Lamarck and immunity: Somatic and germline evolution of antibody genes

Current work on the mechanism of hypermutation of somatically rearranged antibody variable (V) genes shows that the most likely mechanism involves both direct DNA modification (deamination of cytosines to uracils by AID deaminase) and strand nicking plus mRNA editing (deamination of adenosine to inosine via the ADAR1 deaminase) coupled to a reverse transcription process to fix RNA sequence modifications in V gene DNA - most likely involving the repair enzyme DNA polymerase eta (rt) known to be an efficient reverse transcriptase in vitro. The DNA sequence patterns of families of similar germline V genes reveals that many features of somatically mutated and antigen-selected variable genes appear written into the germline V gene arrays of the immune system. Lamarckian gene feedback and cellular reverse transcription, coupled to Darwinian antigen binding selection of somatically mutated V genes, are concepts which appear necessary for a more complete understanding how the V gene complex has evolved. Antibody variable (V) genes of the immune system have therefore been used to test ideas on reverse transcriptase-coupled soma-to-germline feedback in a complex multicellular system. Such feedback constitutes a violation of Weismann's Barrier and thus support for some type of Lamarckian gene feedback operative during the evolution of the vertebrate immune system

Observations on the basic (G′/G)-expansion method for finding solutions to nonlinear evolution equations

The extended tanh-function expansion method for finding solutions to nonlinear evolution equations delivers solutions in a straightforward manner and in a neat and helpful form. On the other hand, the more recent but less efficient (G′/G)-expansion method delivers solutions in a rather cumbersome form. It is shown that these solutions are merely disguised forms of the solutions given by the earlier method so that the two methods are entirely equivalent. An unfortunate consequence of this observation is that, in many papers in which the (G′/G)-expansion method has been used, claims that 'new' solutions have been derived are often erroneous; the so-called 'new' solutions are merely disguised versions of previously known solutions

The odour of white bread

Volatile constituents of white bread were investigated. Different methods were used for isolating and concentrating components to avoid artefacts as far as possible. Especially good was enlarged vapour analysis. Ninety-four components were identified, including hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, esters as well as nitrogen, sulphur and miscellaneous compounds. The concentration of the main components in the vapour above white bread was determined by direct vapour analysis. The odour threshold values of these components in aqueous solution were determined, and the odour values calculated as the ratio of concentration to odour threshold value to estimate their contribution to the total odour. The Maillard reaction of the cysteine/cystine-ribose system was investigated in a search for components which can be expected in heat-processed food products, and to find out whether during this reaction compounds possessing bread-like odours were formed. Forty-five components were identified, including thiophenes, thiazoles, thiols, pyrazines, pyrroles, amines, furans, aldehydes, ketones and miscellaneous compounds. Possible pathways for the formation of 2-acylthiazoles and of 3-methyl, and 5-methyl substituted 2-formylthiophenes are proposed

A note on travelling-wave solutions to Lax's seventh-order KdV equation

Ganji and Abdollahzadeh [D.D. Ganji, M. Abdollahzadeh, Appl. Math. Comput.206 (2008) 438{444] derived three supposedly new travelling-wave solutions to Lax's seventh-order KdV equation. Each solution was obtained by a different method. It is shown that any two of the solutions may be obtained trivially from the remaining solution. Furthermore it is noted that one of the solutions has been known for many years

Traditional Methods of Protecting the Infant and Child Illness/Disease Among the Wazigua at Mvomero Ward, Morogoro, Region, Tanzania

Even though child and infant protection against health problems using various methods is as old as mankind, there is limited literature on traditional methods used to protect infant and child in Tanzania. To collect and critical analyze traditional methods used to protect child and infant against health problems in rural settings. Qualitative methods for sampling and data collection on both traditional and conventional methods for protecting child and infant against health problems were used. A total of 203 children of whom 48.3% were females were observed when medical students were assessing infant/children nutritional status. Besides the children a total of 20 women aged 20-48 years; and five traditional health practitioners (THPs) who were purposeful sampled were interviewed. The findings showed two methods were used; and these were traditional/indigenous and conventional methods. The used traditional methods included oral and bathing remedies, abstaining when mother was breast feeding, use of “hirizi” (amulet) for illness believed to be caused by personalistic factors, and herbs for “degedge” (convulsion) and other infant illnesses. Whereas on conventional methods were child growth monitoring; and vaccination against killer diseases to infants and children. The two different methods (traditional and conventional methods) used for protection of the child were not competing; but complemented each other on health care. Parents/guardians and (THPs) were aware some health problems affecting infants and children could be protected by conventional medicine and some needed use of traditional remedies. The problem is hygiene of traditional remedies and proper dosage to infants and children. There is a need to examine critical the used herbal remedies on healthcare in laboratories. These herbal remedies might have some curative elements on health problems currently cannot be treated by conventional medicine

Observations on the tanh-coth expansion method for finding solutions to nonlinear evolution equations

The 'tanh-coth expansion method' for finding solitary travelling-wave solutions to nonlinear evolution equations has been used extensively in the literature. It is a natural extension to the basic tanh-function expansion method which was developed in the 1990s. It usually delivers three types of solution, namely a tanh-function expansion, a coth-function expansion, and a tanh-coth expansion. It is known that, for every tanh-function expansion solution, there is a corresponding coth-function expansion solution. It is shown that there is a tanh-coth expansion solution that is merely a disguised version of the coth solution. In many papers, such tanh-coth solutions are erroneously claimed to be 'new'. However, other tanh-coth solutions may be delivered that are genuinely new in the sense that they would not be delivered via the basic tanh-function method. Similar remarks apply to tan, cot and tan-cot expansion solutions

Virgil and the Elegiac Sensibility

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