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© The Author(s) 2019. ; The macromolecular machines of life use allosteric control to self-assemble, dissociate and change shape in response to signals. Despite enormous interest, the design of nanoscale allosteric assemblies has proven tremendously challenging. Here we present a proof of concept of allosteric assembly in which an engineered fold switch on the protein monomer triggers or blocks assembly. Our design is based on the hyper-stable, naturally monomeric protein CI2, a paradigm of simple two-state folding, and the toroidal arrangement with 6-fold symmetry that it only adopts in crystalline form. We engineer CI2 to enable a switch between the native and an alternate, latent fold that self-assembles onto hexagonal toroidal particles by exposing a favorable inter-monomer interface. The assembly is controlled on demand via the competing effects of temperature and a designed short peptide. These findings unveil a remarkable potential for structural metamorphosis in proteins and demonstrate key principles for engineering protein-based nanomachinery. ; This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant ERC-2012-ADG-323059 to V.M.) and by the PRODESTECH network funded through the CONSOLIDER program from the Spanish Government (grant CSD2009-00088). L.A.C. acknowledges support from Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through grants BIO2016-78768-P and RYC-2013-13197. V.M. acknowledges additional support from the W.M. Keck Foundation and from the CREST Center for Cellular and Biomomolecular Machines (grant NSF-CREST-1547848). J.M.V. acknowledges additional support from Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through grant BFU2016-75984. F.M.R. and A.R. thank the staff from the ALBA synchrotron (Spain) for assistance with the XALOC beamline. Structural data are deposited in the Protein Data Bank with accession codes 6QIY (X-ray CI2 classical geometry) and 6QIZ (X-ray CI2 domain swapped) and EMD-4568 (cryo-EM CI2eng assembly).

Abstract Chromatin is the macromolecular nucleoprotein complex that governs the organization of genetic material in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. In chromatin, DNA is packed with histone proteins into nucleosomes. Core histones are prototypes of hyper-modified proteins, being decorated by a large number of site-specific reversible and irreversible post-translational modifications (PTMs), which contribute to the maintenance and modulation of chromatin plasticity, gene activation, and a variety of other biological processes and disease states. The observations of the variety, frequency and co-occurrence of histone modifications in distinct patterns at specific genomic loci have led to the idea that hPTMs can create a molecular barcode, read by effector proteins that translate it into a specific transcriptional state, or process, on the underlying DNA. However, despite the fact that this histone-code hypothesis was proposed more than 10 years ago, the molecular details of its working mechanisms are only partially characterized. In particular, two questions deserve specific investigation: how the different modifications associate and synergize into patterns and how these PTM configurations are read and translated by multi-protein complexes into a specific functional outcome on the genome. Mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a versatile tool to investigate chromatin biology, useful for both identifying and validating hPTMs, and to dissect the molecular determinants of histone modification readout systems. We review here the MS techniques and the proteomics methods that have been developed to address these fundamental questions in epigenetics research, emphasizing approaches based on the proteomic dissection of distinct native chromatin regions, with a critical evaluation of their present challenges and future potential. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Molecular mechanisms of histone modification function.

Dr Ngbolua Koto-Te-Nyiwa is former Rector of the University of Gbado-Lite and Full Professor of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of the Congo

The nuclear crisis in Fukushima and growing threats of nuclear terrorism must serve as a wake-up call, prompting greater action to prepare ourselves for nuclear and radiological disasters. Our strategy to prepare for these threats is multi-layered and the events of these past years have proved the necessity to re-evaluate the national and international preparedness goals on a scale never before considered. The programme of NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Preparedness for Nuclear and Radiological Threats" has been focused on science and technology challenges associated with our need to improve the national and international capacity and capability to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from the nuclear and radiological disasters, including nuclear and radiological accident, terrorist attack by Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) or by "Dirty Bomb"-Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), that pose the greatest risk to the national and international security and safety

Changes in land use influence the social and economic characteristics as well as the environmental problems in a sub-watershed. To support the management of a sub-watershed, land use scenarios (biophysics) must be prepared and community involvement level must be improved. So far, the factors used for monitoring and evaluating sub-watershed performance have not been used thoroughly. This research is aimed at finding out the social and economic vulnerabilities tied to the monitoring and evaluation of sub-watershed performance across the sub-districts. This research uses quantitative methods employed to process primary data (biotic: vegetation and settlement, and abiotic: land, climate, geomorphology, and geology), secondary data (community data sourced from the data of BPS; Central Bureau of Statistics) of East Kalimantan Province; in September 2017), and socio-economic data (direct interviews using questionnaires). The primary data were obtained after processing map interpretation and from observation. The results show that high socio-economic vulnerability occurs in areas of high land use vulnerability. Sub-watershed management will be successful if it is done through a "collaborative management" involving all stakeholders. The scenario simulations of this research can be used as reference materials for regional governments in planning, compiling, and implementing the Regional Spatial Plan policies.

