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Showing papers by "University of Hawaii at Manoa published in 2006"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Daptomycin (6 mg per kilogram daily) is not inferior to standard therapy for S. aureus bacteremia and right-sided endocarditis and met prespecified criteria for the noninferiority of daptomecin.
Abstract: Background Alternative therapies for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and endocarditis are needed. Methods We randomly assigned 124 patients with S. aureus bacteremia with or without endocarditis to receive 6 mg of daptomycin intravenously per kilogram of body weight daily and 122 to receive initial low-dose gentamicin plus either an antistaphylococcal penicillin or vancomycin. The primary efficacy end point was treatment success 42 days after the end of therapy. Results Forty-two days after the end of therapy in the modified intention-to-treat analysis, a successful outcome was documented for 53 of 120 patients who received daptomycin as compared with 48 of 115 patients who received standard therapy (44.2 percent vs. 41.7 percent; absolute difference, 2.4 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, −10.2 to 15.1 percent). Our results met prespecified criteria for the noninferiority of daptomycin. The success rates were similar in subgroups of patients with complicated bacteremia, right-sided endocarditis, a...

1,318 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
26 May 2006-Science
TL;DR: The human ortholog of CRACM1, a plasma membrane–resident protein encoded by gene FLJ14466, was characterized and overexpression of CRacM1 did not affect CRAC currents, but RNAi-mediated knockdown disrupted its activation.
Abstract: Store-operated Ca2+ entry is mediated by Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels following Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. We performed a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen in Drosophila cells to identify proteins that inhibit store-operated Ca2+ influx. A secondary patch-clamp screen identified CRACM1 and CRACM2 (CRAC modulators 1 and 2) as modulators of Drosophila CRAC currents. We characterized the human ortholog of CRACM1, a plasma membrane-resident protein encoded by gene FLJ14466. Although overexpression of CRACM1 did not affect CRAC currents, RNAi-mediated knockdown disrupted its activation. CRACM1 could be the CRAC channel itself, a subunit of it, or a component of the CRAC signaling machinery.

1,285 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
10 Nov 2006-Science
TL;DR: The sequence and analysis of the 814-megabase genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus is reported, a model for developmental and systems biology and yields insights into the evolution of deuterostomes.
Abstract: We report the sequence and analysis of the 814-megabase genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, a model for developmental and systems biology. The sequencing strategy combined whole-genome shotgun and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) sequences. This use of BAC clones, aided by a pooling strategy, overcame difficulties associated with high heterozygosity of the genome. The genome encodes about 23,300 genes, including many previously thought to be vertebrate innovations or known only outside the deuterostomes. This echinoderm genome provides an evolutionary outgroup for the chordates and yields insights into the evolution of deuterostomes.

1,059 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
15 Dec 2006-Science
TL;DR: The Stardust spacecraft collected thousands of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for laboratory study, and preliminary examination shows that the nonvolatile portion of the comet is an unequilibrated assortment of materials that have both presolar and solar system origin.
Abstract: The Stardust spacecraft collected thousands of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for laboratory study. The preliminary examination of these samples shows that the nonvolatile portion of the comet is an unequilibrated assortment of materials that have both presolar and solar system origin. The comet contains an abundance of silicate grains that are much larger than predictions of interstellar grain models, and many of these are high-temperature minerals that appear to have formed in the inner regions of the solar nebula. Their presence in a comet proves that the formation of the solar system included mixing on the grandest scales.

886 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a 3D composite with carbon-nanotube forests is proposed to improve the in-plane fracture toughness, hardness, delamination resistance, inplane mechanical properties, damping, thermo-elastic behavior, and thermal and electrical conductivities.
Abstract: Traditional fibre-reinforced composite materials with excellent in-plane properties fare poorly when out-of-plane through-thickness properties are important1. Composite architectures with fibres designed orthogonal to the two-dimensional (2D) layout in traditional composites could alleviate this weakness in the transverse direction, but all of the efforts1,2 so far have only produced limited success. Here, we unveil an approach to the 3D composite challenge, without altering the 2D stack design, on the basis of the concept of interlaminar carbon-nanotube3,4 forests that would provide enhanced multifunctional properties along the thickness direction. The carbon-nanotube forests allow the fastening of adjacent plies in the 3D composite. We grow multiwalled carbon nanotubes on the surface of micro-fibre fabric cloth layouts, normal to the fibre lengths, resulting in a 3D effect between plies under loading. These nanotube-coated fabric cloths serve as building blocks for the multilayered 3D composites, with the nanotube forests providing much-needed interlaminar strength and toughness under various loading conditions. For the fabricated 3D composites with nanotube forests, we demonstrate remarkable improvements in the interlaminar fracture toughness, hardness, delamination resistance, in-plane mechanical properties, damping, thermoelastic behaviour, and thermal and electrical conductivities making these structures truly multifunctional.

