sick leave were unemployment, female gender, age 25-54 years, couples with children, and vocational and higher intermediate education (including e.g. teachers and nurses). Reasons for sick leave, sick leaves of less than 14 days and the indications for antidepressant treatment were unknown. Sick leave was prevalent in persons starting new antidepressant use, often lasting >8 weeks. Previous sick leave was the strongest predictor of subsequent sick leave. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Urine biomarkers of kidney injury among adolescents in Nicaragua, a region affected by an epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology

PubMed Central

Ramírez-Rubio, Oriana; Amador, Juan José; Kaufman, James S.; Weiner, Daniel E.; Parikh, Chirag R.; Khan, Usman; McClean, Michael D.; Laws, Rebecca L.; López-Pilarte, Damaris; Friedman, David J.; Kupferman, Joseph; Brooks, Daniel R.

2016-01-01

Background An epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of non-traditional aetiology has been recently recognized by health authorities as a public health priority in Central America. Previous studies have identified strenuous manual work, agricultural activities and residence at low altitude as potential risk factors; however, the aetiology remains unknown. Because individuals are frequently diagnosed with CKD in early adulthood, we measured biomarkers of kidney injury among adolescents in different regions of Nicaragua to assess whether kidney damage might be initiated during childhood. Methods Participants include 200 adolescents aged 12–18 years with no prior work history from four different schools in Nicaragua. The location of the school served as a proxy for environmental exposures and geographic locations were selected to represent a range of factors that have been associated with CKD in adults (e.g. altitude, primary industry and CKD mortality rates). Questionnaires, urine dipsticks and kidney injury biomarkers [interleukin-18, N-acetyl-d-glucosaminidase (NAG), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and albumin–creatinine ratio] were assessed. Biomarker concentrations were compared by school using linear regression models. Results Protein (3.5%) and glucose (1%) in urine measured by dipstick were rare and did not differ by school. Urine biomarkers of tubular kidney damage, particularly NGAL and NAG, showed higher concentrations in those schools and regions within Nicaragua that were defined a priori as having increased CKD risk. Painful urination was a frequent self-reported symptom. Conclusions Although interpretation of these urine biomarkers is limited because of the lack of population reference values, results suggest the possibility of early kidney damage prior to occupational exposures in these adolescents. PMID:26311057

Wire connector classification with machine vision and a novel hybrid SVM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, Vedang; Joshi, Keyur D.; Surgenor, Brian W.

2018-04-01

A machine vision-based system has been developed and tested that uses a novel hybrid Support Vector Machine (SVM) in a part inspection application with clear plastic wire connectors. The application required the system to differentiate between 4 different known styles of connectors plus one unknown style, for a total of 5 classes. The requirement to handle an unknown class is what necessitated the hybrid approach. The system was trained with the 4 known classes and tested with 5 classes (the 4 known plus the 1 unknown). The hybrid classification approach used two layers of SVMs: one layer was semi-supervised and the other layer was supervised. The semi-supervised SVM was a special case of unsupervised machine learning that classified test images as one of the 4 known classes (to accept) or as the unknown class (to reject). The supervised SVM classified test images as one of the 4 known classes and consequently would give false positives (FPs). Two methods were tested. The difference between the methods was that the order of the layers was switched. The method with the semi-supervised layer first gave an accuracy of 80% with 20% FPs. The method with the supervised layer first gave an accuracy of 98% with 0% FPs. Further work is being conducted to see if the hybrid approach works with other applications that have an unknown class requirement.

Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) species new to the fauna of Norway

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Abstract The present paper contains new distributional records for 61 species of ichneumon wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) previously unknown for Norway, six of them are reported from Scandinavia for the first time. PMID:24855440

The role of psychiatric, cardiometabolic, and musculoskeletal comorbidity in the recurrence of depression-related work disability.

PubMed

Ervasti, Jenni; Vahtera, Jussi; Pentti, Jaana; Oksanen, Tuula; Ahola, Kirsi; Kivekäs, Teija; Kivimäki, Mika; Virtanen, Marianna

2014-09-01

Comorbid psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular disease, chronic hypertension, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent in depression. However, the extent to which these conditions affect the recurrence of depression-related work disability is unknown. The specific aims of the study were to investigate the extent to which comorbid other psychiatric disorders, cardiometabolic, and musculoskeletal conditions were associated with the recurrence of depression-related work disability among employees who had returned to work after a depression-related disability episode. A cohort study of Finnish public sector employees with at least one depression-related disability episode during 2005-2011 after which the employee had returned to work (14,172 depression-related work disability episodes derived from national health and disability registers for 9,946 individuals). We used Cox proportional hazard models for recurrent events. Depression-related work disability recurred in 35% of the episodes that had ended in return to work from a previous episode, totaling 4,927 recurrent episodes among 3,095 (31%) employees. After adjustment for sex, age, socioeconomic status, and type of employment contract, comorbid psychiatric disorder (hazard ratio = 1.82, 95% CI 1.68-1.97), cardiovascular disease (1.39, 95% CI 1.04-1.87), diabetes (1.43, 95% CI 1.11-1.85), chronic hypertension (1.33, 95% CI 1.11-1.58), and musculoskeletal disorder (1.17, 95% CI 1.06-1.28) were associated with an increased risk of a recurrent episode compared to those without these comorbid conditions. Recurrence of depression-related work disability is common. Employees with comorbid psychiatric, cardiometabolic, or musculoskeletal conditions are at an increased risk of recurrent depression-related work disability episodes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Capturing microRNA targets using an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)-trap approach

PubMed Central

Cambronne, Xiaolu A.; Shen, Rongkun; Auer, Paul L.; Goodman, Richard H.

2012-01-01

Identifying targets is critical for understanding the biological effects of microRNA (miRNA) expression. The challenge lies in characterizing the cohort of targets for a specific miRNA, especially when targets are being actively down-regulated in miRNA– RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)–messengerRNA (mRNA) complexes. We have developed a robust and versatile strategy called RISCtrap to stabilize and purify targets from this transient interaction. Its utility was demonstrated by determining specific high-confidence target datasets for miR-124, miR-132, and miR-181 that contained known and previously unknown transcripts. Two previously unknown miR-132 targets identified with RISCtrap, adaptor protein CT10 regulator of kinase 1 (CRK1) and tight junction-associated protein 1 (TJAP1), were shown to be endogenously regulated by miR-132 in adult mouse forebrain. The datasets, moreover, differed in the number of targets and in the types and frequency of microRNA recognition element (MRE) motifs, thus revealing a previously underappreciated level of specificity in the target sets regulated by individual miRNAs. PMID:23184980

Capturing microRNA targets using an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)-trap approach.

PubMed

Cambronne, Xiaolu A; Shen, Rongkun; Auer, Paul L; Goodman, Richard H

2012-12-11

Identifying targets is critical for understanding the biological effects of microRNA (miRNA) expression. The challenge lies in characterizing the cohort of targets for a specific miRNA, especially when targets are being actively down-regulated in miRNA- RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)-messengerRNA (mRNA) complexes. We have developed a robust and versatile strategy called RISCtrap to stabilize and purify targets from this transient interaction. Its utility was demonstrated by determining specific high-confidence target datasets for miR-124, miR-132, and miR-181 that contained known and previously unknown transcripts. Two previously unknown miR-132 targets identified with RISCtrap, adaptor protein CT10 regulator of kinase 1 (CRK1) and tight junction-associated protein 1 (TJAP1), were shown to be endogenously regulated by miR-132 in adult mouse forebrain. The datasets, moreover, differed in the number of targets and in the types and frequency of microRNA recognition element (MRE) motifs, thus revealing a previously underappreciated level of specificity in the target sets regulated by individual miRNAs.

Destination memory and familiarity: better memory for conversations with Elvis Presley than with unknown people.

PubMed

El Haj, Mohamad; Omigie, Diana; Samson, Séverine

2015-06-01

Familiarity is assumed to exert a beneficial effect on memory in older adults. Our paper investigated this issue specifically for destination memory, that is, memory of the destination of previously relayed information. Young and older adults were told familiar (Experiment 1) and unfamiliar (Experiment 2) proverbs associated with pictures depicting faces of celebrities (e.g., Elvis Presley) or unknown people, with a specific proverb assigned to each face. In a later recognition task, participants were presented with the previously exposed proverb-face pairs and for each pair had to decide whether they had previously relayed the given proverb to the given face. In general, destination performance was found to be higher for familiar than for unfamiliar faces. However while there was no difference between the two groups when the proverbs being relayed were unfamiliar, the advantage of face familiarity on destination memory was present only for older adults when the proverbs being relayed were familiar. Our results show that destination memory in older adults is sensitive to familiarity of both destination and output information.

Previously unknown apicomplexan species infecting Iceland scallop, Chlamys islandica (Müller, 1776), queen scallop, Aequipecten opercularis L., and king scallop, Pecten maximus L.

PubMed

Kristmundsson, Árni; Helgason, Sigurður; Bambir, Slavko Helgi; Eydal, Matthías; Freeman, Mark A

2011-11-01

Examination of three scallop species from three separate locations: Iceland scallop from Icelandic waters, king scallop from Scottish waters and queen scallop from Faroese and Scottish waters, revealed infections of a previously unknown apicomplexan parasite in all three scallop species. Developmental forms observed in the shells appeared to include both sexual and asexual stages of the parasite, i.e. merogony, gametogony and sporogony, which suggests a monoxenous life cycle. Meronts, gamonts, zygotes and mature oocysts were solely found in the muscular tissue. Zoites, which could be sporozoites and/or merozoites, were observed in great numbers, most frequently in muscles, both intracellular and free in the extracellular space. Zoites were also common inside haemocytes. Examination of the ultrastructure showed that the zoites contained all the major structures characterizing apicomplexans. This apicomplexan parasite is morphologically different from other apicomplexan species previously described from bivalves. Presently, its systematic position within the phylum Apicomplexa cannot be ascertained. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geological and hydrogeological investigations in west Malaysia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmad, J. B. (Principal Investigator); Khoon, S. Y.

1977-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Large structures along the east coast of the peninsula were discovered. Of particular significance were the circular structures which were believed to be associated with mineralization and whose existence was unknown. The distribution of the younger sediments along the east coast appeared to be more widespread than previously indicated. Along the Pahang coast on the southern end, small traces of raised beach lines were noted up to six miles inland. The existence of these beach lines was unknown due to their isolation in large coastal swamps.

Irreversible temperature gating in trpv1 sheds light on channel activation

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Moreno, Ana; Guevara-Hernández, Eduardo; Contreras-Cervera, Ricardo; Rangel-Yescas, Gisela; Ladrón-de-Guevara, Ernesto; Rosenbaum, Tamara

2018-01-01

Temperature-activated TRP channels or thermoTRPs are among the only proteins that can directly convert temperature changes into changes in channel open probability. In spite of a wealth of functional and structural information, the mechanism of temperature activation remains unknown. We have carefully characterized the repeated activation of TRPV1 by thermal stimuli and discovered a previously unknown inactivation process, which is irreversible. We propose that this form of gating in TRPV1 channels is a consequence of the heat absorption process that leads to channel opening. PMID:29869983

Direct real-time measurement of intra-oocyte nitric oxide concentration in vivo.

PubMed

Goud, Pravin T; Goud, Anuradha P; Najafi, Tohid; Gonik, Bernard; Diamond, Michael P; Saed, Ghassan M; Zhang, Xueji; Abu-Soud, Husam M

2014-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) is reported to play significant a role in oocyte activation and maturation, implantation, and early embryonic development. Previously we have shown that NO forms an important component of the oocyte microenvironment, and functions effectively to delay oocyte aging. Thus, precise information about intra-oocyte NO concentrations [NO] will result in designing more accurate treatment plans in assisted reproduction. In this work, the direct, real-time and quantitative intra-oocyte [NO] was measured utilizing an L-shaped amperometric integrated NO-selective electrode. This method not only provides an elegant and convenient approach to real-time the measurement of NO in physiological environments, but also mimics the loss of NO caused by rapid NO diffusion combined with its reactivity in the biological milieu. This experiment suggests that the NO levels of oocytes obtained from young animals are significantly higher than those of oocytes obtained from old animals. Additionally the NO levels stay constant during the measurements; however, the intra-oocyte [NO] is reduced significantly (70-75% reduction) in response to L-NAME incubation, suggesting that NO measurements are truly NOS based rather than caused by an unknown interfering substance in our system. We believe this first demonstration of the direct quantitative measurement of [NO] in situ in an intact cellular complex should be useful in tracking real-time and rapid changes at nanomolar levels. Moreover, this finding confirms and extends our previous work showing that supplementation with NO delays the oocyte aging process.

Direct Real-Time Measurement of Intra-Oocyte Nitric Oxide Concentration In Vivo

PubMed Central

Goud, Pravin T.; Goud, Anuradha P.; Najafi, Tohid; Gonik, Bernard; Diamond, Michael P.; Saed, Ghassan M.; Zhang, Xueji; Abu-Soud, Husam M.

2014-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) is reported to play significant a role in oocyte activation and maturation, implantation, and early embryonic development. Previously we have shown that NO forms an important component of the oocyte microenvironment, and functions effectively to delay oocyte aging. Thus, precise information about intra-oocyte NO concentrations [NO] will result in designing more accurate treatment plans in assisted reproduction. In this work, the direct, real-time and quantitative intra-oocyte [NO] was measured utilizing an L-shaped amperometric integrated NO-selective electrode. This method not only provides an elegant and convenient approach to real-time the measurement of NO in physiological environments, but also mimics the loss of NO caused by rapid NO diffusion combined with its reactivity in the biological milieu. This experiment suggests that the NO levels of oocytes obtained from young animals are significantly higher than those of oocytes obtained from old animals. Additionally the NO levels stay constant during the measurements; however, the intra-oocyte [NO] is reduced significantly (70–75% reduction) in response to L-NAME incubation, suggesting that NO measurements are truly NOS based rather than caused by an unknown interfering substance in our system. We believe this first demonstration of the direct quantitative measurement of [NO] in situ in an intact cellular complex should be useful in tracking real-time and rapid changes at nanomolar levels. Moreover, this finding confirms and extends our previous work showing that supplementation with NO delays the oocyte aging process. PMID:24887331

Inactivation of the Nucleus Reuniens/Rhomboid Causes a Delay-dependent Impairment of Spatial Working Memory

PubMed Central

Layfield, Dylan M.; Patel, Monica; Hallock, Henry; Griffin, Amy

2015-01-01

Inactivation of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus or disconnection of the hippocampus from the mPFC produces deficits in spatial working memory tasks. Previous studies have shown that delay length determines the extent to which mPFC and hippocampus functionally interact, with both structures being necessary for tasks with longer delays and either structure being sufficient for tasks with shorter delays. In addition, inactivation of the nucleus reuniens (Re) / rhomboid nucleus (Rh) of the thalamus, which has bidirectional connections with the mPFC and hippocampus, also produces deficits in these tasks. However, it is unknown how delay duration relates to the function of Re/Rh. If Re/Rh are critical in modulating mPFC-hippocampus interactions, inactivation of the RE/Rh should produce a delay-dependent impairment in spatial working memory performance. To investigate this question, groups of rats were trained on one of three different spatial working memory tasks: continuous alternation (CA), delayed alternation with a five-second delay (DA5), or with a thirty-second delay (DA30). The Re/Rh were inactivated with muscimol infusions prior to testing. The results demonstrate that inactivation of RE/Rh produces a deficit only on the two DA tasks, supporting the notion that the Re/Rh is a critical orchestrator of mPFC-HC interactions. PMID:26391450

Thalamic amplification of cortical connectivity sustains attentional control

PubMed Central

Schmitt, L. Ian; Wimmer, Ralf D.; Nakajima, Miho; Happ, Michael; Mofakham, Sima; Halassa, Michael M.

2017-01-01

While interactions between the thalamus and cortex are critical for cognitive function1–3, the exact contribution of the thalamus to these interactions is often unclear. Recent studies have shown diverse connectivity patterns across the thalamus 4,5, but whether this diversity translates to thalamic functions beyond relaying information to or between cortical regions6 is unknown. Here, by investigating prefrontal cortical (PFC) representation of two rules used to guide attention, we find that the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) sustains these representations without relaying categorical information. Specifically, MD input amplifies local PFC connectivity, enabling rule-specific neural sequences to emerge and thereby maintain rule representations. Consistent with this notion, broadly enhancing PFC excitability diminishes rule specificity and behavioral performance, while enhancing MD excitability improves both. Overall, our results define a previously unknown principle in neuroscience; thalamic control of functional cortical connectivity. This function indicates that the thalamus plays much more central roles in cognition than previously thought. PMID:28467827

Lupus erythematosus cells in bone marrow: the only clue to a previously unsuspected diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Pujani, Mukta; Kushwaha, Shivani; Sethi, Neha; Beniwal, Anu; Shukla, Shailaja

2013-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune multisystem disease characterized by the development of antinuclear antibodies. Nowadays considered outdated, lupus erythematosus (LE) cell preparation served as a screening test for SLE for decades. However, the importance of discovering LE cells on routine cytology cannot be overemphasized. We report the case of a 30-year-old female in whom bone marrow aspiration (BMA) was performed during an investigative workup for pyrexia of unknown origin. The observation of LE cells in direct bone marrow smears (without the use of an anticoagulant) raised the suspicion of SLE, which was later confirmed by antinuclear antibody testing. In the present case, LE cells were observed on BMA performed for the investigation of fever of unknown origin. The unexpected observation of LE cells in BMA smears emphasizes the fact that good morphological observation of marrow aspirates can provide crucial clues to a previously unsuspected diagnosis.

Proteolytic Activation Transforms Heparin Cofactor II into a Host Defense Molecule

PubMed Central

Kalle, Martina; Papareddy, Praveen; Kasetty, Gopinath; Tollefsen, Douglas M.; Malmsten, Martin; Mörgelin, Matthias

2013-01-01

The abundant serine proteinase inhibitor heparin cofactor II (HCII) has been proposed to inhibit extravascular thrombin. However, the exact physiological role of this plasma protein remains enigmatic. In this study, we demonstrate a previously unknown role for HCII in host defense. Proteolytic cleavage of the molecule induced a conformational change, thereby inducing endotoxin-binding and antimicrobial properties. Analyses employing representative peptide epitopes mapped these effects to helices A and D. Mice deficient in HCII showed increased susceptibility to invasive infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, along with a significantly increased cytokine response. Correspondingly, decreased levels of HCII were observed in wild-type animals challenged with bacteria or endotoxin. In humans, proteolytically cleaved HCII forms were detected during wounding and in association with bacteria. Thus, the protease-induced uncovering of cryptic epitopes in HCII, which transforms the molecule into a host defense factor, represents a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in HCII biology and innate immunity. PMID:23656734

Proteolytic activation transforms heparin cofactor II into a host defense molecule.

PubMed

Kalle, Martina; Papareddy, Praveen; Kasetty, Gopinath; Tollefsen, Douglas M; Malmsten, Martin; Mörgelin, Matthias; Schmidtchen, Artur

2013-06-15

The abundant serine proteinase inhibitor heparin cofactor II (HCII) has been proposed to inhibit extravascular thrombin. However, the exact physiological role of this plasma protein remains enigmatic. In this study, we demonstrate a previously unknown role for HCII in host defense. Proteolytic cleavage of the molecule induced a conformational change, thereby inducing endotoxin-binding and antimicrobial properties. Analyses employing representative peptide epitopes mapped these effects to helices A and D. Mice deficient in HCII showed increased susceptibility to invasive infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, along with a significantly increased cytokine response. Correspondingly, decreased levels of HCII were observed in wild-type animals challenged with bacteria or endotoxin. In humans, proteolytically cleaved HCII forms were detected during wounding and in association with bacteria. Thus, the protease-induced uncovering of cryptic epitopes in HCII, which transforms the molecule into a host defense factor, represents a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in HCII biology and innate immunity.

Identification of a motor to auditory pathway important for vocal learning

PubMed Central

Roberts, Todd F.; Hisey, Erin; Tanaka, Masashi; Kearney, Matthew; Chattree, Gaurav; Yang, Cindy F.; Shah, Nirao M.; Mooney, Richard

2017-01-01

Summary Learning to vocalize depends on the ability to adaptively modify the temporal and spectral features of vocal elements. Neurons that convey motor-related signals to the auditory system are theorized to facilitate vocal learning, but the identity and function of such neurons remain unknown. Here we identify a previously unknown neuron type in the songbird brain that transmits vocal motor signals to the auditory cortex. Genetically ablating these neurons in juveniles disrupted their ability to imitate features of an adult tutor’s song. Ablating these neurons in adults had little effect on previously learned songs, but interfered with their ability to adaptively modify the duration of vocal elements and largely prevented the degradation of song’s temporal features normally caused by deafening. These findings identify a motor to auditory circuit essential to vocal imitation and to the adaptive modification of vocal timing. PMID:28504672

Identification of distinct telencephalic progenitor pools for neuronal diversity in the amygdala.

PubMed

Hirata, Tsutomu; Li, Peijun; Lanuza, Guillermo M; Cocas, Laura A; Huntsman, Molly M; Corbin, Joshua G

2009-02-01

The development of the amygdala, a central structure of the limbic system, remains poorly understood. We found that two spatially distinct and early-specified telencephalic progenitor pools marked by the homeodomain transcription factor Dbx1 are major sources of neuronal cell diversity in the mature mouse amygdala. We found that Dbx1-positive cells of the ventral pallium generate the excitatory neurons of the basolateral complex and cortical amygdala nuclei. Moreover, Dbx1-derived cells comprise a previously unknown migratory stream that emanates from the preoptic area (POA), a ventral telencephalic domain adjacent to the diencephalic border. The Dbx1-positive, POA-derived population migrated specifically to the amygdala and, as defined by both immunochemical and electrophysiological criteria, generated a unique subclass of inhibitory neurons in the medial amygdala nucleus. Thus, this POA-derived population represents a previously unknown progenitor pool dedicated to the limbic system.

Is counter-terrorism policy evidence-based? What works, what harms, and what is unknown.

PubMed

Lum, Cynthia; Kennedy, Leslie W; Sherley, Alison

2008-02-01

Is counter-terrorism policy evidence-based? What works, what harms, and what is unknown. One of the central concerns surrounding counter-terrorism interventions today, given the attention and money spent on them, is whether such interventions are effective. To explore this issue, we conducted a general review of terrorism literature as well as a Campbell systematic review on counter-terrorism strategies. In this article, we summarize some of our findings from these works. Overall, we found an almost complete absence of evaluation research on counter-terrorism strategies and conclude that counter-terrorism policy is not evidence-based. The findings of this review emphasise the need for government leaders, policy makers, researchers, and funding agencies to include and insist on evaluations of the effectiveness of these programs in their agendas.

Polymerase recognition of 2-thio-iso-guanine·5-methyl-4-pyrimidinone (iGs·P)--A new DD/AA base pair.

PubMed

Lee, Dong-Kye; Switzer, Christopher

2016-02-15

Polymerase specificity is reported for a previously unknown base pair with a non-standard DD/AA hydrogen bonding pattern: 2-thio-iso-guanine·5-methyl-4-pyrimidinone. Our findings suggest that atomic substitution may provide a solution for low fidelity previously associated with enzymatic copying of iso-guanine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new genus of long-legged flies displaying remarkable wing directional asymmetry

Treesearch

Justin B. Runyon; Richard L. Hurley

2004-01-01

A previously unknown group of flies is described whose males exhibit directional asymmetry, in that the left wing is larger than, and of a different shape from, the right wing. To our knowledge, wing asymmetry of this degree has not previously been reported in an animal capable of flight. Such consistent asymmetry must result from a left­right axis during development...

Memory retrieval of smoking-related images induce greater insula activation as revealed by an fMRI based delayed matching to sample task

PubMed Central

Janes, AC; Ross, RS; Farmer, S; Frederick, BB; Nickerson, L; Lukas, SE; Stern, CE

2013-01-01

Nicotine dependence is a chronic and difficult to treat disorder. While environmental stimuli associated with smoking precipitate craving and relapse, it is unknown whether smoking cues are cognitively processed differently than neutral stimuli. To evaluate working memory differences between smoking-related and neutral stimuli, we conducted a delay-match-to-sample (DMS) task concurrently with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in nicotine dependent participants. The DMS task evaluates brain activation during the encoding, maintenance, and retrieval phases of working memory. Smoking images induced significantly more subjective craving, and greater midline cortical activation during encoding in comparison to neutral stimuli that were similar in content yet lacked a smoking component. The insula, which is involved in maintaining nicotine dependence, was active during the successful retrieval of previously viewed smoking vs. neutral images. In contrast, neutral images required more prefrontal cortex-mediated active maintenance during the maintenance period. These findings indicate that distinct brain regions are involved in the different phases of working memory for smoking-related vs. neutral images. Importantly the results implicate the insula in the retrieval of smoking-related stimuli, which is relevant given the insula’s emerging role in addiction. PMID:24261848

Memory retrieval of smoking-related images induce greater insula activation as revealed by an fMRI-based delayed matching to sample task.

PubMed

Janes, Amy C; Ross, Robert S; Farmer, Stacey; Frederick, Blaise B; Nickerson, Lisa D; Lukas, Scott E; Stern, Chantal E

2015-03-01

Nicotine dependence is a chronic and difficult to treat disorder. While environmental stimuli associated with smoking precipitate craving and relapse, it is unknown whether smoking cues are cognitively processed differently than neutral stimuli. To evaluate working memory differences between smoking-related and neutral stimuli, we conducted a delay-match-to-sample (DMS) task concurrently with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in nicotine-dependent participants. The DMS task evaluates brain activation during the encoding, maintenance and retrieval phases of working memory. Smoking images induced significantly more subjective craving, and greater midline cortical activation during encoding in comparison to neutral stimuli that were similar in content yet lacked a smoking component. The insula, which is involved in maintaining nicotine dependence, was active during the successful retrieval of previously viewed smoking versus neutral images. In contrast, neutral images required more prefrontal cortex-mediated active maintenance during the maintenance period. These findings indicate that distinct brain regions are involved in the different phases of working memory for smoking-related versus neutral images. Importantly, the results implicate the insula in the retrieval of smoking-related stimuli, which is relevant given the insula's emerging role in addiction. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Simultaneous treatment of unspecified heteroskedastic model error distribution and mismeasured covariates for restricted moment models.

PubMed

Garcia, Tanya P; Ma, Yanyuan

2017-10-01

We develop consistent and efficient estimation of parameters in general regression models with mismeasured covariates. We assume the model error and covariate distributions are unspecified, and the measurement error distribution is a general parametric distribution with unknown variance-covariance. We construct root- n consistent, asymptotically normal and locally efficient estimators using the semiparametric efficient score. We do not estimate any unknown distribution or model error heteroskedasticity. Instead, we form the estimator under possibly incorrect working distribution models for the model error, error-prone covariate, or both. Empirical results demonstrate robustness to different incorrect working models in homoscedastic and heteroskedastic models with error-prone covariates.

Renovation of the fixing and loading factors of the beam by the spectral data of free flexural vibrations

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

Akhymbek, Meiram Erkanatuly; Yessirkegenov, Nurgissa Amankeldiuly; Sadybekov, Makhmud Abdysametovich

2015-09-18

In the current paper, the problem of bending vibrations of a beam in which the binding on the right end is unknown and not available for visual inspection is studied. The main objective is to study an inverse problem: find additional unknown boundary conditions by additional spectral data, i.e., the conditions of fixing the right end of the rod. In this work, unlike many other works, as such additional conditions we choose the first natural frequencies (eigenvalues) of two new problems corresponding to the problem of bending vibrations of a beam with loads of different weights at the central point.

3D Anisotropy of Solar Wind Turbulence, Tubes, or Ribbons?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdini, Andrea; Grappin, Roland; Alexandrova, Olga; Lion, Sonny

2018-01-01

We study the anisotropy with respect to the local magnetic field of turbulent magnetic fluctuations at magnetofluid scales in the solar wind. Previous measurements in the fast solar wind obtained axisymmetric anisotropy, despite that the analysis method allows nonaxisymmetric structures. These results are probably contaminated by the wind expansion that introduces another symmetry axis, namely, the radial direction, as indicated by recent numerical simulations. These simulations also show that while the expansion is strong, the principal fluctuations are in the plane perpendicular to the radial direction. Using this property, we separate 11 yr of Wind spacecraft data into two subsets characterized by strong and weak expansion and determine the corresponding turbulence anisotropy. Under strong expansion, the small-scale anisotropy is consistent with the Goldreich & Sridhar critical balance. As in previous works, when the radial symmetry axis is not eliminated, the turbulent structures are field-aligned tubes. Under weak expansion, we find 3D anisotropy predicted by the Boldyrev model, that is, turbulent structures are ribbons and not tubes. However, the very basis of the Boldyrev phenomenology, namely, a cross-helicity increasing at small scales, is not observed in the solar wind: the origin of the ribbon formation is unknown.

The Elastic Behaviour of Sintered Metallic Fibre Networks: A Finite Element Study by Beam Theory

PubMed Central

Bosbach, Wolfram A.

2015-01-01

Background The finite element method has complimented research in the field of network mechanics in the past years in numerous studies about various materials. Numerical predictions and the planning efficiency of experimental procedures are two of the motivational aspects for these numerical studies. The widespread availability of high performance computing facilities has been the enabler for the simulation of sufficiently large systems. Objectives and Motivation In the present study, finite element models were built for sintered, metallic fibre networks and validated by previously published experimental stiffness measurements. The validated models were the basis for predictions about so far unknown properties. Materials and Methods The finite element models were built by transferring previously published skeletons of fibre networks into finite element models. Beam theory was applied as simplification method. Results and Conclusions The obtained material stiffness isn’t a constant but rather a function of variables such as sample size and boundary conditions. Beam theory offers an efficient finite element method for the simulated fibre networks. The experimental results can be approximated by the simulated systems. Two worthwhile aspects for future work will be the influence of size and shape and the mechanical interaction with matrix materials. PMID:26569603

An unexpected role for the yeast nucleotide exchange factor Sil1 as a reductant acting on the molecular chaperone BiP

PubMed Central

Siegenthaler, Kevin D; Pareja, Kristeen A; Wang, Jie; Sevier, Carolyn S

2017-01-01

Unfavorable redox conditions in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can decrease the capacity for protein secretion, altering vital cell functions. While systems to manage reductive stress are well-established, how cells cope with an overly oxidizing ER remains largely undefined. In previous work (Wang et al., 2014), we demonstrated that the chaperone BiP is a sensor of overly oxidizing ER conditions. We showed that modification of a conserved BiP cysteine during stress beneficially alters BiP chaperone activity to cope with suboptimal folding conditions. How this cysteine is reduced to reestablish 'normal' BiP activity post-oxidative stress has remained unknown. Here we demonstrate that BiP's nucleotide exchange factor – Sil1 – can reverse BiP cysteine oxidation. This previously unexpected reductant capacity for yeast Sil1 has potential implications for the human ataxia Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome, where it is interesting to speculate that a disruption in ER redox-signaling (due to genetic defects in SIL1) may influence disease pathology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24141.001 PMID:28257000

Heterologous pathway assembly reveals molecular steps of fungal terreic acid biosynthesis.

PubMed

Kong, Chuixing; Huang, Hezhou; Xue, Ying; Liu, Yiqi; Peng, Qiangqiang; Liu, Qi; Xu, Qin; Zhu, Qiaoyun; Yin, Ying; Zhou, Xiangshan; Zhang, Yuanxing; Cai, Menghao

2018-02-01

Terreic acid is a potential anticancer drug as it inhibits Bruton's tyrosine kinase; however, its biosynthetic molecular steps remain unclear. In this work, the individual reactions of terreic acid biosynthesis were determined by stepwise pathway assembly in a heterologous host, Pichia pastoris, on the basis of previous knockout studies in a native host, Aspergillus terreus. Polyketide synthase AtX was found to catalyze the formation of partially reduced polyketide 6-methylsalicylic acid, followed by 3-methylcatechol synthesis by salicylate 1-monooxygenase AtA-mediated decarboxylative hydroxylation of 6-methylsalicylic acid. Our results show that cytochrome P450 monooxygenase AtE hydroxylates 3-methylcatechol, thus producing the next product, 3-methyl-1,2,4-benzenetriol. A smaller putative cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, AtG, assists with this step. Then, AtD causes epoxidation and hydroxyl oxidation of 3-methyl-1,2,4-benzenetriol and produces a compound terremutin, via which the previously unknown function of AtD was identified as cyclooxygenation. The final step involves an oxidation reaction of a hydroxyl group by a glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase, AtC, which leads to the final product: terreic acid. Functions of AtD and AtG were determined for the first time. All the genes were reanalyzed and all intermediates and final products were isolated and identified. Our model fully defines the molecular steps and corrects previous results from the literature.

Changes in division of labour and tasks within public dentistry: relationship to employees work demands, health and work ability.

PubMed

Rolander, Bo; Wåhlin, Charlotte; Johnston, Venerina; Wagman, Petra; Lindmark, Ulrika

2016-08-01

By 2023, fewer dentists are expected in Sweden, at the same time as the demand for dental care is expected to increase. Older people, in particular, are expected to require more dental health than previous generations. To meet this demand, the public sector dentistry in Sweden is moving towards changes in division of labour among dental professionals, including dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses. However, the impact of this reallocation on the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of employees is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare workplaces with an equal or larger proportion of dental hygienists than dentists (HDH) with workplaces with a larger proportion of dentists than dental hygienists (HD) on the physical and psychosocial work load, musculoskeletal and psychosomatic disorders and sickness presence. A total of 298 persons employed in the Public Dental Service in a Swedish County Council participated in this study. The medium large clinics HDH reported 85% of employee's with considerably more high psychosocial demands compared to employees in medium HD (53%) and large HD (57%). Employees in medium large clinics HDH also reported sleep problems due to work (25%) compared with employees in medium large clinics HD (6%), large clinics HD (11%) and small clinics HDH (3%). Clinic size does not seem to influence the outcome of the HD and HD clinics to any great extent. Of all employees, about 94-100% reported high precision demands and 78-91% poor work postures.

The Information Available to a Moving Observer on Shape with Unknown, Isotropic BRDFs.

PubMed

Chandraker, Manmohan

2016-07-01

Psychophysical studies show motion cues inform about shape even with unknown reflectance. Recent works in computer vision have considered shape recovery for an object of unknown BRDF using light source or object motions. This paper proposes a theory that addresses the remaining problem of determining shape from the (small or differential) motion of the camera, for unknown isotropic BRDFs. Our theory derives a differential stereo relation that relates camera motion to surface depth, which generalizes traditional Lambertian assumptions. Under orthographic projection, we show differential stereo may not determine shape for general BRDFs, but suffices to yield an invariant for several restricted (still unknown) BRDFs exhibited by common materials. For the perspective case, we show that differential stereo yields the surface depth for unknown isotropic BRDF and unknown directional lighting, while additional constraints are obtained with restrictions on the BRDF or lighting. The limits imposed by our theory are intrinsic to the shape recovery problem and independent of choice of reconstruction method. We also illustrate trends shared by theories on shape from differential motion of light source, object or camera, to relate the hardness of surface reconstruction to the complexity of imaging setup.

