Academic Job Negotiation Experiences, Reflections, and Biases in Counselor Education: A Descriptive Study

This descriptive study explored the job negotiation experiences of 93 counselor educators through an embedded survey design to examine their negotiation experiences, reflections, and potential hiring biases. The most common negotiation preparation strategy was consulting a mentor (80%) and while salary was most regularly negotiated (76%), a list of other benefits was included. Although a majority of participants regretted not making a request (53%), most reported overall positive experiences (63%). These findings support implications for counselor educators including preparing early, using successful negotiation strategies, exploring all potential benefits, and articulating requests for a more positive negotiation experience

Oriental Theileriosis

Theileria orientalis, the causative agent of oriental theileriosis, is an apicomplexan haemoparasite and is one of several tick-borne Theileria spp. infecting cattle. Unlike the highly pathogenic transforming Theileria species (T. annulata and T. parva) which induce uncontrolled lymphocytic proliferation, T. orientalis is a non-transforming strain exerting its major pathogenic effects via erythrocyte destruction. Clinical symptoms associated with oriental theileriosis are largely consequences of the underlying anaemia. Because of its non-transforming nature, T. orientalis was previously considered a benign parasite, however, in the recent years, clinical outbreaks of T. orientalis have been increasingly observed throughout Asia and Australasia. Recent rapid spread of clinical theileriosis has been linked to a pathogenic genotype of the parasite, genotype Ikeda (Type 2). The geographic distribution of clinical outbreaks correlates to the range of the major vector tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, although other vectors and modes of transmission are possible. This review includes discussion of T. orientalis epidemiology, transmission, pathogenesis, treatment and control and provides an update on the taxonomy of this organism which is still under debate

Gene discovery within the planctomycete division of the domain Bacteria using sequence tags from genomic DNA libraries

BACKGROUND: The planctomycetes comprise a distinct group of the domain Bacteria, forming a separate division by phylogenetic analysis. The organization of their cells into membrane-defined compartments including membrane-bounded nucleoids, their budding reproduction and complete absence of peptidoglycan distinguish them from most other Bacteria. A random sequencing approach was applied to the genomes of two planctomycete species, Gemmata obscuriglobus and Pirellula marina, to discover genes relevant to their cell biology and physiology. RESULTS: Genes with a wide variety of functions were identified in G. obscuriglobus and Pi. marina, including those of metabolism and biosynthesis, transport, regulation, translation and DNA replication, consistent with established phenotypic characters for these species. The genes sequenced were predominantly homologous to those in members of other divisions of the Bacteria, but there were also matches with nuclear genomic genes of the domain Eukarya, genes that may have appeared in the planctomycetes via horizontal gene transfer events. Significant among these matches are those with two genes atypical for Bacteria and with significant cell-biology implications - integrin alpha-V and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor protein - with homologs in G. obscuriglobus and Pi. marina respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The random-sequence-tag approach applied here to G. obscuriglobus and Pi. marina is the first report of gene recovery and analysis from members of the planctomycetes using genome-based methods. Gene homologs identified were predominantly similar to genes of Bacteria, but some significant best matches to genes from Eukarya suggest that lateral gene transfer events between domains may have involved this division at some time during its evolution

Extragenic suppressor mutations in ΔripA disrupt stability and function of LpxA

Abstract Background Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative bacterium that infects hundreds of species including humans, and has evolved to grow efficiently within a plethora of cell types. RipA is a conserved membrane protein of F. tularensis, which is required for growth inside host cells. As a means to determine RipA function we isolated and mapped independent extragenic suppressor mutants in ∆ripA that restored growth in host cells. Each suppressor mutation mapped to one of two essential genes, lpxA or glmU, which are involved in lipid A synthesis. We repaired the suppressor mutation in lpxA (S102, LpxA T36N) and the mutation in glmU (S103, GlmU E57D), and demonstrated that each mutation was responsible for the suppressor phenotype in their respective strains. We hypothesize that the mutation in S102 altered the stability of LpxA, which can provide a clue to RipA function. LpxA is an UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase that catalyzes the transfer of an acyl chain from acyl carrier protein (ACP) to UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) to begin lipid A synthesis. Results LpxA was more abundant in the presence of RipA. Induced expression of lpxA in the ΔripA strain stopped bacterial division. The LpxA T36N S102 protein was less stable and therefore less abundant than wild type LpxA protein. Conclusion These data suggest RipA functions to modulate lipid A synthesis in F. tularensis as a way to adapt to the host cell environment by interacting with LpxA.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110509/1/12866_2014_Article_336.pd

Characterization of cleavage events in the multifunctional cilium adhesin Mhp684 (P146) reveals a mechanism by which mycoplasma hyopneumoniae regulates surface topography

