The Arabidopsis INNER NO OUTER (INO) gene is essential for formation and asymmetric growth of the ovule outer integument. INO encodes a member of the newly described YABBY family of putative ...transcription factors that contain apparent Cys(2)-Cys(2) zinc-finger domains and regions of similarity to the high mobility group (HMG) transcription factors. In wild-type plants, INO is expressed specifically on one side of the central region of each ovule primordium in the cells that give rise to the outer integument. Alterations in the INO expression pattern in mutant backgrounds implicate INO as a positive regulator of its own expression, and ANT, HLL, BEL1, and SUP as direct or indirect negative regulators that help to establish the spatial pattern of INO expression. We hypothesize that INO is necessary for polarity determination in the central part of the ovule. Maintenance of polarity in other parts of ino ovules indicates the existence of additional regulators and provides further evidence that the ovule is a compound structure.
Many approaches to trajectory analysis, such as clustering or classification, use probabilistic generative models, thus not requiring trajectory alignment/registration. Switched linear dynamical ...models (e.g., HMMs) have been used in this context, due to their ability to describe different motion regimes. However, these models are not suitable for handling space-dependent dynamics that are more naturally captured by nonlinear models. As is well known, these are more difficult to identify. In this paper, we propose a new way of modeling trajectories, based on a mixture of parametric motion vector fields that depend on a small number of parameters. Switching among these fields follows a probabilistic mechanism, characterized by a field of stochastic matrices. This approach allows representing a wide variety of trajectories and modeling space-dependent behaviors without using global nonlinear dynamical models. Experimental evaluation is conducted in both synthetic and real scenarios. The latter concerning with human trajectory modeling for activity classification, a central task in video surveillance.
Recent studies have shown that mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL), a severe and debilitating form of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) caused by Leishmania braziliensis infection, is accompanied ...by high circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Analysis of TNF polymorphisms in Venezuelan ACL patients and endemic unaffected controls demonstrates a high relative risk (RR) of 7.5 (P < 0.001) of MCL disease in homozygotes for allele 2 of a polymorphism in intron 2 of the TNF-beta gene, especially in females (RR = 9.5; P < 0.001) compared with males (RR = 4; P < 0.05). A significantly higher frequency (P < 0.05) of allele 2 at the -308-basepair TNF-alpha gene polymorphism was also observed in MCL patients (0.18) compared with endemic control subjects (0.069), again associated with a high relative risk of disease (RR = 3.5; P < 0.05) even in the heterozygous condition. Because both the TNF-alpha and TNF-beta polymorphisms have previously been linked with functional differences in TNF-alpha levels, these data suggest that susceptibility to the mucocutaneous form of disease may be directly associated with regulatory polymorphisms affecting TNF-alpha production.
The active clamp boost converter (ACBC) has been analyzed, and a complete model has been obtained. It has been checked that it behaves as a voltage source with high input impedance. Because of this ...feature, this topology is suitable for multiphase design, where different stages share the load in a passive way, without any extra mechanism or components. The design of multiphase converters is simplified, particularly for a big number of phases, as no extra information must be processed. Steady-state current sharing has been studied as well as how component tolerances affect the current distribution. A simple design guide to select different components has been detailed, and, moreover, the conditions to achieve soft switching have been revised. To test passive current sharing, a two-phase ACBC has been built. It has been tested in open loop to prove that without any control loop or extra components, the load sharing is achieved.
Sporadic colorectal cancer (sCRC) is one of the most frequent types of cancer in Europe. Despite understanding of its tumorigenesis, the metastatic process is not yet clear. In this article, we ...review the most significant genetic and proteomic advances that have been made in regards to research of the sCRC metastatic process, and the new biomarkers that are able to predict disease prognosis or response to treatments, in order to define personalized medicine.
