Florida State University

About: Florida State University is a education organization based out in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 25117 authors who have published 65361 publications receiving 2527087 citations. The organization is also known as: FSU & Florida State.

Neurogenesis and neuron regeneration in the olfactory system of mammals. II. Degeneration and reconstitution of the olfactory sensory neurons after axotomy.

Abstract: This report describes the retrograde degeneration affecting olfactory sensory neurons of rats after severance of their axons and illustrates the reconstitution of new neurons originating from stem cells located at the base of the olfactory neuroepithelium. Degeneration of the mature, axotomized neurons, signalled by an increased electron density of their cytoplasmic matrix and by the appearance of lipofuscin-like granules, can be detected in the neuroepithelium as early as 24 h after surgery and becomes conspicuous between the second and the third day. Degenerating neurons can be observed in decreasing number up to the tenth post-operative day. They are removed by macrophages which invade the epithelium. The reconstitution of new neurons begins to occur after eight days, when the stem cells undergo vigorous mitotic activity and differentiate into neurons. The morphology of the reconstituted neurons has been described in detail at different stages of their maturation. After 30 days, the olfactory epithelium appears similar to controls. On the basis of both morphological (in rats) and autoradiographic ( in mice) observations, the basal cells have been recognized as stem cells of the olfactory neurons.

A review of the predictability and prediction of ENSO

Abstract: A hierarchy of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) prediction schemes has been developed during the Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere (TOGA) program which includes statistical schemes and physical models. The statistical models are, in general, based on linear statistical techniques and can be classified into models which use atmospheric (sea level pressure or surface wind) or oceanic (sea surface temperature or a measure of upper ocean heat content) quantities or a combination of oceanic and atmospheric quantities as predictors. The physical models consist of coupled ocean-atmosphere models of varying degrees of complexity, ranging from simplified coupled models of the “shallow water” type to coupled general circulation models. All models, statistical and physical, perform considerably better than the persistence forecast in predicting typical indices of ENSO on lead times of 6 to 12 months. The TOGA program can be regarded as a success from this perspective. However, despite the demonstrated predictability, little is known about ENSO predictability limits and the predictability of phenomena outside the tropical Pacific. Furthermore, the predictability of anomalous features known to be associated with ENSO (e.g., Indian monsoon and Sahel rainfall, southern African drought, and off-equatorial sea surface temperature) needs to be addressed in more detail. As well, the relative importance of different physical mechanisms (in the ocean or atmosphere) has yet to be established. A seasonal dependence in predictability is seen in many models, but the processes responsible for it are not fully understood, and its meaning is still a matter of scientific discussion. Likewise, a marked decadal variation in skill is observed, and the reasons for this are still under investigation. Finally, the different prediction models yield similar skills, although they are initialized quite differently. The reasons for these differences are also unclear.

Bank efficiency derived from the profit function

Abstract: Both input and output inefficiencies are derived from a profit function for US banks. These inefficiencies are decomposed into allocative and technical components in a new way using shadow prices. About half of all potential variable profits are estimated to be lost to inefficiency. Most inefficiencies are from deficient output revenues, rather than excessive input costs. Larger banks are found to be more efficient than smaller banks, which may offset scale diseconomies found elsewhere. Tests of a new concept, ‘optimal scope economies’, suggest that joint production is optimal for most banks, but that specialization is optimal for others.

Dual-color superresolution imaging of genetically expressed probes within individual adhesion complexes

Abstract: Accurate determination of the relative positions of proteins within localized regions of the cell is essential for understanding their biological function. Although fluorescent fusion proteins are targeted with molecular precision, the position of these genetically expressed reporters is usually known only to the resolution of conventional optics (≈200 nm). Here, we report the use of two-color photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) to determine the ultrastructural relationship between different proteins fused to spectrally distinct photoactivatable fluorescent proteins (PA-FPs). The nonperturbative incorporation of these endogenous tags facilitates an imaging resolution in whole, fixed cells of ≈20–30 nm at acquisition times of 5–30 min. We apply the technique to image different pairs of proteins assembled in adhesion complexes, the central attachment points between the cytoskeleton and the substrate in migrating cells. For several pairs, we find that proteins that seem colocalized when viewed by conventional optics are resolved as distinct interlocking nano-aggregates when imaged via PALM. The simplicity, minimal invasiveness, resolution, and speed of the technique all suggest its potential to directly visualize molecular interactions within cellular structures at the nanometer scale.

The Relationship Between Native Speaker Judgments of Nonnative Pronunciation and Deviance in Segmentais, Prosody, and Syllable Structure

Abstract: This study investigated the relationship between experienced SPEAK Test raters' judgments of nonnative pronunciation and actual deviance in segmentals, prosody, and syllable structure. Sixty reading passage speech samples from SPEAK Test tapes of speakers from 11 language groups were rated impressionistically on pronunciation and later analyzed for deviance in segmentals, prosody, and syllable structure. The deviance found in each area of pronunciation was then correlated with the pronunciation ratings using Pearson correlations and multiple regression. An analysis of the 60 speakers showed that whereas deviance in segmentals, prosody, and syllable structure all showed a significant influence on the pronunciation ratings, the prosodic variable proved to have the strongest effect. When separate analyses were done on two language subgroups within the sample, prosody was always found to be significantly related to the global ratings, whereas this was not always true for the other variables investigated.