612 research outputs found

    Mass spectrometric analysis of the HMGY protein from Lewis lung carcinoma. Identification of phosphorylation sites.

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    The primary structure of the Lewis lung carcinoma protein HMGY belonging to the nuclear group of proteins HMGI (high mobility group I) was determined using electrospray and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. It was demonstrated that the sequence of the tumor protein corresponds to the amino acid sequence derived from the cDNA from cultured cells and that the N-terminal serine residue is N-acetylated. Moreover, the two high performance liquid chromatography-purified forms Y1 and Y2 of the protein HMGY were shown to differ at the level of serine phosphorylation, since they contain three phosphate and two phosphate groups, respectively, in the C-terminal region. No other modification was detected in the remaining part of the molecule

    Assessing the coherence in biological and environmental drivers of young sea bass abundance across important estuarine nursery areas of the northern European sea bass stock

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    Year class strength is an important determinant of fish population size, but the drivers are often unknown. The northern stock of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is an important target species for both commercial and recreational fisheries. Scientific assessments showed a rapid decline in spawning stock biomass from 2010-18 attributed to a combination of fishing mortality and poor year class strength. Recruitment to the adult stock is linked to the abundance and temporal dynamics of young bass in estuarine nursery areas, but little is known about the relative importance of environmental and biological drivers on the survival of these young life stages. In this study, we use Generalised Linear Models to attempt to identify important local environmental (sea surface temperature and river flow) and biological (chlorophyll-a concentration and predator abundance) drivers of young sea bass abundance. We focus on seven British and Irish estuarine areas that are important to the northern stock of European sea bass. In four English estuarine areas there were good model fits to the abundance of young sea bass, but predictors differed amongst these suggesting that drivers of abundance may differ among individual nursery areas. This was further demonstrated by poor fits of models generated for English estuaries to interannual patterns of abundance in the Irish nursery areas tested. The differences found in the most important abundance drivers amongst areas highlight the complex and differing dynamics between estuaries. If the number of young bass that eventually join the adult stock is dependent on survivors from a diverse set of unique nursery area conditions, then endeavours to incorporate this knowledge into fisheries management should be further explored

    Stronger subjects select a movement pattern that may reduce ACL loading during cutting

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    Davies, WT, Ryu, JH, Graham-Smith, P, Goodwin, JE, and Cleather, DJ. Stronger subjects select a movement pattern that may reduce anterior cruciate ligament loading during cutting. J Strength Cond Res 36(7): 1853–1859, 2022—Increased strength has been suggested to reduce the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury as part of wider neuromuscular training programs; however, the mechanism of this is not clear. Cutting is a high-risk maneuver for ACL injury, but limited research exists as to how strength affects sagittal plane biomechanics during this movement. Sixteen subjects were split into a stronger and weaker group based on their relative peak isometric strength in a unilateral squat (stronger: 29.0 ± 3.4 N·kg−1 and weaker: 18.3 ± 4.1 N·kg−1). Subjects performed 45° cuts with maximal intent 3 times, at 3 different approach velocities (2, 4, and 6 m·s−1). Kinematics and ground reaction forces were collected using optical motion capture and a force platform. The stronger group had lower knee extensor moments, larger hip extensor moments, and a greater peak knee flexion angle than the weaker group (p < 0.05). There was a trend for greater knee flexion at initial contact in the stronger group. There were no differences in resultant ground reaction forces between groups. The stronger group relied more on the hip than the knee during cutting and reached greater knee flexion angles. This could decrease ACL loading by reducing the extensor moment required at the knee during weight acceptance. Similarly, the greater knee flexion angle during weight acceptance is likely to be protective of the ACL

    17 ways to say yes:Toward nuanced tone of voice in AAC and speech technology

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    People with complex communication needs who use speech-generating devices have very little expressive control over their tone of voice. Despite its importance in human interaction, the issue of tone of voice remains all but absent from AAC research and development however. In this paper, we describe three interdisciplinary projects, past, present and future: The critical design collection Six Speaking Chairs has provoked deeper discussion and inspired a social model of tone of voice; the speculative concept Speech Hedge illustrates challenges and opportunities in designing more expressive user interfaces; the pilot project Tonetable could enable participatory research and seed a research network around tone of voice. We speculate that more radical interactions might expand frontiers of AAC and disrupt speech technology as a whole

    A pilot study comparing the metabolic profiles of elite-level athletes from different sporting disciplines

