Application of the robust estimate in SLR data preprocessing

An M-estimator, one kind of a robust estimator, has been used in satellite laser ranging (SLR) data preprocessing. It has been shown that the M-estimator has a 50 percent or more breakdown point

Advancing standards for bioinformatics activities: persistence, reproducibility, disambiguation and Minimum Information About a Bioinformatics investigation (MIABi)

The 2010 International Conference on Bioinformatics, InCoB2010, which is the annual conference of the Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet) has agreed to publish conference papers in compliance with the proposed Minimum Information about a Bioinformatics investigation (MIABi), proposed in June 2009. Authors of the conference supplements in BMC Bioinformatics, BMC Genomics and Immunome Research have consented to cooperate in this process, which will include the procedures described herein, where appropriate, to ensure data and software persistence and perpetuity, database and resource re-instantiability and reproducibility of results, author and contributor identity disambiguation and MIABi-compliance. Wherever possible, datasets and databases will be submitted to depositories with standardized terminologies. As standards are evolving, this process is intended as a prelude to the 100 BioDatabases (BioDB100) initiative whereby APBioNet collaborators will contribute exemplar databases to demonstrate the feasibility of standards-compliance and participate in refining the process for peer-review of such publications and validation of scientific claims and standards compliance. This testbed represents another step in advancing standards-based processes in the bioinformatics community which is essential to the growing interoperability of biological data, information, knowledge and computational resources

The Candida albicans transcription factor Cas5 couples stress responses, drug resistance and cell cycle regulation

We thank Cowen lab members for helpful discussions. We also thank David Rogers (University of Tennessee) for sharing microarray analysis of the CAS5 homozygous mutant, and Li Ang (University of Macau) for assistance in optimizing the ChIP-Seq experiments. J.L.X. is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Doctoral award and M.D.L. is supported by a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship (Wellcome Trust 096072). B.T.G. holds an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. C.B. and B.J.A. are supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Foundation Grants (FDN-143264 and -143265). D.J.K. is supported by a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant (1R01AI098450) and J.D.L.C.D. is supported by the University of Rochester School of Dentistry and Medicine PREP program (R25 GM064133). A.S. is supported by the Creighton University and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (LB506-2017-55). K.H.W. is supported by the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macau S.A.R. (FDCT; 085/2014/A2). L.E.C. is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Operating Grants (MOP-86452 and MOP-119520), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC) of Canada Discovery Grants (06261 and 462167), and an NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship (477598).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Spermatogenesis and sertoli cell activity in mice lacking Sertoli cell receptors for follicle stimulating hormone and androgen

Spermatogenesis in the adult male depends on the action of FSH and androgen. Ablation of either hormone has deleterious effects on Sertoli cell function and the progression of germ cells through spermatogenesis. In this study we generated mice lacking both FSH receptors (FSHRKO) and androgen receptors on the Sertoli cell (SCARKO) to examine how FSH and androgen combine to regulate Sertoli cell function and spermatogenesis. Sertoli cell number in FSHRKO-SCARKO mice was reduced by about 50% but was not significantly different from FSHRKO mice. In contrast, total germ cell number in FSHRKO-SCARKO mice was reduced to 2% of control mice (and 20% of SCARKO mice) due to a failure to progress beyond early meiosis. Measurement of Sertoli cell-specific transcript levels showed that about a third were independent of hormonal action on the Sertoli cell, whereas others were predominantly androgen dependent or showed redundant control by FSH and androgen. Results show that FSH and androgen act through redundant, additive, and synergistic regulation of spermatogenesis and Sertoli cell activity. In addition, the Sertoli cell retains a significant capacity for activity, which is independent of direct hormonal regulation

Simultaneous compression of the passively mode-locked pulsewidth and pulse train

Simultaneous compression of the passively mode-locked pulse width and pulse train have been achieved by using a plano-convex unstable resonator hybrided by a nonlinear Sagnac ring interferometer. The greater than 30 mJ single pulse energy of a lone oscillator and less than or equal to 10 ps pulsewidth have been obtained. Using this system, the LAGEOS and ETALON satellites' laser ranging have been performed successfully

Stereospecific access to bridged [ n .2.1] skeletons through gold-catalyzed tandem reaction of indolyl homopropargyl amides

Abstract(#br)An efficient gold-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov cycloisomerization-initiated tandem reaction of Boc-protected indole tethered homopropargyl amides has been achieved. This method delivers a wide range of valuable bridged aza-[ n .2.1] skeletons ( n = 3–7) at room temperature with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity by a chirality-transfer strategy. Moreover, the gold-catalyzed tandem reaction of homopropargyl alcohol is also achieved to produce the bridged oxa-[3.2.1] skeleton

Development of Shanghai satellite laser ranging station

The topics covered include the following: improvement of the system hardware; upgrading of the software; the observation status; preliminary daylight tracking capability; testing the new type of laser; and future plans

Organocatalytic Enantioselective Conia-Ene-Type Carbocyclization of Ynamide Cyclohexanones: Regiodivergent Synthesis of Morphans and Normorphans.

Catalytic carbocyclization of alkynyl carbonyls has attracted considerable interest in organic synthesis because of its high bond-forming efficiency and atom economy in the formation of functionalized cyclic compounds. However, examples of such an asymmetric version are quite scarce, and have so far been limited to transition metal catalysts. Described herein is an organocatalytic enantioselective desymmetrizing cycloisomerization of arylsulfonyl-protected ynamide-cyclohexanones, which represents the first metal-free asymmetric Conia-ene-type carbocyclization. This method allows the highly efficient and atom-economical construction of a range of valuable morphans with wide substrate scope and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 97% ee). In addition, such a cycloisomerization of alkylsulfonyl-protected ynamide-cyclohexanones can lead to the divergent synthesis of normorphans as the main products with high enantioselectivity (up to 90% ee). Moreover, theoretical calculations are employed to elucidate the origins of regioselectivity and enantioselectivity

Tear fluid biomarkers in ocular and systemic disease: potential use for predictive, preventive and personalised medicine

In the field of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine, researchers are keen to identify novel and reliable ways to predict and diagnose disease, as well as to monitor patient response to therapeutic agents. In the last decade alone, the sensitivity of profiling technologies has undergone huge improvements in detection sensitivity, thus allowing quantification of minute samples, for example body fluids that were previously difficult to assay. As a consequence, there has been a huge increase in tear fluid investigation, predominantly in the field of ocular surface disease. As tears are a more accessible and less complex body fluid (than serum or plasma) and sampling is much less invasive, research is starting to focus on how disease processes affect the proteomic, lipidomic and metabolomic composition of the tear film. By determining compositional changes to tear profiles, crucial pathways in disease progression may be identified, allowing for more predictive and personalised therapy of the individual. This article will provide an overview of the various putative tear fluid biomarkers that have been identified to date, ranging from ocular surface disease and retinopathies to cancer and multiple sclerosis. Putative tear fluid biomarkers of ocular disorders, as well as the more recent field of systemic disease biomarkers, will be shown