The Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) database: a collection of novel images for use in experimental research

Many experimental research designs require images of novel objects. Here we introduce the Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database. This database contains 64 primary novel object images and additional novel exemplars for ten basic- and nine global-level object categories. The objects’ novelty was confirmed by both self-report and a lack of consensus on questions that required participants to name and identify the objects. We also found that object novelty correlated with qualifying naming responses pertaining to the objects’ colors. Results from a similarity sorting task (and subsequent multidimensional scaling analysis on the similarity ratings) demonstrated that the objects are complex and distinct entities that vary along several featural dimensions beyond simply shape and color. A final experiment confirmed that additional item exemplars comprise both sub- and superordinate categories. These images may be useful in a variety of settings, particularly for developmental psychology and other research in language, categorization, perception, visual memory and related domains

Riesgo cardiovascular en estudiantes de medicina del municipio Puerto Padre de Las Tunas

Introduction: cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death in Cuba; as a result, the identification of cardiovascular risks from early ages allows the implementation of health promotion and prevention strategies to reduce their impact in the futureObjective: to identify the cardiovascular risk in medical students in Puerto Padre Municipality, Las Tunas province.Methods: an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. The target group included 545 medical students, 237 of whom were selected by means of a simple random sample. The body mass index and waist-hip ratio were studied. Descriptive statistics was applied.Results: the predominant age group was 18-21 years old (50,2 %). The 51,47 % of the students presented a high waist-hip ratio, 54,02 % a high abdominal circumference, 52,74 % a high body mass index, and in all groups 35,44 % presented blood pressure figures lower than 120/80 mmHg; 39 % had a cardiovascular risk.Conclusions: low percentages of cardiovascular risk were identified in medical students from Puerto Padre Municipality, Las Tunas province, determined by high values of waist-hip index, body mass index and abdominal circumference.Introducción: las enfermedades cardiovasculares constituyen la primera causa de mortalidad en Cuba; por lo cual la identificación de riesgos cardiovasculares desde edades tempranas permite implementar estrategias de promoción y prevención de salud para disminuir su impacto en el futuroObjetivo: identificar el riesgo cardiovascular en estudiantes de medicina del municipio Puerto Padre de Las Tunas.Método: se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal. El universo estuvo constituido por 545 estudiantes de medicina, seleccionándose 237 mediante un muestreo aleatorio simple. Se estudió el índice de masa corporal, la circunferencia abdominal y la índice cintura cadera. Se empleó estadística descriptiva.Resultados: se encontró predominio del grupo etario de 18 a 21 años (50,2 %). El 51,47 % de los estudiantes presentó un índice cintura-cadera alto, el 54,02 % una circunferencia abdominal alta, el 52,74 % un índice de masa corporal alta, así como en todos los grupos el 35,44 % presentó cifras de tensión arterial inferiores a 120/80 mmHg. El 39 % presentó riesgo cardiovascular.Conclusiones: se identificaron bajos porcientos de riesgo cardiovascular en los estudiantes de medicina del municipio Puerto Padre de Las Tunas, determinado por altos valores los índice cintura-cadera, índice de masa corporal y circunferencia abdominal

Wpływ masy nanocząsteczek Al2O3Al_2O_3 na kiełkowanie i wzrost siewek Cynara scolymus

