Senescence and entrenchment in evolution of amino acid sites

Amino acid propensities at a site change in the course of protein evolution. This may happen for two reasons. Changes may be triggered by substitutions at epistatically interacting sites elsewhere in the genome. Alternatively, they may arise due to environmental changes that are external to the genome. Here, we design a framework for distinguishing between these alternatives. Using analytical modelling and simulations, we show that they cause opposite dynamics of the fitness of the allele currently occupying the site: it tends to increase with the time since its origin due to epistasis (“entrenchment”), but to decrease due to random environmental fluctuations (“senescence”). By analysing the genomes of vertebrates and insects, we show that the amino acids originating at negatively selected sites experience strong entrenchment. By contrast, the amino acids originating at positively selected sites experience senescence. We propose that senescence of the current allele is a cause of adaptive evolution.

Neoliberalising Humanity: Culture and Popular Participation in the Case of the Street Market of Caruaru, Brazil

The street fair of Caruaru is one of the most important ones in the world, in terms of culture, extent and commerce. In 2006 received the title of “imaterial cultural brasilian heritage” by Brazil’s Ministry of Culture. The economy of the region relies hardly on its trading. In 2014, the city mayor initiated polemically the process of change of its site. The project includes modify significantly the current structure, turning it into a Shopping Mall. The main goal is to increase profits even if it means the loss of their cultural value. The majority of the merchants and population is against this change, but until now the forces of the market has performed stronger than popular opinion. So that this research aims to verify the practice of democratic mechanisms of popular participation as resistance to the liberal policies in the case of the street fair of Caruaru site change. This research uses mainly the works of David Harvey and Franz Hinkelamert as Theoretical Framework. The methodology includes survey and interviews with traders, politicians, entrepreneurs, mayor and people's representatives.

Analysis of factors associated with development of Bacille Calmette–Guérin inoculation site change in patients with Kawasaki disease

Objective The present study was performed to identify factors associated with a Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) inoculation site change in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods Among patients who had received BCG vaccination and treatment for KD at our hospital from 2005 through 2016, 177 patients born in 2005 through 2016 were enrolled. The patients were divided into those with (n = 83, change group) and without (n = 94, no-change group) a BCG site change, and the patient demographics, clinical severity, blood examination results, and echocardiographic findings were compared between the two groups. Results The change group was younger at onset and had a shorter interval from vaccination to onset. A BCG site change was observed in patients who developed the onset of KD symptoms from 31 to 806 days after BCG vaccination. Multivariate analysis showed that the interval from vaccination was closely and positively associated with the BCG site change (hazard ratio = 0.995, 95% confidence interval = 0.993–0.997). Conclusion A BCG site change in patients with KD is most closely associated with the interval from BCG vaccination to onset.