The Role of Diaphanous in Ring Canal Development in Drosophila melanogaster

Infertility is a widespread condition that does not always have a known cause, and for which we often do not have a cure. One potential cause of infertility is defects in gametogenesis, or the formation of sperm and egg. During gametogenesis in most organisms, the developing sperm and egg are connected to each other or to supporting cells through intercellular bridges, allowing transfer of materials between cells. Defects in these connections can lead to infertility. The developing fruit fly egg is an excellent model system to study intercellular bridges, or ring canals. Rich in f-actin and actinbinding proteins, ring canals expand ~20 fold during oogenesis, and this expansion is accompanied by a 134-fold increase in the amount of actin in the structure. Ring canal expansion depends on the Arp2/3 complex; mutations in Arp2/3 complex members lead to decreased expansion and ring canal collapse. Interestingly, the Arp2/3 mutant phenotype has been reported to affect later stages of oogenesis (beginning at stage 5). This suggests that other actin nucleators could be involved in promoting ring canal growth prior to this point. I have characterized a role for the formin-family actin nucleator, Diaphanous (Dia), during oogenesis. Depletion of Dia leads to defects in normal ring canal structure and expansion, which are distinct from those observed following depletion of the Arp2/3 complex members. Future work will determine the mechanisms that promote the localization and activation of Arp2/3 and Diaphanous in the context of ring canal formation and expansion

Legal Education in Canadian Schools?

Law courses have exploded across school programmes in recent years. From one end of Canada to the other, thousands of students and hundreds of school teachers are now studying law. Just what they are learning is uncertain for, apart from a head count of those present in the classroom, there is little curricular enquiry and even less organisation. The effort appears to be an unled mass movement rather than a planned educational development. And its size is still growing. The origins of this explosion of legal interest explain its unorganised character. The pressure for legal education has come from the students themselves. Why the youth of the seventies should assert such an interest in law has not been investigated. Neither lawyers nor educationists have stopped to fathom the reasons. Instead, school principals and teachers have rushed about to satisfy demand. Their reaction has reason if not forethought. In an ever increasingly optional programme of studies at school, the students themselves can determine more and more the fields of their learning. Good or bad as an educational principle, once elective and alternative programming is admitted into the school system, teachers have no option but to respond to demand. Their lot is not to reason why, but to provide the subject-matter or become redundant

Law for Everyone for the Librarian

The problem raised by this subject is one of access to the law.\u27 Encapsulated in my title, Law for Everyone For the Librarian, are three components: the law; the reader with a problem; and you, the librarian. The issue is essentially how to bring the three together, and in my judgment the librarian is the critical link. The equipment you need I have divided into four elements, which I will pose to you as questions: What are the resources? Where are they? How do you get at them? and How can you use them to the reader\u27s benefit

Consumer Law Developments: A Note on the Impact of Recent Federal Legislation in Nova Scotia

Two years have passed since the previous comment on consumer law in this journal but surprisingly little provincial development has taken place. Consequently, this note will chiefly highlight the particular impact of changes in federal law for Nova Scotians. Provincial Activity In 1975 important additions were made to the Consumer Protection Act that were the subject of comment at the time.1 This impression of momentum created by the new department responsible for consumer affairs has disappointingly been lost. In the interim the minister has been raised to full cabinet rank and his responsibilities widened, but little reformatory legislation has been introduced. To his power to protect consumers in the marketplace was added an obligation to administer Nova Scotia\u27s part in the fight against inflation. In the name of the same struggle a Rent Review Act was passed. The statute controls increases in rents on residential properties and subjects landlords to regulation by a newly established Rent Review Commission. Responsibility for the administration of this semi-autonomous agency also lies with the Minister for Consumer Affairs

An Overview of the Concept of Operations for Assembly, Integration, Testing and Ground Servicing Developed for the MPCV-ESM Propulsion System

A concept of operations for the Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) and the Ground Systems Development Operations (GSDO) of the European Service Module (ESM) propulsion system has been developed. The AIT concept of operations covers all fabrication, integration and testing activities in both Europe and in the United States. The GSDO Program develops the facilities, equipment, and procedures for the loading of hypergolic propellants, the filling of high-pressure gases, and contingency de-servicing operations for the ESM. NASA and ESA along with the Lockheed Martin and Airbus Space and Defense are currently working together for the EM-1 and EM-2 missions in which the ESM will be flown as part of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). The NASA/ESA SM propulsion team is collaborating with the AIT personnel from ESA/Airbus and NASA/Lockheed Martin to ensure successful integration of the European designed Service Module propulsion system, the Lockheed Martin designed Crew Module Adapter and the heritage Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System Engines (OMS-E) being provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). This paper will provide an overview of the current AIT and GSDO concept of operations for the ESM propulsion system

A Roadmap for Lowering Crop Nitrogen Requirement.

Increasing nitrogen fertilizer applications have sustained a growing world population in the 20th century. However, to avoid any further associated environmental damage, new sustainable agronomic practices together with new cultivars must be developed. To date the concept of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has been useful in quantifying the processes of nitrogen uptake and utilization, but we propose a shift in focus to consider nitrogen responsiveness as a more appropriate trait to select varieties with lower nitrogen requirements. We provide a roadmap to integrate the regulation of nitrogen uptake and assimilation into varietal selection and crop breeding programs. The overall goal is to reduce nitrogen inputs by farmers growing crops in contrasting cropping systems around the world, while sustaining yields and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Governance of Arctic Marine Shipping

The governance of shipping activities in the Arctic might be described as a “complicated mosaic.” The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), often referred to as the constitution of the oceans, sets out the overall legal framework for the regulation of shipping. The Convention sets out coastal state legislative and enforcement powers over foreign ships according to the maritime zones of jurisdiction laid out in the Convention. A fragmented array of international agreements attempts to address specific challenges raised by shipping such as marine pollution prevention standards, ship safety, seafarer rights and qualifications, and liability and compensation for spills (Appendix A). In addition, the threats raised to/by ships operating in ice-covered waters have led northern countries that border these waters, such as Canada and Russia, to adopt national legislation specifically for Arctic shipping (Appendix B)

Governance of Arctic Marine Shipping

The governance of shipping activities in the Arctic might be described as a complicated mosaic The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCLOS often referred to as the constitution of the oceans sets out the overall legal framework for the regulation of shipping The Convention sets out coastal state legislative and enforcement powers over foreign ships according to the maritime zones of jurisdiction laid out in the Convention A fragmented array of international agreements attempts to address specific challenges raised by shipping such as marine pollution prevention standards ship safety seafarer rights and qualifications and liability and compensation for spills Appendix A In addition the threats raised toby ships operating in icecovered waters have led northern countries that border these waters such as Canada and Russia to adopt national legislation specifically for Arctic shipping Appendix