Specialized dynamical properties of promiscuous residues revealed by simulated conformational ensembles

The ability to interact with different partners is one of the most important features in proteins. Proteins that bind a large number of partners (hubs) have been often associated with intrinsic disorder. However, many examples exist of hubs with an ordered structure, and evidence of a general mechanism promoting promiscuity in ordered proteins is still elusive. An intriguing hypothesis is that promiscuous binding sites have specific dynamical properties, distinct from the rest of the interface and pre-existing in the protein isolated state. Here, we present the first comprehensive study of the intrinsic dynamics of promiscuous residues in a large protein data set. Different computational methods, from coarse-grained elastic models to geometry-based sampling methods and to full-atom Molecular Dynamics simulations, were used to generate conformational ensembles for the isolated proteins. The flexibility and dynamic correlations of interface residues with a different degree of binding promiscuity were calculated and compared considering side chain and backbone motions, the latter both on a local and on a global scale. The study revealed that (a) promiscuous residues tend to be more flexible than nonpromiscuous ones, (b) this additional flexibility has a higher degree of organization, and (c) evolutionary conservation and binding promiscuity have opposite effects on intrinsic dynamics. Findings on simulated ensembles were also validated on ensembles of experimental structures extracted from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Additionally, the low occurrence of single nucleotide polymorphisms observed for promiscuous residues indicated a tendency to preserve binding diversity at these positions. A case study on two ubiquitin-like proteins exemplifies how binding promiscuity in evolutionary related proteins can be modulated by the fine-tuning of the interface dynamics. The interplay between promiscuity and flexibility highlighted here can inspire new directions in protein-protein interaction prediction and design methods. © 2013 American Chemical Society

[multi’vocal]: reflections on engaging everyday people in the development of a collective non-binary synthesized voice

The growing field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) takes a step out from conventional screenbased interactions, creating new scenarios, in which voice synthesis and voice recognition become important elements. Such voices are commonly created through concatenative or parametric synthesis methods, which access large voice corpora, pre-recorded by a single professional voice actor. These designed voices arguably propagate representations of gender binary identities. In this paper we present our project, [multi’vocal], which aims to challenge the current gender binary representations in synthesized voices. More specifically we explore if it is possible to create a non-binary synthesized voice through engaging everyday people of diverse backgrounds in giving voice to a collective synthesized voice of all genders, ages and accents

First-time mothers’ experiences of pregnancy and birth following assisted reproductive technology treatment in Taiwan

Background Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment tends to involve significant physical and emotional commitments that can impact maternal, infant and family health and well-being. An in-depth understanding of experiences is necessary to provide adequate support for women and their families during pregnancy and transition to parenthood following ART treatment. The aim of this study was to explore first-time mothers’ experiences of pregnancy and transition to parenthood following successful ART treatment in Taiwan. Method Twelve first-time mothers who conceived and gave live birth using ART treatment were purposively selected from a fertility centre in Taipei, Taiwan. Women’s experiences in pregnancy and in their transition to motherhood were explored using semi-structured in-depth interviews. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using the Colaizzi strategy. Results The mothers’ accounts reflected three main themes: ‘being different from mothers who became pregnant naturally’; ‘ensuring health and safety of the foetus’; and ‘welcoming new lives with excitement’. The difference mothers felt about themselves was evident in four subthemes: becoming pregnant after a long wait, feeling vulnerable during pregnancy, relying on family’s assistance and support, and worrying about the impact of ART on health. The theme on ‘ensuring health and safety of the foetus’ encompassed three subthemes: activities to protect the unborn baby, monitoring foetal movement constantly to maintain peace of mind, and receiving foetal reduction for the sake of the pregnancy. Narratives around ‘welcoming new lives with excitement’ reflected four subthemes: overcoming hardship for worthwhile results, realising one’s life and dreams, proving to be fertile enough to give birth, and return to normal life track. Conclusion Findings indicate the need for educational and psychosocial interventions to support women and their families physically and psychologically during ART treatment. The stigma related to infertility and the psychosocial support from family are aspects to consider while planning intervention programmes

Satellite data for the offshore renewable energy sector: Synergies and innovation opportunities

Can satellite data be used to address challenges currently faced by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) sector? What benefit can satellite observations bring to resource assessment and maintenance of ORE farms? Can satellite observations be used to assess the environmental impact of offshore renewables leading towards a more sustainable ORE sector? This review paper faces these questions presenting a holistic view of the current interactions between satellite and ORE sectors, and future needs to make this partnership grow. The aim of the work is to start the conversation between these sectors by establishing a common ground. We present offshore needs and satellite technology limitations, as well as potential opportunities and areas of growth. To better understand this, the reader is guided through the history, current developments, challenges and future of offshore wind, tidal and wave energy technologies. Then, an overview on satellite observations for ocean applications is given, covering types of instruments and how they are used to provide different metocean variables, satellite performance, and data processing and integration. Past, present and future satellite missions are also discussed. Finally, the paper focuses on innovation opportunities and the potential of synergies between the ORE and satellite sectors. Specifically, we pay attention to improvements that satellite observations could bring to standard measurement techniques: assessing uncertainty, wind, tidal and wave conditions forecast, as well as environmental monitoring from space. Satellite–enabled measurement of ocean physical processes and applications for fisheries, mammals and birds, and habitat change, are also discussed in depth

Crop Updates 2000 - Pulses

This session covers fifty nine papers from different authors: 1.1999 PULSE INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS 2. CONTRIBUTORS 3. BACKGROUND 4. SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS RESULTS 5. 1999 REGIONAL ROUNDUP 6. Northern Agricultural Region, W. O’Neill, AGWEST 7. Central Agricultural Region J. Russell and R.J. French AGWEST 8. Great Southern and Lakes N. Brandon, C. Gaskin and N. Runciman, AGWEST 9. Esperance Mallee M. Seymour, AGWEST PULSE PRODUCTION AGRONOMY AND GENETIC IMPROVEMENT 10. Faba Bean 11. Desi chickpea Traits associated with drought resistance in chickpea, J. Berger, N.C. Turner, CLIMA and CSIRO Plant Industry, R.J. French, AGWEST, R. Carpenter, C. Ludwig and R. Kenney, CSIRO Plant Industry 12. Genotype x environment analysis of chickpea adaptation, J. Berger and N. Turner, CLIMA and CSIRO Plant Industry, and K.H.M. Siddique, AGWEST 13. Carbon fixation by chickpea pods under terminal drought, Q. Ma, CLIMA, M.H. Behboudian, Massey University, New Zealand, N.C. Turner and J.A. Palta, CLIMA, and CSIRO Plant Industry 14. Influence of terminal drought on growth and seed quality, M.H. Behboudian, Massey University, New Zealand, Q. Ma, CLIMA, N.C. Turner and J.A. Palta, CSIRO Plant Industry 15. Resistance to chilling at flowering and to budworm, H. Clarke, CLIMA Chickpea nodulation survey, J. Stott and J. Howieson, Centre for Rhizobium Studies, Murdoch University 16. Kabuli chickpea 17. Premium quality kabuli chickpea development in the ORIA, K.H.M. Siddique CLIMA and AGWEST, K.L. Regan, AGWEST, R. Shackles, AGWEST 18. International screening for Ascochyta blight resistance, K.H.M. Siddique CLIMA and AGWEST, C. Francis, CLIMA, K.L. Regan, AGWEST, N. Acikgoz and N. Atikyilmaz, AARI, Turkey and R.S. Malholtra, ICARDA, Syria 19. Agronomic evaluation of Ascochyta resistant kabuli germplasm in WA, K.H.M. Siddique CLIMA and AGWESTC. Francis, CLIMA, K.L. Regan and M. Baker, AGWEST 20. Field Pea 21. Lentil 22. ACIAR project J. Clements, K.H.M. Siddique CLIMA and AGWEST and C. Francis CLIMA 23. Vetch 24. Rust, M. Seymour, AGWEST 25. Narbon bean 26. Agronomy, M. Seymour, AGWEST 27. Lupinus species 28. Screening lupins for tolerance to alkaline/calcareous soils, C. Tang, CLIMA andUniversity of WAand J.D. Brand, WAITE, University of Adelaide 29. Lathyrus development, C. Hanbury and K.H.M. Siddique, CLIMA and AGWEST 30. Sheep feeding studies, C. White, CSIRO, Perth, C. Hanbury, CLIMA and K.H.M. Siddique, CLIMA and AGWEST 31. Lathyrus: a potential new ingredient in pig diets, B.P. Mullan, C.D. Hanbury and K.H.M. Siddique, AGWEST 32. Species comparison 33. Species for horticultural rotations, K.H.M. Siddique, AGWEST, R. Lancaster and I. Guthridge AGWEST 34. Marrow fat field pea shows promise in the southwest, K.H.M. Siddique, AGWEST, N. Runciman, AGWEST, and I. Pritchard, AGWEST, 35. Pulses on grey clay soils, P. Fisher, M. Braimbridge, J. Bignell, N. Brandon, R. Beermier, W. Bowden, AGWEST 36. Nutrient management of pulses 37. Summary of pulse nutrition studies in WA, M.D.A. Bolland, K.H.M. Siddique, G.P. Riethmuller, and R.F. Brennan, AGWEST 38. Pulse species response to phosphorus and zinc, S. Lawrence, Zed Rengel, University of WA, S.P. Loss, CSBP futurefarm, M.D.A. Bolland, .H.M. Siddique, W. Bowden, AGWEST 39. Gypsum 40. Antitranspirants seed priming DEMONSTRATION OF PULSES IN THE FARMING SYSTEM 41. Foliar and soil applied nutrients for field peas in the south coast mallee,M. Seymour, AGWEST, and P. Vedeniapine, Phosyn Ltd 42. Demonstration of pulse species at Kendenup, C. Kirkwood, Farmer, Katanning, R. Beermier, N. Runciman and N. Brandon, AGWEST 43. Kabuli chickpea demonstration at Gnowangerup, R. Beermier and N. Brandon, AGWEST 44. Lathyrus sativus demonstration at Mindarabin, N. Brandon and R. Beermier, AGWEST 45. New field pea varieties in the central eastern region, J. Russell, AGWEST DISEASE AND PEST MANAGEMENT 46. Ascochyta blight of chickpea 47. Botrytis grey mould (BGM) of chickpea 48. Fungal disease diagnostics, Pulse disease diagnostics, D. Wright, AGWEST Plant Laboratories 49. Viruses in pulses, Luteovirus infection in field pea and faba bean crops, and viruses in seed, L. Latham, CLIMA and AGWEST, R. Jones, AGWEST 50. Screening of pulse species for pea seed-borne mosaic virus, L. Latham, CLIMAand AGWEST, and R. Jones, AGWEST 51. CMV in chickpea: effect of seed-borne sources on virus spread and seed yield, R. Jones, AGWEST and L. Latham, CLIMA and AGWEST 52. Insect pests 53. Evaluation of transgenic field pea against the pea weevil,M.J. de Sousa Majer, School of Environmental Biology, Curtin University of Technology,, D. Hardie, and N.C. Turner, CSIRO Division of Plant Industry 54. Development of a molecular marker for pea weevil resistance in field pea, Oonagh Byrne, CLIMA, Darryl Hardie, AGWEST and Penny Smith, UWA 55. Aphid feeding damage to faba bean and lentil crops, Françoise Berlandier, AGWEST 56. Taxonomy and control of bruchids in pulses, N. Keals, CLIMA, D. Hardie and R. Emery, AGWEST, 57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 58. PUBLICATIONS BY PULSE PRODUCTIVITY PROJECT STAFF 59. VARIETIES PRODUCED AND COMMERCIALLY RELEASE

