An exploration in visibility: some experiences of Indian women accountants

Many studies have emerged in the accounting field that explore women’s experiences in developed economies. However, little research has been undertaken to investigate the experiences and realities facing practising women accountants in India. The study offers exploratory insights into this area, (against the backdrop of the internationalisation and globalisation of accounting). The study involved seventeen women accounting practitioners from four major commercial cities in Indian: Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The results indicate that several practitioners experienced difficulties in certain areas of practice, whereas others reported that they did not experience any barriers to advancement. A discussion concerning limitations and areas for further research are presented in the conclusion

Design of an intelligent spinal artificial disk prosthesis for the investigation of in-vivo loading on the spine

The knowledge of the in-vivo loading on the spinal disk is of paramount importance in the understanding of low back pain. In this study an artificial spinal disk is used as a base for making an in-body intelligent implantable load-cell which can measure the in-vivo loading on the spinal disk. A commercially available spinal disc was utilized and was loaded with eight strain gauges and two piezoresistive sensors placed at different locations on the disc in order to enable the complete local mapping on the disk. With the aid of a cadaveric animal spine the artificial disc with all sensor was loaded in a laboratory environment. The in-vitro loading produced reliable and repeatable results and therefore suggesting that such approach might aid in the development of an artificial intelligent disc which will aid in the better understanding of the in-vivo loading of the human spine

Dissociation of the Octameric Enolase from S. Pyogenes - One Interface Stabilizes Another

Most enolases are homodimers. There are a few that are octamers, with the eight subunits arranged as a tetramer of dimers. These dimers have the same basic fold and same subunit interactions as are found in the dimeric enolases. The dissociation of the octameric enolase from S. pyogenes was examined, using NaClO4, a weak chaotrope, to perturb the quaternary structure. Dissociation was monitored by sedimentation velocity. NaClO4 dissociated the octamer into inactive monomers. There was no indication that dissociation of the octamer into monomers proceeded via formation of significant amounts of dimer or any other intermediate species. Two mutations at the dimer-dimer interface, F137L and E363G, were introduced in order to destabilize the octameric structure. The double mutant was more easily dissociated than was the wild type. Dissociation could also be produced by other salts, including tetramethylammonium chloride (TMACl) or by increasing pH. In all cases, no significant amounts of dimers or other intermediates were formed. Weakening one interface in this protein weakened the other interface as well. Although enolases from most organisms are dimers, the dimeric form of the S. pyogenes enzyme appears to be unstable

Synthesis of 4,5-diazaspiro[2.3]hexanes and 1,2-diazaspiro[3.3]heptanes as hexahydropyridazine analogues

4,5-Diazaspiro[2.3]hexanes are made by dihalocarbene addition across the exocyclic double bond of readily accessible 3-alkylidene-1,2-diazetidines. Using difluorocarbene, generated from TMSCF3/NaI, these spirocycles were produced in yields up to 97% by stereospecific addition across the alkene. Lower yields (up to 64%) were observed using more reactive dichlorocarbene, due to competitive insertion of the carbene into the N–N bond. Larger 1,2-diazaspiro[3.3]heptanes are produced by [2+2] cycloaddition of 3-alkylidene-1,2-diazetidines with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) in up to 99% yield. These additions work with di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes, offering a practical route to rigidified analogues of the medicinally important hexahydropyridazines

Development and automation of a test of impulse control in zebrafish.

Deficits in impulse control (difficulties in inhibition of a pre-potent response) are fundamental to a number of psychiatric disorders, but the molecular and cellular basis is poorly understood. Zebrafish offer a very useful model for exploring these mechanisms, but there is currently a lack of validated procedures for measuring impulsivity in fish. In mammals, impulsivity can be measured by examining rates of anticipatory responding in the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), a continuous performance task where the subject is reinforced upon accurate detection of a briefly presented light in one of five distinct spatial locations. This paper describes the development of a fully-integrated automated system for testing impulsivity in adult zebrafish. We outline the development of our image analysis software and its integration with National Instruments drivers and actuators to produce the system. We also describe an initial validation of the system through a one-generation screen of chemically mutagenized zebrafish, where the testing parameters were optimized

Seasonal Plasticity in GABA\u3csup\u3eA\u3c/sup\u3e Signaling is Necessary for Restoring Phase Synchrony in the Master Circadian Clock Network

