Integrating Syntactic and Prosodic Information for the Efficient Detection of Empty Categories

We describe a number of experiments that demonstrate the usefulness of prosodic information for a processing module which parses spoken utterances with a feature-based grammar employing empty categories. We show that by requiring certain prosodic properties from those positions in the input where the presence of an empty category has to be hypothesized, a derivation can be accomplished more efficiently. The approach has been implemented in the machine translation project VERBMOBIL and results in a significant reduction of the work-load for the parser.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of Coling 1996, Copenhagen. 6 page

T-SP1: a novel serine protease-like protein predominantly expressed in testis

Here, we describe a novel member in the group of membrane-anchored chymotrypsin (S1)-like serine proteases, namely testis serine protease 1 (T-SP1), as it is principally expressed in testis tissue. The human T-SP1 gene encompasses 28.7 kb on the short arm of chromosome 8 and consists of seven exons. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends ( RACE) experiments revealed that due to alternative splicing three different variants (T-SP1/1, -2, -3) are detectable in testis tissue displaying pronounced heterogeneity at their 3'-end. T-SP1/1 consists of an 18 amino acid signal peptide and of a 49 amino acid propeptide. The following domain with the catalytic triad of His(108), Asp(156), and Ser(250) shares sequence identities of 42% and 40% with the blood coagulation factor XI and plasma kallikrein, respectively. Only T-SP1/1 contains a hydrophobic part at the C-terminus, which provides the basis for cell membrane anchoring. Using a newly generated polyclonal anti-T-SP1 antibody, expression of the T-SP1 protein was found in the Leydig and Sertoli cells of the testis and in the epithelial cells of the ductuli efferentes. Notably, T-SP1 protein was also detectable in prostate cancer and in some ovarian cancer tissues, indicating tumor-related synthesis of T-SP1 beyond testis tissue

A Solvent-Free Approach to Crosslinked Hydrophobic Polymeric Coatings on Paper Using Vegetable Oil

Hydrophobic coatings are of utmost importance for many applications of paper-based materials. However, to date, most coating methods demand vast amounts of chemicals and solvents. Frequently, fossil-based coating materials are being used and multiple derivatization reactions are often required to obtain desired performances. In this work, we present a solvent-free paper-coating process, where olive oil as the main biogenic component is being used to obtain a hydrophobic barrier on paper. UV-induced thiol-ene photocrosslinking of olive oil was pursued in a solvent-free state at a wavelength of 254 nm without addition of photoinitiator. Optimum reaction conditions were determined in advance using oleic acid as a model compound. Paper coatings based on olive oil crosslinked by thiol-ene reaction reach water contact angles of up to 120°. By means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, a successful reaction and the formation of a polymer network within the coating can be proven. These results show that clickchemistry strategies can be used to achieve hydrophobic polymeric paper coatings while keeping the amount of non-biobased chemicals and reaction steps at a minimum

Using Paper as a Biomimetic Fog Harvesting Material

This study identifies important factors for designing an effective biomimetic paper‐based fog harvesting substrate by examining the harvesting properties of different surfaces, including glass, polyethylene, and superhydrophobic paper. In laboratory‐scale fogging tests, the wetting behavior of the substrates is characterized, and the importance of the tilt angle of the respective surface relative to the fog flow is elaborated. Because successful fog harvesting requires both efficient accumulation of water droplets on the surface (by condensation and collision) and sufficient but not excessive roll‐off of the liquid, the amount of water finally collected is clearly related to the pinning effect, which should prevent the smallest droplets from being carried away by the wind but must not lead to full and permanent wetting of the surface. Coalescence is identified as a major phenomenon to improve droplet roll‐off. In this context, superhydrophobic paper indicates to be a more effective water collector than glass or polyethylene, especially when oriented vertically, since it allows the droplets to roll off very efficiently. Finally, the addition of glass particles to the superhydrophobic coating is proposed as a means of enhancing pinning and improving the fog harvesting efficiency

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: long-term follow-up in a Western center

Background/Aims Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been established as a treatment modality for superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Long-term follow-up data are lacking in Western countries. The aim of this study was to analyze long-term survival in a Western center. Methods Patients undergoing ESD for ESCC were included. The analysis was performed retrospectively using a prospectively collected database. Results R0 resection rate was 96.7% (59/61 lesions in 58 patients). Twenty-seven patients (46.6%) fulfilled the curative resection criteria (M1/M2) (group A), 11 patients (19.0%) had M3 lesions without lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (group B), and 20 patients (34.5%) had lesions with submucosal invasion or LVI (group C). Additional treatment was recommended after non-curative resection. It was not performed in 20/31 patients (64.5%), mainly because of comorbidities (75%). Twenty-nine out of 58 (50.0%) patients died during a mean follow-up of 3.7 years. Death was related to ESCC in 17.2% (5/29) of patients. The disease-specific survival rate after curative resection was 100%. Overall survival rates after 5 years were 61.5%, 63.6% and 28.1% for groups A, B, and C, respectively. The overall survival was significantly worse after non-curative resection (p=0.038). Conclusions Non-curative resection is frequent after ESD for ESCC in Western patients. The long-term prognosis is limited and mainly determined by comorbidity. Early diagnosis and pre-interventional assessments need to be improved

