Comparative organization of tubulin microtubules in root cells of Zea mays (Poaceae) and Beta vulgaris (Chenopodiaceae s. str. / Amaranthaceae s. l.) under the influence of clinorotation

In order to identify the mechanism of functioning of the tubulin cytoskeleton, we have investigated the impact of clinorotation on cortical microtubules organization in the process of cell differentiation in growth zones of plant roots of Zea mays and Beta vulgaris. The similar organization of cortical and endoplasmic microtubules’ network in both species is noted. Clinorotation did not significantly change the organization of microtubules in meristem cells and the central elongation root zone. However, in the distal elongation zone of roots, both Z. mays and B. vulgaris expressed deviations of individual microtubules from the ordered transverse organization (at an angle greater than 45º). This deviation of the microtubules is likely caused by clinorotation and results in discoordination of root growth under these conditions. In addition, it has been found that the scope of destruction of the MT network by taxol in the root cells of both species is not dependent on clinorotation.

Explicit and implicit vocabulary learning: A comparative study based on EFL textbooks in Mainland China and Hong Kong

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the vocabulary settings in two English textbooks used in Mainland China and Hong Kong respectively, and provide useful suggestions for teachers to choose or adapt English as a foreign language (EFL) textbook. The study centers on two English textbooks for grade-nine/ JS3 EFL learners in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Methods The two textbooks will firstly be compared and contrasted at the macro-level, covering perspectives such as organization, visual aids, glossary, and supplementary materials. Next, to study the treatment of vocabulary further at the micro-level, the study will focus on one unit in the two selected textbooks sharing the same theme. Results At the macro-level, the two textbooks are both clear and colored printed, theme-based, glossary included, visual aids provided, and practice given. They mainly differ in module components and word load in the glossary. At the micro-level, both of them give pre-teaching of new words before reading/listening, present words in context, provide scaffolding, follow a sequence of difficulty, integrate well with the development of other language skills, but they are different in some ways. Conclusion In terms of vocabulary treatment, results showed that both textbooks generally follow similar organization and presentation but differ in suggested teaching approaches. The textbook used in Mainland addresses on the word meaning while the textbook in Hong Kong follows a more implicit approach. In order to facilitate the evaluation of the vocabulary section in EFL textbooks, a new checklist and teaching implications for teachers are proposed in the thesis.

Interspecies activation correlations reveal functional correspondences between marmoset and human brain areas

The common marmoset has enormous promise as a nonhuman primate model of human brain functions. While resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) has provided evidence for a similar organization of marmoset and human cortices, the technique cannot be used to map the functional correspondences of brain regions between species. This limitation can be overcome by movie-driven fMRI (md-fMRI), which has become a popular tool for noninvasively mapping the neural patterns generated by rich and naturalistic stimulation. Here, we used md-fMRI in marmosets and humans to identify whole-brain functional correspondences between the two primate species. In particular, we describe functional correlates for the well-known human face, body, and scene patches in marmosets. We find that these networks have a similar organization in both species, suggesting a largely conserved organization of higher-order visual areas between New World marmoset monkeys and humans. However, while face patches in humans and marmosets were activated by marmoset faces, only human face patches responded to the faces of other animals. Together, the results demonstrate that higher-order visual processing might be a conserved feature between humans and New World marmoset monkeys but that small, potentially important functional differences exist.

