Did the exposure of coacervate droplets to rain make them the first stable protocells?

Membraneless coacervate microdroplets have long been proposed as model protocells as they can grow, divide, and concentrate RNA by natural partitioning. However, the rapid exchange of RNA between these compartments, along with their rapid fusion, both within minutes, means that individual droplets would be unable to maintain their separate genetic identities. Hence, Darwinian evolution would not be possible, and the population would be vulnerable to collapse due to the rapid spread of parasitic RNAs.

The Use of Guanfacine to Mediate Anxiety-related Reactivity and Reduce Associated Agonistic Behavior in Two Pigtail Macaques ().

Guanfacine, an α ₂adrenoceptor agonist, has been used to successfully treat self-injurious behavior in nonhuman primates, including macaques () and baboons (). It does so by facilitating a correction to the dopaminergic system that mediates a reduction in impulsivity and reactivity. Given this, we assessed the potential efficacy of guanfacine to treat socially directed agonistic behavior in primates with an apparent reactive behavioral phenotype.

Cross-activation of FGF, NODAL, and WNT pathways constrains BMP-signaling-mediated induction of the totipotent state in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are an attractive model to study the relationship between signaling and cell fates. Cultured mouse ESCs can exist in multiple states resembling distinct stages of early embryogenesis, such as totipotent, pluripotent, primed, and primitive endoderm. The signaling mechanisms regulating the totipotent state and coexistence of these states are poorly understood.

Surface Activation and Pretreatments for Biocompatible Metals and Alloys Used in Biomedical Applications.

To improve the biocompatibility of medical implants, a chemical composition of bone-like material (e.g., hydroxyapatite) can be deposited on the surface of various substrates.

Laser ablation coupled with DAPNe-NSI-MS applied to redacted documents.

Laser ablation has been applied to redacted documents, where the text has been concealed by other ink. This technique strips the redacting ink revealing the text that was once redacted. Once removed, a nanomanipulation technique is used to extract the ink of the underlying text where mass spectrometry is then implemented to analyze its ink chemistry.

The effects of metal ion PCR inhibitors on results obtained with the Quantifiler(®) Human DNA Quantification Kit.

Forensic DNA samples may include the presence of PCR inhibitors, even after extraction and purification. Studies have demonstrated that metal ions, co-purified at specific concentrations, inhibit DNA amplifications. Metal ions are endogenous to sample types, such as bone, and can be introduced from environmental sources.

Nanomanipulation-coupled to nanospray mass spectrometry applied to document and ink analysis.

A method for the extraction and analysis of ink samples was developed using microscopy with direct analyte probe nanoextraction coupled to nanospray ionization mass spectrometry (DAPNe-NSI-MS) for localized chemical analysis of document inks. Nanomanipulation can be effectively coupled to nanospray ionization mass spectrometry providing picomolar sensitivity, and the capability to analyze ultra-trace amounts of material and reduce the required sample volume to as low as 300 nL. This new and innovative technique does not leave destructive footprints on the surface of a document.

Dehydro[12]annulenes: structures, energetics, and dynamic processes.

Density functional and coupled cluster calculations on neutral monodehydro[12]annulenes (C(12)H(10)) reveal a global minimum that should be kinetically stable. At the CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//BHLYP/6-31G* level, the unsymmetrical CTCTC conformer 1a lies at least 3 kcal/mol below all other isomers studied. The two isomers closest in energy to 1a are Möbius structure 5a (CCTCC) and all-cis 6a.