Explosive Percolation in the Human Protein Homology Network

We study the explosive character of the percolation transition in a real-world network. We show that the emergence of a spanning cluster in the Human Protein Homology Network (H-PHN) exhibits similar features to an Achlioptas-type process and is markedly different from regular random percolation. The underlying mechanism of this transition can be described by slow-growing clusters that remain isolated until the later stages of the process, when the addition of a small number of links leads to the rapid interconnection of these modules into a giant cluster. Our results indicate that the evolutionary-based process that shapes the topology of the H-PHN through duplication-divergence events may occur in sudden steps, similarly to what is seen in first-order phase transitions.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Role of the Dipole Mode Index in governing the freshwater content within the Bay of Bengal summer Pycnocline.

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) surface layer receives approximately 0.13 million m3/sec (0.13 Sv) of freshwater through a combination of precipitation and river runoff minus evaporation, which then is exported to neighboring seas. Quasi-stationary salinity is established by the import of salty water from the Arabian Sea (AS), primarily within the pycnocline as an estuarine type of circulation. The BoB pycnocline is also affected by low salinity export from the southern Andaman Sea (AndS). We use Argo observations and GODAS reanalysis products to trace the spreading of AS and AndS water within BoB pycnocline during the summer monsoon when the bulk of AS water is imported. We use relative freshwater content (RFWC), which is zero for pure AS water and 1 for pure AndS water. We find significant interannual variability of the RFWC pattern, which relates to the Indian Ocean Dipole, as defined by the Dipole Mode Index (DMI). The position of the Sri Lanka Dome SLD) off the east coast of Sri Lanka varies with DMI: the SLD is farther east during negative DMI, which directs the AS water farther to the east in BoB; whereas during the positive DMI, the AS water is directed to the north. Highlights: - Indian Ocean Dipole impacts the freshwater content within Bay of Bengal pycnocline. - Arabian Sea and Andaman Sea waters regulate the Bay of Bengal pycnocline salinity. - Salty water spreads eastward (northward) during negative (positive) Dipole Mode

Amyloid Deposition in Transplanted Human Pancreatic Islets: A Conceivable Cause of Their Long-Term Failure

Following the encouraging report of the Edmonton group, there was a rejuvenation of the islet transplantation field. After that, more pessimistic views spread when long-term results of the clinical outcome were published. A progressive loss of the β-cell function meant that almost all patients were back on insulin therapy after 5 years. More than 10 years ago, we demonstrated that amyloid deposits rapidly formed in human islets and in mouse islets transgenic for human IAPP when grafted into nude mice. It is, therefore, conceivable to consider amyloid formation as one potential candidate for the long-term failure. The present paper reviews attempts in our laboratories to elucidate the dynamics of and mechanisms behind the formation of amyloid in transplanted islets with special emphasis on the impact of long-term hyperglycemia

Catches of Euxoa tritici in pheromone traps for Anarsia lineatella are due to the presence of (Z)-5-decenyl acetate as an impurity

Traps baited with the synthetic pheromone of Anarsia lineatella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) frequently captured also Euxoa tritici L. males (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in field tests in Hungary. As (E)-monounsaturated compounds are uncommon among sex attractants or pheromone components of Noctuidae, it was hypothesized that the Euxoa catches may have been due to impurities of the (Z) isomer in synthetic (E)-5-decenyl acetate, which is the major component in the pheromone lure of A. lineatella. Traps baited with synthetic (Z)-5-decenyl acetate captured large numbers of E. tritici, and the compound showed a clear dose–response effect. Reanalysis of the synthetic batch of (E)-5-decenyl acetate used in preparation of the A. lineatella lure showed the presence of 10% of the (Z) isomer. Traps baited with synthetic (Z)-5-decenyl acetate can be used in the future for detection and monitoring purposes of E. tritici, a widely distributed pest of cereals and other field crops. The compound also showed attraction of Euxoa seliginis Duponche

Identification of the Cat Attractants Isodihydronepetalactone and Isoiridomyrmecin from Acalypha indica

Acalypha indica is a herb that grows throughout the tropical regions of the world. As well as being exploited for medicinal use, the roots of this plant are known to elicit a drug-like effect in cats. Recent research into feral cat control on Christmas Island has investigated whether a preparation of the roots of A. indica might be effective in traps to attract feral cats. However, the volatile nature of the attractants made it unviable for use in traps for more than a few days. In this study, we investigated the volatile components emitted by the plant roots and identified two iridoid compounds, (4R,4aR,7S,7aR)- isodihydronepetalactone and (4R,4aS,7S,7aR)-isoiridomyrmecin, which are known to affect behavioural activity in cats. Synthesis of standards confirmed the stereochemistry of both compounds emitted by the plant. Potential application of these compounds in feral cat control is discussed.The Australian Research Council is also gratefully acknowledged for funding for G.F. (FT110100304) and B.B. (LP130100162)

A multidimensional account of democratic legitimacy: how to make robust decisions in a non-idealized deliberative context

This paper analyses the possibility of granting legitimacy to democratic decisionmaking procedures in a context of deep pluralism. We defend a multidimensional account according to which a legitimate system needs to grant, on the one hand, that citizens should be included on an equal footing and acknowledged as reflexive political agents rather than mere beneficiaries of policies, and, on the other hand, that their decisions have an epistemic quality. While Estlund\u2019s account of imperfect epistemic proceduralism might seem to embody a dualistic conception of democratic legitimacy, we point out that it is not able to recognize citizens as reflexive political agents and is grounded in an idealized model of the circumstances of deliberation. To overcome these ambiguities, we develop an account of democratic legitimacy according to which disagreement is the proper expression of citizens\u2019 reflexive agency and the attribution of epistemic authority does not stem from a major expertise or specific ability, but it comes through the public confrontation among disagreeing agents. Consequently, the epistemic value of deliberation should be derived from the reasons-giving process rather than from the reference to the alleged quality of its outcomes. In this way, we demonstrate the validity of the multidimensional perspective of legitimacy, yet abstain from introducing any outcome-oriented criterion. Finally, we argue that this account of legitimacy is well suited for modeling deliberative democracy as a decision-making procedure that respects the agency of every citizen and grants her opportunity to influence public choices