Factors Associated with the Diversification of the Gut Microbial Communities within Chimpanzees from Gombe National Park.

The gastrointestinal tract harbors large and diverse populations of bacteria that vary among individuals and within individuals over time. Numerous internal and external factors can influence the contents of these microbial communities, including diet, geography, physiology, and the extent of contact among hosts. To investigate the contributions of such factors to the variation and changes in gut microbial communities, we analyzed the distal gut microbiota of individual chimpanzees from two communities in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. These samples, which were derived from 35 chimpanzees, many of whom have been monitored for multiple years, provide an unusually comprehensive longitudinal depth for individuals of known genetic relationships. Although the composition of the great-ape microbiota has been shown to codiversify with host species, indicating that host genetics and phylogeny have played a major role in its differentiation over evolutionary timescales, the geneaological relationships of individual chimpanzees did not coincide with the similarity in their gut microbial communities. However, the inhabitants from adjacent chimpanzee communities could be distinguished based on the contents of their gut microbiota. Despite the broad similarity of community members, as would be expected from shared diet or interactions, long-term immigrants to a community often harbored the most distinctive gut microbiota, suggesting that individuals retain hallmarks of their previous gut microbial communities for extended periods. This pattern was reinforced in several chimpanzees sampled over long temporal scales, in which the major constituents of the gut microbiota were maintained for nearly a decade

Detection of an ultra-bright submillimeter galaxy in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field using AzTEC/ASTE

We report the detection of an extremely bright ($\sim$37 mJy at 1100 $\mu$m and $\sim$91 mJy at 880 $\mu$m) submillimeter galaxy (SMG), AzTEC-ASTE-SXDF1100.001 (hereafter referred to as SXDF1100.001 or Orochi), discovered in 1100 $\mu$m observations of the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field using AzTEC on ASTE. Subsequent CARMA 1300 $\mu$m and SMA 880 $\mu$m observations successfully pinpoint the location of Orochi and suggest that it has two components, one extended (FWHM of $\sim$ 4$^{\prime\prime}$) and one compact (unresolved). Z-Spec on CSO has also been used to obtain a wide band spectrum from 190 to 308 GHz, although no significant emission/absorption lines are found. The derived upper limit to the line-to-continuum flux ratio is 0.1--0.3 (2 $\sigma$) across the Z-Spec band. Based on the analysis of the derived spectral energy distribution from optical to radio wavelengths of possible counterparts near the SMA/CARMA peak position, we suggest that Orochi is a lensed, optically dark SMG lying at $z \sim 3.4$ behind a foreground, optically visible (but red) galaxy at $z \sim 1.4$. The deduced apparent (i.e., no correction for magnification) infrared luminosity ($L_{\rm IR}$) and star formation rate (SFR) are $6 \times 10^{13}$ $L_{\odot}$ and 11000 $M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, respectively, assuming that the $L_{\rm IR}$ is dominated by star formation. These values suggest that Orochi will consume its gas reservoir within a short time scale ($3 \times 10^{7}$ yr), which is indeed comparable to those in extreme starbursts like the centres of local ULIRGs.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figure

Monopolin subunit Csm1 associates with MIND complex to establish monopolar attachment of sister kinetochores at meiosis I

Sexually reproducing organisms halve their cellular ploidy during gametogenesis by undergoing a specialized form of cell division known as meiosis. During meiosis, a single round of DNA replication is followed by two rounds of nuclear divisions (referred to as meiosis I and II). While sister kinetochores bind to microtubules emanating from opposite spindle poles during mitosis, they bind to microtubules originating from the same spindle pole during meiosis I. This phenomenon is referred to as mono-orientation and is essential for setting up the reductional mode of chromosome segregation during meiosis I. In budding yeast, mono-orientation depends on a four component protein complex referred to as monopolin which consists of two nucleolar proteins Csm1 and Lrs4, meiosis-specific protein Mam1 of unknown function and casein kinase Hrr25. Monopolin complex binds to kinetochores during meiosis I and prevents bipolar attachments. Although monopolin associates with kinetochores during meiosis I, its binding site(s) on the kinetochore is not known and its mechanism of action has not been established. By carrying out an imaging-based screen we have found that the MIND complex, a component of the central kinetochore, is required for monopolin association with kinetochores during meiosis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that interaction of monopolin subunit Csm1 with the N-terminal domain of MIND complex subunit Dsn1, is essential for both the association of monopolin with kinetochores and for monopolar attachment of sister kinetochores during meiosis I. As such this provides the first functional evidence for a monopolin-binding site at the kinetochore

