7 research outputs found
MCM-GINS and MCM-MCM interactions in vivo visualised by bimolecular fluorescence complementation in fission yeast
No full textBackground: Each of the three individual components of the CMG complex (Cdc45, MCM and GINS) is essential for chromosomal DNA replication in eukaryotic cells, both for the initiation of replication at origins and also for normal replication fork progression. The MCM complex is a DNA helicase that most likely functions as the catalytic core of the replicative helicase, unwinding the parental duplex DNA ahead of the moving replication fork, whereas Cdc45 and the GINS complex are believed to act as accessory factors for MCM. Results:To investigate interactions between components of the CMG complex, we have used bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe for the first time, to analyse protein-protein interactions between GINS and MCM subunits expressed from their native chromosomal loci. We demonstrate interactions between GINS andMCM in the nuclei of exponentially-growing fission yeast cells and on chromatin in binucleate S-phase cells. In addition we present evidence of MCM-MCM interactions in diploid fission yeast cells. As with GINS-MCM interactions, MCM-MCM interactions also occur on chromatin in S-phase cells. Conclusion: Bimolecular fluorescence complementation can be used in fission yeast to visualise interactions between two of the three components of the CMG complex, offering the prospect that this technique could in the future be used to allow studies on replication protein dynamics in living S. pombe cells.Peer reviewe
New frameworks to boost feature selection algorithms in emotion detection for improved human-computer interaction
No full text2nd International Symposium on Brain, Vision and Artificial Intelligence -- OCT 10-12, 2007 -- Naples, ITALYOne of the primary aims in human-computer interaction research is to develop an ability to recognize affective state of the user. Such ability is indispensable to have a more human-like nature in human-computer interaction. However, the researches in this direction are not mature and intensive efforts have only been witnessed recently. This work envisages the possibility of enhancing feature selection phase of emotion detection task to obtain robust parameters which will be determined from verbal information to achieve an improved affective human-computer interaction. As highly informative feature selection is believed to be a more critical factor than classifier itself, recent studies have increasingly focussed on determining features that contribute more to the classification problem. Two new frameworks for multi-class emotion detection problem are proposed in this paper, so as to boost the feature selection algorithms in a way that the selected features will be more informative in terms of class-separability. Evaluation of the selected final features is accomplished by multi-class classifiers. Results show that the proposed frameworks are successful in terms of attaining lower average cross-validation error.ICIP CNR, IISF, EBSA, GIRPR, MARS Ctr, NEATEK SpA, PAN, SINS, Reg CampaniaTUBITAK [104E179]This work has been sponsored by TUBITAK Project under the contract of 104E179. Corresponding author also would like to thank Prof. Dr. J Shawe-Taylor for his hospitality and guidance during the academic visit in the summer of 2006 granted by TUBITAK at University of Southampton and at University College of London
Overcoming bias: Neural Correlates of Judgment Bias and Framing Effects in Cognition of Music
No full textabstract: Prior expectations can bias evaluative judgments of sensory information. We show that information about a performer's status can bias the evaluation of musical stimuli, reflected by differential activity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Moreover, we demonstrate that decreased susceptibility to this confirmation bias is (a) accompanied by the recruitment of and (b) correlated with the white-matter structure of the executive control network, particularly related to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). By using long-duration musical stimuli, we were able to track the initial biasing, subsequent perception, and ultimate evaluation of the stimuli, examining the full evolution of these biases over time. Our findings confirm the persistence of confirmation bias effects even when ample opportunity exists to gather information about true stimulus quality, and underline the importance of executive control in reducing bias
Esophageal and Gastric Smooth Muscle Activity After Carbon Dioxide Pneumoperitoneum
No full text9th Annual Meeting of the British-Association-of-Paediatric-Endoscopic-Surgeons -- OCT 08-10, 2007 -- Istanbul, TURKEYAydos, Tolga Resat/0000-0002-1832-9336; Soyer, Tutku/0000-0003-1505-6042Background. The metabolic changes associated with carbon dioxide (CO(2)) pneumoperitoneum include metabolic acidosis and lowered intra-abdominal pH values. An experimental study was performed to evaluate the effect of CO(2) pneumoperitoneum on esophageal and gastric smooth muscle sensitivity in response to several agonists. Methods. Wistar albino rats, weighing 200-250 g, were allocated into three groups. After anesthetization with ketamine hydrochloride and xylazine, abdominal esophagus, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric fundus were removed via median laparotomy in the control group. In the oxygen (O(2)) group, a 16G catheter was inserted into the abdomen above the umbilicus and insufflated with 95% O(2) and 5% CO(2) with a pressure of 10 mm Hg. In the CO(2) group, CO(2) was insufflated at the same pressure within the same time and the tissues were removed at the end of a 60 min period of pneumoperitoneum. Abdominal esophageal segment (n:6), gastroesophageal junction (n:6) and gastric fundus (n:12) were suspended under 0.5 to 2 g resting tension in Tyrode solution in organ baths. Contraction responses were obtained by carbachol and serotonin and relaxation responses were evaluated by isoproterenol in each group. All the responses were compared by nonparametric Kruskal Wallis test. Results. Carbachol and serotonin induced contractile responses of abdominal segments, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric fundus showed no difference between the control, O(2), and CO(2) groups (P > 0.05). Isoproterenol relaxation responses of the three groups were also not statistically different from each other (P > 0.05). Conclusion. CO(2) pneumoperitoneum of 60 min has no influence on esophageal and gastric smooth muscle responses to different agonists in rats. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.British Assoc Paediat Endoscop Sur
