DNA Renaturation at the Water-Phenol Interface

We study DNA adsorption and renaturation in a water-phenol two-phase system, with or without shaking. In very dilute solutions, single-stranded DNA is adsorbed at the interface in a salt-dependent manner. At high salt concentrations the adsorption is irreversible. The adsorption of the single-stranded DNA is specific to phenol and relies on stacking and hydrogen bonding. We establish the interfacial nature of a DNA renaturation at a high salt concentration. In the absence of shaking, this reaction involves an efficient surface diffusion of the single-stranded DNA chains. In the presence of a vigorous shaking, the bimolecular rate of the reaction exceeds the Smoluchowski limit for a three-dimensional diffusion-controlled reaction. DNA renaturation in these conditions is known as the Phenol Emulsion Reassociation Technique or PERT. Our results establish the interfacial nature of PERT. A comparison of this interfacial reaction with other approaches shows that PERT is the most efficient technique and reveals similarities between PERT and the renaturation performed by single-stranded nucleic acid binding proteins. Our results lead to a better understanding of the partitioning of nucleic acids in two-phase systems, and should help design improved extraction procedures for damaged nucleic acids. We present arguments in favor of a role of phenol and water-phenol interface in prebiotic chemistry. The most efficient renaturation reactions (in the presence of condensing agents or with PERT) occur in heterogeneous systems. This reveals the limitations of homogeneous approaches to the biochemistry of nucleic acids. We propose a heterogeneous approach to overcome the limitations of the homogeneous viewpoint

OPTIMALISASI TIPE KRITIK DALAM PEMBELAJARAN MEMPRODUKSI TEKS ULASAN FILM MENGGUNAKAN METODE KOLABORASI PADA SISWA KELAS XI SMA NEGERI 9 BANDUNG TAHUN PELAJARAN 2015/2016

Menulis ulasan film merupakan cara untuk melahirkan para peserta didik yang kritis dan pedu li terhadap suatu yang bernilai ( karya ) , namun hal ini tidak akan mudah dalam proses pembelajaran serta pelatihannya. Sehubungan dengan hal tersebut, penulis menghadirkan inovasi dalam mengefektifkan proses pem - belajaran menulis teks ulasan film , yakni dengan cara mengoptimalkan tipe kritik di dalam nya. Berdasarkan hal tersebut , dalam pembelajaran menulis teks ulasan film, pendidik per lu menggunakan met ode untuk membantu berjalannya proses pembelajaran sesuai dengan apa yang diharapkan , sehingga akan terciptanya pem - belajaran yang menarik, efektif, menyenangkan , serta peserta didik tidak merasa bosan hingga dapat menikmati proses pembelajaran yang beruju ng pada lebih mudahnya peserta didik dalam mempelajarinya. Dalam pe nelitian ini , penulis ber - maksud untuk mengetahui kemampuan peserta didik mengoptimalkan tipe kritik dalam memproduksi teks ulasan film. Metode pembelajaran yang digunakan dal am memproduksi teks ulasan film, yakni metode kolaborasi . Sekaitan dengan penjelasan yang telah diuraikan di atas, penulis te rtarik me - lakukan pe nelitian optimalisasi tipe kritik dalam pem belajaran memproduksi teks ulasan film menggunakan metode kolaborasi pada siswa kelas XI SM A N egeri 9 Bandung. Penelitian in i bertujuan untuk mengetahui ke mampuan penulis dalam merencanakan, melaksanakan dan menilai proses optimaliasi tipe kritik dalam pembelajaran memproduksi teks ulasan film , untuk mengetahu i kemampuan siswa kelas XI terkait optimaliasi tipe kritik dalam pembelajaran memproduksi teks ulasan film, serta ke e fektifan metode kolaborasi terkait opt imalisasi tipe kritik dalam pem belajaran memproduksi teks ulasan film . Metode yang penulis gunakan dalam penelitian i ni adalah metode penelitian eks perimen semu atau quas i eksperiment dengan teknik penelitian observasi dan tes . Adapun hasil yang didapatkan penulis dari penelitian tersebut sebagai berikut. 1. Penulis mampu merencanakan, melaksanakan, dan menilai optimalisasi ti pe kritik dalam pembelajaran memproduksi teks ulasan film menggunakan metode kolaborasi . Hal tersebut terbukti dari perolehan nilai rata - rata penulis yang diberikan guru Bahasa Indonesia SM A N egeri 9 Bandung, yaitu 3 ,6 9 . Nilai tersebut terma suk kategori baik sekali. 2. Siswa kelas XI SMA Negeri 9 Bandung mampu mengoptimalkan tipe kritik dalam pembelajaran memproduksi teks ulasan film menggunakan metode kolaborasi . Hal ini dapat dilihat dari peningkatan belajar dengan nilai pascates lebih besar dari nilai p rate s , yakni 2,99 ≥ 2,11. 3. Metode kolaborasi efektif digunakan terkait optimalisasi tipe kritik dalam pem - belajaran memproduksi teks ulasan film dengan pembuktian hasil perhitungan statistik dan taraf signifikansi pr ates dan pascates , yaitu t sebesar 8 dan t tabel pada tingkat kepercayaan 95% sebesar 2,0 4 artinya t hitung ≥ t tabel. Berdasarkan fakta - fakta tersebut, penulis menyimpulkan bahwa penggunaan metode kolabo r asi terbukti efektif digunakan terkait optimalisasi tipe kritik dalam pembelajaran memproduksi teks ulasan film . Kata kunci: Kolaborasi, Menulis, T eks Ulasan Film , Tipe Kritik