The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey: HerMES

The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey, HerMES, is a legacy program designed to map a set of nested fields totalling ~380 deg^2. Fields range in size from 0.01 to ~20 deg^2, using Herschel-SPIRE (at 250, 350 and 500 \mu m), and Herschel-PACS (at 100 and 160 \mu m), with an additional wider component of 270 deg^2 with SPIRE alone. These bands cover the peak of the redshifted thermal spectral energy distribution from interstellar dust and thus capture the re-processed optical and ultra-violet radiation from star formation that has been absorbed by dust, and are critical for forming a complete multi-wavelength understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The survey will detect of order 100,000 galaxies at 5\sigma in some of the best studied fields in the sky. Additionally, HerMES is closely coordinated with the PACS Evolutionary Probe survey. Making maximum use of the full spectrum of ancillary data, from radio to X-ray wavelengths, it is designed to: facilitate redshift determination; rapidly identify unusual objects; and understand the relationships between thermal emission from dust and other processes. Scientific questions HerMES will be used to answer include: the total infrared emission of galaxies; the evolution of the luminosity function; the clustering properties of dusty galaxies; and the properties of populations of galaxies which lie below the confusion limit through lensing and statistical techniques. This paper defines the survey observations and data products, outlines the primary scientific goals of the HerMES team, and reviews some of the early results.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 9 Tables, MNRAS accepte

EXIT-chart aided hybrid multiuser detector design for frequency-domain-spread chip-interleaved MC-CDMA

With the advent of EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) charts, we are capable of analyzing, predicting and visually comparing the convergence behaviours of different turbo Multi-User Detectector (MUD)s. The different MUDs have diverse EXIT characteristics and hence their superposition allows us to create a combined EXIT curve, which closely matches that of the channel decoder. Hence a near-capacity operation is facilitated by combining the benifits of different MUDs and therefore to create a superior MUD. Thus in this contribution, we propose a novel hybrid MUD combining scheme, which combines the advantages of a high performance and low complexity in form of an advanced hybrid MUD solution. The transmitted bits are unknown at the receiver, hence it is not feasible to directly evaluate the mutual information gain of the iterative MUD in consecutive iterations, hence we propose a realistic algorithm for estimating this mutual information gain, which is then used for activating the most appropriate constituent MUD as and when it is necessary. The constituent MUDs are the Matched Filter (MF) based Soft Interference Cancellation (SoIC) and the optimum Bayesian MUDs, which are invoked in the scenario of Frequency-Domain-Spread Chip-Interleaved (FDSCI) Multiple Carrier Code Division Multiple Access (MC-CDMA). The resultant hybrid MUD is capable of outperforming both the MF-SoIC and Bayesian turbo MUDs in the terms of the attainable complexity and Bit-Error-Rate (BER) performance

Detection of an ultra-bright submillimeter galaxy in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field using AzTEC/ASTE

We report the detection of an extremely bright ($\sim$37 mJy at 1100 $\mu$m and $\sim$91 mJy at 880 $\mu$m) submillimeter galaxy (SMG), AzTEC-ASTE-SXDF1100.001 (hereafter referred to as SXDF1100.001 or Orochi), discovered in 1100 $\mu$m observations of the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field using AzTEC on ASTE. Subsequent CARMA 1300 $\mu$m and SMA 880 $\mu$m observations successfully pinpoint the location of Orochi and suggest that it has two components, one extended (FWHM of $\sim$ 4$^{\prime\prime}$) and one compact (unresolved). Z-Spec on CSO has also been used to obtain a wide band spectrum from 190 to 308 GHz, although no significant emission/absorption lines are found. The derived upper limit to the line-to-continuum flux ratio is 0.1--0.3 (2 $\sigma$) across the Z-Spec band. Based on the analysis of the derived spectral energy distribution from optical to radio wavelengths of possible counterparts near the SMA/CARMA peak position, we suggest that Orochi is a lensed, optically dark SMG lying at $z \sim 3.4$ behind a foreground, optically visible (but red) galaxy at $z \sim 1.4$. The deduced apparent (i.e., no correction for magnification) infrared luminosity ($L_{\rm IR}$) and star formation rate (SFR) are $6 \times 10^{13}$ $L_{\odot}$ and 11000 $M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, respectively, assuming that the $L_{\rm IR}$ is dominated by star formation. These values suggest that Orochi will consume its gas reservoir within a short time scale ($3 \times 10^{7}$ yr), which is indeed comparable to those in extreme starbursts like the centres of local ULIRGs.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figure

S100A14 Stimulates Cell Proliferation and Induces Cell Apoptosis at Different Concentrations via Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE)

