1,255 research outputs found
Kinetic and Structural Analysis of the Mg2+ -binding Site of the Guanine Nucleotide-binding Protein p21 H-ras.
The coordination and binding of the Mg2+ ion in the nucleotideâbinding site of p21 have been investigated using siteâdirected mutagenesis, kinetic methods, and phosphorous NMR. Mg2+ in the p21.nucleotide.Mg2+ complex appears to be in fast equilibrium with the solvent. The dissociation constant between Mg2+ and the p21.GDP complex was determined to be 2.8 microM. It decreases 30â or 16âfold on substituting Serâ17 or Aspâ57 with alanine, respectively, whereas the T35A mutation has no effect. All three mutations influence the dissociation constants and the association and dissociation rate constants of the interaction between guanine nucleotides and p21, but to a different degree. We conclude that Thrâ35 is only complexed to Mg2+ in the GTP conformation and both Aspâ57 and Serâ17 appear to be critical for both GDP and GTP binding. 31P NMR spectra of the GDP and Gpp(NH)p (guanosineâ5'â(beta,gammaâimido)triphosphate) complexes of mutated p21 show a remarkable perturbation of the guanine nucleotideâ binding site compared to wildâtype protein. The mutant proteins show reduced GTPase rates, which are not stimulated by the GTPaseâactivating protein GAP. p21(S17A) has been reported to function just as p21(S17N) as a dominant negative inhibitor of normal p21. We find that it inhibits oncogenic p21âinduced survival of primary neuron
Predictive use of the Maximum Entropy Production principle for Past and Present Climates
In this paper, we show how the MEP hypothesis may be used to build simple
climate models without representing explicitly the energy transport by the
atmosphere. The purpose is twofold. First, we assess the performance of the MEP
hypothesis by comparing a simple model with minimal input data to a complex,
state-of-the-art General Circulation Model. Next, we show how to improve the
realism of MEP climate models by including climate feedbacks, focusing on the
case of the water-vapour feedback. We also discuss the dependence of the
entropy production rate and predicted surface temperature on the resolution of
the model
Methane in the atmosphere of the transiting hot Neptune GJ436b?
We present an analysis of seven primary transit observations of the hot
Neptune GJ436b at 3.6, 4.5 and m obtained with the Infrared Array Camera
(IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. After correcting for systematic effects,
we fitted the light curves using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique.
Combining these new data with the EPOXI, HST and ground-based and
published observations, the range m can be covered. Due to
the low level of activity of GJ436, the effect of starspots on the combination
of transits at different epochs is negligible at the accuracy of the dataset.
Representative climate models were calculated by using a three-dimensional,
pseudo-spectral general circulation model with idealised thermal forcing.
Simulated transit spectra of GJ436b were generated using line-by-line radiative
transfer models including the opacities of the molecular species expected to be
present in such a planetary atmosphere. A new, ab-initio calculated, linelist
for hot ammonia has been used for the first time. The photometric data observed
at multiple wavelengths can be interpreted with methane being the dominant
absorption after molecular hydrogen, possibly with minor contributions from
ammonia, water and other molecules. No clear evidence of carbon monoxide and
dioxide is found from transit photometry. We discuss this result in the light
of a recent paper where photochemical disequilibrium is hypothesised to
interpret secondary transit photometric data. We show that the emission
photometric data are not incompatible with the presence of abundant methane,
but further spectroscopic data are desirable to confirm this scenario.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, Astrophysical Journal in pres
Upper limits for undetected trace species in the stratosphere of Titan
In this paper we describe a first quantitative search for several molecules
in Titan's stratosphere in Cassini CIRS infrared spectra. These are: ammonia
(NH3), methanol (CH3OH), formaldehyde (H2CO), and acetonitrile (CH3CN), all of
which are predicted by photochemical models but only the last of which
observed, and not in the infrared. We find non-detections in all cases, but
derive upper limits on the abundances from low-noise observations at 25{\deg}S
and 75{\deg}N. Comparing these constraints to model predictions, we conclude
that CIRS is highly unlikely to see NH3 or CH3OH emissions. However, CH3CN and
H2CO are closer to CIRS detectability, and we suggest ways in which the
sensitivity threshold may be lowered towards this goal.Comment: 11 pages plus 6 figure file
Bilingual Learning for Second and Third Generation Children
Throughout the English-speaking world, children from bilingual backgrounds are being educated in mainstream classrooms where they have little or no opportunity to use their mother tongue. Second and third generation children, in particular, are assumed to be learning sufficiently through English only. This study investigated how British Bangladeshi children, learning Bengali in after-school classes but mostly more fluent in English than in their mother tongue, responded when able to use their full language repertoire within the mainstream curriculum. Through action research with mainstream and community language class teachers, bilingual literacy and numeracy tasks were devised and carried out with pupils aged seven to eleven in two East London primary schools. The bilingual activities were videorecorded and analysed qualitatively to identify the strategies used. The following cognitive and cultural benefits of bilingual learning discovered by researchers in other contexts were also found to apply in this particular setting: conceptual transfer, enriched understanding through translation, metalinguistic awareness, bicultural knowledge and building bilingual learner identities. The findings suggest that second and third generation children should be enabled to learn bilingually, and appropriate strategies are put forward for use in the mainstream classroom
British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the diagnosis and management of cholangiocarcinoma
Cohabitation in Brazil : historical legacy and recent evolution
The availability of the micro data in the IPUMS samples for several censuses spanning a period of 40 years permits a detailed study of differentials and trends in cohabitation in Brazil than has hitherto been the case. The gist of the story is that the historical race/class and religious differentials and the historical spatial contrasts have largely been maintained, but are now operating at much higher levels than in the 1970s. During the last 40 years cohabitation has dramatically increased in all strata of the Brazilian population, and it has spread geographically to all areas in tandem with further expansions in the regions that had historically higher levels to start with. Moreover, the probability of cohabiting depends not only on individual-level characteristics but also on additional contextual effects operating at the level of meso-regions. The rise of cohabitation in Brazil fits the model of the "Second demographic transition", but it is grafted onto a historical pattern which is still manifesting itself in a number of ways
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