187 research outputs found
Counting derangements with signed right-to-left minima and excedances
Recently Alexandersson and Getachew proved some multivariate generalizations
of a formula for enumerating signed excedances in derangements. In this paper
we first relate their work to a recent continued fraction for permutations and
confirm some of their observations. Our second main result is two refinements
of their multivariate identities, which clearly explain the meaning of each
term in their main formulas.
We also explore some similar formulas for permutations of type B.Comment: Advances in Applied Mathematics 152, 10259
Distinct composition and amplification dynamics of transposable elements in sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.)
Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is a basal eudicot plant with a unique lifestyle, physiological features, and evolutionary characteristics. Here we report the unique profile of transposable elements (TEs) in the genome, using a manually curated repeat library. TEs account for 59% of the genome, and hAT (Ac/Ds) elements alone represent 8%, more than in any other known plant genome. About 18% of the lotus genome is comprised of Copia LTR retrotransposons, and over 25% of them are associated with non-canonical termini (non-TGCA). Such high abundance of non-canonical LTR retrotransposons has not been reported for any other organism. TEs are very abundant in genic regions, with retrotransposons enriched in introns and DNA transposons primarily in flanking regions of genes. The recent insertion of TEs in introns has led to significant intron size expansion, with a total of 200 Mb in the 28 455 genes. This is accompanied by declining TE activity in intergenic regions, suggesting distinct control efficacy of TE amplification in different genomic compartments. Despite the prevalence of TEs in genic regions, some genes are associated with fewer TEs, such as those involved in fruit ripening and stress responses. Other genes are enriched with TEs, and genes in epigenetic pathways are the most associated with TEs in introns, indicating a dynamic interaction between TEs and the host surveillance machinery. The dramatic differential abundance of TEs with genes involved in different biological processes as well as the variation of target preference of different TEs suggests the composition and activity of TEs influence the path of evolution
The tubulin cofactor A is involved in hyphal growth, conidiation and cold sensitivity in Fusarium asiaticum
Nurse-led cognitive screening model for older adults in primary care
Author version made available in accordance with publisher copyright. Under 12 month embargo from date of publication [26 September 2014].
This is the accepted version of the following article: [Yang, Y., Xiao, L. D., Deng, L., Wang, Y., Li, M. and Ullah, S. (2014), Nurse-led cognitive screening model for older adults in primary care. Geriatrics & Gerontology International.], which has been published in final form at [doi: 10.1111/ggi.12339]. In addition, authors may also transmit, print and share copies with colleagues, provided that there is no systematic distribution of the submitted version, e.g. posting on a listserve, network or automated delivery.Aim
The present study aimed to establish a nurse-led cognitive screening model for community-dwelling older adults with subjective memory complaints from seven communities in Chongqing, China, and report the findings of this model.
Methods
Screenings took place from July 2012 to June 2013. Cognitive screening was incorporated into the annual health assessment for older adults with subjective memory complaints in a primary care setting. Two community nurses were trained to implement the screening using the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment.
Results
Of 733 older adults, 495 (67.5%) reported having subjective memory complaints. Of the 249 individuals who participated in the cognitive screening, 102 (41%) had mild cognitive impairment, whereas 32 (12.9%) had cognitive impairment. A total of 80 participants (78.4%) with mild cognitive impairment agreed to participate in a memory support program. Participants with cognitive impairment were referred to specialists for further examination and diagnosis; only one reported that he had seen a specialist and had been diagnosed with dementia.
Conclusions
Incorporating cognitive screening into the annual health assessment for older adults with subjective memory complaints was feasible, though referral rates from primary care providers remained unchanged. The present study highlights the urgent need for simple screenings as well as community-based support services in primary care for older adults with cognitive or mild cognitive impairments
E17110 promotes reverse cholesterol transport with liver X receptor β agonist activity in vitro
AbstractLiver X receptor (LXR) plays an important role in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), and activation of LXR could reduce atherosclerosis. In the present study we used a cell-based screening method to identify new potential LXRβ agonists. A novel benzofuran-2-carboxylate derivative was identified with LXRβ agonist activity: E17110 showed a significant activation effect on LXRβ with an EC50 value of 0.72μmol/L. E17110 also increased the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and G1 (ABCG1) in RAW264.7 macrophages. Moreover, E17110 significantly reduced cellular lipid accumulation and promoted cholesterol efflux in RAW264.7 macrophages. Interestingly, we found that the key amino acids in the LXRβ ligand-binding domain had distinct interactions with E17110 as compared to TO901317. These results suggest that E17110 was identified as a novel compound with LXRβ agonist activity in vitro via screening, and could be developed as a potential anti-atherosclerotic lead compound
The Polarimetric Detection Optimization Filter and Its Statistical Test for Ship Detection
Ship detection via synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been demonstrated to be very useful as polarimetric information helps discriminate between targets and sea clutter. Among the available polarimetric detectors, optimal polarimetric detection (OPD) theoretically provides the best detection performance under the assumption that the fully developed speckle hypothesis stands. This study proposes a polarimetric detection optimization filter (PDOF). The target clutter ratio (TCR) over the speckle variation was maximized using a matrix transform to derive the PDOF. The objective function based on a matrix transform instead of a vector transform is optimized to obtain synthetic effects by combining a polarimetric whitening filter (PWF) and a polarimetric matched filter (PMF). Subspace form of the PDOF (SPDOF) is also proposed, which gives performance comparable to the PDOF. Assuming a Wishart distribution, the exact and approximate expressions of the closed-form probability density function (PDF) of the PDOF are derived. The probability of false alarm (PFA) was derived in a closed-form expression, which allows obtaining the PDOF threshold analytically. Moreover, the gamma model is extended to a generalized gamma distribution (GΓD) to adapt complicated resolutions and sea states. Experiments with simulated and real data validate the correctness and effectiveness of the results. The PDOF detector achieves the best performance in most virtual and real-world environments, especially in cases where the target statistics and clutter are not Wishart-distributed
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Crif1 Promotes Osteoporosis in Mice after Radiation
Abstract Radiation induces rapid bone loss and enhances bone resorption and RANKL expression. RANKL provides the crucial signal to induce osteoclast differentiation and plays an important role in bone resorption. However, the mechanisms of radiation-induced osteoporosis are not fully understood. Here, we show that Crif1 expression increases in bone marrow cells after radiation. Conditional Crif1 deletion in bone marrow cells causes decreases in RANKL expression and the RANKL/OPG ratio, and relieves bone loss after radiation in mice. We further demonstrated in vitro that Crif1 promotes RANKL secretion via the cAMP/PKA pathway. Moreover, protein-protein docking screening identified five compounds as Crif1 inhibitors; these compounds dramatically suppressed RANKL secretion and CREB phosphorylation when cells were exposed to forskolin. This study enriches current knowledge of the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and provides insights into potential therapeutic strategies for osteoporosis treatment
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