Identifying the binding sequence of Teflon, a protein required for autosomal homolog conjunction during meiosis I in Drosophila melanogaster males

Teflon (Tef) is a gene required for paired autosomes to maintain connections until Anaphase I in male Drosophila melanogaster. The protein contains three canonical zinc finger motifs, which are typically involved in sequence-specific DNA binding, suggesting that Tef binds DNA directly. Towards identifying Tef binding sequences, we have overexpressed Tef fused to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in salivary glands, and have used anti-GFP antibodies to localize Tef-GFP to 62 different cytogenetic regions. Using duplications we mapped one of these sites to a 27 kb region on the X chromosome. Through chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we have further defined Tef binding sequences within this region. It has been proposed that Tef may function as either a transcriptional regulator or as a physical bridging complex that holds homologs together. Transcriptional analysis by qRT-PCR of salivary gland and testis mRNA has revealed that Tef does not alter gene expression in the proximity of a Tef binding site. Nor did we observe any ability of Tef binding regions to enhance segregation of X duplications from their X homolog at meiosis I. Independent of the presence or absence of Tef binding sites, however, we found that a subset of X duplications segregate from an rDNA-deficient X chromosome in males. This suggests X sequences other than the rDNA have the ability to pair in male meiosis

An analysis of influences on choral performance adjudicators’ rating decisions of choral performance

The purpose of this study was to (a) examine influences on choral music adjudicators’ rating decisions of choral performance quality and (b) to see if differences existed among those influences by participants’ years of adjudication experience and academic training (degree focus). Part One of the study included eight randomly selected participants (N = 8), comprised of choral adjudication experts, to aid in the construction of the data collection instrument. Part Two of the study included a convenience sample (N = 71) comprised of choral music performance adjudicators within the southeastern United States.For the primary purpose, the Choral Adjudicator Preference Scale (CAPS), a researcher-constructed data-gathering instrument, was developed to determine influences on choral adjudicators’ rating decisions of choral performance. A Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha measure of internal consistency was calculated to establish reliability of the CAPS data collection instrument. A coefficient of .934 was found for the CAPS, which indicated a high level of internal consistency. Validity for the data-gathering instrument was established through three sources, (a) an open-ended questionnaire sent to the eight choral adjudicators, (b) a thorough review of the related literature and (c) verification by choral activities chairpersons among the southeastern states. For research question one (What factors influence adjudicators’ decisions when adjudicating choirs?) a principal component analysis revealed 23 items that coalesced among four factors of influence: (a) the ensemble’s performance, (b) visual aspects, (c) extra-musical aspects, and (d) the conductor’s contributions. These four factors accounted for 61.49 percent of the total variance in participants’ responses. For the secondary purpose, a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was calculated to determine if differences existed among factors of influence by participants’ years of adjudication experience and academic training (degree focus). For research question two (Do differences exist among adjudicators’ influences on rating decisions by years of adjudication experience?) a significant main effect was found for the factors, F (3, 189) = 216.581, p = .000, ?2 = .775; however, there was no main effect for years of adjudication experience, nor an interaction effect among the factors and years of adjudication experience. For research question three (Do differences exist among adjudicators’ influences on rating decisions by academic training?) a significant main effect was found for the factors, F (3, 201) = 195.326, p = .000, ?2 = .745; however, there was no main effect for academic training, nor an interaction effect among the factors and academic trainingA discussion of the influences on choral adjudicators’ rating decisions was presented. Recommendations for future research were suggested regarding music performance adjudication, influences on rating decisions, and characteristics of evaluators

The relationship between child care program administration, organizational climate, and global quality

"The current study explores the relationship between child care program administration, organizational climate, and global quality. The newly developed Program Administration Scale (PAS; Talan & Bloom, 2005) was utilized in the study. Both program administration and organizational climate were found to be positively correlated with preschool classroom global quality. There was a significant relationship between organizational climate and a language/interaction factor of the ECERS-R. Director education was related to higher quality administrative practices and not-for-profit centers scored significantly better than for-profit centers. Additionally, a relationship between the PAS and the Parents and Staff Subscale was found. Based on this finding, it is recommended that research and Quality Rating Systems using the Environment Rating Scales incorporate the Parents and Staff Subscale in final scores. Discussion including policy implications of the current findings and future research is included."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T: increasing reading independence for students with dyslexia

Due to their unique brain profile, children with dyslexia struggle with acquiring basic literacy skills. Even after basic reading skills have been learned students with dyslexia may still struggle greatly with generalizing their skills to new contexts. Researchers have found that 75 percent of children identified with reading problems in third grade still struggle with reading in ninth grade. Based on federal, state, and local test data, early reading interventions have not been highly successful for students who are at risk for reading failure, many of whom are showing indicators of dyslexia. The brain studies have shown us the why; we now know the neural signature for dyslexia. 80 percent of children who are struggling with learning to read have dyslexia. Extensive reviews of reading research have shown us the what: we know that effective literacy programs must include the instruction of Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension strategies. And lastly, we looked to the brain researchers and the teachers who have been highly trained in the Orton-Gillingham principles to show us the how to effectively teach children with dyslexia. Our national, state, and local problem: Too many children with dyslexia struggle with becoming proficient, independent readers. This improvement initiative explored the addition of Peer-Assistive Literacy Strategies (PALS) to an existing evidence-based literacy program; this research has built on the why, what, and how of literacy instruction by adding an additional learning tool that helped foster the generalization of reading skills that led to greater independence for dyslexic children