Leadership Matters: Governors' Pre-K Proposals Fiscal Year 2007

Across the country, governors are recognizing high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten as a proven school-reform strategy. In 2006, 24 leaders prioritized this effort by proposing increased funding to expand and enhance their states' pre-k programs. These investments promise to improve both K-12 systems and children's opportunities for success in kindergarten and in life. This report reviews the state of the state addresses and proposed budgets of our nation's governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia to assess their individual commitments to high-quality pre-k for all

Redetermination of para-aminopyridine (fampridine, EL-970) at 150 K

The structure of fampridine (EL-970) or 4-aminopyridine, C₅H₆N₂, has been redetermined at 150 K. The room-temperature structure has been reported previously [Chao & Schempp (1977). Acta Cryst. B33, 1557-1564]. Pyramidalization at the amine N atom occurs in fampridine, with the N atom 0.133 (11) Å from the plane of the three C/H/H atoms to which it is bonded; the interplanar angle between the pyridyl ring and NH2 group is 21 (2)°. Aggregation in the solid state occurs by N-H...N and N-H...[pi](pyridine) interactions with N...N and N...[pi](centroid) distances of 2.9829 (18) and 3.3954 (15) Å, respectively; a C-H...[pi](pyridine) contact completes the intermolecular interactions [C...[pi](centroid) = 3.6360 (16) Å]

PQL: A Declarative Query Language over Dynamic Biological Schemata

We introduce the PQL query language (PQL) used in the GeneSeek genetic data integration project. PQL incorporates many features of query languages for semi-structured data. To this we add the ability to express metadata constraints like intended semantics and database curation approach. These constraints guide the dynamic generation of potential query plans. This allows a single query to remain relevant even in the presence of source and mediated schemas that are continually evolving, as is often the case in data integration

The diagnostic accuracy of two human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) testing systems in combination with CA125 in the differential diagnosis of ovarian masses

