Boise State University

About: Boise State University is a education organization based out in Boise, Idaho, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 3698 authors who have published 8664 publications receiving 210163 citations. The organization is also known as: BSU & Boise State.

Preserving accuracy in GenBank

Abstract: GenBank, the public repository for nucleotide and protein sequences, is a critical resource for molecular biology, evolutionary biology, and ecology. While some attention has been drawn to sequence errors ([1][1]), common annotation errors also reduce the value of this database. In fact, for

Dielectric Loss and Calibration of the Hydra Probe Soil Water Sensor

Abstract: Widespread interest in soil water content (θ, m3 m−3) information for both management and research has led to the development of a variety of soil water content sensors. In most cases, critical issues related to sensor calibration and accuracy have received little independent study. We investigated the performance of the Hydra Probe soil water sensor with the following objectives: (i) quantify the inter-sensor variability, (ii) evaluate the applicability of data from two commonly used calibration methods, and (iii) develop and test two multi-soil calibration equations, one general, “default” calibration equation and a second calibration that incorporates the effects of soil properties. The largest deviation in the real component of the relative dielectric permittivity \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\left({\epsilon}_{r}^{{^\prime}}\right)\) \end{document} determined with the Hydra Probe using 30 sensors in ethanol corresponded to a water content deviation of about 0.012 m3m−3, indicating that a single calibration could be generally applied. In layered (wet and dry) media, er′ determined with the Hydra Probe was different from that in uniform media with the same water content. In uniform media, θ was a linear function of √er′. We used this functional relationship to describe individual soil calibrations and the multi-soil calibrations. Individual soil calibrations varied independently of clay content but were correlated with dielectric loss. When applied to the 19-soil test data set, the general calibration outperformed manufacturer-supplied calibrations. The average θ difference, evaluated between \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{{\epsilon}}_{\mathrm{r}}^{{^\prime}}\ =\ 4\) \end{document} and \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{{\epsilon}}_{\mathrm{r}}^{{^\prime}}\ =\ 36\) \end{document}, was 0.019 m3m−3 for the general equation and 0.013 m3m−3 for the loss-corrected equation.

Calpain-Cleavage of α-Synuclein : Connecting Proteolytic Processing to Disease-Linked Aggregation

Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are both characterized pathologically by the presence of neuronal inclusions termed Lewy bodies (LBs) A common feature found in LBs are aggregates of alpha-synuclein (alpha-Syn), and although it is now recognized that alpha-Syn is the major building block for these toxic filaments, the mechanism of how this occurs remains unknown In the present study, we demonstrate that proteolytic processing of alpha-Syn by the protease calpain I leads to the formation of aggregated high-molecular weight species and adoption of a beta-sheet structure To determine whether calpain-cleavage of alpha-Syn occurs in PD and DLB, we designed site-directed calpain-cleavage antibodies to alpha-Syn and tested their utility in several animal model systems Detection of calpain-cleaved alpha-Syn was evident in mouse models of cerebral ischemia and PD and in a Drosophila model of PD In the human PD and DLB brain, calpain-cleaved alpha-Syn antibodies immunolabeled LBs and neurites in the substantia nigra Moreover, calpain-cleaved alpha-Syn fragments identified within LBs colocalized with activated calpain in neurons of the PD and DLB brains These findings suggest that calpain I may participate in the disease-linked aggregation of alpha-Syn in various alpha-synucleinopathies

Nucleic Acid Memory

Abstract: Nucleic acid memory has a retention time far exceeding electronic memory. As an alternative storage media, DNA surpasses the information density and energy of operation offered by flash memory.

Associations Between Young Adults' Use of Sexually Explicit Materials and Their Sexual Preferences, Behaviors, and Satisfaction

Abstract: This study examined how levels of sexually explicit material (SEM) use during adolescence and young adulthood were associated with sexual preferences, sexual behaviors, and sexual and relationship satisfaction. Participants included 782 heterosexual college students (326 men and 456 women; Mage = 19.9) who completed a questionnaire online. Results revealed high frequencies and multiple types and contexts of SEM use, with men's usage rates systematically higher than women's. Regression analyses revealed that both the frequency of SEM use and number of SEM types viewed were uniquely associated with more sexual experience (a higher number of overall and casual sexual intercourse partners, as well as a lower age at first intercourse). Higher frequencies of SEM use were associated with less sexual and relationship satisfaction. The frequency of SEM use and number of SEM types viewed were both associated with higher sexual preferences for the types of sexual practices typically presented in SEM. These findings ...