754 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A lifestyle intervention reducing dietary fat intake, with modest influence on body weight, may improve relapse-free survival of breast cancer patients receiving conventional cancer management.
Abstract: Background: Preclinical and observational studies suggest a relationship between dietary fat intake and breast cancer, but the association remains controversial. We carried out a randomized, prospective, multicenter clinical trial to test the effect of a dietary intervention designed to reduce fat intake in women with resected, early-stage breast cancer receiving conventional cancer management. Methods: A total of 2437 women were randomly assigned between February 1994 and January 2001 in a ratio of 40 : 60 to dietary intervention (n = 975) or control (n = 1462) groups. An interim analysis was performed after a median follow-up of 60 months when funding for the intervention ceased. Mean differences between dietary intervention and control groups in nutrient intakes and anthropometric variables were compared with t tests. Relapse-free survival was examined using Kaplan-Meier analysis, stratified log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards models. Statistical tests were two-sided. Results: Dietary fat intake was lower in the intervention than in the control group (fat grams/day at 12 months, 33.3 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 32.2 to 34.5] versus 51.3 [95% CI = 50.0 to 52.7], respectively; P<.001), corresponding to a statistically significant (P =.005), 6-pound lower mean body weight in the intervention group. A total of 277 relapse events (local, regional, distant, or ipsilateral breast cancer recurrence or new contralateral breast cancer) have been reported in 96 of 975 (9.8%) women in the dietary group and 181 of 1462 (12.4%) women in the control group. The hazard ratio of relapse events in the intervention group compared with the control group was 0.76 (95% CI = 0.60 to 0.98, P =.077 for stratified log rank and P =.034 for adjusted Cox model analysis). Exploratory analyses suggested a differential effect of the dietary intervention based on hormonal receptor status. Conclusions: A lifestyle intervention reducing dietary fat intake, with modest influence on body weight, may improve relapse-free survival of breast cancer patients receiving conventional cancer management. Longer, ongoing nonintervention follow-up will address original protocol design plans, which called for 3 years of follow-up after completion of recruitment.

722 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Overexpression of both proteins greatly potentiates ICRAC, suggesting that STIM1 and CRACM1 mutually limit store-operated currents and that CRacM1 may be the long-sought CRAC channel.
Abstract: Depletion of intracellular calcium stores activates store-operated calcium entry across the plasma membrane in many cells. STIM1, the putative calcium sensor in the endoplasmic reticulum, and the calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) modulator CRACM1 (also known as Orai1) in the plasma membrane have recently been shown to be essential for controlling the store-operated CRAC current (I(CRAC)). However, individual overexpression of either protein fails to significantly amplify I(CRAC). Here, we show that STIM1 and CRACM1 interact functionally. Overexpression of both proteins greatly potentiates I(CRAC), suggesting that STIM1 and CRACM1 mutually limit store-operated currents and that CRACM1 may be the long-sought CRAC channel.

581 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown here that CRACM1 forms multimeric assemblies that bind STIM1 and that acidic residues in the transmembrane and extracellular domains of CRacM1 contribute to the ionic selectivity of the CRAC-channel pore.

567 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Women with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for fractures, seen among black and non-Hispanic white women after adjustment for multiple risk factors including frequent falls and increased BMD (in a subset).
Abstract: Context: Some but not all studies have shown higher rates of fracture in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes and determine whether risk varies by fracture site, ethnicity, and baseline bone density. Design, Setting, and Participants: Women with clinically diagnosed type 2 diabetes at baseline in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Cohort, a prospective study of postmenopausal women (n = 93,676), were compared with women without diagnosed diabetes and risk of fracture overall and at specific sites determined. Main Outcome Measures: All fractures and specific sites separately (hip/pelvis/upper leg; lower leg/ankle/knee; foot; upper arm/shoulder/elbow; lower arm/wrist/hand; spine/tailbone) were measured. Bone mineral density (BMD) in a subset also was measured. Results: The overall risk of fracture after 7 yr of follow-up was higher in women with diabetes at baseline after controllin...

