Interactions among salt marsh plants vary geographically but not latitudinally along the California coast.

The strength of species interactions often varies geographically and locally with environmental conditions. Competitive interactions are predicted to be stronger in benign environments while facilitation is expected to be stronger in harsh ones. We tested these ideas with an aboveground neighbor removal experiment at six salt marshes along the California coast. We determined the effect of removals of either the dominant species, Salicornia pacifica, or the subordinate species on plant cover, aboveground biomass and community composition, as well as soil salinity and moisture. We found that S. pacifica consistently competed with the subordinate species and that the strength of competition varied among sites. In contrast with other studies showing that dominant species facilitate subordinates by moderating physical stress, here the subordinate species facilitated S. pacifica shortly after removal treatments were imposed, but the effect disappeared over time. Contrary to expectations based on patterns observed in east coast salt marshes, we did not see patterns in species interactions in relation to latitude, climate, or soil edaphic characteristics. Our results suggest that variation in interactions among salt marsh plants may be influenced by local-scale site differences such as nutrients more than broad latitudinal gradients

Seismic Vulnerability of the Italian Roadway Bridge Stock

This study focuses on the seismic vulnerability evaluation of the Italian roadway bridge stock, within the framework of a Civil Protection sponsored project. A comprehensive database of existing bridges (17,000 bridges with different level of knowledge) was implemented. At the core of the study stands a procedure for automatically carrying out state-of-the-art analytical evaluation of fragility curves for two performance levels – damage and collapse – on an individual bridge basis. A webGIS was developed to handle data and results. The main outputs are maps of bridge seismic risk (from the fragilities and the hazard maps) at the national level and real-time scenario damage-probability maps (from the fragilities and the scenario shake maps). In the latter case the webGIS also performs network analysis to identify routes to be followed by rescue teams. Consistency of the fragility derivation over the entire bridge stock is regarded as a major advantage of the adopted approach

Brain amyloid in preclinical Alzheimer\u27s disease is associated with increased driving risk

INTRODUCTION: Postmortem studies suggest that fibrillar brain amyloid places people at higher risk for hazardous driving in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We administered driving questionnaires to 104 older drivers (19 AD, 24 mild cognitive impairment, and 61 cognitive normal) who had a recent (18)F-florbetapir positron emission tomography scan. We examined associations of amyloid standardized uptake value ratios with driving behaviors: traffic violations or accidents in the past 3 years. RESULTS: The frequency of violations or accidents was curvilinear with respect to standardized uptake value ratios, peaking around a value of 1.1 (model r(2) = 0.10, P = .002); moreover, this relationship was evident for the cognitively normal participants. DISCUSSION: We found that driving risk is strongly related to accumulating amyloid on positron emission tomography, and that this trend is evident in the preclinical stage of AD. Brain amyloid burden may in part explain the increased crash risk reported in older adults

Transport des Cyclomodulins Cif in eukaryotische Zellen mit Hilfe von "Cell penetrating peptides"

Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden Fusionsproteine aus dem E- coli Effektorprotein Cif und 2 verschiedenen Cell-Penetrating Peptides hergestellt. Sie wurden auf ihre Fähigkeit zur Autopenetration in eukaryotische Zellen und ihren Effekt auf eukaryotische Zellen untersucht. Beide hergestellten Fusionsproteine zeigten die Fähigkeit zur Autopenetration und zeigten einen toxischen Effekt auf eukaryotische Zellen

Expectativas y percepciones de la madre respecto a su recién-nacido: aplicación del inventario de percepción neonatal de broussard