GLRT-based array receivers for the detection of a known signal with unknown parameters corrupted by noncircular interferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chevalier, Pascal; Oukaci, Abdelkader; Delmas, Jean-Pierre

2011-12-01

The detection of a known signal with unknown parameters in the presence of noise plus interferences (called total noise) whose covariance matrix is unknown is an important problem which has received much attention these last decades for applications such as radar, satellite localization or time acquisition in radio communications. However, most of the available receivers assume a second order (SO) circular (or proper) total noise and become suboptimal in the presence of SO noncircular (or improper) interferences, potentially present in the previous applications. The scarce available receivers which take the potential SO noncircularity of the total noise into account have been developed under the restrictive condition of a known signal with known parameters or under the assumption of a random signal. For this reason, following a generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) approach, the purpose of this paper is to introduce and to analyze the performance of different array receivers for the detection of a known signal, with different sets of unknown parameters, corrupted by an unknown noncircular total noise. To simplify the study, we limit the analysis to rectilinear known useful signals for which the baseband signal is real, which concerns many applications.

Partial autolysis of μ/m-calpain during post mortem aging of chicken muscle.

PubMed

Zhao, Liang; Jiang, Nanqi; Li, Miaozhen; Huang, Ming; Zhou, Guanghong

2016-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate changes occurring in μ/m-calpain in post mortem chicken muscles and to determine the origin of the unknown bands found in calpain casein zymography. The unknown bands were reported with slightly greater mobility compared to conventional μ/m-calpain bands in casein zymography. Identification of these bands was accomplished using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and with protein phosphatase treatment. Results showed that the unknown bands were corresponding to μ/m-calpain, and dephosphorylation by protein phosphatase did not change their appearance. The calpain samples were then incubated with various concentrations of Ca 2+ to determine the relationship between changes in μ/m-calpain and the appearance of the unknown bands. The products of μ/m-calpain partial autolysis were found to be consistent with the appearance of the unknown bands. Therefore, the appearance of these bands did not result from phosphorylation of μ/m-calpain as previously hypothesized, but from partial autolysis of μ/m-calpain. Also their presence suggests that μ/m-calpain undergoes partial autolysis during aging which may play certain roles in meat quality improvement. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Twelve previously unknown phage genera are ubiquitous in global oceans

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

Holmfeldt, Karin; Solonenko, Natalie; Shah, Manesh B

Viruses are fundamental to ecosystems ranging from oceans to humans, yet our ability to study them is bottlenecked by the lack of ecologically relevant isolates, resulting in unknowns dominating culture-independent surveys. Here we present genomes from 31 phages infecting multiple strains of the aquatic bacterium Cellulophaga baltica (Bacteroidetes) to provide data for an underrepresented and environmentally abundant bacterial lineage. Comparative genomics delineated 12 phage groups that (i) each represent a new genus, and (ii) represent one novel and four wellknown viral families. This diversity contrasts the few well-studied marine phage systems, but parallels the diversity of phages infecting human-associated bacteria.more » Although all 12 Cellulophaga phages represent new genera, the podoviruses and icosahedral, nontailed ssDNA phages were exceptional, with genomes up to twice as large as those previously observed for each phage type. Structural novelty was also substantial, requiring experimental phage proteomics to identify 83% of the structural proteins. The presence of uncommon nucleotide metabolism genes in four genera likely underscores the importance of scavenging nutrient-rich molecules as previously seen for phages in marine environments. Metagenomic recruitment analyses suggest that these particular Cellulophaga phages are rare and may represent a first glimpse into the phage side of the rare biosphere. However, these analyses also revealed that these phage genera are widespread, occurring in 94% of 137 investigated metagenomes. Together, this diverse and novel collection of phages identifies a small but ubiquitous fraction of unknown marine viral diversity and provides numerous environmentally relevant phage host systems for experimental hypothesis testing.« less

Twelve previously unknown phage genera are ubiquitous in global oceans.

PubMed

Holmfeldt, Karin; Solonenko, Natalie; Shah, Manesh; Corrier, Kristen; Riemann, Lasse; Verberkmoes, Nathan C; Sullivan, Matthew B

2013-07-30

Viruses are fundamental to ecosystems ranging from oceans to humans, yet our ability to study them is bottlenecked by the lack of ecologically relevant isolates, resulting in "unknowns" dominating culture-independent surveys. Here we present genomes from 31 phages infecting multiple strains of the aquatic bacterium Cellulophaga baltica (Bacteroidetes) to provide data for an underrepresented and environmentally abundant bacterial lineage. Comparative genomics delineated 12 phage groups that (i) each represent a new genus, and (ii) represent one novel and four well-known viral families. This diversity contrasts the few well-studied marine phage systems, but parallels the diversity of phages infecting human-associated bacteria. Although all 12 Cellulophaga phages represent new genera, the podoviruses and icosahedral, nontailed ssDNA phages were exceptional, with genomes up to twice as large as those previously observed for each phage type. Structural novelty was also substantial, requiring experimental phage proteomics to identify 83% of the structural proteins. The presence of uncommon nucleotide metabolism genes in four genera likely underscores the importance of scavenging nutrient-rich molecules as previously seen for phages in marine environments. Metagenomic recruitment analyses suggest that these particular Cellulophaga phages are rare and may represent a first glimpse into the phage side of the rare biosphere. However, these analyses also revealed that these phage genera are widespread, occurring in 94% of 137 investigated metagenomes. Together, this diverse and novel collection of phages identifies a small but ubiquitous fraction of unknown marine viral diversity and provides numerous environmentally relevant phage-host systems for experimental hypothesis testing.

Automation of a high-speed imaging setup for differential viscosity measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurth, C.; Duane, B.; Whitfield, D.; Smith, S.; Nordquist, A.; Zenhausern, F.

2013-12-01

We present the automation of a setup previously used to assess the viscosity of pleural effusion samples and discriminate between transudates and exudates, an important first step in clinical diagnostics. The presented automation includes the design, testing, and characterization of a vacuum-actuated loading station that handles the 2 mm glass spheres used as sensors, as well as the engineering of electronic Printed Circuit Board (PCB) incorporating a microcontroller and their synchronization with a commercial high-speed camera operating at 10 000 fps. The hereby work therefore focuses on the instrumentation-related automation efforts as the general method and clinical application have been reported earlier [Hurth et al., J. Appl. Phys. 110, 034701 (2011)]. In addition, we validate the performance of the automated setup with the calibration for viscosity measurements using water/glycerol standard solutions and the determination of the viscosity of an "unknown" solution of hydroxyethyl cellulose.

Cell type transcriptome atlas for the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea.

PubMed

Fincher, Christopher T; Wurtzel, Omri; de Hoog, Thom; Kravarik, Kellie M; Reddien, Peter W

2018-05-25

The transcriptome of a cell dictates its unique cell type biology. We used single-cell RNA sequencing to determine the transcriptomes for essentially every cell type of a complete animal: the regenerative planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Planarians contain a diverse array of cell types, possess lineage progenitors for differentiated cells (including pluripotent stem cells), and constitutively express positional information, making them ideal for this undertaking. We generated data for 66,783 cells, defining transcriptomes for known and many previously unknown planarian cell types and for putative transition states between stem and differentiated cells. We also uncovered regionally expressed genes in muscle, which harbors positional information. Identifying the transcriptomes for potentially all cell types for many organisms should be readily attainable and represents a powerful approach to metazoan biology. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Variability search in M 31 using principal component analysis and the Hubble Source Catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moretti, M. I.; Hatzidimitriou, D.; Karampelas, A.; Sokolovsky, K. V.; Bonanos, A. Z.; Gavras, P.; Yang, M.

2018-06-01

Principal component analysis (PCA) is being extensively used in Astronomy but not yet exhaustively exploited for variability search. The aim of this work is to investigate the effectiveness of using the PCA as a method to search for variable stars in large photometric data sets. We apply PCA to variability indices computed for light curves of 18 152 stars in three fields in M 31 extracted from the Hubble Source Catalogue. The projection of the data into the principal components is used as a stellar variability detection and classification tool, capable of distinguishing between RR Lyrae stars, long-period variables (LPVs) and non-variables. This projection recovered more than 90 per cent of the known variables and revealed 38 previously unknown variable stars (about 30 per cent more), all LPVs except for one object of uncertain variability type. We conclude that this methodology can indeed successfully identify candidate variable stars.

Identifying DNA-binding proteins using structural motifs and the electrostatic potential

PubMed Central

Shanahan, Hugh P.; Garcia, Mario A.; Jones, Susan; Thornton, Janet M.

2004-01-01

Robust methods to detect DNA-binding proteins from structures of unknown function are important for structural biology. This paper describes a method for identifying such proteins that (i) have a solvent accessible structural motif necessary for DNA-binding and (ii) a positive electrostatic potential in the region of the binding region. We focus on three structural motifs: helix–turn-helix (HTH), helix–hairpin–helix (HhH) and helix–loop–helix (HLH). We find that the combination of these variables detect 78% of proteins with an HTH motif, which is a substantial improvement over previous work based purely on structural templates and is comparable to more complex methods of identifying DNA-binding proteins. Similar true positive fractions are achieved for the HhH and HLH motifs. We see evidence of wide evolutionary diversity for DNA-binding proteins with an HTH motif, and much smaller diversity for those with an HhH or HLH motif. PMID:15356290

ActivinB Is Induced in Insulinoma To Promote Tumor Plasticity through a β-Cell-Induced Dedifferentiation

PubMed Central

Ripoche, Doriane; Charbord, Jérémie; Hennino, Ana; Teinturier, Romain; Bonnavion, Rémy; Jaafar, Rami; Goehrig, Delphine; Cordier-Bussat, Martine; Ritvos, Olli; Zhang, Chang X.; Andersson, Olov

2015-01-01

Loss of pancreatic β-cell maturity occurs in diabetes and insulinomas. Although both physiological and pathological stresses are known to promote β-cell dedifferentiation, little is known about the molecules involved in this process. Here we demonstrate that activinB, a transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-related ligand, is upregulated during tumorigenesis and drives the loss of insulin expression and β-cell maturity in a mouse insulinoma model. Our data further identify Pax4 as a previously unknown activinB target and potent contributor to the observed β-cell dedifferentiation. More importantly, using compound mutant mice, we found that deleting activinB expression abolishes tumor β-cell dedifferentiation and, surprisingly, increases survival without significantly affecting tumor growth. Hence, this work reveals an unexpected role for activinB in the loss of β-cell maturity, islet plasticity, and progression of insulinoma through its participation in β-cell dedifferentiation. PMID:26711255

Is leishmaniasis widespread in Spain? First data on canine leishmaniasis in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, northeast Spain.

PubMed

Ballart, C; Alcover, M M; Portús, M; Gállego, M

2012-02-01

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is a widespread disease present in 42 countries. It is considered of epidemiological importance because of its role as a reservoir of human leishmaniasis. Knowledge of the real distribution of CanL and its emergence and/or re-emergence is of great importance in order to determine the extension of the disease. This work reports the detection of CanL in a farm dog located in a Pyrenean area of northwest Catalonia (Spain) where the disease was previously unknown. Since the dog had never left the region and sandfly vectors, Phlebotomus ariasi and P. perniciosus, were present in the farm the case is considered as autochthonous and is the first to be published in this region of Spain. Copyright © 2011 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of a primordial asteroid family constrains the original planetesimal population.

PubMed

Delbo', Marco; Walsh, Kevin; Bolin, Bryce; Avdellidou, Chrysa; Morbidelli, Alessandro

2017-09-08

A quarter of known asteroids is associated with more than 100 distinct asteroid families, meaning that these asteroids originate as impact fragments from the family parent bodies. The determination of which asteroids of the remaining population are members of undiscovered families, or accreted as planetesimals from the protoplanetary disk, would constrain a critical phase of planetary formation by unveiling the unknown planetesimal size distribution. We discovered a 4-billion-year-old asteroid family extending across the entire inner part of the main belt whose members include most of the dark asteroids previously unlinked to families. This allows us to identify some original planetesimals, which are all larger than 35 kilometers, supporting the view of asteroids being born big. Their number matches the known distinct meteorite parent bodies. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Estimation of descriptive statistics for multiply censored water quality data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Helsel, Dennis R.; Cohn, Timothy A.

1988-01-01

This paper extends the work of Gilliom and Helsel (1986) on procedures for estimating descriptive statistics of water quality data that contain “less than” observations. Previously, procedures were evaluated when only one detection limit was present. Here we investigate the performance of estimators for data that have multiple detection limits. Probability plotting and maximum likelihood methods perform substantially better than simple substitution procedures now commonly in use. Therefore simple substitution procedures (e.g., substitution of the detection limit) should be avoided. Probability plotting methods are more robust than maximum likelihood methods to misspecification of the parent distribution and their use should be encouraged in the typical situation where the parent distribution is unknown. When utilized correctly, less than values frequently contain nearly as much information for estimating population moments and quantiles as would the same observations had the detection limit been below them.

Social environment affects the life history tactic of a phoretic mite.

PubMed

Nehring, V; Müller, J K

2009-08-01

Phoretic animals use their hosts for travelling to habitat patches suitable for reproduction. Some species, such as the mite Poecilochirus carabi, are phoretic as juveniles and cannot leave their habitat once they reach adulthood. Previous work has shown that mites exercise choice over the habitat in which they will mature and reproduce based on abiotic parameters, but it is hitherto unknown whether their social environment influences this choice. By manipulating the composition of their conspecific company we show that P. carabi perform the adult moult in the presence of prospective mating partners only. Furthermore, juvenile male mites do not moult in the presence of an adult competitor. Recently-moulted males are severely disadvantaged in fighting, so such delayed moulting may allow juveniles to increase their chances of surviving and reproducing. Our results clearly demonstrate a strong influence of the social environment on a phoretic's habitat choice and life history.

Factorizing the factorization - a spectral-element solver for elliptic equations with linear operation count

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huismann, Immo; Stiller, Jörg; Fröhlich, Jochen

2017-10-01

The paper proposes a novel factorization technique for static condensation of a spectral-element discretization matrix that yields a linear operation count of just 13N multiplications for the residual evaluation, where N is the total number of unknowns. In comparison to previous work it saves a factor larger than 3 and outpaces unfactored variants for all polynomial degrees. Using the new technique as a building block for a preconditioned conjugate gradient method yields linear scaling of the runtime with N which is demonstrated for polynomial degrees from 2 to 32. This makes the spectral-element method cost effective even for low polynomial degrees. Moreover, the dependence of the iterative solution on the element aspect ratio is addressed, showing only a slight increase in the number of iterations for aspect ratios up to 128. Hence, the solver is very robust for practical applications.

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

Scheinker, Alexander

Here, we study control of the angular-velocity actuated nonholonomic unicycle, via a simple, bounded extremum seeking controller which is robust to external disturbances and measurement noise. The vehicle performs source seeking despite not having any position information about itself or the source, able only to sense a noise corrupted scalar value whose extremum coincides with the unknown source location. In order to control the angular velocity, rather than the angular heading directly, a controller is developed such that the closed loop system exhibits multiple time scales and requires an analysis approach expanding the previous work of Kurzweil, Jarnik, Sussmann, andmore » Liu, utilizing weak limits. We provide analytic proof of stability and demonstrate how this simple scheme can be extended to include position-independent source seeking, tracking, and collision avoidance of groups on autonomous vehicles in GPS-denied environments, based only on a measure of distance to an obstacle, which is an especially important feature for an autonomous agent.« less

Population density controls on microbial pollution across the Ganga catchment.

PubMed

Milledge, D G; Gurjar, S K; Bunce, J T; Tare, V; Sinha, R; Carbonneau, P E

2018-01-01

For millions of people worldwide, sewage-polluted surface waters threaten water security, food security and human health. Yet the extent of the problem and its causes are poorly understood. Given rapid widespread global urbanisation, the impact of urban versus rural populations is particularly important but unknown. Exploiting previously unpublished archival data for the Ganga (Ganges) catchment, we find a strong non-linear relationship between upstream population density and microbial pollution, and predict that these river systems would fail faecal coliform standards for irrigation waters available to 79% of the catchment's 500 million inhabitants. Overall, this work shows that microbial pollution is conditioned by the continental-scale network structure of rivers, compounded by the location of cities whose growing populations contribute c. 100 times more microbial pollutants per capita than their rural counterparts. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Subcellular localization of celery mannitol dehydrogenase. A cytosolic metabolic enzyme in nuclei.

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Y T; Zamski, E; Williamson, J D; Conkling, M A; Pharr, D M

1997-01-01

Mannitol dehydrogenase (MTD) is the first enzyme in mannitol catabolism in celery (Apium graveolens L. var dulce [Mill] Pers. cv Florida 638). Mannitol is an important photoassimilate, as well as providing plants with resistance to salt and osmotic stress. Previous work has shown that expression of the celery Mtd gene is regulated by many factors, such as hexose sugars, salt and osmotic stress, and salicylic acid. Furthermore, MTD is present in cells of sink organs, phloem cells, and mannitol-grown suspension cultures. Immunogold localization and biochemical analyses presented here demonstrate that celery MTD is localized in the cytosol and nuclei. Although the cellular density of MTD varies among different cell types, densities of nuclear and cytosolic MTD in a given cell are approximately equal. Biochemical analyses of nuclear extracts from mannitol-grown cultured cells confirmed that the nuclear-localized MTD is enzymatically active. The function(s) of nuclear-localized MTD is unknown. PMID:9414553

Demosaicking algorithm for the Kodak-RGBW color filter array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafinazari, M.; Dubois, E.

2015-01-01

Digital cameras capture images through different Color Filter Arrays and then reconstruct the full color image. Each CFA pixel only captures one primary color component; the other primary components will be estimated using information from neighboring pixels. During the demosaicking algorithm, the two unknown color components will be estimated at each pixel location. Most of the demosaicking algorithms use the RGB Bayer CFA pattern with Red, Green and Blue filters. The least-Squares Luma-Chroma demultiplexing method is a state of the art demosaicking method for the Bayer CFA. In this paper we develop a new demosaicking algorithm using the Kodak-RGBW CFA. This particular CFA reduces noise and improves the quality of the reconstructed images by adding white pixels. We have applied non-adaptive and adaptive demosaicking method using the Kodak-RGBW CFA on the standard Kodak image dataset and the results have been compared with previous work.

Composite Intelligent Learning Control of Strict-Feedback Systems With Disturbance.

PubMed

Xu, Bin; Sun, Fuchun

2018-02-01

This paper addresses the dynamic surface control of uncertain nonlinear systems on the basis of composite intelligent learning and disturbance observer in presence of unknown system nonlinearity and time-varying disturbance. The serial-parallel estimation model with intelligent approximation and disturbance estimation is built to obtain the prediction error and in this way the composite law for weights updating is constructed. The nonlinear disturbance observer is developed using intelligent approximation information while the disturbance estimation is guaranteed to converge to a bounded compact set. The highlight is that different from previous work directly toward asymptotic stability, the transparency of the intelligent approximation and disturbance estimation is included in the control scheme. The uniformly ultimate boundedness stability is analyzed via Lyapunov method. Through simulation verification, the composite intelligent learning with disturbance observer can efficiently estimate the effect caused by system nonlinearity and disturbance while the proposed approach obtains better performance with higher accuracy.

Spectroscopic Observation of a Hydrogenated CO Dimer Intermediate During CO Reduction on Cu(100) Electrodes.

PubMed

Pérez-Gallent, Elena; Figueiredo, Marta C; Calle-Vallejo, Federico; Koper, Marc T M

2017-03-20

Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide can be electrochemically reduced to useful products such as ethylene and ethanol on copper electrocatalysts. The process is yet to be optimized and the exact mechanism and the corresponding reaction intermediates are under debate or unknown. In particular, it has been hypothesized that the C-C bond formation proceeds via CO dimerization and further hydrogenation. Although computational support for this hypothesis exists, direct experimental evidence has been elusive. In this work, we detect a hydrogenated dimer intermediate (OCCOH) using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy at low overpotentials in LiOH solutions. Density functional theory calculations support our assignment of the observed vibrational bands. The formation of this intermediate is structure sensitive, as it is observed only during CO reduction on Cu(100) and not on Cu(111), in agreement with previous experimental and computational observations. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Image based method for aberration measurement of lithographic tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Shuang; Tao, Bo; Guo, Yongxing; Li, Gongfa

2018-01-01

Information of lens aberration of lithographic tools is important as it directly affects the intensity distribution in the image plane. Zernike polynomials are commonly used for a mathematical description of lens aberrations. Due to the advantage of lower cost and easier implementation of tools, image based measurement techniques have been widely used. Lithographic tools are typically partially coherent systems that can be described by a bilinear model, which entails time consuming calculations and does not lend a simple and intuitive relationship between lens aberrations and the resulted images. Previous methods for retrieving lens aberrations in such partially coherent systems involve through-focus image measurements and time-consuming iterative algorithms. In this work, we propose a method for aberration measurement in lithographic tools, which only requires measuring two images of intensity distribution. Two linear formulations are derived in matrix forms that directly relate the measured images to the unknown Zernike coefficients. Consequently, an efficient non-iterative solution is obtained.

Diffusion length measurements in bulk and epitaxially grown 3-5 semiconductors using charge collection microscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leon, R. P.

1987-01-01

Diffusion lengths and surface recombination velocities were measured in GaAs diodes and InP finished solar cells. The basic techniques used was charge collection microscopy also known as electron beam induced current (EBIC). The normalized currents and distances from the pn junction were read directly from the calibrated curves obtained while using the line scan mode in an SEM. These values were then equated to integral and infinite series expressions resulting from the solution of the diffusion equation with both extended generation and point generation functions. This expands previous work by examining both thin and thick samples. The surface recombination velocity was either treated as an unknown in a system of two equations, or measured directly using low e(-) beam accelerating voltages. These techniques give accurate results by accounting for the effects of surface recombination and the finite size of the generation volume.

"When diet and exercise are not enough": an examination of lifestyle change inefficacy claims in direct-to-consumer advertising.

PubMed

Byrne, Sahara; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Avery, Rosemary J; Cantor, Jonathan

2013-01-01

Previous research suggests that direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements for pharmaceutical drugs have the potential to influence consumers' perceptions of whether symptoms should be treated medically and/or through behavior change. However, the relative frequency of messages emphasizing these approaches in pharmaceutical advertising remains largely unknown. A content analysis of print and television advertisements for cholesterol management medication between 1994 and 2005 (for print) and between 1999 and 2007 (for television) was conducted. First, the extent to which established theoretical constructs drawn from health communication scholarship are depicted in the content of DTC cholesterol advertisements is quantified. Second, specific claims about behavior change inefficacy when a pharmaceutical alternative is available are identified. Findings indicate that DTC ads offer many mixed messages about the efficacy of diet and exercise in reducing cholesterol and risk of heart disease. Theoretical and practical implications of this work are discussed.

Interdisciplinary applications and interpretations of ERTS data within the Susquehanna River Basin (resource inventory, land use, and pollution)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmurtry, G. J.; Petersen, G. W. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. An interdisciplinary group at Penn State University is analyzing ERTS-1 data. The geographical area of interest is that of the Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania. The objectives of the work have been to ascertain the usefulness of ERTS-1 data in the areas of natural resources and land use inventory, geology and hydrology, and environmental quality. Specific results include a study of land use in the Harrisburg area, discrimination between types of forest resources and vegetation, detection of previously unknown geologic faults and correlation of these with known mineral deposits and ground water, mapping of mine spoils in the anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania, and mapping of strip mines and acid mine drainage in central Pennsylvania. Both photointerpretive techniques and automatic computer processing methods have been developed and used, separately and in a combined approach.

3D noise-resistant segmentation and tracking of unknown and occluded objects using integral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aloni, Doron; Jung, Jae-Hyun; Yitzhaky, Yitzhak

2017-10-01

Three dimensional (3D) object segmentation and tracking can be useful in various computer vision applications, such as: object surveillance for security uses, robot navigation, etc. We present a method for 3D multiple-object tracking using computational integral imaging, based on accurate 3D object segmentation. The method does not employ object detection by motion analysis in a video as conventionally performed (such as background subtraction or block matching). This means that the movement properties do not significantly affect the detection quality. The object detection is performed by analyzing static 3D image data obtained through computational integral imaging With regard to previous works that used integral imaging data in such a scenario, the proposed method performs the 3D tracking of objects without prior information about the objects in the scene, and it is found efficient under severe noise conditions.

Leukodystrophies with late disease onset: an update.

PubMed

Köhler, Wolfgang

2010-06-01

Knowledge of the metabolic and genetic basis of known and previously unknown leukodystrophies is constantly increasing, opening new treatment options such as enzyme replacement or cell-based therapies. This brief review highlights some recent work, particularly emphasizing results from studies in adulthood leukodystrophies. Evidence from recent studies suggests increasing importance of metabolic dysfunctions, for example, in peroxisomal lipid metabolism or energy homeostasis, influencing axonal integrity and oligodendrocyte function and leading to white matter demyelination. In addition, diagnostic and therapeutic progress in metachromatic leukodystrophy, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, Krabbe diseases and other rare leukodystrophies with late onset are summarized. Better understanding of leukodystrophies in neurological routine practice is of crucial importance for differentiating between other white matter diseases such as toxic, inflammatory or vascular leukoencephalopathies. Many leukodystrophies are particularly important to recognize because specific treatments already exist or are currently under investigation. The article also provides an overview of currently known leukodystrophies in adulthood.

Biomarker chemistry and flux quantification methods for natural petroleum seeps and produced oils, offshore southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lorenson, T.D.; Leifer, Ira; Wong, Florence L.; Rosenbauer, Robert J.; Campbell, Pamela L.; Lam, Angela; Hostettler, Frances D.; Greinert, Jens; Finlayson, David P.; Bradley, Eliza S.; Luyendyk, Bruce P.

2011-01-01

Sustained, natural oil seepage from the seafloor is common off southern California, and is of great interest to resource managers, who are tasked with distinguishing natural from anthropogenic oil sources. The major purpose of this study was to build upon the work previously funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that has refined the oil-fingerprinting process to enable differentiation of the highly similar Monterey Formation oils from Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) production and adjacent natural seeps. In these initial studies, biomarker and stable carbon isotope ratios were used to infer the age, lithology, organic-matter input, and depositional environment of the source rocks for 388 samples of produced crude oil, seep oil, and tarballs mainly from coastal California. The analysis resulted in a predictive model of oil source families that could be applied to samples of unknown origin.

Detecting unknown attacks in wireless sensor networks that contain mobile nodes.

PubMed

Banković, Zorana; Fraga, David; Moya, José M; Vallejo, Juan Carlos

2012-01-01

As wireless sensor networks are usually deployed in unattended areas, security policies cannot be updated in a timely fashion upon identification of new attacks. This gives enough time for attackers to cause significant damage. Thus, it is of great importance to provide protection from unknown attacks. However, existing solutions are mostly concentrated on known attacks. On the other hand, mobility can make the sensor network more resilient to failures, reactive to events, and able to support disparate missions with a common set of sensors, yet the problem of security becomes more complicated. In order to address the issue of security in networks with mobile nodes, we propose a machine learning solution for anomaly detection along with the feature extraction process that tries to detect temporal and spatial inconsistencies in the sequences of sensed values and the routing paths used to forward these values to the base station. We also propose a special way to treat mobile nodes, which is the main novelty of this work. The data produced in the presence of an attacker are treated as outliers, and detected using clustering techniques. These techniques are further coupled with a reputation system, in this way isolating compromised nodes in timely fashion. The proposal exhibits good performances at detecting and confining previously unseen attacks, including the cases when mobile nodes are compromised.

Active learning for ontological event extraction incorporating named entity recognition and unknown word handling.

PubMed

Han, Xu; Kim, Jung-jae; Kwoh, Chee Keong

2016-01-01

Biomedical text mining may target various kinds of valuable information embedded in the literature, but a critical obstacle to the extension of the mining targets is the cost of manual construction of labeled data, which are required for state-of-the-art supervised learning systems. Active learning is to choose the most informative documents for the supervised learning in order to reduce the amount of required manual annotations. Previous works of active learning, however, focused on the tasks of entity recognition and protein-protein interactions, but not on event extraction tasks for multiple event types. They also did not consider the evidence of event participants, which might be a clue for the presence of events in unlabeled documents. Moreover, the confidence scores of events produced by event extraction systems are not reliable for ranking documents in terms of informativity for supervised learning. We here propose a novel committee-based active learning method that supports multi-event extraction tasks and employs a new statistical method for informativity estimation instead of using the confidence scores from event extraction systems. Our method is based on a committee of two systems as follows: We first employ an event extraction system to filter potential false negatives among unlabeled documents, from which the system does not extract any event. We then develop a statistical method to rank the potential false negatives of unlabeled documents 1) by using a language model that measures the probabilities of the expression of multiple events in documents and 2) by using a named entity recognition system that locates the named entities that can be event arguments (e.g. proteins). The proposed method further deals with unknown words in test data by using word similarity measures. We also apply our active learning method for the task of named entity recognition. We evaluate the proposed method against the BioNLP Shared Tasks datasets, and show that our method can achieve better performance than such previous methods as entropy and Gibbs error based methods and a conventional committee-based method. We also show that the incorporation of named entity recognition into the active learning for event extraction and the unknown word handling further improve the active learning method. In addition, the adaptation of the active learning method into named entity recognition tasks also improves the document selection for manual annotation of named entities.

How to Frame the Un-Known? The Odd Alliance of Design and "Fundamental Physics" in a Design School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gentes, Annie; Renon, Anne-Lyse; Bobroff, Julien

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes the introduction of fundamental physics in design education as a pedagogical method that trains designers to create with the un-known. It studies how three workshops offered design students to work on: superconductivity in 2011, quantum physics in 2013 and light and optics in 2014. The authors observe that introducing physics…

Post-operative therapy following transoral robotic surgery for unknown primary cancers of the head and neck.

PubMed

Patel, Sapna A; Parvathaneni, Aarthi; Parvathaneni, Upendra; Houlton, Jeffrey J; Karni, Ron J; Liao, Jay J; Futran, Neal D; Méndez, Eduardo

2017-09-01

Our primary objective is to describe the post- operative management in patients with an unknown primary squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) treated with trans-oral robotic surgery (TORS). We conducted a retrospective multi-institutional case series including all patients diagnosed with an unknown primary HNSCC who underwent TORS to identify the primary site from January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2016. We excluded those with recurrent disease, ≤6months of follow up from TORS, previous history of radiation therapy (RT) to the head and neck, or evidence of primary tumor site based on previous biopsies. Our main outcome measure was receipt of post-operative therapy. The tumor was identified in 26/35 (74.3%) subjects. Post-TORS, 2 subjects did not receive adjuvant therapy due to favorable pathology. Volume reduction of RT mucosal site coverage was achieved in 12/26 (46.1%) subjects who had lateralizing tumors, ie. those confined to the palatine tonsil or glossotonsillar sulcus. In addition, for 8/26 (30.1%), the contralateral neck RT was also avoided. In 9 subjects, no primary was identified (pT0); four of these received RT to the involved ipsilateral neck nodal basin only without pharyngeal mucosal irradiation. Surgical management of an unknown primary with TORS can lead to deintensification of adjuvant therapy including avoidance of chemotherapy and reduction in RT doses and volume. There was no increase in short term treatment failures. Treatment after TORS can vary significantly, thus we advocate adherence to NCCN guideline therapy post-TORS to avoid treatment-associated variability. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Genome Study Yields Clues to Head and Neck Cancers

Cancer.gov

Researchers have surveyed the genetic changes in nearly 300 head and neck cancers, revealing some previously unknown alterations that may play a role in the disease, including in patients whose cancer is associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV).

First Stars or Stray Stars? A Cosmic Infrared Mystery

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-11-06

Our sky is filled with a diffuse background glow, known as the cosmic infrared background. Much of the light is from galaxies we know about, but previous Spitzer measurements have shown an extra component of unknown origin.

Social Work Education in Suicide Intervention and Prevention: An Unmet Need?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Barry N.; Freedenthal, Stacey

2006-01-01

Research shows that social work graduate programs offer little education in suicide prevention and intervention, yet social workers' experiences and attitudes regarding suicide education are unknown. This Web-based survey of 598 social workers found that almost all respondents had worked with at least one suicidal client, but most received little,…

Comparing electronic news media reports of potential bioterrorism-related incidents involving unknown white powder to reports received by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Bureau of Investigation: U.S.A., 2009-2011.

PubMed

Fajardo, Geroncio C; Posid, Joseph; Papagiotas, Stephen; Lowe, Luis

2015-01-01

There have been periodic electronic news media reports of potential bioterrorism-related incidents involving unknown substances (often referred to as "white powder") since the 2001 intentional dissemination of Bacillus anthracis through the U.S. Postal System. This study reviewed the number of unknown "white powder" incidents reported online by the electronic news media and compared them with unknown "white powder" incidents reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during a 2-year period from June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2011. Results identified 297 electronic news media reports, 538 CDC reports, and 384 FBI reports of unknown "white powder." This study showed different unknown "white powder" incidents captured by each of the three sources. However, the authors could not determine the public health implications of this discordance. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Structural RNAs of known and unknown function identified in malaria parasites by comparative genomics and RNA analysis

PubMed Central

Chakrabarti, Kausik; Pearson, Michael; Grate, Leslie; Sterne-Weiler, Timothy; Deans, Jonathan; Donohue, John Paul; Ares, Manuel

2007-01-01

As the genomes of more eukaryotic pathogens are sequenced, understanding how molecular differences between parasite and host might be exploited to provide new therapies has become a major focus. Central to cell function are RNA-containing complexes involved in gene expression, such as the ribosome, the spliceosome, snoRNAs, RNase P, and telomerase, among others. In this article we identify by comparative genomics and validate by RNA analysis numerous previously unknown structural RNAs encoded by the Plasmodium falciparum genome, including the telomerase RNA, U3, 31 snoRNAs, as well as previously predicted spliceosomal snRNAs, SRP RNA, MRP RNA, and RNAse P RNA. Furthermore, we identify six new RNA coding genes of unknown function. To investigate the relationships of the RNA coding genes to other genomic features in related parasites, we developed a genome browser for P. falciparum (http://areslab.ucsc.edu/cgi-bin/hgGateway). Additional experiments provide evidence supporting the prediction that snoRNAs guide methylation of a specific position on U4 snRNA, as well as predicting an snRNA promoter element particular to Plasmodium sp. These findings should allow detailed structural comparisons between the RNA components of the gene expression machinery of the parasite and its vertebrate hosts. PMID:17901154

A novel life cycle modeling system for Ebola virus shows a genome length-dependent role of VP24 in virus infectivity.

PubMed

Watt, Ari; Moukambi, Felicien; Banadyga, Logan; Groseth, Allison; Callison, Julie; Herwig, Astrid; Ebihara, Hideki; Feldmann, Heinz; Hoenen, Thomas

2014-09-01

Work with infectious Ebola viruses is restricted to biosafety level 4 (BSL4) laboratories, presenting a significant barrier for studying these viruses. Life cycle modeling systems, including minigenome systems and transcription- and replication-competent virus-like particle (trVLP) systems, allow modeling of the virus life cycle under BSL2 conditions; however, all current systems model only certain aspects of the virus life cycle, rely on plasmid-based viral protein expression, and have been used to model only single infectious cycles. We have developed a novel life cycle modeling system allowing continuous passaging of infectious trVLPs containing a tetracistronic minigenome that encodes a reporter and the viral proteins VP40, VP24, and GP1,2. This system is ideally suited for studying morphogenesis, budding, and entry, in addition to genome replication and transcription. Importantly, the specific infectivity of trVLPs in this system was ∼ 500-fold higher than that in previous systems. Using this system for functional studies of VP24, we showed that, contrary to previous reports, VP24 only very modestly inhibits genome replication and transcription when expressed in a regulated fashion, which we confirmed using infectious Ebola viruses. Interestingly, we also discovered a genome length-dependent effect of VP24 on particle infectivity, which was previously undetected due to the short length of monocistronic minigenomes and which is due at least partially to a previously unknown function of VP24 in RNA packaging. Based on our findings, we propose a model for the function of VP24 that reconciles all currently available data regarding the role of VP24 in nucleocapsid assembly as well as genome replication and transcription. Ebola viruses cause severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans, with no countermeasures currently being available, and must be studied in maximum-containment laboratories. Only a few of these laboratories exist worldwide, limiting our ability to study Ebola viruses and develop countermeasures. Here we report the development of a novel reverse genetics-based system that allows the study of Ebola viruses without maximum-containment laboratories. We used this system to investigate the Ebola virus protein VP24, showing that, contrary to previous reports, it only modestly inhibits virus genome replication and transcription but is important for packaging of genomes into virus particles, which constitutes a previously unknown function of VP24 and a potential antiviral target. We further propose a comprehensive model for the function of VP24 in nucleocapsid assembly. Importantly, on the basis of this approach, it should easily be possible to develop similar experimental systems for other viruses that are currently restricted to maximum-containment laboratories. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Functional Genome Mining for Metabolites Encoded by Large Gene Clusters through Heterologous Expression of a Whole-Genome Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Library in Streptomyces spp.

