A common reference frame for movement plans in the posterior parietal cortex

Orchestrating a movement towards a sensory target requires many computational processes, including a transformation between reference frames. This transformation is important because the reference frames in which sensory stimuli are encoded often differ from those of motor effectors. The posterior parietal cortex has an important role in these transformations. Recent work indicates that a significant proportion of parietal neurons in two cortical areas transforms the sensory signals that are used to guide movements into a common reference frame. This common reference frame is an eye-centred representation that is modulated by eye-, head-, body- or limb-position signals. A common reference frame might facilitate communication between different areas that are involved in coordinating the movements of different effectors. It might also be an efficient way to represent the locations of different sensory targets in the world.     

USING HIGH-LEVEL CONSUMER-RESEARCH METHODS TO CREATE A TOOL-DRIVEN GUIDEBOOK AND DATABASE FOR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING

We present aspects and data for a tool‐driven database for marketing and product development, which are publicly accessible. The objective is to create a method whereby knowledge of concepts and products can be archived using overviews of a specific product category. The first phase of the database comprises systematic analysis of product concepts, which contain elements dealing both with features and emotions. The concept phase provides an idea about responses to statements about product features, along with responses to emotional elements and brands. The second phase comprises an analysis of the competitive frame of products, even before systematic product development is initiated. This second phase identifies expected and thus reasonable ranges of product‐sensory features, levels of acceptance of typical products, relations between liking and sensory attributes and segmentation of sensory preferences. Together, the two phases provide a guide to product developers new in a category, archive current knowledge and provide a sourcebook for marketers and developers alike, which is accessible using research tools. The two phases allow product development to become more scientific, more based on common experience rather than individual expertise and thus more efficient, without compromising corporate knowledge of specific ingredients, processes or business opportunities.     

Validation of Zebrafish （Danio redo） Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Normalization

The normalization of quantitative real time RT-PCR （qRT-PCR） is important to obtain accurate gene expression data. The most common method for qRT-PCR normalization is to use reference, or housekeeping genes. However, there is emerging evidence that even reference genes can be regulated under different conditions, qRT-PCR has only recently been used in terms of zebrafish gene expression studies and there is no validated set of reference genes. This study characterizes the expression of nine possible reference genes during zebrafish embryonic development and in a zebrafish tissue panel. All nine reference genes exhibited variable expression. The fl-actin, EFlot and Rpll3ot genes comprise a validated reference gene panel for zebrafish developmental time course studies, and the EF1 or, Rpll3α and 18S rRNA genes are more suitable as a reference gene panel for zebrafish tissue analysis. Importantly, the zebrafish GAPDH gene appears unsuitable as reference gene for both types of studies.     

六种作物内标准基因开发与检测研究进展

内标准基因（internal reference gene）是指能够区分物种的特异性、具有单一或恒定的低拷贝数、低变异的保守DNA序列。指定作物种类的内标准基因在转基因成分检测、物种及其产品判别等众多领域内作为鉴别其他物种的主要遗传标志,尤其是在转基因产品定量定性检测中,可用于检测样品中的物种来源以及转基因含量,对转基因产品定量定性检测具有重要意义。目前,已有多种作物的内标准基因被开发,其中玉米、油菜和水稻开发的内标准基因数量较多,但仍缺乏更为透彻的比较研究,导致选择与应用较为困难。基于此,根据国内外已有的研究成果,综述了6种检测或鉴定需求较大的作物（包括玉米、大豆、油菜、棉花、水稻和小麦）的内标准基因的研究进展,并对常见作物的内标准基因进行了系统的比较和研究,以期为植物源性、转基因成分及相关检测鉴定提供技术支撑。     

Evaluation of analytical similarity between trastuzumab biosimilar CT-P6 and reference product using statistical analyses

The evaluation of analytical similarity has been a challenging issue for the biosimilar industry because the number of lots for reference and biosimilar products available at the time of development are limited, whilst measurable quality attributes of target molecule are numerous, which can lead to potential bias or false negative/positive conclusions regarding biosimilarity. Therefore, appropriate statistical analyses are highly desirable to achieve a high level of confidence in the similarity evaluation. A recent guideline for the risk-based statistical approaches recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration provides useful tools to systematically evaluate analytical similarity of biosimilar products compared with reference products. Here, we evaluated analytical similarity of CT-P6, a biosimilar product of trastuzumab, with the reference products (EU-Herceptin® or US-Herceptin®) following these statistical approaches. Various quality attributes of trastuzumab were first ranked based on the clinical impact of each attribute and subsequently adjusted to one of three tiers (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3) considering the characteristics of the assay, the level of attribute present and the feasibility of statistical analysis. Two biological activities with highest potential clinical impact were evaluated by an equivalent test (Tier 1), and other bioactivities and structural/physicochemical properties relevant to the clinical impact were evaluated by a quality range approach (Tier 2). The attributes with low risk ranking or qualitative assay were evaluated by visual comparison (Tier 3). Analytical similarity assessment analyzed by the three tiers clearly demonstrated that CT-P6 exhibits highly similar structural and physicochemical properties, as well as functional activities, compared with the reference products. There were small differences observed in a few quality attributes between CT-P6 and the reference products, but the differences were very minor, and unlikely to impact on clinical outcome. The recently reported equivalent clinical efficacy of CT-P6 with the reference product further supports that CT-P6 is highly similar compared with the reference product in the view of totality-of-evidence.     