S100A14 is an EF-hand containing calcium-binding protein of the S100 protein family that exerts its biological effects on different types of cells. However, exact extracellular roles of S100A14 have not been clarified yet. Here we investigated the effects of S100A14 on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell lines. Results demonstrated that low doses of extracellular S100A14 stimulate cell proliferation and promote survival in KYSE180 cells through activating ERK1/2 MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. Immunoprecipitation assay showed that S100A14 binds to receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in KYSE180 cells. Inhibition of RAGE signaling by different approaches including siRNA for RAGE, overexpression of a dominant-negative RAGE construct or a RAGE antagonist peptide (AmphP) significantly blocked S100A14-induced effects, suggesting that S100A14 acts via RAGE ligation. Furthermore, mutation of the N-EF hand of S100A14 (E39A, E45A) virtually reduced 10 µg/ml S100A14-induced cell proliferation and ERK1/2 activation. However, high dose (80 µg/ml) of S100A14 causes apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway with activation of caspase-3, caspase-9, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. High dose S100A14 induces cell apoptosis is partially in a RAGE-dependent manner. This is the first study to demonstrate that S100A14 binds to RAGE and stimulates RAGE-dependent signaling cascades, promoting cell proliferation or triggering cell apoptosis at different doses

Characterization of the Interaction between the Cohesin Subunits Rad21 and SA1/2

The cohesin complex is responsible for the fidelity of chromosomal segregation during mitosis. It consists of four core subunits, namely Rad21/Mcd1/Scc1, Smc1, Smc3, and one of the yeast Scc3 orthologs SA1 or SA2. Sister chromatid cohesion is generated during DNA replication and maintained until the onset of anaphase. Among the many proposed models of the cohesin complex, the ﾒcoreﾒ cohesin subunits Smc1, Smc3, and Rad21 are almost universally displayed as tripartite ring. However, other than its supportive role in the cohesin ring, little is known about the fourth core subunit SA1/SA2. To gain deeper insight into the function of SA1/SA2 in the cohesin complex, we have mapped the interactive regions of SA2 and Rad21 in vitro and ex vivo. Whereas SA2 interacts with Rad21 through a broad region (301ﾖ750 aa), Rad21 binds to SA proteins through two SA-binding motifs on Rad21, namely N-terminal (NT) and middle part (MP) SA-binding motif, located At 60-81 aa of the N-terminus and 383ﾖ392 aa of the MP of Rad21, respectively. The MP SA-binding motif is a 10 amino acid, a-helical motif. Deletion of these 10 amino acids or mutation of three conserved amino acids (L385, F389, and T390) in this ahelical motif significantly hinders Rad21 from physically interacting with SA1/2. Besides the MP SA-binding motif, the NT SAbinding motif is also important for SA1/2 interaction. Although mutations on both SA-binding motifs disrupt Rad21-SA1/2 interaction, they had no apparent effect on the Smc1-Smc3-Rad21 interaction. However, the Rad21-Rad21 dimerization was reduced by the mutations, indicating potential involvement of the two SA-binding motifs in the formation of the two-ring handcuff for chromosomal cohesion. Furthermore, mutant Rad21 proteins failed to significantly rescue precocious chromosome separation caused by depletion of endogenous Rad21 in mitotic cells, further indicating the physiological significance of the two SA-binding motifs of Rad21

Liposomi rivastigmina za isporuku u mozak intranazalnim putem

The present study is mainly aimed at delivering a drug into the brain via the intranasal route using a liposomal formulation. For this purpose, rivastigmine, which is used in the management of Alzheimer’s disease, was selectd as a model drug. Conventional liposomes were formulated by lipid layer hydration method using cholesterol and soya lecithin as lipid components. The concentration of rivastigmine in brain and plasma was studied in rat models after intranasal and oral administration of liposomes and free drug. A significantly higher level of drug was found in the brain with intranasal liposomes of rivastigmine compared to the intranasal free drug and the oral route. Intranasal liposomes had a longer half-life in the brain than intranasally or orally administered free drug. Delivering rivastigmine liposomes through the intranasal route for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease might be a new approach to the management of this condition.Glavni cilj rada je razvoj liposoma za intranazalnu primjenu za isporuku lijeka u mozak. U tu svrhu izabran je rivastigmin kao modelni lijek koji se upotrebljava u terapiji Alzheimerove bolesti. Liposomi su pripravljeni metodom hidratacije lipidnog sloja koristeći kolesterol i lecitin iz soje kao lipidne komponente. Praćena je koncentracija rivastigmina u mozgu i plazmi nakon intranazalne i peroralne primjene liposoma i slobodnog lijeka. S intranazalnim liposomima rivastigmina postignuta je značajno veća koncentracija lijeka u mozgu. Osim toga intranazalni liposomi imaju dulje vrijeme poluživota u mozgu. Intranazalna primjena liposoma rivastigmina mogla bi predstavljati novi pristup terapiji Alzheimerove bolesti