529 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A vector control program must be based on epidemiologic and entomologic data to be able to be applied to manage infectious disease outbreaks.
Abstract: After a 15-year period of low incidence, dengue has reemerged in Singapore in the past decade. We identify potential causes of this resurgence. A combination of lowered herd immunity, virus transmission outside the home, an increase in the age of infection, and the adoption of a case-reactive approach to vector control contribute to the increased dengue incidence. Singapore's experience with dengue indicates that prevention efforts may not be sustainable. For renewed success, Singapore needs to return to a vector control program that is based on carefully collected entomologic and epidemiologic data. Singapore's taking on a leadership role in strengthening disease surveillance and control in Southeast Asia may also be useful in reducing virus importation.

494 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, internal wave-wave interaction theories and observations support a parameterization for the turbulent dissipation rate e and eddy diffusivity K that depends on internal wave shear and strain variances.
Abstract: Internal wave–wave interaction theories and observations support a parameterization for the turbulent dissipation rate e and eddy diffusivity K that depends on internal wave shear 〈Vz2〉 and strain 〈ξz2〉 variances. Its latest incarnation is applied to about 3500 lowered ADCP/CTD profiles from the Indian, Pacific, North Atlantic, and Southern Oceans. Inferred diffusivities K are functions of latitude and depth, ranging from 0.03 × 10−4 m2 s−1 within 2° of the equator to (0.4–0.5) × 10−4 m2 s−1 at 50°–70°. Diffusivities K also increase with depth in tropical and subtropical waters. Diffusivities below 4500-m depth exhibit a peak of 0.7 × 10−4 m2 s−1 between 20° and 30°, latitudes where semidiurnal parametric subharmonic instability is expected to be active. Turbulence is highly heterogeneous. Though the bulk of the vertically integrated dissipation ∫e is contributed from the main pycnocline, hotspots in ∫e show some correlation with small-scale bottom roughness and near-bottom flow at sites where st...

