All eukaryotes use three DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RNAPs) to create cellular RNAs from DNA templates. Plants have additional RNAPs related to Pol II, but their evolutionary role(s) remain largely unknown. Zea mays (maize) RNA polymerase D1 (RPD1), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV), is required for normal plant development, paramutation, transcriptional repression of certain...

The structural characterization of glycolipids from Thermus thermophilus HB8 was performed in this study. Two neutral and one acidic glycolipids were extracted and purified by the modified TLC-blotting method, after which their chemical structures were determined by chemical composition analysis, mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The structure of one of t...

The Enhancer of split complex [E(spl)-C] of Drosophila melanogaster is located in the 96F region of the third chromosome and comprises at least seven structurally related genes, HLH-m6, HLH-my, HLH-ma, HLH-m3, HLH-m5, HLH-m7 and E(sp1). The functions of these genes are required during early neurogenesis to give neuroectodermal cells access to the epidermal pathway of development. Another gene i...

Two genes with high sequence homology to human CXCR1 (hCXCR1) and CXCR2 (hCXCR2) were cloned from blood of cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis). Comparison of the expression pattern of these receptors in different species demonstrated that, like in humans, cynomolgus CXCR1 (cCXCR1) and CXCR2 (cCXCR2) are highly expressed in blood. Membranes from transfected BaF3 cells expressing cCXCR1 bind ...

We fit X-ray spectral data in the thermal dominant or high soft state of two dynamically confirmed black holes, GRO J1655-40 and 4U 1543-47, and estimate the dimensionless spin parameters a∗ ≡ a/M of the two holes. Our spectral model consists of one principal component, a multitemperature blackbody disk model that includes all general relativistic effects, plus standard low-energy absorption an...

Chronic alcohol use alters adaptive immunity and cytokine activity influencing immunological and hormone responses, inflammation, and wound healing. Brain cytokine disturbances may impact neurological function, mood, cognition and traits related to alcoholism including impulsiveness. We examined the relationship between plasma cytokine levels and self-rated psychiatric symptoms in 40 adult male...

Today’s artefacts, from small devices to buildings and cities, are, or are becoming, cyber-physical socio-technical systems, with tightly interwoven material and computational parts. Currently, we have to laboriously build such systems, component by component, and the results are often difficult to maintain, adapt, and reconfigure. Even “soft”ware is brittle and non-trivial to adapt and change....

We report the results of a study of the radio surroundings of the superluminal microquasar GRO J1655−40. We have searched for extended continuum structures that might be indicative of the presence of a supernova remnant (SNR) associated with the formation of the compact object in the binary system. We also carried out HI-line observations of the region looking for a local minimum created by an ...

We present observational evidence for “propeller” effects in two X–ray pulsars, GX 1+4 and GRO J1744–28. Both sources were monitored regularly by the Rossi X–ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) throughout a decaying period in the X–ray brightness. Quite remarkably, strong X–ray pulsation became unmeasurable when total X–ray flux had dropped below a certain threshold. Such a phenomenon is a clear indicat...