Background: Cancer antigen 125 (CA125) is the best known single tumor marker for ovarian cancer (OC). We investigated whether the additional information of the human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) improves diagnostic accuracy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed preoperative sera of 109 healthy women, 285 patients with benign ovarian masses (cystadenoma: n = 78, leimyoma: n = 66, endometriosis: n = 52, functional ovarian cysts: n = 79, other: n = 10), 16 low malignant potential (LMP) ovarian tumors and 125 OC (stage 1: 22, II: 15, III: 78, IV: 10). CA 125 was analyzed using the ARCHITECT system, HE4 using the ARCHITECT(a) system and EIA(e) technology additionally. Results: The lowest concentrations of CA125 and HE4 were observed in healthy individuals, followed by patients with benign adnexal masses and patients with LMP tumors and OC. The area under the curve (AUC) for the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses of CA 125 alone was not significantly different to HE4 alone in premenopausal (CA 125: 86.7, HE4(a): 82.6, HE4(e): 81.6% p > 0.05) but significantly different in postmenopausal {[}CA125: 93.4 vs. HE4(a): 88.3 p = 0.023 and vs. HE4(e): 87.8% p=0.012] patients. For stage I OC, HE4 as a single marker was superior to CA 125, which was the best single marker in stage H-IV. The combination of CA 125 and HE4 using risk of malignancy algorithm (ROMA) gained the highest sensitivity at 95% specificity for the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses {[}CA 125: 70.9, HE4(a): 67.4, HE4(e): 66.0, ROMA(a): 76.6 and ROMA(e): 74.5%], especially in stage I OC {[}CA 125: 27.3, HE4(a): 40.9, HE4(e): 40.9, ROMA(a): 45.5 and ROMA(e): 45.5%]. Conclusions: CA 125 is still the best single marker in the diagnosis of OC. HE4 alone and even more the combined analysis of CA 125 and HE4 using ROMA improve the diagnostic accuracy of adnexal masses, especially in early OC

Predictive value of CA 125 and CA 72-4 in ovarian borderline tumors

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of cancer antigen (CA) 125 and CA 72-4 in patients with ovarian borderline tumor (BOT). Methods: All women diagnosed and treated for BOT at our institution between 1981 and 2008 were included into this retrospective study (n=101). Preoperatively collected serum samples were analyzed for CA 125 (Architect, Abbott and Elecsys, Roche) and CA 724 (Elecsys, Roche) with reference to clinical data and compared to healthy women (n=109) and ovarian cancer patients (n=130). Results: With a median of 34.7 U/mL (range 18.1-385.0 U/mL) for CA 125 and 2.3 U/mL (range 0.2-277.0 U/mL) for CA 72-4, serum tumor markers in BOT patients were significantly elevated as compared to healthy women with a median CA 125 of 13.5 U/mL (range 4.0-49.7 U/mL) and median CA 72-4 of 0.8 U/mL (range 0.2-20.6 U/mL). In addition, there was a significant difference compared with ovarian cancer patients who showed a median CA 125 of 401.5 U/mL (range 12.5-35,813 U/mL), but no difference was observed for CA 72-4 (median 3.9 U/mL, range 0.3-10,068 U/mL). Patients with a pT1a tumor stage had significantly lower values of CA 125 but not of CA 72-4 compared with individuals with higher tumor stages (median CA 125 29.9 U/mL for pT1a vs. 50.9 U/mL for) pT1a; p=0.014). There was a trend for increased concentrations of CA 125 but not of CA 72-4 in the presence of ascites, endometriosis or peritoneal implants at primary diagnosis. With respect to the prognostic value of CA 125 or CA 72-4, CA 125 was significantly higher at primary diagnosis in patients who later developed recurrence (251.0 U/mL vs. 34.65 U/mL, p=0.012). Conclusions: Serum CA 125 and CA 72-4 concentrations in BOT patients differ from healthy controls and patients with ovarian cancer. CA 125, but not CA 724, at primary diagnosis correlates with tumor stage and tends to be increased in the presence of ascites, endometriosis or peritoneal implants. Moreover, CA 125 at primary diagnosis appears to have prognostic value for recurrence. Clin Chem Lab Med 2009; 47:537-42

Celebrating 125 Years of Nursing

It was 125 years ago in April that Emily Loveridge stepped from a train in Portland and by June, she had launched the Good Samaritan School of Nursing, a rich heritage of nursing excellence that continues today