PubMed Central

Xu, Min; Wang, Yemin; Zhao, Zhilong; Gao, Guixi; Huang, Sheng-Xiong; Kang, Qianjin; He, Xinyi; Lin, Shuangjun; Pang, Xiuhua; Deng, Zixin

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Genome sequencing projects in the last decade revealed numerous cryptic biosynthetic pathways for unknown secondary metabolites in microbes, revitalizing drug discovery from microbial metabolites by approaches called genome mining. In this work, we developed a heterologous expression and functional screening approach for genome mining from genomic bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries in Streptomyces spp. We demonstrate mining from a strain of Streptomyces rochei, which is known to produce streptothricins and borrelidin, by expressing its BAC library in the surrogate host Streptomyces lividans SBT5, and screening for antimicrobial activity. In addition to the successful capture of the streptothricin and borrelidin biosynthetic gene clusters, we discovered two novel linear lipopeptides and their corresponding biosynthetic gene cluster, as well as a novel cryptic gene cluster for an unknown antibiotic from S. rochei. This high-throughput functional genome mining approach can be easily applied to other streptomycetes, and it is very suitable for the large-scale screening of genomic BAC libraries for bioactive natural products and the corresponding biosynthetic pathways. IMPORTANCE Microbial genomes encode numerous cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters for unknown small metabolites with potential biological activities. Several genome mining approaches have been developed to activate and bring these cryptic metabolites to biological tests for future drug discovery. Previous sequence-guided procedures relied on bioinformatic analysis to predict potentially interesting biosynthetic gene clusters. In this study, we describe an efficient approach based on heterologous expression and functional screening of a whole-genome library for the mining of bioactive metabolites from Streptomyces. The usefulness of this function-driven approach was demonstrated by the capture of four large biosynthetic gene clusters for metabolites of various chemical types, including streptothricins, borrelidin, two novel lipopeptides, and one unknown antibiotic from Streptomyces rochei Sal35. The transfer, expression, and screening of the library were all performed in a high-throughput way, so that this approach is scalable and adaptable to industrial automation for next-generation antibiotic discovery. PMID:27451447

Post-encoding control of working memory enhances processing of relevant information in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

PubMed

Brady, Ryan J; Hampton, Robert R

2018-06-01

Working memory is a system by which a limited amount of information can be kept available for processing after the cessation of sensory input. Because working memory resources are limited, it is adaptive to focus processing on the most relevant information. We used a retro-cue paradigm to determine the extent to which monkey working memory possesses control mechanisms that focus processing on the most relevant representations. Monkeys saw a sample array of images, and shortly after the array disappeared, they were visually cued to a location that had been occupied by one of the sample images. The cue indicated which image should be remembered for the upcoming recognition test. By determining whether the monkeys were more accurate and quicker to respond to cued images compared to un-cued images, we tested the hypothesis that monkey working memory focuses processing on relevant information. We found a memory benefit for the cued image in terms of accuracy and retrieval speed with a memory load of two images. With a memory load of three images, we found a benefit in retrieval speed but only after shortening the onset latency of the retro-cue. Our results demonstrate previously unknown flexibility in the cognitive control of memory in monkeys, suggesting that control mechanisms in working memory likely evolved in a common ancestor of humans and monkeys more than 32 million years ago. Future work should be aimed at understanding the interaction between memory load and the ability to control memory resources, and the role of working memory control in generating differences in cognitive capacity among primates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling of Inverted Annular Film Boiling using an integral method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sridharan, Arunkumar

In modeling Inverted Annular Film Boiling (IAFB), several important phenomena such as interaction between the liquid and the vapor phases and irregular nature of the interface, which greatly influence the momentum and heat transfer at the interface, need to be accounted for. However, due to the complexity of these phenomena, they were not modeled in previous studies. Since two-phase heat transfer equations and relationships rely heavily on experimental data, many closure relationships that were used in previous studies to solve the problem are empirical in nature. Also, in deriving the relationships, the experimental data were often extrapolated beyond the intended range of conditions, causing errors in predictions. In some cases, empirical correlations that were derived from situations other than IAFB, and whose applicability to IAFB was questionable, were used. Moreover, arbitrary constants were introduced in the model developed in previous studies to provide good fit to the experimental data. These constants have no physical basis, thereby leading to questionable accuracy in the model predictions. In the present work, modeling of Inverted Annular Film Boiling (IAFB) is done using Integral Method. Two-dimensional formulation of IAFB is presented. Separate equations for the conservation of mass, momentum and energy are derived from first principles, for the vapor film and the liquid core. Turbulence is incorporated in the formulation. The system of second-order partial differential equations is integrated over the radial direction to obtain a system of integral differential equations. In order to solve the system of equations, second order polynomial profiles are used to describe the nondimensional velocity and temperatures. The unknown coefficients in the profiles are functions of the axial direction alone. Using the boundary conditions that govern the physical problem, equations for the unknown coefficients are derived in terms of the primary dependent variables: wall shear stress, interfacial shear stress, film thickness, pressure, wall temperature and the mass transfer rate due to evaporation. A system of non-linear first order coupled ordinary differential equations is obtained. Due to the inherent mathematical complexity of the system of equations, simplifying assumptions are made to obtain a numerical solution. The system of equations is solved numerically to obtain values of the unknown quantities at each subsequent axial location. Derived quantities like void fraction and heat transfer coefficient are calculated at each axial location. The calculation is terminated when the void fraction reaches a value of 0.6, the upper limit of IAFB. The results obtained agree with the experimental trends observed. Void fraction increases along the heated length, while the heat transfer coefficient drops due to the increased resistance of the vapor film as expected.

Urothelial melanosis of the bladder.

PubMed

Valente, Sara L; Bieniek, Jared M; Kesler, Stuart S

2017-10-01

Urothelial melanosis is a rare finding characterized by abnormal pigmentation noted on cystoscopic evaluation and histologically defined by melanin deposition in the urothelium. Although generally considered benign, few cases of urothelial melanosis have been reported in the literature and the risk of recurrence or progression remains largely unknown. Four cases associated with urothelial cell carcinoma have been previously described. Here, we report a case of urothelial melanosis and review previously published cases in the literature.

Global tracking for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown sign-switching control direction by output feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roux Oliveira, Tiago; Jacoud Peixoto, Alessandro; Hsu, Liu

2015-09-01

This paper addresses the design of a sliding mode controller for a class of high-order uncertain nonlinear plants with unmatched state-dependent nonlinearities and unknown sign of the high frequency gain, i.e., the control direction is assumed unknown. Differently from most previous studies, the control direction is allowed to switch its sign. We show that it is possible to obtain global exact tracking using only output-feedback by coupling a relay periodic switching function with a norm state observer. One significant advantage of the new scheme is its robustness and improved transient response under arbitrary changes of the control direction which have been theoretically demonstrated for jump variations and successfully tested by simulations. The proposed controller is also evaluated with a DC motor control experiment.

Regulation of adiponectin in adipocytes upon exposure to HIV-1

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Adipose dysregulation, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance are hallmarks of HIV-related lipodystrophy. The precise mechanisms behind these disturbances are unknown. In HIV-infected patients, we previously demonstrated a strong relationship between lipodystrophy and levels of adiponectin, an adipose...

Exploring the Unknown: International Service and Individual Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Wei-Wen; Chen, Cheng-Hui Lucy; Huang, Yu-Fu; Yuan, Yu-Hsi

2012-01-01

Empirical studies have found that participation in international service increases learners' intercultural competence, language skills, appreciation of cultural differences, and tolerance for ambiguity. While previous studies suggest that international service experience is potentially transformative in nature, the present study examined…

Exposure to welding fumes is associated with hypomethylation of the F2RL3 gene: a cardiovascular disease marker.

PubMed

Hossain, Mohammad B; Li, Huiqi; Hedmer, Maria; Tinnerberg, Håkan; Albin, Maria; Broberg, Karin

2015-12-01

Welders are at risk for cardiovascular disease. Recent studies linked tobacco smoke exposure to hypomethylation of the F2RL3 (coagulation factor II (thrombin) receptor-like 3) gene, a marker for cardiovascular disease prognosis and mortality. However, whether welding fumes cause hypomethylation of F2RL3 remains unknown. We investigated 101 welders (median span of working as a welder: 7 years) and 127 unexposed controls (non-welders with no obvious exposure to respirable dust at work), age range 23-60 years, all currently non-smoking, in Sweden. The participants were interviewed about their work history, lifestyle factors and diseases. Personal sampling of respirable dust was performed for the welders. DNA methylation of F2RL3 in blood was assessed by pyrosequencing of four CpG sites, CpG_2 (corresponds to cg03636183) to CpG_5, in F2RL3. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between exposure to welding fumes and F2RL3 methylation. Welders had 2.6% lower methylation of CpG_5 than controls (p<0.001). Higher concentrations of measured respirable dust among the welders were associated with hypomethylation of CpG_2, CpG_4 and CpG_5 (β=-0.49 to -1.4, p<0.012); p<0.029 adjusted for age, previous smoking, passive smoking, education, current residence and respirator use. Increasing the number of years working as a welder was associated with hypomethylation of CpG_4 (linear regression analysis, β=-0.11, p=0.039, adjusted for previous smoking). Previous tobacco smokers had 1.5-4.7% (p<0.014) lower methylation of 3 of the 4 CpG sites in F2RL3 (CpG_2, CpG_4 and CpG_5) compared to never-smokers. A non-significant lower risk of cardiovascular disease with more methylation was observed for all CpG sites. Welding fumes exposure and previous smoking were associated with F2RL3 hypomethylation. This finding links low-to-moderate exposure to welding fumes to adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, and suggests a potential mechanistic pathway for this link, via epigenetic effects on F2RL3 expression. 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/

9. Excavation work at Pleasant Dam (now called Waddell Dam). ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

9. Excavation work at Pleasant Dam (now called Waddell Dam). Photographer unknown, July, 22, 1926. Source: Maricopa County Municipal Water Conservation District Number One (MWD). - Waddell Dam, On Agua Fria River, 35 miles northwest of Phoenix, Phoenix, Maricopa County, AZ

Irreversible temperature gating in trpv1 sheds light on channel activation.

PubMed

Sánchez-Moreno, Ana; Guevara-Hernández, Eduardo; Contreras-Cervera, Ricardo; Rangel-Yescas, Gisela; Ladrón-de-Guevara, Ernesto; Rosenbaum, Tamara; Islas, León D

2018-06-05

Temperature-activated TRP channels or thermoTRPs are among the only proteins that can directly convert temperature changes into changes in channel open probability. In spite of a wealth of functional and structural information, the mechanism of temperature activation remains unknown. We have carefully characterized the repeated activation of TRPV1 by thermal stimuli and discovered a previously unknown inactivation process, which is irreversible. We propose that this form of gating in TRPV1 channels is a consequence of the heat absorption process that leads to channel opening. © 2018, Sánchez-Moreno et al.

National Dam Inspection Program. Jennings Pond Dam (NDI I.D. PA-0891 DER I.D. 066-012) Susquehanna River Basin, Little Mehoopany Creek, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. Phase I Inspection Report,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-19

Area 7.9 square miles(1) b. Discharge at Dam Site ( cfs ) Maximum known flood at dam site Unknown Outlet conduit at maximum pool Unknown Gated spillway...700 cfs , based on the available 2.4-foot freeboard relative to the low spot on the left abutment. b. Experience Data. As previously stated, Jennings...in Appendix D. The inflow hydrograph for one-half PMF was found to have a peak flow of 6835 cfs . Computer input and summary of computer output are

Unknown beaked whale echolocation signals recorded off eastern New Zealand.

PubMed

Giorli, Giacomo; Goetz, Kimberly T; Delarue, Julien; Maxner, Emily; Kowarski, Katie A; Bruce Martin, Steven; McPherson, Craig

2018-04-01

The echolocation signals of most beaked whale species are still unknown. In fact, out of the 22 species comprising the family Ziphiidae, only the echolocation pulses for 7 species have been clearly described. This study describes two distinct beaked whale echolocation signals recorded in the Cook Strait region using passive acoustic technology. These signals differ from previously described Ziphiid species clicks. A description of the time-frequency characteristics of the two signals is provided. Understanding the characteristics of these signals is necessary to correctly identify species from their echolocation signals and enables future monitoring of beaked whales using passive acoustics techniques.

Undiagnosed long-term cognitive impairment in acutely hospitalised older medical patients with delirium: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Jackson, Thomas A; MacLullich, Alasdair M J; Gladman, John R F; Lord, Janet M; Sheehan, Bart

2016-07-01

delirium and dementia are common in the general hospital, being present in nearly 50% of older unselected admissions to hospital. Cognitive impairment is a risk factor for delirium, but the prevalence of previously undiagnosed cognitive impairment (dementia or mild cognitive impairment) in patients with delirium is unknown. we performed a prospective cohort study of people over 70 years admitted to hospital with delirium to establish the prevalence of previously unrecognised prior cognitive impairment. Delirium was diagnosed at baseline using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Mild cognitive impairment and dementia were diagnosed 3 months following recruitment in survivors using the International Working Group on Mild Cognitive Impairment criteria and DSM-IV criteria, respectively. delirium was identified in 17.9% of older patients, and 82 participants with delirium were assessed at 3 months: 5 (6%) had persistent delirium, 14 (17%) had mild cognitive impairment and 47 (57%) had dementia. In 17 participants with prior dementia and 14 with prior mild cognitive impairment, the diagnosis had been unrecognised, amounting to 31/82 (38%) of all patients with delirium having some form of previously undiagnosed cognitive impairment. given that over 1/3 of older patients with delirium were found to have a previously undiagnosed cognitive impairment, the development and evaluation of services to follow-up and manage patients with delirium are warranted. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Research on medical works of Yuan dynasty quoted by Yong le da dian (The Great classic of Yongle reign)].

PubMed

Du, Yong

2003-01-01

The medical works quoted by Yong le da dian (The Great Classic of Yongle reign) are rather numerous, most of them were lost, and the lives of most of the authors were unknown. By careful investigation, the authors and their lives, circulation of these works, are still pursuable.

DNA Misfolding Found to Cause Cancer in IDH-mutant Gliomas

Cancer.gov

Researchers studying IDH-mutant brain tumors have identified a previously unknown genetic mechanism that may contribute to cancer. A change in how DNA is arranged, or packaged, in the cell nucleus may inappropriately activate a gene associated with brain cancer.

Suppression of NADPH oxidases prevents chronic ethanol-induced bone loss

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Since the molecular mechanisms through which chronic excessive alcohol consumption induces osteopenia and osteoporosis are largely unknown, potential treatments for prevention of alcohol-induced bone loss remain unclear. We have previously demonstrated that, chronic ethanol (EtOH) treatment leads to...

Cytologic regression in women with atypical squamous cells of unknown significance and negative human papillomavirus test.

PubMed

Wang, Shu; Lang, Jing He; Cheng, Xue Mei

2009-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytologic regression in women with atypical squamous cells of unknown significance and negative high-risk human papillomavirus test. The 45 women with atypical squamous cells of unknown significance and negative high-risk human papillomavirus at baseline were analyzed about the cytologic regression during 2 years of follow-up. The cumulative rate of cytologic regression was calculated by Kaplan-Meier curves. Of 45 women, the cumulative rates were as follows: 55.6% obtained cytologic regression before 6 months, 84.4% by 1 year, and 95.6% at 2 years. Cytologic regression was not influenced by age, menopausal status, and baseline human papillomavirus load. However, the 1-year cumulative regression rate in women with previous cervical lesions was significantly lower than those without (P=.02), even much lower in women with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia or worse (P=.008). Most women with atypical squamous cells of unknown significance and negative high-risk human papillomavirus could obtain cytologic regression within 2 years. Women with antecedent cervical lesions need longer time to reach this regression.

A comparison of evaluation metrics for biomedical journals, articles, and websites in terms of sensitivity to topic.

PubMed

Fu, Lawrence D; Aphinyanaphongs, Yindalon; Wang, Lily; Aliferis, Constantin F

2011-08-01

Evaluating the biomedical literature and health-related websites for quality are challenging information retrieval tasks. Current commonly used methods include impact factor for journals, PubMed's clinical query filters and machine learning-based filter models for articles, and PageRank for websites. Previous work has focused on the average performance of these methods without considering the topic, and it is unknown how performance varies for specific topics or focused searches. Clinicians, researchers, and users should be aware when expected performance is not achieved for specific topics. The present work analyzes the behavior of these methods for a variety of topics. Impact factor, clinical query filters, and PageRank vary widely across different topics while a topic-specific impact factor and machine learning-based filter models are more stable. The results demonstrate that a method may perform excellently on average but struggle when used on a number of narrower topics. Topic-adjusted metrics and other topic robust methods have an advantage in such situations. Users of traditional topic-sensitive metrics should be aware of their limitations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detecting outliers and learning complex structures with large spectroscopic surveys - a case study with APOGEE stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reis, Itamar; Poznanski, Dovi; Baron, Dalya; Zasowski, Gail; Shahaf, Sahar

2018-05-01

In this work, we apply and expand on a recently introduced outlier detection algorithm that is based on an unsupervised random forest. We use the algorithm to calculate a similarity measure for stellar spectra from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). We show that the similarity measure traces non-trivial physical properties and contains information about complex structures in the data. We use it for visualization and clustering of the data set, and discuss its ability to find groups of highly similar objects, including spectroscopic twins. Using the similarity matrix to search the data set for objects allows us to find objects that are impossible to find using their best-fitting model parameters. This includes extreme objects for which the models fail, and rare objects that are outside the scope of the model. We use the similarity measure to detect outliers in the data set, and find a number of previously unknown Be-type stars, spectroscopic binaries, carbon rich stars, young stars, and a few that we cannot interpret. Our work further demonstrates the potential for scientific discovery when combining machine learning methods with modern survey data.

Information surfing with the JHU/APL coherent imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratto, Christopher R.; Shipley, Kara R.; Beagley, Nathaniel; Wolfe, Kevin C.

2015-05-01

The ability to perform remote forensics in situ is an important application of autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs). Forensics objectives may include remediation of mines and/or unexploded ordnance, as well as monitoring of seafloor infrastructure. At JHU/APL, digital holography is being explored for the potential application to underwater imaging and integration with an AUV. In previous work, a feature-based approach was developed for processing the holographic imagery and performing object recognition. In this work, the results of the image processing method were incorporated into a Bayesian framework for autonomous path planning referred to as information surfing. The framework was derived assuming that the location of the object of interest is known a priori, but the type of object and its pose are unknown. The path-planning algorithm adaptively modifies the trajectory of the sensing platform based on historical performance of object and pose classification. The algorithm is called information surfing because the direction of motion is governed by the local information gradient. Simulation experiments were carried out using holographic imagery collected from submerged objects. The autonomous sensing algorithm was compared to a deterministic sensing CONOPS, and demonstrated improved accuracy and faster convergence in several cases.

Amplitude modulation detection by human listeners in reverberant sound fields: Effects of prior listening exposure.

PubMed

Zahorik, Pavel; Anderson, Paul W

2013-01-01

Previous work [Zahorik et al., POMA, 15, 050002 (2012)] has reported that for both broadband and narrowband noise carrier signals in a simulated reverberant sound field, human sensitivity to amplitude modulation (AM) is higher than would be predicted based on the acoustical modulation transfer function (MTF) of the listening environment. These results may be suggestive of mechanisms that functionally enhance modulation in reverberant listening, although many details of this enhancement effect are unknown. Given recent findings that demonstrate improvements in speech understanding with prior exposure to reverberant listening environments, it is of interest to determine whether listening exposure to a reverberant room might also influence AM detection in the room, and perhaps contribute to the AM enhancement effect. Here, AM detection thresholds were estimated (using an adaptive 2-alternative forced-choice procedure) in each of two listening conditions: one in which consistent listening exposure to a particular room was provided, and a second that intentionally disrupted listening exposure by varying the room from trial-to-trial. Results suggest that consistent prior listening exposure contributes to enhanced AM sensitivity in rooms. [Work supported by the NIH/NIDCD.].

Positive and negative emotion enhances the processing of famous faces in a semantic judgment task.

PubMed

Bate, Sarah; Haslam, Catherine; Hodgson, Timothy L; Jansari, Ashok; Gregory, Nicola; Kay, Janice

2010-01-01

Previous work has consistently reported a facilitatory influence of positive emotion in face recognition (e.g., D'Argembeau, Van der Linden, Comblain, & Etienne, 2003). However, these reports asked participants to make recognition judgments in response to faces, and it is unknown whether emotional valence may influence other stages of processing, such as at the level of semantics. Furthermore, other evidence suggests that negative rather than positive emotion facilitates higher level judgments when processing nonfacial stimuli (e.g., Mickley & Kensinger, 2008), and it is possible that negative emotion also influences latter stages of face processing. The present study addressed this issue, examining the influence of emotional valence while participants made semantic judgments in response to a set of famous faces. Eye movements were monitored while participants performed this task, and analyses revealed a reduction in information extraction for the faces of liked and disliked celebrities compared with those of emotionally neutral celebrities. Thus, in contrast to work using familiarity judgments, both positive and negative emotion facilitated processing in this semantic-based task. This pattern of findings is discussed in relation to current models of face processing. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Quaking and PTB control overlapping splicing regulatory networks during muscle cell differentiation

PubMed Central

Hall, Megan P.; Nagel, Roland J.; Fagg, W. Samuel; Shiue, Lily; Cline, Melissa S.; Perriman, Rhonda J.; Donohue, John Paul; Ares, Manuel

2013-01-01

Alternative splicing contributes to muscle development, but a complete set of muscle-splicing factors and their combinatorial interactions are unknown. Previous work identified ACUAA (“STAR” motif) as an enriched intron sequence near muscle-specific alternative exons such as Capzb exon 9. Mass spectrometry of myoblast proteins selected by the Capzb exon 9 intron via RNA affinity chromatography identifies Quaking (QK), a protein known to regulate mRNA function through ACUAA motifs in 3′ UTRs. We find that QK promotes inclusion of Capzb exon 9 in opposition to repression by polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB). QK depletion alters inclusion of 406 cassette exons whose adjacent intron sequences are also enriched in ACUAA motifs. During differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes, QK levels increase two- to threefold, suggesting a mechanism for QK-responsive exon regulation. Combined analysis of the PTB- and QK-splicing regulatory networks during myogenesis suggests that 39% of regulated exons are under the control of one or both of these splicing factors. This work provides the first evidence that QK is a global regulator of splicing during muscle development in vertebrates and shows how overlapping splicing regulatory networks contribute to gene expression programs during differentiation. PMID:23525800

Theoretical study on the structure and stabilities of molecular clusters of oxalic acid with water.

PubMed

Weber, Kevin H; Morales, Francisco J; Tao, Fu-Ming

2012-11-29

The importance of aerosols to humankind is well-known, playing an integral role in determining Earth's climate and influencing human health. Despite this fact, much remains unknown about the initial events of nucleation. In this work, the molecular properties of common organic atmospheric pollutant oxalic acid and its gas phase interactions with water have been thoroughly examined. Local minima single-point energies for the monomer conformations were calculated at the B3LYP and MP2 level of theory with both 6-311++G(d,p) and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets and are compared with previous works. Optimized geometries, relative energies, and free energy changes for the stable clusters of oxalic acid conformers with up to six waters were then obtained from B3LYP calculations with 6-31+G(d) and 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets. Initially, cooperative binding is predicted to be the most important factor in nucleation, but as the clusters grow, dipole cancellations are found to play a pivotal role. The clusters of oxalic acid hydrated purely with water tend to produce extremely stable and neutral core systems. Free energies of formation and atmospheric implications are discussed.

Maintenance of relational information in working memory leads to suppression of the sensory cortex.

PubMed

Ikkai, Akiko; Blacker, Kara J; Lakshmanan, Balaji M; Ewen, Joshua B; Courtney, Susan M

2014-10-15

Working memory (WM) for sensory-based information about individual objects and their locations appears to involve interactions between lateral prefrontal and sensory cortexes. The mechanisms and representations for maintenance of more abstract, nonsensory information in WM are unknown, particularly whether such actively maintained information can become independent of the sensory information from which it was derived. Previous studies of WM for individual visual items found increased electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha (8-13 Hz) power over posterior electrode sites, which appears to correspond to the suppression of cortical areas that represent irrelevant sensory information. Here, we recorded EEG while participants performed a visual WM task that involved maintaining either concrete spatial coordinates or abstract relational information. Maintenance of relational information resulted in higher alpha power in posterior electrodes. Furthermore, lateralization of alpha power due to a covert shift of attention to one visual hemifield was marginally weaker during storage of relational information than during storage of concrete information. These results suggest that abstract relational information is maintained in WM differently from concrete, sensory representations and that during maintenance of abstract information, posterior sensory regions become task irrelevant and are thus suppressed. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Neural network consistent empirical physical formula construction for density functional theory based nonlinear vibrational absorbance and intensity of 6-choloronicotinic acid molecule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yildiz, Nihat; Karabacak, Mehmet; Kurt, Mustafa; Akkoyun, Serkan

2012-05-01

Being directly related to the electric charge distributions in a molecule, the vibrational spectra intensities are both experimentally and theoretically important physical quantities. However, these intensities are inherently highly nonlinear and of complex pattern. Therefore, in particular for unknown detailed spatial molecular structures, it is difficult to make ab initio intensity calculations to compare with new experimental data. In this respect, we very recently initiated entirely novel layered feedforward neural network (LFNN) approach to construct empirical physical formulas (EPFs) for density functional theory (DFT) vibrational spectra of some molecules. In this paper, as a new and far improved contribution to our novel molecular vibrational spectra LFNN-EPF approach, we constructed LFFN-EPFs for absorbances and intensities of 6-choloronicotinic acid (6-CNA) molecule. The 6-CNA data, borrowed from our previous study, was entirely different and much larger than the vibrational intensity data of our formerly used LFNN-EPF molecules. In line with our another previous work which theoretically proved the LFNN relevance to EPFs, although the 6-CNA DFT absorbance and intensity were inherently highly nonlinear and sharply fluctuating in character, still the optimally constructed train set LFFN-EPFs very successfully fitted the absorbances and intensities. Moreover, test set (i.e. yet-to-be measured experimental data) LFNN-EPFs consistently and successfully predicted the absorbance and intensity data. This simply means that the physical law embedded in the 6-CNA vibrational data was successfully extracted by the LFNN-EPFs. In conclusion, these vibrational LFNN-EPFs are of explicit form. Therefore, by various suitable operations of mathematical analysis, they can be used to estimate the electronic charge distributions of the unknown molecule of the significant complexity. Additionally, these estimations can be combined with those of theoretical DFT atomic polar tensor calculations to contribute to the identification of the molecule.

Marine communities on oil platforms in Gabon, West Africa: high biodiversity oases in a low biodiversity environment.

PubMed

Friedlander, Alan M; Ballesteros, Enric; Fay, Michael; Sala, Enric

2014-01-01

The marine biodiversity of Gabon, West Africa has not been well studied and is largely unknown. Our examination of marine communities associated with oil platforms in Gabon is the first scientific investigation of these structures and highlights the unique ecosystems associated with them. A number of species previously unknown to Gabonese waters were recorded during our surveys on these platforms. Clear distinctions in benthic communities were observed between older, larger platforms in the north and newer platforms to the south or closer to shore. The former were dominated by a solitary cup coral, Tubastraea sp., whereas the latter were dominated by the barnacle Megabalanus tintinnabulum, but with more diverse benthic assemblages compared to the northerly platforms. Previous work documented the presence of limited zooxanthellated scleractinian corals on natural rocky substrate in Gabon but none were recorded on platforms. Total estimated fish biomass on these platforms exceeded one ton at some locations and was dominated by barracuda (Sphyraena spp.), jacks (Carangids), and rainbow runner (Elagatis bipinnulata). Thirty-four percent of fish species observed on these platforms are new records for Gabon and 6% are new to tropical West Africa. Fish assemblages closely associated with platforms had distinct amphi-Atlantic affinities and platforms likely extend the distribution of these species into coastal West Africa. At least one potential invasive species, the snowflake coral (Carijoa riisei), was observed on the platforms. Oil platforms may act as stepping stones, increasing regional biodiversity and production but they may also be vectors for invasive species. Gabon is a world leader in terrestrial conservation with a network of protected areas covering >10% of the country. Oil exploration and biodiversity conservation currently co-exist in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in Gabon. Efforts to increase marine protection in Gabon may benefit by including oil platforms in the marine protected area design process.

Dynamics of the sensory response to urethral flow over multiple time scales in rat

PubMed Central

Danziger, Zachary C; Grill, Warren M

2015-01-01

The pudendal nerve carries sensory information from the urethra that controls spinal reflexes necessary to maintain continence and achieve efficient micturition. Despite the key role urethral sensory feedback plays in regulation of the lower urinary tract, there is little information about the characteristics of urethral sensory responses to physiological stimuli, and the quantitative relationship between physiological stimuli and the evoked sensory activation is unknown. Such a relation is critical to understanding the neural control of the lower urinary tract and how dysfunction arises in disease states. We systematically quantified pudendal afferent responses to fluid flow in the urethra in vivo in the rat. We characterized the sensory response across a range of stimuli, and describe a previously unreported long-term neural accommodation phenomenon. We developed and validated a compact mechanistic mathematical model capable of reproducing the pudendal sensory activity in response to arbitrary profiles of urethral flows. These results describe the properties and function of urethral afferents that are necessary to understand how sensory disruption manifests in lower urinary tract pathophysiology. Key points Sensory information from the urethra is essential to maintain continence and to achieve efficient micturition and when compromised by disease or injury can lead to substantial loss of function. Despite the key role urethral sensory information plays in the lower urinary tract, the relationship between physiological urethral stimuli, such as fluid flow, and the neural sensory response is poorly understood. This work systematically quantifies pudendal afferent responses to a range of fluid flows in the urethra in vivo and describes a previously unknown long-term neural accommodation phenomenon in these afferents. We present a compact mechanistic mathematical model that reproduces the pudendal sensory activity in response to urethral flow. These results have implications for understanding urinary tract dysfunction caused by neuropathy or nerve damage, such as urinary retention or incontinence, as well as for the development of strategies to mitigate the symptoms of these conditions. PMID:26041695

Neural network consistent empirical physical formula construction for density functional theory based nonlinear vibrational absorbance and intensity of 6-choloronicotinic acid molecule.

PubMed

Yildiz, Nihat; Karabacak, Mehmet; Kurt, Mustafa; Akkoyun, Serkan

2012-05-01

Being directly related to the electric charge distributions in a molecule, the vibrational spectra intensities are both experimentally and theoretically important physical quantities. However, these intensities are inherently highly nonlinear and of complex pattern. Therefore, in particular for unknown detailed spatial molecular structures, it is difficult to make ab initio intensity calculations to compare with new experimental data. In this respect, we very recently initiated entirely novel layered feedforward neural network (LFNN) approach to construct empirical physical formulas (EPFs) for density functional theory (DFT) vibrational spectra of some molecules. In this paper, as a new and far improved contribution to our novel molecular vibrational spectra LFNN-EPF approach, we constructed LFFN-EPFs for absorbances and intensities of 6-choloronicotinic acid (6-CNA) molecule. The 6-CNA data, borrowed from our previous study, was entirely different and much larger than the vibrational intensity data of our formerly used LFNN-EPF molecules. In line with our another previous work which theoretically proved the LFNN relevance to EPFs, although the 6-CNA DFT absorbance and intensity were inherently highly nonlinear and sharply fluctuating in character, still the optimally constructed train set LFFN-EPFs very successfully fitted the absorbances and intensities. Moreover, test set (i.e. yet-to-be measured experimental data) LFNN-EPFs consistently and successfully predicted the absorbance and intensity data. This simply means that the physical law embedded in the 6-CNA vibrational data was successfully extracted by the LFNN-EPFs. In conclusion, these vibrational LFNN-EPFs are of explicit form. Therefore, by various suitable operations of mathematical analysis, they can be used to estimate the electronic charge distributions of the unknown molecule of the significant complexity. Additionally, these estimations can be combined with those of theoretical DFT atomic polar tensor calculations to contribute to the identification of the molecule. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

GBM Observations of Be X-Ray Binary Outbursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.; Finger, M. H.; Jenke, P. A.

2014-01-01

Since 2008 we have been monitoring accreting pulsars using the Gamma ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on Fermi. This monitoring program includes daily blind full sky searches for previously unknown or previously quiescent pulsars and source specific analysis to track the frequency evolution of all detected pulsars. To date we have detected outbursts from 23 transient accreting pulsars, including 21 confirmed or likely Be/X-ray binaries. I will describe our techniques and highlight results for selected pulsars.

Exploring the epididymis: a personal perspective on careers in science.

PubMed

Turner, Terry T

2015-01-01

Science is a profession of inquiry. We ask ourselves what is it we see and why our observations happen the way they do. Answering those two question puts us in the company of those early explorers, who from Europe found the New World, and from Asia reached west to encounter Europe. Vasco Núñez de Balboa of Spain was such an explorer. He was the first European to see or "discover" the Pacific Ocean. One can imagine his amazement, his excitement when he first saw from a mountain top that vast ocean previously unknown to his culture. A career in science sends each of us seeking our own "Balboa Moments," those observations or results that surprise or even amaze us, those discoveries that open our eyes to new views of nature and medicine. Scientists aim to do what those early explorers did: discover what has previously been unknown, see what has previously been unseen, and reveal what has previously been hidden. Science requires the scientist to discover the facts from among many fictions and to separate the important facts from the trivial so that knowledge can be properly developed. It is only with knowledge that old dogmas can be challenged and corrected. Careers in science produce specific sets of knowledge. When pooled with other knowledge sets they eventually contribute to wisdom and it is wisdom, we hope, that will improve the human condition.

[The changing spectrum of fever of unknown origin: trends and comparison with previous series at the Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Nutrition].

PubMed

Molina-Gamboa, J; Rivera-Morales, I; Camacho-Mezquita, E; Ponce-de-León, S

1994-01-01

We reviewed 400 medical records of patients admitted because of fever at the National Institute of Nutrition Salvador Zubirán between January 1, 1988 to December 31, 1992. Patient characteristics, diagnostic methods, final diagnosis and patient progress were analyzed, comparing these data with the previous series of the institute. We found 77 cases of fever of unknown origin (FUO), 47 males and 30 females, between 14 to 87 years of age. The final diagnosis encountered were: infections (40%), neoplasias (23%), collagen diseases (13%), and other diagnosis (8%). Sixteen percent of the cases remained without a final diagnosis. The most frequent infections were HIV infection (19%), tuberculosis (19%) and endocarditis (13%). The most common neoplasia was lymphoma (55.6%), with 90% of Hodgkin's disease. SLE was the most common autoimmune disease found. The methods to establish a final diagnosis were: biopsies (52%), serology (17%), cultures (12%), image (11%), and clinical (8%). Final diagnosis by serology tests increased from 2 to 17% in comparison with previous reports. Eight laparotomies were done, which is a less frequent practice than previously (10 vs 35%). We saw only one case of amebic hepatic abscess and had no cases of malaria and salmonellosis as final diagnosis of FUO; HIV infection was found to be a new major cause of FUO.

