Brain Structural Networks Associated with Intelligence and Visuomotor Ability

Increasing evidence indicates that multiple structures in the brain are associated with intelligence and cognitive function at the network level. The association between the grey matter (GM) structural network and intelligence and cognition is not well understood. We applied a multivariate approach to identify the pattern of GM and link the structural network to intelligence and cognitive functions. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was acquired from 92 healthy individuals. Source-based morphometry analysis was applied to the imaging data to extract GM structural covariance. We assessed the intelligence, verbal fluency, processing speed, and executive functioning of the participants and further investigated the correlations of the GM structural networks with intelligence and cognitive functions. Six GM structural networks were identified. The cerebello-parietal component and the frontal component were significantly associated with intelligence. The parietal and frontal regions were each distinctively associated with intelligence by maintaining structural networks with the cerebellum and the temporal region, respectively. The cerebellar component was associated with visuomotor ability. Our results support the parieto-frontal integration theory of intelligence by demonstrating how each core region for intelligence works in concert with other regions. In addition, we revealed how the cerebellum is associated with intelligence and cognitive functions

Comparison of Genomes of Three Xanthomonas oryzae Bacteriophages

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Xp10 and OP1 are phages of <it>Xanthomonas oryzae </it>pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causative agent of bacterial leaf blight in rice plants, which were isolated in 1967 in Taiwan and in 1954 in Japan, respectively. We recently isolated the Xoo phage Xop411.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The linear Xop411 genome (44,520 bp, 58 ORFs) sequenced here is 147 bp longer than that of Xp10 (60 ORFs) and 735 bp longer than that of OP1 (59 ORFs). The G+C contents of OP1 (51%) and Xop411 and Xp10 (52% each) are less than that of the host (65%). The 9-bp 3'-overhangs (5'-GGACAGTCT-3') in Xop411 and Xp10 are absent from OP1. More of the deduced Xop411 proteins share higher degrees of identity with Xp10 than with OP1 proteins, while the right end of the genomes of Xp10 and OP1, containing all predicted promoters, share stronger homology. Xop411, Xp10, and OP1 contain 8, 7, and 6 freestanding HNH endonuclease genes, respectively. These genes can be classified into five groups depending on their possession of the HNH domain (HNN or HNH type) and/or AP2 domain in intact or truncated forms. While the HNN-AP2 type endonuclease genes dispersed in the genome, the HNH type endonuclease genes, each with a unique copy, were located within the same genome context. Mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing showed nine Xop411 coat proteins, among which three were identified, six were assigned as coat proteins (4) and conserved phage proteins (2) in Xp10. The major coat protein, in which only the N-terminal methionine is removed, appears to exist in oligomeric forms containing 2 to 6 subunits. The three phages exhibit different patterns of domain duplication in the N-terminus of the tail fiber, which are involved in determination of the host range. Many short repeated sequences are present in and around the duplicated domains.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Geographical separation may have confined lateral gene transfer among the Xoo phages. The HNN-AP2 type endonucleases were more likely to transfer their genes randomly in the genome and may degenerate after successful transmission. Some repeated sequences may be involved in duplication/loss of the domains in the tail fiber genes.</p

Neutron beam test of CsI crystal for dark matter search

We have studied the response of Tl-doped and Na-doped CsI crystals to nuclear recoils and $\gamma$'s below 10 keV. The response of CsI crystals to nuclear recoil was studied with mono-energetic neutrons produced by the $^3$H(p,n)$^3$He reaction. This was compared to the response to Compton electrons scattered by 662 keV $\gamma$-ray. Pulse shape discrimination between the response to these $\gamma$'s and nuclear recoils was studied, and quality factors were estimated. The quenching factors for nuclear recoils were derived for both CsI(Na) and CsI(Tl) crystals.Comment: 21pages, 14figures, submitted to NIM

Cooperative Jahn-Teller transition and resonant x-ray scattering in thin film LaMnO3{\rm LaMnO_3}

Epitaxial thin films of stoichiometric ${\rm LaMnO_3}$ were grown on ${\rm SrTiO_3(110)}$ substrates using the pulsed laser deposition technique. From the high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements, the lattice parameters were determined as a function of temperature and the cooperative Jahn-Teller transition was found to occur at $T_{JT}$=573.0 K. Also measured was resonant x-ray scattering intensity of the orthorhombic (100) peak of ${\rm LaMnO_3}$ near the Mn K edge from low temperatures to above $T_{JT}$. We demonstrate that the integrated intensity of the (100) peak is proportional to the 3/2 power of the orthorhombic strain at all temperatures, and thus provide an experimental evidence that the resonant scattering near the Mn K edge in ${\rm LaMnO_3}$ is largely due to the Jahn-Teller effect.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Minimizing Higgs Potentials via Numerical Polynomial Homotopy Continuation

