No communication without manipulation: A causal-deflationary view of information

In this paper, we shall describe a new account of information in communicational contexts, namely, a causal-deflationary one. Our approach draws from Timpson's deflationary view and supplies the field of philosophy of information with new tools that will help to clarify the underlying structure of communication: information is an abstract entity that must be involved in a causal link in order to achieve communication. In light of our account, communication is not merely the existence of statistical correlations between source and receiver, as usually understood from a purely formal view. Instead, communication is an asymmetric phenomenon involving causal notions: the destination system must be able to be causally manipulated by intervening on the source for successful communication. In a nutshell, we shall support the following lemma: no communication without manipulation.     

The Pristionchus pacificus genome provides a unique perspective on nematode lifestyle and parasitism

Here we present a draft genome sequence of the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, a species that is associated with beetles and is used as a model system in evolutionary biology. With 169 Mb and 23,500 predicted protein-coding genes, the P. pacificus genome is larger than those of Caenorhabditis elegans and the human parasite Brugia malayi. Compared to C. elegans, the P. pacificus genome has more genes encoding cytochrome P450 enzymes, glucosyltransferases, sulfotransferases and ABC transporters, many of which were experimentally validated. The P. pacificus genome contains genes encoding cellulase and diapausin, and cellulase activity is found in P. pacificus secretions, indicating that cellulases can be found in nematodes beyond plant parasites. The relatively higher number of detoxification and degradation enzymes in P. pacificus is consistent with its necromenic lifestyle and might represent a preadaptation for parasitism. Thus, comparative genomics analysis of three ecologically distinct nematodes offers a unique opportunity to investigate the association between genome structure and lifestyle.     

Nonsense mutation in the glucokinase gene causes early-onset non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a form of non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) which is characterized by an early age at onset and an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Except for these features, the clinical characteristics of patients with MODY are similar to those with the more common late-onset form(s) of NIDDM. Previously we observed tight linkage between DNA polymorphisms in the glucokinase gene on the short arm of chromosome 7 and NIDDM in a cohort of sixteen French families having MODY. Glucokinase is an enzyme that catalyses the formation of glucose-6-phosphate from glucose and may be involved in the regulation of insulin secretion and integration of hepatic intermediary metabolism. Because the glucokinase gene was a candidate for the site of the genetic lesion in these families, we scanned this gene for mutations. Here we report the identification of a nonsense mutation in the gene encoding glucokinase and its linkage with early-onset diabetes in one family. To our knowledge, this result is the first evidence implicating a mutation in a gene involved in glucose metabolism in the pathogenesis of NIDDM.     

Additional studies on the effects of neonatal thymectomy and lactate dehydrogenase virus infection on mice

Zusammenfassung Die gegebenen Befunde lassen vermuten, dass neonatale Thymektomie und/oder Infektion mit LDH-Virus einen Effekt auf eine Anzahl von Faktoren wie LDH-Plasma-Spiegel, Gewichtserhöhung und Lebensdauer in Mäusen hervorrufen können. Der Virustiter im Plasma ist vom Zeitpunkt der Infektion abhängig.

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Supported by Public Health Service research grant No. 5 R01 CA05742-06 from the National Cancer Institute.     

液态发酵技术培养食用菌的研究概况

食用苗以其特有的鲜香风味、丰富的营养和较高的药用价值而得到世人的喜爱。笔者主要综述了国内外利用液态发酵这一生物技术在食用菌的基础研究和开发应用方面的情况。国外的研究方向大致为：食用菌菌丝体变为子实体的发育因子及内在机制、风味物质、化学成分及在医药和饲料方面的应用等。国内的研究方向包括为：供应液体菌种、医药食品工业方面的应用及提取代谢产物等。纵观国内外的研究，液态发酵这一生物技术应用于食用菌生产有着广阔的前景。     

猴头菌的生物学及其应用研究进展

综述了猴头菌在生物学和开发应用方面的研究进展,内容涉及猴头菌的营养价值、药用价值、液态发酵及产品开发等。     

Association analyses of 249,796 individuals reveal 18 new loci associated with body mass index

Obesity is globally prevalent and highly heritable, but its underlying genetic factors remain largely elusive. To identify genetic loci for obesity susceptibility, we examined associations between body mass index and ～ 2.8 million SNPs in up to 123,865 individuals with targeted follow up of 42 SNPs in up to 125,931 additional individuals. We confirmed 14 known obesity susceptibility loci and identified 18 new loci associated with body mass index (P < 5 × 10??), one of which includes a copy number variant near GPRC5B. Some loci (at MC4R, POMC, SH2B1 and BDNF) map near key hypothalamic regulators of energy balance, and one of these loci is near GIPR, an incretin receptor. Furthermore, genes in other newly associated loci may provide new insights into human body weight regulation.     

Identification of ten loci associated with height highlights new biological pathways in human growth

Height is a classic polygenic trait, reflecting the combined influence of multiple as-yet-undiscovered genetic factors. We carried out a meta-analysis of genome-wide association study data of height from 15,821 individuals at 2.2 million SNPs, and followed up the strongest findings in >10,000 subjects. Ten newly identified and two previously reported loci were strongly associated with variation in height (P values from 4 x 10(-7) to 8 x 10(-22)). Together, these 12 loci account for approximately 2% of the population variation in height. Individuals with < or =8 height-increasing alleles and > or =16 height-increasing alleles differ in height by approximately 3.5 cm. The newly identified loci, along with several additional loci with strongly suggestive associations, encompass both strong biological candidates and unexpected genes, and highlight several pathways (let-7 targets, chromatin remodeling proteins and Hedgehog signaling) as important regulators of human stature. These results expand the picture of the biological regulation of human height and of the genetic architecture of this classical complex trait.     

The genome of the protist parasite Entamoeba histolytica

Entamoeba histolytica is an intestinal parasite and the causative agent of amoebiasis, which is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Here we present the genome of E. histolytica, which reveals a variety of metabolic adaptations shared with two other amitochondrial protist pathogens: Giardia lamblia and Trichomonas vaginalis. These adaptations include reduction or elimination of most mitochondrial metabolic pathways and the use of oxidative stress enzymes generally associated with anaerobic prokaryotes. Phylogenomic analysis identifies evidence for lateral gene transfer of bacterial genes into the E. histolytica genome, the effects of which centre on expanding aspects of E. histolytica's metabolic repertoire. The presence of these genes and the potential for novel metabolic pathways in E. histolytica may allow for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents. The genome encodes a large number of novel receptor kinases and contains expansions of a variety of gene families, including those associated with virulence. Additional genome features include an abundance of tandemly repeated transfer-RNA-containing arrays, which may have a structural function in the genome. Analysis of the genome provides new insights into the workings and genome evolution of a major human pathogen.