Traveling waves of in vitro evolving RNA.

Populations of short self-replicating RNA variants have been confined to one side of a reaction-diffusion traveling wave front propagating along thin capillary tubes containing the Q beta viral enzyme. The propagation speed is accurately measurable with a magnitude of about 1 micron/sec, and the wave persists for hundreds of generations (of duration less than 1 min). Evolution of RNA occurs in the wavefront, as established by front velocity changes and gel electrophoresis of samples drawn from along the capillary. The high population numbers (approximately equal to 10(11], their well-characterized biochemistry, their short generation time, and the constant conditions make the system ideal for evolution experiments. Growth is monitored continuously by excitation of an added RNA-sensitive fluorescent dye, ethidium bromide. An analytic expression for the front velocity is derived for the multicomponent kinetic scheme that reduces, for a high RNA-enzyme binding constant, to the Fisher form v = 2 square root of kappa D, where D is the diffusion constant of the complex and kappa is the low-concentration overall replication rate coefficient. The latter is confirmed as the selective value-determining parameter by numerical solution of a two-species system

Parental resilience and the quality of life of children with developmental disabilities in Indonesia

Cultures could influence parents in the way they perceive adverse situations and in how external factors influence resilience, which in turn, may differentially affect the quality of life of a child. The present study aimed to examine the associations between different dimensions of parental resilience and the quality of life of children in Indonesia. The samples consisted of 497 families. This study used the Parenting Resilience Elements and the Quality of Life Questionnaire. Parental resilience consists of three dimensions, knowledge of child’s characteristics, positive perception of parenting, and perceived social support. Knowledge of child’s characteristics, one of the parental resilience dimensions, significantly related to the Quality of Life dimensions of communication and influence, and development. Positive perceptions of parenting related to socio-emotional well-being. Perceived social support related to material well-being, activity, and socio-emotional well-being. We found that the parental resilience related to Quality of Life of children with developmental disabilities. Some findings could be unique for a collectivist culture and highlight the complexities of the association between different factors of parent resilience and Quality of Life of children with developmental disabilities in Indonesia

Optimization by Quantum Annealing: Lessons from hard 3-SAT cases

The Path Integral Monte Carlo simulated Quantum Annealing algorithm is applied to the optimization of a large hard instance of the Random 3-SAT Problem (N=10000). The dynamical behavior of the quantum and the classical annealing are compared, showing important qualitative differences in the way of exploring the complex energy landscape of the combinatorial optimization problem. At variance with the results obtained for the Ising spin glass and for the Traveling Salesman Problem, in the present case the linear-schedule Quantum Annealing performance is definitely worse than Classical Annealing. Nevertheless, a quantum cooling protocol based on field-cycling and able to outperform standard classical simulated annealing over short time scales is introduced.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PR

Search for Rayleigh scattering in the atmosphere of GJ1214b

We investigate the atmosphere of GJ1214b, a transiting super-Earth planet with a low mean density, by measuring its transit depth as a function of wavelength in the blue optical portion of the spectrum. It is thought that this planet is either a mini-Neptune, consisting of a rocky core with a thick, hydrogen-rich atmosphere, or a planet with a composition dominated by water. Most observations favor a water-dominated atmosphere with a small scale-height, however, some observations indicate that GJ1214b could have an extended atmosphere with a cloud layer muting the molecular features. In an atmosphere with a large scale-height, Rayleigh scattering at blue wavelengths is likely to cause a measurable increase in the apparent size of the planet towards the blue. We observed the transit of GJ1214b in the B-band with the FOcal Reducing Spectrograph (FORS) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and in the g-band with both ACAM on the William Hershel Telescope (WHT) and the Wide Field Camera (WFC) at the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT). We find a planet-to-star radius ratio in the B-band of 0.1162+/-0.0017, and in the g-band 0.1180+/-0.0009 and 0.1174+/-0.0017 for the WHT & INT observations respectively. These optical data do not show significant deviations from previous measurements at longer wavelengths. In fact, a flat transmission spectrum across all wavelengths best describes the combined observations. When atmospheric models are considered a small scale-height water-dominated model fits the data best.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Testicular Adrenal Rest Tumours in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

In adult patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), the presence of testicular adrenal rest tumours (TART) is an important complication leading to gonadal dysfunction and infertility. These tumours can be already found in childhood and puberty. In this paper, we review the embryological, histological, biochemical, and clinical features of TART and discuss treatment options

