abcOD: Mining Band Order Dependencies

We present the design of and a demonstration plan for abcOD, a tool for efficiently discovering approximate band conditional order dependencies (abcODs) from data. abcOD utilizes a dynamic programming algorithm based on a longest monotonic band. Using real datasets, we demonstrate how the discovered abcODs can help users understand ordered data semantics, identify potential data quality problems, and interactively clean the data

Sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol scavenging to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change

Wet deposition driven by precipitation is an important sink for atmospheric aerosols and soluble gases. We investigate the sensitivity of atmospheric aerosol lifetimes to precipitation intensity and frequency in the context of global climate change. Our sensitivity model simulations, through some simplified perturbations to precipitation in the GEOS-Chem model, show that the removal efficiency and hence the atmospheric lifetime of aerosols have significantly higher sensitivities to precipitation frequencies than to precipitation intensities, indicating that the same amount of precipitation may lead to different removal efficiencies of atmospheric aerosols. Combining the long-term trends of precipitation patterns for various regions with the sensitivities of atmospheric aerosol lifetimes to various precipitation characteristics allows us to examine the potential impacts of precipitation changes on atmospheric aerosols. Analyses based on an observational dataset show that precipitation frequencies in some regions have decreased in the past 14 years, which might increase the atmospheric aerosol lifetimes in those regions. Similar analyses based on multiple reanalysis meteorological datasets indicate that the changes of precipitation intensity and frequency over the past 30 years can lead to perturbations in the atmospheric aerosol lifetimes by 10% or higher at the regional scale

How mammal exclusion using pest-resistant fencing influences terrestrial invertebrate communities at a New Zealand ecosanctuary

Despite being such important components of healthy functioning ecosystems, invertebrates are often overlooked in ecosystem restoration research, plants usually being the main focal point. There are many factors that can influence invertebrate communities, and mammalian disturbance is among those factors. Previous research has provided evidence that mammals can influence plant and invertebrate assemblages in a variety of direct and indirect ways. Pest-resistant fencing has been utilized as a strategy for conservation and ecosystem restoration efforts to protect areas of land on the main islands of New Zealand from introduced mammalian pests. The Orokonui Ecosanctuary (Dunedin, South Island) is a 307-hectare mainland reserve and ecosystem restoration project that utilizes pest-resistant fencing, and the vast majority of mammals have been eliminated from within the fence boundary. In the present study, the goal was to investigate how the exclusion of mammals from Orokonui using pest-resistant fencing influenced invertebrate communities by comparing invertebrate abundance and beetle diversity from sites inside the fence to sites outside the fence. How season could potentially interact with fencing was also considered. Three pairs of inside-fence and outside-fence sites for sampling invertebrates from were found, where each pair had a distinct composition of plants. Each site had their soil properties analyzed. Ground/litter-dwelling and shallow soil-dwelling invertebrates were sampled from each site, extracted using Tullgren funnels, and categorized into various taxonomic groups for abundance analyses. Beetles were further categorized down to species and recognizable taxonomic units for diversity analyses. Invertebrates deeper down in the soil had their wet weights analyzed. Soil moisture data was also collected alongside the invertebrate data and was included in the analyses as a random effect. Invertebrate and soil moisture sampling occurred once in winter and once in summer. Results showed that the abundance of several invertebrate groups differed significantly inside and outside the fence, but the differences were often not consistent between the pairs of sites. The effect of season had an interaction with the effect of the fence on the abundance of some invertebrates in some pairs. Differences in beetle diversity inside and outside the fence were also evident. No significant differences in soil invertebrate wet weights were found. Ideas for improving the present study and ideas for future research are presented. In conclusion, the exclusion of mammals using pest-resistant fencing at Orokonui does influence invertebrate communities, but the way in which the communities change can depend on the type of habitat being investigated and season

ELECTROSPUN PLGA MICROFIBERS FOR LOCALIZED DELIVERY OF SMALL MOLECULES TO INDUCE BROWN ADIPOGENESIS

Obesity and its related disorders have been on the rise in the last few decades. Current prescribed treatments range from diet and physical activity for low risk patients to pharmacological intervention and surgical procedures for higher risk patients. In the past few years, with the discovery of its presence in adult humans, brown adipose tissue has emerged as an interesting tool for reducing the risk of developing obesity or improving weight reduction in overweight or obese individuals. This study aims to create a system to deliver drugs specifically to white fat pads to increase brown fat differentiation, thus increase overall energy expenditure and improve energy metabolism in obesity and other metabolic disorders. The designed model system encapsulates rosiglitazone, a small molecule anti-diabetic drug, within electrospun poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microfibers. Drug release is sustained over a period of 35 days from microfibers with 0.5% w/w rosiglitazone loaded. In vitro experiments with the microfibers in a Transwell system demonstrate that 0.5% rosiglitazone was an optimal concentration for stimulating brown adipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, the rosiglitazone released from the microfibers was able to stimulate differentiation of white adipose-derived stem cells towards a brown adipocyte lineage. These results provide promising steps towards developing a therapy to create a localized depot of brown fat in situ that can be easily administered in the clinic to supplement current obesity treatment and prevention techniques

