Genome sequence of Bacillus cereus and comparative analysis with Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus cereus is an opportunistic pathogen causing food poisoning manifested by diarrhoeal or emetic syndromes. It is closely related to the animal and human pathogen Bacillus anthracis and the insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis, the former being used as a biological weapon and the latter as a pesticide. B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis are readily distinguished from B. cereus by the presence of plasmid-borne specific toxins (B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis) and capsule (B. anthracis). But phylogenetic studies based on the analysis of chromosomal genes bring controversial results, and it is unclear whether B. cereus, B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis are varieties of the same species or different species. Here we report the sequencing and analysis of the type strain B. cereus ATCC 14579. The complete genome sequence of B. cereus ATCC 14579 together with the gapped genome of B. anthracis A2012 enables us to perform comparative analysis, and hence to identify the genes that are conserved between B. cereus and B. anthracis, and the genes that are unique for each species. We use the former to clarify the phylogeny of the cereus group, and the latter to determine plasmid-independent species-specific markers.     

Clotting factors of the primary aqueous humor of the rabbit's eye

Résumé On a constaté que l'humeur aqueuse primaire (PAH) de l'il du lapin racourcit le temps de coagulation du plasma humain. Il contient une proportion élevée de facteurs de coagulation, en particulier les facteurs VIII, IX, XI et XII. Il est possible que la propriété coagulante du PAH est due à la présence d'un activateur spécifique agissant directement sur la prothrombine ou sur le facteur X.     

CD38 is critical for social behaviour by regulating oxytocin secretion

CD38, a transmembrane glycoprotein with ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity, catalyses the formation of Ca2+ signalling molecules, but its role in the neuroendocrine system is unknown. Here we show that adult CD38 knockout (CD38-/-) female and male mice show marked defects in maternal nurturing and social behaviour, respectively, with higher locomotor activity. Consistently, the plasma level of oxytocin (OT), but not vasopressin, was strongly decreased in CD38-/- mice. Replacement of OT by subcutaneous injection or lentiviral-vector-mediated delivery of human CD38 in the hypothalamus rescued social memory and maternal care in CD38-/- mice. Depolarization-induced OT secretion and Ca2+ elevation in oxytocinergic neurohypophysial axon terminals were disrupted in CD38-/- mice; this was mimicked by CD38 metabolite antagonists in CD38+/+ mice. These results reveal that CD38 has a key role in neuropeptide release, thereby critically regulating maternal and social behaviours, and may be an element in neurodevelopmental disorders.     

离散、连续和混合Petri网络

Carl Adam Petri是当代的德国数学家，在上一世纪60年代他定义了描述条件与事件之间关系的通用数学模型，随后从事网络理论研究。工程师们把这个称为Petri网络的模型用于模拟离散事件的动力系统，计算机科学和自动控制应用经常要处理这种动力系统。本书从Petri网络的基本概念出发，阐述连续和混合Petri网络的精确认识，然后用许多例子和详细的图来解释理论，使读者容易理解。