Observation of manganese deposits in the Blake Plateau during Atlantis Cruise 266

Since 1954 the Blake Plateau has interested the geophysical group at Woods HOle. Early cruises gathered data on this region incidental to other work. It became apparent that the area was worthy of more intense study. Questions about the bathymetry and underlying structure had been raised. This is a report of the most recent cruise undertaken to study the northern portion of the Plateau. It is intended to summarize the data collected and to be useful as art aid to investigators in preparation of manuscripts for publication.

Annotated record of the detailed examination of Mn and phosphate deposits from GOS74 Expedition stations

The purpose of the cruise was to map the manganese rich pavements of the Blake Plateau area which had been extensively investigated by ships of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution since 1956. From August until September 1965, 112 sites were sampled from R/V Gosnold on a joint USGS-WHOI expedition. At most of the stations on the Blake pavement, large slabs of manganese were recovered along with phosphate rich nodules.

Segmentaci��n de la glotis en im��genes lar��ngeas usando snakes.

El presente trabajo describe una nueva metodolog��a para la detecci��n autom��tica del espacio glotal de im��genes lar��ngeas tomadas a partir de 15 v��deos grabados por el servicio ORL del hospital Gregorio Mara����n de Madrid con luz estrobosc��pica. El sistema desarrollado est�� basado en el modelo de contornos activos (snake). El algoritmo combina en el pre-procesado, algunas t��cnicas tradicionales (umbralizaci��n y filtro de mediana) con t��cnicas m��s sofisticadas tales como filtrado anisotr��pico. De esta forma, se obtiene una imagen apropiada para el uso de las snakes. El valor escogido para el umbral es del 85% del pico m��ximo del histograma de la imagen; sobre este valor la informaci��n de los p��xeles no es relevante. El filtro anisotr��pico permite distinguir dos niveles de intensidad, uno es el fondo y el otro es la glotis. La inicializaci��n se basa en obtener el m��dulo del campo GVF; de esta manera se asegura un proceso autom��tico para la selecci��n del contorno inicial. El rendimiento del algoritmo se valida usando los coeficientes de Pratt y se compara contra una segmentaci��n realizada manualmente y otro m��todo autom��tico basado en la transformada de watershed. SUMMARY: The present work describes a new methodology for the automatic detection of the glottal space from laryngeal images taken from 15 videos recorded by the ENT service of the Gregorio Mara��on Hospital in Madrid with videostroboscopic equipment. The system is based on active contour models (snakes). The algorithm combines for the pre-processing, some traditional techniques (thresholding and median filter) with more sophisticated techniques such as anisotropic filtering. In this way, we obtain an appropriate image for the use of snake. The value selected for the threshold is 85% of the maximum peak of the image histogram; over this point the information of the pixels is not relevant. The anisotropic filter permits to distinguish two intensity levels, one is the background and the other one is the glottis. The initialization is based on the obtained magnitude by GVF field; in this manner an automatic process for the initial contour selection will be assured. The performance of the algorithm is tested using the Pratt coefficient and compared against a manual segmentation and another automatic method based on the watershed transformation.

A new approach for the glotis segmentation using Snakes

The present work describes a new methodology for the automatic detection of the glottal space from laryngeal images based on active contour models (snakes). In order to obtain an appropriate image for the use of snakes based techniques, the proposed algorithm combines a pre-processing stage including some traditional techniques (thresholding and median filter) with more sophisticated ones such as anisotropic filtering. The value selected for the thresholding was fixed to the 85% of the maximum peak of the image histogram, and the anisotropic filter permits to distinguish two intensity levels, one corresponding to the background and the other one to the foreground (glottis). The initialization carried out is based on the magnitude obtained using the Gradient Vector Flow field, ensuring an automatic process for the selection of the initial contour. The performance of the algorithm is tested using the Pratt coefficient and compared against a manual segmentation. The results obtained suggest that this method provided results comparable with other techniques such as the proposed in (Osma-Ruiz et al., 2008).