Three ParA Dimers Cooperatively Assemble on Type Ia Partition Promoters

Accurate DNA segregation is essential for faithful inheritance of genetic material. In bacteria, this process is mainly ensured by partition systems composed of two proteins, ParA and ParB, and a centromere site. Auto-regulation of Par operon expression is important for efficient partitioning and is primarily mediated by ParA for type Ia plasmid partition systems. For the F-plasmid, four ParAF monomers were proposed to bind to four repeated sequences in the promoter region. By contrast, using quantitative surface-plasmon-resonance, we showed that three ParAF dimers bind to this region. We uncovered that one perfect inverted repeat (IR) motif, consisting of two hexamer sequences spaced by 28-bp, constitutes the primary ParAF DNA binding site. A similar but degenerated motif overlaps the former. ParAF binding to these motifs is well supported by biochemical and modeling analyses. Molecular dynamics simulations predict that the winged-HTH domain displays high flexibility, which may favor the cooperative ParA binding to the promoter. We propose that three ParAF dimers bind cooperatively to overlapping motifs, thus covering the promoter region. A similar organization is found on closely related and distant plasmid partition systems, suggesting that such promoter organization for auto-regulated Par operons is widespread and may have evolved from a common ancestor.

Cauliflower fractal forms arise from perturbations of floral gene networks

Throughout development, plant meristems regularly produce organs in defined spiral, opposite, or whorl patterns. Cauliflowers present an unusual organ arrangement with a multitude of spirals nested over a wide range of scales. How such a fractal, self-similar organization emerges from developmental mechanisms has remained elusive. Combining experimental analyses in an Arabidopsis thaliana cauliflower-like mutant with modeling, we found that curd self-similarity arises because the meristems fail to form flowers but keep the “memory” of their transient passage in a floral state. Additional mutations affecting meristem growth can induce the production of conical structures reminiscent of the conspicuous fractal Romanesco shape. This study reveals how fractal-like forms may emerge from the combination of key, defined perturbations of floral developmental programs and growth dynamics.

Interspecies activation correlations reveal functional correspondences between marmoset and human brain areas

The common marmoset has enormous promise as a nonhuman primate model of human brain functions. While resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has provided evidence for a similar organization of marmoset and human cortices, the technique cannot be used to map the functional correspondences of brain regions between species. This limitation can be overcome by movie-driven fMRI (md-fMRI), which has become a popular tool for non-invasively mapping the neural patterns generated by rich and naturalistic stimulation. Here, we used md-fMRI in marmosets and humans to identify whole-brain functional correspondences between the two primate species. In particular, we describe functional correlates for the well-known human face, body, and scene patches in marmosets. We find that these networks have a similar organization in both species, suggesting a largely conserved organization of higher-order visual areas between New World marmoset monkeys and humans. However, while face patches in humans and marmosets were activated by marmoset faces, only human face patches responded to the faces of other animals. Together, the results demonstrate that md-fMRI is a powerful tool for interspecies functional mapping and characterization of higher-order visual functions.

The interaction of DNA repair factors ASCC2 and ASCC3 is affected by somatic cancer mutations

The ASCC3 subunit of the activating signal co-integrator complex is a dual-cassette Ski2-like nucleic acid helicase that provides single-stranded DNA for alkylation damage repair by the α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase AlkBH3. Other ASCC components integrate ASCC3/AlkBH3 into a complex DNA repair pathway. We mapped and structurally analyzed interacting ASCC2 and ASCC3 regions. The ASCC3 fragment comprises a central helical domain and terminal, extended arms that clasp the compact ASCC2 unit. ASCC2–ASCC3 interfaces are evolutionarily highly conserved and comprise a large number of residues affected by somatic cancer mutations. We quantified contributions of protein regions to the ASCC2–ASCC3 interaction, observing that changes found in cancers lead to reduced ASCC2–ASCC3 affinity. Functional dissection of ASCC3 revealed similar organization and regulation as in the spliceosomal RNA helicase Brr2. Our results delineate functional regions in an important DNA repair complex and suggest possible molecular disease principles.