Background. Nanoparticles have been applied worldwide, posing substantial effects on the environment and its living organisms. Plants as sessile organisms are always exposed to considerable fluctuations of nanoparticles concentrations. Here, the effects of different concentrations of bulk and nanosized $Al_2O_3$ on seed germination and seedling growth of Cynara scolymus were investigated in a randomized completely design with four replications. Material and methods. The experimental treatments included four concentrations of bulk $Al_2O_3$ (10, 50, 100 and 500 ppm), four concentrations of nanosized $Al_2O_3$ (10, 50, 100 and 500 ppm), and control without any $Al_2O_3$. Results. The results indicated that among the Cynara scolymus germination indices, only mean germination time and weighted germination index was not affected by treatments. In addition, plumule length, radicle length, seedling fresh and dry weight were affected by bulk and nanosized $Al_2O_3$concentrations, significantly. Radicle length at 50 ppm concentration of nanosized $Al_2O_3$ was higher than those of the untreated control and bulk $Al_2O_3$Al 2O3 at 10, 100 and 500 ppm concentrations. It is concluded that treatment with bulk $Al_2O_3$ treatments have more inhibitory effects on germination indices of Cynara scolymus in comparison to nanosized $Al_2O_3$. Conclusion. Overall, we found through our study that bulk and nano sized $Al_2O_3$ in high concentrations have a negative impact on the seed germination and seedling growth of Cynara scolymus. We saw an overall significant reduction in plumule length, seedling dry biomass, and vigor index of Cynara scolymus seedlings after being exposed to different concentrations of bulk and nano sized $Al_2O_3$, but no significant change in the mean germination time, weighted germination index and radicle length of the seedlings. The two common possibilities are either the bulk and nano sized $Al_2O_3$ will adhere to the roots impeding any uptake of water and nutrients, or that the nanoparticles are up taken and translocated within the plant therefore causing toxicity internally.Nanocząstki są stosowane na całym świecie, wywierając znaczny wpływ na środowisko i żywe organizmy. Rośliny jako organizmy ukorzenione są zawsze narażone na znaczne wahania stężeń nanocząstek. Zbadano wpływ różnych stężeń $Al_2O_3$ w masie i nanocząsteczkach na kiełkowanie nasion i wzrost siewek Cynara scolymus w całkowicie losowym projekcie z czterema powtórzeniami. Zabiegi doświadczalne obejmowały cztery stężenia $Al_2O_3$ w masie (10, 50, 100 i 500 ppm), cztery stężenia $Al_2O_3$ w postaci nanocząstek (10, 50, 100 i 500 ppm) oraz kontrolę (bez $Al_2O_3$). Wyniki wskazują, że spośród wskaźników kiełkowania Cynara scolymus zabiegi nie miały wpływu na średni czas kiełkowania i ważony wskaźnik kiełkowania. Na długość pędu embrionalnego, długość korzonków, świeżą i suchą masę siewek istotnie wpływały stężenia $Al_2O_3$ w masie i nanoskali. Długość rodnika przy stężeniu 50 ppm $Al_2O_3$ w postaci nanocząstek była wyższa w porównaniu z kontrolą i masowym $Al_2O_3$ przy stężeniach 10, 100 i 500 ppm. Stwierdzono, że traktowanie dużą ilością $Al_2O_3$ ma bardziej hamujący wpływ na wskaźniki kiełkowania Cynara scolymus niż stosowanie $Al_2O_3$ w postaci nanocząstek. W badaniach określono, że Al2O 3 w dużych ilościach i w wysokich stężeniach nanocząsteczek ma negatywny wpływ na kiełkowanie nasion i wzrost siewek Cynara scolymus. Zaobserwowano znaczne zmniejszenie długości pędu embrionalnego, suchej masy sadzonek i wskaźnika wigoru siewek Cynara scolymus po ekspozycji na różne stężenia $Al_2O_3$ w rozmiarze masowym i nano, ale bez znaczących zmian w średnim czasie kiełkowania, ważonym wskaźniku kiełkowania i długości korzonków siewek. Wynika to albo z przywierania $Al_2O_3$ do korzeni w rozmiarze masowym i nanometrowym, utrudniając wchłanianie wody i składników odżywczych, albo nanocząsteczki są pobierane i przemieszczane w obrębie rośliny, powodując w ten sposób toksyczność wewnętrzną

Conserved noncoding sequences are selectively constrained and not mutation cold spots

Noncoding genetic variants are likely to influence human biology and disease, but recognizing functional noncoding variants is difficult. Approximately 3% of noncoding sequence is conserved among distantly related mammals, suggesting that these evolutionarily conserved noncoding regions (CNCs) are selectively constrained and contain functional variation. However, CNCs could also merely represent regions with lower local mutation rates. Here we address this issue and show that CNCs are selectively constrained in humans by analyzing HapMap genotype data. Specifically, new (derived) alleles of SNPs within CNCs are rarer than new alleles in nonconserved regions (P = 3 x 10(-18)), indicating that evolutionary pressure has suppressed CNC-derived allele frequencies. Intronic CNCs and CNCs near genes show greater allele frequency shifts, with magnitudes comparable to those for missense variants. Thus, conserved noncoding variants are more likely to be functional. Allele frequency distributions highlight selectively constrained genomic regions that should be intensively surveyed for functionally important variation

Protein interactions in the murine cytomegalovirus capsid revealed by cryoEM

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is distinct among members of the Herpesviridae family for having the largest dsDNA genome (230 kb). Packaging of large dsDNA genome is known to give rise to a highly pressurized viral capsid, but molecular interactions conducive to the formation of CMV capsid resistant to pressurization have not been described. Here, we report a cryo electron microscopy (cryoEM) structure of the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) capsid at a 9.1 Å resolution and describe the molecular interactions among the ∼3000 protein molecules in the MCMV capsid at the secondary structure level. Secondary structural elements are resolved to provide landmarks for correlating with results from sequence-based prediction and for structure-based homology modeling. The major capsid protein (MCP) upper domain (MCPud) contains α-helices and β-sheets conserved with those in MCPud of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), with the largest differences identified as a “saddle loop” region, located at the tip of MCPud and involved in interaction with the smallest capsid protein (SCP). Interactions among the bacteriophage HK97-like floor domain of MCP, the middle domain of MCP, the hook and clamp domains of the triplex proteins (hoop and clamp domains of TRI-1 and clamp domain of TRI-2) contribute to the formation of a mature capsid. These results offer a framework for understanding how cytomegalovirus uses various secondary structural elements of its capsid proteins to build a robust capsid for packaging its large dsDNA genome inside and for attaching unique functional tegument proteins outside. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/s13238-013-3060-7 and is accessible for authorized users