Increased levels of RNA oxidation enhance the reversion frequency in aging pro-apoptotic yeast mutants

Despite recent advances in understanding the complexity of RNA processes, regulation of the metabolism of oxidized cellular RNAs and the mechanisms through which oxidized ribonucleotides affect mRNA translation, and consequently cell viability, are not well characterized. We show here that the level of oxidized RNAs is markedly increased in a yeast decapping Kllsm4Δ1 mutant, which accumulates mRNAs, ages much faster that the wild type strain and undergoes regulated-cell-death. We also found that in Kllsm4Δ1 cells the mutation rate increases during chronological life span indicating that the capacity to han- dle oxidized RNAs in yeast declines with aging. Lowering intracellular ROS levels by antioxidants recovers the wild- type phenotype of mutant cells, including reduced amount of oxidized RNAs and lower mutation rate. Since mRNA oxidation was reported to occur in different neurodegen- erative diseases, decapping-deficient cells may represent a useful tool for deciphering molecular mechanisms of cell response to such conditions, providing new insights into RNA modification-based pathogenesis

The effects of sampling gear and environmental condition on the abundance estimates of freshwater zooplancton

L'abondance du zooplancton (Rotifères, Cladocères et Copépodes) a été évaluée à partir de 96 échantillons, la plupart provenant d'un petit réservoir eutrophique de Cordoba, Argentine. Trois types d'échantillonneurs ont été employés : deux filets (placés en avant et en arrière du canot, avec et sans brides), une pompe centrifuge submersible et une bouteille. Les résultats suggèrent que ni la taille du filet ni les brides n'ont un effet mesurable sur la récolte. De jour, les perturbations de la couche d'eau supérieure provoquent des réactions d'échappement diminuant ainsi l'efficacité des échantillonneurs, par contre les perturbations nocturnes ne produisent pas tel effet. Le zooplancton a été capturé plus efficacement avec les filets pendant la nuit ou par temps nuageux que par temps ensoleillé; ceci peut s'attribuer aux réactions optomotrices d'évitement. Par rapport aux échantillons de filets, la pompe et la bouteille sous-estiment la densité; la dispersion causée par perturbation est en partie responsable de cette différence. De plus, les trois groupes étudiés montrent de fortes réactions rhéotactiles en évitant activement l'aspiration de la pompe. Les différences d'efficacité atteignent parfois plusieurs ordres de grandeur. (Résumé d'auteur

Test of Einstein Equivalence Principle for 0-spin and half-integer-spin atoms: Search for spin-gravity coupling effects

We report on a conceptually new test of the equivalence principle performed by measuring the acceleration in Earth's gravity field of two isotopes of strontium atoms, namely, the bosonic $^{88}$Sr isotope which has no spin vs the fermionic $^{87}$Sr isotope which has a half-integer spin. The effect of gravity upon the two atomic species has been probed by means of a precision differential measurement of the Bloch frequency for the two atomic matter waves in a vertical optical lattice. We obtain the values $\eta = (0.2\pm 1.6)\times10^{-7}$ for the E\"otv\"os parameter and $k=(0.5\pm1.1)\times10^{-7}$ for the coupling between nuclear spin and gravity. This is the first reported experimental test of the equivalence principle for bosonic and fermionic particles and opens a new way to the search for the predicted spin-gravity coupling effects.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. New spin-gravtity coupling analysis on the data added to the manuscrip

Drug addiction among young people: A study of typology and its relevance to treatment programmes

On the basis of clinical observation, the authors have classified drug addiction into four types: traumatic, actual, transitional and socio-pathic. Such classification helps in epidemiological research to understand better the distribution of people addicted to a given drug. Each type of addiction differs in respect of onset, evolution, prognosis and certain other characteristics relevant to the treatment of drug-addicted persons. Thus, the classification helps in making an appropriate selection of a treatment method and in the evaluation of a treatment programme. It has been observed that (a)traumatic and actual types of addiction have a much more favourable prognosis; (b)individual psychotherapy and support in a medical setting is effective for the traumatic type of addiction; (c)treatment in a family setting appears to be suitable for actual and transitional types of addiction; and (d)the therapeutic community may prove to be effective in the treatment of persons affected by socio-pathic type of addiction

The Social Exclusion Bench Tool (SEBT): A visual way of assessing interpersonal social exclusion

People usually prefer to appear with an inclusive and positive attitude to others’ eyes. For this reason, the self-report scales assessing social exclusion intentions are often biased by social desirability. In this work, we present an innovative graphical tool, named Social Exclusion Bench Tool (SEBT), for assessing social exclusion not influenced by social desirability. The tool is based on the consistency between social distance and physical distance evaluation. The results showed that in two samples of adults from Italy (N = 252) and the UK (N = 254), the SEBT positively correlated with self-report measures of social exclusion, but not with the social desirability measure. The tool has been preliminarily evaluated in the context of social exclusion toward migrant people, but it appears a promising instrument for assessing social exclusion intentions toward different social groups. • The self-report scales assessing social exclusion intentions are often biased by social desirability. • The Social Exclusion Bench Tool (SEBT) is an innovative visual instrument for assessing social exclusion that seems not to be influenced by social desirability. • The tool appears a promising instrument for assessing social exclusion intentions toward different social groups

Group theory analysis of electrons and phonons in N-layer graphene systems

In this work we study the symmetry properties of electrons and phonons in graphene systems as function of the number of layers. We derive the selection rules for the electron-radiation and for the electron-phonon interactions at all points in the Brillouin zone. By considering these selection rules, we address the double resonance Raman scattering process. The monolayer and bilayer graphene in the presence of an applied electric field are also discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

The Psychological Risks Associated With the Non-medical Switch From Biologics to Biosimilars

Biological products are therapeutic agents produced using a living system or organism. In many cases, access to these products is limited due to their expensive cost (Chow et al., 2011). A biosimilar is a biological product that is highly similar (not identic) to, and has no clinically meaningful differences from, an existing reference biological product on the market (Desai et al., 2020). “Non-medical” switching is the switching of a patient's medicine for reasons other than the patient's health and safety, like the reduction of costs (Dolinar et al., 2019)