21 research outputs found
MSACompro: protein multiple sequence alignment using predicted secondary structure, solvent accessibility, and residue-residue contacts
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Multiple Sequence Alignment (MSA) is a basic tool for bioinformatics research and analysis. It has been used essentially in almost all bioinformatics tasks such as protein structure modeling, gene and protein function prediction, DNA motif recognition, and phylogenetic analysis. Therefore, improving the accuracy of multiple sequence alignment is important for advancing many bioinformatics fields.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We designed and developed a new method, MSACompro, to synergistically incorporate predicted secondary structure, relative solvent accessibility, and residue-residue contact information into the currently most accurate posterior probability-based MSA methods to improve the accuracy of multiple sequence alignments. The method is different from the multiple sequence alignment methods (e.g. 3D-Coffee) that use the tertiary structure information of some sequences since the structural information of our method is fully predicted from sequences. To the best of our knowledge, applying predicted relative solvent accessibility and contact map to multiple sequence alignment is novel. The rigorous benchmarking of our method to the standard benchmarks (i.e. BAliBASE, SABmark and OXBENCH) clearly demonstrated that incorporating predicted protein structural information improves the multiple sequence alignment accuracy over the leading multiple protein sequence alignment tools without using this information, such as MSAProbs, ProbCons, Probalign, T-coffee, MAFFT and MUSCLE. And the performance of the method is comparable to the state-of-the-art method PROMALS of using structural features and additional homologous sequences by slightly lower scores.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MSACompro is an efficient and reliable multiple protein sequence alignment tool that can effectively incorporate predicted protein structural information into multiple sequence alignment. The software is available at <url>http://sysbio.rnet.missouri.edu/multicom_toolbox/</url>.</p
Improving the Alignment Quality of Consistency Based Aligners with an Evaluation Function Using Synonymous Protein Words
Most sequence alignment tools can successfully align protein sequences with higher levels of sequence identity. The accuracy of corresponding structure alignment, however, decreases rapidly when considering distantly related sequences (<20% identity). In this range of identity, alignments optimized so as to maximize sequence similarity are often inaccurate from a structural point of view. Over the last two decades, most multiple protein aligners have been optimized for their capacity to reproduce structure-based alignments while using sequence information. Methods currently available differ essentially in the similarity measurement between aligned residues using substitution matrices, Fourier transform, sophisticated profile-profile functions, or consistency-based approaches, more recently
Views and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities regarding intimate relationships: a qualitative metasynthesis
The aims of this review were to systematically identify, critically appraise and synthesize the results of existing qualitative literature exploring the views and experiences of intimate relationships amongst people with intellectual disabilities. Fourteen peer-reviewed articles were identified through a systematic search of eight databases, reference lists, citations, and relevant journals. The identified articles were appraised for quality, then synthesized using a metaethnography approach. No study met all quality criteria and references to ethical approval were often lacking. Interpretation of the findings suggested three key themes: the meaning of intimate relationships, external constraints and facilitators, and managing external constraints. Though many people with intellectual disabilities desire and benefit from intimate relationships, they experience restrictions that others do not, which can lead to isolation and loneliness. Intimate relationships are not always necessarily linked with sexual behavior; therefore, intimate relationships warrant their own focus in future research, as well as in education and training for people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers. Within this, a commitment to transparency over research processes is needed, in particular with reference to how ethical approval was obtained, since this has been a shortcoming of research with this focus to date
Mechanisms of blood homeostasis: lineage tracking and a neutral model of cell populations in rhesus macaques
BACKGROUND: How a potentially diverse population of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiates and proliferates to supply more than 10(11) mature blood cells every day in humans remains a key biological question. We investigated this process by quantitatively analyzing the clonal structure of peripheral blood that is generated by a population of transplanted lentivirus-marked HSCs in myeloablated rhesus macaques. Each transplanted HSC generates a clonal lineage of cells in the peripheral blood that is then detected and quantified through deep sequencing of the viral vector integration sites (VIS) common within each lineage. This approach allowed us to observe, over a period of 4-12 years, hundreds of distinct clonal lineages. RESULTS: While the distinct clone sizes varied by three orders of magnitude, we found that collectively, they form a steady-state clone size-distribution with a distinctive shape. Steady-state solutions of our model show that the predicted clone size-distribution is sensitive to only two combinations of parameters. By fitting the measured clone size-distributions to our mechanistic model, we estimate both the effective HSC differentiation rate and the number of active HSCs. CONCLUSIONS: Our concise mathematical model shows how slow HSC differentiation followed by fast progenitor growth can be responsible for the observed broad clone size-distribution. Although all cells are assumed to be statistically identical, analogous to a neutral theory for the different clone lineages, our mathematical approach captures the intrinsic variability in the times to HSC differentiation after transplantation. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-015-0191-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users
Simulation of global warming effect on outdoor thermal comfort conditions
In the coming decades, global warming and increase in temperature, in
different regions of the world, may change indoor and outdoor thermal
comfort conditions and human health. The aim of this research was to
study the effects of global warming on thermal comfort conditions in
indoor ambiences in Iran. To study the increase in temperature, model
for assessment of greenhouse-gas induced climate change scenario
generator compound model has been used together with four scenarios and
to estimate thermal comfort conditions, adaptive model of the American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers has
been used. In this study, Iran was divided into 30 zones, outdoor
conditions were obtained using meteorological data of 80 climatological
stations and changes in neutral comfort conditions in 2025, 2050, 2075
and 2100 were predicted. In accordance with each scenario, findings
from this study showed that temperature in the 30 zones will increase
by 2100 to between 3.4 °C and 5.6 °C. In the coming decades
and in the 30 studied zones, neutral comfort temperature will increase
and be higher and more intense in the central and desert zones of Iran.