Game-based meditation therapy to improve posttraumatic stress and neurobiological stress systems in traumatized adolescents:Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Many adolescents in residential care have been exposed to prolonged traumatic experiences such as violence, neglect, or abuse. Consequently, they suffer from posttraumatic stress. This not only negatively affects psychological and behavioral outcomes (eg, increased anxiety, depression, and aggression) but also has adverse effects on physiological outcomes, in particular on their neurobiological stress systems. Although current evidence-based treatment options are effective, they have their limitations. An alternative to traditional trauma treatment is meditation-based treatment that focuses on stress regulation and relaxation. Muse is a game-based meditation intervention that makes use of adolescents’ intrinsic motivation. The neurofeedback element reinforces relaxation abilities. Objective: This paper describes the protocol for a randomized controlled trial in which the goal is to examine the effectiveness of Muse (InteraXon Inc) in reducing posttraumatic stress and normalizing neurobiological stress systems in a sample of traumatized adolescents in residential care. Methods: This will be a multicenter, multi-informant, and multimethod randomized controlled trial. Participants will be adolescents (N=80), aged 10 to 18 years, with clinical levels of posttraumatic symptoms, who are randomized to receive either the Muse therapy sessions and treatment as usual (intervention) or treatment as usual alone (control). Data will be collected at 3 measurement instances: pretest (T1), posttest (T2), and at 2-month follow-up. Primary outcomes will be posttraumatic symptoms (self-report and mentor report) and stress (self-report) at posttest. Secondary outcomes will be neurobiological stress parameters under both resting and acute stress conditions, and anxiety, depression, and aggression at posttest. Secondary outcomes also include all measures at 2-month follow-up: posttraumatic symptoms, stress, anxiety, depression aggression, and neurobiological resting parameters. Results: The medical-ethical committee Arnhem-Nijmegen (NL58674.091.16) approved the trial on November 15, 2017. The study was registered on December 2, 2017. Participant enrollment started in January 2018, and the results of the study are expected to be published in spring or summer 2021. Conclusions: Study results will demonstrate whether game-based meditation therapy improves posttraumatic stress and neurobiological stress systems, and whether it is more effective than treatment as usual alone for traumatized adolescents

Retention of Antimicrobial Activity in Plaque and Saliva following Mouthrinse Use in vivo

The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of plaque and saliva towards the prolonged activity, also called substantivity, of three antimicrobial mouthrinses (Listerine (R), Meridol (R), Crest Pro Health (R)), used in combination with a toothpaste (Prodent Coolmint (R)). Volunteers brushed for 4 weeks with a toothpaste without antimicrobial claims, while during the last 2 weeks half of the volunteers used an antimicrobial mouthrinse in addition to brushing. At the end of the experimental period, plaque and saliva samples were collected 6 h after oral hygiene, and bacterial concentrations and viabilities were determined. The contribution of plaque and saliva towards substantivity was assessed by combining plaque obtained after mechanical cleaning only with plaque and saliva obtained after additional use of an antimicrobial rinse. Subsequently, resulting viabilities of the combined plaques were determined. The viabilities of plaque samples after additional rinsing with mouthrinses were lower than of plaque obtained after mechanical cleaning only, regardless of the rinse involved. Moreover, plaque collected 6 h after rinsing with antimicrobial mouthrinses contained a surplus of antimicrobial activity. Only Listerine showed decreased vi

The Solution Structure, Binding Properties, and Dynamics of the Bacterial Siderophore-binding Protein FepB

The periplasmic binding protein (PBP) FepB plays a key role in transporting the catecholate siderophore ferric enterobactin from the outer to the inner membrane in Gram-negative bacteria. The solution structures of the 34-kDa apo- and holo-FepB from Escherichia coli, solved by NMR, represent the first solution structures determined for the type III class of PBPs. Unlike type I and II PBPs, which undergo large "Venus flytrap" conformational changes upon ligand binding, both forms of FepB maintain similar overall folds; however, binding of the ligand is accompanied by significant loop movements. Reverse methyl cross-saturation experiments corroborated chemical shift perturbation results and uniquely defined the binding pocket for gallium enterobactin (GaEnt). NMR relaxation experiments indicated that a flexible loop (residues 225-250) adopted a more rigid and extended conformation upon ligand binding, which positioned residues for optimal interactions with the ligand and the cytoplasmic membrane ABC transporter (FepCD), respectively. In conclusion, this work highlights the pivotal role that structural dynamics plays in ligand binding and transporter interactions in type III PBPs