Membrane and Protein Interactions of the Pleckstrin Homology Domain Superfamily.

The human genome encodes about 285 proteins that contain at least one annotated pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. As the first phosphoinositide binding module domain to be discovered, the PH domain recruits diverse protein architectures to cellular membranes. PH domains constitute one of the largest protein superfamilies, and have diverged to regulate many different signaling proteins and modules such as Dbl homology (DH) and Tec homology (TH) domains. The ligands of approximately 70 PH domains have been validated by binding assays and complexed structures, allowing meaningful extrapolation across the entire superfamily. Here the Membrane Optimal Docking Area (MODA) program is used at a genome-wide level to identify all membrane docking PH structures and map their lipid-binding determinants. In addition to the linear sequence motifs which are employed for phosphoinositide recognition, the three dimensional structural features that allow peripheral membrane domains to approach and insert into the bilayer are pinpointed and can be predicted ab initio. The analysis shows that conserved structural surfaces distinguish which PH domains associate with membrane from those that do not. Moreover, the results indicate that lipid-binding PH domains can be classified into different functional subgroups based on the type of membrane insertion elements they project towards the bilayer

Badegoulien versus Magdalénien : Entre choc culturel et lente transition dans l'Aquitaine paléolithique

Avec corrections des auteurs.National audienceDans le Bassin aquitain, au cours de la seconde moitié du Paléolithique supérieur, on assiste à la transition du Badegoulien au Magdalénien. Ici, contrairement à la transition entre Paléolithique moyen et supérieur, la question d'une discontinuité biologique ne se pose pas, et les séquences stratigraphiques témoignent d'une continuité certaine dans le peuplement. Nous sommes donc face à une nouvelle problématique : il s'agit d'appréhender les moteurs et les rythmes d'évolution " sur place " de populations de chasseurs-cueilleurs, et ce pendant plusieurs millénaires durant lesquels l'environnement n'est marqué par aucun bouleversement profond. L'examen récent de plusieurs séries archéologiques permet de décrire un lent processus de transformation des sociétés entre 23 000 et 14 000 cal. BP. Ce changement s'opère selon des rythmes d'évolution différents d'un registre d'activité à l'autre (industrie lithique, industrie osseuse). Pour tenter d'expliquer ces transformations, plusieurs facteurs peuvent être évoqués (croissance démographique, dynamique sociale)

Evidence of Cnidarians sensitivity to sound after exposure to low frequency underwater sources

Jellyfishes represent a group of species that play an important role in oceans, particularly as a food source for different taxa and as a predator of fish larvae and planktonic prey. The massive introduction of artificial sound sources in the oceans has become a concern to science and society. While we are only beginning to understand that non-hearing specialists like cephalopods can be affected by anthropogenic noises and regulation is underway to measure European water noise levels, we still don’t know yet if the impact of sound may be extended to other lower level taxa of the food web. Here we exposed two species of Mediterranean Scyphozoan medusa, Cotylorhiza tuberculata and Rhizostoma pulmo to a sweep of low frequency sounds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed injuries in the statocyst sensory epithelium of both species after exposure to sound, that are consistent with the manifestation of a massive acoustic trauma observed in other species. The presence of acoustic trauma in marine species that are not hearing specialists, like medusa, shows the magnitude of the problem of noise pollution and the complexity of the task to determine threshold values that would help building up regulation to prevent permanent damage of the ecosystems.Postprint (published version

Emotion recognition from music-induced movement

Emotions color all aspects of our interaction with music. Not only composing music or playing a musical instrument, but also perceiving sounds and responding to them implicates the involvement of human emotions. An interesting type of musical interaction, in particular with regard to emotion research, is dance, which is believed to facilitate the expression of several different emotions in a non-verbal way. In this study, the aim was to examine emotion perception from dance movement. Thirty participants observed a selection of silent videos showing depersonalized avatars of dancers moving to an emotionally neutral musical stimulus after emotions of either sadness or happiness had been induced. After every film clip, the participants were asked to assess the emotional state of the dancer. Results revealed that the emotional state of the dancers was successfully identified. In addition, emotions were more often recognized for female dancers than for their male counterparts. Finally, results of eye tracking measurements showed that observers primarily focused on movements of the trunk when decoding emotional information from dance. The findings of this study show that induced emotions can be successfully recognized from dance movement. They also illustrate the significance of emotions in the coupling between music perception, cognition, and action

The role of hydrophobic interactions in ankyrin–spectrin complex formation

AbstractSpectrin and ankyrin are the key components of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton. The recently published crystal structure of the spectrin–ankyrin complex has indicated that their binding involves complementary charge interactions as well as hydrophobic interactions. However, only the former is supported by biochemical evidence. We now show that nonpolar interactions are important for high affinity complex formation, excluding the possibility that the binding is exclusively mediated by association of distinctly charged surfaces. Along these lines we report that substitution of a single hydrophobic residue, F917S in ankyrin, disrupts the structure of the binding site and leads to complete loss of spectrin affinity. Finally, we present data showing that minimal ankyrin binding site in spectrin is formed by helix 14C together with the loop between helices 15 B/C

Lest they forget:exploring commemoration and remembrance through games and digital technologies

The centennial of the First World War has encouraged a wide range of projects to commemorate the participants and communities affected by the conflict. This chapter considers how games and interactivity can be used to enhance commemoration and remembrance with new audiences. The digital commemorations undertaken for the Battle of Loos, and as part of the wider “Great War Dundee” project, are discussed. Emphasis is placed on how game design techniques and technology were utilized to plan an empathy game and then further developed into the interactive documentary and visualization, Loos: The Fallen Fourth. The chapter concludes with a consideration of how these narratives engaged with the community and helped shape a wider understanding. The digital components of this project can be accessed via greatwardundee.com and greatwardundee.itch.io

Evidence of Cnidarians sensitivity to sound after exposure to low frequency underwater sources

16 pages, 11 figuresCorrigendum: Evidence of Cnidarians sensitivity to sound after exposure to low frequency underwater sources Scientific Reports 7: 43193 (2017) https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep43193Jellyfishes represent a group of species that play an important role in oceans, particularly as a food source for different taxa and as a predator of fish larvae and planktonic prey. The massive introduction of artificial sound sources in the oceans has become a concern to science and society. While we are only beginning to understand that non-hearing specialists like cephalopods can be affected by anthropogenic noises and regulation is underway to measure European water noise levels, we still don’t know yet if the impact of sound may be extended to other lower level taxa of the food web. Here we exposed two species of Mediterranean Scyphozoan medusa, Cotylorhiza tuberculata and Rhizostoma pulmo to a sweep of low frequency sounds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed injuries in the statocyst sensory epithelium of both species after exposure to sound, that are consistent with the manifestation of a massive acoustic trauma observed in other species. The presence of acoustic trauma in marine species that are not hearing specialists, like medusa, shows the magnitude of the problem of noise pollution and the complexity of the task to determine threshold values that would help building up regulation to prevent permanent damage of the ecosystemsThis work was developed in the frame of the collaborative project AQUO (Achieve QUieter Oceans by shipping noise footprint reduction), funded by the European Commission within the Call FP7 SST.2012.1.1-1: Assessment and mitigation of noise impacts of the maritime transport on the marine environment, Grant agreement no. 314227, coordinated topic “The Ocean of Tomorrow”Peer Reviewe