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A Quantitative Model for Human Olfactory Receptors
Full text linkA wide variety of chemicals having distinct odors are smelled by humans. Odor perception initiates in the nose, where it is detected by a large family of olfactory receptors (ORs). Based on divergence of evolutionary model, a sequence of human ORs database has been proposed by D. Lancet et al (2000, 2006). It is quite impossible to infer whether a given sequence of nucleotides is a human OR or not, without any biological experimental validation. In our perspective, a proper quantitative understanding of these ORs is required to justify or nullify whether a given sequence is a human OR or not. In this paper, all human OR sequences have been quantified, and a set of clusters have been made using the quantitative results based on two different metrics. Using this proposed quantitative model, one can easily make probable justification or deterministic nullification whether a given sequence of nucleotides is a probable human OR homologue or not, without seeking any biological experiment. Of course a further biological experiment is essential to validate the probable human OR homologue
Effect of 2-H and 18-O water isotopes in kinesin-1 gliding assay
Full text linkWe show here the effects of heavy-hydrogen water (^2^H~2~O) and heavy-oxygen water (H~2~^18^O) on the gliding speed of microtubules on kinesin-1 coated surfaces. Increased fractions of isotopic waters used in the motility solution decreased the gliding speed of microtubules by a maximum of 21% for heavy-hydrogen and 5% for heavy-oxygen water. We discuss possible interpretations of these results and the importance for future studies of water effects on kinesin and microtubules. We also discuss the implication for biomolecular devices incorporating molecular motors
A novel predicted calcium-regulated kinase family implicated in neurological disorders
No full textProtein kinases are essential effectors of cellular signaling. Surprisingly, using bioinformatics tools, we predicted protein kinase structure and function for proteins of unknown function (FAM69 family) coded by five related human genes and their Metazoan homologues. Analysis of three-dimensional structure models and conservation of the classic catalytic motifs of protein kinases in four of human FAM69 proteins suggests they might have retained catalytic phosphotransferase activity. The FAM69 genes, FAM69A, FAM69B, FAM69C, C3ORF58 and CXORF36, are by large uncharacterized molecularly, yet linked to several neurological disorders in genetics studies. An EF-hand Ca2+-binding domain in FAM69A and FAM69B proteins, inserted within the structure of the kinase domain, suggests they function as Ca2+-dependent kinases
Metabolic, Replication and Genomic Category of Systems in Biology, Bioinformatics and Medicine
Full text linkMetabolic-repair models, or (M,R)-systems were introduced in Relational Biology by Robert Rosen. Subsequently, Rosen represented such (M,R)-systems (or simply MRs)in terms of categories of sets, deliberately selected without any structure other than the discrete topology of sets. Theoreticians of life’s origins postulated that Life on Earth has begun with the simplest possible organism, called the primordial. Mathematicians interested in biology attempted to answer this important question of the minimal living organism by defining the functional relations that would have made life possible in such a minimal system- a grandad and grandma of all living organisms on Earth. Genomic systems are also considered as molecular realizations of (M,R)-system subcatgeories
Role of intellectual property rights in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
Full text linkThe main objective of this review is to highlight and explore the inter-relationship and the functioning of the intellectual property right in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. The rising tide of patent applications can be witnessed globally in this industry as the need for such protection and licensing has become imperative so as to safeguard the rights of the inventor and also to encourage and promote new talents, inventions and innovations which can be a boon for the economy. The field of biotechnology is an upcoming science which is still at the initial stage of establishing a foundation but it promises a revolution in the fields of medicine, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and industrial sector amongst other sectors of the economy along with contribution to the GDP growth
Quantum Genetics and Quantum Automata Models of Quantum-Molecular Evolution Involved in the Evolution of Organisms and Species
Full text linkPrevious theoretical or general approaches to the problems of Quantum Genetics and Molecular Evolution are considered in this article from the point of view of Quantum Automata Theory first published by the author in 1971 and further developed in several recent articles. The representation of genomes and Interactome networks in categories of many-valued logic LMn –algebras that are naturally transformed during biological evolution, or evolve through interactions with the environment provide a new insight into the mechanisms of molecular evolution, as well as organismal evolution, in terms of sequences of quantum automata. Phenotypic changes are expressed only when certain environmentally-induced quantum-molecular changes are coupled with an internal re-structuring of major submodules of the genome and Interactome networks related to cell cycling and cell growth. Contrary to the commonly held view of `standard’ Darwinist models of evolution, the evolution of organisms and species occurs through coupled multi-molecular transformations induced not only by the environment but actually realized through internal re-organizations of genome and interactome networks. The biological, evolutionary processes involve certain epigenetic transformations that are responsible for phenotypic expression of the genome and Interactome transformations initiated at the quantum-molecular level. It can thus be said that only quantum genetics can provide correct explanations of evolutionary processes that are initiated at the quantum--multi-molecular levels and propagate to the higher levels of organismal and species evolution.