The study of models with extended Higgs sectors requires to minimize the corresponding Higgs potentials, which is in general very difficult. Here, we apply a recently developed method, called numerical polynomial homotopy continuation (NPHC), which guarantees to find all the stationary points of the Higgs potentials with polynomial-like nonlinearity. The detection of all stationary points reveals the structure of the potential with maxima, metastable minima, saddle points besides the global minimum. We apply the NPHC method to the most general Higgs potential having two complex Higgs-boson doublets and up to five real Higgs-boson singlets. Moreover the method is applicable to even more involved potentials. Hence the NPHC method allows to go far beyond the limits of the Gr\"obner basis approach.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Study of 5.8 GHz Band-Stop Frequency Selective Surface (FSS)

This paper presents the study of 5.8 GHz frequency selective surface (FSS) acts as a band stop to eliminate unwanted radiation signal at 5.8GHz. The FSS was designed using computer simulation technology (CST) Microwave Studio software. The paper shows the comparison of square loop, octagon loop and hexagon loop of Band stop FSS (BSFSS) performance at 5.8 GHz. Besides, the BSFSS design using four different type of dielectric substrate such as FR-4, TLY-5, Roger RT5870 and Roger RT5880 were compared. The results obviously show that the Rogers RY5880 has the attenuation -44.72 dB.&nbsp; The fabricated FSS were measured by using free space technique with two horn antennas connected to performance network analyzer (PNA). The measured and simulated results were compared. The results show that the square loop FSS structure have the better attenuation -26.76 dB (simulated) and -38.34 dB (measured) at 5.8 GHz

Salinity-dependent expression of the branchial Na+/K+/2Cl(-) cotransporter and Na+/K+-ATPase in the sailfin molly correlates with hypoosmoregulatory endurance

In the branchial mitochondrion-rich (MR) cells of euryhaline teleosts, the Na+/K+/2Cl(-)cotransporter (NKCC) is an important membrane protein that maintains the internal Cl -concentration, and the branchial Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) is crucial for providing the driving force for many other ion-transporting systems. Hence this study used the sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna), an introduced aquarium fish in Taiwan, to reveal that the potential roles of NKCC and NKA in sailfin molly were correlated to fish survival rates upon salinity challenge. Higher levels of branchial NKCC were found in seawater (SW)-acclimated sailfin molly compared to freshwater (FW)-acclimated individuals. Transfer of the sailfin molly from SW to FW revealed that the expression of the NKCC and NKA proteins in the gills was retained over 7 days in order to maintain hypoosmoregulatory endurance. Meanwhile, their survival rates after transfer to SW varied with the duration of FW-exposure and decreased significantly when the SW-acclimated individuals were acclimated to FW for 21 days. Double immunofluorescence staining showed that in SW-acclimated sailfin molly, NKCC signals were expressed on the basolateral membrane of MR cells, whereas in FW-acclimated molly, they were expressed on the apical membrane. This study illustrated the correlation between the gradual reductions in expression of branchial NKCC and NKA (i.e., the hypoosmoregulatory endurance) and decreasing survival rates after hyperosmotic challenge in sailfin molly

Determination of steroid estrogens in wastewater by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

This paper discusses the requirement for, and presents an analytical procedure for, the determination of four unconjugated steroid hormones and a conjugated steroid (estrone-3-sulfate) in wastewaters. The method quantifies the steroids by LC/MS/MS following solid phase extraction and a two stage clean-up procedure. Samples were extracted using C18 cartridges and eluates were then purified by gel permeation chromatography, followed by a further clean-up step on an aminopropyl cartridge. The limits of detection achieved were 0.2 ng l-1 for estriol, 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol, and 0.1 ng l-1 for estrone and the conjugate. The robustness of the method was demonstrated by achieving recoveries of >83% for all steroids in settled sewage and final effluent samples with relative standard deviations of 0.5 - 12%. The method was used to analyse a range of samples from a wastewater treatment works in south east England which demonstrated a >80% removal for estrone, estradiol and estriol with little impact on concentrations of ethinylestradiol or the conjugate