The hand commonly is considered to have exerted great influence on the evolution of typically human features, like upright posture, stereoscopic vision, "manipulative" handling of parts of the environment. The hands of the other primates are not less closely related to the necessities of life than in humans. But beyond this general statement, only few satisfying and precise analyses of their functions exist. Most considerations begin and end up with Napier´s discrimination and definition of power grip and precision grip - which has turned out to be very useful in surgery - and the restating of man´s distinctiveness. The characteristic features of the human hand are to a large extent shared by the hands of other primates, and therefore it seems logical to approach the human hand by looking into the details of hand function and hand morphology in non-human primates. This book presents a well-integrated series of articles which deepen our knowledge regarding the problems mentioned above

At the kilo- to megabase pair scales, eukaryotic genomes are partitioned into self-interacting modules or topologically associated domains (TADs) that associate to form nuclear compartments. Here, we combine high-content super-resolution microscopies with state-of-the-art DNA-labeling methods to reveal the variability in the multiscale organization of the Drosophila genome. We find that association frequencies within TADs and between TAD borders are below ~10%, independently of TAD size, epigenetic state, or cell type. Critically, despite this large heterogeneity, we are able to visualize nanometer-sized epigenetic domains at the single-cell level. In addition, absolute contact frequencies within and between TADs are to a large extent defined by genomic distance, higher-order chromosome architecture, and epigenetic identity. We propose that TADs and compartments are organized by multiple, small-frequency, yet specific interactions that are regulated by epigenetics and transcriptional state. ; This research was supported by funding from the European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7/2010-2015, ERC grant agreement 260787 to M.N. and FP7/2007-2013, and ERC grant agreement 609989 to M.A.M.-R.). M.A.M.-R. and G.C. acknowledge support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 676556. This work has also benefited from support by the Labex EpiGenMed, an «Investments for the future» program, reference ANR-10-LABX-12-01, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BFU2013-47736-P to M.A.M.-R.), and from "Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2013-2017", SEV-2012-0208 to the CRG. 3D-SIM experiments were performed at Montpellier Resource Imaging. We acknowledge the France-BioImaging infrastructure supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR-10-INBS-04, «Investments for the future»).

Animal biotechnology is a broad field including polarities of fundamental and applied research, as well as DNA science, covering key topics of DNA studies and its recent applications. In Introduction to Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, DNA isolation procedures followed by molecular markers and screening methods of the genomic library are explained. Interesting areas like isolation, sequencing and synthesis of genes, with the broader coverage on synthesis of genes, are also described. The book begins with an introduction to biotechnology and its main branches, explaining both the basic science and the applications of biotechnology-derived pharmaceuticals, with special emphasis on their clinical use. It then moves on to historical development and scope of biotechnology with an overall review of early applications that scientists employed long before the field was defined.

The paper aims at reconstructing the scientific career of Adriano Buzzati- Traverso, a prominent character in Italian biology after the Second World War. In the Fifties and the Sixties, he was able to introduce the new molecular approaches in life sciences. A great scientific manager, much ahead of his times (at least in Italy), he successfully organized the first postgraduate courses of genetics and molecular biology in Pavia, and later created the International Laboratory of Genetics and Biophysics in Naples. Between 1962 and 1969, this institution gained the greatest respect in the scientific community, but the political turmoil in 1969 abruptly ended this fascinating attempt to modernize Italian science. Buzzati-Traverso's personal archive allows us to reconstruct the detailed history of his scientific enterprises, focusing particularly on the hard struggle to modernize management and policies of Italian science. Keywords: ILGB (International Laboratory of Genetics and Biophysics)- Molecular Biology – Genetics - Science politics - Italian genetics

I: Energy Resources -- Scenarios of Energy Requirement in Seven Regions of the World -- Energy Supply in Seven Regions of the World and International Oil Trade -- Nature of Energy Demand -- Nuclear Energy Strategies -- The Second Fossil and Nuclear Age -- Modelling and Assessment of Energy Demand -- Energy Supply Model Message and Its Application to IIASA's World Region V -- Macro — A General Equilibrium Model -- The IIASA-ENP Energy Picture of Latin America: An Overview -- Biomass Energy -- A Twenty Year Perspective on Energy Demand and Supply Situation of Pakistan -- II: Physics and Technology -- Computer Simulation -- Development of Application Software for Minicomputer Systems -- Initiation Mechanics: The Prediction of Metal Fatigue Damage -- III: Biophysics -- Restriction Endonucleases, DNA Sequencing and Computers -- Biophysics of Radiation Action -- Medical Uses of Accelerators -- Self-Copying DNA Programs -- IV: Frontiers of Physics -- Stellar Structure and Stellar Evolution — Another View -- Cosmological Consequences of Massive Neutrinos -- Interfaces Between Particle Physics and Cosmology -- Participants.