Journal ArticleDOI
21 Dec 2006-Nature
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report optical observations of GRB 060614 (duration ~100 s) that rule out the presence of an associated supernova, and also show that the properties of the host galaxy (redshift z = 0.125) distinguish it from other long-duration GRB hosts and suggest that an entirely new type of long-lived GRB progenitor may be required.
Abstract: Over the past decade, our physical understanding of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has progressed rapidly, thanks to the discovery and observation of their long-lived afterglow emission. Long-duration (≳2 s) GRBs are associated with the explosive deaths of massive stars ('collapsars', ref. 1), which produce accompanying supernovae; the short-duration (≲2 s) GRBs have a different origin, which has been argued to be the merger of two compact objects. Here we report optical observations of GRB 060614 (duration ~100 s, ref. 10) that rule out the presence of an associated supernova. This would seem to require a new explosive process: either a massive collapsar that powers a GRB without any associated supernova, or a new type of 'engine', as long-lived as the collapsar but without a massive star. We also show that the properties of the host galaxy (redshift z = 0.125) distinguish it from other long-duration GRB hosts and suggest that an entirely new type of GRB progenitor may be required.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An approach that is formulated as a quadratic optimization problem in the spatial domain and allows the use of arbitrary k‐space trajectories is presented, which allows for the specification of a region of interest (ROI), which improves excitation accuracy at high speedup factors.
Abstract: Parallel excitation has been introduced as a means of accelerating multidimensional, spatially-selective excitation using multiple transmit coils, each driven by a unique RF pulse. Previous approaches to RF pulse design in parallel excitation were either formulated in the frequency domain or restricted to echo-planar trajectories, or both. This paper presents an approach that is formulated as a quadratic optimization problem in the spatial domain and allows the use of arbitrary k-space trajectories. Compared to frequency domain approaches, the new design method has some important advantages. It allows for the specification of a region of interest (ROI), which improves excitation accuracy at high speedup factors. It allows for magnetic field inhomogeneity compensation during excitation. Regularization may be used to control integrated and peak pulse power. The effects of Bloch equation nonlinearity on the large-tip-angle excitation error of RF pulses designed with the method are investigated, and the utility of Tikhonov regularization in mitigating this error is demonstrated.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a localized stellar overdensity in the constellation of Ursa Major, first identified in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data and subsequently followed up with Subaru imaging, was studied.
Abstract: In this Letter, we study a localized stellar overdensity in the constellation of Ursa Major, first identified in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data and subsequently followed up with Subaru imaging. Its color-magnitude diagram (CMD) shows a well-defined subgiant branch, main sequence, and turnoff, from which we estimate a distance of ~30 kpc and a projected size of ~250 × 125 pc2. The CMD suggests a composite population with some range in metallicity and/or age. Based on its extent and stellar population, we argue that this is a previously unknown satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, hereby named Ursa Major II (UMa II) after its constellation. Using SDSS data, we find an absolute magnitude of MV ~ -3.8, which would make it the faintest known satellite galaxy. UMa II's isophotes are irregular and distorted with evidence for multiple concentrations; this suggests that the satellite is in the process of disruption.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Feminist criminology, as an outgrowth of the second wave of feminism, came of age during a period of considerable change and political optimism as mentioned in this paper, and is uniquely positioned to respond to two core aspects of the current backlash political agenda.
Abstract: Feminist criminology, as an outgrowth of the second wave of feminism, came of age during a period of considerable change and political optimism. As a mature field, it now inhabits a social and political landscape radically altered and increasingly characterized by the politics of backlash. Given feminist criminology’s dual focus on gender and crime, it is uniquely positioned to respond to two core aspects of the current backlash political agenda: racism and sexism. To do this effectively, feminist criminology must prioritize research on the race/gender/punishment nexus. This article provides three examples of how such a focus exposes the crucial roles played by constructions of the crime problem as well as current crime-control strategies in the ratification and enforcement of antifeminist and racist agendas. Finally, the field must seek creative ways to blend scholarship with activism while simultaneously providing support and encouragement to emerging feminist criminologists willing to take such risks.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The high transposition activity of piggyBac and the flexibility for molecular modification of its transposase suggest the possibility of using it routinely for mammalian transgenesis.
Abstract: A nonviral vector for highly efficient site-specific integration would be desirable for many applications in transgenesis, including gene therapy. In this study we directly compared the genomic integration efficiencies of piggyBac, hyperactive Sleeping Beauty (SB11), Tol2, and Mos1 in four mammalian cell lines. piggyBac demonstrated significantly higher transposition activity in all cell lines whereas Mos1 had no activity. Furthermore, piggyBac transposase coupled to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain retains transposition activity whereas similarly manipulated gene products of Tol2 and SB11 were inactive. The high transposition activity of piggyBac and the flexibility for molecular modification of its transposase suggest the possibility of using it routinely for mammalian transgenesis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The surface of the Moon is a critical boundary that shapes our understanding of the entire Moon as a whole as discussed by the authors, and it is the lower boundary layer of the tenuous lunar atmosphere and constitutes both a source and a sink for atmospheric gases.
Abstract: The surface of the Moon is a critical boundary that shapes our understanding of the Moon as a whole. All geologic mapping and remote sensing techniques utilize only the outermost portion of the Moon. Before leaving the Moon for study in our laboratories, all lunar samples that have been studied existed at or very near the surface. With the exception of the deeply probing geophysical techniques, our understanding of the interior of the Moon is derived from surficial, but not superficial, information, coupled with boundary of the lunar crust, it is the lower boundary layer of the tenuous lunar atmosphere and constitutes both a source and a sink for atmospheric gases. The surface is also where the Moon interacts with the space environment, causing changes in the physical nature of lunar materials, and provides a laboratory for the study of processes that occur on all airless bodies. The data obtained remotely by the Galileo, Clementine, and Lunar Prospector missions, as well as data derived from lunar meteorites, have resulted in major changes to our understanding of global distributions of chemistry and rocks. This chapter summarizes the current understanding of this critical interface, the surface of the Moon, in its role as the lower boundary of the lunar atmosphere, the upper boundary of the crust, and the window through which we view, through remote sensing, the composition of the crust and the history of the Moon. In this post-Lunar Prospector time, the view of the Moon has changed, lending new perspectives to lunar samples and lunar processes. But the New View will likely remain in flux as we continue to digest the results from these recent space missions and move forward to a new era of lunar exploration. Despite the freshness of our perspective, this is an important moment to capture, …