Previously unknown species of Aspergillus.

PubMed

Gautier, M; Normand, A-C; Ranque, S

2016-08-01

The use of multi-locus DNA sequence analysis has led to the description of previously unknown 'cryptic' Aspergillus species, whereas classical morphology-based identification of Aspergillus remains limited to the section or species-complex level. The current literature highlights two main features concerning these 'cryptic' Aspergillus species. First, the prevalence of such species in clinical samples is relatively high compared with emergent filamentous fungal taxa such as Mucorales, Scedosporium or Fusarium. Second, it is clearly important to identify these species in the clinical laboratory because of the high frequency of antifungal drug-resistant isolates of such Aspergillus species. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has recently been shown to enable the identification of filamentous fungi with an accuracy similar to that of DNA sequence-based methods. As MALDI-TOF MS is well suited to the routine clinical laboratory workflow, it facilitates the identification of these 'cryptic' Aspergillus species at the routine mycology bench. The rapid establishment of enhanced filamentous fungi identification facilities will lead to a better understanding of the epidemiology and clinical importance of these emerging Aspergillus species. Based on routine MALDI-TOF MS-based identification results, we provide original insights into the key interpretation issues of a positive Aspergillus culture from a clinical sample. Which ubiquitous species that are frequently isolated from air samples are rarely involved in human invasive disease? Can both the species and the type of biological sample indicate Aspergillus carriage, colonization or infection in a patient? Highly accurate routine filamentous fungi identification is central to enhance the understanding of these previously unknown Aspergillus species, with a vital impact on further improved patient care. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Allocating monitoring effort in the face of unknown unknowns

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wintle, B.A.; Runge, M.C.; Bekessy, S.A.

2010-01-01

There is a growing view that to make efficient use of resources, ecological monitoring should be hypothesis-driven and targeted to address specific management questions. 'Targeted' monitoring has been contrasted with other approaches in which a range of quantities are monitored in case they exhibit an alarming trend or provide ad hoc ecological insights. The second form of monitoring, described as surveillance, has been criticized because it does not usually aim to discern between competing hypotheses, and its benefits are harder to identify a priori. The alternative view is that the existence of surveillance data may enable rapid corroboration of emerging hypotheses or help to detect important 'unknown unknowns' that, if undetected, could lead to catastrophic outcomes or missed opportunities. We derive a model to evaluate and compare the efficiency of investments in surveillance and targeted monitoring. We find that a decision to invest in surveillance monitoring may be defensible if: (1) the surveillance design is more likely to discover or corroborate previously unknown phenomena than a targeted design and (2) the expected benefits (or avoided costs) arising from discovery are substantially higher than those arising from a well-planned targeted design. Our examination highlights the importance of being explicit about the objectives, costs and expected benefits of monitoring in a decision analytic framework. ?? 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

Uncovering the unknown: A grounded theory study exploring the impact of self-awareness on the culture of feedback in residency education.

PubMed

Ramani, Subha; Könings, Karen; Mann, Karen V; van der Vleuten, Cees

2017-10-01

Self-assessment and reflection are essential for meaningful feedback. We aimed to explore whether the well-known Johari window model of self-awareness could guide feedback conversations between faculty and residents and enhance the institutional feedback culture. We had previously explored perceptions of residents and faculty regarding sociocultural factors impacting feedback. We re-analyzed data targeting themes related to self-assessment, reflection, feedback seeking and acceptance, aiming to generate individual and institutional feedback strategies applicable to each quadrant of the window. We identified the following themes for each quadrant: (1) Behaviors known to self and others - Validating the known; (2) Behaviors unknown to self but known to others - Accepting the blind; (3) Behaviors known to self and unknown to others - Disclosure of hidden; and (4) Behaviors unknown to self and others - Uncovering the unknown. Normalizing self-disclosure of limitations, encouraging feedback seeking, training in nonjudgmental feedback and providing opportunities for longitudinal relationships could promote self-awareness, ultimately expanding the "open" quadrant of the Johari window. The Johari window, a model of self-awareness in interpersonal communications, could provide a robust framework for individuals to improve their feedback conversations and institutions to design feedback initiatives that enhance its quality and impact.

Character-Defining Features of Contributing Buildings and Structures in the Fort Gordon, Georgia, Signal School Campus Historic District

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

conditioning CRM Cultural Resources Manager DPW Directorate of Public Works ERDC- CERL Engineer Research and Development Center – Construction Engineering...the interior character-defining features are unknown, but for undertakings that effect the interior the Cultural Resources Man- ager ( CRM ) should use...to the interior; the interior character-defining features are unknown but for undertakings that effect the interior, the CRM should use examples from

Component spectra extraction from terahertz measurements of unknown mixtures.

PubMed

Li, Xian; Hou, D B; Huang, P J; Cai, J H; Zhang, G X

2015-10-20

The aim of this work is to extract component spectra from unknown mixtures in the terahertz region. To that end, a method, hard modeling factor analysis (HMFA), was applied to resolve terahertz spectral matrices collected from the unknown mixtures. This method does not require any expertise of the user and allows the consideration of nonlinear effects such as peak variations or peak shifts. It describes the spectra using a peak-based nonlinear mathematic model and builds the component spectra automatically by recombination of the resolved peaks through correlation analysis. Meanwhile, modifications on the method were made to take the features of terahertz spectra into account and to deal with the artificial baseline problem that troubles the extraction process of some terahertz spectra. In order to validate the proposed method, simulated wideband terahertz spectra of binary and ternary systems and experimental terahertz absorption spectra of amino acids mixtures were tested. In each test, not only the number of pure components could be correctly predicted but also the identified pure spectra had a good similarity with the true spectra. Moreover, the proposed method associated the molecular motions with the component extraction, making the identification process more physically meaningful and interpretable compared to other methods. The results indicate that the HMFA method with the modifications can be a practical tool for identifying component terahertz spectra in completely unknown mixtures. This work reports the solution to this kind of problem in the terahertz region for the first time, to the best of the authors' knowledge, and represents a significant advance toward exploring physical or chemical mechanisms of unknown complex systems by terahertz spectroscopy.

Unimolecular Reaction Pathways of a γ-Ketohydroperoxide from Combined Application of Automated Reaction Discovery Methods

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

Grambow, Colin A.; Jamal, Adeel; Li, Yi -Pei

Ketohydroperoxides are important in liquid-phase autoxidation and in gas-phase partial oxidation and pre-ignition chemistry, but because of their low concentration, instability, and various analytical chemistry limitations, it has been challenging to experimentally determine their reactivity, and only a few pathways are known. In the present work, 75 elementary-step unimolecular reactions of the simplest γ-ketohydroperoxide, 3-hydroperoxypropanal, were discovered by a combination of density functional theory with several automated transition-state search algorithms: the Berny algorithm coupled with the freezing string method, single- and double-ended growing string methods, the heuristic KinBot algorithm, and the single-component artificial force induced reaction method (SC-AFIR). The presentmore » joint approach significantly outperforms previous manual and automated transition-state searches – 68 of the reactions of γ-ketohydroperoxide discovered here were previously unknown and completely unexpected. All of the methods found the lowest-energy transition state, which corresponds to the first step of the Korcek mechanism, but each algorithm except for SC-AFIR detected several reactions not found by any of the other methods. We show that the low-barrier chemical reactions involve promising new chemistry that may be relevant in atmospheric and combustion systems. Our study highlights the complexity of chemical space exploration and the advantage of combined application of several approaches. Altogether, the present work demonstrates both the power and the weaknesses of existing fully automated approaches for reaction discovery which suggest possible directions for further method development and assessment in order to enable reliable discovery of all important reactions of any specified reactant(s).« less

Unimolecular Reaction Pathways of a γ-Ketohydroperoxide from Combined Application of Automated Reaction Discovery Methods

DOE PAGES

Grambow, Colin A.; Jamal, Adeel; Li, Yi -Pei; ...

2017-12-22

Ketohydroperoxides are important in liquid-phase autoxidation and in gas-phase partial oxidation and pre-ignition chemistry, but because of their low concentration, instability, and various analytical chemistry limitations, it has been challenging to experimentally determine their reactivity, and only a few pathways are known. In the present work, 75 elementary-step unimolecular reactions of the simplest γ-ketohydroperoxide, 3-hydroperoxypropanal, were discovered by a combination of density functional theory with several automated transition-state search algorithms: the Berny algorithm coupled with the freezing string method, single- and double-ended growing string methods, the heuristic KinBot algorithm, and the single-component artificial force induced reaction method (SC-AFIR). The presentmore » joint approach significantly outperforms previous manual and automated transition-state searches – 68 of the reactions of γ-ketohydroperoxide discovered here were previously unknown and completely unexpected. All of the methods found the lowest-energy transition state, which corresponds to the first step of the Korcek mechanism, but each algorithm except for SC-AFIR detected several reactions not found by any of the other methods. We show that the low-barrier chemical reactions involve promising new chemistry that may be relevant in atmospheric and combustion systems. Our study highlights the complexity of chemical space exploration and the advantage of combined application of several approaches. Altogether, the present work demonstrates both the power and the weaknesses of existing fully automated approaches for reaction discovery which suggest possible directions for further method development and assessment in order to enable reliable discovery of all important reactions of any specified reactant(s).« less

Estimating unknown input parameters when implementing the NGA ground-motion prediction equations in engineering practice

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaklamanos, James; Baise, Laurie G.; Boore, David M.

2011-01-01

The ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) developed as part of the Next Generation Attenuation of Ground Motions (NGA-West) project in 2008 are becoming widely used in seismic hazard analyses. However, these new models are considerably more complicated than previous GMPEs, and they require several more input parameters. When employing the NGA models, users routinely face situations in which some of the required input parameters are unknown. In this paper, we present a framework for estimating the unknown source, path, and site parameters when implementing the NGA models in engineering practice, and we derive geometrically-based equations relating the three distance measures found in the NGA models. Our intent is for the content of this paper not only to make the NGA models more accessible, but also to help with the implementation of other present or future GMPEs.

Streptococcus massiliensis in the human mouth: a phylogenetic approach for the inference of bacterial habitats.

PubMed

Póntigo, F; Silva, C; Moraga, M; Flores, S V

2015-12-29

Streptococcus is a diverse bacterial lineage. Species of this genus occupy a myriad of environments inside humans and other animals. Despite the elucidation of several of these habitats, many remain to be identified. Here, we explore a methodological approach to reveal unknown bacterial environments. Specifically, we inferred the phylogeny of the Mitis group by analyzing the sequences of eight genes. In addition, information regarding habitat use of species belonging to this group was obtained from the scientific literature. The oral cavity emerged as a potential, previously unknown, environment of Streptococcus massiliensis. This phylogeny-based prediction was confirmed by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. We propose employing a similar approach, i.e., use of bibliographic data and molecular phylogenetics as predictive methods, and species-specific PCR as confirmation, in order to reveal other unknown habitats in further bacterial taxa.

Silicosis Appears Inevitable Among Former Denim Sandblasters: A 4-Year Follow-up Study.

PubMed

Akgun, Metin; Araz, Omer; Ucar, Elif Yilmazel; Karaman, Adem; Alper, Fatih; Gorguner, Metin; Kreiss, Kathleen

2015-09-01

The course of denim sandblasting silicosis is unknown. We aimed to reevaluate former sandblasters studied in 2007 for incident silicosis, radiographic progression, pulmonary function loss, and mortality and to examine any associations between these outcomes and previously demonstrated risk factors for silicosis. We defined silicosis on chest radiograph as category 1/0 small opacity profusion using the International Labor Organization classification. We defined radiographic progression as a profusion increase of two or more subcategories, development of a new large opacity, or an increase in large opacity category. We defined pulmonary function loss as a ≥ 12% decrease in FVC. Among the 145 former sandblasters studied in 2007, 83 were reassessed in 2011. In the 4-year follow-up period, nine (6.2%) had died at a mean age of 24 years. Of the 74 living sandblasters available for reexamination, the prevalence of silicosis increased from 55.4% to 95.9%. Radiographic progression, observed in 82%, was associated with younger age, never smoking, foreman work, and sleeping at the workplace. Pulmonary function loss, seen in 66%, was positively associated with never smoking and higher initial FVC % predicted. Death was associated with never smoking, foreman work, number of different denim-sandblasting places of work, sleeping at the workplace, and lower pulmonary function, of which only the number of different places worked remained in multivariate analyses. This 4-year follow-up suggests that almost all former denim sandblasters may develop silicosis, despite short exposures and latency.

Taxonomic notes on American heriades spinola, 1808 and leioproctus smith, 1853 (hymenoptera: megachilidae colletidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The previously unknown males of Leioproctus rosellae and Heriades tayrona, two recently discovered bees from northern Colombia, are described and diagnostic characters illustrated. The additional material of Heriades confirms that the megachilid tribe Osmiini does reach northern South America....

CLOTHES AS A SOURCE OF PARTICLES CONTRIBUTING TO THE "PERSONAL CLOUD"

EPA Science Inventory

Previous studies such as EPA's PTEAM Study have documented increased personal exposures to particles compared to either indoor or outdoor concentrations--a finding that bas been characterized as a "personal cloud." The sources of the personal cloud are unknown, but co...

Interobserver Agreement on First-Stage Conversation Analytic Transcription

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Felicia; Robinson, Jeffrey D.

2004-01-01

This investigation assesses interobserver agreement on conversation analytic (CA) transcription. Four professional CA transcribers spent a maximum of 3 hours transcribing 2.5 minutes of a previously unknown, naturally occurring, mundane telephone call. Researchers unitized transcripts into words, sounds, silences, inbreaths, outbreaths, and laugh…

Inconspicuous echolocation in hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus)

Treesearch

Aaron J. Corcoran; Theodore J. Weller

2018-01-01

Echolocation allows bats to occupy diverse nocturnal niches. Bats almost always use echolocation, even when other sensory stimuli are available to guide navigation. Here, using arrays of calibrated infrared cameras and ultrasonic microphones, we demonstrate that hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) use previously unknown echolocation behaviours that...

Isolation of a hyperthermophilic archaeum predicted by in situ RNA analysis.

PubMed

Huber, R; Burggraf, S; Mayer, T; Barns, S M; Rossnagel, P; Stetter, K O

1995-07-06

A variety of hyperthermophilic bacteria and archaea have been isolated from high-temperature environments by plating and serial dilutions. However, these techniques allow only the small percentage of organisms able to form colonies, or those that are predominant within environmental samples, to be obtained in pure culture. Recently, in situ 16S ribosomal RNA analyses of samples from the Obsidian hot pool at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, revealed a variety of archaeal sequences, which were all different from those of previously isolated species. This suggests substantial diversity of archaea with so far unknown morphological, physiological and biochemical features, which may play an important part within high-temperature ecosystems. Here we describe a procedure to obtain pure cultures of unknown organisms harbouring specific 16S rRNA sequences identified previously within the environment. It combines visual recognition of single cells by phylogenetic staining and cloning by 'optical tweezers'. Our result validates polymerase chain reaction data on the existence of large archael communities.

Previously unknown class of metalorganic compounds revealed in meteorites

PubMed Central

Ruf, Alexander; Kanawati, Basem; Hertkorn, Norbert; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Moritz, Franco; Harir, Mourad; Lucio, Marianna; Michalke, Bernhard; Wimpenny, Joshua; Shilobreeva, Svetlana; Bronsky, Basil; Saraykin, Vladimir; Gabelica, Zelimir; Gougeon, Régis D.; Quirico, Eric; Ralew, Stefan; Jakubowski, Tomasz; Haack, Henning; Gonsior, Michael; Jenniskens, Peter; Hinman, Nancy W.; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

2017-01-01

The rich diversity and complexity of organic matter found in meteorites is rapidly expanding our knowledge and understanding of extreme environments from which the early solar system emerged and evolved. Here, we report the discovery of a hitherto unknown chemical class, dihydroxymagnesium carboxylates [(OH)2MgO2CR]−, in meteoritic soluble organic matter. High collision energies, which are required for fragmentation, suggest substantial thermal stability of these Mg-metalorganics (CHOMg compounds). This was corroborated by their higher abundance in thermally processed meteorites. CHOMg compounds were found to be present in a set of 61 meteorites of diverse petrological classes. The appearance of this CHOMg chemical class extends the previously investigated, diverse set of CHNOS molecules. A connection between the evolution of organic compounds and minerals is made, as Mg released from minerals gets trapped into organic compounds. These CHOMg metalorganic compounds and their relation to thermal processing in meteorites might shed new light on our understanding of carbon speciation at a molecular level in meteorite parent bodies. PMID:28242686

A chemical proteomics approach for global analysis of lysine monomethylome profiling.

PubMed

Wu, Zhixiang; Cheng, Zhongyi; Sun, Mingwei; Wan, Xuelian; Liu, Ping; He, Tieming; Tan, Minjia; Zhao, Yingming

2015-02-01

Methylation of lysine residues on histone proteins is known to play an important role in chromatin structure and function. However, non-histone protein substrates of this modification remain largely unknown. An effective approach for system-wide analysis of protein lysine methylation, particularly lysine monomethylation, is lacking. Here we describe a chemical proteomics approach for global screening for monomethyllysine substrates, involving chemical propionylation of monomethylated lysine, affinity enrichment of the modified monomethylated peptides, and HPLC/MS/MS analysis. Using this approach, we identified with high confidence 446 lysine monomethylation sites in 398 proteins, including three previously unknown histone monomethylation marks, representing the largest data set of protein lysine monomethylation described to date. Our data not only confirms previously discovered lysine methylation substrates in the nucleus and spliceosome, but also reveals new substrates associated with diverse biological processes. This method hence offers a powerful approach for dynamic study of protein lysine monomethylation under diverse cellular conditions and in human diseases. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Analysis of mammalian gene function through broad-based phenotypic screens across a consortium of mouse clinics.

PubMed

de Angelis, Martin Hrabě; Nicholson, George; Selloum, Mohammed; White, Jacqui; Morgan, Hugh; Ramirez-Solis, Ramiro; Sorg, Tania; Wells, Sara; Fuchs, Helmut; Fray, Martin; Adams, David J; Adams, Niels C; Adler, Thure; Aguilar-Pimentel, Antonio; Ali-Hadji, Dalila; Amann, Gregory; André, Philippe; Atkins, Sarah; Auburtin, Aurelie; Ayadi, Abdel; Becker, Julien; Becker, Lore; Bedu, Elodie; Bekeredjian, Raffi; Birling, Marie-Christine; Blake, Andrew; Bottomley, Joanna; Bowl, Mike; Brault, Véronique; Busch, Dirk H; Bussell, James N; Calzada-Wack, Julia; Cater, Heather; Champy, Marie-France; Charles, Philippe; Chevalier, Claire; Chiani, Francesco; Codner, Gemma F; Combe, Roy; Cox, Roger; Dalloneau, Emilie; Dierich, André; Di Fenza, Armida; Doe, Brendan; Duchon, Arnaud; Eickelberg, Oliver; Esapa, Chris T; El Fertak, Lahcen; Feigel, Tanja; Emelyanova, Irina; Estabel, Jeanne; Favor, Jack; Flenniken, Ann; Gambadoro, Alessia; Garrett, Lilian; Gates, Hilary; Gerdin, Anna-Karin; Gkoutos, George; Greenaway, Simon; Glasl, Lisa; Goetz, Patrice; Da Cruz, Isabelle Goncalves; Götz, Alexander; Graw, Jochen; Guimond, Alain; Hans, Wolfgang; Hicks, Geoff; Hölter, Sabine M; Höfler, Heinz; Hancock, John M; Hoehndorf, Robert; Hough, Tertius; Houghton, Richard; Hurt, Anja; Ivandic, Boris; Jacobs, Hughes; Jacquot, Sylvie; Jones, Nora; Karp, Natasha A; Katus, Hugo A; Kitchen, Sharon; Klein-Rodewald, Tanja; Klingenspor, Martin; Klopstock, Thomas; Lalanne, Valerie; Leblanc, Sophie; Lengger, Christoph; le Marchand, Elise; Ludwig, Tonia; Lux, Aline; McKerlie, Colin; Maier, Holger; Mandel, Jean-Louis; Marschall, Susan; Mark, Manuel; Melvin, David G; Meziane, Hamid; Micklich, Kateryna; Mittelhauser, Christophe; Monassier, Laurent; Moulaert, David; Muller, Stéphanie; Naton, Beatrix; Neff, Frauke; Nolan, Patrick M; Nutter, Lauryl Mj; Ollert, Markus; Pavlovic, Guillaume; Pellegata, Natalia S; Peter, Emilie; Petit-Demoulière, Benoit; Pickard, Amanda; Podrini, Christine; Potter, Paul; Pouilly, Laurent; Puk, Oliver; Richardson, David; Rousseau, Stephane; Quintanilla-Fend, Leticia; Quwailid, Mohamed M; Racz, Ildiko; Rathkolb, Birgit; Riet, Fabrice; Rossant, Janet; Roux, Michel; Rozman, Jan; Ryder, Ed; Salisbury, Jennifer; Santos, Luis; Schäble, Karl-Heinz; Schiller, Evelyn; Schrewe, Anja; Schulz, Holger; Steinkamp, Ralf; Simon, Michelle; Stewart, Michelle; Stöger, Claudia; Stöger, Tobias; Sun, Minxuan; Sunter, David; Teboul, Lydia; Tilly, Isabelle; Tocchini-Valentini, Glauco P; Tost, Monica; Treise, Irina; Vasseur, Laurent; Velot, Emilie; Vogt-Weisenhorn, Daniela; Wagner, Christelle; Walling, Alison; Weber, Bruno; Wendling, Olivia; Westerberg, Henrik; Willershäuser, Monja; Wolf, Eckhard; Wolter, Anne; Wood, Joe; Wurst, Wolfgang; Yildirim, Ali Önder; Zeh, Ramona; Zimmer, Andreas; Zimprich, Annemarie; Holmes, Chris; Steel, Karen P; Herault, Yann; Gailus-Durner, Valérie; Mallon, Ann-Marie; Brown, Steve Dm

2015-09-01

The function of the majority of genes in the mouse and human genomes remains unknown. The mouse embryonic stem cell knockout resource provides a basis for the characterization of relationships between genes and phenotypes. The EUMODIC consortium developed and validated robust methodologies for the broad-based phenotyping of knockouts through a pipeline comprising 20 disease-oriented platforms. We developed new statistical methods for pipeline design and data analysis aimed at detecting reproducible phenotypes with high power. We acquired phenotype data from 449 mutant alleles, representing 320 unique genes, of which half had no previous functional annotation. We captured data from over 27,000 mice, finding that 83% of the mutant lines are phenodeviant, with 65% demonstrating pleiotropy. Surprisingly, we found significant differences in phenotype annotation according to zygosity. New phenotypes were uncovered for many genes with previously unknown function, providing a powerful basis for hypothesis generation and further investigation in diverse systems.

Implementation of an improved adaptive-implicit method in a thermal compositional simulator

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

Tan, T.B.

1988-11-01

A multicomponent thermal simulator with an adaptive-implicit-method (AIM) formulation/inexact-adaptive-Newton (IAN) method is presented. The final coefficient matrix retains the original banded structure so that conventional iterative methods can be used. Various methods for selection of the eliminated unknowns are tested. AIM/IAN method has a lower work count per Newtonian iteration than fully implicit methods, but a wrong choice of unknowns will result in excessive Newtonian iterations. For the problems tested, the residual-error method described in the paper for selecting implicit unknowns, together with the IAN method, had an improvement of up to 28% of the CPU time over the fullymore » implicit method.« less

Adaptive super-twisting observer for estimation of random road excitation profile in automotive suspension systems.

PubMed

Rath, J J; Veluvolu, K C; Defoort, M

2014-01-01

The estimation of road excitation profile is important for evaluation of vehicle stability and vehicle suspension performance for autonomous vehicle control systems. In this work, the nonlinear dynamics of the active automotive system that is excited by the unknown road excitation profile are considered for modeling. To address the issue of estimation of road profile, we develop an adaptive supertwisting observer for state and unknown road profile estimation. Under Lipschitz conditions for the nonlinear functions, the convergence of the estimation error is proven. Simulation results with Ford Fiesta MK2 demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed observer for state and unknown input estimation for nonlinear active suspension system.

Input reconstruction for networked control systems subject to deception attacks and data losses on control signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, J. Y.; Chabir, K.; Sauter, D.

2016-03-01

State estimation of stochastic discrete-time linear systems subject to unknown inputs or constant biases has been widely studied but no work has been dedicated to the case where a disturbance switches between unknown input and constant bias. We show that such disturbance can affect a networked control system subject to deception attacks and data losses on the control signals transmitted by the controller to the plant. This paper proposes to estimate the switching disturbance from an augmented state version of the intermittent unknown input Kalman filter recently developed by the authors. Sufficient stochastic stability conditions are established when the arrival binary sequence of data losses follows a Bernoulli random process.

Adaptive Super-Twisting Observer for Estimation of Random Road Excitation Profile in Automotive Suspension Systems

PubMed Central

Rath, J. J.; Veluvolu, K. C.; Defoort, M.

2014-01-01

The estimation of road excitation profile is important for evaluation of vehicle stability and vehicle suspension performance for autonomous vehicle control systems. In this work, the nonlinear dynamics of the active automotive system that is excited by the unknown road excitation profile are considered for modeling. To address the issue of estimation of road profile, we develop an adaptive supertwisting observer for state and unknown road profile estimation. Under Lipschitz conditions for the nonlinear functions, the convergence of the estimation error is proven. Simulation results with Ford Fiesta MK2 demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed observer for state and unknown input estimation for nonlinear active suspension system. PMID:24683321

Gait performance is not influenced by working memory when walking at a self-selected pace.

PubMed

Grubaugh, Jordan; Rhea, Christopher K

2014-02-01

Gait performance exhibits patterns within the stride-to-stride variability that can be indexed using detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). Previous work employing DFA has shown that gait patterns can be influenced by constraints, such as natural aging or disease, and they are informative regarding a person's functional ability. Many activities of daily living require concurrent performance in the cognitive and gait domains; specifically working memory is commonly engaged while walking, which is considered dual-tasking. It is unknown if taxing working memory while walking influences gait performance as assessed by DFA. This study used a dual-tasking paradigm to determine if performance decrements are observed in gait or working memory when performed concurrently. Healthy young participants (N = 16) performed a working memory task (automated operation span task) and a gait task (walking at a self-selected speed on a treadmill) in single- and dual-task conditions. A second dual-task condition (reading while walking) was included to control for visual attention, but also introduced a task that taxed working memory over the long term. All trials involving gait lasted at least 10 min. Performance in the working memory task was indexed using five dependent variables (absolute score, partial score, speed error, accuracy error, and math error), while gait performance was indexed by quantifying the mean, standard deviation, and DFA α of the stride interval time series. Two multivariate analyses of variance (one for gait and one for working memory) were used to examine performance in the single- and dual-task conditions. No differences were observed in any of the gait or working memory dependent variables as a function of task condition. The results suggest the locomotor system is adaptive enough to complete a working memory task without compromising gait performance when walking at a self-selected pace.

Chitin-Like Molecules Associate with Cryptococcus neoformans Glucuronoxylomannan To Form a Glycan Complex with Previously Unknown Properties

PubMed Central

Ramos, Caroline L.; Fonseca, Fernanda L.; Rodrigues, Jessica; Guimarães, Allan J.; Cinelli, Leonardo P.; Miranda, Kildare; Nimrichter, Leonardo; Casadevall, Arturo; Travassos, Luiz R.

2012-01-01

In prior studies, we demonstrated that glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), the major capsular polysaccharide of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, interacts with chitin oligomers at the cell wall-capsule interface. The structural determinants regulating these carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions, as well as the functions of these structures, have remained unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that glycan complexes composed of chitooligomers and GXM are formed during fungal growth and macrophage infection by C. neoformans. To investigate the required determinants for the assembly of chitin-GXM complexes, we developed a quantitative scanning electron microscopy-based method using different polysaccharide samples as inhibitors of the interaction of chitin with GXM. This assay revealed that chitin-GXM association involves noncovalent bonds and large GXM fibers and depends on the N-acetyl amino group of chitin. Carboxyl and O-acetyl groups of GXM are not required for polysaccharide-polysaccharide interactions. Glycan complex structures composed of cryptococcal GXM and chitin-derived oligomers were tested for their ability to induce pulmonary cytokines in mice. They were significantly more efficient than either GXM or chitin oligomers alone in inducing the production of lung interleukin 10 (IL-10), IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). These results indicate that association of chitin-derived structures with GXM through their N-acetyl amino groups generates glycan complexes with previously unknown properties. PMID:22562469

Posttranslational Modification of Maize Chloroplast Pyruvate Orthophosphate Dikinase Reveals the Precise Regulatory Mechanism of Its Enzymatic Activity1[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Chen, Yi-Bo; Lu, Tian-Cong; Wang, Hong-Xia; Shen, Jie; Bu, Tian-Tian; Chao, Qing; Gao, Zhi-Fang; Zhu, Xin-Guang; Wang, Yue-Feng; Wang, Bai-Chen

2014-01-01

In C4 plants, pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) activity is tightly dark/light regulated by reversible phosphorylation of an active-site threonine (Thr) residue; this process is catalyzed by PPDK regulatory protein (PDRP). Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of PPDK lead to its inactivation and activation, respectively. Here, we show that light intensity rather than the light/dark transition regulates PPDK activity by modulating the reversible phosphorylation at Thr-527 (previously termed Thr-456) of PPDK in maize (Zea mays). The amount of PPDK (unphosphorylated) involved in C4 photosynthesis is indeed strictly controlled by light intensity, despite the high levels of PPDK protein that accumulate in mesophyll chloroplasts. In addition, we identified a transit peptide cleavage site, uncovered partial amino-terminal acetylation, and detected phosphorylation at four serine (Ser)/Thr residues, two of which were previously unknown in maize. In vitro experiments indicated that Thr-527 and Ser-528, but not Thr-309 and Ser-506, are targets of PDRP. Modeling suggests that the two hydrogen bonds between the highly conserved residues Ser-528 and glycine-525 are required for PDRP-mediated phosphorylation of the active-site Thr-527 of PPDK. Taken together, our results suggest that the regulation of maize plastid PPDK isoform (C4PPDK) activity is much more complex than previously reported. These diverse regulatory pathways may work alone or in combination to fine-tune C4PPDK activity in response to changes in lighting. PMID:24710069

Retracted articles in surgery journals. What are surgeons doing wrong?

PubMed

Cassão, Bruna Dell'Acqua; Herbella, Fernando A M; Schlottmann, Francisco; Patti, Marco G

2018-06-01

Retraction of previously published scientific articles is an important mechanism to preserve the integrity of scientific work. This study analyzed retractions of previously published articles from surgery journals. We searched for retracted articles in the 100 surgery journals with the highest SJR2 indicator grades. We found 130 retracted articles in 49 journals (49%). Five or more retracted articles were published in 8 journals (8%). The mean time between publication and retraction was 26 months (range 1 to 158 months). The United States, China, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom accounted for more than 3 out of 4 of the retracted articles. The greatest number of retractions came from manuscripts about orthopedics and traumatology, general surgery, anesthesiology, cardiothoracic surgery, and plastic surgery. Nonsurgeons were responsible for 16% of retractions in these surgery journals. The main reasons for retraction were duplicate publication (42%), plagiarism (16%), absence of proven integrity of the study (14%), incorrect data (13%), data published without authorization (12%), violation of research ethics (11%), documented fraud (11%), request of an author(s) (5%), and unknown (3%). In 25% of the retracted articles, other publications by the same authors also had been retracted. Retraction of published articles does not occur frequently in surgery journals. Some form of scientific misconduct was present in the majority of retractions, especially duplication of publication and plagiarism. Retractions of previously published articles were most frequent from countries with the greatest number of publications; some authors showed recidivism. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using the Schur Complement to Reduce Runtime in KULL's Magnetic Diffusion Package

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

Brunner, T A; Kolev, T V

2010-12-15

Recently a Resistive Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) package has been added to the KULL code. In order to be compatible with the underlying hydrodynamics algorithm, a new sub-zonal magnetics discretization was developed that supports arbitrary polygonal and polyhedral zones. This flexibility comes at the cost of many more unknowns per zone - approximately ten times more for a hexahedral mesh. We can eliminate some (or all, depending on the dimensionality) of the extra unknowns from the global matrix during assembly by using a Schur complement approach. This trades expensive global work for cache-friendly local work, while still allowing solution for the fullmore » system. Significant improvements in the solution time are observed for several test problems.« less

Using a two-step matrix solution to reduce the run time in KULL's magnetic diffusion package

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

Brunner, T A; Kolev, T V

2010-12-17

Recently a Resistive Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) package has been added to the KULL code. In order to be compatible with the underlying hydrodynamics algorithm, a new sub-zonal magnetics discretization was developed that supports arbitrary polygonal and polyhedral zones. This flexibility comes at the cost of many more unknowns per zone - approximately ten times more for a hexahedral mesh. We can eliminate some (or all, depending on the dimensionality) of the extra unknowns from the global matrix during assembly by using a Schur complement approach. This trades expensive global work for cache-friendly local work, while still allowing solution for the fullmore » system. Significant improvements in the solution time are observed for several test problems.« less

Enhanced bioavailability of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the form of mucin complexes.

PubMed

Drug, Eyal; Landesman-Milo, Dalit; Belgorodsky, Bogdan; Ermakov, Natalia; Frenkel-Pinter, Moran; Fadeev, Ludmila; Peer, Dan; Gozin, Michael

2011-03-21

Increasing exposure of biological systems to large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is of great public concern. Organisms have an array of biological defense mechanisms, and it is believed that mucosal gel (which covers the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, etc.) provides an effective chemical shield against a range of toxic materials. However, in this work, we demonstrate, for the first time, that, upon complexation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons with mucins, enhanced bioavailability and, therefore, toxicity are obtained. This work was aimed to demonstrate how complexation of various highly hydrophobic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with representative mucin glycoprotein could lead to the formation of previously undescribed materials, which exhibit increased toxicity versus pristine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In the present work, we show that a representative mucin glycoprotein, bovine submaxillary mucin, has impressive and unprecedented capabilities of binding and solubilizing water-insoluble materials in physiological solution. The complexes formed between the mucin and a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were comprehensively characterized, and their toxicity was evaluated by both in vivo and in vitro assays. In addition, the bioavailability and membrane-penetration capabilities were tested using an internalization assay. Our results provide, for the first time, evidence of an unknown route by which hydrophobic materials may achieve higher bioavailability, penetrating some of the biological defense systems, in the form of water-soluble complexes with mucosal proteins.

Bruno Touschek: particle physicist and father of the e+e- collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonolis, Luisa; Pancheri, Giulia

2011-07-01

This article gives a brief outline of the life and works of the Austrian physicist Bruno Touschek, who conceived and, 50 years ago, brought to completion the construction of AdA, the first electron-positron storage ring. The events which led to the approval of the AdA project and the Franco-Italian collaboration which confirmed the feasibility of electron-positron storage rings will be recalled. We shall illustrate Bruno Touschek's formation both as a theoretical physicist and as an expert in particle accelerators during the period between the time he had to leave the Vienna Staatgymnasium in 1938, because of his Jewish origin from the maternal side, until he arrived in Italy in the early 1950s and, in 1960, proposed to build AdA, in Frascati. The events which led to Touschek's collaboration with Rolf Widerøe in the construction of the first European betatron will be described. The article will make use of a number of unpublished as well as previously unknown documents, which include an early correspondence with Arnold Sommerfeld and Bruno Touschek's letters to his family in Vienna from Italy, Germany and Great Britain. The impact of Touschek's work on students and collaborators from University of Rome will be illustrated through his work on QED infrared radiative corrections to high energy e + e - experiments and the book Meccanica Statistica.