Background This study investigated the rate of device-associated health care–associated infection (DA-HAI), microbiological profiles, bacterial resistance, length of stay (LOS), and mortality rate in ...9 intensive care units (ICUs) of 3 hospital members of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) in the Philippines. Methods This was an open-label, prospective cohort, active DA-HAI surveillance study of adult, pediatric, and newborn patients admitted to 9 tertiary care ICUs in the Philippines between January 2005 and December 2009, implementing methodology developed by the INICC. Data collection was performed in the participating ICUs, and data were uploaded and analyzed at the INICC headquarters using proprietary software. DA-HAI rates were registered based on definitions promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network. Results Over a 5-year period, 4952 patients hospitalized in ICUs for a total of 40,733 days acquired 199 DA-HAIs, for an overall rate of 4.9 infections per 1,000 ICU-days. Ventilator-associated pneumonia posed the greatest risk (16.7 per 1,000 ventilator-days in the adult ICUs, 12.8 per 1,000 ventilator-days in the pediatric ICU, and 0.44 per 1,000 ventilator-days in the neonatal ICUs), followed by central line–associated bloodstream infections (4.6 per 1,000 catheter-days in the adult ICUs, 8.23 per 1,000 ventilator-days in the pediatric ICU, and 9.6 per 1,000 ventilator-days in the neonatal ICUs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (4.2 per 1,000 catheter-days in the adult ICUs and 0.0 in the pediatric ICU). Conclusion DA-HAIs pose far greater threats to patient safety in Philippine ICUs than in US ICUs. The establishment of active infection control programs that involve infection surveillance and implement guidelines for prevention can improve patient safety and should become a priority.
It is not frequent that weak non-covalent interactions counteract moderate hydrogen bonds. And it is also very uncommon to observe two concurrent n → π∗ interactions, much less involving the same ...acceptor atom. In this work, we performed a theoretical analysis over all stable confomers of the 3-nitrophthalic acid. This compound has such a rich conformational variety, that it allowed us to compare different stabilizing and destabilizing effects as a function of a few dihedral angles. We found that the lowest-energy structure is the result of a balance between the stabilization provided by a double n → π∗ interaction, the global decrease of steric repulsions, and alteration of the electron delocalization. The contributions of these entities to the global molecular stability are coupled (i.e., all are affected when one is modified) in such a manner that the formation of a double n → π∗ interaction is preferred over the formation of a moderate hydrogen bond.
Organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplantation legislation and policies vary substantially worldwide, as do performance outcomes in various jurisdictions. Our objective was to create expert, ...consensus guidance that links evidence and ethical concepts to legislative and policy reform for tissue and cell donation and transplantation systems.
We identified topic areas and recommendations through consensus, using nominal group technique. The proposed framework was informed by narrative literature reviews and vetted by the project's scientific committee. The framework was presented publicly at a hybrid virtual and in-person meeting in October 2021 in Montréal, Canada, where feedback provided by the broader Forum participants was incorporated into the final manuscript.
This report has 13 recommendations regarding critical aspects affecting the donation and use of human tissues and cells that need to be addressed internationally to protect donors and recipients. They address measures to foster self-sufficiency, ensure the respect of robust ethical principles, guarantee the quality and safety of tissues and cells for human use, and encourage the development of safe and effective innovative therapeutic options in not-for-profit settings.
The implementation of these recommendations, in total or in part, by legislators and governments would benefit tissue transplantation programs by ensuring access to safe, effective, and ethical tissue- and cell-based therapies for all patients in need.
It is not frequent that weak non-covalent interactions counteract moderate hydrogen bonds. And it is also very uncommon to observe two concurrent
n
→
π
∗
interactions, much less involving the same ...acceptor atom. In this work, we performed a theoretical analysis over all stable confomers of the 3-nitrophthalic acid. This compound has such a rich conformational variety, that it allowed us to compare different stabilizing and destabilizing effects as a function of a few dihedral angles. We found that the lowest-energy structure is the result of a balance between the stabilization provided by a double
n
→
π
∗
interaction, the global decrease of steric repulsions, and alteration of the electron delocalization. The contributions of these entities to the global molecular stability are coupled (i.e., all are affected when one is modified) in such a manner that the formation of a double
n
→
π
∗
interaction is preferred over the formation of a moderate hydrogen bond.
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