Derivatives of 8-Hydroxy-2-methylquinoline Are Powerful Prototypes for Zinc Sensors in Biological Systems

The recent emphasis on understanding the myriad roles of zinc in both normal and diseased cells and tissues has placed an ever increasing demand on methods for sensitive and selective methods for real-time monitoring of free Zn^(2+) in complex biological samples. Chelation-enhanced fluorescent sensors for zinc, based on fluorophores such as quinoline, dansyl, fluorescein, and anthracene, have been reported. While each of these agents has unique advantages, there remain issues with sensitivity, selectivity, and specificity that may be addressable with an alternate chromophore that is readily amenable to synthetic manipulation. Herein we report the systematic chemical modification of the 8-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline (Oxn) unit as a building block for the development of new sensors employing chelation-enhanced fluorescence. In particular, improvements in quantum yield from 0.004 to 0.70 and stepwise blue shifts in fluorescence emission wavelengths (to a total of over 70 nm) are reported

Creating a library holding group: an approach to large system integration.

PURPOSE: Faced with resource constraints, many hospital libraries have considered joint operations. This case study describes how Providence Health & Services created a single group to provide library services. METHODS: Using a holding group model, staff worked to unify more than 6,100 nonlibrary subscriptions and 14 internal library sites. RESULTS: Our library services grew by unifying 2,138 nonlibrary subscriptions and 11 library sites and hiring more library staff. We expanded access to 26,018 more patrons. CONCLUSIONS: A model with built-in flexibility allowed successful library expansion. Although challenges remain, this success points to a viable model of unified operations

Career Progression of Women: Does Work-life Balance Matter?

The study empirically examined the influence of work-life balance practices on the Career Progression of Women at the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP). Given the reliance on an explanatory research design, the study utilized a structured questionnaire for gathering the primary data quantitatively from 209 randomly selected participants. A second-order model was configured in SMART PLS for testing the directional hypotheses formulated. The results indicated that work-life balance practices have a moderately significant positive predictor on both career goal progress and promotion speed. However, it significantly predicts a weak positive variance in professional development ability of career progression. The practical implication is that the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection through its agency, must continually provide favorable work-life balance practices for its female staff to make female workers happy, satisfied, and progress in their various careers. The study offers a better theoretical understanding of how work-life balance, if handled well, may influence female workers' career progression, even in a situation where men predominate, as per role theory. Empirically, the study enriches the theoretical understanding of how work-life balance, if properly managed, would affect female workers in progression in their careers even in a masculine context, as established by the role theory in Sub-Saharan country-context

Career Progression of Women: Does Work Life Balance Matter?

Purpose-The study empirically examined the influence of work-life balance practices on Career Progression of Women at Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP). Design, methodology/approach-Given the reliance on explanatory research design, the study utilized structured questionnaire for gathering the primary data quantitatively from 209 randomly selected participants. A second-order model was configured in SMART PLS for testing of the directional hypotheses formulated. Findings- Work-life balance practices have a moderate significant positive predictor on both career goal progress and promotion speed. However, it significantly predicts a weak positive variance in professional development ability of career progression. Research limitations- The study was limited to only female MoGCSP employees, and this may restrict the degree of generalizability to other ministries of the government of Ghana. Practical implication- The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection through its agency, must continually provide a favourable work life balance practices for its female staff as this would in order to make female workers happy, satisfied and progressed in the various careers. Originality/value- Empirically, the study enriches the theoretical understanding of how work-life balance if properly managed would affect female workers in progression in their career even in a masculine context as established by the role theory in Sub-Saharan country-context

Career Progression of Women: Does Work Life Balance Matter?

