Fluid of fused spheres as a model for protein solution

In this work we examine thermodynamics of fluid with "molecules" represented by two fused hard spheres, decorated by the attractive square-well sites. Interactions between these sites are of short-range and cause association between the fused-sphere particles. The model can be used to study the non-spherical (or dimerized) proteins in solution. Thermodynamic quantities of the system are calculated using a modification of Wertheim's thermodynamic perturbation theory and the results compared with new Monte Carlo simulations under isobaric-isothermal conditions. In particular, we are interested in the liquid-liquid phase separation in such systems. The model fluid serves to evaluate the effect of the shape of the molecules, changing from spherical to more elongated (two fused spheres) ones. The results indicate that the effect of the non-spherical shape is to reduce the critical density and temperature. This finding is consistent with experimental observations for the antibodies of non-spherical shape.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

RNA-based regulation of pluripotency and differentiation

RNA-bindende Proteine sind zentrale Regulatoren der Genexpression, aber ihre Funktionen bei der Koordinierung von Zellschicksalsentscheidungen sind unzureichend verstanden. In dieser Studie haben wir RNA interactome capture angewandt, um die globalen Dynamiken des RNA-gebundenen Proteoms während der Auflösung der Pluripotenz und neuronaler Differenzierung zu bestimmen. Wir haben entdeckt, dass 30-40% der RNA-bindenden Proteine sehr dynamisch während der Zellschicksalentscheidungen sind, die Abundanzdynamiken dieser Proteine aber nicht hauptursächlich dafür zu sein scheinen. Basierend auf unseren Daten haben wir ZAP (ZC3HAV1) als einen Faktor identifiziert, der mit Pluripotenz assoziiert ist. Um die Rolle von ZAP in der Stammzellbiologie zu analysieren, haben wir PAR-CLIP, SLAMseq und einen Differenzierungsassay angewandt. Unsere Daten haben gezeigt, dass ZAP mehr als 2,000 mRNA-Transkripte innerhalb des murinen Stammzelltranskriptoms in Abhängigkeit von CG-Dinukleotiden bindet. Zieltranskripte sind angereichert mit Genfunktionen in Zell-Zell-Interaktionen, Gewebemorphogenese und Pluripotenzregulation und werden in Abwesenheit von ZAP stabilisiert. Auβerdem haben wir herausgefunden, dass Depletion von ZAP zu flacherer und breiterer Koloniemorphologie von Stammzellen bei gleichzeitiger Fehlexpression von hunderten von Genen inklusive Lineage-Faktoren führt. Desweiteren führt Abwesenheit von ZAP zu erhöhter Geschwindigkeit bei der Auflösung der Pluripotenz. Zusammengefasst stellen wir die These auf, dass ZAP ein multi-modaler Regulator der Pluripotenz ist. ZAP agiert als positiver Regulator während Aufrechterhaltung der Pluripotenz, während es am Anfang der Pluripotenzauflösung pluripotenz-fördernde Faktoren herunterreguliert. Schlussendlich demonstriert diese Studie, wie die Erforschung von Dynamiken des RNA-gebundenen Proteoms während Zellschicksalsentscheidungen neue Wege öffnet, um die Funktion von RNA-bindenden Proteinen im entwicklungsbiologischen Kontext zu analysieren.RNA-binding proteins are key regulators of gene expression, but their functions in coordinating cell fate transitions are poorly understood. In this study, we applied RNA interactome capture to determine the global dynamics of the RNA-bound proteome during dissolution of pluripotency and neuronal differentiation. We discovered that 30-40% of RNA-binding proteins are highly dynamic during cell fate transitions and that these dynamics do not appear to be predominantly governed by alterations in their abundance. Based on our data, we identified ZAP (ZC3HAV1) as a factor highly associated with pluripotency. In order to dissect the role of ZAP in mESC biology, we applied a variety of approaches including PAR-CLIP, SLAMseq and pluripotency exit reporter assays. We found that ZAP binds more than 2,000 mRNAs in the mESC transcriptome in a CG dinucleotide-dependent manner. Targets are enriched for transcripts encoding cell-cell adhesion, tissue morphogenesis and pro-pluripotency regulators and stabilized in absence of ZAP. Furthermore, we found that ZAP depletion leads to flattened and spreading stem cell colony morphology, concomitant misexpression of hundreds of transcripts including lineage factors and accelerated early dissolution of pluripotency. In conclusion, we propose that ZAP is a multi-modal stem cell RNA-binding protein acting as a positive regulator in maintenance of pluripotency while aiding downregulation of pro-pluripotent factors at the onset of differentiation. Ultimately, this study demonstrates how exploration of RNA-bound proteome dynamics during cell fate transitions can open paths to dissecting functions of RNA-binding proteins in a developmental context

Technology and the Human Imagination

\u27What is the relationship between scientific technology, religion, and the human imagination? In asking this question, I do not propose to look for a general answer, one which would simply define each of the terms and then ex- tract the myriad of possible intersections. Nor do I have in mind an exhaustive comparative analysis of the interrelationship of these terms in various societies, past and present. Rather, what I hope to do is to look at one historical convergence of these terms which, as I see it, has given rise to Western civilization as we presently experience it. But I do not intend to stop there. I plan to demonstrate that something was lost between the original convergence and the present situation, a loss which seems to account very well for the present crisis we are experiencing. My line of argument will begin by suggesting that Western scientific technology was born of utopian images of reality inspired by a Christian worldview. From there I shall take note of the fact that the development of scientific technology has been characterized by a continued loss of utopianism and an etiolation of Christianity. The present, I shall argue, is the result of an idolization of technology which includes dystopian dreams and the death of God. What seems to be needed in the face of this is a revitalization of the human imagination and, as I will suggest in my concluding remarks, a religious ethic of the human imagination

