“The Lass of Aughrim” – Love, Tragedy, and the Power of the Past

The traditional Irish ballad “The Lass of Aughrim” appears in James Joyce’s short story “The Dead” and provides both significance to the unfolding of the story itself, as well as insight into the frailty of human relationships and the human condition. The song, while appearing only briefly in the story, is the point at which the story drastically shifts. “The Lass of Aughrim” is central to the development of Gretta Conroy as a character, to an understanding of the complexity of Gabriel and Gretta’s marriage, and to the tension present in the “The Dead” which allows the story to communicate powerful and relatable truth. As Joyce said, the dead have a “wayward and flickering existence” that never truly fades

In the Hands of the Reader

“In the Hands of the Reader” is an analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” integrating the views of Michael Jay Lewis in his article “Contingency, Narrative, Fiction: Vogler, Brenkman, Poe.” “The Black Cat” is a narrative penned by a man reflecting on his life as he awaits his own death. As the narrator is mentally unstable and therefore unreliable, the reader is brought into the story to interpret the truth or falsehood of the narrator’s story. Lewis is accurate in his strong acknowledgment of the unreliability of the narrator, yet he fails to address in-depth the reason for this unreliability, the narrator’s unstable mental state. In Lewis’ overemphasis of Poe’s role within rather than above his story, he detracts from the influence of the narrator and the interpretation of the reader. Overall though, Michael Lewis’ interpretation of Poe’s “The Black Cat” is fairly strong and allows the reader to interpret the narrator’s account in new and insightful ways

The Presentation of Postmodern Sexuality in Short Fiction

Shifting norms in twentieth century western society, coupled with emerging postmodern thought in the 1960s, radically changed the ways in which people viewed sexuality, gender roles, and the institutions of marriage and the family. The literature of the postmodern era, namely short fiction, also reflects such ideological shifts. Literature is a powerful communicator of the human condition as well as a crucial means for reflecting the customs, beliefs, and norms of a society at the time of its writing. Such evolving differences as were occurring in the realm of sexuality came to be represented in postmodern literature. This thesis aims to further probe the nature of the connection between postmodern literature and sexual codes

Can high intensity workloads be simulated at moderate intensities by reduced breathing frequency?

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate whether reduced breathing frequency during moderate intensity exercise produces similar metabolic responses as during exercise with spontaneous breathing at higher absolute intensity.Methods: Eight healthy male subjects performed a constant load test with reduced breathing frequency at 10 breaths per minute to exhaustion (B10) at the peak power output obtained during the incremental test with RBF (peak power output increased every two minutes for 30 W). The subjects then performed a constant load test with the spontaneous breathing to exhaustion (SB) at peak power output obtained during the incremental test with spontaneous breathing. Results: Respiratory parameters (VE, PETO2, PETCO2), metabolic parameters (Vo2, Vco2) and oxygen saturation (SaO2) were measured during both constant load tests. Capillary blood samples were taken before and every minute during both constant load tests in order to measure lactate concentration ([LA-]) and parameters of capillary blood gases and acid base status (Po2, Pco2, pH). Regardless of the type of comparison (the data obtained at the defined time or maximum and minimum values during the exercise), there were significant differences between SB and B10 in all respiratory parameters, metabolic parameters and SaO2 (p ≤ 0.01 and 0.05). There were significantly lower [LA-] and Pco2 during B10, when compared to SB (p≤0.01). However, there were no significant differences in pH during the exercise between different breathing conditions. Conclusion: It can be concluded that reduced breathing frequency during exercise at lower absolute intensity did not produce similar conditions as during the exercise with spontaneous breathing at higher absolute intensity

Impact of Weekly Swimming Training Distance on the Ergogenicity of Inspiratory Muscle Training in Well-Trained Youth Swimmers

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of weekly swimming training distance upon the ergogenicity of inspiratory muscle training (IMT). Thirty-three youth swimmers were recruited and separated into a LOW and HIGH group based on weekly training distance ( 41 km.wk-1, respectively). The LOW and HIGH groups were further subdivided into control and IMT groups for a 6-week IMT intervention giving a total of four groups: LOWcon, LOWIMT, HIGHcon, HIGHIMT. Before and after the intervention period, swimmers completed maximal effort 100 m and 200 m front crawl swims, with maximal inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures (PImax and PEmax, respectively) assessed before and after each swim. IMT increased PImax (but not PEmax) by 36% in LOWIMT and HIGHIMT groups (P < 0.05) but 100 m and 200 m swims were faster only in the LOWIMT group (3% and 7% respectively, P < 0.05). Performance benefits only occurred in those training up to 31 km.wk-1 and indicate that the ergogenicity of IMT is affected by weekly training distance. Consequently, training distances are important considerations, among others, when deciding whether or not to supplement swimming training with IMT

