Patterns of lexical synaesthesia in Japanese

The phenomenon known as Tsynaesthesia' -- "the translation of attributes of sensation from one sensory domain to another" (Marks, 1975:303) .-- is one of the most intriguing products of the human mind, and represents one area of study which extends into a number of academic disciplines, including physiology, psychology, philosophy, aesthetics, literary criticism, and linguistics. Perhaps the most commonplace of all synaesthetic correspondences is the conjunction of the sense modality of sight (colour) and touch (thermal sensations): Blue and green are often perceived and described as cool colours , red and yellow as warm

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Core Spacecraft Systems Engineering Challenges

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission is a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and other US and international partners, with the goal of monitoring the diurnal and seasonal variations in precipitation over the surface of the earth. These measurements will be used to improve current climate models and weather forecasting, and enable improved storm and flood warnings. This paper gives an overview of the mission architecture and addresses the status of some key trade studies, including the geolocation budgeting, design considerations for spacecraft charging, and design issues related to the mitigation of orbital debris

Hendra Virus Outbreak with Novel Clinical Features, Australia

To determine the epidemiologic and clinical features of a 2008 outbreak of Hendra virus infection in a veterinary clinic in Australia, we investigated the equine case-series. Four of 5 infected horses died, as did 1 of 2 infected staff members. Clinical manifestation in horses was predominantly neurologic. Preclinical transmission appears likely

Genome Sequence Conservation of Hendra Virus Isolates during Spillover to Horses, Australia

Bat-to-horse transmission of Hendra virus has occurred at least 14 times. Although clinical signs in horses have differed, genome sequencing has demonstrated little variation among the isolates. Our sequencing of 5 isolates from recent Hendra virus outbreaks in horses found no correlation between sequences and time or geographic location of outbreaks

Identification of 24 new microsatellite loci in the sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

OBJECTIVE: The objective here is to identify highly polymorphic microsatellite loci for the Palaearctic sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum. Sweat bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) are widespread pollinators that exhibit an unusually large range of social behaviours from non-social, where each female nests alone, to eusocial, where a single queen reproduces while the other members of the colony help to rear her offspring. They thus represent excellent models for understanding social evolution. RESULTS: 24 new microsatellite loci were successfully optimized. When amplified across 23-40 unrelated females, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 17 and the observed heterozygosities 0.45 to 0.95. Only one locus showed evidence of significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No evidence of linkage disequilibrium was found. These 24 loci will enable researchers to gain greater understanding of colony relationships within this species, an important model for the study of eusociality. Furthermore, 22 of the same loci were also successfully amplified in L. calceatum, suggesting that these loci may be useful for investigating the ecology and evolution of sweat bees in general

Outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection repair: Daytime versus nighttime.

ObjectiveWe sought to report our experience of repairing acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) over 21 years during in-hours versus out-of-hours before and after the establishment of specialized aortic service and rota.MethodsA retrospective analysis of all patients who had ATAAD repair between November 1998 and December 2019 in our center. In-hours were defined as 08:00 to 19:59 hours and out of hours were defined as 20:00 to 07:59 hours.ResultsA total of 286 patients underwent repair of ATAAD. Eighty operations took place during the prerota period (43 operations in hours, 37 out of hours) and 206 operations during the specialized rota period (110 in hours, 96 out of hours). There was no difference in 30-day mortality between the in-hours and out-of-hours groups in either the prerota (23.3% vs 32.4%; P = .36) or specialized rota periods (11.6% vs 11.5%; P = .94). Mean number of cases per year increased by 83% between the prerota and specialized rota periods. Thirty-day mortality reduced in both the in-hours (23.3% vs 11.6%) and out-of-hours (32.4% vs 11.5%) groups since introduction of the specialized aortic rota.ConclusionsOutcomes in repair of ATAAD during in-hours and out-of-hours periods are similar when operated on in a specialized unit with a dedicated aortic team. This emphasizes the current global trend of service centralization without particular attention to time of day to operate on such critical cohort patients

Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin β-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) in Shark Fins

Sharks are among the most threatened groups of marine species. Populations are declining globally to support the growing demand for shark fin soup. Sharks are known to bioaccumulate toxins that may pose health risks to consumers of shark products. The feeding habits of sharks are varied, including fish, mammals, crustaceans and plankton. The cyanobacterial neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) has been detected in species of free-living marine cyanobacteria and may bioaccumulate in the marine food web. In this study, we sampled fin clips from seven different species of sharks in South Florida to survey the occurrence of BMAA using HPLC-FD and Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS methods. BMAA was detected in the fins of all species examined with concentrations ranging from 144 to 1836 ng/mg wet weight. Since BMAA has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, these results may have important relevance to human health. We suggest that consumption of shark fins may increase the risk for human exposure to the cyanobacterial neurotoxin BMAA

North American carbon dioxide sources and sinks: magnitude, attribution, and uncertainty

North America is both a source and sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Continental sources - such as fossil-fuel combustion in the US and deforestation in Mexico - and sinks - including most ecosystems, and particularly secondary forests - add and remove CO2 from the atmosphere, respectively. Photosynthesis converts CO2 into carbon as biomass, which is stored in vegetation, soils, and wood products. However, ecosystem sinks compensate for only similar to 35% of the continent's fossil-fuel-based CO2 emissions; North America therefore represents a net CO2 source. Estimating the magnitude of ecosystem sinks, even though the calculation is confounded by uncertainty as a result of individual inventory- and model-based alternatives, has improved through the use of a combined approach. Front Ecol Environ 2012; 10(10): 512-519, doi:10.1890/12006

Molecular diagnosis of scabies using a novel probe-based polymerase chain reaction assay targeting high-copy number repetitive sequences in the Sarcoptes scabiei genome

Background The suboptimal sensitivity and specificity of available diagnostic methods for scabies hampers clinical management, trials of new therapies and epidemiologic studies. Additionally, parasitologic diagnosis by microscopic examination of skin scrapings requires sample collection with a sharp scalpel blade, causing discomfort to patients and difficulty in children. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic assays, combined with non-invasive sampling methods, represent an attractive approach. In this study, we aimed to develop a real-time probe-based PCR test for scabies, test a non-invasive sampling method and evaluate its diagnostic performance in two clinical settings. Methodology/Principal findings High copy-number repetitive DNA elements were identified in draft Sarcoptes scabiei genome sequences and used as assay targets for diagnostic PCR. Two suitable repetitive DNA sequences, a 375 base pair microsatellite (SSR5) and a 606 base pair long tandem repeat (SSR6), were identified. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were tested using relevant positive and negative control materials and compared to a published assay targeting the mitochondrial cox1 gene. Both assays were positive at a 1:100 dilution of DNA from a single mite; no amplification was observed in DNA from samples from 19 patients with other skin conditions nor from house dust, sheep or dog mites, head and body lice or from six common skin bacterial and fungal species. Moderate sensitivity of the assays was achieved in a pilot study, detecting 5/7 (71.4% [95% CI: 29.0% - 96.3%]) of clinically diagnosed untreated scabies patients). Greater sensitivity was observed in samples collected by FLOQ swabs compared to skin scrapings. Conclusions/Significance This newly developed qPCR assay, combined with the use of an alternative non-invasive swab sampling technique offers the possibility of enhanced diagnosis of scabies. Further studies will be required to better define the diagnostic performance of these tests