Rapid detection of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists impregnated into paper by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

The last few years have witnessed the change in the modalities of smuggling of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) by impregnating them in mail envelopes and fast parcels. Considering the aforementioned scenario, it is important to develop a portable technique to identifying SCRAs through packages. The purpose of this research was to detect SCRAs impregnated into substrates of paper using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy.

Chickpea ( L.) as a Source of Essential Fatty Acids - A Biofortification Approach.

Chickpea is a highly nutritious pulse crop with low digestible carbohydrates (40-60%), protein (15-22%), essential fats (4-8%), and a range of minerals and vitamins. The fatty acid composition of the seed adds value because fats govern the texture, shelf-life, flavor, aroma, and nutritional composition of chickpea-based food products. Therefore, the biofortification of essential fatty acids has become a nutritional breeding target for chickpea crop improvement programs worldwide.

Correction: High-Resolution Phenotypic Landscape of the RNA Polymerase II Trigger Loop.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.

Nck deficiency is associated with delayed breast carcinoma progression and reduced metastasis.

Although it is known that noncatalytic region of tyrosine kinase (Nck) regulates cell adhesion and migration by bridging tyrosine phosphorylation with cytoskeletal remodeling, the role of Nck in tumorigenesis and metastasis has remained undetermined. Here we report that Nck is required for the growth and vascularization of primary tumors and lung metastases in a breast cancer xenograft model as well as extravasation following injection of carcinoma cells into the tail vein. We provide evidence that Nck directs the polarization of cell-matrix interactions for efficient migration in three-dimensional microenvironments.

High-Resolution Phenotypic Landscape of the RNA Polymerase II Trigger Loop.

The active sites of multisubunit RNA polymerases have a "trigger loop" (TL) that multitasks in substrate selection, catalysis, and translocation. To dissect the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA polymerase II TL at individual-residue resolution, we quantitatively phenotyped nearly all TL single variants en masse. Three mutant classes, revealed by phenotypes linked to transcription defects or various stresses, have distinct distributions among TL residues.

The Cytoskeletal Adapter Protein Spinophilin Regulates Invadopodia Dynamics and Tumor Cell Invasion in Glioblastoma.

Unlabelled: Glioblastoma is a primary brain cancer that is resistant to all treatment modalities. This resistance is due, in large part, to invasive cancer cells that disperse from the main tumor site, escape surgical resection, and contribute to recurrent secondary lesions. The adhesion and signaling mechanisms that drive glioblastoma cell invasion remain enigmatic, and as a result there are no effective anti-invasive clinical therapies.

Nondestructive Handheld Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Analysis of Spectroscopic Changes and Multivariate Modeling of Thermally Degraded Plain Portland Cement Concrete and its Slag and Fly Ash-Based Analogs.

Concrete is by far the world's most common construction material. Modern concrete is a mixture of industrial pozzolanic cement formulations and aggregate fillers. The former acts as the glue or binder in the final inorganic composite; however, when exposed to a fire the degree of concrete damage is often difficult to evaluate nondestructively.

Neuropilin 1 balances β8 integrin-activated TGFβ signaling to control sprouting angiogenesis in the brain.

Angiogenesis in the developing central nervous system (CNS) is regulated by neuroepithelial cells, although the genes and pathways that couple these cells to blood vessels remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we have used biochemical, cell biological and molecular genetic approaches to demonstrate that β8 integrin (Itgb8) and neuropilin 1 (Nrp1) cooperatively promote CNS angiogenesis by mediating adhesion and signaling events between neuroepithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells. β8 integrin in the neuroepithelium promotes the activation of extracellular matrix (ECM)-bound latent transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) ligands and stimulates TGFβ receptor signaling in endothelial cells.

From structure to systems: high-resolution, quantitative genetic analysis of RNA polymerase II.

RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) lies at the core of dynamic control of gene expression. Using 53 RNAPII point mutants, we generated a point mutant epistatic miniarray profile (pE-MAP) comprising ∼60,000 quantitative genetic interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This analysis enabled functional assignment of RNAPII subdomains and uncovered connections between individual regions and other protein complexes.

Single particle tracking analysis of the chloroplast division protein FtsZ anchoring to the inner envelope membrane.

Replication of chloroplast in plant cells is an essential process that requires co-assembly of the tubulin-like plastid division proteins FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 at mid-chloroplast to form a ring structure called the Z-ring. The Z-ring is stabilized via its interaction with the transmembrane protein ARC6 on the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts. Plants lacking ARC6 are defective in plastid division and contain only one or two enlarged chloroplasts per cell with abnormal localization of FtsZ: instead of a single Z-ring, many short FtsZ filaments are distributed throughout the chloroplast.

Enhanced hydrogen storage in Ni/Ce composite oxides.

The properties of dried (but not calcined) coprecipitated nickel ceria systems have been investigated in terms of their hydrogen emission characteristics following activation in hydrogen. XRD and BET data obtained on the powders show similarities to calcined ceria but it is likely that the majority of the material produced by the coprecipitation process is largely of an amorphous nature. XPS data indicate very little nickel is present on the outermost surface of the particles.