A switchable light-input, light-output system modelled and constructed in yeast

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Advances in synthetic biology will require spatio-temporal regulation of biological processes in heterologous host cells. We develop a light-switchable, two-hybrid interaction in yeast, based upon the Arabidopsis proteins PHYTOCHROME A and FAR-RED ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 1-LIKE. Light input to this regulatory module allows dynamic control of a light-emitting LUCIFERASE reporter gene, which we detect by real-time imaging of yeast colonies on solid media.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The reversible activation of the phytochrome by red light, and its inactivation by far-red light, is retained. We use this quantitative readout to construct a mathematical model that matches the system's behaviour and predicts the molecular targets for future manipulation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our model, methods and materials together constitute a novel system for a eukaryotic host with the potential to convert a dynamic pattern of light input into a predictable gene expression response. This system could be applied for the regulation of genetic networks - both known and synthetic.</p

Formal verification of safety protocol in train control system

In order to satisfy the safety-critical requirements, the train control system (TCS) often employs a layered safety communication protocol to provide reliable services. However, both description and verification of the safety protocols may be formidable due to the system complexity. In this paper, interface automata (IA) are used to describe the safety service interface behaviors of safety communication protocol. A formal verification method is proposed to describe the safety communication protocols using IA and translate IA model into PROMELA model so that the protocols can be verified by the model checker SPIN. A case study of using this method to describe and verify a safety communication protocol is included. The verification results illustrate that the proposed method is effective to describe the safety protocols and verify deadlocks, livelocks and several mandatory consistency properties. A prototype of safety protocols is also developed based on the presented formally verifying method

Expression profile of genes regulated by activity of the Na-H exchanger NHE1

BACKGROUND: In mammalian cells changes in intracellular pH (pH(i)), which are predominantly controlled by activity of plasma membrane ion exchangers, regulate a diverse range of normal and pathological cellular processes. How changes in pH(i )affect distinct cellular processes has primarily been determined by evaluating protein activities and we know little about how pH(i )regulates gene expression. RESULTS: A global profile of genes regulated in mammalian fibroblasts by decreased pH(i )induced by impaired activity of the plasma membrane Na-H exchanger NHE1 was characterized by using cDNA microarrays. Analysis of selected genes by quantitative RT-PCR, TaqMan, and immunoblot analyses confirmed results obtained from cDNA arrays. Consistent with established roles of pH(i )and NHE1 activity in cell proliferation and oncogenic transformation, grouping regulated genes into functional categories and biological pathways indicated a predominant number of genes with altered expression were associated with growth factor signaling, oncogenesis, and cell cycle progression. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive analysis of genes selectively regulated by pH(i )provides insight on candidate targets that might mediate established effects of pH(i )on a number of normal and pathological cell functions

Cortactin Phosphorylated by ERK1/2 Localizes to Sites of Dynamic Actin Regulation and Is Required for Carcinoma Lamellipodia Persistence

Tumor cell motility and invasion is governed by dynamic regulation of the cortical actin cytoskeleton. The actin-binding protein cortactin is commonly upregulated in multiple cancer types and is associated with increased cell migration. Cortactin regulates actin nucleation through the actin related protein (Arp)2/3 complex and stabilizes the cortical actin cytoskeleton. Cortactin is regulated by multiple phosphorylation events, including phosphorylation of S405 and S418 by extracellular regulated kinases (ERK)1/2. ERK1/2 phosphorylation of cortactin has emerged as an important positive regulatory modification, enabling cortactin to bind and activate the Arp2/3 regulator neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASp), promoting actin polymerization and enhancing tumor cell movement.In this report we have developed phosphorylation-specific antibodies against phosphorylated cortactin S405 and S418 to analyze the subcellular localization of this cortactin form in tumor cells and patient samples by microscopy. We evaluated the interplay between cortactin S405 and S418 phosphorylation with cortactin tyrosine phosphorylation in regulating cortactin conformational forms by Western blotting. Cortactin is simultaneously phosphorylated at S405/418 and Y421 in tumor cells, and through the use of point mutant constructs we determined that serine and tyrosine phosphorylation events lack any co-dependency. Expression of S405/418 phosphorylation-null constructs impaired carcinoma motility and adhesion, and also inhibited lamellipodia persistence monitored by live cell imaging.Cortactin phosphorylated at S405/418 is localized to sites of dynamic actin assembly in tumor cells. Concurrent phosphorylation of cortactin by ERK1/2 and tyrosine kinases enables cells with the ability to regulate actin dynamics through N-WASp and other effector proteins by synchronizing upstream regulatory pathways, confirming cortactin as an important integration point in actin-based signal transduction. Reduced lamellipodia persistence in cells with S405/418A expression identifies an essential motility-based process reliant on ERK1/2 signaling, providing additional understanding as to how this pathway impacts tumor cell migration