Protein Fingerprinting: A Domain-Free Approach to Protein Analysis

An alternative method for analyzing proteins is proposed. Currently, protein search engines available on the internet utilize domains (predefined sequences of amino acids) to align proteins. The method presented converts a protein sequence with the use of 1200 numeric codes that represent a unique three—amino-acid protein sequence. Each numeric code starts with one of three specific amino acids, followed by any two additional amino acids. With the use of the FPC (FingerPrinted Contig) program, the total protein database (including “redundant” records) from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) has been processed and placed into “bins/contigs” based on associations of these triplet codes. When analyzed with FPC, proteins are “contigged” together based on the number of shared fragments, regardless of order. These associations were supported by additional analysis with the standard BLASTP utility from NCBI. Within the created contig sets, there are numerous examples of proteins (allotypes and orthotypes) that have evolved into different, seemingly unrelated proteins. The power of this domain-free technique has yet to be explored; however, the ability to bin proteins together with no a priori knowledge of domains may prove a powerful tool in the characterization of the hundreds of thousands of available, yet undescribed expressed protein and open reading frame sequences

Asymptotic silence-breaking singularities

We discuss three complementary aspects of scalar curvature singularities: asymptotic causal properties, asymptotic Ricci and Weyl curvature, and asymptotic spatial properties. We divide scalar curvature singularities into two classes: so-called asymptotically silent singularities and non-generic singularities that break asymptotic silence. The emphasis in this paper is on the latter class which have not been previously discussed. We illustrate the above aspects and concepts by describing the singularities of a number of representative explicit perfect fluid solutions.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure

IXPE Mirror Module Assemblies

Expected to launch in 2021 Spring, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a NASA Astrophysics Small Explorer Mission with significant contributions from the Italian space agency (ASI). The IXPE observatory features three identical x-ray telescopes, each comprised of a 4-m-focal-length mirror module assembly (MMA, provided by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center) that focuses x rays onto a polarization-sensitive, imaging detector (contributed by ASI-funded institutions). This paper summarizes the MMAs design, fabrication, alignment and assembly, expected performance, and calibration plans

Analyzing The Adoption of Computer Security Utilizing The Health Belief Model

The home Internet user faces a hostile environment abundant in potential attacks on their computers. These attacks have been increasing at an alarming rate and cause damage to individuals and organizations regularly, and have the potential to cripple the critical infrastructures of entire countries. Recent research has determined that some individuals are not utilizing additional software protections available to mitigate these potential security risks. This paper seeks to further examine the reasons by proposing a conceptual framework that utilizes the Health Belief Model as a possible way to explain why some people do not perceive a threat sufficient to prompt the adoption of computer security software

New insights into the classification and nomenclature of cortical GABAergic interneurons.

A systematic classification and accepted nomenclature of neuron types is much needed but is currently lacking. This article describes a possible taxonomical solution for classifying GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex based on a novel, web-based interactive system that allows experts to classify neurons with pre-determined criteria. Using Bayesian analysis and clustering algorithms on the resulting data, we investigated the suitability of several anatomical terms and neuron names for cortical GABAergic interneurons. Moreover, we show that supervised classification models could automatically categorize interneurons in agreement with experts' assignments. These results demonstrate a practical and objective approach to the naming, characterization and classification of neurons based on community consensus

Characterizing genomic alterations in cancer by complementary functional associations.

Systematic efforts to sequence the cancer genome have identified large numbers of mutations and copy number alterations in human cancers. However, elucidating the functional consequences of these variants, and their interactions to drive or maintain oncogenic states, remains a challenge in cancer research. We developed REVEALER, a computational method that identifies combinations of mutually exclusive genomic alterations correlated with functional phenotypes, such as the activation or gene dependency of oncogenic pathways or sensitivity to a drug treatment. We used REVEALER to uncover complementary genomic alterations associated with the transcriptional activation of β-catenin and NRF2, MEK-inhibitor sensitivity, and KRAS dependency. REVEALER successfully identified both known and new associations, demonstrating the power of combining functional profiles with extensive characterization of genomic alterations in cancer genomes

B833: A Residential Waste Stream Analysis: Orono, Maine, 1990

George Criner and Chet Rock of the University of Maine, and students from their Waste Management class analyzed household wastes from 33 residences in Orono. The purpose of the analysis was to obtain an estimate of total weekly residential waste weight and its composition by category (paper versus glass, etc.).https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_bulletin/1022/thumbnail.jp