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Comparison of rat-free and rat-invaded offshore islands in New Zealand revealed that predation of seab birds by introduced rats reduced forest soil fertility by disrupting sea-to-land nutrient transport by seabirds, and that fertility reduction led to wide-ranging cascading effects on belowground organisms and the ecosystem processes they drive.
Abstract: Predators often exert multi-trophic cascading effects in terrestrial ecosystems. However, how such predation may indirectly impact interactions between above- and below-ground biota is poorly understood, despite the functional importance of these interactions. Comparison of rat-free and rat-invaded offshore islands in New Zealand revealed that predation of seabirds by introduced rats reduced forest soil fertility by disrupting sea-to-land nutrient transport by seabirds, and that fertility reduction in turn led to wide-ranging cascading effects on belowground organisms and the ecosystem processes they drive. Our data further suggest that some effects on the belowground food web were attributable to changes in aboveground plant nutrients and biomass, which were themselves related to reduced soil disturbance and fertility on invaded islands. These results demonstrate that, by disrupting across-ecosystem nutrient subsidies, predators can indirectly induce strong shifts in both above- and below-ground biota via multiple pathways, and in doing so, act as major ecosystem drivers.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the discussion that follows, some of the key policy initiatives that have been developed to address Indigenous health disadvantage are flagged, albeit within the context of continuing debates about Indigenous rights and policy.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Cultural intelligence refers to behaviors that are considered intelligent from the point of view of people in specific c... as discussed by the authors, which can be seen as complementary to cultural intelligence in general.
Abstract: Cultural intelligence has various meanings that can be looked on as complementary. On one hand, it refers to behaviors that are considered intelligent from the point of view of people in specific c...

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: There are currently no vaccines nor antiviral drugs available for dengue viruses; the only effective way to prevent epidemic DF/DHF is to control the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti.
Abstract: Dengue fever (DF) is an old disease; the first record of a clinically compatible disease being recorded in a Chinese medical encyclopaedia in 992. As the global shipping industry expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries, port cities grew and became more urbanized, creating ideal conditions for the principal mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. Both the mosquitoes and the viruses were thus spread to new geographic areas causing major epidemics. Because dispersal was by sailing ship, however, there were long intervals (10-40 years) between epidemics. In the aftermath of World War II, rapid urbanization in Southeast Asia led to increased transmission and hyperendemicity. The first major epidemics of the severe and fatal form of disease, dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), occurred in Southeast Asia as a direct result of this changing ecology. In the last 25 years of the 20th century, a dramatic global geographic expansion of epidemic DF/DHF occurred, facilitated by unplanned urbanization in tropical developing countries, modern transportation, lack of effective mosquito control and globalization. As we go into the 21st century, epidemic DF/DHF is one of the most important infectious diseases affecting tropical urban areas. Each year there are an estimated 50-100 million dengue infections, 500000 cases of DHF that must be hospitalized and 20000-25 000 deaths, mainly in children. Epidemic DF/DHF has an economic impact on the community of the same order of magnitude as malaria and other important infectious diseases. There are currently no vaccines nor antiviral drugs available for dengue viruses; the only effective way to prevent epidemic DF/DHF is to control the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a quantitative approach is used to identify sources of contribution of capacity fade in commercial rechargeable lithium battery cells in laboratory evaluations, which can separate attributes to capacity fade due to intrinsic and extrinsic origins.
Abstract: A quantitative approach is used to identify sources of contribution of capacity fade in commercial rechargeable lithium battery cells in laboratory evaluations. Our approach comprises measurements of close-to-equilibrium open-circuit voltage (cte-OCV) of the cell after relaxation at the end of the charging and discharging regimes and an incremental capacity analysis, in addition to conventional cycle-life test protocols using the dynamic stress test schedule. This approach allows us to separate attributes to capacity fade due to intrinsic and extrinsic origins.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relations among characteristics of children's home environments and two school readiness skills: their oral language and social functioning, and found that the relation between parents' literacy involvement and children's PPVT-R/TVIP scores and social function was mediated by children's interest in literacy.