Evidence analysis library review of best practices for performing indirect calorimetry in healthy and non-critically ill individuals.

PubMed

Fullmer, Susan; Benson-Davies, Sue; Earthman, Carrie P; Frankenfield, David C; Gradwell, Erica; Lee, Peggy S P; Piemonte, Tami; Trabulsi, Jillian

2015-09-01

When measurement of resting metabolic rate (RMR) by indirect calorimetry is necessary, following evidence-based protocols will ensure the individual has achieved a resting state. The purpose of this project was to update the best practices for measuring RMR by indirect calorimetry in healthy and non-critically ill adults and children found the Evidence Analysis Library of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The Evidence Analysis process described by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was followed. The Ovid database was searched for papers published between 2003 and 2012 using key words identified by the work group and research consultants, studies used in the previous project were also considered (1980 to 2003), and references were hand searched. The work group worked in pairs to assign papers to specific questions; however, the work group developed evidence summaries, conclusion statements, and recommendations as a group. Only 43 papers were included to answer 21 questions about the best practices to ensure an individual is at rest when measuring RMR in the non-critically ill population. In summary, subjects should be fasted for at least 7 hours and rest for 30 minutes in a thermoneutral, quiet, and dimly lit room in the supine position before the test, without doing any activities, including fidgeting, reading, or listening to music. RMR can be measured at any time of the day as long as resting conditions are met. The duration of the effects of nicotine and caffeine and other stimulants is unknown, but lasts longer than 140 minutes and 240 minutes, respectively. The duration of the effects of various types of exercise on RMR is unknown. Recommendations for achieving steady state, preferred gas-collection devices, and use of respiratory quotient to detect measurement errors are also given. Of the 21 conclusions statements developed in this systemic review, only 5 received a grade I or II. One limitation is the low number of studies available to address the questions and most of the included studies had small sample sizes and were conducted in healthy adults. More research on how to conduct an indirect calorimetry measurement in healthy adults and children and in sick, but not critically ill, individuals is needed. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distributed subterranean exploration and mapping with teams of UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, John G.; Sherrill, Ryan E.; Schang, Arthur; Meadows, Shava L.; Cox, Eric P.; Byrne, Brendan; Baran, David G.; Curtis, J. Willard; Brink, Kevin M.

2017-05-01

Teams of small autonomous UAVs can be used to map and explore unknown environments which are inaccessible to teams of human operators in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts (HA/DR). In addition to HA/DR applications, teams of small autonomous UAVs can enhance Warfighter capabilities and provide operational stand-off for military operations such as cordon and search, counter-WMD, and other intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. This paper will present a hardware platform and software architecture to enable distributed teams of heterogeneous UAVs to navigate, explore, and coordinate their activities to accomplish a search task in a previously unknown environment.

RADIATION-INDUCED MUTATIONS FOR STEM RUST RESISTANCE IN OATS

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

Konzak, C.F.

1959-01-01

Stem rust rcsistant viriants from earlier experiments on the induction or resistance in oats by radiation were found to result from natural field hybridization. Recent controlled experiments did, however, yield new variants at a low frequency in one instance. and no variants in another. Both experiments included over 3,000 lines from irradiated seeds. One previously unknown type of rust resistance reaction was obtained in a mutant plant. This mutant shows a temperature sensitive response for resistance to race 7A of Puccinia graminis avenae. It was suggested that some, as yet unknown, mcdifying factors mav limit the development of induced changesmore » into mutations. (auth)« less

PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF SHAPE-DESCRIPTIVE FACTORS FOR THE PROGRESSION OF GEOGRAPHIC ATROPHY SECONDARY TO AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PubMed

Pfau, Maximilian; Lindner, Moritz; Goerdt, Lukas; Thiele, Sarah; Nadal, Jennifer; Schmid, Matthias; Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen; Sadda, SriniVas R; Holz, Frank G; Fleckenstein, Monika

2018-05-16

To systematically compare the prognostic value of multiple shape-descriptive factors in the natural course of the disease. A total of 296 eyes of 201 patients (female patients 130; mean age: 72.2 ± 13.08 years) with a median follow-up of 2.38 years from 2 prospective, noninterventional natural history studies (Fundus-Autofluorescence-in-Age-related-Macular-Degeneration [clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00393692], Directional-Spread-in-Geographic-Atrophy [NCT02051998]) were included in the analysis. Serial fundus autofluorescence images were annotated using semiautomated image analysis software to determine the lesion area, circularity, perimeter, and caliper diameters. These variables and the fundus autofluorescence phenotype were evaluated for prediction of the future square root progression rates using linear mixed-effects models. For the combined model, leave-one-out cross validation on patient level (Scenario 1: previously unknown patient) resulted in a goodness-to-fit (R value) of 0.244 and leave-one-out cross validation on visit level (Scenario 2: previous observation of the patient) in a R value of 0.391. This indicated that shape-descriptive factors could explain 24.4% of the variance in geographic atrophy progression in previously unknown patients and 39.1% in patients with previous observation. These findings confirm the relevance of shape-descriptive factors and previous progression as prognostic variables for geographic atrophy progression. However, a substantial part of the remaining variation in geographic atrophy progression seems to depend on other variables, some of which are visible in optical coherence tomography.

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) due to Legionnaire's disease.

PubMed

Muñoz-Gómez, Sigridh; Cunha, Burke A

2015-01-01

Fevers of unknown origin (FUOs) may be due to any of over 200 different disorders. We present a most unusual case of an FUO in a returning traveler from the Dominican Republic. Work-up for Q fever, Brucellosis, Bartonella, malaria and HIV were negative, but very highly elevated ESRs and ferritin levels suggested possible Legionnaire's disease. This is the third reported case of Legionnaire's disease presenting as an FUO. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seeing the Body Distorts Tactile Size Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longo, Matthew R.; Sadibolova, Renata

2013-01-01

Vision of the body modulates somatosensation, even when entirely non-informative about stimulation. For example, seeing the body increases tactile spatial acuity, but reduces acute pain. While previous results demonstrate that vision of the body modulates somatosensory sensitivity, it is unknown whether vision also affects metric properties of…

Diesel particle-induced transcriptional expression of P21 involves activation of EGFR, SRC, and STAT3

EPA Science Inventory

Exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) has been associated with adverse health outcomes such as inflammation, adjuvancy, and mutagenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which DEP inhalation exerts these effects are still largely unknown. We previously reported that expo...

Magical Thinking in Narratives of Adolescent Cutters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Robert J.; Mustata, Georgian T.

2012-01-01

Adolescents sometimes cut themselves to relieve distress; however, the mechanism is unknown. Previous studies have linked self-injury to deficits in processing emotions symbolically through language. To investigate expressive language of adolescent cutters, the authors analyzed 100 narratives posted on the Internet. Most narratives (n = 66)…

Orthographic Facilitation in Chinese Spoken Word Recognition: An ERP Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zou, Lijuan; Desroches, Amy S.; Liu, Youyi; Xia, Zhichao; Shu, Hua

2012-01-01

Orthographic influences in spoken word recognition have been previously examined in alphabetic languages. However, it is unknown whether orthographic information affects spoken word recognition in Chinese, which has a clean dissociation between orthography (O) and phonology (P). The present study investigated orthographic effects using event…

Description of Lutzomyia (Trichophoromyia) pabloi n. sp. and the female of L. howardi (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Colombia.

PubMed

Barreto, Mauricio; Burbano, María Elena; Young, David G

2002-07-01

A new Lutzomyia species in the subgenus Trichophoromyia, L. pabloi, is described and illustrated. A description of the previously unknown female of L. howardi Young is also presented. These specimens were captured in the Amazon region of Colombia.

Vocabulary knowledge mediates the link between socioeconomic status and word learning in grade school.

PubMed

Maguire, Mandy J; Schneider, Julie M; Middleton, Anna E; Ralph, Yvonne; Lopez, Michael; Ackerman, Robert A; Abel, Alyson D

2018-02-01

The relationship between children's slow vocabulary growth and the family's low socioeconomic status (SES) has been well documented. However, previous studies have often focused on infants or preschoolers and primarily used static measures of vocabulary at multiple time points. To date, there is no research investigating whether SES predicts a child's word learning abilities in grade school and, if so, what mediates this relationship. In this study, 68 children aged 8-15 years performed a written word learning from context task that required using the surrounding text to identify the meaning of an unknown word. Results revealed that vocabulary knowledge significantly mediated the relationship between SES (as measured by maternal education) and word learning. This was true despite the fact that the words in the linguistic context surrounding the target word are typically acquired well before 8 years of age. When controlling for vocabulary, word learning from written context was not predicted by differences in reading comprehension, decoding, or working memory. These findings reveal that differences in vocabulary growth between grade school children from low and higher SES homes are likely related to differences in the process of word learning more than knowledge of surrounding words or reading skills. Specifically, children from lower SES homes are not as effective at using known vocabulary to build a robust semantic representation of incoming text to identify the meaning of an unknown word. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of calcium flux in neurons in response to pulsed infrared light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, Alex J.; Sedelnikova, Anna; Tolstykh, Gleb P.; Ibey, Bennett L.; Beier, Hope T.

2017-02-01

Pulsed infrared light can excite action potentials in neurons; yet, the fundamental mechanism underlying this phenomenon is unknown. Previous work has observed a rise in intracellular calcium concentration following infrared exposure, but the source of the calcium and mechanism of release is unknown. Here, we used fluorescence lifetime imaging of Oregon Green BAPTA-1 to study intracellular calcium dynamics in primary rat hippocampal neurons in response to infrared light exposure. The fluorescence lifetime of Oregon Green BAPTA-1 is longer when bound to calcium, and allows robust measurement of intracellular free calcium concentrations. First, a fluorescence lifetime calcium calibration curve for Oregon Green BAPTA-1 was determined in solutions. The normalized amplitude of the short and long lifetimes was calibrated to calcium concentration. Then, neurons were incubated in Oregon Green BAPTA-1 and exposed to pulses of infrared light (0-1 J/cm2; 0-5 ms; 1869 nm). Fluorescence lifetime images were acquired prior to, during, and after the infrared exposure. Fluorescence lifetime images, 64x64 pixels, were acquired at 12 or 24 ms for frame rates of 83 and 42 Hz, respectively. Accurate α1 approximations were achieved in images with low photon counts by computing an α1 index value from the relative probability of the observed decay events. Results show infrared light exposure increases intracellular calcium in neurons. Altogether, this study demonstrates accurate fluorescence lifetime component analysis from low-photon count data for improved imaging speed.

A leader's framework for decision making. A leader's framework for decision making.

PubMed

Snowden, David J; Boone, Mary E

2007-11-01

Many executives are surprised when previously successful leadership approaches fail in new situations, but different contexts call for different kinds of responses. Before addressing a situation, leaders need to recognize which context governs it -and tailor their actions accordingly. Snowden and Boone have formed a new perspective on leadership and decision making that's based on complexity science. The result is the Cynefin framework, which helps executives sort issues into five contexts: Simple contexts are characterized by stability and cause-and-effect relationships that are clear to everyone. Often, the right answer is self-evident. In this realm of "known knowns," leaders must first assess the facts of a situation -that is, "sense" it -then categorize and respond to it. Complicated contexts may contain multiple right answers, and though there is a clear relationship between cause and effect, not everyone can see it. This is the realm of "known unknowns." Here, leaders must sense, analyze, and respond. In a complex context, right answers can't be ferreted out at all; rather, instructive patterns emerge if the leader conducts experiments that can safely fail. This is the realm of "unknown unknowns," where much of contemporary business operates. Leaders in this context need to probe first, then sense, and then respond. In a chaotic context, searching for right answers is pointless. The relationships between cause and effect are impossible to determine because they shift constantly and no manageable patterns exist. This is the realm of unknowables (the events of September 11, 2001, fall into this category). In this domain, a leader must first act to establish order, sense where stability is present, and then work to transform the situation from chaos to complexity. The fifth context, disorder, applies when it is unclear which of the other four contexts is predominant. The way out is to break the situation into its constituent parts and assign each to one of the other four realms. Leaders can then make decisions and intervene in contextually appropriate ways.

Active vibration control for piezoelectricity cantilever beam: an adaptive feedforward control method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Qiao; Yue, Jun-Zhou; Liu, Wei-Qun; Wang, Xu-Dong; Chen, Jun; Hu, Guang-Di

2017-04-01

This work is focused on the active vibration control of piezoelectric cantilever beam, where an adaptive feedforward controller (AFC) is utilized to reject the vibration with unknown multiple frequencies. First, the experiment setup and its mathematical model are introduced. Due to that the channel between the disturbance and the vibration output is unknown in practice, a concept of equivalent input disturbance (EID) is employed to put an equivalent disturbance into the input channel. In this situation, the vibration control can be achieved by setting the control input be the identified EID. Then, for the EID with known multiple frequencies, the AFC is introduced to perfectly reject the vibration but is sensitive to the frequencies. In order to accurately identify the unknown frequencies of EID in presence of the random disturbances and un-modeled nonlinear dynamics, the time-frequency-analysis (TFA) method is employed to precisely identify the unknown frequencies. Consequently, a TFA-based AFC algorithm is proposed to the active vibration control with unknown frequencies. Finally, four cases are given to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed TFA-based AFC algorithm by experiment.

High risk of near-crash driving events following night-shift work

PubMed Central

Lee, Michael L.; Howard, Mark E.; Horrey, William J.; Liang, Yulan; Anderson, Clare; Shreeve, Michael S.; O’Brien, Conor S.; Czeisler, Charles A.

2016-01-01

Night-shift workers are at high risk of drowsiness-related motor vehicle crashes as a result of circadian disruption and sleep restriction. However, the impact of actual night-shift work on measures of drowsiness and driving performance while operating a real motor vehicle remains unknown. Sixteen night-shift workers completed two 2-h daytime driving sessions on a closed driving track at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety: (i) a postsleep baseline driving session after an average of 7.6 ± 2.4 h sleep the previous night with no night-shift work, and (ii) a postnight-shift driving session following night-shift work. Physiological measures of drowsiness were collected, including infrared reflectance oculography, electroencephalography, and electrooculography. Driving performance measures included lane excursions, near-crash events, and drives terminated because of failure to maintain control of the vehicle. Eleven near-crashes occurred in 6 of 16 postnight-shift drives (37.5%), and 7 of 16 postnight-shift drives (43.8%) were terminated early for safety reasons, compared with zero near-crashes or early drive terminations during 16 postsleep drives (Fishers exact: P = 0.0088 and P = 0.0034, respectively). Participants had a significantly higher rate of lane excursions, average Johns Drowsiness Scale, blink duration, and number of slow eye movements during postnight-shift drives compared with postsleep drives (3.09/min vs. 1.49/min; 1.71 vs. 0.97; 125 ms vs. 100 ms; 35.8 vs. 19.1; respectively, P < 0.05 for all). Night-shift work increases driver drowsiness, degrading driving performance and increasing the risk of near-crash drive events. With more than 9.5 million Americans working overnight or rotating shifts and one-third of United States commutes exceeding 30 min, these results have implications for traffic and occupational safety. PMID:26699470

High risk of near-crash driving events following night-shift work.

PubMed

Lee, Michael L; Howard, Mark E; Horrey, William J; Liang, Yulan; Anderson, Clare; Shreeve, Michael S; O'Brien, Conor S; Czeisler, Charles A

2016-01-05

Night-shift workers are at high risk of drowsiness-related motor vehicle crashes as a result of circadian disruption and sleep restriction. However, the impact of actual night-shift work on measures of drowsiness and driving performance while operating a real motor vehicle remains unknown. Sixteen night-shift workers completed two 2-h daytime driving sessions on a closed driving track at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety: (i) a postsleep baseline driving session after an average of 7.6 ± 2.4 h sleep the previous night with no night-shift work, and (ii) a postnight-shift driving session following night-shift work. Physiological measures of drowsiness were collected, including infrared reflectance oculography, electroencephalography, and electrooculography. Driving performance measures included lane excursions, near-crash events, and drives terminated because of failure to maintain control of the vehicle. Eleven near-crashes occurred in 6 of 16 postnight-shift drives (37.5%), and 7 of 16 postnight-shift drives (43.8%) were terminated early for safety reasons, compared with zero near-crashes or early drive terminations during 16 postsleep drives (Fishers exact: P = 0.0088 and P = 0.0034, respectively). Participants had a significantly higher rate of lane excursions, average Johns Drowsiness Scale, blink duration, and number of slow eye movements during postnight-shift drives compared with postsleep drives (3.09/min vs. 1.49/min; 1.71 vs. 0.97; 125 ms vs. 100 ms; 35.8 vs. 19.1; respectively, P < 0.05 for all). Night-shift work increases driver drowsiness, degrading driving performance and increasing the risk of near-crash drive events. With more than 9.5 million Americans working overnight or rotating shifts and one-third of United States commutes exceeding 30 min, these results have implications for traffic and occupational safety.

Influence of moderate training on gait and work capacity of fibromyalgia patients: a preliminary field study.

PubMed

Tiidus, Peter M; Pierrynowski, Michael; Dawson, Kimberley A

2002-12-01

This field study examined the influence of moderate intensity training on gait patterns and work capacity of individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome (FS). FS is a chronic condition of unknown etiology, characterized by muscle tenderness, pain and stiffness and often accompanied by depression and fatigue which seems to occur primarily in middle aged females. There is no known cure for FS but treatment often includes a prescription of mild exercise. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of mild exercise on work capacity and gait patterns in FS patients. Participants were 14 females (age 47.0 ± 7.6 y) who participated in a 10 wk community based aerobic, strength and stretching program designed for FS individuals. Subjects were evaluated pre- and post-program and at a 2 month follow up. Work capacity was estimated by a sub-maximal PWC 170 cycle ergometer test and a Borg perceived exertion scale. Gait was assessed using OptoTrack three dimensional kinematics with 16 channel analogue data acquisition system. Trunk flexibility was also assessed. No significant change in estimated work capacity or flexibility was seen between pre- post- and follow up times. Nevertheless, a significant increase in self selected walking speed (p < 0.05) and a trend toward a more normal gait pattern that was sustained in the follow up testing was noted. We had previously also reported a significant improvement in muscle pain and other fibromyalgia symptoms in this population consequent to the training program. It was concluded that mild exercise training that does not influence work capacity or trunk flexibility can nevertheless positively influence gait mechanics and fibromyalgia symptoms in female FS patients.

Influence of Moderate Training on Gait and Work Capacity of Fibromyalgia Patients: A Preliminary Field Study

PubMed Central

Tiidus, Peter M.; Pierrynowski, Michael; Dawson, Kimberley A.

2002-01-01

This field study examined the influence of moderate intensity training on gait patterns and work capacity of individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome (FS). FS is a chronic condition of unknown etiology, characterized by muscle tenderness, pain and stiffness and often accompanied by depression and fatigue which seems to occur primarily in middle aged females. There is no known cure for FS but treatment often includes a prescription of mild exercise. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of mild exercise on work capacity and gait patterns in FS patients. Participants were 14 females (age 47.0 ± 7.6 y) who participated in a 10 wk community based aerobic, strength and stretching program designed for FS individuals. Subjects were evaluated pre- and post-program and at a 2 month follow up. Work capacity was estimated by a sub-maximal PWC 170 cycle ergometer test and a Borg perceived exertion scale. Gait was assessed using OptoTrack three dimensional kinematics with 16 channel analogue data acquisition system. Trunk flexibility was also assessed. No significant change in estimated work capacity or flexibility was seen between pre- post- and follow up times. Nevertheless, a significant increase in self selected walking speed (p < 0.05) and a trend toward a more normal gait pattern that was sustained in the follow up testing was noted. We had previously also reported a significant improvement in muscle pain and other fibromyalgia symptoms in this population consequent to the training program. It was concluded that mild exercise training that does not influence work capacity or trunk flexibility can nevertheless positively influence gait mechanics and fibromyalgia symptoms in female FS patients. PMID:24748843

Deep sequencing of the small RNA transcriptome of normal and malignant human B cells identifies hundreds of novel microRNAs

PubMed Central

Jima, Dereje D.; Zhang, Jenny; Jacobs, Cassandra; Richards, Kristy L.; Dunphy, Cherie H.; Choi, William W. L.; Yan Au, Wing; Srivastava, Gopesh; Czader, Magdalena B.; Rizzieri, David A.; Lagoo, Anand S.; Lugar, Patricia L.; Mann, Karen P.; Flowers, Christopher R.; Bernal-Mizrachi, Leon; Naresh, Kikkeri N.; Evens, Andrew M.; Gordon, Leo I.; Luftig, Micah; Friedman, Daphne R.; Weinberg, J. Brice; Thompson, Michael A.; Gill, Javed I.; Liu, Qingquan; How, Tam; Grubor, Vladimir; Gao, Yuan; Patel, Amee; Wu, Han; Zhu, Jun; Blobe, Gerard C.; Lipsky, Peter E.; Chadburn, Amy

2010-01-01

A role for microRNA (miRNA) has been recognized in nearly every biologic system examined thus far. A complete delineation of their role must be preceded by the identification of all miRNAs present in any system. We elucidated the complete small RNA transcriptome of normal and malignant B cells through deep sequencing of 31 normal and malignant human B-cell samples that comprise the spectrum of B-cell differentiation and common malignant phenotypes. We identified the expression of 333 known miRNAs, which is more than twice the number previously recognized in any tissue type. We further identified the expression of 286 candidate novel miRNAs in normal and malignant B cells. These miRNAs were validated at a high rate (92%) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and we demonstrated their application in the distinction of clinically relevant subgroups of lymphoma. We further demonstrated that a novel miRNA cluster, previously annotated as a hypothetical gene LOC100130622, contains 6 novel miRNAs that regulate the transforming growth factor-β pathway. Thus, our work suggests that more than a third of the miRNAs present in most cellular types are currently unknown and that these miRNAs may regulate important cellular functions. PMID:20733160

The Myb-domain protein ULTRAPETALA1 INTERACTING FACTOR 1 controls floral meristem activities in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Moreau, Fanny; Thévenon, Emmanuel; Blanvillain, Robert; Lopez-Vidriero, Irene; Franco-Zorrilla, Jose Manuel; Dumas, Renaud; Parcy, François; Morel, Patrice; Trehin, Christophe; Carles, Cristel C

2016-04-01

Higher plants continuously and iteratively produce new above-ground organs in the form of leaves, stems and flowers. These organs arise from shoot apical meristems whose homeostasis depends on coordination between self-renewal of stem cells and their differentiation into organ founder cells. This coordination is stringently controlled by the central transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS), which is both necessary and sufficient for stem cell specification in Arabidopsis thaliana ULTRAPETALA1 (ULT1) was previously identified as a plant-specific, negative regulator of WUS expression. However, molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation remain unknown. ULT1 protein contains a SAND putative DNA-binding domain and a B-box, previously proposed as a protein interaction domain in eukaryotes. Here, we characterise a novel partner of ULT1, named ULT1 INTERACTING FACTOR 1 (UIF1), which contains a Myb domain and an EAR motif. UIF1 and ULT1 function in the same pathway for regulation of organ number in the flower. Moreover, UIF1 displays DNA-binding activity and specifically binds to WUS regulatory elements. We thus provide genetic and molecular evidence that UIF1 and ULT1 work together in floral meristem homeostasis, probably by direct repression of WUS expression. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Transcriptome analysis reveals long intergenic non-coding RNAs involved in skeletal muscle growth and development in pig.

PubMed

Zou, Cheng; Li, Jingxuan; Luo, Wenzhe; Li, Long; Hu, An; Fu, Yuhua; Hou, Ye; Li, Changchun

2017-08-18

Long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) play essential roles in numerous biological processes and are widely studied. The skeletal muscle is an important tissue that plays an essential role in individual movement ability. However, lincRNAs in pig skeletal muscles are largely undiscovered and their biological functions remain elusive. In this study, we assembled transcriptomes using RNA-seq data published in previous studies of our laboratory group and identified 323 lincRNAs in porcine leg muscle. We found that these lincRNAs have shorter transcript length, fewer exons and lower expression level than protein-coding genes. Gene ontology and pathway analyses indicated that many potential target genes (PTGs) of lincRNAs were involved in skeletal-muscle-related processes, such as muscle contraction and muscle system process. Combined our previous studies, we found a potential regulatory mechanism in which the promoter methylation of lincRNAs can negatively regulate lincRNA expression and then positively regulate PTG expression, which can finally result in abnormal phenotypes of cloned piglets through a certain unknown pathway. This work detailed a number of lincRNAs and their target genes involved in skeletal muscle growth and development and can facilitate future studies on their roles in skeletal muscle growth and development.

Long-Term Occupational Stress Is Associated with Regional Reductions in Brain Tissue Volumes

PubMed Central

Blix, Eva; Perski, Aleksander; Berglund, Hans; Savic, Ivanka

2013-01-01

There are increasing reports of cognitive and psychological declines related to occupational stress in subjects without psychiatric premorbidity or major life trauma. The underlying neurobiology is unknown, and many question the notion that the described disabilities represent a medical condition. Using PET we recently found that persons suffering from chronic occupational stress had limbic reductions in the 5-HT1A receptor binding potential. Here we examine whether chronic work-related stress is also associated with changes in brain structure. We performed MRI-based voxel-based morphometry and structural volumetry in stressed subjects and unstressed controls focusing on gray (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes, and the volumes of hippocampus, caudate, and putamen – structures known to be susceptible to neurotoxic changes. Stressed subjects exhibited significant reductions in the GM volumes of the anterior cingulate cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, their caudate and putamen volumes were reduced, and the volumes correlated inversely to the degree of perceived stress. Our results add to previous data on chronic psychosocial stress, and indicate a morphological involvement of the frontostriatal circuits. The present findings of morphological changes in these regions confirm our previous conclusion that symptoms from occupational stress merit careful investigations and targeted treatment. PMID:23776438

The Unknown City: Lives of Poor and Working-Class Young Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fine, Michelle; Weis, Lois

The deeply fractured nature of U.S. society is examined, focusing on poor and working class people in cities. Based on data from 154 poor and working class young adults aged 23 to 35, the study reveals the ways in which this urban generation has suffered from social change. The following chapters are included: (1) "Voices of Hope and Despair:…

A PILOT STUDY TO DETERMINE THE WATER VOLUME INJESTED BY RECREATIONAL SWIMMERS

EPA Science Inventory

The volume of water ingested by recreational swimmers is unknown. Previous estimates by a number of investigators range from 10mL to 100mL. These estimates, however, are unsupported by empirical data. Many outdoor swimming pools are disinfected using cyanuric acid stabilized c...

Metabolic changes associated with elevated respiration rate in stored sugarbeet roots after injury

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although respiration is estimated to cause 60 to 80% of the sucrose loss that occurs during storage, the mechanisms controlling sugarbeet root respiration rate are unknown. Previous research suggested that sugarbeet root respiration was limited by the availability of respiratory substrates, which a...

Effects of marigold on the behavior, survival, and nutrient reserves of Aphidius platensis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Marigolds (Tagetes erecta L.) suppress nematodes and are attractive companion plants, but their role in biological control is unknown. We evaluated how exposure to marigold blooms impacts the aphid parasitoid, Aphidius platensis Brethes. Female wasps previously exposed to marigold spent more time wa...

Presence of virulent Newcastle disease virus in vaccinated chickens in farms in Pakistan

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The sites where virulent Newcastle disease virus persists in endemic countries are unknown. Evidence presented here shows that the same strain that caused a previous outbreak was present in both apparently healthy and sick vaccinated birds from multiple farms that had high average specific antibody...

Beldonea Cameron (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae: Tenthredininae) new to Thailand, and the males of B. okutanii and B. impunctata

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Beldonea impunctata (Wei) is recorded from Thailand and is the first record of the genus and species from this country. The previously unknown male of B. impunctata is described and separated from the closely related B. okutanii (Saini et al.) from India....

Iatrogenic Buschke's disease (Michelin man syndrome)

PubMed

Ahmad, N; Lawrence, J R; Macdonald, J W

1988-02-01

Scleredema [corrected] adultorum as originally described by Buschke in 1900, is cutaneous thickening of unknown aetiology. Since then several cases have been reported which have illustrated different aspects of the disease but the exact aetiology, pathogenesis and prognosis remain uncertain. Disease of possible iatrogenic origin appears not to have been described previously.

Persistence of Value-Driven Attentional Capture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Brian A.; Yantis, Steven

2013-01-01

Stimuli that have previously been associated with the delivery of reward involuntarily capture attention when presented as unrewarded and task-irrelevant distractors in a subsequent visual search task. It is unknown how long such effects of reward learning on attention persist. One possibility is that value-driven attentional biases are plastic…

Automated Network Anomaly Detection with Learning, Control and Mitigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ippoliti, Dennis

2014-01-01

Anomaly detection is a challenging problem that has been researched within a variety of application domains. In network intrusion detection, anomaly based techniques are particularly attractive because of their ability to identify previously unknown attacks without the need to be programmed with the specific signatures of every possible attack.…

Description of the larva of Mitosynum vockerothi Campbell, 1982, with remarks on the adult male genital morphology (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae).

PubMed

Makranczy, György; Webster, Reginald P

2016-01-01

The previously unknown larva of Mitosynum vockerothi Campbell, 1982, is described and illustrated. Adult male terminalia and genitalia are illustrated with line drawings. Adults of this species exhibit little difference in size or external morphology between males and females.

Swift J181723.1-164300 is likely a new bursting neutron star low-mass X-ray binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parikh, Aastha; Wijnands, Rudy; Degenaar, Nathalie; Altamirano, Diego

2017-08-01

On 28 July 2017 Swift/BAT triggered (#00765081) on an event corresponding to a previously unknown source (Barthelmy et al. 2017, GCN #21369, #21385). Its properties suggested it was likely a Galactic source and not a gamma-ray burst.

THE USE OF GENE ARRAYS TO DETERMINE TEMPORAL GENE INDUCTION IN SHEEPSHEAD MINNOWS EXPOSED TO E2

EPA Science Inventory

Gene arrays provide a means to study differential gene expression in fish exposed to environmental estrogens by providing a "snapshot" of the genes expressed at a given time. Such array data may also uncover previously unknown biochemical pathways affected by estrogenic compounds...

Coast live oak resistance to Phytophthora ramorum

Treesearch

B.A. McPherson; David L. Wood; Sylvia R. Mori; Pierluigi Bonello

2012-01-01

The oomycete Phytophthora ramorum is a plant pathogen with an unusually broad host range. Recognized in 2000 as a previously unknown and likely introduced species, this pathogen has become established in central and northern coastal California, southwestern Oregon, and Western Europe. Tree species that may be killed by stem cankers include true...

Aquatic larval immatures of two acentropines, Usingeriessa onyxalis (Hampson) and Oxyelophila callista (Forbes) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pyraloid moths in the subfamily Acentropinae have immatures that are aquatic, that is, they live and breathe underwater during all or part of their immature developmental stages. We discovered and describe the previously unknown larvae of Usingeriessa onyxalis (Hampson) (Crambidae) reared on Hygroph...

Checklist of copepods (Crustacea: Calanoida, Cyclopoida,Harpacticoida) from Wyoming, USA, with new state records

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Presentation of a comprehensive checklist of the copepod fauna of Wyoming, USA with 41 species of copepods; based on museum specimens, literature reviews, and active surveillance. Of these species 19 were previously unknown from the state. This checklist includes species in the families Centropagida...

Cross-Situational Learning of Minimal Word Pairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Escudero, Paola; Mulak, Karen E.; Vlach, Haley A.

2016-01-01

"Cross-situational statistical learning" of words involves tracking co-occurrences of auditory words and objects across time to infer word-referent mappings. Previous research has demonstrated that learners can infer referents across sets of very phonologically distinct words (e.g., WUG, DAX), but it remains unknown whether learners can…

Gene expression profiling in chicken heterophils with Salmonella enteritidis stimulation using a chicken 44 K Agilent microarray

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) is one of the most common food-borne pathogens that cause human salmonellosis and usually results from the consumption of contaminated poultry products. The mechanism of SE resistance in chickens remains largely unknown. Previously, heterophils isolated...

Students' Understanding of Dictionary Entries: A Study with Respect to Four Learners' Dictionaries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jana, Abhra; Amritavalli, Vijaya; Amritavalli, R.

2003-01-01

Investigates the effects of definitional information in the form of dictionary entries, on second language learners' vocabulary learning in an instructed setting. Indian students (Native Hindi speakers) of English received monolingual English dictionary entries of five previously unknown words from four different learner's dictionaries. Results…

Discovering Hidden Analogies in an Online Humanities Database.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cory, Kenneth A.

1999-01-01

Drawing upon an efficacious method for discovering previously unknown causes of medical syndromes and searching in the Humanities Index, an illuminating new humanities analogy between the epistemological ideas of Robert Frost and the ancient Greek philosopher Carneades was found by constructing a search statement in which proper names were coupled…

Discovery, identification and mitigation of isobaric sulfate metabolite interference to a phosphate prodrug in LC-MS/MS bioanalysis: Critical role of method development in ensuring assay quality.

PubMed

Yuan, Long; Ji, Qin C

2018-06-05

Metabolite interferences represent a major risk of inaccurate quantification when using LC-MS/MS bioanalytical assays. During LC-MS/MS bioanalysis of BMS-919194, a phosphate ester prodrug, in plasma samples from rat and monkey GLP toxicology studies, an unknown peak was detected in the MRM channel of the prodrug. This peak was not observed in previous discovery toxicology studies, in which a fast gradient LC-MS/MS method was used. We found out that this unknown peak would co-elute with the prodrug peak when the discovery method was used, therefore, causing significant overestimation of the exposure of the prodrug in the discovery toxicology studies. To understand the nature of this interfering peak and its impact to bioanalytical assay, we further investigated its formation and identification. The interfering compound and the prodrug were found to be isobaric and to have the same major product ions in electrospray ionization positive mode, thus, could not be differentiated using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. By using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), the interfering metabolite was successfully identified to be an isobaric sulfate metabolite of BMS-919194. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that a phosphate prodrug was metabolized in vivo to an isobaric sulfate metabolite, and this metabolite caused significant interference to the analysis of the prodrug. This work demonstrated the presence of the interference risk from isobaric sulfate metabolites to the bioanalysis of phosphate prodrugs in real samples. It is critical to evaluate and mitigate potential metabolite interferences during method development, therefore, minimize the related bioanalytical risks and ensure assay quality. Our work also showed the unique advantages of HRMS in identifying potential metabolite interference during LC-MS/MS bioanalysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Constraining Mass Anomalies Using Trans-dimensional Gravity Inversions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izquierdo, K.; Montesi, L.; Lekic, V.

