Writing a wrong: Coupled RNA polymerase II transcription and RNA quality control

Processing and maturation of precursor RNA species is coupled to RNA polymerase II transcription. Co-transcriptional RNA processing helps to ensure efficient and proper capping, splicing, and 3' end processing of different RNA species to help ensure quality control of the transcriptome. Many improperly processed transcripts are not exported from the nucleus, are restricted to the site of transcription, and are in some cases degraded, which helps to limit any possibility of aberrant RNA causing harm to cellular health. These critical quality control pathways are regulated by the highly dynamic protein-protein interaction network at the site of transcription. Recent work has further revealed the extent to which the processes of transcription and RNA processing and quality control are integrated, and how critically their coupling relies upon the dynamic protein interactions that take place co-transcriptionally. This review focuses specifically on the intricate balance between 3' end processing and RNA decay during transcription termination. This article is categorized under: RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Turnover/Surveillance Mechanisms RNA Processing > 3' End Processing RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms RNA Processing > Capping and 5' End Modifications

District Workforce Development and Instructional Capacity: A Strategic Perspective

Paper presented at the annual American Educational Research Association Conference, New York City, New York, March 24-28, 2008.Some depictions of human resource (HR) functions tend to see connections to core missions, e.g., teaching and learning, as a “hub and spoke” arrangement with HR functions such as recruitment, selection, induction, professional development, and so on. Clearly, the gap between strategic intentions and practice is a challenge across public and private sectors and across 3 industries. We also suspect that the lack of evidence of strategic practice in school districts may have something to do with limited conceptualizations of strategic human resource management (SHRM) that could otherwise lead to observations from which theorizing and evaluation can take place

Wild capuchin monkeys adjust stone tools according to changing nut properties

Animals foraging in their natural environments need to be proficient at recognizing and responding to changes in food targets that affect accessibility or pose a risk. Wild bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) use stone tools to access a variety of nut species, including otherwise inaccessible foods. This study tests whether wild capuchins from Serra da Capivara National Park in Brazil adjust their tool selection when processing cashew (Anacardium spp.) nuts. During the ripening process of cashew nuts, the amount of caustic defensive substance in the nut mesocarp decreases. We conducted field experiments to test whether capuchins adapt their stone hammer selection to changing properties of the target nut, using stones of different weights and two maturation stages of cashew nuts. The results show that although fresh nuts are easier to crack, capuchin monkeys used larger stone tools to open them, which may help the monkeys avoid contact with the caustic hazard in fresh nuts. We demonstrate that capuchin monkeys are actively able to distinguish between the maturation stages within one nut species, and to adapt their foraging behaviour accordingly

Function of inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase isoform α (IBTKα) in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis links autophagy and the unfolded protein response

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (steatosis) is the most prevalent liver disease in the Western world. One of the advanced pathologies is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is associated with induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and disruption of autophagic flux. However, the mechanisms by which these processes contribute to the pathogenesis of human diseases are unclear. Herein, we identify the α isoform of the inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (IBTKα) as a member of the UPR, whose expression is preferentially translated during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We found that IBTKα is located in the ER and associates with proteins LC3b, SEC16A, and SEC31A and plays a previously unrecognized role in phagophore initiation from ER exit sites. Depletion of IBTKα helps prevent accumulation of autophagosome intermediates stemming from exposure to saturated free fatty acids and rescues hepatocytes from death. Of note, induction of IBTKα and the UPR, along with inhibition of autophagic flux, was associated with progression from steatosis to NASH in liver biopsies. These results indicate a function for IBTKα in NASH that links autophagy with activation of the UPR

The macroeconomics of aid: overview

This Special Issue explores macroeconomic effects of aid from various perspectives through a blend of studies, both conceptual and empirical in nature. The overall aim is to enhance the understanding of the macroeconomic dimensions of aid in the policy and research communities, and to inspire further innovative work in this important area. This opening article provides a scene setting summary of five generations of aid research, with a particular focus on how the JDS has contributed to this literature, and ends with an overview of the papers included in this Issue

Identification of Multipotent Progenitors that Emerge Prior to Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Embryonic Development

Summary Hematopoiesis in the embryo proceeds in a series of waves, with primitive erythroid-biased waves succeeded by definitive waves, within which the properties of hematopoietic stem cells (multilineage potential, self-renewal, and engraftability) gradually arise. Whereas self-renewal and engraftability have previously been examined in the embryo, multipotency has not been thoroughly addressed, especially at the single-cell level or within well-defined populations. To identify when and where clonal multilineage potential arises during embryogenesis, we developed a single-cell multipotency assay. We find that, during the initiation of definitive hematopoiesis in the embryo, a defined population of multipotent, engraftable progenitors emerges that is much more abundant within the yolk sac (YS) than the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) or fetal liver. These experiments indicate that multipotent cells appear in concert within both the YS and AGM and strongly implicate YS-derived progenitors as contributors to definitive hematopoiesis

