EIF3A (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3, subunit A)

Review on EIF3A (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3, subunit A), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

Molecular to Macroscale Energy Absorption Mechanisms in Biological Body Armour Illuminated by Scanning X-ray Diffraction with In Situ Compression.

Determining multiscale, concurrent strain, and deformation mechanisms in hierarchical biological materials is a crucial engineering goal, to understand structural optimization strategies in Nature. However, experimentally characterizing complex strain and displacement fields within a 3D hierarchical composite, in a multiscale full-field manner, is challenging. Here, we determined the in situ strains at the macro-, meso-, and molecular-levels in stomatopod cuticle simultaneously, by exploiting the anisotropy of the 3D fiber diffraction coupled with sample rotation. The results demonstrate the method, using the mineralized 3D α-chitin fiber networks as strain sensors, can capture submicrometer deformation of a single lamella (mesoscale), can extract strain information on multiple constituents concurrently, and shows that α-chitin fiber networks deform elastically while the surrounding matrix deforms plastically before systematic failure under compression. Further, the results demonstrate a molecular-level prestrain gradient in chitin fibers, resulting from different mineralization degrees in the exo- and endo cuticle

Prognostic relevance of a T-type calcium channels gene signature in solid tumours: A correlation ready for clinical validation

BackgroundT-type calcium channels (TTCCs) mediate calcium influx across the cell membrane. TTCCs regulate numerous physiological processes including cardiac pacemaking and neuronal activity. In addition, they have been implicated in the proliferation, migration and differentiation of tumour tissues. Although the signalling events downstream of TTCC-mediated calcium influx are not fully elucidated, it is clear that variations in the expression of TTCCs promote tumour formation and hinder response to treatment.MethodsWe examined the expression of TTCC genes (all three subtypes; CACNA-1G, CACNA-1H and CACNA-1I) and their prognostic value in three major solid tumours (i.e. gastric, lung and ovarian cancers) via a publicly accessible database.ResultsIn gastric cancer, expression of all the CACNA genes was associated with overall survival (OS) among stage I-IV patients (all pConclusionsAlterations in CACNA gene expression are linked to tumour prognosis. Gastric cancer represents the most promising setting for further evaluation

A topological classification of convex bodies

The shape of homogeneous, generic, smooth convex bodies as described by the Euclidean distance with nondegenerate critical points, measured from the center of mass represents a rather restricted class M_C of Morse-Smale functions on S^2. Here we show that even M_C exhibits the complexity known for general Morse-Smale functions on S^2 by exhausting all combinatorial possibilities: every 2-colored quadrangulation of the sphere is isomorphic to a suitably represented Morse-Smale complex associated with a function in M_C (and vice versa). We prove our claim by an inductive algorithm, starting from the path graph P_2 and generating convex bodies corresponding to quadrangulations with increasing number of vertices by performing each combinatorially possible vertex splitting by a convexity-preserving local manipulation of the surface. Since convex bodies carrying Morse-Smale complexes isomorphic to P_2 exist, this algorithm not only proves our claim but also generalizes the known classification scheme in [36]. Our expansion algorithm is essentially the dual procedure to the algorithm presented by Edelsbrunner et al. in [21], producing a hierarchy of increasingly coarse Morse-Smale complexes. We point out applications to pebble shapes.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figure

Coherent coupling between radio frequency, optical, and acoustic waves in piezo-optomechanical circuits

The interaction of optical and mechanical modes in nanoscale optomechanical systems has been widely studied for applications ranging from sensing to quantum information science. Here, we develop a platform for cavity optomechanical circuits in which localized and interacting 1550 nm photons and 2.4 GHz phonons are combined with photonic and phononic waveguides. Working in GaAs facilitates manipulation of the localized mechanical mode either with a radio frequency field through the piezo-electric effect, or optically through the strong photoelastic effect. We use this to demonstrate a novel acoustic wave interference effect, analogous to coherent population trapping in atomic systems, in which the coherent mechanical motion induced by the electrical drive can be completely cancelled out by the optically-driven motion. The ability to manipulate cavity optomechanical systems with equal facility through either photonic or phononic channels enables new device and system architectures for signal transduction between the optical, electrical, and mechanical domains

Ecophysiological Adaptation of Calligonum roborovskii to Decreasing Soil Water Content along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Kunlun Mountains, Central Asia

