Genetics and the Literary Imagination

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Hanson
Keyword(s):  
Literary Fiction ◽  
Kazuo Ishiguro ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Eva Hoffman ◽  
Margaret Drabble ◽  
Ian Mcewan ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function ◽  
Thought Styles ◽  
The Impact

This book explores the impact of genetic and postgenomic science on British literary fiction over the last four decades, focusing on the challenge posed to novelists by gene-centric neo-Darwinism and examining the recent rapprochement between postgenomic perspectives and literary understandings of human nature. It assesses the rise to cultural prominence of neo-Darwinism in the form of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology, thought styles which were predicated on scientific reductionism and genetic determinism. It explores the ways in which the fiction of Doris Lessing, A.S. Byatt, and Ian McEwan critiques neo-Darwinism but also registers the extent to which these writers are persuaded by the neo-Darwinian view of human behaviour as driven by genetic self-interest. It goes on to consider the ‘new biology’ that emerged around the turn of the millennium, as gene-centrism was displaced by a more dynamic and holistic view of the development and function of living organisms. It reads the work of Eva Hoffman, Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Drabble, and Jackie Kay as converging with this shift in which the organism is reconfigured as agentic and self-organizing but caught up in complex co-dependencies with other organisms. The archetypal postgenomic science of epigenetics is crucial in facilitating this change, disclosing the ways in which the genome is constantly modified in response to environmental cues and sponsoring a view of identity in terms of plasticity and mutability, a view more congenial to many writers than the concept of genetic predetermination.

scholarly journals Minimal Variation of Human Oral Virome and Microbiome in IgA Deficiency Challenges an Irreplaceable IgA Role for Shaping Oral Commensal Microbiota

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
de la Cruz Peña Maria José ◽  
Luis Ignacio Gonzalez-Granado ◽  
Inmaculada Garcia-Heredia ◽  
Lucia Maestre Carballa ◽  
Manuel Martinez-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Immunoglobulin A ◽  
Iga Deficiency ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Selective Iga Deficiency ◽  
Commensal Microbiota ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the dominant antibody found in our mucosal secretions and has long been recognized to play an important role in protecting our epithelium from pathogens. Recently, IgA has been shown to be involved in gut homeostatic regulation by `recognizing´and shaping our commensal microbes. Paradoxically, yet selective IgA-deficiency is often described as asymptomatic and there is a paucity of studies only focused on the mice and human gut microbiome context fully ignoring other niches of our body and our commensal viruses. Here, we used as a model the human oral cavity and employed a holistic view and studied the impact of IgA deficiency on both the human virome and microbiome. Unexpectedly, metagenomic and experimental data in human IgA deficiency indicate minimal-moderate changes in microbiome and virome composition compared to healthy control group and point out to a rather functional, resilient oral commensal viruses and microbes. However, a significant depletion (2-fold) of bacterial cells (p-value < 0.01) and viruses was observed in IgA-deficiency. Our results challenge the view of an irreplaceable IgA role for regulating the composition and function of our commensal microbiota and pose the question whether other “back-up” Ig-independent mechanisms might exist for maintaining a functional commensal microbiome.

scholarly journals Circadian Effects of Drug Responses

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaakov Nahmias ◽  
Ioannis P. Androulakis
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Living Organism ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Physiological Homeostasis ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function

Circadian rhythms describe physiological systems that repeat themselves with a cycle of approximately 24 h. Our understanding of the cellular and molecular origins of these oscillations has improved dramatically, allowing us to appreciate the significant role these oscillations play in maintaining physiological homeostasis. Circadian rhythms allow living organisms to predict and efficiently respond to a dynamically changing environment, set by repetitive day/night cycles. Since circadian rhythms underlie almost every aspect of human physiology, it is unsurprising that they also influence the response of a living organism to disease, stress, and therapeutics. Therefore, not only do the mechanisms that maintain health and disrupt homeostasis depend on our internal circadian clock, but also the way drugs are perceived and function depends on these physiological rhythms. We present a holistic view of the therapeutic process, discussing components such as disease state, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics, as well as adverse reactions that are critically affected by circadian rhythms. We outline challenges and opportunities in moving toward personalized medicine approaches that explore and capitalize on circadian rhythms for the benefit of the patient. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 23 is June 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

scholarly journals Polyamines Disrupt the KaiABC Oscillator by Inducing Protein Denaturation