Cosmological evolution of interacting dark energy in Lorentz violation

The cosmological evolution of an interacting scalar field model in which the scalar field interacts with dark matter, radiation, and baryon via Lorentz violation is investigated. We propose a model of interaction through the effective coupling $\bar{\beta}$. Using dynamical system analysis, we study the linear dynamics of an interacting model and show that the dynamics of critical points are completely controlled by two parameters. Some results can be mentioned as follows. Firstly, the sequence of radiation, the dark matter, and the scalar field dark energy exist and baryons are sub dominant. Secondly, the model also allows the possibility of having a universe in the phantom phase with constant potential. Thirdly, the effective gravitational constant varies with respect to time through $\bar{\beta}$. In particular, we consider a simple case where $\bar{\beta}$ has a quadratic form and has a good agreement with the modified $\Lambda$CDM and quintessence models. Finally, we also calculate the first post--Newtonian parameters for our model.Comment: 14 pages, published versio

Theory of neutrinoless double beta decay

Neutrinoless double beta decay, which is a very old and yet elusive process, is reviewed. Its observation will signal that lepton number is not conserved and the neutrinos are Majorana particles. More importantly it is our best hope for determining the absolute neutrino mass scale at the level of a few tens of meV. To achieve the last goal certain hurdles have to be overcome involving particle, nuclear and experimental physics. Nuclear physics is important for extracting the useful information from the data. One must accurately evaluate the relevant nuclear matrix elements, a formidable task. To this end, we review the sophisticated nuclear structure approaches recently been developed, which give confidence that the needed nuclear matrix elements can be reliably calculated. From an experimental point of view it is challenging, since the life times are long and one has to fight against formidable backgrounds. If a signal is found, it will be a tremendous accomplishment. Then, of course, the real task is going to be the extraction of the neutrino mass from the observations. This is not trivial, since current particle models predict the presence of many mechanisms other than the neutrino mass, which may contribute or even dominate this process. We will, in particular, consider the following processes: (i)The neutrino induced, but neutrino mass independent contribution. (ii)Heavy left and/or right handed neutrino mass contributions. (iii)Intermediate scalars (doubly charged etc). (iv)Supersymmetric (SUSY) contributions. We will show that it is possible to disentangle the various mechanisms and unambiguously extract the important neutrino mass scale, if all the signatures of the reaction are searched in a sufficient number of nuclear isotopes.Comment: 104 pages, 6 tables, 25 figures.References added. To appear in ROP (Reports on Progress in Physics), copyright RO