2016-12-01

The density structure of planetary interiors constitutes a key constraint on their composition, temperature, and dynamics. This has motivated the development of non-invasive methods to infer 3D distribution of density anomalies within a planet's interior using gravity observations made from the surface or orbit. On Earth, this information can be supplemented by seismic and electromagnetic observations, but such data are generally not available on other planets and inferences must be made from gravity observations alone. Unfortunately, inferences of density anomalies from gravity are non-unique and even the dimensionality of the problem - i.e., the number of density anomalies detectable in the planetary interior - is unknown. In this project, we use the Reversible Jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) algorithm to approach gravity inversions in a trans-dimensional way, that is, considering the magnitude of the mass, the latitude, longitude, depth and number of anomalies itself as unknowns to be constrained by the observed gravity field at the surface of a planet. Our approach builds upon previous work using trans-dimensional gravity inversions in which the density contrast between the anomaly and the surrounding material is known. We validate the algorithm by analyzing a synthetic gravity field produced by a known density structure and comparing the retrieved and input density structures. We find excellent agreement between the input and retrieved structure when working in 1D and 2D domains. However, in 3D domains, comprehensive exploration of the much larger space of possible models makes search efficiency a key ingredient in successful gravity inversion. We find that upon a sufficiently long RJMCMC run, it is possible to use statistical information to recover a predicted model that matches the real model. We argue that even more complex problems, such as those involving real gravity acceleration data of a planet as the constraint, our trans-dimensional gravity inversion algorithm provides a good option to overcome the problem of non-uniqueness while achieving parsimony in gravity inversions.

A demonstration of adjoint methods for multi-dimensional remote sensing of the atmosphere and surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, William G. K.; Hasekamp, Otto P.

2018-01-01

In previous work, we derived the adjoint method as a computationally efficient path to three-dimensional (3D) retrievals of clouds and aerosols. In this paper we will demonstrate the use of adjoint methods for retrieving two-dimensional (2D) fields of cloud extinction. The demonstration uses a new 2D radiative transfer solver (FSDOM). This radiation code was augmented with adjoint methods to allow efficient derivative calculations needed to retrieve cloud and surface properties from multi-angle reflectance measurements. The code was then used in three synthetic retrieval studies. Our retrieval algorithm adjusts the cloud extinction field and surface albedo to minimize the measurement misfit function with a gradient-based, quasi-Newton approach. At each step we compute the value of the misfit function and its gradient with two calls to the solver FSDOM. First we solve the forward radiative transfer equation to compute the residual misfit with measurements, and second we solve the adjoint radiative transfer equation to compute the gradient of the misfit function with respect to all unknowns. The synthetic retrieval studies verify that adjoint methods are scalable to retrieval problems with many measurements and unknowns. We can retrieve the vertically-integrated optical depth of moderately thick clouds as a function of the horizontal coordinate. It is also possible to retrieve the vertical profile of clouds that are separated by clear regions. The vertical profile retrievals improve for smaller cloud fractions. This leads to the conclusion that cloud edges actually increase the amount of information that is available for retrieving the vertical profile of clouds. However, to exploit this information one must retrieve the horizontally heterogeneous cloud properties with a 2D (or 3D) model. This prototype shows that adjoint methods can efficiently compute the gradient of the misfit function. This work paves the way for the application of similar methods to 3D remote sensing problems.

Building blocks for automated elucidation of metabolites: natural product-likeness for candidate ranking.

PubMed

Jayaseelan, Kalai Vanii; Steinbeck, Christoph

2014-07-05

In metabolomics experiments, spectral fingerprints of metabolites with no known structural identity are detected routinely. Computer-assisted structure elucidation (CASE) has been used to determine the structural identities of unknown compounds. It is generally accepted that a single 1D NMR spectrum or mass spectrum is usually not sufficient to establish the identity of a hitherto unknown compound. When a suite of spectra from 1D and 2D NMR experiments supplemented with a molecular formula are available, the successful elucidation of the chemical structure for candidates with up to 30 heavy atoms has been reported previously by one of the authors. In high-throughput metabolomics, usually 1D NMR or mass spectrometry experiments alone are conducted for rapid analysis of samples. This method subsequently requires that the spectral patterns are analyzed automatically to quickly identify known and unknown structures. In this study, we investigated whether additional existing knowledge, such as the fact that the unknown compound is a natural product, can be used to improve the ranking of the correct structure in the result list after the structure elucidation process. To identify unknowns using as little spectroscopic information as possible, we implemented an evolutionary algorithm-based CASE mechanism to elucidate candidates in a fully automated fashion, with input of the molecular formula and 13C NMR spectrum of the isolated compound. We also tested how filters like natural product-likeness, a measure that calculates the similarity of the compounds to known natural product space, might enhance the performance and quality of the structure elucidation. The evolutionary algorithm is implemented within the SENECA package for CASE reported previously, and is available for free download under artistic license at http://sourceforge.net/projects/seneca/. The natural product-likeness calculator is incorporated as a plugin within SENECA and is available as a GUI client and command-line executable. Significant improvements in candidate ranking were demonstrated for 41 small test molecules when the CASE system was supplemented by a natural product-likeness filter. In spectroscopically underdetermined structure elucidation problems, natural product-likeness can contribute to a better ranking of the correct structure in the results list.

Procedures and results related to the direct determination of gravity anomalies from satellite and terrestrial gravity data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rapp, R. H.

1974-01-01

The equations needed for the incorporation of gravity anomalies as unknown parameters in an orbit determination program are described. These equations were implemented in the Geodyn computer program which was used to process optical satellite observations. The arc dependent parameter unknowns, 184 unknown 15 deg and coordinates of 7 tracking stations were considered. Up to 39 arcs (5 to 7 days) involving 10 different satellites, were processed. An anomaly solution from the satellite data and a combination solution with 15 deg terrestrial anomalies were made. The limited data samples indicate that the method works. The 15 deg anomalies from various solutions and the potential coefficients implied by the different solutions are reported.

Characterization of unknown brominated disinfection byproducts during chlorination using ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhang, Haifeng; Zhang, Yahe; Shi, Quan; Zheng, Hongdie; Yang, Min

2014-03-18

Brominated disinfection byproducts (Br-DBPs), formed from the reaction of disinfectant(s) with natural organic matter in the presence of bromide in raw water, are generally more cytotoxic and genotoxic than their chlorinated analogues. To date, only a few Br-DBPs in drinking water have been identified, while a significant portion of Br-DBPs in drinking water is still unknown. In this study, negative ion electrospray ionization ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS) was used to characterize unknown Br-DBPs in artificial drinking water. In total, 441 formulas for one-bromine-containing products and 37 formulas for two-bromine-containing products, most of which had not been previously reported, were detected in the chlorinated sample. Most Br-DBPs have corresponding chlorine-containing analogues with identical CHO composition. In addition, on-resonance collision-induced dissociation (CID) of single ultrahigh resolved bromine containing mass peaks was performed in the ICR cell to isolate single bromine-containing components in a very complex natural organic matter spectrum and provide structure information. Relatively abundant neutral loss of CO2 was observed in MS-MS spectra, indicating that the unknown Br-DBPs are rich in carboxyl groups. The results demonstrate that the ESI FT-ICR MS method could provide valuable molecular composition and structure information on unknown Br-DBPs.

Social Class Differences in N400 Indicate Differences in Spontaneous Trait Inference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varnum, Michael E. W.; Na, Jinkyung; Murata, Asuka; Kitayama, Shinobu

2012-01-01

An emerging literature indicates that dispositional bias in causal attribution of social behavior is weaker for people with working-class (vs. middle-class) backgrounds. However, it is unknown whether this difference is also present in spontaneous forms of trait inference. In the current work, American undergraduates were asked to merely memorize…

Gaps along the HIV care continuum: findings among a population seeking sexual health care services in New York City.

PubMed

Pathela, Preeti; Jamison, Kelly; Braunstein, Sarah L; Schillinger, Julia A; Tymejczyk, Olga; Nash, Denis

2018-03-02

Linkage/re-linkage to HIV care for virally unsuppressed persons with new sexually transmitted infections is critical for ending the HIV epidemic. We quantified HIV care continuum gaps, and viral suppression, among HIV-positive patients attending New York City (NYC) sexual health clinics (SHC). 1,649 HIV-positive patients and a 10% sample of 11,954 patients with unknown HIV status on clinic visit date (DOV) were matched against the NYC HIV registry. Using registry diagnosis dates, we categorized matched HIV-positive patients as "new-positives" (newly diagnosed on DOV), "recent-positives (diagnosed ≤90 days before DOV), "prevalent-positives" (diagnosed >90 days before DOV), and "unknown-positives" (previously diagnosed, but status unknown to clinic on DOV). We assessed HIV care continuum outcomes before and after DOV for new-positives, prevalent-positives, and unknown-positives using registry laboratory data. In addition to 1,626 known HIV-positive patients, 5% of the unknown sample (63/1,196) matched to the registry, signifying that about 630 additional HIV-positive patients attended SHCs. Of new-positives, 65% were linked to care after DOV. Of prevalent-positives, 66% were in care on DOV; 43% of the out-of-care were re-linked after DOV. Of unknown-positives, 40% were in care on DOV; 21% of the out-of-care re-linked after DOV. Viral suppression was achieved by: 88% of in-care unknown-positives, 76% in-care prevalent-positives, 50% new-positives, 42% out-of-care prevalent-positives, and 16% out-of-care unknown-positives. Many HIV-positive persons, including those with uncontrolled HIV infection, attend SHCs and potentially contribute to HIV spread. However, HIV status often is not known to staff, resulting in missed linkage/re-linkage to care opportunities. Better outcomes could be facilitated by real-time ascertainment of HIV status and HIV care status.

Structural and Mechanistic Roles of Novel Chemical Ligands on the SdiA Quorum-Sensing Transcription Regulator

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Y.; Nguyen, Nam X.; Rogers, Jamie L.; ...

2015-05-19

Bacteria engage in chemical signaling, termed quorum sensing (QS), to mediate intercellular communication, mimicking multicellular organisms. The LuxR family of QS transcription factors regulates gene expression, coordinating population behavior by sensing endogenous acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). However, some bacteria (such as Escherichia coli) do not produce AHLs. These LuxR orphans sense exogenous AHLs but also regulate transcription in the absence of AHLs. Importantly, this AHL-independent regulatory mechanism is still largely unknown. Here we present several structures of one such orphan LuxR-type protein, SdiA, from enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), in the presence and absence of AHL. SdiA is actually not inmore » an apo state without AHL but is regulated by a previously unknown endogenous ligand, 1-octanoyl-rac-glycerol (OCL), which is ubiquitously found throughout the tree of life and serves as an energy source, signaling molecule, and substrate for membrane biogenesis. While exogenous AHL renders to SdiA higher stability and DNA binding affinity, OCL may function as a chemical chaperone placeholder that stabilizes SdiA, allowing for basal activity. Structural comparison between SdiA-AHL and SdiA-OCL complexes provides crucial mechanistic insights into the ligand regulation of AHL-dependent and -independent function of LuxR-type proteins. Importantly, in addition to its contribution to basic science, this work has implications for public health, inasmuch as the SdiA signaling system aids the deadly human pathogen EHEC to adapt to a commensal lifestyle in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of cattle, its main reservoir. These studies open exciting and novel avenues to control shedding of this human pathogen in the environment. IMPORTANCE Quorum sensing refers to bacterial chemical signaling. The QS acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) signals are recognized by LuxR-type receptors that regulate gene transcription. However, some bacteria have orphan LuxR-type receptors and do not produce AHLs, sensing them from other bacteria. We solved three structures of the E. coli SdiA orphan, in the presence and absence of AHL. SdiA with no AHL is not in an apo state but is regulated by a previously unknown endogenous ligand, 1-octanoyl-rac-glycerol (OCL). OCL is ubiquitously found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and is a phospholipid precursor for membrane biogenesis and a signaling molecule. While AHL renders to SdiA higher stability and DNA-binding affinity, OCL functions as a chemical chaperone placeholder, stabilizing SdiA and allowing for basal activity. Our studies provide crucial mechanistic insights into the ligand regulation of SdiA activity.« less

Understanding Phase-Change Memory Alloys from a Chemical Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolobov, A. V.; Fons, P.; Tominaga, J.

2015-09-01

Phase-change memories (PCM) are associated with reversible ultra-fast low-energy crystal-to-amorphous switching in GeTe-based alloys co-existing with the high stability of the two phases at ambient temperature, a unique property that has been recently explained by the high fragility of the glass-forming liquid phase, where the activation barrier for crystallisation drastically increases as the temperature decreases from the glass-transition to room temperature. At the same time the atomistic dynamics of the phase-change process and the associated changes in the nature of bonding have remained unknown. In this work we demonstrate that key to this behavior is the formation of transient three-center bonds in the excited state that is enabled due to the presence of lone-pair electrons. Our findings additionally reveal previously ignored fundamental similarities between the mechanisms of reversible photoinduced structural changes in chalcogenide glasses and phase-change alloys and offer new insights into the development of efficient PCM materials.

Understanding Phase-Change Memory Alloys from a Chemical Perspective.

PubMed

Kolobov, A V; Fons, P; Tominaga, J

2015-09-01

Phase-change memories (PCM) are associated with reversible ultra-fast low-energy crystal-to-amorphous switching in GeTe-based alloys co-existing with the high stability of the two phases at ambient temperature, a unique property that has been recently explained by the high fragility of the glass-forming liquid phase, where the activation barrier for crystallisation drastically increases as the temperature decreases from the glass-transition to room temperature. At the same time the atomistic dynamics of the phase-change process and the associated changes in the nature of bonding have remained unknown. In this work we demonstrate that key to this behavior is the formation of transient three-center bonds in the excited state that is enabled due to the presence of lone-pair electrons. Our findings additionally reveal previously ignored fundamental similarities between the mechanisms of reversible photoinduced structural changes in chalcogenide glasses and phase-change alloys and offer new insights into the development of efficient PCM materials.

Bounded extremum seeking for angular velocity actuated control of nonholonomic unicycle

DOE PAGES

Scheinker, Alexander

2016-08-17

Here, we study control of the angular-velocity actuated nonholonomic unicycle, via a simple, bounded extremum seeking controller which is robust to external disturbances and measurement noise. The vehicle performs source seeking despite not having any position information about itself or the source, able only to sense a noise corrupted scalar value whose extremum coincides with the unknown source location. In order to control the angular velocity, rather than the angular heading directly, a controller is developed such that the closed loop system exhibits multiple time scales and requires an analysis approach expanding the previous work of Kurzweil, Jarnik, Sussmann, andmore » Liu, utilizing weak limits. We provide analytic proof of stability and demonstrate how this simple scheme can be extended to include position-independent source seeking, tracking, and collision avoidance of groups on autonomous vehicles in GPS-denied environments, based only on a measure of distance to an obstacle, which is an especially important feature for an autonomous agent.« less

Three-dimensional aspects of the shrinking phenomenon of ArF resist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laufer, Ido; Eytan, Giora E.; Dror, Ophir

2002-07-01

Previous studies of the interaction of electron beams with different types of ArF resists have shown the undesired phenomenon of the resist shrinkage. The lateral component of this shrinkage has been detected and quantified easily by SEM CD measurements. However, the vertical extent of this phenomenon has to date remained unknown. In this work we present measurements of the changes in height and sidewall angles of an ArF line by using a new e-beam tilting ability of the Vera SEM 3D. The 3D measurement results show that the height of the line shrinks in similar proportions to the top and bottom CDs, with a difference in the magnitude. Due to higher penetration depth of the e-beam on the top of the line than on the sidewall, the vertical shrinkage reaches steady state more rapidly than the lateral shrinkage. We also found a slight reduction in sidewall angle, which is less than one degree even under high e-beam exposure.

Defects and Disorder in the Drosophila Eye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sangwoo; Carthew, Richard; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

Cell division and differentiation tightly control the regular pattern in the normal eye of the Drosophila fruit fly while certain genetic mutations introduce disorder in the form of topological defects. Analyzing data from pupal retinas, we develop a model based on Voronoi construction that explains the defect statistics as a consequence of area variation of individual facets (ommatidia). The analysis reveals a previously unknown systematic long-range area variation that spans the entire eye, with distinct effects on topological disorder compared to local fluctuations. The internal structure of the ommatidia and the stiffness of their interior cells also plays a crucial role in the defect generation. Accurate predictions of the correlation between the area variation and the defect density in both normal and mutant animals are obtained without free parameters. This approach can potentially be applied to cellular systems in many other contexts to identify size-topology correlations near the onset of symmetry breaking. This work has been supported by the NIH (GM098077) and the NSF (Grant No. 1504301).

Flavin-mediated dual oxidation controls an enzymatic Favorskii-type rearrangement

PubMed Central

Louie, Gordon; Noel, Joseph P.; Baran, Phil S.; Palfey, Bruce; Moore, Bradley S.

2013-01-01

Flavoproteins catalyze a diversity of fundamental redox reactions and are one of the most studied enzyme families1,2. As monooxygenases, they are universally thought to control oxygenation by means of a peroxyflavin species that transfers a single atom of molecular oxygen to an organic substrate1,3,4. Here we report that the bacterial flavoenzyme EncM5,6 catalyzes the peroxyflavin-independent oxygenation-dehydrogenation dual oxidation of a highly reactive poly(β-carbonyl). The crystal structure of EncM with bound substrate mimics coupled with isotope labeling studies reveal previously unknown flavin redox biochemistry. We show that EncM maintains an unanticipated stable flavin oxygenating species, proposed to be a flavin-N5-oxide, to promote substrate oxidation and trigger a rare Favorskii-type rearrangement that is central to the biosynthesis of the antibiotic enterocin. This work provides new insight into the fine-tuning of the flavin cofactor in offsetting the innate reactivity of a polyketide substrate to direct its efficient electrocyclization. PMID:24162851

Data mining: childhood injury control and beyond.

PubMed

Tepas, Joseph J

2009-08-01

Data mining is defined as the automatic extraction of useful, often previously unknown information from large databases or data sets. It has become a major part of modern life and is extensively used in industry, banking, government, and health care delivery. The process requires a data collection system that integrates input from multiple sources containing critical elements that define outcomes of interest. Appropriately designed data mining processes identify and adjust for confounding variables. The statistical modeling used to manipulate accumulated data may involve any number of techniques. As predicted results are periodically analyzed against those observed, the model is consistently refined to optimize precision and accuracy. Whether applying integrated sources of clinical data to inferential probabilistic prediction of risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia or population surveillance for signs of bioterrorism, it is essential that modern health care providers have at least a rudimentary understanding of what the concept means, how it basically works, and what it means to current and future health care.

ActivinB Is Induced in Insulinoma To Promote Tumor Plasticity through a β-Cell-Induced Dedifferentiation.

PubMed

Ripoche, Doriane; Charbord, Jérémie; Hennino, Ana; Teinturier, Romain; Bonnavion, Rémy; Jaafar, Rami; Goehrig, Delphine; Cordier-Bussat, Martine; Ritvos, Olli; Zhang, Chang X; Andersson, Olov; Bertolino, Philippe

2015-12-28

Loss of pancreatic β-cell maturity occurs in diabetes and insulinomas. Although both physiological and pathological stresses are known to promote β-cell dedifferentiation, little is known about the molecules involved in this process. Here we demonstrate that activinB, a transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-related ligand, is upregulated during tumorigenesis and drives the loss of insulin expression and β-cell maturity in a mouse insulinoma model. Our data further identify Pax4 as a previously unknown activinB target and potent contributor to the observed β-cell dedifferentiation. More importantly, using compound mutant mice, we found that deleting activinB expression abolishes tumor β-cell dedifferentiation and, surprisingly, increases survival without significantly affecting tumor growth. Hence, this work reveals an unexpected role for activinB in the loss of β-cell maturity, islet plasticity, and progression of insulinoma through its participation in β-cell dedifferentiation. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Thermodynamic assessments and inter-relationships between systems involving Al, Am, Ga, Pu, and U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perron, A.; Turchi, P. E. A.; Landa, A.; Oudot, B.; Ravat, B.; Delaunay, F.

2016-12-01

A newly developed self-consistent CALPHAD thermodynamic database involving Al, Am, Ga, Pu, and U is presented. A first optimization of the slightly characterized Am-Al and completely unknown Am-Ga phase diagrams is proposed. To this end, phase diagram features as crystal structures, stoichiometric compounds, solubility limits, and melting temperatures have been studied along the U-Al → Pu-Al → Am-Al, and U-Ga → Pu-Ga → Am-Ga series, and the thermodynamic assessments involving Al and Ga alloying are compared. In addition, two distinct optimizations of the Pu-Al phase diagram are proposed to account for the low temperature and Pu-rich region controversy. The previously assessed thermodynamics of the other binary systems (Am-Pu, Am-U, Pu-U, and Al-Ga) is also included in the database and is briefly described in the present work. Finally, predictions on phase stability of ternary and quaternary systems of interest are reported to check the consistency of the database.

A recent disruption of the main-belt asteroid P/2010 A2.

PubMed

Jewitt, David; Weaver, Harold; Agarwal, Jessica; Mutchler, Max; Drahus, Michal

2010-10-14

Most inner main-belt asteroids are primitive rock and metal bodies in orbit about the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. Disruption, through high-velocity collisions or rotational spin-up, is believed to be the primary mechanism for the production and destruction of small asteroids and a contributor to dust in the Sun's zodiacal cloud, while analogous collisions around other stars feed dust to their debris disks. Unfortunately, direct evidence about the mechanism or rate of disruption is lacking, owing to the rarity of the events. Here we report observations of P/2010 A2, a previously unknown inner-belt asteroid with a peculiar, comet-like morphology. The data reveal a nucleus of diameter approximately 120 metres with an associated tail of millimetre-sized dust particles. We conclude that it is most probably the remnant of a recent asteroidal disruption in February/March 2009, evolving slowly under the action of solar radiation pressure, in agreement with independent work.

A thermodynamically consistent model for granular-fluid mixtures considering pore pressure evolution and hypoplastic behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hess, Julian; Wang, Yongqi

2016-11-01

A new mixture model for granular-fluid flows, which is thermodynamically consistent with the entropy principle, is presented. The extra pore pressure described by a pressure diffusion equation and the hypoplastic material behavior obeying a transport equation are taken into account. The model is applied to granular-fluid flows, using a closing assumption in conjunction with the dynamic fluid pressure to describe the pressure-like residual unknowns, hereby overcoming previous uncertainties in the modeling process. Besides the thermodynamically consistent modeling, numerical simulations are carried out and demonstrate physically reasonable results, including simple shear flow in order to investigate the vertical distribution of the physical quantities, and a mixture flow down an inclined plane by means of the depth-integrated model. Results presented give insight in the ability of the deduced model to capture the key characteristics of granular-fluid flows. We acknowledge the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for this work within the Project Number WA 2610/3-1.

High salt intake increases blood pressure via BDNF-mediated downregulation of KCC2 and impaired baroreflex inhibition of vasopressin neurons.

PubMed

Choe, Katrina Y; Han, Su Y; Gaub, Perrine; Shell, Brent; Voisin, Daniel L; Knapp, Blayne A; Barker, Philip A; Brown, Colin H; Cunningham, J Thomas; Bourque, Charles W

2015-02-04

The mechanisms by which dietary salt promotes hypertension are unknown. Previous work established that plasma [Na(+)] and osmolality rise in proportion with salt intake and thus promote release of vasopressin (VP) from the neurohypophysis. Although high levels of circulating VP can increase blood pressure, this effect is normally prevented by a potent GABAergic inhibition of VP neurons by aortic baroreceptors. Here we show that chronic high salt intake impairs baroreceptor inhibition of rat VP neurons through a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-dependent activation of TrkB receptors and downregulation of KCC2 expression, which prevents inhibitory GABAergic signaling. We show that high salt intake increases the spontaneous firing rate of VP neurons in vivo and that circulating VP contributes significantly to the elevation of arterial pressure under these conditions. These results provide the first demonstration that dietary salt can affect blood pressure through neurotrophin-induced plasticity in a central homeostatic circuit. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimized growth and reorientation of anisotropic material based on evolution equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jantos, Dustin R.; Junker, Philipp; Hackl, Klaus

2018-07-01

Modern high-performance materials have inherent anisotropic elastic properties. The local material orientation can thus be considered to be an additional design variable for the topology optimization of structures containing such materials. In our previous work, we introduced a variational growth approach to topology optimization for isotropic, linear-elastic materials. We solved the optimization problem purely by application of Hamilton's principle. In this way, we were able to determine an evolution equation for the spatial distribution of density mass, which can be evaluated in an iterative process within a solitary finite element environment. We now add the local material orientation described by a set of three Euler angles as additional design variables into the three-dimensional model. This leads to three additional evolution equations that can be separately evaluated for each (material) point. Thus, no additional field unknown within the finite element approach is needed, and the evolution of the spatial distribution of density mass and the evolution of the Euler angles can be evaluated simultaneously.

Search for an Electric Dipole Moment (EDM) of 199Hg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heckel, Blayne

2017-04-01

The observation of a non-zero EDM of an atom or elementary particle, at current levels of experimental sensitivity, would imply CP violation beyond the CKM matrix of the standard model of particle physics. Additional sources of CP violation have been proposed to help explain the excess of matter over anti-matter in our universe and the magnitude of ΘQCD, the strength of CP violation in the strong interaction, remains unknown. We have recently completed a set of measurements on the EDM of 199Hg, sensitive to both new sources of CP violation and ΘQCD. The experiment compares the phase accumulated by precessing Hg spins in vapor cells with electric fields parallel and anti-parallel to a common magnetic field. Our new result represents a factor of 5 improvement over previous results. A description of the EDM experiment, data, systematic error considerations will be presented. This work was supported by NSF Grant No. 1306743 and by the DOE Office of Nuclear Physics under Award No. DE-FG02-97ER41020.

Identification of two genes essential for sperm development in the male tick Amblyomma hebraeum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae).

PubMed

Guo, Xiuyang; Reuben Kaufman, W

2008-07-01

In most ticks of the family Ixodidae, gonad maturation and spermatogenesis are stimulated by the taking of a blood meal. Previous work from this laboratory identified 35 genes that are up-regulated by feeding [Weiss, B.L., Stepczynski, J.M., Wong, P., Kaufman, W.R., 2002. Identification and characterization of genes differentially expressed in the testis/vas deferens of the fed male tick, Amblyomma hebraeum. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 32, 785-793]. The functions of most of these genes remain unknown. We used RNA interference technology to investigate the consequences of blocking the function of 13 of these genes. Attenuation of the expression of two of these in particular, AhT/VD 8 and AhT/VD 10, correlated with deformities in the testis and abnormalities in spermiogenesis. Furthermore, most females fed in the company of these males did not engorge properly and laid many fewer eggs, most of which were infertile.

Cross-talk between AMPK and EGFR dependent Signaling in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Praveen, Paurush; Hülsmann, Helen; Sültmann, Holger; Kuner, Ruprecht; Fröhlich, Holger

2016-06-01

Lung cancers globally account for 12% of new cancer cases, 85% of these being Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Therapies like erlotinib target the key player EGFR, which is mutated in about 10% of lung adenocarcinoma. However, drug insensitivity and resistance caused by second mutations in the EGFR or aberrant bypass signaling have evolved as a major challenge in controlling these tumors. Recently, AMPK activation was proposed to sensitize NSCLC cells against erlotinib treatment. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. In this work we aim to unravel the interplay between 20 proteins that were previously associated with EGFR signaling and erlotinib drug sensitivity. The inferred network shows a high level of agreement with protein-protein interactions reported in STRING and HIPPIE databases. It is further experimentally validated with protein measurements. Moreover, predictions derived from our network model fairly agree with somatic mutations and gene expression data from primary lung adenocarcinoma. Altogether our results support the role of AMPK in EGFR signaling and drug sensitivity.

MicroRNAs are tightly associated with RNA-induced gene silencing complexes in vivo.

PubMed

Tang, Fuchou; Hajkova, Petra; O'Carroll, Dónal; Lee, Caroline; Tarakhovsky, Alexander; Lao, Kaiqin; Surani, M Azim

2008-07-18

Previous work has shown that synthesized siRNA/miRNA is tightly associated with RNA-induced Gene Silencing Complexes (RISCs) in vitro. However, it is unknown if the endogenous miRNAs are also stably bound to RISC complexes in vivo in cells under physiological conditions. Here we describe the use of the looped real-time PCR-based method to trace the location of endogenous miRNAs in intact cells. We found that most of the endogenous miRNAs are tightly bound to RISC complexes, and only a very small proportion of them are free in cells. Furthermore, synthesized single-stranded mature miRNA or hairpin miRNA precursor cannot replace endogenous miRNAs already present in RISC complexes. However, we found that modified 2-O-Methyl-ribonucleotides were able to dissociate the target miRNA specifically from the RISC complex. These findings have important implications for understanding the basis for the stability and metabolism of miRNAs in living cells.

GHRELIN ACTIVATES HYPOPHYSIOTROPIC CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING FACTOR NEURONS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE ARCUATE NUCLEUS

PubMed Central

Cabral, Agustina; Portiansky, Enrique; Sánchez-Jaramillo, Edith; Zigman, Jeffrey M.; Perello, Mario

2016-01-01

Previous work has established that the hormone ghrelin engages the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal neuroendocrine axis via activation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). The neuronal circuitry that mediates this effect of ghrelin is currently unknown. Here, we show that ghrelin-induced activation of PVN CRF neurons involved inhibition of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inputs, likely via ghrelin binding sites that were localized at GABAergic terminals within the PVN. While ghrelin activated PVN CRF neurons in the presence of neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptor antagonists or in arcuate nucleus (ARC)-ablated mice, it failed to do it so in mice with ghrelin receptor expression limited to ARC agouti gene related protein (AgRP)/NPY neurons. These data support the notion that ghrelin activates PVN CRF neurons via inhibition of local GABAergic tone, in an ARC-independent manner. Furthermore, these data suggest that the neuronal circuits mediating ghrelin’s orexigenic action vs. its role as a stress signal are anatomically dissociated. PMID:26874559

A neural model of hierarchical reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Daniel; Voelker, Aaron; Eliasmith, Chris

2017-01-01

We develop a novel, biologically detailed neural model of reinforcement learning (RL) processes in the brain. This model incorporates a broad range of biological features that pose challenges to neural RL, such as temporally extended action sequences, continuous environments involving unknown time delays, and noisy/imprecise computations. Most significantly, we expand the model into the realm of hierarchical reinforcement learning (HRL), which divides the RL process into a hierarchy of actions at different levels of abstraction. Here we implement all the major components of HRL in a neural model that captures a variety of known anatomical and physiological properties of the brain. We demonstrate the performance of the model in a range of different environments, in order to emphasize the aim of understanding the brain's general reinforcement learning ability. These results show that the model compares well to previous modelling work and demonstrates improved performance as a result of its hierarchical ability. We also show that the model's behaviour is consistent with available data on human hierarchical RL, and generate several novel predictions.

A rare functional cardioprotective APOC3 variant has risen in frequency in distinct population isolates

PubMed Central

Tachmazidou, Ioanna; Dedoussis, George; Southam, Lorraine; Farmaki, Aliki-Eleni; Ritchie, Graham R. S.; Xifara, Dionysia K.; Matchan, Angela; Hatzikotoulas, Konstantinos; Rayner, Nigel W.; Chen, Yuan; Pollin, Toni I.; O’Connell, Jeffrey R.; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura M.; Kiagiadaki, Chrysoula; Panoutsopoulou, Kalliope; Schwartzentruber, Jeremy; Moutsianas, Loukas; Tsafantakis, Emmanouil; Tyler-Smith, Chris; McVean, Gil; Xue, Yali; Zeggini, Eleftheria

2013-01-01

Isolated populations can empower the identification of rare variation associated with complex traits through next generation association studies, but the generalizability of such findings remains unknown. Here we genotype 1,267 individuals from a Greek population isolate on the Illumina HumanExome Beadchip, in search of functional coding variants associated with lipids traits. We find genome-wide significant evidence for association between R19X, a functional variant in APOC3, with increased high-density lipoprotein and decreased triglycerides levels. Approximately 3.8% of individuals are heterozygous for this cardioprotective variant, which was previously thought to be private to the Amish founder population. R19X is rare (<0.05% frequency) in outbred European populations. The increased frequency of R19X enables discovery of this lipid traits signal at genome-wide significance in a small sample size. This work exemplifies the value of isolated populations in successfully detecting transferable rare variant associations of high medical relevance. PMID:24343240

Thermodynamic assessments and inter-relationships between systems involving Al, Am, Ga, Pu, and U

DOE PAGES

Perron, A.; Turchi, P. E. A.; Landa, A.; ...

2016-12-01

We present a newly developed self-consistent CALPHAD thermodynamic database involving Al, Am, Ga, Pu, and U. A first optimization of the slightly characterized Am-Al and completely unknown Am-Ga phase diagrams is proposed. To this end, phase diagram features as crystal structures, stoichiometric compounds, solubility limits, and melting temperatures have been studied along the U-Al → Pu-Al → Am-Al, and U-Ga → Pu-Ga → Am-Ga series, and the thermodynamic assessments involving Al and Ga alloying are compared. In addition, two distinct optimizations of the Pu-Al phase diagram are proposed to account for the low temperature and Pu-rich region controversy. We includedmore » the previously assessed thermodynamics of the other binary systems (Am-Pu, Am-U, Pu-U, and Al-Ga) in the database and is briefly described in the present work. In conclusion, predictions on phase stability of ternary and quaternary systems of interest are reported to check the consistency of the database.« less

A rare functional cardioprotective APOC3 variant has risen in frequency in distinct population isolates.

PubMed

Tachmazidou, Ioanna; Dedoussis, George; Southam, Lorraine; Farmaki, Aliki-Eleni; Ritchie, Graham R S; Xifara, Dionysia K; Matchan, Angela; Hatzikotoulas, Konstantinos; Rayner, Nigel W; Chen, Yuan; Pollin, Toni I; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; Yerges-Armstrong, Laura M; Kiagiadaki, Chrysoula; Panoutsopoulou, Kalliope; Schwartzentruber, Jeremy; Moutsianas, Loukas; Tsafantakis, Emmanouil; Tyler-Smith, Chris; McVean, Gil; Xue, Yali; Zeggini, Eleftheria

2013-01-01

Isolated populations can empower the identification of rare variation associated with complex traits through next generation association studies, but the generalizability of such findings remains unknown. Here we genotype 1,267 individuals from a Greek population isolate on the Illumina HumanExome Beadchip, in search of functional coding variants associated with lipids traits. We find genome-wide significant evidence for association between R19X, a functional variant in APOC3, with increased high-density lipoprotein and decreased triglycerides levels. Approximately 3.8% of individuals are heterozygous for this cardioprotective variant, which was previously thought to be private to the Amish founder population. R19X is rare (<0.05% frequency) in outbred European populations. The increased frequency of R19X enables discovery of this lipid traits signal at genome-wide significance in a small sample size. This work exemplifies the value of isolated populations in successfully detecting transferable rare variant associations of high medical relevance.

Calibration Errors in Interferometric Radio Polarimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hales, Christopher A.

2017-08-01

Residual calibration errors are difficult to predict in interferometric radio polarimetry because they depend on the observational calibration strategy employed, encompassing the Stokes vector of the calibrator and parallactic angle coverage. This work presents analytic derivations and simulations that enable examination of residual on-axis instrumental leakage and position-angle errors for a suite of calibration strategies. The focus is on arrays comprising alt-azimuth antennas with common feeds over which parallactic angle is approximately uniform. The results indicate that calibration schemes requiring parallactic angle coverage in the linear feed basis (e.g., the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) need only observe over 30°, beyond which no significant improvements in calibration accuracy are obtained. In the circular feed basis (e.g., the Very Large Array above 1 GHz), 30° is also appropriate when the Stokes vector of the leakage calibrator is known a priori, but this rises to 90° when the Stokes vector is unknown. These findings illustrate and quantify concepts that were previously obscure rules of thumb.

