The Twinning Problem

In the field of crystallography, some crystals are not made of a single component but are instead twinned.In these cases, the observed intensities at some points in the lattice will be far larger than predictions. If we find the rotation associated to the twinned component, we can model this twin and improve our agreement with observations. In this report, we explore many routes to improve the process of identifying twins: Generation of fake data for better understanding and accurate testing. The representation of a rotation as defined by an axis and angle. The representation of a rotation as a quaternion. Using lattice points which must be equidistant from the origin to create our viable rotations. An algorithm focused on restricted possibilities. An exploration of 2D lattices for which twinning is mathematically impossible. We find that there is much to be investigated in the field of twinning

Shaping Skeletal Growth by Modular Regulatory Elements in the Bmp5 Gene

Cartilage and bone are formed into a remarkable range of shapes and sizes that underlie many anatomical adaptations to different lifestyles in vertebrates. Although the morphological blueprints for individual cartilage and bony structures must somehow be encoded in the genome, we currently know little about the detailed genomic mechanisms that direct precise growth patterns for particular bones. We have carried out large-scale enhancer surveys to identify the regulatory architecture controlling developmental expression of the mouse Bmp5 gene, which encodes a secreted signaling molecule required for normal morphology of specific skeletal features. Although Bmp5 is expressed in many skeletal precursors, different enhancers control expression in individual bones. Remarkably, we show here that different enhancers also exist for highly restricted spatial subdomains along the surface of individual skeletal structures, including ribs and nasal cartilages. Transgenic, null, and regulatory mutations confirm that these anatomy-specific sequences are sufficient to trigger local changes in skeletal morphology and are required for establishing normal growth rates on separate bone surfaces. Our findings suggest that individual bones are composite structures whose detailed growth patterns are built from many smaller lineage and gene expression domains. Individual enhancers in BMP genes provide a genomic mechanism for controlling precise growth domains in particular cartilages and bones, making it possible to separately regulate skeletal anatomy at highly specific locations in the body

Circulating microRNAs in sera correlate with soluble biomarkers of immune activation but do not predict mortality in ART treated individuals with HIV-1 infection: A case control study

Introduction: The use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically reduced HIV-1 associated morbidity and mortality. However, HIV-1 infected individuals have increased rates of morbidity and mortality compared to the non-HIV-1 infected population and this appears to be related to end-organ diseases collectively referred to as Serious Non-AIDS Events (SNAEs). Circulating miRNAs are reported as promising biomarkers for a number of human disease conditions including those that constitute SNAEs. Our study sought to investigate the potential of selected miRNAs in predicting mortality in HIV-1 infected ART treated individuals. Materials and Methods: A set of miRNAs was chosen based on published associations with human disease conditions that constitute SNAEs. This case: control study compared 126 cases (individuals who died whilst on therapy), and 247 matched controls (individuals who remained alive). Cases and controls were ART treated participants of two pivotal HIV-1 trials. The relative abundance of each miRNA in serum was measured, by RTqPCR. Associations with mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular and malignancy) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Correlations between miRNAs and CD4+ T cell count, hs-CRP, IL-6 and D-dimer were also assessed. Results: None of the selected miRNAs was associated with all-cause, cardiovascular or malignancy mortality. The levels of three miRNAs (miRs -21, -122 and -200a) correlated with IL-6 while miR-21 also correlated with D-dimer. Additionally, the abundance of miRs -31, -150 and -223, correlated with baseline CD4+ T cell count while the same three miRNAs plus miR- 145 correlated with nadir CD4+ T cell count. Discussion: No associations with mortality were found with any circulating miRNA studied. These results cast doubt onto the effectiveness of circulating miRNA as early predictors of mortality or the major underlying diseases that contribute to mortality in participants treated for HIV-1 infection

Complication Rate of Long Stripping of the Greater Saphenous Vein

To evaluate the procedure of stripping by invagination of the long saphenous vein in the management of varicose veins. Prospective study of 1,300 patients treated by stripping of the long saphenous vein by the invagination technique. Three quarters of the patients were treated at a private clinic and one quarter in a university hospital in Brussels, Belgium. Patients underwent stripping of the long saphenous vein under local or regional anaesthesia. The occurrence of peroperative haemorrhage, postoperative haematoma in the track of the long saphenous vein, when assessed by clinical examination and dysthaesia in the distribution of the saphenous nerve assessed by neurological examination. In a total of 1,300 patients operated on using the author's technique there were only 6 haematomas in the track of the long saphenous vein and no serious peroperative haemorrhage was encountered. In 4 patients disturbances in the sensation in the area supplied by the saphenous nerve were detected. Stripping the long saphenous vein by invagination provides a safe alternative to conventional methods which may cause excessive damage to structures around the vein. © 1992, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Spectroscopic and electrochemical studies of cocaine–opioid interactions

Abstract The drugs of abuse cocaine (C), heroin (H), and morphine (M) have been studied to enable understanding of the occurrence of cocaine–opioid interactions at a molecular level. Electrochemical, Raman, and NMR studies of the free drugs and their mixtures were used to study drug–drug interactions. The results were analyzed using data obtained from quantum-mechanical calculations. For the cocaine–morphine mixture (C–MH), formation of a binary complex was detected; this involved the 3-phenolic group and the heterocyclic oxygen of morphine and the carbonyl oxygen and the methyl protons of cocaine’s methyl ester group. NMR studies conducted simultaneously also revealed C–MH binding geometry consistent with theoretical predictions and with electrochemical and vibrational spectroscopy results. These results provide evidence for the occurrence of a cocaine–morphine interaction, both in the solid state and in solution, particularly for the hydrochloride form. A slight interaction, in solution, was also detected by NMR for the cocaine–heroin mixture. Figure "Schematic representation of the proposed model for cocaine:morphine salt interaction

Can shells of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) be used to estimate low summer discharge of rivers and associated droughts?

This paper examines if shell oxygen isotope ratios (d18Oar) of Unio sp. can be used as a proxy of past discharge of the river Meuse. The proxy was developed from a modern dataset for the reference time interval 1997–2007, which showed a logarithmic relationship between discharge and measured water oxygen isotope ratios(d18Ow). To test this relationship for past time intervals,d18Oar values were measured in the aragonite of the growth increments of four Unio sp. shells; two from a relatively wet period and two from a very dry time interval (1910–1918 and 1969–1977, respectively). Shell d18Oar records were converted into d18Ow values using existing water temperature records. Summer d18Ow values, reconstructed from d18Oar of 1910–1918, showed a similar range as the summer d18Ow values for the reference time interval 1997–2007, whilst summer reconstructed d18Ow values for the time interval 1969–1977 were anomalously high. These high d18Ow values suggest that the river Meuse experienced severe summer droughts during the latter time interval. d18Ow values were then applied to calculate discharge values. It was attempted to estimate discharge from the reconstructed d18Ow values using the logarithmic relationship between d18Ow and discharge. A comparison of the calculated summer discharge results with observed discharge data showed that Meuse low-discharge events below a threshold value of 6 m3/s can be detected in the reconstructed d18Ow records, but true quantification remains problematic