Rotating horizontal ground reaction forces to the body path of progression

When studying the biomechanics of a transient turn, the orientation of the body will change relative to the orientation of the force plates over the progression of the turn. To express ground reaction forces relative to the body, this study investigated possible origin locations and axis alignments of body reference frames. The gait patterns of 10 subjects were recorded as subjects negotiated a 90 degrees hallway corner. Body reference frames were chosen whose origins were the center of mass (COM) and the pelvis origin (PEL). A finite-difference method was used to align the axes of the reference frames according to the horizontal paths of the COM and PEL. The ground reaction impulses (GRIs) were calculated relative to the COM and PEL reference frames. GRI differences were small between the PEL and COM frames, suggesting that either is acceptable for turning studies. Based on an investigation of finite-difference parameters, the COM frame should be used when using a kinematic sampling rate of 60 Hz. Either frame is acceptable when sampling at higher rates.     

Thermotoga neapolitana gene clusters participating in degradation of starch and maltodextins: molecular structure of the locus

A 5451-bp genome fragment of the hyperthermophilic anaerobic eubacterium Thermotoga neapolitana has been cloned and sequenced. The fragment contains one truncated and three complete open reading frames highly homologous to the starch/maltodextrin utilization gene cluster from Thermotoga maritima whose genome sequence is known. The incomplete product of the first frame is highly homologous to MalG, the E. coli protein of starch and maltodextrin transport. The product of the second frame, AglB, is highly homologous to cyclomaltodextrinase with the alpha-glucosidase activity TMG belonging to family 13 of glycosyl hydrolases (GH13). The product of the third frame, AglA, is homologous to the Thermotoga maritima cofactor-dependent alpha-glucosidase from the GH4 family. The two enzymes form a separate branch on the phylogenetic tree of the family. The AglA and AglB proteins supplement each other in substrate specificity and can ensure complete hydrolysis to glucose of cyclic and linear maltodextrins, the intermediate products of starch degradation. The product of the fourth reading frame has sequence similarity with the riboflavin-specific deaminase RibD from T. maritima. The homologous locus of this bacterium, between the aglA and ribD genes, has five open reading frames missing in T. neapolitana. The nucleotide sequences of two frames are homologous to transposase genes. The deletion size is 2.9 kb.     

Effect of Laterally Wedged Insoles on the External Knee Adduction Moment across Different Reference Frames

Objective

Biomechanical effects of laterally wedged insoles are assessed by reduction in the knee adduction moment. However, the degree of reduction may vary depending on the reference frame with which it is calculated. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of reference frame on the reduction in the knee adduction moment by laterally wedged insoles.

Methods

Twenty-nine healthy participants performed gait trials with a laterally wedged insole and with a flat insole as a control. The knee adduction moment, including the first and second peaks and the angular impulse, were calculated using four different reference frames: the femoral frame, tibial frame, laboratory frame and the Joint Coordinate System.

Results

There were significant effects of reference frame on the knee adduction moment first and second peaks (P < 0.001 for both variables), while the effect was not significant for the angular impulse (P = 0.84). No significant interaction between the gait condition and reference frame was found in either of the knee adduction moment variables (P = 0.99 for all variables), indicating that the effects of laterally wedged insole on the knee adduction moments were similar across the four reference frames. On the other hand, the average percent changes ranged from 9% to 16% for the first peak, from 16% to 18% for the second peak and from 17% to 21% for the angular impulse when using the different reference frames.

Conclusion

The effects of laterally wedged insole on the reduction in the knee adduction moment were similar across the reference frames. On the other hand, Researchers need to recognize that when the percent change was used as the parameter of the efficacy of laterally wedged insole, the choice of reference frame may influence the interpretation of how laterally wedged insoles affect the knee adduction moment.     

Adenovirus early region 4 encodes two gene products with redundant effects in lytic infection.