Purpose-The study empirically examined the influence of work-life balance practices on Career Progression of Women at Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP). Design, methodology/approach-Given the reliance on explanatory research design, the study utilized structured questionnaire for gathering the primary data quantitatively from 209 randomly selected participants. A second-order model was configured in SMART PLS for testing of the directional hypotheses formulated. Findings- Work-life balance practices have a moderate significant positive predictor on both career goal progress and promotion speed. However, it significantly predicts a weak positive variance in professional development ability of career progression. Research limitations- The study was limited to only female MoGCSP employees, and this may restrict the degree of generalizability to other ministries of the government of Ghana. Practical implication- The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection through its agency, must continually provide a favourable work life balance practices for its female staff as this would in order to make female workers happy, satisfied and progressed in the various careers. Originality/value- Empirically, the study enriches the theoretical understanding of how work-life balance if properly managed would affect female workers in progression in their career even in a masculine context as established by the role theory in Sub-Saharan country-context

Analysis of Gene Expression in a Developmental Context Emphasizes Distinct Biological Leitmotifs in Human Cancers

A systematic analysis of the relationship between the neoplastic and developmental transcriptome provides an outline of global trends in cancer gene expression

Assembly of Drosophila Centromeric Chromatin Proteins during Mitosis

Semi-conservative segregation of nucleosomes to sister chromatids during DNA replication creates gaps that must be filled by new nucleosome assembly. We analyzed the cell-cycle timing of centromeric chromatin assembly in Drosophila, which contains the H3 variant CID (CENP-A in humans), as well as CENP-C and CAL1, which are required for CID localization. Pulse-chase experiments show that CID and CENP-C levels decrease by 50% at each cell division, as predicted for semi-conservative segregation and inheritance, whereas CAL1 displays higher turnover. Quench-chase-pulse experiments demonstrate that there is a significant lag between replication and replenishment of centromeric chromatin. Surprisingly, new CID is recruited to centromeres in metaphase, by a mechanism that does not require an intact mitotic spindle, but does require proteasome activity. Interestingly, new CAL1 is recruited to centromeres before CID in prophase. Furthermore, CAL1, but not CENP-C, is found in complex with pre-nucleosomal CID. Finally, CENP-C displays yet a different pattern of incorporation, during both interphase and mitosis. The unusual timing of CID recruitment and unique dynamics of CAL1 identify a distinct centromere assembly pathway in Drosophila and suggest that CAL1 is a key regulator of centromere propagation

Divergent drivers of carbon dioxide and methane dynamics in an agricultural coastal floodplain: post-flood hydrological and biological drivers

Many coastal floodplains have been artificially drained for agriculture, altering hydrological connectivity and the delivery of groundwater-derived solutes including carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) to surface waters. Here, we investigated the drivers of CO2 and CH4 within the artificial drains.of a coastal floodplain under sugarcane plantation and quantify the contribution of groundwater discharge to CO2 and CH4 dynamics over a flood event (290 mm of rainfall). High temporal resolution, in situ observations of dissolved CO2 and CH4, carbon stable isotopes of CH4 (delta C-13-CH4), and the natural groundwater tracer radon (Rn-222) allowed us to quantify. CO2, CH4 and groundwater dynamics during the rapid recession of a flood over a five day period. Extreme super-saturation of free CO2 ([CO2*]) up to 2,951 mu M (25,480% of atmospheric equilibrium) was driven by large groundwater input into the drains (maximum 87 cm day-(1)), caused by a steep hydraulic head in the adjacent water table. Groundwater input sustained between 95 and 124% of the surface [CO2*] flux during the flood recession by delivering high carbonate alkalinity groundwater (DIC = 10,533 mu M, similar to pH = 7.05) to acidic surface water (pH <4), consequently transforming all groundwater-derived DIC to [CO2*]. In contrast, groundwater was not a major direct driver of CH4 contributing only 14% of total CH4 fluxes. A progressive increase in CH4 concentrations of up to similar to 2400 nM day-(1) occurred as a combination of increased substrate availability delivered by post-flood drainage water and longer residence times, which allowed for a biogenic CH4 signal to develop. The progressive enrichment in delta C-13-CH4 values (- 70%. to-48%.) and increase in CH4 concentrations (46-2460 nM) support coupled production-oxidation, with concentrations and delta C-13 values remaining higher (2,798 nM and-47%.) than pre-flood conditions (534 nM and-55 parts per thousand) three weeks after the flood. Our findings demonstrate how separate processes can drive the aquatic CO2 and CH4 response to a flood event in a drained coastal floodplain, and the key role groundwater had in post-flood [CO2*] evasion to the atmosphere, but not CH4. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved