Localization of erythropoietin gene expression in proximal renal tubular cells detected by digoxigenin-labelled oligonucleotide probes

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the main humoral stimulus of erythropoiesis. In adult mammals, the kidney releases EPO in response to hypoxic stress. Conflicting data have suggested either renal tubular or peritubular cell origins of EPO synthesis in vivo. In situ hybridization studies were performed to define further the kidney cell type(s) capable of increasing EPO gene expression during hypoxic stimulation. EPO gene expression was stimulated in mice exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia. Kidneys from hypoxic and control normoxic mice were obtained. Six digoxigenin-labelled oligonucleotide probes complementary to EPO exon sequences were utilized for in situ hybridization for EPO messenger RNA. Positive hybridization signals were identified in some proximal tubular cells, confined to the inner third of the renal cortex of hypoxic mouse kidney.

Speciation and distribution of arsenic and localization of nutrients in rice grains

Arsenic (As) contamination of rice grains and the generally low concentration of micronutrients in rice have been recognized as a major concern for human health. Here, we investigated the speciation and localization of As and the distribution of (micro)nutrients in rice grains because these are key factors controlling bioavailability of nutrients and contaminants. Bulk total and speciation analyses using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) was complemented by spatially resolved microspectroscopic techniques (micro-XANES, micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) and particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE)) to investigate both speciation and distribution of As and localization of nutrients in situ. The distribution of As and micronutrients varied between the various parts of the grains (husk, bran and endosperm) and was characterized by element-specific distribution patterns. The speciation of As in bran and endosperm was dominated by As(III)-thiol complexes. The results indicate that the translocation from the maternal to filial tissues may be a bottleneck for As accumulation in the grain. Strong similarities between the distribution of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and phosphorus (P) and between zinc (Zn) and sulphur (S) may be indicative of complexation mechanisms in rice grains.

Speciation and localization of arsenic in white and brown rice grains

Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence (S-XRF) was utilized to locate arsenic (As) in polished (white) and unpolished (brown) rice grains from the United States, China, and Bangladesh. In white rice As was generally dispersed throughout the grain, the bulk of which constitutes the endosperm. In brown rice As was found to be preferentially localized at the surface, in the region corresponding to the pericarp and aleurone layer. Copper, iron, manganese, and zinc localization followed that of arsenic in brown rice, while the location for cadmium and nickel was distinctly different, showing relatively even distribution throughout the endosperm. The localization of As in the outer grain of brown rice was confirmed by laser ablation ICP-MS. Arsenic speciation of all grains using spatially resolved X-ray absorption near edge structure (micro-XANES) and bulk extraction followed by anion exchange HPLC-ICP-MS revealed the presence of mainly inorganic As and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). However, the two techniques indicated different proportions of inorganic:organic As species. A wider survey of whole grain speciation of white (n=39) and brown (n=45) rice samples from numerous sources (field collected, supermarket survey, and pot trials) showed that brown rice had a higher proportion of inorganic arsenic present than white rice. Furthermore, the percentage of DMA present in the grain increased along with total grain arsenic.

Language and crossed finger localization in patients with schizophrenia

Language deficits are frequently reported in studies of patients with schizophrenia. The present study sought to test the hypothesis that such deficits are related to callosal function in this group. The FAS test of verbal fluency and Perin's Spoonerisms test of phonological processing were the tests of language. Callosal function was assessed using a Crossed Finger Localisation Test (CFLT), which is a measure of the interhemispheric transfer of somatosensory information. Patients with schizophrenia performed less well than controls on measures of language function. as well as on the CFLT. Significant positive correlations between CFLT performance and language function were present in the patient group, but not the control group. These findings extend on previous studies that report functional abnormalities of the corpus callosum in schizophrenia and are consistent with the hypothesis that language deficits in schizophrenia are related to impaired callosal functioning in this group. However, other explanations cannot be ruled Out.

Metamaterial as a controllable template for nanoscale field localization

We report that subwavelength localization of light in the near-field of a double-periodic photonic metamaterial may be efficiently controlled by the polarization and wavelength of the incident radiation. A dramatic variation in the periodic near-field landscapes, including a transition from a pattern of isolated subwavelength plasmon hot-spots to a blurred, low contrast pattern, accompanied by a change in the pattern's symmetry has been observed in the proximity of an aluminum nanowire "fish-scale" nanostructure. Hot-spots as small as 0.23 lambda have been achieved and their position has been controlled by tuning the wavelength of incident light across the dipole absorption resonance of the metamaterial. A simple switch of the polarization state can lead to a spatial period doubling in the landscape pattern.

Fasciola hepatica:localization and partial characterization of tubulin

The localisation and distribution of the cytoskeletal protein tubulin in the adult liver fluke Fasciola hepatica have been determined by an indirect immunofluorescence technique using a monoclonal antibody raised against beta-tubulin. Tubulin was demonstrated in the tegumental syncytium and in the tegumental cell bodies and their cytoplasmic connections with the surface syncytium. Immunostaining was also evident in the nerve fibres innervating sensory receptors in the tegument, in the nerve plexus innervating the sub-tegumental musculature and in the cytoplasmic extensions of the nurse cells within the vitelline follicle. Immunoblotting of whole fluke fractions produced a single band corresponding to a molecule of approximately 54 kDa in size. This figure corresponds with previous data obtained on tubulin from other helminth and eukaryotic sources.

