Features of the Supramolecular Cell-Genetic Organization of E. Coli in Engineering Aspects of Biotechnology

Recently, there has been a keen interest in the physicochemical features of self-organizing spatio-temporal, heteropolymer-supramolecular assemblies, in which the system of components of the fluctuation dynamics of surface protein groups is evolutionarily selected for the implementation of morphogenetic processes of ontogenesis.That is, evolution created chemical compounds, the exceptional organization of which ensured the fulfillment of the most complex and precise tasks.In this research, the bacterial cell ofE. coli was considered in the concept of supramolecular science, where, in accordance with the informational development program based on the principles of molecular recognition, phase ensembles appear, which are characterized by a certain organization, depending on the phase growth of the population culture. In this respect, proteomic super-molecular physicochemistry can be considered as physicochemical or molecular informatics.Arginine is of interest because almost all of its molecule is active and undergoes obligatory interactions both with DNA and with other histones and non-histones. The results of this study demonstrated the super-protein surface of supramolecular assemblies, the flexible system PPCС-E.coli, active zones, dynamics of continuity, positioning topologicalspatio-temporal Arg-protease-processing, local areas of the nucleoid system, and interrelations at the level of: Bp-liquid crystal-bacterioplasma; NsCo-fragile, PsCo-tightly bound to the cell remainder; and in the Co-cell remainder itself. These data may be of practical interest in various engineering aspects of biotechnology. Keywords: arginine protease processing, supramolecules, E.coli, phase protein, super-molecules.

Bugs on Drugs: A Drosophila melanogaster Gut Model to Study In Vivo Antibiotic Tolerance of E. coli

With an antibiotic crisis upon us, we need to boost antibiotic development and improve antibiotics’ efficacy. Crucial is knowing how to efficiently kill bacteria, especially in more complex in vivo conditions. Indeed, many bacteria harbor antibiotic-tolerant persisters, variants that survive exposure to our most potent antibiotics and catalyze resistance development. However, persistence is often only studied in vitro as we lack flexible in vivo models. Here, I explored the potential of using Drosophila melanogaster as a model for antimicrobial research, combining methods in Drosophila with microbiology techniques: assessing fly development and feeding, generating germ-free or bacteria-associated Drosophila and in situ microscopy. Adult flies tolerate antibiotics at high doses, although germ-free larvae show impaired development. Orally presented E. coli associates with Drosophila and mostly resides in the crop. E. coli shows an overall high antibiotic tolerance in vivo potentially resulting from heterogeneity in growth rates. The hipA7 high-persistence mutant displays an increased antibiotic survival while the expected low persistence of ΔrelAΔspoT and ΔrpoS mutants cannot be confirmed in vivo. In conclusion, a Drosophila model for in vivo antibiotic tolerance research shows high potential and offers a flexible system to test findings from in vitro assays in a broader, more complex condition.

On the Reasons of Chinas Stable Economic Development in the XX - XXI Centuries

As is well known, the global economy is a flexible system of relationships between its key actors, and it is directly subject to the constant impact of both internal and external factors. Among the latter are the processes of globalization, integration, liberalization, transnationalization and others. They fundamentally change the rules of organization and conduct of international economic relations. Those countries that were able to duly assess the scale of imminent changes and flexibly respond to them by adjusting national macroeconomic policies were able to take leading positions in the structure of the modern world order. A striking example of such a state is China, which, despite its catching-up type of development, has reached the level of developed countries in a number of indicators and has become one of the significant poles in the structure of the modern world order. The study conducted by the authors of the article showed that the PRC managed to achieve such a result due to the competent reforms initiated in the 1970s by Deng Xiaoping and still ongoing taking into account best world practices. The country’s leadership’s choice of the IT sector as a flagship for further progressive development of the country’s economy has already brought China significant benefits of a strategic nature.

Peri-Fusion: An integrated agriculture and densified housing model for New Zealand’s peri-urban zones.

