Does size matter? Comparative population genetics of two butterflies with different wingspans

The dispersal ability of a species is central to its biology, affecting other processes like local adaptation, population and community dynamics, and genetic structure. Among the intrinsic, species-specific factors that affect dispersal ability in butterflies, wingspan was recently shown to explain a high amount of variance in dispersal ability. In this study, a comparative approach was adopted to test whether a difference in wingspan translates into a difference in population genetic structure. Two closely related butterfly species from subfamily Satyrinae, family Nymphalidae, which are similar with respect to all traits that affect dispersal ability except for wingspan, were studied. Melanitis leda (wingspan 60-80 mm) and Ypthima baldus (wingspan 30-40 mm) were collected from the same areas along the Western Ghats of southern India. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms were used to test whether the species with a higher wingspan (M. leda) exhibited a more homogenous population genetic structure, as compared to a species with a shorter wingspan (Y. baldus). In all analyses, Y. baldus exhibited greater degree of population genetic structuring. This study is one of the few adopting a comparative approach to establish the relationship between traits that affect dispersal ability and population genetic structure.

Evidence for N-7 guanine methyl transferase activity encoded within the modular domain of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L of a Morbillivirus

Post-transcriptional modification of viral mRNA is essential for the translation of viral proteins by cellular translation machinery. Due to the cytoplasmic replication of Paramyxoviruses, the viral-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) is thought to possess all activities required for mRNA capping and methylation. In the present work, using partially purified recombinant RNA polymerase complex of rinderpest virus expressed in insect cells, we demonstrate the in vitro methylation of capped mRNA. Further, we show that a recombinant C-terminal fragment (1717-2183 aa) of L protein is capable of methylating capped mRNA, suggesting that the various post-transcriptional activities of the L protein are located in independently folding domains.

Quick measurement of H-1-F-19 scalar couplings from the complex NMR spectra by real-time spin edition

Most often the measurement of VHF from the conventional 1D H-1 NMR spectrum is severely hindered consequent to similar magnitudes of JHF and JHH couplings and the spectral multiplicity pattern. The present study reports a new 1D NMR technique based on real time spin edition, which removes all JHF and JHH while retaining only VHF of a chosen fluorine. The obtained spectrum is significantly simplified and permits straightforward determination of all possible VHF values of a chosen fluorine. Due to one dimensional nature, the method is much faster compared to 2D GET-SERF by 1-2 orders of magnitude. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dissecting pi-helices: sequence, structure and function

A new procedure for the identification of regular secondary structures using a C-alpha trace has identified 659 pi-helices in 3582 protein chains, solved at high resolution. Taking advantage of this significantly expanded database of pi-helices, we have analysed the functional and structural roles of helices and determined the position-wise amino acid propensity within and around them. These helices range from 5 to 18 residues in length with the average twist and rise being 85.2 +/- 7.2 and 1.28 +/- 0.31 angstrom, respectively. A total of 546 (similar to 83%) out of 659 pi-helices occur in conjunction with alpha-helices, with 101 pi-helices being interspersed between two alpha-helices. The majority of interspersed pi-helices were found to be conserved across a large number of structures within a protein family and produce a significant bend in the overall helical segment as well as local distortions in the neighbouring a-helices. The presence of a pi-helical fragment leads to appropriate orientation of the constituent residues, so as to facilitate favourable interactions and also help in proper folding of the protein chain. In addition to intra helical 6 -> 1 N H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds, pi-helices are also stabilized by several other non-bonded interactions. pi-Helices show distinct positional residue preferences, which are different from those of a-helices.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Peeling a DNA Molecule on Substrate

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to study adhesion and peeling of a short fragment of single strand DNA (ssDNA) molecule from a graphite surface. The critical peel-off force is found to depend on both the peeling angle and the elasticity of ssDNA. For the short ssDNA strand under investigation, we show that the simulation results can be explained by a continuum model of an adhesive elastic band on substrate. The analysis suggests that it is often the peak value, rather than the mean value, of adhesion energy which determines the peeling of a nanoscale material.

Evaluation of live-attenuated Salmonella vaccines expressing Campylobacter antigens for control of C. jejuni in poultry

