scholarly journals Collectivism in a Replication Network of Minimal Nucleobase Sequences

Author(s):  
Sonia Vela-Gallego ◽  
Zulay Pardo-Botero ◽  
Cristian Moya-Álamo ◽  
Andrés de la Escosura

Abstract A major challenge for understanding the origins of life is to explore how replication networks can engage in an evolutionary process. Herein, we shed light on this problem by implementing a network constituted by two different types of extremely simple biological components: the amino acid cysteine and the canonical nucleobases adenine and thymine, connected through amide bonds to the cysteine amino group and oxidation of its thiol into three possible disulfides. Supramolecular and kinetic analyses revealed that both self- and mutual interactions between such dinucleobase compounds drive their assembly and replication pathways. Those pathways involving sequence complementarity led to enhanced replication rates, suggesting a potential bias for selection. The interplay of synergistic dynamics and competition between replicators was then simulated in an open reactor with experimental kinetic data, showing the selective amplification of different species depending on the initial mixture composition. Overall, this network configuration can favor a collective adaptability to changes in the availability of feedstock molecules, with disulfide exchange reactions serving as 'wires' that connect the different individual auto- and cross-catalytic pathways.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 9813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuta Uchiyama ◽  
Eduardo Blanco ◽  
Ryo Kohsaka

Application of biomimetics has expanded progressively to other fields in recent years, including urban and architectural design, scaling up from materials to a larger scale. Besides its contribution to design and functionality through a long evolutionary process, the philosophy of biomimetics contributes to a sustainable society at the conceptual level. The aim of this review is to shed light on trends in the application of biomimetics to architectural and urban design, in order to identify potential issues and successes resulting from implementation. In the application of biomimetics to architectural design, parts of individual “organisms”, including their form and surface structure, are frequently mimicked, whereas in urban design, on a larger scale, biomimetics is applied to mimic whole ecosystems. The overall trends of the reviewed research indicate future research necessity in the field of on biomimetic application in architectural and urban design, including Biophilia and Material. As for the scale of the applications, the urban-scale research is limited and it is a promising research which can facilitate the social implementation of biomimetics. As for facilitating methods of applications, it is instrumental to utilize different types of knowledge, such as traditional knowledge, and providing scientific clarification of functions and systems based on reviews. Thus, interdisciplinary research is required additionally to reach such goals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1411
Author(s):  
Caterina Fede ◽  
Carmelo Pirri ◽  
Chenglei Fan ◽  
Lucia Petrelli ◽  
Diego Guidolin ◽  
...  

The fascia can be defined as a dynamic highly complex connective tissue network composed of different types of cells embedded in the extracellular matrix and nervous fibers: each component plays a specific role in the fascial system changing and responding to stimuli in different ways. This review intends to discuss the various components of the fascia and their specific roles; this will be carried out in the effort to shed light on the mechanisms by which they affect the entire network and all body systems. A clear understanding of fascial anatomy from a microscopic viewpoint can further elucidate its physiological and pathological characteristics and facilitate the identification of appropriate treatment strategies.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 506
Author(s):  
Alexander Ereskovsky ◽  
Ilya E. Borisenko ◽  
Fyodor V. Bolshakov ◽  
Andrey I. Lavrov

While virtually all animals show certain abilities for regeneration after an injury, these abilities vary greatly among metazoans. Porifera (Sponges) is basal metazoans characterized by a wide variety of different regenerative processes, including whole-body regeneration (WBR). Considering phylogenetic position and unique body organization, sponges are highly promising models, as they can shed light on the origin and early evolution of regeneration in general and WBR in particular. The present review summarizes available data on the morphogenetic and cellular mechanisms accompanying different types of WBR in sponges. Sponges show a high diversity of WBR, which principally could be divided into (1) WBR from a body fragment and (2) WBR by aggregation of dissociated cells. Sponges belonging to different phylogenetic clades and even to different species and/or differing in the anatomical structure undergo different morphogeneses after similar operations. A common characteristic feature of WBR in sponges is the instability of the main body axis: a change of the organism polarity is described during all types of WBR. The cellular mechanisms of WBR are different across sponge classes, while cell dedifferentiations and transdifferentiations are involved in regeneration processes in all sponges. Data considering molecular regulation of WBR in sponges are extremely scarce. However, the possibility to achieve various types of WBR ensured by common morphogenetic and cellular basis in a single species makes sponges highly accessible for future comprehensive physiological, biochemical, and molecular studies of regeneration processes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ami R. Moore ◽  
David Williamson

This study examined the structural constraints to disclosure of children's positive serostatus among informal caregivers to family and nonfamily members in Togo. It drew on two data sources, one qualitative and the other quantitative. Qualitative data showed that caregivers cautiously disclosed child's positive serostatus for fear of being stigmatized and discriminated against as well as to protect the children from being stigmatized. Binary regression analyses revealed that different factors influenced reasons for disclosure of a child's serostatus. For instance, while caregivers' serostatus and number of children significantly influenced disclosure for financial support, disclosure of a child's serostatus for spiritual support was strongly affected by education and religion. These results shed light on factors and reasons for disclosure among caregivers. This knowledge is important because different types of programs and advice should be given to caregivers with specific reason(s) for disclosure instead of creating a “one-size-fits all” program for all caregivers.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Guevara-Flores ◽  
Irene P. del Arenal ◽  
Guillermo Mendoza-Hernández ◽  
Juan Pablo Pardo ◽  
Oscar Flores-Herrera ◽  
...  

