JNDS, Volume 19, Number 3

Letter Beverly Brodsky to the editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies on the topic "Beverly Brodksy Responds.

JNDS, Volume 17, Number 2

Letter from Beverly Brodsky to the editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies on the topic "Risks of Psychomanteum Experimentation.

JNDS, Volume 16, Number 4

Review of the book "Jewish Views of the Afterlife" written by Simcha Paull Raphael based on research of Jewish texts

JNDS, Volume 17, Number 2

Letter from Gracia Fay Ellwood to the editor discussing the validity of evidence in recently published research seeking to find insights in the possible neurological correlates of the events of a near-death experience

α-Arrestins participate in cargo selection for both clathrin-independent and clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a well-studied mechanism to internalize plasma membrane proteins; however, to endocytose such cargo, most eukaryotic cells also use alternative clathrin-independent endocytic (CIE) pathways, which are less well characterized. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a widely used model for studying CME, was recently shown to have a CIE pathway that requires the GTPase Rho1, the formin Bni1, and their regulators. Nevertheless, in both yeast and mammalian cells, the mechanisms underlying cargo selection in CME and CIE are only beginning to be understood. For CME in yeast, particular α-arrestins contribute to recognition of specific cargos and promote their ubiquitylation by recruiting the E3 ubiquitin protein ligase Rsp5. Here, we show that the same α-arrestin-cargo pairs promote internalization through the CIE pathway by interacting with CIE components. Notably, neither expression of Rsp5 nor its binding to α-arrestins is required for CIE. Thus, α-arrestins are important for cargo selection in both the CME and CIE pathways, but function by distinct mechanisms in each pathway

JNDS, Volume 19, Number 3

Letter from Carla Wills-Brandon reviewing the potential errors in the findings of a previously published article, "Risks of Psychomanteum Experimentation" (Brodsky, 1988)

Specific α-arrestins negatively regulate Saccharomyces cerevisiae pheromone response by down-modulating the G-protein-coupled receptor Ste2.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral membrane proteins that initiate responses to extracellular stimuli by mediating ligand-dependent activation of cognate heterotrimeric G proteins. In yeast, occupancy of GPCR Ste2 by peptide pheromone α-factor initiates signaling by releasing a stimulatory Gβγ complex (Ste4-Ste18) from its inhibitory Gα subunit (Gpa1). Prolonged pathway stimulation is detrimental, and feedback mechanisms have evolved that act at the receptor level to limit the duration of signaling and stimulate recovery from pheromone-induced G1 arrest, including upregulation of the expression of an α-factor-degrading protease (Bar1), a regulator of G-protein signaling protein (Sst2) that stimulates Gpa1-GTP hydrolysis, and Gpa1 itself. Ste2 is also downregulated by endocytosis, both constitutive and ligand induced. Ste2 internalization requires its phosphorylation and subsequent ubiquitinylation by membrane-localized protein kinases (Yck1 and Yck2) and a ubiquitin ligase (Rsp5). Here, we demonstrate that three different members of the α-arrestin family (Ldb19/Art1, Rod1/Art4, and Rog3/Art7) contribute to Ste2 desensitization and internalization, and they do so by discrete mechanisms. We provide genetic and biochemical evidence that Ldb19 and Rod1 recruit Rsp5 to Ste2 via PPXY motifs in their C-terminal regions; in contrast, the arrestin fold domain at the N terminus of Rog3 is sufficient to promote adaptation. Finally, we show that Rod1 function requires calcineurin-dependent dephosphorylation

Juror perceptions in sexual orientation-based hate crimes

The present study sought to investigate how victim sexual orientation and homonegativity influence the relationship between severity of crime and assignment of punishment to the perpetrator of a sexual orientation-based (SO) hate crime. These differences were examined across three levels of hate crime: misdemeanor assault, felony assault, and attempted murder. In addition, a secondary focus of this study was to examine whether jurors' perceptions of perpetrator and victim blame varied based on the severity of the crime and the victim's sexual orientation. Previous literature has shown that juror sexual prejudice (i.e., homonegativity) influences jurors' perceptions and decision-making processes in similar contexts; therefore, the researchers explored whether homonegativity moderates each of the proposed relations. A total of 238 participants were recruited from jury pools in four counties located in the state of Alabama. Participants completed a series of questionnaires related to a trial vignette, which depicted one of three varying levels of an SO hate crime. Results showed a significant main effect of the severity of crime on sentencing recommendation with the length of punishment increasing with the severity of the crime. No significant main effect of victim sexual orientation and no significant interaction between severity of crime and homonegativity were found on sentencing recommendation. It was also found that more blame was assigned to the perpetrator when the victim was heterosexual and significantly lower levels of victim blame were found when the crime was a misdemeanor assault as opposed to a felony assault or attempted murder. However, both of these relations became non-significant when homonegativity was entered into the model indicating the variables were unable to explain a unique amount of variance in the perceptions of blame. Finally, it was found that participants with higher levels of homonegativity assigned higher amounts of blame to the victim (regardless of the victim's sexual orientation). Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. The results suggest there are some factors which may unduly influence jury members in SO hate crimes and could lead to homosexual victims experiencing additional negative consequences during these trials. The current study also demonstrates the need for additional research on jury decision-making in SO hate crimes to ensure that victims of these crimes are being treated fairly within the justice system. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries