(Selah)

Words cannot express things; Speech does not convey the spirit. Swayed by words, one is lost; Blocked by phrases one is bewildered. Mumon Rhythm is innate to every aspect of existence; it inhales and exhales; it causes civilizations to rise and fall; it beats the drum of war and plays the waltz of peace; it changes the seasons as the earth circles the sun; it is the cycle of birth and decay. Although flux and change appear to occur, they are mere players in this constant cosmic repetition. My process of drawing and cutting is a means of introspection. These repetitive, monastic actions occupy the physical body and allow the mind to wander free from the concerns of daily life. They parallel the inescapable rhythms that govern our lives: from the minute, such as blinking, to larger aspects, the ebb and flow of tides, for instance. Acts of artistic creation become ritualistic when viewed in comparison to the archetypal creation of the universe. Each piece is an artifact of a meditative experience and an ode to the mystery of the universe

Engineering ligand-responsive RNA controllers in yeast through the assembly of RNase III tuning modules

The programming of cellular networks to achieve new biological functions depends on the development of genetic tools that link the presence of a molecular signal to gene-regulatory activity. Recently, a set of engineered RNA controllers was described that enabled predictable tuning of gene expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae through directed cleavage of transcripts by an RNase III enzyme, Rnt1p. Here, we describe a strategy for building a new class of RNA sensing-actuation devices based on direct integration of RNA aptamers into a region of the Rnt1p hairpin that modulates Rnt1p cleavage rates. We demonstrate that ligand binding to the integrated aptamer domain is associated with a structural change sufficient to inhibit Rnt1p processing. Three tuning strategies based on the incorporation of different functional modules into the Rnt1p switch platform were demonstrated to optimize switch dynamics and ligand responsiveness. We further demonstrated that these tuning modules can be implemented combinatorially in a predictable manner to further improve the regulatory response properties of the switch. The modularity and tunability of the Rnt1p switch platform will allow for rapid optimization and tailoring of this gene control device, thus providing a useful tool for the design of complex genetic networks in yeast

Research opportunities on immunocompetence in space

The most significant of the available data on the effects of space flight on immunocompetences and the potential operational and clinical significance of reported changes are as follows: (1) reduced postflight blastogenic response of peripheral lymphocytes from space crew members; (2) postflight neutrophilia persisting up to 7 days; (3) gingival inflammation of the Skylab astronauts; (4) postflight lymphocytopenia, eosinopenia, and monocytopenia; (5) modifications and shifts in the microflora of space crews and spacecraft; and (6) microbial contamination of cabin air and drinking water. These responses and data disclose numerous gaps in the knowledge that is essential for an adequate understanding of space-related changes in immunocompetence

Dissection of gene regulatory networks in embryonic stem cells by means of high-throughput sequencing

Transcription factor regulation of gene expression and chromatin-controlled epigenetic memory systems are closely cooperating in establishing the pluripotent state of embryonic stem (ES) cells and maintaining cell fate decisions throughout development of an organism. A thorough understanding of the regulatory transcriptional circuitry that rules the underlying plastic yet heritable gene expression programs in ES cells is of great importance. With the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies facilitating the quantitative assessment of functional genomics assays it is now feasible to interrogate transcription networks at a genome-wide scale. Here, we discuss the application of next-generation sequencing in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying ES cell functio

Model-guided design of ligand-regulated RNAi for programmable control of gene expression

Progress in constructing biological networks will rely on the development of more advanced components that can be predictably modified to yield optimal system performance. We have engineered an RNA-based platform, which we call an shRNA switch, that provides for integrated ligand control of RNA interference (RNAi) by modular coupling of an aptamer, competing strand, and small hairpin (sh) RNA stem into a single component that links ligand concentration and target gene expression levels. A combined experimental and mathematical modelling approach identified multiple tuning strategies and moves towards a predictable framework for the forward design of shRNA switches. The utility of our platform is highlighted by the demonstration of fine-tuning, multi-input control, and model-guided design of shRNA switches with an optimized dynamic range. Thus, shRNA switches can serve as an advanced component for the construction of complex biological systems and offer a controlled means of activating RNAi in disease therapeutics

The American Compound

Scarcely addressed in the literature, the compound has gained broad recognition in the American vernacular as a spatially separate and unique form of settlement. Although largely viewed as a fringe development, compounds have deep roots in the historical development of the American landscape

Sympatric Dreissena species in the Meuse River : towards a dominance shift from zebra to quagga mussels

The rapid spread of the quagga mussel, Dreissena rostriformis, in Western Europe is of particular concern since the species is known to have serious ecological and economic impacts, similar to those of the well-established zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha. This study aimed (1) to provide an update on the quagga mussel distribution in several Belgian inland waterways, and (2) to check if a shift in dominance between Dreissena species is occurring. Using density measurements and artificial substrate samplers, we compared population dynamics for both species at different time-points based on size-frequency distribution. Our results show that quagga mussels are spreading rapidly throughout Belgium via a number of possible invasion fronts based around large rivers and canals. The quagga mussel became the dominant dreissenid species in both the Meuse River and a number of Belgian canals. In just three years, quagga mussel’s relative abundance increased from 2.9% (±2.9) to 52.6% (±43.1) of the total dreissenid population in the Meuse River. The most rapid increase in abundance has occurred in the Albert Canal, where quagga mussels achieved a mean relative abundance of 80% two years after the first observation. In the Meuse River, the quagga mussel displays a faster growth rate and/or earlier reproduction than the zebra mussel. We discuss different mechanisms that could explain the quagga mussel’s apparent competitive advantage over the zebra mussel

The American Compound

Scarcely addressed in the literature, the compound has gained broad recognition in the American vernacular as a spatially separate and unique form of settlement. Although largely viewed as a fringe development, compounds have deep roots in the historical development of the American landscape

Neglected malarias: The frontlines and back alleys of global health

types: ArticleAmong the public health community, ‘all except malaria’ is often shorthand for neglected tropical diseases. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s cause ce´le`bre, malaria receives a tremendous amount of funding, as well as scientific and policy attention. Malaria has, however, divergent biological, behavioural and socio-political guises; it is multiply implicated in the environments we inhabit and in the ways in which we inhabit them. The malaria that focuses our attention crops up in the back alleys of Dar es Salaam, brought into being by local labour and municipal governance – a version of malaria that, we argue, is increasingly excluded in current eradication campaigns. This article considers the cycles of public health amnesia, memory and neglect that construe the parasitological exchange between man and mosquito. It begins by exploring the political concerns and technical capacities that have transformed malaria into a global enemy. Combining these historical accounts with ethnographic material, we suggest how malaria is disentangled from or conflated with particular places. Ultimately, our aim is to reflect upon the relationship between scale of malaria control and its social consequence, attending to the actors and relations that fall outside of contemporary global public health policy