Search results for "PLOT"
showing 10 items of 830 documents
Association between Opioid Receptor mu 1 (OPRM1) Gene Polymorphisms and Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption in a Spanish Population.
2015
Evidence gained from animals and humans suggests that the encephalic opioid system might be involved in the development of drug addiction through its role in reward. Our aim is to assess the influence of genetic variations in the opioid receptor mu 1 on alcohol and tobacco consumption in a Spanish population. 763 unrelated individuals (465 women, 298 men) aged 18-85 years were recruited between October 2011 and April 2012. Participants were requested to answer a 35-item questionnaire on tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as to complete the AUDIT and Fagerström tests. Individuals were genotyped for three polymorphisms in the opioid receptor mu 1 (OPRM1) gene, using a TaqMan® protocol. …
Interpretation of Ocular Melanin Drug Binding Assays. Alternatives to the Model of Multiple Classes of Independent Sites
2016
Melanin has a high binding affinity for a wide range of drugs. The determination of the melanin binding capacity and its binding affinity are important, e.g., in the determination of the ocular drug distribution, the prediction of drug effects in the eye, and the trans-scleral drug delivery. The binding parameters estimated from a given data set vary significantly when using different isotherms or different nonlinear fitting methods. In this work, the commonly used bi-Langmuir isotherm, which assumes two classes of independent sites, is confronted with the Sips isotherm. Direct, log-log, and Scatchard plots are used, and the interpretation of the binding curves in the latter is critically a…
Climate Fiction and its Narratives
2021
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the narratives about a possible environmental collapse and its consequences have multiplied. This is due to a growing awareness about issues such as climate change or the energy crisis. The so-called ‘climate science fiction’ or cli-fi has reflected these concerns in highly successful films, like the two analysed here: The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), a remake of the 1951 classic. In this paper, I approach both films through an analysis of their plot and narrative structure, focusing mainly on the evolution of their main characters and storylines. I argue that these mainstream productions avoid any examination…
Genome-wide association study identifies five susceptibility loci for follicular lymphoma outside the HLA region.
2014
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of follicular lymphoma (FL) have previously identified human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene variants. To identify additional FL susceptibility loci, we conducted a large-scale two-stage GWAS in 4,523 case subjects and 13,344 control subjects of European ancestry. Five non-HLA loci were associated with FL risk: 11q23.3 (rs4938573, p = 5.79 × 10 -20) near CXCR5; 11q24.3 (rs4937362, p = 6.76 × 10 -11) near ETS1; 3q28 (rs6444305, p = 1.10 × 10 -10) in LPP; 18q21.33 (rs17749561, p = 8.28 × 10 -10) near BCL2; and 8q24.21 (rs13254990, p = 1.06 × 10 -8) near PVT1. In an analysis of the HLA region, we identified four linked HLA-DRß1 multiallelic amino acids at p…
A geographical pattern ofAntirrhinum(Scrophulariaceae) speciation since the Pliocene based on plastid and nuclear DNA polymorphisms
2009
Aim To infer phylogenetic relationships among Antirrhinum species and to reconstruct the historical distribution of observed sequence polymorphism through estimates of haplotype clades and lineage divergence. Location Antirrhinum is distributed primarily throughout the western Mediterranean, with 22 of 25 species in the Iberian Peninsula. Methods Plastid (83 trnS-trnG and 83 trnK-matK) and nuclear (87 ITS) sequences were obtained from 96 individuals representing 24 of the 25 Antirrhinum species. Sequences were analysed using maximum parsimony, Bayesian inference and statistical parsimony networking. Molecular clock estimates were obtained for plastid trnK-matK sequences using the penalized …
Development of multidimensional spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to facilitate the monitoring of native fluorescence of biomolecules.
2022
There is a need for the development of rapid and reliable characterization tools for biological media. The objective of this thesis is to develop a method based on the acquisition of excitation-emission matrices of fluorescence (EEMF) coupled with the use of fluorescence lifetime measurement in spectroscopy and microscopy (FLIM). These techniques have great potential due to their speed, low sample volume required for analysis, non-destructive sample analysis, and low cost. This project focused on two biological media of great interest to the food industry: wine and bacterial spores. On one hand, we have a beverage representing a large world market, and on the other hand, a food contaminant …
Genetic basis of human complement C4A deficiency. Detection of a point mutation leading to nonexpression.
1993
Abstract The fourth component of the human complement system (C4) is coded for by two genes, C4A and C4B, located within the MHC. Null alleles of C4 (C4Q0) are defined by the absence of C4 protein in plasma. These null alleles are due either to large gene deletions or to nonexpression of the respective genes. In a previous study, evidence was obtained for nonexpressed defective genes at the C4A locus, and for gene conversion at the C4B locus. To further characterize the molecular basis of these non-expressed C4A genes, we selected nine pairs of PCR primers from flanking genomic intron sequences to amplify all 41 exons from individuals with a defective C4A gene. The amplified products were s…
Ecological Indicator Values of Europe (EIVE) 1.0: A Powerful Open-Access Tool for Vegetation Scientists
2016
International audience; Background: Ecological indicator values (EIVs) have a long tradition in vegetation ecological research in Europe. EIVs characterise the ecological optimum of species along major environmental gradients using ordinal scales. Calculating mean indicator values per plot is an effective way of bioindication. Following first systems in Russia and Central Europe, about two dozen EIV systems have been published for various parts of Europe.Aims: As there was no EIV system available at European scale that could be used for broad- scale analyses, e.g. in the context of the European Vegetation Archive (EVA), we develop such a system for the first time for the vascular plants of …
Genome-wide mapping of copy number variations in patients with both anorectal malformations and central nervous system abnormalities
2014
Background: Anorectal malformations (ARM) have a prevalence of around 1 in 2500 live births. In around 50% of patients, the malformation is isolated, while in the remainder it arises within the context of complex genetic abnormalities or a defined genetic syndrome. Recent studies have implicated rare copy number variations (CNVs) in both isolated and nonisolated ARM, and identified plausible candidate genes. Methods: In the present study, array-based molecular karyotyping was performed to identify causative CNVs in 32 sporadic ARM patients with comorbid abnormalities of the central nervous system (CNS). This phenotype was selected to enrich for rare CNVs, since previous research has implica…
Efficacy of lumen-apposing metal stents or self-expandable metal stents for endoscopic ultrasound-guided choledochoduodenostomy: a systematic review …
2020
Abstract Background Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biliary drainage is becoming an option for palliation of malignant biliary obstruction. Lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) are replacing self-expandable metal stents (SEMS). The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LAMS and SEMS for EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS). Methods A meta-analysis was performed using PRISMA protocols. Electronic databases were searched for studies on EUS-CDS. The primary outcome was clinical success. Secondary outcomes were technical success, reintervention, and adverse events. We used the random effects model with the DerSimonian–Laird estimation, and the results were…