<p>Peri-Fusion housing is an integrated densified housing and agricultural model, that this thesis proposes as an alternative to the current problematic suburban model prevalent in New Zealand’s peri-urban zones. Suburban sprawl driven by the single storey housing model, New Zealander’s desire towards standalone housing, and the loss of fertile agricultural land are all driving issues behind this proposed PeriFusion housing. This research defines the periurban zones as areas of unknown development surrounding New Zealand’s towns and cities, addressing the increasing rigid, concreteclad, urban perimeter invading further into agricultural fertile land. Peri Fusion design strategies are established to test and develop a new integrated housing model, aiming to achieve attractive densified living, that is integrated with preserved agricultural land. This proposed housing development model could achieve a resilient flexible system of land use, where housing is integrated into a natural agricultural and horticultural resource cycle. This thesis includes typological research and a design-led research methodology. Literature and case studies were reviewed initially to define common traits of successful low-rise high-density housing, spatial agricultural landscaping typologies, agricultural integration and agricultural ownership. From these reviews, Peri-Fusion design tactics were derived to form a basis for testing in the design-led research methodological step. These tactics included the adaptive iterations and application of the ha-ha wall as an agricultural boundary, layered pathways between humans, vehicles and animals, and level change within landscapes. Alongside these main strategies, the integrated operational model was addressed, which included extensive grazing, intensive horticulture dedicated to housing and the inclusion of agricultural education. Also, a basic circular natural resource model was developed to address the operation of water, waste and food production management. In order to measure the success of PeriFusion tactics, Blenheim was established as a case study site for the design-led research. Conceptual and developed design was undertaken, which was reviewed against the Peri-Fusion framework, resulting in a final proposed integrated and densified housing model for the Blenheim case study site. Findings were then tested against the adjacent plot to the site with the same site coverage. This successfully revealed an increase of 131 housing units, decreased average gross floor area from 175m2 to 80.5m2, and an increase of unsealed preserved fertile land by 20%. This resulted in 38% of final model dedicated to agricultural and horticultural food production.</p>

Peri-Fusion: An integrated agriculture and densified housing model for New Zealand’s peri-urban zones.

<p>Peri-Fusion housing is an integrated densified housing and agricultural model, that this thesis proposes as an alternative to the current problematic suburban model prevalent in New Zealand’s peri-urban zones. Suburban sprawl driven by the single storey housing model, New Zealander’s desire towards standalone housing, and the loss of fertile agricultural land are all driving issues behind this proposed PeriFusion housing. This research defines the periurban zones as areas of unknown development surrounding New Zealand’s towns and cities, addressing the increasing rigid, concreteclad, urban perimeter invading further into agricultural fertile land. Peri Fusion design strategies are established to test and develop a new integrated housing model, aiming to achieve attractive densified living, that is integrated with preserved agricultural land. This proposed housing development model could achieve a resilient flexible system of land use, where housing is integrated into a natural agricultural and horticultural resource cycle. This thesis includes typological research and a design-led research methodology. Literature and case studies were reviewed initially to define common traits of successful low-rise high-density housing, spatial agricultural landscaping typologies, agricultural integration and agricultural ownership. From these reviews, Peri-Fusion design tactics were derived to form a basis for testing in the design-led research methodological step. These tactics included the adaptive iterations and application of the ha-ha wall as an agricultural boundary, layered pathways between humans, vehicles and animals, and level change within landscapes. Alongside these main strategies, the integrated operational model was addressed, which included extensive grazing, intensive horticulture dedicated to housing and the inclusion of agricultural education. Also, a basic circular natural resource model was developed to address the operation of water, waste and food production management. In order to measure the success of PeriFusion tactics, Blenheim was established as a case study site for the design-led research. Conceptual and developed design was undertaken, which was reviewed against the Peri-Fusion framework, resulting in a final proposed integrated and densified housing model for the Blenheim case study site. Findings were then tested against the adjacent plot to the site with the same site coverage. This successfully revealed an increase of 131 housing units, decreased average gross floor area from 175m2 to 80.5m2, and an increase of unsealed preserved fertile land by 20%. This resulted in 38% of final model dedicated to agricultural and horticultural food production.</p>