GNSS survey of the illegal landfill of waste in the area of Gmajnice

The diploma thesis deals with an illegal landfill of waste at the area of Ljubljansko barje, which has already been rehabilitated. GNSS terrain measurements have been performed to get the positions on the landfill waste for the volume computation. The first part of the thesis incorporates a short description of the Ljubljansko barje and describes the recent Slovenian project Let’s clean Slovenia in one day. The second part includes steps of data processing with final volume computation using Delaunay triangulation. According to the landowners’ information the landfill of waste deposited in the excavation at a depth of several meters. So we estimated also the volume, where the waste was located below the ground level. Landfill volume was calculated by several different criteria’s in order to get an estimation of how the number as well as distribution of points affects the final calculation. At the end we propose further activities at the same area, that acquire also landfill waste subsidence estimation

Innovation, Involvement, and Contemporary Service Organizations

Purpose of This Paper Innovation and involvement have come to be ascribed an almost mystical potency for the task of bringing more relevant services and more human relationships to clients of service organizations. Many descriptive and hortatory articles have appeared in the social welfare and health literature concerning the virtues of contemporary organizations exhibiting these characteristics, but little in the way of hard thinking about their real implications to service organizations has been done. The majority of the articles are reprises of proposals, or accounts of the first year or two of a program, with an emphasis upon positive prospects or accomplishments and little critical analysis beyond that. Much of the literature in organization theory suggests that the problems of survival and imperatives placed upon the organization from the outside and inside will force innovative organizations to become more like currently existing organizations which perform the same or similar functions. For example, Rosengren (1970) has conjectured that, despite scanty empirical evidence, organizations may possibly follow quite inexorable careers with discernible stages from beginning to end. If such a phenomenon as an organizational career (Rosengren, 1967, 1968, 1970; Lefton and Rosengren, 1966; Rosengren and Lefton, 1969) does exist, then it may be necessary to reconsider the placement of so much value on the emphases of innovation and involvement of clients in organizations. Following will be a brief sketch of the theoretical position taken in this paper, and of various propositions proffered by organization theorists with a view toward considering: The possible gap between rhetoric and reality about contemporary service organizations. Some thoughts about service organizations and a line of research implied by this short review. The thesis of this paper is that contemporary organizations may not be new organizations in terms of being novel approaches to the problem of organizing service structures, but rather new organizations in terms of age alone

Questões identitárias: status ocupado pelos Avá-Guarani nas sociedades indígenas

Colóquio Yo el Supremo (1974-2014) – Augusto Roa Bastos – 03 e 04 de dezembro de 2014. Organizadores Alai Diniz e Fernanda PereiraO texto trata especificamente de um subgrupo indígena localizado na região do Oeste paranaense, essa região é conhecida também pela circulação de falantes de aproximadamente setenta e duas etnias na cidade de Foz do Iguaçu. Nesse cenário, encontra-se uma comunidade indígena próximo à fronteira do Brasil e Paraguai, contexto no qual foram gerados os apontamentos apresentados. O objetivo da investigação está centrado nos conflitos linguísticos oriundos da circulação de falantes das línguas - Guarani e Portuguesa. Nessa direção questiona-se: O que determinam as Leis quanto à educação escolar indígena?; Como se processa a educação linguístico- cultural na microcomunidade em questão? A abordagem metodológica foi à qualitativa- interpretativista, da forma como propõem Denzin e Lincoln (2006); Oliveira (2003, 2008); Calvet (2007); Hamel (1993, 2000); Cavalcanti (2001); Grupioni (2008) e outros. Os teóricos supracitados fundamentaram as análises, que procuraram dar visibilidade às vozes dos indígenas que lutam pela efetivação de seus direitos linguísticos propalados na Constituição Federal de 1988. Nessa perspectiva discutiram- se os avanços, limites e algumas conquistas devido a atuação de educadores militantes dos movimentos indígenas. Focalizam-se assim os conflitos instalados entre indígenas e não indígenas nos cenários plurilinguísticos e pluriculturais das sociedades que os envolvem

A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) multiplex system: the association of five SNPs with human eye and hair color in the Slovenian population and comparison using a Bayesian network and logistic regression model

Aim To analyze two phenotype characteristics – eye and hair color – using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and evaluate their prediction accuracy in Slovenian population. Methods Twelve SNPs (OCA2 – rs1667394, rs7170989, rs1800407, rs7495174; HERC2 – rs1129038, rs12913832; MC1R – rs1805005, rs1805008; TYR – rs1393350; SLC45A2 – rs16891982, rs26722; SLC24A5 – rs1426654) were used for the development of a single multiplex assay. The single multiplex assay was based on SNaPshot chemistry and capillary electrophoresis. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the prediction of eye and hair color, we used the logistic regression model and the Bayesian network model, and compared the parameters of both. Results The new single multiplex assay displayed high levels of genotyping sensitivity with complete profiles generated from as little as 62 pg of DNA. Based on a prior evaluation of all SNPs in a single multiplex, we focused on the five most statistically significant in our population in order to investigate the predictive value. The two prediction models performed reliably without prior ancestry information, and revealed very good accuracy for both eye and hair color. Both models determined the highest predictive value for rs12913832 (P < 0.0001), while the other four SNPs (rs1393350, rs1800407, rs1805008, and rs7495174) showed additional association for color prediction. Conclusion We developed a sensitive and reliable single multiplex genotyping assay. More samples from different populations should be analyzed before this assay could be used as one of the supplemental tools in tracing unknown individuals in more complicated crime investigations