A Commentary on Selected Chapters of Tacitus Annales 13

This thesis provides a commentary on chapters 15–25 (inclusive) of Tacitus Annales 13 which form part of Tacitus’ annalistic narrative of the years AD 55 and 56, narrating the murder of Britannicus and its aftermath, Junia Silana’s conspiracy against Agrippina, Pallas’ and Burrus’ alleged plot against Nero, measures taken to quell unrest in theatres, and the suicide of Julius Montanus. The commentary is on a similar scale to those of Malloch (2013) on Annales 11 and Woodman (2018) on Annales 4 which are published in the Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries series (often termed the ‘orange’ series), with the eventual aim being (time and finances permitting) to publish a commentary on the entirety (58 chapters) of Annales 13; I have already written commentary sections on chapters 1–14, 26–30, 42–43 and 49 (which due to space constraints I have been unable to include in my doctoral thesis) with a publishable commentary on the entire work in mind. As required by the genre, the bulk of the commentary consists of detailed notes on specific lemmata, outlining points of linguistic, literary, historical and textual interest (including parallel passages, allusions and evaluations of conjectural emendations where necessary) in a given lemma. While it is not possible to include a complete critical text of Annales 13 with a critical apparatus within the constraints of the 80,000-word doctoral thesis, I have collated the primary manuscript in which Annales 13 is preserved (the eleventh-century Laurentianus plut. 68.2, known to Tacitean scholars as the ‘Second Medicean’ or M and available to consult online) from afresh for the entirety of Annales 13 and have established a text of my own which can be observed in the lemmata; I have clearly indicated in my textual notes where my text differs from either the primary manuscript or the most recent critical edition (the Teubner of Wellesley [Leipzig 1986]) and have explained my reasons for deviating from these. I have also consulted those codices recentiores which have been digitised by the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana and the Vatican Library; as their archetype survives, these are useful only as sources of conjectures. My notes on lemmata are preceded by four introductory sections (as would be found in a published commentary) which set out broader interpretative themes in Annales 13, namely the government of the Neronian principate, Tacitus’ depiction of women and gender roles, Tacitus’ language and style, and the manuscript tradition of Annales 11–16; I will produce in due course an introductory section on the structure of the annalistic narrative of Annales 13, which will be a useful counterpart to the planned commentary on the whole book. It is hoped that, while a complete commentary on Annales 13 is not possible within the constraints of a doctoral thesis, a balance between detailed textual analysis and consideration of broader literary and historical themes can be achieved. All dates subsequently given in the work are AD unless otherwise indicated. Abbreviations of classical authors and texts follow the conventions of the most recent volume of the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae (Berlin 2017); other abbreviations will be explained in the key.Internal Graduate Studentship, Trinity College, Cambridg

Electronic Phuture

The present Masters thesis analyzes a series of five compositions based on early forms of house and techno music. Music scores and audio recordings are included as a reference for the analysis of each composition. To establish the relationship between the compositions and those of their stylistic origins, the first chapter begins with a brief overview of the history of electronic music in the second half of the 20th century. Ultimately, it elucidates the creative process of early house and techno producers. The second chapter describes all of the instruments and equipment that were used in the audio recordings of the five compositions. The functions of the audio effects used in the recordings are detailed and high profile uses of famous instruments are referred to with specific recordings and notable users. The five compositions are then analyzed sequentially from chapter three to seven. Insights are drawn through an examination of the musical form, harmony and melody of the works in addition to what influenced the creative process

Fission Yeast Mad3p Is Required for Mad2p To Inhibit the Anaphase-Promoting Complex and Localizes to Kinetochores in a Bub1p-, Bub3p-, and Mph1p-Dependent Manner

The spindle checkpoint delays the metaphase-to-anaphase transition in response to spindle and kinetochore defects. Genetic screens in budding yeast identified the Mad and Bub proteins as key components of this conserved regulatory pathway. Here we present the fission yeast homologue of Mad3p. Cells devoid of mad3(+) are unable to arrest their cell cycle in the presence of microtubule defects. Mad3p coimmunoprecipitates Bub3p, Mad2p, and the spindle checkpoint effector Slp1/Cdc20p. We demonstrate that Mad3p function is required for the overexpression of Mad2p to result in a metaphase arrest. Mad1p, Bub1p, and Bub3p are not required for this arrest. Thus, Mad3p appears to have a crucial role in transducing the inhibitory “wait anaphase” signal to the anaphase-promoting complex (APC). Mad3-green fluorescent protein (GFP) is recruited to unattached kinetochores early in mitosis and accumulates there upon prolonged checkpoint activation. For the first time, we have systematically studied the dependency of Mad3/BubR1 protein recruitment to kinetochores. We find Mad3-GFP kinetochore localization to be dependent upon Bub1p, Bub3p, and the Mph1p kinase, but not upon Mad1p or Mad2p. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of our current understanding of spindle checkpoint function

The coMforT study of a trauma-informed mindfulness intervention for women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse:a protocol for an intervention refinement and individually randomised parallel feasibility trial

Background Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is common and destructive to health. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major mental health consequence of DVA. People who have experienced DVA have specific needs, arising from the repeated and complex nature of the trauma. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends more research on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for people who have experienced DVA. There is growing evidence that mindfulness-based interventions may help trauma symptoms. Methods Intervention refinement and randomized controlled feasibility trial. A prototype trauma-informed mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (TI-MBCT) intervention will be co-produced following qualitative interviews and consensus exercise with stakeholders. Participants in the feasibility trial will be recruited from DVA agencies in two geographical regions and randomized to receive either TI-MBCT or usual care (self-referral to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service). TI-MBCT will be delivered as a group-based eight-week program. It will not be possible to blind the participants or the assessors to the study allocation. The following factors will inform the feasibility of progressing to a fully powered trial: recruitment, retention, intervention fidelity, and the acceptability of the intervention and trial design to participants. We will also test the feasibility of measuring the following participant outcomes before and 6 months post-randomization: PTSD, dissociative symptoms, depression, anxiety, DVA re-victimization, self-compassion, and mother-reported child health. Process evaluation and economic analysis will be embedded within the feasibility trial. Discussion This study will lead to the development of a TI-MBCT intervention for DVA survivors with PTSD and inform the feasibility and design of a fully powered randomized controlled trial (RCT). The full trial will aim to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a TI-MBCT intervention in improving the clinically important symptoms of PTSD in DVA survivors

Bub1 Is a Fission Yeast Kinetochore Scaffold Protein, and Is Sufficient to Recruit other Spindle Checkpoint Proteins to Ectopic Sites on Chromosomes

The spindle checkpoint delays anaphase onset until all chromosomes have attached in a bi-polar manner to the mitotic spindle. Mad and Bub proteins are recruited to unattached kinetochores, and generate diffusible anaphase inhibitors. Checkpoint models propose that Mad1 and Bub1 act as stable kinetochore-bound scaffolds, to enhance recruitment of Mad2 and Mad3/BubR1, but this remains untested for Bub1. Here, fission yeast FRAP experiments confirm that Bub1 stably binds kinetochores, and by tethering Bub1 to telomeres we demonstrate that it is sufficient to recruit anaphase inhibitors in a kinase-independent manner. We propose that the major checkpoint role for Bub1 is as a signalling scaffold

Mad3 KEN Boxes Mediate both Cdc20 and Mad3 Turnover, and Are Critical for the Spindle Checkpoint

Mitotic progression is controlled by proteolytic destruction of securin and cyclin. The mitotic E3 ubiquitin ligase, known as the anaphase promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C), in partnership with its activators Cdc20p and Cdh1p, targets these proteins for degradation. In the presence of defective kinetochore-microtubule interactions, APC/C(Cdc20) is inhibited by the spindle checkpoint, thereby delaying anaphase onset and providing more time for spindle assembly. Cdc20p interacts directly with Mad2p, and its levels are subject to careful regulation, but the precise mode(s) of APC/C( Cdc20) inhibition remain unclear. The mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC, consisting of Mad3p, Mad2p, Bub3p and Cdc20p in budding yeast) is a potent APC/C inhibitor. Here we focus on Mad3p and how it acts, in concert with Mad2p, to efficiently inhibit Cdc20p. We identify and analyse the function of two motifs in Mad3p, KEN30 and KEN296, which are conserved from yeast Mad3p to human BubR1. These KEN amino acid sequences resemble ‘degron’ signals that confer interaction with APC/C activators and target proteins for degradation. We show that both Mad3p KEN boxes are necessary for spindle checkpoint function. Mutation of KEN30 abolished MCC formation and stabilised Cdc20p in mitosis. In addition, mutation of Mad3-KEN30, APC/C subunits, or Cdh1p, stabilised Mad3p in G1, indicating that the N-terminal KEN box could be a Mad3p degron. To determine the significance of Mad3p turnover, we analysed the consequences of MAD3 overexpression and found that four-fold overproduction of Mad3p led to chromosome bi-orientation defects and significant chromosome loss during recovery from anti-microtubule drug induced checkpoint arrest. In conclusion, Mad3p KEN30 mediates interactions that regulate the proteolytic turnover of Cdc20p and Mad3p, and the levels of both of these proteins are critical for spindle checkpoint signaling and high fidelity chromosome segregation