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate Broussard's Neonatal Perception Inventory (BPNI), an instrument to measure the mother's perception and expectations regarding her newborn infant at immediate postpartum and one month afterwards in primiparous and multiparous women. METHODS: Prospective cohort of 27 multiparous and 29 primiparous mothers of healthy newborn infants. In the second day postpartum, mothers were asked about the difficulties they thought that babies would offer regarding specific behaviors: crying, spitting, feeding, elimination, sleeping and predictability. Answers were rated in a 5-point scale. Next, mothers were questioned about their own babies regarding the same items. After 30 days, the mothers were questioned again about her perception of most babies and their own baby regarding the same items. The results were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA considering the following main effects: time, group (primiparous and mul-tiparous), and subjects (mother's baby and most babies). RESULTS: Following birth, mothers expected their babies to have fewer difficulties in the daily activities than the ma-jority of the babies. These expectations were confirmed one month later for all items. There were no differences between primiparous and multiparous mothers. CONCLUSIONS: The Broussard's Neonatal Perception In-ventory was well understood and accepted by mothers and showed consistent results in this study. It can be used as a screening psychological tool to assess bonding between mothers and infants.OBJETIVOS: Analizar el Inventario de Percepción Neonatal de Broussard (BNPI - un instrumento que detecta las percepciones y expectativas maternas respecto a los hijos) enseguida al parto (T1) y con un mes de vida (T2), en puér-peras multíparas y primíparas. MÉTODOS: Coorte prospectiva con 27 multíparas y 29 primíparas madres de neonatos a término sanos. Se preguntó a la madre en T1 la dificultad que ella esperaba que la mayoría de los bebés tuviera respecto a llorar, alimentarse, regurgitar o vomitar, evacuar, dormir y tener una rutina. Las respuestas fueron marcadas en una escala de 5 puntos. Enseguida, se repitieron las preguntas respecto a su hijo recién-nacido. En T2, se preguntaba a la madre la dificultad que ella creía que la mayoría de los bebés y su propio hijo presentaban respecto a los mismos requisitos. El análisis estadístico utilizó ANOVA para medidas repetidas, teniendo en cuenta los siguientes efectos principales: tiempo (T1 y T2), grupo (primíparas y multíparas) y categoría (su bebé y la mayoría de los bebés). RESULTADOS: Enseguida al parto, las madres esperaban que sus hijos tuvieran menos dificultad en las actividades evaluadas que la mayoría de los bebés. Esta expectativa se confirmó con 30 días de vida para todos los comportamientos. No hubo diferencias entre primíparas y multíparas. CONCLUSIONES: El BNPI fue bien atendido y aceptado por las madres, mostrando resultados consistentes en este estudio. El instrumento puede ser útil para seleccionar pares madre-bebé con dificultades en el establecimiento de vínculo.OBJETIVOS: Analisar o Inventário de Percepção Neonatal de Broussard, um instrumento que detecta as percepções e expectativas maternas com respeito aos filhos logo após o parto (Tempo 1) e com um mês de vida (Tempo 2), em puérperas multíparas e primíparas. MÉTODOS: Coorte prospectiva com 27 multíparas e 29 primíparas mães de neonatos a termo saudáveis. Inquiriu-se à mãe no segundo dia pós-parto quanta dificuldade ela esperava que a maioria dos bebês tivesse em relação a chorar, alimentar, regurgitar ou vomitar, evacuar, dormir e ter uma rotina. As respostas foram marcadas em uma escala de 5 pontos. A seguir, repetiam-se as perguntas em relação ao seu filho recém-nascido. Após 30 dias, perguntava-se à mãe quanta dificuldade ela achava que a maioria dos bebês e seu próprio filho apresentavam em relação aos mesmos quesitos. A análise estatística utilizou ANOVA para medidas repe-tidas, considerando os seguintes efeitos principais: tempo, grupo (primíparas e multíparas) e categoria (seu bebê e a maioria dos bebês). RESULTADOS: Logo após o parto, as mães esperavam que seus filhos tivessem menos dificuldade nas atividades avalia-das do que a maioria dos bebês. Essa expectativa se confirmou com 30 dias de vida para todos os comportamentos. Não houve diferenças entre primíparas e multíparas. CONCLUSÕES: O Inventário de Percepção Neonatal de Broussard foi bem entendido e aceito pelas mães, mostrando resultados consistentes neste estudo. O instrumento pode ser útil para triar pares mãe-bebê com dificuldades no estabelecimento de vínculo.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Sociedade Brasileira de Psicanálise de São PauloHospital Geral de Itapecerica da SerraUNIFESPSciEL

DeepSRE: Identification of sterol responsive elements and nuclear transcription factors Y proximity in human DNA by Convolutional Neural Network analysis