Journal ArticleDOI
22 Sep 2006-Science
TL;DR: Biofuel crops, particularly using non-native species, must be introduced with an understanding of possible risks to the environment, according to the World Health Organization.
Abstract: Biofuel crops, particularly using non-native species, must be introduced with an understanding of possible risks to the environment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that narrow mountain ranges are an important organizing agent anchoring monsoon convection centers on the windward side of the Asian summer monsoon, which is in contrast to the widely held view that this convection is centered over the open ocean as implied by coarse-resolution datasets.
Abstract: The Asian summer monsoon is organized into distinct convection centers, but the mechanism for this organization is not well understood. Analysis of new satellite observations reveals that narrow mountain ranges are an important organizing agent anchoring monsoon convection centers on the windward side. The Bay of Bengal convection, in particular, features the heaviest precipitation on its eastern coast because of orographic lifting as the southwest monsoon impinges on the coastal mountains of Myanmar (also known as Burma). This is in contrast to the widely held view that this convection is centered over the open ocean as implied by coarse-resolution datasets, a view that would require an entirely different explanation for its formation. Narrow in width and modest in height (≤1 km), these mountains are hardly mentioned in conceptual depictions of the large-scale monsoon and poorly represented in global climate models. The numerical simulations of this study show that orographic rainbands are not a...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, two different approaches for modeling the behavior of carbon nanotubes are presented, one based on homogenization and the other based on finite element models, where the interatomic interactions due to covalent and non-covalent bonds are replaced by beam and spring elements, respectively, in the structural model.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Comparative genomics and experimental analyses revealed that the mammalian Sec synthase (SecS) is the previously identified pyridoxal phosphate-containing protein known as the soluble liver antigen.
Abstract: Selenocysteine (Sec) is cotranslationally inserted into protein in response to UGA codons and is the 21st amino acid in the genetic code. However, the means by which Sec is synthesized in eukaryotes is not known. Herein, comparative genomics and experimental analyses revealed that the mammalian Sec synthase (SecS) is the previously identified pyridoxal phosphate-containing protein known as the soluble liver antigen. SecS required selenophosphate and O-phosphoseryl-tRNA[Ser]Sec as substrates to generate selenocysteyl-tRNA[Ser]Sec. Moreover, it was found that Sec was synthesized on the tRNA scaffold from selenide, ATP, and serine using tRNA[Ser]Sec, seryl-tRNA synthetase, O-phosphoseryl-tRNA[Ser]Sec kinase, selenophosphate synthetase, and SecS. By identifying the pathway of Sec biosynthesis in mammals, this study not only functionally characterized SecS but also assigned the function of the O-phosphoseryl-tRNA[Ser]Sec kinase. In addition, we found that selenophosphate synthetase 2 could synthesize monoselenophosphate in vitro but selenophosphate synthetase 1 could not. Conservation of the overall pathway of Sec biosynthesis suggests that this pathway is also active in other eukaryotes and archaea that synthesize selenoproteins.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A Ka-band transceiver using low-power double-sideband transmission to detect human heartbeat and respiration signals is demonstrated, and the detection accuracy is significantly improved with low transmitted power.
Abstract: A Ka-band transceiver using low-power double-sideband transmission to detect human heartbeat and respiration signals is demonstrated. The Ka-band electromagnetic wave offers higher detection sensitivity on small movement due to its shorter wavelength. Indirect-conversion receiver architecture is chosen to reduce the dc offset and 1/f noise that can degrade the signal-to-noise ratio and detection accuracy. Furthermore, the double-sideband signals at the transmitter output can be in quadrature by choosing a proper frequency separation to relieve the severe null point problem that occurs at high frequency. As a result,the detection accuracy is significantly improved with low transmitted power. This radar sensor system achieves better than 80% detection accuracy at a distance of 2.0 m with a combined transmitted power of only 12.5 /spl mu/W in both sidebands.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The first empirical evidence for the role of airline travel in long-range dissemination of influenza is provided, suggesting an important influence of international air travel on the timing of influenza introduction, as well as an influence of domestic airTravel on the rate of inter-regional influenza spread in the US.
Abstract: Background The influence of air travel on influenza spread has been the subject of numerous investigations using simulation, but very little empirical evidence has been provided. Understanding the role of airline travel in large-scale influenza spread is especially important given the mounting threat of an influenza pandemic. Several recent simulation studies have concluded that air travel restrictions may not have a significant impact on the course of a pandemic. Here, we assess, with empirical data, the role of airline volume on the yearly inter-regional spread of influenza in the United States.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Feb 2006-Ecology
TL;DR: It is found the relationship between ecological function (seed dispersal) and flying fox abundance was nonlinear and consistent with the hypothesis that flying foxes may cease to be effective seed dispersers long before becoming rare.
Abstract: Rare species play limited ecological roles, but particular behavioral traits may predispose species to become functionally extinct before becoming rare. Flying foxes (Pteropodid fruit bats) are important dispersers of large seeds, but their effectiveness is hypothesized to depend on high population density that induces aggressive interactions. In a Pacific archipelago, we quantified the proportion of seeds that flying foxes dispersed beyond the fruiting canopy, across a range of sites that differed in flying fox abundance. We found the relationship between ecological function (seed dispersal) and flying fox abundance was nonlinear and consistent with the hypothesis. For most trees in sites below a threshold abundance of flying foxes, flying foxes dispersed <1% of the seeds they handled. Above the threshold, dispersal away from trees increased to 58% as animal abundance approximately doubled. Hence, flying foxes may cease to be effective seed dispersers long before becoming rare. As many species' populations decline worldwide, identifying those with threshold relationships is an important precursor to preservation of ecologically effective densities.