Exploration of Relations between Belief-Tracking and Motor Processing using a new Ecologically-Valid Helping Task for Adults

<p>Three experiments investigated efficient belief tracking as described by the two-systems theory of human mindreading (Apperly & Butterfill, 2009) whereupon mindreading implies the operation of a flexible system that is slow to develop and cognitively effortful, and an efficient system which develops early but subject to signature limits. Signature limits have been evidenced by children’s and adults’ difficulty anticipating how someone with a false belief (FB) about an object’s identity, will act. In a recent investigation of signature limits, erroneous pre-activation of the motor system was detected when adults predicted the actions of an agent with an identity FB, suggesting that efficient mindreading and motor processes are linked (Edwards & Low, 2017). Moreover, young children differentiated between true and FBs about an object’s location, but not identity, as revealed by the object children retrieved in an active helping task (Fizke et al., 2017). The aim of the present thesis was to provide new evidence of signature limits in adults, and of the recent conjecture that efficient mindreading and motor processes interact. In helping tasks, participants’ interpretation of another’s actions is crucial to how they coordinate their helping response. Therefore, an ecologically valid helping task was adapted to investigate the proposed interface between efficient mindreading and motor processes. The present work measured adults’ eye movements made prior to helping, and their helping actions across a set of distinct directional full-body movements (around which side of a desk they swerved, which compartment they approached, toward which compartment they reached, and which object they retrieved). In this way, it was possible to investigate whether gaze direction correlated with full-body movements and whether adults’ gaze differed when the agent’s FB was about an object’s location or identity. Results from Experiment 1 indicated that efficient belief tracking is equipped to process location but not identity FBs, and that - in the location scenario - gaze direction correlated with the immediate stage of participants’ helping action (the direction they swerved). To investigate this correlation further, Experiment 2 drew upon research suggesting that temporarily tying an observer’s hands behind their backs impaired their ability to predict the outcome of hand actions (Ambrosini et al., 2012). Results showed that tying adults’ hands behind their back had a negative effect on their gaze behavior and severed the correlation between gaze and swerving, suggesting that the link between efficient mindreading and motor processes is fragile. Experiment 3 tested an alternative interpretation for Experiment 2’s findings (that restraining participants’ hands applied a domain-general distraction, rather than a specific detriment to belief tracking) by tying up participants’ feet. Results were ambiguous: the gaze behavior of participants whose feet were tied did not differ from those who were unrestrained, nor from those whose hands were bound. These findings support the two-systems theory and provide suggestive evidence of a connection between efficient mindreading and motor processes. However, the investigation highlights new methodological challenges for designing naturalistic helping tasks for adult participants.</p>

Exploration of Relations between Belief-Tracking and Motor Processing using a new Ecologically-Valid Helping Task for Adults

<p>Three experiments investigated efficient belief tracking as described by the two-systems theory of human mindreading (Apperly & Butterfill, 2009) whereupon mindreading implies the operation of a flexible system that is slow to develop and cognitively effortful, and an efficient system which develops early but subject to signature limits. Signature limits have been evidenced by children’s and adults’ difficulty anticipating how someone with a false belief (FB) about an object’s identity, will act. In a recent investigation of signature limits, erroneous pre-activation of the motor system was detected when adults predicted the actions of an agent with an identity FB, suggesting that efficient mindreading and motor processes are linked (Edwards & Low, 2017). Moreover, young children differentiated between true and FBs about an object’s location, but not identity, as revealed by the object children retrieved in an active helping task (Fizke et al., 2017). The aim of the present thesis was to provide new evidence of signature limits in adults, and of the recent conjecture that efficient mindreading and motor processes interact. In helping tasks, participants’ interpretation of another’s actions is crucial to how they coordinate their helping response. Therefore, an ecologically valid helping task was adapted to investigate the proposed interface between efficient mindreading and motor processes. The present work measured adults’ eye movements made prior to helping, and their helping actions across a set of distinct directional full-body movements (around which side of a desk they swerved, which compartment they approached, toward which compartment they reached, and which object they retrieved). In this way, it was possible to investigate whether gaze direction correlated with full-body movements and whether adults’ gaze differed when the agent’s FB was about an object’s location or identity. Results from Experiment 1 indicated that efficient belief tracking is equipped to process location but not identity FBs, and that - in the location scenario - gaze direction correlated with the immediate stage of participants’ helping action (the direction they swerved). To investigate this correlation further, Experiment 2 drew upon research suggesting that temporarily tying an observer’s hands behind their backs impaired their ability to predict the outcome of hand actions (Ambrosini et al., 2012). Results showed that tying adults’ hands behind their back had a negative effect on their gaze behavior and severed the correlation between gaze and swerving, suggesting that the link between efficient mindreading and motor processes is fragile. Experiment 3 tested an alternative interpretation for Experiment 2’s findings (that restraining participants’ hands applied a domain-general distraction, rather than a specific detriment to belief tracking) by tying up participants’ feet. Results were ambiguous: the gaze behavior of participants whose feet were tied did not differ from those who were unrestrained, nor from those whose hands were bound. These findings support the two-systems theory and provide suggestive evidence of a connection between efficient mindreading and motor processes. However, the investigation highlights new methodological challenges for designing naturalistic helping tasks for adult participants.</p>

A Dynamic Method to Predict the Earthquake-Triggered Sliding Displacement of Slopes

The earthquake-induced permanent displacement is an important index of the potential damage to a slope during an earthquake. The Newmark method assumes that a slope is a rigid-plastic body, and the seismic responses of sliding masses or seismic forces along the slide plane are ignored. The decoupled method considers no relative displacement across the sliding plane, so it overpredicts the seismic response of the sliding mass. Both dynamic and sliding analyses are performed in the coupled method, but when Ts/Tm is large, the results are unconservative. In this paper, a method is proposed to predict the earthquake-triggered sliding displacement of slopes. The proposed method is based on the Newmark rigid method, coupled method, and decoupled method considering both the forces at the sliding interface and the system dynamics under critical conditions. For the flexible system, the displacements are calculated with different stiffness values, and the results show that as the stiffness increases and tends to infinity, the critical acceleration and displacements of the proposed method are close to those of the Newmark method. The proposed method is also compared with the Newmark method with the period ratio Ts/Tm. At small values of Ts/Tm, the flexible system analysis results of the displacement are more conservative than those of the rigid block model; at larger values of Ts/Tm, the rigid block model is more conservative than the flexible system.

The neural control of volitional vocal production—from speech to identity, from social meaning to song

The networks of cortical and subcortical fields that contribute to speech production have benefitted from many years of detailed study, and have been used as a framework for human volitional vocal production more generally. In this article, I will argue that we need to consider speech production as an expression of the human voice in a more general sense. I will also argue that the neural control of the voice can and should be considered to be a flexible system, into which more right hemispheric networks are differentially recruited, based on the factors that are modulating vocal production. I will explore how this flexible network is recruited to express aspects of non-verbal information in the voice, such as identity and social traits. Finally, I will argue that we need to widen out the kinds of vocal behaviours that we explore, if we want to understand the neural underpinnings of the true range of sound-making capabilities of the human voice. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part II)’.

Making Common Fund data more Findable: Catalyzing a Data Ecosystem

The Common Fund Data Ecosystem has created a flexible system of data federation that enables users to discover datasets from across the Common Fund without requiring the data owners to move, reformat, or rehost those data. The CFDEs federation system is centered on a metadata catalog that ingests metadata from individual Common Fund Program Data Coordination Centers into a uniform metadata model that can then be indexed and searched from a centralized portal. This uniform Crosscut Metadata Model (C2M2), supports the wide variety of data set types and metadata terms used by the individual and is designed to enable easy expansion to accommodate new datatypes.