Mechanism of the Quorum-Quenching Lactonase (AiiA) from Bacillus thuringiensis. 1. Product-Bound Structures†‡

ABSTRACT: The N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone hydrolases (AHL lactonases) have attracted considerable attention because of their ability to quench AHL-mediated quorum-sensing pathways in Gram-negative bacteria and because of their relation to other enzymes in the metallo--lactamase superfamily. To elucidate the detailed catalytic mechanism of AHL lactonase, mutations are made on residues that presumably contribute to substrate binding and catalysis. Steady-state kinetic studies are carried out on both the wild-type and mutant enzymes using a spectrum of substrates. Two mutations, Y194F and D108N, present significant effects on the overall catalysis. On the basis of a high-resolution structural model of the enzyme-product complex, a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical method is used to model the substrate binding orientation and to probe the effect of the Y194F mutation. Combining all experimental and computational results, we propose a detailed mechanism for the ring-opening hydrolysis of AHL substrates as catalyzed by the AHL lactonase from Bacillus thuringiensis. Several features of the mechanism that are also found in related enzymes are discussed and may help to define an evolutionary thread that connects the hydrolytic enzymes of this mechanistically diverse superfamily. Proteins in the metallo--lactamase superfamily span all three domains of life and are quite diverse, encompassin

Monodopsis and Vischeria genomes shed new light on the biology of eustigmatophyte algae

Acknowledgment This study was supported by the National Science Foundation Dimensions of Biodiversity grant (1831428) to F.-W.L., and the Czech Science Foundation grant 20-27648S to M.E. We thank the reviewers and editor for their thoughtful commentsPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Adipose Acyl-CoA Synthetase-1 Directs Fatty Acids toward β-Oxidation and Is Required for Cold Thermogenesis

Acyl-CoA synthetase-1 (ACSL) contributes 80% of total ACSL activity in adipose tissue and was believed to be essential for the synthesis of triacylglycerol. We predicted that an adipose-specific knockout of ACSL1 (Acsl1A−/−) would be lipodystrophic, but, compared to controls, Acsl1A−/− mice had 30% greater fat mass when fed a low fat diet, and gained weight normally when fed a high fat diet. Acsl1A−/− adipocytes incorporated [14C]oleate into glycerolipids normally, but fatty acid oxidation rates were 50–90% lower than in control adipocytes and mitochondria. Acsl1A−/− mice were markedly cold intolerant, and β3-adrenergic agonists did not increase oxygen consumption, despite normal adrenergic signaling in brown adipose tissue. The reduced adipose FA oxidation and marked cold intolerance of Acsl1A−/− mice indicate that normal activation of FA for oxidation in adipose tissue in vivo requires ACSL1. Thus, ACSL1 has a specific function in directing the metabolic partitioning of fatty acids towards β-oxidation

Image guidance and inter-fractional anatomical variation in paediatric abdominal radiotherapy

OBJECTIVES: To identify variables predicting inter fractional anatomical variationsmeasured with cone-beam CT (CBCT) throughout abdominal paediatric radiotherapy, and to assess the potential of surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) to monitor these changes. METHODS: Metrics of variation in gastrointestinal (GI) gas volume andseparation of the body contour and abdominal wallwere calculated from 21 planning CTs and 77 weekly CBCTs for 21 abdominal neuroblastoma patients (median 4y, range: 2 -19y). Age, sex, feeding tubes, and general anaesthesia (GA) were explored as predictive variables for anatomical variation. Furthermore,GI gas variationwas correlated with changes in body and abdominal wall separation, as well as simulated SGRT metrics of translational and rotationalcorrections between CT/CBCT. RESULTS: GI gas volumes varied 74 ± 54 ml across all scans, while body and abdominal wall separationvaried 2.0 ± 0.7 mm and4.1±1.5mmfrom planning, respectively. Patients < 3.5y (p = 0.04) and treated under GA (p < 0.01) experienced greater GI gas variation; GA was the strongest predictor in multivariate analysis (p < 0.01). Absence of feeding tubes was linked to greater body contour variation (p = 0.03). GI gas variation correlated with body (R = 0.53) and abdominal wall (R = 0.63) changes. The strongest correlations with SGRT metrics were found for anteroposterior translation (R = 0.65) androtation of the left-right axis (R = -0.36). CONCLUSIONS: Young age, GA, and absence of feeding tubes were linked to stronger inter fractional anatomical variation and are likely indicative of patients benefiting from adaptive/robust planning pathways.Our data suggests a role for SGRT toinformthe need for CBCT at each treatment fractionin this patient group. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This is the first study to suggest the potential role of SGRT for the management of internal inter fractional anatomical variation in paediatric abdominal radiotherapy

Developing a framework for CBCT-to-CT synthesis in paediatric abdominal radiotherapy

We proposed a CBCT-to-CT synthesis framework tailored for paediatric abdominal patients. Our approach was based on the cycle-consistent generative adversarial network (cycleGAN) modified to preserve structural consistency. To adjust for differences in field-of-view and body size from different patient groups, our training data was spatially co-registered to a common field-of-view and normalised to a fixed size. The proposed framework showed improvements in generating synthetic CTs from CBCTs compared to the original implementation of cycleGAN without field-of-view adjustments and structural consistency constrain