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (18) ◽  
pp. 3351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinkui Li ◽  
Lingya Zhang ◽  
Junwen Xiong ◽  
Xiyao Cheng ◽  
Yongqi Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Denaturation ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Clock Proteins ◽  
In Vitro Reconstitution ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function ◽  
Cellular Components ◽  
The Impact

Polyamines are positively charged small molecules ubiquitously existing in all living organisms, and they are considered as one kind of the most ancient cellular components. The most common polyamines are spermidine, spermine, and their precursor putrescine generated from ornithine. Polyamines play critical roles in cells by stabilizing chromatin structure, regulating DNA replication, modulating gene expression, etc., and they also affect the structure and function of proteins. A few studies have investigated the impact of polyamines on protein structure and function previously, but no reports have focused on a protein-based biological module with a dedicated function. In this report, we investigated the impact of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) on the cyanobacterial KaiABC circadian oscillator. Using an established in vitro reconstitution system, we noticed that polyamines could disrupt the robustness of the KaiABC oscillator by inducing the denaturation of the Kai proteins (KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC). Further experiments showed that the denaturation was likely due to the induced change of the thermal stability of the clock proteins. Our study revealed an intriguing role of polyamines as a component in complex cellular environments and would be of great importance for elucidating the biological function of polyamines in future.

scholarly journals The Mammalian Metaorganism: A Holistic View on How Microbes of All Kingdoms and Niches Shape Local and Systemic Immunity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solveig Runge ◽  
Stephan Patrick Rosshart
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Systemic Immunity ◽  
Major Interest ◽  
Microbiome Research ◽  
Epithelial Barriers ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

The field of microbiome research has developed rapidly over the past decades and has become a topic of major interest to basic, preclinical, and clinical research, the pharmaceutical industry as well as the general public. The microbiome is a complex and diverse ecosystem and defined as the collection of all host-associated microorganisms and their genes. It is acquired through vertical transmission and environmental exposure and includes microbes of all kingdoms: bacteria, archaea, prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses, fungi, protozoa, and the meiofauna. These microorganisms co-evolved with their respective hosts over millions of years, thereby establishing a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship on all epithelial barriers. Thus, the microbiome plays a pivotal role in virtually every aspect of mammalian physiology, particularly in the development, homeostasis, and function of the immune system. Consequently, the combination of the host genome and the microbial genome, together referred to as the metagenome, largely drives the mammalian phenotype. So far, the majority of studies have unilaterally focused on the gastrointestinal bacterial microbiota. However, recent work illustrating the impact of viruses, fungi, and protozoa on host immunity urges us towards a holistic view of the mammalian microbiome and the appreciation for its non-bacterial kingdoms. In addition, the importance of microbiota on epithelial barriers other than the gut as well as their systemic effects via microbially-derived biologically active compounds is increasingly recognized. Here, we want to provide a brief but comprehensive overview of the most important findings and the current knowledge on how microbes of all kingdoms and microbial niches shape local and systemic immunity in health and disease.

Surgery for Lung Cancer and the Consequences for the Swallow

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (13) ◽  
pp. 162-168
Author(s):  
Pippa Hales ◽  
Corinne Mossey-Gaston
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Vocal Cord Palsy ◽  
Subsequent Treatment ◽  
Physiological Reserve ◽  
Palliative Phase ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Swallow Function

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers across Northern America and Europe. Treatment options offered are dependent on the type of cancer, the location of the tumor, the staging, and the overall health of the person. When surgery for lung cancer is offered, difficulty swallowing is a potential complication that can have several influencing factors. Surgical interaction with the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) can lead to unilateral vocal cord palsy, altering swallow function and safety. Understanding whether the RLN has been preserved, damaged, or sacrificed is integral to understanding the effect on the swallow and the subsequent treatment options available. There is also the risk of post-surgical reduction of physiological reserve, which can reduce the strength and function of the swallow in addition to any surgery specific complications. As lung cancer has a limited prognosis, the clinician must also factor in the palliative phase, as this can further increase the burden of an already compromised swallow. By understanding the surgery and the implications this may have for the swallow, there is the potential to reduce the impact of post-surgical complications and so improve quality of life (QOL) for people with lung cancer.

