Soluble guanylate cyclases (sGCs) function as heme sensors that selectively bind nitric oxide (NO), triggering reactions essential to animal physiology. Recent discoveries place sGCs in the H-NOX family (heme nitric oxide/oxygen-binding domain), which includes bacterial proteins from aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Some H-NOX proteins tightly bind oxygen (O2), whereas others show no measurable...

The depolymerization of lignin to bioaromatics usually requires a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) step to lower the oxygen content. A mixed Cu-Mg-Al oxide (CuMgAlO x ) is an effective catalyst for the depolymerization of lignin in supercritical ethanol. We explored the use of Ni-based cocatalysts, i.e. Ni/SiO2, Ni2P/SiO2, and Ni/ASA (ASA = amorphous silica alumina), with the aim of combining lignin de...

To facilitate research in comparative genomics, sequencing projects are increasingly aimed at assembling the genomes of closely related organisms. Given two incomplete assemblies of two related genomes, the question arises how to use the similarity of the two sequences to obtain a better ordering and orientation of both assemblies. In this paper, we formalize this question as the Optimal Synten...

Runoff phosphorus (P) associated with eroded soil contributes to eutrophication to some extent. The present work examines two methods for estimating the potential bioavailability of particulate P (PP) in runoff, and studies the concentrations and losses of different P forms in surface and subsurface runoff from arable soils. The potential bioavailability of PP was approximated by extraction wit...

The vertebrate hypothalamus contains persistent radial glia that have been proposed to function as neural progenitors. In zebrafish, a high level of postembryonic hypothalamic neurogenesis has been observed, but the role of radial glia in generating these new neurons is unclear. We have used inducible Cre-mediated lineage labeling to show that a population of hypothalamic radial glia undergoes ...

Artificial life has now become a mature inter-discipline. In this contribution, its roots are traced, its key questions are raised, its main methodological tools are discussed, and finally its applications are reviewed. As part of the growing body of knowledge at the intersection between the life sciences and computing, artificial life will continue to thrive and benefit from further scientific...

Individuals with REM sleep behaviour disorder are at significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Here we examined visual short-term memory deficits—long associated with Parkinson’s disease—in patients with REM sleep behaviour disorder without Parkinson’s disease using a novel task that measures recall precision. Visual short-term memory for sequentially presented coloured bars ...

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, that has been more frequently diagnosed lately and whose importance has been gradually understood better, is a widespread health problem. This syndrome has been accompanied by obesity frequently. In the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, it has been known that hypoxia and sometimes hypercarbia additionally has been observed, nevertheless cardiovascular problems ...

This column is devoted to partitions of point-sets into convex subsets with interior-disjoint convex hulls. We review some partitioning problems and corresponding algorithms. At the end we list some open problems. For simplicity, in most cases we remain at the lowest possible interesting level, that is, in the plane.

We developed a method, named GraFix, that considerably improves sample quality for structure determination by singleparticle electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM). GraFix uses a glycerol gradient centrifugation step in which the complexes are centrifuged into an increasing concentration of a chemical fixation reagent to prevent aggregation and to stabilize individual macromolecules. The method can ...