Renal morphological description of brown brocket deer, Mazama gouazoubira, Fisher 1814 (Artiodactyla; cervidae)

The brown brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) is a deer that lives in South America, particularly in Brazil and nearby countries such as Uruguay and Argentina. This study aimed to describe the topography, morphology, wraps and renal arterial segments of brocket deer. Used two specimens of M. gouazoubira; through dissection, the skin was completely removed and later scored the arteries of animals with stained latex red later the animals were fixed in a formaldehyde solution 10%. Sequentially through a ventral access block was removed from the animal gut and kidneys disjoint this block. The right kidney located at the level of the vertebrae L1-L3 and the left kidney at the level of vertebrae L2-L4 were presented rounded with smooth convex faces without lobation, wrapped sequentially by a thin fibrous capsule, the renal fat and fascia capsule. Medial to each kidney, the adrenal glands were. Renal artery forked in the hilar region in the cranial and caudal artery sectoral and one of these sectoral arteries (cranial and caudal) originated five main segments directed to the ventral region and the dorsal region each kidney, these segments are again bifurcated arterial segments totaling 14. Microscopically the kidneys presented similar organization to that presented by the ruminants with cortical and medullary region with fused lobes. The kidneys brocket deer resemble the kidneys of other ruminants in general, and to carnivores. Thus, its morphology, topography and the renal arterial segments and anatomical and surgical territories of the species studied have been shown to be unique.

The interaction of DNA repair factors ASCC2 and ASCC3 is affected by somatic cancer mutations

The ASCC3 subunit of the activating signal co-integrator complex is a dual-cassette Ski2-like nucleic acid helicase that provides single-stranded DNA for alkylation damage repair by the α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, AlkBH3. Other ASCC components integrate ASCC3/AlkBH3 into a complex DNA repair pathway. We mapped and structurally analyzed interacting ASCC2 and ASCC3 regions. The ASCC3 fragment comprises a central helical domain and terminal, extended arms that clasp the compact ASCC2 unit. ASCC2-ASCC3 interfaces are evolutionarily highly conserved and comprise a large number of residues affected by somatic cancer mutations. We quantified contributions of protein regions to the ASCC2-ASCC3 interaction, observing that changes found in cancers lead to reduced ASCC2-ASCC3 affinity. Functional dissection of ASCC3 revealed similar organization and regulation as in the spliceosomal RNA helicase, Brr2. Our results delineate functional regions in an important DNA repair complex and suggest possible molecular disease principles.

Vernacular Architecture

Vernacular architecture refers to both a subject of study and a way of approaching that subject. Vernacular architecture studies emphasize the connections between the built environment and the people who interact with it, reflecting on the two-way nature of those relationships. People, sometimes known by name and sometimes anonymous, plan and erect buildings, but physical spaces also influence how groups and individuals use them. With this in mind, students of vernacular architecture often ask “why” questions, and they are likely to be interested in the entire life cycle of a building, its surroundings, and its interiors rather than just the moment of creation and exterior appearance. The scholarship on vernacular architecture contrasts with more typical architectural history in that it is concerned with the everyday. Ordinary buildings, landscapes, and interiors—the type of things that don’t often attract much attention—are its primary focus. The formal study of vernacular architecture is a relatively new pursuit. While interest in old buildings goes back centuries, it was really in the 1970s that the field developed its current trajectory. In the works that follow, architect-designed buildings are the exception rather than the rule. In terms of methodology, the unifying approach—regardless of type, date, or construction—involves fieldwork, which can mean documenting buildings and spaces through photography and the creation of measured drawings, as well as documenting the human experience through oral history and ethnographic methods. Documentary sources also play an important role in the study of vernacular architecture, especially when the subject involves the more distant past. The study of vernacular architecture is multidisciplinary. The authors of the following books, articles, and websites come from a variety of academic backgrounds, including art history, history, folklore, anthropology, archaeology, cultural geography, architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning, among others. Some teach in the academy, but others work at museums and historic sites, cultural resource management firms, historic preservation offices, and other governmental entities. In North America, the Vernacular Architecture Forum (VAF) is the preeminent organization for the study of vernacular architecture. The VAF traces its roots, in part, to a similar organization, the Vernacular Architecture Group (VAG), which was established in England in 1952 with a focus on the British Isles.