Onset of main Phanerozoic marine radiation sparked by emerging Mid Ordovician icehouse

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer Nature via the DOI in this recordThe Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE) was the most rapid and sustained increase in marine Phanerozoic biodiversity. What generated this biotic response across Palaeozoic seascapes is a matter of debate; several intrinsic and extrinsic drivers have been suggested. One is Ordovician climate, which in recent years has undergone a paradigm shift from a text-book example of an extended greenhouse to an interval with transient cooling intervals - at least during the Late Ordovician. Here, we show the first unambiguous evidence for a sudden Mid Ordovician icehouse, comparable in magnitude to the Quaternary glaciations. We further demonstrate the initiation of this icehouse to coincide with the onset of the GOBE. This finding is based on both abiotic and biotic proxies obtained from the most comprehensive geochemical and palaeobiological dataset yet collected through this interval. We argue that the icehouse conditions increased latitudinal and bathymetrical temperature and oxygen gradients initiating an Early Palaeozoic Great Ocean Conveyor Belt. This fuelled the GOBE, as upwelling zones created new ecospace for the primary producers. A subsequent rise in δ(13)C ratios known as the Middle Darriwilian Isotopic Carbon Excursion (MDICE) may reflect a global response to increased bioproductivity encouraged by the onset of the GOBE.Our expeditions to Russia were mainly funded by the Carlsberg Foundation. C.M.Ø.R. and D.A.T.H. are particularly grateful to the Danish Council for Independent Research | Natural Sciences for their support of this specific project. C.M.Ø.R. further acknowledge support from the VILLUM Foundations Young Investigator Programme. A.L. was funded by the Royal Swedish Physiographic Society in Lund

Structural insight into SUMO chain recognition and manipulation by the ubiquitin ligase RNF4

The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) can form polymeric chains that are important signals in cellular processes such as meiosis, genome maintenance and stress response. The SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase RNF4 engages with SUMO chains on linked substrates and catalyses their ubiquitination, which targets substrates for proteasomal degradation. Here we use a segmental labelling approach combined with solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and biochemical characterization to reveal how RNF4 manipulates the conformation of the SUMO chain, thereby facilitating optimal delivery of the distal SUMO domain for ubiquitin transfer

Phenomenology of the nMSSM from colliders to cosmology

Low energy supersymmetric models provide a solution to the hierarchy problem and also have the necessary ingredients to solve two of the most outstanding issues in cosmology: the origin of dark matter and baryonic matter. One of the most attractive features of this framework is that the relevant physical processes are related to interactions at the weak scale and therefore may be tested in collider experiments in the near future. This is true for the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) as well as for its extension with the addition of one singlet chiral superfield, the so-called nMSSM. It has been recently shown that within the nMSSM an elegant solution to both the problem of baryogenesis and dark matter may be found, that relies mostly on the mixing of the singlet sector with the Higgs sector of the theory. In this work we review the nMSSM model constraints from cosmology and present the associated collider phenomenology at the LHC and the ILC. We show that the ILC will efficiently probe the neutralino, chargino and Higgs sectors, allowing to confront cosmological observations with computations based on collider measurements. We also investigate the prospects for a direct detection of dark matter and the constraints imposed by the current bounds of the electron electric dipole moment in this model.Comment: 44 pp, 10 figures; Fig.9 replaced; discussion on CP violation extended and references added; few minor additions in text about details of the cut

Instabilities and robust control in natural resource management

Most renewable natural resources exhibit marked demographic and environmental stochasticities, which are exarcebated in management decisions by the uncertainty regarding the choice of an appropriate model to describe system dynamics. Moreover, demand and supply analysis often indicates the presence of instabilities and multiple equilibria, which may lead to management problems that are intensified by uncertainty on the evolution of the resource stock. In this paper the fishery management problem is used as an example to explore the potential of robust optimal control, where the objective is to choose a harvesting rule that will work under a range of admissible specifications for the stock-recruitment equation. The paper derives robust harvesting rules leading to a unique equilibrium, which could be helpful in the design of policy instruments such as robust quota systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lower limit on the neutralino mass in the general MSSM

We discuss constraints on SUSY models with non-unified gaugino masses and R_P conservation. We derive a lower bound on the neutralino mass combining the direct limits from LEP, the indirect limits from gmuon, bsgamma, Bsmumu and the relic density constraint from WMAP. The lightest neutralino (mneutralino=6GeV) is found in models with a light pseudoscalar with MA<200GeV and a large value for $tan\beta$. Models with heavy pseudoscalars lead to mneutralino>18(29)GeV for $\tan\beta=50(10)$. We show that even a very conservative bound from the muon anomalous magnetic moment can increase the lower bound on the neutralino mass in models with mu<0 and/or large values of $\tan\beta$. We then examine the potential of the Tevatron and the direct detection experiments to probe the SUSY models with the lightest neutralinos allowed in the context of light pseudoscalars with high $\tan\beta$. We also examine the potential of an e+e- collider of 500GeV to produce SUSY particles in all models with neutralinos lighter than the W. In contrast to the mSUGRA models, observation of at least one sparticle is not always guaranteed.Comment: 37 pages, LateX, 16 figures, paper with higher resolution figures available at http://wwwlapp.in2p3.fr/~boudjema/papers/bound-lsp/bound-lsp.htm