Bub3 Is a Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Protein Regulating Chromosome Segregation during Mouse Oocyte Meiosis

In mitosis, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) prevents anaphase onset until all chromosomes have been attached to the spindle microtubules and aligned correctly at the equatorial metaphase plate. The major checkpoint proteins in mitosis consist of mitotic arrest-deficient (Mad)1–3, budding uninhibited by benzimidazole (Bub)1, Bub3, and monopolar spindle 1(Mps1). During meiosis, for the formation of a haploid gamete, two consecutive rounds of chromosome segregation occur with only one round of DNA replication. To pull homologous chromosomes to opposite spindle poles during meiosis I, both sister kinetochores of a homologue must face toward the same pole which is very different from mitosis and meiosis II. As a core member of checkpoint proteins, the individual role of Bub3 in mammalian oocyte meiosis is unclear. In this study, using overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) approaches, we analyzed the role of Bub3 in mouse oocyte meiosis. Our data showed that overexpressed Bub3 inhibited meiotic metaphase-anaphase transition by preventing homologous chromosome and sister chromatid segregations in meiosis I and II, respectively. Misaligned chromosomes, abnormal polar body and double polar bodies were observed in Bub3 knock-down oocytes, causing aneuploidy. Furthermore, through cold treatment combined with Bub3 overexpression, we found that overexpressed Bub3 affected the attachments of microtubules and kinetochores during metaphase-anaphase transition. We propose that as a member of SAC, Bub3 is required for regulation of both meiosis I and II, and is potentially involved in kinetochore-microtubule attachment in mammalian oocytes

Reverse Engineering of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) is an intracellular mechanism that ensures proper chromosome segregation. By inhibiting Cdc20, a co-factor of the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC), the checkpoint arrests the cell cycle until all chromosomes are properly attached to the mitotic spindle. Inhibition of Cdc20 is mediated by a conserved network of interacting proteins. The individual functions of these proteins are well characterized, but understanding of their integrated function is still rudimentary. We here describe our attempts to reverse-engineer the SAC network based on gene deletion phenotypes. We begun by formulating a general model of the SAC which enables us to predict the rate of chromosomal missegregation for any putative set of interactions between the SAC proteins. Next the missegregation rates of seven yeast strains are measured in response to the deletion of one or two checkpoint proteins. Finally, we searched for the set of interactions that correctly predicted the observed missegregation rates of all deletion mutants. Remarkably, although based on only seven phenotypes, the consistent network we obtained successfully reproduces many of the known properties of the SAC. Further insights provided by our analysis are discussed

A quantitative systems view of the spindle assembly checkpoint

The idle assembly checkpoint acts to delay chromosome segregation until all duplicated sister chromatids are captured by the mitotic spindle. This pathway ensures that each daughter cell receives a complete copy of the genome. The high fidelity and robustness of this process have made it a subject of intense study in both the experimental and computational realms. A significant number of checkpoint proteins have been identified but how they orchestrate the communication between local spindle attachment and global cytoplasmic signalling to delay segregation is not yet understood. Here, we propose a systems view of the spindle assembly checkpoint to focus attention on the key regulators of the dynamics of this pathway. These regulators in turn have been the subject of detailed cellular measurements and computational modelling to connect molecular function to the dynamics of spindle assembly checkpoint signalling. A review of these efforts reveals the insights provided by such approaches and underscores the need for further interdisciplinary studies to reveal in full the quantitative underpinnings of this cellular control pathway