How Does Water Behave? Unstable Milieu and Stable Agencements in Dakar’s Flooded Suburbs

In the suburbs of Dakar, matter as a flux is not a metaphor anymore, but a concrete process of city fluidification, disintegration, or solidification. Indeed, the city has been concerned for more than 30 years by regular floods that were established permanently in some districts. Drawing from an assemblage perspective, this article aims to understand how people deal with untamed waters in flooded neighbourhoods and at the city scale. It also raises questions about how we can capture the processes of production, maintenance, and disintegration of cities by identifying stable forms of assemblages and by comparing them according to the specific action that they support.

The resistance of plants of Juglans nigra varieties to the influence of the low temperature

The results of research on the influence of low temperatures on the structural parts of shoots of three varieties and a hybrid of domestic and foreign selection of black walnut in the conditions of cultivation of the Liso-steppe and Polissya of Ukraine are highlighted. It was found that the core of the shoot, depending on the year of vegetation, and the buds were damaged the most by low temperatures on average during three years of research. The most resistant to low temperatures were the tissues of the bark and cambium, of the varieties — plants The highlight of the garden. This variety can be used for breeding work for winter hardiness to obtain stable forms.

The Impact of Retinal Configuration on the Protein–Chromophore Interactions in Bistable Jumping Spider Rhodopsin-1

Bistable rhodopsins have two stable forms that can be interconverted by light. Due to their ability to act as photoswitches, these proteins are considered as ideal candidates for applications such as optogenetics. In this work, we analyze a recently crystalized bistable rhodopsin, namely the jumping spider rhodopsin-1 (JSR1). This rhodopsin exhibits identical absorption maxima for the parent and the photoproduct form, which impedes its broad application. We performed hybrid QM/MM simulations to study three isomers of the retinal chromophore: the 9-cis, 11-cis and all-trans configurations. The main aim was to gain insight into the specific interactions of each isomer and their impact on the absorption maximum in JSR1. The absorption spectra were computed using sampled snapshots from QM/MM molecular dynamics trajectories and compared to their experimental counterparts. The chromophore–protein interactions were analyzed by visualizing the electrostatic potential of the protein and projecting it onto the chromophore. It was found that the distance between a nearby tyrosine (Y126) residue plays a larger role in the predicted absorption maximum than the primary counterion (E194). Geometric differences between the isomers were also noted, including a structural change in the polyene chain of the chromophore, as well as changes in the nearby hydrogen bonding network.

Possibilities of Obtaining and Controlling Virus-Free Material in the Process of Selection and Seed Production of Main Crops

It is known that after being infected with phytoviruses plants do not recover. Breeding virus-resistant cultivars also does not give reliable results due to the high variability of pathogens and their diversity. And since it is impossible to obtain stable forms then one of the goals of protection a virus-free material and preventing its re-infection. To improve the health of vegetative propagated plant species, you can use the method of tissue culture of the apical meristem. In some cases true seeds can be healed by thermal or chemical treatment. The data on viruses infecting the main agricultural crops of the Russian Far East are presented; the features of their distribution and interaction with plants are described. Possible measures are given to prevent of phytoviruses spreading and re-infection of virus-free plants in the process of breeding and seed production, in gardening and landscape design.

Evaluation as a Sociological Concept: Problem Statement

The present research featured the role of evaluation in sociology and the sociological interpretation of its components. Evaluation is a complex perceptive procedure. Social reality is conditioned by the existence of man, who shapes it through evaluation, which includes cognition, evaluative comparison, and the implementation of the resulting information in social interaction. First, people form initial ideas that are chipped into a set of knowledge about social reality. The perception is then transformed into a mental-comparative act. On this basis, people perform actions and choices that correlate with the values. Norms determine the nature of perception and evaluation. Therefore, people embody their social functions through social behavior, relationships, and interactions, thus learning about the world and evaluating various social phenomena on the basis of the obtained assumptions. In that way, people develop and translate stable forms of perception. Evaluation can serve as a measure in sociological studies, i.e. as a means of studying social reality. As a result, the relationship evaluation – cognition – value – norm – public opinion becomes obvious and can act as a methodological basis for sociological research.

The Impact of Retinal Configuration on the Protein-Chromophore Interactions in Bistable Jumping Spider Rhodopsin-1

Bistable rhodopsins have two stable forms which can be interconverted by light. Due to their ability to act as photoswitches, these proteins are considered as ideal candidates for applica-tions such as optogenetics. In this work we analyze a recently crystalized bistable rhodopsin, namely the jumping spider rhodopsin-1 (JSR1). This rhodopsin exhibits identical absorption maxima for the parent and the photoproduct form, which impedes its broad application. We have performed hybrid QM/MM simulations to study three isomers of the retinal chromo-phore: the 9-cis, 11-cis and all-trans configurations. The main aim was to gain insight into the specific interactions of each isomer and their impact on the absorption maximum in JSR1. The absorption spectra were computed using sampled snapshots from a QM/MM molecular dy-namics trajectory and compared to experimental counterparts. The chromophore-protein in-teractions were analyzed by visualizing the electrostatic potential of the protein and projecting it onto chromophore. It was found that the distance between a nearby tyrosine (Y126) residue plays a larger role in the predicted absorption maximum than the primary counterion (E194). Geometric differences between the isomers were also noted including a structural change in the polyene chain of the chromophore as well as changes in the nearby hydrogen bond network.

Posttranscriptional modulation of KCNQ2 gene expression by the miR-106b microRNA family

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as important regulators of ion channel expression. We show here that select miR-106b family members repress the expression of the KCNQ2 K+ channel protein by binding to the 3′-untranslated region of KCNQ2 messenger RNA. During the first few weeks after birth, the expression of miR-106b family members rapidly decreases, whereas KCNQ2 protein level inversely increases. Overexpression of miR-106b mimics resulted in a reduction in KCNQ2 protein levels. Conversely, KCNQ2 levels were up-regulated in neurons transfected with antisense miRNA inhibitors. By constructing more specific and stable forms of miR-106b controlling systems, we further confirmed that overexpression of precursor-miR-106b-5p led to a decrease in KCNQ current density and an increase in firing frequency of hippocampal neurons, while tough decoy miR-106b-5p dramatically increased current density and decreased neuronal excitability. These results unmask a regulatory mechanism of KCNQ2 channel expression in early postnatal development and hint at a role for miR-106b up-regulation in the pathophysiology of epilepsy.

Obtaining of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Modified With Galactose and Assessment of Their Cytotoxic Properties

The work presents the method for preparation of zinc oxide nanoparticles with galactose coating. Bare zinc oxide nanoparticles are well-known and popular drug delivers. However, the fact that zinc ions may be released from their structure easily, they may pose a threat to the living organism. Thus the modification of such a product has been performed. The physicochemical properties of the products have been analysed. XRD technique revealed crystallographic structure of the products. Based on ATR-FTIR analysis it was confirmed that galactose has been successfully attached to the zinc oxide nanoparticles. TEM-EDS microscopy was applied in order to assess the shape of nanoparticles and also for the confirmation of galactose on the particles surface. The releasing of zinc ions from the modified products was compared to their releasing from basic, non-modified sample. Also, cytotoxicity and proliferation of obtained products have been analysed with using Chinese hamster ovary cells. It was found out that the proposed technology may lead to obtain stable forms of modified zinc oxide nanoparticles with limited toxicity.

An insight into the ameliorative effects of melatonin against chromium induced oxidative stress and DNA damage: a review

Chromium (Cr), a ubiquitous metal, has become a potent pollutant due to global industrialization, leading to pollution of air, water, and food that impacts human health. The most stable forms of Cr are Cr(III) and Cr(VI) (the major product of industrial activities). Cr(III) is a micronutrient essential for maintaining normal blood glucose and lipid profiles in our body but it can also form Cr (III)-DNA adducts. In addition, it directly produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) via Fenton and Haber-Weiss reactions; leading to tissue injuries. Cr (VI) has the capacity to generate Cr(V), Cr (IV), and Cr(III), respectively under suitable conditions. These intermediates also damage to biological macromolecules by interactions with several enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. For example, Cr(III) can make double DNA strands breaking to inhibit DNA replication, induce DNA oxidation, and DNA adducts formation. All of these lead to the development of malignancy. Melatonin, a potent radical scavenger as well as a metal chelator, effectively chelates Cr(VI) and prevents DNA oxidative damage. Melatonin can upregulate the gene expression of several antioxidant enzymes, and thereby, maintains cellular integrity from the oxidative stress. Thus, melatonin can be a prime molecule to protect against Cr(VI) induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. This review aims to highlight the potential benefits of melatonin on Cr(VI) induced oxidative stress and DNA damage.

CancerMIRNome: an interactive analysis and visualization database for miRNome profiles of human cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which play critical roles in gene regulatory networks, have emerged as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for human cancer. In particular, circulating miRNAs that are secreted into circulation exist in remarkably stable forms, and have enormous potential to be leveraged as non-invasive biomarkers for early cancer detection. Novel and user-friendly tools are desperately needed to facilitate data mining of the vast amount of miRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and large-scale circulating miRNA profiling studies. To fill this void, we developed CancerMIRNome, a comprehensive database for the interactive analysis and visualization of miRNA expression profiles based on 10 554 samples from 33 TCGA projects and 28 633 samples from 40 public circulating miRNome datasets. A series of cutting-edge bioinformatics tools and machine learning algorithms have been packaged in CancerMIRNome, allowing for the pan-cancer analysis of a miRNA of interest across multiple cancer types and the comprehensive analysis of miRNome profiles to identify dysregulated miRNAs and develop diagnostic or prognostic signatures. The data analysis and visualization modules will greatly facilitate the exploit of the valuable resources and promote translational application of miRNA biomarkers in cancer. The CancerMIRNome database is publicly available at http://bioinfo.jialab-ucr.org/CancerMIRNome.