Accessing the purity of a single photon by the width of the Hong-Ou-Mandel interference

We demonstrate a method to determine the spectral purity of single photons. The technique is based on the Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference between a single photon state and a suitably prepared coherent field. We show that the temporal width of the HOM dip is not only related to reciprocal of the spectral width but also to the underlying quantum coherence. Therefore, by measuring the width of both the HOM dip and the spectrum one can directly quantify the degree of spectral purity. The distinct advantage of our proposal is that it obviates the need for perfect mode matching, since it does not rely on the visibility of the interference. Our method is particularly useful for characterizing the purity of heralded single photon states.Comment: Extended version, 16 pages, 9 figure

Abscesses due to mycobacterium abscessus linked to injection of unapproved alternative medication.

An unlicensed injectable medicine sold as adrenal cortex extract (ACE*) and distributed in the alternative medicine community led to the largest outbreak of Mycobacterium abscessus infections reported in the United States. Records from the implicated distributor from January 1, 1995, to August 18, 1996, were used to identify purchasers; purchasers and public health alerts were used to identify patients. Purchasers and patients were interviewed, and available medical records were reviewed. Vials of ACE* were tested for mycobacterial contamination, and the product was recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ACE* had been distributed to 148 purchasers in 30 states; 87 persons with postinjection abscesses attributable to the product were identified. Patient and vial cultures contained M. abscessus identical by enzymatic and molecular typing methods. Unusual infectious agents and alternative health practices should be considered in the diagnosis of infections that do not respond to routine treatment

Organische Bodensubstanz in sulfatsauren Böden

Sulfatsaure Böden sind Böden und Sedimente, die Eisensulfide enthalten und verbreitet in Küstenregionen und Binnenländern vorkommen. Unter wassergesättigten Bedingungen sind sie produktive Böden der Feuchtgebiete. Eine Austrocknung dieser Böden (durch Entwässerung oder Dürreperioden) führt zur Oxidation der Eisensulfide und damit zu einer starken Versauerung aufgrund der Freisetzung von Schwefelsäure. Nach Wiedervernässung und Wiedereinsetzen reduzierender Bedingungen führt die Aktivität sulfatreduzierender Bakterien zur Bildung von Pyrit und damit zur pH-Erhöhung. Sulfatreduzierende Bakterien sind heterotroph und benötigen ausreichend verfügbares organisches Material. In vielen Regionen kommt es jedoch nach Wiedervernässung solcher Standorte nicht zum erwarteten pH-Anstieg. Dies weist auf eine geringe Aktivität sulfatreduzierender Bakterien hin, obwohl die Gesamtmenge an organischer Bodensubstanz (OBS) in diesen Böden oft hoch ist. Wir vermuten daher, dass eine geringe Verfügbarkeit von OBS die Aktivität der Sulfatreduzierer in wiedervernässten sulfatsauren Böden limitiert. In unserer Studie wurden Menge und Zusammensetzung der OBS in Bodenprofilen zweier wiedervernässter sulfatsaurer Böden in Südaustralien untersucht. Hierbei wurde das Augenmerk besonders auf die verfügbare, nicht-mineralassoziierte OBS gelegt. Bei beiden Standorten handelte es sich um Flußsedimente, die während einer extremen Dürreperiode zwischen 2008 und 2010 tiefgründig austrockneten und stark versauerten (pH <4). Seit dem Ende der Dürreperiode sind beide Standorte wieder vollständig vernässt. In einem Standort erholte sich der pH-Wert vollständig und zeigte 2015 neutrale pH-Werte, während der andere Standort im Unterboden noch immer deutlich versauert war. In den Bodenproben wurde die Menge der OBS bestimmt und mittels Dichtefraktionierung der Anteil der nicht-mineralassoziierten OBS analysiert. Die chemische Zusammensetzung der OBS wurde mittels Festkörper 13C NMR Spektroskopie und Neutralzuckeranalytik untersucht. Es zeigte sich, dass die sulfatsauren Böden zwar hohe OBS-Mengen, jedoch niedrige Anteile an leicht abbaubaren Kohlenhydraten und Proteinen und hohe Anteile an schwer abbaubaren Lipiden und Lignin enthalten. Die geringsten Gehalte an Kohlenhydraten und Proteinen fanden sich im immer noch stark versauerten Boden. Schwer abbaubare OBS ist kaum als Substrat für Sulfatreduzierer geeignet und erschwert somit die pH-Erhöhung in wiedervernässten sulfatsauren Böden