The Laryngeal Epithelium in Reflux

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Erickson-Levendoski ◽  
Mahalakshmi Sivasankar
Keyword(s):  
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Laryngeal Disease ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

The epithelium plays a critical role in the maintenance of laryngeal health. This is evident in that laryngeal disease may result when the integrity of the epithelium is compromised by insults such as laryngopharyngeal reflux. In this article, we will review the structure and function of the laryngeal epithelium and summarize the impact of laryngopharyngeal reflux on the epithelium. Research investigating the ramifications of reflux on the epithelium has improved our understanding of laryngeal disease associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux. It further highlights the need for continued research on the laryngeal epithelium in health and disease.

Investigating Burnt Mounds in Clydesdale during Motorway Construction

1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
John A Atkinson ◽  
Camilla Dickson ◽  
Jane Downes ◽  
Paul Robins ◽  
David Sanderson
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Archaeological Evidence ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Short Account ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Bronze Age

Summary Two small burnt mounds were excavated as part of the programme to mitigate the impact of motorway construction in the Crawford area. The excavations followed a research strategy designed to address questions of date and function. This paper surveys the various competing theories about burnt mounds and how the archaeological evidence was evaluated against those theories. Both sites produced radiocarbon dates from the Bronze Age and evidence to suggest that they were cooking places. In addition, a short account is presented of two further burnt mounds discovered during the construction of the motorway in Annandale.

Discrepant Solace

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David James
Keyword(s):  
Literary History ◽  
Doris Lessing ◽  
Kazuo Ishiguro ◽  
Joan Didion ◽  
Julian Barnes ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
History Of ◽  
Late Twentieth ◽  
Ian Mcewan ◽  
Affective Meanings

Consolation has always played an uncomfortable part in the literary history of loss. But in recent decades its affective meanings and ethical implications have been recast by narratives that appear to foil solace altogether. Illuminating this striking archive, Discrepant Solace considers writers who engage with consolation not as an aesthetic salve but as an enduring problematic for late twentieth- and twenty-first-century fiction and memoir. Making close readings of emotion crucial to understanding literature’s work in the precarious present, David James examines writers who are rarely considered in conversation, including Sonali Deraniyagala, Colson Whitehead, Cormac McCarthy, W.G. Sebald, Doris Lessing, Joan Didion, J. M. Coetzee, Marilynne Robinson, Julian Barnes, Helen Macdonald, Ian McEwan, Colm Tóibín, Kazuo Ishiguro, Denise Riley, and David Grossman. These figures overturn critical suppositions about consolation’s kinship with ideological complaisance or dubious distraction, producing unsettling perceptions of solace that shape the formal and political contours of their writing.

Understanding Motivating Operations and the Impact on the Function of Behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-122
Author(s):  
Doris Adams Hill ◽  
Theoni Mantzoros ◽  
Jonté C. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Motivating Operations ◽  
Behavior Intervention Plans ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
Functional Behavior ◽  
Special Education Professionals ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Special educators are often considered the experts in their school when it comes to developing functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP), yet rarely are they trained much beyond basic antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC). This column discusses concepts that will expand special education professionals’ knowledge to make better decisions regarding interventions for the students they serve. Specifically, the focus is on motivating operations (MO) and function-based interventions and the implications of these on behavior. Knowledge of the concept of MOs can enhance a teacher’s ability to provide evidence-based interventions and more fully developed behavioral interventions for students in their purview.

scholarly journals Spring Freeze Damage of Pecan Bloom: A Review

Horticulturae ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Amandeep Kaur ◽  
Louise Ferguson ◽  
Niels Maness ◽  
Becky Carroll ◽  
William Reid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Height ◽  
The United States ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
The Us ◽  
Nut Production ◽  
Freeze Damage ◽  
Terminal Buds ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

Pecan is native to the United States. The US is the world’s largest pecan producer with an average yearly production of 250 to 300 million pounds; 80 percent of the world’s supply. Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, California, Louisiana, and Florida are the major US pecan producing states. Pecan trees frequently suffer from spring freeze at bud break and bloom as the buds are quite sensitive to freeze damage. This leads to poor flower and nut production. This review focuses on the impact of spring freeze during bud differentiation and flower development. Spring freeze kills the primary terminal buds, the pecan tree has a second chance for growth and flowering through secondary buds. Unfortunately, secondary buds have less bloom potential than primary buds and nut yield is reduced. Spring freeze damage depends on severity of the freeze, bud growth stage, cultivar type and tree age, tree height and tree vigor. This review discusses the impact of temperature on structure and function of male and female reproductive organs. It also summarizes carbohydrate relations as another factor that may play an important role in spring growth and transition of primary and secondary buds to flowers.

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