Mitochondrial thioredoxin-glutathione reductase was purified from larvalTaenia crassiceps(cysticerci). The preparation showed NADPH-dependent reductase activity with either thioredoxin or GSSG, and was able to perform thiol/disulfide exchange reactions. At25∘Cspecific activities were437  ±  27mU mg-1and840  ±  49mU mg-1with thioredoxin and GSSG, respectively. ApparentKmvalues were0.87  ±  0.04 μM,41  ±  6 μM and19  ±  10 μM for thioredoxin, GSSG and NADPH, respectively. Thioredoxin from eukaryotic sources was accepted as substrate. The enzyme reduced H2O2in a NADPH-dependent manner, although with low catalytic efficiency. In the presence of thioredoxin, mitochondrial TGR showed a thioredoxin peroxidase-like activity. All disulfide reductase activities were inhibited by auranofin, suggesting mTGR is dependent on selenocysteine. The reductase activity with GSSG showed a higher dependence on temperature as compared with the DTNB reductase activity. The variation of the GSSG- and DTNB reductase activities on pH was dependent on the disulfide substrate. Like the cytosolic isoform, mTGR showed a hysteretic kinetic behavior at moderate or high GSSG concentrations, but it was less sensitive to calcium. The enzyme was able to protect glutamine synthetase from oxidative inactivation, suggesting that mTGR is competent to contend with oxidative stress.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-29
Author(s):  
Manjinder Kaur

This study tends to shed light on early childhood care and education (ECCE) institutions with special reference to kindergartens in Fukuoka, Japan. The choice of the topic for study was derived by the importance of ECCE in children’s life and huge economic growth of Japan after worst effects of world war-II, which are thought to be linked with the education that children receives in Japan. The study is limited to four kindergartens in Fukuoka City and observations made for the study refers to 2018. Herein, different types of institutions providing ECCE, their infrastructural set-up, activities, along with curriculum are discussed. At the end, issues and challenges of ECCE system in Japan are discussed. It has been observed that the infrastructural facility and nature of activities are of high quality. Each and every care is being taken to inculcate habits, as well as to maintain physical and intellectual growth of children. The children seem to be highly happy and enjoy learning via various activities in these schools. It is clear that the devised policies on education and care of children are implemented in full spirit.


Author(s):  
M. A. Abbas ◽  
H. Setan ◽  
Z. Majid ◽  
A. K. Chong ◽  
L. Chong Luh ◽  
...  

Similar to other electronic instruments, terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) can also inherent with various systematic errors coming from different sources. Self-calibration technique is a method available to investigate these errors for TLS which were adopted from photogrammetry technique. According to the photogrammetry principle, the selection of datum constraints can cause different types of parameter correlations. However, the network configuration applied by TLS and photogrammetry calibrations are quite different, thus, this study has investigated the significant of photogrammetry datum constraints principle in TLS self-calibration. To ensure that the assessment is thorough, the datum constraints analyses were carried out using three variant network configurations: 1) minimum number of scan stations; 2) minimum number of surfaces for targets distribution; and 3) minimum number of point targets. Based on graphical and statistical, the analyses of datum constraints selection indicated that the parameter correlations obtained are significantly similar. In addition, the analysis has demonstrated that network configuration is a very crucial factor to reduce the correlation between the calculated parameters.


Author(s):  
Patrick Monsieur

In Roman times there was a massive import of olive-oil from Baetica (actualAndalusia) to feed the army at the Limes in Rhineland and Scotland. ThisMediterranean product was transported in large amphorae of the Dressel 20type that bear different types of epigraphy: graffiti, stamps en tituli picti (paintedinscriptions). The Low Countries forming the Hinterland took part inthis commerce, hence the discovery of large amounts of amphora fragments,still bearing regularly epigraphy. This written heritage is not only ill-knownand neglected in the Benelux, but also threatened because of the bad conditionsin which they are collected and stored. The information provided bythese epigraphical sources is of uppermost importance to the knowledge ofthe ancient economy in the Empire, as well in the south as in the north andrepresents an important witness of romanisation. They shed light on the productionof the amphorae and the olive-oil in Baetica, and on its commercialisationto the northern fringes of the Empire, giving at the same time thenames of all the people involved in these activities.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document