Cover -- Table of Contents -- Bioenergetics and Biomembranes -- Ecography -- Fluid Mechanics -- Geochemistry -- Geoenvironmental Engineering -- Geological Engineering -- Geoscience Engineering -- Invertebrate Biology -- Mammalian Evolution -- Microbiology -- Natural History -- Parasitology -- Plant and Animal Traces -- Plant Interactions -- Radiation and Biophysics -- Remote Sensing -- Tropical Biology -- Tropical Research -- Vegetation Science -- Wildlife Biology -- Wildlife Diseases -- Wildlife Research -- Index.

Intro -- Contents -- 1 Advanced Technologies at NATO: An Overview -- 1.1 Science for Peace and Security: A History of Scientific Cooperation -- 1.2 SPS Between Diplomacy and Technology -- 1.3 SPS Cluster Workshop on Advanced Technologies -- 1.4 Outline -- Part I Communication Systems -- 2 Large Scale Collaborative Detection and Location of Threats in the Electromagnetic Space -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Overall Goal -- 2.3 Results in the First Year of the Project -- 2.3.1 Scientific Contribution -- 2.3.1.1 Sensor Architecture -- 2.3.1.2 Data Quality, Trustworthiness and Obfuscation Techniques -- 2.3.1.3 Detection of Intruders -- 2.3.1.4 Geo-Location of Intruders -- 2.3.1.5 System Solutions, Integration and Demonstrations -- 2.3.2 Other Dissemination Activities -- 2.4 Deployment -- 2.5 Conclusion -- References -- 3 A Primer On Public Safety Communication in the Context of Terror Attacks: The NATO SPS "COUNTER-TERROR" Project -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Reliable and Resource-Efficient D2D Communication Using Machine Learning Techniques -- 3.3 UAV Assisted Relay for Reliable Communication -- 3.4 Network Connectivity and Routing -- 3.5 Conclusion -- References -- 4 Flash Crowd Management via Virtualized Network Resources (FALCON) -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 FALCON Requirements and Technology Comparison -- 4.3 FALCON Approach -- 4.3.1 FALCON Architecture -- 4.3.2 FALCON Network Virtualization Approach -- 4.4 Experimental Results -- 4.4.1 Service Deployment Time and Reconfiguration -- 4.4.2 Programmable Network Management -- 4.5 Conclusion -- References -- 5 ThreatPredict: From Global Social and Technical Big Data to Cyber Threat Forecast -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Overview -- 5.3 Darknet Monitoring and Prediction -- 5.3.1 Predicting TCP Scans -- 5.3.2 Prediction Attack Rates -- 5.3.3 Probing Rate Severity Prediction -- 5.4 Darkweb Analysis.

Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- Part I Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation -- 1 GAO: Two Decades Evaluating the Impact and Effectiveness of U.S. Nuclear and Radiological Material Security Programs -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 The Post-Cold War Era -- 1.3 The Post-September 11 Era -- 1.4 Recent GAO Work -- 1.5 Conclusion -- 2 Neutralizing Radicalized Threat Networks, Disrupting WMD Illicit Traffickers and Targeting Corrupt Facilitators -- 2.1 Illicit Trafficking Networks and WMD Proliferation -- 2.2 The Origins of a Threat Network -- 2.3 Agents of Mass Destruction -- 2.4 Illicit Trafficking: A Threat to the Legal Economy and Global Security -- 2.5 An Unholy Trinity: Corruption, Criminality, and Terror -- 2.6 U.S. and International Efforts to Combat TOC and Threat Networks -- 2.7 Peace and Security: Neutralizing WMD Trafficking Networks and Facilitators -- 3 To Pursue an Independent Nuclear Deterrent or Not? Japan's and South Korea's Nuclear Decision Making Models -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.1.1 Existing Framework -- 3.1.2 Coupling Models: Regional Security and Confidence -- 3.2 South Korea -- 3.2.1 The South Korean Nuclear Option -- 3.2.2 Regional Security Issues Facing South Korea -- 3.2.3 Loss of Confidence -- 3.2.4 Contemporary Issues -- 3.3 Japan -- 3.3.1 The Japanese Nuclear Option -- 3.3.2 Regional Security Issues Facing Japan -- 3.3.3 Loss of Confidence -- 3.3.4 Contemporary Issues -- 3.4 Conclusion -- References -- 4 Overview of the Cooperative Projects Implemented by the European Commission Joint Research Centre in the Nuclear Security Area Outside Europe -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 The TACIS Program (1992-2006) -- 4.3 The Instrument for Stability (2007-2013) -- 4.4 The CBRN Centres of Excellence -- 5 Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection (PR& -- PP) Evaluation Methodology and Applications -- 5.1 Introduction.