82 research outputs found
Against politicization of science: Comment on S. Keller: Scientization: putting global climate change on the scientific agenda since 1970 and the role of the IPCC
Comparative analysis of carboxysome shell proteins
Carboxysomes are metabolic modules for CO2 fixation that are found in all cyanobacteria and some chemoautotrophic bacteria. They comprise a semi-permeable proteinaceous shell that encapsulates ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) and carbonic anhydrase. Structural studies are revealing the integral role of the shell protein paralogs to carboxysome form and function. The shell proteins are composed of two domain classes: those with the bacterial microcompartment (BMC; Pfam00936) domain, which oligomerize to form (pseudo)hexamers, and those with the CcmL/EutN (Pfam03319) domain which form pentamers in carboxysomes. These two shell protein types are proposed to be the basis for the carboxysomeâs icosahedral geometry. The shell proteins are also thought to allow the flux of metabolites across the shell through the presence of the small pore formed by their hexameric/pentameric symmetry axes. In this review, we describe bioinformatic and structural analyses that highlight the important primary, tertiary, and quaternary structural features of these conserved shell subunits. In the future, further understanding of these molecular building blocks may provide the basis for enhancing CO2 fixation in other organisms or creating novel biological nanostructures
Pyogenic spondylitis
Pyogenic spondylitis is a neurological and life threatening condition. It encompasses a broad range of clinical entities, including pyogenic spondylodiscitis, septic discitis, vertebral osteomyelitis, and epidural abscess. The incidence though low appears to be on the rise. The diagnosis is based on clinical, radiological, blood and tissue cultures and histopathological findings. Most of the cases can be treated non-operatively. Surgical treatment is required in 10â20% of patients. Anterior decompression, debridement and fusion are generally recommended and instrumentation is acceptable after good surgical debridement with postoperative antibiotic cover
Charge Transport in DNA-Based Devices
Charge migration along DNA molecules has attracted scientific interest for
over half a century. Reports on possible high rates of charge transfer between
donor and acceptor through the DNA, obtained in the last decade from solution
chemistry experiments on large numbers of molecules, triggered a series of
direct electrical transport measurements through DNA single molecules, bundles
and networks. These measurements are reviewed and presented here. From these
experiments we conclude that electrical transport is feasible in short DNA
molecules, in bundles and networks, but blocked in long single molecules that
are attached to surfaces. The experimental background is complemented by an
account of the theoretical/computational schemes that are applied to study the
electronic and transport properties of DNA-based nanowires. Examples of
selected applications are given, to show the capabilities and limits of current
theoretical approaches to accurately describe the wires, interpret the
transport measurements, and predict suitable strategies to enhance the
conductivity of DNA nanostructures.Comment: A single pdf file of 52 pages, containing the text and 23 figures.
Review about direct measurements of DNA conductivity and related theoretical
studies. For higher-resolution figures contact the authors or retrieve the
original publications cited in the caption
A Neuron-Glial Perspective for Computational Neuroscience
International audienceThere is growing excitement around glial cells, as compelling evidence point to new, previously unimaginable roles for these cells in information processing of the brain, with the potential to affect behavior and higher cognitive functions. Among their many possible functions, glial cells could be involved in practically every aspect of the brain physiology in health and disease. As a result, many investigators in the field welcome the notion of a Neuron-Glial paradigm of brain function, as opposed to Ramon y Cayal's more classical neuronal doctrine which identifies neurons as the prominent, if not the only, cells capable of a signaling role in the brain. The demonstration of a brain-wide Neuron-Glial paradigm however remains elusive and so does the notion of what neuron-glial interactions could be functionally relevant for the brain computational tasks. In this perspective, we present a selection of arguments inspired by available experimental and modeling studies with the aim to provide a biophysical and conceptual platform to computational neuroscience no longer as a mere prerogative of neuronal signaling but rather as the outcome of a complex interaction between neurons and glial cells
Contrasting patterns of postglacial range shifts between the northern and southern hemisphere in Herbertus
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