Biological evolution should be therefore regarded as a multi-scale process which is initiated by underlying quantum (coupled) multi-molecular transformations of the genomic and interactomic networks, followed by specific phenotypic transformations at the level of organism and the variable biogroupoids associated with the evolution of species which are essential to the survival of the species. The theoretical framework introduced in this article also paves the way to a Quantitative Biology approach to biological evolution at the quantum-molecular, as well as at the organismal and species levels. This is quite a substantial modification of the 'established’ modern Darwinist, and also of several so-called `molecular evolution’ theories
Network-based analyses of Huntington’s Disease
No full textThe use of high-throughput technologies has provided us with large amounts of data for _Huntington's disease_ (HD), especially at the gene and protein levels. As phenotypic changes in HD may not just be due to the activity of individual genes but interrelated alterations of whole molecular networks, it is important to systematically analyse and represent accumulated data in a network-based approach.

Methods: To analyse and visualise protein interaction networks through a dedicated database to HD, we have established "HDNetDB": http://hdnetdb.sysbiolab.eu. This platform will not only help to understand molecular mechanisms better, but also assist in identifying potential molecular markers involved in HD.

We further identified both pathways as well as gene ontology (GO) annotations that are enriched in HD and constructed networks of the pathways and enriched GO annotations.

Results: Our integrative network based methodology helped us to identify pathways and networks that are specific to the HD and may lead to the identification of novel molecular targets. Follow-up analyses of molecular changes will distinguish between potential causes and effects in HD. We hope that the constructed database will help researchers worldwide to find a cure for HD
Complex Systems Analysis of Arrested Neural Cell Differentiation during Development and Analogous Cell Cycling Models in Carcinogenesis
Full text linkA new approach to the modular, complex systems analysis of nonlinear dynamics of arrested neural cell Differentiation--induced cell proliferation during organismic development and the analogous cell cycling network transformations involved in carcinogenesis is proposed. Neural tissue arrested differentiation that induces cell proliferation during perturbed development and Carcinogenesis are complex processes that involve dynamically inter-connected biomolecules in the intercellular, membrane, cytosolic, nuclear and nucleolar compartments. Such 'dynamically inter-connected' biomolecules form numerous inter-related pathways referred to as 'molecular networks'. One such family of signaling pathways contains the cell cyclins. Cyclins are proteins that link several critical pro-apoptotic and other cell cycling/division components, including the tumor suppressor gene TP53 and its product, the Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (T antigen), Rb, mdm2, c-Myc, p21, p27, Bax, Bad and Bcl-2, which play major roles in various neoplastic transformations of many tissues. 
The novel theoretical analysis presented here is based on recently published studies of arrested cell differentiation that normally leads to neural system formation during early developmental stages; the perturbed development may involve cyclin signaling and cell cycling responsible for rapidly induced cell proliferation without differentiation into neural cells in such experimental studies
Angiogenesis in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Full text linkAngiogenesis is a crucial component of lung pathophysiology, not only in cancer but also in other disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In COPD angiogenesis is definitely able to control and orchestrate the progression of airway remodeling. Herein, we provide several remarkable translational aspects of angiogenesis in COPD, exploring both basic and clinical research in this field. Indeed, we present a number of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors, which can be also used as potential biomarkers to monitor disease progression. 

This pre-print has subsequently been published at http://www.unisa.it/uploads/7100/06.pd
Chloroplast and Cell Imaging at Submicron Resolution by Two-Photon Excitation
Full text linkNovel, two-photon NIR excitation fluorescence correlation microspectroscopy tests and preliminary results were presented in this article with submicron resolution for concentrated suspensions of functional cells and chloroplast membranes. Related developments of these technique involve applications of Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy (FCCS) detection to monitoring: 
DNA- telomerase interactions, DNA hybridization kinetics, ligand-receptor interactions, and HIV-HBV testing.