A model for asymmetrical cell division.

We present a model that describes the growth, division and death of a cell population structured by size. The model is an extension of that studied by Hall and Wake (1989) and incorporates the asymmetric division of cells. We consider the case of binary asymmetrical splitting in which a cell of size ε divides into two daughter cells of different sizes and find the steady size distribution (SSD) solution to the non-local differential equation.

Sublethal exposure to commercial formulations of the herbicides dicamba, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and glyphosate cause changes in antibiotic susceptibility in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Unlabelled: Biocides, such as herbicides, are routinely tested for toxicity but not for sublethal effects on microbes. Many biocides are known to induce an adaptive multiple-antibiotic resistance phenotype. This can be due to either an increase in the expression of efflux pumps, a reduced synthesis of outer membrane porins, or both.

IL-4Rα-dependent alternative activation of macrophages is not decisive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathology and bacterial burden in mice.

Classical activation of macrophages (caMph or M1) is crucial for host protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Evidence suggests that IL-4/IL-13 alternatively activated macrophages (aaMph or M2) are exploited by Mtb to divert microbicidal functions of caMph. To define the functions of M2 macrophages during tuberculosis (TB), we infected mice deficient for IL-4 receptor α on macrophages (LysMcreIL-4Rα-/lox) with Mtb.

Modeling infectious disease dynamics in the complex landscape of global health.

Despite some notable successes in the control of infectious diseases, transmissible pathogens still pose an enormous threat to human and animal health. The ecological and evolutionary dynamics of infections play out on a wide range of interconnected temporal, organizational, and spatial scales, which span hours to months, cells to ecosystems, and local to global spread. Moreover, some pathogens are directly transmitted between individuals of a single species, whereas others circulate among multiple hosts, need arthropod vectors, or can survive in environmental reservoirs.

How mathematical epidemiology became a field of biology: a commentary on Anderson and May (1981) 'The population dynamics of microparasites and their invertebrate hosts'.

We discuss the context, content and importance of the paper 'The population dynamics of microparasites and their invertebrate hosts', by R. M. Anderson and R.

Melting of "non-magic" argon clusters and extrapolation to the bulk limit.

The melting of argon clusters ArN is investigated by applying a parallel-tempering Monte Carlo algorithm for all cluster sizes in the range from 55 to 309 atoms. Extrapolation to the bulk gives a melting temperature of 85.9 K in good agreement with the previous value of 88.

Water and nutrient intake in pregnant New Zealand women: association with wheeze in their infants at 18 months.

The association between water and nutrient intake in pregnant women, and wheeze in their 18 month old infants, was investigated in a prospective study. Volunteers (n=369) recruited from northern New Zealand were visited in months 4 and 7 of pregnancy. At each visit anthropometric measurements were taken, diet assessed by 24-hour recall and 3-day food records and questionnaires determining personal details administered.

Mini-Tn7 vectors for studying post-transcriptional gene expression in Pseudomonas.

We describe the construction and validation of five mini-Tn7 vectors for analysis of post-transcriptional gene expression in Pseudomonas. Four vectors allow construction of translational fusions to β-galactosidase (lacZ), while the fifth is designed for functional analysis of noncoding RNA genes. Translational fusions can be constructed without a functional promoter in the vector or from an inducible promoter of either P(tac) or P(dctA).

Gcn1 contacts the small ribosomal protein Rps10, which is required for full activation of the protein kinase Gcn2.

In eukaryotes, amino acid deprivation leads to the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs that are detected by Gcn2 (general control non-derepressible 2), which in turn phosphorylates eIF2α (α-subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2), an essential process for overcoming starvation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, sensing amino acid shortages requires that Gcn2 binds directly to its effector protein Gcn1 and both must associate with the ribosome. Our hypothesis is that uncharged tRNAs occur in the ribosomal A-site and that Gcn1 is directly involved in transfer of this starvation signal to Gcn2.

Numerical Bifurcation Theory for High-Dimensional Neural Models.

Numerical bifurcation theory involves finding and then following certain types of solutions of differential equations as parameters are varied, and determining whether they undergo any bifurcations (qualitative changes in behaviour). The primary technique for doing this is numerical continuation, where the solution of interest satisfies a parametrised set of algebraic equations, and branches of solutions are followed as the parameter is varied. An effective way to do this is with pseudo-arclength continuation.

Modeling the effect of insulin-like growth factor-1 on human cell growth.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plays a key role in human growth and development. The interactions of IGF-1 with IGF-1 receptors and IGF-1 binding proteins (IGFBPs) regulate IGF-1 function. Recent research suggests that a metabolite of IGF-1, cyclo-glycyl-proline (cGP), has a role in regulating IGF-1 homeostasis.