Boosting selection of speech related features to improve performance of multi-class SVMs in emotion detection
No full textThis paper deals with the strategies for feature selection and multi-class classification in the emotion detection problem. The aim is two-fold: to increase the effectiveness of four feature selection algorithms and to improve accuracy of multi-class Classifiers for emotion detection problem under different frameworks and strategies. Although, a large amount of research has been conducted to determine the most informative features in emotion detection, it is still an open problem to identify reliably discriminating features. As it is believed that highly informative features are more critical factor than classifier itself, recent Studies have been focused oil identifying the features that contribute more to the classification problem. In this paper, in order to improve the performance of multi-class SVMs in emotion detection, 58 features extracted from recorded speech samples are processed in two new frameworks to boost the feature selection algorithms. Evaluation of the final feature sets validates that the frameworks are able to select more informative Subset of the features in terms of class-separability. Also it is found that among four feature selection algorithms, a recently proposed one, LSBOUND, significantly outperforms the others. The accuracy rate obtained in the proposed framework is the highest achievement reported so far in the literature for the same dataset. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.TUBITAK Project [104EI79]This work has been sponsored by TUBITAK Project under the contract of 104EI79. Corresponding author also Would like to thank Prof. Dr. J Shawe-Taylor for his hospitality and guidance during the academic visit in the Summer of 2006 granted by TUBITAK at University Of Southampton and at University College of London. We would also like to thank Dr. S. Szedmak for providing the MMR algorithm
Nucleocytoplasmic β-catenin expression contributes to neuroendocrine differentiation in muscle invasive bladder cancer
No full textBladder cancers are heterogeneous in nature, showing diverse molecular profiles and histopathological characteristics, which pose challenges for diagnosis and treatment. However, understanding the molecular basis of such heterogeneity has remained elusive. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular landscape of neuroendocrine-like bladder tumors, focusing on the involvement of beta-catenin localization. Analyzing the transcriptome data and benefiting from the molecular classification tool, we undertook an in-depth analysis of muscle-invasive bladder cancers to uncover the molecular characteristics of the neuroendocrine-like differentiation. The study explored the contribution of transcription factors and chromatin remodeling complexes to neuroendocrine differentiation in bladder cancer. The study revealed a significant correlation between beta-catenin localization and neuroendocrine differentiation in muscle-invasive bladder tumors, highlighting the molecular complexity of neuroendocrine-like tumors. Enrichment of YY1 transcription factor, E2F family members, and Polycomb repressive complex components in beta-catenin-positive tumors suggest their potential contribution to neuroendocrine phenotypes. Our findings contribute valuable insights into the molecular complexity of neuroendocrine-like bladder tumors. By identifying potential therapeutic targets and refining diagnostic strategies, this study advances our understanding of endocrinology in the context of bladder cancer. Further investigations into the functional implications of these molecular relationships are warranted to enhance our knowledge and guide future therapeutic interventions. This study investigates the molecular characteristics of neuroendocrine-like bladder tumors, focusing on the involvement of beta-catenin and transcription factors. Through comprehensive analysis, we identified a significant correlation between beta-catenin upregulation and neuroendocrine differentiation in muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. Our findings underscore the intricate molecular pathways contributing to neuroendocrine differentiation and highlight the potential for refining diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in bladder cancer management.imag
Oblique parameters and extra generations via OPUCEM
No full textRecent improvements to OPUCEM, the tool for calculation of the contributions of various models to oblique parameters, are presented. OPUCEM is used to calculate the available parameter space for the four family Standard Model given the current electroweak precision data. It is shown that even with the restrictions on Higgs boson and new quark masses presented in the 2011 Autumn conferences, there is still enough space to allow a fourth generation with Dirac type neutrinos. For Majorana type neutrinos, the allowed parameter space is even larger. The electroweak precision data also appear to favor non-zero mixing between light and fourth generations, thus effectively reducing the current experimental limits on the masses of the new quarks, which assume that the mixing with the third generation is dominant. Additionally, disregarding the lack of a clear Higgs signal from the LHC and focusing only an electroweak precision data comptability, calculations with OPUCEM show that, the existing electroweak data are compatible with the presence of a 5th and also a 6th generation in certain regions of the parameter space. © 2012 The Author(s)
