41,468 research outputs found
Isolation and evaluation of novel adeno-associated virus sequences from porcine tissues
No full textHigh antigenic compatibility and low toxicity is associated with xenograft transplantation of porcine tissues in immunodeficient human recipients. We hypothesized that adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) of porcine origin could be highly compatible to human tissues and thus of good efficiency and low toxicity for in vivo gene transfer. Porcine tissues were screened by PCR for the presence of AAV using primers designed to bind conserved regions and amplify variable regions of an align- ment of several AAV sequences available on GenBank. We isolated new AAV capsid sequences from porcine tissues and successfully generated a recombinant AAV2/po1 vector by transfection. The AAV2/po1 vector was not cross-neutralized by antisera generated against all other commonly used AAVs (serotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8) indicating a distinct antigenic profile. Preexisting immunity to AAVpo1 could not be detected in the human sera evaluated. In mice, AAV2/po1 particles expressing b-galactosidase or green fluorescent protein demonstrated high transduction efficiency in muscle fibers and the retina after intramuscular or intraocular administration. Biodistribution experiments following systemic administration showed efficient gene transfer exclusively in muscle fibers. Novel AAVs derived from porcine tissues may contribute to the generation of new preventive or curative clinical modalities acceptable for human use.LBT
P Values and Statistical Significance
No full textThis resource, created by author Will G. Hopkins, defines what a p-value is, why .05 is significant, and when to use it. It also covers related topics such as one-tailed/two-tailed tests and hypothesis testing. Overall, this is a wonderful resource for students wanting to learn more about statistics, and more specially, significant testing
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Sulphatase activities are regulated by the interaction of sulphatase-modifying factor 1 with SUMF2
No full textBlood kinetics of Ebola virus in survivors and nonsurvivors
No full textBACKGROUND. Infection with Ebola virus (EBOV) results in a life-threatening disease, with reported mortality rates between 50%-70%. The factors that determine patient survival are poorly understood; however, clinical observations indicate that EBOV viremia may be associated with fatal outcome. We conducted a study of the kinetics of Zaire EBOV viremia in patients with EBOV disease (EVD) who were managed at an Ebola Treatment Centre in Sierra Leone during the recent West African outbreak. METHODS. Data from 84 EVD patients (38 survivors, 46 nonsurvivors) were analyzed, and EBOV viremia was quantified between 2 and 13 days after symptom onset. Time since symptom onset and clinical outcome were used as independent variables to compare EBOV viral kinetics in survivors and nonsurvivors. RESULTS. In all patients, EBOV viremia kinetics was a quadratic function of time; however, EBOV viremia was 0.94 logarithm (log) copies per ml (cp/ml) (P = 0.011) higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors from day 2 after the onset of symptoms. Survivors reached peak viremia levels at an earlier time after symptom onset than nonsurvivors (day 5 versus day 7) and had lower mean peak viremia levels compared with nonsurvivors (7.46 log cp/ml; 95% CI, 7.17-7.76 vs. 8.60 log cp/ml; 95% CI, 8.27-8.93). Before reaching peak values, EBOV viremia similarly increased both in survivors and nonsurvivors; however, the decay of viremia after the peak was much stronger in survivors than in nonsurvivors. CONCLUSION. Our results demonstrate that plasma concentrations of EBOV are markedly different between survivors and nonsurvivors at very early time points after symptom onset and may be predicative of outcome. Further studies focused on the early phase of the disease will be required to identify the causal and prognostic factors that determine patient outcome
A 2 h periodic variation in the low-mass X-ray binary Ser X-1
No full textSpectroscopy of the low-mass X-ray binary Ser X-1 using the Gran Telescopio Canarias have revealed a ?2 h periodic variability that is present in the three strongest emission lines. We tentatively interpret this variability as due to orbital motion, making it the first indication of the orbital period of Ser X-1. Together with the fact that the emission lines are remarkably narrow, but still resolved, we show that a main-sequence K dwarf together with a canonical 1.4 M? neutron star gives a good description of the system. In this scenario, the most likely place for the emission lines to arise is the accretion disc, instead of a localized region in the binary (such as the irradiated surface or the stream-impact point), and their narrowness is due instead to the low inclination (?10°) of Ser X-1
Linguaggio, simbolo, memoria. Pico e l’ircocervo
No full textThis article examines the role of language, symbols, and memory in the thought of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, focusing on a particular passage in his Apologia where he mentions the "hircocervus". The author explores the meaning of this symbol, linking it to medieval philosophical debates on intelligibility and truth, as well as to the Kabbalistic tradition. By analyzing Pico’s sources a connection emerges between the "hircocervus" and Flavius Mithridates’ translation of the Song of Songs, highlighting the complex interplay between philosophy, Kabbalah, and the art of memory in Renaissance thought. At the same time, this symbol provides a crucial clue for investigating Pico’s mnemonic structures
La construcción de un ethos común en “Don de gentes” de Elvira Lindo. Una interacción a distancia
No full textABSTRACT
This paper, within the general framework of orality studied in this volume, studies the relation between writing and orality in the press and, more specifically, in editorials. It is also based on recent research that highlighted the presence of orality traits in written press and editorials, as well as in the emerging study of Elvira Lindo’s language and its implications for translation. The analysis includes the presence of thauthor’s self in the statement, as well as the identification of the recipient with whom the author shares opinions and proposes a motivating ethos on various topics with an agile and personal style characterized by humour and irony. At discourse level, the analysis focuses on some of the main features of colloquial syntax, and namely the use conjunctions in discourse function and discourse markers as marks of subjectivity and of the relation with the reader.RESUMEN
En este estudio, enmarcado en el ámbito general de la oralidad del presente volumen, se investiga la relación existente entre escritura y oralidad en el sector de la prensa, y más concretamente en el de la columna de opinión. Se enmarca también en una serie de investigaciones recientes que han evidenciado la presencia de rasgos de oralidad en la prensa escrita y en las columnas de opinión, así como en el todavía incipiente estudio del lenguaje de Elvira Lindo y de sus dificultades de traducción. Se propone para ello el análisis de la presencia del yo del autor en el enunciado, así como la identificación del destinatario con el que comparte una serie de opiniones y propone un motivador ethos sobre diferentes temas con un estilo ágil y personal veteado de humor e ironía. En el plano discursivo se analizan algunos de los rasgos que caracterizan la sintaxis coloquial, para lo que se ha considerado i) el uso de conjunciones en función discursiva; ii) el uso de marcadores discursivos como marcas de la subjetividad y de la relación con el lector
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