A sequence-specific interaction between the Saccharomyces cerevisiae rRNA gene repeats and a locus encoding an RNA polymerase I subunit affects ribosomal DNA stability.

The spatial organization of eukaryotic genomes is linked to their functions. However, how individual features of the global spatial structure contribute to nuclear function remains largely unknown. We previously identified a high-frequency interchromosomal interaction within the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome that occurs between the intergenic spacer of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats and the intergenic sequence between the locus encoding the second largest RNA polymerase I subunit and a lysine tRNA gene [i.

Chromosome conformation maps in fission yeast reveal cell cycle dependent sub nuclear structure.

Successful progression through the cell cycle requires spatial and temporal regulation of gene transcript levels and the number, positions and condensation levels of chromosomes. Here we present a high resolution survey of genome interactions in Schizosaccharomyces pombe using synchronized cells to investigate cell cycle dependent changes in genome organization and transcription. Cell cycle dependent interactions were captured between and within S.

Yeast studies reveal moonlighting functions of the ancient actin cytoskeleton.

Classic functions of the actin cytoskeleton include control of cell size and shape and the internal organization of cells. These functions are manifest in cellular processes of fundamental importance throughout biology such as the generation of cell polarity, cell migration, cell adhesion, and cell division. However, studies in the unicellular model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's yeast) are giving insights into other functions in which the actin cytoskeleton plays a critical role.

Derivation of a neural field model from a network of theta neurons.

Neural field models are used to study macroscopic spatiotemporal patterns in the cortex. Their derivation from networks of model neurons normally involves a number of assumptions, which may not be correct. Here we present an exact derivation of a neural field model from an infinite network of theta neurons, the canonical form of a type I neuron.

Methodological approaches for studying the microbial ecology of drinking water distribution systems.

The study of the microbial ecology of drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) has traditionally been based on culturing organisms from bulk water samples. The development and application of molecular methods has supplied new tools for examining the microbial diversity and activity of environmental samples, yielding new insights into the microbial community and its diversity within these engineered ecosystems. In this review, the currently available methods and emerging approaches for characterising microbial communities, including both planktonic and biofilm ways of life, are critically evaluated.

Central regulation of heart rate and the appearance of respiratory sinus arrhythmia: new insights from mathematical modeling.

A minimal model for the neural control of heart rate (HR) has been developed with the aim of better understanding respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)--a modulation of HR at the frequency of breathing. This model consists of two differential equations and is integrated into a previously-published model of gas exchange. The heart period is assumed to be affected primarily by the parasympathetic signal, with the sympathetic signal taken as a parameter in the model.

Ancient origins and multiple appearances of carotenoid-pigmented feathers in birds.

The broad palette of feather colours displayed by birds serves diverse biological functions, including communication and camouflage. Fossil feathers provide evidence that some avian colours, like black and brown melanins, have existed for at least 160 million years (Myr), but no traces of bright carotenoid pigments in ancient feathers have been reported. Insight into the evolutionary history of plumage carotenoids may instead be gained from living species.

4-tert-Butyl-pyridinium chloride-4,4'-(propane-2,2-di-yl)bis-(2,6-di-methyl-phenol)-toluene (2/2/1).

In the title solvated salt, C9H14N(+)·Cl(-)·C19H24O2·0.5C7H7, two mol-ecules of 4,4'-(propane-2,2-di-yl)bis-(2,6-di-methyl-phenol) are linked via O-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds to two chloride ions, each of which is also engaged in N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonding to a 4-tert-butyl-pyridinium cation, giving a cyclic hydrogen-bonded entity centred at 1/2, 1/2, 1/2. The toluene solvent mol-ecule resides in the lattice and resides on an inversion centre; the disorder of the methyl group requires it to have a site-occupancy factor of 0.

Potential roles for interactions between the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA throughout the cell cycle of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Over the course of mitochondrial evolution, the majority of genes required for its function have been transferred and integrated into nuclear chromosomes. Ongoing transfer of mitochondrial DNA to the nucleus has been detected, but its functional significance has not been fully elucidated. Here by Genome Conformation Capture, we identify DNA-DNA interactions between the mitochondrial and nuclear chromosomes (mt-nDNA interactions) that vary in strength and number between the G1, G2 and M phases of the fission yeast cell cycle.

A long-term field experiment of soil transplantation demonstrating the role of contemporary geographic separation in shaping soil microbial community structure.

The spatial patterns of microbial communities are largely determined by the combined effects of historical contingencies and contemporary environmental disturbances, but their relative importance remains poorly understood. Empirical biogeographic data currently available are mostly based on the traditional method of observational survey, which typically involves comparing indigenous microbial communities across spatial scales. Here, we report a long-term soil transplantation experiment, whereby the same two soils (red Acrisol and purple Cambisol from Yingtan) were placed into two geographic locations of ∼1000 km apart (i.