Disrupting the Ethical Imperatives of “Junior” Critical Qualitative Scholars in the Era of Conservative Modernization

In this article, we wrestle with the core issue of how early career researchers translate central tenets and core concepts of critical theory and critical methodology into their research practice. By way of creative representation, we draw from bell hooks and Cornel West’s (1991) written rendition of their verbal dialogue in Breaking Bread: Insurgent Black Intellectual Life. Their hope was to offer the book in a dialogic format in such a way that mirrored the synergy in their verbal discussions as friends and intellectual colleagues. In a similar vein, we hope to share with readers the synergy and depth of the narratives that have transpired during our ongoing discussions on the important topic of critical praxis as part of a collaborative research group called the Disruptive Dialogue Project (Gildersleeve, Kuntz, Pasque & Carducci, 2010; Kuntz, Pasque, Carducci, & Gildersleeve, 2009).Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Menstrual cycle phase does not predict political conservatism

Recent authors have reported a relationship between women's fertility status, as indexed by menstrual cycle phase, and conservatism in moral, social and political values. We conducted a survey to test for the existence of a relationship between menstrual cycle day and conservatism. 2213 women reporting regular menstrual cycles provided data about their political views. Of these women, 2208 provided information about their cycle date, 1260 provided additional evidence of reliability in self-reported cycle date, and of these, 750 also indicated an absence of hormonal disruptors such as recent hormonal contraception use, breastfeeding or pregnancy. Cycle day was used to estimate day-specific fertility rate (probability of conception); political conservatism was measured via direct self-report and via responses to the "Moral Foundations” questionnaire. We also recorded relationship status, which has been reported to interact with menstrual cycle phase in determining political preferences. We found no evidence of a relationship between estimated cyclical fertility changes and conservatism, and no evidence of an interaction between relationship status and cyclical fertility in determining political attitudes. Our findings were robust to multiple inclusion/exclusion criteria and to different methods of estimating fertility and measuring conservatism. In summary, the relationship between cycle-linked reproductive parameters and conservatism may be weaker or less reliable than previously thought

Facile Preparation of Fluorescent Neoglycoproteins Using p-Nitrophenyl Anthranilate as a Heterobifunctional Linker

A facile preparation of neoglycoconjugates has been developed with a commercially available chemical, p-nitrophenyl anthranilate (PNPA), as a heterobifunctional linker. The two functional groups of PNPA, the aromatic amine and the p-nitrophenyl ester, are fully differentiated to selectively conjugate with glycans and other biomolecules containing nucleophiles. PNPA is efficiently conjugated with free reducing glycans via reductive amination. The glycan−PNPA conjugates (GPNPAs) can be easily purified and quantified by UV absorption. The active p-nitrophenyl ester in the GPNPA conjugates readily reacts with amines under mild conditions, and the resulting conjugates acquire strong fluorescence. This approach was used to prepare several fluorescent neoglycoproteins. The neoglycoproteins were covalently printed on activated glass slides and were bound by appropriate lectins recognizing the glycans

No compelling evidence that preferences for facial masculinity track changes in women’s hormonal status

Although widely cited as strong evidence that sexual selection has shaped human facial-attractiveness judgments, findings suggesting that women’s preferences for masculine characteristics in men’s faces are related to women’s hormonal status are equivocal and controversial. Consequently, we conducted the largest-ever longitudinal study of the hormonal correlates of women’s preferences for facial masculinity (N = 584). Analyses showed no compelling evidence that preferences for facial masculinity were related to changes in women’s salivary steroid hormone levels. Furthermore, both within-subjects and between-subjects comparisons showed no evidence that oral contraceptive use decreased masculinity preferences. However, women generally preferred masculinized over feminized versions of men’s faces, particularly when assessing men’s attractiveness for short-term, rather than long-term, relationships. Our results do not support the hypothesized link between women’s preferences for facial masculinity and their hormonal status

Mutations in PIEZO2 Cause Gordon Syndrome, Marden-Walker Syndrome, and Distal Arthrogryposis Type 5

Gordon syndrome (GS), or distal arthrogryposis type 3, is a rare, autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by cleft palate and congenital contractures of the hands and feet. Exome sequencing of five GS-affected families identified mutations in piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component 2 (PIEZO2) in each family. Sanger sequencing revealed PIEZO2 mutations in five of seven additional families studied (for a total of 10/12 [83%] individuals), and nine families had an identical c.8057G>A (p.Arg2686His) mutation. The phenotype of GS overlaps with distal arthrogryposis type 5 (DA5) and Marden-Walker syndrome (MWS). Using molecular inversion probes for targeted sequencing to screen PIEZO2, we found mutations in 24/29 (82%) DA5-affected families and one of two MWS-affected families. The presence of cleft palate was significantly associated with c.8057G>A (Fisher’s exact test, adjusted p value < 0.0001). Collectively, although GS, DA5, and MWS have traditionally been considered separate disorders, our findings indicate that they are etiologically related and perhaps represent variable expressivity of the same condition

Divergent Behavior of Glycosylated Threonine and Serine Derivatives in Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis

Solid phase peptide coupling of glycosylated threonine derivatives was systematically evaluated. In contrast to glycosylated serine derivatives which are highly prone to epimerization, glycosylated threonine derivatives produce only negligible amounts of epimerization. Under forcing conditions, glycosylated threonine analogs undergo β-elimination, rather than epimerization. Mechanistic studies and molecular modeling were used to understand the origin of the differences in reactivity

GalNAc-Tyrosine Is a Ligand of Plant Lectins, Antibodies, and Human and Murine Macrophage Galactose-Type Lectins

In 2011, a new type of protein <i>O</i>-glycosylation was discovered in which <i>N</i>-acetylgalactosamine is attached to the side chain of tyrosine (GalNAc-Tyr). While present on dozens of proteins, the biological roles of GalNAc-Tyr are unknown. To gain insight into this new type of modification, we synthesized a group of GalNAc-Tyr glycopeptides, constructed microarrays, and evaluated potential recognition of GalNAc-Tyr by a series of glycan-binding proteins. Through a series of >150 microarray experiments, we assessed binding properties of a variety of plant lectins, monoclonal antibodies, and endogenous lectins. VVL, HPA, and SBA were all found to bind tightly to GalNAc-Tyr, and several Tn binding antibodies and blood group A antibodies were found to cross-react with GalNAc-Tyr. Thus, detection of GalNAc-Tyr modified proteins is an important consideration when analyzing results from these reagents. Additionally, we evaluated potential recognition by two mammalian lectins, human (hMGL) and murine (mMGL-2) macrophage galactose type C-type lectins. Both hMGL and mMGL-2 bound tightly to GalNAc-Tyr determinants. The apparent <i>K</i>_d values (∼1–40 nM) were on par with some of the best known ligands for MGL, such as the Tn antigen. hMGL also bound the natural beta-amyloid peptide containing a GalNAc-Tyr epitope. STD NMR experiments provided structural insights into the molecular basis of recognition. Finally, GalNAc-Tyr was selectively captured by mMGL-2 positive dendritic cells. These results provide the first evidence that GalNAc-Tyr modified proteins and/or peptides may be ligands for hMGL and mMGL-2 and offer unique structures for the design of MGL targeting agents