Regulatory RNAs: A Universal Language for Inter-Domain Communication

In eukaryotes, microRNAs (miRNAs) have roles in development, homeostasis, disease and the immune response. Recent work has shown that plant and mammalian miRNAs also mediate cross-kingdom and cross-domain communications. However, these studies remain controversial and are lacking critical mechanistic explanations. Bacteria do not produce miRNAs themselves, and therefore it is unclear how these eukaryotic RNA molecules could function in the bacterial recipient. In this review, we compare and contrast the biogenesis and functions of regulatory RNAs in eukaryotes and bacteria. As a result, we discovered several conserved features and homologous components in these distinct pathways. These findings enabled us to propose novel mechanisms to explain how eukaryotic miRNAs could function in bacteria. Further understanding in this area is necessary to validate the findings of existing studies and could facilitate the use of miRNAs as novel tools for the directed remodelling of the human microbiota.     

Mixed-Metal MOF-74 Templated Catalysts for Efficient Carbon Dioxide Capture and Methanation

The vast chemical and structural tunability of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are beginning to be harnessed as functional supports for catalytic nanoparticles spanning a range of applications. However, a lack of straightforward methods for producing nanoparticle-encapsulated MOFs as efficient heterogeneous catalysts limits their usage. Herein, a mixed-metal MOF, NiMg-MOF-74, is utilized as a template to disperse small Ni nanoclusters throughout the parent MOF. By exploiting the difference in Ni O and Mg O coordination bond strength, Ni²⁺ is selectively reduced to form highly dispersed Ni nanoclusters constrained by the parent MOF pore diameter, while Mg²⁺ remains coordinated in the framework. By varying the ratio of Ni to Mg in the parent MOF, accessible surface area and crystallinity can be tuned upon thermal treatment, influencing CO₂ adsorption capacity and hydrogenation selectivity. The resulting Ni nanoclusters prove to be an active catalyst for CO₂ methanation and are examined using extended X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. By preserving a segment of the Mg²⁺-containing MOF framework, the composite system retains a portion of its CO₂ adsorption capacity while continuing to deliver catalytic activity. The approach is thus critical for designing materials that can bridge the gap between carbon capture and CO₂ utilization.     

Computational Analysis of the Solid-State and Solvation Properties of Carbamazepine in Relation to its Polymorphism

The solvent-dependent polymorphism of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) carbamazepine is interpreted from calculations of the solid-state and API-solvent intermolecular interactions. These simulations suggested that apolar solute-solute interactions could be disrupted by apolar solvents. In contrast, the polar solute-solute interactions were found to be easily disrupted by polar and protic solvents. This is consistent with experimental observations that the crystallization of the metastable form II is more dominant in apolar solvents. The Mercury program remains the gold standard in terms of usability; however, further expansion into more complex simulation techniques could make this package of even greater use in pharmaceutical manufacturing workflows.     

Attentional Biases for Negative Interpersonal Stimuli in Clinical Depression.

An information-processing paradigm was used to examine attentional biases in clinically depressed participants, participants with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and nonpsychiatric control participants for faces expressing sadness, anger, and happiness. Faces were presented for 1,000 ms, at which point depressed participants had directed their attention selectively to depression-relevant (i.e., sad) faces. This attentional bias was specific to the emotion of sadness; the depressed participants did not exhibit attentional biases to the angry or happy faces. This bias was also specific to depression; at 1,000 ms, participants with GAD were not attending selectively to sad, happy, or anxiety-relevant (i.e., angry) faces. Implications of these findings for both the cognitive and the interpersonal functioning of depressed individuals are discussed and directions for future research are advanced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Driver detection and recognition of lineside signals and signs at different approach speeds

A study was carried out using simulation to investigate driver responses to lineside signals and signs at various approach speeds. The objectives of the study were: (1) to find out whether train speed would significantly affect signal/sign reading; (2) to examine at which point certain types of signs or signals could be detected or recognised, and (3) to determine a speed cut-off level above which certain types of signs or signals are no longer recognisable or detectable. Fifty-seven train drivers from 12 Train Operating Companies in the UK participated in the trials. Twenty different types of lineside signs and ten types of signals were tested under six different approach speeds ranging from 100 to 350 km/h (62–218 mph). Driver performance measures were ‘time remaining to the signal/sign’ at the point of detection or recognition, and reading error rate. The results showed a significant influence of train speed on driver responses to lineside signals/signs and demonstrated a non-linear relationship between driver responses to signals/signs and approach speed. This has been used to estimate a maximum approach speed limit within which a specific signal or sign can be correctly detected or recognised. The findings and implications of the study are discussed in the paper.     

The validity of the Gammarus:Asellus ratio as an index of organic pollution: abiotic and biotic influences.

In freshwaters. Gammarus spp. are more sensitive to organic pollution than Asellus spp. and the relative abundance of the two taxa has been proposed as a pollution index. We tested the validity of this by examining the relationship between the Gammarus: Asellus (G : A) ratio and (1) a suite of physico-chemical variables. (2) established biotic (average score per taxon, ASPT) and richness (species richness (S) and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera families richness (EPT family richness)) indices generated from the macroinvertebrate community. In addition, we investigated a suspected biotic interaction, predation, between Gammarus and Asellus. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the G: A ratio was sometimes responsive to changes in parameters linked to organic pollution, such as BOD5 and nitrate levels. However, the G : A ratio also appeared responsive to variables not directly linked to organic pollution, such as conductivity and distance from source. There were significant positive correlations among the G : A ratio and the ASPT, S and EPT, indicating that changes in the relative abundances of Gammarus and Asellus were reflected in changes in the pollution sensitivity and richness of the wider macroinvertebrate community. A laboratory experiment revealed significant predation of Asellus aquaticus juveniles by Gammarus duebeni celticus adults, but no reciprocal predation. We propose that the G: A ratio may be useful as a crude measure of organic pollution that could supplement more complex indices in a multimetric approach to pollution monitoring or be used for monitoring individual sites, where a simple technique is required for monitoring purposes over a period of time. Also, we urge recognition of the possible role of biotic interactions among taxa used in the generation of pollution indices.     

The Clausius inequality corrected for heat transfer involving radiation

The objective of this paper is to prove that the Clausius inequality must be re-stated to have general applicability for heat transfer involving radiative fluxes. The integrand (đQ/T) of the Clausius expression applies to heat conduction and convection, but does not hold for most radiative transfer scenarios, with the exception of reversible infinitesimal net blackbody radiation transfer. In other cases involving radiative transfer, the equality holds for a cycle even though irreversible heat addition by radiative transfer occurs. This is without the erroneous presumption of entropy destruction anywhere in the cycle. Thus, the Clausius inequality indicates reversibility for a cycle that includes an irreversible process. Further, in some radiative cases the quantity đQ/T, where T is the boundary temperature, is not the entropy transfer at the system boundary, and in fact, primarily represents entropy production within the system. It is also clear that in another case considered, the quantity đQ/T had no physical meaning whatsoever. Consequently, the Clausius expression has been re-stated so that it is applicable to cycles with processes involving any form of heat transfer. A new integrand (đQ_cc/T + đS_Net,Rad) is presented, allowing the Clausius inequality to generally apply to all heat transfer scenarios. The work in this paper emphasizes the need to re-state other fundamental equations allowing applicability to all heat transfer processes, and draws attention to the unique character of radiative entropy calculations.     

Effect of process distillation on mutagenicity and cell-transformation activity of solvent-refined,coal-derived liquids

Blended SRC-II process streams, representing a full boiling range distillate material, were fractionally distilled into non-overlapping 50 °F cuts with boiling points between 300 and 850 °F. Another set of 18 distillate cuts were obtained with boiling points ranging between 138 and 1055 °F. Distillate cuts were assayed for mutagenic activity using the histidine reversion assay with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537, as well as for mammalian-cell transformation activity in the Syrian hamster embryo test, and DNA damage in the prophage induction assay. Samples were also separated into chemical class fractions by alumina column chromatography and analysed by high resolution gas chromatography so that the chemical composition of the cuts could be related to their relative activity in the different assays. In the mammalian cell transformation and microbial mutagenicity assays, significant activity was found almost exclusively in distillate cuts with components boiling > 700 °F, with the highest activity in the transformation assay observed for cuts > 800 °F. All of the distillate cuts showed increased levels of DNA damage as expressed by lambda prophage induction in Escherichia coli 8177. However, the greatest activity was associated with distillate cuts with boiling points in the 800 °F + range. Chemical analysis of the 50 °F distillate cuts showed a variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and amino-PAH compounds to be present in the distillate cuts boiling > 700 °F and essentially absent from cuts boiling < 700 °F. The sample set of non-overlapping (50 °F) cuts were reblended according to the proportions of each cut found in the original blend material. These reblended composites were then assayed to compare their activity with that predicted from the activities of the component distillate cuts. The reblending experiments indicated the microbial mutagenicity response was essentially additive. Mammalian cell transformation activities were non-additive, indicating a compositional effect on the expression of transforming agents in the complex mixture.     

可编程定时器--终极定时解决方案

如今,通信、计算和先进消费型系统中的复杂设计越来越容易受到最后时刻的设计变更、性能要求的不断攀升以及相关标准演进的影响。设计师必须保持灵活性,以便能够将关键元件的选择推迟到开发过程的后期来进行。