Annual changes in the environment threaten survival, and numerous biological processes in mammals adjust to this challenge via seasonal encoding by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). To tune behavior according to day length, SCN neurons display unified rhythms with synchronous phasing when days are short, but will divide into two sub-clusters when days are long. The transition between SCN states is critical for maintaining behavioral responses to seasonal change, but the mechanisms regulating this form of neuroplasticity remain unclear. Here we identify that a switch in chloride transport and GABAA signaling is critical for maintaining state plasticity in the SCN network. Further, we reveal that blocking excitatory GABAA signaling locks the SCN into its long day state. Collectively, these data demonstrate that plasticity in GABAA signaling dictates how clock neurons interact to maintain environmental encoding. Further, this work highlights factors that may influence susceptibility to seasonal disorders in humans

Investigation of the in-vitro loading on an artificial spinal disk prosthesis

Spinal diseases imposes considerable burden to both patients and society. In recent years, much surgical efforts have been made in advancing the treatment of neck and back pain. Of particular prominence is the increasing clinical acceptance and use of intervertebral artificial disk prosthesis for the treatment of discogenic back pain. Despite this increased use of such disks, their in-vivo monitoring remains rudimentary. In an effort to develop an intelligent artificial spinal disk where the in-vivo loading of the spine can by studied for the first time an experimental set up has been created in order to initially study the in-vitro loading on an artificial disc prosthesis. Eight strain gauges and two piezoresistive sensors were used and placed suitably in the artificial disk prosthesis. The results from the in-vitro loading showed linear relationship between loading and the outputs from the sensors with good repeatability and less hysteresis

Structure and activity of the Streptococcus pyogenes family GH1 6-phospho β-glycosidase, Spy1599

The group A streptococcus Streptococcus pyogenes is the causative agent of a wide spectrum of invasive infections, including necrotizing fasciitis, scarlet fever and toxic shock syndrome. In the context of its carbohydrate chemistry, it is interesting that S. pyogenes (in this work strain M1 GAS SF370) displays a spectrum of oligosaccharide-processing enzymes that are located in close proximity on the genome but that the in vivo function of these proteins remains unknown. These proteins include different sugar transporters (SPy1593 and SPy1595), both GH125 -1,6- and GH38 -1,3-mannosidases (SPy1603 and SPy1604), a GH84 -hexosaminidase (SPy1600) and a putative GH2 -galactosidase (SPy1586), as well as SPy1599, a family GH1 `putative -glucosidase'. Here, the solution of the three-dimensional structure of SPy1599 in a number of crystal forms complicated by unusual crystallographic twinning is reported. The structure is a classical (/)8-barrel, consistent with CAZy family GH1 and other members of the GH-A clan. SPy1599 has been annotated in sequence depositions as a -glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21), but no such activity could be found; instead, three-dimensional structural overlaps with other enzymes of known function suggested that SPy1599 contains a phosphate-binding pocket in the active site and has possible 6-phospho--glycosidase activity. Subsequent kinetic analysis indeed showed that SPy1599 has 6-phospho--glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.86) activity. These data suggest that SPy1599 is involved in the intracellular degradation of 6-phosphoglycosides, which are likely to originate from import through one of the organism's many phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransfer systems (PEP-PTSs)

Group B Streptococcus GAPDH Is Released upon Cell Lysis, Associates with Bacterial Surface, and Induces Apoptosis in Murine Macrophages

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenases (GAPDH) are cytoplasmic glycolytic enzymes that, despite lacking identifiable secretion signals, have been detected at the surface of several prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms where they exhibit non-glycolytic functions including adhesion to host components. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a human commensal bacterium that has the capacity to cause life-threatening meningitis and septicemia in newborns. Electron microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis demonstrated the surface localization of GAPDH in GBS. By addressing the question of GAPDH export to the cell surface of GBS strain NEM316 and isogenic mutant derivatives of our collection, we found that impaired GAPDH presence in the surface and supernatant of GBS was associated with a lower level of bacterial lysis. We also found that following GBS lysis, GAPDH can associate to the surface of many living bacteria. Finally, we provide evidence for a novel function of the secreted GAPDH as an inducer of apoptosis of murine macrophages