In order to assign specific functions to individual gene products encoded by adenovirus type 5 early region 4 (E4), we have constructed and analyzed a set of mutant viruses that express individual E4 open reading frames or combinations of open reading frames. The results of these analyses demonstrate that the gene products of E4 open reading frames 3 and 6 have redundant effects in viral lytic infection. These E4 products independently augment viral DNA replication, viral late protein synthesis, the shutoff of host cell protein synthesis, and the production of infectious virus. The product of open reading frame 6 is more efficient in the regulation of these processes than is the product of open reading frame 3. The regulation of viral DNA replication and the control of viral and cellular protein synthesis appear to be separable functions associated with both E4 gene products. The role of early region 4 in adeno-associated virus helper function, however, is mediated only by the product of open reading frame 6. Finally, we demonstrate that E4 mutant viruses display a multiplicity-leakiness phenotype which is consistent with the regulatory role that this region plays in viral infection.     

Effects of News Frames on Perceived Risk,Emotions, and Learning

The media play a key role in forming opinions by influencing people´s understanding and perception of a topic. People gather information about topics of interest from the internet and print media, which employ various news frames to attract attention. One example of a common news frame is the human-interest frame, which emotionalizes and dramatizes information and often accentuates individual affectedness. Our study investigated effects of human-interest frames compared to a neutral-text condition with respect to perceived risk, emotions, and knowledge acquisition, and tested whether these effects can be "generalized" to common variants of the human-interest frame. Ninety-one participants read either one variant of the human-interest frame or a neutrally formulated version of a newspaper article describing the effects of invasive species in general and the Asian ladybug (an invasive species) in particular. The framing was achieved by varying the opening and concluding paragraphs (about invasive species), as well as the headline. The core text (about the Asian ladybug) was the same across all conditions. All outcome variables on framing effects referred to this common core text. We found that all versions of the human-interest frame increased perceived risk and the strength of negative emotions compared to the neutral text. Furthermore, participants in the human-interest frame condition displayed better (quantitative) learning outcomes but also biased knowledge, highlighting a potential dilemma: Human-interest frames may increase learning, but they also lead to a rather unbalanced view of the given topic on a “deeper level”.     

Design considerations for proteomic reference materials

In order to improve the repeatability, comparability, and accuracy of MS-based proteomic measurements, there has been considerable international effort to develop appropriate reference materials. Although the majority of reference materials are developed to support measurement quality of routine assays, the development of reference materials for a diverse and changing research field such as proteomics represents unique challenges. In order to define common measurement components and common features of typical proteomic samples, the metrology underpinning proteomics must be considered due to the diversity and changing nature of the field. Reference materials can then be designed around common aspects in order to produce reference materials with the broadest applicability. Reference materials are needed to support both qualitative and quantitative proteomic measurements, involving different design considerations. Consensus and validated statistical approaches to describe the confidence in qualitative measurement, such as protein identification, needs to be established. Common sources of measurement bias also need to be considered in proteomic reference material design.     

On the Use of Incomplete Frames in Sample Surveys

The existence of a frame is the pre-requisite for designing any sampling inquiry or census. The quality of frame not only provides a basis for chosing the appropriate sampling design but also affects the ultimate results obtained. However, the existence of an accurate frame is very rare and generally all the frames are subject to various shortcomings. The incompleteness of the frame is one of the most common defects of almost all frames, mainly due to the dynamic nature of the populations. Seal (1962), Hartley (1962), Hansen, Hurwitz and Jabine (1964) etc. have suggested various procedures to deal with the problem of incomplete frames. In the present investigation, procedure suggested by Hansen, Hurwitz and Jabine (1964) has been used for estimating the population total for the characteristic under study in the two situations namely (i) when the units missing from the frame are random and (ii) when the missing units differ from units available in the frame.     

Use of immunogold electron microscopy and monoclonal antibodies in the identification of nuclear substructures

A cytochemical technique for the ultrastructural localization of unique nuclear antigens is reported. Using a post-embedding indirect immunogold labeling procedure, nuclear antigens in electron-dense regions of the nucleus are localized with a minimum of nonspecific staining. Using this technique and indirect immunofluorescence, a panel of antinuclear monoclonal antibodies is shown to recognize preferentially cell cycle-dependent nuclear substructures. The antigenic domains recognized include specific regions in condensed chromatin, interchromatin granules, euchromatin, and chromosomes. The specificity of antigen recognition is demonstrated with qualitative and quantitative immunogold electron microscopy and immunoblot analysis. These results reveal the existence of previously undefined supramolecular organization within the nucleus and demonstrate the utility of the immunogold procedure when monoclonal antibodies are used.