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    Background: The outstanding performance of an elite athlete might be associated with changes in their blood metabolic profile. The aims of this study were to compare the blood metabolic profiles between moderate- and high-power and endurance elite athletes and to identify the potential metabolic pathways underlying these differences. Methods: Metabolic profiling of serum samples from 191 elite athletes from different sports disciplines (121 high- and 70 moderate-endurance athletes, including 44 high- and 144 moderate-power athletes), who participated in national or international sports events and tested negative for doping abuse at anti-doping laboratories, was performed using non-targeted metabolomics-based mass spectroscopy combined with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography. Multivariate analysis was conducted using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Differences in metabolic levels between high- and moderate-power and endurance sports were assessed by univariate linear models. Results: Out of 743 analyzed metabolites, gamma-glutamyl amino acids were significantly reduced in both high-power and high-endurance athletes compared to moderate counterparts, indicating active glutathione cycle. High-endurance athletes exhibited significant increases in the levels of several sex hormone steroids involved in testosterone and progesterone synthesis, but decreases in diacylglycerols and ecosanoids. High-power athletes had increased levels of phospholipids and xanthine metabolites compared to moderate-power counterparts. Conclusions: This pilot data provides evidence that high-power and high-endurance athletes exhibit a distinct metabolic profile that reflects steroid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, oxidative stress, and energy-related metabolites. Replication studies are warranted to confirm differences in the metabolic profiles associated with athletes’ elite performance in independent data sets, aiming ultimately for deeper understanding of the underlying biochemical processes that could be utilized as biomarkers with potential therapeutic implications

    Maps, Memories and Manchester: The Cartographic Imagination of the Hidden Networks of the Hydraulic City

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    The largely unseen channelling, culverting and controlling of water into, through and out of cities is the focus of our cartographic interpretation. This paper draws on empirical material depicting hydraulic infrastructure underlying the growth of Manchester in mapped form. Focusing, in particular, on the 19th century burst of large-scale hydraulic engineering, which supplied vastly increased amounts of clean drinking water, controlled unruly rivers to eliminate flooding, and safely removed sewage, this paper explores the contribution of mapping to the making of a more sanitary city, and towards bold civic minded urban intervention. These extensive infrastructures planned and engineered during Victorian and Edwardian Manchester are now taken-for-granted but remain essential for urban life. The maps, plans and diagrams of hydraulic Manchester fixed particular forms of elite knowledge (around planning foresight, topographical precision, civil engineering and sanitary science) but also facilitated and freed flows of water throughout the city. The survival of these maps and plans in libraries, technical books and obscure reports allows the changing cultural work of water to be explored and evokes a range of socially specific memories of a hidden city. Our aetiology of hydraulic cartographics is conducted using ideas from science and technology studies, semiology, and critical cartography with the goal of revealing how they work as virtual witnesses to an 1 unseen city, dramatizing engineering prowess and envisioning complex and messy materiality into a logical, holistic and fluid network underpinning the urban machine. 1

    Receding horizon control applied to optimal mine planning

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    In this paper we show that the problem of optimal mine planning can be cast in the framework of receding horizon control. Traditional formulations of this problem have cast it in the framework of mixed integer linear programming. In this paper, we present an alternative formulation of the mine planning problem using the \language" of control engineering. We show that this alternative formulation gives rise to new insights which have the potential to lead to improved computational procedures. The advantages are illustrated by an example incorporating many practical features of an actual mine planning problem

    Understanding the adsorption process in ZIF-8 using high pressure crystallography and computational modelling

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    Understanding host–guest interactions and structural changes within porous materials is crucial for enhancing gas storage properties. Here, the authors combine cryogenic loading of gases with high pressure crystallography and computational techniques to obtain atomistic detail of adsorption-induced structural and energetic changes in ZIF-8

    Mammographic density. Measurement of mammographic density

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    Mammographic density has been strongly associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Furthermore, density is inversely correlated with the accuracy of mammography and, therefore, a measurement of density conveys information about the difficulty of detecting cancer in a mammogram. Initial methods for assessing mammographic density were entirely subjective and qualitative; however, in the past few years methods have been developed to provide more objective and quantitative density measurements. Research is now underway to create and validate techniques for volumetric measurement of density. It is also possible to measure breast density with other imaging modalities, such as ultrasound and MRI, which do not require the use of ionizing radiation and may, therefore, be more suitable for use in young women or where it is desirable to perform measurements more frequently. In this article, the techniques for measurement of density are reviewed and some consideration is given to their strengths and limitations
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