Body shadowing mitigation using differentiated LOS/NLOS channel models for RSSI-based Monte Carlo personnel localization

Research into localization has produced a wealth of algorithms and techniques to estimate the location of wireless network nodes, however the majority of these schemes do not explicitly account for non-line of sight conditions. Disregarding this common situation reduces their accuracy and their potential for exploitation in real world applications. This is a particular problem for personnel tracking where the user's body itself will inherently cause time-varying blocking according to their movements. Using empirical data, this paper demonstrates that, by accounting for non-line of sight conditions and using received signal strength based Monte Carlo localization, meter scale accuracy can be achieved for a wrist-worn personnel tracking tag in a 120 m indoor office environment. © 2012 IEEE.

A novel RCE1 isoform is required for H-Ras plasma membrane localization and is regulated by USP17

Processing of the 'CaaX' motif found on the C-termini of many proteins, including the proto-oncogene Ras, requires the ER (endoplasmic reticulum)-resident protease RCE1 (Ras-converting enzyme 1) and is necessary for the proper localization and function of many of these 'CaaX' proteins. In the present paper, we report that several mammalian species have a novel isoform (isoform 2) of RCE1 resulting from an alternate splice site and producing an N-terminally truncated protein. We demonstrate that both RCE1 isoform 1 and the newly identified isoform 2 are required to reinstate proper H-Ras processing and thus plasma membrane localization in RCE1-null cells. In addition, we show that the deubiquitinating enzyme USP17 (ubiquitin-specific protease 17), previously shown to modulate RCE1 activity, can regulate the abundance and localization of isoform 2. Furthermore, we show that isoform 2 is ubiquitinated on Lys43 and deubiquitinated by USP17. Collectively, the findings of the present study indicate that RCE1 isoform 2 is required for proper 'CaaX' processing and that USP17 can regulate this via its modulation of RCE1 isoform 2 ubiquitination.

Optimizing the efficiency of the sub-map technique for large-scale simultaneous localization and mapping

A technique for optimizing the efficiency of the sub-map method for large-scale simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is proposed. It optimizes the benefits of the sub-map technique to improve the accuracy and consistency of an extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based SLAM. Error models were developed and engaged to investigate some of the outstanding issues in employing the sub-map technique in SLAM. Such issues include the size (distance) of an optimal sub-map, the acceptable error effect caused by the process noise covariance on the predictions and estimations made within a sub-map, when to terminate an existing sub-map and start a new one and the magnitude of the process noise covariance that could produce such an effect. Numerical results obtained from the study and an error-correcting process were engaged to optimize the accuracy and convergence of the Invariant Information Local Sub-map Filter previously proposed. Applying this technique to the EKF-based SLAM algorithm (a) reduces the computational burden of maintaining the global map estimates and (b) simplifies transformation complexities and data association ambiguities usually experienced in fusing sub-maps together. A Monte Carlo analysis of the system is presented as a means of demonstrating the consistency and efficacy of the proposed technique.

ZIL: An Energy-Efficient Indoor Localization System Using ZigBee Radio to Detect WiFi Fingerprints

In existing WiFi-based localization methods, smart mobile devices consume quite a lot of power as WiFi interfaces need to be used for frequent AP scanning during the localization process. In this work, we design an energy-efficient indoor localization system called ZigBee assisted indoor localization (ZIL) based on WiFi fingerprints via ZigBee interference signatures. ZIL uses ZigBee interfaces to collect mixed WiFi signals, which include non-periodic WiFi data and periodic beacon signals. However, WiFi APs cannot be identified from these WiFi signals by ZigBee interfaces directly. To address this issue, we propose a method for detecting WiFi APs to form WiFi fingerprints from the signals collected by ZigBee interfaces. We propose a novel fingerprint matching algorithm to align a pair of fingerprints effectively. To improve the localization accuracy, we design the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) method with three different weighted distances and find that the KNN algorithm with the Manhattan distance performs best. Experiments show that ZIL can achieve the localization accuracy of 87%, which is competitive compared to state-of-the-art WiFi fingerprint-based approaches, and save energy by 68% on average compared to the approach based on WiFi interface.

Arsenic Speciation and Localization in Horticultural Produce Grown in a Historically Impacted Mining Region

A field and market basket study (similar to 1300 samples) of locally grown fruits and vegetables from historically mined regions of southwest (SW) England (Cornwall and Devon), and as reference, a market basket study of similarly locally grown produce from the northeast (NE) of Scotland (Aberdeenshire) was conducted to determine the concentration of total and inorganic arsenic present in produce from these two geogenically different areas of the U.K. On average 98.5% of the total arsenic found was present in the inorganic form. For both the market basket and the field survey, the highest total arsenic was present in open leaf structure produce (i.e., kale, chard, lettuce, greens, and spinach) being most likely to soil/dust contamination of the open leaf structure. The concentration of total arsenic in potatoes, swedes, and carrots was lower in peeled produce compared to unpeeled produce. For baked potatoes, the concentration of total arsenic in the skin was higher compared to the total arsenic concentration of the potato flesh, this difference in localization being confirmed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS). For all above ground produce (e.g., apples), peeling did not have a significant effect on the concentration of total arsenic present.