SREBP1 and 2, are cholesterol sensors able to modulate cholesterol-related gene expression responses. SREBPs binding sites are characterized by the presence of multiple target sequences as SRE, NFY and SP1, that can be arranged differently in different genes, so that it is not easy to identify the binding site on the basis of direct DNA sequence analysis. This paper presents a complete workflow based on a one-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model able to detect putative SREBPs binding sites irrespective of target elements arrangements. The strategy is based on the recognition of SRE linked (less than 250 bp) to NFY sequences according to chromosomal localization derived from TF Immunoprecipitation (TF ChIP) experiments. The CNN is trained with several 100 bp sequences containing both SRE and NF-Y. Once trained, the model is used to predict the presence of SRE-NFY in the first 500 bp of all the known gene promoters. Finally, genes are grouped according to biological process and the processes enriched in genes containing SRE-NFY in their promoters are analyzed in details. This workflow allowed to identify biological processes enriched in SRE containing genes not directly linked to cholesterol metabolism and possible novel DNA patterns able to fill in for missing classical SRE sequences

A Positron Implantation Profile Estimation Approach for the PALS Study of Battery Materials

Positron annihilation spectroscopy is a powerful probe to investigate the interfaces in materials relevant for energy storage such as Li-ion batteries. The key to the interpretation of the results is the positron implantation profile, which is a spatial function related to the characteristics of the materials forming the battery. We provide models for the positron implantation profile in a cathode of a Li-ion battery coin cell. These models are the basis for a reliable visualization of multilayer geometries and their interfaces in thin cathodes of lithium-ion batteries

Seasonal and Local Solar Time Variation of the Meridional Wind at 95 km from Observations of the 11.072-GHz Ozone Line and the 557.7-nm Oxygen Line

Ground-based spectrometers have been deployed to measure the concentration, velocity, and temperature of ozone in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT), using low-cost satellite television electronics to observe the 11.072-GHz line of ozone. The ozone line was observed at an altitude near 95 km at 38°N, 71°W using three spectrometers located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Haystack Observatory (Westford, Massachusetts), Chelmsford High School (Chelmsford, Massachusetts), and Union College (Schenectady, New York), each pointed south at 8° elevation. Observations from 2009 through 2014 were used to derive the nightly averaged seasonal variation of the 95-km altitude meridional wind velocity, as well as the seasonally averaged variation of the meridional wind with local solar time. The results indicate a seasonal trend in which the winds at 95 km are directed southward at about 10 m s[superscript −1] in the summer of the Northern Hemisphere and northward at about 10 m s[superscript −1] in the winter. Nighttime data from −5 to +5 local solar time show a gradual transition of the meridional wind velocity from about −20 to 20 m s[superscript −1]. These variations correlate well with nighttime wind measurements using 557.7-nm optical airglow observations from the Millstone Hill high-resolution Fábry–Perot interferometer (FPI) in Westford.National Science Foundation (U.S.) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Grant AST-1156504

Lipid Peroxidation, Nitric Oxide Metabolites, and Their Ratio in a Group of Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome

Our aim was to evaluate lipid peroxidation, expressed as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), nitric oxide metabolites (nitrite + nitrate) expressed as NOx, and TBARS/NOx ratio in a group of subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS). In this regard we enrolled 106 subjects with MS defined according to the IDF criteria, subsequently subdivided into diabetic (DMS) and nondiabetic (NDMS) and also into subjects with a low triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) index or with a high TG/HDL-C index. In the entire group and in the four subgroups of MS subjects we found an increase in TBARS and NOx levels and a decrease in TBARS/NOx ratio in comparison with normal controls. Regarding all these parameters no statistical difference between DMS and NDMS was evident, but a significant increase in NOx was present in subjects with a high TG/HDL-C index in comparison with those with a low index. In MS subjects we also found a negative correlation between TBARS/NO x ratio and TG/HDL-C index. Considering the hyperactivity of the inducible NO synthase in MS, these data confirm the altered redox and inflammatory status that characterizes the MS and suggest a link between lipid peroxidation, inflammation, and insulin resistance, evaluated as TG/HDL-C index