Campylobacter jejuni is a zoonotic bacterial pathogen of worldwide importance. It is estimated that 460,000 human infections occur in the United Kingdom per annum and these involve acute enteritis and may be complicated by severe systemic sequelae. Such infections are frequently associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry meat and strategies to control C. jejuni in poultry are expected to limit pathogen entry into the food chain and the incidence of human disease. Toward this aim, a total of 840 Light Sussex chickens were used to evaluate a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ΔaroA vaccine expressing the C. jejuni amino acid binding protein CjaA as a plasmid-borne fusion to the C-terminus of fragment C of tetanus toxin. Chickens were given the vaccine at 1-day-old and two weeks later by oral gavage, then challenged after a further two weeks with C. jejuni. Across six biological replicates, statistically significant reductions in caecal C. jejuni of c. 1.4 log10 colony-forming units/g were observed at three and four weeks post-challenge relative to age-matched unvaccinated birds. Protection was associated with the induction of CjaA-specific serum IgY and biliary IgA. Protection was not observed using a vaccine strain containing the empty plasmid. Vaccination with recombinant CjaA subcutaneously at the same intervals significantly reduced the caecal load of C. jejuni at three and four weeks post-challenge. Taken together these data imply that responses directed against CjaA, rather than competitive or cross-protective effects mediated by the carrier, confer protection. The impact of varying parameters on the efficacy of the S. Typhimurium ΔaroA vaccine expressing TetC-CjaA was also tested. Delaying the age at primary vaccination had little impact on protection or humoral responses to CjaA. The use of the parent strain as carrier or changing the attenuating mutation of the carrier to ΔspaS or ΔssaU enhanced the protective effect, consistent with increased invasion and persistence of the vaccine strains relative to the ΔaroA mutant. Expression in the ΔaroA strain of a TetC fusion to Peb1A, but not TetC fusions to GlnH or ChuA, elicited protection against intestinal colonisation by C. jejuni that was comparable to that observed with the TetC-CjaA fusion. Our data are rendered highly relevant by use of the target host in large numbers and support the potential of CjaA- and Peb1A-based vaccines for control of C. jejuni in poultry. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Benjamín de Tudela y los motivos del viaje : la educación del judío y el encuentro con la propia identidad a través del otro

Resumen: El presente trabajo aborda un tema concreto: el motivo u objeto con que el maestro y erudito español Benjamín de Tudela (1130-1173) abandona momentáneamente su país, España, para realizar un viaje de más de diez años por el Mediterráneo, el Asia Menor, el Medio Oriente y, aunque es menos probable, el Lejano Oriente. El corpus a considerar es su Libro de viajes (1160-1173), uno de los más completos y didácticos cuadernos de bitácora de la literatura occidental. Esta obra, que ha tenido grandes incidencias en la educación judía de siglos posteriores, es considerada hasta hoy como uno de los primeros documentos demográficos de las comunidades judías de la diáspora. Una vez identificados los motivos que impulsaron un periplo de tal calibre, procederé a analizar básicamente dos. Por un lado, la misión didáctica que él mismo se ha atribuido en consonancia con el precepto que ordena la transmisión intergeneracional de la fe y sus valores. Por otro lado, infiero un motivo que califico como de origen divino o sobrenatural, y que comparo con el viaje de Abraham desde Ur de Caldea hasta la Tierra Prometida. Para desarrollar este punto parto de un fragmento de la Biblia denominado en la tradición judía Lej lejá (Génesis XII:1-XVII:27), del que tomo los dos versículos iniciales, y aplico un análisis hecho por la licenciada y rabina Silvina Chemen con motivo del diálogo interreligioso.

De madres, ciudades y tablillas : alcances políticos y literarios de un enigma familiar en la comedia media (Antífanes, Safo, fr. 194 K.-A)

Resumen: El fragmento 194 (Kassel-Austin) del poeta cómico Antífanes, proveniente de su obra Safo (c. 360 a.C.), reproduce un diálogo entre la poetisa y un personaje desconocido que da cuenta de una adivinanza. La imagen propuesta de una mujer que protege a sus hijos, silenciosos, mientras lloran ante quien los quiera escuchar es, pues, resemantizada en el pasaje, a la vez, desde una dimensión política y un plano autorreferencial. Examinada inicialmente como una pólis que cobija a los demagogos corruptos, la escena familiar termina siendo decodificada en términos poéticos: se trata de una tablilla de escritura con letras que resultan sus mudos descendientes. El enigma, por tanto, supone una interesante estrategia para consolidar desde una visión cómica la polivalencia de la imagen maternal como un mecanismo metafórico eficiente para cargar las tintas sobre aquellas temáticas a las que el género concede un tratamiento privilegiado.

Acerca del Troço de la corónica del rey don Enrique el Doliente del manuscrito BNM 1530

Resumen: A raíz del descubrimiento de un testimonio desconocido perteneciente a la tradición de la Refundición del Sumario del Despensero, en ff. 238v-239v del manuscrito Biblioteca Nacional de España 15530 (BETA manid 4978), la ponencia se propone indagar el procedimiento fragmentario de construcción del objeto historiable en las obras historiográficas del siglo XV conocidas como sumarios de crónicas. Del mismo modo, vincula este fragmento con los hechos narrados en el “Magnicidio de Alfaro” (Crónica de Sancho IV) proponiendo su inclusión dentro del tópico “prendimiento de un grande”, el cual encuentra significativos ejemplos en la cronística medieval española.

Clemaps: Multiple Alignment Of Protein Structures Based On Conformational Letters

CLEMAPS is a tool for multiple alignment of protein structures. It distinguishes itself from other existing algorithms for multiple structure alignment by the use of conformational letters, which are discretized states of 3D segmental structural states. A letter corresponds to a cluster of combinations of three angles formed by C-alpha pseudobonds of four contiguous residues. A substitution matrix called CLESUM is available to measure the similarity between any two such letters. The input 3D structures are first converted to sequences of conformational letters. Each string of a fixed length is then taken as the center seed to search other sequences for neighbors of the seed, which are strings similar to the seed. A seed and its neighbors form a center-star, which corresponds to a fragment set of local structural similarity shared by many proteins. The detection of center-stars using CLESUM is extremely efficient. Local similarity is a necessary, but insufficient, condition for structural alignment. Once center-stars are found, the spatial consistency between any two stars are examined to find consistent star duads using atomic coordinates. Consistent duads are later joined to create a core for multiple alignment, which is further polished to produce the final alignment. The utility of CLEMAPS is tested on various protein structure ensembles.

Las motivaciones personales fundamentales. Piedras angulares de la existencia

El desarrollo y la realización personal dependen, según el Análisis Existencial, del éxito en la confrontación con los “Temas Existenciales” de la vida. En el Análisis Existencial moderno la multiplicidad de estos temas pudo ser reducida a cuatro estructuras, que es posible considerar fundamentos de una existencia realizada, y pueden servir de modelos para una “pedagogía existencial” como para una “psicología existencial” y psicoterapia existencial, siempre orientada al desenvolvimiento de la persona; su bloqueo o un desarrollo insuficiente llevan, por el contrario, a trastornos psíquicos. La condición existencial del ser humano es básicamente dialógica, los temas fundamentales están en el acuerdo con lo fáctico y las condiciones del Dasein, con el hecho de la propia vida y con sus sentimientos y relaciones, con su propia individualidad (ser uno mismo, autonomía, autenticidad), y en definitiva, con el proceso de llegar a ser, que implica futuro y sentido.

Das paradies in der politik ein kapitel negativer kosmologie

Abstract: The idea of a “paradise in politics” is an answer to the cosmogonic- anthropogonic problem that, through their bodies, the life of human beings has been shaped politically from the very beginning: all creation is a creation of bodies and bodies are power. All creation, furthermore, means separation, it emerges through a multiplicity of things and beings only. The conventional solution for the problem, in the realm of human beings, consists in forming societies out of a multiplicity of indivuals that remains as such. The solution of a “paradise in politics”, however, envisions a “healing” of creation through a bodily transmutation by which a world of bodies emerges that is freed from the problem of bodies: separation, power. The article discusses the negative cosmology with which all tales on a paradise in politics start. It shows the essential role of phantasy in the constitution of these tales, and elucidates the principal structural elements through which visions of a paradise in politics are built. A special attention is given to the parallelism between these visions and known religious thought, as in the case of the concepts of apokatastasis or perichoresis, for instance. Methodically, the article achieves a demonstration of its subject by an extensive presentation and analysis of two case studies: Rousseau’s vision of a “terrestrial paradise” and the attempt at “bodily redemption” put on the stage in 1968-69 by the “Living Theatre” Group with its performance “Paradise Now”.

Recurrence plot analysis of DNA sequences

Recurrence plot technique of DNA sequences is established on metric representation and employed to analyze correlation structure of nucleotide strings. It is found that, in the transference of nucleotide strings, a human DNA fragment has a major correlation distance, but a yeast chromosome's correlation distance has a constant increasing. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Materia, forma y privación en el opúsculo de “Principiis naturae” de Santo Tomás de Aquino

Resumen: En este trabajo seguimos la presentación de la materia, la forma y la privación realizada por Santo Tomás de Aquino en los dos primeros capítulos del De principiis naturae. Identificados como los principios de la naturaleza, son la clave para entender las definiciones de generación de las que nos provee el Aquinate. Él entiende la generación, protagonista de los cambios del mundo material, en sus principios, descubiertos en sus relaciones acto-potenciales. Completa esta presentación la distinción entre las substancias y los accidentes y sus consecuencias en el campo de los cambios de los cuerpos. Luego, Santo Tomás extiende los análisis de la privación y de la materia. La privación, entonces, es bien distinguida de la negación, porque el Aquinate muestra su dimensión potencial. La materia, por otro lado, se descubre en su pluralidad de sentidos y nos permite hablar de una participación de la materia, a partir de la principalísima materia ex qua o primera. Por último, tomamos nota de las fuentes secundarias de este texto, revisando pasajes de San Agustín y Averroes.

The Stability of the Roommate Problem Revisited

The lack of stability in some matching problems suggests that alternative solution concepts to the core might be applied to find predictable matchings. We propose the absorbing sets as a solution for the class of roommate problems with strict preferences. This solution, which always exists, either gives the matchings in the core or predicts some other matchings when the core is empty. Furthermore, it satisfies an interesting property of outer stability. We also characterize the absorbing sets, determine their number and, in case of multiplicity, we find that they all share a similar structure.