To understand the ecophysiological adaptation mechanisms of Calligonum roborovskii to altitude variation, this study analyzed chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b), Chl (a + b), carotenoid (Car), malondialdehyde (MDA), ascorbate (AsA), proline (Pro), membrane permeability (MP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf nitrogen content based on mass (N-mass), and the activities of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in leaves of plants inhabiting different altitudes (A1: 2100 m, A2: 2350 m, A3: 2600 m) on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains. The results showed that Chl a, Chl b, Chl (a + b), SLA, N-mass, and the activity of CAT increased with increasing altitude. LMA, MP, MDA, Car, Pro, AsA, O-2(-), H2O2 and the activities of SOD, POD, and APX decreased with increasing altitude. The test results also showed that, changes in venvironmental factors along an altitudinal gradient are not obvious. Soil water content is the main ecological factor. With increasing altitude, soil water content increased significantly. More non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants played an important role in eliminating intracellular ROS. They kept the cell membrane in a stable state and ensured the normal growth of C. roborovskii

Effects of information, education, and communication campaign on a community-based health insurance scheme in Burkina Faso

Objective : The study analysed the effect of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign activities on the adoption of a community-based health insurance (CHI) scheme in Nouna, Burkina Faso. It also identified the factors that enhanced or limited the campaign's effectiveness. Design : Complementary data collection approaches were used. A survey was conducted with 250 randomly selected household heads, followed by in-depth interviews with 22 purposively selected community leaders, group discussions with the project management team, and field observations. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between household exposure to campaign and acquisition of knowledge as well as household exposure to campaign and enrolment. Results : The IEC campaign had a positive effect on households’ knowledge about the CHI and to a lesser extent on household enrolment in the scheme. The effectiveness of the IEC strategy was mainly influenced by: 1 frequent and consistent IEC messages from multiple media channels (mass and interpersonal channels), including the radio, a mobile information van, and CHI team, and 2 community heads’ participation in the CHI scheme promotion. Education was the only significantly influential socio-demographic determinant of knowledge and enrolment among household heads. The relatively low effects of the IEC campaign on CHI enrolment are indicative of other important IEC mediating factors, which should be taken into account in future CHI campaign evaluation. Conclusion : The study concludes that an IEC campaign is crucial to improving the understanding of the CHI scheme concept, which is an enabler to enrolment, and should be integrated into scheme designs and evaluations

Parallel chemistry acceleration algorithm with ISAT table-size control in the application of gaseous detonation

In order to improve the computational efficiency of a parallel ISAT (in situ adaptive tabulation)-based chemistry acceleration algorithm in the computations of transient, chemically reacting flows, a control strategy is proposed to maintain the sizes of the data tables in the ISAT computations. The table-size control strategy is then combined with a parallel algorithm to simulate two-dimensional gaseous detonation wave propagation. In the computation of 2H2 + O2 detonation, two sets of tests are conducted to identify the size control strategy. In the first set, the maximum total table size (Mtot) summed over all sub-zones is fixed, while the maximum size of the table on each sub-zone (Msin) is varied. In the second set, a fixed Msin is used for all the tables on the sub-zones while Mtot is varied. A maximum speedup ratio of 4.29 is found in the former tests, while 5.52 is found in the latter. Two parameters, σf and p, are proposed to analyze the load balance and synchronization among table operations in the parallel ISAT computations in the above tests. It is found that both load balance and synchronization have clear influences on the speedup ratio. A parameter pM is defined, and a strategy to choose the optimal maximum table sizes (both Mtot and Msin) based on pM is proposed and is verified to be universal in the computations of both 2H2 + O2 detonation and C2H4 + 3O2 detonation. Finally, the parallel acceleration algorithm enhanced with table-size control is shown to be highly accurate for the detonations in both fuels

Where Does Mediator Bind In Vivo?

Background: The Mediator complex associates with RNA polymerase (Pol) II, and it is recruited to enhancer regions by activator proteins under appropriate environmental conditions. However, the issue of Mediator association in yeast cells is controversial. Under optimal growth conditions (YPD medium), we were unable to detect Mediator at essentially any S. cerevisiae promoter region, including those supporting very high levels of transcription. In contrast, whole genome microarray experiments in synthetic complete (SC) medium reported that Mediator associates with many genes at both promoter and coding regions. Principal Findings: As assayed by chromatin immunoprecipitation, we show that there are a small number of Mediator targets in SC medium that are not observed in YPD medium. However, most Mediator targets identified in the genome-wide analysis are false positives that arose for several interrelated reasons: the use of overly lenient cut-offs; artifactual differences in apparent IP efficiencies among different genomic regions in the untagged strain; low fold-enrichments making it difficult to distinguish true Mediator targets from false positives that occur in the absence of the tagged Mediator protein. Lastly, apparent Mediator association in highly active coding regions is due to a non-specific effect on accessibility due to the lack of nucleosomes, not to a specific association of Mediator. Conclusions: These results indicate that Mediator does not bind to numerous sites in the yeast genome, but rathe