Gould Belt Members in X-ray RAVE: Cross-Matching RAVE Stars with 3XMM Point Sources

In this paper the results of matching the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE), a spectroscopic Southern hemisphere survey (9 $< I_{DENIS} <$ 12), and XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue (3XMM) are presented. The latest data releases of RAVE and XMM were matched and a X-ray RAVE catalogue of 1071 stars was obtained. Then the catalogue was checked for possible Gould Belt (GB) members. We obtained a subsample of 10 stars that meet the GB membership criteria. This subsample and GB member candidates were tested photometrically and kinematically. Among the members there are two BY Dra type variables, an NGC2451 open cluster member, a high proper motion star. The rest are regular main sequence stars. The members have very low velocity dispersions which lead us to think that the members belong in a single structure. We also found out that a kinematical GB membership test might be possible to derive given a large enough GB member sample as they fit in a narrow interval in space velocity diagrams.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysics and Space Scienc

First Order Phase Transition in the 3-dimensional Blume-Capel Model on a Cellular Automaton

The first order phase transition of the three-dimensional Blume Capel are investigated using cooling algorithm which improved from Creutz Cellular Automaton for the $D/J=2.9$ parameter value in the first order phase transition region. The analysis of the data using the finite-size effect and the histogram technique indicate that the magnetic susceptibility maxima and the specific heat maxima increase with the system volume ($L^{d}$) at $$.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Protein interaction perturbation profiling at amino-acid resolution

The identification of genomic variants in healthy and diseased individuals continues to rapidly outpace our ability to functionally annotate these variants. Techniques that both systematically assay the functional consequences of nucleotide-resolution variation and can scale to hundreds of genes are urgently required. We designed a sensitive yeast two-hybrid-based 'off switch' for positive selection of interaction-disruptive variants from complex genetic libraries. Combined with massively parallel programmed mutagenesis and a sequencing readout, this method enables systematic profiling of protein-interaction determinants at amino-acid resolution. We defined >1,000 interaction-disrupting amino acid mutations across eight subunits of the BBSome, the major human cilia protein complex associated with the pleiotropic genetic disorder Bardet–Biedl syndrome. These high-resolution interaction-perturbation profiles provide a framework for interpreting patient-derived mutations across the entire protein complex and thus highlight how the impact of disease variation on interactome networks can be systematically assessed

A Y2H-seq approach defines the human protein methyltransferase interactome

To accelerate high-density interactome mapping, we developed a yeast two-hybrid interaction screening approach involving short-read second-generation sequencing (Y2H-seq) with improved sensitivity and a quantitative scoring readout allowing rapid interaction validation. We applied Y2H-seq to investigate enzymes involved in protein methylation, a largely unexplored post-translational modification. The reported network of 523 interactions involving 22 methyltransferases or demethylases is comprehensively annotated and validated through coimmunoprecipitation experiments and defines previously undiscovered cellular roles of nonhistone protein methylation

Keyframe reduction techniques for motion capture data

Two methods for keyframe reduction of motion capture data are presented. Keyframe reduction of motion capture data enables animators to easily edit motion data with smaller number of keyframes. One of the approaches achieves keyframe reduction and noise removal simultaneously by fitting a curve to the motion information using dynamic programming. The other approach uses curve simplification algorithms on the motion capture data until a predefined threshold of number of keyframes is reached. Although the error rate varies with different motions, the results show that curve fitting with dynamic programming performs as good as curve simplification methods. ©2008 IEEE

Turner syndrome and associated problems in turkish children: A multicenter study

Objective: Turner syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder caused by complete or partial X chromosome monosomy that manifests various clinical features depending on the karyotype and on the genetic background of affected girls. This study aimed to systematically investigate the key clinical features of TS in relationship to karyotype in a large pediatric Turkish patient population. Methods: Our retrospective study included 842 karyotype-proven TS patients aged 0-18 years who were evaluated in 35 different centers in Turkey in the years 2013-2014. Results: The most common karyotype was 45,X (50.7%), followed by 45,X/46,XX (10.8%), 46,X,i(Xq) (10.1%) and 45,X/46,X,i(Xq) (9.5%). Mean age at diagnosis was 10.2±4.4 years. The most common presenting complaints were short stature and delayed puberty. Among patients diagnosed before age one year, the ratio of karyotype 45,X was significantly higher than that of other karyotype groups. Cardiac defects (bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta and aortic stenosi) were the most common congenital anomalies, occurring in 25% of the TS cases. This was followed by urinary system anomalies (horseshoe kidney, double collector duct system and renal rotation) detected in 16.3%. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was found in 11.1% of patients, gastrointestinal abnormalities in 8.9%, ear nose and throat problems in 22.6%, dermatologic problems in 21.8% and osteoporosis in 15.3%. Learning difficulties and/or psychosocial problems were encountered in 39.1%. Insulin resistance and impaired fasting glucose were detected in 3.4% and 2.2%, respectively. Dyslipidemia prevalence was 11.4%. Conclusion: This comprehensive study systematically evaluated the largest group of karyotype-proven TS girls to date. The karyotype distribution, congenital anomaly and comorbidity profile closely parallel that from other countries and support the need for close medical surveillance of these complex patients throughout their lifespan. © Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology

Cellphone-Based Hand-Held Microplate Reader for Point-of-Care Testing of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays

Standard microplate based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are widely utilized for various nanomedicine, molecular sensing, and disease screening applications, and this multiwell plate batched analysis dramatically reduces diagnosis costs per patient compared to nonbatched or nonstandard tests. However, their use in resource-limited and field-settings is inhibited by the necessity for relatively large and expensive readout instruments. To mitigate this problem, we created a hand-held and cost-effective cellphone-based colorimetric microplate reader, which uses a 3D-printed optomechanical attachment to hold and illuminate a 96-well plate using a light-emitting-diode (LED) array. This LED light is transmitted through each well, and is then collected via 96 individual optical fibers. Captured images of this fiber-bundle are transmitted to our servers through a custom-designed app for processing using a machine learning algorithm, yielding diagnostic results, which are delivered to the user within ∼1 min per 96-well plate, and are visualized using the same app. We successfully tested this mobile platform in a clinical microbiology laboratory using FDA-approved mumps IgG, measles IgG, and herpes simplex virus IgG (HSV-1 and HSV-2) ELISA tests using a total of 567 and 571 patient samples for training and blind testing, respectively, and achieved an accuracy of 99.6%, 98.6%, 99.4%, and 99.4% for mumps, measles, HSV-1, and HSV-2 tests, respectively. This cost-effective and hand-held platform could assist health-care professionals to perform high-throughput disease screening or tracking of vaccination campaigns at the point-of-care, even in resource-poor and field-settings. Also, its intrinsic wireless connectivity can serve epidemiological studies, generating spatiotemporal maps of disease prevalence and immunity

Short communication:Identifying key parameters for modelling the impacts of livestock health conditions on greenhouse gas emissions

Improved animal health can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity in livestock systems while increasing productivity. Integrated modelling of disease impacts on farm-scale emissions is important in identifying effective health strategies to reduce emissions. However, it requires that modellers understand the pathways linking animal health to emissions and how these might be incorporated into models. A key barrier to meeting this need has been the lack of a framework to facilitate effective exchange of knowledge and data between animal health experts and emissions modellers. Here, these two communities engaged in workshops, online exchanges and a survey to i) identify a comprehensive list of disease-related model parameters and ii) test its application to evaluating models. Fifty-six parameters were identified and proved effective in assessing the potential of farm-scale models to characterise livestock disease impacts on GHG emissions. Easy wins for the emissions models surveyed include characterising disease impacts related to feeding