The low increase in this temperature will be connected to the coastal
areas of the Caspian and Oman Sea in southeast Iran. This increase in
temperature will be followed by a change in thermal comfort and indoor
energy consumption from 8.6 % to 13.1 % in air conditioning systems. As
a result, passive methods as thermal inertia are proposed as a possible
solution
Simulation Of Temperature Changes In Iran Under The Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide Duplication Condition
The present research intends to show the effect of global warming on
the trend and patterns of temperature in Iran. The study has been
divided into two primary parts, the first of which is an analysis of
the country's temperature trend using the following data measures: the
minimum, maximum, and mean seasonal night temperature (the minimum
temperature) components, the day temperature (the maximum temperature)
component and the mean daily temperature component. This data is
specific to the time frame 1951 to 2005 and it was obtained from 92
synoptic and climatology stations around the country. The second part
of this research involved simulating and forecasting the effects of
global warming on temperature values under conditions in which
greenhouse gases have increased. For analyzing these simulations and
forecasts the MAGICC SCENGEN model was used and different climate
change scenarios were taken into consideration. The results are quite
interesting. In the analysis of the countryâs current temperature
trend and in the forecastingâs, specifically related to time, a
significant temperature increase was observed during the summer months.
Also, with regard to altitudinal levels, it was evident that stations
at higher altitudes show a more significant increase in daily and mean
daily temperatures. Taking into account the output mean of the
different climate change scenarios, the temperature simulations show a
4.41° C increase in Iranâs mean temperature by 2100. Most of
these temperature increases would occur in the southern and eastern
parts of Bushehr, certain coastal regions of the Persian Gulf, eastern
and western parts of Fars, Kohgilooye, Boyerahmad, southern parts of
Yazd, as well as southern and southeastern parts of Esfahan
Urban Sprawl And Climatic Changes In Tehran
Urban sprawl beginning in the developed countries around 1950 is
currently experienced in almost all countries. Many studies on the
effects of urban sprawl indicate the emergence of harmful effects of
this phenomenon. One of the most important environmental effects is the
changes in climate. The purpose of this research was to identify the
relation between urban sprawl components of Tehran with changes in
climate variables. To this end, two data sets have been used to study
the relation between these elements and components. The first data set
included climatic elements such as rainfall, temperature, the percent
of relative humidity and the percent of calm wind, as well as its mean
speed for a period of 54 years (1953-2006). The second set of data was
formed by components relevant to urban sprawl such as city area,
private cars per capita, population density and number of urban
population. Pearson correlation and multiple regression methods have
been applied to compare and identify the relation between climatic
components with urban sprawl indices. Results of correlation indicate
that among the 5 aforementioned climatic components, annual rainfall
and the mean of wind speed do not appear to have significant relation
with sprawl, but the oscillations in percent of relative humidity and
percent of calm wind seem to have a significant relation with Tehran
sprawl. Consequently and using multivariate regression, it was
concluded that the most important factor in the increasing temperature
of Tehran, is the number of cars; the most important factor in
increasing the percent of relative humidity is the area of Tehran,
whereas the increase of the percent of calm wind may be attributed to
the increase of population
Effects Of Climate Change Process On Comfort Climate Of Shiraz Station
Dwelling in cities and city development together with quick increase of
population and development of industrial activities with unplanned
consumption of fossil fuel have intensively increased pollutions with
consequences which will cause different diseases in short period, will
lead to some climatic oscillations and its environmental effects such
as the change of desirable periods in view of comfort climate in long
period. The objective point of view of this research was to study the
climate in Shiraz and its effect on comfort conditions for human
physiology. In this research, using 55-year climatic data (1952-2006),
the relative humidity and temperature through the application Guni
comfort climatic model, the desirable months for the comfort of human
physiology have been determined in the five 11-year periods and the
linear process of these changes have been estimated for the next 11
years. The results of this research show that the temperature trend in
Shiraz station is increasing and most months have heating process in a
way that it is expected that in the coming future, the cold months will
have more favoring conditions for physiological comfort of residents
and correspondingly in the warm months, heating tension will have
remarkable increase
Climate change and its role in forecasting energy demand in buildings: A case study of Douala City, Cameroon
The foremost role of a building is to assure the comfort of its occupants. The thermal comfort of a building
depends on the outdoor climate and requires a demand in energy for heating and cooling. In this paper,
demand of energy (heating/cooling) in the buildings is discussed in Douala, Cameroon. Daily data of
the last 40 years coming from five weather stations of Cameroon have been studied. Some forecasts have
been carried out with 14 GCM models, associated to three future climate scenarios B1, A2, and A1B.
However, only INCM3 of General Circulation Model (GCM) and A2 scenario was used. Energy demand
in buildings is valued by HDD (heating degree day) and CDD (cooling degree day) indices. Obtained
results show that the temperature evolves more quickly in dry season than in rainy season in Douala.
Climate rise indicates an increasing demand of energy in the buildings for cooling. Global Douala heating
shows a definite effect on outdoor comfort. From 2045 to 2075, the demand of energy for cooling will be
superior to 50%. The total demand in energy for heating in the buildings is estimated to be 67.882 kcal
from 1970 to 2000 and will be around 67.774 kcal from 2013 to 2043