Pica and refractory iron deficiency anaemia: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia worldwide. Pica, the ingestion of substances that are inappropriate for consumption, is associated with iron deficiency and may be under-diagnosed. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old woman presented with iron deficiency anaemia refractory to treatment for more than a decade. The clinical presentation, endoscopic findings and laboratory investigations were consistent with pica. Subsequent geophysical analysis confirmed that the ingested material was kaolin, a negatively charged silicate. CONCLUSION: Prolonged unexplained iron deficiency anaemia should prompt clinicians to remember and inquire about pica. In our patient, this would have averted numerous unnecessary investigations and prevented a decade-long suffering

An evolutionary and structural characterization of mammalian protein complex organization

Background: We have recently released a comprehensive, manually curated database of mammalian protein complexes called CORUM. Combining CORUM with other resources, we assembled a dataset of over 2700 mammalian complexes. The availability of a rich information resource allows us to search for organizational properties concerning these complexes. Results: As the complexity of a protein complex in terms of the number of unique subunits increases, we observed that the number of such complexes and the mean non-synonymous to synonymous substitution ratio of associated genes tend to decrease. Similarly, as the number of different complexes a given protein participates in increases, the number of such proteins and the substitution ratio of the associated gene also tend to decrease. These observations provide evidence relating natural selection and the organization of mammalian complexes. We also observed greater homogeneity in terms of predicted protein isoelectric points, secondary structure and substitution ratio in annotated versus randomly generated complexes. A large proportion of the protein content and interactions in the complexes could be predicted from known binary protein-protein and domain-domain interactions. In particular, we found that large proteins interact preferentially with much smaller proteins. Conclusions: We observed similar trends in yeast and other data. Our results support the existence of conserved relations associated with the mammalian protein complexes

Bacterial Species Associated with Highly Allergenic Plant Pollen Yield a High Level of Endotoxins and Induce Chemokine and Cytokine Release from Human A549 Cells

none10siSensitization to pollen allergens has been increasing in Europe every year. Most studies in this field are related to climate change, phenology, allergens associated with different pollens, and allergic disorders. As a plant microhabitat, pollen is colonized by diverse microorganisms, including endotoxin-producing bacteria which may contribute to pollen allergy (pollinosis). Therefore, bacteria isolated from high allergenic and low allergenic plant pollen, as well as the pollen itself with all microbial inhabitants, were used to assess the effect of the pollen by measuring the endotoxins lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) concentrations and their effect on chemokine and cytokine release from transwell cultured epithelial A549 cells as a model of epithelial lung barrier. High allergenic pollen showed a significantly higher level of bacterial endotoxins; interestingly, the endotoxin level found in the bacterial isolates from high allergenic pollen was significantly higher compared to that of bacteria from low allergenic pollen. Moreover, bacterial LPS concentrations across different pollen species positively correlated with the LPS concentration across their corresponding bacterial isolates. Selected bacterial isolates from hazel pollen (HA5, HA13, and HA7) co-cultured with A549 cells induced a potent concentration-dependent release of the chemokine interleukin-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 as well as the cytokine TNF-alpha and interleukin-2 to both apical and basal compartments of the transwell model. This study clearly shows the role of bacteria and bacterial endotoxins in the pollen allergy as well as seasonal allergic rhinitis.Ambika Manirajan, Binoy; Hinrichs, Ann-Kathrin; Ratering, Stefan; Rusch, Volker; Schwiertz, Andreas; Geissler-Plaum, Rita; Eichner, Gerrit; Cardinale, Massimiliano; Kuntz, Sabine; Schnell, SylviaAmbika Manirajan, Binoy; Hinrichs, Ann-Kathrin; Ratering, Stefan; Rusch, Volker; Schwiertz, Andreas; Geissler-Plaum, Rita; Eichner, Gerrit; Cardinale, Massimiliano; Kuntz, Sabine; Schnell, Sylvi

Hepatocellular carcinoma progression during bridging before liver transplantation

Background Recipient selection for liver transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is based primarily on criteria affecting the chance of long-term success. Here, the relationship between pretransplant bridging therapy and long-term survival was investigated in a subgroup analysis of the SiLVER Study. Methods Response to bridging, as defined by comparison of imaging at the time of listing and post-transplant pathology report, was categorized into controlled versus progressive disease (more than 20 per cent tumour growth or development of new lesions). Results Of 525 patients with HCC who had liver transplantation, 350 recipients underwent pretransplant bridging therapy. Tumour progression despite bridging was an independent risk factor affecting overall survival (hazard ratio 1.80; P = 0.005). For patients within the Milan criteria (MC) at listing, mean overall survival was longer for those with controlled versus progressive disease (6.8 versus 5.8 years; P < 0.001). Importantly, patients with HCCs outside the MC that were downsized to within the MC before liver transplantation had poor outcomes compared with patients who never exceeded the MC (mean overall survival 6.2 versus 6.6 years respectively; P = 0.030). Conclusion Patients with HCCs within the MC that did not show tumour progression under locoregional therapy had the best outcomes after liver transplantation. Downstaging into the limits of the MC did not improve the probability of survival. Prognostic factors determining the long-term success of liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are still under discussion. A subgroup analysis of the SiLVER trial showed that disease control under bridging therapy is strongly associated with improved prognosis in terms of overall survival. However, in tumours exceeding the limits of the Milan criteria, downstaging did not restore the probability of survival compared with that of patients within the Milan criteria