Historical space psychology: Early terrestrial explorations as Mars analogues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suedfeld, Peter

2010-03-01

The simulation and analogue environments used by psychologists to circumvent the difficulties of conducting research in space lack many of the unique characteristics of future explorations, especially the mission to Mars. This paper suggests that appropriate additional analogues would be the multi-year maritime and terrestrial explorations that mapped the surface of the Earth in previous centuries. These, like Mars, often involved a hazardous trek through unknown territory, flanked by extended, dangerous voyages to and from the exploration sites. Characteristic issues included interpersonal relationships under prolonged stress, stretches of boredom interspersed with intense work demands, the impossibility of rescue, resupply, or other help from home, chronic danger, physical discomfort and lack of privacy, and the crucial role of the leader. Illustrative examples of one important factor, leadership style, are discussed. The examination of such expeditions can help to identify the psychological stressors that are likely to be experienced by Mars explorers, and can also indicate countermeasures to reduce the damaging impact of those stressors.

Five-year-olds do not show ambiguity aversion in a risk and ambiguity task with physical objects.

PubMed

Li, Rosa; Roberts, Rachel C; Huettel, Scott A; Brannon, Elizabeth M

2017-07-01

Ambiguity aversion arises when a decision maker prefers risky gambles with known probabilities over equivalent ambiguous gambles with unknown probabilities. This phenomenon has been consistently observed in adults across a large body of empirical work. Evaluating ambiguity aversion in young children, however, has posed methodological challenges because probabilistic representations appropriate for adults might not be understood by young children. Here, we established a novel method for representing risk and ambiguity with physical objects that overcomes previous methodological limitations and allows us to measure ambiguity aversion in young children. We found that individual 5-year-olds exhibited consistent choice preferences and, as a group, exhibited no ambiguity aversion in a task that evokes ambiguity aversion in adults. Across individuals, 5-year-olds exhibited greater variance in ambiguity preferences compared with adults tested under similar conditions. This suggests that ambiguity aversion is absent during early childhood and emerges over the course of development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural Insights into the Allosteric Operation of the Lon AAA+ Protease.

PubMed

Lin, Chien-Chu; Su, Shih-Chieh; Su, Ming-Yuan; Liang, Pi-Hui; Feng, Chia-Cheng; Wu, Shih-Hsiung; Chang, Chung-I

2016-05-03

The Lon AAA+ protease (LonA) is an evolutionarily conserved protease that couples the ATPase cycle into motion to drive substrate translocation and degradation. A hallmark feature shared by AAA+ proteases is the stimulation of ATPase activity by substrates. Here we report the structure of LonA bound to three ADPs, revealing the first AAA+ protease assembly where the six protomers are arranged alternately in nucleotide-free and bound states. Nucleotide binding induces large coordinated movements of conserved pore loops from two pairs of three non-adjacent protomers and shuttling of the proteolytic groove between the ATPase site and a previously unknown Arg paddle. Structural and biochemical evidence supports the roles of the substrate-bound proteolytic groove in allosteric stimulation of ATPase activity and the conserved Arg paddle in driving substrate degradation. Altogether, this work provides a molecular framework for understanding how ATP-dependent chemomechanical movements drive allosteric processes for substrate degradation in a major protein-destruction machine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High genetic diversity and absence of founder effects in a worldwide aquatic invader.

PubMed

Lejeusne, Christophe; Saunier, Alice; Petit, Nicolas; Béguer, Mélanie; Otani, Michio; Carlton, James T; Rico, Ciro; Green, Andy J

2014-07-24

The introduced oriental shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus has recently become widespread in temperate estuaries worldwide. However, this recent worldwide spread outside of its native range arises after a previous introduction to the US Pacific coast, where it was restricted for more than 30 years. Using a phylogeographic approach, the present work investigates the genetic history of the invasion of this decapod worldwide. Japan acted as the main native source area for worldwide introduced populations, but other native areas (likely South Korea and China) may act as source populations as well. The recently introduced European and NW Atlantic populations result from colonization from both Japan and an unknown area of the native range, although colonization from the NE Pacific could not be ruled out. Most introduced populations had higher haplotypic diversity than most native populations. P. macrodactylus has a strong potential to become one of the most widespread introduced species and may become the dominant estuarine shrimp in Europe. The ecological and economic consequences of this invasion remain to be thoroughly evaluated.

Magical thinking in narratives of adolescent cutters.

PubMed

Gregory, Robert J; Mustata, Georgian T

2012-08-01

Adolescents sometimes cut themselves to relieve distress; however, the mechanism is unknown. Previous studies have linked self-injury to deficits in processing emotions symbolically through language. To investigate expressive language of adolescent cutters, the authors analyzed 100 narratives posted on the Internet. Most narratives (n = 66) displayed idiosyncratic use of language indicating poor differentiation between the real and the symbolic, such as blood substituting for negative emotions, which can then be released from the self; or emotional pain magically transforming into physical pain, which can then be managed. This kind of magical thinking correlated with cutting to relieve distress, to see blood, and to feel pain, but negatively correlated with complex representation of people, understanding social causality, and self-esteem. The results suggest that magical thinking represents a pre-symbolic mental state that processes and organizes distressing emotions through body schema. Magical thinking thus provides a plausible mechanism for why cutting works. Copyright © 2012 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delta-Isobar Production in the Hard Photodisintegration of a Deuteron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granados, Carlos; Sargsian, Misak

2010-02-01

Hard photodisintegration of the deuteron in delta-isobar production channels is proposed as a useful process in identifying the quark structure of hadrons and of hadronic interactions at large momentum and energy transfer. The reactions are modeled using the hard re scattering model, HRM, following previous works on hard breakup of a nucleon nucleon (NN) system in light nuclei. Here,quantitative predictions through the HRM require the numerical input of fits of experimental NN hard elastic scattering cross sections. Because of the lack of data in hard NN scattering into δ-isobar channels, the cross section of the corresponding photodisintegration processes cannot be predicted in the same way. Instead, the corresponding NN scattering process is modeled through the quark interchange mechanism, QIM, leaving an unknown normalization parameter. The observables of interest are ratios of differential cross sections of δ-isobar production channels to NN breakup in deuteron photodisintegration. Both entries in these ratios are derived through the HRM and QIM so that normalization parameters cancel out and numerical predictions can be obtained. )

Neural mechanisms of mental schema: a triplet of delta, low beta/spindle and ripple oscillations.

PubMed

Ohki, Takefumi; Takei, Yuichi

2018-02-06

Schemas are higher-level knowledge structures that integrate and organise lower-level representations. As internal templates, schemas are formed according to how events are perceived, interpreted and remembered. Although these higher-level units are assumed to play a fundamental role in our daily life from an early age, the neuronal basis and mechanisms of schema formation and use remain largely unknown. It is important to elucidate how the brain constructs and maintains these higher-level units. In order to examine the possible neural underpinnings of schema, we recapitulate previous work and discuss their findings related to schemas as the brain template. We specifically focused on low beta/spindle oscillations, which are assumed to be the key components of schemas, and propose that the brain template is implemented with a triplet of neural oscillations, that is delta, low beta/spindle and ripple oscillations. © 2018 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ubiquitin Utilizes an Acidic Surface Patch to Alter Chromatin Structure

PubMed Central

Debelouchina, Galia T.; Gerecht, Karola; Muir, Tom W.

2016-01-01

Ubiquitylation of histone H2B, associated with gene activation, leads to chromatin decompaction through an unknown mechanism. We used a hydrogen-deuterium exchange strategy coupled with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to map the ubiquitin surface responsible for its structural effects on chromatin. Our studies revealed that a previously uncharacterized acidic patch on ubiquitin comprising residues Glu16 and Glu18 is essential for decompaction. These residues mediate promiscuous electrostatic interactions with the basic histone proteins, potentially positioning the ubiquitin moiety as a dynamic “wedge” that prevents the intimate association of neighboring nucleosomes. Using two independent cross-linking strategies and an oligomerization assay, we also showed that ubiquitin-ubiquitin contacts occur in the chromatin environment and are important for the solubilization of the chromatin polymers. Our work highlights a novel, chromatin-related aspect of the “ubiquitin code”, and sheds light on how the information rich ubiquitin modification can orchestrate different biochemical outcomes using different surface features. PMID:27870837

Discovery of new lactones in sweet cream butter oil.

PubMed

Sarrazin, Elise; Frerot, Eric; Bagnoud, Alain; Aeberhardt, Kasia; Rubin, Mark

2011-06-22

Sweet cream butter oil was analyzed to identify new volatile compounds that may contribute to its flavor, with an emphasis on lactones. The volatile part of butter oil was obtained by using short-path distillation. As some previously unknown lactones were detected in this first extract, it was fractionated further. The fatty acids were removed, and the extract was fractionated by flash chromatography. Three lactonic fractions possessing a creamy, buttery, and fatty character were investigated in depth by gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) (EI and CI) and high-resolution GC-time-of-flight MS. Many lactones were identified by their mass fragmentation and by comparison with reference materials synthesized during this work. Six γ-lactones, five δ-lactones, and one ε-lactone were identified for the first time in butter oil, seven of them for the first time in a natural product. The possible contribution of these new lactones to the aroma of butter oil is briefly discussed.

Cross-talk between AMPK and EGFR dependent Signaling in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

PubMed Central

Praveen, Paurush; Hülsmann, Helen; Sültmann, Holger; Kuner, Ruprecht; Fröhlich, Holger

2016-01-01

Lung cancers globally account for 12% of new cancer cases, 85% of these being Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Therapies like erlotinib target the key player EGFR, which is mutated in about 10% of lung adenocarcinoma. However, drug insensitivity and resistance caused by second mutations in the EGFR or aberrant bypass signaling have evolved as a major challenge in controlling these tumors. Recently, AMPK activation was proposed to sensitize NSCLC cells against erlotinib treatment. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. In this work we aim to unravel the interplay between 20 proteins that were previously associated with EGFR signaling and erlotinib drug sensitivity. The inferred network shows a high level of agreement with protein-protein interactions reported in STRING and HIPPIE databases. It is further experimentally validated with protein measurements. Moreover, predictions derived from our network model fairly agree with somatic mutations and gene expression data from primary lung adenocarcinoma. Altogether our results support the role of AMPK in EGFR signaling and drug sensitivity. PMID:27279498

Cross-talk between AMPK and EGFR dependent Signaling in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PubMed

Praveen, Paurush; Hülsmann, Helen; Sültmann, Holger; Kuner, Ruprecht; Fröhlich, Holger

2016-06-09

Lung cancers globally account for 12% of new cancer cases, 85% of these being Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Therapies like erlotinib target the key player EGFR, which is mutated in about 10% of lung adenocarcinoma. However, drug insensitivity and resistance caused by second mutations in the EGFR or aberrant bypass signaling have evolved as a major challenge in controlling these tumors. Recently, AMPK activation was proposed to sensitize NSCLC cells against erlotinib treatment. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. In this work we aim to unravel the interplay between 20 proteins that were previously associated with EGFR signaling and erlotinib drug sensitivity. The inferred network shows a high level of agreement with protein-protein interactions reported in STRING and HIPPIE databases. It is further experimentally validated with protein measurements. Moreover, predictions derived from our network model fairly agree with somatic mutations and gene expression data from primary lung adenocarcinoma. Altogether our results support the role of AMPK in EGFR signaling and drug sensitivity.

Multiplicity counting from fission detector signals with time delay effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagy, L.; Pázsit, I.; Pál, L.

2018-03-01

In recent work, we have developed the theory of using the first three auto- and joint central moments of the currents of up to three fission chambers to extract the singles, doubles and triples count rates of traditional multiplicity counting (Pázsit and Pál, 2016; Pázsit et al., 2016). The objective is to elaborate a method for determining the fissile mass, neutron multiplication, and (α, n) neutron emission rate of an unknown assembly of fissile material from the statistics of the fission chamber signals, analogous to the traditional multiplicity counting methods with detectors in the pulse mode. Such a method would be an alternative to He-3 detector systems, which would be free from the dead time problems that would be encountered in high counting rate applications, for example the assay of spent nuclear fuel. A significant restriction of our previous work was that all neutrons born in a source event (spontaneous fission) were assumed to be detected simultaneously, which is not fulfilled in reality. In the present work, this restriction is eliminated, by assuming an independent, identically distributed random time delay for all neutrons arising from one source event. Expressions are derived for the same auto- and joint central moments of the detector current(s) as in the previous case, expressed with the singles, doubles, and triples (S, D and T) count rates. It is shown that if the time-dispersion of neutron detections is of the same order of magnitude as the detector pulse width, as they typically are in measurements of fast neutrons, the multiplicity rates can still be extracted from the moments of the detector current, although with more involved calibration factors. The presented formulae, and hence also the performance of the proposed method, are tested by both analytical models of the time delay as well as with numerical simulations. Methods are suggested also for the modification of the method for large time delay effects (for thermalised neutrons).

Ureaplasma Transmitted From Donor Lungs Is Pathogenic After Lung Transplantation.

PubMed

Fernandez, Ramiro; Ratliff, Amy; Crabb, Donna; Waites, Ken B; Bharat, Ankit

2017-02-01

Hyperammonemia is a highly fatal syndrome in lung recipients that is usually refractory to medical therapy. We recently reported that infection by a Mollicute, Ureaplasma, is causative for hyperammonemia and can be successfully treated with antimicrobial agents. However, it remains unknown whether the pathogenic strain of Ureaplasma is donor or recipient derived. Here we provide evidence that donor-derived Ureaplasma infection can be pathogenic. As such, we uncover a previously unknown lethal donor-derived opportunistic infection in lung recipients. Given the high mortality associated with hyperammonemia, strategies for routine donor screening or prophylaxis should be further evaluated in prospective studies. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Layered classification techniques for remote sensing applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swain, P. H.; Wu, C. L.; Landgrebe, D. A.; Hauska, H.

1975-01-01

The single-stage method of pattern classification utilizes all available features in a single test which assigns the unknown to a category according to a specific decision strategy (such as the maximum likelihood strategy). The layered classifier classifies the unknown through a sequence of tests, each of which may be dependent on the outcome of previous tests. Although the layered classifier was originally investigated as a means of improving classification accuracy and efficiency, it was found that in the context of remote sensing data analysis, other advantages also accrue due to many of the special characteristics of both the data and the applications pursued. The layered classifier method and several of the diverse applications of this approach are discussed.

11. Photographic copy of copy of Twin Lakes Outlet Works ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. Photographic copy of copy of Twin Lakes Outlet Works construction drawing dated January 15, 1951. Drawn by W.A. Doe for the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Co. (copy in possession of Bureau of Reclamation, location of original unknown) 'AS CONSTRUCTED' PLANS OF 1949-1950, REHABILITATION OF TWIN LAKES RESERVOIR OUTLET WORKS, DETAILS OF UPSTREAM WING WALLS. - Twin Lakes Dam & Outlet Works, Beneath Twin Lakes Reservoir, T11S, R80W, S22, Twin Lakes, Lake County, CO

12. Photographic copy of copy of Twin Lakes Outlet Works ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

12. Photographic copy of copy of Twin Lakes Outlet Works construction drawing dated January 15, 1951. Drawn by W.A. Doe for the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Co. (copy in possession of Bureau of Reclamation, location of original unknown) 'AS CONSTRUCTED' PLANS OF 1949-50, REHABILITATION OF TWIN LAKES RESERVOIR OUTLET WORKS, DETAILS OF DISCHARGE BASIN. - Twin Lakes Dam & Outlet Works, Beneath Twin Lakes Reservoir, T11S, R80W, S22, Twin Lakes, Lake County, CO

A survey of occupational health in the Royal Norvegian Navy.

PubMed

Moen, Bente E; Koefoed, Vilhelm F; Bondevik, Kristin; Haukenes, Inger

2008-01-01

The aim of this article is to describe possible risk factors in the work environment that can affect the health of staff of the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN). The article presents the main results from a subproject related to a major surveillance of the health and work environment in this population. The project was performed as a response to general concerns regarding harmful work environment and negative health effects for these employees. In 2002, a questionnaire was sent out to all the employees in RNoN, and they answered during a period of three months. The overall response rate was 58% (n=2265), 2001 men and 250 women (14 unknown sex). 1581 military employees and 580 civilians participated (104 unknown). Mean age was 38 (range 18-70). Questions about years at work, exposure to chemical, physical and ergonomic hazards were developed for this particular study. Questions about allergy, asthma, hand eczema, hearing loss, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and cancer were asked. Musculoskeletal disorders were obtained by a standardized instrument. Exposure to noise, heavy lifting, twisted work positions and work close to antennas and communication equipment occurred often in this population. The most commonly reported diseases that might be work related were hand eczema, hearing loss and low back pain. The results indicate the presence of several possible risk factors to health related to the work environment in this population. The project gives a basis for further action regarding the Health Safety and Environment work within RNoN.

Mindfulness Meditation Training and Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Taren, Adrienne A; Gianaros, Peter J; Greco, Carol M; Lindsay, Emily K; Fairgrieve, April; Brown, Kirk Warren; Rosen, Rhonda K; Ferris, Jennifer L; Julson, Erica; Marsland, Anna L; Creswell, J David

Mindfulness meditation training has been previously shown to enhance behavioral measures of executive control (e.g., attention, working memory, cognitive control), but the neural mechanisms underlying these improvements are largely unknown. Here, we test whether mindfulness training interventions foster executive control by strengthening functional connections between dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)-a hub of the executive control network-and frontoparietal regions that coordinate executive function. Thirty-five adults with elevated levels of psychological distress participated in a 3-day randomized controlled trial of intensive mindfulness meditation or relaxation training. Participants completed a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan before and after the intervention. We tested whether mindfulness meditation training increased resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between dlPFC and frontoparietal control network regions. Left dlPFC showed increased connectivity to the right inferior frontal gyrus (T = 3.74), right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) (T = 3.98), right supplementary eye field (T = 4.29), right parietal cortex (T = 4.44), and left middle temporal gyrus (T = 3.97, all p < .05) after mindfulness training relative to the relaxation control. Right dlPFC showed increased connectivity to right MFG (T = 4.97, p < .05). We report that mindfulness training increases rsFC between dlPFC and dorsal network (superior parietal lobule, supplementary eye field, MFG) and ventral network (right IFG, middle temporal/angular gyrus) regions. These findings extend previous work showing increased functional connectivity among brain regions associated with executive function during active meditation by identifying specific neural circuits in which rsFC is enhanced by a mindfulness intervention in individuals with high levels of psychological distress. Clinicaltrials.gov,NCT01628809.

Early Executive Function at Age Two Predicts Emergent Mathematics and Literacy at Age Five

PubMed Central

Mulder, Hanna; Verhagen, Josje; Van der Ven, Sanne H. G.; Slot, Pauline L.; Leseman, Paul P. M.

2017-01-01

Previous work has shown that individual differences in executive function (EF) are predictive of academic skills in preschoolers, kindergartners, and older children. Across studies, EF is a stronger predictor of emergent mathematics than literacy. However, research on EF in children below age three is scarce, and it is currently unknown whether EF, as assessed in toddlerhood, predicts emergent academic skills a few years later. This longitudinal study investigates whether early EF, assessed at two years, predicts (emergent) academic skills, at five years. It examines, furthermore, whether early EF is a significantly stronger predictor of emergent mathematics than of emergent literacy, as has been found in previous work on older children. A sample of 552 children was assessed on various EF and EF-precursor tasks at two years. At age five, these children performed several emergent mathematics and literacy tasks. Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the relationships between early EF and academic skills, modeled as latent factors. Results showed that early EF at age two was a significant and relatively strong predictor of both emergent mathematics and literacy at age five, after controlling for receptive vocabulary, parental education, and home language. Predictive relations were significantly stronger for mathematics than literacy, but only when a verbal short-term memory measure was left out as an indicator to the latent early EF construct. These findings show that individual differences in emergent academic skills just prior to entry into the formal education system can be traced back to individual differences in early EF in toddlerhood. In addition, these results highlight the importance of task selection when assessing early EF as a predictor of later outcomes, and call for further studies to elucidate the mechanisms through which individual differences in early EF and precursors to EF come about. PMID:29075209

Early Executive Function at Age Two Predicts Emergent Mathematics and Literacy at Age Five.

PubMed

Mulder, Hanna; Verhagen, Josje; Van der Ven, Sanne H G; Slot, Pauline L; Leseman, Paul P M

2017-01-01

Previous work has shown that individual differences in executive function (EF) are predictive of academic skills in preschoolers, kindergartners, and older children. Across studies, EF is a stronger predictor of emergent mathematics than literacy. However, research on EF in children below age three is scarce, and it is currently unknown whether EF, as assessed in toddlerhood, predicts emergent academic skills a few years later. This longitudinal study investigates whether early EF, assessed at two years, predicts (emergent) academic skills, at five years. It examines, furthermore, whether early EF is a significantly stronger predictor of emergent mathematics than of emergent literacy, as has been found in previous work on older children. A sample of 552 children was assessed on various EF and EF-precursor tasks at two years. At age five, these children performed several emergent mathematics and literacy tasks. Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the relationships between early EF and academic skills, modeled as latent factors. Results showed that early EF at age two was a significant and relatively strong predictor of both emergent mathematics and literacy at age five, after controlling for receptive vocabulary, parental education, and home language. Predictive relations were significantly stronger for mathematics than literacy, but only when a verbal short-term memory measure was left out as an indicator to the latent early EF construct. These findings show that individual differences in emergent academic skills just prior to entry into the formal education system can be traced back to individual differences in early EF in toddlerhood. In addition, these results highlight the importance of task selection when assessing early EF as a predictor of later outcomes, and call for further studies to elucidate the mechanisms through which individual differences in early EF and precursors to EF come about.

Classification with asymmetric label noise: Consistency and maximal denoising

DOE PAGES

Blanchard, Gilles; Flaska, Marek; Handy, Gregory; ...

2016-09-20

In many real-world classification problems, the labels of training examples are randomly corrupted. Most previous theoretical work on classification with label noise assumes that the two classes are separable, that the label noise is independent of the true class label, or that the noise proportions for each class are known. In this work, we give conditions that are necessary and sufficient for the true class-conditional distributions to be identifiable. These conditions are weaker than those analyzed previously, and allow for the classes to be nonseparable and the noise levels to be asymmetric and unknown. The conditions essentially state that amore » majority of the observed labels are correct and that the true class-conditional distributions are “mutually irreducible,” a concept we introduce that limits the similarity of the two distributions. For any label noise problem, there is a unique pair of true class-conditional distributions satisfying the proposed conditions, and we argue that this pair corresponds in a certain sense to maximal denoising of the observed distributions. Our results are facilitated by a connection to “mixture proportion estimation,” which is the problem of estimating the maximal proportion of one distribution that is present in another. We establish a novel rate of convergence result for mixture proportion estimation, and apply this to obtain consistency of a discrimination rule based on surrogate loss minimization. Experimental results on benchmark data and a nuclear particle classification problem demonstrate the efficacy of our approach. MSC 2010 subject classifications: Primary 62H30; secondary 68T10. Keywords and phrases: Classification, label noise, mixture proportion estimation, surrogate loss, consistency.« less

Efficacy of screening for high blood pressure in dental health care

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is consensus on the importance of early detection and treatment of high blood pressure. Dental care is one of few medical services to which a considerable proportion of the general population comes for regular check-ups. We tested the effects of blood pressure screening in dental care centres with subsequent work-up of subjects screening positive in primary health care (PHCC). Methods Altogether 1,149 subjects 40-65 years old or 20-39 years old with body mass index >25, and with no previously known hypertension, who came for a dental examination had their blood pressure measured with an Omron M4® automatic blood pressure reading device. Subjects with systolic blood pressure readings above 160 mmHg or diastolic above 90 mmHg were referred to their PHCC for a check up. Outcome data were obtained by scrutiny of PHCC and hospital patient records for hypertension diagnoses during the three years following screening. Results 237 (20.6%) subjects screened positive. Of these, 230 (97.1%) came to their PHCC within the 3-year follow-up period, as compared with 695 (76.2%) of those who screened negative (p < 0.0001). Of those who screened positive, 76 (32.1%) received a diagnosis of hypertension, as compared with 26 (2.9%) of those who screened negative. Sensitivity was 79.1%, specificity 84.8% and positive predictive value 30.1%. The number of subjects needed to screen to find one case of hypertension was 18. Conclusions Co-operation between dental and primary care for blood pressure screening and work-up appears to be an effective way of detecting previously unknown hypertension. PMID:21450067

Classification with asymmetric label noise: Consistency and maximal denoising

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

Blanchard, Gilles; Flaska, Marek; Handy, Gregory

In many real-world classification problems, the labels of training examples are randomly corrupted. Most previous theoretical work on classification with label noise assumes that the two classes are separable, that the label noise is independent of the true class label, or that the noise proportions for each class are known. In this work, we give conditions that are necessary and sufficient for the true class-conditional distributions to be identifiable. These conditions are weaker than those analyzed previously, and allow for the classes to be nonseparable and the noise levels to be asymmetric and unknown. The conditions essentially state that amore » majority of the observed labels are correct and that the true class-conditional distributions are “mutually irreducible,” a concept we introduce that limits the similarity of the two distributions. For any label noise problem, there is a unique pair of true class-conditional distributions satisfying the proposed conditions, and we argue that this pair corresponds in a certain sense to maximal denoising of the observed distributions. Our results are facilitated by a connection to “mixture proportion estimation,” which is the problem of estimating the maximal proportion of one distribution that is present in another. We establish a novel rate of convergence result for mixture proportion estimation, and apply this to obtain consistency of a discrimination rule based on surrogate loss minimization. Experimental results on benchmark data and a nuclear particle classification problem demonstrate the efficacy of our approach. MSC 2010 subject classifications: Primary 62H30; secondary 68T10. Keywords and phrases: Classification, label noise, mixture proportion estimation, surrogate loss, consistency.« less

On Known Unknowns: Fluency and the Neural Mechanisms of Illusory Truth

PubMed Central

Wang, Wei-Chun; Brashier, Nadia M.; Wing, Erik A.; Marsh, Elizabeth J.; Cabeza, Roberto

2016-01-01

The “illusory truth” effect refers to the phenomenon whereby repetition of a statement increases its likelihood of being judged true. This phenomenon has important implications for how we come to believe oft-repeated information that may be misleading or unknown. Behavioral evidence indicates that fluency or the subjective ease experienced while processing a statement underlies this effect. This suggests that illusory truth should be mediated by brain regions previously linked to fluency, such as the perirhinal cortex (PRC). To investigate this possibility, we scanned participants with fMRI while they rated the truth of unknown statements, half of which were presented earlier (i.e., repeated). The only brain region that showed an interaction between repetition and ratings of perceived truth was PRC, where activity increased with truth ratings for repeated, but not for new, statements. This finding supports the hypothesis that illusory truth is mediated by a fluency mechanism and further strengthens the link between PRC and fluency. PMID:26765947

Improving Security for SCADA Sensor Networks with Reputation Systems and Self-Organizing Maps.

PubMed

Moya, José M; Araujo, Alvaro; Banković, Zorana; de Goyeneche, Juan-Mariano; Vallejo, Juan Carlos; Malagón, Pedro; Villanueva, Daniel; Fraga, David; Romero, Elena; Blesa, Javier

2009-01-01

The reliable operation of modern infrastructures depends on computerized systems and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, which are also based on the data obtained from sensor networks. The inherent limitations of the sensor devices make them extremely vulnerable to cyberwarfare/cyberterrorism attacks. In this paper, we propose a reputation system enhanced with distributed agents, based on unsupervised learning algorithms (self-organizing maps), in order to achieve fault tolerance and enhanced resistance to previously unknown attacks. This approach has been extensively simulated and compared with previous proposals.

Improving Security for SCADA Sensor Networks with Reputation Systems and Self-Organizing Maps

PubMed Central

Moya, José M.; Araujo, Álvaro; Banković, Zorana; de Goyeneche, Juan-Mariano; Vallejo, Juan Carlos; Malagón, Pedro; Villanueva, Daniel; Fraga, David; Romero, Elena; Blesa, Javier

2009-01-01

The reliable operation of modern infrastructures depends on computerized systems and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, which are also based on the data obtained from sensor networks. The inherent limitations of the sensor devices make them extremely vulnerable to cyberwarfare/cyberterrorism attacks. In this paper, we propose a reputation system enhanced with distributed agents, based on unsupervised learning algorithms (self-organizing maps), in order to achieve fault tolerance and enhanced resistance to previously unknown attacks. This approach has been extensively simulated and compared with previous proposals. PMID:22291569

Rapid deceleration-driven wetting transition during pendant drop deposition on superhydrophobic surfaces.

PubMed

Kwon, Hyuk-Min; Paxson, Adam T; Varanasi, Kripa K; Patankar, Neelesh A

2011-01-21

A hitherto unknown mechanism for wetting transition is reported. When a pendant drop settles upon deposition, there is a virtual "collision" where its center of gravity undergoes rapid deceleration. This induces a high water hammer-type pressure that causes wetting transition. A new phase diagram shows that both large and small droplets can transition to wetted states due to the new deceleration driven and the previously known Laplace mechanisms, respectively. It is explained how the attainment of a nonwetted Cassie-Baxter state is more restrictive than previously known.

Rapid Deceleration-Driven Wetting Transition during Pendant Drop Deposition on Superhydrophobic Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Hyuk-Min; Paxson, Adam T.; Varanasi, Kripa K.; Patankar, Neelesh A.

2011-01-01

A hitherto unknown mechanism for wetting transition is reported. When a pendant drop settles upon deposition, there is a virtual “collision” where its center of gravity undergoes rapid deceleration. This induces a high water hammer-type pressure that causes wetting transition. A new phase diagram shows that both large and small droplets can transition to wetted states due to the new deceleration driven and the previously known Laplace mechanisms, respectively. It is explained how the attainment of a nonwetted Cassie-Baxter state is more restrictive than previously known.

Organizational justice and health: Studying mental preoccupation with work and social support as mediators for lagged and reversed relationships.

PubMed

Eib, Constanze; Bernhard-Oettel, Claudia; Magnusson Hanson, Linda L; Leineweber, Constanze

2018-03-05

Organizational justice perceptions are considered a predictor of health and well-being. To date, empirical evidence about whether organizational justice perceptions predict health or health predicts organizational justice perceptions is mixed. Furthermore, the processes underlying these relationships are largely unknown. In this article, we study whether bidirectional relationships can be explained by 2 different mediation mechanisms. First, based on the allostatic load model, we suggest that the relationships between organizational justice perceptions and different health indicators are mediated through mental preoccupation with work. Second, based on the affective perception and affective reaction assumption, we investigate if the relationships between different health indicators and organizational justice perceptions are mediated by social support at work. Using a large-scale Swedish panel study (N = 3,236), we test the bidirectional mediating relationships between procedural justice perceptions and self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and sickness absence with a cross-lagged design with 3 waves of data. Significant lagged effects from procedural justice to health were found for models predicting depressive symptoms and sickness absence. Mental preoccupation with work was not found to mediate the longitudinal relationship between procedural justice perceptions and indicators of health. Significant lagged effects from health indicators to procedural justice were found for models involving self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and sickness absence. Social support mediated the longitudinal relationships between all 3 health indicators and procedural justice. Results are discussed in light of previous studies and implications for theory and practice are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Transcranial direct current stimulation enhances verbal working memory training performance over time and near transfer outcomes.

PubMed

Richmond, Lauren L; Wolk, David; Chein, Jason; Olson, Ingrid R

2014-11-01

Studies attempting to increase working memory (WM) capacity show promise in enhancing related cognitive functions but have also raised criticism in the broader scientific community given the inconsistent findings produced by these studies. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to enhance WM performance in a single session [Fregni, F., Boggio, P., Nitsche, M., Bermpohl, F., Anatal, A., Feredoes, E., et al. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of prefrontal cortex enhances working memory. Experimental Brain Research, 166, 23-30, 2005]; however, the extent to which tDCS might enhance learning on a WM training regime and the extent to which learning gains might transfer outside the training task remains largely unknown. To this end, participants engaged in an adaptive WM training task [previously utilized in Richmond, L., Morrison, A., Chein, J., & Olson, I. Working memory training and transfer in older adults. Psychology & Aging, 26, 813-822, 2011; Chein, J., & Morrison, A. Expanding the mind's workspace: Training and transfer effects with a complex working memory span task. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 17, 193-199, 2010] for 10 sessions over 2 weeks, concurrent with either active or sham stimulation of dorsolateral pFC. Before and after training, a battery of tests tapping domains known to relate to WM abilities was administered. Results show that tDCS enhanced learning on the verbal portion of the training task by 3.65 items. Furthermore, tDCS was shown to enhance near transfer to other untrained WM tasks in comparison with a no-contact control group. These results lend support to the idea that tDCS might bolster training and transfer gains in populations with compromised WM abilities.

A note on the blind deconvolution of multiple sparse signals from unknown subspaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cosse, Augustin

2017-08-01

This note studies the recovery of multiple sparse signals, xn ∈ ℝL, n = 1, . . . , N, from the knowledge of their convolution with an unknown point spread function h ∈ ℝL. When the point spread function is known to be nonzero, |h[k]| > 0, this blind deconvolution problem can be relaxed into a linear, ill-posed inverse problem in the vector concatenating the unknown inputs xn together with the inverse of the filter, d ∈ ℝL where d[k] := 1/h[k]. When prior information is given on the input subspaces, the resulting overdetermined linear system can be solved efficiently via least squares (see Ling et al. 20161). When no information is given on those subspaces, and the inputs are only known to be sparse, it still remains possible to recover these inputs along with the filter by considering an additional l1 penalty. This note certifies exact recovery of both the unknown PSF and unknown sparse inputs, from the knowledge of their convolutions, as soon as the number of inputs N and the dimension of each input, L , satisfy L ≳ N and N ≳ T2max, up to log factors. Here Tmax = maxn{Tn} and Tn, n = 1, . . . , N denote the supports of the inputs xn. Our proof system combines the recent results on blind deconvolution via least squares to certify invertibility of the linear map encoding the convolutions, with the construction of a dual certificate following the structure first suggested in Candés et al. 2007.2 Unlike in these papers, however, it is not possible to rely on the norm ||(A*TAT)-1|| to certify recovery. We instead use a combination of the Schur Complement and Neumann series to compute an expression for the inverse (A*TAT)-1. Given this expression, it is possible to show that the poorly scaled blocks in (A*TAT)-1 are multiplied by the better scaled ones or vanish in the construction of the certificate. Recovery is certified with high probablility on the choice of the supports and distribution of the signs of each input xn on the support. The paper follows the line of previous work by Wang et al. 20163 where the authors guarantee recovery for subgaussian × Bernoulli inputs satisfying 𝔼xn|k| ∈ [1/10, 1] as soon as N ≳ L. Examples of applications include seismic imaging with unknown source or marine seismic data deghosting, magnetic resonance autocalibration or multiple channel estimation in communication. Numerical experiments are provided along with a discussion on the sample complexity tightness.

The Effectiveness of Multimedia Programmes in Children's Vocabulary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acha, Joana

2009-01-01

The present experiment investigated the effect of three different presentation modes in children's vocabulary learning with a self-guided multimedia programmes. Participants were 135 third and fourth grade children who read a short English language story presented by a computer programme. For 12 key (previously unknown) words in the story,…

Active Music Classes in Infancy Enhance Musical, Communicative and Social Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerry, David; Unrau, Andrea; Trainor, Laurel J.