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae causes enormous economic losses to swine production worldwide by colonizing the ciliated epithelium in the porcine respiratory tract, resulting in widespread damage to the mucociliary escalator, prolonged inflammation, reduced weight gain, and secondary infections. Protein Mhp684 (P146) comprises 1,317 amino acids, and while the N-terminal 400 residues display significant sequence identity to the archetype cilium adhesin P97, the remainder of the molecule is novel and displays unusual motifs. Proteome analysis shows that P146 preprotein is endogenously cleaved into three major fragments identified here as P50P146, P40P146, and P85P146 that reside on the cell surface. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) identified a semitryptic peptide that delineated a major cleavage site in Mhp684. Cleavage occurred at the phenylalanine residue within sequence 672ATEF2QQ677, consistent with a cleavage motif resembling S/T-X-F2XD/E recently identified in Mhp683 and other P97/P102 family members. Biotinylated surface proteins recovered by avidin chromatography and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-D GE) showed that more-extensive endoproteolytic cleavage of P146 occurs. Recombinant fragments F1P146-F3P146 that mimic P50P146, P40P146, and P85P146 were constructed and shown to bind porcine epithelial cilia and biotinylated heparin with physiologically relevant affinity. Recombinant versions of F3P146 generated from M. hyopneumoniae strain J and 232 sequences strongly bind porcine plasminogen, and the removal of their respective C-terminal lysine and arginine residues significantly reduces this interaction. These data reveal that P146 is an extensively processed, multifunctional adhesin of M. hyopneumoniae. Extensive cleavage coupled with variable cleavage efficiency provides a mechanism by which M. hyopneumoniae regulates protein topography

The Tetraspanin Protein Peripherin-2 Forms a Complex with Melanoregulin, a Putative Membrane Fusion Regulator

Peripherin-2, the product of the rds gene, is a tetraspanin protein. In this study, we show that peripherin-2 forms a complex with melanoregulin (MREG), the product of the Mreg locus. Genetic studies suggest that MREG is involved in organelle biogenesis. In this study, we explore the role of this protein in processes associated with the formation of disk membranes, specialized organelles of photoreceptor rod cells. MREG antibodies were generated and found to be immunoreactive with a 28 kDa protein in retinal extracts, bovine OS, ARPE-19 cells, and rat RPE. MREG colocalized with peripherin-2 in WT (CB6F1/J) and in rds+/- retinas. Western blots of serial tangential sections confirmed the close association of these two proteins within the IS and basal outer segment of rods. Immunoprecipitation (IP) of OS extracts showed formation of a complex between MREG and peripherin-2-ROM-1 hetero-oligomers. This interaction was confirmed with pulldown analyses in which the GST-PerCter protein selectively pulled down His-MREG and His-MREG selectively pulled down PerCter. Biacore analysis using peptide inhibitors and per-2 truncation mutant studies allowed us to map the MREG binding site on per-2 to the last five residues of the C-terminus (Gln341-Gly346), and kinetic data predicted a KD of 80 nM for PerCter-MREG binding. Finally, the effect of MREG on photoreceptor specific membrane fusion was assayed using a disk-plasma membrane cell free assay. Preincubation of target membranes with MREG resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of fusion with an IC50 in the submicromolar range. Collectively, these results suggest that this newly identified protein regulates peripherin-2 function. © 2007 American Chemical Society

On the Growth and Welfare Effects of Defense R&D

In the US, defense R&D share of GDP has decreased significantly since 1960. To analyze the implications on growth and welfare, we develop an R&D-based growth model that features the crowding-out and spillover effects of defense R&D on civilian R&D. The model also captures the effects of defense technology on (i) national security resembling consumption-type public goods and (ii) aggregate productivity via the spin-off effect resembling productive public goods. In this framework, economic growth is driven by market-based civilian R&D as in standard R&D-based growth models and government-financed public goods (i.e., defense R&D) as in Barro (1990). We find that defense R&D has an inverted-U effect on growth, and the growth-maximizing level of defense R&D is increasing in the spillover and spin-off effects. As for the welfare-maximizing level of defense R&D, it is increasing in the security-enhancing effect of defense technology, and there exists a critical degree of this security-enhancing effect below (above) which the welfare-maximizing level is below (above) the growth-maximizing level

AML risk stratification models utilizing ELN-2017 guidelines and additional prognostic factors: a SWOG report.

Background: The recently updated European LeukemiaNet risk stratification guidelines combine cytogenetic abnormalities and genetic mutations to provide the means to triage patients with acute myeloid leukemia for optimal therapies. Despite the identification of many prognostic factors, relatively few have made their way into clinical practice. Methods: In order to assess and improve the performance of the European LeukemiaNet guidelines, we developed novel prognostic models using the biomarkers from the guidelines, age, performance status and select transcript biomarkers. The models were developed separately for mononuclear cells and viable leukemic blasts from previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia patients (discovery cohort, Results: Models using European LeukemiaNet guidelines were significantly associated with clinical outcomes and, therefore, utilized as a baseline for comparisons. Models incorporating age and expression of select transcripts with biomarkers from European LeukemiaNet guidelines demonstrated higher area under the curve and C-statistics but did not show a substantial improvement in performance in the validation cohort. Subset analyses demonstrated that models using only the European LeukemiaNet guidelines were a better fit for younger patients (age \u3c 55) than for older patients. Models integrating age and European LeukemiaNet guidelines visually showed more separation between risk groups in older patients. Models excluding results for Conclusions: While European LeukemiaNet guidelines remain a critical tool for triaging patients with acute myeloid leukemia, the findings illustrate the need for additional prognostic factors, including age, to improve risk stratification