O ESTUDANTE DA EAD (EDUCA����O A DIST��NCIA): UM ESTUDO DE PERFIL E INTERA����O GERACIONAL

A aprendizagem formal e tradicional tem dado lugar a um cen��rio desafiador no qual educador e educando n��o comungam do mesmo espa��o f��sico. A Educa����o a Dist��ncia (EAD), ainda �� vista como uma solu����o que agrega cada vez mais alunos de diferentes idades que desejam uma gradua����o de ensino superior ou a continuidade dela. A pesquisa com o t��tulo: ���O estudante da EAD (educa����o a dist��ncia): um estudo de perfil e intera����o geracional��� prop��e conhecer as caracter��sticas do perfil atual do estudante da EAD, abordando o di��logo entre as gera����es no ambiente social escolar. O enfoque da pesquisa �� qualitativa, explorat��ria e descritiva com dados que foram coletados atrav��s de entrevista com 08 alunos das gera����es X e Y para assim entender se este perfil tem sido renovado com alunos mais jovens, do que a faixa et��ria de 25 a 45 anos. O resultado demonstra que alunos na faixa de 17 a 24 anos a cada ano aumentam 1% das matr��culas. J�� a faixa de 25 a 45 anos prevalece com 70% das matr��culas. Portanto, este resultado revela que o perfil do aluno EAD ainda �� o do jovem adulto, para adulto mais experiente, que busca a gradua����o com o prop��sito de progress��o no ambiente profissional. As duas gera����es citadas gera����o X e gera����o Y, mesmo em contextos hist��ricos diferenciados de valores, cren��as e comportamentos participam atualmente de uma transforma����o social que contempla os meios de produ����o do trabalho, a forma����o educacional e as rela����es sociais. O di��logo intergeracional direciona a um aprendizado compartilhado, participativo na troca de experi��ncias mutuas. Para a gera����o X o jovem atual n��o �� mais nomeado como o que precisa escutar e aprender, mas tem muito a partilhar, principalmente diante da facilidade com os meios tecnol��gicos. E para a gera����o Y, na partilha n��o h�� barreiras de idade, mas a seguran��a de interagir e se comunicar diante da troca de experi��ncias

The primary fibrin polymerization pocket: Three-dimensional structure of a 30-kDa C-terminal �� chain fragment complexed with the peptide���Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro

After vascular injury, a cascade of serine protease activations leads to the conversion of the soluble fibrinogen molecule into fibrin. The fibrin monomers then polymerize spontaneously and noncovalently to form a fibrin gel. The primary interaction of this polymerization reaction is between the newly exposed N-terminal Gly-Pro-Arg sequence of the �� chain of one fibrin molecule and the C-terminal region of a �� chain of an adjacent fibrin(ogen) molecule. In this report, the polymerization pocket has been identified by determining the crystal structure of a 30-kDa C-terminal fragment of the fibrin(ogen) �� chain complexed with the peptide Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro. This peptide mimics the N terminus of the �� chain of fibrin. The conformational change in the protein upon binding the peptide is subtle, with electrostatic interactions primarily mediating the association. This is consistent with biophysical experiments carried out over the last 50 years on this fundamental polymerization reaction.

LXR�� functions as a cAMP-responsive transcriptional regulator of gene expression

LXR�� is a member of a nuclear receptor superfamily that regulates transcription. LXR�� forms a heterodimer with RXR��, another member of this family, to regulate the expression of cholesterol 7��-hydroxylase by means of binding to the DR4-type cis-element. Here, we describe a function for LXR�� as a cAMP-responsive regulator of renin and c-myc gene transcriptions by the interaction with a specific cis-acting DNA element, CNRE (an overlapping cAMP response element and a negative response element). Our previous studies showed that renin gene expression is regulated by cAMP, at least partly, through the CNRE sequence in its 5���-flanking region. This sequence is also found in c-myc and several other genes. Based on our cloning results using the yeast one-hybrid system, we discovered that the mouse homologue of human LXR�� binds to the CNRE and demonstrated that it binds as a monomer. To define the function of LXR�� on gene expression, we transfected the renin-producing renal As4.1 cells with LXR�� expression plasmid. Overexpression of LXR�� in As4.1 cells confers cAMP inducibility to reporter constructs containing the renin CNRE. After stable transfection of LXR��, As4.1 cells show a cAMP-inducible up-regulation of renin mRNA expression. In parallel experiments, we demonstrated that LXR�� can also bind to the homologous CNRE in the c-myc promoter. cAMP promotes transcription through c-myc/CNRE:LXR�� interaction in LXR�� transiently transfected cells and increases c-myc mRNA expression in stably transfected cells. Identification of LXR�� as a cAMP-responsive nuclear modulator of renin and c-myc expression not only has cardiovascular significance but may have generalized implication in the regulation of gene transcription.

Role of MEKK2-MEK5 in the regulation of TNF-�� gene expression and MEKK2-MKK7 in the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in mast cells

Cross-linking of the high-affinity IgE receptor (Fc��RI) on mast cells with IgE and multivalent antigen triggers mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation and cytokine gene expression. We report here that MAP kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) gene disruption does not affect either MAP kinase activation or cytokine gene expression in response to cross-linking of Fc��RI in embryonic stem cell-derived mast cells. MKK7 is activated in response to cross-linking of Fc��RI, and this activation is inhibited by MAP/ERK kinase (MEK) kinase 2 (MEKK2) gene disruption. In addition, expression of kinase-inactive MKK7 in the murine mast cell line MC/9 inhibits c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activation in response to cross-linking of Fc��RI, whereas expression of kinase-inactive MKK4 does not affect JNK activation by this stimulus. However, Fc��RI-induced activation of the tumor necrosis factor-�� (TNF-��) gene promoter is not affected by expression of kinase-inactive MKK7. We describe an alternative pathway by which MEKK2 activates MEK5 and big MAP kinase1/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 in addition to MKK7 and JNK, and interruption of this pathway inhibits TNF-�� promoter activation. These findings suggest that JNK activation by antigen cross-linking is dependent on the MEKK2-MKK7 pathway, and cytokine production in mast cells is regulated in part by the signaling complex MEKK2-MEK5-ERK5.