2012-01-01

Previous studies suggest that musical training in children can positively affect various aspects of development. However, it remains unknown as to how early in development musical experience can have an effect, the nature of any such effects, and whether different types of music experience affect development differently. We found that random…

Incidental L2 Vocabulary Acquisition "from" and "while" Reading: An Eye-Tracking Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellicer-Sánchez, Ana

2016-01-01

Previous studies have shown that reading is an important source of incidental second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition. However, we still do not have a clear picture of what happens when readers encounter unknown words. Combining offline (vocabulary tests) and online (eye-tracking) measures, the incidental acquisition of vocabulary knowledge…

Impaired Overt Facial Mimicry in Response to Dynamic Facial Expressions in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshimura, Sayaka; Sato, Wataru; Uono, Shota; Toichi, Motomi

2015-01-01

Previous electromyographic studies have reported that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibited atypical patterns of facial muscle activity in response to facial expression stimuli. However, whether such activity is expressed in visible facial mimicry remains unknown. To investigate this issue, we videotaped facial responses in…

Competing for Consciousness: Prolonged Mask Exposure Reduces Object Substitution Masking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodhew, Stephanie C.; Visser, Troy A. W.; Lipp, Ottmar V.; Dux, Paul E.

2011-01-01

In object substitution masking (OSM) a sparse, temporally trailing 4-dot mask impairs target identification, even though it has different contours from, and does not spatially overlap with the target. Here, we demonstrate a previously unknown characteristic of OSM: Observers show reduced masking at prolonged (e.g., 640 ms) relative to intermediate…

Court of Ethics: Teaching Ethics and Ageing by Means of Role-Playing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doron, Israel

2007-01-01

Technological and scientific developments, progress in the discipline of gerontology, and an ageing population mean that we now have to contend with previously unknown ethical problems. Therefore, the teaching of ethics is an essential element of a comprehensive education in gerontology. This article discusses the unique aspects of gerontology…

Silver speciation and release in commercial antimicrobial textiles as influenced by washing

EPA Science Inventory

The use of nanoscale Ag in textiles is one the most often mentioned uses of nano-Ag. It has previously been shown that significant amounts of the Ag in the textiles are released upon washing. However, the form of Ag present in the textiles remains largely unknown as product label...

Chemotherapy drug shuts down cell growth by triggering a natural checkpoint | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

In a new study published November 23, 2016, in Molecular Cell, researchers in the CCR’s Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling reported the discovery of a previously unknown route for blocking cell growth that can be activated by certain chemotherapy drugs to fight cancer. Read more...

The search for red AGN with 2MASS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cutri, R. M.; Nelson, B. O.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Huchra, J. P.; Smith, P. S.

2001-01-01

We present the results of a simple, highly efficient 2MASS color-based survey that has already discovered 140 previously unknown red AGN and QSOs. These objects are near-infrared-bright and relatively nearby; the media redshift of the sample is z=0.25, and all but two have z<0.7.

The Mechanism Underlying Inhibition of Saccadic Return

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludwig, Casimir J. H.; Farrell, Simon; Ellis, Lucy A.; Gilchrist, Iain D.

2009-01-01

Human observers take longer to re-direct gaze to a previously fixated location. Although there has been some exploration of the characteristics of inhibition of saccadic return (ISR), the exact mechanisms by which ISR operates are currently unknown. In the framework of accumulation models of response times, in which evidence is integrated over…

The Arabidopsis Family GT43 Glycosyltransferases Form Two Functionally Nonredundant Groups Essential for the Elongation of Glucuronoxylan Backbone

EPA Science Inventory

There exist four members of family GT43 glycosyltransferases in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome, and mutations of two of them, IRX9 and IRX14, have previously been shown to cause a defect in glucuronoxylan (GX) biosynthesis. However, it is currently unknown whether ...

Why Do British Indian Children Have an Apparent Mental Health Advantage?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Anna; Patel, Vikram; Leon, David A.

2010-01-01

Background: Previous studies document a mental health advantage in British Indian children, particularly for externalising problems. The causes of this advantage are unknown. Methods: Subjects were 13,836 White children and 361 Indian children aged 5-16 years from the English subsample of the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys. The…

Heads up ... for Bas-Relief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Steve

2010-01-01

Art teachers need to experiment with new techniques and materials in order to keep their art instruction fresh, and to avoid becoming droning bores with tired, repetitive projects. Usually it only takes a brief flip through any art-supply catalog for an art teacher to happen onto some previously unknown material that will inspire them and--when…

Endocannabinoid concentrations in plasma during the finishing period are associated with feed efficiency and carcass composition of beef cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We previously have shown that plasma concentrations of endocannabinoids (EC) are positively correlated with feed efficiency and leaner carcasses in finishing steers. However, whether the animal growth during the finishing period affects the concentration of EC is unknown. The objective of this study...

Elevated VGKC-Complex Antibodies in a Boy with Fever-Induced Refractory Epileptic Encephalopathy in School-Age Children (FIRES)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illingworth, Marjorie A.; Hanrahan, Donncha; Anderson, Claire E.; O'Kane, Kathryn; Anderson, Jennifer; Casey, Maureen; de Sousa, Carlos; Cross, J. Helen; Wright, Sukvhir; Dale, Russell C.; Vincent, Angela; Kurian, Manju A.

2011-01-01

Fever-induced refractory epileptic encephalopathy in school-age children (FIRES) is a clinically recognized epileptic encephalopathy of unknown aetiology. Presentation in previously healthy children is characterized by febrile status epilepticus. A pharmacoresistant epilepsy ensues, occurring in parallel with dramatic cognitive decline and…

GAP-43 Gene Expression Regulates Information Storage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holahan, Matthew R.; Honegger, Kyle S.; Tabatadze, Nino; Routtenberg, Aryeh

2007-01-01

Previous reports have shown that overexpression of the growth- and plasticity-associated protein GAP-43 improves memory. However, the relation between the levels of this protein to memory enhancement remains unknown. Here, we studied this issue in transgenic mice (G-Phos) overexpressing native, chick GAP-43. These G-Phos mice could be divided at…

Behavioral Parent Training in Child Welfare: Maintenance and Booster Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Camp, Carole M.; Montgomery, Jan L.; Vollmer, Timothy R.; Kosarek, Judith A.; Happe, Shawn; Burgos, Vanessa; Manzolillo, Anthony

2008-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of a 30-hr behavioral parent training program at increasing skill accuracy. However, it remains unknown whether skills acquisitions are maintained on a long-term basis. Few studies have evaluated the maintenance of skills learned during behavioral parent training for foster parents. The purpose of…

Understanding Clicker Discussions: Student Reasoning and the Impact of Instructional Cues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Jennifer K.; Wise, Sarah B.; Southard, Katelyn M.

2013-01-01

Previous research has shown that undergraduate science students learn from peer discussions of in-class clicker questions. However, the features that characterize such discussions are largely unknown, as are the instructional factors that may lead students into productive discussions. To explore these questions, we recorded and transcribed 83…

Apo-10'-lycopenoic acid inhibits cancer cell migration and angiogenesis and induces peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Scope: We have previously shown that apo-10'-lycopenoic acid (ALA), a derivative of lycopene through cleavage by carotene-9',10'-oxygenase, inhibits tumor progression and metastasis in both liver and lung cancer animal models. The underlying mechanism remains unknown. We hypothesized that ALA inhibi...

Delayed Parturition and Altered Myometrial Progesterone Receptor Isoform A Expression in Mice Null for Kruppel-like Factor 9

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pre-term and delayed labor conditions are devastating health problems, with currently unknown etiologies. We previously showed that the transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) influences the expression and/or transcriptional activity of receptors for estrogen and progesterone in endometria...

Effectiveness and Efficiency of Flashcard Drill Instructional Methods on Urban First-Graders' Word Recognition, Acquisition, Maintenance, and Generalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nist, Lindsay; Joseph, Laurice M.

2008-01-01

This investigation built upon previous studies that compared effectiveness and efficiency among instructional methods. Instructional effectiveness and efficiency were compared among three conditions: an incremental rehearsal, a more challenging ratio of known to unknown interspersal word procedure, and a traditional drill and practice flashcard…

Time-Varying Effects of Family Ethnic Socialization on Ethnic-Racial Identity Development among Latino Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglass, Sara; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.

2016-01-01

Previous research has established that family ethnic socialization messages promote ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development, yet it is unknown whether these effects remain constant throughout adolescence. The current study examined the time-varying effects of family ethnic socialization on ERI exploration and resolution among Latino adolescents…

Discovery of a Novel Hepatovirus (Phopivirus of Seals) Related to Human Hepatitis A Virus.

PubMed

Anthony, S J; St Leger, J A; Liang, E; Hicks, A L; Sanchez-Leon, M D; Jain, K; Lefkowitch, J H; Navarrete-Macias, I; Knowles, N; Goldstein, T; Pugliares, K; Ip, H S; Rowles, T; Lipkin, W I

2015-08-25

Describing the viral diversity of wildlife can provide interesting and useful insights into the natural history of established human pathogens. In this study, we describe a previously unknown picornavirus in harbor seals (tentatively named phopivirus) that is related to human hepatitis A virus (HAV). We show that phopivirus shares several genetic and phenotypic characteristics with HAV, including phylogenetic relatedness across the genome, a specific and seemingly quiescent tropism for hepatocytes, structural conservation in a key functional region of the type III internal ribosomal entry site (IRES), and a codon usage bias consistent with that of HAV. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is an important viral hepatitis in humans because of the substantial number of cases each year in regions with low socioeconomic status. The origin of HAV is unknown, and no nonprimate HAV-like viruses have been described. Here, we describe the discovery of an HAV-like virus in seals. This finding suggests that the diversity and evolutionary history of these viruses might be far greater than previously thought and may provide insight into the origin and pathogenicity of HAV. Copyright © 2015 Anthony et al.

A neural network based reputation bootstrapping approach for service selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Quanwang; Zhu, Qingsheng; Li, Peng

2015-10-01

With the concept of service-oriented computing becoming widely accepted in enterprise application integration, more and more computing resources are encapsulated as services and published online. Reputation mechanism has been studied to establish trust on prior unknown services. One of the limitations of current reputation mechanisms is that they cannot assess the reputation of newly deployed services as no record of their previous behaviours exists. Most of the current bootstrapping approaches merely assign default reputation values to newcomers. However, by this kind of methods, either newcomers or existing services will be favoured. In this paper, we present a novel reputation bootstrapping approach, where correlations between features and performance of existing services are learned through an artificial neural network (ANN) and they are then generalised to establish a tentative reputation when evaluating new and unknown services. Reputations of services published previously by the same provider are also incorporated for reputation bootstrapping if available. The proposed reputation bootstrapping approach is seamlessly embedded into an existing reputation model and implemented in the extended service-oriented architecture. Empirical studies of the proposed approach are shown at last.

SimAlba: A Spatial Microsimulation Approach to the Analysis of Health Inequalities

PubMed Central

Campbell, Malcolm; Ballas, Dimitris

2016-01-01

This paper presents applied geographical research based on a spatial microsimulation model, SimAlba, aimed at estimating geographically sensitive health variables in Scotland. SimAlba has been developed in order to answer a variety of “what-if” policy questions pertaining to health policy in Scotland. Using the SimAlba model, it is possible to simulate the distributions of previously unknown variables at the small area level such as smoking, alcohol consumption, mental well-being, and obesity. The SimAlba microdataset has been created by combining Scottish Health Survey and Census data using a deterministic reweighting spatial microsimulation algorithm developed for this purpose. The paper presents SimAlba outputs for Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, and examines the spatial distribution of the simulated variables for small geographical areas in Glasgow as well as the effects on individuals of different policy scenario outcomes. In simulating previously unknown spatial data, a wealth of new perspectives can be examined and explored. This paper explores a small set of those potential avenues of research and shows the power of spatial microsimulation modeling in an urban context. PMID:27818989

Artesian Well Abandonment at Launch Complex 39A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, Lindsay; Johansen, Deda

2015-01-01

The artesian well tasked for abandonment was located on the LOX side (northwest area) of the launch complex. The exact date of well installation is unknown. The well was no longer in use at the time of the abandonment request, but was previously utilized under St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) consumptive use permit (No. 50054) for the Floridian Aquifer. The exact construction details of the LOX artesian well were also unknown; however, a similar-type artesian well was previously located on the LH2 side of the site, which was abandoned in 2012. Based on discussions with the NASA RPM and review of the LH2 artesian well abandonment completion report, the LH2 artesian well was reported to be an 8-inch diameter, 330-foot deep well. The NASA RPM communicated that the LOX artesian well was likely to be an 8-inch diameter, 380-foot deep well. This information was used for scoping, and was subsequently confirmed to be substantially accurate. No additional information could be found for the LOX artesian well using the NASA Remediation Information System (RIS).

Leaping into the Unknown: Developing Thinking in the Primary Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serret, Natasha

2004-01-01

The original project, the foundation for all subsequent work, was set up in 1981 by Michael Shayer, with Philip Adey and Carolyn Yates, and became known as CASE @ KS3 (Adey and Shayer, 1994). CASE stands for Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education. The original CASE project drew on Piaget's work on the stage theory of cognitive…

Whistle-Blowing as a Form of Advocacy: Guidelines for the Practitioner and Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Annette D.; Latting, Jean Kantambu

2004-01-01

Advocacy has been an inherent component of social work since the mid-1800s. The NASW Code of Ethics explicitly promotes advocacy as an ethical stance against inhumane conditions. Whistle-blowing, on the other hand, occurs mostly in the business and public administration disciplines and is relatively unknown in the social work profession. Using…

Secrets to Writing Great Papers. The Study Smart Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kesselman-Turkel, Judi; Peterson, Franklynn

This book explains how to work with ideas to hone them into words, providing techniques and exercises for brainstorming, choosing the right approach, working with an unknown or boring assigned topic, and selecting the best point of view. It presents 10 steps, noting related problems: (1) "Decide on Size" (no specific length is assigned);…

Welfare to Work: Effectiveness of Tribal JOBS Programs Unknown. Briefing Report to Congressional Committees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.

This report presents the results of a study of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) programs operated by Indian tribes and Alaska Native organizations. Congress established the JOBS program to give recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) the education, training, work experience, and supportive services they…

Towards a Global Concept of Collaborative Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartkopf, Volker; Loftness, Vivian; Aziz, Azizan

Both distraction-free and interactive officing strategies will be required for a number of different key work places: the Individual Place, Project Place, Meeting Place, Social Place, and the Electronic Place. Mobility and flexibility in furniture, lighting, thermal, and networking will have significant opportunities for innovation, with the Project Place the most innovative and unknown of these work environments.

Uncovering a role for the tail of the Dictyostelium discoideum SadA protein in cell-substrate adhesion.

PubMed

Kowal, Anthony S; Chisholm, Rex L

2011-05-01

Previous work from our laboratory showed that the Dictyostelium discoideum SadA protein plays a central role in cell-substrate adhesion. SadA null cells exhibit a loss of adhesion, a disrupted actin cytoskeleton, and a cytokinesis defect. How SadA mediates these phenotypes is unknown. This work addresses the mechanism of SadA function, demonstrating an important role for the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail in SadA function. We found that a SadA tailless mutant was unable to rescue the sadA adhesion deficiency, and overexpression of the SadA tail domain reduced adhesion in wild-type cells. We also show that SadA is closely associated with the actin cytoskeleton. Mutagenesis studies suggested that four serine residues in the tail, S924/S925 and S940/S941, may regulate association of SadA with the actin cytoskeleton. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays identified at least one likely interaction partner of the SadA tail, cortexillin I, a known actin bundling protein. Thus, our data demonstrate an important role for the carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic tail in SadA function and strongly suggest that a phosphorylation event in this tail regulates an interaction with cortexillin I. Based on our data, we propose a model for the function of SadA.

Parity oscillations and photon correlation functions in the Z2-U (1 ) Dicke model at a finite number of atoms or qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi-Xiang, Yu; Ye, Jinwu; Zhang, CunLin

2016-08-01

Four standard quantum optics models, that is, the Rabi, Dicke, Jaynes-Cummings, and Tavis-Cummings models, were proposed by physicists many decades ago. Despite their relative simple forms and many previous theoretical works, their physics at a finite N , especially inside the superradiant regime, remain unknown. In this work, by using the strong-coupling expansion and exact diagonalization (ED), we study the Z2-U(1 ) Dicke model with independent rotating-wave coupling g and counterrotating-wave coupling g' at a finite N . This model includes the four standard quantum optics models as its various special limits. We show that in the superradiant phase, the system's energy levels are grouped into doublets with even and odd parity. Any anisotropy β =g'/g ≠1 leads to the oscillation of parities in both the ground and excited doublets as the atom-photon coupling strength increases. The oscillations will be pushed to the infinite coupling strength in the isotropic Z2 limit β =1 . We find nearly perfect agreement between the strong-coupling expansion and the ED in the superradiant regime when β is not too small. We also compute the photon correlation functions, squeezing spectrum, and number correlation functions that can be measured by various standard optical techniques.

Interference Resolution in Emotional Working Memory as a Function of Alexithymia.

PubMed

Colligan, Sean M; Koven, Nancy S

2015-01-01

Although alexithymia is recognized as a set of traitlike deficits in emotion processing, research suggests there are concomitant cognitive issues as well, including what appears to be an unusual pattern of enhanced working memory (WM) despite broader executive dysfunction. It is unknown whether this enhancement includes the executive elements of WM and whether executive control of WM in alexithymia differs for emotional and neutral stimuli. This study examined how alexithymia moderates patterns of interference resolution in WM with valenced and nonvalenced stimuli. Participants (N = 93) completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and a recency probes WM task containing positive, negative, and neutral stimuli, with some trials containing proactive interference from previous trials. The reaction time difference between interference and noninterference trials indexed degree of interference resolution. Toronto Alexithymia Scale score moderated a within-subject effect such that, when valenced probes were used, there was less proactive interference in the positive relative to negative valence condition; this valence-based interference discrepancy was significant for a subset of highly alexithymic participants. Alexithymia did not moderate proactive interference to negative or neutral stimuli or accuracy of responses. These results suggest that, although alexithymia does not influence executive control in WM for nonemotional items, alexithymic people demonstrate an idiosyncratic response to positive stimuli that might indicate blunted reactivity.

Amino Acid Flux from Metabolic Network Benefits Protein Translation: the Role of Resource Availability.

PubMed

Hu, Xiao-Pan; Yang, Yi; Ma, Bin-Guang

2015-06-09

Protein translation is a central step in gene expression and affected by many factors such as codon usage bias, mRNA folding energy and tRNA abundance. Despite intensive previous studies, how metabolic amino acid supply correlates with protein translation efficiency remains unknown. In this work, we estimated the amino acid flux from metabolic network for each protein in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using Flux Balance Analysis. Integrated with the mRNA expression level, protein abundance and ribosome profiling data, we provided a detailed description of the role of amino acid supply in protein translation. Our results showed that amino acid supply positively correlates with translation efficiency and ribosome density. Moreover, with the rank-based regression model, we found that metabolic amino acid supply facilitates ribosome utilization. Based on the fact that the ribosome density change of well-amino-acid-supplied genes is smaller than poorly-amino-acid-supply genes under amino acid starvation, we reached the conclusion that amino acid supply may buffer ribosome density change against amino acid starvation and benefit maintaining a relatively stable translation environment. Our work provided new insights into the connection between metabolic amino acid supply and protein translation process by revealing a new regulation strategy that is dependent on resource availability.

Role of the cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide in inflammation and mortality in a mouse model of bacterial meningitis.

PubMed

Merres, Julika; Höss, Jonas; Albrecht, Lea-Jessica; Kress, Eugenia; Soehnlein, Oliver; Jansen, Sandra; Pufe, Thomas; Tauber, Simone C; Brandenburg, Lars-Ove

2014-01-01

Antimicrobial peptides (AP) are important components of the innate immune system, yet little is known about their expression and function in the brain. Our previous work revealed upregulated gene expression of cathelicidin-related AP (CRAMP) following bacterial meningitis in primary rat glial cells as well as bactericidal activity against frequent meningitis-causing bacteria. However, the effect of cathelicidin expression on the progression of inflammation and mortality in bacterial meningitis remains unknown. Therefore, we used CRAMP-deficient mice to investigate the effect of CRAMP on bacterial growth, inflammatory responses and mortality in meningitis. Meningitis was induced by intracerebral injection of type 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae. The degree of inflammation was analyzed in various brain regions by means of immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR. CRAMP deficiency led to a higher mortality rate that was associated with increased bacterial titers in the cerebellum, blood and spleen as well as decreased meningeal neutrophil infiltration. CRAMP-deficient mice displayed a higher degree of glial cell activation that was accompanied by a more pronounced proinflammatory response. Taken together, this work provides insight into the important role of CRAMP as part of the innate immune defense against pathogens in bacterial CNS infections. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel

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

Wang, Kun; Bannister, Mark E.; Meyer, Fred W.

Here, in a magnetic fusion energy (MFE) device, the plasma-facing materials (PFMs) will be subjected to tremendous fluxes of ions, heat, and neutrons. The response of PFMs to the fusion environment is still not well defined. Tungsten metal is the present candidate of choice for PFM applications such as the divertor in ITER. However, tungsten's microstructure will evolve in service, possibly to include recrystallization. How tungsten's response to plasma exposure evolves with changes in microstructure is presently unknown. In this work, we have exposed hot-worked and recrystallized tungsten to an 80 eV helium ion beam at a temperature of 900more » °C to fluences of 2 × 10 23 or 20 × 10 23 He/m 2. This resulted in a faceted surface structure at the lower fluence or short but well-developed nanofuzz structure at the higher fluence. There was little difference in the hot-rolled or recrystallized material's near-surface (≤50 nm) bubbles at either fluence. At higher fluence and deeper depth, the bubble populations of the hot-rolled and recrystallized were different, the recrystallized being larger and deeper. This may explain previous high-fluence results showing pronounced differences in recrystallized material. The deeper penetration in recrystallized material also implies that grain boundaries are traps, rather than high-diffusivity paths.« less

Knudsen temperature jump and the Navier-Stokes hydrodynamics of granular gases driven by thermal walls.

PubMed

Khain, Evgeniy; Meerson, Baruch; Sasorov, Pavel V

2008-10-01

Thermal wall is a convenient idealization of a rapidly vibrating plate used for vibrofluidization of granular materials. The objective of this work is to incorporate the Knudsen temperature jump at thermal wall in the Navier-Stokes hydrodynamic modeling of dilute granular gases of monodisperse particles that collide nearly elastically. The Knudsen temperature jump manifests itself as an additional term, proportional to the temperature gradient, in the boundary condition for the temperature. Up to a numerical prefactor O(1) , this term is known from kinetic theory of elastic gases. We determine the previously unknown numerical prefactor by measuring, in a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, steady-state temperature profiles of a gas of elastically colliding hard disks, confined between two thermal walls kept at different temperatures, and comparing the results with the predictions of a hydrodynamic calculation employing the modified boundary condition. The modified boundary condition is then applied, without any adjustable parameters, to a hydrodynamic calculation of the temperature profile of a gas of inelastic hard disks driven by a thermal wall. We find the hydrodynamic prediction to be in very good agreement with MD simulations of the same system. The results of this work pave the way to a more accurate hydrodynamic modeling of driven granular gases.

α decay properties of 296Og within the two-potential approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Jun-Gang; Zhao, Jie-Cheng; Chen, Jiu-Long; Wu, Xi-Jun; Li, Xiao-Hua

2018-04-01

The present work is a continuation of our previous paper [J.-G. Deng, et al., Chin. Phys. C, 41: 124109 (2017)]. In the present work, the α decay half-life of the unknown nucleus 296Og is predicted within the two-potential approach and the hindrance factors of all 20 even-even nuclei in the same region as 296Og, i.e. proton number 82

A traffic priority language for collision-free navigation of autonomous mobile robots in dynamic environments.

PubMed

Bourbakis, N G

1997-01-01

This paper presents a generic traffic priority language, called KYKLOFORTA, used by autonomous robots for collision-free navigation in a dynamic unknown or known navigation space. In a previous work by X. Grossmman (1988), a set of traffic control rules was developed for the navigation of the robots on the lines of a two-dimensional (2-D) grid and a control center coordinated and synchronized their movements. In this work, the robots are considered autonomous: they are moving anywhere and in any direction inside the free space, and there is no need of a central control to coordinate and synchronize them. The requirements for each robot are i) visual perception, ii) range sensors, and iii) the ability of each robot to detect other moving objects in the same free navigation space, define the other objects perceived size, their velocity and their directions. Based on these assumptions, a traffic priority language is needed for each robot, making it able to decide during the navigation and avoid possible collision with other moving objects. The traffic priority language proposed here is based on a set of primitive traffic priority alphabet and rules which compose pattern of corridors for the application of the traffic priority rules.

Mental rotation and working memory in musicians' dystonia.

PubMed

Erro, Roberto; Hirschbichler, Stephanie T; Ricciardi, Lucia; Ryterska, Agata; Antelmi, Elena; Ganos, Christos; Cordivari, Carla; Tinazzi, Michele; Edwards, Mark J; Bhatia, Kailash P

2016-11-01

Mental rotation of body parts engages cortical-subcortical areas that are actually involved in the execution of a movement. Musicians' dystonia is a type of focal hand dystonia that is grouped together with writer's cramp under the rubric of "occupational dystonia", but it is unclear to which extent these two disorders share common pathophysiological mechanisms. Previous research has demonstrated patients with writer's cramp to have deficits in mental rotation of body parts. It is unknown whether patients with musicians' dystonia would display similar deficits, reinforcing the concept of shared pathophysiology. Eight patients with musicians' dystonia and eight healthy musicians matched for age, gender and musical education, performed a number of tasks assessing mental rotation of body parts and objects as well as verbal and spatial working memories abilities. There were no differences between patients and healthy musicians as to accuracy and reaction times in any of the tasks. Patients with musicians' dystonia have intact abilities in mentally rotating body parts, suggesting that this disorder relies on a highly selective disruption of movement planning and execution that manifests only upon playing a specific instrument. We further demonstrated that mental rotation of body parts and objects engages, at least partially, different cognitive networks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyte species and concentration identification using differentially functionalized microcantilever arrays and artificial neural networks

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

Senesac, Larry R; Datskos, Panos G; Sepaniak, Michael J

2006-01-01

In the present work, we have performed analyte species and concentration identification using an array of ten differentially functionalized microcantilevers coupled with a back-propagation artificial neural network pattern recognition algorithm. The array consists of ten nanostructured silicon microcantilevers functionalized by polymeric and gas chromatography phases and macrocyclic receptors as spatially dense, differentially responding sensing layers for identification and quantitation of individual analyte(s) and their binary mixtures. The array response (i.e. cantilever bending) to analyte vapor was measured by an optical readout scheme and the responses were recorded for a selection of individual analytes as well as several binary mixtures. Anmore » artificial neural network (ANN) was designed and trained to recognize not only the individual analytes and binary mixtures, but also to determine the concentration of individual components in a mixture. To the best of our knowledge, ANNs have not been applied to microcantilever array responses previously to determine concentrations of individual analytes. The trained ANN correctly identified the eleven test analyte(s) as individual components, most with probabilities greater than 97%, whereas it did not misidentify an unknown (untrained) analyte. Demonstrated unique aspects of this work include an ability to measure binary mixtures and provide both qualitative (identification) and quantitative (concentration) information with array-ANN-based sensor methodologies.« less

Full-dimensional Quantum Calculations of Rovibrational Transitions in CS induced by H2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Benhui; Zhang, Peng; Stancil, Phillip; Bowman, J.; Balakrishnan, N.; Forrey, R.

2017-04-01

Carbon monosulfide (CS), the sulfur analogue of carbon monoxide, has been widely observed in a variety interstellar regions. An accurate prediction of its abundance requires collisional rate coefficients with ambient gases. However, the collisional rate coefficients are largely unknown and primarily rely on theoretical scattering calculations. In interstellar clouds, the dominant collision partner is H2. Rate coefficient data on CS-H2 collisions are limited to pure rotational transitions and no data exist for rovibrational transitions. In this work we evaluate the first full-dimensional potential energy surface for the CS-H2 system using high-level electronic structure theory and perform explicit quantum close-coupling calculations of rovibrational transitions in CS induced by H2 collisions. Cross sections and rate coefficients for rotational transitions are compared with previous theoretical results obtained within a rigid-rotor model. For rovibrational transitions, state-to-state rate coefficients are evaluated for several low-lying rotational levels in the first excited vibrational level of CS. Results are presented for both para-H2 and ortho-H2 collision partners. Work at UGA and Emory are supported by NASA Grant No. NNX16AF09G, at UNLV by NSF Grant No. PHY-1505557, and at Penn State by NSF Grant No. PHY-1503615.

A Time Series Analysis of Cancer-Related Information Seeking: Hints From the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 2003-2014.

PubMed

Huerta, Timothy R; Walker, Daniel M; Johnson, Tyler; Ford, Eric W

2016-09-01

Recent technological changes, such as the growth of the Internet, have made cancer information widely available. However, it remains unknown whether changes in access have resulted in concomitant changes in information seeking behavior. Previous work explored the cancer information seeking behaviors of the general population using the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). This article aims to reproduce, replicate, and extend that existing analysis using the original dataset and five additional iterations of HINTS (2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014). This approach builds on the earlier work by quantifying the magnitude of change in information seeking behaviors. Bivariate comparison of the 2003 and 2014 data revealed very similar results; however, the multivariate model including all years of data indicated differences between the original and extended models: individuals age 65 and older were no longer less likely to seek cancer information than the 18-35 reference population, and Hispanics were also no longer less likely to be cancer information seekers. The results of our analysis indicate an overall shift in cancer information seeking behaviors and also illuminate the impact of increased Internet usage over the past decade, suggesting specific demographic groups that may benefit from cancer information seeking encouragement.

Evolutionary dynamics under interactive diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Qi; Li, Aming; Wang, Long

2017-10-01

As evidenced by many cases in human societies, individuals often make different behavior decisions in different interactions, and adaptively adjust their behavior in changeable interactive scenarios. However, up to now, how such diverse interactive behavior affects cooperation dynamics has still remained unknown. Here we develop a general framework of interactive diversity, which models individuals’ separated behavior against distinct opponents and their adaptive adjustment in response to opponents’ strategies, to explore the evolution of cooperation. We find that interactive diversity enables individuals to reciprocate every single opponent, and thus sustains large-scale reciprocal interactions. Our work witnesses an impressive boost of cooperation for a notably extensive range of parameters and for all pairwise games. These results are robust against well-mixed and various networked populations, and against degree-normalized and cumulative payoff patterns. From the perspective of network dynamics, distinguished from individuals competing for nodes in most previous work, in this paper, the system evolves in the form of behavior disseminating along edges. We propose a theoretical method based on evolution of edges, which predicts well both the frequency of cooperation and the compact cooperation clusters. Our thorough investigation clarifies the positive role of interactive diversity in resolving social dilemmas and highlights the significance of understanding evolutionary dynamics from the viewpoint of edge dynamics.

Developmental validation of the HIrisPlex system: DNA-based eye and hair colour prediction for forensic and anthropological usage.

PubMed

Walsh, Susan; Chaitanya, Lakshmi; Clarisse, Lindy; Wirken, Laura; Draus-Barini, Jolanta; Kovatsi, Leda; Maeda, Hitoshi; Ishikawa, Takaki; Sijen, Titia; de Knijff, Peter; Branicki, Wojciech; Liu, Fan; Kayser, Manfred

2014-03-01

Forensic DNA Phenotyping or 'DNA intelligence' tools are expected to aid police investigations and find unknown individuals by providing information on externally visible characteristics of unknown suspects, perpetrators and missing persons from biological samples. This is especially useful in cases where conventional DNA profiling or other means remain non-informative. Recently, we introduced the HIrisPlex system, capable of predicting both eye and hair colour from DNA. In the present developmental validation study, we demonstrate that the HIrisPlex assay performs in full agreement with the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) guidelines providing an essential prerequisite for future HIrisPlex applications to forensic casework. The HIrisPlex assay produces complete profiles down to only 63 pg of DNA. Species testing revealed human specificity for a complete HIrisPlex profile, while only non-human primates showed the closest full profile at 20 out of the 24 DNA markers, in all animals tested. Rigorous testing of simulated forensic casework samples such as blood, semen, saliva stains, hairs with roots as well as extremely low quantity touch (trace) DNA samples, produced complete profiles in 88% of cases. Concordance testing performed between five independent forensic laboratories displayed consistent reproducible results on varying types of DNA samples. Due to its design, the assay caters for degraded samples, underlined here by results from artificially degraded DNA and from simulated casework samples of degraded DNA. This aspect was also demonstrated previously on DNA samples from human remains up to several hundreds of years old. With this paper, we also introduce enhanced eye and hair colour prediction models based on enlarged underlying databases of HIrisPlex genotypes and eye/hair colour phenotypes (eye colour: N = 9188 and hair colour: N = 1601). Furthermore, we present an online web-based system for individual eye and hair colour prediction from full and partial HIrisPlex DNA profiles. By demonstrating that the HIrisPlex assay is fully compatible with the SWGDAM guidelines, we provide the first forensically validated DNA test system for parallel eye and hair colour prediction now available to forensic laboratories for immediate casework application, including missing person cases. Given the robustness and sensitivity described here and in previous work, the HIrisPlex system is also suitable for analysing old and ancient DNA in anthropological and evolutionary studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards high-speed autonomous navigation of unknown environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, Charles; Roy, Nicholas

2015-05-01

In this paper, we summarize recent research enabling high-speed navigation in unknown environments for dynamic robots that perceive the world through onboard sensors. Many existing solutions to this problem guarantee safety by making the conservative assumption that any unknown portion of the map may contain an obstacle, and therefore constrain planned motions to lie entirely within known free space. In this work, we observe that safety constraints may significantly limit performance and that faster navigation is possible if the planner reasons about collision with unobserved obstacles probabilistically. Our overall approach is to use machine learning to approximate the expected costs of collision using the current state of the map and the planned trajectory. Our contribution is to demonstrate fast but safe planning using a learned function to predict future collision probabilities.

MoCha: Molecular Characterization of Unknown Pathways.

PubMed

Lobo, Daniel; Hammelman, Jennifer; Levin, Michael

2016-04-01

Automated methods for the reverse-engineering of complex regulatory networks are paving the way for the inference of mechanistic comprehensive models directly from experimental data. These novel methods can infer not only the relations and parameters of the known molecules defined in their input datasets, but also unknown components and pathways identified as necessary by the automated algorithms. Identifying the molecular nature of these unknown components is a crucial step for making testable predictions and experimentally validating the models, yet no specific and efficient tools exist to aid in this process. To this end, we present here MoCha (Molecular Characterization), a tool optimized for the search of unknown proteins and their pathways from a given set of known interacting proteins. MoCha uses the comprehensive dataset of protein-protein interactions provided by the STRING database, which currently includes more than a billion interactions from over 2,000 organisms. MoCha is highly optimized, performing typical searches within seconds. We demonstrate the use of MoCha with the characterization of unknown components from reverse-engineered models from the literature. MoCha is useful for working on network models by hand or as a downstream step of a model inference engine workflow and represents a valuable and efficient tool for the characterization of unknown pathways using known data from thousands of organisms. MoCha and its source code are freely available online under the GPLv3 license.

Multi-Robot, Multi-Target Particle Swarm Optimization Search in Noisy Wireless Environments

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

Kurt Derr; Milos Manic

Multiple small robots (swarms) can work together using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to perform tasks that are difficult or impossible for a single robot to accomplish. The problem considered in this paper is exploration of an unknown environment with the goal of finding a target(s) at an unknown location(s) using multiple small mobile robots. This work demonstrates the use of a distributed PSO algorithm with a novel adaptive RSS weighting factor to guide robots for locating target(s) in high risk environments. The approach was developed and analyzed on multiple robot single and multiple target search. The approach was further enhancedmore » by the multi-robot-multi-target search in noisy environments. The experimental results demonstrated how the availability of radio frequency signal can significantly affect robot search time to reach a target.« less